Month: November 2006

ARMENIAN PREMIER RELUCTANT TO BACK DEFENCE MINISTER’S BID FOR PRESIDENCY – PAPER
Iravunk, Armenia
Nov 17 2006
The head of the political board of the Republican Party of Armenia
and the defence minister, Serzh Sarkisyan, has big ambitions to take
the post of the Armenian president in 2008, the Armenian opposition
Iravunk has reported.
The paper reports that it would be logical for the party leader and
the prime minister, Andranik Markaryan, to help his fellow party
member to realize his desire.
However, a source close to the party said that Markaryan did not lift
a finger to do this and even said the following in a narrow circle:
“Serzh Sarkisyan’s legitimacy as president will be even lower than
that of incumbent President Robert Kocharyan”. This means that the
prime minister has indirectly said that Sarkisyan will become the
president only if the election is rigged. Markaryan also said that
Sarkisyan “should be clever enough to tell me – let us work together
for your candidacy”.
From: Baghdasarian

LA MEMOIRE DES ARMENIENS SE DONNE A VOIR
par Pierre Barbancey
L’Humanite, France
20 novembre 2006
Manifeste . À La Villette a Paris, parcours entre documents et tableaux
dans l’histoire d’un peuple marquee par le terrible genocide de 1915,
l’immigration mais aussi une soif d’avenir.
On ne sait ce qui prevaut exactement aux declinaisons instaurees ”
L’annee de… ” mais il faut bien admettre que celle qui demarre,
consacree a l’Armenie, ne saurait mieux tomber. Il y a, bien sûr,
l’actualite, le vote francais d’une loi punissant le negationnisme
du genocide armemien. Il y a les mesures de retorsions militaires
du pouvoir turc. Mais il y a aussi la volonte de la communaute
armenienne en France d’aller au-dela du folklore pour donner a voir et
a entendre leurs vies, leur vecu, dont le martyre du groupe Manouchian,
l’Affiche rouge, est un des episodes glorieux. Georges Bensoussan
est par exemple venu dire, a l’occasion d’un debat, le lien entre
tous les genocides et leur particularite.
Installation, expo, films, tables rondes C’est a La Villette que les
” Memoires armeniennes ” (1) se sont installees, sur le parquet de
bal comme cela est joliment precise.
Installation audiovisuelle, exposition, films et tables rondes balisent
le parcours qui s’ouvre sur une carte de l’empire ottoman.
Quinze fenetres videos aident a s’inscrire dans le plateau armenien.
” Nous avons voulu montrer avec ces films, dont certains ont ete
realises il y a vingt ans, montrer comment ces Armeniens sont arrives
en France, a Marseille, Nice, Valence ou ailleurs “, explique Jacques
Kebadian, une des chevilles ouvrières de cet evenement, qui risque
fort d’etre le seul où sera evoque le genocide de 1915. Ils sont partis
comme ils ont pu, emportant avec eux ce qu’ils pouvaient. Un des films
de Kebadian, intitule, au singulier, Memoire armenienne, restitue
les temoignages mais le temps a amene le realisateur a apposer des
” s ” aux memoires multiples. C’est aussi ce que restitue le Centre
de recherches sur la diaspora armenienne (2), dirige par Jean-Claude
Kebabdjian. L’exposition presentee ” est un element de reflexion
et de dignite. Il aurait ete paradoxal de ne pas rendre hommage a
nos ancetres qui ne sont pas venus ici en vacances “, dit-il, en se
souvenant du travail inlassable du depute communiste Guy Ducolone
pour la reconnaissance du genocide armenien et d’accompagnement de
la communaute.
Parcourir les allees de l’exposition, entre documents et peintures,
revèle bien des surprises. Comme ce vieil Armenien, ne en 1925, qui ne
souhaite pas voir son nom cite, qui raconte comment ses grands-parents
ont ete deportes, qui parle des orphelinats où ont echoue beaucoup
d’enfants, armeniens. Il dit simplement se sentir francais ” mais
mes origines sont la-bas “. La comedienne Ariane Ascaride, qui campe
le personnage principal du Voyage en Armenie de Robert Guediguian,
explique aussi comment elle est ” tombee amoureuse de ce pays “, parce
qu’il y a ” dans la culture armenienne des choses qui me correspondent,
de la beaute, ce qui n’est plus pratique en Europe occidentale. Parce
que j’ai vu les degâts que les Sovietiques avaient faits. Ils sont
partis, mais ils les ont laisses dans la merde. Il faut voir comment
ces gens sont impregnes par un liberalisme demoniaque. Qu’est-ce qui
se passe dans la tete des gens ? ” L’actrice ajoute : ” Il y a le
genocide, mais l’Armenie a un avenir. C’est ca qui m’interpelle, qui
m’interesse. ” souvenirs douloureux et exigence de vie Impossible,
evidemment, d’esquiver la question de la memoire. La Villette n’y
echappe pas. Pourtant, les formats empruntes permettent d’arpenter
d’autres chemins. Il y a les peintures d’Aïda Kebadian, qui parlent
de l’enfance, de l’exil, du genocide et de la religion.
Mais ces toiles, certaines realisees au Mexique, temoignent de
l’âprete de l’affrontement entre souvenirs douloureux et exigence de
vie, ici et maintenant comme on dit. Isabelle Ouzonnian ne dit pas
autre chose en presentant l’entretien avec son père, le dramaturge
Jean-Jacques Varoujean, aujourd’hui disparu. ” C’etait très penible,
mais j’avais une très grande envie de ce temoignage, meme si je n’ai
fait que poser la camera “, assure-t-elle.
(1) Jusqu’au 23 novembre , accès libre de 14 heures a 19 heures, Parc
de La Villette, metro porte de La Villette (2) Centre de recherches
sur la diaspora armenienne.
Tel . : 01 42 46 05 58
–Boundary_(ID_WB6I1DXygZeOOMLXuA/cUg)–

