Author: nina hovnanian

Fars News Agency, Iran
Nov 11 2012

Armenian Minister Lauds Iran’s Unbiased Stance on Karabakh Issue

TEHRAN (FNA)- Armenia’s Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasian praised
Iran’s impartial stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Iran has acted very logically and impartially with regard to the
issue of Karabakh,” Tovmasian said in a meeting with his Iranian
counterpart Morteza Bakhtiari on Sunday.

As regards bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries,
Tovmasian stressed that there is no impediment to the further
expansion of Iran-Armenia relations.

Iranian officials have on many occasions voiced Tehran’s readiness to
help resolve the territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia
over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Iran has long taken various diplomatic initiatives to expand its ties
with the neighboring states.

In recent years, Iran and its Northern neighbor Armenia have boosted
cooperation, signed agreements on energy cooperation and agreed to
cooperate in technology and research and to enhance ties in commerce
and economy.

ACA-PAC Calls On Obama For Stronger Support in the Next Four Year to
Armenian Issues

Friday, November 9th, 2012

The Armenian Council of America PAC sent a letter addressed to Barack
Obama congratulating him on his reelection as the President of the
United States. The letter also noted the community’s hopes that the
administration will address issues of great importance for Armenian
Americans. The following is the letter in its entirety:

Dear President Obama,

The Armenian Council of America-PAC (ACA-PAC) would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate you on your momentous victory in the 2012
Presidential Elections.
Your plans set forth to recover the economy and the urgency to restore
faith in the American working class has evoked a new sense of
confidence that was lost in the American people during these harsh
economic times of home foreclosures, unemployment and poverty.

We applaud your conviction in giving every American a chance to
succeed and ensuring that healthcare will be available and affordable
for the middle class and low-income families.
As a proud Armenian-American political organization that endorsed you
for your second term as President, we hope that in the next four years
your Administration will address the following issues that are of
great importance to Armenian-Americans:

1. Urge Azerbaijan to refrain from hostile rhetoric and actions
against the Republics of Armenia and Karabagh and seek a lasting
settlement for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based upon America’s founding
commitment to the principles of democracy and self determination.

2. Urge Turkey to reopen its border with Armenia without any
preconditions and re-emphasize the need for Turkey to come to terms
with its own history and accept the Genocide as a historical fact.

3. Utilize the proper English term of Genocide in reference to the
Genocide of Armenians by the Young Turks in the Ottoman Empire.

4. Have your foreign policy team pay more attention to issues of
governance and development in the Republic of Armenia.

5. Make the safety and security of Armenians and other vulnerable
minority communities affected by the Syrian conflict a priority.

We are looking forward to your leadership in these matters for the
next four years and beyond.

Armenian government to increase number of students trained in best
universities of the world

arminfo
Saturday, November 10, 12:36

The Armenian government is going to double the number of students
trained in the best universities of the world by means of increasing
the budget of the “Luis” foundation up to $100 mln, Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said at today’s official ceremony dedicated to the
start of the fundraising, held in Sardarapat village of Armavir region
of Armenia. “Today we start a movement that will consolidate all
Armenians, as everybody understands that one can be competitive in the
21-st century only if he gets good education”, – he said.

As ArmInfo correspondent reported from Sardarapat, the premier also
said that today 260 Armenian students have been trained in 10 best
universities of the world. The Foundation was set up in time and the
funds spent for education will be multiply compensated in the country.
he said. “Armenia needs new ideas and solutions which maybe supplied
thanks to getting of a new modern education by the young people”, –
Sargsyan said.

To recall, “Luis” foundation was founded in 2008 under the patronage
of President Serzh Sargsyan. The foundation pays half of a student’s
expenditure for training in the best universities of the USA, the
Great Britain and other countries of Europe.

The Bridge to New Julfa: The Golden Age and Lasting Influence of
Isfahani Armenians

POSTED BY AJAM MEDIA COLLECTIVE
=8B=85 OCTOBER 29, 2012 =8B=85
*FILED UNDER* ARMENIA ,
ARMENIANS
, ARMENIANS IN IRAN ,
DIASPORA , ETHNIC MINORITIES IN
IRAN ,
HISTORY
, IRAN ,
ISFAHAN
, NEW JULFA

*Part II of* *a guest post written by Afsheen Sharifzadeh, a student at
Tufts University focusing on Iran and the Caucasus. Check out Part I, =80=9CThe
Bridge to New Julfa: A Historical Look at the Armenian-Iranian Community
of Isfahan’, here
*

Interior of Vank Cathedral, New Julfa, Isfahan

The Safavids left an
appreciable Caucasian imprint on Iranian society by interweaving Armenian,
Georgian, and Circassian elements into the socio-political fiber of the
empire. Promising young Caucasian men were trained to become
politically-influential *ghulms*, or royal pages, and Shahs, governors,
and commanders alike were born of Caucasian mothers. In fact, the *
seph-slr* (Commander-in-Chief) of the Persian armies in Afghanistan and
appointed Governor of Kandahar in the early 18th century was none other
than the former King Giorgi XI of
Georgia, under
the Persian allonym `*GorgÄ«n Khan*’.

But Shah Abbas I had a
unique vision for a certain group of Armenians, and among his greatest
achievements was his creation of a semi-autonomous Armenian merchant
oligarchy in his new capital, Isfahan. In this exclusive, custom-built
suburb called New Julfa ,
the Armenians were permitted if not outwardly encouraged to preserve their
distinct cultural, linguistic and religious identity, while melding
harmoniously with the sovereign Persian socio-political infrastructure.
Indeed, the Armenian merchant community of New Julfa became the crown jewel
of the Safavid economy in the 17th century.

Few people realize that some common words in English are vestiges of the
Iranian silk imports to Europe. For example, the word `seersucker’ comes
from the Persian *shÄ«r-u-shakar*, which means `cream and sugar’ and denotes
a thread color. The more familiar `pajamas’ are from the word *p-jmah*,
the contemporary word denoting trousers in Persian. Many other terms
relating to textiles and clothing came from Persian into European languages
as a result of New Julfan trade interactions.

The merchants of New Julfa were among the wealthiest merchants in the Old
World by the end of the 17th century. Contemporary French traveler Jean
Chardin wrote that, in 1673=80`
just two generations after the Julfan Armenians were exiled from the
Caucasus to Iran- Agha Piri, the head of the Armenian Community of
Isfahan
and one of its richest merchants, owned a fortune greater than
2,000,000 *livres
tournois *(the equivalent of 1,500 kg of gold). Contrast with the textile
merchants Beauvais and Amiens (the wealthiest merchants in France in the
same period), the wealth of these two inventoried at their deaths amounted
to 60,000 and 163,000 *livres tournois* respectively-a figure then
considered astronomical. Yet these two figures combined amounted to barely
a tenth of Agha Piri’s fortune.

St. Thaddeus Monastery (Pers: Qarakelis, Arm: Sourp T’adeos Vank), Maku,
Iran

The Safavids were determined to please the New Julfans while simultaneously
transforming their exclusive suburb into a strategic center of religious
and mercantile activity for Armenians around the world. Indeed this
royally-backed centrism effort is reflected in the official Armenian title
for the provost of the suburb, *Hayots T’ak’avor* (=80=9CKing of Armenians’).
Shah Abbas I even issued a *farmn* in 1615 to dismantle the holiest church
to the Armenian Orthodoxy, the Echmiadzin
Church in
the Caucasus, and have the stones transported to New Julfa and reassembled
to form a new mother church for the Armenian people according to the
architectural taste of the Armenian clergy in Isfahan. The New Julfan
merchant council however staunchly opposed this act, and eventually settled
for the removal of just a few foundation stones for the construction of the
superficially mosque-like Vank Cathedral (*Sourp Amenaprgich Vank*). The
Catholicos of Echmiadzin approved the creation of a new `Diocese of New
Julfa’ in Isfahan, which became known as the `Diocese of Persia and India’ (
*Parska-Hndkastani T’em*) headed by the `Archbishop of New
Julfa’, and had
jurisdiction over all Armenian communities in Persia, India, and Java.

Dzordzor Chapel (Armenian: Sourp Astvatsatsin), Northern Iran

It is only logical that the relationship between the New Julfans and the
Safavid royal family was incredibly warm and politically-loaded, for these
merchants were the wealthiest lot in the realm behind the Shah himself. A
notably prosperous and powerful early provost of the suburb, Khoja Nazar of
the Shafraz family, is even called `Shah Nazar’ in Persian
mercantile
documents-a faculty that was unthinkable for any of his Muslim
contemporaries.

The Shah allowed the New Julfans to wear their distinctive Armenian garbs
and headgear, and ruled unconditionally in their favor in disputes with
Muslims. At the request of the New Julfans, the Shah issued a *farmn*
forbidding
European evangelists such as Franciscans,
Capuchins,
Jesuits, and Carmelites from proselytizing in New Julfa. Most notably, he
stopped the schemes of a certain Portuguese Augustinian monk in Isfahan
named Diego who sought to align New Julfa with the Roman Catholic Church
and bring the Armenians into communion with the Papacy.

Prominent New Julfan families even made a regular tradition of inviting the
Shah to their mansions to celebrate Christmas festivities and `Epiphany’,
wherein children born up to two months before Christmas were baptized in
the Zyandeh Rûd in the Shah’s presence. Tavernier gives
a splendid account
of Christmas meals, wherein the Shah’s gold tableware would be transported
from the palace to the host’s house along with food from the royal
kitchen.
After the meal, the Armenians would offer magnificent gifts including large
amounts of silver, gold, and valuable gifts of European origin to the Shah
in gold basins. But this was nothing much compared to the principle gift
that went to the Shah’s mother on Christmas Day.

Si-o-Se Pol (previously Allahverdi Khan bridge) spanning the Zayandeh Rud

The Armenians of New Julfa served as brokers on behalf of Persia in both
commercial and political contexts due to their common faith with Christian
Europe and their familiarity with the languages and the traditions of the
peoples of both East and the West. The provost (*kalntar*) of New Julfa
was chosen to hold official receptions of foreign embassies to Isfahan on
the Allahverdi Khan bridge (later renamed Si-o-Se Pol), and the Armenians
acted as a welcoming committee often introducing foreign visitors to the
court. Hovhannes Vardapet, a native of New Julfa, introduced the first
printing press into Persia from Italy, and the first book printed in Iran
was the Armenian*Saghmos* (Psalms) in 1638. It was also the Armenians of
New Julfa who reportedly supplied the Shah with 200 modern European
firearms-the first of their kind in Iran-during the fall of Isfahan to the
invading Ghilzai Afghans in 1722.

Children in traditional Armenian costume, New Julfa, Isfahan (1993)

The Armenian vernacular of Isfahan developed a highly distinct character
from other Eastern varieties of the
language marked
by sound shifts under influence from Persian, retention of Armenian lexical
and phonemic archaisms (most notably the alveolar pronunciation of =80=9CÕ=90′ as
that is highly distinctive of modern-day Isfahani Armenians), and
the
vast number of Persian loanwords, phrases, and calques (i.e. coll.P *tamūm
shod o raft* =86′ JA *verchatsav gnats*) that made their way into everyday
speech. Among these lexical borrowings was `*akhtibar*’ (from
Persian

Turkey was no option for me – Aras Ozbilis

news.am
November 10

I chose the national team of Armenia because I consider myself to be
an Armenian, national squad and Russia’s FC Kuban of Krasnodar
midfielder Aras Ozbilis stated.

`Turkey was not an option for me. I had to choose between the national
teams of Armenia and Holland.

When I was playing at [FC] Ajax [of Amsterdam], they invited me to the
Dutch national youth team, but I chose Armenia’s national squad. I
made that decision with my heart. I decided to play for Armenia’s team
because I consider myself to be an Armenian.

We are in a difficult group in the [2014] World Cup [Brazil]
qualifying stage, but we can fight for a qualification,’ 22-year-old
Aras Ozbilis told Sportbox.

REVUE DE PRESSE
Turquie : un clocher carillonne après un siècle de silence
Il avait été détruit durant le massacre des arméniens en 1915

Marco Tosatti

Traduction d’Océane Le Gall

ROME, jeudi 8 novembre 2012 (ZENIT.org) – Presqu’un siècle après avoir
été abattu, pour avoir fait de l’ombre aux minarets, le clocher de
l’église arménienne de Diyarbakir, dans le Kurdistan turc, a été
reconstruit.

Après 97 ans de silence, le clocher s’est remis dimanche à faire
entendre ses cloches, rapporte Hurriyet online le 5 novembre 2012.

L’église de Surp Giragos avait été lourdement endommagée en 1915, au
moment où commençait le génocide des arméniens en Turquie, aujourd’hui
encore non reconnu par Ankara. Le clocher avait été démoli car il
était plus haut que les minarets des mosquées voisines.

Le 7 novembre, le premier rite arménien célébré après un siècle a été
assuré par le vice-patriarche pour la Turquie, Aram Atesay, à
l’intérieur de l’église restaurée, devant les fidèles venus des
Etats-Unis, d’Arménie et du Canada pour l’occasion.

Les travaux de restauration ont été financés par une fondation
arménienne et par les contributions de la commune de Diyarbakir,
aujourd’hui tenue par un maire du parti pro-kurde Bdp.

?l=french

samedi 10 novembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

VIE ECCLESIALE
4èmeAssemblée interdiocésaine au Saint Siège d’Etchmiadzine

Du 1er au 3 Novembre, sous la présidence de Sa sainteté Karekine II,
Patriarche suprême et Catholicos de tous les Arméniens, s’est tenue la
quatrième Assemblée interdiocésaine de l’Eglise apostolique arménienne
avec à l’ordre du jour l’examen de questions concernant notre vie
nationale et ecclésiale.

Participaient à cette assemblée les représentants des patriarcats de
Jérusalem et de Constantinople, tous les primats et légats
catholicossaux, les représentants laïcs des trente deux diocèses
d’Arménie et de la diaspora de la juridiction du saint Siège
d’Etchmiadzine ainsi que les membres du Conseil Spirituel Suprême
(Saint Synode).

Les participants ont salué avec intérêt la présence de Monsieur Serj
Sarkissian, Président de la République d’Arménie, et de Monsieur
Dikran Sarkissian, Premier ministre, aux séances de l’assemblé et
leurs interventions dans cette enceinte.

Lors de la séance du 1er Novembre, les participants ont pris
connaissance et étudié le rapport consacré aux relations du saint
Siège d’Etchmiadzine avec les autres sièges hiérarchiques de l’Eglise
arménienne : le Catholicossat de la Grande Maison de Cilicie, les
Patriarcats de Jérusalem et de Contantinople.

L’archevêque Aris Chirvanian, locum tenens du siège patriarcal de
Jérusalem, et l’évêque Sahak Machalian, représentant du Patriarcat
arménien de Constantinople, ont présenté a cette occasion leurs
rapports sur l’état de leurs sièges respectifs. S’exprimant sur
l’importance de la mission historique du siège patriarcal arménien
dans la protection des Lieux saints, les participants à l’assemblé ont
souhaité au Locum tenens le soutien du Seigneur dans la mission qui
lui a été confiée d’organiser l’élection du prochain patriarche.
L’assemblée a aussi souligné l’importance du rôle du Patriarcat de
Constantinople dans la vie nationale et ecclésiale des Arméniens de
Turquie. Préoccupés par la situation actuelle du Patriarcat et par
l’état de santé de sa béatitude Mesrop II, l’actuel patriarche, les
membres de l’assemblée ont demandé à sa Sainteté le Catholicos de
recommander au Conseil ecclésial de Constantinople d’organiser sans
tarder l’élection d’un nouveau patriarche au nom du renforcement du
siège patriarcal de Constantinople et dans l’intérêt des Arméniens de
Turquie.

L’évêque Mikaël Atchabahian, président de la Commission d’organisation
et de coordination des manifestations dédiées au centième anniversaire
du Génocide arménien a présenté à l’assemblée l’ensemble des
manifestations déjà programmées. A l’issue des débats, il a été
recommandé à la commission de préparer une trentaine de programmes :
organisation de réunions et de célébrations `cuméniques au saint Siège
d’Etchmiadzine et dans les centres spirituels des Eglises s`urs,
initiatives natalistes en Arménie, publications dans diverses langues,
etc. … Concernant ce dossier, s’exprimant au nom de l’Eglise
arménienne, l’assemblée interdiocésaine exige des autorités turques
qu’elles restaurent et restituent à l’Eglise et au peuple arménien
leurs monastères et églises en ruine en tant qu’héritiers de ces
sanctuaires situés en Turquie.

Le 2 Novembre, l’archevêque Yeznik Petrosyan, président de la
Commission mixte de canonisation – Catholicossat suprême et
Catholicossat de la Grande Maison de Cilicie – a présenté le rapport
de cette commission. Monseigneur Yeznik a exposé dans son intervention
les principes fondamentaux de la canonisation, le canon proprement dit
et les questions liturgiques en découlant, en particulier au sujet de
la canonisation des victimes du Génocide. Les délégués de l’assemblée
ont félicité le rapporteur pour le travail déjà accompli, apporté un
certain nombre de propositions et invité la commission à poursuivre
son travail en considérant comme une urgence la question de la
canonisation des victimes innocentes du Génocide.

L’évêque Archag Khatchdryan, Chancelier du saint Siège, est intervenu
au sujet du « Guide des statuts diocésains » adopté par l’assemblée
réunie en 2009. Durant les débats, ont été réaffirmés la nécessite
d’une unité canonique et de principes ecclésiologiques communs. Ayant
constaté qu’un certain nombre de diocèses n’avaient pas encore
introduit les dispositions de ce texte dans leurs statuts diocésains,
il a été décidé de repousser d’un an l’échéance de l’intégration des
articles du « Guide » dans les statuts diocésains.

Lors de la séance du 3 Novembre consacrée d’une manière plus large à
la promulgation d’une Constitution de l’Eglise arménienne, l’assemblée
a conseillé à la commission constituée précédemment de bien vouloir
travailler à la rédaction des chapitres dédiés au Concile national, au
Conseil Spirituel Suprême, au Synode des évêques et à l’Assemblée
interdiocésaine. Concernant l’Assemblée interdiocésaine, les délégués
ont décidé à l’issue de leurs travaux de la rebaptiser : « Assemblée
ecclésiale représentative de l’Eglise arménienne » ainsi que de sa
nouvelle composition qui sera de 1/3 de délégués religieux et de 2/3
de délégués laïcs.

L’évêque Armache Nalbandian, Primat du diocèse de Damas, a présenté la
situation en Syrie et l’état de la communauté arménienne de ce pays.
L’assemblée a dit sa préoccupation au sujet des combats qui se
poursuivent et des pertes humaines subies en exprimant son soutien à
la communauté arménienne de Syrie. Elle a manifesté sa satisfaction de
constater le soutien des structures publiques et ecclésiales à la
communauté arménienne et à l’Eglise apostolique arménienne de Syrie.
Mais elle a aussi recommandé aux diocèses et aux instances nationales
de poursuivre leur aide à la communauté arménienne afin de subvenir
aux besoins existants et pour compenser les préjudices subis.

L’assemblée a été clôturée par les paroles de reconnaissance et la
bénédiction de sa Sainteté le Catholicos de tous les Arméniens. Sa
Sainteté a exprimé ses remerciements aux membres de l’assemblée pour
la qualité de leurs travaux en affirmant sa conviction que les
décisions qui ont été prises à cette occasion serviront efficacement
au renforcement de la vie nationale et ecclésiale de notre peuple et à
la réalisation des objectifs de la mission de l’Eglise Apostolique
Arménienne.

Le 4 Novembre, l’ensemble des participants à l’Assemblée ecclésiale
représentative de l’Eglise arménienne ont participé aux solennités
marquant le 13ème anniversaire de l’élection de sa sainteté Karékine
II au siège de saint Grégoire l’Illuminateur. Un office d’action de
grce a suivi la Divine liturgie célébrée par Monseigneur Sahag
Machalian en la cathédrale d’Etchmiadzine. Au terme d’une imposante
procession, le clergé et les fidèles se sont rassemblés sur
l’esplanade de l’église des saints archanges de l’Académie de
Théologie où le Catholicos à consacré trois khatchkars, copies de ceux
détruits dans la nécropole de Djougha au Nakhitchévan en 2005.

L’une de ces stèles est dédiée au souvenir des victimes arméniennes de
la Seconde guerre mondiale, une à celle du séisme de 1988 et la
dernière aux combattants tombés pour la libération du Karabagh.

Centre d’information du diocèse de France de l’Eglise arménienne.

samedi 10 novembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

`Zara Is Lying, They Are Blackmailing Me,’ Edmon Marukyan Says About
Zaruhi Postanjyan

NOVEMBER 9, 2012 21:15

`You, so-called independent MP,’ Zaruhi Postanjyan, a Heritage Party
MP, addressed non-partisan MP Edmon Marukyan during a meeting of the
state and legal affairs committee of the National Assembly today.

During a conversation with , Edmon Marukyan assured that
opposition forces were blackmailing him and wanted to repress his
independent and free activities through blackmail, `They are not
successful in doing that, because my vote, for one, may coincide with
the majority’s vote and may coincide with the opposition’s vote. It
may not coincide with the position of any of them, which happened in
the Oskanian case. Now, it is a primitive method to try to make me
support the question they have raised through blackmail.’

Zaruhi Postanjyan, opposing majoritarian representation, also said
that admittedly, Edmon Marukyan was not an oligarch, but he had
appeared in the parliament thanks to certain deals.

According to Edmon Marukyan, `Zara herself knows that what she says is
a lie. So she cannot besmirch the will of no. 30 electoral district’s
voters, she cannot belittle that victory by lying, telling a lie. I
also understand that the opposition representatives have appeared in a
very bad condition as a result of that election, because now they
don’t have the main argument they had that exceptionally oligarchs
were elected through majoritarian representation. Let them say that
they want parties to mature, that is why they want only majoritarian
representation, but let them not say that only criminals, hooligans,
oligarchs, gangsters and rich people are elected. They say and look at
me. I cannot allow belittling my voters’ will in any way by that. I
know my voters, do they know theirs? I meet with my voters all the
time, they apply to me all the time and there are parties that don’t
have offices in regions. It is called an office, the logo is attached
to it, but there is no one there whom they can apply to. Therefore… as
the saying goes, don’t make me tell the truth and shame the devil.
Calm down! I know quite well the weaknesses of both the government and
those speakers. Zaruhi addresses me `you, so-called independent MP.’
Now shall I address them `you, so-called oppositionists’? There are
so-called oppositionists among the oppositionists too.’

Hripsime JEBEJYAN

Russia sacks armed forces chief

2012-11-09 15:17:39

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the armed forces
chief, just three days after the defence minister was sacked over a
corruption scandal, BBC reported.

Gen Valery Gerasimov replaces Gen Nikolai Makarov as the new armed
forces chief of general staff.

Gen Gerasimov commanded Russian forces during the conflict in Chechnya.

Russian authorities are investigating the sale of defence ministry
assets at prices below market value, BBC reported.

On Tuesday Mr Putin dismissed defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov,
replacing him with a former emergencies minister and loyal ally,
Sergei Shoigu.

Mr Shoigu presented Gen Gerasimov to President Putin in the Kremlin on
Friday, and described him as “a military man to the roots of his
hair”.

In their conversation, reported on the Kremlin’s official website, Mr
Shoigu said the general “has colossal experience, both on the general
staff and directly in the field and of course he has battle
experience”.

Mr Putin said Gen Gerasimov would have to tackle problematic relations
between the defence ministry and military enterprises.

“Often recently we’ve come up against changing orders from the defence
ministry for industrial suppliers to fulfil… the technology changes
rapidly, new means for waging war appear,” Mr Putin said.

“Of course, we need to embrace promising new technology, but we also
need a certain degree of stability.”

Vartan Oskanian’s exclusive interview
2012-11-11 17:23:57

Introduction

I had an interview with Vartan Oskanian in his office on October 15,
2012. Great part of the interview was published in French `Nouvelles
d’Arménie Magazine’ (NAM n° 190, On November 1). Complete Armenian
version is published on NAM internet page.
It is important for our Magazine editorial to confirm that VO is
currently being subjected to shameful political persecution which,
undoubtedly, makes him a victim. That is why NAM is obliged to support
him. And who is the real VO as a politician, let everyone decide for
himself. This long interview for which VO agreed should help in that
issue.
Seda Mavyan
NAM is sold in the store located in the square after Aznavour (in
front of the Moscow cinema) and in Amiryan street corner (in front of
SAS supermarket Mashtots Avenue) since the beginning of 15 from each
month.

INTERVIEW WITH VARTAN OSKANIAN

Mr. Oskanyian I know that persecution carried out towards you
obviously has political motivation, accordingly, my questions won’t
regard to its legal side but only to the political one. If we go a
little back to February, 2012 when you returned to politics. Why did
you decide to get involved in `Prosperous Armenia’ Party (PAP)?

VO: For a couple of reasons. Firstly, merely with ideology we didn’t
have any disagreements: it is a centralized and moderate party.
Secondly, I admired the fact that this Party is open for any type of
political influential figures and has never demonstrated any
aggression to other political parties as well as has never assaulted
any political figure. But the main reason of the involvement in the
PAP is that I was convinced, that only PAP is able to solve the main
issue of Armenia which is: creation of counterbalances for the
government by recovering political field through the wide circle of
Party’s reputation and supporters. I told myself if my membership
promotes strengthening the party and won’t let the Republican to get
absolute majority of votes during the parliamentary election on May 6,
if I can create the real and not formal coalition, that will be very
efficient for the democratization of the country and we can really
recover the political sphere.

SM: You stated there is an ideological similarity between you and the
PAP. But what is the PAP’s ideology which we cannot even define by
proceeding to the party’s published pre-election program before
parliamentary elections which was tragically poor. By the way, you
noted that you wished to strengthen the PAP. How that Party could be
more strengthened with your help?

VO: For me the priority was to recover the political field as I think
the main disaster of our country, which is the cause of all other
issues, is the existence of monopoly. By the way, since the
independence of Armenia although the collapse of the Soviet system,
the ruling Party’s ideology still remains. This is the source of all
issues. I thought that through PAP the political monopoly will be
probable to eliminate. But that didn’t work as parliamentary elections
were forged. If they weren’t forged, today’s government would have had
different image with a solid counterbalance and acting real
coalition. Only one Party (RPA) or an individual (Serzh Sargsyan)
won’t be able to do what they want anymore as they are to take into
account other political forces and we will be on the path of real
democracy. I repeat that it didn’t work, as parliamentary elections
were falsified but I will continue to fight for that purpose. As I
consider that is possible through the PAP for which I am involved in
that Party.
Returning to the question on party’s ideology, I must say that
pre-election program and Party’s ideology should be different. The
latter is not concluded in the pre-election program but in the party’s
executive document and Charter. I repeat: PAP is centralized,
moderate, based on cooperation and conversation, constructive,
believes in just, freedom, tolerance, free competition and property
inviolability, free market cooperation principle, when equal
conditions are created for market entrance as well as I do consider we
should be faithful to the national values and traditions and not
oppose them to globalization and progress brought developments. I
repeat, taking into consideration all these points I thought that
through the PAP I can achieve the desired goal.

SM: We accept your reasoning. But how can we admit that you are in a
political struggle with a man (Gagik Tsarukyan) about whom the
followings are said like he was convinced for a serious crime before,
uses TV exclusively for his and his party’s cult propaganda, has a
strong friendship with Belarussian President and I only mentioned 3
points what is being circulated. Likewise facts didn’t stop you to
join the PAP?

VO: I don’t agree with the above mentioned. I know Tsarukyan from the
moment when I started to negotiate with him and observed his activity.

SM: Means from when?

VO: From the establishment of the Party (in 2004) when I was the
Minister of Foreign Affairs. Started from that time I observed his
activity and at the end of 2010 started to communicate with him and
study the issue on my membership to the Party. Concerning his
personality I don’t reserve to talk about that and don’t accept terms
of your questions. Except that there is no need to give such an
importance to the relations of this or that state’s President. His
personal relations have nothing to do with the Party’s ideology. He is
a businessman and has to be in a relationship with state presidents
including Belorussian President. There is no need to judge Party’s
ideology proceeding from his personal or business relations.