Author: Kanayan Tamar

PUTIN’S BLACKLIST IS READY

Haikazn Ghahriyan, Editor-in-Chief
Comments – Friday, 11 July 2014, 17:44

The ex-secretary of the National Security Council has held a press
conference and announced that Armenia will join the Customs Union in
January 2015. He also spoke about the future plans of his party, noting
that they will posture as radical opposition. The Rule of Law Party is
already opposition, more radical than the four parties, he reiterated.

However, the main purpose of Arthur Baghdasaryan’s press conference
was for sure his commitment to the Customs Union. The chairman of
the Rule of Law Party once again reiterated his loyalty to Moscow
and placed a bid for the next presidential elections.

In fact, however, Arthur Baghdasaryan rolled up for the Kremlin’s
waiting list. The essence is that the political forces may participate
in the “domestic scramble” but only within the framework of Moscow’s
plans.

Domestic scramble and opposition are things that are typical of a
sovereign country. After September 3 only the fight for sovereignty
is domestic fight and opposition.

Those who do not pursue fight for sovereignty cannot be opposition.

The four non-governmental parties and the Rule of Law Party are not
opposition but different segments of one system which act agreed with
the occupation regime (it is known how those collaborating with the
occupant regime are called). The “opposition matters” that they bring
up fit this logic and have nothing to do with the problems facing the
country. No significant problem, including social, can be resolved
unless the country is sovereign. The tiny space left for “internal
matters” concerns the private interests of different groups. It is
clearly seen from the activities of the government.

Now Armenia is in a situation which it can get out of. In addition,
the opportunities of getting out of this situation are related to
foreign developments in which Armenia and its political parties are
not participating, which means that everything will be done without
Armenia.

The relations between Russia and Armenia have reached a point when
the solution is close. The time of Russia in Armenia is expiring,
and either Moscow needs to liquidate the Armenian state officially
or let it free. In addition, a mysterious situation may arise when
Moscow and Armenian governmental, political and their close circles
may be eager to liquidate Armenia but not be able to. In both cases
Moscow will have to dispose of its failure and assign it to the
“pro-customs” forces of Armenia.

The Armenian political system has never been distinguished for being
adequate, principles and having political thinking. In this system
wisdom and good sense is to give up on the homeland with lip service
on compromise on Karabakh and irreversibility of the Eurasian process.

These forces are not needed by anyone, including the occupation
regime. There is no need to doubt.

– See more at:

GOLDEN APRICOT: YEREVAN PREPARES FOR 11TH EDITION OF INT’L FILM FESTIVAL

ARTS AND CULTURE | 11.07.14 | 14:40

Photolure

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The Golden Apricot international film festival to be launched on
Sunday for the 11th time will turn Yerevan into a week-long huge
cinema making it one of the centers of international cultural events.

On July 13 at St. Grigor the Illuminator church in Yerevan the
festival will officially be launched with the ceremony of ‘apricot
blessing’. According to Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan, this is not only
a big event but a holiday for Yerevan. Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Aram
Sukiasyan on Friday told reporters that Golden Apricot contributes
to the officially developed project of making Yerevan a regional
cultural center.

“The Yerevan City Hall organized several initiatives to welcome
world-famous artists whose presence makes us feel responsible and
proud. They take a piece of Yerevan, and its soul with them, contribute
to the Armenian film’s development and dissemination,” Sukiasyan said,
adding that Yerevan Mayor Margaryan also organized a special meeting.

The deputy mayor informed that at Swan Lake (a man-made pond in
Yerevan) during every festival day at 9:00 pm films participating
in the festival will be shown for the citizens unable to access
the cinemas.

“There are two very good films about Yerevan; people will be able to
purchase those from hotels. They will be able to enter the Yerevan
History Museum at any hour accompanied by multilingual guides,”
Sukiasyan said.

Director of the festival, film director Harutyun Khachatryan said
that the impression the guests will get of Yerevan depends on the
City Hall and these guests, according to Khachatryan, will become the
ambassadors of Armenia in the world telling about Armenian hospitality
and attention.

Khachatryan also said that new programs are beginning in cooperation
with the City Hall and next year in various parts of the city screens
will be placed so that not a single citizen is left out.

