Month: October 2008

ABOUT 14 % ECONOMIC GROWTH EXPECTED IN KARABAKH CURRENT YEAR

DeFacto Agency
2008-10-01 15:06:00
Armenia

YEREVAN, 01.10.08. DE FACTO. In 2005-2007 economic growth in the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic made 11 % at an average.

According to DE FACTO own correspondent in Stepanakert, NKR Minister
of Finance Spartac Tevosian stated it at a sitting of the NKR
government. In his words, 13, 8 % growth is expected in the Republic
this year. An average annual growth of GNP is forecast within the
limits of 1 4%. It should be added that 15, 7 % of GNP is currently
ensured at the expense of economy’s agrarian sector.

The Minister of Finance said tendency of consumer prices’ growth
had been maintained during last years. In 2000-2007 it made 4, 3 %
at an average and was conditioned by the world prices’ influence.

In 2009-2011 NKR state budget’s own revenues are forecast in the
amount of 22 milliard, 26 milliard and 30, 9 milliard drams.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA AWARDED ORDER OF GOLDEN FLEECE

ArmInfo
2008-10-01 14:31:00

ArmInfo. President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili granted President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan a state award – Order of Golden Fleece, it has
become aware during yesterday’s briefing of two presidents in Tbilisi,
"Hayastani Hanrapetutyun" newspaper reports.

For his part, Armenian President thanked his Georgian colleague for
granting him this award and expressed a desire to deepen the economic
relations with Georgia and use the existing potential to the maximum.

"From the very start we have come to a conclusion, that
Georgian-Armenian relations should be viewed as those that
are developing in positive direction and now we should say with
satisfaction, that there is more potential for expanding cooperation
between our states with the aim to integrate our economies," President
Sargsyan stated.

"We have agreed to construct a new road. This is very important matter
for us. We also agreed to do everything possible so that state borders
never hamper our communication, never prevent implementation of our
economic activities," President Sargsyan added.

Armenian President once again expressed his condolences to his
Georgian colleague with regard to the victims of tragic events in
Georgia in August

ARMENIAN LATE FOREIGN MINISTER: RECOGNITION OF NAGORNY KARABAKH INDEPENDENCE SHOULD REMAIN IN THE ARSENAL OF FOREIGN POLICY OF THE COUNTRY

ArmInfo
2008-10-01 14:30:00

ArmInfo. Armenian leadership has reiterated many times that every
conflict should be observed separately, late Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan said at today’s briefing when replying the question
regarding recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia and
its possible affecting the Karabakh conflict settlement.

‘We have about unigue nature of the Karabakh conflict taking into
consideration the above mentioned and the situation set over the last
years’, – the former minister said and added that recent events and the
view of the world community in this context are dictating the necessity
of making important stresses. He also added two circumstance may be
distinguished as a result of recent events – application of force and
the problem of territorial integrity. Russia grounded that Georgia has
applied force towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia, for this reason their
independence is inevitable. Such assessment of Russia was contradicted
to the opinion of the world community, Oskanyan said. ‘Taking all
this into account, we must put stresses in the Karabakh issue. First,
Armenia does not recognize independence of Nagorny Karabakk and has no
intention to do that as long as the negotiations are held on the basis
Karabakh people’s right to self-determination. We want to achieve
that through negotiations’, V. Oskanyan said. Another grounding is
that Azerbaijan had already applied force and resorted to ethnic purge
with regard to Karabakh people to ensure it territorial integrity. At
the same time, the ex-foreign minister said recognition of NKR’s
independence must be in the arsenal of Armenia’s foreign policy,
which must be repeatedly mentioned both for Azerbaijan and the world
community. ‘But this weapon must be used at the proper moment. I think,
it is not time for it yet’, V. Oskanyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PIPELINE COULD BREAK NAGORNO-KARABAKH STALEMATE
By Shahin Abbasov

ISN
1 Oct 2008
Switzerland

A potential Azerbaijani pipeline deal could help settle the frozen
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Economics may hold the key to breaking the stalemate in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Turkish and Azerbaijani officials
reportedly are seriously mulling the possibility of Armenian
participation in the long-planned Nabucco pipeline project as part
of a comprehensive Karabakh peace pact.

