Author: Toganian Liana

NO AGREEMENT ACHIEVED FOR ARMENIAN AND AZERI FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETING IN ATHENS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
20.11.2009 17:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ No agreement has been achieved for Armenian and Azeri
Foreign Ministers’ meeting on the margins of OSCE Foreign Ministers’
Summit due in Athens, FM Edward Nalbandyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter during a joint news conference with his Lithuanian colleague
Vygaudas Uackas. "The most important is the top-level meeting due
in Munich. As regards the Athens meeting, such bilateral working
discussions are peculiar to OSCE Foreign Ministers’ Summit, but there’s
no specific agreement for a meeting with Azeri FM," Nalbandyan said.

OSCE Foreign Ministers’ annual summit is due in Athens on December
1-2. Discussions will bring together Foreign Ministers from
organization’s 56 member states.

International week brings culture to campus

by Shayla Durrett, staff writer
November 18, 2009 2:07 PM

International students congregated around tables in the main quad
displaying tokens from their countries on Nov. 18 as part of SF
State’s 10th annual International Education Week to celebrate the
diversity of SF State.
"International Education Week is an opportunity to recognize
contributions of international students and visitors to our campus,"
said Marilyn Jackson, assistant director of the Office of
International Programs. Students from all over the world, including
Pakistan, Tajikistan and Armenia, gathered at the "Culture Fest" in
Malcolm X Plaza to showcase their culture with tables covered with
books and decorative items from their country.
"I want students to know about our history and culture," said Nairi
Kouyoumdjian, founder of the Armenian Student Association. "There’s 50
Armenian students on campus and as a minority we should be
represented."
Students from Afghanistan, dressed in traditional Afghanistan
clothing, displayed the Afghan flag and phrases in Afghan
languages. They played music and videos from the capitol city of
Kabul.
"People always think there’s war in Afghanistan, but we want to show
students our culture," said Suhaila Nishat, who moved from Kabul to
the United States in 2000.
Students from Turkey also used the event as a way to eradicate
misconceptions about their country.
"There are many false beliefs about the language and culture of Turkey
and I want to educate people on basic things," said Nefise
Kahraman. "It’s important to be with other nations on this day."
Traditional dancers from India, Iran and Armenia also performed dances
and traditional musical performances.
SF State dance student Karolyn Wyneken turned the plaza into her stage
as she belly danced in a traditional two-piece bellydancing outfit for
a crowd of students and professors.
The dancers were brought to SF State through International House, a
program of the College of Humanities that brings different cultures
together to learn about the diversity of different regions in the
world.
A group of students protesting the budget cuts marched through the
plaza as an Iranian performance started. The two dancers waited for
the protestors to march through before they began.
A dancer from Mumbai performed a Bollywood dance inspired by Indian
classical and folk music.
International Education Week was started in the United States during
fall 2000 as part of Bill Clinton’s initiative that called for an
international education policy in the country.
"SF State is deeply committed to promoting internationalism on campus
and preparing knowledgeable and competent graduates to lead the way in
a diverse and changing world," Jackson said.

» E-mail Shayla Durrett @ [email protected]
news/014059.html

GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN TO PROVIDE GRANT TO NATIONAL ART GALLERY OF ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
19.11.2009 18:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The government of Armenia has approved the proposal
for the agreement between the governments of Armenia and Japan under
which the latter will provide the National Art Gallery of Armenia
with grant under the "Improvement of equipment for restoration of
Armenian National Art Gallery’s collection" program.

YEREVAN TO HOST 36TH SESSION OF FAO’S EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURE IN MAY 2010

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.11.2009 11:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is in Italy to
attend a FAO summit.

Mr. Sargsyan delivered Tuesday a statement, which reads in part:
"Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen. Full member of
the FAO since 1993, the Republic of Armenia has been involved in the
activities of the Organization for about twenty years now. The past
years of cooperation were those of effective work leading to numerous
achievements. We are stating with pride that our country’s example was
cited among four other success stories in the FAO’s "Ways of Success"
report as a good experience of setting tasks and addressing them
with perseverance. Indeed, this does not mean that all the problems
are solved, so we should work with renewed effort to build on these
achievements and continue with progress in the sphere of agriculture.

It is common knowledge that food production is at high risk all over
the world including Armenia. The current financial and economic crisis
adds its negative impact on the issue of food demand especially in
developing countries. This is why we appreciate the holding of this
summit, as well as the efforts made by the States and international
organizations. Those present will still have the opportunity of
referring to the Declaration of this summit on food security. I feel
that we are going to have quite interesting and substantial debates.

My position is strict and clear-cut enough. The Republic of Armenia
endorses the Summit Declaration. It meets our government’s vision
and the underlying principles are acceptable to us.

Dear Director General, We highly appreciate the decision to hold
the 36th Session of FAO’s European Commission on Agriculture and the
27th European Regional Conference of FAO in Yerevan from May 10-14,
2010. I hope that the decisions adopted in Yerevan will contribute
to the considerable improvement of the level of food security. We
are looking forward to seeing you again in Yerevan.

Allow me, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, to
extend my deepest gratitude to the Food and Agriculture Organization
and personally to Director-General Dr. Jacques Diouf, to all donor
community members and all countries with good will, for their
collaborative efforts to find solutions to the world’s rising
problems. I am confident that with collaborative efforts of all
countries we will be able to meet all challenges of food insecurity
and gradually eradicate hunger and poverty in the world."

Tigran Sargsyan expressed Armenia’s appreciation of the ongoing RA-FAO
collaboration and the programs implemented in our country. The head
of government reiterated Armenia’s readiness to host the 36th Session
of FAO’s European Commission on Agriculture and the 27th European
Regional Conference of FAO in Yerevan from May 10-14, 2010.

WORK OF EU ADVISOR IN RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO CONTRIBUTE TO ARMENIA’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Noyan Tapan
Nov 18, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Speaker of the RA National
Assembly Hovik Abrahamian on November 16 received Head of the European
Commission delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Raul de Lutzenberger,
Head of the EU Advisory Group in Armenia Rolf Behnke, and a member
of the same team, Advisor to RA National Assembly Speaker Eduardo
Lorenzo Ochoa.

Attaching special importance to the cooperation with the European
Union, H. Abrahamian expressed a hope that the work of the EU advisor
in the RA National Assembly will contribute to Armenia’s European
integratio, while his considerable experience of work at the European
Parliament will allow deepening the relations between this body and
the Armenian parliament.

Then the interlocutors discussed some organizational issues related
to the activity of the EU advisor in the RA National Assembly, the
RA National Assembly PR Department reported. They pointed out the
spheres where the EU advisor may be of use to the RA National Assembly.

RESTORATION OF ARMENIAN CHURCH IN LVOV NOT COMPLETED YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 16:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In 2009, reconstruction activities in Lvov were
mostly directed at restoring facilities having vital importance for
the town, as we didn’t have enough means because of crisis, said
Lilya Onishchenko, Head of Lvov Municipality’s Historical Monument
Preservation Department.

One of the most important facilities restored this year was the
Armenian church which now has a tower, chime and aisle. Mural painting
on church’s southern part continue, "Komsomolskaya Pravda" in Ukraine
reports. According to Onishchenko, repairs in Armenian church are
over; only certain nuances are left. "But that doesn’t mean the
entire complex is completed. Churchyard and cathedral restoration is
scheduled for next year. Restoration of Golgotha sculptural complex
is a separate issue in the plan. That’s a wooden composition situated
in the churchyard. In May next year, restorers will dismantle the
construction to build a new one. Sculptural composition will be
taken to one of the town’s repairs shops. We didn’t want to move it
from Armenian church as the repair shops of Armenian national museum
are situated there. But they didn’t have enough room to house the
construction," Lilia Onishchenko said.

Restoration is funded by Polish Ministry of Culture.

Church complex lies in historical Lvov, territory formerly settled by
Armenians. The cathedral is the architectural centre of the complex
surrounded by other constructions, with three close yards lying between
them. Cathedral construction began in 1363. One of the most ancient
monuments of Lvov, it was built by architect Doring (Dore, Dorko)
due the donations of Armenian merchants Jacob from Kafa (Theodosia)
and Panos from Haytsarats. Many researchers believe construction was
carried out by Armenian masters since monument shares a lot of common
features with the cathedral of Ani.

As the Soviet rule banned activities of Armenian Catholic Patriarchate,
Armenian cathedral was closed. It first served as a depository of Lvov
Picture Gallery. Later – in 1953 – the depository of Lvov Museum after
V. I. Lenin was housed there. In January 2000, monastery passed under
the control of Armenian Apostolic church, as there were practically
no Catholics in the town at that time. The first liturgy was served
on January 6, 2001, after a long interval.

SERZH SARGSYAN PRESENTS CONDOLENCES ON OCCASION OF SOVIET UNION HERO SUREN SARGSIAN’S DEATH

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 17, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On November 17, RA President Serzh
Sargsyan sent a telegram of condolence to Soviet Union Hero Suren
Sargsian’s family and relatives on the occasion of the latter’s death.

According to RA President’s Press Office, Suren Sargsian was the last
of the 103 Soviet Union Heroes residing in Armenia.

HAYKAZUN ALVRTSIAN: BY VIOLATING ARMENIANS’ NATIONAL INTERESTS WEST SEEKS TO PUSH FORWARD ITS ECONOMIC INTEREST

Noyan Tapan
17.11.2009
Yerevan

YEREVAN. Georgia is concerned with the prospect of opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border and intends to gradually change its foreign
policy. Haykazun Alvrtsian, the Head of the Center for Study of Western
Armenian Affairs, stated at a November 17 press conference. In his
words, both Georgia and Russia are currently interested in the opening
of the Verin Lars border check-point sooner than the Armenian-Turkish
border. H. Alvrtsian mentioned that Russia closing the Verin Lars
check-point after the 2008 Russian-Georgian five-day war had a goal to
press the Georgians. However, in his words, the geopolitical situation
has changed today, and not only Georgia and Armenia but also Russia
itself suffers from check-point’s being closed.

According to H. Alvrtsian, Georgia changes its attitude to
Armenia and renounces the role of a dictator understanding that
the Armenian-Georgian "expensive" road can be replaced by the
Armenian-Turkish "cheap" road. According to his observation, it is
also clear for everybody that the Armenian-Iranian road construction
project promises a great future to Armenia.

Speaking about the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border H. Alvrtsian
said that after the Russian-Georgian war the West decided to no longer
pin hopes on the Azeri and Georgian communication ways. Therefore,
according to him, the West has been working persistently to achieve
opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. H. Alvrtsian stressed that
the price demanded from Armenia for the opening of the border is
making concessions in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. "By violating
Armenians’ national interests the West seeks to push forward its
economic interest," he concluded.

ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT CREATES NEW OPPORTUNITES, SAYS AZERBAIJANI ANALYST

Tert
Nov 16 2009
Armenia

Azerbaijani political analyst Rasim Agayev, in an interview with
Azerbajani news source Today.Az, commented on Azerbajan’s funding of
the Georgian section of Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway project.

According to Agayev, everything depends on improved relations between
Turkey and Armenia. "It [improved Armenia-Turkey relations] also
changes geopolitical situation in the region as a whole and makes
political climate much healthier creating new opportunities," noted
the analyst.

"I think if the borders are opened, (I have no doubt about it), many
planned projects will be reviewed and put aside. Nabucco project will
be reconsidered in a different way and Azerbaijan’s access to Tbilisi
will also be reconsidered — they were forced. Routes through Georgia
had been laid solely because of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and
strained Turkish-Armenian relations, as well as the Iranian factor,"
said Agayev.

In the analyst’s words, Georgia’s situation could be completely
altered: "This country [that is, Georgia] can no longer mean a
communication corridor to Armenia. Azerbaijan will cease to carry
everything through Georgia. It’s more expensive."

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER CALLS ON ERDOGAN TO PREVENT SPREAD OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN TURKEY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.11.2009 18:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Organization Simon Wiesenthal Center send a huge
number of appeals to the office of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and the central committee of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK PARTY). Simon Wiesenthal Center in letters
is expressing protest in connection with the spread of anti-Israel
campaign in Turkey.

As Samanyoluhaber.com reports, representatives of organizations
are concerned with recent warming of Turkish-Iranian relations. In
addition, Simon Wiesenthal Center calls on Turkish prime minister
to take measures to stop anti-Semitism in Turkey in order the
500-year-long friendship between Turkey and Israel is not be
questioned.