Author: Kajoyan Gevork

AzerTac, Azerbaijan
Aug 23 2012

‘Caucasus Remains A Complicated Tangle Of Security Concerns’

Thursday, 23 August 2012 12:56

A bimonthly American magazine of politics, economics, and ideas,
Foreign Policy, has published a report titled “Security and Conflict
in the Caucasus region, not frozen’ by the Head of the Armed Forces of
the United States in Europe, Gen. Mark Hertling.

The report says that `The Caucasus — that historical causeway of
conflict between Europe and the Middle East — remains a complicated
tangle of security concerns. Ethnic tensions still affect long
standing territorial disputes, internally displaced indigenous people
align with or oppose powerful diasporas, and an increasing nouveau
riche — an oil-fueled minority upper class — is growing in an area
once known only for desperate poverty.’

Concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Hertling writes that `while
the Minsk Group spearheads the OSCE’s efforts to find a political
solution to the conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and
Azerbaijan both remain frustrated with the lack of political resolve.’

`European Command’s strategy of Theater Security Cooperation — and
USAREUR’s contribution as part of that strategy in training and
exercising with the militaries and engaging with military and
political leaders — is bearing significant results. The four nations
(Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey) that make up “the GAAT” are
integrating forces in NATO out of theatre and peacekeeping operations
in places like Afghanistan and Kosovo, and the potential for peaceful
management of the region’s substantial security challenges is
improving,’ the author says.

`Having seen the potential for conflict, and the continued methods of
resolving conflict, I am excited about the future of security and
conflict resolution in the Caucuses… Each country is, in different
capacities, building a base of military professionalism and reform,
and is ensuring a more peaceful security for their nations.

The Caucasus’ position as a geographical, cultural, and political
epicenter means that movements -positive and negative — in Georgia,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan reverberate well beyond the local region. With
America’s continued support, the Caucuses will remain a source of
stable, reliable, interoperable partners who are the foundation of
future regional and global security,’ according to report.

Lieutenant General Mark Hertling is the current Commanding General,
U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, where he is responsible for
training U.S. Army Soldiers and units for Contingency and Full
Spectrum Operations, enhancing Theater Security Cooperation, and
Building Partner Capacity with 51 allied nations that are part of the
European area of operation. Prior to this posting, he served as the
DCG for Initial Military Training at TRADOC and previous to that the
Commander of the 1st Armored Division, where the unit was deployed to
Northern Iraq as Task Force Iron.

/AzerTAc/

Highland Park News, IL
Aug 23 2012

Family Friendly: Get a taste of the Armenian culture

BY MYRNA PETLICKI | Contributor
August 23, 2012 11:40AM

Parents and kids can sample an ancient culture at Taste of Armenia,
noon to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26 at St. James Armenian Church, 816
Clark St., Evanston.

`It’s a leisurely afternoon for families of all ethnic backgrounds,’
said event co-chairman Gary Rejebian of Evanston. `It’s a celebration
of Armenian heritage and culture. There’s authentic Armenian food.
There’s a big selection of games for kids. There’s a really
interesting cultural program.’

That may be why more than 2,500 people attend the event annually.

This year’s event will feature exerpts from Silk Road Rising’s
upcoming play `Night Over Erzinga’ at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

`It’s a tale of losing and regaining ethnic identity,’ Rejebian said.

Children should particularly enjoy a high-stepping performance by the
more than 50 dancers of the Armenian Dance Co. of Chicago at 4:15 p.m.
There will also be an outdoor craft market, photography exhibit and
music.

Admission is free.

For details, call (847) 864-6263 or visit

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 22 2012

Construction of financial center in Dilijan to be completed in 2013

The construction of a financial center in the Armenian Dilijan will be
completed in 2013, Dilijan’s mayor, Armen Santrosyan, told reporters
on Tuesday. According to the mayor, the municipality has handed to the
Central Bank the local library building that will house an electronic
library, a training center and the Tumo center for creative
technologies, ARKA reports. He said there are other large construction
projects underway in the town. One is construction of an international
school and the other is a health and training center being built by
the State Revenue Committee.

Santrosyan said that due to these projects the town population has
jobs. “Today, people come to work in Dilijan from other regions of the
country, and almost none of the townspeople have recently left abroad
in search of a job,” he noted.

Construction of the financial center in Dilijan will cost $80 million.
The workers are building residential houses and cottages for about 150
employees of the Central Bank who will move to Dilijan with their
families. This will be followed by construction of a kindergarten, a
school and a university. The new facilities will also create about 100
jobs for local people.

Armenian leaders have repeatedly stressed their intention to transform
the republic into a regional financial center; the authorities
therefore intend to follow international experience and form a stable
financial market in Armenia.

According to experts, the implementation of the program will require
at least 2-3 years. At the first stage, Armenia should undertake
certain legislative measures and form a back-office. In this regard, a
regional research and education center is under construction in
Dilijan; it will host numerous scientific forums, seminars and
training programs for the financial system not only in Armenia, but
also throughout the entire region.

euinside.eu, European Union
Aug 23 2012

The Results of the `Europeanisation’ Test for the Six Eastern Partners of the EU

Published: August 23, 2012 14:38, Zhaneta Kuyumdzhieva, trainee, Sofia

At the September 2011 Warsaw summit of EU and the countries from the
Eastern partnership, Herman van Rompuy, the European Council
president, stated that the EU had made considerable progress toward
conclusion of new and better agreements concerning the relations with
most of its partners. In May 2012, an expert pool of the International
Renaissance Foundation in cooperation with the Open Society
Foundations presented their assessment about the progress of the
Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries on the basis of three benchmarks:
linkage or growing political, economic and social ties between each of
the six EaP countries and the EU; approximation – structures and
institutions in the EaP countries converging towards EU standards and
in line with EU requirements; management – evolving management
structures and policies for European integration in EaP countries.

In general, the report on the `Europeanisation’ process of Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine confirms the EU
President’s statement in its two main messages: that there is a
substantial progress in the relations and that this is valid for the
most of the EaP partners.

Where is EU on the Eastern front?

This spring the EU has published its programme with a number of
actions to be taken before the next regular EaP summit in the autumn
of 2013. The progress of the six countries will be evaluated on the
basis of their political and economic integration and a number of
tasks, such as mobility and visa liberalisation, participation in EU
programmes and agencies, reforms, strengthening of co-operation in the
fields of energy, security, transport, agriculture, regional
development, human rights policies, democracy etc.

The negotiations on the association agreement with Ukraine, that
includes a new set of free trade zone rules, were finished in the end
of last year and on 30 March 2012 the agreement was initialled despite
the tensions and the growing concerns about the real intentions of
President Viktor Yanukovych about the trial against ex-PM Yulia
Tymoshenko (the EU believes that this process has been politically
motivated). This year saw the start of the negotiations on similar
agreements and a relatively good progress in the talks with Moldova,
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Taking into account the EU principle
`the more you do, the more you will get’, we cannot say much about the
relations with Belarus (or at least no good things). Currently, they
are based mainly on the European Modernisation Dialogue – an
initiative of the Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle from March 2012
in support of the political actors and the civil society in the
country in their fight for human rights and democracy.

The experts evaluation

The NGO index divides the six partner countries into two categories:
countries with clear EU ambitions – Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, and
countries with not so strong interest in the EU – Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Belarus. Moldova is identified as the most motivated partner,
especially with regard to democracy. In its category the country is
leader on all three benchmarks. The successful elections in March 2012
that put an end to a 3-year-long political crisis is a condition for
strengthening of reforms and for the establishment of more stable
internal environment. There is also progress in the negotiations on an
association agreement, reforms in a couple of sectors and particularly
concerning visa liberalisation.

Despite the good performance of Moldova and the effort of its
government to use pro-European language, the civic support for the
policy harmonisation with the EU has dropped by 23% since 2007.
Experts refer this to several reasons: the eurozone crisis, the lack
of tangible benefits for the ordinary citizens from the EU membership
(such as the visa-free travel), the growing support for the customs
union with Russia and the negative position of the opposition party
toward the EU that was clearly stated in public.

The second-best country in the more successful category is Georgia –
second in the approximation and management and third in terms of
improvement of the political and economic links with the EU. In
general, the country demonstrates a strong commitment for the
institutional agenda related to the EU integration. Compared to the
other five EaP countries its economic progress is indisputable
although a better business environment has been reported also in
Moldova and Belarus. Georgia’s weakness lies in the political field.
The elections scheduled in October will provide a response to the
question whether the country would make a step forward to come closer
to the EU. It will be an important test of Georgia’s ability to
achieve greater responsibility and pluralism in its political system.
The latter will improve also its democracy level – a value that the EU
started to particularly pursue since the “Arab Spring” and the trends
that emerged with it.

The political problems of Ukraine are identical. The country did not
manage to make the necessary judiciary and energy reforms. 2011 was
marked by a growing trend of power monopolisation by the president and
the ruling party. In the economy, the results are not good either and
the business climate worsened. The positive results are in the
budgetary planning and the visa liberalisation as Ukraine successfully
introduced a personal data protection system and adopted a migration
policy. Following the best practises of EU and the IMF requirements,
the pension reform is one of the reasons why the country was
classified among the well-performing Eastern partners.

Armenia holds the first place in the camp of the countries that are
less ambitious toward EU. It, however, has demonstrated political will
for reforms and has good results on the benchmark that evaluates
approximation with EU standards. In May 2012 Armenia was granted
observer status in the EU energy community and a little earlier (in
February) started negotiations on visa liberalisation and readmission
agreement. Last year was established a Mobility Partnership with the
EU, too. All this speaks of a deepening of the relations between
Yerevan and Brussels, particularly because the initiatives and the
working programmes have been incited by Armenia itself.

Following the review of the Eastern Partnership in May 2011,
`sustainable democracy’ became the leading principle of the EU in its
relations with third countries. Behind the prioritisation of this
principle stands the requirement for a stricter implementation (and
sometimes establishment) of the key democratic elements such as free
and honest elections, respect for human rights, independence of the
judiciary etc. Exactly those are the problems of Belarus and
Azerbaijan – the last two EaP countries.

Azerbaijan had a number of foreign policy opportunities in the last
year and made good use of them. It received a place in the UN Security
Council, signed key agreements for transportation of gas from the
Caspian Sea to the EU market, strengthened its relations with NATO
(mainly with regard to Afghanistan) and participated in the G20
meeting in 2011. Its relations with EU also progressed with the
renewal of the visa liberalisation negotiations. Azerbaijan started
negotiations for an association agreement. All this, however, even the
4% economic growth does not manage to compensate the weaknesses in the
social policies and with regard to the fundamental democratic rights.

The media landscape is highly discredited, the NGOs survive under the
pressure of the government, the number of the political prisoners
grows and in the beginning of 2012 there were a number of testimonies
for torments and beating of journalists. Therefore, the expectations
that the political elite in Azerbaijan would strengthen the
co-operation with EU, beyond the trade relations and exchange of
practises, are rather vague.

Belarus’ achievements with regard to democracy are also disappointing
The country holds the last place, according to the EaP benchmarks. The
beginning of 2012 was marked by a serious diplomatic crisis between
Brussels and Minsk. The repressions, the judiciary that is entirely
dependent on the president, the restrictions in civic rights and
freedom, the high levels of corruption and media pressure are the
reasons for the lagging behind with the implementation of democratic
values. Despite that lately Belarus is subject to tough criticism
about its political practises, the economic relations of the country
with the EU are surprisingly strong. The trend is confirmed by a
number of trade talks and investment consultations held with EU member
states representatives.

The EU strategy toward Belarus is also not clear despite the reduced
financing and the sanctions imposed because of political reasons. The
suggestion of the experts report that Minsk has a number of interests
in Brussels is, however, valid. It is based on the expectation that,
while the EaP country sticks to its close economic and political
relations with Russia, it will be an interesting and needed partner of
the EU. However, it cannot be predicted for how long this acrobatic
balance can hold.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 23 2012

Armenia and Israel to cooperate in culture and sport

Armenia and Israel will sign an agreement about cooperation in
thespheres of culture and sport in 2012-2014, News-Armenia reports.An
Israeli delegation will travel to Armenia on an official visit
betweenAugust 23 and 26.In addition to signing the agreement, the
sides will discuss furthercooperation and the working programs between
the Armenian Ministry ofCulture and the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora
and Information.Within the framework of this visit Armenia will
organize a concert anda book presentation on the Jewish diaspora in
Armenia.

Mediamax, Armenia
Aug 23 2012

Armenians of Syria may use their driving licenses during a year in Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The Armenians of Syria living in Armenia may use
their driving licenses during a year.

Addressing the government’s session today, Armenian Minister of
Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan said that they will have to exchange their
driving licenses to Armenian ones in a year, Mediamax reports.

The minister also said that there are about 1700 Syrian Armenians in
the country today.

Four contemporary women writers in New York

Published: Thursday August 23, 2012

>From left: Lola Koundakjian, Nora Armani, Lucine Kasbarian and Aida
Zilelian-Silak.

Woodside, N.Y. – The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served as a
venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their works at
Kuragan Koharner yev Kini (Literary Gems and Wine), a program sponsored by
the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association.

Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist Lucine
Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and editor Aida
Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the complexities of the human
condition. The collective result was an eclectic compilation of vocal
pieces that reflected a moving, contemplative look at life in the diaspora.

Creator, director and actor in the play, “Sojourn at Ararat,” Armani is
performing in “Golden Boy,” a pilot program for CBS Television. A long-time
publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has written
publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young audiences. Creator
and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project, Koundakjian also founded and
runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New York writer and editor Zilelian
is the founder and director of Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry
and prose in New York.

In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and literary
devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in showcasing
accomplished Armenian “creatives.” “These writers need not be heralded
beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as credits to the
global Armenian nation,” she said. “While Hamazkayin remains true to its
mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian traditional literature and
arts, it also moves forward with the times and inevitable changes in
diaspora,” she continued. “Therefore, it embraces contemporary authors
writing in various languages, considering them contributors to the body of
Armenian literature.” Caprielian concluded by affirming, “A nation
maintains its distinction through arts and literature.”

Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.

A poem, “Exile,” by Nora Armani and published in the book, “Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century” (Taderon Press), put to music by Turkish
vocalist Ya?ar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani’s short film, “Moving
Stories,” screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:

Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.
Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,
like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,
forms an integral part my being… other.
No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.
Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,
This innate property is my dowry at birth.
I am a native exile.

An excerpt from “Elixir in Exile” by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest to
recover an ancestral folk recipe, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary Quarterly
and Armenian periodicals:

Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig’s supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted parent in
his twilight years.

My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he carried the
ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his words, thoughts
and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to his dialect and
storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical aptitudes. A humble gift
would be to help him make that remarkable elixir that could, at least
emotionally, bring his ancestors, their way of life, and our lost homeland
back to him. And was it not worth it to rediscover a missing and precious
part of our culinary heritage, and perhaps share it with the world?

A prose poem,”Speaking of the Past,” by Lola Koundakjian, translated from
the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in “The Accidental
Observer,” Koundakjian’s book published through a grant received from the
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:

I walk in the company of my memories

Step by step,
Street by street.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
Right, left, right, left.
Breathing deeply, and then tired.
The past is getting dimmer.
Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?
The weather seems to help me remember.
Rain, it’s raining, today.
Was it raining on that day?
Yes, there was an umbrella with you
And I was wearing an anorak
And my chin was wet – I remember.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
And I cross the street for the meeting.
The umbrella was large and protected us both,
And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.
Right, left.
Right, left.
Hand in hand.
You’re with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak
A few more streets
A little while yet.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!

An excerpt from Aida Zilelian’s “He’s the One For Her,” a short story about
a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome, Armenian-speaking mate,
and published in Ararat.

The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been raised
were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some wanted more
than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these dates (the last one
was her father’s co-worker’s son Hovsep) she found herself in the passenger
seat of a car clutching the collar of her shirt to keep it closed, or
yanking down her skirt to keep it in place, eventually weakening her date’s
advances. Other young men, she realized, did not have any interest in
attending Sunday Church mass, and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced
at their feeble attempts at conversing with her.

“It’s not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just fly
over and pick anyone you please,” scoffed her older sister Anahid, who was
unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion of a boyfriend.

Woodside, N.Y. – The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served as a
venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their works at
Kuragan Koharner yev Kini (Literary Gems and Wine), a program sponsored by
the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association.

Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist Lucine
Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and editor Aida
Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the complexities of the human
condition. The collective result was an eclectic compilation of vocal
pieces that reflected a moving, contemplative look at life in the diaspora.

Creator, director and actor in the play, “Sojourn at Ararat,” Armani is
performing in “Golden Boy,” a pilot program for CBS Television. A long-time
publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has written
publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young audiences. Creator
and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project, Koundakjian also founded and
runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New York writer and editor Zilelian
is the founder and director of Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry
and prose in New York.

In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and literary
devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in showcasing
accomplished Armenian “creatives.” “These writers need not be heralded
beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as credits to the
global Armenian nation,” she said. “While Hamazkayin remains true to its
mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian traditional literature and
arts, it also moves forward with the times and inevitable changes in
diaspora,” she continued. “Therefore, it embraces contemporary authors
writing in various languages, considering them contributors to the body of
Armenian literature.” Caprielian concluded by affirming, “A nation
maintains its distinction through arts and literature.”

Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.

A poem, “Exile,” by Nora Armani and published in the book, “Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century” (Taderon Press), put to music by Turkish
vocalist Ya?ar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani’s short film, “Moving
Stories,” screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:

Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.
Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,
like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,
forms an integral part my being… other.
No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.
Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,
This innate property is my dowry at birth.
I am a native exile.

An excerpt from “Elixir in Exile” by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest to
recover an ancestral folk recipe, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary Quarterly
and Armenian periodicals:

Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig’s supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted parent in
his twilight years.

My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he carried the
ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his words, thoughts
and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to his dialect and
storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical aptitudes. A humble gift
would be to help him make that remarkable elixir that could, at least
emotionally, bring his ancestors, their way of life, and our lost homeland
back to him. And was it not worth it to rediscover a missing and precious
part of our culinary heritage, and perhaps share it with the world?

A prose poem,”Speaking of the Past,” by Lola Koundakjian, translated from
the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in “The Accidental
Observer,” Koundakjian’s book published through a grant received from the
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:

I walk in the company of my memories

Step by step,
Street by street.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
Right, left, right, left.
Breathing deeply, and then tired.
The past is getting dimmer.
Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?
The weather seems to help me remember.
Rain, it’s raining, today.
Was it raining on that day?
Yes, there was an umbrella with you
And I was wearing an anorak
And my chin was wet – I remember.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
And I cross the street for the meeting.
The umbrella was large and protected us both,
And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.
Right, left.
Right, left.
Hand in hand.
You’re with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak
A few more streets
A little while yet.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!

An excerpt from Aida Zilelian’s “He’s the One For Her,” a short story about
a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome, Armenian-speaking mate,
and published in Ararat.

The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been raised
were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some wanted more
than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these dates (the last one
was her father’s co-worker’s son Hovsep) she found herself in the passenger
seat of a car clutching the collar of her shirt to keep it closed, or
yanking down her skirt to keep it in place, eventually weakening her date’s
advances. Other young men, she realized, did not have any interest in
attending Sunday Church mass, and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced
at their feeble attempts at conversing with her.

“It’s not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just fly
over and pick anyone you please,” scoffed her older sister Anahid, who was
unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion of a boyfriend.

In the future, the New York Chapter of Hamazkayin hopes to launch an
ongoing reading series spotlighting contemporary Armenian writers. The
organization’s web address is:

To learn more about these writers, visit at:

Policymic: Artsakh annexed to Azerbaijan under Stalin pressure

August 23, 2012 – 17:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – U.S. Policymic media outlet recently released an
article on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, with the author of the article
noting that Artsakh was annexed to Azerbaijan under the pressure of
Soviet Union ruler Joseph Stalin.

U.S. states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts adopted decisions in
2012, supporting Artsakh’s independence. In the past years, NKR opened
representations in a number of countries, including the U.S., Russia,
France and Germany, the article reads in part.

Head of Jewish community of Armenia: Recognition of the Armenian
genocide by Israel at the state level is around the corner

ARMINFO
Thursday, August 23, 15:50

Unlike the Holocaust of Jews, unfortunately, not many people in the
world are aware of the Armenian genocide. Nevertheless, those who are
aware of it, including in Israel, have been doing everything possible
for its official recognition, the head of the Jewish community of
Armenia, Rima Varzhapetyan, said at today’s press-conference when
replying to the question about the reasons of non-recognition of the
Armenian genocide by Israel.

“I often visit Israel and raise this issue at all possible levels and
during all the meetings. There is nobody who knows the history of
Armenia and denies the fact of the Armenian genocide. But the point is
that not many people are aware of this page of history. As for the
events linked with the Jewish people, the whole world is aware of
them. First, the fact of the Armenian genocide was thoroughly hidden
during the Soviet years, and people have recently started speaking
about it. Nevertheless, I hope that recognition of the Armenian
genocide by Israel at the state level is around the corner”, –
Varzhaperyan said.

She also added that many shades of policy, economy and security should
be taken into account when speaking about the attitude of Israel to
the Armenian genocide. She said that consistent and effective measures
but not single initiatives are necessary for successful development of
the recognition process. “One of the representatives of the Armenian
community of Israel Karen Gevorkyan has been making a film about the
people which have been fighting for recognition of the Armenian
genocide by Tel-Aviv. But this is not enough. Every Armenian should
ask – what did he do for recognition of the genocide? For instance,
every wealthy Jew gives money to the Holocaust museum for the whole
world to be aware of it. The Armenian money should be spent for
dissemination of the historical truth”, – Varzhapetyan concluded.

Seismic activity continues in north-eastern part of Iran

16:12, 23 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS: Seismic Protection Service net,
Ministry of Emergency Situations did not record 3 magnitude earthquake
in the area of the Republic of Armenia on August 16-22.

As Armenpress reports, 5-6 magnitude 18 earthquakes struck the region
on August 19-20.The epicenter was located at 15 kilometers north from
Turkish Diyadin town: 6 afterskaes with 3 and over magnitude preceded
it.

Seismic activity is ongoing in north western part of Iran. August 11
main aftershake was followed by 10 aftershakes(magnitude greater than
3.5), a part of which was felt in Armenia.

Two strong earthquakes were registered out of the borders of the
region with 6.0 and more magnitude. 6.3 magnitude seismic event’s
epicenter was located in Indonesia, Sulawesi Island, hit the area on
August 18, which resulted in the death of 6 people, 12 were wounded.
165 houses were damaged because of the earthquake. Papua New Guinea
Island, Pacific Ocean was hit by 6.2 magnitude earthquake on August
19: there are neither casualties nor victims.