Author: Chalian Meline

GERMAN MFA SECRETARY OF STATE GERNOT ERLER TO VISIT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.03.2009 21:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Mar. 29-31 visiting German MFA Secretary of State
Gernot Erler and Germany -South Caucasus Bundestag Friendship Group
Chairman Steffen Raikhe plan to meet RA President Serzh Sargsyan,
Parliamentary Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, RA NA Vice Speaker and
Armenian-German Friendship Group Chairman Arevik Petrosyan and RA
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, RA MFA Press Service reported
to PanARMENIAN.Net.

"FOLLOWING THE SUN" TO BE PRESENTED IN KHNKO APER CHILDREN LIBRARY

armradio.am
26.03.2009 12:59

On March 27 there will be a presentation of the children book
"Following the Sun" recently published by FPWC in partnership with
VivaCell MTS.

The presentation will take place in Khnko Aper Children Library.

During the event Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of OSCE in Yerevan
and the German Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin will speak on behalf of
OSCE’s and German Embassy’s contribution to the translation of the
book into Russian and German. Also FPWC Director Ruben Khachatryan and
VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian will come up with a speech.

The book "Following the Sun" is a collection of stories dedicated
to nature. The special feature of the publication is its children
for children approach. All tales and also the illustrations
are created by children. In the frame of the event there will be
additionally presented an audio book CD based on the book, and the
website. The latter is the first environmental
web portal established by FPWC for Armenian children and youths.

The book and the website are projects accomplished in the frame of
the "Save the Nature" campaign implemented by the Foundation for
the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in the Republic of
Armenia and VivaCell-MTS.

In the frame of the event also the child ren theater group of Khnko
Aper library will perform a short dramatized version of three tales
from the book "Following the Sun". One of the special features of some
tales collected in the book is an open end. Young readers as well as
listeners of the audio book are invited to continue the stories and
send their ideas to the FPWC office.

Committees Granting Release On Parole Are Not Transparent
A1+ 08:26 pm | March 25, 2009 | society

On March 25 five human rights organizations issued the following
statement

We, the representatives of non-governmental organizations, express our
concern about the activities of "Independent committees on issues of
release on parole or replacement of the sentence with less strict
one".

Particularly the following problems are of a concern,

Exact standards are not defined in the documents regulating the
decision making process of the Committees,

Decisions of the Committees cannot be appealed,

Many members of the Committees, including heads of the Committees, are
members of defense and law enforcement agencies.

On March 20, 2009 the Committee responsible for "Abovyan",
"Nubarashen", "Vardashen", and "Erebuni" penitentiary institutions
discussed the issue of release on parole of a number of convicts,
including chief editor of "Zhamanak Yerevan" newspaper, Arman
Babajanyan. As one of the members of the Committee, attorney Nikolay
Baghdasaryan has stated, according to the protocol of a secret ballot,
4 members voted for A. Babajanyan’s release on parole, and 3 voted
against. But later it was announced that 2 members voted for and 5
members against the motion to release A. Babajanyan on parole.

This situation shows once more that the Committees operate in a
non-transparent and bias way. Particularly, this is obvious by the
decisions made about granting A. Babajanyan release on parole. This
time the decision was made in suspicious conditions, which gives some
grounds to believe that the denial had a political basis.

We, undersigned NGOs, demand:

To revise the legislation which regulates activities of Committees
granting release on parole To revise the issue of release on parole of
Arman Babajanyan and provide impartial, transparent and truthful
decision making process.

"Helsinki Committee of Armenia" NGO
Avetik Ishkhanyan

"Civil Society Institute" NGO
Arman Danielyan

"Against Violation of Law" NGO
Michael Aramyan

"Cooperation for Democracy Centre" NGO
Stepan Danielyan

"Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor" NGO
Arthur Sakunts

SAAKASHVILI SLAMS TURLEY’S CAUCASUS PLATFORM

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.03.2009 14:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili said the
Turkish-proposed Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform has
acquired no "clear shape" yet and consultations were on their "very
early stage."

"We always welcome multilateral mechanisms," Saakashvili said while
speaking at a news conference on a sideline of a high-profile Brussels
Forum late on March 21.

He, however, added, "I think we should not create any mechanism that
would exclude European Union or other major actors in the region."

"I think there should not be exclusive regional mechanisms; but I think
any complementarity to already existing European Union structures,
open to any positive actors in the region will be welcomed," the
Georgian leader said, civil.ge reported.

‘ARMENIANS’ WORLD’ AVAILABLE TO LEGAL BODIES

ArmInfo
2009-03-23 15:39:00

ArmInfo. Within the frames of special action beginning from 23 March
‘Armenians’ world’ service will be available to legal bodies –
subscribers of ‘ArmenTel’ company (trade mark Beeline). Over the
action all the subscribers of the digital exchange and Beeline mobile
communication will be able to make calls to different parts of the
world by internet-phone connection (VoIP) prices without having to
buy a card.

‘Since February we have been offering to our subscribers-individual
persons single service of the fixed and mobile net by single tariffs
and single way of dialing. Over a short period of time the ‘Armenians’
world’ service has become very popular and we decided to meet wishes
of our corporative clients. From now on they will be also able to make
calls by comfortable tariffs’, – director general of ‘ArmenTel’ Neicho
Velichkov said. To make an international call it is needed to dial *88*
(00) (country code) (city code) (subscriber phone number), reports
the public relations department of ArmenTel. The service is given
to legal and individual bodies by the same tariffs. The prices for
calling Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, USA and Canada are 24 AMD. Moreover,
when using this service subscribers do not spend the limit of free of
charge minutes as it happens when making other VoIP calls. The account
for20 international calls made via this service will enter general
account of a subscriber for using the telephone communication. The
action on offering service to legal bodies will last till 31 May.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 22 2009

Saakashvili on Turkish-proposed Caucasus Stability Platform

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 22 Mar.’09 / 19:11

President Saakashvili said the Turkish-proposed Caucasus Stability and
Cooperation Platform had no `clear shape’ yet and consultations were
on their `very early stage.’

`We always welcome multilateral mechanism,’ Saakashvili said while
speaking at a news conference on a sideline of a high-profile Brussels
Forum late on March 21.

He, however, also added: `I think we should not create any mechanism
that would exclude European Union or other big players in the region.’

`I think there should not be exclusive regional mechanisms; but I
think any complementarity to already existing European Union
structures, open to any positive actors in the region will be
welcome[d].’

He welcomed the approval of, as he put it, `a long-awaited’ Eastern
Partnership initiative by EU leaders on March 21 ` the program aimed
at EU’s closer cooperation with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine.

Saakashvili said the initiative was `a step forward for my country and
the countries of the region.’

`What we are seeing now is not a new sphere of influence ` as one
speaker put it this morning ` but we are having a new mechanism for
stability, for development and eventually for prosperity of our
region,’ Saakashvili said, referring to remarks made by Russian
Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, at the same forum earlier on March
21.

`We are accused of trying to have spheres of influence. What is the
Eastern Partnership?’ Lavrov said. `When my good friend [the Czech
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg] publicly says that if Belarus
recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Belarus could forget about
Eastern Partnership. Is it threatening, is it blackmail or is it
democracy at work?.. And then after those type[s] of statements we
have questions – is it about pulling countries from the positions
which they are supposed to take freely?’

At the same press conference in Brussels, President Saakashvili also
welcomed EU leaders’ decision to approve in principle proposals on the
bloc’s energy policy, including on Nabucco gas pipeline. The proposal,
some details of which yet need to be hammered out, requires the
approval of the European Parliament before becoming law, Reuters
reported. Saakashvili said that Georgia `has already secured its own
energy independence’ and the country no longer experienced energy
disruptions.

Saakashvili also said that compared to other countries of the region,
Georgia was `doing relatively better, thanks to the fact that we have
done reforms in the past.’

`Right now despite Russia’s occupation and Georgia’s post-war
troubles, the country is on the move; I think that in overall the mood
of the people [despite] the problems is positive,’ he added.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

TWO MONKS OF THE BROTHERHOOD MAGAR AND KEGHART
ELEVATED TO THE RANK OF VARTABED

On Sunday 15 March during the Holy Liturgy Father Magar Ashkarian and father
Keghart Kuspekian were elevated to the rank of Vartabed (Doctor of the
Church), according to the teachings of St. Gregory of Datev. In the Armenian
Orthodox Church monks are ordained as Vartabed after writing a theological
thesis and successfully defending their work in front of a panel headed by
the Catholicos, the Supreme Spiritual Leader.

His Holiness Aram I blessed their elevation and ordination to the rank of
Vartabed after they presented their works and answered the questions raised
by the panel. Bishop Nareg Alemezian performed the order of ordination on
that Sunday. In his sermon the Bishop said that this new vocation of
teaching and preaching bestowed on them by the Church is the recognition of
the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the Church through them. Therefore, as
they preach and teach they should always remember the presence of the Holy
Spirit among them and guide their community accordingly.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos363.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESIDENT OF NIXON CENTER DIMITRI SIMES: RUSSIANS LOST MUCH BY SUPPLYING ARMENIANS WITH ARMS

APA
March 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Washington. Zaur Hasanov – APA. President of Nixon Center Dimitri
Simes’ interview to APA

-How do you think why Washington did not take a step to protect its
two closest allies in the region after the August conflict in the
South Caucasus and Russia’s $800 million arm supply to Armenia?

-I would differentiate between Azerbaijan and Georgia in this issue. As
regards Azerbaijan, the country’s leadership behaved in a responsible
manner. We did not observe any provocation against Russia, and you note
properly the concern over Russia’s arm supply to Armenia. As is known,
Armenia is strategically close to Russia. As regards Georgia, we know
who attacked. It happened as a result of Russians’ provocation. We
are not going to praise Russia’s obvious behavior. The same can be
said about the developments following the war, ethnic cleansing in
the local Georgian villages of South Ossetia.

But it does not mean that the United States should offer more
assistance to Georgia. We supported them so much that Saakashvili
decided to use force against Russia. I do not think that the August
happenings served the interests of Georgia and particularly of the
United States.

-Though Azerbaijan did not irritate Russia during the August conflict,
it did not prevent Moscow from supplying Armenia with $800 million
arms.

-Russia lost much in this issue. It should be the main theme of
Russia-Azerbaijan dialogue. Like any country, Azerbaijan has the right
to say that it is the most important issue for them. Russia’s answer
will influence Azerbaijan’s future steps.

-How should the most acceptable foreign policy be for Azerbaijan
under current circumstances?

-Of course, Georgia’s independence should be supported. You should
explain that further steps to separate Georgia will become serious
problem for the region. Moreover, Azerbaijan should not coordinate
itself with Saakashvili’s actions. By the way, all pro-western
politicians of Georgia protest against Saakashvili’s policy.

IRAN-ARMENIA CONSTRUCT LARGEST HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER PLANT IN CAUCASUS

IRNA
March 17, 2009
Moscow

Armenian Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources said Iran
and Armenia will construct the largest hydro-electric power plant on
Arras River.

Russian news sources said on Tuesday Ara Simonian told parliament
deputies that the power plant will be constructed on both sides of
the river.

He added each section of the power plant will produce 800 million
kilowatts of electricity annually which is unique in the region of
southern Caucasus.

ARMENIAN GOLGOTHA: A MEMOIR OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, 1915-1918
Review by Elizabeth R. Hayford

Library Journal Reviews
March 15, 2009

Balakian, Grigoris. Armenian Golgotha: A Memoir of the Armenian
Genocide, 1915-1918. Knopf . Apr. 2009. c.544p. tr. from Armenian by
Peter Balakian with Aris Sevag. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN
978-0-307-26288-2 . $35. HIST

Grigoris Balakian (1876-1934), a cultural and religious leader in
Istanbul’s Armenian community, was arrested in April 1914 with 250
other leaders and began almost four years of deportation, forced march
to the Syrian desert, and abusive treatment. Thus was launched the
Turkish government’s program to rid the country of Armenians. Hundreds
of thousands were viciously murdered or died of cold and starvation,
but Balakian’s fierce will to live and his encounters with a few
generous people allowed him to survive and tell the story. This
memoir, which Balakian published in Armenian in 1922, vividly portrays
Turkish brutality as it provides his and others’ stories along with
well-informed commentary on Turkey’s actions. Peter Balakian (English,
Colgate Univ.; The Burning Tigris ), the author’s grandnephew,
has translated this rich historical document and provided scholarly
support, making available a readable and moving account that will be
welcomed by both the English-speaking Armenian community and a broader
audience committed to witnessing and understanding the massive cruelty
and suffering that characterized widespread crimes against humanity in
the 20th century. Important for readers who want to judge whether or
not this was the first genocide in modern times.-Elizabeth R. Hayford,
President Emeritus, Associated Coll. of the Midwest, Evanston, IL