Month: April 2007

TURKEY CONCERNED OVER THE GERMAN INITIATIVE TO COMBAT RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA

ArmRadio.am
11.04.2007 18:02

Turkey has expressed concerns over a new German initiative to combat
racism and xenophobia with a template European law that could spread
moves in France and elsewhere to criminalize any denial of the alleged
genocide of Armenians.

The draft framework, essentially a recommended legal blueprint for
European Union governments to follow, is very likely to serve as
a recipe for other countries to follow the example of a French vote
last October when a bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide
was endorsed, the Turkish Daily News reports.

"This is a very wrong draft, which excludes a UN convention and brushes
aside freedom of expression and academic studies," government spokesman
Cemil Cicek told reporters after a Cabinet meeting late on Monday.

The draft negotiating framework penalizing the denial of the alleged
genocide and sentencing deniers up to three year in prison will appear
on the agenda between April 18 and 19 under the German presidency
of the European Union, Cicek said, complaining that the draft was
restricting free speech and hindering academic studies on genocide
allegations.

He said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had conveyed Turkish concerns
over the draft to Germany during a visit last week, adding that Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would bring the issue onto the agenda
when he had talks with German officials during a planned visit to
Germany over the weekend.

40 CLASSICAL ARMENIAN MOVIES RESTORED

Arminfo
2007-04-10 19:32:00

Since the launch of its film restoration program, Hayfilm Studio has
digitized 40 movies, says the chairman of the Union of Cinematographers
of Armenia, the chairman of CS Films-Studios Ruben Gevorgyants.

All original negatives are brought from Moscow State Film Library. The
films are digitized in presence of their photography directors so
that their original tonality be preserved. Gevorgyants says that in
the future the digitized movies may be put up for sale.

This year the studio is to digitize 150 more films. The key problem
is electricity: the high precision Da Vinci revival system often
fails because of unstable voltage.

The first digitized movie was "Men" by Edmond Keosayan (1973)
with legendary actors Armen Jigarkhanyan, Azat Sherents and Frunze
Lazarian.

ELINA DANIELIAN SHARES WITH 5.5 POINTS 2nd-8th PLACES AT EUROPE CHESS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

DRESDEN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The 7th stage meetings took place
on April 9 at the Europe Chess Individual Championship being held in
the city of Dresden, Germany.

Andrey Volokitin (Ukraine) gained 6 points from the 7 possible ones at
the men’s tournament and is the indivual leader. Among the delegates
of Armenia, Artashes Minasian, Tigran L. Petrosian and Arman Pashikian
gained 4.5 points and, correspondingly, occupies the 54th, 57th and
97th places. Rafayel Vahanian, Zaven Andriasian and Gabriel Sargsian
have 4 points each, and Tigran Kotanjian and Karen Asrian have 3.5
points each.

The individual leader of the women’s tournament is Tatyana Kozintseva
(Russia) who has 7 points from the 7 possible ones. Elina Danielian
shares the 2nd-8th places with 7 participants, having 5.5 points
each. And Lilit Mkrtchian and Siranush Andriasian have 4 points each.

Levon Aronian is also in Dresden. He watches performances of his
team-mates.

After the competition he will return Armenia with the national team
and prepare for the speed chess competition with Vladimir Kramnik to
be held in Yerevan in May.

April 10 is stated a resting day at the Europe Chess Individual
Championship.

PARTICIPANTS OF SEMI-FINAL OF FOOTBALL CUP TOURNAMENT OF ARMENIA BECOME KNOWN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Return meetings of the 1/4 final of
the football cup tournament of Armenia took place on April 10. The
following results were fixed: "Shirak" – "Mika" 1:1, "Kilikia" –
"Banants" 1:6, "Bentonit" – "Pyunik" 1:4, "Ulis" – "Ararat" 1:2.

As a result of the two meetings, "Mika" – "Banants" and "Pyunik" –
"Ararat" entered the semi-final and made pairs.

First meetings of the semi-final are scheduled for April 18.

8 TEAMS TO TAKE PART IN 16th CHAMPIONSHIP OF ARMENIAN FOOTBALL HIGHEST LEAGUE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. 16th championship of Armenian Football
Highest League will start on April 14. Eight teams will compete. Six of
them will represent Yerevan. They are Pyunik, Banants, Mika, Ararat,
Kilikia, Ulis. The rest two are Gyumri’s Shirak and Kapan’s Gandzasar
teams. Henceforth Mika will represent Yerevan, as it is registered
in Yerevan and not in Ashtarak as previously.

The championship will be held by four tours. The champion will receive
the right to take part in the Tournament of Europe Champions League
and for the first time will be awarded a sum in drams equal to 15
thousand USD. The team which will take the second place will take
part in UEFA Cup Tournament.

The Championship of first group will be held on April 25 with
participation of nine teams.

VARTAN OSKANIAN CONSIDERS INTOLERANCE OF TURKEY INADMISSIBLE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of postponing of the
exhibition at the UN, dedicated to the 13th anniversary of the Rwanda
Genocide, RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian mentioned that
it was postponed as Turks presented objection concerning a sentence in
which Armenians subjected to slaugther and Raphael Lemkin’s conclusion
that such a spacious and premeditated massacre is considered a genocide
were touched upon.

In V. Oskanian’s words, it is inadmissible that a UN member state
which has responsibilities in the direction of keeping world peace,
dare to present itself at the United Nations organization with such
intolerance.

"It is ironical and shameful that this delay incited by Turkey relates
to an event which had a goal to give lessons how to protect the human
rights and prevent a genocide. Instead of it, the lesson to be taken
from here is complete absence of respect towards history and historic
memory," is said in the explanation of the RA Acting Foreign Minister.

CONGRESS OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION OF SOCIALIST YOUTH ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2007

WARSAW, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 8th congress of
the European Community Organization of Socialist Youth adopted with
the majority of votes a resolution condemning Hrant Dink’s murder,
violation of minorities’ rights in Turkey and the Armenian Genocide,
demanding from Turkey to recognize it and undertake the responsibility.

According to the ARF Bureau Youth Office, the ARF youth organization
participated in the congress with one representative in the person
of Artak Zargarian (Armenia). The congress took place from March
30 to April 1 in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The epigraph of the
congress was "Social Europe for Everybody."

The organization Chairman, Secretary General and representatives of
different bodies first of all made speeches during the three-day
sittings. Then political and labour directions for the coming two
years were discussed. Those were affirmed.

On the agenda of adoption of resolutions, the ARF youth organization
representative presented a resolution condemning Hrant Dink’s murder,
violation of the minorities’ rights in Turkey and the Armenian
Genocide, demanding from the ECOSY to recognize it and undertake
the responsibility.

The 8th congress of the ECOSY recognized the resolution with the
majority of votes.

The ARF youth organization joins the ECOSY in the status of an
observer.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARAM I CATHOLICOS RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF BULGARIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2007

ANTELIAS, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Aram I Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia received Ambassador of Bulgaria to Lebanon
Venelin Lazarov on April 10 at the Antelias Patriarchate. Issues
relating to the present state of Lebanon, activity of international
forces and, in general, overcoming of the Middle East crisis were
discussed during the conversation lasted for an hour. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the Press Services of the Great House of Cilicia
Catholicosate, during the meeting Aram I introduced his guests with the
Armenian Church with its administrative units, diocesan structures,
spiritual works promoted in the direction of Christian education
and, in general, re-appraisal of religious-moral values in life of
the youth.

OSCE PA OBSERVATION MISSION FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA ARRIVES IN YEREVAN ON APRIL 11

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by Tone
Tingsgard, the OSCE PA Deputy Chairman, head of the OSCE PA observation
mission for parliamentary elections in Armenia will arrive in Yerevan
on April 11.

The delegation members, with members of the PACE interim committee
for observation on parliamentary elections in Armenia, will have joint
meetings at the RA National Assembly with representatives of the RPA,
ARF, ULP, "Ardarutiun" (Justice), "Orinats Yerkir" (Country of Law),
"Azgayin Miabanutiun" (National Unity) factions, "People’s Deputy"
and "Gortsarar" (Business) deputies’ groups.

Meetings of the delegation with representatives of the "Bargavach
Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia), "Zharangutiun" (Heritage) parties and
"Aylentrank" (Alternative) political movement are scheduled for the
same day.

The delegation members will meet on April 13 with representatives of
the ODIHR main group, NDI, IFES, USAID, IREX, Counterpart Consortium
organizations.

RA President Robert Kocharian, RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian and RA CEC
Chairman Garegin Azarian will receive the delegation on the same day.

According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA NA
Public Relations Department, the delegation will leave Yerevan on
April 14.

RA PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT THINK THAT ELECTORAL PROCESS MUST HINDER WORK OF GOVERNMENT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Elections demand from the political
forces great efforts and time and in that sense one can think that they
hinder works of the executive body," RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsian
expressed such an opinion at the April 11 joint press conference with
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Sergey Ivanov. In his words,
on the other hand, one must understand that for political forces it
is the zenith of their activity, and they must make effort to form
the next government.

"I must say that elections help work as it is the period of time when
the executive body wants to work better," S. Sargsian mentioned,
adding at the same time that he does not think that the electoral
process must hinder works of the government.