Month: August 2008

ARMENIAN LANGUAGE RECEIVES STATE PROTECTION IN UKRAINE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.08.2008 14:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ukrainian Cabinet requested the Supreme Rada
for special state support for the Armenian and Gypsy languages,
reported Yerkramas.

Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsVolodymyr Khandogiy said
that the government has approved a bill on introduction of amendments
in the law "On ratification of European charter of regional or minority
languages", which will be submitted to the Rada in the near future.

With the Rada’s ratification, 15 languages will be granted state
support.

PRESS RELEASE
GSCiAS Organizing Committee
Armenian Graduate Students Association at UCLA
E-mail: [email protected]

CALL FOR PAPERS
To be presented at the Seventh Annual GRADUATE STUDENT COLLOQUIUM IN
ARMENIAN STUDIES Friday, February 20, 2009 at the University of
California, Los Angeles. We enthusiastically invite graduate students
and recent post-docs (Ph.D.,within the last two years) in fields
associated with Armenian Studies(broadly defined) to present their
recent research. Work in progress is encouraged. We accept papers from
a variety of disciplines and welcome comparative themes and
interdisciplinary approaches. Panel submissions are also welcome.

Applicants must e-mail presentation abstracts of no more than 250
words and their curriculum vitae by September 25, 2008. Please attach
the required documents in the form of a Word document. Please note
that a 20-minute time limit for presentations will be strictly
enforced (roughly 8-10 pages double-spaced). Invited participants will
be required to submit a final version of their full presentation by
January 10, 2009. A reception will be held on the Wednesday evening
prior to the event to welcome the colloquium speakers. Students will
have an opportunity to meet with faculty and students on campus, tour
Armenian Studies resources, and visit Armenian Studies classes. The
colloquium will conclude with a reception. Priority of acceptance will
be given to those who have not presented at the colloquium before.
Limited travel grants will be available to assist those who would
otherwise be unable to attend. Travel grant applications will be sent
to all invited participants.
To submit abstracts or for more information contact Armenian Graduate
Students Association at UCLA Colloquium Committee at
[email protected].

ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE
August 6, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Email: [email protected]

MEMPHIS CONGRESSMAN STEVEN COHEN SHOVES ARMENIAN AMERICAN JOURNALIST
OUT OF PRESS CONFERENCE

MEMPHIS, TN - Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) today forcibly
removed Armenian American journalist Peter Musurlian from a press
conference, apparently frustrated by repeated calls to explain his
Congressional opposition to legislation recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"Apparently we need to send Congressman Cohen a copy of the first
amendment as well as the state penal code," stated ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. "Physically throwing out a reporter
committed to getting the facts on his opposition to genocide
legislation, is nothing more than a high school bully tactic and is
conduct ill-befitting a Member of Congress."

Musurlian, who works for a public access TV station in Burbank,
California, in addition to running his own production company,
Globalist Films, had traveled to Memphis to document the days leading
up to the contentious August 7th Democratic primary between first-term
incumbent Steve Cohen and challenger, former civil rights lawyer, Nikki
Tinker, for LA based Horizon Armenian Television.

Following a series of unanswered interview requests filed earlier this
week, Musurlian attended several Cohen public events on Tuesday
evening, documenting his campaign activities and looking for an
opportunity to speak with the Congressman. Musurlian’s efforts to
participate in a Wednesday press conference, hastily called by Cohen at
his own residence, were cut short when a volatile and clearly agitated
Cohen forcibly shoved Musurlian out the door, slamming it in
frustration. Throughout the process, Cohen made disparaging references
to Musurlian’s Armenian heritage, and proudly stated his opposition to
human rights legislation commemorating the Armenian Genocide. That
resolution, H.Res.106, has over 200 Congressional cosponsors and was
adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last October. Following
Committee adoption of H.Res.106, Cohen was a leader amongst a handful
of Democratic legislators opposing full House passage of the
resolution, going so far as holding a Capitol Hill press conference
against the human rights measure.

"Genocide must be universally condemned – whenever and wherever it
occurs. Rep. Cohen’s opposition to Armenian Genocide recognition today,
begs the question: Which genocide will he oppose commemorating
tomorrow?" noted Hamparian.In the weeks leading up to tomorrow’s
primary, Armenian Americans in Memphis and across the U.S. joined
Emily’s List and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC in supporting
challenger Nikki Tinker. Tinker, in response to an ANCA Congressional
Questionnaire, pledged to support House passage of Armenian Genocide
legislation, as well as legislation to put an end to the ongoing
Genocide in Darfur. The ANCA has endorsed Tinker and encouraged
community support for the candidate, resulting in over $35,000 in
contributions, a large portion donated through
M/2266599201, organized by Memphis activist Dany Beylerian.

Rep. Cohen’s actions against Musurlian were the top news story
throughout Wednesday on Memphis television and radio stations. Links to
the raw footage from the Cohen shoving incident and local news coverage
are available on the ANCA website at .

Polls for the Congressional Democratic primary are set to open at
7:00am (Central Time) on August 7th.

#####

Additional Resources:

Watch the latest News coverage of Cohen’s volatile actions against
journalist Peter Musurlian.

Memphis NBC Affiliate:
N/2266599201

Memphis NBC Affiliate:

X/KCKHJBMFVO/2266599201
(2 videos, raw footage and story)
Memphis Fox Affiliate:
/EENQJBMFVP/2266599201
Online Print News Coverage and Blogs:

Memphis Fox Affiliate:

X/GOHXJBMFVQ/2266599201

r/1/MRVIJBMFPX/NOWLJBMFVR/2266599201
The Politico Blog – Scorecard
ANRRJBMFVS/2266599201/

PRESS RELEASE
United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
Tel: +37410 566 073
E-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Web site: <;
<;

Partnership Initiatives of the UN in Armenia Introduced to the
American-Armenian Diaspora

United Nations, Yerevan – The United Nations delegation from Armenia,
headed by Ms. Consuelo Vidal, the United Nations Resident Coordinator/UN
Development Programme Resident Representative, with Mr. Armen
Baibourtian, Senior Adviser to UN RC/UNDP RR and Ms. Narine Sahakyan,
Assistant to UNDP RR as part of it, paid a working visit to the United
States from 21 July to 2 August.

The visit had a twofold purpose: at the United Nations headquarters the
head of the UN delegation from Armenia discussed with UN senior
officials various issues on day-to-day operations and future strategic
planning of the UN Country Office in Armenia, and the UN delegation
presented to the American-Armenian Community the programmes and
activities of the United Nations in Armenia, in particular, the `Global
Armenia’ initiative which partners with the Armenian Diaspora in the
implementation of projects aimed at poverty reduction and sustainable
development in Armenia. The `Global Armenia’ initiative was launched
last year in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Russia, and in Lebanon and the
United Arab Emirates at the beginning of this year.

During the first week of the visit, extensive meetings were held in New
York with the representatives of American-Armenian Community of the
eastern coast. At separate meetings with H.E. Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America, H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern
Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America (who also held a reception in
honor of the delegation), H.E. Bishop Manuel Batakian, Eparch of the
Patriarchal Armenian Catholic Church in the U.S. and Canada, Mr. Andrew
Torigian, Executive Director of the Armenian Missionary Association of
America, Ms. Consuelo Vidal, highly assessed the role of the Church in
the life of Armenian Diaspora Community, and presented the UN
initiatives, among others, aimed at fostering rural development and
youth employment in Armenia. In this context, Ms. Consuelo Vidal
stressed the activities of the different Un agencies in Armenia which
through its own structures has successfully implemented various projects
in the regions of Armenia targeting the most socially disadvantaged.
Engaging Diaspora’s valuable expertise in implementation of various UN
initiatives in Armenia was another area of prospective cooperation which
was well received and supported by the leaders of the American-Armenian
Community.

At the meeting with Ms. Louise Manoogian Simone, member of the AGBU
Council of Trustees, Ms. Anita Mansurian, Director of AGBU Central Board
Programme, and Ms. Kim Yacoubian, AGBU’s Main Representative to the UN,
the modalities of the Youth Career Trail Project, within the framework
of the UN Global Compact Initiative, were discussed. It is a joint
effort between UNDP, AGBU, the private sector and non-governmental
organizations to mitigate youth unemployment in Armenia. On this
occasion the AGBU-United Nations Special Interest Group, in cooperation
with UNDP, hosted a `Youth Career Trail’ fund raising reception on 24
July at the UN headquarters in New York.

