Author: Kajoyan Gevork

AMBASSADOR: UKRAINE CALLS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT PARTIES TO SETTLE BASIC PRINCIPLES

Trend, Azerbaijan
Aug 28 2013

Azerbaijan, Baku, August 28 /Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva/

Within the context of a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Ukraine as the presiding country of the OSCE constantly signals the
necessity to finalise basic principles for settlement of the conflict,
to refrain from unilateral steps and to stabilise the situation at
the border, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Kuchta said in his
interview to NEWS.am.

“In addition, our country supports the efforts of the co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group to promote a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict,” he said.

According to him, the co-chairs have already visited Kiev twice within
six months and substantial discussions were held about the process
of a settlement during these visits.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

ANCA WESTERN REGION MEETS WITH CONGRESSMAN RAUL RUIZ

Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

Congressman Raul Ruiz (center) with ANCA-WR representatives

GLENDALE-On August 21, representatives from the Armenian National
Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) and ANCA Palms
Springs-Inland Empire held an introductory meeting with first-term
Congressman, Dr. Raul Ruiz in an effort to better acquaint him with
the organization’s history and mission, discuss issues of concern
and importance to the Armenian-American community, and to learn about
current initiatives taken by the congressman.

“Thank you to the leaders of the ANCA and Armenian constituents from
my district for an instructive conversation,” commented Congressman
Raul Ruiz. “I appreciate the opportunity to learn about the struggles
of past generations and the issues facing the community today,”
added Ruiz.

During the meeting, ANCA-WR Co-Chair, Nora Hovsepian shared
the history, the struggles and the milestones of Armenia and its
surrounding region. She also discussed the work of the ANCA and the
history of the Armenian-American community in the United States. ANCA
Palm Springs-Inland Empire Chair, Garbis Hindoyan added to this
by providing an overview of the activities taking place in the
congressman’s district.

“We are looking forward to working with Congressman Ruiz to improve
the 36th Congressional district and strengthening our relationship
during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives,” remarked
Hindoyan. “It is also encouraging to see the Congressman’s interest
in the Armenian-American community and his passion for human rights,”
added Hindoyan.

In light of the upcoming elections, ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen
Asatryan discussed the importance of the ANCA-WR Hye Votes program and
its effectiveness in increasing the number of registered voters and
overall voter turnout during the last two election cycles. Lastly,
the ANCA-WR also discussed a number of programs it has created and
supported for students, including the ANCA-WR Internship Program,
the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship Program, the ANCA Capital
Gateway Program and the Path to College Program.

Congressman Ruiz was elected to the 113th Congress in November 2012.

The 36th Congressional District includes the areas of Palm Springs,
Palm Desert, Indio, and the entire Coachella Valley. Before joining the
U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Ruiz started the Coachella Valley
Healthcare Initiative, which brought together stakeholders from across
the region to address the local healthcare crisis and was an Emergency
Room doctor, serving his community until elected until office.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

ARMENIA INCREASES IMPORT OF FISH PRODUCTS BY 40 PERCENT

20:12, 28 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS: The volume of imported fish, fish
caviar and artificial caviar to Armenia increased by 40 percent in
the first half of 2013 compared with the same period of he previous
year. According to data of State Revenue Committee in the first
half of this year to Armenia were imported 412.3 tones of fish,
fish caviar and artificial caviar (293.4 tones in the first half of
2012). The fish products are mainly imported from Latvia, Ukraine
and Russia. “Armenpress” reports that the fish product imported to
Armenia this year cost 1 million USD.

In 2012 to Armenia were imported 726 tones of fish, fish caviar and
artificial caviar compared with 1290.7 tones in 2011.

IRANIAN BUSINESSMAN: MUTTON EXPORT WILL BE PROFITABLE

Wednesday,
August
28

In Armenia, importance has been attached to pork and beef production
and sales, whereas mutton production is small-scale, and for this
reason the Iranian side decided to build a sheep slaughterhouse,
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Moyde Company
Mohammad Baba Heidari said at a meeting with reporters today, when
speaking about the reasons for building a slaughterhouse in Armenia.

In his words, the slaughterhouse is situated near the Armenian-Iranian
border, thanks to which fresh mutton will be exported to Iran where
mutton is in great demand.

It is planned that in parallel with the operation of the
slaughterhouse, residents of Armenia’s Kotayk province will become
actively engaged in sheep breeding and the number of sheep will grow.

Mohammad Baba Heidari said that one kilogram of mutton costs at least
6 dollars in Iran so the export of mutton from Armenia will prove
profitable to the Iranian side.

TODAY, 18:10

Aysor.am

FRENCH ARMENIAN ARTIST JEAN JANSEM DIES AT 93

Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

Jean Jansem in his studio (Photo by Yerevan Magazine)

PARIS-Acclaimed French Armenian artist Jean Jansem (Hovhannes
Semerdjian) died on August 27 in a Paris suburb at the age of 93,
his family told the Armenian Embassy in France, reported the ITAR-TASS
news agency.

Born in 1920 in Bursa, Turkey, Jansem spent his childhood in
Thessaloniki, Greece, and left for France when he was 11.

In 1973 he visited Armenia for the first time. In 2001, thirty-four of
his paintings were donated to the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute.

In 2010 Jansem was awarded with an Order of Honor of the Republic of
Armenia for his contribution to the development of the Armenian-French
relations.

Although the early chapters of his artistic life were difficult,
in fact up to the war his most lucrative work was in the decorative
arts – producing designs for fabrics and designing furniture, he
never lost sight of his real passion, namely painting.

>From 1934 – 1936 he attended a variety of evening classes in
Montparnasse and the Marais. He met fellow Armenian teacher, Ariel,
who taught him to draw, but it was in the works of Picasso that he
found his grand revelation.

Before he was sixteen he had been admitted to the Ecole des Arts
Decoratifs (1936 – 1938) where Beianchon, Leguelt and Oudet exercised
a silent and unobtrusive influence on the young artist. During 1937 he
completed a training course at the Beaux-Arts and at Atelier Sabatier.

In 1950 he went to Greece and it was in the Mediterranean that he
discovered light, until then his painting had been sombre.

Then followed a period of activity in which he won many awards,
in 1951 the Prix Populiste, 1953 the Prix Antral, 1954 the Bourse
Natioale, in 1958 Prix Comparaison in Mexico.

In 1959 he participated in the Biennale de Bruges. He is a member of
the Salon d’Automne and has participated in: Salons des Independents,
Salon des Tuileries, Salon d’Art Sacre, Salon de l,’Ecole de Paris,
Salon des Peintres temoins de leur temps. His paintings appear in
Museums at Ville de Paris, Ennery de Paris, Poitiers and several Art
Museums in the US.

ARMENIA’S GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE CONTROVERSIAL POINT IN GENDER LAW

16:52 28.08.13

The draft agenda of tomorrow’s cabinet meeting includes draft
amendments to the Law on Equal Rights for Men and Women.

The amendment envisages the removal of the controversial point defining
gender as “acquired social behavior.”

We would remind readers that, although indirectly, the Holy See of
Echmiadzin objects to the “gender law.” Head of the Press Office
Bagrat Galstyan left a message on his Facebook page, expressing his
negative opinion of the law.

Talking to Tert.am, Priest Grigor Hovannisyan could not comment on
the government’s steps. According to him, if the law still contains
the term ‘gender’ rather than the terms ‘man/male and woman/female’
it arouses concern.

The cabinet meeting agenda also contains a bill authored by Naira
Zohrabyan and Elinar Vardanyan (Prosperous Armenia Party – PAP). The
government actually disapproved the bill.

“I have the impression that a PAP member’s initiative has an effect
on the government as red color on a particular animal. The reason
for the government’s reaction is that it was the PAP’s initiative,”
Zohrabyan said.

The PAP actually proposed what the government did, removing the
controversial point.

Armenian News – Tert.am

YERKRAPAH UNION MAKING PILGRIMAGE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

16:05 ~U 28.08.13

The volunteers’ union Yerkrapah on its annual pilgrimage in the
Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic.

This year it has formed three working groups which visit monuments
commemorating the heroes of the national liberation war.

General Manvel Grigoryan, the union’s president who traditionally
attends the annual event, is not taking part in this year’s pilgrimage
on account of health reasons. But he is expected to join the big
event later.

The war veterans visited the regions of Askeran and Martuni on
Tuesday. Following their tradition, they met young children there to
give them school bags full of stationery ahead of the academic year.

Armenian News – Tert.am

FARMER JIRAIR MOVES FROM QAMISHLI TO KOVSAKAN: “WE’RE HERE TO STAY”

Kristine Aghalaryan

16:08, August 28, 2013

If you ever get to travel to Kovsakan, a town in the extreme southwest
of the Kashatagh district of Artsakh, and ask the locals to name one
of the best known Syrian-Armenian transplants, they’ll invariable
mention Jirair.

Jirair Donabedian is one of the original Syrian-Armenians who resettled
in this remote Armenian outpost in 2009, before the war broke out
back home.

Hailing from the town of Qamishli, on the Syrian-Turkish border, Jirair
now grows wheat and barley on 150 hectares of land that he’s leased.

He was also a farmer back in Qamishli and says he was doing quite
well. But the pull of the homeland was too great to resist, he
confesses.

“Whether or not there was a war, I have come here as a resident
who will stay. I have never been a complainer, neither here or in
the diaspora. I always have a positive outlook towards the future,”
says Jirair.

A year after arriving, the rest of the family joined him-his wife
and seven kids.

Jirair took out a bank loan and purchased a tractor. He had other
farming equipment sent from Syria.

This year, in addition to wheat and barley, he’s planted chick peas
and hopes one day to have the legume more widely grown in Artsakh.

At heart, Jirair is an experimenter and likes to try new things just
to see what works and what doesn’t.

The family also put in long hours on the farm, just like back in
Qamishli. Sometimes, they’ll put in twelve hours on one patch of land
and then move on to another with little or no rest in-between.

Jirair says that news residents coming to Kovsakan mostly want to work
in government jobs – the school, municipality the hospital or the fire
brigade. He’s quick to point out however that there aren’t enough cushy
civil service jobs to employ everyone. Who will farm the land, he asks.

Jirair’s eldest son serves in the army. Another is a student at the
Faculty of Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University.

“We’ve put down roots here and plan to stay. We could have moved to
anywhere in Europe, but chose to come to the homeland. Let the others
go and may God go with them. But they will definitely long for the
homeland. We are here. Good or bad, it’s ours,” Jirair says.

BALLET EVENING IN ARMENIA TO BE ATTENDED BY AMERICAN CHOREOGRAPHERS

12:10, 28 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS: The ballet group of the National
Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiaryan,
headed by the chief ballet master and choreographer Rudolf Kharatyan,
is preparing to leave for Qatar on tours. The Qatar residents will
watch one of the best Armenian ballets – Spartacus. By the end of
the year of 2013 Rudolf Kharatyan promises numerous surprises and
premieres, about which the choreographer told to the Armenpress
correspondent.

– Mr. Kharatyan, what surprises in the new season do you promise to
the audience? Will there be any premieres or new performances?

– Certainly there will be surprises. Very interesting events are
expected to be held. Before that on September 29 we will leave for
Qatar to perform Spartacus there for four times. We intend to organize
as well an American Ballet evening, which will be attended by the
famous American choreographers Trey McIntyre and Edwaard Liang.

– It is not a secret that the Armenian ballet has advanced much,
when you had moved to Armenia and headed the theater.

How would you evaluate the current state of the theater?

– When I look back, I realize that we have passed a considerable way
with our ballet group. But I am always discontented. We have so much
to do.

– What do you think about the current ballet generation? Do our young
dancers have objectives to create new things and achieve more?

– I see a great liveliness among the dancers. In the beginning of
the year we organized an evening of young choreographers, where our
young dancers staged their own performances. Walking along the time
is very important for us. Besides, I have an intention to establish
a ballet school, but I am short of time to fulfill my objective.

Currently I am working on another project. I am writing a book with
one of my friends – What is there behind ballet? It will be published
in English.

– Do you make new paintings? Are you going to hold an exhibition?

– I have very many new paintings but I am short of time to organize
an exhibition. I hope that I will be able to hold it one day.

(THE FULL INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Interviewed by Roza Grigoryan Photos by Samvel Berbibekyan

PERSON WHO TAPED ZURABIAN-OSKANIAN CONVERSATION NOT FOUND YET

Wednesday,
August
28

The Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Armenia continues the
investigation into the illegal taping and dissemination of the
private conversation between parliamentary deputies Vartan Oskanian
and Levon Zurabian.

In response to an inquiry of ‘Zhoghovurd’ daily, SIS said that they –
through the RA Prosecutor General’s Office – filed an application to
U.S. law enforcers in order to get information from Google Inc. and
YouTube LLC about registration of respective users. No answer to the
application has been received so far. “As a result of investigative
measures taken so far, the person who committed the crime has not
yet been found,” reads the answer of SIS.

TODAY, 12:35

Aysor.am