Author: Nahapetian Samvel

ACCORDING TO ROBERT KOCHARIAN, GERMAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED IN ARMENIA ARE VERY PRODUCTIVE

Noyan Tapan
Aug 17, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Andrea Joana-Maria Wiktorin, the
newly-appointed Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to
Armenia, submitted his credentials to Robert Kocharian, the President
of the Republic of Armenia, on August 16. This information was provided
to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s Press Office.

During the conversation, which followed the ceremony of the
submission of credentials, the two sides highly appreciated the
current level of Armenian-German relations, the evidence of which
are the active political dialogue, intensive mutual visits and the
commercial-economical relations developing dynamically.

The Ambassador mentioned with satisfaction that Germany is a
leading donor country for Armenia in the sphere of development
cooperation. Stressing the coordinated character of the bilateral
mutual cooperation, Robert Kocharian said that the German assistance
programs are very productive in terms of quality, practical and
directed at the infrastructural reforms of the most viable spheres.

The sides stressed the necessity to envolve new directions in their
bilateral relations, in this respect attaching importance to the work
of the intergovernmental commission to be held in September.

During the meeting they also touched upon the European integration
process of Armenia, as well as the assistance possibilities of the
German side within the framework of the implementation of the Action
Plan under the European New Neighbourhood Policy.

ARONIAN LIFTS 960 CHESS TITLE

Press Trust of India
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mainz, Germany

Armenian Levona Aronian beat Vishwanathan Anand in tie-breaker in a
thrilling final to clinch the Chess 960 World Championships.

Playing this variant of the game for the first time where the position
of the pieces at the start is set randomly for each game, Anand fought
from behind to level the scores 2-2 after the rapid games.

Aronian, however, produced a scintillating performance in the shoot-out
to score 1.5-0.5 to lift the title in Mainz on Thursday.

In the playoff for third place, Etienne Bacrot of France mauled Rustam
Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan 3-1.

Anand lost the first game of the four game match after spoiling a
promising position against Aronian who played with white.

After a lot of manoeuvring the players arrived at a chess-like
position where Anand had little to worry about. However, for once,
the Indian ace was under pressure on the clock which eventually had
a telling effect.

After drawing the next two games Anand took the match to tiebreaker
that Aronian won eventually.

"I am happy to retain my title for the second time. It was a tough
match and Anand played well but he committed many mistakes in the
first game and lost," Aronian said.

It will be time for some normal chess again as Anand will start his
campaign for the 10th overall title in Chess Classics Rapid.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, August 16, 2007

AGBU Plovdiv Hosts Lectures, Saturday School & Summer Camp in First Half
of 2007

AGBU Plovdiv Chapter launched a series of special events for the
Armenian community in Bulgaria this year. With two book presentations, a
summer camp for kids, and an end-of-school-year event, Plovdiv for
Armenians has never been more exciting.

On January 19, 2007, more than 80 guests attended the book presentation
of the newly published book "The Successors of Atlantis" by Stepan
Parseghian in Plovdiv’s TrakArt Cultural Center. The AGBU Plovdiv
Chapter, the editorial team of "AGBU Voice" newspaper and the Plovdiv
Municipality organized the event.

Parseghian, a well-known author amongst the Armenian community of
Bulgaria, serves at the Armenian Church of St. Kevork and is the author
of several poems. "The Successors of Atlantis" is his first full-length
book of prose.

"The Successors of Atlantis" is a Bulgarian-language novel, which
combines mysticism and adventure, intriguing suspense and an absolutely
captivating interpretation of the emergence of the human race and
civilization on Earth. The event was attended by many AGBU members and
friends, artists, musicians, and writers. The Mayor of Plovdiv, Dr. Ivan
Chomakov, sent a congratulatory message to Parseghian on the occasion.

With the success of the first book reading in January, AGBU Plovdiv
Chapter and "AGBU Voice" presented the book "Love and Sacrifice" by Dr.
Toros Torosian on May 11, also at the TrakArt Cultural Center.

Torosian has a long working experience as a doctor and is the author of
a number of professional essays and articles. "Love and Sacrifice" is
his second published book, the first being "Notes from the Professional
Diary of a Doctor" in 2004. Both books are full of the author’s life
experience, beliefs, emotions, inspiration and devotion, with which he
works for the good of his nation.

Following a short introductory musical program, journalist Elena
Tamamjieva introduced Torosian and spoke about him as a representative
of a whole generation of Plovdiv Armenians, emphasizing the special role
of the Torosian family in the local community. A number of religious and
community leaders, AGBU board members and friends attended the
presentation.

On June 16, the AGBU Saturday School in Plovdiv completed its courses
for the 2006-2007 academic year. Students and parents attended the
end-of-school event in the Argos Plus educational center where Saturday
School lessons are held.

Hripsime Tovmasyan, chairwoman of AGBU Plovdiv, made the opening
remarks, emphasizing the importance of the Saturday School, which aims
at preserving and developing the Armenian language and heritage amongst
a generation of Armenians far from the traditional homeland.

