Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN AMERICANS HOST RECEPTION AT DNCELECTION

October 22, 2012 2:54 pm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Armenian Americans held a reception this past
September for delegates and guests at the Democratic National
Convention (DNC). The reception was held at the Marriott Center City,
steps away from the Staples Arena, where delegates from across the
nation gathered to nominate President Barack Obama and Vice President
Joseph Biden.

The reception was co-hosted by DNC Ethnic Outreach Director
Jeff Marootian from Washington, DC, and Anthony Barsamian from
Massachusetts. The event featured South Carolina Democratic chair
and political commentator, Richard Harpootlian.

The event preceded a rousing speech by former President Bill Clinton
and Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren. Warren and Sen.

Scott Brown are locked in hotly-contested race for US Senate in
Massachusetts. Warren met with Armenian Americans at the convention
and affirmed her support for aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno
Karabagh) and full affirmation of the Armenian Genocide by the Senate
and US Government.

To date, Brown has not signed on as a co- sponsor of Senate Resolution
399, affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Massachusetts have made inquiries
into why Brown has not supported the resolution and have yet to
receive his support on the pending legislation.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH FM RECEIVES PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE

tert.am
22.10.12

On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
(NKR) Karen Mirzoyan received Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk who arrived in the NKR to head
the monitoring on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of
Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan scheduled for October 23.

The sides discussed the situation on the Line of Contact, as well as
a number of important issues of mutual interest.

CAUCASUS EXPERT SKEPTICAL OVER GEORGIA’S NATO ACCESSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 22, 2012 – 17:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Following a parliamentary win of Georgian billionaire
Bidzina Ivanishvili’s bloc, NATO may continue using Tbilisi in pursuit
of own interests, a Caucasus expert said, expressing skepticism over
Georgia’s chances for NATO accession.

“When asked to predict a date for Georgia’s accession to the Alliance,
Russian ex-PM Chernomyrdin had said: ‘it will happen about the same
time Turkey joins the European Union,’ which means never. The bid
is a mere bait to make Georgia follow NATO-set direction,” Alexander
Krylov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

“However, Georgia will only benefit from multivectoral policy, with
domestic and foreign policy lines depending on the change of power in
the country. So far, Saakashvili has been relinquishing full control
to external powers rather than Georgian politicians,” Krylov concluded.

MOVING ARMENIA’S CENTRAL BANK TO DILIJAN WILL ENABLE CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENTS INTO CITY – PREMIER (PHOTOS)

October 21, 2012 | 19:00

YEREVAN. – Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan attended session of the board
of trustees for construction of the International School of Dilijan.

Sargsyan noted that the Government is implementing a variety of
projects toward developing the city. “Over the course of the next five
years, we could have a qualitatively new Dilijan which will be similar
to other centers with a great tourist attraction. The state had to make
one fundamental decision to develop Dilijan’s infrastructures and that
[decision] is the project of moving the Central Bank to Dilijan.

This will enable to make considerable financial investments into the
city and to form the necessary infrastructures,” the Premier said,
the Government Information and Public Relations Department informed.

The International School of Dilijan, on the other hand, will provide
education for 650 students ranging between the ages of 13 and 18. The
general construction is expected to be finished in September 2014.

During the construction’s second phase, which is planned to be
finished in 2016, a dormitory will be built for the school’s students
and a complex will be constructed for its faculty plus a theater,
an amphitheater, and school gardens will be built.

ROYAL KONZERTGEBAU ORCHESTRA OF AMSTERDAM TO PERFORM IN YEREVAN
Liana Yeghiazaryan

“Radiolur”
17:02 22.10.2012

The Royal Konzertgebau Orchestra of Amsterdam will perform at the Aram
Khachatryan Hall on November 9 within the framework of the Yerevan
perspectives 13th international music festival. The orchestra will
be led by legendary conductor Lorin Maazel.

The performance of the orchestra in Yerevan is a cultural shock for
Armenia, Founding President and Artistic Director of the Yerevan
Perspectives Festival, composer Stepan Rostomyan told reporters today.

Stepan Rostomyan is confident that the visits of world-known musicians
serve as an important tool for Armenia. An evidence of this was famous
pianist Evgeny Kissin’s condemnation of Turkey’s failure to recognize
the Armenian Genocide.

According to General Manager of the Festival Sona Hovhannisyan,
the idea to invite the Royal Orchestra to Armenia was a courageous one.

After serious negotiations the orchestra agreed to give a concert in
Armenia, turning down all other invitations, she said. She informed
that the orchestra will bring 4,400 tones of equipment, including
musical instruments worth $1 mln.

Next Year the Yerevan Perspectives will host the Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra. The Festival, which kicked off on September 10, will
continue through November 20. The Artistic Directors are Edward
Topchyan and Alexander Chaushyan. The Festival is held under the high
auspices of President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan.

HAS ALIYEV BEEN “ORDERED”?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:44:50 – 22/10/2012

After Ilham Aliyev accused bluntly the British Petroleum of not
extracting enough oil and causing harm to Azerbaijan and Aliyev’s
pockets, another civil-political fight started in the country.

On these days, a video featuring a member of the Azerbaijani
parliament selling her seat in parliament for 1 million dollars was
made public. The video caused reactions within the Azerbaijani youth
organizations and they decided to hold an unauthorized rally.

As a result, ten demonstrators demanding to disband the parliament of
Azerbaijan were detained and sentenced to 7 to 10 days in prison. Over
110 demonstrators have been detained.

It is noteworthy that everything started with Aliyev’s accusations
against British Petroleum after which the press reported that either
oil is ending in Azerbaijan or the Western centers decided to change
Aliyev. Anyway, Aliyev had to have a serious reason to issue such a
strict statement addressed to his investors.

Judging by the opposition movement, there is really a decision to
dismiss Aliyev’s regime. It is not ruled out that it is determined
by the admirable tenacity with which Aliyev refuses to open regional
routes of communication without the settlement of the Karabakh issue.

Even the statement by Russia, France and the U.S. didn’t “convince”
Aliyev to allow opening of the airport of Stepanakert.

Aliyev has become an obstacle on the way of world centers which
benefit from the opening of the South Caucasian communications.

Everyone is interested, including Turkey, Russia which proposed
restoring the Abkhazian railway and the Western countries which do not
hide their wish to involve Armenia in regional infrastructures. Only
Aliyev disagrees and when he is against everyone, British Petroleum
starts digging less oil, thus paying less tax, at the same time
financing human rights activists and the opposition. Now we just need
to wait to see when Turkey will refuse Aliyev’s services. Just like
it was the first to call to eliminate Kaddafi, Assad and other old
friends of it.

“ARMAVIA” PAID BACK “ZVARTNOTS” DEPT REACHING PERMITTED DEBT LEVEL STIPULATED BY THE AGREEMENT

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS: “Armavia” air carrier redeemed the
dept of “Zvartnots” airport reaching the threshold of dept stipulated
by the agreement, 2 million 360 thousand dollar. As “Armavia”
air carrier company news service informed Armenpress, currently
“Zvartnots ” airport continues to regularly service “Armavia” air
carrier’s flights.” The company continues to make money transfers to
pay back the accumulated dept, Friday transfer marked million level.

Gevorg Abrahamyan” Zvartnots” airport press secretary confirmed
“Armavia” company’s October 22 flights were normally served, yet
calculations are underway due to the dept, the clear answers will be
available on October 23.

” Armavia” and “Armenia international airports” have signed agreement
on March 15, 2011, in accordance to which the airport agreed to
meet “Armavia” requirement, particularly reviewing the service
tariffs. “Armavia” in its turn committed to stand the accumulated
debts by September accordingly to the schedule timetable . Armavia
accumulated 5, 3 million dollar within 6 months.

“Zvartnots ” again refused to serve “Armavia” flights as the permitted
level of dept exceeded 1 million dollar in October 17, 2012.

FRENCH ENVOY: HIGH TIME KARABAKH CONFLICT SIDES FORGOT HATRED OF PAST

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 22, 2012 – 14:12 AMT

French envoy: high time Karabakh conflict sides forgot hatred of past

PanARMENIAN.Net – Since 1994, France has showed persistent, firm and
resolute commitment to advancing the Azerbaijani-Armenian talks on
Nagorno Karabakh process, France ambassador to Baku said.

“France has repeatedly said that Karabakh conflict has no military
solution: the parties must commit themselves to peaceful resolution
of the problem, based on principles of the UN Charter and Helsinki
Final Act,” Pascal Meunier said.

As the envoy further noted, the conflict sparks serious concerns.

“Today my message to the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia is as
follows: think about your children and grandchildren, and let them
not feel the pain that you went through. Throughout the history,
also in the near past, Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived together in
peace and contributed to each other’s prosperity. It is high time
they forgot the conflict of opinion and hatred of the past. France’s
co-chairmanship in Minsk Group is making active contribution to
the development of innovative ideas to later present them to the
parties of conflict, including development of humanitarian contacts,
formation of mechanism for investigating the ceasefire violation cases
and preservation of historical and cultural monuments among them. Since
President Hollande assumed power, France has arranged three meetings
at the ministerial level, with the two of them held in Paris. The
fourth one is in the course of preparation. We, together with other
co-chairs of Minsk Group, aim to help revive the dialogue between
Azerbaijan and Armenia,” News.Az quoted the French envoy as saying.

REP. SCHIFF: ARTSAKH CAN’T BE ALLOWED TO FALL INTO ALIYEV’S HANDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 18, 2012 – 11:00 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, a long-time
supporter of self-determination for the people of Nagorno Karabakh
said he believes that “unless the United States and its Minsk Group
partners take concerted efforts to resolve the status of Nagorno
Karabakh in a way that reflects the will of the people of Artsakh, the
prospect for renewed fighting and horrific casualties will grow.”

“It is in everybody’s interest to see this matter settled and it
should be a diplomatic priority for 2013,” Rep. Schiff said in a
statement published by Asbarez.

“Years of fighting and economic isolation have left Nagorno Karabakh
seriously underdeveloped. With the assistance of the Armenian-American
community, I have been pressing for USAID to devote more assistance to
Artsakh. While I have succeeded in getting the amount for next year
more than doubled (to $5 million) in the State Department funding bill
pending in the House of Representatives, the need is much greater and
more aid will be necessary,” he said.

“Building a strong, independent Artsakh is only half of the equation,
however. Azerbaijan must also be reminded that the price for its
actions is high. Azerbaijan treasures the security assistance that it
receives from Washington, not because it needs the money (it does
not), but because it signifies a certain closeness in the bilateral
relationship. By cutting off military aid to Azerbaijan, the United
States would signal its disgust with the Safarov affair, while also
reminding Aliyev that the United States will not tolerate any acts of
aggression against Armenia or Artsakh.”

“The people of Artsakh – overwhelmingly Armenian and overwhelmingly
Christian – cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of Aliyev. By
celebrating a murderer, he and his country have shown the world their
true nature and made a compelling case for hastening full recognition
of independent Artsakh,” Rep. Schiff concluded.

PLANETARIUM TO BE BUILT IN ARTSAKH

Panorama.am
22/10/2012

Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received professor of the
Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands and European Northern
Observatory, Gagik Israelyan, and famous London-based architect Michel
Mossessian on Sunday.

Issues related to building a planetarium in Artsakh were discussed
at the meeting.

President Sahakyan considered important the existence of such an
object in the republic noting that it would substantially contribute
to the development of education and science in the country.

Bako Sahakyan also noted the significance of using the experience of
developed countries and the potential of the Diaspora considering
it among the most efficient bases for proper realization of the
planned programs.

NKR Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Aghabekyan and other officials
attended the meeting, Central Information Department at Artsakh
President’s Office reported.