Author: Kanayan Tamar

PLUSES OF THE CU FOR ARMENIA ARE NOT ONLY THE GAS PRICES

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 9 2013

9 December 2013 – 8:29pm

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Last weekend, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev talked on the
phone about the preparation of the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council scheduled for the end of December in Moscow. It is
unknown if the issue of Armenia’s joining the Eurasian integration
associations was discussed. However, before the Russian president
expressed the opinion that “the Armenian experts , specialists,
economists considered all the benefits and advantages, all possible
preferences from such close collaboration work within these
cooperation, integration associations and made their choice .”

However, in Yerevan not everyone thinks so. Recently, Paruir
Hayrikyan , leader of “National Self-Determination” party , which
organized a rally in the capital of Armenia , expressed the view
that joining the CU, Armenia will face the threat of destruction
, and called the decision to join the Customs Union a “political
mistake.” Secretary of the Board of “Heritage” party Stepan Safarian
during the socio-political discussion “Challenges of Armenia’s foreign
policy after Vilnius” said that Armenia was in the “customs tunnel at
the other end of which there is no visible light.” “We know that on
December 24 some sort of agreement will be signed, and in February
2014 the process of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union will
begin. And I want to publish this roadmap”, Safarian said.

Meanwhile, Moscow does not see any specific threats to Armenia after
its accession to the CU. “Concerns in Armenia as well as in other
countries will be associated with the fact that with joining the
Customs Union the prices on certain goods, the import duties on which
will be raised, will increase”, Andrey Areshev, expert of the Center
for the Study of Central Asia and Caucasus at the Institute of Oriental
Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said. “Duties within the
Customs Union on certain product groups, for example, certain cars,
household appliances, etc. will be higher than those, that now exist
in Armenia. Yes, indeed, probably, these fears have a place to be,
but when we talk about integration in the Customs Union we need, in
my opinion, to have a comprehensive view of the problem, to consider
advantages and disadvantages together and see what outweighs what”.

In the case of Armenia, on the one hand we have this and on the other
side of the scale we have not only gas prices. “For example, a freer
movement and duty-free import of Armenian products, agricultural
products at the markets of the Customs Union, which is 80%. I recall
that once the Yerevan Brandy Factory was privatized by the French
largely because of the promises that Armenian brandy will appear
at Western European markets. And where is this market now? It is
practically not more than in 10 years. At the same time in Russia
nowadays, in Moscow, I can say from my own experience, nice,
interesting shops with Armenian goods are opening, where they can
be bought at moderate prices. This, too, is one of the directions,
of the projections of the Customs Union, with regard to certain
consumers and certain areas of the Armenian economy, which are in
demand in Russia and other countries of the Customs Union and for
which the market of the Customs Union is traditional”, Areshev said.

According to him, “the main types of Armenian export products to Europe
are raw materials, raw copper-molybdene, gold-ferrous raw materials,
etc. The problem is that during twenty years of our independent
development the common chains of highly technological production
that existed in the Soviet Union, and I would like to remind you
that Armenia was one of the “technological” republics of the Soviet
Union as well as, incidentally, Ukraine, have fairly seriously been
damaged. And now they have to be rebuilt. And the Customs Union, in
my opinion, should create conditions for this process. Europe will
not do that, it does not need it”.

Armenia remembers victims of 1988 quake

December 07, 2013 | 08:07

Armenia was shocked by the devastating earthquake that struck Spitak
city on December 7, 1988, at 11:41am local time, that is, 25 years ago
on this day.

In a matter of thirty seconds, the strong underground shakings
destroyed Armenia’s northern portion, with a population of one
million. At Spitak, which was the epicenter of the tremor, the quake
measured magnitude 10 on a 12-magnitude scale. Shocks were recorded in
capital city Yerevan and in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, too.

According to official figures, the disaster claimed 25,000 lives,
19,000 people became disabled, and 530,000 residents were left
homeless.

As a result of the earthquake, Spitak was destroyed virtually
completely. Also, 21 cities and townships and 324 villages were
ruined. Eighty percent of the country’s second largest city,
Gyumri – Leninakan, at the time – , was annihilated. There was destruction
in Armenia’s third largest city, Vanadzor – Kirovakan, at the time – , as
well.

Close to forty percent of the country’s industrial potential was
rendered inoperative as a result of this natural disaster.

But the ex-USSR and the world entire lent a helping hand to Armenia in
trying to heal the wounds of this great calamity.

Turks Must Be Smoking Their Own Poppies

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

So disconnected from reality is an article I just read from a Turkish
source, that I thought I had found the explanation for why we no
longer hear (since the 1970s) about opium from Turkish poppies being
shipped to the west’ the Turks are smoking it all, with none left for
export.

A friend who had attended the ANCA-Western Region’s Grassroots
Conference on Thanksgiving weekend met a Turkish participant, Bahar
Senem Çevik-Ersaydi, who is an Assistant Professor at Ankara
University. She’s the author of the article, `The Armenian Diaspora
and the Need for the `Other” (published in Issue no.09/2011 of `Gazi
Akademik BakıÅ?’) that betrays where the bulk of Turkish intellectuals
(let alone society) are stuck when it comes to Armenian issues, and
particularly, the Genocide.

This article, based partially on discredited Freudian psychological
theories, posits that the Armenian Diaspora uses `Turks’ as the
`other’ which serves as a `reservoir all bad elements’. Why? Because,
it seems, according to Çevik-Ersaydi, this is at least one of the main
ways (if not the way) the Diaspora sustains its identity. We allegedly
teach kids to hate Turks for this reason.

Of course it seems to escape our `learned’ author that any human
learning of the type of horrors inflicted by the Turks on our
families, would, as a first reaction, hate the perpetrator of such a
crime if her/his family were the victim.

It is precisely the horror and magnitude of the crime of genocide that
understandably leads the Turks of today not to be able to even
consider that THEIR families could have been guilty of such a crime.
Yet, not only consider, but accept it they must.

The article is laced with the usual Turkish denialist narrative. First
off, not once is the term `genocide’ used. It is `events’, `historical
enmity’, `sense of being victimized’, etc. Then we have the usual
attempt to equate the Armenian and Turkish experiences of the era in
question, perhaps best manifested by this sentence from her
conclusion:

`These two groups which are so much alike in terms of eating-drinking
habits, dressing, culture and music have identified each other as
their archenemy due to past experiences with each other and various
external provocations.’

Of course you’ll notice the attribution of Armenian-Turkish antagonism
to `external’ factors. Naturally, the de rigueur reference to Armenian
terrorism is present, and taken to the laughable extent of somewhat
anachronistically describing Ashod Yergat (whose 1870 birth-date she
notes), one of our revolutionary-period heroes, as a `terrorist.’ This
is all standard-issue Turkish jargon used to discredit our efforts to
restore justice to our nation.

Then we have the attempt to give this `polite’ denialism the veneer of
legitimacy. Of course the article is a study in `political psychology’
published in an academic journal. She references Armenian sources’
Hrant Dink, Viken Yacoubian, Donald E. and Lorna Touryan Miller, even
`Haytoug” the AYF-Western Region’s publication, along with others.
Various sources are cited in the first half of the article where a
theoretical construct is assembled to help in the effort to explain
away, minimize, Armenians’ responses to the Genocide.

My friend, who had mentioned me to Bahar Senem Çevik-Ersaydi,
suggested I talk to her before writing this piece. After reading her
article, I’m glad I did not, because she is still far too lost in the
jungle of denialism for me to give her a hand so she can cross over
into the land of human decency.

Nevertheless, I would not object to meeting with her, as long as our
discussion was recorded, since I would not want to be misquoted or
cited out-of-context. I also laud her attendance at the Grassroots
Conference, though I am a bit suspicious of her motivation and the
prism through which she perceived what was presented and discussed
there.

Instead of trying to explain away Armenian attitudes through abused
psycho-babble (`chosen trauma’ is what she calls the Genocide, a
farcical term in all but her extremely narrow context), Çevik-Ersaydi
should perhaps look into herself to discern what motivates her to
engage in `polite’ denial of the Armenian Genocide. Let’s all help her
if she asks for it.

ARMENIE
L’inaccessibilité des prêts entrave le développement des PME

Un des plus grands problèmes qui entravent le développement des
petites et moyennes entreprises en Arménie est l’inaccessibilité des
prêts et l’autre gros problème sont les lacunes dans le système de
l’administration fiscale, selon Karen Gevorkyan, directeur adjoint du
Centre national pour le développement des petites et Moyennes
Entreprises.

Il dit que la principale activité du Centre national est d’aider à
résoudre ces problèmes. Selon lui, le Centre contribue chaque année à
aider 3000 débutants à obtenir des prêts à long terme et non garantis
à des conditions abordables.

Les taux d’intérêt élevés sur les prêts sont aussi un problème, a-t-il
ajouté. « Il est souhaitable que les banques fournissent un large
éventail de produits de prêt » a-t-il dit.

En ce qui concerne la législation fiscale, Karen Gevorgyan a déclaré
que les problèmes découlant de la législation ne sont pas aussi
importants que les difficultés rencontrées dans le cadre de
l’administration fiscale, à savoir la corruption.

Il a toutefois indiqué que le développement des PME est entravée par
le fait que de nombreux entrepreneurs ne sont pas conscients des
changements dans la législation fiscale, de leurs droits et de leurs
responsabilités.

