Author: nina hovnanian

IF SCIENTISTS DETECT MIXTURE IN GAS, GAZPROM ARMENIA SHOULD PAY THEM – EXPERT

February 17, 2014 | 14:24

YEREVAN. – If the energy specialist scientists detect excess mixture
in the natural gas being consumed in Armenia, Gazprom Armenia should
pay 10 million drams (approx. $24,300) to them.

Energy security expert Sevak Sarukhanyan stated the aforesaid at
Monday’s roundtable discussion devoted to the calorific value at
Gazprom Armenia company, which supplies natural gas in the country.

“There is a view that the laboratory testing of the gas standards
requires large expenditures. I [therefore] propose another, an
easier option.

“Once I asked in a store why milk is so expensive. They responded:
‘The company owner guarantees the quality, and promises to pay 10
million drams for any defect.’

“The [Gazprom Armenia] company should do the same thing. At that
time, the scientists will immediately detect the gas mixtures, if
they exist; doing this definitely will not be difficult for them,”
Sarukhanyan specifically noted.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

PAP MP DOES NOT TRUST PRESIDENT’S WORDS, SINCE THE CC AND THE HRD DO NOT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT

February 17 2014

“We must have that money in order for our economy to develop and to
direct the fruits of the development to raise pensions. We will do it
by all means, dear Karen, and I do not see any big problem here, yet I
know that today the 80 percent of the country’s population complains
about that decision. We, sorry for my word, to say in a homeland
defender’s language, are not idiots to spend resources on that bad
thing. We spend political resources. People are dissatisfied with us,
we do not have any political interest in that and do not obtain any
resource. We erode resources for the time that will come in 20 years,
for our children,” said the President of the Republic of Armenia,
Serzh Sargsyan, in particular, at Congress of Voluntary Homeland
Defenders Union (VHD) held on Saturday, referring to introduction
of mandatory funded pension systems. In response to the question
of Aravot.am of whether the President’s speech did not sound as a
judgment, whether it was not a step to direct Constitutional Court
in his final decision, RPA MA responded, “The president was asked a
question. What was he supposed to do? To say, I am not responding?”

Later, he actually added, “However, it was said that some comments
and provisions, perhaps, need editing. What drawbacks the President
saw, he touched upon. Anyway, he said that he will accept the idea,
and it should be definitely implemented.” According to the MP, the
President could not otherwise be expressed, as it would turn out that
he was unaware of, does not know that with or without his consent,
his party, his party MPs have decided to accept it. “So, it’s a matter
of interpretation. Personally, I think that there is a need for public
debate on the issue, the public is concerned, and the President should
definitely have said his views.” To the question of whether, in your
opinion, the emotions calm down, or be accelerate after the President’s
speech, Mkrtich Minasyan said, “A part who are guided by emotions,
will begin thinking, and the part who execute orders, will continue
to perform their job. I think it will become mild.” Mkrtich Minasyan
does not know the names of “executing orders” and the commanders. “I
am giving a political assessment, I am not involved in investigative
work. Political technologies, in certain cases, are carried out by
political orders.” Alternative PAP MP Levon Khachatryan, as opposed
to the ruling party MP, is not so much impressed by the President’s
speech. PAP, by the way, is against the mandatory enforcement of the
system. Recalling the CoC President’s statements made not long ago,
some observations of the Human Rights Defender, other episodes of our
reality, the MP raises a question, “If I give money to the government,
from whom shall I receive it? I do not trust. How can one give money
to a government that is not trusted? You do not trust, since the
CoC and Human Rights Defender do not believe and trust. How can one
give?” To the Republican MP’s conviction that after the President’s
speech, the wave of complaints will calm down, the PAP MP opposes,
“Unless I understand where the budget was spent, when the court will
be a court, when HRD and the CoC will change their opinion… then
I can believe or not believe.”

Nelly Grigoryan

Read more at:

ECHR VERDICT ON PERINCEK’S CASE CONTRADICTS EC FRAMEWORK DECISION: DOMINIQUE DE BUMAN

13:25, 17 February, 2014

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS: The European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) contradicts a European Council Framework Decision that ordered
member states to ensure that publicly condoning, denying or grossly
trivializing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes were penalized. Armenpress reports that the Inter Press Service
(IPS) was informed about it by Dominique de Buman, the Swiss national
councilor and co-president of the Switzerland-Armenia Association
(SAA). Such framework decisions do not pose a legal basis for the
ECHR, however. De Buman also referred to the UN Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. “Don’t forget that
the convention was adopted in reaction to the Holocaust as well as the
Armenian genocide,” he told IPS. The ECHR ruling has sparked a debate
in Switzerland on whether or not the government should appeal the
decision and if and how Swiss anti-racism legislation may be amended.

Councilor De Buman told IPS he was optimistic that an appeal could
lead to a further examination of the case, as the ECHR ruling wasn’t
unanimous: “Two of the seven judges had expressed a joint concurring
opinion. They stated that there existed an international consensus
regarding the characterization of the massacres against the Armenian
people.”

Judges András Sajó and Guido Raimondi would welcome a Swiss appeal
to the Grand Chamber, as so far the court has never taken a view on
the massacres and deportations of the Armenians. “It’s our symbolic
and moral obligation to define and qualify these events,” they wrote.

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice hasn’t yet taken a decision
in that regard.

The ECHR ruling plays into the hands of right-wing groups such as the
Swiss People’s Party (SVP) who have repeatedly tried to knock down the
country’s anti-racism legislation. Consequently, the party’s long-time
leader Christoph Blocher demanded a change of the criminal code.

Legally, the ECHR ruling doesn’t force Switzerland to amendments.

Silvia Bär, the SVP’s secretary general, told IPS that the party is
preparing a parliamentary request to specify or even abolish Swiss
anti-racism legislation. “We reject racism. However, the current
application of the legislation is getting increasingly absurd and
incorrectly limits the right to freedom of expression.”

According to Bär, the anti-racism legislation is being misused to
discipline and sanction unwelcome opinions. In addition, the SVP
demands that Switzerland resigns from the International Convention
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and that it dissolves
the Federal Commission against Racism (EKR).

Martine Brunschwig Graf, National Councilor for the Liberals and
President of the EKR has doubts about these intentions. “The ECHR
ruling is complex and doesn’t put the Swiss anti-racism paragraph
in question,” she told IPS. From 1995 to 2012, Swiss courts have
sentenced accusedpersons in 310 cases under that paragraph.

Brunschwig Graf calls the legislation an indispensable instrument:
“The fight against racism requires prevention at all levels, but also
repression if certain limits are surpassed.”

Among the other parties, the Swiss anti-racism legislation enjoys broad
support. Hansjörg Fehr of the Social Democrats told the Swiss national
radio that if the criminal code was to be changed, then “we need a
passage that explicitly punishes the denial of the Armenian genocide.”

The debate is expected to ignite at the next parliamentary session
in March.

The European Court of Human Rights satisfied the claim of the
political figure and the leader of the Workers’ Party Dogu Perincek,
who was recognized guilty by the Swiss Court for denying the Armenian
Genocide. In 2008 the Swiss Court sentenced Perincek for three-month
detention for the denial of the Armenian Genocide and then the Court
substituted the detention verdict with an administrative fine. The
European Court of Human Rights substantiated the satisfaction of the
Perincek’s claim with the fact that the Swiss Court had violated the
7th and 10th articles on freedom of speech of the European Convention.

LIBAN
” LES ARMENIENS REJETTENT LA RECENTE DECISION DE LA COUR EUROPEENNE DES DROITS DE L’HOMME ( CEDH ) SUR LA NEGATION DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN” A DECLARE SA SAINTETE ARAM 1ER

Vendredi 7 fevrier 2014, Sa Saintete Aram Ier a rencontre l’ambassadeur
de Suisse au Liban Son Excellence Ruth Flint . Lors de la reunion ,
le Catholicos a exprime son indignation face a la decision de la CEDH
sur l’affaire Perincek de Decembre 2013. Sa Saintete a declare que
cette decision non seulement remet en question la verite du genocide
armenien mais etablit egalement un precedent pour d’autres genocides
. Il a ensuite exprime sa solidarite avec les autorites suisses pour
toutes les mesures qu’elles pourraient prendre pour aider a renverser
la decision .

