Author: Kamalian Hagop

IRAN PLANS TO BOOST TRADE WITH ARMENIA: AMBASSADOR

ARKA
Feb 19, 2010

YEREVAN, February 19, /ARKA/. Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Seyed Ali
Saghayan, said today his country intends to boost trade with Armenia.

Speaking at a news conference he said the global economic crisis had
slashed the trade between the two countries, but added that Iran and
Armenia are resolute to improve the situation.

He said the Iranian side appreciates highly a memorandum of
understanding signed after the recurrent meeting of Iranian-Armenian
intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation three weeks ago
in Yerevan. He said Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation embraces
several strategic projects, including construction of a railway and
the North-South Highway.

The ambassador spoke about of an international conference in Tehran
on trade and investment opportunities in Armenia, where Armenian and
Iranian officials spoke on the potential of the private sector to help
promote ties between the two countries. Speaking at the conference,
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Amir Mansour Borqe called on Iranian
and Armenian officials to explore every available avenue to increase
trade ties and exchanges between the two countries.

Armenian-Iranian trade last year contracted by 32.7% to $153.4
million. Armenian exports to Iran fell by 24% to $19.1 million. The
volume of imported Iranian goods dropped by 33% to $134.3 million.

ANC REPRESENTATIVE CONSIDERS THAT TODAY RUSSIA IS AGAINST OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER

Noyan Tapan
Feb 18, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. According to Armenian National
Congress (ANC) representative David Shahnazarian, one more foreign
political front was opened in consequence of the foreign policy
carried out by the RA authorities: a second, Armenia-Turkey conflict
was created. As the oppositionist predicted at a February 18 press
conference, soon Armenia under the pressure of the U.S. will ratify
the protocols and will do it sooner than Turkey.

According to D. Shahnazarian’s observation, at the initial stage of
the normalization process of Armenia-Turkey relations the initiative
of opening the border belonged to Russia. However today, according to
him, Russia does not show activity and an impression is formed that
the Russians needed signing of the protocols but never opening of the
border. "Today RF does not conceal that it is against the opening of
the Armenia-Turkey border," D. Shahnazarian said.

The ANC representative also touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
mentioning that its settlement is conditioned by Moscow-Washington
relations. In his opinion, Russia does its best to delay the
settlement. In response to the question of "should Armenia be guided
by the variant proposed by Russia or by the West" D. Shahnazarian
said that the Armenian authorities "will make any choice, even a
Mohammedan choice, in the respect of religion, only to prolong their
power for a day, an hour."

EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT MANUAL PRESENTED IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
17.02.2010 15:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Employer Engagement Manual was presented in
Yerevan in the frame of the "Skills@Work" project of the British
Council in Armenia. The manual has been designed for VET college
principals and is supposed to support and guide them in establishing
cooperation with employers.

The "Skills@Work" is intended to develop vocational education in
Armenia and 19 countries in South-Eastern Europe and is supported by
the local education ministry.

According to Vahagn Hovhannisyan, head of business projects department
at RA Chamber of Commerce, cooperation between business and education
will play an important role in the country’s development.

The British Council is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation
based in the United Kingdom which specialises in international
educational and cultural opportunities. It is a non-departmental
public body, a public corporation incorporated by royal charter,
and is registered as a charity in England.

Founded in 1934, it was granted a royal charter by King George VI in
1940. Its ‘sponsoring department’ within the United Kingdom Government
is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, although it has day-to-day
operational independence. Martin Davidson is its chief executive,
appointed in April 2007.

Its most recent Chair was Lord Kinnock, the former leader of the UK
Labour Party and a former European Commissioner. Kinnock stepped down
after a meeting of the Board of Trustees on 7 July 2009 following the
appointment of his wife to the House of Lords and as a Minister in the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office which is the sponsoring department
of British Council. Their son Stephen Kinnock – who was previously
British Council’s main lobbyist in Brussels and St Petersburg – left
in January 2009 to take up a job with The World Economic Forum after
he was expelled from Russia.

The Deputy Chair of British Council – Labour housing activist Gerard
Lemos who is also a director of British Council’s "off record" company
British Council International Trading Limited – has taken over as
Acting Chairperson until a successor to Lord Kinnock is recruited.

IS AMBASSADOR KAZIMIROV A FORMER MEDIATOR OR A POLITICAL HAWK FROM YEREVAN?

Trend
Feb 17 2010
Azerbaijan

Vladimir Kazimirov’s article posted on Armenian Web site armtoday.info
is provocative and distorts the essence of events in the region,
Fikret Sadikhov, Azerbaijani political scientist and diplomat, said.

Kazimirov was mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1992-1996.

"If one does not know whose article it is, one can imagine that this
was not a diplomat involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from
1992 to 1996 with a mediation mission, but a politician from Yerevan,"
Sadikhov said.

According to him, the former mediator’s concern is that the Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Euronews, that
Azerbaijan will never agree to Karabakh’s independence and will not
accept any mechanisms or procedures that could potentially lead to
its separation.

"It is simply impossible to say more reasonably, logically and
clearly. Azerbaijan had to conduct lengthy negotiations to set up the
Minsk Group to agree about the separation of Karabakh," Sadikhov said.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that they stand for peaceful solution
of the problem and the only thing they added was that if a peaceful
path does not give any results, then they will use force to resolve
the conflict, he added.

"Kazimirov said that it turns out that Azerbaijan ignored all U.N.

Security Council resolutions dated 1991, but Armenia didn’t. There
is a complete distortion of facts. The document states that it is
necessary to withdraw Armenian troops from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan. There is another document dated March 2008 of the 62nd
session of the U.N. General Assembly. It also stresses the need for
immediate and full withdrawal of all Armenian forces from Azerbaijani
territories," Sadikhov said.

"There are thoughts of Kazimirov, which demonstrate concern about the
situation in the region. But I am sure he is not concerned about the
region; he is concerned with how the Armenian population of Karabakh
will express their will and how it will be able to vote. He is not
interested, and even fears the fact that Azerbaijanis lived all their
life on this land and this is Azerbaijani land," the politician said.

"The article negatively affects the formation of public opinion
towards Russia in Azerbaijan and, of course, does not honor a former
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, now such an active and highly
biased advocate for the interests of Armenia," the diplomat said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the United
States – are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied
territories.

MARTIN VARDAZARYAN: EASTERN MOTIVES ARE HEARD IN EVA RIVAS’ SONG

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.02.2010 11:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There are eastern motives, which Turks can ascribe to
themselves, in the second part of Eva Rivas’ "Apricot Stone" song for
Eurovision Song Contest 2010, according to maestro Martin Vardazaryan,
People’s Artist of Armenia, composer and conductor of the Armenian TV &
Radio Orchestra.

However, he said, Eurovision is played out and should not be taken
seriously.

"The success of the song depends on the international image of
the country and the size of Diaspora in different states," Maestro
Vardazaryan said.

ARMENIAN, KAZAKH FMS DISCUSSED KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

news.am
Feb 16 2010
Armenia

February 16, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Kazakh Secretary of State and Foreign Minister
Kanat Saudabayev.

Foreign Ministers had private conversation followed by an enlarged
meeting, RA Foreign Ministry press service informed NEWS.am.

Nalbandian highly assessed Armenia-Kazakhstan relations, noting
that two countries have great potential for further expansion and
development of mutually advantageous cooldown.

Parties discussed a number of regional and international issues,
touching upon both states’ cooperation within international structures.

The officials exchanged opinions on OSCE activities, as well as issues
related to strengthening of European security. The parties made a
point of OSCE role in maintenance of stability and security, including
democratic processes and promotion of human rights’ protection.

Ministers also discussed the recent developments in Karabakh peace
process, underlining OSCE Minsk Group’s role in the peaceful settlement
of the conflict. They also touched upon steps towards Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation.

Internazionale

NUOVI ITALIANI 12 febbraio 2010
Il pane della vicina armena
Sarah Zuhra Lukanic è una scrittrice nata in Croazia nel 1960. Vive
a Roma dal 1987.

Mia madre aveva un’amica armena, Tanya Balian, che per Pasqua
preparava una grande treccia fragrante, il cui profumo si sentiva per
tutte le scale del condominio. Si chiama corég ed è simile al
sirnice che si fa in Dalmazia. Solo che il pane pasquale della
signora Balian era più buono.

Un popolo che ha vissuto la diaspora ha bisogno di frugare nei
ricordi di tutti i membri della comunità per ricomporre la sua
storia. Quella armena ha una data indelebile: il genocidio del 1915.
A volte l’uscita di un libro o di un film aiuta a rispolverare la
memoria collettiva. Ma l’esule non ha bisogno di film o di libri
per ricordare. L’esule vive del suo passato e con la forza del
ricordo ricostruisce tutti gli incastri.

