JULY 24, 2010 MirTHE rARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXI, NO. 2, Issue 414 6 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Turkish FM Says No Breakthrough Border with Armenia In Karabagh Talks Will Not Open ANAKRA (ArmRadio) — Turkish Foreign Minister Reported Ahmet Davutoglu has dismissed prospects of open - ing the Turkish-Armenian border in the foreseeable ALMATY, Kazakhstan (RFE/RL) — The future, saying reports to that effect in the media foreign ministers of Armenia and were not accurate. Azerbaijan appear to have failed to make “There is no such thing as the opening of the bor - any progress during two days of fresh nego - der. It is not on the government’s agenda and reports tiations in Kazakhstan which international to that effect are wrong,” Davutoglu told reporters mediators hoped would bring them closer on the sidelines of an Organization for Security and to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting. conflict. Eduard Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov began the talks late Friday Armenia and Russia to on the margins of an informal Organization Boost Military Ties for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting in the Kazakh YEREVAN (Arka) — Armenia and Russia reached city of Almaty. They met again on Saturday concrete agreements to boost their cooperation in in the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Edele Hovnanian and Siran Sahakian cut the ribbon while President Serge Sargisian, military-industrial sector embracing five directions, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Hirair Hovnanian look on. Sergei Lavrov, French Foreign Minister chief of Armenian National Security Council Bernard Kouchner and US Deputy Arthur Baghdasarian said this week. He declined to Secretary of State James Steinberg. divulge specifics, saying only that the sides dis - In a joint statement issued afterwards, Grand Opening of Hovnanian Foundation HQ, cussed options for creating joint ventures to foster Lavrov, Kouchner and Steinberg said that Armenian Assembly Yerevan Office Armenia’s military-industrial complex. He was “the efforts made so far by the parties to speaking to journalists after a three-day visit to the conflict have not been sufficient to YEREVAN — The grand opening of 37 Hanrapetutyan St., a professional business Armenia by senior representatives of Russian mili - overcome their differences.” They urged the center which houses the headquarters of the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian tary-industrial complex. parties to take “additional actions” to Foundation and the new Armenian Assembly of America Yerevan Office took place Baghdasarian spoke also about consultations in strengthen the ceasefire around Karabagh on July 12. Yerevan with Nikolay Bordyuzha, secretary general and “create a more favorable atmosphere President Serge Sargisian; Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II; Minister of of the Collective Security Treaty Organization for further political dialogue and reaching Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandian; Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik (CSTO) ahead of CSTO summit to be hosted by agreements.” Harutunian; US Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch; Armenia’s first Yerevan in August. The top diplomats from the three mediat - Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi Hovannisian, as well as Armenian General ing powers also deplored the recent upsurge Benevolent Union (AGBU) Representative Ashot Ghazaryan, among other digni - Golden Apricot Film in ceasefire violations and bitter recrimina - taries, joined Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian and his fam - tions traded by Yerevan and Baku. The latter ily for the marquee opening. see OPENING, page 20 Festival Concludes has repeatedly threatened to solve the con - flict by force in recent weeks. YEREVAN (news.am) — The seventh Golden “They warned that the use of force creat - Apricot International Film Festival is over. ed the current situation, and its use again make “another step forward” during the Forty-five films were involved in three interna - would only lead to suffering, devastation, talks. “Unfortunately, that issue was not Armenia Says It tional competitions judged by five international and a legacy of conflict and hostility that solved, and it can’t be said that there was jury members. The festival received 500 entries and would last for generations,” read the state - any breakthrough,” the APA news agency Wants to Boost about 120 films were screened. ment. “They urged a greater spirit of com - quoted him as saying. “We decided to con - In the International Feature category, Best promise to reach agreement on a common tinue working with the co-chairs.” Ties with Israel Feature Film went to the Turkish director Reha basis for continuing the negotiations.” According to Mammadyarov, the five Erdem for “Kosmos;” the Silver Apricot Special Mammadyarov was reported to say that diplomats had planned to release a joint YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — President Prize for Feature Film went