Author: Madatian Greg

ARMENIANS TO HOLD EVENTS TO POPULATE THE SELF-DECLARED NAGORNO KARABAKH

Today.Az
cs/50173.html
Jan 19 2009
Azerbaijan

Ministry of social provision of separatist Nagorno Karabakh has
prepared a concept of the policy of populating the "republic", which
was approved by the "NKR" security council, said Minister of Social
Provision of "NKR" Narine Azatyan.

She said effective steps will be taken in 2009 for the execution of
this concept. The allowance to resettled families will be reviewed.

1 million drams are envisioned per family. Mechanisms and ways of
aid provision will also be defined. The geography of the populated
villages will also change.

The Minister voiced hope for the support of diaspora in the issue of
"NKR" populating.

CM Magazine, University of Manitoba, Canada
Volume XV, Number 11
Jan 23 2009

Book Review: Call Me Aram

Call Me Aram. (New Beginnings).
Marsha Skrypuch. Illustrated by Muriel Wood.
Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2009.
88 pp., pbk. & hc., $10.95 (pbk.), $16.95 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55455-001-2 (pbk.),
ISBN 978-1-55455-000-5 (hc.).

Subject Headings:
Armenian massacres, 195-1923-Turkey-Juvenile fiction.
Orphans-Juvenile fiction.

Grades 3-5 / Ages 8-10.
Review by Jane Bridle.

*** /4

Reviewed from f&g’s.

excerpt:

Aram tried to make sense of his new life. He could tell that Reverend
Edwards and his wife wanted the best for every single boy in their
charge. Aram was grateful for the food that they gave him. He was
thankful to be in Canada, where he was safe. But at the same time, he
felt empty and sad. He longed for a hug from his Grandmother, and he
missed Mgredich’s grin. Here, there were no adults who could speak
their language, and there was so much that Aram needed to find out.

In this sequel to Aram’s Choice, Aram Davidian, one of 50 child
refugees from the 1923 Armenian genocide, arrives in Canada at an
orphanage in Georgetown, Ontario. Aram’s Choice, an historical chapter
book for "newly independent readers" in the "New Beginnings" series by
Fitzhenry and Whiteside, recounted the journey from Corfu. Call Me
Aram relates the difficulties of adjusting to life in Canada. Aram is
relieved to have escaped the hunger and uncertainty, but he faces many
new fears and contradictory emotions. Even adjusting to new foods,
such as porridge, is juxtaposed with the memories of a traditional
Armenian breakfast. While Aram appreciates the kindness of his
Canadian hosts, he is confused when they call him David Adams. He
learns that he and the other boys were assigned Canadian names. Their
sponsors believed that the anglicized names were easier to pronounce
and would help the boys adjust to new life in Canada, hence the title
Call Me Aram.

Call Me Aram is a good choice for spearheading discussions about
the trials of new Canadians. The book provides a realistic portrayal
of the homesickness, difficulties with language and other problems
faced by displaced immigrants. The theme of maintaining a cultural
identity, even when harboured by well-meaning sponsors, is explored.

As in Aram’s Choice, Muriel Wood’s luminous illustrations help to
clarify the text. Unfamiliar items, such as a Canadian wood stove and
an Armenian ojak or cooking hearth, are illustrated on a double page
spread. The font is easy to read, and the book is designed to be
comfortable to hold by small hands.

Historical notes at the end of the book along with reproductions
of photographs of the Georgetown Boys complement Skrypuch’s narrative
and lend authenticity to the story. A selective bibliography of books,
films and websites is appended. There is also a glossary and index.

Aram’s Choice was shortlisted for CLA Book of the Year Award
2007, Silver Birch Express Award, 2007, Golden Oak Award 2008 and won
a Resource Links Best Book Award in 2006. The sequel, Call Me Aram, is
a compelling story with a satisfying conclusion about a little know
event in Canadian history.

Recommended.

Jane Bridle is a librarian at the Winnipeg Public Library in Winnipeg, MB.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Benita Ferrero-Waldner: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan important
countries for EU
16.01.2009 18:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighborhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner will be traveling to
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan from January 19 to 22. During her
visit the Commissioner will discuss proposals to substantially upgrade
the level of political engagement with the EU’s Eastern neighbors in a
new Eastern Partnership (EaP), Anahit Azatyan, a spokesperson for the
European Commission Delegation to Armenia, told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Implementation of each country’s European Neighborhood Policy (ENP)
Action will also be discussed. In Georgia the Commissioner will
discuss implementation of the up to ?¬500 million pledged to
re-launch the economy and resettle IDPs following last summer’s
conflict. In Armenia and Azerbaijan she will urge renewed efforts to
find a settlement for Nagorno Karabakh.

