Author: Kajoyan Gevork

USAID DIRECTOR: WE ARE FOCUSED ON IT, PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY, AGRIBUSINESS AND TOURISM

August 30, 2013 | 13:45

By Anna Ghazaryan

Armenian News-NEWS.ampresents an interview with USAID Mission Director
in Armenia Dr. Karen Hilliard.

One of the most notable of USAID programs in recent years has become
“Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement Project”. Do you think
“people’s diplomacy” could weaken the objective obstacles that have
been and still exist?

I think that people-to-people projects are a key part of breaking
down the barriers between these two countries. It is important to
bear in mind that our “Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement Project” was
designed right around the time when the protocols were signed with the
expectation that they would be ratified. In terms of people-to-people
contacts, business linkages and civil society linkages and projects
are important. But these were to accompany the government-to-government
dialogue that everybody thought would ensue.

The project overall did a number of important things, such as to
establish business ties, to establish cultural contacts, for example
bringing Armenian and Turkish filmmakers together. The overall goal of
the project was not achieved, because the government-to-government
portion was stalled. Even in view of the official obstacles, it
continues to be important to foster business and cultural ties because
over time they do break down the stereotypes and pave the way at the
grassroots for an acceptance a political solution. While the gains
in civil society and business have been modest, it is important to
stay the course and hope for Á better day.

USAID conducted a campaign within the framework of “Monitoring of
2012 Parliamentary and 2013 Presidential Elections project” to inform
voters and then held monitoring of the elections. The program ends
in 2014. What work will be done after the elections are over?

This program was designed to bracket the electoral period. We funded
“It’s Your Choice”in the period before the elections, through the
elections and after the elections. Clearly improving political
process is not something that you do only right before election,
so it is important from our point of view to support “It’s Your
Choice”through the end of this grant, in order to develop their
organization internally and work on methods of sustainability after
the USAID grant ends. It is important for NGOs like “It’s Your Choice”
to work on their internal structure, work on fund raising so they could
diversify their funding sources. At the same time it is important to
maintain the emphasis even after elections on transparency, on the
need for public structures and formal government at the national,
regional and local level to remain accountable to the people that
elected it. That is why the program continues after elections. Going
forward, we will be emphasizing elections less and anti-corruption,
transparency, local governance and civil society participation more,
in order to take advantage of the five-year period between the major
elections. We will work with civil society and government to improve
their relationship, to bring them closer and inculcate a philosophy
within the government that it must be accountable to its constituents.

IT sector in Armenia has long been supported by USAID: previously
by CAPS project, now – by EDMC, ITT. What is the reason for so much
attention to this industry? What do you think are the prospects for
development of this sector in Armenia?

First of all we pay a significant attention to the IT sector in
part because the government has prioritized it, but it would be a
mistake to think that IT gets an exclusive or just disproportionate
emphasis from USAID. We are in fact working on four sectors: IT, the
pharmaceutical industry, agribusiness and tourism. All of them are
an important part of the government’s industrial and economic strategy.

IT continues to be important for several reasons. First of all it is a
knowledge-based industry that raises the level of available employment
for Armenians and offers very well educated workforce, opportunities
to use its brain power. Secondly, the IT sector is not dependent on
open borders. You can still succeed here with closed borders, too.

Thirdly, it takes advantage of natural abilities of the Armenian
workforce. IT also is a sector where there is an open field for
medium-sized and small business; there is no monopoly that one has to
break to be successful. We are working to encourage startups, small
businesses; secondly, to continue to training of the workforce here
in Armenia. Thirdly, we are looking to apply IT to other sectors,
such as health, tourism. We think that sophistication is such that
we can make the next step and not simply develop IT for its own
sake but begin to mainstream IT approaches across the economy. IT
has tremendous prospects to develop other sectors, and this is the
reason we think IT is so important.

Alternative energy projects were promoted within the framework of
“Water and Energy”. What are the prospects of using alternative energy
for the consumers?

We do have significant investment in the “Clear Energy and Water
Project.” USAID works with the government of Armenia to regionalize
the energy market generally, in particular fostering ties in energy
sector betweenArmenia and Georgia. The US government supports
maintenance and safety of Metsamor NPP. Given the fact that the
country is arguably over-reliant on nuclear energy, the plant is
ageing and it requires more investment and safety as times go by, and
given the ecological concerns , it is important for Armenia to begin
diversify its energy sources beyond nuclear and beyond hydro. USAID
is engaged in alternative energy in number of ways. First of all,
we have been very active in reforming the regulatory environment
for running small hydros. The concerns about micro hydro are of
an environmental nature. It is important that these micro hydro
enterprises do business in environmentally sustainable ways.

We did a number of activities concerning solar and wind technologies
in the Armenian villages, but these technologies require significant
capital investment. Even if the villagers want to switch to these
technologies, they do not have money to make the initial investment.

This is one of the reasons that it is important for the government to
pursue a decentralization policy and strengthening of local government,
including more revenue sharing at the local level and giving them
the means of generating of additional revenue themselves, so that
they can make investments in this type of thing.

Several weeks ago you launched Finance for Economic Development
(FED) Program. What goals does it pursue? What do you expect from
this program?

I think, traditionally, the focus of the financial sector of Armenia
has been on banking and traditional financial instruments, such as
bank loans. One of the objectives of FED program is to make other
financial products available, such as insurance policies, stocks,
bonds that give investors other options, besides simply putting their
money in banks. In addition, what we try to do is to work with the
central banking system to persuade banks that in fact making loans
to small and medium-sized enterprises is not as risky as they might
think. There is a perception that making those kinds of loans to small
traders is highly risky. Part of this has to do with a cultural shift:
to begin opening up their vision regarding who is worthy and who is
not, but there is also work on regulatory environment.

Black Sea Silk Road Corridor (BSSRC) Project is not only a very
interesting project aimed at promotion of tourism, but it is also a
project presenting the history and culture of the region. How will
Armeniabenefit from this project?

This project is a cornerstone of our strategy to improve the tourism
sector in Armenia. If you were born inArmenia, grew up here and lived
here all your life, you tend to ignore the cultural richness around
you. But if you are someone like me coming in, who has never lived
in Armenia, you look around and see the wealth of culture, history,
architecture, archeology, religious history. There is so much to see
here and so much to learn. The issue is how you package it and market
it to tourists.

This is where USAID is placing its emphasis in the tourism sector.

This project is aimed at taking advantage of the rich culture
and history of Armenia, doing proper marketing, proper packaging
of tours and helping increase information available at particular
sites for the tourists to understand what they are seeing. BSSRC is
important because it helps to market what Armenia has to offer. This
is important because it is a cross-border initiative, and it is one
more way that we can help break down institutional and psychological
barriers that exist in this region. If people look at it as a whole
and say: “I want to visit the Caucasus, so I will spend a little time
in Armenia, in Georgia, and then a little time in Turkey,” it begins
to ease those barriers and to break down the walls.

States News Service
August 30, 2013 Friday

FREEDOM HOUSE CONDEMNS DISGUSTING ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALIST IN AZERBAIJAN

WASHINGTON

The following information was released by Freedom House:

Khadija Ismayilova, a renowned Azerbaijani investigative journalist
and an RFE/RL reporter, has been targeted in another vicious
rhetorical attack in the state-run media. Ismayilova, who has been
investigating allegations of unethical business dealings of President
Ilham Aliyev and questioning the sources of Azerbaijan’s ruling family
assets, has been blackmailed and defamed a number of times over the
past year, including twice this week.

In an article entitled “Khadija’s Armenian Mother Should Die”
published by the government-aligned newspaper SES on August 26,
Ismayilova’s sister is accused of running a sex trafficking business,
while her mother is falsely called Armenian; both women were accused
of appearing in a pornographic film. The article also identified the
Baku district where Ismayilova’s relatives live. After the publication
drew sharp criticism from the United States Embassy in Baku, SES came
back on August 29 with a new attack in a piece called “What the U.S.
can do for Khadija.” The article directly points at Ismayilova’s
investigative work and shames her into being “tolerant of criticism;”
it further alleges that the U.S. abused women and children in
Palestine, Egypt and Syria, and calls on the U.S. to “take Khadija,”
because “she is Armenian anyway.”

Freedom House deplores the disgusting and spurious charges by the
government of Azerbaijan to try to discredit a brave, independent
voice.

Agence France Presse
August 30, 2013 Friday 4:46 PM GMT

Armenia frees captured Azerbaijani soldier: Red Cross

YEREVAN, Aug 30 2013

Armenia has released a captured Azerbaijani soldier to an unnamed
third country, the International Committee of the Red Cross said
Friday.

“On 30 August, the ICRC was informed by the Armenian authorities that
the Azerbaijani prisoner of war had been released and had departed
Armenia for a third country that very day under the auspices of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,” the Red Cross said in
a statement.

The soldier Firuz Farajev was detained last July after he crossed the
border between the two arch-foes, the defence ministry in Yerevan
said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are locked in a festering decades-long feud
over the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh.

The two sides regularly exchange fire along the volatile frontline and
each is thought to be holding prisoners of war.

Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a 1990s war that killed 30,000 people.

Despite years of negotiations since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides
have still not signed a peace deal.

Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region by force if
negotiations do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed to
retaliate against any military action.

Glendale News Press, CA
Aug 31 2013

Potential air strikes in Syria cause concern for Syrian-Armenians in Glendale

Leaders in local Syrian-Armenian community oppose U.S. military action.

August 30, 2013|By Brittany Levine and Veronica Rocha |
By Brittany Levine and Veronica Rocha

While President Barack Obama announced Friday that any military action
responding to chemical attacks in Syria would be limited in scope,
leaders in the Syrian-Armenian community in Glendale said they oppose
any armed response from the United States.

`I don’t want my country to be that merchant of destruction,’ said
Zaven Khanjian, an Aleppo native and Glendale real estate agent who
leads the nonprofit Syrian Armenian Relief Fund. `Whatever [the
military action] is, it will bring death and destruction.’

As the conflict between rebels and the sitting government led by
Syrian President Bashar Assad has worsened over the past two years,
locals’ fears for their friends and family in Syria – especially those
in the large city of Aleppo, which has been one of the hardest hit by
violence – have ballooned.

They hear stories almost daily of kidnappings, stray bullets striking
innocents, panic and economic hardship in historically Armenian
neighborhoods in Aleppo.

During a televised announcement Friday, Obama said he has not made a
final decision, but he assured Americans he is against a long-term
response.

`We’re not considering any open-ended commitment. We’re not
considering any boots-on-the-ground approach,’ he said.

The president’s announcement comes after the U.S. intelligence
community released a report Friday detailing a chemical weapons
attack, which they believed was carried out by the Syrian government
using a nerve agent.

Despite Obama’s assurance, the Armenian community in Syria is
preparing for an imminent attack and war, said Lena Bozoyan,
chairwoman of the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA’s executive
board.

Her organization, which has given financial aid to Syrian-Armenian
charities during the conflict, believes `the whole Armenian community
worldwide [is] very wary and concerned of military intervention that
would only add to the suffering of all people on both sides and would
not be a solution to the conflict in Syria and could threaten and
destabilize the whole region.’

The British Parliament voted on Thursday against taking military
action in Syria, while French President Francois Hollande supported
air strikes.

Viktor Krivopuskov: The matter of choice is always tempting

ArmInfo’s Interview with Viktor Krivopuskov, Head of
Rossotrudnichestvo Office in Armenia, Counselor of Russian Embassy in
Armenia, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Doctor of Sociology,
honorary member of the Writers’ Union of Armenia

by Emmanuil Lazarian
Saturday, August 31, 17:48

Mr.Krivopuskov, you are a diplomat, public figure, scientist,
political expert and historian spending much time on studying and
developing the Armenian-Russian relations. You are the author of
well-known books, such as `Rebellious Karabakh’ and `Armenia,
Armenia…: 200 questions-200 answers about the country and the people
since biblical times to moderndays’. Today Armenia faces an `interim
choice’ – to initial and sign the Association Agreement with the EU or
to start a re-integration process within the post-Soviet space around
the idea of the Eurasian Union. Actually, history has repeatedly
thrown Armenia into a dilemma. Today, also, the formula `either…or’ is
perceived in Armenia more seriously than the formula `both…and’.

A choice is always a temptation. Russia has also faced the problem of
choice on its difficult historical path. The Strife in the early 17th
century, the epoch of Peter the Great, the Patriotic War of 1812,
October of 1917, the Great Patriotic War, the collapse of the USSR
were nothing but a possibility of a historical choice. But are there
any reasons to speak of a `great choice’ today? One should understand
that the current situation in both Russia and Armenia is not so
critical. As a diplomat, politician and sociologist, I try to be
guided not by emotional `twists and turns’ or speculations, but good
knowledge and clear ideas giving an answer to the question what the
appearing picture is. In fact, that picture consists of 2 parts. One
of them exists really, and the other one temps with its artistic
performance. Truth is always balanced and it is equality of weight
indices. Today, however, the `either…or’ principle is imposed, i.e. it
is offered to make a tough choice, which, to tell the truth, implies
first of all destroying everything built over decades and even
centuries. The state policy must be based on the sense of reality and
the forecasts should also be realistic and should be based on the
complex of political, economic and humanitarian components of
development of the nation, country, and national priorities of both
Armenia and Armenian people. Therefore, I think that there are real
chances to take a sober and correct step.

Certainly, one should not forget history, which also participates in
today’s debates as the main indicator of the reality. I have recently
published a monograph `Confidence as a Factor of Society
Consolidation’. It has a paragraph dedicated to the interstate
confidence in the post-Soviet area by the example of Russian-Armenian
cooperation. The matter concerns not only the historical basis, but
also the last 20 years, i.e. new Russia and the Third Republic of
Armenia. Here I point out the progress in all interstate cooperation
dimensions that interest the Armenian and Russian societies:
maintenance of peace, defense of our external borders, development of
economy, financial stability, science, culture, education, etc. By the
main international problems, the positions of our countries coincide
or are very close at least. Russia is interested in strong,
competitive Armenia, because it enhances our strategic allied
relations to a new level. The Russian-Armenian phenomenon of
interstate confidence is of big significance to consolidation of the
Russian society, because it mostly determines the condition of the
large Armenian community in Russia. Then I write that if one stakes on
interstate confidence as the basis for strengthening of the confidence
inside Russia, one can constantly gain the combination of the
confidence based on the sense of confidence in another state and its
actions with the confidence based on certain reckoning.

You are absolutely right to think that the issue of unambiguous
choice has no prospects. When studying the economic statistics of the
CIS countries, I was amazed to learn that Belarus has a
well-diversified trade and economic turnover, whereas the West is
rather critical of Belarus regarding the problem of choice. Almost
half of the commodity flow of the country falls on the European Union.
Living under the same Soviet roof, Belarus, Armenia and other
post-Soviet countries, including Russia, have gone through fire and
water, sometimes through tragic episodes of the contemporary history
and gained big success in economy, science and education.

Actually, I am quite well aware of Armenia’s history and I can say
that the USSR you are talking about seems to have been created for
Armenia. The Armenian nation had not had such prosperity and wealth in
its history before. I mean the development of town planning, science,
culture, technologies, and production. It is enough to recall that
during the Soviet time about 70 trains would daily arrive at the
Yerevan freight station and 70 trains would daily leave that station.
Furthermore, the commodity exchange was not only inside the Soviet
Union, but also with foreign countries. Soviet Armenia successfully
traded with almost the whole world. Moreover, it sold not only raw
materials but its labor products, which were technology intensive and
had a high added value. This was the reality of our joint rationality,
which is the basis of our countries’ efficient interaction. Therefore,
those who say that Armenia’s commodity turnover indices with Europe
are higher than with Russia are cunning. It is far from being true.
When the matter concerns investments that lie in the basis of any
country’s economic development, the apologists of the idea of `choice’
splutter, roughly speaking. The thing is that everything, except the
partial raw materials going from Armenia to the West, is produced on
the Russian investment base and is designed for the Armenian-Russian
commodity turnover.

Economy is the daily bread. To break the traditional stable economic
ties is tantamount to death. Following the collapse of the USSR, all
of us experienced unprecedented downturn in production and the whole
infrastructure. And we started restoring it: Russia – at the expense
of its own immense resources, Armenia – at the expense of
international, first of all, Russian resources. Let’s look at the
nuclear power engineering, the fuel complex, communication or the
railway. Which of the European countries suggested assuming the
mission of restoring these national infrastructures? Yes, they
implemented certain small projects, but no projects on global
infrastructure. Only Russia seriously invested in restoration of the
poverty-stricken energy complex, started rehabilitating the railway
transport and tuned the South Caucasus Railway into a high-yield
advanced enterprise. Let them call these investments `politically
motivated’. The most important thing is that these investments bring
benefit to the country and replenish its budget. Russia is still
criticized for the 5 enterprises it received against Armenia’s debts.
But no one wants to see or hear that none of these 5 enterprises has
been destroyed. Moreover, when these enterprises were being
transferred to Russia’s assets, it was announced that the deal should
be considered as new Russian investments in Armenia’s economy. Some
time passed and all of these 5 enterprises became the largest
taxpayers of the country. The success of Mars CJSC, where the first
free economic zone in Armenia has recently been launched, is of
special significance. It is also important that these enterprises
fulfill big orders both for Armenia’s defense and for other countries.

As regards the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory named after Viktor
Hambardzumyan, the project of rehabilitation of this important
scientific center of Armenia is being completed on the initiative of
our Rossotrudnichestvo Office. Now it is being upgraded and will
shortly become a priority facility in the system of space rubbish
monitoring on the low earth orbit. This is a very serious and
promising project that can make the Observatory financially strong and
independent. There are also a lot of examples of Armenian-Russian
close cooperation in the military and technical field.

I cannot help asking a question about the sale of Russian military
hardware worth 1 bln USD to Azerbaijan.

I dare to claim that since the epoch of Peter the Great and Israel
Ori, Russia’s foreign policy with respect to Armenia has not changed,
there has always been mutual orientation though the kings and
secretaries general changed. Russia has always been committed to its
political principles even in the hard times. When the Patriotic War
1812 was running, the Emperor did not withdraw a single soldier or
officer from the Karabakh battlefield. Today we mark the 200th
anniversary of the Treaty of Gulistan. In March 2013 we marked the
185th anniversary of the Treaty of Turkmenchay. Let’s read the books
by Hovhannes Tumanyan, Avetik Isahakyan, Catholicos Nerses
Ashtaraketsi, combat leader Andranik and other old and new Armenian
figures. Over 200 thsd soldiers and officers of the Russian imperial
army gave their lives for freedom and independence of Armenian people.
Today we defend Armenia’s borders with Iran and Turkey together with
Armenians. The 102nd Russian military base performs a mission of peace
maintenance in the region at the request of the Armenian state. All
this allows understanding what lies in the basis of our relations and
what lies in the basis of the 1 bln USD. Does the fact of the arms
deal become a reason to make cardinal decisions? The important thing
is that our countries have already switched from the term `strategic
partnership’ to construction of strategic allied relations. Believe
me, these relations are based on high-strength bricks and this fact is
worth understanding.

Politics is known to be the art of achieving the possible and I think
that the `choice’ is being bargained today. Moreover, everybody keeps
silence of this bargain as a purely commercial deal. There are only
assessments of some experts, but there is no certainty. I am concerned
with it. But some circles in Armenia think that if the `choice’ is
actually imposed on us, the choice should be made through a nationwide
referendum. What do youthink of this idea?

It is hard for me to comment on the Armenian elite’s attitude towards
the situation. As a sociologist, certainly, I support the instrument
of the referendum. XXI century is the epoch of knowledge-driven
economy. In this case, to know is to be sure that the decisions made
will be supported by the absolute majority of the population. Nowadays
it is the large corporations that are guided by science and sociology
to improve the system of production and management, but the state
policy, unfortunately, uses these principles rarely.

What about Russia? Doesn’t it latently offer us `to choose’?

We do not speak of the `choice’, we speak of intensification of the
trade and economic, scientific and technical, military and technical,
educational, cultural and humanitarian relations that have deep roots.
Unlike the EU idea, the Eurasian idea does not throw the country into
the `either…or’ dilemma, but suggests developing together without any
obstacles from Lisbon to Vladivostok. Moreover, the statements about
the Customs Union and the ways of development of the Eurasian Union
clearly say that no one is persuaded to join the Union. Its
participants are equal regardless of their size or weight. The
Eurasian Union lays down no preconditions for accession and suggests
equal participation in its creation and construction. This means that
each country can take part in creation of the Union, first of all, the
CIS countries that are so much interested in integration processes and
expansion of cooperation on mutually beneficial terms. We realize that
the economy of XXI century is different, therefore, the emphasis is
put on restoration and development of not only trade and economic
relations, but first of all scientific and technical ties. This is why
we speak of an innovation cooperation program, which is gradually
becoming a reality.

