Author: Badalian Vardan

"ARARAT" APPEALED TO COURT AGAIN

A1Plus.am
26/01/10

The "Ararat" Center’s appeal against the "Caucasian Institute"
Foundation is at the Appeals Court.

The center is appealing the decision of the first instance court of
the Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan, as reported to
"A1+" from the "Ararat" center office. The center correspondents
also informed that they don’t know if the appeal was approved or not
because they have not received a response for a week now.

Let us remind that the "Ararat" Center appealed to the first instance
court of the Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan with the
demand to oblige the "Caucasian Institute" to deny its publication
calling the Armenian Genocide into question, to prevent the quoted
use of the term "Genocide" and to compensate for damages.

In 2008, the "Caucasian Institute" released the book entitled
"Caucasian Neighborhood: Turkey and the South Caucasus". Among a number
of other articles, the book also included the article by Turk Aybars
Gyorgyulu entitled "Turkey-Armenia Relations: Eternal labyrinth?" in
which the writer, according to the plaintiff, denies the Armenian
Genocide. With that said, the director of "Ararat Center" Armen
Ayvazyan claims that the editor of the book, Alexander Iskandaryan,
also denies that fact.

However, on December 4, the court quashed the case, saying that it
was not subject to debate.

RA MFA REFUTES NALBANDIAN-CLINTON CONVERSATION

News.am
18:19 / 01/26/2010

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton did not have a phone conversation, RA MFA Press
Secretary Tigran Balayan informed NEWS.am commenting on the information
spread by Yerkir Media TV.

According to the channel, the information on the conversation was
available on the U.S. State Department website.

The source also informed that Public Affairs Officer of the U.S.

Embassy in Armenia Thomas Mittnacht confirmed the information,
outlining that officials had a private talk. However, later, PR
Officer at U.S. Embassy in Armenia Taguhi Jahukyan also refuted
this information.

As NEWS.am reported previously, January 22, 2010 Clinton had telephone
conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who
expressed his concern over RA Constitutional Court’s decision.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Watch our latest videos on YouTube here:

ANTELIAS HOSTS THE SEVENTH MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION FOR
THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX
CHURCHES

Upon the invitation of His Holiness Aram I, the Commission will meet in
Antelias 26-31 January 2010. Delegates appointed by the Holy See of
Etchmiadzin and the Holy See of Cilicia represent the Armenian Church on
this Commission. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Archbishop of the Eastern
Diocese in USA, and Bishop Nareg Alemezian, the Ecumenical Officer are the
representatives of the Holy See of Cilicia.

The Commission will discuss the role of Ecumenical Councils in the Early
Church. On Sunday, 31 January during the closing Liturgy at St. Gregory the
Illuminator Cathedral, His Excellency Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of
the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity will give the sermon.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

SNOWFALLS AND WINDSTORM HIT ARMENIA’S NORTH-EASTERN REGIONS

Aysor
25.01.2010, 13:15

Snowfalls and even a windstorm have hit North-Eastern regions of
Armenia, in particularly, territories of the Aparan-Spitak railway and
the Selim passage. The road to Tchambarak is covered with ice. Despite
all these, there are not closed roads, a spokesperson to Armenia’s
Ministry of Transport told Aysor’s correspondent.

RA CC RULING IS FINAL AND VALID

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.01.2010 11:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The RA Constitutional Court’s ruling on the
Armenian-Turkish Protocols is Armenia’s legal assessment of the
documents, said Ara Papian, head of Modus Vivendi center.

"I agree with Mr. Philip Gordon that the RA CC ruling doesn’t hamper
ratification of the Protocols. The Court resolved that establishment
of diplomatic relations and opening of the border do not conflict
with the Constitution of Republic of Armenia," he said, adding that
the Constitutional Court’s legal reasoning has the same juridical
force as the conclusion.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation. On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional
Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to
the country’s Organic Law. Commenting on the decision of the Armenian
Constitutional Court, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
that "the decision contains preconditions and restrictive provisions
which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols."

"The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these
Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach
cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed
allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence
to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same
allegiance from the Armenian Government," the Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the United States welcomed the ruling by Armenia’s
Constitutional Court, effectively dismissing Turkey’s claims that it
runs counter to the Turkish-Armenian fence-mending agreements. "We
view the court decision as a positive step forward in the ratification
process of the normalization protocols between Turkey and Armenia,"
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said. "The court
decision permits the protocols, as they were negotiated and signed,
to move forward towards parliamentary ratification, and does not
appear to limit or qualify them in any way."