Prior to her visit, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner said: "Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan are important countries for the EU, and we want to do more
to help them advance in the reform process that will bring them
greater prosperity and stability. The new Eastern Partnership offers
the prospect of closer political and economic ties, with very concrete
help to unlock the advantages available through the ENP `
for example in the fields of trade, mobility and now, more importantly
than ever, new measures to increase these partners’ energy security
and our own. A very special relationship with the EU is on offer to
countries which choose to pursue reforms, particularly in improving
democracy, human rights and rule of law".

She added, "The EU has been the key player in ending the conflict in
Georgia, and continues to strive for progress in the Geneva process,
while making the biggest overall contribution to financial assistance
to get Georgia back to normal. Equally, the EU believes that the
region will never attain its full potential as long the frozen
conflict in Nagorno Karabakh remains unresolved, and I will want to
hear from political leaders their views on the prospects for
progress."

The trip will provide a timely opportunity to take stock of recent
developments in the South Caucasus as well as political and economic
reforms in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Other topics that will be
raised with interlocutors will include energy security; the situation
of human rights and fundamental freedoms; economic consequences of the
Georgia conflict on the region and the state of play of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as other topics of regional concern.

In Armenia the Commissioner will welcome a new initiative to deploy EU
experts inside the Armenian administration at a high level to support
reform efforts. These reforms are essential to help Armenia draw the
advantages of a closer relationship with Europe. The EU focuses in
particular on reform of the judiciary and freedom of the
media. Naturally the EU’s support for the OSCE Minsk Group
efforts to solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well as improvements
in Armenian-Turkish relations will also figure high on the agenda.

ARMENIA WANTS GOOD-NEIGHBOR RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN, TURKEY: PM

Trend News Agency
Jan 14 2009
Azerbaijan

Yerevan says Armenia wants good-neighbor relations with all countries,
including Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"Armenia wants to continue talks and maintain good-neighbor relations
with Turkey and Azerbaijan," Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan
said in an interview with Interfax . "We should be able to establish
good relations with both these countries."

"Talks with our Turkish counterparts are very efficient, and
Armenian-Turkish relations are seeing great progress," he said. "I
think establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey is very realistic."

"In terms of opening our borders… it is not bad to open one’s borders
once you have sound political and economic ties with your neighbor,"
he said.

The Armenian-Turkish borders are closed due to Armenia’s territorial
claims against Azerbaijan and demands that Turkey recognize the
so-called "Armenian Genocide."

Armenia says talks to solve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict are
admissable.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed
forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently
holding the peace negotiations.

Sarkisyan said the U.S. considers the current talks efficient and
supports the OSCE Minsk Group. There is full understanding between
the U.S. and Russian co-chairs, he added.

"It means that the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs consider
the current talks acceptable and efficient, and I think we should
agree with these assessments as they meet our estimations as well,"
Sarkisyan said.

CO-RAPPORTEURS OF THE MONITORING COMMITTEE TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA JANUARY 15

Trend News Agency
Jan 13 2009
Azerbaijan

The co-rapporteyrs of the Monitoring Committee of the Council of
Europe, John Prescott and Georges Colombier, and Secretary of the
Commision Bas Clain will arrive in Yerevan on January 15, reported
Public Radio.

Within the framework of the visit the co-rapporteurs are expected to
meet the Special Representative of the Council of Secretary General,
Silvia Zehe, RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, Human Rights
Defender Armen Harutyunyan.

At the National Assembly the co-rapporteurs will be received by Speaker
Hovik Abrahamyan, Head of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to PACE
David Harutyunyan, President of the parliamentary ad hoc commission
investigating the events of March 1-2 in Yerevan Samvel Nikoyan,
members of the fact-finding group of experts.

On January 15 the co-rapporteyrs of the Monitoring Committee John
Prescott and Georges Colombier will have a meeting with the President
of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan.

THERE ARE NO SERIOUS GROUNDS FOR DEPRIVING ARMENIA OF THE VOTING RIGHT AT PACE, DEPUTY

Trend News Agency
Jan 12 2009
Azerbaijan

Press Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Edward
Sharmazanov expressed confidence today that no sanctions will be
applied against Armenia at the winter session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Deputy sees no
prerequisites for it even in case some people speak about the existence
of "political prisoners" in Armenia, reported Public radio.

