Regnum
12:37 12.10.2006
Permanent news address:
Viktor Yakubyan: Tbilisi is preparing double strike against Moscow and
Yerevan
The Russian-Armenian inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation
met in Moscow a few days ago. The same day the press reported the sides to have
agreed on how to alleviate the impact Russia’s economic sanctions against
Georgia is having on Armenia. To remind, the sanctions were imposed after the
arrest and release of Russian officers in Georgia and, particularly, concern
the sphere of transport, particularly, motor and rail transportation. This
measure has put Armenia in as hard a situation as Georgia.
`The transit of cargoes from Armenia via Georgia to Russia and viceversa
will not be stopped,’ the Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia,
Defense Minister _Serzh Sargsyan_
( ;q=3DSargsyan+&sitesearch=3Dw ww.regnum.ru&client=3Dpub-1466744838047082&amp ;forid=3D1&ie=3DISO-8859-1&oe=3DISO-8859-1 &cof=3DGALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:336699;VLC:663399 ;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:33) said after the Moscow meeting. His colleague,
the Russian co-chair of the commission, Russian Transport Minister _Igor
Levitin_
( ;q=3DIgor+Levitin+&sitesearch =3D;client=3Dpub-1466744838047082 &forid=3D1&ie=3DISO-8859-1&oe=3DISO-88 59-1&cof=3DGALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:336699;VLC:66 3399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC)
appeared with quite a sensational statement. He said that `the cargoes from
Russia to Armenia and vice versa will be transported via the port of Samsun
(Turkey), from there to the port of Kavkaz (Russia) and then to Poti (Georgia).’
The ministers assured that two train ferries will be launched between
Kavkaz and Poti by the end of this year. Sargsyan said that, presently, there is
one train ferry between the ports that can carry 20 cars.
All they said implies that the Kavkaz-Poti-Armenia route will not be used
hereinafter. Russia has stopped almost all cargo operations with Georgia and is
now forced to search for quite original ways to communicate with Armenia. It
should be noted that the direct transport communication between Armenia and
Turkey was stopped the moment Armenia proclaimed independence and will hardly
be resumed in the near future.
Thus, Russia is planning to send its cargoes from Kavkaz to Samsun and then
almost back to Batumi or Poti and only then to Armenia. Thus, Turkey is
becoming the second go-between (Georgia remains one in any case) in
Armenian-Russian commodity turnover.
We should take this project with certain skepticism as the point here is not
even in political or technical difficulty but in the lack of any sense and
logic. Such a long way round will be by far more expensive for Russian and
Armenian companies than the long-trodden Poti-Ilichevsk (Ukraine) route andthey
will hardly give the latter up. Even without Samsum, Kavkaz-Poti is no rival
to the Ukrainian route due to its low capacity. Presently, its train ferry
can carry only 18 cars at one go.
However, the point is even not that the Russian and Armenian authorities have
`felt’ some `original’ way out the presentsituation. In fact, by offering
a Turkish transit route to Armenia, the Russian authorities make it clear
that their sanctions against Georgia will last for long. And it seems thatthe
other possible way-out for Armenia – via the Caspian Sea and Iran- is not
being considered.
In Moscow Armenian DM Serzh Sargsyan had a number of meetings, particularly,
with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian sources
report that the sides discussed the aggravation of Georgian-Russian relations and
the ways for Armenia to come out of the present deadlock.
Naturally, under the current economic pressure, the Georgian authorities are
also considering certain scenarios. Some sources say that Georgia is actively
consulting with the US, Azerbaijan and Turkey about its further actions.
First of all, the Georgian leadership is getting ready for a rise in the Russian
gas price. The sources say that starting from Jan 1 2007 the price will be
raised to $250 per 1,000 c m. Georgia will respond in a counter-ultimatum:the
transit tariff of Russian gas to Armenia will be raised from $30 to $75 per
1,000 c m (after the first rise of the gas tariff for Georgia from $55 to
$110, Tbilisi raised the transit tariff for Armenia from $15 to $30). Certainly,
Gazprom will reject Georgia’s proposal, but the Georgian authorities will
not be `surprised’ and will start the practice of illegal`siphoning’ of the
gas meant for Armenia.
Meanwhile, as early as Jan 20 Georgia is planning to get the first gas from
Azerbaijan via Baku-Erzurum pipeline. This will mark the beginning of the
plan, reportedly, approved by Washington: Turkey will give its share of the Azeri
gas to Georgia, and this will allow Tbilisi to say that it no longer needs
the Trans-Caucasian gas pipeline, which supplies gas from Russia to Armenia
via Georgia. This will put an end to _Gazprom_
( ;q=3DGazprom&sitesearch=3Dwww .regnum.ru&client=3Dpub-1466744838047082&f orid=3D1&ie=3DISO-8859-1&oe=3DISO-8859-1&a mp;cof=3DGALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:336699;VLC:663399;A H:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:3366) ‘s plans to privatize the pipeline – the plans that the US strongly objects to.
Thus, the winter 2006 will mark the introduction of new game rules in the
South Caucasus. It will be a kind of test not only for Georgia, who has become a
target for Russia’s economic sanctions, but also for Armenia, who has become
an involuntary hostage to the Russian-Georgian contradictions. Yerevan=80=99s
only hope is the Iran-Armenian gas pipeline, to be launched by the end of this
year.
_Viktor Yakubyan_
( ;q=3DViktor+Yakubyan+&sitesea rch=3D;client=3Dpub-1466744838047 082&forid=3D1&ie=3DISO-8859-1&oe=3DISO -8859-1&cof=3DGALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:336699;VLC :663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LB) , expert on South Caucasus
© 1999-2006 REGNUM News Agency

Lauded abroad, hated at home
Orhan Pamuk’s Nobel prize will empower a voice of reason, writes books
editor Murray Waldren
14oct06
ORHAN Pamuk’s Nobel prize is a rare if conspicuous convergence of
political motivation with literary merit. In January, Turkey’s most
famous writer became an international cause celebre when he faced a
three-year jail termfor “insulting Turkishness”; yesterday he became
an international celebrity after the Swedish Academy awarded the
54-year-old novelist its 10 million kroner ($1.8million) prize for the
world’s richest and most celebrated literary award.
His win was also an uncommon victory for the bookies’ favourite.
There’s no doubting Pamuk’s literary skill. His works sing, often at
considerable length, with allusive harmonies, written as they are with
a respect for tradition but also with a thoroughly modern mien.
And while it is a mixed marriage, sometimes of inconvenience, between
East and West, his gaze is unblinking as he focuses on the friction
caused by clashing cultures, and between Islam and the secular world.
Equally, there is no doubting the political imperative behind his
crowning as Nobel laureate. Western commentators have fallen over
themselves to praise the decision as a triumph for freedom of speech,
for laudable literature and as an eminent accomplishment for Turkey.
(The Wall Street Journal, however, suggests the award may be better
named the Nobel prize for most provocative public intellectual.)
Pamuk earned Turkish government ire last year when he talked in an
interview with a Swiss newspaper about the World War I massacre of 1.5
million Armenians and the deaths of 30,000 Kurdish separatists in the
1980s and ’90s.
Ultra-nationalists in Turkey persecuted him and he was soon prosecuted
under the Turkish penal code for “insulting Turkishness, the republic
and state institutions”. Although the charges were dropped as a
demonstration of the social progress needed for membership in the
European Union, the law remains on the books.
In New York where he has been working and studying incognito at
Columbia University, Pamuk refused to answer political questions after
his win was announced, but he did suggest it would raise the
international profile of Turkish literature: “This will lead the world
to review Turkish culture as a culture of peace,” he said.
Others are less sanguine, suggesting the West would be more inclined
these days to view with favour this week’s vote in the French National
Assembly that sought to make it a criminal undertaking for anyone to
deny that Armenians experienced genocide in Turkey in 1915.
Pamuk was born into a Westernised, well-off secular family in Istanbul
and, although not a practising Muslim, he has often lamented the
spiritual void created in Turkish society by modernisation. The
dilemmas and dichotomies of his, and Turkey’s, mixed identity are
crucial to his books. He has said that he is “the servant of the grand
art of the novel, and in that sense I am European”, but he has also
said that he looks through “my Turkish window and I try to breathe
everything in from there”. That, he says, “is what goes into my
novels”.
