Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIE-ECONOMIE
Le Parti Communiste d’Arménie voit l’avenir de l’Arménie dans l’Union
eurasiatique

Jadis le Parti Communiste d’Arménie voyait l’avenir de l’Arménie au
sein de l’Union soviétique. Aujourd’hui après la dislocation de
l’URSS, le Parti Communiste d’Arménie voit dans l’Union eurasiatique
comme l’unique voie de développement de l’Arménie. Lors d’une
conférence de presse à Erévan le 18 mars, le Premier secrétaire du
P.C. d’Arménie Roupen Tovmassian l’a affirmé. « L’Histoire nous
démontre que les valeurs et les principes européens sont dépassées. Ce
n’est pas un secret de dire que l’Union européenne traverses une
situation difficile et que l’organisation financière européenne est en
cours de destruction » dit le représentant du Parti Communiste
d’Arménie. Il dit soutenir l’intégration de l’Arménie à l’union
eurasiatique car « il s’ouvrira un vaste marché pour l’Arménie ».

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 23 mars 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Friends of UCLA Armenian Language and Culture Studies
Contact: Ani Aivazian
Tel: 818-621-8116
Email: [email protected]

Richard Hovannisian receives Narekatsi Medal
Banquet and award ceremony marked by delightful surprises

Los Angeles, March 23, 2013 – On the evening of Saturday, March 16,
Professor Richard Hovannisian was honored with the Narekatsi Medal of
Achievement, conferred on him by the Friends of UCLA Armenian Language
and Culture Studies. The award presentation took place during the
Friends’ 11th annual banquet, held at the Armenian Society of Los
Angeles Hall, in Glendale, California.

Over 300 guests, representing a cross section of the Armenian community,
attended the jubilant event, which celebrated the life and
accomplishments of Richard Hovannisian as a teacher, historian, author,
and human-rights activist.

The banquet featured a rich and multifaceted program. Remarks delivered
by a distinguished roster of speakers, comprising scholars and community
leaders, were interspersed with the screening of two short documentaries
as well as musical performances. In addition, the honoree and guests
were treated to a number of wonderful surprises, all of which made the
celebration all the more memorable.

Dignitaries and prominent community members in attendance included
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian; the Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian,
representing Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian; several representatives
of the Armenian Educational Foundation, among them the current
president, Hermineh Pakhanians; and Ara Khachatourian, editor of the
English edition of Asbarez.

The event kicked off with a cocktail reception and book exhibit in the
hall’s foyer, where numerous works penned by Richard Hovannisian were
on display.

As dinner started, welcome remarks were delivered by Banquet co-chairs
Ani Aivazian and Hilda Fidanian. Their addresses were followed by the
opening remarks of Alice Petrossian, the evening’s Mistress of
Ceremonies, and Dr. Hasmig Baran, president of the Friends of UCLA
Armenian Language and Culture Studies. The speakers reflected on the
Friends’ longstanding tradition of honoring extraordinary Armenian
individuals with the Narekatsi Medal, and underscored the pan-Armenian
significance of Professor Hovannisian’s manifold accomplishments.

Many of those accomplishments were touched upon in a video documentary,
titled My Professor Hovannisian Moment, which was shown while guests
enjoyed dinner. The humorous, highly engaging documentary, produced by
Ara Soghomonian, featured a fast-paced succession of testimonials by
former students of the honoree.

Next to take the podium was the evening’s keynote speaker, Professor
S. Peter Cowe, head of UCLA’s Narekatsi Chair in Armenian Studies. In
a riveting speech that contextualized the evolution of Armenian history
as a field of study in American academia, initially against the
backdrops of superpower politics and intracommunity partisanship, Cowe
described Hovannisian’s crucial role in not only the establishment of
Armenian Studies as an academic discipline in the US, but its growth as
a dynamic, globally relevant hub for scholarly discourse and political
action alike.

`=46rom the outset, Richard Hovannisian understood that the challenge
before him was not for the fainthearted, but for those fortified with
the proper formation, intellectual conviction, stamina, and discernment
to perceive where the real struggle lies and not to be sidetracked by
minutiae,’ Cowe said.

`Moreover, Hovannisian knew the challenge could not be settled by one
individual, however gifted, but by the creation of new institutions.
Much of his activity reflects this point of view: his research
publications, his desire to mentor a new generation of scholars, his
concern for collegiality and the creation of a professional society, his
awareness of how essential it was for such an incipient field to enter
the mainstream by producing textbooks, and, finally, his realization
that for Armenian Studies to establish itself and thrive required
university positions to be endowed to ensure they, too, would become
institutions and endure in perpetuity – as we have just witnessed in
the generational transition of the AEF chair at UCLA from Hovannisian to
Aslanian. This also highlights Hovannisian’s leadership qualities, as
well as the farsightedness of the donors who recognized the impact their
action would have and the dividends it would continue to reap long after
the chair’s foundation.’

Cowe’s address was followed by the screening of a second video
documentary, A Tribute to Professor Richard Hovannisian, produced by the
honoree’s daughter, Ani Hovannisian-Kevorkian. Featuring rare footage
of Hovannisian’s diverse scholarly and political activities through
several decades, the video encapsulated his life story while
illustrating his far-reaching activism in the fight against Genocide
denial.

The second half of the banquet’s program had no shortage of colorful
moments, often registering a powerful emotional resonance. It featured a
congratulatory message from Professor David Myers of UCLA; violin
performances by Mari Haig; a poignant speech by Armen Hovannisian, the
honoree’s son, who recounted personal reminiscences as he presented
`Hovannisian the Man;’ and a fascinating onstage interview between
Richard Hovannisian and Ara Khachatourian, editor of the English edition
of Asbarez.

One of the evening’s most delightful surprises came in the form of a
lively family tribute, as Hovannisian’s two young granddaughters took
the stage, nearly stealing the show. The girls spoke lovingly of their
illustrious grandfather, sprinkling their talk with humorous comments
and touching recollections.

As the banquet’s culminating segment drew close, Professor Emeritus
Speros Vryonis, Jr. of UCLA introduced the honoree. In his remarks,
Vryonis touched on certain political aspects and power struggles
inherent in American academia, and praised Richard Hovannisian for his
central role in the evolution and burgeoning of the Armenian Studies
program at UCLA despite enormous challenges.

At this, and to the standing ovation of the audience, Richard
Hovannisian was invited to the stage, where Dr. Hasmig Baran, flanked by
members of the Friends’ Board members, formally presented the
Narekatsi Medal to the honoree.

In addition to conferring the medal on Hovannisian, the Friends’ Board
members had no less than three surprises for the honoree. First, he was
presented with a dossier of congratulatory letters from academic
colleagues in Armenia. Second, he was given a dossier of letters from
former students; on hand for this presentation were the honoree’s
formers students, Professors Vahram Shemmassian (CSUN), Levon Marashlian
(GCC), Dr. Garabet Moumdjian, and Dr. George Kooshian. And third, he was
presented with a large photograph of himself signed by current UCLA
students. The latter presentation was made by Armenian Studies graduate
student Ara Soghomonian. Also on stage were Soghomonian’s
contemporaries in the Armenian Studies Program Shushan Karapetian, Danny
Fittante, Xi Yang, and Ceyda Tinmaz; Sona Tajiryan from the History
Program; Lilit Keshishian from Comparative Literature; and Anoush Suni
from Anthropology.

The presentations were followed by an impassioned acceptance speech.
After thanking the Armenian community, and the Friends in particular,
for honoring him with the Narekatsi Medal, Hovannisian praised them for
their steadfast support of the Armenian Studies Program at UCLA. He
concluded his remarks by reiterating his abiding hope that a new cadre
of students and scholars will continue to build on the successes of the
program, through teaching, research, and political activism.

The program drew to a close with a toast to the honoree. Once again
taking the stage, Professor Cowe delivered a charming finishing touch,
to the joy and amazement of the guests: he invited them to retrieve and
open the bottle of cognac tucked discreetly within the centerpiece of
each table, and drink to Hovannisian’s health. Everyone obliged.

Cowe also announced two major milestones pertaining to the Armenian
Studies program at UCLA: as a result of a joint application to the Dream
Fund by the UCLA Department of Music and the Naraketsi Chair, he stated,
Vatsche Barsoumian has been engaged as a visiting professor in Armenian
Music and will be teaching courses over the next two years; and
recently, Cowe continued, a Research Program in Armenian Archaeology and
Ethnography was established as a permanent component of the Cotsen
Institute in Archaeology at UCLA, and Prof. Grigor Areshian has been

Armenians flee Syria for their ancestral homeland

BBC News
22 March 2013

By Damien McGuinness in Yerevan

A century after their ancestors fled mass killings in Ottoman Turkey,
Armenian communities are again on the move – amid fears they could
become victims of violence in Syria.

The latest composition by musician Sarkis Atamian is haunting,
combining melancholic Middle Eastern melodies and ancient Armenian
folk instruments.

It is an emotional homage to his hometown, Aleppo – which he has fled
because of the heavy fighting.

The musical mix reflects Mr Atamian’s own background: he is ethnically
Armenian. But for generations his family has lived in Syria.

Many Armenians are now finding their lives in Syria untenable –
alarmed by the on-going war, and terrified of what may come next.

As Christians, some fear for their futures if Islamist rebels take
control.

President Bashar al-Assad, and his father before him, have
traditionally been tolerant towards non-Muslim minorities.

“The good thing here in Armenia is that you know the language, the
alphabet, the religion,” says Mr Atamian, as he sips aniseed-flavoured
tea in one of the new Syrian-Armenian restaurants, which have been
opened in Armenia’s capital Yerevan by people fleeing the war.

“When I came here, I thought: ‘the people look like you. The faces,
physically, they’re like you!'” he added. Mr Atamian had a successful
career as a film composer in Syria. But as the fighting in Aleppo
worsened, he fled with his wife and young child last year. He now
works as a pianist in a restaurant.

Fearing reprisals

Increasing numbers of ethnic Armenians from Syria are now joining
him. More than 10,000 have fled here since the fighting started two
years ago – and 7,000 have applied for residency.

Aleppo, which is home to most of Syria’s 100,000 Armenians, has seen
some of the heaviest fighting. People fleeing the city say the street
battles and the bombings have become too dangerous. Armenians, who are
traditionally middle-class merchants, say their businesses are being
ruined by the chaos of war.

But when you ask Armenians which side they want to win the war in
Syria, they avoid expressing support for either the rebels or the
government – and tell you they only want peace.

The official line of the Armenian government is neutrality. Many
Armenians are terrified that relatives back in Syria will be targeted
by the rebels, if the Armenian community is portrayed as pro-Assad.

Others, who want to return one day, fear reprisals from the Syrian
authorities if they are seen as supporting the uprising.

Special schools

Not far from the restaurant in central Yerevan, a class of small
children are following the Syrian school curriculum, reading textbooks
in Arabic.

That is because this school of 300 pupils was set up specifically for
the children of ethnic Armenians from Syria. Their parents hope to
return with them to Syria when the fighting dies down.

The children in this class are only seven or eight years old. But all
of them say they have experienced war close-up, having seen bombings,
gun battles, or tanks rolling down the streets.

“There was a Syrian-Arab school opposite our home,” remembers
eight-year-old Lilit Doshokhlanian, who arrived a few months ago from
Damascus. “One day tanks arrived, and there was shooting. The school
was completely destroyed. So we left before my school was destroyed
too.”

Some of the children tell me that they miss their friends back in
Syria.

Like all 16 teachers here, head teacher Nora Pilibbossian is also an
ethnic Armenian who fled from Syria.

She set up this school, with the help of the Armenian government,
after she escaped from the war last summer, having noticed the
thousands of families arriving.

“I get so upset when I see what’s going on in Syria right now. God
know what’s going to happen. That’s where we were born, grew up and
went to school. We had our homes there, and our friendships with
Syrian-Arabs, who we lived and worked with. Now we’ve left everything
behind.”

Ancestral parallels

But the plight of those fleeing war has been eased by the welcome they
have received.

In Armenia, they are well aware of the parallels with events a century
ago.

Nora’s great-grandparents, like the forefathers of most
Syrian-Armenians, escaped the mass killings of hundreds of thousands
of Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman Turks.

They were given refuge in Syria. But today their descendants are also
fleeing violence.

So even though unemployment is around 20% and Armenia is desperately
poor, there is no public resentment here that a wave of refugees might
take scarce jobs or housing.

Instead some Armenians have opened up their homes. Charities have been
set up to provide clothing, and help find work and
accommodation. Plus, after initially being criticised for not doing
enough when the conflict first broke out, the government has eased
visa and residency restrictions.

“Everyone understands that they are the descendants of those Armenians
who died in the genocide. We all want to do something to help,” says
Firdus Zakarian, from Armenia’s Ministry of Diaspora.

Being uprooted like your forefathers is painful. But this time round
Armenians are not fleeing violence aimed specifically at them. But
rather escaping a civil war, which is looking increasingly dangerous
for everyone.

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
Mira Yardemian – Public Relations Director
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon

Tel: 961-1-353011
Web:
Email: [email protected]

A Joint Conference on Identity by
Yerevan State University and Haigazian University

“Armenian Identity Issues of the 21st Century” was the topic of the
joint conference held at Yerevan State University on March 13 & 14,
2013. The conference was organized by the Diaspora Chair of the
Yerevan State University and the Armenian Diaspora Research Center of
Haigazian University in collaboration with the Diaspora Ministry of
Armenia. This was the second conference that resulted from the
collaboration between the two universities of Armenia and the Diaspora
under the patronage of the Diaspora Minister Mrs. Hranoush Hagopian.
The first conference, entitled “The Armenian Republic and Diaspora
Relations: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” was held in Beirut on 5-7
September 2011 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the
proclamation of Armenian independence and the 55th anniversary of
Haigazian University. In the assessment session held after the first
conference the necessity and importance of a conference dedicated to
identity issues was raised.
Fourteen papers were presented during the March conference which
covered a broad range of issues pertaining to diverse aspects of
identity:
Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian (Theologian, and President, Haigazian
University): “Basic Factors of Identity Construction in the Cultural
and Political Context of the Diaspora”
Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan (Scholar, Western Armenian language expert):
“The 100 Year Track of the Western Armenian language and its Identity
Challenges”
Dr. Harutyun Maroutian (Institute of Ethnography, Armenian National
Academy), “Shaping Armenian Identities: The century-old Genocide
Memory”
Dr. Antranik Dakessian (Armenian Diaspora Research Center, Haigazian
University), “Armenian Family Names as Identity Symbols and their
Corruption”
Prof. Khachig Tololyan (Founder & editor of the Diaspora Journal),
“The Mystery of Identity: Variations of Armenian and Other Identities”
Dr. Edward Melkonian (Institute of History, Armenian National
Academy), “The Perception of Patriotism in the Diaspora”
Dr. Arman Yeghiazarian (Diaspora Ministry, Diaspora Chair, YSU),
“Armenian Civilization and the Armenian historic perspective”
Dr. Seyran Zakarian (Philosophy Dept., YSU), “Deserting the Fatherland
as an Expression of Identity Rejection”
Dr. Arda Ekmekji (Arts& Sciences Dean, Haigazian University), “The
Absence of the Armenian Woman from Decision Making Positions: A case
of Identity or Opportunities?”
Dr. Hamlet Bedrosian (YSU), “The Traditional Symbols of Armenian
Identity in Contemporary Form”
Maroun Salhani, MA (Lebanese media activist, blogger), “The Image of
the Lebanese Armenian in Lebanese Cultural Expressions”
Dr. Ardag Movsisian (YSU, History Dept.), Certain national-ideological
issues of Early Armenia”
Dr. Nora Arissian (Damascus State University), “The Arab Perception of
21st Century Armenian-diaspora Identity”
Dr. Tadeos Donoyan (Diaspora Chair, YSU), “Tsenov Hovan: The
acquiescence of statement and text in the Armenian language mindset”.
At the end of the two-day conference the first issue of a new yearbook
by the YSU, Spurkakidutyun: Desutyan yev Badmutyan Hartser (Diaspora
Studies: Issues of theory and history) was launched.
In a short assessment meeting that followed the event, the organizers
found the conference to be very useful and decided to plan for a
second conference on the topic of identity. The proceedings of the
conference will be jointly published in a separate book by October 2013.

SHOES FROM A COBBLER’S HANDS TO HIGH-END MARKET

The Daily Star (Lebanon)
March 19, 2013 Tuesday

Brooke Anderson

Walking past the shoe stores lining the streets of Burj Hammoud,
there is one thing that stands out amid the colorful window displays.

BURJ HAMMOUD, Lebanon: Walking past the shoe stores lining the streets
of Burj Hammoud, there is one thing that stands out amid the colorful
window displays.

Written neatly in the soles are the words that are seen so rarely these
days: “Made in Lebanon.” In an age when most goods around the world are
mass produced in the Far East, and in a country where both handmade
and industrial products have long given way to foreign imports, it
can be a treat to see cobblers working on shoes from start to finish,
some of which make their way to posh department stores abroad.

“It’s all handmade here. It’s an art,” veteran shoemaker Jack Mazmanian
says as he gives an impromptu tour of his workshop on a side street
of Burj Hammoud, where Lebanon’s largest community of Armenians reside.

Burj Hammoud is renowned for its handicrafts, street food and strict
adherence to culture and tradition. Introducing his small but dedicated
staff, Mazmanian demonstrates the four stages of the craft: cutting,
stitching, closing and finishing. “Not everyone can do it.

I’ve been at it since I was 13, and I’m still learning.”

Indeed, the close-knit area is filled with cobblers of all ages,
learning from those with more experience and teaching others in turn.

Shoemaking is one of the last handicrafts in Lebanon that is still
thriving in Burj Hammoud and remote side streets and villages beyond,
although not the way it once was. Every day they work away at their
craft, with relatively little financial return, their biggest reward
being the belief that they are making a superior product.

“Our work is better than what they do in Italy. It’s all handmade
here,” Mazmanian says.

This quality has caught the attention of local shoe lovers who go
directly to the source to get the handmade goods at wholesale prices –
starting at around $50 for a basic pair of shoes. Lebanese expatriates
who return for the summer also visit the area to stock up on a year’s
supply of shoes, as do local designers who have developed long-term
professional relationships with these craftsmen of their own products.

At the boutique of Johnny Farah, a leatherwear designer with a shop
in Saifi Village, locally handmade shoes line the walls.

“One thing that surprised me when I first came [to Lebanon] and saw
Saifi Village was seeing the shops that sold locally made products,”
says Rebecca Carnell, marketing director for Johnny Farah. She moved
to Lebanon from Australia, where she had worked for a designer that
had goods made in China, a practice she notes is common worldwide,
even for labels claiming to sell locally made products.

Now working for a designer who only works with local craftsmen and is
passionate about keeping the leatherwork industry alive in Lebanon,
she has come to see the difference in quality.

“You really don’t know where they’re coming from, and if you have a
problem they can be difficult to fix or replace,” Carnell says. One
great thing about people knowing the shoes are locally made: customer
loyalty.

Lebanon’s independent shoe designers are also using the skills of the
local cobblers to bring comfort and quality to their sleek styles. For
newer operations, it helps that the shoemakers are willing to produce
smaller quantities.

Catherine Nissen, a shoe designer who recently started her own
business, says, “Burj Hammoud is the center of shoemaking in Lebanon.

Everything you could possibly want is there. One advantage is the
very small workshops they have here. You get to know them and you can
build a good friendship. You can create more unique items if you have
that friendship.”

She adds, “Once the relationship is established, it’s so much fun. I’m
learning about shoemaking, and he’s learning about fashion. It’s good
in both directions.”

However, the main disadvantage for her and others in the same field
is the high cost of manufacturing, which affects their own bottom line.

Cobblers for their part are affected by the high cost of generators,
(used for six hours a day on average in Burj Hammoud) and raw
materials, which are then passed onto the designers. If these shoes
are shipped overseas, the prices more than double for the end buyer.

“It’s not a very attractive market,” says Amanda Navai, who got
into shoe designing two years ago when she had extra leather from
the handbags she was making. She sells her shoes to the New York
upscale retailer Bloomingdales, where shipping and packaging costs
significantly add to the price of her product.

For independent designers in Lebanon to make profits, Navai thinks
the best way is to go online, thereby avoiding the costs of overseas
shipping or opening up a local shop. That would allow them to lower
their prices while also having a bigger profit margin.

Still, she worries about the shoemakers in Burj Hammoud whose talent
and hard work are not always being adequately remunerated.

“Is it a social injustice? Or is it something that’s interesting and
creative? Sometimes I do feel bad,” she says.

Moumen Taleb, a longtime shoemaker in Burj Hammoud, says his business
has fallen on hard times, something he blames on Lebanon’s security
situation, which has affected various sectors throughout the country;
he saw his business begin its steady decline following the 2005
assassination of Rafik Hariri. He also blames the government for not
protecting craftsmen like himself.

“I used to think of myself as proud. Now I think of myself as poor,”
he says, walking through his dusty workshop which appears to have
seen better days.

“The government should do something to help.”

Down the street, his neighbor, Abu Rabia, who sells Chinese-made
knockoffs of Western products, says he left the shoemaking business
around five years ago because of slow business. Now, he says work is
slowly picking up again because of the influx of Syrian refugees who
are willing to have lower salaries than their Lebanese counterparts.

But he’s still not enticed to go back.

“I love my work, but I’m not happy. Any craftsman who has to compete
with mass production isn’t happy,” Taleb says.

EU NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY REPORT: ARMENIA HAS MADE PROGRESS

Xinhua General News Service, China
March 21, 2013 Thursday 8:40 AM EST

The European Union (EU) would continue to support the implementation
of reforms in Armenia, the head of an EU Commission delegation said
here Thursday.

Traian Hristea was presenting the EU Neighborhood Policy implementation
report, Armenpress reported.

Hristea said, according to a survey carried out in Armenia, the EU
was viewed as an important partner and further integration with the EU
was expected, adding the EU would consistently support the country’s
reform process.

The 2012 report on the progress made by Armenia covers development
of political dialogue between Armenia and the EU, activation of
high-level meetings, and EU readiness to contribute to the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The report also notes the positive administration of parliamentary
elections in May 2012 and presidential elections in February 2013. The
document says, overall, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly
were respected in Armenia in 2012.

RUSSIA, ARMENIA TO SIGN MILITARY-TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION TREATY

Russia & CIS Military Newswire

Interfax, Russia
March 20, 2013 Wednesday 12:20 PM MSK

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as approved a draft
military-technological cooperation treaty between Russia and Armenia,
which was presented earlier by the Defense Ministry and agreed upon
with the Foreign Ministry and other federal executive bodies.

Medvedev’s directive approving the draft treaty has been published
on the official web-portal of legal information.

The directive instructs the Russian Federal Service for
Military-Technological Cooperation to hold negotiations with Armenia
and, upon reaching an agreement, to sign the treaty on behalf of
Russia, allowing it to make non-fundamental amendments to the draft.

AZERBAIJAN ANGERED BY LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT’S DECISION TO SET UP GROUP OF FRIENDSHIP WITH KARABAKH

Interfax, Russia
March 19, 2013

Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Halaf Halafov has informed Lithuanian
Ambassador Arturas Zurauskas about Azerbaijan’s discontent with the
emergence of a group of friendship with the breakaway Republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh in the Lithuanian parliament.

Halafov said, according to the Azeri Foreign Ministry’s press service,
that Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized integral part
of Azerbaijan and that the Lithuanian parliament’s move cannot be
described other than as encouragement of separatism and disrespect
for international law.

Halafov handed a note of protest to the Lithuanian ambassador, saying
that Lithuania would hopefully respond to it appropriately.

