Author: Andres-Papazian

Lithuania’s President pays tribute to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims

armradio.am
05.05.2011 13:37

President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite visited the Memorial to
Armenian Genocide victims.

On May 5 President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite visited
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and laid a wreath at the memorial to
the Armenian Genocide victims.

Dalia Grybauskaite visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute,
where she took a guided tour of the museum and left a note in the
Commemoration Book on behalf of the Lithuanian people expressing their
support and sympathy for the innocent victims of the Armenian
Genocide.

President of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan
presented to President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite a `Fridtjof
Nansen 150′ gratitude medal issued by AGMA.

Afterwards, Dalia Grybauskaite planted a fir at the Memorial Alley.

From: A. Papazian

Sarkozy did not want to hurt Turks – Kiro Manoyan

13:00 – 05.05.11

The French Senate’s recent move to reject the bill penalizing the
denial of the Armenian Genocide can be seen as an attempt not to hurt
Turkey, a senior Dashnak representative has said.

Speaking to Tert.am, Kiro Manoyan, the director of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaksutyun, ( ARF-D) office of Hay Dat
and Political Affairs, said he believes France continues to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide but as the country is against
Turkey’s EU membership it refrained from exerting additional pressures
on it.

“I don’t think France has changed its position on the Armenian
Genocide. Sarkozy is strictly against Turkey’s EU process, that’s why
it did not want to press the county. I find this to be the main reason
behind rejecting [the bill],” he said.

At its session on Wednesday, the French senate did not approve the
penalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution was
rejected in a vote of 196 to 74.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Political circles discuss possibility of creating alliances – Heritage
vice chair

11:03 – 05.05.11

Certain political circles are now considering the possibility of
setting up alliances, the vice chair of the opposition Heritage party,
Ruben Hakobyan told Tert.am.

The Hraparak daily said Wednesday that Heritage is working on
establishing such an alliance. The paper said that Hakobyan’s model of
a parliamentary republic is at core of the negotiations with other
political forces.

“I don’t understand why my supporting the idea of parliamentary
republic model is translated as holding secret negotiations. I have
said publicly that the parliamentary republic model could be more
effective for our country. This may be an idea that could unite
certain political forces,” he said.

Hakobyan added that his party has been holding meetings with other
opposition representatives for two months now. “I don’t want to give
specific names but we go on with meetings. As for the possibility of
creating an alliance, time will show,” he said.

Asked whether the initiative to set up a political alliance has
anything to do with the new strategy of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), he said: “We began our meeting long before they made drastic
changes in their positions.”

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Archbishop Hagopian congratulated Canada’s PM on re-election

May 5, 2011 – 10:23 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian
Prelacy of Canada sent The Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen
Harper a congratulatory letter on occasion of his re-election.

In His letter dated May 3, 2011, His Eminence Archbishop Hagopian
noted: `On behalf of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada, its Executive
Council and churches across Canada, I would like to extend our
heartfelt congratulations to you and your family on your reappointment
as Canada’s Prime Minister and for leading your party to victory and
securing a majority government.’

May God bless you with the strength to lead our great country through
these demanding times and grant our government further success with
all future endeavours. We trust that you will continue to be a great
leader for all Canadians.’

Similar congratulatory letters were also sent to the Honourable Jason
Kenney, the Honourable Jim Karygiannis, the Honourable Dr. Gary
Goodyear, and the Honourable Stéphane Dion, re-elected members of
parliament who are recipients of the Prelacy’s `Spirit of Armenia’
award, as well as the Honourable Harold Albrecht, Chairperson of
Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group.’

From: A. Papazian

Georgian Laborites dub Matthew Bryza `adventurer’

May 5, 2011 – 10:48 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

The Labor Party of Georgia accused the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan
Matthew Bryza of an attempt at undermining the situation in Caucasus,
labeling him as `adventurer’.

According to Caucasus Online, recently the party’s Secretary General
Soso Shatberashvili mentioned media reports about the meeting between
Bryza, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and National Security
Council secretary Giga Bokeria. The scenario of Azeri President Ilham
Aliyev’s removal was on meeting agenda.

The Laborites are concerned over the possibility of `Saakashvili
patron and revolution expert Bryza’ becoming an ambassador.

They urge U.S. Senate against confirming Bryza’s nomination to the
ambassadorial position and call on President Aliyev not to give an
agreement.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia to host conference on Diaspora May 26-27

May 5, 2011 – 11:35 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

The Armenian government has approved conduction of a conference with
the theme `Prospects of Diaspora in the World of Globalization’ in
Yerevan on May 26-27, 2011.

According to Deputy Diaspora Minister Stepan Petrosyan, 12 countries
have already confirmed participation in the event. The conference will
focus on strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora ties and activity of
institutions dealing with Diaspora issued on more than 50 countries
across the globe.

From: A. Papazian

Russian President congratulated GPW Armenian veterans

May 5, 2011 – 12:07 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Armenian veterans of
the Great Patriotic War on the Victory Day celebrated on May 9. `I
congratulate you on this sacred holiday,’ the address reads. `You and
millions of your brothers-in-arms won a great victory. Your heroic
deeds will always be an example of utmost civil responsibility.’

From: A. Papazian

Without Libya, French Senate’s hands would be less tied, expert says

May 5, 2011 – 12:08 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Politics is the art of possibilities. In current conditions, France
won’t benefit from promoting the Armenian issue, a political expert
said.

`The involvement in Libya military operation drastically opposed Paris
to the Muslim world. With the presidential elections under way, Senate
is careful as to their policies to avoid losing Muslim part of their
electorate,’ Sergey Markedonov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
`Without Libya, the law-makers would have had their hands less tied.
Thus, the real policy has once again pushed the restoration of the
historic justice to the background, which has long become a foreign
policy rule.’

Still, as the expert noted, Senate’s killing the Genocide denial
criminalization bill does in no way cancel the Fifth French Republic
acts recognizing 1915 massacres as Genocide.

The French Senate on May 4 rejected a bill penalizing the denial of
Armenian Genocide. The bill, which was recently rejected by the French
Senate Constitution Commission, envisioned five years in prison and a
fine of up to 45,000 euros for people on French soil who deny the
Armenian Genocide.

From: A. Papazian

20 ambulances imported to Armenia from China

May 5, 2011 – 12:27 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

20 Ford ambulances were imported to Armenia within the Healthcare
Ministry’s program of reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness of
ambulance service.

At a news conference in Yerevan, Armenian Minister of Healthcare
Harutyun Kushkyan praised the technical capabilities of the vehicles
imported.

Within the next 15-20 days, 60 more ambulances to arrive from Ford
China’s factory will be distributed among the provinces of Armenia, he
said.

In conclusion, the Minister confirmed that ambulance services are
rendered for free. `In 2011 the medics’ salaries were raised to boost
the quality of services,’ he stated.

From: A. Papazian

Turkish television produces film on Diaspora Armenians

May 5, 2011 – 12:29 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Turkey’s state-run television channel has produced a documentary on
the life of Diaspora Armenians in Argentina and France.

The big-budget film, `DostluÄ?u Hatırlamak’ (Remembering Friendship)
does not feature historical problems between Turks and Armenians,
Hurriyet Daily News reports.

`Outside of politics, I convey the longings of ordinary people,’
director Sevinç YeÅ?iltaÅ? said.

The big-budget documentary will debut this weekend on the state-run
Turkish Radio and Television, or TRT, which provided funding for the
film.

`Before making the film, I watched all documentaries featuring the
historical problems in the TRT archive. I wanted my production to tell
the human story, not the historical one,’ YeÅ?iltaÅ? said.

The documentary is made up of two parts, each 70 minutes long. In
addition to the showings on TRT, it will be screened at domestic and
international festivals.

From: A. Papazian