Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

KIM KARDASHIAN WANTS TO BECOME GLENDALE MAYOR?

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 17, 2012 – 23:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Kim Kardashian, 31-year-old reality television star,
may be interested in becoming a mayor in California, The Christian
Post reports.

During an outtake from 27-year-old sister Khloe Kardashian’s “Khloe &
Lamar” reality show, the older Kardashian spoke about becoming the
mayor of Glendale, Calif. in the next five years. The sisters were
making their way to former presidential candidate Ross Perot’s museum
when they began speaking about Kardashian’s own political future.

The Armenian-American showed an interest in becoming the mayor of
Glendale, a city with a large Armenian population.

“I decided I’m going to run for the mayor of Glendale,” Kardashian
told her younger sister.

The reality television star spoke about moving to the area in order
to meet the requirements needed to run for the political office in
the next five years.

“You have to have a full residency in Glendale,” Kim told Khloe. “For
real, Noel is going to head my campaign but it’s going to be in
like five years. So I have to buy a house there, you have to have
residency there.”

Kardashian told her sister about her plans to create a campaign to
achieve her political goals with the help of her business associate
and friend, Noelle Keshishian.

“So Noel and I are looking into all the requirements and she’s going
to help me with my campaign,” Kardashian said. “It’s Armenian town.”

The reality television star seemed to want to speed up the process,
saying “I need a way to cut five years.”

From: Baghdasarian

SUREN ZOLYAN WILL NOT OBEY ASHOTYAN’S ILLEGAL DECREE

18:56 . 17/04

The rector of the Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Bryusov
Suren Zolyan is not going to obey RA Minister of Education and Science
Armen Ashotyan’s decree.

According to S. Zolyan, the decree on dismissing him from his post is
illegal, as it is the government and not the minister that signs a
contract with rectors, therefore the latter’s decree is illegal. In
this respect, Zolyan advises Ashotyan to read attentively Article
5 and Article 83.5 of the Constitution, as well as the clauses of
Article 15 (Part 4) of the RA Law on Higher Education and Graduate
Education and the 37th clause of RA Government’s Decision N 1929_N
(31.10.2002), according to which the rector of the Yerevan State
Linguistic University is elected by the university and approved by
the Government by adoption of a corresponding decree.

“I am obliged not to obey decrees which contradict the law,” Zolyan
said and added he is leaving abroad tomorrow on a working visit.

From: Baghdasarian

RENOVATION OF ROADS PRIOR TO ELECTIONS IS A BRIBE – DEMOCRATIC PARTY

NEWS.AM
April 17, 2012 | 17:52

YEREVAN. – The parties should be ashamed of giving bribes, the head of
Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sargsyan said at a press conference
on Tuesday.

Sargsyan considers that renovation of roads ahead of elections is
also a kind of corruption. He believes that properties, including
natural resources should be returned to the state. In addition,
reforms are useless as system changes are necessary.

The Democratic Party of Armenia is a left-wing party established in
1991. Chairman of the party is Aram Sargsyan.

The proportional list includes 45 names. The party’s motto is “If
Justice then Democrats.”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN CALLS ON SOCIETY TO BE TOLERANT AND FAITHFUL TO CHRISTIAN VALUES

arminfo
Tuesday, April 17, 17:06

Armenia’s ombudsman Karen Andreasyan has disseminated a statement in
which he condemned attacking the Vanadzor office of Helsinki Civil
Assembly by citizens which were protesting against demonstration of
Azerbaijani films.

He said that violence regarding human rights defenders and journalists
is a hallmark for the community of any country. “I am resolutely
against holding of the Azerbaijani films festival in Armenia especially
at the time when Azerbaijani snipers murder our brothers at the line
of contact, when the anti-Armenian propaganda is being held at the
state level in Azerbaijan, and the president of this country surprised
the world community with his wild statements from time to time. But
on the other hand, we consider ourselves Europeans, and our efforts
are directed to coming closer to Europe. Our national and Christian
values call us to be tolerant and humane. And a true Christian,
humanist Armenian and European cannot express his disagreement with a
help of stones. For their part, the law-enforcement agencies acting
on the basis of the Constitutional values cannot be indifferent to
such wild actions and should take the relevant measures for detecting
and punishment of the guilty persons”, – the statement says.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA PROVES ITS PARTICIPATION ON FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN BAKU

arminfo
Tuesday, April 17, 17:05

Today, Armenian delegation is expected to participate in the Food and
Agriculture Organization’s 28th Regional Conference on Europe in Baku,
said Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilham Guliyev.

As APA reported, he also said that Armenia was officially invited
to the event due to its membership in FAO: “They affirmed officially
their visit to Baku”.

Guliyev also approached to providence of security of Armenian
delegation: “Azerbaijani relevant organizations control the issue
and are ready to provide security of the Armenian delegation”.

To note, on April 17-20, UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s 28th
regional conference on Europe and 37th meeting of European Commission
for Agriculture will be held in Baku.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN-IRANIAN JOINT VENTURE WILL MANUFACTURE DEEP LIQUID-DRAINAGE PUMPS

news.am
April 17, 2012 | 15:51

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Armelectromash Company President Seyran Matevosyan
and Iran’s Khorasan Agricultural Industry Company Executive Director
Hadi Abdollahian signed, in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Tuesday,
the agreement on founding an Armenian-Iranian joint enterprise.

According to the agreement, deep liquid-drainage pumps will be
manufactured at the Armelectromash Company, the Armenian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry informs.

And the Chamber’s President Martin Sargsyan assured that, aside from
creating numerous new jobs, Armenia will have a new domestic product,
which will venture into the foreign market and also will carry out
local orders in Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS IN HOLLAND DEMAND TO RAISE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE

10:57 . 17/04

The Armenian community in Holland has sent a letter to the prime
minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the occasion of the
official visit of the Turkish president to Holland on the threshold
of April 24.

The Armenians in Holland have demanded that the issue of the Armenian
genocide be raised during all the meetings on the occasion of the
400th jubilee of the economic ties between Holland and Turkey and
that the prime minister personally demand the Turkish president to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The Dutch government has decided to celebrate the 400th jubilee of
the establishment of economic ties with Turkey with an official visit
of the Turkish president, which will take place on April 17-19.

This year, too, commemoration events are planned in Holland in April
devoted to the memory of the 1915 Armenian Genocide victims.

From: Baghdasarian

AMBASSADOR: EASTERN PARTNERSHIP NEEDS ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT’S ASSISTANCE

arminfo
Monday, April 16, 20:36

EU Eastern Partnership Project needs dialogue with and assistance
of the Armenian Government. Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia,
Ambassador Traian Hristea said at a conference “European Integration
of Armenia: from European Neighborhood Policy to Association Agreement”
in Yerevan on April 15.

In particular, he assured those present that the EU strives to deepen
relations with Armenia and boost reforms in various fields. The
Ambassador said that the prior task of the Eastern Partnership is
to spread democracy in all sectors. Hristea highly appreciated the
relations of Armenia and the EU and promised to exert more efforts
to enhance the cooperation and dialogue between the EU and Armenia.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, in turn,
said that EPP gives an opportunity to Armenia to come closer to the EU.

For her part, Larisa Minasyan, “Partnership for Open Society”
Initiative member, Executive Director of the Open Society Foundations
– Armenia, said cooperation with the EU make the citizens of Armenia
feel themselves more protected. “It is a unique program for Armenia.

The prior tasks of the Eastern Partnership Project open new
perspectives for European integration of Armenia, which is very
important for our country,” she said.

The EU Eastern Partnership Project envisages considerable raising
of the level of political cooperation, wide integration of former
Soviet republics Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Belarus and
Ukraine into EU economy, increasing volumes of financial support to
them and strengthening energy security. Although official membership
of Belarus has been frozen over democracy and human rights problems
in that country, the Byelorussian youth representatives participate
in the conference in Yerevan.

From: Baghdasarian

KARINE DANIELYAN: ARMENIA’S NATIONAL REPORT FOR “RIO+20” IS INCOMPLETE

arminfo
Monday, April 16, 20:40

Armenia’s new national report for “Rio+20” has caused the indignation
of environmentalists and representatives of NGOs.

“The public is right to strongly criticize it. In fact, the report
was incomplete, I think. The problems are presented weakly and there
is no self-criticism at all”, Chairperson of “For Sustainable Human
Development” NGO Karine Danielyan said to ArmInfo.

