Author: Mamian George

OSCE MG CALLS TO REFRAIN FROM MAXIMALIST INITIATIVES AND BELLIGERENT RHETORIC

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.07.2008 14:15 GMT+04:00

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Yuri Merzylakov of the
Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France; Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza of the United States)
welcome the constructive engagement of Presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan
following their June 6 meeting in St. Petersburg and the Co-Chairs’
June 27-28 trip to the region, says the Co-chairs’ statement posted
on the website of the OSCE.

"At this important juncture, the Co-Chairs call on all parties to
refrain from maximalist initiatives on the ground, at the negotiating
table, and in their public statements, and to avoid all belligerent
rhetoric, as we work together in pursuit of a peaceful settlement.

There is no military solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Both
Presidents called for invigorated Minsk Group talks during their
meeting in St. Petersburg. The Co-Chairs look forward to meeting again
with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in the coming
weeks to press forward with negotiations on the Basic Principles for
the peaceful settlement of the conflict," the statement says.

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

21 July, 2008

VivaCell to Sponsor the Hayastan Fund’s Telethon 2008

VivaCell mobile operator has undertaken the sponsorship of the
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Telethon 2008.

With his official letter to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, Mr. Ralph
Yirikian, General Manager of VivaCell mobile operator, has thanked the
Fund’s Acting Executive Director Mr. Ara Vardanyan for his offer to
cooperate and expressed willingness to donate 304 000 000 AMD to sponsor
Telethon.

As agreed, the lion’s share of the above mentioned amount will be used
for the organization and management of the Telethon. The rest of the
money has been already contributed to the "Assistance to the Children of
deceased and First Degree Invalid Soldiers of Armenia and Artsakh
project" project.

It is worth mentioning that VivaCell was among the sponsors of the
Telethon 2007, which raised more than 15 million USD. The Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund has been conducting annual Telethons since 1996 and
records growing results. More than 50 000 000 families all over the
world are among the audience, 40 000 000 out of which from the USA.

Telethon 2008 will be held and transmitted from Los Angeles, on November
27. Funds raised at the Telethon this year will be also directed to the
development of Armenian and Artsakh rural communities.

"It’s inspiring that charity and sponsorship have become corporative
behaviour for some organizations in our country. VivaCell is among
those," the Acting Executive Director Ara Vardanyan pointed out.

###

MINISTER SHAHGELDYAN VISITED KARBI

Panorama.am
16:55 17/07/2008

The Minister of Emergency Situations Mher Shahgeldyan visited Karbi
rural community, Aragatsotn marz, to see the damages caused by strong
hail, reported the public relations department of the Ministry.

Earlier the community was damaged by strong rain and hail, and the
minister wanted to get acquainted with the damages himself. The thing
is that half of the village has been damaged a lot and the other one
protected by anti-hail service.

The local inhabitants asked the Minister expand the number of anti-hail
station in the region. The Minister said that the Government and the
Prime Minister fixed their attention on that point. The officials
discuss the question of importing new station from abroad or to start
local construction.

"ATOM-2008" FINISHES TOMORROW

Panorama.am
16:52 17/07/2008

On July 14-18 the rescue service of the Ministry of Emergency
Situations organizes "Atom-2008" commanding headquarters exercises
supported by the Military Cooperation Office of the USA Embassy,
National Guardia of Kansas and "Cooperation for Solidarity" of NATO.

According to the service the exercises are attended by the
representatives of Foreign, Defense, Energy and Natural Resources,
Economy, Urban Development, Health, Environmental Protection, Transport
and Communication, Agriculture Ministries and other institutions.

SECOND PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN MEETS WITH BAZE GATHERING PARTICIPANTS

JULY 17
ARMENPRESS

Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharian was July 16 in the resort
town of Jermuk to meet with participants of annual youth gathering
known as Baze (Hawk) jamboree. The ex-president thanked young Armenians
who are from Armenia and other countries for their support to this
"beautiful initiative" and wished them good moods.

"Being the master of this country means to have strong will and
be persistent. This is what our young people have now," he said,
adding also that he is always next to the state and youth, loves and
respects both.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, head of the Diaspora Committee Hranush
Hakobian traveled also yesterday to Jermuk to meet with gathering’s
participants. The latter had an opportunity to ask a lot of questions.

The defense minister, particularly, was asked about the fate of 4
Armenian civilians captured by Azeri troops in April. He said he had
met with their parents and promised to spare no effort to bring all
back home.

Head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, is
expected also to meet with young Armenians in Jermuk. A special
pilgrimage will be organized for them to Saint Gayane Church and
those who would like, will be baptized by the Catholicos in a special
ceremony.

COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES WITH DEMAND OF BRINGING ROBERT KOCHARIAN BEFORE HAGUE INTERNATIONAL COURT STARTS

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 15

A republican collection of signatures with the demand of bringing
previous Armenian President Robert Kocharian before Hague International
Court for the grave crimes committed by him towards the people started
on July 14 on the initiative of the People’s Movement.

"Robert Kocharian has twice seized the presidential power on the basis
of forged documents, by committing a grave crime of power seizure. He
strengthened his personal and tyrant power with blood, by the October
27, 1999 crime and established a real robber regime in Armenia. He
finished the power again with blood, with the cruel slaughter of
March 1, 2008, which with all its signs is a crime against mankind,"
the document read. Several hundreds of citizens have already signed
under it.

According to David Shahnazarian, a representative of People’s Movement
center, first of all R. Kocharian and RA Prosecutor General Aghvan
Hovsepian are responsible for the March 1 events.

According to Stepan Demirchian, the Chairman of the People’s Party
of Armenia, it would be desirable that Armenia’s criminals receive
a punishment in their own country. "However, as no real justice
is administered in Armenia, we have to apply to the international
instances," he said.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE
July 14, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Email: [email protected]

ANCA WELCOMES CHARGES AGAINST SUDAN’S GENOCIDAL LEADER

— International Criminal Court Accuses Omar al-Bashir
of "Genocide" and "Crimes against humanity"

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
today welcomed news of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s)
indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of
genocide against the people of Darfur.

"Armenian Americans welcome these charges as a meaningful step
forward in the international movement to end the cycle of
genocide," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
"We are hopeful that this legal milestone will mark a turning point
toward decisive action on the part of the United States, the U.N.
Security Council, and the international community to end Khartoum’s
brutal and systematic drive to destroy the population of Darfur
through massacre, disease and malnutrition."

The Save Darfur Coalition, of which the ANCA is a member, has
initiated a grassroots email campaign to the U.N. Security Council,
urging them to take decisive action on a comprehensive strategy for
Sudan. Save Darfur President Jerry Fowler noted, "The world at-
large, primarily the Security Council, has allowed al-Bashir to
continue his reign of destruction, recalcitrance and violence with
utter impunity. Moreno-Ocampo has acted. Now the Security Council
must as well." To participate in the email campaign, visit:
ersary

The Associated Press reported today that Luis Moreno-Ocampo, "the
prosecutor of the International Criminal Court filed genocide
charges Monday against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, accusing
him of masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in Darfur
with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation. The filing marked
the first time prosecutors at the world’s first permanent, global
war crimes court have issued charges against a sitting head of
state, but al-Bashir is unlikely to be sent to The Hague any time
soon. Sudan rejects the court’s jurisdiction, and senior Sudanese
officials said the prosecutor was politically motivated to file the
charges." In presenting his case, Moreno-Ocampo explained that,
"Genocide is a crime of intention – we don’t need to wait until
these 2.5 million die." He added that, "the genocide is ongoing."

In January of this year al-Bashir completed a three-day state visit
to Turkey, at the invitation of President Abdullah Gul. During the
visit, Turkey ran against the current of growing international
isolation of Khartoum’s genocidal regime by signing a memorandum of
understanding to strengthen Sudan-Turkey military relations and
expanding cooperation on military technology transfers and
training. Turkey’s Minister of Trade projected at the time that
Sudan will soon be Turkey’s largest trading partner in Africa.
Despite calls from human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch,
Turkish President Gul did not put pressure on Sudan to end the
atrocities in Darfur, but instead claimed that it was merely a
"humanitarian tragedy" that "is not only a matter of politics, but
also stems from poverty and environmental conditions"

#####

Photo Caption: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with Turkish
President Aldullah Gul during their meeting in Turkey in January,
2008.

A1+

MEMOIRS FROM VAN REGION
[11:33 am] 14 July, 2008

On July 15th of 2008, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute will host
the congratulatory event dedicated to Sirak Sarhatian’s `My Memoirs’
book. This event will take place at 2pm in the Komitas Hall of the
Institute. The first publication of the `My Memoirs’ had been
conducted by the author himself and had taken place in Tehran, of
1942. This recent publication has materialized due to the extensive
efforts of the Research on Armenian Architecture (RAA) center.

Born in the Aikesdan region of Van, Sirak Sarhatian’s `My Memoirs’
provides us with a unique, extensive and explicate perspective on the
heroic resistance of the Armenians of Van and the human struggle for
survival during the genocidal periods of 1915-1918. Furthermore, the
book provides us with, a broad overlook on the struggles of the
survivors and a microscopic view of the specific fortunes of certain
individuals who lived through the genocide.

The second edition is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the
independence of the First Vaspouragan Armenian Republic (January 6th,
1918).

RA PRESIDENT SIGNS A NUMBER OF LAWS

Y EREVAN, JULY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan, on July 12,
signed laws on Making Addendum to RA Law On Foundations, On Making
Addenda to the RA Law On Obligatory Execution of Judicial Acts, On
Making Addendum to the RA Law On Central Bank of Armenia, On Making
Addendum to the RA Law On Profit Tax, On Making Addenda to the RA Civil
Judicial Enquiry Code, On Making Amendment and Addendum to RA Law On
Credit Organizations, On Making Addendum to RA Law On Bank Secret, On
Making Addenda to RA Law On Banks and Banking Activity, On Making
Addendum to RA Civil Code, On Making Addenda to RA Laws On Protection
of Consumers Rights, On Attraction of Bank Deposits, On Conciliator of
Financial System, On Consumer Crediting, On Organization and Holding of
Checkings in RA. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the RA
President’s Press Office.

Sky News, UK
July 12 2008

Hope fades for Nalbandian
Injury threatens to shatter Argentinian star’s Olympic dream

Tennis star David Nalbandian’s hopes of representing Argentina at the
Olympic Games are hanging in the balance according to his
physiotherapist.

Despite the Argentinian Olympic Committee already announcing his
inclusion in the team, the 26-year-old is still struggling with
muscular injuries.

The 2002 Wimbledon finalist may yet have to go under the knife and
remains a serious doubt for both Beijing in August and the Davis Cup
semi-final against Russia the following month.

In an interview with Ole newspaper Diego Rodriguez said that the world
number seven was doing all he could to be fit in time for the games.

"David is going through a recovery program," said Rodriguez.

"He hasn’t played tennis for two weeks and has done some work in the
swimming pool and on the bicycle.

"He will compete again when he is in good shape."

Rodriguez however, did not rule out surgery if the recovery programme
does not prove successful.

"Having an operation is one of the options," He said. "But that will
be analysed by the medical staff.

"To reach this point, the result of the current treatment would have
to be discouraging."