FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY’S TOP OFFICIAL TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
ARMENPRESS
June 8, 2011
YEREVAN
Today the Director for Continental Europe of the Foreign Ministry
of France Philippe Lefort will arrive in Armenia for a political
consultation between our countries during which regional policy and
issues relating to bilateral cooperation will be discussed.
A meeting with the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian is
scheduled, the French Embassy to Armenia reported.
IRANIAN STAGE DIRECTOR TO PRESENT MACBETH AT SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL IN YEREVAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2011 – 10:24 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Iranian stage director Hossein Farrokhi will present
Macbeth at the Shakespeare International Theater Festival which will
be held in Yerevan, Armenia, this coming September.
“I have made minor changes in the text and revised some of the
dialogues, but I have remained true to the original text,” Farrokhi
said.
He described Iran’s participation in international festivals as an
opportunity to introduce Iranian dramatic arts to foreign artists.
“We shall begin rehearsals after actress Afsaneh Mahian returns from
her abroad trip,” he said. “I believe that this cooperation between
Iranian and foreign troupes is necessary in order to earn credit for
Iranian theater,” he added, Tehran Times reported.
Meanwhile, Shakespeare Festival faces the threat of closing because of
grave financial problems, as Yerevan Mayor’s Office ceased festival
financing this year. “Unless the situation changes, this year’s
Shakespeare Festival may become the last one,” the head of Armenian
Theater Workers Union, Hakob Ghazanchyan, said.
U.S. EMBASSY IN YEREVAN CELEBRATES 235TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2011 – 11:13 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – On June 7, Americans and Armenians celebrated the
235th anniversary of American independence and the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch and Speaker of the Armenian
National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan delivered remarks at the
celebration, which took place at the U.S. Embassy. Inga and Anush
Arshakians opened the event by singing the U.S. National Anthem,
and the Armenian State Jazz Band played American jazz music.
During the event, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia also marked the departure
of Ambassador Yovanovitch, who will return to Washington D.C. to work
as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for North and Central Europe at the
Department of State. Ambassador Yovanovitch took the opportunity to
congratulate Armenia on 20 years of independence and toasted the
U.S.-Armenian friendship based on mutual support and respect for
democracy, freedom, and peace, reported the press office of the
U.S. embassy to Armenia.
Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America
and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
ARMENIAN DUDUK FEATURED AT MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MOROCCO
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2011 – 16:00 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – The 17th World Sacred Music Festival kicked off
June 3 in Fes, Morocco.
Under the artistic direction of the Morocco-reared and Paris-based
composer, Armand Amar, the show was a veritable medley of global
musical traditions that included vocalists and percussionists from
Europe, Africa, South Asia, Iran and Mongolia. It featured percussion
of Shanghai, drums of Japan, Armenian wind instrument duduk and
Maghrib’s stringed instrument oud.
The musical diversity of the opera, specially commissioned for the
occasion, set an ideal stage for performances that would follow.
Besides local artists, performers from several nations, including
Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, France, India, Italy, Pakistan,
Senegal, Spain and the U.S., are taking part in the 10-day festival,
which ends on June 12, Arab News reported.
ANCA PROFESSIONAL NETWORK HOSTS ACF ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
ASBAREZ
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
A scene from the ACT roundtable
LITTLE ARMENIA-TheArmenian National Committee of America Professional
Network hosted a roundtable discussion on Saturday May 21 at the new
Hollywood Hye Getron on how to stay involved in the Armenian community
and in the Armenian cause, showcasing all of the organizations
under the Armenian Cultural Foundation. With leaders of each of the
organizations under the ACF present, each representative presented
the mission, goals, structure and membership of their respective
organization.
Allen Yekikian, former member of the Armenian Youth Federation Central
Executive, and current member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
presented on behalf of the ARF, ARF Shant Student Association and
the AYF; William Bairamian, Executive Director of the Armenian
National Committee of America-Western Region and Haig Hovsepian,
Senior Staff, presented on behalf of the ANCA-WR; Sevag Demirjian,
presented on behalf of the ANCA-Professional Network as their chairman;
Roger Khardarian, president of Hamazkayin Regional Executive Board
USA Western Region presented on behalf of the Hamazkayin Armenian
Educational and Cultural Society; Arousyak Melkonian, Chair Person
of the ARS WUSA Regional Executive Board, presented on behalf of
the Armenian Relief Society; Hovig Chahinian, Athletic Director of
Homenetmen Los Angeles, presented on behalf of Homenetmen, the Armenian
General Athletic Union; and Kris Demirjian, chair of the ANC-Political
Action Committee (ANC-PAC), presented on behalf of ANC-PAC.
Following the presentation from each organization, the participants
of the leadership summit, including community leaders, members and
students, shared ideas and discussed collaborative efforts to achieve
the ACF goals of bettering the Armenian community and attracting new
supporters to the ACF. The discussion was moderated by ANCA-PN board
member Ayk Dikijian. Several members of the local Armenian community
were present, as were representatives of the Armenian Bone Marrow
Donor Registry, who recruited all the organizations to host blood
donor drives at their upcoming events in efforts to save Armenian
lives by finding compatible donors for those with blood cancers.
The discussion was followed by a Wine and Cheese meet and greet.
Horizon reporters were on site to cover the event and interview
participating attendees. The open forum for the sharing of all
organization’s upcoming events and goals helped foster stronger and
healthier relationships between all the ACF organizations. All in
attendance agreed that such a forum should be held regularly to help
forge stronger relations between the organizations.
AVERAGE COST OF MINIMUM FOOD BASKET IN ARMENIA SOARS BY 19.9% IN FIRST QUARTER
/ ARKA /
June 7, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, June 7. / ARKA /. The average cost of minimum food basket
(subsistence level) in Armenia soared by 19.9% in the first quarter
of 2011 to 35,390 drams per month, according to numbers unveiled by
the National Statistical Service.
The minimum food basket includes bread, potatoes, meat, cereals,
dairy products, sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, fruit, margarine, fish,
etc. The basket does not include alcoholic beverages, tobacco products
and delicacies.
As follows from the data of the National Statistical Service, the
most expensive product in the basket was meat (beef). The price of 1
kg of beef rose by 7.2% in March from January up to 2,340 drams. The
prices of fruits jumped by 27.6% up 1,140 drams.
The cheapest products included vegetable oil and sugar, whose price
in the reporting period increased by 12.4% and 8.9% to 830 AMD and
375 AMD respectively. According to the National Statistical Service,
the highest rise in the prices of foods in the first quarter of 2011
was recorded in Kapan, the administrative center of the southern Syunik
province and the lowest rise of 6.3% in Gyumri in northwestern Shirak
region . ($ 1 – 376.56 AMD).
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEDALS WIN BEST-IN-SHOW
By: Contributor
Tue, Jun 7 2011 .
MILWAUKEE, Wisc.-Three displays of Armenian coins, medals, and paper
currency were recently honored with gold prize awards in competitions
held in Chicago and Milwaukee.
The exhibits were prepared by recognized numismatic expert Dr. Levon
Saryan, a member of the Armenian Numismatic Society and the Society
for Armenian Studies, and an overseas member of the Armenian National
Academy of Sciences.
“Armenia’s Agony: Commemorative Medals of the 1915 Armenian Genocide”
received “Best in Show” honors at the April 2011 South Shore numismatic
show held in Milwaukee. This display presents the history of the
Armenian Genocide through the medium of numismatic monuments.
The prize award, a 1/10th ounce pure gold coin, was presented at the
annual club banquet on May 21.
Rare Cilician Armenian silver coins were featured in the
display entitled “A Medieval Armenian Coin Hoard,” which garnered
second-in-class for ancient coins at the highly competitive Central
States Numismatic Society convention held in Rosemont, Ill., near
Chicago, in late April. Featured in the display was a hoard of over
250 medieval silver coins dating circa 1200 A.D. from the kingdom
of Cilician Armenia. The prize, presented on April 30, was a 1/4th
ounce pure gold coin.
“Armenia 1919: The Artistic Banknotes” received third-in-class for
foreign paper money, also at the Central States show. Presented were
the attractive banknotes designed for the Republic of Armenia in 1919
by noted artist Arshag Fetvadjian. The award was a 1/10th ounce pure
gold coin.
“In the hobby world, enthusiasts enjoy showing off their material
to the public and other collectors,” said Saryan. “People who
rebuild classic cars enter their cars in shows, the cars are judged
competitively, and the winners receive fancy prizes. It’s the same
in numismatics. Designing a competitive display is kind of like being
a museum curator.”
Saryan’s displays are on Armenian subjects, each with a unifying
theme. “To assemble a winning coin display,” he explained, “you
gather material related to the theme, do basic and detailed research,
prepare carefully written descriptions and explanations, and design the
display. On the day of the show, you lay out your display attractively
in locked glass museum cases.”
Competing displays are graded by independent judges. There may be
anywhere from a dozen to 100 other displays, on topics ranging
from American silver dollars to Zimbabwe paper money. Criteria
typically include technical accuracy, background information, concept
originality, attractiveness of presentation, effective use of color,
completeness of a collection, and condition and rarity of the material,
graded on a 100-point scale. Results from three or four judges are
tallied to determine the winner.
“Preparing an attractive, educational display is a great way to
promote our heritage and history to others,” Saryan said. “It’s
a learning process for the viewer, and also for the exhibitor who
prepares the display. Numismatic exhibiting combines scholarship and
concise presentation of facts with a sense of aesthetics and design.
