Author: nina hovnanian

Downtown Yerevan hosts Syrian-Armenian exhibition-fair (PHOTOS)

April 19, 2014 | 15:35

YEREVAN. ` The `Syrian-Armenian Culture’s Breath in Yerevan’
traditional exhibition and trade fair, which is devoted to Easter,
opened Saturday at Northern Avenue.

Acting Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan also attended the event.

In her opening remarks, Hakobyan noted that Syrian Armenians always
shine with their creative talent and meticulousness toward work. As
per the acting minister, Syrian Armenians have brought along a new
culture, new creative breath, and new quality of service to motherland
Armenia. In Hakobyan’s words, the Syrian Armenians” works deserve
solely high praise and encouragement.

Subsequently, the acting diaspora minister got acquainted with the
exhibited goods, and congratulated everyone on the Easter holiday
wishing peace, devotion, and success.

Armenian Church to celebrate the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of
Our Lord Jesus Christ

15:04 19.04.2014

On Sunday, April 20, the Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast of
the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ or the Easter Feast
is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church. The main
origin of the feast is the following.

The Mystery of Easter is the mystery of Jesus Christ, His Salutary
Holy Blood shed for mankind and His Rising from the dead for mankind.
The Son of God should incarnate, be subjected to tortures, be
crucified, buried and the third day raise from death (Ps 15:9-11,
29:4, 40:11-13, 117:16-17, Ho 6:2-3).

Following the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ His body was taken
off the cross and placed into the tomb and the entrance to the tomb
was closed by a large stone and the soldiers were ordered to control
the entrance to the tomb. After three days the three women, who had
followed Jesus from Galilee, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the Mother of James
and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee brought spices and perfumes to
anoint the body of Jesus. They found the stone rolled away from the
entrance to the tomb, so they went in but they didn’t the body of the
Lord. They stood there puzzled about this, when suddenly two angels
dressed in white appeared and said to them, `Why are you looking among
the dead for one who is alive? He is not here, ha has been raised’ (Lk
24:5-6). The women returned from the tomb and told all these things to
the eleven disciples and the rest. According to Peter more than 500
people saw Christ who had risen from the dead. So, this is the
evangelical tiding of the fact of Easter or Holy Resurrection.

Resurrection of Christ became the basis of the Christian doctrine and
faith. `If that is true, it means that Christ has been raised from
death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe’
(1 Co 15:13-14).

Christ rose from the dead, by means of His Death He destroyed Death
and granted eternal life. `I am the Resurrection and I am the Life.
Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever
lives and believes in me will never die’ (Jn 11:25).

Christ died for the salvation of mankind and by His Blood took away
the sin in the world, so that we should inherit eternal life.

On the day of the Easter feast people dye eggs red as a symbol of
fruitful life, salvation and joy. St. Gregory of Datev considers the
egg to be the symbol of the world, the shell of which is the sky, the
membrane is the air, the white is the water and the yolk is the earth.
Dyeing eggs red symbolizes the salvation of the world by means of
Blood of Christ.

The Armenian Church celebrates the Easter Feast on the first Sunday
following the full moon of the vernal equinox, with 35 days
moveability, during the period from March 21 `April 26.

The Armenian Church traditionally celebrates evening Divine Liturgy on
the evening prior to Jesus Christ’s Glorious Resurrection (Easter).
Following the conclusion of the Liturgy, the assembled faithful take
lit candles home, symbolizing the Light that Christ brought into the
world. The Divine Liturgy celebrated on the eve is the start of the
festive ceremonies.

On Sunday, the day of the feast, a morning service is conducted the
Andastan Service is performed wherein the four corners of the world
are blessed, afterwards the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. That day the
faithful welcome each other on the occasion of the Glorious
Resurrection of Christ conveying the great tiding: `Christ is Risen
from the dead’ and receive the answer: `Blessed is the Resurrection of
Christ.’

Fifty-day period beginning from the Easter Feast ` the Holy Feast of
the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ ` and lasting till
Pentecost in the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church is called Hinounk or
Hinants period. That period is dedicated to the mystery of
Resurrection of the Lord, and that is why it is Dominical period.

The name `Hinounk’ comes from the word hisuonk (fifty). The first
forty days of the period are dedicated to the appearings of Rosen
Christ: `For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times
in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and
he talked with them about the Kingdom of God’ (Ac 1:3).

The last ten days of the Hinants period are dedicated to the Ascension
of Christ.

Hianats period is concluded with the Feast of Ascension. According to
the Church laws there are no fasting days during all fifty days of
Hinants period, which means that all people can eat everything during
that period.

LIBAN
Le patriarche Nersès Bedros évoque le génocide de 1915

« Ã un an seulement du centenaire des massacres arméniens de 1915,
nous vivons des journées historiques. Comme d’habitude, nous nous
réunissons autour d’un monument commémoratif qui évoque pour nous les
journées noires. Nous bénissons la réplique du monument installée et
nous plaçons l’État arménien face à ses responsabilités, en lui
demandant de remplir son devoir et de veiller sur la cause arménienne
au niveau des instances internationales et avec les grandes puissances
jusqu’au bout, pour la reconnaissance du génocide et la récupération
des terres arméniennes spoliées. »

C’est le discours tenu hier par le patriarche Nersès Bedros des
arméniens-catholiques au cours d’une cérémonie du souvenir organisée
dans la cour de l’église de la Sainte-Croix, Ã Zalka (Metn), autour
d’une réplique d’un monument érigé sur les contreforts du mont Ararat,
à quelques kilomètres de Erevan, la capitale arménienne.

La cérémonie s’est tenue en présence de l’ancien ministre Jacques
Tchoukhadarian, du président de la municipalité de Zalka Michel Murr,
du président des écoles arméniennes catholiques, le père Georges
Yeghiayan, du directeur des renseignements de l’armée au Metn, le
colonel Pierre Saab, ainsi que du personnel, des enseignants et des
élèves de l’école.

samedi 19 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Une exposition et une conférence internationale au Musée du génocide
liées au 100ième anniversaire du génocide

Le 21 avril à 10 heures débutera le vernissage de l’exposition « Le
génocide arménien et la Première guerre mondiale » au Musée du
génocide à Erévan. Haïg Démoyan, le directeur du Musée du génocide Ã
Erévan et secrétaire de la coordination des manifestations liées au
100ième anniversaire du génocide arménien a donné quelques précisions
liées à ces évènements commémoratifs. Lors d’une conférence de presse
à Erévan le 18 avril, Haïg Démoyan a affirmé que le 21 avril à 10h30
débitera la conférence liée au 100ième anniversaire du génocide
arménien et la Première guerre mondiale. Des scientifiques étrangers
et des invités de la diaspora prendront part à cette conférence Ã
Erévan.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 19 avril 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Why Turkey is key to the Russia-Ukraine-EU crisis
By Ceylan Ozbudak
Saturday, 19 April 2014

An overwhelming majority of NGOs and analysts have led the diplomats
of the EU and the U.S. into playing a detrimental role in the status
of Ukraine. The EU was looking for a western-facing Ukraine — leaving
Russia behind — and failed to take into consideration that Sevastopol
in Crimea was the only door the Russian Navy has to the Black Sea and
`the Bear’ would fight for this with its life.

Now those who supported the internal conflicts in Ukraine are holding
meeting after meeting and have come to realize they have nothing left
other than threatening Russia with sanctions. Russia’s economy mainly
depends on natural resources extraction, most of which is sold to the
EU. Sanctions ` if applied ` would only further damage European
economies and Russia could end up exporting its rich natural resources
to the rapidly-rising East.

Ukraine is a hub for the East-West corridor and has been subjected to
occupation and pillage due to Asia-Europe disputes throughout its
history.

The EU certainly did not pull Ukraine so forcefully to its side
thinking the Ukrainians would excel in democracy, art and science and
therefore contribute to a great extent to the culture of the European
Union. They did so because the thirsty EU economies needed at least a
part of this vital country to have control over the Russian energy
corridor to Europe.

The EU also knew that a shattered Ukraine, stripped from its
geopolitical importance, would not mean much to either Ukrainians or
Europeans.

This should lead us to think of, and take precautions for, a potential
axial shift dispute in the Balkans, a new conflict to spread to the
coasts of the Black Sea, like the one in the Persian Gulf. If the
crisis gets bigger, the Black Sea will become a militarized region,
the center for a Russia-West conflict, and countries in the region
will begin arming themselves to the teeth: Romania, Bulgaria and
Ukraine will turn into vast military encampments.

Here we have to turn to the country which has the longest Black Sea
coasts and controls the sea traffic in the Black Sea: Turkey. Turkey
constitutes the basic axis of the South East Gas Corridor (SGC) along
with Azerbaijan and Israel is getting involved in the international
energy business through Turkey. Iran is also insisting on joining this
energy axis.

Turkey is the only country, which can diplomatically invite all these
diverse players to the same table. The diplomatic crisis between
Turkey and Israel has quickly subsided and is on the road to being
completely resolved. Azerbaijan already calls Turkey a brother nation.

Turkey has been strikingly successful in bringing Iran to the
diplomatic table concerning serious international matters such as the
Syria crisis, the Iranian-Western nuclear deal and relationships in
the Gulf region. Turkey is the only country where both Iranian and
Israeli citizens can travel without a visa and enjoy their stay
without being concerned about security risks.

Montreux Convention

Is Turkey holding the cards to solving simply a potential energy
crisis? Not at all, it is far more than that. Turkey controls the only
passageway to the Black Sea and the Turkish Straits are the only
waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean and Mediterranean
Seas and to the oceans through the Suez Canal and the Straits of
Gibraltar.

Since 1936, passage through the Turkish Straits has been governed by
the Montreux Convention. Freedom of transit and navigation in the
Straits is regulated in the Convention based on discrimination
regarding merchant vessels, vessels of war, and aircraft.

Other distinctions are dependent on circumstances: times of peace,
when Turkey is not a belligerent during a time of war, when Turkey is
a belligerent in a time of war, and situations when Turkey considers
itself threatened with the imminent danger of war.

In addition to this, in times of peace, the total number and the
maximum aggregate tonnage of all foreign naval forces that may pass
through the Turkish Straits are limited to 9 and 15,000 tons
respectively. This means aircraft carriers cannot under any
circumstance pass through the Turkish Straits.

The maximum aggregate tonnage that non-Black Sea countries may have in
this body of water is 45,000 tons. The maximum aggregate tonnage of
the vessels of war that one non-Black Sea country may have in the sea
is 30,000 tons and vessels of war belonging to non-Black Sea states
cannot stay more than 21 days in the Black Sea. Advance notification
must be given to Turkey of all passages through the Turkish Straits.
The notification time is eight days for vessels of war belonging to
Black Sea states and 15 days for those of other countries.

According to the aforementioned clauses in the Montreux Treaty, even
small American or European war ships cannot linger in the Black Sea
more than 21 days and they cannot just show up at the door without
prior permit. Even though the U.S. asked Turkey to violate the treaty
to pressure Russia regarding Ukraine, Turkey turned down this offer.

The reason why we are seeing an American warship in the Black Sea
right now is because the ship was declared to need repairs after its
21 day permit had expired. Turkey sought to keep the Black Sea
demilitarized since 1936.

Following the South Ossetia War in August 2008, the Turkish Straits
again became an issue of concern for the US when Turkey denied passage
to US warships seeing to transit the Straits, which prevented the
tensions from escalating even further between the US and Russia.

Istanbul Canal is the key to Black Sea power struggle

There is one other factor in the near future which will make Turkey
the number one player in the Black Sea power struggle: the Istanbul
Canal project. Through this new canal, Turkey will be able to pass
aircraft carrier groups to the Black Sea without any international
supervision even in times of peace. Military power is surely very
important but the Istanbul Canal puts more power into the hands of
Turkey through the energy axis and raises its position as an energy
hub.

Turkey has two relatively small domestic crude oil pipelines,
Ceyhan-Kırıkkale and Batman-Dörtyol, which pump 135,000 bb/d and
86,400 bb/d respectively. Turkey’s two major international pipelines,
Kirkuk-Ceyhan and Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pale in comparison to the
2004-2008 average of 2.6-2.8 million barrels of oil transported
through the crowded Bosphorus each and every day.

The Istanbul Canal could alleviate the pressure and reduce shipping
delays, sometimes by up to three weeks. Even if the capacity of the
Samsun-Ceyhan line were increased to 1.5 million barrels per day,
there would still be over one million barrels of oil going through the
Bosphorus, so clearly pipelines are not the answer.

Of course, the canal would affect the energy policies of other actors
in the region. Having an alternative, nationally controlled sea route
would increase Turkey’s regional leverage, both politically and
economically. The canal would also potentially have an undermining
effect on the current pipeline projects of Russia, which would enable
the West to have a genuine `sanctions card’ to play against Russia.
Turkey’s pluralist foreign policy

These developments show the importance of Turkey’s pluralist foreign
policy and rejection of taking sides in East-West disputes. Despite
significant pressure from the outside, Turkey has always kept calm in
times of crisis and did not turn its back on either Russia or the
European Union.

If Turkey chose sides like many states expect it would, and turned its
face to either East or West, this would become a catalyst in creating
a new Cold War. I can name many respected analysts criticizing Turkey
for having good relationships with Russia, Iran, Israel or America
despite the ongoing tensions.

However, the delicate balances in the Black Sea right now heavily
depend on Turkey being the calm, sane and wise rational actor in the
escalating tensions. One needs to feel the moral dynamics, understand
economic forces, recognize back-door diplomatic corridors and study
the history of a region perfectly and be ready to accept the true
driving force behind a community, no matter how controversial it may
be to their personal beliefs.

A lack of deep understanding of the aforementioned details has led the
majority of political pundits to make miscalculations not only with
their poll predictions or the outcome of the protests in Turkey, but
also with their foreign policy assessments. With its historical
presence, special bonds and future projects, it is Turkey that will be
holding the key to peace in the Black Sea in the near future.

Ceylan Ozbudak is a Turkish political analyst, television presenter,
and executive director of Building Bridges, an Istanbul-based NGO. As
a representative of Harun Yahya organization, she frequently cites
quotations from the author in her writings.

THE BIRTH OF ‘NEW TURKEY’, OR IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Tuesday, 15 April 2014 09:39

The single Turkish-Azerbaijani propaganda is getting a new scope

The March 30 municipal elections in Turkey gave answers to several
questions. They were extremely important for the ruling regime,
and the awareness of this importance forced the actual leader of the
country, Recep Erdogan, to predetermine the outcome of the elections,
i.e. to follow the principle “the goal justifies the means”.

His Party “Justice and Development” assured the overwhelming majority
of votes, strengthening the positions of the ruling political elite.

To say that this victory was important for the Premiere means to say
nothing. According to the Turkish sources Hurriyet, after making public
the results of the voting, Erdogan, referring to the electorate,
said the following, “You have supported your Prime Minister, I am
infinitely grateful to you … 77 million people should know that
new Turkey is emerging today”.

We have already noted the tense political situation in this country
on the eve of the elections, so there is no need to explain how
‘New Turkey’ was born as a result of the elections”.

During the municipal elections, bloodshed took place in the country,
reported theCNN Turg, referring to the specific data on the victims
and injured – 9 people were killed, 32 people were hospitalized,
and about 350 people were arrested. This source, in particular,
notes that during the voting the disputes at the polling stations
were accompanied by shots, some of them being fatal.

According to the Turkish agencyAnadolu, candidate for the Mayor of
Tillo town of Siit province was killed in front of his own house.

Candidate from the Party Happiness Behmen Aydin was shot during the
altercation between his supporters and those of the candidate from
the ruling Party, Mesut Memduhoglu. A candidate from the opposition
Party was killed and six were injured.

We believe these examples are enough to prove that Erdogan disdained
nothing for achieving his goal. By the way, the country’s opposition
held a protest action, demanding to declare the election results
invalid.

Erdogan prepared for the elections also psychologically, realizing
well that he could retain the power only via the use of force. Now
he is calm, as he will be the prime candidate for the President of
Turkey at the upcoming presidential elections.

It should be noted that the “victory” of the Prime Minister was also
contributed by the recent geopolitical events, which allowed him to use
all his diplomatic and political potential. He realized the existing
opportunities in Syria, where military operations are taking place,
having attacked the Armenian populated Kessab.

Erdogan used the success at the external front as a trump card to
restore his tattered reputation domestically. One cannot assert that
his rating has increased in the society: in the existing situation,
he posed as a statesman embodying the ideology of neo-Ottomanism and
ready to lead Turkey in the footsteps of the former Ottoman Empire,
ignoring the imperative dictate to democratize the country and
apologize for the mistakes of the past. The requirement to develop
democracy does not fit into the practical policy of Erdogan, that’s why
he preferred to realize his ideas, organizing elections accompanied
by murders, brawls and shoot. And while a month ago it seemed that
the political system of the country was at the brink of collapse, the
looming image of the future of Turkey was sketched after the municipal
elections, reminding the old Empire, for which Prime Minister Erdogan
is aspiring. There is another fact which characterizing the desire of
the Turkish ruling elite to retain the power at any cost. Ultimately,
one should be ready for great troubles expected in Turkey in connection
with the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The international
community will nominate a requirement to the actual leader of the
country and other officials to revise their own history. And Erdogan
does not need this at all.

Securing a victory at the presidential elections, he will declare
to the world that Turkey is on the right track and continues to move
forward in the footsteps of their ancestors. On the other hand, it is a
chance to withstand the pressure from the West. In this regard, perhaps
it is worth noting that after a while the West will have to reconsider
the policy of containment against Turkey. But, that is another matter.

The victory of the ruling regime in Turkey is, surely, the victory
of Azerbaijan as well. President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Erdogan
on the “convincing victory” of his Party at the municipal elections.

At the same time, the Azerbaijani news sources reported about
another anti-Armenian plan of official Baku – “On the common
investigative-operational plan in connection with the crimes committed
by Armenians in Karabakh”. According to Deputy Prosecutor General
of Azerbaijan, four directions of investigation are identified. And
there is no need to prove the fact that the so-called plan is just a
manifestation of the Turkish-Azerbaijani resistance to the activities
planned by the Armenian side on the eve of the 10th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide. There is clear intensification of the tandem
with the trend of its increasing influence on the opinion of the
international community.

Familiarizing with the directions of the abovementioned plan, every
Armenian can at best treat it with irony, as it has matured in the
minds of people with the pathological tendency to distort the reality.

So, for example, the guardians of the law of the Aliyev clan decided
that they can form an opinion at the international community about the
tortures applied by the Armenian side against the Azerbaijanis taken
prisoner or hostage. As if the civilized world is not familiar with
the Turkish- Azerbaijani handwriting in the history of the Armenian
people, as if the international community does not know about the
Armenian officer ax-murdered by Safarov who was patronized by the
very President of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijanis call genocide the “crimes committed by Armenian armed
forces in Nagorno Karabakh and other occupied territories” and
regard them as a crime against peace and humanity. Surely, this is
just the Azerbaijani propaganda, which can only be taken note. The
steps planned by official Baku and Ankara should be opposed by the
rich factual material completely proving the genocide committed in
the early 20th century by the Turkish barbarians against the ancient
people professing the Christian values.

We should keep in the focus of attention the single Turkish-Azerbaijani
propaganda, with all its possible directions, which will involve
huge funds, including petrodollars, political bargaining, as well as
promises to European countries experiencing financial crisis.

The political and social forces and scientific circles, which are
authoritative in the Armenian reality, have launched discussions
on the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. Using the rich historical and scientific material, as well
as the available forces and possibilities will allow to intensify
the process of international recognition of the Genocide, so that
the international community has a full and accurate picture of this
heinous crime.

Ruzan ISHKHANIAN

ARMENIA TO SIGN TREATY OF ACCESSION TO CUSTOMS UNION ON APRIL 29

The Voice of Russia
April 18 2014

“Voice of Russia”

Armenia will sign a treaty of accession to the Customs Union of
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia on April 29, Minister of Economy Vagram
Avanesyan said on Thursday, April 17.

“The date of signature has been determined – April 29, but the final
results of the talks will become known a day before that,” he said,
adding that they would be announced at a meeting of the Supreme
Eurasian Economic Council at the level of heads of state in Minsk.

“We do not know today whether the talks will be completed by that
time or not. We hope they will be concluded,” the minister said.

He stressed that several issues had yet to be resolved at the talks
on waivers. “We are engaged in intensive negotiations because there
are differing interests,” he added.

On September 3, 2013, after talks with Russian President Vladimir
Putin, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced that the “Republic
of Armenia will join the Customs Union and will take practical steps
to this end and will subsequently participate in forming the Eurasian
Economic Union”.

At their summit in Moscow on December 24, 2013, the presidents of
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia approved an accession roadmap,
which said that the treaty on Armenia’s accession to the Customs
Union would be ready by May 2014.

Preliminary results of implementation by Armenia of the roadmap for
accession to the Customs Union were reported to the presidents of
the member states at a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Commission
on March 5, 2014.

“Over the two months that have passed since the December summit, and
we can say that Armenia has made great headway in implementing the
roadmap ahead of schedule. I feel optimistic about the possibility
and ability of Armenia to implement the 260-point roadmap and the
amount of work to be done before admission,” Viktor Khristenko,
chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission’s Board, said.

Following Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s resignation, President
Sargsyan said Yerevan would continue the accession process at a
new pace.

Prime Minister Sargsyan said earlier that there were no obstacles to
Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union.

“There are no obstacles that could prevent Armenia from becoming a
member of the Customs Union,” he said, adding that “most of the work
has been done, and we only have to complete the list of waivers for
900 types of goods that are sensitive for Armenia”.

“We have grouped these goods, consulted the private sector and
organised public discussions in order to decide which types of goods,
raw materials and services are important and sensitive for us,”
the prime minister said.

“The first most important factor to benefit our business is that
economic entities will get unrestricted access to a large consumer
market,” he said. “The quality and degree of processing of our goods
and services are such that our economy is geared to and aimed at
this large market. The creation of new customs regimes will allow
our business to sell these goods and services freely in this large
and strong market.”

“This is a powerful stimulus for economic growth,” he added.

The second important factor is the simplification of customs
procedures. “The elimination of technical hindrances … means that
goods and services made in the country will be able to be exported
to the Customs Union member states without additional conditions,”
Sargsyan said.

Membership in the Customs Union will also help attract investments
in Armenia, he said and cited the Russian oil company Rosneft’s plans
to invest 400 million U.S. dollars in the republic’s economy.

Yet another factor is accessibility of inexpensive resources,
Sargsyan said. He recalled that “three agreements have been signed
with Russia, which guarantee long-term and stable supplies of resources
to companies”.

The prime minister believes that “integration processes will help
improve the quality of life in the republic” and hopes that “the free
movement of labour will reduce the risk of emigration [from Armenia]
considerably”.

The Customs Union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan was
established on December 19, 2009, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the
leaders of the three states – Dmitry Medvedev, Alexander Lukashenko,
and Nursultan Nazarbayev – signed the Joint Statement on its founding.

The first phase of the Customs Union’s functioning began on January 1,
2010, with the introduction of a uniform customs tariff.

The Customs Union’s highest bodies are the Interstate Councils of the
heads of states and governments of its members. Its joint permanent
governing body is the Customs Union Commission.

The Customs Union formation envisages creation of a common customs
territory where no customs duties or economic restrictions will apply,
save for special protective, anti-dumping and compensatory measures.

Within the Customs Union, a uniform customs tariff and other uniform
measures regulating the commodity trade with third nations will
be applied.

BAKU’S MILITARY SPENDING SURGED 493% IN 9 YEARS

Friday, April 18th, 2014

Russian made tanks and helicopters on display during military exercises
last week in Nakhichevan

BAKU–According to a report a report released by a leading arms
observation group on Monday, Azerbaijan is second in the ranking of
nations with sharpest increase in military spending, registering a
493 percent increase from 2004 to 2014.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its
report that while countries like the United States are cutting
military spending, a staggering number of countries around the world
were doubling their military capabilities.

The report attributed Azerbaijan’s spike in military expenditures to
the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Baku Eyes More Weapons from Russia An aide to Azerbaijan’s Defense
Industry Ministry, Azad Mammadov, was quoted by Itar-Tass news
agency on Thursday as saying that Baku was looking forward to the
participation of Russia’s arms exporter in an international arms
exhibit slated to take place in Baku in Septemeber.

Mammadov expressed hope that relations with Rosoboronexport will
yield more military purchases for Azerbaijan.

Mammadov emphasized that Russia has already sold Azerbaijan
more weapons than any other country, including Turkey. He listed
sophisticated Russian tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems and
attack helicopters supplied to Azerbaijan’s armed forces. Azerbaijan
has also started the licensed manufacturing of Russian-designed AK-74M
assault rifles, the official said, reported RFE/RL.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said in August that the total
volume of Russian-Azerbaijani defense contracts is “measured at
$4 billion and tends to grow further.” He spoke two months after it
emerged that Russia has begun delivering $1 billion worth of offensive
weaponry, including about 100 tanks, to the Azerbaijani army.

The disclosed supplies raised eyebrows in Armenia, with local
politicians and pundits accusing Moscow of acting against the spirit
of the Russian-Armenian military alliance. Russian security officials
dismissed the criticism.

General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian army’s General
Staff, signaled Moscow’s readiness to sell more weapons to Azerbaijan
when he visited Baku earlier this month. Gerasimov told Azerbaijan’s
Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov that “there are prospects for stepping
up” bilateral military-technical cooperation.

ENVIRONMENTALIST: BUSINESSES ARE STRANGLING OUR CULTURAL VALUES

14:49 | April 18,2014 | Social

By constructing high-rise buildings in the center of Yerevan, we are
distorting the image of our capital, says environmentalist Karine
Danielyan.

She says Armenia’s culture and historical inheritance are in a
stranglehold by businesses. “The center is being demolished to build
new business centers there. Our cultural and historical sites have
become gathering places, people feast there and turn the surroundings
into landfill.

The environmentalist also presented the results of surveys made by
international organizations. “The tourists, who came to Armenia,
said the country has marvelous nature and rich cultural heritage,
but they advised cleaning our monuments,” said Karine Danielyan.

In 1983, the center of the cultural heritage of UNESCO, proclaimed
April 18 as the International Day of Monuments and Sites.

SUPPORT TORONTO CITY COUNCIL’S MOTION MM50.5 FOR A MONUMENT COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

April 17, 2014

Support Toronto City Council’s Motion MM50.5 for a Monument
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

On April 2, 2014, Toronto City Councillor Shelley Carroll presented a
motion, which was seconded by Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, in support of a
monument commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The motion specifically recommends that:

“City Council request the Director, Toronto Office of Partnerships
and the Toronto Public Art Commission to work with representatives
from the Armenian National Committee of Toronto to determine the
resources needed and best location for a monument commemorating the
100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide”

The motion was referred to the Toronto City Council Executive Committee
for discussion.

The ANCT and AYF are calling upon all supporters of human rights,
especially Torontonians to contact the Toronto City Council Executive
Committee members.

To send your message to Executive Committee members enter your name,
phone number and email and click “Send Message.” A copy of this letter
will be sent to the Executive Committee chair, Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly,
along with the other members of the committee.

Please send your email in support of the Toronto monument TODAY and
be sure to share this Action Alert with your network.

TAKE ACTION – Support Toronto City Council’s Motion MM50.5