Author: Andres-Papazian

UNE INITIATIVE DISCUTABLE DE VALERIE BOYER
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 22 octobre 2011

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN-MARSEILLE
recue par l’association ” Marseille-Armenie ” elle a devoile le detail
de sa proposition de loi

La deputee des Bouches du Rhône, Valerie Boyer, vice-president du
groupe d’amitie parlementaire France-Armenie etait jeudi 20 octobre
l’invitee de l’association ” Marseille-Armenie “. Une quarantaine
d’invites etaient presents dans les salons de ” la Boiserie ” a
Marseille (12e) etablissement tenu par Franck Ohanessian. Didier
Parakian, Adjoint au Maire et president delegue de ” Marseille
Armenie ” a tout d’abord presente Valerie Boyer et ses actions envers
l’Armenie. ” Valerie Boyer a soutenu dès la première heure ma petition
sur internet demandant aux Senat de voter la Loi de penalisation du
negationnisme du genocide armenien. Elle a egalement ete toujours aux
côtes de l’Armenie et des Armeniens dans tous leurs combats. Elle nous
vient du Haut Karabagh, mission courageuse car elle est declaree avec
Guy Teissier, ” persona non grata ” par l’Azerbaïdjan ” dit Didier
Parakian avant d’inviter la deputee a prendre la parole. Valerie
Boyer remercia pour l’accueil chaleureux et presenta au public sa
proposition de loi portant sur la transposition du droit communautaire
sur la lutte contre le racisme et reprimant la contestation de
l’existence du genocide armenien. Par cette proposition de loi, la
deputee des Bouches du Rhône desire faire appliquer la decision-cadre
europeenne du 2008 afin d’inclure dans le droit francais la reference
de condamnation et de penalisation des negationnismes des genocides,
dont le genocide armenien. Dans son expose, la proposition de loi
rappelle la loi de la France de 2001 reconnaissant officiellement
en 2001 le genocide armenien. Après l’intervention de Valerie Boyer,
de nombreuses questions furent posees tant sur cette proposition de
loi que sur l’Armenie et le Haut Karabagh.

Krikor Amirzayan a Marseille

Note de la redaction :Une initiative contestee Ce projet de Valerie
Boyer de proposer la transposition de la loi-cadre europeenne aurait eu
du sens avant le changement de majorite au Senat, avant la proposition
de Francois Hollande de remettre a l’ordre du jour le texte de la
penalisation et avant l’engagement dans le meme sens que Nicolas
Sarkozy a pris en Armenie. Mais après ce changement de donne elle
pourrait en revanche etre contre-productive et parasiter le projet
de faire ratifier la loi votee le 13 octobre 2006 par l’Assemblee
nationale. Plusieurs responsables nationaux du CCAF ont deja fait part
a la deputee de Marseille de leurs plus “vives reserves” a ce sujet.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN – ARMENIAN RELATIONS

The Messenger
Oct 21 2011
Georgia

During the recent summit in St. Petersburg on October 18 PMs of Armenia
and Russia, Sarkisian and Putin held a meeting. Currently their
economic ties are quite successful. Russian investments in Armenia
reached USD 3 bln. Only Russian state controlled Gasprom invested in
Armenia more than USD 1.6 bln. Currently, as Putin informed, there are
activities underway on the development of Armenia’s transport system –
railways as well as motorways. Armenian PM Sarkisian stated that in
2010 coutry’s economic growth reached 2 % and it is planned to reach
the five percent of economic growth in 2011.He added that Russian
companies in Armenia feel themselves very comfortable. There are more
than 1200 companies with Russian capital active in Armenia currently.

From: A. Papazian

GEORGIA CRUSHES MALTA, MOLDOVA TIES ARMENIA IN FUTSAL WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Shanghai Daily

Oct 22 2011

Source: XINHUA | 2011-10-22

TBILISI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) — Hosts Georgia on Friday whitewashed
Group A minnows Malta with 10 unanswered goals while Moldova tied
Armenia with two goals each in the second round of the FIFA Futsal
World Cup 2012 European zone qualifying tournament.

Giorgi Totladze contributed three goals to Georgia’s victory while
Archil Sebiskveradze and Levan Kobaidze each scored two for the South
Caucasus country.

