Author: Babajanian Karo

RE-OPENING OF STEPANAKERT AIRPORT DISCUSSED IN KARABAKH

TERT.AM
19.06.12

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic Bako Sahakyan
received on Monday a delegation from the Armenian Government’s General
Department on Civil Aviation.

According to a press release by the NKR Presidential Office,
issues related to the re-opening of the Stepanakert airport and the
development of civil aviation in the country were discussed at the
meeting. The discussion focused particularly on possibilities of
cooperation between the corresponding agencies of the two Armenian
states,

The meeting was also attended by NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan.

STATE DEPT. RESPONDS TO ANCA CONCERNS ON AZERI AGGRESSION
Philip Gordon

Continues Artificial Even-Handedness in Condemning Azerbaijan’s Recent
Cease-Fire Violations

WASHINGTON-The State Department, once again, failed to properly condemn
Azerbaijan’s escalating violence against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh,
in a June 13th letter responding to Armenian National Committee of
America concerns about Azerbaijan’s recent cross-border attacks.

The response came to a letter from ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian on the
Azerbaijani attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh from June
4 to 6 that left eight soldiers dead and more wounded. Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Phil Gordon,
responding for Secretary Clinton, “deeply regret[ed] this senseless
loss of life” and went on to note that “the United States has urged
the parties to refrain from the use or threat of force.”

“We remain deeply disturbed by the ongoing artificial even-handedness
applied to a belligerent Azerbaijani leadership, which has repeatedly
shown – through threats and violence – a blatant disregard for
international calls for a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh
conflict,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “This time it was
8 soldiers who were killed on the front lines – brazenly timed to
coincide with Secretary Clinton’s visit to the region. How many more
must die before we hear a clear rebuke from the U.S. and international
community of Azerbaijan’s escalating violence and war-rhetoric?”

The complete text of Assistant Secretary of State Gordon’s June 13
response to the ANCA is provided below. Read the ANCA’s June 4 letter
to Secretary Clinton.

Commenting on the ANCA’s concerns about reports of an impending sale
of military equipment to Azerbaijan for use on helicopters for border
monitoring, Gordon noted “the United States’ security assistance to
the region is carefully considered to ensure it does not undermine
efforts for a peaceful settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has circulated a set
of seven specific policy recommendations for the Obama Administration
and the U.S. Congress to check Baku’s aggression and support the
peaceful and democratic resolution of Azerbaijan’s conflicts with
Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. Among the recommendations
is a call for the Obama Administration to “suspend all military aid
to Azerbaijan, and stop the sale or transfer to Baku of any military
equipment or dual-use items (including the proposed sale of advanced
helicopter-based surveillance equipment – DDTC 12-002).”

Review the recommendations and urge Congress to take action.

Pending Military Hardware Sale to Azerbaijan of Congressional Concern
Azerbaijan’s threats against Armenia and Karabakh and a possible
U.S. weapons sale to the Aliyev regime were issues of concern at last
week’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan designate Richard Morningstar.

During his questioning, Senator Robert Menendez cited Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev’s recent assertion that “Our [Azerbaijan’s] main
enemies are Armenians of the world,” and asked Ambassador-Designate
Morningstar “do you think, based upon those types of statements,
that the proposed sales of military hardware to be used in conjunction
with Azerbaijan’s military helicopter fleet is really in the national
interest of the United States?”

Morningstar argued, “There are increasing tensions with respect to
other neighbors, in particular with Iran. And we have to provide, I
think, security assistance, possibly military assistance in ways that
cannot be used to exacerbate any situation with respect to Armenia or
Nagorno Karabakh.” Menendez was quick to respond, reminding Morningstar
that “I didn’t hear President Aliyev say ‘My main enemy or security
concern is Iran,’ he said that, ‘Our main enemies are the Armenians of
the world.’ [. . .] I have a real problem with going ahead and selling
military hardware to the Azerbaijanis based upon what has happened.”

Watch Senator Menendez’s exchange with Ambassador Designate
Morningstar.

Alarm bells regarding the State Department’s consideration of a sale of
helicopter equipment which could be used for cross-border monitoring
were first raised in a letter by House Foreign Affairs Committee
Ranking Democrat Howard Berman to Secretary Clinton last month. In
addition to possible attacks against Armenia, Rep. Berman expressed
concern about the “message that such a sale would send to the regional
parties, both in terms of perceived U.S. even-handedness and in terms
of our seriousness about persuading Baku to cease its bellicose
rhetoric and agree to Minsk Group co-chair demands that it remove
its snipers from the ‘line of contact’ in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.”

Read complete text of Rep. Berman’s letter to the Secretary of State.

Text of Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Philip Gordon’s Response to ANCA

Dear Mr. Hachikian:

Thank you for your letter of June 4, 2012, to Secretary Clinton. I
am responding on the Secretary’s behalf.

We are following reports regarding the recent incidents along the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border and deeply regret this senseless loss of
life. As Secretary Clinton emphasized during her recent trip to
the region, the use of force will not solve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The United States has urged the parties to refrain from
the use or threat of force, and as Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk-Group,
we remain committed to working with the sides to achieve a peaceful
settlement. As the next step in the peace process, the Minsk Group
Co-Chairs will meet later this month with the foreign ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Regarding the other issues that you raised, the United States’ security
assistance to the region is carefully considered to ensure it does
not undermine efforts for a peaceful settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Department values its ongoing dialogue with the Armenian National
Committee of America regarding these issues. If you have any additional
concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely, Philip H. Gordon

NOUVELLE ARRESTATION D’UN JOURNALISTE CRITIQUE
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 19 juin 2012

Reporters sans frontières denonce l’arrestation du photojournaliste
Mehman Huseynov, connu pour sa couverture des violences policières et
son activisme en faveur de la liberte de l’information. Le jeune membre
de l’Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) est egalement
actif sur les reseaux sociaux. Son compte Youtube est très suivi.

” L’arrestation de Mehman Huseynov porte tous les signes d’une
vengeance politique et d’une volonte d’intimidation, a declare
Reporters sans frontières. Il doit immediatement etre remis en
liberte. Les accusations portees contre lui, alors meme que la police
l’a empeche de faire son travail, sont d’un cynisme insupportable.

L’Eurovision passe, les autorites commencent a faire payer a la societe
civile azerbaïdjanaise le prix de sa mobilisation. Le soutien de la
communaute internationale lui est plus que jamais necessaire. ”

Mehman Huseynov a ete conduit au commissariat du district de
Sabayil, a Bakou (capitale), le 12 juin 2012 vers 18 heures. Après
un interrogatoire de trois heures, il a ete place en garde a vue. Un
juge doit desormais se prononcer dans les 48 heures sur l’inculpation
du journaliste et son maintien eventuel en detention provisoire. Si
les charges de ” hooliganisme ” (article 221.1 du code penal) sont
retenues, Mehman Huseynov risque jusqu’a un an de prison.

Le photojournaliste est accuse d’avoir ” insulte et recouru a la force
” contre un membre des forces speciales qui l’empechait de filmer
une manifestation de l’opposition, le 21 mai 2012, sur la Place des
fontaines a Bakou. Journalistes et manifestants avaient ete brutalement
disperses, de nombreux activistes avaient ete interpelles.

Mehman Huseynov avait ete malmene et sa camera avait ete cassee,
ce qui avait declenche une altercation avec un policier.

Le travail de Mehman Huseynov sur la couverture des manifestations
fait reference. Il a ete particulièrement mis en lumière pendant
l’Eurovision, lorsque la presse internationale s’est faite l’echo des
violations des droits de l’homme massivement commises dans le pays. Le
photojournaliste est par ailleurs le frère du directeur de l’IRFS,
Emin Huseynov.

Depuis la fin de l’Eurovision, les autorites ont clairement fait
comprendre que l’heure etait a la reprise en main. Ces derniers jours,
outre les cas de Mehman Huseynov et d’Anar Bayramli, des militants
d’opposition et un defenseur des droits de l’homme ont egalement
ete arretes. Le Parlement vient d’adopter aujourd’hui un amendement
restreignant drastiquement l’accès a l’information publique. Le 31 mai
2012, le principal conseiller du president Ilham Aliev, Ali Hasanov,
en a appele a ” la haine publique ” contre les medias critiques et
a affirme que ” ce genre de membres de l’opposition, de journalistes
et de journaux ne devraient pas oser mettre un pied dehors ! ”

L’AMBASSADEUR ARMENIEN REMET SES LETTRES DE CREANCE AU PRESIDENT IRLANDAIS
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 19 juin 2012

L’ambassadeur d’Armenie au Royaume-Uni, Karine Ghazinyan s’est rendu a
Dublin afin d’officialiser sa nomination simultanee comme Ambassadeur
d’Armenie en Irlande et elle a presente ses lettres de creance au
President Irlandais Michael Higgins.

Après la presentation officielle des lettres de creance l’Ambassadeur
a eu une conversation avec le President durant laquelle ils ont discute
des perspectives pour le developpement ded liens Armeno-irlandais.

Après, le Consul Honoraire d’Armenie en Irlande, Ohan Yerkaynharsyan,
a organise une reception en l’honneur de l’Ambassadeur nouvellement
nomme.

Le meme jour, l’Ambassadeur Ghazinyan s’est rendu au Parlement
irlandais.

L’Ambassadeur Ghazinyan a egalement rendu visite aux representants
de la communaute armenienne d’Irlande.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN APPELLE A RELANCER LA CROISSANCE
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 19 juin 2012

Le lundi 18 juin, Serge Sarkissian presidait le premier conseil des
ministres depuis les legislatives du 6 mai, remportees par son Parti
Republicain (HHK). Peu de personnalites nouvelles autour de la table,
le chef de l’Etat ayant reconduit Tigrane Sarkissian a la tete d’un
gouvernement dont plusieurs ministres ont garde leurs portefeuilles.

Mais le president Sarkissian a voulu ” marquer le coup ” de ce
changement en appelant les membres du gouvernement a deployer tous
leurs efforts pour que la croissance economique armenienne depasse
les previsions annoncees par le gouvernement sortant en debut d’annee.

M. Sarkissian avait conclu la formation de son gouvernement le 16 juin,
plus d’un mois après la victoire du HHK aux legislatives. Comme prevu,
Tigrane Sarkissian et 13 des 18 ministres du gouvernement sortant
conservaient leurs postes. Quatre des cinq nouveaux ministres ont ete
nommes a des postes qui etaient occupes jusque la par des membres du
Parti Armenie prospère (BHK), 2e force du Parlement qui a refuse de
renouveler sa participation a un gouvernement de coalition.

Le president Sarkisian et le HHK qu’il dirige ont dû se contenter
d’une alliance avec le plus modeste Orinats Yerkir, formation dirigee
par Artur Baghdasarian, secretaire du Conseil presidentiel de la
Securite nationale.

En renouvelant son alliance avec le HHK, Orinats Yerkir herite
des ministères de l’agriculture, des situations d’urgence et du
developpement urbain. “Comme vous pouvez le voir, nous n’avons pas
procede a des changements revolutionnaires dans le gouvernement”,
a indique le president Sarkissian lors du Conseil des ministres,
en ajoutant : “Cela tient au fait que nous ne voulons pas operer de
rupture brutale dans le processus de reformes en cours.

Mais cela ne signifie pas que nous n’attendons pas des resultats
revolutionnaires du travail de l’executif”. Le president Sarkissian a
souligne que le gouvernement devait proceder a des reformes serieuses
dans les domaines socioeconomiques et politiques telles qu’elles
avaient ete promises durant la campagne electorale. “Le premier
resultat qu’on attend des efforts du gouvernement en 2012 c’est
une croissance economique a 7%” a poursuivi le chef de l’Etat. Les
autorites armeniennes avaient etabli leurs previsions de croissance
pour l’annee en cours a seulement 4,2 %.

Le Fonds monetaire international (FMI) et la Banque mondiale avaient
tablue sur un indice de croissance moins ambitieux encore ces mois
derniers, en mettant en garde avec insistance sur les incidences de
la crise de la dette souveraine en Europe sur l’economie de l’Armenie.

Selon le Service national des Statistiques (NSS), l’economie
armenienne aurait enregistre une croissance de 4,7 % au premier
quart de l’annee 2012. Presentant le programme du gouvernement sur
cinq ans, Tigrane Sarkissian a indique que la croissance s’inscrirait
dans une fourchettes de 5 a 7 % en 2012-2017. Il a aussi souligne les
engagements du gouvernement a creer 100 000 emplois et a doubler le
salaire minimum national durant cette periode.

SAN FRANCISCO AYF HONORS FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Asbarez
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

A scene from the San Francisco AYF event

SAN FRANCISCO-The San Francisco AYF “Rosdom” Chapter organized an event
on June 10 honoring the freedom fighters who fought during the Artsakh
liberation movement. More than 150 community members attended the
program, which took place at Vasbourgan Hall following church services.

Vana Andonian, Secretary for the Rosdom Chapter, served as Mistress
of Ceremonies and welcomed guests to the event. St. Gregory Armenian
Church Pastor, Archpriest Khoren Habeshian, welcomed guests,
congratulated the AYF for their efforts and opened the event with
a prayer.

The AYF then held a video presentation explaining the importance of
the recently launched “With Our Soldiers (WOS)” campaign. Donations
were collected throughout the event as part of the campaign’s efforts
to assist veterans of the war with necessary medical treatments.

“We are truly indebted to the Azadamardik’s that went to the frontline
and fought so that we have a free and independent Armenia and Artsakh,”
stated Raffi Senekeremian, Chairman of the San Francisco AYF. “We
are very thankful to all those that came to the event to support our
soldiers and helped us raise money for such a great cause.”

ARF San Francisco “Krisdapor” Gomideh Chairman, Mr. Hrayr Sarkissian,
congratulated the AYF on taking on such an important task and spoke
about how several San Francisco community members fought on the
frontline during the war.

AYF Western Region Chairman, David Arakelyan, was also on hand and
spoke on behalf of the Central Executive. “The time has come for us
as a community to lead the way and lend moral, medical and financial
support to those who played an instrumental role in the Artsakh
liberation struggle,” he asserted.

For more information about the WOS campaign and further efforts to
aid veterans of the Artsakh war, visit

LE DEBAT POLITIQUE DE KNESSET SUR 1915 NE CHANGE PAS FAITS SELON LA TURQUIE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 20 juin 2012

Des sources diplomatiques turques ont souligne que le debat au
Parlement israelien sur une possible reconnaissance du genocide des
armeniens n’affectera pas la position de la Turquie envers la question
ajoutant que le debat ne change pas les faits.

Une source diplomatique turque a declare au journal Zaman que le point
de depart de base pour la Turquie est que les evenements de 1915,
ou tout autre evenement historique, doivent etre discutes par des
historiens plutôt qu’au sein des Parlements.

” Les Parlements traitant avec cette question n’apportent aucun
benefice. En plus, cette sorte de pas ne contribue pas au processus.

Il sape le travail des historiens et des deux pays ” a dit le
fonctionnaire.

” Notre position, pensee et decision est claire. En plus, la decision
de la cour armenienne [ cour constitutionnelle] est aussi claire. La
decision prise par la cour armenienne bloque en realite le processus
” a dit le fonctionnaire, ajoutant qu’une explication du timing du
debat ayant lieu dans la Knesset doit etre demandee aux fonctionnaires
israeliens.

ADAA ANNOUNCES JURY FOR ANNUAL SAROYAN AWARD FOR PLAYWRITING

Published: Tuesday June 19, 2012

Jury members, L-R: McFadden, Filloux and Machado.

Los Angeles – The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) and the
William Saroyan Foundation are pleased to announce the Honorary Jury
for the Third Biennial William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting Award
competition: actress/producer Gates McFadden, playwright Catherine
Filloux and playwright/screenwriter Eduardo Machado.

Director, choreographer and actress Gates McFadden is Artistic
Director of Ensemble Studio Theatre in Los Angeles. She has been
Assistant Professor at Brandeis University, Lecturer at University
of Pittsburgh, and Adjunct Lecturer at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts
(five years,) Harvard University, and Brooklyn College. She has served
as guest lecturer or artist at many schools across the U.S. and Europe.

In addition to her many New York acting credits, Ms. McFadden is known
also for her portrayal of Dr. Beverly Crusher in the TV series Star
Trek: The Next Generation and the four Star Trek: The Next Generation
films. Other films include Taking Care of Business, The Hunt for Red
October, and the Muppets Take Manhattan. She enjoyed a recurring role
on Mad About You, and was a series regular on Marker for its initial
season on UPN.

She has done many guest appearances on television, acted in regional
theater as well as done the narrations for various documentary films,
symphonies and books. She is currently an adjunct member of the USC
Department of Theatre where she was given the George Burns Teaching
Fellowship.

Catherine Filloux is an award-winning playwright who has been writing
about human rights and social justice for the past twenty years. Her
new play Luz will premiere September 27, 2012 to October 14, 2012 at
La MaMa in New York City, where she is an Artist in Residence.

Filloux’s commissioned libretto, New Arrivals, for Houston Grand Opera,
Song of Houston, will premiere in June 2012, composed by John Glover.

Filloux’s more than twenty plays have been produced in New York
and around the world, with numerous awards including the Voice
Award for Artistic Works (Voices of Women), New Generations-Future
Collaborations Award (Mellon Foundation/TCG), PeaceWriting Award
(Omni Center for Peace), Roger L. Stevens Award (Kennedy Center),
Eric Kocher Playwrights Award (O’Neill), MAP Fund and the Callaway
Award (New Dramatists). Filloux is a co-founder of Theatre Without
Borders and has served as a speaker for playwriting and human rights
organizations around the world.

Eduardo Machado was born in Cuba and came to the United States when
he was nine. He grew up in Los Angeles. He is the author of over
forty plays. They include The Floating Island Plays, Once Removed,
Stevie Wants To Play The Blues, A Burning Beach, Havana Is Waiting,
and The Cook. They have been produced at many major regional theaters,
as well as in Europe and Off-Broadway, including The Actors Theater
of Louisville, The Mark Taper Forum, Seattle Repertory Theatre,
the Goodman Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Long Wharf Theater, The
Williamstown Theater Festival, The Cherry Lane Theater, INTAR,
America Place Theater and Hampstead Theatre in London.

Mr. Machado wrote and directed the film Exiles in New York, which
played at the A.F.I. Film Festival and numerous other festivals. Mr.

Machado is currently the Artistic Director of INTAR Theatre in New
York City, and is Head of Playwriting in the Goldberg Department of
Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. This past year,
he was a Story Editor on the HBO Show Hung.

The Honorary Jury will evaluate the three finalist plays, which will be
announced next month and selected from a pool of script submissions
from around the world. The grand prize winner of $10,000 will be
announced in late 2012.

ADAA’s William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting for plays on Armenian
themes is made possible by a grant from the William Saroyan
Foundation, which has underwritten the Saroyan Prize since its
inception in 2007. The Chairman of the William Saroyan Foundation is
Haig Mardikian. ADAA and the William Saroyan Foundation have partnered
for the last three cycles of the competition to give greater exposure
to talented playwrights passionate about telling the Armenian story
to the world, and it has succeeded. Additional funding for the prize
also includes Mr. Larry Gagosian of Gagosian Galleries.

ADAA’s mission is to project the Armenian Voice on the world stage
through the arts of theater and film. It accomplishes this through two
writing contests, playreadings, the Boston Armenian Film Festival,
various networking events, and the pre-eminent Armenian performing
arts website in the world,

DOLLAR HITS NEW RECORD AT ARMENIA’S STOCK EXCHANGE

news.am
June 19, 2012 | 16:02

YEREVAN. – The US dollar’s average exchange rate against the Armenian
Dram (AMD) comprised AMD 416.76/$1, at NASDAQ OMX Armenia stock
exchange on Tuesday, and this is the first time this year that the
US currency’s average exchange rate exceeded the AMD 416/$1 level at
the stock exchange.

The total sales were $3.1 million.

And some banks have set the dollar’s buying exchange rate at AMD
416/$1 and it is primarily sold at AMD 418/$1.

NKR OFFICIAL LINKS OSCE MG STATEMENT TO ARMENIA, AZERI FMS’ MEETING

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 19, 2012 – 16:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Committee on
Foreign Relations linked the subsequent statement on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict by presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries
with June 18 meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers.

“I can assume that all this is related to the organization of the
upcoming meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,”
Vahram Atanesyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

In the framework of G-20 summit, Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair countries, Vladimir Putin (Russia), Barack Obama (U.S.) and
Francois Hollande (France) issued a joint statement on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement.

“We, the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries –
France, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America –
are united in our resolute commitment to a peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The parties to the conflict should
not further delay making the important decisions necessary to reach
a lasting and peaceful settlement. We regret that the Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia did not take the decisive steps that our
countries called for in the joint statement at Deauville on May 26,
2011. Nevertheless, the progress that has been achieved should provide
the momentum to complete work on the framework for a comprehensive
peace.

We call upon the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to fulfill the
commitment in their January 23, 2012 joint statement at Sochi to
“accelerate” reaching agreement on the Basic Principles for a
Settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict. As evidence of their
political will, they should refrain from maximalist positions in the
negotiations, respect the 1994 ceasefire agreement, and abstain from
hostile rhetoric that increases tension. We urge the leaders to be
guided by the principles of the Helsinki Final Act – particularly
those relating to the non-use of force or the threat of force,
territorial integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of
peoples – and the elements of a settlement outlined in our countries’
statements at L’Aquila in 2009 and Muskoka in 2010.

Military force will not resolve the conflict and would only prolong
the suffering and hardships endured by the peoples of the region for
too long. Only a peaceful, negotiated settlement can allow the entire
region to move beyond the status quo toward a secure and prosperous
future. Our countries will continue to work closely with the sides,
and we call upon them to make full use of the assistance of the Minsk
Group Co-Chairs as mediators. However, peace will depend ultimately
upon the parties’ willingness to seek an agreement based on mutual
understanding, rather than one-sided advantage, and a shared vision
of the benefits that peace will bring to all their peoples and to
future generations.”