To demonstrate their language skills gained during the year, the
students recited poems by well-known Armenian authors, including Paruyr
Sevak, Hamo Sahian, and Hovhannes Shiraz. In recognition of the school’s
academic excellence, it was announced at the event that two students
from the AGBU Plovdiv Saturday School would represent Bulgaria in the
Armenian Language International Olympiad, which will be held in Armenia
in September 2007.

During the formal part of the program, students received certificates
and special gifts in recognition of their work. The afternoon ended with
a light cocktail reception, especially prepared for the occasion.

On July 18, AGBU Plovdiv welcomed 32 kids to its Green School, which is
a camp for children between the ages of 5 and 12. Now in its third
season, this summer camp, specially designed for Bulgarian Armenian
youth, took place at the Balkan Hotel.

Campers from various towns, including Plovdiv, Burgas, Haskovo and
Razgrad, had a chance to participate in the camp, which is ideally
situated in the picturesque countryside. Camp’s main goals are to
preserve and develop Armenian-language skills among youth while
introducing them to the history and beliefs of the Armenian Church in
general. A mixture of educational and fun activities, the annual camp
gives participants an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with their
national heritage and identity.

Through intensive Armenian-language courses and several religious
lectures, children and teens leave the program with a larger perspective
of their Armenian identity and religion.

The weeklong camp concluded with an evening performance, which gave
campers an opportunity to put their newfound skills to the test. They
performed skits and sang popular Armenian songs to the delight of the
audience of parents and friends.

For more information on AGBU and its worldwide chapters, please visit

AZERBAIJANI ANALYST TALKS OF RUSSIAN OPPOSITION TO SOUTH CAUCASUS ENERGY CORRIDOR

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 14 2007

Russia currently tolerates the strengthening of the South Caucasus
as an energy corridor, but the issue is likely to inspire serious
confrontation in the region at some point, according to Azerbaijani
political analyst Vafa Guluzade.

Guluzade suggested that the US has encroached on Russia’s former sphere
of influence in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and the Baltic republics,
and is now turning its attention to the Caucasus.

"I think that this goal will be reached," Guluzade said, according
to the news agency Regnum.

The political analyst is sure that Russia is unhappy at the development
of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum pipelines.

Guluzade also stated that Moscow perceives the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict as a potential time bomb. Azerbaijan should realize that
the conflict is not with Armenia but with Russia, he urged, implying
Armenia is a proxy of Russia in the region.

Guluzade, a former Baku official, warns the Azerbaijani leadership
to be ready for any sort of aggression, and recommends developing
the country’s defense capability.

Armenian National Committee of Australia
259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068
PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068
T: (02) 9419 8264 | F: (02) 9411 8898
E: [email protected] | W:

Armenian National Committee of Australia `Meets the Community’

An opportunity for members of the Armenian Australian community to
meet and interact with the newly appointed executive of the Armenian
National Committee of Australia.

Date: Sunday 9th September 2007
Time: 6pm
Venue: Armenian Cultural Centre 259 Penshurst Street Willoughby

Join the Armenian National Committee of Australia for a briefing of
ANC Australia activities and the screening of various Armenian
National Committee Shorts from the USA and the Middle-East

Screenings:

`ANC America – `ANC America – Grass Roots Makes The Difference’
A promotional DVD describing the activities of the Armenian National
Committee of America and the organisations growing influence

`ANC Lebanon ` People Power’ (in Armenian)
A complete description of the activities of the Armenian National
Committee of Lebanon throughout 2006

`Screamers Documentary Preview’
A preview to the documentary that examines genocide – from the
Armenian genocide, to the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur –
through the eyes and music of the Grammy award-winning rock band
`System of a Down,’ whose members are all grandchildren of genocide
survivors.

Tea & Coffee will be available at the conclusion of the gathering
where community members will be able to meet directly with the ANC
Australia Executive. It will be an opportunity to discuss any issues
or concerns relating to the Armenian Community in Australia.

—
The Armenian National Committee of Australia is the peak public
affairs body of the Armenian-Australian community. ANC Australia
advances the concerns of the Armenian-Australian community.

VIVACELL ALO SUBSCRIBERS CAN RECHARGE THEIR ACCOUNT ELECTRONICALLY

arminfo
2007-08-09 11:21:00

VivaCell Alo subscribers can recharge their account electronically. As
the press-service of VivaCell told ArmInfo, with Electronic Recharge
Machines VivaCell Alo subscribers are provided access to much faster,
reliable and twenty-four-hour service. Starting from August 6, 2007,
VivaCell Alo subscribers are provided an opportunity to recharge their
accounts through Electronic Recharge Machine (ERM) ERMs are located in
different parts of Yerevan. Later on ERMs will be available in Marzes
also. ERMs will provide VivaCell Alo subscribers with availability and
convenience to recharge their accounts. The Alo subscriber account will
be recharged within 2-10 minutes following the recharge transaction
through ERM. Afterwards, VivaCell Alo subscriber will receive an SMS
on his mobile handset, with information about his account balance and
validity period. The airtime account electronic recharge process will
also provide an opportunity to stay in control of the recharge decision
as the ERM guarantees the availability of a whole range of recharge
denomination options. For recharging mobile airtime account through
an ERM, only 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 AMD paper banknotes can
be used.

ARMENIA GENOCIDE BILL CHALLENGED
By Michael Doyle

Fresno Bee , CA
Aug 7 2007

House support up but politics cloud an OK.

WASHINGTON — An Armenian genocide resolution now has more supporters
than ever before, but its future remains uncertain amid an intensifying
political tug-of-war.

Strongly backed by San Joaquin Valley lawmakers, the genocide
resolution has amassed a record 226 House co-sponsors. That’s enough
for victory, if the measure can reach the House floor. So far,
though, Democratic leaders haven’t yet given a green light to the
diplomatically volatile resolution.

"We haven’t got a straight answer yet," Fresno resident Hygo
Ohannessian said Monday. "We don’t know if it’s a game or not."

Ohannessian is acting chair of the Armenian National Committee Central
California, one of many Armenian-American groups lobbying on the
genocide resolution. The activists showed their clout late last week,
when the Bush administration withdrew its nominee as U.S. ambassador
to Armenia.

The nominee, career foreign service officer Richard E. Hoagland,
asked that his stalled nomination be withdrawn after it became clear
he couldn’t get past Senate objections over the genocide question.

"It’s good news," Ohannessian said. "The committee is really happy
about it."

The next steps could get trickier still as Congress considers
intertwined controversies involving resolutions and ambassadors.

Many historians agree the mass deaths and deportations of Armenians
during the final days of the Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide.

Under international law, genocide means the "the intent to destroy,
in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group."

President Ronald Reagan in 1981 cited the Armenian genocide, as did
the House in a 1984 resolution. Since then, other genocide resolutions
have stalled.

The Turkish government says the Armenians died amid a complicated,
multifront war. The Bush administration, like the Clinton
administration before it, says the historical record is ambiguous
and urges Congress not to alienate an important ally that borders Iraq.

So far, House records show, seven House members who initially
co-sponsored the genocide resolution this year have withdrawn their
support — including, most recently, a GOP member of the appropriations
committee.

Bush originally nominated Hoagland in May 2006 to fill the Armenian
spot left vacant when Evans was pulled back to the United States.

Evans contravened official U.S. policy when he publicly declared that
an Armenian genocide had occurred between 1915 and 1923.

EMPLOYEES OF GEORGIAN OMBUDSMAN’S STAFF VISIT JAVAKHK

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 07 2007

AKHALKALAK, AUGUST 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The chief
expert of the Geogian human rights defender’s (ombudsman) staff Beka
Mindiashvili and the coordinator of the ombudsman’s staff on ethnic
minorities Koba Chopliani paid a visit to Akhalkalak on August 4.

According to A-Info, they met with representatives of the council of
Armenian NGOs of Samtskhe-Javakhk, who presented the Armenian and
Georgian versions of the memorandum "The Urgency of Imroving the
State of the Armenian Population in Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakhk and
Kvemo Kartli Regions, and the Obligations and Commitments of Georgia
to the Council of Europe" (which was prepared by representatives of
the above mentioned council), as well as a number of letters and
documents which have been sent to high-ranking Georgian officials
and have remained unanswered.

The employees of the ombudsman’s staff were mainly concerned about
issues related to head masters, status of the Armenian language,
autonomy and non-registration of the "Virk" party. They promised that
the issues raised will be dealt with.

DEPUTY OF PRESIDENT OF IRAN TO BE PRESENT AT FOURTH WORLD GAMES

Noyan Tapan
Aug 06 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Armen Grigorian, the RA Minister
of Sport and Youth Affairs, received Ali Akbar Jokar, the Deputy
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Armenia, on August 3.

The prospects of the development of the sporting relations between the
two countries were discussed during the meeting. The Deputy Ambassador
of Iran expressed hope that these relations will become deeper. He
also declared that Ali Abadi, a coordinator of sport issues and the
Deputy of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be
present at the fourth world games.

Armen Grigorian mentioned in his turn that the development rhythm of
Armenian sport was not broken in the difficult years for Armenia,
that is to say after the collapse of the Soviet Union, due to the
establishment of sporting relations with Iran. The Minister also
stressed that the representative teams of separate kinds of sport of
Armenia every year take part in the international competitions named
"10 Days of Sunrise", which are held in Iran.

The interlocutors agreed to jointly develop a program of bilateral
cooperation in the sphere of sport.

GEORGIA SAYS GAZPROM OWES $2 MLN IN GAS TRANSIT ARREARS

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire, Russia
August 6, 2007 Monday 5:47 PM EET

Russian natural gas export monopoly Gazprom owes Georgia U.S. $2
million in arrears for gas transit services provided in May through
July, a spokesman for the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC)
said Monday.

Gazprom supplies its gas through Georgia to Armenia, another
Transcaucasian country.

Under an agreement between the GOGC and Gazprom, Georgia is allowed to
either take 10% of Russian gas transported via its territory to Armenia
as payment for gas transit services or collect cash from Gazprom.

In May through June, Georgia received all of its gas supplies from
Azerbaijan, the spokesman said.

Georgia may need to get some of its gas from Gazprom in the coming
winter months and pay with the accumulated arrears, the spokesman said.