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ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS STILL AT STAGE OF RECOGNITION, HISTORIAN RICHARD HOVANNISIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 23, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of the Armenian Genocide is
still at the stage of recognition, – historian, Professor of the
University of California Richard Hovannisian expressed an opinion
at the May 23 press conference. He disagreed with the historians who
believe that this issue is already in the legal field. According to
him, the next step to be taken after the Genocide’s recognition is
the issue of compensation, whose solution will be more difficult.

In his opinion, even the states to have recognized the Armenian
Genocide do not address the problem of compensation. In his words,
the Armenian authorities should achieve the problem’s solution
through dialog with Turkey. The historian stated that the issue
of the Genocide’s recognition will not be solved until the Turkish
government is prepared for it. He welcomed the fact that by opposing
their authorities, some Turkish scientists today started to raise
this issue. "We should encourage these scientists – in the hope that
they will blow up from inside Turkey’s policy of denial," he stated.

As for recognition of the Genocide by the U.S. Congress, the historian
noted that the Congress will eventually recognize it.

"KARABAKH MOVEMENT: REALITIES AND PERSPECTIVES" FORUM IN STEPANAKERT

armradio.am
23.05.2008 11:52

The international conference on the "Karabakh Movement: Realities
and Perspectives" dedicated to the 20tha anniversary of the Karabakh
Movement will start at the NKR National Assembly today.

NKR Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulyan told Mediamax today that
such events have not been held in Karabakh for a long time, and it
is necessary to seriously analyze the negotiation process son the
Karabakh conflict settlement and the overall situation.

"We hope that during the debates we will manage to find new sources to
activate the resolution of the Karabakh conflict," Ashot Ghulyan said.

The forum will be comprised of three parts: "Historical-Legal bases
of the self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh and international law,"
"The peculiarities of international comprehension of the Karabakh
issue and contemporary geopolitical developments" and "Information
challenges in the process of the Karabakh settlement."

The conference features representatives of political, scientific
circles and experts from Russia, US, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Iran
and Armenia, as well as the unrecognized Republics of Abkhazia,
South Ossetia and Transdniestria.

MAYOR OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ISSUED PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

DeFacto Agency
May 23 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 23.05.08. DE FACTO. On May 20, 2008, at a New Hampshire
Alderman meeting and the Manchester City Hall, Manchester Mayor Frank
C. Guinta presented a proclamation commemorating the Armenian Genocide
to the local Armenian activists at the event, reported the Armenian
National Committee of Merrimack Valley (ANC of MV).

Present at the event were several members from the Armenian National
Committee of Merrimack Valley, who helped to organize the event,
the Armenian Assembly of America, the Knights of Vartan, the
American-Armenian Veterans, along with numerous community members.

When presented with the proclamation, ANC of MV representative, Aram
Jeknavorian thanked the City and the Mayor, pointing out, "that the
Armenian -American Manchester community is moved and pleased that,
that this City of Manchester, NH, which was a great save haven for
the Armenian Genocide victims of 1915, has taken action to proclaim
its recognition of the Armenian Genocide and will continue to renew
its proclamation annually."

TURKEY SAYS ‘THE ARMENIAN ARCHIVES SHOULD BE OPENED’
By Halil SOngul

Journal of Turkish Weekly
May 22 2008
Turkey

Turkey has offered $20 million to open an Armenian archive in the
United States. All Armenian archives regarding the 1915 events are
closed and Turkey makes presure on Armenia, Tashnaks and Armenian
Church to open their archives.

Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish Historical Society, told Hurriyet
daily the archive in Boston includes important documents on the events
of 1915.

Halacoglu said he had been told the archives cannot be opened because
they need proper cataloging.

This would directly open a debate over the genocide claims, he
said. "Armenians are aware of this and therefore they are doing their
best not to sit at the table".

Armenians name the 1915 events ‘genocide’ although the Turkish side
also blames the Armenians of comming genocide against the Turks and
Kurds during the First World War. More than 520.000 Muslim Ottoman
civilians were massacred by the nationalist Armenian groups during the
war years in order to establish an independent Armenian state. The
Armenian population made co-operation with the occupying Russian,
Greek, British and French forces against Istanbul government.

Today more than 100.000 Armenians live in Turkey. Armenia does not
recognise Turkey’s national borders and names the eastern Turkey as
‘Western Armenia’.

