Author: Kalantarian Kevo

OPPOSITION DISSATISFIED WITH COMPOSITION OF MAYOR-ESTABLISHED COMMITTEE ON BUS FARE ISSUE, TO BOYCOTT ITS WORK

SOCIETY | 25.09.13 | 14:09

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The Yerevan municipality, on its official website, has posted the
mayor’s decision on creating a transport commission and finally
introduced its 36-member structure, which has evoked negative
sentiments among the civil society and public discontent. Those who
have been actively protesting the increase of bus fare in the city of
Yerevan share their concerns that the commission might, nonetheless,
reinstate the mayor’s earlier decision.

By the municipal decision the commission is supposed to consider the
transport fare issue in the city of Yerevan, define the criteria,
carry out necessary calculations, develop respective mechanisms and
submit suggestions to the mayor. The decisions will be made by an
open voting and pass by the majority of the participants’ votes.

The standoff against the 12-cent increase of bus rates effective of
July 20 turned Yerevan into a united capital. Young civil activists
persistently fought and spread the spirit through the mini-buses
and buses from one end of the city to the other. People protested
by not paying the new price of 150 drams (37 cents), walking rather
than using transport, by carpooling – offering free rides on their
private vehicles. Five days later Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan
had instructed to create a commission of experts and interested
individuals who would develop all mechanisms in a few months’ time,
that would allow completing the municipal decree “on reconsideration
of the intercity transportation fares in the city of Yerevan”,

The mayor-promised commission is chaired by his deputy Vahe Nikolyan,
and the vice-chairman is the mayor’s advisor. A number of municipality
department employees are its members, including head of the transport
department Henrik Navasardyan, whose resignation was among the demands
of the civil activists on sit-in strike for the past two months in
front of the city hall. The commission also has police officers,
employees of the transport and communication ministry, a number of
university and NGO representatives as its members.

Out of the three factions represented in the city council only
Republicans are part of the commission. The other two, Hello Yerevan
alliance and Prosperous Armenia (PAP), as well as “We Will Continue
Paying 100 Drams” civil initiative, have refused to be part of it. PAP
believes the issue had to be discussed in a public discussion format,
while Hello Yerevan defines the commission as a “show”. The alliance
is currently appealing the mayor’s July decision on raising the bus
fare by 50 percent.

The NGO representatives to be in the commission do not have positive
expectations about the outcome; however as Armen Poghosyan, president
of the Consumers’ Union told ArmeniaNow, they have to “fight and
present” their argumentation.

“The power layout is not balanced in the commission, and since the
decision has to be made by voting, I cannot rule out that the fare
will again be increased,” he says.

PIANIST KARINE POGHOSYAN TO PERFORM AT ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL IN NY

September 25, 2013 – 12:08 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The vibrant young Armenian pianist Karine Poghosyan
will perform at St. Vartan Cathedral, 630 2nd Ave., New York City on
Sept 25 evening, as part of the 2013-14 Concerts @ St.Vartan series,
Broadway World reports.

Ms. Poghosyan will also be leading the St. Vartan orchestra in their
inaugural appearance. The program will include works by Schubert,
Bach, and Liszt.

The exceptional Armenian pianist Karine Poghosyan has been praised
for her ability to get to the heart of the works she performs. She
made her orchestral debut at 14 playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto
No.1, and her solo Carnegie Hall debut at 23, and has since gone on
to win numerous awards as well as perform in some of the world’s most
prestigious concert halls.

An avid musician who has been described as “extraordinary” and
“larger than life,” Karine Poghosyan has performed in recitals at
Carnegie’s Well Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Steinway Hall, the
Trinity Church Concerts at One series, the Beverly Hills Sundays at
Two series, the Valley Committee for the LA Philharmonic, the Bach’s
Lunch Recital Series in California, the Young Artists International
Peninsula Festival in California, and the International Keyboard
Institute and Festival in New York. In the fall of 2007, she organized
and performed a three-recital concert series at the Yamaha Piano Salon
titled Twentieth Century Piano Sonata. Recently, she helped organize
the “Requiem and Resurrection” concert in commemoration of the 95th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Saint Vartan Armenian
Cathedral in New York, where her performance of the Piano Sonata by
Khachaturian received a standing ovation, Broadway World says.

The Armenian Mirror Spectator wrote, “The three-movement Khachaturian
Sonata-a rarely performed composition-is a real tour-de-force for the
virtuoso pianist. Technically pristine, Ms. Poghosyan brought out
the driven qualities of the outer movements, and the heart-rending
beauty of the middle section.”

Ms. Poghosyan has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras
including the New West Symphony, Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
Orchestra, Musica Bella Symphony Orchestra, the CSUN Symphony, and
the Kokolo Ensemble, and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra,
whose music director Dr. Choe described Ms. Poghosyan as “an audience
magnet” and “a born performer.” She has participated in the master
classes of distinguished artists such as Alicia de Larrocha, Claude
Franck, Jon O’Connor, and Jerome Rose.

Ms. Poghosyan is the winner of the New West Symphony Discovery Artists
Competition, the Thousand Islands International Piano Competition, CSUN
Symphony Concerto Competition, the Artists International Auditions
and was a top prize winner in the Los Angeles International Liszt
Piano Competition, Five Towns Music and Arts Competition, and the Arno
Babajanian Piano Competition. Ms. Poghosyan is also the recipient of
scholarships from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences,
the Glendale Symphony Orchestra, the Armenian Students Association
of America, AGBU, and the Jacob and Bronislaw Gimpel Foundation,
and Manhattan School of Music.

Ms. Poghosyan’s music studies began in her native Yerevan Armenia in
School of the Arts, No. 1, and later in Romanos Melikian College as
well as Komitas State Conservatory. Her teachers in Armenia included
Irina Gazarian, Vatche Umr-Shat, and Svetlana Dadyan. After moving
to the United States in 1998, she received her BM, summa cum laude,
from California State University in Northridge, under Professor
Francoise Regnat, and her MM and D.M.A. degrees at the Manhattan
School of Music, under Dr. Arkady Aronov, completing her D.M.A. in
record-breaking two years with thesis on Aram Khachaturian for Piano.

Ms. Poghosyan is currently based in New York, where she teaches at
her alma mater Manhattan School of Music.

Upcoming performances in 2013-14 include solo recitals at the
University of Northridge and at the “Sundays at Two” series in
Rolling Hills, CA, a solo and orchestral performance at the Saint
Vartan Cathedral in New York in May as well as September, and solo
recitals in Montgomery, NY, and Richmond, Virginia.

Ms. Poghosyan’s solo CD of Aram Khachaturian’s piano works and ballet
transcriptions will be released in the summer of 2014, on NAXOS label.

ACCESSION TO CUSTOMS UNION IS ARMENIA’S HISTORIC DEFEAT – FREE DEMOCRATS PARTY

September 25, 2013 | 14:11

YEREVAN. – The intention to join the Customs Union is the historic
defeat of Armenia, stated Anush Sedrakyan, opposition Free Democrats
Party Vice-Chairwoman, during a press conference on Wednesday.

“If we repeat the same historical mistake yet again, we will have
numerous problems in connection with statehood, since statehood is
under a threat from the inside, [and] not from the outside,” she noted.

Sedrakyan added that Armenia will be doomed if it chooses the path
of development of cooperation with Russia.

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow
between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir
Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs
Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian
Economic Union.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

KARABAKH’S “WE AND OUR MOUNTAINS” MONUMENT IS RESTORED (PHOTOS)

September 25, 2013 | 13:27

STEPANAKERT. – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, or Artsakh, President
Bako Sahakyan on Wednesday attended the opening the fully restored
“We and our Mountains” monument, which one of Artsakh main symbols.

The President stressed the importance of maintaining national symbols,
and expressed satisfaction that the Armenian Diaspora likewise was
involved in this process.

In this context, Sahakyan thanked philanthropist Karen Avagyumyan for
funding the restoration of the complex, and considered this act to
be one of the best ways to maintain strong ties with the historical
homeland.

NKR’s second President Arkadi Ghukasyan, Armenian National Assembly
(NA) Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan,
NKR NA Speaker Ashot Ghulyan, PM Ara Harutyunyan, British House of
Lords member Baroness Caroline Cox, Ashot Baghdasaryan-son of the
monument’s architect Sargis Baghdasaryan-, officials from Artsakh
and Armenia, and numerous guests from abroad also were on hand at
the official opening of the monument.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

IMPORTED PRODUCTS TO ARMENIA ARE UNSAFE – NEWSPAPER

September 25, 2013 | 08:05

YEREVAN. – A seminar, titled “Harmonization with EU Standards
and Institution Building of the [Armenian] State Inspectorate for
Surveillance of Market,” was held in Armenia on Tuesday, Aravot
daily reports.

During the seminar, William Frank Harris, Resident Advisor of the
Twinning Project and European Union representative, informed that
they have studied Armenia’s market, where they detected quite a number
of problems.

“According to Mr. Harris, the primary issue is safety.

“The European Union representative informed that non-food products
were studied with their project. They made certain purchases, [and]
sent [them] for testing.

“For example, it turned out that electrical appliances, even kettles,
are unsafe. Even coats were not safe.

“To note, this refers to imported goods,” Aravot writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: PUTIN NOT TOLERANT OF ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES’ WESTERNISM?

10:34 25.09.13

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the opening
of a Russian church in Yerevan next year, the paper says, citing the
president of the Union of Armenians of Russia.

Ara Abrahamyan, who sponsors the project, has told the paper that
the place of warship will very probably open next October when the
World Armenian Congress (of which he is also the president) will be
holding its meeting in Armenia’s capital.

The paper notes that Putin did not attend the opening of an Armenian
cathedral in Moscow last week. “It is already quite a long time Putin
avoids visiting Armenia, event though he successfully travelled to Baku
last month. At the CSTO’s [Collective Security Treaty Organization]
summit yesterday,y he avoided meeting [Armenian President] Serzh
Sargsyan although he met with the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and
Belarus. All Putin does is actually demonstrating an intolerance of
the Armenian authorities’ pro-European manners,” the paper concludes.

Armenian News – Tert.am

NEO-OTTOMANISM AND EURASIAN DOCTRINE VS. ARMENIA

Neo-Ottomanism has been put forth by the new Turkish elite as one of
the world’s most ambitious foreign political doctrines. To some extent,
Neo-Ottomanism is being implemented along with a doctrine put forth
by Russia’s government, which is called Eurasian for whatever reason.

Like in Turkey, in Russia the new doctrine has been initiated by
the new elite (in a historical context) who are driven by personal
and group interests rather than imperial ones. In addition, any
technique is used to achieve the goal, including blackmail and
aggressive campaigns.

These ambitions are not so popular but are based on fundamental
populism. Most probably, both doctrines have run into similar problems
and counteraction. Armenia must follow more attentively and respond to
the ambitions of Turkey and Russia because Armenia is still exposed
to the traditional and real threat – a deal and division between
those states.

Turkey was able to experience the failure of its own regional policy
and understand that in a confrontation with the United States it
cannot achieve its goals and even keep what it has achieved earlier.

Turkey is facing a new economic crisis and is concerned that the
United States and Great Britain, as in 1999, will cause a collapse
of the Turkish economy according to the previous scenario.

The United States has staged new conflicts and an extremely unfavorable
situation around Turkey and reached its goal. Turkey has accepted
the American conditions and will be limited to its modest role in
the regions, hoping for a more favorable situation in the future.

The U.S.-Turkey relations are currently less tense. The reason is not
the United States concessions. The Americans have offered a lot to
Turkey but have also demanded a lot of concessions. To sum up Turkey’s
concessions, those have lead to limited ambitions in the region.

Turkey has avoided escalation with Russia, trying to have Russia
back it up. However, the Americans understood that Turkish ambitions
and demands in the Black Sea-Caucasian region will one way or another
lead to a confrontation with Russia. There is not a real confrontation
however Russia bewares it indeed.

Most probably, the United States is interested in re-orienting Turkish
expansion towards the Black Sea and the Caucasus, which has always
been viewed as an option for distracting Turkey and, most importantly,
a back-up option for its conflict with Russia.

However, activation of the Russian policy is not the only problem
the United States is facing in regard to the Turkish expansion. The
United States must address Turkey’s containment in the Caucasus. The
hookup of Armenian factors – genocide recognition, Armenian-Turkish
normalization, Karabakh, Javakheti and South Georgian Armenians,
domestic scrambles in Armenia.

One way or another, problems are activated in the South Caucasus but
in the format of campaigns and pseudo-intentions rather than real
politics. The Americans are trying to keep Turkey under control by
reducing Turkey to “concessions” and “embarrassment”.

Practically, Turkey refrained from comments and statements on the U.S.

intentions in the Black Sea, agreed to refrain from interventions in
the South Caucasus and Iraq, as well as prevention of an intervention
in Syria. The United States provided military assistance to Turkey
instead.

Of course, Turkey will continue to attract attention as a state
with its own ambitions but cannot disagree with the outstanding
representative of the American political science who said in a private
conversation in Washington that Turkey will return but the question
is how it will return, riding a white horse or creeping.

Nevertheless, Turkish is sending signals of its intentions to
“regulate” relations with Armenia, especially at the top level. No
doubt it is part of the U.S.-Turkish agreements, and the United States
is going to continue reinforcing its levers of control and pressure
on Turkey.

Igor Muradyan 23:17 24/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

MISSION OFFICIELLE DE JEAN-CLAUDE GAUDIN SENATEUR-MAIRE DE MARSEILLE EN ARMENIE DU 23 AU 27 OCTOBRE 2013

MARSEILLE-EREVAN

A l’invitation du Maire d’Erevan Daron Margaryan, Monsieur Jean-Claude
Gaudin, Senateur-Maire de Marseille, Didier Parakian Adjoint au
Maire, Garo Hovsepian Maire du 13e et 14e, Valerie Boyer deputee des
Bouches-du-Rhône, Roland Blum (1er Adjoint) se rendront en Armenie du
23 au 27 octobre, accompagnes par une delegation economique reunie a
l’initiative de la Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Franco Armenienne
et du Forum Economique et de Developpement pour l’Armenie presidee par
Monsieur Vartan Sirmakès , Consul general de la Republique d’Armenie
a Marseille.

Pour s’inscrire ou davantage d’informations :
[email protected]

Le programme du voyage est disponible sur le site de la Chambre de
Commerce et d’Industrie Franco Armenienne

Krikor Amirzayan

mercredi 25 septembre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ARMENIAN CHEESE BANNED IN USA WAS FOUND SAFE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, September 24. / ARKA /. Armenia’s State Food Safety Service,
an affiliation of the Ministry of Agriculture, said it had certified a
batch of Armenian cheese Lori, produced by a Gyumri-based company AMM
as safe before it was shipped to USA and banned there for consumption.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the Armenian cheese
appeared to have been contaminated. On September 13, the FDA published
a list of cheeses imported from 28 countries which a FDA examination
found to have microbiological contamination. It said the Armenian
Lori cheese contained E.Coli (Typical).

“The entire batch of 1000 kg of the cheese (N69-A), produced 15.05.2013
with a shelf life of 6 months before being exported to USA, the batch
was found to be safe and was given a certificate on June 18 based on
laboratory examination,” the Armenian agency said.

It said the list of cheese found to be unsafe was published
September 13 and therefore the Armenian State Food Safety Service
is not responsible for its transportation and storage. The US
FDA had banned earlier the import of some Armenian soft drinks
and sweets because they contained coloring agents, which are
prohibited by U.S. law, but are legal in Armenia. -0- – See more at:

SARKISYAN UNLIKELY TO BE REPLACED – 1

Vetsnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 24 2013

24 September 2013 – 11:00am

Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan is still in the center of
criticism of political, expert, and journalist circles. The Premier and
his government are accused of numerous mistakes, including the highest
level of monopolization of economy, growing prices, unemployment,
poverty and emigration.

The government and the Premier are criticized for non-fulfillment
of their promises to fight major monopolies. Monopolies continue to
improve their position. “It is impossible to stop migration in the
state which doesn’t plan to spend money and where oligarchs don’t
intend to invest their revenues into the country’s economy. The only
hope is that people will leave the country to earn some money,” the
former prime minister (1992-1996), MP from the opposition fraction
the Armenian National Congress, Grant Bagratyan, says.

“The economy is destroyed; poverty is huge; everybody escapes the
country, while the Premier smiles and sings songs. He should take
part in a waste-of-skin contest. He is an awful economist and an
awful singer,” says a member of the social-democratic party Ganchak,
Gurgen Egiazaryan.

Along with heavy criticism by the opposition, Tigran Sarkisyan is
still on focus of the off-shore row. Internet portal Hetq continues
publishing information giving details about the scandal. Meanwhile,
the case which seems to be typical money laundering is simply hushed
up – the off-shore row burst in late May, and now it is late September.

Moreover, according to information of the local mass media, two months
ago the National Security Service of Armenia sent a special group to
Cyprus for investigating circumstances of the off-shore scandal: to
gather information about Sarkisyan’s property in Cyprus and criminal
aspects in the Premier’s steps.

Why does President Serge Sargsyan prefer not to mention the story? In
Armenia when one is asked why the President doesn’t dismiss Premier,
people joke: “How can President dismiss Premier who is criticized
more than himself?”

However, the joke is truthful. It is quite possible that
psychologically Tigran Sarkisyan takes a part of protest attitudes
against the President. From this point of view the Premier is a very
comfortable figure. But this is only one of reasons. In fact neither
the President’s team nor the government has any clear plan on taking
the country out of the difficult economic situation. Probably it is
the main reasons for maintaining status quo without any changes in
many spheres, including the question on the Premier’s dismissal.

Moreover, any activities on taking the country out of the difficult
economic situation have to be directed against oligarchs. But as
the power involves clan and oligarchy capital, it is not interested
in changes. If the President intended to dismiss Tigran Sarkisyan,
it would be done after convincing information against him in the
off-shore scandal.

On the other hand, as a politician Sarkisyan is obedient to the
President, he provides policy which satisfies Serge Sargsyan and no
problems for him occur.

After Segre Sargsyan’s statement on the country’s intention to
join the Customs Union, the Armenian mass media began to discuss
possible shifts in the power. They are connected with appointment
to the position of the Prime Minister the pro-Russian politician,
the former head of the presidential administration Karen Karapetyan.

To be continued