As far as we know, no one else in America is preparing Armenian
numismatic displays and being recognized for them.”
WITH A CLOSE-TO $2-MILLION DONATION BY PHILANTHROPIST SAMVEL KARAPETYAN, HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND BUILDS POTABLE-WATER SYSTEM IN MARTUNI
AZG DAILY
08-06-2011
Hayastan All Armenian Fund
Yerevan, June 7, 2011 – Thanks to the extraordinary financial support
of Samvel Karapetyan, president of Tashir Group of Companies, a
member of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Board of Trustees, the fund
is currently building a highly anticipated potable-water system in
the city of Martuni, Artsakh. When the first phase of the project
is completed by the end of this year, almost two-thirds of Martuni
will have around-the-clock access to water. Coverage of the entire
city will be achieved with the subsequent completion of the plan’s
second and third phases.
The Martuni initiative is the second major water-infrastructure
project in Artsakh to be realized mainly through the support of
Samvel Karapetyan and the Karapetyan Brothers Company, headed by
the benefactor. The first project of this type, also now underway,
is the construction of Shushi City’s internal water network,
financed by Russian-Armenian industrialists. The lion’s share of
their contributions, totaling around U.S. $1 million, was provided
by Samvel Karapetyan.
Karapetyan’s generosity toward the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund was first
manifested in 2008. That year the $35 million in raised funds announced
at the conclusion of the annual Telethon spelled an unprecedented
success, thanks to a $15-million contribution by Karapetyan.
Today Karapetyan’s gift to the people of Artsakh has become all the
more palpable in the form of the newly constructed Regional Hospital
of Stepanakert. When the project’s decoration and furnishing phases
are completed in the near future, the large-scale healthcare facility
will serve the population of Stepanakert and beyond.
In recent years Karapetyan has brought his active participation to
the fund’s annual benefit Gala in Moscow, held at the invitation of
the President of the Republic of Armenia. Karapetyan has attended the
high-profile Moscow Galas not only as a benefactor, but a visionary
and an industrialist who admires the fund’s pan-Armenian mission,
accordingly sparing no effort to provide it with both financial and
organizational assistance.
In 2009 the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Board of Trustees unanimously
elected Karapetyan a member of the Board and its Russian Federation
representative, in recognition of his outstanding philanthropic
service. Karapetyan has also been named an Honorary Member of the fund,
a title conferred on benefactors who have donated $1 million or more.
“Undoubtedly Samvel Karapetyan has had an instrumental role in the
recent history of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund,” said Executive
Director Ara Vardanyan. “It is no secret that, in terms of major
contributions to the fund, the Russian-Armenian community has led
the pack in the past two years. The community’s emergence as such is
closely connected with the name of philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan,
whose exceptional altruism has served as an example to numerous
Russian-Armenian business leaders.”
The Karapetyan Brothers Company comprises over 200 businesses and
a workforce of close to 30,000, many of whom are Armenians. Whereas
running such a massive corporation would be expected to absorb most
of one’s energies, Samvel Karapetyan manages to fulfill equally the
roles of chief executive, devoted father and husband, and an exemplary
patriot who is as ever attuned to the pulse of the homeland.
Karapetyan’s generosity has already touched the lives of thousands.
Today their numbers are swelled by the people of Martuni, who
bestow blessings on their beloved benefactor as they celebrate the
long-awaited gift of water.
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS REFUSED TO SIGN MEMORANDUM ON COOPERATION WITH ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN
news.am
June 7 2011
Armenia
YEREVAN. – A group of environmental organizations did not sign
memorandum on bilateral cooperation with Armenian Ombudsman. The
discussion took place with the invitation of human rights defender,
informs Ekolur.
Bird Lovers NGO president Silva Adamyan thinks that the memorandum
points reflect to separate social vulnerable groups, such as national,
sexual, and religious minorities, women subjected to violence.
However, the memorandum points do not reflect to the rights of
defending whole Armenian citizens.
“It comes like the ombudsman is busy with the causes of rights’
violation rather than with the rights themselves, protection of which
can reduce those causes,” stated Adamyan.
ONE CAN EXPECT QUICK RESULTS IN KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS – RUSSIAN MEDIATOR
news.am
June 7 2011
Armenia
During their visit to Baku, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs said it
is necessary to intensify talks on Karabakh.
Russian Co-Chair Igor Popov said the process around Nagorno-Karabakh
has intensified and one can expect quick results.
In his turn U.S. Co-Chair Robert Bradtke said the Minsk Group’s
objective is to resolve the conflict peacefully and therefore co-chairs
see need for frequent meetings between the conflicting parties.
Bernard Fassier representing France said the co-chairs are interested
in peaceful resolution of the territorial conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan and see the need to intensify negotiations, Trend reports.