Author: Tadevosian Garnik

SHOP ASSISTANT CHAMPION OF ARMENIA

Panorama.am
21:19 20/10/2008

Siranush Grigoryan, shop assistant working in "Star" supermarket has
recently taken part in kick boxing competition in Kharberd and has
won the competition becoming champion of Armenia in "light" style.

The competition was organized by the Federation of Kick Boxing
of Armenia. Siranush has been trained for only one year and being
encouraged by her trainer Aramayis Hayrapetyan she took part in the
current competition. Siranush has been awarded a golden medal and
a certificate.

Siranush’s colleagues from "Star" supermarket organized a party
for her.

AGMI TO PRESENT PROJECT SAVE ARCHIVES: ARMENIANS THROUGH THE CAMERA’S EYE

armradio.am
21.10.2008 11:55

Today the Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute in Yerevan will present
a public program by Ruth Thomasian, Founder and Executive Director
of Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, the premier archive of
Armenian photographs in the United States.

Ms. Thomasian’s program, titled Project SAVE Archives: Armenians
Through the Camera’s Eye, is an introduction to the work she started
in 1975 to collect and document the photographic record of the Armenian
people, wherever and whenever they have lived.

Ms. Thomasian will tell how and why she began collecting photographs,
will explain the basic archival methods she and her staff use, and
then through a PowerPoint presentation will share a wide variety of
photographs with their stories.

Project SAVE Archives, located in Watertown, Massachusetts, has
a growing collection of more than 27,000 photographs dating from
1860. Unique in its mission, Project SAVE preserves the fragmented
heritage of the dispersed Armenian people through photographs and
memories of life–not only in Historic Armenia but in the various
places they have lived, right up to the present. Collections include
images from the Ottoman, Russian, and Persian empires; the Armenian
Diaspora created in the wake of the Genocide with particular emphasis
on the Armenian-American community; and the former Soviet Socialist
R epublic of Armenia as well as today’s Republic of Armenia–and
Project SAVE welcomes more additions from Hayastan.

ELECTION DAY IN UN RACE, ANKARA SETS SIGHTS ON WIN

Today’s Zaman
17 October 2008, Friday
Turkey

The long-awaited election to select new non-permanent members for
the UNsECurity Council in New York will take place today.

Having been lobbying intensely for a seat on the influential world body
for five years, Turkish officials are sitting back in their chairs,
hoping that their efforts will bear fruit.

"We have a clear conscience. We have done everything we could," Burak
Ozugergin, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said yesterday ahead
of the elections. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is still in New York for
a final round of lobbying for Turkish membership of the 15-member UN
Security Council. He most recently met with representatives of Asian
and European countries, asking for their support for the Turkish bid.

Turkey, a three-time member of the council, has been absent from the
influential body since 1961. The elections today will determine the
10 new temporary members of the council, selected from different
geographical groups. The tightest race seems to be in the Western
European and Others group, where Turkey is fighting Iceland and Austria
for one of the two seats reserved for the group. Turkey was a temporary
member of the council from 1951-2, 1954-5 and in 1961. Austria has
had a seat on the body twice and Iceland wants to shed its status
of being the only Scandinavian country never represented on the
council. However, Iceland’s current financial crisis and the near
collapse of its currency and three largest banks are threatening
its bid. For Turkey, a seat would mark the first time that Ankara
represents the Western European group.

In its first term on the UN Security Council, Turkey represented the
Middle East region. It moved to the Eastern Europe and Asia group later
and represented this class during its second term. Turkey has been in
the Western European and Others group since a new arrangement of the
grouping in the UN in 1966. And Ankara says it is high time to return
to the Security Council after an absence of nearly a half a century.

Since 2003, when it declared its candidacy for council membership
in 2009-2010, Turkey has been lobbying intensely for selection when
conducting diplomacy with the rest of the world. Relations with the
Caribbean, Latin America and Africa, virtually nonexistent before
2003, have come to the forefront and Ankara is now hoping that a
number of countries from these large groups will keep their promises
to support its bid for membership. Though the number of countries
pledging support is well above the minimum required, 128 out of 192,
officials are cautious, fearing that countries may well cast their
vote differently in the closed election.

Ankara’s biggest advantage is its growing international influence
and prestige as a regional peacemaker. Turkey has been mediating
talks between Syria and Israel, lobbying for a regional cooperation
platform for the Caucasus and thawing its relations with Armenia, a
neighbor with which it has no formal ties. Ankara says as a Security
Council member it could better help efforts to broker peace in the
much-troubled Caucasus and the Middle East.

But according to Ozugergin, the Turkish pro-active policy is
more than a mere bargaining chip for membership at the UN Security
Council. "Turkey is confident in its foreign policy and will continue
to do what it sees best for peace and stability," he said. "These
are not simply efforts for election to the Security Council."

———————————- ———————————————-

Tu rkey’s chance for UN seat worries Armenians The likelihood that
Turkey will win a seat on the UN Security Council is causing concern
among some Armenians, who fear Ankara might gain leverage to promote
pro-Azerbaijani decisions and speak up against Armenia’s claims of
a genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey does not have formal ties with Armenia and has kept its border
with the landlocked country closed since 1993 in protest of Armenian
occupation of a part of Azerbaijani territory. Although relations
improved after a visit by President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan in
September, the two countries are far from restoring diplomatic ties.

Comments in the Armenian media have said Turkey is favored to win
the race for one of the two seats reserved for the Western European
group on the Security Council. According to Armenian analysts, the
Russian-Georgian crisis in the Caucasus in August boosted Turkey’s
chances for election as a regional peace broker. Media outlets also
report that Russia, which has good ties with Turkey, and the US,
which will need its NATO ally to press more strongly for pro-Israeli
decisions at the UN Security Council, are also likely to support
Turkey’s bid. Ä°stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

–Boundary_(ID_eeq4RNlRxZ0O/KGw4A8XDA)–

OPENING OF BORDER WITH ARMENIA DEPENDS ON TURKISH GOVERNMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.10.2008 12:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey stands for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh
problem in context of regional security, a Turkish MP said.

"Opening of the Armenian-Turkish border is a part of this
process. Turkey wants to establish a dialog with the interested
parties, what is extremely important for reconciliation," Jahid
Bahici said.

"We should spare no effort to achieve peace in the region. Opening of
the border with Armenia without liberation of the Azeri seized lands
depends on the Turkish government’s will," he added, 1news.az reports.

RA FM TO ATTEND OSCE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.10.2008 17:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 16th OSCE Ministerial Council will take place
on 4 and 5 December in Helsinki.

The event will be held at the invitation of the 2008
Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.

The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing
body of the OSCE. The meeting, held annually, provides the foreign
ministers of the 56 OSCE participating States an opportunity to review
and assess the Organization’s activities during the past year and
offer national viewpoints on security matters.

As RA MFA media relations division head Tigran Balayan told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
will attend the event.

NEW US ENVOY PRAISES ARMENIA’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TIES WITH TURKEY

Armenian Public TV
October 2, 2008 Thursday

[Presenter] The newly-appointed US ambassador to Armenia, Marie
Yovanovich, held her first news conference for the Armenian media
today. Yovanovich spoke very warmly about Armenian hospitality and
shared her first impressions with journalists. Ambassador Yovanovich
covered all the issues on the political agenda and also spoke about
the meeting between the Armenian and Turkish presidents [in Yerevan
on 6 September].

[Ambassador Marie Yovanovich, addressing the news conference in
English, with overlaid translation into Armenian] I think it was a
historic moment; [Armenian] President [Serzh] Sargsyan’s move was
a courageous initiative that was accepted by [Turkish President]
Abdullah Gul. This initiative tends to reform the region and opens up
new opportunities for normalizing diplomatic relations. We also hope
for the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement. I assure you that the
United States will do whatever possible to bolster those developments.

YEREVAN’S MULTIPLE VECTOR
by Sarkis Levonjan

WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
October 3, 2008 Friday
Russia

WAR IN GEORGIA BECAME AN ADDITIONAL CATALYST FOR THE ARMENIAN-IRANIAN
RELATIONS; The war in Georgia reactivated the Armenian-Iranian
cooperation.

The Five Day War in Georgia has had its effect on absolutely all
countries of the region without exception. Disruption of communications
cost national economies dearly. Armenia found itself among the
countries the war hurt particularly bad. Existing in semi-blockade
because of the conflict with Azerbaijan, Armenia found itself cut
off from the rest of the world. Experts estimated harm to Armenian
economy at half a billion dollars.

The August events exposed fragility of Armenia’s links with the rest
of the world and forced on official Yerevan activization of a search
for additional transport arteries. Normalization of relations with
Azerbaijan is a process whose outcome cannot be predicted yet with
any degree of accuracy. Turkey is making but first and tentative steps
to establish contacts with Armenia. Lacking any other choice, Yerevan
intensified its relations with Tehran. Traditionally anti-Iranian, the
United States understands the fix Armenia has found itself in and does
not really object to advancement of the Armenian-Iranian relations,
dismissing them as being of little if any importance. Russia in its
turn observes what is happening with interest. It has far-reaching
designs for Armenia, its strategic ally, in the geopolitical project
of the North and the South in which even Tehran might be involved
one fine day.

Relations between Armenia and Iran were boosted by bilateral
summits. Presidents Robert Kocharjan and Mahmud Ahmadinejad met,
discussed matters of common interest (economic interest, first and
foremost), and ordered establishment of a special government commission
monitoring realization of several energy projects.

The Armenian-Iranian relations meanwhile began developing a purely
political component as well. Said Jalili, Secretary of the Supreme
National Security Council of Iran, met with his Armenian counterpart
Arthur Bagdasarjan and suggested consultations between national
security services. Bagdasarjan was even invited to visit Tehran,
an invitation that was gladly accepted. There is understanding in
both capitals that these countries need each other.

Official Tehran aspires to regional leadership and counts on
Armenian support. No wonder Iran energetically promotes itself as an
intermediary in the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, these days. The so far
hypothetical Tehran-Yerevan axis is viewed as a counterweight to the
already existing Baku-Ankara one.

By and large, however, economic contacts dominate the Armenian-Iranian
relations for the time being. The war in Georgia last month confirmed
validity of this assumption. Over 70% of the Armenian freight traffic
activity normally goes across the territory of Georgia. Damage to
Armenian economy when the Georgian Railroad stopped cold would have
been even more profound than the estimated $500 million were it not
for the highway connecting Armenia with Iran. Armenian Transportation
and Communications Minister Gurgen Sarkisjan said deliveries of fuel
and grain to Armenia had been organized with Iran’s help. The idea
to connect Armenian and Iranian railroad networks was suggested all
over again.

Russian Railroads promised to finance the project. Iran may invest
something too, as well as some international organizations like
the World Bank and Armenian Bank of Development. Implementation of
the project will give Armenia an alternative route to Iran and Asia
beyond. In fact, even Russia and some European countries might find
this railroad an interesting solution. Iran and Armenia already have
an agreement that puts Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea and in the
Persian Gulf at Armenian freight forwarders’ disposal (and on some
lenient terms at that). With the new railroad built and functioning,
semi-blockade of Armenia will become history. It will inevitably
increase geopolitical importance of Armenia.

MAD MEN RECAP: SEE "THE BOB DYLAN"

Film.com, WA
Oct 14, 2008

Bob Dylan and Johnny Mathis help tie the themes of identity and
self together

As we head into the final two episodes, Mad Men continues to lay the
groundwork for some serious fireworks. This episode, "The Jet Set," was
tied together by a theme of identifying one’s self, featuring myriad
examples, including Duck going off the wagon, and as a result, upping
his game. The theme culminates in that final scene of Don dropping a
"Dick Whitman" on us when we least expect it, calling this season’s
mystery person (to whom he sent the book from the first episode?). Come
to think of it, even with a flashback in an earlier episode, the
"Dick Whitman" name hasn’t been spoken aloud this season until now.

It hardly seems an accident, then, that we get our first mention of
Bob Dylan as well, given the similarities in reworked identity between
Dick Whitman and Bob Zimmerman. Right before identifying himself as
homosexual to his coworkers ("I don’t think that word means what you
think it means"), Curt spoke of his plans to see "The Bob Dylan"
with Peggy, after having already been witness to a performance at
Carnegie Hall. That performance would’ve been the Pete Seeger-led
Hootenanny at the Hall on September 22, 1962, Dylan’s first appearance
there. What gets mentioned most often about that concert was Dylan’s
playing of the song "A Hard Rain’s a Gonna Fall," the first widely
attended and recorded instance (it was actually performed before at
The Gaslight). The reason I bring up the song is the lyrics concern
nuclear war, which is a growing, festering underlying historical
plot, with the slideshow that Don witnesses at the rocket convention,
and ready to boil over with the coming Cuban Missile Crisis right
around the corner. So while we may not hear the song in the episode
(it wouldn’t be available for public consumption until 1963), it
still feels part of the underlying historical events.

Don’s storyline in California took quite a turn, with Don seeming to go
"down the rabbit hole" by following Joy off to Palm Springs. It was
like a bizarro version of last season’s parallel eleventh episode
("Hobo Code") with these nomads instead being wealthy, and mostly
without code, with Don stepping into a Fellini movie. Anytime we see
Joy, we also hear Martin Denny’s tiki version of the Armenian folk song
"Misirlou," a song that refers to a forbidden relationship (in the
song, one that’s cross-faith and cross-race). Most people nowadays
associate the song with Dick Dale, and his surf guitar version that
was used in Pulp Fiction.

Besides the minor Alice In Wonderland reference, William Faulkner’s
The Sound and the Fury makes an appearance, and Don uses the last
page from Joy’s copy to write an address. Faulkner had rewritten the
ending for that edition of the book, and coupled with the fact that
1962 was the year he died, it feels symbolic that the page was ripped
out. Faulkner’s infamous time in Hollywood seems like a relevant
reference to Don’s fish-out-of-water experience as well.

Finally, the closing credits featured "What’ll I Do?" from singing
legend Johnny Mathis, which is an interesting choice in that Mathis
was like Sal during this time, in that he had to hide his real self as
a closeted homosexual. He finally outed himself in an interview with
US Magazine in 1982, saying, "Homosexuality is a way of life that
I’ve grown accustomed to." If Mathis’ situation is any indication,
it might be some time before Sal can come out of the closet. But even
1982 wasn’t an easy time to come out for a celebrity like Mathis,
as death threats had him swearing off interviews and publicity for
his concerts, and staying mum on the subject for more than 20 years
following that interview. As Mad Men often shows, we’ve come a long
way, and yet still have a ways to go as a society.

Previously: Surviving Your Parents (Episode 2.10) drake lelane curator
of the music/soundtrack blog thus spake drake

DEPART D’UNE DELEGATION PARLEMENTAIRE SUISSE VERS L’ARMENIE

Nouvelles d’Arméni
jeudi9 octobre 2008
France

ARMENIE

Sur invitation de son groupe homologue auprès de l’Assemblée
nationale arménienne, une délégation de sept personnes du Groupe
parlementaire Suisse-Arménie, présidée par les Conseillers nationaux
Ueli Leuenberger et Dominique de Buman, s’est envolé mardi soir vers
la République d’Arménie pour une visite jusqu’au 13 octobre.

Le but de la visite est de renforcer les liens politiques économiques
et culturels entre les deux pays. Pour l’occasion, les députés
seront accompagnés par des personnalités de la diaspora arménienne
de Suisse, par des représentants de l’économie privée suisse et
par des représentants des médias. La délégation s’intéressera
tout particulièrement a la situation politique et économique
de l’Arménie, ainsi qu’au nouveau contexte géo-stratégique
sud-caucasie n.

La partie officielle du voyage, accompagnée par l’Ambassadeur de
Suisse en Arménie avec siège en Géorgie, comprend des rencontres
avec le Président de la République, Monsieur Serge Sarkissian,
ainsi qu’avec plusieurs responsables gouvernementaux, dont le
Vice-Premier Ministre, Monsieur Armen Gevorgian, le Ministre de
l’Ã~Iconomie, Monsieur Nerses Yeritsyan, et le Vice-Ministre des
Affaires étrangères, Monsieur Arman Kirakossian.

La délégation rencontrera le nouveau Président de l’Assemblée
nationale, Monsieur Hovig Abrahamian, et le Groupe parlementaire
d’amitié Arménie-Suisse, présidé par le Professeur Ara
Babloyan. Les Parlementaires suisses auront l’occasion de mieux
connaître la situation interne du pays et les aspects liés au
développement démocratique de l’Arménie. Ã~@ ce propos, la
délégation assistera a une présentation d’experts au Caucasus
Institute et rencontrera aussi des représentants de l’opposition,
notamment du Congrès national arménien (CNA) et du Parti
Jarangoutioun (Héritage).

En outre, la délégation rencontrera les représentants du
Haut Karabakh auprès de la Mission permanente du Karabakh a
Ã~Irévan. Les Parlementaires suisses se rendront aussi au mémorial de
Tsitsernagarbérd, où ils déposeront une couronne a la mémoire des
victimes du génocide des Arméniens de 1915. La visite de plusieurs
projets liés au développement durable de l’Arménie, dont certains
soutenus par la DDC, ainsi que la visite a d’importantes institutions
scientifiques du pays sont également agendées. Un riche programme
culturel complètera le profil de ce voyage.

Une conférence de presse conjointe des deux groupes parlementaires
(arménien et suisse) est prévue a la salle de presse de l’Assemblée
nationale de la République d’Arménie, le vendredi 10 octobre,
a 16:30, heure locale (soit a 13:30, heure suisse).

–Boundary_(ID_1HUNBRo/m5Kv6OKXyLLNzA)–

ARF BUREAU MEMBERS SAYS HISTORIANS’ COMMISSION A BLOW TO THOSE WHO RECOGNIZED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Yerkir
09.10.2008 13:46

Yerevan (Yerkir) – ARF Bureau Member Vigen Hovsepian, speaking on the
Armenian-Turkish developments over the weekend, said that Armenia could
develop most if having good-neighborly relations with its neighbors.

"However, good-neighborly relations are nothing if not based on mutual
respect," he added. "It is a very superficial logic to accept Turkey
as a country that has good intentions as that country continues to
violate the dignity of the Armenian nation and its history by denying
the fact of the Armenian genocide. Imagine, for instance, Israel
establishing normal relations with a country that denies the fact of
Holocaust let alone the country that had perpetrated the Holocaust."

As for the commission of the Armenian and Turkish historians, which
supposedly should discuss issues related to the Armenian genocide,
Hovsepian said: "For years, versions for such commissions have been
proposed in order to slow down the international recognition of the
Armenian genocide and the efforts aimed at such recognition. It is
waste of time and we should not get in trap. If such a commission is to
discuss the consequences of the genocide and the way or reparation,
it is good. But if it is to discuss the fact of the genocide and
make speculations on it, it is more than ridiculous and it is a blow
to those who have recognized the Armenian genocide or have acted in
support of the recognition," Hovsepian said.