Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA’S FIRST PRESIDENT SHOWS LOYALTY TO RUSSIA’S LEADER

15:19 * 09.03.15

Styopa Safaryan, Director of the Armenian Institute of International
and Security Affairs (AIISA), believes that Armenia’s first
president, leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) party Levon
Ter-Petrosyan is implementing one task, namely, remaining in politics
until the 2017 parliamentary elections.

“There was time when Ter-Petrosyan remained in politics by conducting
a dialogue with the authorities. Later he began cooperating with the
Prosperous Armenia party,” he said.

Ter-Petrosyan’s desire is to show he is most loyal to Russia. It was
clear at his last rally, when he ironically spoke of “demands for
Putin’s resignation on breastplates.”

Thus, Mr Ter-Petrosyan hinted that an opposition force could emerge
in Armenia which would be in opposition to Russia.

“Vacuum is in Armenia’s opposition arena, and the efficient figure
will occupy the seat of honor. There is a vacuum in the radical
opposition arena, but opposition forces have always existed. But I
do not say I want to see any force in the square because society is
only disappointed.”

CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT

Lragir.am
Country – 09 March 2015, 11:09

Armenian exporters are at a loss. Their main market is Russia, and as
businessmen note, they have been told to “wait”. The reason is the
financial and economic situation in Russia. According to official
statistics, exports to Russia in January plummeted by 99.9%.

Instead, exports to other countries increased, while Armenia is
officially a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. Although they
waive a hand saying it is temporary, “temporary” may last years.

These tendencies showed that membership to the EEU have driven Armenia
to the financial and economic edge. On the other hand, increase of
export to third countries show that companies are trying to find other
ways which is, however, a difficult process. The succeeding governments
of Armenia have always chosen what was closer, that is Russia, instead
of diversifying the economy, modernizing it and making it competitive.

It takes years, as well as managers with different mindset and values.

The Armenian government is not capable of these changes. The hasty
steps that are being taken now indicate lack of strategy.

This is not a surprise. The government is the representation of the
oligarchic system which is based on quotas, monopolies and surplus
profit. This system keeps the profits and makes up for its losses at
the people’s expense. This scheme, however, has stopped working.

The “fair” scheme proposed by Hovik Abrahamyan, which envisages for
each official and businessman to be responsible for “part” of its
“losses” is not working either. However, as time showed, nobody wants
to pay or otherwise puts forth unrealistic conditions.

In other words, the external and external conjuncture has fully changed
the state of things, and hasty and fundamental steps are needed which
will be aimed at the structure of the economy. However, an oligarchic
government cannot take such steps because they immediately concern
its interests.

The inevitable process of redistribution of property can be a partial
solution but it will just prolong the economic premises of the system
and will not lead to improvement of the general economic situation.

Hence, the issue of change of the structure of the government and the
economy has become an objective need. No matter how long this process
lasts, the situation of the country will be complicated. Besides,
the state of the oligarchic circles who are already facing a danger
will further get complicated. Gagik Tsarukyan is a vivid example.

TURQUIE : LE PROCES D’UN LYCEEN POURSUIVI POUR INSULTE A ERDOGAN REPORTE

TURQUIE

Le procès d’un lyceen de 16 ans poursuivi vendredi devant un tribunal
de Konya (centre) pour “insulte” au president islamo-conservateur Recep
Tayyip Erdogan a ete ajourne au 3 avril pour raisons de procedure,
a annonce son comite de soutien.

“L’audience a ete reportee a notre demande au 3 avril”, a ecrit sur
son compte Twitter Umut Kurt, responsable local de la jeunesse du
principal parti d’opposition turc, le Parti republicain du peuple (CHP,
social-democrate). Un des avocats du lyceen a demande le remplacement
des juges, qui souhaitaient imposer le huis clos, et obtenu le renvoi
de l’audience, a precise l’agence de presse Dogan.

