Edelstein Embarrassed That Israel Still Has Not Recognized the Armenian Genocide

Yeshiva World News


High-ranking Armenian figures argue whether Armenia is party to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
 Thursday 9:05 PM MSK


High-ranking Armenian figures argue whether Armenia is party to
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

YEREVAN. May 17

Armenia is a party involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy
Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

"Armenia is a party involved in the conflict. We also signed a
ceasefire agreement in 1994. The document was drawn up by Azerbaijan
and Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia joined it later," Kocharyan told
journalists.

From this viewpoint, "Armenia is an involved party," he said.

"The main parties to the conflict are Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
We have said repeatedly that Armenia cannot hold negotiations instead
of Artsakh [the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh]," he said.

Former Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan, who stepped down on May 11
after the formation of a new government led by Nikol Pashinyan, said
the new prime minister's remarks in which he described Armenia as a
party to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process might pose a danger.

This drew objections from first Armenian President Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, who said that, in accusing Pashinyan, Vigen Sargsyan in
fact "reveals his absolute ignorance of the essence of the Karabakh
settlement process."

The international community recognized Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Nagorno-Karabakh as parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the
Final Document of the Budapest Summit of December 6, 1994 and the OSCE
Senior Council Chairman's Summary in Prague on March 31, 1995,
Ter-Petrosyan said.

Vigen Sargsyan said in response that Ter-Petrosyan's approaches "have
been the obvious reason for his resignation as head of state and the
total fiasco of the Armenian National Congress he leads in the 2017
parliamentary elections."

Va gc iz

Acting PM Karen karapetyan”I am grateful that this call was accepted, and today we show to the world that we are united and consolidated, despite the existing difficulties and unresolved internal problems

Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan of Armenia on Tuesday issued a message on the 103rd anniversary of Armenian Genocide.  

 

“What occurred in the Ottoman Empire was the worst tragedy not solely for the Genocide survivors, but also for all parts of the Armenian people,” the message reads, in particular. “We, however, were stronger than our executioners, and we found strength in us to revive, establish an independent state, and command our destiny on our own.

“Today we are going through another difficult phase in our most recent history. Yesterday I called on all political forces to depoliticize this day. I am grateful that this call was accepted, and today we show to the world that we are united and consolidated, despite the existing difficulties and unresolved internal problems.

“We reaffirm our determination to build a solid statehood, a free and civilized society.”

Lukashenko advises Armenians not to be carried away by change of power

Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
 Tuesday 5:12 PM MSK


Lukashenko advises Armenians not to be carried away by change of power

MINSK. April 24

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that the people of
Armenia should not get carried away by the change of power.

"I only hope that the Armenian people doesn't get too carried away by
the situation. Because it is simple to change power, but then it
should produce results. And the nation will be waiting for this
result. God grant that the talented and wise people of Armenia cope
with the situation," he said in his annual message to the nation and
the National Assembly in Minsk on Tuesday.

"If it was necessary to change the constitution for someone's sake,
that should have been done honestly. One day we took that road when we
lifted restrictions for the election of presidents, all presidents.
There was no need [for Armenia] to turn a parliamentary republic into
a presidential and the presidential into parliamentary and then God
knows into what. Now it has backfired," Lukashenko said.

He said he discussed the issue with the former Armenian president
before and clearly stated his opinion.

"One should address the nation and tell it openly and honestly: that's
how things are. Why change the foundations of a country, break a
country to fit someone's personality? What if that person breaks
later?" Lukashenko said.

Sports: Armenian boxer Azat Hovannisyan says it will be a mistake to underestimate him

CE Noticias Financieras
Monday
Armenian boxer Azat Hovannisyan says it will be a mistake to underestimate him


New York, USA, Apr 16 (Notimex) .- The Armenian Azat Hovannisyan said that it would be an error of the Mexican Rey Vargas to think that he will have a simple fight, this when the faces look for the super bantamweight title of the World Boxing Council (WBC) ).

"I've been a challenger before and I have two losses but they were at the beginning of my career, it would be a mistake to underestimate me," he warned.

