Author: Badalian Vardan

‘BE A HERO’ SCREENING RAISES AWARENESS OF NEED FOR STEM CELL DONORS

Armenian Weekly
September 27, 2012

More Armenians now are aware of the need for stem cell donors,
thanks to a successful screening event held in Newton, Mass. on
Sept. 2 during the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Olympics. About
two dozen individuals of Armenian descent were screened and had their
data registered in response.

Armenians are most likely to find a match with another Armenian.

That’s why it’s important for all Armenians who fit the donor profile
to be screened and to register their data.

The event focused on Debbi Margosian Chapman, who is battling Acute
Myeloid Leukemia, and is in desperate need of a donor for a stem cell
transplant to restore her bone marrow. However, she is not the only
Armenian in need.

“More than 200 Armenians are in need of a donor, and any one of the
persons screened could be a life-saving match,” said Lawrence V.

Najarian, MD, the president of AAHPO (), a New York area
Armenian group that supported the event.

Haig Hrakelian, who was screened at the Sept. 2 event, said he was
proud to undergo the simple cheek-swab test: “It’s important for
Armenians to help each other.”

“I’m delighted so many Armenians took the time to come over to our
table and get their names in the registry database. There’s a lot
of anxiety about what being a donor entails. We are always happy to
educate people so they can see how easy it is to join and if someone
is lucky enough to match, how easy and painless it is to be a donor,”
said event organizer Linda Levin-Scherz.

Dr. Armen H. Arslanian, the president of AAMA, an Armenian group based
in Boston, shared a personal story: “My cousin recovered from Acute
Myelogenous Leukemia at Tufts only after he received bone marrow,
and everyone deserves a chance like that! Imagine the extreme joy of
life again.”

Potential donors should be in good health and between ages 18 and 50.

Donating stem cells is similar to giving blood; a donor’s stem
cells are removed and the blood is returned to the donor. Within
a couple of weeks, donor stem cells are replenished. There is no
surgery, no anesthesia, and no cost to the donor. To learn more,
visit

Many in need cannot find a match from direct relatives. According to
the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (visit), only 25
percent of patients afflicted with leukemia or other life-threatening
blood disorders find donors within their families. The other 75 percent
depend on finding a perfectly matched unrelated donor, usually from
their own ethnic community.

In other words, Armenians are most likely to find a match with another
Armenian. That’s why it’s important for all Armenians who fit the
donor profile to be screened and to register their data.

“AAHPO is very excited to have collaborated with AAMA to raise regional
awareness. Now we need to educate Armenians throughout the U.S. and
abroad of this pressing medical need,” noted Najarian.

AAHPO has recently publicized two other cases, those of Irene
Katrandjian and young Charlotte Conybear of Philadelphia, who also
desperately need to find a match.

To learn more, view a TV program from AAHPO in which
hematologist-oncologist Dr. Terenig Terjanian is interviewed about
Bone Marrow Transplants, by visiting

Those with questions are invited to call the AAHPO hotline at
(201) 546-6166. You can obtain a free cheek swab kit by e-mailing
[email protected] or request a free kit from the National Bone
Marrow Donor Registry by visiting

“WE SHALL SEE WHO REALLY WANTS TO DISCLOSE MARCH 1”

06:58 pm | September 26, 2012 | Politics

We are dealing with a group of criminals. We demand relevant bodies to
find out the circumstances surrounding the death of the ten people
killed during the March 2008 post-election clashes, says Gagik
Jhangiryan, an MP of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK).

The opposition alliance plans to introduce a proposal on formation
of an interim parliamentary committee to investigate the March 1
deadly events. The bill will be introduced in the National Assembly
on Thursday, Sept. 27.

“Not a single political force, including the ruling majority, shows
interest in the disclosure of the deadly bloodshed,” he stressed.

Mr. Jhangiryan does not know any Republican MP who will support HAK’s
move. “This will be a kind of test to find out who really cares to
reveal the tragic events of March 1,” he said.

Eduard Sharmazanov, a senior representative of the ruling Republican
Party, considers HAK’s initiative manipulation on the threshold of
the presidential elections.

“If anyone, including Mr. Jhangiryan, has arguments, evidence or
witnesses, I recommend that they apply to relevant bodies,” said Mr.
Sharmazanov.

Then he reminded that a similar committee chaired by Samvel Nikoyan
once functioned at the National Assembly, which, he said, worked
transparently.

Aram Harutyunyan, a member of the aforesaid committee, says none of
the ten murderers was disclosed by the committee.

RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT DRAWN UP PROTOCOL ON INSTALLATION MILITARY BASE IN ARMENIA

APA
Sept 25 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Anakhanym Hidayatova – APA. Russian government has drawn up a
protocol on the installation Russian military base in Armenia.

The document was signed by the two states. APA reports that Russian
Foreign and Defense Ministers have already agreed this issue with the
Armenian side and signed a protocol without making any amendments. 30
points, where the military base will be installed, were featured in
the document. 10 points will be given into Armenia’s use after the
protocol takes effect.

AZERBAIJANI MINISTER: ARMENIA’S CONTINUED OCCUPATION POLICY MAY WORSEN SITUATION

Trend
Sept 26 2012
Azerbaijan

The continued occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia may
worsen the situation in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijani Defense
Minister Safar Abiyev said today.

At a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar,
Abiyev spoke about the military-political situation in the region
and the problems caused by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He has also
stressed the need to strengthen the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen to resolve the conflict, the Defense Ministry said.

The sides have exchanged the views on bilateral strategic relations,
including the achievements in military cooperation.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

YEREVAN HOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

Vestnik Kavkaza
Sept 26 2012
Russia

Yerevan is hosting the second international conference of Russian
language organized by the Department of Russian Language, Literature
and Foreign Languages of the YSUL and support of Rossotrudnichestvo,
News Armenia reports.

Gayana Markosyan, dean of the department, said that the conference
will focus on comparing studies of Russian and Armenian languages
and intercultural communication.

The conference will be attended by Russians, Belarusians, Kazakhs
and Georgians, Dean of the Department for Theoretic and Applied
Linguistics of the Institute of the Russian State University for
the Humanities, Professor Igor Sharonov, head of the Subdepartment
for Slav Languages of the Minsk State Linguistic University Olga
Poletayeva and a professor of the State Institute for the Russian
Language of A.S. Pushkin and RSUH Natalya Bragina.

The conference will have discussions of the Russian language in CIS
education, comparisons of language studies, language as an object
of interdisciplinary studies, intercultural communication, Russian
literature.

A plenary session will be dedicated to Professor Eduard Nuralov.

The first conference was held in 2008.

RUSSIAN MILITARY OBJECTS TO PASS TO ARMENIA WITHIN OPTIMIZATION PROCESS

news.am
September 27, 2012 | 00:08

YEREVAN. – The objects of the Russian military base in Gyumri city
in Armenia’s Shirak Region will pass to Armenia within the process
of optimization, Armenian Ministry of Defense informed Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

To note, the Russian Government approved a project on Tuesday on
Russian-Armenian protocols regarding passing the objects of Russian
military base on the Armenian territory to Armenia.

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov also talked about it when
he was in Yerevan last week. According to unofficial information,
strategic objects are not included in the list.

YOUTH IN ARTSAKH RALLY AGAINST THE AZERBAIJANI-HUNGARIAN DEAL
Lusine Avanesyan

“Radiolur”
26.09.2012
Stepanakert

A protest march was held in Nagorno Karabakh’s capital Stepanakert at
the initiative of the “Kamk” NGO. Members of youth organizations,
students and lecturers from different higher educational
establishments, schoolchildren and teachers gathered in front of St.
Hakob Church after midday.

The rally was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs.

It was dedicated to Gurgen Margarya’s memory. The youth decided
to mark his 34th birthday by protesting against the shameful
Azerbaijani-Hungarian deal, the release of murderer Safarov and the
reaction of the international community.

After the service at St. Hakob Church the participants of the
rally marched to the Stepanakert Memorial waving the flags
of the two Armenian states and holding slogans condemning the
Azerbaijani-Hungarian deal.

At the Memorial the young people burnt the Azerbaijani flag and a
symbolic axe with the picture of the Azerbaijani President on it.

Under the sounds of the anthems of Armenia and Artsakh the participants
of the march laid flowers at the memorial to the Sumgayit victims.

BARTER EUROPEAN CONSCIENCE FOR BAKU’S PETRODOLLARS

Wednesday, 26 September 2012 15:07

After Hungary’s extradition of killer Safarov to Azerbaijan and then
his pardon by President Aliyev, we had the right to expect an adequate
response by the international community to the crying action of the
Azerbaijani authorities. Aliyev did not only despise the basic norms
of human morality. Thus he actually threw a cynical challenge not
only to Armenia, but also to international law and to entire Europe,
with its democratic values, and therefore corresponding retaliatory
steps should be expected. It should be noted that many countries and
international organizations have already issued tough statements,
condemning the actions of the Azerbaijani leadership on releasing
the criminal and making him a hero.

To be frank, the killer’s extradition to Azerbaijan, implemented by an
EU member-state in exchange to Azerbaijan’s credits in 3 billion Euros,
violating the Convention on Extradition of Prisoners, cast a shadow
on the entire system of European justice. That’s why the European
Union had to express its attitude to Azerbaijan’s actions, at least,
for rescuing its own repute. In other words, in the conditions that
the notion of “justice” was strongly discredited by Hungary, the
blemished reputation of Europe had to be rescued. And the resolution
of the European Parliament served as peculiar rescue.

On September 13, the European Parliament adopted a resolution
officially called “Resolution on Azerbaijan: the Case of Ramil
Safarov,” condemning the resolution of the Azerbaijani President
on pardon, considering it as “a gesture, which is aimed at further
escalation of tension between the two countries and which intensifies
the sense of injustice, expanding the gap between the two countries”.

The document expresses concern about the fact that this act jeopardizes
all the processes of conciliation in the societies and can harm the
future peaceful contacts between the region’s citizens. The European
Parliament condemned also the heroic ceremonials towards Safarov in
Azerbaijan and expressed its concern about the recognition he was
honored in the Azerbaijani state, which, as noted in the document,
serves an example for the future generations.

It can be noted with small provisos that this resolution of the
European Parliament profitably differs from the previous documents of
the kind related to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. Surely, it is,
first of all, thanks to its “Azerbaijani” addressness and specific
wording. Earlier, as you know, the statements and comments by European
structures and European officials on the Karabakh issue were amorphous
and vague, equally putting the responsibility for the stagnation
in the conflict settlement process and for the tense situation at
the contact-line on the Armenian and Azerbaijani parties. Frankly
speaking, the authors of the current resolution could not either
resist the temptation to keep the notorious parity, noting in one
of the paragraphs of the document that “the discontent, available
in Azerbaijan and Armenia over the lack of any significant progress
in the peace process on Nagorno Karabakh does not justify either the
acts of revenge or the senseless provocations”. Especially that the
initiator of the “senseless provocations” is certainly known. However,
we should emphasize that this resolution gives more objective and
precise evaluation of the Azerbaijani authorities’ actions.

Surely, the European Parliament’s resolution should be welcomed, but
we think it should be continued in the form of resolute measures by
corresponding international structures. Azerbaijan’s actions should
result in corresponding consequences, and first of all, legal. Even
after the broad and angry resonance by the international community, the
behavior of the Azerbaijani leadership has not changed – no repentance,
as expected, was expressed. Moreover, at a recent meeting with the
OSCE Ambassadors, Aliyev unabashedly stated that his decision was
right. That’s why strict international sanctions are required towards
the current Baku regime in order that Azerbaijan cannot be firmly
convinced of the fact that in today’s world one can freely violate
international laws and buy everything, including the conscience of
the Europe states.

In the existing situation, it is simply unacceptable to limit only with
rhetoric and palliative measures, even if condemning. As already noted,
a defiant challenge is thrown to international law, and the response
to it must be adequate. One should speak about the possibility of
Azerbaijan’s further membership in international institutions as a
country, which does not respect international law and does not fulfill
its own commitments. The same resolution of the European Parliament
points to the fact of Azerbaijan’s failure to follow its promises given
in Hungary in connection with Safarov’s extradition. Long before the
Budapest case, official Baku had repeatedly violated its obligations
before the Council of Europe, as well as the agreements achieved in
the Karabakh settlement process under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk
Group and its Russian co-chair.

How can Azerbaijan be a non-permanent member of the UN Security
Council, if this state constantly threatens Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh and even wider – the regional security and stability? These
questions are not rhetorical at all, and the corresponding
international structures should not only give an objective assessment
of what has happened, but should also take corresponding measures to
make responsible the state, the ideology of which is based on racism
and xenophobia.

SERZH SARGSYAN EVALUATED VATICAN’S ROLE IN THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD

ARMENPRESS
26 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
hosted president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity Cardinal Kurt Koch. As Armenpress was informed from the
presidential press office the President greeted Cardinal’s visit
to Armenia considering it as the best evidence of strengthening and
developing the relations between Armenia and Holy See.

“Being the first country which first accepted Christianity, Armenia
highly evaluates its relations with Vatican. I remember with a great
gladness last year meeting with His Holiness in Holy See, when we
discussed the agenda of the development of Armenia-Vatican relations”
Serzh Sargsyan noted.

The President of the country also highlighted that Mother Cathedral of
Holy Etchmiadzin and Holy See had formed very good relations which is
natural because of the Christian values and ideology which connected
these two churches.

Cardinal Koch expressed his gladness about Armenia to save and develop
Christian traditions. He noted that Church’s mission was to promote
peace, to develop dialogue and cooperation among all peoples and
religions, which was the first precondition for the peace in the world.

The Head of the Republic considered Vatican’s role to be of crucial
importance not only for the maintenance of world peace, human rights
and tolerance, but also the consolidation of the Christian world.

MURDERS IN PRESENCE OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CANNOT REMAIN UNSOLVED – ARMENIAN OPPOSITION REP

tert.am
26.09.12

Gagik Jhangiryan, an MP of the Armenian National Congress (ANC)
opposition bloc, has presented his initiative to set up an ad hoc
committee to investigate the March 1, 2008, murders in Armenia’s
capital.

The committee is supposed to examine and expose the murders and
study the legality of actions by Armenia’s police and Prosecutor
General’s Office.

“Since we are not represented in Armenia’s government or Prosecutor
General’s Office, we should use the means at our disposal,” Jhangiryan
said.

According to him, each parliamentary group can have one representative
in the committee. Also, crossbenchers can be involved.

Jhangiryan is sure that at least some of the ten murders can be
exposed within days.

“The authorities did their utmost to conceal the murders. They are
trying to convince the public the crimes cannot be exposed. But I say
that murders committed in the presence of thousands of people cannot
remain unsolved,” Jhangiryan said.

“Well, they do not want the public to know about injuries to
civilians. But what about injured servicemen? This is a matter of
honor,” Jhangiryan said.

The ANC group has not yet negotiated with any other group. However,
since all the parliamentary groups are for the murders to be solved,
Jhangiryan believes the bill will be approved.

“The authorities are concerned with solving the murders. Let us put
the bill on the agenda and wait for response,” Jhangiryan said.