Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Armenia’s university students have conflicts with lecturers – activist

August 10, 2013 | 13:35

YEREVAN. – Due to the high tuition fees in the universities of
Armenia, the students are having conflicts with the lecturers.

Public Council Subcommittee on Youth Affairs member Arman Ghazaryan
noted the abovementioned during a press conference on Saturday.

`Many [university] students [in Armenia] work to pay [their] tuition
fees. But it is very difficult to work all day and to study at the
same time. Hence, the quarrel with the lecturers, who suggest to
choose between work and study. But if the student does not work, he
will not even be able to pay [the tuition fee],’ Ghazaryan said.

In the words of chairwoman Hripsime Margaryan of the aforesaid
subcommittee, the activists will continue to keep the focus on this
matter until an acceptable solution is found.

`But boycotting classes is unacceptable; a student comes to university
to study,’ Margaryan added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Teghut Initiative accuses Armenian government of violating Aarhus Convention

August 10, 2013 | 12:43

The Armenian government has violated the Aarhus Convention, stated the
conclusion of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee of the UN
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

According to the conclusion of the committee, the government had
violated the convention by not taking into consideration the claim of
environmental NGO Ecodar, challenging the administrative decision on
exploitation of Teghut Mine in Armenia, the Teghut Protection
Initiative reported.

`Thus, the Aarhus Committee reaffirmed the viewpoint of Teghut
Protection Civic Initiative, as well as the position of the
Constitutional Court of Armenia that the NGOs involved in
environmental issue have the right to go to court, challenging the
decision, action or inaction of administrative bodies related to
environment,’ the initiative said in a statement.

At the same time, the Committee suggested that the Armenian government
should make amendments to the Law on NGOs and the Code of
Administrative Procedure in regard to the right to challenge the
decisions of administrative bodies in the court.

Given that the meeting of member states of the Aarhus Convention will
be held in June-July 2014, the Committee by that time will support the
government on implementation of their proposals

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ACEC Revives Courtyard Series with Special Performance by musAner

By Contributor // August 5, 2013

WATERTOWN, Mass. – The Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC),
in collaboration with Hamazkayin-Boston, has launched a revival of its
outdoor summer courtyard series.

`The summer evenings in the courtyard can serve multiple purposes at
ones,’ said the center’s current chairman, George Bashirians. `It
serves as a meeting ground, allowing members of the community to meet
people in an enjoyable, outdoor setting, while revitalizing the
center’s dedication to cultural events. We look forward to seeing new
faces, along with members of the community who have been attending
events at the center regularly.’

On Fri., Aug. 9, at 9 p.m., the critically acclaimed Armenian jazz
band musAner will perform in the ACEC’s courtyard. Founded in 2007 by
composer and pianist Ara Sarkissian, musAner blends jazz orchestration
and Armenian folk music, and has presented widely to both jazz circles
and general audiences. The group’s cross-genre repertoire has been
heard regularly at some of the most prestigious venues in Boston, and
featured on radio programs in the U.S., Italy, France, Lebanon, and
Armenia. New York Music Daily called `Once Upon A Time,’ their latest
recording, `one of the most picturesque, intensely vivid albums of the
year.’

`It is exciting for us to appear at the ACEC,’ said Sarkissian. `Our
regular performances in Boston are at venues such as the Regattabar in
Cambridge and the Beehive in Boston. But to appear in this wonderful
outdoor setting for our community is a special event for us, and we
look forward to working with the center as well as meeting new faces
at the performance.’

The ACEC is located at 47 Nichols Ave. in Watertown. Admission is $25
and includes complimentary wine and cheese during the performance, as
well as a complimentary copy of `Once Upon A Time.’ For reservations
or for more information, call (617) 775-4633.

Armenian holiday-makers prefer seaside resorts: Montenegro new destination

14:09 – 10.08.13

Armenian tourists who prefer spending their holiday at seaside resorts
normally go to Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain,
Italy, and Malta.

This year travel agencies offer their clients one more destination –
Montenegro, Ani Soghomonyan, a staffer at the Unona Tour travel
agency, told Tert.am. According to her, despite the alarming domestic
political situation in Turkey, more tourists prefer spending their
holiday there than last year.

Ms Soghomonyan said that three Armenia to Bulgaria flights a month,
two Yerevan-Antalya flights a week and one Yerevan- Podgorica
(Montenegro) flight a week are carried out.