In their citation, the Nobel judges praised Pamuk for “enlarging the
roots of the contemporary novel” through his East-West links. And
certainly, as the pre-eminent novelist in the Muslim world with a
Western readership, he delivers a vision of a free Muslim society
where space exists for conservatives, nationalists and the Westernised
alike.
Pamuk had already won the world’s richest literary prize for a single
novel- the Nobel is awarded for a body of work – after My Name is Red
picked up the Impac Dublin Literary Award. A quasi-murder mystery set
in 16th-century Istanbul, it broke him into Western consciousness and
led to interest in his earlier novels, The White Castle and Snow.
His most recent publication was not a novel but a memoir cum
meditation on his native city, Istanbul.
Yet the tone of all his work is essentially one of exile, and morose,
as if at heart he understands that his dream of a liberal society is
unobtainable.
And as much as he is loved by readers, he is also reviled by
opponents. The Left regularly claims he has sold out to Europe, the
Right criticises him for attacking human rights abuse, hardline
Muslims are incensed by what they see as his portrayal of them as
killers.
It is unusual for a literary award to appear noble in intention:
literary prizes, after all, should be awarded for literary worth. But
it can’t be denied that if literary worth also empowers a voice of
vision and reason, it is a script worth writing.
© The Australian

Armenians Protest Turkish Peacekeepers In Lebanon
October 13, 2006 10:45 a.m. EST
Joseph S. Mayton – All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Beirut,
Lebanon (AHN) – Thousands of Lebanese of Armenian descent demonstrated
against Turkish involvement in the revamped United Nations
peacekeeping force in the country on Thursday. The rally was held at
Martyr’s Square in downtown Beirut.
“We, the Armenian community, are against the deployment of Turkish
troops in South Lebanon, because of their history as a violent state,”
Hagop Havatian, a spokesman for the ARFTashnak Party, said at the
protest.
“Last week we sent letters to every member of the Lebanese parliament
asking them to reconsider the issue. We also sent a letter to
[U.N. Secretary General] Kofi Annan but until now, there has been no
reply,” Havatian continued. Armenians argue that up to 1.5 million of
their ancestors were killed in orchestrated killings by Ottoman Turks
during the first World War. Most historians say this was genocide.
“We will continue our refusal in democratic ways,” Havatian
added. “This act ignores one of the biggest groups in Lebanon. We feel
hurt and feel humiliated and hope the Lebanese government will
reconsider this issue and our feelings,” he said.

October 12, 2006
As American as Vartan, Luis and Na
By CINDY CHANG
LOS ANGELES
TO the people who suggest it might be easier if he calls himself
Victor, Vartan Zhamkochyan has a simple answer: no way. And though his
last name ismore of a tongue twister than his first name, that, too,
is nonnegotiable.
Mr. Zhamkochyan and his wife, Naira Mnatsakanyan, shunned the
time-honored immigrant tradition of anglicizing their names when they
became United States citizens last month. Both are determined to keep
using their full Armenian names, despite the obvious inconveniences.
`They can’t say my first name or my last name,’ said Ms. Mnatsakanyan
(whose full name is pronounced NIGH-rah meh-naht-sah-KHAN-yahn), 35,
an accounting student from Burbank, outside Los Angeles. `It’s really
hard for them. But I love for them to try and say it, since it’s my
name, it’s my father’s name.’
Hayedeh or Heidi? Estuardo or Steve? Simhe Kohnovalsky or Sam Cohn?
>From the ragtag Polish farmer at Ellis Island to the wealthy
businessman who arrives on a first-class flight from Tehran,
immigrants with names likely to trip up the average American have to
confront questions about one of the most defining pieces of a person’s
identity.
Plenty of immigrants still change their names to something easier for
their new compatriots to pronounce. But unlike their Ellis Island
predecessors, modern immigrants live in a multicultural society where
assimilation no longer means having to sever all ties to where they
are from.
Today’s anglicizations are less likely to be forced by bosses or
teachers and more likely to be the product of careful consideration
about the tradeoff between fitting in and giving up a part of one’s
heritage, immigrants and cultural experts say.
Increasing acceptance of nonmainstream names seems an inevitable next
step, as immigrant pride finds a prominent place on the national stage
– witness the millions of Spanish speakers chanting `SÃ-, se puede’
(`Yes, we can’) in the streets last spring – and new Americans
maintain a firm grip on their native languages, foods and customs.
Only 16 percent of the nearly 700,000 people who became naturalized
citizens in the last year requested a name change, according to
statistics from the United States Citizenship and Immigration
Services. The rest decided to stick with given names like Quirino,
Takero, Wenyi and Erendira.
`Obviously, early in the 20th century, with the whole Americanization
movement, people were encouraging the immigrant community to be more
American,’ said Marian Smith, the _immigration_
( ence/timestopics/subjects/i/immigration_and_refuge es/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-classifier)
services historian. `If you fast forward 50 years, you find an America
where people say that’s something you really have to think about, how
much of your identity is your name. To even suggest to someone that
they change their name is to suggest there’s something wrong with
their name as it is.’ While many choose American first names for
their offspring, that is also changing. Angel was the most popular
name for Hispanic boys born in New York City in 2005, according to its
Health and Mental Hygiene Department, with José and Luis also among
the top 20. There were 162 Carloses, 95 Giovannis, 41 Guadalupes, 25
Anjalis and 17 Yukis born to New Yorkers last year.
In a country where falafel and pad thai are now nearly as commonplace
as Chinese takeout, some children of immigrants are even reclaiming
their ethnic names, suddenly announcing that they will no longer use
the American first names their parents gave them but will henceforth
be known as Aiko or Ying-hui.
`We feel much more accepted into American society now,’ said Hongxia
Liu, who came to the United States from Beijing in 1986 and has kept
her Chinese name, which means rainbow. `Why not keep our own identity,
our cultural heritage, including the name, especially the name coming
from your parents?’ Ms. Liu, the director of an international legal
assistance center in Washington, says that friends puzzle over how to
pronounce her name, especially the ` x.’ She tells them to think of it
like the `sh’ sound.
She and her husband, Jianye Wang, named their daughter and son Lumay
and Jayon – derivatives of the Chinese names Lumei and Jiyang. The
Wangchildren, now teenagers, love their names.
`We wanted to keep the Chinese identity but in the meantime make them
easy to pronounce and remember,’ Ms. Liu said.
Tina Cordova, who owns a construction company in Albuquerque, grew up
in an era when many Hispanic parents avoided speaking Spanish at home
in the hope that their children would grow up to be wholly
American. Her father, Anastasio Antonio Cordova, always went by Tony,
and he named his four children Tina, Tammy, Matthew and William.
Now, all of Ms. Cordova’s immigrant employees go by names like
Santiago and Alejandro. Her grandchildren, Marcus Philimon and
Demetrius Anthony, have names that, if not traditionally Mexican, are
a departure from the `Leave It to Beaver’ names of her
generation.
`Everyone was trying back then to fit in, hence me and my brothers and
sister have very American names,’ said Ms. Cordova, 47. `Now there’s a
tendency toward not feeling so uncomfortable naming your children
something that sounds ethnic.’ Based on data compiled from birth
certificates, Stanley Lieberson, a _Harvard_
( /timestopics/organizations/h/harvard_university/in dex.html?inline=3Dnyt-org)
sociology professor, concluded that until the 1980’s, immigrants
quickly conformed to prevailing normsin naming their children. But he
also noticed that African-American names diverged increasingly from
the mainstream in a pattern that correlated with growingsocial status
and racial pride. A similar trend may be developing among immigrants
today.
`Declaring I am whatever it is I am is cool now, where it might
nothave been earlier, partly because of a greater tolerance to
nonassimilation,’ Professor Lieberson said. `There is a shift
over time toward ethnic assertiveness.’ Frank and Na Hong, like many
other Asian immigrants, gave their two children American first names
and Korean middle names. Their son, Timothy Seung-Ho Hong, often
fended off ethnic slurs while growing up in Seattle and New Orleans.
But in college, Mr. Hong took ethnic studies classes and joined
Asian-American advocacy groups. When he moved back to New Orleans six
yearsago, Mr. Hong started going by Seung-Ho, later shortening it to
Seung after people had trouble pronouncing the full name.
The transition has mostly gone smoothly, though his father still slips
up and addresses him as Timmy. People routinely butcher the name,
calling him Shawn or Sang – it is pronounced `Sung’ – and are more
likely to assume that he is a foreigner. But for Mr. Hong the
inconvenience is worth it.
`I wanted to more strongly connect with my history, my culture and
having my name be kind of like a reminder of who I am,’ said Mr. Hong,
30, who is the legislative director for a New Orleans city
councilwoman.
Some Asian-Americans who started out using their ethnic first names
switched to more traditional American names, only to reclaim their
original names as adults. After moving to Indiana from Southern
California, Fumiko China’s parents decided she would have a tough
enough time being half Japanese in the Midwest without having a
foreign-sounding name. From then on, she was known by her middle name,
Catherine.
Ms. Chino is now using her Japanese name again, and three of her four
siblings have also reverted.
`I love the fact that it’s an old Japanese name,’ said Ms. Chino, 29,
who until recently worked in the art department of an anime film
company in Houston. `People who are Fumikos are in their 70’s. It’s
unique, and I like that.
It also helps clarify who I am. I hate getting the question,
`What are you?’ ‘
In Hollywood, too, where name changes are as common as nose jobs, the
tide may be turning, as Asian actresses like Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li
star in big-budget productions.
The actress Ming-Na tried going by Maggie and Doris as a teenager, an
attempt to fit in better at a school in the Pittsburgh area, where she
was the only Asian student. But she said none of those names felt
right, and she stuck with her given name as she tried to forge a
career in Hollywood, even rejecting advice from Wayne Wang, the
director of `The Joy Luck Club,’ that she anglicize it.
She went on to become one of Hollywood’s best-known Asian-American
actresses.
At her suggestion, the Chinese-American doctor she played on `ER’
underwent a name change from Deb to Jing-Mei.
`What’s great is that as you grow up, you have a stronger idea of who
you are and pride about your heritage,’ she said. `It becomes more of,
`No, no, you guys have got to come around to learn how to
pronounce our names.’ NYTimes.com

October 13, 2006
PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: <; AT THE ORANGE COUNTY ARMENIAN BOOK FAIR LET US WALK WITH FAITH AND FOLLOW THE PATH, MISSION, AND TRADITIONS OF OUR HOLY TRANSLATORS DECLARED THE PRELATE On Sunday, October 8, in celebration of Armenian cultural month, the Forty Martyrs Pastor, Board of Trustees, and the administration of A.G. Minassian School had organized a book fair, under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, which took place at `Gugasian' Hall. On the morning of the book fair, the Prelate conducted Holy Mass at `Gugasian' Hall (due to renovation at the church). Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian and Parish Pastor Rev. Hrant Yeretsian assisted at the altar. In his sermon, the Prelate first gave thanks to God for granting him the opportunity to be with the Orange County parishioners and to jointly celebrate Armenian cultural month and to preside over the opening of the book fair. The Prelate commended the combined efforts of the pastor, board of trustees, and parishioners in the renovation of the church, stating that alongside the physical renovation of the church, each and every parishioner must also be renewed spiritually. He emphasized that the community members must stand together and pursue not only the physical renovation of the church but also the renewal of themselves, their community, organizations, and other affiliated bodies. Only by working together with faith for the fulfillment of a common mission, can we enjoy the fruits of our service, concluded the Prelate. Following Mass, the parishioners headed in a procession to the hall of the `Armenian Center', where the Prelate conducted the opening of the book fair. The Prelate Visits A.G. Minassian School On Wednesday, October 11, the Prelate paid an official visit to Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School in Orange County, as part of his visitations to Prelacy Schools on the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year. Accompanying the Prelate were Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian, Rev. Hrant Yeretsian, and Executive Council Chairman Dr. Garo Agopian. At the school, the Prelate was greeted by Principal Mr. Assadour Assadourian, after which he visited each class where he spoke to the students about the Armenian language and culture founded by our holy translators. The students in turn greeted the guests with songs and poetry dedicated to the Armenian language. The Prelate then met with the school principal and church board of trustees, where he received updates on the school's endeavors and their future plans. The visit concluded with the Prelate offering his blessings for a safe year. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
October 13, 2006
____________________
RESEARCHERS ENSURING PROSPERITY FOR ARMENIA WITH SUPPORT OF FAR
Armenians have much to be proud of. A strong people, they have survived
countless hardships and disasters. They have created emotionally stirring
works of literature and cultivated a deep and lasting faith. Previous
generations of Armenians were continually recognized for their academic and
scientific achievements.
