Author: Kalashian Nyrie

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN, "I HOPE THAT ARMENIAN-ITALIAN COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE DEVELOPING"

ARMENPRESS
June 9, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan
received today Italian ambassador to Armenia Massimo Lavezzo Kasineli
on the occasion of ending his diplomatic mission in Armenia.

National Assembly public relations department told Armenpress that
during the conversation the head of the Armenian Parliament expressed
his gratitude to the Italian ambassador for close cooperation of
the previous years. H. Abrahamyan highly assessed the work of the
ambassador and stressed that he made his unique contribution to the
development of bilateral relations.

NA speaker expressed hope that in future Armenian-Italian cooperation
will go on developing in political, trade-economic, cultural and other
spheres. In that context the interlocutors discussed the prospects
of the cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries and
referred to the present investment projects.

CLINTON SAYS TURKISH-ARMENIAN TALKS ‘ON TRACK’

says-turkish-armenian-talks-on-track/
Jun 8th, 2009

WASHINGTON (Combined Sources)-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
said in a press conference Friday that the process between Turkey
and Armenia to normalize their relations were continuing on
course. Although there have been no concrete steps taken by either
state since late April, Clinton said Washington strongly supports
the so-called "roadmap" process.

Clinton was speaking after a Friday meeting with Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu at the State Department.

With Switzerland standing as observer, Turkey and Armenia jointly
said April 22 that they would work to normalize their relations and
that a road map had been drawn up for that.

Although it has not been made public, the road map is believed to
include a set of steps, including the creation of full diplomatic ties,
and more importantly, the opening of the two neighbors’ land border.

At the Washington meeting with Foreign Minister Davutoðlu, Clinton
struck a hopeful note that the normalization would take place.

"I have been very encouraged by the progress that has been made and
by the commitment of the governments involved. Certainly Turkey and
Armenia, with the assistance of the Swiss government, have committed
themselves to a process of normalization," said Clinton.

"We’re well aware that this is difficult. It requires patience
and perseverance. But we have seen no flagging of commitment," she
said. "We believe that a lot of progress has been made in a relatively
short period of time to resolve issues that are of long standing."

Clinton said that Azerbaijan and Armenia were also working on the
Karabakh problem.

Davutoðlu said: "we are fully committed to our normalization process
with Armenia."

He also said that "on the main regional issues like the Middle East,
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Caucasus, Black Sea, and all the relevant
issues, we have a common agenda."

"I am very happy to see that we have very identical, similar approaches
to many of these issues," he said.

Clinton reiterated Washington’s support for Turkey in the fight
against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) and her backing for
Turkey’s eventual membership to the European Union.

ACTIVITY OF THE FACT-FINDING GROUP SUSPENDED

armradio.am
08.06.2009 17:55

The President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, signed an
executive order on declaring invalid the executive order on "Creating
a Fact-finding group of experts and confirming the procedure of
organization of its activity" dated October 23, 2008, President’s
Press Office reported.

APA
June 8 2009
Azerbaijan

MATTHEW BRYZA: "WHETHER THE PRESIDENTS DECIDE TO MEET NEXT WEEK WILL DEPEND ON HOW MUCH PROGRESS THE CO-CHAIRS CAN MAKE, WORKING IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THEFOREIGN MINISTERS"

Baku. Viktoria Dementieva – APA. "Whether the Presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan decide to meet in July will depend on how much progress
the Co-Chairs can make in coming weeks, working in close cooperation
with the foreign ministers of both countries", American Co-Chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza exclusively told APA.

Whilst commenting on the meeting of Presidents Aliyev and Sargsian on
June 4 in St. Petersburg, the co-chair stated that the dialogue was
positive: "The mood between the two leaders was constructive. The
Co-Chairs are pleased by the progress the presidents made, and are
preparing to build on that progress with a new round diplomatic
thinking and consultations to help the parties move closer toward
finalizing the Basic Principles".

Al-Tayyar, Lebanon
June 6 2009

The list of Change and Reform in Jbeil met Tashnak leaders and
citizens of Sakyet el Khayt.

The candidates of change and reform have continued their tour in the
various electoral regions of Jbeil. In this context, they met today,
citizens of Sakyet el Khayt in the presence of the mayor of the region
and a delegation from the Tashnak and its allies in Jbeil, in the
presence of the head of the electoral machinery of the FPM, Tony Abi
Youness.

Ensuring the decision taken by his party, the leader of the Tashnak
party assured that the vote will be for the list as it is. For his
part, MP Walid Khoury assured that the Armenian community and Tashnak
are an essential part of Lebanese society. "The Armenians have been
marginalized for a long time but the Doha agreement has restored the
role of Christians and Armenians," he said.

While the candidate Simon Abiramia stressed on the solidarity among
Armenians and said that all FPM alliances took place after the return
of General Aoun from exile but only the alliance with the Tashnak was
established before his return. "General Aoun said, we have a long
history with the Armenians because the relationship between Tashnak
and the FPM is rooted," he added.

Finally, the MP Abbas Hashem assured that the alliance between the FPM
and Tashnak is stable and continuous because nothing can replace the
partnership among the Lebanese. "The strong state cannot be
constructed in the presence of corruption and the confiscation of
power by certain groups. General Aoun has taken a historic position in
Doha concerning the Armenians, and the honest people â??he
concluded.

RUSSIAN NATO ENVOY SAYS GEORGIA CONTINUES MILITARIZATION

RIA Novosti
19:2605/06/2009

MOSCOW, June 5 (RIA Novosti) – Georgia is continuing to militarize
even though it clearly has not ruled out using force in regard to its
former republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia’s NATO envoy
said on Friday.

"We have all the necessary information, including classified,
about those who continue to deliver weapons to Georgia and at what
volumes," Dmitry Rogozin said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio
station. "This information is dispiriting."

Although he did not identify the countries involved he said that
Russia is making bilateral contact to tell them that Moscow knew of
the weapons deliveries.

Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states
after last August’s five-day war with Georgia, which attacked South
Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control. Most
residents of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia have held Russian
citizenship for several years.

The chief of the Russian General Staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, said
on Friday that Georgia is now armed far better than it was when it
attacked South Ossetia.

Atom Egoyan explores genocide in new art exhibit

CTV Toronto
June 05, 2009

By CTV.ca News Staff

Atom Egoyan has two Oscar nominations and a Cannes Film Festival award.
But his latest project, "Remains to Be Seen," is a new art exhibition
showing in Toronto.

Produced under the umbrella of The International Institute for Genocide
and Human Rights Studies in Toronto, the multi-media show hopes to raise
the public’s awareness about genocide.

Featuring work from 16 artists across North America, Egoyan says the
show at Toronto’s Lennox Contemporary gets to the core of what human
genocide really means.

"It’s one thing that a journalist’s piece can do. But an artist’s work
can pierce the heart in a different way," says Egoyan, 48.

"In the case of genocide there’s been such a history of denial about
that," the Canadian director told Canada AM today.

Delving into the subject matter in 2002’s "Ararat," Egoyan’s movie was
loosely based on the Siege of Van during the Armenian Genocide of the
early 20th century, an event that is denied by the government of Turkey.

That film explored the specific impact of that historical event. It also
examined the nature of truth and its representation through art.

As Egoyan says of "Ararat," "I wasn’t so much talking about the historic
event, but rather how that denial had created a transmission of trauma
from one generation to another."

That tragedy holds deep personal meaning for Egoyan and his wife,
actress Arsinée Khanjian

The pair are supporters of The Zoryan Institute of Canada, Inc.

Together with The Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research
and Documentation in Cambridge, Mass., this non-profit research
institute is devoted to scholarly research that documents, studies, and
disseminates material related to the life of the Armenian people in the
recent past and the present within the context of larger world affairs.

In 2003, the couple launched the "Atom Egoyan and Arsinée Khanjian Fund"
to support the Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University
Program.

The after-effects of genocide are clearly evidenced in the works by
Ulysses Castellanos, Joyce Lau, Steven Loft, Katie Pretti, Shannon
Scully, Veronika Szkudlarek, Bill Wolff and Arie Galles.

"It’s a non-propagandistic kind of show," says artist and educator
Galles, who was born in 1944 in Uzbekistan and raised in Poland.

Galles’s contributions to this show are based on aerial photography
taken during the Second World War. But each artist’s entry, he says,
explores the intensity of what it is to be involved or witness a genocide.

"These works have incredible strength," says Galles, who appeared with
Egoyan on Canada AM. "Any genocide does not happen in a Martian
landscape. It happens on this earth. The horror is that humanity can
perpetrate it on this incredibly beautiful blue marble we are flying on."

On display until June 7, "Remains to Be Seen," says Egoyan "Is both open
to interpretation but able to be emotionally devastating."

PHOTO CAPTION: Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan appears on CTV’s
Canada AM, Friday, June 5, 2009.

ews/20090605/atom_egoyan_050609/20090605?hub=Toron toNewHome

EDIK BAGHDASARYAN ASSAULT TRIAL GETS UNDERWAY
Ararat Davtyan

-2/
2009/06/04 | 19:06

Court Media

Today, the trial got underway in the November 17, 2008 assault of
Hetq Chief Editor Edik Baghdasaryan.

Other than 20 year-old Karen Harutyunyan, law enforcement has yet
been unable to identify the two other individuals who attacked
Mr. Baghdasaryan as he left the Hetq offices in the evening on the
day in question.

Karen Harutyunyan not only denied participating in the attack but
refused to offer testimony. However, the preliminary investigative body
substantiated the charges against Mr. Harutyunyan, premeditated assault
by an individual or group resulting in medium level physical injury,
and the case was sent to the Kentron Nork-Marash District Court.

At today’s session, Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan presiding, Edik
Baghdasaryan and his son Tigran Baghdasaryan were questioned. Also
questioned was Karapet Atoyan, who works as a guard at the building
housing the Hetq offices. The latter two were called as witnesses
but their testimony didn’t have direct bearing on the case.

Satenik Amirbekyan, a suponead witness, failed to show up in court
without providing any forewarning.

Another material witness, Norayr Avetisyan, a prinicipal with the
military training academy, had notified the court that due to "family
matters" he would be outside the country as of June 2. He requested
that the court pardon his absence and use the testimony he previously
had given.

At the time of the incident, Mr. Avetisyan had been walking through the
area and its was the shots fired from his gun that sent the assailants
fleeing. He was the one who identified Karen Harutyunyan as a former
resident in his courtyard.

Mr. Harutyunyan’s defnse lawyer, Vahagn Manukyan, motioned the court
to arrange for Mr. Avetisyan to be present at the trial, describing
him as the principal witness. The court promised that it would notify
the two absent witnesses to be present at the nest session.

Judge Martirosyan asked Mr. Baghdasaryan if he could offer any concrete
evidence pointing to those responsible for organizing the attack.

Mr. Baghdasaryan replied that after the attack Karen’s mother came
to his house and said that she is Vardan Ayvazyan’s son’s doctor
and that the two boys regularly met each other. The Hetq editor said
that this started him to think that the attck might be linked to a
series of articles he had written reagrding the business dealings of
Vardan Ayvazyan.

Judge Mnatsakanyan then asked if Mr. Baghdasaryan was preparing to
ask for financial damages.

"I haven’t launched a civil case against the defendant. In general
I find it meaningless to punish Karen Harutyuyan, even if he was one
of the attackers, if those behind the assault are not to be exposed,"
said Mr. Baghdasaryan

The trial will continue on June 10 at 3:00 pm.

STANDING COMMITTEES HEAR THE FINAL REPORTS ON BUDGET EXECUTION
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
05.06.2009 16:29

The Standing Committees of the National Assembly today heard the final
reports on the 2008 budget execution. Heads of economic structures
were present at the hearings. The parliamentarians, however, focused
on the activity of those structures under the conditions of the
global crisis rather than the reports. In particular, Chairman of
the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition Ashot
Shahnazaryan spoke about the prices of fuel, mainly petroleum.

"The prices in our republic have risen with 40 drams over the past
month and a half. We have already asked the two dominating companies to
present reports on the causes of the price rise. We have simultaneously
been watching the international prices. In some countries the price
for one gallon went up 80 cents over the past 10 years. We do not
see considerable deviation in our price policy," he said.

At the request of the Chairman of the Standing Committee on
Finance-Credit and Budgeting Affairs Gagik Minasyan, Minister of
Energy Armen Movsisyan presented the future programs of the sphere.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN: "I PROPOSE TO GIVE NEW IMPETUS TO THE RELATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA AND KOREA THROUGH THE LEGISLATORS’ MUTUAL VISITS"

National Assembly of RA
June 3 2009
Armenia

On June 2 the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan
received the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the
Republic of Korea to Armenia Mr. Lee Kyu-hyung (residence in Moscow).

Welcoming the guest the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament expressed
his condolences to the people of the Republic of Korea on the tragic
death of the former president of the country Roh Moo-hyun.

Touching upon the bilateral relations Mr. H. Abrahamyan distinguished
the necessity of enlivening the contacts. He noted that parliamentary
friendship groups have already been formed in the parliaments of
the Republic of Armenia and Korea, and proposed to give new impetus
to the relations of the two countries through the legislators’
mutual visits. In this context Mr. H. Abrahamyan proposed to use the
opportunities of such mutual visits and also include representatives
from business circles of the two countries in the delegations.

During the talk the sides in detail touched upon the perspectives of
inter-parliamentary, trade-economic cooperation, as well as in the
sphere of energy between the Republic of Armenia and Korea.