Author: Andres-Papazian

HUNDREDS TURN OUT FOR SWEARING IN OF CHIEF FAMILY COURT JUDGE BEDROSIAN
by Colby Cremins Rhody Beat

Warwick Beacon

Dec 21 2010

Warwick City Council Chambers were filled Friday for the swearing
in of the new Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Family Court, Judge
Haiganush R. Bedrosian.

“Today is very humbling to me, to look out and see so many friends
and family that have been so supportive of me,” said Bedrosian. Not
only were stadium and balcony filled but also more than 200 chairs
on the chamber floor.

Bedrosian, the daughter of Armenian immigrants, grew up in Cranston.

She graduated from Brown University and went to Suffolk School of Law.

Thirty years ago Bedrosian became the first female judge in the family
court and is the first woman to be the chief judge of the court.

“Over the years, Haigi Bedrosian has been a mentor, a coach,
a confidant, a friend, and a valued and respected leader in our
community. I am amazed at her deep and quiet faith, her intellect and
her ability to reason, her devotion to church, family and friends,
and the strength that she has shown in the face of personal tragedy and
loss. To sum it up, the translation of Haiganush means sweet Armenian
woman. Nothing could be more true,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian.

The ceremony was held at the Council Chambers because the city holds
a special place in Bedrosian’s heart, Avedisian is her first cousin
and she is also a Warwick resident.

Previously, Judge Bedrosian was in private practice specializing in
family law for several years after working as Assistant General Counsel
to the Providence & Worcester Railroad Company. She also worked as a
Special Assistant to the Attorney General in the Criminal Prosecution
Unit in the early 1970s.

“I want to help us get the family court going in the right direction,”
Bedrosian said after being sworn in by Governor Donald Carcieri.

The governor and the mayor were joined by Senate President Theresa
Paiva Weed, House Speaker Gordon Fox, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts,
Secretary of State Ralph Mollis, Attorney General Patrick Lynch,
General Treasurer Frank Caprio, Mayor of Cranston Allan Fung and
several judges and members of law enforcement from across the state.

“I have spent much of my legal career practicing in the Family Court,
and I know from firsthand experience the attributes required of a judge
in that court. Courage, integrity, patience, intellect, humility,
compassion – Justice Bedrosian has these qualities in abundance,
and the families served in her court will be the beneficiaries of
her wisdom and her leadership,” said Paiva Weed.

Bedrosian, as the senior associate justice on the Family Court, became
the acting chief judge upon the retirement of Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr.

on June 30 of this year. She was one of six candidates interviewed
for the permanent post by the Judicial Nominating Commission, and
one of five names forwarded to the governor for his consideration.

“Throughout her career on the bench, Judge Bedrosian has been a devoted
public servant who has handled countless complex and difficult cases
and has presided over her courtroom with decisiveness and compassion,”
said Carcieri.

Bedrosian is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association. She founded
the Rhode Island Trial Judges Association and served as its president
for several years. Additionally, Judge Bedrosian was instrumental
in creating statewide standards for guardians ad litem in Family
Court cases.

“Her efficiency and her vision will benefit all who have occasion
to interact with the court, from attorneys, clerks and staff, to –
most importantly – the families and children who are served by the
Family Court,” said Paiva Weed.

From: A. Papazian

DEFENSE MINISTER’S STATEMENT CONCERNING S-300 A MESSAGE TO AZERBAIJAN, EXPERT SAYS

news.am
Dec 21 2010
Armenia

Opening of a joint command post of anti-aircraft defense is a
logical continuation of the Armenian-Russian military cooperation,
Ruben Mehrabyan, the expert for the Armenian Center of Political and
International Studies, told NEWS.am.

“I do not think it is something unusual. In the light of regional
tension in the context of Karabakh peace process it will be a sobering
factor. On the other hand, opening of a command post testifies
to Russia’s growing influence on the region, and on Armenia in
particular,” the expert said.

Asked about statements of the Armenian leadership concerning existence
of S-300 systems in the country, Mehrabyan noted that this statement
by Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan is not sensational news. “It is
just the first time Armenia officially speaks about it. However, it
is the following message: if Azerbaijan tries to provoke an attack,
it can inflict serious losses due to S-300,” he added.

The anti-aircraft defense forces, RA Ministry of Defense, in
cooperation with Russian Military Base #102 stationed in Armenia,
opened a joint command post of anti-aircraft defense. The command
post is provided with cutting-edge equipment

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY WARNS US OVER ARMENIA GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Sify News

Dec 21 2010
India

Istanbul, Dec 21 (DPA) The Turkish government has warned US President
Barack Obama that a congressional vote on a resolution recognising
the massacre of Armenians during World War I as a ‘genocide’ could
severely damage relations, the Turkish press reported Tuesday.

The US House of Representatives has tentatively planned a vote on the
resolution for Tuesday, just before the 111th congress concludes. In
March, the non-binding resolution was passed by a 23-22 vote in
the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee, a move Turkey protested by
withdrawing its ambassador to Washington for one month.

Armenians contend that up to 1.5 million of their people were
systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. The US has
approximately one million citizens of Armenian descent and the diaspora
has rallied for recognition of the killings as a ‘genocide’.

Turkey has long denied the genocide claim, saying the number of
Armenians killed is much lower than claimed and that the deaths were
the result of intercommunal violence at the time that also affected
other ethnic groups.

The Turkish government and Turkish-American advocacy groups have
engaged in an intense lobbying effort to prevent the resolution from
going to a vote in the House.

On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to Obama saying that the vote could cause a major rift in relations,
according to reports in the Turkish press. ‘We are expecting that you
will step in and intervene in Congress,’ Erdogan’s letter reportedly
said.

Although Turkey refuses to recognise the genocide claim, relations
between the current Turkish and Armenian governments have slightly
improved over the last couple of years.

In October 2009, the two governments signed accords to renew diplomatic
relations and open their border. However, neither country has fully
ratified the accords, and the process has stalled.

Ankara has warned that the passing of the genocide resolution in
the US House could lead to a rupture in relations with Washington
and could harm the already tentative reconciliation process between
Turkey and Armenia.

The Obama administration has opposed the House resolution for the
same reasons.

In 2007, then president George W. Bush successfully pressured the
House not to bring a similar genocide resolution to a floor vote,
averting a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the US.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES CONCLUDE 2010 WITH NEW ACHIEVEMENTS

Defence Professionals

Dec 21 2010

As a result of the cooperation between the air-defence forces of
the Armenian Armed Forces and the Russian 102 military station in
Armenia, a joint air-defence commanding center was opened. The center
is capable of precisely locating the dangers to the air borders due
to the ultramodern equipment and control the penetration of targets
the air targets in a systemized manner.

Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan was also present at the
opening ceremony of the joint air-defence commanding center.

Underlining the importance or the opening, Seyran Ohanyan mentioned
that this is a new qualitative level of military cooperation between
Armenia and Russia, which shows the strategic nature of the relations
between the two countries.

Minister also took part in the opening ceremony of opening of military
facilities in one of the Armenian Armed Forces air-defence units, where
he observed the garrison conditions and the work of the super-precise
S-300 zenith-rocket system.

Minister Ohanyan also visited one of the military industrial
enterprises and observed the working conditions in the newly built
industrial military plane repair unit.

MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANIS ATTACK THE FILM ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS

times.am
Dec 21 2010
Armenia

The director and the producer of the film “The interrupted song” Arik
Manukyan and Ashot Pogosyan made an announcement on the disinformation
spread by the Azerbaijani media concerning the film, the message
delivered by the press-service of the filmmaking group informs.

The announcement especially says:

“The shooting of the film “Interrupted song” is going on in Moscow.

The film is about an Armenian and an Azerbaijani, who have appeared in
the same hole. At first the both heroes will hate each other as both
of them will think Armenians and Azerbaijanis are incompatible. This
opinion is widely shared both in Azerbaijan and Armenia now.

The heroes will have a conversation after some times remaining in the
same hole and they will speak about the themes they are suffered by.

And as a result, the Armenian and the Azerbaijani will find the
answers to the questions they thought hadn’t any answer.

The “Interrupted song” is a healthy discussion, is a civilized
dialogue, which happens very rarely between these two neighbors. There
are no negative images in the film, just only every hero has his
truth. The unexpected finish will urge the viewer to think about the
values which exist in the conditions of strained relations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. And the attack held by Azerbaijani mass
media is really strange on this scene. Azerbaijan uses almost all
the published and e-media to spot the film. If it is being continued
in such a way we are going present an apply to the court against
the sources of the disinformation, which are Azerbaijani 1news.az
and vesti.az. ” We consider Azerbaijanis act in such a way as the
filmmakers are Armenians.”

Note, the premiere of the film will take place on spring of 2011,
in Moscow. The slogan of the film is “Peace is the aim of every war”.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN NA SPEAKER: “CHANGES IN LAW ON LANGUAGE WILL HELP US TO SAVE OUR IDENTITY”

Times.am
Dec 21 2010
Armenia

Changes in Law on Language are much discussed recently. Note the
changes are supposed to let the foreign schools be opened in Armenia.

The initiative group “We are against the foreign-language schools to
be reopened” has held a range of protest actions to alarm about the
dangers the changes can cause.

According to the speaker of the Armenian NA Hovik Abrahamyan the
proposed amendments to the Law on Language will help Armenia to
protect itself from assimilation and estrangement.

“I am convinced by adopting the amended law, we’ll be able to
preserve our national identity and avoid the risk of assimilation
and estrangement. It will also let us adopt a more flexible policy
complying with the best international educational programs,” he said.

Abrahamyan stressed alternative and international education programs
will be based solely upon Armenian language thinking, and that the
Armenian language and Armenological subjects will be mandatory for
all public schools.

“We started the second reading without even conducting the first.

Heritage faction proposes not to hold a voting,” Stepan Safaryan by
“Heritage” party said.

From: A. Papazian

N. BORDYUZHA: CSTO ALARMED BY INCREASE OF AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY BUDGET

Panorama
Dec 21 2010
Armenia

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is alarmed by the
increase in Azerbaijan’s military budget, CSTO Secretary General
Nikolay Bordyuzha said at Moscow hosted international conference.

“Disproportionate increase of Azerbaijan’s military budget is
alarming.”

According to CSTO Secretary General Armenia, which is CSTO member
state, is “constantly subjected to information pressure” in the
Caucasus region.

“Interfax” agency reports Bordyuzha declaring that anti-Russian
hysteria of Tbilisi and restoration of Georgia’s military potential
make the situation in the Caucasus region instable.

“The disposition of Georgian authorities in this region does not
contribute to the stability including anti-Russian hysteria and
increase of military budget by the support of some Western countries,”
CSTO Secretary General said.

CSTO Secretary General underscored that “Republics of Northern Caucasus
have definite instable influence upon the region, including Dagestan,
Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachayevo-Cherkesia and Chechnya.”

From: A. Papazian

‘TWO DECADES FORCES US ALL TO BE SOBER AND REALISTIC’

news.az
Dec 21 2010
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central
Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program.

Can the WikiLeaks scandal affect Azerbaijan’s relations with the
United States, as well as a number of other countries?

Of course it’s potentially damaging. The question is what is done now.

Mistakes have been made, are they correcting, does behavior change. I
thing that is the key of the situation.

What is your forecast about the resolution of the Karabakh conflict?

How soon can we expect progress in peace process?

I’m always hopeful, but two decades forces us all to be sober and
realistic. I think it’s important that Azerbaijan maintain the momentum
of thinking, the momentum of innovation, the momentum of openness
on this issue. In the end I think it’s bound bring a success but any
realistic person must be deeply disappointed with the result so far.

Russia has recently been very active as a mediator in the resolution
of the Karabakh conflict, Russian president often makes mediation
initiatives. Do you expect the result from this activeness?

I have been skeptical of Russia’s involvement as a mediator from
the beginning because in a sense it was a participant. And I’ve been
extremely critical of the Minsk process because I don’t think any of
the three key partners was deeply committed to a solution. They were
committed to a process but not a solution and the only think acceptable
now is to resolve the matter in accordance with UN resolutions.

Then what is the US interest in the resolution of the conflict
considering the fact that unlike Russia, America is far away from
the Karabakh conflict area?

As I said I don’t think any of the three were willing to give a
sufficiently high priority. I think there is going to be very much
fresh thinking about Caucasus in general over the next year. I’m
confident that is going to happen in the United States and I hope
the part of that fresh thinking about the Caucasus will include fresh
thinking about Karabagh and realization of its importance.

Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and
Silk Road Studies Program, Research Professor at the Paul H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

From: A. Papazian

MAYOR ARTIN’S FESTIVE PLANS
by Melissa Davey

Cumberland Courier Newspapers
Dec 21 2010
Australia

CHRISTMAS time is a relatively quiet affair for Ryde mayor Artin
Etmekdjian, who lives in West Ryde with his wife, Nora.

Both of their parents have passed away and Cr Etmekdjian has only one
sibling, older brother Magar, so Christmas is spent with friends and
with his brother.

“We might have a Christmas dinner with friends on the 24th and a lunch
on the 25th, but on the 26th it is my brother’s birthday so we might
go out to a restaurant or something like that,” Cr Etmekdjian said.

“We have no real big family get-together, but sometimes I think it
is nice that way because it is already a very busy time of year.”

Although Cr Etmekdjian doesn’t have a large family to give gifts to,
he attends various Christmas charity events throughout the community
including Rotary Christmas celebrations at North Ryde RSL and the
Salvation Army fundraiser.

“We like to support the hard work of local charities who do so much
good work for the disadvantaged,” he said.

“This time of year for me is about being with family and appreciating
them, appreciating your friends and your neighbours, and thinking
about how lucky we are to live in a country like Australia.”

Cr Etmekdjian is of Armenian heritage and was elected as the first
Armenian mayor in Australia when he was selected by councillors to
become mayor of Ryde in September.

He said he will be celebrating Christmas all over again come January
6, because according to the church calendar Armenian Christmas is
celebrated on January 6.

“Armenian Christmas is celebrated in much the same way, and Nora and I
will go to an Armenian church on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning,”
Cr Etmekdjian said.

“As a couple Nora and I are a bit spontaneous during the Christmas
holiday, we don’t plan too much and just take things as they come.”

From: A. Papazian

EXISTENCE OF URANIUM IN ARMENIA TO BE CONFIRMED IN LATE 2011

news.am
Dec 21 2010
Armenia

At the moment there are no confirmed uranium reserves in Armenia,
Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, told the
journalists today. According to him, research work is underway to
clarify whether there are reserves (if yes, quantity) in Armenia.

Results will be available at the end of 2011.

The Minister says that after results are received it will be possible
to assess efficiency of uranium mining in Armenia. Then, technology
for uranium mining should be developed. Minister Movsisyan pledged that
technology inflicting minimal damage to environment will be chosen.

From: A. Papazian