Armenian News
ARMENIANS PUT ASIDE THE PAST AND CHOOSE TURKEY FOR SUMMER VACATION
Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet
July 27 2009
NY
Some Armenians call it "a disgrace." Others put it down to
price. Turkey's popular Mediterranean resort town of Antalya ranks as
Armenians' number-one summer vacation destination, travel agents say,
and no amount of controversy over Turkish-Armenian ties looks likely
to reverse the trend.
Yerevan travel agency managers report that, amidst a grueling economic
slowdown, Antalya's reputation for low prices and high-quality
customer service outweighs for many customers the fact that it is
located within the borders of longtime foe Turkey.
Tez Tour's Armenia office director, Narine Davtian, estimates that by
summer's end her Russian-owned agency will have twice the number of
Antalya-bound customers as the 8,000 who chose to travel to the Turkish
town in 2008. Armavia's four direct flights to Antalya each week from
Yerevan, a service offered by Tez Tour, are regularly full, she said.
"I am a patriot, but let's not mix tourism and politics," Daytian
commented. "No other country can provide the same range [of travel
options] and quality. People want a good vacation and they get it."
Other travel company managers echo that assessment.
"We offer tours to different destinations -- Bulgaria, Greece, Italy,
Georgia, Jordan -- but the hottest tours are to Antalya in Turkey,"
said Flight agency manager Marine Ayvazian, who estimated that the
town is the choice of 70 percent of Flight's customers.
The government has no data on the number of Armenians who travel to
Turkey each summer. Armenian travel agencies, it says, will not share
the information, and the lack of diplomatic ties with Turkey means
no alternative option for the data exists.
But while the notion of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea may appeal
to many landlocked Armenians, posters promoting Antalya's "delightful"
sun-drenched beaches only bring to mind politics for others.
A youth group associated with the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutiun has requested the Yerevan mayor's office
remove all street posters advertising Antalya and "to deal seriously"
with the issue. The mayor's office has not yet acted on the request.
"Advertisements for a vacation in Antalya are springing up like
mushrooms and, instead of spending their vacations in Armenia,
people are leaving for Turkey. Is this normal?" complained Haroutiun
Melikian, who runs an anti-Antalya protest campaign for the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation's Nikol Aghbalian Student Union.
"The money that goes to arm and strengthen Turkey [via tourism] could
remain in our country and contribute to our own strength," he added.
To combat Antalya's popularity, the Nikol Aghbalian Student Union
has hung posters throughout Yerevan that declare that "Armenians who
spend their vacation in Antalya are arming the Turkish army."
Other placards focus on Ottoman Turkey's 1915 slaughter of ethnic
Armenians, on slain Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink or on Mount
Ararat, a symbol of Armenian ethnic identity located within Turkey.
"We decided to remind people of something they seem to have forgotten,
to sober them up," explained Melikian.
Some Yerevan residents heartily second that decision. "Turkey shouldn't
have won us over, since political pressures still persist and the word
'Turk' is still a curse for us," 34-year-old actor Vahe Nersesian
commented.
Employees of several government ministries tell EurasiaNet that
unwritten rules forbid state employees from spending their vacations
in Antalya -- this despite the recent official push towards some form
of rapprochement with Turkey.
But the disapproval tactic does not always work.
"If I have to choose between the high prices of Armenian resorts and
an all-inclusive vacation at the seaside in Antalya, I'll pick the
sea for my family and me, especially when the difference in prices
makes no sense," commented one Yerevan resident booking an Antalya
trip in a travel agency.
On average, travel agencies charge as low as $450 per person for
a week-long package tour in Antalya, while a similar vacation at
Armenia's Lake Sevan, the mountain resort of Tsaghkadzor or the
mineral water spa of Jermuk start at about $700.
Yerevan State University psychologist Nelly Haroian believes that,
lured by the attractive prices, Armenians are able to put aside
misgivings about the past and feel "comfortable" visiting Turkey since
"Turks are serving them."
Given the crisis-friendly prices for tours to Antalya, expecting
any other reaction is not realistic, commented sociologist Aharon
Adibekian. "There are many questions linked to national self-esteem,
but people are free to decide where to have a vacation and what to do,"
Adibekian said.
The Armenian government says it plans to help with that decision - and
beat the competition -- by promoting tours to the disputed territory
of Nagorno Karabkah as an alternative to Antalya.
"We have no sea, and this is a difficulty. We plan serious steps for
developing domestic tourism to Nagorno Karabakh," said Mari Grigoryan,
deputy director of the Ministry of Economy's department of tourism
and territorial economic development.
"The prices will be reasonable and will counteract those of Turkish
resorts," Grigoryan continued. "Travel agencies working in this
direction will get serious benefits." She did not elaborate.
But, while rich in mountain vistas and historical sites, Nagorno
Karabakh, a favorite with Armenian Diaspora groups, has no resort
hotels or seaside sunbathing on offer.
That brings the question of a summer vacation back to the simple
matter of individual choice, Yerevan travel agents argue.
"We all are patriots," said Tez Tour's Daytian. "And spending a
vacation in Turkey does not mean being less Armenian."
Editor's Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance journalist based
in Yerevan.
Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet
July 27 2009
NY
Some Armenians call it "a disgrace." Others put it down to
price. Turkey's popular Mediterranean resort town of Antalya ranks as
Armenians' number-one summer vacation destination, travel agents say,
and no amount of controversy over Turkish-Armenian ties looks likely
to reverse the trend.
Yerevan travel agency managers report that, amidst a grueling economic
slowdown, Antalya's reputation for low prices and high-quality
customer service outweighs for many customers the fact that it is
located within the borders of longtime foe Turkey.
Tez Tour's Armenia office director, Narine Davtian, estimates that by
summer's end her Russian-owned agency will have twice the number of
Antalya-bound customers as the 8,000 who chose to travel to the Turkish
town in 2008. Armavia's four direct flights to Antalya each week from
Yerevan, a service offered by Tez Tour, are regularly full, she said.
"I am a patriot, but let's not mix tourism and politics," Daytian
commented. "No other country can provide the same range [of travel
options] and quality. People want a good vacation and they get it."
Other travel company managers echo that assessment.
"We offer tours to different destinations -- Bulgaria, Greece, Italy,
Georgia, Jordan -- but the hottest tours are to Antalya in Turkey,"
said Flight agency manager Marine Ayvazian, who estimated that the
town is the choice of 70 percent of Flight's customers.
The government has no data on the number of Armenians who travel to
Turkey each summer. Armenian travel agencies, it says, will not share
the information, and the lack of diplomatic ties with Turkey means
no alternative option for the data exists.
But while the notion of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea may appeal
to many landlocked Armenians, posters promoting Antalya's "delightful"
sun-drenched beaches only bring to mind politics for others.
A youth group associated with the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutiun has requested the Yerevan mayor's office
remove all street posters advertising Antalya and "to deal seriously"
with the issue. The mayor's office has not yet acted on the request.
"Advertisements for a vacation in Antalya are springing up like
mushrooms and, instead of spending their vacations in Armenia,
people are leaving for Turkey. Is this normal?" complained Haroutiun
Melikian, who runs an anti-Antalya protest campaign for the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation's Nikol Aghbalian Student Union.
"The money that goes to arm and strengthen Turkey [via tourism] could
remain in our country and contribute to our own strength," he added.
To combat Antalya's popularity, the Nikol Aghbalian Student Union
has hung posters throughout Yerevan that declare that "Armenians who
spend their vacation in Antalya are arming the Turkish army."
Other placards focus on Ottoman Turkey's 1915 slaughter of ethnic
Armenians, on slain Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink or on Mount
Ararat, a symbol of Armenian ethnic identity located within Turkey.
"We decided to remind people of something they seem to have forgotten,
to sober them up," explained Melikian.
Some Yerevan residents heartily second that decision. "Turkey shouldn't
have won us over, since political pressures still persist and the word
'Turk' is still a curse for us," 34-year-old actor Vahe Nersesian
commented.
Employees of several government ministries tell EurasiaNet that
unwritten rules forbid state employees from spending their vacations
in Antalya -- this despite the recent official push towards some form
of rapprochement with Turkey.
But the disapproval tactic does not always work.
"If I have to choose between the high prices of Armenian resorts and
an all-inclusive vacation at the seaside in Antalya, I'll pick the
sea for my family and me, especially when the difference in prices
makes no sense," commented one Yerevan resident booking an Antalya
trip in a travel agency.
On average, travel agencies charge as low as $450 per person for
a week-long package tour in Antalya, while a similar vacation at
Armenia's Lake Sevan, the mountain resort of Tsaghkadzor or the
mineral water spa of Jermuk start at about $700.
Yerevan State University psychologist Nelly Haroian believes that,
lured by the attractive prices, Armenians are able to put aside
misgivings about the past and feel "comfortable" visiting Turkey since
"Turks are serving them."
Given the crisis-friendly prices for tours to Antalya, expecting
any other reaction is not realistic, commented sociologist Aharon
Adibekian. "There are many questions linked to national self-esteem,
but people are free to decide where to have a vacation and what to do,"
Adibekian said.
The Armenian government says it plans to help with that decision - and
beat the competition -- by promoting tours to the disputed territory
of Nagorno Karabkah as an alternative to Antalya.
"We have no sea, and this is a difficulty. We plan serious steps for
developing domestic tourism to Nagorno Karabakh," said Mari Grigoryan,
deputy director of the Ministry of Economy's department of tourism
and territorial economic development.
"The prices will be reasonable and will counteract those of Turkish
resorts," Grigoryan continued. "Travel agencies working in this
direction will get serious benefits." She did not elaborate.
But, while rich in mountain vistas and historical sites, Nagorno
Karabakh, a favorite with Armenian Diaspora groups, has no resort
hotels or seaside sunbathing on offer.
That brings the question of a summer vacation back to the simple
matter of individual choice, Yerevan travel agents argue.
"We all are patriots," said Tez Tour's Daytian. "And spending a
vacation in Turkey does not mean being less Armenian."
Editor's Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance journalist based
in Yerevan.
Bull World Health Organ. 2009 July; 87(7): 489-490.
doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.010709.
PMCID: PMC2704043
Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2009.
doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.010709.
PMCID: PMC2704043
Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2009.
All rights reserved.
Armenians struggle for health care and medicines
Private financing constitutes about half of total health expenditures in
Armenia and most of that comes directly out of the consumer's pocket. In
the current economic downturn, fewer and fewer people can afford it.
Monika Mkhitaryan and Onnik Krikorian report.
In the Communist era, Armenia enjoyed one of the best health-care
systems of all the Soviet republics, delivering comprehensive care on a
centralized basis. Since then the system has fragmented along partially
free-market lines and is today failing the majority of the people it is
supposed to serve. Skewed towards expensive hospital interventions that
swallow up more than 50% of the national health budget, the Armenian
health system falters at the local community level and is often totally
absent from rural areas.
The Armenian government is trying to redress the problem, notably by
introducing primary health care reforms with an emphasis on preventive
care and the management of chronic diseases. But as Dr Ara Babloyan,
Armenia's minister of health between 1991 and 1997, puts it, `Despite
efforts in the area of primary health care, the health system requires
new improvements', he said, adding that the scope and definition of
primary health care should be revised and enlarged.
One of the most pressing concerns is the cost of treatment and medicine
for working Armenians who don't benefit from the minimal social
programmes that are in place.
To address this, the ministry of health has implemented several
programmes since independence in 1991 including a Basic Benefits Package
(BBP) established in 1999. The package provides specific health-care
services, including medicines, at no charge to vulnerable segments of
the population, including children, the elderly and disabled,
impoverished people and injured military personnel. Since 2006, primary
health care services have been free of charge under the BBP.
But, of course, being eligible is not the same as being covered. And
concern about the BBP being stretched a little thin is expressed in the
highest places: `Each year the number of people included on the
`vulnerable' list is increased by the Armenian authorities and as a
consequence, the money attributed to each individual decreases,'
explains Babloyan. In concrete terms this means that people like Naira
Thovmasian, a 34-year-old woman living in Yerevan, who since 1999 has
needed dialysis to compensate for her failing kidneys, cannot always get
the medicines they need. `By law, the hospital has to provide the
medicines for me, but what happens if they don't have them?' Thovmasian
asks.
When the hospital can't provide them, Thovmasian has to pay. And she is
not alone. Elizabeth Danielyan, head of the World Health Organization's
(WHO) Armenia country office, notes private financing constitutes about
50% of total health expenditures in Armenia, with 84% of that coming
directly out of the consumer's pocket, according to the national health
accounts monitoring project.
Just one month's supply of albumin, one of the treatments Thovmasian
takes, costs her the equivalent of US$ 32. Under the BBP, she receives a
disability pension equivalent to US$ 27 per month. In other words this
one drug costs more than her pension. So how does she manage? `Usually I
can't,' she says. `That's why my blood pressure drops constantly. But,
if we can't afford to eat, what hope is there to pay for medicines and
treatment we need?'
The stark choice Thovmasian faces every month - between food or medicine
- is familiar to many Armenians, and becoming more so in the current
global economic downturn. According to the Central Bank of Armenia the
economy will shrink by 5.8% in 2009, after several years of double-digit
GDP growth driven by construction. According to the World Bank, the
current downturn could push an additional 172 000 people below the
poverty line, currently set at 12 600 dram (equivalent US$ 21) per month
in Armenia, bringing the total number to 906 000 by 2010, that is to say
one-third of Armenia's three million population.
As part of a rapid United Nations (UN) assessment of the impact of the
global financial crisis, a study of the country was carried out in March
and April this year. It revealed that people who had lost their job or
who were no longer receiving remittances from abroad were already facing
problems accessing health care before the economy took a nose dive. And
now things are set to get worse. `People are beginning to
self-medicate,' says WHO's Danielyan. People wait to see if a medical
problem passes or resort to home remedies rather than seek treatment
from a doctor. People like Yevgenia Grigorian, a 51-year-old unemployed
woman living in Yerevan's Erebuni district, who says: `I have to use
lemon, tea, vinegar, that sort of thing when any of us are ill.'
Today's crisis also contains the seeds of tomorrow's catastrophe. Again
according to the UN rapid assessment, because they lack the funds, some
people no longer cultivate the land, which means less and poorer food in
the shops in the coming months and years. Others struggle to feed
themselves now, increasingly buying food with borrowed money.
`Household dietary diversity has decreased with a drop in the
consumption of meat and vegetables other than potatoes,' says Danielyan,
referring to the results of the UN rapid assessment. In Yerevan,
Thovmasian is buffered somewhat by the harsh realities of rural life,
but even there, she sees the effects of the shrinking economy. `Now it's
getting worse,' she says. `Things are more expensive. We can't pay for
transport and we can't pay for food.'
And that's when things are going relatively well. Because for all the
hardships suffered by Thovmasian, her health-care needs are at least
partially covered by the government. For those not qualifying for free
services under the BBP, things get a good deal grimmer. There is a
system of partial subsidy for people with less serious disability and
pensioners without family support; and the ministry of health provides
medicines free of charge for certain cancers, diabetes, tuberculosis,
psychiatric diseases, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, familial
Mediterranean fever and malaria; but beyond that, they are pretty much
on their own. `It's simple,' says WHO's Danielyan. `The working
population, people with low income, sufficient to pay only for food,
cannot acquire essential medicines.'
So what is to be done? Part of the problem is the lack of pricing
regulation for medicines. A new draft law covering price regulation and
reimbursement is under consideration. But would that be enough? When the
International Monetary Fund published a gloomy report on the prospects
for the Armenian economy in May, it recommended government spending to
support the poor and vulnerable groups through the current crisis,
particularly in the light of the shortfall in remittances. In other
words: throw money at the problem until the global economy cranks up
again. Indeed, it seems that the Ministry of Finance is now
reconsidering planned cuts in the health budget.
Danielyan isn't convinced that this measure is sufficient to solve the
problem. `There needs to be fundamental change in the way risk is
shared, and service delivery model is organized and funded,' she says.
`There is a need to ensure the correct functioning of social protection
mechanisms that would make it easier for the population as a whole to
afford health care.' But isn't this the wrong time to be implementing
major overhauls? Not necessarily, says Danielyan: `We need to take
advantage of the current crisis in an intelligent way and initiate moves
that would be less likely under normal circumstances, in the sense of
applying insurance principles that have been used in western Europe for
decades' she says.
Armenians struggle for health care and medicines
Private financing constitutes about half of total health expenditures in
Armenia and most of that comes directly out of the consumer's pocket. In
the current economic downturn, fewer and fewer people can afford it.
Monika Mkhitaryan and Onnik Krikorian report.
In the Communist era, Armenia enjoyed one of the best health-care
systems of all the Soviet republics, delivering comprehensive care on a
centralized basis. Since then the system has fragmented along partially
free-market lines and is today failing the majority of the people it is
supposed to serve. Skewed towards expensive hospital interventions that
swallow up more than 50% of the national health budget, the Armenian
health system falters at the local community level and is often totally
absent from rural areas.
The Armenian government is trying to redress the problem, notably by
introducing primary health care reforms with an emphasis on preventive
care and the management of chronic diseases. But as Dr Ara Babloyan,
Armenia's minister of health between 1991 and 1997, puts it, `Despite
efforts in the area of primary health care, the health system requires
new improvements', he said, adding that the scope and definition of
primary health care should be revised and enlarged.
One of the most pressing concerns is the cost of treatment and medicine
for working Armenians who don't benefit from the minimal social
programmes that are in place.
To address this, the ministry of health has implemented several
programmes since independence in 1991 including a Basic Benefits Package
(BBP) established in 1999. The package provides specific health-care
services, including medicines, at no charge to vulnerable segments of
the population, including children, the elderly and disabled,
impoverished people and injured military personnel. Since 2006, primary
health care services have been free of charge under the BBP.
But, of course, being eligible is not the same as being covered. And
concern about the BBP being stretched a little thin is expressed in the
highest places: `Each year the number of people included on the
`vulnerable' list is increased by the Armenian authorities and as a
consequence, the money attributed to each individual decreases,'
explains Babloyan. In concrete terms this means that people like Naira
Thovmasian, a 34-year-old woman living in Yerevan, who since 1999 has
needed dialysis to compensate for her failing kidneys, cannot always get
the medicines they need. `By law, the hospital has to provide the
medicines for me, but what happens if they don't have them?' Thovmasian
asks.
When the hospital can't provide them, Thovmasian has to pay. And she is
not alone. Elizabeth Danielyan, head of the World Health Organization's
(WHO) Armenia country office, notes private financing constitutes about
50% of total health expenditures in Armenia, with 84% of that coming
directly out of the consumer's pocket, according to the national health
accounts monitoring project.
Just one month's supply of albumin, one of the treatments Thovmasian
takes, costs her the equivalent of US$ 32. Under the BBP, she receives a
disability pension equivalent to US$ 27 per month. In other words this
one drug costs more than her pension. So how does she manage? `Usually I
can't,' she says. `That's why my blood pressure drops constantly. But,
if we can't afford to eat, what hope is there to pay for medicines and
treatment we need?'
The stark choice Thovmasian faces every month - between food or medicine
- is familiar to many Armenians, and becoming more so in the current
global economic downturn. According to the Central Bank of Armenia the
economy will shrink by 5.8% in 2009, after several years of double-digit
GDP growth driven by construction. According to the World Bank, the
current downturn could push an additional 172 000 people below the
poverty line, currently set at 12 600 dram (equivalent US$ 21) per month
in Armenia, bringing the total number to 906 000 by 2010, that is to say
one-third of Armenia's three million population.
As part of a rapid United Nations (UN) assessment of the impact of the
global financial crisis, a study of the country was carried out in March
and April this year. It revealed that people who had lost their job or
who were no longer receiving remittances from abroad were already facing
problems accessing health care before the economy took a nose dive. And
now things are set to get worse. `People are beginning to
self-medicate,' says WHO's Danielyan. People wait to see if a medical
problem passes or resort to home remedies rather than seek treatment
from a doctor. People like Yevgenia Grigorian, a 51-year-old unemployed
woman living in Yerevan's Erebuni district, who says: `I have to use
lemon, tea, vinegar, that sort of thing when any of us are ill.'
Today's crisis also contains the seeds of tomorrow's catastrophe. Again
according to the UN rapid assessment, because they lack the funds, some
people no longer cultivate the land, which means less and poorer food in
the shops in the coming months and years. Others struggle to feed
themselves now, increasingly buying food with borrowed money.
`Household dietary diversity has decreased with a drop in the
consumption of meat and vegetables other than potatoes,' says Danielyan,
referring to the results of the UN rapid assessment. In Yerevan,
Thovmasian is buffered somewhat by the harsh realities of rural life,
but even there, she sees the effects of the shrinking economy. `Now it's
getting worse,' she says. `Things are more expensive. We can't pay for
transport and we can't pay for food.'
And that's when things are going relatively well. Because for all the
hardships suffered by Thovmasian, her health-care needs are at least
partially covered by the government. For those not qualifying for free
services under the BBP, things get a good deal grimmer. There is a
system of partial subsidy for people with less serious disability and
pensioners without family support; and the ministry of health provides
medicines free of charge for certain cancers, diabetes, tuberculosis,
psychiatric diseases, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, familial
Mediterranean fever and malaria; but beyond that, they are pretty much
on their own. `It's simple,' says WHO's Danielyan. `The working
population, people with low income, sufficient to pay only for food,
cannot acquire essential medicines.'
So what is to be done? Part of the problem is the lack of pricing
regulation for medicines. A new draft law covering price regulation and
reimbursement is under consideration. But would that be enough? When the
International Monetary Fund published a gloomy report on the prospects
for the Armenian economy in May, it recommended government spending to
support the poor and vulnerable groups through the current crisis,
particularly in the light of the shortfall in remittances. In other
words: throw money at the problem until the global economy cranks up
again. Indeed, it seems that the Ministry of Finance is now
reconsidering planned cuts in the health budget.
Danielyan isn't convinced that this measure is sufficient to solve the
problem. `There needs to be fundamental change in the way risk is
shared, and service delivery model is organized and funded,' she says.
`There is a need to ensure the correct functioning of social protection
mechanisms that would make it easier for the population as a whole to
afford health care.' But isn't this the wrong time to be implementing
major overhauls? Not necessarily, says Danielyan: `We need to take
advantage of the current crisis in an intelligent way and initiate moves
that would be less likely under normal circumstances, in the sense of
applying insurance principles that have been used in western Europe for
decades' she says.
CHEVRON RESPONDS TO NATIONAL CAMPAIGN EXPOSING
"PROFIT FROM GENOCIDE DENIAL" SCHEME
AZG Armenian Daily
28/07/2009
SAN RAMON, CA -- Chevron Corporation tried to explain away its
opposition to Congressional legislation affirming the Armenian
Genocide, using the standard Turkish and Azerbaijani government
talking points to justify their complicity in denying this crime
against humanity, reported the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF).
"As a major energy producer in the region, we support the integrity
of multiple energy transportation routes and a diplomatic relationship
between Turkey and Armenia," Chevron spokesman Justin Higgs announced,
adding that the genocide resolution, "would have hurt, not helped,
relations between Turkey and Armenia."
"An enduring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Armenia can
only be based on truth," said AYF San Francisco chapter chairman Matt
Senekeremian, leading the Bay Area protest. "Lobbying against the
Armenian Genocide resolution is a pure and simple case of profiting
from the denial of the murder of 1.5 million men, women and children -
a short-sighted policy which only serves to fuel greater instability
in the region."
Chevron's comments came as the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
joined with Armenian Americans and human rights activists in
kicking off a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about Turkish
Government coercion of the energy giant and some five multinational
corporations currently lobbying against Armenian Genocide legislation
(H.Res.252). The resolution, spearheaded by Representatives Adam Schiff
(D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk, has over 125 cosponsors.
Rep. Schiff chastised Chevron and the other corporations for opposing
the Genocide resolution, noting "I don't think any major American
corporation should be lobbying against the genocide recognition
and become complicit in another country's genocide denial," Schiff
told the Glendale News-Press. "I don't think that's being a good
corporate citizen. It's certainly putting profits in front of the
public interest."
The protests began on July 22, 2009 at the Chevron headquarters in
San Ramon, California and local stations across the U.S., including
sites in Burbank, La Crescenta, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley,
Orange County, Glendale, Fresno, as well as Bethesda, MD, Orlando,
FL and Philadelphia, PA. An online letter writing campaign to Chevron
CEO Dave O'Reilly was launched in conjunction with the protests,
urging the company to publicly apologize for profiting from Genocide
denial. A copy of the letter was hand delivered to the Chevron
corporate headquarters by protesters in San Ramon.
Concerned about public response to their action, Chevron's corporate
headquarters had alerted their franchisees about the AYF led protest
prior to the campaign launch. Washington, DC area protesters also
reported that Chevron had sent their own photographers to the protest.
Protests were covered in local newspapers, including the Orlando
Sentinel, where AYF Keri chapter member Raffi Mekhdjavakian explained
"It's contradictory of Chevron to have their motto 'The Chevron way'
and say that they are responsible and ethical when they are lobbying
against a human rights situation," said Raffi Mekhdjavakian, an Oviedo
resident with the Armenian youth group.
"If [the genocide] is denied it's as if it never happened."
Mekhdjavakian referred to statements on Chevron's website -
http://www.chevron.com/about/chevronway/ -- where the corporation
prides itself on running the company the "Chevron Way" - responsibly,
ethically and with respect to human rights. However, on June 13th, the
Associated Press revealed that Chevron and 5 other multinational energy
and defense corporations, including BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop
Grumman, United Technologies and Goodrich have filed disclosure forms
with the Senate and House "quietly" lobbying against H.Res.252 the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, among a wide array of legislation. In
first quarter of 2009 alone, the six firms have spent some $14
million in Congressional lobby efforts. This is in addition to the
over $3 million spent annually by the Government of Turkey to block
U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, a cornerstone of their
foreign policy priorities.
"Clearly, Turkey will spare to no expense to cover up its dark
past,"said AYF Western Region Chairman Vache Thomassian. "Coercing
corporations like Chevron to do its dirty deeds is just the latest
tactic - exporting genocide denial to our neighborhoods, one gas
station at a time."
Complete information about Chevron's lobbying efforts - including
lobby disclosures forms filed with the Senate and House - are posted
at http://www.anca.org/chevron. A Facebook group calling attention
to the effort has over 1300 activists.
AZG Armenian Daily
28/07/2009
SAN RAMON, CA -- Chevron Corporation tried to explain away its
opposition to Congressional legislation affirming the Armenian
Genocide, using the standard Turkish and Azerbaijani government
talking points to justify their complicity in denying this crime
against humanity, reported the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF).
"As a major energy producer in the region, we support the integrity
of multiple energy transportation routes and a diplomatic relationship
between Turkey and Armenia," Chevron spokesman Justin Higgs announced,
adding that the genocide resolution, "would have hurt, not helped,
relations between Turkey and Armenia."
"An enduring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Armenia can
only be based on truth," said AYF San Francisco chapter chairman Matt
Senekeremian, leading the Bay Area protest. "Lobbying against the
Armenian Genocide resolution is a pure and simple case of profiting
from the denial of the murder of 1.5 million men, women and children -
a short-sighted policy which only serves to fuel greater instability
in the region."
Chevron's comments came as the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
joined with Armenian Americans and human rights activists in
kicking off a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about Turkish
Government coercion of the energy giant and some five multinational
corporations currently lobbying against Armenian Genocide legislation
(H.Res.252). The resolution, spearheaded by Representatives Adam Schiff
(D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk, has over 125 cosponsors.
Rep. Schiff chastised Chevron and the other corporations for opposing
the Genocide resolution, noting "I don't think any major American
corporation should be lobbying against the genocide recognition
and become complicit in another country's genocide denial," Schiff
told the Glendale News-Press. "I don't think that's being a good
corporate citizen. It's certainly putting profits in front of the
public interest."
The protests began on July 22, 2009 at the Chevron headquarters in
San Ramon, California and local stations across the U.S., including
sites in Burbank, La Crescenta, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley,
Orange County, Glendale, Fresno, as well as Bethesda, MD, Orlando,
FL and Philadelphia, PA. An online letter writing campaign to Chevron
CEO Dave O'Reilly was launched in conjunction with the protests,
urging the company to publicly apologize for profiting from Genocide
denial. A copy of the letter was hand delivered to the Chevron
corporate headquarters by protesters in San Ramon.
Concerned about public response to their action, Chevron's corporate
headquarters had alerted their franchisees about the AYF led protest
prior to the campaign launch. Washington, DC area protesters also
reported that Chevron had sent their own photographers to the protest.
Protests were covered in local newspapers, including the Orlando
Sentinel, where AYF Keri chapter member Raffi Mekhdjavakian explained
"It's contradictory of Chevron to have their motto 'The Chevron way'
and say that they are responsible and ethical when they are lobbying
against a human rights situation," said Raffi Mekhdjavakian, an Oviedo
resident with the Armenian youth group.
"If [the genocide] is denied it's as if it never happened."
Mekhdjavakian referred to statements on Chevron's website -
http://www.chevron.com/about/chevronway/ -- where the corporation
prides itself on running the company the "Chevron Way" - responsibly,
ethically and with respect to human rights. However, on June 13th, the
Associated Press revealed that Chevron and 5 other multinational energy
and defense corporations, including BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop
Grumman, United Technologies and Goodrich have filed disclosure forms
with the Senate and House "quietly" lobbying against H.Res.252 the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, among a wide array of legislation. In
first quarter of 2009 alone, the six firms have spent some $14
million in Congressional lobby efforts. This is in addition to the
over $3 million spent annually by the Government of Turkey to block
U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, a cornerstone of their
foreign policy priorities.
"Clearly, Turkey will spare to no expense to cover up its dark
past,"said AYF Western Region Chairman Vache Thomassian. "Coercing
corporations like Chevron to do its dirty deeds is just the latest
tactic - exporting genocide denial to our neighborhoods, one gas
station at a time."
Complete information about Chevron's lobbying efforts - including
lobby disclosures forms filed with the Senate and House - are posted
at http://www.anca.org/chevron. A Facebook group calling attention
to the effort has over 1300 activists.
CROSS TO BE INAUGURATED ON THE ARMENIAN CHURCH
ON AKHTAMAR
armradio.am
27.07.2009 16:41
Turkey's Chief EU Negotiator, Egemen Bagis said the reconstruction
of the Armenian Church on Akhtamar Island will be accomplished before
Serzh Sargsyan's arrival in Turkey.
"We will finish the reconstruction before the Armenian President's
arrival and inaugurate a cross on the Church," Bagis said. "All
religions are respected. If Europe puts no bans on opening mosques,
so why should we do so? Besides, this church will attract Armenians
here, what will help develop tourism."
Bagis said closed borders are the vestige of communism.
"We say Greeks are bad, Kurds are bad too. How long will we be at
loggerheads? We should put an end to animosity." he said, Hurriyet
reported.
armradio.am
27.07.2009 16:41
Turkey's Chief EU Negotiator, Egemen Bagis said the reconstruction
of the Armenian Church on Akhtamar Island will be accomplished before
Serzh Sargsyan's arrival in Turkey.
"We will finish the reconstruction before the Armenian President's
arrival and inaugurate a cross on the Church," Bagis said. "All
religions are respected. If Europe puts no bans on opening mosques,
so why should we do so? Besides, this church will attract Armenians
here, what will help develop tourism."
Bagis said closed borders are the vestige of communism.
"We say Greeks are bad, Kurds are bad too. How long will we be at
loggerheads? We should put an end to animosity." he said, Hurriyet
reported.
NEW TERMINAL OF ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT TO ACCOMMODATE
2M-3M PASSENGERS A YEAR
/ARKA/
July 27, 2009
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. The new arrivals and departures terminal of
Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport will accommodate between 2
million and 3 million passengers a year, Artem Movsisian, the head
of the Armenian Civil Aviation Department (ACAD), told journalists
on Friday.
Some $160 million will be invested in the construction of the new
terminal.
The construction began in early 2008 and according to the project,
the building will start operating in late 2011. "The airport is the
main and important gateway to Armenia, and the country's president
keeps an eye on the construction process," Movsisian said. He said
that the construction of high quality. "The concessionaire wants to
make the Armenian airport one of the most attractive ones in the world;
I hope he can do that," Movsisian added.
Armenian Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsian said that this ambitious
project will allow meeting the demand for the 10 to 15 years to come,
also when taking into account the projected number of the visitors
as the airport's design allows expanding its functions. "This is a
serious investment program that attracts large international financial
companies that, in turn, could bring investments into other fields
of the Armenian economy," Yeritsian added.
The total area of the new terminal will be 34,0 00 sq. m. to include
passenger check-ins, stores and restaurants as well as a new large
arrivals section. The new building will have a new two-level parking
lot on 20,000 sq. m. for 600 vehicles. A green lawn will be on top
the parking lot.
The previous phase of the construction of the arrivals and departures
hall, built in 2004-07, cost $84 million.
Armenia International Airports, CJSC, runs the Zvartnots International
Airport under the 30-year concessionary management agreement given
by the Armenian government in 2001. American International Airports
of Eduardo Eurnekian, an Argentine of Armenian origins, owns the
company.
/ARKA/
July 27, 2009
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. The new arrivals and departures terminal of
Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport will accommodate between 2
million and 3 million passengers a year, Artem Movsisian, the head
of the Armenian Civil Aviation Department (ACAD), told journalists
on Friday.
Some $160 million will be invested in the construction of the new
terminal.
The construction began in early 2008 and according to the project,
the building will start operating in late 2011. "The airport is the
main and important gateway to Armenia, and the country's president
keeps an eye on the construction process," Movsisian said. He said
that the construction of high quality. "The concessionaire wants to
make the Armenian airport one of the most attractive ones in the world;
I hope he can do that," Movsisian added.
Armenian Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsian said that this ambitious
project will allow meeting the demand for the 10 to 15 years to come,
also when taking into account the projected number of the visitors
as the airport's design allows expanding its functions. "This is a
serious investment program that attracts large international financial
companies that, in turn, could bring investments into other fields
of the Armenian economy," Yeritsian added.
The total area of the new terminal will be 34,0 00 sq. m. to include
passenger check-ins, stores and restaurants as well as a new large
arrivals section. The new building will have a new two-level parking
lot on 20,000 sq. m. for 600 vehicles. A green lawn will be on top
the parking lot.
The previous phase of the construction of the arrivals and departures
hall, built in 2004-07, cost $84 million.
Armenia International Airports, CJSC, runs the Zvartnots International
Airport under the 30-year concessionary management agreement given
by the Armenian government in 2001. American International Airports
of Eduardo Eurnekian, an Argentine of Armenian origins, owns the
company.
AIDA OF GIUSEPPE VERDI TO BE STAGED IN YEREVAN
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.07.2009 19:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the framework of a joint Armenian-Italian project
Aida of Giuseppe Verdi will be staged at the National Academic Opera
and Ballet Theater after Spendiaryan in Yerevan.
The agreement on the joint production was reached during the meeting
the RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan and the Italian Ambassador
to Armenia, Bruno Scapino.
The officials also agreed to organize the restoration and
transportation of frescoes.
Stressing the importance of establishing a center for restoration and
reconstruction of cultural and historical monuments, the interlocutors
touched upon the need to transfer the invaluable experience of
Italian specialists to Armenian experts. Exhibition in memory of
140th anniversary of Komitas in the museum of musical arts in Rome
was also discussed at the meeting.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.07.2009 19:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the framework of a joint Armenian-Italian project
Aida of Giuseppe Verdi will be staged at the National Academic Opera
and Ballet Theater after Spendiaryan in Yerevan.
The agreement on the joint production was reached during the meeting
the RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan and the Italian Ambassador
to Armenia, Bruno Scapino.
The officials also agreed to organize the restoration and
transportation of frescoes.
Stressing the importance of establishing a center for restoration and
reconstruction of cultural and historical monuments, the interlocutors
touched upon the need to transfer the invaluable experience of
Italian specialists to Armenian experts. Exhibition in memory of
140th anniversary of Komitas in the museum of musical arts in Rome
was also discussed at the meeting.
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