Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA’S FIRST PRESIDENT SHOWS LOYALTY TO RUSSIA’S LEADER

15:19 * 09.03.15

Styopa Safaryan, Director of the Armenian Institute of International
and Security Affairs (AIISA), believes that Armenia’s first
president, leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) party Levon
Ter-Petrosyan is implementing one task, namely, remaining in politics
until the 2017 parliamentary elections.

“There was time when Ter-Petrosyan remained in politics by conducting
a dialogue with the authorities. Later he began cooperating with the
Prosperous Armenia party,” he said.

Ter-Petrosyan’s desire is to show he is most loyal to Russia. It was
clear at his last rally, when he ironically spoke of “demands for
Putin’s resignation on breastplates.”

Thus, Mr Ter-Petrosyan hinted that an opposition force could emerge
in Armenia which would be in opposition to Russia.

“Vacuum is in Armenia’s opposition arena, and the efficient figure
will occupy the seat of honor. There is a vacuum in the radical
opposition arena, but opposition forces have always existed. But I
do not say I want to see any force in the square because society is
only disappointed.”

ARMENIA AND LEBANON TO EXCHANGE MILITARY PRACTICE

March 9, 2015 16:44

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenia and Lebanon will exchange military practice
in a number of defense fields which will result in practical character
of cooperation in near future.

The relevant agreement was reached during the meeting of First Deputy
Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan and delegation headed by
Brigadier General of Lebanese Defense Ministry Manuel Kirejian today.

The sides also discussed issues related to the modernization of
military cooperation agreement signed in 2001 and bilateral cooperation
plan for 2015.

The meeting with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan focused
on the need for establishing high-level military-political relations
between the two states.

It should be recalled that military unit if 32 Armenian peacekeepers
has been taking part in UNIFIL mission in Lebanon under Italian
command.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES IN ARABIC COUNTRIES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GENOCIDE RECOGNITION IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

YEREVAN, March 9. /ARKA/. Armenian communities in Arab countries
are able to play substantial role in acknowledgment of the Armenian
genocide in the Islamic world, expert in Arabic studies Armen Petrosyan
said on the air on Sputnik-Armenia radio, as cited by Novosti-Armenia.

Right now Lebanon is the only Islamic state that recognized the
genocide of Armenian, the expert said.

Petrosyan said the Armenian genocide has been used recently, mainly
in the Near East and North Africa, in Egypt and Syria in particular,
in counteracting Turkey’s policy. But the possibility of their
acknowledgment of the genocide is still vague, he said.

The expert said Armenian diplomatic tools are limited in the Arabic
Muslim world, particularly due to insufficient resources. Certain
measures taken by the Armenian communities in these countries may
help bring up the recognition issue, he said.

Yet, the final outcome will depend on many details, the stance of the
neighboring countries, relations with Turkey, and etc., according
to the expert. All this reduces the chances for recognition of the
Armenian genocide substantially, Petrosyan said.

Armenian Genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century.

Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one
and a half million Armenians during World War I.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S.

states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina,
Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of
Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. -0–

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 7 2015

“Prosperous Armenia” has tipped the fate of the dwarf-party, say media

7 March 2015 – 2:57pm

The pace of the ‘unloading’ of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) was
expected, the newspaper ‘Haykakan Zhamanak’ writes.

According to the newspaper, if this rate continues in the future the
party at the best case could turn into a dwarf-party, and at worst – a
party represented by a single person. The same goes for the PAP
faction in the National Assembly (parliament) of the country. Until
recently the faction held 36 seats in the National Assembly, but that
has now has fallen by a third, reports NEWS.am.

Thus, five deputies left in the faction are Grigory Margaryan, Melik
Manukyan, Martuni Grigoryan, Mushegh Petoyan and David Kocharyan.

Another seven of have left the party: Aragats Ahoyan, Karo Karapetyan,
Bazmaser Arakelyan, Rustam Gasparyan, Oskanian Harutyun Karagezyan and
Abraham Manukyan.

So at the moment the PAP faction actually consists of 24 deputies,
Haykakan Zhamanak sums up.

Guardian Liberty Voice
March 7 2015

Eurovision 2015: Current List of Representatives & Song Choices [Part 1]

With preparations for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest having fully
kicked off in Vienna, Italy, each country’s representative and their
song choice has begun to be revealed. While not all of said choices
have been announced as of yet, a very large majority of the decisions
have been made and the results are as follows:

Albania: Representing the country with the song I’m Alive, is
22-year-old Elhaida Dani. This Eurovision contestant rose to fame
following her win on the Albanian installment of Star Academy, with
her crowning having taken place back in 2009.

Armenia: Supergroup Genealogy will be putting in their bid for
Eurovision 2015 winner, with their sole purpose in forming relating to
the want to be awarded this honor. Each member is known for their own
personal achievements outside of the competition, as they are all
relatively well-known artists from entirely different parts of the
globe (the group’s home countries consist of Japan, France, Australia,
Armenia, the United States, and Ethiopia. Each member’s nomination to
compete in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest was announced separately,
with revelation dates ranging from February 16 to March 3. Their song
is entitled Don’t Deny.

Belarus: This country’s entry in the current year’s Eurovision Song
Contest is that of a duo, Uzari & Maimuna. The man is a
singer-songwriter, and the woman is a violinist. They are best known
for their song Time, of which they will present at the upcoming show
in question. Their nomination was announced in December, following
which the pair competed amongst others in order to fully receive
acceptance into the competition. They won the challenge with a total
of 76 points, which placed them first in three of the five jurors
scoring systems and third in the overall televote.

Belgium: Eurovision’s choice for this nation lays with Loïc Nottet, an
18-year-old who recently finished second in The Voice Belgique, upon
the end of the show’s third season. His song title has yet to be
revealed.

Cyprus: Greek artist Giannis Karagiannis will be representing Cyprus
in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, performing the track One Thing I
Should Have Done. Back in 2007 and 2008, he was unsuccessful in his
attempts to be made the country’s candidate for the Junior Eurovision
Song Contest.

Czech Republic: Czech singer Marta Jandová and composer Václav Noid
Bárta will be performing the song Hope Never Dies, at this year’s
Eurovision. This song marks the third instance out of a current four
Czech entries where the lyrics were sung in English rather than in the
participant(s)’ native language.

Denmark: Anti Social Media, a Danish pop-rock band, will be taking the
stage for their country at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. The
group, consisting of members Nikolaj Tøth, Philip Thornhill, Emil
Vissing. David Vang, will be performing their track The Way You Are.
The band won the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix on February 7 upon performing
the aforementioned song, and thus was announced to be the Danish
participants for the upcoming Eurovision installment.

Estonia: Performing the song Goodbye to Yesterday are Elina Born and
Stig Rästa. Born (20) has previously tried her hand at a Eurovision
entry, attempting in 2013 to represent the country with the song
Enough, which did not end up being successful. She also placed second
in the reality singing competition Eesti otsib superstaari (which
translates into Estonia is Searching for a Superstar.) Rästa (35) was
previously in a band called Slobodan River, between the years of 2002
and 2006. The two individuals with whom he formed this group no longer
have any musical association with him.

(to be continued)

By Rebecca Grace

The Pappas Post
March 7 2015

Remembering Christopher Thurber: Saved 7,000 Greek Children from
Smyrna Catastrophe; Flogged by Turks for Saving Greek Woman

By Gregory Pappas

Many personal stories of service and sacrifice have shaped the history
of the US involvement in the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the
distinctive work of various US missionary and aid organizations,
including one called the Near East Foundation, originally known as
Near East Relief.

One such story is that of Christopher Thurber, a public health expert
who, at the start of World War I, left his home in Connecticut to work
with typhus-stricken children living in the barracks of war torn
Constantinople.

Thurber himself contracted typhus, but recovered in time to direct the
safe transfer of 7,000 children from Sivas, Turkey, to Greece after
the 1922 Smyrna Disaster, when the Turkish army burned the city to the
ground and terrorized the local Greek and Armenian Christian
populations.

Thurber became well-respected and admired for his humanitarianism, but
it was his attempt to save a Greek refugee woman from being beaten by
Turkish soldiers in Scutari, Turkey, that further elevated his
standing. As punishment for the attempted rescue, he was flogged, and
suffered permanent damage to both feet. He walked with a cane for the
rest of his life.

In 1924, Thurber traveled to Greece to be director of relief work in
the region for Near East Relief. There, he supervised the education of
children in orphanages and also established homes in Athens for boys
who had gone on to graduate.

Thurber was in the midst of planning a new tuberculosis pavilion for
children when he suffered a stroke and died on May 31, 1930. His
contribution to public education and health was so pervasive that the
Greek government held a state funeral and declared a national day of
mourning in his honor. No other American had, or has since, received
such a tribute.

UKRAINE-EGLISE ARMENIENNE
Disparition de l’Archevêque Grigoris Bouniatian (69 ans), le
représentant de l’Eglise arménienne en Ukraine

Le chef de l’Eglise arménienne en Ukraine, l’archevêque Grigoris
Bouniatian vient de disparaître à Kharkov. Il avait 69 ans. Né à
Etchmiadzine en 1946, il avait occupé de nombreux postes de
représentant de l’Eglise arménienne à travers le monde. Mgr Grigoris
Bouniatian était à la tête de l’Eglise arménienne en Ukraine depuis
2001. Sa disparition surprise a mis en émoi la communauté arménienne
d’Ukraine. L’Union des Arméniens d’Ukraine présente ses condoléances à
l’occasion de cette disparition d’un homme très actif et apprécié.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 8 mars 2015,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

NBC Southern California
March 8 2015

Driver in 4-Year-Old Girl’s Hit-Run Death Turns Self in: Police

By Willian Avila and Kate Larsen

A man suspected of being behind the wheel of a car that fatally struck
a 4-year-old Southern California girl and drove off was arrested after
he surrendered at a police station, officials said Saturday.

Shant Badleean, 55, of Glendale was accompanied by his family when he
turned himself in at the Glendale Police Department, said Glendale
police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot.

Badleean was booked on a felony hit-and-run charge, police said. His
bail was set at $50,000.

The news came as family and friends held a candlelight vigil for
Violeta Khachaturyan. A moment of silence was held for her about 7:30
p.m. to coincide with the announcement by police.

Loved ones prayed, sang and burned incense – Armenian traditions when
someone dies.

“I believe she is in heaven playing with the angels right now,” said
said neighbor Mases Allhiveirdia.

Khachaturyan was struck about 4:55 p.m. Friday when she ran into the
street after her mother, police said. She was hit by a sedan and sent
flying into a parked vehicle while the car drove away.

The light-colored sedan was traveling west in the 1200 block of East
Wilson at the time of the collision, according to a statement released
by the Glendale police Saturday.

“Yesterday we didn’t know what color the car was and today we hear
something that no one ever thought we would in this short period of
time. So of course it’s definitely a satisfying feeling from the
family,” said Arshak Bareghamyan, a family friend.

Neighbors left flowers, candles and stuffed animals at a makeshift
memorial in Glendale in honor of the little girl.

“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, we feel for them and if there’s
anything that we can do to help them out, we’re more than willing to,”
said Karla Mnatsakanyan, who did not know the family but showed up to
the vigil to lend her support.

The Glendale Police Officers Association was accepting donations on
behalf of the Khachaturyan family. Checks can be made out to “GPOA
Cops for Kids” and should indicate that the donation is for the
family. Anyone with questions about donating can call 818-246-9053.

“This tragic event weighs heavy on the hearts of all our police and
fire personnel who were involved in the response and treatment of
little Violeta,” Chief Robert Castro said.

NBC4’s Asher Klein and Jane Yamamoto contributed to this report.

IQNA, Iran
March 7 2015

Christian Leader Praises Iran’s Stances against Takfiris

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Aram I Keshishian, Catholicos of the Holy See of
Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, lauded the Islamic Republic
of Iran’s stances against Takfiri groups.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the 6th round of interreligious
dialogue organized by Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations
Organization (ICRO), he described Iran’s position regarding violence
and extremism as responsible.

He said everyone is concerned about the violence in the region,
especially in countries like Syria and Iraq, adding that Takfiri
terrorists’ actions should be condemned by everyone.

Aram I Keshishian said misinterpretation of religion has become a
major problems for followers of different faiths, adding that respect
and mutual understanding should be promoted among different religions.

The 6th round of interreligious dialogue was held in Lebanon with the
participation of ICRO president Abuzar Ebrahimi Torkaman, Iran’s
ambassador to Lebanon, and a number of Iranian Armenian Christians.

Karine Danielyan: The women who prefer being mothers deserve the same
respect as female politicians

ArmInfo’s Interview with Karine Danielyan, Head of the Association for
Sustainable Human Development NGO

by Karina Manukyan
Saturday, March 7, 15:09

In 1991-94, you were the Nature Protection Minister of the Republic
of Armenia. Do you remember when you started tackling environmental
issues?

Before being appointed minister, I took an active part in an
environmental movement. As far as I remember, a decision was taken to
involve the movement activists in the Government. Moreover, a survey
was conducted at the relevant universities and institutes.

To be honest, I was not so much eager to become a minister, because I
was sure that a minister’s post was not for my temper. A year before
that, I was Vice Mayor of Yerevan and I managed to realize all the
difficulties of such activities. The ministerial position simply
became a disaster for me.

We should not forget what hard situation Armenia faced in the early
1990s. The Karabakh war, the energy crisis… It was almost impossible
to speak of nature protection and make the Government take some
decisions amid the war in Karabakh.

Say, they would release water from Lake Sevan for energy needs. I
would come to the Government and say, “What are you doing?” They would
reply, “Do you want the people to die? We cannot supply the population
with electric power even for 2 hours a day.”

In the meantime, we were able to involve Armenia in almost all the
international processes and to adopt some laws and by-laws… But in the
reality, it was very hard, if not impossible, to do the nature
protection minister’s job under those conditions.

I constantly felt distress. I did not sleep for almost 4 years – a
year at the Municipality and three years of work at the Government. I
was thinking all night long: there was no money, no fuel, no machines…
no monitoring could be conducted… As a result, I seriously fell ill
and left the Government.

You have said that you were afraid the minister’s position was not for
your temper. What aspects of your personality do you mean?

I do not like heavy-handed people at all. I prefer a friendly and
consensus-based method of management. On the one hand, that method has
a lot of advantages, but on the other hand, there always emerge people
who abuse that confidence and stop performing their duties. This leads
to a chaos. The best way out is to find the aurea mediocritas.

You are still engaged in active environmental activities. To put it
crudely, you have to fight with men to attain the goals set.

It is noteworthy that they constantly speak of discrimination against
women, but I have never felt that discrimination myself. I only felt
some discomfort when I attended the Government’s sessions and I was
the only woman there.

One day the then prime minister – I don’t even want to give his name –
reproached me undeservingly at a governmental session. I answered him
back. He said something else, and I answered him back again. It grew
into something unpleasant. Then he said, “So, what shall I do now?
Shall I apologize?” “As you wish,” I replied. During the break, all
the men approached me and said, “What kind of people, you, women, are!
You are reproaching and scolding us constantly, but you cannot stand
being reproached”.

And how do you manage to make the Government, the Parliament and the
Yerevan Municipality defer to your opinion?

Well, I cannot say they defer to my opinion so much. But my
professionalism plays a certain role, as a matter of fact.

Do you think the woman should be engaged in active public activities,
politics or do you believe she should make her choice in her family’s
favor?

I think there should be some women in the power structures to balance
the viewpoints and positions. On the other hand, in most cases, men
don’t want their wives to be stronger or to earn more money.
Certainly, some men perceive such activities of their wives quite
normally and they are proud of such women.

I believe that everything should be balanced. I respect the choice of
the women, who prefer being mothers and bringing up their kids rather
than being engaged in the politics, science, etc. Such women deserve
the same respect as the female politicians.

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