Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

JREIJ CALLS FOR SPREADING CULTURE OF DIALOGUE, OPENNESS

National News Agency Lebanon (NNA)
October 13, 2014 Monday

NNA – Minister of Information, Ramzi Jreij, on Monday called for
spreading the culture of dialogue, openness and citizenship at Lebanese
schools and universities.

Jreij, who patronized the launching of the festivities of the 60th
foundation anniversary of Haigazian University, in presence of Armenian
Ambassador Ashot Kotsharian, and a panel of political figures.

“Amid the current juncture in Lebanon, the 60th jubilee of Haigazian
University reminds us that the salvation of the country resides
especially in our schools and universities. These institutions build
the new Lebanon, through the spreading of the culture of dialogue
and openness as well as that of citizenship,” Jreij indicated.

From: Baghdasarian

PASADENA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL BOARD APPOINTS NEW CHAIR, ANNOUNCES WELLS FARGO GRANT

Tuesday, October 14th, 2014

New chair of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee,
former Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian

PASADENA–The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee last week
appointed former Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian as its interim
chief and announced a grant for the construction of the monument from
Well Fargo.

The PAGMC Board announced that after accepting the resignation from
former board chairman Bill Paparian, it unanimously voted Melekian,
who aside from being a former police chief of Pasadena was the
executive director of the White House COPS program.

“This project is bigger than any one person. It is a memorial to those
who perished, including those members of my family, those of my fellow
board members, and our relatives who survived. I and all of the members
of the Committee are honored to help in this effort. The Genocide
Memorial project remains on track, our fundraising is on schedule
and this project will be built, said Melekian upon being elected.

In addition, the board reviewed the terms and conditions of a draft
contract for construction. The prospect of shortly breaking ground and
the tremendous positive momentum engendered over the past week for
moving forward with the project has board members and the community
very excited.

The board, as is prudent under a new board Chair, also implemented a
thorough review of the board’s financial processes to ensure that all
appropriate financial protocols are being observed and are accurate.

Two board members will be conducting a complete reconciliation of
all transactions with the board’s CPA Firm and fiscal agent, the
venerable Community Foundation of the Verdugos. This review will be
completed within the next two weeks.

“Our ancestors deserve only the finest effort from their dependents
who survived,” concluded Chief Melekian.

Sgt. Afsharian (center), PAGMC Board Member Anthony Portantino,
Wells Fargo Foundation Director Jonathan Weedman, Montrose Brand
Manager Edgar Patatanyan and Regional Wells Fargo Presidents David
DiCristofaro and Sandy Walia

During its annual Community Connection Breakfast, the financial
giant Wells Fargo gave the Pasadena Genocide Memorial Committee a
$1,000 grant. PAGMC joined 62 other San Gabriel Valley non-profits
Thursday morning in being honored by the venerable bank known for
its philanthropy and one of the most well-known brand identities in
the world.

Accepting the contribution on behalf of the board was was Pasadena
Police Sergeant Greg Afsharian, who made history nearly three decades
ago when he became the first Armenian speaking Police Officer in the
Pasadena Police Department.

The PAGMC is shepherding the fundraising and construction of a
Genocide Memorial for placement in Pasadena’s Memorial Park. The
project, under the supervision of internationally-renowned architect
Stefanos Polyzoides, has been approved by the Pasadena City Council
and is in final negotiations on a construction contract in hopes of
having the memorial finished by April 24th, the 100th commemoration
of the Armenian Genocide.

The Wells Fargo Certificate presented to the PAGMC Board stated:
“Wells Fargo is proud to support nonprofits that work to strengthen
our communities. Through corporate and foundation grants, we share
our success by giving back to nonprofit organizations that address
vital community needs and issues, including community development,
education, human services and cultural/civic projects.”

The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee is a 501(c) (3)
organization focused on the fundraising, development and outreach
of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial. Designed by Art Center
College of Design graduate Catherine Menard, the Memorial will entail
a tripod of beams that meet together over a water basin. One and a
half million tear drops of water will fall into the basin each year,
representing each life lost to the Armenian Genocide.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA-KARABAKH CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT ISSUE WAS NOT SUBJECT OF TALKS – MFA

18:06, 14.10.2014

YEREVAN. – The matter of setting up a customs checkpoint between
Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; NKR) has not been a
subject of negotiations and there is no section about it in Armenia’s
Eurasian Economic Union accession treaty. Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan stated the aforementioned on the air of
a TV program.

“A very logical formulation, that the customs territory of countries
is their territory, is simply noted there [, in the abovementioned
treaty]. The Republic of Armenia naturally could not have accepted
a selective approach towards itself.

“And so we may close the matter related to Nagorno-Karabakh in
general, I will say that we [, Armenia,] have confirmed the approach
that Karabakh is not a part of the Republic of Armenia; we build
our relations with Karabakh as with a de facto established state,
[but] not de jure recognizing, and our relations are horizontal.

“We respect the right to self-determination of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia can recognize the NKR’s independence
anytime, and it does not recognize solely due to the [OSCE] Minsk
Group negotiation format, and [several] other matters.

“But this does not mean at all that we don’t build horizontal
relations. So, we just have reaffirmed what was our official position
over the course of the years,” Kocharyan specifically noted.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

KARINE DANIELYAN: TAILING DUMPS IN ARMENIA MEET NO STANDARDS

by Karina Manukyan

Tuesday, October 14, 17:00

The tailing dumps in Armenia meet no standards, Karine Danielyan,
Head of the Association for Sustainable Human Development NGO, says
in an interview with ArmInfo.

The expert points out that the tailing dumps are not properly isolated
from the environment, particularly, from the subsoil water.

“Consequently, we face contamination with heavy metals, degradation of
ecosystems and biodiversity. This also seriously affects human health.

No wonder people suffer from infertility and oncological diseases in
the settlements adjacent to the deposits”, she says.

Danielyan also says that the country mostly deals with opencast
development of deposits, which enhances the environmental risks.

“Opencast development is cheaper and more profitable for the mining
companies. In this case, the financial interests of international
organizations and some people from Armenia prevail over the nationwide
interests”, she stresses.

She adds that there are already environmental refugees in Armenia. “If
the situation does not change, the number of the refugees will grow”,
says the expert.

According to the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations, there
are 19 tailing dumps with a total area of 1400 hectares in Armenia.

Earlier Hakob Sanasaryan, Head of the Green Union of Armenia,
told ArmInfo that almost all the tailing dumps in Armenia are in the
riverbeds and, therefore, contain serious risks. Heavy metals and toxic
elements penetrate into the rivers, reservoirs and irrigation systems.

The inactive tailing dumps are also very dangerous. Environmentalists
have repeatedly pointed out that the rehabilitation of the closed
tailing dumps is not done properly. The bottom of the tailing dumps
is not isolated. So, the heavy metals penetrate into the subsoil
water systems. In addition, the surface dust pollutes the environment.

From: Baghdasarian

IMPORTANTE EXPOSITION DEDIEE AU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN A PARIS EN 2015

FRANCE

Le Musee-Institut du Genocide armenien (AGMI) a accueilli M. Jean-Yves
Camus, un representant du bureau du maire de Paris. Il est arrive
a Erevan pour faire connaissance avec les expositions qui seront
presentees a Paris. L’exposition aura lieu dans le cadre du centenaire
du genocide armenien et est organisee par la Mairie de Paris en
collaboration avec l’AGMI et le CCAF ( Conseil de coordination des
organisations armeniennes de France). Le representant du bureau de
maire de Paris, M. Jean-Yves Camus et le directeur de l’Institut-Musee
Hayk Demoyan ont parle des questions relatives a l’organisation
de l’exposition.

Jean-Yves Camus a indique que >.

Le representant du bureau du maire de Paris a egalement visite l’AGMI
et les expositions temporaires du musee, qui retrace l’histoire du
genocide armenien.

Le 1er octobre 2014 le Conseil municipal de la ville de Paris a adopte
a l’unanimite le message de la Mairie de Paris pour organiser les
evenements lies au 100e anniversaire du genocide armenien ainsi que
les evenements pour lutter contre la negation du genocide. L’historien
francais Raymond Kevorkian a ete nomme commissaire de l’exposition.

mercredi 15 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

DES EXERCICES MILITAIRES DE TROUPES RUSSES EN ARMENIE

Armee

Environ 3.000 soldats russes stationnes en Armenie ont commence des
exercices militaires d’une semaine impliquant des centaines de chars
et de systèmes d’artillerie ainsi que des avions de combat.

Selon le ministère russe de la Defense, le but principal de ces
exercices exceptionnels de grande envergure est de “tester la
preparation au combat” de la base militaire russe en Armenie en cas
“d’etat d’alerte maximale.”

Un communique publie la semaine dernière par le district militaire
du ministère a declare que les unites d’artillerie impliques vont
declencher des obus sur deux stands de tir armeniens.

Le communique a egalement fait etat d’un ” nombre d’exercices et
d’utilisation de balles reelles” par la base russe qui a plus que
quadruple cette annee.

Moscou a renforce sa base par du materiel militaire plus moderne au
cours des dernières annees.

Les derniers exercices ont debute lundi, plus d’un mois après que
quelque 1500 soldats armeniens et russes ont simule des operations
militaires conjointes contre un ennemi imaginaire baptise “Ottomania”
par leurs commandants, en reference clairement a la Turquie.

mercredi 15 octobre 2014, Claire (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

FIRST STEP TAKEN TO BUILD WASHINGTON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM

02:47, 15.10.2014

The Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF) has engaged a leading
philanthropic and fundraising consultancy to conduct a feasibility
study for the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial in Washington.

The decision follows the recent conclusion of lengthy legal proceedings
around the Washington properties intended for the project, reported
The Armenian Reporter.

Kathleen Cafesjian Baradaran, chair of the CFF, noted that the
feasibility study is a required first step for the project of this
scale.

“The study will serve as the foundation for an international
fundraising campaign to make the dream of the museum and memorial a
reality,” she said. “The goal is both to renovate and reimagine the
downtown Washington location, where the story of Armenians will be
told to the current and future generations.”

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

TIME TO KICK TURKEY OUT OF NATO?

The mess in Syria only confirms an inconvenient truth: The Turks are
no longer reliable allies.

By JONATHAN SCHANZER

October 09, 2014

The Kurdish town of Kobane in western Syria is under siege by the
Islamic State. A U.S.-led coalition has hit at the jihadists sieging
Kobane–with 13 strikes on Wednesday and Thursday–but bombs alone
may not suffice. It is the Turkish military, whose tanks are currently
sitting on the Syrian border, that may be in the best position to save
stave off a mass slaughter. But the Turks refuse to join the fight,
even though the Turkish Parliament voted on Oct. 2 to deploy the
Turkish army to fight in Iraq and Syria, and to allow foreign troops
on Turkish soil. A week after the vote, Turkey has not participated
in any U.S.-led operations against the Islamic State.

Turkey’s stock as a Western ally is plummeting. Ankara stubbornly
resists joining the coalition unless it broadens its fight to topple
Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Turkey’s 200 or more F-16 fighter jets sit
idle as the Islamic State makes alarming gains across Syria and Iraq.

This stands in sharp contrast to other Muslim world allies – including
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and even
Jordan – that have taken part in the aerial campaign against the
Islamic State.

Turkey’s absence is conspicuous. It’s the only NATO ally among these
Muslim world partners. To be clear, the fight against the Islamic
State is not a NATO mission, but it serves as a reminder of how little
Erdogan’s regime has done to help preserve order in the Middle East.

In many ways, Turkey has made the fight against the Islamic State
more difficult. Apart from permitting some unarmed American drones
to fly out of its territory, Ankara has refused to allow the West to
operate from Turkish airbases. This has forced strike aircraft to fly
their sorties from the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, Shaheed Mwaffaq in
Jordan or Al Dhafra in the UAE. As for the Incirlik air base that
NATO operates in Eastern Turkey, Ankara has made it clear that for
the time being, it is currently off limits for armed operations.

But this should come as no surprise. Incirlik has long been off
limits. Ankara refused to allow the United States to utilize the air
base for kinetic operations in the 2003 Iraq war and its aftermath.

Instead, the base has been used for logistics, support and training.

Turkey owns the facility, but technically, according to Article 5 of
the NATO charter, it cannot restrict the NATO activities on the base
in an approved operation. Still, it can restrict U.S. personnel and
equipment. And it has consistently done so, to the frustration of
American military planners.

Admittedly, one could argue that the Turks were right to hold off on
joining America’s ill-fated war in Iraq. But that would be ignoring
Turkey’s role in other international conflicts. Take the NATO-led
mission in Afghanistan since 2001, where Turkey limited its role to
logistics and training and refused to take part in combat. Similarly,
Turkey deployed nearly 400 personnel to NATO forces in Kosovo, as well
as other personnel to other international operations in the Balkans,
but with responsibilities limited to training, observation and support.

Jonathan Schanzer is vice president for research at the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies. He tweets at @JSchanzer.

Read more:

From: Baghdasarian

CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT BETWEEN ARMENIA AND KARABAKH RULED OUT – MP

13:48 * 14.10.14

Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is not a
reason for deciding on a customs checkpoint separating the country from
Nagorno-Karabakh , says a lawmaker of the governing political force.

“The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a sovereign, free and independent
country, which hasn’t simply been recognized. I think the problem
will be resolved soon,” Gagik Melikyan of the Republican faction in
parliament told a news conference on Tuesday.

It comes after Kazakh President Norsultan Nazarbaev raised the question
of concessions on the part of Armenia at Supreme Eurasian Economic
Council’s summit in Minsk. At the Council’s earlier meeting in May,
Nazarbaev cited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s letter calling
for Armenia’s accession to the economic bloc “within internationally
recognized borders”.

Melikyan said he doesn’t think that statements of the kind can have
legal implications unless they are fixed in a written document. “His
oral statements were taken into consideration. Nazarbayev had to make
such a statement, relying on his previous remark,” he added.

The Republican MP said he thinks that only a decision by
Nagorno-Karabakh to join the EU would necessitate a customs checkpoint
between the two Armenian republics.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

SERGE SARKISSIAN SALUE LES EFFORTS DE POUTINE POUR UN REGLEMENT DU CONFLIT DU KARABAGH

ARMENIE

Le president armenien Serge Sarkissian a salue les efforts de
son homologue russe dans le processus de règlement du conflit au
Haut-Karabagh et son soutien a la candidature de l’Armenie de se
joindre a un bloc commercial dirige par Moscou alors qu’il a envoye
un message a Vladimir Poutine a l’occasion de son 62e anniversaire.

> a ecrit Serge Sarkissian dans son
message, dont le texte a ete publie par son bureau de presse.

From: Baghdasarian