Author: Jilavian Emma

ARONYAN SUSTAINED HIS FIRST DEFEAT

A1+
[03:58 pm] 17 December, 2008

Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan sustained his first defeat at the
chess super-tournament in Nanjing (China) after losing to Bulgarian
Vesselin Topalov at the sixth round.

Before the game the contenders had three points each and ranked
among the tournament leaders. Topalov also enjoyed time privilege
over Aronyan, and the latter had to yield at the 72nd minute.

Chinese Bu Xiangzhi played a tie with Slovakian Sergey Movsisyan and
Russian Peter Svidler won over Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk.

Presently, Vesselin Topalov heads the fixture list with four points. Bu
Xiangzhi is the second followed by Levon Aronyan and Sergey Movsisyan
having three points each.

TURKEY SAYS ARMENIAN CAMPAIGNS WITHIN FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Dec 17 2008
Turkey

Turkish Foreign Affairs’ spokesman Ozuergin said both campaigns were
privately initiated noting that they did not inspire nor would react
to both campaigns.

Turkish Foreign Affairs’ spokesman Burak Ozugergin said Wednesday that
the apology campaign for 1915 incidents and the following counter
campaign launched by retired diplomats, should be viewed within the
scope of freedom of speech.

Commenting on the issue at a press briefing at the Turkish Foreign
Ministry in Ankara, Ozuergin said both campaigns were privately
initiated noting that they did not inspire nor would react to both
campaigns.

Ozugergin said Turkey’s stance on the 1915 incidents was well known
by everybody noting that all kinds of topics ought to be able to be
discussed freely in Turkey.

"However our foreign policy is not fragile to shift as a result of
daily debates. We will continue to act on principles," said Ozugergin.

Ozuergin said Turkish Foreign Affairs was an institution who
gave many victims to terror (Armenian) pointing out that the very
hall where the press briefing was held, was named after Taha Carim
(Turkey’s ambassador to Vatican City, who was assassinated by Armenian
terrorists) .

"So this issue is very delicate for us," said Ozugergin.

OSCE MONITORING ON CONTACT FRONT LINE RECORDS NO INCIDENTS

Today.Az
ics/49610.html
Dec 16 2008
Azerbaijan

The monitoring on the contact front line of the armed forces
of Armenia and Azerbaijan, held on the basis of the mandate of
personal representative of OSCE chairman-in-office on December 16,
said spokesman for Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroghlu.

He noted that the monitoring was held near Ashaghy Veyselli village
of Khojavend, Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani side was represented by field assistants of the
representative of the OSCE chairman Imre Palatinus, Irchi Aberle and
Vladimir Chountulov.

Azerbaijani lands, occupied by Armenia, were represented by personal
representative of the OSCE chairman Anzhey Kasprshik and his field
assistants Peter Kie and Antal Herdich.

TURKISH SPEAKING ARMENIAN IN BEIRUT

Hurriyet
Dec 16 2008
Turkey

BEIRUT- One of his grandfathers is from Turkey’s southeastern province
of KahramanmaraÅ~_, while the other is from the eastern city of
Harput. His mother and father were born in Lebanon, as too, was he.

He learned Turkish from his grandfather and then years later, when
he met and fell in love with a Turkish girl in Beirut, his desire to
speak Turkish reappeared in earnest.

Varto is a 22-year-old Lebanese police officer with Armenian
ancestors. I met him in Hamra, in western Beirut, where mostly Sunnis
live. While I was taking photos in a street, a police officer suddenly
came up to me. "You cannot take photos here," he said in English.

I said: "I am a journalist. I come from Turkey, that is why I am
taking pictures," he then started speaking in Turkish. With great
astonishment I asked him how he knew Turkish. "I am Armenian,"
he answered, his tone highlighting that for him, speaking Turkish
was extremely natural. With that answer, our conversation proceeded
and he started to tell me about his family, his grandfather and his
Turkish love.

‘I loved a Turk’ "I loved a Turkish girl," he said, before looking
away, "But her family would not allow us to marry." They fell in love
after meeting last year and Varto made his mother accept he was going
to marry a Turkish girl, but the girl’s family would not allow them
to do so.

"Let me introduce you to my family," he said after we had talked. We
went on his motorbike to Bourj Hammoud, the Armenian neighborhood
in Beirut. As we entered the house, he told his family that I was
Turkish. "HoÅ~_geldin," (Welcome) his mother Zovik said, as she hugged
and kissed me. I suddenly realized that everyone in the family spoke
Turkish.

"I made rice with chicken, you should eat," she said insistently,
before we started talking. As I said thank you, she said, "We should
offer you something," and brought us some berry-wine.

Her dream is to visit Turkey Varto, his mother, father, sisters,
grandfather and grandmother all lived in the same house. The greatest
fun the family have is watching Turkish soap operas via satellite
in their modest home. They talk about the famous Turkish TV series
"Yaprak Dökumu," "Binbir Gece" and many others I did not know.

"My greatest dream is going to Turkey one day," Zovik said. She wanted
to see Harput, KahramanmaraÅ~_ and Istanbul. Other members of the
family showed me their Christmas tree. We took pictures near it.

"Let me show you Beirut, I will take you anywhere you want," Varto
said and took me for a ride around the city. We saw the Armenian
neighborhood, the marina and the market and then turned back to Hamra
where I had met him. Before I left, Varto, who did not allow me take
photos at first, whispered to me, "If you want to take pictures again,
just tell me. You are Turkish, I will allow you to take pictures."

–Boundary_(ID_rCVIkR65K6RybAxqzj 7MTQ)–

NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVED HEAD OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

Azat Artsakh Daily
12 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR

On 9 December NKR President Bako Sahakyan received head of the
Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia Gagik Haroutyunyan.
Issue related to enlarging cooperation between the Constitutional Court
of the Republic of Armenia and the Supreme Court of the Nagorno
Karabagh Republic, increasing effectiveness of the work of judicial
bodies as well as the course of legal were discussed at the meeting.
Head of the Office of the NKR President, secretary of the Security
Council Marat Mousayelyan and chairman of the NKR Supreme Court Ararat
Danielyan partook at the meeting.

AZERBAIJANI BECOMES GRADUATE OF U.S. NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL FOR FIRST TIME

Trend News Agency
Dec 10 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 10 Dec/ Trend News corr J. Babayeva/ Tamerlan Vahabov
became first Azerbaijani graduate of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School. Third secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan obtained
master’s degree on International Security and Defense. During his
education Vahabov made presentations and organized forums on urgent
issues of Azerbaijan’s foreign and domestic policy, particularly
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and security in the
South Caucasus.

U.S. Naval Postgraduate School is accredited higher school at
the Defense Department of the United States and is located in
Monterey, California. The graduates became master and doctor of
philosophy specialized at International Security, Master of Business
Administration and Engineering. American and foreign military men and
diplomats make up majority of students. Faculty consists of graduates
of authoritative higher schools of the world.

U.S. Naval Postgraduate School is school with good rating among
universities specialized at national and international security.

Two more Azerbaijanis will study in the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
this year.

ARMENIA, EU SIGN AVIATION AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.12.2008 18:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union (EU) and Armenia on Tuesday
signed an aviation agreement which will allow all EU airlines to fly
between Armenia and any EU member state.

The agreement, signed by French Minister of State, responsible for
European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet and Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian, removes nationality restrictions in the existing
bilateral air services agreements between EU member states and
Armenia. Now any EU airline can operate flights between any EU member
state and Armenia, the RA MFA press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The EU has negotiated 35 such horizontal agreements with partner
countries and thereby removed nationality restrictions in more than
600 bilateral air services agreements.

"The agreement recognizes that airlines in the EU are not any longer
national airlines, and all of them will thus have non-discriminatory
access to the air transport market between the EU and Armenia. This
is an important step in our external aviation policy and a further
building block in our policy toward neighboring countries," said
European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, who is responsible
for transport policies.

The EU-Armenia agreement was a result of three years of negotiations.

Passenger numbers between the EU and Armenia increased from 166,000 in
2006 to 204,000 in 2007 with the main markets being France, Austria,
Germany and the Czech Republic.

The agreement removes nationality restrictions in the existing
bilateral air services agreements between EU member states and
Armenia. Now any EU airline can operate flights between any EU member
state and Armenia.

TURKEY TO BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE?

A1+
[12:53 pm] 09 December, 2008

Sixty years ago today, the United Nations adopted the Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

"The Convention was a direct outcome of the attempted extermination of
the Jewish people during the Holocaust, and ever since has embodied
the aspiration of the United Nations to prevent such a horror from
occurring again," as stated in the message of the UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-Moon.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon released a message on the 60th
anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide.

"The Convention compels signatory States "to prevent and to punish"
the crime of genocide – to act against those who kill or commit other
grave acts "with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group, as such". Under the Convention,
attempts to commit genocide and public incitement to genocide are
punishable acts.

The work of the United Nations to prevent genocide encompasses a wide
range of activities. In the broadest sense, we promote human rights,
the rule of law and the fundamental equality of all people. Through
its global presence, the Organization provides practical assistance
to States in building democratic institutions and resolving disputes
through peaceful means. We have established an office dedicated to
genocide prevention. And in 2005, Member States agreed unanimously
on a new, groundbreaking global norm, the responsibility to protect,
which aims to keep national leaders from hiding abuses behind the
false cloak of sovereignty.

The United Nations also seeks to ensure that perpetrators of genocide
are brought to justice promptly. The crime of genocide is included in
the Statutes of the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia
and Rwanda, in the Law on the Establishment of the Extra-ordinary
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and in the Statute of the
International Criminal Court. Justice is not only one of our main
goals; it is itself an important means of prevention.

Despite these efforts, the world has continued to witness appalling
acts that violate human dignity. Too often, the international response
has been inadequate. Far from being consigned to history, genocide and
its ilk remain a serious threat. Not just vigilance but a willingness
to act are as important today as ever.

On this anniversary, I call on those States that have not already
done so to accede to the Convention. I urge all States to implement
the Convention, and to support our efforts to prevent genocide
and other serious human rights violations that may degenerate
into genocide. Preventing genocide is a collective and individual
responsibility. We must do everything in our power to ensure that
our children may live free from the fear of being killed because they
belong to an ethnic, national, religious or racial group," as stated
in the message.

TURKISH PARTICIPANT’S SPEECH OVER ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CAUSES MUCH ANGER AMONG TURKISH DELEGATION MEMBERS AT EU-TURKEY FORUM

Noyan Tapan

Dec 8, 2008

SOPOT, DECEMBER 8, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The European
Union – Turkey forum took place on December 5-6 in the city of Sopot,
Poland. Head of RA NA ARFD faction Vahan Hovhannisian, Chairman of the
Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe and the Armenian community
of Slovakia Ashot Grigorian, Ambassador of Armenia to Poland Ashot
Galoyan, and political scientist Hovhannes Nikoghosian took part in
the forum.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by A. Grigorian, many deputies of
the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, as well as former Foreign
Ministers represented Turkey at the forum. EU was also represented
at a high level.

As A. Grigorian classed it, judging by the speeches it can be said that
Turkey presents the issue of its membership to EU in the following way:

– EU should dream about Turkey’s becoming its member, EU’s interest
should be much bigger.

– the Turkish society can get disappointed and give up its willingness
to join EU.

According to A. Grigorian, the whole forum proceeded by that spirit
before the reports of the Armenian delegates on the panel Turkey’s
role in South-Eastern Europe and Near East, V. Hovhannisian presenting
the Armenian-Turkish relations and A. Grigorian on the subject South
Caucasian Confederation.

Hovhannisian’s report clearly mentioned the great necessity of
expected steps by the Turkish government in the issue of recognition
of the Armenian Genocide. At the same time he clarified the exclusive
necessity of establishing diplomatic relations without preconditions,
as well as development of those relations only providing recognition
of the Genocide.

