Armenia, Israel Review Tenuous Relationship
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AUGUST 27, 2011 MirTHE rARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXII, NO. 7, Issue 4201 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Estonian Company to Ricciardone Revises Response to Senate Dig for Gold in Armenia Inquiry on Number of Churches in Turkey TALLINN, Estonia (Baltic Business News and Hetq) — Estonian businessman Marcel Vichmann has set up FIT Armenia, a company that plans to Clerics Take Him to Task for Following broad-based concerns explore and mine gold and copper in Armenia. Ignorance of Ottoman History expressed by Armenian-American commu - Abp. Khajag Barsamian Vichmann started the gold mining project in nity and religious leaders, Ricciardone Responds to Amb. Armenia after GILD Arbitrage, an investment WASHINGTON — US Ambassador to amended his earlier response to Senate fund that had invested in Armenia in 2007 and Turkey Francis Ricciardone, responding to a Foreign Relations Committee member Ricciardone’s Statement 2008. wave of grassroots outrage and growing Robert Menendez (D-NJ), in which he had The investment fund had gold exploration Congressional concern, backed away from his argued, without any basis in fact, that a WASHINGTON — Archbishop Khajag rights for seven properties, but soon went bank - most obvious and offensive misrepresenta - majority of Christian churches operating in Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of rupt when it could not meet its investors’ tions about Turkey’s destruction of Christian the territory of present-day Turkey prior to the Armenian Church of America demands. 1915 were still functioning today. (Eastern), sent a letter to United States Vichmann now owns three of the seven licens - In a correction obtained by the ANCA on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, es and has reportedly invested additional August 22, Ricciardone took the “opportu - regarding assertions recently made by amounts in the exploration. nity to clarify the record,” suggesting that Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, of the 2,000 churches there before 1915, President Barack Obama’s recess they are not all still functioning. He said, appointment to serve as US ambassador Fortune Oil Names “The corrected text should read as follows: to Turkey. Most of the Christian churches functioning In an official written statement Director for Iron prior to 1915 are no longer operating as addressing an inquiry from New Jersey Mining Operations churches. Christian community contacts in Sen. Robert Menendez regarding the Turkey report that a total of 200-250 present operational status of “the more YEREVAN (Hetq) — Fortune Oil PLC announced churches that date to 1915 and before offer see RESPONSE, page 16 this week the appointment of Jerry Gorman as see STATEMENT, page 16 project director for its iron ore investment in Armenia, effective October 1. Gorman will now be responsible for developing both the Hrazdan and Abovyan mines. He will be Fortune Oil’s most senior represen - Armenia, Israel Review tative based in Armenia and will be the key indi - vidual liaising with all of the group’s strategic alliance partners including SRK Consulting US Amb. to Turkey Francis Ricciardone (UK), ProMet Engineers (Australia), Sinosteel Tenuous Relationship Group (China), local government and other rele - churches, but sparked renewed controversy vant authorities including the Chinese Embassy. by artificially inflating the number of cur - YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Senior reference to the Armenian Genocide. The largest shareholders in Fortune Oil are rently operating Christian houses of worship, Armenian and Israeli diplomats discussed Successive Israeli governments have First Level Holdings Limited, Vitol and major and again using strained euphemisms to help the sometimes uneasy relationship resisted calls to recognize the Armenian Chinese state-owned corporations. Ankara escape responsibility for its crimes, between their countries during two days of Genocide. Support for such recognition reported the Armenian National Committee consultations that ended in Yerevan on appears to have grown within the Israeli Tateossian Jewelry of America (ANCA). Tuesday. parliamen over the past year, however. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the Diplomatic sources in Yerevan say that Opens Store in two negotiating teams were headed by Ayalon phoned his Armenian counterpart Deputy Foreign Minister Arman to address the Armenian government’s Armenia Kirakossian and Armenian Woman YEREVAN (news.am) — The Tateossian jewelry Pinchas Avivi, a company, base in London, will open a store here. high-level Israeli Dies in Indiana The 700-square-foot store will be situated in a Foreign Ministry small center and will be designed by architects official coordinating State Stage Collapse PLS Design of Italy — Lino Lasanno and Lorenzo ties with Eastern Perini — who also designed the Dolce and Europe and the for - INDIANAPOLIS (Indiana Star) — An Gabanna and Valentino stores, according to mer Soviet Union. Armenian-American woman was among Retail Jeweler. “During the con - those who died when a stage collapsed at “It’s fulfilling to be able to go back to your sultations the two the Indiana State Fair on August 13, right roots and offer a London twist to the city of sides discussed before the band Sugarland was to perform. Yerevan. The store opening is a reflection of the issues related to Alina BigJohny, of Muncie, was the growing market of the Commonwealth of Armenia-Israel daughter of an Armenian immigrant. She Independent States and Armenia is the perfect cooperation, devel - had just turned 23, and her family was plan - first opening in this part of the world,” said Chief opments taking Israeli and Armenian diplomats met in Yerevan on Tuesday. ning a belated birthday celebration for her Executive Officer Robert Tateossian. Sunday. But instead the party turned into a place in the Middle prayer vigil, the Associated Press reported. East and South BigJohny died Saturday when stage rig - Caucasus regions as well as other issues of unease over Israel’s growing ties with ging collapsed at the Indiana State Fair. mutual interest,” read a ministry state - Azerbaijan, which was communicated to see BIGJOHNY, page 16 ment. It gave no details of those discus - another Israeli diplomat earlier this sum - sions. mer. Although the statement described the One source said that Ayalon denied INSI DE talks as “regular,” they are understood to reports that quoted him as saying in May be connected with Kirakossian’s July 25 that Israel will not recognize the Armenian phone conversation with Israel’s Deputy Genocide because of Azerbaijan’s impor - Foreign Ministry Danny Ayalon. tance for his country. Speaking of The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Avivi, who served as Israel’s ambassador Ayalon “thanked Kirakossian for the to Turkey from 2003-2007, and other Bardakjian... friendly relationship and mentioned the Israeli diplomats accompanying him visited historical ties and cultural similarities Tsitsernakabert memorial on Tuesday. page 5 between the two nations.” Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor “Ayalon emphasized the importance Lieberman held up the Azerbaijani-Israeli Israel attaches to the continuous develop - ties as a model for cooperation between ment of diplomatic relations and practical the Jewish state and a Muslim nation when INDEX cooperation with Armenia,” the ministry he visited Baku in February 2010. He also Arts and Living . 10 said in a statement. “He further stated that reportedly voiced support for Azerbaijan’s Armenia . 2 it would be his pleasure to visit Yerevan, “territorial integrity.” Community News. 5 and invited Kirakossian to visit Israel.” In what may have been an attempt to Editorial . 14 Ayalon also “reiterated the special sensi - soothe Yerevan, Ayalon contradicted International . 3, 4 Alina BigJohny tivity we, as Jews, feel regarding the those remarks in his phone call with Armenian tragedy,” the statement added in Kirakossian. 2 S ATURDAY , A UGUST 27, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Dashnak Leadership Criticizes Samvel Karapetyan: Party Branch in United States Voyage of ‘Armenia’ YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — In a rare show Vessel – Sport of discord within its ranks, the opposition Achievement Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) criticized on Friday its YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The vessel “Armenia” largest branch in the United States for started its voyage in March 28, 2009 in Valencia, deciding to boycott an upcoming event in Spain, and crossing the Red Sea on August 5, and Los Angeles to be attended by President its crew stated that the “From Sea to Sea Armenia” Serge Sargisian. mission has been accomplished. The vessel went to Sargisian is expected to visit the US in 23 countries, traveling almost 82,000 kilometers. late September to address the UN The head of the expedition, Zori Balayan, said General Assembly in New York and meet “From Sea to Sea” is not an exaggeration. with representatives of the Armenian- According to captain of the ship Samvel American community. He will attend an Karapetyan, the voyage is first of all a sport official banquet organized by the achievement for Armenia. “This is the first round- Armenian Consulate in Los Angeles and the-world navigation for Armenians, which was suc- dedicated to the 20th anniversary of cessfully completed. The historical meaning of the Armenia’s independence. voyage is that we also visit world-spread Armenians Dashnaktsutyun’s organization in the and the churches built by them,” he noted, adding western US announced late on Thursday