Author: Ekmekjian Janet

SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD ARRIVES IN YEREVAN ON JUNE 17

Noyan Tapan
June 17, 2009

Yerevan, June 17, Noyan Tapan. The President of the Arab Republic
of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, and his spouse Mrs. Asma Al-Assad arrived
in Yerevan on June 17 on a two-day official visit at the invitation
of the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan. The same day following
the welcome ceremony at the President’s residence, Presidents Serzh
Sargsyan and Bashar Al-Assad have had a private talk. President
Sargsyan particularly said: "Armenian highly estimates its
relationships with Syria, we estimate as friendly the Armenian -Syrian
relations and think they have a great potential for development".

The meeting continued in an extended format, President’s press office
reported. President Sargsyan mentioned, that Armenia is interested
in developing economic cooperation with Syria at a completely new
level. Syrian president stressed the necessity of creating favorable
conditions to Syrian investors in Armenia. According to him, the
Armenian community in Syria is the great power which will help to
accomplish many tasks. An intergovernmental agreement of mutual
encouragement and protection of investments was signed between two
governments, as well as the document on nature protection. Presidents
of Armenia and Syria gave a joint press conference in Yerevan.

In the evening of June 17 President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita
Sargsyan gave a dinner in honor of the Syrian President, Bashar
Al-Assad, and Mrs. Asma Al-Assad.

Within the framework of the visit Bashar Al-Assad had meetings with
the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hovik Abrahamyan. The speaker
stressed, that the Armenian people will never forget the support,
the Syrian nation rendered to Armenian forcible displaced people. In
that connection Mr.Abrahamyan informed, that a statue immemorating
that help is constructed in Yerevan with support of the Armenian
community of Syria. Officilas also discused Armenian-Turkish and
Syrian-Turkish relations, as well as a number of issues related to
stability and security in South Caucasus and Near East regions.

HULIQ, SC
June 13 2009

The President Of Azerbaijan In Hard Position

After the `home analyses’ followed St. Petersburg meeting between the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliev has probably
understood that the only logic point for resuming the negotiation
process over the conflict within `Madrid principles’ is the grant of
such a status to Nagorno Karabakh that would be accepted both
internationally and by Baku first of all and exclude its legal
belonging to Azerbaijan.

One must not rule out that just Turkish Diplomacy has helped him to
learn such kind of nuances, though being a graduate of Moscow State
Institute of International relations Aliev, has as good judge of
politics as his late father who had actually agreed to the suggestion
of the mediators in Ki West but returning to Baku broke his promise
with a motivation `of being pressured at home’.

That time both the mediators and the Armenian side understood elder
Aliev as the last hadn’t a lifelong presidential mandate. As to his
son, something is behind comprehension. The opposition is destroyed,
he is enabled with `constitutional right’ to be elected as president
for countless times and a process of `constitutional reforms’ is
launched throughout the country. In case the reforms are fulfilled,
what is undoubtedly realistic, all Azerbaijani’elective’ officials
will get rid of the headache upon no need to keep their offices
permanently, more than for two terms.

The matter with ombudsman and Prosecutor General is clear, others are
waiting for their turn. So, it’s hardly probable to speak about
`putting pressure’.

Apparently, Aliev has wrong impression about the negotiations.
The agitation turmoil rose after St. Petersburg meeting comes to prove
that factor. Everybody was unanimously assuring that in the beginning
of July the Presidents of United States, France and Russian will get
together, Armenia’s and Azerbaijani leaders will be invited an the
three `will put pressure on Serzh Sargsyan’. Judging from the fact
that there is a lack of free press as well as free-thinking
politicians or experts in Azerbaijan, we can state that the turmoil
was instructed by President Aliev. Some time passed and Azeris
realized that US President is visiting Moscow with a differently
another agenda, that priority in the South Caucasus for the US is the
Georgian issue, at last no `Moscow summit’ is planned and nobody
intends `to put pressure on Serzh Sargsyan.

Moreover, statements from Washington had an effect of cold shower on
Azerbaijani enthusiasm. First Mathew Bryza stated that the meeting
between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan is unlikely to concur
with Osama’s visit to Moscow, then Deputy State Secretary Philip
Gordon noted in Yerevan that Nagorno Karabakh settlement must be based
on all principles of the international law.

In such a situation Aliev had nothing but `to put all the idlers into
service’.

Novruz Mamedov was the first to speak and in fact refute Foreign
Minister Mamedyarov’s estimation of St. Petersburg meeting as
`constructive’ confirming `some progress’. Being responsible for the
foreign policy of the presidential administration Mamedov certainly
expresses Ilham Aliev’s position. So another question rises. Has
Mamedyarov expressed his own or Aliev’s views?

Deputy Foreign Minister Azimov tried to make some clarifications into
the matter stating that Azerbaijan has principally agreed with the
suggestions of the mediators with reserve that they are expecting
`some changes in Armenian position’. The conclusion has apparently
nothing in common with the reason as the Armenian position is built on
`Madrid Principles’, those are the suggestions by the mediators and if
Azimov himself accepts them his expectations are absolutely illogical.

So as usual Azerbaijan is confronting an alternative to resume or not
the peaceful resolution of the conflict. The scales are pulled to
`not’ option. But a new question raises here – `What motivation’?
Official Baku has leveled its criticism at co-chairing states,
particularly at France and generally international mediators. The idea
of striping France of mediation mandate has been suggested in
Azerbaijani parliament. French National Assembly Deputy Roshbluan’s
visit to Nagorno Karabakh served as a pretext for the suggestion. But
as Azerbaijani hysteria indicates Azerbaijani President has set a task
to form`distrust’ regarded to Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. It’s no
more credible to rely on the opposition as nobody will believe him
stating that internal political escalations may occur in case of an
agreement with Armenia. So the factor of `a wide public disaffection’
is left to use.

What’s the perspective of using that card?

In other circumstances may be, but today it will hardly work as
`Madrid Principles’ must have generally pleased the Azerbaijani
public. At least the mediators have the right to doubt Azerbaijani
sincerity. That is why Ilham Aliev has chosen a `standby option. The
Executive Secretary of the ruling party Ali Ahmedov has raised an idea
of forming`parity’ in Minsk Group. As Ahmedov thinks, one or some of
the Co-Chairing states support Armenian position so Turkey should get
a Co-Chairing mandate as well with the simplest conclusion ‘to stand
up for Azerbaijani interests’.

Ahmedov is certainly steping in for Ilham Aliev, his immediate boss,
who has repeatedly assured Azerbaijani people that the Co-Chairing
states recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan so `Armenia
has nothing to do but accept the reality’. Does it mean that the
President has deceived his people for years? There are not two
truths. Either Ilham Aliev or Ali Ahmedov lies.

After all another nuance occurs. `Madrid Principles’ imply a respect
to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan without Nagorno Karabakh
and some adjoining territories. Political scientist Zardusht Alizade,
for example, says that `some five or six districts are proposed to
return to Azerbaijan with the further return of refugees, exploitation
of communications and definition of Nagorno Karabakh status through
referendum is outlined as well’. As Alizade considers Armenian side
stands on including the referendum date in the preliminary
agreement. Azerbaijan opposes saying `that is a matter of
future’. That is the key point of disagreement between the parties,
Alizade says.

To speak on the reasonability of Turkey’s becoming of Minsk Group
Co-Chairing state means an explicit hint at wrecking the talks as not
only Armenia but the Co-Chairing states themselves will refuse the
initiative. Turkey is anyway enough engaged with South Caucasian
matters which actually does not correspond to the international
prestige and potential of that state.

Let’s hope that Ilham Aliev will find enough strength to pass the way
outlined by `nationwide leader’ Heydar Aliev. Remind, Wasn’t the last
expressing an opinion during discussions in the parliament that it’s
unreasonable to think that Nagorno Karabakh will agree to return to
the status as in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. Elder Aliev
didn’t manage to fulfill the task due to the chief goal to crown his
son as a president. His son is beyond that problem so long until he
reaches his father’s age and Junior Heydar Aliev, his son, to that of
presidential pretensions.

By Vahram Atanesyan, Chairman of the Nagorno Karabakh National
Assembly Committee on International Relations.
Translated from Azg.am

WFDB SUPPORTS ARMENIAN INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH DIAMOND BOURSE

Tacy
gazine/magazine.aspx?id=7907
June 11 2009
Israel

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has welcomed the
Armenian government’s aim to create a national diamond and jewelry
exchange in the capital Yerevan.

"During the past decade, Armenia’s role in the international diamond
industry and trade has progressed at an impressive rate," said WFDB
President Avi Paz in a statement. "Diamond manufacturing and trading
have reached a critical volume and a logical step would be to establish
a diamond bourse to facilitate diamond trading and thus become part
of the global family of diamond exchanges that are affiliated to
the WFDB."

Paz issued the statement of support during a press conference where
Gagik Kocharyan, Head of the Trade and Market Efficiency Department of
the Armenian Ministry of Economy, announced the government initiative.

According to Kocharyn, the creation of a diamond and jewelry exchange
in the Armenian capital would give the country an opportunity to play
a serious role in the region, to attract world market participants
to Armenia and to increase jewelry sales in the country.

The exchange will initially operate within a free trade zone to be
created at Zvartnots airport, added Kocharyn.

"We are looking forward to opening a channel of communications with our
Armenian counterparts and begin liaising," added Paz, who then invited
an Armenian delegation to participate in the WFDB 2009 Presidents’
Meeting scheduled for November in Antwerp.

Sources say that representatives of Armenia’s jewelry sector first
brought up the idea of an Armenian diamond exchange back 2003.

DOES GOVERNMENT ALLOW OF UNJUSTIFIED TAX DECREASE FOR MPS ENGAGED IN WINEMAKING?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.06.2009 18:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA ex-Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan accessed tax
package, currently discussed at Parliament, as another stupidity and
noted that the way material is presented makes him laugh. "Besides,
it’s unclear, where’s the crossing line between large and small
businesses. It’s been officially announced that entrepreneurs,
whose assets vary from AMD 2 to 4 billion, are considered major
businessmen. But at the same time, medium sized and small businesses
can bring the same assets.

According to Bagratyan, tax officers attached to companies are
indispensable in agriculture sphere, specifically, in companies
engaged in wine making. ‘~QThere is a lot of ambiguity in this sphere,
specifically connected with grape purchase. It’s also unclear why the
government keeps altering wine-makers taxation- related decisions,"
he noted. According to Bagratyan, this policy could only be explained
by the fact that 12 MPs, including Parliamentary speaker, are engaged
in wine-asking business.

SFEIR: POLL RESULT AVERTED TAKEOVER BY IRAN, SYRIA
By Therese Sfeir

Daily Star
June 12 2009
Lebanon

Siniora wants Hariri to be premier

BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said in comments
to be published Friday that had the opposition won the June 7
parliamentary polls, "Syria and Iran would have taken control of
our country." "They [the opposition] wanted to take over Lebanon,
but now President Michel Sleiman rules Lebanon," the patriarch told
Al-Massira magazine.

Sfeir said that while Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon,
"it still has some ambitions in Lebanon."

Syria ended its 30-year military presence in Lebanon in 2005,
amid a wave of anti-Syrian demonstrations in Lebanon following the
assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.

Many blamed the killing on Syria, but Damascus has repeatedly denied
involvement.

On Thursday, former US President Jimmy Carter, currently on a visit to
Damascus, told Syrian President Bashar Assad that Lebanon’s elections
were "a real success."

Carter said he had wished to hold talks with Hizbullah officials,
but added that they "refused to meet with us."

Carter headed an elections monitoring mission during Lebanon’s
elections on Sunday.

In other news, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana
will arrive in Beirut Friday for a two-day visit, during which he will
meet with President Michel Sleiman, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh,
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri.

Sleiman and Siniora held talks at Baabda Palace Thursday. Siniora
told reporters following the meeting that he nominated Future Movement
leader MP Saad Hariri to head the new government.

Solana will also meet with the members of the Loyalty to the Resistance
parliamentary bloc.

The chief of European diplomacy will hold a news conference at the
Rafik Hariri International Airport on Saturday, before leaving the
capital.

Hariri said Thursday that he was willing to offer Hizbullah and
its allies in the opposition "guarantees," in return for forming an
"efficient government."

During an interview with the Financial Times, Hariri said: "What is
needed at this point is for the majority to offer the opposition some
guarantees on specific issues, and to form a cabinet that is capable
of fulfilling these guarantees."

The Future Movement leader also held Israel responsible for hampering
peace efforts in the Middle East. He described Israel’s statements
about the Lebanese elections as "absurd."

Hariri also rejected claims that the election of US President Barack
Obama helped him and his allies in the March 14 Forces to win the
elections.

In other developments, the Cabinet will convene on Friday for the first
time after the elections. The session, which will be held at the Baabda
Palace, will see the discussion of the 2009 draft budget. Sleiman
met with Speaker Nabih Berri’s political aide, MP Ali Hassan Khalil,
on Thursday to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt condemned
"attacks launched by some parties against the Armenian community."

In a statement Thursday, Jumblatt criticized those "who are describing
the Armenians and the Tashnag party as outsiders."

The PSP leader noted that the Armenians contributed to building
the Lebanese state and were one of the pillars in establishing the
national pact. "A disagreement between the Tashnag party and another
political party does not make the Armenians outsiders," he added.

Separately, Siniora stressed Thursday his keenness on preserving the
unity of the Lebanese and principles of Arabism.

Addressing visitors in the Sidon town of Majdalyoun, Siniora said:
"We want to protect the Lebanese people’s unity, their Arabism,
and the unity of Muslims."

"We also want to preserve coexistence, regardless of the misbehavior
of some parties," Siniora added.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea reiterated his
rejection of the vetoing third in the Cabinet. After a meeting with
Siniora on Thursday, Geagea said: "Our stance is clearly against the
veto power in government because it brings nothing new."

Meanwhile, MP Marwan Hamadeh warned that the majority March 14 alliance
would not accept the re-election of Berri as Parliament speaker unless
a number of issues, including the premiership and cabinet formation,
were settled.

In remarks published by pan-Arab Ash-Sharq al-Awsat Thursday, Hamadeh
stressed the need for a "complete basket," rejecting the re-election
of Berri before settling other issues.

In a news conference Wednesday, Former Minister Nassib Lahoud said
the elections "confirmed that the Lebanese people can rely on the
democratic game as a peaceful means for governance."

However, Lahoud added that the March 14 Forces would have been able to
achieve a wider majority if it had avoided major mistakes, especially
in the districts of Metn and Kesrouan.

Lahoud called on the March 14 Forces to "rectify their practices and
mistakes in order to benefit from experiences of the past phase."

THREE SCRIPTS NOMINATED FOR ARMENIAN AWARD

Hollywood Reporter
nt_display/world/news/e3i510515663761ce34422b70879 80eda4f
June 11 2009

Winner announced at the end of August

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance has selected three finalists for
the second biennial Lillian and Varnum Paul Screenwriting Award.

They are "Music for Strangers" by Eric Nazarian, "Moskvitch, My Love"
by Levon Minassian and "The Bedouin" by David Deranian and Anthony
Zanontian.

Entries were required to be full-length, unproduced film scripts
written in English and based on Armenian themes.

The three finalist screenplays will be evaluated by an honorary jury
including filmmaker, Atom Egoyan; producer and vp of development at
Alcon Entertainment, Steve Wegner; and literary agent-turned-director
Michael Peretzian.

The winner of the $10,000 award will be announced at a private ceremony
in Los Angeles during the weekend of Aug. 28-30. This year’s ceremony
will include a screening of an outstanding new film by an Armenian
filmmaker and will be followed by a cocktail reception. Tickets will
be available for this exclusive event by invitation only.

TURKISH LABEL TO RELEASE CD TITLED ‘MEDZ YEGHERN: 1915 ORATORIO’

sh-label-to-release-cd-titled-%e2%80%98medz-yegher n-1915-oratorio%e2%80%99/
Jun 11, 2009

ISTANBUL-A music label in Turkey is preparing to release an album
by world-renowned Armenian composer Khacadur Avedisyan, titled Medz
Yeghern-1915 Oratorio, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide of 1915,
the Turkish Hurriyet Daily reported on Thursday.

"I have attempted to release the album in Turkey for many years,"
Hasan Saltuk, the owner of Kalan Music, told Hurriyet. "It was not
easy to reach the composer’s family. Also, there were no original
records of the album."

Saltuk accidentally found the original records during a trip to
Paris. With the help of a friend’s son from the Netherlands, Saltuk
reached Avedisyan’s son, Mikayel Avedisyan. He then encountered another
problem. The composer willed that the album should be released only
with the title "Genocide – 1915 Oratorio."

That would not have worked in Turkey, where it is illegal to describe
as Genocide the systematic massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the
Ottoman Turkish government between 1915 and 1923. Saltuk said he was
able to persuade Avedisyan’s son to allow the album to be released
with the title "Medz Yeghern – 1915 Oratorio" rather than "Genocide –
1915 Oratorio."

"I was sued many times because we released music belonging to different
Anatolian ethnic cultures in their original languages," he said.

Khachadur Avedisyan was born in 1926 in Armenian’s second largest town,
Gyumri. At 25, he was the first Armenian artist to win gold medals at
international competitions in Berlin and Moscow. As well as classical
music, he worked on Armenian folk music and played traditional folk
instruments. He formed the folk music unit at the Gomidas National
Conservatory in Yerevan in 1978. He worked as the art director of
the National Dance Group and later for Tatul Altunyan Music and Dance
Group in 1958. He continued composing music at the same time.

ARMENIA-TURKEY FOOTBALL MATCH – 2:5

Panorama.am
14:41 10/06/2009

On June 9 Armenian youth team had its second match with Turkish youth
team in Vazgen Sargsyan "Republican" stadium in the frames of Europe
Youth Championship 2011 electoral round. Just in the beginning of the
match the guests opened the score. Both teams showed equal struggle
and created several chances to kick the goal. Till the end of the
first round the Turkish kicked another goal.

Before Armenian Henrikh Mkhitaryan kicked the first goal in the 70th
minute, the Turkish have made the score 0:4. In the end of the match
Artak Dashyan kicked the second Armenian goal but the final score
stopped in 2:5 for the Turkish team.

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER CONFIRMS HIS READINESS TO VISIT ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-06-10 17:34:00

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin confirmed his readiness to visit
Armenia at a meeting in Moscow with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan as part of EurAsEC Interstate Council session on June 9,
Premier Tigran Sargysan told media.

Tigran Sargsyan said the terms of the visit will be specified at the
diplomatic level later. ‘It is not a secret that we live in a rapidly
changing environment. Due to the global financial and economic crisis,
we become witnesses to unexpected and unpredictable events. So, the
day of the visit of the Russian premier cannot be specified so far’,
he said.

Earlier in February 2009 Vladimir Putin accepted the official
invitation by Tigran Sargsyan to visit Armenia. The visit was planned
for May 2009.

75 DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF VAHAN CARDASHIAN TO BE COMMEMORATED IN 2009

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.06.2009 17:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 75 death anniversary of Vahan Cardashian, who made
a significant contribution to Armenian Nation’s history, will be
commemorated in 2009.

Little is known about the work of Vahan Cardashian in Armenia; still,
it is to him that Armenians owe their victory in US Senate. Cardashian
gained support for the Armenian cause by uniting American society
against American-Turkish agreement signed in Lausanne in 1923. Thanks
to his efforts, US Senate refrained from adopting Lausanne agreement,
documentally confirming US President Woodrow Wilson’s arbitral decision
on Armenia.

Vahan Cardashian was born in Gesaria. He received his law degree
from Yale University, New York and was a colleague of Armen Karo
(Armenia’s Ambassador to the United States of America).

>From 1911 to 1915, Cardashian represented the Ottoman Embassy and its
New York consulate. He resigned his post in 1915 when he learned that
his mother and sister were among the victims of the 1915 Genocide;
soon he became active in the American Committee for an Independent
Armenia (ACIA) In 1918 Vahan Cardashian was appointed director of
the A.R.F. central committee media office. During this period he
closed his private practice and allocated his time and wealth to the
Armenian Cause.

In 1919, Vahan Cardashian established the (ACIA), the predecessor
of the Armenian National Committee. Its membership included many
prominent American and Allied leaders including James V. Gerard,
the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Charles
Evans Hughes (later appointed Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme
Court), Elihu Root and others. Its goal, as implied by its title,
was to seek the independence of Armenia along the lines recommended
by President Wilson. The ACIA had its central offices in New York
City with 23 regional offices in 13 states.

Vahan Cardashian died in long island at the age of 51.