Possible future cooperation in various development areas were discussed
during the meetings with Ms. Deane Arsenian, Vice-President,
International Programs Coordination, Carnegie Foundation of New York,
Mr. Shant Mardirossian, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Near East
Foundation and with Mr. James Tufenkian, President, Tufenkian Foundation.

The agenda of the visit to Los Angeles included meetings with H.E.
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America and H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America, at
which Ms. Consuelo Vidal presented the `Global Armenia’ initiative, as
well as the TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals)
concept, which is a global UN mechanism for tapping on expatriate
experts and mobilizing them to undertake short-term consultancies in
their countries of origin under the UN aegis. The idea of its
implementation in Armenia was received with enthusiasm.

With a support of Tekeyan Cultural Association the `Global Armenia’
project was presented to the Los Angeles Armenian Community at the
Glendale Public Library. Mr. Parsegh Kartalian, one of the community
leaders, welcoming the UN delegation from Armenia, stressed that the
community was delighted that Ms. Vidal proposed the principle of
partnership in its relation with the American-Armenian Community. In
addition, the members of the UN delegation had an opportunity to discuss
with Diaspora media representatives UN-Diaspora cooperation issues at a
press event organized in the Hampar Hall of the Western Diocese. Ms.
Consuelo Vidal stressed that the United Nations, as a global network of
knowledge and best practices, would like to utilize the expertise and
skills of the American-Armenian Community for the benefit of Armenia.

The visit to Los Angeles was concluded with a meeting with Mr. Harut
Sassounian, President and CEO of the United Armenian Fund, a
reception-dinner with the prominent members of Los Angeles
American-Armenian Community hosted by Ms. Sylvia Tchakmakchian, and a
meeting with Mr. Mark Chenian, Vice-President, Investments for
UBS-California.

A reception was also organized by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Matossian and Mr.
Jack Koumjian, where the representatives of American-Armenian Community
from San Francisco Bay Area were present.

————–
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and
connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help
people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries,
working with them on their own solutions to global and national
development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the
people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. UNDP in Armenia was
established in 1993 and supports the Government of Armenia to reach its
own development priorities and the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

August 7, 2008
Contact: Ani Garabedian

Spotlight: Genocide Education Project

Los Angeles, CA – An innovative program called The Genocide Education
Project (GEP) was founded in 2005 in order to instruct educators on
the attempted extermination of the Armenian people in the Ottoman
Empire in 1915. The mission of the GEP is to "help prevent genocide
by assisting educators, students, and educational organizations with
teaching and learning about genocide and other major human rights
violations, with specific focus on the Armenian Genocide", as stated
on the organization’s website.

This extraordinary non-profit organization seeks to establish a
national presence in order to bring adequate genocide education to
students and teachers all over the country. In order to achieve this
goal, the organization is working to expand the implementation of GEP
instructional material in school districts across the nation. Raffi
Momjian, co-founder and current Executive Director, explains "…proper
genocide education is lacking at the high school level. What the
Genocide Education Project does is create an opportunity for high
school level educators to teach about genocide effectively."

One of the challenges faced by the creators of GEP was to create
material that would enable educators who are unfamiliar with the
details of the genocide of the Armenians to teach the material to
their students. Momjian states, "We develop resources that can be used
at a high school level as well as a web based resource libraries for
teachers. "We not only educate teachers about the Genocide but also
provide the teaching tools they need and show them how they can be
used." These resources include eyewitness accounts, New York Times
articles, web-based activities for a more hands-on experience and
pre-made lesson plans ready for the teachers to utilize.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has partnered up with
the GEP in order to provide proper instruction and materials to nearly
300 history teachers. This has been a very vital and important step
for the GEP as the LAUSD is the second largest school district in the
nation. Workshops are being conducted several times a year to
familiarize teachers with the material and its importance.

The GEP has partnered with other organizations such as the Choices
Program, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Facing History
and Ourselves at the National Council for Social Studies Annual
Conference (NCSS) in the past in order to hold all-day clinics on the
Armenian Genocide. Momjian emphasizes the important impact these
clinics at the NCSS make as the teachers go back to their own school
district and are able to communicate their new found knowledge to
other educators.

In order to reach a greater number of educators, the GEP is also
creating an intensive week long retreat for teachers. During this
retreat, the teachers will be trained on the details of the Armenian
Genocide, as well as how to present this material to students, with
hopes that these teachers will in turn educate other teachers at their
individual schools. In addition to the retreat, other plans that are
in the works for the GEP also include virtual training. Teachers will
soon be able to access training tools online and take virtual classes
to aid them in teaching the subject matter.

Momjian says that the responsibility to educate future generations
about the Armenian Genocide belongs to us all. He says, "…just
reaching one teacher is great and important but community support is
just as essential, especially to Armenians, for a program such as this
one to thrive." The GEP is truly one of a kind as it provides every
resource and guidance that an educator may need to teach this material
at a high school level and does so effectively.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances
the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

###

Photo Caption – Educators at the Genocide Education Project’s NCSS 2007 booth.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

August 7, 2008
Contact: Ani Garabedian

ANC-WR Intern Spotlight: Amy Kaladzhyan

Los Angeles, CA – As one of five Interns for the Armenian National
Committee – Western Region’s Summer 2008 Internship – Externship
Program (ANC-WR IEP), Amy Kaladzhyan has gained valuable knowledge and
experience within the public and media relations field. In addition to
building media relationships, Kaladzhyan writes feature articles and
press releases spotlighting ANC activists and various organizations.

In past weeks, Kaladzhyan and fellow Public and Media Relations
Intern, Tamar Tavlian, have also been developing a promotional video
detailing the Internship-Externship Program and are putting the
finishing touches on two sets of video blogs featuring their fellow
Interns and Externs.

"I feel that this program offers a great opportunity for Armenian
youth to get involved in politics while, at the same time, helping out
with a cause that they believe in," said Kaladzhyan. "Working
alongside the ANC-WR in Sacramento and in Santa Barbara, I feel that I
have acquired skills that are necessary in my future line of work,"
she added.

Kaladzhyan currently attends University of California at Santa Barbara
(UCSB) where she majors in Global Studies. After graduating, she plans
to attend Law School and eventually enter the broadcast journalism
field as a political reporter.

Besides being an Intern at ANC-WR, Kaladzhyan is also an intern at
KTLA and is a member of the Armenian Students’ Association (ASA) at
UCSB. While raising awareness of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL)
opposition to Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide in
Sacramento during Advocacy Day in April, Kaladzhyan learned about the
IEP from Haig Hovsepian, ANC-WR Community Relations Director, and was
eager to sign up and continue her work with the Armenian community.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organization around the country, the ANC-WR advances
the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

PRESS RELEASE
Clark University
University Communications
Angela M. Bazydlo, Associate Director of Media Relations
ph: 508-793-7635
cell: 508-365-8736

August 7, 2008

Clark University’s Strassler Family Center for
Holocaust and Genocide Studies announces fall events

WORCESTER, MA- Below is a list of Fall 2008 events sponsored by the
Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark
University. All events are free and open to the public and are
followed by public receptions. Call 508-793-8897 for further
information on any of these events.

Lecture
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"In Search of an Arab Schindler"
Robert Satloff
Executive Director, The Washington Institute of Near East Policy
Tilton Hall, 2nd floor, Higgins University Center, 950 Main St., Worcester
7:30 p.m.

Lecture
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
"Jewish ‘Headships’ (Judenräte and Judenvereininungen): The Emergence
and Application of an Administrative Concept in Nazi Anti-Jewish
Policies"
Dan Michman
Professor of Modern Jewish History and Chair, Finkler Institute of
Holocaust Research, Bar-Ilan University; Chief Historian, Yad Vashem,
Jerusalem, Israel Rose Library, Cohen-Lasry House, 11 Hawthorne
Street, Clark University Campus
4 p.m.

Lecture
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
"Integrating the Holocaust into a European History of Violence"
Donald Bloxam
Professor of Modern History, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Rose Library, Cohen-Lasry House, 11 Hawthorne Street, Clark University Campus
4 p.m.

Lecture
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"Death and the Maydl: Jewish Femininity and the Denial of Beauty in
the Art of Marc Chagall"
Olga Litvak, The Michael and Lisa Leffell Chair in Modern Jewish
History, Clark University
Tilton Hall, 2nd floor, Higgins University Center, 950 Main Street, Worcester
7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A New Book: The Holocaust on German-Occupied Soviet Territory and the
Response by Soviet Jewish Intellectuals
Joshua Rubenstein, Northeast Regional Director, Amnesty International;
Associate, Davis Center for Eurasia and Russian Studies, Harvard
University
Rose Library, Cohen-Lasry House, 11 Hawthorne Street, Clark University campus
4 p.m.

The Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at
Clark University is an exciting forum for education about the
Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and other genocides around the
globe. Dedicated to teaching, research, and public service, the Center
trains the Holocaust historians and genocide studies scholars of the
future. The mission of the Center reaches beyond the boundaries of the
University: to provide a lecture series free of charge and open to the
public; to educate professionals of many fields about genocide and the
Holocaust; to use scholarship to address current problems stemming
from the murderous past; and to engage the world in which we live by
providing an educated voice in the public arena.
Clark University is a private, co-educational liberal-arts research
university with 2,200 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. Since
its founding in 1887 as the first all-graduate school in the United
States, Clark has challenged convention with innovative programs such
as the International Studies Stream, the Strassler Family Center for
Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the accelerated BA/MA programs with
the fifth year tuition-free for eligible students. The University is
featured in Loren Pope’s book, "Colleges That Change Lives."
–

WEAVER’S REMARKS SLAMMED
By Jeremy Oberstein

Glendale News Press
August 7, 2008 12:07 AM PDT

GLENDALE — A small but irate contingent of Glendale residents
admonished Councilman Dave Weaver during Tuesday night’s City Council
meeting for comments he made to a local publication last week that
seemed directed against the city’s sizable Armenian population.

In the June 26 edition of the Pasadena Weekly, Weaver was asked about
a possible ban on smoking in Glendale, to which he said: "I don’t care
if it’s popular. It’s the right thing to do. But there will be a lot
of opposition from one segment of the population that loves to smoke,"
a veiled reference to many of the city’s Armenians.

Due to an editing error, the quote was attributed to Mayor John
Drayman, and the article was eventually amended to reflect Weaver’s
sentiment.

The Glendale chapter of the Armenian National Committee immediately
seized on Weaver’s comments, issuing an alert to its more than 7,000
members to contact Drayman and the four other councilmen to "condemn
Councilmember Weaver’s continuous unethical behavior on the dias
[sic] and to request a public apology from the councilmember."

On Tuesday, residents called for Weaver’s censure, his resignation
and expressed outrage that an elected official was behind comments
perceived to be directed against Glendale’s largest minority.

"I am dismayed in the year 2008, anyone would stereotype a segment
of an entire community on any single issue," Glendale ANC chairman
Artin Manoukian said. "It is even more shocking when the person
doing that is an elected official. When someone is elected to office,
it is their responsibility to demand equality and justice."

Missing from Tuesday night’s meeting was Councilman Bob Yousefian
and Weaver, who said a family matter precluded his attendance at
the meeting.

Weaver declined to comment about Tuesday night’s reaction, saying:
"I’ll be there next week."

Not all of the meeting’s attendees berated Weaver for his comments.

Glendale resident Evelyn Hanson sought to cool the heels of outraged
reaction by recognizing what she felt unified those in the chamber
instead of what divided the group.

"People just need to let go of the anger," Hanson said.

"Sometimes people say things they wouldn’t have said otherwise,
but we need to let go of the anger and forget the prejudice and
forget perpetuating prejudice. They really need to let go of the
divisiveness."

But others in the chamber, including Councilman Ara Najarian,
said Weaver’s comments represented a chance for the city to combat
prejudice and that peo ple should be encouraged to stand up for what
they believe to be a racial slight.

"I think it is an important thing to stand up [against] racial
prejudice wherever it’s seen, especially someone on the council,"
Najarian said. "Should we tell Rosa Parks to chill out, that the back
of the bus wasn’t so bad? No. We’ve got to bring this up. We’ve got
to confront it with the hope that we improve the situation and people
realize they can’t make stereotypical comments and racial comments."

That sentiment was shared by the ANC, which has seen a sharp increase
in membership since Weaver’s comments were first circulated.

Officials with the group have recorded 127 new contacts and said they
have received about 760 letters and more than 60 calls a day since
the article was published.

ANC leaders were quick to say Wednesday that though they had benefited
in the form of increased membership from Weaver’s comments, the focus
should remain on the issue at hand.

"I don’t want any one to turn this into an Armenian, non-Armenian
issue," Glendale ANC Executive Director Elen Asatryan said. "It really
is not about the smoking issue or the Armenian-American community.

It’s deeper than that. I was happy to get phone calls from
non-Armenians who said Councilman Weaver has always taken an extreme
stance on things and his reaction20to any minority is open and
ugly. It’s one thing to hear it from Armenians, it’s another thing
to hear it from non-Armenians."

The ANC also took umbrage at the portrayal of Armenian smoking habits
in the Pasadena Weekly article in which reporter Carl Kozlowski wrote
that Weaver was referring to "the city’s substantial and politically
influential Armenian community, where smoking tobacco — both in
cigarette form and from hookahs — is a widely enjoyed after-dinner
cultural tradition."

Asatryan strongly dismissed that contention and said support and
opposition for the proposed ban against smoking is divided among many
of Glendale’s Armenians.

"[Smoking] is not an after-dinner tradition, I promise you," Asatryan
said. "Something like this should have never been published."

A survey that the ANC recently conducted showed that 45% of the 740
people asked supported the proposed ban while 61% of survey takers
claimed to be nonsmokers.

Kozlowski and editor Kevin Uhrich appeared at the meeting and expressed
regret for the misattribution — which they corrected after the error
was found — and met with ANC leaders July 31 to sooth relations.

To assuage their concerns, officials with the Pasadena Weekly agreed
to let Asatryan write a guest column in a future issue breaking down
the tenets of the survey and listing some of the ANC’s=2 0primary
grievances.

"We try really hard, but we make mistakes — we’re human," Uhrich
said. "This is just one of those unfortunate occurrences where we’ve
taken, I think, appropriate action to correct."

MATTHEW BRYZA AGAIN REFUTES WORDS, SPREAD ON HIS BEHALF

Today.Az
07 August 2008 [12:27]

It is already not funny. It is more like a soap opera, which can be
called "The tragedy of a diplomat".

The point is that US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza
again refuted words, spread by journalists on his behalf. Matthew
Bryza seems to add to the history of the world diplomacy as a person,
whose words were constantly "distorted" and which he had to refute.

If previously in Armenia he rebutted the words, spread by Azerbaijani
journalists and in Azerbaijan by Armenians, this time, he trapped
Russian media representatives, if exactly, Interfax news agency. The
point is M.Bryza’s statement, spread by Interfax, according to which
he said "Karabakh residents will decide themselves whether they will
fall under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction or no".

In his interview to BBC Azerbaijan press service, M.Bryza said his
words had been distorted and misinterpreted.

The full text of M.Bryza’s interview to BBC is given below. We do
hope that the US co-chair will not say that journalists of this world
famous radio have distorted his words again.

– People who read just a part of my interview to Interfax, had
drawn wrong conclusions, as it does not contain the details of the
affais. Therefore, they do not take into account some details. People
in Azerbaijan consider that I have said that Nagorno Karabakh residents
will soon determine their fate. In the reality, I have said that
there is a large package of proposals. These are just proposals from
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

These proposals include withdrawal of Armenian troops from seven
regions around Nagorno Karabakh, return of Azerbaijani IDP, deployment
of peacekeeping forces and creation of a certain kind of communication
between Armenia and Karabakh.

It can also include a kind of voting. I can not say it may be a
referendum or a plebiscite or a form of voting to involve Nagorno
Karabakh residents.It may occur in the future, of which we can not
speak now. But it may occur only after IDP return to their homes. It
was also stated by Novruz Mamedov.

The details of this voting have not been defined yet. Voting details
can be defined only in the framework of any major agreement. It
means that nothing has been coordinated before the full package
has been coordinated. We do not force anyone to accept any
version of the resolution, we just make our proposals. Agreement
on the status of Nagorno Karabakh can be reached only between
Azerbaijan and Armenia. The parties should reach the consensus
independently. Otherwise, there is no sense of proposals, made by
the co-chairs.

– Mr.Bryza, Interfax reads quoting on you that "Karabakh residents
should decide whether to fall under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction or
no". But Azerbaijan says that regardless of the form of a peaceful
agreement Nagorno Karabakh must remain part of Azerbaijan. A referendum
or a voting can only define the status of Nagorno Karabakh’s remaining
a part of Azerbaijan.

Perhaps, the government of Azerbaijan reacted so sharply to it,
therefore…

– If Interfax has published something, it does not mean that it is
exactly like that. I spend too much time on distorted words and
wrong quotes. In this case we become the witnesses of incorrect
interpretation of my words.

The reality is that we base our work on the territorial integrity
and that is all.

– Cannot any referendum change it?

– We recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This
international principle has a high diplomatic status. At the same
time, there are political, not jural, but political principles,
important for the Armenian side. If an agreement is reached, it means
both parties should sign it. The parties should reach an agreement
on the previously confirmed platform that is on the basis of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. But this agreement should also
envision political agreements important for the other party. We are
currently working on this agreement.

– Perhaps, this event shows the difference in positions of the parties
during the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Which progress
has been attained as compared to the last year?

– It is a founded question. We have not reached any serious
achievements through the past year, as this year was full of
cataclysms. Elections in Armenia, ending in tragic violence,
were shocking. It caused the need to establish familiarization
contacts between Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents and the Foreign
Ministers. And it really took place.

The Presidents called the meeting in Saint Petersburg constructive. It
is now possible to say that the process has returned to its normal
course. But it can still be said that no significant progress has
been attained on fundamental issues through the past year. Now it
is possible to hold serious discussions between the leaders of the
two countries.

– Mr.Bryza, have you contacted the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
regarding the interview in the Interfax and given any explanation?

– Certainly, I have.

– Why wasn’t your answer made public?

– This question should be addressed to them. But I am sure that
Azerbaijan is aware of our position. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
is familiarized with these proposals and they are aware of my position
and trust me. I am satisfied with it. The most important is that the
citizens of the two countries, officials of the Foreign Ministry or
simply citizens, concerned with this issue, should realize the only
thing: resolution is impossible without compromise.

Therefore, in both countries the debates should be more open. The
realities should be widely taken into account. Both parties should
get used to the idea of conceding and getting something. Yet the
concessions and obtainment should be based on the principles of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

– Mr.Bryza, Azerbaijani press often publishes critical articles,
addressed to you. According to them, M.Bryza says one thing in Armenia
and different things in Azerbaijan and then complains that his words
have been distorted.

Do you plan to take any explanations on it?

– I think the main problem is the interpretation of my words. In some
cases I sent my remarks to Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists in
English. They mistranslated my words. I think my words are initially
translated from one language into another and then into a third
one. After it my words are interpreted either by translators or
journalists. At the same time, wrong and distorted variants of my
words are published. It is only left to correct them.

I am quite consistent in what I say. I have been the co-chair for
already two years and through this period I have always been consistent
in my statements. Therefore, I can only ask journalists to do their
work. If they have questions they may address to me again and I can
clarify the questions.

I understand that both journalists and translators can make
mistakes. We all can make mistakes.

If there is a mistake, it is my duty to correct it. But I am consistent
in my statements and I am well aware of proposals, aimed at the
resolution of the conflict. I am also one of the authors of these
proposals. In the end I want to say that these issues may create a
stir, both politically and emotionally. Sometimes, some translators
and journalists hear only the moments, they want to hear. The current
case is an example of it.

I read the first article regarding this interview on Friday, upon my
return from the meeting in Moscow. It reads: "Bryza says referendum
on Karabakh will be held". These words do not reflect what I said. I
spoke of the voting process. We do not know which form the voting
will have and whether it will be held at all.

As terminology is unclear, it should be defined. We do not know the
possible terms of possible voting. Therefore, some people hear about
the concept of voting and say that we want it to occur. Therefore,
they interpret it as "referendum".

REPLACEMENT OF OSCE MG FRENCH CO-CHAIR BY EU REPRESENTATIVE WOULD DO GOOD, BAKU SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.08.2008 14:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Given the influence of the Armenian Diaspora in
France, replacement of the country in the OSCE MG process by an EU
representative would be objective and substantial, said Asim Mollazade,
head of Azerbaijani Democratic Reform Party.

"The European Union has numerously come up with an initiative to join
the talks and its participation is favorable for Azerbaijan," he said.

The U.S. will not oppose the Union’s joining the process; however
Russia and France arouse concerns, since these two states seem
to take up pro-Armenian position in the Nagorno Karabakh issue,
according Mollazade.

"If Azeri diplomacy works properly, the idea of engaging the EU into
the negotiation process may come true," he said, 1news.az reports.

Yesterday, International Crisis Group Europe Program Director Sabine
Freizer said she believes it would be expedient to replace France by
an EU representative in the OSCE Minsk Group.