SEPTEMBER 24, 2011 MirTHE rARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXII, NO. 11, Issue 4205 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Armenia, Diaspora Conference Begins Karsh Exhibit YEREVAN — The Armenia-Diaspora Conference Captures Spark has brought together this week 500 representatives from 50 countries. ALMA Unveils Gallery As the Diaspora Ministry reports, President of Armenia Serge Sargisian and President of Nagorno Karabagh Bako Sahakian delivered addresses. By Daphne Abeel Patriarchal blessings were delivered by Special to the Mirror-Spectator Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, and Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I. WATERTOWN, Mass. — Anyone The four themes are language and education; with a passing knowledge of 20th- youth; the centennial of the Genocide and century photography has seen an Armenian-Diasporan cooperation. image shot by Yousuf Karsh. His photograph of Winston Churchill is Foreign Minister possibly the most frequently repro - duced photo portrait in the world. Receives French Thus, it is no wonder that the Armenian Library and Museum of Parliament Group America (ALMA) has celebrated, YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Armenian Foreign with two events, its acquisition Minister Eduard Nalbandian received this week rep - from Karsh’s widow, Estrellita, of resentatives from the France-Armenia a group of images that will Parliamentary Friendship Group, headed by become part of the museum’s per - ALMA Chairman Haig der Manuelian and Estrellita Karsh cut the ribbon to the new Francois Rochebloine. manent collection. Bedoukian Gallery, which houses the Karsh show. Nalbandian praised the personal contribution of see ALMA, page 16 the French parliamentarians to the development of Armenian-French relations and the expansion of cooperation between the two nations’ parliaments. Rochebloine noted that he has always been a Karabagh Sees ‘Sobering Impact’ Ambassadors to friend of the Armenian people and will continue his Armenia, Turkey activity directed toward strengthening the cooper - ation of the Armenian and French peoples. From Azeri Drone Downing Approved by Senate destruction of such military hardware also Expanded Matenadaran By Tigran Avetisian shows the extent of the technical sophisti - Foreign Relations cation of our army. That will certainly have Inaugurated a quite sobering impact on Baku’s behav - Committee YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — President Serge Sargisian STEPANAKERT (RFE/RL) — The report - ior,” Sahakian’s press secretary, Davit WASHINGTON — On September 13, inaugurated on Tuesday a new, more sprawling ed downing of an Azerbaijani spy drone Babayan, said. during the Senate Foreign Relations building of Armenia’s Matenadaran repository of over Nagorno Karabagh will restrain The NKR Defense Army announced on Committee business meeting to consider ancient manuscripts. Baku’s appetite for another war with the Wednesday that its forces shot down the a slate of administration nominees for The Matenadaran, officially called the Mesrop Armenians, the Karabagh Armenian leader - Azerbaijani drone while it flew a reconnais - ambassadorial posts, Sen. Robert Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, was ship said on Thursday. sance mission over Karabagh’s eastern Menendez (D-NJ) cited his loss of confi - founded in 1959 to house and maintain one of the Bako Sahakian, the president of the Martuni district on Monday. The Armenia- dence in the US envoy to Turkey Francis world’s richest collections of handwritten books Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR), also backed army released several pictures of Ricciardone given his careless response spanning a range of subjects. It currently has said through a spokesman that the recon - what it described as the drone wreckage. regarding minority rights in Turkey, 17,000 manuscripts, mostly in Armenian, and naissance flight allegedly carried out by the The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry denied reported the Armenian Assembly of 30,000 other documents of interest to scholars. destroyed unmanned aircraft constituted a that information late on Thursday. In a America. A fraction of those manuscripts is put on display serious ceasefire violation. short statement cited by the Trend news Specifically, Menendez stated: “his at a museum in the old Matenadaran building. “First of all, the [Azerbaijani] aggressor agency, it said “Azerbaijan has nothing to [Ricciardone’s] response indicates that The government initiated in early 2008 the $14- will now feel more restrained because the see DRONE, page 2 he either did not carefully review the million construction of a new building adjacent to responses that were submitted in his the existing one. It will now house the manuscript name or worse that he truly was repository itself as well as other facilities of the unaware of the history of the Christian institute employing hundreds of people. Tehran Again Calls for Closer church in Turkey and the difficulties The project was financed by Russian-Armenian that Christian churches continue to face businessman Sergei Hambardzumian and Maxim in that country. His response indicates a Hakobian, a shareholder in Armenia’s largest min - Armenian-Iranian Ties lack of focus or interest in issues affect - ing company. ing the Armenian community and sends Sargisian paid tribute to both men as well as TEHRAN, Iran (RFE/RL) — President mutually beneficial relations.” a message to Turkey that the Armenia Artur Meschian, a prominent Armenian musician Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated Iran’s “The course of the implementation of issue is not an “A-list” issue. We need an and architect who designed the building, in a strong interest in expanding its “historic, joint economic projects was discussed dur - ambassador in Ankara that can support, speech at the inauguration ceremony. deep and friendly” relations with Armenia ing the meeting,” added the statement. The defend and advocate on behalf of all of as he met with Armenian Foreign Minister projects include the construction of two the United States’ interests vis-à-vis Eduard Nalbandian here over Turkey. Unfortunately, I’ve lost confi - the weekend. dence in the ability of Mr. Ricciardone to INSI DE Ahmadinejad reportedly undertake that task and will not be able called for a faster implementa - to support his nomination.” tion of more Armenian-Iranian Senate Foreign Relations Committee energy projects. Official Iranian Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) followed Julfa sources quoted him as saying up on Menendez’s remarks, adding that they will bolster peace and sta - Ricciardone’s response was “unaccept - bility in the region. able, incorrect and inappropriate.” Revisited “We can expand the existing The Armenian Assembly previously relations by up to three times,” expressed its concerns with respect to page 10 Ahmadinejad told Nalbandian Ricciardone’s responses and, in its on Saturday, according to the August letter to US Secretary of State Mehr news agency. Hillary Clinton, urged “immediate Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, left, with Another Iranian news agency, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right action” to correct Ricciardone’s discon - INDEX IRNA, quoted him as repeating certing statement which “in the context Arts and Living . 10 his earlier remark that Tehran is of the planned extermination of the Armenia . 2, 3 placing “no limitations” on the develop - hydroelectric plants on the Arax river Armenian people and the documented Community News. 5 ment of bilateral ties “in all areas.” marking the Armenian-Iranian border and a destruction of its religious and cultural Editorial . 14 A statement by the Armenian Foreign pipeline that will ship Iranian fuel to heritage is as much offensive as it is International . 4 Ministry said the two men agreed on the Armenia. The two governments also plan to shocking.” need for a “further development of the see IRAN, page 4 see AMBASSADORS, page 14 2 S ATURDAY , S EPTEMBER 24, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Council of Europe Body Set to Declare Armenian Unrest Chapter ‘Closed’ World Leaders Offer YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The and judicial systems and create a “plu - have long pursued,” he said. Congratulations on Council of Europe’s Parliamentary ralist media environment.” Grigorian argued that the authori - Anniversary Assembly (PACE) looks set to declare The proposed resolution is a major ties are still investigating the deaths that Armenia has essentially over - boost to President Serge Sargisian of eight opposition protesters and YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Messages of con- come the political fallout from the dis - and his coalition government. They two security personnel on March 1-2, gratulation arrived from world leaders and digni- puted February 2008 2008 and have not identified anyone taries, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of presidential election responsible for them. the independence of Armenia. and the deadly unrest Responding to HAK demands, Among those sending messages were US caused by it. Sargisian ordered a “more meticu - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “On behalf of A draft resolution lous” inquiry into the killings in late President Obama and the people of the United that will be debated at April. Law-enforcement bodies have States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the its forthcoming ses - reported no major progress in the people of Armenia as you celebrate the 20th sion in Strasbourg renewed probe so far. anniversary of your independence this September welcomes the recent While praising Sargisian’s order, 21. The United States values our relationship