Author: Kanayan Tamar

Paruyr Hayrikyan called to estimate the independence properly

11:31, 28 May, 2012

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS: Republic of Armenia not only
theoretically but also practically must show that it is the homeland
of all Armenians. Armenpress reports that “SDU” chairman Paruyr
Hayrikyan during the open air press conference in the Republican
square mentioned that May 28 the First Republic Day is a pan Armenian
holiday. “Armenia must be able to get rid off concept
“Nagorno-Karabakh” issue and must eliminate the consequences of
Genocide” mentioned Hayrikyan.

In his words the elimination of consequences of Armenian genocide is
also pan Armenian issue. “Speaking about Armenia we must understand
that because of defeatist moods we are considered as a Caucasian
state” explained “SDU” chairman.

Hayrikyan highlighted that each citizen must estimate the independence
as proper which was gained hardly. Answering to the question why he
had chosen Republican square as a place for press conference he
answered” “As it is the biggest square in Armenia”.

Armenian tricolor waved in homeland sky 94 years ago – Catholicos

news.am
May 28, 2012 | 10:47

ETCHMIADZIN. – The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II released a
congratulatory message in connection with the Republic Day.

`Today we celebrate the restoration of Armenian statehood, which
became a reality after an interval for numerous centuries.

Our fathers declared the First Republic of Armenia and the Armenian
tricolor waved in the homeland sky, 94 years ago on this brilliant day
in May.

Gratification to the Almighty, [and] the heroic battles in May and the
declaration of the First Republic of Armenia today inspire our people
in the hopes toward strengthening the native statehood and building
its brilliant future,’ the Catholicos’ message states in particular.

NKR President issues a congratulatory address on the Republic Day

armradio.am
28.05.2012 11:38

`Dear compatriots,

I congratulate all of us on the day of the First Armenian Republic,
the day that realized the age-old dreams of the Armenian nation and
laid the foundation for the today’s independent statehood.

Although the First Republic did not last long it left great lessons
for the generations to come. The Artsakh liberation struggle is the
heroic continuation of the Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Gharakilisa
battles, which consolidated the whole Armenian nation and recorded a
glorious victory, the victory of united spirit and collective will,
the victory of justice and self-confidence.

The Armenian people proved that it can protect its fatherland and
build a free and independent statehood. Today freedom, independence
and democracy are still the greatest values for us constituting
integral parts of further strengthening and developing the two
Armenian republics.
I congratulate once again all our sisters and brothers in Armenia,
Artsakh and the Diaspora on this valuable and memorable holiday and
wish peace, robust health and new victories for the glory of the
Armenian nation and its radiant future.’

GEORGIE
La reconstruction de l’Eglise Arménienne St Nshan à Tbilisi a débuté

Les travaux de rénovation ont déjà été lancés pour l’Eglise Arménienne
St Nshan à Tbilisi. L’église a été sérieusement endommagée par un
incendie au début de cette année.

Les travaux de rénovation sont exécutés avec l’aide financière de
l’agence géorgienne de conservation des monuments historiques et
culturels. Les colonnes de l’église seront fortifiées, le plafond de
l’autel, le plancher endommagé de l’église sera changé. On s’attend à
ce que les travaux de rénovation durent trois mois. Selon les plans,
l’église devrait être rénové vers le 25 mai.

L’Eglise Arménienne St Nshan a été construite entre 1703 et 1720.

lundi 28 mai 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

PRESS RELEASE
CHARLIE KEYAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Contact: Randy Baloian at [email protected]
Zaroohi Der Mugrdechian, Principal
108 N. Villa, Clovis, California 93612
Tel: 559-323-1955
Fax: 559-323-1959
Email: [email protected]
Web:

KEYAN SCHOOL MARKS SAROYAN’S 104TH
BIRTHDAY WITH Saroyan, the Man, the Writer.

CLOVIS/FRESNO—The Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School celebrated
the 104th birthday of acclaimed writer and native son of Fresno
William Saroyan with a viewing of the award winning documentary
Saroyan, the Man, the Writer. CKACS students and families welcomed the
film’s writer/director Paul Kalinian and his daughter and producer
Dr. Susie Kalinian.

As described in his essay How I Shot Saroyan, photographer Paul
Kalinian remembered how in 1976 he first met Saroyan at the studio of
the Varaz Samuelian, the noted sculptor of Fresno’s David of Sassoon
statue. Saroyan at first refused to be photographed, telling
Kalinian to `get lost.’ In the end, the photographer’s
persistence won out. Kalinian gained Saroyan’s trust and, with his
camera, captured the essence of the 67 year old author in a series of
portraits. In 1991, one of the photographs from this collection was
adapted into commemorative stamps in both the United States and Soviet
Union.

The evening program included a translated recitation in Armenian of
Saroyan’s short story The Armenian and the Armenian by CKACS 5th and
6th graders. Younger students also read their own stories about
Saroyan and their aspirations of becoming writers.

Winner of the 1995 Gold Award, Saroyan, the Man, the Writer is an
excellent biographical account for both Saroyan aficionados and those
unfamiliar with the life of the author, playwright, and humanitarian.
In creating the film, the Kalinians gathered numerous photos and
memorabilia of historical Fresno and Saroyan’s career. These still
images are complimented by home movies clips from his family life and
travels to Armenia as well as by Susie Kalinian’s touching
recreations of Saroyan’s childhood. Actor Mike Connor narrates the
documentary, although a good portion of the film’s audio is Saroyan
himself-speaking in both English and Armenian in recorded interviews.

—
Following the film, the Kalinians’ entertained questions from the
students and parents and presented the school with one of the original
Saroyan portraits from the 1976 album.

Kuwait Times, Kuwait
May 27 2012

Sweden sweeps Azerbaijan’s contentious Eurovision

Swedish star Loreen yesterday celebrated victory over rivals including
Russian pensioners in a spectacular Eurovision Song Contest that host
Azerbaijan hoped would banish qualms over its rights record. Loreen,
28, the daughter of Berber immigrants from Morocco, wowed voters with
a catchy dance number called `Euphoria’ featuring an exultant chorus
accompanied by a high-kicking dance duet and a storm of artificial
snow. The slick four-hour show late Saturday was the biggest event
ever hosted by energy-rich Azerbaijan as it seeks to present a glitzy
image despite concerns over rights violations under the autocratic
rule of the Aliyev dynasty.

Loreen’s victory was the fifth by Sweden in the contest and followed
in the footsteps of its most famous band Abba who won the contest in
1974 with `Waterloo’-for many the song that defined the kitschy
contest for all time. `It’s just a question of taste. This year it
happened to me,’ was how Loreen, whose real name is Lorine Zineb Noka
Talhaoui, modestly explained her victory. Swedish Foreign Minister
Carl Bildt tweeted: `Yes, Loreen certainly lived up to high
expectations.’ Second place on Saturday went to Russia’s heartwarming
Buranovskiye Babushki, a choir of elderly village women aged up to 76
who performed a disco song `Party for Everybody’ in English and their
local Finno-Ugric language.

`There are tears of joy. The Babushki are so happy with their
success,’ band administrator Maria Tolstukhina told Interfax, adding
their earnings would be spent on building a new church in their native
village of Buranovo. Third was Serbian Eurovision veteran Zelijko
Joksimovic who had already competed in three previous contests, once
as a singer and twice as a composer. The show included the usual range
of the weird and exotic including a Norwegian rapper of Iranian origin
who came last, half-naked French gymnasts and Irish duo Jedward who
ended the routine by getting drenched by a fountain. There was
disappointment for Britain after veteran crooner Engelbert
Humperdinck-brought in to revive its notoriously bad Eurovision
fortunes-scored just 12 points and came second last with his ballad
`Love Will Set You Free’.

Sweden’s victory with 372 points with an uplifting song tailor made
for the contest was never in doubt, although voting was marked by the
usual backslapping patterns with the Greeks voting for the Cypriots
and vice versa. The final’s 26 acts lit up the spectacular Crystal
Hall built to host the contest in barely half a year on the Caspian
Sea, with an audience of some 20,000 inside the venue and 100 million
television viewers. The host entry Sabina Babayeva was not all that
far from securing a repeat of Azerbaijan’s 2011 success that earned
the nation the right to host the contest with her `When the Music
Dies’ coming in fourth.

Loreen ran into controversy during the contest by meeting local rights
activists who briefed her on the lack of democratic freedoms in the
tightly controlled ex-Soviet state. However at the post-contest news
conference she sidestepped a question about how she would support the
people of Azerbaijan further, saying simply that: `I will support the
Azerbaijan people from my heart.’ In Baku the festive atmosphere had
been clouded by the detentions of dozens of opposition activists who
attempted to hold several peaceful demonstrations calling for
democratic freedoms in the tightly-controlled state.

Azerbaijan is run by strongman President Ilham Aliyev, who succeeded
his late father Heidar Aliyev in 2003. His wife Mehriban Aliyeva
headed the organising committee of Eurovision and his son-in-law, Emin
Agalarov, a Moscow-based businessman with a budding pop career, sang
in a black leather jacket in a musical interlude after the voting. The
event was also far beyond the reach of ordinary Azerbaijanis, with
tickets for the final starting at 160 manat ($204), half the monthly
income of the average Azeri, according to World Bank statistics. With
political sensitivities never far from this Eurovision, the
promotional videos shown included landscapes from Nagorny Karabakh,
which Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized from Azerbaijan in
a war in the 1990s. Armenia had pulled out of the contest saying it
feared hostile treatment and Azerbaijan barred those who had visited
Nagorny Karabakh from travelling to the contest. – AFP

Human rights record in Armenia on agenda of Clinton’s visit – Armenian expert

news.am
May 27, 2012 | 18:02

YEREVAN. – The 2011 Annual Human Rights Reports on Armenia issued by
the State Department will be discussed during Hillary Clinton’s visit,
Richard Giragosian, director of Regional Studies Center, told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

This year’s report, just like others, mentions about weaknesses and
problems with state of human rights in Armenia.

