Author: Kalantarian Kevo

SERGE AVEDIKIAN’S “PARADJANOV” AMONG ODESSA FILM FEST HIGHLIGHTS

June 10, 2013 – 19:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Cannes winner Serge Avedikian’s “Paradjanov” bio
will be screened at the fourth edition of the Odessa International Film
Festival to kick off on July 12 in the Ukrainian Black Sea port city.

Among the highlights of the international competition are Russia’s
Kinotavr Film Festival winner Alexander Vedinsky’s lyrical comedy
The Geographer Has Drunk Away The Globe and The Necessary Death of
Charlie Countryman starring Shia LaBeouf.

Ukrainian film director Alexander Rodnyansky will head the jury,
with the winner to be selected through audience vote.

SUPREME COURT WILL NOT REVIEW ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-ERA INSURANCE CLAIMS CASE

June 10, 2013

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Supreme Court, today, announced that it will not
review a Ninth Circuit Court decision which struck down a California
law extending the statute of limitations on Armenian Genocide-era
insurance claims cases, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

The Supreme Court’s decision not to review the case lets stand a
lower court decision which effectively prevents U.S. citizens from
pursuing redress for unpaid insurance claims by using the rarely
invoked foreign affairs pre-emption doctrine. Plaintiffs challenged
that assertion in a May 24th brief, filed by lead appellate attorney
Igor Timofeyev, calling it “a revolutionary proposition [by the U.S.

Government] that states lack all authority to enact legislation
concerning their citizens’ private claims if they originate in events
that occurred abroad.”

Plaintiffs’ attorney and Armenian Americans groups expressed dismay
about the Supreme Court decision and a commitment to continue efforts
to secure justice for genocide-era victims and their heirs.

“Although we are disappointed the Court did not grant certiorari in
this case, the proper scope of the foreign affairs preemption doctrine
is an important issue that we believe the Court will end up examining
in the future,” explained plaintiffs’ lead attorney Igor Timofeyev,
Esq. of Paul Hastings LLP.

“The refusal of the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s
decision does not mean Armenian Americans are without avenues of
redress and we will not be deterred from pursuing what even the
Solicitor General and lower courts have recognized as unremedied
claims,” explained ANCA Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian.

Bingham McCutcheon LLP partner David Balabanian made clear that “this
case concerned the balance between federal and state authority in
matters affecting foreign relations, not the propriety of recognition
and redress for the evils visited upon Turkey’s Armenians by the last
Ottoman rulers and denied by their successors.” Balabanian represented
a series of human rights and public policy groups including the
Armenian Bar Association, Armenian National Committee of America,
Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research and Documentation,
Inc., Genocide Education Project, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social
Action, Center for the Study of Law & Genocide, and the International
Human Rights Clinic of the University of Southern California Gould
School of Law in filing an amicus brief in support of plaintiffs
position earlier in the process.

“Today, the Republic of Turkey was permitted to infringe upon and
strike at the core of our States’ principal foundations of enacting
good laws and good aims,” explained Garo Ghazarian, Esq. Chairman of
the Armenian Bar Association.

The Armenian Genocide-era insurance claims case has traveled a long and
complex legal path, which has included three separate and conflicting
opinions from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the most recent
on February 23, 2012. That decision struck down the California law
extending the statute of limitations for certain life insurance
claims based on an unprecedented expansion of the rarely invoked
doctrine of foreign affairs field preemption. Defendant Munich Re,
a German insurance company, is represented by Neil Soltman of Mayer
Brown’s Los Angeles office.

Plaintiffs’ petition to the Supreme Court to hear the case was filed
by Igor Timofeyev of Paul Hastings, LLP. Claims for unpaid life
insurance policies dating back to the Armenian Genocide were first
brought by plaintiffs’ attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan. Attorneys who have
been representing plaintiffs include Lee Crawford Boyd, Rajika Shah,
Mark Geragos, and Brian Kabateck.

Among the parties supporting plaintiffs’ appeal were California
Attorney General Kamala Harris, who was joined by Nevada Attorney
General Catherine Cortez Masto, Michigan Attorney General Bill
Schuette, and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. Attorneys
General Masto and Kilmartin had also joined Attorney General Harris on
a previous amicus brief, when it was before the Ninth Circuit. Leading
up to the filing, the ANCA had organized a citizen campaign to engage
attorneys general from across the country about the importance of this
case and defending Armenian-American property claims. An amicus brief
also was filed by several federal and state legislators, including
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who was a lead author of the
California statute at issue when she was a California State Senator,
Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard Berman
(D-Calif.), Representatives David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Anna Eshoo
(D-Calif.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Adam Schiff
(D-Calif.), and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.). Members of the legislature
of the State of California who joined the brief were Senate President
pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, Majority Leader of the Assembly Charles
Calderon (D-58), Senator Kevin de Leon (D-22), Assembly Members Katcho
Achadjian (R-33), and Anthony Portantino (D-44).

A series of amicus briefs were filed in support of the plaintiffs’
petition including a filing by U.S. Federal and State legislators,
filed by attorneys Mary-Christine Sungaila and Seepan Parseghian at
the firm of Snell and Willmer, LLP.

The complete set of filings can be viewed here.

UKRAINIAN WEBSITE TOUCHED UPON YOURI DJORKAEFF’S WISH TO TRAIN ARMENIA’S FOOTBALL SQUAD

15:01, 10 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS. Prominent French football player
of Armenian descent Youri Djorkaeff expressed a wish to train the
Armenian National Football Team. As reports “Armenpress” sportsegodnya
website stated this. Youri Djorkaeff, who was declared world champion
and champion of Europe, finished his brilliant career because of a
trauma he got in 2006. According to the aforesaid website the wish to
train Armenia’s national team has never abandoned Youri Djorkaeff. “It
would be nice to assume that office one day. It will be an interesting
adventure,” Djorkaeff underscored.

Youri Raffi Djorkaeff was born on 9 March, 1968. He played as a
forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team,
Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. He isthe son of
former player Jean Djorkaeff.

He started his career in 1984 with French club Grenoble, before
moving to RC Strasbourg in 1989, AS Monaco in 1990, and then Paris
Saint-Germain in 1995. In 1994, Djorkaeff led Division 1 ingoals
with 20.

In 1996, he signed with Italian giants Internazionale and in 1999,
he transferred to Germany and Kaiserslautern. Djorkaeff turned many
heads when signing with English club Bolton Wanderers in 2002, but
added a lot of class to the team during his three seasons there,
resulting in the creation of an international “dream-team” alongside
the tricky Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha and former Real Madrid midfielder
Ivan Campo. He then transferred to Blackburn Rovers for the 2004-05
season, but left the club after playing in only three games.

Djorkaeff then signed with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer
in February 2005 for $180,000 plus incentives, turning down higher
paid offers from other countries. He became the first French player
to play in MLS and ended the season as the team’s MVP with ten goals
and seven assists in league play.

Djorkaeff announced from the beginning that he would hang-up his boots
at the end of 2006 season, and played for the re-branded New York
Red Bulls. On 1 July 2006, he was spotted in the crowd with French
fans at the FIFA World Cup quarter-final match between France and
Brazil after telling Red Bulls officials he left the club to attend
to “an unexpected, serious family matter in France.” Upon his return,
he revealed that the purpose of his departure was to be with his sick
mother and downplayed watching the World Cup match.

He retired from football on 29 October 2006, after being sidelined
in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semi-finals because
of an ankle injury.

Djorkaeff won the Cup Winners’ Cup with Paris Saint-Germain in 1996
and the UEFA Cup with Internazionale in 1998. He accumulated 82 caps
and scored 28 goals for France. Other than the two major tournament
(the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2000), Djorkaeff also
played for his country in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup

-armenias-national-football-team.html

HELLO YEREVAN WON’T ATTEND TARON MARGARYAN’S SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

Hello Yerevan group of Yerevan Elders’ Council is announcing that
it won’t attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Mayor to be held on
June 11.

