Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Russian natural gas supply to Armenia via Georgia resumes

April 26, 2013 | 12:19

YEREVAN. – The Russian natural gas supply to Armenia, which was
suspended due to repair work at Georgia’s Ghazakh-Saguramo section of
the main gas pipeline, resumed on Thursday at 8:15pm, the
ArmRusGazprom Company press service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, due to repair work, the
Russian natural gas supply to Armenia via Georgia was suspended on
Thursday at 8am. Georgia’s gas transportation organization, which
operates the import of Russian natural gas to Georgia, had informed
that the natural gas supply to Armenia was suspended, due to repairs
of the gas pipeline in Gardabani district in eastern Georgia, and it
would resume once the repair work was completed.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Rename Yerevan To Eurevan

One of the issues of Euro integration of Armenia is the Karabakh
issue. It is still unknown in what format Europe will accept Karabakh
into its family, as a separate country or as a part of Armenia, but it
is already evident that it won’t be `within the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan’.

In this sense, it is symptomatic that European MPs, who arrived in
Yerevan, met with the NKR president Bako Sahakyan and discussed
possible cooperation. True, MPs never visited Karabakh during their
trip, but the meeting with the Karabakh president was held in the NKR
representation in Armenia.

It is noteworthy that literally on the same day, Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan discussed the Karabakh issue with his Russian
counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The latter said that there is no
progress in the matter, and in order to ensure it in Krakow, a meeting
between the Armenian and Azerbaijan foreign ministers will soon be
organized. A meeting of both presidents is not ruled out either.
Perhaps, Russia is again trying to take the initiative of the
political solution of the issue, since the West has already seized the
process of NKR recognition.

Besides, Lavrov stated that Armenia’s accession to the Customs’ Union
is still possible noting that cooperation mechanisms are being sought.
Vladimir Putin warned that by 2015 entry to Russia for citizens of
countries that don’t join the Customs Union should be allowed only
with the use of foreign-travel passports. But, by 2015 this issue may
stop being a problem for Armenia, since it may receive the visa-free
regime with the European Union.

Despite the fact that Russia is stubbornly trying to pull Armenia and
other countries into its integration structures, Russia itself is
negotiating with the European Union over integration. Zbigniew
Brzezinski said on these days that the Western community will
inevitably involve Russia in its camp. He noted that the creation of
Free Trade Zone by EU and U.S. is against China, while Russia should
be a part of this area.

Apparently, Armenia will join the Trans-Atlantic area earlier and will
welcome Russia there.

Naira Hayrumyan
12:41 26/04/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Malatia market’s employees demand review of renting fee (video)

11:48 – 26.04.13

Employees of Malatia fair in Yerevan Malatia-Sebastia administrative
region have started their day with strike demanding the review of
renting fees.

Speaking to Tert.am one of the employees, Gevorg, said the fees
established by the market’s leadership are for square meter territory:
for 4 sq. m they pay 6,000 drams a day, which means 1200 drams for a
square meter. The people say that the fees have not grown recently but
as far as the trade has stopped they cannot afford to pay the fee. `We
are standing there, people are not coming, we cannot pay 180,000
monthly,’ one of the traders said.

They are also complaining of customs clearance price on the border,
saying they pay $5,000 for one kilo of clothes.
The leadership of the center came to listen to the striking employees
and informed that the fee has been established in accordance with the
tax set up by the State Revenue Committee and they, as a trade center,
have to pay it.
Later SRC representative arrived to negotiate with the leadership.

Armenian News – Tert.am

US TV channel feature Sevan bakery on Apr. 27

11:16 – 26.04.13

WGBH-TV’s Neighborhood Kitchens, a local food, culture, and travel
show, returns for a second season of episodes to explore New England’s
cultural diversity through food, The Armenian Weekly reported.

The 13-episode culinary tour began Sat., April 13 on WGBH 2 when host
Margarita Martínez visited with Joanne Chang, chef and owner at
Myers+Chang in Boston’s lively South End neighborhood. On Sat., April
27, the program will feature Watertown’s Sevan Bakery, where a
close-knit Armenian-American community has thrived for nearly a
century. At Sevan Bakery, co-owner Nuran Chavushian will give host
Margarita Martínez a lesson in Armenian cooking, as the two prepare
feta- and dill-stuffed boreks, karniyarik with bulghur pilaf, and his
family’s signature pistachio baklava. Martínez will also get a tour of
Sevan’s market, sampling the olives, nuts, and dried fruits that stock
the wall-to-wall shelves. The show airs at 4 p.m. on WGBH 2.

Neighborhood Kitchens brings viewers on an intimate tour of New
England’s diverse communities and offers an up-close culinary lesson
with some of the region’s most celebrated chefs. Margarita Martínez, a
Providence-based actress and a graduate of the Tisch School of the
Arts at NYU, will return as host in season two.

`We are very excited to continue the culinary journey we stared in our
first season,’ said series producer Patricia Alvarado Núñez. `From
across the region, this season’s neighborhood dining spots will offer
a delicious range of world cuisines and the chefs who have been
perfecting them.’

`I can’t wait to take WGBH viewers on a trip across New England every
Saturday afternoon,’ Martínez said. `In this season of Neighborhood
Kitchens, we’ll explore how New England celebrates the culinary
traditions of Armenian, Mediterranean, Vietnamese, Indian, and Italian
cultures, as well as Boston’s storied connection to the sea.’

Neighborhood Kitchens is produced by WGBH’s La Plaza unit, which has
been producing Latino and multicultural programming for nearly 35
years. A companion website features an archive of full episodes,
exclusive chef recipes, behind-the-scenes photos, in-depth chef
profiles, and interactive boards for viewers to leave comments and
recipes of their own.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Soldier wounded by enemy shot in NKR military positions

11:17, 26 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: In the military positions of one of the
units, located in the northeastern direction of the Nagorno Karabakh
Defense Army, on April 24 Israel Garnik Tarverdyan, born in 1993, was
wounded by the enemy shot. As Armenpress was reported by the Press
Service of the Ministry of Defense of Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
investigation is being carried out to find out the details of the
case.

UN OFFICIEL ARMENIEN REJETTE LES CRITIQUES AMERICAINES

Un membre important du Parti republicain au pouvoir (HHK) a rejete la
dernière critique americaine sur la situation des droits de l’homme
en Armenie qui est contenue dans un rapport annuel mondial publie
par le Departement d’Etat.

” Les problèmes les plus importants des droits humains au cours de
l’annee etaient des limitations au droit des citoyens de changer
leur gouvernement, la corruption et le manque de transparence du
gouvernement et l’independance limitee de la magistrature ” affirme
le rapport rendu public la semaine dernière. ” Les tribunaux sont
restes soumis a la pression politique de la part de l’executif, ce
qui a donne lieu a quelques poursuites politiquement motivees et a
des peines ” precise le rapport.

Le Departement d’Etat americain a egalement accuse les organes
repressifs armeniens de continuer a arreter arbitrairement des
individus et de les maltraiter en garde a vue. ” Bien que le
gouvernement ait pris des mesures pour punir les responsables
des forces de securite et d’ailleurs qui ont commis des exactions,
certains membres des forces de securite ont continue a commettre des
violations des droits humains en toute impunite sous la direction
d’un leadership civil ” precise le rapport.

Le rapport souligne en outre ” des failles ” dans la conduite des
elections parlementaires de mai 2012, en disant que ceux-ci inclus
” l’utilisation abusive des ressources de l’Etat ” par le HHK et ”
des allegations credibles d’achat de voix “.

Hovannes Sahakian, le numero deux de la faction parlementaire du HHK,
a rejete le rapport, disant qu’il manque de preuves documentaires
attestant la critique americaine. ” Si nous, par exemple, remplacions
le mot Armenie en d’autres termes, cela peut s’appliquer a d’autres
Etats, y compris ceux democratiques, y compris les Etats-Unis ”
a-t-il declare au service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

” Nous aussi avons des preoccupations concernant la corruption, la
situation existant dans les prisons, notamment leur surpopulation
” a declare Sahakian. Il a insiste sur le fait que les autorites
armeniennes font de reels efforts pour remedier a la situation.

Le depute pro-gouvernemental a egalement fait valoir que les
responsables americains ont deja fait l’eloge du comportement des
dernières elections legislatives en Armenie. Une evaluation plus
negative du vote est donc ” un peu incomprehensible ” a-t-il dit.

Contrairement aux autorites d’Erevan, les militants des droits humains
en Armenie ont reagi positivement au rapport du Departement d’Etat
scrutant les pratiques des droits de l’homme partout dans le monde.

L’un d’eux, Mikael Danielian de l’Association armenienne Helsinki,
a declare qu’il ” reflète complètement la realite ” en Armenie.

S’exprimant au service armenien de RFE / RL, Mikael Danielian a
pointe le manque d’independance du pouvoir judiciaire malgre les
reformes des tribunaux regulièrement annoncees par les autorites. ”
Ces reformes declares se terminent a des conferences ou seminaires,
” a-t-il affirme. ” En fait, aucune des reformes n’est menee. Le
système judiciaire est totalement corrompu “.

vendredi 26 avril 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

TURKS TRY TO CRASH ARMENIANS’ APRIL 24 PROTEST IN CANADA

April 25, 2013 | 11:59

OTTAWA. – The Canadian-Armenians’ annual Armenian Genocide Memorial
Day protest in front of the Turkish embassy in Ottawa was met with
fifty Canadian-Turkish counter-protesters denying the actuality of the
Armenian Genocide. The group quickly turned to singing and jubilant
chanting at the face of the Armenians, the Armenian Youth Federation
of Canada reports.

Further to this shameful act, the group was clearly attempting to
incite a confrontation with their Armenian counterparts to undermine
the annual gathering. Repeated name calling and general insults
towards the Armenians could be heard from across the barrier. The
Armenian group chose to ignore this behavior and kept their focus on
the Turkish embassy.

Police officers present were questioned about the Turkish group’s
permit to gather and answered that the Turkish group had applied for
a barbeque party permit in the park.

Afterwards, the Turkish group was invited into the Turkish embassy by
Ambassador Tuncay Babali. To note, the Turkish ambassador recently
indicated that Turkey will limit economic developments with Canada
unless the government reverses its position on the Armenian Genocide.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

UK ARMENIANS COMMEMORATE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

At the Cenotaph L-R: Mr. Haik Khemchian Consul and Mr. Ara Margarian
Charge d’Affair of the Armenian Embassy in London. Fr. Garegin
Hamparsoumin, H.G. Bishop Vahan Hovanessian Primate of the Armenian
Church and Chairman of the ACCC Mr. Ara Palamoudian London – Around
1500 people silently marched to The Cenotaph memorial on Saturday 20
April 2013 in an annual remembrance of one and a half million fellow
Armenians slaughtered by Ottoman Turks during Armenian Genocide
of 1915.

An incessant stream of people passed through prominent streets of
London carrying hundreds of placards, laying wreaths at the base of
the Cenotaph where the procession culminated its route.

Homenetmen Scouts ahead of the march.

Photo by Vasken Jermakian The procession lead by the Homenetmen
Armenian Scouts and members of the Armenian Community and Church
Council and CRAG, began in the morning on Oxford Street, moving to
Regents Street, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. Informative
leaflets were handed out to members of public throughout the
march. Official representatives placed wreaths at the Cenotaph,
Mr Ara Margarian (Councillor) of the Embassy of the Republic of
Armenian, Mr Ara Palamoudian Chairman of the Armenian Community and
Church Council and Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of Great Britain, who continued with a prayer service
remembering the 1.5 Million Armenians who perished before, during and
after 1915. The procession then sang the Armenian National Anthem and
after a few announcements, representatives of the Armenian Community
in Great Britain together with photo journalist Khecho Arakelian,
continued to 10 Downing street to hand in the petition letter to the
Prime Minister’s office.

Handing in letter at 10 Downing Street (L-R): Viken Haladjian (chairman
of the Executive Committee), Mr Ara Palamoudian (chairman of ACCC),
Mr. Raffi Sarkissian (chairman of CRAG) , Mrs Zabel Malas (community
representative) Mr Ara Palamoudian (chairman of ACCC), Mr Viken
Haladjian (chairman of the Executive Committee), Raffi Sarkissian
(chairman of CRAG) , Mrs Zabel Malas (community representative)
passed through the iron gates and security desk to Downing Street,
where a officer welcomed the group by receiving the petition.

