Author: Kalashian Nyrie

AIBA YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: ARMENIAN BOXER WINS AGAINST AZERBAIJANI HAJIBAB HAJIBABAYEV

Panorama.am
13:37 27/04/2010

Sport

AIBA Youth World Championships is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. In
91kg weight category the Armenian Armen Simonyan (Ukraine) won against
Azerbaijani Hajibab Hajibabayev and advanvced to the next round. Note
that this is the first bout between Armenian and Azerbaijani boxers
in the sidelines of the Championship and it had a successful outcome
for the Armenian sportsman.

Prior to this, some Azerbaijani media informed with pleasure
about defeats of the Armenian sportsmen, highlighting that not any
nationality can win in Azerbaijan. To continue, we would like to
stress that even in Baku Azerbaijani cannot compete with Armenians.

PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY COMMEMORATES THE 1915 GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Aysor
April 26 2010
Armenia

President of Uruguay Jose Mojica has participated in the events,
timed to the 95th anniversary of the 1915 Genocide. A Cross-Stone,
which had been brought from Armenia, was installed in Armenia
Square of the capital of Uruguay. Jose Mojica attended the ceremony,
during which Archbishop Hakob Glnjyan of the Uruguayan Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church consecrated the Cross-Stone. The ceremony
was also attended by Uruguayan Minister of Education and Culture,
and Minister of Sport and Tourism.

Uruguay is the first nation that recognized the Armenian Genocide
(decree by Senate and House of Representatives of Uruguay, 1965).

AZERBAIJANI, RUSSIA AND ARMENIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS ISSUE DECLARATION ON RESULTS OF TRILATERAL MEETING IN BAKU

APA
April 26 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementieva – APA. All Russian and Moscow Patriarch
Cyril, All Armenian Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch Karekin II
and Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh-al-Islam Haji
Allahshukur Pashazadeh issued joint declaration on the results of
trilateral meeting held in Baku, APA reports.

To show respect to each other, to take immediate measures for achieving
fair peace between the peoples and nations, the religious leaders
of Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Baku through the mediation of the
leader of Russian Orthodox Church Cyril, said the religious leaders in
their declaration. "Considering this meeting as an extension of the
peaceful dialogue launched between the Armenian Apostolic Church and
the Caucasian Muslims Clerical Office in 1988 through the mediation
of the Russian Orthodox Church and keeping loyalty to our previous
statements, we are looking forward to promote the development of the
principles of co-existence of our peoples and elaboration of mutual
decisions made through the negotiations and satisfied all sides. We
have to note that the tradition of the meetings held in such format
promoted the ending of armed phase of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
arisen from the Karabakh problem. These meetings prevented the conflict
to turn into the religious conflict".

The declaration said potential of the religion, which called for peace,
martyrdom and patience, should be a power of reconciliation.

"We believe that our joint efforts will enable us to prevent the
international confrontation. It is vitally important not to allow
the disputes to return back to the military way. We will strengthen
our peaceful efforts to support the people’s hopes for elimination
of enmity because if the war continues it will be endless".

"We support the international efforts for the resolution of the
conflict. The communication should be extended to achieve peace and
peaceful coexistence with the view of strengthening mutual confidence.

Permanent peace is possible only if there is goodwill and sincere
intention. By supporting the efforts of Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents we want to assist their initiatives. In order to contribute
to the resolution of the conflict, we think it is important to
continue the dialogue among the religious leaders. The resolution
of the conflict will allow the persons displaced during the war to
return to their native lands. We welcome the release of the captives
by the sides, call on the political and religious figures to activate
their efforts towards benevolent and humanitarian process. We condemn
the acts of barbarism and consider it important to protect religious
monuments, sacred temples of our nations."

The document says that it is not easy to achieve peace and
understanding.

"It requires much work and strong will. But we have great hopes that
we will have a success. Let the God endow the Caucasus with permanent
and fair peace, our nations with happiness," says the declaration.

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206

Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Url:

PRESS RELEASE
Contact ~ Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]

Armenia Fund Honors VivaCell-MTS CEO Ralph Yirikian

Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, April 16, 2010, during a dinner reception
held at the residence of Ara and Julia Aghishian, Armenia Fund U.S.
Western Region honored long time supporter Ralph Yirikian, Chief
Executive Officer of VivaCell MTS with the Armenia Fund Corporate
Philanthropy Award. Yirikian was visiting the United States to expand
VivaCell-MTS’s corporate social responsibility programs.