ARSHALUYS HAKOBYAN’S TRIAL POSTPONED AGAIN

Tert.am
12:33 ~U 26.01.10

Arshaluys Hakobyan’s trial continued in Yerevan’s Court of First
Instance of Center and Nork-Marash Communities yesterday; however,
the court session was very short and the trial was postponed till
February 5.

Speaking with Tert.am, Hakobyan, who is a member of the Helsinki
Association, said the trial was postponed because the prosecutor
had just received the ruling of the Special Investigation Service
(SIS) and didn’t have enough time to make his conclusion and bring
the accusation to the court.

"They had sent the case to SIS and filed a case against the police
officers who assaulted me. But now the case has been suppressed:
apparently, I have beaten myself with my own hands, I have made the
scratch on my back, I have bitten the police officers’ thumbs and I
don’t know what else," said Hakobyan.

In 2009, Arshaluys Hakobyan had noticed an election fraud while
overseeing municipal elections in Yerevan and had been obliged to come
to the court as a witness. But the two police officers, while handing
him the court summons, had verbally and physically assaulted Hakobyan,
brought him to Kentron (Central) Police Station and then arrested him.

Upon the prosecutor’s petition in October, the court had changed
detention as a precautionary measure for Hakobyan. It has already been
three months that his trial has begun and continues to be postponed.

Demirjian to Conduct Mozart Opera
By Armenian Weekly Staff
January 22, 2010

On Sat., Jan. 30, the New England Concert Opera Players, under the
direction of Aram Demirjian, will perform a concert version of
Mozart’s masterpiece `The Marriage of Figaro.’ The performance will
begin at 7:30 p.m. at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel, on 735
Commonwealth Ave. in Boston. Admission is $5 at the door, with
students admitted at no charge.

The opera will feature among the most talented young singers and
instrumentalists in the Greater Boston area, including current and
former students from Boston University’s Opera Institute, New England
Conservatory, and Harvard University, as well as other local
professional and student musicians. Leading roles include Sonja
Tengblad (soprano) as Susanna, Kara Harris (mezzo-soprano) as Countess
Rosina Almaviva, Joshua Taylor (baritone) as Count Almaviva, and
Graham Wright (bass) as Figaro. The production, abridged for concert
purposes, will include original narration by Harvard graduate in
English and music, Catherine Powell.

Aram Demirjian is currently pursuing his master’s degree in orchestral
conducting with Hugh Wolff at the New England Conservatory. Prior to
his graduate studies, Demirjian attended Harvard University where he
served for two years as music director of the Harvard Bach Society
Orchestra. He was one of only two students with such a distinction in
the history of the prestigious orchestra. He has also studied at the
Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, and this upcoming summer, he
will attend the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, studying
under David Zimman. Demirjian was selected last year to conduct
internationally famed cellist YoYo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Last
summer, he assumed the role of musical director of the Long Island
Youth Symphony Orchestra and toured with them on the eastern coast of
the U.S. and Canada, in Eastern Europe and Iceland.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Jan 22 2010

Erdogan warns Armenia against prerequisites

22-01-2010 06:05:26

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan complained Wednesday that
a ruling by a Armenia’s Constitutional Court could derail efforts to
ratify agreements committing the two countries to normalizing
relations pending in the parliaments of both countries, Hurriyet
reported.
Erdogan made his remarks while on an official trip to Saudi Arabia. He
said the court’s reference both to the `killing of Armenians’ and to
the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh is problematic. `This will challenge the process unless the
mistake is corrected. It’s definitely unacceptable to Turkey,’ Erdogan
told a news conference.
On January 12, Armenia’s Constitutional Court upheld the
constitutionality of the protocols, which had been submitted to it by
President Serzh Sarkisian. The court found, however, that the
documents cannot have any connection with the ongoing Garabagh
conflict resolution process or impede Armenia of its pursuit of
international recognition of the alleged genocide of Armenians. To
reinforce the latter point, the Court referenced Article 11 of
Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which states: `The Republic of
Armenia stands in support of the task of achieving international
recognition of the 1915 Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Western
Armenia.’
`We have never taken the protocol to our Constitutional Court. We took
it directly to our Parliament, without making changes. We didn’t
employ a mediator on the text. We didn’t carry out any
read-between-the-lines operations. This is a proof of our sincerity.
Armenia has tried to change the text,’ he said.
The accord, signed by the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia in
October 2009, need parliamentary approval in both countries for
ratification. Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP),
which controls parliament, has stonewalled the agreements, refusing to
vote on them until Armenia agrees to settle the Garabagh conflict on
Azerbaijan’s terms. *

TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIAN: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REOPEN TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDER UNTIL ARMENIA ENDS KARABAKH’S OCCUPATION

Today
Jan 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with member of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly
(parliament) and Deputy Chairman of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
Ismet Buyukataman.

Armenian Constitutional Court has announced the Armenia-Turkey
protocols consistent with country’s laws with preconditions which
has caused Turkey’s discontent. In your opinion, will the protocols
be ratified finally?

Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that it is impossible to
normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia until Azerbaijan’s seven
Armenia-occupied lands are liberated. The Prime Minister recalled the
UN resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh asking the rhetorical question,
"who now must make the first move?". He replied to this question
himself: "Armenia should take the first step. Azerbaijan’s seven
regions should be liberated. Without solving this problem, Turkey
will do nothing to normalize relations with Armenia."

We want to believe in Turkish Prime Minister’s promise. Armenia
should resolve its problems with Azerbaijan and, first and foremost,
the Karabakh issue.

Armenians usually step up "genocide" propaganda before April 24. This
year ratification of the protocols by Turkey will also be highlighted.

Can Turkey reopen its border with Armenia as a result of outside
pressure before April 24?

It is impossible to reopen borders with Armenia until Armenia
rescind its decision on invalidity of the Kars Treaty of 1921 and
Gumri Treaty of 1920, which defines the border between Turkey and
Armenia, abolishes the item declaring Anatolia "Western Armenia" in
the Act of Independence, removes Mount Agrı from its coat of arms and
changes the related article in its Constitution, renounces its false
"Armenian genocide" claims, stops smear campaign against Turkey and
Turkish people in the international arena, eliminates causes that
led to the closure of borders between the two countries in 1993 and
takes steps to return nearly one million Azerbaijani refugees to
their homes and puts an end to Karabakh’s occupation.

Pressure from Armenians and international community can not change
this reality.

May Erdogan’s recent Russia trip change anything in terms of resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

In May 2009, Turkish PM Erdogan called on to take active steps to
settle the Karabakh conflict. At that time Russia announced that "the
problem should be resolved by the sides to the conflict." During a
recent visit to Moscow, Erdogan again raised the issue, and Russian
officials said they were ready to do utmost in this regard, but
believe that the Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish problems
should be resolved in a package version.

This means that Russia takes the issue from a political standpoint,
and it has no initiatives in this respect. So, it is wrong to expect
something from Russia and hope that it will contribute to solving the
problem. Russia has shown its attitude to this issue many times over
the past 20 years.

Will the MHP change position on protection of Azerbaijan’s interests
in settlement of the Karabakh conflict and Armenian-Turkish relations?

Late national leader Heydar Aliyev once said "We are two states, but
one nation." Our Nationalist Movement Party has always approached
such issues from this point of view, and we will continue to treat
them the same way. Azerbaijan is our brotherly country. There can
be no other opinion. Your pain is our pain, and the MHP will always
protect Azerbaijan’s interest and will do everything possible to
address the problems of the fraternal country.

Day.Az

URL:

FIRST ARAB UNIVERSITY TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.01.2010 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Possibilities of cooperation in education and
science were discussed during the meeting of RA Deputy Prime Minister,
Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan with the
Vice-Chancellor of Higher College of Technology of Abu Dhabi Taid
Kamali during the visit of the Armenian deputy prime minister in the
United Arab Emirates, press office of the Ministry of Territorial
Administration reported.

Tayid Kamali will visit Armenia in February 2010. Armen Gevorgyan
expressed the readiness of the Armenian side to establish the Arab
university in Armenia, which will be the first in the region.

At the invitation of the Minister of Education and Scientific Research
of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyani RA
Minister of Territorial Administration, met with members of "Young
Leaders" organization. Armenia has also been invited to become a
member of this organization, and this issue will be discussed during
the visit Tayid Kamali in Yerevan.