Author: Tigranian Ani

GOHAR POGHOSYAN APPOINTED HEAD OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT PRESS SERVICE

ArmInfo
2010-03-11 11:20:00

ArmInfo. Gohar Poghosyan has been appointed Head of the Armenian
National Assembly press service, the parliamentary press service
told ArmInfo.

To note, the post of the head of the Parliament’s Information and
Public Relations Department remained vacant after relief of Anahit
Adamyan from this duty in January 2009. Deputy editor of Hayastani
Hanrapetutyun newspaper Gagik Nahapetyan has been appointed deputy
head of the Armenian National Assembly press service.

GORAN LENNMARKER: SWEDEN WANTS TO SEE ARMENIA AS A PART OF THE EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.03.2010 19:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Eastern Partnership initiative of the European
Union offers Armenia closer cooperation with the EU. This is a proposal
to the official Yerevan and Armenia has to choose how close it wants
to be to the European Union Goran Lannmarker , OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly special representative on Nagorno Karabakh said in Yerevan.

~SThe choice is yours, and Armenia, as an independent country can
choose its own path. If it does not want to become an EU member,
through this initiative it can become a good partner for the Brussels,"
Lennmarker said.

According to Goran Lennmarker, Sweden, his country of origin, wants
to see Armenia in the EU. "Armenia, which adopted Christianity as a
state religion in 301, is a European country and we want to see it
in the European Union," Lennmarker said.

The EU’s commitment to deepen relations with Armenia does not mean that
Armenia should terminate relations with Russia. "Eastern Partnership"
has far-reaching plans, and Armenia should decide itself to what
extent it wishes to deepen relations with the European family,"
said Lennmarker.

SESSION OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION STARTS ON MARCH 21 IN MOSCOW

ArmInfo
2010-03-11 13:22:00

ArmInfo. Ambassador of Armenia to Russia Oleg Yesayan met with Chairman
of Russia’s Natural Monopolies Committee of Federation Council Nikolai
Ryzhkov on March 10.

As the Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told ArmInfo, N. Ryzhkov
congratulated O. Yesayan on his appointment as ambassador and
expressed hope that his experience will contribute to development of
the Armenian-Russian relations. He also acquainted the ambassador with
the agenda of the Armenian-Russian Inter- parliamentary Cooperation
Committee session to be held in Moscow on March 21-23. According to N.

Ryzhkov, the Committee carried out much work towards development and
tightening of the Armenian-Russian historical, cultural and economic
relations. The parties exchanged opinions on the issues to be raised
during the upcoming Committee session, as well as on normalization
of the Armenian-Turkish relations and Karabakh conflict settlement.

BAD TIME TO PLACE STRAIN ON RELATIONS: ANALYST
BY: Peter O’Neil, Canwest News Service

The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan)
March 10, 2010 Wednesday
Canada

The U.S. was reminded again Tuesday why it doesn’t have nearly the
latitude enjoyed by countries like France, Germany and Canada to
denounce the almost century-old atrocities committed by the old
Ottoman Empire against Armenians.

Turkey, which last week withdrew its ambassador to Washington to
protest a congressional bid to declare the First World War-era
persecution by Ottoman Turks of Armenians a genocide, issued a
statement aimed at heightening the pressure on President Barack
Obama’s administration to block the move.

"We will not send our ambassador back unless we get a clear sign on the
outcome of the situation regarding the Armenian bill," Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan said, according to the state news agency Anatolian.

According to one of the top U.S. analysts of Turkey, the
Washington-Ankara showdown couldn’t come at a worse time due to
growing anti-West sentiment in Turkey, for decades a crucial U.S.

military and diplomatic ally in the Islamic world and a member of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

More than 90 per cent of Turks, already bruised by German and French
opposition to their membership in the European Union, reject any
suggestion their nation is guilty of genocide, said Soner Cagaptay
of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"It will be seen as yet another slap in the face of the Turks by the
West and, therefore, it will only help fuel the Turks’ slide away
from the West," Cagaptay told Canwest News Service.

"Regardless of the merits of the case, if there was one really wrong
time to pass such a resolution, this would be that time."

