Author: Kajoyan Gevork

OBAMA ENCOURAGES ARMENIA AND TURKEY TO REGULATE RELATIONS

Panorama.am
21:09 07/04/2009

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Turkey and Switzerland had a meeting
with the U.S. President Barack Obama in Istanbul on 6 April. The
U.S. President has declared that he supports the efforts made by
the Presidents of Armenia and Turkey to regulate the Armenian-Turkish
relations, the press and information department of the Foreign Ministry
reports. The U.S. President encouraged the parties to sign an agreement
to regulate the bilateral relations as soon as possible. He said that
after the Armenian-Turkish border is opened the two nations would
have a prosperous and peaceful future.

-sel.html

Adventist Church selects Doukmetzian as General Counsel
ARM VP, former general counsel for church in Canada to replace outgoing Kyte

6 Apr 2009, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

Ansel Oliver/ANN

The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Executive Committee yesterday voted
Karnik Doukmetzian, a vice president of Adventist Risk Management with more
than 25 years of legal experience, to lead its Office of General Counsel at
the church’s world headquarters.

"I’m looking forward to working with each of you and with President Jan
Paulsen as we work to protect the interests of the church," he told the
Executive Committee.

Doukmetzian replaces Robert E. Kyte, who served in the post for four years
and has accepted the position of General Counsel for Healthwise, a nonprofit
consumer health education company in Boise, Idaho. Kyte previously served as
outside counsel for the company for 15 years while in private practice.

The Office of General Counsel currently employs five attorneys to offer
legal advice for entities at the world headquarters. Major areas include
tax, pension, religious liberty, employment, immigration law and litigation.

Doukmetzian, 54, was born in Greece and raised in Canada. He earned his law
degree from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada in 1982. He
subsequently represented insurance companies in private practice and served
as general counsel and director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for
the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada.

Doukmetzian has served Adventist Risk Management for 12 years, first as
claims counsel, and the past eight as vice president, overseeing the
church’s insurance companies, claims services and captive brokerage.

"His impact within this company has been tremendous over the years," ARM
president Robert Sweezy said. "This is a great opportunity for him to
further serve the church and do what he likes best, and that is to protect
the church in every way possible."

Kyte, the outgoing General Counsel, said Doukmetzian’s experience has
prepared him well for the new appointment.
 
"It was a pleasure working with him at ARM and I believe he will bring
energy, focus and practicality through Christian principles to the office,"
Kyte said.

After college, Doukmetzian contemplated attending law school in the United
States and sought advice from the most senior of the Canadian Adventist
attorneys. "Go to law school and use your talents to serve the church," he
was told. There were only four Adventist lawyers in the county at the time.

Doukmetzian is licensed to practice law in both Canada and the United
States. He said he plans to transition to his new post in May.

He is married to Loida Cortez Doukmetzian, a school teacher in the
Washington D.C. area. They have one son, Joseph.

The Executive Committee voted his appointment during Spring Meeting, one of
two annual business meetings of the Adventist world church.

ARSEN JULFALAKIAN BECOMES EUROPE CHAMPION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 6, 2009

VILNIUS, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. In the final of the Greco-Roman
Wrestling European Championship being held in Vilnius Arsen Julfalakian
performing in the 74 kg weight category beat Ukrainian Volodimir
Shatskikh with the score of 3 to 0 and became Europe champion. It
should be mentioned that in all of six fights the Armenian wrestler
was never beaten by his rivals.

Armenian national team’s three freestyle wrestlers had become
prize-winners before: Zhirayr Hovhannisian and Edgar Yenokian had
won bronze medals and Ruslan Basiyev a silver medal.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 5 2009

Georgia, Armenia to formalize strategic relations – diplomat

05.04.2009, 03.23

TBILISI, April 5 (Itar-Tass) – Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol
Vashadze said Georgia and Armenia will formalize strategic relations.

"Georgia and Armenia will formalize strategic relations by all means;
I believe it will happen shortly," he said in an interview with the
Rustavi-2 television company on Saturday.

The strategic relations with Armenia will become an integral part of
the country’s new strategy of foreign policy.

The previous strategy was drawn three years ago for the period
2007-2009.

At present, the Georgian Foreign Ministry is preparing new documents
for 2009-2010. In the previous document, it named its strategic
partners the United States, Turkey, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, and is
expected to continue to treat them as such.

PanARMENIAN.Net

U.S. recognition of Genocide to provide unprecedented momentum to
Turkey-Armenia dialogue 04.04.2009 14:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On April 3, 2009, more than 340 European `Armenian
organizations signed a letter to President Obama, before his visit to
Turkey, inviting the U.S. President to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, reported the European Armenian Federation (EAFJD).

The letter says:

`Dear Mr. President,

In January 2008, you declared your firm conviction `that the Armenian
Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view,
but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body
of historical evidence.’ You further said that the facts of the
Armenian Genocide are undeniable emphasizing that `an official policy
that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy’. In September and October 2008, you confirmed your
commitment to support the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution
in Congress. You also affirmed: `As President, I will recognize the
Armenian Genocide.’ Mr. President, as Europeans of Armenian descent,
we salute you for these wise, unwavering, forward-looking and
courageous statements.

Europeans hail with hope and enthusiasm these positions rooted in
sound moral principles and consider the universal recognition of the
Armenian Genocide a moral requirement and – given the sad repetition
of mass crimes such as in Darfur today ` an urgent political
imperative for all mankind.

Mr. President, we cannot overlook the efforts, presently under way, by
entities that do not share your vision of humanity and that aim to
prevent your administration from pursuing these progressive policies
which would restore the leading role of the United States in this
vital field. In this regard, your impending visit to Turkey has
profound symbolism that will not be lost to Europeans who are
currently weighing the moral and political cost of the proposed
Turkish membership in the European Union.

Given the mission of change that your presidency represents and given
your principled stance, we would like to assure you that:

– The European Armenians, as well as the large democratic mainstream
of Europe’s civil society, will continue to strongly oppose Turkey’s
membership in the EU for as long as the Turkish state denies the
Armenian Genocide, promotes racism and pursues a policy of
discrimination towards its minorities.

– The commitment you have made to recognize, as President, the
Armenian Genocide and to support the passage of the Armenian Genocide
resolution in Congress will not only set the record straight, but also
it will unleash the momentum of true change and democratization inside
Turkey; a momentum which must lead to an ultimate recognition of this
mass crime by Turkey itself.

– The U.S. recognition will also provide an unprecedented momentum to
the process of dialogue between Turkey and Armenia. It will make clear
that denial of this crime against humanity will no longer be supported
and that the way forward will definitely require of Turkey and of all
concerned in the region a fundamental commitment to just peace.

In contrast, we are convinced that any retreat by the United States at
this defining moment would be interpreted by genocide-perpetrating
governments as full license to continue their bloody acts and criminal
complicities, as witnessed in Turkey’s recent support for the Sudanese
president who is under arrest warrant by the International Criminal
Court.

For this reason, now more than ever, Europeans are united in their
support for you in your Wilsonian resolution to recognize, this April
24th, the Armenian Genocide and to quickly advance a vote for the
resolutions in the House of Representatives and the Senate of the
United States.’

Aravot, Armenia
April 3 2009

Staff replaced again

The daily newspaper Zamanak Yerevan (Yerevan Times) has not come out
for a second day today. Of course, there have been rumours among
journalists that the newspaper staff have some disagreements with the
newspaper’s founder and editor-in-chief, currently detainee Arman
Babadjanyan, and therefore, they have boycotted the publication of the
newspaper.

Yesterday [2 April] Suren Surenyants, editor of Zamanak-Yerevan and a
member of the political board of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party,
confirmed this report. He said that the entire editorial staff, except
for one person whom they could not get in touch with, had resigned. It
is difficult to say why all the appointed editors cannot get along
with the editor-in-chief or vice versa. There have been different
reasons for the replacement of editors so far. Surenyants gave his own
clarifications. He said that they had submitted their resignation
because "the staff could not cope with undoable tasks set by
Babadjanyan. In one day he raised the issue of journalists’ dismissal
and suspension of the editor’s authorities. There was an impression
that he constantly made up reasons to spoil the working environment in
the editorial office, being aware that his suggestions would raise
discontent of the staff. We made attempts to resolve the existing
problems with him through negotiations, but without success,"
Surenyants said in an interview with Aravot.

We asked if Babadjanyan, except the abovementioned suggestions, had
had any objections related to the newspaper materials. The already
former editor of Zamanak-Yerevan newspaper gave a negative response,
but added: "His reservations were very artificial. This leads me to
think that this way he tried to conceal the real reason for his
dissatisfaction".

Iran, Armenia to expand land, railway transportation cooperation

Moscow, April 3, IRNA ` Iran and Armenia are to expand cooperation in
the land and railway transportation sector.

In separate meetings in Yerevan on Thursday, Iran’s Minister of Roads
and Transportation Hamid Behbahani and Armenia’s Ministers of Energy
and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian and of Transportation and
Communications Gurgen Sagsyan examined ways of expanding mutual
cooperation, particularly in the transportation sector.

The meetings were held on the sidelines of the Iran-Armenia Joint
Transportation Cooperation Commission session in Yerevan, where the
Iranian minister said Tehran is ready to help Armenia build the
Iran-Armenia railway track.

The Iranian party will also facilitate cargo transportation from
Armenia to Iran’s southern and northern ports and to other countries
via its territory.

ESTONIA BEATS ARMENIA 1-0 IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Pr-Inside.com
April 1 2009

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) – Sander Puri scored a late goal Wednesday to
give Estonia a 1-0 win over Armenia in a World Cup qualifier.

Having received a perfect pass from Ragnar Klavan, Puri’s 83rd-minute
shot eluded Armenia’s Robert Arzumanyan and went into the net.

Kristen Viikmae nearly put Estonia ahead in the ninth minute but
goalkeeper Roman Berezovski made a good save.

Armenia dominated most of the first half, with Artur Yedigaryan’s
powerful shot just missing in the 22nd minute. The visitors kept
pressing in the second half but Estonia goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko
saved shots in the 49th and 50th minutes.

"7 CASE" WILL BE EXAMINED SEPARATELY

LRAGIR.AM
16:26:44 – 01/04/2009

Today, the judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan issued his decision, according
to which besides the changes of the charges of the "case of seven"
their cases have been separated.

On the grounds of the decision, the case of the parliamentary member
Sasun Mikaelyan was sent to the court of first instance of Kotayk
region, the rest of the cases are sent to the courts of first instance
of Kentron commune. New judges will be appointed to all the cases.

Only the cases of Alexander Arzumanyan and Suren Sirunyan will be
examined together, Mnatsakan Martirosyan will continue being engaged
in them. The trials will be prolonged for some period again.

FOLK SONGS ‘LIKE A BALM’ TO ARMENIAN PEOPLE
By: Alison Mayes

Winnipeg Free Press
nt/music/folk-songs-like-a-balm-to-armenian-people -42177657.html?viewAllComments=y
March 31 2009
Canada

She’s a Canadian opera superstar who dances to her own drummer,
taking time for projects outside her usual — pardon the pun — arias.

Isabel Bayrakdarian performed the ethereal song Evenstar on the movie
soundtrack of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

She loaned her stunning soprano to the band Delirium on its
Grammy-nominated dance remix, Angelicus.

But the project closest to Bayrakdarian’s heart recently is a tribute
to her Armenian heritage.

The four-time Juno Award winner makes her long-awaited Winnipeg
debut tonight with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in a program of
Armenian compositions under guest conductor Alain Trudel. Tickets
are still available.

The 34-year-old soprano says she doesn’t feel like a newcomer here
because the MCO accompanied her on a six-city tour last October,
culminating in a concert at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall.

"Having done a tour, you become friends with most of the orchestra
members," she says in lightly accented English.

The ravishing Bayrakdarian was born in Lebanon to Armenian parents. The
family immigrated to Toronto when she was in her teens. Her husband,
pianist Serouj Kradjian, is also Armenian-Canadian. They have a
one-year-old son and live in Toronto.

Although she grew up singing in church, Bayrakdarian earned a degree
in biomedical engineering and didn’t seriously consider a musical
career until she started winning voice competitions. She vaulted
to fame after winning Placido Domingo’s Operalia contest nine years
ago. She has performed in many of the world’s top opera houses.

The singer had grandparents on both sides who survived the Armenian
genocide, in which more than one million Armenians were exterminated
during and just after the First World War.

Last fall, she released a CD devoted to Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935),
a revered composer and ethnologist who is credited with saving Armenian
folk music from oblivion. "Without him, there would be no Armenian
music today," says Bayrakdarian.

The often-haunting folk songs that Gomidas preserved and interpreted
are touchstones for Armenians worldwide. During the tour with the MCO,
the soloist would look into the audience and see Armenians mouthing
the words to Gomidas’s songs along with her.

"It was tremendously moving for them, for our music to be sung on
stages and given the recognition it deserves….

"The perpetrator (of the genocide), Turkey, still hasn’t accepted
responsibility and still denies it. For us, closure hasn’t happened
yet. So for the Armenian audience… it’s like a balm, to hear these
songs — an affirmation that we have survived."

In 2004, Bayrakdarian made her first pilgrimage to Armenia, captured
in a moving CBC-TV documentary called A Long Journey Home.

The emotional peak of the trip, she remembers, came when she stood
inside an ancient cathedral. The connection to her ancestral people
struck her so deeply that she and Kradjian returned there for their
wedding.

"That was the moment," she says, "when I felt I belonged."

[email protected]

CON CERT PREVIEW

Isabel Bayrakdarian with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra Tonight at
7:30 p.m.

Westminster United Church Tickets $26.50