Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Armenian National Committee – Western Region

104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200

Glendale, California 91206

Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353

[email protected] /

PRESS RELEASE

: August 9, 2007

Contact: Haig Hovsepian

Tel: (818) 500-1918

ANCA Leo Sarkisian Intern Focus:

Southern California’s Christopher Yemenidjian

Washington, DC – Year after year, the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship (LSI)
Program has provided Armenian American youth with the opportunity to spend
valuable time in Washington, DC. The Halls of Congress hold the key to
learning more about, and building consensus for, important pieces of
legislation. Christopher Yemenidjian is Chairman of the South Bay ANC and
had already served as an Armenian National Committee – Western Region
(ANC-WR) regional intern in the Spring of 2007 while he continued his
studies at El Camino College. Yemenidjian’s goal was to make a difference
for the Armenian Cause in the world of government. Christopher decided to
apply for the ANCA LSI program this summer.

"After working with the ANC-WR in Los Angeles, I felt it was time to take my
advocacy efforts to Washington, DC," commented Yemenidjian. "The nation’s
capital is where everything happens – meetings with elected officials,
hearings on important legislation that impacts the interests of our
communities and just the general gravitas of being on the Hill – I strongly
urge all young Armenian Americans to consider the ANCA Leo Sarkisian
internship program," he added.

The ANCA-LSI Program is funded by the Armenian National Committee – Western
Region (ANC-WR). Named after long-time ANC activist Leo Sarkisian, the
program brings together young Armenian Americans from across the United
States and Canada to gain first-hand experience in the American political
system while working on issues of concern to the Armenian American
community.

"Christopher’s work in Washington is a great example of what the leadership
of tomorrow is achieving today," stated ANC-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian.
"The experience that LSI participants gain working on the Hill is extremely
valuable and most importantly, consistent with the ANC-WR’s mission of
preparing our community’s youth for strong leadership positions in tomorrow’s
world," he added.

In addition to the enriching educational LSI program lecture series, scores
of Congressional meetings with Representatives and the overall experience of
working in the fast-paced office environment of the ANCA office, Christopher
has taken the initiative on a variety of other projects. He drafted a
document outlining military relations between the United States and Armenia,
pointing out many overlooked details regarding this relationship. Armenia
has worked closely with the United States in the War on Terror and has
signed and ratified a Status of Forces Agreement with NATO and other
agreements to safeguard U.S. military personnel in Armenia. This document
was then disseminated throughout Congress to educate Members on the
increasing military ties between Armenia and the United States. Furthermore,
as a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Christopher drafted letters
encouraging Armenian American Veterans to contact their elected officials to
urge them to support H. Res. 106 (the Armenian Genocide Resolution).

Yemenidjian is a Political Science and English double-major at El Camino
College who will be attending the University of California, Berkeley in the
Spring. He recently completed the ANC-WR’s Internship-Externship Program
where he specialized in community and government affairs. He currently
serves as the South Bay ANC chairman. He has been and continues to be
actively involved with the South Bay AYF and Homenetmen, having served as
chairmen for both organizations. He is also the chairman of the United Human
Rights Council.

Now in its 23rd year, the ANCA LSI Program provides student leaders and
activists an opportunity to participate in an intensive 8-week program
designed to give them the tools necessary to effectively advance issues of
concern to the Armenian American community on the federal, state and local
level. The LSI Program is a competitive and prestigious internship program
and is widely considered to be the best program of its kind for Armenian
American college students.

In addition to Christopher Yemenidjian, the 2007 LSI Program participants
from the Western United States are Alex Der Alexanian, Shant Hagopian and
Dzovak Kazandjian. Joining interns from Canada, Europe and the Eastern
United States, the LSI participants from the Western Region have conducted
significant and groundbreaking activities in just their first week in our
nation’s capital.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the
Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated
organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

SERIES OF COMPETITIONS OF GROUP IV OF EUROPEAN/AFRICAN ZONE OF DAVIS CUP TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Aug 08 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The series of competitions of Group
IV of the European/African zone of Davis Cup Tournament will be held
in Yerevan between August 8 to 13. The teams of Armenia, Andorra,
Montenegro, Rwanda, and Bostwana are included in the group. The
representatives of Azerbaijan, Senegal, Gabon, Libya, Malta, and
Uganda have not arrived in Yerevan.

Suaren Vrimel (Germany) is the chief referee of the
tournament. Armenian Andrey Gharibian and Ara Sukiasian from abroad
are included in the group of referees.

Hayk Zohranian, Haroutiun Sofian, Hovhannes Davtian, Ashot Gevorgian,
and Vahe Avetisian are included in the representative team of
Armenia. Those, who will take the first four places, will take part
in a higher tournament, that is to say in that of group III, next year.

NO PLACE FOR DENYING GENOCIDE
Ronald A. Goodman

Boston Globe
August 5, 2007

FOR THE LAST several years, I have served as a docent for the Jewish
Community Relations Council at the Holocaust Memorial in Boston, and I
cannot understand how the Anti-Defamation League’s national director
can in good conscience state, regarding recognition of the Armenian
genocide, that, "We’re not party to this, and I don’t understand why
we need to be made party." The purpose of a Holocaust memorial is
not just to remember the Jews who were slaughtered, but also to make
us all serve as witnesses to all past genocides and to work together
to prevent more genocides. If Watertown is truly to be No Place for
Hate, then perhaps it is time that the ADL take an official position
regarding the 1.5 million Armenians who died.

PERSON WHO SENT THREATENING LETTER TO "AKOS" DAILY ARRESTED

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 07 2007

ISTANBUL, AUGUST 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Police arrested the
person who sent an email with threats to the edditorial office of the
daily "Akos" a day before the murder of the editor-in-chief Hant Dink.

The nespaper "Vatan" reported that the identity of the letter’s author
was establshed on August 3 – it was Rvdan Dogan, a lycee student.

In his evidence, the young man regretted his act, saying that it was
a foolish thing to do: "I was not instructed by anyone and I am not
a member of any organization. I regret what I did," he noted.

ACCORDING TO PPA REPRESENTATIVE, OPPOSITION’S MEETING ORGANIZED ON INITIATIVE OF NSU WAS DRAMATIZED ONE

Noyan Tapan
Aug 04 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The July 26 meeting of leaders
of several opposition forces on the initiative of the chairman of
the National Self-Determination Union (NSU) Paruyr Hayrikian was a
dramatized one, whose purpose was to demonstrate the opportunity
of uniting the opposition forces at the upcomimg presidential
elections. The spokeswoman for People’s Party of Armenia (PPA)
Ruzan Khachatrain expressed this opinion at the August 3 press
conference. She said that during the 2008 presidential elections
PPA will cooperate with those political forces that will share their
opinions about the current authorities.

In her words, "the seemingly rapid activities of the Armenian
authorities recently are false democratic steps". She noted that
if the authorities had been concerned about the country’s future,
an end would have been put to "manifestations of hooliganizm and
arbitrariness". As proof of what she said, R. Khachatrian mentioned
the name of Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasian, noting that Gyumri has
become one of the criminal centers because of him.

"If it continues like this, Armenia will soon be like Gyumri,"
she said.

OSKANYAN APPOINTS PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT HEAD

Panorama.am
18:55 06/08/2007

Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan appointed Vladimir Karapetyan as
Foreign Ministry Press Spokesman and Head of Press and Information
Department, foreign minister press services say. Karapetyan worked
as media division head from 2004-2006 and acted as department head
since June, 2006. Karapetyan has been a member of official and working
visits and a participant of summits and conferences.

CHAIRMAN OF A COMMUNIST PARTY CALLS FOR UNIFICATION

Panorama.am
17:56 02/08/2007

"The most recent parliamentary elections signified that
non-consolidation resulted in wiping out of votes," Vazgen Safaryan,
chairman of Armenian Progressive United Communist Party (APUCP),
said at Club Pastark today. In his words, they did not participate in
those elections and left Armenia Communist Party (HKK) alone to show
that they will not achieve anything on their own, and, as a result,
HKK’s collected 0.63 percent of votes.

Even after that the leaders of the Armenian Communist Party "did not
take lessons," Safaryan said. In his words, two out of three communist
parties have expressed willingness to unite and only HKK demonstrates
"non-constructive approach."

"The time to become serious and take up constructive steps have
come,’ Safaryan said also saying if HKK refuses to take the path of
unification, the Communist Party members must "assess" their leader
themselves.

ARMENIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE APPLIES TO THE ECONOMIC COURT AGAINST ARARAT GOLD RECOVERY COMPANY

arminfo
2007-08-02 16:17:00

Prosecutor General of Armenia Gagik Jhangiryan has lodged against
Ararat Gold Recovery Company (AGRC) to the Economic Court of Armenia,
the Prosecutor General’s Office press-service told ArmInfo.

The source reports that the Prosecutor’s Office demands stopping
the contract of AGRC and the Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia
for exploitation of Sotk gold deposit in Gegharkunik region (dated
March 13 1999) ahead of schedule. Moreover, it requests the Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development to revoke AGRC’s license for mining
activities, which was granted on July 2004. At the same time, Solicitor
General asked the Economic Court to charge 4.6 million drams and $10
million from AGRC for the state budget and to arrest the company’s
property and bank accounts to cover the claim cost.

The claim is based on the inspection of the company’s activity for
2000-2006 carried out by the prosecutor’s office and revenue service
over the last 5-6 months. Materials submitted to the court contain
also resolution of an independent expert from Canadian Strathcona
Mineral Services Ltd for the last two months. AGRC will receive
official notification shortly.

It is noteworthy that Georgian Madneuli Company belonging to the
Russian Industrial Investors (Promyshlennye investori) Group, is
ready to acquire AGRC’s shares. The negotiated transaction cost is
some $80-100 million.

Earlier, AGRC Director General Balden Krishan Sharma told ArmInfo
that AGRC is on the final stage of talks for the sale of its shares.

CITIZEN CHALLANGES WRONG CALCULATION OF TRANSPORT PROPERTY TAX BY PREFECTURA

Noyan Tapan
Aug 2, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The statement of claim of citizen
Artyom Darbinian with regard to wrong calculation of the transport
property tax made by the prefectura was heard in the Court of First
Instance of the Ajaphniak-Davtashen communities of Yerevan with judge
Arthur Smbatian at the head on August 1. According to the plaintiff,
on account of the mistake made by the prefectura the property tax of
the "BMW 530i" car produced in 1994 was calculated 23 608 drams more
for 2006-2007. The plaintiff also challanged the illegality of the
penalty of 12 608 drams included in the above-mentioned additional
sum: according to the plaintiff, this sum has arisen on account of
the tax-payer’s not being informed by the order established by law.

The plaintiff called the court’s attention to the circumstance that
the RA Law on "Property Tax" has been infringed in the prefectura
of the Davtashen community , according to which in case a car
engine picks up speed not higher than 120 horesepower, 200 drams
is levied for each horsepower, and in case of 121-250 horsepower,
24 000 drams plus 300 drams for each horsepower, beginning from the
121st horsepower. Whereas, the prefectura has decided to levy 300
drams for each horsepower in case of 210 horsepower.

Marine Khachikian, a representative of the prefectura, objected to
this statement of claim, mentioning that the calculation of property
tax and the development of the information data of the property tax
is obligatorily implemented by the "Orakl" program provided by the
RA State Tax Service by an automatized order. She also considered
the plaintiff’s statement of claim concerning the illegality of the
penalty to be a groundless one: the representative of the respondent
side cited the provision of the RA Law on "Property Tax", according
to which "The handing-in of a notice later than the specified date or
the not handing-in of a notice does not completely exempt a tax-payer
from performing his or her tax duties." The plaintiff opposed to
this statement, saying that there is no word about penalties in the
above-mentioned law.

The Court of First Instance of the Ajaphniak-Davtashen communities
will bring in a verdict concerning this case on August 7.

TRAIN WITH RUSSIAN ARMOR LEAVES MILITARY BASE IN GEORGIA

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 2 2007

MOSCOW, August 2 (RIA Novosti) – A train carrying military equipment
left a Russian base in Georgia early Thursday as part of a 2006 deal
to withdraw all Russian bases from the ex-Soviet Caucasus state,
a Russian military official said.

Colonel Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ground Forces,
said the train was carrying two tanks, two armored personnel carriers,
and other military hardware from the 12th Russian military base in
Batumi on the Black Sea.

The official said another five trains and a truck convoy are scheduled
to remove part of the remaining military equipment from the Batumi
base to Russia and the 102nd base in Gyumri, Armenia, until the end
of the year.

Under an agreement between the former Soviet allies, Russia must
complete the removal of its base in Batumi by the end of 2008.

Russia completed the pullout of its military garrison from the Georgian
capital, Tbilisi, handing over control of its headquarters to Georgia’s
Defense Ministry last December, and formally handed over its military
base at Akhalkalaki in southern Georgia to Tbilisi in June, ahead of
the October 2007 deadline.