Author: Kajoyan Gevork

U.S. SENATE LEADER WRITES TO CLINTON ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

Tert
Nov 3 2009
Armenia

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has formally shared the
reservations of the Silver State’s Armenian community regarding the
dangers of the recently signed Turkey-Armenia Protocols with Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).

In an October 30, 2009 letter to ANCA-Nevada activist Razmig Libarian,
the Senate leader reported that he had recently written to Secretary
Clinton to pass along the concerns of his state’s citizens of Armenian
heritage, and to encourage her to meet directly with the national
leadership of the Armenian American community regarding the state of
Turkey-Armenia relations.

In his letter to Secretary Clinton, dated October 30, 2009, Senator
Reid wrote: "I am sure you are aware that this agreement has raised
concerns in the Armenian community inside the United States. I have
received many letters from Nevadans who do not support the creation
of an international commission to examine the historical record
on the genocide and who believe that the agreements are unfair to
Armenia. (I have included a sample letter below). Given the serious
nature of the community’s concerns, I felt it was important to raise
them directly with you. The commission is particularly sensitive to
the Armenian-American community since the Armenian genocide has never
been recognized by Turkey."

Despite the high profile of Armenia-Turkey ties in the Obama-Biden
Administration’s foreign policy agenda, neither President Obama
nor Secretary Clinton has met with the Armenian-American community
leadership.

The Jerusalem International Oud Festival celebrates a decade

2 Nov 2009

The tenth annual Jerusalem International Oud Festival will be held between
12-26 November 2009 in Jerusalem and Nazareth.

10th Annual Jerusalem Oud Festival (Photo courtesy Ministry of Tourism)

(Communicated by the Ministry of Tourism Spokesperson)

The Jerusalem International Oud Festival, organized by the city’s
Confederation House under the artistic direction of Effie Benaya,
celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, with performances taking
place in Jerusalem from 12-26 November and in Nazareth from 24-27
November.
The festival draws artists and composers from all musical genres from
Israel and overseas, making the distinct Mediterranean sounds of the
oud accessible to a wide audience. Stars of Israeli, Jewish and Arab
ethnic music appear alongside guest musicians from India, France and
Mediterranean countries presenting a variety of musical heritages:
religious and secular, Armenian and Byzantine, Gypsy and Babylonian,
ancient and modern.
The festival continues the tradition of musical tributes to the poets
of the Golden Age of Spain and the great artists of the Arab world, as
well as presenting, for the first time, a unique aspect of Syrian
musical tradition, alongside Greek, Turkish and other musical
styles. Musical instruments featured in the concerts include the oud,
zurna, duduk, trumpet, bass, violins, viola, cello, jumbush, clarinet,
recorder, dahul, nai and energetic percussion.

The festival opens with a world premier entitled Who Knows One
performed by the band Tractor’s Revenge in a tribute to the Spanish
poet and Rabbi Yehuda Moshe Ibn Ezra, regarded as one of the literary
giants of the Golden Age in Spain.

Other concerts include Sounds from Syria, a tribute to Sabah Fakhri,
performed by the Tarshiha Orchestra for Arabic Music; This Was What He
Originally Intended…, unknown Piyyutim of Hebrew poet Rabbi Israel
Najara; Debka Fantasy, an Israeli musical fantasy of the early days of
Jewish settlement blending Eastern and Western music; Ad Adei Ad, a
work composed specially for the festival based upon texts from Sefer
ha-Yetzira, one of the foundations of Kabbalistic thought; a unique
Encounter between Three Oud Players, Taiseer Elias, Ara Dinkjian and
Yurdal Tokcan; and Iraq’n’Roll, which brings together two Israeli
artists Yair Dalal and Dudu Tasa. There will be a concert by an
Indian vocalist, Sudha Ragunathan, and another in tribute to three
great Arab vocalists

The concert venues include the Confederation House, the Jerusalem
Theater, the Gerard Behar Center, Beit Avihai and the Shimson
Center-Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem and four concerts in Nazareth.

Information in English about the concerts and ticket sales:

gov.il/MFA/Israel+beyond+politics/10th-annual-Jeru salem-International-Oud-Festival-2-Nov-2009.htm?Di splayMode=3Dprint

news.am, Armenia
Oct 31 2009

RA President met Rafael Martinetti

12:16 / 10/31/2009RA President Serzh Sargsyan received Rafael
Martinetti, President of International Wrestling Federation. Sargsyan
expressed confidence that this visit will give new momentum to the
cooperation development, RA presidential press service informed
NEWS.am.

`Wrestling is traditionally respected and successful sports in Armenia
that presently is in the limelight either. Like in each field, we
would like to achieve better results here too,’ RA President outlined,
adding that Armenian National Olympic Committee, Ministry of Sports
and Youth Affairs, Wrestling Federation try to signify this sports
even more. We wish more children to go in for wrestling, for which we
improve conditions and try to hold international championships in
Armenia. We hope eventually our efforts will yield desired result."

Martinetti said that the establishment of a Coach School in Yerevan,
as Armenia is known for its numerous professional wrestling coaches
was discussed at the meeting.

The officials also discussed the issue of holding Greco-Roman World
Wrestling Championship 2010 in Armenia. Armenia is interested in
hosting such high-level competition and will do its utmost to duly
organize it, Serzh Sargsyan mentioned.

Martinetti noted he follows closely Armenia-Turkey normalization
process. `Being a Swiss citizen, I am happy that Switzerland could
assist the process.’

99% of Turkish population comprised of Muslims, majority of them Sunnites
31.10.2009 15:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According US State Department annual report on
religious freedom, 99% of 70,5 million Turkish population are Muslims,
majority of them Sunnites. Over 10-20 million are Alevites.

`The country is populated by about 500 thousand Shiites, 65 thousand
Armenians, belonging to Armenian Gregorian church, 23 thousand
Israelites, 15 thousand Christian Jacobites, 5 thousand Yezidis, 3300
Jehovah witnesses, 3000 `other protestants’, 3000 orthodox Greeks, as
well as Bulgarians, Nestorians, Georgians, Gypsies, Catholics and
Maronites who’s number is unknown, the report says.

"YSU STUDENT SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION 1922-1972" BOOK TO BE PRESENTED ON NOV. 2

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.10.2009 12:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Kim Avagyan’s "YSU Student Scientific Organization
1922-1972" book will be presented on November 2 in the National
Library of Armenia. The book based on archival documents tells about
the activities of the organization and its contribution to development
of science in Armenia.

MOSQUE FOUNDATION FUNDS RESTORATION OF ARMENIAN CHURCH

armradio.am
29.10.2009 18:28

A Malatya foundation that was established to build mosques has assumed
the financial costs of the restoration of a historic Armenian church
located in the neighborhood where assassinated Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink was born, Today’s Zaman reported.

The head of the Carmuzu TepebaÅ~_ı Mosque Building and Preservation
Foundation, Latif Yıldırım, said they started planning the project
to help restore the Armenian TaÅ~_horon Church in 2008 and wrote
letters to the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
as well as Armenian businessmen to win their support. They also spoke
with the Armenian Patriarchate in March, he said.

Money had been allocated for the restoration by the Culture and
Tourism Ministry in 2009; however, due to budgetary problems, the
foundation decided to take on the costs of the restoration. While
noting that their project, which they call a "project of peace," is
a model of good relations between different faiths, Yıldırım said,
"We do not think we will experience financial problems."

Armenian Archbishop Aram AteÅ~_yan said the church is a cultural
treasure and added, "We will be very happy if such a project is carried
out." He also noted that there are some other churches in need of
restoration and highlighted that this must also be done. The muhtar
(local official) of the neighborhood in which the church is situated,
Mustafa Å~^ahin, said such a project would contribute to peace and
stressed, "Whether used as a place of worship or as a museum, the
historic church will contribute to unity and solidarity in the area
as well as to tourism."

AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN MEDIA LEADERS MEET IN MOSCOW

Today
10.html
Oct 29 2009
Azerbaijan

Leaders of the Azerbaijani and Armenian media outlets met in Moscow
on Oct. 28.

