Author: Kanayan Tamar

TWO ARMENIAN COMMUNIST PARTIES AGREE TO FORM CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL

June 06, 2014 | 13:19

YEREVAN. – The Communist party of Armenia and the Progressive United
Communist Party of Armenia formed a common political consultative
council, the leader of Communist party Tachat Sargsyan said.

In a statement released on Friday, the parties expressed concern over
grave economic and social situation in the country, as well as over
growing unemployment rate, migration, social injustice.

Therefore, the parties decided to form a consultative council to
coordinate public and political activities.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Why Are Shops of City Center Closing?

Roza Hovhannisyan, Reporter
Business – Saturday, 07 June 2014, 17:27

While Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan pledges favorable conditions for
SMEs, shops at the city center are closing one after another. One can
see the sign “to let” more frequently on most central streets.

The owner of a jewelry shop on Teryan Street told Lragir.am that they
cannot keep the shop any more.

They opened the shop 8 years ago. Their sales have dropped over the
past 4-5 years. According to him, emigration is felt more and more
strongly.

“Sales are dropping, we hoped to survive, we had expectations but we
cannot continue to keep the shop from our own pocket. People are so
disappointed with this government and there is no confidence even if
they try to do something good,” Vahagn Asatryan says.

Besides low sales, taxes and rent are high, and there is no fair competition.

“They strangle us, they don’t let us live. Our shop targeted at the
middle class but there is no middle class today due to the state of
the economy. Plus taxes and rent. People do not have money to afford
to shop,” Vahagn Asatryan says.

– See more at:

VATICAN
Le pape reçoit le président du Kurdistan irakien

Le pape François a reçu vendredi Massoud Barzani, président de la
région autonome du Kurdistan irakien, province où vit une très
ancienne communauté chrétienne qui a grossi avec l’afflux de réfugiés
du reste de l’Irak et de la Syrie, a indiqué le Vatican.

Alors que la violence atteint des sommets en Irak –plus de 4.000 morts
dans des violences depuis le début de l’année–, cette région autonome,
après avoir été longtemps une zone de conflit à l’époque de Saddam
Hussein, est devenue une région plus sûre dans un environnement
particulièrement difficile.

C’est la première fois que le pape recevait M. Barzani qui est à la
tête de la région autonome depuis 2005.

La province du Kurdistan irakien accueille plus de 200.000 réfugiés
syriens, dont de nombreux Kurdes mais aussi des chrétiens.

Ceux-ci seraient plus de 30.000 dans la région. Parmi eux aussi des
chrétiens qui ont quitté Bagdad ou d’autres villes plus au sud pour
trouver une sécurité, une tolérance et une liberté plus grandes.

Selon Mgr Rabban Al-Qas, évêque d’Amadiya-Zahko, interrogé par Radio
Vatican, il souffle un air de “liberté” dans la région, même si ce
“n’est pas un paradis”, cette liberté attirant les entrepreneurs
privés et permettant un certain développement économique.

samedi 7 juin 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

ARMENIE
Arménie : le jeu taxe les pauvres

Anush Nazarian, 38 ans, se souvient encore de la nuit, il y a
plusieurs années quand une voisine, bouleversée par les pertes de jeu
de son mari, a sauté de son appartement au 10ème étage.

> se rappelait
Nazarian, qui vit dans une grande banlieue de la capitale arménienne à
Erevan. Pendant l’ère soviétique, les casinos ou les salles de jeux
n’existaient pas en Arménie : les joueurs devaient lancer les dés à la
sauvette. Aujourd’hui, les possibilités de jeu sont partout dans ce
pauvre état du Sud-Caucase et la dépendance aux jeux de hasard fait
des ravages financier parmi de nombreuses familles.

Dix casinos et 100 salles de jeux existent maintenant dans la banlieue
d’Erevan. L’un des plus grands, Shangri-La, fournit même à ses clients
des cartes de visite de psychologues qui peuvent aider les problèmes
des joueurs. >, estime Samvel Khudoian, professeur de
psychologie à l’Université pédagogique d’Etat ayant une vaste
expérience clinique et de recherche dans ce domaine. , a
commenté Khudoian. Un phénomène similaire existe chez le voisin du
Nord économiquement aux abois de l’Arménie, la Géorgie.

