Author: Babajanian Karo

FESTIVAL OF WORLD’S SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS TO FEATURE AVET TERTERYAN’S SYMPHONY NO.5

Panorama.am
16/04/2012

The Festival of the World’s Symphony Orchestras will feature Avet
Terteryan’s Symphony No.5 by Yaroslavl Academic Symphony Orchestra,
Armenian Ministry of Culture told Panorama.am.

At the invitation of orchestra’s Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor M. Annamamedov and through the support of Ministry of
Culture, well known kamancha player Hakob Khalatyan will perform solo
to Symphony.

Avet Terteryan’s son, Ruben Terteryan, a musical critic, will be
present at the concert.

The festival will take place in Moscow on June 1-12.

INVESTIGATION STARTED ON CASE OF BEATING AN MP CANDIDATE

12:41 . 16/04

On April 15, MP candidate nominated in polling station N 7 Nikol
Pashinyan was hindered while distributing campaign materials in
Malatia-Sebastia administrative district in Yerevan.

The campaigning group was attacked, in the consequence of which MP
candidate from ANC by the proportional representation Babken Garoyan
got a bodily injury. Violence was also exerted agaisnt MP candidates
Gayane Arustamyan and Zoya Tadevosyan.

A group of women chanting hindered Pashinyan from campaigning. The
police took an action based on the announcement that Gayane Arustamyan
and Babken Garoyan were beaten and wounded.

Investigation is underway.

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN CANNES FILM MARKET WITH 15 FILMS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: May 16-27, with the support of the
Ministry of Culture, National Cinema Center of Armenia will participate
already for the fourth time in a film market held in frame of annual
Cannes International Film Festival.

“Your Grief is mine” film by Armen Ronov will be presented at the
festival. As Culture Ministry’s press service told Armenpress, for
more comprehensive presentation of the Armenian film Armenia will
participate in the Cannes film market with a new format: Armenian film
production companies, on behalf of the Armenian Cinema Center, will
have a separate pavilion, where a number of events (showing of films,
reception, meetings, conduction of negotiations) will be organized.

Armenian producers will present at the film market packages of film
projects being in different stages of development, including “Bright
Period”, “The Unknown Heroine”, “The Little Prince”, “Again That New
Year”, “Forgive Me”, “Anahit”, “World’s Peoples’ Fairy Tales”.

Director of National Cinema Center Gevorg Gevorgyan is the head of
the Armenian delegation of the Cannes film market.

DUTCH RADIO VIEWS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL AS ONE OF THE MAIN DRAWBACKS OF TURKEY

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 17, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: On the occasion of Turkish president
Abdullah Gul’s visit to Netherlands, dedicated to the 400th anniversary
of Turk-Dutch relations, one of the Dutch radio channels, speaking
about the tension aroused in the country in relation to the visit,
announced that one of the main drawbacks of modern Turkey is that
it continues to deny Armenian Genocide, Armenpress reports, citing
Turkish haberx.com.

Dutch website informs that Geert Wilders , the leader of the Freedom
Party in the Netherlands, began a campaign against Gul’s visit
in Twitter.

“Islamist Gul, who persecutes christians, attacks kurds and backs the
ideas of Hamas complains of the lack of tolerance”, Wilders writes
in Twitter.

“Turkey has a number of serious drawbacks. The arrests of the
journalists criticizing the government, the oppression of minorities
, the denial of Armenian genocide are among them.However, with the
progressive views of Ataturk Turkey has shown prudence and has become
the military ally of the West. Turkey has been developing military
and diplomatic cooperation with Israel for a long time.

FRENCH-GERMAN TV CHANNEL DISCUSSED IN DETAIL ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT (VIDEO)

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 17, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: French- German ARTE channel broadcasted
a program about Armenia, Armenian history, Armenian Genocide and
Nagorno Karabakh (NK) conflict. The program thoroughly discussed
Armenian history, the country’s territorial gains and losses as well
as the overthrow of the Ottoman Empire in World war 1 and the policy
of Young Turks. The result of all this, the program highlighted,
was the massacre of 1,5 million Armenians and the formation of
Armenian Diaspora.

Referring to a later period of Armenian history, the program presented
the history of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The authors of the TV program
noted that Nagorno Karabakh is a historical part of Armenia and it
was only in 1921 that Stalin annexed it forcefully to Azerbaijan. In
1923 Azerbaijan became an autonomous region with 94 percent of its
population being Armenians.

