Author: Babajanian Karo

Injury Incompatible With Life

Janna Alexanyan
Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:43:40 – 23/08/2012

The Police department investigating cases of special importance declared
completion of preliminary investigation of Vahe Avetyan’s murder and gave
the representatives of the successor of the victim one day to get
acquainted with the case and file motions. The motion to extend the
deadline was rejected first then accepted in a few hours upon the order of
the prosecutor’s office. Hence, the deadline was extended for another 5
working days.

The advocates of Vahe Avetyan’s family Lousineh Hakobyan and Tigran
Yegoryan, apart from the problems brought up in the previous motion, have
reported some serious shortcomings in the preliminary examination. By the
way, the investigative body did not respond to the previous motion and the
next motion was rejected several hours after submission.

The advocates have studied and expressed reasonable suspicion about the
forensic conclusion which has a key importance to this case. In particular,
this conclusion states that the same injuries in a live person would are
considered as causing severe damage to heath or threatening life, both
separately and all together, in this case caused death.

The advocates say this conclusion allows the investigative body to adjust
the indictment. The same conclusion allowed qualifying the act as severe
bodily injury caused intentionally which negligently caused death.

Reliable specialists assure that Vahe Avetyan got injuries incompatible
with life immediately after the beating, and the medical data are the first
signs of death rather than injuries.

To prove this, the advocates refer to not only consultations with
specialists but also the record of the first medical examination of Vahe
Avetyan, CT scanning, justification of the first surgery, description of
the surgery, the justification of the second surgery which evidence Vahe
Avetyan’s extremely bad state of health are succeeded by death.

As real conclusion, the advocates state that death was caused because it
was impossible to render harmless the injury which was incompatible with
life and not severe injuries and aggravation of their consequences.

This description of death totally changes the outcome of the case. The
investigative body must replace severe injury with murder.

The murderers were aware of the consequences of the severe beating. In
addition, Garik Margaryan, one of the accused, mentioned in his testimony
does wrestling everyday while Norair Hairapetyan is a professional judo
fighter, the picture becomes clear.

Considering this and other shortcomings during the examination, the
advocates demanded to start investigation afresh and reveal the full
picture of the crime.

By the way, the indictment has been sent to the prosecutor general’s office
for approval. Will the Prosecutor General’s Office approve these outrageous
shortcomings which the advocates mentioned.

The law enforcers are open and transparent, they do not hide that the
entire system is working for one person, Member of Parliament Ruben
Hairapetyan. Not only Ruben Hairapetyan but also each bodyguard is dear to
the system.**

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 24 2012

Armenian church ravaged in eastern Turkey

24 August 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

An Ýstanbul-based association representing Armenians living in Sason
district of eastern Turkish province of Batman has claimed that their
church near the Puþeng village has been partially torn apart by
unidentified people.

Head of the Sason Armenians Social Assisstance, Solidarity and
Cultural Association Aziz Daðcý said he is appealing to Sason Public
Prosecutor’s Office over the incident, demanding an investigation,
Armenian weekly Agos reported.

Daðcý said local Armenians don’t know why their church was ravaged,
recalling recent mass they held last month. Daðcý said villagers
notified them that Armenian church Partsr Asdvadzadzin in Maratug
mountain was ravaged by some people with diggers and shovels.

Bay Area Indymedia
Aug 24 2012

Four Contemporary Armenian Women Writers in New York

by Correspondent
Thursday Aug 23rd, 2012 11:53 AM

An eclectic compilation of vocal pieces that reflect a contemplative
look at life in the Armenian Diaspora.

WOODSIDE, N.Y. – The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served
as a venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their
works at `Kuragan Koharner yev Kini’ (Literary Gems and Wine), a
program sponsored by the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural
Association.

Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist
Lucine Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and
editor Aida Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the
complexities of the human condition. The collective result was an
eclectic compilation of vocal pieces that reflected a moving,
contemplative look at life in the Armenian diaspora.

Creator, director and actor in the play, “Sojourn at Ararat,” Armani
is performing in “Golden Boy,” a pilot program for CBS Television. A
long-time publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has
written publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young
audiences. Creator and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project,
Koundakjian also founded and runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New
York writer and editor Zilelian is the founder and director of
Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry and prose in New York.

In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and
literary devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in
showcasing accomplished Armenian “creatives.” “These writers need not
be heralded beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as
credits to the global Armenian nation,” she said. “While Hamazkayin
remains true to its mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian
traditional literature and arts, it also moves forward with the times
and inevitable changes in diaspora,” she continued. “Therefore, it
embraces contemporary authors writing in various languages,
considering them contributors to the body of Armenian literature.”
Caprielian concluded by affirming, “A nation maintains its distinction
through arts and literature.”
Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.

A poem, “Exile,” by Nora Armani and published in the book, “Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century” (Taderon Press), put to music by
vocalist Yasar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani’s short film,
“Moving Stories,” screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:

Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.

Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,

¨like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,

forms an integral part my being… other.

¨No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.

Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,

This innate property is my dowry at birth.

I am a native exile.

An excerpt from “Elixir in Exile” by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest
to recover an ancestral folk remedy, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary
Quarterly and Armenian periodicals:

`Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig’s supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted
parent in his twilight years.

My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he
carried the ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his
words, thoughts and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to
his dialect and storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical
aptitudes. A humble gift would be to help him make that remarkable
elixir that could, at least emotionally, bring his ancestors, their
way of life, and our lost homeland back to him. And was it not worth
it to rediscover a missing and precious part of our culinary heritage,
and perhaps share it with the world?¨’

A prose poem,” Speaking of the Past,” by Lola Koundakjian, translated
from the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in “The
Accidental Observer,” Koundakjian’s book published through a grant
received from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:

I walk in the company of my memories

Step by step,

Street by street.

Green light, go!

Red light, stop!

Right, left, right, left.

Breathing deeply, and then tired.

The past is getting dimmer.

Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?

The weather seems to help me remember.

Rain, it’s raining, today.

Was it raining on that day?

Yes, there was an umbrella with you.

And I was wearing an anorak.

And my chin was wet – I remember.

Green light, go!

Red light, stop!

And I cross the street for the meeting.

The umbrella was large and protected us both,

And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.

Right, left.

Right, left.

Hand in hand.

You’re with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak.

A few more streets.

A little while yet.

Green light, go!

Red light, stop!

An excerpt from Aida Zilelian’s “He’s the One For Her,” a short story
about a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome,
Armenian-speaking mate, and published in Ararat.

`The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been
raised were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some
wanted more than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these
dates (the last one was her father’s co-worker’s son Hovsep) she found
herself in the passenger seat of a car clutching the collar of her
shirt to keep it closed, or yanking down her skirt to keep it in
place, eventually weakening her date’s advances. Other young men, she
realized, did not have any interest in attending Sunday Church mass,
and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced at their feeble attempts
at conversing with her.

“It’s not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just
fly over and pick anyone you please,” scoffed her older sister Anahid,
who was unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion
of a boyfriend.’

In the future, the New York Chapter of Hamazkayin hopes to launch an
ongoing reading series spotlighting contemporary Armenian writers. The
organization’s web address is:

¨To learn more about these writers, visit at:

,

,

and

Caption: From left: Lola Koundakjian, Nora Armani, Lucine Kasbarian
and Aida Zilelian-Silak.

Milton Keynes Citizen
August 24, 2012 Friday

Aid for Armenia…and a truckload of rock

IN 1988, nature showed its most ferocious side, unleashing a
devastating earthquake on Armenia, writes Sammy Jones.

When it was over, 25,000 people had lost their lives, and a quarter of
a million more were left homeless.

Ian Gillan, the voice behind a swell of Deep Purple rock classics,
visited the region a year later.

Not as part of a humanitarian mission, but as part of a solo tour,
which took him to Yerevan.

“I barely knew about the earthquake,” he recalls, “It was still the
Soviet Union then, and news didn’t travel very well.

“I went out to Spitak and it made an indelible impression -I don’t
know if it was my mind, my heart or my soul, it was just unbelievable,
people were walking around in a daze.”

Accompanied by the Mayor of Spitak, Ian took in a tour’ of the area:
“The church clock was stopped at 20 to 12 which is when the earthquake
took place, and the Italians had set up this refugee camp of very
nice, well designed little modules, but it looked so incongruous in
all of the devastation,” he remembers.

Among all the carnage, one vision more than any other left a deep
impression on Ian: “There was one old lady holding up a picture of a
family group, probably 23 or 24 people…and she was the only one
still alive.

“I noticed the deathly quiet and the Mayor said there had been no
music in the last year – none in the church, none on the radio, the
children weren’t singing, even the birds weren’t singing…”

When the time was right Ian roped in a swell of his famous muso pals
and set about releasing a benefit single to boost the coffers for the
damaged region.

Deep Purple smash hit Smoke on the Water was re-recorded with artists
including Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Bryan Adams, Iron
Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Black Sabbath ace Tony Iommi and Paul
Rodgers lending talents.

Former Woburn Sands resident Ian and his new city based manager Phil
Banfield were instrumental in piecing together a compilation album to
raise more cash to the much needed pile.

Fast forward to 2009, and the president of Armenia invites supporters
including Ian, Phil and Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi back to say
thank you’ in the 20th anniversary year of the tragedy.

Phil takes up the story: “We were taken on a tour which included a
visit to a brandy factory and a children’s music school where the
children played Armenian folk songs and Smoke on the Water and
Paranoid on authentic Armenian instruments…it touched all of us,
especially when taking into account the terrible facilities.”

“Later in the evening, after dinner, everyone had to do a speech and
with the brandy flowing the musicians said they wanted to donate
instruments…I wasn’t aware I had to say anything and having had one
glass too many, decided to say that we should knock down the existing
school and build a new one!”

“The next day, it dawned on us what I had done, and Ian and Tony came
up with the name, WhoCares…”

“On the plane home we came up with the idea of starting the music
again,” Ian continues.

“People are getting on with their lives again, but the school is
pretty much derelict, although they still teach there.

“It gets cold in the winter and you can see through the walls to the
outside, so we thought we’d get roped in…”

The result is the aforementioned WhoCares, a new to the shelves double
album of classics, rarities, unreleased recordings, collaborations,
new mixes and forgotten songs’ by Ian and Tony, along with two
newbies: Out of My Mind and Holy Water, recorded with an all-star
line-up including Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden and ex-Metallica
bassist Jason Newsted.

“In a way it turned out to be serendipitous,” Ian says of the rarities within.

“I moved from a house in Cublington to a small house by the seaside
and had to rent this huge place to put all my stuff in – my studio was
jammed from floor to ceiling with stuff.

“Fortunately, I’d hired someone to come in, log everything and box it
all up, and in the process of that I got a load of old CDs and
cassette players and demos that I’d forgotten about which did make it
easier… it was fun pulling all that stuff out.

“The material is probably a bit weighted on my side – I’m not sure
Tony had as much junk hanging around as I did!

“I think the cupboard is pretty much bare now,” he says in respect of
any unused tracks sitting around, “…but you never know what might be
stuck under the floorboards!”

The album features contributions from Ronnie James Dio and Jon Lord,
who have both been mourned by the music industry in recent times.

Ronnie lost his battle with cancer in 2010, and Ian’s former Deep
Purple bandmate Jon sadly passed away the day the album was released.

“One of my favourite, and the most poignant bits on the album, is a
thing called Dick Pimple, which was a jam session we did a long time
ago, because it has Deep Purple messing about in the studio.

“Jon Lord is doing all the anagrams, and his life was full of tortured
anagrams and tortured puns…to hear him so full of joy and so much a
part of things is a keepsake for me.

“It made me smile listening to it the other day…”

The head of the Armenian committee has decided on the perfect tribute
to Jon Lord, and will name the piano room in the new school after the
influential player.

Gillan is at home in Portugal when we touch base, on a break from
recording the new Deep Purple album, their first in seven years.

At the tail end of September, the band will reconvene in Nashville and
turn attentions back to the job in hand.

“A lot of the stuff is organic and evolves out of jam sessions, which
is how we’ve always written, and this time we’ve got a producer who
lets us stretch a little bit…I am very pleased with the progress,
and I know one thing for sure, it is going to be the best sounding
Deep Purple album ever,” he promises.

But for the moment, it’s full steam ahead for Armenia – work begins on
the new school later this month: “We’ve done our bit and now someone
has got to bring out the shovel and spade and build the damn thing,”
he says with a laugh.

And what Ian, Tony, Phil and all those involved in the project really
want is for the album to get some prominence.

“It’s about making people aware it’s there, because the sale of every
copy is important,” Ian explains.

“It’s not mainstream – nothing that fits in, it’s all the stuff we
personally have an attachment to.

“I wouldn’t try to sell it under false pretences – it’s a quirky album
for sure. But, if you want to have an insight into the kind of things
we do outside of the mainstream I think it will be an intriguing thing
to listen to.

“It’s not something you want to put on in the background, because it
is diverse and has different moods throughout. It’s something you
would probably sit down late at night with, as a blues album.

“I should think you’ll need a chiropractor if you listen to it standing up!”

WhoCares is in stores now.

Visit for more details.

Right Vision News
August 23, 2012 Thursday

Pakistan: Time for govt to act against jihadi outfits collecting donations

PESHAWAR

PESHAWAR, Aug. 23 — The scene wasn’t much different from last year –
a horde of beggars lining up along the entry and exit gates of
Bagh-i-Naran, women clad in burqas and men spreading out their chadors
and shawls asking for alms. Some of these faces are recognisable. This
is commonplace and not restricted to Eid days only.

What also was not unusual was groups of jihadi organisations, seeking
donations to help wage ‘jihad’ against the United States in
Afghanistan. Jamaat-ud Da’wa and Al-Badr Mujahideen activists holding
printed material handouts and banners were using megaphones to attract
attention and donors.

Also present were some activists of what it called the Deobandi
Jaish-i-Muhammad making pronouncements in their easily distinguishable
Afridi dialect. It was not clear if this was some new outfit or it was
the one banned by the federal government in 2002.

Amid this din and clamour for donations for the jihad, an apparently
vigilant policeman stood guard looking instead at the double road that
passes along the sprawling Bagh-i-Naran., except he did not see or
choose not to see what was going on at his back, drawing one to
conclude that either this activity had the official sanction or the
policeman on duty was not too bothered about who was collecting what
and for what causes.

Those frequenting prayer congregations on Eid festivals or frequent
some of the city’s big mosques are not surprised either. “What is new
in this?” retorted a bewildered citizen, when asked about the open
activity of these outfits. “This is usual”, he added, probably to
allay the

irony his first inquisitive answer might have caused.

It is another thing that most men just walked past the
donation-seeking young men, without dropping a coin or a banknote into
the spread-out sheets.

This could be true. Some of these outfits – not the banned ones,
routinely visit mosques and use the pulpits to invite people to join
the holy war in Afghanistan. “Recruitment” in mosques in Peshawar’s
peripheral areas and other districts continue.

Rarely are the bodies of those volunteers, who lose their lives “in
the way of Allah” are brought back. Instead, a group of militants
visits and informs the family of the ‘good news’ that their beloved
son or brother has embraced sha’hadat and that they should be proud
and not sad.

A young boy who had just recently grown stubble and used to wash car,
had also volunteered and the next thing his family knew was that he
had been killed along with seven others while taking part in the
“jihad” in Afghanistan. So, the recruitment goes on, unchecked.

There were times when militant outfits would operate freely and
openly, not only raising funds but also recruiting young people for
the “Jihad” in the Indian-held Kashmir but also for Afghanistan. Wall
chalking and graffiti would openly invite volunteers to join their

training camps. These outfits had their offices and bases and no one
asked question, in fact, no one was supposed to ask questions.

There were times that some outfits had begun to recruit volunteers to
take part in the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over their dispute
at Nagorno Karabakh in the early 1990s, not to mention the war in
Bosnia. A Chechen resistance leader had made a whirlwind countrywide
tour to raise funds for the war in Chechnya and spoke at mosques
before the foreign office woke up and ordered him to leave.

Under international microscope, Gen Musharraf changed tacks, initially
urging militant organisations to go underground and lie low for a
while, turning training camps into so-called rehabilitation centres
with an aim to bring militants into mainstream. Most disgruntled
militants, feeling having been abandoned and betrayed, left to form
their own splinter groups, others joined more violent and
out-of-control outfits – and this explains Pakistan’s present
situation.

Whether tacit permission, or negligence and oversight, allowing such
activities in full public view creates a perception that perhaps
things are back to square one. The difference between extremism and
terrorism that Gen Kayani so spoke about at Kakul last week would
remain mere lip service unless the government follows through on its
word and acts and not just speaks about curbing such activities.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #655
Aug 24 2012

Graduate Unemployment Rising in Armenia

Employers looking for solid experience rather than paper qualifications.

By Gayane Asryan – Caucasus

In Armenia’s fiercely competitive job market, having a good degree is
no longer enough. Many graduates say they cannot get a foot in the
door because employers are asking for substantial work experience
rather than formal qualifications.

Take Artur Baghdasaryan, who got a degree in marketing from the State
Economics University in July. Although he has the kind of
qualification many employers need, and has had some practical
experience as an intern, employers will not look at him.

After completing an internship over several months while still a
student, Artur was told he could not be hired because he did not yet
have a degree. Now that he has graduated, he gets told that what he
lacks is prior experience of work.

He has been to seven different employment agencies so far, and IWPR
accompanied him as he continued his job search.

At Chance, a private job agency, head Irina Karapetyan, said Artur’s
lack of a track-record would be an obstacle.

`In my experience, I’ve never seen a single case where someone has
been taken on with no experience,’ she said. `Few companies will agree
to do so, and they will pay 30,000 or 40,000 drams [roughly 70 to 100
US dollars a month], thus exploiting the individual for a few months
before saying goodbye to them.’

Because of the reputational risks involved in marketing, most
employers will not take on inexperienced recruits, partly to avoid the
trouble of having to train them.

Two other employment agencies visited by IWPR said they had nothing
suitable to offer Artur.

Artur was philosophical about these setbacks, saying, `I won’t lose
hope – it will just take longer to find a job. The key thing is that
I’ll have to be ready to work unpaid for several months.’

Anahit Parsadanyan, who heads the department for analysing and
forecasting the labour market at the state employment agency, said
graduates were accounting for an increasingly large proportion of the
unemployed.

While the official unemployment rate has fallen by nearly 15 per cent
since last year, university graduates now make up 16 per cent of the
total, compared with 12 per cent in 2007.

`Employer attitudes towards higher education have changed,’
Parsadanyan said. `I can assure you that they don’t pay attention to
diplomas now, and often set out requirements that are simply
ridiculous, for instance work experience or an excellent command of
several languages. How can an accountant have an excellent or fluent
knowledge of three foreign languages?’

Tatevik Abrahamyan, manager of HR.am website – one of the largest
online recruitment advertising services in Armenia – confirmed that
nine out of ten employers seeking to place ads there underlined the
importance of at two of more years in previous work, a knowledge of
languages, and teamwork skills.

`Only when a candidate has met the specifications does an employer ask
what university they graduated from,’ Abrahamyan said. `Employers are
acutely aware that a degree doesn’t mean someone is any good, so they
attach great importance to experience.’

Nor are internships an automatic route into paid work, according to
Armine Haroyan, head of the scholarship programme at the Armenian
Educational Foundation. All too often participants come away with
little to show because the internship has been mismanaged.

`To put it mildly, universities are failing to pay enouth attention to
internships,’ Haroyan said. `Some students admit that although they
fully understand the theoretical bit, they’ve failed to acquire the
practical skills that will give them a head start into work after
graduation.’

Experts say that the success of private universities in recent years,
coupled with more exacting demands from employers, has left too many
graduates chasing after the same jobs.

There is still demand for some professionals like doctors, vets,
accountants and finance experts – but as Parsadanyan pointed out,
these jobs are mainly outside the capital Yerevan and the salaries on
offer are low.

Other graduates find that their degrees are simply not in demand.

Anna Yeghiazaryan has a degree in Persian language from Yerevan State
University and has spent the last five years trying to find a job
where she can use it.

Persian should have been a safe bet, since Iran is a neighbour of
Armenia, and trade and other relations are growing. Yeghiazaryan now
realises that too many others had the same idea.

`I thought that since our country had friendly relations with Iran, in
future there would be more interest in and demand for Persian, but it
turns out there are so many experts in the language that they’ve
saturated the job market,’ she said.

Yeghiazaryan has survived on freelance translation work, but needs a
regular job.

`A few months ago, someone from an employment agency rang me up and
offered me a job as an office manager. I was really disappointed,’ she
said. `I love and respect my profession and I’ve dedicated eight of
the best years of my life to obtain it, so I am not going to give up.
I’d rather go abroad to find work than be forced into working as an
office manager here.’

The question is whether, and how, government should intervene to get
higher education and employer expectations more into sync.

`I agree that the relationship between education and the labour market
isn’t very balanced,’ a spokesman for Armenia’s education ministry,
Artur Baghdasaryan (no relation of the marketing graduate), said. `We
can’t stop applicants going into higher education on the grounds that
they might not find jobs in future – that would deny them their right
to an education.’

The head of the state employment service, Sona Harutyunyan, says
better communications should be established between employers and
jobseekers.

`We have set up a new programme within which we are running
internships designed specifically for the young unemployed. The
three-month practical courses will give them an opportunity to gain
relevant skills that correspond to what employers are asking for,’
Harutyunyan said. `We’re also holding labour fairs where employers and
those looking for work can interact.’

Gayane Asryan is a reporter for eMedia.am.

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, Iran
Aug 24 2012

IRI Deputy FM: Iran-Azerbaijan relations based on mutual respect

Baku, Aug 24, IRNA – Deputy IRI Foreign Minister in Asian and Oceania
Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said here Friday Islamic Republic of
Iran’s relations with Republic of Azerbaijan have been based on mutual
respect throughout the past 20 years.

Araqchi added in an exclusive interview with IRNA late Friday night,
`Despite the ups and downs in Iran-Azerbaijan political relations, by
establishing a Joint Political Consultations Committee, the two sides
have thus far had good and constructive consultations in various
fields thus far.

Elaborating on the Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Political Consultations
Committee, he reiterated, `The Joint Political Consultations Committee
of Iran and Azerbaijan is scheduled to meet once every six months,
rotating between Tehran and Baku, at the level of deputy foreign
ministers, and to discuss the issues of mutual interest, including the
existing problems between the two countries.’

Pointing out that his visit of Baku was aimed at participating at the
Joint Political Consultations Committee, Araqchi added, `During the
course of my five hour talks with Azerbaijan Republic Deputy Foreign
Minister Khalaf Khalafev issues of mutual interest for the two
countries, regional and international developments were surveyed and
discussed.’

According to him, the existing problems between the two (Muslim
neighboring) countries are due to foreign elements, because some
foreign countries are opposed to friendly (and brotherly) relations
between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan,
and therefore they try to sow the seeds of discord between Tehran and
Baku.

– Necessity of President Aliyev’s presence at NAM Summit

The Iranian deputy FM reiterated, `In the course of my Friday talks
with my Azerbaijani counterpart the issue of President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad’s invitation for his Azeri counterpart President Ilham
Aliyev was discussed.’

He reiterated, `We believe the presence of the president of Azerbaijan
Republic at the Tehran 16th NAM Summit would leave a very positive and
constructive effect on Tehran-Baku relations.’

Araqchi reiterated, `Azerbaijan Republic is a member of the
Non-Aligned Movement and the thoughts of Azerbaijan Republic leaders
can contribute greatly to the success of the NAM movement.’

The Iranian deputy foreign minister said, `The presence of President
Aliyev at Tehran NAM Summit would be a turning point contributing to
solving of many existing problems between the two countries.’

– Expansion of economic ties

Araqchi furthermore emphasized the need for expansion of economic
relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of
Azerbaijan Republic, saying, `The matter was surveyed in negotiations
with Mr. Khalafev, and it was agreed that the first Joint Economic
Commission of Iran and Azerbaijan would meet in Baku in the future.’

The deputy FM reiterated, `It was also agreed that the Azeri friends
would announce the time for convening of the first Joint Economic
Commission of Iran and Azerbaijan.’

According to him the Joint Economic Commission of Iran and Azerbaijan
can provide the path for expansion of bilateral economic relations
more than ever before.

– Developing cultural relations

Islamic Republic of Iran Deputy Foreign Minister in Asia and Oceania
Affairs Araqchi reiterated, `Keeping in mind the existence of lots of
cultural commonalties between the two countries, in talks with the
deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Republic ways for the expansion
of cultural relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and
Azerbaijan Republic were surveyed.’

– Meeting with Azerbaijan Republic Foreign Minister

Noting that all in all he had a good round of negotiations with
Khalafev, Araqchi said, `Also in a separate meeting with Azerbaijan
Republic Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov we decided to resolved the
existing problems between the two countries as soon as possible so
that a new round of constructive relations between the Islamic
Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan would begin in very
near future.’

– Decision over legal regime of the Caspian Sea

The IRI deputy minister of foreign affairs focusing on the legal
regime of the Caspian Sea, said, `Deciding over the legal regime of
the Caspian sea is possible only in the presence of the entire five
littoral countries of the Caspian Sea is necessary and therefore,
signing any bilateral agreement on the matter is ineffective.’

Araqchi emphasized, `The Islamic Republic of Iran all the same
believes bilateral negotiations over deciding the legal regime of the
Caspian Sea can affect that regime, and therefore Iran continues its
negotiations with the littoral countries of the Caspian Sea on the
matter, hoping that these talks would lead to making a shared final
decision over the legal regime of the Caspian Sea.

– Syrian developments

Pointing out that the Syrian developments were discussed in his talks
with the Azeri deputy foreign minister, Araqchi said, `In Syria the
demand of the Syrian nation for implementation of basic reforms must
be respected and the Islamic Republic of Iran, too, emphasizes that
the righteous demands of the Syrian nation must be met.’

He all the same reiterated, `Implementing political reforms amid
foreign interference is impossible, particularly more so because these
interferences is accompanied with forwarding weapons and money, while
any type of interference further complicates the ongoing crisis in
that country.’

– Annan’s six point plan still supported

According to the Iranian deputy FM, the political reforms need to be
implemented gradually and peacefully, and therefore, the Islamic
Republic of Iran still supports the six article plan of the former UN
special envoy Mr. Kofi Annan.

Araqchi meanwhile emphasized, `Military intervention is not a solution
for the Syrian problems, which are in need of political solutions, and
must be solved peacefully.’

Araqchi said, `Syria has always been the forefront for combat against
the Zionist regime and it is clearly seen that the Zionist regime is
one of the major involved sides in the combat against the Syrian
government, which is one major reason why foreign interference,
particularly the Zionists’ interference in Syria must be ended.’

– Iran-Azerbaijan relations’ ups and downs

Iran has an embassy in Baku and a consulate-general in Nakhichevan
City. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tehran and a consulate-general in
Tabriz. Both countries are full members of the Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and
the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran
mediated between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

Iran was one of the first countries to establish full diplomatic
relations with Azerbaijan. Following the declaration of the Parliament
of Azerbaijan to restore independence of Azerbaijan Republic on
October 18, 1991 and in early December 1991, Iranian foreign minister
at the time, Ali Akbar Velayati, visited Baku, where he signed a
number of agreements on political, economic, and cultural cooperation
and pledged to support Azerbaijan’s membership in the Organization of
the Islamic Conference (now the Organization of Islamic Cooperation).
Within the few days after the visit, Iran recognized Azerbaijan on
January 4, 1992, upgraded its consulate in Baku to establish full
diplomatic relations.

After the rise of Popular Front of Azerbaijan to power in June 1992,
the newly-elected President Abulfaz Elchibey endorsed the unification
of the Azerbaijani populations of his country and Iranian Azerbaijan,
and to that end, autonomy for the Iranian Azerbaijanis, a stance which
alienated the Iranian government.

Ironically, Elchibey was against the breakup of his own nation based
on ethnic lines, stating ‘Armenians have been living in Azerbaijan for
centuries, and as full citizens of the state – just like the Lezgins,
Tats, and Talyish… let them continue to live here as equal citizens
before the law – but they must obey the laws of the state, no country
would demand any less. He also denounced Iran’s peace efforts during
the Nargorno-Karabakh conflict, claiming Iran was attempting to give
Armenia the advantage. However, during Nagorno-Karabakh War, Iran
pressured Armenia and Karabakh Armenians to halt the offensive. Veiled
threats first appeared in the English-language Kayhan International:

`If our peace and border security is going to be threatened… our
leaders cannot afford to let the situation take care of itself.’

This statement was followed by official warnings from the Iranian
Foreign Ministry, accompanied by military reinforcements along Iran’s
borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia. Iran also gave financial aid to
Nakhchivan and pressured Armenia to refrain from attacking the
enclave.

Since then however, the two nations have had relatively good
relations, although tensions have sometimes been high, cooperating in
many different areas including trade, security, and the energy sector.
However, some tensions include the growing relationship between the
United States, Israel, and Azerbaijan, Caspian Sea territorial issues,
and Iran’s support for Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
had said that he did not support a United States attack against Iran.

Novruz Mamedov, Azerbaijani presidential international affairs
department head in 2005, has also said that Azerbaijan would not allow
the United States to build bases within Azerbaijani territory and
would not help in an attack against Iran.

In May 2005 Baku and Tehran signed a non-aggression pact barring third
countries from using their territories for offensive operations
against each other.

In March 2006, during the World Congress of Azerbaijanis convention in
Baku, a number of participants addressed both the concept of a
‘unified Azerbaijan’ and ‘human rights abuses’ against Azeris in Iran.
Certain anti-Iran claims during an official seminar in Baku were
harmful to relations between the two countries and were especially
against the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Nevertheless, the relations between the two republics are once again developing.

On December 20, 2005 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev and Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended the opening ceremony of a new
gas pipeline from Iran to Azerbaijan’s landlocked Nakhchivan
Autonomous Region, which is separated from the mainland of Azerbaijan
by a strip of Armenian territory. Nakhchivan has been cut off from gas
supplies as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh. Under a 25-year swap contract signed between the two
countries in August 2004, the new pipeline will supply the region with
Iranian natural gas. Azerbaijan will also deliver its gas to Iran’s
northeastern provinces. The volume of gas imports to Nakhchivan is
expected to reach 250 million cubic meters in 2006 and 350 million
cubic meters in 2007.

On February 3, 2007 Azerbaijan’s minister of communications and
information technology, Ali Abbasov, and the head of the Iranian State
Broadcasting Agency, Ezzatollah Zarghami, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) on bilateral media cooperation.

On March 19, 2007, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran joined
President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia to inaugurate a gas pipeline to
pump Iranian natural gas to Armenia. Armenia is Azerbaijan’s arch-foe.

Azerbaijan’s reel of Eurovision Song Contest 2009 depicted the
Maqbaratoshoara, a famous monument and a symbol of the Iranian city of
Tabriz and the northwestern region of Iran, shown among Azerbaijani
national monuments. This has been perceived by many Iranians as a
violation of Iranian territorial integrity.

On November 11, 2009, Iran unilaterally lifted visa regime for
Azerbaijani citizens.

Courtesy: Wikipedia for the background on Iran-Azerbaijan relations

Armenian Genocide and Holocaust museums to cooperate

August 24, 2012 – 21:22 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and Jerusalem
Holocaust Museum intend to establish cooperation, Israeli Minister of
Information and Diaspora said.

`I offered the Genocide Museum-Institute administration to cooperate
with Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. Both our nations have
become victims of a horrible crime against humanity. I think the two
institutions will cooperate quite effectively in terms of selection of
exhibits and organization of pavilions,’ Yuli Edelstein told a press
conference.

He further noted that cooperation program between Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute and Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum is being developed.

Head of the Syrian Military Council refutes information that Free
Syrian Army disseminated a threatening statement against Armenian
community

arminfo
Friday, August 24, 21:06

The Head of the Syrian Military Council, General of the Free Syrian
Army Mustafa al-Sheikh has refuted the media reports that the Free
Syrian Army disseminated a statement threatening reprisal against the
local Armenian community.

Al Arabiya TV channel reports that Mustafa al-Sheikh blamed the
incumbent power for disseminating the false statement signed by the
rebels. He said that the goal of the forces of Syrian secret services
is to cause tension between the communities in Syria and the
opposition. The statement concerning the Armenians living in Aleppo
and other districts of Syria was disseminated for that purpose, he
said. He also pointed out that no problems with the Armenian community
of Syria had ever arisen before.

To note, according to the mass media, the Syrian Revolution General
Council has disseminated a statement threatening reprisal against the
local Armenian community. Sham Times reports that the oppositionists
threaten to destroy the Armenian districts in Syria. The source
reports that Turkey provokes the threats. Syrian rebels blame
Armenians for supporting Assad’s power in Aleppo, Latakia, Kesab.

Armenian students to be granted Swiss scholarships

August 24, 2012 – 21:00 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships for
Foreign Students (CFBE) has granted scholarships for Armenian students
for 2013-2014 academic year.

According to the press service of Armenian Ministry of Education and
Science, graduate students are eligible for scholarships. The
education program envisages postgraduate training period of 12 months
as well as provision of 1,920 Swiss francs monthly scholarship.

The scholarship covers education, accommodation and medical insurance costs.