Author: Kalantarian Kevo

40 000 JEUNES ADOLESCENTS D’ARMENIE NE TROUVERONT PAS LEUR AME SUR DU FAIT DU DESEQUILIBRE DEMOGRAPHIQUE

ARMENIE-DEMOGRAPHIE

Dans les prochaines annees, environ 40 000 adolescents d’Armenie ne
parviendront pas a trouver leur âme s~ur ! Ce sont les sociologues et
demographes Armeniens qui l’affirment. Ainsi selon Gaguik Haïrabedian
le directeur du bureau armenien de la Fondation sociologique de
l’Onu, en Armenie pour la generation qui va arriver sous peu en âge
adulte, on constate un deficit de filles estime a environ 40 000 par
rapport aux garcons. ” Si nous entrons actuellement dans les ecoles,
nous voyons qu’en moyenne les garcons sont de 15 a 25% plus nombreux
que les filles, alors que cela doit etre generalement le contraire
” affirme G. Haïrabedian. Selon lui ce problème est general a tout
le Caucase où les parents desirent avant tout avoir des garcons. ”
A l’epoque sovietique, les parents ne pouvaient pas distinguer
auprès d’une femme enceinte le sexe de l’enfant. Mais aujourd’hui les
technologies nous le permettent ” dit-il. Ainsi les avortements sont
selectifs et privilegient les garcons au detriment des filles selon G.

Haïrabedian. Selon le Centre national d’etudes statistiques d’Armenie,
en 2011 lors des naissances on comptait 23,1% plus de garcons que
des filles, et 20,2% en 2012.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 5 octobre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

AIR FORCES COMMANDER: “ARMENIA’S S-300 COMPLEXES ARE OUTDATED AND FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE LAG BEHIND THOSE IN AZERBAIJAN”

APA, Azerbaijan
Oct 4 2013

[ 04 October 2013 17:46 ]
Altay Mehdiyev: “The missiles owned by Armenia have been removed from
Russia’s inventory”

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. “The modernized S-300 air-craft missile
complexes, which are used by Azerbaijani Army, are included in the
arsenal of very few countries,” said commander of Azerbaijan’s Air
Defense Forces Altay Mehdiyev addressing the event at the military
unit of the Air Defense Forces with the participation of MPs and
journalists, APA reports.

Mehdiyev said that this system has high precision: “Precision in
relation to each target is 99%. S300 complexes have also included in
Armenia’s arsenal. But those missiles have been removed from Russia’s
inventory. They are outdated and for their performance lag behind
those in Azerbaijan. Today, Azerbaijan has the strongest air defense
system in the region.”

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MEMBER TO LOSE PACE DELEGATION SEAT OVER CASINO QUESTION – PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

Interfax, Russia
Oct 3 2013

YEREVAN. Oct 3

Heritage opposition party member Zaruhi Postanjyan will be excluded
from Armenia’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) for insulting Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

“Given Armenian parliamentarian Postanjyan’s conduct at yesterday’s
PACE session, and bearing in mind the regulations of the National
Assembly, I announce that after consultations with the parliamentary
factions I will introduce certain changes to the composition of
the Armenian delegation to PACE,” Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan said on Thursday.

During the PACE session on Wednesday, Postanjyan asked the Armenian
president where he had found the money to pay off the 70 million euro
debt he allegedly lost in a European casinos.

Sargsyan, for his part, denied the claim, saying that he had never
been to any casinos.

tm cm

GERARD CAFESJIAN HELPED SAVE CAROUSEL

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
October 3, 2013 Thursday
METRO EDITION

by RICHARD MERYHEW; STAFF WRITER, STAR TRIBUNE (Mpls.-St. Paul)

He had a love for merry-go-rounds

Growing up near Coney Island in the 1930s, Gerard L. Cafesjian
developed an affection for merry-go-rounds.

So much so that when the Minnesota State Fair carousel was put up for
sale more than a half-century later, the West Publishing Co. executive
donated more than a half-million dollars to help keep it from being
dismantled and sold.

“I believe something special happens on a merry-go-round,” Cafesjian
told the Star Tribune in 1990 after being identified as the secret
benefactor behind a 16-month campaign to save the carousel. “The music,
the magic and the movement combine to create a one-of-a-kind personal
experience. When we preserve the carousel we also preserve that joy and
hope – that happiness – for the entire community for years to come.”

Cafesjian, formerly of Roseville, was living in Naples, Fla., at the
time of his death Sept. 15. He was 88.

The son of Armenian immigrants, Cafesjian was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
and grew up hopping the subway to Coney Island, where he’d pay a
nickel to ride on the merry-go-round.

After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, served in
the South Pacific during World War II, then took advantage of the G.I.

Bill to earn an economics degree from Hunter College and a law degree
from St. John’s University.

He practiced law in New York for several years, then joined the
editorial staff of West Publishing Co. in New York City before moving
to the company’s headquarters in St. Paul in 1960.

Over three-and-a-half decades, he rose through the company ranks,
eventually becoming executive vice president in charge of marketing
and advertising.

Although he served in a high-profile position at West, Cafesjian
shunned publicity and lived a largely quiet life until 1990, when
he was identified as a major benefactor behind efforts to save the
76-year-old State Fair Carousel. Cafesjian wasn’t the only person
to pledge money to the cause. But he provided the largest portion of
the funds needed to save the merry-go-round, with its 68 hand-carved
horses, from being taken apart and auctioned in pieces.

“I saw the preservation of this wonderful carousel as a special way
that I could offer a measure of happiness to children of all ages and
our community as a whole,” he said in the 1990 interview. At the time,
Cafesjian was a member of two national carousel associations.

The carousel was refurbished and relocated to St. Paul’s Town Square,
where it was renamed after Cafesjian. It was later placed in storage,
then moved in 2000 to Como Park, where it remains today.

In addition to his love of carousels, Cafesjian collected art and was
a passionate advocate and contributor to various Armenian projects,
including the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenia Fund USA.

In 2009, he opened the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan,
Armenia, which contains more than 5,000 sculptures, paintings and
other works of art, including many collected by Cafesjian himself.

Cafesjian was preceded in death by his wife, Cleo. He is survived
by a sister, Mary Dobbs, daughter Kathleen Baradaran, son Thomas,
one granddaughter and three great-grandchildren.

No service has been scheduled.

Richard Meryhew

DISQUIET ON THE EASTERN FRONT

European Voice
October 3, 2013

The European Union’s plans for closer ties with its eastern neighbours
are coming under strain because of strong-arm tactics by Russia,
writes Andrew Gardner

The European Union is stepping up diplomatic activity in its eastern
neighbourhood in a bid to reassure Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia of
its support in the face of anti-EU pressure from Russia.

This week, member states’ ambassadors for security and political
affairs have been in Georgia and Moldova. Karel De Gucht, the European
commissioner for trade, spent yesterday in Ukraine (2 October). Last
week, the members of the Council of Ministers working group for the
Eastern Partnership visited Ukraine.

All three countries hope to initial or sign significant trade and
political agreements with the EU at a summit of the EU’s Eastern
Partnership in Vilnius on 28-29 November.

Diplomats and officials say that although the increased diplomatic
activity is partially explained by the need to prepare for the Vilnius
summit, the visits come in response to a request from Catherine
Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, for member states and the EU
institutions to increase their visibility in the region. The purpose
is to reassure each of the countries of the EU’s support in the face
of pressure from Russia.

Ashton’s request follows Russia’s success in persuading Armenia to
announce that it would join the Eurasian Customs Union, rather than
complete an already negotiated free-trade agreement with the EU. While
the EU is seeking new ways to revive relations with Armenia, Russia’s
diplomatic coup effectively reduced the activity of the EU’s Eastern
Partnership programme to just three countries. The EU’s relations
with Belarus have barely developed in many years, while relations
with Azerbaijan have languished, aside from trade in energy (see box).

Russia has restricted imports both from Ukraine and Moldova – in
Ukraine’s case, explicitly making a link with the country’s bid
for a trade deal with the EU. Russia explained its ban on Moldovan
wine exports on alleged impurities, but the European Commission
indicated last week that it believed the move was political. The
Commission suggested that the EU should open its market to Moldovan
wines immediately “to ease some of the difficulties the Republic
of Moldova is experiencing with its wine exports to some of its
traditional markets”.

Viorel Ursu of the Open Society European Policy Institute in Brussels
says that “Russian pressure has united theMoldovan political elite
around the European agenda”. In Ukraine too, political parties have
shown similar unity to date.

But EU officials are less confident about Georgia, where they perceive
a change of tone by candidates of various stripes in the presidential
election campaign, towards advocacy of closer ties with Russia. There
has not been a corresponding mood shift among the electorate. The
EU’s fear is that Russia has been lobbying or pressuring politicians
(see page 11).

An EU official admitted that the EU had not expected Russia to exert
so much pressure ahead of the Vilnius summit. The EU is now preparing
a range of scenarios should Russia squeeze its neighbours again,
but it also intends to reach out to Russia more in the coming weeks.

The main message that officials and national politicians will
be asked to convey is that the EU is not engaged in a geopolitical
battle with Russia. They will argue that the EU’s planned trade deals
with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia would benefit Russian businesses,
by improving the business environment.

Beyond that, the EU is holding out the very long-term prospect of a
free-trade bloc emerging between the EU and Russia. Russia’s President
Vladimir Putin has himself in the past proposed the “creation of a
harmonious economic community stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok”.

While disavowing the notion that the EU is engaged in a geopolitical
struggle, EU officials also stress the significance of the Vilnius
summit. One well-placed source told European Voice that “if Vilnius
comes off, history will judge Vilnius as one of the most important
milestones in the history of this continent”.

ARMENIA TO PAY OFF RUSSIAN DEBT WITH EUROBOND PROCEEDS

Agence France Presse
October 3, 2013 Thursday 2:51 PM GMT

YEREVAN, Oct 03 2013

Armenia said on Thursday it will use proceeds from its first eurobond
issue to pay off a debt owed Russia ahead of schedule.

The small ex-Soviet Caucasus nation earned $700 million from its
eurobond issue last month, marking an important step in efforts to
win foreign investor confidence.

A eurobond is a bond issued in a currency other than the one of the
country in which it is issued. It is often used to provide traders
an added incentive to invest in countries perceived as too risky.

Finance Minister David Sargsyan told a government meeting that most
of the funds generated would go toward paying back some $440 million
(325 million euros) leant by Russia in June 2009, at the height of
the financial crisis.

The Russian loan had been scheduled over 15 years but the government
would pay it off now, Sargsyan said.

Armenia recently caused consternation in Brussels after it announced
that it would join a Russian-led customs union, thereby ending years
of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the European Union.

mkh-del/zak/arp

ANCA LEADERS MARK ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH SEN. MENENDEZ

Friday, October 4th, 2013

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Rober Menendez addressing
Armenian American community leaders

“Today is a celebration of independence, but we cannot forget history.

And only by closing this dark chapter in human history [the Armenian
Genocide] can we rightfully honor its victims. Let me be perfectly
clear. . . there is no other word for it, there is no euphemism, there
is no avoiding it, there are no excuses.” – Senator Robert Menendez

LOS ANGELES-Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, celebrated Armenia’s Independence Day and
reaffirmed his commitment to the national and democratic aspirations
of the Armenian people at events with Armenian American community
leaders in Southern California on September 21, 2013. Chairman Menendez
was joined at Independence Day celebrations by local, regional and
national representatives of the Armenian National Committee of America,
which has supported the Senator’s principled leadership for more than
two decades.

“Chairman Menendez is a true champion of human rights, democracy
and justice, who, in the best American tradition, works tirelessly
to ensure that our government’s policies live up to our ideals as a
people,” remarked ANCA National Board member Raffi Hamparian. “As a
proud fellow son of New Jersey, who also had the opportunity to work on
Capitol Hill during Senator Menendez’s tenure in the U.S. House, I know
first-hand how very much he has done – sometimes in the public arena,
other times quietly and out of the spotlight – to advance the national
and democratic aspirations of the Armenian people,” Hamparian added.

Vahe and Aida Yeghiazarian were the gracious hosts of an intimate
event with Chairman Menendez prior to a community gathering hosted
at the Glendale Youth Center

In moving remarks, warmly welcomed by the capacity crowd at the
Glendale Youth Center and also by ANCA supporters gathered at the home
of Vahe and Aida Yeghiazarian, Senator Menendez recalled the heroic
efforts that launched and sustained the first Republic of Armenia
and joined with Armenians worldwide in marking the 22nd anniversary
of Armenia’s reborn independence. He reaffirmed his commitment to
Armenia’s independence, stressing his support for her security,
democratic development, and sustainable, broad-based economic growth.

In keeping with his principled record, dating back to his service in
the U.S. House of Representatives, the New Jersey legislator spoke in
favor of a peaceful and democratic resolution of Nagorno Karabakh and
against Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. He shared his high
regard for the Armenian American community’s longstanding tradition
of democratic engagement and the ANCA’s leadership in that regard.

Senator Menendez singled out for special praise the Armenian Youth
Federation and its pioneering Youth Corps program to host summer
camps in Armenia, educate young people, perform community service,
and strengthen diaspora and homeland connections. Chairman Menendez
warmly welcomed the presence of Ani Tchaghlasian, James Sahagian,
and other New Jersey Armenian community leaders on hand for his events
in Los Angeles.

Senator Menendez has been a longstanding supporter of Armenian American
issues and an outspoken advocate for U.S. affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide since his years in the House of Representatives.

Notably, he placed a “hold” on the nomination of Dick Hoagland,
President George W. Bush’s nominee as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
after Hoagland denied the Armenian Genocide during his Senate
confirmation process. He also successfully blocked the nomination of
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza due to his shortcomings
as a senior diplomat dealing with the Caucasus.

As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Menendez leads
the consideration of foreign policy legislation and is responsible for
holding confirmation hearings for ambassadorial and other high-level
diplomatic positions in the Department of State. The Committee has
debated landmark treaties and legislation, ranging from the Alaska
purchase in 1867 to the establishment of United Nations in 1945.

During his remarks at a community gathering and a leadership
reception, Senator Menendez addressed a broad range of issues of
concern to Armenian Americans, including, notably, his high regard
for the Armenian American community. At the Glendale Youth Center
event, he said: “We are Americans first, and Armenians have proven
time and time again their great love of America, their strong, deep
faith and abiding sense of what our country is all about. But that
does not mean that an Armenian, or for that fact, any other citizen
of the United States with deep roots or heritage, should forget their
heritage or should not be able to raise their voice, as citizens of
the United States, about what they believe should be the policy of
the U.S. So I want to thank the ANCA for their tremendous advocacy –
all of the time – on these critical issues in Washington DC.”

Hacob and Mina Shirvanian confer with Chairman Menendez as leaders
Karo Khanjian and Raffi Hamparian look on

In celebrating the 22nd anniversary of Armenia’s renewed independence,
he recalled the heroism of the first Armenian Republic: “We remember
those four days in 1918 when volunteers and refugees united to defend
their nation from the Turkish army that was cleansing the Armenians. .

. Outgunned and outnumbered but extraordinarily courageous and united,
as they are today, to establish a democratic Republic of Armenia in
which the vision of a homeland would be their hope for over a century
of exile and Soviet domination.”

Noting the history of the 1918 Republic’s founding during the horrors
of the Armenian Genocide, Senator Menendez stated that: “Even in
the midst of this celebration when we remember that foundation of
independence and then the ultimate creation of the modern Armenian
state in 1991, we also remember one of the darkest events in human
history: the Genocide of 1915, and we are still talking about it
today. We will not, and I believe we cannot, ever forget. We remember
the victims by not only those who lost their lives, but in recognition
of how they died, and how history remembers their deaths.” He added:
“To me, quite simply, genocide is genocide. I have for 21 years in my
time in the House and the House International Relations Committee,
and in the Senate, since I came eight years ago, and now as the
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I continue to
support a resolution to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to use
the lessons of what clearly was an atrocity of historic proportions,
to prevent future crimes against humanity. If we do not remember the
past, we are destined to repeat it.”

Chairman Menendez speaking with community stalwart and long time ANCA
supporter Frank Melkonian and national board member Raffi Hamparian

“The time has come, and it is actually passed time, for the United
States to join the European Union and 19 other nations that
have formally recognized the actions carried out by the former
Ottoman Empire, from 1915-1923 as, in fact, genocide. . . Only by
closing this dark chapter in human history can we rightly honor
its victims.” “We, the people, remember the Armenians. The world,
remembers. Ninety-eight years later, the children, the grand-children,
and the great-grand-children of the survivors. . . we, remember,”
he declared, noting that modern-day Turkey should “give back the
churches that were taken, and have in many cases been destroyed,
to the Patriarchate.”

Speaking to the challenges facing Armenia today, he said: “We look
forward to a day when we can be assured that the Armenian homeland will
survive and it will thrive… as an independent state. . . that can
fulfill the hopes and dreams and aspirations of its citizens,” adding:
“We need greater engagement and more opportunities for the Armenian
people.” He stressed that: “We value our relationship with Armenia,
one that is based on a deep and abiding respect and common interest.

Together, we have worked to reduce poverty, expand trade and
investment, promote good governance and the ongoing work of
non-governmental organizations and civil society groups, and broaden
access to healthcare.”

PM SARGSYAN: ARMENIA SECURES 5% OF WORLD’S MICROCHIP DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN

October 04, 2013 | 13:04

YEREVAN. – Armenia secures 5 percent of the microchip development
and design sector of global production.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated the above-said Friday addressing
ArmTech Congress ’13, which kicked off in capital city Yerevan.

He specifically pointed to Mentor Graphics Company President Walden
Rhines, who was on hand at the official opening of his company’s
representation in Yerevan.

As per Sargsyan, this is one of Armenia’s relative pluses in global
information technologies.

Particularly, the world’s famous companies specializing in the domain
of design send their specialists to Armenia for training.

The PM informed that even though about 7,000 professionals work in
300 enterprises in Armenia’s IT sector, there is still a great demand
for workforce. To this end, the Armenian government aims to ensure
the training of at least 2,000 employees in medium term.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIA TO OPEN A DRUG CONTROL LABORATORY, WITH SUPPORT FROM RUSSIA

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. A modern anti-drug laboratory will be
opened in Armenia with assistance from Russia, the press office of
Armenia’s National Security Council reported after the meeting of
the Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan with the head of
Drug Trafficking Control Service of Russia Victor Ivanov.

Ivanov is currently in Armenia in relation to local “Kanal-Kavkaz”
anti-drug action held on October 1-4, with international headquarters
in Armenia.

The counterparts discussed also setting of anti-drug center within
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and arrangement
of training courses on drug trafficking as from 2014.

The results of the local “Kanal-Kavkaz” anti-drug action will be
finalized Friday. -0–

– See more at:

ARMENIAN REPRESENTATIVE RAISED ISSUE OF MISSING PEOPLE AT PACE SESSION

12:46, 4 October, 2013

STRASBOURG, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: At the autumn session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe the member of
the Armenian delegation Naira Zohrabyan touched upon the issue
of the missing people lost in the result of the armed conflicts,
highlighting the necessity to cooperate with the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic’s authorities in this issue. As reported by Armenpress,
Naira Zohrabyan stated in particular:

“We are discussing quite a delicate issue concerning the families
of thousands of people. Due to the armed conflicts there are about
20,000 missing people in Europe today and this problem continues to
remain on the agenda of a number of member states of the Council of
Europe. One thing is certain – the families of the missing people
have the right to be informed about the destiny of their relatives.

In the issue of discovering the missing people quite important is the
cooperation and information exchange with the de facto authorities
as well. In fact this is a very urgent issue and we should develop
flexible mechanisms and do our best to find the missing people”.

The PACE session was launched on September 30. On October 2 the
President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made an extensive
and comprehensive speech, which is as follows:

“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Honorable Members of the
Assembly,

I am glad for this opportunity to address the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe – our Organization that represents 800
million Europeans.

It is a particular honor and responsibility for my country to hold,
for the first time ever, the Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers
of the Council of Europe. During this six-month Chairmanship, we have
aspired to make a contribution to the strengthening of the European
system of values as a means of confirming that Europe is a family
of nations committed to common values, and not merely a geographic
toponym.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A few days ago, Armenia celebrated the 22nd anniversary of her
independence. The 22-year-long path of building a free and democratic
state has not been easy. With Azerbaijan, which is constantly voicing
war threats and forcing an arms race, Turkey, which contrary to all
international rules and norms is keeping closed the shortest route
connecting Armenia with the outer world for so many years have forced
us to make extraordinary efforts to develop and build a modern state.

Acting in a complex environment which is not comparable with the
conditions of any other state, successive Armenian governments and the
Armenian people have remained focused on the pursuit of substantial
reforms in all the areas of our public life.

Declaration of independence was the realization of a dream held by
my people for many centuries and many generations. Accession to the
Council of Europe restored our historical and cultural belonging to
the European family of nations. Our society has always clearly aspired
to have a state system anchored in the system of European values –
freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. We view our membership
in the Council of Europe and our cooperation with other European
organizations as an important means of consolidating democracy and
carrying out effective reforms in Armenia.

The results of our joint efforts are visible and irreversible. Armenia
today is a country of free speech and free media. We safeguard the
freedom of assembly; civil society is vibrant and aware of its rights
and ways to uphold them. These and numerous other achievements are,
in my opinion, essential for our future.

Honorable Members of the Assembly,

Armenia completed three major electoral cycles in the last eighteen
months. As a result of the May 2012 parliamentary elections,
all significant political players in Armenia gained seats in
the Parliament, making it a stronger and more viable political
entity. The 2013 presidential elections were conducted in a competitive
environment; the Yerevan City Council elections were held in May.

The Council of Europe sent observation missions to all three
elections. The first two were observed by the Assembly, while the
Yerevan City Council elections were observed by the Congress of
Local and Regional Authorities of the CE. The delegations were able
to observe the elections and produce reports containing relevant
recommendations.

I value these reports as a candid opinion of partners interested in
Armenia’s future. In this regard, I would like to mention that we have
followed up on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly and
other international partners regarding the organization of free and
fair elections: they are being meticulously considered and acted
upon by a task force created specifically for the improvement of
the electoral process. In the next few days, we will hold broad
public discussions with the participation of all stakeholders and
the international community which will focus on the legal amendments
proposed under the corresponding recommendations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We face a number of serious challenges such as unemployment, poverty,
and corruption, and our government is implementing comprehensive
programs to address them.

The rule of law is another priority. Equality before the law is a
condition sine qua non for our economic and political advancement. The
human being, human dignity, fundamental rights, and freedoms are viewed
as the ultimate objectives. The state in its turn is restricted by
the fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms as immediate laws.

These provisions which are also enshrined in our Constitution preset
the behavior of individuals and state authorities in our efforts to
strengthen the rule of law and civil society.

I am confident that constitution of virtually any democratic state
this way or another encompasses the idea of the rule of law. However
what matters the most is its practical implementation so that the
authority limited by the law becomes a rule of life. Particularly for
young democracies, it requires a consistent and structured effort. It
requires an independent judiciary and impartial administration of
justice. In this context, I believe that the Conference on the Rule of
Law and the Scope of Discretion of Powers held this July in Yerevan
under the auspices of the Armenian Chairmanship in the Council of
Europe generated strong interest and continued the process initiated
by the UK Chairmanship.

Our country has embarked on a new stage of systemic reforms in these
areas. Long-term programs are being implemented. They are all centered
on the human being, as well as on the safeguards for the protection
of human rights and freedoms and the creation of an environment of
tolerance, pluralism, non-discrimination, justice, and mutual trust
in the country.

Consolidation of democracy and respect for human rights are our
other priorities, connected directly with the previous one – the
rule of law. Notable achievements in this field include a number of
major amendments to the Judicial Code, which enhance the transparency
and fairness of the procedure for the selection of judges. We remain
focused on legal aspects of the appointment of judges with a view of
ensuring the complete independence of judges.

The penitentiary institutions are being modernized, and a
probation service will be formed. We have developed and started the
implementation of the Armenia 2012-2016 Strategic Program of Legal
and Judicial Reforms, which, I am sure, will produce a judicial
and legal system consistent with the standards of a democratic legal
state. In this context, I attach great importance to the fully-fledged
implementation of the 2012-2014 Armenia-Council of Europe Action Plan,
which contains a number of important initiatives in this field.

We have registered some success, but we will not stop there. I have
initiated a process of amending the Constitution of the Republic
of Armenia with a view of further strengthening the constitutional
safeguards for the rule of law and respect for human rights and
freedoms, achievement of an appropriate balance of powers, and
enhancement of the efficiency of public administration. We would be
grateful if the Council of Europe supports this process, among others,
through the Venice Commission.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The European Union is one of Armenia’s most vital partners. Wide-scale
reforms in the areas of human rights, democracy, and the rule of
law make up the core of the Armenia-EU relationship. The Eastern
Partnership Instrument created under the EU Eastern Partnership
program in cooperation with the Council of Europe is an important
initiative covering a variety of activities in the participating
states related to elections, judicial reform, good governance, fight
against corruption and cyber-crime.

There has recently been much talk about the civilizational choice of
the countries-members of the Eastern Partnership initiative. We have
always stated that we don’t believe it is right to view the issue in
that dimension. Armenia aims to continue its comprehensive, mutually
beneficial partnership with the EU. From the outset of the Eastern
Partnership initiative and even before, we have stated and continue to
state that we aspire to have the closest possible and widest possible
relations with the EU, and to be close to the EU. This policy will
not be terminated.

As is known, Armenia has a close allied relationship with Russia.

Armenia is not building new relationships at the expense of the
relationship with her strategic ally; in the same vein, we will
not build relationships with other partner, which might be aimed
against our other partners. We will continue to develop in parallel
relationships and interests with our key partners.

Honorable Members of the Assembly,

Peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue under the aegis
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship has been and will remain
our priority until we achieve a comprehensive settlement. We value
the efforts of all those who support regional stability, but we
also know that we must rely primarily on our own power to deter the
opponent against possible negative developments and to maintain peace,
especially as the leader of our neighboring state continues to make
public statements threatening with war, declaring the Armenians his
“enemy number one”, boasting about disproportionate increases in
military spending, and the buildup of arms.

Nonetheless, I hope that the people of Azerbaijan or their significant
part actually do not share this mindset. Unfortunately, those in
Azerbaijan who are trying to bring up candid memories of the past,
which was once shared with the Armenian people, are being publicly
admonished, threatened “to have their ears cut,” and expelled from
the country. Hence, the actual mood of the people of Azerbaijan is
not articulated and whatever is voiced is demanded by the propaganda
machine. It results in the ineffectiveness of any attempt to implement
confidence-building measures.

I am confident that our peoples will have a better future than the
one contemplated by some leaders who preach hatred and war. As I have
already stated publicly on other occasions, I do not consider the
people of Azerbaijan to be the enemy of the Armenian people. We are
capable of respectfully resolving our disagreements and peacefully
co-existing as neighbors.

Two days ago, my people mourned demise of Sos Sargsyan, a brilliant
actor, the People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia. The master’s
last public statement was his open letter to the intellectuals of
Azerbaijan, which was nothing but an appeal for peace, justice, and
reason: “Are you really going to unleash a war? My dear neighbors! It
will bring nothing except innocent victims. Why? It is very simple:
Karabakh is a territory for you, but a Sacred Fatherland for us,”
wrote the great intellectual. Indeed, we regularly appeal for sobriety
and firmly claim that zealous incitement of xenophobia, unyielding
threats to use force and the arms race will not do any good. Peace and
cooperation are the only feasible means of building a prosperous future
for the peoples of the region. It is an axiom that requires no proof.

The international experience proves that democratic societies are
best placed to resolve conflicts peacefully. In the last two decades,
democratic institutions have been built and continuously developed in
Nagorno Karabakh. According to respectable international organizations
such as the Freedom House, the level of democracy in Nagorno Karabakh
is noticeably higher than in some of its neighbors.

Karabakh has been and will remain a part of Europe. Its people are a
part of the European family, regardless of Karabakh’s political status.

Therefore, I believe that the Council of Europe could, regardless of
Karabakh’s status, initiate direct contacts with Karabakh within the
framework of its pertinent functions, especially since the Council
of Europe has similar experiences with respect to other conflict zones.

Dear Friends,

As Armenians, we have been destined to become advocates of the
fight against genocides. Genocide is not only a heinous crime against
humanity but also a striking manifestation of fascism and intolerance,
as well as a grave encroachment upon the right to life. Indeed,
peoples that have survived such tragedies have a distinct mission
of preventing their reoccurrence. The best way to prevent atrocious
crimes against the mankind is to discuss those terrible pages of
history and to assess the past in the light of universal values.

Fighting against the preconditions with nourish such heinous crimes
is, in my opinion, is equally important.

Armenia has been taking practical steps to mobilize efforts of the
international community for the prevention of genocides and combatting
their root causes. For years, Armenia has been initiating various
resolutions on genocide prevention in different international fora.

Time and over, we have assisted the UN Human Rights Council in
adopting resolutions on the prevention of genocides. The aim is to
keep the international community focused on the Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and to remind of
the commitments of the states to eliminate crimes against humanity.

Armenia has declared the fight against intolerance and propaganda
inciting discrimination and hatred as priorities throughout the term
of the Armenian Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the
Council of Europe. We consider it shameful that such practices still
exist in the modern era, as well as the fact that in some countries
they are being encouraged at a state level. We have to be resolute
to eradicate such practices in every corner of the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our societies are undergoing major transformations and facing numerous
challenges. What are our values in the 21st century? Which values
prevail today? Why do extremist political currents and practices gain
momentum? Why is social cohesion weakening? Why was the Council of
Europe compelled to initiate the youth campaign against hate speech
online? These and other questions are not easy to answer briefly.

These practices are reprehensible. In the era of modern information
technology, such practices can spread momentarily among millions of
people. Hence, swift and adequate responses are needed. It is our
duty to strengthen bridges between nations, our citizens, societies,
cultures, and religions, so that the future generations inherit a
much more peaceful and safer planet.

These days, we remain focused on Syria. We are deeply concerned
with everything which is happening there, causing death of innocent
civilians. Syria is home to several thousand Armenians who constitute
an integral part of the Syrian society, and Armenia unequivocally
welcomes the Russian-American understanding on the peaceful resolution
of the conflict in Syria as well as the UN Security Council resolution
adopted a few days ago.

We simply must unite our efforts for the future. We need especially
to engage the younger generations in the building of our common
future. They are so young, courageous, and full of energy: our
societies will have a brighter future if we give them right ideas
and educate them by true values enriched by freedom and democracy
and free from prejudice.

As a unique Organization which defines and spreads over standards of
human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, the Council of Europe
has a crucial mission in this process, and its role in accomplishing
our common objectives must be strengthened further.

Thank you”.