After the collapse of the USSR , when Armenia and Azerbaijan gained
independence, NK also expressed its wish to be independent. To this
Azerbaijan immediately answered with a blockade and tried to regain
its control on Azerbaijan with military force. After a 3-year-lasting
war Armenians liberated the territory of NK, a truce was signed but
up to now it is difficult to maintain peace in the region. According
to the authors of the TV program, OSCE efforts on the settlement of
this issue have not yielded effective results yet.

FLAGLER LECTURE ADDRESSING GENOCIDE

armradio.am
17.04.2012 12:17

The Flagler College Community Lecture Series will present “Reflecting
on a Century of Genocide” today by associate professor of political
science Arthur Vanden Houten. He will offer reflections and
perspectives on the genocides that have marred the 20thcentury,
including the Holocaust and the genocides of Armenia and Rwanda.

“The goal is to come to some understanding of what lessons have emerged
for international relations and the study of genocide,” Vanden Houten
said. “We’ll examine the moral questions, as well, and attempt to
understand how these events could have happened over the last century.”

Vanden Houten is widely published in academic journals, and he has
presented extensively at conferences including the Silberman Seminar
for Faculty Teaching about the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum, in Washington, D.C.

STATEMENT
BY THE CAUCASUS CENTER OF PEACE MAKING INITIATIVES
IN CONNECTION WITH THE EVENTS OF 12 APRIL 2012

Azerbaijani films festival “STOP” took place in Armenia.
The next screening will be held at 16:00 on 17 April
in the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Assembly.

The screening of Azerbaijani films included in the schedule of the
“STOP” festival did not take place in the “Asparez” Club of
Journalists. An hour before the start of festival, incitement to
terror masked by an orchestrated demonstration of public disturbance
reached its climax when representatives from the government and
law-enforcement bodies stated that the security of the members of
“Asparez” and CCPMI who were in the building where the festival was
due to be shown cannot be guaranteed. A number of provocative actions
were undertaken which were directly encouraged by the speeches of
representatives from the government and law-enforcement bodies. The
latter had been trying for a few hours to apply psychological pressure
on the organizers of the festival with the aim to make them leave the
venue. It should be especially noted that the attack on the director
of the festival, Georgi Vanyan, occurred immediately after a heated
speech from the head of the department of culture in the Gyumri
municipality, the purpose of which was at any expense to prevent the
festival from being held.

Electricity supplying the whole area surrounding the venue was cut off
and it was announced that it would not be restored as long as the
organizers of the festival were present. The statement by the director
of the festival and announced in the media that admission was free and
that by 3 pm there was the possibility of participants arriving,
representatives of the government responded that they were 100 percent
sure that no Gyumri resident would come “in the current situation”.

As the time of the screening came nearer, “psychological pressure” by
representatives from the government and law-enforcement bodies in the
building transformed itself into threats as if public turmoil would
break out soon after and that bloodshed would occur. Later, the
organizers of the festival were informed that there were checks
installed on the highway from Yerevan to Gyumri and that the bus
bringing participants of the festival from the capital would be
stopped by hoodlums. In that case bloodshed was predicted to happen
and it was said that no one would provide or be responsible for the
security of the people on the bus. We consider it necessary to note
that the representatives from the public who had a free access to the
building due to their status of “negotiators” resorted to provocative
actions close to the planned start of screening and only the composure
of the organizers of the festival prevented assault and battery and
brawls.

Taking into consideration the security of the members of “Asparez”,
CCPMI, and the participants in the current situation, the director of
the festival informed the media of the cancellation of the screening
in the Journalist’s Club.

Organizers of the festival left the building and joined the
participants from Yerevan on the road to Gyumri. Their bus stopped by
a restaurant on the road where the Azerbaijani films festival “STOP”
took place and 26 people watched the program of the festival with 24
taking part in the voting to determine the recipient of the Audience
Symathy award.

The next screening will be held at 16:00 on 17 April in the Vanadzor
office of the Helsinki Assembly.

12 April 2012
…

STATEMENT
BY THE CAUCASUS CENTER OF PEACE MAKING INITIATIVES
IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPAGANDA OF TERROR IN GYUMRI

Yet another defamation campaign has been undertaken against the
holding of the “STOP” Azerbaijani films festival. A false information
campaign about the purposes of the festival and those films included
in the schedule has been spread through the media as well as during a
demonstration held in Gyumri on April 11. In violation of the law,
both government and public representatives voiced direct threats not
to allow the festival to be held, constituting instigation to violence
against the festival organizers and the Asparez Club of Journalists,
the organization providing the venue for holding the festival, as well
as citizens who would attend.

After examining the video materials and footage by the Armenian media
which covered the meeting protesting against the Azerbaijani film
festival, and considering eye witness accounts, we state that Vardan
Gukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, under whose auspices propaganda of
terror is implemented, is personally responsible for the artificially
created tension around the festival as well as possible provocations
and violence against the organizers and participants of the festival
scheduled for April 12.

April 11, 2012
…

SOME LINKS FROM THE FESTIVAL HISTORY

November 11-16, 2010: Azerbaijanian Films Festival in Armenia

December 3, 2010: Council of Public Protection of Georgi Vanyan

December 10, 2010: Blackmail continues – report from Vanadzor

…

The Azerbaijanian films festival “Stop” in Armenia is an island of
secure environment for direct communication surrounded by the
conditions of distorted human values, and propaganda that poisons
healthy civilized relations. The Festival is an exclusive opportunity
to get acquainted with the best examples of contemporary Azerbaijani
cinematography.

CAUCASUS CENTER OF PEACE – MAKING INITIATIVES INVITES

April 17, at 4 p.m.
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office
Vanadzor, Tigran Mets 59

A series of 4 short films will be presented: one documentary and three
feature films produced in Azerbaijan in 2007-2008.

Duration: 1 hour 33 min.
There is only one
the Audience sympathy award determined through viewers votes.

Films are dubbed in Armenian.
Entrance is free.

Contact: [email protected],
+374 55 40 14 59

—
Festival is implemented with support from the British and US Embassies
in Armenia.

New York 1
April 15 2012

Zagat: Lebanese-Armenian Chain Almayass Wants Diners To Enjoy “Sharing Food”

By: James Mulcahy

This week’s video tour brings Zagat editor James Mulcahy to the
Flatiron District, where he is checking out Almayass. Alidz and Varak
Alexandrian, the brother and sister duo who own the eatery, also have
locations in far flung locales like Lebanon and Kuwait.
This New York outpost is one of the first restaurants to bring
Lebanese-Armenian cuisine to the Big Apple. Here’s what they had to
say about their new spot:

Alidz Alexandrian: “My mom decorated everything, from A to Z. The
decor and the art represents our culture, which is Lebanese Armenian.
My mom’s aim was to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. As people
walk into the restaurant, they will see the hanging, artisanal glass
pieces, which were designed by my mom. They were handmade in Lebanon.
Those pieces you can see in all of our other restaurants. The tableau
in the dining room is a day in Yerevan, a story in Yerevan. Yerevan is
the capital of Armenia.
We also have a special Lebanese liquor, Arak, which we mix with water.
It turns white, you add ice, it’s a little bit strong but very
delicious.

Varak Alexandrian: “‘There is no sincerer love than love of food’ –
Bernard Shaw. That’s our motto and it’s a true love. Lebanese food is
usually a sharing food. Friends come and sit together and they have
dinner and share their food and enjoy their time and the atmosphere.
One of my favorite dishes is the mantee, which is an Armenian
specialty. It’s a small, boat-shaped pasta topped with garlic yogurt
and sumac. There are a lot of Italian restaurants, a lot of French
restaurants, but as far as Lebanese-Armenian restaurants, we are one
of the first ones. We’re really excited to see how the people react,
and like our atmosphere, service and food.”

For more information about Almayass and other new restaurants, visit
blog.zagat.com.

Azerbaijan fires 1,400 shots in direction Karabakh positions past week

news.am
April 14, 2012 | 15:06

STEPANAKERT. – The Azerbaijani army’s vanguard divisions violated the
ceasefire, at the line of contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani
opposing forces, around 300 times in the past week, during which more
than 1,400 shots were fired in the direction of Karabakh positions.

Aside from violating the ceasefire, the adversary’s air force
conducted several training flights along the length of the line of
contact, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Defense Army Media and
Propaganda Department informs.

The Defense Army’s Air Defense Forces recorded all the flying targets
on time and they were under extreme supervision.

NKR’s land and air space were defended last week without any incidents.

Spring military draft starts in Nagorno-Karabakh

news.am
April 14, 2012 | 12:58

STEPANAKERT.- President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
signed a decree on the 2012 spring draft and demobilization of
servicemen.