Author: Karagyozian Lena

JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: ISSUE OF US AFFIRMATION OF GENOCIDE CUTS TO THE HEART OF OUR MORALITY AS NATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.02.2010 21:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A longstanding Armenian Assembly trustee and
activist, Senator Joseph Lieberman stated that the issue of U.S.

affirmation of the Armenian Genocide "cuts to the heart not only of
our foreign policy, but of our morality as a nation."

Lieberman, in describing the "systematic and deliberate campaign of
mass murder perpetrated against the Armenian people," stated that
"even by the bloody standards of the 20th century, the annihilation of
1.5 million Armenians was one of the greatest crimes against humanity
committed in the last hundred years – an evil we have a solemn duty
never to forget."

"As we look to the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide this
April 24, Senator Lieberman provides us with a poignant reminder of
the importance of remembering history, and the need to redouble our
efforts to end the scourge of genocide," stated AAA Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny.

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 date of the onset of the genocide is conventionally held to be
April 24, 1915, the day that Ottoman authorities arrested some 250
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

Thereafter, the Ottoman military uprooted Armenians from their homes
and forced them to march for hundreds of miles, depriving them of
food and water, to the desert of what is now Syria.

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. The Armenian Genocide has been also
recognized by influential media including The New York Times, BBC,
The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

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

ARMENIA HAS FOUND A WAY TO SAVE THE ECONOMY: THE COUNTRY WILL BE FLOODED WITH MIRACLE PORTABLE TOILETS
H. Hamidov

Today
61293.html
Feb 10 2010
Azerbaijan

If your first attempt fails, then parachute sports is not for you…

Paraphrasing this old funny story, it can easily be applied to the
Armenian government, or rather, that part which is responsible for
the economic condition of the country.

Armenia’s economy is another funny story to tell.. Not old and not
new, but eternal. It is becoming an eternally funny story due to the
policy of our neighboring country.

Economic news regularly streams in from the other side of the front
and causes not only irony, but a strong dose of insanity. The country
has the worst economic situation among the post-Soviet countries,
is suffering terrible consequences of the economic crisis, and a
significant reduction in budget revenues and expenditures, etc. On
top of all that, the country’s semi-blockade situation has even acuter
consequences on the backdrop of the above-said.

One can say the country faces a shortage of skilled workers. Quite
inappropriate persons are in charge of the economy and other areas.

For instance, at a recent news conference in Yerevan, head of the
Economy Ministry’s Tourism and Economic Development Department Mekhak
Apresyan did his utmost to describe the charms of the country’s
tourism sector. He spoke about the country’s potential, the alleged
increase in number of tourists and future plans. To tell the truth,
he could not even say anything concrete about the latter. But his
little primitive fantasy saved him.

He attributed the increased number of tourists in Armenia with the
presence (or absence) of anti-vandal portable toilets in the country.

Apresyan did not specify what are anti-vandal bathrooms, how they
look, whether they help travelers to relieve themselves, or whether
it is regarded as an act of vandalism, only firmly assuring that such
"miracle facilities" can be created in Armenia.

Unlike Apresyan, the Armenian parliament did not invent anything
supernatural and did not deal with portable toilets, but only succeeded
to get extra budgetary funds for itself. The government session held
on Feb. 4 decided to open an account for extra budgetary funds of
the parliament. It remains unclear how they will be formed, who and
under what principle would use them. Perhaps, every Friday the MPs
will hold a tournament of backgammon, and the winner will get all the
funds collected for the week. It is possible it will be much easier –
they will play "rock-paper-scissors," or share the money like thieves.

While the deputies think how and who will form these extra-budgetary
funds and, most importantly, who will distribute those funds,
prices for meat products, sugar have significantly increased. Apart
from this, reduction in import of cars has reached all time low – 61
percent. Yerevan-Tbilisi flight was closed due to unprofitability. The
population continues to leave the country not to move to safer
countries, but with the thought to leave this place for somewhere
else as soon as possible.

One can understand them. So, why not to leave the country whose
government recently submitted to Parliament a package of new draft
laws, which envisages charging new taxes in the country? Aren’t the tax
for construction in progress, the tax on unprocessed agricultural land
or a tax on non-target use of land provided for ongoing construction
insane?!

According to the simple human logic, if a physical or legal person
constructs a facility, he/she has definite goals, and so, wants to
complete construction. The latter can be suspended in some cases,
the most common of which is the lack of funds.

So, if a person has no money to complete the construction, why and how
can he pay taxes for construction in progress?! Maybe the Armenian
government and the parliament will find a way out of the situation,
and tax will soon be paid by natural products – chickens, eggs,
meat … Well, what to do if the economic situation in the country
is getting sadder every day…

YEREVAN NOT DEMONSTRATING GOOD INTENTIONS IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT

news.az
Feb 9 2010
Azerbaijan

Ahmet Davutoglu If Armenia does not disavow the nonconstructive
position, the continuation of the normalization process will be
impossible, Turkish FM told.

Yerevan does not demonstrate good intentions in the process of the
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement envisioned by the protocols signed
between the countries, Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu said.

"Yerevan does not demonstrate good intentions in the Turkish-Armenian
protocols", Davutoglu told Tuesday.

According to him, during the meeting with the Armenian counterpart
in London, he also voiced concern with the changes introduced by the
Armenian Constitutional Court to the Ankara-Yerevan protocols.

"The decision adopted by the Armenian Constitutional Court due to
the protocols is nonconstructive and after the changes the relations
between the two countries went back to the previous level", he said.

According to Davutoglu, if Armenia does not disavow the nonconstructive
position, the continuation of the normalization process will be
impossible.

As for the plans of the chairman of External Ties Commission, Howard
Berman, to raise the issue of the mythical "armenian genocide" for
discussion in the US State Congress on March 4, Davutoglu said thus
Armenia is hampering the process of normalization of ties.

LEVON ARONYAN AT LINARES SUPERTOURNAMENT

Panorama.am
14:20 08/02/2010

Sport

Linares, Spain, traditional supertournament gets underway on
12 February to 25. Armenian GM Levon Aronyan will attend the
supertournament. Levon Aronyan’s rivals in Linares are Veselin Toplaov,
Boris Gelfand, Alexander Grischuk, Vugar Gashimov and Fransisco Vallejo
Pons. The event of Linares is one of the tournaments of Grand Slam.

OLEG YESAYAN MET WITH MEDVEDEV

A1Plus.am
05/02/10

On February 5, newly appointed RA Ambassador to Russia Oleg Yesayan
presented his credentials to President of the Russian Federation,
Dmitri Medvedev.

During the ensuing short talks, the Russian President welcomed and
congratulated Ambassador Yesayan on his appointment and wished him
fruitful activities for the strengthening of relations between Russia
and Armenia and mentioned the special character and high level of
relations between both countries.

The Russian President mentioned that Russia and Armenia jointly
solve many military-political, economic and regional security issues,
emphasizing the need for developing cooperation.

Expressing gratitude, Ambassador Yesayan assured the President of the
Russian Federation that his activities would be aimed at strengthening
and developing bilateral relations.

NUMBER OF TRAVELERS TO ARMENIA EXPECTED TO GROW BY 5%

Aysor
Feb 5 2010
Armenia

2009’s number of tourists who traveled to Armenia increased by 3% in
comparison with 2008’s level, told journalists Chief of the Tourism
and Territorial Economy Development Department of Armenia’s Ministry,
Mekhak Apresian.

According to his report, 575 281 tourists visited Armenia last year,
of these 60% are Armenians from Diaspora: "Tourists from Russia,
CIS countries, Europe, the United States, and Iran travel to Armenia.

Besides, tourists’ "geography" has been expanded: now tourists from
Far East, Scandinavian countries, and Turkey are traveling to Armenia,"
said Mekhak Apresian.

This year the 5 per cent growth in travelers’ number is expected,
according to Ministry’s reports, against the background of 4 per cent
decrease in world tourists’ number, according to announcement by the
World Tourism Organization.

OBAMA PLANS $40M AID TO ARMENIA IN 2011

AzerNews Weekly
Feb 4 2010
Azerbaijan

The 2011 draft budget submitted to US Congress by President Barack
Obama’s administration envisions financial assistance worth $40
million to Armenia. Also, Washington plans to allocate $3.5 million
to the country as part of the military training program, Turkish
media reported.

As for assistance to Azerbaijan, which faces a long-standing conflict
with Armenia, the aid package for next year was left unchanged at the
2010 level of $22.1m. The U.S. has designated $4.4m for international
military and education training sessions to the country.

The draft budget does not designate separate assistance for the
separatist regime operating in the Armenia-occupied Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh region of Azerbaijan.

In 2010, the Obama government had offered aid worth $30m for Armenia.

It did not allot any aid to the self-proclaimed republic. However,
Congress approved the assistance to Armenia in the amount of $41m.

Moreover, it designated $8m to the separatist regime, which drew ire
from Baku.

The Armenian Assembly of America, one of the most powerful Armenian
lobby groups in the United States, has claimed in a statement that
the 2011 aid package for Armenia should make up at least $70m.

Bianka Dodov, the Assembly’s Congressional Relations Associate, said
the organization would work with "friends" in Congress to achieve
increasing aid to Armenia and the allocation of assistance to the
separatist regime.

20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Upper Garabagh and
seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for
nearly two decades. Defying international law, the separatist regime
in Upper Garabagh declared so-called independence in 1991, which has
not been recognized by the world community.*

RUSSIA AND US TO INCREASE PRESSURE ON TURKEY NEXT WEEK: RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN

Tert.am
15:57 ~U 04.02.10

Turkey is delaying the process of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations
and the ratification of the Protocols and that’s making the U.S.

nervous, said Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) Director Richard Giragosian during a press conference today.

According to Giragosian, if Turkey continues this way, the U.S.

Congress can once again turn its attention to the Armenian Genocide,
not because it’s such an important issue for them, but because they
want to punish Turkey.

"President Obama can use this issue to show that he’s a powerful
leader; he has his principles and he protects that which is right,"
said Giragosian.

The ACNIS Director added that Turkey’s strategy can "strengthen"
the Armenian Genocide issue and the U.S.’s approach on the matter,
which will be against Turkey. In Giragosian’s opinion, this will most
likely be felt in April. The only path out of this dead-end situation,
according to him, is a change in the course of Turkey’s policy.

Giragosian noted that, in the coming week, Russia’s and the U.S.’s
pressure on Turkey will increase, since those countries are attempting
to rush Turkey (ostensibly, in the Protocols ratification process).

PRESIDENT OF THE ARTSAKH REPUBLIC CONVOKED A CONSULTATION…

Azat Artsakh Newspaper NKR
February 03, 2010

On 2 February President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan convoked
a consultation dedicated to the issues concerning the introduction
of advanced technologies in the republic. The director-general of
the "Via Sphere" techno park, Doctor of Engineering Aram Vardanyan
was invited to the consultation. The issue of introduction of hail
protection stations in Artsakh was in the spotlight of consultation.
The Head of the State rated high the experience of the "Via Sphere"
techno park in this field, noting that the systems worked out by
this organization and mounted in different regions of the Republic of
Armenia could have their application in Artsakh as well. The President
underlined the necessity of experimental installation of several
hail protection stations in our republic until the beginning of the
raining season. NKR premier Ara Haroutyunyan, minister of agriculture
Armo Tsaturyan and other officials partook at the consultation.

ANCENSUS2010.ORG: IT’S IN OUR HANDS

Asbarez
Feb 2nd, 2010

HOLLYWOOD-Horizon 180’s Paul Chaderjian speaks with ANCensus2010.org
spokeswoman Tamar Yardemian Baboujian on the project and opportunities
for community groups to get involved in ensuring an accurate count
in the 2010 Census.

The ANC-WR Census 2010 campaign efforts are supported in part by a
grant from the California Community Foundation. The grant will assist
the ANC-WR to conduct an aggressive community outreach campaign for the
2010 Census. The goals of the ANCensus 2010 project include maximizing
Armenian American participation in the 2010 headcount and informing
the community to indicate Armenian as their race on the questionnaire.

The outreach campaign also allows for re-granting opportunities to
Armenian American nonprofit organizations. The ANC-WR will distribute
grants in the coming months to those Armenian American organizations
that are willing to conduct Census outreach work. Organizations must
submit proposal applications by Friday, February 5, 2010. For more
information on re-granting opportunities, visit ANCensus2010.org or
call the ANCensus 2010 Hotline at (888) 666-4761.

Broadcast February 1, 2010 on Horizon Armenian Television,