Author: Antonian Lara

AZERBAIJAN’S 70-YEAR ANTI-ARMENIAN POLICY RESULTED IN SUMAGIT POGROMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.02.2008 16:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s 70-year anti-Armenian policy resulted
in Sumagit pogroms, political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"The Sumgait atrocities can’t even be described as conduct of
normal but embittered by propaganda industry people. Judging by the
large-scale involvement and silent agreement of the population, it’s
easy to conclude that the Azeri nation is seriously ill. Meanwhile,
the leadership keeps on filling the "syndrome of crowd" into the
fevered brain of a Turkic average man," Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

He reminded that in November 1988 a group of young patriots led by Igor
Muradyan (one of the founders of the Karabakh committee) requested
the committee members to introduce a draft resolution recognizing
the Sumgait events as Genocide to the Armenian SSR Supreme Council
session. "However, the committee chaired by Levon Ter-Petrosyan was
busy with a more important task – democratization of Armenia. The
patriots’ demands ended in a fight in then-Theater Square on November
4. The Karabakh committee rejected the proposal. November 21, 1988
emerged as the start of mass killings, pogroms and deportation of
Armenians from Azerbaijan," he said.

"A crime without punishment entails a recurrence. A crime without
condemnation transforms into mass mental disease," he noted.

Sumagit pogroms in February 1988 claimed lives of 32 Armenians. The
Armenian population of the town – some 15 thousand people – fled to
Armenia. Many of them died in Spitak earthquake on December 7, 1988.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN ARMENIA

A1+
28 February, 2008

Today Robert Kocharyan presented credentials to the head of the
European Commission Delegation to Armenia Raul de Luzenberger.

The RA President congratulated the newly appointed head of the
Commission and underlined the importance of establishment of the
European Commission’s permanent mission in Armenia.

Robert Kocharyan underlined the relations with EU and pointed out
the necessity to expand them.

As the Ambassador de Luzenberger mentioned, the EU is interested in
the continuation of stable collaboration with Armenia. In this regard,
he prioritized the proper implementation of the programs within the
frameworks of New Neighborhood Policy.

The parties also discussed the post-election developments in Armenia.

SERBIA GOING TO BRING ACTION AGAINST STATES RECOGNIZING KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2008 14:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Serbia intends to institute suits against the states
which recognized independence of Kosovo. The decision was made during
a session of the Security Council presided by Boris Tadic.

A team of lawyers was formed in the near future to appeal legitimacy of
the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo. The actions will be addressed
to UN International Justice Court and other instances.

Serbia recalls its ambassadors from the states recognizing Kosovo’s
independence which was proclaimed on February 17.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: "LOST PEOPLE IN THAT SQUARE"

Panorama.am
13:50 27/02/2008

"I guess six days are enough to see the reality," talking about the
recent conditions and meetings organized in the Freedom square, said
the president of the RA Robert Kocharyan in an interview given to
Public TV. He said that it is possible to wait for a while but their
tolerance is limited. The president is concerned that legislative
bodies might create attitude of distrust. "There is enough power
and possibilities, but we are conscious that there is a lost mass in
that square."

He said that it is time to wake up and to understand that it is
impossible to come to a power by force. "I direct my words to the
people gathered in the Freedom square, dear people, do not let
irresponsible politicians to make you tools in their hands; it is
not your game and you will not get any use of that game if they win;
you will lose and the country will lose also," said the president.

As for the latest arrests, the president said that they take measures
to guarantee the security, peace of our society. "When a new government
is accomplished, people should see that the wined president is intended
to include in the management not only the Republicans and Prosperous
followers but also other parties," said the president.

ONLY REPENTANCE OF AZERBAIJAN’S LEADERSHIP CAN BECOME A STEP ON WAY OF REVIVAL OF TOLERANCY BETWEEN ARMENIANS AND AZERBAIJANIS

DE FANCTO
Feb 26, 2008

YEREVAN, 26.02.08. DE FACTO. Only the repentance of Azerbaijan’s
political leadership may become a step on the way of revival of
tolerancy between Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples, the President of
the Russian Society for Friendship and Cooperation with Armenia Victor
Krivopuskov stated in the course of an international conference titled
"The Problems of Xenophobia and Tolerancy in the Region of the South
Caucasus" held on February 25 in Yerevan.

Victor Krivopuskov underscored that anti-Armenian pogroms in Soumgait
had been organized, purposeful and planned. "The Azerbaijani leadership
not only committed crime against Armenians, but also against their
own people: those days a lot of Azerbaijanis, who participated in
Armenians’ carnage, became criminals", V. Krivopuskov underscored.

According to Victor Krivopuskov, the Soumgait issue should not be
considered in the context of interethnic conflict only, but also from
historic viewpoint. "Soumgait is a continuation of Turkish policy,
embodiment of the idea of Great Turan under conditions of modern
Azerbaijan", he noted.

According to the Russian public figure, Azerbaijan’s authorities did
not repent for what they had done; moreover, nowadays they continue
aggressive policy of hatred against Armenians that is manifested
in falsifications of historic facts, events of the recent past,
establishment of pseudo history.

He noted that at present Azerbaijan published numerous booklets
and brochures, which reflected anti-Armenian propaganda in Russia
and abroad.

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN IS EQUALLY DISPLEASED BY THE ACTIONS OF THE AUTHORITIES AND THE EX-PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

Mediamax
February 25, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Tomorrow the presidential candidate of Armenia,
Chairman of "Orinats Yerkir" party Artur Baghdasarian will give a news
conference, in which he "will make political and legal assessments
of the past elections and will inform of his further actions".

Mediamax reports that the statement of the pre-election staff of
Artur Baghdasarian, spread today, reads this.

"Yesterday, at 18:00, the Armenian CEC announced during its special
session the final results of the presidential elections. The calling
of the session was announced 30 minutes prior to the session, despite
the fact that the law provides 2 hours for it. The session took place
right after the expiration of the date of vote recount in the polling
stations, not giving the candidates the opportunity to get familiar
with the appeal results and to compare the electoral documents for
revealing the real picture", the statement reads.

"Alongside with this process, arrests of political figures took place
in the country, which surely deserves condemnation. Simultaneously,
at the Freedom Square the process of declaring Levon Ter-Petrosian
President continued, who allegedly had gained 65% of votes, which is
also inadmissible", the statement notes.

"The use of brute force methods by the authorities will increase the
public distrust, will deepen the real possibility of mass public
confrontations, will cast a serious shadow on the international
authority of the country and will subject to doubt the whole process
of presidential elections", the statement reads.

The statement of Artur Baghdasarian’s pre-election staff also notes
that "we consider unacceptable and dangerous any efforts of force
interference and we speak for the solution of the present complex inner
political situation exclusively with the use of political methods".

Toronto Star, Canada
Feb. 26, 2008

Crooked Man’s message lost in mess of a play

Feb 26, 2008 04:30 AM
Richard Ouzounian
Theatre Critic

A Crooked Man
**(out of 4)

By Richard Kalinoski. Directed by Hrant Alianak. Until March 2 at The
Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. W. 416-504-7529

The hardest kind of a review for a critic to write is one of a
production that has the most worthy of intentions but fails to live
up to them in its execution.

That’s exactly what happens with A Crooked Man, playing until this
Sunday at the Theatre Centre.

Richard Kalinoski’s script has a lot on its mind – too much, in fact,
to fit into 90 intermissionless minutes. He wants to make us aware
once again of the horror of the 1915 genocide, in which up to 1.5
million Armenians were slaughtered by the Turks. Turkey denies the
genocide happened.

But he also wants to pose the moral dilemma of whether a man who
kills a mass murderer acts out of revenge or righteousness, as well
as dig deep into the psyche of an 88-year-old survivor of this
holocaust and make him come to terms with some even more shocking
events from his past.

But we’re not done yet. There are also narrative threads about
inter-generational communication, respect for the elderly and the
importance of family.

Is it any wonder that A Crooked Man frequently seems less like an
actual play than the outline for a play that Kalinoski meant to
write, but never got around to finishing?

The dialogue is more interested in establishing historical facts and
making Dr. Phil-like psychological points than sounding like anything
human beings might actually say.

And any playwright who decides that his climactic scene has to take
place on a roof should think twice if he knows it’s being done in a
low-budget production.

When we should be thinking about the play’s message, we’re actually
worrying whether Hrant Alianak (as the 88-year-old Hagop) and Garen
Boyajian (as his 26-year-old journalist grandson) are going to
survive on the rickety scaffolding that pretends to be a rooftop.

Alianak, who excels at playing juicy, melodramatic villains, isn’t
very convincing as a tortured old man and Boyajian has a certain
sweetness but doesn’t really connect to Alianak at any point in their
lengthy scenes together, which make up most of the show.

Carlo Essagian and Michael Kazarian are pretty embarrassing as a
variety of characters, acting in the stiff style that marks the
lesser ranks of community theatre.

Only Araxi Arslanian gives her scenes any reality and you sigh with
relief each time she appears.

Socially conscious playwrights take heed: it’s not enough to have
something worthwhile to say, you’ve got to say it in a worthwhile
manner as well.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Feb 21 2008

OSCE to Hold Next Monitoring on Armenian-Azerbaijani Contact Line
21.02.08 12:08

Azerbaijan, Baku, 21 February / Trend News corr. E.Heseyinli / There
are plans to hold monitoring on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line
near Garakhanbayli village of Fizuli region due to the mandate of the
OSCE private representative on 22 February, the Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry press-service reported to Trend News.

OSCE holds regular monitorings on the contact line after the
agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia was signed in 1994. Anjey
Kaspshik, personal representative of OSCE chairman, stated to
journalists that they were informed of the ceasefire agreement being
regularly violated.

The monitoring will be held from the Azerbaijani side by Piter Ki,
Imre Palatinus and Jaslan Nurtazin, field assistants of the personal
representative of OSCE chairman.

Antal Kherdic and Miroslav Vimetal, assistants of personal
representative of OSCE current chairman, will hold the monitoring
>From the Armenian side.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988, due to the Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
Since 1992, the Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of
Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
neighbouring districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a
ceasefire agreement which ended the active hostilities. The Co-Chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently
holding the peaceful negotiations.

NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY…

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
21-02-2008

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the resolution passed on
February 20, 1988 at the extraordinary session of the Soviet of
People’s Deputies of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, the
Nagorno Karabakh National Assembly:

– reaffirms the determination of the people of Artsakh, which is
embodied in the Constitution adopted at the nationwide referendum on
December 10, 2006, to build a democratic, sovereign state that has been
proclaimed on the basis of the right to free self-determination on
September 2, 1991 and vested with independence at the Referendum of
December 10 of the same year;
– certifies that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is ready to resolve
the existing differences with Azerbaijan exclusively by means of
negotiations;
– insists that the authorities of Azerbaijan respect their
obligations to the international community, including the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic; abandon the unpromising policy of confrontation and
form an atmosphere of confidence and tolerance between the parties,
which will have a positive impulse on the efforts at finding ways for a
comprehensive settlement;
– appeals to the Parliaments of all States, the United Nation and
other interested international structures to promote a dialogue between
the elected representatives of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Azerbaijan;
– expresses certainty that the international community properly
values the achievements of the Nagorno Karabakh people in building a
democratic state governed by the rule of law, forming a civil society
and takes with understanding its legal aspiration to become a full
member of the community of free states.
This statement was made public and was fully approved at the
nationwide meeting attended by thousands of people on Revival Square of
Stepanakert.
February 20, 2008

BLACK BOXES RELEASED

Panorama.am
16:14 22/02/2008

The examination and the releasing activities of black boxes of
"Belavia" airplane finished. The airplane was crashed at "Zvartnots"
airport, Yerevan on 14 February. According to Artyom Movsisyan the
head of the civil aviation department the engines of the airplane
were not broken and they worked even when the airplane crashed. Thus
it did not have any technical defect.

Movsisyan said that the committee should publish its report only after
the Canadian company accomplishes mathematical examination. The head
of the department refused to comment on the situation.