Author: Tavakalian Edgar

Kurdish rebels claim responsibility for killing 7 soldiers

NEWS.am
13:14 / 12/11/2009

Radical wing of Kurdish PKK party claimed responsibility for
assassination of 7 militants in Turkish Tokat province. According to
Turkish Referans daily, representatives of one of the PKK wings ? HPG
stated that the attack is a response to murder of their ally in
Diarbekir and threats against imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah
Ocalan.

December 7, when Premier Erdogan arrived in U.S., group of strangers
fired at Turkish police, killing 7 and wounding 3 Turkish soldiers.

A.G.

GERMANY-KARABAKH ROCK LINKS

Lragir.am
14/12/09

Germans recognize Karabakh

While the a number of Armenian political figures are found out to
be waiting only for repression from the international community
in connection with the Karabakh issue, the German rock community
recognizes Karabakh and even connects some philosophy with this
conception. Therefore, stating from 1988 a band called Nagorny
Karabach exists in Germany which enjoyed much fame in ’90 and is a
bright representative of the so-called Hamburg school.

Nagorno-Karabakh is perceived as a symbol within the rock sphere,
as an unreachable region at the edge of the world where you need to
isolate by the call of your soul and where the night bus does not
get home the tired participants of a party.

Another band-"Destroying newly-built" issued an album in 2007 the most
successful song of which was again called Nagorny Karabach. You can
listen to it on youtube. Note that most of them have never been to
Karabakh. The vocalist of the band Bargland says, "Of course I have
never been to the Armenian enclave-Nagorno-Karabakh. But I like how
this name sounds and I found it creates some feeling of a particular
image of a place where to hide".

Taking into consideration that rock has always been a modern type of
music as well as the bearer of the idea of freedom, unknown intentions
are not ruled out to be hidden here. Apparently, the Armenian policy
does not need to rush for solutions making both us and Karabakh
depend on them. If foreigners started finding some values in Karabakh,
maybe the time comes and we will perceive the Karabakh significance
too. We do not want to go into symbolism but let us cite the words of
the director Fasbiner from the web site of the Nagorny Karabach band.

"Dependence makes people unhappy and when you help them realize it,
you solve a social problem".

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN APPRECIATES THE COOPERATION ESTABLISHED WITH ORINATS YERKIR PARTY
Siranush Muradyan

"Radiolur"
12.12.2009 14:45

The Orinats Yerkir Party holds its 9th congress today. Addressing the
participants of the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan said, in part:
"Orinats Yerkir Party is a political force with a stable place and role
in Armenia, which has proven its popularity at all recent nationwide
elections. Together with its coalition partners it has assumed
responsibilities before the future of our people and our country."

"As President of the Republic of Armenia and as leader of the
Republican Party, I appreciate the close cooperation that has been
established with the Orinats Yerkir Party. Both Arthur Baghdasaryan’s
activity as Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia and
the work of the members of the party in the Government and the National
Assembly prove that we are dealing with a trustworthy partner. We
have a serous way to pass together, since this partnership is based
on mutually acceptable ideas and principles targeted at pushing our
country forward," President Sargsyan said.

The U.S. reject Iran’s new proposal to share nuclear fuel
13.12.2009 18:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. rejected a new proposal of Iran to share
nuclear fuel, which, according to the spokesman in Washington,
contradicts the agreement proposed by Tehran enabling to avoid
sanctions from the UN and IAEA, RIA-Novosti with reference to the
Agence France Press reported.

On December 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki made a
statement about the their willingness to exchange the principal amount
of low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, as IAEA once suggested.

According to Iran’s proposal, Tehran is ready to give 400 kilograms of
3.5% enriched uranium in exchange for the same amount of uranium, but
20 per cent enriched.

"Iran’s proposal does not comply with the draft agreement, elaborated
by IAEA together with representatives of the United States, Russia and
France," the official representative of the United States said.

Bako Sahakian: Mighty, independent, sovereign, democratic and legal
state is exclusive value having no alternative for us

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. December 10 twice became
turning in Artsakh’s modern history. As it is mentioned in NKR
President Bako Sahakian’s congratulatory address on the occasion of
the Day of Referendum of NKR State Independence and Constitution Day,
in 1991 on this day the Armenians of Artsakh expressed their
collective will and confirmed the resolution of building an
independent statehood. And in 2006 on the same day country’s basic
law, the Constitution was adopted again through a national referendum,
which was a regular great victory of Artsakh having defended its
independence and freedom, firmly standing on the way of democracy.

Reminding that December 10 is also the International Day of Human
Rights B. Sahakian mentioned that this fact in itself is symbolic as
the Artsakh movement, Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s birth and existence
are a component of human rights, reflection of the universal basic
principles of nations’ equality and self-determination right.

"A mighty, independent, sovereign, democratic and legal state is the
exclusive value having no alternative for us," Bako Sahakian’s
congratulatory address read.

HOUSE-SENATE CONFEREES APPROVE $41 MILLION AID FOR ARMENIA AND $8 MILLION FOR KARABAKH

armradio.am
10.12.2009 11:20

Finalizing its work on six different appropriations measures,
the Conferees in the House and Senate approved a Consolidated
Appropriations Bill for 2010, which provides $41 million for Armenia
and $8 million for Nagorno Karabakh, reported the Armenian Assembly
of America (Assembly). The bill also maintained parity with respect
to Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to Armenia and Azerbaijan at
$3 million each. The Conferees did not delineate funding to either
country regarding International Military Education Training (IMET).

"The Assembly appreciates the continued support of its friends in the
House and Senate in helping secure a positive outcome," said Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Given Turkey’s ongoing blockade of
Armenia, which is reinforced by Azerbaijan, U.S. assistance remains
critically important," added Ardouny.

The Conferees stated that they "expect the Department of State to
continue to emphasize the use of civil society in implementing programs
and activities in Armenia." The $41 million approved reflects a $7
million drop from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 level, but is $11 million
over the Administration’s request.

On assistance to Artsakh, the "conferees directed that up to
$8,000,000 be made available for programs and activities in
Nagorno-Karabakh." This matches the level of funding allocated by
Congress in FY 2009.

With the work of the Conferees completed, the full House is expected
to vote on the Consolidated Bill as early as this friday. Once voted
on by the House and Senate, the Bill will be sent to President Barack
Obama for his signature into law.

SERJ TANKIAN TO RELEASE FATHER KHACHADOUR’S DEBUT ALBUM ‘INCHBES MORANANK’

Asbarez
Dec 8th, 2009

Album Release Date Set for Dec. 29, Khatchadour Slated to Perform at
Armenian Music Awards at the Nokia on Dec. 13

BURBANK, Calif.,-Khatchadour Tankian, father of System of a Down’s lead
singer Serj Tankian, will release his debut record "Inchbes Moranank"
through his son’s record label Serjical Strike on December 29, 2009.

This collection of music features new recordings of traditional
Armenian folk songs that Khatchadour has sang for the majority of
his life, along with 2 brand new songs in "Hrant Dink" as well as
the title track "Inchbes Moranank".

Produced by his son Serj with new arrangements from famous Armenian
composer Andranik Mouradian, the album is a collection of 11 songs
that brought the father and son team back to yesteryear, when the
love of singing was passed on from father to son.

On December 13 of this year, Khatchadour will perform on of the tracks
from the album, "Martigi Yerke" at the Nokia Theater as part of the
Armenian Music Awards with the band Visa and a very special guest.

"Growing up as a kid, he would sing and I might sing along with him.

So, I think in some ways, he put the love of music in me and more
specifically the love of singing." explains Serj of his father.

The father and son team filmed a very special video performance of
the song "Bari Arakeel", showcasing the two of them singing the song
together. It was featured twice on the Thanksgiving day Armenia Fund
Telethon broadcast worldwide last week.

Khatchadour is no stranger to lending his voice to an audience as his
singing career started much earlier than his son’s, beginning at age
6 in his birth town of Aleppo, Syria into his teen and early adult
years performing at various Armenian weddings, baptisms and other
community engagements.

Due to familial circumstances, Khatchadour had to reserve all his
singing engagements beginning in 1960, and instead shifted his focus
into the profession of shoe design and manufacturing to provide a
stable financial situation for his family. Recently, he sold off his
successful business and in his retirement, has freed up his time,
and thus reawakened his zest for singing and sharing his voice with
those outside of his family.

Although he relishes in singing the more traditional Armenian
songs like "Im Balik" and "Heratsads Engerner", he is most proud of
presenting the two newer songs on the record.

He explains, "The songs and lyrics [of "Inchbes Moranank"] are new
and they both have big meanings behind them…If you are Armenian,
no matter what you believe in, you are part of the Armenian cause.

The song "Inchbes Moranank" is dedicated to those that perished in
the Armenian Genocide. Hrant Dink is a man whose beliefs and actions
I truly respect and a man who showed true bravery knowing that his
beliefs and actions were a danger to his life."

After Andranik Mouradian finished up the arrangements for the songs
on the album, Khatchadour and his son went into the studio and worked
hours on end to get the best possible vocal recordings to complement
these new interpretations of traditional songs.

In talking about these recording sessions with his father, Serj admits,
"It was a big pleasure to produce his vocals and the record overall. He
dove into it and he worked really hard in making this happen so that
it could be quality music."

In turn, Khatchadour goes on to say, "It was a great pleasure for me
to work with my son and I consider this record a part of our family’s
history now and I’m proud of it."

It only feels appropriate then that at some point during the recording
that these two singers, this father and son, would sing on a couple
songs together, including the song

"Bari Arakeel". The song is a traditional folk song that Serj
rearranged and stripped down to just acoustic guitars and vocals. It
is a song they would sing together when Serj was a kid and in a way,
the recording of this song and the work put into producing the album
overall is Serj paying ode to his inspiration, his father.

Khatchadour’s most revealing statement as to why he wanted to
record and release "Inchbes Moranank" was unveiled when he said,
"I’ve made a record that everyone can enjoy. And a lot of the youth
that purchase the CD, will most likely buy it for their parents, but
will find that they will like it too…It would be great to me if
every Armenian family owned a copy of this CD. The meanings behind
the songs on this album play out like a story in a book, only you
get to also listen to them."

"Inchbes Moranank" tells quite a story, and Khatchadour Tankian has
quite a lot to sing about.

Websites: , ,
me.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1000003493 31301
For Khatchadour Tankian interview requests please send all inquiries
to: [email protected]

EU FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS REPRESENTING EASTERN PARTNERSHIP COUNTRIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2009 19:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Foreign Ministers from EU member states and Eastern
Partnership countries will Tuesday meet in Brussels to conduct the
first round of talks.

This will be the first ministerial meeting following the official
launch of the project.

Eastern Partnership member-states are Armenia, Georgia, Moldova,
Belarus, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

ARMENIA CAN ENSURE HIGHER ECONOMIC GROWTH IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2009 16:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In 2010 Armenia will be able to ensure a higher
economic growth in case of making effective use of 2009 foreign
investments, according to Ph.D. Candidate in Economics Samvel Avagyan.

"1.2% GDP growth will not be satisfactory for Armenia even if the
country does not experience the consequences of new waves of shocks
on global financial markets," he said.

"Considering the resources attracted as well as government’s
assessments and forecasts, we can have positive expectations,"
he added.

The expert finds the existing resources enough for overcoming the
crisis. The government’s principal task, according to him, is to use
them effectively to ensure the required level of economic growth and
pay off the debts.

HOMAGE PAID TO THE VICTIMS OF THE 1988 EARTHQUAKE

M onday, 7 December 2009

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan traveled to the earthquake-hit
regions of Armenia to pay homage to the innocent victims of the 1988
earthquake. Tigran Sargsyan participated in a candle-lighting ceremony
at St. Harutyun Church of Spitak town. The Prime Minister and those
in attendance laid a wreath at the memorial to the victims of the
devastating earthquake of 1988.

Then the head of government left for Vanadzor and called at the Holy
Virgin Church. The visitors laid a wreath at the memorial "khachkar"
stationed in the churchyard and attended a commemorative event.