Author: Emil Lazarian

KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR
Howard Hudson
European Parliament
Tiscali, Europe
Oct 3 2005
Embrace Turkey or “end up a Christian club”
EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg last night failed to
bury the hatchet ahead of accession talks with Turkey. Vienna is
insisting Turkey be offered the next best thing to full membership;
Ankhara says it will walk away if full accession is not on the table.
The impasse is clear and deep: the negotiating mandate has to be
agreed by all 25 member states before entry talks can begin. And
with polls saying 70% of Austrians are against Turkey’s membership,
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel says he wants the EU to admit popular
concerns. And offer “privileged partnership” instead.
After getting the go-ahead to begin talks nine months ago, there’s now
a palpable sense of frustration and increasing feelings of betrayal on
the streets of Turkey. Sensing this, and echoing earlier declarations
made by Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UK Foreign Minister Jack
Straw warned of a “theological-political divide, which could open up
even further down the boundary between so-called Christian-heritage
states and those of Islamic heritage”.
Seeking some kind of diplomatic manna, Mr Straw added: “I hope and
pray that we may be able to reach an agreement”.
In a separate development, the European Parliament has postponed
voting to extend Turkey’s association agreement to the 10 new member
states. MEPs feared that Ankhara’s declaration that the protocol
does not mean any form of recognition of Cyprus would form part of
the ratification process in the Turkish parliament and thus gain
legal force.
However, Parliament did agree: “the Commission and the Council take
the view that Turkey has formally fulfilled the last conditions for
starting the accession negotiations on 3 October 2005”.
During the negotiations, which are open-ended and will not
automatically lead to Turkish EU membership, Turkey should be kept
under permanent scrutiny and pressure to ensure that it maintains
“the pace of the necessary reforms”. Parliament also said it considered
Turkish recognition of “the Armenian genocide … to be a prerequisite
for accession”.
On other issues, MEPs voiced their concern about the criminal
proceedings against Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, about article 305
of the penal code which criminalizes “acts against the fundamental
national interest”, about the restrictions on foreign funding for
associations, and about the “Law on Foundations” concerning religious
communities.
Parliament wants each negotiation session at ministerial level to be
preceded by an assessment of the fulfilment of the political criteria,
both in theory and in practice, “thus exerting permanent pressure
on the Turkish authorities to maintain the pace of the necessary
reforms”. Finally, Parliament stressed that the EU’s capacity to
absorb Turkey remains an important consideration, and needs to be
monitored by the Commission during negotiations.
Accession talks with the Turkish delegation are due to begin at 3pm
GMT. Asked how great the fallout would be if the situation remained
deadlocked, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said: “It would
certainly be a bad day. But we’ve had similar crises before. We’ve
found solutions before and we’ll find one for Turkey.”
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Sify, India
Oct 2 2005
Turkey in EU would help the Muslim world: analysts

Sunday, 02 October , 2005, 08:19

Amman: Arab countries believe Turkey entering the European Union
would strengthen their own relations with Europe and bolster efforts
to portray Islam as a moderate religion, analysts say.
“Turkey’s negotiations with the European Union are a sign of
encouragement,” said Fares Braizat, a researcher at the Centre of
Strategic Studies of the University of Jordan.
“For the Arabs it means that Turkey could play a play a significant
role within the European Union regarding EU policies towards the Arab
and Muslim regions,’ he said. `Turkey is seen as a model for positive
engagement with the world.”
With one foot firmly planted in the east and the other in the west,
Turkey is seen by other Muslim countries as a role model that has
successfully balanced tradition and modernisation.
“The Arabs look up to Turkey as a model for bringing modernisation
and democracy,” Braizat said.
“This could inspire Arab countries that if you introduce democratic
reforms, it would mean you have the advantage of being considered for
a better partnership with the European Union,” he added.
A Muslim but secular state of 70 million people, Turkey is due to
begin accession talks on Monday with a Europe whose history and
culture are broadly Christian, but where the influence of that faith
is waning.
The entry of a “Muslim country into a Christian club will be
beneficial for both parties”, said Qatari analyst Abdelhamid
al-Ansari.
The move is expected to trigger economic dividends for Ankara and
help Turkey “rationalise its policies”, said Ansari, a former dean of
theology at Doha University.
“Ankara appears more apt at admitting the Armenian genocide and at
recognising Cyprus, but also in dealing well with its minorities such
as the Kurds,” he said, listing the three thorny issues standing in
the way of Turkey’s EU membership.
By accepting Turkey, “the EU will be shedding its ‘Christian club’
label, improving Europe’s image in the Muslim world and encouraging
Turkey’s model – a moderate Islamic state which is also a democracy,”
Ansari said.
“This would help moderates and liberals across the Muslim world to
confront Islamic extremism.”
Turkey’s neighbour Syria, which is facing harsh criticism from
Washington over its alleged failure to prevent the infiltration of
militants and weapons into Iraq, is crossing its fingers that Ankara
will be admitted into the EU.
“Turkey’s membership is important for Syria because it will become
Europe’s direct neighbour,” said Elias Murad, the chief editor of
Al-Baath, the ruling party’s newspaper.
“This will contribute to improve political and economic relations
with the EU,” Murad said.
Syria had to pull troops out of Lebanon in April under heavy
international pressure, ending nearly three decades of military and
political domination of its smaller neighbour.
In July, European Union foreign ministers urged Syria to support the
new government in Lebanon and stop backing groups that oppose moves
to establish peace in the Middle East
“A positive Syrian contribution to regional stability would
contribute to deepening the EU-Syria relationship,” a statement said.
Lebanon also believes Turkey should be admitted to the EU.
“Turkey should not be excluded because it is a Muslim country,” an
official source said.
“Turkey’s admission into the EU will have a positive impact on
international cooperation and will be beneficial for Lebanon,” the
source said.

Pan Armenian News
YEAR OF ARMENIA IN FRANCE WILL BE A NEW AND IMPORTANT PHASE IN
ARMENIAN-FRENCH RELATIONS
01.10.2005 03:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 29 and 30 Armenian Ambassador to France Edvard
Nalbandyan held a number of meetings with Cannes Mayor, MP Bernard Brochand,
Nice Mayor, Senator Jacques Peyrat and Antibes Mayor, MP Jean Leonetti,
reported the Press Service of the Armenian MFA. In the course of the meeting
the possible participation of Cannes, Nice and Antibes in events marking the
Year of Armenia in France was discussed. The parties noted the importance of
the decision of Presidents of Armenia and France to organize the Year of
Armenia in France and expressed readiness to actively participate in the
events. A meeting with leaders of organizations of Cote d’Azur French region
was also held in Nice. During the session Armenian Ambassador to France
informed about the events to be organized within the framework of the Year
of Armenia in France. The 2nd session of the inter-state commission will be
held in Yerevan November 3, he also remarked. During it the draft program of
the events will be presented and discussed, as well as the symbol of the
Year of Armenia in France will be approved, Nalbandyan said.

Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
Oct 1 2005
Festival Miami takes on a Russian accent
By Alan Becker
Special Correspondent
Festival Miami continues to offer some enticing concerts at a time of
year when the cupboard seems bare. Wednesday’s program, at the
University of Miami’s Gusman Theater, presented Russian composers and
artists, with one exception in each case.
The justification for the presence of Aaron Copland on the program
was his Russian Jewish lineage and the presence of a Jewish folk
theme in his “Vitebsk” Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano.
An abrasive work with clashing sonorities dating from 1925, the Trio
showed violinist Sviatoslav Moroz and cellist Semyon Fridman at their
best. Each player had absorbed the idiom fully, bringing insight and
imagination to the music.
Performing in all the works with piano was University of Miami
faculty member Paul Posnak, who has the digital control and authority
to assert himself as an equal partner with any ensemble. During
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake excerpts with Moroz, he undertook the role of
orchestra.
If the piano arrangement seemed awkward at times, the violinist did
his best with the mostly original solos.
Three of Gliere’s engaging pieces for violin and cello easily
demonstrated what a creative composer could do with a string duo,
rather than relying on a keyboard to fill in the harmonies.
While only the slow movement from Rachmaninoff’s beautiful Sonata for
Cello and Piano was performed, it provided a striking contrast to the
splashy emptiness of Rodion Shchedrin’s take on Albeniz for Cello and
Piano.
Alexander Arutiunian’s Impromptu is another matter altogether, and
provided a joyful and fiery alternative to the Armenian composer’s
more frequently heard Trumpet Concerto. The language is almost pure
Khachaturian, and the composer weds this to an arresting rhythmic
exuberance. Fridman, with his luxuriant tone, milked the piece and
had a field day with Arutiunian’s tricky rhythms.
Shostakovich’s Op. 67 Trio has a vicious, sardonic intensity in its
two faster movements, and wears a doleful countenance for the
remainder of the work.
Considering that it dates from the war years and contains a portrayal
of the Jews being horribly forced to dance just before their
slaughter by Nazis, the composer avoids most of his depressive
tendencies. It was given a reading that, while not note-perfect,
conveyed the music’s stature and feeling.
Alan Becker is a freelance writer in Davie.

Des plaies inguérissables

Des plaies inguérissables
Odile Tremblay
Édition du vendredi 30 septembre 2005 Le Devoir
Titre VO : Le Génocide en moi
Description : Réalisation, scénario et image: Araz Artinian.
La jeune cinéaste montréalaise Araz Artinian a réalisé un fascinant
documentaire sur le lourd héritage qu’elle subit et aime à la fois.
Avoir des origines arméniennes avec un père obsédé par le génocide de
1915 n’est guère de tout repos. D’où le questionnement
existentiel. Qui suis-je ? Puis-je connaître une liberté hors du champ
de mon identité arménienne ? Pas sûr. Le papa d’Araz Artinian ne peut
envisager qu’une de ses deux filles puisse épouser un non-Arménien,
réduisant leurs perspectives d’avenir.
«Tout ce qui m’arrive aujourd’hui remonte à 1915, dira la jeune
femme. J’ai pris le poids de la dénégation turque dans mon sac d’école
toute mon enfance.»
Araz Artinian avait collaboré au film Ararat d’Atom Egoyan et réalisé
The Story of Arsinée Khanjian, portrait de l’épouse et muse du
cinéaste torontois d’origine arménienne. Ce documentaire suit les
mêmes pistes que sa fiction.
Il démontre à quel point la non-reconnaissance du génocide par le
gouvernement turc rend les plaies inguérissables pour toute une
diaspora empêtrée dans ses racines rouges, en mal d’identité.
À travers une oeuvre sur la mémoire en tant que périple initiatique,
la réalisatrice rencontre les derniers survivants du génocide,
nonagénaires qui gardent en eux des images et des sensations gravées,
indélébiles : femme enceinte éventrée, les poux, la mort, la soif.
Elle déambule aussi avec sa petite vidéo numérique pour capter les
images et les témoignages familiaux, certes, mais aussi sur les routes
de la Turquie dans les anciennes terres arméniennes, où des guides
taisent le génocide aux touristes. Des documents d’archives, photos
et films tournés en Égypte et au Canada ajoutent des fragments à cette
mosaïque.
C’est l’amalgame des regards sur le génocide et l’identité arménienne
qui donne sa vivacité au documentaire d’Araz Artinian. Quel que soit
le bout par lequel elle aborde son sujet, le massacre de 1,5 million
d’Arméniens par les Turcs en 1915 vient la hanter pour mieux
bouleverser sa vie. Le Génocide en moi dit et répète à quel point peut
peser lourd le poids de l’Histoire.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Daily Star, Lebanon
Oct 1 2005
Gloomy and frustrated, Turkey gears up for EU showdown
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, October 01, 2005
ANKARA: Turkey urged the European Union to show “honesty” on its
troubled membership bid, as anger and frustration simmered over what
Turks see as European backpedaling on pledges to admit the country
into the bloc. Britain meanwhile stressed the “enormous strategic”
stakes of admitting Turkey to the European Union.
With just three days left before the start of membership talks, EU
countries are still wrangling over accession terms for Turkey,
leaving Ankara on the edge and its decades-old dream of integrating
Europe shrouded in uncertainty.
“If we fail to see the honesty we expect, Turkey’s response will
undoubtedly be very different from what has been said so far,” Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the northern city of Corum, the
Anatolia news agency reported.
The EU will hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers tomorrow
to seek a compromise on a negotiating.
The deadlock is blamed on Austria’s insistence to offer Turkey
“privileged partnership” as an alternative to full membership, an
option Ankara flatly rejects.
“Some people in the EU have fallen prey to fanaticism, unable to free
themselves from prejudice,” Erdogan said.
Britain warned that the stakes are high if Turkey is left out in the
cold, because it could serve as a democratic “beacon” for the
troubled Middle East across its borders.
“Turkey is of enormous strategic importance to the EU,” Britain’s
Europe Minister Douglas Alexander told BBC radio.
“Successfully integrating Turkey in the EU we believe would help us
tackle most of the many difficult problems that we face in the modern
world,” he added.
Sweden, Denmark and Finland joined Britain in rejecting a delay in
entry talks.
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said the European Commission
had clearly stated that “we are launching these negotiations with the
aim of including (Turkey).”

“If this is not possible (by the end of the process), then we should
try to find a different solution (but) it is too early now to
determine what this other solutions should be,” he said.
For her part, Austria’s Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik argued that
Vienna’s concerns are shared “all over Europe.”
Many Europeans are concerned about the EU’s ability to absorb Turkey.
“What we propose is an option in case membership does not work out,”
Plassnik told the Associated Press.
Full membership for Turkey is possible “one day – if Turkey fulfills
the requirements and if the European Union is also in a position to
absorb Turkey,” she said. “However, we should now listen to the
concerns voiced by so many people across Europe.”
Meanwhile, the head of the Armenian Church in Turkey sent a letter to
EU foreign ministers warning that a delay in entry talks could
undermine efforts to bring together the Muslim East and the Christian
West.
Minorities in Turkey have strongly supported the country’s EU bid in
the hopes of greater democratic reforms and freedoms.
The leader of the largest non-Muslim group in Turkey, Patriarch
Mesrob, wrote: “Turkey has expended great efforts to implement the
union criteria and has in a positive sense been steered toward real
change on the democratic road.
“Pressures in recent days from various circles to postpone Turkey’s
membership process cause us concern,” he added.
“Such undesired developments will be a blow not only to Turkey and
Europe but to reconciliation between East and West,” he wrote. –
Agencies
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 30 2005
PRESENTATION OF IMF REPORT “ECONOMIC PROSPECTS OF MIDDLE EAST AND
CENTRAL ASIA” TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON OCTOBER 3, 2005
YEREVAN, September 30. /ARKA/. Presentation of the report of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) “Economic Prospects of Middle East
and Central Asia” will be held in Yerevan on October 3, 2005.
Press-service of the IMF reported ARKA News Agency that the report
will be presented by Head of Department of Middle East and Central
Asia of the IMF Julian Berengaut. He will present IMF’s position on
macroeconomic trends registered in the region, as well as will
discuss issues of economic policy within the revaluation of the real
exchange rate. The report will discuss issues like economic prospects
of the countries of Middle East and Central Asia in coming years,
main risks and political tasks, sources of influence on inflation and
expected political resonances, evaluation of structural reforms,
economic policy of some of CIS countries within the revaluation of
the real exchange rate. A.A. -0
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 30 2005
ROBERT KOCHARIAN: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS IS ONE OF
MOST EFFICIENT STRUCTURES IN CIS

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Council of Ministers of
Internal Affairs is one of the most efficient structures in CIS. RA
President Robert Kocharian said this on September 30, receiving CIS
Ministers of Internal Affairs who arrived in Yerevan for the purpose
of participating in the regular sitting of the Council of Ministers
of Internal Affairs of CIS member-states. According to Robert
Kocharian, the problems of this sphere are nearly the same in all
countries, which creates a good basis for cooperation.
Estimating the work of Yerevan sitting as efficient, Rashid
Nurghaliyev, RF Minister of Internal Affairs, noted that the issues
they discussed mainly concerned different spheres of struggle against
crime, in particular, problems of coordinated struggle against
terrorism, illegal migration, corruption.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by RA President’s Press Service, during
the meeting the interlocutors exchanged opinions about reforms
carried out in the system of internal affairs of different countries.

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
The Jamestown Foundation
Sept 30 2005
LOCAL ELECTIONS EXPOSE WEAKNESS OF ARMENIAN CIVIL SOCIETY
By Emil Danielyan
Friday, September 30, 2005
Armenia’s ongoing local election season is exposing the degradation
of its democratic institutions as well as the weakness of its civil
society. The polls, effectively boycotted by the Armenian opposition,
are essentially an intra-government affair, with rival wealthy
individuals seeking to further their business interests through
control of local government bodies. Their handling by the authorities
bodes ill for the freedom and fairness of the crucial constitutional
referendum due in November.
The electoral process affecting the vast majority of the country’s
930 rural and urban communities began this spring and will peak in
October. The most important of those communities are the ten
administrative districts in the capital, Yerevan. Most of them have
already elected their chief executives and city councilmen.
As was the case in the past, Armenia’s leading opposition parties
have shown little interest in the local races. Opposition leaders
claim that they cannot be democratic as long as President Robert
Kocharian and his allies remain in power. They also say that local
communities do not have any significant powers in Armenia’s highly
centralized system of governance.
The only place where Armenia’s largest opposition group, the Justice
bloc, has fielded a candidate so far was Yerevan’s central Kentron
district, whose incumbent alderman, Gagik Beglarian, is a staunch
Kocharian loyalist. Yet even there opposition leaders effectively
avoided campaigning for their female candidate, Ruzan Khachatrian.
She therefore had no chance to defeat her rival, who had the backing
of the entire state apparatus and controlled the local election
commissions. Official results of the September 25 ballot showed
Beglarian winning 86% of the vote. Although the opposition candidate
claimed that the race was decided by multiple voting and vote buying
in some Kentron neighborhoods, election observers from the Council of
Europe said they did not witness serious irregularities.
Commentators widely criticized the opposition’s indifference to the
most important local poll. Even a leader of the governing Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK) chided the opposition leaders for “throwing a
teammate into the lion’s mouth.” Iravunk, a newspaper critical of the
authorities, warned on September 27 that the opposition tactic had
made it easier for the ruling regime to push through its
controversial package of constitutional amendments at the November
referendum. But another paper, Azg, pointed out that the newly
elected or reelected local government chiefs will lack the motivation
to strive for a “yes” vote at the referendum with the same zeal.
What ordinary Armenians think of the constitutional amendments is
seen as secondary. The key factor is the authorities’ so-called
“administrative resources” that have been heavily used in all
Armenian elections over the past decade. Tactics include direct
involvement of government and law-enforcement bodies in campaigning,
aggressive televised propaganda, crude electoral fraud, and vote
buying. The last technique is becoming the defining feature of
Armenian local elections. The fact that their voter turnout is
usually well below 50% makes the practice particularly effective.
Vote bribes are what apparently enabled a 26-year-old man, Mher
Hovannisian, to get “elected” as alderman of Yerevan’s poorest
district, Nubarashen, on September 18. The youngster’s main merit was
the fact that his businessman father is a friend of one of Armenia’s
most powerful “oligarchs,” Gagik Tsarukian. Local, mostly elderly
voters admitted to journalists that they were paid 5,000 drams ($11)
to vote for him.
The Nubarashen election followed a pattern that has taken root in
most urban communities. They are typically run by wealthy
government-connected individuals who hold sway in a particular area
and are undeterred by their lack of constitutional powers (an elected
prefect can be sacked by a government-appointed regional governor
practically at will). Their affiliation with governing political
parties (usually the HHK) is largely nominal and their bonds with
senior government officials or millionaire “oligarchs” are much
stronger. The key preoccupation of most community chiefs is to create
favorable conditions for their and their cronies’ businesses. The
government office also gives them additional protection against
corrupt tax and law-enforcement bodies.
The local bosses primarily rely on their government connections and
financial resources to win elections. Quasi-criminal elements often
act as their foot soldiers, mobilizing, bribing, and bullying voters.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, another pro-presidential
party, has repeatedly expressed concern about the growing influence
of what it calls “apolitical elements” in the country. One of its
leaders warned in February of the possibility of armed clashes
between rival clans during the local elections. As if to prove him
right, on September 24 the mayor of a small town near Yerevan shot
and killed a local businessman who had campaigned for his main
election rival. The shooting took place on a street in broad
daylight.
It is highly doubtful that Kocharian or his most powerful associate,
Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, will take any action against the
corrupt local clans. They are one of the pillars of Armenia’s deeply
flawed political system. The ruling regime needs them more than any
of the three parties represented in Kocharian’s government to rig
presidential and parliamentary elections.
The fact that the increasingly entrenched clans are tightening their
grip on local governments with little resistance from political
parties, non-governmental organizations, and media speaks volumes
about the state of civil society in Armenia. It also dims prospects
for the country’s democratization. That most people do not care who
runs their district or town and that some of them are ready to sell
their votes should also be a cause for serious concern among those
who promote political reform in Armenia.
(Iravunk, Azg, Haykakan Zhamanak, September 27; RFE/RL Armenia
Report, February 21, September 19 and 26)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Dallas Morning News, TX
Sept 30 2005
Armenian festival venerates beloved culture

Carrollton: Event choreographed to honor heritage and to educate
By VERONICA VILLEGAS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
For nearly two months, Rachel Adonian has been learning the
traditional dances of her native country along with other members of
St. Sarkis Apostolic Church – the only Armenian congregation in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area.

JASON JANIK/Special Contributor
Datevik Gharibian displays a traditional Armenian dance step as
Anaies Avidisian (left) and Magali Altunian practice a dance in
preparation for ArmeniaFest on Oct. 7-9. It isn’t easy, she said, but
it’s something she thinks she must do. She couldn’t pass up the
opportunity to learn from an instructor who traveled from Armenia
specifically to teach them.
“To be a part of something that is so important and vital to your
culture – there really aren’t words to describe it,” said Ms.
Adonian, 21, who has taken the lessons since she was a girl. “It puts
me in tune with what my heritage is, and it ties you in closer to
your family and your community. Plus, I love doing it. It’s a part of
who I am.”
The countless hours of practice culminate next week for her and about
40 other women, men and children learning the native dances when they
take to the stage during the three-day ArmeniaFest.
The festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is held on the
grounds of St. Sarkis in Carrollton and is organized by its
congregation.
Festival organizer Paul Kirazian said the dance performances are
important to understanding Armenian culture.
“The dances are used to tell our stories,” he said. “They represent
our history and our culture. It’s one of our major attractions.”
Mr. Kirazian said that each year, the church brings in an Armenian
dancer to teach interested members of its congregation and the
community.
During the instructor’s two-month stay, she lives with a host family.
“There is no one here locally who can teach us this,” Mr. Kirazian
said. “It’s our heritage. To be able to pass those traditions on to
our young is valuable.”
The dancing is only one of the many activities scheduled during the
festival. Live music, children’s games, cooking demonstrations and
handcrafts also are planned.
This year, the festival is celebrating the 1,600th anniversary of the
Armenian alphabet with a special history and art exhibit.
And as usual, those attending will be able to enjoy traditional
Armenian food.
“It’s all cooked by hand,” said Eva Sherenian, festival spokeswoman.
“It’s very impressive because all the women come together and work
really hard to prepare the foods and the men come together to
marinate the meats.”
“All the other festivals claim to have the most delicious foods and
be the best, but we really are the best,” Mr. Kirazian bragged.
“Whether you’re an Armenian or not, it’s a great event.”
Ms. Sherenian said that although the festival was started as a way
for the Armenian community to come together and celebrate its
heritage, organizers also wanted it to educate people unfamiliar with
Armenia.
“We want people to come and enjoy our foods and our traditions,” she
said.