Turkey’s ambassador was withdrawn last week after a U.S. House
panel last week narrowly approved a non-binding measure condemning
the genocide.

While Obama campaigned in favour of acknowledging the genocide, his
officials now say that this "personal" position doesn’t clash with
his administration’s view that Turkey and Armenia should resolve the
matter bilaterally.

It will be left to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and especially
Defence Secretary Robert Gates, to lobby Congress to block the measure
from advancing further, according to Cagaptay.

Gates is particularly motivated because of demands by a nationalist
opposition party, the MHP Party, that Parliament deny the U.S. access
to the Incirlik air base on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Incirlik plays a vital logistical role for American soldiers stationed
in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cagaptay, who has written about Turkey’s slide from the West in
publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to the influential
U.S. journal Foreign Affairs, said the controversy won’t necessarily
help Erdogan in his current battle with the Turkish military.

"But it will help the government pacify any pro-western voices inside
the country. In other words, if this resolution passed, friends of
the U.S., and those who stand for a Turkey that’s a member of the
Euro-Atlantic community, would simply be told to shut up."

Erdogan’s Islamist-oriented government has taken a number of current
and retired senior military officers to court, charging them with
complicity in an alleged coup attempt after he became prime minister
in 2003.

The move is believed to be part of an attempt by the ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP), which has distanced itself from Israel
and has started forming closer relations with anti-western countries
like Iran and Sudan, to discredit the military, long the defender of
Turkey’s status as a secular, pro-western state.

Several international organizations and about 20 governments, bowing
to lobbying efforts by Armenian diaspora communities, have recognized
the genocide of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.

In all cases Turkey has vehemently objected, though the geopolitical
ramifications of Ankara’s retaliatory measures have been marginal.

JANSEM AWARDED ARMENIAN MEDAL OF HONOR

ArmInfo
2010-03-10 16:45:00

Arminfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to France
continues.

As press-service of the president reported, on 9 March Serzh Sargsyan
met the known French artist of Armenian origin Jansem and said that
the people of Armenia are proud of him and highly appreciates his art.

They touched on the problems of enhancing Armenia-Diaspora relations.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on awarding the
French-Armenian eminent artist Hovhannes Semerjian (Jansem) with a
Medal of Honor for his significant investment in the enhancement of
French-Armenian cultural ties, and on his 90th anniversary.

RUSSIA OPENED UPPER LARS TO SUPPLY ITS MILITARY BASE IN GYUMRI WITH ARMS, A LEADER OF GEORGIAN OPPOSITION SAYS

Noyan Tapan
March 10, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The opening of the Upper Lars
checkpoint shows that Russia wishes to cautiously normalize the frozen
Russian-Georgian relations and not to strain these relations anymore.

Alexey Malashenko, member of the Carnegie Foundation Moscow
Center’s Scientific Council, expressed this opinion during
Yerevan-Moscow-Tbilisi space bridge held on March 9. In his words,
European analysts comment on the Upper Lars opening both from the
optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints, but it is better to operate
the Upper Lars checkpoint than to do nothing. "The Russian-Georgian
relationship is so complicated that it will be a sad thing if no
development is achieved," A. Malashenko noted.

Head of the Interethnic Relations Department of Moscow Institute of
Political and Military Analysis Sergey Markedonov said that there
are still some visa regime-related problems at the checkpoint, but
in any cause its opening was a humanitarian step taken by Russia. "I
wouldn’t like to make the Upper Lars problem conditional only on
Georgia: at the time the closing of this checkpoint caused much
inconvenience for Armenia," S. Markedonov said. According to him,
today some tension can be observed in Armenian-Georgian relations as
well – due to the hard situation in Javakhk.

Chairman of the Union of Caucasian Peoples Zaal Kasrashvili stated
that it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Azerbaijani political scientists
participated in the space bridge. "Why don’t the Russians (who declare
that they want to have good relations with the Georgian people)
take the Georgians’ interests into account?" Z. Kasrashvili asked.

