Author: Chalian Meline

KAREN TCHOUGOURIAN WOWS MELBOURNE SENIORS WITH HIS PIANO VIRTUOSITY
By Maura O’Neal

Advocate Weekly

S ept 11 2008
MA

Photo: Karen Tchougourian Classical pianist Karen Tchougourian is so
popular at EPOCH Assisted

PITTSFIELD – When Karen Tchougourian, an accomplished classical
pianist, performs for the residents and guests of EPOCH Assisted
Living at Melbourne, he brings no sheet music.

Yet, for more than an hour each month, he dazzles the audience with
complicated classical pieces he has successfully played in high-level
competitions around the world.

Born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia, Tchougourian has been playing
the piano since the age of 7. He has played in major venues from his
native Yerevan to Carnegie Hall in New York City. His competitive
efforts have paid off with top prizes in the Mozart International
Competition, the Schumann Piano Competition and the Arkansas State
University Piano Competition, among other awards.

Through his piano virtuosity and humble comportment, Tchougourian
has established a fan club of sorts among the residents at EPOCH of
Melbourne, where he has been playing nearly every month for more than
two years. (His next performance is Oct. 3.)

"I love to just watch him play. His hands are so graceful," said
Gertrude Treat, a resident at EPOCH.

Tchougourian’s performances have taken on a special importance
for residents of Melbourne. They look forward to his concerts, and
Tchougourian himself has noticed how audience members are rejuvenated
and energized after an afternoon’s performance.

Unwilling to name a specific performance that was especially memorable,
Tchougourian

————————- ————————————————– —–

Advertisement

—————————- ————————————————– —
said he strives to make every performance special. If he isn’t moved by
every performance, he doesn’t feel like his audience will be, either.

"It’s a two-way street," he said. "As much as the residents enjoy it,
I get a kick out of it myself, too."

To keep his performances fresh, Tchougourian improvises on popular
songs from the East and West.

"I’m open to many styles and try to mix a variety of styles into my
performances," he said. He blends classical pieces with Broadway
standards and his own arrangements of popular music from many
different eras.

Tchougourian challenges himself to learn one or two new songs for
each performance, but also recognizes that audiences enjoy hearing
some familiar pieces as well. Treat has requested "Jesu, Joy of Man’s
Desiring" several times, and Tchougourian always happily obliges.

As far as arriving to play with no sheet music, Tchougourian explained
with a soft laugh, "So far I haven’t had any problems remembering
the songs. I just have a hard time thinking what to play next."

Many EPOCH residents would be pleased if Tchougourian performed more
than just once a month.

"I wouldn’t miss a performance for the world," said resident Irving
Zinberg, for whom a birthday performance was especially memorable. "It
was his usual, excellent piano playing. I was very grateful for the
birthday gift." That gift? Tchougourian played an Armenian song –
Zinberg’s birthday request.

Zinberg and Treat are certainly not alone in their
sentiments. Tchougourian plays to near-capacity crowds in EPOCH at
Melbourne’s great room, where he tickles the ivories of the majestic
grand piano, located just beneath a wall of large bay windows that
open up to the breathtaking Berkshire landscape behind him.

"When Karen performs, the music fills the atrium and flows from our
great room throughout the first floor. Even if you’re not in the room,
you’re surrounded by this beautiful music," said Diane Weinstein,
executive director of EPOCH at Melbourne. "It’s wonderful."

Karen Tchougourian will play at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at EPOCH
Assisted Living, 140 Melbourne Road, Pittsfield. The public is
invited and the concert is free, but reservations are requested. Info:
413-499-1992.

GENERATION CHANGE OF THE LEADERS
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
10 Sep 2008
Armenia

RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN, already an ordinary member of "Heritage"
parliamentary faction, responds to our questions

"Why did you decide to resign from the post of Head of the faction
just the same way as you laid down the functions of the Head of the
party? Is it really because of the lack of time?"

"There is no problem in terms of laying down functions. My colleagues
are very kind to refer to my being very busy. Of course, there are
some personal considerations. For instance, I treat the activity of
our parliamentary delegations very seriously, on the level of both
the plenary sessions and the committees. There is a series of lectures
in the International Academy of Diplomacy etc.

But the main reason that was not reflected in yesterday’s press reports
is that I do believe in the idea of a regular succession, i.e. the
change of generations. If the given society, state or party wants
to have prospects, it should never stick to one individual. That’s
why after the last session, the administration made a decision to
continue the collegial administrative activities under the leadership
of Anahit Bakhshyan.

Yesterday’s decision of our party reflects not only my personal
considerations but also the commitment of "Heritage" party to be always
ready for=2 0a succession of generations as a small and modest unit
of our society and political life. I believe Armen Martirosyan is
a young, promising and intelligent leader and is capable of heading
the party. Moreover, the other factions also have young and promising
leaders who should be given the opportunity to move forward. And it
is necessary to project this model onto the panorama of the whole
society."

"What is your attitude towards the Republican’s decision on replacing
Tigran Torasyan with Hovik Abrahmyan?"

"To the best of my knowledge, it is the party’s interim decision
that is subject to a final approval. When the final decision is made,
we will express our attitude and viewpoint. One thing is clear: such
decisions, whether concerning the replacement of the human recourses
or the contents of the activities, should not be the result of shadow
and corridor discussions; they should reflect public political
processes. Society should be aware why such decision was made and
what the underlying arguments are.

I hope this is not a successive small trick such as a ‘castling’
of posts, change of the ratio of forces and so on. As a citizen,
I anticipate to hear the answer to those questions."

"Are you going to participate in the PACE fall session or is the
decision to resign as a member of the delegation final?"

"No, I haven’t resign ed as a member of the delegation. I have
temporarily terminated my participation in the activities of the PACE
plenary session for well-known reasons. I hope I will be given the
opportunity to continue my participation till the 21st of September.

I believe some steps will be made and should be made. If we speak
about bold and courageous steps, such boldness, brevity and courage
should first of all be seen inside Armenia while solving internal
social problems. Perhaps it is a fantastic expectation, but I believe
that I will have additional grounds to revise my decision before
September 21."

"Did you also impose conditions on the Council of Europe, saying that
you will not participate in the activities of the Parliamentary Council
unless the latter demonstrates faithfulness to the high criteria it
has defined?"

"I never speak to anyone in the language of preconditions. When PACE
Chairman Mr. Pyutch came to Armenia, I had a private meeting with him
and spoke about the gaps in the spheres of democracy, equality and
rule of law observed both in Armenia and the organization led by him.

I want to participate in those activities, but not as a separate
‘star’ because I consider that modest though it is, my participation
is also important. I am ready to participate, but as a representative
of a country which not only realizes its national interests and
searches for solutions with20the neighbors but also meets the
democratic standards required for the Republic of Armenia and not
Europe. Abdullah Gul’s visit served as a good example for us. And we
are required to demonstrate the same generosity and mutual respect
inside the Armenian statehood, in relation to our citizens."

ARMENIA TO ADJUST FOREIGN POLICY IN WAKE OF GEORGIA CRISIS

ArmInfo News Agency (in Russian)
Sept 10 2008
Armenia

Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan has said that Armenian foreign
policy may be adjusted in connection with the South Ossetia events.

Speaking at the National Assembly on 10 September, the foreign
minister said that considering the changed situation in South Ossetia,
a breakaway region of Georgia, some aspects of the current foreign
policy may be changed, Arminfo said. No details of the possible
changes were reported.

On Turkey’s initiative concerning the creation of the Caucasus platform
of stability and security, Nalbandyan said that Armenia has received
a preliminary document in this regard. The document’s main principles
are establishing trust, stability, security and cooperation in the
region, he said.

"Naturally, Armenia has a positive view on all these
principles. However, we must have a substantial discussion on Turkey’s
proposals and on ways of implementing them," Arminfo quoted the
minister as saying.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IS A MENTALITY TO BE CULTIVATED AT SCHOOL

Noyan Tapan

Se p 9, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The 50th anniversary of foundation
"Khosrov Forest" and "Shikahogh" state preserves and "Dlijan" national
park was celebrated at an event in Yerevan on September 9. In the words
of the RA minister of nature protection Aram Harutyunian, the necessity
of preserving the biodiversity and the role of specially protected
areas in this issue was conceived in Armenia long ago. The specially
protected areas currently occupy about 309 thousand ha which makes
up nearly 10% of Armenia’s territory. Forest ecosystems occupy 54%
of these areas. The minister said that 60% of the Armenian flora and
fauna, including the majority of rare, endemic species and those on
the verge of extinction, as well as genetic resources are protected
in the indicated areas.

According to A. Harutyunian, the 2003-2010 national program of state
strategy and measures for development of the specially protected
areas of Armenia’s nature aims to expand these areas and solve their
problems. "In the environmental protection sphere, it is necessary
to continue persistent practical work on improving the system of
specially protected areas in nature for the purpose of sustainable
development of our country," the minister stated.

The RA prime minister Tigran Sargsian said that most seruous
environmental protection problems exist in Armenia which can be
solved only by joint efforts. "Unfortunately, the society does not yet
pay attention to environmental problems. Relying on its supervisory
functions only, the state fails to solve these problems," the prime
minister noted, adding that environmental protection is a mentality
to be cultivated in people at school.

During the festive event, a number of employees of the sphere were
handed letters of thanks of the RA prime minister and the minister
of nature protection, gold departmental medals and souvenirs.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL GROUP THAT WITHDREW 80 MILLION DRAMS FROM CASH MACHINES RENDERED HARMLES AS RESULT OF COOPERATION OF VTB ARMENIA BANK AND RA NSS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 8, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. An international criminal group
that withdrew about 80 million drams (265 thoousand USD) from Armenian
cash machines by means of forged plastic cards was rendered harmless
in late August as a result of cooperation of VTB Armenia Bank and the
RA National Security Service (NSS), the director general of VTB Armenia
Bank Valery Ovsyannikov said at the September 8 press conference.

According to him, the forgers were revealed by the employees of the
bank’s security unit and then were arrested by NSS officers "hot on
their trail".

As for the recent arrest of two employees of VTB Armenia Bank, V.

Ovsyannikov said that he can speak about their guilt only after the
court ruling. "Not all is definite in these issues: any person from
outside may come and write an application that I stole money or took
a bribe," he added.

The Australian, Australia
Sept 8 2008

Turkish leader in peace mission

YEREVAN: Armenia and Turkey pledged to overcome decades of enmity over
the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces, after Turkish President
Abdullah Gul’s pathbreaking visit to Yerevan for a soccer match.

Mr Gul, the first Turkish president to visit Armenia, held talks on
Saturday with counterpart Serzh Sarkisian, after which the two agreed
there was the "political will" to improve ties frozen for decades over
the 1915-17 massacres by Turkish troops.

The visit was hailed by French and EU President Nicolas Sarkozy as
"courageous and historic".

"I believe that my visit was fruitful and that it promises hope for
the future," Mr Gul said after returning to Ankara.

He said he had won Yerevan’s support for a new regional grouping in
the Caucasus following last month’s conflict between Georgia and
Russia.

"I underlined that there is no problem that dialogue cannot solve," Mr
Gul said.

But in a sign of the task ahead, his visit was dogged by
protesters. Carrying Armenian flags and signs reading "Recognise the
genocide", hundreds lined the road from the airport as his convoy
headed to the Armenian President’s offices.

"We are here because we want to tell the entire world that we do not
forget the genocide of 1915. We will not welcome Mr Gul or any other
Turk until they have recognised the genocide," protester Bardasar
Akhpar said.

Mr Gul’s arrival at Yerevan’s Hrazdan stadium was greeted by loud boos
and hisses by Armenian fans.

Mr Gul took his seat behind a special bullet-proof area. The far
stronger Turkish side ended up winning the match 2-0, but was
supported by only about 200 forlorn followers in a seating area that
could have held 10 times more and was ringed by Armenian police.

At the start of the match, about 80 young protesters gathered at a
monument to victims of the killings in central Yerevan, laying flowers
and lighting torches.

"People have gathered here to show that the young generation remembers
everything," organiser Airapet Babaian said.

Mr Sarkisian declared there was a "political will to decide the
questions between our countries, so that these problems are not passed
on to the next generation".

Armenians say that up to 1.5million of their people were killed in
orchestrated massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire fell
apart – a claim supported by other countries. Turkey rejects the
genocide label and argues that 300,000-500,000 Armenians and at least
as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took up arms for
independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian
troops.

The countries have no diplomatic relations.

Minister Nalbandian received OSCE PA President

armradio.am
06.09.2008 15:01

On September 6 RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Goran Lenmarker.

Greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian noted that Armenia attaches
great importance to parliamentary diplomacy, considering it a serious
platform for development of relations between peoples.

Presenting the latest developments in the negotiation process on the
Karabakh conflict settlement, Minister Nalbandian noted that after
their meeting in June the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents
instructed the Foreign Ministers to continue the talks with the
mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the basis of the Madrid
proposals.

Referring to the recent developments in the Caucasus, the parties noted
that solution of issues should take place only thorough peaceful
negotiations.

Edward Nalbandian noted that Armenia has always stood for resolution of
issues via dialogue. He said Armenia’s foreign policy is directed
towards the reinforcement of stability, security and cooperation in the
region.

During the meeting the interlocutors turned to the normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations, as well as other regional issues.

THE ONLY CIVILIZED WAY

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
05 Sep 2008
Armenia

"It is obvious that Turkey is trying to make a positive progress
in its relations with Armenia. Armenia has many times announced
that it is ready to establish diplomatic ties with Turkey without
preconditions. In this respect, the changes in the attitudes of
Turkey and its waiving the three well-known preconditions may have
quite positive consequences.

Armenia is open for a dialogue and negotiations; it has no
restrictions.

Therefore, in order to bring the relations to a normal state, Turkey
has, to a certain extent, waive its restrictions and revise its
attitudes towards Armenia. This is the civilized way. This is the
only way for smoothing out the uneven points in the Armenian-Turkish
relations as a result of negotiations and discussions," RUBEN
SAFRASTYAN, Head of the Institute of Oriental Studies, is convinced.

SOCCER DIPLOMACY

Transitions Online
nguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=285&N rSection=2&NrArticle=19957
Sept 5 2008
Czech Republic

An unprecedented mingling of sport and diplomacy could make victors
of both Turkey and Armenia.

When Turkey and Armenia compete this weekend in a qualifying match
for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, there is far more at stake than what
happens on the pitch in Yerevan. An equally anticipated meeting,
between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, will be taking place on the sidelines.

Gul accepted his Armenian counterpart’s invitation to attend the match,
a rare moment of diplomacy in an otherwise bitter relationship. Both
events are unprecedented – the meeting of the two national teams
and the official face time between leaders whose nations have no
formal relations.

For the visiting Turks, it will be hard to miss the symbols of the
gulf between these neighbor nations. In a throwback to the Cold War,
Russian forces still help monitor Armenia’s side of the border with
Turkey. It’s also hard to miss Yerevan’s dramatic, hilltop stele
to the Armenian victims of Ottoman rule, a genocide memorial that
towers over the valley where the Hrazdan soccer stadium sits. Then
there’s Mount Ararat, a few kilometres from central Yerevan. Located
just across the border, Ararat is an icon in what Armenians see as
Turkish-occupied western territory.

But these are only symbols of far deeper problems. Armenia rightfully
has stood its ground in demanding that Turkey’s modern leaders
apologize for historic injustices – namely, the death marches and
forced starvation of more than 1 million Armenians in the final years
of a paranoid Ottoman Empire.

For its part, Turkey remains at odds with Armenia over what happened
as the Soviet Union began to implode. When its neighbor backed
Christian Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan’s autonomous region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing hundreds of thousands of Muslim Azeris to
flee their homes, Turkey imposed a crippling embargo on Armenia. The
sanctions remain, 15 years later.

Predictably, Sargsyan and Gul are being lambasted by resolute
nationalists in their countries for this weekend’s rare moment of
sportsmanlike diplomacy.

But Sargsyan, the former defense minister and one of the leaders of
the Karabakh separatist movement, knows too well the terrific cost
to his nation of being constantly on the defensive and boxed in by
adversaries to the east and west. And Gul, a former foreign minister,
has been a steady force in guiding his country toward European Union
membership while having to keep hard-core nationalists – many of whom
are senior military officers – at bay. Under Gul and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has also played a commendable role in
seeking a peaceful end to the crisis in Georgia.

FIRST, THE APOLOGY

But a little soccer diplomacy will be much easier to carry off than
what must come next. First, Turkey must apologize to Armenia and
other victims of Ottoman aggression. It has far more to gain than
lose. Armenia is a small nation that desperately needs a western trade
route, which it now has only through the wreckage of Georgia. Turkey’s
eastern Anatolia, a dusty region where poverty and neglect nurture
the Kurdish separatist movement, would benefit from the economic
opportunity offered by direct trade with Armenia.

A Turkish apology would have another payoff – it would help reassure
the French and other Europeans who are sympathetic to Armenia and
still harbor concerns about having Turkey in the EU. Gul has worked
diligently to show that 21st-century Turkey has distanced itself from
its strong-arm past. "The values embraced by the EU such as democracy,
rule of law, human rights, social rights, free market economy, and
cultural diversity are in full harmony with the fundamental philosophy
of our republic and the main principles of our constitution," he said
in a speech marking Europe Day in May.

It will not be easy to convince Turkey’s dangerous nationalist fringe
to reckon with the country’s past. But Sargsyan’s task may be more
complex. Ending the frozen conflict with Azerbaijan and overcoming
the determined Karabakh nationalists will take nothing less than a
miracle. Convincing the country’s large diaspora, which provides both
political and economic support to Karabakh, will be a hard slog. Yet
Sargsyan’s job will be easier if Turkey first gives him the currency
he needs to face those who are determined not to compromise.

Athletes tend to make far better diplomats than presidents and
ambassadors. At the Beijing Olympics last month, Georgian and Russian
athletes shook hands while their brothers were staring at one another
through gun sights. In 1971, the visit of the U.S. table tennis team
to China helped end 22 years of diplomatic isolation. Asked about the
upcoming match in Yerevan, Turkish coach Fatih Terim told the Turkish
Daily News that he was focusing on the match, not on politics. "We
cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders," he said.

Presidents aren’t so lucky. But whatever happens on the pitch in
Yerevan, the real victory may come on the sidelines. Sargsyan made
a smart tactical move in inviting the Turk, and Gul’s acceptance was
a shrewd diplomatic response. It’s now up to both men to lighten the
load of history.

Transitions Online encourages readers to respond to this and other
commentaries or articles. For information or to read other letters
to the editor, see the Letters page. We also invite readers to
submit longer, more detailed commentaries. For information, read our
submission guidelines.

AZERI FM SAYS GUL’S VISIT TO YEREVAN DOMESTIC MATTER, MPS CRITICIZE

Hurriye
Sept 5 2008
Turkey

Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s upcoming visit to Yerevan to watch
a football game between Turkey and Armenia is "Turkey’s domestic
matter," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov said on
Thursday. Some Azeri MPs criticized Gul’s move, saying the visit
would be wrong. (UPDATED)

It is out of question for Azerbaijan to interfere in this matter,
Mammadyarov told reporters in Baku.

"We welcome this initiative positively," he also said when asked
about Turkey’s proposed "Caucasus Security and Stability Platform".

The Turkish president will watch a World Cup qualifying game between
the Turkish and Armenian national teams together with his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan in Saturday’s historical visit.

Sargsyan invited Gul last month to attend the qualifying match for the
2010 World Cup finals to mark "a new symbolic start in the countries’
relations".

Turkey is among the first countries that recognized Armenia when it
declared its independency. However there are no diplomatic relations
between the two countries, as Armenia presses the international
community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting
Turkey’s call to investigate the allegations, and its invasion of
20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, despite U.N. Security Council
resolutions on the issue.

Several high-level bureaucrats, as well as Turkish and foreign
journalists, are expected to accompany Gul during his visit.

Gul and Sargsian will hold a scheduled one-hour meeting at the
Presidential Palace ahead of the match. The Turkish president will
return to Turkey after watching the game.

CRITICISM FROM AZERI MPs Some Azerbaijani MPs criticized the Turkish
president’s visit to Yerevan, saying the visit would be wrong.

The establishment of relations between Turkey and Armenia was not
realized with Turkey’s own will, an Azerbaijani opposition leader
said, adding it was a result of pressure from the European Union,
the United States and some other countries.

The visit could cause problems for Azerbaijan, Sabir Rustamkhanli,
chairman of the Citizen Solidarity Party (CSP) and chairman of the
Congress of World Azerbaijanis (CWA) was quoted by Anatolian Agency
as saying.

EU ALSO WELCOMES The Presidency of the Council of the European Union
also welcomed the Gul’s decision and said the trip was a strong and
encouraging sign for relations between Armenia and Turkey on Thursday.

"The Presidency hopes that this historic and highly symbolic visit
will foster a climate favourable to the normalisation of relations
between the two countries, to which it looks forward," the presidency
said in a statement.