Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

AKCAM’S BOOK ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PRESENTED IN ATHENS

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.04.2008 15:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Presentation of "A shameful Act: Armenian Genocide
and the Question of Turkish Responsibility" book by Turkish scholar
Taner Akcam took place in Athens on April 16, the RA MFA press office
reported.

"I am often asked why Turkey keeps up its policy of denial. I
think that it’s conditioned by moral reasons. Each nation has its
heroes. It’s hard to accept the shortcomings of these heroes and it’s
even harder to realize that they were criminals and liars.

Degradation of heroes is pregnant with grave consequences and can
deliver a serious blow on national dignity. That is why Turkey should
be a developing democracy and its people should learn to face up the
history," Akcam said.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Greece Vahram Kazhoyan, Greece parliament
vice speaker Anastasios Nerandzis, MPs, university lecturers and
representatives of the Armenian community also attended the ceremony.

On April 15, the book was presented in Thessaloniki.

EDUARDO ERNEKIAN CONGRATULATES TIGRAN SARGSYAN

armradio.am
17.04.2008 11:59

Entrepreneur Eduardo Ernekian sent a congratulating message to Tigran
Sargsyan on his appointment. The message says, in part:

"Dear Mr. Sargsyan,

I congratulate you on your appointment to the post of Prime minister
of the Republic of Armenia.

I have no doubt that under your leadership the Armenian Government
will manage to deepen the economic growth, registering greater
achievements. I have had the opportunity to cooperate with you on
different projects in the past. On this occasion I want to reconfirm my
long-term commitment to participate in the development of the pivotal
spheres of the country and support the Government’s economic policy."

POST-BUCHAREST CAUCASUS: ACCUMULATION OF THREATS
by Andrei Areshev

DEFENSE and SECURITY
April 16, 2008 Wednesday
Russia

HIGHLIGHT: LACK OF STABILITY IN THE CAUCASUS MAKES IT A BRIDGEHEAD
OF THREATS AND MENACES; The lack of stability in the Caucasus plays
into the hands of the Alliance.

The NATO summit in Bucharest chose to table the matter of membership
of Georgia and Ukraine in the Alliance. The evaluation of this decision
cannot help being ambivalent.

Some experts believe that time is playing into the hands of Moscow
and the Old European countries that protest the rapid expansion of the
Alliance. The assumption is that the period between now and December
may bring about some changes in Kiev and Tbilisi that will call for
postponement of the matter or its actual removal from the agenda.

Had this development been possible, it would have been ideal for all
involved parties beginning with the peoples of Ukraine and Georgia
subject to total indoctrination these days. They are told again and
again that membership in the Alliance will pave their way to well-being
and prosperity.

It is time to disabuse ourselves of the illusions and admit that
the process of NATO’s eastward expansion has gone so far that the
absorption of Georgia and Ukraine by the Alliance is really a matter of
time. The United States is out to secure the important geopolitical
regions of the post-Soviet zone and first and foremost Ukraine,
Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The Ukraine and Georgia stand on the threshold of the Alliance and
their eventual membership in NATO poses a real threat to Russian
security.

"Russia will definitely take steps to secure its interests on the
state borders," Chief of the General Staff, Yuri Baluyevsky, said.

"There will be military steps, among others." The sooner these steps
are taken the better because words alone have been patently unable
to check NATO’s eastward advance.

Tbilisi may send its regular army to conquer Abkhazia and South
Ossetia and solve the problem posed by the runaway territories. ""We
bought several billion dollars worth of military hardware these last
several years," President Mikhail Saakashvili told servicemen of the
Sachkhere military base on April 8. "Our lives – yours as well as
mine – are dedicated to promoting the unity of the country. We will
know no rest until Georgia is reunited. The struggle for our freedom
is not over yet. Our victories await us."

Observers point out more and more indications of the forthcoming
Georgian aggression. Some Georgian political scientists claim that
"Russia itself has been forcing hostilities in Abkhazia on Georgia."

"Russia may go too far in the matter of recognition of the
self-proclaimed republics," Georgy Khutsishvili of the International
Center for Conflicts and Negotiations said. "It may officially
recognize them or actually annex these territories, sparking Georgia’s
reaction."

Tension over Nagorno-Karabakh is mounting too. OSCE Minsk Group
Chairman Matthew Bryza said in Bucharest that the talks over its
status should end in a mutually acceptable compromise. It was not
the negotiations Bryza was talking about. He spoke of the "status"
of Nagorno-Karabakh and the necessity of its revision, clearly
meaning that Armenia should make new concessions to Azerbaijan. Some
pro-Western "experts" in Armenia referring to the conclusions of the
International Crisis Group are already calling for economic sanctions
against their own country.

Observers believe that designers of "the brave new world" are out to
make solutions to the Abkhazian, South Ossetian, and Karabakh problems
diametrically polar to the Kosovo precedent. The key part in the
process is to be played by NATO. Structures like the Commonwealth or
CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization are helpless to prevent
it from happening. Not even Kazakhstan followed Russia’s example
and lifted economic sanctions off Abkhazia, and this is not even the
most vivid example of discord between members of the Commonwealth and
CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization over latent conflicts in
the Caucasus.

The situation being what it is, unprecedented importance is attached
to Moscow’s determination to prevent more bloodshed.

NUMBER OF GAS NETWORK SUBSCRIBERS 530,000 IN ARMENIA AS OF APRIL 15

ARKA
April 17, 2008

YEREVAN, April 17. /ARKA/. The number of subscribers of gas network was
530,000 in Armenia as of April 15, the Press Service of ArmRosgasprom
reported.

According to the report, 529,231 were connected to the gas network as
of April 1. The number of actual gas consumers increased by 2,872 in
March only. In 2007 increase in potential subscribers of ArmRosgasprom
was 10.1% and increase in real gas consumers – 17.6% in Armenia.

"ArmRosgasprom" enjoys the monopoly for supply and distribution of the
Russian natural gas on the domestic market of Armenia. The company was
established in 1997. Its capital is $580mln currently. The shareholders
are "Gasprom" open joint stock company (57.59%), Armenia’s Ministry
of Energy (34.7%) and "Itera" oil and gas company (7.71%).

OPINION: SUSPENSION OF SUBSIDIES FOR GAS PRICES NOT TO REDUCE COMPETITIVENESS OF ARMENIAN GOODS

ARKA
April 16, 2008

YEREVAN, April 16. /ARKA/. Suspension of subsidies for gas prices
in Armenia will not reduce competitiveness of Armenian goods in the
world market, Acting Minister of Energy of Armenia Armen Movsisian
said in his interview to the country’s Public Television. Currently
Armenian prices are still at a lower and reasonable level than in
the neighboring countries, Movsisian said.

In particular, gas price for population in Azerbaijan that is an
exporter of gas itself is about $185 per 1,000 cubic meters and for
industrial enterprises – $305.

$300 per 1,000 cubic meters for domestic consumers and $210 and more
for industrial enterprises are set in Georgia, whereas in Armenia
gas prices are $245 per 1,000 cubic meters and $153 respectively.

Compared to other countries with no energy and gas resources, great
difference can be seen; particularly in Bulgaria gas prices are $435
per 1,000 cubic meters for domestic consumers and $250 for industry,
in Latvia and Lithuania – about $400 and in Turkey – $350 per 1,000
cubic meters, Movsisian said.

On April 6 2006 "Gasprom" open joint stock company and the Government
of Armenia signed an agreement setting strategic principles of
cooperation in gas and energy projects on the territory of Armenia
for 25 years. Under the agreement, the price for Russian natural
gas supplied to Armenia is to rise from $56 to $110 for every 1,000
cubic meters. In this respect, the Government decided to mitigate
the prices through subsidies and allocated $188.8mln for partial
compensation. According to the decision, the government provides
subsidy of 25,000 Drams for 1,000 cubic meters for citizens with
monthly consumption of up to 10,000 cubic meters and $52.01 of the
$146.51 price for industrial enterprises consuming over 10,000 cubic
meters of gas monthly.

But due to unprecedented rise in gas consumption volume the subsidies
were expired as early as in January 2008 and the Government took
measures to prolong subsidizing till the end of the heating season
to prevent the population and industrial enterprises from additional
financial burden in the winter months.

Effective from May 1 new prices for gas approved by Armenia’s Public
Services Regulatory Commission will come into force, that is – 90,000
Drams (including VAT) per 1,000 cubic meters for population and $146.51
(in Dram equivalent, including VAT) for subscribers consuming over
10,000 cubic meters of gas monthly.

ELMAR MAMEDYAROV READY TO MEET WITH NEW FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA

Today.Az
s/44300.html
April 15 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister is ready for a meeting with the new
Foreign Minister of Armenia.

The due announcement was made by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov in Baku.

He said he does not consider that the talks should be started anew
with the appointment of the new Foreign Minister of Armenia.

"We have discussed and coordinated a number of issues in the framework
of the Prague process and we should continue it. We can discuss only
the autonomy of Nagorno Karabakh and only within Azerbaijan. If they
want self-determination, international practice has many examples,
like Russia", said the Minister.

It should be noted that OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will meet with
OSCE chairman in Vienna. Mamedyarov said commenting on the forthcoming
meeting that official Baku will react after information on the results
of the meeting during which co-chairs will report to the OSCE chairman
and assess the situation in Armenia, come out".

It should be noted that Armenian ambassador to France Eduard Nalbadyan
was appointed Foreign Minister of Armenia yesterday.

HAROUTUNE BEDELIAN AND LORNA GRIFFITT IN CONCERT

Gibrahayer

WED NESDAY APRIL 16 at 8:30pm

Dedicated to the memory of Vahan Bedelian 1894-1990 violinist &
teacher to many generations of Cypriot musicians

Haroutune Bedelian (violin)

Since winning the First Prize at age twenty in the prestigious BBC
Violin Competition, Haroutune Bedelian has performed, broadcasted and
televised in major cities and concert halls around the world. He is
also invited regularly to participate in international music festivals.

Quotes from reviews of performances in major newspapers: "Alert,
subtle artist as well as a superb instrumentalist," New York Times;
"The result was a powerful music making, virtuosity going hand in
hand with unswerving loyalty to the composer," The Strad Magazine ;
"Mr. Bedelian has an unforced silvery tone and showed his musicianship
in his immaculate phrasing". London Daily Telegraph ; "Virtuosity comes
to him as second nature, but it is used as a means to the interpretive
freedom and sense of style that characterizes his playing above all
else," The London Times ; "Refined and sensitive musician. Controlled,
clean and effortless playing making light of the most formidable
difficulties," The London Guardian; "Technical and musical resources
of virtuoso class," The Los Angeles Times. Before his appointment at
the University of California, Irvine, he was professor of violin at
the Royal Academy of Music, London, England.

In 2007, Haroutune Bedelian issued on DVD the Six Sonatas and Partitas
for Solo Violin by J.S. Bach. That was the first time these works
appeared in their entirety on DVD.

Lorna Griffitt (piano)

Lorna Griffitt, D.M., began her performing career at 16 as a
soloist with the Louisville Orchestra under the direction of Robert
Whitney, in a performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor. Her
teachers include Doris Owen (Bickel), Tong Il Han, Gyorgy Sebok and
Maria Curcio. She received her doctorate with distinction in piano
performance from Indiana University under the tutelage of Menahem
Pressler. Dr. Griffitt enjoys an active career as soloist, chamber
musician and pedagogue in the US and in South America, Europe and
the Middle East.

Lorna Griffitt began her teaching career in 1974 at DePauw University
and joined the music faculty at the University of California, Irvine
in 1993.

During the summers, Dr. Griffitt is invited as guest artist to the
Schlern International Music Festival in Voels am Schlern, Italy
and to the International Cello Encounter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
where she teaches, gives master classes and performs in concerto and
chamber concerts with various international artists. With Haroutune
Bedelian, she recently recorded The Six Sonatas and Partitas for
Violin by J. S. Bach with the Robert Schumann piano accompaniment to
be released by Centaur Records later in 2008.

Programme: J.S. Bach Sonata No.1 in B Minor for violin and piano
J. Brahms Sonata No.1 in G Major for violin and piano

Interval

A. Webern Vier Stucke for violin and piano R. Schumann Sonata No.2
in D Minor for violin and piano

VIKTOR MERESHKIN: "COSSACKS HAVE BEEN ON AZERBAIJAN’S SIDE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Today
itics/44265.html
April 14 2008
Azerbaijan

"We plan to open a memorial of friendship of Cossacks and Azerbaijanis
in Azerbaijan, which is our home", said the head of Cossacks
clannishness of Azerbaijan Viktor Mereshkin.

He said the memorial will be impressive and there will be a symbolic
eight angled star and a large alley will pass near it.

According to him, the memorial opening will be attended by visitors
from Russia and Ukraine.

"This will be not only ordinary visitors but also governors of all
11 Cossacks armed forces of Russia, as well as senior representatives
of Ukrainian forces", said he.

He considers that the visitors will be glad to see the memodial.

"The thing is that many establish memorials to Cossacks but not so
whole-heartedly as it is done in Azerbaijan, noted Mereshkin.

He said they plan to award orders to some participants of the event
and also to President of Azerbaijan.

He noted that during the military conflicts, people try to attract
Cossacks to their side, while Cossacks continue supporting Azerbaijan.

"Since the very beginning of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, they have
been for Azerbaijan and said "Azerbaijan is right! We are for our
brothers!"", Mereshkin concluded.

ASSISTANT TO RA PRESIDENT TO SPEAK DURING THE HEARINGS ON ARMENIA AT THE US HELSINKI COMMISSION

armradio.am
14.04.2008 12:28

Assistant to RA President Vigen Sargsyan will deliver a speech at
the hearings on the "Armenia after the Elections" to be held at the
US Helsinki Commission on April 17.

The hearing will focus on the ramifications of these developments for
Armenia and the United States, especially the ongoing Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) negotiations on
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia s qualifications for assistance from
the Millennium Challenge Account.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza and Arman
Grigoryan, Spokesman for former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan are
also expected to make speeches.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as
the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency that monitors
progress in the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki
Accords. The Commission consists of nine members from the United States
Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each
from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI PLANS TO COMPOSE ARMENIAN SPIRITUAL MUSIC

ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin
II on April 10 received Krzysztof Pendrecki in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin. Welcoming the world-famous composer, His Holiness said in
his speech: "We are familiar with your works and today we are glad to
meet you and express our appreciation for your services to mankind".

K. Penderecki told His Holiness about the history of his family,
speaking about his Armenian roots and childhood memories.

NT was informed by the press services of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin that the interlocutors also spoke about resemblance of K.
Pendereski’s works to the Armenian spiritual music. In the words of the
composer, he has a desire to write Armenian spiritual music.