Author: Andres-Papazian

REFINING OF PRECIOUS METALS, PRODUCTION OF BULLIONS NOT SUBJECT TO MANDATORY LICENSING

/ARKA/
March 4, 2011
YEREVAN

On Thursday the Armenian government amended a previous decision to
make refining of precious metals as well as production of bank gold
and bullions a business activity not subject to mandatory licensing.

Finance minister Vache Gabrielian explained at a Cabinet session
that this decision is aimed at improvement of the business climate,
development of this sector on the basis of free market relations and
competition as well as at stepping up economic activity.

From: A. Papazian

FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA ACCUSES AZERBAIJAN OF DESTRUCTIVE APPROACH AT OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL SESSION

arminfo
Friday, March 4, 11:31

Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian attended the OSCE
Permanent Council session on Thursday as part of his visit to Vienna,
the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

Edward Nalbandian touched upon the issues on agenda of the
organization, reforms in Armenia, the Armenia-EU relations, and the
Karabakh peace process.

Speaking of OSCE’s role, the minister said that Armenia is ready to
take an active part in activity of the Organization in all formats as
well as help upgrading efficiency of OSCE’s activity. As regards the
reforms carried out in Armenia, E. Nalbandian said that the authorities
of Armenia are committed to further development of democracy in the
country, which was mentioned also in the Armenian president’s speech on
Dec 18 2010: deepening of democracy, promotion of political dialogue,
consistent introduction of European values in all the spheres of the
state, public and economic life. In his speech, Minister Nalbandian
dwelled upon the negotiations for resolution of the Artsakh conflict,
coincidence of positions of Armenia and the world community and the
destructive approaches of Azerbaijan.

After his speech at OSCE headquarters, Edward Nalbandian left Vienna
for Bratislava to attend the enlarged Ministerial Meeting of Visegrad
Four.

From: A. Papazian

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAS CREATED REGIONAL RESIDENCE IN ARMENIA, RUSSIAN EXPERT THINKS

arminfo
Friday, March 4, 14:19

The USA has very much activated in Armenia and the fact that Americans
have built the biggest US Embassy in Yerevan is evidence of that,
Director of the Russian Institute for Strategical Studies, Leonid
Reshetnikov, said at the round table in Rostov-upon-Don.

“It is already clear that CIA has already created its regional
residence in this embassy, in which about 400 officers have been
employed like American diplomates or the administrative staff. The
key purpose of Americans is to liquidate the only link of the Russian
influence, and the efforts of the USA on reconciliation between Armenia
and Turkey are directed to that. That’s why, today one cannot say for
sure that Armenia still remains an unchangable partner of Russia in
the Transcaucasus. I think that weakening of the Russian positions
in Armenia will be noticed over one year or two”, – the expert said.

He grounded such a pessimistic predictions by the economic, social
and political situation established in Armenia over the last two years.

“Since the day of gaining independence by Armenia the great majority
of intelligentsia, that had friendly feelings to Russia, have left
the republic. For this reason, the intelligentsia that still remain
in Armenia and representatives of the state leadership have feelings
which differ from the pro-Russian ones a little. Several years ago when
having face-to-face talks, they used to say that instead of orienting
towards Russians they have to change the victor towards the strongest
superpower – the USA. The USA never gives money for development of the
country, but gives them, for instance, for development of canalization
in Yerevan, which are immediately used by the top leadership for
personal enrichment. Thus, the idea of gaining more target-oriented
credits is rather attractive for the authorities of Armenia’, –
Reshetnikov concluded.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES LAUNCH ANTI-PROPAGANDA OF US AMBASSADOR

arminfo
Friday, March 4, 14:23

The pro-governmental mass media in Armenia are charged “from the
above” to launch anti-propaganda of US Ambassador to Armenia Marie L.
Yovanovitch.

The Yerevan-based daily Haykakan Zhamanak reported that the given mass
media are charged to publish items accusing Ambassador Yavonovitch
of interference into internal affairs of Armenia. The reason of such
anti-propaganda campaign was the Ambassador’s speech at the Yerevan
State University on February 28 wherein Yovanovitch said that the
Armenian people has a right to make decisions through free and fair
elections and free dialogue.

Commenting on the given reports to RLE/RL Armenia, Ambassador
Yovanovitch said that civil rights of the Armenian people are
guaranteed by the Constitution, which clearly stipulates freedom of
rallies and the press, and the supremacy of the law.

All these are the rights of the Armenian people, she said, and the
government must be for the people and not on the contrary.

Earlier on Thursday, Head of the Republican Party of Armenia faction
Galoust Sahakyan commented on US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch’s
statement in a press conference in Yerevan: There may be no color
revolution in Armenia on the example of Kyrgyzstan, for instance,
because Armenians have only “one color” and a cherished goal. Anyway,
I don’t think that the USA advocates such a scenario with Yovanovitch’s
help”.

It is noteworthy that Ambassador Yovanovitch delivers lectures and
meets with Armenian students regularly, but mass media is never invited
to those meetings. Before appointed to Armenia, Marie Yovanovitch was
US Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. On March 1 the Ambassador delivered a
lecture at the Yerevan State University on the topic “Civil Society
of Armenia” and declared that sincere political dialogue is based
on patriotism. The Armenian people have a right to adopt decision
through free and fair elections and free dialogue.

From: A. Papazian

OPPOSITION MASS MEDIA “DISMISS” COMMANDER OF ARMENIAN POLICE

arminfo
Friday, March 4, 14:27

The problem of dismissal of the commander of the Armenian Police Alik
Sargsyan was again touched upon yesterday.

As the opposition “Zhamanak” newspaper says, the authorities again
started discussing the problem of Sargsyan’s resignation. Sargsyan
is expected to be appointed to the post of vice-premier replacing
Territorial Administration Minister Armen Gevorkyan.

The newspaper did not manage to clarify where Gevorkyan will be
transferred to. As for the position of the commander of the Police,
Emergency Situation Minister Armen Yeritsyan and Shirak governor
Ashot Giziryan were mentioned like possible candidates to the position.

To note, the rumors about Sargsyan’s resignation have been spread for
a long period of time. The problem was again risen by mass media after
yesterday’s clash near the Government House, when the leader of the
parliamentary faction Stepan Safaryan publicly demanded
Sargsyan’s resignation.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION NOT BOUND TO OTHER PROBLEMS, U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 4, 2011 – 10:47 AMT 06:47 GMT

Normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations should not be bound to
other problems, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of
European and Eurasian Affairs said.

As Philip Gordon said on the sidelines of GLOBSEC 2011 regional
security conference in Bratislava, his country doesn’t share Ankara’s
opinion that reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia can take
place only in case progress is fixed in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement talks.

“The U.S. believes that the sides should continue with ratification
of the protocols,” he said, voicing regret that the normalization
process has been suspended.

From: A. Papazian

PHILIP GORDON: MOSCOW ACTS TRANSPARENTLY IN KARABAKH PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 4, 2011 – 10:50 AMT 06:50 GMT

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs Philip Gordon has said that both U.S. and Russia supports
the basic principles for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
proposed by the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Commenting on opinion that Russia is gaining control over the process,
Mr. Gordon noted that Russia is geographically close to the conflict
zone, so it faces less difficulties in organizing meetings between
Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.

“Russia acts transparently in Karabakh process while the Co-chairs
defend common interests to ensure security in Europe,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

CHIEF PLAINTIFF IN LANDMARK GENOCIDE CASE DIES AT 95

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 4, 2011 – 11:26 AMT 07:26 GMT

Martin Marootian, a retired pharmacist who became the chief plaintiff
in a landmark class-action suit against New York Life Insurance
Company, died Friday of natural causes at his home in San Diego. He
was 95.

