Author: Kajoyan Gevork

GENOCIDE SURVIVOR AREKA DER KAZARIAN DIES

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, NEWS, OBITUARY | JUNE 13, 2013 1:02 PM

WATERTOWN – Areka (Janikian) Der Kazarian of Watertown, survivor of
the Armenian Genocide, passed away on May 18, 2013 at the age of 101.

She was the wife of the late Harry Der Kazarian. She leaves her
children Dr. Alan K. Der Kazarian and his wife Isabelle of Belmont,
Gregory Der Kazarian of Arlington and Edward Der Kazarian of Watertown;
grandchildren Alan H. Der Kazarian and his wife Kathy of Belmont, Susan
Der Kazarian and her husband Michael Malone of Westchester County,
NY and Dr. Mark Der Kazarian and his wife Jennifer of Carlisle;
great-grandchildren Claire, Charles, Kaitlyn Der Kazarian and Gavin
and Charlotte Malone; brother, Charles Janikian of Maynard and many
nieces and nephews.

Her siblings Artin, Gorun and Aram Janikian predeceased her.

Born in Marash, Historic Armenia, she spent her childhood traversing
the Middle East as a result of the Genocide, including living in
Lebanon, Syria, Jerusalem and Egypt before settling in Marseilles,
France, for two years, at the age of 10.

She moved with her family to Watertown in 1924 where she lived for
90 years.

Der Kazarian was one of the many Genocide survivors who found work
at the Hood Rubber Plant in Watertown.

In a story from three years ago by Tom Vartabedian, she said, “Where
else could we go?” recalling earning $18 a week doing piecework as
a cementer. “I would turn the money over to my parents and get a
quarter back for spending purposes. Hood Rubber opened its doors to
immigrants from many foreign lands who had no language or working
skills. We learned it on the job.”

Documentary filmmaker Roger Hagopian turned these stories into
“Destination Watertown: The Armenians of Hood Rubber.”

The project, which began in 2003 as a short highlight film, reached
fruition after six years of research and interviews, delving into the
lives of Armenian refugees looking to establish a decent lifestyle
in America, in this case Watertown.

Services were held at St. James Armenian Church, 465 Mt. Auburn St.,
Watertown on Friday, May 24. Interment was in Mt. Auburn Cemetery,
Cambridge.

Expressions of sympathy may be made in her memory to St. James Armenian
Church or Armenia Fund USA, Inc., 80 Maiden Lane, Suite 2205, NY,
NY 10038.

– See more at:

95TH ANNIVERSARY OF REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA CELEBRATED IN ARMENIA

June 13, 2013 | 19:42

YEREVAN. – A reception marking the 95th anniversary of the Republic
of Estonia and the Estonian cultural week took place in Yerevan on
Thursday (photos).

The reception was attended by heads of diplomatic missions, members
of parliament and representatives of international organizations.

Addressing the participants, Estonian Ambassador to Armenia Priit
Turk noted that his country is ready to help Armenia on its way to
the European integration. This is the reason Estonia sent the best
experts to help Armenia on integration issues, he added.

Speaking about bilateral relations, Ambassador Turk pointed out
cultural contacts between the states. He recalled that rector of
University of Tartu Friedrich Parrot climbed Mount Ararat in a joint
expedition with Khachatur Abovyan. Later Abovyan headed to Estonia,
where he studied at University of Tartu for several years.

In this regard, the Ambassador stressed that people-to-people contacts
are the best contribution to development of relations between the
states.

The reception took place in the hall of Artists’ Union of Armenia
where the exhibition of Yuri Gorbachev was held.

On June 12, two charter flights from Estonia brought over 360 guests
to Armenia within the framework of “Everyone goes to Yerevan” program.

The events will be held in Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor.

IRANIAN ENTREPRENEURS MAY MAKE INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA’S ARAGATSOTN – AMBASSADOR

June 13, 2013 | 17:08

Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia, Mohammad Reisi,
on Thursday paid a visit to Aragatsotn Region.

Governor Sargis Sahakyan of Aragatsotn Region and Ambassador Reisi
met at the regional hall.

The regional governor briefed the ambassador on the ongoing programs
in the region, Aragatsotn Regional Hall press service informs.