Edward Sharmazanov said there are no threats for Armenia at the
Parliamentary Assembly, since the authorities have taken a number
of steps to soften the attitude of Europeans, Sharmazanov said and
recalled an example – the reforms in the judicial, tax and custom
structures, which now correspond to European standards. Besides,
he stated that the ad hoc parliamentary commission investigating
the events of March 1 did not become the executor of the will of
the authorities.

"I think that the perspective that Armenia will be deprived of the
voting right is very dim, because I do not see serious bases for
it. My subjective sentiment is that there is no serious ground for
depriving Armenia of the voting right."

"Of course, being deprived of the voting right in European structures
does not proceed from Armenia’s interests, because there is an issue
of reputation today. There are other issue, as well, but I do not keep
to the opinion that if we are deprived of the voting right, a period
of darkness will come and everything will be over," Sharmazanov said.

2,500 CASES OF FIRE AND 14 CASES OF EXPLOSION OF GAS-CYLINDERS REGISTERED IN 2008

ARMENPRESS
Jan 9, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS: As of initial information 2,500 cases
of fire were registered in 2008 against 2,284 in 2007.

Press service of the Armenian Emergency Situations Rescue Service
told Armenpress that as a result of fires 28 people died and 45
were injured.

Last year 14 cases of gas-cylinder explosions were registered 13
of which were gas-cylinders of transport means. Seven explosions
occurred in gas stations during filling the cylinders with gas. Last
year as a result of explosions of gas-cylinders 3 people died and
six were injured.

RA PRESIDENT’S YOUTH PRIZE TO BE GIVEN IN SPHERES OF FINE ARTS, CINEMA, AND LITERATURE IN 2009

Noyan Tapan

Jan 8, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President’s youth prize sponsored
by the Robert Boghossian and Sons Foundation (France) will be also
given in 2009.

The prize, a certificate, an order, and a sum in drams equivalent
to 2500 USD will be given to 18-25-year-old youth creators being
RA citizens for their works in the sphere of fine arts (painting,
sculpture, drawing, etc.), cinema, and literature.

As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the Public Relations
Department of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, the bids will be accepted
in January-February. Both already published or shown and unpublished
works can be submitted to the competition. The unpublished works
should be handed over to the Hayheghinak NGO on protection of authors’
rights for keeping.

EUbusiness (press release), UK
Dec 31 2008

EU warns Azerbaijan over its BBC, Voice of America ban

31 December 2008, 11:44 CET

(BRUSSELS) – The European Commission warned Azerbaijan Wednesday that
its planned ban of local-language broadcasts by the BBC, Voice of
America and Radio Liberty could hit plans for deeper ties.

"The decision by the Azerbaijani National TV and Radio Council not to
renew the broadcasting licences of several foreign broadcasters,
including the BBC, Radio Liberty and the Voice of America, is a matter
of serious concern," EU Commissioner for External relations Benita
Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement.

"If implemented, this decision would deprive a great number of
listeners of valuable and independent sources of information as of 1
January 2009," she added.

Azerbaijan has come under fire from international rights groups and
Western governments for limiting media freedom and jailing local
journalists.

Critics say foreign-funded news broadcasts are among the only sources
of independent information in the oil-rich Caspian Sea nation.

Nushirvan Magerramli, chairman of the country’s State Council for
Television and Radio Broadcasting assured on Tuesday that the decision
not to renew the media licences "has nothing to do with
politics. Nobody raised concerns when we stopped Russian, Turkish and
French television and radio broadcasts in Azerbaijan."

The banned broadcasters will only be able to broadcast into Azerbaijan
via cable networks.

The EU’s Ferrero-Waldner warned that the decision ran counter to plans
for boost EU-Azerbaijan ties, which is part of the European Union’s
new ‘Eastern Partnership’ scheme.

The proposals to "strengthen the overall relationship between the EU
and the Republic of Azerbaijan" was made "on the basis of the common
values of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms," she stressed.

"Respect for freedom of expression and of the media are essential
elements in this regard… I urge the Azerbaijani authorities to
reconsider their decision, so that the broadcasters concerned can
continue their transmissions unimpeded."

The Eastern Partnership scheme involves Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

BRANCH OF STATE AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA OF ARMENIA TO OPEN IN KARABAKH

armradio.am
25.12.2008 14:46

President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met the
rector of the Armenian State Agrarian University of Armenia Arshalouys
Tarverdyan, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR
President reported.

Issues related to developing science in the republic were discussed at
the meeting. Within this context it was mentioned that from January
2009 a branch of the university will start functioning in Nagorno
Karabakh.

The Head of the State considered important opening of the new
educational establishment in Artsakh and the role it is to play in
developing the main branch of NKR’s economy, the sphere of agriculture.