Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA TAKES FROM RUSSIA A LOAN NOT GIVEN BY EU FOR BRIBERY OF VOTERS

Azerbaijan Business Center
July 11 2012

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Armenia’sn attempt to escape from the CIS under
the wing of the European Union, declared in the course of the Yerevan
visit of EU President Herman Van Rompuy, was not crowned with success:
Europeans did not give a 1.5 billion euro loan to Armenia for future
presidential election, and the Yerevan ruling regime has gone cap in
hand to Putin’s Russia.

According to the Armenian media, the Armenian authorities have already
started negotiations with the Russian government about a large loan,
perhaps even under a higher rate.

Armenian sources say of the loan of $1 billion and the Russian about
$0.8-1 billion. The loan purpose is not specified, the rates are not
known, but it is openly declared Yerevan’s desire to get the money
before the end of 2012, as Armenia will hold presidential election
in February.

The piquancy of the situation is added not only by the fact of obvious
attempt to bribe voters, but that the regime in Yerevan is ready to
take a new loan from Russia, not having paid off the previous loan:
$0.5 billion for 15-year term at a rate of LIBOR+3%, given in June
2009 for support of the Armenian economy.

“The pre-election loan” will exacerbate already growing debt problems
in Armenia. Already today, its state debt is equivalent to 42.6%
of GDP and external debt to 36.1%. The possible “loan for bribe of
the voters” will increase Armenia’s foreign debt up 46.2% of GDP and
state debt up to 52.6%.

MAY 28 CELEBRATED IN NJ

Armenian Weekly
July 10, 2012

UNION CITY, N.J.~WOn Fri., May 25, city officials in Union City hosted
an annual flag raising ceremony in observance of the founding of the
First Independent Republic of Armenia.

This year~Rs observance honored the Armenian community of Union
City, and included members of the Board of Commissioners along with
other officials who recognized the long history and contributions of
the Armenian community in Union City. The flag was raised to ~SMer
Hairenik~T playing in the courtyard as city officials and members of
the Armenian community of New Jersey looked on.

A proclamation was read and presented to Charles Kasbarian, a former
resident of Union City. Kasbarian accepted the proclamation as a
representative of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New Jersey.

Local resident Vergine Tegrarian established the annual observance
14 years ago when she presented the city with the Armenian flag used
in the ceremony.

Very Rev. Vazken Karayan of Holy Cross Church in Union City concluded
the ceremony with a prayer. The event was followed by a reception.

ARMENIA IS CSTO’S VERY RELIABLE, EFFECTIVE PARTNER – RUSSIAN FEDERATION COUNCIL CHAIRWOMAN

news.am
July 11, 2012 | 16:29

YEREVAN. – Russia considers Armenia to be a very reliable and effective
partner of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Russian
Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko stated during her
joint news conference on Wednesday with Armenia’s National Assembly
Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan.

In her words, Armenia is a very active CSTO participant and a very
serious cooperation has started between both countries along the
lines of this organization.

“The CSTO has great prospects for transforming from a politico-military
union to a multifunctional regional structure,” Matviyenko added.

In his turn, Hovik Abrahamyan noted that Armenia intends to develop
and strengthen its cooperation within the CSTO framework.

“We highly assess the cooperation within the CSTO framework, and this
format is acceptable for us,” stressed Abrahamyan.

NO BUSINESSMEN IN POLITICS – ARMENIAN POLITICIAN

tert.am
10.07.12

Considering the public sentiments, particularly the sentiments amid
politicized groups and “Armenian Facebookers,” Stepan Safaryan,
a Heritage party member, can speak of the circles’ struggle against
the unacceptable oligarchic rule, without, however, viewing it as a
“class adversary.”

“Some individuals may show hostility. However, if the problem fails
to be resolved, I fear it may cause enmity,” Safaryan told Tert.am as
he responded to a question as to whether the calls for nationalizing
oligarchs’ property are evidence of hate.

In an interview last autumn, the renowned singer Charles Aznavour
spoke of mass emigration from Armenia, noting that “oligarchs devoured
this country.”

On the other hand, Manvel Badeyan, a member of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA), has for months been telling Armenia’s mass
media that “oligarchs are not bad guys,” but are creating jobs and
bearing responsibility for the country.

Safaryan strongly disagrees with the ruling party’s member. “Oligarch
means a person that has political power due to money. So not only in
Armenia, but also in no country of the world business and politics
must interpenetrate,” he said.

Number one task now is to debar businessmen from politics, because
economic and political systems are different. Otherwise, “there
is neither pure politics nor economy, but politicized economy and
economized politics,” which is the case in Armenia.

As to whether Armenia’s authorities realize this necessity, Safaryan
pointed out a simmering conflict between Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan and the West. “Before the parliamentary elections, numerous
promises were made that struggle would be waged against oligarchy and
oligarchs would not be in parliament. But we have no need to say that
the president has not kept his promise,” he said.

The West set requirements to Armenia’s authorities when Armenia
entered into negotiations for an association agreement with the
European Union (EU) and the Armenia’s joining the European People’s
Party (EPP) was on the agenda.

WILL OSKANIAN HANG THE BELL HIMSELF?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 15:53:42 – 11/07/2012

Yesterday, the ex-foreign minister of Armenia, current MP from PAP,
Vartan Oskanian wrote in his Facebook page that the issue on the
foreign debt of Armenia and on its effectiveness should be raised
during the September session of the National Assembly.

This is a very serious issue which worries everyone in Armenia. First,
since 2013, Armenia will have to spend more than USD 400 million
annually on the foreign debt and this will surely impact on the pocket
of each citizen. Second, there is no use of the foreign debt besides
the fact that it helps maintaining the social stability: there are no
new enterprises, jobs, enhancement of tax collection and development
of economy. Third, the foreign debt has become a slipknot for the
country which the creditors are puling – the West, Russia.

Will Vartan Oskanian himself raise this issue? This question was
asked during the discussion of the program of the government but
in the context of the economic policy. Correspondingly, after the
adoption of the program of the government, this issue was removed.

This issue needs to be posed in the conceptual sense – where the
infinite debts are taking Armenia? Excuses such as other countries have
similar debts are nonsense because the other countries develop their
economies and try to become payable. Countries like Greece and Armenia
may go bankrupt because they are just surviving on account of the debt.

According to Oskanian, the state debt, if Russia gives 1 billion,
will amount to the 55% of the GDP. Before taking another loan, he is
sure, the government should explain to the society the effectiveness
of the use of these means.

The Armenian government should honestly state about the state of
affairs or to show serious proofs that the debt is effectively used
and we are able to pay it off, or state that we are on the edge of
bankruptcy and call on people to national agreement. These are our
money and our debts, and no one has the right to hide the real state.

The state seems to be deplorable. Today the Zhogovurd newspaper
published data that it has been two months that salaries are not paid
in a number of public institutions in Armenia. This is explained by
the fact that “there is no money in the budget”. “The same situation
is even in some ministries and agencies under them. Anyway, yesterday
the newspaper received appropriate signals from one of the institutions
under the ministry of health”, the newspaper notes.

HRAPARAK: HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN TO CELEBRATE RUBEN HAYRAPETYAN’S RESIGNATION

Panorama.am
11/07/2012

Passions around MP Ruben Hayrapetyan don’t calm down not only through
civil protests but also inside RPA, Hraparak writes.

“His hostile teammates are no less inspired, especially after he
announced his intention to give up his parliamentary mandate. It’s no
secret that Hovik Abrahamyan is also, to put it mildly, Hayrapetyan’s
enemy, and Hayrapetyan stopped attending parliament sessions after
Abrahamyan was appointed NA Speaker,” the paper says.

According to the paper’s sources, Hovik Abrahamyan is so inspired that
he promised parliamentarians to celebrate Hayrapetyan’s resignation.

But he is in no hurry to carry out his promise, because he is waiting
for official confirmation of Hayrapetyan’s resignation in parliament
in autumn.

ARMENIA TO “BEHEAD” CLOSE TO 8,000 NORMATIVE ACTS

news.am
July 11, 2012 | 12:50

YEREVAN. – At present, there are approximately 26,000 business
regulation legal acts in Armenia, and close to 30 percent of them will
be cut down and 20-30 percent will be simplified, Armenian National
Center for Regulation of Legislation Acting Director, former Economy
Minister Armen Yeghiazaryan stated during a press conference on
Wednesday.

The legal acts will be reduced along the lines of a two-year
“Regulatory Guillotine” program, whose principle is: to eliminate
unnecessary normative acts and to cut down on ineffective expenditure
in a short jump of time.

Yeghiazaryan also informed that this “guillotine” will be used in the
domains of public services, transport, tax and customs, and in
pharmaceutical and dental services.

Also, normative acts within education and other domains will be
“decapitated” in the future.

ARMENIAN “ANOUSH” OPERA DEBUTS IN LONDON

news.am
July 11, 2012 | 12:35

Composer Armen Tigranian “Anoush” folk opera was staged for the first
time in the UK on July 6. The play, which was staged at London’s The
Tabernacle theater, was presented by the London Armenian Opera.

The Armenian opera featured Royal Academy of Music’s Teresa Gevorkian
(Anoush) as well as Vahe Begoyan (Saro), Aris Nadirian (Mossi),
and Anais Heghoyan (Mother).

The play, which was a huge success, was watched by representatives
from Armenian community organizations and a great number of Brits.

The London Armenian Opera is headed by Aris Nadirian.

ANI PROUDLY RESISTS TURKISH BARBARISM. CITY OF A THOUSAND AND ONE CHURCHES

ARMENPRESS
11 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian former capital Ani along with
its ruined churches and fortress-walls is currently in the center of
the tourists’ attention. Ani, Bagratid Dynasty proclaimed capital
in the 10 th century though has never possessed a thousand and one
churches, it was called so to acquire great fame in the East.

Armenpress reporter concluded her trip to Western Armenia by the
visit to Ani. She admired Ani, the 11 th capital of Armenia, saw
half-ruined but still standing churches.

“At first the road passed through the wilderness, yet soon Ani city
walls appeared, which despite its half-remained look, anyhow meets
its visitors proudly”.

Near the gates, at the very top of the gate, Bagratid Dynasty emblem,
a rising lion was preserved, which make the enterers become restrained,
keep on reminding who the real owners of the city are.

Ani first rose to prominence in the 5th century A.D., as a hilltop
fortress belonging to the Armenian Kamsarakan Dynasty. By the ninth
century, the Kamsarakan possessions in Eastern Anatolia had merged with
the Bagratid Dynasty, and in 956, King Ashot III moved the Armenian
capital to Ani. Shortly thereafter, the Armenian Catholicos moved here
as well, establishing the city as the undisputed center of Armenia. The
city grew rapidly, and by the eleventh century, the city boasted more
than 100,000 citizens. At its height of power and wealth, it became
known as the City of Forty Gates and the City of a Thousand Churches.

MINSK GROUP DUE IN KARABAKH ON THE DAY BEFORE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

11:08 . 11/07

Today, Minsk Group co-Chairs Robert Bradtke, Igor Popov,
Jacques Faure, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk will cross the border between
Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan during another monitoring and will
head for Stepenakert. Before that, they had a meeting with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev yesterday. No details have been reported about
that meeting.

They will arrive in Stepenakert on the day before the presidential
elections of the independent republic of Artsakh. Perhaps, the
co-chairing countries will not officially recognize the legality of
the elections but the visit is already noteworthy.

After the meetings in Stepanakert Minsk Group co-chairs are already
expected in Yerevan: with Serzh Sargsyan and Edward Nalbandyan
they will discuss the results of the meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani FMs held on June 18 in Paris and the current situation
in Nagorno-Karbakah talks.