Author: Khondkarian Raffi

FINANCIAL SYSTEM MUST STIMULATE EQUAL DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN REGIONS: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

ARKA
May 26, 2008

YEREVAN, May 26. /ARKA/. Armenian financial system should become
one of the key factors accounting for the fulfilment of a task which
Armenian government has placed among its priority goals – the equal
development of all the regions of the country.

Armenian President Serge Sargsyan made this statement speaking at
the first financial and banking conference in the resort town of
Dilijan, Armenia.

The country will never achieve serious results unless its economic
growth applies to each citizen, the president believes.

"We all love Yerevan, but Armenia is not Yerevan alone. Business
activity should go beyond the capital, otherwise, we will never
achieve our equal development goal," Sargsyan said.

The president, prime minister and Central Bank vice-chairman visited
the construction site of a new building to house the educational
centre of Armenian Stock Exchange and Central Bank.

The conference was organized by the Union of Armenian Banks. It
was also attended by the key players of the financial and banking
sectors. The objective of the conference was to specify the priority
steps aimed at the development of the banking and financial sectors,
and its role in the country’s general development programs.

THREE FREE CONCERTS BY THE CROWN CITY SYMPHONY

Pasadena Now
lish/article_4554.shtml
May 26 2008
CA

Armenian Music and Musicians is the theme of the final three free
concerts of the Crown City Symphony.

Armenian Music and Musicians is the theme of the final three free
concerts of the Crown City Symphony. Svetlana Oganesian, violinist
and Ophelia Nanagyulyan, violist, will be soloists in Konzertante
Sinfonie by Mozart

The orchestra, conducted by Marvin Neumann, will also perform Prelude
and Quadruple Fugue by Hovaness Masquerade Suite by Khachaturian King
Stephan Overture by Beethoven.

The concerts will be held Friday, May 30, at 7:30 pm at the Pasadena
Central Library, 285 E. Walnut, Pasadena. This concert will also
celebrate the library volunteers and their contributions.

Another concert will be held Saturday, May 31, at 2:00 pm, at the
Altadena Senior Center, 560 E. Mariposa, Altadena. The final concert
will be presented on Sunday, June 1, at 2:00 pm, at the First Baptist
Church 75 N. Marengo, Pasadena. Validated parking is available in the
Holly Street garage. For more information contact (626) 797-1994 or
log onto

NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE NOT REGIONAL BUT WORLD

DeFacto Agency
May 26 2008
Armenia

STEPANAKERT, 26.05.08. DE FACTO. In the course of a meeting with
the participants of the international conference entitled "Karabakh
Movement: Realities and Perspectives" held in Stepanakert the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic /NKR/ President Bako Sahakian stated,
"the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not regional but world".

The NKR President underscored that Azerbaijan pursued aggressive
policy at highest level stirring up hatred for Armenian nation in
Azerbaijani society. According to Bako Sahakian, the issue is common
to all mankind, and the international community should stop Azerbaijan
in avoidance of dangerous development of events.

"Becoming a subject of international law Azerbaijan pledged some
engagements referring, in part, to the Karabakh conflict’s peaceful
resolution, however, it openly ignores the engagements", Bako
Sahakian noted.

Touching in this connection on Azeri party’s militaristic statements
the NKR President underscored, "if Baku again incites a war, then to
ensure the Nagorno-Karabakh’s security we’ll have to shift hostilities
to the depth of Azerbaijan’s territory".

NKR OFFICE IN BERLIN
By Anahit Hovsepian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/05/2008

Nagorno Karabakh-Germany

In Berlin – the capital of Germany the office of the Republic
of Nagorno Karabakh opened this year. It is the 7th after similar
offices in Armenia, France, Russia, USA, Australia and Near East,
mentioned Head of the Office Gayane Apinian.

NKR President Bako Sahakian’s degree to open an office in Berlin was
signed in January 2008, informed Mrs.

Apinian and added, "Though the office is not registered there is close
cooperation with German authorities, legislative and executive bodies,
NGOs and political foundations". "This cooperation is formed due to
our 4 years of work", said the head of the office recalling of the
Union of Artsakh Relatives founded by her.

To our question if the events of the Year of Azerbaijan in Germany
in 2008 hamper their office activities, Mrs. Apinian answered that
though she didn’t received an invitation to participate in the events,
she participated in two of those events that were well organized and
the Azerbaijanis received her with "restrained respect".

What about the flag, Head of NKR office mentioned that it will be
soon in Berlin and will flutter in the capital of Germany.

We don’t know any other unrecognized country to have an office in
Germany. Similar attempt was made by Chechens several years ago but
it didn’t become a serious representation.

Night of violence has Valley bracing for deadly summer
Greuel, Alarcon push for gang intervention programs
By Rachel Uranga, Staff Writer
[email protected]
Article Last Updated: 05/22/2008 12:11:01 AM PDT

As police moved Wednesday to beef up patrols in the San Fernando Valley after
one of the bloodiest nights in years, residents of North Hollywood and other
neighborhoods struggled to make sense of the rash of shootings that left two
dead and eight wounded.
"It is so scary," said Sajedeh Moalk, who was behind the counter of J&C Food
Store, less than 15 feet from where one of two fatal shootings in North
Hollywood broke out. "I have never seen anything like this."
The Valley saw a total of six shootings in a four-hour period Tuesday, but
police say only the North Hollywood fatalities were related. They say at least
two of the other four shootings were gang-related.
In response, the Los Angeles Police Department is adding patrols in North
Hollywood and the Northeast Valley, said Deputy Chief Michel Moore.
"It’s senseless, disheartening and discouraging," Moore said. "There is
nothing in recent memory with this many victims. … It is highly unusual."
The shooting spree brought the year-to-date Valley homicide toll to 30, with
police and residents bracing for the summer months ahead, when violence
traditionally peaks.
"We are anticipating a hot summer, and things happen when it gets above 100
degrees," said Councilman Richard Alarc n, whose district includes Pacoima,
where two shootings Tuesday left three wounded. Alarc n said he is pushing
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to speed up the funding of intervention programs in
the area before summer. Both Alarc n and Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who
represents North Hollywood, are doubling efforts to build Neighborhood Watch
programs.
The brazen gun attacks started in Northridge about 6 p.m Tuesday, when a gray
SUV with four men inside pulled alongside a 16-year-old boy walking near
Wilbur Avenue and Parthenia Street. The boy told police he struggled with one
of the men, who stepped out of the car and pointed a pistol at him, while
another person emerged from the car and shot him with a shotgun.
An hour later, a fight broke out among nearly a dozen Armenian men outside a
restaurant at Whitsett Avenue and Oxnard Street. The men appeared to have
been arguing, police said, when a number of them pulled out guns and firedoff
more than 20 shots. An Armenian male identified as Artak Karamyan, 28, died at
the scene.
Police said a car-to-car gunbattle ensued, and the body of Paylak
Harutyunyan, 29, was dumped at Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Vanowen Street.
Avetis Vartanyan, 24, has been booked on charges of homicide. Police have
suspects in at least two other shootings, but no other arrests had been made
by midevening Wednesday.
About 8:30 p.m., police said, violence broke out in Arleta when a man in a
large, dark SUV pulled up alongside a car carrying four males.
Police said it appears he sprayed the car with eight rounds, shattering
windows. Bullets hit the driver’s shoulder and back, and struck three others.
The gravely injured driver – whose name has not been released – drove them to
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley.
About 20 minutes later, along the 15000 block of Nurmi Street in Sylmar, four
men in a dark car shot an unidentified man.
Then at 9:45 p.m., two Latino men with shaved heads and white shirts drove by
a house in the 1200 block of Vaughn Street and shouted out a gang name
before firing more than eight rounds. The bullets struck a 21-year-old
African-American woman and 22-year-old African-American man. Police said it
doesn’t appear racially motivated.
The victims’ names have not been released.
Despite the bloodshed, Moore points out that overall violent crime in the
Valley continues to fall and gang-related homicides are half – down from 18to
nine – what they were at the same time last year. Still, he said, "we can’t
afford nights like last night."
"All of a sudden, the Valley exploded; the radio was going crazy," said Lt.
Ted Matthews, who oversees detectives at LAPD’s Foothill Division. "It was a
crazy night. I turned the corner to come into the station (that night) and I
thought, there is the full moon."
©2008 Los Angeles Newspaper Group

TER-PETROSYAN AND THE `POLITICAL PRISONERS’
VREJ AHARONYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 23, 2008
Armenia

Judging from all Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s team is trying to use the
so-called issue of the `political prisoners’ as a `political cudgel’
towards Armenia.

In general Ter-Petrosyan can very easily sacrifice his partners, using
the emotions of their relatives for his own political purposes. In
essence he is absolutely not interested in what condition his detained
partners are, whether or not their family members have financial,
health or any other problems.

During his conversations with his friends he has many times mentioned:
`Of course they must be detained. They should spend some one-two years
in the prison. The more detainees the worse for the ruling authorities
and the better for us.’

But the fact that he instigated many people to commit crimes and that
at the moment they will have to return an answer is not a matter of
concern for Levon Ter-Petrosyan. What he wants is to see lots of
`political prisoners’ in Armenia, especially among his activists.

If Levon Ter-Petrosyan was really interested in the issue of the
detainees, why didn’t he visit their families, why doesn’t he
participate in the protests organized by the relatives of the
detainees, and finally why didn’t they raise a `fund for the support of
the families of the detained?’

Instead Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters, by the instruction of the boss,
decided to organize a `universal hunger strike’ paying no heed to the
health condition of the detainees. They also wanted to set up a
`committee of political prisoners’ but of course they failed.

Whereas, the lawyers say, lots of detainees are very much upset about
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s indifference towards them. They have addressed
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, through their lawyers asking: ‘How long will this
continue? You deliver speeches, but day by day the law enforcers
substantiate our guilt.’

There are sufficient facts that many of the detainees are ready to
admit their guilt in the court and very soon will be released due to
accelerated court procedure.

Ter-Petrosyan’s team, of course, has a very negative attitude towards
this fact and they call these people `traitors’. But why? Why should
these people solve political issues for Levon Ter-Petrosyan? But the
boss is absolutely not concerned about the health and financial
condition of those detainees and their families.

By the way, it’s worth mentioning that Levon Ter-Petrosyan refused the
idea of raising a fund for the `political prisoners’, which was
approved by many detainees. This is how he substantiated his refusal:
`If we raise such fund, it will mean that we admit their crime that’s
why we are taking measures to help them.’

Thus, judging from Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s logic the activists must be
detained as long as possible, which will give him a very good chance to
blackmail the international organizations and Armenian ruling
authorities, by the issue of the `political prisoners’.

So, Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s appeal to release the `political prisoners’
is nothing more than eyewash. In reality what he wants is to see lots
of prisoners in the prison, so that he can permanently demand to
release these prisoners.’

FOUR ARMENIAN GRECO-ROMAN STYLE WRESTLERS TO TAKE PART IN LAST OLYMPIC RATING TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 23, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The last Greco-Roman Wrestling Rating
Tournament will start in the city of Novi Sad of Serbia on May
23. Karen Mnatsakanian (60kg), Arsen Julfalakian (74kg), Denis Forov
(84 kg) and Arman Geghamian (96 kg) from Armenia will struggle for
the Beijing Olympic passes.

Those, who take the first three places in the tournament will be
awarded with participation passes for the Beijing-2008.

DELEGATION HEADED BY SLOVAK MINISTER OF JUSTICE TO PAY VISIT TO ARMENIA ON MAY 26-28

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 23, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A delegation headed
by the minister of justice of the Slovak Republic Stefan Harabin will
pay a visit to Armenia on May 26-28. NT correspondent was informed
by spokeswoman for the RA ministry of justice Lana Mshetsian that the
delegation is composed of the Slovak deputy ministers of justice and
the head of Armenian community of Slovakia Ashot Grigorian.

Within the framework of the visit, it is envisaged to sign an agreement
on development of cooperation in the sphere of justice. On May 28
the delegations of the justice ministries of the two countries will
visit the Memorial Complex of the Armenian Genocide Victims and lay
wreaths at the monument, after which the ministers will give a joint
press conference.

The Slovak minister of justice has developed a bill envisaging
responsibility for denial of the Armenian Genocide – imprisonment of
up to 5 years.

PRESIDENTIAL STAFF LAUNCHES DISCUSSIONS OVER PUBLIC CHAMBER

ARMENPRESS
May 22, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS: The presidential staff said it is
launching a series of ten-day long discussions with all interested
individuals and organizations over President Serzh Sarkisian’s
instruction to set up a working group for promotion and formation of
Pubic Chamber.

The presidential press office told Armenpress that all interested
organizations and individuals can submit their proposals to a
presidential aide, Garnik Isagulian who can be reached at 58
87 11 telephone or another presidential aide, Sevak Lalayan,
who can be reached at [email protected] and Vigen Sarkisian
[email protected].

SERZH SARGSYAN: KARABAKH PEACEFUL PROCESS NOT EXHAUSTED

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2008 14:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The potential of the Karabakh peaceful process has
not been exhausted yet, Armenia’s President said.

"Yerevan advocates peaceful resolution of the conflict on the basis of
comprise while the opposite side very often comes up with belligerent
statements. However, there is still a hope for a peaceful resolution –
as long as the negotiations are continued on the basis of fundamental
principles," Serzh Sargsyan said at a meeting with head of EU member
states’ missions accredited to Armenia and representatives of the
European Commission delegation to the RA.

Touching on the Armenian-Turkish relations, the Armenian President
said that ‘our country is ready to establish relations with Turkey
without preconditions and to discuss all contentious issues on the
base of intergovernmental relations and negotiations’, the RA leader’s
press office reported.