Author: nina hovnanian

OPERA HOUSE TO BE RE-EQUIPPED WITH STATE FUNDS

Tert.am
22.11.11

Yerevan’s Opera House will soon be re-equipped by state funds,
Opera’s Director Kamo Hovhannisyan has said.

“Currently, we are using old equipment. Those actions that in developed
countries are done by pushing a button, we continue doing it by hand,”
explained he.

“Last time the theater was renovated during Communists then we
partly renovated it by the funds of the Lindsay Foundation,” said
Hovhannisyan.

Further, he said that at this time most of the funds will be spent
on the theatre’s technical re-equipment, rather than on the building
itself.

Kamo Hovhannisyan further said that in recent years the Opera has
become more active despite the existing difficulties: it has enriched
its repertoire with the works of Armenian and foreign composers.

Presently, the theatre is preparing French composer George Bizet’s
opera Karmen.

TSONGAS PLEDGES CONTINUED SUPPORT TO ARMENIANS
By: Tom Vartabedian

Armenian Weekly
Tue, Nov 22 2011

LOWELL, Mass.-Since taking office four years ago, Congresswoman Niki
Tsongas has pledged her unwavering support to Armenia.

The ANC of Merrimack Valley presented an enlarged photo of Lowell to
U.S. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, who pledged her continued support
to Armenian affairs. Others, from left, Stephen Dulgarian, Tom
Vartabedian, Gregory Minasian, and Armen Jeknavorian.

She’s not about to stop now.

“As a member of the Armenian Congressional Caucus, I look forward
to continue promoting the mutual interest of our two countries and
celebrate our rich history together,” she said. “I will continue
working to see that the mass murders by the Ottoman Empire against
the Armenians are appropriately recognized as genocide in Congress.”

Tsongas agreed to sign House Resolution 306, calling for the return of
confiscated church properties. In doing so, she joins 39 co-sponsors,
including the chairs of the Armenian, Hellenic, and Human Rights
Caucuses.

The bill urges the Republic of Turkey to safeguard the area’s Christian
heritage and join the United States in preserving the rights of
national, religious, and ethnic groups worldwide.

Tsongas had earlier affixed her name to the genocide resolution,
H.Res.304, which drew 84 co-sponsors, and is currently studying a
third resolution, H.J.Res.83, seeking to stop an arms sale to Turkey.

The meeting took place inside her Lowell office with members of
the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Merrimack Valley, Stephen
Dulgarian, Gregory Minasian, Armen Jeknavorian, and Tom Vartabedian.

A number of other issues were raised with Tsongas, who represents
the Fifth Congressional District of Massachusetts:

-Increased economic assistance to Armenia

-Humanitarian aid to the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh

-Condemning Azeri aggression and sniping

-Anti-Armenian actions by the Georgian government in Javakhk

Tsongas was also updated on the $6 million genocide memorial currently
being built on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, as well as a
genocide monument (currently in the planning stages) to be erected
by Lowell City Hall.

The Congresswoman agreed to look into all the matters proposed and
stay connected with issues relevant to the welfare of Armenians in
this country as well as abroad.

Throughout her brief tenure in Congress, Tsongas has supported U.S.

investments that have helped spur Armenia’s economic growth and advance
the development of Armenia’s democratic institutions while also helping
the people of Armenia survive, despite Turkish and Azeri blockades.

“It is critical that the United States demonstrate appropriate
diplomacy to improve relations between Armenia and Turkey,” she
confirmed. “I’m hopeful that with American leadership, normalization
may soon take place. Armenians have made Merrimack Valley a more
enriched ethnic community.”

Elected in a special election in 2007, Tsongas is the first woman to
serve in Congress from Massachusetts in 25 years. She holds the same
seat that was occupied three decades earlier by her late husband,
former presidential candidate Paul Tsongas, who received an ANC
Freedom Award from Merrimack Valley.

As a parting gesture, ANC members presented Tsongas with an enlarged
photograph of Lowell, which will proudly hang in her Washington office.

TURKISH OPPOSITIONIST SAYS ERDOGAN, ARMENIAN DIASPORA’S MENTALITY SIMILAR

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 23, 2011 – 14:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s active
involvement in a debate over the 1938 Dersim killings is a reflection
of his underlying intention to discredit the legacy of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, Turkey’s main opposition leader has said.

“Your intention is to settle scores with Ataturk, to dispose of
the Republic. We are aware of that,” Kemal Kilicdaroglu said at the
parliamentary group meeting of his Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Kilicdaroglu spoke shortly after Erdogan said he would disclose
documents exposing the CHP’s role in a military crackdown on a 1938
Alevi rebellion in Dersim, now Tunceli, in which thousands perished.

Erdogan challenged Kilicdaroglu, himself an Alevi from Tunceli, to
face up to his party’s responsibility for the killings which took
place at a time when the CHP ruled Turkey in a single-party regime,
Hurriyet Daily News reported.

“The Prime Minister and Armenian Diaspora are pretty similar in their
mentality,” Kilicdaroglu said, noting he won’t be surprised to see
Erdogan introduce Genocide issue in Turkish parliament agenda.

Dersim Massacre is a name given to the violent suppression during the
Dersim Rebellion in the summer of 1937 and the spring of 1938 of the
local population of Dersim, now called Tunceli Province (in Turkey).

Tens of thousands of Alevi Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and
others were killed and thousands more forced into exile.

BAKO SAHAKYAN HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF TRADITIONAL ARMENIAN PARTIES IN THE DIASPORA’S LIFE

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 23, 2011
YEREVAN

On 22 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan met in
Los Angeles members of the governing body of the Western USA
Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party
(Dashnaktsoutyun), Western USA Hnchakyan Social-Democratic Party and
Western USA Regional committee of the Ramkavar Azatakan Party.

Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic
President told Armenpress that issues related to socioeconomic
situation in the Artsakh Republic, regional developments as well
as cooperation between Artsakh and Diaspora were discussed during
the meetings.

The NKR President considered important the role played by the
traditional Armenian parties in the Diaspora’s life, their input
in cementing ties with the Motherland and continuous support shown
to Artsakh.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, head of the central information
department of the office of the Artsakh Republic President David
Babayan, NKR permanent representative to USA and Canada Robert
Avetisyan partook at the meetings.

BUSINESSMAN URGES FORCED EVICTION OF OLIGARCHS

HETQ
November 23, 2011

In an exclusive interview with the civic group “We Will Not Remain
Silent” diaspora businessman Levon Hayrapetyan minces no words in
condemning a number of problems plaguing Armenia.

Levon Hayrapetyan is a Russia-based businessman and benefactor born
in Karabakh.

Hayrapetyan lashes out at endemic corruption, the illiteracy rampant
in the state bureaucracy and the stifling oligarchy that has taken
over many aspects of life.

The businessman also responds to the recent interview given by Charles
Aznavour and the flap over the tiling of the walls at the Gandzasar
Monastery in Artsakh.

Hayrapetyan calls officers in the Armenian army leading lavish
lifestyles as “individuals suffering from an inferiority complex.”

In closing, Hayrapetyan said that it would only take six months to
establish law and order in tiny Armenia and that an “exodus” of the
oligarchs and not the average people should be organized.

The interview was conducted by phone since Hayrapetyan was in France
at the time.

HAKOB SANASARYANCODE ON MINERAL RESOURCES AGAIN CAUSES COLLISION OF INTERESTS BETWEEN OFFICIALS AND GREEN ACTIVISTS
by Karina Manukyan

arminfo
Wednesday, November 23, 01:45

Interview of Chairman of the Green Union of Armenia Hakob Sanasaryan
with ArmInfo

On November 15, the Armenian Parliament adopted a bill “On Mineral
Resources” in the second reading. The document has caused the
discontent of environmentalists and green activists, as the bill allows
developing deposits in the forest sector, and the lack of the notion
“tailings” (i.e. the refuse ore) opens a prospect for the companies
to considerably reduce the tax base. The reasons why the obvious
minuses of the new Code on Mineral Resources have remained unnoticed
again are reflected in the interview of Chairman of the Green Union
of Armenia Hakob Sanasaryan with ArmInfo.

Mr.Sanasaryan, why has the obvious been overlooked?

The tragedy is that the officials themselves get profit from the ore
mining industry. Part of the deposits belongs to well-known people
or to their relatives, who are certainly interested in adoption of
this bill. If the Code on Mineral Resources becomes a reality, the
consequences may be disastrous. In particular, this law will allow
launching large-scale activity in the sphere of ore mining industry.

And as the ore mining companies continue not to pay taxes for tailings
and dead rocks the way they don’t today, even the deposits with low
content of metals will become profitable. Consequently, huge damage
will be caused to nature. It turns out that within a short period of
time all the mineral resources in Armenia will be exhausted, and the
country will remain face to face with piles and tailing dumps.

The bill also says that after depletion of the reserves, the
responsibility for the tailings will lie on the state, not companies.

However, this is a big load on the budget.

This is really so. According to foreign experts, it is annually
necessary to spend 1.4 USD on 1 ton of waste in order to isolate the
tailing dump from the environment. It should be taken into account
that the tailings have endangered the human health and nature for
thousands of years. According to the official data for 2003, there
were 13 tailing dumps in the republic, which contain hundreds of
millions of tailings today, and the ore mining companies will bear no
responsibility for them. They will get net profit and the burden of
the tailing dumps will lie on the taxpayers. It is enough to point
out the Artsvanik tailing dump (Kajaran copper-molybdenum plant),
which contains about 700 mln cu m of tailings. It should be noted
that in 2011 alone the Kajaran plant will send about 16 mln tons of
tailings to the tailing dump. Now this tailing dump is full, and the
plant is to build a new tailing dump in a new place.

It should be noted that the state of the tailing dumps has repeatedly
caused the environmentalists’ discontent.

I think that the new law “On Mineral Resources” should by all means
have a certain item saying that the tailing dumps should be brought
in compliance with international standards. Unfortunately, now this
issue is neglected. It is demanded abroad that the bottom of a tailing
dump should be isolated from the environment, and the dam should have
a thousand-year warranty. In addition, each ore mining company should
have a program on the tailing dump safety to prevent the consequences
of natural and manmade disasters.

As regards Armenia, if a company is going to develop a deposit for
10-20 years, it displays an unserious attitude to the construction of
tailing dumps, as it is only responsible for the period of development
of the deposit. Unfortunately, the dams in Armenia are made of earth
and rocks, and even of tailings, which is a big crime. Needless to
say about isolation of the bottom. Not a single tailing dump in the
republic has a bottom meeting international standards on isolation.

The process of development of the ore mining industry in Armenia
demonstrates that no laws operate in the country. The tailing dumps
in Armenia are either in the gorges or in the riverbeds. Tukh Manuk
gold deposit of Global Gold company is a bright example of that. The
ore is processed on the spot, and the tailings and other ore mining
waste are in the close vicinity of the river. It should be taken into
account that this river flows into the Aparan reservoir, and therefrom
via the river Kasakh – into the Ararat Valley as irrigation water.

It turns out that there is no control in the ore mining sphere.

The control is only on paper.

Given all this, do you think the new Code on Mineral Resources will
be adopted?

I don’t lose hope for justice. I think if the parliamentarians are
provided full information on this issue, the bill will not be adopted.

I know the Parliament has deputies who pursue their own goals
and influence those unaware of the problem by disseminating false
information, hereby urging them to vote for this Code.

BAKO SAHAKYAN THANKS ARMENIAN DIASPORA FOR SUPPORT TO ARTSAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 23, 2011 – 12:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On November 22, President of the Artsakh
Republic Bako Sahakyan met with Primate of the Western Diocese of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
members of the Diocese’s central executive and religious councils as
well as representatives of the local Armenian community to discuss
Artsakh-Diaspora relations.

The President praised the role of the Church for preserving Armenian
national identity in the Diaspora and expressed gratitude to the
representatives of the Armenian community for continuous support
to Artsakh.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, consular general of the Republic
of Armenia in Los Angeles Grigor Hovhannisyan, head of the central
information department of the office of the Artsakh Republic President
David Babayan, NKR permanent representative to USA and Canada Robert
Avetisyan and other officials attended the meeting, reported the
Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic
President.

DM SEYRAN OHANYAN MEETS OUTGOING UK AMBASSADOR

armradio.am
23.11.2011 14:01

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received Charles Lonsdale,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia, who is completing
his mission in our country.

Minister Ohanyan thanked the Ambassador for his contribution to the
development of Armenian-British military cooperation and wished him
success in his future diplomatic activity.

The Ambassador, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Defense Minister
for the productive cooperation and hailed the defense reforms
implemented in Armenia.

HACKERS BROKE INTO PUBLIC TELEVISION’S WEBSITE AND SHOWED OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI LANDS AS ARMENIA’S TERRITORY

APA
Nov 22 2011
Azerbaijan

Baku. Ulkar Gasimova – APA. Hackers has broken into ,
the website of Azerbaijan’s Public Television and Radio Broadcasting
Company (ITV) and changed Azerbaijan’s map – the photo of the news
article entitled “Azerbaijan’s new big atlas to be drawn” posted on
September 14.

The hackers posted a distorted map of Azerbaijan. That map shows the
occupied Azerbaijan’s lands as the territory of Armenia. This is not
the first hacker attack on itv.az. The fact is being investigated.

Public Television asked the government agencies and NGOs to help.

ARMENIANS AND ASSYRIANS TO ACT TOGETHER FOR RECOGNITION OF “GENOCIDE”

APA
Nov 22 2011
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. One more claim has been added to the genocide claims
against Turkey.

APA reports quoting Nouvelles d’Armenie website that the
representatives of the Assyrian communities of various countries held
a meeting in Yerevan. International Assyrian Center for Culture and
Studies was founded at the end of the meeting.

Armenian Prime Minister received the delegation after the event. They
offered to act together with the Armenians for the recognition of the
“genocide”. Head of the Assyrian Forum Elias Yalda said: “Assyrians
have no state. We are trying to restore our state in our historical
lands. We hope the Armenian government will help us.”

Yalda offered closer involvement of the Assyrians in the events on the
“Armenian genocide”.

The delegation also offered to build a monument for the “genocide”.

They consider that along with Armenians, Assyrians also underwent
genocide in 1914-1923.