The report mostly reflects the viewpoint of the governmental
structures. As a result, most environmental problems were not included
in the document. In particular, the matter concerns the problems of
the forest sector, ore mining industry, disappearance of endemic fish
from Lake Sevan.

The experts are also concerned over the high-rise development of
Yerevan, which strongly worsened the environmental situation in the
capital of Armenia and increased the seismic risks. The development of
ore- mining industry, which neglects the environmental priorities,
is also a topical problem. “What is going on in this sphere is
destructive for the country and has absolutely nothing to do with
tourism or agriculture”, she said.

Danielyan said that it is envisaged to include the environmental issues
in the new version of the National Report. The problem of development
of Teghout deposit will also be taken into account. In particular,
the document will mention that the Aarhus Convention provisions were
violated during the implementation of the project.

“After the April 6 public hearings, a decision was taken to introduce
some amendments in the Report. I hope, the first version will be
ready on April 17 and will be presented to the public organizations”,
she said.

The new version of the Report will be discussed in the Government on
April 25, during the session of the National Council for Sustainable
Development.

To note, at the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands
of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other
groups, will come together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance
social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more
crowded planet to get to the future we want.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) is
being organized in pursuance of General Assembly Resolution 64/236
(A/RES/64/236), and will take place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 to
mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th
anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
in Johannesburg. The Conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green
economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication;
and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.

From: Baghdasarian

NOT YOUR TYPICAL HISTORY MOVIE: FILMS TAKE ARTISTIC, CULTURAL APPROACH TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: According to Richard Hovannisian,
professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History, when addressing events
of cultural significance such as the Armenian genocide, artists are
now adopting a more creative approach toward the tragedy as opposed
to merely stating facts, reports Armenpress citing The Daily Bruin.

The Hammer Museum’s forthcoming programs attempt to do just that
through a series of events that, according to Hovannisian, will take
a more artistic and cultural rather than historic approach to the
Armenian genocide.

The series will begin tonight with a screening of Academy Award nominee
Atom Egoyan’s film “Ararat,” followed by a screening of the documentary
“Screamers” on Tuesday, which profiles the efforts of Grammy-winning
band System of a Down to promote wider recognition of the difficulties
facing those affected by the Armenian genocide.

Egoyan, the director of “Ararat,” said he tried to avoid simply
providing a reenactment of historic events.

“A historic adaptation … didn’t seem to deal with what I, as an
Armenian, was wrestling with, which … is how its effect ripples
through our lives today and how we experience the transmission of
trauma from one generation to the next,” Egoyan said.

“Ararat,” which analyzes the relationship of four generations of
characters not only with each other but also with their cultural
history, does so through its unusual story line: it is a film about
the making of a film about the Armenian genocide.

Egoyan explained the significance of the film-within-a-film approach,
saying that it was particularly important for him to reconstruct
the historical aspects of the genocide in order to examine how the
recreation of such scenes of horror and inhumanity can perpetuate
anger and hatred. He emphasized, however, that such scenes are not
the focus of the film.

“History is not passed through generations in those epic scenes
of massacre, but in those intimate moments shared by individuals,”
Egoyan said.

“Attempts to amplify the event from the very personal turmoil that
its memory provokes somehow for me diminishes, or might not represent,
the essential aspect of its meaning.”

Director Carla Garapedian’s documentary “Screamers,” which explores
the perpetuation of genocide, features the awareness efforts of System
of a Down.

“We were asked to be in (“Screamers”) as a vehicle for talking about
genocide and highlighting the fight for recognition around the world,”
said Serj Tankian, lead singer of System of a Down.

According to Tankian, Garapedian filmed the band’s various concerts
and events, and edited this footage together with footage of protests
and interviews to create a film that would address all angles of the
meaning of the Armenian genocide and genocides that followed.

Egoyan and Tankian, who said they formed a friendship through their
collaboration, will participate in the Hammer Conversations series
together on April 22 to further discuss the issues involved.

“We need to tell the story using different tenses – using the past
tense, using the present tense (and) the future tense (to present)
a kaleidoscopic view of what the experience of these atrocities has
meant,” Egoyan said.

From: Baghdasarian