Turkey is leading efforts to energize the Karabakh peace
process. Turkish, Armenian and Azerbaijani officials met in New
York on 26 September to discuss the Karabakh issue and other security
matters. That meeting kindled hopes that a settlement could be achieved
by the end of 2008.

Although details of the recent discussions have been scarce, some
experts believe that the three sides have probed a possible bargain
under which Armenia would become part of the Nabucco pipeline plans,
in return for a greater degree of flexibility concerning Yerevan’s
position on Karabakh.

Yerevan’s willingness to modify its long-standing demand for Karabakh
independence would appear to be the key as to whether this latest
push for Karabakh peace can be successful. Azerbaijani officials seem
willing to work with Armenia on the Nabucco project, if Yerevan shows
sufficient flexibility on Karabakh.

"Of course, Azerbaijan has set political conditionality related to
the Karabakh conflict on this [Nabucco] issue," Elhan Shahinoglu,
the director of the Baku-based Atlas center for political research,
told EurasiaNet.

Turkish analyst Sinan Ogan, the chair of the Ankara-based TURKSAM
think tank, said that the topic of Armenia’s participation in the
Nabucco project came up during US Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent,
controversial visit to Baku.

"There are serious plans to involve Armenia in this project. Turkey
and Azerbaijan were against this idea at first, but now Armenia’s
participation seems realistic," Ogan said in comments broadcast
September 19 on Voice of America radio.

Initial indicators are that the three sides did not make significant
headway on the Karabakh issue during the 26 September meeting in
New York. On 28 September, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan flatly
admitted that "there are no concrete results yet," according to a
report distributed by the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul also revealed that there has not yet
been any movement on the matter of Turkey ending its economic embargo
against Armenia. The AzerTaj news agency reported Gul as telling a
Turkish diaspora group on 28 September that "no talks over the border
[re-]opening with Armenia are possible before Armenia’s liberation
of Azerbaijani occupied territories."

While the notion of linking a potential Armenian role in Nabucco to the
Karabakh peace process has not been raised publicly, Gul came close
to making a public admission on 10 September during a diplomatic
trip to Baku. "No doubt that the fast liberation of the occupied
[Azerbaijani] territories would be an important step and it would
encourage very efficient economic cooperation in the region. Pipelines
and transport communications would cover the entire Caucasus region,"
Gul said in Baku.

Shahinoglu, the Baku political analyst, believes the peace process
is now at a delicate stage. Any potential breakthrough will likely
require the United States and Russia – two of the three co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group – to set aside their present differences and
engage in diplomatic cooperation, Shahinoglu suggested.

"Obviously, there is a completely new dynamic surrounding the evolution
of talks on the Karabakh conflict, creating unique opportunities for a
breakthrough," Shahinoglu said. "However, this dynamic could [possibly]
result in resumption of the war, if the great powers – first and
foremost Russia and United States – continue to differ fundamentally
on their approach to the future of South Caucasus region."

Shahinoglu added that the Kremlin was not especially interested in
seeing the Turkish initiative concerning Karabakh succeed. He reasoned
that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and the settlement
of the Karabakh question, as well as Yerevan’s potential involvement
in Nabucco, would all do considerable harm to Russia’s geopolitical
interests in the Caucasus.

WALNUT HARVEST LENDS ITSELF TO DELICIOUS TREATS
By Hillary S. Meeks

Visalia Times-Delta
October 1, 2008
CA

September and October mark walnut harvesting season, and Tulare County
has its fair share of groves that bring in these tasty and nutritious
nuts. One such grove can be found at Sevan Farms in northwest Visalia,
run by Brian Yahnian and his father, Sark Yahnian.

A once small walnut operation, the business has grown to 20
acres. After processing, Sevan Farms nuts are sold to several
California distributors, including local distributor Nutrinut Inc.

Once a year Sylvia Yahnian, Brian’s mother and Sark’s wife, teams
up with other women from her family’s church, St. Mary’s Armenian
Apostolic Church in Yettem, to make crescent cookies using their
walnuts to sell during the Armenian Food Festival in May. But sometimes
when walnut season rolls around, she makes the cookies just for the
fun of it.

The cookies have a light texture, almost like a croissant. This dough
is filled with a tasty walnut mixture.

Another Armenian treat sold at the festival is paklava, which is made
with multiple layers of filo dough, walnut filling, a sugary syrup
and copious amounts of butter.

The end result is a sticky and satisfying pastry.

If you don’t want to wait until May to get some of these goods made
authentically by Armenians, try your own hand at baking some crescent
cookies and paklava at home with these traditional recipes.

"THERE ARE MARKED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THOSE CONFLICTS"

A1+
[03:19 pm] 01 October, 2008

Both Russia and Georgia have ignored their commitments" CoE General
Secretary Terry Devis told a press conference today.

With regard to the Russian-Georgian conflict he reiterated his words
said at yesterday’s PACE session.

In general, Terry Devis disagrees to the wide-spread opinion that
Georgia and South Ossetia have always had some unsettled conflicts. The
CoE General Secretary says it doesn’t matter which of the sides was
the first to fire a weapon. Currently, the most important question
is to think of further steps.

I support the territorial wholeness of the CoE member-states,"
Mr. Devis said in view of Russia’s recognition of the independence
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In reply to a Serb journalist’s question why the CoE General Secretary
didn’t express the same opinion when Kosovo proclaimed unilateral
independence, Terry Devis reminded that he hadn’t endorsed Kosovo’s
unilateral independence. At the same time he noted that there are
considerable differences between Kosovo and other conflicts. South
Ossetia, Abkhazia and Karabakh greatly differ from Kosovo.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
September 29, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

NEW McCAIN OUTREACH TO ARMENIAN AMERICAN VOTERS FAILS TO OUTLINE
POLICY POSITIONS

Senate Record Reflects Opposition and Indifference to Armenian
American Priorities

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John McCain today issued an open letter to
Armenian American voters, seeking their support for his
presidential campaign, but failing to outline his stands on core
Armenian American issues, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).

Today’s letter, released by the McCain-Palin campaign, echoed the
same themes as Senator McCain’s correspondence this February to the
ANCA. Using nearly identical language, the Arizona Senator praised
the Armenian American contribution to American society, and
Armenia’s contribution to Coalition operations in Iraq and NATO
peacekeeping in Kosovo. While remaining silent on Nagorno Karabagh,
the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, U.S. aid to Armenia, and the
broader issue of U.S.-Armenia relations, he did, in euphemistic
language typically employed by the Administration, mention the
"terrible tragedy" suffered by the Armenians, although, notably,
without using the proper term genocide or even mentioning the
Ottoman Empire or the Republic of Turkey.

"We had hoped that, during the course of the campaign, Senator
McCain’s outreach to Armenian American voters would have evolved
beyond the respectful but substantially non-policy oriented letter
he sent to us earlier this year, by outlining his positions on our
community’s core issues," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. "Armenian Americans are issue voters, and look to the
candidates seeking their support to be clear about their views and
values – particularly on issues related to the Armenian Genocide,
Nagorno Karabagh, the strengthening of Armenia, and the growth of
U.S.-Armenia relations."

Senator McCain has, throughout his tenure in the Congress, largely
opposed or was passively indifferent to a broad array of Armenian
American issues. As recently as October of last year, Senator
McCain publicly opposed Congressional recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. In 1999, he voted against restricting U.S. aid to
Azerbaijan over its blockades and other offensive uses of force
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. He voted against Senator Bob
Dole’s Armenian Genocide Resolution in 1990.

In a related matter, Forbes magazine published a prominent article
about opposition within Turkey to the Obama campaign due to the
support of both Senators Obama and Biden for U.S. recognition of
the Armenian Genocide.

The article, entitled, "Armenia, Turkey and the G-Resolution," can
be found on the Forbes.com website

The ANCA invites community comments about the Presidential
election. Share your thoughts by writing to [email protected].

The texts of both McCain letters are provided below.

#####

Text of September 29, 2008 McCain campaign open letter

To the Armenian-American Community of the United States

Dear Friends,

The Armenian-American community has contributed richly to the
American fabric and has been instrumental in ensuring that a
terrible tragedy is never forgotten.

It is fair to say that one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th
century, the brutal murder of as many as one and a half million
Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, has also been one
of the most neglected. The suffering endured by the Armenian people
during that period represented the prologue to what has come to be
known as humanity’s bloodiest century. It is our responsibility to
recognize those tragic events and to ensure that our world never
experiences the impact of the bloody conflicts that so filled the
20th century.

In light of that history, the rise of the independent Republic of
Armenia from such painful experiences is inspirational, as is the
vibrancy of the Armenian diaspora. In particular, I deeply admire
both Armenia’s support of coalition operations in Iraq and NATO
peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo. In my visits to Armenia, I have
been deeply impressed by the resilient and hard working Armenian
people who have made tremendous progress in very difficult
circumstances.

Our country is greatly enriched by the descendents of the victims
and survivors of the horrific tragedy that befell the Armenian
people. Today Armenian-Americans represent that indestructible
spirit of a people and embody the principles of freedom and
democracy that all Americans prize above all else. I am grateful
for all of the contributions that Armenian-Americans have made to
our wonderful country and I greatly value the opportunity to stand
with the Armenian-American community in my campaign and as the next
President of the United States.

Sincerely,
[signed]
John McCain

—————————————– ————————–
————-

Text of February 1, 2008 McCain letter to the ANCA

February 1, 2008

Aram Hamparian
Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Thank you for contacting me regarding my views on issues of special
concern to the Armenian-American community – a community which has
contributed richly to the American fabric and has been instrumental
in ensuring that one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century
is never forgotten.

It is fair to say that this tragedy, the brutal murder of as many
as one and a half million Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman
Empire, has also been one of the most neglected. The suffering
endured by the Armenian people during that period represented the
prologue to what has come to be known as humanity’s bloodiest
century.

Therefore, the rise of independent Armenia from such painful
experiences is extremely inspirational, as is the vibrancy of the
Armenian diaspora. In particular, I deeply admire both Armenia’s
support of coalition operations in Iraq and NATO peacekeeping
efforts in Kosovo, as well as the Armenian-American community’s
great contributions to our nation. In my visits to Armenia, I have
been deeply impressed by the tremendous progress made in very
difficult circumstances.

I greatly appreciate this opportunity and look forward to working
with the Armenian-American community in my campaign and as the next
President of the United States.

Sincerely,

[signed]
John McCain

Eurasia Daily Monitor

September 29, 2008 — Volume 5, Issue 186

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE RETURNING TO AZERBAIJAN-GEORGIA TRANSPORT CORRIDOR
AFTER THE AUGUST WAR

by Vladimir Socor

Russia’s invasion of Georgia in August caused partial and temporary
disruptions to the transport corridor for Caspian oil and other commodities
through that country. The two-pronged corridor, running from Azerbaijan to
the Georgian Black Sea coast and via Georgia to the Turkish Mediterranean
coast, is now functioning at nearly the same overall capacity as it did
prior to the conflict.

Business confidence in this transport route is rebounding fast, driven
by Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in the region and encouraged by the U.S.
government. The return of confidence reflects both the West’s strategic
stake in this route and the Caspian oil exporters’ imperative need to use
this unique westbound outlet.

On September 19 the recently appointed head of Kazakhstan’s oil and
gas state company KazMunayGaz, Kairgeldy Kabyldin, announced that Kazakhstan
would go ahead with the earlier plan to ship oil to Baku for pumping into
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. The additional oil volumes from
Kazakhstan would increase that line’s throughput from the current annual
rate of 37 to 40 million tons (800,000 to 850,000 barrels per day) to 50
million tons (1 million bpd) of oil annually by 2009-2010. Moreover,
KazMunayGaz proposes to participate with Azerbaijan and Turkey in a project
to build an oil refinery and petrochemical plant at the Ceyhan terminal.

"I would not say today that the risks of [using] BTC have increased
owing to the Russia-Georgia conflict. On the contrary, the transit of Kazakh
oil in this direction will add an element of stability in the region,"
Kabyldin told Kazakh media (Panorama [Almaty], September 19).

On September 24 President Nursultan Nazarbayev, inspecting oil
infrastructure projects on Kazakhstan’s Caspian littoral, confirmed the plan
to develop the Kuryk seaport as a major oil export terminal "for handling
large volumes of crude from Kashagan" (Kazakhstan TV Channel One, September
24). Kuryk is projected to serve the supergiant Kashagan offshore oilfield,
part of whose future output is intended to be shipped by sea tankers to
Baku. From there, two continuation routes are envisaged: the BTC pipeline
(boosting its throughput to ultimately 70 million tons annually or 1.4
million bpd) and Georgian Black Sea export terminals. In all of these cases
Kazakhstan’s and Azerbaijan’s reliance on the South Caucasus corridor will
keep growing.

On September 27 KazMunayGaz’s transport subsidiary KazTransOil
confirmed its earlier plans to invest in Georgia’s Batumi harbor and oil
export terminal. The investment program, which envisages capacity expansion
and equipment modernization, remains in force. KazMunayGaz and KazTransOil
intend to reach the targets previously set for 2008 and 2009 in terms of
investment and transshipment at Batumi (Interfax, September 27).

KazMunayGaz has dropped its earlier intention to build an oil refinery
in Batumi at an estimated cost of $1 billion for an annual processing
capacity of 5 to 7 million tons. This was unrelated to the Russia-Georgia
conflict or risks to the transport corridor. The Kazakh company made this
decision some months ago, citing differences with the Georgian government
over some of the proposed contract terms. Meanwhile, KazMunayGaz and
KazTransOil continue investing in the oil transport corridor to Batumi. The
Kazakhs acquired the sea port and oil terminal in February of this year from
the Danish-led Green Oak Group (Interfax, Civil Georgia, Reuters, September
24).

According to Kabyldin, the company is also interested in sharing the
Baku-Supsa oil pipeline’s capacity with BP and Azerbaijan, as well as in
sharing the Supsa terminal on the Georgian Black Sea coast. The line, closed
for the last two years, was about to reopen when the Russian invasion
occurred and is undergoing tests at present. Meanwhile the Georgian coastal
terminal Kulevi, owned by Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company and paralyzed
during the August conflict, has resumed operations (Turan, September 9;
Panorama [Almaty], September 19).

The one likely setback to the transport corridor is unrelated to oil.
Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Minister Akylbek Kurishbayev informed parliament on
September 22 that his ministry had recommended to the government to drop the
planned construction of a grain export terminal in Georgia’s harbor of Poti.
The ministry cited "international problems and the current situation in
Georgia" as reasons for its recommendations. The Kazakh government has yet
to announce its decision on the matter. The agreement with Georgia, signed
in 2007, envisaged a terminal with a capacity of 500,000 tons, equal to one
tenth of Kazakhstan’s annual grain exports at present. Poti is closer to
Kazakhstan than any other possible open-sea outlet for exporting grain
(Kazinform, Reuters, September 22).

Russian forces vandalized parts of the Poti harbor in August, but the
port is rapidly recovering. The Investment Authority of Ras Al Khaimah
(United Arab Emirates, UAE) acquired a 51% stake in the seaport, along with
management rights and the free industrial zone, in April of this year. The
UAE’s Saqr Port Authority (SPA) operates the port. According to the company’
s CEO Venkatesh Govinda, once the Russians withdrew, "it is business as
usual in Poti," with port services for Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and
Azerbaijan returning to normal. The UAE operator expects cargo volumes to
increase significantly, due to Western aid coming into Georgia (Gulf News,
September 12).

The South Caucasus transport corridor appeared vulnerable during the
Russian invasion of Georgia and its immediate aftermath. The Russians did
not inflict major or long-term damage to the corridor. Rather, they
demonstrated their ability to interrupt its functioning temporarily, for
example, by blowing up the Kaspi railroad bridge, which Georgia has since
restored. Moscow almost certainly does not seek to disable the existing
corridor but rather to prevent its planned expansion by discouraging major
investments.

Countries in the region and their Western partners, however, are
guided by a different logic. They realize that the greater the turnover of
goods and commodities, the higher the international stake in this strategic
corridor, thus decreasing the risk of Russian mischief in the future.

–Vladimir Socor

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

September 30, 2008
Contact: Serouj Aprahamian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA CAPITAL GATEWAY PROGRAM OPENS
PUBLIC POLICY DOORS FOR FALL 2008 PARTICIPANTS

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) Capital Gateway Program welcomed five new participants to
the nation’s capital this month, each eager to embark on careers
in politics and public policy.

Now in its fifth consecutive year, the Gateway Program helps
applicants attain exciting internships and challenging full-time
public policy jobs in the nation’s capital. To date, over forty
fellows have gone through the program and secured positions in
dozens of Congressional offices, as well as esteemed media and
political institutions such as Congressional Quarterly, the US
Chamber of Commerce, Export-Import Bank (EXIM), SRCP Media and
the World Bank.

The five Fall, 2008 participants hit the ground running in
Washington, landing Congressional internships within weeks of
their arrival. "Being in DC for only a week and having already
secured internships on the Hill is very exciting for both me and
my colleagues," said Meri Telelyan, a recent University of
California, Santa Barbara graduate currently interning for Rep.
Mike Thompson (D-CA). "Of course, our ultimate goal is to find
permanent positions working in Congress."

Joining Telelyan is fellow UC Santa Barbara graduate Grigor
Mirza-Avakyan, who is interning with central California
Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA). Mikael Kourinian and Shant
Nahapetian, both from California and both with Masters degrees
in Public Administration, have also set in motion their careers
in DC with internships for Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Rep.
Howard Berman (D-CA), respectively. A fifth participant from
Detroit, Aleek Kahramanian, was the final Fellow to arrive and
join her new roommates at the Gateway house, located just a
stone’s throw away from the White House. Kahramanian is
currently interning with Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI)

"It is often difficult to pick up one’s life, leave family and
friends, and move across country to pursue a dream," says
Nahapetian. "But the ANCA Capital Gateway program provides the
resources, mentoring, and encouragement to significantly ease
the burdens such a drastic life change may entail."

In addition to excelling academically and having a passion for
politics, each of the five Fellows has also demonstrated a track
record of commitment to the Armenian American community.
Kourinian, recently wrapped up a summer internship with the ANC-
WR and looks forwarding to handling Armenian American issues as
one of his main tasks for Congressman Crowley. "I am grateful to
the ANCA Capital Gateway Program for giving me the opportunity
to make my dream of working in Congress and addressing Armenian
American issues a reality," says Kourinian. Kourinian is also
interning with the Hudson Institute, in his pursuit of a policy
position in a think tank.

As in the past, Washington DC area Armenian American policy
professionals have reached out to the ANCA Capital Gateway
Fellows, offering them valuable advice and encouragement. Among
community activists always ready to share insights is Senate
Banking Committee Senior Counsel Dean Shahinian, who brings
insight both from the Congressional and U.S. government agency
perspective.

"It’s wonderful how many doors suddenly appear in front of you
when you get here," says Mirz-Avakyan. "Regardless of what
preconceptions you might have had, it’s hard to have anything
but confidence that you’re in the right place at the right
time."

Established through a generous donation from the Cafesjian
Family Foundation, the Capital Gateway Program, over the years,
has benefited tremendously from the generosity of donors
committed to creating public service opportunities for young
Armenian Americans. The leading financial contributor to the
Program has been the family of Hovig Apo Saghdejian, a 23-year
old youth leader and community activist from Fresno, California,
who lost his life in 2004 in a tragic car accident. His family
established the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Memorial Fund in his
memory. Substantial support has also been provided by longtime
ANCA benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Barbara Hekimian and the
Armenian American Veterans Post of Milford, Massachusetts
(AAVO).

For more information, email ANCA Capital Gateway Program
Director Serouj Aprahamian at [email protected]

#####

Caption: ANCA Capital Gateway Program Fall 2008 participants Grigor
Mirza-Avakyan, Meri Telelyan, Mikael Kourinian, Aleek Kahramanian, and
Shant Nahapetian.

Hovsepyan still hungry with ArmeniaTuesday 30 September 2008
by Khachik Chakhoyan from Yerevan

Armenia’s 35-year-old captain Sargis Hovsepyan is hoping that he still
has time to achieve something significant with the national team,
saying: "My dreams haven’t come true yet, but I have not lost hope for
the future."

Living legend
Depending on who is counting, Hovsepyan has played 99 or 100 senior
games for Armenia, starting his international career at the age of 22
in his nation’s first game following independence – a 0-0 friendly
draw against Moldova on 14 October 1992. The right-sided defender has
become an iconic figure in the national team, but is not ready to give
up playing just yet.

‘Not lost hope’
Armenia lost their first two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against
Spain and Turkey, but Hovsepyan is yet to feel the strain. "After the
USSR collapsed, it was hard to build a strong national team or a good
Armenian club," he reflected. "I really want to achieve more with the
national team, as well as at club level. My dreams haven’t come true
yet, but I have not lost hope for the future."

Zenit peaks
Hovsepyan returned to Armenia to rejoin FC Pyunik in 2004, having left
the club in 1997 to embark upon what he acknowledges was the most
exciting phase of his career, a spell in Russia with FC Zenit
St. Petersburg and then FC Torpedo-ZIL Moskva. In 1999 he won the
Russian Cup with Zenit and two years later won the bronze medal as his
side finished third in the Premier-Liga.

Glory days
"I’m glad I played for Zenit for a few years," remembered Hovsepyan,
who was at the Petrovsky Stadium from 1997 to 2003. "People love
football in St Petersburg. I have brilliant memories of returning to
the city after winning the cup. Thousands of fans came to welcome us
at the airport. The same happened after winning the bronze in 2001. I
spent the best time of my career in Russia."

Ongoing passion
However, leaving the bright lights of Russia behind has not sapped
Hovsepyan’s enthusiasm. "The Armenian championship isn’t the strongest
league I played in," said Hovsepyan, who turns 36 at the start of
November. "You can’t compare it with Russian league where I spent five
years, but I’m preparing for the matches in the same way as I used
to. It’s all about professionalism in football.

Best to come
"Fortunately I only had a few injuries in my career," he added,
explaining the secret of his success. "As long as the team and coach
need me I’ll give 100 per cent of myself on the field. Even after 17
years, I remember each and every one of my national-team games. Of
course, the successful ones I remember better, but even despite the
bad start in qualifying, I believe that best is yet to come."

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