The Prime Minister has presented a huge list of the people who have sent money for the “Velvet Revolution”.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again touched upon the “Velvet Revolution” in Armenia.
“It’s the preliminary-copmplete report of donations made for the non-violent, velvet, popular revolution,” he wrote and published the report.
Today, on the occasion of the state holiday – National Day of Italy, President Armen Sargsyan and Mrs. Nune Sargsyan visited the Embassy of Italy in Armenia and congratulated Ambassador Vincenzo del Monaco, staff of the Embassy, and in their person the friendly people of Italy, wished them success and all the best.
The parties concurred that the Armenian-Italian interstate relations are developing on a strong historical basis and rich cultural heritage of the two nations. Underscoring with satisfaction the partnership and high-level of trust established between the parties, they noted at the same time that potential for cooperation is huge, and the parties should explore it constantly.
They also spoke about the Armenia-EU cooperation which constitutes an important part of the Armenian-Italian ties.
NSS examines two problems in the Ministry of Emergency Situations:
The National Security Service has also begun to inquire into the Ministry of Emergency Situations. “There are two questions that are already in the National Security Service. The preliminary investigation will find all the circumstances, “said Minister of Emergency Situations Hrachya Rostomyan at a briefing with journalists in the National Assembly.
“We have received certain data on budget expenditures, a criminal case has been filed, an investigation is underway, I cannot report the process and other details,” added Arthur Vannetsyan, NSS chief.
Hrachya Rostomyan is pleased with his legacy from the previous minister. “The main problems are anti-hail stations: all seismic stations, hydrometers, their modernization, modernization of Crisis Management Center, and digitalization are the problems that we have to solve.”
“We are not inclined to repressive acts.”
The fight against corruption, according to the head of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan, starts from their own system. “Even in our sphere, if there is a corrupt man who even has been part of a corrupt chain, he will be immediately punished by the strictest law.”
Artur Vanesyan has a clear answer to the question why no arrests take place when large-scale checks were carried out and many violations were detected in the Yerevan City supermarket chain. “We are not inclined to initiate some repressive acts and arrest people. We are inclined to return the money stolen from the state in this or that way to the state budget. “
If damage to the state is restored, according to Artur Vanetsyan, the criminal case will be discontinued.
The former world’s first racket, Serena Williams, has dropped out of the open tennis tournament in France.
Today, the American tennis player had to meet with Maria Sharapova in 1/8 finals.
As reported by the media, Serena Williams has received a hand wrist injury in doubles yesterday.
Thus, Maria Sharapova entered the quarter-finals without a fight, where she will meet with the winner of the pair of Garbi Muguruza vs. Lesia Turenko.
Gorgeous decorations, world stars on the stage, elegant music and even unexpected live horses and dogs on the stage. In the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, the Yerevan audience enjoyed a multi-stage performance by composer Alexey Shore “Crystal Castle” for two days.
According to Yekaterina Mironova, author and director of the screenplay, Yerevan performances can be considered world premiere. “Last year, we presented a special order in Malta, which was a pre-screening show,” she said.
The scenario is based on the palace customs of the 18th-century Emperor Anna Ioannovna and human passions. A real story about how the empress, who did not spare anything for his pleasure, ordered a crystal bouquet to perform the wedding of the clown couple. The couple spend the first night in the ice palace and then forgets about them. “This is the case when the story ends up actually better than in the performance,” said choreographer Alexander Somov.
The participants of the performance were the Yerevan Chamber Choreographers and the choir of the Armen Tigranyan Music School. The Russian artists were delighted with the Armenian children who, according to them, were surprisedly educated and talented. The words of the passion were also voiced about the professionalism of the orchestra’s musicians and the operatic scenes of the opera.
According to the directors, such a magnificent performance is a great pleasure and the Yerevan performances were possible thanks to the sponsorship of our compatriot in Malta, and, of course, the name of Konstantin Orbelyan had definitely its impact.
The “Crystal Castle” has not been included in the Grand Theater’s play list so far, which will be represented on the stage after the Yerevan tour, it is not clear whether it will be Kazakhstan or Japan.
The California Courier Online, June 7, 2018
1- Commentary
Azeri-American Adil Baguirov Receives
$250,000 to Lobby for Azerbaijan
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Nikol Pashinyan’s son enlists in Armenian Military
By Bradley Jardine
3 – Telma Ghazarian Altoon Runs Wild, Wild West Ultramarathon
4 – Run With Telma Altoon at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl
5 – Visit Vakifli, Turkey’s Last Armenian Village… Before It Disappears
By Kristen McTighe
6 – Commentary: A Stunted Celebration
By Rostom Sarkissian
7- Commentary: The Third Republic
By Rostom Sarkissian
******************************************
1 – Commentary
Azeri-American Adil Baguirov Receives
$250,000 to Lobby for Azerbaijan
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
In my last week’s article on secret funding for Azerbaijan’s lobbying
in the United States, I referred to the payment made to “an
influential oil and gas consultant with close ties to President Aliyev
who presents himself as an immigration success story and lives in
Dayton Ohio—even as he also lobbies the U.S. government on his
homeland’s behalf.”
Jonny Wrate, in his article, “Baku’s Man in America,” on the Organized
Crime and Corruption Reporting Project website (www.occrp.org),
provided extensive details of Adil Baguirov’s activities and the large
payment he had received from Azeri sources to lobby on behalf of
Azerbaijan in the United States.
Wrate reported that Baguirov, “a vocal member of the Azerbaijani
diaspora, received the $253,150 transfer just months after a
non-profit organization he runs, the Houston-based US Azeris Network,
helped host a conference in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, that was
attended by 10 members of Congress. The junket was widely criticized,
and investigated by the House Ethics Committee, for being secretly
funded by Azerbaijan’s state oil company…The precise origins of the
money Baguirov received are unknown, hidden behind secretive shell
companies. But there is ample evidence that the authoritarian
country’s ruling elite is behind it.”
Baguirov, who “also helped organize other U.S.-Azeri conferences in
Washington, repeatedly testified before the House [of Representatives]
in favor of US military aid to Azerbaijan, served as the coordinator
of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, and worked prominently in a
Houston-based company that claims to have organized a trip by the
country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, to the White House,” wrote Wrate.
