Month: March 2007

Leader of Democratic Party of Armenia qualifies Armenian diplomatic representative offices’ activity as indifferent and defeatist

Arminfo
2007-03-21 22:45:00

MP Aram Sargsyan, the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia,
qualified the activity of the Armenian diplomatic structures abroad
as indifferent and defeatist.

During today’s press-conference, he noted that he participated in the
March 12-16 international "Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations"
forum held in Paris under UNESCO’s aegis, and was even elected a
member of the Coordination Committee of the forum. He said that he
was going to make a speech on the second day of the conference during
a round table meeting, and the less time was left until his speech,
the more Turkish representatives appeared in the hall.

After A.Sargsyan’s speech, the Turkish representatives pointed out
the "tactlessness" of using the term "genocide" at such an academic
forum. Moreover, a young journalist from one of the Turkish TV
companies asked him to give an interview. The Armenian MP noted that
she smiled and was very kind before obtaining the interview, but she
stopped smiling as soon as the camera was turned on. "I am amazed at
the fact how actively and purposefully Turkish representatives prepare
for such forums and how they try to exert psychological pressure on
Armenian representatives and create the impression that they are ready
for a dialogue. At the same time, there were no representatives of
the Armenian Embassy or mass media. Amazing indifference," the leader
of Armenian Democrats said.

ARMENIAN FM: BAN OF JERMUK IN THE US WAS NOT A POLITICAL ACTION

Arminfo
2007-03-21 22:43:00

Armenian FM Vardan Oskanyan does not think that the ban of Jermuk
mineral water in the US and some other countries had any political
implications.

During a press-conference today Oskanyan said that there is no
connection between the ban and the recent report of the US State
Department that mentioned Karabakh as a territory occupied by Armenia.

To remind, recently the US and a number of other countries banned the
sale of Jermuk because of high content of arsenic and ammonium. A
number of political experts, mostly in Russia, believe that the US
is just pressuring Armenia.

FM: US DEPARTMENT OF STATE ADMITTED FALLACY OF ITS FORMULATIONS

Arminfo
2007-03-21 22:40:00 RA

US Department of State has Admitted the fallacy of its formulations,
RA FM Vardan Oskanyan said at today’s press-conference in the Regnum
IA’s Yerevan Office, commenting on the US State Department’s report
on Human Rights in Armenia. To remind, the authors of the report had
mentioned Nagorno Karabakh as territories occupied by Armenia.

According to him, the Armenian side has already addressed the
American one and the Department of State admitted the incorrectness
of the report formulations. "It is an apparent mistake and the
Department of State admits that this was an incorrect formulation",
RA FM said. According to the Minister, it is difficult to correct the
report after its publishing for purely bureaucratic reasons, however,
the American side has promised to introduce some clarities.

It is yet unclear how it will be done. Along with it, the Minister
reminded that the report has no legal effect. In V. Oskanyan’s
opinion, the attitude of the report authors and not that of the State
Department is reflected in the report. "The report does not reflect the
US policy in this issue.", having added that there are no reasons to
operate this subject. "If Azerbaijan decides to operate this subject,
it will demonstrate its weakness and absence of other reasons". RA
FM said. He reminded that the report concerned the human rights in
Armenia and not in Karabakh.

RA FM: WIDE SPECTRUM OF ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED DURING COMING VISIT OF RUSSIA’S FM TO YEREVAN

Arminfo
2007-03-21 12:55:00

The agenda of negotiations during the coming visit of Russia’s Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov to Yerevan is very extensive, RA FM Vardan
Oskanyan said at today’s press-conference in the Yerevan Office of
Regnum News Agency.

According to RA Foreign Minister, the visit of his Russian counterpart
is scheduled for April 3-4. The agenda is very extensive and
deep. The bilateral relations concerning nearly all the spheres –
security, a political dialogue, economy, education and culture will
be discussed. On of the points will be the settlement of the Karabakh
problem. Moreover, the Minister noted, the sides will discuss the
regional issues on energy, transport and security.

"According to the experience available, we also discuss the global
issues, such as, Iran, Middle East and Palestine, Kosovo, NATO
expansion, the reforms in the UN and OSCE", V. Oskanyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HEAD OF ARMENIAN CHESS FEDERATION: INTERNATIONAL CHESS COMPETITIONS TO BE HELD IN JERMUK RESORT TOWN AND LAKE SEVAN IN SUMMER 2007

Arminfo
2007-03-21 22:51:00

International chess competitions will be held in Armenia – in Jermuk
resort town and Lake Sevan, Serzh Sargsyan, the Head of the Armenian
Chess Federation, the Secretary of the National Security Council under
the Armenian President, and the Defence Minister of Armenia, said in
an interview to the press-secretary of the Chess Federation, Wednesday.

According to him, the organizer of these competitions is the Chess
Academy of Armenia. In October 2007, world championships will be held
in Yerevan for boys and girls under 20 years old. As for international
competitions, the European Individual Championship starts in Dresden on
April 2, and the European team championship will be held in Heraklo,
Greece, in autumn. These championships will become very important
competitions for the leading chess players of Armenia. However, the
most important thing is the world championship with participation of
Levon Aronyan, and this context, the Aronyan-Kramnik match acquires
additional value and significance, S.Sargsyan emphasized.

TURKISH ARMENIAN INTELLECTUALS PROPOSE MAKING SURB KHACH CHURCH PROPERTY OF ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2007

ISTANBUL, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the occasion of
opening Surb Khach Church of Aghtamar, a group of Turkish Armenian
artists and intellectuals sent a letter to the Turkish minister of
culture Atilla Koc. In the letter they express satisfaction at the
restoration of the church and remind that the name of the island is
not "Agtamar" but "Aghtamar" but as "gh" is difficult to pronounce in
Turkish, "Ahtamar" form is acceptable. The name of the church is Surb
Khach (Saint Cross), and the holiday of Surb Khach is celebrated on
the second Sunday of September each year, which is an important day
for the Armenians. It is noted in the letter that it would be correct
to refer to the church by its proper name.

The intellectuals propose in their letter that the church become
property of the Armenian community, while the state will continue to
have administrative authority. Besides, if Surb Khach is considered
as a church at the same time, it would be proper to offer prayers and
hold a religious ceremony during the opening of the church (otherwise,
it will be not a church but a monument which will disappoint Armenians
outside Turkey). According to the letter authors, it is necessary
to place the cross and bell of the church even if it will be used as
a museum.

"Marmara" reported that the letter bears signatures of Arman Artuc,
Murad Bebir, Raffi Bilal, Ared Cicekeker, Ari Demircoglu, Selin Evren,
Aram Galenderoglu, Khosrov Kyoledavitoglu, Sibil Bektorosoglu and
Nadia Uygun.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE DODGES QUESTIONS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

AP Worldstream
Published: Mar 21, 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the
United States should not be involved in a dispute between Turkey and
Armenia over whether the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians almost
a century ago constituted genocide.

Under intense questioning from Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the sponsor
of a resolution that would declare that Turkey’s Ottoman predecessor
state committed genocide, Rice repeatedly avoided answering whether
she believed there was any basis for historical debate on the matter.

"What we’ve encouraged the Turks and the Armenians to do is to have
joint historical commissions that can look at this, to have efforts
to examine their past, and in examining their past to get over it,"
she said. "I don’t think it helps that process of reconciliation for
the United States to enter this debate at that level."

The dispute involves the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
during the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Armenian advocates,
backed by many historians, contend they died in an organized genocide;
the Turks say they were victims of widespread chaos and governmental
breakdown as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in the years before
Turkey was born in 1923.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: THE STATE DEPARTMENT ACCEPTED ITS MISTAKE
Marlena Hovsepyan

"Radiolur"
21.03.2007 15:52

The recent meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
in Geneva showed that there are still a number of disagreements
between the sides, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said at today’s
press conference. "The meeting was rather arduous. I cannot say we
registered progress during the meeting, but we did not make a step
back, either. That is why the decision was taken to hold another
meeting, trying to continue the negotiations and prepare ground for
the meeting of the Presidents after the parliamentary elections in
Armenia," the Minister said.

OSCE PA Rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh Goran Lenmarker had
declared recently that the final document on the resolution of
the Nagorno Karabakh issue might be signed in summer of the current
year. "Certainly, it’s a good wish, but we are not very close to that,"
the Foreign Minister noted.

The legal aspect of the Armenian side in the Karabakh issue is used,
the bases of self-determination of Karabakh are very firm, Vartan
Oskanian repeats, but we must not forget that the issue is being
discussed on the political level today and has other aspects. What
is the basis of Ilham Aliyev’s statements that the Karabakh issue
will be resolved in their favor? "Our pointers today are not the
statements of Azerbaijan, but the negotiations, the existing documents
and Azerbaijan’s stance in the talks. I have had the opportunity to
say that there are serious contradictions there. We shall be guided
by the document, the main axis of which is the issue of Karabakh’s
self-determination through a referendum. I see no problem if Aliyev
sees their interest in this context," the Minister says.

Azerbaijan is trying to prove that the Kosovo precedent cannot
be applied in case of Karabakh. Let us remind that the question
refers to the principle of self-determination of peoples. Of course,
the conflicts are different, but the Karabakh issue clearly moves
through the path of self-determination. "We see no opportunity of
turning back in the Karabakh issue. If Kosovo gains independence,
from the legal perspective it will be another ground for the policy
of self-determination for Karabakh. If is goes another way, NKR will
continue moving along its path," said Vartan Oskanian.

In the 2006 Human Rights Report of the US Department of State Nagorno
Karabakh was described as the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. This
is a document related to human rights and not the settlement of the
Karabakh issue, the Minister says. It has no legal base and does not
reflect the US policy.

Nevertheless, the formulation is incorrect, and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs presented the fact to the attention of the State
Department. "It is an obvious mistake. The Department of State accepts
that it is an incorrect formulation and should not have found place
in the document. They have promised to somehow correct it," Vartan
Oskanian said.

Turning to Armenian-Turkish relations, the Foreign Minister sated
that although the Turkish side is trying to present the opening
of the Church of the Holy Cross in the framework of improvement of
relations between the two states, the reality is different: it is a
reconstruction of a separate historic and cultural monument and has
nothing to do with the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations.

Vartan Oskanian also mentioned that the official opening ceremony
will be attended by RA Deputy Minister of Culture Gagik Gyurjyan.

GEORGIA’S UNRECOGNIZED REPUBLICS SEEK ‘DECISIVE’ ACTION FROM RUSSIA

Moskovskiy Komsomolets, Moscow
20 Mar 07

Representatives of the unrecognized CIS republics have become regular
visitors to Moscow recently. At present three ministers of foreign
affairs (from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and the Dniester region) and
South Ossetia’s leader Eduard Kokoiti are in the capital. All of them
have one headache: Georgia is joining NATO…

At a meeting the ministers clarified details of a "rendezvous" between
the presidents of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and the Dniester region
which will take place in Sokhumi at the beginning of April. According
to Sergey Shamba, head of Abkhazia’s Foreign Ministry, the main
question which will be discussed there is the potential for Russia
to recognize the republics.

"Russia now has a unique and perhaps final chance to preserve
its influence in the South Caucasus – by recognizing Abkhazia
and South Ossetia," Shamba said in an interview with Moskovskiy
Komsomolets. "Moscow should use the Kosovo precedent and take a
decisive step now because the Kosovo example will lose its relevance
later. Georgia and Azerbaijan will become members of NATO, after this
Armenia will quite simply be forced to follow their example. Russia’s
influence in the region will come to nothing. Abkhazia and South
Ossetia are the only buffer remaining between Russia and NATO. These
countries are still prepared to defend Russian interests. But
politicians from a younger generation could soon come to power there
who, unlike us, have not lived through a war. And we do not know how
they will behave when they are surrounded by NATO countries."

"The international community’s reaction to Russia recognizing Abkhazia
will of course be negative. But any decisive Russian action causes
discontent in the West. If Russia does not now recognize Abkhazia
and South Ossetia, it will mean that politicians in Moscow do not
consider the South Caucasus to be a zone of Russian interest. It is
now or never: Either recognize the unrecognized, or lose influence
in the region completely…

South Ossetia’s President Eduard Kokoiti commented on the situation
specially for Moskovskiy Komsomolets: "It is no news to us that Georgia
is joining NATO. We have known about this for a long time and have
prepared ourselves for it. The United States is trying to inflame
the situation in the region with its own shortsighted actions. It
is not the United States or NATO but Russia which has always been
the guarantor of stability and order in the South Caucasus. We have
therefore made our choice: To try to gain independence, and we do not
intend to ask for the United States’ opinion on this matter. It is time
for Russia to take a principled stand, enough of making concessions."

RA FM: EACH CONFLICT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FROM VIEWPOINT OF ITS PECULIARITIES

Arminfo
2007-03-21 23:20:00

Each conflict should be considered from the viewpoint of its
peculiarities, RA FM Vardan Oskanyan said at today’s press-conference
in the "Regnum" IA’s Yerevan Office, asked if the settlement of the
Kosovo conflict may become a precedent for the Karabakh conflict
settlement.

"Nagorno Karabakh has its way, it follows the way of independence.

Irrespective of the results of settlement of other conflicts, we see
no way back in the Karabakh issue", RA said. According to him, in case
an independence is given to Kosovo, this will become an additional
substantiation , in a legal aspect, for self-determination of NKR. "If
the Kosovo conflict is settled in another way, Nagorno Karabakh will
follow its way in any case", Vardan Oskanyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress