March-2010-English

The delegation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) composed of AGBU Council of Trustees member Nazar Nazarian, AGBU Central Board members Garnik Yacoubian, Vasken Yacoubian and Aris Atamian, and headed by President of AGBU Berge Setrakian paid a visit to Armenia from March 29 to April 6 to partici-pate in the official opening ceremony of the new Radiology Center of the Yerevan State Medical University. AGBU Council of Trustees member Nazar Nazarian, has donated 1.7 mln US dol-lars to the Center, the offi-cial opening ceremony of which took place on March 31 with the participation of the President of the Re-public of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

During their stay in Arme-nia the AGBU delegates had meetings with high ranking state officials, par-ticipated in a number of events including the Yere-van finals of the 4th repub-lican interschool chess tournament, the presentation of the Armenian translation of Armenian-American writer Margaret Ajemian-Ahnert’s book “The Knock at the Door”, the ceremony of granting certificates to the 23 best students of the French University of Armenia and the official opening ceremony of the new Chancellery building of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Continued on page 2

ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION

AGBU AGBU AGBU ARMENIAARMENIAARMENIA NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER Yerevan, Armenia

ISSUE 5, MARCH, 2010

AGBU DELEGATION HEADED BY PRESIDENT BERGE SETRAKIAN VISITS ARMENIA

A radio-diagnostic and therapy center opened at Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) on March 31. President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was pre-

sent at the opening ceremony also attended by the President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Berge Setrakian, AGBU Council of Trus-tees member Nazar Nazarian, AGBU Central Board members Garnik Yacoubian, Vasken Yacoubian, Aris Atamian, other AGBU members, RA Health Minister Harutyun Kushkian, Rector of the YSMU Gohar Kyalyan, other officials and guests. The symbolic ribbon was cut by distin-guished philanthropist Nazar Nazarian, his wife Artemis Nazarian and rector of the university Go-har Kyalyan. The guests walked around in the Center getting acquainted with the conditions, technical equipment and services offered.

AGBU has its unique contribution in the construc-tion of the Center. AGBU Council of Trustees member Nazar Nazarian has donated 1.7 million US dollars to the Center. As a sign of gratitude

the university’s scientific board decided to name the new Center after Nazar Nazarian’s son, prominent Armenian-American radiologist Dr. Levon Nazarian and his wife Claudia. Continued on page 2

IN THIS ISSUE

♦ AGBU delegation visits Armenia (p. 1, 2)

♦ “AGBU-YSMU radiology center” in Yerevan (p. 1, 2)

♦ 4th republican interschool chess tournament (p. 3)

♦ AGBU CB member Vahe Gabrache awarded (p. 3)

♦ AGBU donor Ara Cherchian donates probes and printers for ultrasound machines (p. 4)

♦ AGBU Summer Intern Pro-grams (p. 4)

♦ AGBU AVC starts spring term 2010 (p. 4)

♦ Margaret Ajemian’s “The Knock at the Door” (p. 5)

♦ “Armenian Diaspora: Essays on sociocultural typology” (p. 5)

♦ AGBU YP Yerevan’s project in Khachik village (p. 6)

♦ AGBU Yerevan Scouts’ exhi-bition and sale of works (p. 6)

♦ Raffi Ohanyan winner of “Hai Superstar-4” TV project (p. 7)

♦ AGBU-funded Artsakh Chamber Orchestra opens concert season (p. 7)

♦ AGBU Europe welcomes Swedish parliament’s decision (p. 8)

“AGBU-YSMU LEVON AND CLAUDIA NAZARIAN RADIOLOGY CENTER” OPENS IN YEREVAN

AGBU delegation headed by president Berge Setrakian received by RA President Serzh Sargsyan

AGBU Council of Trustees member Nazar Nazarian, his wife Ar-demis Nazarian and YSMU Rector Gohar Kyalyan cut the ribbon

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AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 5, MARCH, 2010

AGBU DELEGATION HEADED BY PRESIDENT SETRAKIAN VISITS…

(see page 1) Emphasizing the significant role of the Center in Ar-menia and the whole region, YSMU rector Gohar Kyalyan said, “The idea of establishing a radiology center developed 3 years ago. During that period we managed to reconstruct this building occupying a total area of 1700sq meters. The center is equipped with modern technology”. She also spoke about the lasting coop-eration between the University and AGBU, dating back to 1929, when the first ophthalmology clinic was founded in Yerevan thanks to the donation of Founding President of AGBU Boghos Noubar Pasha. The clinic, named after Boghos Noubar’s wife Marie Noubar, has recently been fully renovated and reequipped by the means of the university. “The Medical University is an im-portant institution, it educates new generations, who in the future will serve and work for their homeland. I believe this center will occupy a significant place in the medical field of Armenia,” said AGBU President Berge Setrakian. “I am very happy to be in Armenia again. We are pleased to have assisted in founding the center. Through such philanthropic initiatives we continue to keep ourselves bonded to our home-land,” said AGBU benefactor Nazar Nazaryan. The center offers the following medical services: 1st floor - computer tomography, magnetic-resonance tomography, 2nd floor - diagnostic services, 3rd floor - general and endovascular neurosurgery and cardiac-surgery. The medical personnel of the center has passed professional training courses for about three years in Austria, Germany and the US. The cooperation between the AGBU and the YSMU was ratified by an agreement signed on April 1. During the official signing ceremony YSMU Rector Gohar Kyalyan awarded AGBU President Berge Setrakian and AGBU Council of Trustees member Nazar Nazarian the Medal of Honor of the Yerevan State Medical University.

For the video material please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aa_18HN3vI

AGBU-YSMU LEVON AND CLAUDIA NAZARIAN RADIOLOGY CENTER...

(see page 1) On March 31, the AGBU delegation was received by RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Welcoming the guests the PM said, “Armenia highly values the mission carried out by the AGBU. We express readiness to assist you in all your initiatives and endeavors implemented in Armenia and the Di-aspora. The AGBU President thanked the Prime Minister on behalf of the Union mentioning that the past several years ha-ve strengthened cooperation with Armenia. He also promised that AGBU will continue assisting Armenia despite the finan-cial-economic crisis. Also present at the meeting were RA Diaspora Minister H. Hakobian, RA Culture Minister H. Pog-hossian, and RA Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kirakossian. RA President Serzh Sargsyan received the AGBU delegation and expressed his delight at the fact that the number of dele-gates grows with each consequent visit to Armenia. President Sargsyan presented AGBU Council of Trustees member Na-zar Nazarian and his wife with Armenian passports. The distinguished philanthropist noted with excitement that Armenia’s independence is like a dream for him and that he is inspired by his visit to Motherland. President Sargsyan said that he looks forward to seeing the doors of the new AGBU office open in the center of Yerevan. Thanking the President for warm reception Mr. Setrakian said that in due course all the Armenian organizations of the Diaspora will concentrate their activi-ties on Armenia. “No matter where we are, our place is here,” he stressed. Members of the AGBU delegation pledged to continue supporting their homeland, the president and his patriotic endeavors.

The AGBU delegates also had a meeting with RA Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian. Issues related to Armenia-Diaspora cooperation and implementation of joint projects were discussed during the meet-ing. The sides also spoke about the Armenian schools of the Dias-pora, the number of students, the quality of education, the necessity of opening Sunday schools, and the encouragement of Diaspora stu-dents to study in higher educational institutions in Armenia. The im-portance of discovering young Diasporan talents in the sphere of art and culture, helping them make their way and become well-known to the world was another issue discussed during the meeting.

For the video materials please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiHXa5k5SlQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm90e6DneGA

AGBU delegation received by RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and other government officials

“AGBU-YSMU Levon and Claudia Nazarian Radiology Center”

AGBU delegation received by RA Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian

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The 3rd round of the AGBU-sponsored 4th republican interschool chess tournament is held from March 25 to April 15, 2010. Thanks to AGBU’s donation the winners of the 3rd round receive chess clocks. The 4th republican inter-school chess tournament started in the fall of 2009 and will end in May 2010. The regional finals are currently taking place in all the re-gions of Armenia. The Yerevan finals attended by RA Edu-cation and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan, AGBU Pre-sident Berge Setrakian and other members of the AGBU Central Board and Council of Trustees, Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Kamo Areyan, Vice President of the RA Chess Federation Smbat Lputyan, and other officials, took place on March 30 at the Armenian Chess Academy. The tour-nament finals will take place in Kajaran in May with 3 win-ning teams from Yerevan, 2 from Shirak and Lori regions and Artsakh, and one from each of the other eight regions of Armenia. Thanks to AGBU’s sponsorship the schools of RA regions and Yerevan have received a total number of 2000 chess sets. The winners of the finals, like the previous years, will receive computers from the AGBU. For the third consecutive year the Armenian General Benevolent Union is sponsoring the Republican Interschool Chess Championship. This project is the initiative of the Armenian Chess Federation under the auspices of the Re-public of Armenia's Ministry of Education and Science. AGBU enjoys the status of Vice President of the Champion-ship's organizing committee.

