Author: Kalantarian Kevo

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.

TURQUIE : ERDOGAN RELANCE L’EPREUVE DE FORCE FACE A DES MANIFESTANTS DETERMINES

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a relance dimanche
l’epreuve de force avec les manifestants qui reclament depuis dix
jours sa demission en appelant ses electeurs a leur “donner une lecon”
aux elections municipales de 2014.

Au lendemain d’une nouvelle journee de contestation qui a vu des
dizaines de milliers de personnes descendre dans les rues de plusieurs
grandes villes du pays, le chef du gouvernement a renoue avec sa
rhetorique offensive en qualifiant les protestataires de “terroristes”
ou de “vandales”, pour le plus grand plaisir de ses partisans.

“Il n’y a plus que sept mois jusqu’aux elections locales. Je veux que
vous donniez a ces gens une première lecon par des voies democratiques
dans les urnes”, a-t-il lance a son arrive a l’aeroport d’Adana (sud)
devant une claque de plusieurs milliers de personnes organisee par
son Parti de la justice et du developpement (AKP).

“Ils sont lâches au point d’insulter le Premier ministre de ce
pays”, a poursuivi M. Erdogan, en presentant a nouveau son parti
islamo-conservateur comme “le parti des 76 millions” d’habitants de
la Turquie.

Depuis le debut du mouvement, les manifestants reprochent au chef
du gouvernement, leur principale cible, sa derive autoritaire et sa
volonte d’islamiser le pays.

A Istanbul, Ankara, Adana (sud) ou Izmir (ouest), des dizaines de
milliers d’entre eux ont montre leur determination en se rassemblant
jusque tard dans la nuit de samedi a dimanche dans une ambiance
de fete.

La place Taksim d’Istanbul et son petit parc Gezi, dont la destruction
annoncee a lance la fronde le 31 mai, a enregistre samedi soir sa
plus forte affluence depuis le debut du mouvement. Ce bastion de la
contestation a meme pris des airs de stade de football grâce au soutien
de milliers de supporters des trois clubs de la ville, Besiktas,
Fenerbahce et Galatasaray, venus se meler aux protestataires et aux
touristes. “C’etait incroyable, tellement beau d’etre tous ensemble”,
a dit a l’AFP Aykut Kaya, un etudiant de 23 ans en repliant sa tente.

Buse Albay, une architecte de 25 ans, a elle promis de rester sur la
place “aussi longtemps qu’il faudra”, jusqu’a la demission de M.

Erdogan. “Les gens veulent leur liberte et ils le disent”, a-t-elle
ajoute. Des milliers de manifestants se sont egalement reunis a Izmir
dans la meme atmosphère de kermesse.

Epreuve de force

A l’inverse, de violents affrontements ont eclate samedi soir lorsque
la police est intervenue avec des canons et des gaz lacrymogènes
pour empecher une partie des quelque 10.000 manifestants rassembles
au centre-ville de marcher sur le Parlement. Selon les medias turcs,
des echauffourees ont egalement ete signalees a Adana (sud) a l’issue
d’une manifestation entre opposants et partisans du Premier ministre.

Ces incidents et la strategie de la confrontation a nouveau adoptee par
M. Erdogan dimanche a la faveur de son deplacement a Adana suscitent
questions et inquietudes sur la suite du mouvement et les risques
d’escalade entre les deux camps.

Le prix Nobel de litterature Orhan Pamuk, une voix respectee en
Turquie, a lui-meme confie son desarroi après plus d’une semaine
d’une contestation sans precedent depuis l’arrivee au pouvoir de
l’AKP en 2002. “Je suis inquiet car il n’y a toujours pas en vue de
signes d’un denouement pacifique”, a declare l’ecrivain lors d’une
conference a Rome, cite par la presse turque, “je comprends la facon
de protester des gens”.

Après son “show” de la mi-journee a Adana, identique a celui qu’il
avait dirige dans la nuit de jeudi a vendredi a Istanbul a son retour
d’un voyage au Maghreb, M. Erdogan doit rallier en fin de journee
la capitale Ankara, où de nouvelles manifestations de soutien sont
attendues.

L’AKP a d’ores et deja prevu de recidiver avec deux reunions publiques
de masse samedi prochain a Ankara et le lendemain a Istanbul,
officiellement pour lancer sa campagne pour les elections municipales
de l’an prochain. Une nouvelle occasion pour le Premier ministre de
repondre aux dizaines de milliers de Turcs qui le narguent, souvent
bière a la main, devant les cameras du monde entier.

La vague de contestation qui secoue depuis dix jours la Turquie a
affaibli son gouvernement, critique par des allies cle comme les
Etats-Unis ou l’Union europeenne pour la brutalite de la repression
policière.

Ces evenements sont egalement suivis de près dans les pays des
“printemps arabes”, notamment en Egypte et en Tunisie, où les
islamistes au pouvoir ont souvent vu le modèle turc de l’alliance
entre islam et democratie comme un exemple.

lundi 10 juin 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

HRANT DINK FOUNDATION PRESS PUBLISHES COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

June 11, 2013 – 10:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The collection of essays presented at the conference
“Social and Ecomic History of Diyarbakır and Region”, held in
Diyarbakır on November 11-13, 2011 by Hrant Dink Foundation, has
now been published in Turkish by Hrant Dink Foundation Press.

The book includes 24 essays on the region by researchers abroad and
in Turkey. Its importance is due to its contribution to the debates
about the peace process that Turkey goes through nowadays.

“Memory is returning to these lands. It is coming from a far, from
the period of nation-building, which is over a century away. Surely,
what has been deemed fit by the state for the inhabitants of these
lands during the process of nation-building, what the inhabitants
deemed fit for each other, the suffering, the collective violence,
every malign recollection that has been forgotten or worse, made to
forget, is returning now. But it is not just the malign memory that
is returning; the differences that these lands embraced, the wealth
that has been destroyed or ignored as a result of the nation-making
are also returning. Since decades, this country witnesses every day a
lot of information, existence and absence which is new but not really
new,” said Cengiz Aktar, professor of political science at Istanbul’s
Bahcesehir University.

POLLING STATION TO OPEN IN ARMENIA ON THRESHOLD OF IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

15:29 ~U 11.06.13

A polling station will be opened in Armenia on the threshold of the
presidential election in Iran scheduled for June 14, Iranian Ambassador
to Armenia Mohammad Raiesi told journalists on Tuesday.

He noted that election frauds entail criminal responsibility in Iran.

Eight candidates intended to run for Iran’s presidency this year,
but one of them, Mohammad Reza Aref, has withdrawn his candidacy.

Iran’s incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cannot run for the
third term.

In response to Tert.am question about international monitoring of
the presidential election in Iran, Ambassador Mohammad Raiesi said
that, although not monitored at the international level, the Iranian
elections will receive wide media coverage. Armenian journalists can
follow the election process as well.

Armenian News – Tert.am

IRAN READY TO ASSIST ARMENIA ON GAS MATTERS – AMBASSADOR

June 11, 2013 | 14:49

YEREVAN. – Iran is ready to assist Armenia on matters of gas supply as
much as it can, Ambassador Mohammad Raiesi told reporters on Tuesday.

The Iranian diplomat stressed it is for Armenian side to decide
whether to use Iranian gas as an alternative to Russian.

At the same time, he noted that the Armenian-Iranian agreement on the
construction of a gas pipeline and gas supply was made on the basis
of gas in exchange for electricity principle.

In this regard, Raiesi said Iran has no special demand in electricity
and is exporting power itself. The main purpose of the above mentioned
agreement was to assist the Armenian side.

“Iran is committed to this agreement,” he added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ZARUHI POSTANJYAN JOINED PROTESTING LAWYERS

12:36 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Armenia’s Constitutional Court has postponed the hearing of the suit
filed by Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian. CC member Felix
Tokhyan asked to postpone the discussion of the case for two weeks,
stressing the need to study the additional documents and international
experience.

Former presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian applied to the
Constitutional Court to dispute the constitutionality of Articles 18
(pt. 5) and 26 (pt. 2) of the Armenian Electoral Code. The National
Assembly is involved in the hearing as the defendant.

Lawyer Karen Mejlumyan and MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, a lawyer by
background, represent Hovannisian’s interests in court.

Zaruhi Postanjyan today refused to answer questions on the case
saying she had joined the move of lawyers protesting against the
‘arbitrariness’ of the Court of Cassation.

The next court hearing is slated for June 16.

, Turkey
June 9 2013

Turkish FM wants Iran explanation over comments on Armenians

Turkish FM Davutoglu said he spoke with Iranian FM regarding Iranian
Vice President Baghaei’s statements on Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
time.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he spoke with Iranian
foreign minister regarding Iranian Vice President Hamid Baghaei’s
statements on Armenians in the Ottoman Empire period.

When a reporter said, “at a conference in Tehran, Baghaei claimed that
a genocide was committed against Armenians during the rule of Ottoman
Empire,” Davutoglu said, “our ambassador in Tehran held talks with
Iranian foreign ministry which made a statement on the matter, as you
know.”

Davutoglu said he has just spoke with Iranian foreign minister
(Manuchehr Motaki) and asked for an explanation.

“Iranian foreign minister told me that the statement (of Baghaei) was
not like as it was published in media. He said the conference (in
Tehran) was about the World War II and he (vice president) made a
reference regarding the World War I. He said Iran did not change its
position on the matter. I told him that Iranian vice president should
make a statement,” he said.

Davutoglu said Iranian foreign minister told him that vice president
would make a statement on the issue.

Care centers for mental patients to open in Armenia

19:48 – 09.06.13

The Armenian government has approved an NGO proposal for opening
special care institutions for mental patients.

In response to a bid submitted by the Helsinki Association’s Vanadzor
Office, the executive has already ok’ed a relevant concept which
envisages the opening of a round-the-clock care house and a day center
for individuals with mental problems. It is planned to purchase at
least 10 apartments and one private house to offer a shelter to the
beneficiaries, according to a statement on the Association’s website.

Preliminary estimates suggest that that the institutions will house
around300 beneficiaries.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan has told the
representatives of the organization that people with mental
impairments account for 10.9% of the registered individuals with
disabilities in Armenia.

As for psychiatric patients in general, their total number is 45,000.

One specialized boarding house and three specialized orphanages
operate in Armenia to offer aid to the above-mentioned group of
people. The Vardenis Psychoneurologic Boarding House (Gegharkunik
region) is the only institution across the country to offer
round-the-clock care to lonely elderly patients with chronic
disorders. Some 450 beneficiaries receive in-patient care at the
hospital now; fifty more are said to be on the enrollment list, but
most stay in families because of the absence of a corresponding
institution.

Referring to figures provided by Ministry specialists, Asatryan said
that the number of mental patients needing permanent care increases by
every year.

Specialists find that the elderly are more prone to psychiatric
diseases, with their social status, general health condition, feeling
of loneliness and psychological complexes being contributory factors.
The risk group includes the disadvantaged, particularly the homeless,
who spend the nights in streets, deprived of foods and minimal living
standards.

Armenian News – Tert.am