Author: Kanayan Tamar

CHP ACTS FOR ARMENIAN MIGRANTS’ LIFE STANDARDS

Hurriyet, Turkey
March 12 2013

ANKARA – Anatolia News Agency

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) yesterday tabled a motion demanding
a parliamentary investigation to determine and solve the problems of
Armenian migrants living in Turkey.

In the justification of the motion, which was submitted to the
Parliamentary Speaker’s Office with the signatures of CHP Istanbul
deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu and his colleagues, it was indicated that
the migrants living in Turkey lived in harsh conditions that could
result in death.

The justification also underlined the suicide case of Narine
Mıkırtciyan, an Armenian woman who moved to Istanbul for economic
reasons. “We think there are many tragedies resembling the case of
Narine Mıkırtciyan,” it read. The justification also referred to
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks in 2010 that, “in Turkey,
there are about 100,000 Armenians who are not Turkish citizens.” “The
government, which does not abstain from using Armenian migrants as
a trump card, has to demonstrate a similar skill for reforming their
living standards,” the motion read.

March/12/2013

RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS BILATERAL TIES, CIS INTEGRATION

The Voice of Russia
March 12 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to hold negotiations with
his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday, the Kremlin press
service has reported.

The trip to Russia will be Sargsyan’s first foreign visit following
his reelection as president of Armenia on February 18.

“The talks will address ways to further promote Russian-Armenian
relations, regional problems and the prospects for deepening
cooperation within the CIS and as part of Eurasian integration
processes,” it said.

Armenia has traditionally been a central partner for Russia, with
both countries being engaged in vigorous political dialogue.

Key bilateral topics were discussed in great detail during the Armenian
president’s visit to Moscow on August 8, 2012, as well as at meetings
on the sidelines of a CIS summit in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat on
December 5 and a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) in Moscow on December 19.

Contacts between the Russian and Armenian governments, ministries
and agencies have been developing rapidly as well. The Russian and
Armenian prime ministers – Dmitry Medvedev and Tigran Sarkisian –
met in Yalta, Ukraine, on September 28. Russian Interior Minister
Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov and Audit
Chamber Chairman Sergei Stepashin visited Yerevan last year.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Armed Forces General
Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov have visited Armenia in 2013.

The visits to Yerevan by Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the
Federation Council, the upper chamber of Russia’s parliament, and
Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower chamber, played
an important role in establishing ties with Armenia’s new parliament,
which was elected on May 6, 2012.

Voice of Russia, Interfax

MORE ON ARMENIA’S CORRUPT SUPERMARKET ECONOMY

EurasiaNet.org, NY
March 12 2013

March 11, 2013 – 4:36pm, by Yigal Schleifer

Eurasianet corespondent Marianna Grigoryan’s recent piece about
hypermarket chain Carrefour’s struggle to break into the Armenian
market because of a group of oligarchs’ control over the food supply
chain, provided a fascinating glimpse into how rotten politics can
impact the most mundane daily chores, such as shopping and cooking.

Interested in hearing more about this story, I sent Marianna a list
of followup questions. Our exchange is below:

1. What made you think about reporting on this subject?

When nearly six months ago it was announced that Carrefour is coming
to Yerevan, many people were curious to see if that at least will
happen. In Armenia, where in many spheres there is the heavy existence
of monopolies, Carrefour’s possible existence became some kind of
question of principa. I was excited, as were many others, to have
Carrefour in Yerevan as a competitive hypermarket next to Yerevan’s
existing two or three supermarket networks. But at the other side
speculations started as expected and severak months later there is
still nothing exact – only Carrefour’s “Opening soon.” So I decided
to write about the situation in light of a story I had already started
about Armenian oligarchs.

2. In general, where do Armenians shop for their food?

In general in Armenia, especially in Yerevan, the biggest network
of supermarkets-hypermarkets is ‘Yerevan City,’ which belongs to the
pro-government oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan, a member of parliament who
controls sugar, flour and other spheres of food import and dictates
the “prices.” For example, officially 99.9 percent of sugar imports
and domestic sales belong to his family. There are also two other
supermarket networks but they have been mostly empty in recent months.

