Author: nina hovnanian

States News Service
January 24, 2014 Friday

SHERMAN STATEMENT ON KILLING OF SECOND ARMENIAN SOLDIER IN UNPROVOKED ATTACK

BYLINE: States News Service

WASHINGTON

The following information was released by the office of California
Rep. Brad Sherman:

Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA) released the following statement on
the unprovoked killing of an Armenian soldier, Armen Hovannisyan, by
Azeri forces along the border of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Just four days before a meeting scheduled between Azerbaijans and
Armenias Foreign Ministers to discuss a peaceful resolution to the
conflict between Azerbaijan and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,
Azeri forces have tragically killed yet another Armenian soldier in an
unprovoked attack on the Arstakh and Azerbaijan border. As I stated
last December when an Armenian soldier was killed, Azerbaijan
continues to show that it is not serious about establishing peaceful
relations with Artsakh and repeatedly creates obstacles to the peace
process.

Azerbaijan and its forces must be held accountable for these ruthless
displays of violence. I have been a longtime advocate for a peaceful
resolution of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Karabakh and the
recognition of the independent Republic of Karabakh.

-30-

States News Service
January 24, 2014 Friday

DEPARTMENT OF STATE: MARIE HARF DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON DAILY PRESS
BRIEFING JANUARY 24, 2014

WASHINGTON

The following information was released by the U.S. Department of State:

[parts omitted]

Yeah, go ahead.

QUESTION: On Nagorno-Karabakh —

MS. HARF: Yeah.

QUESTION: — do you follow the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh?

MS. HARF: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: Theyre having shootouts along ongoing shootouts —

MS. HARF: Yeah.

QUESTION: — line of contact and Azerbaijani-Armenian border. And also
the foreign ministers met today in Paris and the Azerbaijani foreign
minister reaffirmed Azerbaijans stance on territorial integrity, which
is in full compliance with the UN security resolutions. So whats the
plan for the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group —

MS. HARF: Of the Minsk Group?

QUESTION: — for 2014?

MS. HARF: Mm-hmm. Well, just a few points. Obviously, weve seen the
reports and regret any loss of life anywhere, but certainly here as
well. And our position remains that the use of force will not resolve
this conflict. We call on all parties to refrain from the use or
threat of force. And as you mentioned, the U.S. is a co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group. We remain deeply committed to working with the sides
to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Thats certainly our
goal. That hasnt changed. We know its difficult, but well keep working
on it.

QUESTION: Anything new for 2014 on part of the U.S.?

MS. HARF: Nothing that I have to announce. Im happy to check with our
folks and see, but I think I dont know of anything new at this point.

Armenians have no more money? – newspaper

January 25, 2014 | 08:10

YEREVAN. – According to data released by the Armenian National
Statistical Service, the volume of trade in Armenia fell in December
of last year, as compared to December 2012, Haykakan Zhamanak daily
reports.

`This is an unprecedented phenomenon.

`This indicator means that the population of Armenia has made fewer
purchases on this New Year than last year.

`The volume of trade had increased by 4.8 percent in December 2012, as
compared to the same month in 2011, and the growth in 2011 was 6.7
percent, as compared to December 2010.

`The decline in the volume of New Year shopping [in Armenia] is due to
the continuous decrease in the purchasing power of our population. And
even the double-digit growth in the remittances from abroad is no
longer able to prevent the decline in the purchasing power [of the
people],’ Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

SITUATION CALM IN ARMENIAN BORDER VILLAGES DESPITE AZERBAIJANI AGGRESSION

21:15 ~U 23.01.14

Despite the Azerbaijani army’s recent gun attackthat saw an Armenian
serviceman killed, the situation remains calm in the border villages
of Aygepar and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur (Tavush region).

Speaking to Tert.am, Aygepar governor Andranik Aydinyan said the
village is not facing any tension at all.

“Our defense guards are fully prepared, so everything is all right,”
he said.

Asked whether the Aygepar population was in panic after the deadly
shoot-out, the village mayor said they do not have any problems with
that. “People in our village are fearless, so there’s no problem at
all. We were born and grown here. Our country begins with our borders,
so if we do not protect our fatherland, who is to do that instead of
us?” he said.

Armen Kamendatyan, the mayor of Karmiraghbyur, also said that the
village is calm after the recent incident.

Several villages in Tavush region have been facing repeated armed
attacks in the recent months. No deaths or survivors have been
reported so far, but the Nerkin Karmiraghbyur mayor says their
villagers are afraid of cultivating lands or grazing cattle in areas
close to the border.

Armenian News – Tert.am

INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: YEREVAN AND NEW DELHI ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT A NUMBER OF INTERESTING PROJECTS IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo’s interview with Ambassador of India to Armenia Suresh Babu

by Marianna Lazarian

Thursday, January 23, 18:15

What do you think about the current level of Armenian-Indian relations?

India and Armenia have successfully completed over two decades
of diplomatic relations since 1991. Ties between our two countries
though date back to centuries but their contemporary relationship had
started in 1992. In the last twenty plus years, both countries have
proved to be close friends and partners not only at the Government
level but also at the people to people level. India and Armenia
support each other at the international and multilateral levels
to the extent possible. This relationship is non-prescriptive and
covers almost all aspects i.e. political, cultural, and economic,
education, science, trade and development. In last few years, we have
had a number of high level bilateral exchanges. The successful visit
by a high level Parliamentary delegation from Armenia to India in
December 2013 led by H.E. Mr. Hovik Abrahmyan, the Chairman of the
National Assembly, was the latest high level contact. Prior to this,
the Armenian National Assembly hosted the visit of a Goodwill Indian
Parliamentarian delegation to Armenia led by the Minister of State
for Parliamentary Affairs in October last year. During both these
visits, the delegations were received by the highest leadership in
both countries.

This is a testimony to the fact that both countries enjoy excellent
political ties. Besides these visits, we also exchanged visits at the
level of senior officials at the Government level. They included the
visit of Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia to India for Political
Consultations and for the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) meeting
in September 2013.

What are the priorities of the Armenian-Indian cooperation for
the moment?

During the recent interactions, both sides have agreed to sustain
the momentum generated in the last few years at various levels and
to elevate our cooperation to new levels. Several visits are under
consideration for this year and these visits will be of political,
education, culture and economic in nature. Given the low level
of bilateral trade, one of the priorities for this year will be
mutual endeavour to further augment the bilateral trade and economic
cooperation.

What new projects are our countries planning in the IT sector?

Information & Communication Technologies is among core sectors of
economy for both India and Armenia. Both countries possess well trained
and skilled IT personnel. As a first concrete step in this sphere,
we had jointly set up an ICT Centre of Excellence in Yerevan in 2011
which is equipped with an Indian Super Computer ‘Param’. Since then,
the Centre has been functioning effectively as a revenue making
model by catering to needs of Armenian consumers. Over 70 schools
in the Tavush region have been equipped with Indian computer labs
in 2012. Both sides are currently in the process of replicating the
Tavush model in one more region in Armenia. ” A 12 member delegation
from the Indian IT Companies visited Armenia in December 2013 to
explore the strengths of the Armenian IT sector. During the visit,
a B2B session was held which also included visits to various Armenian
IT companies and individual business meetings.”

Are you satisfied with the current level of Armenian-Indian ties in the
health care sector. What projects are you considering in pharmaceutics?

Healthcare is one of the priority sectors of bilateral cooperation.

Large numbers of Indian students are receiving medical education in
the Yerevan State Medical University. A delegation of experts from the
Medical Council of India visited the YSMU in 2013 and is believed to
be satisfied with the education facilities offered there. A couple of
bilateral cooperation documents in the Healthcare sector are in the
pipeline for conclusion. In this context, both Indian and Armenian
sides are in the process of concluding a bilateral MoU for executing a
‘Telemedicine’ project in Armenia. It may be noted that a large number
of Armenian companies are engaged in cooperation for promotion of
Indian pharmaceutical products in the Armenian market. Considering
the growing interest in the Armenian healthcare and pharmaceutical
sectors, a large delegation of Indian Pharma companies is expected
to visit Yerevan in early February this year to study and explore
the potential for trading, setting up joint production and R&D.

India is among the countries with well-organized Armenian communities.

What role do Armenians play in your country’s social and political
life?

Similar to a large number of countries in the world, India is also
privileged to be the home for Armenian community. Armenians are no
strangers for the Indian society for over three centuries. Volumes
may be written on the Armenian presence in India. In modern times,
Kolkata and Chennai host the presence of the Armenian community
consisting of over 35 families and which have penetrated into the
Indian social life. There is a functioning Church, School in Kolkata
where not only Armenians but also others do worship and study. Besides,
there are numbers of Armenian nationals either studying in various
educational institutions of India or married to Indian nationals.

ARMENIA, BELARUS TO JOINTLY STUDY SEVAN LAKE ECOSYSTEM

YEREVAN, January 22. /ARKA/. Armenia and Belarus will carry out a
joint study of Sevan Lake ecosystem in 2014, said Samvel Harutiunyan,
head of state committee on science, Armenia’s ministry of education
and science.

According to an agreement signed by the sides in 2013, the first
inter-governmental program aims at studying ecosystems of Sevan Lake
and sweetwater reservoirs in Belarus, Harutiunyan said.

Funding of the program is expected to start in 2014, the head of the
committee told reporters Wednesday.

He also said the Belarusian side is to rehabilitate the laboratory
on Sevan Lake to enable research. A similar project will be carried
out in the territory of Belarus.

The head of the committee said the Armenian side is ready to provide
$200,000 for the project for a five-year period, and negotiations
are under way about Belarus’ financial contribution to the project.

Lake Sevan, one of the largest alpine lakes in Europe and Asia,
is located in the heart of the Armenian plateau, at an altitude of
1,914 meters. The lake stretches over 70 kilometers from northwest
to southeast. Its water surface area is nearly 1500 square kilometers.

The lake is the main source of drinking water in the region. -0-

– See more at:

IN 2014 OVER HALF OF ALL ARMENIA’S PENSIONERS LIVE BELOW POVERTY LINE

January 21, 2014 | 19:24

YEREVAN. – In 2014 more than a half of all Armenia’s pensioners live
below the poverty line, shows the data provided by Labor Minister
Artem Asatryan.

Last autumn the Minister pledged increase in annual pensions by
nearly 15 percent. The average retirement pension will be increased
from 31,300 in 2013 to 36,000, the Minister said.

The number of poor pensioners will decline, nevertheless it remains
high.

The data shows 292,000 pensioners live behind the poverty line. If
the total number of pensioners reaches nearly 540,000, it appears
that around 54% of pensioners live behind the poverty line.

HOME-STYLE ARMENIAN FOOD COMES TO SOMERVILLE

Patch.com
Jan 21 2014

Noor Mediterranean Grill, whose menu also has Lebanese influences,
will open Friday on College Avenue.

Posted by Chris Orchard

After completely gutting and renovating the College Avenue storefront
formerly occupied by the Broken Yolk, a Somerville native and her
husband will formally open their new restaurant, Noor Mediterranean
Grill, on Friday.

Hllda Darian said she and her husband, Arsen Karageozian, had long
dreamed of opening their own eatery in Somerville, and as of Tuesday
they were busy putting the finishing touches on the 136 College Ave.

space in order to celebrate the restaurant’s grand opening on Jan. 24.

The two, both in their early 30s, are of Armenian descent. Darian
grew up on Elm Street in Somerville, attending the Kennedy School and
Somerville High School, and her husband, in addition to working as
a manager and owner at various restaurants, was formerly executive
chef at an Intercontinental Hotel in Lebanon, Darian said.

That family background and experience will help guide the restaurant’s
menu and cooking, she said. It will feature a mixture of Armenian
and Lebanese flavors.

Noor Mediterranean Grill will have a “Middle Eastern vibe,” she said,
and it will have a “small and simple menu” featuring staples like
shawarma, shish kebab, humus and falafel.

Those dishes will be created as “home style cooked meal[s],” Darian
said. “You’ll feel like you’re in your grandma’s kitchen.”

“Noor,” in Armenian, means pomegranate, she said, and it’s a symbol
of prosperity and fertility. The pomegranate design will be featured
throughout the restaurant.

Darian said she and her husband bought the business from the former
owner of Broken Yolk in September and have spent the past few months
completely renovating the space. This includes new walls and completely
new electrical and plumbing systems. “It’s sparkling clean inside,”
she said.

Noor Mediterranean Grill will have a 25-seat dine-in area, and it will
also offer takeout and delivery. Darian said it will offer a “healthy
delivery food” option to the area’s residents and college students.

The Grand Opening begins at 12 p.m. Friday.

Noor Mediterranean Grill facebook.com/noorgrill 136 College Ave.

(617) 625-6667 Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.;
Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

His Holiness Aram I at the Ecumenical and International Consultation on
Syria organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC)

15-17 January 2014, Catholicos Aram I took part in the consultation held
at the WCC in Geneva Switzerland. The participants included religious
leaders from Syria and the Middle East Council of Churches,
representatives from churches from countries of the Action Group for
Geneva I, and other international ecumenical organizations.

The General Secretary of the WCC, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, welcomed
the distinguished participants and explained that the purpose of the
meeting was to prepare a common Christian response to be presented to
the UN-Arab League Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi when he joins
the current consultation on the last day.

Religious leaders from the region discussed what they expect to come out
of the UN Geneva 2 for Syria meeting on 22 January 2014 in Switzerland.
His Holiness Aram I made the following nine points:

1) the UN Geneva 2 for Syria meeting on 22 January 2014 begin a
transparent and credible peace-building process that responds to the
legitimate expectations of the Syrian people, led by the Syrians and
supported by the UN and the Arab League; 2) armed conflict/violence
cease immediately; 3) the arming of all parties be stopped and prisoners
and kidnapped persons be released; 4) humanitarian assistance to
refugees and internally displaced population be opened; 5) a
comprehensive political and social programme to rebuild the Syrian
society with the involvement of all sectors of Syrian society
(government, opposition and the civil society) be initiated; 6) the
unity and territorial integrity of Syria be kept; 7) the pluralistic
(ethnic, religious) nature of Syria be preserved and co-citizenship
respected; 8) the constitution be revised to guarantee the human rights
of all citizens and empower the civil society. 9) as Christians we speak
with one voice, ready to work with our Muslim brothers and sisters of
goodwill for peace and reconciliation, through mutual forgiveness, and
building mutual trust.

The participants recommended that the points presented by His Holiness
Aram I become the basis of the common statement of the consultation.

During the last session of the meeting His Holiness Aram I welcomed Mr.
Brahimi and transmitted to him the expectations and hopes of the
Christians in their call for action for a just peace in Syria with one
voice. (See WCC story and statement:

ARMENIA SIGNS UP FOR RUSSIA’S CUSTOMS UNION

Zawya, Middle East
Jan 20 204

Armenia’s decision to hastily join the Russia-sponsored Eurasian
Customs Union project is one of the most significant developments in
the country’s short independent history and could have major impact
on its ties with the Western world.

The move serves to undermine the European Union, which had nearly
finalized

an agreement with Yerevan (Armenian capital). The EU initiative
is part of a larger effort to lure a number of Central Asian and
Caucasus states to join its Eastern Partnership project and move away
from Russia.

The EU is looking for greater cooperation with its eastern partners,
primarily Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of
Moldova and Ukraine.

The EU was expected to sign off on the Armenian deal at a summit
in Vilnius, Lithuania in November, but all it did was laid bare the
weaknesses of the European strategy to attract its eastern counterparts
and their inability to prise them away from Russia’s influence.

Instead, Armenia signed an agreement with Russia in late December to
join the ECU which already includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Kyrgyzstan has also agreed in principle to join the union but is
still negotiating on a few thorny issues.

“We have approved the roadmap that will allow Armenia to join the union
and the common economic area, and a similar document for Kyrgyzstan
is virtually ready,” Russian president Vladimir Putin told the media.

EU COURTS CAUCASUS

The EU had, broadly speaking, made identical offers to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, respectively, wrote Vladimir Socor, analyst at Jamestown
Foundation. “It proposed to each of them the usual Eastern Partnership
package of an Association Agreement, a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement, and simplification or facilitation of
travel visa procedures.”

Armenia declined the EU’s offer, preferring Russia’s instead; while
the Western-oriented Azerbaijan deemed the EU’s offer inadequate to
the modernization agenda at this stage of Azerbaijan’s development.

Meanwhile, Russia is on a tailor-made charm offensive with Armenia,
which helped it clinch the deal and pull the country into its circle
of influence. In December, Russia arranged a presidential meeting
with Armenia, launched a customs union’s trilateral summit and held
another meeting on the Eurasian Economic Commission.

However, there is a catch to the Russian overture, as Moscow is keen
to develop a bilateral relationship with each member of the customs
union — and be the first among equals in the economic bloc.

The bilateral discussions reflect Russia’s privileged status among
the customs union’s member states.

“It seems to presage a system of relationships within the customs
union whereby Russia would operate ‘vertical’ relations with each
member state, while these would not (or not to a comparable extent)
engage in ‘horizontal’ relations with each other,” Socor said.

“Such a model would replicate that of the defunct Comecon and Warsaw
Pact, as well as that of the existing Collective Security Treaty
Organization.”

RUSSIAN CREEP Russian influence over Armenia is also manifesting
itself in other areas. An estimated 2.5 million Armenian workers in
Russia remit USD 1.7 billion, or 80% of Armenia’s non-commercial cash
transfers, each year.

Russia is already Armenia’s largest trading partner with trade flows
of USD 1.2 billion in 2013, 22% higher than the year before. That
figure could rise much higher as Russia Inc. raises its profile in
the Armenian economy.

On January 17, Armenia sold its 20% stake in monopoly gas operator
ArmRosGazprom to Russian natural gas giant Gazprom, which already
owned the remaining 80% of the company.

In return, Russia offered a steep discount of USD 189 per one thousand
cubic meters (Europeans pays around USD 450 per one thousand cubic
meters), and will raise supply from 1.7 billion cubic meters to 2.5
bcm to the country.

Russia will also eliminate 30-35% tax on petroleum products to Armenia
as a goodwill gesture to join the customs union.

Russia’s Rostam is also revamping Armenia’s unsafe Metsamor Nuclear
Power Plant, while Gazprom has also upgraded the electricity grid at
the Hrazdon Power Plant at a cost of USD 300 million.

Meanwhile, state-owned Russian Railways is raising the standard of
Armenia’s railroads, after securing a 30-year agreement to run the
country’s rail network.

“Armenia’s economic dependency on Russia (aggravated by dependency
on labor remittances from Russia) proved an insuperable obstacle to
the European Union’s overtures to Armenia,” said Socor.

“This dependency is a cumulative result of former president Robert
Kocharian’s (1998-2008) and current president [Serzh] Sargsyan’s
(since 2008) presidencies, which practically farmed out Armenia’s
main economic assets to Russia. Their policies also discouraged large
Western investments in Armenia.”

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The IMF believes that the Eurasian Customs Union is expected to help
lower energy prices and enable financing for major infrastructure
projects.

“It may also lead to higher tariffs on imports from outside the ECU.

Risks stem from a further slowdown in China and Russia and a tightening
of global financing conditions,” the IMF said.

The country’s economic performance is expected to slow to 4% this year,
compared to 7.2% in 2012.

TABLE: Armenia MacroEconomic Indicators

The authorities have launched an Armenia Development Strategy till
2025 that aims to create high-productivity jobs, business reforms,
export and revamp of public sector and infrastructure – sorely needed
as the country suffers from weak private investment and structural
unemployment.

Last year, the IMF completed a USD 404 million arrangement and said
that a possible successor 38-month program “will aim at consolidating
stability and implementing further reforms to support Armenia’s
transition to a dynamic emerging market economy.”

If Armenia is stuck in Russia’s orbit, analysts believe it could lead
to the weakening of democratic programs and push the country further
away from Western economies.

Some analysts believe Armenia’s hasty decision to rush into Russia’s
arm without securing greater allowances, was driven by a fear of
retaliation by Moscow.

Armenia is in a bitter stalemate with Azerbaijan over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and is securing Russian military supplies to
keep up pace with Baku’s vastly larger resources.

Russia had also been reportedly supplying Azerbaijan with military
equipment worth USD 1 billion that would have raised concerns in
Armenia.

President Serzh Sargsyan may also have been driven by “personal
insecurity” according to a Radio Free Europe report. Sargsyan’s
re-election in early 2013 was disputed by his opponents, and as he
looks to consolidate his position, he is looking to have a powerful
external ally on his side.

“The day after announcing his customs-union U-turn, he formed an ad
hoc commission on constitutional reform,” said Radio Free Europe in a
report. “The Armenian media has since been rife with speculation, not
denied by presidential allies, that Sargsyan wants to turn the country
into a parliamentary republic and become a powerful prime minister
after completing his second and final presidential term, just as former
Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili sought unsuccessfully to do.”