Author: Kanayan Tamar

LET’S CLOSE THE MINISTRY, I AGREE: HRANUSH HAKOBYAN

17:05 | December 25,2014 | Politics

What has Minister of Diaspora done during the last year? “We have
separated song from dance,”- says Hranush Hakobyan.

Hranush Hakobyan hasn’t been satisfied with it, she has organized a
festival of poetry and duduk, has brought many young Diaspora Armenians
into Armenia with special mission, “They learn about their homeland,
they love it and decide to remain Armenians.”

Within the frames of Armenia-Diaspora 5thconvention Hranush Hakobyan
finally formulated her demands from Turkey, “I have a demand also
for unborn children. If our 3 million stayed, today we would be
25 million.”

The next achievement of the Ministry is to inform Diaspora Armenia
who our greats are. 600 million AMD from the state budget to the
Ministry has been necessary even in this case, “See, if in 2014 we have
considered Komitas, Siamanto, Tumanyan, Arshil Gorki as our greats,
in 2015 they will be Daniel Varuzhan, Hamastegh and Andranik.”

Minister Hranush Hakobyan has been busy in 2014, “The Ministry
has received 63312 letters and I have read all, we have written 47
thousands letters, I have read them.”

Why was the construction of “New Aleppo” district, which started in
2013, left unfinished, when initially 52 million AMD were provided
for that? Why aren’t there new investors in this project? Hranush
Hakobyan says, the state has presented 50 ha territory to 600 Aleppo
Armenians, what else can it do?

Each of us must invest 2-3 dollars, thinks Hranush Hakobyan. Wasn’t
it possible to direct the money from “Come home” and many other
conventions to this project? “The whole our budget will be enough
only for 10 flats,- says the Minister.- What can we do, let’s close
the Ministry, I agree.”

Mrs. Hakobyan can turn to the investors and ask, but she can’t force
them, people don’t invest for Aleppo Armenians: “No one is our employee
so that I can force or order them, we only ask whether they will do
or not.”

TWENTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF EUROPEAN UNION CITIZENS BELIEVE SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA IMPOSED UNDER WASHINGTON’S PRESSURE

YEREVAN, December 25. / ARKA /. Twenty-seven percent of European
Union’s citizens believe that sanctions against Russia were imposed
by the bloc under United States’ pressure, a poll conducted by the
ICM Research, revealed Novosti-Armenia reported.

Thirty-seven percent of EU residents polled said that the European
Union and the United States had acted together when imposing
anti-Russian sanctions, while in Germany 47 percent thought that
Washington and Berlin had taken the decision jointly, according to
Sputnik news agency.

In France, 33 percent of residents argued that the United States has
influenced the bloc’s decision to join the sanctions against Russia,
while only 24 percent said that the European Union had made this
decision independently.

In the United Kingdom, 17 percent did not have an opinion to the
question, while a quarter of respondents said the European Union’s
decision had been affected by Washington.

The ICM Research surveyed over 3,000 people in Germany, the United
Kingdom, and France. Telephone interviews with adults, nationally
representative of the above countries, were conducted in December 2014.

Over the past few months, several rounds of sanctions have been
introduced against Russia by the European Union, the United States and
their allies over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.

The sanctions particularly targeted defense, energy and banking
sectors of the Russian economy.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the Western accusations and said that
the sanctions run counter to the principles of international law.-0-

“WE END THE YEAR WITH HIGH RATES OF POVERTY” (VIDEO)

15:02 | December 25,2014 | Economy

“Everything is bad in Armenia,”- is sure the former President of
Central Bank, economist Bagrat Asatryan.

“This year 3.5 percent economic increase has been registered, which
can’t provide any results to our country, we need at least 7 percent
increase. We end the year with higher rates of poverty.”

Mr. Asatryan thinks that the economic situation in the country will be
worse in the coming year and we mustn’t believe that it has external
reasons, “The authorities have endangered our financial stability
with their activities. The situation is so bad that the authorities
don’t have a right to go on holidays for 15 days, they must work.”

What relates to Hovik Abrahamyan’s tours in the supermarkets,
the former President of the CB noted, “The Government hasn’t done
anything. Prime Minister is an economic project and idea.”

COOPERATION BETWEEN VIVACELL-MTS AND OPERA SUPPORT FUND MARKED BY HOLIDAY CONCERT

15:14 25/12/2014 >> CULTURE

On the occasion of the coming holidays a concert took place at the
National Academic State Opera and Ballet Theatre after A. Spendiaryan
that summed up the results of the cooperation between VivaCell-MTS and
the Opera Support Fund during 2014, the press service of VivaCell-MTS
reports.

The Symphonic Orchestra of the Opera Theatre (artistic director and
conductor Karen Durgaryan, who is also the founder of the Fund and the
President of the Board of Trustees), soloists, as well as the special
guest – famous Germany-based singer Hrachuhi Bazents performed works
of Joseph Strauss, Johann Strauss, F. Suppe, F. Lehar, E. Kalman at
the “Vienna Gala” concert.

Owing to AMD 24 million of support from VivaCell-MTS, the Opera Support
Fund has organized 28 events throughout 2014, considerably enriching
the cultural life in the capital as well as in the regions of Armenia.

“Opera is a national value. Armenian opera is a cradle of talented,
internationally acclaimed performers, whose world-known names fill
our hearts with pride. VivaCell-MTS spares no effort to support
the further development of the opera theatre. We want to provide
the conditions that our artists need for conquering heights, for
maintaining their important place on the international artistic stage
and for creating vivid characters, thus enriching the repertoire of the
opera theatre with their impressive and unforgettable performances,”
noted VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

LE SENAT AMERICAIN CONFIRME SES AMBASSADEURS EN ARMENIE ET EN AZERBAIDJAN

ARMENIE

Le Senat americain a confirme Richard Mills comme prochain ambassadeur
en Armenie. John Heffern, l’ambassadeur sortant, a tweete un message
de felicitation a son successeur.

Le Senat a egalement confirme Robert Cekuta comme ambassadeur en
Azerbaïdjan.

Richard Mills a ete chef de mission adjoint a l’ambassade americaine
a Beyrouth, au Liban. Avant cela, il a servi comme Charge d’Affaires
de l’ambassade americaine a Malte. Plus tôt dans sa carrière,
Mills a travaille a Washington au bureau sovietique, pour finalement
devenir agent de bureau pour l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan nouvellement
independantes.

jeudi 25 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

UN NOEL DE FORTUNE AU MILIEU DES RUINES DE HOMS

Syrie

Des guirlandes courent sur les balcons demantibules, une toile verte
dessine la forme d’un sapin : avec les moyens du bord, les chretiens
donnent une couleur de fete a leur premier Noël dans le vieux Homs
en ruines après plus de trois ans de guerre en Syrie.

“Notre joie est indescriptible”, temoigne Taghrid Naanaa, les yeux
brillants en choisissant des decorations dans l’unique papèterie qui
vient de rouvrir ses portes.

Cette quinquagenaire se rejouit de celebrer Noël dans son quartier de
Hamidiye, qu’elle avait dû quitter en raison des combats sans merci
ayant oppose l’armee et les rebelles dans le dedale des rues de la
troisième ville de Syrie.

Les habitants, dont de nombreux chretiens, ont commence a y revenir
lorsqu’en mai l’armee l’a repris après un siège et des bombardements
quotidiens sur ce reduit defendu avec acharnement par les rebelles.

“Nous ne voulions pas celebrer Noël avant d’etre revenus chez nous”,
affirme Taghrid Naanaa, vetue d’un manteau noir et d’un cache-nez brun.

(lire la suite voir lien plus bas)

jeudi 25 decembre 2014, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

3 MORTS CETTE NUIT SUR LA ROUTE EREVAN-ETCHMIADZINE PRES DU VILLAGE DE MOUSSALER

ARMENIE-ACCIDENT DE LA ROUTE

La nuit dernière, vers 2h du matin, un grave accident de la circulation
s’est produit sur la route reliant Erevan a Etchmiadzine, près du
village de Moussaler (fonde par les habitants de Moussa Dagh).

Les pompiers aussi arrives sur place ont constate la violence du choc
de la voiture Mercedès qui avait quitte la route pour s’ecraser dans
un mur. Avant meme l’arrivee des secours, les automobilistes avaient
sorti de la voiture, les corps des 3 personnes qui se trouvaient a
l’interieur de la voiture dont 2 etaient morts sur le coup dans la
violence du choc. La troisième personne, transportee par les pompiers
vers un hôpital devait succomber a ses blessures lors du parcours.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 25 decembre 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: CASH SHORTAGE REPORTED IN PROVINCES

‘Haykakan Zhamanak’ says that dram shortages were reported in Armenian
provinces yesterday. In particular, many citizens could not receive
their wages from ATMs and when they visited banks, they were told
that the banks did not have cash either.

“According to our sources, there are two reasons. First, people
received their wages for the end of the year and they are now spending
money on purchases ahead of the New Year. The Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) recently raised the reserve requirement for foreign currency
from 12% to 24% so banks have to send a huge share of their cash in
drams to CBA and they lack cash drams. We were informed that many
banks had to sell their foreign currency to deal with the problem and
in this way the situation has improved in the past three days. Yet
this make many think that the financial market has not yet overcome
the December shock,” the daily writes.

25.12.14, 12:43

MARTIROSYAN: AZERBAIJAN UNDERSTANDS ONLY LANGUAGE OF FORCE

14:10 25/12/2014 >> POLITICS

The increase of tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was one of
the most significant events of the passing year, deputy chairman of
Heritage Party Armen Martirosyan told reporters on Thursday.

Martirosyan underscored Azerbaijan’s downing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
MI-24 helicopter on November 12, as well as the brilliant operation
conducted by Nagorno-Karabakh special forces to recover the helicopter
crew bodies.

The politician noted that at this moment, he sees no way of resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict because “Azerbaijan understands only
the language of force.”

Source: Panorama.am

UN VETERAN DE LA GUERRE AU KARABAGH ACCUSE LE GOUVERNEMENT

ARMENIE

Un veteran de la guerre au Karabagh qui a ete attaque par des gens
masques la semaine dernière accuse le gouvernement d’etre derrière
l’attaque qui a suscite une grande reaction du public en Armenie.