Author: Kalantarian Kevo

1,700-YEAR-OLD CHURCH TO REOPEN IN TURKEY’S EASTERN CITY

World Bulletin, Turkey
Feb 4 2014

(File Photo)

1,700-year-old St. Bartholomew Monastery church was reopened to
worship last year after relocation of army base.

World Bulletin / News Desk

A church in the 1,700-year-old St. Bartholomew Monastery in Turkey’s
eastern city Van will be restored and opened to tourists.

The provincial culture and tourism directorate said that the
restoration project for the church was sent to the Ministry of Culture.

The church had been closed for years as it located within the compound
of an army base.

It reopened for religious services in 2013, when the base was
relocated.

“We are planning to restore the church and open it to tourists by the
end of this year,” said Muzaffer Aktug, Culture and Tourism Director
of the Van province.

“Aside from the restoration of St. Bartholomew’s, we also have many
other projects that include environmental planning and restoration
projects for several Urartu-era castles,” he said.

St. Bartholomew’s Church was built on the site of the martyrdom of
the Apostle Bartholomew, who is reputed to have brought Christianity
to Armenia in the first century.

The area around Van is noted for its numerous Armenian churches and
Iron Age Urartu ruins.

RUSSIA CONTROLS INFORMATION POLICY IN ARMENIA

Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
Country – Tuesday, 04 February 2014, 17:20

Some politicians and non-politicians are trying to ignore what is
going on with the information flow in Armenia, namely the dominance
of pro-Russian media and experts.

It is usually said that all these are derivative and there is no
need to deal with information resources but the country’s political
leadership in which case everything will be OK. Although principles
and honest people think so who are associated with the fight for the
independence of Armenia, this opinion is the result of concerns or
rather cowardice, if we call things by their names.

In addition, they contradict themselves. By claiming that the
political leadership of Armenia is in complete dependence on Russia
and is unable to deal with the information policy which has been
handed over to the Russian agents, they are still trying to fight
with the same government. This is the old and traditional nonsense
of the Yerevan-based incomplete and limited thinking that borders
with conscious betrayal.

The Russian-Israeli analytical service Regnum has requested the
Armenian government to liquidate the Armenian information resources
fighting against Russian colonialism, vassalization and expansion.

This is but Russian efforts to get down to the exercise of information
dictate over Armenia.

The Russians will not be limited to this because they understand that
even with control over 90% of the Armenian mass media they will not be
able to resist the mass media with limited capacity and staff who hold
a patriotic position. For example, the websites Lragir.am, 1st Channel
and some blogs cannot be digested and are an eyesore for the Russians.

At the same time, these information resources are what the Russian
policy on Armenia is based on. There is no one else to derive ideas
from for the iteration of the Russian political idiocy.

It should be noted that Armenia has never had and will never have
a pro-Russian bias. It is very well known how the Armenians treated
and continue to treat the Russians. If earlier the state budget was
a milestone, and there was a budget intelligentsia, now something
new (not brand new) has appeared – the Gazprom riffraff biased for
a collective character of Gazprom. The riffraff is standing in line
for money from this collective and concrete gazprom.

There is no way back. Armenia may lose the last crumbs of its
statehood. The Gazprom riffraff must not feel comfortable in our
country, land must burn under their feet.

– See more at:

ARMENIA DEPENDS ON ALIYEV’S STUPIDITY

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – Tuesday, 04 February 2014, 17:51

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are visiting the region again. Over the
past few months they have been obviously more active though it should
be noted that such activity was regularly observed before. For example,
one can remember 2006 when the phrase “window for opportunities”
was circulated.

In other words, activity itself does not imply that something crucial
is going to happen. However, if the previous activities did not result
in a breakthrough does not mean that in the next active stages we
are guaranteed from such dangers.

The ongoing activity overlapped with Armenia’s September 3 statement
on its intention to join the Customs Union. The Minsk Group co-chairs
tried to arrange a Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting. The American and French
co-chairs were especially active.

Apparently, after September 3 they tried to prevent Russia from using
Armenia’s political capitulation for a breakthrough in Artsakh. Hence,
the United States and France served Armenia’s interests.

Generally, Armenia’s interests regarding the settlement of the Artsakh
conflict was based on the controversy and balance between the Minsk
Group co-chairs. From time to time there were different tandems of
influence or rather France viewed the United States or Russia as its
chief partner at different stages of the Minsk Group.

The status quo was maintained through competition, clash of interests
and vibrant balance within this troika to achieve which thousands were
killed and thousands of people were injured and disabled in Armenia.

September 3 threatens this balance. Armenia with its decision to
join the Customs Union breaks this balance. Armenia proved absolutely
incapable of being a stable political partner for other geopolitical
poles, it is absolutely incapable of considering alternative security
strategies.

The issue is not that the so-called western block of the Minsk Group
is unable to keep the balance. The other side of balance is also
endangered. And here it is not the Minsk Group co-chairs but their
attitude to the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides.

And in this regard a situation has occurred when the Minsk Group
co-chairs have nothing to tell Armenia in regard to fight or
competition and they will fight for saying something or offering
something to Azerbaijan because Armenia belongs to Russia and it is
absolutely meaningless to say anything to it.

This means that the status quo will be maintained but after September
3 Azerbaijan will receive its political dividends unless Aliyev does
something equal to September 3.

– See more at:

ARMENIAN STATE INSTITUTIONS MADE DEDUCTIONS FROM WAGES WITHOUT INFORMING STAFF

02.04.2014 16:14 epress.am

A portion of the monthly salaries of employees of state institutions
(schools, universities, ministries, and medical institutions) were
withheld in January. Some employees of state institutions informed
Epress.am that when they attempted to find out what happened, they were
told that mandatory pension payments stipulated by law were withheld.

Recall, the Constitutional Court suspended application of the law
until it issues a final ruling in March, but RA Minister of Labor
and Social AffairsArtem Asatryan yesterday stated in parliament that
by the Court’s decision only employees are exempt from sanctions,
while the obligations of employers have not changed.

A majority of employees of state institutions were not informed of
the deductions and were not asked which of the two pension funds
they preferred their payments to go to. In one of the universities,
employees were informed through a special decree that the withheld
amount will be returned if the Constitutional Court on Mar. 28 decides
to repeal the law.

TURQUIE/AFFAIRE DINK : LE CHEF DE LA POLICE NE SERA PAS LIMOGE

Publie le : 04-02-2014

Info Collectif VAN – – > Le ministère a egalement
dit >

Mais la Cour a conteste la defense du ministère et a rappele qu’Akyurek
avait ete promu deux fois après le meurtre de Dink et a indique :

TRANSPORT COMPANIES MUST HONOR CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS – YEREVAN MAYOR

20:44 * 03.02.14

At a working meeting on Monday, Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan was
informed that, despite the deadline for transport companies’ bids for
participating in a contest for passenger transportation in Yerevan,
none of the companies has so far applied.

The deadline is February 6, with the contest scheduled for February 14.

Mayor Margaryan ordered further awareness-raising measures to be taken.

“The route of each bus and minibus should be thoroughly examined.

Economic entities’ arguments cannot be accepted. They must honor
their contractual commitments. Our priority is serving the population
at a proper level. We’ll demand that the economic entity honor their
commitments and inform them that the Yerevan Municipality will revise
contacts if they fail,” Mayor Margaryan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

AZERBAIJAN SAYS DOZENS DEAD AS ICG WARNS OVER KARABAKH TENSIONS

Bloomberg / Business Weekly
Feb 3 2014

By Zulfugar Agayev Feb 3, 2014 9:06 PM GMT+0200

Azerbaijan said its troops killed dozens of Armenians in clashes near
the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the past two weeks as the
International Crisis Group warned of an “unprecedented” escalation
of tensions.

“Armenian losses ran into dozens,” Vaqif Dargahli, a spokesman for the
Ministry of Defense, said by phone today from Baku, the capital. Two
Azeris were also killed, he said.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Ministry denied the claim, saying two
Armenians and eight Azeris were killed.

The Brussels-based International Crisis Group said “the nature of
reported clashes and ominous statements by some officials mark an
escalation unprecedented in recent years.”

Armenians took over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave about the
size of Rhode Island, and seven adjacent districts from Azerbaijan
in a war after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. More than 30,000
people were killed and a million displaced before Russia brokered a
cease-fire in 1994.

Azerbaijan, which in December signed $45 billion of contracts with
a BP Plc-led group to pipe natural gas to Europe, has repeatedly
threatened to use force to regain control of the territory should
peace efforts fail.

A further escalation will adversely affect peace talks, the Russian
Foreign Ministry said last week, calling for restraint.

EBRD LAUNCHES INAUGURAL BOND ISSUE IN ARMENIAN DRAM

Cbonds. Info
Feb 3 2014

03.02.2014 – Cbonds

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has issued
its first-ever bond in Armenian Dram (AMD), helping to drive forward
the development of the local capital market and providing funds for
the EBRD’s own lending to the Armenian economy in local currency.

The one-year bonds for a total of AMD 2 billion (approximately USD
$5 million) were placed via an auction on the NASDAQ OMX Armenia
exchange in Yerevan on 31 January.

This was the first publicly-auctioned issue by either a foreign
borrower or an international financial institution on NASDAQ OMX and it
was also the first floating rate note to be issued on the local market.

“This is a very significant step for the Armenian capital market and
opens the way for further capital raising in Armenia by those seeking
to on-lend AMD to the real economy, thereby ensuring a better fit for
borrowers who want to avoid foreign currency risk ,” said Mark Davis,
Head of the EBRD Yerevan Office.

“As a floating rate note, it also provides a useful liquidity
management tool for banks, which the application to the Central Bank
of Armenia for repo-eligibility should further enhance.”

This issue is the latest milestone in the EBRD’s Local Currency and
Capital Markets Development Initiative that was launched in May 2010
in the wake of the global economic crisis to tackle the problems of
excessive reliance on foreign capital and foreign exchange borrowing
in emerging economies.

The crisis had highlighted the problems facing borrowers who were
unable to pay back their foreign currency loans in the face of a
sharp depreciation of their own currencies.

The EBRD’s response has aimed to encourage borrowing in the local
currency and also to develop or strengthen local capital markets and
so increase the supply of locally-sourced finance.

The EBRD made its first local currency loan, in Hungarian Forint,
in 1994.

Its first loan in Dram was signed in March 2010 and it has since
extended a further 22 loans for an overall total of AMD 67.86 billion
(USD 170 million approximately), including most recently a financing
package worth the equivalent of US$ 12.5 million to provide credits to
micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and also to support energy
efficiency lending.

The EBRD’s issuance in Dram supports the Armenian authorities’
programme of reforms aimed at reducing dollarisation in the economy
and stimulating locally-generated savings.

The semi-annual coupon rate on the EBRD’s inaugural Dram bond issue was
linked to the 6-month AMD T-Bill rate, which is used by the interbank
market for reference pricing, and which is also used by the Central
Bank of Armenia for repo transactions.

Ameriabank CJSC and HSBC Bank Armenia CJSC acted as advisers and
agents to the issuer.

CONSCRIPTION SHOULDN’T BE WAY FOR SOME PEOPLE TO EARN MONEY: DEFENSE MINISTRY ADVISER

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

09:35, 3 February, 2014

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, ARMENPRESS: The organization of the military
conscription in Armenia by draw was quite an important change,
which proved that conscription should not be a way for some people to
make money. This mechanism of conscription brought to the situation,
where the corruption and patronage do not have their place now. The
Adviser to the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Gegham
Harutyunyan told Armenpress about it. “I think that during the
recent years the level of the public trust towards the conscription
process has considerably increased. Consistently policies are being
implemented to strengthen the principles of fairness and legality of
the conscription. The implementation of the draw was another step in
that direction. It came to inspire more trust that the corruption
and patronage must not happen and are omitted from the process of
conscription”, – said Harutyunyan.

According to him, the draw process is a transparent method, as it
is attended by the parents of the soldiers, who take the papers
from the corresponding boxes, on which the number of the military
unit is written. Then those numbers are shown to everybody present
and are registered in the draw paper, after which the soldier
puts his signature under it. The number of the military unit is
immediately imported to the computer – in front of the name of the
soldier. “That means that it is absolutely impossible to falsify
the results of the draw and the risk is brought to the minimum. I
consider this initiative of the Minister quite important and besides
the fact that this mechanism, being a transparent one, provides
for the objectivity of the process, it should be mentioned that the
generals, who are entrusted with the implementation of the process,
are ambitious people and carry out their responsibilities quite well,
considering that the conscription process should not be a way for
some people to make money. I would like to apply to the parents of our
soldiers and the society that this significant national event should
be implemented based on the fair principles only and the pressure by
the society should be gradually reduced”, – said the Adviser to
the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Gegham Harutyunyan.

or-some-people-to-earn-money-defense-ministry-adviser.html

MILITARY EXPERT CALLED “ANTI-NATIONAL” FOR SAYING MURDERS IN ARMENIAN ARMY ARE HIDDEN

02.03.2014 12:18 epress.am

A meeting between journalists and military expert Ruben Martirosyan
(pictured) on Saturday quickly turned into a war of words, resulting
in some of the journalists opting to boycott the press conference.

Some members of the media claimed the press conference was
“anti-national”; in other words, against the nation’s interests.

At the press conference, Martirosyan said he doesn’t trust the
statements issued by Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, except for those
which announce the start of the (annual) military draft. Martirosyan
said that many incidents of murder in Armenia’s army are covered
up and presented as suicides. Journalists became enraged when the
military expert said that in some of these cases the Ministry of
Defense claims the soldier was killed by Azeris.

Martirosyan recalled the cases of Albert Adibekyan, Zorik Margaryan,
Arman Gharakhanyan, and Khachatur Melikyan: immediately after the
deaths of these soldiers, the defense ministry issued a statement
saying they were a result of Azerbaijani “sabotage attacks,” but it
was later discovered that some of the deaths occurred without enemy
intervention; indictments were drawn up and people were arrested
(according to Martirosyan, innocent soldiers). In one incident,
the case was quashed.

Some of the journalists present began to wonder whether Martirosyan
was doubting the more recent shooting incident on the frontline, which
resulted in the death of Armen Hovhannisyan, and whether Martirosyan
could say so “looking into the eyes of Hovhannisyan’s parents.”

“Yes, we know what happens, but you can’t make such anti-national
statements,” said one journalist who left the meeting.

Attorney Mushegh Shushanyan, also a guest at the press conference,
intervened: “This is not about denying the incursion but that in
some cases there is information being circulated about incursions,
based on which claims are put forward, and later it becomes proven
that those claims were false, but they are not denied.”