Author: Kalantarian Kevo

DESABUSEE PAR LA ” PATRIE ” UNE FAMILLE ARMENIENNE DE SYRIE QUITTE EREVAN POUR TBILISSI
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
lundi 12 novembre 2012

par Mariam Mughduchyan, 9 novembre 2012

Sur la frontière Georgie-Armenie, nous avons ete forces d’attendre
relativement longtemps. Apparemment, quelque chose n’allait pas avec
le passeport de l’un de mes compagnons de voyage.

” Ils viennent de Syrie. Ils vont regarder et vous ferons rebrousser
chemin “, a dit le chauffeur, irrite.

” Il n’y a qu’a voir l’argent qu’ils recoltent au cours de ces
marathons “, dit la femme aux cheveux roux.

Ils vinrent. Ce qui n’allait pas, c’etait quelques erreurs dans les
passeports des enfants. Une famille, les parents et leurs enfants,
âges de deux et quatre ans.

Ils etaient de Syrie. Ils etaient venus en Armenie il y a deux mois. A
present, ils arrivaient de Georgie.

” Nous avons fui la guerre en Syrie. Le jour où nous sommes partis,
les obus tombaient par vagues, un chauffeur de taxi armenien nous
a charges et conduits a l’aeroport. Mon mari n’a meme pas pu aller
voir son père alite et malade pour lui dire au revoir. Il n’habitait
qu’a une centaine de mètres de chez nous. Les obus tombaient tout
autour de nous. C’est un miracle que nous n’y soyons pas restes ”
raconte Helen Tarchinian.

Ils se sont debrouilles pour avoir un billet d’avion pour l’Armenie
pour deux fois le prix. Tout ce qu’ils ont eu a leur arrivee en
Armenie, c’est une brochure avec le numero de telephone d’un cabinet
d’avocat. Rien n’y etait mentionne sur le ” Ari Toun ” (Retour chez
Soi) dont avait parle la Ministre des Affaires de la Diaspora.

” Nous avons appele ce numero et ils ont reclame 100 dollars pour un
conseil. Nous avons cesse tout contact avec eux “, dit Saeed Garikian,
le mari d’Helen.

Le couple a loue un appartement a Erevan, et a commence a rechercher
un emploi. Leur odyssee armenienne avait commence.

Dans leur efforts pour prendre pied, ce qui les a le plus etonnes
est l’indifference des autorites armeniennes pour le sort des Syriens
laisses derrière eux en Syrie.

” IL y a beaucoup d’Armeniens dans une situation terrible en Syrie,
qui revent de s’en aller, mais ce qui arrivent ici se retrouvent dans
une situation encore pire. Beaucoup ne font que vouloir retourner et
mourir dignement plutôt que de rester en Armenie et vivre une vie de
mendiants. Je connais des personnes qui sont retournees, degoûtees,
dit Sayid.

Tandis que nous parlions, le petit Alex commenca a pleurer. Il etait
fatigue par le long voyage. ” Nous sommes devenus des errants avec
nos enfants “, murmura Helen pour elle-meme.

J’ai demande :

” Pourquoi allez-vous en Georgie ? ”

” Pour trouver du travail. La situation est meilleure la-bas. La
connaissance de l’anglais est mieux consideree. En Armenie, ils ne
veulent que des gens parlant le Russe. Mais meme si je parlais le
russe, je ne serais pas engagee. Je n’ai pas de contacts ”

” N’est-ce pas la meme chose en Georgie ? ”

” La-bas, ce n’est pas comme cela. Nous sommes venus en Armenie pour
resoudre les problèmes de passeport de nos enfants. Lorsque cela sera
fait, nous retournerons en Georgie. Il y a au moins un espoir que les
choses iront mieux la-bas. En Armenie, lorsqu’ils se rendent compte
que vous arrivez de Syrie, ils essaient de vous duper, d’obtenir
quelque chose de vous.

Sayid est pharmacien. Beaucoup lui ont promis un emploi mais rien ne
s’est passe. Les economies de la famille vont bientôt etre epuisees.

