Author: Andres-Papazian

PEUT-ETRE LE GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS AU BREVET DES COLLEGES ?

Examen

Ce vendredi 27 juin, les elèves de troisième, soit environ 816 000
collegiens, tomberont peut-etre sur le genocide des Armeniens a
l’examen d”Histoire-geo du Brevet de collèges.

La partie > est une longue serie de neuf questions sur
les evenements abordes tout au long de l’annee. Il faut donner soit
les dates, soit le nom de personnalites historiques, soit identifier
un fait historique precis. Les elèves doivent ensuite developper une
argumentation sur un document. Il s’agira eventuellement des guerres
mondiales et regimes totalitaires (1914-1945).

Toujours est-il que si l’on en croit certains posts releves sur
Twitter, une majorite d’entre-eux se prononcent pour “tomber” sur le
genocide armenien. Sauf un certain Mustafa qui declare >.

Extrait (cliquer sur le document pour agrandir)

vendredi 27 juin 2014, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

THE MONUMENT MANOUCHIAN GROUP DESECRATED BY THE SWASTIKA

PRESS THE SOCIALIST PARTY

On the night of June 24, 2014, in Marseille, the statue dedicated to
Missak Manouchian and his resistance group was profaned the sign of
the swastika.

The desecration of the monument shows once more that the zealots
of racism and xenophobia are still active and do not give up spread
by obvious signs, such as desecration, or by more insidious means,
an ideology that was causing great human disasters of modern times,
the Armenian Genocide to the Holocaust.

This desecration is an insult to the Republic and Marseille. Over
the centuries, this city and its region are built on emigration
and prosperity today is largely due to successive waves of Italians
fleeing fascism, Spaniards fleeing civil war, survivors Jews Holocaust
or repatriated from North Africa, the Armenian Genocide survivors,
and all those workers in Eastern Europe, persecuted in their country
and sought a future on the docks of Marseille, the fields of Aix or
mines Gardanne.

The Manouchian Group, composed of Armenians, Jews, Poles, Spaniards,
Italians, and others from Central Europe, all migrants and stateless
persons, is the image of the city. By his struggle for freedom by
the sacrifice of their lives for the values of the Republic, it also
symbolizes the values. Desecrate this monument is an insult to their
memory and combat, but also all those and all those who descend,
and through them France and the French.

The Socialist Party calls on all organizations defending human rights,
struggling day after day against racism, antisemitism and xenophobia
to join this call and testify and France will remain, despite all the
forces who claim to defend the French identity by hatred and stigma,
the land of liberty, equality and fraternity.

Friday, June 27, 2014, Ara © armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

RAGIP ZARAKOLU AU PANTHEON

Exposition

Le 25 juin avait lieu dans le cadre grandiose du Pantheon
l’inauguration d’une passionnante exposition consacree a Jean-Jaurès,
figure majeure du socialisme, qui continue a inspirer au-dela des
divisions partisanes. Dans un peu plus d’un mois, cela fera cent ans
que ce pacifiste et dreyfusard, qui a tant oeuvre pour contrer la
marche a la guerre, a ete assassine par un membre de l’extreme droite,
a explique l’historien Vincent Duclert, commissaire de l’exposition,
qui en a fait les honneurs notamment a Manuel Valls.

On peut y voir une photo de quelqu’un qui represente beaucoup pour
les Armeniens : celle de l’editeur turc Ragip Zarakolu, auquel Vincent
Duclert n’a cesse d’apporter son soutien, que ce soit en Turquie lors
de ses visites, ou en France, a l’EHESS où il l’avait invite a donner
une conference, en meme temps qu’Erol Ozkoray.

C’est aussi Vincent Duclert qui a constitue un petit recueil des
discours enflammes de Jaurès a la Chambre des Deputes, au moment
des massacres hamidiens. Le livre s’intitule > et est toujours d’une grande utilite. On comprend que
Jaurès soit reste cher au coeur des Armeniens comme au coeur de bien
d’autres. C’est par ses recherches sur Jaurès que l’historien francais
en est venu a travailler sur le genocide armenien, puis s’est interesse
au sort des progressistes turcs persecutes et pour la defense desquels
il a cofonde le GIT-France. Il vient de publier un livre sur les
mouvements du printemps 2013 en Turquie, intitule >,
où il fait une large place a ces editeurs, professeurs et etudiants
poursuivis pour leurs travaux, entre autres sur le genocide.

Les visiteurs du Pantheon peuvent non seulement voir Ragip Zarakolu
dans ce lieu qui abrite les tombes des > auxquels
>, mais y lire que Ragip va bientôt
publier une traduction en turc des discours de Jaurès sur les atrocites
commises contre les Armeniens. Avec sa belle barbe et son doux regard,
Ragip ne depare pas a côte des photos en noir et blanc de Jaurès, qui
portait aussi une barbe de sage (et d’epoque)… C’etait une ceremonie
d’inauguration impressionnante, en un lieu qui ne l’est pas moins et
qu’on peut naturellement visiter malgre les travaux sur la coupole.

vendredi 27 juin 2014, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ZANGEZUR COPPER MOLYBDENUM COMBINE HAS A NEW CEO

by Arthur Yernjakyan

ARMINFO
Friday, June 27, 03:13

The largest mining enterprises in Armenia, Zangezur Copper Molybdenum
Combine (ZCMC), has a new Chief Executive Officer – Neil Stevenson,
who is the reprehensive of Cronimet Mining AG, the major shareholder of
ZCMC, says the press release of the Cronimet Mining Office in Yerevan.

The source says that the relevant decision was taken at the June 24
annual meeting of Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine in Yerevan.

Stevenson has a huge experience in mining and he is also engaged in
other mining projects of Cronimet. The shareholders decided to a set
up a Board of Directors, which will be headed by Maxim Hakobyan,
the former CEO. The meeting covered the results of the company’s
activities in 2013 and the development prospects. The shareholders
qualified the ZCMC’s activity over the past few years as positive and
effective and praised the staff of the Combine. They also approved
projects on technical expansion of the company and creation of new
jobs, considered the further activity and outlined the key directions
for further strategic development.

Managing Director and Founder of Cronimet Mining Gunter Pilasky, CEO
of Cronimet Mining Thomas Heil, ZCMC CEO Maxim Hakobyan and others
attended the meeting.

Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC is the largest mining
enterprise in Armenia and exploits the Kajaran deposit, which is the
richest in the CIS by its copper content. ZCMC was privatized for 132
mln USD on 14 December 2004. Afterwards, 60% of its shares passed into
the ownership of Cronimet Mining (Germany), with the remaining 15%,
12.5% and 12.5% having gone to the Pure Iron Plant (Yerevan), Armenian
Molybdenum Production CJSC and Zangezur Mining LLC, respectively.

According to Cronimet Holding (headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany),
over the past few years the total investments in Zangezur Copper
Molybdenum Combine CJSC amounted to over $500 mln. The investments have
ensured failure-free operation of the enterprise. By its equipment and
production capacities, the Combine is highly competitive with the best
international companies today. ZCMC is a local economic mainstay and
makes an invaluable contribution to Armenia’s economy and creation of
jobs. In 2013, Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC topped the list
of the largest taxpayers of Armenia, having paid 37.8 bln AMD to the
state budget. Cronimet Mining also owns 51% of “Pure Iron Plant” OJSC’s
shares and 51% of ELBAT CJSC, an automotive battery production plant.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER ENCOURAGES ARMENIA FOR DIALOGUE

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 26 2014

26 June 2014 – 2:58pm

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has encouraged Armenia and
its community to make steps similar to the once Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had made for the Commemoration Day over the 1915
tragedy, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The minister said that Erdogan’s actions were dictated by the need for
“transformation of minds and memories.” He believes that politicians
and intellectuals should breach the psychological barrier between the
two countries.

Davutoglu stated that there was “unfair memory” around the events of
1915 and both Armenians and Turks should respect the historical memory
in order to gain understanding of what the nations had had to go
through. The minister reminded that there had been many tragic events
in 1915 and that the times before and after 1915 had been tragic for
Turks in Anatolia as well.

From: A. Papazian

UZEIR JAFAROV: “THE ARMED FORCES OF AZERBAIJAN ARE SUPPLIED WITH ALL THEY NEED”

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 26 2014

26 June 2014 – 10:47am

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Gasanov made a speech to graduates
of the Higher Military School for the upcoming Day of the Armed Forces
marked on June 26. The minister emphasized that the country had a
fully-prepared army to accomplish any mission, including liberation of
the Nagorno-Karabakh territories. He noted that military expenditure
had increased 20-fold in the last years, allowing the military and
their equipment to be modernized and training of officers to be
improved. 253 Azerbaijani soldiers are training abroad. Teachers at
military education centers improve their skills in NATO and Middle
Eastern countries. The minister noted that the modernization had
changed the balance of power in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding
areas. VK has interviewed military expert Uzeir Jafarov about the
developments.

– What has been done in the last years to strengthen the defensive
potential of Azerbaijan?

– The modern Azerbaijani Armed Forces are not the army we had, let’s
say, in the times of the first Karabakh War. Back then, Azerbaijan was
forming an army simultaneously with combat on the frontline. A lot has
been done since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in 1994. Of
course, sometimes we criticize certain nuances, but we understand
where we have work and there are always flaws and problems. We would
certainly want to minimize such problems. Why? Because it is the Armed
Forces that protect the security and sovereignty of Azerbaijan today.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces are supplied with all the necessary
weapons and equipment today. Azerbaijan is one of the first in the UN
registry. Although we have slightly descended in the table in the last
few years, it is because we have supplied the army with all it needs.

We got modern tanks, artillery systems, jets, combat helicopters. We
have also purchased the Favorit anti-missile system in Russia. Last
year, it was demonstrated on the central square during a military
parade. Generally, the weapons Azerbaijan possesses are sufficient
for the Armed Forces to accomplish any mission. The only goal is
to protect the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Until recently,
Azerbaijan has made no claims or ambitions regarding neighbours or
nearby territories, and Azerbaijan has no such plans. Thank God we
have normal relations with Russia and our southern neighbour Iran. We
have close contacts with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on maritime
boundaries. In one word, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan today are
ready to accomplish their goal.

– What is the potential of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces?

– Yesterday, during the speech at the Heydar Aliyev Military
School where young offices graduated, the defense minister said
that Azerbaijan was planning to expand its military potential
and cooperation with other states. Today, Azerbaijani officers
are represented, if I am not mistaken, in 24 countries as military
attaches and representatives of Azerbaijan. Today Azerbaijan is fully
represented at NATO headquarters. As far as I know, the number of
officers there will grow from 7 to 10 this year. In other words,
Azerbaijan pays special attention to cooperation with NATO, and we
have close contacts with many countries. In particular, Azerbaijan
has great economic, cultural and other ties with Israel. We have been
having close military ties with Israel in recent years and, thank God,
it benefits both countries. The products produced from cooperation
between Azerbaijani and Israeli specialists are presented at many
international exhibitions today. Azerbaijan has good relations with
Russia too. In my opinion, the contacts that Azerbaijan and Russia
have formed in recent months give reason to say that we will most
likely see bigger opportunities for cooperation between Russian and
Azerbaijani military specialists in the very near future. Rounding up,
Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia,
will hold joint military drills at a military range of one of the
three countries in 2014. By the way, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces
started joint drills yesterday. The Defense Ministry, Interior and
Border Forces are taking part in them. The drills are being held at
the central range, where NATO drills were organized, dedicated to
the Day of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

– What military equipment does Azerbaijan prefer to buy?

– Azerbaijan has been buying T-90S tanks in Russia in recent years.

The deal was made in 2011. Russia will send the final military
vehicles this year. We have already shipped Mi-35 helicopters from
Rostov to Azerbaijan, to Baku. They have already been manned by the
border service and the Defense Ministry. The Smerch salvo missile and
artillery systems enforcing security in the Nakhchivan Autonomous
Republic have been purchased in Russia. The purchased weapons and
vehicles include Israeli small arms, medical and communication
equipment. Azerbaijan has many opportunities today, and they are
gradually being realized. In my opinion, we would likely see in 2014
that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces would modernize equipment left from
the USSR times in other sectors. Of course, Azerbaijan pays special
attention to enforcing security in the Caspian Sea. You know that
Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran have been improving their
military potential in recent years. Azerbaijan pays special attention
to enforcing security in the Caspian Sea as a country with maritime
boundaries.

About 4 billion manats were granted from the state budget for
military needs and security this year. Of course, the funds will
not only be spent on the needs of the Defense Ministry. Big funds
are granted for the needs of the defense industry. We have military
equipment demonstrated in Turkey, Malaysia and, if I am not mistaken,
in Kazakhstan. An exhibition of military equipment will also be
organized in Azerbaijan in September. The country will demonstrate
advanced military equipment produced in Baku there. Azerbaijan is fully
supplying itself with bullets for small arms today. Azerbaijan has
started manufacturing the Matador and Marauder heavy armored vehicles.

Both have already been tested by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Armored
vehicles with a reinforced hull floor for protection from mines are
produced today. A lot is being done today. The Azerbaijani military
industry in Azerbaijan has made great achievements in a short period.

There is joint production with Turkish specialists and South Africa.

There are many plans. As far as I am concerned, the Defense Industry
Minister, Mister Yaver Jamalov, said that 600 military products we
being produced. It is a very big, serious figure. And I am fully
confident that Azerbaijan realizes that the military industry has
always been a very lucrative sector. That is why money is invested
in it. In some time, all the money will return to the budget of the
Republic of Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA CONCERNED ABOUT MONEY TRANSFERS IN THE COUNTRY

The Messenger, Georgia
June 26 2014

By Messenger Staff
Thursday, June 26
Armenian analysts express their concern that money transfer into
the country from abroad will decrease. The biggest portion of money
transfers in Armenia comes from Russia, around 60%. However, last
year overall volume of money transfers from Russia decreased. These
transfers mostly are related to the Armenian individuals who went to
Russia to find the job and send money back to their families living
in Armenia. Armenia very much depends on the economic situation in
Russia. Recently west has imposed economic sanctions on Russia. The
fact will affect Armenia as well. Around 50 billion USD was transferred
from Russia to abroad in the first quarter of 2014. Thus, Armenians
who became the part of Russian economy incure loses as well.

From: A. Papazian

EXPERT: WHAT AZERBAIJAN BUYS FROM RUSSIA, ARMENIA OFTEN GETS ALMOST FREE OF CHANGE

by David Stepanyan

Thursday, June 26, 16:23

Despite the Azerbaijani arms race, it has not resulted in a
significant change of the military and technical balance in the
Karabakh conflict zone, Armenian political expert, Sergey Minasyan,
told Arminfo correspondent.

“This may be explained by an important peculiarity of the regional
arms race in the Karabakh conflict zone, its parity supported by the
fact that Armenia purchases chiefly counterweapon, or Russia delivers
weapon to Armenia within the frames of the CSTO. For this reason,
Azerbaijan takes part in the arms race using the profits from sale
of the energy resources. With the USA’s and EU’s sanction, Armenia
and Nagornyy Karabakh get the parity armament from Russia or within
the CSTO. In other words, what Azerbaijan buys from Russia, Armenia
often gets almost free of change”, – he emphasized.

In such a way, the Armenian republics increase their military and
technical potential of deterrence and preserving fragile truce in
the Karabakh conflict zone, he said. At the same time, Moscow earning
money from sale of weapon to Azerbaijan, the enemy of its only ally in
the South Caucasus, Armenia, is forced to preserve balance of forces
stemming from its own interests. Minasyan thinks that Russia does it,
as it is not interested in the global prospect in resumption of the
battle actions in Nagornyy Karabakh and its involvement in them.

“Russia’s participation will result in final breaking of relations
with Azerbaijan. And if Russia does not fulfill its duties on showing
military aid to Armenia within the frames of the bilateral agreement
and the CSTO treaty, it will finally lose the reputation of a reliable
partner, and will discredit further functioning of the CSTO”, –
he said.

“In the context of the above mentioned, Russia is simply doomed to
promote keeping of status-quo through preserving of the military
balance that hinders resumption of the battle actions between the
parties to the Karabakh conflict. For its part, in this context,
Azerbaijan is forced to develop arms race, at the same time paying
for rearming of the Armenian army. Taking into consideration the fact
that Azerbaijan pays billion of the oil dollars to the key weapon
exporter Russia, in fact, it conducts an arms race not with Armenia,
but Russia”, – Minasyan concluded.

From: A. Papazian

MOTHER OF DECEASED SOLDIER TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FROM PLACE OF PROTEST

06.26.2014 18:21 epress.am

During a regular protest outside the Armenian government building,
Nana Muradyan, mother of deceased soldier Valeriy Muradyan, fell ill
and was taken to Armenia Republican Medical Center in an ambulance.

Prior to falling ill, Muradyan told the Epress.am correspondent on
the scene that she was approached by a woman who introduced herself
as Ano of the Armenian National Army who told her that on the day of
her son Valeriy Muradyan’s funeral, Chair of Zinvor Association of
NGOs, mother of a deceased soldier Margarita Khachatryan (known by the
nickname “Maroz”) asked the Ministry of Defense to transfer money to
the Muradyan family not only to cover funeral expenses, but also to
purchase an apartment, to which the family, according to Ano, agreed.

Nana Muradyan believes this was said to discredit her, as she claims
she didn’t receive an apartment. According to her, the problem began
on June 21, when on the day of deceased soldier Grisha Khachatryan’s
autopsy, she urged Khachatryan’s family not to believe the defense
ministry’s theories and not to bury their son until a criminal case
under murder charges is launched.

“The expert came out and said it was murder, and I said, when they
brought the body of my only son, there was no one to give me advice
on how to act. I also said that Maroz will come, put her hand on your
child’s head, as she did with my child, and will swear in her black
[mourning] clothes, on her child’s grave, that the guilty will be
punished, that this will be the last victim. I said [it] because Maroz
Margo is the defense minister’s Pampers [diapers]. And the following
day, Maroz sent a man to our house, to go, tell Nana that I asked the
police chief to give her money for burying her son. And today, the
Armenian National Army’s Ano, under Margo’s command, comes and tells
me in the square that [Minister of Defense] Seyran Ohanyan gave you
money to hire a lawyer and did so upon Margo’s request,” said Muradyan.

On the matter of an attorney, Muradyan said she personally spoke with
Seyran Ohanyan, who said the woman definitely needs a lawyer to work
on her son’s case and expressed willingness to pay for it, which he
did, and Margarita Khachatryan, said Muradyan, had nothing to do with
it. Muradyan claims that talk about an apartment are completely untrue.

Angered by what happened, the mothers of soldiers who died in
non-combat conditions contacted Minister of Defense spokesperson
Artsrun Hovhannisyan and asked to meet with the minister.

Later, Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan (pictured above, right)
met the mothers outside the government building’s rear entrance and
promised to see them inside.

After the minister left, Nana Muradyan’s condition drastically
deteriorated, and police officers had to call an ambulance.

Note, a group of parents for years have been protesting outside the
Armenian government building and president’s office, demanding to
identify and punish those responsible for the deaths of their sons, all
of whom were killed while serving in the army in non-combat conditions.

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
June 26, 2014

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
Web:

HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE PASSES TURKEY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

H.R. 4347 Requires the U.S. Secretary of State to issue an annual report
to Congress on the fate of Christian properties in Turkey

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC)
adopted H.R. 4347, the Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act,
reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The legislation was
approved by voice vote, with amendments.

Introduced by HFAC Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel
(D-NY) in March, H.R. 4347 requires that the Secretary of State, on an
annual basis, `submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a
report on the status and return of stolen, confiscated, or otherwise
unreturned Christian churches, places of worship, and other properties in
or from the Republic of Turkey and in northern Cyprus,’ until the year 2021.

`We commend Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their strong
support of Armenian American issues and their vigilance in standing up for
religious minorities in Turkey,’ stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. `It’s not that more should be done. More must be done to protect
Armenian, Greek, Assyrian and other Christian minorities, their properties,
and their right to practice their religion in their ancestral home,’
Ardouny said.

`I have long been concerned that Christian heritage sites in Turkey have
been deteriorating and disappearing in the face of hostile government
policies,’ Chairman Royce said. `Despite optimistic claims
by Turkish
leaders, a majority of religious properties remain unreturned. There is
even legislation before the Turkish Parliament to convert the landmark
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul from a museum to a mosque. The U.S. must hold
Turkish leaders to their promises. By passing this legislation, the U.S.
sends a message to Turkey that it must return church properties to their
rightful owners, while providing an objective measure of their progress
each year.’

In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Engel recognized Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and
Eastern Prelacy Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, who were both on hand to
witness the committee vote.

In addition to Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, Reps. Chris Smith
(R-NJ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), David Cicilline
(D-RI), Albio Sires (R-NJ), and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) also spoke in favor
of H.R. 4347.

However, the bill was heavily opposed before and during today’s committee
vote. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) issued a letter last Friday calling on his
colleagues to oppose H.R. 4347. After days of working with committee
members to address their concerns, Chairman Royce offered an amended
version of H.R. 4347 at the beginning of the vote, which includes 15 new
findings and a new section that recognizes `some positive decisions last
year by the Turkish government.’ Yet, despite the Chairman’s accommodation
of additional language, Connolly proposed an amendment during the vote that
would have stripped the bill of virtually all of its findings. `I am
fearful,’ Connolly said, restating the false adage that `now is not the
time’ and indicating that `we need Turkey.’ Congressman Gregory Meeks
(D-NY) voiced his support for the Connolly amendment and his strong
opposition to H.R. 4347.

In response, Chairman Royce emphasized that previous attempts to find a
solution, `have not resulted in progress,’ and that Turkey
has been
`haphazard’ in returning confiscated religious property. Ranking Member
Engel, as well as Reps. Cicilline and Lowenthal, also spoke in opposition
to the Connolly amendment and voiced their strong support for H.R. 4347.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) rebuked those opposing the bill, saying `we should
not be fearful’ of Turkey, reminding his colleagues that fear =80=9Cinvites
impunity.’ `If we have the inability to speak out against human rights
abuses then shame on us,’ Smith said. `Friends don’t let friends commit
human rights abuses,’ he added. If you mention the Armenian Genocide in
Turkey `the Gulag will be at your door,’ Smith exclaimed, as he banged his
fist on the desk. `The sword of Damocles hangs over churches in Turkey,’
Smith said.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) also spoke passionately in support of H.R. 4347,
recalling that after the Turkish government threatened to curtail its trade
relations with France for recognizing the Armenian Genocide, trade between
the two countries increased three-fold. The Connolly amendment was defeated
in a voice vote.

Following the Connolly amendment, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) and Rep. George
Holding (R-NC) offered amendments to H.R. 4347 that were adopted by voice
vote. These amendments added language further diluting the spirit of the
bill while simultaneously affording greater acclaim to the Turkish
government for half-measures taken after a century of abuses.

A copy of H.R. 4347, as amended, is available here. The Grayson amendment
is available here, and the Holding amendment is available here.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###

NR: # 2014-037

Photo Caption 1: (Top) HFAC Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA); (Bottom) HFAC Ranking
Member Eliot Engel (D-NY).

Photo Caption 2: Armenian Assembly interns with Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, and Armenian religious dignitaries
after today’s HFAC vote.

Photo Caption 3: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).
Available online:

From: A. Papazian