Author: Tigranian Ani

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS ARE LEADERS IN ITALY

Aysor
Sept 9 2009
Armenia

In the 8th round on passing European Youth Chess Championship
Ferno-2009 in Italy nine Armenian representatives celebrated
victory. One of the leaders Vahe Baghdasaryan increased his points
to 6.5 and is still the 2nd in league table.

Samvel Ter-Sahakian played a draw. He also has got 6.5 points and is
still keeping a silver place. The same result is recorded by Mikael
Lazarian. Of 8 parties 1 is failed and 1 is in a draw and 6 are won.

OUR ARMY IS THE STRONGEST IN CAUCASUS: AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY

Today.Az
Sept 4 2009
Azerbaijan

"Azerbaijani army is the strongest in the Caucasus for all parameters,"
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Spokesperson Colonel General Eldar
Sabiroglu said at a news conference.

Sabiroglu said Azerbaijani army is able to confront enemy in any
extreme situation.

He said this is confirmed by international experts and representatives
of international institutions.

"Azerbaijani army in any extreme situation is able to confront
enemy. Our army will gradually develop and our lands will be
liberated," he said.

He said that Azerbaijan and Armenia are still holding political
negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"If the talks fail, the army is ready at any moment to fulfill the
state order," he added.

ISSUES ON COOPERATION OF NA’S EURO INTEGRATION COMMISSION AND EU CONSULTING GROUP DISCUSSED

ARMENPRESS
Sep 3, 2009

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: Chairwoman of the NA’s European
integration permanent commission Naira Zohrabyan received today head
of the EU consulting group to Armenia Rolf Borke.

NA public relations department told Armenpress that during the meeting
Naira Zohrabyan highlighted Armenian foreign policy’s prior direction –
European integration, including EU’s "Eastern Partnership" program. She
underscored the work of the EU experts in Armenia and expressed hope
that NA will too be appointed EU consultant.

Referring to the works of the commission N. Zohrabyan noted that
the commission needs trained and professional experts and suggested
that within the frameworks of EU programs classes be conducted for
the experts of the commission which will give an opportunity to make
the process of making Armenia’s legislature in accordance with the
European one more effective. She pointed out that the increase of
the level of professionalism of the members of the commission is also
highly underscored by NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan and certain works
are being carried out in that direction.

Among many programs the commission is planning to implement is
"European Week in Parliament" within the framework of "Open Days" which
will promote presenting to the public European integration process.

Rolf Borke said that the consulting group he is heading will do all
possible for the best cooperation.

PAINTER MARIAM HAKOBYAN OPENED HER PERSONAL EXHIBITION IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
02.09.2009 19:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, on September 2, painter Mariam Hakobyan
organized her exhibition in the Artists’ Unions of Armenia, displaying
140 pieces of art, the earliest dating from the 1970s. Here belonged
landscapes, bronze sculptures, silver decorations and graphic works
exhibited in different countries worldwide.

This is the artist’s first exhibition in Armenia over the past
10 years, as she herself told a PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent in
an interview. "What interests me in art is the broad specter of
themes, be it a branch of science, interrelation between people or
rock paintings. But as regards humor, it has a special place in my
art. Here one can see a hedgehog’s image in fog, fairytale heroes
and a sweet apple with worms peeping through its walls. Art should
contain elements of humor and certain lightness."

Mariam Hakobyan received her artistic education in Yerevan Fine
Art college (1968) and Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts (entered
1974).Her small-size monumental sculptures have been exhibited in
different countries, including Armenia, Russia, Italy, Greece, United
States, Norway, China, United Arab Emirates etc.

ANCC RELEASED A STATEMENT ON PROTOCOLS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.09.2009 01:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC)
issued a statement in regard to the protocols between Turkey and
Armenia. The full text of the statement, sent to PanARMENIAN.Net,
particularly says:

On August 31st, 2009, the foreign ministers of Armenia, Turkey and
Switzerland issued a joint announcement outlining the protocols that
will guide the establishment and development of relations between
Turkey and Armenia. The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC)
would like to express its serious concerns regarding this recent
development. The ANCC finds the content of the Protocols unacceptable,
because of the concessions made therein, which seriously threaten
the interests, rights, safety and future of the Republic of Armenia
and of the Armenian people in general.

The Protocols are clearly the result of ongoing pressure exerted on
Armenia to make concessions as preconditions to opening the border
between Armenia and Turkey and to establishing diplomatic relations
between the two countries.

In particular, the Protocols call the two countries to create a
"sub-commission on the historical dimension to implement a dialogue
with the aim to restore mutual confidence between the two nations,
including an impartial scientific examination of the historical
records and archives to define existing problems and formulate
recommendations…" The ANCC believes that this will be used by Turkey
to cast doubt on the historical record of the Armenian Genocide. The
word Genocide is in fact absent from the Protocols. By doing so,
there is a tendency to find a political solution to this crime
against humanity, to ignore the legal basis for the recognition on
the international level and to promote a solution that serves the
political interests of Turkey. Moreover, the undertaking by Turkey
of a genuine dialogue is questionable, given the current denialist
policy that the Government of Turkey is pursuing. Within i it is
carrying out the legal prosecution of those who dare discuss the
Armenian Genocide (Under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code,
making it illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, or Turkish
government institutions). On the international level, it continues the
worldwide campaign of the denial of the Armenian Genocide including
the lobbying among other places, in the U.S Congress and the Canadian
Parliament at great expense. Furthermore, the Protocols’ language
regarding mutual recognition of existing borders, non-intervention,
territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers may also be
used by Turkey to preclude the reparations in regard to legitimate
claims based on international law, as well as to counter and distort
current negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh
conflict.

ANCC believes that there should not be any such pre-conditions to the
establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of the border. Normal
and neighbourly relations between Armenia and Turkey can only be
based on Turkey’s acceptance of the Armenian Genocide, and on a true
and just resolution of this crime. Attaching such pre-conditions to
the establishment of diplomatic relations and to the opening of the
border demonstrates a clear lack of good faith on the part of Turkey
in choosing a path that leads to true neighbourly relations.

On behalf of the Armenian community of Canada, the ANCC wishes to
express opposition to these developments. Developments that ignore
the rights of the Armenian nation as a whole, which are based on
historical facts and international law.

"This announcement was imminent and we should not consider it
as a surprising move, given the April 22, 2009 announcement of a
provisional roadmap. The protocols issued on August 31st are vague
and unbalanced, in favour of Turkey. It proves that there is a lack
of commitment to establish a permanent peace between the two nations
and a desire to hinder work toward the worldwide recognition of the
Armenian Genocide." said the president of the Armenian N e of Canada,
Dr. Girair Basmadjian.

The ANCC favours the normalization of the ties between Armenia
and Turkey but without sacrificing the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and the rights of the Armenian people. As Canadians where
our Senate in 2002, our House of Commons in 2004 and our Government
in 2006 have recognized the Armenian Genocide, we feel insulted:
these Protocols ignore the recognitions taken in Canada as well as in
other countries throughout the world and promote the campaign that is
aimed at hindering similar future decisions of recognition. The ANCC
encourages the Canadian Government to urge the Turkish Government to
face up to and come to terms with its own history by recognizing the
Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Young Turks on the eve of the
demise of the Ottoman Empire

SERIOUS PROGRESS EXPECTED IN KARABAKH PROCESS WITHIN 6 WEEKS?

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.09.2009 17:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ What can be deducted from recent developments
in Armenian-Turkish relations, particularly, joint statement on
normalizing bilateral ties, is that Turkey has learned from the
previous crisis between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Since, this time,
all the developments have been carried out with greater secrecy,
and every stage of the each development was coordinated with Baku,
Sinan Ohan, President of Turkish Center for International Relations
and Strategic Analysis (TURKSAM), told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The fact that Azerbaijan is aware of and approves recently signed
protocol between Yerevan and Ankara demonstrates that developments
in Armenian Turkish relations go parallel with Karabakh process. "It
can be foreseen that with the completion of this process between two
countries within 6 weeks, there will be very important improvements
about Nagorno Karabakh," Sinan Ohan stressed, adding that Yerevan
and Ankara should prepare for peaceful talks by the end of 2009.

"Nowadays, in Turkey, remarkable developments are experienced
about Kurdish problem the one hand and Armenian problem on the
other. However, society seems oversensitive to both initiative
which are unlikely to be successful without public support," TURKSAM
President said.

Eurovision 2009: Baku continues to deny that voted for the Armenian
song subjected to interrogation
29.08.2009 11:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has received
responses from Azerbaijan regarding allegations that telephone voters
in Azerbaijan who voted for the Armenian song in this year’s
Eurovision Song Contest were interrogated by security police.

Ictimai, the EBU’s Azeri Member which broadcast this year’s Song
Contest from Moscow in May, has confirmed its commitment to free and
fair voting. While two individuals had been invited to the Ministry of
National Security, Ictimai said, the Ministry of National Security had
given assurances that nobody had been questioned, either officially or
unofficially, on voting in the competition itself.

The EBU’s Director General, Jean Réveillon, said he took note
of the statements. However, he stressed that the freedom to vote for
any song except the one of the country where you are watching is one
of the cornerstones of the contest. `Any breach of privacy regarding
voting, or interrogation of individuals, is totally unacceptable,’ he
added.

