Author: Kalashian Nyrie

ARMENIAN GUITAR-2009 FESTIVAL STARTS IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.11.2009 19:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The festival "Armenian Guitar-2009" started in
the Yerevan Academic Theater after Gabriel Sundukyan. According
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the 5-hour-long concert was opened by the
"Dogma" group and guitarist Henry Grigorian.

The first such a large-scale festival present the public perfomances of
13 guitarists and other musical instrument players, who will perform
the own work each and will participate in 4 jam sessions – dialogues
of guitarists. Each jam session will involve three guitarists.

May Lian (Yuri Mayilyan) (Russia) will perform in the first part of
the concert with other guitarists, Dave Martoun (Canada) will play
in the second part.

Music of different genres: jazz, rock, jazz-rock, blues, fusion,
metal, as well as progressive music will be brought to the festival.

"I thank the organizers of the festival, as they have done a great job,
gathering so many talented guitarists. I really hope the festival
will become a platform for promoting electric guitar, Armenia does
not have a school of electric guitar, but the demand is obvious,
" lyricist Gisane Palian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

ISRAEL IS NOT A TOLERANT SOCIETY: US STATE DEPARTMENT

press tv
Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:43:41 GMT

Israel drastically fails to meet all requirements of a tolerant
pluralistic society, according to a US State Department report issued
on Saturday.

The report, written by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor,
indicates that Israel is discriminating against Muslims, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, Christians, women, Bedouins, and even Reform Jews, the
Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Sunday.

Israel does not treat ethnic groups on equal terms and also does not
show any respect toward certain holy sites and other historic sites,
the document added.

It went on to say that although a 1967 Israeli law calls for the
protection of all holy sites in Jerusalem Al-Quds, the Israeli
government does not show due respect toward non-Jewish sites and does
not even officially recognize non-Jewish sites as holy places.

In addition, as Israel is neglecting several Muslim and Christian
holy sites, they are subject to exploitation by Israeli authorities
and real estate entrepreneurs, the report noted.

MORE PRODUCTIVE TIES SEEN BETWEEN ATHENS, ANKARA
Chris Loutradis

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 6 2009
Turkey

Turkey and Greece have appeared to enter a new era of friendlier and
more productive bilateral relations after the Turkish prime minister’s
letter to his Greek counterpart and a senior Turkish official’s visit
to Athens was received warmly.

In his letter to Greece’s Prime Minister George Papandreou, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his will to solve all the
open disputes between the two nations. A few days after the letter,
Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks, Egemen
BagıÅ~_, paid a visit to Athens. During his consultations, Papandreou
told BagıÅ~_ that his government welcomed Erdogan’s letter and said
he was ready to work together on the Aegean and Cyprus disputes.

In his letter, Erdogan expressed his belief that issues between Greece
and Turkey could be solved via an honest and in-depth dialogue between
the two parties, according to a Greek diplomatic source who asked to
remain anonymous. "Erdogan made some very progressive suggestions with
regard to the Cyprus issue and the Aegean disputes, which will cause
very interesting reactions from both sides if they are published,"
the source said. The Turkish prime minister went on to reaffirm his
stance that Turkey "wants zero-problems with neighbors."

According to the same source, Papandreou has already planned the basic
guidelines of his reply, and because he is solely engaged in writing
the response, evidences his interest in the progress of Greece-Turkey
relations. The Greek prime minister was also expected to voice his
support for Erdogan’s efforts to comply with EU directives and to
accept Erdogan’s suggestion for a high-level council of cooperation
in which all major issues that arise between both nations will be
discussed.

Clear proof

According to Greek experts in Greece-Turkey relations, Prime Minister
Erdogan’s letter is clear proof that the Turkish prime minister wants
to send a strong, clear signal to the EU that he is willing to solve
all the open disputes with Greece.

"Turkey and Greece share a common fate and a common future," BagıÅ~_
said at an event organized by the International Center for Black
Sea Studies and attended by Greek Prime Minister Papandreou. The
Greek audience responded with satisfaction when BagıÅ~_ said,
"A new era has started in the relations of the two countries, with
the government of Papandreou willing to build a peaceful future
with Turkey." The minister added that during this period, Erdogan’s
government is demolishing taboos of Turkish society by solving the
Kurdish issue and by dealing with open disputes with Armenia. "It is
time to discuss Greece, too," BagıÅ~_ added.

On the thorny issue of Cyprus, BagıÅ~_ said Turkey would support any
solution agreed on by the leaders of the two sides of the island. He
praised the efforts of Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat
and Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias, and stressed that
Greece and Turkey should support the two presidents as their "term
is limited and because we do not know who will govern next."

Perhaps more worryingly was a question raised by a participant
who asked about the presence of the Turkish Army on the war-divided
island. BagıÅ~_ said the Turkish Army protects the safety of Turkish
Cypriots and it will not withdraw unless other armies withdrew as well.

PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN AID UNION (AAU)

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
November 05, 2009

Today, NKR Prime Minister received the representatives of Armenian
Aid Union, among them Vicki Marashlyan, Zhirayr Pechekyan and
Margarita Taranyan. During the meeting various issues concerning the
charitable programmes being implemented in the spheres of education
and healthcare by AAU, as well as those concerning the arrangements
envisaged towards the 100 th anniversary of the organization were
discussed. The Chairman of the AAU Executive Commission Mrs Marashlyan
noted that the organization tries to continue its programmes in spite
of the existent difficulties caused by the world international crisis,
because the implementation of charitable projects in NKR is one of
the most important issues of the organization. Zhirayr Pechekyan
presented some information about the plans of the forthcoming year,
particularly, the organization is intended to pay for the education
of one student from the Republic in Lebanon since 2010.

During the meeting the Prime Minister informed the guests about the
Government’s intention to open several modern infant schools, as well
as to take measures towards improving the state in the sphere. The
Prime Minister added that the Government is ready to support the fund
in overcoming the difficulties arising during the implementation of
its programmes.

NKR Minister of Education and Science V.Khachatryan and representative
of the ARF Central Committee of Artsakh D.Ishkhanyan partook in
the meeting.

KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION IMPORTANT FOR OSCE, U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nagorno Karabakh issue acquired a new coloring in the
context of Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, said Richard Giragosian,
the director of the Armenian Center for National and International
Studies (ACNIS).

"With appointment of Robert Bradtke as Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group, the U.S. returned to the policy it pursued in 2004. Resolution
of the Karabakh conflict is important for the OSCE U.S. now," he said
during "Armenian-Turkish Diplomacy and Nagorno Karabakh: Deal or No
Deal?" seminar on November 5.

"There is a new calendar drawn for resolution of the conflict. It
covers the period from the presidential meeting in Moldova till the
OSCE ministerial meeting in Athens. Nevertheless, I do not expect
progress in Karabakh talks till January 2010," he said.

At that, Mr. Giragosian emphasized that sides should act more
transparently and raise public awareness about the ongoing peace
process to avoid dissemination of disinformation.

EU ADVISORY GROUP AND SME DNC OF ARMENIA ASSIST ARMENIAN MANUFACTURERS ENGAGED IN EXPORT IN ENTERING EUROPEAN MARKETS

Noyan Tapan
Nov 5, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The EU Advisory Group to Armenia
jointly with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development National
Center of Armenia (SME DNC) held a Workshop on Export Helpdesk for
representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises. During the
workshop, the representative of the RA State Revenue Committee answered
questions related to taxes and customs duties on exported goods.

According to information provided by SME DNC, Export Helpdesk is
a free Internet database to help countries enhance their economic
growth and welfare through trade by facilitating access of exporters
to European markets.

The purpose of the workshop was to improve the skills of small and
medium entrepreneurs to use Export Helpdesk for detailed information
on specific products for export purposes, as well as the import
requirements. SME representatives were the main target group of
the workshop.

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO WILL NOT PLAY A ROLE OF ITS OWN IN THE MEDIATION

ArmInfo
2009-11-04 14:06:00

ArmInfo. NATO is indeed very concerned with the conflicts in the
South Caucasus, says NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in
an interview with Day.az.

"It is vital that these conflicts be resolved peacefully and within a
reasonable timeframe. Regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, I very much welcome
and support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to assist Armenia and
Azerbaijan to find a settlement to this conflict. Recently, these
efforts have gathered momentum and I hope that we will see further
progress. NATO will not play a role of its own in the mediation,
but we will use our political dialogue with both parties to promote
a peaceful solution to the conflict," he says.

Asked about possible role of NATO in peacemaking in Karabakh, he says:
"It would be hypothetical to address the question of a possible NATO
role in peacekeeping in Nagorno-Karabakh, and I do not believe it would
be useful to engage in any speculation on this topic at this time. As
for Kosovo, I would caution against generalizations and attempts to
apply the unique circumstances of Kosovo to other conflicts or regions
of the world. NATO’s task to provide a safe and secure environment
in Kosovo, which is mandated by the United Nations Security Council,
is distinct from the question of Kosovo’s status.

This is well illustrated by the fact that, in addition to nations that
recognise Kosovo’s independence, nations that do not recognise Kosovo’s
independence contribute forces to KFOR as well," Fogh Rasmussen says.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YEREVAN: ARTISTS DONATE WORKS TO CAPITAL CITY

Tert
Nov 4 2009
Armenia

An exhibit of works by Armenian artists has opened in Yerevan’s History
Museum, which can be found in the city hall building. The exhibit,
called "Happy Birthday, Yerevan," includes 64 works by contemporary
artists, who have donated their works to the beloved city.

Exhibited artists include such names as Artists’ Union of Armenia
President Karen Aghamyan, and contemporary artists Ara Haytayan,
Arman Grigoryan, Teni Vardanyan, and Artur Sargysan, among others.

"This is an interesting event, which must set an example for others,
since Yerevan is everyone’s home," noted Yerevan city mayor Gagik
Beglaryan during the opening ceremony.

In Beglaryan’s words, there are 88 items on display in Yerevan’s
History Museum (not to be confused with the National History Museum
found in Republic Square), a part of which are art works by well-known
Armenian artists.

Karen Aghamyan added that this is already the second such initiatve.

The first time a similar exhibit took place was in Lachin. The
president of the Artists’ Union of Armenia also expressed hope that,
in the future, the exhibited works will be displayed as well in a
separate gallery room.

AZERI MEN’S HANDBALL TEAM DESTROY ARMENIA 33-16

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
November 2, 2009 Monday

Azerbaijan men’s handball team have crushed Armenia 33-16 in the
Challenge Trophy tournament in Chisinau, Moldova.

The win put the Azeri team third in their group followed by Armenia.

TURKISH PM: "WE CONSIDER PROBLEMS OF OUR AZERBAIJANI BROTHERS AS OUR OWN"

Today
/57099.html
Nov 2 2009
Azerbaijan

"We do not have any discrepancies with Azerbaijan. Taking advantage
of every opportunity, I reiterate that we consider problems of our
Azerbaijani brothers as our own ones," said Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a TV address to the nation.

Turkish Premier noted Turkey wants the Nagorno-Karabakh problem be
resolved through a dialogue.

He said since the beginning the process of rapprochement between
Turkey and Armenia "we have regarded Azerbaijan`s interests as our
own interests".

Erdogan expressed regret that there are people who want to turn both
countries against each other.

He stressed the need for historians to study the problems between
Turks and Armenians.