HRAPARAK: YEREVAN-ETCHMIADZIN MICROBUS FARE RAISED TO AMD 400
11:10 07/08/2013 ” DAILY PRESS
Transport fare has been raised in Etchmiadzin recently. Thus,
Yerevan-Etchmiadzin microbus fare, increased to AMD 400 from AMD 300 in
parallel with the recent transport fare hikes in Yerevan, has remained
unchanged despite the Transport Minister’s repeated assertions that
interregional bus fares will not be hiked, Hraparak reports.
Source: Panorama.am
AZERBAIJAN’S BLACK LIST AIMED TO TERRORIZE NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEOPLE – EXPERTS
10:15 07.08.13
The black list recently released by Azerbaijan, which includes a
number of well-known people that visited Nagorno-Karabakh, is aimed at
terrorizing both foreign citizens willing to visit Nagorno-Karabakh and
the Nagorno-Karabakh people themselves, the ex-FM of Nagorno-Karabakh
Arman Melikyan told Tert.am.
Azerbaijan’s behavior is conducive to Nagorno-Karabakh being viewed
as a territory under Azerbaijan’s sovereign jurisdiction.
As to the black list’s possible impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process, Melikyan said that “this is a practical step to
uphold the political claims of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] being
part of Azerbaijan, which, if not politically opposed, may cause the
negotiations to result in a settlement in Azerbaijan’s favor.”
The black list is also a component of humanitarian blockade of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
With respect to countermeasures by Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Melikyan pointed out the need for new elements in Armenia’s
foreign policy. Of high importance is putting the issue of the rights
of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan on the negotiation agenda.
The political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan pointed out Azerbaijan
is pursuing two aims. First, Azerbaijan’s authorities are showing the
public they are keeping track of the developments and are trying to
impede Nagorno-Karabakh’s steady development.
“On the other hand, it is a means of psychological pressure on the
people willing to visit Artsakh. This is kind of punitive measures
against Artsakh, and many businessmen will refrain from activities
in Artsakh for fear of worsening their relations with Azerbaijan,”
Melik-Shahnazaryan said.
However, in defiance of Azerbaijan’s steps, the black list is not so
effective, and people visiting Nagorno-Karabakh always become aware
of the conflict.
Armenian News – Tert.am
ARMENIANS UNDERGO EVIDENT DISCRIMINATION
Before calling Armenians to return home, lawyer, historian, diplomat
Ara Papyan advises to think that a lot of Armenians prefer to live
in Russia where the Armenians undergo evident discrimination.
“I see that there they catch and detain people, with their hands
behind their heads, extensively, as it was done in Germany once. And
it does not matter what positions the Armenians hold in Russia because
when Armenians were massacred in the Ottoman Empire, they also held
high-ranking positions,” Papyan said.
He says he worries about the destiny of all those ordinary Armenians
who have opened a small kiosk in Russia to improve their life but
are undergoing discrimination today.
“Imperialism has a bad consequence, all the mother countries accept
migrants from colonies, this is natural. France accepts migrants
from North Africa. Russia has to admit that it is obliged to accept
migrants because when they were forcing everyone to learn Russian,
they should have known that those people would be knocking at their
door in the future,” Papyan thinks.
He remembers how the statue of Andranik was placed in Sochi and later
removed for state reasons.
“The chairman of the Union of Armenians knew that if he defied, the
tax service would send him into bankruptcy. And here, why don’t we
remove the statues of Griboyedov, Pushkin? We just expect a similar
attitude from Russia,” Papyan says.
Roza Hovhannisyan 11:55 07/08/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
PLUS DE 400 EXERCICES DE DEFENSE AERIENNE DANS LA BASE MILITAIRE RUSSE EN ARMENIE
ARMENIE
Les unites de la defense aerienne de la base militaire russe a realise
plus de 400 exercices avec environ 70 pratiques d’enseignement et
d’essais de tir en Armenie au cours de l’hiver 2012/2013.
La performance de la division a ete evaluee comme ” bonne ” a la fin
des exercices.
mercredi 7 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com
4 POUR CENT DES GEORGIENS AFFIRMENT QUE L’ARMENIE CONSTITUE UNE MENACE
ARMENIE
Quatre pour cent des Georgiens pensent que l’Armenie constitue une
menace pour leur pays selon une enquete.
