Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AZOUZ: SYRIA FACES GLOBAL WAR UNDER SPREADING DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS’ PRETEXTS

Jun 13, 2013

Geneva, (SANA)- Chairman of the General Federation of Trade Unions,
Mohammad Shaaban Azouz stressed that Syria is facing a multipolar
global war led by the US, Britain, France and Turkey and funded by
some reactionary Arab countries.

“Under the pretexts of spreading democracy and protecting the human
rights, thousands of terrorists from all the countries of the world
were trained, armed and sent to Syria to kill the Syrian people and
destroy their state, in addition to imposing economic, banking and oil
unjust sanctions against the Syrians,” Azouz told the 102nd session
of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conference in Geneva
on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the war on Syria caused tragedies for millions
of Syrians as thousands of them were martyred, among them more than
a thousand workers, in addition to destroying, burning and looting
of thousands of industrial establishments, infrastructure and big
industrial cities.

He stressed that the reason behind the war on Syria is its support
to the resistance.

Azouz called on the participants in the conference to condemn this
flagrant aggression on Syria and to stop the Syrian bloodshed.

He wondered about the stance of the IOL towards the killing,
destruction and damage affected the Syrian laborers, their companies
and houses, asserting that the Federation notified the Organization
of the names of the workers who were martyred and the losses affected
the workers and their properties.

H. Zain/ Ghossoun

ARMENIA TO RECORD 5% GDP GROWTH THROUGHOUT 2013-2015: WB REPORT

YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. Armenia will reach a 5% GDP growth in 2013
and will maintain it throughout 2014-2015, says the WB global economic
prospects 2013 report released Thursday.

The authors say the Armenian economy will keep growing more moderately
in 2013-2015 against the 2012 high growth rates. The country will
be pursuing cautious tax, budgetary and monetary policies to avoid
“overheating” of the economy, reads the report.

Some other CIS countries’ GDP will grow as follows: Russia – by 2.3%
in 2013, 3.5% in 2014 and 3.9% in 2015, Georgia – 4% in 2013, 6.3% in
2014 and 6% in 2015, Azerbaijan – 4.8% in 2013-2014 and 2.9% in 2015.

Global GDP will grow by about 2.2% this year, 3% and 3.3% in 2014
and 2015 respectively, according to the report.

Armenia’s GDR rose by 7.2% in 2012. Under the 2013 budget, the
country’s GDP is expected to grow by 6.2%. Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan assigned the government to ensure 7% economic growth in 2013.

As per the projection of the Central Bank, economic growth
will constitute 5-6% by the end of 2013. -0- – See more at:

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN EXPEDITION STARTS CLIMBING ARAGATS

YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. Participants of Armenian-Russian scientific
and tourist expedition “Towards single CIS youth tourist space”
started climbing the four-peak Mount Aragats at 9:00 in the morning,
after a day spent at 3,200 meters for acclimatization, Novosti-Armenia
reported.

The expeditionists plan to climb the southern (3,879 meters) and the
western (4,080 meters) peaks.

The day before they had a pre-trek acclimatization walk on Mount Urts
(3,485 meters), the group instructor Edgar Navasardyan said.

According to the head of sports tourism chair of the Russian academy
of tourism Yevgeniy Baranov, Aragats is promising in terms of tourism
development.

The mount is quite easy for climbing and is not for alpinists: it is
rather a beautiful place for amateur hikers, Baranov said.

The second scientific and tourism expedition “Towards single CIS youth
tourist space” is organized by the Russian International Academy for
Tourism and its branch, Armenian Institute of Tourism.

The participants will have fascinating tours with climbing, rock
climbing, hiking and bicycle races.

The expedition is supported by the South Caucasus Railway, Bank
VTB (Armenia), the Republican Party of Armenia, the National
Assembly and the Russian Embassy to Armenia. -0- – See more at:

ISTANBUL TO HOST DISCUSSION IN MEMORY OF THE 20 HUNCHAKIAN GALLOWS

18:30 12.06.2013

Istanbul’s Cezayir Hall will host a discussion on June 13 dedicated
to the 20 Armenian activists hung in Istanbul’s Sultan Bayazid Square
on June 15, 1915, akunq.net reports, quoting haytert.com website of
Istanbul Armenians.