Montenegro may be of interest to Armenian tourist in that they can
spend their holiday without getting Schengen or national visas.

According to the official website of the Embassy of Montenegro in
Russia, from May 20 to October 30, 2013, citizens of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan can arrive in the country without visas.

Bagrat Navoyan, Director of the Bagrat tour travel agency, told
Tert.am that Armenians are in the habit of visiting `new places.’

`Montenegro is a new destination now, and the ones that can afford go
there. Most of them planned to go to Egypt, Antalya or Greece,’ he
added.

Gayane Martirosyan, who has returned from Montenegro, says that
Armenian holiday-makers are something new in Montenegro.

`Some of them think we are Albanians, other say we `have nothing in
common with Albanians’,’ the holiday-maker said.

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Armenian holiday-makers
against visiting Egypt, and many travel agencies do not offer tours of
Egypt to their clients.

As regards Dubai, it does not attract holiday-makers because of the
hot weather there.

This year, reports on bad weather and infections have put some
Armenian holiday-makers off visiting Georgia’s seaside resorts.

Armenian News – Tert.am

`Lessons from Georgia’ and Messages Also for Serzh Sargsyan?

August 9 2013

On the eve of the 5th anniversary of Russian-Georgian 5-day war of
August 2008, an interesting episode was noted in Georgian-Russian
relations: Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev gave an interview to
Georgian Rustavi 2 TV. The very fact of the interview on the
anniversary of August war in itself is noteworthy. And the messages
voiced were even more interesting: the messages addressed to Georgian
leadership, particularly to Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina
Ivanishvili and the Georgian society were somewhat Moscow’s `lessons
from Georgia’ and were also addressed to Serzh Sargsyan who has to
make a decision on signing association agreement with the EU this
fall. Medvedev referred to Michael Sahakashvili as a political
criminal noting that back in 1990-s there were issues with country’s
territorial integrity, adding that `no one prohibited the Georgians or
the Georgian leadership to unite the country. It was to be done
without hastiness by making arrangements. At some point there were
chances to establish may be not a federation, but at least a
confederation and to coexist. Those opportunities were missed,
Sahakashvili tore his country apart’. Further the Russian Prime
Minister stated that the Eurasian Economic Community was not an effort
to revive the former Soviet Union. Medvedev opined that Eurasian
Economic Community is an effort of integration between neighbors to
facilitate trade and investments, which may also be of interest for
Georgia. He pointed out to the successful integration of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan and added that he expects some `pragmatic
steps’ from Ivanishvili. He noted that Ivanishvili has got a tough
legacy. `I met Ivanishvili in Davos and we had a brief conversation. I
got the impression that he is a pragmatic who understands the
importance of normalization of relations with Russia. Politicians
should always be pragmatic and take decisions as necessitated by the
situation without making fatal mistakes; they should try to address
all the issues in the legal framework with consideration of
international law and not through pressures or complaints to
authorities on the other side of the ocean’. Then the Russian Prime
Minister reiterated Moscow’s official position almost resorting to
threats that `NATO accession will not offer any development advantages
to Georgia; however it may become a source of tension with Russia’.
According to him the motive for possible tension would not be the
events of 2008 in Caucasus but rather `Georgia’s becoming part of a
strong military-political alliance which under certain circumstances
is a potential adversary to Russia’ He added that nuclear missiles of
NATO are targeting Russia. Statements of Medvedev demonstrate Moscow’s
final efforts not to leave the South Caucasus: the Kremlin recently
has openly demonstrated its fight for South Caucasus. Moscow uses
every opportunity possible to remind about its existence, about its
interests and keeps talking about the Eurasian Economic Community,
even turning to Georgian authorities. Yesterday Turkish media reported
that on August 13, 2013 President Putin will pay an official visit to
Azerbaijan. In this situation, Armenia is staying face to face with
the Kremlin. On the hand, Medvedev is telling Georgia of the
consequences of joining NATO and, on the other hand, invites them to
join the Eurasian Economic Community and then reminds the example of
`criminal’ Sahakashvili and the `lessons from Georgia’ from the
perspective of the Kremlin. The messages of the Kremlin on the eve of
Armenia’s deepening relations with the EU are clearly for official
Yerevan too. It’s hard to predict how Armenian authorities will
overcome the pressures from Russia but it’s for sure that they have to
handle them.