The EBU committee responsible for running the Song Contest will
examine the matter at a meeting in Oslo on 11 September 2009.

Earlier in the Azeri press released information that the Ministry of
National Security of Azerbaijan called for questioning 43 people who
voted in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 for the Armenian singers
Inga and Anush Arshakyan. Azerbaijani officials have denied this fact.

SCHMIDT GETS TAPED IN ELECTION SUIT

Cincinnati CityBeat
44-schmidt-gets-taped-in-election-suit.html
Aug 27 2009

Posted In: Congress, 2010 Election, Courts Posted By: Kevin Osborne

U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township) just doesn’t fare so well in
unscripted situations. In the latest example of that political truism,
Schmidt testified Monday for nearly five hours in a deposition taken
by attorneys for David Krikorian.

The deposition was taken in preparation for a Sept. 3 hearing before
the Ohio Elections Commission. Schmidt filed a complaint with the
commission alleging that Krikorian knowingly made a false statement
about Schmidt in a piece of campaign literature last year.

Krikorian ran as an independent against Schmidt in 2008 for Ohio’s 2nd
Congressional District. During the campaign, Krikorian distributed
a pamphlet alleging Schmidt had received "blood money" from the
Turkish government in return for her opposition to a congressional
resolution that declared Turkey committed genocide against Armenia
during a 1915 conflict.

Schmidt’s opposition angered Krikorian, who is of Armenian
descent. His grandparents almost became victims of the violence,
Krikorian said, and Schmidt’s denial that genocide occurred is an
insult to Armenian-American citizens. A Schmidt spokesman has said
in the past that the congresswoman doesn’t believe the conflict meets
the legal requirements to be dubbed genocide.

Krikorian has questioned why Schmidt accepts tens of thousands
of dollars in donations from Turkish interests when there isn’t
any significant number of Turkish-American residents in the 2nd
District. He’s also called Schmidt’s complaint "frivolous."

Monday’s deposition was videotaped by Krikorian’s attorneys, despite
Schmidt’s protest.

"Ms. Schmidt strongly objected to David Krikorian’s legal right
to video tape her deposition as allowed by law," a Krikorian press
release states. "Attorneys for Ms. Schmidt complained to the Ohio
Elections Commission to block distribution of the video portion of
her testimony. Ms. Schmidt does not want the people of the district
to view her testimony in this frivolous legal complaint she filed
against David Krikorian."

During her halting and vague testimony, Schmidt said she didn’t
know why she was the largest recipient of campaign contributions by
Turkish lobbyists in the 2008 campaign cycle. Also, she testified
that she didn’t know anything about the Armenian Genocide other than
it occurred during World War I.

Further, Schmidt said she didn’t know who Yalcin Ayasli is although
he and his family donated $6,900 to her campaign last year and was
an escort on her all-expenses paid trip to Turkey in May. Ayalsi is
a contributor to the Turkish Coalition of America, which is dubbed a
"genocide denial" group by Armenians.

For people who don’t want to watch the video, here’s a transcript of
the deposition’s best exchange. In her testimony, Schmidt said she
personally wrote an editorial that appeared in a Turkish newspaper
about the Armenian Genocide, but then cannot tell attorneys any
details about the historical event.

Q. Okay. I’m going to give you something that’s been marked as Exhibit
A. That is an article from a newspaper called The Daily — I’m sorry,
"Today’s Zaman." Do you know what that is? What is "Today’s Zaman"?

A. (Perusing document.)

Q. Do you know what Today’s Zaman is Mrs. Schmidt?

A. May I please have time to read this, sir.

Q. Oh, I’m sorry. Yes. Sure.

(EXHIBIT A MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION)

A. (Perusing document.)

Q. Okay. Mrs. Schmidt, what is Today’s Zaman?

A. I believe it’s a periodical in Turkey.

Q. Okay. It’s a — it’s a newspaper in Turkey. That would be your
understanding?

A. Periodical, newspaper, something that is read by Turkey’s citizens.

Q. Okay. And on June the 4th of this year you – you were published
in Today’s Zaman in Turkey; is that correct?

A. Yes.

Q. You wrote an editorial?

A. Yes.

Q. And that was to coincide with President Obama’s visit to that
country; is that correct?

A. Well, it coincided with his visit, yes.

Q. That wasn’t the purpose of it to coincide?

A. No. It wasn’t the purpose but it did coincide.

Q. Did you write this editorial?

A. Yes.

Q. You did? These are your words?

A. Yes.

Q. Did anyone else help you to write it?

A. I had it edited by my chief of staff.

Q. And did any outside persons, such as Mr. Fein or anyone else,
help to write this?

A. No.

Q. You had it edited, but the original draft came off of your word
processor or pen; is that right?

A. Well, I don’t use a word processor.

Q. Okay. So the original draft was a handwritten version from you?

A. Actually, it was an oral version to my chief of staff.

Q. You dictated this to him?

A. The ideas of it, yes.

Q. Okay. And in this you talk about the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
right?

A. Where are you putting this in here so I know what you’re referring
to.

Q. Well, we could start with the bold headline that says: "US Congress
should not debate the Armenian genocide resolution."

A. Okay.

Q. Were those your words or was that something the daily Zaman added?

A. That I’m not sure of.

Q. Okay. Now, in the — in the very last paragraph of that it says,
"What happened in 1915 must never be forgotten." Do you see that?

A. Yes.

Q. What — what are you referring to that happened in 1915 that must
never be forgotten? –

A. Well, there obviously was an incident that happened in 1915.

Q. And what was that incident?

A. Well, there was something that went on in Turkey that involved
Turks and Armenians.

Q. Okay. And what is it that you remember about or that you know or
have an understanding of about those events?

A. Well, I don’t remember them because I wasn’t there.

Q. Right.

A. And I’m still trying to have a complete understanding of those
events.

Q. I understand that. But you told all the people of Turkey that we
shouldn’t forget these events. I’m asking you: What is it that we’re
supposed to remember?

A. Well we shouldn’t forget the past.

Q. And what is it about the events of 1915 that we’re supposed to
remember.

A. When I become a scholar of this, I’ll let you know.

Q. Okay. But when you wrote this on June the 4th of 2009, you had no
understanding at all of what happened in Turkey in 1915; is that right?

A. I said I had limited understanding.

Q. Okay. And I’ve asked you four times this morning to tell us what
that limited understanding is, and you’ve told me nothing.

Q. Events happened. And what were those events?

A. People got killed on both sides. How many people? I don’t know.

Q. And that’s your total sum and substance of your understanding of
that event?

A. That’s about the basic understanding, yes.

DELEGATION OF NA’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AFFAIRS COMMISSION VISITS KARABAKH NA

ARMENPRESS
Aug 28, 2009

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS: Karabakh National Assembly Speaker
Ashot Ghulyan received August 27 chairperson of the Armenian NA’s
European Integration Affairs permanent commission Naira Zohrabyan
and member of the same commission Vachagan Khurshudyan.

Press service of the Karabakh NA told Armenpress that the speaker
underscored the traditional partnership of the two Armenian
parliaments. "During the recent years it has a tendency of activation,
implemented on different levels and formats including the joint
sessions of permanent commissions, individual meetings of members of
parliament," he said.

N. Zohrabyan noted that currently multi-sided contacts with
international organizations are highlighted for integration of the
region to these establishments. "In that respect our commission has
much to do relating to Karabakh conflict as well," she said, adding
that with that aim they arrived in Artsakh to discuss on place the
priorities of cooperation, ways and means.

Representatives of the Armenian parliament also met with the
chairman of the NKR NA’s foreign relations permanent commission
Vahram Atanesyan.

During the conversation they discussed issues of cooperation between
the two commissions connected with the necessity of presenting Karabakh
issue in international organizations fully and clearly.

IN OPINION OF 61.30% SURVEY PARTICIPANTS, MADRID PRINCIPLES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR ARMENIA AND NKR

NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
August 26, 2009
Yerevan

An online survey on the subject "Are Madrid Principles acceptable for
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh?" was held between July 20 to August 20
by the Research Center for Political Developments.

61.30% or 1239 answered "no" to the question. 24.34% or 492 answered
"yes" and 14.25% or 288 "I don’t know."

As Center Chairman Vahan Dilanian reported at an August 26 press
conference, 18-40-year-old Internet users of Armenia and Diaspora
participated in the survey. In his words, the survey was held
within the framework of two separate groups – 18-30-year-old young
people distinguished by public activity and representatives of the
25-40-year-old expert-scientific-pedagogical community. The survey was
sent to 3651 people, 2021 of which answered the question, including
121 from the first group and 1900 from the second group. According
to the observation of the center chairman, the results show that
the first group, young people take much less interest in the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement.

In V. Dilanian’s opinion, the revised Madrid Principles to be presented
by October will not differ much from the current principles. Thus,
according to him, the current public opinion will remain the
same. Therefore, in his words, the Armenian authorities being
considered a negotiations party should take into consideration this
public opinion and undertake proper steps to overcome the created
atmosphere.

V. Dilanian also said that societies of both Armenia and Azerbaijan
are not ready yet for accepting any compromise variant. According to
him, the status quo kept so far was beneficial for both sides.