According to the source, this open-door event has been initiated by
Firdevs Periloglu, Erol Yeþilyurt.

The main speaker at the event will be Ragib Zarakolu, Director of the
Belge publishing house, which has published a number of books on the
Armenian Genocide.

A ceremony commemorating the above-mentioned 20 Hunchakian activists
will be organized on June 15.

OSCE: JAILING OF JOURNALISTS HAS ‘CHILLING EFFECT’ ON TURKISH MEDIA

June 13, 2013 – 14:22 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The imprisonment of journalists is having a “chilling
effect” on Turkey’s media, which exercised self-censorship during this
month’s anti-government protests, Europe’s main rights and democracy
watchdog said, according to Reuters.

Dunja Mijatovic, representative for media freedom at the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said 67 journalists
were behind bars in Turkey – the largest number among the body’s 57
member states.

Even though it was a decline compared with the OSCE survey last year,
when it said 95 journalists were in prison, Mijatovic made clear
the underlying situation facing newspapers and broadcasters had
not improved.

“I simply cannot understand how come so many journalists in Turkey
are potential terrorists,” she told Reuters, referring to the
anti-terrorism legislation under which many are held.

Freedom of media and expression in the country is “not only under
threat, it is damaged already,” Mijatovic said in comments that were
cleared for publication on Thursday, when her office presented its
latest report on its activities in the OSCE area.

She also painted a generally gloomy picture about the situation
elsewhere in a geographical area that stretches from Vancouver in
the west to Vladivostok in the east.

“There are no attempts to ease (pressure) on the internet or introduce
legislation that can foster free expression. On the contrary,” she
said. “What I see is that freedom is in danger.”

Mijatovic singled out countries including Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Russia, central Asian and Balkan states. She also expressed concern
about developments in the United States, where phone records of the
Associated Press news agency were seized, and Britain, where political
parties have agreed a new system to regulate the media.

Mijatovic said Turkish media in general during the unrest “did not
report and were showing the society a completely different picture”,
and that there was huge self-censorship.

“It is probably the intimidation that built over the years, the
chilling effect of knowing that you can end up in prison overnight
and be detained or accused,” she said.

ORGANIZERS SAY LARGEST ROCK CLIMBING FESTIVAL IN ARMENIA A HUGE SUCCESS

13:49, June 13, 2013

The largest rock climbing festival in Armenia to date kicked-off on
May 23 in Noravank, an area known for its challenging jagged cliffs
and precipices.

Organized by the “Up the Rocks” Armenian club, in collaboration with
Petzl and SNAPEC, this year’s “Arev Rock Climbing Festival” was the
third such festival in Armenia and lasted for an entire week

Mkhitar Mkhitaryan, one of the founders of Up the Rocks, said the
festival attracted thirty participants, seven local Armenians, and
the others from various countries such as the Czech Republic, Norway,
South Korea, China, and France.

Vasken Koutoudjian was asked by the director of Petzl to start
communicating with “Up the Rocks” this winter, and learn more about
the climbing initiatives in Armenia.

Koutoudjian was born in France to an Armenian father and a climber
who came to France from Marash after the Genocide.

Vasken started climbing seriously as an adult. He travelled, climbed
a lot, and was involved with several French Alpine clubs.

Ten years ago, he became a professional rock climbing instructor,
getting involved with the International Mountaineering and Climbing
Federation.

He had always wanted to visit Armenia, and after discovering the
potential the country has for climbing, and the possible involvement
Petzl, he had even more reason to do so.

Vasken thought the festival went very well and was enthusiastic about
discovering this new landscape. During the festival, Vasken trained
six people as certified rock climbing instructors according to UIAA
standards, thus helping to build the sport of climbing and grow its
community in Armenia.

“I can’t compare this festival to those in Europe. The people and
culture in this area of the world are completely different. But I
think it went great. It was a wonderful experience to learn from
one another and to work towards a common project. We can only wish
that in the years to come, more and more people become involved,”
Vasken said, adding that the success of the festival and Armenia’s
naturally rocky landscape have made a lasting impression on him.” I
would like to return in the fall, further involve myself in Armenia
and develop more outdoor activities here”

Mkhitar said this festival was different from the first two because
they invited children from the local villages of Areni and Arpeni
to participate twice throughout the week. Around fifty children
participated.

“We really wanted to involve young children and students and introduce
them to the sport of climbing and get them interested in developing
their own skills, given they have these rocks in their backyard. We
have high hopes for them, and they all came away very enthusiastic
about the sport. At the end of June, we were invited to participate
at an International climbing event in Georgia, so we picked four
children that were the most enthusiastic and showed a high level of
improvement in a short period of time,” Mkhitar explained

Luca Keushguerian, a member of Up the Rocks, as well as an organizer
and participant of the Arev Armenian Rock Climbing Festival, echoed
Vasken and Mkhitar’s sentiments.

“If you look all around, you can see that climbing in Armenia has
already started to grow, and is going to continue by organizing
festivals like this one, and by raising general awareness of the
sport.”

Luca noted that as a group, with a lot of help from the professional
rock climbers who attended the festival, they must have doubled the
amount of climbable routes and installed some for beginners as well.

“There is a lot of untapped potential here in Armenia, unlike places
in Italy and France where climbing has been around for a long time.

Climbing in Armenia is very new, probably one or two generations at
most. But, because of that, there is a lot of room for growth and
exploration,” Luca said.

TRUTUBE TV’S 60 MINUTES PROGRAM FOCUSES ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

June 13, 2013 – 13:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Trutube TV’s 60 Minutes program aired a segment on
the Armenian Genocide, with an American writer and historian Peter
Balakian and the daughter of a killed Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrank Dink invited as guests.

The program host and Balakian travelled the desert of Deir-ez-Zor,
the scene of tragedy. The program further dwelled on the history of
the Genocide and the U.S. response to the atrocities, detailing a
diplomatic correspondence between the consuls and ambassador Morgentau.

U.S. leader Barack Obama’s pledge to recognize the Genocide, only
to go back on his words after assuming presidency was also discussed
along with Armenian-Turkish Protocols, Incirlik Air Base and demands
of American Armenians to recognize the Genocide.

ZHAMANAK: SUREN KHACHATRIAN HOPES TO RETURN TO HIS POST

Thursday,
June 13

The appointment of a new governor of Syunik province is not on
the agenda of today’s session of the Armenian government. Acting
governor Ara Dolunts will continue to be the regional administrator,
“Zhamanak” daily writes. According to the paper, the ex-governor
of Syunuk Suren Khachatrian hopes to return to his post after the
preliminary investigation ends, with the June 1 incident near his
house being presented as actions of self-defense.

“On the other hand, the authorities have a serious countermeasure
against such development of events, and it is no accident that the
mass media have begun to report about old and recent sins of Suren
Khachatrian,” the paper notes.

TODAY, 11:30

Aysor.am

ARMENIAN IS SUSPECTED OF BAMO CO-OWNER HOVIK MURADYAN’S MURDER

The murder of the co-owner of BAMO Construction Company Hovik Muradyan
was ordered and is probably related to his business. According to the
Russia-based Izvestia which cites investigators, Muradyan’s murderer
is searched among his compatriots. According to them, ethnic elements
can be noticed in the stabbing action.

Note that the crime was committed last night, next to the entrance of
The Lotte Plaza Hotel. The murderer was wearing a mask. He attacked
Hovik Muradyan while entering the hotel and stabbed him several times.

The businessman died immediately. The murderer escaped the scene in
a car. The security cameras recorded all the process.

Pastinfo 11:49 13/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

COURT REJECTS OPPOSITIONIST’S CLAIM AGAINST EX-MP

NEWS | 13.06.13 | 11:30

A lower court for Yerevan’s Avan and Nor-Nork communities on Thursday
rejected the lawsuit filed by opposition member and civic activist
David Sanasaryan against former member of parliament and representative
of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan, reports
Pastinfo.

Sanasaryan, who was actively involved in protests in the wake of
the deadly beating of a military doctor at a restaurant owned by
Hayrapetyan’s family in June last year, had sued the ex-lawmaker
over his ‘insults and threats’ made in an interview with the French
Nouvelles d’Armenie magazine in August, demanding that his ‘good name,
honor and dignity’ be restored.

Last year another court rejected a similar lawsuit against Hayrapetyan
filed by human rights activist Artur Sakunts, who demanded a public
apology and symbolic damages over what he argued was insult against
him made by Hayrapetyan during a television program.