On the same day at the same time, the members of the group will hold a
press conference in Freedom Square to dwell on the most urgent issues
of Yerevan and on the future steps of the group.

16:15 10/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER: OSCE MG INTERMEDIARIES HAVE BEEN PREPARING THE MEETING OF PRESIDENTS OF THE TWO CONFLICTING STATES

ARMINFO
Monday, June 10, 14:58

The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are to meet in late
June to discuss preparations for the meeting of the presidents of
the two countries, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
told reporters, as Azerbaijani mass media reported.

Mammadyarov said on his return from Washington that he held a meeting
in London with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and discussed the date and agenda of the forthcoming meeting
of heads of state.

“The purpose of the presidential meeting is the discussion of the
serious issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I look forward
to meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to
comprehensively discuss the preparation for the presidents’ meeting,”
the Minister added.

WOUNDED COLONEL UNDERGOES 3RD SURGERY

03:04 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Military unit commander, Colonel Artak Budaghyan, who was wounded in
the June 1 incident near the house of the former governor of Syunik,
has undergone a third surgery, Spokesman for the Defense Ministry
Artsrun Hovhannisyan said adding that the colonel is already on a
good condition, Pastinfo reports.

Former mayoral candidate in Goris Avetik Budaghyan was killed and
his brother Artak Budaghyan was wounded in the high-profile incident
outside the house of former governor of Syunik, Surik Khachatryan.

Following the deadly shoot-out Khachatryan tendered his resignation
and was relieved of his post on June 6.

SPEAKER: NO DECISION BY PRESIDENT TO WITHDRAW PROTOCOLS

The RPA did not discuss withdrawal of the Armenian-Turkish protocols
from the agenda of the National Assembly, the issue is within the
competency of the head of state, and there is no respective decision by
him, said Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan during the discussion of the agenda
of the four-day session of parliament that kicked off today. He stated
this in answer to the question permanently asked by the secretary of
the Heritage Parliamentary group Zaruhee Postanjyan.

In particular, Zaruhee Postanjyan inquired whether the withdrawal of
protocols from the parliament agenda has been discussed at the meeting
of the RPA council, and about Serzh Sargsyan’s stance. “This stigma is
in parliament, and it disturbs the Armenians worldwide,” she said. The
member of parliament also believes that keeping the outrageous
protocols on the agenda is an encroachment on our independence.

“The head of state has been so flexible so far that the documents
are still in parliament, are used as a trump card, and the Turkish
government is set in the pillory for having aborted the ratification
of protocols by the Turkish parliament,” the speaker stated, referring
to an article by MP Artashes Geghamyan, RPA.

Pastinfo 14:36 10/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

ARMRUSGASPROM SAYS NATURAL GAS PRICES ON RUSSIAN BORDER CHANGED

09:40 ~U 10.06.13

The approval of higher natural gas and electricity tariffs has given
rise to active rumors that the new consumer price policies have
nothing to do with Russia, says an Armenian rights activist.

Speaking to Tert.am, the CEO of the Public Defenders Union, Aram
Grigoryan, said the move is Armrusgasprom’s independent decision
which is unrelated to Russia.

The new prices for electric power and gas were confirmed by the Public
Services Regulatory Commission last week . A key allegation at the
meeting was that Russia had left the gas delivery prices unchanged
or almost unchanged for Armenia.

Commenting on the remark, Armrusgasprom CEO Vardan Harutyunyan said the
agreement is confidential. But he promised to show the document annex
proving that the gas prices have really gone up on the Russian border.

Aram Grigoryan, an activist of the public initiative Let’s Prevent the
Gas Tariff Rise, said he doesn’t think Russia has set a higher tariff.

The activist noted that the company itself had submitted a package
to the Public Services Regulatory Commission, without dropping the
slightest hint that any document is confidential.

Armrusgasprom spokesperson Shushan Sardaryan told Tert.am that they
have provided a copy of the annex to Ashot Mirzoyan, another member
of the initiative. According to her, the document clearly says that
Russia supplies Armenia with natural gas for $270 per cubic meter.

“We have submitted the justifications. The Commission, which is
an independent state body, has conducted its studies and made its
decision,” she said.

At its latest session on Friday, the Public Service Regulatory
Commission decided to raise the consumer tariffs for natural gas and
electricity by 18.2% and 26.7%, respectively.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ALIBI OF WORKER MIGRANTS

Republican Party of Armenia is destroying the roots of statehood

The governor of Gegharkunik Marz of Armenia stated that there were a
lot of people in their region who used to leave to work abroad also
during the Soviet Union. Referring to the tradition of leaving abroad
to work is the main argument of the ruling party of Armenia in answer
to questions. Galust Sahakyan who is the vice-president of the ruling
party and the head of party’s parliamentary group also dwelt on the
tradition of migrant work during the Soviet period.

It is a tragedy that during the third decade of independence the ruling
party of Armenia refers to the Soviet Union in answer to questions
on migration. It is double tragedy when this force is believed to be
national-conservative in nature which is fighting for independence.

Interestingly, if the deceased founder of the Republican Party Ashot
Navasardyan who was arrested during the Soviet period for his fight
for independence would also refer to the Soviet tradition if asked
the same questions? If yet, that would be very sad, if not, he is
now following the degradation his party from heaven and sighing.

Labor migration was one of the first expressions of colonization
which is a whole coil of complexes. It was not just a job abroad but
a reality based on a thick layer of culture. It is different when
the citizens of the same country search a job in different cities of
their country. Moreover, labor migration is an important element of
economic vitality which is widely practiced in the United States.

However, the Soviet labor migration was something different. Armenian
men used to leave for Russia to work and have fun with Russian women
without caring about their wives and children in Armenia. The idea was
promoted that without jobs in Russia and without Russia their husbands
or fathers are not complete persons since otherwise they will be unable
to carry out the key function – support their families financially.

Labor migration in the Soviet Union resulted in reinforcing in Armenian
consciousness the recognition of Russia’s prevalence at a key level –
the family. The importance of this level is not decisive in the public
and state life but it is very important for the future of the society
and the state.

Consequently, one of the things to be eliminated in order to establish
an independent state was the tradition of Soviet labor migration. The
purpose should not be only the social and economic strategy but also
the feeling of sovereignty and dignity in the society.

The opposite means a massacre of the feeling of dignity, sovereignty,
independence and its importance because these feelings are not
formed through speeches and toasts but through organization of the
social life.

In the meantime, the current ruling party is destroying the life of
independent state pushing it back to the Soviet labor migration years
and eliminating the roots of perception of statehood.

Hakob Badalyan 10:45 10/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

EDWARD SHARMAZANOV WELCOMES GUESTS OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC-TOURISTIC EXPEDITION IN SANAHIN

09:58, 10 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS. The participants of the 2nd academic
touristic expedition held under the slogan “Learn about the Motherland
and Tell about It” paid a visit to the Lori Province on June 9. Within
the framework of the expedition the participants visited Vanadzor and
placed flowers by the statues of General Vazgen Sargsyan and author
Hrant Matevosyan. Also they visited the Russian Church and walked
around the city accompanied by the Deputy Speaker of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Hermine Naghdalyan.

Among other places the participants also made a visit to the Fine Arts
Museum of Vanadzor. In the yard of the aforesaid museum the children
performed songs and danced for the guests. When the participants of
the abovementioned expedition arrived in the Sanahin Station, the
Deputy Speakers of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
Edward Sharmazanov and Hermine Naghdalyan joined the people and the
participants and ardently danced under the loud sounds of zourna
and drums.