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EP RESOLUTION CONVEYS CLEAR MESSAGE TO AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 21, 2010 – 15:45 AMT 10:45 GMT

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament on May 20 conveys
a clear message to Azerbaijan, according to Marat Hakobyan, head of
Analitika.at.ua portal.

The resolution stresses that "real efforts are needed to pave the
way for a lasting peace." It asks all relevant authorities "to
avoid provocative policies and rhetoric, inflammatory statements
and manipulation of history" and calls on the leaders of Armenia
and Azerbaijan "to act responsibly, tone down speeches and prepare
the ground, so that public opinion accepts and fully understands the
benefits of a comprehensive settlement."

"This means that Baku’s continuous threats and attempts to distort the
history did not pass unheeded," Mr. Hakobyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

DISTINGUISHED EXPERTS DISCUSS ASSIMILATION, REVIVAL AND REPATRIATION WITH YOUTH AT ANNUAL SEMINAR

Asbarez
May 20th, 2010
BIG PINES

CA-Several dozen youth gathered at AYF Camp this past weekend for
the Armenian Youth Federation’s annual Educational Seminar, where the
issues of assimilation and repatriation were explored through lectures,
discussions, debates, and other group activities.

The seminar kicked off Friday night with Director Elizabeth Chouljian,
ANCA’s Communications Director and an AYF alumna herself, presenting
the opening remarks and asking the campers to introduce themselves
individually. Chouldjian created a welcoming environment, insisting
that everyone call her Ungerouhi Yeghso.

The educational portion of the weekend started on Saturday morning.

The first guest lecturer, Ara Mgrdichian, challenged participants
to see themselves and their community from an "out-of-the-box"
perspective by questioning conscious and subconscious notions of
identity. The second guest lecturer, Dr. Hagop Kouloujian, spoke
about the phenomenon of assimilation through the prism of language.

Chouldjian presented her own lecture on the ANCA and its role
in preserving Armenian identity and community. The campers then
participated in a group discussion led by Ungerouhi Yeghso to explore
the theoretical and practical motivations and challenges surrounding
the issue of repatriation to Armenia.

"Having a solid educational foundation within the membership is
essential for any community organization, and even more so for AYF,"
said organizer Aris Hovasapian. "We want to be able to train the
future leaders of our community, and exposing our members to new
ideas or challenging them with new concepts is certainly a step in
the right direction."

The AYF’s Educational Council, which organized the event, was
optimistic about achieving the goals of introducing ideas that are new
to the participants, and presenting concepts they can apply in daily
life. "The type of education that we stress has limitless applications,
but the greatest act would be for someone to take what they learned
over the weekend and use it as a catalyst to do something greater
that could eventually benefit the community at large." said Hovasapian.

Mgrdichian, an AYF alumnus and a violence prevention counselor at
Hoover High School, presented "Assimilation and the Youth Living in
the Diaspora," which exposed the campers to an alternative vantage
point on the problems Armenian youth face today. He challenged
participants to define Armenian identity and what encompasses being
Armenian. With identity crisis in the modern Diaspora being a very
crucial and controversial topic, the discussion quickly turned
into a debate. Mgrdichian concluded that Armenian youth need not
label themselves and put boundaries on what precisely defines being
Armenian. The focus, he stressed, should be on bringing Armenians
together to propel the Armenian Cause forward.

Dr. Kouloujian, a professor of Armenian language at UCLA, presented
"Assimilation and the Importance of the Armenian Language," which
showed an historical evolution of the Armenian language, from its
inception and eras of expansion to its current phase of atrophy and
endangerment. Dr. Kouloujian prepared his lecture specially for this
event, and the participants were very appreciative that he spent the
time to gather so much research and create a PowerPoint presentation.

Organizer Berj Parseghian welcomed Dr. Kouloujian’s unconventional
approach: "A fresh new perspective was offered by Professor
Kouloujian. He explained that if a language does not evolve and
remains stagnant, that language will eventually disappear," he
recalled. "We need innovation, new words, new poets, new writers,
a 21st century Armenian language… Let’s create a critical mass
around this concept… A 21st century Armenian."

"Every educational was amazing," said participant and AYF-WR Central
Executive chairperson Arek Santikian. "Ungerouhi Yeghso broke down
her points very well in relation to Hye Tad and the AYF’s role in it.

Additionally, the lecture regarding the Armenian language was a true
wake up call to me. I realized that it is extremely important to pick
up a book or two, every month or so, and simply read it. It is up to
us to not only cherish our culture and history, but to maintain it,
preserve it and evolve with it."

Chouldjian shared Santikian’s sentiments and had similar words of
praise for the participants. "These young people had such depth in
all of the information and all of the discussions that they had," said
Chouldjian about the interaction she witnessed throughout the weekend.

"During the actual lectures themselves, the participation was great,
but even in the off sections when kids were trying to take a break,
the whole discussion was how do we make Armenia better, how do we make
our nation better, and how do we work better here in the Diaspora. It
was just absolutely inspiring to see that."

The organizers said they were very pleased with the amount of
participation by attendees, and impressed by all the new faces. "It
is always great to see new members excited and actively participating
in discussion because their input is greatly valued. Many people had
a few different chances to speak and express their thoughts on all
the different topics discussed" said organizer Aline Karakozian.

The educational portion of the seminar was followed by an oath ceremony
Saturday evening where 10 AYF novices were officially welcomed into
the AYF. "The room was filled with mostly our younger membership,
which made me extremely happy." Said Santikian "A number of novices
also came up to participate and eventually take their oath.

The energy was at a high level throughout the entire weekend, and
it showed during the discussion portion of the seminar. I was very
impressed with the viewpoints of many of our members."

When asked to gauge the success of the event, Karakozian said, "We
definitely had a successful weekend with plenty of positive feedback."

The seminar, she continued, was fun and educational and gave
participants a unique "opportunity to discuss issues that have become
very important to our people."

Karakozian was happy that participants "were able to share our ideas
on what we should be doing as Armenians and as AYF members to help
prevent assimilation and how to begin a movement of repatriation to
our homeland."

Parseghian summed up the general feeling of the seminar’s participants:
"Our measure of success comes from the weekend being a catalyst for
youth to think, innovate, and struggle… it was awesome."

EDWARD NALBANDYAN RECEIVES BISHOPS DELEGATION OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES OF SYRIA

ARMENPRESS
MAY 21, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 21, ARMENPRESS: RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan
received today the delegation of Bishops of the Christian Churches
of Syria. The representative delegation, headed by the Patriarch of
Damascus Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, arrived in Armenia
at the request of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. An official from
the press and information department of RA Foreign Affairs Ministry
told Armenpress that Mr. Edward Nalbandyan touched upon the relations
with Syria.

He said those relations have entered a new stage and that it was
highlighted with the mutual visits of the Presidents of the two
states and the deepening of the economic collaboration. Issues on
cross-religious cooperation were discussed at the meeting as well. Mr.

Edward Nalbandyan said he appreciates the favorable conditions,
created in Syria, which ensure the normal operation of the religious
communities. At the request of the guests, RA Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan represented the position of Armenia on the latest
developments of the region.

DEPUTY SAYS NEW PROPOSAL ON TABLE IN ARMENIA TALKS

Today’s Zaman
May 21 2010
Turkey

A senior Turkish official has said there is a â~@~brilliant
proposalâ~@~] for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and that it is up
to Armenia to accept or reject it.

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman for
External Affairs Suat KınıklıoÄ~_l u spoke about Turkish-Armenian
reconciliation at a panel discussion in Washington on Wednesday where
he said the two sides had agreed to â~@~remain silentâ~@~] for some
time and evaluate â~@~what is on the table.â~@~] The Middle East
Instituteâ~@~Ys Center for Turkish Studies hosted KınıklıoÄ~_l u, who
is also chairman of the Turkish-American Interparliamentary Friendship
Group, for a discussion on Turkeyâ~@~Ys neighborhood policy and its
influence in and implications for the Middle East.

â~@~There is something new on the table. Although I cannot go into
the details, there is a brilliant proposal on the table, and it is
up to the Armenians to accept or reject it,â~@~] KınıklıoÄ~_l u
stated. Noting that the achieving Turkish-Armenian reconciliation
is an important issue at the moment, KınıklıoÄ~_l u said he would
personally vote â~@~yesâ~@~] on the Armenian protocols because he
is in favor of normalizing relations. He said he believes this move
has the potential to transform the South Caucasus and make it a part
of Europe.

Turkey and Armenia sealed twin â~@~agree-to-disagreeâ~@~] protocols
last October — currently at a standstill — to transform persistent
animosity into lasting amity. A chain of negative developments and
Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys strident opposition to the protocols have made the
reconciliation roadmap a thorny document.

Underscoring that the normalization will come into being through the
political will of both Turks and Armenians, the senior official said
it would not work if they wait for outside actors to solve their
problems. â~@~And this is not realistic,â~@~] he added.

Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, KınıklıoÄ~_l u pointed
to the occupation by Armenia of the territories of Azerbaijan, a member
of the Council of Europe, and said Turkish-Armenian normalization
cannot take place at a bilateral level as there is an â~@~abnormal
situationâ~@~] called Karabakh in their neighborhood. Underlining
that resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not a precondition and
that reconciliation and the Karabakh dispute are parallel processes
generating support for each other, KınıklıoÄ~_l u said this view
benefits Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

TURKEY CONDEMNS ELECTION IN KARABAKH

Today’s Zaman
May 21 2010
Turkey

Turkey has said it won’t recognize the so-called "parliamentary
elections" in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on Sunday as the elections
are a blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions and the
principles of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE).

A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday said
there will be an election in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, contrary
to expectations and decisions made by the international community.

Armenia-backed separatists in the Nagorno-Karabakh region set up a
"republic" following an armed conflict in the early 1990s between
Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory and regularly
hold elections, which are dubbed "illegitimate" by the international
community.

The statement said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the primary
roadblock to peace, stability and cooperation in the South Caucasus,
adding that it hinders relations and cooperation in the region. The
statement also mentions that the illegitimate elections constitute
an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions
and OSCE principles.

The statement said that during a period when there are intensive talks
to find a peaceful solution to the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict under
the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, it is obvious that holding
"parliamentary elections" in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is a move
that will negatively affect efforts for a peaceful solution.

As the Foreign Ministry condemns the event, which will violate the
political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
it will not recognize the illegitimate elections, which do not have
any binding nature under international law, the statement said.

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY REJECTS ROCK-CONCERT INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF STUDENT PARK

ArmInfo
2010-05-20 10:39:00

ArmInfo. Yerevan Municipality has rejected the initiative by the
Facebook social network group ""We are the owners of our city" to
organize a rock-concert on May 21 in support of the Student Park.

Administrator of the group Artur Avtandilyan told ArmInfo a new
application will be submitted to the Municipality on May 20. This
time the group intends to organize a music concert on June 5 near
the Lovers’ Park in Yerevan in support of the Student Park.

Large-scale construction of cafes in the given park has already
"swallowed" 20 trees. The above group conducted a two-day action of
signature collection under the open letter to be addressed to President
Serzh Sargsyan. Nearly 20,000 people have signed the letter calling
to stop construction and restore the park.

15-YEAR OLD ARMENIAN WEIGHTLIFTER WINS SILVER IN VALENCIA

Tert.am
20.05.10

Armenia earned the third medal in the European Youth Weightlifting
Championship in Valencia.

Izebal Yalyan won a silver medal in women’s competition lifting a
total of 163 kg.

Yalyan is 15 years old and weighs 53 kg.

Earlier Armenian weightlifter Smbat Margaryan (56 kg) became champion
by lifting a total of 240 kg. He lifted 105 kg in snatch exercise
and won the first place. In jerk he lifted 135 kg as first attempts
but in the following two ones Margaryan failed lifting 149 kg, though
135kg was quite enough to win the gold medal.

RA POLICE INTENSIFIES ROAD CONTROL STARTING MAY 21

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 20, 2010 – 15:36 AMT 10:36 GMT

On occasion of the School Graduation Day, Armenian Police will
intensify control starting May 21.

"Patrol cars will be near all schools. The traffic in the streets
leading to Republic Square will be blocked in the afternoon," head
of Yerevan Traffic Police Norik Sargsyan told journalists on May 20.

He also called on parents of the school-leavers not to give cars to
their children. "The drivers without driving license will be fined
AMD 10 000, while the cars will be take to police compound. Those who
give their cars to school-leavers will be fined AMD 20 000," he said.

HAKOBIAN PLAYS IN DRAW AGAINST PONOMARYEV AT FIDE GRAND PRIX

Aysor
May 20 2010
Armenia

In round nine of the FIDE Grand Prix among men, taking place in
Russia’s Astrakhan, Armenia’s Grand Master Vladimir Hakobian played in
draw against Ruslan Ponomaryev. Vladimir Hakobian played with black;
the set ended in draw by the 96th move; Hakobian scored half a point.

SOVIET COSMONAUTS SUGGEST SETTING MONUMENT TO MARK 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GAGARIN’S FLIGHT INTO SPACE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 19, 2010 – 21:30 AMT 16:30 GMT

RA NA speaker Hovik Abrahamyan met with USSR heroes, cosmonauts
Aleksey Leonov, Victor Gorbatko and Vladimir Lyakhov May 19.

Aleksey Leonov, Victor Gorbatko and Vladimir Lyakhov were awarded
with honorary resident titles.

The guests participated in Abovyan’s cosmonauts’ square opening
ceremony.

Following the ceremony cosmonauts suggested setting monument in
newly-opened square to mark 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight
into space, parliamentary press service reported.