The aim of the national championship is to promote a love of chess among schoolchildren and identify talented young people who can grow to be future champions in the sport, helping to continue Armenia's role as a major player in world chess competitions.

For the video material please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyfui25MyoE

YEREVAN FINALS OF THE AGBU-FUNDED 4TH REPUBLICAN INTERSCHOOL CHESS TOURNAMENT

Vahe Gabrache, member of AGBU's Central Board of Directors and vice president of AGBU Swiss Corporation, was honored as Knight of St. Gregory the Great order by His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, in recognition of his longtime devoted service to the Catholic Church, as member of the Holy Cross parish of the Ar-menian Catholic Church in Paris. The award was presented by His Be-atitude Nerses Bedros XIX, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church, on February 28.

The Order of St. Gregory the Great, which is named after Pope Greg-ory XVI who instituted it in 1831, is the second highest medal presently awarded by the Vatican.

A native of Lebanon, France and Switzerland, Mr. Gabrache is the CEO of Cofinor SA, as well as the owner of Société Gabrache SA, a hotel and real estate company. Coming from a long tradition of AGBU benefactors, Mr. Gabrache was one of the founders of the AGBU Swiss Chapter in 1986. For over 20 years, he has been the president of the Armenian Union of Switzerland. Moreover, he presides over various Armenian foundations in Switzerland.

Two other prominent Armenians from France, Bedros Terzian and Vahe Jazmadarian, both of whom are members of the "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund's Board of Trustees, received the same award. The former is chairman of the Fund's French affiliate, while the latter is president of Armenian Business Forum and an Honor Member of AGBU. Starting from his youthful years spent in his birthplace, Cairo, Mr. Jazmadarian became a devoted member of AGBU HMEM-Nubar Athletic Club in Cairo and, later on, treasurer of AGBU District Committee of France.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Italy, Ruben Karapetian, Armenian Catholic bishops and priests were among the distinguished guests from various countries who attended the awards ceremony.

ST. GREGORY THE GREAT ORDER BESTOWED UPON AGBU CENTRAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER VAHE GABRACHE

(From left) Bedros Terzian, Vahe Jazmadarian, Vahe Gabrache.

Yerevan finals of the republican interschool chess tournament took place on March 30 at the Armenian Chess Academy

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In 1996, the Jefferson Ultrasound Research and Education In-stitute and Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), under the direction of AGBU Central Board member Dr. Levon Nazar-ian, Professor of Radiology at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, USA, established ultrasound departments serving thousands of patients at the Oncology and Erebuni hospitals in Yerevan. Four years later, AGBU and Jefferson Institute opened a new ultrasound training and research center at the Yerevan State Medical University. During the years more than 20 ultra-sound machines have been brought to Armenia and distributed among different hospitals of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk.

Continuing this cooperation the AGBU, thanks to the donation of Ara Cherchian, provided the ultrasound training and research center with additional probes and special printers for ultrasound machines. Besides the mentioned center the additional medical devices are also used in the “Muratsan” university hospital and St. Astavatsamayr medical center.

AGBU BENEFACTOR ARA CHERCHIAN DONATES ADDITIONAL PROBES AND PRINTERS FOR ULTRASOUND MACHINES

FOR THE ULTRASOUND TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTER

For the third year running, promising Armenian undergraduate and graduate students from aro-und the world will be selected to participate in a 5-week AGBU YSI Program. While in Armenia, students will intern at major companies and or-ganizations and participate in educational, cultu-ral and social activities in Armenia and Artsakh. For information please visit: www.agbu.org or write to [email protected] Joining the organization's successful programs in New York, Paris and Yerevan, AGBU’s newly-created Moscow Summer Intern Program ma-kes the city with the largest Armenian commu-nity in the world the location of AGBU's newest summer intern program. For information please visit www.agbu.org/msip or write to [email protected]

AGBU YEREVAN AND MOSCOW SUMMER INTERN PROGRAMS

Additional probes and printers for ultrasound machines donated to the Ultrasound Training and Research Center

AGBU ARMENIAN VIRTUAL COLLEGE SPRING TERM ENROLLMENT The AGBU Armenian Virtual College is pleased to announce the start of Spring Term 2010. The enrollment process is

still underway. The classes of Spring Term started on April 5. The 9-week term offers the students courses in Eastern and Western Armenian, Armenian History and Introduction to Ar-menian Architecture in six languages: Armenian (Eastern and Western), Russian, English, French and Spanish.

