Author: Kalashian Nyrie

ILHAM ALIYEV: "I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING IN AZERBAIJAN, BOTH FOR GOOD AND FOR BAD CHANGES"

Today
tics/42901.html
Feb 5 2008
Azerbaijan

"Year of 2007 was a very important year in the modern history of
Azerbaijan, but we should not forget that the foundation for this
success was laid by Heydar Aliyev in the 1990s. If not for the Contract
of Century signed in that period, I doubt, that we would have such
achievements", President of Azerbaijan said during the ceremony of
awarding him the premium "Person of the Year", Day.Az reports.

I.Aliyev noted that within 4 years Azerbaijan’s budget rose by 10
times and this process will further continue.

"The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan is now operating, while several years ago
few believed that Azerbaijan would be able to fill the pipeline by
its own oil. Yet we believed in it", the president noted.

According to him, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzirum remains in the shadow of
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project, though being also important.

"Azerbaijan has been exporting gas for already a year, though we
had imported it before that. Azerbaijan plays an important role in
energy security. It should be noted that Azerbaijan exports its oil
to American and Eastern countries, which will promote Azerbaijan’s
consolidation", the head of state noted.

He also touched upon the Garabagh conflict.

"We attach great importance to army. Our army is the best in the
region. Azerbaijan’s military budget is expanding each year and
military industrial complex is created", I.Aliyev noted. He stressed
the importance of these factors for the release of occupied lands.

Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan will not cooperate with Armenia
in the economic sphere and in various projects until the conflict
is settled.

At the same time, the President announced that Azerbaijan is
cooperating successfully with other countries. "We maintain friendly
relations with most countries under terms of non-interference with
the internal affairs of our country. If we need advise, we will
appeal for it. If someone attempts to interfere with the internal
affairs of Azerbaijan, he will get the due response. We do not have
any problems in our external policy and we must demand for respect so
that none of the issues in the region is settled without Azerbaijan’s
participation", Ilham Aliyev announced.

He also stressed that according to several mass medias definite
sanctions can be applied against Azerbaijan in a number of cases.

"This is not true. Azerbaijan has never undertaken any commitments
before any country and it is not possible to impose any sanctions
against our country", the head of state noted.

Moreover, he said Azerbaijan attaches great importance to democratic
development.

"I am responsible for everything in Azerbaijan, both for good and
bad changes. There are problems in our country but our aim is the
comprehensive development of the country, the settlement of all
problems and welfare of the population. Azerbaijan has potential for
it", I.Aliyev said.

PARTICIPANTS OF MORELIA-LINARES KNOWN

armradio.am
04.02.2008 14:28

All eight participants of the Morelia-Linares Chess Tournament
are known.

The competition will be held in Morelia (Mexico) February 15-23 and
will continue in Linares (Spain) February 26 – March 7. the tournament
will feature Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan, Vishwanathan Anand
of India, Vasili Ivanchuk of Ukraine, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria,
Peter Leco of Hungary, Teymur Rajabov of Azerbaijan, Alexey Shirov
of Spain and Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

Robert Kocharyan: Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s affection for Azerbaijan is
becoming unhealthy

armradio.am
01.02.2008 17:39

RA President Robert Kocharyan is assured that a person, who declares
that Azerbaijan is Armenia’s only link with the outer world has at
least very dim notion of geography. Turning to the above mentioned
statement of presidential contender Levon Ter-Petrosyan, President
Kocharyan told reporters that the ex-President probably said it
deriving from the fact that in Soviet times 85% of cargoes were
transported to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan.

`However, those were the routes of interior trade and interior cargo
shipment of the USSR, and Armenia was not a subject of foreign trade at
that time. This shows also that some people are not aware of the
structure of today’s foreign trade. Of course, Azerbaijan is not that
important for Armenia in its trade with Europe, the US and many other
countries. We carry out the trade with Russian via Georgia or the Black
Sea in the form of ferry communication,’ Robert Kocharyan said.

The President suggested to look at Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statements
form another perspective. `Currently negotiations on the Karabakh
conflict settlement are underway, and the Azeri side feels somewhat
giddy connected with the oil factor, and deriving from oil expectations
it is trying to toughen its position. The first President declares that
Azerbaijan possesses not only the privilege of oil but also that of
favorable location and is the only way for Armenia towards the outer
world. And if the knowledge of geography is one the same level in
Azerbaijan, it’s clear that they will try to further toughen their
position on the Nagorno Karabakh issue. In general, Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s attitude and love for Azerbaijan is becoming unhealthy
and raise many questions and doubts,’ Robert Kocharyan added.

YEREVAN AND TEL AVIV CONTENT WITH BILATERAL RELATIONS LEVEL

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.01.2008 15:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met
with Ehud Gol, Israel’s Ambassador to RA and Israel Meiami, deputy
director of Europe department at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, to
discuss bilateral and regional issues.

The officials expressed satisfaction with the current level of
the Armenian-Israeli relations and noted the potential of mutually
beneficial cooperation in agriculture and public health.

They also exchanged views on international politics and referred to
resolution of the Palestine-Israeli and Nagorno Karabakh conflicts,
the RA MFA press office reported.

ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE TO BE TAUGHT IN TORONTO SCHOOLS

Assyrian International News Agency
Jan 29 2008

The biggest city in Canada, Toronto, has decided to include a course
about the genocide on Armenians and Assyrians in the education system
as a new subject. The subject will be called "Genocide in the past
and today". It is not a compulsory subject, and it is up to the high
schools whether they want to teach the subject or not.

The subject deals with all genocides in history, from Seyfo — the
genocide of Assyrians, Greeks and Armenians 1915 — The Holocaust
and the latest genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s.

Turkish organizations have reacted against the new subject,
and arranged strong protests against the decision. Other Muslim
organizations from other countries have also joined the Turkish
protests. The organizations motivate these strong protests by saying
that this puts the lives of Muslim students in danger.

BRITISH "THE HALO TRUST": "MINE CLEARING IN GARABAGH WILL TAKE 5-6 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT"

Today
litics/42711.html
Jan 29 2008
Azerbaijan

The Prime Minister of the so-called "Nagorno-Garabagh Republic"
received Valon Kumnov, head of the Garabagh program of the British
"The HALO Trust" NGO and his deputy Patrick Thompson.

According to sources in the department of information and public
affairs of the government of the so-called "Nagorno-Garabagh Republic"
announced that he will pass his powers to his successor following
a three year activity in Garabagh. He briefed on the mine actions
and neutralization of explosive substances carried out in the past
years. Representatives of "The HALO Trust" noted that the mine clearing
in Garabagh will take 5-6 years to implement.

Patrick Thompson, newly appointed leader of the Garabagh program,
announced that the number of mine actions participants will be raised
(about 280 people), which will lead to expansion of the volumes
of works. Ara Arutyunan, Prime Minister of the self-appointed
"Nagorno-Garabagh Republic", stressed the role of the organization
in ensuring the security of the population.

The Prime Minister thanked the bomb technicians noting that the
government will continue cooperation with the organization and
will encourage appearance of new donors to ensure further effective
operation of "The HALO Trust".

KOCHARYAN PRIORITIZED AGREEMENT

A1+
29 January, 2008

The RA President Robert Kocharyan received Boris Grizlov, Chairman
of the Russian State Duma and the delegation headed by him.

The parties prioritized the agreement signed between the "United
Russia", the "Republican Party of Armenia" and the "Prosperous Party
of Armenia" parties.

According to the agreement, the collaboration between the parties
would be practical and systemized.

Reflecting on the development of the Armenian-Russian collaboration,
the President mentioned that the bilateral economic relations were
the motor for the Armenian-Russian collaboration and in the result
of this the Russian investments occupied many fields in theArmenian
economy. Robert Kocharyan underlined dynamic developments in energy
and transport fields.

According to the Chairman of the State Duma, the amount of the goods’
circulation between the two countries will reach to 1 milliard USD
in 2008, which will provide a new quantitative level.

During the meeting the parties reflected on the collaboration of the
two countries’ deputies in various international structures.

Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 28 2008

Armenian Minister of Defense: "Armenian armed forces are battle
worthy and ready to ensure the security of the Armenian people"

28 January 2008 [16:49] – Today.Az

Armenian armed forces demonstrated their battle worthiness in the
wartime and after it and was successful in the fulfillment of all
tasks set before it.

According to the Armenian Minister of Defense, the Armenian army is
effective, strong and battle-worthy.

"The battle-worthiness of our army is proven by the fact that despite
the militaristic statements of neighbor countries, they can not
manage without statements, as they are not able to undertake definite
steps", Mikael Arutyunyan said. At the same time, he noted that
"Armenian armed forces are battle worthy and ready to ensure the
security of the Armenian people".

The Defense Minister also does not agree with the statements that in
the near future the Armenian army may be composed of only hired
servicemen.

"In order to pass to this stage, it is necessary to form a strong
economy, the state which would be able to keep the army", the Defense
Minister announced and added that the transfer of the army to the
contract basis, depends also on the regional factors, along with
financial ones.

Touching upon the announcements of the first President of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrosyan about the reduction of the army, the Minister of
Defense announced that it is impossible in Armenia to reduce the
number of soldiers down to 10,000. "The government can not undertake
this step, as it is an issue of security of the population", Mikael
Arutyunyan said.

/Regnum/

URL:

ARMENIAN MUSICIANS SHOWCASE THEIR EVOLUTION OF STYLES, FROM TRADITIONAL TO ROCK TO JAZZ, DURING ALEX THEATRE CONCERT
By Ani Amirkhanian

Glendale News Press
Jan 24 2008
CA

A musical mosaic

An upcoming concert will showcase the evolution of Armenian music by
combining traditional with contemporary sounds and provide a platform
for up-and-coming young musicians, organizers said.

This year, the lineup for Mosaic II Concert ranges from rock and jazz
to Armenian folk music, said Lori Tatoulian, artistic coordinator of
the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society. "Basically,
we are bringing different styles of music to form the current picture
of young Armenian musicians in Los Angeles and the United States,"
she said. "It brings in music that is not just one style. It shows
the evolution of Armenian music, infused with current trends and
current interpretations of melodies."

After last year’s sold-out show in January, the Hamazkayin Mosaic
planning committee decided to have the concert again, with new
performers joining veteran musicians.

One of the returning groups to hit the stage Saturday is Visa,
a nine-piece ensemble that combines Armenian, Greek and Latin rhythms.

The ensemble has been around for about seven years, and members
are all from different ethnic backgrounds, said K’noup Tomopoulos,
vocalist and guitarist.

"Visa is the audio passport for music for the simple reason that we
are all from different corners of the world," he said.

Tomopoulos, a native of Greece and a Glendale resident, grew up
listening to Greek music, but the music of Visa reflects themes that
span across cultures.

"Our songs are about life, romance, heartache, joy, tragedy, things
that every person goes through in life," he said. advertisement

Visa’s musicians play the drums, guitar, congas, duduk, a traditional
Armenian woodwind instrument, and the Middle Eastern dombag, or drum.

"We are a mix from all over the world," Tomopoulos said. "It pushes
the envelope to be able to experiment with a mix of styles."

The concert will showcase performers who are making their debut in
the community, Tatoulian said, adding that the goal is to present a
platform to encourage the musicians to continue what they are doing.

Cantus Capella, a progressive rock band, is set to perform for the
first time at the Alex Theatre.

The band has been together since February, bassist Armen Hovsepian
said.

"We are very melodic and heavy at the same time," he said. "I can’t
say it’s for an older crowd."

Cantus Capella fans range in ages from 16 to 26, Hovsepian said.

Their music is a fusion of rock and ethnic blends and is open to
interpretation.

"It’s mainly mainstream rock, but we haven’t worked Armenian song
angles into it yet," Hovsepian said. "One of the most characteristic
qualities is the vocal range. It’s a high register for the male voice,
which makes the melody stand out. The music is very bass-driven."

Cantus Capella is the only rock band scheduled to play Saturday.

"We feel very proud to be able to play in an Armenian cultural event,"
Hovsepian said.

"We have such a diverse sound that it might push some buttons or
raise some eyebrows."

For Glendale resident Sonya Varoujian, Saturday’s concert is also
the first time she will take the stage at the Alex Theatre.

Varoujian will perform a selection of her original songs. She will
sing five songs in Armenian and one in English.

"I would say the songs are more in the line of traditional,"
Varoujian said.

"It’s not the same songs regurgitated in a different style. It’s
new lyrics."

Varoujian’s songs are a reflection of herself, she said.

"I would say it’s exactly a product of who I am," she said. "I am
an Armenian who grew up in England and New York with a traditional
Armenian upbringing. The songs are about love and in all its forms.

They are very personal."

The concert will also showcase the music of Zulal, an Armenian a
cappella folk trio, and Ochion and Areni, a duo who will perform
contemporary classical music, jazz, free jazz and Armenian music.

MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN MPS BEGIN IN STRASBOURG

Trend News Agency
Jan 23 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 23 January / corr Trend I.Alizade / A meeting of
the parliamentary delegates, representing Azerbaijan and Armenia,
began in Strasbourg, secretariat of PACE, told Trend.

The meeting is focused on the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the implementation of Resolution ¹1416- adopted by the PACE
in connection with the conflict, and the fulfillment of CE obligations
by Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to the Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. In
December 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh- excluding Shusha and Khojali went out
of the control of Azerbaijan. Since 1992, the Armenian Armed Forces
have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region
and its seven neighboring districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a ceasefire agreement which ended the active hostilities. The
Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US)
are currently holding the peaceful negotiations.

In January 2005, PACE adopted Resolution ¹ 1416 for the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The document notes the occupation of
the Azerbaijani territory by Armenia and various proposals for the
resolution of the conflict. An Ad Hoc Committee has been established
to control the implementation of this document.

–Boundary_(ID_a01hZ0iccq6xx0mYDK5M+w)- –