Author: Kamalian Hagop

ARMINFO News Agency
October 8, 2005

THERE IS NO RUSSIAN TRACE IN LAST EVENTS IN SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8. ARMINFO. There is no Russian trace in the last
events in Georgia’s mostly Armenian Samtskhe-Javakheti region, says
the national security advisor of the Armenian president Garnik
Isagulyan.

The escalation of tension in the region is due rather to hard
social-economic situation. The Georgian authorities should be very
careful in their actions as any small provocation may spark large
scale clashes.

The question is about the Oct 5 incident between the police and
ralliers in the region where an action of protest turned into mass
disorders. The ralliers protested against the tax inspection of 10
trade facilities in the center of Akhalkalaki. The personal
representative of the Georgian president to the region Georgy
Khachidze said Oct 6 that those responsible will be punished while
the Georgian president said that the police was always “up to the
mark”.

Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency, Iran
Oct 9 2005

Armenian Authors Gather in Yerevan

Armenian writers and poets from all around the world gather in
Yerevan from 8-12 October.

Tehran, 9 October 2005 (CHN) – The Biggest gathering of Armenian
authors will be held in Yerevan from 8 to 12 October with the
presence of 2 Iranian literary figures; Zoya Pirzad and Ahmad Nouri
Zadeh.

The gathering is dedicated to the writers and poets who write their
works in languages other than Armenian.

Among the invited literary figures for the event, Zoya Pirzad, an
Iranian awarded female writer, is mentionable. Zoya Pirzad whose
famous `I am the one who turns off the lights’ has won several
national literary awards, is one of the few Armenian writers in Iran
who writes in Persian.

`Since Leon Analian became responsible for the directorship of
Armenian Writers Association, the association is more active.
Organizing several literary conferences are among its achievements’
said Varand, secretary general of the association.

This 2nd edition of the conference of Armenian writers is dedicated
to the review and study of Armenian writers who live outside the
country. These kinds of literary events are aimed at creating greater
kinship among Armenian literary figures from all over the world.

Beside Zoya Pirzad, Ahmad Nouri Zadeh is another Iranian literary
figure who will be present at the event. He will be awarded for his
great translations of Armenian works into Persian.

;section=2

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network

(CENN)

Weekly Digest

October 5, 2005

News From Georgia

Environment Protection Inspection Detects Illegal Timber Processing In
Samtskhe Javakheti Region

Source: Prime-News Agency, September 25, 2005

The officials of the inspection Ministry of Environmental Protection and
Natural Resources of Georgia detected facts of illegal timber processing
in
<; more

BTC SOLEMN CEREMONY DUE IN GEORGIA

Source: AzerTag, September 28, 2005

As is stated, on the occasion of achievement of the border of Turkey by
the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Pipeline, there will be held a solemn
ceremony on October 12.
<; more

Government refuels to take Million from BP

Source: `24 Saati’ (`24 Hours’), September 30, 2005

`Government refuses to defense the lives of its citizens,’ –
declared the
representatives of Association of Young Lawyers. The problem concerns
the
inhabitants of Dgvari Village, Borjomi region, were situation is
critical
due to the activation of landslides. Although landslides are
characteristic
for this area, after the construction of BTC this natural disaster
became
more frequent.
<; more

News From Azerbaijan

NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN PREPARATION

Source: AzerTag, September 27, 2005

A three-day seminar in preparation of the national program for Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants commenced at the Ministry of
Ecology and Natural Resources. The seminar is attended by experts of the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
representatives
of the ministries and non-governmental organizations.
<; more

POVERTY LEVEL TO DIMINISH TO 35% IN AZERBAIJAN IN 2005

Source: Turan, September 27, 2005

The Minister of Economic Development, Farkhad Aliyev, stated that the
poverty level would most probably decrease to 35% in Azerbaijan in the
end
of this year. He said this index had decreased from 49% to 40.2% in the
last
two years.
<; more

News from Armenia

RISE OF LAKE SEVAN COULD DRAIN ARMENIA’S TREASURY
Source: Environment News Service (ENS): By Arevhat Grigorian, September
26,
2005

Armenian ecologists fear a rare environmental triumph is in danger of
going
wrong. Buildings and beaches around Lake Sevan are rapidly disappearing
under water as efforts by scientists and environmentalists to reverse
the
decline of this huge freshwater reservoir pay off more quickly than
expected.
<; more

Armenia Becomes ADB Member

Source: ARMENPRESS, September 27, 2005

Armenia has become the 64th member of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Armenia’s membership became effective on 20 September 2005 upon
completion
of all formalities.
<; more

ARMENIA RECEIVES 260.000 TOURISTS ANNUALLY
Source: AZG Armenian Daily #173, September 28, 2005

These six months 108.517 people visited Armenia of which only 20.474
people
stayed at the hotels. The rest of them preferred staying at their
friends
and relatives or to rent apartments. The tourism agencies are really
concerned about this statistics.
<; more

Armenian Government Approves Program on Restoration of Lake Sevan
Ecosystem
for 2006
Source: ARMINFO, September 28, 2005

The Armenian Government has approved a program of actions on restoration
of
the ecosystem of Lake Sevan for 2006.
<; more

Gyumri to be Cleaned of Rubbish
Source: A1+, September 29, 2005

Japan, the Armenian government and the Gyumri city administration joined
efforts to eliminate household rubbish by means of processing. A
Japanese
delegation arrived in Gyumri for the purpose.
<; more

Kocharian Noted Importance of Armenia- Georgia Energy Cooperation
Source: PanARMENIAN.Net, September 30, 2005

Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with Georgian Prime
Minister
Zurab Nogaideli, who arrived in Armenia for the participation in the
4-th
sitting of the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission on
economic
cooperation, RA President’s press center reported. Presenting the
outcomes
of the Yerevan sitting to Robert Kocharian the Georgian Premier stated
<; more

International News

Are The Millennium Development Goals Out Of Reach In Europe And Central
Asia?

Source: The World Bank Group News, September 24, 2005

A new World Bank report, Millennium Development Goals: Progress and
Prospects in Europe and Central Asia, measures how far countries of the
region have come toward attaining such internationally agreed goals as
halving extreme poverty by 2015, reducing maternal mortality, achieving
universal primary education, and arresting the spread of HIV/AIDS.
<; more

CO2 Storage May Minimize Climate Change

Source: UNEP press release, September 26, 2005

A new assessment report finalized here today by the Intergovernmental
Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that capturing and storing the carbon
dioxide (CO2) produced by power plants and factories before it enters
the
atmosphere could play a major role in minimizing climate change.
<; more

Quarry owner prosecuted for illegal disposal of waste

Source: Environmental Agency: By Mike Dunning, September 26, 2005

The owner of a Somerset quarry has been ordered to pay £1,350 in fines
and
costs for illegally storing and burning waste timber. The case was
brought
by the Environment Agency.
<; more

Connecting for Biodiversity: Countdown 2010 at European Nature
Conference in
Apeldoorn

Source: The World Conservation Union (IUNC), September 27, 2005

The World Conservation Union together with other European environmental
organizations have issued the Apeldoorn Appeal, a joint call on the
European
Commission, governments and civil society to achieve the 2010
biodiversity
commitment. The appeal came out of the European Nature Conference, which
took place from 21-25 September 2005 in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. The
conference, hosted by the Dutch NGO Natuurmonumenten to celebrate its
100th-anniversary this year, brought together 620 participants from 39
countries.
<; more

CHINA TO LAY PRIVATE OIL PIPELINE TO RUSSIA

Source: AzerTag, September 28, 2005

China’s first private oil pipeline to import oil from Russia is expected
to
be completed and start operation next year, reported PTI.
<; more

Illegal dumping and burning of waste lands man in court

Source: environmental Agency: By Mike Dunning, September 28, 2005

A man who dumped waste furniture in a field in Cornwall and then set
fire to
it was today ordered to pay £1,000 in fines and costs in a case
brought by
the Environment Agency.

Acting on a tip off from a member of the public, an Environment Agency
officer went to a small field near Little Lancarrow Farm, Four Lanes,
Redruth on October 20, 2004.
<; more

Los Angeles Study Finds Higher Pollution Death Risk

Source: By Kevin Krolicki, Reuters , September 28, 2005

The risk of dying from air pollution in parts of traffic-clogged Los
Angeles
appears sharply higher than previously believed, according to a study
comparing the risks of living in affluent, beachfront neighborhoods to
the
hazy and fast-growing inland area.
<; more

China GMO Rice Unlikely This Year – Scientists

Source: Planet Ark, September 30, 2005

China, the world’s biggest producer and consumer of rice, is close to
approving a genetically modified version of the staple, a state
newspaper
said on Thursday, but scientists denied any breakthrough was imminent.
<; more

Seminars, conference and meetings

BEIDS Briefing 2005-35- Specialist Seminar on dockyard waste waters in
Hamburg

Source: Ecological North West Line (ENWL), September 29, 2005

The Specialist Seminar Environmental decision-making exemplarily applied
to
dockyard waste waters will be held in Hamburg on the 24th November 2005.
The
event is organized as part of the project Green North Sea Docks (GNSD),
<; more

Announcement

Explore Georgia with Caucasus Travel – Surroundings of Tbilisi

Source: The Messenger, September 23, 2005

This tour leads us to the surroundings of Tbilisi to explore beautiful
landscape, lush forests, and cool springs of the Betania area. W will
drive
up a hill, where a beautiful view of Tbilisi will be open to visitors.
The
first stop of day will he the Betania monastery, complex, where monks
are
living even today.
<; more

Invitation to the Regional Meeting of Environmental NGOs of the South
Caucasus

Invitation to the Regional Meeting of Environmental NGOs of the South
Caucasus States `Building a Regional NGO Platform in the South
Caucasus for
Involvement of Civil Society in Formulation and Implementation of
European
Neighborhood Policy (ENP) Process’
<; more

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<;

CENN INFO

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MINISTER OF CULTURE AND STATE DANCE ENSEMBLE IN CYPRUS
By Ruzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily #178
05/10/2005

Daily Azg’s special correspondent George Der Partogh informs that the
State Dance Ensemble of Armenia performed three concerts in Cyprus
within the frameworks of “Cypria-2005” international festival. Hovik
Hoveyan, minister of Culture of Armenia, accompanied the ensemble
during the visit. Chairman of the House of Representatives of Cyprus,
Demetris Kristofias, received the minister on Monday; later that
day he met with the head of the President’s Press Office, Marios
Karoyan. Speaking about warm Armenia-Cypriot relations, Hoveyan wished
that they deepened even more. Kristofias, on his part, thanked for
Armenia’s efforts in supporting Cyprus. In his statements after meeting
with Karoyan, culture minister touched on Armenian-Turkish relations
saying: “We have no feeling of vengeance towards the Turkish people
but we have to fight for the historic truth. We cannot put up with
the silence over the issue of the Armenian Genocide and the blood
that Armenians shed”.

NKR DM REFUTES AZERI MEDIA REPORTS

ArmInfo News Agency
Oct 4 2005

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 4. ARMINFO. The press service of the Defence
Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has refuted the report
by the Azeri media that an Azeri soldier was killed by the Armenian
armed forces in Karabakh Oct 3.

The press secretary of the DM Senor Asratyan says that the report
is not true and is mere propaganda. “Now that Azerbaijan is to
conduct parliamentary elections the anti-Karabakh rhetoric is getting
increasingly stronger and is aimed at misleading the international
community.” “Karabakh fully meets its commitments to preserve the
cease-fire regime which cannot be said about Azerbaijan,” says
Asratyan.

UNITING TURKEY, THE EU
By Tulin Daloglu

Washington Times
Oct 4 2005

Afterlong,nerve-wrecking, last-minute negotiations, the European Union
backed away from the precipice last night when Turkey’s accession
talks formally kicked off in Luxembourg.

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel believed his country
represented a European majority in opposing Turkey’s entrance into
the talks. Though 24 members agreed, and in December Turkey was told
it met the criteria to move forward, Austrians think it is nearly
impossible to integrate into the EU a poor and populous country,
culturally and religiously different than the Europeans. Or at least
that was what held them back until yesterday.

That concern is reminiscent of the old Turkish shadow play of
Karagoz. The hero, a poor soldier named Visal, finds a wife through a
matchmaker. After the wedding, he lifts the bride’s veil to discover
a horrifically ugly woman beneath it. Visal threatens both the
matchmaker and the matchmaker’s husband, and goes on a pilgrimage to
purify himself.

Mr. Schuessel is hardly delighted by the EU leadership under British
Prime Minister Tony Blair, the leading matchmaker between Turkey
and the EU, who pushed him to drop his objections to Turkey’s
membership. The last-minute intervention of Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice supporting Turkey may have even made him feel more
isolated, and deepened the perception that Europeans are incapable of
solving their problems alone. The Austrian demand to offer Turkey a
“privileged partnership” is history now.

In addition, Mr. Schuessel is so adamant that Turkey joining the EU
will be disastrous that he has persuaded himself that he is in even
a worse position than Visal – that when Turkey becomes a member to
the EU, it will be ugly, and there is no way for it to become part of
the European way of life. Which is why Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said, “There are those who cannot free themselves
from prejudice.”

The most amazing thing about those who hold such views is that they
forget Turkey did not apply to the EU to promote its religion.

It first became an associate EU member in 1963, applied for full
membership in 1987, and in 1992 became the first associate country to
sign the Customs Union agreement before becoming a full member. Yet,
Turkey has been part of the EU process for 40 years because it is
a secular, democratic country that cherishes the same values as
Europeans – and it has also been a NATO ally since 1952.

British Foreign Minister Jack Straw reminded the Austrians that “when
Western Europe needed defense, along with the United States, it looked
to Turkey for that defense on its eastern flank against the then-Soviet
Union… No issues were then raised that it had an Islamic majority.”

Despite all the tough talk, Philip Gordon, director of the Brookings
Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe, is still hopeful
about Turkey’s future in the EU, saying that the 35 percent to 45
percent of Europeans who support its full membership is a good start.

Mr. Gordon also challenges the EU counter-declaration to Turkey,
which insisted that it should recognize Cyprus (or more specifically,
the Greek-Cypriot administration) before it becomes a full member.

Mr. Gordon says the condition was a given, and was added to provoke
Turkey into not cooperating with the EU. Turks also cite the European
Parliament’s demand to recognize the Armenian genocide as another
means.

Yet Turkey continues to beat the odds. Although public opinion polls
in Germany and Austria significantly oppose Turkey’s EU membership,
the leaders who ran elections based on anti-Turkish sentiment lost
their elections. The German Christian Democrat leader Angela Merkel
lost, and Mr. Schuessel lost in a region that was a stronghold for his
People’s Party since 1945. And while France insists that its people
have an opportunity to approve or reject Turkey in a referendum,
Germany’s outgoing foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, warns, “You
can not build Europe on the basis of referendums.”

A recent Turkish public opinion poll showed nearly 60 percent still
support the EU membership. Turks remain hopeful, like in a famous
Turkish movie portraying the same story as the Karagoz play, but
which cast a beautiful actress as the ugly bride. The groom had seen
her ugly – it was the art of makeup – until it was time to unveil
her. Yet when they wed, he was so surprised to see the bride because
what he had seen was beautiful, and he fell in love.

A senior American diplomat told me last week he was sure the talks
would start because Turkey’s full membership is 10 to 15 years down the
road. But while the talk of Turkey’s EU candidacy has always broken
some crockery, Mr. Straw warned the EU that it should get it right,
and “we reach the sunny uplands.”

Today we hope the future negotiations segue into smart, emotionally
less exhausting, and legally tight conversations to make the full
partnership between the EU and Turkey a reality.

Tulin Daloglu is the Washington correspondent and columnist for
Turkey’s Star TV and newspaper. A former BBC reporter, she writes
occasionally for The Washington Times.

THREE OUT OF FIVE TURKS NOT CONFIDENT IN EU: SURVEY

Agence France Presse — English
October 1, 2005 Saturday 10:24 AM GMT

Three out of five Turks say they do not have confidence in the European
Union, just two days before highly charged negotiations on the Muslim
state’s entry to the bloc are due to begin, according to a poll for
the liberal daily Milliyet published Saturday.

Only 17.5 percent of 1,834 people questioned said they had confidence
in the EU, highlighting a significant fall in enthusiasm for membership
over the past year.

In 2004, 67.5 percent believed Turkey should “definitely” join the
EU, compared to 57.4 percent this year, the A and G survey carried
out between September 24 and 29 showed.

Some 18.2 percent of respondents said they were indifferent to the
outcome of the entry negotiations (5.7 percent up on last year)
while 10.3 percent said they opposed integration with the bloc,
a rise of 1.6 percent since 2004.

EU foreign ministers, who disagree sharply on future relations
with Turkey, are meeting on Sunday in an 11th-hour bid to agree a
“negotiation framework” for Monday’s talks.

The meeting comes after member state Austria made its opposition
to full membership for Turkey clear and proposed an alternative
“privileged partnership”, an option rejected by 59.8 percent of those
surveyed by A and G and flatly refused by the Turkish government.

“If we fail to see the honesty we expect, Turkey’s response will
undoubtedly be very different from what has been said so far,” the
Anatolia news agency reported Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as
saying Friday.

Some French politicians, including presidential hopeful Nicolas
Sarkozy, have also expressed doubts over full membership for
Turkey, which was an explosive issue during the French government’s
unsuccessful campaign to ratify the EU constitution in May.

However Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has urged the EU to
“maintain its credibility” and resist taking a step backwards by
opting for a “privileged partnership”.

“The EU recognised Turkey as a candidate country in 1999 without
expressing any such reservation,” he told French daily Le Figaro
in September.

In recent weeks the Turkish press has reported growing public
frustration with the EU’s hesitations over Turkish membership amid
growing pressure to recognise Cyprus and over controversial massacres
of Armenians under the Ottoman empire.

According to a smaller survey by AC Nielsen, broadcast on Friday by
the Kanal D TV station, 70 percent of Turks still back negotiations
on integration with the bloc but only 47 percent believe that they
will begin on Monday as planned.

Some 55 percent of those questioned blamed France as responsible for
stalling the talks, ahead of Germany and Britain (15 percent), Greece
(seven percent) and Austria (six percent).

Turkey first applied to join the bloc in the 1960s and entry
negotiations are expected to last at least a decade.

Couple’s home raided in fraud case
By Tania Chatila, News-Press and Leader

*Suspects record customers’ credit card info to make illegal
purchases, police say.

Glendale News Press
Sept. 23, 2005

NORTHWEST GLENDALE — A Glendale couple was arrested Thursday morning
on fraud charges after police raided their Myrtle Street home and
Glenoaks Boulevard business, recovering thousands of dollars worth
of stolen merchandise and hundreds of credit cards, police said.

Karen and Tatevik Mkrtchian, both 35, were arrested on suspicion of
identity theft, possession of altered credit cards and burglary at
about 7 a.m. Thursday morning, after police served search warrants for
the couple’s home and business, Glendale Police Sgt. Brian Cohen said.

“We were pulling stuff out of vases, anywhere you could possibly
imagine,” Cohen said.

Investigators believe the couple was using stolen credit card
information to purchase items for resale at their business, Cavalier
Liquor Store, at 1307 Glenoaks Blvd., Cohen said.

“But I would guess their lifestyle was also geared at living off the
income from using those credit cards,” he said.

The couple may have had a device in their credit card machine that
would catch information as customers swiped their cards, and may have
had a camera located in a such a way as to film customers entering
their pin numbers, Cohen said.

Employees at neighboring businesses said they never noticed anything
unusual at the liquor store, and were surprised to see it closed
Thursday morning.

“I was wondering about why they didn’t open today,” said Gordon
Arakelian, co-owner of Ninos Pizza, next door.

Arakelian said most of the store’s customers would come from the DMV,
across the street.

“They are going to be worried,” he said. “It was, for me, a
surprise. They were good people, good neighbors. I never had any
problems.”

Along with clothing, high-end crystal figurines, drugs and guns, police
confiscated three cars from the couple’s residence — two Mercedeses
and a Dodge Magnum — that are not registered to the Mkrtchian’s,
Cohen said.

“Now, all of this stuff needs to be investigated and proved,” Glendale
Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Investigators have not yet sorted out which items were purchased
illegitimately, but have confirmed that much of the liquor store’s
merchandise was bought with fraudulent credit cards, Cohen said.

“Some things we’ll be able to prove, and some things we won’t, but we
went in there looking for certain items and we found that and more,”
Cohen said.

The couple is being held at Glendale City Jail, pending an arraignment
at Glendale Court next week, Cohen said. A date has not been set.

Karen Mkrtchian is being held at $200,000 bond and Tatevik Mkrtchian
is being held at $50,000 bond.

If the two post their bails, they will have to prove the money is
not from any type of criminal activity, Cohen said.

Investigators, who have been following the case for months, are
looking into other family members’ possible involvement, Cohen said.

Police have not determined how much money in merchandise the couple
may have funneled through fraudulent activity.

Anyone with any additional information should contact Glendale Police
Det. Tigran Topadzikyan at (818) 548-3101.

* TANIA CHATILA covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at
(818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at [email protected].

ARMINFO News Agency
September 30, 2005

VENICE COMMISSION SECRETARY: DRAFT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS OF
ARMENIA MEET EUROPEAN STANDARDS

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30. ARMINFO. The draft Constitutional amendments
of Armenia meet European standards, CE Venice Commission Secretary
Gianni Buquicchio told journalists, Friday.

He noted that the provisions on the elections of Yerevan Mayor and on
the independence of the judicial system could be “more perfect.” He
refrained himself from answering the question if any sanctions
threaten Armenia in case if the referendum of the constitutional
reforms fails. G. Buquicchio just said that Armenia undertook
definite commitments when joining the Council of Europe.

In his turn, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Gagik
Haroutiunyan told journalists that he has no studied the details of
the draft amendments adopted by the parliament in the third reading.
He took a favorable view of the provision allowing the citizens to
protect their rights through the Constitutional Court.

Armenian Youth Federation-YOARF Eastern US
80 Bigelow Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel. (617) 923-1933
Fax (617) 924-1933

PRESS RELEASE ~ September 26, 2005
Contact: Sossi Essajanian
(617) 923-1933

AYF Eastern Region Junior Members Participate in Annual Athletic Games

WATERTOWN, Mass.?From September 23 to 25, over 110 junior and senior
members of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern Region gathered
at Camp Haiastan for the annual Junior Athletic Games (JAG), which
brings together participants from the Mid-Atlantic and New England
districts.

AYF junior members hailing from New York; New Jersey; Philadelphia,
Penn.; Boston; Providence, R.I.; Worcester; North Andover; and
Blackstone Valley took to the pool and the track for heated
competitions. Attendees, staying at Camp Haiastan in Franklin, for the
weekend, were divided into two groups, with older juniors ages 10 to
13 competing separately from those in the 14 to 16 age group.

Beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, all juniors and seniors were
bused from the camp to the Milford High School pool, in Milford, where
athletes competed to the cheers of a sizable crowd of peers, AYF
seniors and parents.

By noontime the swimming events concluded, with participants and
observes alike traveling to neighboring Hopkinton, where the track and
field events got underway at Hopkinton High School.

Juniors participated in six track events, as well as team relay races
and the field events of long jump, shot put and baseball throw. “I’ve
been doing this for 20 years now and I enjoy it very much,” said
Providence AYF alumnus Sarkis Varadian, who clerks the track and field
events for JAG every year.

The Greater Boston chapter, who supplied sandwiches, snacks and manned
a concession stand at the track all day, hosted the event.

That evening, a celebration was held at Camp Haiastan’s Dikran Tzamour
Hall, where athletes and AYF seniors danced to the music of
Philadelphia AYF senior members Aram Hovagimian on keyboard, Anthony
Deese on guitar, and Greater Boston AYF senior Sevag Khatchadourian on
vocals. Entertainment also included tunes played by DJ Harout
Khatchadourian from Providence.

Team scores and award winners were later announced, with New Jersey
finishing in third with 41 points, followed by Providence in second
with 92 and the Greater Boston Nejdeh juniors, with 201 points, taking
first place. High scoring athletes were also awarded trophies: Ani
Megerdichian from Providence for the older girls (age 14 to 16); Araxi
Krafian and Anoush Arakelian both from Greater Boston for the younger
girls (age 10-13); Varant Chiloyan from Greater Boston and Greg
Gregorian from North Andover for the older boys; and Matthew Picard
from Greater Boston for the younger boys.

On Sunday morning, athletes participated in a basketball tournament at
Camp Haiastan, before boarding their buses and getting in their cars
to go home. “I like going to JAG because I get to see all my Armenian
friends and it?s a lot of fun to compete in the games,” said Ani
Sarajian from the New Jersey AYF junior team, as she left the camp.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) serves as the
youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(YOARF). The AYF stands on five pillars that guide its activities:
education, political awareness, fellowship, athletics and
culture. Moreover, the AYF promotes a fraternal attitude of respect
for the diversity of ideas and individuals amongst its
membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow
members of the organization to work together and realize its
objectives.