Emma GABRIELYAN
Read more at:

French lawmakers outraged at Azerbaijan’s black list

August 11, 2013 | 08:44

French lawmakers expressed deep concern over a `black list’ recently
published by Azerbaijani government, Nouvelles d`Arménie writes.

Last week the Azerbaijani MFA issued the list of those individuals
that are declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan for visiting
Nagorno-Karabakh. The 335-member list includes 22 French, among them
are MPs, members of the European Parliament and observers.

Representative of friendship group between France and Nagorno-Karabakh
Francois Rochbloine labeled the move as `dangerous and unprecedented
manoeuvre contradicting the principles of OSCE.’

In an interview with French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche,
Rochebloine said no one was interested in Azerbaijan in the past.

`Today, some lawmakers are going there to give it a different image.
Azerbaijan is trying to present itself as a virgin place, but this is
only a smokescreen. This is a criminal state,’he said.

MP Valerie Boyer shares his opinion, noting that the new image of
Azerbaijan is created by means of petrodollars.

Members of the friendship group urge French government and Foreign
Minister Laurent Fabius to interfere and call on his Azerbaijani
counterpart to delete the list and convey formal apology.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Azerbaijani state commission promises to return captured Armenian soldier

August 10, 2013 | 12:31

BAKU. – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic military serviceman Hakob
Injighulyan, 22, who had fallen captive in the area in early morning
hours of Thursday and as a result of losing his orientation, is taken
to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.

Secretary Shahin Sayilov of the State Commission for Prisoners of War,
Missing Persons, and Hostages Affairs of Azerbaijan informed APA news
agency of Azerbaijan to this effect.

He noted that the reason why the Armenian servicemen had appeared in
the territory controlled by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces is being
specified.

`He has no documents. He said his name is Gevorkovich Injigulyan. But
some websites write his name and surname incorrectly. At present, he
is held at the Defense Ministry in Baku,’ said Sayilov.

To note, the name of the captured soldier is Hakob, not Gevorg which
is his father’s name.

Sayilov mentioned that officials from the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) will meet with the Armenian soldier in the coming
days.

`Azerbaijani representation of the ICRC does not work due to Ramadan
holiday. Therefore, they have not met with the captive yet. Probably,
the issue of his return to Armenia will also be discussed. If he wants
to return to Armenia, he will be sent back. Everything will depend on
his desire,’ Shahin Sayilov stressed.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

syrie
Syrie : Moscou exhorte le Conseil de sécurité à condamner le massacre des Kurdes

Le Conseil de sécurité de l’Onu doit condamner résolument les récents
attentats terroristes survenus en Syrie ainsi que le massacre des
Kurdes syriens, a déclaré mercredi à Moscou le ministre russe des
Affaires étrangères Sergueï Lavrov.

`Il faut y mettre un terme immédiatement. J’espère que le Conseil de
sécurité de l’Onu condamnera résolument et sans équivoque tous les
actes terroristes et restera attaché à cette position`, a annoncé le
chef de la diplomatie russe lors d’une réunion avec son homologue
ghanéenne Hanna Tetteh.

Lundi 5 août, les djihadistes du front Al-Nosra, organisation
terroriste liée à Al-Qaïda et combattant aux côtés de l’opposition
syrienne, ont massacré 450 civils kurdes au nord de la Syrie. Le
carnage a eu lieu dans la région de Tal-Abyad de la province de Rakka,
emportant les vies de 330 femmes et vieillards ainsi que celles de 120
enfants.

Mardi, un attentat à la voiture piégée a frappé Jaramana, banlieue de
Damas à dominante chrétienne et druze, faisant dix morts et une
soixantaine de blessés.

RIA Novosti

dimanche 11 août 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIE
Le projet de loi contre « la propagande » homosexuelle retiré

‘026

La police arménienne a retiré jeudi son projet de loi controversé
visant à interdire toute promotion publique des relations sexuelles
`non traditionnelles` dans le pays, quelques jours après l’avoir fait
circuler à travers internet.

Les modifications proposées au Code des infractions administratives
d’Arménie envisageaient de lourdes amendes pour les personnes
physiques et morales propageant l’homosexualité. La police invoquait
la nécessité de protéger « le modèle de la famille traditionnelle
arménienne » contre « des phénomènes extra-terrestres à la mentalité
nationale arménienne ».

