Author: Kalantarian Kevo

L’ARMENIE COINCEE ENTRE LA RUSSIE ET L’UNION EUROPEENNE

ARMENIE

Pendant près d’une semaine, plusieurs dizaines de jeunes militants
ont organise un sit-in non-stop devant le bureau du maire d’Erevan,
pour protester contre une hausse des tarifs du transport en commun
et en exigeant le licenciement des fonctionnaires qui sont charge du
secteur. Le sit-in s’inscrit dans le sillage beaucoup plus grand de
manifestations contre la hausse des prix qui selon le gouvernement,
est devenue necessaire après que la Russie ait fortement augmente
le prix pour le gaz naturel. Les tensions qui couvaient ont incite
un commentaire inhabituellement epineux de Razmik Zohrabian,
vice-president du Parti republicain au pouvoir, qui a declare au
service armenien de RFE / RL que les manifestants ” sont utilises
pour provoquer des troubles en Armenie “.

Razmik Zohrabian a ajoute : ” L’Armenie n’est pas une superpuissance,
et les superpuissances peuvent facilement attiser les conflits internes
ici. Ce n’est pas seulement a propos de la Russie. Une rivalite des
civilisations est en cours pour savoir si l’Armenie devrait aller vers
l’integration europeenne ou l’union douanière de la Russie. Donc, le
combat de geants… obtient une certaine resonance sur le terrain ici
“.

Alors que les Armeniens ont longtemps considere la Russie comme
principal protecteur de leur pays, une serie de mesures prises par
Moscou au cours des dernières semaines a provoque une vague sans
precedent de colère du public a un moment où Erevan face a un choix
geopolitique cle.

A la croisee des chemins

L’Armenie a ete le principal allie strategique de la Russie dans le
Caucase du Sud depuis l’effondrement de l’Union sovietique, dans la
mesure où Erevan est largement tributaire de Moscou economiquement et
en termes de securite. Maintenant, cependant, le gouvernement evolue
rapidement vers l’integration a l’Union europeenne, et Erevan pourrait
bien etre sur la bonne voie pour parapher un accord d’association et un
accord approfondi et global de libre-echange (DCFTA) avec ce bloc lors
d’un sommet des pays du Partenariat oriental a Vilnius en Novembre.

À l’approche de phases potentiellement capitales, Moscou a applique
une pression concertee sur l’Armenie – et sur l’Ukraine et la Moldavie,
ainsi, qui sont a la fois dans des situations similaires – de changer
de cap et a la place adherer a l’Union Eurasienne des douanes portee
par Moscou. L’Union europeenne a clairement dit que la DCFTA est
incompatible avec l’appartenance a l’Union douanière eurasiatique.

A la surface, le gouvernement a categoriquement declare que les liens
avec la Russie sont forts. Les deux pays ont inaugure une petite zone
de libre-echange le 29 Juillet dans une usine d’electronique russe a
Erevan. A l’ouverture, le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian a souligne
que ” les relations russo-armeniennes se developpent dynamiquement “.

Tigran Sarkissian a egalement pris soin au cours d’une reunion du
cabinet le 25 Juillet de vanter les protestations a Erevan comme un
signe que le pays connaît un developpement dynamique de la societe
civile. ” Nous pouvons voir qu’il s’agit d’un mouvement spontane de
personnes qui n’a pas de nature partisane. Ce mouvement a un caractère
social “, a-t-il dit. ” C’est pour la solidarite sociale et contre la
pauvrete. Des motifs comprehensibles guident les jeunes qui elèvent
cette question “.

Mais sous la surface il y a des signes que Moscou est maladroit dans
ses relations avec Erevan en ce moment crucial. En plus d’augmenter le
prix du gaz naturel, la Russie a recemment commence la livraison très
public de ce qui sera finalement 1 milliard de dollars de nouvelles
armes a l’Azerbaïdjan. Les deux voisins se sont livres une guerre
au debut des annees 1990 au sujet de la region du Haut-Karabagh,
qui est peuple et contrôle par les Armeniens.

