Armenian News... A Topalian... Rockets aimed at Armenian populated Qamishli
Reminder for January 27:
ICA,The Mall, London:
Screening of Paradjanov's The Colour of Pomegranates
Pan Armenian, Armenia
Jan 24 2018
Rockets land on Armenian-populated Syrian city of Qamishli
Rockets were fired towards the Armenian -populated Syrian city of Qamishli from an area near the Turkish border on Tuesday, January 23 morning, Kantsasar newspaper says.
One of the rockets exploded on a residential building injuring two children aged 2 and 3.
The city on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River is currently controlled by the Syrian government troops.
Those areas are outside the scope of Operation Olive Branch, launched by Turkey on January 20.
News.am, Armenia
Jan 24 2018
Newspaper: Armenia tycoons troubled by ruling party presidential candidate nominee
The tycoons of Armenia are worried that a new tycoon competitor, ambassador to UK Armen Sarkissian—whom the ruling party has nominated as its presidential candidate—will appear in the country’s business life, according to Zhamanak (Time) newspaper.
“They are convinced that President [Serzh] Sargsyan will attempt to get business domains for himself, and that is possible solely at the expense of others.
“In the near future, the oligarchy [of Armenia] could put information discrediting Armen Sarkissian into circulation, and which will force him to give up his presidential ambitions.
“And such [information], according to our source, exists,” wrote Zhamanak.
[have a laugh!]
PanArmenian, Armenia
Jan 24 2018
Hysteria over garbage cans ‘painted in Azeri flag colors due to Armenians’
A photo of garbage cans allegedly painted in the colors of the Azerbaijani flag and installed at Mega shopping center in Moscow has been spreading through social media. The waste container also has the inscription "The color matters" on it.
The picture raised hysteria not only among ordinary Azerbaijanis, but also in political circles, and reached the point of absurdity with the Azeris accusing Armenians of deliberate insult and provocation. By the way, the garbage cans look quite ordinary and are divided into three colored sections - blue for paper, red for plastic and green for other waste.
“We are worried about garbage cans painted in the colors of the Azerbaijani flag. This is insulting. I think Russia will soon solve this problem,” said Azeri lawmaker Aydin Mirzazade .
“Those who committed the provocation seek to raise discontent with Russia in Azerbaijan. Perhaps the reason for this is the purchase of new weapons from Moscow. Diasporan Armenians are thus trying to spoil the friendly relations between the two countries.”
PanArmenian, Armenia
Jan 24 2018
Medieval Armenian manuscript to be digitally restored in New York
The early 13th-century parchment manuscript was written by the scribe Grigor of Tarsos.
" The fragile manuscript traded hands during the Armenian Genocide in 1915 (?), and came into the Memorial Art Gallery’s collections in 1950, where conservators have treated it in hopes of preserving it for generations to come," the university says.
"In a related effort to preserve cultural heritage objects, Rochester researchers are using multispectral imaging to digitally restore such ancient manuscripts."
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 24 2018
Armenia donates cross-stone to the Council of Europe
Today President Serzh Sargsyan handing and official souvenir – an Armenian khachkar – to the Council of Europe. The model-plate of the khachkar was unveiled by President Serzh Sargsyan and CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.
At the end of the ceremony President Sargsyan showed the three-meter-high khachkar, situated in the yard, at the entrance of the Council of Europe building, to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, as well as Prime-Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who also participated in the ceremony.
“In line with the well-established and fine tradition and to mark the 65th anniversary of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in force, today Armenia donates to the Council of Europe a vivid token of Armenian nation’s historical and cultural heritage, a khachkar, a cross-stone. It is an honor and privelege for us that it will be erected in the heart of Strasbourg, under the protection of human rights and democracy, in order to signify our unswerving dedication to those values,” President Sargsyan said at the ceremony.
“The two-milenia long history of the art and craft of making cross-stones is also a manifestation of the contemporary Armenian culture: today the craftsmen continue to develop the historical tradition; they continue to skillfully reproduce and renew it, they continue to creatively review the tradition and introduce it anew,” he said.
“It is no coincidence that the art of the Armenian cross-stone, which creates an impression of eternity on a limited surface, is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This monument reflects the values that are the founding pillars of the Council of Europe. All the monuments of the cultural heritage in the Council of Europe area, undoubtedly, should benefit from the universally applied mechanisms of protection. And such a commitment should be guaranteed by any State that deems itself part and parcel of the values of civilization, Serzh Sargsyan said.
“Today’s ceremony, I believe, bears great symbolism for all of us, including the Armenian French community of Strasbourg, Alsace region and Armenian citizens employed here since it is the first Armenian monument erected in this part of France. Let it remind the visitors of this beautiful park of the inalienable and integral nature of the founding values of this organization,” he concluded.
Thorbjørn Jagland said, in turn, that “Marking the 65-th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights entering into force, this present will act as a daily reminder of why we are here. To protect and promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law to the benefit of over 800 million citizens across all 47 of our member states.”
“The cross-stone and your personal presence here today President Sargsyan-are also a clear illustration of Armenia’s commitment to our values and to our pan-European legal space. In today’s challenging times for Europe, that attachment is all the more important and all the more appreciated,” the Secretary General said.
He noted that “since joining the Council of Europe in 2001, Armenia has taken significant steps to implement its obligations through a series of comprehensive domestic reforms.”
This process is still ongoing but significant progress has already been achieved. Among the latest developments, we have seen welcome constitutional reforms and we have noted the government’s determination to protect and promote women rights. This was illustrated by the recent adoption of a law on preventing and combating domestic violence. That in turn has paved the way for the signature of the Istanbul Convention,” Mr. Jagland said.
“Armenia also demonstrated sound leadership within the Organisation during its first chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in 2013. During its term of office some major initiatives were carried out to reinforce our Court’s system, through the adoption of additional protocols to the European Convention,” the Council of Europe Secretary General said.
“So, as Armenia continues on the path to fully meeting its membership obligations and commitments, its people and authorities can count on the support of the Council of Europe. Meanwhile, we accept this gift with pleasure and gratitude,” he stated.
RFE/RL Report
Armenian Tax Revenue Up In 2017
January 23, 2018
Emil Danielyan
Armenia's State Revenue Committee (SRC) reported on Tuesday a more
than 7 percent rise in the amount of taxes and customs duties
collected by it last year.
The increase, which SRC officials have primarily attributed to
improved tax collection, helped the Armenian government to cut the
state budget deficit.
The Finance Ministry reported last week that the deficit shrank from
at least 5.2 percent of GDP in 2016 to 3.3 percent in 2017. It said
the government's overall budgetary expenditures rose by only 3.8
percent. The extra spending was fully channeled into government-funded
capital projects.
At 1.16 trillion drams ($2.4 billion), the government's tax revenue
was equivalent to almost 21 percent of GDP. The proportion is quite
low by international standards, reflecting the scale of tax evasion in
Armenia.
The tax-to-GDP ratio stood at less than 18 percent in 2012. It rose by
0.5 percentage points last year, the SRC said in a statement.
Prime MinisterKaren Karapetian praised the SRC's performance when he
met with the leadership of the national tax and customs service on
January 15. "You accomplished a lot in 2017 but you still need to
accomplish a lot," he said.
The current SRC chief, Vartan Harutiunian, is a figure close to
Karapetian. Harutiunian has repeatedly pledged to crack down on
widespread tax fraud and corruption among tax officials since he was
appointed to run the SRC in late 2016.
The International Monetary Fund praised the Armenian authorities'
"efforts to improve tax administration" already in June 2017. It said
that they have"contributed to the higher-than-projected revenue
collection."
The improvement has been particularly visible in the Armenian customs
service, which has long been reputed to be one of the country's most
corrupt government agencies. Import duties collected by it soared by
over 23 percent in 2017, according to the SRC statement.
The tax authorities were also helped by faster economic growth
estimated by the Finance Ministry at around 7 percent. Continued
growth anticipated by the government should also help the SRC achieve
a further sizable increase in tax revenue envisaged by the Armenian
state budget for this year.
The SRC can also count on additional revenue resulting from new and
controversial tax legislation that took effect on January 1. It raised
the income tax rates for Armenians earning 280,000 drams ($580) a
month and more as well as excise duties collected from alcohol, fuel
and tobacco.
The new Tax Code has been strongly criticized by opposition groups and
economic analysts critical of the government. They say that it will
push up key consumer prices and encourage private employers to
underreport their workers' wages. Government officials have defended
the higher taxes, however, saying that they are needed to boost public
spending without increasing Armenia's debt burden.
RFE/RL Report
Government On Defensive Over Price Hikes
January 23, 2018
Tatevik Lazarian
Senior government and Central Bank officials downplayed the impact of
recent increases in the prices of fuel and some foodstuffs in Armenia
during parliamentary hearings held on Tuesday.
The leadership of the Armenian parliament organized the hearings at
the initiative of President Serzh Sarkisian, who expressed concern
over the price hikes earlier this month. Sarkisian discussed their
possible causes at an emergency meeting with top state officials.
Some of those officials spoke at the hearings attended by not only
lawmakers but also representatives of non-governmental organizations
and opposition parties not represented in the National Assembly. Just
like Prime Minister Karen Karapetian, they insisted that the increased
prices of the essential products have not significantly pushed up the
cost of living in Armenia.
Artur Javadian, the governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, said that
consumer price inflation in the country stood averaged only 2.6
percent last year. "In terms of fiscal-monetary policy, inflation is
under control," he said, adding that it has been much higher in
neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Javadian also complained: "Inflationary expectations seem to be
intensifying for unfounded reasons, making the ongoing fiscal-monetary
policy more costly. And irrational public behavior stemming from that
will hurt the public itself."
Nikol Pashinian, an outspoken opposition leader, questioned the
official inflation rate, pointing to recent months' double-digit rises
in the prices of butter, meat and potatoes which the authorities blame
on external factors.
"Why did the authorities organize these hearings? To say that there is
no inflation in Armenia," said Pashinian.
Roland Avetisian, who leads an NGO defending pensioners' rights, also
hit out at the government. "Pensioners have a really hard time getting
by and meeting their basic needs," he said.
The prices of petrol, diesel and pressurized natural gas, used by most
vehicles in the country, went up by around 10 percent following the
entry into force on January 1 of higher excise taxes. Vakhtang
Mirumian, a deputy head of the State Revenue Committee, insisted that
these price hikes will not have a serious impact on consumers and
businesses.
Mirumian argued that gasoline now powers only a small minority of
Armenian cars and is practically not used by manufacturing firms. He
went on to play down the higher price of pressurized gas, saying that
it now equals the gas tariff that existed in 2015. The cost of public
transport and other services and goods will not rise as a result, he
said.
Diesel fuel is used by tractors and other agricultural
machinery. Hence, widespread fears that agricultural products grown in
Armenia will become more expensive.
Agriculture Minister Ignati Arakelian told the hearings that the
government may well subsidize the diesel price for villagers and wheat
farmers in particular. "A plan of subsidizing diesel fuel is already
under discussion," he said.
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