Author: Antonian Lara

LEVON IN SALONIC

A1+
[02:12 pm] 22 January, 2009

Midfielder of the Armenian football team Levon Pachajyan will be hired
to play for the renowned PAOK club in Salonic for the next six months.

The best football player of Armenia in 2007 signed a 4-year contract
in January of last year with the Swedish GAIS team, which didn’t do
well during the 2008 Swedish championship. Pachajyan had declared in
November 2008 that he wants to play for another club and a series
of European teams were interested, among them the Dutch "Feyenord"
and the Norwegian "Tromsen".

In the end, the Gyoteborg GAIS club administration decided to let the
PAOK hire Levon as their player. The current trainer for the team
is well-known Portuguese expert Fernando Santos, who has worked in
"Portu", "Benfica", "Sporting" and "Panatinaikos".

The PAOK has a rather strong team with former player of the Portuguese
team Sergiu Conseyas, Bosnian football player Zlatan Muslimovich
and others.

HRANT DINK’S FRIENDS ISSUE CALL TO GATHER TURKISH, ARMENIAN CHILDREN

Today’s Zaman
Jan 21 2009
Turkey

Friends of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink issued a call to
bring together Turkish and Armenian children, during an evening of
artistic performances titled "Without Hrant 2," commemorating the
second anniversary of his death.

At the Lutfi Kırdar International Congress and Exhibition Center
on Monday evening, a choir singing solemn Armenian songs took the
stage, followed by a slideshow of photographs of Dink’s childhood
in an Armenian orphanage. A voiceover stressed the importance of
bringing together Turkish and Armenian children on April 23, when
Turkey celebrates its National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. There
was also a call for the holiday to be extended to include April 24,
on which Armenians mark the anniversary of the beginning of the World
War I-era killings that they allege constituted genocide.

Also featured at the event was a documentary describing the
developments that led to Dink’s assassination and the trial against his
suspected murderers. He was shot outside his office in broad daylight
by a teenager who allegedly took directions from his neo-nationalist
superiors. The trial is still under way, but his lawyers complain
that crucial evidence in the assassination was obscured soon after
the murder.

At the end of the evening well-known singer Sezen Aksu took the
stage. The audience included Dink’s wife, Rakel Dink, and her
family, as well as many of Dink’s friends and Å~^iÅ~_li Mayor Mustafa
Sarıgul. Amongst the hundreds of attendees were not just Armenians
but people from many different backgrounds.

Eylem Akkaya, 29, said she was not an Armenian citizen but added
that she was at the event because it was important to remind people
"not to forget" Dink.

Nusret Karayazgan, 63, said she is not Armenian and did not know
Dink well but that she liked what he said. "I understood what Hrant
said. We spoke the same language," she told Today’s Zaman. Dink had
supported the country’s process of democratization and had not become
a voice for the Armenian diaspora’s typical claims that the situation
in Turkey is universally bad for Turkish-Armenians.

Also attending the event, Oncu Kırlangıc, 23, said she was there
because it was important to carry "Dink’s banner" following his death.

Speaking with Today’s Zaman, a reporter from Agos said that after
Dink’s murder some Turkish-Armenian citizens have become more passive
than ever but that others have become more active than before. "There
have even been people who wanted to leave Turkey forever, but I prefer
to stay here and continue to struggle," he said.

He added that the earlier demonstration in front of the Agos office
was also important to show that people want to see Dink’s murderers
punished soon.

Those who attended the ceremony chanted slogans saying, "Ergeneknon
murdered Hrant Dink," "We are all Hrant Dink" and "We are all Armenian"
in Turkish, Armenian and Kurdish.

Dink’s lawyers say that Ergenekon — a clandestine criminal
organization with ties to the state that is accused of plotting to
topple the government — was behind the murder.

Commemorative events were held in front of the offices of the Agos
weekly newspaper, where Dink had been editor-in-chief, in Ä°stanbul’s
Å~^iÅ~_li district, and in various parts of the country, including
Ankara and his hometown of Malatya.

–Boundary_(ID_6Of7jJsRwJ9veY9JYYJfBw)–

PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 22, 2009

Armenian National Committee of American
Eastern, US
122 W. 27th St., Floor 12, New York, NY
Contact: Karine Birazian
Tel: 917-428-1918

ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director
Recipient of 2009 Genocide Intervention Network
"Carl Wilkens Fellowship"

New York, NY- The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern
Region (ANCA-ER) is proud to announce that the ANCA-ER Executive
Director, Karine Birazian, is a recipient of the 2009 Genocide
Intervention Network "Carl Wilkens Fellowship." Birazian, selected
amongst hundreds of applicants, is one of twenty that was chosen to
participate in an ongoing initiative to build in their communities
sustained political will to end genocide.

"I am very honored and excited to be part of the first class of the
Carl Wilkens Fellows," commented Birazian. "Raising awareness on
consequence of genocide and the need to end mans inhumanity to man
is vital in today’s society, and I look forward to working with the
other fellows to achieve this common goal."

The program offered to young professionals is the first of its kind
where activists throughout the nation will gather to work together
in the creation of a permanent anti-genocide constituency. The
fellowship is named after Carl Wilkens who was the only American to
remain in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Wilkens did everything
in his power to save and protect civilians from harm and as a
result, hundreds of lives were saved. Since then, Wilkens has been
active in working to help empower others to make a difference.

Birazian has served as Executive Director of the ANCA Eastern
Region since September 2006. She previously was active with the
ANC of Illinois, working to educate students and teachers on
genocide. From 2003-2007, Birazian attended the National Council
for the Social Studies and also presented forums on how teachers
can incorporate genocide education in their classrooms. Birazian
was also active in passing a mandate in Illinois on teaching
genocide in 2005. Prior to working for the ANCA, Birazian worked
in the Intensive Care Unit as a Registered Nurse in Illinois.

####

Photo Caption: ANCA ER Director Karine Birazian with New Jersey
Senator Bob Menendez at the 2008 Democratic National Convention

PRESIDENT SIGNED DECREES…

Azat Artsakh Daily
19 Jan 09
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On January 17 President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Bako Sahakyan
signed decrees relieving the Head of the State Committee of Real
Estate and Cadastre under the NKR Government Valeri Alexanyan of
his duties according to own application and appointing to this post
Andranik Khachatryan with a five year term in office.

UNIFORM STATE EXAM PREPARATION STARTS IN ARMENIAN SCHOOLS ON JAN 31

ARKA
Jan 15, 2009

YEREVAN, January 15. /ARKA/. Evaluation and testing center of Armenian
Ministry of Education and Science announces start of preparations
for state finals and uniform (entrance) examinations for 2008-2009
academic year school-leavers in institutions with secondary (full)
education programs.

The preparation relates to the exams on the following subjects:
Armenian language and Armenian literature, mathematics, history
of Armenia, general history, chemistry, physics, foreign language
(English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Persian and Italian),
geography and biology, says the center’s report.

School-leavers (entrants) have to fill in an application. The documents
to be submitted together with the application are a 3*4 photo, a copy
of passport and a copy of birth certificate. Apart from it, applicants
have to transfer 1,500Drams to the account of the center in Bank VTB
(Armenia) to participate in each of the examinations and attach the
receipt of the payment to the application.

Participation in the examinations is free for those demobilized after
the binding call-up service, congenital disabled of the age under
18, children of military servants who died while protecting the RA,
as well as for citizens under the age of 23 left with no parents’
care. People belonging to any of these categories have to attach the
respective documents to their applications.

The deadline for submitting an application is March 16 2009.

SERZH SARGSYAN: IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS OF DEFENSE COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT ARMENIA SHOULD ASSUME THE LEADING ROLE

ArmInfo
2009-01-14 00:10:00

ArmInfo. On Jan 13 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a working
meeting, which covered the results of the first stage of strategic
revision of defense. This process consisting of 5 stages is to be
completed by April 2010.

As the Armenian presidential press-service told ArmInfo, the president
said he visits the military units frequently and personally observes
the work being done, as well as the life conditions, moral atmosphere
and combat training of soldiers. The progress is obvious and has a
firm basis, he said.

"The defense system is a complex which should keep up with the
times. Taking this into account, we should not only be able to possess
information about current processes, but we ourselves should assume
the leading role in certain directions. Henceforth we should match
the best indicators", Sargsyan said. He added that reforms must go
without "days off" the way the Armed Forces do.

Sargsyan pointed out that the inter-department commission was
working in close compliance with the schedule under the control of
the secretary of the Security Council and the Defense Minister.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan reported on the implementation of the
project to assess security level and potential threats. He pointed
out that the project was aimed at ensuring the long-term development
of the defense sector and its preparedness for present and possible
challenges.

While summing up the results of the meeting Sargsyan pointed out that
one must not be dogmatic in assessing potential threats and that in
the near future such assessments must be revised.

DENO GOLD MINING COMPANY NOT TO BE SOLD

Noyan Tapan

Jan 13, 2009

KAPAN, JANUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Robert Falleta, director general of
Deno Gold Mining Company – the former Kapan Mining and Processing
Enterprise, denied the information that the financial state of
Dundee Precious Metals is not good and it intends to sell Deno Gold
Mining. "I as the director general has heard about it for the first
time. I would be the first to be informed about such a thing," he said.

60% of the enterpise’s employees have been laid off. No ores are mined,
the plant and mine are not operating. According to R. Falleta, the
employees are participating in training courses and the improvement
of the enterprise. It was mentioned that the laid off employees will
work by turns: if an employee of the same speciality is laid off for
a month, while his colleague is working, the latter will be laid off
next month.

R. Falleta found it difficult to say what will happen in 3 months. "The
truth is that no one can say what will happen in 2009. Unless the
economic situation changes in the world, the relaunching of the
enterprise is likely to be delayed. But we have programs and we are
working in this direction," the director general stated.

ARMENIA ADHERED TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF CSTO ACTIVITY

TREND News Agency
Jan 13 2009
Azerbaijan

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the Secretary General
of the Collective Security Treaty organization (CSTO) Nikolay
Bordyuzha. Armenia currently presides over the Organization, and
President of the CSTO Board Serzh Sargsyan discussed with Nikolay
Bordyuzha issues related to the organization of the recurrent summit
of the Organization, and shaping its agenda.

The Armenian President attached importance to the constant
improvement of CSTO activity and noted that it will allow resisting the
contemporary challenges more efficiently. According to Serzh Sarhsyan,
this was the main purpose of the previous non-official summit of SCTO
Heads of State held in Kazakhstan in December, reported Public Radio.

Noting that the military-political cooperation is one of the pivotal
directions of CSTO activity, President Sargsyan said Armenia will
uphold the efforts for coordinating the joint work, making full and
more effective use of the existing potential.

Reference was made to the main issues the Organization faces and the
ways of their resolution.

Agence France Presse, France
Jan 9 2009

Turk prosecutor probes campaign of apology for Armeanian deaths:
report

ANKARA, Jan 9 2009

A Turkish prosecutor on Friday launched an investigation into an
Internet petition that apologises to Armenians for the World War I
massacres of their kinsmen, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The probe was launched after several Ankara residents filed a
complaint asking for the organisers and signatories to be punished for
"openly denigrating the Turkish nation", an offence that carries two
years in prison, the report said.

Should the prosecutor decide to bring formal charges at the end of the
investigation, he will have to seek approval from the justice
minister.

The petition, drafted by a group of university professors and put
online on December 15, states that the signatory "does not
accept… the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman
Armenians were subjected to in 1915." It ends with an offer of
apologies.

By 1300 GMT Friday, nearly 27,000 people — among them intellectuals
and artists — had signed the text.

Although the petition did not use the term "genocide" in a bid to
prevent legal complications, it was nonetheless slammed by
politicians, diplomats and even Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
whose government is trying to normalise relations with Armenia.

Although neighbours, Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and
their relationship has been taken hostage by deep differences over the
1915-1917 massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, the
predecessor of Turkey.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people were systematically
killed by Ottoman Turks as their empire fell apart — a claim
supported by several other countries.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000-500,000
Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided
with invading Russian troops.

The two countries, however, have been pursuing a tentative dialogue
process to resolve their disputes and the chances of a rapprochment
were boosted when President Abdullah Gul visited Armenia in September,
becoming the first Turkish head of state to do so.

Violence also committed against Vardges Gaspari in prison cell, ANC says

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The head office of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) received a letter bearing the date "December
26" from prisoner Vardges Gaspari. According to the letter, at 10:30 am
on December 23, 2008, ten people in "camouflages" entered his cell and
subjected him to physical violence. The next day he applied to the head
of the prison with the request to open a criminal case in connection
with this fact, but his application remained unanswered.

The ANC head office reminds that it has received several times alarm
calls that "the political prisoners are subjected to torture and
violence in their places of imprisonment. In addition to Grigor
Voskerchian, Gevorg Manukian and Armen Khurshudian, Vardges Gaspari is
the fourth persons who is known to have been subjected to torture".
According to ANC, the regime resorts to this step "in order to create
an atmosphere of fear and despair, extract applications for pardon from
political prisoners and use this as an argument to avoid the impending
punishment at the upcoming session of PACE".

The joint statement of the persons accused in "the case of the seven"
appeals to supporters of the opposition "to be present together with
the whole people at the court building on January 9, but not to enter
the courtroom".

"The regime faces the reality that our trial, which has caused national
protest and received international publicity, will turn into a trial
against itself by exposing the whole picture of illegalities and crimes
committed by the ruling gang and its leaders. In order to avoid this
perspective, a guileful provocation was planned in the courtroom at the
December 27 trial: to make a decision on holding a closed-door trial by
creating a confusion in the courtroom. Thanks to the appeal made by the
Armenian National Congress the day before and the fact that you did not
enter the courtroom, the planned provocation was foiled," the statement
reads.