Author: Andres-Papazian

Panorama, Armenia
Sept 11 2010

Azerbaijan’s withdrawal of resolution from UN foreign policy
achievement for Armenia: Republican

`Apparently, the international pressure made by the Co-Chairing states
and the statement made by the Armenian President had their positive
impact on the development of the events, otherwise Azerbaijan would
not have withdrawn the resolution which was of such significance for
its propaganda,’ NA MP, ARP member Gagik Minasyan told Panorama.am,
commenting on Azerbaijan’s withdrawal of the resolution from the UN
General Assembly.

According to him, this should inspire the Armenian side to unify all
the efforts; this was a foreign policy achievement for Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 11 2010

Azerbaijan behaves like loser-country

September 11, 2010 | 15:33

Azerbaijan’s withdrawing its resolution from the agenda of the 64th
session of the U.N. General Assembly was the result of the OSCE Minsk
Group’s well-organized work. The OSCE MG did not want the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue to be shifted to any other international
institution, Director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan
told reporters.

In submitting such resolutions to international institutions,
Azerbaijan does not pursue any practical aims – such documents are
mostly advisory ones. `This is just Azerbaijan’s way of launching its
propaganda activities,’ the expert said. In this last case, Azerbaijan
submitted its resolution to the U.N. for domestic reasons – the
forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Commenting on the popular opinion that Armenia should follow
Azerbaijan’s example in propaganda, Iskandaryan said: `I do not think
Yerevan should follow Baku’s example, as Azerbaijan is pursuing a
policy typical of a loser-country.’

He disagrees with a number of politicians who say a crucial decision
on Nagorno-Karabakh will be made at the OSCE Summit to be held in
Astana.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 11 2010

4th international musical festival opened in Yerevan

September 11, 2010 | 16:40

The 4th international musical festival has been opened in Yerevan
today, September 11.

The festival directors are the Honored Worker of Art of Armenia Eduard
Topchyan and the cellist Alexander Chaushyan from Great Britain.

The Yerevan festival will host 22 musicians from 12 countries.

The renowned musicians will hold master classes for young Armenian
musicians. Such renowned musicians as Julia Fischer, Isabelle Faust,
Anton Sorokov, Svyatoslav Moroz and Daishin Kashimoto are taking part
in the festival.

The participants will perform Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn,
Robert Schumann, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Dmitri Shostakovich.
Concerts on the occasion of the 90th birthday anniversary of Alexander
Harutyunyan and Independence Day in Armenia will be performed as well.

The festival has been organized under the patronage of Armenia’s First
Lady Rita Sargsyan.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 11 2010

Health status of injured Armenians in Vladikavkaz blast esteemed as grave

September 11, 2010 | 14:03

The Armenian victim’s body, killed in a terrorist act in Vladikavkaz
on September 9, Arsen M. Elbakyan (34), will be brought to Armenia, RA
Consul General in Rostov Ararat Gomtsyan informed NEWS.am.

`At the moment we do our best, to bring his body to Armenia,’ he said.

As to the health status of the other Armenians injured in the
terrorist act, Gomtsyan said the health conditions of 8 injured
Armenians are esteemed as grave but not critical. Arsen Elbakyan’s
brother, Arthur Elbakyan is also among the injured. They received
necessary treatment in hospitals, and there is no threat for life,
Gomtsyan said.

On September 9, a suicide bomber arrived at the Vladikavkaz central
market in a Volga car stuffed with explosive. According to the latest
information, the explosion claimed 17 lives, leaving 137 injured.
There are citizens of Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine among the victims.

From: A. Papazian

NPR ~ National Public Radio
Sept 11 2010

Armenia Produces World’s Biggest Chocolate Bar

YEREVAN, Armenia September 11, 2010, 10:52 am ET Anyone looking for
huge amounts of free chocolate should book a flight to Armenia’s
capital next month. That’s when the world’s largest chocolate bar will
be up for grabs in Yerevan’s main square. The Guinness Book of World
Records certified the 9,702-pound (4,410-kilogram) chocolate bar at a
ceremony Saturday.

It was made by Grand Candy factory and contains all natural
ingredients, including 70 percent cocoa mass. The chocolate bar is 224
inches (560 centimeters) long, 110 inches (275 centimeters) wide and
10 inches (25 centimeters) thick.

The factory owner, Karen Vardanyan, said that the chocolate bar was
produced to mark the 10th anniversary of the company. He said it will
be divided up and handed out Oct. 16.

From: A. Papazian

Agence France Presse
Sept 11 2010

Armenia sets record for world’s largest chocolate bar
(AFP)

YEREVAN – It is a chocolate lover’s dream. Armenian company Grand
Candy on Saturday unveiled the world’s largest-ever chocolate bar — a
25-centimetre-thick (10-inch-thick) slab weighing in at 4,410
kilograms (9,720 pounds) and measuring 5.60 metres (18.4 feet) by 2.75
metres (nine feet).

In a televised ceremony, representatives of Guinness World Records
measured the dark-chocolate bar and handed a document to company
managers certifying it as the new record-holder.

Grand Candy CEO Karen Vardanian told journalists the bar was produced
in honour of the company’s 10th anniversary.

The record was previously held by a chocolate bar produced in Italy in
October 2007 that weighted 3,580 kilograms (7,890 pounds).

From: A. Papazian

Daily Mail, UK
Sept 11 2010

And the country with the world’s biggest chocolate bar is … Armenia!

By Mailonline Reporter

When one thinks of the world centres in the art of chocolate-making
the countries that spring to mind are Belgium and Switzerland.

But Armenia?

The tiny country sandwiched between Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran and
Georgia has just produced the world’s biggest chocolate bar.

The Grand Candy factory in Yerevan, the capital of the former republic
of the Soviet Union, has just unveiled the 9,702lb monster.

Guinness World Record’s representative Elizabeth Smith presented the
factory owner Karen Vardanyan with an official certificate during a
ceremony today.
She said she was glad to witness what she described as an ‘incredible event’.

Ms Vardanyan said that the chocolate bar was produced to mark the
tenth anniversary of the company. The previous record was set in Italy
in 2007.

The bar, containing cocoa beans from Ghana, is 224in long, 110in wide
and 10in thick.

It will be divided up and handed out to members of the public next month.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 11 2010

Turkey’s constitutional reforms pursue political aims

September 11, 2010 | 18:22

By implementing constitutional reforms, the Turkish authorities first
and foremost pursue political aims rather than reforms as such, Ruben
Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies told
NEWS.am.

According top him, the Turkish authorities are thus trying to extend
their influence over the country’s judicial system. As regards reforms
proper, they are not so substantial. `The adoption of the document
will not change anything in the Turkey-EU relations. The EU has stated
it welcomes the document, but considers it insufficient,’ he said.
Safrastyan pointed out that the document provides for certain reforms
in the country’s legal system – more rights to employees and gender
equality.

`However, whatever the referendum results, the political situation
will be worsening in Turkey. The struggle between the incumbent
authorities and Kemalists will be getting fierce as the elections draw
near. Most of the country’s political forces will go on demanding
early parliamentary elections.

As regard the possibility of the document being adopted, the expert
pointed out that the number of proponents is increasing as the
referendum draws near – this being due to Turkish Premier Recep
Erdogan’s charisma.

Safrastyan stressed that the document will not in any way influence
Ankara’s policy toward Yerevan nor will it contribute to the admission
of the Armenian Genocide, on which some opposition political forces
insist.

A constitutional referendum is to be held in Turkey on September 12.

From: A. Papazian

The Canadian Press
The Western Star, Canada
Sept 11 2010

Armenia and NATO launch joint exercise simulating response to earthquake

Published on September 11th, 2010

YEREVAN, Armenia – Armenia and NATO have launched a joint exercise to
simulate a response to a catastrophic earthquake.

The Armenia-2010 exercise that began Saturday involves 600 people and
last for a week.

Armenia suffered a devastating 1988 earthquake that left 25,000 people
dead when it was still part of the Soviet Union.

The exercise is intended to help simulate search and rescue efforts
after an earthquake.

Armenia is part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.

From: A. Papazian

People’s Daily Online, China
Sept 11 2010

UN chief’s representative to visit Georgia, Armenia on IDP

issue12:41, September 11, 2010

A representative of the United Nations secretary-general is scheduled
to visit Georgia and Armenia on a fact-finding mission about the
internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Walter Kalin’s scheduled visit starts on Monday and concludes on
Saturday next week, according to information disseminated by the UN
Tbilisi office on Friday.

Kalin has visited the South Caucasus region before. A professor with
the University of Bern, Kalin has been working since 2004 as the UN
chief’s representative on the human rights of IDPs.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in August said that it was concerned
with the evictions of IDPs living in collective centers and shelters
in Tbilisi. The agency said that Georgia’s IDP issue dates back to
over 15 years ago and there are some 100,000 long- standing IDPs in
the country.

In July and August, police reportedly evicted hundreds of IDPs from
state-owned buildings in the Georgian capital and the evictions set
off a series of protesting rallies in town.

According to local authorities, IDP families are being offered either
financial compensation or alternative housing. But the evicted IDPs
argue that the government-offered accommodation in rural areas lacks
employment opportunities.

The Georgian Public Defender’s Office found in late August that some
alternative housing was not supplied with natural gas or electricity.

Source: Xinhua

From: A. Papazian