Author: Torgomian Varazdat

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
July 13, 2017 Thursday
China Machinery Engineering Corporation wants to make investments in Armenia
YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economic Development and
Investments Suren Karayan held a meeting with the delegation of the
China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), press service of the
Ministry told Armenpress.
The Minister was introduced on the company’s main activity in
construction and energy fields, such as construction of power plants,
roads and buildings and etc.
CMEC representative James Dong said the company is interested in
making large-scale investments in Armenia.
Minister Karayan presented the delegation the prospects on making
investments in Armenia’s road construction and energy spheres. He in
particular touched upon the construction of North-South highway. The
Minister also presented the opportunities to carry out activity in the
free economic zone which is being created in Syunik province.
Agreement was reached that Director of the Development Foundation of
Armenia Armen Avak Avakian will draw the attention of the company on
the details of major investment programs in Armenia, and the Ministry
will be in constant contact with the investors aimed at discussing the
further steps for making investments.

Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.
Sincerely,
Media and PR Department
(+374 10) 585601, internal 805

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Congressional Documents and Publications
June 21, 2017
Rep. Schiff, Colleagues Send Letter to State Senate Urging Passage of
Bill Divesting Public Pensions from Turkish Government
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) News Release
Washington, DC - This week, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and nine of
his Congressional colleagues from California sent a letter to
California State Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin De Leon in support
of California Assembly Bill 1597, which would divest California's
public pension funds from investment vehicles that are owned,
controlled, or managed by the Turkish government.
"California has acted in the past to prohibit new investments by its
pension funds in sectors that are inimical to our state's values, such
as the 2015 state law mandating divestment from coal companies," the
Members wrote in the letter. "The narrowly drafted AB 1597 proposal is
an appropriate use of that authority, blocking future investments
directly owned by the Turkish Government, such as government bonds."
Rep. Schiff sent the letter along with Jackie Speier (CA-14), Anna G.
Eshoo (CA-18), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Tony
Cardenas (CA-29), Brad Sherman (CA-30), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Salud
Carbajal (CA-24) and Jim Costa (CA-16).
"Given the recent assault on peaceful protestors in Washington, D.C.
by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal security forces,
as well as Turkey's continued denial of the Armenian Genocide,
divestment by California is an appropriate response," the Members
wrote.
AB 1597 passed the California State Assembly on June 1st by a vote of 67-0.
Full text of the letter is below:
June 19, 2017
The Honorable Kevin de Leon
California State Senate President Pro Tempore
State Capitol, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 94249
Dear Mr. President:
We write to voice our strong support for AB 1597, which would divest
California's public pension funds from investment vehicles that are
owned, controlled, or managed by the Turkish government. This
legislation passed the Assembly on June 1st by a vote of 67-0. Given
the recent assault on peaceful protestors in Washington, D.C. by
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal security forces, as
well as Turkey's continued denial of the Armenian Genocide, divestment
by California is an appropriate response. We hope that the State
Senate takes up and passes this legislation as soon as possible.
As you are aware, the once dynamic and relatively open Turkish
democracy has slid towards authoritarian rule by President Erdogan.
With the recent passage, beset by voting irregularities, of a
constitutional referendum, Erdogan has amassed dictatorial powers.
Turkey has become the world's leading imprisoner of journalists,
suppressed free speech, and has engaged in a brutal campaign to stamp
out political dissent.
They have recently brought that campaign to the United States. On May
16th, members of Erdogan's security detail brutally attacked a
peaceful protest outside of the Turkish Embassy, causing serious
injuries. Videos show Erdogan speaking to his security forces
immediately prior to the attack, and observing from a distance as his
armed security beat peaceful protestors. The House of Representatives
recently passed H. Res. 354 unanimously, condemning this assault and
calling on the Administration to hold Turkey responsible and take
appropriate actions against those who carried out the attack.
Finally, Turkey has engaged in a decades long campaign to deny the
Armenian Genocide, expending millions of dollars to lobby against
recognition of the historic fact of the extermination of 1.5 million
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915-1923. California has been a
leader in the United States in speaking frankly about the genocide,
serving as a home for tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans whose
families survived the genocide to build new lives in the United
States.
California has acted in the past to prohibit new investments by its
pension funds in sectors that are inimical to our state's values, such
as the 2015 state law mandating divestment from coal companies. The
narrowly drafted AB 1597 proposal is an appropriate use of that
authority, blocking future investments directly owned by the Turkish
Government, such as government bonds. The investments make up a small
portion of the pension funds' holdings, and reallocating these
resources in an orderly fashion will have no measurable impact on
their fiduciary duties.
We hope that the Senate acts quickly on AB 1597, and that it can be
signed into law as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Read this original document at:

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
June 8, 2017 Thursday
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund begins construction of sports complex in Ditavan
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. On June 8, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
held a groundbreaking ceremony for the future sports complex of
Ditavan, a village in Armenia’s Tavush province. Guests attending the
event included the sponsor of the construction project,
Argentinean-Armenian benefactor Nadya Ekserciyan, as well as her
daughter.
The planned sports facility having a total area of 504 square meters,
will be used for a wide range of physical exercises and matches. The
structure will also feature classrooms for preschoolers, and an
underground bomb shelter where the residents of Ditavan, which is
located near the border with Azerbaijan, will be able to take cover in
case of an emergency.
“Ditavan is burgeoning in front of our very eyes,” said Ara Vardanyan,
executive director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, and continued,
“With its recently built infrastructures and community institutions,
this village stands apart as among the best in not only the Tavush
province, but Armenia as a whole. For this achievement, the support of
the Ekserciyan family has been invaluable. Today, we are delighted
that Mrs. Nadya continues the benevolent work of her late husband,
Armen Ekserciyan, by providing ongoing support for the steady growth
of Ditavan.”
Through the Ekserciyan family’s contributions totaling nearly $1.5
million, since 2007 the fund has implemented a string of development
projects in Ditavan, which has a population of 412. They include
natural-gas and water networks, as well as a school and a
multifunctional community center. In addition, the Ekserciyans provide
social assistance to Ditavan’s newly-wed couples and families with
newborns, and contribute to agricultural-development projects carried
out in the village.
In recognition of the Ekserciyans’ far-reaching support, Ditavan has
named its school, main street, and square after the benefactors, who
have also been made Honorary Citizens of the village.

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
400 W Cummings Park, Suite 3900
Woburn, MA 01801 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Web: www.armeniatree.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2017
Remembering Bash Aparan, and Building a Green Sustainable Armenia
WOBURN, MA--Last month Armenian communities around the world commemorated
the 99th anniversary of the battle of Bash Aparan. On May 21, 1918, an
Ottoman Turkish division attacked Armenian forces at Bash Aparan, with the
intent of pushing towards Yerevan. After three days of fierce combat, the
Armenians, led by General Drastamat Kanayan, known as General Dro, began to
repel the Turkish regiments, and they retreated on May 29, 1918. The victory
at Bash Aparan, along with Armenian success at Saradarabad and Karakilisa,
was instrumental in leading to the formation of the First Republic of
Armenia.
As the 100th anniversary of the battle approaches, General Dro's family is
cooperating with Armenia Tree Project (ATP) to create a living memorial to
Dro and his victory at Bash Aparan. There is a park in the town of Aparan,
Armenia at the site of the battle where a visitor will find General Dro's
final resting place as well as a monument to the victorious battle of Bash
Aparan.
ATP has begun to beautify and improve the Aparan site, planting trees and
shrubs and developing walking paths. This project will culminate in May 2018
with a ceremonial tree planting at the park with Dro's family and friends.
General Dro's grandson Philip Kanayan states, "Any monument to our
grandfather should be a living memorial. General Dro was not a man who wore
medals. He lived a life of service to the Armenian nation, and in that vein
the Armenia Tree Project promotes those ideals of giving back to the
Armenian Nation."
General Dro's daughter Olga Proudian of Watertown, Massachusetts describes
her father not as a war hero, but a man who was always true to his ideas and
himself. "He was always positive about the future of Armenia," she said. "He
assumed we would have an independent Armenia, and he believed we should give
it priority. His mission was always an independent Armenia. He would not
allow the world to not have an Armenia."
In 2000, Olga and other family members accompanied Dro's remains to Armenia,
where they were re-interred near the Bash Aparan memorial. It was an
emotional experience for Olga. She felt a tug on her sleeve. An elderly man,
recognizing her as Dro's daughter, wanted to show her a small house nearby.
He explained that his father and Dro had fought the Turks together from that
house in 1918.
Tatul Sonentz-Papazian first met Dro in Cairo in the early 1950s, when both
men attended the ARF World Congress there. Tatul remembers Dro as a great
diplomat, strategist and tactician, but also much more: "Not only did
General Dro play a key role in formation of the First Republic, he
re-kindled the Hai Tahd fighting spirit. Thanks to his work in Armenia and
the Diaspora, the spirit of Hai Tahd lives on in youth around the world."
General Dro's grandson and namesake, Dro Kanayan of Massachusetts, says that
planting trees in his grandfather's honor is appropriate because he had a
strong connection to the land. He grew up on a farm in Igdir, and at times
fed his army from the harvest of his father's farm: "Dro understood the
importance of what the land can provide for the people. Armenia Tree Project
provides resources for our people to survive and prosper by living off the
land, which follows Dro's ideals to continue helping our nation."
Since 1994, ATP has used trees to help Armenians improve their standard of
living and help protect the global environment. ATP's work is guided by its
core principles: promoting self-sufficiency, aiding those with the fewest
resources and conserving the indigenous ecosystem. 
"ATP is proud to participate in this project. We're honored to help remember
the historic victory at Bash Aparan. Planting trees for the future is a
fitting tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of General Dro and his
troops," said ATP Executive Director Jeanmarie Papelian.
ATP and the Kanayan family will hold fundraising and promotional events on
the east and west coasts in the coming year. If you would like to support
this project, or participate in the May 2018 planting in Armenia, please
contact ATP at [email protected].