“It seems we all have concentrated on the Moscow cinema and, for
instance, those living in Shengavit cannot attend the festival,
we must solve that problem in the nearest future,” said the film
director, adding that together with the Yerevan City Hall they have
decided to establish a festival of ethnographic films, which will be
a separate festival, or a branch of Golden Apricot.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS COUNTERPART OF URUGUAY

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 10 2014

10 July 2014 – 11:09am

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met his counterpart in Uruguay
Jose Mujica during his visit to the country on July 8-10, News
Armenia reports.

The sides discussed political, trade-economic, cultural and other
sectors of cooperation. The president noted the importance of bilateral
visits and contacts of their foreign ministries, the role of the
Armenian community in bilateral relations.

Sargsyan visited Argentina on July 6-8. He will visit Chili on
July 10-12.

YEGPARIAN: SMIRKS II

By Garen Chiloyan on July 10, 2014 in Garen Yegparian

This week, let’s go for some schadenfreude shall we? It’s getting
close to five years since this kind of “fun” was so broadly available
that I could write a piece, and this time, all the raw material is
provided by Turks.

Azeri oil money has been flowing into the coffers of highly paid
lobbyist hacks. What’s juicy about that is…they don’t have much
to show for it, particularly on a “new” front they’ve opened. Much
Azeri effort has been expended on trying to pass resolutions in state
legislatures. Other than a success in New Mexico, they’ve met largely
with failure. There are two states, Louisiana and Mississippi,
with “split personalities.” In the former, both pro-Azeri and
pro-Armenian resolutions were passed. In the latter, the two houses
of the legislature voted in opposite directions. We’ve stopped their
lies in at least half-a-dozen states. And, somewhat as a reaction,
California’s legislature (along with some smaller jurisdictions)
has passed a resolution recognizing Artsakh’s independence! SMIRK.

No doubt you heard about the lambasting Ilham Aliyev received from
British Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Flynn. Flynn put a tough
question to Aliyev, who was speaking at a Council of Europe (CoE)
meeting. He was there because it is Azerbaijan’s turn as president
of that body. Human rights organizations have said that Azerbaijan is
not qualified to hold the position because it so flagrantly violates
the high standards of the CoE. But this bitter pill became a little
easier to swallow when Aliyev’s huge ego led him to lose his temper
in response to a question from the MP. Instead of being able to bask
in the glow of his undeserved position, Aliyev ended up showing the
world that he was a “braggart and a bully,” in Flynn’s words. SMIRK.

Since the “hero” of Baku, “President” Aliyev, and his criminal cronies
continue their bellicose, chest-thumping threats against Armenia
and Artzakh, it is delicious irony that three positions adopted
by the OSCE summit–held in Baku–can be described as beneficial
to Armenian concerns. The first reconfirmed the right of people
to self-determination. The second spoke to the needs of Christians
in Syria. The third faulted member states that allowed militants to
cross their borders into Syria (I can’t think of any state other than
Turkey that fits this bill, can you?). SMIRK.

Ill-spent money, legislative setbacks, baseless bravado… Perfect
for a transition to Turkey’s displeasure. Imagine how irritated Ankara
must be to blast the U.S. because the House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee passed a strong measure urging Turkey to return
stolen church properties to their rightful owners. Now, couple that
with the fact that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed an
Armenian Genocide resolution three months ago. SMIRK.

Perhaps the saddest bit of blowback for Turkey comes from its support
of extremist Islamists. Ankara allowed those murderous crazies to use
Turkey as a jumping-off point and haven for their destabilization of
Syria. This led not only to many Armenian deaths (mostly in Aleppo) and
the temporary exodus from Kessab, but to millions of Syrian refugees
and tens of thousands dead. It’s too bad innocent civilians are
paying the price for Davutoglu’s foreign policy machinations. Now, the
same extremist group, known as ISIS, has managed to make significant
progress in Iraq, and along the way taken the Turkish Consul General
in Mosul and more than 80 other Turks hostage. SMIRK.

Misery afflicts those who cause it to others.

ROSNEFT TO UNVEIL RESULTS OF ITS EXPLORATION OF PROSPECTS FOR RE-LAUNCHING ARMENIA’S NAIRIT SOON

YEREVAN, July 10. /ARKA/. Russia’s Rosneft will unveil within one month
the results of its study aimed at exploration of room for re-launching
Armenia’s Nairit chemical giant, Armenian Energy Minister Yervand
Zakharyan told journalists on Thursday outside the government building.

Dozens of people gathered today outside the government’s building
demanding repayment of their accumulated outstanding salaries. Prime
Minister Hovik Abrahamyan proposed them a meeting after the Cabinet
session.

