Author: Nadirian Emma

news.am, Armenia
May 8 2010

Torchlight procession to head to Victory Park in Yerevan

13:19 / 05/08/2010`Hayasa’ Youth NGO jointly with Russian-Armenian
centre of youth initiatives organizes a procession dedicated to 65th
anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

It starts today, at 8:30 p.m. local time and will head from Alexander
Tamanyan monument to the Victory Park. As many as up to 500 people
with lighted candles and flowers will march from Cascade complex to
Haghtanak Park.

Officers of the Russian Embassy in Armenia, Russian Centre for science
and culture in Armenia, 11 local national communities, groups of
students and members of other public organizations will join the
initiative.

S.T.

Turkey, Russia to sign a visa removal agreement

May 8, 2010 – 13:51 AMT 08:51 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Turkey and Russia will sign a visa removal agreement next week. The
deal is expected during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to
Turkey on May 11-12.

"The consulates of the two countries have initialed the agreement to
lift visa procedures," Turkey’s Ambassador to Russia Halil Akinci
said.

Akinci said Russia had requested small changes in the editing of the agreement.

`However, Medvedev and Turkish President Abdullah Gul could sign the
agreement without waiting for domestic approval process to end,’
Akinci said.

Transitions between Turkey and Russia without any visa are expected to
begin within this year.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROCESS WAS DOOMED TO FAIL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AS THERE IS NO PAN-NATIONAL CONSENSUS, MEMBER OF ANC THINKS

ArmInfo
2010-05-06 14:25:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian-Turkish process was doomed to fail from the
very beginning as Yerevan was not ready to such a ‘flirtation’, the
member of Armenian National Congress, the leader of the Liberal Party
of Armenia Hovanes Hovanesyan said at today’s press-conference.

He thinks that Armenian diplomacy did not have the needed resources and
was not supported by the society. ‘Before string the talks to Ankara,
it was necessary to ‘be armed’ with public support and pan-national
consensus. The sharp reaction of the Diaspora at singing of the
Protocols is the brightest example of absence of this consensus’, –
he said. Hovanesyan thinks that the positions of Armenia were weak
also because of the problems connected with illegitimacy of the
authorities and absence of democratic processes in the country.

‘Turning his back to his own people Serzh Sargsyan tried to find
recognition from outside, as a result of which his ‘initiative foreign
policy’ was born’, – Hovanesyan said.

CHINA AND ARMENIA EXPECT 30,000 TONS CHLOROPRENE OUTPUT

China Knowledge Online
s_Detail.aspx?type=1&cat=CMP&NewsID=%20334 73
May 6 2010

May 5, 2010 (China Knowledge) – China and Armenia’s chloroprene rubber
joint-venture project, see the annual output capacity hit 30,000 tons
from May 2010.

"The project is the largest one for the two countries, and we are
expecting a lot at it", Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources Armen Movsisyan said.

The chloroprene rubber project with annual output capacity of 30,000
tons is invested by Shanxi Synthetic Rubber Group Co Ltd and an
Armenian company. A new firm called Shanna Synthetic Rubber Co Ltd
was founded to operate the project. As of the end of March this year,
the project had involved investment of RMB 1.65 billion. It reached
the trail production standard last month.

Shanxi Synthetic Rubber Group Co Ltd, the largest chloroprene rubber
producer in China, is a subsidiary company of China National Bluestar
(Group) Co Ltd.

RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR: NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE DISCUSSED DURING MEDVEDEV’S TURKEY VISIT
E.Tariverdiyeva

Trend
May 5 2010
Azerbaijan

Many issues, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement,
in which Russia participates as a mediator, will be discussed during
the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s Turkey visit that scheduled
for May 11, Russia’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin
told journalists.

"In recent years, we and Turkey have developed successful relations,
one of whose priorities is the dialogue on the stability in South
Caucasus," Dorokhin said.

He said the Moscow-Ankara relations develop both in political and
in economic terms, which will be the topic for discussion during
Medvedev’s Turkey visit.

"There is a large trade turnover between our countries. We are
engaged in energy projects in southern Europe and one of the topics of
discussion between our countries, of course, is the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," Dorokhin said.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
May 6, 2010
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA CAPITAL GATEWAY PROGRAM EXPANDS MENTORSHIP AND CAREER GUIDANCE
RESOURCES

— CGP Advisory Committee Leads Job Search Seminars; Professional
Networking Opportunities for Innovative Program

WASHINGTON, DC – Increasing individual mentorship opportunities and
providing a broader range of job search resources have been top
priorities for the recently established Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA) Capital Gateway Program Advisory Committee,
working with program fellows to advance their career goals in
Washington, DC’s government and public policy sector.

Capital Gateway Program (ANCA CGP) Alumni Mike Gedjeyan, Dan
Stepanian-Bennett, Yelena Allakhverdov and Arbi Vartan worked with
Program Director Raffi Karakashian in developing the highly
personalized mentorship program for CGP fellows, pairing up the
individuals with young professionals active in their public policy
fields of interest. The CGP Advisory Committee has already
implemented a targeted lecture series on enhancing job search
skills for program participants, with special focus on improving
cover letter and resume writing skills, interview techniques,
maximizing networking opportunities and a specialized self-
awareness workshop to help identify career interests.

Now in its seventh consecutive year, the Gateway Program helps
applicants attain exciting internships and challenging full-time
public policy jobs in the nation’s capital. Qualified applicants,
once accepted, are provided three months of free housing in
downtown Washington, DC, job search training and assistance, the
full use of ANCA facilities, and extensive staff support. To date,
over seventy fellows have gone through the program and secured
positions in dozens of Congressional offices, as well as esteemed
media and political institutions such as Congressional Quarterly,
the US Chamber of Commerce, Export-Import Bank (EXIM), SRCP Media
and the World Bank.

"We are thrilled to have the expert assistance of our Capital
Gateway Program alumni – Mike, Dan, Yelena and Arbi – in
spearheading this Advisory Committee and the generous support of
all our local Armenian American professionals in assisting our
program fellows to explore public policy careers here in
Washington," said Program Director Raffi Karakashian. "Their
insights and commitment to sharing their personal experiences and
advice with our program participants are a key component to the
expansion and success of this program."

The ANCA Capital Gateway Program currently includes the
participation of six recent university graduates from across the
U.S. including fellows Avak Kahramanian and Nareg Sagherian from
Michigan; Alex Der Alexanian and Vana Kouyoumji from California;
Aren Ghazarian, from Massachusetts and Chelsea Bissell from
Montana. Each has worked with Karakashian to secure internships on
Capitol Hill or at local public policy venues as they pursue their
job search goals.

"As a program alumnus, it has been great working with the CGP
fellows and expanding key components of this ground-breaking effort
to help young Armenian Americans get started in their public policy
careers," said Advisory Committee leader Gedjeyan. "Starting out
fresh out of college, in a new city and a tough economy is never
easy. That’s why the active assistance of Armenian American
professionals is so essential to provide the first-hand insights
and open the critical doors necessary for launching new careers."
Vartan concurred, noting that "One of the most difficult parts of
starting a career in Washington, DC is getting one’s foot in the
door. Not only does the Capital Gateway Program do this, but it
also provides strategic tools and individually-tailored guidance
that each fellow can then leverage to find their ideal career. If
you are a young professional considering a job in Washington, DC,
this Program was made for you."

Established through a generous donation from the Cafesjian Family
Foundation, the Capital Gateway Program, over the years, has
benefited tremendously from the generosity of donors committed to
creating public service opportunities for young Armenian Americans.
The leading financial contributor to the Program has been the
family of Hovig Apo Saghdejian, a 23-year old youth leader and
community activist from Fresno, California, who lost his life in
2004 in a tragic car accident. His family established the Hovig Apo
Saghdejian Memorial Fund in his memory. Substantial support has
also been provided by longtime ANCA benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Frank
and Barbara Hekimian and the Armenian American Veterans Post of
Milford, Massachusetts (AAVO).

Applications for the Capital Gateway Program are reviewed on a
rolling basis. Opportunities are currently available for Fall,
2010. For more information about the Capital Gateway Program or to
apply, contact Program Director Raffi Karakashian at (202) 775-1918
or [email protected].

#####

TURKEY SET FOR PROMOTION IN CALIFORNIA

Hurriyet
May 5 2010
Turkey

Aiming to provide a taste of Turkey on the American west coast, five
Turkish provinces are set for promotion at the Anatolian Cultures
and Food Festival in California.

The festival, organized by the Pasifica Institute, is opening at the
Orange County Great Park, in the south of Los Angeles. Americans and
Turkish citizens living in the United States will have the opportunity
to view Anatolia’s culture, taste Anatolian food and learn more about
Istanbul, Konya, Antalya, Mardin and Van for four days.

Models of Topkapı Palace, the Maiden’s Tower, Mevlana Museum, the
ancient theater Aspendos, Mardin’s stone houses, and Akdamar Church
will be on display during the festival. There will also be 120 stands
with authentic food and goods in an area inspired by the Grand Bazaar
in Istanbul.

The festival will showcase the great civilizations that once thrived
in Anatolia, including the Trojans, Romans and Ottomans. The "Paths
of Anatolia," meanwhile, will usher visitors through a series of
14 arches dedicated to the country’s regions, with costumed models
bringing everything all to life.

Festival organizers will also screen several Turkish films, stage a
Janissary Band concert and provide a whirling dervish show. At the
same time, renowned Turkish musician Omer Faruk Tekbilek, who lives
in the U.S. will give a concert on the sidelines of the festival.

Meanwhile, Turkish and Armenian musicians, as well as a Greek sirtaki
group, will take the stage at the festival, which ends May 9.

The event is sponsored by the Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute,
along with the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce,
or CATA, and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians, or OIA.

Around 30,000 people, including 13,000 Turks, visited last year’s
festival.

‘AS SOON AS BAKU GETS RID OF MINDSET TYPICAL OF MIDDLE AGES’: SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN RESPONDS TO ARAZ AZIMOV

Tert.am
05.05.10

"As soon as Baku is ready to return Nagorno Karabakh’s regions it
has occupied and to recognize the independence of the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakah, as soon as it get rids of a mindset and work style
typical of the Middle Ages, Baku can then ask NKR to held discussions
over mutually-benefitial issues," Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh
Kocharyan told local Armenian daily Azg (Nation) when asked to comment
on the statemets made by his Azerbaijani counterpart Araz Azimov over
the settlement of the Karabakh issue.

Earlier Azimov had said that "Armenia told Baku that it needs time to
withdraw troops from a part [meaning Lachin and Kelbajar] of occupied
territories of Azerbaijan" adding that the timetable for that issue,
as well as for the return of the Azerbaijani people to Nagorno Karabakh
is yet to be shceduled.

Saying that the OSCE co-chairs have already made a similar proposal
Azimov had also mentioned that "Azerbaijan’s Constitution needs to
be restored in Nagorno Karabakh and the status should be determined
within the Constitution and coordinated with the local people."

"It should be carried out phase-by-phase. The regions of Aghdam,
Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli and Lachin corridor must be
liberated. Armenia says it needs time to withdraw its troops from
Lachin and Kelbajar. This time should be scheduled. The co-chairs have
a proposal on this issue. It needs to schedule not only the withdrawal
from Lachin and Kelbajar, but also for returning of Azerbaijanis
to Karabakh. When they will return and will they receive status by
returning? The liberation of five regions + Lachin corridor should
be legalized with the same document," local Azerbaijani new agency
APA quoted him as saying.

RA DIASPORA MINISTER TO VISIT JORDAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 5, 2010 – 12:02 AMT 07:02 GMT

Armenian Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan is currently on a working
visit in Israel, where she met with her counterpart Yuli Edelstein,
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel
Pinhas Avivi, Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky and Associate
Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee Arnon Mantver.

Minister Hakobyan also met with Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem,
His Eminence Archbishop Torgom Manukian, Armenia’s Honorary Consul in
Israel Tsolak Momjian and representatives of the Armenian community .

On May 5, the Armenian Minister will visit Jordan, reported the press
office of the RA Diaspora Ministry.

ARMENIA TO ASSIST RESTORATION OF MONUMENTS IN GEORGIA

news.am
May 4 2010
Armenia

Armenian and Georgian deputy ministers of culture Arthur Poghosyan
and David Kiria presented details of Armenian cultural seasons held
in Georgia at the joint press conference. The events, aiming at
reconciling two nations through the culture include exhibitions,
concerts and performances in Armenian and Georgian drama theatres.

"Armenian culture is its business card," Arthur Poghosyan said
sharing his Georgian counterpart’s opinion that cultural cooperation
is critical for expansion of age-old and friendly ties. However,
there are certain issues connected with Armenian historical monuments
in Georgia, particularly churches and the theatre. In the course of
meetings, Armenian delegation touched upon the mentioned problems
seeking to find solutions.

"I came to Georgia with concrete proposals on Armenia’s participation
in the restoration of Armenian monuments — we offer a professional
assistance," Deputy Minister stated.