Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIAN POLITICS STEP INTO GENEVA BOOK FAIR

GenevaLunch.com

May 3 2011

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Sparks have flown in recent
days over the display of Armenia’s version of history at the
five-dayInternational Book Fair in Geneva, at Palexpo, which closes
its doors today, 3 May.

Trend News, a private news agency in Azerbaijan, reports that
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Switzerland, Murad Najafbayli, complained
to the Swiss Foreign Affairs Department about the materials and he
reportedly also tried to insist that they should be removed from
the exhibition.

At issue: the presentation of Azerbaijan’s “territorial integrity”.

Armenia was invited to the book fair as a guest of honor and its
president, Serzh Sargsyan, visited the show Monday 2 May.

Switzerland’s relations with Armenia date back to at least 1896, when
nearly half a million Swiss signed a petition to draw the attention
of the Swiss Federal Council to massacres in the region.

Armenians have long had a tradition of sending children to Switzerland
to be education.

Azerbaijan and Armenia, both formerly part of the Soviet Union,
have been fighting over their territories for more than 100 years.

From: A. Papazian

SWISS TRY TO UNBLOCK ARMENIA-TURKEY DEAL

swissinfo.ch
May 3 2011
Switzerland

President Micheline Calmy-Rey has held talks with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan over a Swiss-mediated deal aimed at normalising
relations with Turkey.

Sargsyan thanked Switzerland for its efforts but accused Turkey of
blocking implementation of the 2009 landmark treaty.

He said he had “interesting discussions” with Calmy-Rey to try to
end the deadlock.

The meeting in Bern also focused on boosting economic and development
cooperation between Armenia and Switzerland, the foreign ministry
said on Tuesday.

It was the first official visit by an Armenian President to Switzerland
and comes a month after Calmy-Rey opened a Swiss embassy to the
Armenian capital, Yerevan.

The trade volume between the two countries has been modest – less
than SFr10 million ($11.6 million) – but Switzerland has contributed
about SFr5 million annually to development aid for Armenia, according
to the foreign ministry.

In October 2009 Armenia and Turkey signed a deal in Zurich to normalise
relations strained over a historic conflict at the beginning of the
20th century, notably the issue of mass deportations and genocide of
ethnic Armenians during the Ottoman empire.

However, the agreement has been put on hold as a result of a regional
conflict.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY’S EFFORTS HINDER ARMENIA’S WILLINGNESS FOR NORMALIZATION

Tert.am
03.05.11

Turkish high-ranking officials are sparing no efforts to alienate
Armenia’s willingness to normalize relations with that country,
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan has said in Switzerland.

Speaking at a joint conference with Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey
in Bern, Sargsyan said that by signing the Armenia-Turkey Protocols
Armenia intended to establish relations without any preconditions.

“Unfortunately, Turkey’s high-ranking officials are doing their best
to alienate their wish,” said he. “Instead of taking steps for the
ratification of the protocols signed, Turkey continues its viewless
efforts to force a wedge between Armenia and Diaspora.”

With Switzerland’s mediation in 2009 Armenia and Turkey signed
protocols to establish diplomatic ties and open the border. But the
process was halted in 2010 spring when Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree
suspending the ratification of those documents in the parliament
after Turkey linked their ratification to the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“The more those efforts continue, the more will our confidence –
which has reached its minimum – in that normalization diminish,”
said Sargsyan.

“I am surprised that Turkey does not realize that the Diaspora, which
has formed as a result of the [Armenian] Genocide, is an inseparable
part of the pride, the force of Armenia and the Armenian people,”
he added.

“The Diasporan Armenians are Armenia’s ambassadors spread all over the
world, as our world-known Ambassador in Switzerland, Charles Aznavur,
and many act through the beckoning of their souls and public basis,”
said Sargsyan.

