Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIA’S NATIONAL TEAM CAPTURES 8 GOLD MEDALS IN US

April 3

Armenia’s junior shotokan karate national team-which includes
11-18-year olds-competed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the USA Karate
Junior International Cup and in the Ozawa Cup.

In the first tournament, Armen Andriasyan, 16, captured first place
in kata and in kumite. Avetik Kurazyan, 15, Suren Muradyan, 17,
and Garush Nisanyan, 14, became winners, whereas Levon Shiganyan,
11, came in second in kumite.

In the Ozawa Cup, Armenia’s squad won five medals. Anna Shiganyan,
13, captured gold in kumite, Suren Muradyan again came in first,
whereas Garush Nisanyan captured third spot. Armen Andriasyan, on
the other hand, was first in kata and second in kumite.

NEWS.am Sport

From: A. Papazian

A GROUP OF GYUMRI RESIDENTS EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE PROCESSION FROM GYUMRI TO YEREVAN PROTESTING AGAINST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULT

ARMINFO
Wednesday, April 3, 18:07

A group of Gyumri residents is expected to organize a procession
from Gyumri to Yerevan as a sign of protest against the presidential
election result, the procession initiators say in a statement.

The protest action will start from the Theatrical Square in Gyumri at
9:00am on April 7 and end in the Liberty Square in Yerevan on April 9.

Vice Chairman of Heritage Party Board, former parliamentarian Armen
Martirosyan will accompany the protesters till the destination point.

Ceremony of President Serzh Sargsyan’s inauguration will be held on
April 9. The same day Raffi Hovannisian’s supporters are expected to
organize inauguration of Hovannisian in the Liberty Square. According
to the official results, the winner is incumbent President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan with 58.64% of the votes or 861,373 votes,
the runner-up the leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian – 36.75%
or 539,693. Hovannisian refuses to accept these figures and is holding
protest actions.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH PM INCLUDES ARMENIAN JOURNALIST IN COMMISSION TO RESOLVE KURDISH ISSUE

April 03, 2013 | 16:11

Along the lines of solving Turkey’s Kurdish issue, the country’s
authorities formed the Commission of Wise Persons, which includes
Istanbul-Armenian journalist Etyen Mahcupyan of Zaman daily.

T24.com of Turkey issued the names of the Commission members.

The Commission is made up of 63 people. In line with this program,
Turkey is divided into seven regions, and nine people are set up in
each region, to work with the people.

The Commission of Wise Persons comprises Turkey’s well-known
intellectuals, artists, singers and journalists.

Mahcupyan is included in the Commission group that will work in
Turkey’s Kurdish-populated southeastern regions.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

IN ACCORDANCE WITH PRELIMINARY INFORMATION 6 ETHNIC ARMENIAN CANDIDATES WON GLENDALE ELECTIONS

15:13, 3 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. In accordance with the preliminary
information six ethnic Armenian candidates won in the Glendale
elections, California, held on April 2. The candidates were running
for the posts in the Glendale Unified school board, city clerk, city
treasurer, and three seats in city council. As reports “Armenpress”
citing Glendale News-Press website, ethnic Armenian candidate Ardy
Kassakhian appeared to have won re-election with a commanding lead
over his sole challenger.

Ethnic Armenian Ara Najarian, Laura Friedman, and Zareh Sinanyan were
the favorites for the three seats in the City Council Elections.

With all 39 precincts reporting, Joylene Wagner, first elected to the
school board in 2005, was narrowly trailing behind challenger Armina
Gharpetian – who raised far more money than her competitors, taking
in roughly $20,000 as of March 16, according to unofficial results
reported by the city clerk’s office. Incumbent Greg Krikorian, who
retained a commanding lead throughout the evening, cited his history
of service on the board for his performance at the polls, pulling in
10,823 votes.

Among other things Greg Krikorian stated: “I feel the work I’ve done
in serving the teachers and students and community is reflected in
the numbers. We’re really humbled. I’m appreciative.”

City Councilman Rafi Manoukian successfully defeated Measure A on
Tuesday, preserving his successful bid for city treasurer. While
Manoukian was the sole candidate for city treasurer, he wasn’t without
some opposition in the form of Measure A, which was defeated on vote
of 11,602 against and 4,001 in support. Manoukian mounted a strong
campaign against the proposed Charter amendment that would have changed
the city treasurer into an appointed, not elected, position -thereby
nullifying the outcome of his uncontested quest for the office.

From: A. Papazian

NATIONAL CEMETERY OF ALEPPO BECAME STAGE OF CLASHES

12:39, 3 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. A number of Armenians leave Sheykh Taha
district of Aleppo and move to live with their relatives in much saver
regions. “Armenpress” states about this citing the facebook page of
the Armenians from Aleppo. Several cases of robbery of the Armenian
houses have been recorded recently. Various objects have been stolen.

Sheykh Taha is very close to Sheykh Makhsoud district, which is now
considered to be a region of clashes. Notwithstanding it is under the
control of the Army and there are no snipers there, but occasional
bullets reach the place from Sheykh Makhsoud.

In accordance with the information, it has already been several days
since no burial ceremonies are held in the national cemetery of Aleppo,
because this site appeared in the midst of clashes flaring up between
the two sides.

In accordance with the UN data clashes lasting for already two years
in Syria caused death of over 70 thousand people, including more than
four dozens Armenians.

From: A. Papazian

PAN-ARMENIAN LOBBYIST CONFERENCE TO BE CONVOKED ADVANCING 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

14:09, 3 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. On the initiative of the Ministry of
Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia pan-Armenian lobbyist conference
will be held on September, advancing the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. As reports “Armenpress” the Head of the Repatriation
and Investigations Department of the Ministry of Diaspora of the
Republic of Armenia Arman Yeghiazaryan stated this during the press
conference held on April 3.

Among other things Arman Yeghiazaryan stated: “In the course of the
meeting a row of issues regarding the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide will be under discussion. Also, a pan-Armenian lawyers’
conference will be convoked, during which the attendees will discuss
a number of questions about the recognition and compensation of the
Armenian Genocide along with many other issues.”

Advancing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the Ministry
of Diaspora initiated the publication of a number of books and
researches. In addition the Head of the Repatriation and Investigations
Department of the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia
underscored: “Also we have initiated the procedure of digitalization
of the literature dedicated to the issue of the Armenian Genocide.”

From: A. Papazian

HOW KERRY COULD BE KEY TO KARABAKH CONFLICT

17:02 04.04.2013

“The only way for Washington to wash its hands of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict is to achieve conflict settlement,” Alexandros Petersen
writes an article published in the Washington Post.

Late last month, Secretary of State John F. Kerry stated as much when
he wrote to the president of Armenia that “we cannot be satisfied
with the status quo” in the conflict. Mr. Kerry is well-versed in the
intricacies of Nagorno-Karabakh, because as a senator, he represented
a particularly active cohort of Armenian-Americans. Their lobbying in
Congress has led some Azerbaijanis to intimate that the new secretary
of state might be biased toward the other side in the conflict, but
it seems that Mr. Kerry has left his constituency’s concerns behind
him to focus on U.S. national interests.

According to the author, it is very much in the American interest to
solve a conflict that could at any moment boil over to destabilize
an already uncertain region.

Petersen reminds that the United States, France and Russia head the
Minsk Group, a negotiating framework sponsored by the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, to find a solution to the conflict.

“Russia is Armenia’s closest ally and has a deep strategic interest in
maintaining its military power in the Caucasus. Russia maintains its
102nd Military Base on Armenian territory, with more than 3,000 combat
troops, hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles, as well as MiG aircraft
and anti-aircraft defenses. A defense treaty with Moscow obligates
Russia to defend Armenia in case of war, including an escalation
in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Moscow has no such relationships
with Azerbaijan. In fact, at the moment, Russian technicians are
leaving Azerbaijan’s largest radar facility as part of a deal agreed
to late last year to sever the last vestiges of Soviet-era ties,”
the article reads.

Alexandros Petersen believes that U.S. mediation is more impartial
than Russia’s. according to him, Secretary of State John Kerry’s
familiarity with the conflict provides an opportunity for the United
States to craft a better strategy for settlement in Karabakh. “In
this case, the deep involvement of a U.S. secretary of state would go
further in getting results than the ongoing disingenuous efforts of
a Russian president. Mr. Kerry has his work cut out for him, but he
may well be the best man for the job,” the author concludes.

From: A. Papazian

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR ARMENIAN SCHOOL FROM GILLAN’S AND IOMMI’S FAN FROM CANADA

Mediamax, Armenia
April 4 2013

Yerevan/Mediamax/. N6 music school in Gyumri which new building
will be ready in summer 2013 will get impressive number of new music
instruments from Canada.

The project of reconstruction of Gyumri N6 music school is implemented
by Mediamax, Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) and Australian Do Something
organization.

In January 2011, the owner of music store Millbank Music in Canada Tim
Irving contacted Ian Gillan’s manager Phil Banfield and said that he
would like to provide music instruments to the Gyumri school. Tim
noted that he has been the fan of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath
since childhood and it will be honor for him to take part in WhoCares
project implemented by Ian Gillan and Toni Iommi.

Over 2 years, Tim Irving has collected musical instruments for the
Gyumri school. He made considerable efforts for raising necessary
funds. In 2012, he met with the management of Slash the guitarist
signed his Gibson Les Paul guitar for the auction.

Upon Tim’s request, legendary Canadian folk musician Valdy also signed
his guitar for the auction.

Besides, Tim Irving organized Battle of the Bands concert with
participation of young Canadian groups which were inspired with the
prospect of joining the project implemented for Armenia by legendary
Ian Gillan and Toni Iommi. Shades of Sorrow group won Battle of
the Bands.

