Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN PLAYER GRANTED GRANDMASTER TITLE

news.am
September 14

Armenian 17-year-old chess player Hovhannes Gabuzyan was granted a
grandmaster title, Armchess.am reports.

The ceremony was held at FIDE Congress in Istanbul.

GAYANE NOVIKOVA: “THE US WANTS TO BALANCE RUSSIAN ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS”

Vestnik Kavkaza
Sept 14 2012
Russia

Interview by David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK

The director of the Center of Strategic Analysis ‘Spectrum’, the guest
researcher of Davis Center on Russian and Eurasian Research of Harvard
University, Gayane Novikova, told VK about the role and prospects of
Russia and the CSTO in settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

– What mechanisms of calming the sides of the conflict exist today? Are
Armenia and Azerbaijan able to stop bloodshed in the context of
progressing militarization of the region or this problem demands
efforts by mediators?

– To stop bloodshed at the cross-line between Armenian and Azerbaijani
military forces not only will of the sides is required, but also
understanding of nonsense of bloodshed. It doesn’t happen in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as Azerbaijan has to demonstrate resolution
to return the territories controlled by Armenians at any cost. Thus,
for Baku this tactics is reasonable: the Azerbaijani authorities
emphasize priority of the conflict’s settlement and support this
attitude in the society, but don’t get an opportunity to accuse
Armenia of an aggressive behavior. Regarding acts of sabotage, till
the full-scaled peacemaking treaty is absent, they are inevitable. The
main problem is that the more acts of sabotage are committed, the
more people died both from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The international society has a lot of other problems, and settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh is not a priority. Thus, sink or swim. I think
the Armenian defense is tested. At the same time, Russia’s reaction
as a leader of the CSTO on a possible military campaign is checked. I
speak about Russia only because I except support of Armenia by Central
Asian countries and Kazakhstan which will take a neutral position in
case of military activities between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

– Some analysts in Yerevan and Baku believe that only Russia
has a possibility to influence significantly the sides of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, imposing its variant of settlement on this
or that side. Is this view appropriate, considering the change of the
president in Russia and geopolitical situation in the Big Middle East?

– In general the idea that Russia is the only country which is able to
settle the conflict has certain grounds, as Russia is the most serious
player in the South Caucasus. Moscow considers the South Caucasus as
the zone of its interests. It is no secret that the Kremlin has certain
working leverages on internal and external political processes of each
state. Russia is building relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan relying
on pragmatics and strategic interests of Moscow. I cannot say that
the Kremlin has its clear plan of the conflict’s settlement. Moscow
is not interested in defining its position, as in this case it has
to stand for Armenia or Azerbaijan.

By this step Moscow would narrow its strategic partnership and get
another “uncomfortable” neighbor (along with Georgia) in the region.

Therefore, Moscow seems to feel comfortable in the situation of
ambiguity which was formed after 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group have many times stated that only direct participants of
the conflict can settle it. I think they are right.

– What is the aim of American diplomacy in the region ahead of the
presidential elections in the US?

– It is obvious that ahead of the presidential elections the American
diplomacy needs achievements in the foreign political arena which
can be reached by providing stability in real and potential trouble
spots. I think Hilary Clinton’s visit was aimed at meetings and
discussions in Turkey. While visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan were
PR-actions which had to show American interest in stability in the
South Caucasus and desire to balance Russia’s activity in our region.

The main task of our authorities is preservation of the
military-political balance in the region. It is unacceptable to incline
on this or that side of non-regional centers – Russia, the US, the EU.

– Today a lot is said about the possibility of Moscow’s realization
of the scenario of the August war with Georgia in case of military
operations over Nagorno-Karabakh…

– I don’t think these talks have any ground, as Russia at the moment
is focused on prevention of escalation of the conflict which might
lead to unpredictable consequences. First of all, it would be very
difficult for Moscow to choose what side to support. Secondly, the
August war in 2008 had two reasons for intervention – presence of
Russian peacemakers in the South Ossetian conflict zone; and 96-97%
of South Ossetian population has Russian citizenship.

PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF LITHUANIA CONDEMNS THE AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES’ STEPS

13.09.2012

Eduard Sharmazanov, RA NA Vice President, Co-Chair of Armenia-Lithuania
Parliamentary Friendship Group, had a telephone talk with Algis
Kašeta, Co-Chair of the Lithuanian side, highly appreciating the
statement directed to the international community made by a group
of deputies on granting pardon to Ramil Safarov by the President
of Azerbaijan.

The deputies, who signed the statement, among them, Algis Kašeta,
KÄ~Ystutis Masiulis, Dalia Kuodyte, DangutÄ- Mikutiene, Petras
Luomanas, have expressed their deep concern on granting pardon to
Ramil Safarov by the President of Azerbaijan, who was sentenced to
life imprisonment for the murder of the officer of the Armed Forces
of Armenia Gurgen Margaryan by the Court of the First Instance of
Budapest in April 2006.

The Group of the Seimas members has expressed conviction that granting
pardon to R. Safarov may result in repetition of such crimes, it
contradicts the international standards and may fail the peaceful
settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict going on between
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The NA Deputy President has noted in the telephone talk that the
Lithuanian colleagues’ adequate response is highly assessed in the
RA National Assembly, by which they join the international community
adherent to democratic and all-human values, and the latter condemned
the Azerbaijani authorities’ illegal actions.

ARTSAKH MOD VISITS FRONTLINE

news.am
September 13, 2012 | 19:48

STEPANAKERT. – Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] Defense Minister, Commander
of the Army, Lieutenant General Movses Hakobyan visited army frontline
on Thursday and got acquainted with implemented engineering works.

Hakobyan was satisfied with the implemented works in general, but at
the same time he assigned necessary tasks to eliminate some defaults.

Defense Army commander held the very same day along with the department
of army officials service consultations and assigned tasks and
orders to the responsible officials to solve the existing problems
of the army.

DANNY TARKANIAN TO ATTEND ANCA DESTINATION 2012 LAS VEGAS

asbarez
Thursday, September 13th, 2012

ANCA DestiNation 2012

GLENDALE-The Armenian National Committee of America-Professional
Network (ANCA-PN) is inviting young professionals nationwide to attend
it first ever destination weekend from October 5 to 7 in Las Vegas
at the Venetian Hotel.

ANCA DestiNation 2012 will be packed with networking and social
events that will allow you to meet new people, honor Armenians in
the community and allow you to meet Congressional candidate Danny
Tarkanian.

The weekend will also include a slew of social activities that will
bring together the best of Las Vegas has to offer.

Official check in will be on Friday October 5, where there will be an
informal “meet and greet” at The Venetian, leading to our event at Tao.

On Saturday, Destination guests will have direct access to a designated
area at the Venetian pool for a pool side networking event.

The poolside event will include refreshing cocktails and activities
for attendees.

A classy dinner party, called the “DestiNation KEF KEF” will feature
a high profile guest speaker that will address all attendees.

Hollyscoop, will also be present for the Kef Kef and throughout
the weekend!

“DestiNation Brunch will cap off the weekend’s events on Sunday at
the Venetian Hotel, and will feature guest speaker, Congressional
candidate Danny Tarkanian, who will discuss his race for Congress,
as well as the importance of Armenian-American participation in the
political process.

More details will be announced as we get closer to the big weekend.

The ANCA is very excited to share an action packed weekend with young
Armenian American professionals throughout the country, help build
relationships and make new friends.

Special discounted room rates have been negotiated for our group
along with discounted airfare. Please find the hotel discount code
and airline info on the event website, below.

Log onto our website for more detailed information.

Tickets are now on Pre Sale

Prices will go up soon, so buy today!!! See you all in VEGAS!!

2012 ANCA Destination Weekend October 5 – 7, 2012 Venetian Las Vegas
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas, Nevada

ARMENIA TO LEARN LOT FROM CHINA – MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

news.am
September 14, 2012 | 20:01

YEREVAN. – Armenian Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan met
with the Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Tian Changchun by the latter’s
request.

The Minister stated that Armenian-Chinese mutual relations in
agriculture have great perspectives, ministerial press service informs
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Ambassador claimed that the current year was abundant for
agriculture of Armenia and asked to state possible fields of
cooperation. Karapetyan stated that Armenia is interested in the
development of trade relations in mechanization of agriculture,
studying possibilities of importing tractors and agricultural equipment
via alternative investments and exchange of skills in biotechnology.

Changchun expressed readiness to inform the Chinese Agricultural
Ministry and passed the invitation of the Karapetyan’s Chinese
counterpart to make an official visit to China.

”CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS” PROJECT LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
14.09.2012 16:57

The two-day 12th International Conference on Ophthalmology began
September 14 in Yerevan, with the participation of representatives from
the Government of Armenia, Ministry of Health, U.S. Embassy and USAID,
embassies and non-governmental organizations. U.S. Ambassador John
A. Heffern and Armenian Minister of Health Derenik Dumanyan welcomed
the participants of the event.

The conference brought together renowned experts of various fields of
ophthalmology from Armenia, the United States, Europe, CIS countries,
Caucasus, Central and Middle Asia to foster a vigorous exchange of
information and knowledge in various specialties related to eye care.

The conference was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of USAID,
AECP, the Ministry of Health, and Gebauer Stiftung, a Swiss charity
foundation.

Prevention of childhood blindness through combating Retinopathy of
Prematurity (ROP) and the announcement of the USAID/AECP joint project
“Center of Excellence for Prevention of Childhood Blindness” (CEPCB)
were the main topics of the conference’s first day. The mission of
the CEPCB is to develop specialized ophthalmological capacity to help
children from Armenia and abroad avoid childhood blindness. The Center
will also take the lead in the exchange of knowledge among medical
professionals in the region.

“Through USAID support, the AECP has the exciting opportunity to
be the first in the region to establish and develop this Center
of Excellence. The Center will function within one year at the
Republican Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as decided preliminarily,”
AECP President Roger Ohanesian said at the event. Initially, the
project will focus on childhood blindness caused by Retinopathy of
Prematurity and related eye diseases in conjunction with providing
quality newborn care in Armenia and encouraging regional cooperation.

Day two of the conference (September 15) will concentrate on the
activities of the AECP in the past 20 years, and the advances made in
eye care thanks to fruitful cooperation between Armenian and American
physicians, authorities, and donors. Presenters will highlight the
AECP countrywide program, the activities of its Mobile Eye Hospital,
as well as practical and scientific studies and achievements.

BBC TRAINING: CALL FOR APPLICANTS IN ARMENIA

20:22, September 14, 2012

The BBC is leading a series of workshops, as part of the EU-funded
Media Neighbourhood Project, in the areas of professional journalism,
new media, and management. BBC and EU experts will deliver workshops
for three different groups of participants across 15 countries in
the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Caucasus.

Media Neighbourhood Media Neighbou

rhood is a three- year training programme for journalists, editors
and managers from broadcast, print and online. It is funded by the
European Union and delivered by a consortium led by BBC Media Action.

The programme has two main aims.

~U To strengthen the professional capacity of journalists, particularly
in the areas of media independence and online media.

~U To improve the reporting of EU social, economic and political
policies within the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Caucasus

If you currently work in the media in Armenia you may wish to apply
for one of the workshops.

Please select one of the three workshops below (BBC News Reporting
Course, Multi-Platform Ethical Journalism or Professional and Financial
Independence).

Please note, if we are unable to offer you your first choice we may
offer you a place on one of our other courses.

Workshops will be held in Armenia led by senior journalists and highly-
experienced trainers from the BBC, AFP and the other international
media organisations in the consortium. The training will be practical
and hands on.

Courses

1) BBC News Reporting Course – 19-21 November 2012 (TBC) ~U Making
stories relevant and engaging for the audience ~U Understanding the
EU and its relationship with its neighbours ~U Journalistic ethics
~U Effective news gathering ~U Professional interviewing techniques

Requirements ~U You will have worked in an established media outlet
of any platform for at least 2 years as a reporter or editor.

~U Ideally you will have an interest in covering international news,
especially concerning the EU and related subjects.

You will be expected to attend two, three full-day workshops, which
will be held within a year of each other. Between the two workshops
you will be expected to produce a portfolio of stories, which will
be evaluated during the 2nd workshop by professional media trainers.

2) Multi-Platform Ethical Journalism 14-15 February 2013 (TBC)
~U Basics of multi-platform journalism ~U Creating professional
content for on-line ~U Techniques of mobile reporting ~U Ethics
and responsibilities of on-line journalism ~U Citizen journalism ~U
Building on-line communities, involving the audience ~U Search Engine
Optimization ~U Blogging, Social Media and Online Curation.

Requirements: you will have one or more of the following: ~U Basic
experience as a multi-media journalist ~U Current involvement in
multi-media or on-line journalism ~U Experience in blogging and the
use of social media for news production, distribution and citizen
activism ~U Editorial experience in multi-media environment

This is a 2 full- day course

3) Media Managers and Senior Editors on Professional and Financial
Independence- 11-13 February 2013 (TBC) ~U Business planning ~U
Strategic marketing ~U Developing practical tools – mechanics of
selling advertising preparing price lists, negotiation techniques ~U
Effective broadcast scheduling ~U Managing multi-platform content ~U
Newsroom management, including integrated newsrooms ~U Foreign desk
management ~U EU and its policies towards your country and region ~U
HR development ~U Winning donor grants and project management

Requirements: you will have experience in one or more of the following
areas: ~U Current managerial or senior editorial position in a media
outlet ~U Media sales ~U Programming or scheduling ~U Audience research
~U Newsroom management or foreign desk management ~U News producer
~U Media business management ~U Donor relations and project management

This is a 3 full-day course

Application and Information To apply please send a CV and
a letter outlining your experience and your suitability to
[email protected] by 24th September 2012. Please also
specify the course you are applying for.

Please include the names and current email addresses and phone numbers
of at least two referees at a senior level with whom you have worked
and whom you would be happy for us to contact.

ARMENIA CLOSE TO SIGNING ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH EU – NSC CHIEF

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 14, 2012 – 19:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – By the end of 2013, Armenia will be close to
signing Association Agreement with EU, National Security Council
secretary said.

According to Artur Baghdasaryan, 3 days ago a new Armenia-EU roadmap
was released, containing joint actions by the parties. “The roadmap
gives positive assessment to Armenia-conducted reforms, with Yerevan
to be coming close to signing the Association Agreement by the end
of 2013.”

In July 2010, Armenia and EU launched negotiations on Association
Agreement to replace current partnership and cooperation deal.

The Agreement aims to strengthen Armenia-EU ties in a number of sectors
as well as in foreign policy, democracy, economic integration, energy
and travel issues.

LE GROUPE ARMENIAN VOICES DONNERA UN CONCERT DIMANCHE 17 SEPTEMBRE
Laetitia

armenews

14 septembre 2012

Dans le cadre du festival d’Ile de France, le groupe a capella Armenian
Voices donnera un concert dimanche 17 septembre 2012 a 16h30.

Les solistes du Hover Chamber Choir interpreteront la Divine Liturgie
de Komitas. Le concert aura lieu a l’Eglise Notre-Dame, a Taverny
dans le 95.

Cette annee, le festival d’Ile de France se deroule dans le cadre
de la thematique des diasporas. Il propose chaque annee, aux mois de
septembre et d’octobre, une trentaine de concerts dans des lieux du
patrimoine francilien. Sa programmation variee presente des musiques
classiques, de la Renaissance a la creation contemporaine, des musiques
du monde aux musiques actuelles.

Tarifs : 18~@

Tarifs reduits : 15~@ et 13~@

Informations & reservations : Festival d’Ile de France : 01 58 71 01
01

14 septembre 2012 par Laetitia/armenews