Author: Kafian Jirair

NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF ARMENIA CHAIRMAN GAGIK TSARUKIAN AWARDS ARMENIAN WEIGHTLIFTERS – MEDAL WINNERS OF EUROPEAN ADULTS AND WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 10, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 9, Chairman of the National
Olympic Committee of Armenia Gagik Tsarukian received sportsmen
– medal winners of Weightlifting European Adults and World
Junior Championships. He gave a car to Europe champion Arakel
Mirzoyan. According to G. Tsarukian, Arakel Mirzoyan follows his
father’s, Olympic champion Ogsen Mirzoyan’s way. "I believe that
our young athlete recognized the best weightlifter in the European
Championship will be also the first in the World Junior Championship
to be held on June 12-29 in the capital city of Romania, Bucharest,"
he said.

Monetary prizes were given to silver medal winners Nazik Avdalian,
Hripsime Khurshudian, and Smbat Margarian. Personal coaches and
coaches of national teams and the doctor also received monetary prizes.

US STATE DEPARTMENT: PEOPLE’S WILL AND OPINIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.06.2009 17:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nation’s right for self-determination, along
with territorial integrity principles and non-use of force is one
of NKR conflict settlement principles. NKR conflict settlement
should be equally based on these principles, Assistant Secretary
of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, Philip Gordon told a news
conference in Yerevan. Philip Gordon supports the idea of referendum
in NKR. "People’s will and opinions should be taken into consideration
in conflict settlement," he emphasized.

Dwelling on US efforts towards NRK conflict settlement, Philip Gordon
expressed confidence that US administration will promote realization
of historical opportunities the issue could bring. "As an Assistant
Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, I’ll be giving
particular attention to NKR conflict settlement and Turkish-Armenian
ties’ normalization, as I can see historical opportunities here."

ANOTHER MEMBER OF ELECTION COMMITTEE IS ARRESTED IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.06.2009 22:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As the special investigatory service reports,
examination of falsifications of the results of elections at the 7/07
polling station resulted in arresting David Sarkisyan, a member of
the district election committee.

David Sarkisyan is suspected in violation of the Article 150 of the
Criminal Code of Armenia, providing punishment for falsifications
of the elections’ results by filling the ballot boxes with false
ballot papers.

TURKEY’S ENERGY MINISTER SAYS NABUCCO NOT OBLIGATORY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.06.2009 10:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Energy Minister said "what is important is to
gain natural gas, it is not obligatory through Nabucco pipeline." Taner
Yildiz talked of prices of fuel in a meeting in Istanbul and underlined
the importance of natural gas security.

Yildiz attended the 3rd International Natural Gas Symposium in
Istanbul. Turkey participated in the meeting as an observer country.

He said that the global economic crisis seriously affected energy
sector. Yildiz added that energy and natural gas sectors should not
slow down due to the crisis. He said that international money should
be canalized to proper projects.

Yýldýz also said the talks on Nabucco pipeline were underwway.

"Turkey will maintain natural gas security, through Nabucco pipeline
or another one with a source country deal. Turkey’s energy security
is important as much as Europe’s one," Yýldýz said.

Nabucco is planned to be an alternative route to transport gas from
Turkey to Austria through Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. It is also
an alternative source to the Russian supply. Construction of the
3,300-km pipeline is scheduled to start in 2011 and first deliveries
are expected in 2014. The project is expected to cost around 7.9
billion Euros.

Turkey wants 15 percent share from natural gas to be carried through
the Nabucco pipeline for its own use, not to sell it. Turkey is on
the main route of Nabucco project, World Bulletin reported.

6 ETHNIC ARMENIANS ELECTED TO LEBANESE PARLIAMENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
08.06.2009 16:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 6 ethnic Armenians representing all three Armenian
parties functioning in Lebanon were elected to the country’s parliament
on June 7. "Although these parties are working separately, they will
defend the interest of the Armenian community on a common ground,"
Shahan Kandaharian, editor-in-chief of Beirut-based Azdak newspaper
told PanARMENIAN.Net. Commenting on the situation in the country,
he said no considerable changes are expected. "Generally, the
authorities and opposition tend to seek a way out of the domestic
crisis. Formation of independent parliamentary factions will be the
right decision," he said. Preliminary results, reported on Lebanese
television, showed the alliance, known as the March 14 coalition,
had managed to preserve its majority in parliament – representing
a significant and unexpected defeat for Hezbollah and its allies,
Iran and Syria. The coalition victory appeared to have been aided by
nearly unprecedented turnout. The results showed about 55 per cent
of the 3.26 million registered voters cast ballots.

MOSCOW TO HOST CONFERENCE ON RUSSIAN HERITAGE PRESERVATION

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009 12:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 4-5, Moscow twill host a conference on
Russian heritage preservation, with the assistance of Governmental
Commission for Compatriots’ Issues and RF MFA. Around 60 notable
Russians from 44 countries are invited to participate in the event, as
well as representatives of RF federal and regional bodies, scientific
institutions, Russian NGOs.

Conference program will feature plenary meetings, discussions
on possibilities of contribution of business, political, and
intellectual elite of Russian Diaspora in preservation of ethno
cultural originality of Russian communities, protection of compatriots’
rights and interests.

An attorney, international and civil law expert, Russian-Armenian
Modern Humanitarian Academy Pro-rector, Narine Rshtuni will represent
Armenia at the forum.

Her statement will be dedicated to human rights protection issues of
Russians in Armenia.

THREE REPORTERS BEATEN UP AT POLLING STATION IN YEREVAN

Interfax
May 31 2009
Russia

Three opposition newspaper reporters were beaten up at a polling
station during Sunday’s mayoral election in Yerevan, the opposition
Armenian National Congress (ANK) told Interfax.

Parliamentary deputy and businessman Levon Sarsian walked into a
polling station on Sunday morning and "ordered his bodyguards to throw
out female journalists Goar Vezirian of the newspaper Chetvyortaya
Vlast (Fourth Power), Tatev Mesropian of the Ayk newspaper and Marineh
Kharatian of the newspaper Zhamanak Yerevan, ANK said in a statement.

"Disregarding the reporters’ protests, the bodyguards beat them up,
took away their recorders and cell phones, and walked them out of the
polling station. The journalists are preparing to file a complaint
with police," it said.

Yerevan is electing the Elders’ Council on Sunday, after which the
city’s new mayor will be picked.

Seven political forces are taking part in the Elders’ Council election:
The Prospering Armenia and Orinats Yerkir parties, the People’s
Party, the Republican Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun, the opposition Armenian National Congress and the
Workers-Socialist Party of Armenia.

Armenian political analysts, questioned by Interfax, said the main
rivals are the Republican Party, led by the Armenian president, and
the opposition Armenian National Congress, whose party tickets are
respectively led by incumbent Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglarian and ex-
President Levon Ter-Petrosian.

KNESSET TO PASS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION BILL?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
01.06.2009 19:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It’s quite likely that Israel will adopt a law
on recognizing Armenian Genocide, "JC public relations research"
institute’s director Lev Spivak has said. The issue, according to the
Jewish analyst, should be viewed from the angle of the recent thaw
in Armenian-Turkish ties, as well as Turkey’s willingness to consider
real possibilities for parliament’s passing a law against genocide.

"At the same time, I daresay, nothing of the kind will happen, at
least under Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman," Day.az quotes Spivak
as saying.

Ynetnews, Israel
May 31 2009

Study: Most Turks don’t want Jewish neighbors

Istanbul university study suggests Turks have low tolerance for
diverse lifestyles; 52% would not Christian neighbors

Associated Press Published: 05.31.09, 15:44 / Israel News

A study suggests Turks have low tolerance for diverse lifestyles as
three in four respondents said they would not want to live next to an
atheist or anyone drinking alcohol.

The study by Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University is meant to gauge
radicalism and extremism in Turkey.

Results published in Sunday’s Milliyet newspaper indicate 64% of Turks
would not want Jewish neighbors, 52% would not Christian neighbors,
67% would not want to live next to an unmarried couple and 43% would
not want American neighbors.

The survey is based on interviews with 1,715 people selected randomly
from 34 cities between April 12 and May 3. No margin of error was
given.

On Wednesday a Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced a man to five
months in prison for "insulting a section of society" after he put up
a banner saying Jews and Armenians were not allowed to enter his
business.

Niyazi Capa, who heads a cultural association in the city of
Eskisehir, west of Ankara, put up the banner to protest against
Israel’s offensive in Gaza earlier this year, which drew widespread
condemnation in predominantly Muslim Turkey.

,7340,L -3723925,00.html

Armenian Police inquiring into incident with parliamentarian Levon
Sargsyan and his guard

2009-05-31 14:08:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Police is inquiring into the incident with direct
involvement of parliamentarian Levon Sargsyan and his guard at the
polling station 9/1.

Police press-service reported that Gegham Nazaryan, the editor of Hayk
newspaper, informed the police that L. Sargsyan and his guard seized
the voice recorders of journalists and forced them leave the polling
station.