Author: Nargizian David

Armenian National Committee of Burbank
361 East Magnolia Boulevard, Suite C
Burbank, California 91502
Web:
Tel: (818) 562-1918

PRESS RELEASE

May 20, 2010
Contact: Michael Kiaman
Tel: (818) 562-1918

ANC BURBANK LEADS THE WAY IN PROMOTING CENSUS PARTICIPATION

BURBANK, CA—Since November 2009, the Armenian National Committee of
Burbank (ANC Burbank) has worked hard to increase awareness about and
community participation in the US Census. Led by its Census task force, the
ANC Burbank organized several events including the distribution of thousands
of flyers, hosted outreach events at Burbank High School and John Muir High
School, directly contacted over 4,000 residents, and implemented an
effective mass media presence on local Armenian television networks.

ANC Burbank focused on educating Armenian Americans to properly identify
themselves on the forms and completing the form in a timely manner. While
completing the form, individuals were strongly encouraged to identify
themselves as "Other", while printing "Armenian" in the space provided
underneath.

The federal government uses information from the Census as a means by which
it determines the amount of funding each city receives. Since the federal
government also allocates resources to areas that have particular
underrepresented minorities, properly identifying the Armenian American
community was very important to position the community to receive its fair
share of these resources.

The ANC Burbank also recognized the hard work of its Census task force,
which was comprised of volunteers and headed by team’s chairwoman, Silva
Kechichian. The dynamic team included Ania Alexandrian, Gaidzag Shahbazian,
Hamlet Zadoorian, Joseph Arshakian, Karo Aydindzhyan, Lusine Mosinyan and
Nanneh Chehras.

For several of its March 2010 events, the task force worked in collaboration
with Los Angeles County employees who were also dedicating community service
hours to raise awareness about the US Census.

The Armenian National Committee of Burbank advances the social, economic,
cultural, and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and
promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the grassroots
and public policy levels.

ELKHAN NURIYEV: "AZERBAIJAN DOES NOT HIDE ITS MILITARY POWER AND IT WILL CONTINUE POLICY OF FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF ITS DEFENSE POTENTIAL"

APA
May 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Moscow. Roman Agayev – APA. "Duty of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
is to convince the Armenian side of accepting the updated Madrid
principles in order to start the discussions over the existing issues
on Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan has always demonstrated
constructive position and it has committed to the pragmatic position.

And it is the position of Azerbaijan’s leadership regarding the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict", said Director of the Strategic Research Center
(SRC) under Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Elkhan Nuriyev at
the press conference in Moscow, APA’s correspondent in Moscow reports.

Touching upon the perspectives of Armenia – Turkey relations,
Nuriyev noted that unlike the European Union, Turkey has principal
and pragmatic position on opening of Turkey – Armenia borders and
withdrawal of protocols from the Armenian parliament shows that the
policy carried on by Yerevan overturned: "Nevertheless, Turkey’s role
in the Caucasus region increased and its strategic alliance with
Azerbaijan further strengthened. Moreover, positive tendencies are
also observed in Russia Turkey relations. Armenian side must seriously
think of that".

According to him, Azerbaijan is committed to peaceful solution of the
conflict. "Yes, we do not hide our military power and we will continue
policy of further strengthening of our defense potential and military
– industry complex in order to liberate our occupied territories from
the Armenian occupation in case of necessity. One may talk about the
opening of borders and restoration of communications only after the
withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories
and return of IDPs to their homeland".

Nuriyev also stated that the issue of territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan can never be a subject of discussion. OSCE Ministerial
Council in Athens passed special resolution on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Entire world has recognized the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan.

ARGENTINA’S AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA TAKES HIS OFFICE

Aysor
May 20 2010
Armenia

Argentina’s Ambassador to Armenia Miguel Angel Cuneo presented Thursday
his Credentials to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, a spokesperson
for the Armenian State Administration said.