Ã=88 quello che ha cercato di fare Sonya Orfalian, un’armena nata in
Libia e trapiantata a Roma. Sonya è un’artista e per riordinare la
diaspora del suo popolo ha scelto di partire dalla cucina. Il libro
La cucina d’Armenia (Ponte alle Grazie 2009) raccoglie ricordi,
ricette, usanze e consigli: tutto il vissuto di una comunitÃ
piccola, complessa e discreta.

La lettera capovolta
L’appuntamento con Sonya è nella sua casa romana alla Magliana. Le
pareti sono impreziosite dai suoi quadri, talmente essenziali da
sembrare giapponesi. Il pavimento è abbellito da un tappeto che
riprende un suo disegno con le lettere dell’alfabeto armeno. Mi
racconta che i tessitori l’hanno rimproverata perché per motivi
estetici ha capovolto una lettera. Ma Sonya conosce bene l’alfabeto
armeno. Ha imparato a leggere la lingua dieci anni fa, prendendo
lezioni a casa di un’amica iraniana, anche lei figlia della
diaspora armena.

Mi racconta anche del suo bisnonno paterno che lavorava in Sudamerica
e di suo nonno che si è trasferito a Gerusalemme ai tempi
dell’impero ottomano. Suo padre è nato là , mentre sua madre è
nata in una comunità di rifugiati armeni ad Aleppo, in Siria. La
saga della famiglia Orfalian è poi continuata in Libia, dove Sonya ha
frequentato la scuola italiana.

In una diaspora così lunga e imprevedibile, una società può
sopravvivere solo raccontandosi. Nella diaspora armena la chiesa ha
svolto il ruolo dello stato ed è stata un rifugio sicuro per la
comunità . Come l’isola di San Lazzaro dei padri mechitaristi a
Venezia, che oltre a museo e biblioteca, ospitava una stamperia che
riproduceva testi in trentasei lingue. Quando vado a Venezia, dormo
al collegio armeno di Moorat Raphael, a Dorsoduro, che in passato è
stato un asilo per poeti e scrittori armeni.

L’ingrediente segreto
Poi parliamo degli armeni a Roma, ormai poche migliaia di persone. Il
loro punto di riferimento è la chiesa di san Nicola da Tolentino,
vicino al Pontificio collegio armeno. La comunità pubblica anche la
rivista quindicinale Akhtamar che si concentra sulla cultura di
questo popolo. In Italia esistono comunità armene a Venezia, Milano,
Padova e Roma, mentre in passato c’è stata una significativa
presenza armena anche a Livorno, Taranto e Bari.

Sonya si alza e prende dall’armadio una sua scultura. Ha la forma di
una pagnotta ed è fatta di marmo travertino. Ã=88 come se dentro
la scultura fosse impastata tutta la storia del suo popolo. Prima di
salutarci le chiedo la ricetta del corég. Mi spiega che bisogna
aggiungere all’impasto un cucchiaio di maleppo macinato. Ã=88 il seme
che si trova dentro il nocciolo di un ciliegio selvatico che cresce
in oriente. Ecco perché il pane pasquale della signora Balian era
così speciale. Sarah Zuhra Lukanic

THE SPEECH OF PRESIDENT IN "CHATHAM HOUSE" WAS CONTRADICTORY

Aysor
Feb 15 2010
Armenia

"The Armenian – Turkish relations are actually deadlocked", –
politician Ervand Bozoyan, assured touching upon the RA President
Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the "Chatham House" in London.

E. Bozoyan called the speech of the President "contradictory". On
one hand he called "normal" the ideas expressed by the president
about the Nagorno Karabak and on the other hand he spoke about the
initiative of Armenia in the Armenian – Turkish relations with little
trust. The speaker said that Turkey at the beginning of the resumption
of the relations as well as today is continuously repeating that the
"Armenian – Turkish relations will be normalized if there is a progress
in the Artsakh conflict normalization process and added that nothing
is changed in that regard.

"This is what we were foreseeing: this process has no serious future",
– the analyst stresses and adds,- "Both the Armenian and the Turkish
sides try to put the fault on one another and in this sense observing
the speech of the President I find it logical."

According to E. Bozoyan "we should attach importance not to the
separate speeches but the whole logic of the other processes", he
mentioned that thus the Armenian side has fulfilled all the duties
it had concerning the Armenian – Turkish protocols.

"There was nothing connected with the NKR conflict in the protocols
and actually in the NKR issue Armenia will not go for any concessions",
– E. Bozoyan said.

US AND RUSSIA EXERT PRESSURE ON TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.02.2010 15:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Former speaker of the Armenian parliament, MP
Tigran Torosyan believes Turkey is being pressured in the process of
normalizing ties with Armenia.

"Moscow and Washington’s urging Erdogan not to link Karabakh conflict
settlement to Armenia-Turkey rapprochement is a major slap on the face
of Turkish Prime Minister. Simple logic tells that US and Russia won’t
allow Turkey to interfere in Karabakh conflict settlement process to
retain the leverage of pressure on Azerbaijan," Mr. Torosyan told a
news conference in Yerevan.

"There’s more to lose than to gain for Armenia in the opening of
border with Turkey. We’ve already made our share of concessions by
agreeing to Protocol provisions on mutual recognition of borders and
historic subcommittee formation. Moreover, we’ve made no progress in
the issue of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Almost all countries are convinced that recognition of Armenian
Genocide can harm RA-Turkey reconciliation," he concluded.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from
1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994
(when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most
of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is
now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are
holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Dedication to Language: Petizians Release CD

ation-to-language-petizians-release-cd/
By Antranig Dereyan – on February 12, 2010

In Canada, brothers John and Frank Petizian have come together to
teach Armenian youth their native tongue.

`We were asked to be music teachers at the Halton Peel Armenian
Saturday School in Oakville, Ontario around three years ago,’ said
John Petizian. `So in 2007 while we were there, we saw that we could
contribute in other ways.’ Like creating a workbook for those Armenian
children who didn’t know any Armenian at all. In some cases, Petizian
explained, `one parent knows Armenian and the other doesn’t, or in
many cases, both parents don’t know Armenian. So we decided to have
this workbook but to teach it from an English standpoint – meaning a lot
of english translation.

Since they were music teachers, the brothers discussed putting
together a CD as well, one that would keep the kids, in all three
levels of the Armenian school, entertained and wanting to come to
school every Saturday.

`We wanted to write original music for the kids, but we wanted a more
mature arrangement. So we demoed the songs to the children and had
them participate in the CD process. We asked the kids to help us write
some words down and we put music behind the words. The song that is on
our first CD `Ararat’ is `Sorveenk Meeaseen’ (in English, Let’s learn
together) and is an example of this process,’ said Petizian.

They produce and compose the music with little difficultly. `I am a
piano player and my brother is a self-taught guitarist, but we are not
professional musicians so we brought in someone to help us, Aram
Moosakhinian.’

Moosakhinian, an award-winning artist, has released Armenian CDs and
written music scores for TV. `[He] lives in Canada now and [we] have
worked well together since the first album because he created the
arrangement and we recorded the music. We even came up with a band
name, `Enguerner’ (Friends),’ added Petizian.

They are now in the process of putting together a second CD which,
according to Petizian, will be nothing like the first one. `We have
two songs released now, `Hayr Mer’ and `Arevig,’ both on YouTube. The
focus is more on working with the children, so children are singing,
they have the lead parts and we hope to get the whole CD done and out
by late Christmas 2010, with both original and cover songs.’

The brothers have their hands full with the CD and the book, but
things are progressing well. `It has taken us three years to get where
we are, both with the book and CD. It is hard to sell books,
especially workbooks, but we are doing our best. With Armenian
workbooks, I think, if you sell 1,000 it is called a success and we
are close to that level. I think people want workbooks like this one,
but the problem is that when you print in such low quantities, it
makes the book very expensive. And when the people see the price, they
get turned off from getting the book,’ Petizian said. `We decided to
enhance the value of the book by putting more online content to go
along with it for more help, and with letter pronunciations. For
example, if the child is on a certain page, the page will say, `Go
online and use this password,’ and it will help them more with
actually pronouncing the words and letters.’

Petizian does admit his weakness with the Armenian alphabet before
having written the workbook. `The question became, why am I writing a
workbook about learning Armenian when my Armenian isn’t that great to
begin with?’ he asked. `But writing the book has strengthened my
knowledge of reading and writing Armenian. I spoke with many teachers
before the workbook’s release, like Sarkis Hampoyan, who edited the
book for me because of his expertise in the Armenian language – not to
mention the teachers at the Halton Peel Armenian Saturday School. So
it went through intensive care before I decided it was ready,’ said
Petizian.

The book, which is for understanding and comprehending Western
Armenian, is also for building vocabulary. `The book uses easy words
for children to quickly identify the words and letters they are saying
and reading,’ he added.

To learn more about the book or CD, visit