Category: 2017

SpitRain IX: The Multicontinental Edition

Alex Jidarian
  • By Any Means

    •  

  • Columns

    •  

  • Latest

about 1 hour ago

Garen Yegparian

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

Winner of a Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, U.N. Correspondents Gold Medal, the National Magazine Award, the Overseas Press Club Award, and two from the ANCA (Eastern and Western Regions) – do you know who this describes? Here’s another hint “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide”. In case it’s not yet obvious, she was also President Barack Obama’s Ambassador to the U.N.

Samantha Power is now a winner of the coveted SpitRain award, too, granted (by yours truly) to individuals who behave so shamelessly that the Armenian saying, “He’s so shameless, if you spit in his face, s/he’d think it’s raining” becomes applicable to her/him.

But she is not alone in earning this SpitRain. Rather, she was enabled by a host of others, to be named shortly.

No doubt you saw the news that she joined the Aurora Prize selection committee. This prize was founded by Noubar Afeyan (Harvard professor), Vartan Gregorian (extensive resume of distinguished academic and foundation positions), and Ruben Vardanyan (billionaire in Russia) to recognize, annually, the efforts and achievements of “an individual whose actions have had an exceptional impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes” – this is a great thing especially since it’s named after Arshalooys Mardiganian (Aurora Mardigian) who starred in the movie made portraying her own story of surviving the Genocide.

Samantha Power

But Samantha Power is also the person who did nothing to act on her “convictions” during her time in office. She was silent about the Armenian Genocide until some months before the end of her tenure, and even that was just a passing reference. Simply, she was no better than Obama or any other promise-and-renege official we’ve encountered countless times over the decades.

Imagine if soon after Ambassador John Evans’ unceremonious dumping (2006) for speaking honestly about the Genocide (2005), she had done the same as Obama’s Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights on the National Security Council (January 2009 – February 2013), as chair of a newly formed Atrocities Prevention Board (April 2012), or U.S. Ambassador to the U.N (until 2017).

How did she get appointed to the Aurora Prize Selection Committee (APSC)? It’s not spelled out in the press release, nor could I find a description of the selection process on the Aurora website. I have to assume that Afeyan, Gregorian, and Vardanyan did it, hence their complicity and sharing the shame required to earn a SitRain.

What of the other members of the APSC? Were they involved in her joining Aurora? It’s been more than a week, and I’ve seen no indication that any of them have voiced disapproval or dissatisfaction with Power’s being brought in their midst. Unfortunately, this leads me to include these august individuals as SpitRain recipients. In case you have any doubt as to their credentials, or simply do not know who they are, please read on or see the list with more detail on the Aurora website.

The APSC is comprised George Clooney (humanitarian, performer and filmmaker), Ernesto Zedillo (Former President of Mexico), Gareth Evans (Former Australian Foreign Minister), Hina Jilani (Former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders), Leymah Gbowee (Nobel Laureate), Mary Robinson – Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and )President of Ireland, Oscar Arias (Former President of Costa Rica andNobel Laureate), Shirin Ebadi (Human Rights Lawyer, Iran’s first female judge, and Nobel Laureate), Lord Ara Darzi (Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London), and Vartan Gregorian.

Shame on these otherwise exemplary people!

And, even more shame on all of us, as Armenians, if we don’t raise a huge fuss over the poor judgment that led to Samantha Power being added to the APSC. She had her chance, she blew it. Unless she finds some way to make up for her eight year silence, she has no place in the Armenian circuit. Otherwise, many more like her will take advantage of us and dump us when it doesn’t suit their needs.

The Aurora Prize started, and should continue, as a proudly Armenian “thing” that is serving all of humanity in gratitude for the help we received when we most needed it Armenian rules and norms must apply. No back-door collusion, crafty compromising politics, or gamesmanship ought to be tolerated.

Fortunately, there’s already a bit of a stink being raised on Facebook about this as well as at least one other op-ed, published in Armenian, penned by Apo Boghigian. May there be many more. Write the Aurora folks at [email protected] or 2/2, Melik-Adamyan Street, 0010 Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. Heck, maybe there office should even be picketed!

Remembering Unger Papken Sassouni

Emil Lazarian
  • Community

    •  

  • Latest

    •  

  • Top Stories

52 mins ago

Paken Sassouni

Editor’s Note: A veteran member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Papken Sassouni passed away on Monday, October 30. During his funeral service on November 10, at Forest Lawn Hollywood, Ani Mgrdichian delivered a remembrance highlighting his life and accomplishments, translated from the original Arnenian. We present Mgrdichian’s remarks below.

Papken Sassouni was born in Chaville, France in 1929. He was the youngest son of Garo Sassouni, Armenian intellectual, educator, author, and revolutionary leader, and Leola Sassouni, humanitarian and social activist. His elder brothers were Souren (Serge), born in 1920, in Armenia, and Viken, born in 1922, in Tabriz, Iran.

The family moved to Aleppo in 1934 and, eventually, settled in Beirut, Lebanon in 1936, where Papken attended Hamazkayin Jemaran, receiving his primary and secondary education under the guiding influence and counsel of several great educators and literary figures, including Levon Shant, Nigol Aghbalian, and his father. Many of his deepest and enduring friendships took root and were cultivated there, including that of his future wife, Marjolaine.

Papken graduated Jemaran, in 1946, and continued his higher education in Beirut through the early ’50’s at Lycée Français de Beirut and The Center for Mathematical Studies, where he graduated with honors.

During this time, he joined the ranks of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, in which he was an active and dedicated member throughout his life, fulfilling his passionate desire to serve his nation.

Papken Sassouni with his grandson, Armen

In 1953, after becoming engaged to Marjolaine Boudakian, Papken left Beirut and settled in Paris, France. As a French citizen, he served in the French Army, receiving his military training at Ecole Militaire de Saint-Maixent, and was later deployed and stationed in Koblenz, Germany, and Tunisia. He attained the rank of captain, and was honorably discharged in 1955.

Back in civilian life, he was accepted to Sorbonne University for graduate studies in mathematics at the Henri Poincaré Institute of Mathematics, pursuing his deep interest in the sciences. Papken was fascinated with mathematical language, and how the laws of nature could be expressed with elegance in the form of equations. He was awarded a Master of Science degree in 1955.

Papken Sassouni (right) with his childhood friend the late Seno Pakradouni, the former editor of Asbarez

Papken and Marjolaine were married in 1955, at the Armenian Church of Paris. In 1957, an opportunity arose in the nascent field of computer science and together they set sail for America, settling in Philadelphia near Papken’s older brother, Viken. He began applying his knowledge of mathematics to the field of computing initially on the ENIAC computer — heralded as the “giant brain” — and its successor the UNIVAC, at the University of Pennsylvania and at the RAND Corporation under the physicist John William Mauchly, the machine’s designer. Papken wrote several key research papers on techniques of optimization, contributing to advances in the field of computing.

Their first child, Maral, was born in 1958, and a year later, the family moved to Pasadena, California. Papken was hired by the Burroughs Corporation, a prestigious company whose history paralleled many of the major developments in computing. His first and second sons, Garo and Kevo, were born in 1960 and 1961, respectively.

A typical gathering of close family friends at the Sassounis

In the mid-60’s, he was employed by Control Data Corporation, a supercomputer firm. Not long after this, Papken and some of his colleagues, formed a new company, Computer Communications Inc. (CCI), which pioneered distributed computing technology. He traveled The States and Europe widely, demonstrating and marketing CCI’s products to governmental organizations, such as NASA and the Pentagon, where Papken had high level security clearance. On many occasions, he would bring home bizarre, futuristic gadgets and devices from their offices in Torrance, that would endlessly amaze his children and their friends.

All the while, Papken’s devotion to his family and community was unwavering. He was a founding member of ARF’s “Lernavair Gomideh,” in Pasadena, and an organizer of countless Armenian political, cultural, religious, and educational events in 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s west coast Armenian life. He was one of the founders of the Western US Regional Branch of the Hamazkayin Cultural Society, in Los Angeles in 1968, spending the early 70’s, meeting and interacting with many ranking local and state government figures to organize events commemorating the Armenian Genocide. Papken served in key leadership positions in the ARF and Armenian National Committee throughout his life, and participated in the ARF World Congress of 1976 in the midst of the Middle East crisis and the Lebanese Civil War.

During this critical time, waves of Armenians were uprooted and immigrated to Los Angeles, to embark upon new lives in the Armenian community, seeking a place to belong. Papken was instrumental in ensuring that community organizations were welcoming, allowing newcomers to experience a sense of kinship, family, and support in a strange new land.

A young Papken Sassouni

His demeanor and disposition were calm, yet beneath burned an undying love for his nation, culture, language and people which compelled him to action. At crucial moments for the community, he had great strategic insights and was open to all ideas, never imposing or promoting a single approach. Instead, he encouraged and fostered new ideas. His intelligent and open-minded approach set an example for future generations in originality, clear thinking, and decisional efficiency.

In 1988, following the tragic earthquake in Armenia, The Earthquake Relief Fund for Armenia (ERFA) was formed, and Papken was appointed its chairman. In this capacity, he visited Armenia many times to organize housing and aid for victims and survivors of the earthquake. He also aided the ARS with its eye-care and optometric services project in Yerevan and Talin during the early 90s.

Some of Papken’s most enjoyable moments were spent at social gatherings in the homes of dear friends, around a large dinner table where conversation and banter reigned supreme. Anecdotes, passionate exchanges of political ideas, as well as good-natured teasing and jokes—not to mention tales of the many episodes of pranksterism from their days of youth —were recounted here. The sound of clinking glasses and echoes of unrestrained laughter permeated the night under a cloud cover of cigarette smoke, as rambunctious children played, occasionally looking toward the adults with great curiosity, reverence and respect. Little did the parents know that, all the while, their children were permanently recording the proceedings, gestures, mannerisms, and speech with great detail in their little minds.

In his later years, Papken spent a great deal of time poring over and categorizing volumes of handwritten correspondence, letters, photographs, and notes belonging to his father, Garo Sassouni, and his uncle Setrak Sassouni’s diaries from the Genocide years. He scanned and transcribed hundreds of pages, discovering new facts and deeper meanings about his father’s life and work, perhaps, hoping to uncover hitherto unknown historical facts and better understand the nature of his father’s incredible efforts.

In 2008, Papken’s grandson, Armen Garo, was born, and nothing made him happier than daily visits from, as he lovingly dubbed, “Ashkharhi Amenalav Dghan,” whom he always greeted with a big hug, a kiss on each cheek, and a twinkle in his eyes. Everyone’s hearts filled with love and happiness for Armen Garo, but none more than Papken’s.

His kindness, selflessness, and buoyant and indomitable spirit were truly unique. His love of family was bottomless and his dedication to his Armenian heritage was strong and lasting. He lived a full life in every way and continues to live eternally in the hearts and minds of all the myriad souls he touched.

Hoghuh Tetev Hankchee, Sireli Papken Ammo, Sireli Unger…




Unger Papken Sassouni: A Man Among Men

Arbi Tashjian
  • Community

    •  

  • Latest

    •  

  • Top Stories

49 mins ago

Papken Sassouni at Dzidzernagapert during his first visit to Armenia

Editor’s Note: During the funeral service on November 10 for veteran Armenian Revolutionary Federation member, Papken Sassouni, Ara Mgrdichian paid tribute to the late unger. We present his remarks below.

And in a twinkle of an eye I saw everything… Our lives like a jigsaw puzzle complete, had become a total picture of life replete with every remembered moment, nuanced and striking…  And, then, one by one, pieces began falling away, and that is when I, too, began falling with every missing piece…

It is the end of an era and it is the irrevocable beginning of the new. A different kind of new, one bereft of the physical presence of some of those dearest to us, of familiar faces, comforting glances, knowing looks, and the sublime touch. However, this new era is one now infused completely with the deep and true essence of those who have passed. The puzzle we all put together has pieces missing, falling away, disappearing, portending a greater absence to come that we cannot comprehend.

But, the great mystery is mysterious beyond understanding and the greatness of mind and spirit becomes more and more present after the leaving of those, especially those, of epic dimensions. This presence—his presence–grows, now, exponentially in his absence.

As I clutched his hand for the last time, and he mine, I felt that same iron grip, still, and looking into my eyes, I knew, as I know all that is true and real, that he is immortal. I knew the words we exchanged were not near death standards or niceties, but the true promise of seeing each other soon and being always at one another’s service–at the service of our family and cause.

One must understand who Papken Sassouni was to understand who he is, and I know, here, in this hall, so many of you were touched by this great and humble spirit and know, each in your own way, that I am telling you the truth, each in your own way, know who he was, and know who he is now.

Papken Sassouni with his brothers at General Antranig’s memorial

But, you must also understand that my understanding and view of Unger Sassouni was as polyvalent as was his character and great spirit. I saw him first through the prism of a small child, as one of two or three of my father’s brothers–my father who had no actual brothers. And, through that prism shone a beautiful, carved face complete with all the traces of the true Armenian—a father, an uncle, a husband, friend, a brother-in-arms, a true intellectual, and man of high art—all ensconced in nonpareil warmth, compassion, and love.

The strength and certitude he projected were only matched by his smile unleashed. Our relations were prenatal. The progeny of our families—the patriarchs of which, for me, were a triumvirate of sorts—became family, first through the kith and kinship of their parents. Most of the earliest memories are not memories, but documentation of our interactions, photographs of our youth and theirs. Papken Ahm’mo was rarely without his camera, and, if it was not for his commitment to recording these moments, there would be far less to be remembered today and into the future.

Throughout childhood there was Papken Ahm’mo—strong, supportive, protective, welcoming, funny, clever. In adolescence, as the bonds between the families grew, the bonds with my brethren–Papken Ahm’mo’s progeny–grew even more. Our youth was a constant wonder and adventure, much of the time in and around the Sassouni household, and at its gravitational centers were Papken Ahm’mo and Marjho Tanteeg. Their home was filled with beauty and bounty from the most fascinating, cutting-edge technologies that Papken Ahm’mo would bring home from his work at CCI to stunning works of art and design to the most sacred of Armenian tomes and treasures, not to mention the mischief we caused so often.

There were computers at the Sassouni home when computers didn’t exist. As children, we didn’t fully understand that the phone handset sitting in the cloth (or was it velvet?) lined teak box, atop the teak desk, in the main room, facing the windows onto the boundless Pacific, was, in fact, an early 1970’s modem linking the screen on the desk to a CRAY or UNIVAC at some remote location. I remember how Papken Ahm’mo, on the 4th of July, made that screen explode with pixelated fireworks, as well as regaling us with real fireworks in the backyard.

Papken Ahm’mo was always interesting, showing us games, tricks, ways of thinking, beautiful places and objects, keeping us on our toes, and keeping us fierce.

There are so many memories, so many moments, so many facets to Papken Sassouni, that it is a challenge today to present a complete picture of this man among men. However, one thing may be certain above all, or, rather, one thing in particular permeates all things having to do with Mr. Sassouni, and that is no matter the company or situation, no matter the circumstances or severity, Papken Sassouni was that rare breed of human being who was able to comport himself with dignity and grace at all times and to the end, and this capacity effected all with whom he interacted.

The capacity to listen and be listened to, to respect and be respected, to embody the true meaning of civilization and humanity, with a hard-found patience, empathy, and openness— that was Papken Sassouni. Even when we were young and burgeoning, he would let us talk with fervor and verve, knowing full well what we were yet to know. He had the capacity to allow all people, including those closest to him, who he loved so dearly—which is no small feat—to find their own way and place in the world, to explore and be curious, to live and struggle, all with his unique brand of subtle, refined guidance—felt, but never overbearing, an almost invisible wisdom imparted.

I feel this rare capacity was fueled by his own limitless consciousness as a man—a true human–and an Armenian, eternally committed to the cause of life, of living, and of justice, with all that entailed. There was something calming and courageous in his demeanor, a true leader that made you feel not just accepted, but that you mattered, and you wanted to be better for it.

I admired Unger Papken for a great many things—his intellectual acumen, his discerning, yet understated sense of style, his great base of knowledge and clever mind–the list goes on. But, I loved him for even more. His sense of discipline and commitment in theory and practice must have been the bulwark of his great accomplishments and his great love. There were so many good things that were a daily practice for him. He was a man, a creator, who knew that all big things—ideas, actions, causes—come from the small, that what we give our time to—in ourselves and others—is what is nurtured, cultivated, and brought to fruition.

He knew that faith is action. And, that faith was particularly poignant in his lifelong service to the Armenian Cause and the ARF, just as it was to his family and his many friends. Unger Papken’s service to his nation’s cultural, political, and social life in the diaspora and homeland is vast and well documented. His activities were not only exclusive to the great ARF family of organizations and institutions, but ran the gamut of Armenian and non-Armenian life, and that, in itself, is a testament to his ability to successfully work with diverse groups and cultures. It was an honor to work with him, to speak and confer with him, and seek his opinions on organizational, historic, and community matters. Even during the darkest moments in our recent communal and organizational history, Unger Papken was one of the few individuals with which I could truly converse, and I always looked forward, with great anticipation, to his advice and counsel. Unger Sassouni was and is a man respected by all segments of our society and was somehow able to transfer his father’s sacred millennial fire to his family, extended family, and a whole nation in straight lineage from the mountains of Sassoun. Unger Papken’s eldest son, Garo’s ARF Gunkahayr (Godfather) was my father Unger Mgouch , and my ARF Gunkahayr was Garo’s father, Unger Papken—happenstance or fate, depends on one’s perspective, but the transgenerational interstices were always strong and kept growing. Unger Papken, our fathers and their friends—you know who you are both living and passed on–they were Musketeers, Knights, of sorts, living among us. They led and served by example. They may not have divulged the extent of their service and deeds before shaking off this mortal coil, but their true selves showed through and were evident in all they did and all they pursued.

Life away from the battlefield can be difficult–sometimes impossible–for true warriors, however, Unger Papken Sassouni was able to adapt and negotiate the tumult of a “not-so peaceful” peace with aplomb and grace, fighting the good fight whether in meeting halls or on far-off shores. He never sank to the guttural levels in which many are mired, but always raised the bar in every situation. These men of thought and action—of the head and the hand—these men of Medz Haik, were fortunately able to witness the Independence of Armenia and the liberation of Artsakh they so loved and whose cause they served unwaveringly, body and soul, before their passage from this plane.

And, now together, with Unger Papken standing point, they wait like eagles perched in their high nests, soaring skies, awaiting the legacy bequeathed to us, and to us alone, to manifest again, to weaponize our faith in action and love, so they may witness, on high, the liberation of the their bedraggled western Armenian home.

The cycles continue from ancient ancestors to Garo Sassouni, the Elder to Papken Sassouni to Garo Sassouni, the Younger, and Kevo and Maral, to Armen Garo the youngest, until Mher finally comes out of Akravakar and the wheel of time halts and we shall walk with them, again emerging, from Mher’s door, Unger Papken, Toor Gedzagee in hand, leading the way from Sassoun, immortals all…

“We pray for mercy for Dzovinar…
Forty mercies for Sanasar…
We pray for mercy for Baghdasar…
Forty mercies for Deghtzoun Dzam…
We pray for mercy for Keri Toros…
Forty mercies for Tzenov Ohan…
We pray for mercy for Medz Mher…
Forty mercies for Armaghan…
A thousand mercies for stalwart Davit…
Forty mercies for Khantout Khanum…
We pray for mercy for Pokr Mher…
Forty mercies for Kohar Khanum…
And, a thousand mercies—hazar voghormee
Unger Papken Sassouniee Haverjh hokeen
Sassno medz dahn…
Voghpam merelots…
Peganem shanter…
Kochem abroghats…




RFE/RL Armenian Report – 12/08/2017

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Friday, December 8, 2017

Armenian Parliament Passes Bill Against Domestic Violence


 . Ruzanna Stepanian
 . Karlen Aslanian


Armenia - A protest against domestic violence in Yerevan, 25Nov2017.

Following a heated debate, the Armenian parliament passed on Friday a
government bill which is meant to combat domestic violence in the
country.

The government pushed the bill through the National Assembly despite
continuing resistance from some deputies representing the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). But it won over other, more senior
HHK figures who openly criticized the initial version of the
legislation circulated in September.

The latter joined conservative fringe groups in claiming that some of
the proposed legal provisions would undermine traditional "Armenian
family values." The Armenian Justice Ministry responded by amending
the bill drafted by it. In particular, the ministry expanded the title
of the bill to emphasize that it is aimed at not only preventing
domestic violence and protecting its victims but also "restoring
solidarity within families."

Women's groups have criticized this phrase, saying that "solidarity"
is not a legal term and could be open to different interpretations by
relevant authorities.


Armenia - A session of the National Assembly in Yerevan, 30May2017.

The final version of the bill retained other significant
provisions. The Armenian police will now be required to stop violence
within families threatening the lives or health of their members. What
is more, the police could force a violent husband to leave his
victim's home and stay away from it for up to 20 days. Armenian courts
will be allowed to extend such bans to between 6 and 18 months.

The law stipulates that domestic violence can be not only physical but
also sexual, psychological and even economic. It makes clear that a
"substantiated presumption" of such instances of violence will be
sufficient grounds for police intervention. Deputy Justice Minister
Vigen Kocharian stressed that this would be done by a special police
unit trained to deal with such cases.

Hayk Babukhanian, a controversial lawmaker from the ruling HHK,
attacked this provision during Thursday's parliament debate on the
bill. "Can you imagine what it could lead to?" he said, warning of
police mistakes.


Armenia - Gevorg Petrosian of the Tsarukian Bloc, 30Nov2017.

Gevorg Petrosian of the Tsarukian Bloc, the second largest
parliamentary force, echoed this concern. Petrosian claimed that the
law would revive what he called a Soviet-era practice of police
prosecuting men at the best of their "malicious, freedom-loving
wives." "I regard it as a law on destroying peace and harmony in
families," he said.

Babukhanian, who publishes a newspaper known for its anti-Western
commentaries, also denounced another clause that provides for
non-governmental organizations' involvement in the protection of
domestic violence victims.

Samvel Farmanian, a more mainstream HHK parliamentarian, also spoke
out against the bill. "Unfortunately, this law will not help to reduce
cases of violence in families. It may actually have opposite effects,"
he claimed.

Nevertheless, the HHK-controlled National Assembly backed the landmark
law by 73 votes to 12, with 6 abstentions. All of those 12 deputies
represent the Tsarukian Bloc, which claims to be in opposition to the
government.

None of the HHK deputies voted against the bill. Babukhanian and
several other Republicans chose to boycott the vote instead.

Gagik Melikian, the number two figure in the ruling party's
parliamentary faction, defended the legislation, saying that it poses
no threat to "traditional families."

Deputies from the opposition Yelk bloc also voted for the measure. One
of them, Mane Tandilian insisted later on Thursday that domestic
violence is a more serious problem in Armenia than it may seem.


Armenia - Mane Tandilian of the opposition Yelk bloc, 7Nov2017.

"People don't talk about it because it happens in their families,"
Tandilian told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "And for us,
the family is taboo, a sacred environment about which we don't like
saying negative things in public."

The female lawmaker also said that the new powers given to the police
will discourage violent conduct.

A senior representative of the Armenian police advocated the passage
of the bill when she spoke at parliamentary hearings in October. The
police recorded 3,571 cases of domestic violence from 2012-2016.

According to the Yerevan-based Women's Resource Center, more than 50
Armenian women have been beaten to death and murdered otherwise by
their husbands or other relatives in the last five years.



Government Reaffirms Poverty Reduction Target


 . Marine Khachatrian


Armenia - Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielian attends a parliament
session in Yerevan, 20May2015.

The government has reaffirmed its pledges to significantly reduce
poverty in Armenia in the next five years.

The government's policy program approved by parliament in June says
that sustained and faster economic growth will cut poverty from 29.4
percent in 2016 to 18 percent by 2022. It also says that export
promotion and better conditions for doing business will allow the
Armenian economy to grow by around 5 percent annually in this
five-year period.

Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielian called these targets realistic
when he spoke to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) this
week. Gabrielian stressed the importance of faster growth anticipated
by Prime Minister Karen Karapetian's cabinet. He said it will benefit
rural regions of the country where poverty has traditionally been
higher than in Yerevan.

"If you look at our [2018] budget you will see that agriculture is one
of the few sectors where there will be an increase in [government]
spending," said Gabrielian. "It means that we are planning measures
especially in that sector, which could have the greatest impact on
poverty reduction."

But Vahagn Khachatrian, an economist affiliated with the opposition
Armenian National Congress (HHK) dismissed the government plan as
"extremely unrealistic." "These are just pieces of paper which they
write up for the sake of writing and which are not put into practice,"
he said.

Khachatrian argued that the government's 2018 budget does not call for
any increases in public sector salaries, pensions and poverty benefits
which were most recently raised in 2015. That, he said, means that
real incomes of hundreds of thousands of Armenians will fall next year
because of consumer price inflation.

Under the government program, the minimum national wage, which
currently stands at 55,000 drams ($114) per month, will rise by 25
percent by 2022. According to Deputy Minister of Labor and Social
Affairs Tadevos Avetisian, the government will start raising it after
2018.

Using a different methodology, the World Bank has recorded lower
poverty rates in Armenia. According to it, just under 25 percent of
Armenians lived in poverty in 2016. In a report released in May, the
bank forecast that the poverty rate will fall to 22.2 percent in 2019.



Armenian Budget For 2018 Approved By Parliament


 . Astghik Bedevian


Armenia - The Prime Minister's Office and Finance Ministry buildings
in Yerevan, 30Sep2017.

The National Assembly approved on Friday Armenia's state budget for
next year which will increase government spending by more than 7
percent but keep public sector salaries, pensions and other social
benefits unchanged.

The budget drafted by the Finance Ministry in late September calls for
over 1.46 trillion drams ($3 billion) in total expenditure, up by
around 100 billion drams from the government's 2017 spending
target. It commits the government to ensuring a sharper rise in tax
revenue that would reduce the budget, projected at 158 billion drams,
to 2.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

Most of the extra spending planned by the government will be channeled
into various infrastructure projects. The remainder will mainly be
spent on national defense. Armenia's defense spending is to rise by 18
percent to 248 billion drams ($514 million).

The spending bill was backed 64 members of the 105-seat parliament
representing the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and its
junior coalition partner, Dashnaktsutyun. Thirty-five other deputies
affiliated with the opposition Tsarukian Bloc and Yelk alliance voted
against it.

The opposition minority strongly criticized the caps on social
spending during parliamentary debates that preceded the vote. They
said that will only increase poverty in the country in 2018.

"The groundwork is not laid not only for economic growth but also
economic development," said the Tsarukian Bloc's Mikael
Melkumian. "Furthermore, spending on social programs, education and
science is juxtaposed against capital spending."

Government ministers and HHK lawmakers insisted, however, that
increased spending on capital projects is a more efficient way to ease
socioeconomic hardship as it would stimulate economic activity in the
country.

"We have promised one thing in our program: we have said that if we
have economic growth we will adequately solve economic problems of our
people," said Finance Minister Vartan Aramian. He indicated that the
government may well raise pensions and salaries in 2019.

The budgetary targets are based on government projections that
economic growth in Armenia will reach 4.5 percent in 2018. The
government has forecast a 4.3 percent growth rate for this year.

"The growth forecast is too optimistic," said Mane Tandilian, a deputy
from Yelk. "I think it will not materialize."

In its latest World Economic Outlook released in October, the
International Monetary Fund forecast more modest growth rates for
Armenia: 3.5 percent in 2017 and 2.9 percent in 2018. The IMF had
anticipated slower growth earlier.



Judge Extends Jail Time For Armenian Opposition Activist


 . Karlen Aslanian


Armenia - Opposition activist Gevorg Safarian goes on trial in
Yerevan, 20May2016.

An Armenian opposition activist will remain behind bars even after
completing his two-year prison sentence on January 1, a court in
Yerevan ruled on Friday.

The activist, Gevorg Safarian, was among members of the Founding
Parliament radical opposition movement who scuffled with riot police
as they tried to celebrate the New Year in Yerevan's Liberty Square
early on January 1, 2016.

Safarian was arrested and accused of assaulting one of the officers, a
charge which he and Founding Parliament rejected as politically
motivated. A Yerevan court sentenced the outspoken activist to two
years in prison in January this year.

Safarian, Founding Parliament's arrested leader, Zhirayr Sefilian, and
several other men went on a separate trial in May, accused of plotting
an armed revolt and "mass disturbances." They strongly deny these
charges as well.

A prosecutor in that trial said on Friday that despite having spent
almost two years in jail Safarian must remain under arrest pending a
verdict on the Sefilian case.

Safarian reacted angrily to the move, saying that President Serzh
Sarkisian's administration has decided to prolong his
imprisonment. "It's already clear that the judge has received an order
and will keep me under arrest," he declared before leaving the
courtroom.

One of the defense lawyers, Tigran Yegorian, also walked out in
protest. Two other attorneys, Tigran Hayrapetian and Arayik Papikian,
tried unsuccessfully to have the presiding judge, Tatevik Grigorian,
delay consideration of the prosecutor's petition. They said they need
time to come up with their counterarguments.

Grigorian ruled 20 minutes later that Safarian will not be set free on
January 1.

"It's clear that Gevorg Safarian is a victim of political
persecution," Papikian charged afterwards.

Safarian's mother present in the courtroom also condemned the judge's
decision. "By punishing Gevorg they want to keep the people in fear so
that they don't revolt against the authorities," she said.

In a January 2016 statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced
Safarian's arrest as "wholly unjustified." The New York-based watchdog
said he is prosecuted for his political views and should be released
from custody.



Press Review



"Hraparak" joins other newspapers in lamenting the government's
failure to fully rebuild parts of Armenia that were devastated by the
December 1988 earthquake. The paper claims that foreign assistance
provided to the country in the last 29 years was enough for the
complete reconstruction of at least the cities of Gyumri and Vanadzor.

"Haykakan Zhamanak" hits out at a parliament deputy from the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Hakob Hakobian, who said on
Thursday that the latest hikes in the prices of some key foodstuffs in
the country will not affect the poor because the latter could not
afford those products anyway. Hakobian is also the chairman of the
Armenian parliament committee on social affairs and health. Another
HHK parliamentarian, Khosrov Harutiunian, similarly said on Thursday
that low-income people have not been affected by the increased prices
of meat because they have been reliant on potatoes.

"We will probably surprise Khosrov Harutiunian a lot if we assert that
the poor in Armenia have become so poor that they have even started
consuming less potatoes," comments the paper. "This is a fact recorded
by Armenia's National Statistical Service (NSS), not taken out of thin
air."

Meanwhile, the HHK's parliamentary leader, Vahram Baghdasarian, tells
"Hayots Ashkhar" that poverty in Armenia is slowly but steadily
decreasing. "That small decrease obviously doesn't satisfy us," he
says. "More serious steps are needed to improve the situation. The
government is now pursuing a new policy. Instead of using budgetary
funds for raising salaries and pensions, it attaches greater
importance to ensuring economic stability and laying the foundations
for economic growth."

(Tigran Avetisian)



Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Quality of life in Gyumri will be definitely changed – Karen Karapetyan

Jhanna Virabian
  • 15:04 | December 7,2017 | Official
  • Հայ
  • Рус

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan visited Gyumri on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake. He laid flowers at 11:41 am, at the memorial to the victims of the earthquake in Gyumri’s Holy Saviour’s Church and to participate in the liturgy.

Speaking to reporters, the prime minister underlined that the Government has a program for Gyumri and the quality of life in this city will be definitely changed.

“We have to work every day in order to change the life in Gyumri, and actually, we will. The problems that Gyumri and our people have today are overcoming, we just have to look optimistic and work for them,” said Karen Karapetyan.

Armenian Apostolic Church has not expressed a position on Jerusalem

Karapet Navasardian
  • 15:32 | December 7,2017 | Politics
  • Հայ
  • Рус

According to Arabologist Hayk Kocharyan, the Armenian Church should also express its position on the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

A letter was sent to US president Donald Tramp, signed by the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem’s Christian communities. The expert welcomed the Armenian patriarchate’s step and said: “Jerusalem does not belong to any nation or any other country, it is a cultural heritage, it is the center of three religions.
We have a great heritage there and we should stand for it. The situation will be tense there.”

US President Donald Trump’s statement on recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has caused a great stir not only in Turkey, but also in all neighboring countries, and even the US colleagues have been deeply concerned and protested.

According to Mr. Kocharyan, this step of Trump was conditioned not only by the pre-election promise, but also by the influence of the Jewish lobby. “The groom, who is also his advisor, is known for his personal ties with the Israeli government, and I believe that this has played an important role. There are many other factors, but the fact is that there is already a statement, and we should deal with the consequences of it.”

This statement will increase the tension in the Middle East and we will witness the collapse of the fragile security system.

OSCE omissions are discussed in Nalbandian’s speech

Talar Tumanian
  • 16:52 | December 7,2017 | Official
  • Հայ

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian addressed the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict in his recent speech at the OSCE’s 24th Ministerial Conference, blaming the Azerbaijani leadership for hampering the internationally-mediated peace efforts.
In his speech at the meeting in Vienna, Armenia’s top diplomat also enumerated nine major reasons accounting for the failure to end the long-lasting land dispute.
His full speech, published by the Foreign Ministry’s press service, is provided below:

Mr Chairman,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank the Chairmanship-in-Office for leading the organization throughout the year, good organisation of the Ministerial Council and the warm hospitality.
Armenia has always been a strong advocate for advancing the indivisible security in the OSCE area and has continuously contributed to the discussions aimed at reinvigoration of the framework of arms control and CSBMs.
Building trust and confidence does not rest only with the first dimension. We strongly believe that the economic and environmental basket of our Organization has an untapped potential. In this regard the OSCE could be a natural platform for promoting an inclusive dialogue between participating States, including on regional integration processes.
About two weeks ago Armenia signed a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the European Union. It vividly demonstrated that the membership to one integration framework, in the case of Armenia to the Eurasian Economic Union, does not preclude cooperation with the others. We hope that pragmatic and result oriented dialogue will be the driving force of the economic cooperation in the whole OSCE area.
We would also like to emphasize Armenia’s contribution to the human dimension of our activities and highlight in this regard our effective cooperation with the OSCE institutions. The April Parliamentary elections in Armenia demonstrated that the progress achieved in upholding fundamental freedoms is irreversible and sustainable and we acknowledge the contribution of the OSCE institutions in this regard.
We are glad that the theme of protection of the ethnic and religious groups from identity based violence and atrocities especially in our neighboring region – in the Middle East, is getting more and more attention within the OSCE. Armenia has been among the first to raise this issue and support the strengthening of the OSCE commitments in this regard. The further development of effective measures to counter hate crime and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions was the main focus of the recent high-level conference in Yerevan, co-organized by the OSCE Chairmanship and ODIHR with the support of the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Ministerial Councils provide an opportunity to talk about the achievements and vision for the future. However, it is equally important not to omit to address the setbacks of the Organization in an open and candid manner.
The consequences of the closure of the OSCE Office in Yerevan pertain to very essence of the OSCE, which is designed to settle the issues through dialogue and cooperation and never through imposing the position of one participating State at the expense of all others and the entire Organization. It created a very negative precedent. The refusal of Azerbaijan to join the consensus on the extension of the mandate of the Office damaged not merely the integrity of the field missions of the OSCE, but its capacity of inclusive cooperation. Azerbaijan failed to respect the OSCE commitments and eliminated the OSCE Office in its own country before it attacked and closed the last OSCE full-fledged mission in the region. It is particularly deplorable that the Office was closed against the will and consistent efforts for its preservation exerted by the host country and all participating States with one exception – Azerbaijan. We would like to recall that both German and Austrian Chairmanships rejected the accusations of Azerbaijan against Yerevan Office. It does not come as a surprise that Azerbaijan found itself in isolation in challenging the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
We are determined to continue our close cooperation within the OSCE framework. The “Armenia cooperation programme” opens good opportunities in this regard.
Mr Chairman,
Ten years ago the Basic Principles for the Peaceful Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict were presented to the sides by the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid.
Two years later the Athens Ministerial Council of the OSCE adopted a statement on behalf of all participating States that strongly supported the Basic Principles and noted the commitment of the parties to reach an agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution based upon the principles of Non-Use of Force or Threat of Force, Territorial Integrity, and the Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples. The presidents of the Co-Chair countries in their five joint statements issued since 2009 reiterated their support to these principles and main elements for the conflict resolution which were presented by them as an integrated whole. Since then the Co-Chairs have reaffirmed this approach on many occasions, including during almost all OSCE Ministerial Councils and most recently in their joint statement made in Hamburg. On numerous occasions Armenia has continuously reiterated its readiness to continue negotiations based on these principles and elements with the aim of the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict.
There are several reasons why till now it has not been possible to advance the peace process despite numerous meetings on the presidential and ministerial levels, many rounds of negotiations, the tireless mediation by the Co-Chair countries, and the strong endorsement of the OSCE and all others who have supported the efforts and approaches of the Co-Chairs.
First, Azerbaijan made a step back and has refused the abovementioned three principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution as a basis for the conflict settlement.
Second, Azerbaijan adopted a selective approach towards the elements proposed by the Co-Chairs, who have continuously warned against such practice, since they conceive their proposals as an indivisible whole, and made it clear that any attempt to select some principles and elements over others would make it impossible to achieve a solution.
Third, Baku does not comply with the reached agreements and backtracks from them, as it happened during many rounds of negotiations, most notably during the Summits in St. Petersburg (June 2010), Astrakhan (October 2010), Sochi (March 2011), Kazan (June 2011). The pattern of refusal by Azerbaijan to honor prior agreements seriously questions Baku’s credibility as a negotiating party.
Fourth, almost constant profanation of the Co-Chairs’ efforts and the attempts to shift the mediation to other formats have been illustrative of Azerbaijan’s intentions to derail the negotiations. It does not come as a surprise that the Co-Chairs in their public statements called on Baku to reverse this stance.

 

Fifth, the use or threat of use of force by Azerbaijan, regular ceasefire violations and provocations, unnotified military exercises in a blatant noncompliance to the OSCE Vienna document, bellicose statements of the high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan demonstrate that Baku considers the war as a viable option. The Co-Chairs have appealed to Azerbaijan to refrain from the escalation of the situation, to reaffirm the commitment to peaceful settlement. Nobody doubts that it is Azerbaijan that constantly violates the ceasefire and resorts to the escalation of the situation.
Sixth, a serious damage was caused to the negotiation process by Azerbaijan’s aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh in April 2016 that was accompanied by the grave violations of international humanitarian law, atrocities against the civilian population, including children, women and elderly persons, mutilation of the bodies, DAESH-style beheadings.
Seventh, after April aggression the Co-Chairs organized two summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg with the participation of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to address the consequences of the war. Azerbaijan refused to implement what had been agreed upon and emphasized in the framework of these Summits particularly on the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict, full adherence to the 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements, which do not have time limitations, creation of mechanism for the investigation of ceasefire violations, expansion of the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office with the aim to increase efficiency of the monitoring capacities on the ground. The reported goal of these agreements was to create conditions for the advancement of the peace process, thus, by rejecting them Baku intentionally hinders the negotiations.
Eighth, Azerbaijan continues to practice anti-Armenian hate speech, it calls all Armenians of the world its enemy number one, it writes in the textbooks that Armenians are genetic enemies of Azerbaijan, it erases all traces of indigenous Armenian cultural heritage and religious sites, it claims that allegedly territories of Armenia are ancient Azerbaijani lands. Azerbaijan has long blacklisted the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and then it started to put in the blacklist all those who visit Nagorno-Karabakh. Those who genuinely aspire for peace do not do such actions.
Ninth, after many years of negotiations on the Basic Principles, Azerbaijan started to claim that there is no need for adopting them, in a sheer disrespect to other negotiating parties, to the Co-Chair countries and huge efforts and time invested in the process.
Azerbaijan’s uncompromising and maximalist stance has become a serious obstacle to the advancement of the peace process and has heavily contributed to the preservation of the status-quo. The Co-Chairs’ conflict settlement proposals are a way that could bring to the change of the status-quo. However, Azerbaijan rejects those proposals, doing everything to keep the status-quo intact at the same time claiming that allegedly it is advocating for the change of status-quo.
Azerbaijan’s intentions can be easily tracked by its expenditures: Baku spends billions to buy influence in the world capitals, as once again became obvious through notorious “Laundromat” affair, it spends much more for purchases of advanced weaponry, but it has not invested anything so far to prepare its population for peace, as the Co-Chairs have been continuously urging.
If Baku abides to the calls of the Co-Chairs to strictly respect the ceasefire, implements previously reached agreements, reiterates its adherence to the principles of the conflict resolution proposed by the Co-Chairs and constructively engages in the negotiations that will pave the way to move the peace process forward and change the status-quo.

We are convinced that there is no alternative to the peace talks and there is a need to conduct intensive negotiations based on the proposals of the Co-Chair countries.
It is with this understanding that I met six times with my Azerbaijani colleague during past year and the last one was just yesterday in the framework of this Ministerial Council. The meetings between the Ministers and the able mediation of the Co-Chairs helped to prepare the Geneva Summit of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 16th, 2017. This was the first meeting between the Presidents after about sixteen months interval and it passed mostly in a positive mood.
For the first time in about four years at the Geneva Summit it was possible to adopt, although quite brief, a joint statement. On numerous previous occasions Armenia expressed its readiness to join the statements of the Co-Chairs, however, Azerbaijan always refused to have a common statement. This joint statement reflected what Armenia has been long advocating for: to take additional steps to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact. These steps have been identified in the statements made at the Vienna and St. Petersburg Summits of 2016. The Geneva statement also stressed the necessity to intensify the negotiation process, and this too has always been strongly advocated by Armenia.
Unfortunately, just after the Summit Baku again resorted to its language of groundless accusations and warmongering.
Yesterday’s meeting with my Azerbaijani colleague generally passed in the positive mood. We will see the developments after it.
Mr Chairman,
Next year people of Nagorno-Karabakh will mark 30 years of their struggle for the right to choose their destiny, for human dignity and freedom. In three decades people of Artsakh despite the devastating war and all difficulties, succeeded to create a society based on the respect of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic institutions. The settlement of the conflict should respect all inherent rights of the people of Artsakh and should ensure their unhindered implementation.
Mr Chairman,
In conclusion, I would like to assure Italy, the incoming Chair that it can count on Armenia’s support. I would also like to welcome Slovakia’s joining the Troika.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is concerned with recent developments in Jerusalem

Raffi Khondkarian
  • 18:02 | December 7,2017 | Politics
  • Հայ
  • Рус

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is concerned with recent developments in the status of Jerusalem. This was told to Tert.am by Director of the Echmiadzin Information System T. Vahram Melikyan.

“The  Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem plays an important role, as it carries out a difficult mission to protect the Armenian historical presence and centuries-old regulations and their rights in this sacred land for Christians.”

More information is available here.