Maintenant, deux députés arméniens tentent de faire face aux
conséquences sociales problématiques du jeu en élaborant une
législation qui restreindrait l’accès aux casinos. Une série
d’amendements proposés à la loi sur le jeu en Arménie va interdire aux
personnes de moins de 21 ans d’entrer dans un casino et permettre via
des décisions judiciaires de les interdire à des individus dont le jeu
peut causer des difficultés financières à leurs familles. Une
troisième mesure permettra aux casinos de refuser l’entrée à des
personnes à la demande les joueurs. Des restrictions pourraient durer
de six mois à trois ans, et s’appliqueront à tous les casinos en
Arménie. Les modifications devraient être soumises à la commission des
affaires économiques du Parlement pour discussion lors de la session
de l’Assemblée nationale du 9 au 12 juin. Le député indépendant Edmon
Marukian, l’un des sponsors des amendements, a dit que les appels à
l’aide de nombreuses familles touchées par la dépendance au jeu l’ont
amené, avec le député de l’opposition Alexandre Arzoumanian, à faire
pression pour des changements. Marukian a qualifié le problème de >.

Des articles dans les médias attribuent souvent les suicides – en
hausse de 3,8 pour cent en 2013 à 768 cas, selon les statistiques
officielles – à des pertes de jeu. Aucune étude n’a été faite à
l’appui de ces allégations. L’impact potentiel de la nouvelle
législation liée au jeu n’est pas simple, étant donné que le jeu est
devenu une source importante de revenus pour le gouvernement. En 2013,
le budget de l’Etat de l’Arménie a reçu de 7 à 8 milliards de drams (
16,9 à 19,3 millions de $ ) de recettes fiscales et droits de licence
des établissements de jeux de hasard. Même tout en déplorant la
dépendance au jeu, peu de politiciens sont susceptibles de vouloir
voir cette source de revenus se tarir.

Le représentant d’un casino, cependant, a exprimé son approbation aux
modifications proposées. >, a déclaré la personne, qui a requis
l’anonymat. >.

Le député Marukian a déclaré que le résultat des restrictions
d’auto-exclusion pour les casinos dans les >
comme Singapour et les Etats-Unis >.

Le psychologue Khudoian est d’accord. > a-t-il dit.

En réponse, Adibekian a sèchement rappelé un proverbe arménien : >.

Marianna Grigoryan

Eurasianet

samedi 7 juin 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Armenia’s foreign debt to increase by $180 million – newspaper

June 07, 2014 | 08:34

YEREVAN. – The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations endorsed two loan agreements which, in all likelihood, will
be ratified by the Armenian parliament, 168 Zham daily reported.

“As a result of them, Armenia’s foreign debt will increase by another
180 million dollars, or more precisely, by 100 million dollars and 60
million euros.

“The first loan agreement was signed between Armenia and the European
Investment Bank. With this contract, the bank will provide a loan of
60 million euros to fund Armenia’s ‘North-South’ road corridor,
wherewith the corridor’s Maralik-Gyumri section shall be built.

“And with the loan agreement signed between Armenia and the Asian
Development Bank [ADB], ADB will allocate 100 million dollars, whereby
the section from Talin [city] to Maralik [city] section shall be
built, and several project-calculation works, consulting, and audit
will be conducted,” 168 Zham wrote.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ANCA-WR Announces Collaboration with Near East Foundation

Friday, June 6th, 2014

ANCA-WR board and ‘America We Thank You’ committe members with Near
East Foundation’s Shant Mardirossian (center, seated)

GLENDALE–The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region and
the Near East Foundation, the descendent of Near East Relief,
announced that they will collaborate closely on a broad range of
activities to mark the centennial of US efforts to aid over one
million Genocide survivors in the immediate aftermath of the Armenian
Genocide.

ANCA-WR Board representatives and members of “America We Thank You: An
Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief” recently met with Shant
Mardirossian, the chairman of the Near East Foundation, to discuss
mutual efforts and identify areas where both organizations can
collaborate.

Mardirossian commended the ANCA-WR for kicking off the “America We
Thank You” initiative and for emphasizing the critical role Near East
Relief played in the lives of countless survivors, refugees and
orphans of the Armenian Genocide.

Mardirossian also noted that “While the collaboration will focus on
the 15 formative years of Near East Relief (1915-1930), which provided
relief to Armenian Genocide survivors, the efforts had a far-reaching
impact by serving as a model for philanthropy around the world. Its
successor organization, the Near East Foundation, continues to provide
development and relief support to vulnerable people in need in Armenia
as well as the Middle East and North Africa.” Mardirossian went on to
further say “We are pleased to be working with the ANCA-WR to make
sure that this important chapter in American history is proudly
remembered and that we continue to honor its legacy through the work
we do today.”

The Near East Foundation will commemorate the centennial of the
organization next year while collaborating on various events and
activities with ANCA-WR’s “America We Thank You” initiative – as well
as with Armenian partner organizations on the East Coast – to pay
tribute to Near East Relief.

“We would like to thank Mr. Mardirossian and Near East Foundation for
an enlightening meeting about the scope of their activities for the
centennial,” said Nora Hovsepian, Esq., chairwoman of the Armenian
National Committee of America-Western Region. “We are looking forward
to our collaborative efforts to ensure that this massive effort to
assist refugees and orphans receives a tribute worthy of its
magnitude.”

“While this is just the beginning of our journey at ‘America We Thank
You,’ our meeting with Mr. Mardirossian brought to light some critical
elements of the monumental role Near East Relief played in galvanizing
the American people specifically to aid in the plight of Armenians,”
said Vanna Kitsinian, Esq., co-chairwoman of the “America We Thank
You” initiative.

“We are looking forward to working with the Near East Foundation. The
key to the success of this collaboration will be how well we can share
resources and engage the Armenian and non-Armenian communities for
this fitting tribute,” added Hermineh Pakhanians, co-chairwoman of
“America We Thank You.”

Mardirossian was accompanied by Dr. Charlie Benjamin, President of the
Near East Foundation and Stacia Van Dyne, Director of External Affairs
each of whom briefed the ANCA-WR representatives on specific
initiatives being undertaken currently or planned for the future by
Near East Foundation.

The ANCA-WR launched the campaign in March, timed for the centennial
of the Armenian Genocide, to honor Near East Relief, an organization
that mobilized Americans and rescued more than 132,000 orphans and
nearly 1 million survivors of the Genocide.

The campaign, called “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to
Near East Relief,” is a movement to recognize the outpouring of
generosity by the American people in the immediate aftermath of the
Armenian Genocide (1915-1930) and to highlight the efforts of Near
East Relief in reining more than $117 million (over $2 billion in
present day value) to feed, clothe, house, train, educate and provide
medical care to hundreds of thousands of survivors of the Genocide.

ANCA-WR officials said that the campaign is committed to promoting the
role Near East Relief played in providing assistance to those less
fortunate and for its groundbreaking ability to bring the American
people together under one cause–the aid to refugees of the Armenian
Genocide for an unprecedented period of 15 years from 1915 to 1930.

In April, the California State Assembly unanimously approved AJR 41, a
resolution honoring and commemorating the extraordinary service of
Near East Relief and the American people for salvaging the Armenian
and Assyrian people from annihilation. A similar measure unanimously
passed the California State Senate on June 5.

Through various events and programs, such as the ones in Sacramento
and Los Angeles, “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near
East Relief,” will mark the centennial of the Near East Relief efforts
and express its gratitude to the American people for establishing and
continuing the tradition of being the most generous nation. Countless
Armenian-Americans are direct descendants of those rescued by Near
East Relief.

CHORRORD ISHKHANUTYUN: PUBLIC TELEVISION DIRECTOR TO BE DISMISSED

10:47 06/06/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Chairman of the Council of the Public TV & Radio Company of Armenia
Ruben Jaghinyan is looking for someone to replace CEO of Public
Television of Armenia Margarita Grigoryan, Chorrord Ishkhanutyun
writes.

According to the newspaper’s sources, Jaghinyan is dissatisfied with
Mrs Grigoryan’s work and almost the entire staff of the TV company
has tense relations with her.

Source: Panorama.am

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

His Holiness Aram I invited to preach during the Special Prayers with the
St. Egidio Community

Vatican – During the visit to the Vatican, His Holiness Aram I and his
delegation attended a special prayer service organized by the St Egidio
community at the St. John the Lateran Church in Rome.

In his sermon, the Catholicos spoke of the theological and spiritual
meaning of martyrdom (martyria) and linked it to the Armenian Genocide in
1915, when one-and-a-half-million Armenians were massacred by Turkey. He
then spoke of the historical importance of St. John the Lateran Church and
the St. Egidio community, which began as a movement in 1968 following the
Vatican II Council. He then added, “In appreciation of the commitment of its
members to justice and peace, during my last visit to the community I
offered relics of Armenian martyrs from the Chapel of the Martyrs of
Genocide in Antelias.”

At the end of the service, the leadership of St. Egidio held a special
reception to honor His Holiness Aram I and his delegation.
His Holiness Aram I meets His Holiness Pope Francis

In a private meeting this morning with His Holiness the Pope Francis
Catholicos Aram I briefly discussed the following issues.- The Christian
presence in the Middle East, challenges and concerns facing the churches in
the region, the Syrian conflict and the problems facing the Armenian
community in Aleppo and Kessab, the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the
bio lateral dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox
Churches, the presidential election in Lebanon.

The private meeting between two spiritual leaders was followed by a public
meeting during which they exchanged addresses and gifts in the presence of
Archbishops and community leaders accompanying His Holiness Aram I.
##

GERMANY FACE ARMENIA IN FINAL SHOWDOWN

VAVEL.com
June 5 2014

05-06-2014

Germany go into their third and final warmup game in search of getting
their first win of the Summer.

Germany face Armenia this week in hope of finally picking up a
victory, with their previous two warmup games last week finishing in
draws. Low’s side played out a 0-0 draw with European nation, Poland,
as well as being involved in a fascinating goal fest, which saw the
Germans draw 2-2 with African nation, Cameroon.

Entering their final warmup game, it’s vital that the Germans pick up
a needed win, with the morale evidently low within the squad. Momentum
is a key element during the World Cup season, and the European side
will be aware to put things right before jetting off for Brazil. It’s
crucial that the players pick up sufficient minutes in order to regain
their fitness, but they’ll be wary not to pick up any injuries.

This game represents Germany’s first international friendly since
their 30 man squad was reduced to 23. Armenia will take this game
vastly serious, with this being their 3rd encounter in the last 11
days. Armenia last faced Algeria at the weekend, with the African
nation running out the victors, in a one sided 3-1 game.

The German boss, has spoke about the conditions he expects in Brazil,
prior to the game against Armenia. “We gave them a lot of information
(about the conditions),” he told the German Football Association
website. “But they have to feel it locally.”We will fly out early,
(and) simulate the competition situation by training in the midday
heat, or at the kick-off times of the games.”

Finally, Low spoke about this being the potential final tournament
for German legends, Lahm, Klose and Schweinsteiger. Low added:
“Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm have won the UEFA Champions
League and many national titles. “They already have more than 100
international caps and so many positives for German football. “They
all have already had great careers but a world title would of course
be the crowning glory, so to speak, the icing on the cake.”

GERMANY PREPARE TO BATTLE FINAL WORLD CUP TEST AGAINST ARMENIA

Deutsche Welle, Germany
June 5 2014

Germany head for Brazil at the weekend after a difficult final few
weeks of preparation – on and off the pitch. The final warm-up fixture
against Armenia is a chance to lift the spirits ahead of the World Cup.

Germany will conclude their preparations for Brazil on Friday with a
friendly against Armenia in Mainz. Fitness concerns remain, however,
surrounding goalkeeper Manuel Neuer who won’t train until the team
arrives in South America on Saturday.

Neuer was left out of the German side that faced Cameroon on Sunday,
as his recovery from a shoulder problem lasts longer than planned –
but there is “no doubt” the keeper will have regained fitness in time
for the Portugal clash on June 16.

The squad returned to Dusseldorf on Sunday after a training camp in
South Tyrol that lasted 10 days and helped to improve the physical
condition of the team. Several warm-up games against the accompanying
U20 squad proved to be a decent preparation.

The team went its separate ways on Monday afternoon – but Lahm,
Neuer and Schweinsteiger returned to Munich and spent the half-week
with the Bayern medical staff.

One final training session takes place in Mainz – which is hosting an
international match for the first time – before the last game against
the Armenians.

“Lahm and Bastian have no problems any more and they have been training
with the ball,” Low said on Thursday.

“They will have some playing time. What is important though is that
they are problem-free. Maybe it makes no sense to play the entire 90
minutes but exactly how long is something I will decide this evening.”

“Preparations, from my point of view, have worked out very well with
the players we had. I also think it was important for the players to
rest a couple of days (this week), for them to recover some energy.”

Germany must sharpen up

Low and his players have been on the defensive this week following
Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Cameroon in Monchengladbach.

Germany return to Dusseldorf after training camp in Austria

The Germans lacked thrust and energy in attack, with Mesut Ozil,
for one, on the end of some strong criticism over his performances
for the national team. The Arsenal attacking-midfielder has been
struggling for confidence in recent months, but his coach was quick
to protect the 25-year-old.

“To be honest I am a bit surprised by the reaction against Mesut,”
Low added at the pre-match press conference.

“Mesut won German national team player of the year last season but
it is clear that he has not performed to the fullest of his abilities
in the past few games.”

Matches against Chile, meanwhile, highlighted how vulnerable the
team remains in defensive positions, as the South Americans somehow
failed to secure even a draw in Stuttgart, having dominated most of
the proceedings.

In other matches, a lackluster touch in the attacking-third has
appeared the largest threat to Germany’s hopes of winning a fourth
World Cup.

The DFB team fired a blank against Poland in Hamburg, whilst
the Cameroon defense was rarely questioned with conviction. The
introduction of Lukas Podolski carried some intent in attacking
positions and the Arsenal attacker was pivotal in Germany’s turnaround,
before Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting equalized.

Armenia, with Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan in their ranks,
won’t be heading to the World Cup themselves, but will still offer
sturdy opposition for the Germans. The feeling around the team’s
chances has been negative – perhaps realistic – and many are expecting
Germany to return from Brazil empty-handed.

That should do little to qualm the enthusiasm of the fans on Friday
who will demand a strong victory to round-off World Cup preparations.