Author: Frangulian Shushan

LEVON ARONYAN NAMED BEST SPORTSMAN OF 2006

ArmRadio.am
20.12.2006 17:37

Grand Master Levon Aronyan has been recognized the best sportsman of
Armenia. This is evidenced by the results of the survey conducted by
the Federation of Sports Journalists.

Levon Aronyan’s victory was undisputable; he is one of the strongest
chess players of the world. It’s worth mentioning that in 2006 in
Turin the 24-year-old sportsman became World Olympic Champion within
the national team of Armenia, won the Linares and Moscow Championships
and became FIDE World Champion.

In the result of the survey Aronyan collected 389 points. Karen
Mnatsakanyan (282 points) andf Roan Amoyan (254 points) took the
second and third places respectively.

PRELACY HOSTS ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

ArmRadio.am
19.12.2006 10:27

Montreal, Qc- Under the Auspices of His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag
Hagopian, Prelate, the Armenian Prelacy of Canada’s 9-foot Christmas
tree was illuminated to the delight of the attendants on the evening
of December 15, 2006.

In His greeting, His Eminence wished Prelacy Councils and organizations
a bright and happy New Year, noting that thanks to their hard work
that the New Year would now be luminous.

Christmas carols and a reception at the Prelacy hall followed the
ceremony, where representatives of Prelacy Religious and Executive
Councils, sister organizations and recipients of honorary Cilicia
medals got together for a night of festivities.

NATIONAL REVIVAL PARTY LEADER WILL NOT RUN IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2007

Yerevan, December 15. ArmInfo. The leader of the National Revival
party, MP Albert Bazeyan will most probably not run in the
parliamentary elections 2007.

To remind, formerly Bazeyan was mayor of Yerevan and the leader of the
Republic party, which he left because of conflict with Aram Sargsyan.

In an interview to Haykakan Zhamanak Bazeyan says that he may dissolve
is party. Everything is possible if the opposition fails to
unite. Bazeyan says that his party is not going to take part in
half-way measures like Anti-Criminal Movement. "Somebody says some
stupidity and then asks to support it. We are not going to take part
in stupid things," says Bazeyan.

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Dec 15 2006

Armenian Patriarch backs Turkey’s EU bid
The EU’s leaders should not impose unilateral conditions on Turkey.
Mesrob said.

Güncelleme: 03:45 ET 15 Aralık 2006 Cuma
ISTANBUL – The head of the Armenian church in Turkey has called on
the leaders of the European Union not to undermine Ankara’s bid for
membership of the bloc.

A letter released by the office of Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II late
Thursday, sent to the leaders of the EU’s 25 member states, said that
efforts should be made to overcome a critical period in Turkey’s
accession process.

The letter was made public on the day that the EU leaders endorsed a
recommendation by the European Commission to partially suspend
Turkey’s membership negotiations in response to Ankara’s refusal to
open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot trade. `The EU’s leaders
will make a critical decision in Turkey-EU relations, which will have
broad consequences,’ Mesrob II said in his letter. `My concern about
this decision is that current unsolved problems could jeopardise the
country’s membership process and Turkey-EU relations in general.’

Turkey was committed to becoming a member of the EU and was enacting
the political and economic reforms required under the accession
criteria, the Patriarch said. `These reforms have improved the basic
rights of Turkish citizens including religious minorities,’ wrote
Mesrob. `This positive process will of course continue.’ The EU
should not derail Turkey’s membership negotiations by imposing
unilateral conditions without taking into account Turkey’s other
commitments, he said. `Your leadership is of utmost importance in
preventing the European Council from taking a negative decision,’
Mesrob wrote. `I hope that your strategic vision would mediate
putting the process back on track.’

SERGEY NASIBIAN SUMMED UP PREPARATIONS FOR REFERENDUM
Laura Grigorian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
11 Dec 2006

On the eve of the referendum Sergey Nasibian, chair of the NKR Central
Commission on Referendum, gave an interview to the Azat Artsakh. He
informed that the electoral registers have been checked again to
avoid irregularities, and about 90 thousand voters aged 18 and up
are included in the registers.

