Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Oligarchy is a Bone in Armenians’ Throat

Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:15:15 – 04/07/2012

The Armenian Diaspora, which does not intervene in the home life of
Armenia that often has shown amazing solidarity this time. Protests in
memory of Vahe Avetyan with the same anti-oligarchic demands were held
in Iran, Los-Angeles, Berlin and other cities.

What is this solidarity determined by? There are many factors, but the
most important is that it has become evident that the oligarchy is a
bone in the throat of not only Armenia but also the Diaspora and the
whole nation.

Despite the attempts of the Ministry of Diaspora to invite Armenians
`home’, they prefer having holidays, investing, working and living out
of Armenia. Even the Armenians, who are leaving Syria, come to Armenia
very rarely. The reason is that Armenia is divided into several clans,
which don’t allow `others’ in, lead dilettante foreign policy, plunge
Armenia into the debt hole and maneuver between the West and the
North.

The Diaspora’s support may enable the Armenian opposition and the
civil society to achieve big victories. There are many small ones –
the Moscow cinema, the Trchkan waterfall and the Mashtots Park, as
well as Ruben Hairapetyan’s resignation. But now it is necessary to
raise certain issues, more global such as the recognition of the
parliamentary elections as void, formation of an independent CEC and
free elections.

The ground for such claims has matured both in the sense of the
mobilization of the civil society and the readiness of the authorities
to concessions and the position of the world community. If, we add the
Diaspora factor, the task won’t seem unreal.

The current parliament should be dissolved and first of all, the
parliamentary forces, which hardly passed the election limit, should
be interested in fair elections to have many more mandates.

The Diaspora too should be interested in this, which does not have
levers of influence on Armenia’s policy. The ministry of Diaspora was
created to give a ghetto status to the Diaspora Armenians, to isolate
them from the state issues and to limit their presence in Armenia up
to `coming home for holidays’.

It is necessary to provide quotas in the parliament for the Diaspora
too. But the most important is that it is necessary to remove the
oligarchic bone from out throat, and then, the Diaspora and Armenia
will become parts of a single organism.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

“OUR CLERGY ARE WHOLLY COMMITTED TO SERVE OUR CHURCH AND PEOPLE”, said Aram
I on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of his election and consecration

On Sunday, 1 July 2012, during the Holy Liturgy, special thanksgiving
prayers were offered to thank the Almighty for the 17 years of Spiritual
guidance, leadership and service of His Holiness Aram I as Catholicos of
Cilicia.

At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the Catholicos received the members of the
clergy and the faithful at his residence. In his message, he said, “The
locus of the vocation of our clergy, irrespective of clerical ranking, has
been to serve our people. In my 17 years as Catholicos, while serving our
church as spiritual leader, I have sought to encourage all initiatives that
would prepare the next generation of clergy to serve our church, our people
and our homeland. I have observed with great satisfaction the growing
numbers of our clergy and their effective outreach to our community.” His
Holiness then thanked all those people who had contributed to the
fulfillment of the vision and mission of the Catholicosate.

The thanksgiving celebration came to a close with the seminary choir singing
the Cilicia anthem of the Catholicoste and spiritual songs marking the
occasion, and the clergy and laity personally wishing His Holiness Aram I
long life.
##

M. HERMAN VAN ROMPUY EN ARMENIE DU 3 AU 4 JUILLET
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 4 juillet 2012

Les medias font etat de la visite de M. Herman Van Rompuy dans la
region du Sud Caucase. Il sera en Armenie les 3 et 4 juillet. Selon
Haykakan Jamanak, le 4 juillet le President de l’UE devrait rencontrer
les groupes parlementaires armeniens, ainsi que prononcer une
allocution devant les elus. Dans un entretien a l’agence Armenpress
repris par Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun, le President de l’UE constate
un progrès dans les relations entre l’UE et l’Armenie, qu’il s’agisse
des negociations sur un accord d’association, des negociations sur
l’etablissement d’une zone de libre-echange ou encore de celles
sur la facilitation du regime des visas et de la readmission. Il
rappelle que l’UE est une communaute basee sur des principes et des
valeurs, que l’Armenie, pays participant au Partenariat oriental,
a elle-meme souhaite partager. Le renforcement des relations entre
l’UE et l’Armenie est ainsi directement lie a l’aspiration de cette
dernière a faire siennes ces valeurs. Plus l’engagement de l’Armenie
a poursuivre les reformes sera fort, plus la cooperation avec l’UE
sera etroite. Il appelle donc l’Armenie a poursuivre sur la voie des
reformes, en renforcant les institutions democratiques, la defense
des droits de l’Homme et la suprematie de la loi. L’UE salue ainsi
les efforts deployes par les autorites armeniennes pour organiser
des elections legislatives plus transparentes et democratiques. ” Ce
fut une etape importante, meme si il y a encore un certain nombre de
questions qui devront etre resolues, celles notamment enoncees dans
le rapport final de l’OSCE/BUDDH. Nous esperons que ces questions
trouveront une reponse d’ici les prochaines elections presidentielles
“. Il relève en outre que parmi les pays du Partenariat oriental,
les negociations sur un accord d’association ont beaucoup progresse
avec la Moldavie, la Georgie et l’Armenie.

