Author: Nalchajian Markos

Fund for Armenian Relief
Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR)
Press Office
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
email: [email protected]
web:
blog: farusa.wordpress.com
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Honoring the Strength and Vision Behind One of FAR’s Most Influential
Programs On September 23 some of the most prominent members of the
Armenian-American community gathered in New York City to recognize and
celebrate the impact of the Armenian National Science and Education
Fund (ANSEF), a program that is changing the face and the future of
Armenia by giving opportunity to its most valuable resource – its
people. The evening also honored Armen Avanessians, an
Armenian-American of outstanding caliber whose vision and dedication
have helped this program to thrive.

ANSEF, which is run through the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), helps
the Armenian intellectual community to grow in the area of science and
the humanities by awarding scientists and engineers with yearlong
research grants. The grants not only allow these scientists to stay in
their own country to pursue research, but they also allow them to be
at the cutting edge of their field and inspire their countrymen.

For Mr. Avanessians, ANSEF is not only helping these individuals
achieve their career goals, it is the key to the success of a
nation. ANSEF provides a way for scientists and scholars to flourish,
and as a result their findings will guide their nation toward greater
prosperity and success.

Mr. Avanessians is a truly notable Armenian-American in his own
right. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University
educated engineer, he is now a partner at Goldman Sachs. His generous
personal donations have been the backbone of the ANSEF program. In
2008, he fully funded the ANSEF program and his most recent donation
of $100,000 enabled FAR to award 25 grants in 2009. Because of his
generosity the grants were renamed the "2009 Armen Avanessians ANSEF
Awards."

Mr. Avanessians worked as a technical staff member at Bell
Laboratories for a short time after graduating from Columbia with his
master’s degree in 1983. He then joined Goldman Sachs as a foreign
exchange strategist, later became vice president, then a partner in
1994. Now, he is director of the firm’s Fixed Income, Currency and
Commodities Strategies, Equity Strategies, Investment Banking and
Finance Group Strategies, and GSAM Strategies.

Throughout his career, he has always remained committed to
education. He is a trustee of Columbia University and he sits on the
Engineering Councils of Columbia and MIT.

When Mr. Avanessians first learned about ANSEF, he knew such an effort
would fit perfectly with his commitment to this cause.

"Education is the key to the future. It is young people, the junior
scientists who serve on these research groups funded by ANSEF, who
will make tomorrow’s vital discoveries," he said.

Mr. Avanessians has always believed strongly that with opportunity for
education, Armenians will not only be able to improve their own lives,
but also their nation.

The discoveries they make through their own opportunities also enrich
an entire community through learning and knowledge. Continuing to
strengthen those opportunities through ANSEF is something
Mr. Avanessians and others believe is the duty of Armenians around the
world.

Cornell University Astrophysicist Yervant Terzian, who spearheads the
selection of grantees, paid tribute to Mr. Avanessians during the
celebration. He also said ANSEF is a key to giving Armenia a brighter
future.

"There is nothing more important for our happy future than
education. A peaceful, prosperous, and safe future depends on an
educated public and an educated workforce, and today a very major part
of this education has to do with science and technology," he said.

Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York
and one of ANSEF founders, pointed out the importance of education in
his speech. "An investment in education is requisite to secure
Armenia’s place in the global economy," Mr.

Gregorian said.

Just over 200 grants have been awarded since ANSEF’s inception in
2001. Awardees are selected through a blind, peer-reviewed process
that bucks the former Soviet system when people were rewarded based
on their connections. Through the yearlong grants, recipients are
allowed to pursue the research project of their choice. The broad
range of research topics includes investigations of solar energy,
biochemistry, the control of tuberculosis and breast cancer, and the
historical monuments of Northern Artsakh.

For Mr. Avanessians ANSEF is an investment, one in which every gift
from donors will impact and bring about a prosperous return that
future generations of Armenians will reap the benefit of. He believes
in this program because it doesn’t offer a handout. Instead, ANSEF
gives Armenians the tools they need to tackle new problems and
challenges to push their country forward, maintain a place on the
international stage, and succeed. Support from the international
community – no matter how small – enables this to happen.

"Armenia still needs the support of the Diaspora. They need our
encouragement and to know that people out here care about their
future," Mr. Avanessians said. "They can build up their country
themselves. They have the brainpower and the knowledge.

They just need a slight boost to compete in this challenging global
economy."

# # #

About FAR
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
hundreds of thousands of people through more than 220 relief and
development programs in Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more
than $265 million in humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide
range of projects including emergency relief, construction, education,
medical aid, and economic development.

For more information on FAR or to send donations, contact us at 630
Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212)
889-4849; e-mail [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]].

Fund for Armenian Relief | 630 Second Avenue | New York | NY | 10016

HSBC BANK ARMENIA CJSC MAKES ITS BUSINESS GREENER

ArmInfo
2009-11-06 16:15:00

ArmInfo. HSBC Bank Armenia cjsc has pledged to sponsor planting up
to 1000 trees in Yerevan to encourage its customers to opt to receive
their statements electronically and for signing up to Personal Internet
Banking services, thus helping to preserve the environment, HSBC Bank
Armenia told armInfo.

Continuing the good tradition of tree planting initiated in 1996, on
8 November HSBC Bank Armenia staff and their families will plant 500
trees in "Huisi Avan" residential community together with specialists
from Armenia Tree Project and community members.

Tree planting is only one aspect of a comprehensive "Green Bank"
campaign which the Bank has initiated. Following the launch of
Telephone Banking in March 2009 and Internet Banking in July 2009,
the availability of electronic statements is aimed at reducing paper
consumption and helping to preserve the environment.

"To further encourage our customers and community to use green
channels and sign up for Telephone or Internet Banking services and
switch to e-statements, today we go green with tree planting. It is
also important to mention that all HSBC Armenia staff do their daily
banking via direct channels, acting as role models for the community",
said Tim Slater, HSBC Bank Armenia Chief Executive Officer.

The area where the tree planting will take place was also chosen
with care. "Huisi Avan" is a shelter for 76 underprivileged Armenian
families, mainly refugees, with a minimum of three children. By
planting decorative trees and donating much needed fruit trees,
the Bank is helping to improve the lives of people in need.

FREIGHT HAULAGE IN ARMENIA UP SLIGHTLY IN 9 MTHS

Interfax
Nov 3 2009
Russia

Freight haulage in Armenia rose 0.3% year-on-year in the first nine
months of 2009 to 6.757 million tonnes, the National Statistics
Service said.

Rail freight dropped 4.6% to 1.931 million tonnes while road freight
increased 10% to 3.978 million tonnes. Air freight decreased 21%
to 6,400 tonnes.

Armenian’s trunk pipeline system supplied 840,900 tonnes of natural
gas, a year-on-year decrease of 22.7%.

Overall freight turnover fell 15.3% to 1.794 billion tonne- kilometers.

Passenger transport was up 1.6% year-on-year to 182.676 million
persons. Trains carried 555,700 passengers, 37.7% more year-on-year.

Automobile transport carried 164.292 million passengers, 1.5% more,
and air transport carried 1.104 million, down 1.9%. Electric transport
carried 16.729 million passengers, 1.9% more than a year earlier.

Passenger turnover fell 0.5% to 2.832 billion passenger-kilometers.

SERGEI TIGIPKO: UKRAINE DOESN’T NEED GUAM

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 11:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ukraine doesn’t need GUAM, according to well-known
economist and politician Sergei Tigipko.

"This organization was formed in late 1990-ies for new transportation
route for Caspian oil but then it was transformed into a sanitary
cordon around Russia," he said when commenting on the visit of
secretary of Ukrainian council of national security and defense
to Moldova.

Tigipko reminded that Ukraine once agreed to collaborate with the
government of communist Moldova and fell between two stools. "We should
not be deluded by change in power in Moldova, which doesn’t care about
Ukraine’s interests. Unless we learn to build our policy with pragmatic
egoism, we will have to pull the chestnuts out of fire for Russia,
Georgia, Moldova and other so-called strategic partners," he said.

MEETING WITH DIRECTOR ON YOUTH AND SPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

National Assembly
Nov 4 2009
Armenia

On November 3 Vice Speaker of RA National Assembly Mr. Samvel Nikoyan
and Chairman of NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture,
Youth and Sport Mr. Artak Davtyan met with the Director for Youth and
Sports of the Council of Europe Mr. Ralph-René Weingärtner . RA
Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Mr. Arsen Karamyan also
attended the meeting.

Mr. Nikoyan highlighted the problems of their full participation
in the Euro-integration, cooperation of the youth of the Republic
of Armenia, as well as provision and development of international
mobility and inter-cultural dialogue. As the NA Vice Speaker assessed,
the problems of youth have always been at the center of attention of
the National Assembly. One of the NA standing committees is mainly
involved in those issues, though all MPs are related to the issues
of youth in the discussion of the relevant bills.

Mr. Davtyan said that it has already been several sessions that
the draft law on youth is under discussion, which, however, has
been denied because of being of declarative character. The National
Assembly is interested in this issue and it has an aim to pass a law,
which will provide mechanisms of solution of concrete needs of youth.

He expressed hope that the law on youth will be put for debate in
2010 spring session of the National Assembly.

Mr. Ralph-René Weingärtner noted with satisfaction that during two
days he had an impression that the policy of the youth in Armenia
has registered a real and visible growth, which ensures about the
activeness of the youth, care and steps undertaken by the state bodies.

At the meeting the sides also touched upon the local and international
programmes boosting the citizenship, mobility, protection of human
rights, democracy and development of cultural plurality of the youth
within the framework of the policy of the Council of Europe.

KARABAKH WON’T SURRENDER LIBERATED TERRITORIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 14:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Citizens of Nagorno Karabakh won’t surrender the
liberated territories, said Jivan Avetisyan, director of "Smoking
Fuse", the first documentary on Madrid Principles.

"We decided to shoot a film regarding the recent political developments
in Armenia. The day may come when we confront with a fait accompli
on Karabakh issue," Avetisyan told a news conference on Nov. 4.

He said he tried to be maximally impartial when presenting the opinion
of Karabakh people on the Madrid Document.

"Madrid Principles envisage withdrawal of Armenian troops from the
territories liberated by our soldiers and return of Azeri refugees
there. What will happen then? Azerbaijan will meddle with Karabakh
affairs and the tragedy will repeat. If we surrender territories,
Baku will want more. Madrid Document is a mine which will explode in
Armenia sooner or later if Yerevan doesn’t reject it," Avetisyan said.

SCHOOL FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ARMENIAN CULTURE
By Max Zimbert

Glendale News Press
Nov 2 2009
CA

Photo: Patil Kilisian, 3, dances during a performance by the
Hamazkayin Valley Chapter Nairi Dance Group during the 35th
anniversary celebration of Chamlian Armenian School in La Crescenta
on Sunday. (Scott Smeltzer/News-Press)

CRESCENTA VALLEY — Garo Melikian, a father of two, attended the
Armenian Cultural Day festival Sunday to see his daughters recite
poetry, songs and skits in front of a crowd of hundreds at Vahan and
Anoush Chamlian Armenian School.

His fourth-grade daughter, Nairi, is improving her Armenian language
speaking and understanding each year. She and her classmates recited
poems and songs in Armenian, and Melikian could see her improvement.

Watching his daughter perform is what a father lives for, he said.

"She grows and performs much better every year," Melikian said. "It’s a
very proud day for as a parent. That’s why we’ve been taking pictures."

Hundreds of children, parents, grandparents and school teachers
and staff celebrated the annual Cultural Day with an event of songs,
dancing, poetry and food. Students and school staff wore white T-shirts
with the phrase, "School is where culture is kept."

Enrollment remains strong at the first-through-eighth-grade campus.

The school educates roughly 500 students and is one of few Armenian
schools that offers language classes in western and eastern dialects.

"It’s a great show of unity," said Saro Nazarian, chair of the Eastern
Armenian Department. "Encouraging kids to learn their heritage and
history .â~@~B.â~@~B. they recognize how their ancients lived in
their homeland, and that’s what we try to convey to these kids who
were born in the U.S. in a multiethnic society."

The festival celebrates the creation of the Armenian alphabet in the
fifth century, Nazarian said.

"Armenians are one of the most ancient cultures on Earth, and we want
to keep that alive," he said.

The Cultural Day provided valuable learning opportunities for Armenian
language and history instructor Vilma Kouyoumjian’s first-, third-
and sixth-graders.

"This is how they learn," she said. "It’s not a Broadway show, but
it’s fun, and it is memorable."

Her students master the language by repetition and by doing. Many
students read arags, or short Armenian fables, aloud in class.

Kouyoumjian recounted one about a fox that criticized a lion for
producing only one cub. The story is illustrative of quality versus
quantity, Kouyoumjian said.

"The themes can be applied to all humankind," she said. "When they
listen to how you speak [Armenian], they pick up and use your words."

The day was meant to promote a day of belonging and community, said
Carmen Ohanian, who logged countless hours planning the festival with
other parents on the organizing committee.

"It’s a lot of work for parents, but the results we see, it’s why
we send our kids to Armenian school and see them becoming Armenian
American citizens," she said.

Students recited patriotic poems in front of a mural of men and women
in traditional Armenian dress. In the center of the background was
a ripe pomegranate, a sign of prosperity and abundance in Armenian
culture.

"Pomegranates are always broke in half for good luck," said Varouj
Keledjian, who was selling handmade jewelry pieces and bronze
pomegranate sculptures. "There’s supposed to be 365 seeds for every
day of the year. It doesn’t matter if it’s small or big — that’s
what they say. I’ve never counted."

Across the yard, Armenian food was being prepared. Parent volunteers
served soujouk, taboule and zahtar, a crepe-style dish with thyme
and sesame seeds. Harissa, a barley and shredded beef dish, was also
available. Three self-serve bowls of cumin, cinnamon and paprika let
eaters add some kick.

Red peppers are an important ingredient in many Armenian dishes,
as are onions and garlic, the cooks said.

Houri Douzjian bakes cookies, turnovers and a lasagna dish using
traditional Armenian recipes. Her cookie recipe calls for mastic,
a Greek and Mediterranean gum, as well as walnuts.

Eighth-graders Arman Shabanian and Allen Dishigrikyan said the food was
the highlight of their day. But they also acknowledged they would soon
be graduating and would miss the friends and teachers they discovered
at Chamlian.

"It’s important to know who we are and important to express that,"
Allen said. "It’s the least we can do."

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Nov 1 2009

Nalbandian: Turkey-Armenia ties, Karabakh separate issues

Sunday, November 1, 2009
ISTANBUL ` Hürriyet Daily News

AGREEMENT: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian (seated, L) and
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu (seated, R) sign the historic
protocols Oct. 10 in Zurich. Nalbandian says both sides now need to
move quickly to approve and implement the protocols. (AFP photo)

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has said the improving of
Turkey-Armenia relations and Nagorno-Karabakh are two separate issues,
reported the Turkish media Sunday.

Nalbandian said this was the international community’s approach to the
subject as well as Armenia’s.

According to the Armenian foreign minister, talks between Turkey and
Armenia have ended and both countries are obliged to open their border
and take steps to establish diplomatic ties per the protocols signed
between the two sides Oct. 10.

`Why did we sign protocols if we will not approve them and implement
them?’ asked Nalbandian. He said the entire international community
expects the protocols to be approved and executed speedily and the
sides to abide by the agreed points in the protocols.

The Armenian minister said if one of the parties delays the approval
or execution of the protocols or impedes these processes, it would
bear the sole responsibility for the negative consequences.

Nalbandian said positive momentum had been achieved between Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
toward the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with the
mediation of the United States, Russia and France. He said he was
unable to say if a solution would be reached soon.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia to show its support for
Azerbaijan, a long-time Turkish ally, after Armenia invaded
Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region in 1992.

RA PRIME MINISTER MEETS MEMBERS OF INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON ARCHIVES

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.10.2009 11:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with the
members of International Council on Archives who arrived in Yerevan
to participate in the 10th congress of the International Council on
Archives of Eurasia.

The guests briefed on the goals of the event and informed that they
are collaborating with the National Archive of Armenia.

NALBANDYAN DOES NOT FEEL "EMBARRASSED AND INSULTED"

news.am
Oct 30 2009
Armenia

Armenian journalists had a first chance of interviewing RA FM
Edward Nalbandyan after the Protocols’ signing in Zurich due to his
Belorussian counterpart, Sergey Martynov’s visit to Yerevan. Time was
limited as usual, but Nalbandyan managed to make several thrilling
statements, NEWS.am correspondent reports.

Asked whether he felt himself "embarrassed and insulted" during
the Protocols’ signing, when those opposing the documents and
pressurizing the signing were standing behind him, Nalbandyan said:
"I do not know who is supposed to feel embarrassed. Probably the one
suffering from masochism."

According to Nalbandyan, those standing behind (U.S. Secretary of
State, French and Russian Foreign Ministers and EU officials-NEWS.am)
were the "mediators and allies, but by no means the pressurizers."

"All states except for one or two supported the process and did not
pressurize us. It was Armenia’s initiative. We reached the agreement
jointly with Turkey," Nalbandyan underlined. "The days when one could
think that Armenia can be forced to do something under the pressure
are gone," RA Foreign Minister stated.