Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN CEMETERY DESECRATED IN ANKARA

April 8, 2015 – 16:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – “Treasure hunters” in Ankara destroyed an ancient
Armenian cemetery, with human bones strewn everywhere, according to
Hye Tert.

The cemetery is also used as a picnic venue. The cemetery was the only
reminder of the Armenian presence in Ankara’s district of Sincan. A
while ago, the city municipality moved some of the well-preserved
tombstones to the municipal park to create an “open air museum.”

Later, the tombstones were removed, and reportedly sent to the Museum
of Anatolian Civilizations.

Several years ago, the cemetery was fenced, yet the measure proved
useless. The fence was broken down, with the graves desecrated by
treasure hunters.

ARMENIA LIBERALIZED AIR COMMUNICATION WITH SIX COUNTRIES – MINISTER

YEREVAN, April 8. / ARKA /. Armenia has liberalized air communication
with Austria, Russia, Iran, Spain, Turkmenistan and Iraq, economy
minister Karen Chshmarityan said today during a Q&A session in the
parliament.

The Armenian government liberalized the domestic civil aviation
sector in late October 2013 saying that all local and foreign airlines
meeting safety standards will be allowed to fly to and from Armenia
without special authorizations or other restrictions.

According to the minister, relating negotiations are being held
now with Qatar, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Jordan,
Thailand, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Greece.

He said the three major goals of this policy is opening of new
destinations, ensuring the lowest possible prices for tickets and
providing quality services.

According to Civil Aviation Department of Armenia, last year passenger
traffic through local airports surged by 18.5% from 2013 to 2,082,755
people.-0-

Armenia to receive third $17 million disbursement of IMF in June

YEREVAN, April 8. / ARKA /. Speaking at a news conference today
the chief of IMF Mission in Armenia, Mark Horton, said Armenia will
receive the third disbursement of $17 million under IMF’s Extended
Fund Facility (EFF) program in June.

The extended arrangement for SDR 82.21 million (about US$119.1 million)
was approved on March 7, 2014. The money will be disbursed in seven
tranches, Mr. Horton said.

He said the first review of Armenia’s economic performance under the
three-year program was completed on December 22, 2014 enabling the
release of SDR 11.74 million (about US$17 million), bringing total
disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 23.48 million (about
US$34 million).

He said the IMF submitted to the Armenian government several proposals,
the discussion of which will be completed within the next 2-3 weeks,
and the results will be submitted to the IMF Board meeting in June.

He said one of the proposals calls for increasing capital spending
by 1% of GDP. According to him, the IMF does not fund capital
expenditures, but nevertheless, the Armenian government is working
with international financial institutions and other organizations in
order to find the necessary funds.

Mr. Horton also noted that some other proposals submitted to the
government are about transport communications and renovation of
Armenian schools buildings which do not meet seismic standards.

Mr. Horton said if these projects are implemented successfully, the
IMF can provide the Central Bank of Armenia this year with additional
$35 million. -0-

FIVE COUNTRIES SEEK TO CARRY OUT RUSSIA’S TURKISH STREAM PROJECT IN EUROPE

(c) Sputnik/ Igor Zarembo
BUSINESS
14:48 08.04.2015Get short URL
40430
Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey seek ways to diversify
routes and channels of natural gas deliveries to Europe through Turkey,
according to a declaration foreign ministers of the five countries
signed in Budapest on Tuesday.

(c) AP PHOTO/ PETR DAVID JOSEK Turkish Stream May Bring Energy Security
to Europe – Senior Greek Official The declaration paves the way for
the five countries to participate in the project based on the so-called
Turkish Stream gas pipeline, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The
Russia daily added that Austria could also join the venture.

The Turkish Stream pipeline is an alternative to the South
Stream, which Russia terminated in December 2014, citing Brussels’
opposition to the project. The pipeline with an annual capacity of
63 billion cubic meters will deliver gas to Turkey via a gas hub on
the Turkish-Greek border for further distribution to consumers in
southern Europe.

The declaration reflects only political intent. The five countries
and companies interested in the project will have to convene again
on multiple occasions to discuss details of the venture. The next
ministerial meeting is expected to take place in July but bilateral
talks will start earlier.

The first leg of the Turkish Stream pipeline is scheduled to be
completed by the end of 2016.

Gas talks could become on the key issues during talks between the
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is on a two-day visit to
Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(c) AP PHOTO/ MURAD SEZER, FILE Putin, Tsipras to Discuss Connecting
Greece to Turkish Stream If the countries decide to take part in the
Turkish Stream project, Gazprom will have an opportunity to deliver
gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine without drastically altering existing
deals with the customers, Kommersant pointed out. But it has other
implications too.

Cordial relations with current and aspiring EU members, who try to
carry out independent foreign policy, are of high value to Russia
against the background of Moscow’s current relations with the West.

The European Commission will likely be against any joint ventures,
focusing on Russian gas. The EC is developing legal mechanisms, which
will allow it to block any intergovernmental agreements and business
contracts deemed harmful for the EU energy security.

Read more:

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO TRAVEL TO ITALY AND VATICAN CITY

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. This evening Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan is to pay an official visit to the Italian Republic and will
hold meetings with the country’s top officials, the press office of
the president reports.

the press release says.

In Italy, President Serzh Sargsyan is also to meet with the
director-general of one of international organizations – the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization.

On April 12, the Armenian President will visit Vatican City where
he will take part in a liturgy devoted to the Armenian Genocide
Centennial to be performed by His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint
Peter’s Basilica. –0—–

ARTUR SAKUNTS: THE SAME CAN HAPPEN TO ANY POLITICAL FORCE THAT WILL SEEK CHANGE OF POWER (VIDEO)

16:31 | April 8,2015 | Politics

Didn’t the law enforcement agencies violate human rights by arresting
seven members of the opposition Founding Parliament group?

“I shall refrain from making any comments as the investigation is in
progress,” Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan said on Wednesday.

Asked how he assessed the arrest as a lawyer, Mr Manukyan said, “From
the legal point of view, I shall assess it as the man who serves as
Minister of Justice.”

The minister does not see a violation of the presumption of innocence
while the Investigative Committee of Armenia said yesterday it
prevented possible ‘mass disturbances’ during public events scheduled
for April 24 – the day when Armenians will be commemorating the
centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

“No names are given,” said Mr Manukyan.

Human rights activist Artur Sakunts says the arrest of the opposition
activists is ungrounded and the charges are fabricated. “They arrested
the people who, according to Serzh Sargsyan, are key figures in the
movement that is demanding his resignation,” he said.

Mr Sakunts says Serzh Sargsyan is doing everything to retain his power;
he is even applying violence and force against public.

“Today they are trying to intimidate the Founding Parliament. Tomorrow
it can be the Civil Contract or some other political force that will
seek a change of power,” he added.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN TO ATTEND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MASS IN VATICAN

17:38, 08 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will leave for Italy tonight, where
he will have meetings with high-ranking officials, President’s Press
Office reported.

President Sargsyan will visit the Vittoriano Museum of Rome to watch
the “Armenia: People of Ark” exhibition dedicated to the Armenian
Genocide centennial.

On April 11 the President will participate in the Mass to be celebrated
by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, and Cardinal Sepe at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of
Naples. As part of the ceremony the copy of one of the cross-stones
of Jugha will be unveiled in memory of the Armenian Genocide.

In Italy President Sargsyan is expected to meet with the Director
General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

On April 12 Serzh Sargsyan will visit Vatican, where he will
participate in the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Pope Francis will
celebrate to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

NAIRA ZOHRABYAN: WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF GAZPROM ARMENIA EMPLOYEES DECIDE TO RELAX IN LUXURIOUS HEALTH RESORTS? (VIDEO)

13:27 | April 8,2015 | Politics

The National Assembly is continuing the discussion of the conclusion
of the NA interim commission studying the gas supply system.

Head of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK faction Naira Zohrabyan
spoke about the costs of images and plants of the document which are
included in the price of gas sold to consumers.

“Can you imagine what might happen if employees of Gazprom Armenia
CJSC develop their their aesthetic tastes and declare that they want to
have a rest in health resorts which are decorated with the pictures of
Titian and Renoir, especially given the fact that their pink colours
have a relaxing effect on viewers. This is a real plunder which is
not appropriate to a political force.”

Speaking about the framework agreement reached in Lausanne last week
on curbing Iran’s nuclear program for at least a decade which forced
Iran to make drastic cuts to its nuclear program in return for the
gradual lifting of sanctions, the BHK leader said, “Serious prospects
open for finding transit routes to export gas to Europe through the
cooperation between Iran, Georgia and Armenia. The question is whether
Armenia is constrained by an infamous vassal treaty with Russia by
2043. WE are given a unique opportunity and we should not miss it,
otherwise we shall make a major political mistake.”

ARMENIA’S INTERNATIONAL RESERVES AT ABOUT $1.5BLN BY END Q1 – NEWSPAPER

08.04.2015 15:45

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. Armenia’s gross international reserves will
amount to about $1.5 billion by the end of the first quarter 2015,
Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Time) says referring to the press office
of the central bank.

Hence, the international reserves will still be in line with the
international practices and will be sufficient for covering the imports
and the servicing of short-term (up to one year) commitments for more
than five years.

According to the newspaper, the regulator expects the international
reserves to be replenished by about $510 million in 2015, of it about
$300 million through second euro bond issue, and the remaining part
from other receipts.

At the same time, the foreign debt load is expected to decrease
substantially, by about 30%.

The newspaper says the number of commercial banks’ foreign currency
accounts in the central bank is expected to increase due to the
regulator’s recent actions to replenish commercial banks’ capital
and to promote forex inflow.

The reduction in reserves by $762 million during 2014 was facilitated
by a number of factors, particularly by decrease of $305 million in
balances on foreign currency correspondent accounts, external debt
servicing worth about $260 million and the central bank’s sale/purchase
deals worth $310 million to ensure financial stability and to curb
the inflation, says Haykakan Zhamanak. -0-

PANIC IN ARMENIA

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 07 April 2015, 13:38

Armenia has entered into a phase of Eurasian panic. The myth of the
EEU is collapsing and those who were trying to persuade the society in
Armenia after September 3 that Armenia was not entering the EEU but the
paradise are now trying to persuade that whatever is happening in the
Armenian economy has nothing to do with the EEU and would be inevitable
without the EEU. And those people are politicians, representative
of the governmental and non-governmental parties who voted for the
annexation of Armenia by the EEU in December and experts who had also
been helped by the Russian “landing” and financial assistance. Now
this Armenian-Russian International is trying to persuade the citizens
of Armenia that the EEU has nothing to do with this.

In times of social and economic difficulties it seems that everyone
must join their efforts to save the Armenian economy, whereas these
efforts focus on saving the face and reputation of the EEU in Armenia.

The myth about a market of 170 million and higher level of security
was busted within a few months and still continues and the end is not
visible. Whether the EEU has anything to do with this or not is no
longer important. The EEU has something to do with getting over this.

However, this relation is adverse in nature. In other words, the EEU
will not help overcome the current plight but will hinder and make
things more complicated.

What is necessary to do to tackle the current economic problems? Of
course, it is necessary to relieve the private sector of bureaucracy
to enable companies to spend more time and resource on their core
business, the quest for new solutions and opportunities.

The mix called EEU imposes on the private sector of Armenia a new
stage of bureaucratic adaptation in a difficult economic period full
of uncertainty. The Armenian business has to adjust to new union
regulations, new trade conditions with the third countries after
joining the union.

This is the purely technical part. Furthermore, the Armenian companies
are not allowed freedom of dealing with the third countries,
several conditions of these relations have been complicated and
made cumbersome. Technically, the EEU has caused complications for
the Armenian companies which had already been caged by the Armenian
monopolies and oligopolies. Plus complicated regulations and the
picture is more than clear.

In the meantime, a group of Armenian and Russian people are trying
to make the Armenian society believe that the EEU has nothing to
do with this, totally distorting the truth. Their lies led to the
capitulation and annexation of Armenia by the EEU, their lies are
trying to save the face of the EEU in Armenia in prejudice of the
economy and future of Armenia.