Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 17 2015
Armenian soldier killed near Voskevan, Armenian Defense Ministry reports
17 January 2015 – 9:18pm
The Armenian Defense Ministry reported that an Armenian soldier was
killed today on the Armenian-Azerbaijani in the Tavush region of
Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of a conflict on the border.
A contractor was killed by the Azerbaijani side.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry have not yet given any official
comments regarding the death of the soldier.
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 17 2015
Gyumri Lessons
17 January 2015 – 7:05pm
The recent events in Armenia have exposed the tensions between Russia
and Armenia, in spite of officially proclaimed strategic level of
partnership between two countries and Erevan’s joining of the
Eurasian Union. Demonstrations with requirement for fair treatment of
the killing in Gyumri grew into the protests against Russian
military presence on the territory of Armenia. Armenian leadership
does participate in number of Russian projects, but the population of
the country, being dissatisfied with the authorities, transfers the
anger to Russia.
Securing of Russian foreign policy interests requires shifting of
attention to the cooperation with the civil society, and not only with
the leadership. Deep and real reasons of the unrest in Armenia is an
economic and a political crisis in the republic. This crisis,
generated by an unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the economic
blockade of Armenia, will continue to provoke discontent among the
citizens of the republic.
Similar opinion has been expressed in an interview to “Vestnik
Kavkaza” by political analysts Mikhail Remizov and Alexander Karavaev.
“Kremlin is speaking and taking into account only those, who are
currently at the power”, as it has doubts that working with opposition
will bring the same influence as working with the authorities in
power. Till today the politics of Russia towards Armenia has been
based on the expectation of guaranteed information on further changes
in the ruling elite. This information is gathered as the result of
working with the current authorities – said Alexander Karavaev.
Mikhail Remizov emphasized the necessity to change the paradigm of
Russian foreign policy – it is obvious that Russia needs to diversify
its political contacts and build wide spectrum of relationships with
different social and political forces. Strategic task is to to build
relationships with the society.
The experts have expressed opinion that Russia’s military withdrawal
for Armenian territory is not likely to happen, since it is highly
significant and needed for Armenia. It is worthy to remember here the
example of American military presence in Japan after WWII, when in
spite of number of crimes committed by American soldiers, the military
presence are still there – noticed Remizov.
Karavaev expressed the opinion that it is hardly possible to avoid
such incidents in the situation of military presence of one country at
the territory of another. Also, according to the expert, Russian
Ministry of Defense needs to transfer its foreign military bases to
contractors entirely, but also work on the discipline in the army.
At the same time it is highly important to have just investigation of
the committed crimes. “The reaction of the Armenian society to this
murder is natural, since the society is very close, with a strong
sense of ethnic solidarity, so in the case, when Armenians is being
killed by a non-Armenian, is being perceived as ethnically tinged
violence” – said Remizov.
The experts Remizov says there are several factors that that guarantee
inter-allied relationship between Armenia and Russia, including
economic, geo-strategic and military considerations, the presence of a
considerable Armenian diaspora in Russia and Armenia’s foreign
environment.
At the same time Karavaev thinks Armania’s rejection of union with
Russia is still possible under the condition of open weakening of
Russia’s position in the South Caucasus and a very serious problems
in Russia’s economy. But as long as Russia’s military presence on
Armenian territory lasts for several decades by now, it is
questionable if Russian influence on the bilateral relationship may
vanish so easily.
Azerbaijani sniper kills an Armenian soldier
20:36, 17 Jan 2015
Armenian serviceman, the inhabitant of Voskevan village (Tavush
region), Arman Hovhannisyan, was killed as a result of ceasefire
violation on the front line on January 17, the Spokesperson of the
Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan
informed.
Armenian community in France demands publishing results of
investigation over the Gyumri tragedy
by Nana Martirosyan
Saturday, January 17, 16:51
The Armenian community in France has issued a statement. The
community demands transferring the suspect of the murder of a family
of six in Gyumri, Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov, to the Armenian
law-enforcers.
The statement demands publishing the results of investigation over the
Gyumri tragedy.
The authors of the statement also extend condolences to the relatives
of the Avetisyans’ family and express their support to the citizens
fighting for their own dignity and security.