President Sargsyan said that Armenia is interested in development of
relations with Argentine, and said that the first Armenian Embassy
in the South America was opened exactly in Argentine. President
said he hopes that new Ambassador will contribute to the process of
strengthening of relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Cuneo, in his part, said that Argentine opens its first
Embassy in the South Caucasus exactly in Armenia and added that
Argentinean administration pays a large attention to strengthening
of the multilateral relations with Armenia. Argentinean Ambassador
also pointed that he participated in the process of designing of the
package on establishing the diplomatic relations with Armenia in 1992.

The parties stressed the importance of development of the economical
relations between the two countries, and said that the existing law
package between Armenia and Argentine can be a strong platform for
developing the economical ties.

It’s worth mentioning that Argentine’s Foreign Minister will arrive in
Yerevan on Thursday; the ceremony of opening the Argentinean Embassy
in Armenia will take place on May 21, Friday.

NEW DOCUMENT ON THE TABLE IN ARMENIA-TURKEY NORMALIZATION?

Tert.am
20.05.10

There is a new document on the Yerevan-Ankara negotiation table,
Vice-President of the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) Suat Kiniklioglu said at a conference in Washington.

Saying that Yerevan and Ankara have agreed to "keep silent" for
a moment and discuss what is put on the table of negotiations,
Kiniklioglu said: "Something totally different is put on the table. I
will not elaborate, but I will say that it is a perfect proposal, and
whether or not it will be adopted, will depend on the Armenian side."

Kiniklioglu also said that he has always backed the Armenia-Turkish
normalization and will do so in the future too.

"Because I do believe that it will change the [situation in the]
whole South Caucasus," said he, adding that the normalization of
relations will be possible assuming the Armenians and the Turks
demonstrate political will.

At the same time, Kiniklioglu mentioned that any mediation attempt
by third parties will not be useful for the normalization at all.

Repeating Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kiniklioglu
said the Armenia-Turkey normalization and the Karabakh settlement
are two parallel processes.

THE TICKETS OF ARMENIA – UZBEKISTAN MEETING ARE BEING SOLD

Aysor
May 18 2010
Armenia

On May 25 in the "Republican" stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan at 20:00
will take place friendly meeting of Armenia – Uzbekistan national
team. As the press office of the AFF informed the tickets of that game
are sold in the box-offices next the stadium and in Hummel shops on
Khanjyan 27, Mashtots 20, Raffi 31 streets. The price tribunes on
southern and northern parts will cost 1000 drams, and the tickets
for the eastern and western parts cost 2000 drams.

THE US HAS ABANDONED GEORGIA – ANALYST
Ernest Petrosyan

The Messenger
May 18 2010
Georgia

"Obama’s Administration may sell out Georgia and Moldova in exchange
for nuclear cooperation with Russia," says Senior Transatlantic Fellow
of the German Marshall Fund and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for European and Eurasian Affairs David Kramer in an article
published in The Washington Post on May 15.

Kramer writes that the Administration seems to have moved towards
taking a "Russia only" approach, neglecting and even abandoning other
countries in the region. He says that the most glaring example of this
came this week, when President Obama, in a message accompanying the
White House’s resubmission to Congress of a nuclear cooperation pact
with Russia, declared that the situation in Georgia "need no longer
be considered an obstacle to proceeding" with Congressional review
of the agreement.

Kramer emphasises that the Bush administration signed this "123"
agreement in May 2008, but withdrew it from Congressional consideration
four months later, knowing it would be rejected in the aftermath of
Russia’s invasion of Georgia that August. "Russian forces continue
to occupy separatist parts of Georgia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia
in blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement between the two
countries and are constructing bases in both regions, which Moscow
has recognised as independent states. The situation remains tense
and could easily explode again," says Kramer.

According to the analyst Obama’s statement that the existing situation
in Georgia is no longer considered an obstacle means that the United
States has abandoned Georgia, and stating so baldly that the situation
is no longer an obstacle to advancing Russian-American relations
means that the administration is essentially giving Russia a green
light to continue to engage in provocative behaviour along its borders.