3. Do you think Armenians are looking for the kind of shopping
experience a Carrefour would offer?

Yes, sure. Carrefour can bring new quality, competitive prices, and
new products. Besides, as Carrefour itself imports the products, it
means that hypermarket will be able to get around monopolistic prices.

4. What are the practical implications of the oligarchs influence
for Armenian food shoppers?

Mainly there is an impact on quality and prices. Presently, grains,
flour, and sugar, and recently also meat and even fruit, are obviously
artificially high. For example, because of Samvel Aleksanyan’s sugar
monopoly, every shop – even small ones – sell the sugar imported
by him. That means that because of his monopoly he can control the
prices and the quality. The same is in wheat flour market, which is
also controlled mainly by Aleksanyan. As a result, in Armenia we have
high flour prices. For example, as shows a study entitled “Monopolies
in Armenia” by the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation (HMF), international
wheat price fell by 23 percent during February-March 2011. But what
do we have in Armenia? After Parliamentary elections on May 2011, the
prices on wheat flour increased by almost 30-40 % over the last year.

5. Have Armenian food sellers come up with any creative ways to get
around the influence of the oligarchs on the market?

When food importers are mainly the oligarchs, food sellers cannot
easily win customers over; they simply cannot sell the products for
less than they themselves bought them for.

OPPOSITION MPS’ RESIGNATION NOT OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE – ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

TERT.AM
22:53 ~U 12.03.13

Heritage party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian, at his meeting with
journalists, commented on the “three steps” proposed by Chairman of
the Republic party Aram Sargsyan.

He noted that the steps have partially been made, and the opposition
MP’ resignation is an issue of secondary importance. According to him,
snap parliamentary elections will soon be held.

The republic party leader stated, in particular, that the right
political steps – Raffi Hovannisian’s hunger strike, opposition MPs’
resignation from parliament and as many people attending at rallies
as possible – will force President Serzh Sargsyan to not only come
to Freedom Square, but also to do much more. And the least he can do
is to organize snap parliamentary elections.

“The first condition has been met. As to the third – Friday will
show how many people intend to take part in the rally. But we are not
sheep any more, and our victory is everywhere,” Mr Hovannisian said.

“We will certainly have a real National Assembly, which will reflect
the people’s real choice, because the country’s population, which is
a minority now, must turn into majority,” he said.

ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TELLS WHERE HE WAS ON MARCH 1, 2008

TERT.AM
23:14 ~U 12.03.13

On Tuesday, Heritage party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian told journalists
where he was on March 1, 2008.

As PACE observation mission member he was in Saint Petersburg, Russia,
and was them to leave for Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend a PACE session
there.

“When I learned about the disaster I forgot put everything off and
arrived in Armenia on March 2 morning. I visited the injured in
hospitals and went to Armen Martirosyan and learned about what had
happened,” he said.

“Let no one link the ten dead bodies to me. Quite other people are
responsible for that, and the Armenian people do not know the whole
truth,” he said.

TURKISH MEMORIAL MONUMENT NOT TO BE INSTALLED NEAR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT IN SLOVAKIAN NITRA CITY

18:13, 12 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: President of the Forum of Armenian
Associations of Europe and Armenian community of Slovakia Ashot
Grigorian had a meeting with governor of Slovakia~Rs largest
Nitra state Milan Belica. As reports Armenpress, referring to the
message of Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe, Grigorian~Rs
visit was aimed at establishment of cooperation between Nitra and
Armenian regions. Grigoryan and Nitra municipality have discussed
the unreasonableness of installing Turkish monument near Armenian
memorial monument and requested to recognize the signed document
invalid in case of possibility.

Issues regarding development of bilateral economic and cultural
cooperation have been touched on.

Second goal of the visit was already a political one. It has been
more than a decade Turkey is sparing no effort for organizing the
dismantlement of Armenian memorial monument on Armenian Genocide
situated in Bratislava Centre. In this regard Turkish MFA has presented
a request to Bratislava municipality, noting that if it is impossible
to get rid of Armenian monument in that case allow installing a Turkish
one near it. Slovakian municipality refused the request. Finally,
last year, through its Ambassador Turkish MFA signed an intention
contract with Nitra municipality.

At the end of the meeting Mr. Grigorian expressed his deepest gratitude
for warm reception and efficient meeting.

AMERICAN-ARMENIANS FROM CALIFORNIA PROTESTED AGAINST AZERBAIJANI DELEGATION’S VISIT

16:54, 12 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The American-Armenians from California
organized manifestation against the official visit of the Azerbaijani
parliamentary delegation and state petroleum company (SOCAR) to the
California State Senate.

As reports “Armenpress” citing the official webpage of the ANCA,
the ARF and ANCA led the protest which included participation by
Sacramento’s St. James Armenian Church pastor Fr. Asoghig Jamgochian
and featured remarks by CA State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian,
Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian and Assemblyman Scott Wilk. The protestors
demanded to stop the anti-Armenian aggression. Bay Area State Senator
Leland Yee reportedly walked off the Senate floor in protest, when
a brief ceremony was held in honor of the visiting Azerbaijani
delegation.

The official introductions on the CA Senate floor were done by CA
State Senator Bob Huff, who spoke of his recent visit to Baku. Later
in the evening, several CA State Senators hosted a dinner with their
Azerbaijani guests and high-priced Azerbaijani government lobbyists
at the Sutter Club.

ARFD WILL RUN ALONE IF UNION OF THREE FORCES IS NOT FORMED

15:32 12/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

“If the format we imagine fails, we will run for Yerevan Elder’s
Council with a separate list”, said Arsen Hambardzumyan, member of
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Body.

He noted that ARFD support the union of three forces – ARFD, Heritage
and PAP. These forces have already discussed such an option.

As to the statements of the PAP that other forces should unite around
them, Arsen Hambardzumyan said that they don’t need to unite around
any force.

Asked whether a joint participation with the Armenian National
Congress is possible, taking into account that ANC also supports
joint participation, Hambardzumyan said they have had no discussion
with the ANC on this matter.

He thinks the ANC appeal was not decent since it was just an official
announcement of their positions not an appeal.

Arsen Hambardzumyan says that ARFD tried to stay far from ambitions
remaining constructive for the joint front to be formed. “But
unfortunately, I have to record that we didn’t see the same
constructive approach by the other forces”, said ARFD representative.

ARMENIANS PROTEST AZERI DELEGATION VISIT TO U.S.

March 12, 2013 – 14:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Calls for Nagorno Karabakh freedom were heard
across the CA State Capitol as Armenian Americans from throughout
California converged to protest an Azerbaijani Parliamentary and State
Oil Company (SOCAR) delegation visit to the CA State Senate. The AYF
and ANCA led the protest which included participation by Sacramento’s
St. James Armenian Church pastor Fr. Asoghig Jamgochian and featured
remarks by CA State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, Assemblyman Adrin
Nazarian and Assemblyman Scott Wilk. Bay Area State Senator Leland
Yee reportedly walked off the Senate floor in protest, when a brief
ceremony was held in honor of the visiting Azerbaijani delegation. The
official introduction on the CA Senate floor was done by CA State
Senator Bob Huff, who spoke of his recent visit to Baku. Later in
the evening, several CA State Senators hosted a dinner with their
Azerbaijani guests and high-priced Azerbaijani government lobbyists
at the Sutter Club. State Senators Marty Block, Bill Emmerson and
Fran Pavley were reportedly seen entering the Sutter Club during the
Azerbaijani Delegation event, ANCA reported.

PRICES FOR INDUSTRIAL GOODS IN ARMENIA CLIMBED 12.9% IN JANUARY VS. 5.1% ALL OVER CIS

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The prices for industrial goods in
Armenia climbed by 12.9% in January versus 5.1% throughout the CIS,
the Interstate Statistical Committee of the CIS reports Tuesday.

At the same time, the prices jumped by 2% in January from December
( versus an average 0.1% up throughout the CIS).

In all CIS countries, except for Azerbaijan, the prices rose in the
reported month.

The highest hike in prices was registered in Belarus -20%, Tajikistan
-11.4%, Kyrgyzstan -5.9%, Russia and Kazakhstan -5.1% and 2.9%
accordingly. Moldova and Ukraine reported 1.6% and 1.5% respectively.

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