Le sondage commande par l’IRI et finance par l’USAID a ete menee
auprès de 3998 residents de la Georgie. Les resultats ont revele
que la Russie est consideree comme l’ennemi principal. Six pour cent
croient que la Turquie est une menace pour le pays.
Selon le sondage 57 pour cent des Georgiens pensent que la Russie
est un ennemi et 30 pour cent considèrent la Russie comme un ami.
Les Etats-Unis sont en tete de la liste des partenaires, suivie par
l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Ukraine.
mercredi 7 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com
EREVAN ESPERE DES GAINS RAPIDES DE SON ACCORD AVEC L’UE
ARMENIE
L’Armenie espère gagner des avantages economiques rapides et
significatifs grâce a son futur accord d’association avec l’Union
europeenne a declare un depute pro-gouvernemental a Erevan.
Gagik Minasian, president d’une commission parlementaire armenienne sur
les finances et les affaires budgetaires, a pointe les negociations
d’association avec l’UE alors qu’il enumerait les efforts du
gouvernement pour attenuer les difficultes socio-economiques et
stopper les departs du pays.
” Avec la signature de l’accord d’association, nous aurons de nouvelles
opportunites d’investissements et d’emplois, ce qui permettra de
creer de nouvelles possibilites afin de resoudre le problème ” a
declare Gagik Minasian au service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).
L’accord d’association, qui devrait etre finalisee en Novembre
permettra a l’Armenie d’acceder a une zone de libre-echange approfondie
et complète (DCFTA) avec les Etats membres de l’UE qui constituent
le marche le plus important et le plus prospère du monde.
Citant une etude independante, la Commission europeenne a declare
la semaine dernière que la DCFTA approfondie et complète permettra
a l’economie armenienne de gagner un supplement de 146 millions d’~@
(190 millions de dollars) du volume commercial annuel ce qui represente
une augmentation de 2,3 pour cent de son produit interieur brut.
On attend egalement du vaste accord une conference parrainee par l’UE
des donateurs internationaux qui pourrait permettre une aide economique
a grande echelle a l’Armenie. Le president Serge Sarkissian a dit a
plusieurs reprises aux responsables europeens ces derniers mois que
cette aide est vitale pour la mise en ~uvre de reformes politiques
et economiques promises par son administration.
mercredi 7 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com
ARMENIA SEEKS TO DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH KURDISTAN
Department of Foreign Relations, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq
Aug 6 2013
Erbil, Kurdistan – Iraq (KRG.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of
Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa received the Armenian Deputy
Minister of Economy, Mr. Tigran Harutyunyan, and his accompanying
delegation today.
The delegation includes an Armenian Member of Parliament, Mr. Manvel
Badeyan; the Ambassador of Armenia to Iraq, Mr. Murad Muradian, and
leaders and representatives from Armenian businesses. The aim of the
visit is to further develop ties between Kurdistan and Armenia,
Speaking on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Minister
Mustafa said that the KRG is dedicated to solidifying relations with
Armenia. He said, ‘We have seen a commitment to further developing
relations from both side, and I hope that Armenia opens a diplomatic
representation in Kurdistan to increase political, economic and
social relations’
He also added that diplomatic presence would help further develop
cultural and educational exchanges between both sides.
The meeting also touched on the tragic and difficult past that both
nations have endured in their history with Minister Mustafa briefing
the Deputy Minister about the path which the Kurdistan Regional
Government has adopted in order to be successful. This includes the
passage of investor friendly laws in Kurdistan, opening up to the
international community and helping establish Kurdistan as a gateway
to the rest of Iraq.
Deputy Minister Harutyunyan underlined significant interest shown by
Armenian companies to invest in Kurdistan and that they were examining
the possibilities of joint ventures with local businesses. He added
that he is hopeful of Armenia opening up a diplomatic representative
office, but said that discussions on the details remain ongoing
within the Armenian government. He also spoke about the universities
and educational facilities that exist in Armenia and how they may
be of use to people from Kurdistan, emphasising on the importance of
building relations between not only the leaders but also between the
people of Armenia and Kurdistan.
Minister Mustafa expressed his hope that the visit will provide
them with an opportunity to realise what Kurdistan has to offer. He
highlighted the safety and stability being a key factor in the economic
development of Kurdistan and noted that the KRG has earmarked three key
sectors for investment, which are agriculture, industry and tourism.
The Deputy Minister thanked the Department of Foreign Relations
for their assistance so far and expressed his pleasure at meeting
with Minister Mustafa. Also present in the meeting were a number of
officials from the KRG Department of Foreign Relations.
A WEEK IN PROSHIAN
Tuesday, August 6th, 2013
Youth Corps group leader Arek Santikian with one of the Proshian
campers on their last day.
BY AREK SANTIKIAN
It is definitely not enough. One week in Proshian is just too short.
It’s too short for “Jampar” (camp). It’s too short to understand the
value of the village, its people, the fallen heroes that lived there
and their families that continue to do so. Only a mere 15 minutes
outside of Yerevan, but a drastically different place. A week is too
short, but I’m glad I was able to at least have that.
Where do I begin? I didn’t know much about Proshian’s history before
coming here. Nor did I get a chance to ask, as I soon realized its
significance during the Artsakh liberation movement and thereafter,
is enough history to digest during a short, one-week stay. Proshian
was one of the first villages to send fighters to Artsakh from
Armenia during the early 1990s. It is also home to fallen Artsakh
heroes, including Bedros Ghevondyan, Garod Megerdchian, and
the recently murdered Hrach Mouradian. It continues to be home
for their families, as well as many other freedom fighters, or
“azadamardiks.” This reality, in and of itself, makes Proshian a
special place. When embarking on this 6-week program, I knew we would
meet such individuals and their families, but I didn’t comprehend the
effect it would have on me. We sing songs about their battles and in
their memory, but shaking the hand of their brothers and fathers,
hugging their children, seeing the house in which they would rest,
evoke an emotion that is indescribable, but I will try to nonetheless.
Beautiful. Inspiring. Motivating. Uplifting.
It was an everyday occurrence, as different people would visit Jampar
throughout the day. Garod’s brother and father were regular visitors.
Bedo’s relatives opened their home to show us some of his belongings,
including the hat we see him wearing in almost all of his pictures.
Hrach’s children participated in our Jampar and his son, Kevork, even
stayed overnight as “bahag” (guard) one night. Everywhere we’d turn
someone was there as proof that their memory and work will continue
to live on for generations.
When surrounded by the families of so many fallen heroes in Proshian,
I can’t help but also think of those close to me that left far too
early and without whom I wouldn’t be a group leader for AYF Youth
Corps today. Every day, either during Jampar or after, I think about
Sose and Allen constantly. It is difficult not to. During Jampar I am
surrounded by the fruit of their hard work and vision. After Jampar,
I wish I could ask for their advice on certain decisions. We conduct
each day of Jampar in their ever present and contagious spirit. Their
inspiration is present even as I write this blog. I hope they are
proud, but I’m sure I can do better.
This year thus far has been difficult for Proshian. On April 2nd,
the mayor of Proshian, Hrach Mouradian, was murdered in broad daylight.
The assassin(s) are still unpunished. I’m not even sure that someone
has been arrested. Why?! Why him?! An “azadamardik,” a proven hero,
someone that willingly put his life on the line for the betterment
of the country, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) member,
someone that had been elected mayor 3 times, and was a loved and
respected individual. Why him?! Why, after 4 months, has no one been
punished?! The story reeks of political motives as the election for a
new mayor found the Republican Party, the current president’s party,
“victorious.” A hero was replaced by a man representing a party
of crooks and thugs. What is most troubling is that there are no
witnesses that have come forward, more than likely out of fear,
to testify. If these thugs won’t hesitate to murder a mayor, they
certainly won’t hesitate to murder any witnesses.
I wish I had the chance to meet Unger (Comrade) Hrach, as I heard
he was a frequent visitor of Jampar during the prior two years it
was in Proshian. This year, the third year of Jampar in Proshian, we
decided to conduct the one-week camp in his name, to show the village,
those responsible for his death, and those responsible for failing
to punish the murderers, that the youth today, though separated by
thousands of miles, are unified and will always remember Unger Hrach
and what he represents. His death will not be in vain, and I can show
you 180 kids and counselors who agree.
Children at the AYF Youth Corps’ Proshian camp
In Proshian, Jampar started Monday with over 100 kids. The next day,
the number grew to 150, the maximum number we can accept. The next day,
even more kids showed up, forcing us to turn them away, undeniably
the worst part about being group leader. We even had kids showing up
on the second to last day, begging to participate.
Nevertheless, we had the fortune to interact with a very special
group of kids. Some stood out more than others. Whether it was
through their exceptional singing, or entertaining personality, we
embraced the opportunity to meet them all. Moreover, the Jampar was
very special for Youth Corps participants because both groups worked
together for a week, and they had a great time doing so. The day was
full of high energy and excitement, which allowed for productive song
practice and competitive games between color groups. The camp concluded
with a memorable song competition, featuring Garod’s nieces singing
a song dedicated to their uncle, talented singers displaying their
beautiful voices, and a group performance of “Verkerov Li”, dedicated
to Unger Hrach. Typically, song competition makes counselors proud
of their campers as it reflects the hard work they put into teach the
kids songs all week long. This song competition went a step further,
touching all of us, and making the parents and members of the community
and beyond, proud of the village’s children.
I can’t conclude my thoughts about Jampar in Proshian without
mentioning a vital key to its success, Unger Kevork Parseghian. At
the beginning of the week, he was just the father of my close friend,
Berj. At week’s end, he became my Unger. I didn’t know much about him,
and he doesn’t like to talk about himself much, even though he, too,
fought in the Artsakh war. He is a genuine “Tashnagtsagan” (Federation
member), dedicated to the ideal of humbleness. Despite this, I was able
to pick his brain during our various meetings throughout the day or
during our drives into Yerevan to buy food for camp. At first he told
me I didn’t have to go with him, but I insisted, and I’m glad I did. I
learned a lot from Unger Kevork. I not only heard his stories about
battles in Artsakh or the Lebanese civil war (which he also fought in)
but also lessons about life, and in particular, Armenian life. He moved
to Proshian nine years ago, and has somehow remained calm in the face
of many obstacles that have pushed him to the edge of frustration.
Perhaps the most notable memory I will have of him is from one of
our drives into Yerevan at 8:30 in the morning. After pointing out
all of the things wrong with the current state of Armenia, he told me
“Yete hayrenikit mech bidi chi baykaris, baykareluh animasd eh” (“If
you are not willing to fight for your country in your country, then
your fight has no meaning).” At first I didn’t understand his point,
because I don’t think one has to be in Armenia in order to fight for
its betterment. But eventually, I figured out that’s not what he is
saying. What he means is that that the country we want Armenia to
become will not come into being unless we, and all Armenians alike,
create a direct connection to it. And I wholeheartedly agree. We need
to visit Armenia and spend time there, in order to understand it. And
if we are able to, we must live there, not with the expectation that
we are here to fix it, but with the desire to contribute to it. For
generations, including those from Unger Kevork’s generation, a free
and independent Armenia was just a dream. We now have a country that
we can call our own, so it is up to us to unequivocally embrace it.
That conversation had my mind racing throughout the whole week. The
needs for Armenia are vast, just like any other country. What this
country needs is leadership that genuinely cares for it; leadership
that values and invests the country’s beauty and potential. The
people are thirsty for work. Not just work that will pay the bills,
but work that will allow the country to grow and become something they
can be proud of, something that represents the free and independent
Armenia they have envisioned, and in some cases, died for. The current
leadership is not that. The current leadership is worried about their
personal gain, not that of the country. The current leadership is not
working to find the culprits behind the murder of a village mayor,
an Artsakh war hero. The current leadership doesn’t care that roads
are unpaved or full of potholes; or that water doesn’t run through
every village/city 24 hours a day; or that prices for gas, water and
electricity have increased by large amounts while wages have stayed
the same. But forget about the current leadership! To hell with them!
Just because they don’t care, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. They are not
Armenia. They don’t control you and me. The 150 tram revolution showed
us the people aren’t scared to voice their concerns any longer. The
current leadership’s time will eventually come to an end. It is our
duty to continue working until that happens. We have roughly 8 million
people living in the diaspora and 3 million living in Armenia. It
is time for our collective 11 million to not just say that we care,
but to truly show it.
Visit Armenia, it’s what Bedo, Garod and Hrach died for…and it’s
beautiful.
Live in Armenia, it’s what Sose, Allen and Unger Kevork did…and
it’s home.
VLADIMIR KARAPETYAN: AT A CRUCIAL TURNING POINT THE KREMLIN PREFERS NEGOTIATING WITH AZERBAIJAN, NOT ARMENIA
ArmInfo’s Interview with Vladimir Karapetyan, Chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee of the Armenian National Congress
by Ashot Safaryan
Tuesday, August 6, 19:41
Mr.Karapetyan, what do you think of Armenia’s possible signing of
the Association Agreement with the European Union? What benefits and
probably risks does the document contain?