S’agissant du conflit du HK, M. Van Rompuy rappelle que le conflit n’a
pas de solution militaire et reaffirme le soutien de l’UE au Groupe
de Minsk, saluant aussi la recente declaration des trois Presidents
lors du sommet du G8 a Los Cabos. L’UE est preoccupee, selon lui,
par la lenteur des negociations entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan,
ainsi que par les recents incidents meurtriers sur la frontière
armeno-azerbaïdjanaise.

LA FONDATION CIVILITAS INSPECTEE PAR LE FISC ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 4 juillet 2012

Les autorites fiscales ont commence une inspection financière de
l’ONG fondee par Vartan Oskanian après le lancement controverse d’une
enquete criminelle contre l’ancien ministre des Affaires Etrangères.

La Fondation Civilitas a annonce que des fonctionnaires de la
Commission des Recettes de l’Etat (SRC) ont visite ses bureaux pour
demander ” la documentation financière depuis l’etablissement de la
fondation en mai 2008 “.

Vartan Oskanian a confirme l’information liant l’audit fiscal avec
une enquete criminelle ouverte contre lui et Civilitas par le Service
de la Securite nationale (NSS). ” Je pense que l’enquete par l’agence
fiscale pourrait etre utile pour nous et ils verront que tout a ete
fait a Civilitas conformement a la lettre et l’esprit de la loi ”
a-t-il dit aux journalistes.

Vartan Oskanian, qui est membre du parti Armenie Prospère (BHK), a pris
la parole alors qu’il etait a l’exterieur du quartier general du NSS a
Erevan après son troisième interrogatoire dans l’enquete criminelle en
cours pour blanchiment d’argent presume. Il a dit qu’il a de nouveau
refuse de faire un temoignage formel aux enqueteurs du NSS.

Le chef du NSS, Gorik Hakobian a condamne la semaine dernière le
refus d’Oskanian de parler. Hakobian a dit que si l’ancien ministre
se considère en effet comme innocent alors il doit ” s’expliquer,
hurler, ecrire et dire a chacun qu’il est honnete “.

” On ne doit pas prouver l’innocence, on doit prouver la culpabilite
” a replique Tigran Atanesian l’avocat d’Oskanian. ” Laissons-les
essayer de le faire “.

LE SITE DU MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES PIRATE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mercredi 4 juillet 2012

Selon ” Rossiyskaya Gazeta”, mardi 3 juillet, le site internet du
Ministère des Affaires etrangères de Turquie a ete pirate par un
groupe se faisant appeler Red Hack.

En lieu et place du nom du Ministère avait ete placee l’inscription ”
Ministère de la Guerre et de l’esclavage.” Un peu plus bas il y avait
deux grandes photos, l’une d’entre elles representait le Premier
ministre turc serrant la main de Mouammar Kadhafi, et la seconde,
le president syrien Bachar al-Assad. Les photos etaient legendees
par les mots : ” Hier, des frères, maintenant des ennemis”, “Il ne
faut pas se battre pour l’imperialisme ”

Les hackers ont laisse un avertissement, precisant qu’ils continueront
a faire pression sur le site tant que se “poursuivra une politique
etrangère dictee de l’exterieur.”

En outre, les pirates ont reussi a saisir les documents stockes sur
le serveur du ministère, comme par exemple des cartes d’identite
delivrees aux diplomates etrangers en Turquie et a leurs familles.

“Ces diplomates devrait etre en colère contre le ministère des Affaires
etrangères, mais pas contre nous “, indique un message.

Selon les medias turcs, les pirates ont fait irruption dans le serveur
d’une entreprise qui dessert le site.

Les experts tentent de determiner a quelle profondeur les pirates ont
reussi a penetrer dans le serveur. Il semble que la correspondance
diplomatique ait ete preservee.

ARMENIA TO HOLD DAYS OF CHINESE CULTURE

news.am
July 04, 2012 | 00:49

YEREVAN. – Photo exhibition-reception was held in Yerevan organized by
the Chinese Embassy in Armenia on the occasion of the 20th anniversary
of the diplomatic relations establishment.

The exhibition reflected in photos diplomatic, economic and cultural
ties between the two countries. Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Tian
Changchun stated that friendship between the two nations goes 2,000
years back when the Great Silk road linked Armenian and Chinese
cultures. The Ambassador said that China was one of the first states to
establish diplomatic relations with Armenia and they develop steadily,
while political ties are reinforced, cooperation within international
agencies develops day by day and the two countries support each other
in important issues.

China held Days of Armenian Culture within the frameworks of
humanitarian cooperation, while Armenia will hold Days of Chinese
Culture in fall. Armenian Deputy FM Sergey Manasaryan stressed in
his turn the productive cooperation in all directions, mentioning the
growth of trade turnover between the two countries. According to him,
if the turnover was $421 million last year, it is $125 million only
for the first months of this year.

“We have succeeded in developing bilateral relations. However, there
is much to achieve yet,” he added.

POPE TO VISIT ARMENIAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCHY IN LEBANON

news.am
July 04, 2012 | 00:15

Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Armenian Catholic Patriarchy during
his three day visit to Lebanon.

The trip is scheduled for September. During his visit Benedict XVI
will meet the Christian and Muslim religious leaders and also Lebanese
President Michel Suleiman and PM Najib Mikati, AFP reports. It is
expected that during his visit the Pope will emphasize the importance
of Christians and Muslims leaving together peacefully. The main event
of the visit will be the Pope’s peace speech in Beirut on September 16.

THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC), THE HERITAGE PARTY, THE PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY (PAP) WENT TO VAHE AVETYAN’S FUNERAL, THE MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA (RPA) DIDN’T

July 2, 2012 15:55

The burial of Vahe Avetyan who has died as a result of being violently
beaten at Harsnakar is in progress at the moment.

Representatives of various political forces – members of the ANC,
PAP and Heritage Party parliamentary groups, Levon Zurabyan,
Naira Zohrabyan and others – participate in the burial in order
to sympathize with Vahe’s relatives. It is interesting that the
Republican MPs haven’t gone to Vahe’s funeral. Anahit Bakhshyan, a
former Heritage Party MP, communicated during a conversation with us
that “I have tried to catch sight of at least one of them in order
to single out, but I haven’t seen any Republicans. This is a very
bad indication, not only don’t they have the human courage to come
– I am convinced that they are also sorry, but they cannot humanly
voice where the ladders of guilt lead to – they cannot also come and
express their condolences publicly.” In response to our remark that
if Ruben Hayrapetyan had participated, the relatives wouldn’t have
tolerated that and there would have been incidents, Ms. Bakhshyan said,
“The relatives wouldn’t have paid attention

to him, wouldn’t have noticed him, because their pain is so big. Ruben
must have had fears, but the others mustn’t, must they? They could
have come, hear a few caustic remarks, but they would have solved at
list the issue of maintaining their moral image for the future and
would have said that they had gone and had humanly sympathized.”

Hripsime JEBEJYAN

ARGENTINA CALLS TO SOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IN FRAMEWORK OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

ARMENPRESS
3 July, 2012
YERVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS: Argentina calls to solve Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in the framework of the norms of international law.

Armenpress reports calling Azerbaijani Medias that about this declared
Foreign affairs minister of Argentina Hector Marcos Timerman.

During the visit to Azerbaijan Foreign affairs minister of Argentina
held meetings with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and
Foreign minister Elmar Mamedyarov. Among other issues the process of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement has been discussed.

Conflict settlement negotiations are held in the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, USA, France). In the last decade, several
options for the settlement proposed by the co-chairs were rejected
by Azerbaijan. The last was “Paris Principles” in 2001 which were
summed up in the Key West document.

Currently, negotiations are held on the basis of the Madrid proposals
represented by co-chairs in November, 2007.

14 PEOPLE INJURED IN ACCIDENTS OVER 24 HOURS IN ARMENIA

news.am
July 03, 2012 | 16:23

YEREVAN. – Mazda car crashed into a garage on Tuesday in Yerevan. As
a result the driver and four passengers were injured and hospitalized,
police informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In another accident, Mercedes and BMW crashed on the same day in
Isakov Avenue. As a result, driver is hospitalized. On the same day,
Mercedes crashed into a wall, while driver was injured.

A driver and three passengers were injured in Meghri-Yerevan road as
VAZ vehicle crashed into a concrete wall. In the evening of the same
day, Toyota and VAZ crashed on Yerevan-Ashtarak road, as a result,
VAZ driver was hospitalized.

Besides the accidents, several people were ran over in Armenia on
Tuesday. Volkswagen ran over a woman, 45, in Ararat city, who is
hospitalized. Daewoo vehicle ran over a man, 33, who is hospitalized.

In another accident, Mercedes ran over an old woman, who is also
hospitalized.