32-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1005 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 26 ՀՈԿՏԵՄԲԵՐ 2013 - The Dawn

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KARABAKH LEADER HAILS YEREVAN'S CUSTOMS UNION MOVE

Amenialiberty.org -- Bako Sahakian, the president of the unrec- ognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), welcomed at the week- end Armenia’s controversial decision to join the a Russian-led cus- toms union.

Sahakian said he was not surprised by the decision announced by President Serzh Sarkisian last month.

“Armenia’s decision to join the customs union was yet another step to strengthen cooperation with Russia,” he told Russian journal- ists visiting Stepanakert. “Nothing surprising occurred. I think that both Armenia and Russia will benefit from that. So we welcome that.”

The planned Armenian entry into the Russian-led bloc has fuelled speculation that Armenia may be forced to set up customs checkpoints to tax goods entering the country from Karabakh. Officials in Yerevan have implicitly ruled out such possibility, however.

Trade between Karabakh and Armenia is currently not subject to any taxes or restrictions. The Armenian- populated disputed territory has grown economically and militarily integrated with Armenia ever since its de facto secession from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

Sahakian said that the NKR cannot even consider joining the customs union because it has not been recog- nized by any state, including Armenia. “It will be a different matter if we are invited to join in,” he said. “We would hold meetings and discussions before deciding whether or not to join.”

RUSSIA TO DEPLOY ATTACK HELICOPTERS IN ARMENIA

Russia will deploy attack helicopters and modernize its warplanes in Armenia soon in a further boost to its military presence in the South Caucasus country, a senior Russian military official announced on Friday.

Colonel Aleksandr Petrov, the commander of the avia- tion unit of the Russian military base in Armenia, gave few other details of the planned reinforcement as he spoke to journalists at an air force base in Yerevan. Petrov said only that the Russian military will upgrade the electronic devices of its two dozen or so MiG-29 fighter jets that are part of the base. He did not disclose the number of helicopter gunships that will be supplied to it.

The Russian military presence will apparently be beefed up within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha revealed such plans when he visited Armenia in June. He cited a recent decision by the presi- dents of six ex-Soviet states making up the Russian-led military alliance to set up joint army contingents operating under the CSTO aegis. They are supposed to comprise not only ground troops but also air force units.

Bordyuzha also announced at the time that Russia will help Armenia expand its relatively small air force as part of the same effort. “Not only the air force but also the air-defense system in general will be modernized and re- equipped,” he said without going into details.

Earlier this year, Moscow reportedly bolstered the base headquartered in Gyumri with Iskander-M ballistic missiles capable of striking targets up to 400 kilometers away. It also doubled last year the number of soldiers serv- ing there on a contractual basis.

The overall number of Russian soldiers in Armenia, estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000, appears to have remained unchanged. The Regnum news agency on Thursday quoted a spokesman for the Russian base as denying Armenian media reports that it will reach 8,000 soon.

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RUSSIA RETAINS LEADERSHIP AMONG ARMENIA’S TRADE PARTNERS

PanARMENIAN.Net -- Russia retains leadership among Armenia’s trade partners, followed by China and Germany, Customs Service said.

In January-June 2013, Armenia-Russia exports totaled $143.739 million against $121.036 million in 2012. In the reporting period, Russia-Armenia imports grossed $510.616 million against $509.109 million in 2012.

In the reporting period, Armenia-China exports totaled $27.574 million growing by 4 times against the same period in 2012. China-Armenia imports totaled $171.111 against $194.834 in the same period in 2012.

Armenia-Germany exports totaled $38.777 million against $56.499 million in 2012. Germany-Armenia ex- ports amount to $56.499 with $4.671 increase against the same period in 2012 reported.

Armenia-Iran exports totaled $46.904 million against $38.637 in the same period in 2012. Iran-Armenia im- ports totaled $96.928 against $107.585 in the same period in 2012.

U.S. is the 5th top trade partner, with Armenia-America exports totaling $46.904 million against $38.637 mil- lion last year, while U.S.-Armenia imports gross $72.676 million against $78.919 million in 2012.

Belgium, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, Canada, Romania are also in Armenia’s trade partners list, among others.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AND COE CHIEF DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

YEREVAN, NEWS.am -- President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Monday met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland who was attending Ar- menia-hosted Conference on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe.

President Sargsyan noted that the conference is one of the key events of Armenia’s presidency of the CoE Commit- tee of Ministers. Serzh Sargsyan said he is hopeful that Ar- menia’s presidency promoted the work of Council of Europe and thanked Secretary General for the assistance.

Thorbjørn Jagland noted the importance of conference topic and congratulated President on Armenia’s successful presidency.

President Sargsyan confirmed Armenia’s readiness to continue and further expand reforms being guided by the priority of human rights, democracy and rule of law. In this context he expressed hope for getting the assistance of CoE, in particular the Venice Commission, on holding constitutional reforms in Armenia.

NATO REP. TALKS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT, RUSSIA-ARMENIA TIES, DEMOCRACY

PanARMENIAN.Net -- NATO hopes for rapid settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia said.

As James Appathurai told a news conference in Armenia, though uninvolved in the Karabakh conflict settle- ment NATO, supports mediatory efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. He reiterated NATO stance, supporting peace- ful settlement of the conflict through negotiations and mutual concessions. He also noted that the settlement of the issue will bring political as well as economic benefits to all the countries in the region.

“With a meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents planned in Minsk, we hope for rapid settle- ment of the conflict through the mediation of the OSCE MG co-chairs,” Armenia Today quoted Appathurai as say- ing.

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Appathurai specifically noted Armenia’s active participation in provision of international security as a part of peacekeeping missions.

“NATO cooperates with Armenia in forming a new defense system and well as improvement of military edu- cation,” he said.

According to Appathurai, NATO believes Armenia’s developing strategic partnership with Russia to be the country’s sovereign choice. However, he said, cooperation with Russia does not prevent Armenia’s partnership with NATO with the country always adhering to a balanced policy line.

As Appathurai noted, NATO never intended to establish presence in post-Soviet states, however, the Organi- zation, true to its principles, was always open for democratic countries.

ARMENIA EXPECTS KAZAKHSTAN WILL DISPLAY BALANCED APPROACH TO KARABAKH ISSUE

NEWS.am -- Armenia expects that Kazakhstan will display a balanced approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian envoy said.

On Tuesday Armenia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Ara Sahakyan presented the copies of his credentials to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Tengrinews.kz. reported.

Speaking during the media conference, Sahakyan said he had conveyed Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s invitation to pay an official visit to Armenia. Ambassador Sahakyan noted that Armenia considers Kazakhstan a friendly state.

“We have a painful problem that is a problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. The format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, which are the U.S., Russia and France, ahs been created to solve the conflict and has been functioning for 20 years. We believe this format is effective, and the resources and opportunities that exist in the Minsk Group, have not been completely exhausted. Taking into account the fact that negotiations have been held for a long time and the final decision has not been found, we expect from all states, especially from friendly countries, including Kazakhstan, a balanced approach to the issue,” Sahakyan said.

Ambassador assured that Armenia will vote for the representative of Kazakhstan during the vote for the UN Security Council non-permanent members.

ARMENIA ATTENDS BSEC MEETING IN TURKEY

YEREVAN, NEWS.am -- Joint session of the Committee of Senior Officials and the Permanent Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) was convened Monday at the BSEC Headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey.

The discussants explored the avenues for the development of cooperation between the two BSEC associations, informs the Armenian MFA press service.

Armenia, as chairing country in the BSEC organization, underscored the implementation of joint initiatives, by the representatives of the two groups, and joint projects to design a new Black Sea Economic Cooperation agenda.

AZERBAIJAN OPENS FIRE ON VEHICLES, ONE ARMENIAN SOLDIER IS DEAD

YEREVAN, NEWS.am -- The adversary opened fire, on Tuesday at around 1pm-2pm, on the vehicles travel- ing along the Berd-Ijevan motorway in Armenia’s Tavush Region.

Those in civilian and military vehicles, alike, suffered from the shots.

As a result of the shots fired upon a military motorcade, conscript, Private Garik Poghosyan (born in 1994) died, informs the Armenian MOD press service.

In addition, conscripts, Privates Artur Andranikyan (born in 1994), Arayik Zhamharyan (born in 1994), and Martin Petrosyan (born in 1994) sustained varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

The office of Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, has been informed of this incident.

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OSCE MONITORING DISRUPTED BY AZERBAIJANI GUNFIRE

The planned monitoring of the OSCE Mission in the Hardut direction of the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan was suspend- ed because of submachine gun shots from the Azerbaijani side in the direction of the positions of the NKR Defense Army.

OSCE field representatives were due to briefly ob- serve the ceasefire regime from both sides of a frontline section southeast of Karabakh. They reportedly cancelled the regular procedure after hearing gunshots.

The Karabakh Armenian army said Azerbaijani troops fired on its frontline positions in the area. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed the opposite, however, saying that the Armenians opened fire moments before the planned monitoring. The OSCE observers issued no state- ments on the incident.

The OSCE has regularly monitored various sections of the “line of contact” around Karabakh as well as the Armenian-Azerbaijani border ever since a Russian-mediated truce stopped the war for the disputed territory in 1994. These largely symbolic procedures have rarely been disrupted by gunfire.

Meanwhile, an Armenian army captain, Gevorg Mnatsakanian, was killed and three other servicemen were wounded late on Wednesday after hitting a landmine at a western section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier. The Defense Ministry in Yerevan gave few other details of the incident, saying only that the soldiers were performing a “combat task” in the area.

ARMENIA HOSTING CONFERENCE ON COMBATING RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND INTOLERANCE IN EUROPE

YEREVAN, NEWS.am -- A two-day Confer- ence on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and In- tolerance in Europe opened in Yerevan on Mon- day.

Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, representatives of the Council of Europe, OSCE and the League of Arab States are participating in the conference.

Meanwhile, civic activists are holding a pro- test action in front of Marriott Armenia where the conference is held. Head of the Helsinki Associa- tion Mika Danielyan told reporters that the goal of the action is to show Europe inadmissibility of holding such conference in Armenia amid pressure

on citizens and human rights defenders. Addressing the participants of the conference, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian recalled that the combat

against negative phenomena such as discrimination and xenophobia are among priorities of Armenia’s presidency of the Committee of Ministers. Participation of large number of European structures’ representatives speaks about the urgency of the issue, he noted.

In the context of globalization, when information is available to millions of people thanks to the internet, the question becomes even more important and attempts to sow discord and hatred are serious challenges, he added.

“To tolerate does not mean to put up with what cannot be tolerated,” Nalbandian emphasized.

During his speech, the protesters entered the conference hall carrying banners. After the speech of the Foreign Minister and the subsequent report of the CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, the protesters left the hall.

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YEREVAN HOSTS ARMENIAN-ARGENTINEAN BUSINESS FORUM

YEREVAN — First Armenian-Argentinean busi- ness forum took place in Yerevan today organized by Armenian Development Agency jointly with the Embas- sy of Argentina in Armenia, the Armenian Development Agency reports.

Opening remarks made by the Ambassador of Ar- gentine Republic to the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Diego Alvarez Rivera, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Re- public of Armenia, Mr. Garegin Melkonyan, General Director of Armenian Development Agency, Mr. Robert Harutyunyan, Foreign Trade Secretary of Argentine Re- public, Mrs. Beatriz Paglieri.

The Argentinean delegation was headed by Foreign Trade Secretary, Mrs. Beatriz Paglieri. About 25 com- panies represented different industrial sectors – pharmaceuticals/biotechnologies, health, specialized medical ser- vices, information technologies, food and beverages, industrial automation equipment, textile, cosmetics, tourism,

metallurgy. Secretary Paglieri stated that Armenia can become a transit zone for Argentina to spread its production from

Europe to Russia underscoring: “There are certain limitations in Japan, the EU, and the United States for Argentina. In this respect it’s not so bad that Armenia does not join the EU. Armenia can become a transit arena for Argentina to spread its production from Europe to Russia.”

Armenian-Argentinean-1In the framework of business forum there were individual business meetings held be- tween Armenian and Argentinean businessmen to find ways of cooperation.

The Buisness Forum will contribute to the promotion of trade and economic relations between two countries and will grant an opportunity for Armenian businessmen to present their business proposals.

The import volume from Argentina to Armenia made 7.5mln US dollars in 2012.

The main exporting articles from Armenia are alcohol-non alcohol beverages, vinegar, made-up textile arti- cles, needlecraft sets, rugs.

ARMENIA POSTS AVERAGE SALARY INCREASE, WITH NO MAJOR DROP IN POVERTY

PanARMENIAN.Net -- Average monthly salary totaled AMD 150,130 in Armenia in September 2013 increas- ing by 5.8%, as compared with the same period in 2012.

As the RA National Statistical Service reported, 3.9% and 8.7% growth was recorded in salaries of budgetary and private organizations in September 2013 against 2012 results, totaling AMD 119,403 and AMD 183,997 re- spectively.

The 2013-2017 governmental program envisages annual salary increase to AMD 50 thousand in 2014, AMD 55 thousand in 2015, AMD 62.5 thousand in 2016, AMD 70 thousand in 2017.

According to amendments to the Law on minimum monthly salary, the minimum salary amount was increased by 30% to AMD 45 thousand which required allocation of additional budget funds to the amount of AMD 6 billion. The new salary system will be implemented in Armenia starting January 1, 2014 with AMD 50 billion in budgetary funds to be extended.

On August 28, President Serzh Sargsyan stated that in 2017, the minimal salary in Armenia will reach AMD 90 thousand.

Nevertheless, according to World Bank data, 32.5% of Armenia’s population are beyond the poverty line. Ar- menia’s Finance Ministry put the poverty rate in 2012 at 33.1%, with a 1% drop forecasted in 2013.

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NEW PFA REPORT DECONSTRUCTS CORRUPTION IN ARMENIA

WASHINGTON, DC -- Policy Forum Armenia (PFA)—a Washington- based international think tank—announces today the publication of its State of the Nation Report on “Corruption in Armenia”.

A product of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners, the report brings to light many peculiarities of both wholesale and retail cor- ruption in Armenia and offers mechanisms to reduce corruption.

The report’s main finding is that corruption’s negative impact on Ar- menia’s economy is substantial. Focusing on corruption faced by compa- nies, for example, the report finds that “with an estimated cost to large com- panies of approximately five percent of sales per year—the highest among the comparator countries—corruption in Armenia erodes productivity and competitiveness of firms.” On the policy side, the report makes a compel- ling case that the design and implementation of public policy in Armenia often serve the interest of the entrenched corrupt elite and not the country or its citizens.

PFA’s Executive Board member, Dr. Zaven Kalayjian, notes: “By its nature, corruption is very difficult to detect, which is why the choice of methods and areas of study was made carefully to maximize the value added of the report. The team employed both quantitative techniques and case studies to help effectively gauge the extent of corruption and bribery taking place in various segments of the economy and public life in Armenia, from the judiciary and military to money launder- ing and petty crime. The most striking finding was that corruption in Armenia is highly concentrated and puts in place insurmountable barriers for economic development and progress in the country.”

The overarching message of the report is that “an effective handling of challenges facing Armenia should begin by forming a legitimate authority to oversee the new policy course on behalf of the people. This can be achieved only by a political power with incentives and capacity to spearhead a systemic change. At the moment, the feedback mechanism between power and people is broken in Armenia. This makes the country’s ruling regime im- mune to any pressures from the electorate to perform better and fundamentally changes the incentives of individu- als at the top of the ruling pyramid.”

Daron Acemoglu, Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author of a re- cent bestseller “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty” notes: “Some say that Armenia is doomed to fail economically because of its geography or location in the world. But like so many other countries around the world and throughout history, its failure is due to corruption, unscrupulous politicians and weak institu- tions. It's not lack of opportunities but squandered opportunities that are at the root of Armenia's ills, and it can make progress only by confronting this fact and holding accountable those responsible for the failures. This won- derful report is a first step.”

Echoing the same sentiment, Professor AnnaLee Saxenian, Dean of UC Berkeley’s Department of Information notes: "This data-rich study penetrates the realities of governance in Armenia—realities that have long been ob- scured. It confirms that political reform is essential to the national economic and social development."

Going forward, the report offers a strategy of reducing corruption in Armenia, which is built on a principle of boosting individuals’ opportunities and freedoms otherwise restricted by corruption. In addition, the report provides detailed recommendations on how to fight corruption and mismanagement in sectors with highest corruption risks. It notes that assistance from the international community and the Diaspora are required for the people of Armenia to improve governance while forcing the entrenched corrupt elite to either reform or leave. Internally, credible ac- tions would be required to prosecute senior level abuses; reform the judicial system; and institute a mechanism for re-claiming stolen assets.

On the latter, the Report lays out a blueprint for the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative. Modeled on experience of other countries and international laws and regulations that govern this area, the proposed initiative offers a framework for identifying illegally acquired assets held both in and outside of Armenia; seizing those assets; and holding and redistributing those assets (or the proceeds from their sale).

The report is intended to spur a debate on the issue of high-level corruption in Armenia and serve as a warning for corrupt officials that civil society organizations are ready to help identify and recover stolen assets—irrespective of their location—and return them to their rightful owners.

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JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO FUND RENOVATION OF ARMENIAN VILLAGE SCHOOL

YEREVAN, NEWS.am -- Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) President Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan and Keishuke Yamagishi, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Russia, signed an agreement on Thursday.

Pursuant to the agreement, the Japanese government will provide a grant of $92,061 to the ARCS for the reno- vation of the second floor of the school of Lusarat village in Ararat Region.

