Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Syrian army recaptures Aleppo’s three Christian areas

August 23, 2012 – 21:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Syrian army has recaptured Christian areas in
the city of Aleppo after heavy fighting with rebels, leaving streets
desolated and deserted apart from local youths on patrol, residents
said on Thursday, Aug. 23.

“We have had the worst two days of our lives,” Sonia, the wife of a
wealthy businessman in the northern city which is also Syria’s
commercial capital, said.

“If our house weren’t built like a fortress, we’d all be dead. The
entrance is very badly damaged. We couldn’t sleep all night,” said the
resident of Telal, which the army seized on Wednesday along with
Jdeide and Sulamaniyeh. Aleppo residents reported heavy exchanges in
the heart of the city during the army’s offensive to recapture the
three neighbourhoods seized by the rebels at the weekend.

Of the three Christian quarters in the historic Old City of Aleppo,
Jdeide and Telal were once frequented by tourists for their
restaurants and handicraft shops.

The rebel Free Syrian Army had also seized the nearby neighborhood of
Sulamaniyeh, most of whose inhabitants are Armenian Christians and
which is home to ancient monasteries and a Melkite Greek Catholic
cathedral.

The bishop of the cathedral on Farhat Square, left pockmarked by the
fighting, himself had to beat a hasty retreat before the rebels moved
in because of his pro-regime comments, another resident said,
according to AFP.

Tycoon Asil Nadir jailed for 10 years for theft

August 23, 2012 – 16:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Former fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir has been jailed
for a total of 10 years for stealing £29m ($46m) from his Polly Peck
business empire 20 years ago, according to BBC News.

Nadir, 71, stole from Polly Peck International (PPI), a major UK
company until 1990 when it collapsed after a Serious Fraud Office
investigation.

He fled the UK in 1993 while awaiting trial, but returned in 2010.

His wife, Nur, said outside court: “My husband is innocent.” She said:
“Having great faith in the British legal justice system we will
continue to try to rectify the wrongs.”

The trial at the Old Bailey ended on Wednesday, Aug 22 when Nadir was
acquitted of three of the 13 sample charges.

He was sentenced to five years for each of seven of the thefts – two
years less than the maximum – and five years for the other three but
the judge, Justice Holroyde, decided those terms should be
consecutive.

He said Nadir would be eligible for release after serving half his sentence.

Nadir is expected to return to Belmarsh prison in south east London,
where he has been remanded in custody since Monday, but is set to
serve his sentence elsewhere.

In his sentencing remarks, the judge said Nadir had “outstanding
business skills” and brought employment and financial benefit to many
people around the world.

But Justice Holroyde said “You were a wealthy man who stole out of pure greed”.

Fitch affirms Armenia at ‘BB-‘; Outlook stable

tert.am
18:14 – 23.08.12

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Armenia’s Long-term foreign and local
currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at ‘BB-‘. The Outlook on the
Long-term IDRs is Stable. At the same time, Fitch has affirmed the
Short-term foreign currency IDR at ‘B’ and Country Ceiling at ‘BB,’
Reuters reports.

The rating affirmation reflects the fact that Armenia is gradually
reducing its fiscal and external imbalances. The government narrowed
the fiscal deficit to 2.8% of GDP in 2011, from 5% of GDP in 2010,
through tax collection improvements, revenue surprises and spending
restraint. The fiscal deficit is converging on the medium term target
of 2% of GDP, although not all supporting measures have been spelled
out. This would allow public debt to stabilise at around 45% of GDP.
However, this ratio is unusually sensitive to exchange rate movements,
given that 84% of public debt is in foreign currency, mainly from
multilateral lenders. External and fiscal sustainability are therefore
closely linked.