He recalled that in his "last fight was not the favorite and I beat the contender Ronny Rios, broke all bets and want to do it again."

He also stressed that he has studied well the style of the Mexican boxer, after he has seen the faces with a dozen fighters of that nationality.

"In my career I have faced ten Mexicans, I know their style well and the only thing I have in mind is to be a world champion, I do not plan to miss this great opportunity and I want to give another big surprise," he said.

"Crazy A" Hovannisyan will face Vargas, who will be exhibiting for the third time the 122-pound World Boxing Council title on May 12 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.

Alfortville pleure son champion de boxe arménien, Jacques Kéchichian

Le Parisien, France
15 avril 2018


15 avril 2018, 17h09 |
Jacques Kéchichian champion de boxe, figure locale d’Alfortville, entraîné par Philippe Filippi s’est éteint à près de 80 ans. DR

Son ultime combat laisse KO ses supporteurs. Jacques Kéchichian, champion d’Europe de boxe anglaise, catégorie super-welters, s’est éteint à 79 ans « des suites d’une longue maladie ». Ce lundi, Alfortville (Val-de-MArne) dit adieu à sa star des rings, avec une cérémonie à l’église Komitas, ouverte à tous, suivie d’un hommage à la Maison de la culture arménienne*. « Il voulait que tous les amoureux de la boxe soient là », confie le sculpteur Arestakes, son neveu.

Dans les années 1970, Jacques Kéchichian faisait figure de véritable célébrité. Qui plus est dans la communauté arménienne dont il était issu. En ce temps-là, la boxe est un sport très populaire en banlieue. « Il y avait tout un vivier de boxeurs à Alfortville, se souvient le maire PS Michel Gerchinovitz, âgé de 16-17 ans à l’époque. Jacques Kéchichian était la vedette. » Il remporte le titre de champion de France en 1971. « Il avait un beau palmarès et était capable de remplir le palais des Sports », se remémore l’adjoint PS Serge Franceschi. Son père, Joseph Franceschi, député-maire historique de la ville, était un passionné de boxe. Il avait même organisé un match pour permettre au boxeur arménien, surnommé « le tigeur », — il piquait des tiges de chaussures pour vivre —, d’accéder au Championnat d’Europe.

Une consécration qui lui donne la notoriété. Classé numéro 2 mondial, la vedette crève le petit écran. Son parcours plaît. Natif de Marseille, il avait quitté la France pour retourner à l’âge de 9 ans, en Arménie avec sa famille, au temps de l’URSS et du communisme. Il y passera 20 ans, enfilera les gants près de 200 fois en amateur, disputera même la finale du championnat d’URSS, avant de rentrer en France avec sa mère, qu’il adorait, et ses frères. En peu de temps, entraîné par l’incontournable Philippe Filippi, il réussit à faire sa place chez les pro, à déjà 30 ans.

À Alfortville, ses supporteurs se retrouvent au café Philippe, place Carnot. En tête, Micha, le chauffeur du maire, et Léoni le responsable du foyer Jean-Macé, qui l’appellent « Kéchiche ». « C’était une très bonne ambiance. Toute la communauté arménienne le suivait. Joseph Franceschi venait. Un car nous emmenait ensuite voir les matchs, se souvient Philor, qui tenait le café. On l’a suivi jusqu’au bout. »

Discret, travailleur, Jacques Kéchichian vivait très simplement, dans un deux-pièces en cité HLM avec sa mère. « C’était quelqu’un de très aimé, poursuit Serge Franceschi. Il n’avait pas le côté vedette. » « Il était tellement gentil, très simple, effacé, même timide. Je me demande comment il faisait pour être boxeur », sourit Philor.

« Ambassadeur » de la ville, « Kéchiche » se retrouve invité lors des grands événements. Comme en décembre 1972, lorsque Joseph Franceschi dédicace un ouvrage. Le boxeur, à la mine toujours sombre, figure à ses côtés au même titre que d’autres amis, tels Jacques Dutronc, le prix Femina Angelo Renaldi ou encore la chanteuse Catherine Sauvage.

« Il a aussi été le porteur d’une fierté retrouvée pour les Arméniens de France, confie son neveu, Benjamin Kéchichian. C’est une époque où les Arméniens et l’Arménie n’ont aucune visibilité au plan national. »

Dans les années 1980, Jacques Kéchichian s’éloignera, de quelques kilomètres seulement, pour s’installer à Paris. « Mais Alfortville, c’était sa ville de cœur », assurent ses proches.

*À 14 heures, 4, rue Komitas et hommage à 16 heures, 9, rue de Madrid.

http://www.leparisien.fr/val-de-marne-94/alfortville-pleure-son-champion-de-boxe-armenien-15-04-2018-7665399.php







Սփյուռքի նախարարությունում տեղի ունեցավ Սիրիահայերի հիմնախնդիրները համակարգող միջգերատեսչական հանձնաժողովի նիստը

Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.

Sincerely,
Media and PR Department
(+374 10) 585601, internal 805

----------------------
Հարգանքով`
Մամուլի և հասարակայնության հետ կապերի վարչություն

(+374 10) 585601, ներքին 805


107. Տեղի ունեցավ միջգերատեսչական նիստ.docx

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Book: Journey Through Genocide: Stories of Survivors and the Dead by Raffy Boudjikanian

Publisher's Weekly Review

April 9, 2018


Nonfiction Reviews

REVIEWS; Nonfiction Vol. 265 No. 15


Journalist Boudjikanian's travelogue of his time spent in war-scarred nations is a slim book that nevertheless gets distracted on the way to the heart of its subject. Haunted by his family's experience in the 1915 Armenian genocide, Boudjikanian visits nations that have experienced similar traumas, hoping to address questions about collective guilt, the prospects of forgiveness, and the dynamics of post-conflict reconciliation. His digressions about petty bureaucrats, shopping challenges in the developing world, and the quirks of substandard hotels seem out of place alongside stories from refugee camps housing survivors of Darfur's killing fields and the Rwandan genocide. It's only when the author flies to the land of his ancestors that the story truly comes alive. There, Boudjikanian confronts his fears as an Armenian walking the streets of Turkey, where mere mention of the genocide can result in arrest. As he reckons with his family's history-his great-grandfather's torture and murder and the family's exile-he documents Turkey's disturbing efforts to disappear evidence of Armenian existence. He also considers, by comparison, Germany's honest and open approach to its shameful past. While this personal exploration of genocide asks important questions, it doesn't devote the necessary space to fully answer them. (May)

Release Date: April 9, 2018
Product Name: Journey Through Genocide: Stories of Survivors and the Dead
Product Publisher: Dundurn Group
Product Creator: Raffy Boudjikanian
ISBN: 978-1-4597-4075-4

Azerbaijani Press: Russia may put pressure on Azerbaijan

Turan news agency, Azerbaijani Opposition
March 22 2018
Russia may put pressure on Azerbaijan
[Armenian News note: the below is translated from the Russian edition of the Azeri opposition news agency Turan]

According to official data, [incumbent President] Vladimir Putin won a victory, gaining more than 76 per cent of votes and breaking his own record in doing so in the [March 2018] presidential election in Russia.

Putin not going to put up with West's growing presence in post-Soviet countries

Putin's popularity was also boosted by his coherent policy, which showed historic and geopolitical claims to the fractions of the Soviet Union in the shape of former Soviet republics.

Putin's 18-year long presidency has shown that he does not want to come to terms with the West's growing presence in the post-Soviet area and the pro-Western lurches of the satellite countries. From his point of view, his aggressive moves in Georgia in 2008 and those in Ukraine since 2014 were meant to make an example. The latest sanctions against Russia are indicative of exacerbation of the struggle for spheres of influence.

It is clear that the conflict between the two poles has always had an impact on Azerbaijan, which has been able to evade turning into the arena of open confrontations. Will the [incumbent President Ilham] Aliyev administration be able to preserve the existing balance in view of Vladimir Putin's election as president [for a fourth term in office]?

Azerbaijan needs 'neutrality' in strained relations between West, Russia

Director of the Atlas Strategic Research Centre Elhan Sahinoglu told Turan that despite the fact that Putin was re-elected, this victory would cost him a lot: "The West is sure to toughen sanctions against Russia and the scandal over [the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia in Salisbury] has turned up the heat even stronger. Sanctions against Putin and his entourage are having a negative impact on the country's economy and the social situation, which the population is in. In the past, US think tanks developed and put into practice different plans aimed to annihilate the Soviet Union. And they eventually managed to achieve their goal. At present, think tanks are designing plans to weaken Putin and Russia."

The pundit emphasised that strained relations between the West and Russia should make no impact on Azerbaijan.

"Russia is our neighbour, which Azerbaijan maintains good relations with, despite the fact that Moscow shows support for the occupier of our territories. However, these normal relations do not imply that Azerbaijan should show support for Russia in its conflict with the West. We should maintain neutrality. As for Azerbaijani officials, they should support rectification of relations between the West and Russia. Other types of statements might do harm to Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, some MPs dub Western sanctions unjust, creating the impression that Azerbaijan supports its neighbour. Seeing this, Moscow might think that official Baku fears it and might increase pressure. Apart from this, MPs should know that sanctions against Russia are linked to the annexation of Crimea, which is an analogy of [the conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno]-Karabakh. Therefore, showing support of the kind for Russia, some MPs indirectly turn a blind eye to the occupation of Karabakh," Sahinoglu emphasised.

If pressure increased, Russia might lose Azerbaijan

The expert thinks that after the consolidation of Putin's positions in the role of president, Russia will be able to put pressure on Azerbaijan at a later stage, if it strengthens relations with Europe. However, this pressure is not going to be strong.

"All the projects, which Azerbaijan is implementing in the region such as TAP [Trans-Adriatic Pipeline], TANAP [Trans-Anatolian Pipeline], and the Southern Gas Corridor are an alternative to Russian [projects] and are carried out bypassing Russia. The same can be said about the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, which connects Asia and Europe via Baku. The given projects meet our national interests. In the future, Russia might place some pressure on Azerbaijan. If that is the case, we should speed up our integration in the West. This does not imply that following Ukraine's and Georgia's example, we should set ourselves a goal to join Nato or the EU, as this is sure to further strain our relations with Russia. However, if Russia's pressure increases, we should protect ourselves, increasing cooperation with our allies – Turkey and the EU countries. This is precisely why we need to take efforts to sign a strategic agreement with the EU before the end of the year. Russia should realise that if it increases pressure on Azerbaijan, it might lose it like it lost Ukraine and Georgia," the expert emphasised.

Russia needs no settlement of Karabakh conflict

Sahinoglu ruled out the scenario of Russia's mediation in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

"Azerbaijan can strengthen strategic partnership with Russia under only one condition: Russia should influence the Armenian authorities, ensuring the liberation of the five occupied districts at the least. However, in the near future, this is unlikely to happen. Putin was again elected as president and his attitude to Karabakh is not going to change. He takes no interest in settling the Karabakh conflict. He said so to Turkish President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan. Being president of Russia, [incumbent Russian Prime Minister] Dmitry Medvedev wanted to settle the Karabakh conflict. He organised 10 meetings between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents. However, Putin hindered this. Russia has always shown support for Armenia, using it against Azerbaijan. This policy is not going to change. That is why I do not expect Vladimir Putin to influence Armenia and speed up the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The thing is that with the help of the conflict, Russia is holding Armenia in check, being also able to exert influence on Azerbaijan. Without the Karabakh conflict, relations between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey will become normalised and Russia will lose its last foothold in the Caucasus," the expert said.

Rapprochement with Russia to harm Azerbaijan

According to the pundit, Azerbaijan is facing no danger of sanctions on the West's part for purchasing a big amount of weapons from Russia.

"Because of the Karabakh conflict, we need to have many weapons. Unfortunately, Western countries except Israel choose not to sell weapons to Azerbaijan. Because of Karabakh, there is an unspoken embargo on supplying weapons to Azerbaijan and Armenia. Therefore, we have to purchase weapons where we can. Over the past several years, Baku has bought from Russia weapons worth 5bn dollars. However, the budget of the current years does not envision purchase of weapons from Russia. This implies that Azerbaijan is reducing imports of weapons from Russia and the West can see this. Apart from this, in contrast to Armenia, Azerbaijan is economically open to not only Russian market, but also those of other countries. For the time being, our main trade partners are precisely Western countries such as Italy and so forth. Rapprochement with Russia might damage Azerbaijan, making us dependent on Moscow," Elhan Sahinoglu summed up.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 03/21/2018


                                        Wednesday, 

Armenia’s New Constitutional Court Chief Elected


        • Hovannes Movsisian


Armenia - Hrayr Tovmasian attends a parliament session in Yerevan, 15 September 
2015.

The Armenian parliament voted on Wednesday to elect Hrayr Tovmasian, a former 
opposition politician who switched his allegiance to President Serzh Sarkisian 
in 2010, the new chairman of the country’s Constitutional Court.

The previous, longtime head of Armenia’s highest court, Gagik Harutiunian, was 
named earlier this month to run a new body that will oversee the Armenian 
judiciary and supposedly guarantee its independence.

A lawyer by education, Tovmasian was a senior member of the opposition 
Zharangutyun (Heritage) party in the 2000s. He was unexpectedly appointed as 
justice minister in late 2010 and joined Sarkisian’s Republican Party of 
Armenia (HHK) in 2012.

Tovmasian was dismissed as justice minister in 2013 to become a key member of a 
presidential body that drafted controversial constitutional changes calling for 
Armenia’s transformation into a parliamentary republic. He was elected to the 
current National Assembly on the HHK ticket last year and headed its standing 
committee on legal affairs until this month.

The HHK-controlled parliament named him a Constitutional Court judge on March 
2. It went on to elect him court chairman by 64 votes to 27. The 47-year-old 
was backed by deputies from the ruling party and its junior coalition partner, 
Dashnaktsutyun, but rejected by their colleagues representing the opposition 
Tsarukian Bloc and Yelk alliance.

Yelk lawmakers were particularly critical of Tovmasian’s candidacy during a 
debate that preceded the vote. One of them, Nikol Pashinian, said that he is 
being rewarded for helping Sarkisian extend his rule as a result of the 
controversial constitutional reform and several new laws mainly authored by 
Tovmasian.

“Hrayr Tovmasian is being dispatched to the Constitutional Court and appointed 
as its chairman in order to serve … as a watchdog for this fraudulent state,” 
charged Pashinian.

The HHK’s parliamentary leaders claimed that in his new job Tovmasian will not 
be influenced by his government background and past affiliation with the 
president’s party.

“I promise that I will be both the chairman of a good Constitutional Court and 
a good chairman of the Constitutional Court,” Tovmasian said, for his part, 
right after the vote. He declined to speak to reporters before making his way 
into an HHK deputy’s office moments later.




Armenian Parliament Refuses To Condemn 2008 Crackdown


Armenia - Supporters of opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian rally inside a 
barricaded area in Yerevan in the wake of a disputed presidential election, 1 
March 2008.

The National Assembly rejected on Wednesday a draft resolution condemning the 
use of lethal force against opposition protesters in Yerevan in the wake of 
Armenia’s disputed 2008 presidential election.

The parliamentary resolution put forward by the opposition Yelk alliance says 
that supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian protested against “the 
falsification” of the results of the election that formalized the handover of 
power from outgoing President Robert Kocharian to Serzh Sarkisian.

It describes as “crude and illegal” the forcible dispersal of those protests on 
March 1-2 2008 which left ten people dead. The statement demands that 
law-enforcement authorities at last identify and prosecute those responsible 
for the killings.

The pro-government majority in the Armenian parliament agreed to debate the 
draft resolution even though its standing committee on legal affairs gave a 
formal negative assessment of the document last month.

Only nine members of the 105-seat legislature voted for the Yelk motion after a 
debate on the parliament floor. All of them are affiliated with the opposition 
bloc.

Fifty-six other lawmakers mainly representing the ruling Republican Party of 
Armenia (HHK) voted against the motion. The nominally opposition Tsarukian 
Bloc, which controls the parliament’s second largest faction, boycotted the 
vote, thereby refusing to back the Yelk initiative.

Ter-Petrosian, who had served as Armenia’s first president from 1998-2008, was 
the main opposition candidate in the February 2008 presidential ballot. He 
rejected as fraudulent official vote results that gave victory to Sarkisian.

Many Ter-Petrosian supporters took to the streets to demand a re-run of the 
vote. Thousands of them barricaded themselves in downtown Yerevan on March 1, 
2008 after riot police broke up nonstop demonstrations organized by 
Ter-Petrosian and his allies in the city’s Liberty Square.

Eight protesters and two police servicemen were killed as security forces tried 
to forcibly end that protest as well. Ter-Petrosian urged his supporters to 
disperse early on March 2, 2008 shortly after Kocharian declared a state of 
emergency and ordered Armenian army units into the capital.

Dozens of opposition figures, including Yelk leader Nikol Pashinian, were 
subsequently arrested and prosecuted. The parliamentary statement proposed by 
Yelk also demanded that Armenian prosecutors review those “fabricated” criminal 
cases.

Speaking in the parliament on Wednesday, Pashinian again demanded that 
Kocharian be questioned by law-enforcement authorities that claim to be 
continuing to investigate the worst street violence in Armenia’s history. He 
said the ex-president should specifically be challenged to prove his March 2008 
claim that some opposition protesters fired gunshots at security forces.

Gevorg Kostanian, a senior pro-government deputy who served as the country’s 
prosecutor-general from 2013-2016, dismissed Pashinian’s demand. Kostanian said 
Kocharian’s claim was based on secret video filmed by security forces. He said 
they are not allowed to publicize it until their criminal investigation into 
the unrest is complete.




Armenian Official Chides Iran Over ‘Conflicting Claims’ On Gas Price


        • Sargis Harutyunyan


Iran - An Iranian honor guard displays Iranian and Armenian national flags at 
an official ceremony in Tehran, 7 August 2017.

An Armenian pro-government lawmaker accused Iranian officials on Wednesday of 
misleading Yerevan about potential prices of Iranian natural gas delivered to 
Armenia.

Mihran Hakobian, who represents the ruling Republican Party (HHK), cited 
statements by Iran’s current and former ambassadors in Yerevan that Iranian gas 
could cost Armenia less than Russian gas. “But as soon as you ask these people 
whether they would charge us even one [U.S.] cent less than Russia at the 
Armenian border you get a negative answer,” he complained in the parliament.

“This is one component of Iran’s regional policy,” Hakobian went on. “To put it 
bluntly, they let down the Armenian authorities and the Armenian state based on 
their regional policy components.”

It was not immediately clear whether Hakobian’s comments reflected only his 
personal view or the Armenian government’s position.

Armenia imports more than 80 percent of its gas from Russia at a discounted 
price currently set at $150 per thousand cubic meters. The remaining gas 
imports come from Iran under a swap arrangement involving supplies of Armenian 
electricity to the Islamic Republic.

Speaking in Yerevan in December 2013, the then Iranian Ambassador Mohammad 
Reisi seemed to imply that Tehran is ready to offer the Armenian side an even 
lower gas price. However, a senior executive of the National Iranian Gas 
Company (NIGC) made clear in August last year that Yerevan would have to pay a 
price higher than the existing Russian tariff should it opt for additional gas 
supplies from Iran.

Energy Minister Ashot Manukian insisted on Wednesday that Russian gas is 
cheaper for Armenia than gas coming from Iran or other potential supplies. 
“I’ve just returned from [gas-rich] Turkmenistan,” he said during the 
government’s question-and-answer session in the parliament. “[Gas-related] 
discussions have long been underway and they will continue. I can report no 
progress at the moment because the prices offered to us are not competitive 
compared to the prices of gas imported by us.”

Edmon Marukian, a pro-Western opposition lawmaker, dismissed the minister’s 
assurances. He claimed that the government is not diversifying gas supplies to 
Armenia because the domestic gas distribution network is owned by Russia’s 
Gazprom energy giant. Marukian also pointed to the fact that Prime Minister 
Karen Karapetian used to run that network and hold senior positions in other 
Gazprom subsidiaries.

Karapetian discussed gas supplies with senior Iranian officials during an 
official visit to Tehran last October. He also reportedly explored the 
possibility of Armenian imports of gas from Turkmenistan via Iran.

The Armenian-Iranian gas-for-electricity arrangement is due to be significantly 
expanded after Armenia completes the ongoing construction of a third power 
transmission line connecting it to Iran. The $120 million line is expected to 
go on stream next year.




Karapetian Coy About Political Future


        • Karlen Aslanian


Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (L) and Prime Minister Karen Karapetian 
shake hands before an official ceremony at the Yerablur military cemetery in 
Yerevan, 28 January 2018.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetian on Wednesday skirted questions about his 
political future which remains uncertain less than three weeks before the end 
of President Serzh Sarkisian’s final presidential term.

Karapetian has repeatedly said before that he would like to retain his post 
after Armenia switches to a parliamentary system of government in April. 
Sarkisian gave on Monday the strongest indication yet that he will become prime 
minister and thus remain the country’s most powerful official right after his 
presidency.

Some Armenian media outlets and observers have speculated in recent weeks that 
Karapetian will become the country first deputy prime minister mainly 
responsible for the government’s socioeconomic policies. During the Armenian 
government’s question-and-answer session in the parliament, Edmon Marukian, a 
leader of the opposition Yelk alliance, likewise suggested that Karapetian is 
ready to take up the newly established post.

“There has been no discussion on that [within the country’s leadership.] So how 
can I say whether or not I am ready?” replied the 54-year-old premier.

Sarkisian said on Monday that so far there have been only unofficial 
“discussions” within his Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and its junior 
coalition partner, Dashnaktsutyun, on who should be the next prime minister. “I 
don’t know when we will finish those discussions,” he claimed.

Karapetian was tasked with improving the economic situation in Armenia when 
Sarkisian named him prime minister in September 2016. The former business 
executive unveiled an ambitious economic reform agenda in the following months. 
He effectively claimed credit on Wednesday for much faster economic growth 
recorded by the government in 2017.

Karapetian touted the 7.5 percent growth rate and outlined his cabinet’s plans 
for the coming years when he addressed top military officials in Yerevan on 
Monday. He also said the government remains committed to “long-lasting 
fundamental reforms.”




Press Review



“Haykakan Zhamanak” condemns a lengthy prison sentence given by an Armenian 
court to opposition activist Zhirayr Sefilian on Tuesday, calling it further 
proof of “the absence of justice” in Armenia. The paper believes that 
prosecutors failed to come up with “convincing evidence” in support of their 
accusations that Sefilian and his supporters plotted an armed revolt against 
the government. “This is selective justice,” it says, adding that unlike 
opposition figures, government loyalists get away with murders and other 
serious crimes.

“Zhoghovurd” likens Sefilian’s trial to a “poorly staged tragicomedy.” 
“Sefilian was not allowed to be present at most court hearings and the judge 
deprived him of his right to deliver his final remarks,” writes the paper. “And 
yesterday’s verdict came to prove the simple truth that the opposition figure 
is subjected to injustice.”

“Serzh Sarkisian decides to attack,” reads a headline in “Zhamanak.” The paper 
links the “strict and demonstrative” verdict against Sefilian to Sarkisian’s 
effective announcement this week that he will become Armenia’s prime minister 
next month. It says “Sarkisian seems to be demonstrating that he is determined 
to counter attempts to prevent his premiership through upheavals or other 
extraordinary means.” The outgoing president, it says, at the same time is also 
challenging disgruntled Armenians to take to the streets and try to scuttle his 
plans.

“Hraparak” scoffs at Sarkisian’s stated plans to gradually transfer more powers 
to “young political leaders.” The paper says that the relatively young 
individuals holding key positions in his administration do not quite inspire 
trust in the country’s democratic future.

(Elen Chilingaryan)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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