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05/16/2006
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1) Turkey Must Recognize Genocide to Become Member of EU
2) Bill Grants Legal Rights to Genocide Survivors and Heirs to Recover Bank
Deposits
3) Canadian Prime Minister Reaffirms Recognition of Armenian Genocide
4) Microsoft Opens Office in Armenia
5) Talabani Slams Interference in Iraq by Iran And Turkey
1) Turkey Must Recognize Genocide to Become Member of EU
YEREVAN (Yerkir/Armenpress)–Secretary General of the International European
Movement Henrik H. Kroner visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial
(Dzidzernagapert) on Tuesday to honor the victims of the Armenian genocide.
Kroner was accompanied by Victor Yengibarian, head of the organization’s
mission to Armenia, and Giro Manoyan, director of the ARF Bureau’s Hai Tad and
Political Affairs Office.
While visiting the Genocide Museum, Kroner wrote in the visitor’s book:
“Let’s
hope no such genocide will take place again in Europe and world. And the
European values are the guarantees of our unification.”
Speaking to journalists, Kroner said it is a shame that this crime against
humanity has not been recognized thus far.
He said until Turkey recognizes the Armenian genocide and opens border with
Armenia it cannot become member of the European Union.
“The European Union has been established to avoid such tragedies in the
future. I think Turkey will never become an EU member unless it admits its
past,” Kroner said. “The process has just begun and will take long years.
Ankara will have to admit it in the end.”
Earlier in the day, Kroner met with ARF Supreme Body of Armenia
representative
Armen Rustamian at the Simon Vratsian Center in Yerevan. The parties discussed
the International European Movement’s programs regarding Armenia’s integration
in Europe.
2) Bill Grants Legal Rights to Genocide Survivors and Heirs to Recover Bank
Deposits
–California Senate Judiciary Committee Unanimously Passes SB 1524, but
Partners Bill with Controversial Legislation
SACRAMENTO–Legislation that would grant Armenian genocide victims and their
heirs access to California courts to recover bank deposits wrongfully withheld
since the Armenian genocide, unanimously passed the California State Senate
Judiciary Committee on May 9.
The same committee, however, chaired by Senator Joe Dunn of Garden Grove,
also
voted to accept a hostile amendment that attaches a highly controversial and
unrelated bill to the bi-partisan supported Armenian Genocide Bill, which
endangers its ability to be signed by the Governor and become law.
The “Armenian Genocide Bank and Looted Assets Recovery Act” SB 1524, authored
by State Senators Jackie Kanchelian-Speier and Charles “Chuck” Poochigian, and
sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), was presented
for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee, on May 9. The bill would
allow victims and heirs recoverythrough California Courtsof assets looted from
commercial entities operating in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey during the
Armenian genocide, which have been wrongfully withheld since the Genocide.
Speaking in support of the bill, Katia Kermoyan-Khodanian spoke of the dire
need for this legislation and recounted the harrowing experience of her
relative Markar Kermoyan who had lost his bank deposits and assets during the
Armenian genocide without any recourse.
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA – WR) Chairman
Steven Dadaian, spoke in support of the Bill, informing the committee that
California has a public policy interest in protecting the rights of its almost
1,000,000 strong Armenian American community by granting California courts
jurisdiction over banks operating in the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian
genocide.
Dadaian also reminded the Committee that only five years ago the State
enacted
the “Armenian Genocide Era Insurance Act” based on the same public policy.
Lending the Greek community’s support was Steven Miles, Executive Director of
the American Hellenic Council, who spoke strongly of the deep bond between
Greeks and Armenians forged in the common persecution and Genocide their
communities faced in Turkey from 1915-1923.
Don Engstrom, from the Consumer Attorneys Association of California, also
expressed support for the legislation.
The hostile amendment, binds SB 1765 to SB 1524 that entitles lawsuits to be
filed for wrongfully repatriated Mexican Americans during the 1930s.
Speaking strongly in opposition to the binding of these two separate and
distinct Bills, the ANCA’s Steven Dadaian informed the Committee that while
his
organization supports the correcting of all historic wrongs, he nevertheless
views the effort as an attempt to “hijack the Armenian Bill with legislation
that has thrice been vetoed by consecutive administrations. We encourage each
bill to be weighed on their own merits separately. It is illogical and unfair
to do otherwise.”
Senator Senator Bill Morrow (Vice-Chair) voted against the hostile amendment,
while Senators Joseph Dunn (Chair), Dick Ackerman, Martha Escutia, and Sheila
Kuehl supported the move.