Kramer acknowledges that Obama and US state officials repeatedly state
that they do not recognise a Russian "sphere of influence," but points
out that actions, or non-actions, speak louder than words. He thinks
that through its neglect of countries in the region other than Russia
the administration is ceding to Moscow exactly such a sphere.

"By some counts Obama has spoken and met with his "friend and partner"
President Dmitry Medvedev more times than with any other leader,
including on Thursday. He should use those occasions to lay down
clear markers that Russian aggression toward, and occupation of, its
neighbours are unacceptable. He also should start making "friends and
partners" elsewhere in the region. Some of these leaders aren’t the
easiest to get along with, nor are they poster children for democracy
and human rights – but then again, neither are Medvedev and Russian
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin," – Kramer says.

Georgian political analyst Mamuka Areshidze, however, thinks that
it is not certain that the US will sell out Georgia for the sake of
US-Russian nuclear cooperation. "US-Russian nuclear cooperation is not
restricted to the reduction of the nuclear arsenals of both countries,
and involves addressing the Iran issue as well. On the other hand,
the recent compromises made by Iran concerning its nuclear programme,
and the firm position of Yerevan on Armenian-Turkish relations,
make it seem that the US might compromise its position on "change"
in the South Caucasus for Iran. However this process is constantly in
flux, and Biden’s visit is a sign that the US is not going to simply
compromise Georgia away," told Areshidze to The Messenger.

RA GOVERNMENT READY TO ASSIST IN DEEPENING ARMENIAN-BELARUSIAN SCIENTIFIC RELATIONS

ARMENPRESS
MAY 18, 2010
YEREVAN

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received today the delegation,
headed by Mikhail Myasnikovich, president of the National Academy of
Sciences of Belarus (NASB).

President of the Armenian NAS Radik Martirosyan was present at the
meeting as well. An official from the press and PR department of
RA Government told Armenpress that Mr. Tigran Sargsyan welcomed the
guests and said RA Government is ready to assist in the deepening of
the Armenian-Belarusian scientific relations.

Mr. Mikhail Myasnikovich said he is satisfied with the process of
cooperation between Armenian and Belarusian Academies. He represented
the activities of the NASB and its policy on science development. The
prospects of deepening the mutually beneficial cooperation were
discussed as well.

The emphasis was put on the spheres of pharmacy production, information
technologies, biotechnologies, microelectronics and optics. The two
sides stressed the importance of applying scientific innovations and
achievements in the development of science. RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan said applying of the Belarusian experience in Armenia is
very important.

CZECH PM VISITS ARMENIA, OUTLINES CHANCES OF COOPERATION

Prague Daily Monitor
ts-armenia-outlines-chances-cooperation
May 18 2010
Czech Rep

Yerevan, May 17 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer, who started
a two-day visit to Armenia Monday, said after a meeting with his
counterpart Tigran Sargsyan that there are chances of extending
Czech exports to and imports from Armenia regardless of the present
difficult period.

He gave possible cooperation in tourism, information technologies
and transport as examples.

The Armenian media quoted Fischer as saying that after a few hours in
Armenia he noticed that there was a lot of female employees in Armenia.

"I’m glad to stay in Armenia and I can’t keep it for myself that I’m
pleased to see so many employed women. I could not overlook this,"
Fischer told journalists.

Commenting on the dispute over Nagorno Karabakh, an Armenian enclave
in Azerbaijan, which is a key issue of Armenian policy, Fischer
appreciated Armenia’s approach to it and said Yerevan is "following
the right path."

He warned against rash steps provoking a war, and supported the
efforts of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s
(OSCE) Minsk group, which has been seeking a political solution to
the problem since 1994.

Shortly before Fischer’s Armenian trip, Czech Foreign Minister Jan
Kohout paid a visit to Azerbaijan. He opened the Czech embassy in Baku.

Kohout said on Friday that the Karabakh conflict must be solved on
the basis of international law, including the principle of state’s
territorial integrity.

He said he was for the internationally recognised borders of Azerbaijan
to be respected.

MUCH-ANTICIPATED LITURGY IN SURB KHACH WILL BE OFFERED IN SEPTEMBER 19

Tert.am
17.05.10

A liturgy service planned to be held on September 12 in the Armenian
church Surb Khach (Saint Cross) located on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van,
Eastern Turkey, will be delayed for a week until September 19.

As already reported by Tert.am the reason is the referendum to be
held in Turkey on the same day.

According to Turkish Milliyet newspaper the statement released
by the Van Administration mentioned that the Governor of the Van
administration Myunil Karaloghlu had had a phone conversation with
Aram Archbishop Ateshyan, Head of the Religious Council of the Armenian
Patriarchate, and suggested to shift the date of the liturgy ceremony
on September 19.

Ateshyan gave his consent to the Karaloglu’s suggestion.

George Jamgochian Named Honorary President for Homenetmen’s 35th
Annual Navasartian Games

by Asbarez
Friday, May 14th, 2010

The opening ceremonies of Homenetmen’s 35th Annual Navasartian
Athletic Games, held on Saturday, May 8 at Birmingham High School, was
highlighted by the official announcement by the Regional Executive
that George Abraham Jamgochian, a noble Armenian and Homenetmen member
and advocate, has graciously accepted the role of title of Honorary
President for the 2010 Navasartian Games.

Meeting with Jamgochian following the ceremonies, offered more insight
into his personal and professional background. Born in 1926 in Bourj
Hammoud, Lebanon’s Nor Marash neighborhood, he was the second of
Abraham and Mariam Jamgochian’s four children. As a student, he
attended the Forty Martyrs Armenian National School in his community.

With great confidence, Jamgochian explained, `I only earned an
elementary-level education. I self-taught myself to both read and
write Armenian. My life experiences in and of themselves have taught
me a great deal.’

As a young adult who joined the ranks of the Armenian Revelutionary
Federation and with the previous editor of Aztag Daily Newspaper, Haig
Balian, as his godfather, Jamgochian served his organization through
the Sardarabad Gomideh’s Ohanchanian group.

Also, at an early age, he exposed himself to a variety of trades and
from 1954-1956 was employed as a compositor at the Aztag
printing-press in Lebanon. In 1956, after being offered a position for
`Hairenik,’ the official publication of the ARF in Boston, Jamgochian
relocated to the east coast. However, after one year and unable to
grow accustomed to the area’s cold climate, he moved to Los Angeles in
1957.

George Jamgochian met Makrouhi Sakajian in 1972. The two married and
had one child, a son, who they named after his father, George.
Jamgochian affirmed that after working in different occupations, in
the end, he and his wife established a sewing business, which brought
them great success.

Sadly, in 2005, Jamgochian lost his wife to cancer. Recalling his late
wife with great emotion, he stated, `My wife passed away from lung
cancer, which resulted from smoking. For this very reason, I advise
our young generation not to smoke and, instead, be productive by
becoming actively involved in organizations such as Homenetmen.’

Now retired, Jamgochian spends his free time visiting various Armenian centers.

When asked to explain what Homenetmen and the Navasartian Athletic
Games, in particular, signify for him, Jamgochian stated, `I have
regularly followed the work and activities of Homenetmen, which
include attending the Navasartian games, and admire its high level of
organization. My desire to sponsor the Navasartian Games stemmed from
being inspired by Homenetmen’s great services. I am pleased to be
Honorary President and will assume the position with the utmost
responsibility. Furthermore, I commend the Homenetmen Regional
Executive and chapter executive members, who tirelessly volunteer
their time to assemble our Armenian youth under the motto `Elevate
Yourself and Others With You.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Jamgochian expressed his sincere
thankfulness to the Homenetmen Western USA Regional Executive, who
entrusted him with the role of Honorary President for the 35th Annual
Navasartian Athletic Games. Given that Homenetmen is an organization
that he holds dear to his heart, Jamgochian concluded by making a plea
to Armenian families in the region to have their children join the
organization, which will help shape their lives and character.

We congratulate George A. Jamgochian on his new title, for which he is
undeniably worthy, and hope to take great example from him.