Considering that Aragatsotn Region primarily has an agricultural
orientation, Ambassador Reisi expressed a view that interesting
ideas can be come up with concerning Iranian entrepreneurs making
investments in this region.

As per the ambassador, more specific programs will be discussed during
the next meeting between the parties.

Sargis Sahakyan and Mohammad Reisi also examined other matters of
mutual interest.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIAN CONSUMERS SHOULD TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS, PRODUCERS- INCREASE COMPETITION: ECONOMIST

YEREVAN, June 13./ARKA/. Armenian consumers should review their
expenses, and producers should foster better competition as the natural
gas and electricity prices are set to increase in the country, thinks
economist Vilen Khachatryan.

Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission set new tariffs for
gas and electricity on June 7. They will enter into force on 7 July.

>From now on, the consumers who use up to 10,000 cubic meters of
gas per month will have to pay 156,000 drams per 1,000 cubic meters
(including VAT).

The current gas tariff for those who use up to 10,000 cubic meters
is 132,000 drams per 1,000 cubic meters.

The new day-time electricity tariff will be 38 drams per 1kWh
(including VAT) instead of the current 30 drams, and night-time tariff
-28 drams (including VAT) instead of the current 25 drams.

“In order to ease the effects of an increase in gas and electricity
tariffs, inflation, the consumers should review their expenses,
clearly classify the groups of income and expenses,” Khachatryan told
reporters on Thursday.

He clarified he is not a fan of such measures, but as the matters
are now, they could be a temporary solution.

The situation could be also mitigated through better competition
between producers.

The consumer basket of Armenia rose by 6.3% in 1Q 2013 from a
quarter earlier to 55, 347.3 drams as of March. -0- – See more at:

GOVERNMENT ENDORSES LAW AMENDMENTS TO GIVE KARABAKH WAR VETS STATUS OF SERVICEMEN

NEWS | 14.06.13 | 12:00

During its Thursday session the Armenian government endorsed
amendments to the Law on the Status of Yerkrapah (Karabakh war
veterans) Volunteers and the Law on Social Security of Servicemen
and Their Family Members.

Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazaryan said the amended bills would give
Yerkrapah volunteers the same status as servicemen, which, in turn,
would make them eligible for the privileges and guarantees stipulated
by the law.

The amendment will concerns those veterans who participated in military
operations during the 1992-94 Karabakh war for at least three months
regardless of whether they are members of the Yerkrapah Union of
Volunteers or not.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said for his part that the legislative
package is the first step aimed at specifying the status of Karabakh
war veterans.

Dozens of Karabakh war veterans have staged public protests in recent
weeks demanding an increase in their pensions as well as other social
guarantees from the government.

I WOULDN’T BE OUT OF JAIL IF NOT SAAKASHVILI’S WEAKENING POWER – ACTIVIST

12:42 ~U 14.06.13

Vahagn Chakhalyan, a former political prisoner from Georgia’s
Armenian-populated region Javakhl, is hopeful that Mikheil
Saakashvili’s weakening influence (especially, on the judiciary)
in the country will lead the Georgian court to pass a fair ruling in
the lawsuit which he has filed against the president.

Speaking to Tert.am, the activist said that the proceeding, which has
recently filed, is expected to hold not only the president but also the
ex-prime minister, Vano Merabishili, and the former governor of Javakhk
(Samtskhe-Javakheti), Goga Khachidze, liable for defamation and libel.

Chakhalyan said the response which he received later was negative. The
Prosecutor’s Office rejected his claim, citing lack of evidence as
a justification.

Chakhalyan was detained in July, 2008. On April 7, 2009 a Georgian
court sentenced him to 10 years in prison over charges of public
order disruption, hooliganism and weapon holding.

The activist, who was freed on January 12 this year, said the
statements by the Georgian president and the above officials,
accusing him of collaboration with Russian intelligence services,
bear a libelous character.

In a statement released in April, Chakhalyan attributed his conviction
to the Georgian president’s tough policies against ethnic minorities
in the country and the efforts to silence the Javakhk-Armenians’
voice of protest.

The activist said all the statements against him are good evidence
to be considered by the European Court of Human Rights.

Addressing Saakashvili’s “anti-Armenian policies”, Chakhalyan
said that Javakhk is now more than ever before overpopulated with
Meskhetian-Turks, Azerbaijanis and other ethnic Turks.

“More than 40,000 Turks have been now granted citizenship in Georgia
and Javakhk. While no single Turk could found in the Ninotsminda region
five or six years ago, [their presence] seems to be quite a common
thing today. And everything going on there prevented the Armenians
from purchasing lands, giving instead the Turks the green light. If,
about five years ago, only one region internally banned the land
sale land to an Armenian, the recent four or five years have seen
[no single Armenian] buy land in Javakkhk,” he added.

But Chakhalyan refrained from giving any opinion on the Bidzina
Ivanishvili government, considering it too early to evaluate the
promises which the new premier had earlier given.

“But the suppression of the security system is no longer that strong
in Javakhk,” he said, noting that people now feel freer and more
unrestrained than before.

Armenian News – Tert.am

OUR PRIMARY GOAL SHOULD BE TO BECOME A COUNTRY HAVING HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTION

President of the Free Democrats Party Khachatur Kokobelyan noted
during the discussion of the EU Association Agreement yesterday
that the progressive political and economic elites of Russia, with
the exception of the military elite, are striving towards Western
technologies and Western market.

In regard to the Russian military bases in Armenia, he said that the
equipment of those bases is scrap metal. He said that he had talked to
a businessman the day before who fears the European market because in
Armenia businessmen don’t want to go beyond the production of dried
fruit. If Armenia is going to produce only dried fruit, it can’t
even be competitive in the Central Asian market, while if we dwell on
high-quality education, healthcare sphere, hi-tech, then our primary
goal should be to become a country having high-quality production.

10:22 14/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN SUES GEORGIAN PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI OVER “UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARGES”
Kristine Aghalaryan

13:32, June 13, 2013
Vahagn Chakhalyan, an Armenian activist from Akhalkalak, had taken
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to court for making
unsubstantiated charges against him for which he was never prosecuted.

Also named in Chakhalyan’s suit are former Georgian Prime Minister
Vano Merabishvili, the former Samtskhe-Javakhk Provincial Governpor
and Environment Minister Goga Khachidzev.

PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE FOR ETHICS DOES NOT DISCUSS SAMVEL ALEKSANYAN’S BEHAVIOR

Thursday, June 13, 13:00

On June 17 the National Assembly of Armenia will convene
extraordinarily, NA President Hovik Abrahamyan said in the parliament
on June 13 without specifying the agenda of the meeting.

In the meanwhile, the Parliament Committee for Ethics did not discuss
behavior of Samvel Aleksanyan. The Committee declined the application
by Transparency International over S. Aleksanyan’s behavior during the
past elections to the Elders Council of Yerevan. The Committee
motivated its refusal to discuss the application with ‘lack of evident
substantiation (document substantiating violation, including proofs)
of violations.’ In addition, the Committee declared that the issue was
not within its competence.

To recall, on May 24, 2013 Transparency International applied to the
Committee asking to consider Samvel Alexanyan’s behavior to intervene
in the voting process and establish “order” in the polling station
during Yerevan Elders Council. As a proof, Transparency International
brought the video available on the web. The Committee declared that
the video ‘bears no relation to the appeal.’ In the meanwhile, one can
clearly see on video that the parliamentarian attended the polling
station to take control over the situation. In addition, Aleksanyan
confirms that in response to a journalist’s question.

ZHOGHOVURD: THERE IS “BUG” IN TSARUKIAN’S OFFICE

Thursday,
June 13

“Zhoghovurd” writes that various rumors began to circulate after the
head of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian met with Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian in the latter’s office following
the presidential election.

“After the meeting Raffi Hovannisian said that Tsarukian declared
he would never oppose the authorities, while Tsarukian’s supporters
claimed that Hovannisian asked for money. So what did they talk about?

We put this question to the head of Heritage parliamentary faction
Ruben Hakobian who was also present at that meeting. In his words,
the conversation was of public character, but “the conversation was
recorded without warning”, which became a “below-the-belt blow”. “We
are not in the habit of recording meetings, especially without any
warning. So we don’t have that recording,” R. Hakobian said. In fact,
there is a bug in Tsarukian’s office. Each meeting is recorded and,
if necessary, is disseminated,” the paper writes.

TODAY, 12:10

Aysor.am