Author: Andres-Papazian

GAMBURYAN IS RIGHT AT HOME

The Daily News of Los Angeles
August 5, 2012 Sunday
VALLEY EDITION

Fighting in front of family and friends, Hollywood’s Manny
Gamburyan ended his three-fight losing streak with an impressive
unanimous-decision victory over Michihiro Omigwa on the undercard of
UFC on Fox 4 on Saturday at Staples Center.

The judges scored the featherweight bout 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 for
Gamburyan (14-8), who trains out of Hayastan MMA Academy in North
Hollywood.

It was obvious to Gamburyan even walking to the ring that he was home.

“There were a lot Armenians, I saw the flags, that’s why I jumped up,
I thanked the people, thanked them for coming,” he said.

In a sluggish first round partly because Gamburyan was puzzled by
Omigawa’s southpaw stance, Omigawa (13-12-1) tagged Gamburyan with
a left, but “The Anvil” was quickly on his feet.

“I didn’t get hurt. It was right in my eye and my nose,” Gamburyan
said.

The action picked up in the second round as they came out exchanging
punches. Two minutes in, Gamburyan took Omigawa down twice, only to
have the Japanese judo expert pop right back up.

Gamburyan managed to land a third takedown, get Omigawa’s back and
lock in a leg triangle. After trying for a rear-naked choke, Gamburyan
lost the ground control but caught Omigawa with a quick right hand.

The third round easily was the best round of the fight. Gamburyan,
seeing his opponent come out hunched over and with his hands lower,
started it with a head kick that wobbled Omigawa.

“My leg hurts. Look at that,” Gamburyan said, showing off a bruised
and swollen lower leg. “Homeboy doesn’t go down. I kick really hard,
but he’s got a chin for days.”

Crisp punches and two more head kicks kept Omigawa off guard.

Another Gamburyan takedown was followed by Omigawa rising quickly
to his feet and going for a guillotine choke. Gamburyan escaped,
held on and hoisted Omigwa for a big slam with 1:22 left in the round.

After Omigawa got up, Gamburyan picked him up and slammed him again.

Omigawa made one last attempt at a guillotine choke, but Gamburyan
broke free and reset with 20 seconds left, with the crowd applauding
the fighters for their efforts.

Gamburyan credited boxing coach Edmond Tarverdyan for the aggressive
style.

“My boxing coach said, ‘Just go out there and let your hands go.

You’re looking amazing sparring, you’re looking great. Just be the
old Manny you are,” he said. “I’m like, I’m gonna do something I’ve
never done before, like the head kick.”

In what was the most entertaining fight on the preliminary card
based on the crowd’s reaction, featherweight Nam Phan (18-11) earned
a split-decision victory over Cole Miller (18-7). The judges scored
it 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 for the Garden Grove resident.

Other bouts

In the opening fight, flyweight John Moraga (11-1) made a stunning
debut in the Octagon by knocking out Ulysses Gomez (9-3) at 3:46 of
the first round.

British heavyweights Phil De Fries (9-1) and Oli Thompson (9-4)
slogged through an uninspiring first round before De Fries started
popping Thompson and finished it at 4:16 of the second round with a
rear-naked choke that was announced as a face crank.

Rani Yahya (17-7) of Brazil came up with a stunning north-south choke
at 3:15 of the first round to force Josh Grispi (14-4) to tap out in
their featherweight bout.

The card wasn’t without controversy. The light heavyweight fight
between Phil Davis (9-1) and Wagner Prado (8-0) was ruled a no-decision
after the doctor’s stoppage at 1:36 of the first round after an
inadvertent eye poke by Davis. Prado and booing fans protested
the decision, but his eye was swollen and his vision appeared to
be affected.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN RELATIONS DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVELY

Voice of Rusia
Aug 8 2012

Russian-Armenian relations are developing in all areas, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sargsyan in Moscow.

According to Putin, an intergovernmental commission will shortly work
out a roadmap to promote economic ties.

It is worth mentioning that this year, mutual trade volume has grown
by 32 percent and reached one billion U.S. dollars.

The Armenian President said that bilateral military and technical
cooperation had successfully developed. The Russian military base in
Armenia meets the country’s security interests, he said.

From: A. Papazian

ARTSAKH MILITARY COUNCIL DISCUSSES FRONTLINE FORTIFICATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 8, 2012 – 18:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On August 8, Artsakh Defense Ministry held Military
Council meeting, chaired by Defense Minister, Lieutenant General
Movses Hakobyan.

Organization of defense army units’ military duty, as well as frontline
fortification boosting measures were in focus of the meeting.

Army commanders further came up with speeches, with Mr. Hakobyan
summarizing the meeting outcomes and giving instructions.

From: A. Papazian

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN SAYS ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IMPORTANT

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 8, 2012 – 20:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia highly assesses Armenian-Russian strategic
partnership, President Serzh Sargsyan said.

“Current implementation of the consistent policy aiming to deepen
Russian-Armenian relations are conditioned by friendly historic ties
between the two nations,” presidential press service quoted RA leader
as saying during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

“This is our first meeting since Russian presidential elections. We
stand ready to strengthen our political dialogue,” President Sargsyan
said.

“Despite the post-crisis period, the trade turnover between the two
countries hit billion. However, I believe doubling and even tripling
the number in the years to come a possible step to take,” he said,
adding that the humanitarian agreement signed a few months ago
contributes to bilateral cooperation.

President Sargsyan further hailed Russian-Armenian military-technical
cooperation, saying, “Russian military base deployment terms in Armenia
were extended in 2010, which was in our country’s security interests.”

He further said that Armenia will host CSTO maneuvers in fall.

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
PAROS “LIGHTHOUSE” CHARITABLE FOUNDATION USA
P.O. Box 3595
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Contact: Beth Broussalian
Tel: 858-792-4656
Fax: 858-792-4656
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
The Paros Foundation
Tel: 310-400-9061 US or (091) 426 120 Armenia
Email: [email protected]

SHARE-A-PAIR COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL DISTRIBUTION OF 25,000 SHOES TO
ARMENIAN CHILDREN

YEREVAN, Armenia– Share-a-Pair, part of The Paros Foundation’s
100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity has
successfully distributed more than 25,000 pairs of new shoes to
Armenia’s most needy children.

Thanks to the support of generous sponsors and a major U.S. shoe
manufacturer, The Paros Foundation staff and its volunteers and
non-governmental organization partners, coordinated the effort
to distribute shoes to children in need. Shoes were distributed
to children in 11 orphanages, 8 boarding schools, 12 NGOs, and
in14 cities and more than 100 villages throughout Armenia.
Volunteers from Armenia, Sweden and the United States joined
together in this ambitious distribution effort.

“Share-a-Pair embarked on the daunting task of putting shoes on
the feet of children in Armenia’s most isolated and economically
challenged villages and regions.” Said Peter Abajian, Executive
Director of The Paros Foundation. “Paros Foundation Staff and
volunteers visited more than 100 villages using kindergartens
and schools as distribution points within a 3-month period.”

“Working to get shoes to children in the villages was exhausting.
” Said Kristen Abajian, co-founder of Share-a-Pair. “Long drives
on terrible roads, beautiful scenery and difficult conditions in
the villages made this experience an emotional one for all of us
. Seeing happy children and smiling faces made it all worth while
.”

The Paros Foundation has produced a short nine-minute video
featuring the shoe distribution process and some of the
beneficiaries. The video is available by calling (310) 400-9061,
or can be found on the Foundation’s website www.paros
-foundation.org [], facebook page
or on youtube ( []).

“When we started Share-a-Pair 18 months ago, our goal was clear
and within reach-put 1,000 pairs of new shoes on the feet of
needy Armenian children. I am so thankful that with the support
of a selfless group of volunteers and donors, we were able to
not only reach, but also far exceed our original goal. Now our
focus shifts to warm winter boots,” said co-founder Bridget
Abajian.

The Share-a-Pair team has now launched an effort to put warm
winter boots on the feet of Armenia’s needy children called ”
Operation Winter Boots.” Donations are welcome in any amount, and
a $20 donation will
ensure a child’s feet stay warm in Armenia this winter.

The Paros Foundation was formally launched in 2006 and is based
in Berkeley, California. Its Chairman, Roger Strauch, and
Executive Director, Peter Abajian, have a long history of
working with Armenia and the Armenian-American community to
support Armenia’s rich culture and heritage, improve the lives
of people with disabilities and to create positive opportunities
for Armenia’s children. In 2011, The Paros Foundation launched
its Paros 100 for 100, Projects for Prosperity initiative to
properly commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide
through the implementation of 100 special projects benefiting
Armenia and her people. The Paros Foundation is not affiliated
with the Ghazarian family’s Paros “Lighthouse” Charitable
Foundation.

For more information and to get involved, please visit www.paros
-foundation.org [].

About The Paros Foundation

Officially launched in 2006, The Paros Foundation has identified
and partnered with six organizations in Armenia (The Paros
Chamber Choir ( []), Unison NGO
( []), Vanadzor Arts School (
[]), Manana
Youth Center ( []
), Vanadzor Museum of Fine Art (
[]) and the Ghoghanj Children’s Center (
[]).) These
organizations serve as leaders in their respective fields of
children, people with disabilities and the arts. Foundation
support comes in the form of organizational operating funds,
office space and organizational resources and mentoring. The
mission is to help these modest size projects manage their
growth and attract more financial, human, and physical resources
to their respective causes.

Donations to The Paros Foundation are tax-deductible to the
fullest extent allowed by law. The Paros Foundation is a 501(c)3
Private Foundation.

To learn more about the Paros 100 for 100 please visit
[] or contact The Paros
Foundation at (310) 400-9061 US or (091) 426 120 Armenia, or
via email at [[email protected]].

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY CONFIRMS REPORTS ABOUT PROTECTIVE WORKS ON STATE BORDER WITH AZERBAIJAN

APA
Aug 9 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. Armenian Defense Ministry confirmed
the reports about carrying out of protective works on state border
with Azerbaijan, APA reports quoting “Armenpress” agency.

Press secretary of Defense Ministry of the Republic of Armenia Artsrun
Hovhannisyan told “Armenpress” that the protective works are carried
out consistently. According to him, the defense structures are being
constructed and positions are strengthened for the purpose of security
of positions. These works will be continued.

“These steps will be consistently followed in the future. But it is
unclear why Azerbaijan directs attention to this issue these days”,
the press secretary said.

After the incidents that occurred on Armenia-Azerbaijan border in
April and June, Armenian defense minister and president announced
necessity to carry out protective works on the border. According to
observations of the Azerbaijani side, Armenia began to strengthen is
defensive positions on the state border over the last two months. The
staffs of the Armenian Defense Ministry, the Emergency Ministry, as
well as workers and equipments from neighboring villages are involved
in the works that are carried out nightly.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN ADDRESSES UN, OSCE MINSK GROUP EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT ARMENIA’S ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT POLICY IN NK

APA
Aug 7 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Anakhanum Hidayatova – APA. Armenian media outlets released
information about settlement of Armenian families in Nagorno Karabakh,
especially families that left Syria.

APA reports that Azerbaijan addressed the UN, OSCE, Minsk Group
co-chair countries expressing its concern about it. The Foreign
Ministry said that the OSCE Minsk Group has repeatedly conducted
monitoring for researching the illegal settlement facts in Azerbaijan’s
occupied territories: “The monitoring defined that Armenia is
conducting illegal settlement policy in Nagorno Karabakh and other
occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The international community must
prevent the continuation of this policy”.

From: A. Papazian

FRENCH “THALES” COMPANY APOLOGIZES TO AZERBAIJAN FOR SELLING EQUIPMENT TO KHANKENDI AIRPORT

APA
Aug 7 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Parvin Abbasov-APA. “The branch of French “THALES” company sold
navigation equipment to Khankendi airport. We met with vice-president
of the company due to this issue this year.

They apologized and said that they were deceived by Armenians” said
the director of State Civil Aviation Administration Arif Mammadov in
his interview, APA reports.

He said that he wasn’t satisfied with argument of French side and sent
an appeal to the president of International Civil Aviation Company:
“It’s stressed that, if France doesn’t know where it sends their
equipment, this equipment may fall into terrorists’ hands and can be
used against security and stability. We put relevant steps with the
help of this appeal to make this company to make a decision within
international law norms. By the way, the solution of this issue in
accordance with international law norms is stressed in the second
part of the letter. We received a respond letter from the president
of ICAO on July 23. Company’s director confirmed our position in the
letter. I wrote in the letter that I hope that the rights of Azerbaijan
can not be violated by any state in the world. The company’s director
wrote that he shared my opinion. The letter says that if the rules
of air space are violated, Azerbaijan can force the aircraft to land
in any other airport. But it was also mentioned in the letter that
in case of emergency landing, we must try not to damage peaceful
and civil planes. Of course, in order to identify whether there are
civil people in the plane or not, we must force it to landing. The
state has the right to decide by itself what kind of measure to take
in relevant situation. Director of ICAO also informed in the letter
that the representatives of French company will stop the cooperation
dealing with the issue of Khojaly airport and Armenia will be informed
about the Azerbaijan’s concerns”.

From: A. Papazian

SARKIS’S ‘BALLADS’ ECHO AT ROTTERDAM’S SUBMARINE WHARF

Cihan News Agency (CNA)
August 1, 2012 Wednesday
Turkey

ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- The Submarine Wharf at Rotterdam’s world-famous
docklands is currently home to a gigantic installation by
Turkish-Armenian contemporary artist Sarkis in what makes up one of
the key events in an ongoing series of cultural events celebrating
the 400th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Turkey and the
Netherlands.

Called “Ballads,” Sarkis’s installation is made up of a set of
monumental sculptures over 16 meters tall and a carillon, also
incorporating light, video and music by American composer John Cage.

Cage’s “Litany for the Whale” forms a permanent backdrop to the
installation, spread over almost 5,000 square meters on the campus.

The carillon continuously plays “Litany for the Whale” and takes the
visitor on a journey into the realm where submarines and whales meet.

The pendant to the monumental bell tower is a 16-meter-tall lampshade
covered with white down feathers. Accompanying them in “The Futuro,”
are Sarkis’s videos about water.

The wharf’s original function and the surrounding water are central
to the installation, which unites the building’s past and present
through monumental objects, music and colored films on its windows
that filter the daylight like a modern variant of stained glass.

Inspired by the church interiors of 17th-century Dutch painter
Pieter Saenredam, Sarkis transformed the wharf into a “sacred meeting
place,” said the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Rotterdam-based
commissioners of the work.

The format of the space, the special lighting and the sound of
the carillon with 43 bells create a hallowed atmosphere for the
installation, evoking the form of the submarines once built at
the wharf.

The combination makes up a “poetic installation,” as the Museum
Boijmans Van Beuningen puts it. All the elements in Sarkis’s work
support the musical narrative, in which the visitor plays a leading
role, the museum says on its website,

“In ‘Ballads,’ Sarkis attempts to create a connection between the dark
depths of the water and the majestic expanse of thin air,” writes guest
curator Nicolette Gast in the catalog that accompanies the exhibition.

Born Sarkis Zabunyan in Istanbul in 1938, the Paris-based artist
is known for his unique combination of the atmosphere of Oriental
mysticism with Western conceptual art. The concepts “time” and “memory”
play an important role in his work, exhibited since the early 1970s
in such prestigious art events as the Venice Biennale and Documenta
as well as the Istanbul Biennial.

Sarkis’s show is only the third exhibition presented at the Submarine
Wharf in Rotterdam. In the summer of 2011, Elmgreen & Dragset staged
their installation “The One & the Many” there, and in 2010 the space
was the setting for a major exhibition of works by the Rotterdam-based
Atelier Van Lieshout.

To coincide with the installation, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
presents a satellite exhibition of new work by Sarkis — an
interpretation in watercolor on 96 sheets of the score of “Ryoanji”
by John Cage (1912-1992).

“Ballads” runs until Sept. 30 at the Submarine Wharf.

From: A. Papazian

A CAUCASIAN SONG PLAYS IN SYRIA

Cihan News Agency (CNA)
August 1, 2012 Wednesday
Turkey

ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- “It was [our] contribution to the Syrian revolution”
proclaimed social media activists in Azerbaijan after last week’s
events in Aleppo (Halep).

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) celebrated victory at the battle of the
country’s second city and economic center Aleppo with an Arabic
rendition of the Azerbaijani song “Qal, Sene Qurban” (Stay, [I
will] Sacrifice for You). The battle for Aleppo, once a bastion of
support for Assad’s regime, is critical for both the regime and the
opposition. The Syrian crisis is becoming increasingly difficult
to predict, and the pressing question at this juncture is “whose”
song we will hear in Syria.

Every turn of events in Syria is linked with further developments
in Iran, which is of more urgent concern among the South Caucasus
countries. Nevertheless, Syria has its own type of impact upon the
domestic and foreign policies of the Caucasian states.

Of the regional countries, Azerbaijan as a non-permanent member of the
UN Security Council is equipped with a greater range of diplomatic
tools, but on the other hand, Baku’s regional energy interests are
threatened by the current situation. Moreover, the Syrian crisis
could affect Azerbaijan’s foreign relations, considering that
Azerbaijan’s positions do not coincide with Russia’s. For instance,
Moscow boycotted the “Friends of Syria” forum that took place on
April 1 in Istanbul, while Azerbaijan participated. Official Baku is
following the international community’s direction on the resolution
of the crisis. This is made easier by the fact that Azerbaijan has no
border with Syria, and there are few domiciled Syrians. According to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku, there are just 60 Azerbaijanis
living in Syria.

The current crisis has also caused the collapse of the Syrian
component of Azerbaijan’s gas export plan; Baku and Damascus reached
a preliminary agreement in June 2010 on export of some 1.5 billion
cubic meters (bcm) of gas for the Syrian market via the Pan-Arabian
pipeline once the fraction between Turkey (Kilis) and Syria (Homs)
had been constructed by the end of 2011. While the breakdown of this
particular agreement does not in itself pose a serious threat to
Azerbaijan’s energy policy, in the context of the continuing turmoil
in the Middle East, Baku is increasingly anxious about maintaining
political balance. The focus here is more on Iran and on what Tehran
will do if they lose their position in Syria in the event of the fall
of the Assad regime.

Armenia’s standpoint on Syria is different from Azerbaijan’s.

Yerevan’s policy toward Syria has domestic limitations and also
resource constraints. The first issue is the country’s Syrian
Armenian community of around 60,000 people. When civil war broke
out in Syria in 2011, a huge proportion of this ethnic community
applied for Armenian citizenship and faced serious challenges in
the process. Many experts believed that the Armenian government
failed to take appropriate steps to protect Armenians in Syria. Key
challenges included high flight prices, complex visa requirements and
the difficulty of finding accommodation in Armenia. Armenia’s main
airline, Armavia, advertised Aleppo-Yerevan-Aleppo tickets for $670,
higher than Syrian companies. Armavia is the national carrier of
Armenia, but is financially indebted to Russia; one might argue that
it is in Moscow’s interests to keep the Armenian community in Syria.

Russia is enacting a type of “trench warfare” in the Middle East,
trying to prevent outright conflict for the sake of its national
interests and manipulating the situation to support components of
its policy toward the Caucasus. For example, Russia did not oppose
ethnic Abkhazians in Syria from returning to Abkhazia, as a stronger
Abkhaz population would strengthen its position against Georgia in
this contested territory.

Meanwhile, some experts and politicians have criticized Armenia’s
policy in Syria. According to Ara Sanjian, a historian at the
University of Michigan, “the Armenian Government can do very little
in Syria because of its weak economy; Armenia, and more importantly
government officials, do not have adequate knowledge of the realities
of life among the Diaspora.” Only following such criticism did the
Armenian government introduce an amendment to its citizenship laws,
whereby, as of July 26, Syrian and Lebanese citizens of Armenian
descent can receive Armenian passports from consulates and embassies.

It is remarkable that Tbilisi’s position on this issue substantially
diverges from those of Baku and Yerevan. Georgia faces similar domestic
challenges to Armenia. According to the official position, reiterated
by Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze in an interview with Civil.ge on
June 27, 2012, “The crisis needs to be settled based on the will of
the Syrian people, irrespective of which ethnic or religious group
they belong to.” The fall of the Assad regime poses one significant
advantage for Georgia: that Assad’s comments on Abkhazia and South
Ossetia will be forgotten. During his visit to the Russian city of
Sochi on Aug. 21, 2008, Assad expressed his support for the Russian
position on Abkhazia and South Ossetia and declared that the August
War had been “provoked by Georgia.” On the other hand, Georgia has
faced challenges from the de-facto authorities of Abkhazia. In Syria,
there are 8,000 Syrians of Abkhaz descent, and the Abkhaz authorities
have presented plans for just 90 of them.

While Azerbaijan and Georgia have, broadly speaking, followed the lead
of the international community regarding Syria, Armenia has remained
silent, giving rise to domestic criticism. Yerevan has been subjected
to significant external (i.e. Russian) influence, as well as having
planned poorly for the issue of Armenian communities in Syria at a
domestic level.

There is no doubt that what is occurring in Syria is a humanitarian
tragedy, and that the Assad regime believes that Western governments
lack the will to back up their rhetoric with action. The opposition’s
song about sacrifice is increasingly relevant; at this point, with or
without international assistance, the opposition will make sacrifices
for a new and democratic Syria.

From: A. Papazian