Author: nina hovnanian

International Business Times
March 21 2014

Sanctioning Putin’s Inner Circle: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About
Russian Oil Billionaire Gennady Timchenko

By Meagan Clark
on March 21 2014 10:41 AM

The U.S. imposed sanctions on a number of Russian President Vladimir
Putin’s close associates and alleged business partners in his inner
circle, but the highest-profile target is oil billionaire Gennady
Timchenko.

On Wednesday, the U.S. banned Timchenko and 19 others from entering
the U.S., from doing business with U.S. companies or financial
institutions, and assets they own in the U.S. were frozen.

Here are 10 things to know about the billionaire businessman:

1. Timchenko was born on Nov. 9, 1952 in Leninakan (now Gyumri),
Armenian SSR, about 750 miles from Crimea. His father served in an
unknown rank in the Soviet military, and Timchenko spent part of his
childhood in the German Democratic Republic and in the Ukraine.

2. He was ranked 61st on Forbes magazine’s 2014 world billionaires
list, with a net worth of $15.3 billion. His net worth was estimated
in 2008 at $2.5 billion and at $400 million in 2009.

3. He was ranked as the sixth-richest Russian in 2014.

4. Timchenko co-founded privately held Gunvor Group Ltd. in 1997,
which is now the fourth-largest oil trader in the world. The U.S.
Treasury alleges that Putin has investments in Gunvor and may have
access to Gunvor funds. The Kremlin denies the allegation.

5. Timchenko, until Wednesday, owned a 45 percent stake in Gunvor, his
largest asset. But immediately after the U.S. and the EU imposed
sanctions, he sold his shares to his co-founding partner, Torbjorn
Tornqvist.

6. Timchenko also has stakes in Novatek, Russia’s second-largest gas
producer behind state-controlled Gazprom, and Sibur, Russia’s largest
petrochemical manufacturer.

7. In addition to Russia, Timchenko also has citizenship in Armenia
and Finland, which makes him a European Union national. He lives in
Geneva with his wife, Elena, and their three children.

8. Timchenko graduated in 1976 from the Mechanical Institute of St.
Petersburg (then Leningrad) as an electrical mechanical engineer.

9. Timchenko, along with other associates who were sanctioned this
week, co-founded in 1998 a club for judo, a sport Putin enjoys.

10. Timchenko became a leader in the Russian oil trading industry in
the 1980s when he helped set up export routes for oil products from
the USSR to western countries.

Find My Armenian Relative

Thursday, March 20th, 2014

A letter written by Artashes Mirzoyan as posted on Facebook by his
great granddaughter Lilit Mirzoyan

BY HAGOP GOUDSOUZIAN

Today I am inspired not to make a new film, but rather to help friends
find their lost relatives. I am inspired by a post on Facebook by
Lilit Mirzoyan who is searching for her relatives.

To help her and others I started a Facebook Page “Find My Armenian
Relative.” Within the first 12 hours three individuals had posted
searching for a relative. Here is the Page’s first story as posted by
her:

“My great-grandfather Artashes Mirzoyan was a member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation “Dashnaktsutyun” and lived in Gegharot
village, near the town of Spitak, Armenia.

“When the Bolsheviks came to Armenia in the 1920s, they gathered the
anti-Soviet citizens and exiled them to Siberia. This was a quick and
easy method of getting them out of the way. This practice continued
for decades and came to its peak during Stalin’s rule.

“Some of the non pro-Soviet people were warned and managed to escape
to the closest more or less friendly country at the time – Iran.
That’s what my great-grandfather did. He left his wife and 4(?)
children, including my grandfather and escaped, hoping one day the
whole family will reunite. That never happened…

“In the beginning he was able to send letters and some of them got to
his wife. Later on the letters just stopped coming. This is the only
letter from him that survived where he is writing to his wife [as
posted on Facebook] telling how much he missed his family and asking
about their children.

“After the Soviet Union collapsed, my father initiated a search in
order to find any information about his grandfather. And he did find
out that Artashes (my great-grandfather) indeed lived in Tehran after
he escaped from Soviet Armenia. He was a young man and married in
Tehran and had children (2 sons (?)). These children emigrated from
Iran, most probably to the USA.

“My father had also found out that Artashes himself is buried in the
Armenian cemetery in Tehran. Unfortunately, my father is not alive
anymore, so I can’t ask him how and what else he found out.

“At the time I wasn’t much interested in family history, so I don’t
recall all the details he used to tell me. But now I am in Artashes’
shoes, living in a country where I have no relatives. Well, not the
exactly, but almost, because I can go and see my relatives in Armenia
any time I want.

“Nevertheless, life abroad is not that easy without family or
relatives and I would like to find people that are from my family to
introduce them to my children. Even though we never met, I still have
a feeling we’ll have a lot to talk about.

“I AM LOOKING FOR THE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN OF MY
GREAT-GRANDFATHER ARTASHES MIRZOYAN. Please help me find any
information about them.

Thank you!
Lilit Mirzoyan”

This touching story is but one of the life of the “andounee” and
“taparagan” Armenian life. We thought we had found our final
destination. Here, many of us alone, yet we are not alone. Every time
we moved we left someone behind. Some were taken to Siberia while
others the grand children of the Genocide. To Armenians, “family” is
sacred; it is our history, the very essence of who we are and our
keel.

Help me connect Lilit Mirzoyan and other Armenians with their lost
relatives. Take a peak, post, read, help, and share.

You can reach Lilit Mirzoyan with the Facebook Page “Find My Armenian
Relative” or post about the person you are looking for.

N. Pashinyan: I will do everything possible (video)

15:27 | March 22,2014 | Politics

“80 percent of the population is against the mandatory component in
pension reforms, but the authorities will enter the component,”- Nikol
Pashinyan reminded this announcement of Serzh Sargsyan at EVU
conference in his speech now on the Liberty Square. He made his speech
not as a HAK deputy but as a citizen of the RA.

“80 percents of the citizens, according to the Constitution, is the
only power of our country. 80 percent of the public is people of
Armenia, the bearer of the statehood,”- announced Nikol Pashinyan.

He asked, who are those, who know that 80 percent of the people are
against this or that initiative and dare to announce that they would
realize it anyway.

“This all story over the pension reforms proves the illness, which is
killing our state and government,”- said Pashinyan.

He noted that 20 percent of “elite” in Armenia forces its will to the
80 percent of the people.

According to Pashinyan, “I am against” movement struggles for 80
percent of population, that is for public rule.

“There is no doubt that the struggle will certainly be a success,”- he
announced by adding, if when and under what circumstances, time will
show.

“I will do my best for the victory of this movement,”- summed up his
speech Nikol Pashinyan.

Turkey tries to direct protests on its NPP against Armenia’s nuclear plant

16:34, 22 March, 2014

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. Turkey attempts to direct the protests
of the environmentalists regarding the two nuclear power plants, which
are still in the process of construction within its territory, against
the Armenian NPP. As reports `Armenpress’ citing the Turkish mass
media, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey
Taner Yıldız urged the environmentalists struggling for the
preservation of Istanbul’s Gezi Park to fight for closing of the
Armenian NPP.

According to the media outlets, the Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources of Turkey Taner Yıldız told the environmentalists that if
they want to do good thing, then they had better to go and struggle
for closing of the Armenian NPP located 30 km away from Igdir. The
Turkish Minister said that it’s old and very dangerous for the Turks.

Armenia has announced for a number o times that the security level of
the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant meets the IAEA standards. The IAEA
conducted vast and complex tests in the Medzamor Nuclear Power Plant
and the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’s security level received
positive assessment.

Source: After September 3 Armenian side expressed readiness to sign
political part of agreement with EU

March 21, 2014 | 21:59

YEREVAN. – After September 3 Armenian side stated readiness to sign
political part of agreement with EU, a diplomatic source toldArmenian
News-NEWS.am.

The comments came following a statement of Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan.

In an interview with Azatutyun, Sargsyan said a new direction is
pointed out, in relations with the European Union (EU), that it is
possible to separately have a large political agreement between
Armenia and the EU, and we are working with our European partners in
this direction.

“The statement of Prime Minister must be considered in this context,”
a source said.

On September 3 Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan voiced country’s
intention to join Customs Union. In response, the European side said
it is impossible to combine participation in Association Agreement and
Customs Union.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Economist: Armenia must slow down Customs Union accession because of
US sanctions

March 22, 2014 | 14:09

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s integration into Customs Union must be slowed
down as much as possible, Chairman of Armenia’s Union of Employers
said.

Gagik Makaryan said Russia must be informed that, because of its
conflicts, in particular in Ukraine, Armenia’s economy is losing
donors.

He believes there are no prerequisites for weakening of U.S. sanctions
against Russia, vice verse.

Russia’s economic slump is fraught with loss of jobs for majority of
Armenian migrant workers in Russia. They will stay at home, and
unemployment rate will rise.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Lecture at Clark University to commemorate anniversary of Armenian Genocide

16:02 22.03.2014

Armenian Genocide, Taner Akcam

To mark the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Clark
University’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies will
present a lecture by Professor Taner Akçam. `On Truth and Memoirs: The
Case of an Armenian Soldier in the Ottoman Army’ will explore the
subject of a vigorous debate over the authenticity of a memoir
recently published in Turkey.

AkÒ«am will discuss the case of Sarkis Torossian who served as a
lieutenant in the Ottoman Army during World War I. According to his
memoir, Torossian was a graduate of a military college and a decorated
Ottoman officer who served at Gallipoli and other important battle
fronts. Learning that his parents and sister were deported and died in
the Armenian Genocide, Torossian changed allegiance. He joined the
Arab rebellion in Palestine and Syria and fought with a French
battalion against Kemalist forces in Cilicia. Akçam will consider the
veracity of Torossian’s account and interpret the public debate
surrounding the memoir in Turkey. Turkish scholars Ayhan Aktar and
Edhem Eldem will comment and respond.

Torossian immigrated to the United States in 1920. In 1947, he
published his memoirs in English, `From Dardanelles to Palestine: a
true story of five battle fronts of Turkey.’ Following the Turkish
translation published in 2012, reactions in the Turkish press have
been intense. Some discredited the memoir as fabricated. Others
championed its authenticity. AkÒ«am will discuss the veracity of
Torossian’s account and interpret the public debate surrounding the
memoir in Turkey.

ARMENIA FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXPORTS QUADRUPLE

March 20, 2014 | 17:13

YEREVAN. – A total of 11,406.03 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables
were exported from Armenia as of March 20, 2014, against the 3,312.64
tons in the same period last year.

These fresh fruits and vegetables were primarily exported to Georgia
(8,815.58 tons), Russia (2,486.97 tons), Iraq (66.72 tons), United
Arab Emirates (36.60 tons), and Ukraine (0.16 tons), informed the
Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

BURNT OLD MAN’S LETTER: “I CAN’T STAND LONELINESS ANY MORE”

18:26 | March 18,2014 | Social

On March 18 at 07:03 a call was received in Syunik region rescue
department, that in front of Syunik region Kapan City Minas Papyan
Street Number 8 building a citizen was burning.

A rescue group went on the scene.

They discovered the burnt body of Ilya Barseghyan, born in 1936,
who lived on Minas Papyan Street number 6 building. Criminal Case
was initiated. According to the Police, the burning was with petrol.

The neighbors refused giving interview, but said that the 78-years-old
man lived alone. His wife died a year ago. His two sons live in
Russia but they always take care of their father, notes neighbor
Marine Harutyunyan.

According to her- “all loved and respected the old man, he always
visited and helped her. He had no serious illness, only was complaining
of heart recently. I can’t say much about the happened, added the
neighbor,- I only know that he left documents and a letter.

It has such plot: “I thank all of you, I am sorry, I can’t stand
loneliness any more.”

LAST BAY AREA ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SURVIVOR DIES

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014

Takouhie Keshishian

SAN FRANCISCO–The last known Armenian Genocide survivor in the San
Francisco Bay Area has died. Takouhie Keshishian, age 99, passed away
peacefully on February 26th. She was one of the last living survivors
of the 20th century’s first systematic genocide, perpetrated by the
Ottoman Turkish government against its Armenian subjects, 1915 -1923,
during which more than half of the Armenian population living on
its ancient homeland was killed, and their personal and community
properties seized.

Takouhie had often expressed her wish that the Turkish government
and the U.S. Congress recognize the Armenian Genocide. She has been
honored as a source of strength and voice of justice at Bay Area
Armenian Genocide commemorative events, held at the historic Mt.

Davidson Cross in San Francisco. In a video message to the Armenian
community, Keshishian had a simple yet powerful message: “We must
never forget what Turkey did. . . We must always remember.”

Takouhie is survived by 6 children, 16 grandchildren, and 24
great-grandchildren. Funeral services and interment took place on
Saturday, March 8, 2014, at 11:00 AM, at Cypress Lawn, 1370 El Camino
Real, Colma CA.

California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom sent a condolence letter to the
Keshishian Family. “She was a leader in every sense of the word”
stated Lt. Governor Newsom. “Her leadership touched her family,
friends, community, and demonstrates that there are no obstacles in
life that cannot be overcome.”

Congresswoman Jackie Kanchelian Speier issued a statement and had
a flag flown at the US Capitol in memory of Takouhi Keshishian. “I
share with Takouhie her wish that the Turkish government and the U.S.

Congress recognize the Armenian Genocide” stated Rep. Speier. “I have
introduced legislation to that effect since 2008 and will continue
to do so until it passes in the Congress.”

“Considering the traumatic experiences she had endured, our grandmother
had such a great, positive spirit which we loved so much.

She taught us a lot about life and values,” said Ara Makasdjian,
Keshishian’s grandson and ANCA- San Francisco Bay Area Board Member.

Takouhie was born in the city of Adana, Turkey, on February 14, 1915.

Her mother, Marie, was born in the village of Missis, outside of
Adana. When the massacres against Armenians in that region were
unleashed by the Turkish Sultan in 1909, Marie’s entire family was
murdered, and her village, destroyed. A kind neighbor saved Marie,
keeping her hidden and safe, until she could make her way to Adana,
where she later gave birth to Takouhie.

Takouhie never knew her father. When she was two months old, he fled
the Turkish army into Syria. (Armenian men were being conscripted into
segregated, un-armed sections of the army, and later murdered). During
his flight, disguised as a Kurd, he saw many Armenians on forced
death marches, including his own sister and her family. He contracted
Typhoid and never returned.

Takouhie’s mother Marie, was married off to another man and as a
child, Takouhie was told that this man was her father who had come
back from the army. In addition to her eldest son and Takouhie,
Marie also later gave birth to more two sons and a daughter.

In 1921, under the threat of continuing massacres, the family was
able to leave Adana, travelling by boat to Tripoli, Lebanon. When the
family arrived in Lebanon, their very poor condition was exacerbated
by the fact they didn’t know the language. Takouhie’s stepfather died
of food poisoning. Instead of going to school, Takouhie cared for
her younger siblings while her mother worked to support them. Each
evening, Takouhie joined her mother in creating embroidery pieces,
which her mother sold for income the follow day.

Takouhie married Antranig Keshishian in the 1930’s, and they had 6
children, 5 girls and a boy – Shake, Loucine, Anahid, Dikran, Sossi,
and Sona.

After years of living through the devastating Lebanese civil war,
several of her children moved to the Bay Area, and Takouhie joined them
in 1987. In her last years, she was a resident of Pacifica, California.