Author: Toganian Liana

BOGHOSSIAN NOTABLY ABSENT FROM URUGUAY TEAM

Tert.am
14:39 ~U 17.02.10

Head coach of Uruguay’s national football team, Oscar Tabarez, has
announced the list of those players who will be playing in the March
3 friendly match with Switzerland, according to the official website
of the Uruguay Football Association (Asociacion Uruguaya de Fútbol).

Absent from the list is Newell’s Old Boys of Argentina striker,
Uruguayan-Armenian Joaquín Boghossian.

Uruguay’s team is as follow:

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera, Juan Guillermo Castillo

Defenders: Diego Lugano, Diego Godin, Andres Scotti, Martin Caceres,
Jorge Fucile, Mauricio Victorino

Midfielder: Maximiliano Pereira, Diego Perez, Walter Gargano, Ignacio
Gonzalez, Alvaro Pereira, Nicolas Lodeiro

Strikers: Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez, Washington Sebastian Abreu,
Sebastian Fernandez, Jorge Martinez, Edinson Cavani

COMMUNITY HEAD: REFERENDUM IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH IS POSSIBLE ONLY AFTER RETURN OF AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY TO REGION

Trend
Feb 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Referendum in the Nagorno-Karabakh can be held only after the
return of IDPs, Head of the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijan’s
Nagorno-Karabakh regionBayram Safarov said.

"Ordinary Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh want the
Azerbaijanis to return there," he told journalists following the
meeting with OSCE Chairman Kanat Saudabayev who is on an official visit
Baku. "They are supporters of cohabitation in the Nagorno-Karabakh
region."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

According to Safarov, given Azerbaijan’s economic power, ordinary
Armenians do not wish to hold a referendum.

Safarov noted that this first meeting with OSCE Chairman-in and hoped
for the return of Azerbaijanis in the Nagorno-Karabakh.

He also brought to the country’s position, which consists in the fact
that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be resolved solely on the basis
of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, to Saudabayev’s attention.

Saudabayev is on official visit to Azerbaijan from Feb.14.

KFW TO PROVIDE ARMENIA WITH 110 MILLION EUROS FOR 2009-2010

ARKA
Feb 16, 2010

YEREVAN, February 16, /ARKA/. In an interview with ARKA news agency
Karapet Gevorkyan, the representative of German KfW Development Bank
in Armenia, Candidate of Economy, said until 2005 the bank provided
Armenia with 25-30 million euros aid a year as part of the Financial
Cooperation program.

In 2007-2008 this amount more than doubled to 70 million euros.

Besides about 110 million euros have been committed for 2009-2010 in
apparent evidence of the bank’s stepped up work in Armenia.

He said as a follow-up of 2009 July Armenian-German intergovernmental
talks in Bonn the German side agreed to increase the funding for
several successful projects here. Particularly, KfW agreed to release
additional 20 million euros to support mortgage loans, 18 million euros
were released by the German-Armenian Fund to finance construction
of small hydropower plants as part of renewable energy program and
1.5 million euro were made available in the form of grants. Besides,
22 million euros were provided in addition to earlier released 29
million euros to finance modernization and reconstruction of Vorotan
Hydropower Plant.

He said the budget of two currently ongoing German Financial
Cooperation programs, designed to ensure uninterrupted drinking water
supplies and improved sewage disposal in the towns of Vanadzor and
Gyumri in the north of the country is about 25 million euros. To
compelte these programs some 40 million euros of extra funds are
planned to be released. In general, the lion’s share of funds are
directed to infrastructure upgrading with the focus on energy and
water supply systems. Some 4 million euros will be provided for
implementaion of ecological porjects and 10 million euros for creation
of the regional investment fund.

"JEWISH LOBBY" MIGHT REFRAIN FROM OBJECTING TO GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.02.2010 18:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ I personally don’t follow the policies of the
"Jewish lobby" very closely and I also don’t like to use the term
‘Jewish lobby’ without specifying it. We know that Turkey and Israel’s
relations are not so good now, said Taner Akcam, Associate Professor
of History at Clark University, the author of "A Shameful Act: the
Armenian Genocide and Turkish Responsibility" book.

It won’t surprise me to learn that some lobbying organizations, who has
a very close relation to Israel, may use the tensions between Turkey
and Israel to pull back from expending any energy in objecting to the
genocide resolution. "But in either situation, whether opposing or
supporting a Resolution, their justification for doing would be rather
distasteful. One needs to recognize the ugliness of a position that
essentially says "We’ll be either denialist or resolute on historical
injustices depending on Israel’s political self-interest", professor
Akcam told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) was submitted to the
House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), during
the 110th United States Congress. It is a non-binding resolution
calling upon the US President to ensure that the foreign policy of
the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing,
and genocide documented in the United States record relating to
the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes. The resolution was
introduced on January 30, 2007.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars
and historians accept this view. The Armenian Genocide has been also
recognized by influential media including The New York Times, BBC,
The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.

esctoday.com
Feb 14 2010

Live: National final in Armenia

Live from Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, here is the Armenian
national final. Nine songs will compete for the honor to be the 5th
Armenian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The show

The show to be broadcast on Channel 1 will start at 18:40 CET (21:40
local time). Nine acts will perform one song each and the winner will
be chosen by a mixture of jury voting (50%) and televoting (50%).

How to watch?

No webcast will be made available. If you have a satellite dish
pointed to Hotbird 13E, you can watch the show in frequencies 12597V
27500 3/4.

The participants

Composer/Lyricist in brackets.

1.Another Story – Ays dzmer (This winter)
(A. Sargsyan)
2.Ani Arzumanyan – The Mermaid song
(A. Nersisyan)
3.Meline Beglaryan – We must believe
(M. Beglaryan)
4.Emmy & Mihran – Hey (Let me hear you say)
(V. Ter-Yeghishyan/M. Kirakosyan)
5.David Ashotyan – Infected dreams
(D. Ashotyan)
6.Nick Egibyan – Countdown
(N. Egibyan)
7.Maria Kizirian – Little Red Riding Hood
(M. Kizirian)
8.Razmik Amyan – My love
(V. Petrosyan/V. Zadoyan)
9.Eva Rivas – Apricot stone
(A. Martirosyan/K. Kavaleryan)

¢You can vote for your favourite song in our poll here.

LIVE

The show has started.

Inga & Anush, Armenian representatives in the Eurovision Song Contest
2009, open the show. They are dressed in black and white and they
perform a song in English.

The presenters are on stage now. They are joined by Lys Assia, winner
of the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Expectedly, she
highlights that Armenia is a beautiful country.

1. Another Story – Ays dzmer (This winter)

Current esctoday.com poll result: =9th (2.2%)

A typical rock song in the style of those that have been frequently
performed in several preselections around Eastern Europe. The song is
the only one sung in Armenian, and it is performed by the band Another
Story. They are made of a soloist (who also plays the guitar), two
guitarists and a drummer. It is sung and performed very well, but it
might not touch the hearts of millions around europe and therefore it
might not be tonight’s winner.

2. Ani Arzumanyan – The Mermaid song

Current esctoday.com poll result: 5th (5.4%)

Ani is dressend in yellow and black. Accompanied by a cello player and
four backing singers dressed in traditional Armenian clothes, she
sings her song powerfully and right in tune. The song is an ethnic
song with classical and jazzy touches.

3. Meline Beglaryan – We must believe

Current esctoday.com poll result: 8th (2.5%)

Meline introduces herself in Russian during the postcards, which
present the artists. We must believe is a slow ballad, and Meline is
accompanied by two male and two female dancers, who are all dressed in
white. Despite singing the song without any problems, it is not going
anywhere and might not win tonight’s show.

4. Emmy & Mihran – Hey (Let me hear you say)

Current esctoday.com poll result: 3rd (15.6%)

Welcomed by the crowd, Emmy and Mihran start singing their song which
is one of the favourites to win tonight. Mirhan starts the performance
next to a DJ stage and soon Emmy joins and she is wearing a shiny
silver dress. They are accompanied by four dancers and there are also
tables with candles on stage. Although the duo seems to be a bit
nervous, they deliver a perfect performance. At the end of the song,
the crowd is going crazy.

5. David Ashotyan – Infected dreams

Current esctoday.com result: =9th (2.2%)

David is dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt and a sweatshirt. His song
is a rock song and he is all alone on stage. He seems a little excited
and the participants clap their hands for him from the greenroom,
which is placed right in front of the stage.

The presenters are on stage again.

6. Nick Egibyan – Countdown

Current esctoday.com poll result: 7th (2.9%)

A hip-hop styled song, performed by Nick Egibyan, dressed in white and
silver. He got raggery in silver on his face, too. He sings his song
without getting out of tune and he’s accompanied by two female
dancers. However, the song isn’t catchy enough.

7. Maria Kizirian – Little Red Riding Hood

Current esctoday.com poll result: 2nd (16.2%)

Maria is a foreigner, which is the reason why she reads her text in
Armenian from cards, and breaks her teeth while trying to pronounce
the Armenian words. Her song is an uptempo rockish song. She is
dressed in black and four dancers accompany her. They are dressed in
red (surprisingly). This catchy song is performed very well although
she’s getting out of tune sometimes.

8. Razmik Amyan – My love

Current esctoday.com poll result: 4th (9.2%)

Accepted warmly by the crowd, Razmik goes on stage with his uptempo
Eastern song My love, which involves Armenian sounds and ultra-violet
lights. The performance makes you move and the song is very very
catchy. Will the four dancers in the back will help him going to Oslo?
We will have the answer at the end of this evening.

9. Eva Rivas – Apricot stone

Current esctoday.com poll result: 1st (39.5%)

The last song tonight is another fan favourite. A man dressed in
black, his head covered, plays the flute. Another man plays a guitar.
Eva wears a white dress and she sings her song, which is accepted
warmly by the crowd. Soon the song turns from a ballad to an up-tempo
tune. There are also a pianist and two backing singers on stage. The
vocal performance is flawless, but still not very moving. Will the
Armenian nation send her to Oslo? In the end, the crowd stands up and
keeps shouting "Eva, Eva".

The voting has started. A recap is shown, and you can vote by sending
an SMS to 2525. (Each SMS costs 280 drams).

Our poll will be closed in five minutes.

Luara, the Armenian reprsentive in the last Junior Eurovision Song
Contest is on stage now singing her entry Barcelona.

The performers are now interviewed in the greenroom.

Our poll is closed for voting now. You can find the updated results
above. Withdrawn act Sonya has finished 6th in the poll with 4.1%.

After a series of interval acts including performances by Lys Assia
and André, the show continues.

The results are coming in.

Eva Rivas has won the national final and will represent Armenia in Oslo.

DID PRESCOTT PROMISE?

February 9, 2010

The authorities of Armenia are ignoring (or at least they show that
they are ignoring) the draft presented at the PACE by the head of
the Swedish delegation to the PACE, in which the involvement of
the army during the events of March 1-2 is considered as an action
"containing components of state revolution". The Armenian government
has not commented on this initiative officially yet. Concerning this
document, which was made based on the former defense minister Mikayel
Harutyunyan’s order dated February 23, 2008, pro-government MPs say
that this initiative either is not serious or will not bring to any
serious results. The demonstrative quiet behavior of the authorities
shows that they are sure that they will be able to solve their issues
in the PACE and not allow to discuss things which will stop them from
closing the page of March 1

TURKEY IS UNDERVALUING THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUES
By Victor Makarov and Eldar Mamedov

European Voice
Feb 11 2010

Ankara is understandably, but mistakenly, relying on geostrategic
arguments to make its case for EU membership.

A string of high-ranking Turkish officials and politicians have
in recent months toured Western capitals to make the case for the
geostrategic benefits that Turkey’s membership of the EU would
bring Europe. But it is not good enough simply to recycle strategic
arguments when a clear majority of the population in many EU member
states oppose Turkey’s accession.

For sure, the widespread fear of Turkey is based on historical and
cultural prejudice, as well as ignorance. Faced with such fear,
arguments based on geopolitics may seem the only way forward. But,
if Turkey is to make the reforms needed to become a member, it needs
to accept that the EU is a union genuinely based on values.

If anything, the Turkish government’s willingness to appreciate that
is declining. There have, undeniably, been some positive developments
under the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Many
sensitive issues, including the massacres of Armenians in 1915, the
state’s treatment of Kurds and the army’s involvement in politics,
can be discussed more freely in public.

However, in other ways, Turkey seems to be diverging from the
liberal values fundamental to the EU. The closure of the Democratic
Society Party (DTP) is a case in point. It is unfortunate that
the DTP has not distanced itself clearly from the terror committed
by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but the ongoing arrests of
hundreds of DTP mayors, members and sympathisers on flimsy charges
ensures that the government’s ‘democratic opening’ initiative sounds
hollow. It is ironic that the AKP, which barely escaped closure in
2008, has not used its overwhelming parliamentary majority to loosen
the notoriously restrictive laws on political parties. Nor has it
lowered an electoral threshold that is so high (10%) that it prevents
parliamentary pluralism.

There is also an alarming lack of pluralism in the media. Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s earlier calls to boycott the Dogan
media group’s newspapers only fuelled suspicions that the draconian
fine imposed on Dog?an last autumn was of a political nature. What
is more, the Turkish authorities have blocked some 3,700 internet
sites, including major information sources such as Google, YouTube
and GeoCities.

Such steps owe more to a prevailing authoritarian political culture
than to the AKP’s Islamist leanings. But its religiously based
conservatism does hinder Turkey’s progress towards the EU. For example,
in a country where 19% live below the poverty line, the government does
not seem interested in providing effective social protection. Instead,
the AKP favours the notion of Islamic charities providing assistance;
the result is erratic, non-transparent delivery of benefits and
services. This is politically expedient, but it harms Turkey’s EU
aspirations, since social policy is part of the harmonisation package
needed to join the Union.

Equality and non-discrimination are fundamental to the EU; in this
area, the AKP is failing. There are still no legal provisions against
direct and indirect discrimination. No government body is in charge
of equality and anti-discrimination. And when the Directorate for
Religious Affairs, a public entity, recommends that homosexuality
be combated as a "perversion", it is elevating discrimination and
exclusion to the level of state policy.

The AKP approaches civil liberties in a manner informed more by its
religious outlook than European values. For example, while the AKP has
been very receptive to the demands of its conservative grassroots,
such as the lifting of the headscarf ban in universities, it has
done nothing to meet the most basic demands of the Alevi religious
minority, like allowing their children to opt out of compulsory
religious education, which, in practice, is education in Sunni Islam.

Turkey will not overcome all the prejudice against it in the EU, but,
if it is to gain membership, the idea must gain the acceptance of a
critical mass of Europe’s citizens. That, surely, will only happen
when Turkey’s politicians demonstrate that they are narrowing the
value gap. That would make it harder for EU governments to resist
the logic of geostrategic arguments.

Victor Makarov is director of the Riga-based policy centre
EuroCivitas. Eldar Mamedov is a political adviser to the Socialists
and Democrats group in the European Parliament, but is writing in a
personal capacity.

THE DEATH OF THE SOVIET ARMENIAN

Lragir.am
08/02/10

Hrant Ter-Abrahamyan: publicist, historian. Does not accept the
irrelevantly high self-evaluation common in Armenia.

Hrant, your assessment to the current situation. What are the primary
issues today?

Today’s situation is the continuation of the same situation; we have
the same problems of the last year. Of course, those who criticize
the opposition increased in number, but although we criticize it
sometimes even justly, the existence of the opposition is positive
by itself until there is no real alternative. By saying opposition,
let us understand not only political opposition.

By saying opposition, I understand the oppositional sphere of the
public which passed through the 2008 movement. From this point, I
think, that there is a sphere of the public, which regardless whether
the opposition will strengthen or weaken, will not return to its
previous situation. We have matured very much during these two years.

As to the indifferent part of the society they have always been
feeling apathy towards everything. I think it is a group of people
who are stuck in the past for ever. Especially considering that after
the protocols signed in Zurich, many people came out and celebrated
something. I do not have any expectation from the soviet-Armenian
nation. My whole hope is the new generation. Strange it may seem but
we are forming as a nation only now. The soviet-Armenian people died
or are to die.

Many, not noticing the same enthusiasm within the HAK, present new
initiatives.

I am not interested in the formation of a new force. In 2003, the
opposition left and a new one came. Now we say this one is not good
either, let us form a new one. For what? For us to say after two
years that we need a new one again? I think we need to come out of
this cycle.

I do not think that the main aim of the HAK was to take the power. I
think it had great potential thanks to its supporters but it did not
manage to use it properly. I see today’s main shortage in the absence
of ideological alternative. No ideological work was carried out during
these two years.

The current situation is to be clearly analyzed. All of us know the
situation is bad but the reasons have not been found out. We may
be found out to be opposite to different and opposing things. To be
against the current situation does not mean to be allies. Going deep,
we may find out that someone is against the independence of Armenia
and the others see their future under the influence of Russia and
post-soviet situation.

I think at least a small group of people is to be formed having inner
consensus on the main issues in case of the formation of a new force.

What I see now are attempts to show newly-wrapped oppositions of the
last 20 years. Perhaps, I am more interested in a smaller movement,
not a nation one, but with clearer formulations. The word "nation"
has long ago lost its significance. Today the nation has more layers
and is a more complicated structure than during the soviet period.

The second main issue is the aim of the oppositional sphere of
the public and the technologies it has to use for the solution of
problems. Besides, what happened in the last two years is to be
analyzed to be able to move forward.

Hrant, what kind of a political force would you like to see?

I would like to see a force which would clearly say that the roots
of our problems lie in the soviet heritage and in the fact of being
under Russia’s influence today.

Armenians used to be a part of the Western civilization and we need
to restore this line to find our Armenian identity and to bury the
identity of the soviet Armenia. Until we did not come out of Russia’s
influence we will not solve any issue in the country.

Plus, the political force is to propose concrete technologies. For
example, how it is going to fight against electoral bribes and
breaches. As well as, a political force is to show clearly the model
it uses inside, thus, I have to be sure that it is democracy. After
all, politics is based on one thought: no policy and no change of
it can take place without it. For example, the revolution in France
did not happen by itself, before, a whole generation of intellectuals
formulated all the problems starting from the fundamental philosophical
ones.

Interviewer Siranuysh Papyan

AZERBAIJANI FM: WE SEE PROSPECT IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEGOTIATIONS

Today
ics/61089.html
Feb 8 2010
Azerbaijan

"Azerbaijan sees prospect in negotiations held to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
Elkhan Polukhov said.

"The resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict depends on to what
extent the Minks Group co-chairs are active," he said.

"As Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated earlier,
intensity in the negotiation process, which was observed last year,
should be preserved throughout this year, too," Polukhov said.

"It gives hope for some progress in the negotiations. Azerbaijan,
for its part, is ready to maintain this momentum," he added.

SERGEY MOVSISYAN SHARED THE 1 – 7 PLACES

Aysor
Feb 8 2010
Armenia

Armenian Grand Master Sergey Movsisyan presenting Slovakia has
gained 7.5 points from 10 possible on the Open in Gibraltar and
has shared the 1 – 7 places with the grand masters Yan Gustafson
(Germany), Michael Adams (England), Francisco Valejo Pons (Spain),
Chanda Sandipani (India), Gata Kamcki (USA) and Etienne Bakro (France).

According to the charter the 4 chess player having the best results,
Gustafson, Adams, Valejo Pons and Sandipan, continued the contest
with additional games. As a result the best prize went to Adams.