They also consider the law- enforcers’ negligence, lack of response
and condolences by the country’s leadership and the spiritual leader
on the very first day of the tragedy to be unacceptable. The authors
of the statement also condemn the behavior of the leadership that
ignores the calls to declare mourning in the country.
To recall, a family of six was murdered in Gyumri on January 12. The
suspect, Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov, is still in the
territory of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri. The murder of
the Armenian family by the Russian serviceman in Armenia triggered
protests following Armenian Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan’s
statement that Valery Permyakov cannot be transferred to Armenia in
accordance with the Russian legislation.
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Seyran Ohanyan: If Baku fails to understand what international
structures say, the only mechanism to restrain Baku is Armenian armed
forces
by Tatevik Shahunyan
ARMINFO
Saturday, January 17, 16:52
If the enemy continues keeping the situation on the contact line and
on the border tense in 2015, Armenia’s steps will be adequate and
long-lasting, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told
journalists.
He said that the enemy does not change its strategy and tries to keep
the situation tense. “But we, all the same, are committed to peaceful
resolution of the conflict”, he said. Ohanyan also stressed that if
Baku fails to understand what international structures say, the only
mechanism to restrain Baku is the Armenian armed forces.
AmRating: Many Armenian banks face a serious test as Central Bank of
Armenia requires banks to meet a new lower limit of total capital by
2017
by ArmInfo
Saturday, January 17, 16:44
As the Central Bank of Armenia requires the banks to meet a new lower
limit of total capital by 2017, many Armenian banks face a serious
test, the analysts of AmRating national rating agency have told
ArmInfo’s correspondent. AmRating experts believe that the CBA’s
decision on increase of the lower limit of total capital from the
current 5 bln AMD to 30 bln AMD by 1 Jan 2017 will not only boost the
long-expected process of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) on the banking
market, but will probably oust some weak and dangerous participants
from the market due to the big amount of hidden toxic assets on their
balance sheets.
The analysts point out that at the moment the banking system of the
country can conventionally be divided into 4 categories of its
participants in terms of assets and efficiency.
Traditionally, the top-5 lenders to economy top that list. Their total
capital and assets make up nearly 47% of the aggregate capital and
nearly 49% of the aggregate assets of the total banking system of the
country. The capitals of these players long ago exceeded the new lower
limit (30 billion AMD) introduced by the CBA. This changeless top-5
that was formed as early as over 5 years ago includes ACBA-Credit
Agricole, Ardshinbank, HSBC Bank Armenia, VTB Bank (Armenia), and
Ameriabank. The experts believe that the specified top-5 is a kind of
a guarantor of the system stability because they own almost half of
the market and have a stable and high funding potential at the expense
of both accumulated profit and their shareholders. Thus, the top-5 has
the most reliable mechanisms to resist the risks even in case of
further unfavorable economic climate in the country.
The second group of the banks with medium total capital and assets
secure 37% of the aggregate total capital and 36% of the aggregate
assets of the system. This group may include ArmBusinessBank,
INECOBANK, Converse Bank, ArmSwissBank, Prometey Bank, ARARATBANK,
Areximbank- Gazprombank Group and Unibank. To meet the new lower limit
of total capital, each of these banks will have to increase it by 3-10
bln AMD. The analysts think that the overwhelming majority of the
specified banks enjoy the support of the shareholders, including
institutional and strategic investors. This considerably facilitates
the process of further capitalization of the banks. However, it is
this group that is expected to be especially active to enhance its
positions on the market due to synergy of capital and assets via
murder and acquisition of weaker players of the third and the fourth
groups. In the meantime, it is not ruled out that some members of the
second group will manage to enlarge by attracting foreign, most likely
strategic investors, such as Russian banks controlled by the
organizations “with Armenian roots”, which is a quite popular
precedent in the history of the Armenian banking system. In the light
of mergers, one can also expect business optimization by means of
merger of various banks controlled by one and the same shareholder.
Moreover, it should be noted that some of the banks of the second
group have regularly enhanced their capitalization for the past few
years, which demonstrates serious ambitions to enhance their positions
on the market.
The third group consists of small banks in terms of both total capital
and assets. The share of their total capital slightly exceeds 10% on
the market and the share of their assets insignificantly exceeds 11%.
This group includes Anelik Bank, Artsakhbank, Armeconombank, Mellat
Bank. To meet the lower limit of total capital by 2017, they need to
increase their total capital at least 2-3-fold. Anelik Bank has the
strongest positions in terms of possible capitalization due to the
potential of the Lebanese shareholder – CreditBank S.A.L., which has
recently taken full control over the Anelik money transfer system and
which has subsidiaries in a number of foreign countries. The fate of
the Iranian Mellat Bank will mostly depend on the Armenian-Iranian
economic ties and softening of the Western sanctions, which are still
seriously hindering development of the Armenian subsidiary.
Artsakhbank, which has a special mission and specializes in servicing
the NKR economy, is likely to have three scenarios to meet the new
total capital requirement. It may join the capital of the bank of the
state in the person of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; merge with
another banking structure affiliated through the shareholder; or
receive from the CBA a special regime of operation in relation to the
important state mission of the “lead bank” of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armeconombank may cause a serious interest in M&A owing to a number of
important parameters: traditionally large branch network and
involvement in most of the international loan projects being
implemented in Armenia. Notwithstanding its low indices, the Bank has
firm positions on the card market of the country. One of the Bank’s
majority shareholders is the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD), so any scenarios of meeting the new lower limit of
total capital are possible with the consent and fulfillment of
requirements of that serious institutional investor, which certainly
lays down its own tough conditions.
The fourth conventional micro-group of Armenian banks includes
Armenian Development Bank, ProCredit Bank, Byblos Bank Armenia and BTA
Bank. The share of their capital on the market is 7% of the aggregate
index, and the share of their assets is 5% of the aggregate index. To
comply with the new standard by 2017, these banks will have to
increase their capital at least 3-6-fold. The Armenian ProCredit Bank
is especially singled out in this group. It is a member of the
international ProCredit Holding and its special mission, which
resembles a donor mission, is to develop the small and medium
businesses in the host countries. The Bank’s participation in M&A is
low probable, however, the fact that the Bank has strong institutional
investors such as EBRD and KfW allows supposing that the bank will
continue operating in Armenia and performing its key mission. It is
not ruled out that the mission of the Bank and its strong
authoritative owners will allow the Regulator to take a special
decision concerning the bank. In any case, AmRating analysts think
that the withdrawal of ProCredit Bank from the Armenian market is
unacceptable, because it will deliver a strong blow on the
international investment image of Armenia. Moreover, despite the
obstacles in development of small and medium businesses in the low
competitive, monopolized economic environment of Armenia, the Bank
holds one of the leading positions in the banking segment of SME
financing. Kazakh BTA Bank’s fate remains uncertain after its
erstwhile powerful parent bank fell victim to the financial crisis of
2008-2009. The Bank still operates in a limited regime though its
shareholder has undergone an uneasy procedure of rehabilitation held
by the state of Kazakhstan. It is unclear what decision the major
shareholder – National Welfare Fund “Samruk-Kazyna – will take on its
Armenian subsidiary. On the one hand, Armenia is becoming Kazakhstan’s
partner within the Eurasian Economic Union, but on the other hand, the
level of development of the trade and economic cooperation inspires no
hopes yet. Therefore, under one of the scenarios, the Bank may be sold
if a buyer is found. Byblos Bank Armenia also has strong major
shareholders such as EBRD, OPEC and Byblos Bank S.A.L., which has
assets worth over 16 bln USD and offices in 12 countries.
Nevertheless, the analysts think that the shareholders’ current low
support to the Armenian subsidiary can demonstrate the insufficient
interest in the subsidiary’s development due to the low investment
attractiveness of Armenia and the problems in the economy. In that
case, the matter may concern either sale of the bank or withdrawal
from the market. Nevertheless, one more option is possible: the Bank
may enhance its capitalization in case the shareholders arrive at a
conclusion that the risk will be justified and that the investments
will be applied properly. In the case of the Armenian Development
Bank, the capitalization growth task is at least to triple the
capital. The lack of strategic and institutional investors in the
capital and the lack of competitive and attractive advantages for
investors somewhat complicates the task lay down by the CBA.
Fulfillment of this task will depend exclusively on the individual
approach of the Bank’s real majority shareholder, who is a major
Armenian businessman.
AmRating analysts explain the CBA’s decision to increase the lower
limit of the total capital so sharply with the need to take immediate
measures so that the economy of Armenia is able to meet the emerging
serious risks and challenges. The analysts outline such problems as
the deteriorating economic and investment situation in Russia – the
key trade and economic partner of Armenia, the reducing money
transfers to Armenia, which negatively affects the aggregate demand in
the country and GDP growth rates. All this affects the payment
balance and increases the foreign trade deficit. Furthermore, as
international rating agencies reduce Armenia’s sovereign ratings,
foreign funding and credit resources may rise in price, which cannot
but affect the country’s banking system. A strong and highly
capitalized banking system is what may become a guarantee for the
sustainable financial market in Armenia, amid hardly predictable
global changes.
øC8BBA0-9E4E-11E4-812E0EB7C0D21663
French-Armenians concerned over Erdogan’s message to Armenian leader
14:48 * 17.01.15
The Coordinating Council of French-Armenian Organization (CCAF) has
expressed its concerns over the Turkish president’s recent move to
invite the Armenian leader to the country in April for participating
in the commemoration events dedicated to the Gallipoli Battle’s 100th
anniversary.
In a statement published in the French-Armenian magazine Nouvelle
d’Armenie, the Council has describes the move as an attempt by Ankara
to derail the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide centennial.
The Council members note that the anniversary, traditionally
celebrated in Turkey on April 25, has been rescheduled to April 24
this year to coincide with the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
“Ankara seeks to maximum diminish the international reaction to April
24. This tactics falls within the Turks’ denial policies, which are
nothing more than a continuation [of Genocide] through other means.
“”The Coordinating Council of French-Armenian Organizations has
expressed hope that the sates will manage to wreck the Turkish
authorities’ trap – which is becoming more and more cynical – in an
effort to uphold the international diplomacy’s moral norms in this
region,” reads the statement.
In his response to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation letter, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan practically declined the invitation offer by
stating that it isn’t a commonly accepted practice in Armenia to be
hosted by a guest “without receiving an answer to our invitation”.
Armen Martirosyan: Permyakov can and must be transferred to Armenian law-enforcement
by Nana Martirosyan
Saturday, January 17, 15:16
All the demands over the transfer of Russian serviceman Valery
Permyakov, the suspect of the murder of the Armenian family in Gyumri,
to the Armenian law-enforcement structures should be addressed to the
authorities of Armenia, Armen Martirosyan, Deputy Head of Heritage
Party, said at a press conference in Yerevan.
He thinks it unacceptable that the country’s authorities are
instigating the displeased people to storm the Russian Consulate to
shift the responsibility for the situation to the Russian officials.
“We should direct our demands to the authorities of Armenia, first of
all, to the President, who has been silent since January 13, to the
Foreign Ministry, to the Prime Minister, because their posts oblige
them to protect the rights of the country’s citizens”, he said.
Martirosyan also thinks that the further behavior of the Russian side
depends on the actions of the Armenian side. “The international
agreements have supremacy over the countries’ laws, so, according to
Provisions 4 and 5 of the Agreement on deployment of the 102nd Russian
military base in Armenia, Permyakov can and must be transferred to the
Armenian side. All the obstacles are artificial”, he said.
To recall, a family of six was murdered in Gyumri on January 12. The
suspect, Russian serviceman Valery Permyakov, is still in the
territory of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri. The residents
of Gyumri are holding actions of protest and demand transferring
Permyakov to the Armenian law-enforcers.
³75F600-9E42-11E4-812E0EB7C0D21663
ARMENIE
Serioja, seul survivant de la famille Avetisyan décimée à Gumri, opéré à Erévan
Le nourrisson Serioja, dernier survivant de la tuerie de Gumri qui
decima 6 membres de la famille Avetisyan assassinés par un soldat
Russe, a été transféré à l’hôpital Sourp Asdvadzamayr à Erévan.
L’enfant grièvement blessé était en réanimation et son état était jugé
grave. L’opération qui dura une vingtaine de minutes -sans doute dans
la zone de sa colonne vertébrale- se serait bien passée. Son état
continue de rester néanmoins grave. Lors de l’opération, les
chirurgiens arméniens étaient supervisés par vidéo depuis Saint
Petersbourg par le Professeur William Khachatourian, directeur de la
clinique pour enfants Polenov de Saint Petersbourg.
Krikor Amirzayan
samedi 17 janvier 2015,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 18 2015
G-word not so easy
GÃ`NAL KURÅ?UN
January 18, 2015, Sunday
Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jewish lawyer, first pronounced the word
`genocide’ in his book “Axis Rule in Occupied Europe” in 1944.
He coined the term by combining `genos,’ meaning `race, people’ in
Greek, and `caedere,’ meaning `to kill’ in Latin. According to Lemkin,
the Armenian genocide was a school example of the crime. Today, most
scholars on genocide and historians share this idea.
It is still a discussion between Turkey and Armenia, including
diaspora Armenians. In recent years, we have started to see an
emphasized commemoration of the Armenian genocide on April 24. Since
2010, I’ve been involved in the commemorations. Police protected me
and the group of intellectuals with whom I organized the 2010
commemoration in Ankara from ultra-nationalist protesters. It was the
first time in my life that had happened.
Assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink said in a 2006
documentary film titled “Screamers”: `There are Turks who don’t admit
that their ancestors committed genocide. If you look at it though,
they seem to be nice people. … So why don’t they admit it? Because
they think genocide is a bad thing that they would never want to
commit, and because they can’t believe their ancestors would do such a
thing either.’
It is really not an easy word to say for an ordinary Turkish citizen,
after all the negative propaganda they receive at school. When we say
“genocide” in Turkey, `Jewish genocide” or “Holocaust’ is
automatically understood, as the Armenian genocide is non-existent
according to our official history education. Therefore, we can use the
term `G-word’ for it, as it will require some more time to let go of
the policy of denial.
I have traveled to many countries in the world and wherever I go, I
have faced this part of our history, for which I don’t want to carry
the burden. I have not done anything bad to anyone in my life and I
have no relationship with the perpetrators of this crime.
Dink believed the term had a political meaning rather than a
historical one, and he was strongly critical of the Armenian
diaspora’s strategy of pressuring Western governments into officially
recognizing the label of genocide. He believed that the diaspora
Armenians should be able to live free of the weight of historical
memory. Indicating that a show of empathy would have nothing to do
with accepting or refusing the genocide, Dink called for dialogue,
saying, “Turkish-Armenian relations should be taken out of a
1915-meter-deep well.’
Besides this view, another culturocide, meaning `cultural genocide,’
is going on. In MuÃ…?, an Armenian church in the Kale neighborhood that
had been deemed public property since 1923 was sold to the Söylemez
family in 1958. The Söylemez family kept the property until 2012.
Since there was no community to care the building, its roof was
demolished. Only four walls are standing now. In 2012, a Cabinet
decision declared the Kale neighborhood as an area of urban
transformation, and expropriated the parcel on which the church was
located. The family applied to the court and decided to suspend full
demolishment until the final decision.
In my opinion, Armenians have to stop talking about the issue. We —
Turks, Kurds and all Anatolians — have to defend their rights.
Whatever an Armenian talks about this issue, it is taken as a `victim
defending their rights’ and it has a minimal effect. I believe it
would have a greater effect if the other side were to defend their
brothers’ and sisters’ rights.
On its eighth anniversary, I once again condemn the murder of Dink,
and call on security forces to shed light on this assassination. We
all know that it was not limited to a few 17-year-olds, especially
after seeing a photograph of the assassin flaked by smiling Turkish
police and a gendarmerie officer in front of the Turkish flag.
Charles Aznavour says in his brilliant song `Ils sont tombés’ (They
Fell), `In that summer of strife, of massacre and war, their only
crime was life, their only guilt was fear.”