Author: Kalantarian Kevo

UN SOLDAT ARMENIEN TUE CE MATIN SUR LA LIGNE DE CONTACT AU HAUT KARABAGH

HAUT KARABAGH

Ce matin a 9h15 sur la ligne de contact au sud de la Republique du
Haut Karabagh un soldat armenien fut tue par un tir ennemi. La victime
est le soldat Mher Hagopian (24 ans). Le ministère de la Defense de
la Republique du Haut Karabagh qui a presente ses condoleances a la
famille du soldat, mène une enquete pour determiner les circonstances
dans lesquelles le militaire armenien fut mortellement blesse.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 18 septembre 2014, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN TO MARK GENOCIDE CENTENARY

10:21 18.09.2014

On the occasion of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will host a two-day conference
from March 19-20, 2015, entitled “Crossing the Centennial: The
Historiography of the Armenian Genocide Re-Evaluated,” the Armenian
Weekly reports.

Organized by Prof. Bedross Der Matossian from the Department of History
at UNL, the conference is co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Judaic
Studies, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
(NAASR) in Belmont, Mass., and the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS)
in cooperation with the Department of History, the Human Rights and
Humanitarian Affairs Program, and the Institute of Ethnic Studies
at UNL.

The conference will focus on four under-researched themes that
have recently gained scholarly attention and analytical depth:
humanitarianism and humanitarian intervention in the Armenian Genocide;
women and children in the Armenian Genocide; comparative dimensions
of the Armenian Genocide; and the impact of the Armenian Genocide.

Twenty-two scholars from Armenia, Cambodia, Canada, Holland, Hungary,
Israel, and the United States representing 17 different academic
institutions will participate in the conference.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: ECHR JUDGE’S EURO 13,000 SALARY NOT OF INTEREST TO ARMENIAN CANDIDATES?

08:55 * 18.09.14

No candidates from Armenia have applied to the Ministry of Justice to
participate in the recently announced contest for a judge representing
the country at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Alvina Gulumyan, the incumbent judge who receives a monthly salary of
EURO 13,000, will soon return as a member of the Constitutional Court
(with a salary of 850,000 Armenians Drams or approx. EURO 1,600),
says the paper, adding that the seeming indifference is only deceptive.

The paper claims that candidates will be registered in the coming
couple of days, expressing hope that the selected candidate will be
really the one who deserves the assigned salary.

Armenian News – Tert.am

UN HUMAN RIGHTS BODY STOPS AZERBAIJAN VISIT CITING OFFICIAL OBSTRUCTION

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

The flag of the United Nations

BAKU–The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT)
has decided to suspend its visit to Azerbaijan due to obstructions it
encountered in carrying out its mandate under the Optional Protocol to
the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), to which Azerbaijan is a party.

The delegation was prevented from visiting several places where people
are detained and was barred from completing its work at other sites,
despite repeated attempts to do so and assurances of unrestricted
access to all places of deprivation of liberty by Azerbaijani
authorities.

As a result of these serious breaches of Azerbaijan’s obligations under
the Optional Protocol, the delegation concluded that the integrity of
its visit, scheduled to run from Sept. 8 to 17, had been compromised
to such an extent that it had to be suspended.

The delegation members halted their work on Sept. 14, but some
members remained in Azerbaijan to seek further engagement with the
Azerbaijani authorities on the basis of the information currently at
their disposal. The head of the delegation, Aisha Shujune Muhammad,
met the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs on Sept. 16.

The SPT expects Azerbaijan to abide by its international obligations
under the Optional Protocol and enter into a constructive dialogue
with the SPT with the view to preventing torture and ill-treatment.

The SPT has a mandate under the OPCAT to conduct on-site visits and
make recommendations to the authorities of State Parties to establish
effective safeguards against the risk of torture and ill-treatment
in places of deprivation of liberty.

The SPT Delegation to the Republic of Azerbaijan comprises the
following members: Ms. Aisha Shujune Muhammad (Head of Delegation),
Mr. Milos Jankovic, Ms. Margarete Suzuko Osterfeld, Mr. Miguel
Sarre-Iguiniz, and Mr. Victor Zaharia (Focal Point for Reprisals).

ARMENIA’S ECONOMY TO BE AFFECTED BY RUSSIA SLOWDOWN: MOODY’S

September 17, 2014 – 13:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia’s (Ba2 stable) economy will continue to be
adversely affected by an economic slowdown in Russia (Baa1 negative)
due to the economic linkages between the two countries, says Moody’s
Investors Service in a report published Tuesday, Sept 16.

Following a stronger than expected decline in net exports and
slowing remittances in H1 2014, Moody’s has revised Armenia’s growth
forecast down to 2.1% in 2014 and 2.3% in 2015 from 3.2% and 3.6%,
respectively. The revised figures are based on Moody’s forecast for
the Russian economy to contract by 1.0% in 2014, followed by stagnation
in 2015.

“Declining net exports and slowing remittances in the first half of
2014 underscore Armenia’s significant trade and financial exposure
to Russia, with further spillover risks stemming from the U.S.’ and
the EU’s tighter sanctions regime against Russia,” says Moody’s
Investors Service. “Nevertheless, the government’s commitment to
fiscal prudence and macroeconomic stability, support Armenia’s Ba2
rating with a stable outlook,” continues the rating agency.

Moody’s notes that Armenia’s material exposures to Russia are via both
direct and indirect channels. Russia accounts for nearly a quarter of
Armenia’s total imports and exports as well as an average of almost
45% of FDI in 2008-2012, while remittances from Russia represent
90% of the total received. A sharp slowdown in remittances, which
contribute 15% of Armenia’s GDP, in addition to lower FDI inflows,
could lead to negative rating pressure if combined with sustained
deterioration in fiscal and external buffers.

However, Armenia’s Ba2 rating with a stable outlook is supported by
the government’s commitment to fiscal prudence and macroeconomic
stability, which mitigate risks stemming from its significant
exposure to external shocks and reduce its vulnerability to changes
in global energy, food and commodities prices. The stable outlook
also reflects the country’s ongoing, albeit gradually diminishing,
access to concessional borrowing under favorable terms.

The country’s new Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreement with the
IMF aims to further strengthen revenue-generating capacity and bring
the debt ratio to a declining path starting 2017. Additionally,
Armenia intends to continue benchmarking against EU standards in
order to establish the country’s role as a gateway between the Western
Hemisphere and the Eurasian region.

Moody’s could consider assigning a positive outlook and eventually
upgrading Armenia’s rating if structural reforms, which the government
is in the process of implementing, propel the economy toward more
balanced economic growth and a significant reduction in the current
account deficit.

RIGHTEOUS TURKS: WHO ARE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT?

13:38 17.09.2014

Within the last five years numerous talks could be heard about the
Turks who rescued the Armenians during the years of genocide. The
expression “the Turks who rescued the Armenians” sounds a bit
strange, if not wrathful to an Armenian hearing. But is it true? An
affirmative answer is recorded – yes, it is true. There are myriad
examples and stories from handwritten and published memoires of the
genocide survivors, as well as from oral stories stating about the
mercifulness of ordinary Muslims – Turks, Kurds, Arabs and others,
who helped Armenian individuals and whole families to survive, even
if temporarily.

Yet, at least two challenges should be considered, referring to this
topic. The first one is the classification of such cases. In general,
human behavior reacts differently to wars, mass atrocities and natural
disasters. Speaking about the Armenian genocide, the first and the most
important statement is that the crime constituted a state organized
and orchestrated genocide. Moreover, in case of the genocide against
the Armenians there was an overwhelming consensus among the majority
of the Turkish population of the Ottoman Empire. The latter regarded
the state-initiated crime as beneficial for the state and for the
security of the Ottoman Empire. It was also regarded as a great chance
from the Heaven to make a profit while looting and expropriating
Armenian property, as well as the chance for the most fanatical part
of the Ottoman Muslims to kill the “infidels” and get permission for
entering Paradise. Mass participation in the crimes against the Ottoman
Christians, including also Turkish and Kurdish women and children,
was also associated with the war time propaganda activities of the
‘Committee of Union and Progress’ government, especially with regard
to the announcement of Jihad by late November 1914 shortly after
the empire went into the war. This became a fatal point for the
mobilization of the Ottoman Muslims to back the state planned crime
of the genocide against the Armenians and other Christians.

In this regard the question of the mass participation of Turkish
population in the crimes against the Armenians is vividly presented
in a telegram sent to Paris Peace conference by Admiral Richard Webb,
High Commissionaire in Istanbul:

“To punish all persons guilty of Armenian atrocities would necessitate
wholesale execution of the Turks, and I therefore suggest retribution
both on a national scale by dismembering the late Turkish empire, as
well as individually by the trial of high officials, such as those
on my list, whose fate will serve as an example.”(A telegram sent
to Paris Peace conference by High Commissionaire in Istanbul Admiral
Richard Webb at April 13, 1919.)

This means that at the end of the war Allies had already realized
the impossibility of full punishment of the Ottoman Turks who were
involved in the crimes en mass.

The second challenge is the growing interest towards the topic of
Righteous Turks and the need of the classification of rescue cases.

Today we observe two hot topics being widely circulated in Turkey
and beyond its borders at the threshold of the Armenian genocide
centennial. One is about the “Turks who saved Armenians” and the
second is about so called “hidden Armenians” still living in Turkey.

Plenty of findings are available for research and data collection, as
well as several international conferences also dedicated to this topic.

My sincere apologies if I destroy someone’s rosy and well calculated
plans and prospects, but I have to state that in overstressing on
the rescuing stories the existence of which I admit, it is easy to
understand, that we deal with a clear-cut strategy of shifting the
main narrative of the Armenian genocide with a quite secondary one.

Although it is not an attempt for banalization or denial of the
genocide, however, it is aimed at making such events as the dominant
paradigm in overall representation of the genocide committed.

It will be ludicrous to say that there has been an Armenian
Genocide, but as a result of these “tragic events” some Turks rescued
Armenians. Any attempt to shift the main narrative of the genocide and
any financial injection to support such attempts will be fruitless
and will work against the real reconciliation of both sides. Such
reconciliation is possible only after the acknowledgment of the
crime committed and the acceptance of the necessity to deal with
its consequences.

Another issue is why such stories must be important to the Armenian
part too. Firstly, all the cases of the Armenian lives’ rescue by the
Turks during the genocide must be mentioned, even if those stories
are few in number and scope over the general picture of the genocide,
they MUST be presented, since the cover up or escape from mentioning
such cases will be simply regarded as a denial. In other words, the
stories of the rescue of the Armenians by the Turks are an unalienable
part of the general story of the Armenian genocide. Secondly, those
stories are important, since they additionally come to back the
statement that the very state organized and orchestrated nature of
the crime committed by Ottoman state. Those Muslims who saved the
Armenians opposed to the Turkish state policy and risked their and
their family members’ lives while hiding the Armenians. It is well
known that the Ottoman military issued a strict order stating that
if any Muslim would hide an Armenian in his house he would be hanged
in front of his house and the whole house would be burnt.

This is an essential point in this topic since we have to clarify that
the whole discourse of the rescue stories touched upon the questions
who, in which circumstances and from whom saved Armenian victims.

Clearly enough such questions appear in the second place. Additional
note: cases of those who saved Armenian lives simply to exploit them
or expropriate their property ARE NOT among the cases of rescue.

Similar to that is when a Turk, a Kurd or whoever saved whole family
members’ lives just to get married to a beautiful Armenian female.

These were often just physical rescue cases, and many times rescued
Armenians, among them children, were forced to convert to Islam,
were made Turkish in their new families and as a result lost their
identity. These constitute the genocidal act according to the Genocide
Convention. Let’s return to the main definition: the real rescue story
is that when a Turkish individual or a whole family while opposing
to the state order to destroy Armenians and while risking their lives
hid or saved Armenians from deportations or helped them to escape from
an inevitable death with no economic or personal benefit. Sorry, but
the rest of the stories are a part of overall violence and shameful
genocidal acts…

By Hayk Demoyan Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute

THREE ARMENIAN SCIENTISTS HONORED WITH VICTOR HAMBARDZUMYAN AWARD

12:45 * 17.09.14

The annual award honoring Victor Hambardzumyan (1908-1996), the
legendary Soviet Armenian astrophysicist and scholar, was this year
bestowed on three Armenian scientists.

The first awardee is Felix Aharonyan (Germany and Ireland), who was
nominated by Italy’s Lynch National Academy for his considerable
contribution in the sphere of high energy astrophysics space
speedometer research. The second prize was shared between Igor
Karachentsev (Russia) and Blet Tali (US). The latter was nominated
for his fundamental investments in local space research.

At a news conference that followed the event, Aharonyan was asked to
comment on the differences between scholar;y activities in Armenia and
Italy. “Today we have more opportunities than before. In the Soviet
times, articles could not be printed without permission. And there
was a shortage of paper. But today, it doesn’t absolutely matter where
you are. The problem is that there are few young scientists in Armenia.

But we see a kind of movement striking its roots. People here
simply have to think about things other than science, but if they
overcome social difficulties, we will have no problems in scientific
activities,” he replied.

Speaking further, Karachentsev praised the great astrophysicist who he
said was his scientific supervisor. “I have defended my post-graduate
thesis in Armenia, and I am happy that I was Victor Hambardzumyan’s
student. When in 1975, we knew that a big observatory was being built
in the South Caucasus, I moved there. And I have been working there
for 40 years now,” he said.

The third prize winner, Talin, said it was a big honor for him to be
awarded with the prize honoring the world-acclaimed scientist.

“We will continue the cooperating with Armenia, as cooperation is
the only way that helps contribute to the world’s key scientific
achievements,” he noted.

The prize, which totals 500,000 US Dollars, was shared among the
awardees.

All the three promised to invest the money in the development of
science in Armenia, particularly encouraging the scholars to visit
the observatories where they conduct research. Aharonyan said that
they would allocate 50,000 Dollars to the National Academy of Science.

ARA PAPYAN CALLS FOR ANNULLING PROTOCOLS WITH TURKEY

13:11 17/09/2014 >> POLITICS

The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is the best occasion
for voicing political issues, head of Modus Vivendi Center Ara Papyan
told reporters on Wednesday.

Papyan called on the Armenian President to annul the Armenian-Turkish
protocols.

“Armenia must announce that the present-day Armenia is the successor
of the Republic of Armenia, not the Socialist Republic of Armenia,
which will become a basis for disoccupying the Armenian territories,”
he said.

Mr Papyan said that Armenia must announce at the highest level
that Turkey violated the rights of Armenia and occupied most of its
territories. Turkey’s apology is not enough since a big crime was
committed and the aggrieved party, Armenia and the Armenian people,
must get an appropriate compensation, he concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

IMPACT OF NEW SANCTIONS ON ARMENIA’S BANKING SYSTEM WILL BE EXPRESSED IN DIFFERENT WAYS – SAYS ECONOMIST (VIDEO)

11:12 | September 17,2014 | Economy

What consequences can the new array sanctions imposed by the US and
EU on Russia [over Ukraine crisis] have on Armenia?

Armenia’s economy, specifically the country’s banking system, is
heavily dependent on Russia. Economist bagrat Asatryan says the
impact of the new sanctions on our banking system will be expressed
in different ways. The implementation of projects financed by Russia
will be reduced significantly, in the result, the opportunities to
invest in Armenia will be curtailed too.

Russia’s worsening economic situation will also affect the flow
of direct investments and transfers. The economist says Armenian
authorities should start taking preventive measures, like Russia.

“Russia is making huge investments in its banking system, which
suggests that these structures need protection and the state is
trying to do it. No one seems to care about it in Armenia yet,”
says the economist.

Mr Asatryan thinks the sanctions against Russia can have serious
and heavy consequences for SWIFT global payment system. He says the
only solution in this case is to take a political decision. “Armenia
is joining the Customs Union. Everyone knows it. But one day these
sanctions may be applied against the CU member states as well. We
shall not encounter any problem, if the sanctions are not implied
against Armenia. However, if they are applied against Armenia-based
Russian banks, the consequences will not be so heavy as we have local
banks with English and French capital. ”

Bagrat Asatryan thinks that Armenia will benefit only in case
it maintains political neutrality and does not make pro-Russian
announcements every now and then.

LES LEGISLATEURS ARMENIENS VEULENT AIDER LES YEZIDIS IRAKIENS

ARMENIE

Le vice-president du Parlement armenien Edward Sharmazanov a appele
ses collègues deputes a contribuer a aider les Yezidis irakiens suite
a un appel par les membres de la communaute yezide d’Armenie.