Author: Badalian Vardan

US European Command and Kansas National Guard working group visits
Armenia (PHOTO)

US European Command and Kansas National Guard working group visits
Armenia (PHOTO)

March 30, 2013 | 19:37

YEREVAN.- The working group of the U.S. European Command and Kansas
National Guard was in Armenia to coordinate preparation for the
workshop on first aid provided to the soldiers in battle field, which
is organized in the Armenian armed forces.

The workshop planned for this May will consist of two parts and will
be coordinated by the U.S. European Command and Kansas National Guard,
defense ministry’s press service reported.

During their visit to Armenia, members of the delegation held meetings
with representatives of defense ministry and Armenian Center for
Humanitarian Demining and Expertise, leadership of the Yerevan State
Medical University and department of military medicine. The issues on
development of bilateral cooperation were discussed.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

RELIGION
Joyeuses fêtes de Pques/ Chenoravor Sourp Zadig

L’équipe des NAM et d’Armenews vous souhaite de joyeuses fêtes de Pques/ Zadig.

Extrait du Calendrier de l’Eglise Apostolique Arménienne – Diocèse de France

Au cours de la Messe les fidèles échangent des salutations Ã
l’invitation du Diacre.

Celui qui donne le « Salut » doit dire :

« Kristos hariav i mérélots » – « le Christ est ressuscité des morts »

Celui qui reçoit le « Salut » doit répondre :

« Orhtnial é haroutioun Krisdosi » – « Bénie soit la résurrection du Christ »

Õ’ÖÕ«Õ½Õ¿Õ¸Õ½ ÕµÕ¡Õ¼Õ¥Õ¡Ö? Õ« Õ´Õ¥Õ¼Õ¥Õ¬Õ¸Ö? – Õ-ÖÕ°Õ¶Õ¥Õ¡Õ¬ Õ§ ÕµÕ¡Õ¼Õ¸Ö?Õ©Õ«Ö?Õ¶Õ¶ Õ’ÖÕ«Õ½Õ¿Õ¸Õ½Õ«

dimanche 31 mars 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

PR Newswire
March 30 2013

Holocaust Memorial Center Welcomes Dr. Robert Melson for Presentation
on Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, Apr. 10

Titled, `Two Survivors’ Perspectives: The Armenian Genocide and the
Holocaust,’ Melson explores perpetrators’ means and motives, as well
as survivors’ courage and survival during the Armenian Genocide and
the Holocaust, focusing on the stories of Armenian Bishop Grigoris
Balakian and the Jewish Mendelsohn family.

Farmington Hills, MI, March 30, 2013 –(PR.com)– The Holocaust
Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus ()
announced Dr. Robert Melson as the featured speaker for a presentation
on the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust at 7 p.m. on Wednesday,
April 10. The Holocaust Memorial Center located at 28123 Orchard Lake
Road in Farmington Hills.

Titled, `Two Survivors’ Perspectives: The Armenian Genocide and the
Holocaust,’ Melson explores perpetrators’ means and motives, as well
as survivors’ courage and survival during the Armenian Genocide and
the Holocaust, focusing on the stories of Armenian Bishop Grigoris
Balakian and the Jewish Mendelsohn family.

Melson is Professor Emeritus at Purdue University and past president
of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. His
publications include `Revolution and Genocide: On the Orgins of the
Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.’ He also has lectured on ethnic
conflict and genocide at venues around the world.

This annual genocide commemoration is presented in cooperation with
the Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive, Cohn-Haddow
Center for Judaic Studies, and the Armenian Research Center at the
University of Michigan – Dearborn.

It is the mission of the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family
Campus to remember those who perished and those who survived the
Holocaust and, in a world increasingly faced with sectarian strife and
intolerance, to set forth the lessons of Holocaust as a model for
teaching ethical conduct and responsible decision-making. By
highlighting those individuals who, in the midst of evil, stood for
the best, rather than the worst of human nature, the Holocaust
Memorial Center seeks to contribute to maintaining an open and free
society.

The facility is wheelchair accessible and free parking is available at
both the North and South entrances.

For more information on the Holocaust Memorial Center, visit
, or call 248-553-2400.

PRESS RELEASE
California State University, Fresno
Armenian Studies Program
5245 N Backer Ave PB4
Fresno, CA 93740-8001
Tel: 559-278-2669
Fax: 559-278-2129

New York Times Best-Selling Author Chris Bohjalian to Speak
on `The Sandcastle Girls’ April 14 at Fresno State

New York Times best-selling author Chris Bohjalian will speak about
his novel, `The Sandcastle Girls’ at 2:00 PM on Sunday, April 14, 2013
in the Leon and Pete Peters Educational Center (Student Recreation
Center), on the Fresno State campus.

Bohjalian will be making his first visit to Fresno on the occasion of
the release of the paperback edition of The Sandcastle Girls . The
talk, part of the Spring Lecture Series of the Armenian Studies
Program, is co-sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of
America-Central California. The lecture is funded in part by the Leon
S. Peters Foundation and the Bertha and John Garabedian Foundation.

The Sandcastle Girls is a gripping novel set in the period of the
Armenian Genocide. When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Aleppo, Syria,
she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke, a crash course in nursing, and
only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language. It’s 1915, and
Elizabeth has volunteered to help deliver food and medical aid to
refugees of the Armenian Genocide during the First World War. There
she meets Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his
wife and infant daughter. After leaving Aleppo and traveling into
Egypt to join the British Army, he begins to write Elizabeth letters,
realizing that he has fallen in love with the wealthy young American.

Years later, their American granddaughter, Laura, embarks on a journey
back through her family’s history, uncovering a story of love,
loss=80’and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

Chris Bohjalian is the author of sixteen books, including the New York
Times bestsellers, The Night Strangers , Secrets of Eden , Skeletons
at the Feast , The Double Bind , Before Your Know Kindness , and
Midwives .

Bohjalian’s awards include the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for The
Sandcastle Girls , as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New
England Society Book Award for The Night Strangers ; the New England
Book Award; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; and the Anahid
Literary Award.

Bohjalian graduated from Amherst College, and lives in Vermont with
his wife and daughter.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Free parking is available in all campus parking lots.

For more information on the lecture please contact the Armenian
Studies Program at 278-2669.

Georgian MFA concerned over Russia’s Black Sea drills

March 30, 2013 – 09:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on
Friday, March 29, that Tbilisi was concerned with Russia’s military
drills in the country’s southern Black Sea region this week, RIA
Novosti reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the snap drills on Thursday,
as concerns persist over the combat readiness of the armed forces in
Russia.

The Georgian ministry said in a statement that Russia’s actions
`contradict interests of stability’ in Europe and the drills cannot be
viewed as a `proportional reaction on possible threats.’

Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Alasaniya, however, said on Friday
that he saw no threat from Russia’s military drills in the Black Sea
region.

The Black Sea exercise involves up to 7,000 military personnel,
including rapid deployment, airborne and special task forces, more
than 30 warships, about 250 armored vehicles, up to 20 pieces of
artillery and 20 aircraft.

According to international law, exercises of this size do not have to
be announced to other countries prior to their beginning.

Armenian churches celebrate evening Candlelight Divine Liturgy at the
end of which resurrection of the Savior is proclaimed

18:04 – 30.03.13

The Armenian churches serve today evening Candlelight Divine Liturgy
at the end of which the Resurrection of Jesus Christ will be
proclaimed.

According to Church tradition, the new day begins following the
Evening Service. An evening Divine Liturgy is celebrated, at the end
of which the good tiding of the glorious resurrection of the Savior is
proclaimed: `Christ is Risen from the dead; Blessed be the
Resurrection of Christ!’ The period of the Great Lent is thus
concluded.

The feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ or the
Easter Feast starts on the eve and is continued after the midnight. On
the eve a solemn Candlelight Divine Liturgy is celebrated and a solemn
Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Following the conclusion of the Liturgy,
the assembled faithful welcome each other on the occasion of the
Glorious Resurrection of Christ conveying the great tiding: `Christ is
Risen from the dead’ and receive the answer: `Blessed is the
Resurrection of Christ’ and take lit candles home, symbolizing the
Light that Christ brought into the world. The Divine Liturgy
celebrated on the eve is the end of the Great lent and the start of
the festive ceremonies.

Speaking to Tert.am Rev Yesayi Artenyan said the first and the most
important thing of this holiday is belief from which the wish and
readiness to participate in the liturgy stems.

`The most important condition for participation in any church
celebration and in St. Resurrection Holiday in particular, is the
participation in the liturgy. If we believe in the resurrection
symbol, it means on any Easter Jesus Christ resurrects for us,’ the
priest said.

Rev Yesayi said that people are also getting prepared for Easter by
painting eggs and cooking Easter dishes though he said it should not
be more signified than the spiritual side of the holiday.

The priest said after today’s evening liturgy when the words `Christ
is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ” be
voiced all should go home and sit over Easter table.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Levon Aronyan has almost no chances to win London Candidates 2013

ARMINFO
Saturday, March 30, 11:37

After his loss to Vladimir Kramnik from Russia on Friday Armenian
chess player Levon Aronyan has almost no chances to win London
Candidates 2013.

Aronyan is now the third with 6.5 points after Kramnik and Magnus
Carlsen from Norway, who have 8 and 7.5 points, respectively.

The winner of the tournament will win the right to contend with
reigning World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand (India).

Naira Zohrabyan: Prosperous Armenia and Republican parties do not
negotiate over elections to Elders’ Council of Yerevan

ARMINFO
Saturday, March 30, 16:44

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) have held no talks over elections to the Elders’ Council of
Yerevan, Naira Zohrabyan, Secretary of the PAP Faction, told ArmInfo.

“PAP does not hold talks behind the back of the public and does not
engage in distribution of mandates. The party will fight for fair
elections and for the voice of the citizens that remain unheard, and
not for a place to feed at the through of a European official,” she
said. Zohrabyan refused to comment on the termination of Raffi
Hovannisian’s hunger strike as she think it Hovannisyan’s personal
affair.

“Such issues must be considered from the humane point of view and
should not be commented alongside with political processes.
Itishispersonalaffair. If he thought it necessary to start hunger
strike and stop it, that was the way, probably,” she said. To recall,
Hovannisian announced hunger strike on March 10 demanding resignation
of the president. Later on March 29, he declared about his intention
to stop hunger strike and start meetings with his supporters in the
regions of Armenia.

“Before April 9, the day of the president’s swearing-in ceremony, we
will gather our army and achieve victory,” he said.

Aram Hakobian appointed deputy director of NSS

Saturday,
March 30

President Serzh Sargsyan signed today a decree about the appointment
of Aram Hakobian as Deputy Director of the National Security Service
adjunct to the Armenian government, the presidential press service
reported.

TODAY, 15:25
Aysor.am

The Price of EU-Armenia Integration

Lragir.am has already commented on the possibilities of imposing
conditions on Armenia in regard to integration with the EU. One can
add that similar or parallel conditions may be imposed in case of
expansion of partnership with NATO.

It should be noted immediately that these conditions are not related
to thoroughly and substantially elaborated documents but the practice
of the EU and NATO member states relating to Turkish and Azerbaijani
policy and interests. In other words, the EU and NATO positions and
interests divide over the regional policy of the Euro-Atlantic
community.

As to the `friends’ of Turkey and Azerbaijan, one needs to understand
that they have abandoned the interests of these two countries for many
times and successfully whenever they ran into the threat of disgrace
of the policy relating to oil and gas production in Azerbaijan.

One can remember the events of 2005 when someone from the `European
club’ came up with an initiative of pressure on Armenia. These efforts
were successfully neutralized thanks to the interests of the
non-governmental sector which reminded a specific country about oil
interests in the South Caucasus.

Now history is apparently repeating, and the goals are the same. The
friends of Azerbaijan and Turkey could like to lead the conditions put
forth to Armenia to their logical end, or rather to show their
possible business partners that all the tasks have been performed, all
the efforts have been made to protect their interests.

As before, these efforts will fail, which does not contradict the real
interests of the `friends’ of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Igor Muradyan
13:17 30/03/2013
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