Author: Chavushian

S. SARGSYAN SAYS IF THE ISSUE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH STATUS IS MORE DEFFINITELY STRESSED DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS EXPECTING RESPONSES IT DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE TOUGHENED OUR POSITION

ARMENPRESS
May 22, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS: "I don’t think Armenia has toughened
its position in the negotiations with Azerbaijan, this is not our
definition. The core issue of Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the
issue of status of Nagorno Karabakh and if during the negotiations
we more definitely stress the issue expecting responses it does not
mean that we have toughened our position," during the joint press
conference followed today’s meeting with Croatian President Stjepan
Mesic Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said commenting on the news
that allegedly Armenia has toughened its position in the Karabakh
conflict negotiations.

He stressed that Armenia is ready to continue the negotiations and
his next meeting with the Azerbaijani President is scheduled for
early June, probably in St. Petersburg.

"I hope that after the meeting the Azerbaijani media will not again
try to misinterpret the sense of our meeting and will not say that
Armenia has toughened its position," S. Sargsyan said.

In response to the question on Croatia’s position in the issue
of Karabakh conflict regulation if taken into consideration the
circumstance that in its turn Croatia has successfully obtained the
right for self-determination as a result of collapse of Yugoslavia
S. Mesic noted that a Constitution was adopted in Yugoslavia based on
which constitute republics of the Federation were self-determined as
autonomous regions – Constitutional elements or Federation constitutes.

"If not the powers that chose the war as a solution, if they did not
try to change the borders we would be able to settle all our issues
peacefully. But regrettably the military solution was chosen; we had
numerous victims but the borders did not change at all. The former
republics became separate states and a necessity rose to settle the
Kosovo issue," the Croatian President noted.

According to him Serbia did not have the corresponding potential
to establish its power in Kosovo and there was also no potential to
continue the negotiations.

"The Kosovo status was to be settled. Kosovo brought forward the aim
to become independent and a new reality arouse; we recognized the
reality," he noted.

According to S. Mesic any issue can be solved exclusively through
negotiations. "It’s better to negotiate for10 years than to fight
for10 days," President of Croatia stressed.

EVERY ONE TO DIAMOND AND GOLD PRODUCTION

LRAGIR.AM
17:28:48 – 21/05/2009

As the press office of the government informs, during the session
of the Armenian government on May 21, considering the events aimed
at the development of the jewelry production, the government adopted
the draft on the amendments to the Profit Tax law. In accordance with
this law, the enterprisers engaged in the jewelry production become
free of paying the 1 percent of profit tax, as well as they get the
opportunity to save their financial means, promote the development
of this branch. The decision will be introduced before the National
Assembly.

The Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that by means of the
amendments to this law, the government created favorable conditions
for the gold and diamond productions to develop. According to him,
the question has also been discussed at the international association
of the diamond cutters and goldsmiths.

CONSULTATION OF CIS ASSOCIATION OF HISTORIANS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
May 22, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS: The annual consultation of CIS Association
of Historians will this year be held in Yerevan June 15-16.

An official from the Institute of History of Armenian National Academy
of Science told Armenpress that the consultation will be followed
by the summer school courses of CIS young historians which will be
held by June 21. Issues connected with the state administrative-legal
status of Soviet Armenia will be discussed.

Historians not only from CIS states but also from former Soviet
Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Bulgaria will take part in the
consultation. Last year the consultation was organized in Moscow.

The Association has a history of five years; the Institute of History
of Armenian National Academy of Science is also its member. Chairperson
of the Association is the academician Alexander Chubarian, Head of
Russian Institute of World History, with whose suggestion this year
the consultation will be held in Yerevan.

ARMENIA AND CYPRUS HAVE LARGE COOPERATION FIELD WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF EU EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

Noyan Tapan
May 20, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Newly appointed Ambassador of Cyprus to
RA Petros Kestoras (residence Moscow) handed his credentials to RA
President Serzh Sargsyan on May 20. Congratulating the diplomat on
the occasion of assuming his post, S. Sargsyan gave assurance that
P. Kestoras with his activity will greatly contribute to further
development and expansion of Armenian-Cyprian friendly relations
having rich traditions.

P. Kestoras, in his turn, assured that he will exert every possible
effort for further expansion of cooperation between the two countries
and strengthening of contacts with the friendly Armenian people. He
emphasized the willingness of Cyprus to deepen mutually beneficial
partnership in various spheres.

According to the report of the RA President’s Press Office, the sides
estimated Armenian-Cyprian relations as excellent mentioning that they
have a brilliant future. They considered mutual assistance and aid
peculiar to two countries’ cooperation in bilateral and many-sided
formats. S. Sargsyan and P. Kestoras agreed that Armenia amd Cyprus
have a large cooperation field within the framework of EU Eastern
Partnership.

MATTHEW BRYZA: STATEMENT OF TURKISH PRIME MINISTER NOT AFFECT ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION

Noyan Tapan
May 18, 2009

Ankara, May 18, Noyan Tapan. Public statements of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
do not signal that accord reached between Armenia and Turkey has
become abeyant, told in an interview to a Jirhan agency Matthew Bryza,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
and OSCE Minsk group co-chair. "Several weeks ago Erdogan noted in
another his statement that settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
and Armenian-Turkish relations are separate processes, but they should
go ahead parallel to each other. I would like to re-affirm the point
of view of my government. These two processes are parallel to each
other, but different. At the moment these processes are going forward,
however, perhaps, at different speeds," said Mr.Bryza. According to
Matthew Bryza, American authorities believe that Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation will change the general atmosphere in the region and
will facilitate the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh problem. "On April
22 Armenia and Turkey reached an accord related to normalization of
relations. Opening of borders is a part of that process, however in
a forthcoming phase. According to the road map there is nothing to
be in a hurry. I don’t think, that public statements of Recep Tayyip
Erdogan signal that agreements reached between Armenia and Turkey
have become abeyant," Mr. Bryza said. As it was reported in media,
Turkey’s prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared that "Turkey
will open the border from its side only if Armenian side will stop
occupation of Azerbaijani territories."

ARMENIA PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF GREEKS OF PONTUS

ArmInfo
2009-05-19 14:55:00

ArmInfo. An event was held today in Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex
in Yerevan dedicated to the Day of Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus.

Representatives of the Greek community of Armenia, Armenian
parliamentarians, representatives of the government, clergy and the
Greek Embassy took part in the event.

"Today, we pay the tribute to the memory of the victims of the Greek
people genocide as a result of a scheduled and committed plan of the
Turkish state.

Today’s Turkey is responsible for the committed genocide against the
Armenians, Greeks and Assyrian Christians ", Director of the Armenian
Genocide Institute-Museum Hayk Demoyan said at the today’s ceremony.

For his part, Ambassador of Greece to Armenia Ioannis Korintios said
about 700,000 Greeks lived in Pontius in early 20th Century. In
1912-13, after defeat in the Balkan war, the Young Turks start
oppressions of the Greeks of Pontus within the frames of "Asia
Minor-Motherland of Turks" policy and solve the problem through
displacement from their native lands. Massacre of the Greek
population of Samsoun and Patra towns began in 1916, as a result
of which over 300,000 Greeks were killed. Half of the population of
Pontius was exterminated till 1923. 1134 churches and 960 schools were
destroyed. 60% of the saved Greeks left for Greece, and the rest part
found their shelter in other countries, including in Armenia. "We
should remember about it not to allow recurrence of such events in
future", the diplomat said.

Armenian parliamentarian Eduard Sharmazanov and Chairman of the Greek
community of Armenia and Karabakh Eduard Poladov also made a speech
during the event.

PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR)
Press Office
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
email: [email protected]
web:
_________________________

Four bright and intelligent

Armenian young professionals have joined Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR) as volunteers and are assisting the organization in many
noteworthy ways.

Robin Barone, Lucy Hayrabedian, Celine Kaladjian and Talene Najarian
are all working in the development sector at FAR, with Robin working
as the Development Director for FAR’s Continuing Medical Education
(CME) program, and Lucy, Celine, and Talene as Development Officers.

In her position as Development Director, Robin Barone raises awareness
of the CME program that provides unique on job training to Armenia’s
young doctors from remote provinces, organizes fundraising events to
maintain and grow the program, and recruits a team of professionals
for the program’s leadership committee.

Lucy Hayrabedian’s main responsibilities are to research and identify
donor prospects and to actively seek funding for FAR projects from
private foundations.

Celine Kaladjian is working on several projects with a special
emphasis on communication in new media outlets, the Children of
Armenia Sponsorship Program, and Young Professionals Trip projects.

Talene Najarian will support FAR in a variety of tasks aiming to
enhance donor communication and raise awareness for FAR programs.

Robin’s involvement with FAR dates back to 2002 when she was a
participant in FAR’s Young Professional Trip to Armenia and left
impressed with FAR and the significant impact it makes in
Armenia. When she was awarded the ability to take a sabbatical for a
year when her group at CIT closed last year, she thought of FAR. "I
decided that I wanted to apply my business skills to organizations
where I would add value during a time in which my industry suffered
from a recession," said Ms. Barone, who has over 10 years experience
in the commercial real estate industry and is a graduate of the
University of Pennsylvania and NYU. "After several trips to Armenia, I
was searching for a way to help Armenia with my time and talent, and I
think I have found it."

Lucy’s professional background is in bank compliance and real estate
investment.

She is a graduate of Hunter College and Cass Business School in
London. With some free time on her hands due to the banking crisis,
Lucy wanted to use her time constructively.

"When I lost my job a few months ago, I realized that the best and
most efficient way to utilize my free time is to volunteer for an
organization which would benefit from my skills," said Ms. Hayrabedian
who was introduced to FAR by Robin Barone.

"I choose to work for the Fund for Armenian Relief because of their
ambition to redevelop Armenia. I wanted to be part of their mission
and make a difference."

Celine is currently studying International Solidarity Project
Engineering which involves project methodology and coordination. An
undergraduate student in Marseilles, Celine is volunteering with FAR
for four months as part of her university studies in which she plans
on pursuing refugee studies. "Since my Armenian great grand-parents
were refugees themselves, I strongly desired to support an Armenian
NGO with my work," said Ms. Kaladjian. "While researching for an
internship FAR seemed to fulfill my desires both on personal and
professional perspectives. Indeed, it did!"

Since receiving her MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management last
June, Talene has been pursuing various volunteering
opportunities. Regarding her volunteering with FAR she said, "I hope
to contribute to an organization currently making a tangible impact on
the well-being of people in Armenia." She has positive impressions of
FAR, noting that the organization manages a variety of successful
programs that are diverse in their goals. "Under the FAR umbrella,
there are programs aimed at improving the social welfare of the
Armenian people, and also helping Armenia achieve long-term economic
sustainability," said MS. Najarian, who spent three years working at
an investment bank on Wall Street and one year working in the finance
department of her family’s business (an environmental engineering
firm) prior to attending business school. She will also support FAR
educational projects.

"For years FAR has been blessed with support from volunteers, both: in
the US, and in Armenia. We have seen all of them grow personally and
professionally. The "class of 2009" is very special to us. These young
professionals brought so much talent, enthusiasm, and innovation to
FAR in just a few short weeks," said Garnik Nanagoulian, FAR Executive
Director. "Joining FAR family and becoming part of our mission in the
homeland, supporting underprivileged and vulnerable people will
eventually, I am sure, turn into fulfilling and gratifying experience
for all of them."

# # #

About FAR
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
hundreds of thousands of people through more than 220 relief and
development programs in Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more
than $265 million in humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide
range of projects including emergency relief, construction, education,
medical aid, and economic development.

For more information on FAR or to send donations, contact us at 630
Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212)
889-4849; ; e-mail [email protected].

— May 18th, 2008

ESCTODAY.com
May 17 2009

Results analysis: Numbers and statistics in the final

As always after the Eurovision Song Contest, we take a look at the
results from a statistical point of view. The analysis is split into
four parts and the first part is dedicated to the numbers and records
in the final. The winner

Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time following
victories in 1985 and 1995 and is therefore along with Israel one of
two countries that have won three times exactly. For the first time it
happened that the contest was won by a male soloist two years in a row
as Dima Bilan had brought the trophy to Russia in 2008. Alexander
Rybak got 387 points, which is a record number, and 16 times 12
points, ten times 10 points and ten times 8 points. The winning song
got points from all other countries, which has not happened since 1997
and the lowest mark were two points from Bulgaria. For the first time
since 2000, the winning country was leading throughout the whole
voting. Norway got an average of 9.4 points from every other country
which is almost a record but still behind the United Kingdom’s average
score of 9.6 points in 1976.

Best results

Azerbaijan has achieved its best result ever finishing third. However,
it was only the second time the country took part. More impressively,
Iceland managed to equal its best result, the second place of
1999. However, of course, Yohanna achieved the highest amount of
points for Iceland ever. France and the United Kingdom both achieved
their best results since 2002 and they also break a curse as no big
four country has been in the top ten since 2004 (curiously enough, in
2004 the other two big four countries Spain and Germany were in the
top ten). Having reached the final for the first time since the
introduction of the semi final stage, Estonia also managed to achieve
its best result by a mile since 2002. With a larger gap Denmark
achieved its best result since 2005.

Worst results

Having been saved by the jury in the first semi final, Finland
achieved its lowest placing in a Eurovision Song Contest final ever
finishing 25th and last. It is the first last place for Finland since
1996 and ninth last place overall. Armenia is the seocnd country that
achieved its worst place ever despite finishing tenth in during its
fourth participation. Albania achieved its lowest palcing in a final
ever and even in every Eurovision show including semi finals equalling
the 17th place of the 2007 semi final. Spain was near the bottom many
times in recent years but the second last place in this year’s final
is still the lowest placing since 1999, when Spain finished
last. Lithuania’s 23rd place is the lowest result in a Eurovision
final since 2002, but it has to be mentioned that the country was
eliminated during the semi finals various times. Ukraine has not been
in the top ten for the first time since 2005 and the same accounts for
Russia. However, Russia has also not been in the top three for the
first time in four years. Sweden achieved its worst result since 1992,
when Christer Björkman finished 22nd on homeground.

12 points

The following countries got 12 points tonight:

Norway – 16 times
Turkey – 6 times
Iceland – 3 times
Bosnia & Herzegovina – 3 times
Greece – 3 times
Estonia – twice
Moldova – twice
Armenia – once
Spain – once
United Kingdom – once
Croatia – once
Azerbaijan – once
Romania – once
Russia – once
14 of the 25 competing countries got at least one set of points. Behind
Norway, Turkey got the second highest amount of top marks despite
finishing fourth after Iceland and Azerbaijan, who only got three and
one set respectively. The lowest placed entry that got 12 points is
the Spanish one reaching 24th place. This is also a record as the
lowest placing ever for a country that got 12 points at least once
behind Germany in 2008, who finished equal 23rd despite getting 12
points from Bulgaria.

The running order

Songs later in the running order did not seem to have an advantage in
the final. Only four of the entries that reached the top ten were
performed in the second half of the show. Furthermore, the songs
performed second last and last finished last and second last
respectively.

Stay tuned for the upcoming parts of our results analysis. The parts are:

Numbers and statistics in the final
Numbers and statistics in the semi final
What if…?
Voting blocs, friendly neighbours & diasporas

USA IS READY TO SUPPORT ARMENIA CONTINUOUSLY IN THE NORMALIZATION OF TURKEY-ARMENIA RELATIONS AND THE PROCESS OF SOLUTION TO NAGORNY KARABAKH CONFLICT

ArmInfo
2009-05-15 16:18:00

Arminfo. The USA is ready to support Armenia continuously in the
normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations and the process of solution
to Nagorny Karabakh conflict, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s
letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan says.

She mentioned the bilateral relations and prospects of programs
carried out in Armenia with the financial support of Millennium
Challenge Corporation.

The Secretary of State noted that free and fair municipal election
in Yerevan would show the Armenia’s commitment to the democratic
principles.

NKR PRESIDENT CONVOKED WORKING CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO STATE EXISTENT IN SHAHOUMYAN REGION AND TO PERSPECTIVES OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

NKR Government Information and Public Relations Department
May 15, 2009

On May 14, NKR President Bako Sahakyan convoked a working conference
dedicated to the state existent in Shahoumyan region and the
perspectives of further development,- the Central Information
Department of the NKR President’s Staff informs.

A wide range of issues concerning all the spheres of the region’s
vital activity was discussed at the conference.

Bako Sahakyan assigned a number of tasks to the heads of the
corresponding structures underlining the necessity of treating the
raised issues according to their urgency as well as that of applying
an operative and comprehensive solution to them. The President attached
importance to the issue of staffing the various spheres of the region.

The NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan, other officials partook in
the conference.