Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

AS OF JULY 1 PERMANENT POPULATION IN ARMENIA REACHES 3 MILLION 240.7 PEOPLE

ARMENPRESS
JULY 30, 2009
YEREVAN

As of July 1, the number of the permanent population of Armenia
reached 3 million 240.7 people. Armenian National Statistics service
told Armenpress that 2 million 075.9 people are living in urban and
1 million 164.8 people in rural settlements.

1 million 113.4 people are living in capital Yerevan, 141.2 in
Aragatsotn province, 277.9 in Ararat province, 283.2 in Armavir,
240.7 in Gegharkunik, 281.3 in Lori, 279.4 in Kotayk, 281.0 in Shirak,
152.8 in Syunik, 55.8 in Vayots Dzor and 134.0 in Tavush province.

SURVEYS TO BE CONDUCTED IN ARMENIA TO FIND OUT THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON THE HOUSE ECONOMIES

ARMENPRESS
JULY 30, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS: With the support of the UN Armenian
office the RA Government will conduct surveys to find out the
consequences of the impact of the world financial-economic crisis on
4,248 families selected on different standards.

In connection with it today a document has been signed in the RA Labor
and Social Affairs Ministry between the Ministry, UN Armenian office
and RA National Statistic Service. It was signed by the Minister of
Labor and Social Affairs Gevorg Petrosyan, UN permanent coordinator
Consuelo Vidal and the head of RA National Statistic Service Stepan
Mnatsakanian.

G. Petrosyan noted that the economic crisis challenges the economies
of all states of the world including Armenia. Affecting the economy
it first of all threatens the vulnerable sections. The Minister
stressed the importance of the steps towards mitigation the impact
of the crisis noting that they will be more efficient if there is a
holistic idea about different sections of population.

The Minister said that the study will carry a continuative character
and the process will permanently be kept in the spotlight of the
attention of the ministry.

According to C. Vidal the survey will be a firm ground for the works
implemented during the upcoming 6 years within the frameworks of UNDP
directed towards the vulnerable sections of population – unemployed,
children, disabled, aged people, and refugees.

The preparatory works of the surveys have already kicked off; the final
result will be ready to issue in November. The Armenian office of the
UN World Food Program, UN Population, Children’s and International
Monetary Funds are involved in the process of researches.

RENOVATED VEDI POLYCLINIC OPEN IT DOORS TO PUBLIC

2009/ 07/31 | 15:40

Public Health

On July 31, 2009, a ribbon cutting ceremony marked the reopening of
the Vedi Medical Center’s Children Polyclinic. Sangita Patel,head of
the USAID/Armenia Social Reform Office and Mayor of Vedi Varuzhan
Barseghyan cut the ceremonial ribbon . This renovation was made
possible through the joint efforts of the US government, local
Armenian government and the Vedi Medical Center with the support of
USAID Project NOVA.

The Vedi Municipality and the Medical Center provided 25% of the
renovation budget, while USAID Project NOVA contributed 75%. In
addition, as part of Project NOVA, the Vedi Polyclinic personnel –
pediatricians and family physicians – participated in a series of
state-of-the-art training activities focusing on child health.

Project NOVA has worked in the Vedi region since 2006. Project works
include the establishment of a maternity school, renovation and
furnishing of the Women’s Consultation Center at the Vedi maternity
school, as well as training of medical personnel in key maternal and
child healthcare sectors. The Project has also renovated 10 rural
health posts in the Vedi region through the Community Partnership
for Health initiative, trained 14 community nurses in safe maternity
clinical skills and provided them with basic equipment and supplies
required for mother and child healthcare.

AT WHAT THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR HINTS

LRAGIR.AM
12:57:29 – 01/07/2009

On July 1, answering a question on the Armenian and Iranian relations,
the Iranian ambassador to Armenia Seid Ali Saghighyan made a very
interesting statement in connection with the prospects of the
Armenia-Iran railway.

First, the Iranian ambassador stated that regardless who would win the
Iranian presidential election, the friendly relations with Armenia
would never change, because the stances of all the four candidates
in connection with foreign policy do not differ much. The Iranian
ambassador assured, that all the arrangements, which were taken months
ago during Serge Sargsyan’s visit to Iran, will be continued.

He stated that the arrangements include those concerning the railway,
Iran-Armenia oil pipeline. According to the Iranian ambassador,
a group of expert is going to arrive in Armenia to continue these
issues. According to him, the Armenian and Iranian initiatives have
not only a bilateral but also a regional significance.

For example, he stated, that if the Armenian and Iranian railway
will be continued up to the Black Sea, it will connect Europe with
China, Japan. On the other hand, he stated, that the oil pipeline may
involve also other interested sides, just as it happened in case of
the railway, as Russia, Kazakhstan, and even Turkey expressed their
willingness to participate in the financing of the project.

DREAMS FROM THEIR FATHERS

AZG Armenian Daily
01/08/2009

International; Turkish foreign policy

Turkey’s canny foreign minister seeks to pursue delicate diplomacy
all around Jul 23rd 2009, The Economist print edition

WHEN the official result of Iran’s contested presidential election
was announced last month, Turkey was one of the first countries to
congratulate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Set against the repression (and
deaths) of Iranian protesters in the streets, this raised eyebrows
in Europe and America. It even provoked the tired old question of
whether Turkey may be turning its back on the West.

"People see only one side of this story," complains Ahmet Davutoglu,
Turkey’s foreign minister, in an interview. He does not elaborate. But
Turkey’s friendship with the Islamic republic has also proved useful to
the West. Its behind-the-scenes mediation was instrumental in securing
the recent release of British embassy staff in Tehran. And it can
play both ways. Five Iranian diplomats detained by the Americans in
Iraq in 2007 were freed earlier this month at Turkey’s urging.

The ease with which Turkey juggles different worlds, be they Arab or
Jewish, Muslim or European, prompted Hillary Clinton to call it an
"emerging global power". Its strong relations with Israel matter to
both countries, as became clear when they cooled during the invasion
of Gaza in January. The Turks have just had a high-profile spat with
China over its treatment of Xinjiang’s Uighurs, whom they regard
as kinsmen. It was understandable that one of Barack Obama’s first
presidential visits to a foreign country was to Turkey.

Some credit is due to Mr Davutoglu, who was a foreign-policy adviser
to the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for seven years before
becoming foreign minister in May. This spry former academic is seen as
the architect of Turkey’s soft power, which blends realpolitik with
a fierce pride. A pious Muslim with a moralistic bent, Mr Davutoglu
has been among the most influential foreign ministers in the history
of the Turkish republic.

His approach rests on two pillars. One is to have "zero problems"
with the neighbours, many of them troubled or troublesome. The other
is "strategic depth". This calls for a Turkish zone of political,
economic and cultural influence, primarily among neighbours (many
of them former Ottoman dominions) in the Balkans, the south Caucasus
and the Middle East.

None of this detracts from Turkey’s determination to join the
European Union. Rather, it enhances its appeal as a member, says Mr
Davutoglu. He seems unfazed by the hostile noises from France and
Germany. Both Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel are lobbying for a
"privileged partnership" instead of full membership for Turkey. Mr
Davutoglu suggests that they are merely playing to their respective
electorates. "Instead of complaining, of being angry, we should work
together," he says. For Turkey that means reviving the flagging reform
process that won it the opening of EU membership talks in 2005. Mr
Davutoglu is hopeful, for example, that the Greek Orthodox seminary
on the island of Halki off Istanbul will soon be reopened.

But EU diplomats say none of this will let Turkey off the hook over
Cyprus. Mr Davutoglu agrees that decades-old peace talks between
Turkish- and Greek-Cypriot leaders should not be open-ended. A
deal really needs to be struck by the end of this year. For that to
happen the EU and America must tell the Greek-Cypriots to get serious
(though, as EU members already, they have little incentive to help). A
settlement would avert the possible train wreck in Turkey’s relations
with the EU that might otherwise come in December. In theory Turkey
has until then to open air- and seaports to the Greek-Cypriots, but it
refuses to do this until EU trade restrictions on Turkish-controlled
north Cyprus are lifted.

Might France and Turkey’s other enemies use this as an excuse
to freeze the EU membership talks altogether (eight chapters have
already been suspended)? Turkish leaders like to believe that Europe
needs Turkey more than Turkey needs Europe. It has become even more
crucial as a potential transit route for Europe-bound natural gas
from energy-rich Azerbaijan and Central Asia, as well as from Iraq
(and eventually Iran). Mr Davutoglu points proudly to the recent
signing of an agreement between Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary
and Austria on the Nabucco pipeline that is meant to carry gas through
these countries, reducing Europe’s dependence on Russia.

Yet some say that Turkey is overplaying its hand. Its energy dreams are
tightly linked to its ethnic cousins in Azerbaijan. Relations between
these Turkic allies took a dive in April when Turkey unveiled a draft
agreement to establish diplomatic ties and reopen its border with
Armenia. In a dramatic shift, Turkey even dropped its long-running
precondition that Armenia must withdraw from the territories that it
occupied in the 1990s after its war with Azerbaijan over the mainly
Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

An infuriated Azerbaijan promptly threatened to turn to Russia. In
June it signed a deal to sell gas to the Russians from 2010
onwards. So Turkey did another volte-face. Mr Erdogan declared that
friendship with Armenia was no longer possible unless it withdrew
from Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Davutoglu insists that Turkey wants peace
with Armenia. But one Western diplomat says that "rapprochement with
Armenia is on its last legs."

This has raised the spectre of a row with Turkey’s most powerful ally,
America. Armenian-Americans want Mr Obama to honour his election
pledge to insist that the massacre by Ottoman forces of more than a
million of their ancestors in 1915 was genocide. In a fudge in April
Mr Obama said that he had not changed his views on the matter; yet he
spoke only of the Medz Yeghern ("great calamity" in Armenian). He did
not want to torpedo Turkish-Armenian rapprochement by using the G-word.

Turkey’s strategic location had once again proven decisive. As
American forces withdraw from Iraq, Turkey is seeking to avert a
looming conflict between the Arabs and the Kurds, especially over the
disputed city of Kirkuk. Turkey urged Iraq’s Sunnis not to boycott
elections in 2005. Mr Davutoglu is again lobbying to ensure that
all Iraqi groups take part in the parliamentary election in January
2010. "We have excellent relations with the United States at every
level," he says. And, notes a Western official, "when it comes to
Turkey and Armenia, Turkey wins every time."

USAID WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME REPRESENTATIVE HAILS THE EFFECTIVE COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

armradio.am
31.07.2009 11:40

Representative of the USAID World Food Programme Maha Ahmed presented
her credentials to the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian.

Minister Nalbandian expressed gratitude to Mrs. Ahmed for the support
the World Food Programme provides to Armenia.

Maha Ahmed hailed the effective cooperation between the Armenian
Government and the World Food Programme and presented the programs
envisaged in Armenia.

82 CONGRESSMEN SEND LETTER TO OBAMA ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
31.07.2009 02:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 30, under the leadership of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs, Representatives Frank Pallone,
Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with Congressmen Adam Schiff
(D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), a bipartisan group of legislators
(82 Members of Congress) sent a letter to President Barack Obama
highlighting Turkey’s failure to live up to its commitments regarding
normalizing of relations with Armenia without preconditions, reported
the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from Armenian Assembly of America
(AAA), the letter read in part "We write to you [Mr. President]
with our concerns about Turkish backpedaling on the agreed upon
roadmap to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia." Recalling
stated U.S. policy "that normalization should take place without
preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe," the letter pointed
out Armenia’s constructive approach and raised concerns about Turkey’s
counterproductive actions: "While the Government of Armenia remains
committed to this roadmap and has long offered to establish ties
with Turkey without preconditions, Turkey’s public statements and
actions since April 24th stand in sharp contrast to this agreement
and undermine U.S. policy that normalization take place without
preconditions."

Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny commended this bipartisan
initiative stating that "Armenia has repeatedly offered to normalize
relations with Turkey without preconditions only to be rebuffed by
Turkey. We also support the position espoused by the Members that
the Administration should separate the issues of normalization and
Armenian Genocide affirmation. U.S. affirmation of the Genocide should
not be held hostage to normalization of relations."

DISGRACED RA MP HAS NO INTENTION TO SURRENDER HIMSELF TO ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.07.2009 16:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, attorneys of RA MP Khachatur Sukiasyan ,
Arthur Grigoryan and Ara Zakaryan presented Sukiasyan’s statement
containing disgraced MP’s denial of accusations made against him. The
MP emphasized his complete innocence and the fact that as MP, he
possesses immunity status.

Sukiasyan stated that no one in Armenia could produce any incriminatory
evidence against him so he’s suffering hardships only for his promotion
of freedom of thought and human rights.

Sukiasyan’s attorneys emphasized that PACE recommendations are not
yet brought to their logical ending and the amnesty announced does
not spell full fulfillment of obligations by authorities.

They also added that Khacatur Sukiasyan has no intention to surrender
to Armenian authorities until July 31, 2009, being assured of his
own innocence, attorneys’ statement said.

IRAN, RUSSIA AGREE TO INTENSIFY NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR PROJECT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
28.07.2009 19:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi
and State Secretary of Russian Ministry of Transport Sergey Aristov
agreed to intensify implementation of North-South project, Rossiyskaya
Gazeta reported.

Armenia and Georgia have recently confirmed interest in the initiative.

International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), is a multi modal
transportation established in 12 Sep. 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran,
Russia and India for the purpose to promote cooperation among the
member states. This corridor connects India Ocean and Persian Gulf
to the Caspian Sea via Islamic republic of Iran, then is connected
to St. Petersburg and North European via the Russian Federation.

The INSTC was expanded to include eleven new members: Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, Syria, Bulgaria (Observed).

Le Monde, France
18 Juillet 2009

"Le Fou", de Raffi

LE MONDE | 18.07.09 | 14h00 ¢ Mis à jour le 18.07.09 | 15h04

Fallait-il être atteint de folie pour défier l’Empire
ottoman et lancer la libération de l’Arménie à la fin
du XIXe siècle ? Alors que s’ouvre la Saison turque en France,
le lecteur se pose la question quand il referme Le Fou, de Raffi,
écrit en arménien en 1880. De son vrai nom Hakob
Mélik Hakobian (1835-1888), l’auteur, issu d’une famille
arménienne aisée d’Iran, a traversé le XIXe
siècle à la recherche d’un nouvel élan pour son
peuple. Cette fresque épique initialement parue en feuilleton
dans le journal Mchak ("Laboureur"), s’ouvre sur les massacres des
Arméniens perpétrés par les Turcs et les Kurdes
à Alachkert et Bayazed (Anatolie orientale), près de la
frontière avec la Russie, durant la guerre russo-turque de
1877-1878.

Le siège de Bayazed commence en juin1877. Quelque 2000 soldats
russes et volontaires arméniens sont encerclés. Leur
résistance retarde la grande offensive turque sur
Tbilissi. Mais pour s’en sortir, ils doivent prévenir
l’armée du général russe Ter Ghoukassov, Ã
quelques kilomètres de lÃ. Comment ? Vartan, un jeune
contrebandier arménien, franchit les lignes turco-kurdes en se
faisant passer pour fou. Raffi ajoute à son récit,
tiré d’une histoire vraie, une dimension romantique, Ã
travers l’histoire d’amour entre Vartan et Lala, une jeune
Arménienne d’Alachkert. Mais la guerre les sépare et,
après avoir rempli sa mission, Vartan part à la recherche de
sa bien-aimée, et découvre l’ampleur des massacres.

