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05/16/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 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. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.