This is why Rossotrudnichestvo pays so much attention to science and education…

Our Office serves to contribute to trade and economic, scientific and
technical, educational, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between
our countries. In each of these fields we already have good
professional practice, we have managed to implement a number of pilot
projects for the CIS countries. It is important that all our programs
are formed on a mutually beneficial basis in order to strengthen the
scientific brainpower here. Armenia is a science-intensive country.
The sooner we speed up joint efforts to rehabilitate the scientific
and technical potential of the country, the faster Armenia will make
progress. Russia needs strong Armenia as an ally. Therefore, our
mission is to pay special attention to close contacts with the
Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Science and
Technology, research institutes, and young scientists. Today this
interaction is quite dynamic and it helps restore the bridges with
Russian institutes and scientific schools. The Russian-Armenian Center
for Innovative Cooperation set up jointly with the Armenian Economy
Ministry in 2010 has already implemented over 20 such projects. There
is also a program on innovative cooperation with the Skolkovo
Foundation. We expect representatives of investment structures and
venture capital funds to come to Armenia to choose specific projects.
The ties between the Russian and Armenian universities are also
strengthened. We provide the Armenian public, school and university
libraries with books and other devices. There are six branches of
Russian universities in Armenia. Last year the branches of Timiryazev
Agricultural Academyand the Russian Veterinary Academy opened at the
Yerevan Agrarian University.

There was also a project on opening the Lomonosov Moscow State
University’s branch in Armenia…

At the moment the technical and paper work is being done. Almost all
the issues are agreed upon and the idea will shortly be put into
practice. The Moscow State University branch will not become a
competitor for the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University and other
universities of the country. Moreover, the basic sciences to be taught
at the faculties of the MSU branch will be an asset to the higher
education system. I am sure that the MSU branch will become a good
regional center, which will attract the gifted youth from Diaspora,
the Middle East, the CIS and other foreign countries. The activity of
the MSU branch as a world-known brand will have a big multiplier
effect for Armenia and will give a fresh impetus to development of the
scientific and technical potential of the country and its
reintegration into the Eurasian and global innovative economy.

Thanks for the interview.

WHY WOULD ASSAD USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS? – SERJ TANKIAN ON SYRIA DEVELOPMENTS

12:26 30.08.13

US Armenian band singer Serj Tankian had addressed the heated
developments in Syria in a Facebook post, expressing his concerns
over the reported use of chemical weapons in the country.

His post is presented below:

I’m really concerned about the “evidence” against the Syrian regime’s
use of chemical weapons as an excuse for intervention. Remember the
“slam dunk” evidence against Iraq? Why would Assad use chemical weapons
when he has the lead and in his own neighborhood ? Doesn’t make any
sense to me. Would it be a far notion to assume that Al Qaeda or Al
Nusra Front would do this to get the West involved? This time let the
people of the world see the evidence and let the UN General Assembly
make the decision of involvement, not a few nations of the Security
Council. Just some thoughts.

Armenian News – Tert.am

DES VILLAGES ARMENIENS SUR UN TERRAIN GLISSANT

ARMENIE

Voghjaberd est un village sans beaucoup d’avenir. Assis sur une zone
soumise a de frequents glissement de terrain et au risque de rochers
degringolant de terrain plus eleve, les maisons ici semblent voues
a s’effondrer tôt ou tard. C’est juste une question de temps.

Accueillant un peu plus de 1000 personnes, ce village dans la region
du Kotayk en Armenie est l’un des 230 collectivites a travers le pays
qui sont situes dans des zones sujettes aux glissements de terrain.

Voghjaberd n’est pas particulièrement loin, elle se trouve a seulement
20 kilomètres de la capitale Erevan.

Toutes les maisons de Voghjaberd sont maintenant tellement endommages
par le sol en mouvement que des fissures sont apparues dans les murs
progressivement. Le glissement de terrain se produit a un rythme
d’escargot, mais il peut etre accelere par des tremblements de terre
dans cette region sismiquement active, par les fortes pluies de
l’automne et au printemps, et aussi par l’intervention humaine.

A Voghjaberd, le sous-sol est devenu instable dans les annees 1970,
coïncidant avec un projet bien intentionne pour amener l’eau de la
rivière Azat pour alimenter le village.

À la fin des annees 1980, le glissement a ete plus prononcee, et au
debut des annees 1990, le village a ete repertorie comme une zone
de glissement de terrain. Hayk Baghdasaryan, chercheur principal
a l’Institut des sciences geologiques qui a participe a une grande
enquete menee en 2005-06 par l’Armenie, a declare a l’Institute for War
& Peace Reporting que Voghjaberd est assise sur un particulièrement
important secteur a risque compose de 500 hectares de sols argileux
qui est constamment en mouvement.

” De gros rochers et des blocs de pierre sont descendus dans la zone
bâtie, probablement a la suite d’un tremblement de terre ” a-t-il dit.

” Les faits montrent que ces maisons sont en danger. S’il y a un autre
tremblement de terre, les roches pourraient tomber sur les maisons “.

Le centre communautaire et la maternelle de Voghjaberd sont deja
tombes, et les trois ecoles de village sont en si mauvais etat qu’elles
ont ete abandonnees il y a huit ans.

Les 82 ecoliers du village assistent a des cours dans des remorques.

Après la maison de Harout Margaryan se soit effondree, sa famille
s’est retrouvee dans la rue. Les autorites du village ont propose une
solution temporaire en les logeant dans la clinique de premiers soins,
qui a ete a son tour transfere dans une remorque.

L’expert-comptable au bureau du gouvernement local de Voghjaberd,
Haykanush Babayan, a declare a l’IWPR que moins d’un tiers des terres
agricoles autour du village etait encore en usage.

Les champs de ble sont en jachères et les villageois vivent grâce aux
recoltes qu’ils peuvent developper sur leurs parcelles individuelles.

Ils peuvent faucher le foin dans les champs, mais seulement a la main
car il est interdit d’utiliser la machinerie agricole.

La principale artère d’Erevan a Garni est egalement affectee, et a
besoin de reparations constantes pour la maintenir en usage.

” La route a ete complètement reparee il y a une semaine, mais ca
commence a se desintegrer dans la meme section “, a declare Babayan. ”
Notre village n’a pas d’avenir “. Les autorites semblent d’accord. Il
n’y a pas de projets de developpement a long terme pour le village.

Les residents ont ete exemptes du paiement de la taxe foncière, bien
que cela prive le gouvernement local de fonds – son revenu est un peu
plus de 22000 dollars par an, a peu près assez pour payer les salaires
du personnel et aider quelques-unes des familles les plus pauvres.

” Il est difficile de faire face aux glissements de terrain ” a declare
le resident local Rafik Rafaelyan. ” Les experts disent qu’il n’y a
pas de possibilites de lutter contre des zones de glissement de terrain
aussi grandes que Voghjaberd, d’une part parce que cela necessite une
grande quantite d’argent, de ressources humaines et materielles, sans
resultats tangibles. Et deuxièmement, la possibilite que le glissement
de terrain reparte ne pourra jamais etre exclu. Il est preferable de
reinstaller les habitants peu a peu, et c’est ce qui est fait “.

Le chef du village Norayr Melkonian a declare que 140 familles dans
Voghjaberd avaient deja recu des compensations de l’Etat pour les aider
a se deplacer. Au depart, ceux qui possedaient leurs propres maisons
ont recu un paiement ponctuel de dix millions de drams – autour de
25000 dollars – en fonction de la taille de leurs proprietes. D’autres
habitants ont recu une somme leur permettant de reclamer de nouveaux
logements, et quatre familles ont jusqu’ici emmenage dans de nouveaux
appartements ailleurs.

Le processus de reinstallation et d’indemnisation a ete entravee par le
manque de financement. Les residents du village et les fonctionnaires
ont a plusieurs reprises demande au gouvernement central plus
d’assistance pour s’entendre dire a chaque fois que des fonds sont
disponibles que les menages seront evalues selon une liste prioritaire.

Norayr Melkonian a declare qu’environ 100 maisons dans Voghjaberd
etaient habitees par de jeunes couples, mais qu’ils ne seront pas
admissibles a une indemnisation car ils ont ete officiellement
repertories comme vivant avec leurs parents.

Les règles d’indemnisation selective conduisent a des situations comme
celle de la famille Avagyan, où l’un fils marie s’est eloigne sur un
terrain achete avec une compensation une valeur de 10000 dollars.

L’autre resta dans la vieille maison, où il vivait desormais avec sa
famille et sa mère de 72 ans.

Edward et Nelly Zadoyan attendent la naissance de leur 14ème enfant
dans une maison qu’ils considèrent comme un grand danger car elle
est assise sur le bord du village, a proximite de la colline. Nelly
Zadoyan a rappele qu’un enorme rocher s’est detache de la colline et
a rate leur maison par miracle.

Neanmoins, Edward Zadoyan a dit que la famille etait incapable de
bouger car elle n’a pas ete prevus pour une reinstallation dans
un proche avenir, et qu’il y avait d’autres maisons juges a risque
encore plus grand. Artur Muradyan, chef du departement des urgences
au ministère pour les catastrophes naturelles, a explique que la
remuneration a ete versee en deux etapes – 40 pour cent lorsque la
famille a demenage d’un bâtiment condamne, et les 60 pour cent restants
quand il est effectivement demoli. L’idee etait d’empecher les gens de
prendre l’argent et de retourner vivre dans leurs maisons dangereuses.

Cependant, Muradyan dit, meme cette precaution n’etait pas toujours
efficace – de nombreuses familles avaient pris la première partie de
l’argent et avaient continue a vivre dans Voghjaberd.

Artur Muradyan siège dans une commission speciale mise en place par
le ministère du developpement urbain d’Armenie afin de se pencher sur
la facon de traiter avec les collectivites semblables partout dans le
pays. Bien que 133 villages aient ete repertories comme necessitant
des terrassements preventives, aucun fonds pour cela n’a ete alloue
dans le budget du gouvernement pour cette annee et l’annee dernière.

Au lieu de cela, la politique continue d’etre de sortir les gens des
bâtiments a haut risque. ” La situation change de mois en mois. Une
fois la recherche effectuee, l’argent devrait etre trouve pour agir
sur les conclusions de la Commission “, a declare Artur Muradyan. ”
Dans quelques mois, la situation ne sera pas la meme que celle qu’elle
est aujourd’hui “.

Quant a Voghjaberd, le villageois Rafaelyan a declare que son passe
etait en voie de disparition ainsi que son avenir.

Le cimetière local s’estompe, et il a ete force de retirer les restes
de ses parents dans un autre endroit. Certaines personnes ont deplace
les restes de la famille dans un cimetière plus recent mais qui se
trouve aussi dans la zone du glissement de terrain.

Christine Aghalaryan est une correspondante du journal Hetq en Armenie.

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

vendredi 30 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

LA PUISSANCE DES MOTS

REVUE DE PRESSE

Depuis maintenant presque quarante ans, l’auteur et militant des
droits de l’homme Ragip Zarakolu est une epine dans le pied de l’etat
turc. Il a ete emprisonne a plusieurs reprises et il est sous le
coup de nombreuses procedures devant divers tribunaux. Mais Zarakolu
n’a jamais doute de la puissance des mots. Ceyda Nurtsch trace ici
son profil.

Decrire une personne comme un rempart contre l’etat turc evoque dans
les esprits une image tout a fait differente. Ragip Zarakolu est
une personne de corpulence moyenne, sa chevelure grise est bouclee,
il se laisse pousser une barbe non taillee et il s’exprime a voix
basse. Des yeux brillants vous regardent derrière ses lunettes. Une
sorte de douceur intime se degage de sa personne. Il devient vite
evident qu’il aime rire ; meme lorsqu’il parle de sujets dont certains
penseraient qu’il ne faut pas rire.

Par exemple : la liste des titres interdits dans la litterature turque
est longue de 20 000 ouvrages ; chaque fois qu’un nouveau gouvernement
prend le pouvoir, il en rajoute a la liste sans jamais en retrancher
aucun. ” La liste se lit un peu comme l’histoire de la litterature
turque ” dit ironiquement Zarakolu.

Un mandat d’arret

Il a ete capable de garder son sens de l’humour meme au moment de sa
liberation de la prison de haute securite de Kandira au printemps
2012, après six mois passes derrière les barreaux. Il avait ete
arrete au printemps de l’annee precedente dans le cadre d’une vague
d’arrestations dirigee contre des personnes suspectees d’avoir des
liens avec l’Union des Communautes du Kurdistan (KCK). La Haute Cour
Penale d’Istanbul avait en meme temps emis un mandat d’arret contre
lui et contre de nombreux avocats, responsables politiques, etudiants
et militants soupconnes de participation a des activites terroristes.

[legende photo] Editeur de gauche ambitieux, Zarakolu, crea les
editions ” Belge ” dans le district de Sultanahmet d’Istanbul en
1977, avec sa femme Ayse Nur, decedee en 2002. Elles sont en activite
encore aujourd’hui]

Le motif : la conference qu’il avait donnee a l’academie politique
du parti pro-kurde Paix et Democratie. Parmi les personnes arretees
figurent son fils Deniz et le scientifique politique Busra Ersanli.

Lorsqu’il fut libere de prison, le commentaire de Zarakolu aux
journalistes est typique de son sens de l’humour : ” Les veritables
academies en Turquie sont les prisons “, a-t-il dit.

Zarakolu a resume ses experiences dans un article : ” Au cours de mes
60 ans de vie active je n’ai fait que subir pressions, interrogatoires,
procès, extraditions et menaces de mort “. À ce jour, il a ete inculpe
plus de soixante et dix fois, et il a ete plusieurs fois condamne a
des peines d’emprisonnement. Dans les cas qui precedaient, cependant,
il avait pu echapper a l’enfermement grâce a des articles de journaux
ou a des ouvrages publies par Belge (” Documents “), sa propre maison
d’edition.

Defier Toute Espèce de Tabou

La maison d’edition, situee dans le district de Sultanhamet d’Istanbul
et fondee en 1977 par Zarakolu et son epouse Ayse Nur, decedee en
2003, publie des ouvrages politiques, economiques, philosophiques
et traitant de la diversite cosmopolite de la region. La strategie
declaree de la maison d’edition est ‘defier toute espèce de tabou’.

Sans aucun doute, les pires jours qu’ait traverses l’entreprise sont
ceux du temps de la junte militaire dirigee par le general Kenan Evren,
quand des milliers de livres ont ete brûles ou recycles avec les
dechets de papier. Quelques cinquante maisons d’edition et cinq cents
librairies ont ete fermees par la force a cette epoque. Des editeurs
et des journalistes travaillant a des publications socialistes et
pro-kurdes etaient condamnes a des peines de prison excedant au total
1 000 annees.

Mais Zarakolu n’avait aucune intention de s’arreter, a moins
d’etre force a le faire. Cela fait de lui l’unique createur d’une
publication de gauche avant le coup d’etat qui soit encore en activite
aujourd’hui. Bien qu’il ait dû se refreiner de publier des travaux
classiques de la litterature marxiste au cours des annees de la junte,
il a continue la vente d’analyses politiques et economiques marxistes.

Le climat autour de l’edition ayant commence a s’ameliorer, en plus
de ses publications universitaires et intellectuelles, des livres de
poesie, d’histoires courtes et de nouvelles ecrits par des prisonniers
politiques commencèrent a etre publies. Des traductions d’ouvrages
ecrits en grec et de livres traitant du Genocide armenien, des Juifs
et des Kurdes apparurent ensuite.

[legende photo] : Prise d’une ligne de conduite ferme envers les
editeurs et intellectuels de gauche : les pires jours pour ‘Belge’
etaient certainement ceux de la junte militaire dirigee par le general
Kenan Evren, quand des milliers de livres ont ete brûles ou recycles
avec les dechets de papier. Quelques cinquante maisons d’edition et
cinq cents librairies ont ete fermees par la force a cette epoque.

Nomination pour le Prix Nobel

Zarakolu pense que s’attaquer au seul gouvernement serait a courte
vue. ” Je ne me preoccupe pas des acteurs du jeu politique ou des
jeux de pouvoir de groupes religieux. Mon problème, c’est l’etat, les
autres ne font qu’aller et venir. Dans ce pays, les gouvernements ne
font que passer. Mais il reste ceux qui font la loi, ” l’etat profond
” comme le definissent certains, nous dit Ragip Zarakolu qui etait
propose pour le Prix Nobel 2012.