“Russia’s Rosneft is now exploring room for launching the plant and
is expected to release the results of its study within one month,”
Zakharyan said.

He also said that ways to settle the matter with employees are being
searched now on the Armenian prime minister’s instructions.

The plant workers said wages have not been paid over 16 months.

“Studies will be completed in two or three months,” the minister said.

“I am convinced that we will find ways to pay workers’ salaries.”

Nairit was the only plant in the Soviet Union to produce chloroprene
rubber. The plant was closed in 1989 for environmental reasons and
resumed operating partially in 1992.

In 2001, some production facilities were separated from the plant for
producing chloroprene rubber and a debt-free enterprise based on them
was established.

In 2006, 90% of Nairit’s shares were sold to British Rainoville
Property Limited for $40 million. The remaining 10% belong to the
Armenian government.

In late December 2013, Rosneft, Pirelli Tyre Armenia and
Rosneft-Armenia signed a memorandum to produce butadiene-styrene
rubber here.

Earlier, former prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said that Rosneft wanted
to invest $400 million in the new plant, and Russian Ambassador to
Armenia Ivan Volinkin voiced hope that Nairit specialists would be
in demand at the new enterprise.

Rosneft has not backtracked on its investment program so far.

Nairit’s outstanding payments totaled $12 million in November
2013. -0—-

– See more at:

THE ICE BROKE: THE CHANCE SHOULD NOT BE MISSED

Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
Comments – Wednesday, 09 July 2014, 21:25

Ukrainian politicians are dwelling on the behavior of the
representatives of political parties who visit Kiev to exchange
opinions and collect impressions. Germany is trying to offer its
policy of compromise on Russia which it bid on for its policy aimed
at gaining new positions in Eastern Europe and Europe in general.

The German project for Russia looks consistent but at the same time
Russia cannot use the advantages of cooperation with the first economic
power of Europe. In the meantime, Germany has started fearing such
an open challenge to the United States and Great Britain and several
interested states of the Baltic-Black Sea region and is trying to
replace persistence in the discussion of the actual situation on the
arena of the Western community with increased pressure on Ukraine
for reconciliation with Russia.

The German project on Ukraine has failed, and the Ukrainian politicians
with a pro-German bias are marginalized and failed to use the share
of popularity and image which they had in the result of Maidan. One
way or another, Germany’s Eastern policy is moving towards a dead
end because it has not found any partner aside from Russia which is
going deep into international isolation.

However, it would be a mistake to consider the German policy on Ukraine
as one relating to goals relating to Russia. In the long run, this
is not true. One can understand Germany because its Eastern policy in
the 20th century has twice run into the active intervention of Great
Britain which considered isolation and weakening of Germany as its
achievement over a lasting period following the Franco-Prussian war,
as well as prevention of deep relations between France and Germany
and Russia and Germany. In any case, political and historical classics
says so.

Germany felt the signs of the same British policy in the periods
of previous Maidans called color revolutions. Then the goal was to
build a barrier between Germany and Russia, and Ukraine was the main
building material.

We dwelled on Germany’s Eastern policy to highlight Germany’s
comprehensible policy on NATO’s expansion in Eastern Europe, and on
the eve of the NATO summit in Cardiff Berlin intends to insist on its
traditional policy in respect to the Euro-Atlantic community. And
though Germany’s position may be criticized heavily by the United
States and Great Britain, as well as the Eastern European partners,
NATO summit will be more significant to the countries of Eastern
Europe than the summit of Chicago but Germany and France which
is humbly following it will insist on a conservative position on
expanding NATO members and mission.

The seminar of the Atlantic Council in Washington devoted to the topic
“NATO-Armenia” held jointly with Policy Forum Armenia highlighted
that the United States is going to the NATO summit in Cardiff with
such a reliable background as full solidarity of countries of Eastern
Europe and the conservative position of Germany and France.

At the same time, the concept of NATO development reflects the
interests and intentions of the alliance which is interested in
expanding cooperation with new partners. Without the participation
of new partners the development of the alliance, implementation of
peacekeeping, as well as logistical actions and tasks is impossible

In this situation and with such expectations the United States has
made an important strategic decision on supply of arms and assistance
to the countries of Eastern Europe, first of all Ukraine, Moldova and
Georgia for which purpose 1 billion dollars is allocated, which is,
apparently, the beginning of the American policy in the region.

Aside from this, Poland and Germany are acquiring an important role
of key providers of the U.S. policy in Eastern Europe. The ice broke,
and it is important not to have Armenia left out of these processes,
and prospects have opened up for NATO members to receive weapons from
the United States. Missing such a chance would be a crime, as well
as an object for accusations against those who conduct a policy of
thwarting the Armenian policy on NATO.

The Armenian military circles are ready and full of understanding
and responsibility to implement their tasks of rapprochement and
cooperation with NATO, and the political government of the country does
not deny these tasks but, one way or another, it is clear that Russia
has successfully created a reliable network of agents in Armenia,
including in the government. This should be understood for correct
assessment of quite strange ongoing developments.

The United States and NATO are discussing two options of resistance and
containment of Russian expansion. The first is isolation and blockade
of Russia, the second involves strengthening the military-political
capacity of Eastern Europe. The Black Sea-Caucasian region is becoming
an arena of high geopolitical dynamics, and though several American
experts claim that the United States will mostly focus on Ukraine,
and even Georgia will not get much attention, in reality these
assessments contradict the analytical calculations of the same experts.

The Black Sea-Caucasian region is not just part of Eastern Europe
but also an important polygon for containment of Russian expansion,
and in this region Russia ran into a dead end for the first time. This
region is not only an arena for operational processes in respect to
Russia but also other states, first of all Turkey and Iran.

Under these conditions and taking into account this prospect, Armenia
will either become a partner of the United States and NATO or will
appear in a miserable and marginal situation, and the destiny of an
object of trade between Turkey and Russia.

– See more at:

PRO-ERDOGAN HACKERS TARGET TURKISH ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER’S WEBSITE

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 9 2014

The website of a Turkish-Armenian newspaper, Agos, was attacked on
Wednesday by hackers who appeared to be supporters of Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“You have been hacked, gentlemen,” read a note left by the hacker or
hackers, who identified themselves as “Herakles Fearlesleon.” Next
to the note was a photo of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
standing in front of an Ottoman tughra.

“We have seen many betrayers like you and we know what you are going
to do. But from now on, we are here. The great Ottoman state is being
reborn with the great master Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” the hacker(s)
also wrote. “This is the sound of footsteps of the Ottomans!

Anti-Armenia-Anti-US-Anti-Israel. We will uproot you!”

Turkey’s small Armenian community has been a target of anti-Armenian
hate campaigns in the past. In a development that shocked the nation,
Agos’ former editor-in-chief, Hrant Dink, was killed outside the
newspaper’s headquarters in Ä°stanbul in 2007 by an ultra-nationalist
teenager.

HEIKO LANGNER: “THE KARABAKH CONFLICT IS A HEADACHE FOR MOSCOW”

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 9 2014

9 July 2014 – 9:29pm

Interview by Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European Bureau of
Vestnik Kavkaza

Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia signed association agreements with the
European Union. For Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, which founded the
Eurasian Union, it means the loss of three of its potential members.

In the context of these events, many people are discussing the
invitation to traditionally non-aligned Azerbaijan to join the
Eurasian Union – a country which rejects association with the EU
and is the absolute economic leader of the South Caucasus. Does
Azerbaijan have Eurasian prospects? What are they? Heiko Langner,
a Berlin political scientist, one of the few German experts who
understand the specificities of South Caucasian politics, answers
Vestnik Kavkaza’s questions.

See part 1: Heiko Langner: “Azerbaijan is a natural addressee for
invitation to the Eurasian Union.”

– Can Russia settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the situation?

– Of course Russia has real power to solve the conflict under certain
will. It’s no secret that Russia is the most powerful co-chair of the
OSCE MG and takes a position with power of veto. Of course Moscow
won’t abandon the Armenians in favor of Azerbaijan, as it doesn’t
meet Russian interests. Russia doesn’t want to make Azerbaijan its
only strategic partner, it also doesn’t want to lose Armenia in this
position. Only in this case can the concept of the Eurasian Union be
implemented in the region. In the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict it means that Azerbaijan will gain something and Armenia
will lose something. The Azerbaijani leadership knows this quite well,
it means that it will try to boost the price of returning Azerbaijani
territories. At the same time, it will form the minimum goals, without
which serious talks with Russia will be impossible. Baku understands
clearly why and how Georgia lost Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and
Ukraine lost Crimea. In this context it won’t be a surprise if Moldova
soon loses Transdniestira. Even though Moscow has no power to prevent
the turn of certain former Soviet republics toward the EU and NATO,
it always demands a big price for the turn.