The event attracted Armenia Fund’s long time supporters and donors and
provided a unique opportunity to meet with Yirikian who has long shared
the unshakeable devotion to the betterment of the Homeland. Also,
present at the event was Consul General of the Republic of Armenia,
Grigor Hovhannissian.

U.S. Western Region Chairman, Ara Aghishian, Esq., expressed gratitude
to VivaCell MTS for its generous support of Armenia Fund’s
nation-building efforts in Armenia and Artsakh. Since 2007 VivaCell MTS
has been the general sponsor of Armenia Fund’s Telethon – an
international live fundraiser that reaches every Armenian community
around the world – underwriting the production cost and maximizing the
impact of every donation in the Homeland.

"Armenia Fund appreciates VivaCell MTS’ belief in leading by example
when it comes to corporate philanthropy in our Homeland. VivaCell’s
partnership with Armenia Fund brings a tangible positive change in the
lives of thousands in Armenia’, said Aghishian.

Mr. Yirikian spoke of his personal story of permanently moving to
Armenia with his family, a challenging task at first, but a very
rewarding experience for his Armenian identity. "Instead of listening to
others’ experiences in Armenia – good or bad – one should visit Armenia,
stand on its soil, breath its air, drink its water and talk to its
people. Only this way one can fully grasp his or her Armenian identity
and shape an opinion about what Armenia is’, said Yirikian.

Yirikian thanked Armenia Fund donors and supporters for their unwavering
commitment to working towards a stronger Armenia and a prosperous
Homeland. "We stand by Armenia Fund because we believe in Armenia Fund’s
mission. We will continue supporting it’, added Yirikian.

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $190 million in
development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is
the U.S. Western Region affiliate of "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. Tax
ID# 95-4485698

WHY DO TURKS COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOW? ARTAK SHAQARYAN

Tert.am
26.04.10

Turkish intellectuals recognizing the Armenian Genocide may become a
ferment which will enable to re-change the Turkish society, Turkologist
Artak Shaqaryan said at a press conference today, adding that Armenia
too should spend relevant efforts to create favorable conditions for
the recognition of the Genocide.

Shaqaryan did not rule out that the movement by those Turkish
intellectuals might have been created by the authorities in an attempt
to show as if Turkey has changed and as if there is pluralism in
the country.

At the same time, according to Shaqaryan, there may be another variant:
that movement might be fighting not in favor of Armenians but against
the Turkish elite.

"They may be representatives of left-ring powers who are using the
Armenian Cause against Ankara," said he.

Shaqaryan believes that the rallies held by 500 thousand Turks in the
centre of Istanbul should not be considered as if Turkey has changed
its stance over the Genocide issue, though it cannot be denied that
there is some progress over the issue: it would be impossible to
organize such rallies in solidarity of Armenians.

Armenian expert: Freezing relations with Turkey does not mean terminating them

2010-04-24 14:31:00

ArmInfo. President Serzh Sargsyan’s address was Yerevan’s response to
imitation of the process by Turkey, Ruben Melkonyan, Armenian
turkologist , told ArmInfo.

He said that after the statement by the ruling coalition, the
president’s address and decree on suspending the procedure of
ratifying the Armenian-Turkish Protocols were logical and not
unexpected. "However, freezing relations does not mean terminating
them. From the strategic point of view, it was right for Yerevan not
to recall its signature from under the Protocols," the expert said.

R. Melkonyan highlighted that the process was actually frozen by
Turkey yet several months ago when Ankara even more toughened its
politicy of preconditions.

"Suspending ratification of the Protocols by the Parliament the
Armenian party just made de-jure assessment of the de-facto freezing
of the process by Ankara," Melkonyan said.

rthk.org.hk
April 24 2010

Turks mark anniversary of mass killings

24-04-2010

For the first time, public events are being held in Turkey to mark the
anniversary of the 1915 mass killings and deportations of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks.
More than 60 Turkish intellectuals have called on their fellow
citizens to join them in silent protests in key sites across Istanbul.

Armenia and many other countries say the killing of up to
one-and-a-half million Armenians was genocide — a label Turkey
strongly rejects.

Concert du 24 avril 2010 au Munster de Berne

SUISSE

samedi24 avril 2010, par Stéphane/armenews

Nous avions déjà donné il y a 5 ans pour le nonantième anniversaire du
Génocide arménien le Requiem de Fauré au Muenster de Berne avec en
complément de programme des transcriptions pour orchestre d’oeuvres de
Komitas, prêtre, compositeur et musicologue le plus célèbre pour tous
les Arméniens du monde entier. Ce dernier a entre autres répertorié
des mélodies populaires et religieuses de son pays et en a ainsi
préservé le patrimoine musical.

Constatant que depuis cinq ans les choses n’ont malheureusement pas
bougé – ou si peu – dans le sens d’une reconnaissance d’un fait
historique avéré, M. Shahinian m’a demandé de prévoir à nouveau un
concert-événement pour la tragique date du 24 avril.

Cette année, nous proposons le célébrissime Requiem de Verdi, que tout
oppose à celui de Fauré. En effet, si l’un est une acceptation douce
de la mort, l’autre est un cri humain désespéré et déchirant. L’homme
ne parvient au paradis que dans le silence, après l’émission du
dernier accord de ce chef d’oeuvre inclassable. La puissance
évocatrice de cette fresque monumentale ne pouvait que traduire les
peines et les blessures de millions d’individus. C’est probablement la
Messe de Requiem la plus douloureuse et poignante de toute l’Histoire.

Néanmoins, il nous semblait que notre concert devait comporter une
oeuvre directement en phase avec le sujet du jour : soit une pièce
connue d’un compositeur arménien, soit une création narrant
musicalement ces heures tragiques de l’Histoire. L’idée nous est venue
de demander à un jeune compositeur suisse romand, plein de talent,
n’ayant aucun lien avec l’Arménie, de traduire son émotion et sa
révolte. Mis à part le titre « 1915 », nous n’avons en rien influencé
Gérard Massini, puisque c’est de lui qu’il s’agit. Il propose pour
l’occasion une oeuvre forte et profonde, à l’orchestration généreuse
et puissante, divisée en quatre parties :

La première est censée caractériser par son mélisme chromatique, la
période d’avant la répression, période incertaine où l’on ne sait si
l’avenir sera fait de bonheur ou de malheur.

La deuxième, par sa rythmique implacable, traduit la férocité et
l’inhumanité du premier crime contre l’humanité du vingtième siècle.

La troisième utilise un thème populaire arménien « Erebouni »,
évoquant le départ des mes des suppliciés au paradis. Cette troisième
partie est interrompue par le thème rythmique et mélodique de la
deuxième, afin d’aboutir à une grandiose Coda (la quatrième partie),
sorte de « Lacrimosa » sans parole d’une douleur extrême.

On ne sait si le compositeur désire terminer « 1915 » dans un fol
espoir, dans une lumière irradiante ou un peu des deux à la fois. Il y
a nonante-cinq ans, le Génocide a marqué les corps et les mes, « 1915
» remuera les coeurs et les consciences

Luc Baghdassarian

Chef d’orchestre

KFSN (ABC), Fresno
April 24 2010

Fresno Remembers the Armenian Genocide

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Shannon Handy

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — It was 95-years ago this month that more than
1-million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire.

Commemorating the tragedy has turned into a heated political debate.
California has the largest Armenian-American population, second only
to the Republic of Armenia.

Saturday, hundreds of people commemorated the Armenian Genocide in
Downtown Fresno.

Many say they are frustrated with President Obama because he has not
acknowledged the massacre that took place.

On the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, hundreds of people
marched, delivered speeches and sang songs in Downtown Fresno as a
tribute to both victims and survivors.

"I’m here with my son today, Gregory. He’s 4 years old. He needs to
know the injustice that’s been done," Hrair Messerlian said.

"Years of genocide, that’s going to end a hundred years, fight!"

Historians say between 1915 and 1923, more than 1.5 million Armenians
were massacred by the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

Turkey’s government says the deaths were the result of a civil war.
Since then, relations between the two countries have been strained.

President Obama, who acknowledges the deaths will not use the term
genocide. In a statement released Saturday, the president said in
part, quote:

"Today is a day to reflect upon and draw lessons from these terrible
events. I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in
1915, and my view of that history has not changed."

Valley Congressman Jim Costa remains hopeful those views will soon shift.

"It would be I think very important to acknowledge this horrific
genocide that took place in the first in the 20th century and in fact
it’s time for Turkey to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia,"
Rep. Jim Costa said.

The Armenian community here in the valley and around the world vows
they will always fight for injustices their ancestors have faced with
or without the recognition.

"It shows that we are still together and no matter what has happened,
we will still gather together and remember and continue to ask for
recognition for such an important issue," Stephanie Stockdale said.

The ceremony continued Saturday night at the Saint Paul Armenian
Church in Fresno.

Central Valley Armenian Churches is hosting the event which will have
speakers including one of the first Turkish academics to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide.

on=news/local&id=7404746

Hurriyet, Turkey
April 25 2010

Witnessing the making of foreign policy aboard FM’s plane

Sunday, April 25, 2010
SERKAN DEMÄ°RTAÅ?/First person
ANKARA ` Hürriyet Daily News

As a journalist, I have been covering Turkey’s foreign policy and
international relations for years. I have covered numerous trips
abroad of Turkish foreign ministers and many international summits,
especially for NATO and the European Union. But I should confess, I
have never spent a full five days with a foreign minister on the same
jet traveling from one corner of the world to another. This trip of
`six countries in five days’ was truly a lifetime experience.

Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu travels on a Gulfstream 14-seat
special jet that was bought during Turgut Ã-zal’s term as prime
minister. DavutoÄ?lu is working with a small but a very efficient team:
ministry spokesperson Burak Ã-zügergin, special advisor Cihad Erginay,
Chief of Foreign Ministry Cabinet Gürcan Balık, advisor Ali Sarıkaya,
press advisor Osman Sert and chief of security Sabri Yıldız.

The Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review joined the team a week ago
for the longest single trip DavutoÄ?lu has taken since he became
foreign minister.

The first stop was Baku. After talks in the Azeri capital, we headed
to Tehran for an overnight stay. Then a long journey to Belgrade. A
change in the program was announced during the flight and we went to
Brussels Wednesday instead of Rome. Talks after talks, from Brussels
to Tallinn, the Estonian capital that hosted an informal NATO foreign
ministers’ meeting. The last stop was for a short stay in Cyprus where
the presidential hand-over ceremony took place.

`We are used to the minister’s tempo,’ says Osman Sert who dropped his
journalism career eight months ago to join DavutoÄ?lu’s team. `It was
an important decision but now I can also see the other side of our
business.’

For Ã-zügergin, his 25-year career as a diplomat will be crowned in a
couple of month time when he will take his post in Zagreb, as Turkey’s
ambassador to Croatia. `Sometimes I think we are trying to prove that
a week is eight days,’ he says in describing the tempo of DavutoÄ?lu.
Ã-zügergin is tasked to provide a healthy flow of information to
journalists on the foreign policy issues while Sert is focusing more
on the minister’s relations with the media.

The lines of the division of labor on the plane are obvious and
functional. Balık deals with logistics while Erginay maintains
communications with the ministries’ different departments. Sarıkaya is
the minister’s right arm and Sabri Yıldız, of course, provides
security.

The picture depicted here constitutes a very good ground for
implementing the foreign policy DavutoÄ?lu is trying to build.
`Whenever he finds time to rest and closes his eyes, he comes up with
a new idea,’ jokingly says Sert.

Following decades spent in academia, DavutoÄ?lu found himself as a
special advisor to the prime minister and foreign minister in 2002
when the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, won the
elections. Always dreaming to return to university, DavutoÄ?lu has
decided not to enter Parliament but instead accepted to become foreign
minister last year. In pursuit of his famous book `Strategic Depth,’
DavutoÄ?lu is now in a better position to implement what he has in
mind.

`Turkish foreign policy should have a vision on all issues, regional
and global,’ DavutoÄ?lu said. `From the Caucasus to the Balkans, from
the Middle East to Central Asia, from Europe to Africa, not only our
historical and cultural ties but our current interests oblige us to
develop good relations with the countries in these regions.’

With his newly developed `zero problems with neighbors’ policy, Turkey
concluded the establishment of strategic cooperation councils with
Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Greece and provided visa-free travel
with some neighboring countries.

Our trip covered a good selection of the main issues of the foreign
policy. In Baku, we saw aspects of the Turkish and Armenian
reconciliation process while in Tehran we covered a more global issue
in which Turkey stands as a mediator.

Belgrade proved to us the importance of stability in the Balkan region
with NATO accepting to grant membership prospects to Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Brussels, home of the EU and NATO, is always atop the
list of Turkish ministers’ destination. In Tallinn where we could see
the last snow of this winter, we revisited the NATO agenda and the
rewriting of the alliance’s strategic concept, nuclear disarmament,
Afghanistan and other institutional matters. Last but not least, a
short visit was paid to northern Cyprus where the minister attended
the presidential handover.

`Well, altogether we have lived through this week during which we
could oversee the main dimensions of Turkey’s foreign policy,’
DavutoÄ?lu said during the flight from Tallinn to Nicosia.