Author: Nahapetian Samvel

ARMENIAN AND AMERICAN PRESIDENTS HAVE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

ArmInfo
2009-10-06 09:46:00

ArmInfo. Armenian and American presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Barack
Obama have had a telephone conversation at the initiative of US
president during S. Sargsyan’s stay in Los Angeles. To recall, the
Armenian president visited the City of Angels within the frames of
the pan-Armenian tour.

As the presidential press service reports, B. Obama expressed
assistance to S. Sargsyan in his efforts aimed at normalization of
the Armenian-Turkish relations. US president confirmed his country’s
official stance once again, that is, the process of normalization of
the Armenian-Turkish relations should run without any preconditions
and should not be linked with the Karabakh conflict settlement.

President Sargsyan expressed his gratitude to US president for
assistance in the Armenian-Turkish process, and shared his impressions
from the pan-Armenian tour. The S. Sargsyan emphasized that the
Armenians’ concern regarding the Armenian-Turkish process is natural
in view of the fact that the Armenian people suffered Genocide by the
Ottoman Empire, which president Obama has multiply mentioned about
in his speeches.

President Sargsyan also thanked B. Obama for the great mediatory
work by the USA within the frames of OSCE Minsk Group and emphasized
Armenia’s readiness to move forward to achieve peaceful settlement
of the problem, the cornerstone of which should become free will
expression of the NKR people, that forms the basis of OSCE MG Madrid
Principles.

V. HOVNANYAN: WE DON’T HAVE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS, BUT DIASPORA HAS

Aysor.am
Monday, October 05

"We don’t have territorial claims, but another Armenia – that
is, Diaspora, has them and this country cannot speak instead
of another. Diaspora is beyond Armenia and has experienced these
troubles," said at today’s press-conference Hovnanyan International’s
president Vahagn Hovnanyan.

Diaspora has normally responded to initialed protocols, he says,
as everyone can’t support those documents. "It’s freedom of choice."

Asked whether Armenian-Turkish relations and border opening hinder
Genocide recognition, Mr. Hovnanyan said definitely no and that
Armenians can free apply to the court.

"Initialed protocols cannot hinder process of Genocide
recognition. It’s an experienced event, and one or two persons are
unable to prevent. Only spending prevents. All the facts we have got."

PRESIDENT’S ALL-ARMENIAN TOUR – QUITE SUCCESSFUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2009 16:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I positively estimate RA President’s tour to
Diaspora communities," RPA Vice Chair Razmik Zorabyan told a news
conference in Yerevan.

Speaker found Diaspora’s concerns natural, and stressed President’s
efforts towards dissipating them. Armenian media, according to
him, always exaggerate Diaspora’s reaction to the current stage of
Armenian-Turkish process.

"President’s meeting in Paris was quite a success. There really was
a protest action there, and I find it quite natural. However, it’s
very impolite to offend President," Mr. Zorabyan said.

Hellenic News of America

22 New Memberships

Maria Karagianis, Anatolia Director of US Operations, with Paulette Poulos.

The National Membership Committee, under the Chairmanship of Thomas
L. Demakes, succeeded in recruiting 22 new memberships toward the 2009
goal of 50. There are now 825 members with 397 fulfilled members and
86 Leadership 100 Partners.

Prospect lists sent to members of the Board of Trustees and Membership
Chairmen in their respective Metropolises developed by Project Fish
Finder, an innovative marketing plan devised by Mike Henry, a member
of the Board of Trustees, and personal peer to peer contacts, resulted
in the majority of new members.

Events in Boston in September and plans for future events in Chicago
and Cleveland have already identified likely prospects that promise to
reach, if not exceed the goal.

In addition, the Leadership 100 Office has dramatically reduced the
Inactive Members list and is now focusing on maintaining accurate
updated listings of contributing members.

Chairman Stephen G. Yeonas has continued to make membership
recruitment the highest priority of his tenure with a new campaign
challenge to all members: Giving 5 Minutes a Day Leads a New Member
Our Way.’

Among the new members is Anatolia College, the K-12 American private
school and four- year Liberal Arts college in Thessaloniki, Greece,
which was founded by New England educators and missionaries in early
19th century Anatolia (modern day Turkey) and had educated Greek and
Armenian Christians in the Ottoman Empire for nearly 100 years before
moving to Greece in 1924. The College was recruited by National
membership Chairman, Thomas L. Demakes of the Metropolis of Boston.

The other new memberships (in most cases couples count as one
membership) and their Metropolises are:

Archdiocesan District of New York: Katrina P. Allwin- recruited by
Maria Allwin; Alexander Amanatides- recruited by Michael N. Bapis;
Stavros Aktipis ` recruited by James Pantelidis and Peter J. Pappas;
and Markos L. Drakotas ` recrui kis ` recruited by Michael N. Bapis,
Markos Marinakis and George Soterakis; John Neamonitis ` recruited by
George Soterakis; Michael and Robin Psaros ` recruited by Fr. Elias
Villis and Paulette Poulos; John Tsunis ` recruited by James
Pantelidis; and Dr. Dialecti Voudouris ` recruited by Dr. George
Carayannopoulos.

Metropolis of Boston: Christina Sakellaris and Peter Sakellaris `
recruited by Stephen G. Yeonas and Cathy Sakellaris.

Metropolis of Atlanta: Nicholas and Tina Trataros ` recruited by John
Kusturiss; and Alexandra Huttinger ` recruited by Dina Oldknow.

Metropolis of San Francisco: Chris and Jennifer Caras, Jr. ` recruited
by Chris W. Caras.

Metropolis of New Jersey: John and Maria Daskalakis, Jr., John Alex
Daskalakis III and Cina Daskalakis` recruited by John Daskalakis and
Louis Nicozisis; James M. and Nora C. Orphanides ` recruited by
Fr. Alexander Karloutsos and John Catsimatidis; Thrasyvoulas Maroulis
and Maria Stefanis ` recruited by Dr. George Stefanis; and an
anonymous new member recruited by Paulette Poulos.

State credit to be extended to ArmRosgasprom

YEREVAN, October 3. /ARKA/. Armenian cabinet ministers decided on
Thursday to lend $40 million to ArmRosgasprom CJSC from the budget in
the fourth quarter of this year.

The credit will be extended for six months at 11% interest.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said the company was successfully
implementing its investment program, and this credit will speed up that
process.

ArmRosgasprom has already invested $541 million for implementing its
projects.

`This is a bailout decision, and the credit is given for a short term
and are secured by reliable levers’, the premier said.

ArmRosgasprom’s investment program for 2009 and 2010 costs AMD 61.615
billion, of which 27.129 billion will be invested in 2009.

The aim of this investment program is to ensure non-stop, reliable and
safe gas supply.

ArmRosgasprom CJSC enjoys the sole right for importing and distributing
Russia gas in Armenia.

Russia conveys its gas to Armenia through Georgia.

The company was established in 1997.

Russian Gasprom holds 80% of the company’s shares, and the remaining
20% belong to Armenian government. ($1 = AMD 384.07). M.V.-0–

October 2, 2009

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

VERY REV. FR. VAGHINAG MELOIAN APPOINTED PASTOR OF
ST. GREGORY CHURCH IN SAN FRANCISCO

On behalf of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and the
Religious and Executive Councils of the Western Prelacy, we hereby announce
that Very Rev. Fr. Vaghinag Meloian has been appointed pastor of St. Gregory
Church in San Francisco.
Fr. Vaghinag has been serving at St. Gregory Church for the past few
months alongside Rev. Fr. Avedis Torossian, who served as pastor for the
past seven years.
We wish Fr. Vaghinag success in his new position.

PRELATE TO CELEBRATE DIVINE LITURGY
AT FORTY MARTYRS CHURCH ON
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS

Saturday, October 10th, 2009, is the Feast of the Holy Translators.
On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will
celebrate Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Forty Martyrs Church in
Orange County.
In observance of the Feast of the Holy Translators as well as
Armenian Cultural Month, the Pastor and Board of Trustees of Forty Martyrs
Church and the administration and parent-teacher committee of A.G. Minassian
School have organized a celebration to take place on that day.
Following Divine Liturgy, the Prelate will preside over the opening
of the annual book fair to take place at "Ghazarian" Hall.
On Friday, October 9th, the Prelate will preside over eve of the
Feast services at Holy Martyrs Church in Encino, and will deliver his
message on this occasion. The service begins at 7:00 p.m.

PRELATE CELEBRATES DIVINE LITURGY IN LAS VEGAS ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF
THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH

On the weekend of September 25th, 2009, the third anniversary of the
re-establishment of the Las Vegas Parish was ceremoniously observed with a
banquet and Divine Liturgy celebrated by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate.
On Sunday, September 27th, the Prelate arrived at the church where
he has greeted by scouts from the Homenetmen "Artsakh" Chapter.
Accompanying the Prelate and assisting at the altar were Very Rev. Fr.
Barthev Gulumian and Deacon Zohrab Yaralian. Among those in attendance were
Executive Council members Mr. Vahe Hovaguimian and Mr. Vahrij Pilavjian.
Prior to his sermon the Prelate congratulated the parish community
on their anniversary, and commended all those who diligently serve for the
growth of the parish.
In his sermon on the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak, the Prelate
first gave a brief historical background of the origin of the Feast then
reflected on the implications of the Feast in our lives today. The service
concluded with the singing of the Cilician anthem and a group photo.
The annual banquet was held on the evening of Saturday, September
26th, organized by the Parish Council and the Ladies Auxiliary.
During the banquet, long-time community activist Mr. Hriyr Dadaian
was honored for his service. On this occasion, the Prelate presented Mr.
Dadaian with a letter of blessing and commendation. In addition to the
Prelate’s letter of blessing and commendation, Mr. Dadaian had received
commendations from state and local officials for his contributions to the
Las Vegas community. In conclusion the Prelate once again congratulated the
parish community, expressing hope that they the dream to have their own
church will be realized in the near future.
Please visit the news section of our website for the full press
release and photos.

WESTERN PRELACY TO HOST MEETING OF THE
COUNCIL OF ORIENTAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS

The next meeting of the Council of Oriental Orthodox Bishops is
scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009, at Holy Martyrs
Church in Encino.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, H.E. Archbishop Mor
Clemis Eugene Kaplan, and H.G. Bishop Serapion will participate in the
meeting along with clergy from each church.

ARMENIA FUND TELETHON LOGO UNVEILING
AND ANNUAL BANQUET

On the evening of Saturday, October 8th, 2009, the unveiling of the
Armenia Fund Telethon logo and annual banquet will take place at the
residence of Armenia Fund Chair Mr. and Mrs. Ara Aghishian, with guest of
honor Baroness Caroline Cox.
Rev. Fr. Ardak Demirjian will attend on and convey the Prelate’s
blessings.

ARMENIAN BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY
WALK OF LIFE

On Saturday, October 3rd, 2009, the 4th annual Armenian Bone Marrow
Donor Registry Walk of Life will take place at Verdugo Park in Glendale.
Rev. Fr. Vazken Atmajian will attend and convey the Prelate’s
blessings.

STAFF OF PRELACY CHURCHES VISIT THE PRELACY

On Thursday, October 1st, 2009, staff of Prelacy Churches visited
the Prelacy where they were welcomed by H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate.
Upon their arrival, staff members were given a tour of the Prelacy
and became acquainted with the headquarters, with one another, and with the
Prelacy staff.
They then had a meeting with the Prelate which was followed by a
brief service in the Chapel, after which they were hosted to lunch by the
Prelate.

THE SHINE OF 30 SILVER PIECES

s15351.html
11:46:45 – 30/09/2009

After the normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations and after
the opening of the border the prices of imported and exported goods
will decline by 30 percent, in other words, the Armenian economy will
become more competitive and the costumer will have the chance to buy
the same goods cheaper. This is an argument which the government and
its propaganda machine have been circulating on these days to show to
the public how good the border opening is and how it will be useful
and expedient for us.

First, it is very difficult to assess in particular on what study is
based this number – 30 percent. Who and when counted. Do we know what
prices Turkey is going to define for transiting Armenian goods? In
general, what rules are there going to be? But let us assume that it is
quite an accurate calculation and it will correspond to the reality. Is
that 30 percent something for Armenia to go on compromises needed to
open the Armenian and Turkish border and to normalize our relations?

Is this 30 percent something for which we may give to the Turks almost
all our political and diplomatic resources? In comparison with the
commerce described in the Bible the commerce Armenia is doing is much
more convenient because the government exchanges "only" the Armenian
public strategical interests for 30 percent. But is 30 percent not
a low price for it? And in general, does the strategical interest
have price? Of course, for the logic of the government propaganda
everything may be sold.

When the opponents of the content of the current Armenian and
Turkish normalization point our the concrete dangers the process
contains from the point of weakening of the public potential, the
hypothesis of this 30 percent is brought up "but we are winning 30
percent, are you against it?" And maybe we had better set up not
a commission of historians but immediately agree with Turkey that
we are not interested in what it thinks about the genocide and if
they want they may think that just a quarrel happened. In this case,
Turkey would give us all the borders free of charge and our economic
interest would be 80 percent. And maybe we may not only recognize
the Turkish borders but also instead of a "third country" include in
the protocols the immunity of borders of Azerbaijan. In this case,
the Turks are possible to give us money to pass our goods through
their territory. In this case, our economic interest would be 100
percent. Why do we need to be content of 30 percent?

Prospects of serious geopolitical processes are on the stake, the
Armenian and Turkish relations will change the status-quo of the
region, change of dynamism of deployment of new security systems comes
up, change of political and geopolitical instruments happens, change of
players which directly touches the Armenian interest and will influence
on Armenia arousing new problems for it and demanding new political
recourses about which, according to the logic, the government had
to talk to its citizens. While the Armenian government is speaking
only about the 30 "silver pieces" as if Armenia does not want and
does not long for, and does not think anything else in this region.

PUBLISHERS, GUILDS CRITICIZE FOREIGN LANGUAGE BAN AT KOCAELI PRISON
Vercihan Ziflioglu

Hurriyet Daily News
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Restrictions on the Kurdish language are still in place at a
high-security prison in Kocaeli. Translator guilds and publishers
object to inmates being deprived of access to resources in other
languages, which are guaranteed constitutionally

Members of the publishing sector and translator guilds have slammed
the alleged violation of inmates’ rights, highlighting the situation
faced by one prisoner in a high-security prison in the western province
of Kocaeli.

Publications in foreign languages are subjected to security
restrictions in Turkish prisons. Translator Tonguc Ok was put in a
solitary cell in a high-security prison in Kocaeli in 2008 under a
life sentence without the possibility of release. Ok was recently
surprised at a move by the prison management restricting his ability
to receive foreign books.

Books in Spanish and Kurdish that Ok ordered were not delivered to
him under the justification that publications in foreign languages
were not allowed for prisoners due to "security concerns." Through his
lawyers, Ok sent a letter to writers and translators guilds and filed
a complaint against the prison management. The mentioned guilds took
action after receiving the letter and released statements criticizing
the prison management.

Although the case ended a short while ago and the ban preventing some
publications in foreign languages entering the prison was lifted,
it is still in effect for letters and publications in Kurdish.

Ok was convicted for taking part in a robbery during his time as a
university student. The robbery ended with a casualty and while Ok
confessed to the robbery attempt, he denied his involvement in the
death. However, because Ok could not offer evidence to prove his claim,
he was also convicted for murder.

120 liras per page for letter in Kurdish

Tevfik TaÅ~_, secretary-general of the Writers Union of Tur ws &
Economic Review that in his second letter, Ok wrote that although
some of the publications in foreign languages are allowed, they are
still having great difficulties when it comes to Kurdish. Prisoners
of Kurdish origin have had to pay 120 Turkish Liras to certified
translators for each page of Turkish translation of their letters,
and the prisoners still could not receive letters sent to them by
their families.

TaÅ~_ quoted a few sentences from Ok’s letter: "Many of our friends
in prison cannot send the novels, stories and essays they write
to the outside world because they are in Kurdish; therefore, they
cannot get them published. I could not send a one-page story called
"Gelincikler," which I translated from Turkish into Kurdish from Pars
Tuglacı’s Armenian Literature Anthology for Tîroj magazine. Before,
they used to say inspections [of the material] cannot be done since
there are no Kurdish-speaking personnel in prison. However, telephone
conversations in Kurdish are being made in prison, and of course they
are monitored and the contents are recorded. Therefore the difficulty
of the lack of Kurdish-speaking personnel must be exaggerated. Despite
this, the ban continues."

Clause three of Article 5275

TaÅ~_ said the convicts in Kocaeli’s high-security prison are being
kept in solitary cells and are only allowed to see another person
for a couple of hours a day. "To prevent those people from reading
means cutting their only connection with life," he said. TaÅ~_ said
the restriction on publications in foreign languages is linked to
clause three of Article 5275 of the Turkish Penal Code. "The mentioned
article is like one written as a precaution against Kurdish. It is so
open-ended that anyone may interpret or practice it anyway they like."

TaÅ~_ said the prison warden of the Kocaeli high-security prison was
a good example of that. "The previous prison warden was not making
it difficult to access publications in foreign languages. However
the new manager interpreted this article of to his own liking and
started to implement bans," he said.

‘What is being experienced does not concur with constitutional rights’

"Is it a crime for prisoners to read books or translate?" asked Hasan
Anamur, president of the Association of Translators, voicing his
protest, adding, "It should not be forgotten that the convicts have
the right to access sources that others can without obstacles." Anamur
cited the Ok’s situation and said such situations were violations of
a person’s constitutional rights and the relevant authorities should
immediately look into legal articles featuring such restrictions. Cavit
Nacitarhan, editor in chief of Evrensel Publishing, with which Ok is
affiliated, said: "In such times when bans are lifted and initiatives
are voiced, it is impossible to accept such an embargo on the person’s
effort to read, learn and produce. Ok is a valuable translator who
has translated dozens of foreign works into our language."

COUNTRIES WITH SMALL ECONOMIES SHOULD KEEP THEIR MAIN MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS ON A HIGH LEVEL – WB

/ARKA/
SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 26. /ARKA/. Countries with small economies should
keep their main macroeconomic indicators on a high level, as during
crisis starting conditions are important., said Asad Alam, WB Regional
Director for South Caucasus in the report "Impact of global crisis
on Armenia: short and long-term perspectives".

The report says that it is necessary to develop a system of macro-risk
regulation in Armenia as international fluctuations are natural in
the integrated world. Alam said that it is very important to be an
initiator in the development of anti-cyclic policy which will assist
in the creation of workplaces in a short period of time and increase
competitiveness in mid-term perspectives.

He also said that rehabilitation after crisis will be slow and long
for which it is necessary to make plans for mid-term period. "During
crisis external specifications and mid-term consolidation of the
budget is inevitable, that is why we should find "golden mean"
between funding and specification", says the report.

It is also necessary to develop efficient program on struggling against
poverty, as even under the conditions of proper management of state
finances struggle against poverty will have some regress. According
to Alam, small countries with open economies should increase
competitiveness and dive rsify the economy as there will be shortage
of external resources, especially in the post-crisis period.

Project SAVE Releases New Calendar: `Armenians Roll out the Carpet’

/project-save-releases-new-armenians-roll-out-the- carpet-calendar/
By Weekly Staff – on September 24, 2009

By Laura Bilazarian Purutyan

WATERTOWN, Mass. – Oriental rugs have long decorated the daily life of
Armenians, from New Julfa to New Jersey, Caesarea to California. This
fall, Project SAVE Photograph Archives will present the 2010 Archives
calendar, `Armenians Roll out the Carpet,’ which flashes back to
scenes of Armenians and their carpets in both vintage black and white
and contemporary color throughout the homeland and diaspora.

Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, Inc. was founded in 1975 by
Ruth Thomasian with the vision of `building the collective memory of
the Armenian people through the documentation and preservation of
photographs.’ For Thomasian, each image in the Project SAVE collection
goes far beyond simply pictures of ancestors. Armenians were the
dominant native photographers in the Middle East, largely responsible
for producing the very images that Project SAVE is seeking to
preserve. The growing Project SAVE collection now includes over 30,000
photographs and 1,000 hours of donor interviews.

To produce the calendar, the Project SAVE staff started making choices
from several hundred photos featuring carpets and creating a theme for
each month to reflect the variety of subject matter, time periods,
places, and photo donors. Project SAVE’s calendar sparks the
imagination, as each caption reads like a story and conveys the donor,
date, background, location, and what’s going on in the photo.

One photograph in `Armenians Roll out the Carpet’ shows the Yale
University dorm room of Paul Kebabian draped in carpets. Arriving from
Turkey to study in the 1870s, Kebabian soon opened a rug store in New
Haven, Conn. Those families without the financial capital to become
rug dealers discovered the rug cleaning business; a 1930’s photograph
shows members of the Zakian extended family with rugs drying in their
home.

Another photograph dates back to 1937 in St. Paul, Minn. The Armenian
community of St. Paul participated in one of the early Festival of
Nations events, displaying their collection of hand-woven Armenian
rugs and other cultural arts.

The calendar also shows carpets in some unexpected places, like the
treatment room of the National Hospital of Sepastia, where hanging
carpets surround a patient and physician in an 1889 photograph. In a
portrait from the outskirts of New York City, a family embellishes
their picnic along the Hudson using a spacious oriental as an outdoor
carpet.

For Project SAVE, the annual calendar is a way to show the Armenian
community of today and tomorrow its own story. These calendars
function as both `calling cards’ to the public and `finding aids’ or
methods of describing, organizing, and providing access to the
archival treasure.

To become a sponsor of the `Armenians Roll out the Carpet’ calendar
with a personalized remembrance line, call Project SAVE at (617)
923-4542. Order forms for the calendar are available at
For more information, email
[email protected].