The signing of the document on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Area (DCFTA), as part of the Association Agreement between the EU
and the Republic of Armenia, contains certain risks. The thing is
that Armenia signed a similar agreement within the CIS last year. The
DCFTA can threaten the similar document within the CIS. That document
allows our exporters to obtain a big profit due to the customs regime
with Russia and other countries of the CIS. Russia is known to have
no free trade agreement with the EU, and we are going to sign such a
document with Brussels. I cannot imagine how we can have free trade
agreements with both Russia and the EU. I am sure neither of these
players will agree to such a state of affairs. We face big risks. I
think it would be quite reasonable to ask the Armenian Foreign Ministry
representatives, who were negotiating with the EU, to explain what
mechanisms the DCFTA has got to mitigate the specified risks. One
should take into account that the EU has already announced the
completion of the negotiations. So, all the possible inconsistencies,
discrepancies and risks must have been removed already. We have the
right to know how they have been removed.
What about the political aspect of the Association Agreement? Can
we expect any serious reforms in Armenia in terms of development of
democratic institutions, improvement of the electoral system, etc.?
I hope the Association Agreement contains all the aspects you have
mentioned. Though the Armenian National Congress is not familiar
with the document, it hopes that the Agreement will contribute
to development of our country, strengthening of our institutions,
adaptation of our legislation to the European standards. If there
are proper controlling mechanisms, this document should certainly be
welcomed in every possible way.
Recently the foreign ministers of Turkey and Azerbaijan have expressed
their discontent with the OSCE Minsk Group. How viable are Ankara’s
efforts of political intervention in the South Caucasus and enhancement
of its role in the Karabakh peace process?
The OSCE Minsk Group can change its name, but the format, i.e. what
countries lead the Minsk Group, is the most important thing. So,
no matter how the name of the structure changes, Russia, the United
States and France will remain the mediators in the Karabakh peace
process. As regards Turkey, I do not think its active involvement in
the peace process is possible, because Armenia won’t simply let it
do that. However, Ankara will have a certain impact on the conflict,
not least because of the “football diplomacy” of Serzh Sargsyan. It
is the so-called “self-motivated” foreign policy of Serzh Sargsyan
that speeded up Ankara’s efforts in the South Caucasus. Moreover,
it is due to that policy that we have reached a deadlock today and
no one doubts that. There is no hope that the relations with Turkey
will improve in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, Turkey has
received Armenia’s consent to set up a commission of historians to
study the facts of the Armenian Genocide. Though Turkey takes no
formal part in the Minsk process, nevertheless, during the high-level
meetings with the Russian or U.S. sides, Turkey’s representatives
easily raise the Karabakh problem and blame Armenia for “occupying
the Azeri territories”.
Back on the Karabakh topic, I should also recall that no high-level
meetings have been held for 1.5 years. These two key problems in
the foreign policy will unlikely be resolved in the near future. On
the whole, the uncertainty in the foreign policy of Armenia and the
socio-economic problems force dozens of thousands of our citizens to
leave the country to look for a better life abroad.
How realistic is the tension in Armenia-Russia relations in the light
of Armenia’s negotiations with the European Union?
I think the Armenian authorities have no resources to conduct an
adequate policy to resist the foreign challenges. They are gradually
becoming inadequate in the eyes of the world community. Indeed,
Russia does not wait for Serzh Sargsyan. One can estimate Russia’s
real attitude towards Armenia even by the fact that Russian President
Vladimir Putin is going to pay his forthcoming visit to Azerbaijan,
not Armenia, though the latter has been waiting for him for over a
year. Moscow is gradually losing confidence in its strategic partner.
Therefore, at a crucial turning point Russia prefers negotiating with
our rival on the key regional problems.
MONUMENT TO PEOPLE HAVING CONTRIBUTION IN RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE ERECTED IN KAPAN
20:59, 6 August, 2013
YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, ARMENPRESS: On occasion of 100th anniversary of
Armenian genocide municipality of Kapan planned to erect a monument
dedicated to Armenians who had contribution in recognizing Armenian
genocide. It will be erected near the monument dedicated to victims
of Armenian genocide.
“The monument should have awakening historic memory and educative
role. It must perpetuate the memory of those guys who chose the way of
suicide fighters and figures that did a great job for recognition. The
symbols of the building must be deeply national, create patriotism
and pride,” said head of urban development department of Kapan
municipality, reports “Armenpress”. The municipality has announced
a contest of projects for the monument and already many applications
have been received.