Author: Andres-Papazian

PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA CRITICIZED FOR NOT RECALLING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

news.am
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

President of Argentina Cristina Kirchner has recently visited Qatar,
Kuwait and Turkey.

During her visit, she met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, Nouvelles d’Armenie reports.

Erdogan urged President Kirchner to double trade between the two
countries. There is a large Arab community, particularly of the
Syrian-Lebanese origin in Argentina. Many of them, mostly Christians,
have been nicknamed “Turcos” (Turks), since their ancestors fled from
persecutions in the Ottoman Empire. The empire also included Syria
and Lebanon and many of them held Ottoman passports.

Member of the Congress of Argentina Ricardo Alfonsin expressed regret
that Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner did not recall the Armenian
Genocide during her visit to Turkey.

“One can develop ties and trade relations, without sacrificing human
rights,” leader of the Radical Civic Union said.

From: A. Papazian

PORTANTINO BACKS BILL TO REMEMBER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Pasadena Star-News

Jan 27 2011
CA

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE – State Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La
Cañada Flintridge, has co-introduced a bill designating April 24 as
California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide, his office
announced.

AJR 2, co-introduced with Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, R-San Luis
Obispo and state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, is a resolution
calling on President Obama and Congress to formally recognize the
Armenian Genocide and the deaths of more than 1.5 million people,
and acknowledging the Turkish government’s role.

From: A. Papazian

AASU’S ARPINE AMIRKHANYAN PROVIDING WORLDLY LEADERSHIP
By Donald Heath

Savannah Morning News

Jan 27 2011

Arpine Amirkhanyan steps on the basketball court with a world of
experience, much more than most of her Armstrong Atlantic teammates.

And not because she’s the team’s lone senior.

The Pirates’ 5-foot-11 high-scoring forward arrived on the Southside
by way of Arizona Western Community College, by way of Van Nuys,
Calif., by way of Los Angeles.

She was born in Armenia and, at 18 months old, moved to the United
States with her family.

“When Armenia was part of the Soviet Union, it was easy to move,”
Amirkhanyan said. “There was a lot of poverty. My mom would tell
stories about how she lived, how she grew up. How they walked miles
and miles to go to a store. How they had to milk cows themselves. And
now how much easier it is (in the United States) to get in a car and
go to the grocery store.”

Amirkhanyan can’t match those stories, but she and her Pirates
teammates are going through their own hard times. They’ve lost four
games in a row (heading into Wednesday’s matchup with Clayton State)
and seven of their last nine.

But Amirkhanyan’s work ethic is not lost upon most who have seen her
play. She’s accustomed to doing the little things on the basketball
court. She sets the screens at the top of the key and bangs with
opposing centers and forwards underneath the boards.

She leads AASU in scoring with a 13.8-point average and her 8.9
rebounds per game is tied with Mauri Wells.

And when the scoreboard hits zero, Amirkhanyan takes on another job –
providing leadership for an inexperienced squad with seven freshmen,
three sophomores and one junior.

“I like to lead. I like being in that position,” she said.

Amirkhanyan said she tries to be positive and encouraging.

No doubt, she can draw strength from the Armenian proverb, “The sun
won’t stay forever behind the clouds.”

“We talk on a daily basis about our program and her teammates,” AASU
coach Matt Schmidt said. “Arpine’s responded really well. She’s done
a great job as the only senior on the team.”

Return to roots

Last summer, Amirkhanyan traveled to Armenia, stayed with relatives
and played with the Armenian national basketball team. She learned
a little about herself in the process.

“We went sightseeing and (my relatives) showed me around where I grew
up,” she said. “It was pretty poor there. To see my (relatives) and
how they lived was kind of heartbreaking, considering what we have here
and what they have there. You learn not to take anything for granted.”

Amirkhanyan and another recruit from the U.S., Christine Kepenekian
of Cal State Bakersfield, helped Armenia post a 6-1 record and finish
second (losing to Malta, 74-65) in FIBA Europe Division C competition
to advance to Division B play.

Kepenekian averaged 22 points per game. Amirkhanyan was a force around
the boards, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.

Both women were recruited by former Cleveland State assistant Carl
Bardakian, who reportedly boasted after the tournament, “Christine
and Arpine represented Armenia with great pride.”

If Armenia can finish in the top four of Division B, it will move
into Division A where countries compete for placement in the Summer
Olympics.

“It was a great experience,” Amirkhanyan said. “We had great support.

(Armenians) don’t know a lot about basketball, but just because we
were representing their country, they loved it.”

Unique heritage

With tanned skin and curled black hair, Amirkhanyan knows her physical
features frustrate guessers of her nationality.

“I get everything, ‘Are you from Iraq or Iran?’ I hate being
stereotyped,” she said. “Hispanic, I get everything but Armenian.

Armenia, where’s that?”

Amirkhanyan laughs because maybe she’s more Californian than anything
else.

Kabobs? No, gimme chicken and rice, she says.

“My teammates make fun of me because everywhere we go that’s what I
get,” she said.

Amirkhanyan is enjoying her stay in the South while she works on a
degree in criminal justice. She plans to head back to Arizona to work
on a master’s degree.

Between then and now, her world focuses on helping Armstrong Atlantic
win basketball games.

“I see a lot of maturity in Arpine, not only as a player but as
a person,” Schmidt said. “She’s ready to go on and take her next
step in life and that is what this is all about. Wins and losses are
important, but at the end of the day it’s about getting your education
and getting a job afterward.

“Someone’s going to be lucky when they hire her. They’ll be getting
a great young lady.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN DIASPORA CAUSES BOTH ANGUISH AND PRIDE FOR ARMENIA, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS

news.am
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

Armenian Diaspora causes both anguish and pride for Armenia, Armenian
president Serzh Sargsyan stated in an interview with ‘Echo’ of Moscow.

“The Armenian Diaspora is two times the size of the population in
Armenia. We are proud of our Diaspora in Russia, the United States,
France, Canada and other regions. Most of all, we are proud of the
people`s achievements. They were able to integrate into these societies
and have become famous in arts, science and business. We are proud of
that. On the other hand, we regret that these people do not live in
Armenia. They have great potential. In the hardest times the famous
people of our Diaspora stood beside us,” the Armenian leader said. He
pointed out that using even 10% of the Armenian Diaspora`s potential
would make Armenia one of the most prosperous states in the world.

“We are not succeeding yet. Our goal is that all Armenians residing in
other countries be law-abiding citizens. They are our ambassadors. In
many cases their behavior is a decisive factor in judging the Armenian
people. Every time I make trips abroad, I meet with them and tell them
that a good Armenian for me is a law-abiding citizen of a particular
country,” President Sargsyan said.

“Of course, there are problems of identity, language and traditions.

There are very many mixed marriages. On the other hand, Armenians
are not people isolating themselves from society. They would never
have any achievements if they did. We want them to preserve their
Armenian identity,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

From: A. Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN: AZERBAIJAN ONLY COUNTRY IN OSCE AREA BOASTING MANIFOLD INCREASE IN MILITARY SPENDING

news.am
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

Humanitarian problems in Nagorno-Karabakh dispute can be addressed
only after a political solution to the conflict is found, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan stated in an interview with ‘Echo’ of Moscow.

According to him, it is difficult to expect any significant results
in solving humanitarian issues at this time.

“When I speak of long-term peace, I am referring to some change
in people’s psychology. There is such anti-Armenian rhetoric and
xenophobia in Azerbaijan that even a new phrase has appeared -all
Armenian plottings. Azeris have blamed Armenians for all their
problems, starting from refugees to an iron malfunctioning in their
house. The humanitarian issues could have been and needed to be
discussed in 1995, after the truce was signed. It was a very good
opportunity for us to somehow try to forget the grief. However,
the Azerbaijani leadership chose another path; they considered it a
respite and began to arm. They waited for a good time when they would
earn a lot of petrodollars and could afford to buy weapons and could
resolve the issue by force,” Sargsyan said.

“Azerbaijan is the only country in OSCE area that boasts a large
increase in its military spending. It is rather unclear to me.

Actually, to tell you the truth, it is clear. I understand the OSCE
members’ position but not that of the world powers who always say peace
should be established in Karabakh and all issues should be resolved
peacefully. These are good words, but only declarations are signed
when there is a gap between words and deeds. We signed the Treaty
on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, in which quotas have been
set. I understand the complexities of the treaty and some countries’
attitude towards the treaty. But either we must say the agreement
does not exist, or should we call on colleagues and members of the
organization to comply with treaty commitments,” the President noted.

Serzh Sargsyan also referred to the possible resumption of hostilities,
stressing that this is the most undesirable way. “To tell you the
truth, we have no choice. Only our desire to resolve the conflict
peacefully is not enough. If there is no other way out, we will find
ourselves in the situation of the early 90’s. We should protect our
population by any means,” he said.

“I remember the situation in the period of 1988 to 1994 very well,
when many did not spare efforts to say that in the case of large-scale
military operations, Azeris will have tea in Stepanakert or someone
will wash his feet in Sevan within a few days. Thank God it did not
happen, because we protected our land, families and homes.

In 1994, Azerbaijan was simply forced to ask for a truce. In 1993,
four UN Security Council resolutions demanded that the hostilities
be stopped immediately, and Azerbaijan failed to do so. Now they
claim that Armenia failed to comply with these resolutions. However,
the international community knows that it did not depend on us. We
defended ourselves.”

“I have repeatedly stated that we are against a war, but that doesn’t
mean we are afraid of it. If by some miracle Karabakh was under
Azerbaijani control even for an hour, there would be no Armenian left
there. We must protect our population using any means necessary,”
the President stressed.

From: A. Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN: IRAN ONE OF TWO COUNTRIES THROUGH WHICH ARMENIA COMMUNICATES WITH THE WORLD

news.am
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

Iran is a very important country for Armenia. Not only because we
have been neighbors for many centuries, but for other reasons as well,
said the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in an interview with ‘Echo’
of Moscow.

“In fact, Iran is one of the two countries through which we communicate
with the outside world. Having problems with Iran means narrowing
the pipe through which Armenia is breathing. Therefore, we discuss
this with our European partners, the United States and Russia.

Our relationship is known”, said the president.

According to Serzh Sargsyan, Iran is a country with a very large
Armenian Diaspora. Of course, they are citizens of Iran, but the
Armenian state is responsible for all Armenians residing in other
countries to some degree.

“We simply must not provoke any unpleasant actions in respect to the
community”, said the head of state.

“We have good economic relations with Iran. Now we are working on
important infrastructure projects. There is an agreement on the
construction of the Iran-Armenia railroad. We launched the joint
construction of hydropower stations on the Araks River. There are other
very important economic projects for Armenia”, said Serzh Sargsyan.

According to him, relations with Iran are important for Armenia for
another reason. Azerbaijanis, depending on the audience, try to present
the Karabakh issue from different angles. In the Organization of the
Islamic Conference, during the assembly of Turkic-speaking countries
and generally in an Islamic setting, they attempt to present this
issue as a religious one.

“Our stable relations with Iran and other Islamic countries, Arab
countries are very important. It is our chance to convey, first, the
truth. Second, the affirmations of the steady course which Armenia
has led in order to assure that its citizens feel comfortable and
welcome in Arab countries and the Middle East. We do not have a
religious conflict. Churches were built in Iran, Armenians were
able to preserve their identity, language, culture and traditions”,
stressed the President of Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEEDS GUARANTEES OF LONG-LASTING PEACE, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS

news.am
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

Russia is the major and most influential actor in the South Caucasus,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated in an interview with Echo
of Moscow. According to him, Russia is able to cause the region to
become a secure and prosperous one.

“I must express my gratitude to the Russian President for being in
search of peaceful solutions. Russia is quite able to curb the arms
race in the region and prevent new hostilities. It is no coincidence
that Russia has been involved in the negotiation process since the very
beginning. The first ceasefire agreement was reached through Russian
mediation. It was possible then. A year later a confidence-building
agreement was signed with Russia`s active participation. Since Russia
is so influential in our region, we expect very much from it,” the
Armenian leader said.

As regards Armenia`s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,
President Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of the conflicting
parties` commitments not to resume hostilities. “Talks about war have
become traditional over the last two years or so. It is very bad. If a
leader – or any person – speaks of a problem with confidence and for
a very long time, there comes a moment when he himself believes his
own words. And, if he has a chance, he feels great temptation. But
I am sure a war can be averted. A peaceful way of resolving the
conflict is the only way, and a referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh – or
recognition of the 1991 referendum held in full conformity with the
USSR and international law – is the only way to the settlement. The
problem can only be resolved by means of compromise. I do not say
anything new,” the Armenian leader said. He pointed out that the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs proposed a document in 2007, which was called
Madrid Principles and envisaged a settlement by means of compromise.

“They are three principles. The first is territorial integrity, the
second is peoples` self-determination and the third nonuse of force
or threat of force. In 2007, after thinking for along time, agreed
to a settlement on the basis of the three principles. However, in the
course of time, Azerbaijan has been insisting on its own interpretation
of the principles. When we speak of the self-determination principle,
they say `yes, but as part of Azerbaijan`. It is clear, that such
self-determination can only be designated as `reduced`. Secondly,
the principle of nonuse of force can only be applied if a state has
not any `occupied territories`.

Every time we want to remind them that in 1994 we signed a ceasefire
agreement, the aim being establishing peace and resolving the problem.

No one has cancelled the agreement yet – or the second agreement. I
would like to note that the territories under the Nagorno-Karabakh
army`s control are the result of hostilities launched not by
Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Armenian leader said.

As regards possible compromises by the Armenian side, President
Serzh Sargsyan pointed out that, if people in Nagorno-Karabakh and
Armenia are asked, no one will yield an inch. On the other hand, we
must realize that any solution must facilitate long-lasting peace. So
compromises are necessary. Of course, we need guarantees that such
long-lasting peace will really be established. It is not going to
be the way Azerbaijan says: `Let Karabakh return everything to us,
and then we will discuss Karabakh`s fate`,” the Armenian leader said.

From: A. Papazian

GERMAN AMBASSADOR IN ANKARA ROOTING FOR OPENING OF ARMENIA-TURKEY BORDER

news.am
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

German Ambassador to Ankara Eckart Cuntz attended the photo exhibition
dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Hijaz-Baghdad railway at
Ataturk University.

In his speech, the Ambassador stressed the necessity for the opening
of Armenia-Turkey border. He emphasized Turkey has recently taken
significant steps to implement projects on construction of railways
with Azerbaijan and Georgia.

“It would be a good thing if Armenia and Turkey restored a railway
communication and opened the border,” Cuntz stressed.

From: A. Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN: WE’RE AGAINST WAR, BUT WE’RE NOT SCARED OF IT

Panorama
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

In 1994 Azerbaijan had to ask for ceasefire though in 1993 they
refused UN Security Council resolution to stop the fire, President
Serzh Sargsyan answered to “Echo Moscow” radio station reporter Sergey
Buntman’s question if Armenia was ready to war. President said that
Armenian party was ready to any development.

Russian reporter stated that war was being much spoken about recently,
even some expert predicted certain dates, thus it was interesting to
know if Armenia was ready to that kind of development.

President Serzh Sargsyan declared that kind of resolution was, in
fact, the most unwilling development of the regional affairs. “But,
to tell the truth, we have nothing to chose. Only our wish to have
peaceful settlement isn’t enough. If there is no alternative we’ll
appear in the 90th,” S. Sargsyan said adding that Armenian side would
be defending its people by any means.

President said he felt the history was repeating: “I can brightly
remember the period of 1988-1994. I remember nearly everybody was
saying that if war started Azerbaijani people would be drinking tea in
several days, some were speaking about swimming in Lake Sevan. Thanks
to God, that didn’t happen. Because we were defending our lands,
our homes and our families. And in 1994 Azerbaijan was forces to
ask for ceasefire. Though in 1993 Azerbaijan refused to implement
UN Security Council resolutions on demanding ceasefire. Today it’s
attempted to blame Armenia for not implementing those resolutions,
but I think the world knows it didn’t depend on us. We were being
defended,” Serzh Sargsyan shared with his memories and said: “Today,
Azerbaijan again thinks they have an army which will be able to
organize the soonest war. So, we are ready to any development.”

Concluding his speech, President Sargsyan referred to the Armenian
side’s disposition: “I’ve been saying many times, and I do repeat now
that we are against the war. But this does not mean we are scared of
it. We should defend ourselves, cause we have no alternative. I’m
sure if Karabakh is controlled by Azerbaijan at least an hour, no
single Armenian will remain alive there. What is the different how
you lose Karabakh? But people who live there know the difference –
either you have run or was able to defend your home.”

From: A. Papazian

RA PRESIDENT: ARMENIA CAN’T RECOGNIZE NKR WHILST NEGOTIATIONS ARE HELD

Panorama
Jan 27 2011
Armenia

Whilst the negotiations are being continued over the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, Armenia can’t recognize countries like Kosovo, Abkhazia
or Southern Ossetia, President Serzh Sargsyan told “Echo Moscow”
radio station.

“Abkhazia, Ossetia, Kosovo surely are significant precedent cases,”
Serzh Sargsyan said adding that still having not recognized the
Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia can recognize neither Abkhazia,
nor Ossetia, nor Kosovo.

“Nobody will understand us,” President underscored explaining the
motives of not recognizing NKR: “That will be the final act. We’ll
recognize Nagorno-Karabakh if Azerbaijan resumes armed conflict. We
don’t recognize the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh de jure, because
we are holding negotiations. If we do it, then the negotiations will
become meaningless.”

From: A. Papazian