Real GDP grew 4.6% in 2011, driven by consumption and exports, and a
rebound in agriculture. Fitch expects growth of around 4% in 2012-14,
with risks to the upside in 2012. Mining production could outperform,
but exposure to metals prices and the Russian economy are sources of
vulnerability. Improvements in the investment climate would lead to
more rapid growth in the medium-term.
External finances are a weakness relative to peers. The current
account deficit (CAD) narrowed to 11% of GDP in 2011, but was still
the second largest in Emerging Europe and the third widest among ‘BB’
rated sovereigns. It is well above its pre-crisis level. Slowing
growth in export earnings, linked to falling metals prices, will limit
further progress in 2012. With only half of the CAD financed by
foreign direct investment, the remainder is financed by external
borrowing, pushing up net external indebtedness.

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) allowed greater exchange rate
flexibility in H112 during a lull in foreign exchange earnings. The
size of its interventions has declined although it has been a net
seller of foreign exchange in 2011-2012.

Armenia will start to make net repayments to the IMF in 2013. CBA and
government repayments to the IMF are to peak in 2013 at USD279m (2.6%
of forecast GDP or one-sixth of CBA reserves). Reserves will therefore
stay flat or decline. Fitch expects the government to seek a successor
agreement to the Extended Fund Facility/Extended Credit Facility
expiring in June 2013. The government expects to refinance its direct
obligations to the Fund from multilateral sources.

Armenia’s ability to absorb further external shocks is weaker than in
2008, as government and external debt have multiplied.

Pressure on reserves or the dram – following an external shock – would
lead to negative rating action. Any shortfall in capital inflows would
increase risks of currency devaluation. A lower CAD, lower
dollarization and more buoyant reserves would be positive for the
ratings.

Further progress in reducing the fiscal deficit, preferably via tax
collection improvements rather than spending restraint, would help
bolster creditworthiness. While government debt service ratios are
still low, funding costs will rise over the medium-term, increasing
the importance of stabilising or reducing public debt. Pension reform
in 2014, though a net fiscal cost in the short term, could help
develop local capital markets and reduce reliance on external and bank
borrowing.

Fitch has previously highlighted the relative strengths of Armenia’s
banking system. However, real bank lending growth was the fastest in
Emerging Europe in 2011 at 25%, and the second fastest among ‘BB’
rated sovereigns, raising some macro-prudential concerns. Rapid growth
has continued in 2012, with lending to corporates and in foreign
currency the main growth areas. Risks to sovereign creditworthiness
are mitigated by banks’ loss absorption capacity, in the shape of high
capital adequacy ratios, and the relatively small size of the banking
system.

Policy continuity is the most likely outcome of presidential elections
in February 2013. Fitch believes President Serzh Sargsyan is likely to
win a second term, assuming he stands again. The improved conduct of
parliamentary elections in May 2012, which gave the ruling Republican
Party an enhanced majority, suggests that the result will be broadly
accepted, averting the risk of a disputed result and violence, as seen
in 2008.

Political unrest, triggered by a disputed presidential election in
February 2013, or worsening tensions with Azerbaijan surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh – neither of which are part of Fitch’s core forecast
– could lead to negative rating action.

Travel.ru: Interest in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic grows at a record pace

ARMINFO
Thursday, August 23, 19:58

Nagorno-Karabakh has gained its independence, the official website
of the Travel.ru company (Russia) says.

The source says that the interest in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is
growing at a record pace. After a long conflict with Azerbaijan, the
NKR has gained its independence and at the moment it has its own
government, army and laws. The only road to the NKR passes via
Armenia. The citizens of Russia need no visa, all the necessary
documents are filled in when entering Nagorno-Karabakh, the website
says. At the same time, Travel.ru warns that after visiting the NKR,
the tourists may have problems with entry to Azerbaijan, as the Azeri
Government declares the people visiting Karabakh personas non grata.

To note, this article has caused a wide response in Azerbaijan. The
Azeri mass media report that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Elman Abdullayev instructed the Azerbaijani Embassy in
Moscow to inquire into this publication on Travel.ru.

ACYPL selects Ardashes Kassakhian for Africa exchange program

August 23, 2012 – 12:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The American Council of Young Political Leaders
(ACYPL) has invited City Clerk Ardashes `Ardy’ Kassakhian to
participate in an international exchange program to South Africa and
Namibia this September.

According to Asbarez, he will be part of a seven-member, bipartisan
delegation to South Africa and Namibia, serving as a young political
leader representing the United States. Participants in the program
must be nominated by a member of U.S. Congress or an alumnus of the
program. Delegates have the unique opportunity to meet with elected
officials at the national, regional and local levels, as well as
policy makers, business and community leaders in the host countries.

`I have always had a strong interest and admiration for the election
processes in South Africa, particularly in the post-Apartheid era,’
said Kassakhian, who has a framed ballot from that historic election
when Nelson Mandela ran for President hanging in his office at City
Hall. `I am equally interested in the elections processes in a
relatively young nation like Namibia which has only been a state since
1990,’ he added.

Based in Washington, ACYPL is a nonpartisan NGO that is
internationally recognized as the pre-eminent catalyst for introducing
rising political and policy professionals to international affairs.

Fed Up or Breaking Ruben Hairapetyan

Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:19:19 – 23/08/2012

f summer may be the beginning of an active autumn. I don’t mean the
municipal elections, preparations for the upcoming presidential ones or the
foreign political orientation of Armenia, but the ongoing and irrevocable
process of establishment of civil control on the activities of the
authorities.

The process, which is unfolded around the Harsnakar story, may be decisive
in this sense. The group of lawyers, journalists and civil activists
insistently don’t want to reconcile with the lack of punishment for the
oligarch. They bring more proves of Ruben Hairapetyan’s involvement in Vahe
Avetyan’s murder in Harsnakar restaurant. This insistence is not supported
by foreign grants or `competing’ groups, but the firm conviction which
makes the lawyers work free of charge.

Everyone is fed up with the situation when the law enforcement bodies,
instructed by the authorities, will never harm the oligarch, that the
society, journalists, lawyers even having combined their efforts are unable
to break down the vicious tradition. Everyone is tired of acknowledging
their weakness in front of the system, of giving bribes at each step, of
being afraid of speaking loudly about the guilt of the `untouchable
figures’.

When not only young activists, but also lawyers, who always deal with good
money, agree to work free of charge, it means a lot. This means that the
end of the impunity is coming and any case may be the last attempt of the
system to defend its oligarch.

The Harsnakar case is not ruled out to be the very last case and the
lawyers, with the help of the civil society, are possible to prove Ruben
Hairapetyan’s involvement in the assassination. They have already managed
to prove the deliberate concealment of certain facts by the police. And now
the question is not that the law enforcement agencies protect Hairapetyan,
it has already been proved, but the question is how long they will be able
to sustain the civil assault.

The behavior of the power also proves the fact that Ruben Hairapetyan’s
case may be the exemplary demolition of the oligarchic arbitrariness. Right
after the initiative and the first wave of protest, Hairapetyan was called
to the presidential office, after which he issued a statement of apology
and informed about laying down his parliamentary mandate.

But the laying down of the mandate was necessary to the presidential
administration not for saving Ruben Hairapetyan but for saving the image of
the parliament. Now, when Hairapetyan is officially out of the power,
nothing can hinder surrendering him, sure, excluding the financial
calculations and `brother relations’. But this is nothing in relation to
the civil wave, which will most likely arise in the beginning of autumn.
The hard work of the lawyers is a proof.

For the last 2-3 years, much has changed in Armenia: the society has grown,
the authorities `has turned tail’ and is involuntarily looking at the
public opinion, even meet it. Ruben Hairapetyan apparently not didn’t
understand this, when, according to some information, instructed his
security guards to teach the medical officers. But he has clearly
understood everything, and now he is willing to pay much in order to limit
his permissiveness, but not appear behind bars.

But what can he do?

Ararat Eskijian Museum

Presents

An Illustrated
lecture on

$B!H(BGeneric Drugs in Your Medicine Cabinet: Facts and Myth$B!I(B

By

Vahe Apelian PhD

Sunday, September, 09, 2012, at 4:00 pm
Ararat-Eskijian Museum
Hasmik Mgrdichian Gallery
15105 Mission Hills Rd,
Mission Hills CA 91345

Text Box: The illustrated presentation will highlight the development of
drug products from their inception to their production as generics and will
cover the regulations that govern their marketing as the more affordable
alternative to their branded counterparts. Along the facts pertaining to
their development and testing to assure the same safety and efficacy as
their brand counterparts, FDA$B!G(Bs response to some of the prevailing myths
will be addressed.

Currently Vahe Apelian and his family live in Loveland Ohio.

$B!|(B Admission free (Donations appreciated)
$B!|(B Reception following program

For more information contact the Ararat- Eskijian Museum at 818- 838-4862
E-mail: [email protected]

TAZ, Deutschland [Germany]
21 aug 2012

Armenische Gemeinde flieht aus Syrien
[Armenian Community Flees Syria]

Flucht zu den verarmten Brüdern

Knapp 4.000 Armenier aus Syrien suchen Schutz vor dem Krieg in der
Kaukasusrepublik. Die Menschen dort sind bitterarm, aber sie helfen,
so gut sie können. von Tigran Petrosyan

BERLIN taz | Einen Job in einer Firma hat er schon, eine eigene
Unterkunft noch nicht. ?Das ist ein großes Problem, aber ich versuche
trotzdem, mir hier in Armenien ein neues Leben aufzubauen`, sagt Harut
Palulyan. Der 22-Jährige ist mit seiner Mutter und Schwester vor einem
Monat aus Syrien geflohen.

Die Familie lebte in Aleppo. Dort hat Harut Ökonomie studiert und
versucht jetzt an der Universität in der Hauptstadt Jerewan seinen
Master zu machen. ?Zurzeit wohnen wir bei meinem älteren Bruder in
Jerewan. Er ist verheiratet und hat ein Baby. Sechs Personen in einer
Zweizimmerwohnung. Das ist zu eng. Deshalb müssen wir schnell etwas
finden.`

So wie Harut sind in den vergangenen Monaten knapp 4.000 Angehörige
der armenischen Minderheit aus Syrien vor dem Bürgerkrieg nach
Armenien geflohen. In Syrien leben etwa 100.000 Armenier, davon allein
knapp 60.000 in Aleppo. Die armenische Gemeinde in Syrien war eine der
ersten in der Diaspora, die nach dem Genozid an den Armeniern im
Osmanischen Reich 1915 entstand.

Angesichts der explosiven Lage in Syrien hat die armenische Regierung
die Formalitäten für die Visavergabe vereinfacht. Zudem ist in
Armenien seit 2007 die doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft erlaubt. Nach
Angaben der Pass- und Visaabteilung der Polizei Jerewan haben zwischen
Januar und Juli dieses Jahres 3.663 Armenier aus Syrien um einen
armenischen Pass nachgesucht.

Extrateure Sonderflüge

Doch nicht alle Ausreisewilligen können sich auf den Weg nach Jerewan
machen. Zwar hat die armenische Fluggesellschaft Armavia Sonderflüge
zwischen Jerewan und Aleppo sowie Damaskus eingerichtet. Doch die
Ticketpreise wurden massiv erhöht. Kostete die Strecke vor dem
Ausbruch des Bürgerkriegs 245 Euro, mussten die Flüchtlinge in den
vergangenen Wochen und Monaten 380 Euro für ein Ticket hinlegen. Nach
massiven Protesten und einer Intervention der armenischen Regierung
reduzierte Armavia den Preis wieder.

Überhaupt stellen die Neuankömmlinge aus Syrien für Armenien eine
besondere Herausforderung dar. Denn das Land ist bitterarm. Ein nicht
unerheblicher Teil des armenischen Staatshaushalts wird von der
Diaspora (circa 10 Millionen Armenier) finanziert. Offiziell lag die
Arbeitslosenrate Anfang 2012 bei 6,2 Prozent, dürfte aber in Wahrheit
viel höher sein. 2011 betrugen Löhne durchschnittlich 220 Euro und
Renten 52 Euro.

Trotzdem bemüht sich die Regierung, den Flüchtlingen zu helfen. Das
Diasporaministerium stellte 17.500 Euro für ein zweiwöchiges
Kindersommerlager im August zur Verfügung. 400 Teilnehmer sind aus
Syrien und von ihren Eltern nach Jerewan geschickt worden. ?Danach
haben diese Kinder die Möglichkeit, bei armenischen Familien zu
wohnen. 150 Familien sind bereit, Kinder aus Syrien aufzunehmen`,
sagte die Diasporaministerin Hranusch Hakobyan unlängst vor
Journalisten.

Sprachkurse in Ostarmenisch

In drei Jerewaner Schulen werden Schüler aus Syrien in speziellen
Kursen unterrichtet. Auch für Studenten plant das Ministerium
Weiterbildungsangebote. Eine große Hürde für die Armenier aus Syrien
ist die Sprache. In Armenien und anderen Staaten der Exsowjetunion
spricht man Ostarmenisch. Westarmenisch wird in der Diaspora
gesprochen. Die Sprachen unterscheiden sich in Grammatik, Wortschatz
und Orthografie. Intensivsprachkurse in Ostarmenisch sollen den
Armeniern aus Syrien die Integration erleichtern.

Einige Nichtregierungsorganisationen unterstützen das
Diasporaministerium. Zum Beispiel die Facebook-Initiative ?Förderung
für Rückkehrer`. Dort können sich Helfer registrieren lassen. ?Ein
Geschäftsmann hat mit Möbeln einer Familie geholfen, ein Mädchen
wollte 10 Euro spenden`, sagt Karen Vrtanesyan, Aktivist der
Initiative. Auch juristisch könnten sich die Flüchtlinge beraten
lassen. ?Die Menschen, die vor einer Woche gekommen sind, haben
unterschiedliche Geschichten erzählt. Einer sagte, die Lage in seinem
Bezirk in Aleppo sei normal. Andere sagten, es gebe kein Brot und kein
Wasser.` Die Ankommenden klagten über hohe Preise auf Märkten in
Jerewan: 10 Kilogramm Orangen kosteten in Syrien ein Euro, in Armenien
ein Kilogramm Orangen zwei Euro.

?Die Mehrheit der Ankommenden organisiert ihr Leben selbst. Viele
möchten nicht in Armenien bleiben, sondern in ein, zwei Monaten nach
Syrien zurückkehren`, sagt Vrtanesyan. Nach Angaben des Migrationsamts
Armeniens haben sich 30 Familien um den Flüchtlingsstatus beworben.
Sie alle hätten Unterkünfte vom Staat bekommen.

Das stößt nicht bei allen Einheimischen auf Zustimmung, denn die
Wohnungsnot ist groß. ?Ich bekomme 55 Euro Rente. Die Armenier aus
Syrien können sich nicht vorstellen, wie man mit so wenig Geld leben
kann`, sagt Asja Avetisyan. Die 68-Jährige wohnt bei ihrem Sohn.
?Aber`, sagt sie, ?Wir dürfen diese Menschen nicht allein lassen.`

!100008/

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 22 2012

Armenian town hosts first-ever honey and berry festival

By Etuna Tsotniashvili
Wednesday, August 22

The town of Berd, in the Tavush district of Armenia hosted its
first-ever festival of honey and berries on Saturday. With the goal of
popularizing Armenian honey and berries the festival attracted
hundreds of visitors.

I was a member of a small Georgian delegation at the festival. The
Armenian honey event was of particular interest to government
representatives from the Kvemo Kartli region, who went to see how
their Armenian counterparts in the Tavush region work to promote the
potential of their region.

The attractions of Tavush region were in full display on Sunday: the
visitors had an opportunity to enjoy local dishes made of honey and
berries as well as view an exhibition of carpets and tapestries made
by local craftsmen. The festival was accompanied by a variety of
cultural events, including folk dancing and music performances.

“This visit by the Georgian local government officials aim to generate
double benefits,” says Mikheil Pakatsoshvili, a coordinator of the
JOIN project working in the Georgian-Armenian border region. “First,
it demonstrates how local government, civil society and the local
community work hand in hand to promote and spur local economies –
something which the Georgian officials could adopt locally. Second,
even though Georgia has its own honey production, it still is an
opportunity to explore market and investment potential across the
border, thus enhance economic ties between the bordering regions.”

The local actorsjoin for inclusive economic development and governance
in the South Caucasus (JOIN) project covers the Kvemo Kartli and
Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia and the Lori, Tavush and Shirak
marzes of Armenia. The project brings together civil society, local
government and private sector representatives that will identify
potential for economic development and attract investments to rural
areas.

Local beekeepers in Tavush say that this year the honey harvest is not
very big because there was hail twice in the season. If the weather is
good then some of them will get about one ton of honey each year. Most
of them sell their honey locally, although they hope to export soon to
European markets. They plan to market their product better which will
hopefully increase awareness and demand for Tavushian honey.

`The goal of our festival is to provide an opportunity to the
participants and the guests to familiarize themselves with the
marvelous honey and berries of the Tavush region, to stimulate
development of beekeeping in the region, as well as to contribute to
the development of tourism and infrastructure,’ Hayk Chobanyan,
Director of the Spiritual Revival of Tavush Foundation told media.

Valera Garanyan has been involved in beekeeping for 30 years and has
many regular clients. He says he will be glad if the local government
supports the increased distribution of local products.

`Now we have no other way to export our honey, I have a great wish to
sell it abroad especially in Europe. I know they don’t have natural
honey as we have here. I am sure they will like our product and its
export will be successful,’ Garanyan told The Messenger.

The idea was born one day when honorary consul of Norway in Armenia
Timothy Straight suggested to his friends some ways of promoting the
region better. `I said to my friends ‘Let’s try to start a big project
to develop the region’, so now we have a development initiative which
is part of a broader initiative to try to create business and tourism,
bring people here and increase exports. We would like to better
familiarize visitors with the Tavush region and its development
potential.’ he said adding that the organizers will try to make the
festival an annual event which will be larger and more diverse in
scope in the coming years.

The honey and berry festival was organized by the «Spiritual Revival
of Tavush» Foundation, `Serund’ and `Development and Preservation of
Armenian Culinary Traditions’ NGOs in partnership with local
government. Similar activities in Berd and other 12 municipalities
will take place throughout the lifetime of the project. JOIN is
financed by the Austrian Development Agency and implemented by CARE
International in the Caucasus together with local partners, Civil
Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia and Center for Agribusiness and
Rural Development (CARD) in Armenia.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 22 2012

Karekin II discusses situation in Syria and bilateral cooperation with
Iranian Ambassador to Armenia

The Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, and the newly appointed
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia, Reis
Muhammad, have discussed the situation in Syria, Novosti-Armenia
reports, with reference to the press office of the Holy Echmiadzin.
“We are aware of the difficulties faced by the people of Syria, an
integral part of which is the Armenian community. Human lives are
being cut, houses and shrines are being destroyed. War is evil and a
sin before God. We pray that the problem will be resolved as early as
possible and that the peaceful and secure life of the people will be
restored,” the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenians said.

Karekin II also expressed to the Iranian Ambassador and to all the
Iranian leadership his condolences over the loss of many lives and
destruction caused by the tragic earthquake that occurred a few days
ago in Iran.

In his turn, Reis thanked the Patriarch for the sympathy and
assistance of the Armenian Church, the government of the Republic and
the Armenian people.

At the meeting the sides also discussed issues of cooperation,
particularly in the area of ??intercultural and interreligious
dialogue and the implementation of joint educational programs.

The sides discussed issues related to the Armenian community of Iran
and Armenian pilgrimage to shrines, and stressed the important role of
religious leaders in the preservation of peace in the region.