to Sergey Loznitsa for the parties and the mediators hoped to see TALKS, page 20 Serge Sarigisan called for the deepening “My Joy.” of Armenia’s relationship with Israel as In the International Documentary category, Best he met with a visiting senior Israeli offi - Documentary Film went to Pavel Kostomarov for cial on Tuesday. “Together;” the Silver Apricot Special Prize for Micha Lindenstrauss, Israel’s state Documentary Film went to Vadim Jendreyko for comptroller and ombudsman, was in “The Woman with Five Elephants.” Yerevan at the invitation of Armenia’s For Armenian Panorama, the Best Armenian state human rights ombudsman, Armen Film went to Arman Yeritsyan and Inna Sahakyan Harutunian. for “The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia;” the According to the presidential press Silver Apricot Special Prize went to Comes office, Sargisian told Lindenstrauss that Chahbazian for “Down Here;” and Special Mention he finds important “the development of was given to Nikolay Davtyan for “Uncle Valya.” multi-faceted relations with Israel in all spheres of mutual interest.” “The head of state welcomed coopera - tion established between Armenia’s INSI DE Office of the Human Rights Defender and the Israeli Ombudsman’s Office and stressed the importance of their ongo - ing efforts aimed at the exchange of Popping experience,” read a short statement released by the office. It gave no further details of the meeting. Out Lindenstrauss arrived in Armenia less Hagop Avedikian addresses the convention. than a month after he and Harutunian page 12 attended a session of the Mediterranean Association of Ombudsmen uniting top human rights officials from the wider Armenakan-ADL Party Holds region. The Armenian ombudsman was elect - INDEX Second Annual Convention ed a member of the association at the Armenia . 2 meeting held in Madrid. Arts and Living . 12 YEREVAN — On September 17, the Armenakan-ADL party of Armenia convened Like other participants, Harutunian Calendar . 17 its second annual convention at the Tekeyan Center here. opposed a Turkish official’s proposal to Community News. 6 Delegates from 20 chapters and representatives of various Armenian political par - condemn Israel’s blockade of Gaza and Editorial . 18 ties participated in the convention, during which Chairman of the Central Board of harsh reaction to the recent Turkish- International . 3,4 Directors Hagop Avedikian announced that the party is planning to participate in backed attempt to break it. He argued, the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2011. among other things, that Turkey itself see TIES, page 20 2 S ATURDAY , J ULY 24, 2010 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenia, EU Launch Associate Membership Talks YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia to say how long the process will take: various Armenian laws. The EU’s Birth Rate up in began on Monday the first round of three years, four years or five years,” executive European Commission has negotiations with the European Kazinian told a joint news conference already earmarked at least 32 million Armenia Union (EU) over an “association with Wiegand. euros ($40 million) for financing YEREVAN (news.am) — Between January and June, agreement” that would significantly “But the important thing is that those reforms. 21,198 births were registered in Armenia. The num- upgrade its political and economic negotiations have started and we are Democratization, human rights ber exceeds last year’s figure. ties with the bloc. prepared for that path,” she said. “We protection and a stronger rule of law According to the Armenian Justice Ministry, The agreement stemming from the are also ready to make every effort to are another stated condition for 20,124 children were born in Armenia during the EU’s Eastern Partnership program follow the guidelines that we have Armenia’s participation in the same period in 2009. for six former Soviet republics, includ - with the EU and bring the process to Eastern Partnership. Yet just how The number of marriages, however, has decreased ing neighboring Azerbaijan and a successful end.” aggressively the bloc plans to press compared with last year, whereas the number of Georgia, would entitle the country to Wiegand also declined to speculate for political reforms in the country is divorces increased. A total of 8,730 marriages were a permanent free trade regime with about time frames for signing the still an open question. registered in 2010 compared to 8,866 in last year, the EU and facilitate visa procedures agreement. “This is ambitious, and Wiegand insisted in an interview whereas the number of divorces was 1,552, com- for its citizens traveling to Europe. It ambition needs time in order to get that the EU will closely monitor polit - pared to 1,501 in 2009. also envisages a harmonization of things right,” he said. “We would cer - ical developments in the country and Armenian laws, regulations and gov - tainly be wrong now to fix an artifi - the Armenian authorities’ respect for ernment policies with the EU stan - cial deadline. We want to get a good human rights. He dismissed claims by Sargisian Meets with dards.