Author: Kalantarian Kevo

** Address: 30 Saryan str.
Tel. +37460 505 898
+37499 755 898
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

On January 29, 11 AM the Media Center will host a press
conference-presentation of a new multiplatform media product series
accessed from web browsers and tablets.

The first e-book, Book 1 is the first comprehensive electronic
resource on The Armenian Highland.

The speaker is Yervant Zorian, Founder and president of the Armenian
Virtual College, member of the AGBU Central Board of Directors.

Dr. Yervant Zorian will speak about the current technological
possibilities provided by the internet in the education sphere and
about the Armenian reality in this regard. He will also present the
new initiative of the AGBU Armenian Virtual College – multimedia
e-Book series. The Series presents a wide variety of themes about
Armenia: history, culture, tourism, and covers contemporary topics in
economy, politics, popular culture, and more. This reader-friendly
series is presented in a language and style that serve the interests
of a general audience. The AVC multimedia e-Book series is easy to
access and easy to use.

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About the Public Journalism Club
The Public Journalism Club is an Armenian NGO and the representative
of the Hacks/Hackers organization functioning in the US.

Our mission is to promote the freedom of speech, support diversity and
diversity of views in Armenia by developing bridges between
participatory and public journalists, civil and professional media
journalists, news agencies, information technology social network
specialists and experts of informational and social disciplines in
general.

Our platforms are aimed to change the common trend of information
consumption and give everyone a possibility to be an active
contributor.

About the Media Center The Media Center is a new platform, the purpose
of which is to bridge civil society and media in Armenia, particularly
during the election season.

Our main mission is to create efficient channels of communication
between non-governmental organizations, leading media organizations
and the advocacy groups that monitor elections and uncover violations.

The `Media Center’ is coordinated by Public Journalism Club and is
supported by the Open Society Foundations – Armenia and the Embassy of
Great Britain.

All the Media Center events broadcasts are available live at MC .
Copyright © 2013 Media Center, All rights reserved.

ANI, THE GHOST CITY OF A THOUSAND AND ONE CHURCHES IN TURKEY

India TV
Jan 28 2014

India TV world desk [ Updated 27 Jan 2014, 18:49:41 ]

New Delhi: Ani is a ruined medieval Armenian city-site situated in
the Turkish province of Kars, near the border with Armenia.

The city is located on a triangular site, visually dramatic and
naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine
of the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or
Tzaghkotzadzor valley.

The Akhurian is a branch of the Araks River and forms part of the
current border between Turkey and Armenia.

Called the “City of 1001 Churches,” Ani stood on various trade routes
and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were
amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in
the world.

It is a ghost city today but once its Armenian inhabitants numbered
close to 200 thousand.

In its heyday it was a metropolis which rivalled Constantinople,
Cairo or Baghdad as a center of culture and enterprise.

Although it was never on traditional trade routes its sheer size and
power commanded visits by merchants from all directions.

The city is the victim of a colossal and centuries old struggle for
power between various factions in the region.

Founded in the fourth or fifth century AD the following millennium
saw Armenians, Kurds, Georgians, Mongols and Turks struggle for and
ascend to power in the city-state.

Watch the photos and captions at

ON THE AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES’ POLICY OF DISTORTING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ANTI-ARMENIAN POGROMS AND SUBSEQUENT DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN BAKU IN JANUARY 1990

The January 2014 marks the 24th anniversary of the massacres of
Armenians in Baku. These tragic events were organized by the
Azerbaijani Popular Front with the criminal connivance of the
Azerbaijan SSR and USSR leadership. In the capital city of Azerbaijan
hundreds of Armenians were killed by extremely brutal methods. They
were doused with petrol and to the applause of the fanatic mob
publicly burnt alive in the streets of Baku, defenseless children,
women and elderly people were thrown from the upper floors of houses
with the seizure of their apartments and property etc. The Armenian
community of Baku, by 1988 numbering around 300 thousand people and
playing a prominent role in Azerbaijan’s economic and cultural life,
ceased to exist, its surviving members lost everything and became
refugees. Apart from Armenians, there were Russians, Ukrainians,
Jews, as well as Azerbaijanis having dared to save some Armenians
who suffered from the Azerbaijani brutalized thugs.