Sd jv

SECRETARY GENERAL OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE TO VISIT ARMENIA IN APRIL

20:50, 22 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: Foreign Minister of Armenian Republic
Edward Nalbandian on March 22 hosted delegation of group of rapporteurs
on democracy issues from the Ministers~R Committee of the Council of
Europe. The delegations consisted of Polish, French, German, Swiss
and Irish Ambassadors to Council of Europe.

As Armenpress has been informed from press, informational and public
relations department of MFA, greeting the guests Minister Nalbandian
noted that from the beginning of the membership in the Council
of Europe, Armenia has been actively involved in the activities of
organization, as well as has implemented number of democratic reforms
with the support of different CoE structures, the results of which
have received appropriate esteems in the reports of international
organizations and rankings.

At the meeting interlocutors referred to number of issues regarding
Armenian presidency in Ministers~R Committee of the Council of Europe
which would launch in May. In this regard Minister noted that Secretary
General of Council of Europe would visit Armenia in April.

Priorities and events~R program will be finally developed during
Secretary General~Rs visit. On request of the guests Minister presented
efforts of Armenia and international community aimed at the settlement
of Karabakh issue.

HERITAGE PARTY LEADER STARTS RALLY IN FREEDOM SQUARE – VIDEOS

TERT.AM
18:38 ~U 22.03.13

Chairman of the Heritage party and ex-presidential candidate Raffi
Hovannisian’s rally has kicked off in Yerevan’s Freedom Square.

According to preliminary information, he is expected to present his
final demands, which will then be presented to Armenia’s President
Serzh Sargsyan.

Mr Hovannisian and his supporters called the rally “victorious.”

On Thursday, Mr Hovannisian submitted a Heritage nomination list
in the forthcoming municipal elections in Yerevan. Heritage party
Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan tops the list.

18:26 Policemen ordered Raffi Hovannisian to remove the placards from
the monument to Hovannes Tumanyan.

Vice-Chief of Yerevan Police Department, Colonel Valery Osipyan
approached Mr Hovannisian and demanded that he forbid the young
people. In response, Mr Hovannisian said that the young people
expressed their opinion in such a manner.

“If you say I am violating the law, I will approach them in an hour
and ask them to remove the placards,” he said.

19:02 Raffi Hovannisian intends to send two proposals to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan in a “sealed envelope.”

According to Mr Hovannisian, “if Serzh Sargsyan wants to continue
ruling after rigged and anti-constitutional elections…”

He proposed either snap presidential or parliamentary elections in
Armenia this year.

Armenia’s election law must be amended first, which will put an end
to the first-past-the-post voting system and grant the voting right
to Armenia’s citizens living abroad.

Mr Hovannisian demands that Serzh Sargsyan dismiss the governors
of at least five Armenian regions and appoint persons proposed by
Mr Hovannisian.

“He must appoint executives representing the people and proposed by
Raffi Hovannisian,” he said.

According to him, the executives must be appointed at Armenia’s
National Security Service, Customs Committee, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Ministry of Education and Science, Control Chamber, Council
of Justice and Anticorruption Commission.

“This agreement” is to be signed by both sides.

Mr Hovannisian is ready to “meet Serzh Sargsyan half-way” to resolve
the national problem and reform the country, putting an end to
monopolies, injustice, unemployment and emigration.

According to Mr Hovannisian, the period before April 9 is the most
important in Serzh Sargsyan’s biography.

19:22 Raffi Hovannisian’s father Richard Hovannisian made a speech
at the rally. He is for settling the issue by means of dialogue.

“I should confess I was against his [Raffi Hovannisian’s] nomination.

I was sure they would press his and that meant suicide. But I am
happy I was wrong. With your help we have not only shocked Armenia,
but also the Armenian Diaspora,” he said.

The Armenian nation needs peace and Mr Richard Hovannisian hopes that
constructive work will be possible due to a dialogue and concessions.

19:25 On behalf of about 30 freedom fighters Raffi Hovannisian read
out a message, beginning with Vazgen Sargsyan’s words, “We gave
everything to the Artsakh war and gained pride for that.”

The message calls for remembering this keeping this pride and get rid
of affliction, poverty, emigration and “march toward Freedom Square.”