Author: nina hovnanian

ASHOT MANUCHARYAN. “ARMENIA IS FACED WITH THE ARTIFICIAL CHOICE.” (VIDEO)

July 29 2013

“Yes, now Armenia is faced with a choice. It is completely an
artificial choice”,- so replied “Karabakh” committee member Ashot
Manucharyan to the question of Aravot.am whether he shares the view
that Armenia is now faced with the choice between the Eurasian Union,
and the European Union. Continuing the theme, he emphasized,- “The
authorities of Armenia and the public sector are facing with a choice,
Armenians are faced with the choice. If Armenian people stand up,
there will be no problem with the choice. We will put everyone into
its place, and make them speak with us in an appropriate way.” We
inquired to know what the way out of this dilemma is, Mr. Manucharyan
answered.- “We understand the problems not in the right way, because
what we are talking about, is not Armenia.” A. Manucharyan reminded
of the following idea of one of the philosophers: “The European
Union has nothing to do with Europe. Europe should remain far away
from the European Union. Europe is the part of human civilization,
which is generalization of spirit and mind created by mankind. Europe
complemented the values and returned to humanity. Now Europe is thrown
away, and the cliche system has been accepted, which is directed to
one thing: to be a tool in the hands of the oligarchy to make money.

We must work with Europe, the European Union should be thrown away.”

To our specification whether he is in favor of the initialization
of EU-Armenia Association Agreement, A. Manucharyan answered, –
“I am against expansion of any kind of system. With its standards,
this will lead to a drastic economic decline for Armenia. Both Europe
and Eurasia should be different. Today, what they are suggesting,
are dying things built on the world’s models of robbery. They are in
a shock. We are dealing with Eurasia, whose bearers are working with
the same cliche as the European Union, because they do not have their
own concepts.”

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

Read more at:

LA DEUXIEME PHASE DE LA MODERNISATION DU METRO D’EREVAN LANCEE

ARMENIE

Le gouvernement armenien a lance le debut de la deuxième phase d’un
projet visant a moderniser le metro d’Erevan. Le travail sera finance
par un pret de 5 millions d’euros accordes par la Banque europeenne
d’investissement. Le pret est accorde avec une echeance de 15 ans.

Les fonds seront utilises pour renover le materiel roulant, restaurer
les lignes de chemin de fer uses et les composants d’alimentation. Le
drainage du tunnel devrait generer d’importantes economies
d’electricite en raison de la reduction des coûts de pompage d’eau.

Une partie de l’argent servira a acheter de nouvelles voitures. Ce pret
fait partie d’un programme d’investissement de 15 millions d’euros.

Le projet l a permis au Metro d’Erevan d’ameliorer la qualite et
l’efficacite de ses services ainsi que de renforcer sa performance
operationnelle et les conditions de securite des passagers.

Le Metro d’Erevan appartient a l’Etat, le système de transport
souterrain a ete construit en 1981 et represente aujourd’hui l’epine
dorsale des transports publics a Erevan.

La première phase de 5 millions d’euros a ete achevee a la fin 2012.

La deuxième phase est prevue pour etre achevee en decembre 2015.

mardi 30 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

MOSCOW AND YEREVAN AT ODDS OVER ARMS SALES AND A BATHROBE

Transitions Online, Czech Republic
July 29 2013

Russia sends weapons to Armenia’s arch foe just as an Armenian truck
driver faces a court in inappropriate dress. From EurasiaNet.org.

by Gayane Abrahamyan29 July 2013

At first glance, the connection between a fatal 13 July traffic
accident outside Moscow and Armenia’s strategic partnership with
Russia may not be obvious. But, to many Armenians, a link exists, and
it comes in the form of a woman’s yellow-and-pink flowered bathrobe.

The robe, worn in court by 46-year-old Armenian truck driver Hrachya
Harutiunian, who is charged with causing the crash that killed 18
people and injured 30, has sparked a massive outpouring of anger
in Armenia at what is seen as a deliberate humiliation by Russia,
long touted as the country’s “closest friend.”

Russian officials claimed that Harutiunian was dressed in the robe
(and bedroom slippers) only because his own clothes had been ruined
in the crash. But the explanation fell on largely deaf ears.

With his head buried in his hands, the weeping Harutiunian, a veteran
of the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Azerbaijan, quickly became a symbol
of other alleged recent affronts by Russia – in particular, Moscow’s
$1 billion arms deal with diehard Armenian foe, Azerbaijan. Photos of
the bedraggled Harutiunian and a video report by Russia’s state-run
RTR TV that described him as a “mooing Armenian murderer” fueled
protests on 16 and 17 July outside the Russian Embassy in Yerevan
and consulate in the northwestern town of Gyumri.

In Armenia, as elsewhere in the South Caucasus, perceived public
affronts to a man’s dignity can quickly spell trouble. A response to
defend that dignity is considered obligatory. In this case, though,
protesters and others saw the “humiliating, belittling” insult
as directed not only toward the Armenian defendant, but Armenians
in general.

Resentment has been growing for months against Russia for supposedly
not treating Armenia as an equal, and, in this macho, conservative
society, the sight of an Armenian veteran dressed in a woman’s robe
proved the last straw for many.

The anger with Moscow began brewing in Armenian political circles last
month, when it became known that Russia, which holds a 49-year lease
on an army base in Gyumri, had sold $1 billion worth of armaments
to Azerbaijan, including 18 powerful BM-30 Smerch multiple-rocket
launchers.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev characterized
the deal as “purely commercial,” but some Armenian analysts call it
purely treacherous. “This is an important expression of Russia’s
cynical policy, demonstrating … that the complementary policy
[of building close ties with both Russia and the West] is no longer
acceptable” to the Kremlin, commented Stepan Grigorian, director of
Yerevan’s Analytical Center of Globalization and Regional Cooperation.

Armenian-Russian relations undergo periodic strains, but the publicity
about the arms deal with Azerbaijan appeared “a deliberate calculation
to let Armenia know that it should no longer rely on them,” argued
political analyst Aghasi Yenokian, director of the Armenian Center
for National and International Studies.

Analysts link that alleged shift in attitude to Armenia’s pending
Association Agreement with the European Union, scheduled for signature
this fall. Yerevan has dodged joining the Russia-led Eurasian Customs
Union, a sort of post-Soviet alternative to the EU, and Moscow has
not hidden its irritation. On 11 July, Konstantin Zatulin, director
of the Commonwealth of Independent States Institute, warned that
“Yerevan should not forget that Russia is Armenia’s security guarantee,
not the European Union.”

But many Armenians would like to forget just that. Russia’s hold on
Armenia’s economy – via energy, railways, and telecommunications,
and as a market for Armenian labor migrants – doubles as a noose,
some say. The recent increase in prices for Russian gas, on which
Armenia depends, and subsequent protests over higher transportation
fares in Yerevan, only underlined that dependence.

Against that backdrop, Russia’s behavior toward Harutiunian and
offhand attitude toward arms sales to Azerbaijan have delivered
the message that “‘I own you and will do whatever I want to,” argued
parliamentarian Lyudmila Sarksian, a member of the opposition Armenian
National Congress faction.

Opposition leader Raffi Hovhannisian, the former presidential
candidate, agrees. “If Russia, our strategic partner, is supplying
a billion dollars’ worth of weaponry to a country that wants to
erase Armenia and Karabakh from the world map, what kind of strategic
partnership is that?” he asked reporters on 17 July. The treatment of
truck driver Harutiunian should serve as a further “alert,” he added.

Sociologist Aharon Adibekian, head of the Sociometer Research Center,
believes, though, that ultimately the truck-driver scandal will have
only a “temporary” impact on ties between Armenia and Russia.

“There have been similar cases when passions flared up, but public
revolts such as this do not have a tangible impact on global politics,”
Adibekian said. “This is a merely emotional upheaval, and public
memory is short.”

Hovhannes Sahakian, secretary of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia’s parliamentary faction, concurs. The outcry over
Haruitiunian’s court appearance “has such a resonance just because
its timing coincided with the arms deal with Azerbaijan, but they
shouldn’t be connected to each other”

Nonetheless, sensing themselves on the defensive for Armenia’s policies
toward Russia, pro-government politicians such as Parliamentary
Speaker Hovik Abrahamian have condemned the treatment of Harutiunian
as “unacceptable and inhumane” and called for those responsible to
be held accountable.

Statements by the Russian Embassy in Yerevan and Foreign Ministry
indicate, however, that Moscow sees Armenians’ anger more as an attempt
“by certain people” to try and “manipulate the tragedy” of the traffic
accident and “ignite anti-Russian passions.”

Some Armenian observers have echoed those allegations, claiming that
either “certain Western elements” or Russia itself, in a supposed
bid “to get rid of their commitments to Armenia,” stand behind the
protests and criticism.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin has stressed that
investigation of the accident will be fair. Harutiunian, who faces
seven years in prison, is undergoing psychiatric treatment in Moscow.

Gayane Abrahamyan is a freelance reporter and editor in Yerevan. This
article originally appeared on EurasiaNet.org.

FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI HOLDS TALKS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER EDWARD NALBANDIAN OF ARMENIA

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China (PRC)
July 29 2013

2013/07/25

On July 25, 2013, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Wang Yi said that the most important sectors which characterize
China-Armenia relationship are to respect, care for and support each
other. The Chinese government under the new leadership highly values
the relationship with Armenia, and is willing to work with Armenia
to deepen bilateral cooperation, to strengthen coordination for
international and regional affairs and to advance bilateral relations
to a new level.

Edward Nalbandian spoke highly of the outcome of the development of
Armenia-China relationship. He expressed that Armenia is willing to
make joint efforts with China to push forward the bilateral relations
for greater development.

Following the talks, both sides signed the “Protocol on Consultation
between Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia”.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES THE EU DOESN’T BOYCOTT

The Jewish Press
July 29 2013

Amid its divestment from Judea and Samaria, the EU refuses to boycott
ongoing human rights abuses in Morocco and Armenia.

By: Rachel Avraham Published: July 29th, 2013

Observers on the ground report that the European Union (EU) turns a
blind eye to, if not encourages, international law violations and human
rights abuses by Morocco and Armenia. Despite blatant exploitation of
residents of the illegally occupied Western Sahara and Nargano-Karabakh
regions, the EU encourages trade with Morocco and Armenia.

The EU’s position is appalling in light of the boycott it recently
announced against goods from Judea and Samaria, despite the fact that
international law recognizes Israel’s right to these areas. While
it is the only vibrant liberal democracy in the Middle East, Israel
remains the target of the EU’s unjust boycott attempts. These attempts
have been roundly condemned by top international figures, not least
of all because they actually harm the Palestinians whose plight these
boycotts supposedly advance.

THE EU SUPPORTS MOROCCO’S WESTERN SAHARA OCCUPATION

The EU is establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
with Morocco, despite the country’s illegal Western Sahara occupation
and the inexplicably ignored routine violations of the Sahrawi people’s
human rights. By way of background, Morocco illegally occupied the
Western Sahara on the eve of its independence from Spain in 1975,
forcing most of the Sahrawi nation to relocate to refugee camps in
neighboring Algeria. Several UN Security Council Resolutions and a 1975
decision by the International Court of Justice support the indigenous
Sahrawi people’s right to establish a sovereign nation in the Western
Sahara. However, French support for the Moroccan government has thus
far prevented effective human rights monitoring in the Western Sahara.

Human rights organization Sahara Thawra issued a statement against
any trade agreements with Morocco based on the following reasons.

First, the agreement violates provisions of international law that
prohibit exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources without
consent of the Sahrawi people via their official representative. Even
with consent, the agreement may still violate international law,
since it may adversely affect the local population, which is illegal.

Second, the proposed agreement supports large agribusiness at the
expense of local Sahrawi farmers, the Western Saharan environment,
and the rights of the Sahrawi people, which were not taken into
account in any manner. Finally, the agreement violates the democratic
clause required in all EU agreements with third party countries,
thereby permitting the human rights abuses that routinely occur in
the Western Sahara to continue unabated. These abuses include:

~UDestruction of Sahrawi cultural heritage sites;

~UAbduction, torture, and rape of outspoken Sahrawi independence
activists;

~UProhibitions against the Sahrawi people giving their children
Sahrawi names or representing their culture in festivals;

~UIllegal Moroccan settlements within the Western Sahara which are
making the Sahrawi people a minority in their own country; and

~UEconomic exploitation of the Western Sahara to the sole advantage
of Morocco.

EU MAINTAINS FINANCIAL TIES WITH ARMENIA, DESPITE THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH
OCCUPATION

As Armenia’s main trade partner, the EU accounts for 30 percent
of Armenia’s total trade. Slated for implementation in 2014, the
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement that Armenia and the
EU started negotiating a year ago is critically important for this
Eurasian nation.

While the EU purportedly supports Armenian neighbor Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity, observers say that the EU’s continued financial
ties with Armenia undermine this position. Specifically, Armenia
continues to occupy portions of Azerbaijan, refusing to implement
numerous UN Security Council Resolutions recognizing Azerbaijani
claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“Azerbaijan has suffered from Armenian occupation for many years.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a historical land of Azerbaijan,” said Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev. “A policy of ethnic cleansing was carried out
against Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas.”

As a result of the occupation, he adds, more than one million
Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons with
substantial destruction to property, including public buildings,
historical monuments, tombs, and mosques destroyed by Armenians. To
date, there is no EU proposal to boycott Armenia for its flagrant
violations of international human rights law.

Visit United with Israel.

About the Author: Rachel Avraham is a recent immigrant to Israel. She
is the content manager and a writer for United with Israel’s website
(UnitedwithIsrael.org) and is currently working on an M.A. in Middle
Eastern Studies at Ben-Gurion University, the topic of her thesis is
“Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in
the American, Israeli and Arab Media.”

Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]

ABMDR Gala marks major milestones in life-saving mission

Annual celebration attended by hundreds of supporters,
including elected officials and healthcare leaders

Los Angeles, July 28, 2013 – Hope of Life, the 14th annual Gala of the
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), took place on the night of
July 14 at the Glendale Hilton, in Glendale, California. The highly
anticipated community event celebrated major milestones that were
reached throughout the past year, and honored many individuals and
establishments for their outstanding support of the registry’s cause.

Over 400 attended Hope of Life, which kicked off with a cocktail hour
and silent auction in the foyer and terrace of the hall.

The evening’s main program began with the opening remarks of Tatevik
Ekezian Madjarian, who acknowledged the presence of numerous
dignitaries, elected officials, and healthcare leaders. They included
Arch. Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese; Joseph Matossian,
Minister of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Father
Vazken Atmajian, representing Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian of the Western
Prelacy; California State Senator Carol Liu; representatives of
Congressman Adam Schiff, State Assemblyman Mike Gatto, and Los Angeles
County Supervisor Michael Antonovich; Glendale City Councilman Zareh
Sinanyan; Glendale Unified School District president Greg Krikorian;
Glendale Memorial Hospital president Jack Ivie and vice-president of
Business Development David Mauss; Glendale Memorial Health Foundation
vice-president Wayne Herron; Dr. Stuart Siegel and Dr. Neena Kapoor of
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, Professor at
the Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, and Dr.
Arpenik Avagyan; and, representing the event’s major sponsors, Ramella
Markarian and Peter Baker of Glendale Adventist Medical Center, and Mike
Sarian of Prime Healthcare Services.

Tatevik Ekezian Madjarian also welcomed representatives of several
community organizations, including the Armenian-American Medical
Society, Armenian Nurses Association, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian
Cycling Association, and Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce, as well
as Chamlian School principal Vazken Madenlian.

Next to take the podium was Gala chairperson Naz Atikian, who thanked
the attendees for their `unflinching support, year after year.’ `We
are here today because of you,’ Atikian said.

As he took the stage following Atikian’s address, Master of Ceremonies
and ABMDR Board of Directors chair Mark Geragos, Esquire, cast a glance
at the history of the registry. `It’s truly amazing that this
organization started off with only a handful of donors 14 years ago,’
he said. `Today it has over 24,000 potential bone marrow donors in 18
countries. Growth of this scale has been made possible by not only
relentless hard work, but also the extraordinary vision of the woman I’m about to introduce, Dr. Frieda Jordan, who is the heart and soul of
ABMDR.’

After being greeted with a standing ovation, Dr. Jordan began her
address by reflecting on the evening’s theme. `Hope of Life: yes,
there is no better way to describe the work we do,’ she said.

`Each of you who has volunteered time and expertise at a recruitment
drive, or helped organize fundraising events, well knows that striving
to save lives, with precious time ticking away, is hard and stressful
work,’ Dr. Jordan continued. `But we do what is hard for one reason:
to make it easier on our patients and their families, who bear such
physical and emotional pain. I reflect on this moment with gratitude,
and thank you all for making what we do a little easier.’

Next Dr. Jordan recognized the 2013 ABMDR Award recipients and the
evening’s major sponsors, Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Prime
Healthcare Services. She also conveyed her gratitude to the registry’s
Lifetime Supporters; the Western Diocese for ongoing outreach support;
His Holiness Karekin II for conferreing on her the St. Nerses the
Graceful Medal; and the registry’s numerous volunteers, benefactors,
committee chairs, and the staff of the ABMDR Stem Cell Harvesting Center
in Yerevan for advancing the organization’s cause.

Before concluding her remarks, Dr. Jordan announced that in September
2012 the registry held its first-ever Walkathon on the East Coast, in
Boston, and thanked the Kardashian family for helping raise public
awareness of the ABMDR mission, as well as the Armenian Cyclist
Association for dedicating its most recent annual bike ride to raising
funds for the registry.

Afterwards Dr. Jordan invited to the podium Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive
director of ABMDR and head of its Stem Cell Harvesting Center.

`When people ask about the evolution of ABMDR, we often respond with
numbers,’ Dr. Avagyan said. `To date, we tell them, the registry has
recruited over 24,000 donors in 18 countries across four continents,
identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone marrow transplants.
But our fight to find life-saving donor-patient matches is not merely
about numbers. As importantly, we continue to increase the quality of
the services we provide for patients. Thus, for instance, we have made
significant enhancements to our Stem Cell Harvesting Center; we have
purchased equipment and provided training for Armenia’s – and the
Caucasus region’s – first auto-transplantation procedure; we have
adopted a new test with allows us to gauge a patient’s sensitivity to
chemotherapy drugs; and we have begun to implement immunophenotyping,
which is a major step forward for Armenia in blood-disease diagnostics,
prediction, and treatment.’

Subsequently Dr. Jordan invited this year’s honorees to the stage. The
Woman of the Year and Man of the Year Award were bestowed on Amy
Boyadjian and Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, respectively; the Volunteer of the
Year Awards were bestowed on Hilda Gourdikian and Harmik Baghdasarian;
the Armenian-American Medical Society (AAMS) of California and its
Ladies’ Auxiliary Committee received the Organization of the Year
Award, with AAMS president Dr. Vicken Sepilian and Ladies’ Auxiliary
Committee chair Ramella Markarian accepting the award; the ABMDR Comedy
Night Committee was named Team of the Year; and Children’s Hospital
Los Angeles received the Establishment of the Year Award, which was
accepted by Dr. Stuart Siegel and Dr. Neena Kapoor.

In 2012, Drs. Siegel and Kapoor were instrumental in providing vital
physician trainings to help ABMDR create the necessary infrastructure
and skill base for starting to perform autotransplantation procedures in
Armenia.

In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Siegel said, `I have never seen an
organization, such as ABMDR, come together so rapidly, identify a
mission so clearly, and make it happen. You all deserve a tremendous
amount of applause for doing something that I don’t think I’ve seen
any organization pull off so impressively.’

In addition to the main awards, special plaques were bestowed on
Glendale Adventist Medical Center, accepted by vice-president of
Business Development Peter Baker; Mike Sarian of Prime Healthcare
Services; Arpine Zohrabyan, who has helped save a child’s life by
becoming a matched bone marrow stem cell donor; and Andrew Nazarian, a
high-school senior who had a key role in the realization of the Armenian
Cycling Association’s bike ride benefiting ABMDR – the 136-mile
Glendale-to-San Diego ride, called `Cycle for Life,’ raised close to
$10,000.

During the award ceremony, Tatevik Ekezian Madjarian read a letter of
congratulation by patient Cici, and accepted a plaque of recognition on
her behalf.

Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to spirited
performances by violinist Allen and singer Arthur (known as Mr. X).

The Gala drew to a close with the announcement of this year’s ABMDR
lottery winners.

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide survive
life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching
donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date,
the registry has recruited over 24,000 donors in 18 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone
marrow transplants.

Car bomb hits Turkish embassy in Somali capital

July 27, 2013 – 21:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A car loaded with explosives rammed into the gates
of an office housing Turkish embassy staff in the Somali capital,
killing three people, witnesses and police said on Saturday, July 27,
according to Reuters.

“A suicide car bomb targeted a building housing Turkish embassy
workers near k4 (Kilometer Four),” Ahmed Mohamud, police officer told
Reuters from the scene of the blast.

Mohamud later said the number of dead was three – Somali civilians and
a suspected suicide bomber, while nine others had been wounded.

“The car was taking advantage of a Turkish car that was going into the
building, thus the car bomb exploded and destroyed the gate,” he said.

Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels claimed responsibility for the
attack, as they have for previous bombings, including one in mid-July
that killed eight civilians.

“Mujahideen forces in Mogadishu have just carried out an operation
targeting a group of Turkish diplomats in Hodan district,” al Shabaab
said on its Twitter feed.

Al Shabaab was forced out of bases in Mogadishu by Somali and African
forces about two years ago, raising hopes of a return to relative
security in a city hit by years of turmoil.

But militants have kept up guerrilla-style attacks and continue to
control large rural areas, challenging the authority of a government
less than one year old.

In the most recent brazen attack, its members attacked the main UN
compound in the capital in June, killing 22 people.

The group said earlier this month it was aiming to increase the number
of attacks carried out during the Ramadan fasting period.

HAUT KARABAGH
Les Arméniens ont répondu aux 220 violations du cessez-le-feu de l’Azerbaïdjan

Selon le Ministère de la Défense de la République du Haut Karabagh la
semaine écoulée, entre le 21 et le 27 juillet, le cessez-le-feu a été
violé à 220 reprises par l’Azerbaïdjan à la frontière arméno-azérie.
Plus d’un millier de projectiles furent tirés depuis les positions
azéries en direction des soldats Arméniens. Mais Stepanakert affirme
que les Arméniens « furent contraints de prendre des mesures
nécessaires pour contrer les agressions de l’ennemi et lui donner une
réponse appropriée ». En clair, les forces arméniennes donnèrent une
réplique cinglante à l’agression azérie.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 28 juillet 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

3 VISUAL EXHIBITIONS BY STUDENTS OPENING AT TUMO CENTER TODAY

12:25, July 27, 2013

On July 27, at 16:00, Tumo proudly invites you to the opening of a
group exhibition featuring original visual compositions by students
in three of our premier summer design and communication workshops.

Exploratory Form

On display will be computer modules featuring unique digital renderings
and podiums showcasing physical 3D models created by participants in
Narineh Mirzaeian~Rs Exploratory Form design workshop.

Actual live 3D printing of the models created by students will
also take place for viewers to observe the cutting-edge production
first-hand.

Objects That Tell Stories

The final component of the exhibit will feature video projections and
glass case installations of objects collected by students depicting
the rich history of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Having worked with
artist Silvina Der-Meguerditchian and historians Vahe Tachjian and Elke
Hartmann~Wdirectors of the web-based project Houshamadyan~Wstudents
will visually present the captivating collection of oral histories,
memory items, and primary stories they gathered in regards to Ottoman
Armenian life.

Object Photography

Hacob Khodaverdian~Rs creative photography and object storytelling
workshop will also be represented with a multi-platform display of
over 15 student photographs. The exhibit will be a cumulative display
of the creative photography, lighting, composition, post production,
and digital techniques explored by the students in the workshop led
by the award-winning photographer.

WHAT IS ARMENIA’S PRICE OF COMPLETION OF NEGOTIATIONS?

When will the text of the EU-Armenia Association Agreement be
published? Negotiations are already over. This issue has a particular
importance for Armenia not because the negotiations were confidential
and the society must be informed. The point is that during Serzh
Sargsyan’s presidency a peculiar tradition has been established. The
results of diplomatic negotiations of the government are disclosed
to the society suddenly at midnight.

So was the disclosure of the Armenian-Turkish roadmap. So was the
revelation of the Armenian-Turkish protocols. And if the tradition
is followed, one night the text of the Association Agreement will
be published.

It’s a joke but the completion of the EU-Armenia negotiations was a
surprise. Most probably, it is the result of the latest visit of the
Commissioner for Enlargement and ENP Stefan Fule to Yerevan. Fule came
to Yerevan a few weeks ago and he made important statements with an
unexpectedly blunt text, opening the cards.

Before the visit Fule’s spokesperson had stated that the visit will be
crucial to pre-signing of the Association Agreement in Vilnius. The
statement seemed strange because there were several months to go
before November but now it is clear that the key importance was the
completion of negotiations – Fule came to finalize the negotiations.

It is not accidental that he stated the necessity to disclose the
specific benefits of the Association Agreement for the citizens of
Armenia. Now that the negotiations have been completed, the Armenian
government has to publish the text.

In Yerevan Fule made several important statements on financial support
to reforms. The quick completion is also interesting from this point
of view. It is not ruled out that the completion cost money – the EU
pledged financial support if Yerevan completes negotiations quickly.

And Yerevan did it.

Apparently, Brussels has figured out that this is the only possible
way of interaction with Yerevan, so not only the speed of the
process but also the process itself may be jeopardized unless the
government has financial interests. Europe’s doubts were felt from
recent statements of European diplomats. The last drop was Serzh
Sargsyan’s visit to Poland where Poland’s president came up with a
reminder that Armenia must make a choice between the Customs Union and
the Association Agreement. Perhaps, Komorowski reported to Brussels
that Serzh Sargsyan is not reliable and it is necessary to talk to
him specifically, after which Fule arrived in Yerevan, stating that
his visit would mark a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, specific talk to the Armenian government is funding.

Brussels has apparently gone for this solution due to the importance
of the Association process. It means that the process is important
to Europe and is not determined by a political protocol. Perhaps,
Brussels needed to accelerate the process and reach the point when
the subject matter of the negotiations would be revealed. Therefore,
it was necessary to finish the negotiations because the Armenian side
was against publishing it.

Probably, the EU expected to end its certain dependence on the
Armenian government if the content is published and will be able to
work towards Association with the society as well, thereby ensuring
more reliable prospects for the process.

James Hakobyan 10:34 27/07/2013 Story from Lragir.am News: