Author: Dabaghian Diana

CISCO ACADEMY TO BE FOUNDED AT RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN UNIVERSITY

ARKA
May 16, 2008

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. The Cisco Academy will be founded using the
facilities of the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU).

Anush Begloyan, Public Relations Executive, ArmenTel Company (Beeline
brand) reported that the Academy will be founded under the auspices of
the Russian training center Cisco Systems, Moscow Technical University
of Communications and Informatics, and the RA Ministry of Transport
and Communication.

Begloyan pointed out that the initiative to found the Cisco Academy
in Armenia was advanced by the Step Logic Armenia Company.

The students of the Academy will take training courses at Beeline to
work for the company later.

Begloyan also reported that negotiations for cooperation in founding
the Academy are being held with the State Engineering University
of Armenia.

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the world leader in networking Internet
technologies.

The Cisco brand is one of the world’s most expensive brands ($19.1bln).

Cisco launched its activities in the CIS in 1995.

ARMAN KIRAKOSIAN AND SYLVAIN ITTE DISCUSS PROBLEMS OF IMPROVING ARMENIA’S INFORMATION FIELD

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 16, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. France is interested in assisting
with democratic reforms in Armenia, the executive director of France
Cooperation International organization Sylvain Itte said at a meeting
with the Armenian deputy foreign minister Arman Kirakosian.

S. Itte said that the purpose of the visit to discuss the problems
and proposals related to Armenia’s legislation, human rights, mass
media, tourism, and economy through meetings with representatives of
Armenian state structures and to develop joint projects.

According to a press release of the RA MFA, during the meeting,
proposals were made on improvement of the information field,
development of informational education in Armenia with the
participation of French experts, and joint activities of
representatives of the mass media of the two countries.

NO POSITIVE CHANGES IN YEREVAN’S POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH – AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY

Interfax News Agency
May 15 2008
Russia

New Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s recent visit to
Nagorno-Karabakh does not provide positive preconditions for resolving
the conflict, Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said
at a news conference on Thursday.

"The sooner Armenia understands this the better," Ibrahim said.

Since the new president came to power in Armenia, Yerevan has not
taken a single constructive step, he said.

"We are still hoping that the Armenian leadership will assess the
situation correctly and take appropriate measures," he said.

MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSING IN STEPANAKERT AND SHUSHI

KarabakhOpen
17-05-2008 12:45:25

The prices of houses in Karabakh are soaring. Since the end of the
previous year the value of one sq m in Shushi has gone up from 95.5
to 182 dollars, or by 80.1 percent.

According to the NKR State Cadastre, the prices have jumped in
Stepanakert, almost by 41.6 percent. The price per sq m has gone up
from 524 to 742 dollars. An almost 30 percent growth was reported
in Askeran, from 131 to 170, 27 percent in Martuni, 25.4 percent in
Martakert and 23.1 percent in Hadrut.

It turns out that the cheapest houses are in Martakert where you have
to pay 81.5 dollars for each sq m. And the most expensive apartments
are in Stepanakert and Shushi.

TURK STUDENTS TRY TO FAIL COMMEMORATION EVENT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

LOS ANGELES, MAY 14, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. An unpleasant
incident happened during the event organized by the Union of Armenian
Students and Union of the Students of the Armenian Higher Education
Institutions in the State University of Southern California of the
United States of America, which was held on April 24 on the occasion
of the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. During this incident
two Turk students attacked and tried to tear the posters prepared by
the organizers and throw away the wreaths placed by those present.

The organizers of the event had placed 1500 flowers since early
morning that day in memory of the one and a half million victims of
the genocide, as well as placed numerous posters and slogans in the
open-air place disposed for the holding of the event, however, two
Turk students approached and tried to hinder the work by trampling
the flowers and posters.

K. Navasardian, the Chairman of the Union of Students of Higher
Education Institutions, stated after the incident that students were
trying to make a peaceful and effective agitation and commemorate
the Armenian victims adding that it is the fair right of every free
citizen, especially when under this circumstance not only the Armenian
nation but the issue the humanity is interested in is the problem.

On the other hand, H. Guyumjian, the Chairman of the Union of
Armenian Students, stated that one of the members of the union
informed him about what had happened and also about the fact that
the Public Security Center of the University had detained the Turk
student. However, the Public Security Center denied that information.

The Armenian students, as well as the other students taking part in
the event, soon successfully continued the commemoration event.

ARMEN MINASYAN APPOINTED UEFA DELEGATE AT THE FINAL OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

armradio.am
12.05.2008 18:08

UEFA has appointed the Executive Director of the Football Federation
of Armenia Armen Minasyan has been appointed as the UEFA delegate at
the final of the Champions League to be held at "Luzhniki" Stadium
on May 21.

Manchester United and Chelsea will compete in the final.

Armenpress was informed from the Press Service of RA Football
Federation that this is the first case in the history of Armenian
football, when the representative of our country is involved in the
process of organization of an event of this kind, assuming one of
the leading roles.

ABKHAZIAN KNOT: THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN CONFLICT PLACES ITS NEIGHBORS IN FRONT OF A CHOICE
by Victor Yadukha

DEFENSE and SECURITY
May 12, 2008 Monday
Russia

AS A RESULT OF A RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN CONFLICT MOSCOW MAY FULLY LOSE
POSITIONS IN TRANSCAUCASIA; Yesterday, Georgian State Minister for
Reintegration, Temur Yakobashvili, announced in Brussels that Georgia
was close to a war. On the same day, Yerevan-based agency PanArmenian
reported with reference to Real Azerbaijan that Baku was going to
provide military assistance to Georgia sending Afghan mojaheds and
its own militants from among the amnestied criminals and Azerbaijanis
living in the CIS. Baku called this report a canard. In any case,
the policy of Azerbaijan may change after the entrance of Georgia
into NATO.

Yesterday, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Temur
Yakobashvili, announced in Brussels that Georgia was close to a
war. On the same day, Yerevan-based agency PanArmenian reported with
reference to Real Azerbaijan that Baku was going to provide military
assistance to Georgia sending Afghan mojaheds and its own militants
from among the amnestied criminals and Azerbaijanis living in the
CIS. Baku called this report a canard. In any case, the policy of
Azerbaijan may change after the entrance of Georgia into NATO.

PanArmenian states that it is planned to restart air flights from Baku
to Kabul. The agency explains, "The transportation of big cargoes of
weapons and groups of Afghan mojaheds trained by British instructors
via Azerbaijan to Georgia is expected." According to PanArmenian,
"active recruitment" in Azerbaijani diasporas in Russia and CIS
continued for a month already

Khazar Ibragim, director of the press service of the Foreign Ministry
of Azerbaijan, said, "This is gibberish on which it is impossible
to comment."

Nonetheless, public discussion dedicated to this topic has been going
on in Azerbaijan for a long time. According to political scientist and
diplomat Fikret Sadykhov, despite the good neighborly relations with
Russia, in this conflict Azerbaijan "should take the side of Georgia"
because Azerbaijani hydrocarbons go to the European market through
it and Tbilisi "has always manifested understanding" to the stance
of Azerbaijan regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

This topic is closely connected with the topic of entrance of the
country into NATO. Recently, President Ilkham Aliev announced that
"proceeding from the current situation, membership of Azerbaijan
in NATO is not discussed." Connection to the present moment is not
incidental. According to military expert Uzeir Dzhafarov, Azerbaijan
will definitely join NATO but only after Georgia. Alexander Skakov
agrees, "So far, Azerbaijan has managed to maneuver but if Georgia
enters into NATO Baku will hardly be able to continue the independent
game." Moreover, according to Skakov, in this case Armenia will be
in NATO too (its devotion to Russia should not be overestimated)
and Western peacekeepers will be inserted into Nagorno-Karabakh. In
this situation Russia can remain in Transcaucasia only by one way,
namely by blocking the entrance of Georgia into NATO.

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Smyrna, 1922

End of an era

May 1st 2008
The Economist print edition

WHEN Smyrna-modern Izmir-fell to the Turkish army in 1922, and much of
it was destroyed by fire, the city’s role as a bastion of Greek and
Christian culture, going back nearly 2,000 years, came to an abrupt
end. Before that, the port had been home to a diverse and cosmopolitan
population; by the standards of the region, it was a beacon of
tolerance and prosperity.

In addition to the Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Turks, there were also
Americans and Britons and what Giles Milton calls the "Levantines",
rich families of European descent, who spoke half a dozen languages
and occupied vast villas. Their dynasties dominated the trade and
industry of the region. Some (like the Whittalls) retained British
nationality over generations of Ottoman life, and it is their
English-language diaries, letters and documents that provide Mr Milton
with his best material. Although this slant is unrepresentatively
British and privileged-lots of parties and picnics-it allows the
author to be fair towards the Greeks and the Turks, who still blame
one another entirely for the disaster.

The city’s destruction-still known in Greece as "the catastrophe"-had
its roots in the first world war and the effort by the great powers
to grab pieces of the disintegrating Ottoman empire.

Britain, America and France backed Greece’s charismatic leader,
Eleftherios Venizelos, in his pursuit of the megali idea ("great
idea"), the dream of creating a greater Greece by occupying Smyrna and
swathes of Anatolia. Having licensed a war by proxy, the allies in
varying degrees turned cool on it. They looked on passively as Mustafa
Kemal (later Ataturk, republican Turkey’s founder) and his troops
routed the Greeks from Anatolia and reoccupied Smyrna, bent on revenge
for Greek atrocities in the city and further east.

The port was ransacked and looted for days. Women were raped and
mutilated, children were beheaded and more than 100,000 people
killed. Meanwhile, 21 allied warships sat in the harbour. Hundreds of
thousands of refugees were trapped on the city’s quayside, yet
officers on the ships still dressed for dinner and ordered louder
music to drown out the screams. "Paradise Lost" is a timely reminder
of the appalling cost of expansionist political ambitions; it tells a
fascinating story with clarity and insight.

Turkish Press
May 9 2008

Pope recalls Armenian ‘martyrdom,’ avoiding ‘genocide’ term

05-09-2008, 15h54
VATICAN CITY (AFP)

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday recalled the "martyrdom" of the Armenian
Apostolic Church during a visit by its leader Karekin II, avoiding the
word "genocide" pronounced several times by his predecessor John Paul
II.

Karekin II, on the fourth and final day of a visit to the Vatican, had
on Wednesday urged "all nations to universally denounce the Armenian
genocide" in a speech to some 20,000 people gathered in St Peter’s
Square.

On Friday, however, the pope said: "The recent history of the Armenian
Apostolic Church has been written in the contrasting colours of
persecution and martyrdom, darkness and hope, humiliation and
spiritual rebirth.

"The restoration of freedom to the Church in Armenia has been a source
of great joy for us all," the 81-year-old pontiff added.

In November 2000, a meeting at the Vatican between John Paul II and
Karekin II ended with a joint statement condemning the Armenian
"genocide."

The following year, at Karekin II’s invitation, the Polish pope
travelled to Armenia where the two religious leaders again spoke of
"the extermination of one-and-a-half million Armenian Christians in
what is generally called the first genocide of the 20th century."

John Paul II also spoke of the "annihilation of thousands of people
that followed under the former totalitarian regime," referring to
Soviet-era religious persecution.

On Friday, Karekin II invited Benedict XVI to visit Armenia both in
his own name and on behalf of new President Serzh Sarkisian.

The two religious leaders had private talks after the pope led an
ecumenical celebration in the Apostolic Palace’s imposing Clementine
Hall.

The Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the world’s oldest independent
churches, numbers some seven million adherents of whom two million
live in present-day Armenia.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, with more than
20 countries officially recognising genocide as the decades passed.

Turkey says 300,000 Armenians and at least an equal number of Turks
were killed in civil strife when the Christian Armenians, backed by
Russia, rose up against the Ottomans.

The dispute has been a major obstacle in relations between Turkey and
Armenia, which have no diplomatic ties and whose border has remained
closed for more than a decade. (AFP)

North by Northwestern, IL
May 9 2008

A birthday celebration that lost sight of Israel’s complex history

By Lana Birbrair

`What is Israel?’ Elie Wiesel asked the packed crowd in Welsh-Ryan
Arena. `It is, to all of us, a question mark.’ He was referring to
Israel’s timeline, not poking at the inner workings of the country’s
existential crisis. But the issue that Wiesel inadvertently raised is
the one that Jews should have been asking, yet were not, at the
Thursday night celebration of the country’s founding.

Wiesel ‘ a Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, activist, and
author of more than 40 books, most famously Night ‘ was the
highlighted speaker at the Israel @ 60 Gala, a sold-out commemoration
of Israel’s independence. I and about 8,000 other people attended the
event, which included music and speakers, including Wiesel, comedian
Jeff Garlin and Barukh Binah, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.

The audience included prominent Illinois and Chicago politicians, as
well as representatives and consul-generals from 20 nations, ranging
from Bolivia to Jordan to Australia. Most received enthusiastic
applause ‘ except France and Germany, which were met with claps and
boos. The event’s tone was congratulatory and hopeful, a celebration
of Israel’s 60-year history as a nation and its longer history as a
Jewish land.

Despite the hopeful overtones, many of the speakers’ messages were
clearly political. Barukh Binah, in his opening remarks, praised
Israel’s achievements in the arts and sciences. `I promise you today:
We will never cease to astonish the world,’ he said.

Nevertheless, he warned that those accomplishments would not come
without a price. `I humbly suggest to you that Israel is unique in
just about everything, but it is most unique in that it is a country
that must still be fought for. We may take Israel for granted, but
unfortunately, some of her neighbors do not.’ And when Wiesel called
for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, one of the most outspoken
Holocaust deniers, to be thrown out of the United Nations, he was met
with enthusiastic applause.

Optimism is to be expected at the birthday celebration of a nation
that many fought so hard for. But the steady self-assurance troubled
me slightly. In a video celebrating four Chicagoans who fought for
Israel, one man, who was in the audience, spoke about learning to
throw Molotov cocktails at tanks, and how it was the most exciting
time in his life. And when the audience stood to clap for him, it did
not seem to recognize that the tanks he destroyed were filled with
people trying to regain the land that had been taken away from them.

I do not mean to make a political statement about Israel one way or
the other ‘ enough has already been said about the injustices and
cruelties committed on both sides of the debate. But when Wiesel
proudly stated, `Israel rejected hatred as a principle. Anger,
sometimes, but hatred is on the other side,’ I felt a stirring in my
stomach that was not of pride, but of shame. If, 60 years later, young
Americans can boo when Germany is mentioned as a supporter, but cheer
for Turkey, which still denies the Armenian genocide, then perhaps
hatred has not been rejected by all.

The creation of Israel was a major, long-fought-for accomplishment for
the Jewish people, and I do not begrudge a celebration by a people
whose history is full of such hardship and overwhelming
resilience. But when, even at this occasion, that pride threatens to
turn to arrogance, when that celebration loses sight of the
complexities and contradictions that fill the history of Israel’s
formation, we Jews momentarily lose sight of the reality of our
position. We must keep in mind that although Israel came at a large
price, that price was not paid only by Jews.

But in the end, I do say `we.’ Because sitting in that audience,
surrounded by people who look like me and share my past, there was no
question that I was a Jew. In the middle of an audience dotted heavily
with yarmulkes, waving white-and-blue glow sticks, and singing along
to the Israeli national anthem, Wiesel’s words struck me: `We shall
never speak of Israel as `them,’ but as we ‘ for after all, we are one
people.’

008/05/10046/israel-at-60/