Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

le/2009/02/08/AR2009020802333.html

Obama Confidant Plans To Meet Azerbaijani Leader

By Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 9, 2009; Page A04

David Plouffe, who managed Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and
was cited by Obama as the "unsung hero" in his ascendancy to the White
House, is expected to meet this week with Azerbaijan’s president, who
has been accused of undermining democracy in that oil-rich country.

Plouffe does not work for the White House, but he remains close to top
White House officials. His outreach to Democrats, particularly through
new-media ventures, was credited with propelling Obama to victory, and
he continues to play an integral role with President Obama’s
grass-roots political operation, Organizing for America. Last week, he
e-mailed that group’s 13 million addresses with a video from Obama
that urged support for the economic stimulus plan.

His trip to Azerbaijan is scheduled to include a speech today at Gerb
University in the capital of Baku, followed by a meeting with
President Ilham Aliyev and the speaker of the parliament, Oktay
Asadov, according to Radio Free Europe, which first reported on the
trip.

"Plouffe is coming as a private citizen," Terry Davidson, a spokesman
at the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan, told Radio Free Europe. "The
embassy is not in charge of his schedule."

Aliyev has been president of Azerbaijan since 2003, when he replaced
his ailing father, Heydar, in a vote that the State Department said
last year suffered from "numerous, serious irregularities."
Parliamentary elections two years later also failed to meet democratic
standards, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
said.

That record prompted protests when President George W. Bush welcomed
Aliyev to the White House in April 2006.

Aliyev was reelected last October to a second term, and Plouffe’s trip
comes at a time when the Azerbaijani parliament is considering a plan
to eliminate presidential term limits. Without such a measure, Aliyev
would be required to leave office in 2013.

In December, the United States criticized Aliyev’s government for
banning international radio broadcasts.

"These media organizations play a crucial role in supporting
democratic debate and the free exchange of ideas and information,"
State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told the Associated Press.
"This decision, if carried out, will represent a serious setback to
freedom of speech and retard democratic reform in Azerbaijan."

Radio Free Europe reported that Plouffe declined an interview. The
Embassy of Azerbaijan in Washington did not respond to a request for
comment yesterday, and the White House did not immediately respond to
such a request. A call to Plouffe’s consulting firm, AKPD Message and
Media, was not returned.

Plouffe recently sold the lucrative rights to a book about the inside
workings of the Obama campaign.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS TO PARTICIPATE IN AEROFLOT OPEN 2009 TOURNAMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.02.2009 13:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 26 Armenian chess players, including 2008 Olympic
champions Gabriel Sargsyan, Artashes Minasyan and Tigran Petrosyan
and republic’s champion Arman Pashikyan will participate in Aeroflot
Open 2009 tournament due in Moscow from February 16 to 27.

The prize fund beat the festival record and comprised 180 000 euro.

Four open tournaments (Ð~P1, Ð~P2, Ð’ and С) formed according to
the participants’ rating will be held in 9 tours (Swedish system).

The prize fund for Ð~P1 (rating over 2549) will make 70000 euro;
for Ð~P2 (rating 2339 – 2549) -36000 euro; for B (rating 2199 – 2400)
-19500 euro; for C (rating lower than 2199) – 12000 euro.

Winner of A1 will participate in Dortmund super tournament to be held
from July 2 to 12, 2009.
–Boundary_(ID_fg1sAFEyGWPJnXwgemcHLg)–

TURKEY MAY ACCUSE ISRAEL OF PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.02.2009 19:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A Turkish prosecutor has launched an investigation
into whether Israel committed genocide and crimes against humanity
in its offensive in Gaza, his office said.

The investigation follows a complaint lodged by the Islamist-leaning
human rights association Mazlum-Der against several Israeli officials,
including President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and army chief of
staff Gabi Ashkenazi.

"Every complaint merits an investigation," the spokesman said when
asked whether a probe had been launched into Mazlum-Der’s complaint.

Under Turkish law, prosecutors are obliged to look into all complaints
to determine whether there are grounds to initiate a full-scale
investigation that could lead to formal charges. If the prosecutor
decides the complaint does not merit a case, it will be dismissed.

In its petition, Mazlum-Der accused Israel of carrying out "direct
attacks on civilians with the aim of annihilating them" and employing
internationally-banned weapons in the process.

"The suspects, who wanted to wipe out the Palestinian people through
systematic attacks, have committed genocide and crimes against
humanity," it said, demanding that the suspects be detained if they
enter Turkey.

Turkish law allows for the trial of people accused of genocide or
crimes against humanity even if the crimes were committed abroad,
the AFP reports.

Israel’s 22-day offensive last month on Islamist Hamas-controlled
Gaza left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead and injured 5,300
others. Thirteen Israelis were killed during the operation which was
launched with the declared aim of stopping rocket attacks on southern
Israel by Palestinian militants.

Turkey, one of the few Muslim allies of Israel, harshly criticized
the Jewish State over the war in Gaza amid almost daily anti-Israel
demonstrations across the country.

SENATOR ENSIGN TO HEADLINE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA RECEPTION AT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM BUILDING

armradio.am
04.02.2009 11:21

The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) announces that Senator
John Ensign (R-NV), will be the Guest of Honor at its Monday night
reception during the 2009 National Advocacy Conference in Washington,
DC, March 1-3.

"I applaud the important work of the Armenian Assembly and I look
forward to working with my Senate colleagues to prevent future
genocides and combat denial of the Armenian Genocide," said Ensign.

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2000, Senator Ensign has
consistently supported Armenian-American issues. In April 2006,
Senator Ensign, along with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-authored a
letter urging President Bush to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide. The
letter read, in part, "As a world leader, it is important that the
United States reaffirm the incontestable facts of history witnessed
and reported by U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau… Denial of the
Armenian Genocide diminishes the value we place on human life and the
principles of liberty on which this country is founded." Then-Senators
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both signed the letter as well. Ensign
also introduced S.Res. 164, a resolution that marked the anniversary
of U.S. implementation of the U.N. Genocide Convention.

In March 2007, following the introduction of H.Res. 106, which was
subsequently approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senators
Durbin and Ensign introduced a companion measure, S.Res. 106, which
called upon the President to "ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing and
genocide documented in the United States record relating to the
Armenian Genocide."

Speaking about the Conference and the growing support for this event
from Members of Congress, Conference Co-Chairs Rachel Kaprielian
and Peter Kezirian said: "This Conference represents an important
opportunity to ensure that we offer our members and activists a venue
to meet with policy makers, as a new chapter in U.S.-Armenia relations
is crafted."

The reception will be held at the site of the Armenian Genocide Museum
of America (AGMA), formerly the National Bank of Washington. The
Museum building is strategically located two blocks from the White
House. Dedicated to the memory of the victims and the survivors,
AGMA will serve as a center for genocide education, prevention and
affirmation.

ACCORDING TO VARDAN AIVAZIAN, ABSENCE OF SECURITIES MARKET IS ARMENIA’S ADVANTAGE IN CONDITIONS OF FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS

Noyan Tapan

Feb 3, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The coordinated actions of various
branches of power in the conditions of the global financial and
economic crisis are a regularity, especially in the sphere of economic
control. The chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee
on Economic Issues Vardan Aivazian expressed this opinion during
the February 3 press conference. According to him, Armenia has both
advantages and disadvantages in terms of overcoming the crisis. In
his opinion, the main advantage is in the absence of the market of
securities: these markets are the first to crash around the world. In
his words, the first damage done to Armenia by the crisis will make
itself felt in the sphere of commodity turnover.

V. Aivazian said the anticrisis commission adjunct to the government
considers light and chemical industries, agriculture, construction
and the sector of services as priority ones. He underlined that the
commission tries its best to prevent a decline of growth rates in
the indicated sectors.

V. Aivazian stated that Armenia expects Russia to provide a credit
of 200 thousand up to a billion dollars, but he did not say when this
credit will be received.

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE PA ON NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT TO ARRIVE IN AZERBAIJAN

Today.Az
tics/50498.html
Feb 4 2009
Azerbaijan

Special representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Georgia Goran Lennmarker will arrive
in Azerbaijan on February 12, said chief of department of media and
information of the OSCE Baku office Rashad Huseynov.

The main meetings of the special representative of the OSCE PA
president are scheduled for February 13.

On this day, Lennmarker will hold a number of meetings with country
officials. His meetings with speaker of parliament Oqtay Asadov,
representatives of the parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan in
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov.

The special representative of the president of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly is also to be received by President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev.

Lennmarker’s visit to Baku will finish on February 14 morning.

SPRING SESSION OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA STARTS

Noyan Tapan

Feb 2, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The 5th session of the National
Assembly of the RA started on February 2. 72 issues are on the agenda
of the spring session. 49 issues and 4 international agreements
presented by the Armenian president for ratification are included in
the agenda of the February 2-5 four-day session.

The parliament started its work with the discussion of several projects
on energy sector and one international agreement. In particular,
the bill envisaging an amendment to the Law on 2006-2007 Program of
State Property Privatization was discussed in first reading. By the
bill, the government proposes taking Research Institute of Energy
CJSC off the privatization list and leaving its status unchanged –
a state property with 100% stake. The main speaker, RA minister of
energy and natural resources Armen Movsisian conditioned the proposal
by the fact that this research institute with its 50-year history plays
a great role in conducting scientific research on energy, development
of normative technical documents and identification of the sector’s
problems. As a company directly engaged in development of provisions
of the state energy policy, the institute should take a full part in
working out the fundamental programmed directions of energy sector.

UNICEF CALLS TO IMPROVE SERVICES TO PREVENT MATERNAL AND INFANT DEATHS

armradio.am
02.02.2009 13:56

Women in the world’s least developed countries are 300 times more
likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications
than women in developed countries, according to UNICEF’s latest State
of the World’s Children report, released here today.

At the same time, a child born in a developing country is almost 14
times more likely to die during the first month of life than a child
born in a developed one.

The health and survival of mothers and their newborns are linked, and
many of the interventions that save new mothers’ lives also benefit
their infants. The 2009 edition of UNICEF’s flagship publication, The
State of the World’s Children, highlights the link between maternal
and neonatal survival, and suggests opportunities to close the gap
between rich and poor countries.

"According to The State of the World’s Children 2009, in Armenia,
roughly 22 infants per 1,000 live births die before their first
birthday.

Approximately 80% of these deaths are during the first 28 days of
life – the neonatal period. Most of these deaths could have been
prevented, had timely and proper neonatal care and treatment services
been provided to those children, " UNICEF Representative in Armenia
Laylee Moshiri stressed during the public launch of The State of the
World’s Children 2009.

Surveys and studies carried out in recent years by UNICEF and other
international organisations show that infant mortality rates in Armenia
are nearly three times higher in the poorest households than in the
wealthiest households.

The situation with regards to maternal mortality in Armenia also raises
concerns, according to the UNICEF Report. Women in Armenia are 9 times
more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth complications than
women in developed countries. In particular, a woman in Armenia has a
1 in 980 lifetime risk of maternal death, compared with a probability
of 1 in 8,000 for women in developed countries and the average of 1 in
1,300 in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth
of Independent States.

Among factors contributing to the problem in Armenia are poor antenatal
and neonatal care, lack of qualified staff and lack of basic equipment.

"Pregnancy and childbirth complications which account for the majority
of maternal deaths are due to lack of quality services, accessibility
of those services for women and also low awareness among women of the
importance of antenatal visits," Ms. Moshiri said, adding that with
the existing level and trends in newborn and maternal mortality,
Armenia will hardly be able to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals 4 and 5 which call for two thirds reduction of child mortality
and three quarters reduction in maternal mortality ratio by 2015.

To lower maternal and infant mortality, the report recommends essential
services be provided through health systems that integrate a continuum
of home, community, outreach and facility-based care.

This continuum of care concept calls for an integrated approach to
maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition issues instead of
the traditional emphasis on single, disease-specific interventions.

"Interventions need not be expensive. Better routine maternal and
newborn care, including the promotion of breast feeding and the
provision of basic equipment will help," UNICEF Representative said,
indicating that currently UNICEF supports the Ministry of Health to
develop a National Strategy on Neonatal Care that will address all
gaps existing in the system, including setting standards of care,
professional development and quality control mechanisms.

Auction Central News, NY
Jan 30 2009

Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) Armenian/ Canadian

H. G. WELLS, silver gelatin print, mounted to card with artist’s stamp
on verso of card, signed in white ink and in pencil, sight 13 ¼ x 10",
framed with glass, 5" L-shaped scratch from ear down through shoulder,
otherwise in good condition.

For images and Terms & Conditions, click

AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT RESUME COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA UNTIL OCCUPATION OF ITS LAND CONTINUES: PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV

Trend
Jan 29 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 29/ Trend News, E. Ostapenko/ President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev says Azerbaijan-Armenia cooperation is
impossible until Azerbaijani lands are under Armenian occupation.

"We will not maintain any relations with Armenia until Armenian armed
forces continue occupation of our lands," Ilham Aliyev said in the
World Economic Forum in Davos.

"If we have a look at a map, we can see that the best route to
transport our hydrocarbon reserves to West lies through Armenia,"
Ilham Aliyev said. "But if you happen to be in this land, you will
see that this is the longest route."

Azerbaijan demands Armenia to meet international law, the UN Security
Council Resolution and to withdraw forces from the Azerbaijani lands,
President said.

It will be possible to resume contact and cooperation with Armenia
after we reach peace. It would be favorable for all countries in the
region, he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.