Author: Kalantarian Kevo

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA MEETS WITH HUNCHAKIAN PARTY REPRESENTATIVES

news.am
December 07, 2012 | 13:05

GLENDALE. – A delegation of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
(SDHP), Western Region of the US headed by Chairman Vasken Khodanian
along with SDHP Central Committee member Harry Sarafian, met with US
Ambassador John Heffern on Wednesday. During the hour-long meeting,
wide ranging topics were discussed, with primary emphasis being placed
on the current state of affairs in the Republic of Armenia.

The SDHP delegation voiced its concern with the inadequacy of the
political reforms in Armenia and the lack of economic equity in the
country. The delegation stressed that only systematic change and a
paradigm shift in the current political culture will bring about
real change in the areas of fair and just governance, social and
economic justice, and preeminence of the rule of law. In that respect,
the delegation urged the US to continue to stress upon the Armenian
authorities the need to establish an environment that is conducive
to social, political and economic progress.

The Ambassador assured the SDHP delegation members, that the United
States is consistent with its policy toward the establishment of
democratic principles in Armenia and has created partnerships with
governmental and non-governmental entities to promote those values
and principles.

On the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, the delegation
pointed to the deplorable act of the Azerbaijani leadership in
pardoning of a convicted murderer and the hostile rhetoric and actions
against the Republics of Armenia and Karabakh as major reasons for
the lack of progress in the negotiation process.

In regards to the Armenia-Turkey relations, the Ambassador agreed
with the delegation on the need for the Turkish government to reopen
its border with Armenia without any preconditions.

Among other issues, the delegation informed the Ambassador of its
grave concern regarding the safety and security of ethnic Armenians
and other minorities in Syria as the conflict seems to be swirling out
of control. The Ambassador assured the delegation that the US State
Department is well aware of the dangers and is keeping a watchful
eye on the matter.

AZERIS ATTEMPT TO FOIL WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN YEREVAN

December 6, 2012 – 17:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – It’s already a week Yerevan is hosting AIBA Youth
World Boxing Championships, with over 700 athletes from 68 countries
participating.

Boxing Federation of Armenia boasts vast experience in organization
of similar events, with Yerevan first hosting 2009 youth championships
and international boxing tournaments since 2010.

This year Azerbaijan was among the countries expressing readiness to
participate in the event, with Armenia, in turn, pledging to ensure
Azeri athletes’ security. As a result, special Tbilisi-Baku charter
flight operated for Azerbaijani boxers, who are currently staying
at a separate hotel, with a group of security officers constantly
guarding them.

Naturally, Azerbaijani sportsmen were not expected to receive standing
ovation in Yerevan, with Armenian fans supporting their rivals.

It’s noteworthy that Armenian boxers were stoned and showered with
profanities when performing at Baku-hosted 2011 AIBA World Boxing
Championships, which left them without support, forcing their friends
out of the hall.

Instead, Azerbaijani boxers are free to watch Yerevan championships
from separate stands, support their compatriots and take photos,
with high-level security constantly ensured.

Even Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov confessed
a few days ago that their athletes’ security was ensured at highest
level.

However, inclusion of Artsakh Republic in the official pamphlet of
the championships came as upsetting to Baku delegation.

In response, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan Boxing Federation
Aghajan Abiyev stated, “We are looking forward for the Azerbaijani
delegation to bring the pamphlet. We will further file the document to
the International Boxing Association (AIBA). That’s a political issue.

I believe the association is authorized to ban Armenian from hosting
further international championships.”

With the pamphlet reflecting the mere reality, AIBA grants its
permit, depending on the country’s ability to organize international
championships. It’s noteworthy that Yerevan lent a helping hand to
the association offering to host the event, after Thailand issued
a refusal.

Yerevan championships are coming to an end, leaving only positive and
unforgettable emotions. As for the Azerbaijanis… no doubt, they
can’t confess even at heart to have liked the championships. They
agreed to participate in the event out of reluctance to be indebted
to Yerevan due to Armenian athletes’ participation in 2011 Baku-hosted
championships.

Hasmik Babayan, Gohar Nalbandyan / PanARMENIAN News

THE MOST MYSTERIOUS SUMMIT
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:04 06/12/2012

The CIS summit ended in Ashgabat, nothing essential has been informed
about it so far. Either the issues discussed during the summit are
top secret even “unrepeatable” or it was meant to remind about the
existence of the CIS. Anyway, no one has commented on the reason the
presidents attended the summit.

No statements were made and press conferences were held. Only Ukraine’s
president Yanukovich said after the summit that issues relating to
foreign economic cooperation were discussed.

What is this? Does Russia have nothing else to propose to its CIS
relatives or disagreements in this organization have become so evident
that no uniting ideas can be found? In the end, it is difficult to
combine the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan, some Central-Asian
countries, Russia cannot talk to Ukraine which refuses to join the
Customs Union.

The relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are getting worse.

Official Baku accuses the Kremlin of the creation of the new union
of Azeris in Russia which hosts also the billionaire Vahid Alekperov
and others. Azerbaijan thinks Russia is set to prepare a revolution
in their country.

Moscow’s relations with Armenia and Moldova are also complicated.

These countries do not hide their European bias and hurry to sign
the Association Agreement with Europe as soon as possible.

Putin’s health problems also played an important role. He was tired
and nervous. Putin must be sick and tired of advocating the restoration
of the Russian empire alone.

Anyway, the CIS summit indicates that the members of the Union have
nothing in common except Mir TV. Very soon it may be dissolved and
replaced by more pragmatic organizations, such as CSTO as a platform
of military cooperation and the Customs Union as an economic union.

These organizations, especially if they are built on a voluntary basis,
and the members are not forced to join, may be more viable than the
Eurasian Union which is something incomprehensive. In the end, it is
clear that Putin’s efforts to create a hypothetical alliance finally
repelled at least two countries from Russia, Armenia and Moldova,
not to mention Ukraine whose media have made the Eurasian Union one
of the most popular comic characters in the country.

TURAN: ILHAM ALIYEV, ALMAZBEK ATAMBAYEV IGNORE CIS SUMMIT

Panorama.am
14:00 06/12/2012 ” ANALYSIS

The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, Ilham Aliyev and Almazbek
Atambayev, have ignored the CIS summit held in the Turkmen capital,
Ashgabat. They rejected to attend the event, pleading business,
Azerbaijan’s news agency Turan reported.

Azerbaijan was represented at the summit by the Prime Minister, Artur
Rasizade, and Kyrgyzstan was represented by the First Deputy Premier,
Djoomart Otorbayev, the news agency said.

On Wednesday, following the one-day summit of the CIS in Ashgabat,
20 documents were signed, Turan said.

In particular, a decision on implementing in 2013 an inter-state
program “Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth” in Azerbaijan, Armenia
and Belarus was signed.

The meeting participants also signed an agreement on cooperation in
the organization of an integrated currency market of the Commonwealth.

The leaders also signed an agreement on cooperation in training
anti-terrorist units in the educational institutions of the competent
authorities of the countries of the Commonwealth. In addition, an
agreement on cooperation in the logistics of the competent authorities
involved in combating terrorism and other violent manifestations of
extremism was signed, the Azerbaijani news agency said.

PRIME MINISTER’S CIVIL CHARM ATTRACTS NO MORE
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

13:30 06/12/2012

The Armenian hi-tech prime minister has left for Germany and the U.S.
to attract investments in IT. Before him, the U.S. ambassador John
Heffern had left for the U.S. to prepare the Armenian community for
the visit of the PM. The U.S. will not invest in Armenia others’
capital if it can sway Armenians to invest “their” own money.

Will the Armenian community agree to invest? Hardly so because the
Armenian community follows the court processes relating to the Diaspora
investors, such as Narek Hartunian, Edmond Khudyan and Vartan Oskanian.

The Armenian community cannot but see that the Diaspora investments in
Armenia are not protected. Actually, over the recent years, Eduardo
Eurnekian has been able to protect his investments in Armenia and
get profit but perhaps he has worked with the authorities in the
“Latin American” style, which is similar to the Armenian style.

Before leaving for the U.S. to collect investments, the prime
minister had better call a meeting of law enforcement bodies and
advise them to be more attentive to the cases of investors. Perhaps,
he is unable to do that because, as investors say, the other end of
needles of corruption schemes with the help of which they are robbed
are linked to the presidential administration. Without such a meeting
and security of investments, the premier’s visit to the U.S. will
just be a glamorous Christmas trip.

The authorities do all kinds of demonstrative steps to attract IT
capital to Armenia, but they don’t take up any concrete means. They
facilitated the investments in the mining sphere so much that all
the foreign investments go there.

Tigran Sargsyan’s image is good against sometimes illiterate Armenian
political figures who are praised by Europeans for their optimism and
human kindness. With this image, Armenia seems to have diversified the
economy, which, according to the premier, was a “bubble” before 2008.

But this diversification has led to decline of building, investments,
lack of infrastructural projects, and reckless exploitation of
mineral resources. Over these five years the income of the population,
salaries and pensions, did not have an increase while prices soared
and emigration rate went up.

The prime minister should understand that his image does not help
any more, that the reduction of investments is a sign of lack of
confidence in his policies and no one will be fooled by impressive
references to famous international organizations, Wozniak’s visit to
Armenia and else.

ARMENIA’S AMBASSADOR IN BRUSSELS KISSES CAREER GOODBYE? – NEWSPAPER

news.am
December 06, 2012 | 07:55

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium, Avet Adonts, will soon
bid farewell to his diplomatic career, Zhamanak daily reports.

“The thing is that Adonts helped in organizing the Brussels talks
of the [Prosperous Armenia Party] PAP leaders. Armenia’s former
President Robert Kocharyan gave that instruction to Adonts. In
addition, according to our information, Adonts likewise organized
the welcoming ceremony in Brussels for the PAP leaders, and the
[Armenian] authorities were immediately informed about these actions
of his in Brussels.

To note, when we had publicized about Adonts’ role in the PAP visit [to
Brussels], he released a denying statement that he has no connection
with all this, that he is a diplomat and such actions are prohibited
for a diplomat,” Zhamanak writes.

YOU TOLD ME VERY BAD NEWS, ANELKA GRIGORYAN SAYS ABOUT EJECTING THE ARMENIAN MUSEUM OF FRANCE

DECEMBER 5, 2012 15:48

The year of Armenia in France started on September 21 (Armenia’s
Independence Day), 2006, and ended on July 14 (Bastille Day), 2007.

Around 850 events under the motto “Armenia, my friend” took place in
France within the framework of Armenia’s year.

The Armenian and French sides considered Armenia’s year in France a
new and very important stage of the Armenia-France relations.

So in the context of that new stage, as Frederic Fringian, the
director of the Armenian Museum in France, informs, the museum that
has existed for 60 years and whose collection includes exclusive
items of the Armenian cultural heritage, has already been ejected. As
early as last July, the museum received a letter from the Directorate
General for Cultural Values that the collection should be moved due
to the construction work in the building. The director assured that
it was a planned ejection. “The Armenian Year in France was a big
cultural event bearing the name ‘Armenia, my friend.’ Doesn’t it exist
anymore? The state’s word is obligatory, even consistent,” Fringian
is surprised. asked Ararat Aghasyan, the director of
the Institute of Art, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic
of Armenia, Paravon Mirzoyan, the director of the National Gallery of
Armenia, and Anelka Grigoryan, the director of the History Museum of
Armenia, to comment on this. Anelka Grigoryan expressed pity during
a conversation with regarding what has happened. “I
applied to Frederic this year to organize an exhibition, and he was
anxious. He said that there were problems with the building and
the exhibition. I am very sorry, it’s a pity, it’s a great pity;
you told me very bad news.” Ms. Grigoryan promised to make a more
detailed commentary in the short run.

Ararat Aghasyan stated that he was not aware of that incident’s
details, thus he was not ready to express an opinion, “As for the
phenomenon, if there have been a museum, it has operated, proved to
be good, and they expel it, naturally, it is a negative thing.”