Baguirov and his family have extensive ties with Pres. Ilham Aliyev
who awarded him a medal for his services in the United States on
behalf of Azerbaijan. However, Baguirov had not registered as a
lobbyist, as required by U.S. law, under the Foreign Agents
Registration Act (FARA). When contacted by OCCRP reporters, Baguirov
said that the payment he had received was none of their business.
Baguirov moved to the United States at the age of 16. He graduated
from the University of Southern California in international relations
and business administration. Subsequently, he received a Ph.D. in
political science in Moscow. Interestingly, Baguirov “was elected to
Dayton’s school board, a position he held until 2017, when he resigned
more than a month before the end of his term after local activist
David Esrati discovered that he appeared to have lied about his
residential address.”
Wrate revealed that Turbillion LLC, a consulting company Baguirov
runs, received a payment of $253,150 from Hilux Services, a shell firm
that is part of the Azerbaijani Laundromat. Turbillion is registered
in Wyoming, “a state popular with those looking to create secretive
companies due to its tax-free incentives and provision of anonymity.”
Another Wyoming company controlled by Baguirov, which has the same
mailing address as Turbillion, is called “Nobel Brothers Pictures
LLC,” which is “allegedly producing a Hollywood movie about the
history of the Azerbaijani oil industry.”
Six months before Baguirov received the payment of $253,150, his
Houston-based non-profit U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) “helped organize a
two-day conference in Baku called “U.S.-Azerbaijan Relations: Vision
for Future.” Wrate revealed that two other conferences were organized
by USAN in Washington.
“The Baku meeting in 2013 was attended by 11 members of [U.S.]
Congress, 10 of whom were paid for, and over 30 of their staff—and
that, according to a confidential report by the Office of
Congressional Ethics (OCE) obtained by the Washington Post, they were
lavished with silk scarves, crystal tea sets and Azerbaijani rugs
valued at $2,500 to $10,000,” Wrate reported.
In addition, Baguirov worked for Cong. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) as Special
Advisor on Russia and the former Soviet Union. Weldon lost his seat in
2006 “after the Justice Department investigated him for allegedly
steering to his daughter’s lobbying firm almost $1 million in
consulting contracts from two Russian companies and a Serbian
foundation,” according to Wrate. Weldon founded the Congressional
Azerbaijan Caucus in 2004 together with fellow Congressman Solomon
Ortiz (D-Tex.) who subsequently worked for Azerbaijan as a lobbyist.
Baguirov “served as the Caucus’ coordinator and allegedly traveled
with Congressional delegations to the former Soviet Union in 2003 and
2004.”
Furthermore, Wrate revealed that “between 2008 and 2016, Baguirov was
also invited almost annually to recommend foreign economic and
military aid budgets for Azerbaijan and Armenia to the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related
Matters. In some years, other representatives of USAN and the Karabakh
Foundation—another of Baguirov’s non-profit organizations—also
testified.” In his congressional testimonies, Baguirov urged the U.S.
Congress to reduce the aid for Armenia to zero, while requesting that
Azerbaijan receive $26 million from USAID and $3.9 million in military
aid.
Baguirov was also the Executive Vice President of International
Affairs for Worldwide Strategic Energy, Inc., a Houston-based company
that offered its “strong business and political ties” to help
prospective clients capitalize on hydrocarbon development
opportunities in “politically complicated countries,” including
Azerbaijan.
The U.S. Justice Department should be asked to investigate Baguirov’s
unregistered lobbying activities in the United States on behalf of
Azerbaijan to see if any illegalities have been committed!
**************************************************************************************************
2- Nikol Pashinyan’s Son Enlists in Armenian Military
By Bradley Jardine
(EurasiaNet)—Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s son has
enlisted in the military and will be deployed to Nagorno Karabakh, a
relatively rare move in a region whose elites don’t typically send
their sons to fight.
In a live broadcast on his Facebook page on May 29, Pashinyan appeared
alongside his son Ashot, who turned 18 in March.
Ashot Pashinyan said that he had decided to serve in Karabakh in order
to provide strength to the army and work toward a “peaceful solution”
to the conflict.
Pashinyan said the gesture was not intended to elicit “praise for
myself” but to encourage more Armenians to enlist in the army. The
prime minister called on compatriots abroad as well as those under the
age of 27 who had deferred service to go to their nearest recruitment
office and join the armed forces.
“There is no place for such [shirking] in the new Armenia,” he said.
Pashinyan’s gesture did nevertheless receive widespread praise on
social media, including a post on the Azerbaijani satirical Hamam
Times making an unflattering comparison with Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev, whose son recently graduated from university but does
not serve in the military.
Citizens of both countries have complained over the years that the
poor bear the heaviest costs of the conflict. The sons of government
officials, by contrast, are commonly believed to be exempt from such
service—though the claims are difficult to verify since neither
country releases data on their recruitment process.
Armenians have long argued that bribery has allowed wealthy families
to ensure their children receive safe assignments. Others allegedly
let their children avoid conscription altogether by leaving the
country.
Azerbaijanis also believe bribes are prevalent in the conscription system.
In February 2015, the doctor at the head of military medical
commission tasked with conscription was arrested for allegedly taking
bribes in exchange for declaring men unfit for military service.
Pashinyan’s move generated scorn from official Azerbaijan; Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev called it “populist.”
Hajiyev also argued that Pashinyan’s son’s service in Karabakh
bolsters Baku’s claim that the situation in Karabakh amounts to an
Armenian “occupation.” Karabakh is currently controlled by a de facto
Nagorno Karabakh Republic, which is not recognized by any country
(including Armenia) but which is heavily propped up by Armenia.“By
this move, Armenia’s leadership yet again confirms that international
legal responsibility for the occupation of Azerbaijani territory rests
with Armenia,” he told the news agency Azertac.
Military service in both countries is obligatory for males once they
turn 18. Most Armenians serve two years; Azerbaijanis serve 18 months.
Bradley Jardine is a freelance journalist who covers the Caucasus.
**************************************************************************************************
3 – Telma Ghazarian Altoon Runs Wild, Wild West Ultramarathon
LONE PINE, Calif.—Two weeks ago, on Saturday, May 5, Telma Ghazarian
Altoon ran the 50-mile Wild, Wild West race in the Alabama Hills near
Lone Pine, California.
Running this kind of course, the equivalent of roughly two marathons,
in desert heat is just part of the intense training ultra-marathon
runners undergo. In this case, Telma is preparing for the Badwater
135—named so for its distance—with a 14,600-foot gain from the lowest
point in North America to Whitney Portal, gateway to the highest point
in the continental United States. It is known as the world’s toughest
footrace.
Along with a few other runners, she ended up running six extra miles,
because of a wrong turn. This is one of the risks of races in
wilderness settings. Despite that snafu, she finished eighth among the
women. It is also important to note that not all participants are
always able to finish the race.
The race location has stunning scenery. The Alabama Hills are jumbled,
ancient stone formations that protrude from the floor of California’s
Owens valley. As runners wend their way through these mounds of rocks,
they are treated to views of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range
which serves as the backdrop. This area has been used to film
countless Western films. In fact, there is now a museum dedicated to
those films in the town of Lone Pine.
The temperatures on that day ranged from the low 40s (F) to the high
80s. “Part of the appeal of this race for me is its proximity to the
location of the Badwater 135 race,” observed Telma. “This way I got a
feel for the area, the terrain, and can better prepare for the race.”
Since she is more frequently a participant in ultra races located in
mountainous terrain, it is important for her to adapt to the desert’s
conditions. Telma is now in Armenia to continue her training while
showing an ultra-marathon organizer the Armenian Highland’s beauty.
She will run the Janapar Trail with Hans Keifer who is mountain biking
it. Hans is heavily involved in trail building in the Republic of
Armenia and is training local residents in that specialized field of
construction which is his business.
*********************************************************************************************
4 – Run With Telma Altoon at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl
PASADENA, Calif.—On June 9, between 4 and 7 p.m., fans and supporters
of Telma Ghazarian Altoon will have a chance to get a first-hand sense
of how difficult it is to prepare for the Badwater 135, the world’s
toughest footrace.
The training is an everyday, intense, time-consuming activity for
Altoon, the first Armenian accepted as a competitor. It’s not just
running hills and flats, daily—8 to 10 miles and 22 to 25 miles on
Saturdays and Sundays, but also some weight and upper body training,
some bicycling, and stairs (both machine and real ones, while at
work). But since Badwater is a desert race, heat training is another,
unusual, component.
Running in 80-degree or 90-degree heat is not enough since the
temperature during the race can get well into the 120s!. She runs
dressed in winter clothing to simulate that sort of intense heat. And
it’s not only she that must prepare for these temperatures, but her
support team of four must also. “My team will be taking turns running
with me—supplying water, nutrition, foot care, any many other needs.
That’s why they train hard,” said Altoon.
She also has a regimen of steam room sessions, two or three times per
week, again to simulate the brutal July conditions Badwater racers
encounter in the deserts of Death Valley and Owens Valley. Imagine
having to stay awake two consecutive nights while running through
dozens and dozens of shadeless miles of terrain on asphalt that
sometimes melts shoe rubber. Another major aspect of the preparation
is sleeplessness endurance. The race spans up to 48 hours, and the
most racers can do is catch very short naps.
All these workouts build up and intensify over the weeks leading up to
the race. Then, in the days immediately preceding it, the training
tapers down to allow the body to recover fully and be at its strongest
during the race.
Supporters and fans—who are encouraged to wear running shoes, and have
plenty of water on hand—can join Altoon at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena,
on Saturday, June 9.
***************************************************************************************************
5 – Visit Vakifli, Turkey’s Last Armenian Village…Before it Disappears
By Kristen McTighe
It survived the Ottomans and later the Syrians before managing to stay
alive in modern-day Turkey. But a new implacable foe may spell its
doom.
More than 100 years after the villages of Musa Dagh waged a successful
resistance and survived the mass killings of Armenians during World
War I, Vakifli is the last remaining Armenian village in Turkey. As
its population dwindles, the village is drawing tourists with its
stunning views of the surrounding mountains and Mediterranean Sea,
complicated history, and a chance to experience its culture before it
disappears.
Perched on the slopes of Musa Dagh, in the southern Turkish province
of Hatay near the Syrian border, Vakifli is a 15-minute drive by car
or taxi from Samandag, a dusty beach town at the mouth of the Asi
River on the Mediterranean sea. Leaving Samandag, travelers ascend
rugged, mountain roads past hills blanketed in fruit trees.
At the entrance of Vakifli, the bumpy roads make way to a newly paved
street, lined with fragrant orange and lemon trees. Bright pink and
red roses fill gardens near old stone houses. Windmills rotate on
hilltops off in the distance to the east. Looking out to the more to
the west, lush green hills roll out to meet the Mediterranean sea.
On a breezy afternoon earlier this spring, two men picked loquats from
a tree off the main road that loops through the village, giving
handfuls to tourists as they walked by.
Home to some 135 mostly middle-aged and elderly residents who are the
descendants of the Armenians who stood up to the Ottoman army in 1915,
every corner of this tiny, tranquil village is suffused with its past.
Upon the return of Musa Dagh refugees from Egypt in the summer and
fall of 1919, the mountain villages became part of Syria under the
French mandate. But in 1939, after a controversial referendum, Turkey
annexed the land, a move that remains unrecognized by Syria to this
day. With the atrocities of World War I still fresh in their heads,
all but six percent of the Armenians from Musa Dagh fled, mostly to
Anjar, in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. The vast majority of those who
stayed were from Vakifli.
“I would never leave this village,” said Panos Caparyan, who at 86
years old is one of the oldest residents of Vakifli. “Tell Americans
to visit, Vakifli is safe,” he said, before pulling out his wooden
flute, to play traditional Armenian tunes. Like most of the village’s
men, Caparyan spends his days at Garbis’ Place, the town’s only cafe.
In spring and summer, the cafe fills with tourists, and large,
Turkish-style breakfasts of cheeses, jams, olives, bread and eggs are
served. On weekends, they serve large flat bread covered in spicy
harissa and baked in a traditional oven outside the cafe. Men sit
outside playing backgammon on plastic chairs from morning to sunset,
across from a shop that sells homemade jams, spices, olives fruit
liquors and wine.
Up from the cafe is the main square, where women from the village also
sit labeling and selling jams and preserves, including sweet preserved
eggplant and walnuts.
There are homemade liquors and an array of wines made in villagers’
homes, including mulberry, blueberry, cherry, and other fruit wines.
Laurel soap and handcrafts are also sold.
Beyond the square is the church, originally built in 1910 but restored
and inaugurated in 1997 with the approval Turkish authorities.
There is no resident priest. Every two weeks Father Avedis comes,
splitting his time between Vakifli and Iskanderun, another larger town
in Hatay.
Past the church is the cemetery, where stone tombs bear the names of
residents from the past two centuries, witnesses to the village’s
tumultuous history. Although Vakifli’s identity was shaped by the
events of 1915, most residents avoid speaking about the subject to
curious outsiders fascinated by the history.
In a country where using the word genocide to describe the events of
1915 has led to prosecution, observing and protecting traditions has
not always been easy for Turkey’s Armenian minorities.
After 1939, the residents were forced to change their family names and
the only school where the Armenian language was taught was closed.
When it reopened years later, there was only one Turkish teacher.
Villagers had to send children to Istanbul to study Armenian.
The village also lacked economic opportunities, which led many
residents to leave for larger cities over the years. Men also greatly
outnumber women, who often leave when they marry men from outside the
village.
In 1997, as Turkey moved towards membership in the European Union,
authorities approved the renovation of Vakifli’s church, which helped
jump-start tourism, as did an ecotourism program.
Then in 2004, the town was chosen for an organic farming project and
became one of the first and only places in the region to receive EU
certification. In recent years, however, that project was abandoned
because it became too expensive to keep their certificate updated,
according to Berc Karton, the moktar, or village leader. Their produce
and food products are still natural, he said, and help the village
financially.
Several festivals during late summer and early fall also draw crowds,
including the Holy Mother of God feast in mid-August, which coincides
with the village’s traditional blessing of grapes. In the main square,
villagers serve harissa to those who gather. In September, the village
celebrates Holy Cross Sunday, which often draws Armenian pilgrims from
Istanbul and across the globe.
While the village is safe, more recently, the war in neighboring
Syria, which is within eyesight of Vakifli, caused alarm and deterred
tourists. In March 2014, residents watched with unease as the Syrian
town of Kessab, was overrun by extremists, some linked to Al Qaeda.
Twenty of Kessab’s Armenian residents from briefly took refuge in
Vakifli.
“In Antakya there are Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, but
now politicians don’t care,” Cigdem Turkmen said, fearing that the
country’s diverse cultures are being neglected.
While the Armenian population, and Vakifli as it stands today could
all but disappear within a generation, today’s villagers and their
families are fighting to keep their village, culture and traditions
alive.
A new museum is planned, where artifacts from villagers, stories of
its people will and recordings of the local dialect which is fading
away will be documented, preserved and on display.
“I feel a deep sadness thinking about how our village might disappear,
but we are looking forward,” said Cem Capar, sitting in the empty hall
that will soon house the museum. Outside, the evening call to prayer
echoes out over the hills from a former Armenian church that was
converted to a mosque after the village’s Armenians left in 1939.
“We know the past and we remember the past, but we live for now and
protect our future,” Capar said.
This article appeared in The Daily Beast on May 21, 2018.
*****************************************************************************************************
6 – Commentary: A Stunted Celebration
By Rostom Sarkissian
For most Americans, June 1 was an unassuming Friday. But in Armenia,
it was a cause for celebration. “Children’s Day” is marked around the
world, but in Yerevan, it’s an extravaganza. The city hosts multiple
official and unofficial events across the city, with the largest one
taking place in front of the Opera House.
Throughout the capitol: there are pop-up stands and spaces that
celebrate children, radio stations fill the air with music that makes
young and old dance in the streets, and the general energy around
Yerevan makes one wish they were five again. Yerevan in the summer is
filled with children’s amusement areas, parks and playground dot the
communal areas of nearly all housing complexes and children can be
seen enjoying themselves at all time of the day.
The veneer of Armenia’s child loving ethos belies a critical health
problem that is severely restricting the long-term health and
well-being of the Armenian Nation: the stunted growth of its youth.
Stunting is a condition in which children do not grow and develop
relative to their age. It is a global issue that mostly occurs in Asia
and Africa, but it has a strong correlation with level of poverty.
While there are many indicators which lead to stunting, the primary
cause is malnourishment and poor hygiene.
Stunting affects nearly 1 in 5 children in Armenia with the rate being
as high as 1 in 3 in certain regions. Stunting can begin in utero
through the malnourishment of the mother, and continues until the age
of 5, at which point it becomes irreversible.
Aside from a shorter stature and lower weight, children who are
stunted have higher risks of illness, delayed mental development,
reduced cognitive abilities and therefore worse school performance.
Women who are stunted also have greater risks of complication during
child birth, and stunting runs the risk of becoming an
intergenerational problem.
Based on World Bank data, Armenia’s rate of stunting increased from
1998 to 2010, from 14.8 to 21.7 percent, but has decreased to 19
percent as of most recent estimates due in part to the work of
organizations like World Vision and the United Nation’s World Food
Program, and an increased emphasis on this issue by the Armenian
government.
On June 10, we in the United States will have a chance to celebrate
Children’s Day, and let’s do so in part by committing ourselves to
helping future generations of Armenians grow and develop into the
healthy and hearty sons and daughters of Vartan—and not the meek and
weak foundlings of a developing country.
*************************************************************************************************
7- Commentary: The Third Republic
By Rostom Sarkissian
On May 28, 1918, the First Armenian Republic was born from the still
burning fire of the Armenian Genocide. During the battle of
Sardarabad, a slaughtered and uprooted nation stood resolute and
proclaimed a new Armenia after 500+ years of Ottoman subjugation. The
victory at Sardarabad signaled the will of Armenians to survive, even
in the face of the greatest tragedy the nation had ever experienced.
On May 28, 1988, activists in Soviet Armenia unfurled the flag of the
First Republic for the first time in 70 years. During this period, the
Artsakh movement was gaining steam, the Soviet Union’s grip on power
was disintegrating and Armenia would soon face a devastating
earthquake and a war for Artsakh’s liberation that would test its
mettle. None of these events would stop the momentum of the founding
of the Second Republic. On September 21, 1991, Armenia declared its
independence once again from a foreign power.
On May 28, 2018, the new Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan,
oversaw the ceremony marking the 100 year Anniversary of the founding
of the First Republic. In April/May of this year, he led a revolution
that has the potential to herald the start of the Third Armenian
Republic. The revolution was fueled by the energy and hopes of a
generation of young Armenians who were fighting to break the chains of
not a foreign power, but an internal threat, which at times behaved as
cruelly and ruthlessly as our foreign oppressors have in the past.
The leaders of the Second Republic brought Armenia independence, but
also ushered in an era where impunity ruled and oligarchy thrived.
These leaders went on to steal Armenia’s wealth, drove its population
to foreign lands and nearly extinguished Armenia’s hope for
development. Nearly. This year, the youth revolted against these
internal enemies and demanded a new Armenia that will nurture their
talents, provide opportunity commensurate with their skills, and will
strive to fulfil their aspirations for a better life.
100 years ago, a nearly defeated Armenian nation rose to defend its
rights and proclaimed its First Republic. Today, a new generation has
done so again. ************************************************************************************************
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Press release
Raffi Hovhannisyan met EPPn:agahJ:with Joseph Dole
4 June 2018Warsaw.European folk in the capital of Poland
party(EPP) to the political assembly to participate and speakwho journal to comein order to
Raffi, the first foreign minister of Armenia and the founder of the “Heritage” party
K. Today, Hovhannisyan met with EPP President Joseph Dole.
Dole and Hovhannisyan had a detailed discussion
Recently in Armeniaimplemented of the “velvet” revolution, its causes and perspectives, as well
geopolitical developments of the region and “Heritage” – EPP
about relationships.
“Legacy” party news service
Vienna, Austria—On May 28-29, 2018, the “International Peace Studies Conference Vienna” was held at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and International Institute for Peace.
The prestigious academic conference organized by the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS).
Selected scholars from different countries were invited to participate and introduce their research on international security issues.
Mher Sahakyan, the head of the “’China-Eurasia Council’ for Political and Strategic Research,” Foundation, Armenia, was among participants.
He presented his research on China’s diplomacy on Iran’s nuclear crises in the UNSC at the panel of “Nuclear Weapons,” which was chaired by Tariq Rauf and Heinz Gärtner.
Mher gave a detailed analysis of China’s role and position on Iranian nuclear issue in the UNSC.
The presentation was followed by a discussion on both the topic of research and the methods used by Mher Sahakyan.
Invited speakers included Emil Brix (Director, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Michael Spindelegger (former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Austria), Walter Feichtinger (Austrian National Defence Academy) Heinz Gärtner (International Institute for Peace; University of Vienna), Mike Hardy (Director, Coventry University Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations), Sardar Massod Khan (President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir), Kishore Mandhyan (former Director for Peacekeeping, UN), Mauro Miedico (Chief, Terrorism Prevention, UNODC), Lucia Mokra (Dean, Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University of Bratislava) and others.
ACUNS’s “International Peace Studies Conference Vienna” aims to establish itself as a key forum for dialogue on positive and sustainable peace, to focus on successful examples of peace-making, peacekeeping, trust building and enhancing dialogue between hostile communities and to provide an opportunity for young academics, scholars, practitioners, and subject-matter experts from around the world to come together and share their knowledge and expertise on matters relating to peace, security, development, and the United Nations system.
Mher Sahakyan was invited to speakIn Vienna International Peace Research Conference
2018 May 28-29theAcademic Council of the United Nations Systemat the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and At the International Peace Institute he organized “Vienna Conference on International Peace Studies”:
At the special invitation of the Academic Council of the United Nations system, researchers, politicians, and leaders arrived in Vienna, who spoke about the problems of international security and threats to peace, and possible methods of neutralizing them. The “China-Eurasia” Political and Strategic Research Council” Foundation was invited as a speaker at this prestigious conference. Head Mher Sahakyan. He was in the “Nuclear Weapons” section of the conference, chaired by Tariq Rauf and Heitz Livers, presented his scientific study to the present scientists and politicians, dedicated to China’s policy in the UN Security Council regarding the Iranian nuclear issue. After the speech of the speaker, a discussion took place.
Special guest speakers included Emile Brix(Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Mikael Spindelegger (former Foreign Minister of Austria),Walter Feichenger(Austrian National Defense Academy), Heitz Gjartner (International Peace Institute), Mike Hardey (Director of the Center for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University), Sardar Masood Khan (President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir), Kishore Mandian (Former Director of UN Peacekeeping), Mauro Miedizzo (Head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime) and others.
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NEWS RELEASE: June 4, 2018 The US Embassy's screening of American films encourages, empowers and inspires After last year's sold-out movie screenings in the US Embassy is proud to return again with a screening of American films. 2018 the motto of the festival is "Encourage, empower, inspire" and will be presented a a series of documentaries that showcase the power of the individual to change the world request. Film screenings will be from June 4 to 10. entry is free. Movies have an indescribable power. they open people's eyes to the show putting the stories of others. I think these documentaries are Armenian will transport the audience to the United States, help to better understand American culture, and more importantly, these films will show the universality of the individual power and influence and will encourage and inspire us all to become better and make our surroundings and society better," he said US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills. Free movie screenings A screening of American films during 2018, which takes place under the heading "Courage, 13 documentaries will be screened under the motto "strengthen, inspire". The festival starts with the screening of the film "The Melody of Strangers". on June 4 at 19:00 at "Moscow" cinema. The film shows an American celebrity Cellist Yo-Yo Ma's daring musical experimentation when he different "Silk road" band, whose members strive using music to lift the bonds that unite humanity. Next, from June 4 to 10, every day at 17:00 and 19:00 "Moscow" free movie screenings will continue in the cinema. The following screen will appear: the movies. "Melee Murals", "Floyd Norman. Animated Life", "Swimming Team", Ataxia, Switched Roles, The If Project, The Event, The Farmer, Farmer, Fisherman," "The Empowerment Project," "Supergirl," "High School 911" and "Aravel than the grade." The detailed program is posted on our website, see: The program also plans to screen the film "Melody of Strangers" in Gyumri. on June 9 at 16:00 at the "October" cinema, and in Vanadzor on June 10 at 16:00 at "Lori" cinema club. Both places are free to enter. “These documentaries are compelling stories where individuals are the steps undertaking in the direction of environmental protection, the schoolchildren themselves in villages trying to save lives or are depicted with female prisoners rehabilitation works being carried out. They show American good and bad aspects of society and hope. So I think these movies After watching, the audience will leave American culture and American with a deeper understanding and knowledge of psychology". said Ambassador Mills. Video effects master course This year's Americana is under the motto "Encourage, Empower, Inspire". the exhibition of films is not limited only to cinema screenings. happened last month had a master class on the latest approaches to video effects which conducted by Dariush Derakhshan, an award-winning video effects specialist from the USA, as well as a discussion about the art of filmmaking that led to editing award-winning expert Jason Zelds. In the framework of the exhibition of American films, Dariush Derakhshan, who is a video effects and is a specialist in computer graphics and is known for "Apocalypto", "RED", "Fantastic The Four” and several other feature films and the TV show “South Park”. with his work around, conducted a week-long workshop on video effects and also worked with TUMO students. Jason: Zelds, who edited the film "The Stranger's Melody", presented his experience in editing and directing to filmmakers and knowledge. "We want to encourage the presentation of Armenian stories in Armenian by filmmakers for both local and overseas audiences. That's it for this purpose we invite the best American figures so that they To present the best experience of the field to the next generation of Armenian filmmakers and to share their ideas and inspiration," said Ambassador Mills. [usa 25 logo without text]
AFS 2018_ARM_ENG_ June 4 2018.doc
AFS 2018_ARM_ENG_ June 4 2018.doc
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Monday,
Another Armenian Lawmaker Quits Former Ruling Party
Armenia -- Parliament deputy Arman Sahakian.
Another parliament deputy defected from the parliamentary faction of Serzh
Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) over the weekend, further
reducing its majority in the National Assembly.
The wealthy lawmaker, Arman Sahakian, gave no clear reason for the move when he
announced it on Facebook. He said only that he will now concentrate on problems
facing his constituency encompassing the country’s second largest city, Gyumri,
as well as Armenia’s broader economic development.
“I am ready to actively support all initiatives by both the current authorities
and my opposition comrades aimed at development,” wrote Sahakian.
It was not immediately clear whether he will also formally terminate his
membership in the HHK.
Sahakian, 40, is a businessman who has held a seat in the parliament since
2012. He reportedly owns companies importing alcohol, tobacco and foodstuffs to
Armenia as well as one of the country’s leading football clubs based in Gyumri.
At least two other deputies quit the HHK’s parliamentary faction just a few
days before Sahakian announced his decision. One of them, Artur Gevorgian, is
the son-in-law of Vladimir Gasparian, the former chief of the Armenian police.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian fired Gasparian two days after taking office on
May 8 following mass protests that forced Serzh Sarkisian to resign as premier.
After Sahakian’s exit, the HHK technically controls 55 of the 105 parliament
seats. One of the remaining nominal members of its faction, Felix Tsolakian,
twice broke ranks to vote for Pashinian’s premiership in early May.
The HHK leadership reprimanded Tsolakian but stopped short of expelling him
from the party ranks as a result. His continued loyalty to the former ruling
party now seems in serious doubt.
Some Armenian newspapers reported in recent days that several other wealthy
parliamentarians are also poised to defect to from the HHK faction.
The faction leader, Vahram Baghdasarian, admitted last week that Sarkisian’s
party now risks losing control over the parliament. He claimed at the same time
that it is “not desperate to retain our majority.”
A loss of that majority would mean that the HHK can no longer block key
government bills. It would also stop being in a position to thwart Pashinian’s
plans to force fresh parliamentary elections later this year. Those plans are
supported by the parliament’s three minority factions represented in
Pashinian’s cabinet.
‘Violent’ Mayor Charged But Freed For Now
• Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - Masis Mayor Davit Hambardzumian speaks to RFE/RL after being set free
by a court in Yerevan, 2 June 2018.
The mayor of an Armenian town affiliated with the former ruling Republican
Party (HHK) and three other men were controversially released from custody on
Saturday one day after being charged with assaulting protesters in Yerevan in
April.
The incident took place in the city’s southern Erebuni district just hours
after Nikol Pashinian, the main organizer of mass protests against HHK leader
Serzh Sarkisian’s continued rule, was detained on April 22. Hundreds of
Pashinian supporters demonstrating there were attacked by several dozen men
wearing medical masks and wielding sticks and even electric shock guns.
Five individuals were arrested on Thursday in connection with the violence.
They included Davit Hambardzumian, the mayor of Masis, a small town about 10
kilometers south of Yerevan, and his deputy Karen Ohanian.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee charged Hambardzumian with organizing the
“mass riots” on Friday before asking a court in Yerevan to sanction his and the
four other suspects’ pre-trial arrest. The latter stand accused of
participating in the attack.
The court rejected all but one of those petitions, however. The presiding
judge, Tatevik Grigorian, ordered the immediate release of Hambardzumian,
Ohanian, the mayor’s cousin Gevorg and another suspect pending investigation.
Hambardzumian rejected the criminal case as “false” and said he will not resign
as Masis mayor when he walked free in the courtroom. “What should I resign
for?” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Armenia - A screenshot of a video of thugs beating up an opposition protester
in Yerevan's Erebuni district on 22 April 2018.
The Investigative Committee insisted that it has sufficient video and other
evidence of the mayor’s and the other freed suspects’ involvement in the
Erebuni attack. A spokesperson for the law-enforcement body said it will ask a
prosecutor overseeing the probe to appeal against Grigorian’s ruling.
The 30-year-old judge presided over the recent high-profile trial of Zhirayr
Sefilian and other radical opposition figures convicted of plotting to
overthrow former President Serzh Sarkisian. She repeatedly refused to free
those defendants pending a verdict in the case.
Grigorian’s decision to have Mayor Hambardzumian freed for now caused outrage
among many Armenian civil society members and other supporters of the new
government in Yerevan. They were quick to accuse her of acting on orders issued
by Sarkisian’s HHK or other state elements loyal to the former Armenian
government.
Incidentally, eight senior parliamentarians representing the HHK last week sent
a joint letter to Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian and the Investigative
Committee head, Aghvan Hovsepian, calling for the release of Hambardzumian and
the other suspects.
The mayor’s arrest sparked street protests by his supporters in Masis. Some of
them also demonstrated outside the Yerevan court before the ruling.
Hambardzumian, 32, is an HHK member who was elected mayor in 2016 with the help
of the then ruling party. He is reportedly related to the chief bodyguard of
Vladimir Gasparian, the former head of the Armenian police sacked by Pashinian.
Law-enforcement authorities have also made at least three other arrests in
connection with similar incidents that occurred in two other parts of Yerevan
during the Pashinian-led protest movement. Some Armenian media outlets have
accused Yerevan Mayor Taron Markarian and Mihran Poghosian, a controversial
parliamentarian, of orchestrating those attacks on protesters. Both men
affiliated with the HHK deny that.
New Armenian Police Chief Claims To End Corruption
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Valeri Osipyan, chief of the Armenian police, speaks to reporters, 4
June 2018
Less than one month after being appointed as chief of the Armenian police,
Valeri Osipian claimed on Monday to have practically eliminated bribery and
other corrupt practices among fellow police officers.
“I can announce with confidence that there are now no corrupt elements in the
police,” he told reporters. “I can announce with confidence that I have taken
concrete steps.”
“I don’t exclude that one or two of my colleagues [may be corrupt] but I can
say for sure that corruption does not exist [as a systemic problem.]”
Nikol Pashinian named Osipian to run the national police service on May 10 two
days after being elected Armenia’s prime minister following weeks of
anti-government protests led by him.
Osipian was until then a deputy head of Yerevan’s police department responsible
for public order and crowd control. He has been personally present at just
about every major anti-government rally staged in the Armenian capital in the
past decade. He frequently warned and argued with Pashinian during the protests
which the former opposition leader launched on April 13 in a successful attempt
to topple Serzh Sarkisian.
Introducing Osipian to high-ranking police officials on May 11, Pashinian said
one of his main tasks will be to crack down on corruption in the police ranks
which is believed to have long been endemic. Osipian replaced virtual deputy
chiefs of the police in the following days.
Armenia To Retain Close Ties With Russia, Insists FM
• Harry Tamrazian
Armenia - New Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopirkin (L) hands copies of his
credentials to Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian, Yerevan,4June
2018.
The new Armenian government will maintain Armenia’s “very deep” ties with
Russia while trying to “complement” them with closer cooperation with the
European Union and other world powers, according to Foreign Minister Zohrab
Mnatsakanian.
In a weekend interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am),
Mnatsakanian ruled out major changes in Armenia’s traditional foreign policy
orientation. He said the recent dramatic events that led to a change of
government in Yerevan were an “Armenian process that totally fitted into the
Armenian reality.”
“Our foreign policy will also be the same,” Mnatsakanian added, commenting on
some Russian commentators’ fears that Armenia may drift away from Russia under
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
“We have very deep and very important relations with Russia and they will
continue,” stressed the recently appointed minister. “Our strategic
cooperation, strategic relations with Russia have a very strong, logical and
explicable basis.”
Armenia will at the same time continue to seek closer ties with the EU,
including through the implementation of the Comprehensive Enhanced Partnership
Agreement (CEPA) signed last November, Mnatsakanian went on.
“That agreement was not signed and is not implemented to the detriment of other
directions [of Armenian foreign policy,]” he said. “Instead, it complements
what we have been doing for our national interests. And if we need to give more
explanations, then we are going to do that.”
Russia closely watched the mass protests in Armenia sparked by former President
Serzh Sarkisian’s attempt to extend his decade-long rule. In their public
statements, Russian officials avoided taking sides in the standoff that led to
Sarkisian’s resignation on April 23.
Pashinian has since repeatedly stated that he will not pull Armenia out of the
Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. He
assured Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 14 that Armenia will remain
allied to Russia during his tenure.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin said late last month that
regime change in Armenia has not had a negative impact on Russian-Armenian
relations. “The vector and the dynamics [of bilateral ties] remain the same,”
he told the TASS agency.
Incidentally, Mnatsakanian discussed those ties with Russia’s new ambassador in
Yerevan, Sergey Kopirkin, at a meeting held on Monday. According to the
Armenian Foreign Ministry, the minister expressed hope that the
Russian-Armenian relationship will grow even closer.
Mnatsakanian is scheduled to visit Moscow and meet with Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov later this week.
Pashinian Urges End To Protests In Karabakh
• Sisak Gabrielian
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian kisses a baby
after a news conference in Stepanakert, May 9, 2018. Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Monday called for an end to
anti-government protests in Nagorno-Karabakh sparked by a violent dispute
between security officers and other local residents.
Pashinian made what he described as a “brotherly request” as about 200 people
demonstrated in Stepanakert for a fourth day to demand the resignation of the
heads of Nagorno-Karabakh’s two main law-enforcement agencies blamed for the
violence.
The brawl broke outside a Stepanakert car wash on Friday, with two groups of
men bitterly arguing and pushing and punching each other for still unclear
reasons. Several of them turned out to be officers of Karabakh’s National
Security Service (NSS). They reportedly seriously injured at least one of the
other, civilian participants of the fight.
The incident triggered a demonstration by angry Stepanakert residents who say
that it is symptomatic of what they see as impunity enjoyed by members of
security forces and their relatives. They blocked the town’s main avenue,
demanding the resignation of the NSS and police chiefs. The street section has
since been the scene of daily anti-government rallies.
Karabakh law-enforcement authorities arrested several individuals, including
two NSS officers, in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Karabakh’s
political leadership pledged to ensure an objective criminal investigation.
These assurances failed to satisfy the protesters, however. Their
representatives twice met with Bako Sahakian, the Karabakh president, over the
weekend. Sahakian is said to have told them late on Sunday that he is ready, in
principle, to sack senior law-enforcement officials but will refrain from doing
that now.
“The people will not leave until their demands are met,” one of the protest
leaders said after the demonstrators decided to keep the Stepanakert street
closed to traffic on Monday morning.
Nagorno-Karabakh - The parliament building in Stepanakert, 2Sep2016.
Meanwhile, Karabakh’s parliament set up a multi-party “investigative
commission” at an emergency session held later in the day. The ad hoc
commission is tasked with monitoring the probe of the brawl and other abuses
allegedly committed by law-enforcement officials.
Pashinian appealed to the protesters late on Monday, saying that “any violence
is unacceptable regardless of who resorts to it” and calling for “concrete
conclusions” to be drawn from the June 1 incident. In a live Facebook
broadcast, he praised Sahakian for meeting representatives of the protesters
and reaching “concrete agreements” with them. He hinted that the Karabakh
leader agreed to make personnel changes in the local security apparatus after
the ongoing criminal inquiry is over.
The protests should therefore end, said the Armenian premier. “In a
conversation with me, the president of Artsakh (Karabakh) reaffirmed his
determination to implement those agreements and it is imperative to enable him
to do that,” he added.
Pashinian’s appeal followed serious concerns voiced by some politicians and
public figures in Armenia. They warned that a destabilization of the political
situation in Karabakh could tempt Azerbaijan to attack Karabakh Armenian
positions along “the line of contact” around the disputed territory.
“What happened in Armenia is inadmissible, to put it mildly, for Karabakh,”
former President Levon Ter-Petrosian said in a weekend statement. “I mean mass
protests and pressures on the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s authorities. They
could have disastrous consequences for a country which is in a state of war.”
Ter-Petrosian alluded to the recent mass protests in Armenia that brought
Pashinian to power. He said Pashinian must publicly call for an end to the
Stepanakert protests.
The Karabakh leader’s spokesman, Davit Babayan, sought to allay such fears
earlier on Monday. “The situation is not critical. This is a form of dialogue,”
Babayan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Babayan also warned against attempts to “politicize” the June 1 incident and
urged the protest leaders to drop their “ultimatums” issued to the authorities
in Stepanakert.
More Armenian Lawmakers Quit Former Ruling Party
• Emil Danielyan
Armenia - Parliament deputy Felix Tsolakian, 4 April 2018.
Two more parliament deputies have defected from the parliamentary faction of
Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), putting it on the verge of
losing its majority in the National Assembly.
One of them, Arman Sahakian, gave no clear reason for his move when he
announced it on Facebook over the weekend. He said only that he will now
concentrate on problems facing his constituency encompassing the country’s
second largest city, Gyumri, as well as Armenia’s broader economic development.
“I am ready to actively support all initiatives by both the current authorities
and my opposition comrades aimed at development,” wrote Sahakian.
Sahakian, 40, is a businessman who has held a seat in the parliament since
2012. He reportedly owns companies importing alcohol, tobacco and foodstuffs to
Armenia as well as one of the country’s leading football clubs based in Gyumri.
Armenia -- Parliament deputy Arman Sahakian.
The other lawmaker, Felix Tsolakian, announced his exit from the HHK faction on
Monday. He said his affiliation with it “effectively ended” after he twice
broke ranks to vote for Nikol Pashinian’s becoming Armenia’s prime minister in
early May. In a Facebook post, he said he will now be acting as an independent
deputy.
The HHK leadership reprimanded Tsolakian for voting for Pashinian but stopped
short of expelling him from the party ranks last week.
Tsolakian, 66, was a career KGB officer in Soviet times and a deputy director
of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) from 2007-2013. He headed the
national tax service from 2003-2007. Tsolakian governed the northwestern Shirak
province when he was elected to the parliament from a local constituency in
2017.
At least two other deputies quit the HHK’s parliamentary faction last week. One
of them, Artur Gevorgian, is a son-in-law of Vladimir Gasparian, the former
chief of the Armenian police. Pashinian fired Gasparian two days after taking
office on May 8 following mass protests that forced Serzh Sarkisian to resign
as premier.
Armenia - Deputies from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia at a parliament
session in Yerevan 28 February 2018.
After the latest defections the HHK technically controls 54 of the 105
parliament seats. Some Armenian newspapers reported in recent days that several
other wealthy parliamentarians are also poised to defect to from its
parliamentary faction.
The faction leader, Vahram Baghdasarian, admitted last week that Sarkisian’s
party now risks losing control over the parliament. He claimed at the same time
that it is “not desperate to retain our majority.”
A loss of that majority would mean that the HHK can no longer block key
government bills. It would also stop being in a position to thwart Pashinian’s
plans to force fresh parliamentary elections later this year. Those plans are
supported by the parliament’s three minority factions represented in
Pashinian’s cabinet.
Press Review
(Saturday, June 2)
“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that the prices of fruits, vegetables and meat sold
in Armenian supermarkets have gone up sharply following accusations of
large-scale tax evasion levelled against the country’s largest retail chain
owned by parliament deputy Samvel Aleksanian. The paper close to the new
Armenian government assures readers that there is “nothing terrible” about the
price hikes because the cost of these foodstuffs sold in smaller shops and
markets remains unchanged. It also argues that the government needs to put an
end to corporate tax fraud.
“Hraparak” says that the retail “oligarchs” are retaliating against the
crackdown launched by Nikol Pashinian’s government. “On the one hand, this is
blackmail directed at the authorities that have breached ‘rules of the game,’”
writes the paper. “On the hand, it’s a slap in the face of the society that has
carried out a democratic revolution.” It hopes that the price hikes will be
more than offset by extra tax payments to the state budget.
“Aravot” reports that the supermarket managers have sent a collective letter to
Pashinian. The paper says their message to the prime minister can be summed up
as follows: “If we stick only to the law we will go bankrupt and food prices
will rise.” It says that while public anger about large businesses evading
taxes is legitimate “government officials and experts have something to think
about.” “Maybe relevant laws were really written in such a way that it was very
hard not to circumvent them,” it says.
“Zhamanak” reports on a corruption scandal surrounding activities the Armenian
Youth Fund, a state-funded structure that has long been effectively controlled
by the youth wing of Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) headed by Karen
Avagian, a parliament deputy. Avagian alleged on June 1 that the fund’s
executive director has embezzled over 326 million drams ($680,000) from the
fund. Law-enforcement authorities have launched a criminal investigation into
the allegation. The paper wonders if Avagian’s allegation is a further
indication of mounting friction within the HHK.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org