Selon l’Union nationale des employeurs d’Arménie, les prêts aux PME en
2012 s’élève à environ 15 millions de dollars, alors qu’en 2001-2002,
ce chiffre s’élevait à de 30 à 40 millions de $ , et à environ 20
millions de dollars en 2007-2008.

dimanche 8 décembre 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Zhoghovurd: SAS Group committed serious violations

12:10 07/12/2013 » DAILY PRESS

SAS Group LLC, owned by MP Artak Sargsyan, has committed serious
violations, Zhoghovurd daily says, citing its sources. In October,
company director Samvel Gzraryan imported 492 bottles of wine from
Ireland through Bagratashen checkpoint and did not declare it. After
the State Revenue Committee received the information, SAS Group was
fined AMD 50,000.

The daily tried to get a commentary from Artak Sargsyan, but he did
not answer the phone calls.

Source: Panorama.am

APA, Azerbaijan
Dec 7 2013

Ahmet Davutoglu: `Three-dimensional policy should be pursued to
normalize Turkey-Armenia and Armenia-Azerbaijan relations’

[ 07 December 2013 11:57 ]

`The main point is to remove obstacles from minds’

Baku – APA. `Protocols are written texts. The main point is to remove
obstacles from minds,’ Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said
in his interview with HaberTurk while commenting on his upcoming visit
to Armenia, APA reports.

Davutoglu said that three-dimensional policy should be pursued to
remove obstacles from minds and normalize the relations: `I have
repeatedly said it to our Azerbaijani brothers, at the meetings with
Armenian Foreign Minister and President. The first direction is the
bilateral relations of two neighboring countries – Turkey and Armenia.
We want these relations to be at the best level. The second direction
is the improvement of bilateral relations between our two neighboring
countries Azerbaijan and Armenia basing on respect for each other’s
territorial integrity. The third issue is the removal of psychological
barriers that exist between the two peoples, Turkish and Armenian
peoples who have coffee and talk in Paris, San Francisco, are fans of
Beshiktash, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray and have discussions about it.
If this three-dimensional policy is pursued simultaneously, a very
successful peace project will be established.’

Davutoglu will visit Armenia to attend the meeting of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation Organization on December 12.

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 6, 2013 Friday

SERVICE IN MOUNTAINS

Tatiana Zamakhina
Source: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, December 03, 2013, p. 2

HIGHLIGHT: PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN VISITED THE RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE
IN ARMENIA; Vladimir Putin started a state visit to Armenia not from
Armenia but from Gyumri where the Russian military base was located.
Not a single Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Russia visited this
strategic object before.

Vladimir Putin started a state visit to Armenia not from Armenia but
from Gyumri where the Russian military base was located. Not a single
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Russia visited this strategic object
before.

Gyumri is the second biggest city of Armenia according to population.
It serves the Russian 102nd military base that has about 4,000
servicemen.

President Dmitry Medvedev visited Gyumri in 2010 but did not reach the
base. Along with this, he signed an agreement on prolongation of the
time of its stay in the country for 49 years. A new duty was added for
Russians servicemen then. This is provision of security of Armenia
together with the Armenian armed forces.

Putin arrived to the object together with his Armenian colleague Serzh
Sargsian. The presidents were met by commander of the 102nd base
Andrei Ruzinsky. He reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief about
goals and readiness of the base. According to the colonel, it is in
100% combat readiness and is fully manned.

Crew of air defense missile systems S-300 and squadron of MiG-29
fighters serve there. In total, there are about 1,000 units of
military hardware. The base was formed in 1995. Russia does not pay
the rent.

At the end of the visit guests were led to the parade grounds for
demonstration of freshly painted military hardware. Air defense
missile systems Buk-M1-2 and Strela-10, multiple rocket launcher
systems Smerch and other models of hardware were lined up on the
parade ground. There were no novelties but all systems were modern.

The press service of the Southern Military District reported that the
hardware was prepared not only for the visit of Putin. The reason was
that a new training year began in the troops including the 102nd base
on the day of the visit.

Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov commented saying that there was
no need to look for symbolic meaning in the visit of the Supreme
Commander-in-Chief to the Russian military base. He added, “This is an
ordinary visit.”

[Translated from Russian]

Several Days Are Left And Then…

The government is determined to apply the mandatory funded pension.
This is a serious issue for many employees, as well as employers.

The officials who support the `reform’ announce that the funded
pension will apply to about 260,000 employees. Meanwhile, several
thousand people protest against the `reform’, and yet fewer people are
active who are, by the way, the high-paid and `transparent’ labor
market.

The rest of the society seems to be indifferent to the issue. They are
indifferent because either they are paid little or they are not aware
that they are taxpayers because in Armenia the tax agent system is
applied to taxes and social payments collected from physical persons.
The employer calculates, withdraws and pays to the state budget the
taxes and other social payments.

Hence, the majority of employed people are aware and interested in
their cash salary and will protest against the new pension system if
their cash shrinks as a result.

Ostensibly, the government has planned actions that will prevent the
number of people protesting from the system to grow.

The employers know about the methods and tools of the government that
have been used before on different occasions. It is the tax service,
and the method is compulsory increase of salaries.

Today the mass media have published the prime minister’s answer to
dissatisfied citizens who says some banks are `ready’ to boost the
salary of their employees, as well as information that the employees
of x bank or y organization signed the petition against the new law by
mistake.

In this case, the government and the organizations who state ready to
compensate to the employees through increase of salary have not taken
into account one thing. There is no need to presume that the employees
of these organizations `do not think’. They are protesting against the
system’s being mandatory and claim that one must have a choice, and
these people do not trust the government and do not believe that they
will get their funds back in twenty years.

Besides, the mandatory funded pension and the organizations that are
ready to compensate the salary reduced in the result of the mandatory
funded pension actually discriminate between citizens born before and
after 1974, doing a favor to those who were born after 1974. The
latter will continue to receive the same salary but will receive a
higher pension in the future (even though highly doubted).

Edgar Balayan
18:17 07/12/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Compulsory accumulative pension system prompts another action of
protest in Yerevan

by Karina Manukyan

ú964510-5F3E-11E3-93520EB7C0D21663
Saturday, December 7, 15:56

Compulsory accumulative pension system prompted another action of
protest in Yerevan today on 7 December. This is not the first action
of protest this week. This time, activists organized a march of
protest on bikes. Several dozens of activists cycled along the city
streets carrying flags “I am against,” informing people on the
negative aspects of the pension reform and calling everyone to join
their fight.

Introduction of the compulsory accumulative pension system in Armenia
has sparked public outrage in Armenia. People complain against
upcoming salary charges amid rising gas and electricity tariffs. The
transport fare may also be increased by 50%-100% next year. Such kind
of reforms may even more deteriorate the heavy social situation in the
country, experts say.

To recall, the voluntary accumulative pension system was introduced in
Armenia on Jan 1 2011. The system will become compulsory starting Jan
1 2014. According to the bill, the minimal pension in the country will
be equal to the minimum wage, while the basic pension will total 150%
of the minimum wage. The compulsory accumulative pension system will
apply to the citizens born after Jan 1 1974 (the citizens below 40).
Starting Jan 1 2014, 5% of their salaries will be transferred to their
personal accumulative accounts. The government will transfer a similar
amount (but no more than 25,000 drams). It is noteworthy that 6.6%-13%
and not 5% of the monthly wages will be charged, as the charges will
be made from the so-called “brutto-salary.” On 15 November the
Republican Party boycotted the extraordinary meeting of the Parliament
over the issue. Later on 21 November, an action of protest was held in
front of the Government against the pension reform.

Davutoglu and Mammedyarov Are Coming To Take Territories From

On December 12 the foreign minister of Turkey Ahmed Davutoglu will
visit Yerevan. The Azerbaijan foreign minister Mammedyarov may also
arrive. At least, it has been stated that all the BSEC member states
will attend the session.

The two ministers visit Armenia in a period of tug of war in both
Armenian-Turkish normalization and the Karabakh movement. Both the
West and Russia are trying to use the Armenian issues to achieve their
goals.

The West wants to restore communication between Armenia and Turkey and
Iran without changing the status quo in Karabakh because communication
between Armenia and Azerbaijan does not interest the West. In this
case the role of Armenia of a geopolitical restraint plays a role.

Russia is trying to open communication with Azerbaijan to have access
to Iran and Turkey via Armenia. On the other hand, Russia keeps
Armenia’s borders under control and they will try to open the borders
`under its own conditions’, preventing diversification of the economy
and communication channels of Armenia.

Turkey is trying to play on these two trends and achieve its goals:
grab several regions from Karabakh and reduce the pressure of the West
that may increase in 2015. Therefore, Turkey needs to boost Russia’s
pressure on Armenia, which is possible if Azerbaijan agrees to open
the border in return for several territories of Karabakh.

Although sovereignty and the craving for transferring to Russia all of
Russia’s the strategic assets, Armenia remains a geopolitical factor
and may play its own game. And for this reason one need not run from
one master to another but to protect one’s own interests.

Armenia’s interests are clear: restoring relations with neighbors
without preconditions, maintain the status quo in Karabakh and toughen
claims to Turkey.

The visit of Davutoglu and Mammedyarov to Yerevan has created a `good
will’ atmosphere in return for which they will demand `gifts’ from
Armenia. However, the answer to a visit could be another visit rather
than `difficult decisions’ and deployment of troops. The Armenian
society should display it to Turkey, as it displayed to Russia on
December 2.

Naira Hayrumyan
16:26 07/12/2013
Story from Lragir.am News: