Author: Andres-Papazian

WORD “GENOCIDE” PRONOUNCED AT ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL

news.am
April 20 2011
Armenia

“Do not forget me – Istanbul” film was for the first time screened
within the framework of Istanbul Film Festival.

The film describes stories of people of different nations who are
united by multi-cultural Istanbul, press service of the Golden Apricot
Film Festival informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The project is a joint effort of multinational team, an Armenian,
Greek, Jew, Palestinian, and Turk. Artistic director of the film is
Huseyin Karabey.

Erik Nazaryan is one of the directors. He presents a story of a
Diaspora Armenian who comes to Istanbul and tries to find house of his
grandfather. Interestingly, the word “genocide” was first pronounced
during the screening of the film.

Armenian audience will have a chance to watch the film during the
eighth Golden Apricot International Film Festival scheduled for
this summer.

From: A. Papazian

BAKU DISPLEASED WITH EU’S CRITICISM

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 20, 2011 – 20:56 AMT 15:56 GMT

Novruz Mammadov, the head of the international relations department
at the Azerbaijani President’s Administration, commented on recent
statement of the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European
Neighborhood Policy, Stefan Fule concerning attempts of the opposition
to conduct the April 17 rally.

“I regret that Fule’s immediate statement on the April 17 protest
action is untrue and reflects an unfair stance with respect to
the ongoing processes, since the statement is based on inaccurate
information,” Mammadov told journalists.

Mammadov said there is no problem with freedom of expression and
freedom of gatherings in Azerbaijan.

According to him, Azerbaijan observes the commitments made to
international, regional organizations and bodies. “The inadequate
position on the ongoing processes in the country contradicts the spirit
of cooperation established between the European Union and Azerbaijan,”
Trend quoted Mammadov as saying.

Earlier the EU has issued a statement on behalf of EU commissioner
Stefan Fule. The document expressed concern about the authorities’
actions with regard to opposition’s attempts to hold an unsanctioned
rally in the center of Baku.

From: A. Papazian

ATTORNEY FEDERICO HAIRABEDIAN TO ADDRESS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2011 – 12:45 AMT 07:45 GMT

The United Armenian Council for the Commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide has planned an outstanding program for the commemoration of
the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, at Martyrs Monument in
Montebello’s Bicknell Park on Saturday, April 23, from 11 am to 1 pm.

According to Asbarez, the public has been informed of the details of
the program through press releases and TV interviews. The participation
of several Federal, State, City, and local officials is anticipated. As
in previous years, Homenetmen and AGBU scouts will participate in flag
ceremonies. For the first time, the choir of the Armenian Society of
Los Angeles, conducted by Maestro Michael Avedissian, will perform.

In addition, the United Armenian Council has invited this year a very
special guest, Attorney Federico Hairabedian from Argentina, to be
the keynote speaker. He is the grandson of genocide survivor Krikor
Hairabedian who lost 50 members of his family during the Turkish-state
organized genocide. In 2000, he filed a lawsuit against Turkey which
ended 10 years later with great success. The Argentine Federal Court
on April 1, issued the following verdict: “The Turkish state committed
Genocide against the Armenian Nation during 1915-1923 period, killing
over one and half million Armenians.”

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN UNWILLING TO BELIEVE IN ROMANIAN PRESIDENT’S ANTI-ARMENIAN STATEMENT

news.am
April 20 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – A statement on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ascribed to
Romanian President Traian Basescu conflicts with the position of the
international community, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh
Kocharyn said.

“I do not want to believe that head of an EU member-state may make such
a biased and non-constructive statement,” Kocharyan said, the press
service of Armenian Foreign Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to Kocharyan, if he did made such a statement, it contradicts
with the approach of the international community, the position of
the OSCE, EU, with the statement adopted at ministerial meetings
in Helsinki, Athens, Almaty, Astana Summit, as well as the joint
statement of Presidents Medvedev, Obama and Sarkozy in Aquila and
Muskoka, which clearly say that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh should
be determined on the basis of legally binding free expression of will.

“Such statements aimed at attracting Baku’s sympathy, can arouse
nothing but bewliderment,” Kocharyan stressed.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN EXPERT: WITH ITS STATEMENTS OSCE MG TRIES TO JUSTIFY ITS EXISTENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 20, 2011 – 20:02 AMT 15:02 GMT

Commenting on the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs that
the time has arrived to finalize and endorse the Basic Principles and
move to the drafting of a peace agreement on the Karabakh conflict,
Director General of the National Energy Security Fund Konstantin
Simonov said that one can agree with the OSCE Minsk Group that,
indeed, there are not any reasons for further delays.

Nevertheless, according to Simonov, the OSCE Minsk Group’s activity
is basically dictated by the fact that it needs to specify its stance
somehow. “Otherwise, a question arises for what the OSCE Minsk Group
is needed, if there is no progress in the situation,” he said.

“In my opinion, all these statements of the Co-Chairs are an attempt to
justify their functioning, to remind of themselves and works carried
out and even to give hope that there will be a breakthrough.

However, as far as I recollect there were several promises on
breakthrough in the Karabakh conflict settlement. They were made with
respect to different information occasions. Unfortunately, despite all
promises, there is no progress in the problem resolution. There are
not any documents that would at least theoretically allow handling it.

And I have no grounds to think that the OSCE Minsk Group’s activity
has brought nearer the problem resolution,” Day.az quoted Simonov
as saying.

From: A. Papazian

NKR MP: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST MAKE CORRESPONDING CONCLUSIONS FROM AZERBAIJAN’S BEHAVIOR

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 20, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS: Military exercises on the border
testify that Azerbaijan is far from having constructive position,
Vahram Atanesyan, chairman of the NKR National Assembly Foreign
Relations Standing Committee, told Armenpress.

According to him, with this exercises Azerbaijan wished to say that
it has enough force to levy new war.

“The international community must make corresponding conclusions from
Azerbaijan’s behavior,” Atanesyan said, adding that testing of the
military airplanes was mainly aimed at showing that Azerbaijan can
harm the airplanes flying to Stepanakert.

From: A. Papazian

CORRUPTION RISKS UNLIKELY TO PROMOTE TRUST IN GOVERNMENT – PM

Tert.am
21.04.11

Corruption risks and a poor quality of state services cannot promote
public trust in the government, the Armenian prime minister has said.

Addressing the cabinet meeting on Thursday, PM Tigran Sargsyan spoke
of the president’s recommendation to enhance the quality of the state
services. He focused particularly on the procedures issuing driving
licenses and passports.

“If the quality of services is poor and there are corruption risks,
the society cannot trust us,” he said.

The premier told the cabinet members that the government is now making
decisions to improve the services and prevent all negative phenomena.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY – BRITISH MPS

Tert.am
21.04.11

The Armenian Genocide was a crime against humanity, Baroness Shreela
Flather, a member the British Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group,
told today a news conference at Armenia’s National Assembly.

She said very little people in Britain are aware of what happened in
the Ottoman Empire in the period of World War I and added that the
history of the Armenian Genocide had really shocked her.

Lindon Harrison, another member of the parliamentary group, stressed
the importance of promoting a proper understanding of the issue in
his country.

Head of the delegation and Deputy Speaker of the British House
of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox spoke of Turkey’s denial policy,
criticizing the country’s leadership of avoiding the truth.

In the framework of its three-day visit to Armenia, the delegation of
the British parliamentarians, led by Baroness Cox, has visited the
Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum and paid respect to the Genocide
victims at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.

From: A. Papazian

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN: MILITARY EXERCISES CHARACTERIZES AZERBAIJAN’S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE NEGOTIATIONS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 20, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS: The conduction of military exercises
characterizes Azerbaijan’s attitude toward the negotiations, deputy
foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told Armenpress, adding that
every time when a smoggy opportunity is created for moving forward
in the negotiations Azerbaijan goes to provocations.

“These exercises were addressed more to their own people, they were of
propaganda nature. They were stating about massive drillings but the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s Defense Army followed them. Everything was
under control starting from flights till the last moment”, Shavarsh
Kocharyan said.

He described the step as an expression of panic moods. “Now they are
facing an issue, according to which they must end the propaganda and
go to concrete arrangements, like, for instance, investigation of
incidents”, the deputy minister said.

The Azerbaijani air forces implemented flights of 4 assault aircrafts
and 9 helicopters, 10-15km from the Karabakhi-Azerbaijani border.

From: A. Papazian

LOCAL APPOINTED TO GENOCIDE COMISSION
By Joe Piasecki

Valley Sun
,0,3322743.story
April 20 2011
CA

Commission is aimed at increasing recognition of, and fighting against,
atrocities.

Longtime La Cañada Flintridge resident and former city Planning
Commissioner Maria Mehranian will be sworn in Saturday as a member
of the California International Genocide Commission, established by
state leaders to increase global recognition of atrocities committed
worldwide.

In part, the commission represents ongoing calls in California for
federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which from 1915 to
1923 claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and which will be
commemorated this weekend.

But Mehranian believes the true strength of the commission is in
building a large tent. In the coming weeks, Gov. Jerry Brown and
other state officials are expected to make appointments to the
nine-member body from among many ethnicities that have been victims
of mass slaughter.

“There are going to be members Jewish, Rwandan, Cambodian, Sudanese
and others. It’s much more powerful when members of many groups discuss
the subject of genocide, because you can draw on the similarities. No
matter how different it can look at first, at the end of the day it’s
the same thing happening in the same way,” said Mehranian, who is
a managing partner of the L.A.-based civil engineering firm Cordoba
Corp. and also serves on the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board.

Both Mehranian and Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D – Glendale), who earlier
this year wrote a law extending time limits for descendants of genocide
victims to file civil claims, were appointed to the commission
by Assembly Speaker John Perez, said Gatto field representative
Christine Aghakhani.

Gatto led the Assembly’s annual commemoration of the genocide last week
under a measure that was co-authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino
(D – La Cañada Flintridge).

Also last week, Congressman Adam Schiff (D- Burbank) wrote a letter to
President Obama urging him to use the word “genocide” when referring
to atrocities committed against Armenians that started during World
War I, which Obama did during his campaign but has not done since.

The Turkish government, a U.S. ally in the Middle East, has for years
successfully lobbied Congress to block genocide recognition.

Mehranian and Gatto will be sworn in during the Unified Young
Armenians Candlelight Vigil genocide memorial ceremony, starting at
7:45 p.m. Saturday at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church, 1510 E.
Mountain Ave., Glendale.

Under legislation passed in 2006, the California International Genocide
Commission’s primary task will be to plan, fundraise for and build
a memorial at the state capitol honoring victims of genocide.

Mehranian hopes to do more.

“It’s more about creating a dialogue to put these issues on the map,
not only as something to memorialize, but also something we have to
have and active fight against,” she said.

Reporter Bill Kisliuk contributed to this story.

From: A. Papazian