Author: Kalashian Nyrie

BATUMI HOSTED THE SECOND SOUTH CAUCASUS YOUTH FESTIVAL
Nino Edilashvili

Daily Georgian Times
2007.09.17 10:59
Georgia

Community

September 12-14, 2007, Batumi hosted the 2nd annual South Caucasus
Youth Festival "Caucasus Healthy Wave."

The festival brought Armenian, Azerbaijan and Georgian youth together
and along with governmental officials, representatives of civil society
organizations, UNFPA officials, an EC delegation, famous musicians and
media representatives from the South Caucasus, they effectively reached
out to young people through awareness raising activities. Guests from
BSEC countries took part in the festival, as well. As the festival
was conducted on the Black Sea, in the dynamically developing region
of Adjara, Batumi, it attracted enormous interest for both youth and
the general public. The festival was supported by the government of
the Autonomous Republic of Adjara and the Municipality of Batumi.

Martin Klaucke a representative of the EC said that "By increasing
their awareness, we want the young people of the Caucasus to live a
healthy life. Only healthy people can develop a country."

The festival’s main goal was to empower youth to realize their rights
including accessible, youth-friendly, quality sexual and reproductive
health services and supplies to reduce unwanted pregnancies, prevent
the spread of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS),
and to eliminate gender-biased violence.

The three-day festival, though intensive, was very
interesting. Festival participants and visiting foreign tourists
participated in competitions of mini-football and volleyball. A
water marathon was another fun-making event of the festival which
ceremoniously concluded on Friday, Sept. 14.

According to Zurab Japaridze, RHIYC Technical Coordinator, "22 events
were planned within the frameworks of the festival and 17 young people
from each country participated."

This festival is the UNFPA’s three-year project. The First South
Caucasus Youth Festival was conducted in December 2006. It was one
of the largest events dedicated to World Aids Day to take place in
the region. The festival brought together many community groups and
the general public in an effective effort to combat HIV/AIDS in the
South Caucasus.

Organizers believe that such initiatives are crucial to establishing
healthy lifestyles among the current generation of youth, and improving
awareness and behaviors regarding such harmful practices as tobacco,
drug and alcohol abuse.

Research shows that for the 3 million young people (aged 15-24)
living in the Caucasus region (20% of the whole population), most have
limited access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information,
counseling or services. UNFPA’s most essential concern is to build a
healthy society for the future, and they work to do this by maintaining
and supporting new projects regarding reproductive health information
for today’s youth.

The festival was part of the EC/UNFPA co-funded three-year project
"Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in the South Caucasus"
(RHIYC). UNFPA actively supports the Georgian Government in the
implementation of the ICPD Program of Action and MDGs. It started its
assistance to Georgia in 1993 with a contraceptive supply project
and basic agenda to address reproductive health concerns of the
population. UNFPA activities and programs are country-specific and
tailored to meet Georgia’s needs in the areas of reproductive health,
population, development and gender, by addressing issues ranging from
quality and accessibility of RH services to gender equality and the
availability of reliable data for development.

Newton Human Rights Commission Ceases Participation in NPFH
Town Refuses to be ‘On the Same Boat’ with ADL

By Khatchig Mouradian

The Armenian weekly
Sept. 12, 2007

NEWTON, Mass. (A.W.)-Generations of Americans converged at Newton City Hall
on Sept. 11 to make their voices heard to the local Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) meeting, which, after deliberations, unanimously voted to
"immediately cease participation" in ADL’s No Place for Hate (NPFH) program
until the former unequivocally recognizes the Armenian genocide and supports
H.R.106 in Congress, thereby affirming the historical record.

Commissioners and Advisory Council Members

In a letter dated Aug. 24, the NHRC had asked the ADL to recognize the
Armenian genocide, actively support H.R.106 and rehire the ADL’s New England
regional director Andrew Tarsy.

During the Sept. 11 meeting, commissioner Marianne Ferguson noted that
although Tarsy has since been rehired, unequivocal recognition and support
for the Genocide Resolution had not been achieved.

Advisory Council member Dianne Chilingerian expressed concern about the ADL’s
position on the Genocide Resolution, which she considered inconsistent with
its mission. She said that she is bothered by the ADL’s position as a human
rights activist, and that this is not just an Armenian issue. Student
Advisory council member David Fisher asked how we expect to end genocide
campaigns today "when we still can’t recognize what happened 92 years ago."

ADL Regional Board Members

Emphasizing that he was not speaking on behalf of the ADL, the organization’s
NE Regional Board member Gerry Tishler said, "I have studied, thought and
written about the Armenian genocide and it wasn’t ‘tantamount to genocide’
it was genocide. . I am also in favor of the U.S. government acknowledging
and commemorating the Armenian genocide." He noted that the meeting of the
ADL’s national commissioners will discuss the issue in November, though said
that continuing with the NPFH should not be based on that outcome. "If you
make it conditional, you are making a bad mistake," he said, noting how much
the ADL has added to the town’s programs.

NE Regional Board member Beth Tishler also argued the importance of not
dissociating from the NPFH, adding, "We have stood up and gone against our
national leadership. We have heard you. The National ADL has heard you."

ADL National commissioner David Apel said that ADL national director Abe
Foxman "is not empowered" to support the Genocide Resolution, and that "your
message will be brought forth to the national commissioners in November." In
response, members of the audience pointed out that while Foxman seems to be
able to change his position daily on the Armenian issue, he needs the green
light from the commissioners to properly acknowledge the truth about 1915.

"I reject the notion that we are misguided citizens," continued Apel. He
said the last few months had been a learning experience for him and many
others, and that everyone in the room was on the same boat. "Give us time
till November," he added.

Members of the Audience

Newton residents, university professors, human rights activists, students,
descendents of Armenian genocide and Holocaust survivors, spoke about the
need to send the right message by severing ties with the ADL.

Newton resident David Boyajian, whose letter to the Watertown Tab sparked
the ADL controversy, said that the "ADL’s [genocide] acknowledgement was
thinly disguised denial," and that its "verbal gymnastics show bad faith."
He stressed that the ADL will not change its position without pressure from
the towns, and asked that Newton sever its ties immediately.

Newton resident Sonya Merian, whose mother was on one of the earliest Newton
Human Rights commissions, read a letter by the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts
addressed to the NHRC members and Newton mayor David Cohen. "Foxman
apologized to the Prime Minister of Turkey for having put his government ‘in
a difficult position,’ expressing his ‘sorrow over what we have caused for
the leadership and people of Turkey.’ No apology to the heirs of Armenian
Genocide survivors has been issued to date," she said.

Prof. Jack Nusan Porter, treasurer of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars (IAGS), stressed the importance of severing ties with the
ADL until Foxman resigns or changes course. "Turkey cannot harm a single
hair of a single Jew," he said, referring to Foxman’s stated concern that
supporting the Genocide Resolution would harm the Turkish-Jewish community.
"Is Israel, with its army, afraid of Turkey?" he asked.

Newton resident Nancy Akanian said she was startled that the NPFH has an
annual re-certification process for all participating towns, and said the
ADL was hardly in a position to grade anyone on their human rights
performance.

"The ADL lacks the moral leadership and courage and any program sponsored by
the ADL cannot be accepted," said Newton resident Michael Mensoyan.
Newton resident and Armenian Youth federation (AYF) member Nora Kaleshian
said, "My family and I are deeply hurt [by ADL’s practices]," expressing
hope that it promotes the Human Rights of all people.

Prominent human rights activist and author of Our Bodies, Ourselves, Judy
Norsigian, also from Newton, noted that "the time is ripe to make this a
national issue." She underlined the position and authority of Newton to send
a strong message to the ADL by severing ties.
Newton resident Bethel Charkoudian introduced her father, a genocide
survivor and thanked the NHRC for their stance. "My father survived the
genocide and came here because he knew people understood his suffering," she
said.

Associate professor of philosophy at Worcester State College Henry Theriault
said that while people were used to the denial of the Armenian genocide by
Turkey, it was shocking to see a human rights organization engaging in the
denial, adopting similar hate speech and lobbying against genocide
recognition.
"There is no such thing as ‘degree of genocide,’" said Newton resident Salpi
Sarafian. "The ADL has spoken in absolute clarity against Sudan, Bosnia and
Afghanistan. They need to do the same regarding the Armenian genocide."

In a poignant speech, activist Berge Jololian underscored the importance of
realizing that recognizing the Armenian genocide is a moral issue and not a
political one. "ADL was established in 1913, the Armenian genocide occured
in 1915. ADL had 92 years to acknowledge this crime," he said.

Activist Narini Badalian recounted her experience at a recent lecture by
Foxman in New York. Badalian had confronted Foxman to say whether ADL’s
position is consistent with that of a Human Rights organization. Foxman had
responded, "It is up to you to decide." Badalian urged, "It is time for us
to decide."

Activist Luder Sahagian made strong points about the failure of the ADL to
"rigorously uphold settled history." He said, "The ADL has yet to subscribe
to the wisdom of the esteemed Rabbi Hillel, who many, many years ago
advised, ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.That is the
entire law. All the rest is commentary.’"

Visiting professor of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University Dikran
Kaligian said, "The ADL has made itself complicit in [Turkey’s]
multi-million dollar denial campaign." When the ADL controversy first broke,
he explained, the ADL’s first reaction was not to approach the Armenian
community but to hire a leading PR company. "Foxman does not see this as a
moral issue, but a PR problem," Kaligian said, adding, "We need to take the
necessary steps for them to get the message."

In an emotional speech, activist Alik Arzoumanian responded to the numerous
calls on the NHRC and on Armenians to wait until the November meeting before
deciding to sever ties. "We have been waiting all our lives," she said, and
explained how offended she was by Foxman’s claim that a Genocide Resolution
was "counter-productive." Foxman considers "our struggle to recover our
dignity" to be counterproductive, she added. "I don’t want to give National
ADL one more day."

Mayor Cohen

Newton mayor David Cohen spoke next, and said that "there is a tremendous
amount of common ground here." He called the ADL National’s failure to "make
a forthright statement" recognizing the genocide and supporting the
resolution as "an ongoing injustice."

"The resolution that we have in the U.S. Congress is one of the best pieces
of legislation that deserves passage," he said, referring to H.R.106. "It is
incumbent on the ADL" to support it, he added.

On the same boat?

ADL Regional Board members emphasized several times during the meeting that
everyone in the room was "on the same boat," though they went on to say that
suspending ties with the NPFH and ADL was not the answer. Asked to comment
near the end of the meeting, however, Student Advisory Council member Fisher
said, "Hearing the voices of the Armenian community and my own Jewish
conscience, I cannot be on the same boat with you."

The NHRC voted unanimously to cease participation in the NPFH, pending the
ADL’s unambiguous recognition of the Armenian genocide and support of HR106.

ANC-WR MEETS WITH LOS ANGELES AREA STATE LEGISLATORS

Lragir.am
13.09.2007 10:29

The Armenian National Committee-Western Region (ANC-WR) met with
California State Assembly Member Mike Feuer (D-42) and the office
of California State Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-23). ANC-WR Community
Relations Director led the meetings which were also attended by Feuer
constituent and former ANC-WR intern, Teresa Petrosyan.

Meeting with Feuer in his West Hollywood district office, Petrosyan and
Hovsepian updated the Assembly Member regarding SB 515, legislation
reauthorizing the California-Armenia Trade Office (CATO) as well as
ANC-WR efforts to engage the Armenian community in civic and public
service. Feuer noted his interest in the trade office legislation and
expressed his appreciation for the ANC’s efforts such as the internship
program. He encouraged continued participation in such programs.

Feuer also discussed the ongoing dispute between the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) and the growing cross section of the human rights
communities as well as Jewish community due to the ADL’s reserved
approach to public, wide-spread affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

Hovsepian and Petrosyan next met with Hilda Garcia, Field Deputy to
CA Senator Sheila Keuhl in the Senator’s Westwood office. Both Bruin
alumni, Hovsepian and Petrosyan discussed the ANC-WR’s campus outreach
efforts and programs and college student programs. Petrosyan also
thanked Kuehl for her support of SB 515 when it was considered in
the state Senate earlier this year. Hovsepian noted the community’s
appreciation of the state legislature’s strong support for genocide
awareness educational efforts and expressed the ANC-WR’s hope that
such educational efforts will continue to be supported as California
is at the forefront of addressing the ongoing issue of genocide and
the United States’ role in confronting this crime against humanity.

"The California Armenian community appreciates the attention and
importance placed on issues of concern to them by Assembly Member
Feuer and Senator Kuehl," said Hovsepian. "We look forward to our
ongoing work with them to promote proactive anti-genocide efforts as
well as building stronger, mutually beneficial relationships between
California and Armenia."

ARMENIAN DRAM RETREATS
Vasak Tarposhyan

Hayoc Ashkharh
11 Sept 2007

Following a long period of valuation, the Armenian Dram been
devaluating on the Armenian currency market for the past 3 days. And
what’s more, this tendency became obvious after the stabilization
observed around two months ago, when the value of US Dollar fluctuated
within the limits of AMD 337-338.

Notwithstanding the above-mentioned, the developments observed on
the currency market can hardly be considered serious fluctuations,
at least for the time being. The devaluation of Dram occurs more
smoothly, at an average rate of 0.5 units.

In the currency exchange units, Dollar is exchanged at the rate of
AMD 339-339. There is a certain shift in the exchange rate of other
currencies as well. That’s to say, Dram is beginning to lose its value,
and this is accounted for by the increased demand for US Dollar.

It is worth mentioning that the sale-purchase transactions on the
Armenian stock exchange did not undergo serious changes during the
past 5 days. There was a bargaining on September 5 and 7, and this
resulted in the sale and purchase of USD 3.3 million.

However, unlike the past period, the structure of the market
has actually changed. While in the past the Central Bank was
proposing a supply for Dollar with the purpose of preventing Dram
from devaluating still further, the opposite process is taking place
now. The participants of the market are proposing a demand for Dollar,
and that has led to the increase of its value. The average price of
transactions was AMD 339 as of September 7; this is an increase in
the amount of 3 Drams, in comparison with the price that existed 4
days before.

Of course, it is impossible to definitely specify the causes of the
current developments on the market. It is not ruled out that they
may, some way or another, be conditioned by the current inflation
tendencies in Armenia.

Although the prices on certain goods increase both on the domestic
and the foreign market, the national statistic service has recorded a
decrease of prices during the past 8 months. According to statistic
data, the prices have decreased by 1.8 per cent in comparison with
December 2006. And what’s mostly important, the inflation rate in
Armenia has formed 1.6 per cent in comparison with the same period
last year. That’s to say, more than 3 times less than envisaged. As
we know, the 12-months inflation rate envisaged in Armenia for the
current year is 4±1.5 per cent.

The low inflation rate existing currently allows for acting more
freely. While in the past the Central Bank took measures for
restraining the increase of prices, it currently has not problem
in that regard. The inflation is even lower than the established
minimum rate. Therefore, there seems to be no need for restraining
the increase of prices by way of raising the value of Dram, at least
at the current stage. Especially considering that certain internal
factors will still have an impact on the inflation rate.

As we know, the inflation rates in Armenia are greatly dependant
upon agriculture. While there was a moment when the rates appeared
in the danger zone, especially due to the low crop yield of apricot,
the situation has completely changed for the past 3 months. Moreover,
the agricultural production is expected to grow by 7 per cent, and
this will naturally have a positive impact on the price level and
hence – the inflation rate.

Perhaps, it is mainly due to this factor that Armenia has recently
recorded decreased indices of consumer prices. Such tendency will
most probably be maintained for some time, and the increased prices
on some food products will not pose a hazard to ensuring the envisaged
rate of inflation.

Although it should be noted that the increased prices are related
to such products that have a high specific weight in the consumer
basket. At the beginning of September, Armenia recorded increased
prices on grain products, butter, oil etc. On the other hand,
however, prices on fuel dropped. Such changes mainly derive from the
international economic situation, and their impact on the overall
inflation rate in Armenia will be clear at the end of the month.

With regard to the existing currency exchange rate, we can say that
the situation on the market is still unbalanced and uncertain. The
tendencies of the devaluation of Dram are still preserved.

It is quite possible that the increased demand for dollar is,
among other things, conditioned by active import. September and
October are, as usual, considered an active period for import. This
was supplemented by the increased prices on some food products,
which made some entrepreneurs of this particular sphere increase
the volumes of purchased products, with the purpose of avoiding new
increase of prices.

–Boundary_(ID_FF/n3zYS8LYrVgd1XUUh7g)–

CHAMBER MUSIC WEEKEND
YMCA Auditorium

Jerusalem Post, Israel
Sep 11, 2007

A world premiere commissioned for the festival was Avner Dorman’s
"Jerusalem Mix" for piano and winds quintet. The work featured some
obvious ingredients characteristic of Jerusalem, such as would-be
klezmer music to represent Judaism, Armenian motifs to represent
Christianity and the oboe to portray the Islamic muezzin call to
prayer. The hitting of open piano strings was meant emulate the kanoun
or santour.

This concoction of diverse, Jerusalem-related elements was manipulated
in fairly good taste, relying on the association of ideas and avoiding
blunt imitations.

The piece’s most redeeming feature was that the young hopeful composer
seemed not to take the work, or himself, too seriously.

Another world premiere was "Sepulchral City" for clarinet, cello
and piano (Karl-Heinz Steffens, Johannes Moser, Elena Bashkirova) by
Christian Jost, a German composer. The work skillfully manipulated
the instruments’ contrasting sonorities. It is an effect-studded
piece, though not always very innovative: plucked strings of the open
piano, clusters banged on the keys, note repetitions, and clarinet
glissandos. What remained unclear, for the uninitiated, was the
connection between the title and the music.

Schubert’s "Octet," presumably intended to be the Thursday concert’s
crowning glory, was a pretentious undertaking. Eight serious musicians
– too serious, occasionally – are not enough for this inspired work
if none are capable of assuming leadership and injecting esprit
de corps. Knowing how to count to four is not sufficient if one is
blissfully unaware of what is going on between the four beats. It
was pedestrian playing – a model of how not to perform Schubert.

Of Brahms’ two clarinet sonatas, Nr. 2 was performed for
viola. Although the composer’s original version was for clarinet,
the viola version sounded surprisingly more refined and subtle, at
least in Fellix Schwartz’s delicate rendition. Yael Kareth’s piano
part sounded impassioned and highly impressive.

She deserves to be assigned a role in her own right, not just
designated a substitute for the cancellation of an indisposed
celebrity.

The main interest in Saturday’s concert was Debussy’s three last
sonatas for cello and piano (Frans Helmerson and David Kadouch), flute,
viola and harp (Guy Eshed, Nobuko Imai, Sivan Magen), and violin and
piano (Latica Honda-Rosenberg and Yael Kareth). It takes the excuse
of a festival to perform these three diverse works all at once.

A lively, inspired rendition of Tchaikovsky’s "String Sextet
Souvenir de Florence" brought the chamber-musical weekend to its
listener-friendly close.

NO NEED FOR IRANIAN GAS YET, ARMENIAN ENERGY MINISTER SAYS

Arminfo
7 Sep 07

Yerevan, 7 September: Armenia has the technical capability to receive
Iranian gas today, too, but for the time being it does not need to
import Iranian gas, Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan told
journalists today. He was commenting on a recent statement that
Iranian gas supplies to Armenia will start on 22 September. The
statement was made by National Iranian Gas Export Company Managing
Director Nasrollah Seyfi.

The minister does not know why this date was chosen since there is no
any agreement with the Iranian side to this effect. The Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline has been built as an alternative to the operating
northern gas pipeline via which Armenia receives a sufficient amount
of natural gas from Russia, and the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline can for
the time being be put into operation only in case of a force majeure
situation. "I do not think that Armenia will suddenly experience the
need for additional gas supplies," Movsisyan said. He added that with
the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline’s Tabriz [in Iran]-Kajaran [in Armenia]
section having been built, the Armenian gas transport system has
joined the Iranian one. Work on this section, including testing,
has already been completed and it is fully ready to be used.

[Passage omitted: The minister said that the construction of the
second, Kajaran-Yerevan, section of the gas pipeline is under way.]

We should recall that under an investment project that has been
developed by the closed-type joint-stock company HayRusgazard
[Armenian-Russian gas], which is the general contractor in the
construction of the second section of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline,
investment will total about 52bn drams, or 154m dollars at the current
[exchange] rate.

Armenian ruling party elects deputy chairman

Arminfo
7 Sep 07

Yerevan, 7 September: A member of the council of the [ruling]
Republican Party of Armenia [RPA], MP Galust Sahakyan, has been elected
deputy chairman of the party.

The head of the parliamentary faction of the RPA, Karen Karapetyan,
told journalists at the Urbat club today that Sahakyan will deal with
general issues of the party. "The RPA should use all of Sahakyan’s
potential," he said.

Commenting on yesterday’s session of the political council of the RPA,
Karapetyan said that the party intends to conduct legislative
activities more actively and to do everything possible to correct the
mistakes that were made earlier.

The MP also said that a congress of the RPA will be held on 10 November
2007. The name of an RPA candidate for the presidency will be announced
during the congress.

VAZGEN MANUKYAN DOES NOT UNDERSTAND ARTASHES GEGHAMYAN

Largir
Sept 5 2007
Armenia

"What will the struggle in the presidential election be for?" The
leader of the NDU Vazgen Manukyan started the news conference on
September 5 at the Pastark press club with these words. "I think
there are more important issues than who the president will be,"
Vazgen Manukyan says. According to him, it is more important to
replace the model created in the past years. "What is this model?

There is a group of privileged people in the country who can run
businesses, illegal or legal, they enjoy privileges, they may even
commit murders and not be punished. They possess everything and they
pay back to the government during the election committing election
fraud and keeping them in power. In other words, it is a system where
there is no people, no society," Vazgen Manukyan says. According to
him, this system may develop like any other system.

"But there is something bad about it. First of all, it is not an
effective model, and it will set our country back all the time.

Second, it is not targeted at the needs of its citizens its people.

In Armenia people get an African salary, while the prices are
European," Vazgen Manukyan says. In his opinion, in this context the
notion of a common candidate acquires more than one meaning. "For
some people, it is a way to become the leader of this class within
this model. Or to modify this class, get their people into it, remove
some," Vazgen Manukyan says. He says some related judgments in the
political sphere are not clear to him. "I cannot understand Geghamyan
Artashes who says there are challenges and we and the government must
be one. What has changed since 2003 regarding the challenges? They
did not declare war on us. Why did we need to attack in 2003 and now
to try to find points in common? I cannot understand this, especially
when it does not help change the model," Vazgen Manukyan says.

He does not understand rumors about Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination
either. "Levon Ter-Petrosyan is silent but I’m sure he will not be
named. But what are his proponents talking about all the time? They say
the elite want a new leader. And Levon Ter-Petrosyan could be their
leader, he can win, and we need to join him," Vazgen Manukyan says,
adding that it is a false judgment. What makes Vazgen Manukyan believe
that Levon Ter-Petrosyan will not be named is that Levon Ter-Petrosyan
does not need to. As to his relation with Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
he says they do not have personal problems despite rumors. There
was a moment in 1991-1992 but then they had no personal problems,
only disagreement over ideas, says the leader of the NDU.

He says he was against the model built by Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

As to the present model of government, Vazgen Manukyan thinks in
order to change it a civil movement is necessary. "If we run in
the election just so, the election will end up in the usual way,"
Vazgen Manukyan says. If this state of things continues, the series
of vague intrigues, a civil movement will not be able to replace the
country’s model, and Serge Sargsyan will become a legitimate president.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE: ‘NEGOTIATING PROCESS FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SOLUTION NEEDS SOME CHANGES TO MAKE PROGRESS’

ArmInfo
2007-09-05 15:27:00

ArmInfo. "OSCE is greatly interested in resolving the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict," OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel
Angel Moratinos told APA’s Georgia bureau exclusively. The OSCE
Chairman reminded that he met with both presidents [Azerbaijani
and Armenian] expressing disappointment for the failure to reach
an agreement at the meeting between Presidents Robert Kocharian and
Ilham Aliyev in St. Petersburg. "I met with Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers yesterday. We had some discussions regarding the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The negotiating process
needs some changes in order to make certain progress," the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office emphasized.

2nd INTERNATIONAL MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT OF ARMENIAN BOXING GREAT DEVOTEE, EDVARD ARISTAKESIAN, STARTS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Sep 3, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The second international tournament
of the great devotee of Armenian boxing school, USSR honored coach,
Edvard Aristakesian, started on September 2 at Yerevan’s Dinamo
training ground. 71 sportsmen from Krasnodar, Tbilisi, Samara, and
different Armenian towns take part in the tournament.

Aristakesian’s sister and son, Nora and Ruben Aristakesians,
were present at the ceremony of tournament’s official
opening. The competitions are dedicated to Aristakesian’s 85th
birth anniversary. The great sportsman has trained many talented
boxers. Vladimir Yengibarian among them has become an Olympic Games
champion.

Competitions of the tournament’s preliminary stage are being held at
present. The tournament will finish on September 5.