Author: nina hovnanian

KINOTAVR FESTIVAL LAUREATES TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN THE COURSE OF DAYS OF RUSSIAN FILMS ON SIDELINES OF GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL

Tuesday, July 9, 12:41

Days of Russian Films will be held on July 8-12 in Yerevan on sidelines
of the GOLDEN APRICOT 10th Jubilee International Film Festival (July
7-11 in Yerevan). A number of winner-films at the Kinotavr festival
in Sochi will be demonstrated. Boris Khlebnikov’s film ‘Before the
night separates us’ will open program on July 9.

GOLDEN APRICOT 10th Jubilee International Film Festival (July 7-11 in
Yerevan) kicked off on July 7. This year again the General Sponsor
of the Festival, the proponent of subscribers’ freedom of choice
VivaCell- MTS and the Ministry of Culture of Armenia are by the
side of the festival. The 2013 is special for the “Golden Apricot”,
celebrating its 10th anniversary. The festival will host world known
cinematographers Krzysztof Zanussi, Godfrey Reggio and Jos Stelling,
bestowed with the “Parajanov’s Thaler” for their contribution in the
industry. The Charles Aznavour star was opened at the square holding
the name of the world known singer and movie actor. This year the
festival has received around 1100 applications from 94 countries (to
compare, in 2012 the number of applying countries was 67), which is
an evidence that the interest in the world toward the festival grows
year by year. This year again the festival will include international
competition programs for full feature, documentary and the “Apricot
Stone” short feature films, as well as the “Armenian Panorama”
national competition program. The films included in the competition
will be judged by four juries.

The jury of the international feature film competition will be headed
by the celebrated Hungarian director Istvan Sabo; the international
documentary film competition will be headed by the 2012 “Golden
Apricot” laureate and famous director Sergey Loznitsa. The FIPRESCI
and the Ecumenical juries will also work during the festival. The
“Yerevan Premiere”, “Retrospective Screenings” and “Tribute of Honor”
programs expected to bring surprises from the worldly masters of
cinema, occupy a special place in the festival events. The festival
will celebrate Aram Khachaturian’s 110th, Artavazd Peleshyan’s and
Nerses Hovhannisyan’s 75th anniversaries.

MOST CORRUPT BODIES IN ARMENIA ARE STATE OFFICIALS, JUDICIAL AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS

Executive director of Transparency International anti-corruption center
Varuzhan Hoktanyan, introducing the Global Corruption Barometer 2013,
noted that the most corrupt bodies in Armenia are state officials,
the judicial and healthcare systems. Police are the fourth.

Only 37% of the population believes ordinary citizens may influence
on the fight against corruption, he said adding that this is the
104th rank in 107. Hoktanyan says only 43% of the population would
like to get engaged in corruption fight, which may stand for apathy
within the society or atmosphere of fear.

He noted that in the world political parties are believed the most
corrupt bodies, but in Armenia is different.

Karine Ionesyan 12:22 09/07/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

KIRO MANOYAN: RUSSIA DID NOT BEHAVE LIKE AN ALLY

Tuesday,
July 09

The sale of Russian arms to Azerbaijan does not fit into the
framework of Armenian-Russian strategic partnership, the ARFD Party’s
representative Kiro Manoyan told reporters today.

“The deal was not a dereliction of the agreement obligations between
Armenia and Russia. But it was not the behavior to be expected by
an ally. There have been comments that the deal did not upset the
parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, nevertheless, the likelihood
of a war is increasing. Naturally Azerbaijan’s temptation to start
a war has grown,” Manoyan noted.

In his words, the Russian authorities should have known that such
behavior would not meet with approval of Armenia.

“Russia chose an economic deal to keep its influence in the region,”
Manoyan said.

TODAY, 16:25

Aysor.am

17 REAL ESTATES BELONGING TO ARMENIANS IS RETURNED IN TURKEY’S DIYARBAKIR

July 09, 2013 | 12:22

In response to the petition by the foundation of Saint Giragos Armenian
Church in Turkey’s Diyarbakir, and concerning the return of the city’s
190 pieces of real estate that once belonged to the Armenians, the
Diyarbakir Foundations’ Department reached a positive decision on
seventeen such real estates.

In line with the church register, from 1910 to 1921, a total of 190
pieces of real estate in Diyarbakir’s twenty districts belonged to
the Armenians, Ozgurhabergazetesi website of Turkey reports.

As a result of the studies that were conducted, seventeen pieces of
real estate-with an area of 15,000 square meters-, which belonged
to the Armenians, was discovered in the Sehitlik Koskler district of
Diyarbakir. But difficulties arose in connection with the return of
these areas, since there are illegal structures and public buildings
in these areas.

Foundation chairman Vartkes Ergun Ayik noted that there are
difficulties in connection with transferring these real estates in the
names of Armenians. He stressed, however, that if these real estates
are not returned with the conventional process, they will appeal to
the court.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Legislation To Be Amended to Tackle Sex-Selective Abortion

With a view to fighting sex-selective abortion, the legislation will
be amended so as to prohibit sex-selective abortions, for which
purpose during prenatal medical services parents will not be told the
sex of the child until a period when abortion will be impossible.

The head of the unit of maternal and reproductive health of the RA
Ministry of Health Gayaneh Avagyan does not think that the upcoming
legislative amendments may affect pregnant women. `Mothers will not be
told the sex of the child until the period when abortion will be
impossible,’ she told lragir.am.

Such reforms will clearly have two negative consequences. First, there
is risk of corruption. Second, under the pressure of family and other
different conditions some women may resort to late abortion when the
baby is developed, endangering their own life and health.

`Every change has both positive and negative consequences. We must be
more careful and enhance control. If cases are detected, we will
react. How can we prevent it? Show us the way and we will follow it,’
Ms. Avagyan says.

The Ministry of Health and other government agencies must think about
ways of preventing selective abortion other than legislative
amendments which expose to risk of corruption or otherwise ask for
advice from others.

Karine Ionesyan
10:40 06/07/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Express, UK
July 6 2013

Liverpool told to stump up 30m to secure Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Liverpool will have to pay over 30m to secure the services of
Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer.

By: Nick Lustig

Brendan Rodgers is eager to add the Armenian to his squad, after
letting Jonjo Shelvey join Swansea earlier this week for £5m.

And the Liverpool manager is preparing to enter the race after
Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund made an official offer
for the player.

But Shakhtar’s chief executive Sergei Palkin is adamant the playmaker
will not leave the club for less than their asking price.

He told Football.ua.: “Borussia Dortmund offered 23 million for him.

“This was the sole offer, but our position is 30 million.

“Mkhitaryan doesn’t have a release clause in his contract, but it does
spell out the penalties for unilateral termination of the contract,
which is equal to $30 million.

“If Mkhitaryan wants to terminate the contract, he must pay Shakhtar
$30 million and go to a club that he likes. If we go in a civilized
manner and sell the player, and in doing so he does not break the
contract, the value we place on him is 30 million.”

After signing goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from Sunderland last week,
Rodgers claimed the recruitment drive at Anfield was far from over
putting a creative player top of his wish list.

He told the club’s official website: “I still think another attacking,
creative player, and depending on what goes out of the club – because
naturally there might be one or two players who need to go out and
play more – then we’ll need to fill those areas that have been
vacated.”

Romanian plum may be imported for `Armenian fruit’ program

July 06, 2013 | 13:00

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s capital will host the fourth session of
Armenia-Romania inter-parliamentary commission on trade, economic,
scientific and technical cooperation.

The co-chairs of the committee are Armenian Transport Minister Gagik
Beglaryan and Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian.

During the session scheduled for July 8-9, the sides will discuss
prerequisites for active cooperation, in particular in agriculture.
The sides will discuss trade on seeds and seedlings, especially
possible import of Romanian plums for `Armenian fruit’ program.

The countries are actively cooperating in the field of culture. The
Armenian cultural center of Bucharest is hosting an exhibition
dedicated to Armenia’s Independence and 500th anniversary of the
Armenian printing.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Thomas de Waal: Armenians still have two advantages on the military side

July 06, 2013 | 17:53

Azerbaijan’s problem is that the Armenians still have two advantages
on the military side, political analyst Thomas de Waal said.

In an interview with RFE/RL Azerbaijani service, he commented on
release of the revised edition of his famous book `The Black Garden:
Armenia And Azerbaijan Through Peace And War’.

Speaking about Armenia’s advantages, the expert mentioned mountainous
landscape `which is always easier to defend than to attack’ and buying
weapons from Russia at reduced prices.

Thomas de Waal noted that Azerbaijan had turned into an oil and gas
power `but the paradox is it has got nothing, nothing with regard to
Karabakh.’

`So this has been zero success for Azerbaijan on the Karabakh issue,’
he believes.

Noting changes in Karabakh, the expert of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace said `everything has been rebuilt’ and `the
distinction between Karabakh and the seven regions around it is
beginning to blur’ which, he believes, is a rather worrying fact.

He stressed that the possible war is not only about Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Karabakh, as it will involve broader region.

`And maybe this, in a sense, is a good thing, because it means there
is an interest in the neighborhood in stopping this happening.’

Despite all mentioned problems, de Waal still thinks reconciliation is possible.

`I definitely believe reconciliation is possible. But, as you say,
there was this very unpleasant campaign against Akram Aylisli, a
respected Azerbaijani writer who was talking about peace and
reconciliation. So that obviously sends a bad message. Let’s wait and
see whether this is just a phase in Azerbaijan, if this has to do with
Azerbaijani politics, or whether this is a longer-term problem,’ he
added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

We Are Smarter Than Ninety Years Ago

Interview with Gaidz Minassian, expert of French Center for Strategic Studies

Gaidz, the EU-Armenia Association Agreement is expected to be
pre-signed in autumn but there is an issue with membership to the
Customs Union combined with pressure by Russia. It is impossible to
choose both.

There is no need to worry because history has helped us get used to
making such decisions, we have such experience. But the key question
is what we want. The issue is put as follows: if security is
important, we must face Russia because Europe as an entity does not
look like a secure direction. We saw that Europe did not do anything
for Georgia during the Russian-Georgian war. Now people are facing a
choice between security and development. The minister of defense Davit
Tonoyan has stated that it is necessary to review the national
security doctrine since Europe is going to have more influence on the
region, including Armenia.

>From this point of view, the government of Armenia must ask Russia and
Europe straightly to what extent we will lose our independence by
joining the Customs Union, whether Karabakh will enter into it as
well, who will ensure the security of the Armenian people in case they
attack Artsakh. They must ask Europe whether they will ensure our
independence if danger arises, after we sign the Association
Agreement. Currently there is lack of dialogue with both Europe and
Russia. No serious steps should be expected from Armenia except the
both option unless the Europeans and Russians provide more
explanation. There must be more focus on danger.

What effect will the foreign affairs have on domestic affairs?

In the 21st century, the era of globalization, there are no external
and internal issues, there are issues. What is happening in internal
life will have its effect on the international arena, and vice versa.
It must be clear to all the states, societies are more vibrant and
want to take part in decision making. Societies react more intensively
all over the world, the United States, France, Germany, Egypt etc.

Will the government become more accountable, will Serzh Sargsyan
display will to implement change?

For two years Serzh Sargsyan has repeated the phrase `believe to
change, change to believe’. Now he is under pressure. People want to
believe him but he must prove by action. He must attend seriously to
the recent offshore scandal and the Control Chamber report.

Is it possible that the government wants to set up an opposition inside itself?

Armenia does not have an opposition, and the opposition is to blame,
not the government. The PAP and the RPA have an internal game but the
other opposition forces in Armenia are unfortunately past. Besides,
the opposition forces do not have any levers to affect internal
affairs.

The new opposition is on the agenda. What will happen in the upcoming years?

We have just finished with elections and it is too early to consider
the next elections. However, with further democratization so many
questions will occur inside the institutions that both the government
and opposition will encounter problems. However, it does not mean that
Armenia is in danger, it means that by becoming a democratic state
Armenia will face more and more new questions, such as those of the
offshore and the Control Chamber report.

Today we are at a point of transition from feudalism to democracy and
this movement is a development crisis, not defeat or disease. We must
watch farther and ask questions to Russia, Europe and the United
States. We are smarter than ninety years ago when the West referred to
the Treaty of Sevres, and Moscow said the Bolshevists would build
peace for us. At that time we did not treat the issue seriously, we
were at war, we did not ask questions about our security. But today we
are smart, we will not repeat the past mistakes. We are stronger
today.

Siranuysh Papyan
15:00 06/07/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Poll results: Armenian authorities primarily responsible for gas price rise

14:38 – 06.07.13

Armenian authorities are primarily responsible for the rise in price
for Russian gas imported to Armenia.

Russian authorities are responsible as well, according to a poll
conducted by Tert.am.

Specifically, 949 respondents (65.5%) accuse Armenia’s authorities,
and 146 (10.1%) accuse Russia’s authorities.

Also, 118 respondents (8.1%) accuse the Armrusgasprom Company, and 188
respondents (13%) accuse the people.

Forty-seven respondents (3.2%) found it difficult to answer.

The poll was conducted from June 22 to July 6 and involved 1,448 people.

Armenian News – Tert.am