Les Arméniens s’emparent du Fou de Raffi deux ans après
la fin de la guerre, scellée par le traité de Berlin
(1878), qui consacre l’irruption de la question arménienne dans
le concert des nations. La Sublime Porte, vaincue, se voit imposer des
réformes dans les provinces arméniennes de l’empire. En
vain.

Raffi est le témoin de ce bouleversement et sa
littérature a vocation à sonner le réveil des
Arméniens. Considéré comme l’un des pères
de la renaissance arménienne, l’écrivain appelle Ã
l’union et la libération nationale. Mais pour les profiteurs de
la misère du peuple, cet hymne à la révolte, qui
emporte les personnages les plus valeureux de son roman,
équivaut à de la folie Le Fou frappe par sa
modernité. Epuré de tout pathos, le récit prend
la forme d’un scénario en 43séquences courtes, Ã
l’écriture resserrée, froide mais aussi attachante dans
la description des protagonistes, du plus innocent, comme Lala, au
plus véreux, comme le contrôleur des impôts,
Thomas Effendi ou le chef kurde, Fattah Bey.

Sacralisation de la terre Ces deux-là partagent en secret un amour
pour Lala, elle-même sous le charme de Vartan. Tout est secret
dans cette aventure: Vartan et son secret révolutionnaire, le
maire Khatcho et son secret familial, Lala et son secret personnel¦
La peur se cache dans chaque ligne du récit,
précisémen t autour de Lala, qui incarne l’Arménie
de l’avenir. Raffi mesure le danger que traversent ces familles,
issues d’un monde turco-kurdo-arménien révolu, avec ses
mÅ`urs, ses dictons et ses inégalités. La
modernité qu’il appelle de ses vÅ`ux est un antidote à la
servitude. Il sublime l’éducation et le progrès
technique, le parlementarisme et le rôle des femmes. Il accable
la toute-puissance du clergé arménien sans attaquer la
foi chrétienne. Il dénonce les riches Arméniens
d’Istanbul, mais conserve l’espoir de leur ralliement Ã
"l’idée". Il stigmatise les Kurdes mais loue leur bravoure. Il
s’en prend aux Turcs mais appelle à la solidarité des
opprimés.

Sauf que, chez Raffi, la lutte de libération nationale
l’emporte sur la lutte des classes. De même qu’il s’attaque
à la domination impériale, il se fait le complice d’un
darwinisme social dangereux, d’une sacralisation de la terre quasi
mystique et d’un messianisme révolutionnaire hasardeux. Mais la
révolution lui pardonnera. En 1890, deux ans après sa
mort, Christapor Mikaelian, protégé de Raffi,
crée à Tbilissi la Fédération des
révolutionnaires arméniens, un parti qui, aujourd’hui
encore, voue à Raffi un culte intact en Arménie comme dans
la diaspora.

Mais Le Fou ne fait pas l’apologie du crime. Ce n’est pas un
aventurier: il calcule, "voit tout et entend tout". Et à l’heure du
dégel arméno-turc ` où les Turcs veulent
s’approprier leur histoire et les Arméniens tentent de s’en
libérer `, le message de Raffi tombe Ãpic: dépasser
le nationalisme pour vivre en paix. Lala le mérite bien¦

Le Fou de Raffi, traduit de l’arménien par Mooshegh Abrahamian,
éd. Bleu autour, "La petite collection", 392p., 9 euros.

Gaïdz Minassian

09/07/18/le-fou-de-raffi_1220488_3260.html