Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

NEW NOMINEE FOR US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA TO SHORTLY BE ADVANCED

2007-12-17 18:25:00

ArmInfo. A new nominee for US ambassador to Armenia will be advanced,
US Charge d’Affaires a.i. Joseph Pennington said, answering ArmInfo
correspondent’s question. He expressed hope that the White House will
make a statement about this in the near future.

He recalled that after the new nominee for ambassador is advanced
by the White House, it should be approved by the Senate. The US and
Armenian governments realize that there should be an ambassador in
the republic, Pennington noted. He hopes that the new candidate will
not share the previous one’s fate.

To recall, Richard Hoagland, the previous candidate for US ambassador
to Armenia, withdrew his nominee as the Senate refused to approve his
candidacy, because Hoagland denied the fact of the Armenian Genocide
1915, thus failing to strictly observe the US policy with respect to
the genocide.

WHAT HRANT DINK HAD TOLD U.S. DIPLOMAT BOUND FOR ARMENIA

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 17 2007

What is the attitude of the U.S. government toward the tough
stance of Turkey on the Armenian and Turkish relations which offers
stipulations in response to the proposal to set up relations without
preconditions? The reporters asked the U.S. Charge Joseph Pennington
on December 17 who had been a diplomatic official to Ankara before
he came to Armenia in June 2007.

The reporters added to this question that when the resolution on the
Genocide was going to be discussed at the U.S. House, statements were
made that it would harm the Armenian and Turkish dialogue. How will
it harm if there is no dialogue, the reporters asked?

In answer to these questions Joseph Pennington said the U.S.

government calls on both Turkey and Armenia to start a dialogue
because it stems from the interests of both countries. Besides,
the U.S. diplomat told a story which happened during his service in
Ankara when he knew he was going to Armenia. Pennington says he met
with Hrant Dink he had heard a lot about him, and talked on the phone
but did not have a meeting. They met and discussed a number of things,
including the Armenian and Turkish relation.

He says he had gone to his office in front of which he was killed, they
walked to his favorite restaurant and he and Hrant talked for a couple
of hours because he knew he was going to Armenia. Pennington says Hrant
Dink gave him information on a number of issues and wanted to know
how the United States can help the Armenian and Turkish relation. He
kept saying that he is proud of being Armenian but he also loves his
country, that is Turkey, the U.S. Charge says. He says when he asked
Dink how the Untied States can be helpful to the Armenian and Turkish
issue, he said help improve the relations between Armenia and Turkey,
Pennington says.

EVENING DEVOTED TO COMPLETION OF FAMOUS SINGER’S DEATH

Panorama.am
22:45 13/12/2007

Today an evening ceremony will take place devoted to the honored
artists Gohar Gasparyan and Tigran Levonyan in the "Narekaci" art
centre. Anna Sargsyan, an employee of the centre said that the evening
is organized by the friends, colleagues and the students of the famous
artists, particularly Olga Khachikyan a conservatory professor.

"This evening is a special type of honor and respect to them, and at
the same time we show our gratefulness to the famous musicians," said
S. Sargsyan. The following students of conservatory will participate
in the evening ceremony: Anush Stepanyan, Albert Ghazaryan, Lilit
Turinyan, Sona Sargsyan and etc.

Note that tomorrow another ceremony will take place devoted to
the famous musician in Conservatory. The evening is organized by a
professor Rafael Hakobyanc.

LET HIM ASK THESE QUESTIONS AS WELL

Hayots Ashkharh
Dec 14 2007
Armenia

As we know during the demonstration organized by Armenian Pan National
Movement Alik Arzumanyan addressed a range of accusations to the
leader of "National Unity" Artashes Geghamyan.

Yesterday Artashes Geghamyan referred to other topics as well: "
During his regular demonstration Alik Arzumanyan should also speak
about, why they killed Marius Yuzbashyan. Probably because he knew
that there were KGB agents in "Karabakh" committee.

Or, why they killed Hambardsum Ghandilyan, a glorious person, who
during the years of crises managed to operate the railway like a
clock. Most probably because he knew that not the goods but the
invoices entered Armenia, because the goods were sold in Russia.

Why did they shoot the general of railway troops, Isahakyan?

Because he refused to transport empty wagons.

Why did they kill Hambardsum Galstyan because he knew lots of details
about the robbed machine tools that were sent to Persia and sold as
a metal?

These are the topics that they must speak about during their
demonstrations. If they have lack of topics I’m ready to provide more
and more others."

DANIEL FRIED: IT IS TIME TO WORK OUT AGREEMENT ON BASIC PRINCIPLES OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

2007-12-13 15:15:00

ArmInfo. It the time to work out an agreement on the basic principles
of the Karabakh conflict settlement, US Assistant Secretary General
for Europe and Eurasia Daniel Fried said at today’s conference of
the Eurasian Policy Center "Relations Among Azerbaijan, Turkey and
USA and Their Significance for Europe".

As the USA State Department’s site reports, talking of the
important strategic partnership in Azerbaijan-Turkey-USA tandem,
D. Fried emphasized that Azerbaijan has to carry out political
reforms. Azerbaijan should also solve its unresolved issue with
Armenia. The South Caucasus will not be able to fully open its
potential without the Karabakh conflict settlement, he added. The
American diplomat continued that unless Armenia remains isolated
in this region, it is impossible to implement the general concept
of prosperity and freedom and, therefore, stability. Moreover,
he said that the USA do not consider that they play against any
country, in which only one party becomes a winner. He also that
talking specifically, Russia will become an important factor in this
region. It is impossible and unreasonable for the USA to set the
competition with Russia as their political goal.

Instead of that, every country is enabled to develop the relations
with the Central Asia and South Caucasus as this region finds its
way in the world under new independence and sovereignty. D. Fried
resumed that they will briskly protect and promulgate this idea.

GLOBAL TALES OF ARMENIANS
By Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter

Gulf News
Dec 14 2007
United Arab Emirates

Out of the eleven million Armenians in the world, only three million
live in the Republic of Armenia. The rest constitute a multicultural
diaspora in all corners of the world.

Despite having assimilated well into most of their adopted countries
as a result of migration and displacement, the Armenian diaspora
has remained distinct in maintaining its identity while celebrating
its diversity.

The UAE is one of the few places where Armenians from around the
world meet. There is said to have been an Armenian presence in the
country since the 1960s.

One of the earliest civilisations

As people who ruled kingdoms and occupied a land many times the size
of their current independent Republic of Armenia, the Armenians are
believed to have formed one of the earliest civilisations.

But the strategic location of Armenia between two continents
subjected it to intervention and invasion by many people, including
the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Persians,
Turks and Russians, effects of which can be felt in the people’s
language, food and traditions.

Although Armenia has faced emigration throughout its history – it
has a diaspora that is more than three times its population – a major
wave of emigration started after independence from the Soviet Union
in 1991, which saw almost a quarter of its population leave to look
for a better life elsewhere.

But there are some indications that the situation is improving. The
country is promoting itself as a tourist destination and trying to
lure back the vast diaspora to its ancestral homeland. An increasing
number of wealthy Armenians from around the world invest in and travel
to Armenia.

The Armenian diaspora maintains its coherence through the church,
political groupings, charitable organisations and a network of
newspapers published in Armenian and other languages.

A major unifying factor for Armenians in Arab countries and their
counterparts in the West is the mass killing of Armenians during the
First World War.

Although Armenians have launched major campaigns to have the killings
internationally recognised as genocide, Turkey fiercely opposes this,
saying they were casualties of war.

PRIME MINISTER’S BUSINESS TRIP ENDS

Panorama.am
14:42 12/12/2007

The delegation spearheaded by Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan returned
back to Yerevan this night.

Government information and public relations department informs that
top level meetings continued yesterday in French Strasbourg.

Sargsyan started his trip on December 9 leaving for Brussels and
from there leaving to Strasbourg on December 11. In France the prime
minister met with the secretary general of the Council of Europe,
Tarry Davis. He also met with the chairman of the European parliament,
chairman of foreign relations commission of the European Parliament
and later with EU foreign relations commissioner.

MEMORANDUM OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING ON COOPERATION IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES SECTOR TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND EGYPT

Noyan Tapan
Dec 12 2007

CAIRO, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. It is envisaged that a memorandum of
mutual understanding on cooperation between Armenia and Egypt in the
IT sector and on creation of an IT commission will be signed at the
sitting of the Armenian-Egyption Intergovernmental Commission in April
2008. NT was informed by the RA MFA Press and Information Department
that the respective agreement was reached during the working visit of
the delegation headed by the RA deputy minister of trade and economic
development Vahram Ghushchian to Cairo on December 9-11.

With the aim of familiarizing themselves with Egypt’s experience in
the IT sector and establishing further cooperation, the delegation
members met with heads of Cairo-based "Smart Village" technopark,
Egypt’s IT Development Agency and the Association of IT Companies. The
opportunities of mutually beneficial cooperation in the IT sector
were discussed during the meetings.

ARMENIA AND BULGARIA INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING INTERPARLIAMENTARY TIES

armradio.am
11.12.2007 15:43

December 11 the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Tigran Torosyan received the outgoing Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Greece Stefan Dimitroff.

The Armenian Parliament Speaker thanked the Ambassador
for the productive work over the past three years, due to
which the Armenian-Bulgarian relations have been consistently
developing. Mr. Torosyan attached importance to the interparliamentary
relations, which comprise an indivisible part of the interstate
ties. He noted that there are good preconditions for developing
cooperation both on the bilateral level and within international
organizations. Since Armenia and Bulgaria are in the stage of European
integration, the Bulgarian experience can be useful for Armenia.

Ambassador Dimitroff thanked Mr. Torosyan for the support
rendered during his tenure in office, without which there could
be no productive cooperation. Emphasizing the importance of Tigran
Torosyan’s forthcoming visit to Bulgaria, the Ambassador assessed it
as an important impetus for the development of interparliamentary
ties. As one of the most remarkable results of his mission in
Armenia, Mr. Dimitroff pointed to the publication of the 800-page
Armenian-Bulgarian dictionary

At the end of the meeting Tigran Torosyan wished success to the
Ambassador in his future activity and highly appreciated his wish to
visit Nagorno Karabakh.

BELLICOSE STATEMENTS WON’T PROMOTE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.12.2007 18:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Kazakhstan stands for a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, said Erlan Kubashev, Kazakhstani Charge
d’Affairs in Armenia.

"We support mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group," he
said. "Kazakhstan supports constructive dialogue between Armenia and
Azerbaijan and calls on the sides to refrain from warlike statement,
which won’t promote settlement of the conflict."

The diplomat offered to use Kazakhstan’s experience in resolving
ethnic and confessional conflicts, Novosti Armenia reports.