Author: Kanayan Tamar

HEAD OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ANTICORRUPTION CENTER: ARMENIA SPEAKS OF CORRUPTION RISKS INSTEAD OF COMBATTING CORRUPTION
by Samvel Sarksyan

Wednesday, July 10, 13:02

Armenia speaks of corruption risks instead of combatting corruption,
Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency International
Anticorruption Center, said at a press conference on July 9.

When assessing the Armenian Control Chamber’s report about the 2012
budget expenditures and the following developments in the context
of the anticorruption fight, he recalled that after the Control
Chamber Head had presented the report in Parliament on June 13,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said about misappropriation of
200-300 mln AMD on June 29, whereas the report pointed out that 70%
of the funds (701 bln AMD, or $1.7 bln) budgeted for 2013 ran the
risk to be spent unreasonably. Hoktanyan thinks that it is necessary
to understand what mechanisms are creating these risks and what the
real amount of the embezzlement and misappropriation is. He stressed
that the Control Chamber and other supervisory services should find
out not only the financial components of the misappropriation, but
also the results the misappropriation leads to.

Hoktanyan pointed out that he was waiting for the response of the
Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office and other law-enforcement agencies
to the Control Chamber’s report. The response will play a big role in
the further analysis of the situation in state budget expenditures,
he said.

“Since Serzh Sargsyan became the president of Armenia in 2008, he has
repeatedly made several speeches, and I give high priority to the work
done and the changes made, not to what is spoken about. Words have gone
down in value; they have become a way to conceal the facts. And if his
speech is followed by serious steps to control the ministries’ activity
and if fewer than 67-68% of the respondents start thinking that the
healthcare system is corrupt or extremely corrupt, then it will be
possible to say that the words have become deeds”, Hoktanyan stressed.

To recall, Serzh Sargsyan said on June 29 that the Prosecutor General’s
Office must legally assess the Control Chamber’s report and come out
with a statement. “If the chairman of the Control Chamber claims
that 70% of our state budget, i.e. 701 bln AMD is under threat,
it is obviously a wrong and short-sighted statement. You (the
Prosecutor General – editor’s note) need only 2 or 3 days to assess
that report and make a speech, i.e. to say: dear citizens of Armenia,
the Control Chamber’s report suggests that only 200 mln or 300 mln
AMD was embezzled”, said Sargsyan.

To note, the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office has released no
statement yet.

RUSSIA AND TURKMENISTAN INTERESTED IN ARMENIA-PRODUCED SEISMIC “PILLOWS”

09:43, 10 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS: The Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and
the Islamic Republic of Iran are interested in the seismic “pillows”
produced in the Republic of Armenia. At present negotiations are held
with the organizations from these countries.

This was reported to Armenpress by the Acting Director of the “RETINE
NORUYT” Limited Liability Company Hakob Galstyan. “The rubber-metallic
seismic bases or the seismic “pillows” produced by our company have
been exported by now only to Iran”, – said Hakob Galstyan, adding
that in Armenia there is certain inactivity in the seismic market
towards the “pillows”. As stated by the specialist, though the use
of the rubber-metallic seismic bases is quite important and crucial
for Armenia, many builders and customers avoid of them, as they are
not aware of their use “culture”.

The Acting Director of the “RETINE NORUYT” Limited Liability Company
Hakob Galstyan informed that the seismic “pillows” produced by their
company have been placed in the bases of 10 structures of Yerevan,
ordered mainly by the “Elite Group” Closed Joint Stock Company.

The seismic “pillows” are special rubber devices, which are put in
the bases of the buildings to make them quake-proof. They allow to
resist up to 9,5 magnitude earthquakes. The “pillows” can be placed
not only in the base of the newly built structures, but also in the
old buildings. Armenia is one of the leading countries in the world
producing the rubber-metallic seismic bases or the seismic “pillows”.

THE STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF ARMENIA INVITED AS OFFICIAL ORCHESTRA OF THE 30TH MUSICA RIVA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

12:35 10.07.2013

State Youth Orchestra of Armenia

For the first time in the history of Armenian musical art, an Armenian
orchestra will officially perform in the frames of an international
festival, widely recognized as a high-status and world-class
event in Europe. Particularly, the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia
(Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan) has been
invited to take part as an official orchestra in the 30th Musica Riva
International Festival, to be held from 18 July to 4 August 2013 in
Riva del Garda, Italy.

Participation of the Youth Orchestra in the Festival has become
possible thanks to joint efforts of RA Ministry of Culture, Arthur
Varzhapetyan, the founder of “Luding” company and many other friends.

Among other concerts during the festival the State Youth Orchestra
of Armenia will also perform Armenian music.

The Italian Festival Musica Riva is based on 30-year history of unique
and well-established traditions. Each year from all around the world
it unites world famous orchestras, soloists, dance groups, choirs,
famous representatives of world music art, such as Aldo Ciccolini,
Emmanuel Pahud, Renato Bruzon, Isaac Karabtchevsky, Gloria Gaynor,
Alessandro Carbonare, Mauro Maur, Placido Domingo, Gilberto Gil.

L’ARMENIE ENTRAVE LES AFFAIRES SELON LA DIRECTION DE LA SOCIETE AZERIE SOCAR

La position de l’Armenie dans le conflit du Haut-Karabagh et le
comportement des Grecs de Chypre affectent le secteur de l’energie dans
les regions du Caucase et de la Mediterranee a declare le Directeur
pour la Turquie de la compagnie petrolière SOCAR lors d’un discours
sur l’energie a un Sommet de l’Eurasie.

” Ce qui endommage la stabilite dans la region de la mer Caspienne est
la position envahissante de l’Armenie sur les terres de l’Azerbaïdjan
” a dit Kenan Yavuz dit. ” Le comportement illegal des Grecs de Chypre
en Mediterranee orientale est egalement a l’origine de problèmes “.

La nouvelle dynamique du marche de l’energie fait que nous assistons
actuellement a l’emergence de trois nouvelles structures, a-t-il dit
aux invites lors d’une session, se referant a la mer Caspienne, la
Mediterranee orientale et l’Irak. ” Lorsque les points de production
et de consommation convergent, celui qui va prendre des decisions et
prendre la position proactive sera le vainqueur “, a-t-il ajoute.

La Turquie sera la destination finale des transports d’energie
a declare Yavuz, decrivant le pays comme un potentiel ” corridor
energetique “.

“La Turquie sera la destination obligatoire ” a declare Yavuz. ” Nous
sommes aujourd’hui confrontes a une situation où tous les chemins
mènent a la Turquie, et le pays a une pretention d’etre un corridor
energetique “.

mercredi 10 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

L’ARMENIA DELLE SORELLE ARSHAKYAN

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso, Italia
8 luglio 2013

Gianluca Grossi

La musica armena contemporanea è poco conosciuta all’estero. Ma ora
qualcosa sembra cambiare. Con il successo di due esuberanti e
dotatissime sorelle

La musica armena vanta una ricchissima tradizione, che affonda le sue
radici un paio di millenni prima di Cristo. Nel mondo, però, non ha
mai avuto risonanza, se non indirettamente, tramite figure emigrate
altrove, come Charles Aznavour, che nella sua parabola artistica ha
sempre introdotto qualcosa del suo paese di origine.

Tuttavia, negli ultimi anni, un duo femminile si è imposto
all’attenzione mondiale con una proposta che, pur mantenendo stretti
legami con l’autoctonia, fa il verso al mondo mainstream occidentale,
finendo per stuzzicare anche i gusti di chi non ha mai avuto
familiarita con le note facenti capo alle vocazioni artistiche di
Yerevan. Sono le sorelle armene Inga e Anush Arshakyan, protagoniste
indiscusse di una delle pagine della musica folk- pop armena più
interessanti.

Classe ’80

Anush (1980) è la più grande, suona il piano e canta; nel 1994 vince
il prestigioso premio “Sonorous Voices”, a Omsk, citta della Russia,
situata lungo il tracciato della Transiberiana. Frequenta il
conservatorio a Yerevan, dove consegue il diploma e debutta poco dopo
nell’Armenia State Philharmonic Orchestra. Le sue prime composizioni
risalgono a meta degli anni Novanta.

Inga, classe 1982, percorre su per giù le stesse tappe della sorella,
dedicandosi però al violino che studia fin da piccina con passione e
perseveranza. Iniziano a lavorare insieme nel 1998, dando vita a un
repertorio che attinge a piene mani alla ricca tradizione folk armena.

“Ci piace l’idea di poter contaminare la cultura tradizionale con i
suoni moderni derivanti dal jazz, dal pop e dall’elettronica”,
rivelano le due sorelle. Nel giro di pochi mesi il loro nome conquista
gran parte del Caucaso e dei vicini Balcani. Due anni dopo compiono il
primo viaggio di lavoro transoceanico: atterrano negli USA, a Los
Angeles, dove debuttano all’Alex Theatre, location aperta al pubblico
dal 1925. Nel 2002 ottengono importanti riconoscimenti soprattutto in
patria, dove si propongono in numerosi live, accrescendo di volta in
volta l’esercito di fan.

Il primo album si intitola We And Our Mountains. Il lavoro si apre con
“Andzrev Yekav”, brano fortemente contaminato dalla cultura musicale
tradizionale armena. Lo scheletro del pezzo risente dei suoni moderni
tipici delle produzioni discografiche occidentali, ma il cantato
affronta fraseggi appannaggio della realta locale, debitori del mondo
turco-medio orientale e di quello caucasico. In alcuni punti risaltano
trovate jazzistiche. La loro fama è consolidata da una serie di
apparizioni pubbliche a New York, Toronto e Parigi. E’ la prima volta
che la cultura musicale armena si impone a livello internazionale.

Sull’onda del successo ottenuto con l’album d’esordio, si esibiscono
per la prima volta nei principali teatri della capitale.

Il botto

Il cosiddetto “botto”, però, lo ottengono con “Tamzara”, brano che
finira incluso nel secondo disco. E’ introdotto da strumenti
tradizionali; il cantato è una melodia costruita su scale
pentagrammate che rimandano all’Impero bizantino, sostenuto da un
incedere percussivo di notevole suggestione; un ottimo esempio di
world music, sintetizzato da un video che spopola su Youtube. Con
“Tamzara”, nel 2004, vincono il premio Golden Lyre, mentre l’anno
successivo trionfano all’Armenia National Music Awards. Il secondo
disco è titolato con il loro pezzo più famoso e vede ufficialmente la
luce nel 2006. Consta di undici tracce ed è prodotto dalla Parseghian
Records. Con la title track suscita clamore anche la quinta traccia,
“Khlpane”, impreziosita dal suono di uno strumento a corda
tradizionale che si integra perfettamente con i suoni elettronici più
moderni. Grazie a questo lavoro il duo riprende a girare il mondo,
frequentando le sale concerto di Parigi, Londra Mosca e Teheran. Nel
2006 esce anche il primo dvd che ritrae la coppia dal vivo, durante le
più belle performance effettuate negli ultimi anni.

Il terzo album

Tre anni dopo è la volta del terzo album: Heartbeat Of My Land. In
copertina le due sorelle appaiono abbigliate con costumi tradizionali
e caratteristici copricapo pieni di gingilli. Il singolo s’intitola
“Menq Enq Mer Sarere”, viene proposto all’Armenian Telethon, e bussa
alle porte di paesi mai conquistati prima, come Siria, Libano e
Russia. Nel 2009 le due sorelle Arshakyans si presentano
all’Eurovision Song Contest con la canzone “Jan Jan”; alla stesura del
brano partecipano Mane Akopyan, Vardan Zadoyan e Avet Barseghyan,
tutte figure assai note dell’establishment artistico armeno. Il brano
ha un “tiro” decisamente più moderno di quelli finora affrontati,
anche se, interpellate a riguardo, lo giustificano definendolo un
pezzo “folk con elementi di musica contemporanea”; in realta
abbandonano la tradizione per contemplare un pop tipico della cultura
occidentale mainstream. Porta la firma di Ara Torosyan, fra i
produttori armeni più importanti, gia al fianco di altre figure cult
come Andre ed Eva Rivas. Al successo della canzone contribuisce un
video promozionale di grande efficacia (su Youtube con oltre un
milione di clic), che rimanda alla celeberrima “Whenever, Wherever” di
Shakira, fra i principali esponenti del pop latino.

Questa tendenza è evidente anche nell’ultimo video girato dalla
coppia, in occasione del Concert The Voice of Armenia del 16 marzo
2013. Il brano “You Will Not Be Alone” (pubblicato originariamente
come singolo nel 2009, musicato da Armen Martirosian, con le parole di
Michael Bagratuni) è cantato in inglese, secondo i classici
“paradigmi” musicali occidentali, favoriti dal giovanissimo
compositore Aidin Davoudi e da Mart Babayan. Di tradizionale resiste
solo l’introduzione effettuata da un membro della band con il duduk,
strumento musicale tipicamente armeno, inserito dall’Unesco nella
lista dei Patrimoni orali e i materiali dell’umanita.

ARMENIA MIDFIELDER MKHITARYAN JOINS DORTMUND

Sports Illustrated
July 9 2013

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) -Borussia Dortmund has signed Armenia midfielder
Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, giving him a
four-year contract.

The 24-year-old Mkhitaryan arrives at Dortmund, last season’s
Bundesliga and Champions League runner-up, after Mario Goetze left
for archrival Bayern Munich.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said on Tuesday:
“It wasn’t an easy transfer but we absolutely wanted to have Henrikh.”

Dortmund already has signed defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from
Werder Bremen and forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Saint-Etienne.

Mkhitaryan scored 25 goals in 29 Ukrainian top-division matches
last season.

Read More:

AURELIA GRIGORIU WAS CAUGHT IN LYING DURING PRESS CONFERENCE

19:06 09/07/2013 ” REGION

Today on her arrival in Moldova the Parliamentary Advocate Aurelia
Grigoriu called a press conference in connection with the scandal
connected with her presentation in the parliament, where she presented
the Azerbaijani version of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, completely
ignoring the position of the Armenian side.

It is noteworthy that Gregory attended the press conference accompanied
by a lawyer who interfered those asking questions, interrupted and
made long speeches. In the end, the journalists could not stand it
and offered the lawyer to convene his own press conference and act
as he wants and to stop interfering the work of the journalists.

Grigoriu chose the tactics of complete denial of her guilt in the
erupted scandal, blaming the Armenian side. She also refused to
apologize in response to a fair call of the representatives of the
Armenian Diaspora, saying that she has not offended anyone.

Representative of Armenian community Sergei Osipyan noted, “You
covered the issue one-sidedly and you realized it deep in your heart.

If I were you, I would apologize. You have become a tool of
propaganda.”

In the same time Grigoriu denied disinformation of the Azerbaijani
media according to which she allegedly had to “barricade herself from
the raging crowds that had surrounded her hotel.” She noted that
“the Armenian authorities undertook measures for her security and
kept the order.” The ombudsman also failed to explain why she did
not apply to the police having received threats by phone.

The Ombudsman failed also to answer the question of the blogger
and political scientist Ernest Vardanyan, in which of the four UN
resolutions, which Gregoriu had referred to in her speech, she had
met anything written about “million refugees”, “20% of the occupied
territories” and “Khojalu”. The confused ombudsman replied that it
is not about the resolutions of 1993 but the resolution of the UN
General Assembly on 14 March 2007.

In reality, she rather meant the resolution of 2008, which she speaks
of in her speech, but as far as Mrs. Grigoriu is not familiar neither
with the content of the resolutions, nor the context, then it seems to
be quite normal for her to confuse them. However, it does not matter,
because even in that resolution there is no and there cannot be such
a text. That is, Moldovan Ombudsman deliberately misleads the public.

Grigoriu answered numerous comments about the fact that instead of
focusing on problems of human rights in Moldova, she had devoted much
of her speech to the problems of that region, which is irrelevant to
her country, she said that she was not allowed to speak till the end.

Aurelia Gregoriu “also did not have time” to, allegedly, tell about
the massacre of Armenians in Maragha.

She lied once again saying that on her Facebook page the full text
of her speech is published, where allegedly there are theses on the
Armenian refugees from Baku, Sumgait and Kirovabad; this is not true.

When she was objected by the journalists who noted that the video
of her speech clearly showed that she misused the regulated time,
and she was to start her speech with the arrests in Transdniestria,
and not by calling “occupation” the thing which in Moldova is called
“reforms”, the Ombudsman continued to insist that she was not allowed
to speak, and promised to provide the video” later “.

Grigoriu did not deny the fact of her participation in the conference
held in Baku on the eve of her visit to Yerevan. She also confessed
that she did not raise the issue of political prisoners, for example,
with her colleague Ilgar Mammadov and did not make a speech on
violations of the rights of the Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the pogroms in Baku and Sumgait. She noted that the theme
of her report was different.

Grigoriu also refused to comment on the fact that the theses of her
report repeat word for word the propaganda text, published by the
Azerbaijani Embassy in Moldova on the website of the Azerbaijani
community. Meanwhile, she noted, that she is not going to resign,
despite the rumors about her being politically biased in favor of
Azerbaijan.

“Ombudsman is the person who is always barking like a dog,” Aurelia
Grigoriu described herself.

Source: Panorama.am

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN TO VISIT MOLDOVA

17:39 09.07.2013

President Serzh Sargsyan will conduct a working visit to Moldova to
participate in the European People’s Party (EPP) Third Summit of the
Leaders of the Eastern Partnership in Chisinau.

In the framework of the visit, in Chisinau the President of Armenia
will hold bilateral meetings.

KAREN ANDREASYAN PREPARED PROTEST LETTER AGAINST AURELIA GRIGORIU FOR INTERNATIONAL OMBUDSMAN ORGANIZATIONS

15:39, 9 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS: The Human Rights Defender of the Republic
of Armenia Karen Andreasyan prepared a protest letter against the
Parliamentary Advocate of the Republic of Moldova Aurelia Grigoriu to
send to the International Ombudsman Organizations probably on July
10. This was reported to Armenpress by Karen Andreasyan, touching
upon the speech of the Parliamentary Advocate of the Republic of
Moldova at the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. “At
this moment related works are being carried out. The letter is being
prepared and probably tomorrow it will be sent to all the corresponding
organizations”, – said the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of
Armenia. Karen Andreasyan noted that the list of the organizations,
to send the letter, is currently being considered. “We are a member
of different international structures and now we are discussing, to
which organizations the letter should be sent”, – stated Andreasyan,
adding that the text of the letter will be available to the public.

In the framework of the Armenia’s chairmanship at the Committee
of Ministers of the European Council, the Pan-European Conference
“The European Standards of Rule of Law and the Scope of Discretion of
Powers in the Member States of the Council of Europe” was held on July
3-4 at the National Assembly. The Conference was attended by about
80 representatives from 32 countries and international organizations.

During her report “The protection of human rights and security in
“frozen conflicts” areas”, the Parliamentary Advocate of the Republic
of Moldova Aurelia Grigoriu made a statement, which does not have any
connection to the reality. She announced that “Armenia occupied 20%
of the Azerbaijan’s territory and the Khojalu Genocide was implemented
by the Armenians”. The Parliamentary Advocate of the Republic of
Moldova called Armenia “an aggressor country”.

Later it was found out that two weeks before coming to Yerevan, the
Parliamentary Advocate of the Republic of Moldova Aurelia Grigoriu
was in Baku. The Facebook photos and posts of Aurelia Grigoriu were
spread in the Internet, where the “incorruptible” and “objective”
lawyer was expressing her love towards Azerbaijan. After the scandal
the photos and posts were operatively deleted from the Facebook page
of Aurelia Grigoriu. The Ombudsman of Moldova expressed his regret
to Karen Andreasyan in the connection with the Aurelia Grigoriu’s
statement, noting that the position of the National Institute for the
Defense of Human Rights in the Republic of Moldova does not reflect
her opinion on that delicate issue.

TURKEY BEGINS TO STAY ALONE IN THE REGION: GIRO MANOYAN

13:16, 9 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS: Turkey tries to go against international
community and wants to make its influence greater but it began to
give the opposite reaction. Such opinion expressed representative
of Armenian Revolutionary Federation Giro Manoyan during the press
conference on July 9, noticing that Turkey is becoming to stay
alone in the region. “In Egypt we are the witnesses of not so much
successful Arab spring, those events will have their influence on
the region. Influential forces of the region do not want to transfer
Egyptian events to another field and only Turkey tries doing the
opposite,” Manoyan said, reports “Armenpress”.

Reverberating to the situation in Syria Manoyan mentioned that the
situation is difficult there. “The end of the war is not seen in
Syria. Here are also are made efforts to limit the events in order
there is not outflow to other regions, but it is not managed and the
evidence of it are the last clashes in Lebanon,” he said.

He also noticed that the events in Syria and Egypt will have its
influence over Armenian communities. “Armenia must show flexible
approach and continue pursuing its own interests,” stressed Manoyan.

The situation in Syria and Egypt remains tensioned.