Author: Kajoyan Gevork

WRITERS’ UNION OFFERS CONDUCTION OF “ARMENIAN CULTURE 2020” CONFERENCE

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 21, 2011
YEREVAN

Armenian Writers’ Union is planning to implement cooperation programs
in 2012 with Georgia, Iran, Russia, Romania, Germany, etc. Chairman of
the Union Levon Ananyan summed up at a news conference today the 2011
activity of the union and pointed out the activities of the coming
year. The sixth congress of the union is expected to be conducted
in April 2012 on the opening days of the “Yerevan – World Capital of
Book” event.

“The progress for the union in the passing year is obvious, but there
are a number of programs which will be implemented in the coming
year because of overwork during this year,” Ananyan said speaking
to Armenpress.

During the passing year the Union has carried out a number of events,
organized meetings of teachers of Armenian language and literature
with writers, literature critics. It has also organized “I am friend
of book” marathon, 4th conference of Armenian writers creating in
foreign languages and the scientific sitting of young writers.

“The first problem of literature is making book reach the public,
propagate literature,” he said, adding that the reading crisis is a
painful tendency and for overcoming it, it is necessary to propagate
literature among the young people. During 2011 the Union published
80 multi-genre books.

Ananian said the Union keeps under limelight the assistance to the
young writers as well as active cooperation with the Diaspora writers.

The Union has offered the Ministry of Culture to conduct “Armenian
Culture 2020” conference, which he said will give an opportunity to
outline the prospects of the Armenian culture.

JOBS: “YOU HAVE COMMITTED GENOCIDE TO 1.5 ARMENIANS”

yerkir.am
12:36 – 21.12.2011

Stories of Turkish board attendant Asil Tunchen raised a huge turmoil
in the country.

She had told that Jobs considered Turks to be his enemy. He even did
not shake their hands.

According to the attendant, when they entered Aya Sofia and she had
told that it used to be a church before, which later has been turned
into a mosque, Jobs had asked her: “What have you, the Muslims, done
with so many Armenians”. Tunchel didn’t even have a chance to answer
to that question when Jobs added: “You have committed Genocide to
1.5 Armenians, tell us how it had taken place”.

Denials of the guide made Jobs angrier. He had left Turkey one day
earlier not exchanging another word with Tunchel and the latter
remained with raised hand.

FRENCH PRESIDENT IGNORES ABDULLAH GUL’S PHONE CALLS

arminfo
Wednesday, December 21, 14:17

President Abdullah Gul has called on France to backtrack on passing
a bill that criminalizes those who refuse to define the World War I-
era killings of Armenians at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire as
genocide as soon as possible.

Gul’s media adviser, Ahmet Sever, told The Associated Press that the
Turkish president decided to issue the statement after Sarkozy failed
to take his calls.

“We tried (to reach Sarkozy) for the past three days, but his aides
gave excuses to string us along,” Sever said. “He (Sarkozy) shied
away from talking to us.”

No one was immediately available for comment at the French president’s
office.

In October, Sarkozy traveled to Armenia and urged Turkey to recognize
the 1915 killings as genocide, hinting then that failure to do so
could force France to change its law and make such denials a criminal
offense.

“Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself by revisiting
its history like other countries in the world have done,” Sarkozy
said during his visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

Gul released a written statement on Tuesday, criticizing the latest
French move to penalize denial of the alleged Armenian genocide
in France. Stating that the bill is unacceptable, Gul said, “It is
inconsiderate to distort history for political purposes.”

“It is impossible for us to accept a bill that is now on the agenda
of the French National Assembly and which aims to eliminate freedom of
denying unfair and groundless accusations directed against our country
and nation. I hope France gives up this move, which is disrespectable
to freedom of expression and which will soon put France in a position
that will not even allow objective research in France. We expect that
mind and common sense rule in France, the bill in question is dropped
and history writing is left to historians,” Gul said in the statement.

To recall, the French National Assembly will discuss the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial on December 22. The bill
is criminalizing the Armenian genocide denial, amends the law on
freedom press criminalizing, proposing a clause on racially motivating
crimes. The new bill stipulates one year in prison and a fine in the
amount of 45,000 Euros for anyone who denies the fact of the Armenian
Genocide in the territory of France, which officially recognized the
Armenian genocide on Jan 29 2001, the French NA website reports.

SAUTEE THE BASTARD!: SPY WAR GOES UNDERGROUND AS AZERI GARLIC INVADES ARMENIA; NEIGHBORING GEORGIA MAY BE COMPLICIT
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow
21.12.11 | 14:32

A pungent scandal threatens the Armenian holiday season.

It has been learned that at least some markets have been selling
garlic that was grown in Azerbaijan.

While shopping for his festive table preparations, Samvel Karapetyan –
a researcher of monuments – unearthed news which he immediately took
to media.

“The label reads, ‘Produced on Aliyev St. Apt. 2, Baku, Azerbaijan.’
Isn’t it enough that the country [Armenia] is flooded with Turkish
products? And now do we boost the economy of Azerbaijan, forgetting
that we are factually at war with that country? Is Armenia in an
extremely poor condition that it has to buy garlic from Azerbaijan?

Shame on us!” Karapetyan said.

One kilo of garlic costs 1,500-1,600 drams (about $4) at shops and
markets in Yerevan. There were five garlic bulbs of Azeri production
in one package, and each bulb was sold at 260 drams (80 cents —
five garlic bulbs cost 1,300 drams, $3).

Haykaz Hovhannisyan, director of ‘Armenia Trade Center’ Hayrapetyan
Brothers CJSC, said that they do not know who the importer of the
garlic is.

“We buy a great part of our vegetable from different markets – ‘Goom’,
‘Malatia’, etc.,” Hovhannisyan said.

According to the State Revenue Committee (SRC) of Armenia, “garlic
was imported to Armenia, in January-November 2011, from the following
countries: China, Georgia, [and] Greece.”

Traders dealing with retail trade at the vegetable section of ‘Malatia’
market say that they are not aware of the Azeri-grown garlic imported
to Armenia.

“But it is very delicious garlic, and it is sold quite successfully.

If there were not this garlic [Azeri-grown garlic] then the garlic
price would be 2,500-3,000 drams ($6.50-$7.85),” says one of the
traders. “It is not excluded that an individual has brought it
[Azeri-grown garlic] from Georgia, who knows.”

Garlic with Azeri labels has now been removed from shops, while the
SRC is looking into how the stinking enemy got here.

TRANCHKAN PROTECTORS APPLY TO PROSECUTOR GENERAL

ARMINFO
Wednesday, December 21, 14:25

The Tranchkan waterfall protectors have applied to prosecutor
general Agvan Hovsepyan to make answerable the functionaries which
had illegally delivered permission on construction of hydro power
plant next to the waterfall.

They also demanded to make the “Robshin” company answerable, as over
a few days of the construction work it did irreversible damage to the
ecological system of Trchkan. For this reason, green activists again
call on the Prosecutor General’s Office to revise the Trchkan case.

To recall, the possibility of building of a power plant at the Trchkan
waterfall, involved in the list of hydrological natural monuments
of Armenia, caused indignation of the community. Green activists of
Armenia held protest actions many times. The landslide processes have
become active because of breaking of the urban constructions norms
at the territory of Trchkan.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan promised that the regime of specially
guarded territories will function at the territory of Trchkan.

EU INTERESTED IN ENHANCING COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 21, 2011 – 14:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – New Head of EU Delegation to Armenia Traian
Hristea presented credentials to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
presidential press service reported.

Hailing frequent high level visits, President Sargsyan stressed that
the Armenia-EU relations entered a new dynamic stage and reiterated
Armenia’s determination to proceed with democratic reforms.

In turn, Mr. Hristea stated that opportunities for cooperation
between Armenia and the EU are set to grow further and he will spare
no effort to contribute to this process. “The EU stands ready to
continue supporting Armenia’s reform efforts,” he said.

VIDEO: ‘TALK LESS, WILL YOU?’ SYUNIK GOVERNOR BELITTLES ENVIRONMENTALIST

epress.am
12.21.2011

During a recent visit to the remote Armenian village of Qajaran
(also spelled Kajaran), environmental activists met with Suren (Surik)
Khachatryan, governor of the marz (province) of Syunik, where Qajaran
is located. The governor threatened local activist Mariam Sukhudyan,
saying “relax… remain a little rational, see that nothing happens
to you” and then belittling her, said, “Ay, [little] dragonfly,
talk less, will you?”

Recall, the environmentalists along with the residents of the village
are asking that the government decision to hand over 181 hectares
of land belonging to Kajaran and several other villages in the
southeastern Syunik province to the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine
(Plant) be annulled and the lands returned to the villages. The plant
plans to extend its open-pit mining operations in the region.

The video (in Armenian only) was uploaded on YouTube by the activists.

REGIONAL, MEDICAL CHINESE CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 21, 2011
YEREVAN

Western and Chinese regional scientific, medical center will be created
in Armenia. The agreement over the creation of the center will be
signed between the governments of Armenia and China. The issue of
approving the agreement is included on the agenda of the December 22
cabinet sitting.

Currently the interest toward Chinese medicine increases in the
whole world. Being the only one in the region with the quality of
the provided services, the center will not concede to any such like
Chinese centers.

Armenian National Committee Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Contact: William Bairamian
Phone: 818.500.1918
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
December 21, 2011

ANC-HOLLYWOOD HELPS NEEDY FAMILIES DURING HOLIDAY SEASON

The Armenian National Committee of Hollywood, in partnership with the
Armenian Student Association at UCLA, the Bravo Medical Magnet High
School Armenian Student Association, and the Hollywood Chapters of the
Armenian Youth Federation, the Armenian Relief Society, and
Homenetmen, is hosting its first Holiday Food Drive through December
23 in the spirit of the Christmas season.

`We wish to raise a little bit of holiday cheer and bring families of
the Hollywood community together with this food drive,’ said
ANC-Hollywood volunteer, Sona Gichyan. “[I]t actually feels really
good to give back to a community we grew up in.”

“We began this project with a simple dedication to provide families in
need with food. Since then, we have seen so many community members try
their best to help us collect food, and their efforts have only
encouraged us to try harder and do more,” said Hayk Stepanyan, another
ANC-Hollywood volunteer.

The ANC-Hollywood has been grateful for the active participation of
quite an unprecedented number of community organizations in this
project.

“Not only have we received donations from university organizations
like the UCLA and USC Armenian Student Associations, but from local
Hollywood businesses like Zeytun Grocery & Deli and Carousel
Restaurant as well as non-Armenian community members such as the
Rotary Club of Thai Town. Such caring, diversified, and active
engagement on the part of our community is what a collaborative effort
should look like,” said ANC-Hollywood board member, Srbui Karapetian.

The ANC-Hollywood volunteers will distribute these food donations from
to low-income families in the Hollywood community.

In the meantime, the team calls on the community to continue donating
to the cause one “can” at a time.

For more information about the Holiday Food Drive you may contact the
ANC-Hollywood by phone at (323) 642-8561, or via email at
[email protected]. Below you can find a list of drop-off locations
and needed food items.

The ANC-Hollywood Chapter promotes greater understanding of issues of
concern to the area’s Armenian American community and strives to
increase Armenian American civic participation at the grassroots and
public policy levels.

Drop-off locations and needed items:

Anyone near the Hollywood neighborhood is encouraged to take part in
the season of giving and drop off nonperishable food items in one of
the remaining food donation drop off locations, where a festively
colored box has been placed:
– St. John Armenian Church (1201 North Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90038)-
Rose and Alex Pilibos Preschool (1611 N. Kenmore Avenue, Los Angeles,
CA 90027)- ANCA-Western Region Office (104 N. Belmont St. Second
Floor, Glendale, CA 91205)- Armenian Youth Center of Hollywood (1559
N. Kenmore St., Los Angeles, CA 90027)- Panos Pastry (5150 Hollywood
Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027)- Taslakian Market (4906 Santa Monica
Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90029)- Sedrak’s Produce (1045 N. Edgemont St.,
Hollywood, CA 90029)

Donations from the following food groups are welcome:
– Fruits and Vegetables: canned vegetables, vegetable juice, diced
tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, canned fruit,
fruit juice, dried fruit
– Protein: canned tuna, canned salmon, canned chicken, canned bean
soup, canned baked beans, dried and canned beans/peas, canned chili,
canned beef stew, peanut butter, nuts
– Grains: oatmeal, whole grain crackers, all types of pasta, cereal,
cream of wheat, whole grain rice
– Oils: corn, olive, vegetables

###
Attached: Photos with captions

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

AGBU Young Professionals of Buenos Aires Hosts Popular Cultural Events
Showcasing Armenian Architecture & Photography

Signature Hai Gallery Night Part of City of Buenos Aires Week of the
Arts

On September 2, 2011, the AGBU Young Professionals of Buenos Aires (YP
Buenos Aires) held an informative lecture on Armenian architecture with
over 50 young professionals and architecture students in attendance at
the AGBU Buenos Aires Center. The first speaker, architect and YP Buenos
Aires Steering Committee Member Armen Topalian, discussed his career and
the history of Armenian architecture, including the influences of the
Soviet Union. For the second portion, architect Ari Hadji, who is
working on the new Zvartnotz International Airport in Armenia, was
patched in via video conference to speak about the country’s
architecture business, the difficulties in finding qualified employees
for jobs, legal complications, and building regulations.

Later in the month, from September 28 to October 1, YP Buenos Aires held
its signature, 2nd annual Hai Gallery Night at the AGBU Center, which
was a featured stop along the City of Buenos Aires Week of the Arts
circuit. This year’s art exhibit, entitled “Armenia – Its People, Its
Landscapes, Its Culture, & Its Art,” showcased photography by a dozen
local young photographers depicting the many facets and faces of
Armenia. The opening night was attended by over 100 guests, among whom
were non-Armenian art and culture enthusiasts, with another 200 guests
attending throughout the course of the exhibit.

An appropriate end to 2011, YP Buenos Aires celebrated its third
anniversary with an After-Office Mixer on December 15 at Koh Lanta.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. The AGBU Young Professionals
() are a growing network of groups and supporters around
the world who are committed to preserving and promoting the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs for young Armenians between the ages of 22 to 40. To learn more
about YP Buenos Aires and its recent events, please visit