Author: Hambardsumian Paul

AGREEMENT OF COOPERATION REACHED BETWEEN RA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND TURK BUSINESSMEN

Noyan Tapan
Jul 16 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia for the second time took part
in the World Congress of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. This
year’s Congress was the fifth and was held on July 4-6 in Istanbul,
under the title "Cooperation for Prosperity." Gagik Vardanian, the
Director of the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the July 13
press conference, said that, in particular, issues of energy security,
global risks management, international trade system were discussed
at the three-day congress held with participation of 1600 delegates
from 118 countries. 23 seminars were held within the framework of
the congress on the subjects "Origin Certificates," "Information
Technologies and Electronic Trade," "Commerce Chambers and Issues
of Mental Property," "New Directions in the Sphere of Logistics and
Transportations," and others.

In G. Vardanian’s words, the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry has
reached agreements on cooperation with the Chambers of a number of
countries, as well as with Turk businessmen.

Life as a series of bizarre theatrical sets
ByJackie Wullschlager

FT
July 13 2007 18:47

Every clown wants to play Hamlet; only rarely does Hamlet act the
clown. But in `Two Feet in One Shoe’, his installation of furiously
gestural, slithery, smeared, chaotic canvases in dark or garish
colours, Armen Eloyan is such an actor-painter. Depicting life as a
series of bizarre theatrical sets, fantasy characters, masked players,
he creates a tragicomic universe where the performance of painting is
the most absurdist drama of all.

A figure is trapped in a giant book; another stands on top of a closed
volume, refusing access to knowledge. A skeletal creature in
18th-century dress stalks a night-time park, the sky scrawled with the
words `Hold My Bones Together’. Chained decapitated geese drip crimson
beaks; anthropomorphic sausages warily eye a kitchen knife; a landscape
of purple pineapples is hatched with prison bars.

Menace and beauty, despair and vitality: Eloyan was born in Armenia in
1966 and the traditions he is parodying are east European
expressionism, folklore, Kafkaesque narrative, all crossed with a
post-Disney cartoon vocabulary, the splashy pessimism of Los Angeles
artists such as Paul McCarthy, and, mostly, memories of Soviet
oppression and mental constraint. Spanker and victim in `Bend Over’;
the puffed-up, uniformed fantasist in `Wishes and Wishes (Rex)’; the
`Nightsmoker’ rigged in wig and salmon pink ruff; a solitary top-hatted
clown in a cavernous landscape in `The Man Who Tells Fairy Tales’: what
makes Eloyan a significant talent is that his imaginary world is
brought into existence before our eyes through the exaggerations and
artifice of paint. The farcical costumes and masks of his prison guards
and dreamers are so thickly sculpted as to render them ridiculous, yet
the lack of definition makes them threatening, the harsh white light
interrogates and strips bare. It is a dashing spectacle with a strong
moral undercurrent: `The play’s the thing/Wherein I’ll catch the
conscience of the king.’

`Two Feet in One Shoe: Armen Eloyan’ is at Parasol Unit, London N1, to
July 20. Tel: +44 (0)20-7490 7373

TURKISH ARMENIANS TO VOTE FOR RULING AKP

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2007 17:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In terms of political parties, 60 percent of Turkish
Armenians will vote for the outgoing Justice and Development Party
(AKP).

In Istanbul’s second electoral region where a lot of people with
Armenian origins reside, they will vote for the independent leftist
candidate professor Baskan Oran, bilingual Turkish Armenian weekly
Agos editor-in-chief Etyen Mahcupyan told Tempo magazine.

He emphasized that Turkish Armenians have always voted for center-right
parties.

"Turkish Armenians will vote for the AKP. According to our reviews
in Istanbul’s second electoral region they will mostly vote for
independent candidate Baskan Oran. But excluding the independent
candidate factor, 60 percent will vote for the AKP," Mahcupyan stated,
adding that the rest of the votes will be split between pro-secular
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), nationalist Young Party
(GP) founded by the controversial entrepreneur Cem Uzan and the
center-right Democrat Party (DP).

M. STAMBOLIAN: "IT IS NECESSARY TO BRING AN END TO TALK THAT THERE IS NO LONGER ANY ARMENIAN CINEMA"

Noyan Tapan
Jul 10 2007

YEREVAN, 10 JULY, NOYAN TAPAN. The director of the Fourth ‘Golden
Apricot’ Film Festival program, Mikael Stambolian, gave this statement
at the July 9 press conference: "It is necessary to bring an end to
talk that there is no longer any Armenian cinema. Today in Armenian
cinema positive changes are in place that these processes, in the
long run, will have serious results."

The Festival’s director, presenting the participants of the festival
program with "Armenian Panorama", emphasized the significance of
their work, having added "that all of such good work, it seems,
does not suffice as prizes for all."

The participant of the "Armenian Panorama" program, director David
Saakian, contributed the film "Four Songs" to the festival, the
occasion for the creation of which were four songs of Ruben Akhverdian:
"Raduga", "Little Ship", "Monkey", and "National Song".

The director of the documentary film "The Sanctified Grapes",
David Aslanian, presented in his work an original commentary on the
holiday of the transformation of the Holy Virgin Mary. In the words
of the director, he attempted to show to the faithful the essence of
the ceremony. "Merchants come, the feast begins, the surrounding
environment becomes dirty and the spiritual is shunted to the
background. I wanted to express my protest with this film. People must
understand that spiritual values should not erode", the director noted.

REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN CYBER SPORT WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD CYBER GAMES

armradio.am
11.07.2007 13:08

In October representatives of Armenian cyber sport will participate
in the World Cyber Games (World Championship) in Seattle (US).

President of RA Cyber Sport Federation Edgar Sahakyan told Armenpress
that only the cyber sport champions of Armenia will gain the right
to participate in the championship.

The national cyber sport championship will be held in late July or
August, and form the Armenian team on the basis of its results.

UN POPULATION FUND TO START INFERTILITY STUDY IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
Jul 11 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: UN Population Fund plans to start a study
next year to find major reasons accounting for growing infertility
rates among Armenian males and females.

The study is prompted by the lack of serious studies of this
subject. According to various estimation, infertility rate is about
30 percent, six-seven percent of which are believed to be primary
infertility and the rest secondary.

According to Garik Hayrapetian, deputy representative of the UN
Population Fund Office in Armenia, statistics about venereal diseases
rate and abortions is not full and needs to be rechecked.

According to Demography and Health Study (DHS), every second pregnancy
ends in abortion.

He said 75 family planning centers, scattered across the country,
can help raise the population’s awareness of these issues.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x106
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, June 11, 2007

AGBU YP Toronto Seminar Series a Smashing Sensation

One of the AGBU’s newest Young Professionals (YP) Groups, YP Toronto
recently launched a seminar series to better serve the development
needs of its local cadre of young Armenians, as well as provide a
constructive environment where members of the community can interact
and network.

On March 15, 2007, the first seminar, "Managing Your Career," was
conducted at the local AGBU Alex Manoogian Center by Lucy Djelalian,
YP Toronto Secretary and Scotiabank Employee Relations Manager, and
Diana Mahdessian, Scotiabank Automotive Finance and Indirect Lending
Manager. Free and informative, the seminar attracted over 45 guests
who received career consultations and coaching on how to market
themselves in today’s job market, write an effective resume, and
conduct a job search.

On May 24, 2007, the seminar series returned with its second
installment entitled "Real Estate and Mortgage Financing" with over 70
guests in attendance. Covering topics such as the local real estate
market, strategic investments, planning, and financing, the following
industry experts presented: Serge Bogosyan, TD Bank Mortgage
Specialist; Michael Hagopian, Mortgage Toronto Specialist; Aret
Kuzuian, AGBU YP Toronto Events & Fundraising Coordinator and Homelife
Romano Realty Ltd. Sales Representative; and Hagop Tchobanian, Keller
Williams Realty Sales Representative

AGBU YP Toronto is part of a growing network of 18 AGBU YP Groups and
supporters around the world who are committed to preserving and
promoting the Armenian identity and culture through educational,
cultural, and humanitarian programs. For more information on YP
Toronto and its seminar series, email [email protected] or visit

PRESS RELEASE
Armenia Solidarity
British Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
Armenian Genocide Trust

c/o The Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales
[email protected]
baappg.bazil@btint ernet.com
[email protected]
Tel: 07718982732 Int: ++ 44 7718982732

The Number of Members of the UK Parliament recognising the Armenian
Genocide passess 150

The majority of non-Conservative eligible Members have now signed the
Genocide motion.

Another important milestone on the journey to UK Recognition of
the Genocide was passed today.
Glenda Jackson MP became the 150th Member of the UK Parliament to
signi Early Day Motion 357, recognising the Truth of the Genocide which
our parents, grandparents and other relatives endured during the years
of 1915-23.
This motion, put by Bob Spink MP, has put the Armenian Genocide
issue at the forefront of international issues on which MPs have shown
concern. Including other MPs who have signed the Genocide Motion in
previous years but unable to do so this year for parliamentary technical
reasons, the total now approaches 200
The majority of MPs who are eligible to sign the motion, and
unconstrained by their party, have now done so. Of the 460 MPs who are
eligible to sign, 180 are members of the Conservative Party who provide
a central,ready-made answer explaining why their members will not sign.
Few Conservatives have dared to break with the Party’s authority. Of the
other 280 MPs of the Labour (the party of government), Liberal Democrat,
Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) and smaller
parties just over half (143) have signed
That the past governments of the UK in recent years have
maintained a position of denial in the face of this obvious and
self-evident truth is a blemish on the reputation of this country, which
was the first to identify and publicise what happened to the Armenians
in 1915 as " New Crimes against Humanity and Civilisation"(the precursor
of the modern term Genocide). in the Joint Statement of the Allies in
May 1915). Most Armenians in the UK are able to recite their familly
stories of persecution, mis-treatment and murder, if the government and
the remainder of MPs would care to listen.
To continue with the lobbying, we shall give a copy of the "House
of Commons Conference on the Armenian Genocide" published by Nor Serount
Cultural Association, to all MPs this week.It includes contributions by
historians and other Genocide Scholars. We expect that this will enable
all MPs to have more knowledge of the issue, resulting in more
signatures in the three weeks left for the motion after the summer
recess.
We are confident now that MPs will be encouraged to force a vote
on the issue in the House of Commons after the autumn, following this
unprecedated support.
We are also hopeful of meeting with several MPs on july 24th, the
84th anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty. Gregory Topalian will address a
meeting in the House of Commons on that day on "Britain’s Responsibility
for the Fate of Western Armenia"

AZERI GOVERNMENT DELEGATION OFF TO WASHINGTON FOR SECURITY TALKS

ITV, Baku
9 Jul 07

[Presenter] Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has
left for Washington to attend security talks between the USA and
Azerbaijan. The main subject of the talks, which will involve US
assistant secretaries of state and representatives of the Department of
Defence, is the political situation in the region and future actions.

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov stressed that there
were a number of programmes in the security field between the two
countries, and said that an exchange of opinion would be held on
prospects for the implementation of these programmes.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Xazar Ibrahim has said that the sides will
also discuss the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

[Xazar Ibrahim] The Azerbaijani delegation will comprise
representatives of different government bodies. Representatives of
the Foreign Ministry, the National Security Ministry, the Defence
Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry, the [State]
Border Service and the Customs Committee will attend [the talks]. The
delegation will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov.

As part of the talks, discussions will be held on various
issues. Regional security, international issues, naturally, Armenia’s
aggression against Azerbaijan, NATO-Azerbaijan relations and the
recently topical issue of the Qabala [radar station] will be the
subject of the discussions.

We hope that this round of talks will be yet another step to take
US-Azerbaijani relations onto the next stage and to raise them onto
a higher level.

Russia set to test first serial S-400 SAM system next week

14:46 | 05/ 07/ 2007

MOSCOW, July 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will conduct the first tests of
its new S-400 Triumf air defense complex next week prior to its
commissioning with the Air Force, an AF air defense chief said
Thursday.

"The first serial [S-400] complex will be tested next week," Lieutenant
General Alexander Gorkov said. "It has been transported to a testing
ground together with crews."

The S-400 (NATO codename SA-21 Growler) is a new air defense missile
system developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of
the S-300 family.

It has been designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a
distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), or twice the range of the
U.S. MIM-104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that of the S-300PMU-2.

"The first S-400 system, which will be put on combat duty near Moscow
shortly after the test, will feature missiles with enhanced technical
characteristics to sharply increase the combat capabilities of air
defense around the Russian capital," Gorkov said.

The general said Russia planned to deploy new air defense systems
primarily around all strategically important administrative and
political centers in two stages by 2015.

During the second stage, which starts in 2010, Russia will add
modernized versions of the S-400 with enhanced characteristics in
comparison to the current model, he said.

In April, Colonel General Yury Solovyov, commander of the Air Defense
Forces Special Command (former Moscow Military District Air Defense
Command), said the Triumf could be used for limited purposes in missile
and space defense, but that it is not designed to destroy
intercontinental ballistic missiles.

However, he said the system is highly capable of destroying stealth
aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles with an effective
range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and a speed of up to 4.8
kilometers (3 miles) per second.

The Russian Air Defense Forces, which are part of the Air Force,
currently deploy more than 30 regiments equipped with S-300 (NATO
reporting name SA-10 Grumble) missile complexes, which will be
gradually replaced with S-400 systems.