228 DETAINEES GRANTED AMNESTY IN ARMENIA
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.06.2009 21:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As of January 29, 2009, 228 detainees (including 5
women and 2 minors) were granted amnesty and released from penitentiary
institutions, RA Justice Ministry’s press service reports.
ISRAELI SCHOLAR IS ASHAMED OF ISRAEL’S POSITION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.06.2009 12:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A special conference was held at the British
Parliament, organized by the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary
Group. Dr. Israel Charny and Harut Sassounian, The California Courier
Publisher were invited as guest speakers. Harut Sassounian spoke about
"The Armenian Genocide and Quest for Justice." Dr. Charny could not
attend due to illness, however, his prepared remarks were read by
Peter Barker, a former broadcaster of BBC Radio.
Dr. Charny is an internationally-known authority on the Holocaust
and the Armenian Genocide. He is the Executive Director of the
Jerusalem-based Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, past President
of International Association of Genocide Scholars, Editor-in-Chief
of Encyclopedia of Genocide, and author of several scholarly
books. Dr. Charny’s lengthy paper was titled: "Confronting denials
of the Armenian Genocide is not only honoring history, but a crucial
policy position for confronting threats in our contemporary world."
Dr. Charny’s remarks referred to the "failure of the State of
Israel, but not of Israelis, to recognize the Armenian Genocide,"
expressing his "deep regret and shame" that Israel (where he lives)
and the United States (where he was born), "have failed seriously
in their moral responsibility towards the Armenian people." He felt
"particularly wounded as well as angry at such failures by my Jewish
people when we too have known the worst horrors of being victims of a
major genocide, and therefore we should be all the more at your side
as deeply committed allies in all aspects of preserving and honoring
the record of the Armenian Genocide."
Dr. Charny announced "the happy news [that] the battle for recognition
and genuine respect for the memory of the Armenian Genocide [was
won] on the level of everyday Israeli culture." In great detail,
he explained that "throughout the year there are major statements in
our culture about the Armenian Genocide, including many full-length
feature stories and interviews in all of our major newspapers and on
our television. On April 24, there is powerful coverage, for example,
this year on Roim Olam or Seeing the World, a major TV news magazine;
there is an annual seminar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
at which this year the keynote speaker was Prof. James Russell of
Harvard University, and it was my honor to be the keynoter the year
before together with an influential member of the Knesset who was
totally knowledgeable about the Genocide and totally clear about
Israel’s error in not recognizing it; and there is of course an annual
commemoration by the Armenian Community — it was there that the two
ministers in the past announced their recognition of the Armenian
genocide. During a too-brief period, we also had two ministers
of the Israeli government who officially recognized the Genocide,
and although the governments in question promptly disavowed these
ministers’ statements as private and not speaking for the country, the
records of those ministers honoring the Armenian Genocide on behalf
of the State of Israel cannot be erased. I would say that both the
everyday Israeli man on the street and the professional scholars of
the Holocaust, such as Prof. Yehuda Bauer perhaps the ranking scholar
of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem, are basically sympathetic and committed
to paying homage to the Armenian Genocide. A few years ago four of us,
including one of the above former ministers, Yossi Sarid, Prof. Bauer,
Prof. Yair Auron, an indefatigable scholar of the Armenian Genocide
and of Israel’s denials of same, and myself traveled together to
Yerevan to lay a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial."
As he has done many times in the past, Dr. Charny expressed regret that
"sadly and shamefully the pull of practical government politics still
leads to official Israel cooperating with Turkey in gross denials of
the Armenian Genocide.
DAVUTOGLU TO VISIT MOSCOW LATER THIS WEEK
Emine Kart
Today’s Zaman
30 June 2009, Tuesday
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is scheduled to pay a working
visit later this week to the Russian capital, where he will have
an opportunity to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues with
his counterpart.
Davutoglu and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, were both on the
Greek island of Corfu over the weekend, which was the venue for both a
meeting of the NATO-Russia Council and a foreign ministerial gathering
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Davutoglu and Lavrov, who will meet on Thursday, when the former
pays a working visit to Moscow, did not have an opportunity to have
a bilateral meeting in Corfu. Nonetheless, Ankara has welcomed the
fact that NATO and Russia on Saturday resumed formal cooperation on
broad security threats despite failing to bridge major differences
over Georgia in their first high-level talks since the war in the
Caucasus region.
"Turkey has always favored friendly relations and a cooperation
mechanism between NATO and Russia. Although the meeting in Corfu
has symbolic importance, a path to dialogue has been opened now,"
Turkish diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity,
told Today’s Zaman.
Davutoglu’s visit to Moscow will come days before a tentatively
planned meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders expected to take
place in Russia in mid-July. Diplomatic sources in Ankara, meanwhile,
declined to elaborate on the agenda of the meeting between Davutoðlu
and Lavrov, only saying that all kinds of issues that are of common
interest for the two countries, ranging from energy to trade, will
be on the agenda of the talks.
Last week, a US negotiator announced that mediators hope to clinch an
agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the principles of a peace
deal on breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh at talks tentatively planned for
mid-July in Russia. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew
Bryza said he and his fellow mediators from France and Russia were
"shooting for" a full framework agreement by the end of 2009. But he
conceded the risk of a last-minute breakdown of the kind that derailed
earlier efforts to broker an agreement between the Caucasus neighbors,
who continue to exchange fire over their tense frontline 15 years
after major hostilities ended.
Davutoglu, meanwhile, is expected to pay a two-day bilateral visit
to Bucharest, Romania, on July 3-4 following his visit to Moscow,
Today’s Zaman learned from reliable sources.
IRAN DETAINS BRITISH EMBASSY STAFF FOR "INCITING VIOLENCE"
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.06.2009 10:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Eight local employees at the British embassy are
detained in Iran, for active involvement in post-election unrest in
the Islamic Republic, an Iranian Fars news agency reported on Sunday.
As Fars reports, "they had a considerable role in provoking recent
unrest," Fars said.
recent unrest and were taken into custody,".
Arrest of British employees followed the week of unrest, when Iranian
authorities were accusing Western states, UK, US in particular –
of interfering with internal affaires of the country and of inciting
street protests and violence that rocked the country after its disputed
June 12 presidential election.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on June 19 attacked foreign
powers for alleged interference, singling out Britain as the "most
treacherous" of Iran’s enemies.
Last week Iranians expelled 2 employees of the British diplomatic
mission and the UK expelled two Iranian diplomats.
Great Britain Foreign minister David Milliband demanded an immediate
release of its subordinates from the Iranian custody.
GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT ARMENIA
armradio.am
27.06.2009 14:48
June 2-3 the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora
Bakoyannis will pay a working visit to Armenia at the invitation of
the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian.
Within the framework of the visit the Foreign Minister of Greece
is expected to meet Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian.
IFC TO HELP FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS EXPLORE SUSTAINABILITY-RELATED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
26.06.2009 13:00 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member
of the World Bank Group, today unveiled a new online training
program designed to help financial institutions better understand
sustainable finance, social and environmental risk management, and
explore sustainability-related business opportunities.
The Sustainability Training and E-learning Program will be available
through the World Bank’s Learning Management System from July
15, 2009. Financial institutions can register for the program at
The highly interactive e-learning program is designed for managers
and staff of financial institutions, including banks, private equity
funds, leasing companies, and microfinance institutions. It aims to
improve participants’ understanding of social and environmental risks
and help develop processes for managing such risks in their portfolios.
Armenian National Committee Glendale Chapter
Contact: Elen Asatryan
Tel: (818) 243-3444
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
June 25, 2009
Expanded Internship Program Prepares the Next Generation of Youth
GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian National Committee – Glendale Chapter announced
this week the expansion of its internship program and welcomed 8
participants, Talar Alexanian, Caroon Al-Rayes, Marie Danielian, Katya
Kazarian, Poulineh Manasi, Souren Abraham Odabachian, Arax Sarkisyan, and
Anasheh Tahmasian to the 2009 summer session of the program.
"This internship program is an essential program for today’s youth, because
it teaches them to be proactive citizens. They will be receiving firsthand
experience as to how a grassroots organization functions while learning the
inner workings of a city government," stated ANC-Glendale Internship
Coordinator, Nadia Simon. "With the expansion of the program, we hope to
give the next generation of civil servants an opportunity to truly make a
difference in their community," added Simon.
Due to a high volume of applicants, ANC Glendale expanded its internship
program to allow a larger pool of candidates to gain experience in
policy-making and the processes that impact the Glendale community. With the
expansion of the program, interns will also benefit from externship
opportunities, which include shadowing City Council Members, GUSD board
members and various city staff, commissions, and community based
organizations.
Poulineh Manasi and Anasheh Tahmasian, currently students at GCC, have been
active in their local community by being a part of their local college
Armenian Club and volunteering on various campaigns. Tahmasian has
volunteered at the Glendale Memorial Hospital and hopes to pursue a degree
in cognitive science, while Manasi was a member of the planning committee
for the Annual GUSD Genocide Commemorative Ceremony during her tenure at
Hoover High School. She hopes to major in business after transferring to USC
in the near future
As a senior at Crescenta Valley High school, Talar Alexanian has taken
leadership roles in numerous clubs including Key Club, CVTV Broadcasting
Club, as well as a news anchor of the Crescenta Valley Media Team, CVTV.
With over 500 community service hours to date, Alexanian continues to serve
her community as a member of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Glendale
Zavarian Chapter, a Sunday school teacher of the CV Apostolic Church, as
well as the vice president of the Crescenta Valley High School Armenian
Club.
"Working with ANCG, I hope to interact and strengthen ties with fellow peers
and community leaders and take a proactive role in advocating on issues of
concern to my community," Talar Alexanian stated.
Katya Kazarian and Arax Sarkissian, both upcoming seniors at their
respective high schools, Sahag Mesrob Armenian School and Clark Magnet High
School, remain active in their communities through involvement in their
local AYF chapters and Armenian Student Associations.
Marie Danielian, a recent graduate of Providence High School, has taken part
in several volunteer activities, including the ANCG-Political Action
Committee during the 2009 Glendale municipal elections, Paul Krikorian’s
State Assembly race, as well as volunteering at the Verdugo Hills Hospital.
After her involvement in Mock Trial and Model U.N clubs, she now hopes to
pursue a degree in business and political science.
A graduate of Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, Souren Abraham
Odabachian currently serves as a member of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic
Church’s Armenian Christian Youth Association (ACYA). Come fall, Odabachian
will attend Cal State University of Northridge, to study business law, in
order to pursue his lifelong goal of becoming a corporate attorney.
As a senior in Glendale High school, Caroon Al-Rayes serves as commissioner
of Glendale High School Associated Student Body and is involved in the
Darfur Action Committee, G.A.T.E club, and the Armenian Youth Association of
California.
"I wanted to take part in the internship program in order to learn about the
issues facing our community and put my passion for change into action,"
stated Caroon Al-Rayes. "I look forward to the next ten weeks of the
internship program and hope to serve my community with the knowledge I
obtain at ANCG," added Al-Rayes.
Established in Fall 2007, the ANC-Glendale Internship program is a selective
part time, leadership training program which introduces young public
servants to all aspects of the public affairs arena. ANCG-IP provides an
opportunity for student leaders to gain an in-depth understanding of
community issues as well as advocacy efforts on the local level. The program
hosts spring, summer, and autumn sessions.
ANC-Glendale promotes increased Armenian American civic participation and
engagement at the grassroots and public policy levels.
####
Photo Caption: ANCG 2009 Summer Interns from left Katya Kazarian, Souren
Abraham Odabachian, Talar Alexanian, Marie Danielian, Caroon Al-Rayes,
Anasheh Tahmasian, Poulineh Manasi and Arax Sarkisyan.
EDWARD NALBANDYAN TO LEAVE FOR PARIS
ARMENPRESS
June 24, 2009
YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan will pay a working visit to Paris June 26-27. Foreign
Ministry press service told Armenpress that in Paris Edward Nalbandyan
will meet with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov and
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
June 27-28 in Corfu (Greece) E. Nalbandyan will participate in the
meeting of the OSCE foreign ministers dedicated to the discussion of
the cooperation issues and security systems in Europe.
BY ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S DECREE GEORGIA’S PRESIDENT MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI AWARDED WITH ORDER OF HONOUR
ArmInfo
2009-06-24 23:34:00
ArmInfo. By Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree Georgia’s
President Mikheil Saakashvili, being in Yerevan with an official
visit, was awarded with the Order of Honour for strengthening of the
centuries-long Armenian-Georgian friendship as well as for the activity
directed to enhancing of cooperation between Armenia and Georgia.
The Order of Honour is the top state order of Armenia and is delivered
to foreign citizens.
ARMENIA IS CONCERNED ABOUT FUNCTIONING OF THE MOTOR CHECK POINT BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
ArmInfo
2009-06-24 23:19:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian-Georgian relations are on the high level,
Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili said at today’s joint
press-conference with President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan.
As Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said, ‘there are few people in
the whole world which can display centuries-long friendly relations
existing between the peoples of Armenia and Georgia’. ‘After talking
to ny Georgian counterpart, I am sure he shares the approaches
of the Armenian party about the necessity of activation of the
bilateral relations and their leading to qualitatively new level’,
– President Sargsyan said. He also emphasized that over the meeting
with Saakashvili the touched on the regional security issues. ‘The
Armenian party is sure that the existing problems may be resolved only
via the dialogue, enhancing of the trust atmosphere in the region,
mutual respect and cooperation’, – Sargsyan said.
In the context of development of the bilateral relations special
attention was drawn to enhancing of the economical cooperation as
well as fulfillment of the joint programmes. Sargsyan expressed
hope that fulfillment of such programmes will make it possible to
reduce consequences of the world financial and economic crisis and
its affecting the economy of Armenia and Georgia. ‘Commuinications,
passing via the territory of Georgia, are very much important for
Armenia. We are concerned about functioning of the motor check
point between Georgia and Russian Federation as soon as possible’,
– President of Armenia said.