Armenian News

bbc.com
Out Of Armenia
Monday 29 December toFriday 2 January
1.45pm-2.00pm
BBC RADIO 4

Writer and historian Charles Emmerson traces the history of the
Armenian diaspora through Europe's Armenian communities today.

From Manchester, home to Britain's oldest Armenian community, Charles
travels to Paris, the largest and most dynamic Armenian diaspora
community in Europe, still living in the shadow of the memory of the
massacres and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

In Venice he meets the monks charged with the safe-keeping of Armenian
traditions of literature and song on the monastery-island of San
Lazzaro. In Istanbul he hears the more recent stories of the city's
Armenian community, subtle architects building a new relationship
between Turks and Armenians from the foundations up.

Finally, at the foot of Mount Ararat, in Yerevan, underground jazz
music and Syrian refugees tell a new story, of a new focus for
Armenian identity, and fresh challenges to its survival.

Armenians have long struggled to keep their common identity alive in
communities dispersed around the world - in Cyprus, Iran and Venice.
They became leading figures in Ottoman Istanbul. In the 19th century
some moved to the dirt and damp of the booming textile city of
Manchester, establishing themselves in the city's middle-class suburbs
and building the first Armenian church in northwest Europe.

Over tea and cake in warm family homes, Charles hears the stories of a
tiny but close-knit community, now concerned about how to keep alive
its identity, language and religion for a new generation of Mancunian
Armenians. The church holds services just once a month, when a priest
comes up from London. Some ask whether there will be an Armenian
community in Manchester at all in 50 years' time.

Presenter/ Charles Emmerson, Producer/ Cicely Fell for an Above The
Title production
BBC Radio 4 Publicity 

arka.am 

ARMENIAN DRAM'S DEVALUATION TRIGGERS 15-20% PRICE HIKES

YEREVAN, December 15. /ARKA/. The Armenian dram's devaluation has
driven commodity prices in Armenia 15-20% up, Melita Hakobyan, chair
of the Armenian National Academy of Consumers, said Monday at a news
conference. "Prices will keep growing," she said.

Ruben Aytyan, vice president of the Armenian National Academy of
Consumers, on his side, said that prices for grains surged even 40%.

Fever at Armenia's forex market began on November 24, when the
national currency plunged 16.6 percentage points hitting its record
high in the last eight years. The dollar is now continuing its upward
motion. Today it traded at 471.78 drams.

Earlier, Arthur Javadyan, head of the Central Bank of Armenia, said
that the national currency's devaluation will create additional
inflation pressure ranging from 1.5 to 2% in the fourth quarter of
this year and the first quarter of the next year, but later this
pressure will subside.

Summarizing the results of this year and assessing things at Armenia's
consumer market, the representatives of the Armenian National Academy
of Consumers rated market things as positive.

"Quality of the products offered at our market is gradually improving,
and this will be noted also at the international level," Hakobyan
said. "However, we have certain problems."

As one of these problems, she pointed out that bread, other bakery
products, meat and dairy products are sold with no characteristics
and without information about importer countries on their labels.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, a 2.8%
year-on-year inflation was recorded in the country in Jan-Nov 2014.

In the government budget for 2014, inflation is projected at 4%
(±1.5%). The same inflation rate is projected also in the 2015
government budget. 

INVESTMENT IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY REACHES $1.4 BLN 

IN JAN-SEPT
Interfax, Russia
Dec 10 2014

Foreign investment in Armenia's real sector amounted to 616.73 billion
dram in January-September 2014 (around $1.4 billion at the current
exchange rate), including direct investment of 311.49 billion dram,
the National Statistics Service reported.

The method for calculating investment changed at the start of 2014
so the service has not provided a comparison with last year.

Russia invested the most in Armenia at 271 billion dram ($599 million,
43.9% of all investment), including direct investment of 235.39 billion
dram. The top three investors also included Cyprus with investments
of around 96 billion dram (including direct investment of 3.1 billion
dram) and Germany - 84 billion dram (15.9 billion dram).

Investment from the United States was 2.7 billion dram.

The largest share of investment - around 241 billion dram - went
into electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning provision. Around
70 billion dram was used in the production of alkali metals, 80.6
billion into the mining industry and development of open mines and
around 60 billion in the production of metallic ore.

The official exchange rate on December 9 stood at 452.50 dram/$1.


agos.com
Editorial: They all have dirt on their hands
12.10.2014 

The Hrant Dink murder is seen by the ruling party as a weapon that can
be used against the Gülen movement. This is an ugly plan in which one
of the country's greatest tests of justice is being instrumentalized.

We had already seen how the ruling party wanted to lay the entire
blame of the Hrant Dink murder on the Gülen movement when deceptive
and manipulative reports were published in certain newspapers close to
the government. In July, in response to these reports, we wrote,
`Those who use the Dink case as a vehicle in their strategy of war are
serving to keep certain perpetrators of this crime in the shadows, and
in essence, extending their complicity in the crime'.

The most recent statement given by Ogün Samast, the gunman of the
murder, and the manner in which the aforementioned newspapers have
embraced this statement, clearly show that the same strategy is being
perpetuated in a deeper and more comprehensive manner. In this most
recent statement that has immediately made headlines, Samast gives the
names of police chiefs known to the public as members of the Gülen
movement. This game, based on revealing only one aspect of the truth,
proves nothing but the fact that those who have set up this game have
dirt on their hands.

Today, we are passing through a new period of conflict and
polarization following the end of the 10-year partnership between the
AK Party government and the Gülen Movement. This is a war in which
both sides have shown they will resort to any means possible to weaken
each other. It appears that, in this atmosphere of spite and ill-will,
the Hrant Dink murder is seen by the ruling party as a weapon that can
be used against the Gülen movement. This is an ugly plan in which one
of the country's greatest tests of justice is being instrumentalized.

Yes, it is true that the police chiefs allegedly in relation with the
Gülen Movement, and mentioned in the gunman's statement, carry certain
culpability in the assassination of Hrant Dink. But was it only them?
State institutions, and the National Intelligence Organization (MÄ°T)
and the General Staff first and foremost among them, and the Police,
Army, Judiciary, Bureaucracy and the political power to which all
these institutions are tied to, have all played a role first in Dink
being singled out as a target, then in his assassination, and finally
in the cover-up that has protected the perpetrators to this day. This
glaring truth was also declared by the European Court of Human Rights
which found that Turkey had failed to properly investigate the role of
state officials in the Hrant Dink murder, and by the Constitutional
Court that ruled the murder was not probed efficiently, which in its
decision made reference to the ECHR verdict.

This is why the only thing that needs to be done today, as it was
yesterday, is to shed light on all aspects of the Hrant Dink murder,
and bring all those responsible to justice. As long as this is not
done, we will not be fooled by merely a single aspect of the truth
being packaged as part of a certain script and presented to us as
conclusive.

This ugly game will not only fail to provide justice, but it also
means that the culpability of the ruling power in this murder, carried
out on the basis of a consensus, will grow even more. And we know very
well that only when this culpability receives an appropriate sentence
that Turkey will truly become `New Turkey'.


ecolur.org 

RADIOACTIVE WASTE STOREHOUSES AT ARMENIAN NUCLEAR 

POWER PLANT FULL
27 December 12, 2014

The storehouses of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant are full. In
the square of the ANPP, on the roof of the premises, a temporary
storehouse was constructed in 2003 taking into consideration they
were designed for temporary storage, were not certified and didn't
comply with the admissibility criteria designed for the storage of
the wastes. The temporary storehouses are completely full, in some
containers leakage were fixed. On 11 December the executive gave its
consent to sign an agreement between the Armenian Government and the
European Union, which says 1 million Euros will be provided to Armenia.


arka.am
German bank KfW to provide Armenia with 15 million euro loan 

to assist agricultural sector

YEREVAN, December 10.  The Armenian government secured on
Tuesday 15.75 million euros in a German loan and a grant which it said
will be used for supporting the country's agricultural sector.

The relating agreement was signed by the Central Bank of Armenia and
the state-run German development bank KfW.

According to the Central Bank, the loan which is 15 million euros will
be allocated to Armenian banks and credit organizations for on-lending
to small and medium-sized businesses, engaged in agriculture.

The 750,000 euro grant is provided for technical assistance, in
particular, for financing consulting services to the beneficiaries of
the program. The technical assistance will be provided by a consulting
company that will be chosen by the KfW bank.

The German KfW has been assisting Armenia in the implementation of
various projects since 1995. The bulk of its assistance is channeled
into energy, water, financial, banking and also private sectors. -0-


tert.am
'ART KNOWS NO BOUNDS,' BUT DOUBLE STANDARDS APPLY 

TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH - OFFICIAL
15.12.14

Despite the claims that "art knows no bounds," it is not the case with
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), which is not de jure recognized,
NKR Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Lernik Hovhannisyan
told Tert.am.

However, Nagorno-Karabakh is overcoming the barriers and presents
its culture to both the Armenian Diaspora and the world.

Like in other cases, double standards are applied to culture.

"Europe is speaking of human rights, but, pleading our state not being
a recognized as a reason, does not allow Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh]
to present its culture," Mr Hovhannisyan said.

The NKR Ministry of Culture is located in Shushi. In this respect,
Mr Hovhannisyan said that it promotes cultural development of the
NKR regions.

"In Shushi, cultural life has become more active, and the town is
now a center of arts and trades. We have an Arts Museum, as well as
history and carpet museums. Other arts are also presented in Shushi:
the Gyurjyan Institute of Applied Arts is operating there."

The main reason why Nagorno-Karabakh's applications for participating
in different cultural events are rejected is the NKR being an
unrecognized state.

"But in some cases even Azerbaijan and Turkey do not participate,
and the organizers allow us to present Artsakh. In some cases, we
present Armenia. Of course, we have the same cultural environment with
Armenia, which does not know any bounds. Armenia is all Armenians'
homeland. So we are all trying to overcome the difficulties."

As regards Azerbaijan's claims on Nagorno-Karabakh culture, in the
context of UNESCO's decisions, which cause "minor cultural wars"
(the Armenian lavash being an example) and steps to curb Azerbaijan's
policy, Mr Hovhannisyan said:

"Azerbaijan's policy involved our tangible and intangible heritage.

Azerbaijan does not miss a single chance to present our culture and
traditional cuisine as its own. Artsakh is world-famous for its
'zhengalov hatz' (pancakes stuffed with greens). But Azerbaijani
websites claim that it is an Azerbaijani national dish. But such a
dish is typical of settled peoples, while nomadic tribes cannot have
either lavash or zhengalov hatz. The same can be said of monuments,
music, choreography. Our task is to continue creative activities,
and our policy is to preserve our heritage in Artsakh, conduct studies
and popularize our arts and culture regardless of Azerbaijan's policy
or claims." 

WHY DID THE DRAM FALL?
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 14 2014
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

For the last two weeks the Armenian dram has fallen drastically against
the dollar. The dollar previously cost 410-415 drams. At the moment it
costs 460 drams in some banks and exchange offices. Sharp fluctuations
of dram - the dollar's growth to 450 drams, its falling to 430 drams,
and then a new growth to 460 drams - are a serious problem as well.

There is panic in Armenia, as the sharp fall in the value of the dram
influences prices ahead of New Year's Eve.

According to the Central Bank, the sharp fluctuations if the dram were
caused by developments on world markets, including fluctuations on
exchange markets; however, as the dram fluctuations have a short-term
character and the level of monetary reserves is sufficient, there is
no serious threat to monetary and financial stability.

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Ovik Abramyan, explained that
the inflation is due to the developments happening in Russia and
"mistrust of people" to some extent. The Premier doesn't connect the
sharp fluctuations of the dram with internal economic problems.

The Armenian economy does depend on the Russian one, but the ruble
falling really influences the volumes of transfers which are sent
home by Armenian migrants. According to the Union of Armenian Banks,
the volume of transfers to private individuals from Russia to Armenia
through the banking system of the country fell by 7-14% in the last
few months. It should be noted that 85% of transfers come from Russia.

However, if the sharp fall of the dram is connected with external
factors, it doesn't mean that there are no serious problems in Armenian
monetary policy.

The authorities prefer to hush up that the situation has been caused
by a sharp fall in economic growth, along with external factors. Due
to galloping import growth, the negative balance has grown in the
foreign trade turnover. In the last three months, imports from Russia
have grown 10%, while Armenian exports reduced by 6.2%.

Moreover, the monopoly system of the Armenian economy and the popular
policy (especially by the former prime minister Tigran Sarkisyan) of
artificial overvaluation of the dram against the dollar in favor of
importers and at the expense of Armenian exports. "The authorities
have been providing a policy of artificial overvaluation of the
dram for many years. We have pointed out many times that the policy
is not only killing exporters, but also negatively influencing the
competitive environment in business and leading to a dangerous sputter
of our reserves," thinks Levon Zurabyan, the head of the opposition
parliamentary faction of the Armenian National Congress.

According to him, the country is losing disastrous amounts of monetary
reserves. From January to October 2014 the reserves have fallen from
$2.113 billion to $1.663 billion.

Some economists think launching a managed float of the dram is
necessary. A policy of managed smooth devaluation will enable monetary
reserves to be collected and exports developed. According to opposition
politicians, the best way to restrain inflation is de-monopolization
of the Armenian economy.

Koryun Manuryan, a journalist of 7or.am, thinks that the only way
out is a decision on a shift to a real dram exchange rate by the
Central Bank: "It will be a painful step in the short-term period,
but at least it will eliminate irrational expectations and bring
clarity to the business space."

Samvel Chzmachyan, a representative of the Union of Armenian Banks,
believes that by December 20-25 opposite processes will start, and
the Central Bank will manage to decrease the dollar rate against the
dram to the level of 430 drams.

Meanwhile, today in some exchange offices dollars are not being sold;
the maximum a person can buy is $100. According to experts, this
means that the official dram exchange rate doesn't reflect the real
balance between demand and supply, even though the balance determines
the current dollar exchange rate.