The four teams are scheduled to play their third and last round
on Sunday and the winner of the group qualifiers plus two of the
best-finished runners-up from the five-group qualifying tournament in
Europe will join 21 other teams from the continent for the official
continental preliminary tournament which decides which teams will go
to Thailand for the FIFA Futsal World Cup proper next year.

The European zone official preliminary tournament is slated for
December with 28 teams participating.

From: A. Papazian

INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS SEEK METHODS TO INTENSIFY KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

news.am
Oct 21 2011
Armenia

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are seeking for methods to preserve
momentum in talks and intensify the Karabakh peace process, said U.S.
Ambassador in Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza.

Speaking at the event dedicated to the project of Save the Children
organization, Bryza said U.S. continues trying to assist the peace
process at the highest level.

The OSCE mediators will arrive in Yerevan on Friday within the
framework of their regional visit.

From: A. Papazian

KARSH PHOTO STILL ENTHRALLS VARTAN GREGORIAN
by Tom Vartabedian

Published: Friday October 21, 2011

Dr. Vartan Gregorian and a photograph of himself taken by Yousuf
Karsh in 1991. Tom Vartabedian

Watertown, Mass. – By virtue of his nature and uncalculated fame, Dr.
Vartan Gregorian is a man accustomed to sitting in the hot seat.

Of all the positions he’s held, all the accolades he’s received, all
the speeches he’s given and notables he’s encountered throughout his
academic lifetime, nothing has rattled his heart more than the time
he posed for Yousuf Karsh.

The year was 1991 and Dr. Gregorian was president emeritus of New York
Public Library. This would be his second encounter with the great
Armenian photographer from Ottawa, whose lens immortalized some the
greatest individuals on this planet.

“It proved to be a nerve-racking experience,” he recalled. “It took
hours before he actually took the picture, making sure every last
detail was in place. He was impatient because I was growing impatient.

Although I’ve been photographed by several other prominent
photographers, having Karsh take my picture was very special because
we were both Armenian.”

The setting shows Dr. Gregorian with one hand on books and another
in his pocket, smiling against a backdrop of library shelves. By his
name reads the inscription: “Academic, Educator, recipient of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

Of the 25 subjects currently on display at the newly-refurbished
Bedoukian Gallery inside the Armenian Library & Museum of America
(ALMA), only one individual remains alive.

Dr. Gregorian got to see his own portrait hung on the wall — two
decades later — next to Ernest Hemingway and Eleanor Roosevelt. The
privilege was undeniable.

“It was a humbling experience that day when he showed up at the library
with his gear,” recalled Dr. Gregorian. “He ran the picture in his
‘Legends’ book. Being the only Armenian included in those pages
was humbling.”

Few if any of the subjects, including Winston Churchill, were able to
get two photo commissions out of Karsh. The first time they met was in
1981 when Dr. Gregorian was Provost at the University of Pennsylvania.

Even then, Karsh proved a taskmaster with the sitting.

“It took four, maybe five hours before he was done,” Dr. Gregorian
traced back. “Looking at my photo now being displayed at ALMA, it’s
living proof that we all age – and unfortunately decline.”

At the time of the grand opening September 16, Dr. Gregorian was
engaged elsewhere and couldn’t attend. He picked a Sunday afternoon
in early October when the museum was launching an art exhibit by
impressionist Martin Barooshian. The two notables were floors apart,
each greeting their own constituents, and never did get to meet
that day.

Dr. Gregorian had a flight to catch and was in Geneva days later
attending a conference as president of the philanthropic Carnegie
Corporation of New York. At an age when most are retired, he also
remains a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, the American Academy
in Berlin, the Institute for Advanced Study and Brandeis University
among other institutions.

Nearly 70 honorary degrees have come his way.

The Iranian-born academian served as president of Brown University
for nine years before Carnegie. His New York Public Library tenure
extended eight years and proved one of his most lasting legacies.

When he arrived there in 1981, the library faced deficits and a
deteriorating architecture. Eight years later, the operation budget
had doubled, 400 new employees had been hired, the buildings were
cleaned and restored, and $327 million had been raised.

Over the years, Dr. Gregorian grew to admire Karsh’s work and held
him in the highest esteem. They had met on other occasions and the
respect turned mutual.

“Although he was proud to be Canadian, Karsh was equally proud to
be Armenian,” said Dr. Gregorian. “I admired his erudition as well
as his modesty. He treated everyone as if they were the only person
who counted in the world. Even Churchill couldn’t defy him when he
took the cigar out of his mouth.”

Dr. Gregorian further described Karsh as “profound and humorous.”

“He had no identity crisis,” Dr. Gregorian added. “He knew who he
was and his mission in life. He had a rich inner life as well as a
wonderful profession and he loved and admired his wife Estrellita.

They were a great couple who complemented each other. It was a joy
to be with them.”

The gratitude of seeing his photograph displayed with other venerable
brings overwhelming pride to Dr. Gregorian. It was as if he were
being immortalized next to immortals.

In a letter written to board chairman Haig Der Manuelian, he thanked
ALMA for its leadership and its initiative toward keeping Armenia’s
legacy alive in America.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA-BRAZIL INTERPARLIAMENTARY GROUP TO RESUME ACTIVITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 21, 2011 – 18:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On October 20, Armenian Ambassador to Brazil Ashot
Yeghiazaryan met with the vice president of Brazil’s Chamber of
Deputies Rose de Freitas.

The meeting focused on resumption of Armenia-Brazil interparliamentary
group’s activities suspended in 2006.

The parties mutually stressed the importance of interparliamentary
group’s activities in strengthening of ties between the two countries,
also dwelling on international and regional issues.

A federal deputy, former member of Rio de Janeiro City Council Stepan
Nercessian also attended the meeting, Armenian Foreign Ministry press
service reported.

From: A. Papazian

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: BAKU STATEMENTS CONTRADICT KARABAKH SETTLEMENT LOGICS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 21, 2011 – 17:37 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On October 21, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian met with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Bernard Fassier
(France), Robert Bradtke (U.S.), Igor Popov (Russia) and the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk.

At the meeting, the parties focused on Karabakh settlement, ministerial
press service reported.

Dwelling on peaceful resolution of the conflict, Nalbandian stressed
that Baku’s suggestion to formulate the settlement agreement without
coordination of basic principles runs counter to the logics of
negotiation process and, consequently, the position of OSCE MG
co-chairs.

From: A. Papazian

THE ARMENIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS RECEIVED MR. PAT COX, THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN MOVEMENT

Noyan Tapan
20.10.2011

On October 20, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian
received the delegation led by Pat Cox, the President of the European
Movement which arrived in Yerevan to take part in the conference
being held in Yerevan on October 20-21. The delegation includes
Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, the Vice President of the European Movement
and State Minister of Belgium and Diogo Pinto, the Secretary General
of the European Movement.

Welcoming the guests, the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed
satisfaction with the conference of the European eminent organization
being held in Yerevan, mentioning that the holding of such an event
in Armenia is an important impetus for the further strengthening of
the cooperation between Armenia and the European Union.

Pat Cox, the President of the European Movement expressed gratitude for
the support provided by the Armenian authorities in the organization
of the conference and underlined that the event is a good opportunity
to analyze the processes being held in the EU and sum up the evident
progress achieved so far in the relations between Armenia and the EU.

In the meeting the sides exchanged views on the European rapprochement
of Armenia, and on regional issues.

Upon the request of the guests, Minister Nalbandian presented the
recent developments in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

From: A. Papazian

GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN CROSS-BORDER CONFERENCE “CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT – FROM COMMUNICATION TO COOPERATION” TO BE HELD IN TBILISI

Noyan Tapan
21.10.2011

On October 20-21 at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel, CARE International in
the Caucasus and its partner organization Civil Development Agency
(CiDA) will host a Georgian-Armenian cross-border conference Civil
Society and Government – from Communication to Cooperation. The
conference is organized as part of the project titled “Poverty
Reduction and Confidence-building in Bordering Areas of Georgia
and Armenia by Strengthening Civil Societies in Sustainable Rural
Development” (STAGE II).

The conference aims to reveal challenges and opportunities for
cooperation between civil society and government across the border
and encourage engagement of various stakeholders in local development
issues.

The conference brings together local and central government officials,
representatives of civil society and international organizations
and members of the diplomatic corps from Georgia and Armenia. The
participants will discuss poverty reduction in bordering areas of
Georgia and Armenia and the role of cross-border cooperation in this
process, confidence-building initiatives, cooperation between civil
society and local government and the prospects of engaging various
stakeholders in local economic development.

The project’s target populations are located in remote areas with
little transportation connections to urban centres and a lack
of economic opportunities outside of farming. The project aims
to benefit the rural population and improve their livelihoods by
improving representation and advocacy through more effective civil
society and more cooperation among local governments.

Throughout the project, civil society has been involved in a wide
range of activities addressing issues relevant to their communities.

This included confidence-building initiatives between different ethnic
groups within the country and across the border, support of agriculture
development, and the inclusion of local people in the decision-making
process. Collaborative interaction with the local government ensured
needed support for the implementation of development projects.

“A wide number of social and economic issues affect local economic
development and it is necessary to take these into account. We strive
to create a forum where various stakeholders will be involved to
identify and address them,” said Anthony Foreman, STAGE II Project
Director.

The project is financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation and
Cooperation with Eastern Europe (ADC) implemented by CARE Osterreich
and CARE International in the Caucasus, along with the partner
organizations Civil Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia and Center
for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) in Armenia.

About CARE

CARE is a leading humanitarian and development organization fighting
global poverty. In 2010 CARE worked in 87 countries, supporting 905
projects that reached more than 82 million people. CARE has been
working in the South Caucasus for over 20 years. Its programme aims
to reduce rural poverty, vulnerability and social injustice in the
South Caucasus and improve conditions for sustainable development,
thereby contributing to stability and peace in the region. For more
information about CARE, please visit:

About CiDA

Civil Development Agency (CiDA) is a local non-governmental
organization operating in Southern-Central of Georgia which promotes
principles of integration and tolerance in the regions of Kvemo
Kartli, Shida Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti. CiDA’s mission is
to support strengthening of civil society in regions of Georgia
through professional and conscientious approach which is achieved
by capacity building of local self-governance, regional civil
society organizations, youth, independent media, as well socially
and economically vulnerable people and groups. For more information
about CiDA, please visit:

About ADC

Austrian Development Cooperation and Cooperation with Eastern Europe
(ADC) focuses on South Eastern and Eastern Europe. It supports these
countries in their social, economic and democratic development and
helps them prepare for their accession to the European Union. The
main priorities of cooperation with Eastern Europe lie in the fields
of business and employment, education, the environment and the rule
of law.

ADC’s programmes and projects are implemented by the Austrian
Development Agency (ADA) in close cooperation with development
organizations and businesses.

Please see more at the ADC web-sites:

~U )

~U

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH MERCHANT SHIP COLLIDES WITH PASSENGER FERRY, SINKS IN THE ADRIATIC

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 21, 2011 – 14:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Three sailors have died and five others are missing
after their Turkish merchant ship collided with a passenger ferry
and sank in the Adriatic, Albanian port authorities said.

The 3,300-ton Reina 1, sailing under a Maltese flag, sank immediately
after the collision in international waters with the car ferry Ankara,
said police spokeswoman Ornela Cako. The crash happened at about 1
a.m. (2300 GMT) Thursday some 30 kilometers from the Albanian port
of Durres.

One body was taken aboard the ferry while two others have been spotted
but not yet recovered due to rough seas, ports head Edmond Doraci
said. Two sailors were rescued.

The Reina 1, loaded with grain in the Black Sea Russian port of
Novorossiysk, had been headed to Bar, Montenegro, with a Turkish
crew of 10, according to Ahmed Soyturk, 54, one of the survivors,
speaking from the Durres hospital.

“It took only two minutes for the ship to go down,” Soyturk said.

The two survivors were in good health, according to hospital personnel
in Durres.

No injuries were reported on the ferry, which had left Durres en
route for the Italian port of Bari with about 200 passengers. The
ferry has remained at the scene of the accident.

Police gave no information on the cause of the crash.

Police and military ships and helicopters have started a search and
rescue operation, The Associated Press reported.

From: A. Papazian