Author: Andres-Papazian

HALO TRUST CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS ACTIVITY IN ARTSAKH

armradio.am
07.06.2010 18:18

On 7 June President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
visited the village of Khachen in the Askeran Region and partook at
a solemn ceremony dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the HALO Trust
organization’s activities in Artsakh.

Vice-speaker of the British House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox
was present at the ceremony.

The President expressed gratitude to the organization for its work,
describing it as an important humanitarian mission.

Bako Sahakyan subsequently met the teaching staff of the Khachen
village and discussed some issues related to school reform.

NKR Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan and other officials accompanied
the President during the visit.

From: A. Papazian

NAASR CO-PUBLISHES VOLUME ON LEBANON’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

Monday June 07, 2010

Belmont, Mass. – The National Association for Armenian Studies and
Research (NAASR) is pleased to announce the publication of Armenians
of Lebanon: From Past Princesses and Refugees to Present-Day Community.

The volume, an undertaking of Haigazian University, is being
distributed in North America by NAASR with NAASR’s Armenian Heritage
Press as co-publisher. The book was officially launched in Beirut on
April 9, 2010, and a U.S. launch, to be held at the NAASR Center in
Belmont, MA, is being planned.

Armenians of Lebanon presents papers given at the September 2005
conference Armenians of Lebanon: Past and Present, held on the
occasion of Haigazian’s 50th anniversary. The volume was edited with
an introduction by Dr. Aida Boudjikanian, originally from Lebanon
and presently living in Montreal, and it contains papers in English,
French, and Armenian. The conference was organized by Dr. Ara Sanjian,
then the Director of the Department of Armenian Studies at Haigazian.

The hardcover book is 506 pages-long and has 14 chapters grouped
thematically and chronologically in 8 parts. Seven chapters are in
English, four in French, and three in Armenian-the languages in which
the original papers were presented. Translated abstracts are given
at the end of the chapters. The volume contains biographies of the
authors and photographs and maps.

Wide Range of Topics in Armenian History and Culture in Lebanon
Covering the full span of Armenian history and society in Lebanon from
medieval times to the present day, the book is a unique repository of
the rich culture and vitality of one of the most important Armenian
diaspora communities. It provides a wealth of information for both the
scholar and the layperson and is, of course, of particular interest
for those with ties to Lebanon.

The first section of the book, “La Presence Armenienne au Temps
des Croisades” contains a chapter by Claude Mutafian entitled “Les
Princesses Armeniennes et le Liban Latin (XII-XIII siècle)” (“Armenian
Princesses and Latin Lebanon, 12th-13th Century”), covering the
marriages between French crusader lords and Armenian princesses. The
second section, “Orphan and Refugee Period,” contains chapters by
Hilmar Kaiser, “The Armenians of Lebanon During the Armenian Genocide,”
drawing mostly on Turkish archives and in particular on Talaat’s
telegrams sent to his administration’s officials or to Turkish army
officials based in Lebanon and in the region, and Vahe Tachjian,
“L’etablissement definitif des refugies armeniens au Liban dans les
annees 1920 et 1930” (“The Permanent Settlement of Armenian Refugees
in Lebanon in the Years 1920 to 1930”), which makes extensive use of
the AGBU archives on the permanent resettlement of Armenian refugees
during this period.

The third section, in Armenian, contains Verjine Svazlian’s
“Libananahay hayrenadardzneru hamazhamanakeay ev tarzhamanakeay
mshakutayin zarkatsune Hayastani mech” (“The Synchronic and Diachronic
Cultural Development of the Lebanese-Armenian Repatriates in Armenia”),
an ethnographic study of Lebanon Armenians, originally from Cilicia,
who “repatriated” to Soviet Armenia. The fourth section, “Music,
Literature, Printing: A Few Facets of a Rich Artistic and Cultural
Life,” contains chapters by Roubina Artinian, “Armenian Choirs in
Lebanon, 1930-1980”; Nora Salmanian, “La contribution des Armeniens
libanais a la vie musicale et artistique au Liban de 1920 a nos
jours” (“Lebanese-Armenian Contributions to the Musical and Artistic
Life of Lebanon from 1920 to the Present Time”); Armen Urneshlian,
“Arabi kerpare Libananahay grakanutean mech” (“Arab Characters in
Lebanese-Armenian Literature”); and Araxy Deronian (“The Armenians
in Lebanon at the Library of Congress”).