RA PRESIDENT TO DEPART FOR CYPRUS ON FIRST-EVER STATE VISIT NOVEMBER 22
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 15:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian will depart for
Cyprus on a first-ever state visit November 22, Victor Soghomonian told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. The President will meet with the Cypriot
leadership to discuss the Armenian-Cypriot relations, specifically
establishment and expansion of the trade and economic relations
between the two states.

AMERICAN ARMENIANS TO RENDER ASSISTANCE TO NAGORNO KARABAKH
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 16:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “There is no Armenia without Artsakh and there is
no Artsakh without Armenia. We should do out utmost for sustainable
development of Artsakh,” this was the slogan of the reception organized
by the Armenian Diaspora in honor of NKR President Arkady Ghukasian
in Santa Anna (California) last Saturday, reports the NKR MFA press
office. For his part the NKR President expressed gratitude to the
American compatriots for lasting multisided support rendered to
Artsakh. He underscored that Karabakh owes many of its achievement
to this support. The meeting participants voiced readiness to go
on assisting the republic via various development programs. The
importance of the TV marathon to be held on November 23 was also
marked out. Well known philanthropists Kosti and Merian Shirvanian,
Ralf and Savi Tufenkian, Hakob and Mina Shirvanian, Vartkes and Mary
Najarian, Vahe and Veronic Karapetian, Roger and Elen Ohanissian,
Hakob Baghdassarian and others as well as RA Consul General in Los
Angeles Armen Liloian were present at the event.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION SETS DECEMBER 6 AS DEADLINE FOR TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 17:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Finland, the holder of the rotating EU presidency,
has given Turkey a respite until December 6 to resolve the Cyprus
deadlock. In his speech to members of parliamentary EU affairs
committees in Helsinki, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen stated
that the European Commission would take a recommendatory decision
about the Cyprus issue in the first week of December, adding that
the decision will be discussed at the General Affairs and External
Relations Council meeting to be held on December 11.
The deadline for Turkey as Vanhannen stated is before the decision on
advice. On one hand European commission is demanding opening the sea
and airports to Greek Cypriots and on the other Turkey is demanding
the lifting of the isolations on The Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus. “Time is running out”, the Finnish premier remarked. “If
Turkey does not honor its commitments, the EU will need to reconsider
the implications for the accession process,” Mr. Vanhanen noted,
reports Cihan News Agency.

IRANIAN TV CHANNEL CALLS TO COUP D’ETAT IN AZERBAIJAN, BAKU SAYS
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 18:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Compass everyday program broadcast by Iranian
satellite television contained calls for forcible change of
Constitution of Azerbaijan, which does not ‘correspond to Islamic
traditions’. The publication of Rafik Taghi in Sanat Azeri newspaper,
which insulted Prophet Mohammed, was used as a ground for such calls.
The program presenters persuaded the Azeri citizens to perform fetva
(the verdict of religious leaders) against publicist Rafik Taghi. The
Iranian TV Channel said that the Muslim population of Azerbaijan
should perform the orders of their religious leaders but not obey
the government.
Almost the whole Sunday program that lasted for an hour consisted of
open calls to the Azerbaijani population, reports Mediaforum.

OSCE MG ARRIVING IN YEREVAN NOVEMBER 21
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 18:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement will arrive in Yerevan November 21, RA MFA
Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
The mediators will meet with RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and
President Robert Kocharian.
“The further steps for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement will
be discussed during the visit, which is held upon the outcomes of
the Brussels meeting of the FMs,” Karapetian said.
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SERGE SARGSYAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SITTINGS OF CIS AND CSTO COUNCILS OF DEFENSE MINISTERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 18:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 22 the Armenian delegation led by Secretary
of the Security Council at the RA President, Defense Minister Serge
Sargsyan will depart for Brest to take part in the sittings of the
CIS and CSTO Councils of Defense Ministers scheduled for November
23, Defense Minister’s Spokesman, colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan told
PanARMENIAN.Net. November 24-25 the Armenian delegation will take
part in the sitting of the Council of the CSTO Secretaries of Security
Councils. Signing of programs on military cooperation is also expected.

AZERBAIJAN BEWARES OF ATTACK BY ARMENIANS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
The Karabakh problem resolution directly depends on Azerbaijan’s
joining the NATO, he former State Adviser of Azerbaijan on foreign
political affairs, a political expert, Vafa Guluzade, said, the
“Day.Az” Azeri Agency reports.
Talking of the military manoeuvres of Karabakh forces near the contact
line, V. Guluzade expressed an opinion that these manoeuvres are an
attempt to pressure Azerbaijan by Russia and not by Armenia.
“Otherwise saying, Moscow makes it clear to Azerbaijan that it may
again send the Armenians to us any time . It is concerned with the
process of Azerbaijan’s integration to the Euroatlantic structures,
being developed successfully enough. NATO requires more rapprochement
from Azerbaijan. However, we are balancing yet, develop neighborly
relations with Russia, cooperate with it and are frostily integrating
to the NATO at the same time”, the ex-State Adviser said. He added that
Azerbaijan has to undertake more ponderable steps in this direction
to satisfy Brussels and Washington. Therefore, no wonder that Russia,
being afraid of our rapprochement with the North-Atlantic Alliance,
tries to use any versions to put pressure on Azerbaijan. “Armenia I not
the state which stands against us in the Karabakh conflict. In fact,
this state is Russia, while Armenia is just a tool in its hands”,
Guluzade said. As for the hopes for the Karabakh conflict settlement,
the political expert has connected the real progress with the further
extension of NATO to the Caucasus.

EUROPE COLLECTED 1.1 MILLION EUROS FOR KARABAKH REBIRTH
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.11.2006 18:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Europe has collected 1.1 million euros for the
development of Nagorno Karabakh during the Phonetone-2006 organized
by Hayastan Fund. Armenia has collected 35 million drams (some
73.3 euros).
France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium took part in
the universal European phonetone-2006 held November 16-19. According
to Hayastan Fund Spokesperson Anush Babayan, France donated 1 million
euros, Germany – 51 thousand euros, Netherlands – 12 thousand euros,
Belgium – 10 thousand euros and Switzerland – 15 thousand euros.
The funds will be spent on the reconstruction of infrastructures
in Gadrut region of Karabakh within the Karabakh Rebirth project,
reports newsarmenia.ru.