Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

CAMBRIDGE SISTER CITY PROJECT RECEIVES GRANT

Cambridge Chronicle
s/x303481200/Cambridge-sister-city-project-receive s-grant
April 28 2009

Cambridge — The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA)
announces receipt of a grant for the training of 10 social workers
from the 11 regions of Armenia.

The grant is sponsored and funded by the USAID under its Community
Connections program. The professionals from Armenia will arrive in
Boston June 11for an intensive three-week social worker training
program developed by CYSCA.

The participants will be professional social workers selected
competitively from government agencies, NGOs and academic institutions
in Armenia. Social work in Armenia is relatively new, having emerged
as a public need since independence in 1991. Although there is
adequate conceptual training, there is a lack of practical knowledge
and experience in social services. The objectives of this project
include exposure to public/private partnerships; development of needs
assessment, accountability, feedback, and monitoring and evaluation
techniques. The main goal is to give the participants an understanding
of how social services are done in the United States and to share ideas
and methodologies they may then adapt in Armenia. Another important
part of the training is assisting them develop action plans they can
implement in Armenia.

The training program organized by CYSCA will be its 18th Community
Connections project for Armenian professionals since 1997. Previous
programs have focused on a range of essential subjects: business,
public health, environment, tourism, historic preservation, public
health, and museum and theater management. Participants have returned
to Armenia and acted on their newly acquired knowledge by developing
programs organized by Community Connections alumni assisted by
CYSCA. They have gone on to create tourist and investment guides;
a statistical survey of businesses in Armenia, a business skills
training program, an export marketing seminar, an environmental
education seminar, environmental games for children, and museum
management conferences.

"We are honored that the USAID has again chosen CYSCA to host a
Community Connections training project for Armenia," said Jack
Medzorian, CYSCA program director. "We know that our programs are
successful when we visit Armenia and observe firsthand that the
knowledge and ideas that our alumni take home are implemented in
their own native country. At the same time, we also learn from them,
so it is truly a two-way street."

In addition to conducting a training program for the social workers,
CYSCA will recruit host families to furnish home stays to expose the
participants to everyday home life in the USA. Anyone interested in
volunteering to host or assist with the training can contact CYSCA
staff at the email addresses below. Also, CYSCA will include in its
program an "Experience America" sightseeing component to acquaint the
participants with the culture, history and values of American society.

The Community Connections program is sponsored by the U. S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and administered by its programming
agent, World Learning Inc. It is designed to promote public diplomacy
through the exchange of cultural ideas and values among participants,
U. S. families and local community host organizations. It seeks to
establish and strengthen links between U. S. communities, Armenia
and other former Soviet republics.

The program is directed by Jack Medzorian, CYSCA vice president,
assisted by Alisa Stepanian, project manager, and Taya Battelle,
project administrator.

SCR TO INVEST 2.6 BILLION RUBLES IN ARMENIA BY END-2009

/ARKA/
April 28, 2009
YEREVAN

The South Caucasus Railway (SRR) plans to earmark up to 2.6bln
Russian rubles for Armenia this year, Deputy Director General for SCR
Infrastructure Marat Khakov said today at the Novosti International
Press Centre in Yerevan.

As part of its investment program for 2009, SCR will allocate around
1.5bln drams for Armenia, Khakov said, adding SCR Board of Directors
approved the company’s investments program at the last week meeting
in Moscow.

"As part of the concession agreement, the company will focus on
infrastructural development, with over 80% or more than 813mln rubles
to be earmarked for boosting the infrastructure, railway reconstruction
and facilities," he added.

Besides, SCR will reconstruct artificial installations and tunnels
to ensure swift rail services.

To achieve this goal, the company has established a station with
high-voltage equipment to enhance the tracks.

According to Khakov, some of the SCR specialists have been trained
in Russia and are now practicing in Armenia.

"As part of the concession program, 20 passenger carriages have been
transported to Russia to undergo repairs. If necessary, the company
will put these carriages into operation," Khakov concluded.

On 1 June 2008, SCR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Russian Railways,
received property owned by Armenian Railways under the Februa ry 13,
2008 concession agreement the parties concluded for 30 years, with a
right of extension for another 20 years after the first 20 years of
operation.

MARIINSKY THEATER SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA AND PIANIST DENIS MATSUYEV TO PERFORM IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 12:17 GMT+04:00

Symphonic orchestra of Mariinsky Theater led by legendary conductor
Valery Gergiev and virtuoso Denis Matsuyev will perform in Yerevan
on May 3 and 4.

The program includes Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Shchedrin, Harutyunyan and
Mironyan’s works.

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in
St Petersburg, Russia, which opened in 1860.

Under Yuri Temirkanov, Principal Conductor from 1976 to 1988, the
Opera Company continued to stage innovative productions of both modern
and classic Russian operas. However, since 1988, under the artistic
leadership of Valery Gergiev, the Opera Company has entered a new
era of artistic excellence and creativity.

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 23 2009

Turkish president says "no misunderstanding" with Azerbaijan

Ankara, 23 April: Turkish President Abdullah Gul said [on] Thursday
[23 April], "I have not spoken to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
only today. We are in constant touch. There is no misunderstanding
between Turkey and Azerbaijan".

President Gul attended the 23 April National Sovereignty and
Children’s Day reception at the Turkish parliament.

Answering a question on his phone conversation with Aliyev on
Thursday, Gul said that "we are in constant touch with Aliyev. I have
paid three visits to Baku. In the past two-three weeks we had long
conversations (with Aliyev). There is no misunderstanding in our
relations. Everything that takes place are for Turkey and
Azerbaijan. If the initiatives succeed, they will benefit Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Armenia and the whole Caucasus region".

AZERI OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRIES SHOULD NOT ENVY RUSSIA’S ROLE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT

Azad Azarbaycan TV
April 22 2009
Azerbaijan

Russia’s active role in the settlement of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
should not arouse jealousy in other countries, the head of the foreign
relations department of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration,
Novruz Mammadov, was quoted by private ATV channel as saying.

In a response to the question about using Azerbaijani gas deal with
Russia for the benefit of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Mammadov said:
"In general, these are very complicated processes with a geopolitical
character and are a subject to our bilateral relations. Relations
between Azerbaijan and Russia cover all the sectors. Essence of our
relations in political, economic, humanitarian, scientific, education
and other fields requires the head of the Russian Federation to play
an active role in the settlement of the conflict. All other issues are
part of this large complicated process", Mammadov was quoted as saying.

Mammadov called on other countries to contribute to the settlement
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

"We are also expecting the USA, France and other countries to express
unwavering position in the fair settlement of the conflict within
the framework of international law. There is no point in arousing
jealousy." Mammadov was quoted as saying.

ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ISSUES AN ADDRESS ON THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE GENOCIDE VICTIMS

armradio.am
24.04.2009 17:13

"Dear compatriots, Today, on April 24, we commemorate the victims of
the Armenian Genocide. We mourn the death of those who fell victims
of the unspeakable and indescribable crime.

Today we cannot but remember those who survived the Genocide, those
who were strong enough to settle in Armenia or the Diaspora after
passing though imposed emigration and disaster, those who struggled
for life with their inflexible willpower, those who kept bright
the Armenian identity, those who bore children, grandchildren and
grand-grandchildren, those who brought up their heirs as Armenians.

Almost 100 years have passed, but nothing has been forgotten. We are
grateful to all the countries, whose parliaments have recognized and
condemned the Armenian Genocide. We continue awakening the conscience
of mankind to avoid such crimes in the future against any nation of
the world.

We should not allow the deniers of the Armenian Genocide to commit
another injustice. We should not allow the memory of the people who
died simply for being Armenian to be offended with the denial of the
Armenian Genocide. This is our primary objective with regard to the
Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian State is the shield protecting the Armenian people. I’m
confident that the Armenian nation that has survived g enocide will
be able to surprise everyone with Armenia’s achievements.

Looking at our historic path, we get assured that with joint effort
Armenians are able to overcome any difficulty."

ARMENIAN AND BULGARIAN EDUCATION MINISTRIES SIGNED 2009-2012 COLLABORATION PLAN

PanArmenian News
April 22 2009
Armenia

Today RA Minister of Education and Science Spartak Seyranyan
and Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Education Kircho Atanasov signed
"2009-2012 Scientific and Educational Collaboration Plan", RA Ministry
of Education Press Service reported.

Upon signing the document, Spartak Seyranyan thanked Bulgarian
Government and the whole Bulgarian nation for Armenian Genocide
commemoration ceremony in Sofia.

Referring to agreement signed, RA Education Minister noted that all the
clauses of the previous agreement had been fulfilled, thus allowing
the parties to introduce new clauses to the document. "The Bulgarian
Government pays great attention to education issues of Armenians
residing in Bulgaria. Armenian is taught as a native language in
many Bulgarian schools, and the RA Ministry of Education and Science
has greatly assisted them in terms of elaborating their curricula
and raising their teachers’ qualification," the Bulgarian official
said. Spartak Seyranyan also touched upon the activities of Armenian
Studies Centre at the University of Sofia.

Kircho Atanasov stated in his turn that the agreement would provide
new opportunities for both countries’ students.

The parties also announced about 2009 International IT Olympiad due
in Bulgaria, involving school-children from Armenia.

ARMENIA HAS BEEN DEFEATED, SAYS MARKARIAN

Asbarez
article=41773_4/23/2009_1
Thursday, April 23, 2009

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Armenia has been defeated in the
Turkish-Armenian dialogue process because of key concessions
made by Yerevan, declared Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau
chairman Hrant Markarian, who urged Armenia to pull out of the talks
immediately.

"The Armenian side must acknowledge that it has been defeated in
this stage of Turkish-Armenian fence-mending negotiations," said
Markarian who was speaking .at a conference Wednesday dedicated to
the Turkey-Armenia relations and organized by the ARF Supreme Council
of Armenia.

Markarian expressed concern that a tentative agreement reached by the
two governments earlier this year envisions the creation of a joint
commission on the Armenian Genocide. He also called on Armenia’s
leadership to abandon the talks if the preliminary principles
envision the creation of a joint commission to study the Genocide
and an explicit recognition of Turkey’s current borders by Armenia.

"If there were some agreements on forming some commission of historians
; and if there was any intention on Karabakh and the recognition
of Turkey’s territorial integrity and the existing border, we must
abandon all of that," he said.

The ARF repeatedly warned Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian last
year against agreeing to the creation of such a commission which was
proposed by the Turkish side in 2005 and rejected by then President
Robert Kocharian. The warnings came after Sarkisian indicated that
he does not object to the proposal in principle. Analysts close to
the issue have long seen the commission as a Turkish ploy designed
to deter more countries, notably the United States, from recognizing
the Armenian Genocide.

"One year ago we were saying that Armenia stands for normalizing
relations with Turkey without preconditions while Turkey sets
preconditions. We presented ourselves to the world as a peace-loving
nation, whereas Turkey was seen as a crude and inexplicable state,"
Markarian said.

Markarian’s remarks follow growing indications that Ankara is again
linking the establishment of diplomatic relations with Yerevan and
reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border with a resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict favoring Azerbaijan.

Markarian said that the Armenian side itself allowed the Turkish
government to renew that linkage. "One year ago, Turkey did not
have a moral right to even express views on the Karabakh issue as
it wasn’t considered a party [to the conflict,]" he said. "Today it
is being presented as a party. It is already becoming clear why the
Karabakh issue should be solved also for normalizing Turkish-Armenian
relations."

The ARF leader said that the shift occurred when Armenia stopped
looking at all national issues as one totality and throughout this
process has slowly conceded in several key areas.

"We need to understand that the issues of Karabakh, the Genocide,
Javakhk, the liberation of Western Armenia and Armenia’s independence,
are all intertwined and are a totality. They all must be tackled as
parts of a whole, in which one cannot be sacrificed at the cost of
another," said Markarian. "We fall into a trap when we believe that
we cannot make any concessions on the Karabakh issue, but that we
can make concessions elsewhere."

"Armenia has lost out since it conceded certain principles that the
Armenian government had adopted since 1990. If we had held on strong
to those principles, today the Turkish side would be perceived as the
guilty party. Today Turkey has changed its image and is represented as
a country seeking friendly relations with its neighbors," Markarian
said.

The ARF Bureau urged President Sarkisian’s administration in December
to exercise caution in this process, saying that the Turks are
exploiting it to scuttle greater international recognition of the
Armenian genocide. Among the other speakers at Wednesday’s conference
was ARF Supreme Council of Armenia chairman Armen Rustamian who spoke
about the unrealized possibilities of Armenia’s dialogue with Turkey,
noting that negotiations could have bore fruit if Turkey did not
impose conditions on Armenia.

"Armenian and Turkey should move toward normalizing relations, only if
our national interests are not jeopardized as a result of imprudent
steps," said Rustamian, adding that Turkey never makes a move that
does not benefit its national interests.

"Turkey has managed to create the impression that the process of
normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey exists and is
proceeding in a constructive manner," he said.

At the conclusion of the conference, a five-point declaration was
presented that reiterated the aforementioned views, but specifically
warned against any efforts that could cast doubt on the veracity of
the Armenian Genocide.

Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com

Media Advisory
April 24, 2009
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian

TVO to Telecast a Segment on the Armenian Genocide

Ottawa -TVO, the Ontario public television network, will telecast on
April 24 "The Agenda with Steve Paikin", with an hour-long segment on
the Armenian Genocide. The program will include interviews with
representatives from the Canadian-Armenian and Canadian-Turkish
communities. The program will air at 8:00 p.m. and will be repeated at
11:00 later in the evening.

TVO channel listings:

BELLEVILLE CICO-53
CHATHAM CICO-59
CLOYNE CICO-55
HAWKESBURY CICO-48
HUNTSVILLE CICA-13
KENORA CICO-44
KINGSTON CICO-38
KITCHENER/PARIS CICO-28
LONDON CICO-18
MCARTHUR’S MILLS CICO-42
NORTH BAY CICA-6
OTTAWA CICO-24
OWEN SOUND CICA-12
PARRY SOUND CICE-TV-42
PEMBROKE CICE-TV-29
PENETANGUISHENE CICA-51
PETERBOROUGH CICO-18
SAULT STE. MARIE CICO-20
SUDBURY CICO-19
THUNDER BAY CICO-9
TIMMINS CICA-7
TORONTO CICA-19
WINDSOR CICO-32

As well as:

Bell Express View 265
Shaw TV 353
Rogers TV 2

The website is:
The segment on the Armenian Genocide should be posted by the afternoon
of Monday April 27.
Please do not miss highly important program

*****

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of
issues.

—— Le CNAC est l’organisation politique canadienne-arménienne
la plus large et influentielle. Collaborant avec une série de
bureaux, chapitres et souteneurs à travers le Canada et des
organisations affiliées à travers le monde, le CNAC s’occupe
activement des inquiétudes de la communauté
canadienne-arménienne.

Regio nal Chapters/Sections régionales
Montréal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge –
St. Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver

ARMENIAN-TURKISH ALLIANCE?
Dmitry Yermolayev

WPS Agency
April 20, 2009 Monday
Russia

ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA WILL
CHANGE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION IN THE REGION; Armenia and Turkey are
about to establish diplomatic relations.

What information is available to Rossiiskiye Vesti indicates that
an agreement to establish diplomatic relations will be signed in the
course of Turkish Foreign Minister Ala Babacan to Yerevan, Armenia, on
April 16. The agreement to do so was made during negotiations between
Babacan and his Armenian opposite number Edward Nalbandjan in Ankara on
April 7 night. It is only fair to add that US President Barack Obama
Enhanced Coverage LinkingBarack Obama -Search using: Biographies Plus
News News, Most Recent 60 Days was present at the talks.

It was Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingObama -Search using: Biographies
Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days who impressed on Babacan and
Nalbandjan the importance of normalization of the Turkish-Armenian
relations. It was Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingObama -Search using:
Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days who emphasized
that official Ankara could become an effective intermediary in
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. Finally, it was Obama Enhanced
Coverage LinkingObama -Search using: Biographies Plus News News,
Most Recent 60 Days who advised Yerevan to show goodwill and return
to Azerbaijan some of the least strategically important occupied
districts – in return for its withdrawal from isolation.

Babacan and Nalbandjan met the following morning tete-a-tete and
discussed details. The former mentioned that he cared little about
Baku’s reaction to the forthcoming establishment of diplomatic
relations between their two countries. Babacan even said that
"… Azerbaijan clearly aspires to the role that far exceeds its
weight and status in the region."

Experts point out that establishment of diplomatic relations between
Turkey and Armenia will dramatically alter geopolitical situation
in the region. Isolation of Armenia will be history. Even more
importantly, Armenia will have Turkey’s support in the matter of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Ankara in its turn will want at least neutrality
(but support will be better, of course) from the powerful Armenian
lobby in the matter of Turkey’s entry into the European Union.

Establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey will enable Yerevan
to diversify its foreign policy. It does not mean of course that
Armenia will withdraw from the strategic alliance with Russia. Moscow’s
positions there are safe. All the same, Yerevan will try to develop
broader and more intensive contacts with Washington and perhaps even
start thinking about joining NATO.

Azerbaijan will took it bad of course. Instead of Nagorno-Karabakh,
it will be told to be happy with just several districts that have
always been Azerbaijani in the first place. It will probably save
President Ilham Aliyev’s image domestically but never placate official
Baku entirely. In order to sweeten the bitter pill, US diplomacy will
promise Azerbaijan more energetic contacts with NATO and the prospect
of membership in it one fine day. For the time being, however, the US
Department of State is looking for substitutes for Aliyev in Baku –
just to be on the safe side.

There is only one potential fly in the ointment. Establishment of
diplomatic relations with Turkey may foment a drastic rearrangement
of political forces in Armenia itself. Modern history of Armenia
plainly shows that it may spell trouble.