Le projet de loi a provoqué des préoccupations de certains activistes
des droits civils après avoir été posté sur le site Internet de la
police plus tôt cette semaine. Les autorités d’Erevan risquaient aussi
une réaction négative de la part des gouvernements occidentaux et des
groupes de défense des droits de l’homme. Ces derniers ont vivement
critiqué une loi similaire qui a été adoptée récemment en Russie.

Ashot Aharonian, un porte-parole de la police, a pourtant affirmé que
le projet de loi n’a pas été retirée sous la pression intérieure ou
extérieure. Il a dit que le chef de la police arménienne, Vladimir
Gasparian, a ordonné son retrait de l’ordre du jour en raison de ses «
lacunes » exposés par les critiques et le fait que la question n’est
pas une priorité pour la police en ce moment.

S’exprimant au service arménien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am), Ashot
Aharonian a également affirmé que le service juridique de la police
nationale a rédigé ces amendements en réponse aux e nombreuses lettres
d’Arméniens inquiets de qu’ils considèrent comme une croissance des
manifestations publiques de l’homosexualité. Il a dit que les
autorités arméniennes n’avaient pas l’intention de sévir contre les
minorités sexuelles.

Mamikon Hovsepian, le chef de l’ONG Karik (Besoin) faisant la
promotion de la tolérance LGBT en Arménie, a suggéré que l’influence
indirecte de Russie a contribué à la rédaction du projet de loi.

« C’est certainement l’ombre de la Russie. Nous vivons dans l’ombre de
la Russie » a-t-il dit.

« Les policiers tentent d’améliorer leur réputation aux yeux du public
», a spéculé un autre militant, Sevak Kirakosian. Il a déclaré que
l’interdiction proposée de la `propagande` gay pourrait être aussi une
tentative du gouvernement pour détourner l’attention du public des
problèmes socio-économiques.

L’Arménie et la majorité des autres anciennes républiques soviétiques
ont décriminalisé l’homosexualité dans les années 1990, mais
l’hostilité envers les gays et les lesbiennes demeure élevé. Sans
surprise, certaines ONG arméniennes ont ouvertement exprimé leur
soutien à l’initiative de la police.

L’une d’elles, l’Organisation Arménienne pour la Défense des Droits
constitutionnelle, a dit que le projet de loi ne porte pas atteinte
aux droits humains. « Personne ne veut d’empêcher quiconque d’avoir un
tel mode de vie » a indiqué dans un communiqué. « Mais il y a beaucoup
de gens qui ne veulent pas que ce mode de vie leur soit imposé et
ainsi qu’à leurs enfants qui regardent la télévision ».

dimanche 11 août 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

CES ELUS FRANCAIS SUR LISTE NOIRE EN AZERBAIDJAN

REVUE DE PRESSE

Ils sont precisement 335 etrangers a ne pas pouvoir se rendre en
Azerbaïdjan. Interdits de sejour, ces “personae non gratae” figurent
sur une liste noire rendue publique debut août par les autorites de
cette ancienne republique sovietique du Caucase. Dans ce document
que leJDD.fr s’est procure, figurent 22 Francais “blacklistes”. Selon
notre decompte, 15 d’entre eux sont aujourd’hui elus parmi lesquels
7 deputes et 3 senateurs (lire ci-contre).

Les parlementaires contactes par leJDD.fr assurent ne pas etre surpris
par une telle decision. Certains figurent sur cette liste depuis
plusieurs annees deja. Ils avaient ete prevenus par l’Azerbaïdjan des
risques encourus en cas de visite dans la region du Haut-Karabagh,
objet d’un conflit entre Armeniens (majoritaires sur ce territoire)
et Azerbaïdjanais depuis plus de 25 ans. Son independance n’est pas
reconnue par les Nations unies, qui le considèrent toujours comme
un territoire de l’Azerbaïdjan. Mais celui-ci n’est accessible qu’a
partir de l’Armenie, qui exerce un protectorat sur ce territoire. Pour
le ministère des Affaires etrangères d’Azerbaïdjan, ces personnalites
ont “viole la loi sur les frontières (…) et porte atteinte a la
souverainete nationale”.

La suite sur le lien du jdd plus bas

samedi 10 août 2013, Ara ©armenews.com