However, the situation is different with Azerbaijan. When Baku joined
the non-aligned movement in 2011, it actually rejected membership of
NATO and met Russian interests halfway. Azerbaijan believes that it’s
time that Moscow took a step in the Karabakh conflict.

– What is your view on the settlement of the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia in the context of Eurasian integration?

– Of course the question will be a headache for the Kremlin, as a
settlement of the conflict will be very difficult, even though it is
possible. A settlement is a process which demands the agreement of both
sides. I have certain views on it, there are some fundamental elements.

First of all, the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh has a
right to live in the region freely and safely. Even though it doesn’t
require independence, but it means self-administration on internal
issues and clear security guarantees.

Secondly, Azerbaijani forced refugees from the seven regions which are
occupied by the Armenian troops outside Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as
the Azerbaijani population of Nagorno-Karabakh, have a right to return
to their home safely. The seven regions outside Nagorno-Karabakh cannot
be a subject of talks on the political status of Nagorno-Karabakh,
as they didn’t belong to the autonomous region before the war. The
Armenian side has many times stated that it doesn’t claim the
regions. So a return of these territories to Azerbaijan should be
possible, but a safe corridor between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia
should remain.

The problem of the political status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be
settled only after a bridging stage, by democratic means and with
the participation of both communities. Probably it will lead to some
confederation autonomy with a high level of de facto independence
of Nagorno-Karabakh. There will be no return to a Soviet autonomous
status. An alternative could be an exchange of territories and
establishing of new state borders. However, the number of ways of
settlement of the conflict is limited, and all of them demand a
compromise. Thus, Armenia should make progress, otherwise there will
be no peace between the two countries.

– What are the economic and political advantages of Azerbaijani
membership of the Eurasian Union?

– If membership of the Eurasian Union leads to the restoration of
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, it will be a great political
benefit. In this case Ilham Aliyev will manage to do a thing which
couldn’t be achieved even by Heydar Aliyev. A successful settlement
of the most important problem of Azerbaijan will be connected with
a high level of support by the population of the further presidency
of Ilham Aliyev.

As for economic benefits, they should be considered in detail. It
is no accident that Azerbaijan rejected signing of the association
agreement with the EU. Azerbaijan, just like Georgia, Ukraine and
Moldova, is an old member of the European Neighborhood Program. The
reason for Baku’s rejection is that the Azerbaijani government came to
the conclusion that the economic advantages of the step are too small.

I agree with this realistic view. The association agreement is
a treaty between two unequal partners. The Azerbaijani government
realized this. At the same time, the Eurasian Union offers attractive
opportunities for production distribution and industry which would
be uncompetitive on the European market. The weakness of the Eurasian
Union is lack of technologies and the need to modernize the economies
of its members. Russia and Kazakhstan are raw material exporters. The
problem could be solved by reinvestment of resources in diversification
of the national economy. Such major state-run concerns as Gazprom and
SOCAR are drivers of development models aimed at encouraging internal
demand and the consumer capacity of the population.

The possible fears of Azerbaijan about losing independence in case of
joining the EaEU are understandable, but they are exaggerated. For
example, despite its membership in the Eurasian and Customs Unions,
Kazakhstan remains an independent state and can successfully develop
its relations with Europe and China. Moreover, Baku could try to get
beneficial conditions for itself, considering the objective interests
of the country. Finally, Azerbaijan could sign an association agreement
with the EaEU as the first step on the way to full membership of
the organization. I think Russia could agree with various options,
if it wants to make Azerbaijan a strategic partner.

However, Azerbaijan won’t accept a reduction of sovereignty. The
Kremlin should realize this and try to fulfill its plans in balance
with its partners – just like the USA does with the EU countries. It
means close ties with a big power should bring political and economic
benefits to minor partners, and at the same time they should feel
free. Love of “the Russian bear” seemed to be chokehold for certain
countries in the past. But this can be corrected.

ALIYEV IMPUTE A L’ACTION DU LOBBY ARMENIEN LES CRITIQUES DE L’OCCIDENT

AZERBAÏDJAN

Le president azerbaïdjanais Ilham Aliyev a fustige les critiques
europeennes sur la mauvaise situation des droits de l’homme dans
son pays, lesquelles seraient selon lui teleguidees par le > contre son pays. S’adressant lundi aux chefs de missions
diplomatiques de l’Azerbaïdjan a l’etranger, Aliyev a specifiquement
attaque les membres du l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe
(APCE) qui l’avaient accuse d’avoir truque les elections et emprisonne
des opposants politiques.

> , a-t-il declare
dans un discours publie sur son site Web. > a-t-il affirme. , a declare le depute britannique Paul Flynn a
Aliyev. Ce que ce dernier a nie avec colère, accusant Flynn de mentir.

Le discours d’Aliyev a egalement provoque des protestations de
militants azeris vivant en Europe. Ils etaient venus a la session de
l’APCE a Strasbourg le 24 juin portant des T-shirts avec des photos
de prisonniers politiques en Azerbaïdjan et leurs bouches recouvertes
d’un bandeau noir.

Plusieurs militants de Reporters sans frontières avaient organise
une manifestation similaire devant le siège de l’APCE. Le 23 juin,
Human Rights Watch (HRW) avait appele le Conseil de l’Europe et
l’APCE a exhorter Aliyev a cesser de persecuter les personnalites
critiques et les journalistes anti-gouvernementaux. HRW et d’autres
observateurs internationaux affirment qu’il y a des dizaines de
prisonniers politiques en Azerbaïdjan.

Aliyev et d’autres responsables azerbaïdjanais ont accuse a plusieurs
reprises > d’etre a l’origine de ces critiques
parfois reprises par l’Union europeenne et les Etats-Unis.

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM HELD IN BUENOS AIRES

12:32 09.07.2014

On July 8, on the second day of his official visit to the Argentine
Republic President Serzh Sargsyan, accompanied by Chief of Staff
of the Government of City of Buenos Aires Horacio Larreta and the
representatives of local self-government bodies and the Armenian
community of Argentina, attended the groundbreaking ceremony of an
Armenian Genocide museum at the neighborhood of Palermo in Buenos
Aires. After the consecration of the memorial plaque, Chief of Staff
of the Government of City of Buenos Aires Horacio Larreta and Chief
of the RA Presidential Administration Vigen Sargsyan opened it. On
the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony the president made a
speech before the participants.

Speech by President Serzh Sargsyan at Armenian Genocide museum
groundbreaking ceremony in Buenos Aires

Dear compatriots, Honorable Chief of Staff of the Government of City
of Buenos Aires, Your Eminencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

I consider it a great honor to be present here today, at the heart
of Buenos Aires, and lay the first brick on the foundation of the
Armenian Genocide museum together with you.

This museum is being built in order to fill up the ranks of the
numerous monuments dedicated to the Armenian Genocide which extend from
East to West and from North to South as a vivid testimony to the fact
that no matter how much time has passed we will keep on remembering
and demanding. Human memory is a sort of a historical sieve which
with special gratitude keeps those names and place names, which always
sow seeds of justice and push forward the noblest universal values.

One of these bright place names is Argentina who gave a helping hand
to our people in hard times, saved not only hundreds of thousands of
Armenians, but also restored our people’s broken belief in the fact
that man was created to resemble God and that the human being can’t
die in man keeping the barbarian alive.

Honorable colleagues,

Next year is the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. However,
it is a well-known fact that the statutory limitation can’t be applied
to the crimes against humanity. The 100th anniversary of Mets Yeghern
is not an endpoint; it is just a unique destination. The centenary
will sum up a historical period and will herald a new phase of
fighting for the restoration of justice which will be supplemented
with new methods of fighting against denialism. We are going to be
more powerful, powerful together with the international community
since the secret of power and the victory of justice is unity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The history of the Armenian-Argentine ages-old friendship stores pages
without which it is impossible to imagine our bilateral cooperation.

Not only will this day be written in gold letters in the register
of the Armenian-Argentine history, but will also leave its indelible
imprint on condemning and preventing the gravest crime against humanity
– the genocide.

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, on May 6 of
2014 the government of the city of Buenos Aires decided to allocate a
free area for construction of an Armenian Genocide museum in capital’s
Palermo district. On June 10, with the participation of the RA embassy
in Argentina and under the patronage of Hay center and the Armenian
diocese of Argentina the official ceremony of handing the legal
documents of the area allocated by the city authorities of Buenos Aires
for the purpose of building an Armenian Genocide museum took place.