The fifth section, “Les Armeniens au Travail,” contains editor Aida
Boudjikanian’s essay “Le travail autonome auprès des Armeniens du
Liban: entre la pratique d’une tradition communautaire et un concept
des theories des diasporas” (“Self-Employment Among Lebanese Armenians:
>From a Community Tradition to a Concept of Diaspora Theories”), while
the sixth contains Shoghik Ashekian’s “Libananahay gaghute ev Haykakan
Tseghaspanutean hartse (1965-1975)” (“The Lebanese Armenian Community
and the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide, 1965-1975”) covering
the Lebanese Armenian community’s quest for genocide recognition.

Section seven, “The War Years (1975-1991) in Lebanon and the Various
Roles Played by the Armenians of Lebanon and of the Diaspora,”
contains a pair of essays: Rouben Avsharian’s “The Ta’ef Agreement
and the Lebanese Armenians” and Khatchik Der Ghoukassian’s “Lebanon
in My Mind: The Civil War and the Centrality of the Lebanese Armenian
Community in the Making of Armenian Diaspora Nationalism.” The final
section features Asbed Kotchikian’s “Between (home)land and (host)land:
Lebanese Armenians and the Republic of Armenia” and Nicola Migliorino’s
“The Lebanese System and Armenian Cultural Diversity Between Yesterday,
Today, and Tomorrow: Opportunities and Limits.”

Armenians of Lebanon is available from NAASR’s bookstore for
$35.00 (less 15% for NAASR members). Books can be purchased in
person at NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478, or online at
For more information contact NAASR at 617-489-1610
or [email protected].

From: A. Papazian

YERVAND KOCHAR’S ART IN ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT

Monday June 07, 2010

Haik Bagdasaryan / Photolure Galleries Yervand Kochar’s art in
anniversary exhibit View Gallery Yerevan – Armenia’s Union of Artists
opened an exhibit dedicated to Yervand Kochar’s artistic legacy
marking 110 years since the artist’s birth.

Born Yervand Kocharian on June 15, 1899 in Tiflis, Kochar was educated
in the art school of Oskar Schmerling, the first art school of Tiflis,
and later in the studio of Petr Konchalovsky in Moscow.

Kochar’s works were first exhibited in Tiflis in 1921 and the
following year in the Allied-controlled Constantinople (Istanbul)
and in Venice. By 1923 Kochar settled down in Paris, where his art
was well-received and earned enduring recognition.

In 1936, at peak of his artistic fame, Kochar moved to Soviet Armenia.

Between 1941-43 he was imprisoned on politically-motivated charges,
but was eventually freed due to intervention from Anastas Mikoyan. He
continued to work in Yerevan, earning recognition as an Honored Artist
of Armenia in 1956, People’s Artist of Armenia in 1965, State Prize
recipient in 1967, Soviet Order of Red Banner in 1971 and People’s
Artist of the Soviet Union in 1976.

Some of his most recognized works include the statues of David of
Sassoun (1959) and Vardan Mamikonian (1975), both in Yerevan, and
of Komitas (1969) in Echmiadzin. Kochar died in 1979 in Yerevan. A
museum dedicated to his art opened near Yerevan’s Cascade in 1984. In
1999 UNESCO marked Kochar’s centennial as one of “outstanding dates”
in world art.

From: A. Papazian

SENIOR SPECIALIST IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN ARMENIA CALLS ON AUTHORITIES TO TOUGHEN CONTROL OVER PASTRY PRODUCTION AND SALE

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:08:00

ArmInfo. Senior Specialist in Infectious Diseases in Armenia Ara
Asoyan said in a press conference on Monday that production and sale
of baked goods needs tougher control in the country. He said that the
given issue had been repeatedly raised before. No mater if the pastry
is sold in subways or supermarkets, he said. “No one knows who, where
and in what conditions produces these goods and if the producers have
relevant permission certificates. This sphere needs tougher control,”
he said. Ara Asoyan recalled that mass poisoning of pastry has been
registered in the country quite recently. He called on consumers to
be more cautious when buying pastry in hot season.

Note, in May 2010 over 20 people were hospitalized in Lori region
with food poisoning. It turned out that all them were poised with
poor quality ecklers.

From: A. Papazian

SWINE FLU DID NOT COST A PACKET

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:10:00

ArmInfo. No cent was spent from Armenia’s state budget for Tamiflu
medicine and “swine flu” vaccine, chief infectiologist of Armenia
Ara Asoyan said at today’s press-conference.

He recalled that the republic received big lots of Tamiflu as
assistance. As for the vaccine, the state has not yet acquired it. “We
shall import it in autumn, if necessary”, Asoyan said. When touching on
the scandal around the “swine flu” where WHO has become the main target
of international structures, since it announced about H1N1 pandemic,
the chief infectiologist said: “There is no doubt that this disease
exists. My team and me had a chance to assure ourselves of it when
the swine flu reached Armenia”.

To recall, the first case of “swine flu” was found in Armenia on
November 10, 2009. Moreover, a citizen of Iran was the first virus
carrier in the republic. As a preventive measure, a decision was made
to close schools and kindergartens from December 8. Schools started
working on January 11, 2010 and kindergartens – on February 1.

From: A. Papazian

NEW VERSION OF ‘PAHMTOCI’ SERVICE: HIDING THE NUMBER WHILE MAKING ON-NET CALLS IS EASIER, FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:12:00

ArmInfo. VivaCell-MTS, a subsidiary of “Mobile TeleSystems” OJSC,
is glad to announce that with the new version of the “Pahmtoci”
service hiding the number of the calling party while making on-net
calls is easier, faster and more convenient.

No subscription or subscription fee, no activation and deactivation:
To hide the number, when calling VivaCell-MTS subscribers, one just
needs to dial ## before the destination number.

For example, to call the subscriber of 077298888 number from a hidden
number, one needs to dial ##077298888.

The tariff of calls made this way is AMD 65 per minute (VAT included).

VivaCell-MTS (K-Telecom CJSC) is the leading Armenian mobile operator,
providing a wide range of Voice and Data services. Since its launch
on 1st July 2005, in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS has managed
to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base.

VivaCell-MTS drives the development and offering of innovative mobile
communications products, services and features in the Armenian mobile
communications market. For more information, visit

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS”) is the largest mobile phone operator
in Russia and the CIS. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company
services over 97.76 million subscribers. The regions of Russia, as
well as Armenia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, in
which MTS and its associates and subsidiaries are licensed to provide
GSM services, have a total population of more than 230 million. Since
June 2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about MTS can
be found at

From: A. Papazian

IN 2009 ALMOST 40 PEOPLE WERE REINSTATED IN A JOB THANKS TO TRADE UNIONS’ EFFORTS

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:35:00

ArmInfo. In 2009 the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia received
several hundreds of complaints about illegal dismissals, particularly,
in the private sector. One managed to reinstate about 40 people in
a job, of them 30-35 – by means of negotiations with the employers,
and 3 – via judicial instances, Head of the Confederation of Trade
Unions of Armenia, Levon Khachatryan, told Arminfo correspondent.

According to him, very often employers themselves display legal
ignorance, for instance, when dismissing the employees on maternity
leave. “Such problems are solved easily, however, most of the dismissed
still remain without a job”,- he said. Another popular problem is the
employers’ refusal to provide paid leave to the employees studying
by correspondence at universities. However, Khachatryan said that in
2009 the Confederation received no such complaints.

Asked whether oligarchs hinder the trade unions’ activity at their
own holdings, Khachatryan said that not a single enterprise of
large Armenian businessmen has trade union organizations. “Make the
conclusion yourselves”,- he said.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY HAS NO MORAL RIGHT TO CONDEMN ISRAEL FOR ACTIONS IN GAZA STRIP: AMERICAN EDITION

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:14:00

ArmInfo. According to Frontpagemag.com American edition, Turkey,
which committed the Armenian Genocide, has no moral right to condemn
Israel for actions in Gaza Strip.

As the article says, Turkey has been at the center of the now infamous
flotilla incident involving a Hamas-connected Turkish “NGO” which
attempted to run an Israeli naval blockade off the coast of Gaza. The
flotilla was supported financially by Hamas and peopled primarily by
their Turkish allies. It was purportedly seeking to transport 10,000
tons of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. But in fact, Israel supplies
Gaza with 15,000 tons of food, medicines, and related humanitarian
support every week. Turkey remains a prime transit route for Southwest
Asian heroin into Western Europe. With all the focus on Turks sailing
towards the Hamas seas, defying Israel’s determined effort to bar
delivery of military weapons and material to the terrorist government
that runs Gaza, one wonders how genteel Turkey’s own internal borders
have been.

“Does her treatment of religious and ethnic minorities model Western
humanitarian values? Consider Turkey’s treatment of her Armenian,
Catholic, and Kurdish minorities”. The edition refers to the fact of
non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey, sustaining it by
invoke this topic by a number of political figures, including a Nazi
leader Adolf Hitler who said in 1939: “Who, after all, speaks today of
the annihilation of the Armenians?” Certainly not Istanbul. American
President Theodore Roosevelt contemporaneously wrote in 1918: “[T]he
Armenian massacre was the greatest crime of the war, and the failure
to act against Turkey is to condone it:[T]he failure to deal radically
with the Turkish horror means that all talk of guaranteeing the future
peace of the world is mischievous nonsense”.

“For nearly a century, Turkey steadfastly has refused to acknowledge
their barbaric genocide between 1915-1918 of 1,500,000 Armenian men,
women, and children. Turkey will not apologize or even acknowledge the
genocide they perpetrated, assuring that one of the most heinous war
crimes of the twentieth century festers unresolved”, the article says.

From: A. Papazian

NATIONAL NEO-CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT PROTEST AGAINST VIOLENCE REGARDING YOUNG ACTIVISTS OF OPPOSITION

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:16:00

ArmInfo. National Neo-Conservative Movement of Armenia has disseminated
a statement in which it expressed its protest against violence
application by policemen against young activists of opposition in
the center of Yerevan.

The statement says in particular, although the Movement does not
share the viewpoint of the participants in the protest action
and considers preserving of stability in the country very much
important, nevertheless, application of violence by policemen against
oppositionists is inadmissible.

To recall, on 31 May the Police applied violence against the
participants in the protest action at the Liberty Square, as a result
of which 3 opposition members, including journalist Ani Gevorkyan,
were arrested. Latter Ani Gevorkyan was discharge with recognizance
not to leave.

From: A. Papazian

ARFD WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO ROBERT KOCHARYAN RETURNING TO BIG POLITICS

ArmInfo
2010-06-07 17:26:00

ArmInfo. ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party is not going to contribute to
Robert Kocharyan returning to the big politics, Armen Rustamyan,
Chairman of ARFD Supreme Body, told media on Monday when commenting
on rumors about possible return of the ex-president to politics.

“The rumors saying that we want to come together to return Robert
Kocharyan to power are nothing but absurd. I assure you that it is
Kocharyan’s own business to return or not. We bear no relation to
that,” Rustamyan said. He highlighted that many problems in the
country such has corruption, social injustice, vulnerability of
citizens originated in the period when Kocharyan was in power.

Rustamyan said that ARFD is for change of power in the country but
for a new leader and not the ex-president.

From: A. Papazian