Author: Chilingarian Babken

AZERBAIJAN RESTORES TURKISH FLAGS AT MONUMENT

Today’s Zaman
Oct 28 2009
Turkey

Turkish flags that were removed from a monument to Turkish soldiers in
Baku earlier this month amid political tension over Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement were raised again on Tuesday night.

Turkish flags that were removed from a monument to Turkish soldiers in
Baku earlier this month amid political tension over Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement were raised again on Tuesday night, signaling an end
to a controversy that strained ties between the two allies.

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Azerbaijan removed flags from a monument to Turkish soldiers who fell
while fighting for Azerbaijan’s independence in 1918, reportedly
in retaliation for Turkey’s decision, at the behest of the world
soccer governing body FIFA, to ban Azerbaijani flags during a World
Cup qualifying match between the national teams of Turkey and Armenia
earlier this month. Azerbaijani flags were seen in a garbage bin as the
police collected them at the entrance to the stadium, angering Baku.

Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kılıc, who watched as
Azerbaijani authorities raised the flags near the monument on Tuesday
evening, said the development was pleasing. "The fact that our flags
are being put back into their place show that Turkey and Azerbaijan
are two nations that cannot give up on each other," he said.

TASDIKEN’S ‘MOMMO’ WINS AT YEREVAN FEST

Today’s Zaman
Oct 28 2009
Turkey

Turkish filmmaker Atalay Tasdiken’s 2009 drama "Mommo: Kizkardesim"
(Mommo the Bogeyman) won the top prize at this month’s Fifth
International Children’s and Youth Film Festival in Armenia, the
film’s publicist announced on Monday.

"Mommo," which opened in theaters around Turkey in April, was inspired
by a true story. It tells the heartbreaking tale of two siblings who
live in a village near the central Anatolian city of Konya and whose
father remarried after their mother died.

"Mommo" was among the 65 films from 27 countries shown at the Fifth
International Children’s and Youth Film Festival, which ran from
Oct. 15 to 19 in Yerevan.

The film is also among the 10 films from around the world in the
running for a prize at the Mumbai International Children’s Film
Festival 2009, slated for Nov. 6-12 in Mumbai. "Mommo’s" international
awards quest will continue later next month at the Asia Pacific
Screen Awards, where it will be the only Turkish title among the 37
nominees from 16 countries vying for awards in various categories at
the awards ceremony to be held on Nov. 26. The film is being released
on DVD today.

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO TRAVEL TO THE REGION IN EARLY NOVEMBER

armradio.am
27.10.2009 11:41

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Yury Merzlyakov of
Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United
States, released the following statement today:

"On October 26, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Yuri
Merzlyakov, the Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier,
France; Ambassador Robert Bradtke, United States) met with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian in Luxembourg, where they held a working session with each
minister. The sessions, which took place in a constructive spirit,
assessed the current stage of the negotiations and considered, in
particular, next steps in view of the December 1-2 OSCE Ministerial
Council in Athens.

The Co-Chairs will travel to the region in early November to meet
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and continue to work with
them on the basic principles for the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I LECTURES AT DAMASCUS UNIVERSITY

On Monday 19 October 2009, at the end of his pastoral visit to Latakia and
Kessab, His Holiness Aram I went to Damascus where we was invited to lecture
at Damascus University. Upon his arrival the president of the university,
government officials, faculty and students received him. He lectured on the
topic "Challenges of Christian-Muslim Dialogue Today". The speech consisted
of three parts: current theories and practice of dialogue, with specific
reference to Christian-Muslim relations; the monotheistic basis and the
differences in theological, ethical and social interpretations of the two
religions, with reference to religion and politics, religion and culture and
faith and reason; common global issues and challenges to which the two
religions may respond together through their messages of love and building
trust.

In response, Sheikh Ahmad Badereddine Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria,
presented Islam’s view on these issues and then highlighted common elements
that should form the basis of cooperation in society.

After a question-and-answer period, the visit ended with a luncheon offered
by the president of the university.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos407.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN HAS DECREED TO APPOINT ARAM HAROUTUNYAN AS DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ARTAK GABRIELYAN – DEPUTY MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Republic of Armenia Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has decreed to
appoint Aram Haroutunyan as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources, and Artak Gabrielyan – Deputy Minister of Urban Development.

In accordance with other decisions signed by the Prime Minister, Kamo
Gasparyan was appointed to be Deputy Governor of Gegharkunik Marz,
and Sasun Grigoryan – Deputy Governor of Kotayk Marz.

EVENT IN COMMEMORATION OF DANIEL PEARL TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2009 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An event in commemoration of Daniel Pearl will
be held in Yerevan on imitative of Narekaci Cultural Center and
U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.

Paros Chamber Orchestra conducted by Raffi Mikaelyan will perform.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch is expected to attend
the event.

Daniel Pearl (October 10, 1963 – February 1, 2002) was an
American-Jewish journalist who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered
in Karachi, Pakistan by al Qaeda terrorists. At the time of his
kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall
Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He
went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links
between Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, and Al Qaeda and Pakistan’s
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He was subsequently beheaded by
his captors.

In July 2002, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British national of Pakistani
origin, was sentenced to death by hanging for Pearl’s abduction
and murder.

In March 2007, at a closed military hearing in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said that he had personally beheaded Pearl.

ARMENIA-TURKEY RECONCILIATION WILL NOT CAUSE YEREVAN’S UNCONSTRUCTIVE POSITION IN THE KARABAKH TALKS

armradio.am
23.10.2009 17:12

Restoration of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey can not
cause Yerevan’s unconstructive position in the negotiation process
on the Nagorno-Karabakh, International Crisis Group’ Europe Program
Director Sabine Freizer believes.

"The Armenian-Turkey rapprochement will actually encourage the
Armenians to be more flexible in the negotiation with Azerbaijan,"
Freizer said "The talks lack progress because the remaining issues
are extremely difficult."

The reason why Azerbaijan and Armenia have been unable to agree to
a kind of compromise is that they are still dealing with issues that
extremely difficult to resolve, Freized added.

One of the main questions is the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

But the two sides could still agree on a basic principles document. "I
would hope that the sides could sign a document that at least puts
into writing these significant issues the parties agreed upon,"
Freizer said, Trend News reports.

SOFTLINE INTERNATIONAL EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. By the spring of 2010, Softline
International company, Russia, plans to open an electronic shop
() to order to sell and service software produced
by Softline itself and its 50 partners through Armenian electronic
payment systems. In addition, as NT correspondent was informed by
Armen Karapetian, Director General of Softline International Armenia
– the company’s Armenian subsidiary, Softline has acquired and will
soon launch www.kaspersky am.(Kaspersky Lab is a computer security
company of anti-virus products).

In his words, they also envisage opening a shop in Yerevan for the
sale of software boxes and computers. These steps will encourage the
development of the licensed software products market in Armenia.

According to A. Karapetian, Softline International Armenia started
opearing in the autumn of 2008. Based on the right of a distributor,
it produces boxes of the software of Kaspersky Lab and Doctor Web
companies.

A. Karapetian said Softline is going to open the Softline Academy at
the Yerevan-based European Regional Academy of the Caucasus where it
will run courses for students and employees of private companies and
the state sector.

KIRAKOSYAN-DAVUTOGLU MEETING NOT PLANNED

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Oct 22 2009
Armenia

The tete-a-tete meeting of RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan
and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in the frames of BSEC
summit in Baku is not planned. RA Foreign Ministry Press Secretary
Tigran Balayan told NEWS.am, asked whether this meeting is possible.

Turkish mass media spread information that Kirakosyan-Davutoglu
meeting is scheduled.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH SITUATION IN ARMY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.10.2009 20:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is impossible to imagine how one can speak
about armed forces’ fighting capacity while walking up and down in
his cabinet, RA President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview to
Artsakh TV channel. Attaching importance to country leader’s visit,
he particularly noted, "I have come to Karabakh after General
Military Inspection’s unexpected check-up in one of military
units. Studies have shown that the unit had high fighting capacity
and its subdivisions were perfectly aware of their duties. Some
of subdivisions received high evaluation, yet others did not
meet satisfactory criteria. Commander-in-Chief should be familiar
with army’s situation. By what I saw, I can say that Armenia has
well-prepared soldiers and educated officers’ staff, which make army
efficient. I find that our armed forces are at the successive stage of
development. Unlike some regional countries which have only groups of
armed people, we have accomplished armed forces. The current state
of military subdivisions, their armament and moral-psychological
atmosphere prevailing there allow us to definitely state that our
armed forces, particularly those in the subdivision concerned, are
ready to perform their tasks," President stressed.