Month: December 2008

OLLI REHN: NEXT YEAR SHOULD BE THE YEAR OF SETTLEMENT IN CYPRUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.12.2008 13:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Turkey must overcome internal divisions and get back
to long-delayed reforms early next year to show it is serious about
wanting to join the European Union", the bloc’s enlargement chief said.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said he expected more Balkan
countries to apply for EU membership following Montenegro’s move
earlier this month, but urged them not to rush in because they must
first show a track record of reforms.

"Next year should also be the year of a settlement in Cyprus," Rehn
said. "Next year will be an important litmus test of whether Turkey
is serious about its EU accession perspective."

"After one or two years of domestic difficulties, we would expect
Turkey now to put up a new gear and seriously start to pursue the
reforms again," he said.

Turkey narrowly avoided a crisis this year over a public prosecutor’s
attempt to have the Constitutional Court ban the ruling AK Party.

"There is too much energy used on internal tensions which could be
used for pursuing legal and economic reforms that are required for
EU membership."

Rehn urged Turkey to get to business quickly. "The sooner the better,
but at the latest after the March (local) elections, Turkey should
totally resume the reforms again," he said, Reuters reports.

TURKISH APOLOGY CAMPAIGN PROVED THAT PUBLIC FEAR WANES

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.12.2008 13:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The apology campaign launched by Turkish
intellectuals can be welcomed, with some reservations, according to
an Armenian professor.

"First, the number of signatories is too small to speak of public
support to the initiative. Second, the authors of the petition did
not use term Genocide. Nevertheless, it was the initial step which
can cause a chain reaction," said Ruben Safrastyan, director of the
institute of oriental studies at the RA academy of sciences.

At that, he emphasized that the Turkish public is not afraid of the
authorities as it was several years ago.

VOSKANYAN TO BE TRANSFERRED TO BANANTS

A1+
[02:39 pm] 22 December, 2008

The experienced half-back of the Armenian football team Arthur
Voskanyan will be transferred to Yerevan’s Banants next year. On
January 10 he will sign a contract with the club.

Arthur played in Belorussia’s Vitebsk in 2008. He was back to Armenia
in November.

"The choice of Banants was not accidental. "The team’s substructures
are the best in Armenia. In 2009 we shall do our utmost to win a cup
and become a champion. I think Bananats is capable of demonstrating
a worthy game," said Voskanyan.

Note that during the last ten years Voskanyan has played either in
foreign or in leading Armenian teams.

DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER

A1+
[01:33 pm] 22 December, 2008

Today is winter solstice. The winter solstice occurs at the instant
when the Sun’s position in the sky is at its greatest angular
distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the observers’
hemisphere. Usually the night is the longest and the day the shortest
during winter solstice. Though the winter solstice lasts an instant,
the term is also colloquially used to refer to the full 24-hour period
of the day on which it occurs.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to
culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth,
involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other
celebrations around that time.

It is generally believed that autumn ends on this day.

Starting from December 22 days will become longer and days
shorter. People also believe that on December 31 they will have the
same weather as on December 22.

According to the Armenian State Hydrometeorological and Monitoring
Service snow will fall in the highlands these days. The temperature
will be -1-3 at night and +1+3 in the daytime.

NA CONVENES EXTRAORDINARY SITTING

A1+
[01:54 pm] 22 December, 2008

Upon the initiative of the Armenian Government, the National Assembly
convenes an extraordinary sitting at 12, December 23, 2008.

Alongside with other draft laws the NA will debate the draft
amendments to the RA Laws on "Advertisement," "Television and Radio,"
"Referendum," "Electoral Code," and the Law on "Conducting Meetings,
Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations."

LEVON ARONYAN THE SECOND

Panorama.am
14:10 22/12/2008

The Super GM Tournament in Nanjing finished. Armenian chess player
Levon Aronyan gained the second horizontal yielding his Bulgarian
rival Veselin Topalov. The third horizontal is occupied by Bu Xiangshi
(5 points), Peter Svidler (4.5 points), Sergey Movsisyan and Vassily
Ivanchuk (4 points each).

DISABLED HAVE EQUAL POSSIBILITIES

Panorama.am
14:50 22/12/2008

"Sunflower" 6th annual award ceremony on equal possibilities of
the disabled people organized by "Bridge of Hope" and "Mission
East" organizations and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
finished. The mission of the ceremony is to remind that the disabled
people have equal possibilities.

The ceremony included the publications from November 20, 2007 to
December 15, 2008. In 2008 the jury was content with the online
and print publications. In "Best article" nomination a journalist
from Goris Susanna Shahnazaryan was awarded, the second prize was
awarded to Edgar Amirkhanyan from "Panorama.am" online publication
( 8/09/02/teqahartakner/) and
the third prize was awarded to Haykuhi Barseghyan from "168 Zham".

"For two days the members of the committee have discussed the
publications, it was very difficult to make final decision," said
the President of "Bridge of Hope" NGO Susanna Tadevosyan.

NEW MARONITE ARCHBISHOP OF CYPRUS ENTHRONED

rus_and_World_News/13245
December 22, 2008

The enthronement of the new Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus, Joseph
Soueif, took place Sunday in the Maronite Church in Nicosia.

The ceremony was attended among others by President of the Republic
of Cyprus Demetris Christofias, Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus
Chrysostomos II, Bishops of the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus,
Maronite Archbishops and Bishops, members of the Cypriot Council of
Ministers, leaders and representatives of the political parties of
Cyprus, members of the Cypriot Parliament and Cypriot Members of the
European Parliament, heads of diplomatic missions, representatives
of the Maronite community in Cyprus, mayors and others.

In his address, the new Maronite Archbishop thanked especially the
Cypriot President and the Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus for
attending the ceremony, saying "I interpret your presence at this
ceremony as an honor to the Maronite community in Cyprus and to my
self and I express to you all my deep appreciation".

"My special gratitude to you Mr President for your presence
among us today. This is a proof of love and concern for our
community. Archbishop Chrysostomos II, I am deeply touched by your
presence here and the brotherly initiative that you took in sending
me a special greeting on the very day of the declaration of my elect
ion", he continued.

The new Maronite Archbishop expressed the wish and prayed that
the Cyprus problem is soon solved and the Maronite refugees return
to their villages and properties, which are under Turkish military
occupation since 1974.

"We wish and pray that the Cyprus problem will soon be resolved and
our people will go back to our homes, to our churches in Kormakitis,
in Asomatos, in Ayia Marina and in Karpasia", which are traditionally
Maronite villages now under Turkish occupation.

He also referred to the Maronite enclaved persons who still live in
their villages in the occupied areas of Cyprus, saying "I admire
the faith and the courage of people who are still living there. I
bestow upon them the blessings of the Lord and the protection of the
Virgin Mary" assuring them that "I will be by their side regularly
visiting them".

Cyprus, he continued, "has a very rich inheritance of apostolic
tradition. Cyprus is an island rich in spiritual history. This allows
it to play a special role in the European Community".

"I look forward to our sincere and closed cooperation for the good
of my community and the whole of this great island", the new Maronite
Archbishop concluded.

In his address, President of Cyprus congratulated the new Maronite
Archbishop for his enthronement and wished him every success,
reassuring him that their c ooperation will be "close and daily".

"Today’s message is a message of unity, a message on behalf of the
Maronite community, the Maronite Church, a message on behalf of the
Orthodox Church of Cyprus as well as a message of unity on behalf
of the Armenian and Latin communities of Cyprus", he said, adding
"it is also a message of love, brotherhood and unity with the Turkish
Cypriot community of the Republic of Cyprus".

He expressed the wish that soon the "blessed day will come, when the
refugees will return to their homes and properties and villages".

"Dear new Archbishop of the Maronites in Cyprus, I would like to
reassure you of my friendship and support", the Cypriot President
said, adding "we have a common struggle, a struggle for the salvation
of our country and I am sure that the day will come when this will
become reality".

Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus has congratulated the Maronite
Archbishop for his enthronement and reassured of his cooperation
with him.

"I would like to reassure you that the Church of Cyprus will welcome
you with pleasure and we will be at your disposal. Our cooperation
is given and we will be glad to welcome you in the Archbishopric and
other Churches. Your presence will be a great joy for us", he said.

Archbishop Chrysostomos II wished the new Maronite Archbishop 9
Cstrength and prosperity".

In his address, Antonis Hadjiroussos, Representative of the Maronite
Religious Group at the Cypriot House of Representatives, welcomed
the new Archbishop, describing the day as historic for the Maronite
community in Cyprus.

"The presence of the President of Cyprus is highly appreciated by all",
he said.

Hadjiroussos referred to the ongoing process which began in September
with an aim to reunify Cyprus, divided since the Turkish invasion of
1974, saying that "You should know Mr President that we support your
efforts for the reunification of Cyprus".

He referred to the problems faced by the Maronite community in Cyprus
after the Turkish invasion of 1974, saying that "Maronite refugees
would like to return to their villages and properties".

Welcoming the new Archbishop, he said "welcome and congratulations
for your enthronement, you have our unreserved support".

The new Archbishop was born in Chekka, Lebanon, in 1962 and ordained
a priest in 1987.

The Maronite Church is one of the largest Eastern-rite communities
of the Roman Catholic Church and is especially prominent in modern
Lebanon.

The Maronite community in Cyprus has a Maronite Archbishop who is
elected by the Holy Synod of the Maronite Church in Lebanon and
confirmed by His Holiness the Pope.

At present the Cyprus Maronite community is a very small community
forming an integral part of the people of Cyprus but, at the same
time, continuing to exist as a separate community. The Maronites who
now live in Cyprus consider themselves of Lebanese origin and they
are Christian Catholics.

The Maronite community of Cyprus today numbers around 6.000 scattered
all over the island.

After the Turkish invasion of 1974, the Maronites had to abandon
their villages which are now under Turkish occupation.

The number of Maronites living in the Turkish occupied areas has
steadily decreased from 2.000 in December 1974 to 150 persons today,
who are of an average age of 70 and over.

ARMENIA FM MAKES A SPEECH AT THE ARSTSAKHI STATE UNIVERSITY

armradio.am
22.12.2008 10:58

Within the framework of his visit to Artsakh the Foreign minister
of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, visited the Artsakh Sate University,
where he first laid a wreath at the memorial to those killed in the
Artsakhi war.

The Armenian Foreign Minister made delivered a speech in presence
of the students and faculty of the Artsakh State University. Edward
Nalbandian presented the perspectives of the negotiation process on
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Turning to the participation of NKR authorities in the process of
Karabakh conflict settlement, Minister Nalbandian stressed that
no agreement can be reached without the full participation of the
Karabakhi side in the negotiation process.

Minister Nalbandian also met with the NKR Parliament Speaker Ashot
Ghulyan and Prime Minister Georgy Petrosyan.

GUL DECLARES HIS FAMILY IS MUSLIM AND TURKISH

armradio.am
22.12.2008 13:43

President Abdullah Gul released a statement yesterday about his
family’s ethnic origins in response to a Republican People’s Party
(CHP) deputy’s attempt to link the president’s attitude toward a
recently launched apology campaign for the Armenian killings at
the hands of the late Ottoman Empire in 1915 to his ethnic roots,
Today’s Zaman reported.

As CHP deputy Canan Arıtman who claimed that President Gul’s mother is
of Armenian origin, continued to attack the president in an interview
published in the Milliyet daily yesterday, saying that she would like
to throw a shoe at the president when she sees him in the same way
an Iraqi journalist last week hurled a shoe at visiting US President
George W. Bush. Gul released a statement denying claims that his
family has Armenian roots.

In his statement yesterday, Gul announced that his mother’s side,
the Satoglu family from Kayseri, and his father’s side, the Gul family
also from Kayseri, are Muslim and Turkish, according to centuries of
written genealogy records.

"I respect the ethnic background, different beliefs and family ties of
all my citizens and see this as a reality and also the wealth of our
country with its imperial history. I also would like to emphasize
that all my citizens are equal to one another regardless of any
differences. No one has any superiority whatsoever over another
one. Everybody has the equal and same rights under the guarantee of
our Constitution," the statement read. "I am proud of our country,
which has reached this level of understanding."

When Gul was asked for his opinion on the campaign, he said the
state’s stance is to improve relations with its neighbors. "We
believe dialogue to be the solution for problems we have with our
neighbors. Perpetuating problems is not useful to anyone," he said.

–Boundary_(ID_/xDsx6w2975z+mhbA+hFgA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress