Author: Antonian Lara

RPA LEADER FORECASTS NK PROBLEM’S SOLUTION IN 2012

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 6 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The outcome of the meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Moscow on October 6
fully depends on Azerbaijan’s position, on whether it will state
a willingness to continue the negotiations from the point at which
they were discontinued. Spartak Seyranian, member of the RA National
Assembly ARF faction and the ARF Armenia Supreme Board, expressed
this opinion at the October 6 briefing.

As regards the statement that the EU Special Representative to the
South Caucasus Peter Semneby recently made in Brussels to the effect
that Armenia and Azerbaijan are playing for time in the issue of the
Karabakh conflict, S. Seyranian noted that as a rule, statements of
representatives of international structures involved in the settlement
process are based on "the subjective notions or impressions of the
given person concerning some issue." In his opinion, "no statement
made by an official reflects the real state of affairs."

According to the secretary of the Justice faction Grigor Harutyunian,
"there are always great expectations" prior to any meeting held within
the framework of negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh problem, but
"unfortunatley, these expectations never realize." He expressed an
opinion that neither the Armenian president not the Azerbaijani one
are interested in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, since
"it prolongs their term of office."

In the view of leader of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Galust
Sahakian, the only expectation from the current meeting of the two
foreign ministers is that "dicussion volumes between the presidents
of the two countries will somewhat become active." In connection with
P. Semneby’s statement, the deputy noted that the delay is not only
related to the two states but also conditioned by the fact that no
deep discussions take place in the international community. "I do not
see that a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh problem will be found in
2006. Moreover, I see solutions in 2012," G. Sahakian said.

‘FRANCE HAS TO BE RECONCILED TO LOSING TURKEY’

AZG Armenian Daily #191, 07/10/2006

Turkey

Spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Namik Tan, at a weekly
meeting with journalists yesterday said that once the French Parliament
adopts the draft bill penalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide,
France will have to be reconciled to the fact of losing Turkey. The
draft bill is to be discussed on October 12. This threatening rhetoric
together with futile visit of Turkish delegation to Paris last week
display that official Ankara’s concerns about adoption of the bill
are very serious.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

SERJ TANKIAN WELCOMES HOAGLAND "HOLD"

— System of a Down Vocalist Praises
New Jersey Senator’s Principled Stand

"[Bob Menendez’s] principled stand represents a powerful
contribution to the worldwide effort to end the denial
of justice for this crime, and break forever the
worldwide cycle of genocide." — Serj Tankian

WASHINGTON, DC – Serj Tankian, lead singer for the Grammy Award-
winning band System of a Down, has welcomed the "hold" placed by
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) on the confirmation of Richard
Hoagland as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia until the Bush
Administration ends its denial of the Armenian Genocide.

"I respect U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s decision to block the
President’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Armenia until the Bush
Administration ends its cover-up of the Armenian Genocide," said
Serj Tankian. "His principled stand represents a powerful
contribution to the worldwide effort to end the denial of justice
for this crime, and break forever the worldwide cycle of genocide."

This April, Tankian was joined by fellow System member John
Dolmayan in a three-day Armenian Genocide recognition advocacy tour
of Washington, DC, featuring meetings with Members of Congress, an
anti-denial rally outside the Turkish Embassy, and a Capitol Hill
screening of the new Genocide documentary "Screamers." For a full
review of the tour, visit:
leases.php?prid=945

In announcing his decision last month to block the Hoagland
nomination, Sen. Menendez stressed that, "as a leader and defender
of democracy, it is our nation’s responsibility to speak out
against injustice and support equality and human rights. But if
the Bush Administration continues to refuse to acknowledge the
atrocities of the Armenian Genocide, then there is certainly cause
for great alarm, which is why I am placing a hold on this nominee."
He added that, "I will continue to work with my colleagues in the
United States Senate to make strides toward ensuring that all
people, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, receive
protection from policies of discrimination and hate that lead to
genocide."

On September 7th, after more than forty minutes of intense debate,
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Ambassador-
Designate Hoagland’s nomination. Following the vote, the ANCA
announced that it would continue to urge Senators to place a hold
on the Hoagland nomination. On two previous occasions, June 28th
and August 1st, the panel delayed its consideration of the
nomination due to bipartisan concerns over a series of
controversies. Among these points of contention were the nominee’s
written responses to Senator Boxer’s inquiry, in which he
questioned the genocidal intent of the Ottoman Turkish government.
Also of concern to members of the panel was the State Department’s
firing of the current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshal
Evans. His early recall from Yerevan is widely seen as retribution
for his public statements, in February of 2005, calling for an end
to "word games" by the U.S. government in avoiding the proper
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Despite dozens of
Congressional inquiries, the Administration has yet to explain its
reasons for firing Amb. Evans or to reveal the communications it
received from the Turkish government on this matter.

To date, more than half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
including Senators George Allen (R-VA), Joseph Biden (D-DE),
Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Norm Coleman,
Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Russell Feingold (D-WI), John Kerry (D-
MA), Barack Obama (D-IL) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), have contacted
Secretary Rice or questioned Ambassador-designate Hoagland directly
regarding his nomination or the firing of Ambassador Evans.
Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Jack Reed
(D-RI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and most recently John Ensign (R-NV),
along with over sixty Members of the U.S. House have also expressed
serious concerns to the State Department on this matter.

In a September 1st letter, the ANCA urged Members of the Committee
to block the Hoagland nomination until:

1) Ambassador-designate Hoagland provides a responsible and
unambiguous public statement affirming that he does not question
the clear genocidal intent of the Ottoman Turkish government
against its Armenian population.

2) The State Department provides a full, honest, and public
explanation regarding the reasons for the controversial firing of
the current Ambassador, John Marshall Evans.

3) The Administration explains any and all communications,
directly or indirectly, between the U.S. government and the Turkish
government concerning Ambassador Evans.

Since February of this year, the ANCA has led nationwide efforts to
demand answers concerning the recall of Ambassador Evans and,
later, to educate Senators about the adverse impact of sending an
envoy to Armenia that has called into question the genocidal
character of Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its
Armenian population.

#####

STOP BARBARIAN DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN CHURCHES IN AZERBAIJAN

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2006

According to the information DE FACTO Information-Analytics Agency
received at the reliable sources, on the first days of October the
St. Sargis Church built in 1716 had been destroyed in the village of
Erkej, Shahumyan region, controlled by Azerbaijan.

DE FACTO Information-Analytics Agency again urges the world’s
humanitarian organizations, clergymen of all confessions to demand
that Azerbaijan stop barbarian destruction of the Armenian churches
on the territories controlled by the Republic. We call on the UNESCO
and the CIS and OSCE competent structures to hold monitoring on the
territories and put the rest of the monuments of the Armenian temple
architecture in Azerbaijan under control.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2006

Paros Foundation
Contact: Peter J. Abajian
36 Demirjian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
01137493-99-80-99
[email protected]
www.p aros.am

PAROS CHAMBER CHOIR CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE

YEREVAN, ARMENIA-On September 20, the Paros Chamber Choir held a
Concert "Celebrating 15 Years of Independence" at the Gomidas Chamber
Music Hall. More than 275 people filled the concert hall to listen to
this amazing group of performers.

"It was a great honor for us to dedicate tonight’s Concert to the
celebration of Armenia’s Independence," said Armen Alaverdyan,
Director of the Paros Chamber Choir. "We were so pleased that both
our local population as well as our friends from around the world
joined us this evening and enjoyed our performance."

The Concert, which was held the evening following the Third Diaspora
Conference and a day prior to Armenia’s Independence Day Celebration
drew a wide range of concert goers including first time visitors to
Armenia.

"It is a source of great pride for me personally to see our guests
enjoying themselves at our concerts," said Maestro Vachagan
Navasardyan, who has worked with the choir over the last 13 years.

Since 1993, the Paros Chamber Choir has dazzled audiences throughout
Armenia, the Middle East and Europe with their repertoire of classic
chamber music and ethnic folk music by Armenian, Russian and Western
composers. The Paros Chamber Choir has blossomed into a beacon of
hope for people with disabilities in Armenia as most members of the
Choir are individuals with spinal cord injuries.

The Paros Chamber Choir takes its name from the Armenian word for
lighthouse. Indeed the choir is seen as a beacon of hope by fans
around the world. The Choir entertains worldwide audiences,
participates in international competitions and encourages people with
disabilities to live full and active lives.

The Paros Foundation, a California-based foundation organized the
successful Concert, which was sponsored by the Kulhanjian-Strauch
Family.

"Two of the goals of the Foundation are to promote and nurturing
Armenia’s culture and to help improve the quality of lives of people
with disabilities in Armenia," said Peter Abajian, Executive Director
of the Paros Foundation. "The Paros Chamber Choir is a bright star
within Armenia and we hope to help them deliver their message to the
world."

###

L’ARMENIE SOUS LES FEUX DE LA RAMPE

La Tribune , France
5 octobre 2006

500 manifestations en France celèbrent la force et la perennite de la
culture armenienne. Expositions, concerts, films… sont programmes
jusqu’au 14 juillet 2007.

Armenie mon amie " : c’est le joli label, choisi par l’operateur public
francais pour les echanges culturels internationaux, Culturesfrance,
pour les 500 manifestations de la saison armenienne prevues jusqu’au
14 juillet. Lancee par le concert de Charles Aznavour, samedi dernier,
sur la grand-place d’Erevan (retransmis sur Arte le 12 novembre a 19
heures), devant une foule immense et en presence de Jacques Chirac,
premier chef d’Etat francais a faire le voyage, cette saison prend une
ampleur exceptionnelle, pourvue d’un budget de 1,3 million d’euros de
fonds publics et de 350.000 euros de mecenat. Forte de 450.000 membres,
la communaute des Armeniens de France est l’une des plus importantes
au monde, et s’implique totalement, a Paris comme en regions, dans
la diffusion de sa culture multimillenaire, malmenee par l’histoire,
victime du genocide de 1915, que la France fut le premier pays a
reconnaître en 2001.

La richesse et la singularite du patrimoine de cette nation unique
a plus d’un titre, première au monde a avoir adopte le christianisme
en l’an 301, dotee d’un alphabet propre etabli un siècle plus tard,
expliquent le nombre et la variete des expositions prevues tout
au long de cette saison. Parmi les plus importantes : a Paris,
au Louvre, " Armenia Sacra " exposera les chefs-d’oeuvre de l’art
chretien et la Bibliothèque nationale montrera son très riche fonds
de manuscrits armeniens, tandis qu’a Marseille le musee de la Vieille
Charite s’interessera a l’evolution de cette ecriture sur differents
supports et celui d’Arles aux vestiges des differentes civilisations
qui jalonnent son histoire.

Tradition vocale. L’Armenie s’est aussi distinguee par une longue
tradition picturale dont l’exposition " Peintures en Armenie " au Petit
Palais, a Paris, rendra compte. Deux grands pionniers de la modernite
feront quant a eux l’objet d’expositions monographiques : Arshile Gorky
au Centre Pompidou et Martiros Sarian a Issy-les-Moulineaux. L’art
actuel ne sera pas de reste avec des expositions dans les musees d’Art
contemporain de Strasbourg, Lyon, Saint-Etienne et une installation
de Sarkis au Louvre.

La musique forme le deuxième pôle de cette saison avec les tournees en
France d’orchestres classiques (Orchestre philharmonique d’Erevan), de
formations chorales caracteristiques de la tradition vocale armenienne
(Choeur Hover) et de groupes de la creation actuelle comme l’Armenian
Navy Band, auteur des musiques des films du cineaste Robert Guediguian.

Le programme cinema est egalement bien fourni avec des retrospectives
consacrees aux grandes figures du septième art en Armenie et dans
la diaspora : Serguei Paradjanov aux cinemathèques de Toulouse et
de Lyon et a Bobigny, Robert Mamoulian a la Cinemathèque de Paris et
Atom Egoyan au Centre Pompidou. Mais il faudra compter aussi avec des
spectacles de danse, de theâtre, des colloques, des manifestations
sur la litterature, dont le Printemps des poètes en mars prochain.

–Boundary_(ID_GPW9dizcC3r0cilxunBZOw)- –

LINDEN: "THE ARMENIA ISSUE CANNOT BE A PRECONDITION"

Turkish Press
Star
Oct 3 2006

Rene Van der Linden, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE), said yesterday that Armenian issue could
not be a precondition for Turkey’s European Union membership.

Criticizing French President Jacques Chirac’s recent remarks that
Turkey should recognize so-called Armenian genocide in order to access
the EU, Linden said that his statements were political.

Stressing that the remarks had been made as Turkey was implementing
a number of reforms and had kept its promises to the bloc, the
president said that new conditions could not be put before Ankara
as it implemented the others. The EU and the Council of Europe are
separate institutions.

ARMENIANS ARE HOSTAGES IN RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS

A1+
[06:58 pm] 03 October, 2006

Today Vahan Hovhannesyan, NA deputy speaker referred to the
Russian-Georgian relations and the difficulties Armenia might face
in case the Russian-Georgian antagonism deepens. He said, "I think
this is not the first case when Russia ignores the Armenian interests.

They expect a comprehensive approach by us. But I cannot understand
their position as in my opinion Russia, our military partner, willingly
or unwillingly, joins Armenia’s blockade".

Vahan Hovhannesyan maintains that release of the Russian officers
and their exile to Russia will significantly facilitate the Russian
stance towards Georgia. "As for the Georgians they might try to take
their revenge on Russia in other way, I cannot predict", says Vahan
Hovhannesyan.

Armenian-Russian intergovernmental session will be convened in the
nearest future where alongside with a number of issues, the Armenian
future will be discussed regarding the deterioration of Russian –
Georgian relations.

Asked about the Armenian-Georgian relations, taking into consideration
the fact there are a lot of Armenians are in custody in Georgia for
their attempt to enter Georgia illegally, Mr. Hovhannesyan answered,
"Our citizens have violated the Georgian law and we can do nothing on
this score". Tomorrow Dashnaktsutyun faction will arouse this question
in the National Assembly as "We don’t want to leave our citizens in
Georgia as hostages because of the discord among other countries".

CHIRAC AU NOM DE LA MEMOIRE
Dominique Garraud

Charente Libre
2 octobre 2006

L’enjeu principal n’est pas de contraindre la Turquie a faire
repentance, mais bien de l’amener a scruter sans complaisance les
pages noires de son Histoire

Pour la première visite officielle d’un President francais dans la
jeune republique d’Armenie, un geste fort de Jacques Chirac etait
attendu. Il est venu lors d’une conference de presse, lorsque
la question lui fut posee de savoir si pour entrer dans l’Union
europeenne, la Turquie devait d’abord reconnaître le genocide
armenien. Honnetement, je le crois, a repondu le chef de l’Etat,
soulignant qu’a l’instar de l’Allemagne qui a reconnu la Shoah, une
nation se grandit de reconnaître les erreurs qu’elle a pu commettre.

Outre que la comparaison avec la Shoah risque d’etre fort mal prise
a Ankara où les autorites nient toujours la realite du genocide de
1915 et son bilan de 1,5 million de morts, Jacques Chirac ne pouvait
guère aller plus loin que la delivrance d’un conseil. La Commission
europeenne et la semaine dernière le Parlement europeen ont en effet
formellement exclu que la reconnaissance par Ankara du genocide
armenien constitue un prealable a l’adhesion de la Turquie. Sans
incidence directe sur le dossier turc vis-a-vis de Bruxelles, le coup
d’eclat de Jacques Chirac a Erevan a une double portee, de politique
interieure a court terme, a long terme sur le plan des valeurs
partagees de l’Europe politique. Le soutien sans reserve apporte
au respect de la memoire armenienne gomme une image chiraquienne
turcophile entretenue par son approbation d’une adhesion a terme
de la Turquie. Il lui permet aussi de justifier son opposition a un
amendement socialiste prochainement examine a l’Assemblee preconisant
l’ajout de peines penales pour negationnisme dans la loi francaise
de 2001 qui reconnaît formellement l’existence du genocide armenien.

Dans la lignee de sa reconnaissance de la responsabilite de l’Etat
francais de Vichy dans la deportation des juifs lors de son discours
de 1995 au Vel d’Hiv, Jacques Chirac montre un souci salutaire d’un
devoir de memoire et d’histoire qui ecarte de toute exploitation
politicienne des tragedies comme le genocide armenien.

Plus qu’une mise en garde a la Turquie, la declaration d’Erevan est
un encouragement a destination des autorites d’Ankara, pour qu’elles
rompent avec des decennies de negation en poursuivant resolument
le chemin qui les a recemment conduites a envisager la mise sur
pied d’une commission mixte turco-armenienne d’historiens sur les
massacres de 1915. L’enjeu principal n’est pas de contraindre la
Turquie a faire repentance, mais bien de l’amener a scruter sans
complaisance les pages noires de son Histoire condamnables a l’aune
des valeurs europeennes qu’elle pretend vouloir partager. Ces valeurs
doivent conduire la Turquie a admettre qu’etre Europeen signifie aussi
reconnaître pleinement son voisin armenien et les douleurs d’un passe
qui ne peut etre passe sous silence.

–Boundary_(ID_qdUwU3Ip6eHxxHINwcbJZg)–

DAVITAYA: RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE SENT ARMENIAN SPIES TO GEORGIA

Azeri Press Agency
Sept 30 2006

"Armenians’ autonomy in Georgia is out of question. We perfectly
realize their aim," Pata Davitaya, Georgian parliamentarian and UN
International Academy of Information member told journalists, APA
reports. He commented on the current tense relations between Georgia
and Russia.

"The conflict between Georgia and Russia is not good for any country
in the region. We hope to solve the problem peacefully. This is the
problem of the governments but not nations," he said.

The parliamentarian also said Russian intelligence service sent
Armenian spies to Georgia.