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FALLOUT: SYRIAN-ARMENIANS CONTINUE FLEEING TO ARMENIA
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
http://armenianow.com/news/39407/war_syria_armenians_yerevan_armavia_airtickets
18.07.12 | 15:23
Syrian-Armenians continue coming to Armenia despite the fact that
unlike Damascus, Homs and other cities with ongoing active hostilities
it is relatively peaceful in Aleppo, where the largest Armenian
community lives. Violence continues to escalate in the country,
and today Syria's Minister of Defense was killed by a suicide bomber.
Habet Putuzian arrived in Armenia on July 9 with his wife, elder son
and his family. They have rented an apartment in downtown Yerevan,
however, have not decided yet whether to permanently reside in
Armenia. The Putuzians have applied for double citizenship and will get
their Armenian passports in a few days. The 73-year-old Syrian-Armenian
has his own perspective on situation in Syria and considers it to be
"a matter of revenge".
"They killed one another's family and started fighting among
themselves. It is not so easy, it takes time to solve those kinds of
issues," Putuzian told ArmeniaNow, whose family deals in sale of car
spare parts in Syria. "If it were not for these events we would have
been living like kings."
Putuzian says that their clients from Turkey, Iraq and Iran are now
afraid to come to Syria therefore business is low.
During his stay in Armenia, Putuzian has made inquiries about founding
a private business here, but many challenges have been pointed out
to him.
"I was thinking about buying mini buses and operating them here,
however, I was told that I would not be allowed to. I said I wanted
to buy a petrol station, they said, no way. In the end, some people
advised me to buy several apartments and lease them or deposit money
I had in banks. We'll decide after we get our passports," he says.
According to recent data, about 3,000 Syrian-Armenians got citizenship
in Armenia and only eight have applied for refugee status. Many
Syrian-Armenians who come to Armenia, do not turn to any state body,
because they plan to leave for another country later.
The issue of Aleppo-Yerevan-Aleppo tickets also remains to be
problematic, because Armenia's national air carrier Armavia and
the Syrian Airlines flying only once a week, have sold out all the
tickets until September. Armavia has only business class tickets left,
for 235,000 drams (about $573).
From: Baghdasarian
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
http://armenianow.com/news/39407/war_syria_armenians_yerevan_armavia_airtickets
18.07.12 | 15:23
Syrian-Armenians continue coming to Armenia despite the fact that
unlike Damascus, Homs and other cities with ongoing active hostilities
it is relatively peaceful in Aleppo, where the largest Armenian
community lives. Violence continues to escalate in the country,
and today Syria's Minister of Defense was killed by a suicide bomber.
Habet Putuzian arrived in Armenia on July 9 with his wife, elder son
and his family. They have rented an apartment in downtown Yerevan,
however, have not decided yet whether to permanently reside in
Armenia. The Putuzians have applied for double citizenship and will get
their Armenian passports in a few days. The 73-year-old Syrian-Armenian
has his own perspective on situation in Syria and considers it to be
"a matter of revenge".
"They killed one another's family and started fighting among
themselves. It is not so easy, it takes time to solve those kinds of
issues," Putuzian told ArmeniaNow, whose family deals in sale of car
spare parts in Syria. "If it were not for these events we would have
been living like kings."
Putuzian says that their clients from Turkey, Iraq and Iran are now
afraid to come to Syria therefore business is low.
During his stay in Armenia, Putuzian has made inquiries about founding
a private business here, but many challenges have been pointed out
to him.
"I was thinking about buying mini buses and operating them here,
however, I was told that I would not be allowed to. I said I wanted
to buy a petrol station, they said, no way. In the end, some people
advised me to buy several apartments and lease them or deposit money
I had in banks. We'll decide after we get our passports," he says.
According to recent data, about 3,000 Syrian-Armenians got citizenship
in Armenia and only eight have applied for refugee status. Many
Syrian-Armenians who come to Armenia, do not turn to any state body,
because they plan to leave for another country later.
The issue of Aleppo-Yerevan-Aleppo tickets also remains to be
problematic, because Armenia's national air carrier Armavia and
the Syrian Airlines flying only once a week, have sold out all the
tickets until September. Armavia has only business class tickets left,
for 235,000 drams (about $573).
From: Baghdasarian