Author: nina hovnanian

CHARITABLE HEALTH GIFT: $600,000 IN FLU VACCINES TO ARMENIA

23:30, March 31, 2015

Marine Martirosyan
Vahe Sarukhanyan

On October 30 of last year the Armenian government adopted a law to
accept a donation from The Center for Vaccine Equity (CVE), a division
of the U.S. based Task Force for Global Health.

The donation was in the form of 60,000 seasonal influenza vaccines. A
memo of understanding on how the vaccines were to be provided was
signed by the CVE and Armenia’s Ministry of Health. The memo regarding
the free medicine contains a number of interesting clauses that casts
suspicion on this charitable donation.

First, we should note that the ministry’s website surprisingly contains
no new information on the memo. Last fall, the press in Armenia only
covered the issue in passing and used news supplied by the ministry’s
website as their main source. So let’s now try and understand why
the government decided to accept the donation of medicine and what
those drugs actually are.

It was Sergey Khachatryan, the Deputy Minister of Health, who proposed
the initiative to the executive branch. It was the health ministry
that drafted the documents, including the memorandum and arguments
supporting it. The ministry noted that a campaign against seasonal flu
hadn’t been included in the government’s National Vaccination Agenda.

“Due to an increase in influenza illness in the past few years,
an epidemic risk situation has been registered in the country and
the health of vulnerable groups is at risk,” read the ministry’s
argument in favor of the initiative. Vulnerable groups, as cited
by the ministry, include the military, health workers, children in
orphanages and their staffs, and old age homes.

Of interest is that the health ministry did not specify the years
when cases of influenza had increased in the country. According
to the annual logs of the ministry, influenza cases from 2009-2013
significantly dropped in comparison to the 1990s or the early 2000s.

In the bar chart below we show the figures for influenza both in
absolute and relative numbers (per 100,000 individuals). There were
no registered cases in 2012.

| Create infographics

In the health ministry’s argument in favor of the initiative we read:

“Throughout the entire world, as in Armenia, numerous influenza
cases are registered yearly, due to the various type sand sub-types
of influenza, which show up in at risk and age groups with different
levels of intensity, which increases the burden placed on the health
sector. Statistics from epidemiological analyses prove that two peak
periods of illness are registered in the country – from September
to October and the following February, which continues till the end
of April.

The most effective preventative measure against seasonal influenza,
taking into account its airborne transmission mechanism, is
vaccination. In accordance with proposals of the World Health
Organization, it is necessary to give preventative vaccinations to
vulnerable groups on the advent of each season given that such groups
often display complications from flu, including death.”

Pneumonia Mortality Rates at Hospitals (Individuals aged 0-14 and
over 14)

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Create infographics

The health ministry’s argument in favor of the initiative continues:

“In recent years, no primary preventative measures against influenza
have been taken in Armenia. As a result, the at-risk season is regarded
as a period for increased flu and related respiratory illnesses. This
negatively impacts on attendance by students and staff alike at
the country’s schools and on wide segments of society, oftentimes
resulting in serious cases. This was the case in the military during
last year’s flu season.

Frontline preventative measures against the flu haven’t been
comprehensively implemented in Armenia, mainly due to a lack of funds.

In some years only a tiny number of vaccinations have been carried out,
and not all vulnerable groups were included.

The non-profit Task Force for Health’s Center for Vaccine Equity is
proposing a donation of flu vaccines, something which is of urgent
necessity for the country. Given the vagaries of the international
vaccine market, coupled with the intensification of seasonal influenza,
there is a great disparity between the supply and demand for vaccines.”

Armenia’s Ministry of Health says the value of the vaccines is US$
600,000. Thus, the cost of one is $10.

The memo was signed by Minister of Health Armen Muradyan and Thomas
Rosenberg, Executive Vice President of the Task Force.

What vaccines did Armenia receive?

Armenia received flu vaccines designed for the southern hemisphere. As
we all know, the peak flu season lasts from fall to spring. Since
this period is different in the two hemispheres of the globe (In the
northern hemisphere from September-May; in the southern hemisphere
from March to November), the World Health Organization has come up
with two formulas for manufacturing flu vaccines and two application
stages. And despite the fact that Armenia is located in the northern
hemisphere and the flu cases, according to the ministry of health,
peak during September to May, Armenia was given vaccines designed
for the southern hemisphere.

In any event, the vaccines for both hemispheres don’t differ all that
much. They both cover H1N1 – a subtype of the virus of influenza A –
most commonly known as ‘swine flu’, influenza A virus subtypeH3N2,
and Type B viruses. We should note that Flu types A and B can turn into
epidemics and pandemics, which isn’t the case with Type C influenza. In
other words, the vaccines prepared with these elements are logically
designed to prevent epidemics and pandemics.

Who is donating the vaccines to Armenia?

As we noted at the start of the article, the Center for Vaccine Equity
(CVE) has allocated the vaccines to the ministry of health.

The CVE is part of the The Task Force for Global Health(TFGH) a
nonprofit, public health organization, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

It was founded as the Task Force for Child Survival in 1984. The
Task Force was initially tapped to serve as a Secretariat for
a consortium of global health organizations: UNICEF, WHO, The
Rockefeller Foundation, The United Nations Development Programme,
and the World Bank.

It later changed its direction as neutral convener and collaborator,
and began to get involved in global health projects. The TFGH
implements a variety of health-related programs and immunization and
vaccines is just one of them. This is the purview of the Center for
Vaccine Equality established in 2011. According to Forbes magazine,
TFGH was the third largest non-profit in terms of private donor
projects.

TFGH was co-founded by global health pioneer and former Center for
Disease Control (CDC) Director, Dr. William Foege and two of his former
CDC colleagues, Carol Walters and Bill Watson. It’s no accident that
the CDC and Emory College are partners of the TFGH. Emory is where the
Food Fortification Initiative (FFI) is located, an international group
that advocates the enrichment of wheat, maize flour and rice. Such
an enrichment plan is being debated for Armenia.

TFGH obtained the vaccines from Green Cross International via the
non-profit Global Health Solutions (GHS).

Hetq sent a list of questions to the health ministry on March 25 on
this issue. To date, we haven’t heard back from them. In the future we
will take a detailed look at the memorandum and its interesting facets.

(To be continued)

$600000-in-flu-vaccines-to-armenia.html

NOW RUSSIA HAS NO REASON TO INTERFERE IN ARMENIA’S STABILITY

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

April 2 2015

According to the expert for the French Military Research Foundation
Gaidz Minasyan, Serzh Sargsyan is ready to sign the political component
of partnership with the EU. – Recently, French Secretary of State for
European Affairs, Harlem Desir, stated that French President Francois
Hollande will discuss the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenian and
Azerbaijani counterparts during his visit to Yerevan and Baku on April
24 and 25, accordingly. It turns out that Hollande will visit Armenia
not only for attending the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
but also for the Karabakh issue. Will the recent activeness by France
be successful? Is it possible to hold Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting in the
near future?

Gaidz Minasyan – Firstly, it is necessary to lessen the escalation of
tension on the contact line and only then to think about organizing
a new meeting. The United States, France, and Russia seek to save
the negotiation process to show that there is no other way but a
political solution. The Azerbaijani side is thinking about holding
these talks. They consider that it is necessary to negotiate on
the new agreement, thereby seeking to come out of the discussion
of the Madrid principles, as they are against these principles for
the past three years, if not more. Today, the Azeris are primarily
highlighting the economic impulse. As you know, the oil prices fell,
and the investments are less than expected, hence, these two reasons
make them act in dual form over the negotiations.

– It is obvious that Azerbaijan runs a line of maintaining the contact
line in tension, a policy of subversives and provocations. In recent
months, this desire of maintaining the tension does not receive an
adequate response from the West. What do you think, what kind of
work is necessary to carry out on the diplomatic front to restrain
the activities of the Azerbaijani authorities? Why has Azerbaijan
adopted such a tactic? What does it seek?

– If the Azerbaijani side does not exert this terrible pressure
on the Armenian side, does not use this lever by diversions and
provocations, then it means that it has reconciled to the loss of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Simply, they do not have any other choice. Since
they are strongly against the Madrid principles but cannot say it
openly, it remains using the other option – constant diversions
and tension on the border to show to the international community
that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not resolved, and since it
is not resolved, they will go on with provocations and subversive
activities. The Armenian government authorities and diplomacy
(firstly, where was the Armenian diplomacy some three, if not eight
years ago?), if the opponent exerts such pressures, should be more
active in voicing that unless the international community guarantees
the security of the people of Armenia and Karabakh, we would not only
refuse negotiations, but will demonstrate a kind of passivity, because
we have done so much in the diplomatic front that after it nothing is
any longer possible. Three options exist, either Armenia retreats and
the Karabakh authorities should return to the negotiating table, or a
war, which no one wants, or the third option – a start of the Karabakh
recognition process by Armenia. Azerbaijan raises only the principle
of territorial integrity, while in the talks, they negotiation on the
principle of self-determination and adopt papers with the RA government
authorities and co-chairing countries, anyway, only one principle is
publicly voiced from Aliyev’s lips and a reference to the four
resolutions of the UN Security Council. Each time Armenia’s
diplomacy should announce after the Azerbaijani diversions that
it is adherent to the negotiation and the OSCE Minsk Group format,
but also should voice the above-mentioned three options. It is clear
that if Armenia recognizes Karabakh, automatically it will assume an
outbreak of war.

But, there is an internal problem here in terms of domestic political
and state institutions. Should we have two chambers of the parliament,
we could demonstrate more flexibility. We would have entered the
resolution on recognition of the Karabakh independence into the agenda,
would respond to every provocations by the Azerbaijani side and would
have voiced the resolution for the Karabakh recognition at the Foreign
Relations Committee of the National Assembly, we would have voted for
the issue to enter into an extensive agenda. Surely, Azerbaijan would
begin complaining, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs would also say, what
are you doing? While, we could answer that our government branches are
separate: there is a legislative and executive power, and this issue is
under the examination by the legislature rather than the executive, we
are unable to influence. The American and French sides respond to the
Armenian and Turkish sides by using the Armenian Genocide resolutions
in their parliaments. Since the Parliament of Armenia does not have two
chambers, this option can be used to enter the issue of recognizing
the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh into the Constitutional Court,
as it happened in the case of the Armenian-Turkish protocols. But
what does our diplomacy do? Foreign Minister Nalbandyan is right
when he announces that Armenia’s posture is consistent with
the posture of the international community, but this is not enough,
practically, it is necessary to display flexibility.

– Recently, Serzh Sargsyan addressed the subject of arms sale to
Azerbaijan by Russia, noting that the Armenian-Russian relations are
concerned about the fact that the Armenian young man standing on our
borders realizes that he is tried to be destroyed by the Russian arm.

Is it possible for the Russian side to be limited to arms sales to
Azerbaijan in the context of this statement, and the balance of the
arms sale between Armenia and Azerbaijan is broken?

– First of all, Serzh Sargsyan voices the arms sale to Azerbaijan
by Russia for the second time. Last time, he spoke on this in his
interview with Argentinian newspaper. Unfortunately, this was talked
about quite late, however, let’s leave this issue aside now,
better late than never. I think Serzh Sargsyan runs a special tactics
here. Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union so that Russia
would not prevent the stability of Armenia, as well as for security
reasons. To some extent, a balance is maintained. Armenia is both a
CSTO member and cooperates with NATO. Currently, Armenia is willing
to maintain a balance, on the one hand, with EaEU, and, on the other
hand, with the EU relations. Perhaps, Armenia would reach an agreement
with the EU in the political sphere. The next important factor is that
the Russians offered Azerbaijan to join the EaEU, instead, perhaps,
promising to return the liberated territories or simply the Karabakh
to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan refused to join the EaEU. Serzh Sargsyan
then played another game, realizing that the relations between Russia
and Azerbaijan are not so good. If Armenia had not joined the EaEU,
Russia would prevent the stability of Armenia, now, they have
no reason for doing so. Russians are not for fiery situations in
everywhere, there is a Ukrainian crisis, as well as socio-economic
problems inside Russia. In this situation, Serzh Sargsyan employed
his diplomatic tactics. Using certain problems between Russia and
Azerbaijan, he spoke on the subject of arms sale to Azerbaijan by
Russia. Serzh Sargsyan is ready to sign the political component
of the partnership with the EU because he knows that Russia seeks
settling down the problems with the EU. Thirdly, the President of
Armenia visited China, this is another important step politically and
economically. China is interested in relations with Armenia. China
is seeking to open new routes to the West, a more convenient and
secure route through our region, as they would not have to get to
the Suez and South Africa. Both Russians, Europeans, and Americans
know about this new road projects. But a question arises of who will
be controlling this road. Armenia is within the important crossroad,
and Armenia’s role is extremely important today. Two years ago,
Russia acted against Ukraine and Armenia to adopt the EU Association
Agreement because it was against this road project.

– A few days ago, French Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Francois
Charpentier mentioned that prior to the upcoming Riga summit in May,
the technical component of the EU-Armenia talks, perhaps, will be
completed. The Ambassador informed that the EU-Armenia relations will
be discussed during the upcoming visit of the President of France to
Yerevan on April 24. Should we expect any surprise at the EU summit
in Riga? Is it possible to adopt a specific paper between Armenian
and the EU?

– In principle, it is possible, but the important question is where
we have reached in the negotiations with the EU, and whether the
signing of a document is possible. It is positive that the French
are negotiating. The role of Germany is also important here, and this
issue should be clarified with Germany too. If we want to understand
to what extent the talks on this-or-that issue are serious, we should
determine the posture of France and Germany. If statements are made
by these two countries, then signing a document is expected, and if
not, then no document will be signed between Armenia and the EU. The
positions of France and Germany are also important for Russia. Moscow
trusts these two European countries. After the Russian-Georgian war
in August 2008, Russia was negotiating with France, Russia approved
the EU Election Observation Mission activities as France and Germany
were involved. Today, Hollande and Merkel, again France and Germany,
are negotiating with Russia on the issue of Ukraine.

Emma GABRIELYAN

GEORGIAN, AZERBAIJANI, TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET IN TBILISI

12:56 * 02.04.15

The defense ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey are meeting
in Tbilisi later today, apsny.ge reports.

Mindia Janelidze, Zakir Hasanov and Ismet Yilmaz are set to discuss
cooperation and territorial security issues.

According to Interfax-Azerbaijan, the trilateral talks will be followed
by tete-a-tete meetings.

PEACETIME ARMY DEATHS DO NOT CONCERN ARMENIAN YOUTHS DEMANDING RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE

04.02.2015 14:47 epress.am

Today, April 2, a group of about 20 police officers prevented the
parents of soldiers who have died in the army during peacetime from
holding a protest on the sidewalk in front of the Presidential Palace.

The police created a barricade in front of the doors of the Reception
of Citizens, Appeals, Complaints and Proposals Office of the RA
President’s office.

The protesting mothers claimed that they would appeal the violation
of their right to assembly to the European Court of Human Rights,
stating that the ECtHR has already ruled against Armenia in a similar
case before. Recall that on March 31 the European Court found that the
Republic of Armenia had violated the Helsinki Committee of Armenia
NGO’s freedom of assembly, as well as the right to an effective
remedy when preventing the NGO from holding a peaceful march and a
candlelight vigil in memory of Levon Gulyan, a witness in a murder
investigation who died in May 2007 while in police custody.

Meanwhile, today the sidewalk was open for other citizens and
demonstrations: at the time of the parents’ protest action, a
demonstration was being held by ARF-D Youth Union of Armenia and
“Nikol Aghbalyan” Student Association in front of the building of
the British Embassy neighboring the Presidential Palace. The youth
movement presented a claim to the Embassy on the occasion of the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“We remember and demand, too. We remember [the Genocide], and we
remember them,” Anahit Lazarian, mother of Arayik Lazarian who
died in the army in 2001, said to the ARF-D youths, pointing at the
pictures of the dead soldiers: “We demand that the President meet us,
and the murderers be punished for their deeds. We demand that young
people like you serve in a peaceful army.”

Speaking to Epress.am, a member of the youth movement said that
it was the first time that they heard of the cases of soldiers who
have died in peacetime: “They should appeal to the European Court,
rather than protest here. If the Armenian judicial system has not
done anything since, say, 2001, they are not going to now.”

Meanwhile, the young man assured that if the soldiers had been killed,
“the Ministry of Defense would have done something about it.”

“Some of their deaths were their own faults, some of them committed
suicide, while [the parents] gathered here claiming [their sons]
were murdered,” said he.

After about five minutes of listening to the protesting parents, the
members of the ARF-D Youth Union of Armenia and “Nikol Aghbalyan”
Student Association left, stating that the issue had nothing to do
with them.

ARMENIA TO RECEIVE EURO 8.07 MILLION FROM EUROPE FOR REMOVING GARBAGE

YEREVAN, April 2./ARKA/. Armenia’s government upheld today a package
of agreements, under which European organizations will provide EURO
8.07 million as support for municipal garbage-removing organizations.

Territorial Administration and Emergency Minister Armen Yeritsyan,
presenting the draft decision to his fellow Cabinet ministers, said
that EURO 3.5 million of this amount will be lent by the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development in accordance with the agreement
signed yet in December 2014 and another EURO 3.5 million will be
granted by EU Neighborhood Policy’s Investment Instrument.

The remaining EURO 1.07 million will be received as technical
assistance.

Yeritsyan said. —0——

NEGOCIATIONS ARMENO-CHINOISES DE HAUT NIVEAU A BEIJING

ARMENIE

Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun, Hayots Achkhar, Golos Armenii et Novoye
Vremia consacrent leur > a la visite d’Etat du President
Sarkissian a Beijing où il a ete recu par son homologue chinois,
Xi Jinping. Au terme de leur entretien, les deux Presidents ont
signe une declaration conjointe sur un > de cette entite et
a n’etablir aucun contact officiel avec celle-ci. La Chine encourage en
outre ses societes a investir en Armenie et exprime sa disponibilite
a prendre part a des projets dans les domaines de l’agriculture, des
transports, de la communication, de la sante, des infrastructures etc.

En marge de cette visite, une dizaine d’accords ont ete signes entre
les Gouvernements d’Armenie et de Chine, dont un accord sur l’octroi
[a l’Armenie] d’un credit privilegie, ainsi que des accords de
cooperation dans les domaines douanier, educatif, du tourisme, de
l’energie, des echanges economiques, de la prevention des crimes etc.

La Banque centrale de l’Armenie et la Banque populaire de la Chine
ont egalement signe un accord de cooperation.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 26 mars 2015

jeudi 2 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

ARMENIAN PM – NAIRIT BACK WAGES CAN ONLY BE PAID AFTER SELL-OFF OF PLANT’S ASSETS

15:18, April 2, 2015

Touching on the ongoing dispute regarding back wages owned to Nairit
Rubber Plant workers, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan today
stated that the government has made no promises to the workers and
that any such payments could only be made after a portion of te
plant’s assets were sold off.

At the cabinet session, Abrahamyan said that layoffs at the plant
have decreased personnel to 480.

The minister of energy and natural resources claimed that negotiations
are underway to resolve the issue.

ARMENIA EXPEXTS AN OFFICIAL APOLOGY FROM AZERI SAMBO FEDERATION

20:20, 02 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Armenian Sambo Federation released a statement today, demanding
from the International Sambo Federation to punish Azeri athlete
Bakhtiyar Abbasov for disrespecting the Armenian national anthem
during the World Cup award ceremony in Moscow.

Abbasov demonstratively squatted as the Armenian anthem was playing
in honor of Ashot Danielian, an Artsakh-born Armenian fighter, who
won the gold at the tournament.

The Federation said it expects an official assessment of the act by
the Sambo Federation of Azerbaijan and anticipates an apology.

“Abbasov’s step was not only a violation of sports ethics, but also a
demonstration of political, national hatred and hostility, which is
unacceptable not only to us, but also the international community,”
the statement reads.

President of the European Sambo Federation Sergey Eliseev also slammed
Abbasov for his “unsportsmanlike behavior.”

DEUX ANS APROS : LE MEURTRE D’UN MAIRE TOUJOURS NON-RESOLU

Justice

Deux ans après le meurtre en plein jour d’un maire affilie a la
Federation revolutionnaire armenienne, les autorites policières n’ont
toujours pas identifie les responsables de ce que ses parents et ses
amis considèrent comme un crime politiquement motive.

Hrach Muradian a ete abattu devant son bureau a Proshian, un village a
l’ouest d’Erevan, le 2 avril 2013. Un resident local avait ete arrete.

Mais le suspect, qui a fermement nie l’accusation, a ete remis en
liberte pour manque de preuves dix mois plus tard.

La famille de Muradian a egalement mis en doute son implication
presumee, en disant que des individus plus influents etaient impliques
dans ce meurtre de grande envergure. Certains membres de la famille
ont affirme a plusieurs reprises que l’enquete etait etouffee a un
haut niveau.

En fin de semaine dernière, la veuve du maire a envoye une lettre
ouverte au president Serge Sarkisian, l’exhortant a aider a resoudre
le meurtre.

“Cela reste notre douleur commune”, a declare Aghvan Vartanian (FRA).

Son parti est très mecontent de l’etat actuel de l’enquete sur
l’assassinat de Muradian.

jeudi 2 avril 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

AZERBAIJAN MOST UNLIKELY TO RESUME LARGE-SCALE HOSTILITIES – VAGHARSHAK HARUTYUNYAN

19:12 * 02.04.15

Azerbaijan is most unlikely to resume large-scale hostilities Armenia’s
ex-minister of defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan stated at a discussion
on the politico-military situation surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

“If we speak of large-scale hostilities, I think the probability is
extremely low. The first factor is Armenia’s efficient army, which is
ready for battle. Armenian-Russian relations are an additional factor.

Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) and Russia’s ally,” Mr Harutyunyan said.

As regards the developments on the border, one should not forget
Azerbaijan is dealing with its own problems – domestic and external
ones. They have to meet the people’s demands, which accounts for
their attempts to get Nagorno-Karabakh back.

The developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Line of Contact are not
war. They are gross ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan.

As to why the CSTO does not adequately respond, Mr Harutyunyan said
that the CSTO did respond, and CSTO Secretary General visited the
Line of Contact.

“The CSTO interferes in case of aggression if a state applies to it.

Armenia has not applied. Our army is not even put on full alert
because the troops on the border are enough to repel attacks.”

Asked whether official Yerevan has taken a harder line in the context
of the Armenian president’s statement on Russian arms sales to
Azerbaijan, Mr Harutyunyan said:

“This is not a harder line, but concern. As ex-minister of defense I
understand that arms sales are inevitable. There is reality and one
should not apply ‘everyday standards’ to politics.”

Russia’s aims must be understood. Does it want Azerbaijan to gain
victory in Nagorno-Karabakh and to oust its ally and EEU member-state
from the region?

According to him, the states that sold arms to Azerbaijan will go on
doing so. Russia is well aware of the types of weapons it is selling
to Azerbaijan and of what weapons can be used against them.