Month: March 2007

Provisional status without preconditions

19-03-2007 12:46:57 – KarabakhOpen

After the talks in Geneva the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
Merzlyakov told news reporters that the basic principles that were
discussed during the meeting presuppose the solution of two underlying
problems `withdrawal of the Armenian force from the territories around
Nagorno Karabakh and granting provisional status to the unrecognized
state until a referendum on status is held. KarabakhOpen.com asked
Member of Parliament Gagik Petrosyan, Azat Hayrenik Party, to comment
on the problem of provisional status.

`Evidently, the talks over Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have reached a
deadlock. Recently the mediators have been trying to involve NKR in
the talks, which currently supposes one of these two things: either
the mediators are trying to foil the talks, which started in 1997,
through Karabakh or they have realized that it is impossible to reach
resolution without Karabakh.

Both reasons are possible. The first needs no comment, the second is
not acceptable currently, since it will turn out that we have lost 10
years,’ Gagik Petrosyan says.

There are positive things in Merzlyakov’s statement, the member of
parliament says. The mediators and Azerbaijan should take into account
the reality and accept the de facto situation. `I would offer to the
mediators to grant a provisional status to NKR without preconditions,
and afterwards change the format of the talks, in which Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Karabakh would be full-right participants. I think this
is an optimal way for a rapid resolution of the conflict. Without a
provisional status of Karabakh the involvement of NKR in the ongoing
talks is not acceptable,’ Gagik Petrosyan says.

What were the results of the Turkish parliamentarians’ visit to the US?

ArmRadio.am
19.03.2007 13:57

The parliamentary delegation of Turkey completed the diplomatic
mission in Washington. The visit was targeted to prevent the possible
adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the Us Congress,
Turkish `Anatolian Times’ reports.

`The negotiations of the Turkish delegation were very productive. The
American side realizes the whole seriousness of the situation,’
Turkish parliamentarian Egemen Bagysh declared.

He said during a press conference at the Turkish Embassy in Washington
that ` the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution will certainly
have negative consequences.’ He considers that Turkey may reconcile
with Armenia only in case the American Armenian community does not
prevent that.’

In Bagysh’s words, the Turkish delegation had a meeting with 30
members of the US House of Representatives. The third Turkish
diplomatic mission intends to visit Washington later in March.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM-INSTITUTE TO BE INTERNATIONAL
SCIENTIFIC-EDUCATIONAL HEARTH, NEW DIRECTOR OF MUSEUM THINKS

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The scientific exhibition of the
Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute will partly be changed till April,
particularly, the number of materials presented at the exhibition will
increase. Museum Director Hayk Demoyan informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent about it. In his words, it also envisaged to digitize
hundreds of audio and video materials kept in the preserves of the
museum of survivors’ memories. H. Demoyan at the same time mentioned
that work of at least 3-5 years must be done for it becomes possible
to organize at the museum exhibitions accompanied by audio, video and
light effects corresponding to the international standards.

In H. Demoyan’s opinion, the museum-institute must become an
international scientific-educational hearth. In the Director’s words,
publications of the museum-institute will be published from now on as
a series of publications devoted to a certain topic. Besides,
English-language publications are envisaged what will make the truth
concerning the Armenian Genocide accessible to a wider circle of
readers in the whole world. In that sense, H. Demoyan, particularly,
attached importance to the state meaning of the Armenian Genocide
Museum within the framework of state official visits as well. By the
way, in the Director’s words, 100-120 thousand foreign guests or every
3rd tourist visiting Armenia visits the museum during a year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"FROM JOURNALISTS TO JOURNALISTS" ENGLISH HANDBOOK PUBLISHED

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. An English handbook entitled "From
Journalists to Journalists" was published within the framework of the
"Role of Mass Media in Covering Government" program of the British
Council. Its presentation took place on March 16.

In the words of Davit Alaverdian, the editor-in-chief of the
"Mediamax" information agency, main principles concerning the
journalism genres and mastery, professional peculiarities are involved
in the book. In his words, the book can serve as a guidebook both for
beginner and for experienced journalists. "30 Armenian, Georgian and
Azerbaijani journalists attempted in this handbook to unite the
knowledge and experience that they had got during the ten-day training
organized in London in July, 2006," D. Alaverdian mentioned. He
expressed a hope that the Armenian and Russian translations of the
handbook will also be published in future.

In the words of Tony Crocker, the British Council Armenian Office
Director, the "Role of Media in Covering Government" program started
in 2006, with the assistance of the UN Development Programme Yerevan
Office. The goal of the program is to develop skills of mass media in
covering government programs, stimulate effective cooperation among
mass media and state structures.

STATE OF WOMEN IN ARMENIA IS NOT ENOUGH WELL-OFF, WOMEN’S SOCINTERN
CHAIRPERSON SAYS

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The state of women in Armenia is not
enough well-off, there are many cases of violence upon them. As Pia
Lokatelli, the Chairwoman of the Internazionalle Socialista Donne
(Socintern) mentioned at the March 16 press conference, there is no
trustworthy statistics concerning the Armenian women’s state as women
avoid speaking about violences.

In P. Lokatelli’s words, the low per cent of women’s involvement in
state highest structures also causes anxiety: only 7 among 131
deputies of the parliament of Armenia are women, and there is only one
woman at the government.

It was mentioned that the regional meeting of the Women’s Socintern on
the theme "International Migration from the Gender Viewpoint" took
place on March 17. Delegates from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus and other
countries will participate in the meeting.

A NUMBER OF NGOS INTENDS TO GIVE CONSULTATION CONCERNING ELECTORAL
PROCESS TO RA CITIZENS

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. A number of Armenian public
organizations will give free legal consultation to RA citizens on the
threshold of the May 1 parliamentary elections and after them, within
the framework of the cooperation entitled "Legal Initiative: Elections
2007." Natalia Martirosian, the Co-Chairwoman of the Helsinki
Citizens’ Assembly Armenian Committee stated about it at the March 17
gathering of the mentioned NGO heads. In her words, the process of
holding the elections, as a rule, affects on formation of the civil
society. That’s why, as N. Martirosian mentioned, they intend to
inform politically active citizens about their electoral rights and
methods of protecting those rights with the help of discussions and
courses.

N. Martirosian stated that to implement legal consultation, a hot line
will function from April 1 to June 1 in the whole territory of the
RA. The hot line phone number will serve "as a mean of getting
information concerning alleged law violances and falsifications."

The "Youth Center of Democratic Initiatives," "Armenian Center for
Human Rights Protection after A.Sakharov," Gyumri "Progress"
University Legal Clinics, "Against Legal Wilfulness" NGO and other
organizations are among the founder NGOs of the initiative.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GREATNESS OF NATION IS DECIDED BY STANDARDS OF PATRIOTISM

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Turkey is excited
not so much with the issue of the genocide recognition as with the
Armenians’ steps, following it," Efrik Avetisian, a lawyer, former
Deputy Chief of the Law Department of the RA Defence Ministry
finds. In his words, it is all the same how much we speak, Turks will
not condemn their ancestors without international pressure.

In the interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent E.Avetisian
particularly mentioned that Armenians every year remember April 24
with pain but Turkey persistently distorts the real story of the
genocide, understanding well that Armenians have in Tsitsernakaberd a
monument perpetuating the memory of the Genocide victims which is for
strangers the monument of the shameful history of Turkey as well.

In E. Avetisian’s words, Diaspora today promotes great activity
beneficial to the nation in the affair of international recognition of
the genocide, but it would also be right that the authorities of
Armenia unite in that direction as well and create a clear program of
activity. "We have diplomatic relations with numerous states so it
would be right if from now on our honourable ambassadors make speeches
by TV on every April 24 and inform the society of a given country
about the Genocide reality and give corresponding booklets concerning
the Genocide to all foreigners visiting Tsitsernakaberd and Sardarpat,
E. Avetisian mentioned.

In his opinion, it would be a step beneficial to the nation that a
monument to German-writing writer Franz Werfel, well-known and held in
respect on the international literary scene, is erected in Armenia as
the latter was the first to respond the Genocide by his "The Forty
Days of Musa Dagh" epic novel.

E. Avetisian considers necessary that the picture of Ararat mountain
is reconstituted on the RA emblem "for we remember the genocide not
only once a year, but day and night." In his words, "existence of the
Ararat mountain picture on the emblem was one of weighty evidences
that tormented our neighbour for its deed and spiritually tied us with
Western Armenia. It is a pity that our "new-born" statesmen, because
of their political short-sightedness, defied the nation’s dignity
during those dark and gloomy days, deprived Ararat of its worthy
place," former Deputy Chief of the Law Department of the RA Defence
Ministry Efrik Avetisian said.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Turkey will acknowledge Armenian Genocide if West and U.S. demand this
19.03.2007 12:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The danger to the Turks is that the Armenians will
want recompense for losing their land, just as the Jews of Europe
demanded from the Germans, Robert Fisk, the Independent’s Middle East
correspondent said in an interview with Armenian Reporter. `I suppose
the EU will have to help Turkey out with that. But you can’t go on
forever denying it. It will come back and back and back. And then you
die and then there’s your children and their children’s children, and
it’ll keep on going, like it does with the Palestinians and anyone
who’s been dispossessed; they’ll keep it going. You know you will not
get Turkish Armenia back, it’s not going to happen – maybe in 10,000
years, but not now – but at least you can have that recognition. Of
course there will be claims. After all, American insurance companies
have at last started paying out insurance claims against victims of
the Armenian Genocide – or `the Armenian tragedy,’ as they call
it. Even the insurance companies will not call it by its rightful
name,’ he said.

`More and more Turkish academics are trying to push it through. The
problem is, if the Western governments, including the United States,
stood up to the Turks and said they must acknowledge it, they
would. But since they don’t, the Turks don’t have to. They get away
with it,’ Mr Fisk underscored.

A1+

ARONYAN AND KRAMNIK IN THE FIRST PLACE
[12:53 pm] 19 March, 2007

The 16th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Super Tournament has kicked off in
Monte Carlo, Monaco. Armenian GM Levon Aronyan participates in the
tournament. GMs Kramnik, Anand, Leko, Svidler, Morozevich, Ivanchuk,
Carlsen, Radjabov, Gelfand, Van Wely and Vallejo are Aronyan’s
opponents.

To note, the total prize-fund fund of the tournament is 216 000. Every
day there is one round consisting of four sessions; two blindfold
sessions (three encounters each) and next two rapid sessions.

It is noteworthy that Aronyan beat Vallejo 2:0 in the first round and
Leko 1.5:0.5 in the second round.

Kramnik and Aronyan currently top the meeting list with 3:5 points
each.

John Danilovich: Armenia has made a number of positive and constructive
reforms

ArmRadio.am
19.03.2007 14:30

Ambassador John Danilovich, CEO of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, told members of a key House foreign aid panel that
Armenia has made a number of reforms that are both `positive and
constructive,’ and expressed that elections in Armenia be `conducted
correctly,’ reports the Armenian Assembly of America.

Danilovich appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs to discuss MCC’s
funding needs for Fiscal Year 2008.

Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), in her opening statement,
stressed that MCC funding was designed to be additive, and should not
take away from other funding programs, such as the Freedom Support
Act. Her concerns were echoed by Congressman Jesse L. Jackson,
Jr. (D-IL) and Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
who also noted that Armenia must work to sustain its status as an MCC
recipient.