Author: Andres-Papazian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM DISCUSSED WITH DEPUTY UN SECRETARY GENERAL

Trend News Agency
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
May 31, 2011 Tuesday
Baku, Azerbaijan

May 31–BAKU, Azerbaijan — Ganira Pashayeva, a member of the
Azerbaijani Parliamentary Delegation to the Council of Europe, met
with United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro.

The sides met in the framework of the International Women Leaders’
Conference focused on the issue of ‘Women, Science and Technology’
in the Israeli city of Haifa.

Pashayeva presented to Migiro the materials which reflect acts of
vandalism and genocide committed in the Azerbaijani territories which
were occupied by Armenia. Shown were dozens of Azerbaijani captives
held as hostages in Armenia and the destruction of historic, cultural
and religious monuments and cemeteries on the Azerbaijani territory
occupied by Armenia.

The Azerbaijanis expect greater effort by the UN leadership to execute
the four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, she said.

She informed Migiro that about one million refugees and IDPs, about
100,000 women refugees and IDPs, are waiting for the UN leadership to
show even greater effort to restore their rights violated by Armenia.

Pashayeva asked the UN official to put more effort into restoring the
violated rights of Azerbaijani women refugees and IDPs, who have been
unable to return to their homes for more than 20 years.

Migiro said it is important to exchange views on refugees and IDPs
and that more efforts would be made in solving their problems.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group — Russia, France, and the U.S. —
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION AGREES TO NEGOTIATE EARLY ELECTIONS WITH AUTHORITIES

Interfax
May 31 2011
Russia

An Armenian opposition leader has supported the idea of negotiations
with the authorities on calling early presidential and parliamentary
elections.

“Considering that the authorities have granted three demands put
forward by the Armenian National Congress (ANC), we are prepared for
formal dialogue with the authorities at the level of delegations,”
ANC leader and former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian said at
a rally on Tuesday.

The ANC will put together a delegation for such negotiations in the
near future, he said.

“Our delegation will comprise three to five people. We will offer
our agenda, which is well-known to everyone: early presidential
and parliamentary elections. But this does not mean that we should
not take into account the authorities’ agenda and counter-reasons,”
Ter-Petrosian said.

The new political situation in Armenia provides for an opportunity to
“solve the most pressing issues in a legitimate way,” he said.

“A revolutionary method goes against the Armenian National Congress’s
position, and we reject such a way,” he said.

Independent observers estimated the number of participants in the
ANC rally on Freedom Square in the center of Yerevan on Tuesday at
some 7,000 people. The rally was authorized by the city hall.

The ANC demanded earlier that the authorities permit rallies on
Freedom Square, free the people convicted for the March 1, 2008 events,
and re-investigate these events.

The opposition earlier held a rally on Freedom Square on April 28,
which had happened for the first time in the previous three years.

President Serzh Sargsyan had said earlier that the authorities
were prepared to make the first step to alleviate tensions with
the opposition.

From: A. Papazian

BAKU DISAPPOINTED WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION EFFORTS – ALI HASANOV

news.az
June 2 2011
Azerbaijan

“The United States, France and Russia fail to fulfill their promises”.

In the interview to The New York Times, chief of department for
public policy of the presidential administration of Azerbaijan Ali
Hasanov spoke about the situation around the resolution of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

“There are no guarantees that the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia
won’t start soon. We need peaceful coexistence, rather than war. We
need peaceful development but nothing will ever replace the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. If necessary, we are ready
to die for the territorial integrity”, Ali Hasanov said.

He added that Baku is disappointed with the international mediation
efforts.

“The United States, France and Russia fail to fulfill their promises.

The United States think that Afghanistan and Iraq, North Africa
and anti-missile defense in Europe are important today rather than
regional conflicts like Nagorno Karabakh”, Ali Hasanov said.

Earlier, The New York Times published an article on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict which is available here.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN’S FM MEETS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF U.S. MEDIA

Trend
Azerbaijan
June 2 2011

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with representatives
of leading U.S. information agencies, including Thompson Reuters, CNN,
Associated Press, Inner City Press and Summit Energy in the framework
of a business visit to the United States, the ministry reported.

During the meeting, Mammadyarov spoke about Azerbaijan’s main foreign
policy priorities. Regarding the issue of the region’s economic
policy, he informed journalists that Azerbaijan is the leading state
in the region, spoke about Azerbaijan’s success in the energy sector,
its participation in regional projects and Azerbaijan’s role as the
author of many international projects.

Mammadyarov spoke in detail about the negotiation process to settle
the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He stressed that
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions adopted in 1993 on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh
and the surrounding regions.

Regarding U.S.-Azerbaijani bilateral relations, Mammadyarov discussed
the successful cooperation between the two countries in many areas.

He informed journalists that Azerbaijan nominated its candidacy
to the elections on non-permanent members of UN Security Council
for 2012-2013, which is scheduled for October, noting the tangible
benefits in this regard.

Mamedyarov also answered numerous questions posed by American
journalists.

From: A. Papazian

‘JAMANAK’ ARMENIAN LANGUAGE PAPER OF ISTANBUL IS 100 YEARS OLD

Panorama
June 2 2011
Armenia

“Jamanak” (Times) Armenian daily being published in Istanbul is
100 years old. Ara Gochunyan, the Editor-in-chief of the daily, who
has recently arrived in Yerevan told “Ermenihaber.am” news website
“Jamanak” is the oldest Armenian language paper published in Turkey
and generally in the world, as well as among the papers of national
minorities.

Due to its 100-year-old experience “Jamanak” has its special place
and role in the culture of Turkey and particularly Armenians of Polis.

“The paper passes into another century. Naturally, new terms and
conditions appear. If we look through the hundred-year-old history
of the paper we can see each period has its specifications, its
conflicting issues and scope of interests. This is changing through
time. Globalization changes the world and makes it transparent,
hence the paper also changes its plans,” Ara Gochunyan said.

Referring to the Armenian-Turkish relations, Gochunyan said South
Caucasus region is a very fragile point subjected to globalization,
and the perspectives of Armenian-Turkish relations both from the
view point of regional and international aspect signify the role of
Armenian community in Turkey.

“Armenian community in Turkey has great defensive potential and can
have important role in mending Armenian-Turkish relations. Now,
Armenian community seems waiting and defending themselves. They
preferred to protect their identity and mother tongue; at the same
time they try hard not to contradict Turkish citizenship and Armenian
ethnic identity.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA AND USA SIGN MOU ON ENERGY EXPLORATION

/ARKA/
June 2, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 2, /ARKA/. On June 2, U.S. ambassador to Armenia,
Marie L. Yovanovitch and Armenian minister of energy and natural
resources Armen Movsisian signed a Memorandum of Understanding on
conventional and unconventional energy resources, the U.S. embassy
said in a statement.

It said the memorandum provides a framework for the exchange of
knowledge and expertise between the U.S. Government and the Government
of Armenia in the characterization and assessment of unconventional and
conventional energy resources in Armenia, as well as in the responsible
and sustainable development and exploitation of these resources.

The memorandum also provides for a cooperative assessment and technical
studies of Armenia’s energy resources, including any potential shale
gas resources, by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Armenian Ministry
of Energy and Natural Resources.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH OPPOSITION SEEKS ISTANBUL’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY SUPPORT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 2, 2011 – 16:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A representative of Turkey’s opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) Aydin Ayaydin met with the Patriarchal Vicar of
Constantinople, Archbishop Aram Ateshian.

As Mr. Ayaydin noted at the meeting, CHP will protect Turkey’s national
minorities’ interests. “This is a party line which does not depend
on religion, race or language,” Hurriyet quoted him as saying.

The Archbishop, in turn, stated that Armenian community is expecting
help and support on behalf of CHP.

Parliamentary election in Turkey is set for June 12. aëò Justice
and Development Party headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
holds the leadership, followed by Republican People’s Party (CHP)
and nationalists which may overcome a 10% barrier.

From: A. Papazian

ARCHEOLOGISTS UNEARTH MASSIVE ALABASTER STATUE OF PHARAOH AMENHOTEP III

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 2, 2011 – 16:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Egyptian archeologists have unearthed a massive
alabaster statue of pharaoh Amenhotep III at his funerary temple on
the west bank of the River Nile.

The face of the statue shows the 18th Dynasty king and King Tut’s
grandfather, Egypt’s Ministry of State for Antiquities said. The
statue was discovered near the third pylon of the pharaoh’s funerary
temple at Kom el-Hettan on the west bank of Luxor and about 200 meters
behind the Colossi of Memnon, which once guarded the first gate,
Press TV reported citing Discovery News.

According to Minister Zahi Hawass, the statue shows the king seated,
wearing the Nemes headdress – a striped head cloth that pharaohs
routinely put on -, a pleated kilt and a royal beard. He described
the face of the statue as a masterpiece of royal portraiture with
almond shaped eyes outlined with cosmetic bands, a short nose and a
large mouth with wide lips.

“In spite of its large scale, the face is extremely well carved and
well proportioned,” Hawass said.

According to the leader of the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III
Temple Conservation Project Dr. Hourig Sourouzian, the statues were
about 20 meters tall. ~SThe discovery is very important for the
history of Egyptian art and sculpture, as well as for the story of
the temple,~T said the German-Armenian Egyptologist.

Experts believe that the statues may have been ruined by floods and
devastated by a severe earthquake in 27 BCE.

Amenhotep III reigned from about 1390 to 1352 BCE, the height of
a period known as the New Kingdom that is noted for its peace and
artistic abundance.

Previous excavations had also yielded a 3,400-year-old statue of King
Amenhotep III in the southern ancient city of Luxor.

From: A. Papazian

ARCHBISHOP CHOLOYAN VISITS ARMENIAN SISTERS’ ACADEMY

Thu, Jun 2 2011

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan and
Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, along with 14 regional clergy members,
visited the Armenian Sisters’ Academy recently during an assembly in
the Philadelphia area.

The Srpazans and clergy visit the second grade classroom.

Hailing from several states, the priests toured the Academy, stopping
by classrooms and expressing their pride in the students’ achievements.

The Srpazans blessed the school, students, and faculty with a
traditional bread, salt, and water blessing. Principal Sister Emma
Moussayan welcomed the clergy members, explaining that the Academy and
the five local churches enjoy an active and reciprocal relationship.

The priests’ visit concluded with Armenian song and dance performances
by the students, and coffee and pastry provided by the Parent-Teacher
Council.

For more information about the Academy, visit For
admissions, contact Susan Pogharian at (610) 757-7090 or
[email protected].

From: A. Papazian

GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES NEW GYM PLAN OF CHAMLIAN ARMENIAN SCHOOL

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 2, 2011 – 10:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Chamlian Armenian School can move forward with
plans for a new gymnasium after the Glendale City Council unanimously
overturned a commission-level decision to deny the project.

The decision was a victory for the dozens of school administrators,
parents and students – many donning athletic jerseys – who packed
the City Hall chambers in support of the gym.

“Our only purpose for this project is to enhance our daily physical
education classes for our students,” said Principal Vazken Madenlian,
Glendale News-Press reported.

City planners determined that the gym would not add to existing
traffic associated with daily drop-off and pick-up of students.

Despite this, the Planning Commission voted 3 to 1 in January to
reject the gym, siding with neighbors who have vigorously opposed
the project because they say it will add to neighborhood traffic and
parking problems.

Roughly 500 students in kindergarten through eighth-grade attend the
private school, which has been located at the former public school
site of Lowell Elementary for more than 20 years.

From: A. Papazian