From: A. Papazian

BAKU DECIDES NOT TO CONFINE ITSELF TO YOUNG SNIPERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2011 – 18:58 AMT

The ban on providing secondary schools with weapons prevents holding
“high-quality lessons on basic military training” in Azerbaijan, Deputy
Education Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Gasimov said at a public debate
on development of the State Program on Azerbaijani Youth in 2011-2015.

“It is banned to provide schools with weapons for practice in
accordance with the Defense Ministry’s special order. The ban must
be lifted. Schools must be provided with weapons,” he said.

Earlier Baku took certain actions to train school students as snipers.

Specifically, snipers’ courses were established under Azerbaijan’s
Voluntary Military Patriotism Technical Sport Society.

During these courses, the Azerbaijani youth will study technical
indicators of snipers, hand-to-hand fighting. Sniper rifles and
fitness machines have already been purchased from Russia for use in
the courses.

Similar programs are in accordance with the continuous threats of
the Azerbaijani leadership on war resumption in Karabakh and huge
volume of arms purchased by that country. Probably, having conceived
the fact that weapons themselves will bring no use, Baku decided to
bring up a generation of young soldiers, exploiting the hatred towards
Armenians instilled in these young people. The Azerbaijani children
are destined to become cannon fodder, which can be used for a “great
idea,” unless the young kamikazes annihilate each other in schools,
in which weapons will be distributed.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GPW VETERANS CAN PARTICIPATE IN VICTORY CELEBRATIONS IN ST PETERSBURG

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2011 – 17:52 AMT

On May 5, Russia’s embassy in Armenia will host an event, during which
Armenian veterans of the Great Patriotic War will be congratulated
on behalf of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The veterans will be presented with jubilee medals, air tickets for
trip to Saint Petersburg, where festivities on the occasion of the 66th
anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War will be organized.

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko, Russian diplomats,
representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense
Ministry and others will participate in the event, the press service
of the Russian embassy in Armenia reported.

From: A. Papazian

DESPITE NKR’S WARNINGS, BAKU SPOILS FOR THE FIGHT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2011 – 20:25 AMT

Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Defense Army Eldar Sabiroglu urged
mediators for the Karabakh conflict settlement to take real actions
rather than make statement.

Sabiroglu believes that the “limit of the negotiation process for
the Karabakh conflict resolution is being exhausted.”

“The Azerbaijani leadership and people will not wait for the Karabakh
conflict settlement for another couple of years, the temper is being
exhausted,” Sabiroglu said in an interview with Azerbaijan paper.

Commenting on mediators’ suggestion to withdraw snipers from the line
of contact, Sabiroglu said it is not the way out.

Most likely, taking into consideration the “exhausted temper,”
Azerbaijan continues violating ceasefire and fires at Karabakh
positions from various caliber weapons. Unfortunately, this results
in human losses. On April 29, two Artsakh servicemen were killed
in Azerbaijani firing. Another soldier of the NKR Defense army was
wounded. Servicemen Vazgen Bakhshyan, 19, was wounded in the head as
a result of Azerbaijani firing at NKR positions in the south-eastern
part of the line of contact between the NKR and Azerbaijani armed
forces on April 28. Bakhshyan died on the way to a military hospital.

At the same time, Azerbaijan denies the killings, trying to persuade
itself and the international community that the human losses are
a result of “internal skirmishes.” As Artsakh Defense Ministry’s
spokesman, colonel Senor Hasratyan said, Sabiroglu seems to have
confused the incidents taking place in his own army.

While Artsakh openly warns: Azerbaijan will be given an adequate
response for the ongoing violations of ceasefire and provocative acts.

It will live in fear.

From: A. Papazian

RED CROSS REPS VISIT ARMENIANS KEPT IN AZERBAIJAN’S CAPTIVITY

news.am
May 3 2011
Armenia

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) visited on April 28 three Armenian POWs and civilians held in
Azerbaijan’s captivity, Ashot Astabatsyan of ICRC office in Yerevan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that the ICRC representatives monitored health state and
conditions in which the captives are kept and handed letters from
their relatives.

Three Armenian POWs – Ohan Harutunyan, Gevorg Tovmasyan, and Karen
Harutunyan, and five members of one Armenian family: Yeghishe,
Ruzanna, Alfred, Gayane, and Petros Gevorgyans are currently in
Azerbaijan’s captivity.

From: A. Papazian

RA NA SPEAKER MEETS THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

National Assembly

May 3 2011
Armenia

RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan on the invitation of the President of
the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek on May 2 arrived in Brussels to
take part in the constituent meeting of the EURONEST Parliamentary
Assembly of EU Eastern Partnership being held on May 3.

On the same day in the evening RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan met
the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek.

Welcoming the NA Speaker and thanking for accepting his invitation,
the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek considered
necessary the deepening of European Union-Armenia partnership through
bilateral and multilateral formats and in this context highlighted
Hovik Abrahamyan~Rs visit to Brussels and participation at the
beginning of EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly.

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan thanked the President of the European
Parliament for the interest by the structure led by him towards
Armenia, especially in connection with the report of the European
Neghoourhood Eastern policy, which raises the level of Armenia-European
Union to a new qualitative degree. The NA Speaker underlined that the
direction of being integrated to the European structures is one of the
priorities of the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia, and it~Rs
not accidental that Armenia is the supporter of the creation of the
EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly and was one of the first countries
that welcomed the idea of cooperation through this format with the
European Union.

The NA Speaker highlighted the Training programme signed this
year between the European Parliament and the National Assembly of
Armenia, which through getting acquainted with the rich experience
of the European authoritative structure would greatly promote the
establishment of closer relations between the two structures.

Hovik Abrahamyan expressed conviction that Jerzy Buzek~Rs visit to
Armenia on May 18 would give new impetus to the gradually strengthening
relations between the National Assembly and the European Parliament.

Jerzy Buzek noted that Armenia occupied a key place in the cooperation
of the EU Eastern Partner countries. He highlighted the strengthening
of democracy in Armenia, highly assessed the tangible progress in
this direction, noting that the EU was interested in enlarging the
cooperation with Armenia. The activation of economic cooperation
and the implementation of the investment programmes were considered
necessary.

At the meeting the sides touched upon the regional problems, stressed
the importance of stability, peace and cooperation in the region. The
interlocutors also touched upon the reforms of the Electoral Code,
highlighting the conduct of free and democratic elections.

On May 3 the NA Speaker will take part in the constituent meeting of
the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly of EU Eastern Partnership, where
the speakers of the parliaments of the Eastern Partner countries
will also take part. Hovik Abrahamyan will address the constituent
meeting. Signing of the constituent act and adoption of the Statute
of theEURONEST Parliamentary Assembly is scheduled.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN BROKE TRUCE 1050 TIMES IN APRIL

news.am
May 3 2011
Armenia

STEPANAKERT. – Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire 1050 times on the
contact line between the NKR-Azerbaijani armed forces in April 2011.

The Karabakhi positions were sniped from a Dragunov sniper rifle
and a Black Arrow long range rifle, NKR Defense Ministry informed
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Three Armenian soldiers were killed, two others injured as a result
of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side only in April.

From: A. Papazian

REMEMBERING LIVES LOST TO GENOCIDE

Press & Sun-Bulletin

May 3 2011

BINGHAMTON – The 96th annual Commemoration of the Armenian and Pontic
Greek genocides will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday the Armenian
monument, located at the south end of the Washington Street pedestrian
bridge off Conklin Avenue.

It’s free and open to the public and will be followed at 2 p.m. by
an event featuring Prof. Peter Balakian of Colgate University, an
award-winning author, poet and genocide historian. That presentation
will be held at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, 12
Corbett Ave.

Trio Pianisima, based in New York City, will also perform a musical
recital.

From: A. Papazian