Author: Kanayan Tamar

CAROLINE FREUND: MOST DIFFICULT ISSUE FOR ARMENIA IS RISE IN TARIFFS THAT CU REQUIRES

18:45 24/01/2014 ” INTERVIEWS

Panorama presents an interview with Dr. Caroline Freund, expert in
international economics, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute
for International Economics. Dr Freund speaks about the risks that
Armenia is facing on her way to the Customs Union.

Nvard Chalikyan: Dr. Freund, as you know Armenia is currently
negotiating the terms of membership to the Russia-led Customs Union.

Armenian economists have identified a number of challenges in Armenia’s
CU accession, among them a marked increase of prices for imported goods
as a result of raised tariffs, suffocation of local producers by cheap
flows of goods from CU countries, isolation from the external world
and other issues. What major risks would you point out for Armenia
on this path?

Caroline Freund: Economically, the most difficult issue for
Armenia is the rise in tariffs that the CU requires. A large body
of literature shows that openness to trade is good for growth. In
addition, preferences on Russian goods in the face of high tariffs
will allow imports from Russia to expand at the expense of other
countries. This so-called trade diversion is bad for Armenia because
consumers get higher priced goods (or they would have imported them
from Russia when tariffs were the same across the board), but the
country no longer receives tariff revenue from the goods it imports,
since Russian goods enter duty free.

Perhaps the biggest issue is the potential for isolation, especially
from the EU. By joining the CU with Russia, Armenia is placing its
future integration with its Eastern neighbours, which may prevent it
from joining supply chains and expanding export markets elsewhere.

N. C.: When Russia and Armenia joined the WTO, each of them signed
accession agreements with WTO on different terms (for instance Russia
preserved some of its protectionist policies while Armenia didn’t have
any). When both countries join in a single customs union, which WTO
standards (based on which agreement, according to which principle)
are to apply? Can Armenia mitigate the above-mentioned risks by
referring to its WTO membership?

Caroline Freund: Armenia can protect itself under the WTO, by refusing
to raise bound tariffs. In WTO each country is responsible for its own
concessions. Moreover, there is a WTO regulation that the CU shouldn’t
increase the overall level of protection. This means that in principle
a CU should converge on the policies of the lower protection member.

If Armenia instead moves to Russian levels, other countries in the WTO
could in principle object and demand compensation… The difficulty
is that Armenia’s tariffs are not bound that low-so this may only
work for some tariff lines.

The issue with Armenia however is that because of its relatively small
size, other countries may not deem it worthwhile to initiate a dispute
(it is costly), especially if they risk offending Russia.

N. C.: Do you think that Russia-led Customs Union/future Eurasian
Union will move towards isolation (and rivalry with the EU) or that
it will eventually have to come to common terms with the EU?

Caroline Freund: Over the next 10 years, I think it will be a competing
union, and as a result isolating. After that I think there will be
a strong incentive for broader economic integration and a common
agreement will be reached.

The interview was conducted by Nvard Chalikyan

YTD 10 AZERBAIJANI TERRORISTS ELIMINATED IN SYRIA

19:14 24/01/2014 ” SOCIETY

One more Azerbaijani terrorist fighting against the governmental
troops among the AL-Nusra Front group was killed in Syria, according
to APA reports the websites owned by the mujahideen.

The killed Azerbaijani terrorist was known as Ebu Senan. His surname
is not given. It was known that his name was Vusal. He was from
Garachukur settlement of Baku. They posted also his photo.

Since the beginning of 2014 media have reported about elimination of
9 terrorists from Azerbaijan in Syria. Thus on January 4, the agency
“APA” reported about elimination two Azerbaijani terrorists in Syria;
they were members of “Front al-Nusr” group Namik Asgarov and some known
as Soltan aka “Azeri Seifullakh.” On January 7 it reported about the
elimination of “Primorsky Muhammad,” on January 9 – on the elimination
of Rahman Shikhaliyev from “Islamic State of Iraq and Sham” group,
on January 10 they reported about the death of 14-year-old Azeri
Kerimov Najaf Namik oglu and on January 11 about the elimination of
another terrorist from Azerbaijan – Samir Gahly. On January 15 they
spread information about the elimination of “Abu Zar-Azeri” and on
January 20 about the destruction of two terrorists from Azerbaijan
“Seyfullah Lezgin” and someone called Nijat, on January 24, they
wrote about the elimination of Vusal aka “Abu Sanan.”

In the last period of time the media reported about a number of deaths
of Azerbaijani terrorists in Syria. In early April, the Turkish sites
have reported that about 30 terrorists from Azerbaijan have already
been killed in Syria. According to the Azerbaijani conflict scientist
Arif Yunus more than 300 Islamists from Azerbaijan are fighting in
Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, according to Arif Yunus and
the “Facthaber” portal, over 100 Azerbaijani terrorists are fighting
in Syria. Azerbaijani terrorists had even placed an online video-record
calling for “jihad.

The relationship between international terrorist groups and Azerbaijan
originated in the early 1990s. That time, the Azerbaijani army, having
failed in the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR),
retreated with losses. Trying to save the situation, the Azerbaijani
leadership, headed by Heydar Aliyev attracted to the war against the
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh international terrorists and members of
radical groups from Afghanistan (groupings of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar),
Turkey (“Grey Wolves”, etc.), Chechnya (groupings Basayev and Raduyev
etc.) and some other regions.

Despite the involvement in of thousands of foreign mercenaries and
terrorists in the Azerbaijani army during the war, the Azerbaijani
aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic failed, and the Baku
authorities were forced to sign an armistice with the NKR and Armenia.

However, international terrorists found ties in Azerbaijan, and used
them in the future. Recruitment was conducted among Azerbaijanis,
who then were sent to Afghanistan and the North Caucasus, where
participated in the battles against the forces of the international
coalition and Russian organizations.

In recent years, the citizens of Azerbaijan are actively involved in
terrorist and extremist activities in Russia, Afghanistan and Syria.

In Azerbaijan the citizens are brought to criminal liability for
participating in “illegal armed groups” in Afghanistan, sentenced to
minor terms of imprisonment.

Source: Panorama.am

World Crunch
Jan 25 2014

Death Of An Armenian Editor, Crimes Of Turkish History

Seven years after the assassination of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant
Dink, silence remains on the crime of incitement to murder – just like
last century’s Armenian Genocide.

Ahmet Insel (2014-01-25)

OpEd-

ISTANBUL – Last Sunday was the seventh anniversary of the
assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

For seven years, the ‘coalition of silence’ reigns, blocking the
revelation and prosecution of those responsible for the atmosphere
that led to the death of the so-called `treacherous Armenian.’ These
forces guided and encouraged the murderer, and praised the act he
carried out, and continue to do so seven years later.

Those who pushed a 17-year-old to commit this murder, knowing he would
get a reduced sentence, have been touched by nobody. The court voiced
its powerlessness. Those within the state structure who knew such a
murder was in the works got promoted; one even became a cabinet
member.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently removed the chief of
police who failed to prevent a corruption probe regarding his close
circle, crossed his name, but awarded those who were responsible for
allowing the murder of Hrant Dink. The conservative coalition of power
in vicious conflict today was in harmony when it came to prosecute the
triggerman, and to not confront the rest.

The prime minister who does not hesitate one second to shake down the
police and judiciary to defend himself, the government, his AKP
party’s administration holds on to a hypocritical silence to not to
reveal the power organization behind the murder of the Armenian
newspaper editor.

Poison gas

The murder of Hrant was not an isolated event. The killing of Sevag
Balikci while serving in the military in 2011 in the Batman province
by a `stray bullet’ from his friend’s rifle on April 24; the
anniversary of the great massacre the Armenians were exposed to in
1915 and after, the great crime, the Genocide was not an isolated
event either. Nor were the slayings of the Italian Priest Andrea
Santoro and the employees of the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya.
All of these acts are a manifestation of the same mentality. Even if
they were not ordered from somewhere specific, they are acts fueled by
the same poison gas the ruling powers have released in this society’s
atmosphere for centuries.

The criminals are the ones who use this poison gas of nationalism for
its own ends; and for its secular version ultranationalism, the
Muslim-Turk chauvinism that has sought to create a 99% Muslim society
– and yet are not satisfied with that, and pray onward for a 100%
Muslim Turkey. This is the foundational crime of the Republic of
Turkey. The murder of Hrant is a link in the chain of these massacres,
murders, rapes, confiscations, pillages and organized violations of
rights.

And on forgiveness?

Of course, it is not easy to face such a great crime, especially if
the individuals who forged the founding links in this criminal chain
have long since died. Moreover, if the guilty parties have inherited
an entire society that is in partnership with the crime. The title of
French criminal lawyer Antoine Garapon’s 2002 book describes the
situation between Turkey and the Armenians: `Crimes That Can Be
Neither Punished, Nor Forgiven.’

In his book, Garapon states that the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials were
firsts, and it became even harder at the end of the 1990’s to hide
behind national sovereignty to avoid prosecution for crimes against
humanity. He says it is a meaningful coincidence that the NATO planes
started bombing Serbia to stop the mass murder in Kosovo on March 24,
1999 was the day the British House of Lords decided to eliminate the
immunity of Chile’s bloody dictator General Augusto Pinochet.

That day 15 years ago is the symbolic moment when the traditional
right of sovereignty, by both judicial and militaristic means, could
no longer stand in the way of the fight against such crimes. This was
followed by the first international crime investigation against a
sitting head of state and the start of the trial of Slobodan Milosevic
on October 12, 2001. The International Criminal Court was founded in
2002, authorized to prosecute crimes against humanity within its
jurisdiction.

The aim of the court is to answer the mass murders in the name of
humanity. Because, more often than not, either the legal system of the
countries where these crimes are committed is unsuitable to try them,
or the criminals have the power to challenge the law.

In fact, these are crimes the penal law are often unfamiliar with;
ones committed, encouraged or assisted by a political decision from a
ruling administration. Garapon states these crimes are committed by
making a part of the society, mostly a big part, partners in crime
with the support of the rule of law. And so it is not possible to
pursue these crimes with the traditional penal law methods – and gets
even more complicated if they were committed during a state of war.

Time to speak

The Allies of World War I have jointly declared the ethnic cleansing
committed against the Armenians by the Ottomans was `a crime against
humanity and civilization’ on May 24, 1915. The concept of crimes
against humanity was first mentioned in relation to this event.

A great national alliance in Turkey has been at work since then to
leave this great crime undefined and the partners in crime
unprosecuted; if we do not count the parentheses opened and shortly
closed during the 1919 trials. There is a great coalition of silence
and cooperation formed to deny the great crime committed against the
Armenians; to leave it undebated, forgotten.

This is the seventh anniversary of the slaying of Hrant. In a few
months, it will be the 99th anniversary of the act that eliminated the
Armenians from these lands. Call it anything we want: crime against
humanity, Genocide, the great crime, the great disaster, the great
sin; we are talking about the same enormous crime in the end.

Is it not time for today’s Republic of Turkey to declare its deep
sorrow for such a crime, and apologize to all Armenians after 100
years of silence?

And let us not forget: this great crime is not just a legacy of the
past. The same crimes are being committed today, right here. The ones
who defend the offenders are together keeping their silence alive. We
will not be a part of this by staying silent ourselves. For Hrant, for
justice.

Interfax, Russia
Jan 24 2014

Azeri Air Force planes make routine flights over frontline – Defense Ministry

: BAKU. Jan 24

Combat planes of the Azeri Air Force planes are making routine flights
over the line of contact of the Azeri and Armenian armed forces.

“These are routine flights carried out by the Azeri Air Force. They
are conducted along the frontline,” Vagif Dargyakhly, spokesman for
the Azeri Defense Ministry, told Interfax.

In the meantime, some Azeri media link these flights to the escalation
of tension on the frontline.

av cm

Hovhannes Gabuzyan – Armenian Rapid Chess Champion

13:48 23/01/2014 » SPORT

GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan became the Rapid Chess Champion of Armenia. He
scored 7 points out of 8 at the 16th Armenian Championship in Yerevan.

GMs Zaven Andriasian, Robert Hovhannisyan and Hrant Melkumyan were one
point behind the winner. Andriasian took the silver and Hovhannisyan
the bronze medal with additional points.

50 chess players participated in the tournament, armchess.am said.

Source: Panorama.am

Armenak Dovlatyan. `Ukraine is fighting not only for it but for all of us.’

January 25 2014

Sergey Nigoyan’s death deceased in Maidan, in Kiev, is twice painful
for Armenak Dovlatyan, President of `Green (social and ecological)
Party of Armenia’, as he personally knew him, and was in touch with
this young man. `A month ago, we were wandering around in Euromaidan,
in Kiev, with the Armenian flag: local Armenians, Ukrainian citizens,
were approaching us in excitement and talking to us. One of them was
Samvel-Sergey Nigoyan, said Mr. Dovlatyan, today, in `Noah’s Ark’
club, adding that after the murder, Sergey’s friends told that he had
a kind of spirit in him, and was directly involved in the maintenance
of order in Maidan that everything is organized, with clear actions.
Armenak Dovlatyan is sure that those standing on foot for the same of
change of power in Ukraine, are fighting not only for themselves but
also for the future of other post-Soviet states. `We are not talking
about confrontations of primitive Russian-Western hegemony, there are
deeper issues. People are just tired of living in such a condition,
they do not want to have a plundering government and a dependent
country; they want to have a free and independent country where they
decide their country’s future. The matter is even not about the fact
of either the Customs Union, or EU, rather than the existence of an
independent country. Ukraine is a country with great potentials, and
these people want to live with the potentials of their country,’ noted
the leader of Green Party who thinks that there cannot be a civil war
in Ukraine, but if confrontation with the government continues, it
will turn into a war between the government and the people. Mr.
Dovlatyan, stressing that Russia should be definitely separated from
the Russian authorities’ brutal imperialistic policy, noted that as a
result of this policy, many post-Soviet people are strained against
Russia. `We are allies, we have hundreds years of relationship, but
breaking this relationship and forcedly compelling people to do things
causes natural resistance,’ said the speaker. Drawing parallels
between the events of March 1 and Maidan, Armenak Dovlatyan found
similarities in inadequate operations of our and Ukrainian law
enforcement. `It seems that illegal, criminal activities are
encouraged by the authorities. I do not want to say primitive things
that they are guided by Moscow, but it seems to have the same style,
the same school, and the same handwriting.’

Melania BARSEGHYAN
Read more at:

Tsakhkadzor to host 300 athletes from 18 states

January 25, 2014

YEREVAN. – The first meeting of the organizing committee of the first
pan-Armenian winter games was held in Hrazdan, Armenia.

Ishkhan Zakaryan, president of the committee, gave instruction to the
committee members.

Armenia’s resort town of Tsakhkadzor will host around 300 athletes
from 18 states for pan-Armenian winter games from February 24 till
March 2.

The skiing, alpine skiing, and snowboarding competitions will be held
in Tsaghkadzor, whereas the hockey tournament will take place in
capital city Yerevan.

NEWS.am Sport

AZERBAIDJAN
Un officier azéri tué au Karabagh

L’armée azerbaïdjanaise a déclaré jeudi que l’un de ses officiers a
été abattu dans une section sur la ligne de front du Haut-Karabagh, là
où un soldat arménien a été tué plus tôt cette semaine dans ce que la
partie arménienne présente comme étant un raid de commando
azerbaïdjanais ayant échoué.

Le ministère de la Défense à Bakou a déclaré que le décès fait suite à
une recrudescence des violations du cessez-le-feu sur la ligne de
contact autour de Karabagh et de la frontière arméno-azerbaïdjanaise.

Le Ministère arménien de la Défense a déclaré que les postes arméniens
en première ligne ainsi que plusieurs villages frontaliers de la
province de Tavush ont été soumis à des tirs d’une intensité
inhabituelle de la part des positions azerbaïdjanaises dans la nuit.
Il a affirmé avoir enregistré environ 300 tirs soit dix fois le nombre
habituel. Aucune victime n’a été signalée.

Le maire de l’un de ces villages, Movses, a déclaré que la fusillade a
endommagé un gazoduc local, provoquant un bref feu. Ararat Avalian a
nié les rapports des médias que certains habitants du village ont été
évacués dans la nuit. « Ce n’est pas que les gens ne sont pas inquiets
… mais il n’y a pas de panique » a déclaré Avalian au service
arménien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am) par téléphone.

Le ministre de la Défense Seyran Ohanian a commenté la situation lors
d’une séance hebdomadaire du gouvernement d’Arménie. « Nous ne
répondons pas à des tirs sporadiques » a-t-il dit. « Nous ne répondons
qu’aux tirs ciblés et aux tireurs d’élites ».

Ohanian a assuré les membres du cabinetque « la situation est sous
contrôle ». « Nos troupes de première ligne accomplissent leur tche
avec vigilance, et notre peuple doit n’avoir aucune inquiétude »
a-t-il dit.

Le ministère de la Défense azerbaïdjanais a également signalé des
accrochages intenses autour du Karabakh et sur la frontière
arméno-azerbaïdjanaise. Il dit que les troupes arméniennes ont tiré
sur ses forces 138 fois au cours des dernières 24 heures.

Selon les agences de presse azerbaïdjanaises, le ministère a également
déclaré qu’un capitaine de l’armée azerbaïdjanaise, Elnur Jafarov, a
été tué par des tirs de snipers provenant de positions arméniennes
près d’un village dans le nord du Karabagh.

Un soldat arménien qui y servait, Armen Hovannisian, a été abattu
lundi matin pendant ce que les autorités militaires à Stepanakert et
Erevan qualifient d’incursion des forces spéciales de l’Azerbaïdjan.
Ils disent que les assaillants ont subi des pertes, un point de vue
réfuté par la partie azerbaïdjanaise. Cette dernière nie également
avoir attaqué l’avant-poste arménien du Karabagh.

Les responsables militaires arméniens ont déjà accusé Bakou de cacher
ses pertes au combat.

L’armée azerbaïdjanaise a déclaré mardi que quatre de ses soldats ont
été grièvement blessés dans des incidents hors combat « dans la zone
de première ligne ». Elle a annoncé le lendemain qu’un autre soldat
azerbaïdjanais est mort d’une insuffisance cardiaque.

Le vice-ministre de la Défense d’Arménie Davit Tonoyan a insisté plus
tôt jeudi que les troupes azerbaïdjanaises ont laissé des armes et des
munitions après avoir été repoussées par une petite unité de l’armée
du Karabagh.

Davit Tonoyan a dit que la partie arménienne est prête à partager ses
« échantillons » avec les médiateurs internationaux.

Les derniers incidents ont eu lieu avant de nouveaux pourparlers de
paix arméno-azerbaïdjanais prévues par les coprésidents du Groupe de
Minsk de l’OSCE. Ces derniers doivent se réunir avec les ministres des
Affaires étrangères arménien et azerbaïdjanais à Paris.

Erevan a affirmé jeudi que Bakou s’est délibérément lancé dans
l’escalade des tensions afin de saper le processus de paix au
Karabagh. « L’Azerbaïdjan gémit en permanence sur le statu quo, mais
fait tout pour le maintenir » a déclaré le vice-ministre des Affaires
étrangères Chavarch Kotcharian aux journalistes.

Le ministère des Affaires étrangères de l’Azerbaïdjan a écarté ces allégations.

samedi 25 janvier 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIE-MUSIQUE
Le chef d’orchestre Aram Gharabékian reposera au Panthéon d’Erévan

Le corps du chef d’orchestre Aram Gharabékian disparu le 11 janvier
aux Etats-Unis à l’ge de 58 ans sera rapparié en Arménie. Le 23
janvier une Commission gouvernementale présidée par la ministre de la
Culture Hasmig Boghossian a élaboré le plan des cérémonies
officielles. Aram Gharabékian sera enterré au Panthéon d’Erévan. Après
une cérémonie à l’auditorium Aram Khatchatrian d’Erévan, le 29 janvier
à 14 heures, le dernier adieu à Aram Gharabékian sera donné au
Panthéon d’Erévan vers 14 heures. Né le 7 juillet 1955 à Boston
(Etats-Unis), après des études en Allemagne, Aram Gharabékian avait
dirigé l’orchestre symphonique d’Arménie.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 25 janvier 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

DIPLOMATIE
Ardak Apitonian, Ambassadeur d’Arménie en Suède a rencontre le roi
Karl 16 Gustave

Ardak Apitonian l’Ambassadeur d’Arménie au Royaume de Suède a présenté
ses lettres de créance le 22 janvier au roi de Suède Karl 16 Gustave.
Après la réception officielle, le roi de Suède a eu en entretien avec
l’Ambassadeur d’Arménie. Selon le service de presse du ministère
arménien des Affaires étrangères, Carl 16 Gustave aurait signifié sa
satisfaction de voir l’installation à Stockholm une Ambassade
d’Arménie. Le monarque suédois a également affirmé son souhait de voir
l’installation d’une Ambassade de Suède à Erévan, ainsi que le
développement des relations et de coopérations entre la Suède et
l’Arménie. S.E. Ardak Apitonian a remercié de son côté la Suède et
souhaité que cette première ambassade d’Arménie à Stockholm marquerait
le début d’une ère nouvelle dans les relations arméno-suédoises.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 25 janvier 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com