3) Canadian Prime Minister Reaffirms Recognition of Armenian Genocide
In a meeting with Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Canada representatives
during a special reception, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reaffirmed
his country’s recognition of the Armenian genocide.
ANC Ottawa member Aris Babikian expressed the Canadian Armenian community’s
gratitude for the Prime Minister’s principled stance on the stance on the
issue. He also committed to working closely with the Prime Minister’s
office on
behalf of the ANC of Canada.
During the meeting, Harper reaffirmed his government’s and his party’s policy
regarding the Genocide. He said that this policy is based on principles and
not
political or economic considerations.
4) Microsoft Opens Office in Armenia
The world’s leading computer software manufacturer, Microsoft, opened an
official representation to Armenia on Tuesday, demonstrating its interest in
the country’s growing information technology (IT) sector.
Vahe Torossian, Microsoft’s vice-president for Central and Eastern Europe,
said the company is keen on capitalizing on the “amazing” level of education
and skills of local computer specialists.
“One thing which amazed me when I started my role here is the amazing quality
of high technical, engineering, mathematics, physics, and other skills that we
have in the region and especially in Armenia,” Torossian told a news
conference
in Yerevan. “We are here to demonstrate and try to develop a very wealthy and
healthy IT system,” he said.
Microsoft’s decision to open an office in Yerevan was welcomed by Prime
Minister Andranik Markarian who met Torossian and other top company executives
earlier in the day. Markarian, according to his press service, proposed that
the Armenian government and Microsoft form a “joint working group” that would
deal with concrete ways in which the US giant could contribute to further
growth of Armenia’s IT industry.
Speaking to reporters, the French executive of Armenian descent said
Microsoft
will boost the sector by commissioning computer programs from local software
developers. He said it has already placed orders with five Armenian firms.
“It’s thoroughly clear that from every dollar that Microsoft will invest in
Armenia, every single partner will generate around seven or eight dollars,”
Torossian said, adding that the company intends to create a “very strong”
network of such partners.
Armenia’s IT industry employs thousands of well-paid specialists and is seen
as the most advanced in the region, having expanded substantially over the
past
decade. The mainly American foreign companies involved in software development
and other IT-related activities have been the main driving force behind the
growth.
IT experts warn, however, that the sector’s further expansion could stall
unless the Armenian government embarks on a sweeping overhaul of its system of
higher education. They say the number and especially the professional level of
young people graduating from the IT programs of local universities still
leaves
much to be desired.
Armenian officials hope that Microsoft’s plans to release Armenian-language
versions of its world-famous products will spur greater computer use in the
country. According to Torossian, the company will complete the ongoing
translation of its Windows XP operating system into Armenian “before the
end of
the summer.” The Armenian versions of other, more advanced systems will be
available next year, he added.
Torossian admitted that Microsoft sales in Armenia and virtually all other
parts of the former Soviet Union are seriously hampered by poor protection of
copyrights. He estimated that as much as 90 percent of software sold in
Armenia
is pirated.
“We have very good laws,” said Grigor Barseghian, the newly appointed head of
Microsoft’s Yerevan office. “They simply need to be enforced. That is the main
obstacle to our activities at the moment.”
A government statement said the problem was also on the agenda of Markarian’s
meeting with the visiting Microsoft executives, but gave no details.
5) Talabani Slams Interference in Iraq by Iran And Turkey
BEIRUT (UPI)–Iraqi President Jalal Talabani lashed out at neighbors Iran and
Turkey for interfering in Iraq’s domestic affairs, warning that Baghdad could
reciprocate.
Talabani was quoted as saying Tuesday in the Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat
that “Iraq is not a weak country. [Our] neighbors can create problems for us
and we also are capable of causing problems for them.”
He said, “If Iran allows itself to interfere in Karbala because it is a
Shiite
city and Turkey feels it can interfere in Kirkuk, that will open the way for
very dangerous consequences.”
“In that case,” he added, “Iraq will also have the right to interfere in
Khozestan in Iran on the grounds that it has an Arab population and the same
applies to Alexandrite in Turkey which has an Arab population.”
Talabani stressed, however, that Iraq and Iran have had historic relations
which were both positive and negative “but there is always room for agreement
and also between Iraq and Turkey agreement is possible.”
He acknowledged that the two countries have plausible reasons to interfere in
Iraq since the Kurdistan Labor Party attacks Turkey from Iraq’s Kurdish north;
a Kurdish group in Iran has done the same, taking refuge in northern Iraq.
“Nevertheless, we need to find a solution in order to eliminate all the
pretexts used by Iran and Turkey to hit Iraqi territories,” he added.
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