The Armenian government moved on Thursday to obtain yet another large-scale foreign loan which it hopes will help the country overcome the ongoing economic crisis.

Having Turkey mediate peace talks between Israel and Syria was a mistake that harmed relations between Ankara and Israel, a senior Israeli official said.

A report launched late Wednesday by an Ankara-based think tank urged the Turkish government to engage in relations with the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia.

Paul Krekorian won the election for LA’s second council district seat! This is a credit to very good organization, outreach to the many communities and components that make up that weirdly gerrymandered district, and also a very respectable turnout and effort by the Armenian community and ANC. It’s also proof that organization can trump money.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation marked its 119th anniversary during a celebration event organized by the Central Committee of the ARF-Western USA. More than 1,500 community members flocked to the Glendale High School auditorium to witness a resurgence of the ARF’s commitment to fight for justice and the rights of the Armenian nation. Speaking at the event on behalf of the youth, Arek Santikian, the chairman of the Armenian Youth Federation, reassured the community of the youth’s willingness and determination to carry out its traditional duty to be the vital force of change in society; to hold true to the core values of the ARF, and to struggle for the Armenian nation. Below are his remarks.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to come to a quick agreement on the basic principles of a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group, AFP reported.

As the world marked the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Thursday, The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic commemorated two declarations of its own, celebrating the decision of its people to declare independence in 1991 and a vote by the population in 2006 to approve a new constitution reaffirming democratic statehood.

The Armenian Youth Federation last month teamed with experimental-fusion rock band Visa and a host of local socially-conscious artists to put-on a special benefit concert that helped feed the less fortunate on Thanksgiving Day through the Los Angeles Mission, a non-profit serving the homeless of Downtown Los Angeles.

Officials on Monday downplayed the government’s failure to rebuild regions devastated by the 1988 earthquake, insisting that reconstruction is going according to plan as Armenia marked the 21st anniversary of the calamity that killed 25,000 people and left hundreds of thousands of others homeless.

The foreign ministers of over 50 countries making up Europe’s largest security structure praised Armenia and Azerbaijan late Wednesday for their latest pledge to “work intensively” to overcome disagreements hampering the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The cluster of young women, dressed in their logo-ed shirts and black skirts look sleek and professional. They are here to promote a magazine. A few minutes before the floor manager is ready to open the house, they rush past the guests waiting in line and make their way towards the tables set up for them. Excitement is high. Over three thousand Armenians have made the 250 mile trip to Las Vegas, Nevada to hear the greatest Armenian pop star of today.

President Barack Obama hailed the Armenia-Turkey protocols and pledged US support for the process as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erodagan, on the eve of his meeting with the president, issued an ultimatum to the White House saying that normalization process could not move forward without an end to the Karabakh conflict.

Nearly 150 members from the Armenian Youth Federation’s Western Region turned-out on Thanksgiving weekend to compete in the AYF’s 36th annual Olympic Games, hosted by the AYF’s Glendale ‘Roupen’ chapter, at the majestic seaside Paradise Point Resort in San Diego.

Turkish troops in Afghanistan will not engage in combat with the Taliban, Turkey’s defense minister and diplomats emphasized on Thursday in reaction to the United States’ request for extra soldiers for ‘flexible’ missions.