Author: Badalian Vardan

ARTSAKH DEFENSE MINISTRY DEBUNKS AZERI “SEIZED TERRITORY” MYTH

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 7, 2012 – 17:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijan’s recent propaganda suggesting Azeri
forces seized strategically important territory in the direction of
Mrov mountain on July 27, with Armenian soldiers yielding themselves
prisoners is just a myth, Artsakh Defense Ministry’s statement reads.

“Moreover, the disinformation proves both the author’s and Azeri
Defense Ministry secret sources’ inability to present geographical
layout,” NKR statement further reads.

“It’s ridiculous that the author of the article, citing an officer
allegedly involved in the above-mentioned “military operations” says
that Agdara (Martakert) and Kelbajar (Karvachar) are clearly visible
from the “seized” territory. Though it is an ungrateful act to comment
on such unserious information, Artsakh Defense Ministry’s information
and propaganda department noted that, “firstly, Azeri side occupied
the territory in the rear, rather than in the forefront. Secondly,
Azerbaijan was the only side to suffer a loss for the period of July
29-31. Thirdly, Martakert and Karvachar are invisible from the “seized”
territory; it has no tactical significance, except for being product
of Azeri propaganda.

As a result, Azerbaijan once again appeared in pathetic state. Azeri
propaganda must focus on true developments to overcome the current
situation, not on hollow fantasies. Otherwise, Azeri soldiers will look
down at their commander-in-chief’s Baku residence from the “seized”
highland territory,” Artsakh Defense Ministry’s statement reads.

PHOTOS OF TWO ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTERS OMITTED ON THE WALL OF PORTRAITS

tert.am
07.08.12

Portraits of previous finance ministers are hanging in the ministry
while today Tert.am’s photo camera has fixed the “flaws”. The photo
of incumbent minister Vache Gabrielyan is followed by Edward Sandoyan,
who was holding this post in 1998-1999.

The web site of the Armenia’s government, in its turn, shows quite
other picture. According to gov.am, minister Vache Gabrielyan was
appointed in the office since 2008, while he has been appointed
from 2010.

In 2008 the finance minister was Tigran Davtyan who was dismissed from
the office and appointed economy minister, after which the incumbent
minister has been appointed.

The government’s web site informs that in 2000-2008 the office was
held by Vardan Khachatryan while the ministry’s wall lacks portraits
of Vardan Khachatryan and Tigran Davtyan.

YEREVAN MAYOR MEETS WITH SCOUTS

news.am
August 06, 2012 | 17:48

YEREVAN. – Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan met with the Secretary
General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) Luc
Panissod. Panissod is in Armenia to participate in the events on the
occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Scout foundation.

Members of the world and regional scout delegations also participated
in the meeting.

Margaryan stressed that the city hall has always supported the
institution for years and is ready to continue cooperation and support
it in realization of new programs, city hall informs.

The WOSM Secretary General in his turn passed regards by 39 million
scouts and gratitude for the support of holding the 100th anniversary
events of the Armenian scout movement.

DR. ARDA EKMEKJI TRAVELS TO WEST COAST FOR US LAUNCH OF TOWARDS GOLGOTHA

August 6, 2012 9:24 am

GLENDALE, Calif. – Glendale’s Central Library buzzed with excitement
on the evening of July 25, as the crowd poured into its second
floor auditorium to hear Dr. Arda Arsenian Ekmekji, dean of Arts and
Sciences at Haigazian University. She had traveled more than 7,000
miles to launch the US release of Towards Golgotha, the memoirs of
her grandfather, Hagop Arsenian, a pharmacist and survivor of the
Armenian Genocide.

Elizabeth Grigorian, director of Armenian Outreach at the library,
invited Ardashes Kassakhian, Glendale’s city clerk, to the podium
to introduce Ekmekji. Kassakhian is the great- grandson of Arsenian
and a nephew of Ekmekji who had painstakingly translated the memoirs
from Armenian to English. She revealed that she wasn’t aware her
grandfather’s handwritten memoirs even existed until her uncle,
visiting from Ottowa in 1996, carried them with him to the Middle
East. Arsenian documented his early life in the sub-

urbs of Constantinople and the eventual depor- tation of his family to
Aleppo, Syria, then described his life in Palestine from 1919 until
1940. Ekmekji, during her research at the com- prehensive Derian
Armenological Library of Haigazian University, read numerous accounts
of other survivors and, in comparing their identical descriptions,
discovered that the authors had been detained in the same encampments,
but nevermet.

The audience hushed when an audiotape was played of her father, Noubar,
reading a portion of her grandfather’s writings in Armenian in which he
chronicled the atrocities he had witnessed using the terms “massacres”
and “slaughter house.” (The word genocide was coined later by Raphael
Lemkin in the 1940s and thus was not used by Arsenian.)

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL HONORING VAHE AVETYAN TO BE HELD NEAR HARSNAKAR

news.am
August 06, 2012 | 17:12

YEREVAN. – Candlelight vigil commemorating Vahe Avetyan’s 40th day
of burial will be held near the Harsnakar restaurant in Yerevan on
Tuesday. The event will be followed by a protest action in Yerevan’s
Avan district.

The statement released by the Vahe Avetyan initiative group says:

“We call on everyone to respect Vahe Avetyan’s memory and to demand
that all the accused should be called for responsibility, as well as
to join the widespread movement of rejection and intolerance towards
the violence by the criminal-oligarchic system.”

ARMENIAN LOBBYING AMONG THREE MOST INFLUENTIAL – EURASIA REVIEW

tert.am
06.08.12

Lobbying is generally defined as the process of seeking to influence
a government and its institutions to execute policies that serve
interests of a group of individuals, says an article entitled ‘The
Infuence Of Ethnic Lobbying On US Foreign Policy’ by Rafiga Gurbanzade,
posted on Eurasia Review.

In the United States, the roots of ethnicity-based competition for
political influence date back to the early 20th century “Currently,
ethnic interest groups spend millions of dollars annually to influence
U.S. foreign policy and to ‘block the influence of rival ethnic
lobbies'” the author writes.

As stated in the Encyclopedia of Associations, in 2010 there were
24,000 registered organizations in the U.S., constituting a 64 per
cent growth of lobbyist groups since 1980. According to the Foreign
Affairs magazine among the strongest lobbies in the U.S. are those
advocating the interests of Armenia, China, Greece, India, Ireland,
Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine.

Among the various Jewish-American lobbying groups, the most known
one is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC’s
major achievement is the securing of a substantial U.S. economic and
military assistance to Israel. For the past decade, Israel has been
the largest per capita U.S. aid recipient (Ripley & Lindsay, 93-94).

As stated in the Congressional Research Service, U.S. Foreign Aid
to Israel, starting from 2007, the U.S. expanded the military aid by
$150 million each year.

The two other powerful ethnic lobbies in the U.S. are those of Greek-
and Armenian-Americans. Both groups seek to influence U.S. foreign
policy in support of Greece and Armenia, respectively, and are united
by their antagonistic agenda against the rival Turkey.

Armenian-American lobby in the U.S. builds upon a sizeable community
that numbers over half a million in California alone. The largest
grassroots organization, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA),
is a U. S. affiliate of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF),
a left-wing nationalist party that dominated Armenian politics since
1890 (CREW). The other Armenian-American lobbying group is the Armenian
Assembly of America (AAA). Like the Jewish-American special interest,
ANCA and AAA secured U.S. economic assistance to Armenia, making it the
second largest per capita recipient of U.S. aid after Israel. The total
amount of U.S. assistance to Armenia since 1992 topped $2 billion.

One of the factors by which the Armenian-American lobby’s agenda
contradicts U.S. strategic interests is that, while Turkey is a NATO
member and Azerbaijan is a more attractive economic and strategic
partner, Armenia hosts the only remaining Russian military base in
the South Caucasus and maintains close cooperation with Iran.

The strength of the Armenian and Greek interest groups is the result
of the weakness of the Turkish and Azerbaijani lobbies in the past.

LONDON 2012: YURI PATRIKEYEV DEFEATED HASAN BAROEV

ARMENPRESS
6 August, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Yuri
Petrikeyev (120 kg) defeated Russian athlete, Olympic champion Hasan
Baroev in the 1/16 final of London Olympic Games. This was the first
match of Armenian athlete in London. He is in 1/8 final now. According
to international exxperts Patrikeyev is considered to be a candidate
for Olympic medal. He had once defeated Baroev and defeating him once
more has good chances to fight for medlas.

Yuri Patrikeyev (born September 28, 1979) is an Armenian wrestler of
Russian origin, who won the bronze medal in the men’s Greco Roman in
Olympic Games in Beijing. He has also become champion of Europe in
2008 and 2009.

Yesterday Armenia had tweo medlas. Weightlifter Hripsime Khurshidyan
won bronze medal and wrestler Arsen Julfalakyan won silver medal.

SAMVEL BALASANYAN TO RUN FOR GYUMRI MAYOR

news.am
August 06, 2012 | 15:58

GYUMRI.- Prosperous Armenia Party has nominated Samvel Balasanyan
for the post of mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city.

Talking to the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter, head of 34 election
district’s commission Edward Baghramyan said the submission deadline
expires on August 10.

Rumor has it incumbent Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, who is not supported
by the Republican Party of Armenia, will also run for the post.

The mayoral election is scheduled for September 9.

Earlier ARF Dashnaktsutyun said it would nominate Hovsep Simonyan
for the pot of Mayor of Gyumri.

PRESS RELEASE
Assembly
August 3, 2012
Contact: Press Department
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

ASSEMBLY INTERNS MEET WITH DEAN OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION AND
RANKING MEMBER OF THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, CONGRESSMAN
ED MARKEY

Washington, DC – Last week, as part of the Terjenian-Thomas Internship
Program, the 2012 Armenian Assembly summer intern class met with
Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), reported the Armenian Assembly of
America (Assembly).

Congressman Markey, an active member of the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues, is also the dean of the Massachusetts delegation and
serves as the Ranking Member on the House Natural Resources Committee.
The Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over H.R. 2362, the
Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act of 2011.

In his role as Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee,
Congressman Markey played a leadership role in opposing H.R. 2362. In
his “Dear Colleague” letter to all Members of the House, Congressman
Markey stated that H.R. 2362 “affords undeserving preferential status
to the Republic of Turkey to engage in economic development on tribal
lands…the bottom line is that H.R. 2362 would reward a country whose
history of human rights and religious freedom violations have earned
it a place on the United States Commission on International Religious
Freedom’s ‘watch list’ for three consecutive years.”

In addition to the joint opposition of the Armenian and Hellenic
Caucuses, Markey’s efforts were reinforced by House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who voted against the measure. The Bill, as
reported last week, failed to receive the support required for
passage.

During the meeting, in addition to Armenian issues, other subjects
including, online privacy and related internet issues were also
discussed. For example, Congressman Markey has introduced legislation,
the “Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011” to afford greater protection of
minors and limit the amount of information tracked online by
companies.

“On behalf of the Armenian Assembly, I would like to extend my
gratitude to Congressman Ed Markey for his leadership in defeating
H.R. 2362,” said Lori Ayanian of Massachusetts, an economics and
psychology double major at Colby College interning at Congressman
Markey’s office.

The Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program was made possible by
the Memorial Fund established through the generosity of Aram
Terjenian, Annie Thomas and Florence Terjenian of Belmont,
Massachusetts. Additional support comes from the Richard Tufenkian
Memorial Fund, the John Hanessian Scholarship Fund, the Armen
Astarjian Scholarship Fund, the Ohanian Memorial Fund, James and
Connie Melikian and the Knights of Vartan.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public
understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a
501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR: # 2012-035
URL: – 6

ODZUN SAINT MARIAM ASTVATSATSIN CHURCH BEING RESTORED

ARMENPRESS
6 August, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, ARMENPRESS: The restoration of Saint Mariam
Astvatsatsin Church located in Lori province’s Odzun village dating VI
is being restored. The project is being carried out by private sources,
in accordance with the memorandum that was signed between the Armenian
Apostolic Church, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia
and ‘~RHovhannes Imastaser Catholicos Odznetsi’~R Benevolent Fund .The
restoration is being conducted by ‘~RLevGuk’~R specialized company,
which was announced winner of the competition in May.

The Fund told Armenpress, currently preparatory works are in the
process. Felsitic type tuf is set to be used during recovery works
of columns , the slopes and hood in their turn will be covered by
red andesitic basalt .

‘~RBefore the end of the year we plan to restore two arched obelisk –
monument and start the works of dome’~R ‘~RLevGuk’~R CJSC Executive
Director Levik Ghukasyan stated. In the words of the interlocutor in
accordance with the agreement the works are scheduled to end within
18 working months, six months per year, when surrounding temperature
exceeds 8 degrees.

Ghukasyan underscored Odzun Church restoration will be strictly
followed by the project, which was favored by Ministry of Culture’s
Methodological Council and Armenian Apostolic Church, then approved
by Monuments Protection Agency Ministry of Culture.