ARMENIA-EU ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITY FOR YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2008 14:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan held
a meeting with the Heads of Missions of the European Union member
states accredited to Yerevan, and representatives of the delegation
of the European Commission.

President Sargsyan said that these meetings are a proper format for
the discussions of the issues on the Armenia-European Union agenda.

According to him, further deepening of the relations with the EU
will undeniably expedite Armenia’s democratic as well as economic
development.

Viewing the implementation of the Action Plan in the framework of
the New Neighborhood policy as a priority for Armenia, the President
stressed that the Plan is in full agreement with the program of
the Government of Armenia and the logic of the planned large-scale
reforms. President Sargsyan also mentioned that experience of the
European Commission is very important for Armenia. President of
Armenia said that he is satisfied with the results of the first year
of the Plan’s implementation as well as with the assessment presented
at the EC’s Progress Report. He noted that the assessment is overall
balanced and fair. He also said that Armenia is striving to join the
EU’s General System of Preferences (GSP) trade regime, to receive from
the EU the status of the country with market economy, and to sign
with the European Union a free trade agreement. With this regard,
the priority directions in the coming years will be the improvement
of the investment climate in the country, improvement of business
environment, and fundamental changes in the customs administration.

Speaking about political developments, Mr Sargsyan said that
regardless the post-election developments, the implementation of
democratic reforms remains a necessity, and that we will continue
working in that direction. He told those present that right after the
presidential elections he had offered cooperation to all political
forces and received a positive response from the majority of them,
what allowed the creation of the political coalition. He mentioned
with pain the impossibility of preventing the events of March 1.

Regardless of the fact that one of the candidates was speaking
about the events months before they actually took place, President
Sargsyan stressed that the authorities are responsible for all the
processes going on in the country and that they see the elimination
of their consequences in the unequivocal implementation of the
recommendations of the corresponding PACE resolution. In addition,
they entirely correspond to the principles laid out in the President’s
pre-election platform and to the principles of cooperation of the
Political Coalition.

"The recommendations of the working group have been approved by the
members of the Coalition, and we are determined to fully implement
them," he underscored.

President Sargsyan spoke also about the simplifying procedures for
obtaining the entry visas to the EU member states and the EU regional
center for cultural issues to be established in Yerevan.

On behalf of the diplomats the Ambassador of France, Serge Smessov
expressed satisfaction that the tradition of conducting these meetings
keeps up and noted that they are very useful for them.

The Ambassadors welcomed the determination of the Armenian authorities
to fully implement all recommendations of the PACE resolution.

The Armenian President also provided clarifications on other issues
raised by the diplomats.

YEREVAN’S NORTH AVENUE TO OPERATE AT DESIGND CAPACITY IN 2010

ARKA
May 21, 2008

YEREVAN, May 21. /ARKA/. North Avenue is Yerevan is to start operating
at designed capacity in 2010, said the Professor of Architecture
Narek Sargsyan.

The construction of the avenue got under way in autumn 2001, and
the first section was put into service in May 2006. The master plan
provides for the construction of elite housing, offices and shops. A
total of $200-$250mln are to be invested in the project.

"We will launch the second stage of the project in two months, and
the construction of North Avenue will be completed in two years,"
N. Sargsyan told reporters.

He reported that the second stage of the project provides for the
construction of three hotels – a three-, four- and five-star hotels,
which will represent well-known French hotels. Fountains and sculptures
will also be set up in the avenue.

"We also have to implement a large-scale planting program,"
N. Sargsyan said.

The architect added that lighting will be installed along the full
length of North Avenue in two years.

A total of 371.2mln AMD or $1.2mln were allocated from Armenia’s
state budget for the construction of North Avenue of Yerevan in
January-September 2007. Private investment totaled 8.1bln AMD or
$26.3mln.

CHAIRMAN OF TURKISH HISTORY ORGANIZATION: "IF ARMENIANS BELIEVE THEMSELVES, LET THEM UNVEIL DASHNAK ARCHIVES IN BOSTON"

Azeri Press Agency
May 21 2008
Azerbaijan

Ankara. Mayis Alizadeh-APA. Chairman of Turkish History Organization,
the center of government policy against the so-called "Armenian
genocide" claims, Professor Yusuf Halachoglu interviewed by APA

-You told "Hurriyet" newspaper on May 20 that you might give $20
million to Armenians for unveiling of Dashnak archives in Boston. What
leads you to make such statement?

-Dashnak Party was the main Armenian organization in Anatolia in that
time. Therefore unveiling of Dashnak archives will make clear all
essences of the events. Armenians claimed that they had no financial
resources to unveil the archives and to research the documents. We
told them that we might support them financially on condition that
the archives would be opened and materials would be qualified under
our control. However it is impossible for Armenians to accept it,
because they know that such event didn’t take place and they try to
use it only. I made this proposal to prevent it.

-Dashnaks spread terrorism over Azerbaijan after Anatolia. Everybody
knows that Dashnaks committed genocide in Baku on March 31, 1918. Are
there any materials on it in archives in Boston?

There are probably such materials. Why did Dashnaks carry their
archives to Boston, the US? The Republic of Armenia was established
and they could carry these materials there. Armenian archives till
1923 were remained closed. They could carry these archives to Russia
as well. States telling lies about archives of Ottoman Empire should
be clever. Everybody should know that archives of Ottoman Empire are
open and Armenian archives remained close.

-Rajab Tayyip Erdogan’s letter on it was not replied positively on
May 8, 2005.

You know reasons why they did not reply to letter. What will they
discuss with us? Which documents will they show? If they believe in
themselves, they should open archives of Dashnaks.

-Your another initiative – discussions within the framework of Vienna
platform remained unsuccessful for unilateral claims of Armenians.

Armenians stated that they could conduct discussions after approval
of so-called genocide. What will we discuss after its approval?!

FAREWELL VISIT OF THE AMBASSADOR OF LATVIA TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA
May 21 2008
Armenia

On May 20 the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Mr Tigran Torosyan received the Ambassador of Latvia to the
Republic of Armenia Mr Aivars Vovers on the occasion of the completion
of his diplomatic mission.

The NA President thanked the ambassador for his long-term and effective
work and for the contribution to Armenian-Latvian relations and wished
him success in his further career. Noting that during his tenure
relations between two countries deepened, the inter-parliamentary
cooperation developed through the international structures, Mr
Torosyan expressed his conviction that there were opportunities and
perspectives for the further development of the relations. The head
of the parliament noted that the European integration for Armenia was
one of the priorities of the foreign policy, in this aspect stressing
the Latvian experience.

The Ambassador of Latvia to the Republic of Armenia Mr Aivars Vovers
thanked the NA President for the effective cooperation, noting that
during 6-7 years of his tenure Armenia recorded considerable successes
of development in different spheres. The Ambassador highlighted the
last report of the European Commission on Armenia which was the
most positive when compared with Georgia and Azerbaijan. Highly
assessing the present level of bilateral relations and recording
the achievements, Mr Vovers expressed conviction that there was
great potential of cooperation, in particular, in the trade-economic
sphere. Speaking about the years of his tenure in Armenia Mr Vovers
said that they were bright and important working years, and he made
many friends.

During the meeting the sides also touched upon other issues of
bilateral interest.

HIKMET HAJI-ZADE: "TO BE OUR TRUE FRIEND RUSSIA SHOULD REJECT SUPPORT OF ARMENIAN AGGRESSION IN KARABAKH"

Today.Az
politics/45136.html
May 21 2008
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with famous political scientist Hikmet Haji-zade.

-How do you assess current state of Azerbaijani-Russian relations?

Though a definite "calm and business-like tone" is observed in our
relations from exterior, unfortunately, this is a deceptive impression.

Russia continues to support Armenian aggressors and put pressure
on Azerbaijan in different issue. For example, Russia demands from
Azerbaijan to stop economic and political support to Georgia and
weaken ties with the West and Turkey. On the whole, the situation
is far from being ideal. Merely, unlike Georgie, Azerbaijan does not
present offenses and claims towards Russia on the international arena
and I think this policy is correct.

-Can we count on the cardinal closing of ties between Azerbaijan and
Russia under the new President Dmitri Medvedev?

-The cardinal closing of ties between our countries can occur only when
Russia rejects the support of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan,
which will also promote the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Yet,
it is not likely to occur soon. The Russian elite and society are
at present in euphoria about the Putin policy in such issues and
oil funds, the smallest part of which go to Russian budget officers
and pensioners.

-But will Russia benefit more from relations with Azerbaijan or
Armenia?

-Everything depends on what Russia considers to be profitable for
it. If following the USSR collapse Russia would have intended to become
a democratic national state (as Turkey did following the collapse of
the Osman empire) Azerbaijan would be a more favorable partner than
Armenia. Unfortunately, the nostalgia about the empire have dominated
other feelings and intentions and now, instead of learning to produce
ars, Russia again prepares its old rockets. Russia does not want to
maintain friendship, cooperate or trade, but it wants to rule! But
it will not attain it, as world has changed and it is not so strong
as previously.

-What do you think about the arguments, used by CSTO secretary general
Nikolay Bordyuzha, who spoke of prospects, our country would have
following its return to this organization?

-Nikolay Bordyuzha, speaking about the advantages of the CSTO, has not
made a single comment about the Karabakh conflict. And it is not clear
how we will cooperate in the sphere of security with such a member of
the organization as Armenia, and Russia, by the way, which supports
its aggression. Bordyuzha mentioned such spheres of interaction within
the organization as a combat with drugs, illegal migration, cooperation
in combat with calamities, but he said nothing of the main point!

In his interview he had mentioned the word "NATO" several times, it
seems that Russia is anxious about both Georgian membership in this
organization and expanding cooperation of Azerbaijan with NATO. But
who is to be blamed for the attempt of our countries and Ukraine to
escape from Russia’s pressing influence? I want to hope that the new
president of Russia will think over this issue.

-By the way, let’s talk again about the new president of Russia. A
number of analysts and political scientists noted following Medvedev’s
being elected the President, that the Korean will start rejecting
its empire ambition, stop hopping for restoration of its influence
on the whole territory of the former USSR and support separatists,
concentrating on the resolution of social internal problems. But
now we observe intensification of the Crimea tatars in Ukraine,
conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, raising of the Lezgiun
issue in Azerbaijan. Does it mean that Medvedev, in fact, fulfills
functions of a representative, leaving the power to the Prime Minister
of Russia Putin?

-I also hope that Medvedev will change Russia’s aggressive empire
policy and I want to hope that if he decides to do it, he will not
be alone, he will be supported by the world society; the currently
silent liberals within the Russian government; and, by the way,
a part of the militaristic elite of Russia can not disagree that
Putin has caused Russia to quarrel with the remaining world and
that it is time to moderate the intentions and deal with the urgent
internal problems. Thus, it will be much easier for Medvedev that it
may initially seem.

-Do you agree that the resolution of the UN General Assembly on support
of right of refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes in
Abkhazia adds to the optimism of the Azerbaijani and Georgian sides,
striving for the peaceful resolution of existing conflicts both in
South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as Nagorno Karabakh?

-Yes, I agree with it. Both Azerbaijan and Georgia should increase
efforts in this direction. We should inform the world society about
injustice to our peoples and the UN is an important tribune for
execution of this task. I consider that most, reading this statement,
will say that the UN is only a talking ship and everything depending
on super states, which care only about their pockets.

But today it is not like this. Not completely like this. Beginning
from late 20th century, the community of the countries-voters for the
government are becoming stronger and control their elite and public
opinion usually contains more morals than the pragmatic policy of the
governments. Each year the demand of voters for conduction of fair
and moral internal and external policy become more effective. And we
should appeal not only to super states and elite but also to world
democratic society.

-Then why don’t the GUAM countries develop a plan on private support
of separatism in Russia in a response to Russia’s actions towards
the GUAM member-states?

-This is a difficult question. Initially GUAM countries seem not so
strong to revenge Russia this way. But on the other side, if we recall
the recent history, for example, the Chechen war, we have witnessed
that in the mid 1990s both Azerbaijan and Georgia under Schevarnadze
supported the Chechen fights for independence. Thousands of Chechens
and Dudayev’s representatives came in Baku. Schevarnadze helped
them even more. But in the result, Russia suppressed the Chechen
rebellion and putting a pressure on Azerbaijan, made it reject the
active support of Chechens. It is unpleasant to recall it, considering
the Azerbaijani-Russian relations.

But who is to be blamed for it? Today Russian politicians, before
speaking about our eternal friendship, should see the root of the
problem. To become out true friend, Russia should reject its support
to the Armenian aggression in Karabakh.