`Armenia has already passed the test of elections. The elections could
have been and should have been much better,’ Giragosian said.

The expert is confident that during her visit Clinton will speak about
the need to deepen reforms.

`The timing of the visit is interesting, we will already have a new
parliament and see what the new coalition will look like,’ he added.

According to him, human rights in Azerbaijan will be discussed
especially in the context of recent arrests of demonstrators during
the Eurovision.

`Azerbaijan has already embarrassed itself,’ Giragosian emphasized.

He said Azerbaijan is the only trap to regional security and
stability. The visit will deliver a message that Baku should not
threaten with war and must improve.

The annual human rights report on Armenia said the most significant
human rights problems were limitations on citizens’ right to change
their government, freedom of speech and press, and the independence of
the judiciary, State Department said in its annual report.

ARMENIE
Arménie : les élections législatives ont été truquées, selon le Parti communiste

Le Parti communiste arménien a déclaré vendredi que les élections
législatives qui ont eu lieu le 6 mai dans ce pays avaient été
`truquées`.

`Nous sommes certains que notre parti a reçu plusieurs fois plus de
suffrages que le nombre officiellement annoncé de 16 000 voix`, a
déclaré lors d’une conférence de presse le premier secrétaire du Parti
communiste d’Arménie Ruben Tovmasyan.

D’après les résultats des élections publiés le 7 mai par la Commission
électorale centrale d’Arménie (CEC), le Parti républicain du président
Serge Sarkissian a remporté la majorité absolue, soit au moins 68 des
131 sièges de l’Assemblée nationale, tandis que son partenaire de
coalition le Parti pour une Arménie prospère a recueilli 30,2 % des
voix.

Par contraste, le Parti communiste d’Arménie n’a été crédité que de
1,5 % des suffrages.

dimanche 27 mai 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE SUPPORTS CONTINUED ASSISTANCE FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH

armradio.am
26.05.2012 12:04

Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version
of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations
Bill outlining U.S. funding and policy priorities abroad, including
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, reported the Armenian Assembly of America
(Assembly).

The Appropriations Committee recommended “assistance for victims
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent with prior
years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict.” In addition,
the Committee urged “a peaceful resolution to the conflict” and the
Bill itself made funds available for “confidence-building measures
and other activities in furtherance of the peaceful resolution of
conflicts, including in Nagorno Karabakh.”

“The Senate Appropriations Committee’s inclusion of assistance to
Nagorno Karabakh advances important US foreign policy and humanitarian
priorities in the region and will provide for those most affected by
this conflict,” said a spokesperson for Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL).

Sources familiar with the Bill noted that funding for Armenia in
terms of economic and military assistance mirrors the President’s
request, which included the following: $27.22 million in Economic
Support Funds, $2.5 million in Global Health Programs, and $2.82
million in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement. The
Administration’s request also called for $2.7 million in Foreign
Military Financing (FMF) for Armenia and allocates $600,000 each in
International Military Education Training (IMET).

The Bill also restated the six customary exemptions for humanitarian
and other assistance to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.

Section 907 was enacted in 1992 and requires the Government of
Azerbaijan to take “demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and
other offensive uses of force” against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the State, Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee noted that while overall funding in this
“bipartisan bill” is “$2.6 billion below the President’s budget
request, and $1.2 billow below the Fiscal Year 2012 level” at the
same time still “addresses the priorities of Senators of both parties.”

Further action on this Bill and its counterpart in the House of
Representatives has not been scheduled.

ARMENIA’S LAWYERS ARE PREPARED TO TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES – NEWSPAPER

news.am
May 26, 2012 | 07:13

YEREVAN. – A group of attorneys from the Chamber of Lawyers of Armenia,
who are displeased by the actions of the Court of Appeals, are ready to
take drastic measures, even a strike, lawyer Gevorg Gyozalyan stated,
Hayots Ashkharh daily writes.

“The attorney expressed a concern that ‘the lesser courts might no
longer examine the evidence, and this could never be considered a
violation of the procedural norm.’

The cause for [such] concern was the Court of Appeals ruling on
returning the lawyer’s cassation appeal,” Hayots Ashkharh writes.