Author: Kalantarian Kevo

MEDIAS
« Euronews » sur l’expo de Venise pour le 500e anniversaire de
l’imprimerie arménienne

La chaîne européenne « Euronews » a diffusé un reportage sur
l’inauguration à Venise (Italie) de l’exposition « Arménie, le drapeau
de la civilisation » dédiée au 500e anniversaire de l’imprimerie
arménienne. Dans le reportage, « Euronews » a présenté le président
arménien Serge Sarkissian assistant à l’inauguration de l’exposition
et félicitant toutes les personnes qui ont `uvré à l’organisation de
la manifestation. Rappelons que le 500ème anniversaire de l’édition du
premier livre imprimé -à Venise en 1512, l’Ourpatakirk (le livre de
Vendredi) par Hagop Méghabard- donnera lieu en 2012 à de très
nombreuses manifestations en Arménie et à travers le monde.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 18 décembre 2011,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Armenia, Kuwait to develop trade and economic cooperation

December 17, 2011 – 17:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – From December 11-15, Armenian delegation headed by
General Director of Armenian Development Agency Robert Harutyunyan
visited Kuwait to discuss development opportunities of trade and
economic relations between the two countries.

Armenia’s economic potential, export opportunities of local products,
as well as RA government’s economic strategy regarding boosting
investments was on the agenda of series of meetings.

The parties further agreed on arranging a visit of Kuwait
representatives to Armenia to familiarize themselves with the
country’s economic potential, as well as the launch of preparatory
works on holding an exhibition of Armenian industrial and agricultural
products in the framework of joint Armenian – Kuwait intergovernmental
economic committee 2nd sitting.

Upon the completion of the visit, memorandum on cooperation was signed
between Armenian Development Agency and Kuwait’s investment company.

U.S. Congressman: we want Turkey to acknowledge Armenian Genocide

December 17, 2011 – 09:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A growing number of Members of the House of
Representatives have praised the passage this week of a landmark
resolution calling upon Turkey to return the Christian church
properties it stole through genocide, and to end its repression of the
surviving members of the vast Christian civilizations that once
represented a majority in the territory of the present-day Republic of
Turkey, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Following the December 13 adoption of H.Res.306, Members of Congress
including Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Hahn (D-CA), Michael Grimm
(R-NY), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Robert Dold (R-IL) and Joseph Crowley
have added their voices to the call for expanded religious freedom in
Turkey.

House Members spotlighted Turkey’s decades of repression of the
Christian communities within modern-day Turkey’s borders, with many
urging the Turkish government to recognize the genocide against the
Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and Syriac communities which served as the
basis for confiscation of the vast majority of Christian churches.

`Religious tolerance has long been a problem for Turkey, which has yet
to remedy the desecration of the religious properties of over 2
million Armenians and Greeks and Assyrians and Syriacs over the last
100 years,’ Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) said.

Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) commented: `We want Christian communities in
Turkey to enjoy the same rights and privileges that religious
minorities enjoy in this country… We want Turkey to acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide. This is not too much to ask.’

`Turkey which has such a profound connection with the birth and growth
of Christianity, has today expropriated church properties, harassed
worshipers, and refused to grant full legal status to some Christian
groups,’ Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) said.

Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA) noted: `For too long, the U.S. has allowed
Turkey to elude responsibility for the destruction of Armenian
churches. With this resolution, Congress sends a stern message to
Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan – the United States will not
tolerate Turkish assaults on Armenian heritage and religious freedom.’

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LA PROPOSITION PENALISANT LA CONTESTATION SERA BIEN DISCUTEE JEUDI A L’ASSEMBLEE
Stephane

armenews.com
samedi 17 decembre 2011

L’examen de la proposition de loi sanctionnant la negation du genocide
armenien de 1915, qui provoque une crise diplomatique entre la France
et la Turquie, est maintenu au 22 decembre a l’Assemblee, avec le
soutien du groupe majoritaire UMP, apprend-on jeudi auprès du groupe.

Après les menaces proferees jeudi par la Turquie de rappeler son
ambassadeur en France, le groupe UMP de l’Assemblee, interroge
par l’AFP, a indique qu’il n’etait “pas question de retirer la
proposition”.

Presentee par la depute de la majorite presidentielle Valerie
Boyer,¨elle vise “a reprimer la contestation de l’existence des
genocides reconnus par la loi”. Elle englobe donc bien le genocide
armenien de 1915, dont l’existence a ete reconnue par la loi francaise
en 2001.

Le texte, co-signe par plus d’une quarantaine de deputes de la majorite
presidentielle, propose de sanctionner la contestation des genocides
reconnus par la loi d’un an de prison et de 45.000 euros d’amende.

“Cette proposition est l’aboutissement d’un long processus legislatif,
qui a demarre avec la reconnaissance du genocide armenien en 2001. Il
fallait aller plus loin avec la penalisation de la contestation du
genocide”, a declare Valerie Boyer a l’AFP, ajoutant qu’il s’agit
d’une “decision des parlementaires francais, inspiree par les droits
de l’Homme”.

“Elle n’est dirigee contre aucun pays”, a-t-elle ajoute. L’ambassade de
Turquie a Paris, dans des declarations faites jeudi a l’AFP, a prevenu
qu'”il va y avoir des consequences irreparables dans tous les domaines
des relations bilaterales”, si l’Assemblee nationale adopte le texte.

Outre le rappel de l’ambassadeur en France, le porte-parole de
l’ambassade de Turquie a Paris, Engin Solakoglu, a cite le gel de
toute cooperation avec le gouvernement francais, alors que les deux
pays discutent de la construction d’une centrale nucleaire en Turquie.

Le porte-parole du Quai d’Orsay a tente de calmer le jeu en soulignant
que le texte etait une “initiative parlementaire visant a reprimer
la contestation de l’existence des genocides reconnus par la loi”,
qui “s’inscrit dans un mouvement d’ensemble qui vise a penaliser les
propos racistes ou negationnistes”.

La Turquie reconnaît que 300.000 a 500.000 Armeniens ont peri dans
l’Anatolie ottomane au cours de la Première guerre mondiale, mais,
selon elle, non pas victimes d’une campagne d’extermination mais du
chaos des dernières annees de l’Empire ottoman.

Pour les Armeniens, il s’agit d’un genocide qui a fait plus d’un
million et demi de morts.

Une proposition de loi socialiste visant a reprimer la contestation
du genocide armenien avait deja ete votee le 12 octobre 2006 par
l’Assemblee nationale mais n’avait pas ete ratifiee par le Senat.

A la veille de son accession a l’Elysee, Nicolas Sarkozy, alors
candidat, avait promis aux associations armeniennes d’aller jusqu’au
bout du dispositif.

Le 22 novembre dernier, le senateur PS Philippe Kaltenbach avait
annonce avoir depose une proposition de loi sur le bureau du Senat
visant a reprimer la contestation de lexistence du genocide armenien.

Le texte sera presente et discute dans l’hemicycle dans le cadre d’une
“semaine gouvernementale”.

WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT, ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT, COPPER PLANT MANAGER OR YOUR CHILD’S FUTURE? ENVIRONMENTALIST ASKS (PHOTOS)

epress.am
16.2011 20:06

Over a dozen activists stood outside in the cold today in solidarity
with the residents of the southern Armenian city of Qajaran, where
a recent government decision has meant that over 180 hectares of
land in Syunik marz (“province”) is now “priority public interest”
land and thereby no longer belongs to the city but to the state,
who plans to sell it to a mining company.

As reported by the Epress.am corespondent on the scene, the
environmental activists were standing in front of the Government of
Armenia building holding signs and speaking to the press.

“Since by recognizing them as priority interest, these lands will
be handed over to the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine [Plant]
which is going to begin mining in that area. To exploit those lands
as a mine will make the existence of this village impossible. The
mine and the village are not compatible there – it will lead to
the displacement of this border village of 130 homes and about 300
residents,” said activist Apres Zohrabyan.

Zohrabyan said this decision was made 6 months ago and recently the
appropriate bodies wanted to put it into effect. But the villagers
pushed back the equipment brought there and obstructed the work.

[Akcia42.jpg?05aa0a]

The environmentalist also said that the villagers have not received
compensation since officially it’s not the village that’s being
uprooted. But this displacement will be unavoidable because, according
to Zohrabyan, no reasonable person could live next to a mine.

“And the money which they’ve given to take those lands are ridiculous –
12,000 drams [approx. $31 USD] per hectare,” he said.

Also participating in the protest was well-known local environmental
activist Mariam Sukhudyan, who said they’re supporting Qajaran (also
spelled Kajaran) residents, who are protecting the border. According
to her, it’s also a question of national security.

“We see today that mining doesn’t stem from the public’s interest,
but from the interest of some private individuals. We’ve made contact
with the head of the village; he said they’re threatening him, his
life is in danger, though they’re ready to fight till the end. Then
we found out that they took him to the police station, kept him for a
few hours, then that man began to backpedal, saying nothing happened
to him. We understood that the pressures are continuing. And that
today government members went to Qajaran testifies to the fact that
the pressures continue,” she said.

A group of environmentalists, she continued, is planning to go to
Qajaran in the coming days.

“If those people are truly, fairly going to go to the end, we are
with them. In any case one has to understand and place importance on
[the fact] that he is the owner of this country, whether standing
before him is [Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine General Manager]
Maxim [Hakobyan], [Armenian President] Serzh [Sargsyan], I don’t know,
a Chinese, a Russian… it doesn’t matter, on the other side of the
scale is his child’s future – which is more important?

That is, in any case he has to stand up and fight, just as the
residents of Qajaran are doing now,” she said.

GENOCIDE EDUCATION PROJECT LAUNCHES HIGHER EDUCATION DIVISION

Published: Friday December 16, 2011

James Sahagian will direct the new effort.

San Francisco – The Genocide Education Project is launching a new
division focused on institutions of higher education in the United
States. The new division will expand the organization’s reach by
sponsoring courses, lectures, exhibits and conferences at colleges
and universities.

“Our organization’s mission is to help educators teach the history and
consequences of genocides, particularly the Armenian Genocide. This
new division is an important extension of what The Genocide Education
Project has been doing on a high-school level since its establishment,”
said Raffi Momjian, Executive Director of The Genocide Education
Project.

The new division is led by James Sahagian, a financial advisor and
Rutgers University alumnus. Sahagian has also been actively involved
in promoting Armenian Studies for nearly 20 years. Since 1992, he and
a committed group of volunteers have been responsible for raising funds
and providing logistics for the campus’s Armenian Studies Program. This
has included offering Armenian language courses every semester on the
New Brunswick campus, as well as five different courses on Armenian
history over the past 20 years.

“There has been a long-time need for the establishment of an
organization that will support the ongoing study of the Armenian
Genocide from both a historical and modern human rights perspective,”
said Sahagian. “As we approach the one hundredth year since the
sinister campaign to destroy the Armenian nation was launched, it
is our duty as justice-seeking people to make sure that the Armenian
Genocide is not referred to as the “Forgotten Genocide” any longer.”

Beginning with an Armenian Christmas party at Sayat Nova Restaurant
in Hackensack, New Jersey on January 7, 2012, a development campaign
is underway to ensure the success of GenEd HigherEd and the progress
of the Rutgers Armenian Studies Program.

The Genocide Education Project is a nonprofit organization founded in
2004, assisting educators in teaching about human rights and genocide,
particularly the Armenian Genocide. GenEd develops and distributes
instructional materials, provides access to teaching resources and
conducts educational workshops.

Information about The Genocide Education Project can be found at

Information regarding the January 7th Armenian Christmas party and The
Genocide Education Project’s Higher-Education division is available at
(201) 739-0901.

HERITAGE EXPECTS REPLY WITHIN TEN DAYS

Heritage Party representatives Anahit Bakhshyan and Stepan Safaryan
have addressed questions to the Armenian Premier, Government and
State Revenue Committee (SRC).

The questions mainly concern the government decision on allocating the
lands in Kajaran village to the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine,
the pressure against village headman Rafik Atayan and mining issues.

In accordance with Article 7 of the RA NA Rules of Procedure, the
government and the SRC are to answer the party within ten days.

PM TIGRAN SARGSYAN MEETS THE AMBASSADOR OF EGYPT

armradio.am
16.12.2011 18:12

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received the newly appointed Ambassador
of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Armenia, Mohammed Ala Eldin Saad
El Leis.

“I’m confident that your activity will contribute to the development
and reinforcement of Armenian-Egyptian relations. The Armenian
government is ready to do its best for this purpose,” the Prime
Minister said.

The parties attached importance to the development of trade relations
between Armenia and Egypt, noting that the economic ties do not match
the high level of political dialogue between the two countries.

The Armenian Prime Minister and the Ambassador of Egypt hailed the
development of cultural ties between the two countries. Tigran Sargsyan
welcomed the conduct of the Egypt Days in Armenia. The parties attached
importance to the role of the Armenian community in the reinforcement
of bilateral relations.

Mohammed Ala Eldin Saad El Leis presented the current political
situation and the possible developments in Egypt.

UNFAIR COMPETITION PROVES HEAVY COST TO ARMENIAN COMPANIES

Tert.am
16.12.11

Three Armenian dairy foods producing companies – Ashtarak Kat, Dustr
Mariana and Ani Kat – committed gross violations in the market.

In a number of their products they used vegetable oil, namely, coconut
oil, which is two and a half as cheap as animal oil. The companies
also used milk powder without informing consumers.

“The companies thus practiced unfair competition and got superprofit,”
Artak Shaboyan, Chairman of the RA Commission for Protection of
Economic Competition, stated at the Commission’s sitting Dec. 16.

On the basis of this evidence, as well as given the fact that the
Commission once warned the companies against violating the relevant
laws, the Commission imposed fines on the companies – a AMD 50m on
the Ashtarak Kat company, an AMD 5m fine on the Ani Kat company,
and a 20m fine on the Dustr Mariana company.

MINISTER PROPOSES DEVELOPING A DOCTRINE OF MILITARY PATRIOTIC UPBRINGING
Sona Hakobyan

“Radiolur”
16.12.2011 17:51

The lack of military-patriotic upbringing is a serious threat
to our Motherland, Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan said at a
scientific-educational conference today. Therefore, he proposes to
develop a doctrine of patriotic upbringing.

According to Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education and Science,
education is not just a process of development of skills and
capacities, but also values. Therefore, taking into consideration
the importance of the link between the army and the school, this year
the Ministry organized courage classes, visits of schoolchildren to
museums and historic monuments.

Surveys were conducted in Yerevan and marzes. Most of the respondents
said the number of basic military training classes in schools must
increase, schoolchildren must have the opportunity to visit military
units to familiarize with the everyday life on the army.