Author: Chmshkian Vicken

PRESIDENT RECEIVED U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Panorama.am
17:59 09/06/2009

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received today the U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Dr. Philip Gordon, the President’s Cabinet reports.

The President congratulated the Assistant Secretary for assuming his
position and said that his visit is a good opportunity to discuss the
on-going status of the Armenian-American relations and the perspectives
of their development. Armenia, President Sargsyan emphasized, signifies
strengthening relations with the United States.

He has also mentioned that the U.S. efforts to contribute to developed
economic, powerful democracy and stability in the region are highly
appreciated.

The Assistant Secretary said that it’s the second week he has assumed
his position and has started his foreign visits from Armenia. According
to him the American party also signifies strengthening cooperation
with Armenia, and much attention is paid on the regional developments.

The parties have discussed a wide range of questions, including
the activities of the Millennium Challenges project and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

UC SANTA BARBARA STUDENTS CONFRONT ADL’S GENOCIDE DENIAL
By Armine Amy Kaladzhyan

anta-barbara-students-confront-adls-genocide-denia l/
Jun 5, 2009

Almost two years ago, a group of outraged students at UC Santa Barbara
banded together. They united, just as citizens in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts had done before them, to get campus and community
entities to disassociate themselves with the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL) and its No Place For Hate (NPFH) program.

The students came together in response to the immoral and callous
decision by the ADL to issue a statement that they were against the
passage of a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and were
actively lobbying against it in the halls of Congress. Armenian
Americans and humans rights advocates alike believed then and now
that the ADL forfeited any moral authority to sponsor NPFH once it
took a stance so inconsistent with such a profound human rights issue.

The road to get campus and community groups to disassociate themselves
from the ADL’s NPFH program has encountered many obstacles and
bureaucratic hurdles. Berj Parseghian, now a UCSB alumnae, and
Garo Manjikian, former community organizer in Santa Barbara and
current ANCA Legislative Affairs Director, began the campaign with
an intense letter writing campaign aimed at encouraging a handful
of campus organizations, which the ADL listed as participants of the
NPFH program, to disassociate. Their hard work resulted in two major
organizations, the University Religious Center and Empowerment Works,
immediately cutting ties with the ADL.

The leadership of the campaign grew to include Amy Kaladzhyan and
Shant Karnikian. These two students presented the issue at the
Sacramento Issues Awareness Caucus of 2008 and gained the support
of legislators such as Assemblymember Pedro Nava and Assemblymember
Anthony Portantino, Chair of the Higher Education Committee. Back
in Santa Barbara, Parseghian and Manjikian brought the issue to the
attention of Chancellor Henry Yang of UCSB, who in turn urged them
to continue the campaign and raise awareness of the issue among
students because he "expects every community member to adhere to a
set of values that include mutual respect, tolerance and civility."

Fueled by the thoughtful words of encouragement from the Chancellor,
a meeting was arranged between the leadership of the campaign and
the Dean of Students, Assistant Dean, and the Director of Judicial
Affairs, which lists ADL as a resource for students. The students
took the opportunity to educate the UCSB administration about various
issues surrounding the Armenian Genocide, as well as the importance
of disassociating the university from an organization which, because
of its opposition to the recognition of a crime against humanity,
has no place on a college campus. The Armenian Student Association
(ASA) organized a panel discussion to raise campus awareness about
this issue and allow the ADL to present its side of the story. The
panel was comprised of Shant Karnikian on behalf of the ASA, Antranig
Kzirian from the Armenian National Committee-Western Region, and
Chris Villavicencio on behalf of STAND: An Anti-Genocide Coalition.

The ADL turned down the invitation to be a part of the panel. Oddly
enough, the event was hosted at the Multi- Cultural Center, a campus
organization that was formerly associated with the NPFH program. The
deliberate and well-planned efforts of the students at UCSB have been
effective. Presently there are no campus entities that are seeking
certification from NPFH.

While the UCSB community has expressed grave concern with the ADL’s
hypocritical stance on the Armenian Genocide, with many departments no
longer seeking to renew their membership with the NPFH program, the
issue has become one that is no longer focused on just the Armenian
Genocide. In early March, Abraham Foxman, the national director of
the Anti-Defamation League, invited a number of school officials
and faculty members to a meeting to urge university officials
to investigate charges of anti-Semitism against Professor William
Robinson, a sociology professor who drew comparisons between Israeli
soldiers in Gaza and the Nazi siege of Warsaw, Poland. The ADL was
quick to respond to this incident in an attempt to limit academic
freedom and yet they were nowhere in sight when the Muslim Student
Association was victim to a print attack in the school newspaper,
The Daily Nexus, by David Horowitz accusing them of being a part of
the Muslim Brotherhood.

It is important now, more than ever, to fight against the ADL’s
involvement in academic or even community affairs, especially in the
Santa Barbara area. The students of UC Santa Barbara will continue to
work to keep the genocide deniers at the ADL off their campus. These
students, who are dedicated to human rights, are determined to set
an example for other student groups, Armenian Americans and other
minorities alike, to take action when they are marginalized by a more
powerful entity.

Clearly, no one benefits when the sponsor of a community program
diminishes a crime against humanity and denies the historical
truth of any genocide. The ADL’s position as deniers of genocide is
untenable. In southern California, the ADL has learned, the hard way,
that they will enjoy no safe haven to practice genocide denial on
the campus of UC Santa Barbara.

AGBU EUROPE PUBLISHES CANDIDATES’ POSITIONS BEFORE 2009 EURO-ELECTIONS

Inside europe
June 5, 2009

Paris/Brussels, 5/06/2009 – On the eve of the vote in the European
elections in most European countries, AGBU Europe President Alexis
Govciyan called upon Euro-Armenians to vote.

This call follows an extensive campaign in which AGBU and other
organisations asked candidates to state their position on 7 key
issues. 25 political parties from 12 countries have responded to
the AGBU questionnaire. The answers provided are a useful tool
for citizens who wish to influence European policy in practical
ways. They have been published, along with the 7 questions asked,
on

Candid ates were asked 7 questions on a variety of topics of interest
or concern to Armenians in Europe. For instance: what can the EU do
to help prevent war in Karabakh or to promote cooperation in Armenia’s
neighbourhood? What are Armenia’s prospects for European integration?

Turkey is knocking at Europe’s door: what can and what will the EU do
to press that country to radically break with its hostility towards
Armenians, engage with Armenia and recognize the Armenian genocide? The
EU is committed to multilingualism and intercultural dialogue: what
will be the place of Armenians in the European cultural landscape?

By bringing these issues to the parties before the European elections,
AGBU has provided candidates with an op portunity to communicate their
views directly to their electors who are Armenian or are interested
in Armenian questions. Over the next legislature, AGBU will have
the opportunity to work with those who were elected so that these
pre-electoral commitments can be translated into European policy.

AGBU wishes to thank all those political parties and candidates who
have played the democratic game and taken the time to make their
views known to their electors.

AGBU Europe is the European branch of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU). Established in 1906, AGBU (
or ) is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian
organization and is headquartered in New York City. AGBU works to
preserve and promote the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving
some 400,000 Armenians on five continents.

For more information please contact: Anush Nazaryan

Tel: 00 32 2 762 67 97

Email:[email protected]

CALIFORNIA SENATE ADOPTS GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Noyan Tapan
June 5, 2009

WASHINGTON, JUNE 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. California State
Senate passed Genocide Res.234 which was presented by Senator Mark
Wyland.

According to the bill, it is envisaged to include genocides’ histories,
including the history of Armenian Genocide committed in the Ottoman
Empire in 1915-23, in the state’s educational institutions’ curricula.

Announcing this, the Armenian Assembly of America greeted Senator
M. Wyland and the adoption of the resolution.

It is envisaged that the Resolution will be signed by Governor of
California Arnold Schwarzenegger.

ARMENIA ASSUMES UNCONSTRUCTIVE POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH – AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER

Interfax
June 3 2009
Russia

Armenia assumed an unconstructive position at a recent meeting between
its President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, said
Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

The minister said he could not share optimism of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs regarding a possible breakthrough in the talks on settling
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

"This is important if the co-chairs have a positive view on the
process. But, on the other hand, I can say based on what I heard myself
that the Armenian side assumed an unconstructive position in Prague
[at the meeting between Aliyev and Sargsyan]," he said.

Mammadyarov suggested that a constructive position would have
implied that Armenia had been really interested in achieving peace
and stability in the region.

It would become clear whether Yerevan has changed its position at the
next meeting between Aliyev and Sargsyan in St. Petersburg on Thursday,
Mammadyarov said.

INVALID ELECTIONS IN THREE POLLING STATIONS

A1+
12:20 pm | June 04, 2009

Official

According to Part 4, Article 40 of the RA Electoral Code, in the case
of invalid results of elections, the present materials are presented
to the prosecutor’s office to instigate a criminal case.

On June 4, the RA Central Electoral Commission presented the RA
Prosecutor’s Office with the decisions of the electoral commissions of
the #7 and #8 precincts on recognizing the results of the elections
in the 7/7, 7/9 and 8/15 polling stations based on the corresponding
grounds, the packets of documents at the 7/7, 7/9 and 8/15 polling
stations and the registers of the commissions, as reported by the
CEC press service.

SARGSIAN-ALIYEV RECURRENT MEETING TOOK PLACE

AZG Armenian Daily
05/06/2009

Karabakh conflict

Serzh Sargsian – Ilham Aliyev meeting took place yesterday at Baltic
Star Hotel in St. Petersburg, RA President’s press office reports.

In the process of Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement it was the
fifth meeting between Serzh Sargsian and Ilham Aliyev. The meeting
started with participation of the two countries’ Foreign Ministers
Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
Yuri Merzlyakov, Matthew Bryza and Bernard Fassier, and the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andzey Kasprzyk.

WALID AL-MOALEM: SYRIA SUPPORTS SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF COUNTRIES

APA
June 3 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. "The trade turnover between Azerbaijan
and Syria will increase after Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is put into
operation," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the
briefing after meeting with his Syrian counterpart Walid Al-Moalem,
APA reports. Elmar Mammadyarov said that ongoing processes in the
Near East, Syria’s position on it, settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and Azerbaijan’s position on it, expansion of political,
economic and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries were
discussed at the meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister.

"Great Azerbaijani poet Imadeddin Nasimi was buried in Syria. We
asked Syria to offer opportunities for Azerbaijani tourists to visit
the poet’s grave in Syria," he said.

Walid Al-Moalem said he was in Azerbaijan three years ago and expressed
his satisfaction with the changes in Baku. He said they discussed
with his Azerbaijani counterpart the visit of Syrian President Bashar
Al-Assad and his wife to Baku. The Minister considers that this visit
will pave the way for the development of the relations between the two
countries. Touching on the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
Syrian Minister said his country supports and respects international
norms, sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries.

"During my meetings here and in Armenia I said if Nagorno Karabakh
conflict remains unsolved, it will harm the region and Syria," he said.

Walid Al-Moalem mentioned that since 1968 Syria and Israel had
territorial dispute over Golan Heights, Syria is trying to solve the
problem in a political way, but lack of political will of Israeli
leadership impedes the solution to the conflict.

"I hope the political will of Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership
concerning the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will produce results
tomorrow," he said.

MUDSLINGING AHEAD OF LEBANON VOTE

Maktoob
004661/Mudslinging_ahead_of_Lebanon_vote/Article.h tm
June 3 2009

With just days to go before Lebanon’s general election, mudslinging is
at a peak as candidates trade insults touching on religion, corruption
and even each other’s personal lives.

One candidate calling an opponent "a thief" on national television and
another accusing a contender of spying for Israel, all is fair game
in the battle pitting a Western-backed faction against a Hezbollah-led
alliance supported by Iran and Syria.

"I would say that it’s crunch time, do-or-die, go-for-broke," said
Elias Muhanna, editor of the political blog Qifa Nabki. "You might
as well sling all the mud you can before Sunday."

And sling the mud they have before the June 7 vote – on billboards,
television talk shows, campaign rallies and in private meetings
secretly caught on tape.

One audio-recording broadcast on television has an official badmouthing
the country’s Armenian community, whose main political bloc has
decided to support Hezbollah’s faction during the election.

"F— the Armenians," the official is overheard saying in the
recording. "What do they have to do with us?"

Candidate Nayla Tueni, 26, was in the hot seat this week after a
rumour that she had converted to Islam spread like wildfire.

Tueni, a Greek Orthodox who is seeking to fill the seat left by her
slain father Gebran Tueni, was forced to go on air to refute the
allegation, even displaying a document showing she had not renounced
her faith.

Religion plays a key role on all levels in Lebanon and the country’s
top government positions and the 128 seats in parliament are allocated
along confessional lines.

The president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a
Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.

Seats in parliament are equally divided between Christians and Muslims.

Mudslinging in the run-up to the vote has not been restricted to
political foes with even allies slamming each other.

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a member of the ruling majority,
was recently red-faced over remarks he made during a meeting with
religious leaders of his community during which he denigrated his
Maronite Christian allies, calling them a "bad breed".

Jumblatt later downplayed his comments saying they were unintentional
and taken out of context.

With tempers running high, some political leaders have not spared
their own constituents.

A video making the rounds on television and on YouTube has Christian
leader Sleiman Franjieh, who is allied with Hezbollah, calling a
group of his followers "dogs" and "donkeys" as he warns them to
refrain from violence on election day.

"I have 30,000 idiots in this village, that’s what I have," an angry
Franjieh is seen telling a small crowd in his stronghold of Zgharta,
in northern Lebanon. "If one of you dares raise his fist (during the
election), you’ll have to answer to me."

U.S. EMBASSIES TO INVITE IRANIAN DIPLOMATS TO JULY 7 CELEBRATIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.06.2009 12:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Obama administration has authorized its embassies
to invite Iranian diplomats to U.S. Independence Day celebrations on
the Fourth of July.

Officials say the State Department sent a cable to all its embassies
on Friday, telling them they "may invite representatives from the
government of Iran" to their annual holiday parties.

The gatherings, hosted by U.S. embassies around the world on or around
July 4, generally feature fireworks, red, white and blue decorations
and typical American food such as hot dogs and hamburgers, as well
as remarks about American history.

The cable was first reported by the New York Times on Tuesday, and
then confirmed by the Associated Press. The State Department says the
move is part of U.S. President Barack Obama’s effort to reach out to
Iran and improve relations between the two countries after decades
of hostility.

It is not yet known how many embassies will invite Iranian diplomats
to their Independence Day celebrations, and whether any Iranians will
accept those invitations, VOA News reported.

Iran and the United States cut all diplomatic ties after the seizure
of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979.

In March, President Obama recorded a videotaped message for the Nowruz
holiday, saying he wants "a new beginning" in relations with Iran. He
said he is committed to diplomacy to resolve "serious differences"
between the two countries.