A. Grigorian, presenting the current problems of the South Caucasus,
proposed an exclusively new way: to create a strategic center on South
Caucasus’ problems under EU’s roof and with its financing, and the
cornerstone of its activity should be ensuring economic growth of all
state units of South Caucasus within the framework of EU investment
programs, their political unification within the framework of the
confederation and accelerated unification with EU. It was proposed
choosing an interim way of being included in EU (associate member
or status of a privileged partner). A decision was also made to
hold panels Problems of the South Caucasus at the Armenian side’s
suggestion (in 2009 within the framework of the European Economic
Forum and EU-Russia Forum).

Hovhannes Nikoghosian, in his turn, emphasized the circumstance that
Turkish side’s proposal to create a commission of Armenian-Turkish
historians to discuss the issue of Armenian Genocide is absolutely
inadmissible. After Armenian delegation’s speech panel conductor,
Turkish deputy Mustafa Ozturk without registration gave the floor to
another Turkish deputy (former Ambassador) Mustafa Shukru Elekdag,
who with an extremely emotional speech tried to deny the fact of the
Armenian Genocide and accused Armenia of being ungrateful: according to
him, Armenia does not appreciate Turkey’s unbiassed attitude (meaning
Turkey’s willingness to play conciliator’s role in the Artsakh issue).

According to A. Grigorian, on forum’s general background, where
Turkey was presented as a great benefactor of its neighboring peoples
and Europe from the time of Ottoman Empire, Armenian delegation’s
and Turkish deputies’ argument made an exclusive impression: the
forum participants’ opinions separated. According to A. Grigorian,
"perhaps that was the reason that during the break following that
panel a serious clash between participants being prominent Turkish
deputies, former Ambassadors and Foreign Ministers and Mustafa Ozturk
took place before the eyes of the Armenian delegation: they blamed
and swore the latter for giving the floor to Shukru Elekdag without a
registration. The impression was that the Turks would prefer leaving
us unanswered than straining the attention of audience with such
an emotional speech to issues so undesirable for them." Indeed,
according to A.

Grigorian, "thanks to that speech Armenian delegation’s statements were
exactly emphasized and perceived: just the way it had been planned."

Armenian National Committee – Sacramento
Sacramento, CA

email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

December 8, 2008

Contact: Ohannes Boghossian

ANC of Sacramento Congratulates President Pro Tempore of the
California State Senate Darrell Steinberg

Sacramento, CA – Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of
Sacramento (ANC of Sacramento) Ohannes Boghossian attended a special
event held for State Senator Darrell Steinberg on December 1, 2008.
Boghossian congratulated Steinberg for his recent election to become
the 46th President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate.

"We have had a great relationship with State Senator Steinberg over
the years as he has been a close friend and supporter of the Armenian
American community," said Boghossian. "We congratulate the Senator in
his new post as President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate
and we look forward to continue our close work with him," he added.

Darrell Steinberg was elected on November 7, 2006 to the California
State Senate, representing the 6th District, which includes
Sacramento, parts of Elk Grove and Citrus Heights. On August 21, 2008,
Steinberg was voted by his Senate colleagues to be the next President
Pro Tempore of the State Senate. The President Pro Tempore is the
highest ranking leader and most powerful member of the California
Senate. The President Pro Tempore also chairs the Senate Rules
Committee. At the beginning of each two-year session, all Senators
elect a new President Pro Tempore, with Senator Steinberg being the
most recent Senator to be elected to this high post.

Prior to his election to the State Senate, Steinberg served three
terms representing the 9th District of the State Assembly, which
includes most of the capital city of Sacramento.

During his tenure in the Assembly, Steinberg served as Chair of the
Assembly Committees on Budget, Appropriations, Judiciary, Labor and
Employment, and the Select Committee on High Priority Schools. He
also served as a member of the Assembly Housing and Local Government
Committees.

Steinberg authored 70 state laws that cover a wide range of vital
public policy issues. He has also voted in favor of every Armenian
Genocide Resolution that has been put forth in the State Senate.

The ANC of Sacramento advocates for the social, economic, cultural,
and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and
promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the
grassroots and public policy levels.