Author: Tashjian Arbi

‘OUR SHUSHI’ TELETHON COLLECTS NEARLY 16 MILLION USD IN PLEDGES

Tert.am
10:46 ~U 27.11.09

Hayastan All Armenian Fund concluded its 12th annual telethon –
a twelve-hour non-stop live broadcast from Los Angeles, California.

Summing up the results of a year long effort, which included a
whole range of fundraising activities, the Fund announced a total of
$15,875,043 USD in donations and pledges.

The collected funds will be directed at the realization of a variety
of social and economic infrastructure projects in the town of Shushi.

Through building new roads, schools, rehabilitating water mains and
restoring apartment buildings, the Fund will launch the process of the
revival of the historic Armenian town. Parallel to these projects,
the Fund will continue its rural development effort which reaches
out to the villages of Armenia and Artsakh.

This year’s fundraising effort was unprecedented in terms of the number
of people who participated and decided to have their input in tackling
the challenge of rebuilding Shushi. The participation of residents
of Armenia was especially impressive with more than 20,000 people
making their donations in the period leading to the annual Telethon.

NATO AND CSTO COOPERATION REPLENISH EACH OTHER

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.11.2009 15:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Armenia does not oppose CSTO with NATO," Hrayr
Karapetyan, Head of NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security
and Internal Affairs, told a news conference in Yerevan.

At that he noted that during the meeting with Robert Simons, NATO
Secretary General’s Special Representative in South Caucasus and
Central Asia, they CSTO and NATO "replenished each other" in terms
of allying with Armenia.

According to Karapetyan, Armenia closely cooperates with CSTO member
states and since 2002, it has been collaborating with NATO within
the frames of Armenia-NATO Individual-Partnership Program (IPAP).

ARFD faction member also pointed out to existing fears in terms of
cooperation with both organizations. "As much as cooperation with
NATO is concerned, certain members of that political-military bloc,
particularly Turkey and Romania, are actively assisting in Turkey’s
armament program," he noted.

With regard to cooperation with CSTO, he particularly focused on
Russia which has started an active military-political cooperation
with Azerbaijan, something that contradicts the spirit and letter
of CSTO Treaty. "At this point a very natural question arises as to
whether Russia sees any difference between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Karapetyan stressed the importance of Armenia’s extending cooperation
within CSTO frameworks while maintaining close ties with NATO. "To
maintain effective cooperation with Armenia, CSTO and NATO member
states should not assist in Azerbaijan’s armament program," he said.

CSTO INSTITUTE BRANCH TO OPEN IN YEREVAN

news.am
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

Today, Nov. 24, 2009 solemn opening of Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) Institute branch will be held in Yerevan. The
objectives of the Institute are studying of political and social
situation in CSTO member states, as well as provision of public
awareness on CSTO activities.

The institute will also ensure cooperation with other international
structures, research foundations and institutes for strategic studies.

CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha, currently in Armenia on a
visit will also attend the opening ceremony. Several branches of the
institute will also open in Caucasus till this year end.

November 24, a round-table meeting on "CSTO as a stability and security
factor in Caucasian region" will be held in Yerevan.

Political analysts, experts, as well as CSTO Institute and
international organizations’ representatives will take part in the
meeting.

PRESS RELEASE

Armenian Sisters Academy
440 Upper Gulph Road
Radnor, PA 19087

Contact: Susan Pogharian
Tel: 610-757-7090
Fax: 610-687-2450
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

As part of their Armenian Cultural Day celebration, students of the
Armenian Sisters Academy in 4th – 8th grades visited the Arshile Gorky
exhibit now running at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Accompanied by
Principal Sister V. Louisa Kassarjian, art teacher Armen Yepoyan and
eight other faculty members, students were given a private tour by
museum guides. Junior level students (7th and 8th graders) spent 90
minutes with museum guide Nancy Hovnanian who went into greater detail
on Gorky’s work. Mrs. Hovnanian was impressed with the childrens’
questions, general knowledge and interest.
Music teacher Maroush Paneyan-Nigon accompanied students on the trip
and was truly impressed how well the students were prepared for the
exhibit. "Mr. Yepoyan should be commended for the way he provides
opportunities for the students to learn about and to appreciate so many
different styles of art. The children seemed to truly enjoy the
exhibit, "she commented.
`For the last several weeks leading up to the exhibition, our
students have been learning about Arshile Gorky’s life and art in the
classroom. They eagerly awaited this field trip to see the marvelous
original works in this retrospective for themselves. It was wonderful
to see our students being inspired by the colors, shapes, masterstrokes
and history behind each series of work’, states Yepoyan. `Clearly
they now have a much better understanding and appreciation of what this
Armenian Genocide survivor brought to the world of art and how he lead
the Abstract Expressionist movement in the United States in the
1940s’, he adds.
Students gained insight into Gorky’s various stages of painting and
learned how his tragic personal life affected his artwork. Seventh
grader Julie Arthin commented, "Gorky’s art is remarkable in his use
of texture. His artwork displayed specific moods; when he used grey, it
reflected sad times in his life. I respect him more as an artist now
that I better understand his background." Classmate Alex Ayrapetian was
equally impressed. "My experience at the Arshile Gorky exhibit was great
because it opened my mind. I thought his work was just scribbles until
it was explained to me and I grew to understand his genius."
Gorky’s use of color and texture fascinated students, as did the
various stages of his career. Evan Mazmanian, a seventh grader said, "I
loved seeing a famous Armenian being shown in a museum and that our
nationality lives on. My favorite piece is `Organization’ because it
has many different curves, straight lines and abstract shapes. I like
how Gorky expresses his feelings and what’s going on in his life. For
example, after the fire in his studio, he would paint with red and black
to represent the fire and ashes. It’s wonderful that America
recognized and acknowledged his talent. I like him a lot because he is
deep and interpreted many things into his art which he lived for."
The exhibit was a wonderful learning experience for students and
faculty alike. They took great pride seeing their culture celebrated in
mainstream America.

Susan A. Pogharian
Director, Admissions and Communications
610-757-7090

Armenian Sisters Academy
440 Upper Gulph Road
Radnor, PA 19087

610-687-4100 (phone)
610-687-2430 (fax)

[email protected]

WHAT DID ALIYEV AND SARGSYAN DISCUSS IN MUNICH?

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev Reports say a renewed version of
the Madrid principles for a Karabakh settlement was discussed at the
presidents’ meeting in Munich on Sunday.

A joint declaration of the presidents of the countries co-chairing
the OSCE Minsk Group was adopted at the G8 summit in L’Aquila in
Italy on 10 July 2009. They consider that the reconciliation between
Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders should be reached on the basis of
principles fixed in the 2007 Madrid agreement. The main principles
of the Karabakh conflict settlement, including the return of regions
around Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan and granting a temporary status
which envisions guarantees of security and autonomy to the region,
were made public.

The document also stipulates the creation of a corridor between
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the further definition of the final
legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a referendum, the right
of all refugees and IDPs to return home and international security
guarantees including a peacekeeping operation.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS WIN NO MEDALS AT WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.11.2009 14:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ World Youth Chess Championship 2009 in Kemer,
Turkey is completed. None of 24 chess players (16 boys, 8 girls),
representing Armenia at the championship won medals.

OSCE MINSK GROUP WARNS AZERBAIJAN AGAINST MAKING BELLICOSE STATEMENTS – SOURCE

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

OSCE’s MG co-chairs on the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to abstain from making
bellicose statements by results of the meeting with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan in Munich.

"While speaking to reporters upon completion of the meeting, the
co-chairs have called on President Ilham Aliyev to abstain from
bellicose statements", a source close to the negotiation process in
Munich told Interfax Sunday. Interfax does not have confirmation of
this information by official sources.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS RELEASE STATEMENT ON THE RESULTS OF THE MEETING OF THE ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
MUNICH

MUNICH, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Ambassadors Yury Merzlyakov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France,
and Robert Bradtke of the United States, released statement relating
to the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

"During this meeting, the sixth such meeting this year, the two
presidents engaged in a detailed and in-depth discussion of the most
important unresolved points in the Co-Chairs’ proposals. The talks,
which lasted almost four hours, were constructive. In some areas,
progress was made. At the same time, some issues still remain open,"
says the statement.

According to it, the Presidents instructed their foreign ministers to
continue working with the Co-Chairs on these matters. As a next step,
the Co-Chairs are organizing a working session with the two ministers
in advance of the OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place
December 1-2 in Athens.

CIS countries could scrap dollar in several years – Kudrin

20:4020/11/2009

YALTA, November 20 (RIA Novosti) – CIS countries could drop the U.S.
dollar in financial settlements and start using their national
currencies within the next few years, the Russian finance minister
said on Friday.

Alexei Kudrin, who is also a Russian deputy prime minister, said the
CIS heads of government had endorsed a plan to phase out the U.S.
dollar.

He said initially national currencies, primarily the ruble, would be
used alongside the dollar.

He added that national currencies were already being used "on some
positions."

Hmayak Hovhannisyan – Armenia’s Republican Party is Looking More Like
the Communist Party of Old

[ 2009/11/18 | 15:39 ]

In today’s press conference, Hmayak Hovhannisyan, President of the
Union of Political Analysts, also referred to RoA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan’s recent entry into the ranks of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia, stating that the move shouldn’t come as a surprise.

`It was to be expected, give that the Republicans are the ruling party
both in Armenia and Russia. The two are essentially one party that
more and more resembles the Communist Party in that the ruling
apparatus is growing by leaps and bounds,’ Mr. Hovhannisyan argued.

`Just as in the past, when one couldn’t get a top position without
membership in the Communist Party, we are getting to the point in
Armenia when either a top official must feel vulnerable or else become
a member in the Republican Party to defend that position,’ he went on
to say.

Mr. Hovhannisyan also argued that PM Sargyan’s move was also designed
to thwart the pans of some former individuals to re-enter active
politics. `I am referring to the Kocharyan cadres and the people
around the former president who are attempting to weaken the position
of the current prime minister and take over the post.’

He added however that such a move would not solidify the position of
PM Sargsyan and offered the example of former National Assembly
president Tigran Torosyan, who was summarily sacked from the job, even
though he was a longstanding member of the Republican Party.