Owing to this initiative, and starting from next year, 300 schoolchildren of the border village will receive edu- cation in renovated and modern classrooms.

To note, as a result of an earlier area study, it was found out that the school of Lusarat village, which is primar- ily inhabited by refugees, was in poor condition.

Subsequently, the ACRC had submitted to the Japanese government a project toward renovating the first floor of the school, and this project received a respective grant from Japan. As a result, the school officially reopened on September 1, 2011.

ARMENIA RANKED 57TH IN GLOBAL SLAVERY INDEX

Armenia is ranked 57th in the Global Slavery Index 2013 prepared by the Australia-based Walk Free Founda- tion and released on Thursday. According to the Index, 10 000 to 11 000 people live in slavery in Armenia.

Georgia and Azerbaijan are placed 50th and 51st re- spectively, Russia is 49th. Turkey and Iran are ranked 90th and 103rd respectively.

The Global Slavery Index provides a ranking of 162 countries, reflecting a combined measure of three factors: estimated prevalence of modern slavery by population, a measure of child marriage, and a measure of human traf-

ficking in and out of a country. The measure is heavily weighted to reflect the first factor, prevalence. A number one ranking is the worst, 160 is the best.

The Global Slavery Index 2013 defines slavery as the possession or control of people to deny freedom and ex- ploit them for profit or sex, usually through violence, coercion or deception. The definition includes indentured ser- vitude, forced marriage and the abduction of children to serve in wars.

The countries with the highest numbers of enslaved people are India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rus- sia, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Taken together, these countries account for 76% of the total estimate of 29.8 million in modern slavery.

At the other end of the scale, Iceland has the lowest estimated prevalence with fewer than 100 slaves.

Next best are Ireland, Britain, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Finland and Den- mark, although researchers said slave numbers in such wealthy countries were higher than previously thought.

ALIYEV: AZERBAIJAN WILL KEEP ARMENIA IN STATE OF ISOLATION

Tert.am -- Azerbaijan’s re-elected president has said in his inauguration speech that his country will do every- thing possible to keep Armenia isolated from regional projects.

“We will continue to enhance its political and diplomatic efforts, and will continue to hold Armenia in an iso- lated state. Its political and regional initiatives, economic initiatives, we must be even more pressure," the APA News Agency has quoted Ilham Aliyev as saying.

The Azerbaijani leader said the country’s diplomacy on the issue and will continue to remain offensive. Ac- cording to him, Azerbaijan’s further efforts to make its army more powerful would be a major threat to Armenia.

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THE SUNDAY TIMES: BRITISH SPECIAL FORCES CARRIED OUT SECRET TRAININGS IN AZERBAIJAN

Panorama.am -- The Foreign and Commonwealth Office paid for the SAS to train Azerbaijan’s special forces in an effort to gain influence with the hardline ex-Soviet regime, the British Sunday Times writes.

According to a leaked document seen by The Sunday Times, members of the UK’s elite fighting force taught their counterparts sniper skills and how to storm buildings as part of a six-week training mission.

“The paper says one of the aims of the deployment in 2006 — codenamed Operation Lanark — was to “en- hance” the FCO’s standing in the central Asian republic,” the article reads.

The article notes that western politicians have long been keen to court Azerbaijan and Ilham Aliyev, its presi- dent, because of the vast oil and gas reserves beneath the Caspian Sea.

“But human rights groups have accused Aliyev’s government of seeking to silence opposition by arresting and imprisoning dozens of political activists on bogus charges,” The Sunday Times reports.

EU AGREES TO RESTART TURKEY MEMBERSHIP TALKS NEXT MONTH

The European Commission gave a mixed assessment of progress made by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The European Union says it has agreed to resume membership talks with Turkey.

The EU's European affairs ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, said the talks would restart on 5 November, after being stalled for three years.

The EU had first agreed to re-launch negotiations in June, but post- poned the talks after members criticized Turkey's crackdown on anti- government protests.

Turkey first applied for full membership of what was then the European Economic Community in 1987.

The ministers of the 28 EU members based their latest decision on a recommendation by the European Com- mission.

In its 2013 progress report on Turkey published last week, the Commission had criticized as excessive the use of force by Turkish police in dealing with widespread demonstrations.

But it recognized that Turkey had introduced judicial reforms. It also praised the announcement last month by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of a series of political reforms, including increased rights for Kurds.

ARMENIAN-LANGUAGE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS ALLOWED IN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net -- A package of reforms suggested by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan al- lows conducting electoral campaigns in Armenian. Before the move, usage of any language beside Turkish during campaigns was forbidden, according to Haber Turk.

