Author: Andres-Papazian

POLAND’S PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA ON APRIL 24

16:58, 18 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Poland’s President Bronislaw Komorowski will visit Armenia on April
24 for the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration, Vice-President
of the European Parliament Ryszard Czarnecki said in an interview
with Zhoghovurd daily.

“Yes, Serzh Sargsyan has sent an invitation, and the honourable
President will be present in Armenia on that day, he said.

Mr. Czarnecki, who is visiting Armenia to participate in the 4th
Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, said he
hopes to represent the European Parliament on April 24.

From: A. Papazian

POUR SERGE SARKISSIAN, IL EST POSSIBLE DE COMBINER DES LIENS AVEC L’UE ET L’UEE

Diplomatie

L’Armenie reste determinee a forger des liens plus etroits avec
l’Union europeenne, bien qu’elle ait rejoint l’UEE.

Hier, Serge Sarkissian a parle d’une poursuite du “developpement
dynamique” avec l’UE lors d’une prise de parole a Erevan pour une
session de l’Assemblee parlementaire des legislateurs des Etats membres
de l’UE et des ex-republiques sovietiques impliquees dans le programme
de Partenariat oriental.

“Il est possible de combiner l’adhesion de l’Armenie a l’UEE et toutes
les obligations decoulant de cela, ainsi qu’un des liens profonds
et etendus avec l’Union europeenne”, a t-il dit. “En outre, nous
allons essayer de trouver des points de convergence et favoriser la
cooperation et le dialogue en forgeant des liens etroits dans divers
processus d’integration.”

Sarkissian a precise que l’Armenie cherche un partenariat plus
etroit avec l’Union europeenne dans les domaines de la democratie,
des droits humains, de l’independance judiciaire, de la lutte
contre la corruption et des reformes economiques qui permettraient
d’ameliorer l’environnement des affaires du pays. Il a dit qu’Erevan
espère egalement lancer bientôt sur un > avec l’UE
sur l’abolition eventuelle des exigences de visa de l’UE pour les
ressortissants armeniens.

mercredi 18 mars 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

OSCE MONITORING OF KARABAKH-AZERBAIJAN CONTACT LINE PASSED SMOOTHLY

YEREVAN, March 18. /ARKA/. The OSCE mission scheduled monitoring of
the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Hadrut direction,
has passed smoothly, without incidents, on Wednesday, the press office
of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) reported.

>From NKR’s army of defense positions the monitoring was carried
out by Personal Representative to OSCE Chairman-in-Office ambassador
Andjey Kasprshik and his field assistant Irji Aberle (Czech Republic)
and Yevgeny Sharov (Ukraine).

Field assistant to Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Hristo Hristov (Bulgaria) and personal assistant to Personal
Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Simon Tiller (Great
Britain), as well as a mission member from the office of the Personal
Representative Peter Swedberg (Sweden) monitored the situation from
the opposite side.

No cease fire violations were recorded, according to the report. The
mission members were accompanied by representatives of the foreign
and defense ministries of NKR. -0–

From: A. Papazian

PEOPLE’S COUNCIL OF SYRIA HOLDS SESSION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL

12:21 18/03/2015 >> POLITICS

People’s Council of Syria on Tuesday held a special session dedicated
to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the press service
of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports.

Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Jihad al-Laham opened the session.

In his remarks, he noted, “Looming days coincide with Centennial of
the Armenian Genocide, that was committed by the Ottomans against
the friendly Armenian people. In this regard, we express our absolute
solidarity with the friendly Armenian people, as well as our Syrian
Armenian compatriots, who fell victims to the heinous genocide
by the Ottoman authorities. Today we recall the most horrible and
tragic remembrance known to the history. We call on the international
community and all the peoples in the world to be side by side against
the murderers, executioners and terrorism that pose threat to the
Middle East – in order to prevent further crimes against humanity,
civilization and history.”

Afterwards, Mohammad Jihad al-Laham requested the parliamentarians
of the People’s Council of Syria to observe one minute’s silence in
memory of more than 1.5 million innocent victims.

During the session, more than 20 parliamentarians representing
different factions and chairpersons of the permanent commissions
delivered speeches, in which they strongly condemned the grave crime
committed against the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire, at the
same time, calling on the international community to condemn the
first genocide against humanity perpetrated in the 20th century.

From: A. Papazian

REAL: REJECTING DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES CHALLENGE EXISTENCE OF STATE

16:54 18/03/2015 >> SOCIETY

Azerbaijani government has managed to silence its Western critics by
cooperating with the U.S. and Europe on energy and security issues.

However, the government’s recent clampdown has made it difficult to
turn a blind eye; and it seems Azerbaijan and the West have reached
a critical juncture in their relations, one of the leaders of the
Azerbaijani movement REAL (Republican Alternative) writes in his
article, published on the website of Open Democracy.

“Clearly, the Azerbaijani regime intends to secure its longevity by
rejecting democratic principles. But bad governance exacerbates the
security threats, and challenges the very existence of the state. The
eradication of moderate, secular, and liberal democratic voices in a
majority-Muslim society will only serve to bolster religious radicalism
as a viable alternative. The government in fact echoes the rhetoric
of radical voices by attacking civil society and blaming the West
for the plight of the Muslim world,” the author writes stressing that
attacking the West and denying reforms will also make the government
vulnerable to external pressure.

According to the article, Azerbaijani government continues to insist
that the West drop its human rights and democracy agenda when dealing
with Azerbaijan over energy and security cooperation. Things will
be particularly tough for Azerbaijan in 2015 due to the fall in oil
production and prices, which will significantly reduce Azerbaijan’s
revenue. While oil revenue enabled the government to ease tensions
in the past, it admits that this year will be very critical. The
year started with a sharp decline of the Azerbaijani currency, the
stability of which was a matter of pride for the government during
the last decade. Furthermore, sanctions against Russia will affect
remittances from Azerbaijani labor migrants there, which will severely
impact the livelihood of many Azerbaijani citizens.

In its turn, Voice of America writes about Azerbaijan sentencing
opposition activist Siraj Karimov to six years in prison on
drug-related charges. It is also noted in the article that his brother,
Faraj Karimov, an outspoken critic of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev, was arrested last July for allegedly selling drugs and is
presently in pretrial detention. Proceeding with presenting other
political prisoners in the country, it is highlighted in the article
that Azerbaijan will host the European Games this June. British outlet
Reuters turned to the arrest of the oppositionist, too.

“This is another nail in the coffin of freedom of expression in
Azerbaijan. The charges against Siraj Karimli are clearly a response
to his brother’s political activities and criticism of the government.

This sentence not only means an innocent man is going to prison, but
it is intended as a warning to other activists and their families,”
reads the statement of Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s
Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia, published n the website
of the organization.

It is highlighted in the statement that the crackdown on opposition
activists and people who have organized online groups discussing
government policies is not new in Azerbaijan. But increased harassment
and arrests of activists’ family members appear to be part of a new
and chilling trend that further restricts the already very limited
space for freedom of expression in the country.

Related:

Azerbaijani oppositionist – who was arrested confused for his brother –
sentenced to 6 years imprisonment

From: A. Papazian

LE LIVRE > DE HASAN CEMAL EN FRANCAIS SORT EN LIBRAIRIE LE 19 MARS

LIVRES-GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS

Le livre best-seller > du journaliste
turc Hassan Cemal, petit fils du Cemal (Djemal) pacha l’un des trois
dirigeants Jeune-Turcs qui commirent le genocide des Armeniens vient
d’etre traduit en francais nous informe le journal armenien >
a Istanbul. Il sortira en librairie demain 19 mars par les editions
Les Prairies Ordinaires avec pour titre > (288 pages, 23 EURO). Le livre de Hasan Cemal avait paru en turc
en 2012 aux editions >. L’an dernier il fut traduit en
armenien et presente a Erevan par l’auteur. Avec une polemique lors
de cette presentation en Armenie. La traduction armenienne avait
ete amputee de quelques passages lies aux critiques de l’auteur sur
le terrorisme armenienne ainsi que la guerre de liberation du Haut
Karabagh.

Ci-dessous le resume du livre en francais realise par son editeur :

From: A. Papazian

AT THE FOOT OF ARARAT: FIFTH ARMENIAN MEDIA FORUM DEDICATED TO GENOCIDE

12:54 * 18.03.15

The fifth Armenian international media forum, At the Foot of Ararat,
is this year dedicated to the Genocide centenary.

The event, which opened today at the Government’s Reception House,
has brought together over 100 journalists from different countries.

Ara Saghatelyan, the presidential spokesperson who greeted the guests,
said the topic now stands high on the country’s political agenda.

“We cannot circumvent the Genocide topic, seeing that the methods,
which Turkey applied in relation to the Armenians in 1915, are now
repeated in different corners of the world. Media’s role is big in the
prevention of genocide. And they face a higher degree of responsibility
today,” he said.

Saghatelyan further pointed to Turkey’s attempts to create an
information barrier between itself and Armenia despite the short
distance of just 20km.

“Many Armenian websites are blocked in Turkey just because they
address the Armenian Genocide issue. The Turkish authorities believe
that with the help of such barriers, they can ban the society’s access
to information. But that isn’t possible in the modern world. The role
for all of us today is to give Turkey’s society a chance to confront
its own history,” he added.

The spokesperson also referred to the Pan-Armenian Declaration which
he said reflects the entire nation’s approaches, reflecting at the
same time its solidarity with those Turks who dare to speak about
the Genocide as opposed to their government.

“The Armenia-Turkey border must open with urgent efforts, but Turkey
fails to demonstrate enough will,” he added.

From: A. Papazian

HDP PRESENTS 3 MORE ARMENIAN CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 18 2015

Armenian preliminary candidates for the upcoming election, supported
by Nor Zartonk, gathered for a press conference on Wednesday in
Ä°stanbul. (Photo: Today’s Zaman)

March 18, 2015, Wednesday/ 16:42:42/ ZEYNEP KARATAÃ…~^ / ISTANBUL

Three more Armenian candidates were presented for nomination for the
upcoming general election during a press conference held on Wednesday
at the Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association Center in Ä°stanbul.

Filor Uluk, Murad Mıhcı and Diren Cevahir Å~^en are running on the
pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) ticket, the party with
the highest number of minority candidates. Uluk, Mıhcı and Å~^en
will be running as representatives for the Nor Zartonk Initiative —
a civil society group representing Turkey’s Armenian community set
up to fight hate crimes and discrimination.

The conference began with an introduction in Armenian by Nor Zartonk
spokesperson Sayat Tekir. Then, switching to Turkish, Tekir explained:
“We, as the Armenian community, have gone without representation for
55 years. Therefore, it is with great excitement that I present to you
three Armenian preliminary candidates for the upcoming June election.”

Tekir later told Today’s Zaman that there are a total of eight Armenian
preliminary candidates for the upcoming election.

“[In the] democratic portions of Turkish society, through outlets
such as the HDP, public forums, the Gezi Park resistance and several
other fields, they [Armenians] are showing themselves. And in one way
or another [they] are repeating their calls for equality, freedom,
peace and justice,” stated Tekir.

“We are at a historical opportunity because our candidates are
representatives for the Peoples’ Democratic Party and they are
running against a critically anti-democratic 10 percent threshold,
which somehow continues to exist. Every political party, prior to
being elected, has promised that it will lift such a threshold,
but it continues. This is the first time that we might be able to
surpass this 10 percent threshold, and the public is showing us this
[with their support],” claimed Tekir.

Tekir was referring to the HDP’s choice not to present independent
candidates for Parliament, a risky move due to the 10 percent
threshold. If the HDP is not able to surpass the parliamentary
threshold, then all HDP votes will be transferred to the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AK Party), and the HDP will be left
unrepresented in Parliament.

Minority women representation

Uluk was born in 1960 in Samatya, a predominantly Armenian neighborhood
of Ä°stanbul. Throughout the 1990s, she was an active member of parties
such as the People’s Labor Party (HEP), the Social Democratic People’s
Party (SHP) and the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP).

“We are a group living in a society where patriarchy is the model
presented to us. As Armenians, beyond being oppressed, we are the
women whose voices go unheard, of a people that closed ourselves off
under suppression. We are first represented by our fathers, then by
our husbands after we are married, for the most part,” explained Uluk.

“I believe that the time has come for us to take advantage of the
historic opportunity presented to us,” she added.

From: A. Papazian

NEW CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK CELEBRATES THE ARMENIAN CULTURE

Daily Press, Virginia
March 18 2015

As the world reflects on the Armenian tragedy of 1915, Pomegranate
Publishing has released a new children’s picture book, Mariam’s Easter
Parade, which celebrates joyous traditions of the Armenian culture.

April 15, 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide
in which four million Armenian residents are estimated to have died
in Ottoman Turkey.

Written by Marianne Markarian and illustrated by Margaret Markarian
Wasielewski, Mariam’s Easter Parade is a light-hearted story of young
girl who might be too small to help with the Easter preparations,
but she is clever enough to celebrate with her own special parade!

“While it’s important to acknowledge and remember the lives lost to
the genocide, it’s also important to celebrate the traditions of the
Armenian culture, which continues to thrive in a diaspora that extends
from the former Soviet Republic to the United States and Canada,”
said publisher Marianne McCarthy.

Easter is a major holiday for the Armenia people. Not only do
they celebrate their Christian religion, but they also mark the
occasion with food, festivities, and egg-fighting contests. Using her
grandmother’s life in “the old country” as inspiration Markarian has
crafted a story that displays with cultural accuracy how Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire celebrated Easter.

The illustrator is an award-winning artist and member of the Cincinnati
Art Club. Her work has been exhibited in New York, Detroit, Cincinnati,
Florida, and Chicago. Her vivid pastel illustrations portray the
beautiful countryside and colorful dress of the Armenian people in
the early 1900s.

The book is available at Amazon.com as well as independent bookstores
throughout the country. For more information, visit the company’s
website at

From: A. Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN’S NEXT ROLE

Haikazn Ghahriyan, Editor-in-Chief
Comments – 18 March 2015, 15:40

Putting forward the topic of amendments to the Constitution, Serzh
Sargsyan announced, “I will never ever run for the post of president
of the Republic of Armenia. If a way is chosen in the result of the
concluding discussion which will not match my wish, I mean the model
of parliamentary governance, I will not aspire to the post of prime
minister either. One person in Armenia must not contend for the
steering wheel of the country for more than once in his or her life.”

This caused contemplations that Serzh Sargsyan may aspire to the post
of speaker of the National Assembly.

The head of the board of the Armenian Pan-National Movement Ararat
Zurabyan who had met with Serzh Sargsyan said the latter assured him
that he will not aspire to the post of speaker of parliament either.

In other words, Serzh Sargsyan is not aspiring to the top three
administrative posts.

Speaker Galust Sahakyan said the amendments to the Constitution will
not be a hindrance to nominating Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister or
president, adding that every party is free in its nominations for one
post or another. “If he dislikes the model, he will not be nominated.

If the model of governance remains semi-presidential or presidential,
he will not be nominated,” Galust Sahakyan said.

During his meeting with the committee elaborating the draft amendments
Serzh Sargsyan said security issues must be taken into account in
changing the model of governance. In other words, the issue as to
which official will have powers to coordinate the security agencies
was put forward.

In fact, Serzh Sargsyan does not care about the model of governance
or the new hierarchy but which top official will be managing the
security agencies. He has suggested developing a model which will
give a clear answer to this question.

Should it be deduced that after clarifying this detail it will be
clear which office Serzh Sargsyan will be aspiring to? So far one
thing is clear – the amendments to the Constitution catalyzed domestic
developments, and Serzh Sargsyan got a chance to reshape freely the
field called political and neutralize the possible competitors and
set to create a “new government”.

In addition, this is accompanied with an interesting trick. Those
in charge of the country are regularly making unexpected, sometimes
contradictory leaks relating to the amendments to the Constitution,
which seem to be meant to keep up tension and hold the domestic
processes under control.

It should be noted, for example, that two draft amendments may be
put to discussion. Or, the number of members of parliament may be
reduced from 131 to 75. Officials also say that the Constitution may
not amended at all.

It is hard to tell whether this is a developed scheme or the government
has no final decision and is trying out different options to check out
public reaction. However, one thing is clear – the amendments to the
Constitution are not the main subject but a tool through which the
government’s plans relating to both domestic and foreign policies
must be implemented. The model of governance and Serzh Sargsyan’s
future role will be aligned to this.

From: A. Papazian