Author: Khondkarian Raffi

COALITION DEFENDS HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on Aug 02, 2008
Armenia

"The parties representing political coalition – RPA, "Bargavach
Hayastan", "Orinats Yerkir", ARFD, came out by a statement yesterday,
according to which they will support RPA member Hovik Abrahamyan’s
candidacy during the elections by NA majoritarian electoral system
in constituency 17 in Ararat province.

According to the statement by supporting Hovik Abrahamyan’s candidacy
the forces representing coalition assure that the MP will use his
good experience in his parliamentary activity.

Meanwhile the political forces announce about their determination
and firmness to bring the August 24 elections in constituency 17,
in conformity with the international standards.

SERZH SARGSYAN CONGRATULATES ARTHUR GRIGORIAN ON HIS 50-TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

ARMENPRESS
July 31, 2008

YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS: President Serzh Sargsyan had a telephone
conversation today with Arthur Grigorian, art director of the State
Song Theater.

The presidential press office told Armenpress that Serzh Sargsyan
conveyed his congratulations to Arthur Grigorian on the occasion
of the latter’s 50-th birth anniversary, wishing him good health,
success and new creative achievements.

The presidential press service said Serzh Sargsyan appreciated
highly Arthur Grigorian’s contribution to development of Armenian
song writing art

EDWARD EDIGARIAN, AN ARTIST BY BIRTH

AZG Armenian Daily
01/08/2008

Culture

In a small, cobble stoned, historic square in central Prague the
passerby notices a strange name on an arched entrance: "Anahit",
and then reads the words Art Gallery.

As you walk into the small exhibition room, you meet Anahit, a
middle-aged, ‘very Armenian’ lady who greets you with the warmth of
the sunrays in the Ararat plain. On the walls you see mostly abstract
paintings, with a strong element of Armenian medieval art. The bright
colors and the shine of golden lines in the paintings warm the soul.

This is not a gallery selling art from different painters. It is
a family gallery, where the paintings of Edward Edigarian and his
daughter Gohar are on display. Anahit is the matriarch of the family
or the business manager of the gallery. Edward is sometimes there,
just bothering his patient and smiling wife and asking her: "Anahit
karank mi hat tsekhel – Anahit can we smoke here?". Then he convinces
her also to light up a cigarette and then the double espresso arrives
from the cafÃ~H next door and the memories go back to Armenia – 1960s
and 70s Armenia, where artists lived a Bohemian life. Not much money
and not even many modern or exotic painting materials, but a lot of
friends, art lovers and plenty of affordable vodka.

Edward is turning 65, with distinguished white hair, smiling eyes
and a never-ending optimism about life, art and people.

In 1988 Edward had his home and atelier in Gyumri when the devastating
earthquake hit. He lost most of his paintings under the rubble of
the high-rise building. In 1993 he came to Prague for a few months
for a temporary painting assignment and ended up staying. What made
him make that decision? " I saw the huge interest in art in Prague,
mostly from tourists who had started to flood the former communist
country. They were buying my paintings like hot bread". Later on he
brought his family from Armenia; wife, daughter and son.

Work and life in Prague also changed his painting style from a less
abstract style of pencil and watercolor depiction of people and places,
to a more abstract genre of showing human desires, especially joyful
women and musical instruments, sometimes with red fruits perhaps
symbolizing youth and ecstasy. Why the change, I ask him? "Well, part
of it is what new painting material and methods made possible and part
of it is what the European customer likes". But the Armenian miniature
painting art is all over his works. The golden lines mentioned earlier,
are a very graphic reminder of the miniature paintings in medieval
Armenian bibles.

Edward had a rich career in Armenia. He studied painting in Yerevan
and later became the official painter of the city’s Opera and Ballet
Theatre. He painted many of the scenes for famous performances,
such as Sassountsi Davit and Leblebeji Hor-Hor Agha.

His daughter, Gohar is an aspiring painter now. Many of her works are
displayed in the small gallery and they sell well. Did she attend
a fine art school in Prague, I ask. "Well, her best school was her
father", answers Edward with a humble smile.

In the small Armenian community of Prague everyone knows Edigarian
and everyone respects him. But in the one-hour I was in the gallery,
a number of Russians also came to say hello to him, among them a
talented young sculptor.

Edward is happy with his life and work in Prague, but he is most proud
of his exhibitions in other European countries. He can’t hide his pride
when he recalls that in a successful exhibition in Norway, they asked
him to donate a painting for auction and the proceeds to be sent to
the Red Cross in Armenia. "It fetched $5,000 and I was very happy,
but when I asked the Norwegians for the money to go to young artists
in Gyumri, they said we can’t ask the Armenian Red Cross to give it to
any specific group. Well, it is OK. I know that Armenia got the money".

I ask the grandfatherly painter if art is pure talent or has a measure
of learning. He smiles and gently moves his head. "It is both. But I
think if a child grows up with art, like my daughter did and I taught
her the technique – most people’s inner talents surface".

By Mardo Soghomian. Media Analyst with Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty, Prague

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AZERI FM SPEAKS TO SPECIAL ENVOY OF OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE

AzerTag
July 30 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with Special
Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Heikki Talvitie.

Mr Talvitie said he has eye-witnessed huge development in Azerbaijan
since early hours of his visit to the country. During the conversation,
the Ambassador touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, adding there are several geopolitical factors
which impede settlement of the dispute.

Elmar Mammadyarov said it is important that Armenia realize the
significance of finding a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

HOW TO BUILD RELATIONS WITH THE DIASPORA?

Armen Tsatouryan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 31, 2008
Armenia

At the very first stage of the relationship with the Diaspora, the
Armenian authorities adopted not only new approaches corresponding
to the challenges of the 21st century but also started the process
of establishing relevant institutions for putting their plans into
practice.

Let’s recall the main stages of the activities carried out in the
sphere during the past years.

It is well-known that since Armenia’s gaining independence, the
relationship with the Armenian colonies of the Diaspora has passed
two principal stages of development, the first stage being the period
preceding the 1998 shift of power and the second stage being the period
between 1998 and 2008. And although these two stages drastically
differed from each other in terms of the policy trend towards the
Diaspora, such differences were of political-ideological rather than
practical-organizational nature.

During the tenure of L. Ter-Petrosyan, the Armenia-Diaspora relations
acquired an extremely ideologized character, becoming one of the
"spheres" of the political struggle inside the country. The Diaspora
was artificially divided into two camps, and this created a serious
threat in terms of restoring the realities of the Soviet-time Armenia.

After the 1998 shift of power, it became possible to overcome
this harmful20phenomenon as a result of advancing the formula of
cooperation among Armenia Artsakh and the Diaspora. However, the
right political-ideological starting point in the relationship with
the Diaspora was not yet enough for adopting and applying concrete
and clear-cut procedures of implementation.

Following the 1998 shift of power, the political component increasingly
developed in the Armenia-Diaspora relations, the common strategic
objective of achieving the international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide being the underlying thesis of such policy. As regards
the clear-cut procedures of cooperation, they continued to remain
on the level of the economic assistance and the involvement of the
medium-scale investments of the Diaspora.

The fact that the Armenian authorities are seriously inclined to
establish a new level cooperation with the Diaspora became obvious due
to the initiative of setting up a separate structure dealing with the
issues of the Diaspora and granting it the status of a ministry. This
kind of ministries exist in many countries, so having a Diaspora
community twice exceeding its population, our country could no longer
fall behind other states.

This means that the Armenian authorities are no longer satisfied
with organizing pan-Armenian conferences or conducting fundraising
marathons, and they view the relationship with the Diaspora as a
day-to-day painstaking activity.

>From now on, any educational, cultural and other probl em of any colony
of the Diaspora will become a matter of concern for the Republic of
Armenia as well. And each of our compatriots will feel that he/she
is not alone in his/her everyday work aimed at the preservation of
the Armenian nation and enjoys the support of the Armenian statehood.

The most important component in the process of upgrading the
relationship with the Diaspora from the political-ideological level
to the plane of day-to-day practical work is certainly the sphere of
economic cooperation.

And as shown by the experience of the past years, there is no progress
in this sphere. With their huge capital, the representatives of the
Armenian Diaspora have a strictly cautious attitude towards making
serious investments in our country. They prefer to satisfy themselves
with medium-scale programs which cannot produce a serious negative
impact even if they suffer a failure.

Such phenomenon results from psychological complexes which developed in
the course of several years. In order to overcome them it is necessary
not only to introduce serious changes in the tax and customs policy
implemented in the country but also form an absolutely new atmosphere
of mutual trust. In this respect, the new authorities managed, in
the course of their few months’ activity, to do more than did their
predecessors in the whole period after Armenia’s gaining independence.

As a result of President Serge Sargsyan’s meeting wi th the prominent
Armenian businessmen during his visit to Moscow and after their visit
to Armenia, a radical turning point was observed in the dispositions of
the Armenian businessmen residing in Russia. A couple of weeks later,
the amount of the investments promised by the Armenian businessmen
reached the borderline of 700 million US Dollars.

This is an unprecedented phenomenon in the whole history of the
Armenia-Diaspora relations. The businessmen of the Diaspora have
started to demonstrate trust in the reforms implemented in our country
and link their future entrepreneurial activity to their motherland.

In such circumstances, the interests of foreign countries’ non-Armenian
capital will inevitably increase, since the companies (mainly founded
by the Armenians residing in Russia) which are going to enter our
country will bring others after them.

Thus, all the plans that were discussed during the successive
conferences devoted to the Armenia-Diaspora relations for around 1.5
decade are being put into practice by the Armenian authorities from
the very first months of their activities.

MHER AWARDED BY AUDIENCE SYMPATHY

Panorama.am
20:22 29/07/2008

Yesterday it was announced that Mher Mesropyan presenting Armenia
in "New Wave 2008" contest has been awarded by "Audience sympathy"
prize. His prize has been handed by "Smolenski diamond" company.

The third day of the Contest was honored by Russian
stars: A. Pugacheva, N. Baskov, M. Fadeyev, L. Vaikule,
F. Bondarchyuk. V. Meldaze, Valeria, I. Nikolayev. I Krutoy,
R. Pauls. I. Liepa and L. Agutin.

To conclude the contest the image is as following: "Georgia" duet
gained the first horizontal, the second place is honored to Russian
Iris, and the third is Italian singer. The winners of the first
three horizontals received certificates and money: 70 thousands,
40 thousands and 30 thousands dollars. Armenian singer Mher is in
the fifth horizontal.

OSCE SPECIAL ENVOY: NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

Azeri Press Agency
July 30 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva -APA. OSCE Chairman-in-Office Special Envoy
Heikki Talvitie has held press conference on outcomes of his visit
to Azerbaijan today, APA reports

Talvitie touched upon Nagorno Karabakh conflict and noted that he
supported continuation of dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and
expected meeting of Foreign Ministers of the two countries. Special
Envoy noted that it would better if Foreign Ministers of the two
countries met before the elections.

"We hope that dialogue between the sides will be conducted after
elections as well. Dialogue based on core principles and will
further continue on these principles. Nagorno Karabakh conflict
should be solved within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity. Territorial integrity and status of Nagorno Karabakh are
not in contradiction with each other. Same situation has occurred in
Moldova and Georgia. Continuation of negotiations means that there are
principles for good results. I hope that there will be new meetings
after presidential elections in Azerbaijan," he said. Talvitie touched
upon upcoming presidential elections.

"OSCE is for assessment of election process. Azerbaijani Government
should ensure democratic and transparent elections. We have conducted
discussions on freedom of assembly during the meetings with Baku
Main Police Department Chief and Baku Mayor and opposition," he
said. Talvitie added that Election Code and law on freedom of assembly
coincide with international norms.

"The main issue is implementation of these laws. OSCE is ready to
assist those, who implement these laws," he said.

Special Envoy stressed that freedom of speech is one of the main
principles of democracy.

SABAH: KURDISTAN FREEDOM FALCON RESPONSIBLE FOR ISTANBUL BLASTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.07.2008 15:29 GMT+04:00

Kurdistan Freedom Falcon (TAK) has taken on the responsibility for
Istanbul Sunday blasts, Sabah newspaper reports with e reference
to sources in Turkish intelligence. No other sources have confirmed
the information yet.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan implicitly blamed
separatist Kurdish rebels Monday for two bomb blasts that ripped
through a crowded Istanbul street, killing 17 people and wounding
more than 150.

Erdogan all but named the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
describing the two explosions as "the cost" of an intensified crackdown
against the rebels in Turkey and in neighboring northern Iraq, where
they take refuge.

Meanwhile, the PKK made an announcement and denied having any
connection with the attack. Zubeyir Aydar condemned the attack saying,
"This is a very dark incident. There had been some similar events in
the past. Such an attack is very thought provoking in such a period
when Ergenekon and AK Party cases are heard. PKK has no connection
with the event. We believe there are dark forces behind this incident."

CATHOLIC IRANIAN GETS RUNAROUND FROM GEORGIAN OFFICIALS ON REFUGEE STATUS, FEARS RETURN TO IRAN

Daily Georgian Times
July 28 2008
Georgia

Esmaeil Ebrahimi Pashabaig, an Iranian citizen first requested
political asylum in Georgia over a year ago. However, the ministry for
refugees and accommodation rejected his request. He has not yet decided
whether he will stay in Georgia or ask another European country for
political asylum. He is currently appealing the ministry’s decision.

Pashabaig first came to Georgia from Armenia in February 2006. He has
lived in the USA, Turkey, and Armenia. In February 2006, he visited
Georgia because he hoped to go to Azerbaijan, which he could do only
via Georgia. Azeri border guards prevented him from entering Azerbaijan
and Pashabaig had to return to Georgia.

"Georgian border guards detained him. According to our legislation,
border violation is not considered a crime. The border guards
contacted us and asked to render legal assistance to the Iranian
citizen," says Manama Kobakhidze, the head of the NGO "Article 42
of Constitution". She is now working to protect the interests of
Pashabaig in Georgia.

According to Pashabaig, when Georgian border guards detained him
on February 15, 2006, they deprived him of his passport and all
documents. His lawyer Kobakhidze states that Georgian border guards
handed the documents over to the Embassy of Iran in Georgia.

Later Pashabaig, who says that his conversion to Catholicism make
at risk of facing serious punishment upon returning to Islamic Iran,
asked Georgian authorities for refugee status.

"I’d like to return to my country but I cannot, because my life will
be under threat there. For over two years I have been asking Georgia
for refugee status and temporary residential area but in vain,"
Pashabaig says.

Currently he lives in a hostel in Bagebi. Although he says that is
fine living there, he resides there illegally.

Pashabaig says that if Georgian authorities do not grant refugee
status to him and make their decision on deportation his life will
be under serious threat.

He also claims that he cannot return to Armenia either. Pashabaig
spent four years in Armenia where he married an Armenian
citizen. Nevertheless, he claims that, because relatives of his wife
robbed and persecuted him, he was forced to leave Armenia and he
found shelter in Georgia. According to him, his family in Armenia
works along side the Armenian police, and if he returned, his life
would be in danger.

However, Pashabaig’s arguments are not enough for the Georgian Ministry
for Refugees and Accommodation to grant refugee status to him.

According to a letter to Pashabaig from the Georgian ministry for
refugees and accommodation his "documents do not prove" that he faces
a serious threat in Armenia, where lived for a few years: "Considering
this, the ministry reckons it unreasonable to grant refugee status."

Pashabaig has addressed the ministry several times but in
vain. Finally, with the help of Kobakhidze’s NGO, he prepared a
lawsuit and an appeal on the decision of the ministry at Tbilisi city
court. Based on the suit filed by Pashabaig on July 10, 2008, the
administrative board of the Tbilisi City Court abolished the rejection
from the Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation and returned the case
to the ministry for another consideration. The court also required
that a suitable residential place be granted to Pashabaig during the
consideration process.

Kobakhidze declares that her client has already practically won the
process. The administrative act issued by the ministry that rejected
Esmaeil’s request for registration as an asylum seeker and refugee
status, was annulled by the court.

"The court instructed the ministry to study factual reasons of the
case and make final decision respectively," says Kobakhidze.

According to the lawyer, the ministry can still reject Pashabaig’s
request, but this decision must be based on a thorough study of the
factual situation.

Kobakhidze says that when the ministry did not satisfy Pashabaig’s
request for registration as an asylum seeker it did not understand
that the Iranian citizen could not return to Armenia, where he lived
before arriving in Georgia or Iran, his native land, as he would be
under serious threat in those countries.

On July 17, 2008, Pashabaig was informed that his request for refugee
status will still not be considered and the decision of Tbilisi City
Court Administrative board to allocated residential are for him will
also not be satisfied until the Appeal Court completes consideration
of the ministry’s suit.

Pashabaig’s lawyer believes that he should have already received
refugee status but the process is being prolonged due to both objective
and subjective reasons.

She explains that one time the court had to interrogate a witness,
an Azeri citizen and head of a religious organization in Azerbaijan
who spent many years in Iran and knew about Iranian fundamentalist
religious organizations.

"The witness was to speak about the threats that Pashabaig would face
in Iran considering the Islamic faith. The witness needed a Russian
language interpreter. It took a year for the city court to find two
interpreters for Pashabaig."

Kobakhidze states that the ministry was eligible to appeal the court’s
decision. "It means that the decision of administrative board will
not come into force. It will be postponed and we’ll have to wait for
the Appeal Court’s decision," says Kobakhidze.

She says that Pashabaig asks for the refugee status because
he will face torture and inhumane treatment if he returns to
Iran. If the ministry satisfies his request, Pashabaig will stay in
Georgia. However, he will have the right to move to another country,
a right he has no chance to take advantage of because he has no
official paper.

HRANT DINK’S APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO CARRY A GUN HAD BEEN TURNED DOWN

armradio.am
26.07.2008 15:23

Hrant Dink, the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist who was shot
to death in 2007, had applied for permission to carry a gun after
receiving threats.

However, officials turned down his request, said a police informant
with an Armenian name, according to a report issued by the
parliamentary sub-commission examining Dink’s murder, the Turkish
daily News reported.

An important detail, not previously mentioned, was revealed in the
report by the parliamentary subcommission, daily Hurriyet wrote. An
individual, who was believed to be from the close circle Dink traveled
in, is thought to have Armenian roots because of his name and is
believed to have been following Dink. He has now been identified in
the report as a police informer. This information was obtained from a
report by inspectors Å~^ukru Yıldız and Mehmet Ali Ozkılınc, who
had investigated possible official negligence in Dink’s murder. The
informer was referred to as H.A in the daily’s story.

Dink had sought a licensed gun but did not receive permission, the
informer, H.A., said, according to the report. The informer also
said he did not know to which authority Dink complained about not
receiving permission. Erdal Dogan, the lawyer representing Dink’s
family, said it was also revealed that Dink was aware that he=2 0was
being pursued. "An individual who was saying that he is under threat
applied for a gun and he was rejected, this violates human rights,"
Dogan said.

–Boundary_(ID_8M7lyq+Je/peJLMvGzDVmw)–