Author: nina hovnanian

SAFARYAN: ARMENIA SHOULD PURSUE IMPORT-SUBSTITUTION POLICY

YEREVAN, December 25. /ARKA/. Armenia imports three times more
goods than export, and it is worth to think over adoption of an
import-substitution policy, Vazgen Safaryan, chairman of the Union
of Domestic Commodity Producers of Armenia, said in an interview with
Golos Armenii.

“It would be reasonable to start negotiating with large importers,
who have established monopoly on certain commodities, to persuade
them to embark on import-substitution,” he was quoted by the newspaper.

In his words, Armenia imports light industry’s products worth $500
million from Turkey and China every year.

“Is it impossible to produce the same clothes and textiles in Armenia?

Is it impossible to purchase technologies and expand the domestic
industry? Why should Turkey dress us up?” Safaryan said.

Defining the past period as a period of lost chances, the head of
the union is made a call “at least now to call intensively to pursue
a mobilization economic policy”. —0—–

LES BANQUES ARMENIENNES LIMITENT LES VENTES DE DEVISES FORTES ALORS QUE LE DRAM REPLONGE

ARMENIE

La plupart des banques commerciales et des bureaux de change
a Erevan n’a pas vendu de devises fortes aux citoyens après une
journee qui pourrait etre decrite comme une >’. Certaines entreprises, quant a elles, ont repondu a la turbulence
sur les marches financiers en arretant leurs operations en prevision
de la stabilite.

Certains magasins et supermarches en Armenie ont fixe des limites
sur les achats de certains produits alimentaires de base, d’autres
ont change les etiquettes des prix a plusieurs reprises pendant la
journee afin de reviser les prix a la hausse.

Selon les taux de la Banque Centrale le dram a diminue en moyenne de
18,56 points pour atteindre 490,34 drams / 1USD, tandis que la chute
de la monnaie armenienne contre l’Euro et la livre britannique a ete
de 28,25 et 29,77 points, respectivement (614,20 drams / 1 EUR et
770,32 drams / 1 GBP).

Le prix de vente du dollar americain dans certains bureaux de change
a Erevan a atteint 575 drams mais les cambistes ont dit qu’ils n’
avaient pas de dollars a vendre. Pendant ce temps, certaines banques
ont achete les dollars de la population pour un maximum de 535 drams
/ 1$.

Pendant la journee, les banques commerciales ont vendu des quantites
limitees de devises seulement a leurs clients. Des files d’attente
ont ete observees dans les bureaux de la banque pendant la journee,
avec des gens irrites par la situation quand ils ont vu litteralement
le taux de change du dram tomber sur l’ecran alors qu’ils se tenaient
dans la file d’attente en attendant leur tour pour acheter des
devises etrangères.

La depreciation actuelle du dram a commence a la fin novembre. Avant
cela, pendant longtemps la monnaie nationale armenienne se negociait
a environ 410 a 415 drams par rapport au dollar.

jeudi 25 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

NKR FORCES THWART INCURSION ATTEMPT FROM THE AZERI SIDE

13:29, 25 Dec 2014

On December 25 at 01:30 a.m. the Azerbaijani armed forces undertook
an incursion attempt in two directions of the southeastern part of
the line of contact.

According to a report by the Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh,
the rival used weapons of different caliber, also as hand grenades.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army managed to prevent the act
of sabotage, and made the rival retreat. Casualties on the Azerbaijani
side are reported, the NKR defense Army incurred no losses.

Probe into the details of the incident is under way.

THE PRACTICAL AND MATERIAL BENEFITS OF THE ISRAELI-AZERBAIJANI TIES ARE CLEAR TO MANY.

By ELAI RETTIG

12/24/2014 21:51

OIL DERRICKS bask in the setting sun in Azerbaijan. (photo
credit:REUTERS)

Israeli trade with Azerbaijan holds important strategic and economic
advantages for both countries, and for the West as a whole. Recent
voices in Israel criticizing Azerbaijan’s internal affairs need to
understand the full complexity of this relationship.

In the past two months, a number of articles were published in leading
Israeli news sources that called for a re-examination of Israel’s
relationship with Azerbaijan, sparking headlines in both Azerbaijan
and neighboring Armenia.

In late October, Yair Auron wrote in Haaretz that the government
of Israel should stop selling weapons to Azerbaijan, claiming it
is committing genocide against Armenians and comparing it to Nazi
Germany. A more recent article by Anshel Pfeffer in the same paper
claimed that Azerbaijan is “abandoning the West” due to the publicized
arrest of an Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova,
and suggested that Israel’s alliance with Azerbaijan is “shaky.” A
similar article published this week by Yossi Melman in The Jerusalem
Post termed the Israeli- Azerbaijani relationship “problematic” due
to issues of human rights abuse and freedom of the press in Azerbaijan.

Auron’s gross misrepresentation of Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia,
along with Pfeffer and Melman’s narrow criticism of human rights issues
in Azerbaijan, signifies a misunderstanding not only of the economic
and strategic significance that the Israeli-Azerbaijani relationship
holds for both sides, but also of this relationship’s significance
to the further advancement of Western values in the region.

The practical and material benefits of the Israeli-Azerbaijani ties
are clear to many. In the past few years alone, Israel has reportedly
sold over $1.6 billion worth of military equipment to Azerbaijan,
consisting mostly of aerial surveillance technology (drones) and
anti-aircraft defense systems. This has helped advance and modernize
the Azerbaijani military, which is still in the grips of the frozen
conflict with neighboring Armenia. Trade of other goods between the
two countries is on the rise and is modestly assessed to be worth
around $125 million annually.

An even more important aspect to this relationship is that of energy.

Many Israelis, plagued by the memory of the Arab oil embargo against
Israel in 1973, are not at all aware that over 40 percent of their oil
imports stem from Azerbaijan – a predominantly Muslim Shi’ite state.

For a country completely disconnected from its neighbors’
infrastructure, this oil trade serves as an important lifeline for
Israeli energy security concerns. Israel is Azerbaijan’s sixth largest
customer for oil, with exports reaching over $2.5b. a year in revenue.

In the near future, Azerbaijan is also poised to play an important
role in Europe’s energy market, as a new major gas pipeline (the
“Southern Gas Corridor”) is in the works to transport natural gas from
Azerbaijan’s Shah-Deniz field in the Caspian Sea to Italy. Israel
has the opportunity to potentially tap into that line and sell its
own natural gas to European markets from its offshore Leviathan field.

In a much broader strategic view, Azerbaijan is one of the few Muslim-
majority states that actively cooperate and trade with Israel, and
one of its few friends in the region. This was most apparent during
Israel’s recent operation in Gaza, when Azerbaijan avoided criticizing
Israel or holding back oil exports despite pressure from other Muslim
countries to do so. This friendship has even sparked unconfirmed
reports regarding Azerbaijan’s willingness to play a logistical role
in a potential Israeli air-strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

In Iran itself, roughly a third of the population are ethnic
Azerbaijanis, a fact that influences the Iranian regime’s stability
and encourages Israel to cooperate with Azerbaijan even more.

Yet while these material benefits are understood by many, other
important aspects are mostly overlooked. Azerbaijan is a culturally
unique state in the region. Though it is has a predominantly
Shi’ite-led government, it is considered a secular state that offers
freedom of religion to its citizens and a complete separation
of religion and state. It is in fact one of the few places where
Jews have never been persecuted for their faith, with some Jewish
communities still active in the north of the country. Azerbaijan also
actively promotes and protects women’s rights, and was one of the
first countries in the world to give equal voting rights to women
(even before the US and most of Europe). The current Azerbaijani
government is also known to have a strong preference toward the West,
a fact which has often put it on a collision course with Russia.

Azerbaijan is still often criticized for its treatment of political
prisoners and its handling of human rights issues and freedom of
the press. Yet it is precisely this kind of country that Israel,
and the West as a whole, should have a vested interest in furthering
the social and economic development of by protecting it from radical
elements active both within it and abroad.

The advancement of religious rights and property rights in Azerbaijan
in the past decade should be seen as a testament to how closer links
with the West help promote desired values in Azerbaijan.

This is especially apparent when comparing Azerbaijan with other,
post-soviet Muslim countries in the region that do not share these
links with the West.

Taking these considerations into account, it is short-sighted to view
the Israeli-Azerbaijani relationship through a purely economic lens,
or to call for its end. Those who understand the full complexity of the
Jerusalem-Baku line may wish to further promote this rare friendship
in a generally hostile region for Israel, rather than impede it.

The author is a doctoral candidate at the School of Political
Science at the University of Haifa in Israel, specializing in energy
politics in the Caspian Sea and the Middle East. He holds a government
scholarship from the Ministry of Natural Infrastructures, Energy and
Water Resources and the President’s Scholarship from the University
of Haifa. He has also received a diploma in energy studies from the
Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN ACCUEILLE UNE MISSION DE L’EPLO EN ARMENIE

ARMENIE

Le president armenien Serge Sarkissian a recu le professeur Spyridon
Flogaitis, directeur et president du conseil d’administration de
l’Organisation europeenne de droit public (EPLO).

Flogaitis est arrive en Armenie pour assister a la ceremonie
d’ouverture de la branche armenienne de l’Organisation europeenne de
droit public (EPLO).

Le leader armenien a accueilli les invites et a souligne l’importance
de l’ouverture de la branche EPLO en Armenie.

ARMENIA NOT HAVING BECOME MORE DEMOCRATIC AND FREE DURING THE PASSING YEAR – POLITICAL ANALYST

14:00 / 25.12.2014

Political analyst Levon Shirinyan spoke at a news conference today
about the political achievements of the passing year, he also stressed
the significance of some actions carried out by the army.

In particular, he singled out the August activities and the operation
on returning the bodies of crew members of the Armenian helicopter
downed by the Azerbaijani forces.

“These were actions peculiar to the best armies of the world,”
Shirinyan said, adding that unfortunately these brilliant military
activities were not properly reflected on our reality.

“Regarding the inner development of the state nothing encouraging
happened. The country has not become more democratic and free. Mainly
the civil sector has become active which is very good but Armenia
continues staying a presidential republic with the political course
being worked out by the president. But no changes are being registered
in this course yet,” he said, adding that it is important for our
authorities to understand that it should act not forgetting about
its rating.

Referring to Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union,
Shirinyan said that it does not exclude Armenia’s cooperation with
Europe but the success mainly depends on the education and patriotism
of the ruling circles.

“Everything must be done to make Armenia a scientific-industrial
center thanks to which it will be possible to solve the emigration
issue. It is also necessary to regulate the activity of the financial
oligarchy,” Shirinyan said.

Nyut.am

TENTATIVE D’INCURSION DES FORCES AZERIES AU HAUT KARABAGH REPOUSSEE LA NUIT DERNIERE PAR LES ARMENIENS

HAUT KARABAGH
Plusieurs morts et blesses du côte azeri

La nuit dernière a 1h30 du matin, les forces armees d’Azerbaïdjan a
tente une incursion sur deux points dans la zone de contact au Haut
Karabagh. Selon le ministère de la Defense de la Republique du Haut
Karabagh, les assaillants transporte près des positions armeniennes
par deux helicoptères, ont utilise lors de cette tentative d’incursion
sur les positions armeniennes, des armes de divers calibres ainsi
que des grenades. Mais les troupes armeniennes ont detecte a temps
cette tentative azerie et ont replique pour repousser l’ennemi. Selon
Stepanakert, les Azeris comptent dans leur repli plusieurs morts et
blesses. Du côte de l’Armee armenienne, aucune perte humaine n’est
a deplorer.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 25 decembre 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

ANCA-WR REMEMBERS THE LEGACY OF RABBI HAROLD M. SCHULWEIS

Wednesday, December 24th, 2014

Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis speaks during commemoration ceremonies on
the 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

LOS ANGELES – The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region
mourns the passing of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis, an ardent supporter
of the Armenian-American community’s efforts to garner recognition
for the Armenian Genocide and a partner and friend of the community.

“On multiple occasions Rabbi Schulweis has spoken on the importance of
teaching the Armenian Genocide to our children as an important lesson
to the survival of humanity,” stated ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian. “We
extend our sincerest condolences to his family and thank him for his
lifelong mission to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide. We trust
that his legacy will be continued both through the Jewish World Watch
and other endeavors.”

Rabbi Harold Schulweis was the founder of Jewish World Watch and
during his time there, he urged members of Congress to support House
Resolution 252 on the Armenian Genocide. He authored a letter to
members of Congress accompanied by a DVD copy of The River Ran Red,
the epic documentary film on the Genocide by Dr. J. Michael Hagopian.

The Jewish World Watch has been a strong supporter of the Armenian
Film Foundation’s efforts to bring the events of the Armenian Genocide
to the forefront. In his letter to the members of Congress, Rabbi
Schulweis wrote, “We are men and women of conscience, and together we
ask our government to recognize what we know as true: that 1.5 million
Armenians were systematically slaughtered in a government-sponsored
campaign of genocide against them. … I urge you to watch this
film, and put your vote to work, recognizing the Armenian Genocide by
endorsing H.Res. 252.” DVD copies of The River Ran Red along with the
same letter also were sent to President Barack Obama, Vice President
Joe Biden and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In 2005 Rabbi Schulweis’ concern for Genocide around the world led
him to reach out to the large Armenian-American community in his San
Fernando Valley neighborhood. At that time, Schulweis officiated with
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian Primate of the Western Dioceses of the
Armenian Church of North America at the first joint commemoration
of the Jewish and Armenian Holocausts. Later that year he joined
the rock band System of A Down in an educational program affirming
the common responsibilities of Jewish and Armenian youth to remember
their collective experiences of Genocide and Holocaust, and to take
action to prevent such atrocities.

In 2004, Schulweis delivered a sermon on the Jewish high holidays
calling for a Jewish response to Genocide. He challenged the
congregation: “We took an oath, ‘Never again!’ Was this vow to protect
only Jews from the curse of Genocide? God forbid that our children
and grandchildren ask of us, ‘Where was the synagogue during Rwanda,
when Genocide took place and 800,000 people were slaughtered in 100
days?'” Rabbi Schulweis always spoke to his congregation and other
Jewish congregations across the United States about the consequences
of denial.

As a strong voice for justice, he will be sorely missed.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE PRESENTED THROUGH MUSIC IN CHINA

20:48, 24 December, 2014

YEREVAN, 24 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. Armenian musician Mikayel Hayrapetyan
will give concerts dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide in China. As press speaker of the Armenian community of
China Mher Sahakyan reports to “ArmenPress”, the first concert will
be held at the large hall of the Philharmonic in the Chinese city of
Tianjin on December 29, 2014.

Mikayel Harutyunyan will present his program called “The Secrets
of Armenia”.

The goal of the program is to make classical Armenian music popular
in China. Mikayel Hayrapetyan will perform the works of Komitas,
Babajanyan, Baghdasaryan, Abrahamyan and Amirkhanyan.

ARMENIA, HOW TO AVOID ARMAGEDDON AND EVEN PROSPER?

Lragir.am
Society – 24 December 2014, 18:39

A few days ago the US Congress approved even tougher sanctions against
Russia, essentially declaring cold war against Russia. The US will
convince Europeans to follow up with tougher sanctions against Russia
too. Russia has already lost more than $200 Billion ($70 Billion in
currency devaluation and $140 Billion because of sanctions and lower
oil prices) due to the current sanctions and it is going to get worse.

While Russia is going down, they will definitely pull Armenia’s economy
down, especially after the unpopular government of Armenia decided
to attach its entire Armenian economy to the sinking ship of Russia
with the EEU (Eurasian Economic Union). The outline of the upcoming
problems is eminent with the devaluation of the Armenian Dram, due to
Russian companies in Armenia trying to satisfy their thirst of dollars
by cleaning the Armenian economy of dollars. The problem is going to
deepen since at the same time the US is requesting Armenian banks to
provide information on the final destination of the monetary transfers
to Armenia from the US, making sure the money is not redirected to
Russia and will continue with making sure the Armenian export to the
US are not in any way generated in Russia. With the EEU, Armenia is
essentially becoming part of sanctions against Russia, without the
benefit that Russia had by gaining parts of Ukraine. It will become
tougher for Armenia to stabilize the Dram and with the current crisis
most probably deepening in Russia, we will see the Dram devaluating
at least 100% to around 800 to a dollar from 400 pre EEU levels in the
next 6 to 12 months due to the Dram closely following the devaluation
of the Ruble. It is apparent that 100% devaluation of the Ruble is
imminent, some experts are predicting new wave of devaluation of up
to 300% from current already 80% devaluation levels.

The crisis in Russia most probably will escalate into unrest. Economic
difficulties in Russia will at the same time motivate anger against
foreigners and most probably on the Armenian population in Russia.

Many seasonal Armenian workers will not be able to find jobs in
Russia and will be forced out of Russia, some hopefully will move
back to Armenia.

Families of the Armenian workers in Russia who desperately depend on
that income from Russia will find themselves in extreme financial
hardship in Armenia. The prices in Armenia will rise due to the
devaluation of the Dram and the slowing down economy. This will
generate a new wave of people leaving Armenia for the US and Europe.

What can Armenia do to stop the disaster and even benefit from the
crisis in Russia?

Taking into account that most exile from Armenia is not due to
economic problems of the population, but rather people are fed up
with unjust and uneven playing field; Armenia is in desperate need
of new, democratically elected government. The new government has
to establish an environment where Armenian people are equal in all
aspects of daily lives and economic endeavors. Major changes need to
be made to the Armenian laws to establish true equality of the people
by creating a fair playing field in criminal and business laws.

Even with detaching Armenia from the EEU, the devaluation of the
Dram is unstoppable; however the weaker Dram will be beneficial for
Armenia. The weaker Dram will give momentum to domestic production.

Outsourcing to Armenia for engineering and software development will
be more profitable, exports from Armenia will increase, and tourism
will prosper.

New Armenian government has to establish beneficial investment
opportunities in Armenia through changes to taxation laws and to the
tax exemption environment for new businesses. This will be the best
time for Armenians from other countries to establish businesses in
Armenia, by benefiting from the weaker Dram that will make Armenian
products more competitive in the marketplace, beneficial tax laws
and plain playing field. Armenians living in foreign countries have
a big role to play in helping Armenia, by investing in information
technology businesses in Armenia. This will also create jobs for
repatriating Armenians from Russia.

Armenia has an extremely beneficial environment for development of
IT and specifically for the software development industry. The work
force of Armenia is well educated, knowledgeable, loyal and well
versed in different IT technologies. The wonderful educational system
is producing qualified candidates for the software development
environment. Professional training facilities are available
for specific proficiency development. The Armenian work force is
multilingual in English, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, Spanish, German and
other European languages, speaking individuals are freely available
in Armenia.

Armenia has an advanced communications environment and has gone a
long way in establishing an advanced Internet infrastructure; there
are more fiber optic connections per capita in Armenia than in the US
Wireless communications via 4G, has much better coverage and is much
more affordable than in the US. Armenia’s Internet is interconnected
with redundant multiple links to the worldwide Internet, and this
makes it possible for exporting one of the best assets of Armenia,
namely the creativity in technology and software development.

Salaries for software developers are below worldwide salary levels.

Salaries in Armenia range from 80,000 Drams for beginner level
software developers and up to 800,000 Drams for most professional
level software developers and engineers (from $160 to $1500 taking
into account the current exchange rate).

Armenia can use this opportunity to create an economy that is strictly
based on the hi- tech industry and information technology and is
less dependent on Russia’s economy and diversified among many other
countries. Information technology and the hi-tech industry is the
key to an economically strong and independent Armenia.

Aram Ter-Martirosyan

Geopolitical Club, Armenian Desk