Month: September 2008

LILIT MKRTCHIAN BEATS EVA MOSER AT BEGINNING OF WOMEN’S WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan

Se p 1, 2008

NALCHIK, SEPTEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. A Women’s World Knockout Chess
Championship started in Nalchik on August 29. Armenian GM Lilit
Mkrtchian played against Eva Moser of Austria at the start and defeated
her (3.5-2.5).

In the 2nd round L. Mkrtchian will play against Anna Gasik (Poland).

US-based Katerina Rohunian also passed to the next round. She beat
Natalia Zhukova (2.5-1.5).

NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM OF ARMENIA STARTS PREPARING FOR QUALIFYING STAGE OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan

Se p 1, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. On September 1 Armenia’s national
football team started preparing in Yerevan for the September 6 match
with Turkey and the September 10 match with Spain of the qualifying
stage of the 2010 world championship.

The chief coach of the Armenian national team Jan Poulsen invited 25
players to a training assembly in Yerevan. In addition to football
players from Armenian teams, those from clubs of Russia, Denmark,
Belarus, Ukraine, Sweden, Romania, the Netherlands and Iran have
been invited.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE ROLE OF ARMENIAN SPORT IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Panorama.am
15:27 02/09/2008

In the summer of 1912 two Armenian sportsmen, Vahram Papazyan and
Mkrtich Mkryan, took part in the 5th International Olympic Games
in Stockholm, representing the empire to the Olympics for the first
time. In 1915 to 1920 innumerable Armenian sportsmen became victim
of the Genocide, most Armenian sports clubs closed.

This reveals new details of Armenian history and includes about 70
photos, documents, periodicals which tell the history of the Armenian
sport clubs and football teams in the Ottoman Empire until 1915. It
turned out that in times of Abdul Hamid it was forbidden to appear
in the public half-naked; that is why the sportsmen could be arrested
even during a contest. However, the women’s sport was also developed
in that period.

The number of the Armenian sport clubs in the Ottoman Empire was
about 100. In 1911 to 1914 the Armenian Olympic Games were held in
Constantinople. From 1911 to 1914 the Marmnamarz, a sports newspaper
editor Shavarsh Krisyan, was published which was the first sports
periodical in the empire.

Today the exposition headlined "Armenian Sports in the Ottoman Empire"
opens at the Museum Institute of the Armenian Genocide which will
last till September 15.

"The Armenian sport clubs and sportsmen had a significant contribution
to the history of sports in the Ottoman Empire," the director of
Museum Institute of the Armenian Genocide Hayk Demoyan said at the
opening ceremony.

"Armenian Olympic Games were first held in Istanbul and Turkish
sportsmen always lost to Armenians. May be this was one of the reasons
why Turkish people hated Armenians from those times," the historian,
deputy director of the Museum Institute Suren Maukyan says.

Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire before total uprooting as
a consequence of premeditated and state-orchestrated genocide plan
of the elimination of the Armenian nation on the territory of the
Ottoman Turkey circa 1915 was among well modernized elements of the
empire which although the segregationist and discriminative nature
of the ottomans played significant role in the social, economical
and cultural life of the empire.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARONYAN TO TAKE PART IN "BIG HELMET" TOURNAMENT

Panorama.am
16:14 02/09/2008

Armenian grand master Levon Aronyan is participating in "Big Helmet"
Tournament opened today in Bilbao, Spain, the official site of Armenian
Chess Federation reports.

Aronyan’s first contender will be Magnus Karlsen from
Norway. Viswanathan Anand of India, the world’s top-ranked player
will take part in a contest against Vasiliy Ivanchuk representing
Ukraine, and Taymur Rajapov from Azerbaijan will play with Bulgarian
Veselin Topalov.

The Tournament has two levels and will end on September 13. The
contests will take place on September 2-6, 8-10 and 12-13. The prize
fund of the competition contains 400 thousand euros, 100 thousand of
which the winner of the Tournament will receive.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STEPAN SAFARIAN AFFIRMS THAT ARFD TRIES TO CONTRIBUTE TO ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S RETURN TO BIG POLITICS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 2, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. According to Gagik Minasian, a
member of the Board of the Republican Party of Armenia, the relative
peace has been broken in the South Caucasus after August 8, and the
instability that emerged as a result of it in the region can last
very long. As he stated at the September 2 dispute, the uncertainty
will go on until the issue of Georgia’s membership to NATO becomes
clear. The RPA figure also said that the humanitarian crisis in the
region and the prospect of warming of Armenian-Turkish relations make
realistic the opening of the Kars-Gyumri railway.

Stepan Safarian, a member of the Board of the Zharangutiun (Heritage)
party, affirmed that Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s possible visit
to Armenia shoult not yet make RA authorities hope that the contacts
between the two countries will improve. "We welcome Serzh Sargsyan’s
invitation to A. Gul as a precedent, as an attempt. However, if I
were the RA authorities, I would not have much hopes connected with
Turkish President’s visit," A. Safarian said.

Touching upon the rally of ARFD to take place in the evening the same
day, the Zharangutiun representative said that though the rally is
dedicated to the Artsakh independence day, nevertheless, A. Gul’s
visit will be touched upon during the rally.

According to S. Safarian, lately it is obvious that former President
Robert Kocharian strives for returning to big politics, and ARFD
tries to contribute to it. "Armenian-Turkish relations were frozen
under R. Kocharian and S. Sargsyan has changed serious accents
in the RA foreign policy, and it contradicts ARFD’s principles,"
S. Safarian said.

WEEK OF LEBANON’S CULTURE BEING HELD IN ARMENIA FROM AUGUST 27 TO SEPTEMBER 2

Noyan Tapan

Au g 29, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Naregatsi Art Union (NAU) with the
support of Ministries of Culture of the RA and the Republic of Lebanon,
as well as with the support of the two countries’ Embassies holds
a Week of Lebanon’s Culture from August 27 to September 2. During
these days the Armenian audience will get acquainted with Lebanon’s
rich culture. A celebration devoted to the Lebanese poet Gibran
Kahlil Gibran will be held at the RA Writers’ Union, Fayha Choir will
give concerts, the performance of An Unfinished Novel will be on in
Hovhannes Toumanian State Puppet Theatre based on the play of the
same name by Lebanese-Armenian writer Ara Artsrouni.

Within the framework of the week an exhibition of Lebanese-Armenian
artist Raffi Antonian’s works opened at NAU on August 27. The
traditions and everyday life of the inhabitants of Mousa Dag prevail
in the thematics of the artist’s works.

As Fayha’s artistic director Pargev Taslakian noted during the
press-conference on the same day, Arabic, French, Iraqi and Armenian
songs are included in the song-list of the choir founded in 2003. Fayha
is a laureate of a number of international contests, it released its
first album in 2007, it has also participated in the musical setting
of a number of films. In 2008 the choir will perform in Italy, Egypt,
France and Lebanon.

In the words of contemporary Arab poet Henri Zogeyb, he is very
glad that Gibran Kahlil Gibran’s works are being translated into
Armenian. He hopes that Armenian readers who strive for peace, love
and justice will also be inspired with the works of the great poet.

Riad Alamedi, director of the Culture Department of Safadi Fund
of Lebanon, said that there is a great wish to organize a Week of
Armenia’s Culture in Lebanon. It was also mentioned that 500 thousand
Armenians live in Lebanon and that they have made a great contribution
to the development of Lebanese culture.

‘WE ARE THE INHERITORS OF VICTORY’ INTERNATIONAL ACTION TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN OCTOBER 4-6

arminfo
2008-09-01 07:25:00

ArmInfo. ‘We are the Inheritors of Victory’ international action
will be held in Yerevan October 4-6. Armenian Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan and Governmental Steering Committee discussed the details of
the upcoming event Friday.

Armenian Defense Minister Press Secretary Colonel Seyran Shakhsouvaryan
said the action is organized for already the third year: in 2006
in Minsk and in 2007 in Almaty. To attend the event this year,
Gennady Seleznyov, a deputy of RF State Duma, a delegation headed by
Victor Yermakov, Army General and Head of Steering Committee Staff
as well as delegations from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan will arrive
in Yerevan. Conferences and meetings will be organized for media,
local cadets, students and pupils. A concert ‘No one is forgotten,
nothing is forgotten’ will be held at State Academic Theater of Opera
and Ballet after A. Spendiarov. Armenian defense minister and members
of Governmental Steering Committee discussed also preparatory works
for events scheduled for 19 February 2009 on occasion of the 20th
anniversary of withdrawal of Soviet Troops from Afghanistan. S. Ohanyan
highlighted the cooperation with the Union of Veterans of Afghan
War. ‘Many of participants in Afghan War fought also in Karabakh and
should transfer their experience to young generation’, the minister
said.

RUSSIA’S FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN TURKEY FOR CRISIS TALKS

AP
09/02/2008 08:17

Turkey has threatened to retaliate against new Russian import controls
that are seen as an attempt to punish Turkey for allowing U.S. warships
carrying aid to Georgia to pass through the Turkish straits, that
connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

The extra import checks for Turkish goods have resulted in hundreds
of Turkish trucks being held up at Russian border posts.

Turkey’s trade minister has said Turkey would impose more stringent
trade restrictions on Russian goods, but Cemil Cicek, the deputy
prime minister, told reporters Monday that Turkey favored resolving
the issue through dialogue. Russia is Turkey’s top trading partner
and supplier of two-thirds of its natural gas.

Lavrov and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan were also to discuss
a Turkish plan for a regional group to stabilize the Caucasus region
following the war between Russia and Georgia.

Turkey tried to mediate a peaceful solution to the Russia-Georgia
conflict, but the proposal did not receive immediate backing from
Georgia. Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said last week
Georgia would consider joining such a group only after Russian forces
leave her country.

The Turkish-proposed group would include Turkey and four nearby
Caucasus nations: Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Hours before Lavrov’s arrival in Istanbul, another U.S. naval
ship passed through the Turkish straits to reach the Black Sea,
the private Dogan news agency reported. There was no information on
its destination.

Last month, two U.S. ships laden with humanitarian aid for Georgia
passed through the Turkish straits. One of them, the guided-missile
destroyer USS McFaul, sailed back through the straits toward the
Mediterranean late Monday, the Anatolia news agency reported.

On Monday, Russia suggested that U.S. ships that took humanitarian
aid to Georgia’s Black Sea coast could also have delivered weapons.

Turkey, a NATO member and close US ally, has helped train and equip
Georgia’s military, which lost a brief war with Russia last month
over the separatist region of South Ossetia.

ADDRESS OF NKR PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKIAN ON THE OCCASION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC’S DAY

De facto
2008-09-02 17:34:00

Dear compatriots!

On September 2 we celebrate a remarkable day for our nation –
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s Day. This day opened up a new page in the
destiny of Artsakh and laid the foundation of independent Armenian
statehood’s restoration.

17 years ago Artsakh people embarked on the road of realization
of their long-standing dream to construct a free and independent,
democratic and social state. We have managed to overcome the thorny way
due to an unflinching will, unity and solidarity. Artsakh has become
a symbol of revival of Armenian nation’s invincible spirit. For the
past years we not only managed to restore economy destructed by the
war, but also laid a reliable foundation for the country’s further
development. Strengthening and deepening ties between Artsakh, Armenia
and Diaspora, consolidating efforts and potential of Armenians living
in different countries of the world, we began efficiently solving the
problems the Republic faced, raise the people’s well-being, construct
and restore infrastructure. Today we can proudly state that we have a
strong and efficient army, a progressively developing country, which
corresponds to the world standards and norms and is one of the main
factors of maintaining stability in the region.

Friends, we should always remember the price we have paid for our
current free and peaceful life, of losses and privations our people
have overcome while constructing an independent statehood. The
best sons of Armenian nation gave their lives for their Homeland’s
freedom. Eternal glory to the heroes!

We must realize our friends’ cherished dream – to secure
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s international recognition and bequeath
succeeding generations a strong and independent, peaceful and
prosperous Homeland. Be sure that it is just the matter of time.

The NKR authorities are adherent to the principles of existing
conflicts’ peaceful settlements. All discords should be settled
via a direct dialogue. Everyone should once and for all realize
that Artsakh’s independence has no alternative and is not subject
to speculations.

Dear Artsakh people, I cordially congratulate you on this symbolic
holiday and wish you strong health, happiness and further successes
to the glory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s bright future.

September 2, 2008.

The city of Stepanakert.

SERGE SARGSIAN CONGRATULATED NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC ON INDEPENDENCE DAY

De Facto
2008-09-02 17:38:00

YEREVAN, 02.09.08. DE FACTO. RA President Serge Sargsian congratulated
Karabakh people on the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s Independence Day.

According to the RA President’s Press Office, Armenian President’s
congratulatory message runs, in part, "Dear compatriots, I congratulate
you on the Independence Day.

The past 17 years proved that Artsakh people’s choice was the
only right in that situation. This choice is historical, sacred and
incontestable for us. Today is a holiday for everyone: it is also the
holiday for those, who immortalized themselves with fighting exploits
in the name of a liberated and worthy homeland.

Dear Artsakh people, You have bore the test of both war and peace and
nowadays you are devoted to the case of building and protecting a free
country. You are devoted to the case, trying to improve your state,
public and economic activity. I am convinced that you will solve
current problems and will be able to resist all future challenges
with the help of Armenia and Armenians living in different countries
of the world.

I again congratulate you on this remarkable holiday and wish you
peaceful sky and steady progress".