The meeting took place at the initiative of the Russian president’s
Representative for Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvidko, Azerbaijani
ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu and Armenian ambassador to
Russia Armen Smbatyan.

Russia was represented at the meeting by heads of the Komsomolskaya
Pravda, Trud newspapers, Ogonyok magazine, Russia Today television
channel and ITAR-TASS news agency Deputy Director General Mikhail
Gusman.

Director of the Day.Az news portal Ilgar Huseynov, Director of 1news
news portal Rahman Hajiyev, Director of news.az news portal Elnur
Baimov and Editor-in-Chief of Novoye Vremya newspaper Shakir Gabiloglu
attended the meeting from the Azerbaijani side.

Chiefs of the Aravot newspaper, Armenpress news agency, Erkir
television channel represented the Armenian side.

The meeting focused on media’s role in resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the stance they should take at the
current stage.

ANKARA PLEASED WITH AZERI DECISION TO RE-HOIST TURKISH FLAGS

Anadolu Agency
Oct 28 2009
Turkey

Ankara, 28 October: Turkey is pleased with Azerbaijan’s move to
hoist back the Turkish flag up to the pole at a war memorial in Baku,
Turkish foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Burak Ozugergin said, "there is no doubt that Turkey and Azerbaijan
will, from now on, show full respect to two flags of the Turkish
nation."

Azerbaijani officials hauled down a Turkish flag at a war memorial
honouring Turkish soldiers in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, after
football fans were not allowed to carry Azerbaijani flags at a match
between Turkey and Armenia. Turkey and Armenia last month signed an
accord to normalize relations and open a border gate.

Turkish Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu travelled to Baku on October
22, Ozugergin recalled and said that during this visit, Turkish
and Azerbaijani officials once again reaffirmed that Turkish and
Azerbaijani flags were not considered flags of a foreign state in
each country.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT AND EGYPT’S MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION DISCUSS ARMENIAN-EGYPTIAN RELATIONS

Tert
Oct 28 2009
Armenia

On October 27, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Armenian Ambassador
to Egypt, H.E. Dr. Armen Melkonian, met with Egypt’s Minister of
Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Hani Helal.

During the meeting, Melkonian and Helal discussed issues related to
relations between the two countries in the area of education and the
current phase of cooperation, particularly the preparatory process
of signing the 2009-2012 intergovernmental action plan of cooperation
in the fields of education and science.

Both sides attached importance to further development of direct
relations between Armenian and Egyptian higher educational institutions
and the sustainability of exchanging experience.

The activities of the Armenian Studies Centre at Cairo University
was especially highly praised as an outcome of bilateral cooperation,
informs a press release issued by the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

BETTER ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION THROUGH FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LEGISLATION REFORM

armradio.am
28.10.2009 17:46

An OSCE-supported public event focusing on a package of draft
amendments to Armenia’s legislation on freedom of information was
held in Yerevan today.

The package of proposed amendments was developed by the
non-governmental organization Freedom of Information Centre of Armenia
(FOICA), the National Assembly and the Ministry of Justice, in close
collaboration with civil society and international organizations.

The event follows a series of round table discussions aimed at
soliciting opinions and recommendations on the draft package from
several target groups, including civil society, media and government
agencies.

Armenia’s law on Freedom of Information adopted in 2003 was considered
progressive by several local and international organizations. However,
to ensure full-fledged implementation of the law several shortcomings
need to be addressed. The proposed amendments, for example,
include provisions that establish a unified procedure for providing
information, without relying on sub-legislative acts.

"Free access to information is a precondition for building a democratic
and pluralistic society, as it helps promote good governance,
transparency and accountability of the state institutions. We are
glad to support the reform of legislation on freedom of information
that will hopefully result in the adoption of amendments paving the
way for better access to government-held information," said the Head
of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos.

"We hope that this joint initiative of the National Assembly,
the Government and our NGO will help resolve a number of crucial
problematic issues. Sub-legal acts regulating procedures for providing
information would no longer be needed; submission of electronic
requests, as well as payment for information provision, would be
streamlined," added Shushan Doydoyan, the President of the FOICA.