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08/16/2006
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1. Armenian Caucus Established in California State Assembly
2. ARF Delegation Visits Southern Lebanon After Cease-Fire
3. Azerbaijan Calls on UN to Reaffirm its ‘Territorial Integrity’
4. Eurasian Scouting Jamboree Kicks Off in Armenia
5. Armenian Soccer Team Gets New Foreign Coach
1. Armenian Caucus Established in California State Assembly
A bipartisan group of legislators Monday formed the Assembly Armenian-American
Legislative Caucus, which is modeled after a similar grouping that has been
addressing Armenian-American issues in Congress, the Glendale News Press
reported.
Co-founded by Assembly majority leader Dario Frommer, a Democrat who
represents Burbank and Glendale, and Stockton Republican Greg Aghazarian, the
caucus aims to address issues of concern to the more than 700,000-strong
California-Armenian community.
"Our intent is for it to be a working caucus and a group of folks who reach
out and educate others," Frommer told the Glendale News Press. "Here in
California we have a large and vibrant Armenian community, not just in my
district, but in Fresno and other places, and we want to bring those folks
together."
Frommer and Aghazarian expressed hope that the California State Senate will
follow suit.
Such a caucus is long overdue, Burbank Unified School Board member and
Democratic candidate for the 43rd Assembly District, Paul Krekorian told the
News Press.
"I’ve been a little surprised that legislators who consider themselves
friends
of the Armenian community did not create one like this years ago," he told the
News Press, adding, "But what matters to most to Armenians is the same that
matters to all Americans: Excellent public schools, good jobs, health care for
seniors and the opportunity to send their kids to college."
Frommer, who currently represents the 43rd District, will vacate his seat
this
year because of term limits
2. ARF Delegation Visits Southern Lebanon After Cease-Fire
BEIRUT (Aztag)–A delegation of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Lebanon
Central Committee visited southern Lebanon Tuesday to assess the damage
following the 30-day old Israeli attack on the country.
Accompanying the delegation were members of parliament Hagop Pakradouni and
Sebouh Hovnanian, who was a former Lebanese minister, as well as members of
the
local Armenian media. The delegation was greeted by the local leadership who
led a tour of the devastated areas.
Also touring the region was Lebanese minister Mohamad Fenaysh, who joined the
delegation in assessing the devastating conditions. Local leaders expressed
their gratitude to the Lebanese-Armenian community–especially the ARF–for
its
efforts in assisting the refugees displaced from the attacks. The Armenian
community also was praised by leaders.
Following a press conference with the Armenian, Lebanese and international
media representatives, the delegation continued to meet with the displaced who
were returning to their homes following the cease-fire.
3. Azerbaijan Calls on UN to Reaffirm its ‘Territorial Integrity’
YEREVAN (Yerkir)–The Azeri government, on August 4, submitted an appeal to
the
United Nations urging the international body to reaffirm that country’s
territorial integrity as it relates to the liberated territories that border
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Armenia’s representative in the UN Armen Martirosyan told Radio Free Europe
that the document also categorizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan and
calls on the international community to condemn recent forest fires on the
bordering regions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Asbarez has reported that several weeks that, after conducting a full
investigation of allegations that Armenians from Karabakh were setting the
forest fires, the OSCE determined that, in fact, the fires were being set by
Azeris.
Martirosyan announced that Armenia has already submitted its position on the
Azeri appeal and is working with UN-member states. He added that during the
last session of the UN, an agreement was reached that status of
Nagorno-Karabakh would not be addressed with the UN, since OSCE Minsk Group is
continuing its conflict resolution process.
"If Azerbaijan continues to pursue discussions and the matter is placed for a
vote [in the UN] then Armenia has the right to pull itself out of the peace
process," stressed Martirosyan.
The UN representative added that Azerbaijan’s strategy will play a great role
in determining the outcome of this appeal. "If Azerbaijan chooses to push
forward with this matter, it signals that it has reservations about the
conflict resolution process."
In 2004, Azerbaijan attempted–but failed–to address this issue in the
UN, by
alleging that Armenia had adopted a policy to resettle the liberated
territories.
In a November 2004 interview with RFE/RL, Martirosyan said the territories
are
serving as a security belt around Nagorno-Karabakh as a response to what he
called the "war-mongering rhetoric" of the Azeri leadership.
"The issue of those territories cannot be resolved unless there is a
resolution on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and security guarantees are
provided," Martirosyan said.
The then US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Susan Moore said the Minsk
process is the best forum for resolving the dispute. She said efforts
should be
focused on building confidence between the two sides and avoiding divisions in
the General Assembly.
"Azerbaijan is raising specific concerns linked to the situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh," Moore said at the time. "We believe these concerns can be
fully addressed in the existing format. As a first step an OSCE fact-finding
mission could be considered as a means to address this issue."
4. Eurasian Scouting Jamboree Kicks Off in Armenia
YEREVAN–Immediately following the closing ceremonies of the 8th Homenetmen
pan-Armenian Scouting Jamboree in Biurakan, the Homenetmen Regional Executive
of Armenia played host Monday at the opening ceremonies of the Eurasian
Scouting Jamboree, in which 120 scouts from nine countries are represented.
This is the first such jamboree and it is of great significance that it is
being held, for the first time in Armenia.
Represented at the jamboree are scouts from Armenia, Georgia, Russian,
Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Tajikstan, Japan and the United States.
Garbis Kabasakalian, Harout Haroutunian and Vahram Danielian of the
Homenetmen
Central Executive and Manoug Keoshkerian from Syria represented the Homenetmen
at the opening ceremonies. At the close of the event, Kabasakalian presented
Dr. Alexander Bondar, the CIS Representative and a member of the International
Scouting Federation, a memento from the Homenetmen pan-Armenian Jamboree.
In his remarks, Bondar emphasized the important role the Homenetmen Central
Executive and the Homenetmen play in strengthening Armenia and bolstering the
scouting movement there. He added that he always cites Homenetmen as an
example
during his speeches and presentations.
Kabasakalian thanked Bonard and pledged the Homenetmen’s continued
cooperation
with the CIS and International Scouting federations.
5. Armenian Soccer Team Gets New Foreign Coach
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The Football Federation of Armenia named the new foreign
coach of the national soccer team on Wednesday less than a month before the
start of its qualifying campaign for the 2008 European Championship.
Ian Porterfield, a veteran British tactician, pledged to bring a "good
spirit"
to the team as he was presented to the media after signing an 18-month
contract
with the FFA. "I am looking forward to working here over the next few months,"
he said.
Ruben Hayrapetian, the federation chairman, said Porterfield was chosen
from a
pool of about two dozen foreign specialists that showed interest in the job.
Hayrapetian said the 60-year-old Scot’s experience and track record was
decisive in the selection process. He refused to disclose any financial
details
of the deal.
Porterfield managed the Scottish side Aberdeen in the late 1980s and
England’s
reigning champions Chelsea in the early 1990s before continuing his coaching
career abroad. He has coached the national teams of Zambia, Saudi Arabia, Oman
and Trinidad and Tobago. His last job was with one of South Korea’s leading
football clubs.
Porterfield, who replaces Dutchman Henk Wisman, is the fifth foreigner to
take
the helm of the Armenian team in the last four years. He faces a daunting task
of ending its protracted run of poor results in the European qualifying
competitions. He admitted having little knowledge of the squad, saying that he
last watched its games in 2003.
Armenia is presently only 104th in the worldwide rankings of national teams
that are issued by the game’s governing body, FIFA. It faces Serbia, Belgium,
Finland, Poland, Portugal, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan in Group A of 2008
European Championship qualifying.
The Armenians will open their qualifying campaign against Belgium, one of the
group favorites, in Yerevan on September 6. Few believe that they stand a
chance of qualification.
The competition will see the first-ever games between Armenia and Azerbaijan
that are certain to arouse nationalistic passions in the two countries The FFA
wants the matches, tentatively scheduled for September 2007, to be played in
Baku and Yerevan. The Azeri side, however, is pushing for a neutral venue,
saying that it can not guarantee the security of Armenian players.
A final decision on the issue rests with UEFA, European football’s governing
body. It is expected to be announced later this year or early next.
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