L’Ambassadeur Flint a informe le Catholicos que les ambassades
suisses du monde entier recevaient des lettres pour protester contre
la decision de la CEDH .

Sur cette meme question , Sa Saintete Aram Ier a egalement contacte
la Federation des Eglises protestantes de Suisse a Berne , qui l’a
informe qu’elle abordait la question par ecrit devant la ministre
federale de la Justice , Simonetta Sammaruga.

lundi 17 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America to Host 13th Science Olympiad

Friday, February 14th, 2014

The winners of last year’s Science Olympiad

GLENDALE–The Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) is
excited to announce that the 13th AESA Science Olympiad will be held
at the Grand Salon of California State University Northridge (CSUN) on
Sunday March 23.

The committee is comprised of volunteers, supporters, professional
engineers, scientists, judges, mentors, community sponsors and
endowment donors, all working together for the ultimate goal of
increasing interest and passion in science and engineering among young
Armenian students from Armenian, public and other private schools. The
Olympiad provides interscholastic academic competition in the fields
of physical sciences and life sciences for two grade levels, middle
school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12).

“We are actively seeking the community’s support in encouraging family
members in grades 6 to 12 to participate with a prepared science
project and spend a fun day of science with their peers” stated AESA
President Vasken Yardemian. The Science Olympiad follows the
California State Science Fair rules and regulations. During the
evaluation and interview process, the judges provide constructive
feedback to all students for future improvements of their projects and
presentation skills leading them to prepare for the county and state
competitions. The Olympiad each year also invites a professional
speaker to present a unique scientific topic exposing students and
inspiring them to a variety of career path opportunities.

Cash prizes are also awarded, with 1st place winning $500, 2nd Place
winning $250, 3rd Place $100, and Honorable Mention $50. In addition,
each prize is accompanied with an obsidian medallion made in Armenia.
The road to the 13th AESA Science Olympiad has three requirements: a
filled out application by the deadline of March 14, 2014; a $25
application fee per project to be included with the application (check
to be written in order of AESA Science Olympiad); and the project
poster is to be dropped off at a designated location no later than
March 19, 2014. The application can be downloaded at

Established in 1983 in Glendale, California, AESA is a non-partisan
and non-sectarian philanthropic organization focused primarily on
addressing the professional, technical and scientific needs of fellow
Armenian engineers, scientists, industrialists and architects
throughout the world. For more information, check AESA’s website at
, or contact (818)547-3372, e-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIE
L’Arménie et le Bélarus vont étudier conjointement l’écosystème du lac Sevan

L’Arménie et la Biélorussie effectueront une étude conjointe de
l’écosystème du lac Sevan en 2014, a déclaré Samvel Harutiunyan,
président de la commission d’Etat sur la science au ministère arménien
de l’éducation et des science.

Selon un accord signé par les deux parties en 2013, le premier
programme intergouvernemental vise à étudier les écosystèmes du lac
Sevan et les réservoirs d’eau en Biélorussie a dit Samvel Harutiunyan.

dimanche 16 février 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON ‘LANGUAGE IS HOMELAND: STATE AND LANGUAGE POLICY’ HELD IN YEREVAN

14:21 * 14.02.14

The Yerevan committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) has organized a roundtable discussion on
“Language is homeland: state and language policy.”

Literary critics and politicians participated in the discussion. They
noted narrow-mindedness is prevailing now.

Literary critic David Gyurjinyan spoke of the role of the Armenian
language and education in schools.

“The government is sponsoring foreign-language TV programs, without
any public demand for putting an end to it,” he said.

The expert is critical of textbooks.

“The situation is too bad. When we ask officials how teachers can
work with such textbooks, they say teachers can use better textbooks,
while they finance the publication of worse books,” Gyurjinyan said.

Art critic Henrik Hovhannisyan is concerned over the “triumph of
slang.” He is critical of television.

“Every day we hear television. They speak as they want, a language
that has nothing in common with Armenian,” he said.

“A person speaking a grammatically correct language sounds foreign. No
law will help us if we do not combine our efforts.”

With respect to the government decision in favor of foreign-language
schools, Hovhannisyan said:

“Narrow-mindedness gained the upper hand. People decided that
foreign-language education means erudition.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

FIRST CONCRETE STEP, SECOND RUBBERY STEP

Friday, February 14th, 2014

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

With all this talk and microscopic (on an atomic scale, if not
sub-atomic) progress on our Turkish front, it seems to me we ought
to be thinking about, discussing, and putting forth actual steps that
can be taken.

Since a lot of what has been talked up (and even acted on, though on
a wholly insufficient scale) is regarding Armenian church properties
being restored, I propose that negotiations be commenced to have the
See of Cilicia returned to its home in Sis.

Beyond the obvious benefit of its being a concrete step of slowly
recreating an institutional Armenian presence in our homeland, it would
also foster more interaction with our lands. Some might journey to Sis
as a pilgrimage, others on church business, and others simply to visit
their ancestral hometowns, heartened by the restored Armenian presence.

The visits by Armenians would obviously benefit the local economy
(and this has its problematic aspect–supporting the economy of our
enemy), thus making the Armenian presence more tolerable to Turks
who would benefit from it. Slow, baby steps towards restoration,
such as these relationship-building ones, are perhaps the only way.

But, what of jurisdictional conflict with the Patriarchate of
Istanbul? Wouldn’t turf wars ensue? While this should not be a
problem since the Catholicosate of Cilicia had its zone of churches
over which it had jurisdiction (and the two patriarchates, Istanbul
and Jerusalem, are Ottoman impositions on our church’s structure),
it could, at least for the time being, for simplicity in dealing with
the return of properties, allow the patriarchate to handle issues
within Turkey. The Cilician Catholicosate could then declare itself
the “Diasporan See.”

Next, if the church leadership is enlightened enough, Islamized
Armenians could be assisted to organize themselves as such and
explicitly “come out of the closet” of crypto-Armenianhood. If the
church, as a fellow religious institution, doesn’t do this, then
others must and will.

Why is organizing Islamized Armenians important? Because:

– They are our compatriots – Organization is strength – It creates a
common ground for these folks to reestablish and develop their Armenian
identity (through language as a starting point, for instance) – It has
important political ramifications, not only within Turkey’s borders
and its politics, but also, such a group could participate in Islamic
fora. Currently, Azerbaijan goes to international Islamic gatherings
and easily passes anti-Armenian resolutions and spews its hatred;
imagine having a delegation of Muslim Armenians present to advocate the
opposite; or better still, imagine that same delegation successfully
passing a Genocide resolution at such an international gathering!

I describe this second step as rubbery because it will take a lot of
work and time to get there, and how to do it is not as clear-cut as
moving the offices of an institution.

But let’s get busy. Let the See of Cilicia know, through your church,
or by some other communication, that you support and advocate its
return home. Then get busy finding the relatives that got left behind
post-Genocide, so we can start organizing them.

STUDY: ARMENIANS HAVE GENETIC LINKS TO ITALIANS AND CHINESE

Relations with modern-day Iranians, Georgians and Turks confirmed

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Friday February 14, 2014

Tuscany’s genetic make-up.

WASHINGTON – A newly released study of human genetic history offers
new insights into relations of Armenians with nations of the world,
including significant presence of Armenian-like DNA in as far-flung
populations as Italy, Russia’s North Caucasus and even China.

“A Genetic Atlas of Human Admixture History” was published in the
Science magazine on February 14 and an accompanying map posted. The
study – prepared by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for
Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, Oxford University and
University College London (UCL) – looked at genetic samples from
1,490 individuals in 95 populations across the world, including
Armenia and most of its neighbors.

“When individuals from different groups interbreed, their offspring’s
DNA becomes a mixture of the DNA from each admixing group,” researches
note in the summary of the article. “Pieces of this DNA are then passed
along through subsequent generations, carrying on all the way to the
present day” allowing researchers to establish genetic histories of
nations over millennia.

Perhaps most striking is the significant presence of Armenian-like
DNA in several Italian populations, particularly that of Tuscany
(10.7 percent); only English and German samples show greater affinity
to Tuscany’s. The study also shows notable Armenian genetic links
to populations in southern Italy (6 percent) and Sicily (about 4
percent). The findings appear to point to migrations from Armenia
possibly as early as Byzantine re-conquest of Italy in the 6th century
or as late as the collapse of the Armenian kingdoms and the emergence
of the Florentine republic in the 11-12th centuries.

Armenians’ other far-flung genetic connections include the Han of
northern China (3.9 percent), Persian-speaking Hazara of Afghanistan
and Pakistan (3.7 percent) and Indian Jews (3 percent), all most
likely a result of the activity of Armenian merchants along the
so-called Silk Road in the 11th-13th centuries.

Not surprisingly, some of the greatest genetic affinity to Armenians
is found in their immediate neighborhood. Lezgins, who inhabit
northeastern Azerbaijan and southern portion of Russia’s Dagestan, had
the largest share – nearly 14 percent. Samples from among Armenia’s
immediate neighbors, showed the following Armenian connections:
Georgia – 12 percent; Turkey – 10 percent and Iran – 7.5 percent;
Azerbaijani sample is not part of the published study. There are also
significant Armenian connections with the population of Cypriots (but
not the mainland Greece), the Druze (who have shunned intermarriage
for centuries) and the Adygei of Russia’s northwestern Caucasus.

Findings from the study’s Armenia sample point to anticipated ties
to Iranians (23 percent of the Armenia sample genetic material) and
Georgians (11 percent). There also appears to have been significant
genetic input from Poles and Lithuanians, at 8 and 7 percent,
respectively. Authors, however, are uncertain about specific admixture
events in the genetic make-up of modern Armenians.

REVUE DE PRESSE N1 – 14/02/14 – COLLECTIF VAN

Publie le : 14-02-2014

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance
Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] vous propose une revue de presse
des informations parues dans la presse francophone, sur les thèmes
concernant la Turquie, le genocide armenien, la Shoah, le genocide
des Tutsi, le Darfour, le negationnisme, l’Union europeenne, Chypre,
etc… Nous vous suggerons egalement de prendre le temps de lire ou
de relire les informations et traductions mises en ligne dans notre
rubrique Par
ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand, turc, etc, ne sont
disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous generons chaque jour.

Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Media : c’est gratuit !

Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans votre boîte email.

Bonne lecture.

Centrafrique : Nettoyage ethnique et violences interreligieuses Info
Collectif VAN – – “Pour echapper a la folie
meurtrière des anti-balaka, dans de nombreuses villes et de nombreux
villages, toute la population musulmane a fui, tandis qu’ailleurs,
ceux qui restent se refugient a l’interieur et aux abords des eglises
et des mosquees. L’inquietude de la communaute internationale face
aux violences a caractère religieux en Republique centrafricaine a
amene le Conseil de securite de l’ONU a autoriser, en decembre 2013,
le deploiement des forces de maintien de la paix dans le pays. Ces
forces, composees de 5 500 soldats de l’Union africaine, la MISCA,
et de 1 600 soldats francais, l’operation >, se trouvent
a Bangui et dans plusieurs villes au nord et au sud-ouest de la
capitale.” Le Collectif VAN vous propose ce communique de presse
publie sur le site d’Amnesty International le 12 fevrier 2014.

Des familles roms agressees a l’acide a Paris Info Collectif VAN –
– “Depuis plusieurs mois, des Roms sont victimes
d’attaques a l’acide en plein Paris. Ce matin, un couple de victimes
a decide de porter plainte. La Licra attend une reponse ferme
des autorites : identification des auteurs de ces actes abjects et
sanctions judiciaires a la mesure de la gravite des faits commis. Ces
nouveaux evènements dramatiques constituent helas la preuve de la
continuite entre discours de haine et passage a l’acte.”

Le Collectif VAN vous invite a lire ce communique de presse publie
sur le site de la LICRA (Ligue internationale contre le racisme et
l’antisemitisme) le 5 fevrier 2014.

Un hommage aux victimes du nazisme, samedi Le 15 fevrier 1944, Jacob
et Berthe Braun, Francis Picard (11 ans et demi), Anne Loew (5 ans et
demi), Sarah et Siegfried de Wijze etaient gazes a Auschwitz. Parce
qu’ils etaient juifs, ces six habitants de Cholet ont ete deportes,
lors de la troisième et dernière rafle qui a frappe l’Anjou, le
26 janvier 1944. Victimes, sans sepulture, du nazisme et de l’Etat
francais.

L’info vue par la TRT (1) Le Collectif VAN vous propose cet article
publie sur la TRT (Television & Radio de Turquie). Les articles de
ce site ne sont pas commentes de notre part. Ils peuvent contenir
des propos negationnistes envers le genocide armenien ou d’autres
informations a prendre sous toute reserve. “Le chef du gouvernement
turc a espere un consensus dans les plus brefs delais entre Israeliens
et Palestiniens, martelant que le soutien economique et politique de
la Turquie aux Palestiniens serait maintenu.”

Combattre le negationnisme, jusqu’a la Cour europeenne des droits de
l’homme Sevane Garibian et Stefan Kristensen, respectivement juriste
et philosophe, regrettent que la CEDH ait desavoue la Suisse dans
l’affaire Dogu Perincek. Ils rappellent l’importance de condamner
le negationnisme.

Depeche de l’APA [ 14 Fevrier 2014 11:47 ] – Agence de Presse
d’Azerbaïdjan Le Collectif VAN vous propose un article de l’APA
(Agence de presse azerie) date du 14 fevrier 2014. Les articles de ce
site (ecrits generalement dans un francais rudimentaire) ne sont pas
commentes de notre part. Ils peuvent contenir des propos negationnistes
envers le genocide armenien ou d’autres informations a prendre sous
toute reserve. “Le site, dont la fonction est d’informer les voyageurs
en russe, anglais, arabe, francais et d’autres langues sur les pays,
les installations touristiques et les hôtels, et fournit egalement
des informations sur les hôtels, les possibilites touristiques du >.”

Le genocide s’intensifie La situation en Centrafrique s’est deterioree
après le renversement du President Francois Bozize en mars 2013
par Michel Djotodia et la rebellion Seleka, qui avaient pris les
armes fin 2012. Depuis le depart force de M. Djotodia en janvier,
dont le mouvement, a majorite musulmane, a ete accuse de nombreuses
exactions a l’egard des populations chretiennes, le pays a sombre
dans une spirale infernale de violences interconfessionnelles…

Les dirigeants afghan, pakistanais et turc se rencontrent pour un
sommet trilateral La Turquie a accueilli jeudi les dirigeants de
l’Afghanistan et du Pakistan lors d’un sommet trilateral dans la
capitale turque d’Ankara, en quete d’une cooperation plus etroite en
matière de securite en Afghanistan.

Pas de treve olympique dans le Haut-Karabakh Toutefois, malgre
les resolutions reciproques, les adversaires continuent de
s’affronter. Selon le ministère de la Defense armenien, l’Azerbaïdjan
aurait viole la treve olympique une grosse cinquantaine de fois ! Son
homologue azeri affirme quant a lui que ce sont les Armeniens qui
ont enfreint le cessez-le-feu une petite cinquantaine de fois !

Article du journal franco-turc Zaman – 14/02/2014 – 1 Le Collectif
VAN relaye ici les articles du journal franco-turc Zaman (equivalent
du Today’s Zaman en langue anglaise, diffuse en Turquie).

Attention : ces articles ne sont pas commentes de notre part. Il
s’agit pour l’essentiel de traductions des versions turque et
anglaise du Zaman, journal proche du parti au pouvoir (AKP). “Où en
est la Turquie ? Telle etait la question posee par l’Association des
etudiants de turcologie a trois intervenants, specialistes du pays,
lors d’une conference organisee a l’Inalco.”

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