One of the leaders of the Georgian opposition – Giorgy Khaindrava
declared that it is almost impossible for Georgian citizens to receive
a visa at the Upper Lars checkpoint, so there was no point in opening
the checkpoint in this state. In his words, he does not understand
how Russia and Georgia can become reconciled when Georgians consider
Russia an occupant, while Moscow does not agree to negotiate with
Mikheil Saakashvili. "The checkpoint was opened only for Armenia –
so that Russia could supply its military base in Gyumri with arms," G.

Khaindrava said, adding the opening of the checkpoint is aimed against
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

In the opinion of political scientist Alexander Iskandarian, the
opening of Upper Lars checkpoints means that re-formation of the
Russian-Georgian conflict is taking place, and it is still early to
speak about a thaw in relations.

TURKEY HIKES THE PRESSURE ON U.S.

Montreal Gazette
+hikes+pressure/2664101/story.html
March 10 2010
Canada

Crucial ally; Atrocities against Armenians weren’t genocide: Ankara

By PETER O’NEIL, Canwest News ServiceMarch 10, 2010 The U.S. was
reminded again yesterday why it does not have nearly the latitude
enjoyed by countries like France, Germany and Canada to denounce the
almost century-old atrocities committed by the old Ottoman Empire
against Armenians.

Turkey, which last week withdrew its ambassador to Washington to
protest a congressional bid to declare the First World War-era
persecution by Ottoman Turks of Armenians a genocide, issued a
statement aimed at heightening the pressure on President Barack
Obama’s administration to block the move.

"We will not send our ambassador back unless we get a clear sign on the
outcome of the situation regarding the Armenian bill," Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan said, according to the state news agency Anatolian.

According to one of the top U.S. analysts of Turkey, the
Washington-Ankara showdown couldn’t come at a worse time because of
growing anti-West sentiment in Turkey, for decades a crucial U.S.

military and diplomatic ally in the Islamic world and a member of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

More than 90 per cent of Turks, already bruised by German and French
opposition to their membership in the European Union, reject any
suggestion their nation is guilty of genocide, said Soner Cagaptay
of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"It will be seen as yet another slap in the face of the Turks by the
West, and therefore it will only help fuel the Turks’ slide away from
the West," Cagaptay told Canwest News Service.

"Regardless of the merits of the case, if there was one really wrong
time to pass such a resolution, this would be that time."

Turkey’s ambassador was withdrawn last week after a U.S. House panel
narrowly approved a non-binding measure condemning the genocide.

While Obama campaigned in favour of acknowledging the genocide, his
officials now say that this "personal" position doesn’t clash with
his administration’s view that Turkey and Armenia should resolve the
matter bilaterally.

It will be left to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and especially
Defence Secretary Robert Gates, to lobby Congress to block the measure
from advancing further, according to Cagaptay.

Gates is particularly motivated because of demands by a nationalist
opposition party, the MHP Party, that Parliament deny the U.S. access
to the Incirlik air base on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Incirlik plays a vital logistical role for U.S. soldiers stationed
in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Several international organizations and about 20 governments, bowing
to lobbying efforts by Armenian diaspora communities, have recognized
the genocide of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.

In all cases, Turkey has vehemently objected, though the geopolitical
ramifications of Ankara’s retaliatory measures have been marginal.

Canada’s House of Commons adopted that position in a free vote in
2004, reversing the Liberal government’s position that the deaths
constituted a "tragedy" rather than an extermination of a people.

Then-prime minister Paul Martin didn’t participate in the vote.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper explicitly endorsed the position that
the deaths constituted genocide when the Conservatives took power
two years later.

TURKEY’S AMBASSADOR NOT RETURNING TO US YET

Voice of America
March 9 2010

Turkey says its U.S. ambassador will not return to Washington until
Congress clarifies its stand on a "genocide" resolution discussing
mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks more than 90 years ago.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is visiting Saudi Arabia
Tuesday, has said the issue could greatly harm Turkey’s relations
with the United States.

The dispute began after a House of Representatives committee passed a
resolution declaring the death of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
was an act of genocide by Ottoman Turkish forces.

Before his election, President Barack Obama said he believed the
World War I – era massacre was genocide. Now, however, administration
officials say the president opposes the resolution. The full House
has not yet voted on the non-binding measure.

