Author: nina hovnanian

HRAPARAK: BHK PAYS 100,000 DRAMS FOR PARTICIPATION IN RALLIES

Friday,
November
08

‘Hraparak’ daily says that a few days ago a group of activists of
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) visited the agricultural college and
had ‘confidential talks’ with some students, saying that they will be
paid 100,000 drams in return for participation in the party’s rallies
and bringing another 5 participants with them.

The daily reminds its readers that a pre-election rally of BHK running
in Ararat mayoral elections will be held in the city of Ararat today.

TODAY, 11:33

Aysor.am

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
Date: November 7, 2013

Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Email: [email protected]
Web:

OVER 30 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGE WHITE HOUSE TO RELEASE ARMENIAN ORPHAN
RUG FOR DISPLAY

Armenian Assembly of America Reiterates Decades-Long Call on

White House Withholding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, over 30 Members of Congress signed a
letter to President Barack Obama urging him to release the Armenian Orphan
Rug for public display, reported the Armenian Assembly of America
(Assembly). The letter initiative was spearheaded by Armenian Genocide
resolution sponsors Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) and
enjoys broad bipartisan support.

The letter to President Obama states, `This historic rug was hand-woven by
orphans of the Armenian Genocide. It was made in an American-sponsored
orphanage run by a U.S. charity created by an act of Congress. The carpet,
which has over 4 million hand-tied knots, was presented in 1925 to
President Calvin Coolidge as a symbol of gratitude for American aid and
generosity. President Coolidge noted that, `The rug has a place of honor
in the White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill on earth.”

In recent weeks, news reports surfaced alleging that the White House
succumbed to pressure from the Turkish government and purposely blocked a
planned December exhibition of the carpet at the Smithsonian Institution.

The White House issued a statement saying that, `The Ghazir rug is a
reminder of the close relationship between the peoples of Armenia and the
United States. We regret that it is not possible to loan it out at this
time.’

The White House did not offer an explanation as to what, or who, was
preventing the release of the rug.

Meanwhile, the Assembly has been in close contact with key Administration
officials urging that the rug be prominently displayed, not only at the
Smithsonian, but also at the White House and made available for display in
the U.S. Capitol.

`I am deeply moved by this action,’ Dr. H. Martin Deranian, author of the
book `Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug,’ told the Assembly.
`This issue has come to light after many years of hard work. We are
speaking on behalf of the weavers and what they would want us to do. I am
hopeful that this momentum will continue and that the rug will soon be
available for public viewing,’ Deranian said.

In 1925, Dr. John H. Finley, editor-in-chief of the New York Times and
vice-chairman of the congressionally chartered Near East Relief
organization presented a rug made by orphans of the Armenian Genocide to
then President Calvin Coolidge. The rug was made in appreciation of
America’s generosity in aiding the survivors of the first genocide of the 20
th Century. It was previously displayed at the White House in 1984 and
1995, but not since, an issue which the Assembly has raised with successive
Administrations.

For over a decade, the Assembly has called on the White House and the State
Department to facilitate the release of the Armenian Orphan Rug for public
display. `The Armenian Assembly, once again, calls on the White House to
release the Ghazir rug,’ stated Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. `It is a
piece of American history and it belongs to the American people,’ stated
Ardouny.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR# 2013-023

Photo Caption 1: Representatives David Valadao (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA)

Photo Caption 2: Book Cover: President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian
Orphan Rug by Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian

Editor’s Note: Below is the text of the Valadao-Schiff letter to President
Barack Obama:

November 8th, 2013

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We would like to inquire about reports that the White House has blocked the
exhibition of the `Armenian Orphan Rug,’ a pivotal icon related to the
Armenian Genocide. The item was requested for display at an event scheduled
to open on December 16.

This historic rug was hand-woven by orphans of the Armenian Genocide. It
was made in an American-sponsored orphanage run by a U.S. charity created
by an act of Congress. The carpet, which has over 4 million hand-tied
knots, was presented in 1925 to President Calvin Coolidge as a symbol of
gratitude for American aid and generosity. President Coolidge noted that,
`The rug has a place of honor in the White House where it will be a daily
symbol of goodwill on earth.’ Publicized in the New York Times and many
other outlets, the rug’s presentation to President Coolidge resulted in
millions of dollars being raised for humanitarian assistance.

The Armenian Orphan Rug is a shared piece of American and Armenian history
that belongs to the American people. For over a decade, Armenian-American
organizations have repeatedly asked the White House and the State
Department to allow the rug to be displayed publicly. Unfortunately, these
requests have not been granted.

We urge you to release this American treasure for exhibition, and we look
forward to working with you toward this end.

Available online at:

MARCH 1 STYLE AND REAL GUILTY OF THE EVENT AT THE LIBERTY SQUARE

November 7 2013

“Shant Harutyunyan’s and his supporters’ actions against the illegal
authority were natural”,-so was assessed by Arthur Sakunts, human
rights defender, Country Director of HCA Vanadzor office, in the
interview with Aravot.am, evaluating the clashes happened yesterday
at the Liberty Square, between Shant Harutyunyan, his supporters and
the police. To the question whether the actions of the police and
supporters of Shant Harutyunyan were legitimate, he said, “For me,
at this point, it’s hard to distinguish who were Shant’s supporters
and the provocateurs. It was obvious that there were provocateurs. It
shows that, for example, Shant Harutyunyan’s supporters were going
to Baghramyan 26, it was their target and they did not reach there,
they were just on their way, when they were stopped.” To our next
question who is responsible for the wounded, Mr. Sakunts answered,
“I would not like to go deeper into the details, because then we can
lose the overall picture of the situation, in which these actions
were carried out. A desperate situation has created in Armenia,
when public institutions are not working. The case of 5 Mashtots,
the actions near the City Hall, transport fare-related issues and so
on. Therefore, in this situation, the actions performed by Shant and
his supporters were the last scream, and it was entirely equivalent
to the situation created in Armenia, when such behavior and laws
are adopted by the authorities that are illegal and people are
choosing a mutiny way as the last means.” We asked whether he sees
parallels with 1 March, Arthur Sakunts said, “On March 1, people were
expressing their will peacefully, and the authorities acted violence
against this peaceful demonstration, and those acting violence do not
bear the responsibility until now. This impunity led to respective
actions of people in the face of Shant and his supporters.” Vardan
Harutyunyan, also does not see a March 1 style in the events at the
Liberty Square and says, “It is incompatible with March 1. On March
1, there was no violence or call to violence by citizens, people,
opposition and demonstrators. It was an action planned and organized
by the authorities against people, and seeking grounds of comparison
with March 1 is condemnable by me. Even Shant’s speech of yesterday’s
and those days are different. I think, yesterday, Shant and his
supporters knew what they were doing. Shant knew that he was doing
action for which there will be a reaction. He was expecting it, and
it was not a surprise for Shant.” We inquired of the legal assessment
of yesterday’s event, Mr. Harutyunyan replied, “There was violence,
both by the police and the demonstrators. It should be clarified
whether they are provocateurs, Shant’s supporters, or not. Any call
to violence is unacceptable in any case.” To the question whether he
considers that policemen dressed in civilian clothes provoked, threw
explosives, and so on, Mr. Harutyunyan responded as follows, “Given
the practice of our authorities in the last few years, it is not that
I am excluding it, but the fist thought that occurred to my mind, was
that. As to what actions Shant Harutyunyan was going to apply, he was
planning and saying in the presence of the police regarding the sticks
and explosives. The police was to prevent from the beginning. So, in
this sense, I consider the police actions provocative and number one
responsible for the wounded was the police.” Mr. Harutyunyan thinks
that a lot will become clear over the time. He does not connect the
circumstance of becoming clear with the pre-investigation, and details,
“Pre-investigations in Armenia are not for clarifying but for making
a mess and shutting down.” To our last question whther there were
unlawful actions in yesterday’s event, Mr. Harutyunyan replied,
“Watching the video I see that both sides were prepared and were
ready and were doing what they had planned before.”

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

Read more at:

ITALIAN PAPER SPOTLIGHTS NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 7 2013

7 November 2013, 11:56 (GMT+04:00)

Popular Italian “Il Sole 24 Ore” daily posted an article headlined
“Nagorno-Karabakh, a forgotten conflict”, state news agency AzerTag
reported.

The article highlights the history of the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and peace talks over the settlement of the
problem. The newspaper notes that despite the ceasefire agreement
reached in May, 1994, the conflict is not “frozen”. Probability is
high that the war between the two countries can resume.

Commenting on the position of Azerbaijan, the author says liberation of
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, which have been occupied
by the Armenian armed units, is a key condition for settlement of
the conflict.

The newspaper also features remarks by deputy head of Azerbaijan`s
Presidential

Administration, chairman of foreign relations department Novruz
Mammadov: ” The negotiation process to find a peaceful solution to
the conflict has continued for almost 20 years. In spite of efforts
by international organizations, including the European Union, no
progress has been reached.”

The article says four resolutions of the United Nations Security
Council demanding liberation of Azerbaijan`s occupied territories,
return of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs have not been fulfilled
by Armenia.

Stressing Azerbaijan`s strategic importance, the author draws attention
to Azerbaijan-related energy projects, saying the countrys’ gas will
be transported to the European markets via Trans-Adriatic Pipeline
in 2019.

POPULAR ACTOR TO RECEIVE LONG-TERM TREATMENT IN YEREVAN STRESS CENTER

YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. Popular Armenian satirist Vardan Petrosyan
who survived a road accident on October 20, will undergo a long-term
therapy in Yerevan Stress Center, Novosti-Armenia reported referring
to a representative of Stress mental health rehabilitation center
in Yerevan.

Information about condition of the actor’s health is confidential,
the Stress center said.

Two were killed and six, including the actor, were injured in a car
accident that occurred on Yeghvard-Yerevan road on October 20.

Petrosyan was hospitalized, underwent a surgery and was discharged
from hospital on November 3.

A criminal proceeding was instituted on violation of safe traffic
leading to two or more deaths (from four to ten years of imprisonment).

Wednesday Petrosyan was arrested on the traffic fatality charges. But
he was transferred to Erebuni Medical Center as his condition got
worse. After having been examined, the actor was sent to Stress mental
health rehabilitation center.

Vardan Petrosyan became popular in the end of the 80ies when he,
together with a beginner playwright Vahram Sahakyan, founded his own
small comedy theatre “Vozniner”. In 90ies the actor moved to France
and continued his career, particularly at Theatre Marigny led by
Robert Hossein. Petrosyan’s satiric shows in Yerevan were sold out
for every performance. -0-

12:31 07.11.2013

News | 07.11.13 | 13:16

PUTIN TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT MONTH, SAYS RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN TYCOON

Photolure

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a visit to Yerevan upon
the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan early
next month, chairman of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) Ara
Abrahamyan told media.

RFE/RL’s Armenian Service quoted Abrahamyan today as saying that the
Russian leader will arrive in Armenia on a working visit on December
1 or 2.

Abrahamyan also confirmed plans for an Armenian-Russian business
forum to be held in Yerevan on December 1-4. The UAR president,
who is also a leading businessman, himself will be among some 500
businessmen and local leaders expected to arrive in Armenia from
Russia ahead of Putin’s visit.

No official source either in Moscow or in Yerevan has reported about
Putin’s plans to visit Armenia yet.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has several times invited his
Russian counterpart to visit Yerevan since the latter returned to
the Kremlin as president in 2012. Several times such visits were
announced in the past, but eventually did not take place.

ARMENIAN EDITOR TO FACE FRAUD CHARGES

20:41 ~U 07.11.13

The police in Vagharshapat (Armavir region) have opened a criminal
case against the Azdarar newspaper’s editor-in-chief, accusing him
of swindling large sums.

A police source has told the investigative journalists’ website
Hetq.am that a proceeding has been launched against the editor, Martik
Sargsyan, and a resident of the Jrarat village, Hermine Tovmasyan,
under Article 178.2 of Armenia’s Criminal Code (Swindling by a group
with prior agreement).

The aggrieved, Norik Ghahramanyan, has told the police that the
two have involved him and his son in a loan transaction by opening
accounts in their names in the VTB-Armenia Bank.

An inquest is under way.

COMPETING WITH ARMENIA’S TYCOONS IS HOPELESS CASE – ECONOMIST

November 07, 2013 | 14:27

YEREVAN. – Competing with the oligarchs of Armenia is a senseless
waste of time.

Opposition Armenian National Congress Party representative, former
Yerevan Mayor, economist Vahagn Khachatryan stated the aforesaid.

He commented on State Revenue Committee Deputy Chairman Armen
Alaverdyan’s recent announcement that Armenia’s value-added tax
(VAT) exemption threshold is larger-than-life and it undermines the
competition among businesses.

“The State Revenue Committee can find competition-related problems in
the competition with the oligarchs. Can anyone [in Armenia] compete
with the oligarchs?” Khachatryan asked.

As per the economist, the easing of the tax and inspection procedures
could have helped Armenia’s businesses in this respect.

ARMENIA SHOULD NOT LOSE ITS STRATEGIC PARTNER – NIKOLAY RIZHKOV

16:20 / 06.11.2013

Vice speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly Heghmine Naghdalyan,
member of Armenia-Russia inter-parliamentary commission Nikolay Rizhkov
summed up today to the reporters the 23d sitting of NA’s and Russian
Federal Council.

Hermine Naghdalyan said the sitting is dedicated to the transport
communication issue between Armenia and Russia.

Rizhkov stressed the importance of the issue as Armenia is in blockade.

“Armenia’s blockade is a serious issue and such meetings and
discussions will continue until we help Armenia to get out of the
blockade,” he said.

Referring to Armenia’s entrance to the Customs Union Rizhkov said that
though Armenia is not member of the Customs Union, the two parties
seem to be ready to sign the agreement.

“You must not lose your strategic partner on behalf of Russia and we
must not lose you,” he said, stressing that the Association Agreement
with the EU would have forward restrictions.

He stressed that currently Ukraine is striving to sign the Association
Agreement. “Of course there are many issues in case of Customs Union as
well but all this issues are easy to solve, just a political decision
is necessary,” he said.

Nyut.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: IRAN DENIES CUTTING ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY TO ARMENIA

09:22 ~U 06.11.13

The Saturday power cut on the territory of Armenia turns out to
have been caused by a malfunctioning of the internal energy networks
despite earlier allegations Iran had interrupted the power supply.

The paper notes that Minister of Energy and Natural Armen Movsisyan
recently said in parliament that the power system had been disconnected
by the Iranian side. “It was a technical problem which we had with
the Iranian side …” the minister said at a debate devoted to the
2014 State Budget.

Later however, Director of Iran’s Electricity Networks Management
Company Mirfattah Fattah Qarahbaq told the Fars News Agency that the
massive blackout was not related to Iran. “The power outage in Armenia
last week was related to the internal problems of the country’s power
network and seemed to have been caused by the activation of frequency
protection relays which actually shouldn’t have been activated,”
he was quoted as saying.