April 24 marks the 98th anniversary of the arrest of more than 250
Armenian political leaders, intellectuals, teachers, clergy and
artists in Constantinople ordered by the government of the Ottoman
Empire. Their subsequent executions were followed by massacres and
deportations of Armenians in what is now eastern Turkey and other parts
of the crumbling empire. An estimated 1.5 million victims lost their
lives on the death marches to the Syrian desert during the genocide
and nearly 90 percent of the Armenian Homeland.

United in a just cause. Their ancestors did not lie.

Successive Turkish governments have denied a planned government effort
to exterminate the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population. They have
claimed that Ottoman Armenians died in much smaller numbers and the
deaths were mainly a result of local ethnic conflicts. Accordingly,
they have strongly condemned foreign governments and parliaments
recognizing the massacres as genocide.

The community is working in a cooperative and concerted manner for
commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide in 2015. A
special committee was formed in 2012 from representatives of all major
Armenian organisation, who are actively preparing a comprehensive
program. The Armenian Genocide Centenary Commemoration Committee will
soon begin its public engagement program and announcements.

By Raffi Sarkissian/CRAG – ACCC of GB

PRIME MINISTER OF BULGARIA CONSIDERS TERM “GENOCIDE” TO BE THE BEST DEFINITION FOR THE MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS

18:08, 25 April, 2013

YEREVAN, 25 APRIL, ARMENPRESS: Mass killing of the Armenians in the
former Ottoman Empire is one of the most shameful pages in the modern
history, as reports Armenpress referring to FOCUS News Agency, this
said Bulgarian interim Prime Minister Marin Raykov on the occasion
of the Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923,
April 24.

“We know that the Ottoman Empire bears the stigma of this very
heavy responsibility over the brutal atrocity with the killing of
the Armenians over ethnic principle in this period of time. From now
on, as far as whether this could be described as a manifestation of
genocide from juridical point of view is concerned, I am convinced
that since this term is legally codified in the recent decades, i.e.

in a much later period, the term itself could be definitely the most
proper one, “Raykov remarked.

“It is another matter of concern that what has been done cannot be
questions, since if it is questioned, then it would be a case of
negationism,” the Bulgarian interim prime minister said.

“I do not share such a vision [on the issue]. I bow down before the
victims. I believe that both from Armenian and Turkish side, there is
a need to make a common reading of the history, “Raykov said further.

NEW TEST FOR ARMENIAN SOVEREIGNTY

The Russian Federation must probably think about providing financial
assistance to CIS member states to help them resolve the issue of
foreign passports, said the Russian president during the public press
conference on April 25.

His statement has to do with the forthcoming requirement for the
citizens of CIS member states which are non-Customs Union members
to have a foreign passport to visit Russia. Putin has approved the
proposal which will be effective as of 2015.

Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are members of the Customs Union. If
the other CIS member states do not join the Customs Union by 2015,
their citizens will not be able to visit Russia without a foreign
passport. The new rules will apply to the citizens of the Republic
of Armenia.

This step is a clear pressure on the CIS member states which are
reluctant to join the Customs Union. In addition, 2015 is a highly
symbolic deadline. Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have set up a working
group for forming the Eurasian Union. This working group must conduct
studies by 2015. This deadline could be understood as the beginning
of establishment of the Eurasian Union. In other words, Russia is
putting double pressure: pressure for the Customs Union “in cash”
and pressure for the Eurasian Union “on credit”.

This is a serious issue for the CIS member states, considering
work migration from these countries to Russia. No doubt this will
cause dissatisfaction among citizens of Armenia. And since state and
national dignity is not very strong in the Armenian society, there is
high probability that this dissatisfaction will result into a public
demand for membership to the Customs Union or Eurasian Union without
the assistance of political stakeholders.

There is one more concern in a long-term perspective. Even if the
Armenian government succeeds to change the possible public attitude
and not join the Customs Union not to have the loss of sovereignty
sealed finally, Russia may resort to causing trouble to migrant workers
in its country. There are different levers for that fragmental use
of which we have witnessed for many times, ranging from violence to
administrative levers.

Consequently, the question requires a fundamental solution. However,
since most citizens of Armenia are deprived of dignified life and
work in Armenia, it will be hard to get a solution.

Instead of expecting financial assistance from Russia to print foreign
passports one had better request Russian passports without wasting
any time.

James Hakobyan 17:22 25/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News: