Author: nina hovnanian

MilAz.info, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2012

Mesud Yilmaz: `At present, the EU doesn’t play any role in the South
Caucasus region’

14:08 27-09-2012

`Turkey can’t let Azerbaijan be deprived from Nagorno Karabakh
region’, said Turkish former Prime Minister Mesud Yilmaz at the
international conference on ` Construction of Bridges’ on the
sidelines of his visit to Baku, APA reports.

Former PM said that Turkey would open the border with Armenia if the
above mentioned country withdraws its troops from the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.

`The protocol on border opening between Turkey and Armenia was signed
in 2009. But this step violated the interests of Azerbaijan. Turkey
faced dilemma’, said Yilmaz.

Yilmaz mentioned that Turkey was the first country that recognized the
independence of each 3 South Caucasus countries and closed the border
with Armenia when it occupied Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar region.

Former Turkish PM said the Turkey supports the sovereignty of Georgia,
but it stands against the efforts made by Mikheil Saakashvili to
return the occupied areas by means of war.

Former Turkish PM also mentioned that at present, the EU doesn’t play
any role in the region: `EU only finances some projects’.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 27 2012

No concessions on Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, says Aras

27 September 2012 / LAMIYA ADILGIZI, BAKU

A Turkish senior official has once more reiterated that Turkey will
make no concessions when it comes to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan, which was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces in the
early 1990s, and will do its utmost for the liberation of Azerbaijani
territories.

`Occupied Azerbaijani territories [Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
territories] are being accepted as Turkic land and we want to assure
our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters that we will make no concessions
on Nagorno-Karabakh no matter how many years pass, be it 15 or 150, ”
said Bülent Aras, chairman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s Center
for Strategic Research (SAM), speaking at a press conference held in
Baku on Wednesday at the conclusion of one half of `Turkey Week,’
which started in Azerbaijan on Monday.

It is already more that two decades that Nagorno-Karabakh has been
controlled by Armenian troops and local ethnic Armenian forces since a
1994 cease-fire ended a six-year war that killed an estimated 30,000
people and left about 1 million Azerbaijanis internally displaced. The
negotiations led under the auspices of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since 1992 to settle the conflict
between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh have not produced
any positive results towards the resolution of the conflict, although
it is committed to encouraging a peaceful and negotiated resolution of
the conflict.

Aras said the importance of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as
soon as possible is well and clearly understood only after one has
visited the territories close to the occupied lands of Azerbaijan and
talked to the refugees who have suffered from the war and who still
bear its physical and mental scars.

Visiting Azerbaijan’s province of AÄ?dam, half of which was occupied
during the Nagorno-Karabakh war of 1988-1994, as a part of Turkey Week
activities on Tuesday, Turkish and Azerbaijani academics got to know
the problems and difficulties the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is
imposing on local ethnic Azerbaijanis every day.

Turkey Week was organized by Turkey’s SAM in cooperation with the
Azerbaijan Presidential Office’s SAM, and ran from Sept. 23-27. As
part of Turkey Week’s activities, a group of Turkish academics along
with their Azerbaijani colleagues paid a visit to Baku, the capital of
Azerbaijan, and then moved on to three other cities, Ganja, Lenkeran
and AÄ?dam. Another group of academics visited Nakhchivan on Thursday.

Participating in panel discussions titled `Turkey-Azerbaijan
Relations,’ `Turkey’s Caucasus Politics in General’ and `Turkey’s
Foreign Policy in General,’ the academics debated issues that are of
importance in boosting bilateral relations.

Talking to the people who were participants of the Nagorno-Karabakh
war and are victims of the bloody warfare between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Turkish academics were mainly impressed with the patriotic
feelings of these people, pointing out that `everyone loves their
land, but the atmosphere there [the Azerbaijani territories on the
borderline] is totally different.’

`We knew about what love for Azerbaijan and being an Azerbaijani means
there [the occupied Azerbaijani territories],’ Aras said, adding:
`Moreover, we have witnessed a patriotic love for Turkey in those
lands, too, which has made a strong impression on us. A 70-year-old
man who was forced to leave his home in Nagorno-Karabakh and has set
his mind only on going back to his lands prays `God bless Turkey.’ We
have learned that Nagorno-Karabakh refugees living in difficult
conditions collected money among themselves to help the victims of the
earthquake that happened in Van last year. This is a symbol of the
extent of the ethnic kinship between the two nations.’

On their return, the Turkish team is expected to introduce their
recommendations to Turkish policymakers as well as brief the Turkish
public about Azerbaijan and its realities.

Noting the importance of strengthening relations between Azerbaijan
and Turkey, Aras also noted that Azerbaijan and Turkey are evolving
towards two countries that are uniting their foreign policies and
external affairs, which he thinks has made bilateral relations between
the two countries accelerate since 2010.

`Political and economic relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are
developing on strong and healthy grounds. Political relations are
guaranteed by economic relations. To make these relations healthier
and more long-lasting, communication between the two nations is
important,’ said Aras, adding that there is no doubt that Azerbaijan
and Turkey are friendly and brotherly countries, calling on both
nations to keep these ties secure and robust.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 27 2012

Armenian foundation seeks to regain property rights to school

27 September 2012 / ELA DEMIR , Ä°STANBUL

An Armenian foundation is seeking to regain property rights to a plot
of land that hosts the Bomonti Mihitaryan Elementary School, located
in the Å?iÅ?li district of Ä°stanbul, which was seized by a municipality
in Ankara province in 1982.

An Armenian foundation, the Surp Gazar Armenian Catholic Mihitaryan
Monastery and School Foundation, which previously owned the plot of
land in Å?iÅ?li, lost the parcel in 1982 after encountering legal
obstacles imposed on the sale of land to minority foundations. The
foundation has been struggling to reacquire the land ever since.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman, the foundation’s president, Rita Nurnur,
said they tried to resolve the problem through bureaucratic means
before filing a lawsuit, adding that they sued the AyaÅ? Municipality
upon the advice of Adnan Ertem, the head of the Directorate General
for Foundations (VGM), an autonomous body that deals with properties
of Muslim and non-Muslim foundations. `We are sure this 33-year
injustice will soon be resolved,’ Nurnur noted.

A directive was introduced in Turkey in 1936 that prohibited
foundations run by minorities from buying any property in Turkey,
after which the Turkish government ordered all minority foundations to
declare all of their assets and properties.

The Armenian foundation bought a plot of land from a Turkish woman,
Emine Tevfika AyaÅ?lı, in 1958 to establish a school. The foundation
had to sell its land in Moda, located in Ä°stanbul’s Kadıköy district,
to buy the land in Å?iÅ?li. According to the 1936 directive, a
foundation run by minorities can buy a property on the condition that
in return it sells a property it owned before the release of the
directive.

The foundation had never encountered any difficulties until the death
in 1979 of AyaÅ?lı, from whom they bought the land on which an Armenian
school is currently operating. AyaÅ?lı bequeathed three-fourths of her
properties to the AyaÅ? Municipality in Ankara province, and the
property rights were officially conveyed to the municipality in 1982.
The foundation’s battle to acquire ownership of the land has been
ongoing since 1982.

The municipality initially forced the Armenian foundation to vacate
the land and close down the school even though the foundation has a
deed to the land. The municipality later allowed the foundation to pay
rent for the school. The foundation filed a lawsuit with prosecutors
to regain the property rights to the school, and legal proceedings for
ownership of the land began last year. The fifth hearing of the case
was held at the Ä°stanbul Courthouse in Å?iÅ?li’s ÇaÄ?layan neighborhood
on Monday.

Politics.hu, Hungary
Sept 27 2012

Ministry says Hungary has `not much else’ to offer Armenia in bid to
restore relations

By MTI

Hungary has not much else it can do to help restore diplomatic ties
with Armenia, Gabor Kaleta, press chief at the Foreign Ministry, told
MTI on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi has written a letter to his Armenian
colleague, the ministry issued a note, `there is not much else we can
do now,’ he said.

The ministry told the Armenian Foreign Ministry in a note that the
Hungarian government had a vested interest in Armenia putting an end
to the suspension of diplomatic relations without any preconditions.

The Monday note, cited by news website hvg.hu on Wednesday, was a
response to the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s August 31 note on the
suspension of diplomatic relations.

Commenting on the Hungarian note, Armenian foreign affairs spokesman
Tigran Balayan told the Armenpress news agency: `The Armenian position
has remained unchanged. As declared previously, Armenia expects
practical steps from Hungary.’

Kaleta said Hungary wished to use primarily diplomatic channels in its
communications with Armenia and is determined to make the suspension
of diplomatic ties come to an end. However he said that as regards
restoring diplomatic relations `there is no room for any kind of
preconditions’.

Hungary said from the start that the transfer of the Azerbaijani
officer had not been directed against Armenia but was `an issue of
international law.’ He added that Hungary respects the Christian
country of Armenia and the Armenian minority living in Hungary, on
whom the ministry counted in helping to resolve the situation.

Armenia decided to suspend diplomatic ties with Hungary on August 31,
just after the Hungarian authorities repatriated Azerbaijani national
Ramil Safarov on the understanding that he would continue to serve the
life sentence he received in February 2004 for murdering an Armenian
in Hungary.

Magyar Nemzet, Hungary
Sept 26 2012

Hungarian Citizens Are Not Exposed to Danger

by T.N.

At his hearing, State Secretary Janos Lazar, who has been in charge of
the Information Office (IH) the civilian intelligence service since
September, said that the organization has never been accused of
fulfilling political tasks and the IH has been able to keep away from
“the world of political intrigues” in the last 22 years.

He also said that, in his opinion, the time has not yet come for the
modification of the national security law and, although the relevant
efforts are legitimate, they are not mature. At the same time, he
regards as important the strengthening of internal supervision, Janos
Lazar pointed out. Answering a question, he said that, according to
his professional position, the IH needs an internal supervision
system.

Speaking about the role of the IH supervision in the current system,
he said that it is fully compatible with the German model, namely
that, in addition to the civilian intelligence service, the military
intelligence service is also supervised by the chancellor’s office. He
pointed out that guaranteeing the country’s financial independence
represents special attention and increased workload for the IH in the
future too. He signalled that, for this, he will propose that the IH
receive the necessary financial means for the “new type of tasks.”

He mentioned the fact that the IH budget ranged from 7.7 billion to 8
billion forints last year. In his words, this amount covers the
current activity, but if they expect higher level activity and more
serious achievements from the organization, this will need more money.
He added that highly trained personnel is needed, as well as technical
and technological development.

He also mentioned the fact that particular attention to the country’s
energy security is among the outstanding tasks of the IH. In
connection with this, he called the fact that the country’s natural
gas purchasing contract ends in 2015 one of Hungary’s most serious
issues.

Janos Lazar also called the IH’s national strategy tasks an important
issue. He pointed out that the introduction of double citizenship
represents a serious task and responsibility for the national security
services, because they have to protect the interests of Hungarian
citizens beyond the borders along with honouring and maintaining the
partnership relations with the neighbouring countries.

He drew the attention to the fact that the number of Hungarian
citizens in the Carpathian Basin is expected to increase by 500,000 by
2014, and this represents serious extra tasks and responsibility for
the IH. In his view, we must develop an election procedure system
which represents the smallest risk to the Hungarian citizens beyond
the borders and, therefore, in his view, registration in this circle
is inevitable, just like voting by mail.

Answering the deputies’ questions, Janos Lazar also spoke about the
Azeri extradition affair and its repercussions. He repeated the
government’s earlier positions and mentioned the fact that, since the
brutal murder committed in 2004, the prevailing Azeri government has
continuously asked Hungary to extradite the Azeri soldier, including
the current government. In his view, the decision on the extradition
did not represent a real security risk for any Hungarian citizen.

He pointed out that “we have been living together with Armenians here
in the Carpathian Basin for 600 years and nobody can seriously think
that there is a responsible politician in Hungary who would question
the legitimacy of the Armenian community living in Hungary or in the
territory of the historical Hungary or wanted to harm them in any way,
nothing like that,” At the same time, referring to opposition
deputies, he said that “people who do not know anything about
Armenians suddenly appearing as their legal protectors is a political
action at least and not genuine.”

Janos Lazar also mentioned that Prime Minister Viktor Orban will
travel to Georgia on Wednesday [ 26 September] where ther e are
300,000 Armenians. He thought that it would transpire how the Armenian
community “reacts” to the prime minister’s visit.

According to MSZP deputy Tamas Harangozo, Janos Lazar’s words made it
clear among other things that every security and diplomatic risk was
clear and unequivocal to every government member and the decision was
made aware of all this. In his view, the question is what Viktor Orban
received in exchange, and this will transpire sooner or later.

[Translated from Hungarian]

EurasiaNet.org, NY
Sept 27 2012

Armenia: Churches Fast Collapsing in World’s First Christian Country

September 27, 2012 – 3:16pm, by Gayane Abrahamyan

Armenian officials tend to be quick to voice concern over the
destruction or deterioration of Armenian churches and monasteries in
neighboring Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. But conservationists
complain that the same officials who sound the alarm about sites
abroad, often are reticent about preservationist challenges within
Armenia itself.

Experts claim that almost 50 percent of the 24,000 religious monuments
in Armenia are in urgent need of repair, and that around 30 percent
are on the verge of collapse.

For many, Armenia’s status as the first country in the world to accept
Christianity as a state religion (in 301 AD) means that the
dilapidated state of religious monuments is a blow to national pride.
`Who among our officials has seen the state of the churches in our
country?’ said historian Rafael Tadevosian, a member of a public
commission on the conservation of historical-national values and
monuments.

The area around central Armenia’s Geghardavank Monastery, founded in
the 4th century, `is a dump with as much garbage and waste as there is
in city dumps,’ asserted Samvel Karapetian, a historian and the head
of Research on Armenian Architecture, a Yerevan-based non-governmental
organization that promotes architectural preservation. `And it’s not
the Turks or Georgians or Azerbaijanis who do that. We are the ones
littering, polluting, destroying.’

While the Armenian government has been part of successful campaigns
for the restoration of the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross near
Turkey’s Lake Van, and is engaged in an ongoing tug-of-war with
Tbilisi over the state of Armenian churches in Georgia, 5 officials
seem less active when it comes to preservationist issues inside the
country.

One rare exception occurred in 2011, when a popular campaign assembled
video footage that showed the derelict state of northern Armenia’s
10th century Sanahin monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The footage prompted a strong wave of discontent against the head of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II, who responded
that he had `nothing to do with the monasteries and churches in the
mountains.’

Amid Facebook calls for Garegin II’s resignation, the Ministry of
Culture created a commission on churches and invited German experts to
examine the property to identify the cause of gaping cracks in
Sanahin’s walls. A restoration effort began early this year.

Money is the most frequently cited problem. The Armenian government
only started allocating money for the restoration of
historical-cultural monuments in 2005, 14 years after the collapse of
the Soviet Union. In the time since, the dram-equivalent of around $5
million has been spent to restore 34 churches.

The restoration process remains controversial in Armenia. In 2009, the
Chamber of Control charged that the Ministry of Culture had misused
186 million drams ($465,000) out of its budget, resulting in
`incorrect, unprofessional reconstruction’ work at the 12th-century
Kobair monastery, the 10th-century Vahanavank monastery and the
7th-century Hnevank monastery.

Stones removed from the original structures `were later replaced by
new ones of a different kind,’ resulting in the `distortion’ of the
monasteries’ original design, Ishkhan Zakarian, chair of the Chamber
of Control, asserted in a 2010 report to parliament.

(As a result, the head of the ministry’s agency for the protection of
historical-cultural monuments, Gagik Gyurjian, was dismissed, but
three months later was appointed as head of one of Yerevan’s most
important museums, the Erebuni Fortress, dating from the 8th century
BC).

Serzhik Arakelian, the current head of the Ministry of Culture’s
Historical-Cultural Monument Protection Agency, told EurasiaNet.org
that his agency now has `stricter and more professional control over
restoration work.’

Yet he concedes that the state `doesn’t have too much money to do everything.’

Citing the near-destruction of 13th-century inscriptions on the walls
of Haghartsin Monastery in northeastern Armenia, Karapetian, the
preservationist, argued that, in some cases, it is better not to
attempt repair work on Armenian churches and monasteries at all since
`the monument suffers rather than benefits.’

Meanwhile, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Mother See
of Holy Echmiadzin, also periodically comments that it lacks the funds
to look after Armenia’s churches and monasteries. `We [the Church]
have limited resources and have to restore the monuments by state
means, but if those funds keep being misused, then one day everything
will simply disappear,’ commented Father Vahram Melikian, a church
spokesperson.

Bakur Hovsepian, a state-appointed administrator who oversees the
12th-century Goshavank Monastery in northern Armenia, says he has
repeatedly turned to the Ministry of Culture and Church for help in
restoring the monastery’s main church, Mariam Astvatsatsin (Church of
the Virgin Mary). He contends that the structure is on the verge of
collapse.

The monastery administration has decided to close parts of the church
to tourists to avoid accidents from stones falling from the church
walls and dome.

But the short response from church and state alike is always the same:
`No money.’

Hovsepian says that he wonders why the 20 million – 26 million drams
($50,000-$60,000) the monastery sends per year to Echmiadzin from the
sale of candles, souvenirs and visitor donations cannot be used.
Echmiadzin representatives say they are trying to find private
sponsors to underwrite preservation work.

Deputy Culture Minister Arev Samuelian contends that `the issues are
under control.’ He places the burden for action on the general
Armenian public.

`Attitudes have to change. The state or the church cannot put guards
in front of each church to not let people write on the walls or light
candles on cross-stones or inscribe their names,’ Samuelian told
EurasiaNet.org. `Society has to become aware of the value of
[historical] monuments.’

`The ministry,’ she added, `is not almighty.’

Editor’s note: Gayane Abrahamyan is a reporter for ArmeniaNow.com in Yerevan.

Eurasia Review
Sept 27 2012

Armenia: New Financing Agreements For Reforms Signed

By: Eurasia Review
September 27, 2012

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Åtefan
Füle, and Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan, signed two new
financing agreements between the European Union and Armenia in Yerevan
on Thursday.

Totalling ?¬43 million, the two agreements focus on institution
building and will support the negotiations and implementation of the
future EU-Armenia bilateral agreements: the Association Agreement and
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area and Visa
Facilitation/Readmission Agreement.

Armenia

`I believe we are preparing the ground for an Armenia which is a state
with more citizen-friendly institutions, an attractive investment
destination and better conditions for those businesses which want to
take advantage of new market opportunities,’ Commissioner Füle said
after signing the documents.

EU bilateral assistance to Armenia under the European Neighbourhood
Partnership Instrument is ?¬157 million for 2011-2013, double the
amount for the previous period. On top of that, an additional ?¬ 15
million have recently been allocated under the More for More
principle. `The more reforms Armenia carries out the more the EU will
be able to support it. Already today, EU support for Armenia has
reached unprecedented levels’ Commissioner Füle stated referring to
the financial allocation so far.

Through the financing agreements signed in Yerevan on Thursday, we
will support Armenia’s Sustainable Development Programme, focusing on
several sector specific strategies such as Customs Administration,
Quality infrastructure, Food Safety and e-governance. The expected
results should have a direct bearing on the key milestones set for the
bilateral co-operation under the Eastern Partnership:
¢Introduction of biometric passports will help Armenia to meet a key
condition of visa liberalization;
¢improved data protection will open the way to deepened co-operation
in justice, freedom and security;
¢improvements in the legal framework for public procurement will help
Armenia along the road to new opportunities for tendering for public
contracts on European Union markets.

Background:

During the period 2011 ` 2013, the EU’s priority areas of cooperation
with Armenia focus on improving democratic structures and good
governance and facilitating trade, investment and socio-economic
reform.

The basis for the Financing Agreements signed today is the ENPI Annual
Action Programme 2011, worth ?¬43.1 million and composed of two
actions:

`Framework Programme in support of the EU-Armenia agreement’ ` ?¬19.1 million

A central part of the EU support package channelled through the
Eastern Partnership Comprehensive Institution Building (CIB)
initiative.

The Comprehensive Institutional Building supports partner countries in
reforming those institutions in their country which are essential to
negotiate and implement bilateral relations with the EU: Association
Agreement, including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
(DCFTA), and Visa Facilitation/Readmission Agreement.

In Armenia, this support will address the Institutional Reform Plans
prepared by the government on three key reform challenges: (1)
preparing for the negotiations of the Association Agreement between
the EU and Armenia, (2) advancing reforms in justice, liberty and
security and (3) preparing for the negotiations of the Deep and
Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

`Support to the Government of Armenia for the implementation of the
ENP Action Plan and the preparation for the future Association
Agreement’ ` ?¬24 million

The second major component of the EU assistance to Armenia, channelled
via budget support programme, will focus on the implementation of the
ENP Action Plan and reforms related to Public Finance Management and
public sector transparency and performance, including e-governance. It
will also assist further alignment of the Armenian trade regulations
to the EU norms and standards.

NEW HAVEN UNIVERSITY TO SHOW ARMENIAN ARTWORK EXHIBIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 27, 2012 – 17:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In honor of the inauguration of Mary A. Papazian
as the 11th president of Southern Connecticut State University,
the first woman of Armenian descent to be a college or university
president in the United States, the New Haven university will show
an exhibit of Armenian artwork.

The show, which will be up until Oct 21 in the Lobby Gallery of the
John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, will open with a reception
on Sept 27.

The artists in the show are Ashod Bayandour, Arshile Gorky, Sarkis
Hamalbashian, Hamlet Hovsepian, Gayane Katchadourian, Vasken Kalayjian,
Reuben Nakian, Vahan Rumelian, Ararat Sarkissian, Arthur Sarkissian,
Shanoor, Kegham Tazian and Paul Zenian.

ARMENIA HAS A RANGE OF BILATERAL ISSUES WITH GEORGIA – DEPUTY FM

tert.am
27.09.12

The Armenian-Georgian bilateral relations cover a range of issues,
with Armenia not being satisfied with all the steps taken, a deputy
foreign minister has said.

“There is a progress in a number of issues as may be, for example,
the status of the Georgian-Armenian diocese. We would wish, of course,
a more rapid solution, but with the existing dividing lines in the
region, we manage to maintain the kind of relations which are in our
interests,” Shavarsh Kocharyan told the parliament today.

His statement came in response to the a remark by Shirak Torosyan,
an MP from the Armenian populated Georgian region Javakhk, who asked
the deputy FM why Armenian authorities have not so far taken any
steps to open a Consulate in the region.

Upon Torosyan’s request, the Foreign Ministry had earlier enriched
the list of the Georgia-based Armenian language publications, putting
a special emphasis on the outlets that better cope with the mission
of preserving the Armenian identity.

FAN FURY: SOCCER ENTHUSIASTS PROTEST ‘HIGH’ TICKET PRICES FOR ARMENIA V ITALY GAME
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow
Soccer | 27.09.12 | 13:10

A group of Armenian soccer fans believes high prices set for the
upcoming World Cup qualifier in Yerevan between the national teams
of Armenia and Italy may leave the Reds without a considerable share
of crowd support.

The cost of tickets has been raised by 2,000 drams (about $5). Now to
watch Armenia play against the Azzuri, one of the best sides in the
world, at the Hrazdan Stadium on October 12 fans have to pay between
3,000 and 10,000 drams (about $7-$24) – for the tier and the Western
stand, respectively. Tickets to the northern and eastern stands are
sold at a price of 5,000 and 7,000 drams (about $12-$17), accordingly.

About 500 soccer fans on Facebook are demanding a revision of the
ticket prices set by the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA). They
have also addressed an open letter to the president of Armenia,
expressing their concern that an important match like the one
against the Italian national team Armenia may play in conditions of a
half-empty arena as was the case during a politically charged Armenia
v Turkey game in 2008.

Twenty-four-year-old soccer fan Sargis Sargsyan told ArmeniaNow that
while even at the Republican Stadium with its seating capacity of
14,500 the stands hardly ever get filled during national team matches,
it is not serious to expect the 54,000-seat Hrazdan arena to be filled
in conditions of higher ticket prices even if it is an Italy match.

“In 2008 during the historic Armenia v Turkey match when Turkish
President Abdullah Gul arrived in Armenia [to become the first
Turkish leader to set foot on Armenian soil], the Hrazdan Stadium sold
only 30,000 tickets even in conditions when thousands of fans from
the Diaspora and staffs from various companies had come to support
Armenia in the stadium in the game that went beyond soccer as it was
‘us’ playing against ‘them’,” says Sargsyan.

“It seems that 3,000 drams is not an awful lot of money, but most
people buy more than one ticket, add to this the transportation
and food costs… For example, how can an elderly man who lives off
a pension of some 25,000 drams (about $60) afford to take his two
grandkids to the soccer match and then come back on a taxi at around
midnight? This will add up to at least 15,000 drams, an expense that
most ordinary people in Armenia consider too much to afford.”

Armenian soccer’s governing body, FFA, has already responded to the
complaints from some of the fans, saying that ticket prices will not
be revised.

“The prices will not be changed because, first of all, they are
several times lower than normal international prices for matches of
that range and secondly, by making available tickets of four price
ranges, the Federation is enabling everyone to make a choice. By the
way, the tickets to the main stands that are traditionally considered
to be the stands of dedicated soccer fans are priced 3000 to 7000
drams. There aren’t significant changes in the prices of tickets as
compared to what they were before and fans are familiar with these
prices,” the FFA said.

FFA press secretary Tigran Israyelyan told ArmeniaNow that a majority
of soccer fans will buy tickets that cost $7-17.

“We don’t think that true fans of Armenian soccer and the national
team who are really concerned with the future of Armenian soccer and
are ready to root for the favorite team in any weather conditions will
find a $7-ticket expensive. The match will also be broadcast live on
Armenia TV,” Israyelyan said adding that can’t tell how many tickets
have been sold so far.

Soccer fan Sargsyan, meanwhile, says they would feel satisfied if at
least thousands of kids and teenagers going in for this sport could
be allowed to the stadium free of charge (to fill empty seats) to
support the national team. (But international soccer functionaries
believe entry to stadiums must be allowed only to ticket-holders,
which reduces security risks during and after the games).

And Haykakan Zhamanak daily sport commentator Armen Nikoghosyan
thinks it would only be fair if prices for some of the sections at
the stadium were made significantly higher to allow dedicated fans
to have cheaper options.

“During all previous games of our national team the most expensive
tickets have been for the grandstand regardless of whether the matches
were played at Hrazdan or at the Republican Stadium. This has a simple
explanation. This is the stand that seats people who often aren’t
much into soccer, but who simply must attend all major events. This
is something practiced elsewhere in the world too, and the price of
tickets little matters to such people. While true soccer fans usually
sit behind the goals or in the tier,” said Nikoghosyan. “I think that
considering this circumstance it is possible to set much higher prices
for the western stand, especially in its middle section, and instead
lower to even 1,000 drams the prices for remote sections in the tier.

Tickets priced 1,000-2,000 drams are much better options for fans
and there will be no complaints.”