Author: Tigranian Ani

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 10 2009

Second MÄ°T officer accused of Ergenekon involvement

The latest indictment in the case against Ergenekon — a clandestine
network charged with many crimes including plotting to overthrow the
government — includes a National Intelligence Organization
(MÄ°T) officer as a suspect, bringing the number of MÄ°T
officers who are now defendants in the ongoing Ergenekon trial to two.

The third indictment, accepted by a court last week, accuses
MÄ°T officer Ã-zel Yılmaz of warning former
Ä°stanbul Mayor and Ergenekon-suspect-at-large Bedrettin Dalan
shortly before a raid on Dalan’s house last year. In April weapons and
munitions believed to belong to Ergenekon were found buried on
property owned by Dalan’s Ä°stek Foundation in Ä°stanbul’s
Poyrazköy district.

The prosecution says the investigation into Yılmaz’s link to
Ergenekon is still under way.

Yılmaz is also believed to be the MİT officer who late
journalist Hrant Dink — assassinated in 2007 — said had threatened
him to be less outspoken on the Armenian question at the
Ä°stanbul Governor’s Office on Feb. 24, 2004. Dink said he had
been called to the governor’s office and warned by individuals, whom
he had not been introduced to, to be careful about what he wrote in
the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, where he was
editor-in-chief.

Yılmaz is the second MİT officer to be implicated in the
case after former MÄ°T Ä°stanbul Region Chairman Nuri
GündeÅ?. Yılmaz was recently assigned as the head
of the agency’s regional branch in Ä°zmir.

The Dink speech Prior to his death, journalist Dink wrote that in
2004, shortly after writing an article in which he claimed that
Atatürk’s adopted daughter, Sabiha Gökçen, was an
Armenian orphan, he was called to the Ä°stanbul Governor’s
Office where he was threatened by a MÄ°T officer who did not
identify himself . The Turkish media, based on various sources, has
written that the mysterious officer was Yılmaz.

In an article published on Jan. 12, 2007 — just seven days before he
was shot dead outside his office — Dink claimed he was chosen as a
target and recounted the incident, saying that in addition to Deputy
Governor Ergun Güngör, a woman and a man had attended
the 2004 meeting. He said the governor’s office called him on Feb. 22,
2004, saying they would also like him to bring the documents regarding
his claims about Gökçen’s ethnic origin. Dink wrote that
the male individual was the only person who spoke before the end of
the Feb. 24 meeting. Dink wrote: `I realized that they did not even
want to see the documents that I had taken with me. I reminded them
that they had wanted to see the documents and handed them the
documents. But the content of the talk made it clear why I had been
called there: I had to know where to stop. I had to be
careful. Otherwise it wouldn’t be good.’

The identities of the two individuals remained a source of curiosity
for a long time. In response to a later parliamentary inquiry,
Abdülkadir Aksu, the interior minister at the time, did not
identify the individuals, but said they were both MÄ°T agents.

A statement from Governor Muammer Güler on Sept. 27, 2007 to
the court hearing the Dink murder trial denied Dink had been
threatened at the meeting. `The meeting in question was conducted in a
polite tone and in compliance with the general rules of official
etiquette and no threat was directed at him in the meeting,’
Güler’s statement said.

Yılmaz and Dalan operation In May, the prosecution in the
Ergenekon trial said Yılmaz had informed former İstanbul
Mayor Dalan, currently being sought as a fugitive in the probe, that
he was wanted as a suspect before the operation to detain him was
carried out.

The prosecutor said MÄ°T Ä°stanbul Regional Deputy
Chairman Yılmaz, who had frequent meetings with Dalan’s
personal assistant Ä°lhami Ã`mit Handan, informed Dalan that
he would be detained by police in the investigation.

Dalan fled to the US three months before a wave of Ergenekon-related
detentions in January. New evidence indicates that Dalan was informed
about the detentions by sources inside the MÄ°T. Dalan’s son
BarıÅ? Dalan, his personal assistant Handan and driver
CoÅ?kun Ã-mür were detained in the probe into the arms
found on land belonging to Dalan’s Ä°stek Foundation. Sources
say two MİT officials, including Yılmaz, paid a visit to
Ergenekon prosecutor Zekeriya Ã-z after these detentions, calling
on him to release Handan, saying he was an important MÄ°T
employee. During this visit, Yılmaz also said MİT
Undersecretary Emre Taner was in the know and had personally requested
that he visit Ã-z. When prosecutor Ã-z contacted Taner about the
visit, the MÄ°T undersecretary said he had not requested the
visit. The MÄ°T has launched an investigation into the two
officials who visited Ã-z.

In a related development, an investigation has been started into
Deputy Police Chief S.H. over alleged links with Handan. Sources note
that S.H. was in charge of the operation into the Ä°stek
Foundation and a probe into this individual was launched when it was
discovered that he had frequent contact with an individual from the
foundation being monitored by the police at the time of the
Ä°stek probe.

10 August 2009, Monday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL

THIRD ERGENEKON INDICTMENT ACCEPTED

BIA
Aug 6 2009
Turkey

The indictment of 52 suspects has been accepted by the Istanbul 13th
High Criminal Court.

Istanbul – BIA News Center06 August 2009, Thursday The Istanbul 13th
High Criminal Court has accepted the 1,454-page third indictment
in the Ergenekon investigation, penned by the Istanbul Chief Public
Prosecution.

The text contains accusations against 52 people, 37 of them in
detention. Just like in the first two indictments, one accusation is
that of attempting to overthrow the government.

The first hearing of the case will be on 7 September.

The indictment is concerned with operations carried out between 10
January and 14 April 2009.

Kanadoglu and Dalan not included Sabih Kanadoglu, a former Chief Public
Prosecutor at the Supreme Court of Appeals, and Bedrettin Dalan, former
mayor of Metropolitan Istanbul and director of the ISTEK education
foundation, have not been included in the indictment. Investigations
into Dalan’s affairs continue.

A total of 202 defendants With the recent merge of the case of the
State Council attack (with eight defendants) with the first Ergenekon
trial, the total number of defendants in the Ergenekon trials is
202. There are 86 defendants in the first case and 56 in the second.

Among the defendants in the third indictment are Prof. Dr. Mehmet
Haberal, founder and rector of BaÅ~_kent University, and owner of
BaÅ~_kent Hospital and Kanal B TV station, Prof. Dr. Fatih Hilmioglu,
former rector of Malatya University, Prof. Dr. Ferit Bernay, former
rector of 19 May University, Prof. Dr. Erol Manisalı, a lawyer
at Istanbul University, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yurtkuran, former rector
of Uludag University and vice president of the Ataturkist Thought
Association (ADD), Prof. Dr. Osman Metin Ozturk, a retired major and
rector of Giresun University, writer Yalcın Kucuk, Ä°brahim Å~^ahin,
convicted in the Susurluk case and former Special Operations Police
Deputy Chief, Mustafa Ozbek, the president of the Turk Metal Ä°Å~_
metal workers’ trade union, Levent GöktaÅ~_, a retired naval major,
General Erdal Å~^enel, a former General Staff Chief Legal Consultant,
retired General Tuncel Kılınc, a former general secretary of the
State Security Council, Kemal Guruz, former president of the Council
of Higher Education (YOK), Squadron Commander Officer Taylan Ozgur
Kırmızı and Unal İnanc, journalist and president of the Security
Reporters’ Association.

Among those mentioned as victims in the indictment are Armenian
Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan and Minas Durmazguler from the Sivas Armenian
congregation. It is also allegd that plans had been made to assassinate
Ali Balkız, president of the Alevi Bektashi Federation and lawyer
Kazım Genc, president of the Pir Sultan Abdal Culture Assocation.

52 defendants The full list of defendants in the third indictment is:

Mehmet Haberal, Yalcın Kucuk, Halil Kemal Guruz, Mustafa Koc,
Ersin Gönenci, Oguz Bulut, Ä°brahim Å~^ahin, Mustafa Ozbek, Mustafa
Levent GöktaÅ~_, Rıza Ferit Bernay, Taylan Ozgur Kırmızı, Mustafa
Abbas Yurtkuran, Unal İnanc, Muhterem Bagcı, Hudayi Unluer, Fatih
Hilmioglu, İlhan Bulayır, Zerrar Atik, Fahri Kepek, İlyas Cınar,
Oguzhan Sagıroglu, Erdal Å~^ahin, Engin Aydın, Erbay Colakoglu,
Cengiz Köylu, Cihandar Hasanhanoglu, Muhammed Sarıkaya, Fatma
Cengiz, YaÅ~_ar Oguz Å~^ahin, Muhittin Erdal Å~^enel, Mehmet Koral,
Tuncer Kılınc Munur Kemal Yavuz, Hasan Ataman Yıldırım, Huseyin
Vural, Mustafa Dönmez, Murat Eke, Cihan Arık, Ali Oktay Å~^ahbaz,
Onur Ozdemir, Emre Baltacı, Melih Yuksel, Servet Kaynak, Fahri
Suslu, Kemalettin Balcı, Bulent Gungördu, Murat Cavdar, Mehmet
Dalagan, Ayhan Atabek, Kenan Temur, Erol Manisa and Mustafa Huseyin
Buzoglu.

RUSSIAN PM SAYS MOSCOW TO SUPPORT NKR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Panorama.am
12:56 07/08/2009

Deep and serious activities are held to reach the settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russian PM Vladimir Putin stated during
his visit to Turkey, Turkish media reports.

"Russia wants this conflict to be settled soon. Russia is against any
conflict in Caucasus as every conflict puts shadow over our relations
with neighbor countries," Russian PM said.

Russia can support the sides to reach the soonest settlement of the
conflict, V. Putin said.

PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA: LOW INFLATION POSSIBLE IN LATE 2009 GIVEN ITS THREEFOLD REDUCTION COMPARING TO LAST YEAR

ArmInfo
2009-08-06 13:47:00

ArmInfo. Low inflation is possible in late 2009 given its threefold
reduction comparing to the last year, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
told media in the town of Yeghegnadzor. The premier said that
inflation totaled just 3% for the first 7 months of 2009 as against
10.5% for the same period of 2008. He highlighted that 1.5% of the
present 3% inflation is the result of administered electricity and
gas tariffs. "Taking this into account, inflation atmosphere can be
called rather favorable, which makes it possible to expect rather
low inflation for the end of the year," the premier said.

Armenian Central Bank policy of inflation targeting meets the
current crisis situation, Tigran Sargsyan said. "In usual conditions,
central banks in different states follow first of all the financial
stability. In conditions of crisis both the US Federal Reserve System
and the Central Bank of Europe have changed their priorities and
began applying new instruments. For sure, in conditions of financial
crisis economic growth becomes the number one priority, and then
goes stability and only afterwards inflation. At present the Central
Bank of Armenia operates on this system reducing the refinance rate,"
the premier said.

Earlier on July 7 the Armenian Central Bank Council reduced the
refinance rate by 0.5% to 5.5%. Deflation in June versus May totaled
0.3%. Inflation in June totaled 3.6% which was 1% lower than CB
forecasts.

RUSSIAN FIGHTER AIRCRAFTS ON TRAINING MISSION OVER YEREVAN

ArmInfo
2009-08-04 19:11:00

ArmInfo. Russian fighter aircrafts are on training mission over
Yerevan.

Thus, the flying fighters awakened residents of some Yerevan districts
early in the morning on Tuesday. In particular, the fighter aircrafts
flew especially low over the southern districts of the city. The
training mission continued till 1:30pm local time. Neither the Armenian
Defense Ministry nor the Russian military base in Armenia made any
comments on the flights to ArmInfo correspondent. The Defense Ministry
reported that it had no data on the training mission. A representative
of the Russian military base who did not introduce herself made even
closer statement "no one can answer this question". The fighters of
the Russian military base are deployed at Erebuni airdrome in Yerevan.

Training missions over Yerevan have already become regular and the
citizens have got used to them. Nevertheless, they are surprised that
the aircrafts fly so low over the city.

KHACHATURIAN: VIOLIN CONCERTO; MASQUERADE SUITE – ARA MALIKIAN, VIOLIN/ EXTREMADURA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/ JESUS AMIGO, CONDUCTOR – NON PROFIT MUSIC
Steven Ritter

Audiophile Audition
ID=6198
Aug 4 2009

An exemplary performance of a warhorse piece.

KHACHATURIAN: Violin Concerto; Masquerade Suite – Ara Malikian, violin/
Extremadura Symphony Orchestra/ Jesus Amigo, conductor – Non Profit
Music Multichannel SACD (), 54:46 *****:

The Khachaturian Concerto has known some popularity, though
at around 30 available recordings it is far from being the most
noteworthy. Nevertheless it is a repertory item, and so must be taken
at least semi-seriously. I have never really taken to it at all,
finding the Georgian-born (he never set foot in Armenia though his
father was of that origin) composer’s lack of intricate developmental
ability and penchant for purely schlock melodic invention something
that seems rather tawdry to me. I know this sparks debate–I can feel
the opposition arming themselves as I write this. But though he did
have the respect of artists like Shostakovich and Oistrakh (to whom
this concerto is dedicated), and was persecuted along with them,
the so-called "directness" of the appeal of his music has seemed to
me rather a cover for vapidity.

I will readily admit to the appeal of his most popular works like
Spartacus and Gaynah, but the other works have done little for me,
and I am probably beyond conversion at this point. Yet I must admit
that this new recording, featuring some of the best SACD sound
I have heard–fully linking all five speakers–by the firebrand
Lebanese/Armenian violinist Ara Malikian — does at least peak
my interest somewhat. Malikian makes no apology for Khachaturian,
and seems to take the approach that a good defense against critical
malcontents like me is a stormy "shock and awe" offense. He not only
refuses to cover up the obvious weaknesses in Khachaturian’s score,
but even goes out of his way to emphasize them! This approach works
very well, as I find myself enthralled, if not for the music itself,
then for the absolute commitment and excitement of the playing. Might
I come to love this work after all…nah! But who knows?

The Masquerade Suite dates back to 1939, but the actual performance
of the large orchestral suite is only from 1994. It’s a hybrid of
some of the composer’s most famous music, not really original, yet
no less entertaining for that. You will recognize the pieces, and if
you like it you are in for a little slice of heaven. Me, I’ll stand
outside the gates but I certainly respect the effort. The Extremadura
Symphony plays with all of the enthusiasm and wonderment they can
muster, which is quite a lot. Very much recommended, especially to
fans of the composer.

INTER-STATE ROAD TO GEORGIA AVAILABLE FOR TRUCK DRIVING

Panorama.am
17:56 04/08/2009

The inter-state road from Vanadzor to Georgia has been also repaired
and reconstructed and is available for truck driving as well, Transport
and communication ministry reports.

According to the source the broken bridge reconstruction has been
implemented without blocking the main road. It’s worth reminding that
the bridge was crumbled on 10 July.

VARTABEDIAN: A FEW PARTING MEMORIES OF ARMENIA
By Tom Vartabedian

8/02/vartabedian-a-few-parting-memories-of-armenia /
August 2, 2009

As with any trip to Armenia, it’s like tooting a horn. You get out
of it what you put in.

My first venture was with a tour group of friends from Merrimack
Valley. We stuck to an itinerary and visited the popular sites
throughout the country.

A return visit three years later put me on a different course. I
traveled with a friend (Joe Dagdigian of Harvard, Mass.) and we spent
most of our three weeks combing the more remote villages seldom seen
on commercial junkets.

It was an Armenia not to be missed and we did it on our own with a
hired driver, road maps, compasses, and a savvy guide. Dagdigian is
like a human GPS when it comes to the geographics, having a place in
Yerevan where we stayed and visited the many folks he knew.

Dagdigian was a sight to behold one day when he left the car in
a driving hailstorm to photograph a church miles from nowhere in
Lernagert. With a camera in one hand and an umbrella in another,
he was a man on a mission. Sometimes you have to be a little crazy
to get the best shot and he wound up with some beauts that day while
I watched from a window.

*** There we were at Heathrow Airport in London on the second day
of our trip. As scheduling would have it, we faced a 12-hour layover
before boarding a connecting flight to Zvartnots Airport. As the day
wore on, some familiar faces crossed our path.

The first belonged to Susan Lind-Sinanian from the Armenian Library
and Museum of America (ALMA), who was headed to Armenia for an
international dance conference. Susan and her husband Gary have
dedicated many years to promoting and teaching Armenian dance. After
all these years, she still has the passion.

We were later joined by Dr. Levon Saryan, who was on his way to Yerevan
for a proud moment: He was to be inducted into the National Academy
of Arts and Sciences in Armenia-a tribute well deserved for someone
who has involved himself in that medium over the decades. Saryan is
also a noted Armenian numismatist (coin-collector), having written
volumes on the subject.

So there we all were, miles from home, different parts of the
country, meeting in the most unlikeliest of places and all for the
same reason. A return trip to Armenia.

*** Call it destiny but the only times we were able to catch a clear
view of Ararat was the morning after we arrived and the day of our
departure three weeks later. It was as if Massis was saying hello
and goodbye in the same breath.

To see its towering presence over the city of Yerevan is a most
inspiring scene to be cherished forever. No matter how many times
you photograph the mountain, it still beckons for more.

*** The best entertainment that money cannot buy could be found
at dusk around Republic Square where the dancing fountains work
their magic with some of the best music to fill the air on a spring
evening. Hundreds would turn out for the nocturnal spectacle. And it
didn’t cost a cent.

*** Just wondering …

-How come there are few obese people in Armenia when there are few
gyms for those who can afford them? Is it because they eat the right
foods, walk off any extra calories, and work faithfully?

-How come you can’t get a good cup of American coffee in Armenia and
have to settle for Nescafe should a caffeine-attack beckon? You won’t
find a McDonald’s in Yerevan, either, but there’s a KFC if you’re in
the mood for chicken.

-How come more folks aren’t wearing sneakers as opposed to shoes? And
if there are so many shoes, where are the cobblers to repair them? I
found only one shop in Stepanagert (Karabagh) and two employees were
doing such a bang-up business, they didn’t even know they were being
photographed.

-With such a tight economy and "free" money at a premium, how come
the casinos are still operating? A stretch of these gambling houses
resembles a mini Las Vegas as you approach the downtown sector.

-Why is it that a working professional might earn as little as $140 a
month but if you hire a driver with no education, he’s typically paid
$40 a day plus gas, food, and hotel expenses during an overnight? One
street musician I encountered with no license was earning an average
month’s wages in one week from the sympathetic public.

-Why is Yerevan thriving with its economy, while 20 miles outside the
mainland, there isn’t any? Why doesn’t the government do something to
improve the sanitation in some of these places, especially destinations
that attract tourism?

-Why are the village roads in such deplorable condition, forcing
cars to zigzag their way through potholes that resemble the size of
moon craters?

-Why do the exchange centers frown upon low denominations and will
kick back any bill that’s worn or in any way mutilated? Tourists
looking to distribute American notes in the villages better think
again. Where would the recipient redeem them? For those who wish to
exercise their thrift, a better alternative might be to carry around
a pocket full of loose Armenian change (drams).

-With the rate of exchange nearly 3.75-1 for the American dollar,
how come I wound up spending more money on incidentals than I ever
imagined?

***

After three weeks, I returned a more conscientious Armenian, rich in
spirit, more proficient linguistically, with a better appreciation
for the land and its culture, more respect for its people, and a
greater aptitude for our venerable history.

It only seems to get better with each visit.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

July 31, 2009
___________________

25th Ordination Anniversary of Fr. Tateos Abdalian to be Observed in
Cambridge, Mass., on Aug. 23

A special reception in Cambridge, Mass., will honor the Reverend
Fr. Tateos Abdalian on the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the
holy priesthood of the Armenian Church.

The reception and church services will take place on Sunday, August
23, 2009, at Cambridge’s Holy Trinity Armenian Church.

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), will preside over the event,
which is going forward under the auspices of the Eastern Diocese.

Organizing the day is a committee from the Holy Trinity parish led by
its pastor, the Reverend Fr. Vasken Kouzouian.

The day will begin the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, beginning at
10:00 a.m. Fr. Tateos Abdalian will be the celebrant. Archbishop
Barsamian will deliver the homily.

Following church services, a celebratory reception will convene in the
parish’s Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall. The reception is
open to the public, and will be an opportunity for people in the
Boston area – where Fr. Abdalian was born and raised – to congratulate
him on his quarter-century of service to the Armenian Church.

For information on the Sunday, August 23 can contact the Holy Trinity
Church at (617) 354-0632. The church is located at 145 Brattle
Street, in Cambridge.

* Fr. Tateos Abdalian

Fr. Tateos Abdalian was born in Watertown, Mass., the son of Manoog
and Virginia Abdalian, and baptized Richard Daniel. After working in
the banking sector and as administrative director of Watertown’s
St. James Armenian Church he entered St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary in 1977.

At the direction of then-Primate Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Richard
spent a year at the seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin, having first been
ordained a sub-deacon by Archbishop Manoogian under the sponsorship of
Fr. Papken Maksoudian. He continued theological studies towards his
Masters of Divinity at Boston’s Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary.

In 1981, and now a full deacon, he began work at Holy Trinity Church
in Cambridge, Mass., under the pastorship of Fr. Mampre Kouzouian, as
the parish youth director, Sunday School superintendent, and as an
assistant to the pastor. During this time, Dn. Richard was asked by
community members living on Cape Cod to conduct religious services
there, leading to the establishment of the Mission Church of Cape Cod.

He was ordained into the priesthood by Archbishop Manoogian in June
1984 at Holy Trinity Church, on the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, and
given the priestly name of `Tateos.’ Serving as sponsor was
Fr. Mampre Kouzouian.

Fr. Tateos was assigned to the St. John the Baptist Church in
Greenfield, Wisc., in August 1984. Working with community members, he
oversaw the groundbreaking for a new sanctuary, leading to a
much-anticipated consecration in November 1986. Following the 1988
earthquake in Armenia, Fr. Tateos became the spokesman for the
Wisconsin Armenians, who worked with the state and National Guard to
coordinate cargo flights, the collection of tons of clothing, and
fundraising for earthquake relief.

In September 1989, Fr. Tateos was assigned to the St. Peter Church in
Watervliet, N.Y., and in 1993 he became the pastor of the St. George
Church in Hartford, Conn. While in Hartford he served as an on-call
chaplain at Hartford Hospital and as a member of its Pastoral Services
Advisory Committee.

In honor of his son David becoming a Los Angeles Police Officer,
Fr. Tateos began to serve as a police chaplain with the Hartford
Police Department.

Fr. Tateos also served terms as pastor of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob
Church of Providence, R.I. (1999-2001) and of the Holy Trinity Church
of Cheltenham, Pa. (2003-2007). In the intervals he has served the
Diocesan Center in New York, in its youth ministry and mission parish
programs.

Since 2007, Fr. Tateos has been director of the Department of Mission
Parishes, by the appointment of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.
Responsible for overseeing more than a dozen communities, he has
brought a new resurgence to the mission parishes, and new
opportunities for their material and spiritual growth.

Der Tateos has been married since 1969 to Yeretzgin Margaret Meranian
of Methuen, Mass. They have a son, David, a daughter, Alicia, and two
grandchildren.

–8/3/09

PHOTO CAPTION:

The 25th ordination anniversary of Fr. Tateos Abdalian will be
observed in Cambridge, Mass., on Sunday, August 23.

# # #

Topeka Capital Journal
Aug 1 2009

Adj. Gen. talks of Armenia trip

By Jan Biles
Created July 31, 2009 at 1:23pm

The Kansas adjutant general said Friday a trip he and other officials
took last week to the Republic of Armenia cemented the three-year
partnership the Kansas National Guard has with the former Soviet Union
country.

The focus of the trip was to foster growth in the areas of
biosecurity, agriculture development, education and law enforcement.

"The partnership has really matured," Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting said
during a news conference in Topeka. "It’s an evolving partnership."

Kansas and Armenia were linked in 2003 through the National Guard
Bureau’s State Partnership Program. Since then, the Guard has worked
closely with Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health, Rescue
Service, and other governmental offices and agencies.

Armenia, an independent nation with a land mass smaller than Maryland,
neighbors Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Among the officials going on the trip were retired Lt. Col. Craig
Beardsley, program administrator for the National Agricultural
Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University, and Blake Flanders,
vice president of work force development for the Kansas Board of
Regents.

Beardsley said he talked with Armenian agricultural officials about
how they respond to and manage foreign animal diseases and shared how
the United States plans and trains for outbreaks.

The United States attempts to stop the spread of disease by destroying
infected animals, he said. Armenia slaughters the animals and uses
them for food or to make other products.

"Some of the diseases not in the United States are in that country,"
he said, listing foot-and-mouth disease as an example. "It was an
opportunity to visit with agricultural folks that actually manage (the
diseases) and get their insight into diseases we don’t deal with on a
weekly or daily basis."

Flanders said his focus was on assessing where improvements could be
made in the Armenian educational system, including how it could be
leveraged to support economic development. As an example, he explained
a regents’ program involving a combined effort by universities,
technical colleges and community colleges to increase the number of
registered nurses in the state.

In turn, Armenian officials looked at different aspects of the
educational system in Kansas, such as the funding approach for
technical colleges.

Bunting also said members of the 190th Air Refueling Wing, of the
Kansas Air National Guard, are in Armenia building a
climate-controlled warehouse, which will be used to store medical
equipment and supplies.

Sharon Watson, director of public affairs for the adjutant general’s
office, said 37 civil engineers from the 190th Air Refueling Wing —
known as the Kansas Coyotes — are helping to build the warehouse.

Also going on the trip were Martha Vanier, associate director of the
National Agriculture Biosecurity Center at K-State, who joined
Beardsley is talking with Armenian agencies about a biosecurity
threat-reduction plan; Fred Cholick, dean of K-State’s College of
Agriculture and director of Kansas State University Research and
Extension, who helped identify opportunities for K-State/Armenia
initiatives focusing on agricultural development; and Maj. James
Brown, operations officer for the Kansas City, Kan., Police
Department, who discussed strategies with the Bureau of International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and Armenian police officials.

9-07-31/adj_gen_talks_of_armenia_trip