Author: Nalbandian Eduard

ARMENIA, TURKEY SIGNED NO PAPER ON BORDER OPENING

AzerNews Weekly
April 22 2009
Azerbaijan

Armenia and Turkey have signed no documents on restoring bilateral
relations and re-opening their shared border, but this may happen in
the foreseeable future, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian
said after meeting his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, in Yerevan
last week.

Nalbandian said talks between the two countries` diplomats are
underway. Some progress has been achieved in negotiations, but the
sides have not yet reached the stage of signing any agreements. "But
we hope that, indeed, we will be able to solve the existing problems
between us in the near future."

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev, who was
visiting Yerevan, said talks between Turkey and Armenia were an
internal affair of the two countries, however, Azerbaijan is interested
in the developments unfolding in line with its national interests.

"We assess the talks between Turkey and Armenia as these two countries`
own affair, and our position is that we do not interfere with the
internal affairs of any countries. However, taking into account the
Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, we are closely watching the ongoing
developments. Our stance is that restoration of the Armenia-Turkey
relations should be linked strictly to the resolution of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict."

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to its occupation
of Azerbaijani territories and its claims regarding the alleged World
War I-era genocide. However, there have been signs of normalization
in Ankara-Yerevan ties of late, and the two countries` officials have
held several rounds of talks. Recent media reports alleging that the
Turkish-Armenian border is expected to re-open soon have sparked an
outcry in Azerbaijan.

Mammadguliyev and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan visited
Yerevan on Thursday to attend a ministerial of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Organization (BSEC). Azerbaijan participated at the event
because the rotating presidency in the group was transferred to it
from Armenia.

However, an Azerbaijani political leader has dismissed the possibility
of opening the Turkey-Armenia border.

"In my opinion, Turkey will not open its border with Armenia," Isa
Gambar, chairman of the opposition Musavat party, told Turkish ATV
channel. "Ankara has merely conducted a test to determine `what if
we opened the border with Armenia` and weighed the reactions."

According to Gambar, the developments that have taken place in recent
days have helped Turkey as its government has managed to draw certain
conclusions from the test it conducted.

The Musavat leader said the border opening would be acceptable only
after the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict has been
resolved. Moreover, for this to be possible, Armenia must relinquish
its territorial and World War I-era genocide claims against Turkey.

Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group (ICG), an organization
working to prevent conflicts worldwide, said Turkey should open
its border with Armenia without expecting a settlement to the Upper
Garabagh conflict. In a report that reviewed Ankara-Yerevan relations,
it maintained that the unresolved status of the long-standing dispute
should not impede the opening of the border.

"The politicized debate whether to recognize as genocide the
destruction of much of the Ottoman Armenian population and the
stalemated Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh should
not halt momentum," the report urged.

The Brussels-based security think tank said, further, that "Turkey and
Armenia are close to settling a dispute that has long roiled Caucasus
politics, isolated Armenia and cast a shadow over Turkey`s European
Union ambition."

Tabib Huseynov, the ICG`s representative on Azerbaijan said,
while commenting on the report, that keeping the border open
currently appeared more acceptable because if Armenia fails to take
a constructive position on the Garabagh problem, Turkey could use
the levers it will gain to influence Yerevan`s stance.

"I am talking about the possibility of increasing transit and visa fees
at the border. This option is actually a more civilized one, is more
comprehensible for the rest of the world and, at the same time, one
that is more compliant with the interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan."

Huseynov said another recommendation of the ICG concerned the
involvement of third parties in peace talks.

"In particular, the United States should not take any actions that
would derail these talks. If the American administration uses the
`genocide` term with regard to the historical developments, this would
put a big cross on the improvements in Turkey-Armenia relations. To
prevent this from happening, we recommend that the European Union
countries and the U.S. refrain from such words."

NA CHAIRMAN WAS SHOCKED

A1+
11:44 am | April 23, 2009 | Official

The delegation led by NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan will return to
Yerevan from Poland this evening.

Yesterday NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan left for Krakov. According to
information from the department of public relations of the National
Assembly, the NA delegation was received by regional head of Malopolski
Yezhi Miller.

During the meetings with Miller and local authorities of Krakov, the
parliament speaker remarked that he finds necessary the relations
between the territorial administration and local self-government
bodies of Armenia and Poland. The NA delegation was then introduced
to Krakov’s rich historical/cultural heritage after the visit to the
royal palaces of Vavel and the temple.

On the same day the NA delegation made a trip to Osventsim and visited
the complex museum-memorial of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp. Hovik Abrahamyan laid flowers as a tribute to the victims of
the tragedy that took place at the concentration camp. After touring
the museum-memorial, head of the Armenian parliament wrote a memoir
in the book for honorable guests.

After getting introduced to the history of the Auschwitz-Birkenau
concentration camp, NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan said:

"I am shocked. Nearly a million people were killed in this
concentration camp through industrious methods for being foreigners. I
condemn the Holocaust of the Jews. On April 24 we are going to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide and I am convinced once again
that perhaps there would be no Holocaust during World War II had
the Armenian genocide been condemned by the international community
before."

TURKEY AGAIN LINKS ARMENIA TIES WITH KARABAKH

Asbarez
rticle=41713_4/21/2009_1
Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Tuesday appeared to reaffirm
Turkey’s renewed linkage between improved relations with Armenia
and a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would satisfy
Azerbaijan.

Visiting Prague for talks with European Union officials, Babacan again
gave no indications that Armenia and Turkey are about to establish
diplomatic relations and reopen their border which Ankara had closed
in 1993 out of solidarity with its Turkic ally.

"As of now, we are at a quite advanced stage in this process," he
told a news conference after the talks, commenting on recent months’
flurry of Turkish-Armenian diplomatic contacts. "Also, in the South
Caucasus there are other problems, like the situation that we now see
in Abkhazia and South Ossetia or the Nagorno-Karabakh issue between
Armenia and Azerbaijan."

"So on the one hand, Turkey is continuing these talks with Armenia. But
on the other hand, Turkey is helping the processes to solve issues
between other countries as well," said Babacan. He added that
Turkish officials are in close contact with the U.S., Russian and
French mediators spearheading the Karabakh peace process and sees a
"real possibility" for the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace
agreement this year.

Up until now Ankara had not brought up the Karabakh conflict during
months of fence-mending talks with Yerevan.

They have also ruled out direct Turkish involvement in the
international efforts to end the Karabakh dispute.

Recent media reports cited Turkish officials as saying that Turkey and
Armenia will likely sign soon an agreement on the gradual normalization
of bilateral relations. However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has repeatedly made clear this month that this will not happen
before a Karabakh settlement.

The Turkish newspaper "Today’s Zaman" reported on Tuesday that the
dialogue with Armenia will be on the agenda of next week’s meeting
of Turkey’s powerful National Security Council comprising top state
officials and army generals. It said President Abdullah Gul will
visit Baku shortly after the meeting to "inform the Azerbaijani
administration about the decisions Turkey has made regarding
normalization with Armenia."

ARF ATTENDS SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL MEETING

Asbarez
ticle=41653_4/20/2009_1
April 20, 2009

YEREVAN (ARF Press Service)–A delegation representing the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation attended the Socialist International’s
Committee for the CIS, the Caucasus and the Black Sea, held at the
United Nations in Geneva on April 16 and 17.

The Committee reviewed recent developments in the region and efforts
to consolidate social democracy there, with representatives giving
brief reports on the situation in their countries. The Committee also
addressed how to narrow the democratic gap in the countries of the CIS,
the Caucasus and the Black Sea; how to overcome regional conflicts
and secure a path to peaceful resolution; as well as strategies for
strengthening and promoting social democracy in the region.

The meeting was chaired by Alexandra Dobolyi of the MSzP party in
Hungary and Mario Nalbandian of the ARF in Armenia.

Representing the ARF were SI Vice-President Maria Titizian and ARF
Bureau Political Director Giro Manoyan.

The Socialist International is the worldwide organization of social
democratic, socialist and labor parties. It currently brings together
170 political parties and organizations from over 140 countries from
all continents.

The ARF is the only political party in the CIS that has full-member
status in the SI. The ARF’s affiliate organizations are also full
members of the Socialist International Women and the International
Union of Socialist Youth.

`Banking summit – Armenia 2009′ to be held in Yerevan on April 28

YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. The next `Banking Summit ` Armenia 2009′ is
to be held in Yerevan on April 28. The discussion topic of the summit
will be banking cards and advanced solutions in this respect.

Among participants are expected representatives of such companies as
NCR, Hypercom, Cybernet, Inpas, R-Style, as well as reps of all banks
operating on the territory of Armenia, Smart Test company told ARKA.

Reports are to be made on complex automation systems for multi-branch
credit organizations, on draft design of an intellectual deposit
accepting Armenian Drams and on new lines of payment terminals.
Equipment is to be demonstrated during the summit.

The summit is organized by MTD, Smart Tex and Smart Test companies
specializing in supplying and servicing of banking equipment and
software. `0′

Russia’s envoy to NATO calls Georgian drills "insanity"

19:31 | 18/ 04/ 2009

VORONEZH, April 18 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s envoy to NATO has dubbed
the alliance’s exercises due in Georgia in early May "insanity."

The Cooperative Longbow 09/Cooperative Lancer 09 command-and-staff
exercise, led by the Western military bloc, will be held from May 6
through June 1 in Georgia, and will not feature light or heavy
weaponry.

"On Monday I addressed NATO [incoming] Secretary General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen with a letter asking [him] to cancel the drills in Georgia,
due to start in early May. I believe this is absurdity and insanity,"
Dmitry Rogozin told journalists in Voronezh in southwestern Russia.

Among reasons why he believes the drills should be canceled, Rogozin
cited a lack of trust. "It is provocational to rattle the saber near
our borders until Russia-NATO military contacts are restored and until
trust is restored between our sides," he said.

The secretary of the Council of Defense Ministers of the post-Soviet
Commonwealth of Independent States said earlier Saturday he saw no
reason for uneasiness over NATO’s upcoming exercises.

"These are not maneuvers, nothing terrible will happen. These will be
procedural drills, procedural exercises," Lt. Gen. Alexander Sinaisky
said on Ekho Moskvy radio. "In a word, this is political demarche on
the part of NATO."

"Notwithstanding the negative perception by Russia, it will take place,
and it is necessary to calmly deal with it," he added, noting that the
exercises were planned before the August 2008 conflict between Russia
and Georgia over South Ossetia.

President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Friday that Russia "will be closely
watching" the drills and will "if necessary, make appropriate
decisions."

"Such decisions are disappointing and do nothing to help restore
full-level contacts between the Russian Federation and NATO," Medvedev
said of NATO’s determination to go ahead with the exercises.

The president of Abkhazia, which Russia recognized as independent from
Georgia along with South Ossetia after the five-day conflict sparked by
Tbilisi’s assault on South Ossetia, said Friday the republic would hold
its own exercises in response.

"The planned NATO exercises in Georgia do not lead to the stabilization
of the situation in the Caucasus," Sergei Bagapsh said. "We observe the
situation in Georgia and we will conduct our own drills in response."

NATO has said Russia would be welcome to join the military exercises in
Georgia, but from every indication the invitation has been ignored by
Moscow.

The drills are aimed at improving interoperability between NATO and
partner countries, within the framework of Partnership for Peace,
Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative programs.

A total of 19 countries will be participating in the exercises:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia,
the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Greece, Kazakhstan, Moldova,
Serbia, Spain, Macedonia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Britain,
and the United States.

AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL: I DO NOT HIGHLY ASSESS US-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS

/ANS PRESS/
17.04.2009 20:51

Our Western partners do not properly assess their alliance with
Azerbaijan with whom they undertake major projects.

-I don’t highly asses the relations between the United States and
Azerbaijan, the head of the International Relations Department of the
Presidential Administration Novruz Mammadov said in his interview
with Turan news agency. According to him, Washington does not take
into account Azerbaijan’s interests. The department chief informed
that Western partners did not properly assess their alliance with
Azerbaijan with whom they undertake major projects. "This unfair
attitude toward Azerbaijan can be clearly seen in a wide range of
documents including the 907th Amendment, Millennium Challenge, the
Jackson-Vanik amendment. Instead, Armenia received USD 2 billion
worth funds," Mammadov noted.

Commenting upon the regulation of Daqliq Qarabaq conflict, Mammadov
said that there was no concrete certainty on the talks over the
settlement of the conflict. Despite the previous efforts displayed
by the representatives of the co-chairs, Armenia has been changing
its positions or new element as been put forward. Thus, the talks
have been prolonged. The earlier variant proposed on the framework
agreement represents the stepwise resolution process. However,
Armenia is still keeping Azerbaijani territories under occupation
and rejects startin g implementing this process by withdrawing from
the occupied territories. It all hampers achieving the framework
agreement. Now they are heavily engaged in opening their borders with
Armenia. Unfortunately, Armenia succeeded in gaining the support
form international community, as well Europe and the Unites States
on this issue.

Mammadov also commented on opening of borders between Armenia and
Turkey. WE might undertake adequate measures which will be quite
natural. He also hinted on Azerbaijan’s important geopolitical
positions further adding that those who ignore the country’s interest
might lose a great deal.

"If the borders will be opened, it might result in serious consequences
in our relations with Turkey.

FIXING ANTI-AMERICANISM IN TURKEY
Soner Cagaptay

Washington Institute for Near East Policy
C06.php?CID=1266
April 16 2009

Bitter Lemons International

President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey could not have gone better
in terms of winning Turkish hearts and minds. Obama did all the right
things, visiting Ataturk’s mausoleum, the Blue Mosque and the Turkish
parliament, capturing the complexity of a country that is Turkish by
birth, Muslim in culture and western in its political identity.

Yet Washington still faces a challenge among the Turks: after a
debilitating downturn in recent years, America’s favorability rating
is at rock bottom. Obama should be concerned about this phenomenon
that, if ignored, will eat into the foundations of the new US-Turkish
relationship he wants to promote on key issues, including Iraq,
Iran and Pakistan. As serious as the problem is, though, Turkish
anti-Americanism can be fixed.

Obama cannot and should not ignore anti-Americanism in Turkey,
because as a democracy, Turkish politics are ultimately accountable
to public opinion. Washington can sustain cooperation with all sorts
of authoritarian Muslim states, such as Egypt, despite pervasive
anti-Americanism in those countries, because these authoritarian
regimes do not care for public opinion. In Turkey, though, these
sentiments will sooner or later erode, reshape and then cripple
governmental cooperation with the United States. Anti-Americanism in
Turkey presents a larger, more immediate challenge to Obama than it
does in other Muslim majority societies.

Obamania will help face this challenge. According to a recent poll
by Infacto, whereas only 9 percent of Turks thought favorably of the
US president four years ago, today 39 percent have a positive view of
Obama. However, this jolt has not lifted America’s standing in Turkey
to match political ambitions for long-term and grand cooperation
with Ankara as laid out by Obama’s speech to the Turkish parliament
on April 6. The Infacto poll also shows that 44 percent of the Turks
view the United States as the biggest threat to Turkey.

Lately, the United States has done the right things to win Turkish
hearts and minds. First, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during
her March visit to Turkey, and then President Obama gave the Turks a
needed bear hug, emphasizing that the United States likes the Turks,
respects their faith and supports their western vocation. Washington is
assisting Turkey in its struggle against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
terror attacks, a key security concern for many Turks. Obama has even
shied away from his campaign promise to support the "Armenian Genocide"
bill in the US Congress, which many Turks find extremely offensive.

At this stage, there is little more Washington can do to charm the
Turks. As I learned during a recent sabbatical in Turkey, the Turks
form their views of the world based upon what they hear from their
leadership. Turkey is a rare fence-sitting country between East and
West, in which pro-American and western statements have the same
weight in shaping public views as do views that oppose the United
States and the West.

Since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) assumed power in 2002,
the Turks have not heard anything positive about the West from their
leadership. In fact, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
often lambasted the West, suggesting, for instance, that "the West uses
terrorism to sell Turkey weapons" or that "Turkey has borrowed only
immoral stuff from the West." Anti-Americanism has become pervasive
in Turkey as not just the AKP but even secular and nationalist leaders
now vehemently voice such views.

The United States cannot stop entrenched anti-Americanism altogether;
only the Turkish leadership can do that. Hence, the first step toward
combating anti-Americanism would be zero anti-American and anti-western
rhetoric from opinion makers in Turkey, government and opposition
alike. By avoiding anti-American rhetoric, the Turkish leadership could
demonstrate that it is ready to receive Obama’s extended olive branch.

The next step is targeting existing anti-Americanism, which can be
alleviated precisely because the Turks are a fence-sitting people. What
the Turks hear about the United States and the West shapes their
views. In battling anti-Americanism, the Turkish leadership needs to
highlight for the Turks the common interests of Turkey and the US, such
as a stable Iraq; shared institutions, such as NATO; and shared values,
such as democracy. Ankara should also give Washington major credit
for intelligence assistance to Turkey in its attempt to stop terror
attacks launched by the PKK. Many Turks are not only unaware of this
fact, but also think that the United States supports the PKK, as many
news reports and government allegations insinuate. The situation on the
PKK shows best how Turkish views of the United States can be distorted.

President Obama should not despair when faced with evidence of
anti-Americanism in Turkey. This is indeed an immediate and big
problem, but it can be fixed, for there is a Turkish solution to
anti-Americanism in Turkey.

Soner Cagaptay is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for
Near East Policy and the author of Islam, Secularism and Nationalism
in Modern Turkey: Who Is a Turk?

YOUSEFIAN STEPS OFF THE DAIS
Jason Wells

Glendale News Press
April 14 2009
CA

Former colleagues bid him goodbye with grace and silence at his final
council meeting.

CITY HALL — As Councilman Bob Yousefian walked down the aisle of
the City Council Chambers on Tuesday afternoon, a man shook his hand
and apologized for the outcome of the April 7 election in which the
two-time incumbent lost his seat.

"Why? Don’t be sorry. It’s not like I’m going to die," Yousefian
responded.

Now in the waning days of his eight-year run as a councilman after
failing to convince voters to grant him a third term, Yousefian came
to terms Tuesday with his inevitable end, touting his achievements
and thanking the very colleagues who just two years ago handed him
a unanimous vote of no confidence.

His overtures, first at the afternoon Housing Authority meeting and
then later at the City Council session, were met with affable diplomacy
from Mayor John Drayman, who praised Yousefian for his tenacious work
ethic and dedication.

"I think you’ve done a terrific job, and we will miss you," Drayman
said.

The other three councilmen were silent at both meetings.

They were not so quiet in November 2007, when they joined Drayman in
publicly rebuking what had been a growing history of outbursts and
contrarian behavior both on and off the dais.

"Overall, I’ve personally had enough," Councilman Frank Quintero said
at the time.

A week later, Yousefian resigned his council-appointed post as the
president of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, along
with a handful of other board and commission seats, saying he wanted
to be "a free man."

He then repositioned himself as a man of the people, taking a more
populist tone at council meetings while breaking ranks with his
colleagues on a number of issues, most notably with the current
city budget.

For his reelection campaign, he touted pragmatism and steady leadership
while offering plain-spoken and upfront answers on the election
forum circuit.

But it was not enough.

On April 7, he received just 12% of the vote, putting him firmly
in fourth place behind Quintero by 1,466 votes, according to the
unofficial tally.

Though Yousefian said repeatedly that he was prepared to face the
music on election night, he acknowledged in a freshly cleared-out
office Tuesday at City Hall that the numbers were disappointing.

"I didn’t have the eye of the tiger," he said of his campaign. Still,
"I do not want to take things in a harsh way."

Even on his way out, Yousefian has been prepping his office for
his replacement.

He pulled open the desk drawer that will serve his successor, Laura
Friedman, and pointed to a stack of city staff reports on a number
of projects, some ongoing and some unfulfilled.

Ending eight years of intense public service would require an
adjustment, he conceded, but he had a construction contracting career
waiting for him. And he would continue to be active in civic life,
he said.

"If I can be helpful, I’ll help, but I do not intend to be the sixth
councilman," Yousefian said.

Despite his sometimes turbulent presence on the dais — and famous
episodes of stormy closed door meetings at City Hall — Yousefian
did earn a reputation for his meticulous preparation and review of
city reports, and for being fiercely dedicated to his office.

At his desk Tuesday, he said he hoped it would be the hundreds of acres
worth of open space procured during his time on the council, and the
laws he helped push to preserve them, that would stand as his legacy.

He rattled off a dozen other capital projects and policy initiatives
— the mobility study, parks, infrastructure upgrades, Unity Fest —
as proof of progress through the four iterations of the dais he served
on during his eight years.

On Monday, the City Council dais will undergo yet another
transformation when it certifies the election results and swears in
the victors.

With Friedman joining the dais, Councilman Ara Najarian will remain
as the sole member of Armenian descent.

Just four years ago, the Armenian community was celebrating the
political significance of achieving a majority on the council dais
with Yousefian, then-Councilman Rafi Manoukian and Najarian.

"It was an accomplishment," said Larry Zarian, Glendale’s first
Armenian council member and mayor.

Drayman, strongly supported by the homeowners associations and a
citywide grass-roots campaign, overtook Manoukian two years later. Two
years after that, Friedman did the same thing with Yousefian in much
the same way.

Now, with only Najarian left, a familiar post-election appraisal has
emerged: There were too many Armenian candidates who competed for
a specific voting demographic, splitting the vote and diluting the
chances of reelection for the incumbents.

"The Armenian American community’s vote was split by too many
candidates who never had a chance of winning," said Zanku Armenian,
chairman of the Armenian National Committee’s political action
committee, which endorsed only Yousefian and Najarian for council.

He added in a statement that his committee had made it clear to the
five other Armenian candidates early on in the election season that
their campaigns "had no chance" due to lack of qualifications.

Again, the split vote was indicative of the political pitfalls of
catering only to the Armenian community, Najarian said.

Despite repeated pledges from candidates like Chahe Keuroghelian,
Vartan Gharpetian and Aram Kazazian to represent and unite all of
Glendale, their campaigns were almost exclusively supported by the
Armenian community in either financial contributions or volunteer
support.

They also performed abysmally outside of those precincts containing
more recent Armenian immigrants, preliminary counts show.

While calling the results "a wake-up call" to the Armenian community,
Zarian said he hoped future candidates would move beyond the tired
nexus between ethnicity and politics.

"It is important that the community look at qualified candidates,
not necessarily what their ethnic background is," he said.

PRESS RELEASE
Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division (SCACRD)
April 13, 2009
Joseph Dagdigian
For questions contact Anahid Yeremian
650 926-4444
[email protected] ; [email protected]

* *

CRD HEAD PROF. ASHOT CHILINGARIAN NAMED PHYSICS INSTITUTE DIRECTOR
In November 2008, Professor Ashot Chilingarian was appointed director of
the Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI). Chilingarian accepted the
position on an interim basis during which the institute will be
reorganized while a search is conducted for a permanent director.
Chilingarian remains the head of the institute’s Cosmic Ray Division
(CRD). Under his leadership the CRD has established a prominent role in
the international scientific community, and has provided a number of
young Armenian scientists and engineers an opportunity to train and work
at CRD’s research stations on Mt. Aragats. With Diasporan support, he
has been able to establish international research partnerships and
projects which leverage Diaspora contributions 5 fold.

Prof. Chilingarian earned his Ph.D. in 1984 and Doctor of Science in
Physics and Mathematics from Yerevan Physics Institute in 1991, becoming
the deputy director of the institute as well as head of the Cosmic Ray
Division in 1993. Since 1975 he has been a lecturer of Physics and
Software Engineering at Yerevan State University (YSU).

Chilingarian’s expertise is in the sphere of high energy astroparticle
physics. He has been awarded more than 20 research grants from
foundations including the International Science and Technology Center
and the International Technology and Science foundation. These grants,
together with Diaspora help, were crucial in supporting CRD’s ongoing
scientific research during the most difficult years of Armenia’s
independence and continue to be essential today. Chilingarian is the
author of the ANI computer code library, which has been extensively used
during the last few decades for analysis of cosmic ray detector data. He
also introduced analytical methods to distinguish between gene
expression in normal and tumor-affected tissue, a problem which is
mathematically similar to identifying constituent particles in cosmic
rays. Under his supervision, the Data Visualization Interactive Network
*(*DVIN) was developed for the Aragats Space Environmental Center
(ASEC*)* in Armenia. This project won a UN World Summit on Information
Society award in Geneva in 2003, and the All-Armenia Information Society
award in 2005. He also has served as a lecturer for CERN’s post-graduate
physics school, an annual event organized by the CERN international
physics research center on the French-Swiss border.

Prof. Chilingarian has authored approximately 300 scientific
publications and is currently Armenia’s representative to the Commission
for Space Research, and is the International Heliophysical Year – 2007
spokesperson for Armenia’s ANI and ASEC collaborations.

PHYSICS INSTITUTE FOCUSES ON KEY AREAS OF SCIENCE
Under Chilingarian’s leadership YerPhI’s focus will continue on
theoretical physics, accelerator technology, and cosmic ray physics.
Focus will also be directed towards effective utilization of YerPhI’s
physical and intellectual assets to enhance revenue generation. Under
consideration are ways to support Armenia’s scientific community, and to
develop partnerships for commercialization of technologies that not only
will generate revenue, but will enhance Armenia’s social well being as
well. Projects being considered include the development of medical
imaging and radiopharmaceutical technologies for use both in Armenia and
in the region.

COSMIC RAY DIVISION (CRD)
Prof. Chilingarian will continue to lead CRD’s research and
international partnerships which funds a large part of CRD’s activities.
SEVAN (Space Environment Viewing and Analysis Network), a world-wide
network of new particle detectors for research in space weather and
solar physics, was developed at the CRD within the framework of the
International Heliophysical Year and the United Nations Basic Space
Science (UNBSS) program. UNBSS focuses on the deployment of arrays of
small inexpensive instruments around the world. Many of the key
developers are young scientists and engineers who were trained at the
CRD and supported in part by Diaspora funding. Installation of the first
SEVAN detectors in Croatia and Bulgaria in December 2008 was performed
by young CRD experts. The number of countries interested in
participating in this project is growing rapidly. The SEVAN detectors
are designed and manufactured in Armenia, and financed by international
sources. The CRD and Prof. Chilingarian are the technical leads for the
international SEVAN project.

More information on the CRD can be found at .
Information on the Yerevan Physics Institute can be found at
.