Author: Kanayan Tamar

CATHOLICOS CONSECRATES CHAMLIAN GYMNASIUM FOUNDATION

asbarez
Monday, October 17th, 2011

Catholicos pours soil at the foundation of the gym as part of the
consecration ceremony

One of the main themes of the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, is the further strengthening
of Armenian Schools, and His Holiness has repeatedly through his
messages emphasized the unique importance of the Armenian School.

In this regards, during his Pontifical Visit to the Western United
Schools, His Holiness will be visiting a number of Prelacy Schools.

The first of these visits took place on the morning of Wednesday,
October 12, 2011, when His Holiness visited Vahan and Anoush Chamlian
School in Glendale. His Holiness was accompanied by Western Prelate
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, staff
bearer Very Rev. Fr. Mesrob Sarkissian, and clergy members. In
attendance were Glendale City Council members Rafi Manoukian and
Frank Quintero, Central Executive member Vahe Yacoubian and Executive
Council members, Board of Regents and ARF Zavarian Gomideh members,
school administration, faculty, and parents.

At the entrance of the school, students were lined up to welcome His
Holiness. After conducting the traditional salt and bread ceremony,
His Holiness conveyed his blessings to Principal Vazken Madenlian,
administrators, and students. The Directors of Tavlian and Tufenkian
Pre-Schools were also in attendance, and students arrived later for
the cultural program in the school auditorium.

In his welcoming remarks, Principal Vazken Madenlian touted the
Pontifical Visit of His Holiness to Chamlian as a historic day,
especially given that His Holiness would be consecrating the foundation
stones of the school~Rs new gymnasium, a dream that was years in the
making. He then invited the Prelate to introduce His Holiness.

The Prelate stated that the visit of His Holiness to Chamlian was
an occasion of great joy and pride, reminding that one of the main
focuses of the visit is to further strengthen our schools. He lauded
the teachers and parents for their invaluable role in the development
of our youth, which also serves to strengthen our schools. He then
invited His Holiness to deliver his message.

The sun illuminates and warms the earth and mankind. Without the sun,
there is darkness. The sun of Armenian life is the Armenian School,
and without our schools our national life would be left in darkness,
said His Holiness. Addressing the students, His Holiness said that
they are called to be the sunshine of our lives. In an Armenian
School, you receive the warmth of our cultural and national spirit,
you are enriched with our religious and national treasures, and when
you grow up you will illuminate our collective lives with that spirit
and ideals. His Holiness commended all the parents who have entrusted
their children to the Armenian School to enrich their minds and souls,
and urged all parents to send their children to Armenian Schools. In
conclusion, His Holiness commended the Principal, Directors, and
all educators and faculty who serve for the splendor of the Armenian
Church.

His Holiness and entourage then headed to the site of the school~Rs
new gym for the consecrating of the foundation stones. After His
Holiness consecrated the stones, the Prelate, Principal, Executive
Council Chair Mrs. Rima Boghossian, and Glendale City Council members
participated in the placing of the stones.

A visit to two classrooms followed. Teacher Saro Nazarian described
a new teaching took utilized at the school called Smart Board. His
Holiness and entourage next visited the classroom of Armenian teacher
Ms. Ani Berberian, who at that moment was teaching religion class. His
Holiness asked the students questions, answered their questions,
and conveyed his blessings.

After a reception in honor of the Pontiff, His Holiness and
entourage headed to the auditorium where the students presented a
number of songs, including the Cilician and Pontifical anthems. At
the conclusion of the program Vice-Principal Mrs. Rita Kaprielian
delivered brief remarks and announced that the students had a gift
for His Holiness. His Holiness also presented the students with gifts,
and the event came to a close with this benediction.

STATUE OF ATATURK IN NAKHIJEVAN

yerkir.am
18:06 – 17.10.2011

Statue of Ataturk is to be unveiled in Nakhijevan. According to
1news.az, the consul general of Turkey Ayhan Enginar said that the
official unveiling will take place on October 29, on the Independence
Day of Turkey.

GARY ROBBINS URGES AZERI AUTHORITIES TO REVIEW POLITICAL PRISONERS’ CONVICTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 17, 2011 – 18:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – United States Mission to the OSCE Charge d’Affaires
Gary Robbins issued a statement on the convictions of April 2
protesters in Azerbaijan.

“The United States deeply regrets the recent convictions of a number
of opposition activists who participated in peaceful demonstrations
on April 2. These rulings include:

The October 10 verdict of the Nasimi District Court to convict four
activists- Ahad Mammadov, Ulvi Guliyev, Elnur Medzhidli, and Rufat
Hajibeyli – on charges of actions disturbing public order and/or
resisting police;

The October 3 ruling of the Sabail District Court to convict four
activists-Arif Hajili, Tural Abbasli, Mahammad Majidli, and Fuad
Gahramanli-on charges of conspiracy to violate public order for
planning and organizing pro-democracy protests that took place on
April 2;

We further regret decisions by the same court on August 25 to convict
six other activists on similar charges.

We note that the October 11 spot report from the OSCE Office in Baku,
which states that a total of 14 political activists have now been
convicted as a result of the April 2 demonstration. We encourage the
Office to continue its close monitoring of the court proceedings,
including any related appeals.

The United States recalls the Government of Azerbaijan’s obligations
under its Constitution and its OSCE commitments to respect the rule
of law and the rights of all its citizens to freedom of assembly
and freedom of expression. Accordingly, we call upon Azerbaijan’s
judicial authorities to ensure that any appeals of these convictions
are reviewed in accordance with Azerbaijan’s constitutional and
international commitments, which exist to help all Azerbaijanis advance
democratic culture, processes, and institutions in their country,”
the statement said.

INTERESTING APPOINTMENT IN PRESIDENT OFFICE
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am News

18:23:38 – 17/10/2011

The position of the chief of staff of the president of Armenia, vacant
for over a month, was finally filled. The new chief of staff is Vigen
Sargsyan, the ex-deputy chief of staff. After Karen Karapetyan’s
dismissal, he was the acting chief of staff.

Vigen Sargsyan has been in the president staff since Robert Kocharyan’s
office. He was assistant to Robert Kocharyan.

By the way, an interesting event coincided with his appointment. On
the day when Serzh Sargsyan’s decree was published, the next U.S.

ambassador to Armenia John Heffern arrived in Yerevan and handed his
letter of accreditation to the foreign minister Nalbandyan.

An interesting rotation took place in the position of the chief of
staff. The ex-chief of staff Karen Karapetyan is the representative
of the Russian stream. His brother is a billionaire in Russia, and
his wealth was the main guarantee of Karen Karapetyan’s promotion.

The target was the position of the prime minister reported by the
Armenian press for several years now. However, Karen Karapetyan’s
flight was till the chief of staff of the president, which was a
high flight for a person with his caliber and potential. Meanwhile,
the issue of the position of the prime minister perhaps emerged in the
result of the new logic which is present in both global and regional,
and subsequently in the Armenian political processes. These processes
are rich in strategic targets, which make material wealth insufficient
to solve such issues.

Vigen Sargsyan is the representative of the Western stream. In this
sense, perhaps it is worthwhile to remember a letter sent by email to
the Armenian media. Some of them published this letter which presented
Vigen Sargsyan as someone who works for the United States. However,
independent from this suspicious anonymous letter, it is obvious that
Vigen Sargsyan is a representative of the so-called Western stream
who now takes up the position of the chief of staff.

By the way, this situation reminds the Soviet years when the leaders
of the Soviet states were Armenians while the second persons were
Russians and represented the center.

The situation is not absolutely the same but there is a similarity.

Now Vigen Sargsyan who was on the second step in the president
administration is now appointed as chief of staff of the president.

The fact that this vacancy is filled after a month is evidence
that this appointment is not a mere issue of HR administration but
a political issue which requires internal, perhaps also external
multi-vector political discussions.

It does not mean that by this appointment Armenia faced the West
or those discussions were as important and significant as those on
Karabakh. In reality, the process has many layers to draw such simple
conclusions. Simply this appointment must be taken into consideration
as an interesting episode of possible tendencies.

ANALYST: ARMENIAN PUBLIC NO LONGER INTERESTED IN RAPPROCHEMENT WITH TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 17, 2011 – 14:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – European Integration NGO analyst believes the
Armenian public is no longer interested in normalization of relations
with Turkey.

“At present, other issues took priority,” Manvel Ghumashyan said,
noting that a progress in Armenia-Turkey rapprochement largely depends
on the course of Arab Spring.

“Turkey aims at gaining leadership in Islamic world. Should that come
to pass, Turkey’s position on normalization of ties with Armenia may
become more rigid,” the expert stressed, not ruling out mitigation
of Turkey’s stance in the opposite case.

The Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests
occurring in the Arab world. Since 18 December 2010 there have been
revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war in Libya resulting in
the fall of its regime; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen;
major protests in Israel, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman,
and minor protests in Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, and Western Sahara.

YEREVAN ERECTS LEONARDO DA VINCI MARBLE BUST

Tert.am
18:49 17.10.11

Yerevan State University of Architecture and Engineering erected
a bust of the famous Italian Renaissance painter, sculpture and
architect Leonardo da Vinci.

Standing in the yard of the university the bust is a present by the
Italian Romualdo del Bianco Foundation on the 90th anniversary of
the university.

Yerevan State University of Architecture and Engineering and the
Italian foundation have been in cooperation for 20 years now.

Hovhannes Tokmajyan, the rector of the university, said that the
busts of other prominent architects and sculptors will be erected in
university’s yard in the near future.

Authored by Italian sculptor Dino de Ranieri the bust is made of
marble and is standing on a pedestal made of Armenian basalt which
symbolizes the cooperation between Armenia and Italy in the sphere
of architecture.

IRANIAN, ARMENIAN SPEAKERS CALL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS

IRNA
Oct 2011

Bern, Switzerland, Oct 17, IRNA — Visiting Iranian Parliament
speaker Ali Larijani and Speaker of Armenian National Assembly Hovik
Abrahamyan on Monday called for development of relations between the
two countries.

The two Speakers made the remark in a meeting held on the sidelines
of the 125th Assembly of Inter-parliamentary Union underway in Bern,
Switzerland.

Parliamentary delegations from more than 120 member states have
attended the IPU meeting in the Swiss city on October 16-20.

“Iran is ready for expansion of relations with Armenia,” Larijani
underlined.

The Armenian parliament speaker welcomed development of cooperation
with Tehran especially in the field of trade and economy.

Abrahamyan discussed with Larijani latest developments in Karabakh
as well.

Karabakh is a geographic region in southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern
Armenia. The two countries have dispute over the control of the region.

Speaker of Armenian National Assembly supported Iran’s right for
acquiring peaceful nuclear energy and criticized the negative
propaganda of certain countries on Syria developments.

Relations between Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran remain
extremely cordial and both Armenia and Iran are strategic partners
in the region. Armenia and Iran enjoy cultural and historical ties
that go back thousands of years.

There are no border disputes between the two countries and the
Christian Armenian minority in Iran enjoys official recognition.

Iran and Armenia would also cooperate in the field of energy security
which lowers Armenia’s dependence on Russia. The cooperation would
lead in the future to supply Iranian gas to Europe through Georgia
and the Black Sea.

TURKEY PM ERDOGAN DENIED OBAMA’S CLAIMS, MADE ACCUSATIONS: DAVUTOGLU

epress.am
10.17.2011 17:00

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Barack
Obama that his government “acted as Israel’s lawyer,” Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday.

Davutoglu addressed deputies from the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP) during the party’s gathering in the hot springs retreat
of Kızılcahamam near the capital Ankara, the Hurriyet Daily News
reports.

The Turkish foreign minister said Obama had phoned Erdogan 11 times
during the last nine months and a brief encounter took place during
one of their conversations, when Obama complained about Turkey’s role
in Iran’s uranium swap deal, asking why Erdogan protected Iran.

Erdogan denied Obama’s claims, Davutoglu said, and responded, “I do
not protect Iran, but you [the United States] act as Israel’s lawyer.”

Davutoglu also talked about Turkey’s stance over the unrest in Syria.

“We were going to side either with Bashar al-Assad or the Syrian
people. We chose the Syrian people,” Davutoglu said.

ANKARA CAN’T MEDIATE KARABAKH ISSUE FOR LACK OF OBJECTIVITY – ANALYST

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 17, 2011 – 16:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia-Turkey rapprochement proved Ankara’s
inability to act as a mediator for Nagorno Karabakh settlement,
according to an analyst at European Integration NGO.

At news conference in Yerevan, Manvel Ghumashyan characterized Turkey
as lacking in objectivity where Karabakh conflict is concerned.

The expert did not rule out possible change of mediation format in
Armenia-Turkey rapprochement should current efforts prove ineffective.

MP: DEATH OF ARMENIAN SOLDIER IN PEACEFUL CONDITIONS IS UNACCEPTABLE

ARMENPRESS
16:24, 17 October, 2011

“Death of Armenian soldier in peaceful conditions is unacceptable
for me. It is a very serious issue,” member of Republican party’s
parliamentary faction Hovhannes Sahakyan told a news conference today.

According to him, the army is a whole part of our public and the
young people who are serving in the army are the members of the
same society. If there is a positive change in the public it must be
reflected on the army as well. “The problem is not only the increase
of the cases of deaths in the army but what works are being carried
out for stopping them,” he said.

Parliamentarian Vardan Khachatryan said the army is the chief
guarantor of state’s security. “The interference to this process must
be implemented with exclusive responsibility. Saying that there must
not be flaws at all, is wrong,” the parliamentarian said, adding that
the reasons of the cases must be studied, otherwise the same problem
will raise. “Each failure in this field threatens the country’s
security and peace process,” the parliamentarian said.