Author: admin

RIA Novosti, Rusia
14 Enero 2010

Moscú valora altamente el nivel de las relaciones estratégicas con Armenia
17:56 | 14/ 01/ 2010

Ereván, 14 de enero, RIA Novosti. El ministro ruso de Asuntos
Exteriores, Serguei Lavrov, declaró hoy que Moscú valora altamente el
nivel de las relaciones estratégicas establecidas con Armenia.

"Rusia valora altamente el nivel de las relaciones estratégicas con
Armenia y la cooperación que desarrollan los dos paà – ses", dijo Lavrov
durante las conversaciones que sostuvo con el presidente armenio Serzh
Sargsyan en Ereván.

El dirigente armenio comentó, a su vez, que la cooperación estratégica
entre los dos paà – ses "ascendió a un nivel cualitativamente nuevo en
2009 conservándose el intenso diálogo polà – tico y los estrechos
và – nculos económicos, culturales y humanitarios".

"Además, agradecemos a Rusia sus esfuerzos por arreglar el conflicto
de Alto Karabaj y normalizar las relaciones armenio-turcas", manifestó
el presidente armenio.

Sargsyan y Lavrov abordaron un amplio abanico de temas haciendo
hincapié en el desarrollo de las relaciones ruso-armenias y la
cooperación en los ámbitos económico, cultural y humanitario.

Hellenic News of America
Jan 17 2010

Turkey vs. Israel: Emerging Conflict of Strategic Interest

The mass media in Israel, Turkey and the Arab world, have been
preoccupied in the last few days by another sudden and rather serious
diplomatic crisis in the Turkish-Israeli relations. This time the
insult was initiated by the Israelis intentionally, and apparently
orchestrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It came at the
anniversary of last year�s diplomatic scuffle that embarrassed many
Turks and Israelis, who believed that the two countries were strategic
partners with common interests in the Middle East.

As you may recall, it was about a year ago when the charismatic and
rhetorical Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Tayyip Erdogan, criticized
Israel publicly, in an International forum, for its brutal attack on
Gaza a few months earlier, which had thousands of innocent victims.
The Israeli President, Mr. Peres, who was present at the Davos
International Meeting, apparently took offense by it, but Erdogan
scored political points among peoples in the Middle East and beyond.
He became a kind of hero for the Muslim masses for having the courage
to say publically what other Muslim leaders would whisper only
privately.

Since then the situation has not improved, in spite of Israeli efforts
to patch up the conflict. The recent incident will make a bad
situation even worse diplomatically, with unforeseen consequences for
the future of the Turkish-Israeli relations and possible political
re-alignments in the Middle East. Indeed, the rudeness of this episode
was rather unusual for the diplomatic chronicles, even with ME
standards. The Turkish Ambassador, Mr. Celikkol, was invited by the
Israeli Undersecretary of State, Mr. Ayalon, to a meeting ostensibly
to receive the official expression of the displeasure of the Israeli
Government for a Turkish TV serial, which portrayed Israeli agents,
and Israeli people in general, in a negative light.

Mr. Ayalon arranged so that his displeasure would be visible as well
as audible to Turks and Israelis. In front of the rolling cameras he
refused to shake hands with the Ambassador of Turkey; he had the
Turkish flag removed from the table in the meeting room; he placed the
visitor in a law couch, while he and his assistants were sited on high
armchairs looking down on the Turkish diplomat, who looked
uncomfortable in this strange and undiplomatic arrangement. But the
Turks got the message he meant to send them, and not surprisingly
reacted furiously, as befits men when they are insulted.

The President of Turkey, Mr. Gul, issued an ultimatum demanding a
formal apology by the Israeli Government, which found itself in an
embarrassing situation by the rude acts of its diplomats. It took the
intervention of the President of Israel, Mr. Peres, to persuade the
Netanyahu Government, which had supported Ayalon�s actions, to provide
Turkey with the apology which it demanded and deserved in this case.
At the end, the Israeli Deputy Minister made a `diplomatic statement’
stating that he `had no intention to personally humiliate’ the Turkish
Ambassador. This could only mean, in this context, that the Israelis�
intention was to insult and humiliate the State of Turkey itself,
through its Ambassador.

If so, this does not add up to an `apology’ to Turkey; but it has been
accepted as such by Mr. Erdogan himself, apparently in an effort to
de-escalate this diplomatic crisis between the allies, in light of the
expected visit to Turkey, this weekend, of the Israeli Minister of
Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak.

This situation would have been unthinkable a few years ago, before the
Islamist Party of Mr. Erdogan (the Party of Justice and Development),
came to power in 2002. This Islamist Party has capable and gifted
party members, such as Mr. Gul, who has become President of Turkey,
and Mr. Davutoglu, who was initially Erdogan�s political adviser and
has become now the Secretary of State. Working together as a team with
clear political goals, this `Turkish Triumvirate’ has brought many
democratic changes in Turkey and, above all, has transformed its
foreign policy. Turkey�s openings toward Armenia, the Kurds, Syria,
Iraq, and even Greece (but not yet Cyprus), are real achievements and
to their credit.

This one thing, therefore, is clear for political observers of the
Middle East: Under Erdogan�s charismatic leadership, Turkey is moving
fast in many diplomatic fronts and is increasingly recognized as a
growing regional power that is capable of affecting the politics of
the Middle East in fundamental ways.

This political fact is not good news for the State of Israel, which
was used to having a monopoly of power in the region due to its
favorable connection to the Pentagon and the US Government, via the
Jewish Lobby in Washington. Traditionally, Israel has thus controlled
or manipulated arms sales to the Turkish Governments, since the time
of its establishment, and continuously during the Cold War years.
Because the threat of Communism was `the real enemy’ all those years,
democratic considerations and human rights violations had to be
covered up or brutally crushed by a series of military interventions.
So, having good relations with the State of Israel was perceived in
Turkey as indispensible for the Military establishment, no matter how
the Israelis behaved toward the Palestinians and other Arabs and
Muslims in the Middle East. The Turkish Triumvirate came to change
this convenient arrangement.

The first great political victory of the newly elected Erdogan
Government came in the spring of 2003, when George W. Bush decided to
attack Iraq and needed help from Turkey, our NATO ally. To facilitate
the war effort, the American Government at that time needed to open a
second front in the North of Iraq. Bush thought that he could persuade
the Turks to go along with the NATO plan, or buy them out. But Erdogan
proved him wrong. Turkey would not allow NATO forces to enter Iraq
from its soil. This sounds unbelievable, but it did happen. It is a
historical fact: Turkey humiliated America!

Now is the turn of Israel to be humiliated by apologizing to Turkey
for the mistreatment of its diplomat, instead of Turkey apologizing to
Israel for the way its public media portray the State of Israel and
its citizens! Apparently the Turkish Triumvirate does not think that
it needs Israeli cooperation for the procurement of American arms, if
it can buy them from Russia which is closer and needs the cash.

Things are changing indeed in Turkey and in the Middle East, thanks to
Mr. Davutoglu, Mr. Gul, and especially Mr. Erdogan. He has been lucky
so far, but if his good luck continues for another year or two, he may
become a great Turkish leader, much greater than Kemal Ataturk. The
later established a nominally `secular’ Republic at the end of World
War I, about the same time when Lenin and Stalin were trying
desperately to establish the first Communist Government and the
`Socialist Society’ in the Soviet Union. It is significant that the
Kemal�s `secularism’ has lasted longer than the Leninist-Stalinist
experiment. Its success might have had something to do with the
Israeli connection and its unwavering support over the years. In all
probability the Kemalist era in Turkey is coming to an end finally and
we will be witnessing its demise in the near future, if the luck of
Erdogan lasts a little longer and the Military does not react soon in
its usual and brutal way.

Anyway, one of the great achievements of Erdogan and his Government so
far has been the dexterous way that they have handled the process of
accession to the European Union. They have used it masterfully to
weaken the Military�s chocking hold on political power and
developments in Turkey. Thus, they keep knocking on the door of the
EU, although they (at least the Triumvirate) realize that the outcome
is uncertain and, in all probability, will be negative at the end of a
long process. Being smart men and shrewd political leaders, they have
started preparing the ground for an alternative solution to the
Turkish Problem. If they cannot be part of the EU, hanging on its
economic tail, like Greece and other poor Mediterranean members, then
why not try to be the leading power of the Muslim world in the Middle
East and beyond? Why not hope for a revival of the `Ottoman Empire’ by
other means?

This being the case, it would not be surprising if the Erdogan
Government came up with some new proposals for the reunification of
Cyprus and for the reopening of the Halki Theological School. Both
these political moves can help them regarding their European
aspirations and regional designs.

The Erdogan Government cannot be serious when it claims to care for
the Roma minority, while ignoring the Ecumenical Patriarchate and His
All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew. If Mr. Davutoglu finds
inappropriate the `crucifixion’ metaphor, he could and should do
something to alleviate the burden that his Holiness caries having to
operate under the oppressive conditions established by the Kemalist
regime almost a century ago. It is time for change in this front too,
and good will may follow indeed.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:

January 14, 2010
EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI;
PRAYERS FOR DEAD AND LIVING
As the grim news of the 7.0 earthquake that hit the Republic of Haiti
on Tuesday afternoon became known, Archbishop Oshagan expressed deep
concern for the people of Haiti. Yesterday the Prelate sent a
circular to all of the parishes of the Eastern Prelacy asking them to
offer prayers for the dead, the seriously injured, and the survivors
during the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, January 17. The Prelate also
asked all of our parishes to offer a separate plate collection for
earthquake relief.
The chilling news brought back the terrible memories of
December 7, 1988, when we first heard the news of the earthquake in
northern Armenia, said Archbishop Oshagan. More than most people, we
know the importance of life-saving rapid assistance. Let us open our
hearts and our pockets, the Prelate said.
The earthquake struck the heavily populated capital city,
Port-au-Prince, destroying government buildings, schools, hospitals,
homes, and an infrastructure that was already fragile. At least three
million people reside in the affected area.
Donations can also be sent directly to the Prelacy. Checks
should be payable to Armenian Apostolic Church of America, with
earthquake written in the memo area, and sent to the Armenian Prelacy,
138 E. 39th Street, New York, NY 10016.
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I DECLARES 2010
YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN WOMAN
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
declared 2010 as the Year of the Armenian Woman. At the beginning of
each year His Holiness issues an encyclical designating a specific
topic for the year with the expectation that the topic will be
explored throughout the year.
In his encyclical, His Holiness refers to biblical,
historical and contemporary reflections that make it imperative to
reassess the role of women and men in society. According to the Bible,
he writes, God created men and women in His image, (Genesis 1:26);
therefore, he explains, women and men are equal in the eyes of God,
and partners in caring for the created world. His Holiness further
notes that in the New Testament, the New Eve,Mary the Mother of
Godplays an important role in the history of salvation.
Delving into Armenian history, His Holiness writes about
many women who contributed to the survival of the nation and to its
spiritual and cultural renaissance by assuming political
responsibilities through martyrdom and sainthood, as writers,
educators, social workers, and mothers.
In the encyclical His Holiness reflects on important events
and documents of the United Nations and the Ecumenical Movement. He
cites the achievements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the UN Decade for Women, and international conferences since 1976 and
the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. Speaking of the
Ecumenical Movement he mentions the Ecumenical Decade of the Churches
in Solidarity with Women 1988-1998, which deplored violence against
women at home and in society, and the Decade to Overcome Violence.
The Catholicos calls upon all Armenians to reconsider the
nature of the partnership of women and men in the Armenian community,
its organizations and the family, in view of the moral values taught
by the Church and internationally endorsed documents.
To read the encyclical in Armenian click here (
4882/goto: elacy/PDF/2010pontificalmessagearm.pdf
).
To read the encyclical in English click here (
4882/goto: elacy/PDF/2010pontificalmessageeng.pdf
).
RELIGIOU S AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS TO MEET
The Religious and Executive Councils will meet tomorrow and Saturday,
January 15 and 16, at the Prelacy offices in New York. The two
councils meet jointly each month.
PRELATE AND VICAR VISIT CONSUL GENERAL
Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan visited Antoine Azzam, Consul
General of Lebanon in New York, on Monday, January 11. Mr. Azzam was
recently honored with the Insignia of the Order of Saint Gregory the
Great from Pope Benedict XVI. Bishop Anoushavan attended the
presentation in November, but Archbishop Oshagan was unable to attend
due to a prior engagement. During their visit this week, Archbishop
Oshagan presented a special gift to the Consul General in recognition
of his recent honor.
ZULAL WILL PERFORM AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
In conjunction with a new exhibit, Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient
Pathway to the Modern World, at the American Museum of Natural History
in New York, Zulal, the popular a cappella trio, will perform on three
Sundays, January 17, January 31 and February 14. Half-hour
performances will be offered at 1: 30, 2:30 and 3:30 pm on each of the
days. For more information: (
4882/goto:
).
SOJOURN AT ARARAT THIS FRIDAY
A one evening performance of Sojourn at Ararat, with Nora Armani and
Gerald Papasian will take place tomorrow evening, Friday, January 18
at 7:30 pm, at Joes Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street,
New York City. Sojourn at Ararat has toured more than 25 cities on
four continents in its English and French versions. For information:
(
4882/goto:
).
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Thursday, January 14, the Feast of the birth
of St. John the Forerunner, are: Proverbs 8:4-11; Malachi 4:5-7;
Isaiah 40:3-5; Acts 13:25-33; Luke 1:57-80.

And as John was finishing his work, he said, What do you suppose that
I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to
untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.
My brothers, you descendants of Abrahams family, and others who
fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because
the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or
understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they
fulfilled those words by condemning him. Even though they found no
cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him
killed. When they had carried out everything that was written about
him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God
raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who
came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his
witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God
promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by
raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, You are my
Son; today I have begotten you. (Acts 13:25-33)

For listing of this weeks Bible readings click here (
4882/goto: elacy/PDF/2010dbr-1.pdf
).
FEAST OF THE BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER
Today, Thursday, January 14, the Armenian Church commemorates the
feast of the birth of St. John the Forerunner (also called St. John
the Baptist). John is an important figure in the New Testament and is
mentioned prominently in all four Gospels, which indicates that he had
an effective ministry baptizing those who repented their sins. He
announced the coming of one greater than himself who is to come
baptizing not with water but with the Spirit. (See Matthew 3:11-12;
Mark 1:7-8; Luke 3:16-17; John 1:26-27). According to the account in
the Gospel of Luke, John was the son of Zechariah and
Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a cousin of Mary. John is considered to be
the last of the Old Testament prophets and the precursor of the
Messiah. John is one of the two prime intercessors to Jesus Christ,
the other being Mary, the mother of Jesus.
ANNUAL GHEVONTIANTZ CLERGY GATHERING
The annual clergy gathering on the occasion of the Feast of
St. Ghevont and Priests, will take place at St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, February 8-11. The
Feast of Ghevontiantz is celebrated each year preceding the Vartanantz
Feast.
For the agenda of the clergy conference (in Armenian) click
here (
4882/goto: elacy/PDF/2010ghevontyantzprogram.pdf
).
MONDAY IS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
This Monday, January 18, is a federal holiday in honor of Martin
Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929. He attended
public schools in Georgia and graduated from high school at age 15. He
received the B.A. degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta. After
three years of theological study at Crozser Theological Seminary in
Pennsylvania, he received the B.D. degree and continued graduate
studies at Boston University where he successfully completed his
doctoral studies in 1955. Two years later he was elected president of
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed
to provide new leadership for the civil rights movement. King took the
ideals of this organization from Christianity and its operational
techniques from Gandhi. From 1957 to 1968 he traveled more than six
million miles and delivered more than 2,500 speeches, appearing
wherever there was injustice, believing that injustice anywhere is
injustice everywhere. I!
n 1964, at age 35, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Four years
later, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Eighteen days after Dr. Kings famous I Have a Dream speech
(August 23, 1963), four little black girls, attending Sunday school in
Birmingham, Alabama, were killed by a bomb set by the Ku Klux
Klan. Dr. King delivered the eulogy in which he asked his followers
not to succumb to hatred and not to become bitter, or harbor the
desire to retaliate with violence. He offered these words of
consolation to the families of the four murdered girls: I hope you can
find some consolation from Christianitys affirmation that death is not
the end. Death is not a period that ends the great sentence of life,
but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance. Death is
not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of
nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal. Let
this daring faith, this great invincible surmise, be your sustaining
power during these trying days.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
January 31Saint Sarkis name day, celebrating the patron saint of
St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th St., Douglaston, New York, and special
requiem service for Archpriest Rev. Fr. Asoghik Kelejian. Luncheon
and special cultural program following church services. Donation $40.
For reservations: 718-224-2275.
February 6St. Stephens (Watertown, Massachusetts) Ladies Guild, Mardi
Gras celebration, 7 pm at church hallo. Costumes optional; masks a
must. For information: Mary Derderian, [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) or 781-762-4253.
February 8-10Annual Ghevontiantz Clergy Gathering, hosted by
St. Gregory Church, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts.
February 28 and March 7General Membership meetings of Soorp
Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
March 21Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York
City. Featured artists: Tanya Gabrielian, pianist; Natalie Aroyan,
soprano.
May 13 to 16National Representative Assembly hosted by
St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York City, and St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
July 17A Hye Summer Night V, dance hosted by Ladies Guild of
Sts. Vartanantz Church and ARS Ani Chapter, Providence, Rhode
Island. Watch for details.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

PURCHASE AND SALE TRANSACTIONS OF .45 MILLION CONDUCTED AT NASDAQ OMX ARMENIA OJSC ON JANUARY 15

Noyan Tapan
Jan 15, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Purchase and sale transactions of
.45 million at the weighted average exchange rate of 377 drams per
dollar were conducted at Nasdaq OMX Armenia OJSC on January 15.

According to the press service of the Central Bank of Armenia, the
closing price was 377 drams.

ARMENIA SHOULD ACTIVELY RAISE ISSUE OF ARMENIAN REFUGEES IN INTERNATIONAL ARENA

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.01.2010 15:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ For 20 years the rights of Armenian refugees from
Azerbaijan have been violated. They have not received compensation,
and it is still not clear, can they ever return to former places
of residence, Larisa Alaverdyan , the former ombudsman of Armenia,
RA NA deputy, told a round table "Ethnic cleansing in Azerbaijan:
Baku, 1990" in Yerevan.

The issue of Armenian refugees of eastern Transcaucasia was wiped out
from the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations. The interests of the Armenians
of the region are not properly represented either diplomatically or
in the information field," the Armenian MP said. Larisa Alaverdian
drew attention to the fact that the Armenians were not a minority in
Azerbaijan, and were founders of Soviet Azerbaijan.

"It turns out that the Armenians were deprived of their homeland,
and not just places of residence, as some wish to present," the
parliamentarian said. According to Alaverdyan, the Armenian side
should be more active in international bodies and raise the issue of
ethnic cleansings in Azerbaijan by all means.

On January 13, 1990, the Azerbaijani authorities instigated the
Armenian pogroms of Baku. Some 400 Armenians were killed and 200
thousand were exiled in the period of January 13-19. The exact number
of those killed was never determined, as no investigation was carried
out into the crimes.

On the above-mentioned date, a crowd numbering 50 thousand people
divided into groups and started "cleaning" the city of Armenians. On
January 17, the European Parliament called on EU Council of Foreign
Ministers and European Council to protect Armenians and render
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. On January 18, a group of
U.S. Senators sent a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev to express concerns
over the violence against the Armenian population in Azerbaijan and
called for unification of Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT AND KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT – SEPARATE PROCESSES

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.01.2010 18:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish premier’s visit to Moscow and Russian FM"s
visit to Yerevan proved once again that RA-Turkish rapprochement
is not linked with Karabakh process, Secretary of RPA parliamentary
group Edward Sharmazanov finds.

"During the meeting with Turkey’s Erdogan, Russian premier Vladimir
Putin said the two processes are separate from one another,
while Russia’s Lavrov announced in Yerevan that Russian-Turkish
economic interests could not be superior to NKR people’s right to
self-determination," Mr. Sharmazanov told a news conference in Yerevan.

At that, he ruled out possibility of signing an Armenian-Azerbaijani
framework agreement without Karabakh’s direct involvement.

The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political
party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent
Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It
is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have
140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.

At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received
23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last
parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91%
of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime
minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of RPA board.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) is a de facto independent republic
located in the South Caucasus, bordering by Azerbaijan to the north
and east, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the west.

After the Soviet Union established control over the area, in 1923
it formed the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the
Azerbaijan SSR. In the final years of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan
launched an ethnic cleansing which resulted in the Karabakh War that
was fought from 1991 to 1994.

Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several
regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the
control of Nagorno Karabakh defense army.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated
by the OSCE Minsk Group.

Armenian-Turkish rapprochement and Karabakh conflict settlement are
separate process, according to Secretary of Republican Party Edward
Sharmazanov.

PERNOD’S MOVIEMAKING MAKEOVER

brand-e.biz
Jan 15 2010

Brandy branding. Pernod Ricard and agency Amsterdam have produced a
20-minute movie, Akhtamar, to relaunch the Ararat drinks brand.

The Armenian brandy – reputed to be a favourite of Winston Churchill –
gets the film treatment from the Shammasian Brothers who have come up
with a modern day re-telling of an Armenian story of unrequited love.

It features a young Muscovite travelling to meet his girlfriend who
comes across the dark legend of Akhtamar.

"Ararat is a household name in the former Soviet Union and a legendary
Armenian brand, but one that needed updating… Pernod Ricard, wanted
to associate the brand’s authenticity with a more sophisticated and
contemporary image," says Brian Elliott, chief executive of Amsterdam
Worldwide.

"Authentic stories underpin a brand like Ararat," he adds. "Staying
true to its heritage is important both culturally and strategically.

The fact the product is unseen in the film is not accidental as
consumers more than ever trust and invest in authentic brands that
invest in culture."

The film, which debuted on the Ararat Legends site, is part of a
global campaign targeting Russian, Armenian and Eastern European
expat communities around the world.

eover_5559.html

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN: "NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, IMPLEMENTING NEW PROGRAMS, IS READY TO DEVELOP THE COOPERATION WITH USAID"

National Assembly of RA
Jan 14 2010
Armenia

On January 14 the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan
received the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID)/Armenia Mission Director Mrs. Jatinder Cheema.

Welcoming the guest the Speaker of the National Assembly highly
assessed the cooperation of the USAID with the Armenian authorities
and expressed the willlingness of the National Assembly in promoting
it. Mr. Abrahamyan in particular, said that the Armenian parliament,
implementing new programs, is ready to develop the cooperation
with USAID.

In that context Mr. Abrahamyan and Mrs. Cheema discussed the possible
directions of cooperation. They disnguished a number of perspective
spheres for elaborating and implementing new programs in order to
develop the professional and technical capabilities of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.

The Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan also
attended the meeting.

LAVROV: THE SOONER THIS HAPPENS, THE BETTER

Aysor
Jan 14 2010
Armenia

On his visit to Armenia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met
with journalists. As Russia is a co-chair in process of Karabakh
negotiations, questions by journalists concerned mainly this subject.

"Russia doesn’t see any link between Armenian-Turkish reconciliation
and settlement of the Karabakh conflict, so it’s wrong to try falsely
to link them," said minister. Russia comes from supporting the process
of normalisation relations between Armenia and Turkey, according to
Lavrov. It’s worth mentioning, that Russia was a participant of the
Zurich ceremony of signing the protocols in October.

"We believe, the sooner this happens, the better for whole region,"
said Sergey Lavrov adding that Russia is ready to contribute to the
process through the implementation of infrastructure projects which
are favorable both for Turkey and Armenia.

When asked whether Russia can consider its energy interests in the
context of Armenian-Turkish relations above right to self-determination
of people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Russian minister said
no. Russia comes from the incontestable fact that views of people of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic cannot be ignored, he said.

ACCORDING TO VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN, CC’S DECISION ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS SHOULD BECOME BASIS FOR NA’S FUTURE DECISION

NoyanTapan
Jan 14, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Constitutional Court
by recognizing the provisions of the Armenian-Turkish protocols
as corresponding to the RA Constitution meanwhile mentioned some
shortcomings in its decision. ARFD Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisian
stated at a January 14 press conference. In his words, CC exactly
separated the preconditions existing in the protocols mentioning that
their fulfillment is not compulsory for Armenia. According to V.

Hovhannisian, CC also clarified that the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations and the Nagorno Karabakh settlement cannot
be linked with one another.

V. Hovhannisian declared that we should not despair of CC’s decision
or stop the struggle. In his words, the political forces who intend
to slam the door and to go away close their way of victory. "With
this document (CC’s decision: NT) we have received force and should
struggle for the right of making reservations to be returned to the
National Assembly," the ARFD Bureau member mentioned. He stressed
that CC’s decision with all its observations and considerations should
become a basis and component for NA’s future decision.