Mais peut-etre l’exemple le plus illustratif est le traitement de
l’affaire de Hrachya Harutiunian, un citoyen armenien qui conduisait
un camion dans la banlieue de Moscou, le 13 Juillet qui a percute un
bus, tuant 18 personnes et en blessant plus de 30 autres.

Les Armeniens ont ete outres lorsque Harutiunian a ete amene devant
un tribunal de Moscou pour etre mis en accusation portant une robe
de chambre et des pantoufles fleuris. Apparaissant choque et humilie,
Harutiunian a ete incapable de s’adresser a la cour lors de sa brève
apparition. Un reportage de la television d’Etat russe diffuse en
Armenie a ridiculise ” les grognements ” de Harutiunian et a pointe
son origine ethnique.

Cet incident a amene des centaines d’Armeniens a protester devant
l’ambassade de Russie.

” Nous nous souvenons encore que l’hysterie anti-tchetchène etait la
pendant la guerre de Tchetchenie en Russie. Mais meme [l’ancien chef de
guerre tchetchène Salman] Raduyev et d’autres qui etaient consideres
comme les plus grands ennemis de la Russie n’ont pas ete confrontes a
ce genre d’attitude degoûtante “, a dit Avetik Ishkhanian, un militant
des droits de l’homme a Erevan qui a assiste a la manifestation. ”
Le fait que [Harutiunian] ait ete emmene devant les tribunaux dans
les vetements d’une femme etait clairement une decision politique. Je
ne pense pas que c’etait une decision prise par la police locale “.

Modification des opinions des Armeniens

En reponse a la colère, la Russie a publie une declaration accusant
certains individus d’essayer d’attiser le sentiment anti-russe sur
l’affaire. Depuis lors, des responsables russes et armeniens ont
minimise l’affaire de la robe de chambre et ont souligne qu’Harutiunian
est bien traite et que son dossier avance.

Mais l’opinion publique en Armenie pourrait deplacer legèrement sa
position historiquement pro-russe. Emma Gabrielyan, journaliste et
blogueur pour le quotidien “Aravot”, ecrivait recemment que ” on a
l’impression que les Russes sont pensifs et qu’avec leurs propres mains
ils detruisent notre foi dans le stereotype selon lequel la Russie
est le garant de la securite de l’Armenie “. “Il y a un an, personne
n’aurait pu imaginer qu’un jour des citoyens d’Armenie tiendraient des
actions de protestation devant l’ambassade de Russie”, a-t-elle ajoute.

Alors que la Russie a une profonde influence en Armenie, Moscou n’a
pas toujours utiliser efficacement ses avantages, explique James Nixey,
directeur du programme Eurasie et Russie au Chatham House a Londres.

” La Russie n’est pas connue pour jouer les cartes qu’elle detient
pourtant. Eh bien, elle pourrait avoir une attitude plus eclairee
vers les autres ex-republiques sovietiques et nous le savons que
dans tant d’autres cas, elle pourrait etre beaucoup plus attrayante
qu’elle n’est. Mais elle a tendance a les pietiner ” explique Nixey.

” Elle a tendance a ne pas leur montrer du respect, le genre de
respect que la Russie elle-meme estime qu’elle merite de la part des
pays occidentaux, par exemple “. Il croit qu’Erevan n’a pas encore
pris une decision finale sur le choix entre l’approfondissement des
relations avec l’UE ou rejoindre l’union douanière de la Russie. Il
a note que les accords de l’UE impliquent des engagements de reformes
politiques et economiques que le gouvernement pourrait encore s’averer
reticents a faire. L’Union douanière eurasiatique, en revanche, est
sans attaches et les avantages economiques a court terme sont très
probablement considerables.

Dans le meme temps, le soutien public de l’Armenie pour l’integration
de l’UE semble etre de plus en plus comme le resultat concret
qui emerge a l’horizon. Et la vague très atypique de la colère du
public envers la Russie sur l’augmentation des prix du gaz, le cas
Harutiunian, et la vente d’armes a l’Azerbaïdjan pourraient signaler
un changement important dans l’humeur du public. Celui qui selon
Nixey le president Serge Sarkissian a besoin de prendre en compte.