” Meme si une constitution nouvelle est en discussion depuis une
dizaine d’annees, et meme si les questions liees au passe sont de
plus en plus presentes dans le discours publics, les tentatives de
reouverture d’un seminaire chretien sur l’île d’Halki continuent
d’etre bloquees ” dit Zarakolu, lui-meme natif d’une autre des îles
des Princes, Buyukada – un lieu où Musulmans, Chretiens et Juifs ont
toujours vecu ensemble.

Depuis la mort du journaliste armenien Hrant Dink en 2007, Zarakolu
a observe un changement dans les mentalites de la societe turque,
une ” sortie en force de la conscience “, comme il la decrit. ” Les
reactions a l’assassinat ont ete avant tout une surprise pour l’etat.

Les autorites ne s’y attendaient pas. C’etait comme si toutes les
victimes de l’etat extremiste et tyrannique se reunissaient dans
l’empathie pour l’homme assassine. Dans un geste reflexe, ils sont
descendu dans la rue en criant, ‘nous sommes tous Armeniens, nous
sommes tous Hrant Dink’ “.

Zarakolu voit les deux annees qui viennent comme une mise a l’epreuve
pour la Turquie. L’annee 2015 est le 100ème anniversaire du debut du
Genocide armenien, le 24 avril. ” La Turquie doit se confronter aux
questions soulevees par son histoire et son système politique. Pas pour
les Armeniens qui ont ete tues et qui vivent encore dans la crainte de
l’etre “, dit Zarakolu. ” Elle doit le faire pour se liberer elle-meme
de son infamie. Elle doit le faire pour ses propres citoyens “.

Ceyda Nurtsch

© Qantara.de 2013

Traduction de Gilbert Beguian

Editeur : Lewis Gropp/Qantara.de

vendredi 30 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

ARTHUR DJANIBEKIAN A ACQUIS SUR EBAY LE MANUSCRIT DE KRIKOR NAREGATSI PUIS REMIS AU MADENATARAN

PATRIMOINE ARMENIEN

C’est Arthur Djanibekian, proprietaire de Comedy Club Production (CCP)
qui a achete le manuscrit contenant les ~uvres de Krikor Naregatsi,
mis en vente dernièrement sur eBay. La transaction aurait eu lieu
pour 30 000 dollars. Selon le journal ” Hrabarag ” ce manuscrit unique
est desormais propriete du Mdenataran d’Erevan.

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 30 août 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

LES EXPORTATIONS D’ABRICOTS ARMENIENS EN FORTE HAUSSE

ARMENIE

Malgre les mauvaises conditions meteorologiques qui ont affecte
certaines regions de l’Armenie, notamment Armavir, frappe par la grele
en mai, la production agricole est en hausse, portee par l’abricot,
fruit emblematique de l’Armenie qui en serait la terre d’origine,
les Romains le designant sous le nom de ” prunus armenicus “. Les
exportations d’abricots armeniens, essentiellement vers la Russie mais
apprecies dans un nombre croissant de pays, auraient presque double
cette annee, atteignant un chiffre record, a ainsi annonce jeudi 29
août le ministère armenien de l’agriculture. Selon les chiffres du
ministère, le volume totale de ces exportations tournerait autour de
23 240 tonnes, soit 84 % de plus que l’an dernier.

Plus de 85 % des abricots destines a l’export vont en Russie, et 11 %
a la Georgie voisine, reputee pourtant pour ses vergers. Le ministère
a aussi indique une augmentation de 47 % de la demande en abricots des
compagnies agroalimentaires armeniennes, soit un total de quelque 13
000 tonnes. Les 28 compagnies locales specialisees dans ce secteur
d’activite ont conditionne les fruits entre juin et août pour les
conditionner sous forme de jus, conserves et autres produits.

Plus importante qu’en 2012, la production armenienne d’abricots n’a onc
pas ete affectee par les degâts causes a l’agriculture dans la province
meridionale d’Armavir, qui est pourtant l’une des principales regions
horticoles du pays. Une cinquantaine de communes rurales de cette
region avaient pourtant vu leurs productions, notamment d’abricots,
complètement aneanties par des chutes aussi soudaines que brutales
de grelons.

Le gouvernement n’a toutefois pas precise la valeur des abricots
exportes par l’Armenie ou livres aux compagnies locales. Sur les
marches locaux, le prix de gros de l’abricot est d’environ 200 a
400 drams (0,5-1 $) le kilo, selon la taille et l’aspect des fruits
proposes par l’agriculteur. Plusieurs d’entre eux se plaignent
d’ailleurs de ces prix qu’ils jugent trop bas, et a peine capables
de couvrir les coûts de production.

Quelque 2 000 de ces agriculteurs avaient fait des barrages sur une
route dans une autre province meridionale, Ararat, vers la mi-juin,
pour exiger que le prix de l’abricot soit eleve a 500 drams le kilo.

Ils ont aussi denonce les falsifications lors de la pesee des
abricots par les exportateurs. Des manifestations similaires avaient
eu lieu dans la province d’Armavir peu après en juin. Des centaines
de producteurs d’abricots de la region avaient denonce la facondont
ils etaient traites par les gros distributeurs.

Ces manifestations intervenaient quelques jours après que le ministre
de l’agriculture Sergo Karapetian eut visite la province. M.

Karapetian avait promis aux producteurs locaux qu’ils pourraient vendre
leurs fruits sans problème. Durant sa visite, il avait aussi assiste
a une transaction entre producteurs et distributeurs representant
l’une des grosses compagnies de Erevan exportatrices d’abricots.

vendredi 30 août 2013, Gari ©armenews.com