About 160 students from 25 countries participated in Winter Term 2010. The majority of the students are from the USA. The winter term also registered a tangible growth in the num-ber of students from Russia.

For enrollment, please visit www.avc-agbu.org, create your log-in and submit your enrollment application.

For more details, please contact: [email protected]

www.avc-agbu.org


“ARMENIAN DIASPORA: ESSAYS ON SOCIOCULTURAL TYPOLOGY” A new book entitled “Armenian Diaspora: Essays on Sociocultural Typology” by professor Viktor Dyatlov, PhD in history, and Dr. Eduard Melkonian, PhD in his-tory and senior scholar of the History Institute of the RA National Academy of Sciences, has been published recently by the Caucasus Institute. Eduard Mel-konian is also the author of “History of Armenian General Benevolent Union” book published in Yerevan in 2006. The book, published in Russian, allows the Russian-speaking community to have a general notion of the historical past and present of the traditional dias-pora, its pan-Armenian structures, including the activities of the Armenian Gen-eral Benevolent Union (AGBU), as well as examines the characteristic of the Armenian diaspora. The volume is the result of a joint study by two scholars, Viktor Dyatlov, an ex-pert on Diaspora theory, and Eduard Melkonian, an expert on the history of the Armenian Diaspora. The study looks at the phenomenon of Diasporas based on a case study of the Armenian Diaspora. Relying on vast historical and socio-logical data, the authors analyze in detail the emergence of the Armenian Dias-pora, its development and the functioning of Armenian communities in various countries of the world.

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MARGARET AJEMIAN-AHNERT’S “THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR” IN ARMENIAN

A unique evening featuring Armenian-American writer, Winner of the 2008 New York Book Fair Award for Best Historical Memoir Margaret Ajemian-Ahnert took place at the Komitas Hall of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute on March 30, 2010. During the evening organized by the Fund for Armenian Relief Ajemian-Ahnert read passages from her book ''The Knock at the Door'', which has been translated into Armenian, and answered ques-tions from the audience.

Margaret Ajemian was born in New York. She has an MFA from Goucher College and a BA from Goddard College. She has pur-sued a variety of careers: producing television documentaries, lecturing as a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art and teaching art appreciation through Art Goes to School program in elementary schools.

''The Knock at the Door'' is the first book of Margaret Ajemian-Ahnert, which is based on the memoirs of her mother, Esther Mineratjian, about the Armenian Genocide and the unspeakable horrors and suf-ferings of a whole nation in that period. At the age of 15, Esther was separated from her foster family during a forced march away from her birth town of Amasia. The book was published in English in 2007. Ahnert was honored as the recipient of the ''Distinguished Humanitar-ian Award''. The book also won USA News Best Book of 2007 and New York Book Festival's Best Historical Memoir Award in 2008.

The preface of the book is written by Levon Lachikian, press secretary of FAR and art historian, who presented the book and the author. The evening was followed by a book-signing ceremony.

At the evening present were AGBU President Berge Setrakian, AGBU Central Board of Directors members Garnik Yacoubian, Vasken Yacoubian and Aris Atamian, FAR Executive Direc-tor Garnik Nanagoulian, FAR Country Director Bagrat Sargsyan, other guests.

Before the ceremony, AGBU President Berge Setrakian, Margaret Ajemian-Ahnert, members of the AGBU delega-tion, and FAR representatives, accompanied by AGBU Scouts, laid flowers on the Armenian Genocide Memorial.

For the video material please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyZCVvLJsPg

Author Margaret Ajemian-Ahnert sings the book

AGBU delegation was present at the presentation

On Sunday, March 28, on the occasion of the Palm Sunday, the AGBU Yerevan Scout Council organized an exhibition and sale of works at the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Youth Center in Arabkir district of Yerevan.

