Author: Karabekian Emil

USA SENDS SPORTS ENVOYS TO ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2010-03-03 11:49:00

ArmInfo. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs SportsUnited office, in partnership with Roxy, a
brand of Quiksilver, is conducting a snowboarding ports Envoy program
in Armenia, March 3-7, 2010. Professional snowboarders and Roxy team
riders Amber Stackhouse and Erin Comstock will be the first action
sports athletes to be sent abroad as Sports Envoys by SportsUnited.

The US Department of State reports that during their five-day trip,
Stackhouse and Comstock will visit Yerevan and Tsaghkadzor. While in
Yerevan, the Envoys will meet with middle school students, university
film students, and female athletes to discuss the importance
of participation in sports for women and girls. In Tsaghkadzor,
the Envoys will conduct two snowboard clinics, give a snowboarding
exhibition and judge a snowboard cross event.

Amber Stackhouse is the 2003 winner of the American Snowboard Tour
in slopestyle (freestyle). Since then, she has consistently honed her
skills to gain a reputation as one of the best slopestyle contenders
on the circuit. In 2007, she defended her title and was ranked as
the #1 boarder on American Snowboard Tour in slopestyle. Outside of
snowboarding, Stackhouse is an accomplished film producer who has
produced several films, including "Labor of Love" and "Refreshments,"
as well as two groundbreaking all-girl snowboarding films, "As If"
and "Ro Sham Bo."

Erin Comstock is a professional snowboarder whose list of
accomplishments includes numerous podium wins, including first place
in the Abominable Snow Jam (ASJ) slopestyle contest in 2008. Comstock
is a six-time participant in the ESPN U.S. Winter X-Games, and is
also a familiar face in snowboarding films. Comstock’s list of film
credits includes appearances in "As If," "RoShamBo," "See What I See,"
"I Ride Park City," "City, Park City," "Stance" and "LaLaLand."

Sports Envoys serve as ambassadors for their sport in overseas programs
that include drills and team building activities, as well as engaging
the youth participants in dialogue on the importance of leadership
and respect for diversity.

EU TO SUPPORT EVERY EFFORT FOR THE NKR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Aysor
March 2 2010
Armenia

The EU tries to involve the both sides of the Karabakh conflict into
the conflict solution process through negotiation and politicy,
today said the head of the high-level delegation of the European
Union Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on the joint
press conference with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

He informed that the issue has been discussed also with the Azerbaijani
side in order to create a positive atmosphere for the NKR conflict
settlement.

"European Union will support every effort, as it has always done and I
hope that those efforts will bring positive results", – Miguel Angel
Moratinos said.

He reminded that in the OSCE during the Spanish presidency in 2007
the Madrid principles have been affirmed.

"Peaceful solution, preservation of international norms, work of
Minsk Group, supporting of the co-chairs", – the Spanish FM stressed.

KAREN VARDANYAN: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RESTRICTIONS DETAIN IT DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.03.2010 16:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Union of IT Enterprises (UITE) has prepared an
initiative on the amendments to RA law on control over the export of
goods and dual-purpose technologies.

As Karen Vardanyan, UITE executive director, said during IT leaders’
forum in Aghveran, the project should be approved by RA Ministry of
Economy and RA State Revenue Committee. "Main suggestions relate
to service costs for expert assessment of the product, as well as
determination of dual-purpose product lists," he told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

In addition to internal obstacles, IT development in Armenia is
detained by some international restrictions. Thus, according to EU
government’s decree, Armenia is included in the list of "unreliable"
countries; EU states are forbidden to export analytical equipment or
its components to countries listed, Karen Vardanyan said.

Azerbaijan, China, Congo, Sudan, Somali, North Korea and other
countries are also included in the list.

"I consider it unacceptable, as Armenia is an EU partner within the
framework of European Neighborhood policy. USA does not envisage such
prohibitions for Armenia. And if we seek to develop technologically,
we should be able to import updated equipment," he added.

CRIMINAL CASE INITIATED ON BASIS OF MATERIALS PROVIDED BY GAGIK SHAMSHYAN

ArmInfo
2010-02-27 11:06:00

A criminal case has been initiated on the basis of materials provided
by Gagik Shamshyan, photo correspondent. Earlier on February 24
G. Shamshyan and a man at the age of 30 had a quarrel in front of
the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The Prosecutor General’s Office press-service reported that Shamshyan
was asked to the Prosecutor’s Office of Kentron and Nork Marash
communities, Yerevan. On the basis of his written application, a
criminal case has been initiated on Article 118 (beating) and Article
164.1 (interference with activity of a journalist). The Investigation
Department of the Police Central Department has been charged to
inquire into the case. The surveillance camera on the building of the
Prosecutor’s Office recorded the incident. The record was enclosed to
the case. It is available at the website of the Armenian Prosecutor
General’s Office.

13:27 26/02/2010 » Politics
Greek-Americans urge Obama to recall US Ambassador to Turkey

American Hellenic Institute is demanding that President Obama recall
the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, accusing the envoy of making
`unacceptable, disappointing and damaging’ remarks that `undermine the
administration’s position on Cyprus.’

Remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, James Jeffrey, call into
question U.S. Policy on Cyprus AHI calls on President Obama to recall
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.

In a three- part interview with Turkey’s Sabah newspaper recently,
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey answered a large array of
questions regarding Turkey’s role in the region today and overall
U.S.- Turkish relations.

Ambassador Jeffrey’s responses for the public record were alarming, as
a result, the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) calls on President
Barack Obama to immediately recall Ambassador James Jeffrey. AHI views
the ambassador’s remarks as unacceptable, disappointing and damaging
to U.S. interests.

The US Ambassador’s statement was raised at the US Senate sitting on
foreign affairs. Senator Robert Menendes highlighted that 400.000
Turkish army has occupied Cyprus and made an inquiry to the State
Secretary Hillary Clinton:

`The US Ambassador Jeffrey said in his interview with Sabah that
Turkey `doesn’t invade neighbors…It has security concerns in Cyprus.’
Was this just a stumble?’

Clinton said she couldn’t say anything on behalf of the Ambassador,
but this is the disposition of the Turkish party, not the US.

Source: Panorama.am

Ashot Lazarian appointed member of CBA Board

armradio.am
27.02.2010 15:58

According to President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree of February 26, Ashot
Lazarian was appointed member of the Board of the Central Bank of
Armenia, President’s Press Office reported.
Ashot Lazarian’s term in office will expire on September 1, 2014.

Over 10 000 people visit Xocali.net in two days

26.02.2010 22:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Over 10 000 people have visited Xocali.net
() within the past two days, mostly from Europe, Russia
and Azerbaijan. Launched on February 24 by Xenophobia Prevention
Initiative, Xocali.net displays evidence of falsifications and
forgeries of Azerbaijani propaganda in the information war against
Armenia.

Experts of Xenophobia Prevention Initiative have revealed and
displayed about 20 photographs of victims of Kurdish riots in Turkey,
slaughter in Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and others, that
represented by Azerbaijan as died during the Agdam events of February
26, 1992, when the Khojaly villagers perished.

Russian, English, Azerbaijani and German versions of Xocali.net are
available, and French and Iranian versions will be also launched in
future. According to Xenophobia Prevention Initiative experts,
Xocali.net () prevented numerous hacker attacks over the
past two days.

Center for Public Relations and Information at the RA Presidents
Office and the Openarmenia.com forum contributed to the project.

SUMGAIT MASSACRES ARCHIVE TO BE PRESENTED

Aysor
Feb 26 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has completed works on creating
of the electronic archives, related to violence and crimes committed
against the Armenian population of Azerbaijan in the late 1980’s.

The archive includes materials of mass killings, massacres and other
crimes, committed against Armenians in Azerbaijan’s capital city and
other towns and villages – Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad, Getashen, etc.

All these documents will be released soon on the Prosecutor General
Office’s web-site, referring to the basic facts of acts of genocide
against Armenians. A spokesperson to the PG Office said that documents
with interviews and testimonial evidences will be shorted.

All the cases mainly appeal to the key fact of those crimes: massacres
and mass killings of Armenian population of Azerbaijan were organized
and planned by Azerbaijan’s leaders and authorities.

CANADIAN ARMENIANS TO MARK 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2010 11:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian organizations of Canada, three traditional
parties (Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun, Ramkavar
Azatakan and Social Democrat Hunchakian party), cultural and sports
unions are determined to mark the 95th anniversary of Armenian Genocide
in the Ottoman Empire.

"We call on Armenians and Armenian organizations of Canada to support
and join all events and initiatives," the Congress of Armenians of
Canada said in a statement obtained by PanARMENIAN.Net. "The 95th
anniversary should become the climacteric of our struggle for justice,
for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide."

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.

To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars and
historians accept this view.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, February 25, 2010

AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra Enters Fourth Season

The AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra, which was founded by AGBU Sofia, began
its fourth season on October 4, 2009 with a concert entitled "Autumn
Motives" in the hall of the NMA Pancho Vladigerov Academy, which was
full of enthusiastic people. The concert, conducted by Maestro Bedros
Papazyan, started with the premiere of the "Aznavour" Suite, specially
composed by the Bulgarian composer Vassil Spassov for the orchestra and
"devoted to the Armenian Cause all over the world." Also performed were
well-known jazz compositions arranged and performed by the Vassil
Spassov Jazz Trio, featuring guest jazz singer Militsa Gladnishka,
saxophonist Peter Momchev and double bassist Martin Doykin.

The second concert of the autumn season, "Flight to Eternity," took
place on November 22, 2009 at the Concert Hall of the Bulgarian National
Conservatory and was conducted by the famous Bulgarian composer Georgi
Andreev. Its program included works by Gomidas, Vivaldi and Bach, plus
Andreev’s powerful symphony "Phoenix," which was dedicated to the
Armenian Genocide and presented for the second time with this chamber
orchestra. In three parts, "Fire," "Complaint" and "Armenian Dance," the
symphony presents the suffering of the Armenians, the terror of the
extermination, and finally the coming back to life. The new name in the
evening’s concert program was Nelly Andreeva, Georgi’s wife, who sang
two songs, one of which was Gomidas’ "Hoy Nazan."

AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra gave its final autumn concert, "It’s
Christmas," on December 20, 2009, with Maestro Papazyan conducting. Some
30 children from the town of Pazardjik participated with songs and
dances composed by Haygashot Agasian. In addition, more than 100 toys,
which had been donated to AGBU Sofia Chapter by the Armenian businessman
Kegham Ghazarian, were distributed to all the children present, after
the concert. The highlight of the program, however, was the presentation
of the Bulgarian edition of Turkish-Armenian lawyer Fethiye Cetin’s book
"My Grandmother," which was translated, published and presented by
Ararat News Publishing-ANP. A beautiful commemorative plaque was given
to Fethiye Cetin by AGBU Sofia Chapter. Following the concert, YP Sofia
organized a welcome dinner for Cetin and Ararat News Publishing.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit