Author: Kalantarian Kevo

SECTION 907 STRENGTHENED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 13:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act was
strengthened by the House Committee on Appropriations when it approved
the Fiscal Year 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act,
reported the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA).

The strengthening of Section 907 directs "that the Department of
State consult with the Committees on Appropriations before exercising
waiver for fiscal year 2010 to ensure that all conditions under the
waiver are being fully met." The same bill also provides $48 million
in assistance for Armenia and $10 million for Nagorno Karabakh.

The Assembly’s efforts garnered results in Congress and the Committee
has validated the importance of Section 907 by calling on all parties
to "refrain from threats, incitement to the use of force, or other
inflammatory rhetoric." The new language comes as cease-fire
violations by Azerbaijan have increased in recent months. In
testimony presented before the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs in March of this
year, Assembly Board of Trustees Member and Counselor Van Krikorian
outlined the importance of Section 907 and expressed the Assembly’s
strong concerns regarding Azerbaijan’s continued war rhetoric.

"As the Subcommittee is aware, in the aftermath of September 11th,
pursuant to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell’s request for
flexibility to counter terrorist elements and organizations operating
in Azerbaijan, Congress granted a conditional and limited waiver to
Section 907. The conditional waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM
Support Act makes it clear that any assistance provided shall not
"undermine or hamper" the Karabakh peace process or "be used for
offensive purposes against Armenia" or any "Armenian community in
the Caucasus region."

While safeguards were built into the waiver, especially to
safeguard against U.S. security assistance being used in a new
Azeri ethnic cleansing campaign such as the one it began to start
the war, the Assembly remains deeply troubled by the continued war
rhetoric emanating from senior Azerbaijani officials, including its
President. In addition, Azerbaijan has rejected Armenia’s numerous
proposals for economic and regional confidence-building measures,
and has instead dramatically increased its military spending to levels
equivalent to Armenia’s entire national budget."

"Having initiated Section 907 and championed it since its inception,
the Assembly welcomes the strengthening of this important provision
and applauds the Committee for sending a strong message in the face of
Azerbaijan’s continued warmongering," stated Assembly Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. "By insisting that Turkey continue its
blockade to force concessions in the Nagorno Karabakh peace process,
Azerbaijan has taken a counter-productive stance with respect to the
announced roadmap between Armenia and Turkey. This latest Congressional
action helps restore the integrity of the peace process supported by
U.S. mediators."

The report language also reaffirms the Committee’s support for the
policy of parity in military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan,
as well as support for confidence building measures among the parties
to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. A vote in the House is expected as
early as next week.

U.S.-ARMENIA JOINT ECONOMIC TASK FORCE MEETS

US State News
June 22, 2009 Monday 5:10 PM EST

YEREVAN, Armenia, May 13 — The U.S. Embassy issued the following
press release:

The governments of Armenia and the United States held a regularly
scheduled meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Joint Economic Task Force in
Yerevan on May 13, 2009. The Armenian delegation was led by Minister of
Economy Nerses Yeritsian. The U.S. delegation was led by Dan Rosenblum,
Coordinator for Assistance to Europe and Eurasia at the Department of
State. The two sides discussed ways of further cooperation between the
two countries, advancing economic and market reforms, strengthening
rule of law, and other bilateral issues. The bilateral task force
is an open forum to discuss issues of concern and interest to both
countries, and provides the opportunity to check progress in certain
areas and clarify priorities for moving forward in the bilateral
relationship. The resulting action plan helps in tailoring assistance
to Armenia coming from the United States Government through the Office
of the Coordinator for Assistance to Europe and Eurasia. In 2008, the
United States Government provided 68.9 million dollars of assistance
to Armenia.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar,
Email:- [email protected]

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

June 23, 2009

Abp. Barsamian’s Remarks to U.S. Amb. Yovanovitch

What follows are the remarks delivered by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian on June 22, 2009, during a public reception for the U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia, Her Excellency Marie L. Yovanovitch, at the Diocesan
Center in New York City.

Your Excellency Ambassador Yovanovitch:

I want to thank you, on behalf of the Diocese and the entire
Armenian-American community, for taking the time to greet us, speak to us,
address our questions and concerns, and accept our warm hospitality and
friendship this evening-all in the cause of advancing the free Republic of
Armenia.

Your presence among us this evening, Madam Ambassador, is a reminder to me
of how far we have come in the past twenty years-both as the
Armenian-American community, and as supporters of a free Armenian homeland.

>From the first days of Armenia’s independence; through long, difficult years
of scarcity and recovery; and at every step on the road to building a
stable, democratic society, the United States of America has stood by our
people-not simply as an inspiration and beacon of hope, but also as a
partner, a generous friend, a welcoming sponsor into the family of free
nations.

All of us have been privileged to take part in this friendship-and some of
us have witnessed its milestones at first hand. I can vividly recall
standing before the Hrastan Hotel in Yerevan, and watching the American flag
rising up-signifying that an American embassy had been established in a free
Armenia.

Later, I recall watching the construction of the new U.S. embassy building,
and feeling in my heart that here was the physical symbol of an enduring
American presence in Armenia-and a symbol, too, of the enduring partnership
between the two nations.

But two images stand out in my mind, which powerfully illustrate the nature
of the relationship between Armenia and America.

The first is from the early days of Armenia’s rebirth as a republic. They
were difficult times, and the U.S. State Department had signed an agreement
with the Diocese to deliver humanitarian aid-food, medicine, fuel-to our
homeland. We awaited the delivery at Zvartnots Airport, and it arrived on
gigantic American planes-the C5 Galaxy transports. We showed film of the
majestic landing to Catholicos Vasken I, of blessed memory, and he turned
and said to me: "Like angels they come to us."

Vehapar was right: the American servicemen were indeed "like angels": strong
and powerful, to be sure, but acting out of benevolence, good will,
generosity. All that power, in the service of Good. For all of us here,
that is the perfect description of America.

I will never forget Vehapar’s words. Nor will I forget the touching
revelation that the U.S. Airforce pilot who brought the giant plane to
Armenia was a young Armenian-American, Captain Tom Kapikian-whose
grandfather had been one of the godfathers of this very cathedral.

My second powerful memory came on a day of supreme sorrow: September 11,
2001. That day is seared into all our memories. Here in New York, at this
cathedral, we saw the great tide of people choking the streets, as they
walked north through the city, away from the devastation. And as they
passed, countless people, from every conceivable background, took a moment
to approach the cathedral, enter into its quiet sanctuary, light a candle,
meditate, pray, or simply find rest.

That day, more than anything else, made me realize that this place is not
just an Armenian institution. We are an American institution, as well-an
example, a friend, a home, to this entire city, and to all our fellow
countrymen. Mayor Michael Bloomberg graced us with a visit several weeks
ago, and he remarked to us that he recalled how this cathedral had been
built by survivors of the Armenian Genocide, and because of that, he said,
"it serves as a powerful reminder to all peoples of the ability to create
and beautify from the ashes of grief."

That was truly the role we played on September 11. And it symbolizes the
role each of us, as American citizens, of Armenian heritage, will always
play in the life of this great and good nation. We will always support and
love the Republic of Armenia; we will always support and love the United
States of America-no matter the circumstance, in times of joy and
prosperity, in times of sorrow and disappointment. Nothing will separate us
from this bond.

Ambassador Yovanovitch, having met you on two previous occasions in
Armenia-once with the Fund for Armenian Relief board and Diocesan Council,
and also in a private meeting at the embassy-I know that these same ideals
speak to you, as well; and inspire you in your mission as U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia.

Since the tenure of Ambassador Harry Gilmore, this center has been a
welcoming home to all of our country’s ambassadors to our homeland. In
welcoming you to New York and the Diocesan Center this evening, I want you
to know that now, this place is your home, too.

Thank you for spending this time with us, for giving us the opportunity to
share your vision and concerns for our homeland. May your mission to
Armenia continue to bear fruit for both countries. And may God always guide
and strengthen you in all your endeavors.

# # #

ARMENIA CAN HELP WEST REACH AGREEMENT WITH IRAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 17:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is the only country in the region which
can offer U.S. and Europe a platform for talks with Iran and Russia,
Richard Giragosian, director of the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies (ACNIS) , said during today’s "Armenia at the
crossroads of communications" international conference.

"Armenia can help West reach agreement with Iran and help Europe to
smooth relations with Russia," he said.

At that Mr. Giragosian said that Eastern Partnership is not a threat
for Russia. As to Armenia, challenges emerge from inside, but not
from Azerbaijan or Turkey.

"Armenia can become weak and unstable. Our strategic relations with
Russia should not be vassalic. Russia for its part, should balance
its position on Armenia," he said.

CIS ECONOMIC COUNCIL TO CONVENE ITS REGULAR SESSION IN KISHINEV

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
19.06.2009 16:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 19, CIS Economic Council starts its 42nd
session in Kishenev , Moldova, CIS Executive Committee’s press
service reports.

According to the Committee’s release, discussion agenda comprises 14
issues. Participants will particularly focus on the draft agreement
on coordinated development of the international transport corridors
passing through the territories of the CIS states. Another important
document is the Agreement on the Rules of Determining Product Origins
on CIS territory.

A draft agreement on Commonwealth countries’ cooperation in the sphere
of exploiting interstate electronic transmission routes of national
electric energy systems has been elaborated and will be introduced
by CIS Energy Council and CIS Executive Committee.

The Economic Council will consider the issue of setting up a working
group to elaborate Interstate Program aimed at Innovative Cooperation
among CIS countries. Program goals were specified by CIS Presidents on
November 14, 2008. The program was approved for the period until 2020.

The session will focus on the course of the implementation of the
2003-10 plan aimed at developing and enhancing effectiveness of
economic cooperation among Commonwealth states. The plan was approved
by CIS country leaders in September, 2003.

It is one of the fundamental keynote documents determining the basic
trends of CIS countries’ cooperation in the short run.

CIS Economic Council will also consider a range of issues concerning
current activities and determine the time and place for the next
meeting.

Delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine are to arrive in Moldovan capital.

The session will also be attended by RF first Vice Premier Igor
Shuvalov, Azeri Vice Premier Yagub Eyubov, RA Vice Premier and
Territorial Administration Minister Armen Gevorgyan, Byelorussian
Vice Premier Vasily Sakovich and Ukranian Economy Minister Bogdan
Danilishilin etc.

CIS Economic Council Session will be presided over by Moldovan first
Vice Premier, Economy and Trade Minister Igor Dodon.

ARMENIA MAKES PROGRESS IN ITS ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS

Noyan Tapan
June 19, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. "Armenia has made progress in its
anti-trafficking efforts" is said in the U.S. Department of State’s
2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released by Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on June 16.

According to a report of the U.S. embassy in Armenia, Armenia’s annual
ranking by TIP Report improved, with the country being removed from
the Tier Two Watch List, where it had remained in 2005-2008, and
elevated to the Tier Two category of the U.S. Department of State’s
four-tier ranking system.

The report notes that the Armenian government does not fully meet the
minimum standards of trafficking elimination, although the country
has taken serious steps in this direction. The U.S. Department of
State welcomed the resumption of inquiry into the case of corruption
related to trafficking in 2006, as well as the allocation of state
funds for the protection of trafficking victims and increasing the
society’s awareness of trafficking dangers. The Department of State
recommended that the Armenian government use the best experience and
standards in international practice.

TURKEY’S RULING PARTY REFUTES INFORMATION ABOUT VISIT TO MEMORIAL OF "GENOCIDE" IN ARMENIA

Today.Az
s/53234.html
June 19 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey’s ruling party has refuted information about the visit of its
representatives to the memorial of "genocide" in Armenia.

"This was an unofficial visit of the party representatives to
Armenia. The visit involved some party representatives. But the
information spread by Turkish mass media is untrue.

For example, Mahmut Shek, who is said to be the party member in the
disseminated information, in reality bears no relationship to the
party at the moment. Earlier he has been among the party leadership,
but currently he has nothing to do with it", said spokesman of the
ruling party of Justice and Development of Turkey Basri Barut.

"The people, who are mentioned in the information, visited Armenia, but
they did not pay a visit to the memorial of "genocide" in Yerevan. They
are going to hold a press conference and tell the truth about this
untrue information. They told me that they did not visit the memorial
of "genocide", that they paid an unofficial visit to Armenia and it
is untrue to bind their visit to the party", noted he.

Notably, earlier it was reported that Turkey’s ruling party
representatives visited the memorial of "genocide" in Armenia.

OSCE-SUPPORTED POLICE OUTREACH STATIONS OPEN IN PILOT COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
19.06.2009 18:01

Two community police outreach stations opened today in Yerevan as
part a joint project by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian
Police to introduce community policing in the pilot Arabkir police
district in Yerevan.

The outreach stations aim to improve relations and trust between police
and the public by increasing police visibility and their capacity
to assist the population in solving local problems. OSCE-trained
community policing officers will be working at the stations.

"The opening of the outreach stations shows the commitment of the
Police and the OSCE to continue to improve police service to the
public. We will take the experience from these stations and apply the
lessons learned to the future expansion of the community policing
model in Armenia," said Carel Hofstra, the Deputy Head of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan.

The head of the Arabkir Police Department, Varazdat Adamyan, added:
"The police should be visible and approachable. Gaining support
from the public and working closely with the community is crucial in
addressing local safety issues. Now it is also up to the public to
actively co-operate with the police and engage with the officers in
the outreach stations to provide information about local problems."

The police staff at the outreach stations20will also work with recently
formed Citizen’s Advisory Groups in the district.

The community policing project is part of the Office’s activities
aimed at promoting democratic policing practices. This work also
includes projects to further improve police education and to improve
police-media relations.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA ART BEAT
By Kevin Mellema

Falls Church News Press
nia-art-beat.html
June 18 2009
North Virginia

Lara Beaudry Byer: Amazing Mothers, at the Lee Arts Center, Mini
Gallery (5722 Lee Highway, Arlington). The event runs through June
24. Lee Center’s hours are Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.,
and Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. For details, call 703-228-0559,
or visit

Lara Byer has a dozen ceramic pieces on view here dealing with
motherhood. In fact, these works are portraits of specific Arlington
County mothers she interviewed for this project. Her depictions of
women and children have a rather generic quality about them; it’s
their context and spirit that Byer is keyed into and wants us to
recognize and appreciate.

Virtually all of these women have some extraordinary circumstance
that forms their daily existence. Several mothers have children with
disabilities, or special needs. The two glazed terra cotta house-like
structures in "Journey from New Orleans" depict one mother’s relocation
to Arlington County in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The interview
quote Byer provides us dwells not on her loss, but rather on her
overwhelming joy and relief at finding furnished housing and clothes
donated (we assume) by the community in her new home. More than
anything, she seems shocked to find a community of children with
Rett Syndrome, like one of her children. Byer’s portrait piece is
appropriately filled with joy and a sense of community.

Two of the most engaging images here deal with mothers of adopted
children. "Harmony" depicts a seated mother holding a child in her
arms. Their wrap flows across the bowl form and connects to another
woman, the birth mother. The mother’s "L" sees the situation as a
stabilizing triangle of three.

Another mother of Armenian descent had a child of her own, and
then adopted a child from Armenia. Byer’s ceramic tile image shows
her and her child beside a tree, from which she plucks a swaddled
baby. It’s as if she’s picking fruit from the tree of life. It has
a heroic fable like air about it that, while specific in intent,
has a universal quality. It’s arguably the best piece here.

SYRIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA TOMORROW

Qatar News Agency
June 16, 2009 Tuesday 4:37 PM EST
Qatar

Damascus, June 16 (QNA) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his
wife will pay a two-day state visit to Armenia on Wednesday at the
invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsian.

During the visit, the Syrian President will hold talks with the
Armenian President and senior Armenian officials on bilateral relations
and latest developments in the Middle East and the Caucasus. (QNA)