KATHLEEN CHALFANT SHINES AT THE EL PORTAL IN A STORY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Charles McNulty, Times Theater Critic

Los Angeles Times
May 20 2008
CA

‘Red Dog Howls’ by Alexander Dinelaris

In a long and exemplary stage career, Kathleen Chalfant is giving
one of her most shattering performances at the El Portal in North
Hollywood. Audiences beware: It’s a harrowing experience, not for the
faint of heart. Few actresses would be as courageous — never mind
capable — of traversing this particular moral abyss. But then her
searing work in "Angels in America" and "Wit," along with decades of
infusing combustible human truth into classics, couldn’t have prepared
her better for the challenge.

The play, Alexander Dinelaris’ "Red Dog Howls," had its world premiere
Monday in a production sharply directed by Michael Peretzian. The
story concerns the legacy of the Armenian genocide on a troubled
thirtysomething New York writer who’s haunted by psychological ghosts
he wants to banish before his first child is born. But to get to a
place of light, he must tunnel into a pit of darkness that threatens
to swallow his identity, his marriage and even his unborn baby.

Addressing us directly, Michael (Matthew Rauch) explains that after
his father died, he found a stash of his letters. A note instructing
him to burn them is heeded, but not before he jots down the address
of the sender. This clue leads him to a 91-year-old woman, who turns
out to be his grandmother — and the one person who can tell him why
his beloved father and grandfather lived under such a pall.

Related ‘Red Dog Howls’ But answers to agonizing questions do not
come easily, and Dinelaris has written the play as though it were a
detective novel, with Michael leading the investigation, Oedipus-like,
into his mysteriously besieged soul. One can’t help thinking of the
Greeks, even though this isn’t a tragedy but a tale of redemptive
survival. The catastrophe lurks in the past, not the future, but the
events described rival the horror of the House of Atreus, Agamemnon’s
blood-soaked clan who similarly understood a traumatic history as a
hereditary curse.

Michael, who has only the sketchiest sense of his background, doesn’t
want the misery confounding him to be passed down. He’s afraid of
losing his wife, Gabriella (Darcie Siciliano), and ominously reflects
on the way the wives of his grandfather and father vanished from their
lives. "It was, for lack of a more exact term, a plague on our family,"
he says.

Dinelaris’ focus is on the developing relationship between Michael and
his grandmother, Vartouhi, who slowly prepares him for the terrible
knowledge he seeks. She feeds him bowl after bowl of rice pilaf
soup with lemon, which he laps up as nourishment from the Armenian
culture he knows precious little about. She tests his strength,
practically vanquishing him at arm wrestling and somehow lifting him
into bed one night after he falls asleep on her couch. To survive the
Armenian massacres that began in 1915 and wound up decimating a world,
Vartouhi has had to turn herself into steel. And the play affectingly
shows why she cannot readily confide in her grandson. What happened
to her defies speech. The two must inhabit the dim memory together,
often in silence while she lovingly watches him eat.

The material is inherently devastating, which makes some of Dinelaris’
punched-up dramatic strategies seem unnecessary. There’s a bit too much
"character" business going on with Vartouhi, Michael’s intermittent
narration grows ponderous and the ending is marred by a melodramatic
twist that undermines the drama’s credibility.

But for the most part, the production is beautifully executed. Tom
Buderwitz’s sets, particularly his old-world conjuring of Vartouhi’s
Upper Manhattan apartment, are superb. And the onstage musical
accompaniment of composer Ara Dabandjian deepens the mood with its
fusion of Mediterranean sounds.

Rauch is the drama’s solid center, and he lets us feel the urgent
struggle taking place inside Michael as though a clock were ticking
and his very stability were on the line. Siciliano’s Gabriella makes
a formidable spouse — she won’t accept anything less than an equal
partnership. Her edges may be severe, but she reveals an authentic
tenderness as well, and it’s too bad Dinelaris allows her to fade
into the background.

The spine-stiffening cry emanating from "Red Dog Howls," however,
comes courtesy of Chalfant, whose artistry, moral passion,
intelligence and heartbroken humanity combine into an indelible
act of witness-bearing. It’s a miraculous performance, rallying the
forces of art against atrocity and permitting us to see in the midst
of meaninglessness an ember of hope and repair.