Author: Vardanian Garo

Aysor, Armenia
Aug 29 2009

P. Hayrikyan. Nothing is connected with the President’s visit

`The main fight for us is in the `western front’ but we because of the
circumstances, by the will of our rivals speak about the Artsakh
problem forgetting that this problem is a part of the `Armenian issue’
said Paruyr Hayrikyan, the head of the Union for National
Self-Determination during the press conference stressing the
importance of the watchful and careful statements.

P. Hayrikyan speaking about the closed boarders said that they should
not speak about the boarders but the ways, as in reality there is no
Armenian ` Turkish boarder.

`There is Russian ` Turkish boarder which was obliged to us. And if we
want to speak about something important we had to speak about it since
90s, after getting our independence’, – mentioned the speaker.
P Hayrikyan thinks that the Armenian side should put time limits in
front of the Turkish side in the talks.

`Yes, relations without any preconditions but, it will end on some
moment, and we should not adopt a new strategy but we should return to
our strategy of national interest, justice, humane values, and become
the owners of a new strategy. It would be nice if we could use this
opportunity’, – mentioned the speaker.

Coming up to the RA President Sargsyan’s visit to Turkey the head of
the Union for National Self-Determination mentioned that the visit is
not connected with anything.

`There is no need to attouch such a great importance to the visit,
even if the boarders will be open, frankly speaking, as it can be
useful only for several businessmen only, and for us, as a nation and
people, we will not gain any big thing’, – noted P. Hayrikyan.

PARTICIPANTS OF MUSEUM MANAGEMENT SEMINAR AWARDED CERTIFICATES IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.08.2009 21:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan hosted the summer seminar "Museum
Management", organized with the assistance of UNESCO and attended by
about 30 employees of Armenia and Artsakh museums.

" Participants of the seminar can conduct trainings in their field
and transfer their knowledge to colleagues on the museum business,"
Erebuni museum director Ashot Piliposyan said at the farewell ceremony.

RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan, congratulating the
participants of the summer workshop, noted in her speech that
the Ministry of Culture attaches importance to activities aimed
at developing the Armenian museums. She stressed the importance
of active participation in these programs government agencies and
public organizations.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: ARMENIAN LEADERSHIP CONFIDENT AND NEGOTIATES FOR SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT FROM PROPER POSITIONS OWING TO ARMENIAN ARMY

ArmInfo
2009-08-28 11:23:00

ArmInfo. Armenian political leadership is confident and negotiates
for settlement of the Karabakh conflict from proper positions owing
to the Armenian army, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan declared at
the working discussion with the key personnel of the Armenian Defense
Ministry on Wednesday.

"Our army is the most full-fledged structure in our country, but we
constantly work to increase the efficiency of the Armed Forces in
order the defense system of Armenia be in harmony with the modern
requirements and constantly improves," the president said.

During the discussion, Mikael Haroutiunyan, the military inspector
of Armenia, reported on the results of inspections conducted at one
of the military units of the Armenian Armed Forces in compliance with
the inspection plan for 2009.

THREE ARMENIAN JUDOISTS TO TAKE PART IN THE WORLD CUP

ARMENPRESS
Aug 25, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, ARMENPRESS: Three Armenian judoists – Hovhannes
Davtyan (60 kg), Armen Nazaryan (66 kg), Robert Vardanyan (73 kg)
– will take part in the World Judo Cup which will take place August
26-30 in the Dutch town of Rotterdam.

Today the team headed by the chief coach Arthur Gevorgyan left
for Rotterdam. Before leaving, Gevorgyan said that those athletes
are participating in the cup who are able to fight for the first
places. Best athletes from more than 180 countries are participating
in the tournament.

SUPREME PATRIARCH MARKED HIS 58TH ANNIVERSARY

Panorama.am
13:22 22/08/2009

The Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians Karekin II celebrated his
58th anniversary. On this occasion the press service of Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin received congratulatory messages from state,
political and public figures, as well as foreign Ambassadors.

On this occasion Serzh Sargsyan has also sent congratulatory message
to the Patriarch.

National Assembly PR department reports that the NA Chairman Hovik
Abrahamyan visited the Patriarch to congratulate him and awarded NA
Honor Medal.

It is said that PM Tigran Sargsyan, other Governmental members and
clergymen visited Patriarch to congratulate him.

Today’s Zaman
23 August 2009, Sunday

Israel attempts to make Russia major player in Mideast

Israel’s close relations with Russia and Turkey’s decreasing role in
Israel’s foreign policy have marked the transformation of Russia into
a considerable power in Middle Eastern affairs.

A recent meeting between Israeli President Shimon Peresand his Russian
colleague, Dmitri Medvedev, in Sochi supported this point. On Aug. 18,
the Israeli president, during his meeting with Medvedev, expressed his
confidence in Russia’s role in the Middle East peace process, for
which there has yet to be a solution. The Russian president said
conflicts persisting in the Middle East should be solved as quickly as
possible and Russia, as a part of a quartet of international
mediators, is ready to assist in this solution.
However, regional experts disagree with this statement. Adjunct
senior research fellow Shlomo Gazit from the Institute of National
Security Studies (INSS), a think tank based in Israel, told Sunday’s
Zaman that although he highly regarded Turkey’s ambitions to help
bring about reconciliation between Israel and Syria after their
long-lasting territorial dispute, he is not optimistic about the
results of these efforts. Commenting on the Israel-Syrian indirect
talks, Gazit, a prominent expert on Israeli foreign policy, said: `I
am a strong supporter of Israeli-Syrian peace talks, and I would like
very much to see a political settlement between our two countries.
>From this point of view, I highly appreciate the present Turkish
initiative, which tried to bring peace between Israel and Syria.’
"We have enormous respect and great appreciation for Turkish
efforts. But they have not succeeded — not because of the Turks,"
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stated on Tuesday. This
does not necessarily mean that Israeli-Syrian talks have failed under
Turkish auspices. `Nevertheless,’ Gazit continued, `I am afraid the
present Turkish approach has no serious chance for success.’
Stating that the Turkish negotiation efforts were ambiguous and their
success seemed improbable, Gazit also noted that Israel no longer
trusts Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan after his outspoken
criticism at Davos concerning Palestinians. `Turkish [Prime Minister]
Erdoðan is not presently considered in Israel as an honest broker,
following his attitude and statements during the recent military
encounter in the Gaza Strip,’ he noted. Moreover, the expert believes
direct negotiations are imperative between Israel and Syria.
The Israel-Syria indirect talks began with Turkey’s mediation to
secure the return of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967,
to Syria. Despite over a year of negotiations, the two sides failed to
reach a clear solution. Ayalon said on Tuesday that Israel will no
longer continue talks with Syria under Turkish mediation. He stated
that direct talks are a prerequisite to continue the negotiations.
Hüseyin Sümer, an independent analyst based in Ýstanbul, speaking
with Sunday’s Zaman, stated that he does not think Israel is trying to
bypass Turkey and replace Turkey with Russia. `This case is similar to
Azerbaijan-Turkey relations when Turkey attempted to normalize
relations with Armenia so Ýlham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan,
went to Moscow,’ Sümer said. According to the expert, Turkey has begun
to undertake proactive policies. He thinks that Turkish foreign policy
became more influential, which strained relations between Israel and
Turkey. Mentioning the problems between Israel and Turkey, Sümer says
these problems should not be the reason for stalled relationships
between the two countries. `There are unnamed thousands of Israeli
companies currently operating in Turkey. Turkey and Israel have
bilateral military agreements with each other.’ Referring to these
facts, Sümer concludes that Israeli-Turkish relations are unlikely to
worsen in such a way.
International Strategic and Research Organization (ISRO) head Sedat
Laçiner told Sunday’s Zaman, `Israel wants to take a position to
protest Turkey by sidelining with Russia.’ `However,’ he immediately
pointed out, `they cannot get any tangible results out of this. Russia
blamed Israel, saying it sold weapons to Georgia during the August
2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia. Russia also has a close
relationship with Iran and Syria. This means that Russia cannot be
like Turkey in mediating the talks. Israel, in fact, lost much by
keeping Turkey out of the talks.’
Comparing Russia and Turkey, the expert says Turkey and Russia are
not similar countries. `Turkey became a natural broker between Syria
and Israel due to its increasing role in the Middle East. Israel
gained much from Turkey, and it was Turkey that brought Israel and
Syria together,’ Laçiner said, adding that Israel cannot find a
country like Turkey and Turkey wants the best both for Syria and
Israel.

23 August 2009, Sunday
LAMÝYA ADÝLGIZI ÝSTANBUL

MATTHEW BRYZA’S PLANS FOR ARTSAKH: FORMULA FOR DISASTER FOR ARMENIANS

News.am
17:41 / 08/21/2009

Matthew Bryza, the U.S. mediator for Artsakh (Karabagh), discussed
in great detail for the first time the critical issues dealing with
the behind the scene negotiations on resolving that conflict.

Mr. Bryza is the U.S. Co-Chair of the Minsk Group and Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. He delivered a
speech on the Artsakh conflict at the International Center for Human
Rights in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia, on August 7. Mr. Bryza’s lengthy
presentation, followed by an extensive question and answer period
(19 pages), was transcribed by NEWS.am Armenian news agency.

While Mr. Bryza has regularly met with members of the media during his
frequent visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan, often recanting in Yerevan
what he reportedly said in Baku, he has never before disclosed the
details of the settlement being negotiated between the presidents of
the two conflicting countries and the three Co-Chairs of the Minsk
Group, composed of France, Russia, and the United States.

The Armenian public certainly appreciates Mr. Bryza’s willingness
to discuss the terms of a future agreement on the Artsakh
conflict. Nevertheless, one wonders why was Mr. Bryza in such a
talkative mood? Was he preparing the Armenian public for the painful
compromises that are to be made or was he trying to impress his
Washington superiors with his negotiating skills, as he is being
considered for an ambassadorial post in Baku?

Mr. Bryza began his remarks by stating that the negotiations for the
settlement of the Artsakh conflict are based on the three fundamental
principles of the Helsinki Final Act: Self-determination, territorial
integrity, and non-use of force.

Claiming that the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan "right now
are on the verge of a breakthrough," an assertion he has made many
times before, Mr. Bryza proceeded to disclose a highly controversial
roadmap of the agreement currently under consideration. Mr. Bryza
stated that Artsakh would preserve its current status for an "interim
period." Armenians would then turn over to Azerbaijan most of the
"seven territories" surrounding Artsakh. After the Azeri refugees
who left Artsakh during the war return to their homes, a referendum
would be held to determine the final status of Artsakh.

During the question and answer period, Mr. Bryza stated that the
Minsk Group Co-Chairs were disappointed that during their July 17
meeting in Moscow, Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev did not come to an
agreement "on several of the final elements of the basic principles,"
despite the fact that, during their January meeting in Zurich, they
had "agreed on the basic concepts." He said he expected an agreement
in September "on the last few elements of the basic principles that
remain not yet agreed."

When asked if Azerbaijan was making any compromises, Mr. Bryza pointed
out Baku’s increasingly accommodating position on the Lachin Corridor
which links Artsakh to Armenia, its concern for the security of
Artsakh Armenians and their need to run their own affairs. Mr. Bryza
further claimed that "Azerbaijan had to give up quite a bit from a
position where it was in the beginning when it said it will never
talk about self-determination. And, of course, to bring Azerbaijan
to that point, Armenia had to give something up as well…. So,
both sides are making compromises."

Mr. Bryza defended the non-recognition of Artsakh by the United States,
by pointing out that the government of Armenia has not recognized it
either. He said that the reason Armenia does not recognize Artsakh’s
independence is that "it knows that if it does that, the chances to
negotiate a peaceful settlement finish."

In response to a complaint from the audience that Artsakh was left out
of the negotiations, Mr. Bryza blamed its absence on the Kocharian
government. "Until 1998, Karabakh Armenians were formally part of
the negotiations, when it was the former government of Armenia who
decided to change that situation. It was not the Co-Chairs who made the
decision – that was the government of Armenia," he said. Mr. Bryza did
not mention the fact that Azerbaijan had rejected Artsakh’s inclusion
in the talks.

Responding to another question, Mr. Bryza made the surprising
disclosure that the international peacekeeping troops to be stationed
in or around Artsakh would not be armed, simply because they would
not be able to compel the two sides not to fight, if they are intent
on going to war against each other. He stated that "the Co-Chairs
have to be smart and skillful enough to put at place a settlement in
which the international peacekeepers will be primarily observers."

Mr. Bryza candidly told his Armenian audience not to trust the
international peacekeepers to secure the peace in Artsakh. He also
stated that a "legally binding" referendum to determine the status of
Artsakh would be held in several years, after the original Azerbaijani
inhabitants, who before the war constituted 20% of the territory’s
population, would return to Artsakh.

Mr. Bryza concluded by urging Armenians to accept "a compromise
settlement now," warning that "a decade ago, Armenia was in a much
stronger negotiation position!"

The terms of the possible settlement, as outlined by Mr. Bryza, is a
disaster waiting to happen to Armenians. They are supposed to first
turn over to Azerbaijan practically all of the territories surrounding
Artsakh. Then the former Azeri inhabitants of Artsakh are to return,
after which a referendum would be held on the status of Artsakh,
under the watchful eyes of UNARMED international peacekeepers. If
Azerbaijan, at a future date, uses its massive petrodollars to
acquire sophisticated weaponry and invade Artsakh, particularly after
Armenians have given up the buffer zones they are currently holding,
the population of Artsakh risks being completely destroyed.

>From the Armenian point of view, the only acceptable solution to
the Artsakh conflict would be to either maintain the status quo or to
agree to a package deal that would require Azerbaijan’s recognition
of Artsakh’s independence and the establishment of a demilitarized
zone on the Azeri side of the border, before giving up a single inch
of land or allowing the return of a single Azeri refugee!

ANCA CHAIRMAN KEN HACHIKIAN TODAY SENT A LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON

Panorama.am
18:15 21/08/2009

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian
today sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlining
the concerns of the Armenian American community regarding the recent
biased remarks by Matt Bryza, the U.S. Co-Chair to the OSCE Minsk
Group charged with helping to negotiate a settlement of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict.

The four-page letter, dated August 20, 2009, addressed, in detail,
recent unfair, inaccurate, and counter-productive statements by Bryza,
and, more broadly, expressed the view that his actions reflect the
failings of an Administration that, having already broken a series of
pledges to Armenian Americans, is now in the process of effectively
handing over decision-making on U.S. policy on Armenian issues to
the Turkish government: In the letter, Hachikian stressed: "Today,
seven months after the start of the Obama-Biden Administration,
we are seriously concerned that this Administration has abdicated
its responsibilities by effectively outsourcing our nation’s foreign
policy with respect to Armenian issues to the Republic of Turkey, as
every single policy dealing with Armenia has been made along the lines
that Turkey has dictated, rather than along the sound principles of
morality and democracy that you, President Obama and Vice President
Biden unambiguously articulated during your presidential campaigns
last year."

The full text of the letter is provided below.

"Dear Secretary Clinton,

I am writing on behalf of the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) to voice the Armenian American community’s grave concerns
regarding recent unfair, inaccurate, and counter- productive statements
by the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minks Group, Matthew Bryza, regarding
the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.

Mr. Bryza’s recent actions as a part of the Obama-Biden Administration,
as well as his past conduct during his time as Deputy Assistant
Secretary, as U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, as a senior
National Security Council staff member, and as an Eurasian energy
advisor for the Department, reflect a pattern of consistent, material,
and transparent bias against Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. His behavior
in the months since President Obama’s inauguration are especially
troubling because they stand in such dramatic contrast to the public
commitments that the President, Vice President, and that you made to
the American electorate during the 2008 Presidential campaign.

As you may know, the ANCA has consistently registered public concerns
regarding Mr. Bryza’s biased diplomacy on Armenia-related matters,
including his pro-Azerbaijani bias in the Nagorno Karabagh peace
process and his longstanding role as a promoter of U.S.

complicity in Turkey’s denials of the Armenian Genocide. Our
community’s attention was again drawn to his representation of our
government’s policies following a speech he delivered, on August 7,
2009, in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia, as well as by news reports that he
is being considered as a candidate to serve as our next Ambassador
to Azerbaijan. In his remarks in Tsakhkadzor, Mr. Bryza, once again,
made a number of statements that directly contradict the President’s
pledge to work toward a "lasting and durable settlement of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict that is agreeable to all parties, and based upon
America’s founding commitment to the principles of democracy and
self determination."

Most notably, Mr. Bryza has argued that the fatally flawed Madrid
principles are a balanced set of concessions, when, at their heart,
they represent nothing more than a major, irreversible, up-front
concession of fundamental security on the part of the Armenian side
with only a vague promise that some undefined process, involving
undetermined actors, will take place regarding Nagorno Karabagh’s
status, according to his own words, "at some point" in the future.

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has made it painfully
clear that he will not even honor this weakly worded and effectively
meaningless expectation. President Aliyev has chosen to reserve his
public comments for threats of renewed aggression and assurances that,
even if Armenia were to surrender territories, "it may take a year,
maybe 10 years, maybe 100 years, or it will never be possible" to
reach the point where Azerbaijan would consent to a mere "discussion"
of Nagorno Karabagh’s status.

This "compromise" is not a fair deal, but rather a one-sided surrender
of Nagorno Karabagh’s rights, status, and security, in large measure,
engineered by Mr. Bryza. This settlement, which would cement Armenia
into profound strategic and military disadvantages and ensure continued
regional instability, is, at present, being imposed upon the Armenian
people through the full force and leverage of the U.S. government.

In his remarks, Mr. Bryza compounded his biased defense of these
flawed principles by falsely claiming that the Azerbaijani side
has made a "concession" by agreeing to merely discuss the matter of
Nagorno Karabagh’s self-determination. The fact is that Azerbaijan
has neither the moral right nor the practical ability to grant
either freedom or independence to Nagorno Karabagh. He also, during
the question and answer period, assigned to the people of Nagorno
Karabagh a second-tier right to self-determination, one that requires
the assent of Azerbaijan, as opposed to the right to independence
enjoyed today by the people of Kosovo and recognized officially by
the U.S. government despite the objections of Serbia.

Also of profound concern in Mr. Bryza’s comments at Tsakhkadzor was
his false assertion that Nagorno Karabagh’s exclusion from the OSCE
Minsk Group peace process was driven by Armenia’s request to the
others parties to the negotiations. This is simply not the case.

In addition to the concerns I have outlined regarding Mr. Bryza’s
recent comments, we remain seriously troubled that he has continued
to stand in the way of broad-based dialogue between the governments
and peoples of the U.S. and Nagorno Karabagh. In his capacity as
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, instead of promoting open communication,
he has enforced a set of outdated and counter-productive restrictions
that block the hope for greater mutual understanding.

He has, as well, even as recently as the current foreign aid cycle,
failed to facilitate desperately needed U.S. development assistance
programs in Nagorno Karabagh. Finally, he has undermined his own
credibility by making the patently false claim that neither he nor
his State Department colleagues have applied pressure to Armenia
regarding the settlement of Nagorno Karabagh.

The concerns I have raised regarding the one-sided Nagorno Karabagh
diplomacy that Mr. Bryza has conducted on behalf of the U.S.

government reflect our community’s broader disappointment regarding
the Obama-Biden Administration’s failure to honor its many pledges on
Armenian issues. Foremost among these, of course, is the President’s
broken promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Rather than upholding this crystal clear covenant, the Administration
has, instead, aggressively attacked the spirit and letter of this
commitment by promoting Turkey’s artificial "roadmap" and pressuring
Armenia to accept a "historical commission" that, in yet another
transparent attempt by Ankara to perpetuate its campaign of genocide
denial, calls into question the veracity of the Armenian Genocide. The
Administration has, in addition, sharply cut economic and other aid
to Armenia, despite the President’s pledge to maintain assistance
levels. This pattern of behavior represents a breach of faith with
Armenian Americans, fundamentally damages our government’s friendship
with Armenia, and effectively eliminates our country’s ability to
act as an honest broker in the region.

Today, seven months after the start of the Obama-Biden Administration,
we are seriously concerned that this Administration has abdicated
its responsibilities by effectively outsourcing our nation’s foreign
policy with respect to Armenian issues to the Republic of Turkey, as
every single policy dealing with Armenia has been made along the lines
that Turkey has dictated, rather than along the sound principles of
morality and democracy that you, President Obama and Vice President
Biden unambiguously articulated during your presidential campaigns
last year.

Thank you for your consideration of our views. We respectfully request
an immediate personal meeting between you and the Armenian American
community’s civic, religious, and charitable leaders so that we can
address these matters in greater detail.

RA GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES MEANS FOR RECONSTRUCTING ROADS IN THE NORTH OF ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.08.2009 18:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a session presided over by Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan, Government today passed a decision on reconstructing roads
damaged as a result of natural disasters. Such decision was conditioned
by poor state of roads as well as the imperative of finishing certain
repairs in 2009.

To that end, it is planned to allocate AMD 210 million to RA
Transportation and Communication Ministry. Allocated sums will
be spent on reconstructing Aygehovit-Vazashen-Parakar-Aygepar road
section in Tavush region and modernizing water drainage system in
the bypass highway road of Voskepar village.

A certain amount will be spent in Syunik and Tavush regions for
solving the problems of houses located in slide zones nearby roads.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER LUNCHEON TO INTRODUCE WESTERN DIOCESE DEBUTANTE BALL

-mother-daughter-luncheon-to-introduce-western-dio cese-debutante-ball
Wednesday August 19, 2009

Beverly Hills, Calif. – The Ladies Auxiliary of the Western Diocese has
already begun plans and preparations for the 2010 Debutante Ball. To
introduce this traditional event, a mother-daughter luncheon for the
prospective debutantes and their mothers will be held on Saturday,
September 19, at the home of Auxiliary member Cindy Norian in Beverly
Hills. The purpose of the luncheon is to provide the prospective
debutantes with information about the ball.

The 2010 ball will be held on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at the
Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly
Hills. Ms. Norian, the chair, reports that her energetic and
hard-working committee have already begun the myriad of arrangements
to ensure another successful ball.

Currently in its 39th year, the ball provides an opportunity to
introduce young people to society and congratulate them on their
achievements. The ball and all its associated festivities are very
memorable, truly fun occasions for the debutantes, the escorts,
and their families and friends.

Any young Armenian women who are interested in participating
should call Geraldine Chuchian (310) 274-1694or e-mail her at
[email protected] for further information.