La famille a vu son depart pour la Georgie comme la seule issue. Ils
ont passe les deux dernières semaines ici et ils se sont apercu que
les chances de trouver un emploi etaient plus elevees.

Ils voient la Syrie et l’Armenie ensemble comme leur patrie. A present,
cependant, ils ont ete forces de chercher une autre patrie.

Ils se sentent humilies et insultes par les fonctionnaires en Armenie
et choques par les comportements locaux.

” Une fois, je suis alle poser une question a la Mairie d’Erevan. Je
suis entre dans la salle et j’ai vu que les employes fetaient
l’anniversaire de l’un d’entre eux. Une employee m’a dit de revenir un
autre jour. Elle me dit : ” ne voyez-vous pas que nous sommes occupes a
feter un anniversaire ? ” Sa femme le gronde un peu pour avoir raconte
cette histoire, mais Sayid a ete très contrarie par cet incident.

Plus tard, ils se sont rappeles qu’en Syrie, que le chauffeur de
taxi armenien qui les avait conduits a l’aeroport avait ete tue par
les rebelles.

” Je n’ai pas dit au revoir a mon père. Mes parents sont restes en
Syrie,… ” Nous sommes restes silencieux.

Helen allait a Spitak pour y voir des parents. Sayid se rendait
a Erevan.

Dans le taxi, les passagers riaient en se racontant des blagues. Sayid
etait ailleurs. Peut-etre ne comprenait-il pas leur humour. Peut-etre
meme que cela lui cassait les oreilles.

PS A mon retour en Armenie, j’ai trouve Helen sur Facebook. Elle m’a
dit qu’ils etaient etablis en Georgie pour de bon.

lundi 12 novembre 2012, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

CRIMINAL OLIGARCHY WILL PROSPER ANYWAY
Siranuysh Papyan

Interview – Monday, 12 November 2012, 15:16

Interview with Tigran Khzmalyan, filmmaker, member of Sardarapat
Movement Initiative Group

Mr. Khzmalyan, what is your opinion on the PAP’s proposal on
parliamentary government and the decision of other parties to support
this proposal?

Generally, parliamentary government is not something new. During the
third republic we were a parliamentary republic. At the culmination of
the war, during the crisis, Artsakh survived and achieved stability
thanks to the parliamentary model. A presidential government
is something new for Armenia which is not successful. However,
what is proposed today has nothing to do with a parliamentary or a
presidential government because all the proposals, conversations,
and changes take place in the same system, within the same circle,
and this circle is closed. The system must change, and a parliamentary,
authoritarian or theocratic model cannot change the situation. This is
a criminal oligarchic system. This system can prosper equally well in
a presidential and a parliamentary government. Look at the history of
Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome where the oligarchic scenario strived
for the parliamentary model, and strangely the monarchy was sometimes
more progressive. This is not a solution, the solution is somewhere
else, power must belong to people. A government must be elected by
people and be accountable to people. This is the resolution.

Transition to parliamentary government means blurring the
irresponsibility of the oligarchic system. Now everything in this
pyramid is based on the illegitimate rule of one person, anarchy
and illegality will be cloned to several oligarchs who will buy
parliamentary seats, as they have privatized parties. How can one speak
about the PAP seriously which is in the pocket of a single oligarch?

This is just a sham, another balloon that will burst. It has nothing
to do with real life, solution of real problems. The solution is
people’s power restored by the civil society, currently the alternative
parliament is dealing with it which is already operating and will
present in a few days its first report during a press conference.

Will the nomination of someone representing the civil society create
a real alternative? Can the civil society act as an alternative to
the nominated criminal oligarchs?

The civil society is the only alternative to the criminal oligarchic
system, there is no other alternative. What is now proposed as a real
alternative is just a word play. How can Tsarukyan be an alternative
to Serzh Sargsyan? They are two branches growing from the same root.

They are not different in essence. And since the civil society is
the main rival of this government, the occupant regime, they will do
everything to mislead the civil society which is the last hope. So,
they are already doing something without the civil society, the most
vivid representatives of it, they go to Khosrov Forest without the
environmentalists, they hold discussions on justice without Vahe
Avetyan initiative, they will go on to set up sham NGOs. We all know
about these things. During Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s rule alternative
political parties were established which spoilt the party system, and
now they will try to do the same with the civil society. However,
they will not succeed because people who work in this sphere –
environmentalists, human rights activists, mothers of non-combat
victims – are not venal, they are enthusiasts, their interests are in
line with the interests of the society – social justice and equity. In
other words, they will not succeed hard though they may try. There
will be no elections like before. The score has been pre-determined.

Personally, I am not interested.

Over this period we have been working towards the embryo of alternative
people’s government. We have created a pre-parliament, it has already
adopted a declaration, and in the upcoming 20 weeks the establishment
of the founding parliament will be facilitated.

DER ZOR MEMORIAL TO BE REPAIRED: CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA

YEREVAN, NOVEMBRER 12, ARMENPRESS: His Holiness Aram I Catholicos
of Cilicia had a telephone conversation with Aleppo National Primacy
after learning the news about the shelling of Armenian Genocide Martyrs
Memorial Church in Der Zor, also known as the Holy Martyrs Armenian
Church Der Zor Memorial. As Antelias information center informed
Armenpress, His Holiness was told about the details of the damages
as a result of shelling. It is clear the memorial was not targeted
for bombarding or burglary, it suffered because of bombs felt near
the building. Aram I stated Der Zor Memorial will be repaired only
after the restoration of security there.

The few Armenian families living in the city left months ago. Hundreds
of thousands of Armenian deportees were massacred in Der Zor in the
summer of 1916.The memorial was consecrated in 1991.

L’EGLISE APOSTOLIQUE ARMENIENNE PEUT CONTINUER A COMPTER SUR L’APPUI DE L’ETAT
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 12 novembre 2012

S’adressant a la 4ème Assemblee des representants des Diocèses de
l’Eglise Apostolique Armenienne Serge Sarkissian a dit que les
activites de la Sainte Eglise Apostolique Armenienne ” ne sont
pas une simple question d’organisation religieuse : c’est aussi une
signification et un prisme pan-armenien “. ” De plus, pour nous c’est
aussi une signification culturelle, politique et de sauvegarde de la
nation. C’est une realite qui a ete formee historiquement ” a-t-il dit.

Le president a dit que l’Eglise peut compter, meme a une echelle plus
grande, a l’appui sous diverses formes de l’Etat armenien “.

Le chef de l’Eglise Armenienne, le Catholicos Karekin II, a remercie
le president et le gouvernement pour leur appui pour la Sainte Eglise.

Il a recommande que le gouvernement soutienne aussi les diocèses de
l’Eglise dans la diaspora.

lundi 12 novembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

SteelGuru, India
nov 11 2012

Armenia and Iran in talks to build oil products pipeline

RIA Novosti reported that Armenia and Iran are discussing joint
projects to build a rail link and an oil products pipeline.

Mr Armen Movsisyan energy minister of Armenia said that `I’ll see
together with Mr Majid Namjou energy minister of Iran that the
implementation of these two major programs currently at the stage of
working discussions begins as soon as possible.’

Mr Movsisyan said that `The implementation of these two projects will
raise the level of economic cooperation between the two countries.’

Armenia and Iran initially planned to start the construction of the
oil products pipeline in 2011 and finish it in 2014. The pipeline will
deliver gasoline and diesel fuel from Iranian refineries and other
Persian Gulf countries to the Armenian town of Yeraskh via Iran’s
Tabriz

The pipeline will allow Armenia to import petroleum products from the
Persian Gulf region at exchange traded prices that are much lower than
European market prices and considerably cut transport expenses
compared with transportation by rail.

Armenia will invest USD 100 million to finance pipeline construction
on its territory. The North South (Iran-Armenia) railway will allow
Armenia to use an alternative route for the transportation of energy
products and other commodities and gain access to external markets.

The Times of India (TOI)
November 10, 2012 Saturday

Heritage hotel on Royal Calcutta Turf Club campus

by Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey

KOLKATA

KOLKATA: To most of us,this patch land on Russel Street will appear as
a forsaken plot overgrown with weeds. But old timers say they had seen
tickets for the famous Kolkata races being sold from here. Still now,
one cannot miss the crown and other insignia of the Royal Calcutta
Turf Club (RCTC) on multiple entrances to the campus of the hallowed
164-year old club. Soon, this grand old building will become one of
the most sought after destinations in the city.

The grand RCTC clubhouse is not only getting restored, a heritage
hotel is also being set up on its campus. However, three other
heritage hotels – the one at the Old Minton Strand Road, another at Basu
Bati near Bagbazar and the one at Sir Rajen Mukherjee’s house – are yet
to see lightof day.

As you enter through the gates of the Russel Street premises, you are
bound to stare at what you see. A grand two-storied pure colonial
structure faces you in all its dilapidated grandeur.There are bamboo
scaffoldings all around this huge building that served as the club
house of RCTC since January 1920. Long after RCTC came into being in
1847, the need for a separate premise was felt, where members and
their guests could be entertained. The Maidan campus of RCTC was not
considered fit for socialising because it was primarily meant for
racing and horse-keeping.

According to the records available with the Indian National Trust for
Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach ),the land on Russel Street
initially belonged to a wealthy Armenian businessman, AA Apcar. After
his death, it was bought by another famous Armenian businessman,JC
Galstaun,who was also a steward of RCTC then. He sold it to the club
in 1920 for Rs 1.75 lakh. The two-storied building inside the premises
was converted into the club house. Gradually, the club house sank into
oblivion and even tickets stopped being sold from here. The premise
was taken over by weeds.Allthiswhile,RCTC kept reviewing the idea of
restoring the premise. However, this would require a lot of money and
perhaps that kept postponing the project. Recently, however, the club
was able to achieve a breakthrough. Real estate major Emaar-MGF
entered into an agreement with RCTC to restore the heritage building
and construct a 19-storey hotel behind it.

Intach has already taken stock of the extent of damage and started
restoring the clubhouse. `The roof is heavily damaged and needs to be
strengthened. It is a lime-and-mortar building and has been attacked
by advancing damp from below. We have peeled off these portions,’
explained GM Kapur, state convenor of Intach.

The conservation architects at the site claim that the grand staircase
connecting the ground and first floors is perhaps of biggest
proportions in any heritage building in the city. Nothing remains of
the erstwhile ballrooms with wooden floors, bars and libraries at
present, but you marvel at their proportions, design, ventilation and
architectural grandeur.

`It would be a heritage hotel project. While the hotel building behind
the club house is where people will come and stay,they will enter
through the restored heritage building. This will give them a feel of
the past,’said Soumitro De,the spokesperson of Emaar-MGF.

Historian Barun Dewashappy.`I am happy that Intach has been assigned
the restoration job because they are experts in conservation,’ he
said.

Armenia to chair Council of Europe Committee of Ministers after Andorra

news.am
November 10, 2012 | 19:14

Andorra took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe on Friday, which will last till next May.
Armenia will follow Andorra and will chair CoE Committee of Ministers
for next six months after May, 2013.

Education in human rights sphere, democracy and the rule of law, the
Council of Europe essential values, are among the top priorities of
Andorran Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers.

The Andorran Chairmanship will carry out a number of activities
related to education for democratic citizenship and human rights, with
a particular focus on youth.

US Armenian photojournalist explains when, why she snapped the most
retweeted photo of Obamas

tert.am
21:03 – 10.11.12

A Slate reporter has spoken spoke with US-Armenian photojournalist
Scout Tufankjian about the photo of Barack and Michelle Obama that has
become the most retweeted ever.

The photo was taken August 15 in Dubuque, Iowa, in the middle of a bus
tour, Slate reports.

`It was the first day that the first lady had joined us so he hadn’t
seen her in a couple of days. She came in on a bus that morning – it
was the first event of the day – and they embraced on stage,’
Tufankjian said. `I decided to focus on them rather than taking a
wider shot, because I think I’m not alone in finding their
relationship to be totally aspirational.’

Tufankjian told Slate: `It reflects on the way that people feel about
the Obamas as people, rather than as public figures. The wonderful
thing about working for the campaign is not being with the president
or on Air Force One or any of the things that would happen covering
any president’s campaign. Spending time with that family is the thing
that’s so wonderful. What the family is and represents to the country
is as much a part of the president’s appeal as his policies.

I don’t know why they chose it, but that’s why I like the choice. As
opposed to him waving in front of a flag or something more
traditionally presidential.’

Best photos of Armenian-Russian diplomatic relations 20th year history
demonstrated in Armenpress photo exhibition

17:18, 10 November, 2012

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: Photo exhibition entitled
”Yesterday, today, tomorrow” dedicated to Armenian- Russian
diplomatic relations kicked off in Moscow House on November 10. The
event was initiated jointly by Russian Embassy in Armenia and
Armenpress state news agency.

”First I want to congratulate for the launched photo exhibition. The
photos taken by talented photographers enable us a chance to follow
the entire path of establishment and development process of
Russian-Armenian diplomatic relations, and see the result of our
strategic collaboration” Tigran Sargsyan noted.The head of the
Executive Body considers the organization of such photo exhibition
good initiation. PM is confident the exhibited works will arise
interest among the visitors.

”Throughout the 20th years we have not only strengthened the mutual
trust between the two countries at an independent Republics level but
have doubled and kept those traditions already exiting among the
nations ” stated Viktor Krivopuskov, the leader of the Armenian
representation of the federal agency of CIS countries. In his words
those relations are aimed at the realization of security, trade and
economic, educational and other programs, Armenpress reports.

”When we were initiating the photo exhibition our first attempts
showed that there are more than 3000 photos in the agency’s archive
covering Armenian- Russian relations. Armenian- Russian relations are
unique both to their capacity and depth. Our aim was to show those
relations through photo exhibition history, which includes economic,
political and cultural spheres” stated Aram Ananyan, the executive
director of Armenpress state news agency.

Diplomatic relations between the Republic Armenia and the Russian
Federation were established on April 3, 1992. The embassy of RF in
Yerevan has been acting since 1992, and the Embassy of RA in Moscow-
since 1994.

Vyacheslav Yevgenevich Kovalenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia,
National Assembly vice speaker Hermine Naghdalyan attended the opening
ceremony of the photo exhibition.

Luys Foundation called Armenians to unite around the education

14:37, 10 November, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS: Luys Foundation announced ”Education
path leading to the eternity” slogan to Armenians, calling to unite
around the education through fundraising. As Armenpress reports,
Tigran Sargsyan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, member
of the board of trustees of the Foundation Jacqueline Karaaslanyan
came forth in Sardarapat Memorial, Armenpress reports.

Luys Foundation fund violability will make 100 million US dollars in
2015, if each an Armenian will donate 10 US dollars. In the words of
the head of the Executive body November 10 meeting has a great
meaning, it paves a way for a new movement, which is set to reach all
Armenian families, regardless the fact where the family habits. We
want to unite all Armenians around the Foundation.

”The best way of consolidation in the 21st century is the spread of
knowledge and ideology. Only our love towards the perception of the
knowledge and education can unite us. We are sure this is right
strategy: Armenian nation can be competitive in the 21st century if
the people are educated, if our young people receive the best
education in the world. This is our aim, and for reaching our goal we
must unite everybody who estimate the education of the young” Tigran
Sargsyan noted.

Every year Luys foundation enables a chance for hundreds of Armenian
young people to study in 10 most prestigious educational institutions
of the world. Educational Foundation board members, Foundation
partners, Luys alumni and their junior colleagues attended the
meeting.