Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Situation at the line of contact remains tense

15:15, 05 Jan 2015

The situation at the line of contact between the armed forces of
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan remains tense; the rival continues to
intensively violate the ceasefire regime all along the frontline.

About 350 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were
registered the night of January 5. The rival fired more than 4,500
shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the
Armenian positions.

The front troops of the NKR Defense Army keep control of the
operational-tactical situation at the frontline and resort to response
actions only in case of extreme necessity.

Armenia’s 2015 state budget socially-oriented budget in different
respects – IMF Resident Representative

14:36 * 04.01.15

Teresa Daban Sanchez, IMF Resident Representative in Armenia, believes
that Armenia’s 2015 state budget is a socially-oriented budget in
different respects.

In an interview with Tert.am, she said that 10% of the budget is
exclusively social.

The share of the budget deficit in the GDP is a little higher in
Armenia’s 2015 budget – 0.3%, which will mainly be directed to
increase capital expenditure to give impetus to the creation of jobs,
increase supplies, which, in turn, will result in higher growth,
renovation of schools, etc. The IMF believes Armenia is capable of
ensuring this small growth because the financial situation is
favorable.

Armenia’s 2015 state budget is socially-oriented in different
respects. First, the deficit is aimed at ensuring higher economic
growth, and positive results will be felt. The IMF believes that some
slowdown in tax revenues growth will prove beneficial for the business
community. The budget envisages an increase in capital expenditure,
which will have its impact on other economic sectors. The budget also
envisages a 15% increase in pensions. In many other respects, the 2015
budget promotes economic growth.

With respect to the Armenian government’s struggle against black
economy and policy to promote small and medium business development,
Ms Teresa Daban Sanchez said that reducing shadow economy and
improving the business environment is one of the government’s
priorities. The IMF is supporting the government not only with advice,
but also by rendering technical assistance. If taxation were
business-friendly, businessmen would not avoid taxation and respect
the tax law.

As regards Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
and resulting influence of the Russian ruble on the country’s economy,
Ms Teresa Daban Sanchez said that Armenia is a small and open economy,
which is using Euros, US dollars and Russian rubles. Markets are
efficient, with the USD dominating because of international
agreements. Possible influence is difficult to forecast. It depends on
the banking system the business community prefers: some businessmen
may prefer the Russian ruble in dealing with their Russian partners,
while others may prefer the USD. If transparency and market efficiency
is ensured, people will see the real value of each currency.

Armenia has more liberal economic laws that the other EEU
member-states. So what will be the result of Armenia’s integration
into the EEU?

In this respect, Ms Ms Teresa Daban Sanchez said that the EEU remains
at the Customs Union level. Three components are of importance for
Armenia. First, Armenia’s customs duties remain unchanged. Second, no
customs clearance procedures. Third, Armenia will have a share in
regulated customs duties.

However, seeing the EU member-states’ experience, the member-states
will continue their key policy. The member-states can implement
independent policies. For example, Russia is applying sanctions
against EU member-states without the other states’ involvement. In
determining the liberalization level, the IMF can consider
international surveys, including Doing Business assessments, which
show Armenia at a higher level in certain respects. Armenia has much
to do to improve the business environment.

Le CCAF demande la démission d’Hubert Haenel

04-01-2015

Le CCAF (Conseil de coordination des organisations arméniennes de
France) prend connaissance des informations diffusées depuis quelques
jours dans un certain nombre d’articles de presse sur les échanges qui
ont eu lieu en février 2012 entre Yasar Yakis, ex-ministre turc des
Affaires étrangères et Hubert Haenel, membre du Conseil
constitutionnel.

Cette correspondance révèle une complicité qui confine à la collusion
entre ce haut personnage de la République et le représentant d’un état
étranger à propos de la loi Boyer, un texte voté par l’Assemblée
nationale et le Sénat et invalidé par le Conseil constitutionnel.

Le CCAF dénonce les pressions exercées sur la personne d’un Haut
magistrat français par le président du groupe parlementaire
France-Turquie à Ankara. Il s’indigne de l’oreille complaisante que
lui a prêtée Monsieur Haenel, qui dans deux messages séparés, tente
d’une part de le rassurer quant au destin de cette loi
anti-négationniste et d’autre part l’informe avant l’heure de la
décision du Conseil. Une attitude qui contrevient au serment de
confidentialité, de réserve et d’impartialité que prêtent les sages
devant le président de la République, comme le stipule l’article 3 de
l’ordonnance du 7 novembre 1958.

Le CCAF demande aux plus hautes autorités de l’État d’ouvrir une
enquête administrative sur cette affaire et appelle à la démission
d’Hubert Haenel.

Christian Post
Jan 4 2015

Turkey Allows New Church for First Time Since Ottoman Empire’s End in 1923

The imposing structure of Hagia Sophia, located in Istanbul, Turkey.
The building began as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, was converted
to a mosque in the 15th century, and was then made into a museum in
the 1930s.

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The Islamic government of Turkey has authorized the construction of a
new church, for the country’s tiny Syriac community, for the first
time since the establishment of the modern republic in 1923.

The Syrian Christian church will be built on state-owned land not far
from Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches in the Istanbul
suburb of Yesilkoy on the shores of the Sea of Marmara, Turkish Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at a meeting of religious
representatives in Istanbul, according to Agence France Presse.

Of the 80 million people in Turkey, mostly Muslim, about 100,000 are
Christian. While Turkey was the birthplace of numerous Christian
Apostles and Saints, the country’s government had thus far allowed
only renovations of existing churches.

“It is the first since the creation of the republic,” the newswire
quoted a government as saying. “Churches have been restored and
reopened to the public, but no new church has been built until now.”

The move could be aimed at pacifying the European Union.

The country was recently criticized for making efforts to erase its
Christian past, as was reflected in the conversion of an ancient
Byzantine church into a mosque.

The Hagia Sophia Museum, a former Greek Orthodox church in the Black
Sea city of Trabzon, was used in July 2013 for the first Friday
prayers of Ramadan.

The mufti of Trabzon was joined by local Muslim residents for the
Islamic prayers in the 13th century church building. The Christian
murals were covered with curtains, and the bell dome was used as a
minaret.

“The population of this city consists of Muslims. If the majority are
Muslims, the places of worship need to be mosques. Suppose that the
majority of this city was Christians or Jews, would they keep this
place as a museum?” Adnan Ertem, the General Director of Foundations,
was quoted as saying at the time.

The church, one of a few dozen Byzantine sites still existent in the
area and regarded as one of the finest examples of its architecture,
dates back to the 13th century when Trabzon was the capital of the
Empire of Trebizond.

The conversion of the church took place after a local court agreed
last year with the claim of the General Directorate of the Pious
Foundations that the church building belonged to the foundation of
Mehmet II and had been “illegally occupied” by the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism.

Turkey had historically embraced Westernization and secularism,
banning religion from the public square and bringing it under state
control. However, the ruling AK party is otherwise seeking to align
with Middle-Eastern and other Muslim nations.

Seven Things to Know About Tullian Tchividjian

POSTED ON JANUARY 6, 2014 BY LIBERATE

>From February 20-23, 2014, Tullian Tchividjian will be a featured
speaker at the 2014 LIBERATE Conference. Get to know him:

1) His full name is William Graham Tullian Tchividjian.

The first part of his name “William Graham” is after his maternal
grandfather, Billy Graham. “Tullian” is after the early church father,
Tertullian. And the last name is Armenian (not Arminian–Armenia is a
country, Arminius was a man). Given the stature of the men he was
named after, it’s no surprise that Tullian constantly preaches that
we’ll never measure up.

2) Tullian’s “Pronunciation Award” goes to Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski.

Aside from Mika, almost no one pronounces “Tchividjian” properly on
the first try. Tullian believes that even his mother mispronounces his
last name. At the very least, she pronounces it in such an
unacceptable way that Tullian refuses to use it in public. The last
name rhymes with “religion” and if sounded out phonetically, would
sound like “ch-vi-jin.” He hates nothing more in this life than when
someone pronounces his first name “Toolyan”. It’s “T-UH-llian.” Make a
note of it. He wishes he could do the Usher thing or the Beyoncé thing
and just go with his first name.

3) Tullian does hour-long boxing workouts in his Coral Ridge office.

Though his employees protest, Tullian finds it invigorating to punch
someone (and get punched) while in the presence of some of the great
volumes of religious writing that he has in his library. He will
freely admit that there is nothing spiritual motivating his strict
attention to diet and fitness–it’s pure vanity.

4) Tullian loves EDM (Electronic Dance Music).

T-UH-llian is a “house music” junky…and has been since he was a
teenager. Some of his favorite “artists” are Deadmau5, Kaskade, Above
and Beyond, Paul Oakenfold, and Armin Van Burren. He still goes to
South Beach to hear these guys (and many more) any time they’re in
town “spinning” at a local club. According to Tullian, “house music”
is like the gospel: you never grow beyond it, just deeper into it.

5) Tullian is possessed of an unhealthy love for the Dallas Cowboys.

This love is unhealthy because of the oft-cited stat that the Cowboys
have only won one playoff game since 1996. Tullian often follows up a
justification-affirming Sunday morning at church with a
sanctification-challenging Sunday afternoon watching football. It’s
not all bad, though…he has shaken Jimmy Johnson’s hand (and marveled
at his hair) and vacationed with Tony Romo.

6) Tullian doesn’t mind being asked about his grandfather, Billy Graham.

“Daddy Bill,” as Tullian calls him, has been as much of an inspiration
to Tullian as he has to the rest of the country. Tullian calls him the
most humble man he’s ever met. When Tullian once asked Daddy Bill how
he was able to stay so humble in light of all he has accomplished,
Daddy Bill looked puzzled and said that he wasn’t humble. In fact, he
told Tullian that he doesn’t know anyone who is more prideful than
himself. Like the Apostle Paul, Daddy Bill’s willingness to admit how
unsanctified he is demonstrates just how sanctified he is. As Tullian
has said about his grandfather, “God’s amazing grace still amazes
him…and that amazes me!”

7) Tullian’s topic at LIBERATE 2014 is “Inexhaustible Grace for
an Exhausted World.”

Tullian thinks that people have never been more exhausted. And it’s
not just all the stuff they have going on…it’s the continuous efforts
to save themselves! During his presentation, he’ll talk about the only
truly freeing (and refreshing!) agent the world has ever known: the
one-way love of God.

ARMENIE
Le comportement du rouble russe aura un impact sur l’économie
arménienne selon Ruben Vardanyan

Le comportement du rouble russe qui est en train de perdre rapidement
de sa valeur face au dollar US et à l’euro aura un impact négatif sur
le marché arménien a déclaré Ruben Vardanyan, membre du Conseil
d’Ameriabank.

> a déclaré Vardanyan.

Andrei Lazarian, président du conseil d’Ameriabank, a déclaré que de
fortes fluctuations de la monnaie dans toutes les grandes économies, y
compris la Russie, ont un impact sur l’économie mondiale, et si ces
processus sont longs, les conséquences affecteront fortement en
particulier les économies liées dont celle de l’Arménie.

dimanche 4 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

NKR Prime Minister: Trade turnover increased 2.5 times

14:20, 03.01.2015

YEREVAN. – During the latest ten year, Nagorno-Karabakh’s trade
turnover volume increased 2.5 times, NKR Prime Minister Arayik
Harutyunyan said in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“We are trying to use even small opportunities we have to establish
economic ties with various countries. We have achieved progress on the
matter, but at the moment economic cooperation, to a large extent, is
carried out through private organizations in the form of foreign
trade,” he said.

NKR has been working with over 20 countries with 95 percent of trade
falling on CIS states, in particular Armenia and Russia.

“As to other states, among them are UK, Iran and China,” Harutyunyan added.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

Trend News Agency (Baku, Azerbaijan)
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency
January 2, 2015 Friday

Armenians’ “genocide” claims to eventually lose meaning – Turkish ruling party

Jan. 02–“Armenian genocide” is a threat to peace in the region, a
board member of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, Mazhar
Bagli told Trend.

He said Turkey rejects Armenian claims according to which the events
of 1915 are “Armenian genocide”.

Turkey has repeatedly expressed readiness to open its archives to
investigate the events of 1915, and the country has opened all its
archives, said Bagli.

He added that as a result of the development of relations with
brotherly Azerbaijan and other brotherly nations, Armenians’ claims
regarding the “genocide” will eventually lose meaning.

Bagli said that with its increasing power, Turkey will easily be able
to cope with this issue.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor, the
Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out “genocide” against the Armenians
living in Anatolia in 1915. Turkey in turn has always denied “the
genocide” took place.

While strengthening the efforts to promote the so-called “genocide” in
the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments
of some countries.

Although Turkey has repeatedly proposed to create an independent
commission to investigate the events of 1915, Armenia continues to
reject this proposal.

Reconnaissance-in-Force: 2 Killed, 1 Wounded

Lragir.am
Country – 03 January 2015, 12:27

In the morning of January 3, at 3:15 am the enemy undertook two
reconnaissance-in-force actions in the southern and eastern directions
of the Defense Army. The front-line units took operative actions and
pushed the enemy back to its previous positions causing losses.

Unfortunately, while confronting the enemy two servicemen of the
Defense Army Karen Samvel Grigoryan and Vardan Martik Lazarian were
killed. Serviceman Volodya Gagik Harutiunyan was wounded.

The NKR Ministry of Defense offers its condolences to the families,
friends and fellow serviceman of the killed soldiers. Investigation is
carried out to find out the circumstances of the incident, the
Armenian Army page on Facebook informed.

Azerbaijan launches deadly subversion along Line of Contact

12:25 * 03.01.15

Azerbaijan’s armed forces provoked two subversive attaks in the
southern and eastern directions of the Line of Contact overnight.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army says in a press release that its
frontline subdivisions managed to push the adversary back to the
starting positions with losses,

But the military operations were not unfortunately without losses for
the Nagorno-Karabakh military either. Two Defense Army servicemen,
Karen S Grigoryan and Vardan M Lazarian, were killed in the
retaliatory attack.

Another Armenian serviceman, Volodya G Harutyunyan, was wounded.

The Defense Army extends its condolences to the families, friends and
fellow servicemen of the diseased.

A probe into further circumstances is underway.