Jeune militant du CHP, le prevenu est accuse d’avoir qualifie le
chef de l’Etat, mis en cause il y a un an dans un vaste scandale
politico-financier, de “chef des voleurs”, dans un discours prononce
au cours d’une manifestation en decembre. Poursuivi sur la base
de l’article 299 du code penal turc qui punit toute personne qui
“porte atteinte a l’image” du president, il risque jusqu’a quatre
ans de prison. Arrete par la police dans sa classe, cet adolescent
avait ete inculpe et ecroue, une première pour un mineur poursuivi
pour ce type de delit en Turquie, avant d’etre remis en liberte un
jour plus tard a la suite d’une plainte de ses avocats.

Depuis l’election de M. Erdogan a la presidence de la Republique en
août dernier, les poursuites pour “insulte” au chef de l’Etat se sont
multipliees en Turquie, visant aussi bien artistes et journalistes
que simples particuliers. Le barreau d’Istanbul a recense au moins
84 procedures de ce type en six mois. L’opposition, qui denonce
regulièrement la derive autoritaire du regime islamo-conservateur au
pouvoir depuis 2002, a exige l’abrogation de l’article 299, estimant
qu’il porte atteinte a la liberte d’expression.

lundi 9 mars 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

ARMENIA AND LEBANON TO EXCHANGE MILITARY PRACTICE

March 9, 2015 16:44

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenia and Lebanon will exchange military practice
in a number of defense fields which will result in practical character
of cooperation in near future.

The relevant agreement was reached during the meeting of First Deputy
Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan and delegation headed by
Brigadier General of Lebanese Defense Ministry Manuel Kirejian today.

The sides also discussed issues related to the modernization of
military cooperation agreement signed in 2001 and bilateral cooperation
plan for 2015.

The meeting with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan focused
on the need for establishing high-level military-political relations
between the two states.

It should be recalled that military unit if 32 Armenian peacekeepers
has been taking part in UNIFIL mission in Lebanon under Italian
command.

100 ROSIERS POUR LES FEMMES ET LE CENTENAIRE AVEC ANNE HIDALGO

Inauguration au Jardin d’Erevan

Dimanche, sous le soleil printanier du 8 Mars au Jardin d’Erevan,
a l’occasion de la Journee internationale des droits des femmes, la
maire de Paris Anne Hidalgo a inaugure, en partenariat avec la Croix
Bleue des Armeniens de France, un parterre de 100 rosiers en hommage
aux femmes armeniennes et pour commemorer le centième anniversaire
du genocide des Armeniens (1915-2015).

En presence de l’ambassadeur de la Republique d’Armenie en France,
Viguen Tchitetchian, d’elus, dont le depute Rene Rouquet, Levon
Sayan, Alexis Govciyan, Ara Toranian, Harout Mardirossian, Antoine
Bagdikian, Robert Kechichian… plusieurs adjointes a la Mairie de
Paris et de Patrick Klugman, charge des relations internationales et
de la Francophonie, la maire du 8ème arrondissement de Paris, Madame
Jeanne d’Hautesserre a rendu hommage aux femmes armeniennes victimes
du genocide, manifestant la >

Beatrice Ananian, Presidente de la Croix Bleue des Armeniens de France
pointera specifiquement > des femmes
armeniennes, . > a-t-il dit. Puis citant l’une des
exceptionnelles pensees de l’humoriste Pierre Dac (1893-1975), il
dira : >.

L’hommage de la maire de Paris aux femmes armeniennes

Pour Anne Hidalgo, il s’agit la, comme toujours, de >. Elle remerciera
chaleureusement la Croix Bleue Armenienne de France a l’origine de
cette idee magnifique de planter cent rosiers en l’honneur des femmes
armeniennes qui ont succombe au genocide des Armeniens >>, rappelant
que Paris serait extremement engagee dans ce cycle de commemorations.

Parlant des racines armeniennes plantes a Paris et en France, en
metaphore a celle des rosiers, Anne Hidalgo dira qu’elles >

La maire de Paris exprimera son admiration pour la communaute
armenienne qui porte ces valeurs et cette histoire avec energie,
douceur, mais determination. Cette inauguration en l’honneur des
femmes qui ont succombe au genocide des Armeniens est pour elle
emblematique. Parce que les premières victimes des crimes, de la
barbarie, de la guerre, sont souvent les femmes et les enfants. En
cela >, a-t-elle dit.

> Evoquant la Shoah et le genocide au Rwanda, Anne Hidalgo
dira : >

Jean Eckian + Photos

Cliquer sur les images pour agrandir

lundi 9 mars 2015, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES IN ARABIC COUNTRIES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GENOCIDE RECOGNITION IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. Armenian communities in Arab countries
are able to play substantial role in acknowledgment of the Armenian
genocide in the Islamic world, expert in Arabic studies Armen Petrosyan
said on the air on Sputnik-Armenia radio, as cited by Novosti-Armenia.

Right now Lebanon is the only Islamic state that recognized the
genocide of Armenian, the expert said.

Petrosyan said the Armenian genocide has been used recently, mainly
in the Near East and North Africa, in Egypt and Syria in particular,
in counteracting Turkey’s policy. But the possibility of their
acknowledgment of the genocide is still vague, he said.

The expert said Armenian diplomatic tools are limited in the Arabic
Muslim world, particularly due to insufficient resources. Certain
measures taken by the Armenian communities in these countries may
help bring up the recognition issue, he said.

Yet, the final outcome will depend on many details, the stance of the
neighboring countries, relations with Turkey, and etc., according
to the expert. All this reduces the chances for recognition of the
Armenian genocide substantially, Petrosyan said.

Armenian Genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century.

Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one
and a half million Armenians during World War I.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S.

states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina,
Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of
Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. -0–

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 7 2015

“Prosperous Armenia” has tipped the fate of the dwarf-party, say media

7 March 2015 – 2:57pm

The pace of the ‘unloading’ of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) was
expected, the newspaper ‘Haykakan Zhamanak’ writes.

According to the newspaper, if this rate continues in the future the
party at the best case could turn into a dwarf-party, and at worst – a
party represented by a single person. The same goes for the PAP
faction in the National Assembly (parliament) of the country. Until
recently the faction held 36 seats in the National Assembly, but that
has now has fallen by a third, reports NEWS.am.

Thus, five deputies left in the faction are Grigory Margaryan, Melik
Manukyan, Martuni Grigoryan, Mushegh Petoyan and David Kocharyan.

Another seven of have left the party: Aragats Ahoyan, Karo Karapetyan,
Bazmaser Arakelyan, Rustam Gasparyan, Oskanian Harutyun Karagezyan and
Abraham Manukyan.

So at the moment the PAP faction actually consists of 24 deputies,
Haykakan Zhamanak sums up.

Karine Danielyan: The women who prefer being mothers deserve the same
respect as female politicians

ArmInfo’s Interview with Karine Danielyan, Head of the Association for
Sustainable Human Development NGO

by Karina Manukyan
Saturday, March 7, 15:09

In 1991-94, you were the Nature Protection Minister of the Republic
of Armenia. Do you remember when you started tackling environmental
issues?

Before being appointed minister, I took an active part in an
environmental movement. As far as I remember, a decision was taken to
involve the movement activists in the Government. Moreover, a survey
was conducted at the relevant universities and institutes.

To be honest, I was not so much eager to become a minister, because I
was sure that a minister’s post was not for my temper. A year before
that, I was Vice Mayor of Yerevan and I managed to realize all the
difficulties of such activities. The ministerial position simply
became a disaster for me.

We should not forget what hard situation Armenia faced in the early
1990s. The Karabakh war, the energy crisis… It was almost impossible
to speak of nature protection and make the Government take some
decisions amid the war in Karabakh.

Say, they would release water from Lake Sevan for energy needs. I
would come to the Government and say, “What are you doing?” They would
reply, “Do you want the people to die? We cannot supply the population
with electric power even for 2 hours a day.”

In the meantime, we were able to involve Armenia in almost all the
international processes and to adopt some laws and by-laws… But in the
reality, it was very hard, if not impossible, to do the nature
protection minister’s job under those conditions.

I constantly felt distress. I did not sleep for almost 4 years – a
year at the Municipality and three years of work at the Government. I
was thinking all night long: there was no money, no fuel, no machines…
no monitoring could be conducted… As a result, I seriously fell ill
and left the Government.

You have said that you were afraid the minister’s position was not for
your temper. What aspects of your personality do you mean?

I do not like heavy-handed people at all. I prefer a friendly and
consensus-based method of management. On the one hand, that method has
a lot of advantages, but on the other hand, there always emerge people
who abuse that confidence and stop performing their duties. This leads
to a chaos. The best way out is to find the aurea mediocritas.

You are still engaged in active environmental activities. To put it
crudely, you have to fight with men to attain the goals set.

It is noteworthy that they constantly speak of discrimination against
women, but I have never felt that discrimination myself. I only felt
some discomfort when I attended the Government’s sessions and I was
the only woman there.

One day the then prime minister – I don’t even want to give his name –
reproached me undeservingly at a governmental session. I answered him
back. He said something else, and I answered him back again. It grew
into something unpleasant. Then he said, “So, what shall I do now?
Shall I apologize?” “As you wish,” I replied. During the break, all
the men approached me and said, “What kind of people, you, women, are!
You are reproaching and scolding us constantly, but you cannot stand
being reproached”.

And how do you manage to make the Government, the Parliament and the
Yerevan Municipality defer to your opinion?

Well, I cannot say they defer to my opinion so much. But my
professionalism plays a certain role, as a matter of fact.

Do you think the woman should be engaged in active public activities,
politics or do you believe she should make her choice in her family’s
favor?

I think there should be some women in the power structures to balance
the viewpoints and positions. On the other hand, in most cases, men
don’t want their wives to be stronger or to earn more money.
Certainly, some men perceive such activities of their wives quite
normally and they are proud of such women.

I believe that everything should be balanced. I respect the choice of
the women, who prefer being mothers and bringing up their kids rather
than being engaged in the politics, science, etc. Such women deserve
the same respect as the female politicians.

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The Pappas Post
March 7 2015

Remembering Christopher Thurber: Saved 7,000 Greek Children from
Smyrna Catastrophe; Flogged by Turks for Saving Greek Woman

By Gregory Pappas

Many personal stories of service and sacrifice have shaped the history
of the US involvement in the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the
distinctive work of various US missionary and aid organizations,
including one called the Near East Foundation, originally known as
Near East Relief.

One such story is that of Christopher Thurber, a public health expert
who, at the start of World War I, left his home in Connecticut to work
with typhus-stricken children living in the barracks of war torn
Constantinople.

Thurber himself contracted typhus, but recovered in time to direct the
safe transfer of 7,000 children from Sivas, Turkey, to Greece after
the 1922 Smyrna Disaster, when the Turkish army burned the city to the
ground and terrorized the local Greek and Armenian Christian
populations.

Thurber became well-respected and admired for his humanitarianism, but
it was his attempt to save a Greek refugee woman from being beaten by
Turkish soldiers in Scutari, Turkey, that further elevated his
standing. As punishment for the attempted rescue, he was flogged, and
suffered permanent damage to both feet. He walked with a cane for the
rest of his life.

In 1924, Thurber traveled to Greece to be director of relief work in
the region for Near East Relief. There, he supervised the education of
children in orphanages and also established homes in Athens for boys
who had gone on to graduate.

Thurber was in the midst of planning a new tuberculosis pavilion for
children when he suffered a stroke and died on May 31, 1930. His
contribution to public education and health was so pervasive that the
Greek government held a state funeral and declared a national day of
mourning in his honor. No other American had, or has since, received
such a tribute.

IQNA, Iran
March 7 2015

Christian Leader Praises Iran’s Stances against Takfiris

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Aram I Keshishian, Catholicos of the Holy See of
Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, lauded the Islamic Republic
of Iran’s stances against Takfiri groups.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the 6th round of interreligious
dialogue organized by Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations
Organization (ICRO), he described Iran’s position regarding violence
and extremism as responsible.

He said everyone is concerned about the violence in the region,
especially in countries like Syria and Iraq, adding that Takfiri
terrorists’ actions should be condemned by everyone.

Aram I Keshishian said misinterpretation of religion has become a
major problems for followers of different faiths, adding that respect
and mutual understanding should be promoted among different religions.

The 6th round of interreligious dialogue was held in Lebanon with the
participation of ICRO president Abuzar Ebrahimi Torkaman, Iran’s
ambassador to Lebanon, and a number of Iranian Armenian Christians.