During the past 100 years, Armenians have been global leaders in fields such
as laser technology, cosmic ray physics, and astrophysics. However, with
the joys of independence came a devastating financial crunch that left many
talented scientists and researchers unable to pursue their studies and
projects in their homeland.
With little economic support from the government and the nation’s scientific
institutions, many of Armenia’s brightest minds began leaving their country
in search of employment opportunities elsewhere. As they continue to
emigrate, the hopes of using Armenia’s academic rigor to create a better
future are diminishing. Now, however, it looks like a brighter dawn will
rise, thanks in part to the efforts of a few ambitious Armenian-American
scientists and the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR).
FUNDING GREAT WORKS
In 1999, a group of prominent academic and community leaders founded the
Armenian National Science and Education Fund (ANSEF) under the auspices of
FAR. Their goal was to provide support and guidance to the scientific and
scholarly talent in Armenia.
Brilliant thinkers – such as Edgar Housepian, Vartan Gregorian, Yervant
Terzian, Tavit Najarian, Harut Barsamian, Garabed Eknoyan, Mihran Agbabian,
and Aram Chobanian – founded ANSEF because they knew how vital it was for
the newly independent Republic of Armenia to retain its most educated
citizens.
“It is well recognized that for a nation to survive and be successful it
should have a strong academic and research environment. A nation’s lasting
legacy is reflected in the great works of its people,” said Dr. Yervant
Terzian, a world-renown astrophysicist at Cornell University and one of the
original founders of ANSEF. “We have done so much to help Armenians simply
survive, but by supporting science we are building a solid foundation for a
prosperous, independent Armenia.”
ANSEF provides grants directly to scientists and scholars, funding research
in the fields of engineering, natural sciences, physical sciences, and the
humanities. It only takes $5,000 to fund a project for one year —
providing salaries for several researchers and assistants, along with
computers and equipment. Very often this financial help supports
researchers support their families.
“FAR is grateful to have so many brilliant thinkers working hard to improve
all of Armenia by improving conditions for the nation’s scholars,” said
Kevork Hovnanian, FAR’s Founder and Honorary Life Chairman. “People like
Dr. Terzian could easily do nothing, but instead they give of their time and
talent to make a difference in Armenia. And it takes so little to help a
researcher stay in Armenia.”
Each year FAR is able to offer around 20 ANSEF grants, though it receives
between 200 to 300 quality proposals. Funds are awarded to select proposals
following a peer review and recommendation by distinguished academics in
research institutions such as Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and
others.
BUILDING A CULTURE OF MERIT
This peer-review of projects is unique in Armenia, where Soviet authorities
awarded research funding based on connections and the arbitrary will of the
government rather than skill. By requiring proposals to undergo a
peer-review by international experts, FAR is teaching Armenia’s researchers
how to be competitive in today’s global, knowledge-based marketplace.
“The aim of ANSEF is to assist in maintaining and strengthening the Armenian
intellectual community,” said Dr. Terzian, who chairs the ANSEF Research
Council that coordinates the anonymous refereeing of the proposals to
international experts for review. “This will ensure creating the great
leaders needed for a strong country. We should do our best to promote
excellence and to encourage the young generation to follow the pioneering
scientific and scholarly tradition in Armenia.”
In the six years of its existence, ANSEF has received 1,258 project
proposals. It has been able to provide funding for 144 projects. More than
500 senior and junior researchers have been able to continue their work in
Armenia thanks to ANSEF support. More than 235 articles have been published
in prestigious international scientific journals based on research made
possible by ANSEF grants.
Because the rules governing funding are so stringent, ANSEF grants are
recognized by Armenian researchers as a validation of their work. They
realize the importance of this new system, which has also helped raise the
quality of proposals to meet international standards.
SHAPING THE FUTURE
Another consideration in awarding grants is the inclusion of young
scientists and scholars in the team of researchers who work on the
proposals. By rewarding quality over connections, ANSEF gives vital support
to younger researchers who have good, solid ideas. This helps build the
next generation of Armenian intellectuals.
Dr. Astghik Shahkhatuni, for example, is a junior researcher at the Molecule
Structure Research Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.
Dr. Shahkhatuni, 26 years old, has been internationally recognized for her
work in understanding the structure of the human genome, work funded in part
by an ANSEF grant.
With the support of ANSEF, Dr. Shahkhatuni is able to stay in Armenia, while
making incredible scientific advances. By remaining in Armenia she also
serves as a role-model for her peers and the younger generation, encouraging
them to dream of a promising future in Armenian scientific community.
“She is just one of the many researchers we are able to help thanks to ANSEF
and those donors who support its unique mission,” said Randy Sapah-Gulian,
Chairman of the FAR Board of Directors. “It is amazing the level and
quality of research done in Armenia. FAR is proud to be able to support
many of those projects. We need to do more to help develop this talent and
ensure a brighter future for our independent homeland.”
With more outstanding proposals received than ANSEF is able to fund, FAR is
continually looking for donor support to engage Armenia’s top scientists and
scholars.
LOOKING AHEAD
The people of Armenia still require basic humanitarian projects that meet
basic needs, such as food distribution, adequate shelter, and medical
attention. In tandem, the people of Armenia need to be empowered to build
the nation’s future. ANSEF’s mission is forward looking. By supporting
today’s thinkers and scientists, ANSEF aims to create a brighter future for
the entire nation.
“Education and progress in science and engineering are imperative for a
better future for Armenia. Education is the greatest asset of the country.
Knowledge and pride in the country, these will be the wealth for our
country,” explained Dr. Terzian. “Armenia is a very progressive country
where the sciences flourished, particularly in physics, chemistry and
engineering. I can see new vigor in the youth, especially in these
subjects.”
This passion for academic research and its transformative powers are what
drove Dr. Terzian to be one of the founders of ANSEF. A renowned
astrophysicist, Dr. Terzian is an expert on planetary nebulae, physics of
interstellar medium, galaxies, and radio astronomy. He has led observations
using Arecibo, the largest radio telescope in the world, as well as the
orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.
Since 2002, Dr. Terzian is Chairman of the U.S. Square Kilometer Array (SKA)
consortium, a consortium of universities and research institutes in the
United States that are studying and prototyping technologies under
development for the SKA. The SKA is an international project to build the
largest radio telescope in the world (its collecting array will measure one
square kilometer). Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 and should be
completed by 2018. The SKA will be one of a suite of new, large telescopes
for the 21st century probing fundamental physics, the origin and evolution
of the Universe, the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the formation
and distribution of planets.
A widely published academic, he is conducting cutting-edge significant
research on dark matter, an important topic in cosmology — the study of the
beginning of the universe and its evolution. Along with his research, he is
also a respected and admired professor on the Cornell University campus,
where he is the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences in the
Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences.
Even with his hefty research and teaching schedule, Dr. Terzian finds time
to devote to ANSEF because of its importance in creating the future of
Armenia by supporting its academics today.
“My motivation is to encourage Armenian talent, including the youth, and to
spark their vision of a strong scientific and scholarly Armenia. I feel
happy that, through ANSEF, we have done some good work in Armenia,” he said.
DONORS ASKED TO CREATE ENDOWMENT FUNDS
“FAR is constantly working not just to provide basic support to Armenia, but
to empower its people,” FAR Founder and Life Chairman Kevork Hovnanian said.
“And ANSEF is definitely one of the FAR programs that best reaches to a
bright future for the nation, and one that deserves our support.”
ANSEF has thus far existed thanks to general donations. This, however,
limits the number of grants that can be awarded each year. Countless
deserving proposals go unfunded, with more and more researchers searching
outside of Armenia to find support for their studies.
To ensure future funds are available, ANSEF has begun asking donors to
establish endowment funds. By giving $125,000 for an endowment fund, either
individually or in a group, donors will be able to name the fund and direct
its annual grant to a particular field — for history or chemistry or
astrophysics, for example.
“If someone believes the vitality of Armenia is important, then ANSEF is an
important program for them to support,” FAR Executive Director Garnik
Nanagoulian said. “We are proud of all that FAR has done over the years,
but ANSEF really benefits the productivity and success of Armenia in the
future, because it acts as a springboard, propelling Armenian scientists and
scholars into success in the international marketplace.”
The new named endowment funds can memorialize a loved-one, honor a team of
co-workers, or celebrate the achievements of a specific researcher. The
principal of the endowment will never be touched, with just a portion of the
interest earned used to provide direct financial support to Armenian
researchers in perpetuity. Researchers in America, and non-academics, who
want to see a brighter tomorrow for Armenia, are encouraged to support ANSEF
today.
* * *
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
millions of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in
Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more than $265 million in
humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects including
emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic
development.
FAR, one of the preeminent relief and development organizations operating
there, is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic,
prosperous, and culturally rich Armenia. It works towards a brighter future
by partnering with donors to make life better for our people. By offering
hope and more promising prospects in Armenia, Karabagh, and Javakhk, FAR
binds the Diaspora and the Armenian family together around the globe.
For more information on ANSEF or FAR, or to send donations, contact us at
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212)
889-4849; web ; e-mail [email protected].
–10/13/06
E-mail photos available on request.
PHOTO CAPTION 1: Professor Yervant Terzian, ANSEF founder and chairman of
its Research Council, at the Cornell University-operated giant radio
telescope antenna in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
PHOTO CAPTION 2: Dr. Astghik Shahkhatuni meets and discusses her 2006 ANSEF
project with Dr. Edgar Housepian, FAR Board member and ANSEF founder, during
his recent trip to Armenia.
# # #

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-10) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Statement by H. E. Vartan Oskanian
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
On the French National Assembly vote of October 12, 2006
Yerevan, Armenia

Today’s approval of the bill by the French National Assembly is a natural
continuation of France’s principled and consistent defense of human and
historic rights and values.

This decision is also a natural reaction to the intensive, aggressive and
official denialism of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish state. They have
undertaken a premeditated, planned assault on the truth.

To adopt such a decision is the French Parliament’s sovereign right and is
understandable. What we don’t understand is the Turkish government’s
instigation of extremist public reactions, especially while Turkey itself
has a law that does exactly the same thing and punishes those who even use
the term genocide or venture to discuss those events.

PARLIAMENT TO DECIDE ON THE ARREST OF HHK MEMBER
Panorama.am
16:34 12/10/06
The government approved shortly the mediation submitted by Prosecutor
General Aghvan Hovsepyan to call an extraordinary session of parliament
tomorrow in order to decide on the arrest o Hakob Hakobyan, member of
Armenian Republican Party (HHK) and a member of parliament. A criminal
case is instituted against Hakobyan for hooliganism on October 8 near
Haianist village.
Our sources say NA Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan paid a visit to the
government today probably to deliver the disposition of Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnakcutiun) on the issue.

ARMENIAN POSTAL SERVICE SOLD TO DUTCH ING
Panorama.am
17:02 12/10/06
Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukyan said he has
no official information from OTE, owner of ArmenTel, as regards to
the sale of the company. He said two Russian and one Arabic companies
ran for the tender but the minister has no information on the price
offers. However, he said OTE is discussing price offers with HSBC
now. “Honestly, I do not know how much each company has offered,”
Manukyan said.
Manukyan once against refuted the rumors that ArmenTel is already
sold saying it cannot be sold without the agreement of the government,
which owns 10% of shares.
On the other hand, minister of transport and communication announced
the owner of the Armenian postal service, Haypost. He said, the
government has decided to grant the right of management of Haypost
to Dutch ING for five years. Haypost was managed by Converse Invest
in the course of the running year.
During that time, the demand for the service largely increased and
the government decided to take the chance. Manukyan said if Converse
Invest has problems it may dispute them in court, also saying it has
made investment only for one year.

LAVROV AND LENMARKER DISCUSS SETTLEMENT OF “FROZEN CONFLICTS” ON OSCE TERRITORY
Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 12 2006
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chairman of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly Goran Lenmarker discussed the questions of
settlement of the “frozen conflicts” on OSCE territory, web page of
RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs.
The meeting was held in the framework of Lenmarker’s visit to Moscow.
During the meeting reference was made also to issues of reforming
the OSCE in the framework of the decision of “Rising effectiveness
of the OSCE” adopted December 2005 in Lyublyana. The interlocutors
exchanged views on the effective organization of election monitoring
on OSCE territory and coordination of efforts in this direction.