These egregious crimes against humanity were never condemned.

Moreover, the Azerbaijan SSR leadership, entering into criminal
conspiracy with the central authorities, refused to investigate them.

Baku declined to publish the archival materials on the January events,
and subsequently – under Aliyev father and son – did not venture,
at least formally, to call for responsibility and institute court
proceedings against whoever it may be.

Official Baku continues its targeted policy of falsifying the
history and tries, playing up to anti-Russian sentiments, to depict
the above-mentioned events as an end-in-itself attempt by the Union
center “to drown in the blood the national liberation movement of
the Azerbaijani nation for its secession from the USSR”. Meanwhile,
the results of the USSR-wide referendum of 17 March, 1991, when
more than 70 % of all the Azerbaijan SSR population voted in favor
of maintaining the Soviet Union, are indicative of the contradiction
of this postulate to historical facts and elementary logic.

The “Plan of activities on commemorating the 24th anniversary of the
January 20 tragedy”, recently approved by the Head of Administration
of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a symptomatic
manifestation of the Azerbaijani authorities’ falsification
policy. It is based on the attempt by the direct successor of the
criminal state to exploit the traditions and rites of commemorating
victims of genocides so as to hide the horrific truth about the mass
atrocities by the thugs from the Azerbaijani Popular Front towards
the peaceful Armenian population of Baku in January 1990. Thereby,
the victims are cynically put on a par with their torturers, many
of whom at present are among the key actors in the political life of
the Republic of Azerbaijan.

This approach organically stems from Azerbaijan’s unconstructive
policy, a vivid example of which is the statement by Ilham Aliyev
at a Government Session of Azerbaijan on January 9, 2014 on the use
of Azerbaijan’s military machine for the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict, in case Armenia refuses to make unilateral concessions
imposed by Baku. At the same time, the arms race initiated by Baku
authorities forces the Armenian sides to take measures to maintain
the guaranteed balance of power. Meanwhile, the only reasonable way
to resolve the Karabakh conflict is the creation of an atmosphere
of mutual trust among the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan, based – as is the case
with the proposal for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – on the
mutual recognition of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic established as a result of the 1991 law-governed referendum
in accordance with Perestroika Law “On Procedures for Regulation
of Issues Related to Separation of Soviet Republics from the USSR”
– before the Alma-Ata Declaration on the official dissolution of
the USSR, and the return of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to the
negotiation table as a full party.

Paying tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of the January
pogroms and massacres, the Political Science Association of Armenia
condemns the sacrilegious policy by the Azerbaijani leadership of
distorting the truth about the January massacres of Armenians in
1990, as well as the subsequent deployment of troops, and urges the
international community not to succumb to the propaganda fabrications
and manipulations by the Azerbaijani authorities. The Political Science
Association of Armenia draws the attention of the UN, the Council of
Europe, the European Union, the OSCE, Heads of the member states of
these international organizations and, first and foremost, the OCSE
Minsk Group co-Chairs to preventing the malicious perversions by the
Azerbaijani authorities of the historical truth with profanation of
the memory of the true victims of the January 1990 bloody events in
Baku. We also appeal to all the honest sons and daughters of the
Azerbaijani nation to face their own history, thus paving the way
for the democratic development of Azerbaijan and the establishment
of lasting peace between the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples on the
basis of principles of international law and universal human values.

HOLLANDE TO ADDRESS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TURKEY

12:11 ~U 27.01.14

The Armenian Genocide issue is on the agenda of French President
Francois Hollande’s trip to Turkey.

The scheduled negotiations devoted to the Syria crisis will focus,
among other things, the Genocide problem and Turkey’s EU integration
chances, the Turkush language website Gercekgundem.com reported

Before being elected the president of France, Holland pledged support
to a bill on denying the criminalization of genocide (proposed earlier
by Valerie Boyer, a lawmaker of the Union for Popular Movement party)
which was declared unconstitutional in 2012.

Hollande’s trip to Turkey is the first visit by a French leader in
the past 22 years.

Armenian News – Tert.am

CHINARI VILLAGE MAYOR. “OUR PEOPLE PUT THE TURKS IN THEIR PLACES”, AZERBAIJANI TROOPS ALSO OPENED FIRE AT BAGHANIS-VOSKEPAR ROAD

January 27 2014

On January 23, early in the morning of January 24, Azerbaijani troops
opened different types of artillery gunfire at Berd region bordering
Aygepar, Chinari, and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, and Movses villages.

16-year-old Liana Anikyan was injured by Azerbaijani bombardments. She
was operated on. We learned from Aygepar village administration that
the bullet hit the soft tissues of the girl’s leg, and her health
state is currently satisfactory. A village resident, Yuri Sahakyan’s
haystacks of 2.5 tones were burned from Aygepar bombardments.

Moreover, the Azeri troops opened fire 2 times over the haystack.

During the first time, the firefighters risking their lives
extinguished the fire, but some time later Azeri again burned it
opening an artillery fire. Ararat Avalyan, mayor of village Movses,
informed that the Azerbaijani firing continued from 22:00 p.m. until
04:00 a.m. The roofs of some houses suffered. The village mayor said
that Movses residents were not depressed by the shootings. Manvel
Kamendatyan, mayor of village Nerkin Karmiraghbyur stated that
the Azerbaijani troops opened fire in the direction of the village
throughout the night, the bullets hit the walls and roofs of houses.

Samvel Saghoyan, mayor of Chinari village, told us that the Armenian
frontiers had given a strong counterattack silencing the Azerbaijani
firing points. “We put the Turks in their places, broke their firing
points,” said S. Saghoyan. On January 23, at 22:00, the Azerbaijani
troops opened artillery fire in the direction of Baghanis-Voskepar
road, Noyemberyan region, Tavush Marz. Due to the firing, the cars
had to bypass this section of interstate road for some time, driving
by the road of Harsnakar.

Voskan SARGSYAN

Read more at:

WHAT PUTIN OFFERS TO ARMENIA

The Russian president Putin has announced that 214 billion rubles spent
on Sochi Winter Games is not his personal ambitions but an intention
to boost up morale in the Russian people. He announced that people
have been pessimistic since Perestroika and the Caucasian wars and
the Olympics will help cheer them up.

Decades have passed since Perestroika and the Caucasian wars, and
Putin has been the head of Russia over that period, both directly
or indirectly. And pessimism was caused during the years of his
government, not Perestroika or wars. In fact, Putin confesses that.

However, all remedy he offers is circus, not real solutions. In
addition, he follows the rules of the times of the Cold War.

Russians are pessimistic despite Putin’s efforts to increase Russia’s
international reputation and to build the Eurasian empire. Perhaps
because Putin does not offer anything new for building the empire,
using the method “circus instead of bread”.

All the empires were based on innovations offered by the metropolis.

Rome, for example, offered civil law and a new structure of army.

Byzantium offered freedom of religion and creativity, Great Britain
offered technical advancement and globalization of capital. Even in
this way did the metropolises find it hard to enslave local peoples,
and they had to use force but innovations allowed concentrating
passive energy and moving forward.

Putin does not offer anything new to its own people and those with
whom he is trying to form the Eurasian empire. So far the “common
enemy” and “victory is important of all” were offered as a uniting
idea. These ideas, however, cannot bolster the Russians.

The Russians were upset on the day when Medvedev announced that they
had agreed with Putin on their rotation beforehand. It was the last
nail planted in the coffin of the Russian “sovereign democracy”. And
the Russians will not get over their pessimism unless Putin returns
the “right to rotation” to people.

Attempts at introduction of “positive expectations” are made in
Armenia as well. Serzh Sargsyan and Tigran Sargsyan speak about it
who criticize people for “pessimism”. However, there are “positive
expectations” and they were expressed during the previous elections
when one third of the population of the country voted for the
opposition candidate with hope and expectations. There were “positive
expectations” when Serzh Sargsyan announced at the CSTO summit that
Russia must not supply arms to Azerbaijan. There were such expectations
when the government suspended some arrangements under civil pressure.

However, the government with its decisions is killing those
expectations, like Putin kills the optimism of Russian people with
his ambitions.

Naira Hayrumyan,Political Commentator 14:25 27/01/2014 Story from
Lragir.am News:

LA RUSSIE MODIFIE LA LOI SUR LE SEJOUR DES RESSORTISSANTS DES PAYS BENEFICIANT D’EXEMPTION DE VISA

ARMENIE

Les citoyens armeniens seront en mesure de rester en Russie sans visa
que 90 jours tous les 180 jours, selon de nouvelles modifications
dans les lois sur les migrations en Russie.

Le Service des migrations d’Armenie (SMSA) a avertit que dans les
amendements entres en vigueur le 1er Janvier, 2014 les citoyens
de pays avec lesquels la Russie a un regime d’exemption de visa, y
compris l’Armenie, ne seront plus en mesure de franchir la frontière
de la Russie qu’une fois pour trois mois et qu’ensuite ils devront
revenir en Armenie.

” On devra considerer que les personnes violant l’ordonnance
susmentionnee seront interdites d’entrer en Russie pour une periode
de trois ans ” a averti le SMSA.

Le nouveau règlement est susceptible d’affecter de nombreux citoyens
de l’Armenie qui restent et travaillent en Russie et qui renouvellent
leur statut de resident legal tous les 90 jours.

lundi 27 janvier 2014, Stephane ©armenews.com

INDIGNATION DU COLLECTIF MEMOIRE ET AVENIR ET D'” ARMENIA ” SUITE À LA DECISION DU CIDH

COMMUNAUTE-BOURG-LES-VALENCE

La Cour europeenne des droits de l’homme (CIDH) par un arret du 17
decembre dernier a donne raison au negationniste turc Dogu Perincek,
co-fondateur du Comite Talaat (le ” Hitler ” turc), et negateur
acharne du genocide armenien. La Cour europeenne des droits de
l’homme a propose de condamner la Suisse pour atteinte a la liberte
d’expression. La Suisse qui avait ” ose ” condamner ce negationniste
turc est ainsi mise en accusation par l’Europe ! Ainsi Dogu Perincek
qui exporte en Europe les thèses negationnistes de la Turquie est
soutenu dans son action par la Cour europeenne des droits de l’homme.

D. Perincek qui avait intente un recours contre une decision de la
justice suisse le condamnant a deux reprises a une amende pour ses
declarations negationnistes est ainsi innocente par une instance
de justice europeenne ! Et meme s’il est actuellement emprisonne
en Turquie pour sa participation a la tentative de coup d’Etat de
l’organisation Ergenekon, Dogu Perincek avait en effet pretendu lors
d’une serie de meetings en Suisse que le ” genocide armenien ” etait un
” mensonge international “.

Aujourd’hui, c’est la Cour europeenne des droits de l’homme, auprès
de laquelle il avait intente un recours, qui envisage de condamner
la Suisse au nom de ” la liberte d’expression “. A la veille des
commemorations du 100ème anniversaire du genocide armenien, cette
decision jugee scandaleuse par les Armeniens est une insulte de
place a la memoire armenienne et a ce ” Crime contre l’Humanite ”
avec l’execution par le gouvernement turc de 1,5 million d’Armeniens
entre 1915 et 1923.

Le Collectif Memoire et Avenir soutenu par l’association ” Armenia
” s’est reuni dimanche 19 Janvier a La Brasserie La Mairie a
Bourg-Lès-Valence afin de s’indigner de la decision de la CIDH et
effectuer un communique de presse.

Etaient presents plus d’une vingtaine de membre et sympathisants
reunis autour du president d'” Armenia ” Krikor Amirzayan, par ailleurs
coordinateur du Collectif Memoire et Avenir. Autour de K.

Amirzayan, Patrick Royannez adjoint au Maire de Valence et
vice-president du Conseil general, le sculpteur Toros, l’ex-directeur
du Conservatoire de musique de Romans et chef d’orchestre Alexandre
Siranyan, le president de l’association cultuelle de l’Eglise
Saint-Sahag Henri Siranyan, le president de l’ACFOA Georges Eretzian,
l’elu de Soyons Edouard Tchokaklian, Philippe Michalet, Vartkes
Simonian, Sonia Sarkissian, Zarmig Nourissian, Gerard Jassoud,
Chrisitan Charrière, Alain Euksuzian . Après un debat riche et anime,
le groupe decida d’emettre un communique de presse.

Le communique de presse affirme :

” Reunis aujourd’hui a Bourg-Lès-Valence, les membres du Collectif
Memoire et Avenir et ” Armenia “, condamnent fermement la decision
de la Cour Europeenne des Droits de l’Homme (CIDH) dans l’affaire du
negationniste du genocide armenien Dogu Perincek. Cette decision de
la CIDH va contre la volonte de l’Europe d’exiger dans chacun des pays
membres, une Loi sanctionnant le negationnisme des genocides ainsi que
l’apologie de la barbarie. Ce nationaliste et negationniste turc Dogu
Perincek a ete condamne a juste titre par la Cour federale de Suisse
pour ses declarations negationnistes en matière du genocide armenien
ainsi que de la provocation. La France qui a reconnue le genocide
armenien par une Loi en janvier 2001est egalement sur la voie de la
recherche d’une loi penalisant le negationnisme du genocide armenien.

Nous demandons a la Cour Europeenne des Droits de l’Homme de reexaminer
ce dossier afin de condamner après la Suisse, les agissements de
ce negationniste notoire et qui diffuse par ses propos la haine et
la violence.

Nous appelons egalement la Cour Europeenne des Droits de l’Homme
a ouvrir un dossier sur les negationnistes soutenus par Ankara qui
sillonnent l’Europe pour rejeter la realite historique en deformant
cette et denier le genocide armenien. Rappelons qu’a la veille
du 100ème anniversaire du genocide de 1915, la Turquie continue
officiellement de nier l’existence meme de ce genocide qu’elle a
commis. Par la meme occasion, nous appelons la France a voter une loi
de penalisation de la negation du genocide armenien tout en rappelant
les promesses pre-electorales tenues par Francois Hollande “.

Precisons enfin que lors de cette reunion, circulèrent les petitions
d'” Armenia ” pour demander a la France l’emission d’un timbre-poste
pour le 100ème anniversaire du genocide armenien.

Le Dauphine Libere (edition de Valence) Dimanche 26
Janvier 2014 lundi 27 janvier 2014, Stephane ©armenews.com

AZERI AIR FORCE PLANES MAKE ROUTINE FLIGHTS OVER FRONTLINE – DEFENSE MINISTRY

Interfax, Russia
Jan 24 2014

: BAKU. Jan 24

Combat planes of the Azeri Air Force planes are making routine flights
over the line of contact of the Azeri and Armenian armed forces.

“These are routine flights carried out by the Azeri Air Force. They
are conducted along the frontline,” Vagif Dargyakhly, spokesman for
the Azeri Defense Ministry, told Interfax.

In the meantime, some Azeri media link these flights to the escalation
of tension on the frontline.

av cm

LAVROV SUMS UP RESULTS OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC WORK IN 2013 – OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT

Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Russia
Jan 24 2014

[parts omitted]

Armenia and Azerbaijan

Question: This year we celebrate 20 years since the signature of the
Bishkek protocol on the end of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

For 20 years, the Azerbaijani have had no access to the cradle of
Azerbaijani culture – Karabakh. Will there be any specific propositions
to resolve this conflict this year?

A representation of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is
functioning in the territory of the Embassy of Armenia in the Russian
Federation. How legitimate is this? Isn’t this contrary to Russia’s
position in this conflict?

Sergey Lavrov: I have not heard of such information. I hear from time
to time that suites are created for somebody, or a restaurant is opened
in the territory of some embassy, contrary to the Vienna Convention. I
assume that the Vienna Convention should be observed by everybody.

As to the first part of your question, we assume that two parties
must agree. The meeting between presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh
Sargsyan last November in Vienna is somewhat encouraging. Especially
considering the fact that there have been no such contacts for two
years. As far as we can understand from our talks with Armenian and
Azerbaijani friends, the heads of state were, in general, satisfied
with their talk and agreed to continue it at foreign minister level
and through a personal dialogue.

Russia jointly with the United States and France, as the co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, is attempting to help in the setting-up of
such a dialogue. There are developments by the co-chairs, which were
deposited with the OSCE and were not rejected by the parties. They
require additional efforts to reach principled agreements on how to
resolve this regional problem.

We will contribute to this process. I emphasize once again: the main
things is that the parties agree to the principles, on which the
agreement will be based. We cannot do this work for them. Jointly
with the Americans and the French we are stimulating both parties,
we are ready to propose some ideas for consideration by Baku and
Yerevan. But the final word rests with them.