Author: Nanijanian Alex

ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJAN CANNOT AGREE ON TERMS OF REFERENCE (MODALITIES) AND ITINERARY OF THE VISIT OF UNESCO INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS

Arminfo
2009-10-08 17:39:00

ArmInfo. The Director-General of UNESCO is still waiting, as he has
done for the past two years, for Armenia and Azerbaijan to agree on
the terms of reference (modalities) and itinerary of the visit of a
delegation of UNESCO international experts for investigation of the
facts of destruction of cultural heritage monuments in Nakhijevan,
Representative of the UNESCO Information and Public Relations
Department Roni Amelan told ArmInfo. "We have no news on this
question. The mission cannot be carried out until the two countries
reach agreement on these issues".

To note, in connection with destruction of khachkars (cross-stones)
at the ancient Armenian cemetery in Old Julfa by Azeri authorities, the
Armenian authorities applied to UNESCO. The head of this organization
suggested sending a group of experts to investigate the facts of
vandalism.

During the 35th conference of UNESCO on October 7, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian touched on this problem once again. In his
statement he stressed that Azerbaijan continues exerting efforts to
destroy the traces of the Armenian cultural heritage.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH HISTORICAL COMMISSION CAN HELP INTERNATIONALIZATION OF GENOCIDE ISSUE?

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 18:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian-Turkish sub-commission historians can help
internationalization of the Genocide issue, according to RA National
Security Council Secretary.

"This sub-commission is a good chance to give publicity to the Armenian
Genocide issue and its consequences," Arthur Baghdasaryan told a news
conference on Thursday.

"We will continue our campaign for worldwide recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. Normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations will
create a new platform for discussion of issues of mutual concern,"
he said.

SERGE SARGSYAN: PROTOCOLS DO NOT QUESTION THE FACT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2009 17:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As part of the all- Armenian tour the RA President
Serzh Sargsyan met with the Catholicos of Great House of Cilicia,
Aram I. According to the press office the Catholicosate in Antilase,
Serzh Sargsyan presented to to His Holiness Aram I the content of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols and results of the meetings in the Diaspora.

Aram I said that Armenia must always remind Turkey and the
international community that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
is a priority for the all Armenian people. "This question in no way
can become a subject of discussion," the Catholicos said.

Armenian President assured Aram I, that the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide is an international issue. "I understand the
concerns of the Diaspora, but I can clearly say that the protocols do
not deny the Armenian Genocide. Armenia will continue the process of
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide in all instances,
" Serzh Sargsyan said, adding that normalization of relations with
Turkey is very important for Armenia.

The Armenian President placed a wreath at the monument to the Genocide
victims near the residence of the Catholicos of Cilicia.

OBAMA SEEKS FOR HAPPY MEDIUM

News.am
12:37 / 10/07/2009

Today U.S. media spread information about Obama’s yesterday meeting
with congressional leaders.

October 6, during the White House meeting the U.S. President Barack
Obama told the Congressional leaders that he would not dramatically
reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. However, he does
not intend to shift the anti-terrorist mission to search for another
terrorist. The session showed that there is enhancing pressure on
the President, Los Angeles Times reports. According to the daily,
the congressmen are concerned over the terms within which Obama
intends to decide on war strategy.

"The President reiterated that we need this debate to be honest and
dispense with the straw man argument that this is about either doubling
down or leaving Afghanistan," one senior administration official said
after the meeting ended, the daily reads.

According to Los Angeles Times, Obama seeks for happy medium,
looking "between a major increase in the U.S. troop level and a
large drawdown."

Q&A WITH RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN

WSJ
OCTOBER 6, 2009, 5:36 P.M. ET

These are edited excepts of a transcript of an interview with Turkey
Prime Minist Recep Tayyip Erdogan, conducted through a translator on
Sunday, Oct. 3.

Q: Are you confident that the protocol on reopening the border with
Armenia will be signed on Saturday and is it contingent on progress
on the ANgorno Karabakh issue at the meeting between the Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents on Saturday?

Thank you for the question I’m very glad you asked this question. Our
foreign minister is going to sign this agreement with the Armenian
foreign minister [Edward] Nalbandian on Oct. 10, if there is no
negative development on the part of the Armenians from today until
the 10th of October, I don’t see any problem with signing of this
agreement, because as the world has known and will see again we always
stick to our promises. So, so long as there is no change to the text,
we are ready as it is now to sign the agreement.

We’d also like to see the Minsk group [an international grouping
that oversees peace talks on Nagorno Karabakh] witness the signing
of this agreement actually — and if the French don’t come perhaps
the Americans or the Russians will come. And in addition to that the
meeting in Moldova is very important because although the Armenians
sometimes say this agreement has nothing to do with the Azeris,
there is i n fact a relationship. Because most recently, I believe
when president Sargsyan was on an international visit, he was faced
by a reaction from the Armenian diaspora. So what he does in face of
the reaction of the diaspora is very important. If he can stand firm,
and if it is the government of Armenia and not the Armenian dasipora
that is determining policy in Armenia, then I think that we can move
forward. As far as we’re concerned there is no problem. But it is up
to the government in Armenia.

As for the parliament … of course as is the case in any democratic
country, in any democratic parliament, what governements do is they
prepare a draft, they send it to the parliament, and there is a secret
ballot on that and everyone will vote in the way they want to vote, and
there is no way one can control that. This in fact happened a few years
back on the first of march — what we call the parliamentary motion of
the first of march — where the government prepared a motion, sent it
to the parliament, but it was not ratified, it did not get a majority
of votes in the parliament and could not be passed. I became prime
minister after that parliamentary motion was sent to the parliament,
this was back in 2003, when we presented a new draft, this was about
troops into Iraq. At the time the second draft….got the necessary
votes in parliament, but our American friends and our brothe rs in
Iraq did not want to have troops cross into Iraq by the time the
second motion passed, so the second draft was not put into practice. ..

What is important and I would like to underline this, because this is
perhaps the most impotant point is that Armenia should not allow its
policies to be taken hostage by the Armenian diaspora. It should be
up to the government to carry out its policies. And in that context
the moldova meeting is very important on NK, because if you look at
Nagorno Karabakh and where it stands today there arn’t in fact too
many more issues left to be resolved. There are out of seven regions,
5 that have been resolved and two, Lachin and Kelbajar to be exact,
where there is an issue with the size. If those issues can be resolved
there could be a positive result. So all in all there is in fact a move
for the better. But we have taken our positive steps. We have been
taking pos steps for some time. For example we have allowed flights
between Yerevan and Istanbul, cargo flights are free to travel. And we
have abvout 40000 Armenians who live in turkey, who came from Armenia,
who do not have the necessary legal papers. We do not send them back,
we allow them to stay.

So all of these are important messages actually…

Q: so is signature on the 10th of October contingent on progress at
the meeting in Moldova?

The agreement will be signed on the 10th. It doesn’t have anything to
do with what happens in Moldova. But of course a positive development
in moldova will definitely have a positive impact on the process
altogether.

ROBERT BRATKE EXPRESSES HOPE FOR ‘GREAT PROGRESS IN CHISINAU’

Aysor.am
Tuesday, October 06

Russia’s co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov announced that
October 8 in Chisinau it would be held a meeting with participation
of Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s leaders.

The upcoming meeting will be launched the day before CIS Summit and
will focus on items of settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which
have already been considered at Moscow’s meeting between President
Aliev and President Sargsyan in mid-July.

"President Aliev has recently pointed the positive dynamics in
negotiations, so we hope it will be continued at Chisinau’s meeting,"
said Mr. Merzlyakov.

As Russian media outlets report, co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Robert
Bratke has also expressed hope for "great progress in Chisinau".

ARPA FILM FESTIVAL TO SALUTE ARMENIAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Asbarez
/02/arpa-film-festival-to-salute-armenian-educatio nal-foundation/
Oct 2, 2009

HOLLYWOOD-The 12th Annual Arpa International Film Festival will
present Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) with its prestigious
Arpa Foundation Award for the film, "Because Education Matters."

"For almost 60 years, AEF has been among the most enduring and
productive organizations of the Armenian Diaspora," says festival
director, Alex Kalognomos. "With the making of ‘Because Education
Matters,’ this landmark organization will be recognized for its global
educational outreach, and for producing a poignant film in alliance
with Arpa’s mission to cultivate global empathy." The new film will
receive its world premiere at Arpa International Film Festival on
Sunday, October 25 at the legendary Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The
festival is produced annually by the Arpa Foundation for Film, Music &
Art (AFFMA).

AEF History

Since 1950, AEF has offered support to thousands of students and
hundreds of schools throughout the world.

AEF has provided scholarships to deserving students, built and
renovated Armenian schools, published Armenian textbooks, established
the AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA (currently held
by Professor Richard G. Hovannisian), and sponsored Armenian
educational seminars and conferences. Recent AEF projects include
renovating over 180 village schools in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk;
providing classroom furniture and school supplies for the renovated
village schools; providing scholarships in the United States, Armenia,
Artsakh and Lebanon; and offering financial assistance for Davidian &
Mariamian Educational Foundation’s after school Armenian programs in
Glendale and several neighboring cities’ public schools.

The Film – "Because Education Matters"

When AEF’s board commissioned the project, Christina Hacopian
("Gossip Girl," "Bride Wars," "Dirty Dancing") took on the producing
job as a passion project. Hacopian, a seasoned DVD and EPK producer
credited with over 50 projects for top Hollywood studios, says "AEF
is an amazing organization. It brings children access to education
and focuses on the most crucial time in a child’s life, a time that
comes with many deprivations in countless Armenian villages." Hacopian
continues, "My intent was to bring audiences an awareness of AEF’s
history, its successes, and the incredible amount of work that still
needs to be done. The goal was to open the public’s eyes and let the
Diaspora know that there is a need for new and safe schools, and an
overall need for assistance in the education of the youth in Armenia."

With this considerable mission in mind, Hacopian approached director
Sevag Vrej whose credits include the award-winning feature film N-4,
Serj Tankian’s MVPA-nominated "Feed Us" music video, and several
MTV-style concert videos for such artists as Fergie and System of
a Down.

Together, they set forth to document the 60-year legacy of AEF. A
mixture of original footage filmed in Armenia and footage from AEF’s
archives were used to cinematically realize AEF’s educational endeavors
in Armenia and America. "The most impressive parts of the film show the
dilapidated schools – in breathtaking Armenian landscapes – transform
into beautiful facilities that fully function and make a significant
impact in the education and lives of Armenian children," adds Hacopian.

ARPA International Film Festival Salutes AEF

Forty-six films, post-screening receptions, and a star-studded Closing
Night Awards Gala and Ceremony will take place over three autumn days
(Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25). AEF’s film will receive its
world premiere during Arpa’s Closing Night Awards Gala Ceremony. The
film was embraced by the programmers of the festival. "We are thrilled
to recognize AEF leaders and the filmmakers for their cinematic and
humanitarian contributions," says Arpa International Film Festival
founder, Sylvia Minassian. "Our mission is to create a dynamic forum
for emerging filmmakers addressing the issues encompassed in AEF’s
film. The legacy of AEF will be eternal – spanning generations of
Armenians, for as long children have schools in which they learn and
advance," says Minassian. "Through the power of film, our festival
can promote AEF’s mission and monumental contributions. And together,
both organizations build unity within our community. We salute AEF."

Festival Highlights

This year’s official selection of films includes "Because Education
Matters" as well as films from over 20 countries including Venezuela,
Turkey, Brazil, France, Peru, Canada, Malawi, Spain, China, India,
Iran and many more. On Friday, October 23, the festival kicks off
with the long anticipated North American premiere of Haik Gazarian’s
"VENEZZIA." Red carpet premiere begins at 6:30 p.m., and the film
at 8:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. Other highlights include
"Anjar: Flowers, Goats and Heroes," a film about the history of the
people of Musa Dagh by Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Noura Kevorkian;
"Autumn of the Magician," an homage to legendary Italian screenwriter
Tonino Guerra and Armenia’s official selection in the Best Foreign
Language Film category for the 2010 Academy Awards; "Komitas Hairig,"
which tells the story of the beloved Komitas Vardapet; "Husher," a
film which documents the testimony of Armenian Genocide survivors who
settled in Italy; "Whispering Memories," the story of a community of
Armenians in Turkey who stayed behind during the Genocide and silently
converted to Islam; the Olympia Dukakis vehicle "Hove," a film about
the powerful, unresolved legacy of the Genocide, directed by Alex
Webb; actor-writer-director Shant Hamassian’s "Spaceman on Earth,"
which debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; Turkish filmmaker
Ozcan Alper’s acclaimed "Sonbahar" ("Autumn"), the first feature
length film ever to be shot in Homshetsma; Chasing Tchaikovsky," a
laugh-out-loud comedy about marriage and moviemaking directed by Greg
Lalazarian. Other films feature the work of such acclaimed figures as
Sting, Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons ("Power of the Powerless")
and "24" star Kiefer Sutherland ("Return to Mexico City," which also
features interviews with President Barack Obama and Tom Brokaw).

Hacopian concludes, "Arpa International Film Festival allows for
individuals and organizations with an important message to be heard
through the most impactful art form, in my opinion, and that is
filmmaking.

The festival’s recognition makes those of us involved feel incredibly
grateful to have this platform to share our experiences. AEF is
humbled by the new generation that will get to learn of its missions
and goals through this film."

To become a festival sponsor or to purchase tickets to the Closing
Night Awards Gala at the historic Egyptian Theatre, please visit
or call 323-663-1882. Tickets to the Closing Night Awards
Gala, which includes cocktails and a dinner reception, may be purchased
for $75. Gala tickets are also available through the purchase of a
VIP 3-day All-Access Pass at the special rate of $150. For further
information on AEF, please call (818) 242-4154 or visit

ON THE EVE OF PAN-ARMENIAN TOUR

i
07:30 pm | October 05, 2009

Official

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I today received Serzh Sargsyan’s brother
Levon Sargsyan, Armenia’s former ambassador to Syria.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to Serzh Sargsyan’s
pan-Armenian tour and his upcoming visit to Lebanon.

HUGE DEMONSTRATION GREETS PRESIDENT SARGSYAN IN LA; PROTESTORS SAY "NO" TO PROTOCOLS

/
2009/10/05 | 11:44

Diaspora Politics

A crowd estimated at more than 12,000 gathered outside the Beverley
Hills Hilton in Los Angeles yesterday to protest the visit of RoA
President Serzh Sargsyan and the Armenian-Turkish protocols he says
he will soon sign.

The crowd was a healthy mix of a cross section of the local Armenian
community – students, clergy members, young and old alike. Equipped
with signs and banners calling on President Sargsyan not to sign the
protocols, the boisterous protestors took up positions opposite the
hotel for some four hours.

One particular banner with the words "Do Not Betray" displayed
a photo of a smiling Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Armenian
President Sargsyan shaking hands. There was a heavy police presence
on hand to keep the protestors from crossing the street and gaining
access to the hotel where the president was scheduled to meet with
52 representatives of the community around 4 p.m.

Reports indicate that many of those invited included prominent Armenian
businessmen. President Sargsyan, just as he had done in Paris and
New York, attempted to assuage the concerns of those at the meeting
that the protocols did not threaten the just demands of the Armenian
people; especially in terms of Genocide recognition and reparations
from Turkey. Despite these assurances, community representatives
politely but forcefully argued the opposite; that the protocols
included a number of points detrimental to Armenian national interests.

At around 6:30 p.m. ARF Western Central Committee member Yovan
Tashjian left the meeting and addressed the assemble crowd and
urged the Armenian president to put a halt to the negotiations with
Turkey. The protestors cheered this demand and then started to sing
the national anthem of Armenia, "Mer Hairenik".

(Information provided by the Public Affairs Office of the ARF
U.S. Western Central Committee)

SERZH SARGSYAN: ADVANCING WITHOUT ANY PRECONDITIONS

Panorama.am
13:49 05/10/2009

"I think that for this period we’ve managed to get much," President
Serzh Sargsyan said in New York when meeting with the representatives
of Armenian Diaspora, President’s Cabinet reports.

President talked about the on-going processes of normalizing
Armenian-Turkish ties and made his observations related to the basic
concerns on the protocols. President stressed that Armenia is advancing
without discussing any preconditions with Turkey.

Serzh Sargsyan noted that after August events of the previous year
the situation has been much changed, which, in fact, has contributed
to the advancement of Armenian-Turkish political dialogue.

Serzh Sargsyan ensured that normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties
will contribute to easing the tension in the region and creation of
mutual trust.