The Foreign Affairs committee vote last Thursday triggered outrage
in Turkey and prompted the recall of Ambassador Namik Tan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the Obama administration
will work very hard to make sure the resolution does not come up for
a vote before the full House of Representatives.

However, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu contends the
Obama administration is not doing enough to block further action
on the genocide issue, considering that Turkey is a key ally of the
United States. Turkish authorities also say the U.S. resolution will
complicate their efforts to normalize relations with Armenia.

Armenia has praised the resolution, with Foreign Minister Eduard
Nalbandian calling it an important step to help prevent future crimes
against humanity.

Armenians say about 1.5 million people of Armenian descent were
massacred between 1915 and 1923, in what they contend was a campaign
orchestrated by the Ottoman Turkish empire. Turkey, which now has a
secular Muslim democratic government, says that Armenian death toll is
inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest
in which Turks also died.

THE KING OF ACCORDION AND BANDONEON OPENS THE SECRET OF HIS NAME
Marine Martirosyan

March 4, 2010

Exclusive interview with world famous accordionist and bandoneonist
Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi

"It seems that Mario is painting a piece of art when he plays the
music." "Every time when you hear Mario playing, you see that his
heart works faster than his music rhythm." "No one can squeeze
more feelings from the music of Astor Piaccolla than Mario Stefano
Pietrodarchi." This is how artists and people describe Mario Stefano
Pietrodarchi’s music and meanwhile they are surprised that this young
man has been able to attract the entire world with his music.

– Are you in Armenia for the first time?

– No, this is my fourth visit to Armenia. For the first time I visited
Armenia with Tonino Guerra. He told me about the wonderful churches
here; the churches of Noravank and Geghard. Armenia is situated in
between Asia and Europe. Armenia is really very beautiful and one
can find unbelievable solutions here.

– Is it not an unbelievable solution to combine "the cooperation"
of the music of accordion, bandoneon and orchestra?

– Maybe it is strange because the accordion is a very unique
instrument. In a number of countries it is used more in the folklore.

I tried to implement the new program of combining the music of
accordion and orchestra, and I asked Roberto Molinelli and Fabio
Conocella to write music for me. By the way, the latter is a new
Italian composer. I think it is a good idea because the accordion
gives a specific taste to the bandoneon. Bandoneon has a German
origin. People used to play the bandoneon in churches. Later this
instrument was used in Argentina, and the way of playing was changed
as well because they played tango with this instrument. I am trying
to mix it with the Italian music to create new repertories. Of course
it is a strange thing but I believe it will be success as people like
it already.

– Why did you choose accordion or bandoneon but not violin or piano?

– I was born in a family of accordionists. It is what I inherited from
my ancestors. I just took our accordion at home and started playing.

Shortly I started playing the bandoneon as well. The fact that people
like Piacolla’s music was a good incentive too. Piacolla is a real
master of bandoneon. It was the reason why I liked bandoneon.

– In Caucasus accordion is known as an instrument which represents
the Russian folklore. Do you have Russian music in your repertory?

– Generally accordion has Italian origin. It is more Italian
instrument representing the Italian folklore. Of course now people
play more Russian music because the Russian repertory is very rich,
but I can’t play Russian music because I am Italian and the Russian
culture is not mine. I am very friendly to the music of other nations
but I have to play my own Italian music because I am the bearer of
the colors of my country.

– What kind of education have you got?

– I have studied in France, Serbia, and graduated from the conservatory
of Rome. I won one of the competitions organized in Rome, which was
a world famous competition. In 2001 I participated in another world
famous competition in France and I won. Currently I work in the
southern part of Italy, in a conservatory not far from Sicily.

I am trying to introduce the new ideology of accordion to my students;
I am trying to teach them the future of accordion.

– Nowadays many people refuse academic education and say that the
academic education kills the talent. Do you agree with that?

– Of course no. Many people think like that. When such people follow
this idea shortly they find out that they have stopped playing and
thinking of the music. The talent is very important but you can’t play
with the talent only. One can play well if the talent and education
are mixed. Playing is like the work. One should learn how to work and,
what is more important, stay close to the musical instrument. It is
also normal that many people are not talented so much but can play
work due to their hard work, and the vice versa. It is true about
anything and any sector in the life. For example, you are a talented
football player but you don’t want to run and train… If you don’t
work, your talent is nothing.

– When you are playing it seems that with your music and every
movement of your body you are taking people into a unique film… Is
it your story?

– I am very happy to see that you understand what I am trying
to deliver. Many people say I am becoming a part of my musical
instruments. Maybe it sounds beautiful. When I am playing I am starting
to imagine. It is the biggest present I can get from people who listen
to my music.

– What is the "message"?

– I can’t say. When I am playing I fall into my imagination world
and imagine more. I think people understand my imagination world. My
film comes from my imagination. It is very beautiful. I am grateful
to the God for giving this opportunity to me; for being able to enter
into a dialogue with the musical instrument and the fact that people
understand this dialogue. Every time I am closing my eyes and trying
to imagine people in my memories.

– Are the stories different every time?

– Of course it is not a realistic film. It is hard to tell about my
feelings and imagination. It is my secret.

– But sometimes it becomes evident.

– Everyone can imagine like I do. It is like reading a book with
visual imagination. I have my visual imagination in my film too,
which is in my inner world.

– What is important for an artist?

– The most important thing is the every day work. An artist should
work hard. I always tell this to my students. For an artist it is
very important to be hardworking. Definitely this is the message I
am trying to teach and deliver to my students. We should work hard
to make our dreams come true.

– Now you are very famous in the world. Does it hinder you move
forward?

– It does not change anything. In this case my family is helping
me much because every time I win a competition my mother says, "It
is good, but you should move forward. You should not stop and speak
about it. You should work hard." I work for 12 hours a day. I can’t
have a rest, I want to work more.

– Is it the formula of your success?

– I love this world and music, and my family and traveling are great
pleasure for me. It is my life.

– What is the life?

– Once Federino Fellini said that the life is a big smile. Many
people suffer but I think the life is not so long to be sacrificed
to suffering. For this purpose one should help the other to love and
live the life. All of us are the children of the God.

– When you are playing it seems that in your hands you have not a
musical instrument but a toy because you touch it very tenderly. Is
it a result of hard work as well?

– Maybe. It is about my anagram. It is a secret that I will tell you.

For the first time. You know that accordion is an Italian word and
it means "Fiezermonica". My name and surname are Mario Stefano. (he
took a piece of paper, wrote down his name, erased some letters in
that word, and the letters that remained meant a saying in Italian,
which he translated as "God has given me the talent to play the
accordion" M.M.).

– You have visited Armenia for a number of times during these 4 years.

Have you heard about the Duduk?

– I want to meet with Jivan Gasparyan. I have seen his videos, as
well as the duet with Zuccero. I think in the near future I will
have the opportunity to play with him. Why not? I love the melodies
of the Armenian Duduk. I can imagine how wonderful the mixing of the
Armenian Duduk, accordion, bandoneon and orchestra can be.

– Do you have time to share with your family? Where does your family
live?

– I was born in Atesa, which is in the middle of Italy. Even though
I am happy to have concert tours, sometimes I feel sad and miss my
family. My family lives in Atesa. I have a sister. I have a unique
family, which believes in me and my music. It is the most important
thing for me. I am really lucky.

ARMENIAN DANCE: THE DRIVE OF ‘ARMENIANNESS’
By Anahid Babayan

babayan-armenian-dance-the-drive-of-%e2%80%98armen ianness%e2%80%99/
March 7, 2010

An Armenian daughter, wittingly or not, learns that as she grows older,
she must keep her identity as a modest Armenian woman. There are many
occasions that remind her that she is an Armenian daughter.

And this, overtime, becomes part of her character.

I was 11 years old when my family emigrated from Armenia to Lebanon,
another small Armenia, where the life of an Armenian was as much
similar as it was different to the ones living in the homeland. The
Armenian community in Beirut was successful in educating Armenian
children to have a strong Armenian identity. The schools and teachers
there-and the events at the Tarouhy-Hovagimian High School-helped
awaken a strong Armenian identity in me. Later, studying at the
Haigazian University gave me the chance to develop this identity
even more. The encouragement I received from the Armenian teachers
and professors there made me feel that I was being educated in a
special way.

During those years, however, there was one activity, one passion, that
helped sustain this identity: Armenian dance. Being a member of the
"Knar" Dance Troup, one of the few Armenian dance groups in Beirut,
gave me a platform from which I could express this feeling of "Hayouhi"
(Armenian woman) and let it reach its peak. The lithe, smooth, and
silky movements of the dance shaped my character. At the same time,
dancing the Armenian national folk dances, the more rhythmic and
strong movements, made me feel that I could take on the everlasting
struggle in life to move forward.

Armenian dance evokes various feelings and emotions. It is the best
way to express feelings of love and passion, strength and happiness,
pride and modesty, responsibility and freedom. Armenian dance makes
me feel Armenian in a different way.

Taking these positive experiences from my life in Beirut, I left
for Leipzig, Germany. The new culture and atmosphere presented me
with another platform-from which I could present Armenian culture to
another society. During my studies, all my writings and presentations
dealt with Armenian topics. Also, finding some Armenian students
at the University of Leipzig made me feel relieved; I was happy I
could reveal my "Armenianness" in Leipzig, too. We began organizing
Armenian cultural events at the university. It was interesting to see
how the Germans were interested in joining the events and learning
more about Armenian culture. For me, it was a beautiful responsibility
to represent Armenian dance there.

Being a Hayouhi meant something different this time, for it carried
with it the responsibility of presenting our culture.

To my surprise, the Armenian community was very different there. They
were spread all over the country, and not having concentrated
communities made it difficult to exercise Armenianness. Apart from
talking to their parents, the children had no other opportunity to
speak Armenian. They had almost no chance to experience Armenian
culture. What could I do? I wanted to act, and realized that whatever
I did would be helpful to the children there.

The first thing that came to mind was to organize Armenian-language
courses. At the beginning, there were only 7 children in my class,
but each week the number of children increased and soon reached 17. It
was nice to see how my initiated work reached its goals, and how its
aim was welcomed.

To me, being an Armenian woman means being responsible not only
to one’s family but also to those Armenians around her. This is my
strong conviction, formed after living in three different cultures. In
Armenia, it is taken for granted that children will grow up with an
Armenian identity. In Lebanon, too, the well-developed and active
Armenian community ensures this. In Germany, however, it is difficult
to have the necessary environment and means available to educate
Armenian children about their heritage. Whenever I meet a child who
never had the opportunity to learn to read and write in Armenian,
I feel as if something needs to be done, that I must do something.

In the same way, when the Armenian community near Leipzig asked me
to give Armenian dance lessons, I couldn’t refuse. The feeling of
Hayouhi was once again active in me. I learned this enthusiasm from
living in the diaspora, and have wanted to give back in some way to
other Armenians. It was as if I owed transferring everything I had
learned from Armenians to the Armenian community in Germany.

On the other hand, living in a third country, in a different society
and culture, gave me the ability to exercise the feeling of freedom.

It led me to realize how important it was to be an Armenian woman
and use that independence in a positive way. It allowed me to
be self-reliant, confident, and strong. I think that everyone is
responsible to do something for the Armenian community.

I hope that one day, the Armenian children around me will continue
this way of thinking, of feeling. Yes, it is difficult to maintain
our identity outside of Armenia, especially when we live in a country
where the Armenian community is very small. By the same token, it is
very much appreciated to see even the smallest effort taken by any
Armenian living there. Life is not very easy for those living abroad.

As an Armenian woman, however, I feel equipped with the weapons of
an identity that will stay with me for the rest of my life, even if I
live outside Armenia. I am indebted to the Armenian society wherever
I live and will give what I can.

Armenianness is a pleasant responsibility that follows me all the
time, and I am happy to carry that responsibility. I will continue
to dance and by dancing make others feel Armenian as well. This is
what I have learned from the Armenian dance!

Anahid Babayan holds an M.A. in international affairs and is currently
a Ph.D. candidate at the Global and European Studies Institute,
University of Leipzig, Germany.