Author: Kanayan Tamar

FEDERICO MONDELCI TO INTRODUCE HIS INTERPRETATION OF ARMENIAN MUSIC

13:03, 29 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. Prominent Italian saxophonist Federico
Mondelci has already arrived in Yerevan. The concert, which is
scheduled to be held at “Aram Khachaturyan” Concert Hall on March 30,
will be dedicated to the 50th anniversary of establishment of the
State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia.

During the press conference held on March 29 Federico Mondelci stated
that he is very glad to pay a visit to Armenia again and give concert
for the Armenian art lovers. As reports “Armenpress” Federico Mondelci
stated: “I am an adherent of classic music, notwithstanding I am
open for jazz and tango. I can perform music of famous composers,
although I never forget about the contemporary authors.”

At the course of the upcoming concert Mondelci will act both as
saxophonist and conductor, notwithstanding he jokingly noted that
usually musicians are being bad conductors, but sometimes they succeed.

During a single concert the audience will listen to 150-year-old
history of music ranging from classic music to soundtracks, jazz,
and tango. Federico Mondelci will also give another concert in “Mezzo”
club on March 31.

In the last 20 years, Federico Mondelci has established himself as one
of the leading saxophonists of his generation. His principal studies
were at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica ‘G. Rossini’ in Italy and
later with Jean-Marie Londeix at the Bordeaux Conservatoire, France.

In 1981, he was awarded the ‘Premier Prix et Medaille d’Or a
l’Unanimite. Alongside the saxophone, his studies also included
singing, composition and conducting.

Federico Mondelci has represented Italy on several occasions in the
World Saxophone Congress. These include performances in Germany,
Japan, USA, and Spain. In Italy, he has performed as soloist with all
the major orchestras, including the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala
at La Scala, Milan, conducted by Seiji Ozawa and the BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra. During recent seasons, Mondelci has frequently performed
in Russia and now enjoys a particularly close relationship with the
Moscow Chamber Orchestra.

Federico Mondelci has been an active promoter of contemporary music
and innovator of instrumental technique. Numerous compositions have
been dedicated to him and subsequently performed and broadcast for
many important venues in Europe and America.

WILL BSSRC PROJECT SAVE ARMENIAN VILLAGES?

12:47 PM | TODAY | ECONOMY

The Black Sea Silk Road Corridor (BSSRC) Project is due to kick off
in April, 2013. Forty-three Armenian cultural sites will become part
of the BSSRC.

The BSSRC Project is a 24-month project that will foster cross-border
cooperation and economic development in 173 communities across four
countries of the Black Sea Basin – Armenia, Georgia, Greece and Turkey.

In Armenia the project is funded by the EU Black Sea Cross Border
Cooperation framework, USAID through its EDMC Project, and the Armenian
Monuments Awareness Project, as the lead implementer.

The Project is expected to alleviate rural isolation and develop local
communities through eco-friendly tourism to both enhance visitor’s
experiences and protect cultural monuments and biodiversity.

NZHK LEADER: REPUBLICANS WILL DRAW THE SAME FIGURES FOR TARON

03:05 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Following the correspondence between incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan
and Heritage Party Leader Raffi Hovannisian, Chairman of the New Times
Party (NZhK) Aram Karapetyan came to the conclusion that HayPost,
official national postal operator of the Republic of Armenia,
works well.

Mr Karapetyan says the post-election standoff in the republic is
losing its seriousness. The NZhK leader says he intended to visit the
Heritage party leader in Freedom square but following the developments
he understood that the post-election protests will not lead to any
changes.

Aram Karapetyan believes that Raffi Hovannisian is promoting the
legitimization of Sargsyan’s power. He does not doubt that Serzh
Sargsyan will be sworn-in on April 9.

Asked why he does not run in the upcoming municipal elections, the
NZhK leader said, “The Republicans will apply the same mechanisms that
they used in the presidential elections to ensure their re-election. I
have the impression that they will draw the same figures for incumbent
mayor Taron Margaryan.”

After the press conference, the NZhK leader again departed for Moscow.

MONUMENTS ARE POLITICS

Igor Muradyan
11:33 29/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Armenia is discussing the construction of a monument dedicated to
the Russian-Armenian friendship which can be considered as a timely
initiative given the fact that the Russian-Armenian relations have
passed from the state of suspicion and hostility to sheer indifference.

Although there are lots of monuments to Russian writers and others
who have an indirect relation or no relation to the Armenians, such
a monument would be a factor for relieving tension in our relations.

However, a monument is a monument and is erected in memory of something
of the past, as a reason to remember forgotten things.

During the Soviet years there was a museum of friendship of peoples
in Tashkent, and a lot of people wondered how they could set up such
a museum but it was nevertheless set up. Therefore, the monument to
any kind of friendship would be treated with irony.

It would be reasonable to set up a monument to one of the Russian
statesmen who had an important role in the life of Armenia, such as
Emperor Nikolay I who annexed East Armenia to the Russian empire. It
would highlight a key period in the Russian-Armenian relations and let
understand that all the tsars of the Romanov family played a positive
role in the destiny of the Armenian people, such as the two bastards
and degenerates Alexander III and Nikolay II.

Is there a suggestion to erect a monument to the Russian soldier
who participated in the punitive expeditions against the Armenians
of Nagorno-Karabakh in 1905, 1991 and 1992? It would be more decent
to set up a monument to the Russian culture and language, the main
factors of the Russian presence.

At the same time, it is appropriate to consider setting up monuments to
different politicians of different countries who played an important
role in the history of Armenia. First of all, it is time to erect a
monument to the 28th president of the United States Woodrow Wilson
who featured the agreement of Sevres, a political document which
remains actual in the international politics.

Besides, it would be acceptable to name the highway connecting the
airport of Zvartnots to Yerevan in honor of Mr. Wilson. In addition,
this decision should be made soon before they name the highway in
honor of a local strongman.

TURQUIE : AMNESTY ET HRW DENONCENT L’INSUFFISANCE D’UN PROJET DE REFORME JUDICIAIRE

Les ONG Amnesty International et Human Rights Watch (HRW) deplorent
les lacunes de la reforme judiciaire qui va etre debattu prochainement
au Parlement turc, estimant notamment qu’elle ne comporte pas les
garanties necessaires en matière de respect de la liberte d’expression.

“Des centaines de poursuites judiciaires abusives sont lancees
a l’encontre d’activistes, journalistes, avocats et ecrivains”,
rappelle Amnesty dans un rapport publie jeudi, regrettant “une
opportunite marquee”.

L’organisation juge que la reforme presentee par le gouvernement
islamo-conservateur “ne parvient pas a realiser les amendements
necessaires pour aligner la loi nationale sur les normes
internationales en matière de droits de l’Homme”.

“La penalisation et l’incarceration des individus pour avoir simplement
exprime leurs opinions ne doit pas continuer”, poursuit Amnesty en
exhortant le gouvernement d’Ankara a “faire preuve de son attachement
a la liberte d’expression”.

De son côte, Human Rights Watch se felicite des “elements positifs
figurant dans la reforme qui pourraient mettre fin a des poursuites
injustifiees contre des opinions et manifestations non-violentes”.

Mais l’ONG regrette toutefois que le texte ne precise pas suffisamment
les delits concernant l’appartenance a une organisation armee,
rappelant que la plupart des activistes politiques kurdes et des
droits de l’Homme sont incarceres en Turquie pour leur appartenance
supposee a des mouvements interdits.

Selon le ministre de la Justice Sadullah Ergin, le “paquet” legislatif
du gouvernement, le quatrième du genre depuis 2010, doit permettre de
rapprocher les lois antiterroristes turques de la norme europeenne et
eviter les nombreux procès en violation des libertes individuelles
intentes a son pays devant la Cour europeenne des droits d’Homme
(CEDH).

Cette reforme intervient alors que les autorites d’Ankara negocient
une solution politique au conflit kurde avec le chef emprisonne du
PKK (Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan, interdit), Abdullah Ocalan,
qui a appele le 21 mars les rebelles a deposer les armes.

Le “paquet” legislatif doit se traduire par la remise en liberte de
centaines de detenus consideres comme des proches du PKK et de la
cause kurde.

La Turquie est regulièrement epinglee par les ONG de defense des
droits de l’Homme en raison du grand nombre de personnes detenues
dans ses prisons en relation avec le conflit kurde.

AFP

jeudi 28 mars 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

SEVAN TROUT: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

ARMINFO
Wednesday, March 27, 21:37

Experts still think that the level of natural reproduction of trout
(ishkhan) in Lake Sevan is still unsatisfactory.

Vladimir Movsisyan, Head of the Commission on Issues of Lake Sevan,
said at today’s press conference that over the past 10 years a total of
1.8 mln juvenile fish have been released into the Sevan. “But we cannot
permanently maintain the ishkhan population artificially. Now there
is almost no natural reproduction of ishkhan, as the rivers flowing
into the lake are polluted or small hydropower plants are working on
those rivers”, he said. He added that at the moment there are 8 HPPs
on the rivers flowing into the Sevan. “We suggest either banning the
operation of the given small HPPs during the spawning period, i.e. from
April till June, or oblige them to launch fish-paths”, said Movsisyan.

For his part, Bardukh Gabrielyan, Director of the Scientific Center
of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia,
told ArmInfo that there is one more problem hindering the growth of
the ishkhan population – the fish poaching. He said that the ishkhans
of the breeding age are simply caught on their way to the spawn.

He said that the large spawning streams are in a poor condition:
some of them dry out during the summertime and this breaks the whole
ecosystem, the others flow through the turbines of small HPPs. In
addition, part of the river water flows to the ponds where rainbow
trout are bred, which are obligate predators, and the experts advocate
banning the rainbow trout breeding in the Sevan basin.

“The state annually allocates funds to increase the ishkhan
population. On the one hand, one can welcome this, but on the other
hand, these steps are ineffective, because the allocated funds
eventually go to the pockets of the poachers who do not allow the
fish to spawn”, said Gabrielyan.

AZERBAIJAN PROPOSES TO TEST OPERATION OF METSAMOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN EXTREMAL SITUATION

APA, Azerbaijan
March 27 2013

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. Director of the Institute of radiation
problems of the Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences Adil Garibov
has proposed to test the operation of Metsamor NPP not in normal but
in extremal situation.

Garibov told APA that only standard tests have been carried out on
Metsamor NPP up to now, but 9-magnitude earthquake resistance of the
NPP has not been verified: “Metsamor NPP is located in 9 magnitude
earthquake zone. What will be the results for the reactor in powerful
earthquakes and extreme cases? Therefore the reactor should be tested
in extreme conditions. We trust the tests carried out by foreign
specialists at Metsamor NPP and can not doubt it. Let any foreign
specialist answer “Will this reactor be able to sustain or Armenia
to ensure its sustainability, if 9-magnitude earthquake occurs? These
are our demands.”

Garibov noted that in case of any accident at Metsamor NPP, it can pose
a threat not only to the population of Armenia, but also Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey: “All the neighboring countries should raise
this issue.”

National Security Council Secretary Arthur Baghdasaryan said that
Metsamor NPP could be closed only after the construction of the new
power block. To him, the issue on conservation of the NPP will be
considered after the new modern power block is commissioned.

Armenian government wants to build a new station on the site. For now,
the talk is about the construction of a power block with a capacity
of 1000 MW.

Remind that, head of EU representation in Armenia Trayan Khristea noted
that the EU insists on shutting down Metsamor NPP in a short time.

Metsamor opened in 1976 and sits on earthquake-prone terrain near a
residential area. It was closed due to the 1988 earthquake in Spitak.

In 1995, the Armenian government reopened the plant due to the energy
crisis in the country.

FUNDRAISER SUPPORTS ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY

Dearborn Press and Guide, MI
March 27 2013

FARMINGTON HILLS – The work of Detroit milliner Luke Song will be
featured at the Armenian Relief Society Sybille Chapter’s Mother’s Day
Dinner, Hat Fashion Show and Auction on May 5, at Glen Oaks Country
Club in Farmington Hills.

The event is a fundraiser for the chapter, a local agent of a worldwide
philanthropic society serving the humanitarian and cultural needs of
the Armenian people. The Sybille Chapter is proud to will have WDIV-TV
(Channel 4) meteorologist Andrew Humphrey as celebrity auctioneer.

Song is lending his artistic skills to the event by showcasing and
selling several of his chapeaus and “fascinator”clips. His unique
hats have been worn to royal weddings and other events and – thanks to
Aretha Franklin sporting one of his creations at the 2009 Presidential
Inauguration – Song has a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The
self-professed “accidental milliner” has been a Detroit fashion staple
since 1982.

Doors at Glen Oaks open at 4 p.m., dinner is at 5 p.m. The hat show
and auction, and raffle of outstanding prizes, will follow the meal.

Glen Oaks is located at 30500 W. 13 Mile Road, east of Orchard Lake
Road, in Farmington Hills.

For reservations and information, call Rita Dilanian at 1-248-705-2303,
or 1-248-855-2921.

WHY ARE YEREVAN-BEIRUT FLIGHTS SUSPENDED?

NEWS.AM
March 28, 2013 | 14:50

YEREVAN.- Flights to Beirut have not been operated for there weeks,
Armenian civil aviation official told reporters.

Artyom Movsisyan, head of Armenia’s General Department of Civil
Aviation, explained the reasons for suspending Yerevan-Beirut flights.

“Lebanon’s aviation officials want to audit Armavia. We have agreed
to their offer but, most likely, changes in Lebanon’s government
affected their decision,” Movsisyan said.

As to Yerevan-Kuwait flight, Movsisyan said Armenian side is interested
in Kuwait’s offer but the rout is not profitable.

In response to the statement, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Armenia Bassam
Alqabandi told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the reports saying Kuwait
offered to operate Yereva-Kuwait-Yerevan flights are untrue.

ARMENIANS AMONG VICTIMS OF CAR CRASH IN RUSSIA

NEWS.AM
March 28, 2013 | 17:09

Armenians are among the victims of a major car accident which occurred
in Vologda Region of Russia.

A bus carrying children from a Saint Petersburg orphanage collided
with a truck on Thursday morning. Six people were killed and 18 others
were injured in the accident.

Both drivers, one of them Albert Firyan (born in 1960) were killed.

Ruslan (born in 1998) and Zarina (born in 1995) Groigoryants,
supposedly brother and sister, are listed among victims, Life News
reported.