Author: Kanayan Tamar

AMERICANS ADOPTED 22 ARMENIAN ORPHANS LAST YEAR

news.am
March 13, 2012 | 15:02

Americans adopted 22 Armenian orphans in 2011, says statistics provided
by US Intercountry Adoption service at US Department of State.

Over the recent ten years Americans adopted 233,934 children from
different states.

The list of former Soviet states includes Ukraine (632 children
adopted in 2011), Latvia (56), Lithuania (20), Moldova (10), Estonia
(7) Belarus (1), and Tajikistan (2).

The major states where children are adopted are China and Russia,
Pravda.ru reports.

ACTING PATRIARCH ATESYAN ASKS FOR EQUAL CITIZENSHIP FOR ARMENIANS IN TURKEY

armradio.am
13.03.2012 17:28

Acting Patriarch Aram Atesyan, the religious leader of Turkish
Armenians, asked for equal citizenship for all the Turkish Republic’s
citizens, as well as an “embracing” charter, during an appearance in
front of Parliament’s Constitution Conciliation Commission yesterday.

Atesyan issued a call for a definition of “constitutional citizenship”
during his presentation.

“There may not be any definition of citizenship in the Constitution.

But if there is to be a definition, then anybody born on the soil of
the Republic of Turkey, or one who has acquired Turkish citizenship,
or one whose parents or father are citizens of the Republic of Turkey,
is a citizen of the Republic of Turkey,” Atesyan said, the Hurriyet
Daily News reports.

Atesyan also asked for an arrangement in the new constitution that
would provide “equal citizenship” that would pave the way to the
“right of property” and “equal benefit from state opportunities.”

Non-Muslim minorities in Turkey have legal rights based on the 1923
Lausanne Treaty, Atesyan said, adding that they were true children
of the country and did not want to be “treated as foreigners.”

Atesyan also demanded that Armenians be allowed to take jobs at state
institutions. He submitted an 11-page proposal for the new constitution
including constitutional guarantees against hate crimes.

Expressing his wish for an “equalitarian, pluralist and liberal”
constitution, he asked that freedom of religion and conscience be
provided.

Asking for the right to form, manage and supervise any kind of
educational institution to train the clergy, Atesyan said the state,
which provides all kinds of support for public schools, should also
support non-profit minority schools that are also doing a public
service.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, AteÅ~_yan said: “The
constitution actually should be like a mother [a reference
to the Turkish word for constitution which starts with ‘ana’
(mother). It should be like a mother who is warm, embracing, merciful,
conscientious, one that does not discriminate among her children, one
that keeps the same distance from all her children. The Constitution
should serve this purpose. We believe this constitution will serve
this propose.”

OPPOSITIONIST: SERZH SARGSYAN’S SPEECH WAS A MESSAGE TO EXTERNAL FORCES

arminfo
Tuesday, March 13, 17:37

The speech delivered by Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan during
the Mar 10 congress of the ruling Republican party of Armenia was a
message to external forces, the leader of the New Times party Aram
Karapetyan said during a press-conference on Tuesday.

“Armenia has nothing left but democracy, and now they are going to
sell it as they have nothing else to sell,” Karapetyan said.

He said that Sargsyan’s speech was just an ordinary report of what
has been done with no priorities or plans for the future.

He said that the “Change We Can Believe In” slogan was used by US
President Barack Obama in 2008 and the ARFD in 2007. “But this slogan
has nothing to do with what the RPA is doing. What can a 14-year old
regime change and why should we believe them?” Karapetyan said.

REGIONAL COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND RUSSIA TO EXPAND

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 13
GYUMRI

GYUMRI, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. Sitting of the Armenian-Russian task
group on inter-regional cooperation is ongoing in the second largest
town of Armenia, Gyumri. The sitting is being chaired by the first
deputy minister of territorial administration Vache Terteryan and from
the Russian side deputy regional development minister Maxim Travnikov.

External relations department of the Territorial Administration
Ministry Lilit Saroyan told Armenpress that on March 12 the sitting
of expert group took place during which a number of issues were
discussed. The main issue of the task group is to reveal the potential
of cooperation between the regions of the two countries and try to
develop the partnership.

“We need to meet often, present bilateral economic opportunities and
try to find the edges for effective cooperation,” Lilit Saroyan said.

The sitting is being conducted in Gyumri as it has regional cooperation
goals.

“The territorial administration ministries of the two countries
reached arrangement that hence the memorandums of cooperation must
not be of declarative and social-cultural nature but practical,”
Vache Terteryan said.

Head of the cooperation department of the Russian ministry Dmitry
Fishkin stated that the first sitting of the task group will serve
as a basis for creation of new regional ties.

“Armenia is our strategic partner and we are interested in developing
regional and other cooperation,” Fishkin said.

He said a new agreement is being prepared between Russia’s territorial
development and Armenia’s urban development ministry to be signed
this year. It will include new cooperation programs.

VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA WEBSITE LAUNCHED

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 13, 2012 – 16:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Website of the Virtual Museum of Armenian Diaspora
project, armdiasporamuseum.com has been launched, with presentation
held in the Diaspora Ministry on March 13.

“Another all-Armenian project is put into practice. This e-museum
brings together our community and national values,” Armenian Diaspora
Minister Hranush Hakobyan said.

Armdiasporamuseum.com is launched in three languages – Armenian,
Russian and English, and comprises several sections. For instance,
Armenian Communities section presents Armenian communities in different
countries, their history, current activities, churches, and buildings
constructed by Armenians.

Other sections include Pan-Armenian organizations, Religious
organizations of Diaspora, and Repository presenting international
memorials on Armenian Genocide. The Repository section includes the
Armenian Genealogy as well presenting the Armenian Family Tree project
providing an opportunity to create one’s own genealogical tree.

Other sections include the site map, feedback and links. Hakobyan
said by the end of the year the website will be available in Western
Armenian language as well.

State budget allocated AMD 6 million to design the Virtual Museum of
Armenian Diaspora website and provide for its content.

AZERI MINISTER SAYS HIS COUNTRY READY FOR MILITARY SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

Tert.am
13.03.12

The Azerbaijani authorities are ready for a military settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the country’s defense minister said.

At a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Safar Abiyev said his
country is ready to resort to force to liberate what he called the
Azerbaijani territories.

“Nobody should call into question the fact that Azerbaijan will
liberate them,” he told Minister Ahmed Vahidi in Tehran .

The Azeri official said the way towards realizing the plan is very
simple.

ARMENIAN COACH: AZERI WRESTLER SEEMED TO BE IN FOR A STREET FIGHT

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 13, 2012 – 14:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Chief coach of Armenia’s Greco-Roman wrestling team
commented on the clash between Roman Amoyan and Azerbaijani Elchin
Aliyev in the 1/8 final of the European wrestling championship.

“It was an unpleasant combat. The international Federation shouldn’t
have allowed such a refereeing. The Azeri wrestler behaved as though he
came for a street fight. However, despite this, Roman was much stronger
than the rival,” Levon Julfalakyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

According to him, FILA disqualified all the arbiters of the clash
for their biased refereeing.

“Nothing can be changed now. However, the international federation had
to take some measures during the combat. Amoyan was disqualified for
his refusal to shake hands with the rival at the end of the clash. We
have been informed by the federation that the disqualification won’t
affect Roman’s further performance,” Mr. Julfalakyan said.

Given the arbiters’ refereeing, Amoyan-Aliyev clash ended with the
victory of the Azerbaijani wrestler, who grabbed the Championships
gold.

SOUREN BAYRAMIAN HONORED FOR CONTRIBUTION TO ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF EGYPT

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 14, 2012 – 14:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On March 11, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I decorated Dr. Souren Bayramian with the
St. Mesrop Mashtots insignia for his contribution to the life of the
Armenian Community in Egypt.

According to the press office of the Armenian Catholicosate of
Cilicia, Mr. Shahan Kandaharian, the editor-in-chief of the Aztak
daily newspaper introduced Dr. Bayramian to the audience. He described
him as a literary man and a researcher, whose works will provide rich
data for future historians.

Before decorating Dr. Bayramian, His Holiness Aram I said, “A person’s
life acquires meaning only through his or her commitment to the
community. I would describe Souren Bayramian as the leader and the
servant of the Armenian community in Egypt. He is a man who loves the
Church, is committed to the vision and mission of the Catholicosate
and lives that commitment fully.”

After Archbishop Nareg Alemezian read the Pontifical encyclical
accompanying the insignia. Dr. Bayramian thanked His Holiness Aram
I for recognizing his 45 years of service to the Armenian Community
in Egypt. He said, “My service to our community was guided by the
teachings of our church. My recent publications on the Armenian child
and the family are my response to His Holiness Aram I’s declaration
of 2012 as Year of the Armenian Book.”

IF US RECOGNIZES GENOCIDE, TURKEY WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIANS – TURKISH HISTORIAN

news.am
March 14, 2012 | 13:22

If the US, Israel, and England recognize the Armenian Genocide,
Turkey will have to make an apology to the Armenians, renowned Turkish
historian Taner Akcam stated in an interview with the Taraf daily
of Turkey.

He also noted that the US presidential elections will be held at the
end of this year, and, prior to the elections, there will not be any
change in incumbent President Barack Obama’s stance in this regard.

“Just like in the previous times, Turkey will exert pressure on the
US. But I assume that in 2015 Obama will use the word ‘genocide.’

A lot will change if the US recognizes the [Armenian] Genocide. At
present, the US, England, and Israel are allowing Turkey to maneuver in
the international platform. But if this troika recognizes the Genocide,
Turkey, with its denialist posture, will appear in the status of an
isolated regime.

Turkey is not required to say the word ‘genocide,’ but it is obligated
to apologize and accept that a crime against humanity took place in
1915,” Taner Akcam said.

THREE SUICIDES IN ARMENIA IN 2 DAYS

Tert.am
14.03.12

Three people are reported to have committed suicide in Armenia within
one day.

The police in the third largest city of Vanadzor got a report on
Tuesday that Khoren Basmajyan, 84, hanged himself in a cellar in one
of the city’s streets.

Another suicide was reported in Tumanyan town (Lori region). The dead
body of Hrant Aatryan, 80, was found hanged in a cattle shed not far
from his house.

The third suicide was committed in capital Yerevan. Photo reporter
Gagik Shamshyan told Aravot.am earlier on Wednesday that a resident
of Khaghagh Don street, N.M. threw herself from a ninth floor balcony.

She reportedly fell onto garages and died immediately.

N.M,, 59, is reported to be a former resident of Azerbaijan. The crowd
on the scene told the Shamshyan that she had been living alone since
mother’s death last year.