The visitors were offered Easter sweets, goods and souvenirs hand-made by the members of the AGBU Yerevan Scout movement and women’s committee. The event attended by Hermine Duzian, AGBU Diaspora Youth Projects Coordinator in Armenia, Hovig Eordekian, AGBU Armenian Representation deputy director, members of the scout movement, their parents and friends, other guests passed in festive atmosphere. The AGBU Yerevan Scout movement was established in 2008. It already has more than 100 members, who hold weekly meetings at the Arabkir Youth Cen-ter of AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.


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AGBU YEREVAN SCOUTS ORGANIZE AN EXHIBITION AND SALE ON THE OCCASION OF PALM SUNDAY

AGBU YP YEREVAN ESTABLISHES A COMPUTER ROOM IN KHACHIK VILLAGE OF ARMENIA’S VAYOTS DZOR REGION

On March 27, members of the Young Professionals Yerevan team of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) left for Kha-chik village of the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia to participate in the official opening of the computer room established by them. Village authorities, employees of the village administration, and local children, who were impatiently waiting for the opening of the computer room, met the AGBU YPs at the newly-established cen-ter.

Chairman of the AGBU YP Yerevan Harutyun Poghossian made a speech congratulating the villagers on the opening of the new computer room. Head of the Khachik village thanked the AGBU YPs on behalf of the community.

The space for the computer room was provided by the village administration. AGBU YP Yerevan provided com-puters, a fax, a printer, a copy machine, and furniture to the center. AGBU YPs of United Arab Emirates also had

their contribution in this project.

“Khachik village is the destination of our recurrent project. The village authorities have given us a room, which we turned into an Information Center for the youth. Until now, to use the internet or just to print something people from Khachik were obliged to go to their nearest town. It is our ultimate goal to create an environment in the village conducive to the youth staying and working in their place of birth”, said AGBU YP Yerevan Liaison Anna Aghajanian. The group will also start an environmental project in another vil-lage to provide the local youth with something to do and a source of income to encourage them to stay in their village.

AGBU YP Yerevan team, created in 2007, implements educa-tional, cultural and social activities in Armenia and Karabakh.

AGBU Yerevan Scouts’ Palm Sunday exhibition and sale of works

AGBU Yerevan Scouts offer hand-made goods, souvenirs and Easter sweets

The new computer room established by the AGBU YP Yerevan in Khachik village of Vayots Dzor region of RA

AGBU YPs setting up the computer room

Artsakh Chamber Orchestra (ACO) opened its 2010 concert season on March 12 at the Stepanakert Culture Palace with a concert dedicated to the 60th birthday anniversary of famous cultural figure from Artsakh, musician, peda-gogue, painter and sculptor Albert Safarian. The concert was attended by NKR Culture Minister Naira Aghabalian. She congratulated Albert Safarian on his birth-day and passed on to him NKR government’s medal of Gratitude for his unique contribution in the development of culture in Artsakh. The decision of awarding Albert Safarian the medal of Gratitude was signed on March 12 by the NKR President Bako Sahakian. In her speech Narine Aghabalian also thanked the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) for supporting the foundation of the Artsakh Chamber Orchestra back in 2004. The Minister also praised the orchestra for its achievements the biggest of which being the cultural rebirth and development of the war-torn Artsakh.

Albert Safarian was born in 1949 in Stepanakert. He studied in the trumpet class of Stepanakert music school. Later graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas and began to work in the Sayat-Nova music college of Ste-panakert. He taught in the classes of trumpet and trombone, founded a brass orchestra. His stu-dents are winners of various republican and re-gional contests. Safarian has performed during concerts both as a musician and conductor of the orchestra. He is a member of the Union of Writ-ers of Artsakh and has also occupied the position of the chairman of that Union. Artsakh Chamber Orchestra was founded in Sep-tember 2004 under the sponsorship of the Arme-nian General Benevolent Union, which continues

up to now. Maestro Gevork Muradian is the General Manager and Principal Conductor of the Artsakh Chamber Or-chestra.


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AGBU-FUNDED ARTSAKH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’S CONCERT DEDICATED TO THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALBERT SAFARIAN

AGBU SCOUT COUNCIL MEMBER RAFFI OHANYAN WINNER OF SHANT TV’S “HAI SUPERSTAR-4” PAN-ARMENIAN PROJECT

Every year Armenia’s “Shant” TV organizes the “Hai Super-star” (“Armenian Superstar”) contest, the equivalent to the famous “American Idol” in US or “Pop Idol” in UK, to reveal young Armenian talents. The fourth season of the “Hai Su-perstar” this year brought to Armenia young and gifted Arme-nians from all over the world. After months of tough competi-tion two participants reached the finals, Raffi Ohanyan from Aleppo (Syria) and Raisa Avanessian from Tehran (Iran).

Raffi Ohanyan was born in Aleppo in 1989. He attended the AGBU Najarian-Gulbenkian secondary school of Aleppo, be-came the chess champion of Aleppo. Raffi has participated in the Syrian chess championship for several years winning the second and third places. Raffi lives in Yerevan since 2002 and studies in the European Regional University of Yerevan majoring in computer sciences. He is an active member of the AGBU Yerevan Scout Movement and the Scout Council.

The “Hai Superstar 4” pan-Armenian contest finals took place on Sunday, March 14, at 21:20 Yerevan time and re-vealed the name of the winner Raffi Ohanyan – making him the first male “Hai Superstar” in the history of the con-test. Before the final concert, during the whole week, SMS messages were sent from all over the world for both par-ticipants of the finals. The gala concert also brought together the contest’s 12 finalists representing Armenia, Ger-many, Iran, Russia and Syria, whose performances made the evening truly unforgettable.

AGBU Yerevan Scout Council member Raffi Ohanyan winner of the “Hai Superstar-4” pan-Armenian TV project

Passage from the ACO concert dedicated to Albert Safarian’s 60th anniversary

NEW YORK YEREVAN 55 East 59th Street, 9 Alex Manoogian Street, New York, NY 10022-1112 Yerevan, Armenia Phone: 212 319 6383 Phone: (374 10) 51-22-51 Fax: 212 319 6507 Fax: (374 10) 51-22-52 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.agbu.org Website: www.agbu.am

Please be advised that in the event of any full or partial reference or citation of the texts above AGBU Armenia Newsletter must be mentioned. All rights reserved.

Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an annual budget of $36 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.


PREPARED BY AGBU ARMENIAN REPRESENTATION Page 8

ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION

AGBU Europe congratulates the Parliament of Sweden for acknowledging the genocides commit-ted against the Armenians, Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs and Pontic Greeks during the First World War. The Parliament of Sweden adopted the resolution by a vote of 131 to 130 on Thursday, March 11. In response, Turkey withdrew its Ambassador and cancelled Prime Minister Erdogan’s scheduled visit to Sweden. "Sweden often strives to reconcile effective-ness and ethics in its relations with the world. We applaud it for its principled and constructive stance on the genocide. The truth will set us all free." said Nicolas Tavitian of AGBU Europe. This vote comes on the heels of another vote, last Thursday (March 4), in the US House of Foreign Affairs Committee, which also acknowledged the Armenian genocide. The resolution passed in spite of heavy pressure from Turkey; the Turkish govern-ment recalled their ambassador to the United States. Opponents to the resolution in the US most often justified their stance on the basis of Turkey's strate-gic importance to the United States. They also ar-gue that Turkey may now refuse to open its border with Armenia.

AGBU Europe believes it is misguided on the part of European countries or of the US to yield to the demands of a fellow NATO member, EU candidate country and self-declared friend to conceal the truth. Turkish society is in the process of discovering the truth about their country's past. We are doing them no favour if we oblige in their historic taboos pre-cisely when their own society is challenging them.

Turkey signed a pro-tocol with Armenia on October 10, 2009 that was intended to lead to the normalization of relations between the two countries af-

ter a 17-year blockade of Armenia by Turkey. The country then reneged on its commitment and sub-jected ratification of the agreement to further condi-tions. The process is widely considered blocked in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The recognition of the genocide in Sweden and the United States is a useful signal to Turkey that it needs to radically rethink its policy towards the Re-public of Armenia and towards Armenians generally and to urgently complete the normalization process. AGBU Europe is the European branch of the Armenian General Benevolent Union. AGBU Europe coordinates and develops the pan-European activities of the organi-zation, preserves and promotes Armenian identity and heritage through programs in the fields of education, leadership training, cultural heritage, humanitarian and EU public affairs. www.agbueurope.org

AGBU EUROPE WELCOMES RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY THE PARLIAMENT OF SWEDEN

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March-2010-English