According to him, 278 polling stations have been set up, including
one at the NKR Representation to Armenia, where the citizens of NKR
temporarily living or staying in NKR will vote. Sergey Nasibian
said efforts were made to guarantee security and order at the
polling stations, as well as to prevent disruption of telephone
communication. According to him, 46 million drams have been allocated
for preparations, which was provided in time and has been spent. "
According to the NKR Law on Central Election Commission, like
in the previous elections, at least half of the eligible persons
should vote for the question, and the referendum will take place
if 1/3 of voters included in the electoral registers show up," said
Sergey Nasibian. Several days ago the mayor of the village of Mets
Tagher stated on Artsakh Public Television that the village did not
get the draft constitution, and people are not acquainted with its
provisions. With regard to public awareness, Sergey Nasibian said:
"The draft constitution of NKR was published in the Azat Artsakh and
distributed to the regions. Besides, a booklet was published in 3500
copies and distributed to the communities. I cannot say how these
were used. The mayors and regional administrations were supposed
to deal with this, and propaganda is supposed to be carried out by
political parties, staffs of government agencies. The divisional
committees were given instructions. Nevertheless, there appear to be
drawbacks. Especially in the capital. People need to know that we are
going to adopt a constitution, which is the basic law of the country
and sums up 15 years of independence, and includes their rights and
duties, as well as the guarantees of protection of their rights. If it
is not perfect, it can be improved later in case questions occur. This
is important, and we should explain to people that we are moving
towards reconfirming the referendum on independence on December 10,
1991." According to Sergey Nasibian, people are especially active
in the regions of Hadrut and Martakert. "When the general idea is
explained to people, they realize that we need the Constitution." With
regard to observation and coverage of the voting, Sergey Nasibian told
the Azat Artsakh that by the information of the Central Commission
on Referendum 12 international observers and 7 international media
will arrive. Besides, 39 local reporters and 109 local observers have
been registered. However, he said, it is expected that the number
of international observers will grow. The foreign ministry gets a
number of phone calls from different countries, said the chair of
the Central Commission on Referendum. According to Sergey Nasibian,
the results of the voting will be released every three hours. The
preliminary roundup must be made within 28 hours. The final outcome
will become known within three days.

PACE COMMITTEE CONDEMNED ARMENIAN PROVOCATION

Democratic Azerbaijan
Dec 12 2006

December 8, in Paris regular meeting of PACE Committee on culture,
science and education was held dedicated to "Dialogue between Religions
and Cultures".

Then, 5 reports were made related to this subject, broad discussion
was held and it was decided to hold special colloquium, February 27,
in Strasburg, as to continue this discussion.

Rafael Huseinov, representative of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE,
who joined the said event said: Today, when we are stressing necessity
of further development of dialogue between cultures, quite different
event is taking place in Strasburg, the city, where central office
is situated. December 6, due to Armenian efforts, exhibition has
been opened there, being another provocation against Azerbaijan and
manifesting new territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Leading texts of the exhibition say particularly that Nakhchivan
Autonomous Republic, integral part of Azerbaijan, allegedly is ancient
Armenian territory, monuments belonging to Azerbaijan are presented as
Armenian heritage. Not only participation of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Armenia, but also official from Strasburg municipality in
the event and his making speech cause necessity for serious evaluation
of this event.

Armenia is the only member-state of Council of Europe being
country-aggressor. With such steps it shows that it not only
doesn’t wish to stop occupation but intends to expand it. Today,
when talks within the frames of Minsk Group with France as co-chair
have intensified, such provocative steps are inadmissible. Council
of Europe should express its strict attitude to this issue.

Committee members who took floor on this issue supported Azerbaijani
deputy and condemned provocative actions of Armenians.

Asked by AzerTaj correspondent on what steps Azerbaijan should take
connected with this exhibition, R. Huseinov, said: Armenian Society of
Friendship Alzas in Strasburg organized this exhibition. Outwardly it
seems such, but actually Armenia organized it. The main organizer is
Armenian woman, Aida Rozenshtil. With the use of authoritative last
name of old Jew, her husband, in Strasburg and Alzas she managed to
realize provocative actions of such kind, and she is able to do it in
future. Our compatriots have good community in Strasburg they organized
"Azerbaijani Home". I think for more fruitful work it is necessary
to increase assistance from Azerbaijan for them. Recently I met with
well-known representatives of Azerbaijani community in Strasburg, and
Azerbaijani students studying there. I asked them to express protest
in different ways in connection with provocative exhibition. Official
protest of Azerbaijan is also necessary otherwise more serious
complications will follow. In February 2006, when Armenians achieved
adoption of statement by European Parliament that khachkers – stone
crosses in Nakhchivan belong to Armenia and that allegedly they were
destroyed by Azerbaijanis, it was the time for us to start working
hard. One protest is nothing. Truth is on our side, at the same time we
possess facts proving falsehood of Armenian sayings, we have numerous
arguments connected with outrages committed by Armenians against our
nation, our country, culture and slowness would cost very dear for
us. We should drive provocative Armenia into corner all the time.

We should organize photo exhibition showing acts of vandalism committed
by Armenians against our culture, heritage, Azerbaijani cemeteries. We
should demonstrate it in Europe, in USA in different large cities
of the world, launching propaganda and revelatory campaign against
Armenia.

Reports connected with meeting of sub-committee attached to the said
committee held in Baku November 29-30 dedicated to issues of press and
workshops dedicated to European criterion of education and training
for professional journalism were made.UK representative A. Mackintosh
and Azerbaijani representative, R. Huseinov, underlined that Baku forum
with participation of politicians and mass media representatives from
10 countries was very useful and presented significant recommendations
on further development of press and journalist education.

RADIK NOREKIAN: PROBLEMS ARISEN BETWEEN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY AND AMBASSADOR OF ARMENIA SEEMS ASTONISHING FOR OFFICIALS OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Dec 08 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
community of Slovakia expresses its indignation on the occasion of
actions of Ashot Hovakimian, the Ambassador of Armenia to Austria,
as a result of what the Minister of Culture of Slovakia refused to
sponsor the "Days of Armenian Culture" initiated in that country
by the community, calling into question the initiators’ competence
in the issue of organization of those events," is said in the
message received by Radik Norekian, a board member of the Armenian
community of Slovakia, the Chairman of the "Ararat" club acting in
Bratislava. According to the community board member, Marek Madaric,
the Minister of Culture of Slovakia, who beforehand agreed to sponsor
those events, after discussing this issue with the Armenian Embassy in
Vienna, informed them in written form that "The Armenian Embassy in
Vienna stated that it has general information about those events and
that those are just of private character." Instead, in the Minister’s
words, the Ministry of Culture, at the Embassy’s request, will receive
them and discuss issues of wide cooperation in the sphere of culture."

"In other words, Norekian mentions, the Ambassador advised the
Minister not to cooperate with A.Grigorian, but to cooperate with the
Embassy." "Then a similar letter was received from the Ambassador
as well, just what arose our indignation," R.Norekian mentions and
adds: "The matter is that Ashot Grigorian, the head of the Armenian
community in Slovakia, the head of the Armenian Organizations in Europe
Representation, who is also the not-on-the-staff-advisor of the Foreign
Minister of Armenia, undertook works of organization and financing of
the "Days of Armenian Culture" in Slovakia and neighboring countries.

Both as individual benefactor and as Foreign Minister’s Advisor,
A.Grigorian had a right to organize similar events, what he,
by the way, had carried out earlier and what he is going to do
in future as well. But by Ambassador Hovakimian’s calling into
question the competence of A.Grigorian’s actions in the Minister’s
eyes, A.Grigorian’s dignity was stricken, who promotes in Slovakia
considerable activity beneficial for Armenians not only in cultural
but in other spheres as well: owing to his immediate efforts, the
Parliament of Slovakia adopted the resolution on the Armenian Genocide
two years ago." In R.Norekian’s words, the Ambassador did not only call
into question the competence of A.Grigorian’s person, but in future,
when, however, the Armenian music festival took place in Slovakia and
had an astonishing success, he passed by in silence the circumstance
that A.Grigorian financed a considerable part of the festival: concerts
of the Yerevan Opera Theater soloists and "Komitas" quartet as well
as receptions organized after some other concerts. A.Grigorian had
partial participation in works of organization of other concerts of
the festival. In Radik Norekian’s words, Chairman of the Armenian
community of Slovakia Ashot Grigorian has headed huge works to present
the Armenian culture in Europe for more than ten years, and "it is
the first time that instead of appreciating those works, they hamper
and, moreover, in such shameful way." In Radik Norekian’s words,
members of the Armenian community of Austria have similar problems
about which they shared their thoughts with them many times, but they
attempt not to make them public, avoiding undesirable consequences.

"Similar problems arisen in the European countries during those
days among the local Armenian communities (even small in number) and
the Ambassador seem very astonishing and inadmissible and make bad
impression," Radik Norekian, a board member of the Armenian community
of Slovakia, emphasized, expressing fear that consequences of this
incident may have negative influence for a long time on the activity
beneficial for Armenians of the Armenians living in Slovakia.

To recap, both Ambassador of Armenia to Austria Ashot Hovakimian
and organizer of the "Days of Armenian Culture" in Slovakia avoided
giving commentaries concerning the issue: in response to the inquiry
presented by Noyan Tapan, the Ambassador advised to address to the
Foreign Ministry’s Press Service with this issue, and A.Grigorian
stated that he presented the problem to the Foreign Ministry and did
not want to give commentaries until getting the official response.

‘THE SCREAMERS’ AGAINST GENOCIDES
By Hakob Tsulikian

AZG Armenian Daily
09/12/2006

In association with BBC producer and director Karla Karapetian and
Raffi Manoukian beneficial foundation, world famous System of a Down
rock band made a documentary titled "The Screamers" telling about
the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust and the genocides in Cambodia,
Rwanda and Darfur, Apo Jabarian, editor and publisher of USA Armenia
Life periodical, informs.

Serge Tankian and John Dolmayan, members of the Armenian band, and
some other musicians have been making speeches during the screening
of the documentary at a number of cinemas of Southern California
since December 8.

AZERI MINISTER, US OFFICIAL DISCUSS BOOSTING MILITARY TIES

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 7 2006

Baku, 7 December: The Azerbaijani defence minister, Col-Gen Safar
Abiyev, today received a delegation led by the US deputy assistant
secretary of defence for international security, James McDougall,
APA learnt from the Defence Ministry press service.

At the meeting, Abiyev said that Azerbaijani-US relations were
developing in all areas under the programme envisaged.

Abiyev touched upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. He said the
fact that the conflict had not been resolved was a great obstacle
to the development of Azerbaijani-US and Azerbaijan-NATO military
cooperation: "We will never put up with the Armenian occupation of
our lands. If the conflict is not resolved peacefully, the Azerbaijani
armed forces will liberate our lands from the occupiers."

The fact that Section 907 in the Freedom Support Act had not been
lifted completely restricted Azerbaijani-US cooperation, the minister
stressed.

For his part, McDougall said he agreed with his counterpart’s opinion
concerning Section 907. He said that this document’s provisions indeed
restrict US-Azerbaijani cooperation.

HOMAGE TO THE 1988 EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

ArmRadio.am
07.12.2006 13:46

Today in Gyumri RA President Robert Kocharyan paid tribute to the
memory of the victims of the 1988 devastating earthquake. The President
laid a wreath of flowers at the memorial to the earthquake victims
in front of the St.

Savior Church. Head of the Shirac Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church Mikhael Bishop Ajapahyan conducted a commemoration service.

The President was accompanied by RA Minister of Territorial
Administration Hovik Abrahamyan, Minister of Urban Development Aram
Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Pavel Safaryan,
Shirak Marzpet Romik Manukyan and the Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan.