Author: nina hovnanian

Arsho Beylerian to Chair ANCA WR Annual Banquet

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014

ANCA-WR Banquet Committee Chairwomen Arsho Beylarian

GLENDALE–The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region
announced that Arsho Beylerian will chair the organization’s Annual
Gala Banquet set to take place on Sunday, November 2. The event will
take place at the world-famous Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
The annual dinner provides crucial financial support to the ANCA
Western Region, which serves as a vital center of education, activism
and exchange.

“It’s an honor to work with a strong team of dedicated volunteers to
showcase the accomplishments of the ANCA WR and thank our generous
donors and supporters,” commented Committee Chair Beylerian. “I am
honored to lead this effort and share ANCA’s vision with new and
seasoned supporters and friends.”

The Gala Banquet will highlight the many successes and projects of the
ANCA-WR over the past year, among them the Hye Votes campaign, passage
of state resolutions, educational initiatives and America, We Thank
You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief. “The gala banquet serves
as an opportunity to thank our volunteers and supporters who work
tirelessly to represent the views of the Armenian American community
and stand up for justice,” said Nora Hovsepian, ANCA WR Board Chair.
“Our daily issues range from local and state politics to justice for
the Armenian Genocide to a strong, prosperous, democratic Armenia to
an independent Artsakh.”

Last year, the sold out Gala Banquet attracted close to 1,000
attendees as it honored a variety of individuals who have served their
community and their country. Among them were Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti, Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan, Coach “Tark the Shark”
Tarkanian, California State Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian, Community
Activist Manas Boujikian and Filmmaker Ara Soudjian.

“The common bond that binds the ANCA family is passion for the
Armenian Cause,” said Pattyl Aposhian, ANCA-WR Board Member. “We are
excited to have an experienced activist like Arsho Beylerian who is
dedicated to our cause and focused on delivering another marquee event
with a stellar line up of honorees.”

The 2014 Banquet Committee members include: Maral Abounayan, Anita
Altounian, Lorie Bartamian, Sona Boyamian, Carine Chorbajian, Lina
Davidian, Esq., Aida Dimejian, Garine Garabedian, Harry Geozian,
Theresa Ghevondian, Karina Kargodorian, Silva Kechichian, Louise Gill
Mardirossian, Gennie Mezian, Liza Sambolian Dikijian, Esq., Ani
Sassounian, Armine Sherikian and Tamara Vartanian. Pattyl Aposhian and
Steve Artinian serve as ANCA WR Board of Directors liaisons to the
committee.

APA, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2014

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with French President Francois Hollande

[ 04 September 2014 22:24 ]

Baku-APA. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and
President of the French Republic Francois Hollande have met in Wales
on the sidelines of the NATO summit, APA reports.

During the meeting, the sides expressed their satisfaction with the
successful development of bilateral relations between the countries.
The parties noted that there were good prospects for cooperation
between Azerbaijan and France in various fields.

During the conversation, the heads of state exchanged views on the
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

ENPI Info Centre, EU
Sept 4 2014

Armenia: Customs – cutting down waiting times to a third

04-09-2014

Armenia and Georgia share a land border of 225km: three crossing
points – Bargatashen, Gogavan and Bavra – connect the two countries.
The traffic grows every year, but the checkpoint facilities remain the
same. With the support of a EURO 61 million project mostly financed by
the European Union and its financial institutions, three new border
crossing points will soon be constructed. Thanks to their
modernization and the introduction of new procedures, the processing
capacity of the three checkpoints will be increased and trade and
transit facilitated. At the same time, security will be
strengthened.Two hundred kilometres from Yerevan, Bagratashen is the
main crossing point. An EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist went
there, and this is her report.

This is part of a series of features on projects funded by the EU’s
Regional Programme, prepared by journalists and photographers on the
ground or the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre, available in English,
Russian and Armenian.(EU Neighbourhood Info)

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 4 2014

Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to meet with US Secretary of State in Wales

4 September 2014 – 6:20pm

US Secretary of State Kerry will meet with President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Cardiff, Wales,
United Kingdom, 5:30 pm local time (8.30 pm Moscow time) within the
framework of the NATO summit.

Details of the meeting , such as exact time, place and agenda are unknown.

Thus, the initiative of the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
James Warlick, that the two presidents should meet, will be realized.
The co-chair commented on the upcoming meeting on Twitter: “The
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are attending today’s #NATO
Summit, a strong statement about our shared values and goals.”

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will participate in the
meeting of the heads of governments and states of the mission of the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which will be
conducted in the framework of the summit of the North Atlantic
Alliance. Serzh Sargsyan intends to deliver a speech.

The director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National
Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Ruben Safrastyan, told a VK
correspondent that no progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
should be expected of this meeting. He said that the meeting in Sochi
which took place between Russia’s, Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s
presidents turned out to be really significant, because it prevented
an escalation of the armed conflict. However, the sides haven’t had
enough time to work out a new agenda since then. He also points out
that, during periods of exacerbation of relations with Russia, the USA
tends to pursue more vigorous policies in the post-Soviet countries.
The expert said that the upcoming meeting should be considered as an
attempt by the USA to display activity in the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijani MP Aydyn Mirzazadeh said that the fact that world powers
display interest in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement may facilitate
progress in this field. He also said that Azerbaijan is ready to
compromise and to show a constructive approach, so everything depends
on Armenia’s willingness to pursue a similar approach.

French Socialists in Yerevan for 100th Anniversary of Death of Jean Jaurès

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

Legendary French socialist Jean Jaurès speaks at a rally in Paris on
May 25, 1913.

BY JEAN ECKIAN

YEREVAN–To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Jean-Jaurès
(1859-1914), a large delegation of lawmakers and proponents of the
Armenian cause in France, led by Bruno Le Roux (President of the
Socialist faction in the French National Assembly), are traveling to
Yerevan at the invitation of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) and the Armenian National Committee of France (CDCA).

The delegation will attend several ceremonies at the Dzidzernagapert
Memorial of the Armenian Genocide, as well as a conference at the
French University of Yerevan, titled “Jean Jaurès and Armenians.” The
tour continues with the opening of an exhibition of Jaurès and the
Armenian cause.

Among the participants are Françoise Dumas, Luc Carvounas, Rene
Rouquet, Pascal Popelin, Erwan Binet, Nathalie Nieson, Serge
Franceschi, Mourad Papazian, Harout Mardirossian, Alexis Govciyan,
Richard Ananian, Jirig Gharapetian, Dikran Tchertchian, and Vartan
Kaprielian.

On 1897, Jaurès was the only one to raise his voice in the House of
Representatives to denounce the massacre of Armenians. He famously
said: “Humanity cannot live with the corpse of a murdered people in
his basement.”

Common sense vs. encouragement of xenophobia: Which one will win at NATO Summit?

22:34 04.09.2014

Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan participated in the meeting of the
Heads of State and Government of the NATO member states and countries
contributing to the International Security Force in Afghanistan
(ISAF).

The results of the ISAF mission were summed up and the directions of
the new Resolute Support mission will be set at this last meeting in
NATO-ISAF format.

Speaking at the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan said, in part: “As
NATO partner and a country contributing to international security,
Armenia engaged in the International Security Assistance Force in
Afghanistan (ISAF) in 2010 and tripled the number of its troops in
July 2011. Over the past years Armenia has gained invaluable
experience. I would specially emphasize Armenia’s effective
cooperation with Germany, which is the best example of cooperation
between NATO member and partner countries.”

Serzh Sargsyan underscored that those in Armenia appreciate the value
of both peace and security. According to the Armenian President, our
country struggles for both of them almost every day. “Tomorrow here,
in this same hall a document will be adopted that will be related to
the security of my people and peace in our region.

There are two options. Either it will adopt the language of the OSCE
Minsk Group, which is the only specialized international structure
dealing with the Nagorno Karabakh problem, a language that was
proposed and supported by the Co-Chair countries that are represented
here by France and the United States of America, or upon the lobbying
of another member State it will pass again with an aim to save the
face of our tyrant neighbor vis-a-vis his own people. Believe me it
will not lead to any positive results.

Either the common sense and the strive for peace will have the upper
hand, or the silent encouragement of xenophobia will go deepening, the
war rhetoric and the deadly provocations, so easily provoked by
Azerbaijan, which does not care about its soldiers’ lives and gets
enthusiastic with papers like that, will continue ahead,” Serzh
Sargsyan emphasized.

RA can easily contradict RF in NATO issue: Anush Sedrakyan

18:49 | September 4,2014 | Politics

If RF relations with NATO get tense, RA, as in case of EU membership,
as well as in case of NATO will stand in front of the “either…or”
policy, thinks political expert Stepan Safaryan and adds, “In the same
way as RF made RA stop its relations with the EU, it mustn’t be
excluded that the same will happen in case of NATO.”

RF acts toward Ukraine made NATO allies to review their partnership.
As a result RF stopped all the relations with the NATO though it had
the highest level of partnership with it. Stepan Safaryan notes that
it is stated both in foreign political and military doctrines of RF
that NATO is a threat for RF.

The main issue on NATO Summit in Wales, in which Serzh Sargsyan is
also taking part, is RF actions in Ukraine. For this purpose NATO
wants to create rapid response groups, “If it influences RF-NATO
relations, Armenia, having low level of independence and sovereignty,
will also have problems.

Free Democrats party vice President Anush Sedrakyan is not concerned
about freezing relations between NATO and RF. She thinks that RF is
our strategic partner, but RA can easily contradict, “Calm and
confident, determined contradiction, and I am sure that it will be in
such way, as RF security systems proved their low vitality and
inability, or what’s worse, the lack of desire.”

Mrs. Sedrakyan thinks that Armenia must be mostly flexible when
cooperating with NATO. What relates to RF, it cuts its relations not
only with NATO, but with all the institutions of civilized world, “It
puts iron curtain between itself and civilized world, as it has failed
as technological, democratic state and it is now implementing the
project of being a dangerous state.”

NATO Summit Armenian delegation member, Heritage party secretary Tevan
Poghosyan reminds that RA has its own format in the cooperation with
NATO, “NATO can improve and worsen its relations with many states, but
we must be only concerned of our problems and interests and continue
our cooperation.”

By instruction of Ramiz Mehdiyev articles about losses in Azerbaijani
Army are being removed from media archives

18:24 04/09/2014 >> SOCIETY

After the speech, made by the head of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev at the meeting with the heads of the
offices responsible for information provided to the governmental
structures and the media, the news about the losses in Azerbaijani
Army in early August have been deleted from the archives of the
state-controlled media, writes the Azerbaijani newspaper “Azadlig”.

As written in the article, in the course of this meeting Mehdiyev has
sharply criticized the controlled media for having published
information about the devastating losses in the Azerbaijani army in
early August, and has told that all this information has been used by
Armenia in the information war, and as a result this situation
threatens information security of Azerbaijan.

One of the sources told the newspaper that after Mehdiyev’s statement
where he told that he knew the names of all non-opposition media,
which had published these materials, the oligarchs took this as a
warning and immediately ordered to remove all the articles on losses
from the press.

The article also reads that the director of the Azerbaijani news
agency “Turan” Mehman Aliyev told in an interview with the “Voice of
America” that the pro-government media receives about 20-30 million
euros from the state as an informal assistance.

Harutyunyan: Armenia pursues balanced policy towards both West and Russia

14:41 04/09/2014 >> POLITICS

According to public opinion polls, approximately 80% of the Armenian
public, most part of the Diaspora as well as the Russians are in favor
of Armenia’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union, head of Noravank
Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan told reporters on Thursday.

In his words, Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union
resolves the issue of Armenia’s military and political security.
Harutyunyan stressed that Armenia should take into account not only
risks coming from Azerbaijan, but also the fact that the Islamists
plan to move military operations from the Middle East to the Caucasus.

Mr Harutyunyan stressed that Armenia purses a balanced policy towards
both the West and Russia.

The expert reminded those present that Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan will participate in the meeting of heads of state and
government of NATO states and ISAF participating states as part of the
NATO summit on September 4 in Newport.

Source: Panorama.am

Valerie Boyer introduces new bill on criminalization of genocides denial

12:04, 4 September, 2014

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: French MP Valerie Boyer has
introduced a bill, which considers imposing criminal punishment upon
the deniers of the 20th century’s genocides and crimes committed
against humanity. As reports Armenpress, Nouvelles d’Armenie stated
about this.

Valerie Boyer does not consider it fair that France has officially
recognized both the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust, whereas only
the denial of the Holocaust is criminally punishable.

“The issue of the Eastern Christians of Iraq, which United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon qualifies as crime against humanity,
certifies about the urgency of adopting the bill on criminalization of
the denial of all the genocides and crimes committed against humanity.
The bill on denial needs urgent adoption,” said Valerie Boyer,
stressing that the new bill suggested by her will help to avoid the
deadlock, which threatened the previous bill in consequence of
the decision of the Constitutional Court.

“The text of the new bill is universal, as it defends all the
genocides, which are recognized by the French government and
corresponds to human rights. The bill will soon be available in the
official site of the National Council,” she said.