As a result of all these efforts, Tim Irving managed to collect
impressive number of instruments for Gyumri school: 24 Violins,
12 acoustic guitars, 12 Ukeleles, 4 Alto Saxophones, 4 trumpets, 2
Mandolins, 2 flutes, 3 hand drums, 1 Conga kit with stand, 3 Yamaha
portable keyboards, 1 Yamaha 88 note digital piano, 4 Stands for
above keyboards, 2 boxes violin strings, 2 boxes guitar tuners,
2 boxes guitar string, 1 piano tuning hammer, 100 guitar picks.

The Fund for Armenian Relief will support the transportation of
instruments to Armenia.

“I am amazed at what Tim Irving did for Armenian children. It’s just
unbelievable! The value of the project is that it unites people from
all around the world. In summer 2012, learning about Ian Gillan’s
and Tony Iommi’s efforts toward construction of the Gyumri school,
Mardigian family from the U.S. decided to triple the raised funds
which allowed starting the construction immediately. Learning about
the project on the internet, Tim Irving in fact settled the issue
of providing the school with instruments. I would like to once more
thank him on the behalf of all the people involved in the project
over past 4 years”, said Mediamax Director Ara Tadevosyan.

From: A. Papazian

SOME PROFESSIONS TO BE REDUCED IN ARMENIA IN 2014

Mediamax, Armenia
April 4 2013

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Minister of Education and Science of Armenia Armen
Ashotyan said today that the list of higher education professions
will be revised in 2014 bringing it in line with the UNESCO standards.

The Minister clarified that the change of the profession classifier
means that some professions will be eliminated from the educational
system, their names will be changed and some professions will be
grouped.

“We have inherited the profession classifier which existed since the
Soviet Union which should be brought in line with the developments
in the modern world. What we will have in 2014 will be the hybrid of
what we have and the new one”, said Armen Ashotyan.

From: A. Papazian

SINCE WHEN EUROPEAN VALUES HAVE BOILED DOWN TO A SINGLE ISSUE OF SEXUAL MINORITY RIGHTS?

Mediamax, Armenia
March 29 2013

by Zohrab Mnatsakanian
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister

Since when European values have boiled down to a single issue of
sexual minority rights?

Since when European values have boiled down to a single issue of
sexual minority rights? Millions of Parisians marching in support
of the traditional family are apparently outside the European
values system. Nonsense, isn’t it? Because they are posterity to
Montesquieu and Voltaire, to Camus and Sartre, and the list will go
on for several pages. Because European values are a product of at
least three millennia of civilisation, from Aristotle and Plato to
Narekatsi and Gosh to Renaissance and Reformation, to Bentham and Mill,
to Hegel and Rousseau, to Cobden and Adam Smith, to Mazzini and Dunant,
to Dostoyevsky and Bulgakov, to industrial revolution, free trade,
national liberation and civil liberties. Because Europe has known
colonialism and war, discrimination and genocide, and because it has
risen from the ashes of shame to the common values of democracy, human
rights and fundamental freedoms.This is exactly what we claim fit for
our society and for our children. This is exactly the foundation we
see fit for our sustainable social and economicdevelopment. These are
not some abstract values imposed by outsiders. As a matter of fact,
these are our values, enshrined in our Constitution, which also happen
to be common European values.

On the more specific issue of sexual minorities, we have every reason
to object to the rights claims of sexual minorities, especially when
they challenge the integrity of the social fabric with the family as
a consensual union of a man and a woman, at the centre of it, or when
they collide with the rights of the child. However, whether we like
it or not, sexual minorities are amongst us, they live in the same
society, they are part of it. When our objections enter the domain
of abuse, discrimination and ultimately persecution, we inadvertently
differ little from any oppressor. To discriminate on one ground is a
licence to discriminate on any ground, whether national, religious,
ethnic or other. Then you know where the society takes itself. History
has given ample examples. How many people have been burnt to ashes
because they were different in colour, belief, language, ethnic origin
or political views? Europe, and us in particular, have seen enough of
it in the past to understand that there is no such thing as selective
discrimination.If a society accepts discrimination on one ground, it
is ready to discriminate on any other. A democratic society respects
fundamental freedoms, including freedom to personal life. To stay
away from other peoples’ bedrooms is not just a matter of a right to
privacy, but also basic civility.Equally, parading sexuality is an
ugly invitation to one’s bedroom privacy. Bottom line is that it is
our basic common European value not to discriminate. In the streets
of Paris I would march on the side of those in support of traditional
family, but would strongly object to the presence of hate induced
discriminators amongst my ranks. It is a complex issue, indeed.

Trivialisation of public debate about values and sexual minorities
undermines the seriousness of both issues and challenges the strength
and maturity of a society.

Zohrab Mnatsakanian is the Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister.

These views are his own.

From: A. Papazian