Month: April 2007

LEO PLATVOET TO VISIT KARABAKH TOGETHER WITH LORD RUSSELL JOHNSTON IN JUNE

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2007 19:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Works over preparing the report on missing in South
Caucasus has been temporarily stopped, PACE (Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe) rapporteur on POW and Missing in the South
Caucasus Leo Platvoet stated. "It is connected with the parliamentary
elections in Armenia scheduled for May 12. During the May 25 session
of the committee in Belgrade it will be clear if the report will be
put under discussion in PACE June session," Platvoet underlined.

He also informed he is included in PACE’s subcommittee on the Nafgorno
Karabakh and will visit the region in June. "May be I will be in
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh with Lord Russell Johnston
in June.

But I cannot announce names of mission members, due to visit the
region," he said, APA reports.

A MEETING IN FRANKFURT DEDICATED TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

AZG Armenian Daily
20/04/2007

The Organizers Demand To Declare April 24 As A Day Of Sorrow For The
People Of Turkey

In Frankfurt, on April 24 a meeting will be held dedicated to the
Armenian Genocide. The organizers demand to adopt the Genocide of
1915 and declare April 24 as a day of sorrow for the people of Turkey.

Besides the "Organization against Genocide’ (leader Ali Ertem) that
has held this kind of meetings before, other Turkish organizations
in Germany are also taking part in this action.

Here is the message sent by Ali Ertem to "Azg": "We, Turkish people
of Europe, are sorry that up today the 92 years old (from 1915 up to
1923), Genocides of Christians in Turkey, are denied. The Christians
were 1/3 of the population of the Ottoman Empire before 1915. And
the declarations of the national figures of Turkey, that 99,9%
of the population are Muslims, is just a kind of confession of the
Genocides. They committed Genocide to make a homogeneous society in
Turkey, but they failed. The murder of Hrant Dink shows us again that
nothing has changed in the minds of the Turkish leaders. Hrant Dink
was murdered because of being Armenian.

For the first time in the history people of Turkey came together with
a slogan "We are all Armenian" and it was a serious stroke against
the chauvinism and denial.

The murder of Hrant Dink made the intellectuals of Turkey understand
the sorrow, anguish and horror of the victims of Genocide, that without
adopting their own history they cannot have a democratic society and
get rid of the fascism of Ittihat.

The organizers of the Genocide Talaat, Enver and Nazim not only
killed millions of people but also sawed the seeds of hatred, fear
and hostility. And because of that the history of Turkey becomes
a history of violence against the ethnic and religious minorities:
i.e. against Kurds nowadays, Jews in Trakia in 1934, the slaughter
by Kyazm Ozalp in 1943, the massacres on September 5,6, in 1955,
in Istanbul, against the religious tribes called Alavins in 1990s in
Marash, Chorum and Svaz.

The above-mentioned shows us that today’s Turkey survives only on the
crime against humanity. In other words the Genocide continues up today.

On Tuesday, April 24, " Union against Genocide", "Turkish workers"
Federation in Germany", "The Federation of democratic people in
Germany", "The union of the workers is the brotherhood of people"
organizations and the "Union of struggle" newspaper will organize
a duty to show their struggle against the denial of the Genocide,
sorrow to the victims of Genocide and Hrant Dink, and also to declare
April 24 as a day of sorrow for the people of Turkey.

"ARMENIAN ISSUE IS TOO COMPLICATED, ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION CANNOT DEPEND ON LOBBYING". ZAMAN
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
20/04/2007

The position of Turkey on the Armenian Genocide is surely the denial
of the fact. Nevertheless the process of worldwide recognition of
the Genocide displays the inconsistency of such positions. At the
same time the positions of the Turkish press, trying to conceal the
truth from the public by means of disinformation, are also foundering.

On April 16 "Zaman" newspaper in an article entitled "The Guilt of
the Turkish Press in the Armenian Issue" made a reference to the
question of misinforming the public. The article reminds of a kind
of confession.

Nevertheless it is aimed not at the revelation of the truth but rather
at the admittance of the fact that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide cannot be avoided.

"I was first time to Brussels and paid a visit to the Turkish
Ambassador in Belgium. I recollect I was shocked by the Ambassador’s
statement that Turkey has no more counter-arguments against the
Armenian Issue, as the recognition of the Armenian "Genocide" has
become a "creed" for Europe," writes the "Zaman" reporter.

When approaching to the matter from the Turkish point of view, the
Armenian Genocide seems an utter lie.

Europe and the USA surely know the truth, but they feign ignorance for
the sake of political insinuations. Turkish media usually explained
adoption of resolutions on eth Armenian genocide by the parliaments of
various European states by mere lobbying and thus the Turkish public
remained unaware of the real matter.

Major Turkish newspapers also used to write that during each election
campaign, European politicians vowed to achieve the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide in order to gain the Armenian’s votes.

Nevertheless, the politicians of states like Slovakia and Poland
followed this example, although Armenian population in those states is
rather low. Thus it came through that the explanations of the Turkish
media are inconsistent and the process of recognition of the Armenian
Genocide in Europe is not merely caused by lobbying.

A few days ago head of the Turkish Historians’ Union Yusuf Halacoglu
exclaimed that the Western politicians know very well that the Genocide
is fiction. On the contrary, "The New York Times" on April 13 wrote
that the world knew about it (the Genocide) but did nothing to prevent
it, in this way encouraging Hitler, the Tootsie tribe leaders in
Rwanda and President of Sudan Omar Al Basheer. The newspaper comes to
conclusion that the most hideous crimes against humanity were derived
from the example of the Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire
against Armenians.

"Zaman" comes to conclusion that such statements cannot be made in a
society which realizes the untruthfulness of the allegations of the
Genocide. The newspaper notes that "even USA and Israel, the closest
allies of Turkey, state in public that the massacres of the Armenians
are not qualified as genocide for the only reason not to lose Ankara".

"Insinuations against Turkey and lobbyism are obviously present in the
Armenian Issue. At the same time irrelevant attitude of the Turkish
press to the matter prevented it from being thoroughly realized,"
"Zaman" summarizes its observations.

MASONS COMING TO ARMENIA – WITHOUT ANY CONSPIRACY
By A. Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
20/04/2007

Certain information sources of "Azg" daily told us that representatives
of a rather influential Mason lodge are coming to Armenia in order
to establish here a structure of theirs. Guy Skobian, representative
of the Mason delegation, in an interview to "Azg" correspondent
represented the rest of the delegation coming to Armenia. It consists
of Claude Geidan, Second Grandmaster of the "Great East" lodge,
Third Grandmaster George Serin, Responsible for Justice Andre Abbe,
Grand Secretary for Foreign Relations Aveline Vallaine, as well as
Councilors Pierre Chaume, Guy Akobian and Marcel Veile.

The delegation is to arrive in Yerevan on April 23.

According to Akobian, the visit is aimed at the development of
relations between the Armenian and French Masons. Guy Akobian refused
to say who shall be receiving the delegation in the airport and who
shall be involved in the process of enhancement of relations. Instead
he said that a number of French Armenian Masons from Paris, Marseilles
and Nice are coming with the delegations who are to visit their
relatives in their homeland.

Akobian said that the "Great East" Lodge is striving for "freedom,
brotherhood and secularity". He also explained that the lodge is not
working secretly, therefore there is no conspiracy in the delegation’s
visit to Armenia.

EU STARTING DISCUSSION OF LAWS PROVIDING FOR PUNISHMENT OF GENOCIDE DENIAL
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
20/04/2007

Today on the meeting of the Internal Affairs Ministers of EU member
states a legislation bill project against "chauvinism and xenophobia"
shall be discussed. This bill, elaborated in Germany, the present
chair state of the EU, provides for punishment of all genocides ever
perpetrated throughout the human history, including the Armenian
Genocide of 1915.

The public television of Turkey reporting the news underlined that
official Ankara stands against the adoption of this bill, and the EU
member states have not come to consensus about it.

Time will tell when will the legislation against "chauvinism and
xenophobia" be adopted. In any case it’s obvious that Germany is
clearing a way to consolidation of the European states about genocide
denial.

I AM NOT ZHIRINOVSKI

A1+
[10:00 pm] 19 April, 2007

‘ I am not going to sing for you. I am not Zhirinovski for you,’
Serzh Azatich disappointed the electors of Republican Party of
Armenia. Instead he invited Kristine Pepelyan on the stage with her
famous song, ‘ No, no, no, no… I don’t believe you.’

Before the entertaining part, Arayik Kotanjyan, mayor of Kanaker-Zeytun
community, several community school directors and PPA chairman Serzh
Sargsyan personally had been on the same stage for an hour and a
half. The latter was deemed not as party chairman but as RA Prime
Minister striving to succeed equally at the elections together with
other officials.

The community mayor introduced the community problems and informed that
the Culture House did not function and the teenagers have nothing to
do. Serzh Sargsyan promised to repair the building to celebrate the
60th anniversary of the community. The mob, indifferent about preaches,
got a bit lively and excited by the statement.

Serzh Sargsyan had to reproach some of the audience asking them to
keep quite and behave themselves. He started his speech in a loud
voice keeping his tempo through the whole speech.

He spoke about his political activities at and promised to do even
more if PPA elected. Then he reminded people that during the 7 years
pensions and salaries have increased by three times was reported,
3.5 times the import has increased and many other developments.

As to him this is not enough, as it is very difficult to find a
pentioner who is satisfied with his/her pension or a teacher who is
contended by his/her salary increased 6 times. Serzh Sargsyan assured
the people not to believe those giving empty promises as none of them
possess a magic stick to make wishes come true.

Serzh Sargsyan was also for free, fair and transparent elections.

FUTURE MOTHER DIED

A1+
[07:59 pm] 19 April, 2007

On April 16, Malatia police got a phone call about Armine Danielyan
(b.1970) who had been taken to hospital with a diagnosis of "cerebrum
trauma".

The examination proved that the injured had got trauma to interrupt her
pregnancy. She had taken a pill which made her bleed and consequently
fainted.

"Armenia" clinical center informed that Armine Danielyan died on
April 17.

EUROPEANS ENCOURAGE RA OPPOSITION

A1+
[06:08 pm] 19 April, 2007

PACE call for the Euro-countries to take measures and struggle
against a number of serious human right violations such as people’s
disappearance, harassments and capital punishment without a trial.

They condemned the huge difference between the real norms and the
registered ones. During PACE annual report on Euro-Democracy and Human
Rights they called for the countries’ cooperation. They also want to
enlarge PACE possibilities to carry out investigations. Apart from
this, they are going to grant annual rewards for ‘Social Activities
in Human Right Protection’.

Armenia was also involved in the list of countries with violations,
particularly during the elections.

European deputies stated in the above mentioned report, "Another
standard of viable democracy is the presence of opposition in and
out of NA, whereas there is almost no opposition in Armenia as well
as in Azerbaijan."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHIEF TREASURER SAYS ARMENIA COUNTRY WITH LOW EXTERNAL DEBT

Panorama.am
19:20 19/04/2007

Today, the government approved the draft law on approval of the
annual report on execution of the state budget in 2006. State budget
deficit made up 1.5 percent of GDP last year. Atom Janjughazyan,
chief treasurer of the republic, said this figure has been down by 0.4
percent against 2005. The draft envisages to approve 2006 state budget
with 441 billion 483 million 135.6 thousand Armenian drams in incomes,
481 billion 183 million 188.4 thousand drams in expenditures and 39
billion 700 million 52.8 thousand drams in budget deficit. Under the
reported time, the external debts of the country made up $1 billion
205.6 million. It has gone up by $106.4 million against 2005. Despite
of the figure, the chief treasurer considers Armenia "as a country
with low external state debt."

RUSSIAN PEDAGOGUES STUDY ARMENIAN EXPERIENCE OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Panorama.am
19:25 19/04/2007

A group of teachers from two Moscow schools has been in Yerevan for
four days. They came to study the Armenian experience of inclusive
education at Number 27 School after Derenik Demirchyan. Today the
Armenian and Russian teachers shared their impressions and came up
with proposals.

Olga Morociaya, director of Number 518 School in Moscow, said their
school has started a similar project. "I hope the Armenian teachers
will visit us one day," she said underscoring the importance of
exchange of experience. She said the cornerstone of success for
inclusive education is the willingness of a teacher.

Inclusive education is financed by the state and is implemented in
5 schools of the Armenian capital.