Politicians in Istanbul, Hatai, Diyarbakir and Kars which are home to descendants of the 1915 Genocide vic- tims can address the voters in Armenian.

According to the Turkish Linguistic Society's assessment, Turkish population speaks 36 languages: 15 million speak Kurdish, a million and a half are Alevites, with Armenian, Arabic, Greek, Abkhazian, Georgian, Kazakh among the languages spoken. A Western Armenian dialect, Hamshen, which hasn’t changed in the last 200 years, is also spoken.

Armenian news service has been operating at TRT state channel for more than a year.

On September 30, Erdoğan unveiled a long-anticipated package of reforms designed “to strengthen democracy and keep on track a fragile settlement process” to end the conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

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The most important reforms include removing restrictions of wearing Islamic headscarves, possibility of edu- cation in mother tongue, restoration of original names of villages, districts and provinces that existed before 1980, sweeping changes in law on political parties, possibility of lowering 10 percent electoral threshold in entering Par- liament, improving assembly freedom and other small rights for religious and ethnic minorities.

THE WASHINGTON POST: ARMENIAN “ORPHAN RUG” IS IN WHITE HOUSE STORAGE, AS UNSEEN AS GENOCIDE IS NEGLECTED

WASHINGTON, DC — An Armenian rug woven by orphans in the 1920s was formally presented to the White House in 1925. A photograph shows President Calvin Coolidge standing on the carpet, which is no mere ju- venile effort, but a complicated, richly detailed work that would hold its own even in the largest and most ceremo- nial rooms, The Washington Post writes.

The article says the plants and animals depicted on the rug may represent the Garden of Eden, which is about as far removed as possible from the rug’s origins in the horrific events of 1915, when the fracturing and senescent Ottoman Empire began a murderous campaign against its Armenian population.

In the article Philip Kennicott states that: “There was hope that the carpet, which has been in storage for almost 20 years, might be displayed Dec. 16 as part of a Smithsonian event that would include a book launch for Hagop Martin Deranian’s “President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug.” But on Sept. 12, the Smithsonian scholar who helped organize the event canceled it, citing the White House’s decision not to loan the carpet. In a letter to two Armenian American organizations, Paul Michael Taylor, director of the institution’s Asian cultural history program, had no explanation for the White House’s refusal to allow the rug to be seen and said that efforts by the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, John A. Heffern, to intervene had also been unavailing”.

Full text of the article at Washington Post.com.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR ARMENIAN MEMORY INAUGURATED IN DÉCINES, FRANCE

On Sunday, October 20, French Minister of Cul- ture Aurelie Filipetti inaugurated in the French city of Décines the National Center for Armenian Memory.

For this occasion the Minister declared: “Never forget what happened in 1915. The historical work needs to continue. The facts are established, and the Armenian Genocide was recognized by law of the Re- public.”

“The propaganda of its denial cannot be accepted. Therefore, in accordance with the commitment of the Head of State François Hollande, the government is considering legal means to ensure this vigilance the principles established by our Constitution and our inter- national and European obligations”, she said.

The center housed in an ultra-modern building of 900 square meters, has a library, an archive area of 100 m2 and a conference room.

The database of NCAM is composed of about 12,000 books and 110,000 documents “part of which is pro- cessed, standardized and digitized.” They concern the history, memory, language, culture and art of the Armenian community of France and Europe, free-lance journalist Jean Eckian reports.

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STATUE OF JESUS CHRIST, CAST IN ARMENIA, ERECTED IN SYRIA

Armradio.am -- A statue of Jesus Christ has been installed in war-torn Syria. The statue titled “I have come to save the world” rises above the historic pilgrimage route from Constantinople to Jerusalem, on top of the mountain near the Monastery of the Cherubim in the Syrian city of Saidnaya (2,100 meters above sea level), Komso- molskaya Pravda reports.

The height of the bronze statue is 39 m together with the plinth, which is taller than the statue of the Christ in Rio de Janeiro (38 m).

One can see the sculpture from Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. The installation coincided with the Orthodox feast day of the Protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Muslim feast of Kurban Bayram.

The military actions were stopped in the region during the three days the statue was being installed. The statue was cast in Armenia.

CHICAGO CENTENARIAN HONORED AS ONE OF

ARMENIAN MASS-SLAUGHTER'S LAST SURVIVORS By Jennifer Delgado -- Tribune reporter

Helen Paloian started her life without a home.

Orphaned as a young child in Armenia, Paloian — then Helen Kherdian — wandered the streets, begging for food and shelter. She witnessed Ottoman Turk soldiers raid her village and deport the locals, just before mass kill- ings that many historians call the Armenian genocide began in 1915, her relatives said.

During those killings, she briefly found refuge in an Armenian church but fled when she learned Turkish sol- diers planned to burn it. She later moved into an orphanage that relocated several times across the Middle East until a cousin found her and brought her to Racine, Wis., in the mid-1920s.

On Sunday, a white-haired Paloian sat smiling, surrounded by family in the place that has become her home — St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church on the city’s Northwest Side, which honored the 107-year-old, be- lieved to be one of the tragedy’s last survivors, for her strength, perseverance and faith in God.

“It’s amazing. It’s as if the more bad things that have happened to her in 107 years, the stronger her faith is,” the Rev. Aren Jebejian told church members during a morning service. “By living today, she is an example to all of us.”

Almost a century ago, the Ottoman Turks killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians as their empire dissolved during World War I. Many historians have called the period a genocide, but Turkey disagrees and has never formal- ly apologized, said Richard Hovannisian, a professor emeritus at UCLA who held the Armenian Educational Foun- dation Chair in Armenian History.

Born in 1906, according to relatives, Paloian does not remember how her parents died. During the slaughter, two of Paloian’s two older brothers were exiled and a third brother left for the U.S. Later on, she briefly reunited with the third brother but never heard from the other two again, relatives said.

Left on her own, Paloian lived on the streets until she was rescued by a woman from an orphanage, where she stayed until the end of World War I. After the war ended, the orphanage moved to other countries, like Syria and Lebanon. Paloian followed.

By chance, an American cousin of Paloian’s named Jacob Hardy found out she was living in Greece as he was recovering at an American hospital after he served during World War I. Visiting relatives had brought him an Ar- menian newspaper that listed orphans living in that country, including one he believed was his long-lost cousin.

That suspicion was enough for him to travel to Greece to bring her back to the U.S. with him. The pair traveled as far as Cuba before a Chicagoan originally from Armenia agreed to travel to Havana to wed Paloian, mainly to ease her entry into the U.S.

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The two wedded in February 1926 in a civil ceremony in Havana. Once in the U.S., Paloian and her husband, Zadig, decided to stay together and eventually had four children.

To this day, Paloian talks about her love of America and how God has taken care of her despite the hardships, said her granddaughter, Marianne Ajemian. Paloian lives on the top floor of a two-flat with a caregiver in the Montclare neighborhood, just above her son and daughter-in-law.

“She was obviously very blessed ... with a strong mind and spirit,” said Ajemian, when asked what has made Paloian live this long. “She loved life and she loved helping people ... and I don’t think she ever wanted to say goodbye.”

At the service, Paloian wore a gentle smile as she sat in the pews, sometimes craning her neck to get a better view of the rituals performed at the altar. She clutched a cane inside the church, which was filled with the smell of incense and illuminated by small chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Afterward, relatives helped her walk down the stairs to a special luncheon, where children gave her a red rose corsage.

“She had the worst life and God saw fit for her to live the longest. That’s what impresses me,” said her neph- ew, Chuck Hardy, who sat next to Paloian during the meal. “God works in a mysterious ways.”

PROF. VAHRAM SHEMMASSIAN DELIVERS 2013 OHANESSIAN CHAIR LECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

NORTHRIDGE -- Prof. Vahram Shemmassian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program at the California State University, Northridge was invited by the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis to deliver this year’s Arsham & Charlotte Ohanessian Chair Lecture on Thursday, October 17. The event, which was cosponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, the Center for Holo- caust and Genocide Studies (CHGS), and the Center for Austrian Studies with its Interim Director Prof. Klaas van der Sanden coordinating, took place at the President’s Room, Coffman Memorial Union.

In his opening remarks Prof. Alejandro Baer, Director of the CHGS, un- derscored the collaboration of the Center with the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) Armenian community, citing as example the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide conjointly last April. In turn, Interim Dean of the Col- lege of Liberal Arts Dr. Raymond Duvall emphasized the importance of de- fending human rights and the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide. He then introduced the guest speaker.

Prof. Shemmassian’s lecture dealt with “The Musa Dagh Resistance to the Armenian Genocide and Its Impact through Franz Werfel’s Historical Novel The Forty Days of Musa Dagh.” This was a fitting tribute to the 80th an- niversary of the book’s original German publication in 1933.

Armenians lived in Musa Dagh, a mountain situated some 10 miles to the southwest of the biblical city of An- tioch and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, since time immemorial. On the eve of World War I they numbered over 6,000 persons. When served the deportation order by the Ottoman government in late July 1915, their two- third decided to resist while one-third was deported, mainly to the Syrian city of Hama and environs. Those who defied the government were rescued by French warships after more than forty days of fighting and transported to Port Said, Egypt. They lived in a refugee camp for four years, until their repatriation to Musa Dagh in 1919.

In the days and months following the rescue operations the international press covered the Musa Dagh re- sistance through news items, communiques, leading articles, and photographs. As a result, donations of money, clothing, and other necessities were sent to the Port Said refugee camp by people of various nationalities, organiza- tions, and agencies. In short, the Musa Dagh Armenians were lionized, became a source of inspiration, and drew sympathy in practical terms as well.

The Musa Dagh saga, once its immediacy vanished, would probably have been relegated to oblivion had it not been for the pen of one man—Franz Werfel (1890-1945). Werfel, a Jew born in Prague and residing in Vienna, had

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learned about the Armenian atrocities during World War I and had promised himself that he would write a novel about them. He kept his promise. While conducting extensive research on the subject beginning in 1929, he came across the uplifting story of Musa Dagh, which he chose as the novel’s topic. The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, as he titled his oeuvre, was published in 1933 in German and rendered into numerous languages. The English translation appeared in 1934 and the Armenian translation in 1935.

The human drama so vividly portrayed in Musa Dagh captured the imagination of artists and intellectuals of different nationalities. The book and its symbolism also had a direct bearing on the Armenians and the Jews. The Armenians were elated and grateful that a non-Armenian had exposed their forsaken fate to the international com- munity. The Jews in Europe and in Palestine read Musa Dagh as a beacon of hope for their salvation. Turkey and the Turks, on their part, pressured the Hollywood movie giant MGM to shelf a grand film project based on Musa Dagh, and to this day they manipulate the novel to deny the Armenian Genocide.

Dr. Shemmassian concluded his talk by saying: “This year marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of Wefel’s Musa Dagh novel. But it is not a mere celebration of a past accomplishment, because the book’s legacy is very much alive today. Four recent cases, among others, prove this point. First, in June 2012, the Czech Republic held the country’s first international conference on genocide studies. Its general theme, inspired by the Forty Days, was: ‘Mountains of Moses: Revolt, Resistance and Rescuing of the Victims of Mass Extermination.’ Second, in March 2013, the Lepsius House and the Moses Mendelssohn Center in Potsdam, Germany organized a three-day conference titled ‘Genocide and Literature: Franz Werfel in an Armenian-Jewish-Turkish-German Perspective.’ Third, also this year, in April, an exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Forty Days opened at the Na- tional Library of the Republic of Armenia with the co-sponsorship of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute at Dzidzernagapert, Armenia. Fourth, The Franz-Werfel-Human Rights Award, which carries prize money in the amount of €10,000, since 2003 is awarded every two years in Frankfurt, Germany ‘to individuals, and occasionally also to initiatives or groups, who have opposed breaches of human rights, genocide, displacement and the deliberate destruction of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups.’ The list goes on.”

A question and answer session followed a PowerPoint presentation of some 30 pictures depicting scenes from the Musa Daghians’ rescue by French warships, leading personalities as well as fighters involved in the battles, the Port Said refugee camp, and the monument dedicated to the resistance on September 18, 1932.

ATTORNEY VARTKES YEGHIAYAN AWARDED WITH PAPAL MEDAL

Glendale attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan was recently bestowed with a unique papal medal (cavaleri) by the hand of Archbishop Raphael Minassian at the Armenian diocese in Yerevan. The medal had been awarded by the retired and venerable Pope Benedict XVI in recog- nition for Yeghiayan’s work and endeavors to secure compensation for Armenian Genocide heirs.

Vartkes Yeghiayan is an Armenian-American at- torney specializing in international law. Yeghiayan is known for launching several lawsuits against insurance companies for insurance policies issued to Armenians in the early twentieth century during the time of the Ar- menian Genocide.

After gathering evidence and finding several de- scendants of the victims of the Genocide, in 1999 he filed a class action lawsuit against New York Life in a case which lasted for four years. In January 2004, New York Life agreed to settle by paying $20 million to the plaintiffs. Since then Yeghiayan, along with colleagues Mark Geragos and Brian Kabateck, have filed suits against other insurance companies, including AXA, which agreed to

settle in 2005 by paying $17.5 million.

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