“Ce genre d’etats semi authoritaren a besoin de prendre la temperature
de l’opinion publique très au serieux et ils ne veulent pas se
deplacer trop loin au-dela “, explique l’analyste. ” Et, prenant
trop de bâton, prenant trop de peine de la Russie, trop humiliation,
je pense, que cela serait très imprudent de la aprt de M. Sarkissian,
politiquement parlant “.

Note de la redaction :

Le Service armenien de RFE / RL a contribue a ce rapport

Eurasianet.org

mardi 13 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

PRESS RELEASE
The Armenian Diocese in Georgia
18, Armazi Street, 0103, Tbilisi, Georgia
Phone: +995322546411
Cell: +995593397170
Fax: +995322751790
Email: [email protected]
Website:
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Joint campaign in Shaumyan village conducted by Armenian youth
from Tbilisi and from Armenian-inhabited villages of Marneuli district

On 5 August 2013 a group of young Georgian Armenians from Tbilisi, under
the leadership of deacon Gevorg Antonyan, the Head of the Youth Department
of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and the Spiritual supervisor of the
`Hayartun’ Centre, and Levon Isakhanyan, Adviser to the Head of the Diocese
and the Head of the Legal Department of the Diocese, joined by young
Armenians from Armenian-inhabited villages of Marneuli district, visited
Shaumyan village where they conducted gathering of statistic data about
local Armenian community and information gathering about problems faced by
the community. In the meantime donations were collected for restoration of
Shaumyan’s Surb Astvatsatsin Church.

The information gathering campaign ascertained that main problems faced by
the local community are the following: inadequate supply of potable water,
gas supply, and lack of information about various State programs.

In order to facilitate solution of the identified problems Armenian Diocese
in Georgia has sent letters to relevant ministries.

Photo reportage is available at:

Insidethegames.biz
Aug 11 2013

Turkish wrestling world champion Kayaalp banned for racism

Sunday, 11 August 2013

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By Emily Goddard

Rıza KayaalpAugust 11 – Turkish wrestler Rıza Kayaalp, world and
European champion in the 120kg category, has been hit with a six-month
suspension after making racist comments on Twitter.

The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA)
handed the London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, who was his nation’s
flag bearer at the 2013 Mediterranean Games in Mersin, the ban for
allegedly blaming Armenians and Greeks for the anti-Government
protests in Turkey earlier this year.

“These are the Armenian and Greek dogs,” Kayaalp is alleged to have
written of Twitter, as well as “You just leave the streets to
Armenians, you f**ing looters” and “F**k you traitors”.

None of the tweets can be found today.

Clarín.com, Argentina
10 ago 2013

Argentinos, en una lista negra en Azerbaiján

10/08/13

La cancillería de Azerbaiján publicó una lista negra de `personas no
gratas’ a quienes prohibió la entrada al país, entre ellas, el
periodista y editor jefe de la sección de política internacional de
Clarín, Marcelo Cantelmi, y el empresario argentino de origen armenio,
Eduardo Eurnekián.

El listado incluye a un total de 335 personas de diversos países y
profesiones, a quienes se les impide la solicitud de visa debido a que
`violaron la soberanía del país’ y `visitaron ilegalmente los
territorios ocupados de Azerbaiján’, según informó la cancillería.

Ese país mantiene un conflicto con Armenia por el enclave de Nagorno
Karabaj, un territorio ancestral armenio, poblado y gobernado por
descendientes de ese pueblo. Desde hace algunos años, Azerbaiján
considera una `violación de su soberanía’ la visita a Karabaj sin su
consentimiento. Cantelmi, quien viajó al enclave en 2005, calificó la
confección de la lista negra como `un gesto de barbarie’.

Le Podcast Journal
10 août 2013

Festival traditionnel arménien au c`ur de Bucarest

10/08/2013

Entre les 2 et 4 août a eu lieu à Bucarest le festival de la
communauté arménienne. Ils ont offert des concerts, des événements
traditionnels, des plats spécifiques, des témoignages et une incursion
dans la culture de l’Arménie.

Des membres des autres communautés culturelles de Roumanie – grecque,
israélienne,… – y ont été présents également. La musique et les
danses très rythmées et vivantes de cette région orientale ont résonné
dans la rue Armeneasca pendant ces jours et on a pu les écouter mais
aussi apprendre à danser comme les Arméniens.

C’était un moment de grande émotion quand les représentants de la
communauté arménienne ont adressé des remerciements au peuple roumain
qui les a reçus avec chaleur il y a bien des siècles, quand ils ont dû
fuir la “furie” ottomane qui détruisait leur pays; tout en précisant
que la Roumanie fut le premier pays qui leur a offert son aide. Et
c’est bien de savoir que tout au cours des siècles, on a toujours
tenté de garder cette bonté de l’me envers les gens.

Une belle leçon de culture et d’histoire! Rendez-vous l’année
prochaine, le 2 août 2014, dans la rue Armeneasca, pour un nouveau
festival.

Revisiting iZartonk: Attempting to Cross the River

Friday, August 9th, 2013

A 21st Century Zartonk

BY PURAG MOUMDJIAN (BELBOUL)

Ends and Beginnings
On the twenty-fifth of May, I attended the joint funeral of Allen
Yekikian and Sosé Thomassian. Their loved ones shared passionate words
of anger and admiration after the burial, and the day was finished
with a fitting song from the revolutionary past of our homeland. We
arrived that morning melancholy, still traumatized, still in
disbelief; we left, however, inspired, uplifted, and, especially for
some, relieved. The trauma is still there, the disbelief will never
escape us, but both make the inspiration, and what will surely come of
it, all the more pleasant.

It was discussed at great length during the program following the
funeral, but the message resounds. I did not know Allen and Sosé
personally; they were familiar faces, acquaintances at best, yet I and
the many others in the same position felt so affected. In the weeks
preceding the funeral, from the news of the tragic accident in Armenia
to the burial, and even up until this moment, as I sit and write this,
I questioned whether I had the right to feel this way; whether I was
even allowed to feel the same pain their very close friends and loving
families felt.

Others posed the ultimate question: `Why?’ How could this turn of
events be part of God’s plan? Why were their lives cut so short, with
so much left to do? Who is to blame? Why wasn’t I taken in their
stead?’

We all look to our principles to find the answers, but it is right
under our noses. The phrase that has echoed throughout the nation,
even the world, in response to this event, tells the whole story.
`While the prudent stand and ponder, the fool has already crossed the
river.’ The origin of this quote predates even the ARF; it is a line
from Raffi’s 1880 novel Khente, or The Fool. Allen used the quote on a
daily basis, and it was even his email signature. Like anybody’s
favorite quote, it meant to him something more profound than it did to
anyone else, and only after losing him did everybody see why. It is
not just a quote, but also a mentality; it’s the tenet of a lifestyle
that favors not only being involved in aspects of society, but also
overcoming personal barriers. It is a powerful testament to the human
spirit, and the spirit is dying amid the shocking realities of
humanity’s capability for wickedness.

We look to ourselves and to others to tell us why this happened and
how we should feel; we think these are the pertinent questions. But we
need only to understand Raffi’s powerful words to see what Allen and
Sosé saw long before any of us. We, the prudent, ponder about the
trivial hows and whys of this tragedy. But the greatness is in the
fool; the brave one among the rest who sees the importance in doing
rather than thinking.

Allen and Sosé were certainly fools, for while their peers stood and
carefully thought, they acted on their conviction. We must follow in
their footsteps and stop our pondering. Allen and Sosé were not lost
without reason – they crossed the river first so that the others,
including you and me, knew what they were facing. We must cross the
river – and we know from Allen and Sosé’s bravery that the river is wide
and the current is strong; but it is all that is stopping us from
emerging on the other side rejuvenated, revitalized, and most of all,
reawakened.

Revisiting iZartonk
Awakening. Zartonk. The first time I heard the word zartonk was in
reference to an old book on the history of the ARF. Just as the
forefathers of this movement had an awakening, Allen cognized the one
we as an organization and as a people are undergoing. The very same
zartonk that we are stopping in its tracks by refusing to cross the
river. While the zartonk of our forefathers was one of ink, paper, and
knowledge, this one – this technological reawakening that Allen called
iZartonk – is one of smartphones, the internet, and knowledge still;
this time, however, the knowledge is both figuratively and literally
boundless.

This reawakening comes as welcome news. We are rapidly approaching the
centennial of the start of the Armenian Genocide: April 24th, 1915,
when over two hundred of these awakened intellectuals were seized and
executed in Turkey. The pressure is rising; the weight of our nation’s
future lies on the shoulders of ready and willing youth with an
ungrounded and unguided passion for liberating themselves and the rest
of the Armenian people from the century-old wound that has festered
for too long.

We are bound by tradition that neither prescribes nor can foster the
potential impetus of an unhalted iZartonk movement. We are attempting
to heal a century-old wound with century-old methods when the end of
the 20th century and the infancy of the 21st brought new, innovative,
and effective instruments of healing.

The obstacle that we are now faced with, as we get closer and closer
to the prophesied point of no return, is breaking from the mold of a
19th century philosophy, bearing in mind where we came from and where
we have been so as to have a sense of where to go. Allen serves as the
progenitor of this credo; his death is the most powerful reminder of
his noble goal and its necessary course.

The Philosophy of iZartonk
Allen’s 2010 article, `A 21st Century Zartonk: An iRevival in the
Modern Age of iFedayees,’ a collaboration with Paul Chaderjian, acts
as the consolidated doctrine of iZartonk and rightfully established
him as the spearhead of the movement. Through his introduction of this
philosophy in the AYF, he energized the organization and internalized
the utilization of social media as a vessel for mass communication
about social issues.

The youth, therefore, are inherently at the center of this movement.
The resource pool that only this generation of young Armenians
possesses should be the focus of our efforts. We should be teaching
young Armenians how to communicate through the mainstream, utilizing
the various facets of the very broad wealth of information and
communicative media.

I have deliberately targeted mass media as a whole for this project.
Young Armenians all over the world have access to the physical and
digital tools and the creative capacity necessary to bring this
forward, but they are gathering dust, going unused. The minds of the
genuinely creative young Armenians are degenerating into hollow shells
because of the disparity present between their sociopolitical goals
and their artistic ones.

So the challenge stands in engaging these Armenian youth, devoted and
passionate in spirit but detached in creative applications to convey
such. And the solution lies in reaching out to the large populations
of Armenian students and youth and, in the simplest terms, telling
them that these resources exist, are likely within their reach, and
have the power of communication beyond restraint.

The most basic and introductory of these resources, and in many ways
the only one you really need, is sitting in your pocket right now. The
sheer number of audiences one can reach in one social media campaign
is enough to warrant its use in furthering the Armenian cause. But the
young generation, equipped with an unmatched passion for that and so
many other causes, as well as smartphones that they already use every
day, don’t even think twice.

I can’t help but smile when, around April twenty-fourth, every year,
my friends start posting images on Facebook and Instagram of Armenian
flags and the ARF’s coat of arms, captioned with their generic
messages of optimism about the future of our cause. But my smile fades
as I realize that is where it ends.

The Expressive Arts
I speak not only about sharing through social media; again, it was
with full intent that I proposed a mass media revival. Armenian youth
must control every form of media, every form of communication: in
writing, fictional and non, like stories and articles; visual art,
expressive and literal, like paintings and photographs; film, creative
and informative, like short films and PSAs; serialization, diverse in
genre, like web shows and podcasts; and finally music, fun and
enlightening all the same.

The resources for all of these are already there, most of them free or
affordable. The course of action is simply to give the proverbial push
to these young Armenians; we must show them how filmmaking opens its
arms to students without any professional gear and how music
production has been simplified to plugging an instrument into a
computer and playing.

These self-expressive arts will drive iZartonk to its apex, and I
should hope that they do soon. It is in our hands to push this project
forward, and if we wish to truly rejuvenate, revitalize and reawaken,
we have no more than a year to reach the Armenian youth with this
message and the next one to start developing their role in mainstream
media.

I envision summits – one, or four, or forty – taking place all over the
world for Armenian youth to attend where industry professionals and
young enthusiasts already starting these initiatives can bring their
expertise to the audiences of young Armenians with a devotion to
service around the world. Globalizing this project will not only unify
the geographically and culturally distanced diasporan populations, but
also empower Armenians in a primarily technology-driven society who
feel otherwise powerless or without a voice.

Beginnings and Ends
Allen and Sosé crossed the river ahead of any of us so that we may
know the true, predestined master plan for establishing iZartonk as a
conclusive philosophy by the youth and for the youth. The emergence of
this movement at our hands and its eventual absorption into our
collective philosophy and society will be the greatest tribute we
could give Allen and the greatest celebration of his convictions and
life’s work.

And even if we can’t get there, we’ll have put forward a unified
effort towards a collective goal, and that in itself is a zartonk of
the Armenian people.

Armenia needs energy-efficient construction professionals – architects’ union

August 10, 2013 | 06:12

YEREVAN. – Armenia is in need of energy effective construction
professionals, Mkrtich Minasyan, Head of the Union of Architects of
Armenia, told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In his words, energy-efficient technologies and building materials are
not frequently used in Armenia.

`There is a demand for such buildings, but there is no corresponding
school of professionals and construction technology cycle,’ Minasyan
explained.

According to him, the other problem is that energy-efficient
technologies increase the construction budget.

`[And] this pushes back the potential clients. [But] there can be no
development without it,’ the architect concluded.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Georgia resumes Russian natural gas supply to Armenia

August 10, 2013 | 13:44

YEREVAN. – The Russian natural gas supply to Armenia, via Georgia, has
resumed.

The gas supply resumed on Friday at 7:20pm, ArmRusGazprom Company
informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the natural gas transport
company of Georgia had formally informed ArmRusGazprom that gas supply
to Armenia would be suspended as of Thursday at 9am.

On Thursday and Friday, the Georgian company planned to carry out
repair work at the Krasny Most natural gas metering station, the
ArmRusGazprom press service had informed.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armenian soldier appeared in Azerbaijani territory has been taken to Baku

12:23, 10 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS: Armenian serviceman who crossed
accidently Armenian-Azerbaijani border has been transferred to Baku –
Defense Ministry. `Armenpress’ reports that about this informs Trend
agency. Azerbaijani secretary of state on prisoners of war and
hostages Shahin Sailov mentioned that next week Armenian soldier will
meet representatives of Red Cross International Committee who will
find out whether he wants to return to Armenia or leave for a third
country.

Earlier Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army informed that Hakob
Injighulyan at about 03:00 at night of August 7-8 during his service,
born in 1991, did not manage to orient in the territory and crossed
the Karabakh-Azerbaijan border and appeared on the territory protected
by the rival’s troops.

First Deputy Defense Minsiter of the Republic of Armenia Davit Tonoyan
on August 9 hosted the delegate of Red Cross International Committee
Dragana Rankovich and discussed issues relating to Hakob
Injighulyan. in order to exclude possible manipulations and
misinformation Davit Tonoyan officially applied to Red Cross
International Committee to assure Hakob Injighulyan that the case will
not create legal consequences for him. The aim of applying to the
Committee is also the organizing the safe return of Armenain citizen
in case of readiness of Azerbaijani side.

Human trafficking cases decrease in Armenia

13:53 09/08/2013 » Society

8 cases of human trafficking were recorded in the first six months of
this year in Armenia, marking a decrease by 7 compared to the same
period of the previous year (15), Armenian Deputy Prosecutor General
Mnatsakan Sargsyan said during the board meeting of the Prosecutor
General’s Office.

Studies by NGOs and international organizations show a decline in the
risk of human trafficking in Armenia. It is due to the increase of
awareness of human trafficking among population, particularly among
vulnerable groups as well as strict punishment of human traffickers,
Sargsyan said.

7 human trafficking cases were opened in the first six months of this
year against 8 in the same period in 2012.

Armenia’s progress in the fight against human trafficking was also
recorded in the annual report of the US State Department.