Marootian was born in New York. His parents, who were from Kharpert,
escaped the Genocide, but their family was massacred. Graduating from
the Connecticut School of Pharmacy in 1939, Marootian served with
the Yale Medical Unit in the South Pacific. He met his future wife,
Seda Garapedian, at a church picnic and began a new life in Southern
California in 1955.

The Marootians were involved in the Armenian Allied Arts, the
Armenian Film Foundation, St. Gregory’s Armenian Church, USC Friends
of Armenian Music and the Armenian Professional Society, which honored
Martin with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.

Marootian never forgot his relatives who died in Kharpert. To anyone
who visited, his study was a treasure trove of books, survivor
testimonies and newspaper clippings about the Armenian Genocide. Year
after year, like so many Armenians, he took part in commemoration
events to acknowledge the genocide.

But it wasn’t until 1994 that he had the chance to play a more
prominent role in history, Asbarez.com reports.

“I was looking through the newspaper,” he recounted in 2005, “and
I read that the lawyer Vartkes Yeghiayan was looking for anyone who
had an insurance policy from New York Life Insurance Company.”

Marootian remembered that his sister had an insurance policy from their
uncle, Setrak Cheytanian. “He bought the policy and paid every year,”
Marootian said. “A lot of Armenians bought policies in those days.”

When Marootian’s mother, Yeghsa, decided to come to America, his
uncle gave the insurance policy to her, before perishing during the
Genocide. From the early 1920s to her death in 1982, Yeghsa repeatedly
tried to collect on the policy and was refused. “I was born in 1915
in Manhattan and we couldn’t have been any closer to the headquarters
of New York Life,” said Marootian. “But we were not able to collect
on that policy.”

New York Life sold over 8,700 insurances policies to Armenians living
in Ottoman Turkey in the period leading up to the Armenian Genocide
in 1915. Yeghiayan had long suspected there were many Armenians like
the Marootians, but to mount a lawsuit he needed proof. Marootian
had that proof – a policy.

It was the beginning of what would become a mammoth legal battle. New
York Life denied there was a list of policyholders. Then they produced
the list. New York Life then filed to have the case dismissed and
tried in Europe. The California legislature responded by passing
a special bill extending the statute of limitations and permitting
Armenian-Americans to file suits in California against insurers to
recover money from unpaid policies.

The central issue was unpaid insurance, but hovering in the background
was an even bigger issue – recognition of the Armenian Genocide in
the U.S. courts.

In 2004, the case was settled for $20 million. Money not claimed by
descendants of the insured was to go to various charities and the
Church. Judge Christine Snyder commended Marootian’s tenacity. He had
shown up to every hearing, every deposition. He had demonstrated by
his very presence that he would not back down. “I remembered the New
York Life advertisement: we are the company you keep,” said Marootian.

“I told that to the New York lawyers. I said I recognize the slogan,
and in my family, you are the company my family kept for many years,
and you didn’t pay.”

From: A. Papazian

AYF CALLS ON KOBE BRYANT TO DONATE TURKISH MONEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 4, 2011 – 10:57 AMT 06:57 GMT

As Kobe Bryant prepares to celebrate his endorsement deal with Turkish
Airlines at a Paramount Studios launch party, the Armenian Youth
Federation calls on Kobe to recognize and understand the ramifications
of becoming the face of the state-run airline and to take steps to
correct this lapse in judgment.

“The Republic of Turkey, which runs Turkish Airlines, has attempted
to mollify international condemnation of its human rights record
through thinly-veiled public relations ploys. These gimmicks, which
include abusing the reputation of athletes and stars and employing
multi-million dollar political lobbyists, cannot hide Turkey’s contempt
for the rights of its citizens and for its own history,” the AYF said.

“Turkey uses brutal violence against its Kurdish minority, whose
demonstrations have been crushed time and time again. Furthermore,
Turkey continues to repress free speech and arrests journalists. Just
last year, the Turkish government offered refuge to Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for
charges of Genocide. Most shameful is Turkey’s decades-long attempts
to distort and deny the Armenian genocide. A few months ago, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was the 2010 recipient of
the Muammar Gaddafi prize for human rights, threatened to deport the
remaining Armenians from Turkey.

Recently, celebrity entertainers including Beyonce Knowles, Mariah
Carey, 50 Cent, and others have come under public scrutiny for
accepting large cash payouts for performing at lavish parties hosted
by the family of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Following Gaddafi’s
brutal crackdown on protesters, which resulted in the deaths of more
than 1,000 demonstrators, demands surfaced for music stars to admit
to accepting money from the regime and for them to donate the same
amount to charity.

Last week Nelly Furtado tweeted that she would be donating the one
million dollars she received, and representatives for Beyonce have
released a statement declaring that all monies she accepted from the
Gaddafi family were donated to Haitian earthquake relief efforts.

This highlights the increasing need for celebrities and public figures
to be sensitive and act with the utmost prudence and responsibility
when sponsoring or endorsing products and events. The status
of celebrity in today’s world goes far beyond dollar signs and
necessitates accountability and understanding.

We are deeply saddened by Kobe Bryant’s dismissive attitude toward the
concerns of thousands of his fans. His silence has been deafening. We
believe that Mr. Bryant’s sole concern off the court is not just to
make money; rather we hope that he recognizes his role in world as an
ambassador of humanity, not of Turkish Airlines. We ask Kobe Bryant
to use this unique opportunity to act as a responsible and dignified
public figure and to donate the proceeds from his deal with the
state-run Turkish Airlines to genocide and human rights education
and awareness programs such as The Genocide Education Project,”
the Federation said, Asbarez.com reported.

From: A. Papazian

REVUE DE PRESSE No2 – 03/03/11 – COLLECTIF VAN

Publie le : 03-03-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance
Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] vous propose une revue de presse
des informations parues dans la presse francophone, sur les thèmes
concernant la Turquie, le genocide armenien, la Shoah, le genocide
des Tutsi, le Darfour, le negationnisme, l’Union europeenne, Chypre,
etc… Nous vous suggerons egalement de prendre le temps de lire ou
de relire les informations et traductions mises en ligne dans notre
rubrique

Par ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand, turc, etc,
ne sont disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous generons
chaque jour. Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Media : c’est
gratuit ! Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans votre
boîte email. Bonne lecture.

Collectif VAN : l’ephemeride du 3 mars 2011 Info Collectif VAN –
– La rubrique “Ephemeride” du Collectif VAN a
ete lancee le 6 decembre 2010. Elle recense la liste d’evenements
survenus a une date donnee, a differentes epoques de l’Histoire, sur
les thematiques que l’association suit au quotidien. L’ephemeride du
Collectif VAN repose sur des informations en ligne sur de nombreux
sites (les sources sont specifiees sous chaque entree). ” 3 mars 1915
— Syrie/Empire ottoman. Temoignages de Zareh E. Ghougassian sur les
scènes de la vie des deportes de Ras ul-Aïn : ” Les abords des tentes
etaient jonches de cadavres. Chaque jour, ce spectacle effroyable se
repetait sous nos yeux: en moyenne, cent vingt personnes decedaient
quotidiennement. Toutes les surfaces environnantes du camp de tentes
s’etaient transformees en cimetière pour les Armeniens. Cette situation
penible dura trois mois. Le 3 mars, les autorites firent annoncer que
dès le lendemain la population serait transferee a Mossoul et qu’il
fallait etre pret. “”

Le monde du jazz Le caractère international du festival Jazz en mars
de Tarnos s’affirme pour l’edition 2011. Chaque soiree des grands
noms du jazz mondial est programmee. Vendredi 11 mars, Sylvain Luc,
le Bayonnais d’origine, aujourd’hui a Paris, jouera a domicile. Le
pianiste Rossano Sportiello viendra de New York pour partager la scène
avec Louis Mazetier. Samedi 12 mars, Andre Manoukian, le celèbre membre
du jury TV de ” La Nouvelle Star “, sera present avec un repertoire
axe sur la musique armenienne en ouverture d’une soiree qui s’annonce
remarquable avec le trompettiste new-yorkais Terell Stafford accompagne
au piano de Dado Moroni (Milan), a la batterie de Steve Pi (Barcelone),
a la contrebasse de Darryl Hall (Paris).

Chypre du Nord se dresse contre le “protecteur” turc Ce mercredi,
20.000 personnes ont manifeste a Nicosie contre les mesures economiques
prises par Ankara. Le vent de revolte qui souffle sur le pourtour
mediterraneen a atteint la partie de Chypre sous domination turque
depuis 1974.

Cablegate: Turquie Les câbles diplomatiques reveles par Wikileaks
contiennent quelques informations interessantes sur la Turquie.

Article du journal franco-turc Zaman – 03/03/2011 – 1 Le Collectif
VAN relaye ici les articles du journal franco-turc Zaman (equivalent
du Today’s Zaman en langue anglaise, diffuse en Turquie).

Attention : ces articles ne sont pas commentes de notre part. Il s’agit
pour l’essentiel de traductions des versions turque et anglaise du
Zaman, journal proche du parti au pouvoir (AKP). “Les minorites
non-musulmanes de Turquie s’expriment peu a cause des mesures
dissuasives qui ont ete prises a leur encontre par l’Etat. Elles
souhaitent pourtant etre representees au Parlement turc, en particulier
au sein de l’AKP.”

Cooperation maroco- turque “Le developpement des echanges commerciaux
maroco-turcs revet un interet pour les deux pays”, a ajoute Hayati
Yazici. Le Maroc et la Turquie sont appeles a identifier de nouvelles
pistes de nature a ameliorer le volume des echanges commerciaux entre
les deux pays pour les hisser au niveau des excellentes relations
politiques bilaterales, a souligne, mercredi a Rabat, le ministre
d’Etat turc, Hayati Yazici.

L’info vue par la TRT (3) Le Collectif VAN vous propose cet article
publie sur la TRT (Television & Radio de Turquie). Les articles de
ce site ne sont pas commentes de notre part. Ils peuvent contenir
des propos negationnistes envers le genocide armenien ou d’autres
informations a prendre sous toute reserve. “Une première pour l’Egypte
depuis la chute de l’ex-president Hosni Moubarak par une revolte
populaire: un president hôte se rend dans ce pays”.

L’Azerbaidjan demande a la Georgie de restreindre l’accès de l’Armenie
a la Mer Noire L’ambassadeur d’Azerbaïdjan a Tbilisi a recommande
vivement au gouvernement georgien de limiter l’accès commercial
de l’Armenie a la côte de la Mer Noire en Georgie et d’arreter
d’accueillir des dizaines de milliers de voyageurs armeniens chaque
annee.

Les Chypriotes turcs manifestent leur colère contre Ankara “Ni otages
de la Turquie, ni avales par les Chypriotes grecs”, etait l’un des
slogans marteles. Plus de 25 000 Chypriotes turcs ont manifeste le
2 mars a Nicosie-Nord pour denoncer le plan d’austerite impose par
Ankara sur la partie turque de l’île.

Le ministère turc des Affaires Etrangères prepare un document contre
le genocide armenien Alors que les armeniens se preparent dans le
monde entier pour le 96ème anniversaire du genocide armenien, le
ministère turc des Affaires Etrangères a decide de riposter.

Erdogan hausse le ton En visite en Allemagne fin fevrier, le Premier
ministre turc a demontre l’assurance grandissante de son pays. En
pleine croissance et percue comme un modèle pour les pays arabes,
la Turquie a moins besoin d’une Europe qu’elle cherche pourtant
a rejoindre.

Retour a la rubrique

From: A. Papazian