Shortly afterwards, the director of the Institute of Art added: “It
would be better, if not the scientific and educational institutions,
universities, institutes, but the Ministry of Culture with its
respective departments, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded,
because the attitude of our authorities is more important. I haven’t
been to that museum, I don’t know what values are kept there, if the
subject matter was the Basmajian collection, I could say something,
but in this case, I don’t know quite well how it operated, whether
it proved to be good or not. On the other hand, if a cultural center
is closed, it is bad, moreover, given the Armenia-France age-long
connections.”

Paravon Mirzoyan didn’t know the details of the story regarding
the Armenian Museum of France, since he had been on leave and had
just returned from abroad. But he got angry when he heard the news,
“Every museum has its history and significance, treating a museum
like that is unacceptable.”

Gohar HAKOBYAN

RECUEIL EN TROIS TOMES SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 6 decembre 2012

Les Archives nationales de la RA ont edite un recueil en trois tomes
intitule ” Le Genocide armenien en Turquie ottomane : temoignages
des survivants “. L’auteur de l’ouvrage est le directeur des Archives
nationales Amatouni Virabian. Les trois tomes presentent non seulement
des documents d’Etat et diplomatiques, mais au premier chef des
temoignages et souvenirs des survivants recueillis en 1916. Au total
602 documents originaux y sont presentes. Chaque tome est edite en
1000 exemplaires. 1000 exemplaires supplementaires seront publies
une fois les stocks epuises. Les sommes recueillies seront destinees
a la traduction de l’ouvrage en anglais, en russe et en turc. D’ici
2015, les trois tomes devaient etre mis en ligne. La publication de
cet ouvrage s’inscrit dans le cadre des programmes envisages pour le
centenaire du Genocide armenien. D’autres publications sont egalement
prevues dans ce cadre. / Azg, Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 29 novembre 2012

jeudi 6 decembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.co

2000 YEARS AGO VISION CAME FROM A FARAWAY PROVINCE
Roza Hovhannisyan

14:32 07/12/2012
Story from Lragir.am News:

Interview with Ashot Manucharyan, member of Karabakh Committee

Mr. Manucharyan, Russia announced a few days ago to fund fully the
construction of the nuclear plant in Turkey and is ready to provide
all the 20 billion dollars while it will provide only half, 5 billion
dollars, of the amount required for the construction of the nuclear
plant in Armenia. What are your thoughts on Russia’s move as Armenia
is facing the construction of a new reactor but has shortage of funds?

The main issue is philosophy. Like Russia, we have joined the world
trade system. I mean from the human point of view the highest value
is trade and grabbing our share in this trade. And we are always
indignant when others want to grab their share. In the early 90s
when we were just entering this trade system which is now trying to
destroy the planet, our delegation left for Russia after the Koltso
action to attend the plenary meeting of the people’s deputies of the
Soviet Union – how could you do that after centuries of friendship,
deep relations and so on? The head of the delegation says can’t you
see we are offering you a marriage? The Russian answer was you are
offering us a mercenary marriage while we want love marriage. Hence,
Russia’s fundamental wall should be taken into account. Whenever
it joined the world trade system, it joined by its commercial side,
which is its political elite, the government. However, the need for
love, human relations is always present in the Russian identity. If
we surrender ourselves to trade, it will always consider us alien. It
will treat us as it treats aliens. It will try to grab what is its,
and we will try to grab what is ours. There should be no surprise
because they are many, what they will grab will be bigger.

What does Russia expect to grab from Turkey now?

For a long time since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has
had a convenient and important geopolitical role, and everyone wants
to get their piece of cake. Russia thinks it is the right time for
drawing geopolitical dividends and is therefore working hard there.

The world is shaken by major wars, everyone is possibly trying to
avoid these tremors. So is doing Russia.

Will Russia thus block the construction of the reactor in Armenia?

A group of irresponsibly thinking people go in for the cliches of the
information war conducted by the West and are using new curse phrases –
Russia, Soviet Union, socialism. There is no section of curse in the
world, there is no need to turn anything into a curse. However, our
fellows who go in for the American cliches, perhaps with the approval
of the United States, have made such a mistake. We look at everything
from this angle. Everything coming from Russia is very bad. Those used
to be innocent games but now dangerous times have begun. We could slap
Russia without any harm for us but now it would be very dangerous. I
repeat that the planet is facing major shakes which may acquire a
strategic nature and have very heavy consequences. The focus is on
our region, and the main factor of our protection is the alliance
with Russia and all the multi-party alliances it proposes. Slapping
Russia all the time may force it to treat us as an alien.

At this stage there is no certainty over membership to the Eurasian
Union. After all, why should Armenia want to join this union if there
are realistic plans to integrate with the EU economic area? The EU
officials hint that Armenia cannot sign a DCFTA after it joins the
Eurasian Union. Which decision would stem from our country’s interests?

All the unions of the world apart from the Eurasian Union are based on
trade. The EU is established for trade, it is the union of robbery. It
has been set up to ensure better conditions for the EU members,
for the leaders on the one hand, and to defend the interests of the
European Union across the world on the other hand. Finally, you do
not think that they are up for establishing democracy in Libya, do you?

They destroyed a country because they had an issue of economic
interests, they wanted to redirect Libyan oil where the EU needed.

After committing the highest crime they awarded a Nobel Prize for
peace. The other unions – NATO, OSCE, etc – are even worse. All the
unions where we are present and where we want to be are based on
trade, pursue cynical interests, and we will always be on the losing
side. The Eurasian Union is still a blank paper. Although, it is true
that there is one thing already – it is proposed by Russia which is
also part of this cynical system, it has yielded to it, it is an alien
system to it. Unlike the other post-Soviet nations, the peoples of
Russia and Belarus defy the philosophy of the world of commerce. They
are looking for something else. This union has been proposed by the
authorities to create something within the framework of the world
of commerce. The good thing is there are people to understand other
discourse as well. We need to conduct that discourse. This discourse
has developed considerably in the United States and Europe but only a
few philosophers are looking for ways out of this absurd world. Now
we need to accept what belongs to the West and invite them and
join together with the Russian circles the other world, the other
civilization model and propose to the Eurasian Union to be guided
by such a model, put this at the base. This is a possible way but we
say from the very beginning that whatever is coming from Russia is bad.

This is a bad mistake. It is more than a crime.

Do small countries have a chance to influence the decisions of Russia
and other great powers?

Nobody knows where the vision of the new world will come from. 2000
years ago it came from a faraway province of the Roman Empire,
Palestine. Who knows where the idea will be born 2000 years later. We
could be the first.

There is an opinion that the Eurasian Union is Russia’s attempt to
restore the lost empire.

Restoring the empire is another cliche of the Western information war.

The largest empire in which we are living now is the American empire.

This is an empire of robbers, oligarchs, more honest elections. Have
you heard the Western statements that Armenia is holding more and
more fair elections? And we continue praising this world, while Russia
repeats the words of the West which sound from its lips as nonsensical
as from our lips. However, few people in Russia have been infected. We
need not talk to those infected, they are immense in number. Only 1
out of 100 may not be infected, while in our government everyone is
infected. There are influential people outside the Russian government
to which we should talk.

ARMENIAN 15 COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ARMENIAN-GERMANY BUSINESS FORUM HOSTED IN GERMANY

13:08, 7 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: A business forum organized by
the efforts of Armenian Development Agency is set to be hosted
in Commerzbank in the framework of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan working visit to Germany.

As Armenian Development Agency informed Armenpress, 15 companies
left from Armenia are scheduled to participate in business forum to
be launched on December 7 representing banking, high technology,
information technology, battery manufacturing,energy,mining and
agriculture sectors.Private business meetings are planned to be
launched with their Germany counterparts representing the relevant
spheres.

As Armenpress reported earlier, in the frame of a visit to Germany
Armenia’s PM is planned to have meetings with the region’s leadership
and representatives of the leading companies of the country,
reportedly a meeting with Frankfurt Armenian community is scheduled
in the agenda. The head of the Executive Body will participate in
an exhibition dedicated to the 500th anniversary of first Armenian
printed book, set to be hosted in Gutenberg Museum.