Author: Kajoyan Gevork

CHORRORD INKNISHKHANUTYUN: HARUTYUN PAMBUKYAN TO ESTABLISH AIRLINE COMPANY

Panorama.am
29/06/2012

Former MP, businessman Harutyun Pambukyan plans to start airline
business in Armenia, Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun writes. According to
the paper, Armenian authorities have approved his project. There is
an opinion that authorities seek to finally collapse Mika Baghdasarov
and Armavia Air Company owned by him by attracting new investors. The
paper adds that Pambukyan cooperates with Khachik Manukyan, owner of
Max Group, in the implementation of the project.

ARMENIA’S SECOND PRESIDENT HAS NO CHANCES TO WIN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AGAIN – OPPOSITION

news.am
June 29, 2012 | 18:35

YEREVAN.- The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) bloc will
answer all the questions on its participation in the 2013 presidential
race, ANC member Levon Zurabyan said.

“ANC is a serious political force and finds it not serious to speak
about candidate in advance of elections. The Congress will clarify
all the points in due time,” Zurabyan told reporters on Friday.

If the bloc sees favorable conditions this fall, it will present
the candidate, Zurabyan said adding that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a
priority candidate.

Asked what he meant by saying “favorable conditions”, Zurabyan
explained they include foreign and internal policy, economic situation,
public discontent, political arrangements and many other factors.

As for the possible nomination of second president Robert Kocharyan,
the ANC member said he has no chances to win. It was Kocharyan who
built the corrupted system Armenia is faced with, he said.

GRIGOL VASHADZE: PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT VITALLY IMPORTANT TO GEORGIA

armradio.am
28.06.2012 15:56

“Peace in neighboring countries and regions is in Georgia’s vital
interest, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze told reporters
in Tbilisi.

“Firstly, as the number of conflicts and sources of instability around
us decreases, the opportunities and resources for finding solutions to
conflicts in Georgia will increase. Secondly, the lack of solutions
to conflicts in our neighborhood and wider a field has a negative
impact on conflicts within our borders, and often leads to negative
spillover effects,” he said, Civil Georgia reports.

“It is vitally important for us that Nagorno-Karabakh problem is
settled peacefully and that we avoid military confrontation in the
region,” Vasahdze said, voicing hope that all involved will exercise
sound judgment so that a new war in South Caucasus is averted.

ARMENIANS TREAT USD AS RESERVE CURRENCY, FOREX CLUB EXPERT SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2012 – 15:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Following 2009’s AMD devaluation, when the dram
depreciated in a matter of a day, what we see at present is a gradual
weakening of AMD exchange rate to U.S. dollar, an analyst at Forex
Club Group of Companies said.

“Such a gradual transformation will help avoid serious shocks at
the market,” Mikhael Verdyan told a news conference in Yerevan. The
expert further cited the influence of global tendencies on Armenian
economy behind the dram devaluation.

According to the expert, Armenia’s dollarization level has been growing
since 2009, to make up 42,67% in April 2012; moreover, 47.67% of all
investments in Armenia are made in foreign currency. “With memory
of 2009 fresh in their minds, Armenian population prefers to save in
dollars, treating USD as a reserve currency,” Verdyan explained.

LE DIOCESE GEORGIEN DE L’EGLISE ARMENIENNE HERITE DE LA MAISON DE TOUMANIAN A TBILISSI
Gari

armenews.com
vendredi 29 juin 2012

Après de longues procedures, la maison de l’ecrivain armenien Hovannes
Tumanian a Tbilissi a finalement ete attribuee mercredi 27 juin au
diocèse georgien de l’Eglise armenienne, la solution sans doute la
plus acceptable pour ce haut-lieu de la memoire armenienne en Georgie,
dont le sort avait emu la communaute armenienne et l’Armenie. Alertee
par les Armeniens de Georgie, indignes a l’idee qu’une partie de
cette demeure, appartenant a un homme d’affaires georgien, puisse etre
rachetee par une societe turque desireuse d’en faire un hôtel pour les
Turcs travaillant a Tbilissi, l’Armenie s’etait finalement interessee
en 2011 au sort de la maison, qu’elle avait refuse de racheter,
pour des raisons economiques, il y a plusieurs annees, alors que
le prix de l’immobilier etait nettement plus bas dans la capitale
georgienne. Le maire de la ville de Gyumri, un home d’affaires qui
a defraye la chronique en construisant dans sa ville portant encore
les stigmates du seisme de 1988, un hôtel au luxe tapageur, s’etait
porte acquereur de la maison de Toumanian le printemps dernier. Levon
Ananyan, e president de l’Union des Ecrivains d’Armenie, qui etait
a la pointe du combat pour le ” sauvetage ” de la maison du grand
ecrivain armenien du 19e siècle, natif du nord de l’Armenie, en
a solennellement remis les cles au Primat du diocèse armenien de
Georgie, l’evveque Vazgen Mirzakhanyan. “C’est un grand honneur et
une grande responsabilite”, a declare l’ecclesiastique armenien lors
de la ceremonie, en ajoutant que les negociations etaient en cours
en vue du rachat de l’autre partie de la demeure, qui est toujours
en possession de l’arrière-petite fille de Toumanian. Mais il ne
devrait s’agir que d’une formalite, celle-ci ayant donne son accord
de principe a une cession de son bien, pourvuqu’il ne tombe pas entre
des mains etrangères, a fortiori turques. Une telle eventualite semble
bien ecartee, alors que le Diocèse a annonce son intention d’y creer
un centre pour toutes les organisations et associations culturelles
armeniennes de Georgie. “La fondation pan-armenienne des ecrivains
a acquis la maison et la confie au Diocèse georgien de l’Eglise
apostolique armenienne”, a indique M.Ananyan lors de cette ceremonie.

Il a remercie le maire de Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan qui a debourse
145 000 dollars pour acheter ce bien et en assurer les travaux
de renovation. “Nous avons pu restituer a la nation une partie
de l’heritage de Toumanian. Ainsi, nous aurons un centre de
culture armenienne a Tbilissi qui contribuera a dynamiser la vie
culturelle armenienne dans la capitale georgienne “, s’est felicite
M.Ananyan. Le Primat du Diocèse georgien de l’Eglise armenienne, Vazgen
Mirzakhanyan, a precise que le centre sera inaugure officiellement
cet automne. L’Union des Armenians de Tbilissi avait tire la sonnette
d’alarme en decembre 2011, avec un communique attirant l’attention
de l’opinion sur le sort de la maison de Toumanian. “Cet edifice
historique a ete rachete par un home d’affaires dans les annees 1990.

Cet homme d’affaires a mis l’appartement en vente, et la societe mixte
turco-georgienne ‘GeoTuran’ s’apprete a racheter ce bien pour en faire
un hôtel pour les travailleurs turcs. La direction de la compagnie
a meme demande a l’arrière-petite fille du poète Alina Toumanian,
qui vit dans l’autre aile de la maison, de lui vendre son bien, mais
elle a refuse”, disait notamment le communique. Lors d’une conference
de presse a la fin 2011, M. Safrazbekyan avait deplore que l’Armenie
n’ait pas achete ce bien quand la possibilite s’en presentait.

ARMENIAN POLICEMEN DISMISSED BECAUSE OF IMPROPER BEHAVIOR

news.am
June 28, 2012 | 21:50

In accordance with the order of Armenia’s Chief of Police Vladimir
Gasparyan, police majors Ara Kirakosyan and Derenik Baleyan and driver
Armen Aleksanyan were dismissed, the Police Press Service informs.

On Wednesday, the drunken policemen beat the watchman of Saint
Astvatsamayr Church. A. Kirakosyan and A. Aleksanyan were arrested
and D. Aleyan was freed under signature. A. Kirakosyan joined the
Police in 1994, D. Baleyan in 1985 and A. Aleksanyan in 1996.

They reportedly argued with the seller of candles insisting that
those candles should be offered for free.

ANC-GRASSROOTS TO LAUNCH BOHJALIAN’S MASTERPIECE ON GENOCIDE

Asbarez
Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Urge Armenian Americans to put The Sandcastle Girls on the
Congressional Summer Reading List by supporting the ANCA book donation
campaign (Click to order) Bohajanlian will attend a kick-off luncheon
and presentation in Los Angeles on July 16 and present the book in
San Francisco on July 17.

WASHINGTON-The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the
Genocide Education Project (GenEd) have teamed up with internationally
renowned publisher Doubleday Books to spotlight New York Times
Bestselling author Chris Bohjalian’s upcoming novel on the Armenian
Genocide on Capitol Hill and in communities across the United States.

Bohjalian’s widely anticipated tour-de-force, The Sandcastle Girls,
which goes on sale on July 17th, will take center stage beginning with
a special Southern California kick-off luncheon with the author at
the Universal Sheraton Hotel, hosted by the ANC-Grassroots Film and
the Arts Committee and GenEd, followed by an evening presentation
held at Woodbury University Fletcher Jones Auditorium. Tickets for
the luncheon are available through the ANC-Western Region office at
(818) 500-1918 or online at

Bohjalian will then be traveling to events in San Francisco, CA;
Watertown, MA; Warwick, RI; New Milford, NJ and Washington, DC,
where his Capitol Hill debut is co-hosted by Congressional Armenian
Genocide Resolution lead sponsors, Representatives Robert Dold (R-IL)
and Adam Schiff (D-CA). Bohjalian will be meeting with Congressional
members throughout the day on August 1st and then offering remarks
and signing books beginning at 6:00pm at the Rayburn House Office
Building, Room B-369.

See the complete listing of events across the country.

Armenian Americans and interested readers are encouraged to pre-order
The Sandcastle Girls online at discounted prices from Amazaon.com,
BN.com and Indiboude or from their local book sellers.

“Bohjalian’s The Sandcastle Girls certainly belongs in every Armenian’s
book collection, but more broadly, its powerful depictions of the
horrors of genocide makes it a must-read for every American,” said
Nora Yacoubian, Chair of the ANCA-WR Film and the Arts Committee.

“Through vivid characters and a moving story line, the collective
Armenian genocidal experience is presented in a way that touches
us all.”

Genocide Education Project Chairman Raffi Momjian concurred, noting,
“Bohjalian’s The Sandcastle Girls is a powerful educational tool to
help readers – young and old – relate to a topic so abhorrent to us
all, but so necessary to understand if we are to prevent future such
crimes. Through Chris’ vision and story-telling ability – a whole
new audience will learn about this tragedy and will, hopefully, be
inspired to ensure the victims and the survivors are never forgotten.”

Putting The Sandcastle Girls and the Armenian Genocide on the
Congressional Summer Reading List

In conjunction with The Sandcastle Girls Capitol Hill debut, the
ANCA has launched a special donate-a-book campaign asking community
members and anti-genocide activists to put Bohjalian’s novel their U.S.

Senators’ and Representative’s summer reading list. Community members
can pre-order one or more books specifically for distribution on
Capitol Hill and legislators across the country through an online
donation of $15.41 to the ANCA Endowment Fund on the secure online
payment page below:

ANCA Leo Sarkisian Program summer interns will be available to pass
out the books upon the July 17th publication and at August 1st the
Congressional event with the author.

Critical Acclaim Grows for The Sandcastle Girls The publishing world
has been abuzz with praise for The Sandcastle Girls, with Publisher’s
Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and Booklist collectively
offering unprecedented tributes to the author and the book.

“Bohjalian’s powerful novel… depicts the Armenian genocide and
one contemporary novelist’s quest to uncover her heritage… His
storytelling makes this a beautiful, frightening, and unforgettable
read,” wrote Publisher’s Weekly.

Julie Kane from Library Journal concurred, stating “Bohjalian
powerfully narrates an intricately nuanced romance with a complicated
historical event at the forefront. With the centennial of the
Armenian genocide fast approaching, this is not to be missed. Simply
astounding.”

Kirkus Reviews cites the ongoing pain of genocide on the descendants
of victims and survivors. “An unforgettable exposition of the
still too-little-known facts of the Armenian genocide and its
multigenerational consequences.” Meanwhile, Booklist’s Elizabeth
Dickie proclaims ‘Sandcastle Girls’ “a powerful and moving story
based on real events seldom discussed. It will leave you reeling.”

Bohjalian’s Literary Journey Over the course of his career, New York
Times bestselling novelist Chris Bohjalian has taken readers on a
spectacular array of journeys.

Midwives brought us to an isolated Vermont farmhouse on an icy
winter’s night and a home birth gone tragically wrong. The Double
Bind perfectly conjured the Roaring Twenties on Long Island-and a
young social worker’s descent into madness. And Skeletons at the
Feast chronicled the last six months of World War Two in Poland and
Germany with nail-biting authenticity. As The Washington Post Book
World has noted, Bohjalian writes “the sorts of books people stay
awake all night to finish.”

In his fifteenth book, The Sandcastle Girls, he brings us on a very
different kind of journey. This spellbinding tale travels between
Aleppo, Syria, in 1915 and Bronxville, New York, in 2012 – a sweeping
historical love story steeped in the author’s Armenian heritage,
making it his most personal novel to date.

When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Syria, she has a diploma from
Mount Holyoke College, a crash course in nursing, and only the most
basic grasp of the Armenian language. The First World War is spreading
across Europe, and she has volunteered on behalf of the Boston-based
Friends of Armenia to deliver food and medical aid to refugees of
the Armenian genocide. There, Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen,
a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant
daughter. When Armen leaves Aleppo to join the British Army in Egypt,
he begins to write Elizabeth letters, and comes to realize that he
has fallen in love with the wealthy, young American woman who is
so different from the wife he lost. Flash forward to the present,
where we meet Laura Petrosian, a novelist living in suburban New York.

Although her grandparents’ ornate Pelham home was affectionately
nicknamed the “Ottoman Annex,” Laura has never really given her
Armenian heritage much thought. But when an old friend calls, claiming
to have seen a newspaper photo of Laura’s grandmother promoting an
exhibit at a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a journey back through
her family’s history that reveals love, loss – and a wrenching secret
that has been buried for generations.

FARHAD MAMMADOV: “TWO COUNTRIES IN SOUTH CAUCASUS – AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA ARE SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPING, BUT ARMENIA IS REGRESSING”

APA
June 28 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Anaxanim Hidayatova – APA. “The main goal of the conference
is to analyze ongoing processes in South Caucasus during the last
20 years, to draw a lesson from this experience and to share the
ideas on vision of future formation”, Director of the Center for
Strategic Studies Farhad Mammadov told journalist at the international
conference entitled “Joint efforts for the sake of Caucasus` future:
Past 20 years and its lessons”, organized in Baku by the Center for
Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan and magazines
“Caucasus International” and “Turkish Policy Quarterly” on Thursday.

Mammadov said that many processes occurred in South Caucasus during
the last 20 years: “Two countries in South Caucasus – Azerbaijan and
Georgia are successfully developing and they have enough resources
and opportunities for vision of future formation. But there is one
republic that was isolated from other countries due to its foreign
occupation policy and it was kept out from international business
projects. Armenia’s state budget has increased by 13, 8 % since 2006,
but Azerbaijan’s budget increased by 2, 5 times and Georgia’s by 2
times. These figures show that there is no economical progress in
Armenia. 20-40 thousands people leave Armenia every year. We want to
show the public community that Armenia went down like a lead balloon
due to its occupation policy and it must withdraw from its foreign
occupation policy. We are ready to live together and Nagorno Karabakh
as a part of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be provided with a high
status and only after the conflict solution Armenia will have some
economic improvement”.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: FISCHER URGES PEACEFUL SOLUTION

Der Standard
June 27 2012
Austria

[translated from German]

Yerevan/Vienna – During his visit to Armenia – the first by an Austrian
head of state – President Heinz Fischer has urged a peaceful solution
to the conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Speaking to
journalists in Yerevan on Tuesday [ 26 June], Fischer and Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan stressed the commitment to non-violence and
a common system of values.

Fischer said that he now knows the points of view of Azerbaijan,
Turkey, and Armenia on the Karabakh problem. The issue must be looked
at from all sides. However, a solution can be achieved only be peaceful
means and negotiations, he stated. Sargsyan said the peoples’ right
to self-determination and territorial integrity are the bases for
settling the conflict. [passage omitted]

During Fischer’s visit four agreements were signed, including one on
development cooperation.

IN EPP CONFERENCE HAS BEEN DECIDED TO DECREASE THE VOLUME OF EU DEBT

ARMENPRESS
28 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS: European People’s Party (EPP) leaders
met to concrete the last details for the European Council Summit. EU
and non-EU heads of state and government and opposition leaders of
EPP confirmed their position, agreed in the last EPP summit, in which
they rejected the proposals of the Socialists. They consider that they
“create unsustainable, short-term growth by increased public spending,
refusing to present credible measures for fiscal consolidation”. EPP
leaders put forward that this approach is “irresponsible and populist”,
“which will lead us deeper into the crisis”. Armenpress was informed
from official website of European Commission that EU and non-EU heads
of state and government and opposition leaders of EPP argued that
debt levels need to be reduced on a time scale, in order to have a
clear perspective for growth and return to job creation. They also
urged to improve competitiveness, which “leads to economic growth
and creates jobs”.

President of Armenia, RPA chairman Serzh Sargsyan took part in the
conference.

Armenian ‘~RRepublican’~R, ‘~RRule of Law’~R and ‘~RHeritage’~R
party became European People’s Party member in 2012 February 9. In
accordance with the decision in EPP Asembly, three parties received
observer status, (the only available status for non-members of the
EU) .The parties have embraced the common European values and been
a strong advocate of domestic reform agenda in key areas such as
political, social, justice, economic, trade, taxation etc. considerably
relying on EU assistance both financially and in terms of advice in
implementing them.