Author: Babajanian Karo

DRAFT RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL TO BE DISCUSSED AT EPP’S SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS

YEREVAN, March 2. /ARKA/. The draft resolution on the centennial of
the Armenian genocide is planned to be discussed at the summit of the
European People’s Party (EPP), the press office of Armenia’s ministry
of education and science reported.

The summit will take place in Brussels on March 2-4 and will be
attended by the deputy head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) and minister of education and science Armen Ashotyan.

The draft resolution is elaborated by the RPA, together with Orinats
Yerkir and Heritage parties. On February 10, 2012, the RPA obtained
an observer’s status in the EPP. The same status was provided also
to Orinats Yerkir and Heritage Armenian parties.

Armenian Genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century.

Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one
and a half million Armenians during World War I.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S.

states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina,
Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of
Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. -0–

FOOTBALL-CHAMPIONNAT D’ALLEMAGNE
Henrikh Mkhitaryan a enfin marqué pour Borussia Dortmund en Bundesliga

Depuis le début du championnat d’Allemagne, en juillet dernier,
l’international arménien du Borussia Dortmund n’avait pas marqué en
Bundesliga. Après deux blessures et des périodes de doute, l’Arménien
vient de marquer son premier but du championnat de cette saison, lors
de la 23ème journée face à Schalke 04. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, arrivé
l’été 2013 au Borussia Dortmund marque ainsi son 10ème but en
championnat d’Allemagne.

L’Arménien qui a pleinement retrouvé sa confiance était l’un des
meilleurs joueurs sur le champ samedi après-midi, parcourant des
espaces importants, de la défense à l’attaque, en passant par le
centre. Henrikh Mkhitaryan qui marqua son superbe but à la 79e minute
fut également l’auteur de la dernière passe sur le premier but du
Borussia, marqué par Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (77e).

Le dernier but du Borussia étant marqué par Reus (85e). Borussia
Dortmund s’imposant sur le score de 3-0 face à Schalke 04 devant un
stade Signal Induna Park de Dortmund plein à craquer avec 80 000
spectateurs. Le match était suivi en direct par des dizaines de
millions de téléspectateurs en Allemagne ainsi que dans de nombreux
pays. Les téléspectateurs ont remarqué les yeux humides d’Henrikh
Mkhitaryan après son but de la délivrance d’une période noire. La roue
de la malchance que cumulait l’Arménien semble avoir tourné…Enfin !

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 1er mars 2015,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

UNEMPLOYMENT AND DANGER OF RENEWED WAR NAMED AS LARGEST CHALLENGES FACING ARMENIA

YEREVAN, March 2. / ARKA /. Over 40% of respondents of a last autumn
survey named unemployment and the danger of a renewed war as the
largest challenges facing Armenia. The survey conducted by Gallup
International Association office in Armenia in 2014 November involved
1,067 respondents.

Asked which were the most serious challenges faced by their country
right now 43% of respondents said it was unemployment and as many
said it was the likelihood of renewed hostilities.

These findings were announced today by the head of Gallup International
Association in Armenia Aram Navasardyan

Other largest challenges were emigration and poverty.-0-

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN: ANC CANCELS ALL 15 RALLIES TO BE HELD TILL APRIL 24

by Nana Martirosyan

Monday, March 2, 10:52

Armenian National Congress (ANC) has refuses from all the 15 rallies
that were scheduled till April 24, the statement came from Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia, the leader of the
Armenian National Congress, at the March 1 rally in Liberty Square.

He said ANC is ready to grant all the days of the sanctioned rallies
to the political forces that blame ANC for ‘privatizing’ the Liberty
Square. Ter-Petrosyan said ANC and he personally look to unmask all
the pseudo-oppositionists that try to bribe the opposition public
and help the incumbent authorities retain power. In this light,
Ter-Petrosyan pointed at the Founding Parliament.

“The ANC members are happy to assist the new Babel builders, if
their intentions are sincere. However, I have great doubts about it,”
he said.

Meanwhile, Ter-Petrosyan said, ANC needs time to realize the political
reality and develop a new concept of actions after the political
persecution of Prosperous Armenia Party and its leader Gagik Tsarukyan.

“ANC has not managed to achieve its major goal i.e. to root out the
vicious regime,” ANC leader said. In this light, he said, ANC has
enlisted the Diaspora’s support through secret correspondence.

At the same time, Ter-Petrosyan once again criticized the Pan-Armenian
Declaration on the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which,
as he thinks, will affect the relations with many countries and
torpedo the Karabakh peace process as well as the Armenian-Turkish
normalization.

“The short-sighted policy of the incumbent authorities will affect
Armenia, Artsakh and the people,” the first president said.

Ter-Petrosyan urged everyone present in the Liberty Square to declare
March 1 as a national day of commemoration of the victims of the March
1, 2008 rally and a national day of protest against the state terror
and pressure.

The rally was followed with a march to the Monument for Myasnikyan
where the action participated laid wreaths in memory of the March
1 victims.

The ANC started organizing rallies in Yerevan on Feb 20 2008 protesting
against the presidential election of 2008. Post-election unrest and
clashes with police on March 1 2008 resulted in 10 deaths and over
200 wounded

MARCH 1 RALLY: ANC LEADER ANNOUNCES TWO-MONTH BREAK IN STREET PROTESTS

POLITICS | 01.03.15 | 19:29

The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) will hold no
rallies for at least two months, the opposition party’s leader
Levon Ter-Petrosyan told several thousand supporters who gathered in
Yerevan’s Liberty Square on Sunday afternoon.

Ter-Petrosyan said the decision was based on the current reality in
which, according to him, the ANC again remains alone in the opposition
camp. He said that time is needed to assess the potential for further
struggle by means of rallies.

The ANC had planned to participate in a joint rally with Heritage
and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) on February 20, but after the
PAP effectively pulled out of the opposition coalition following a
government crackdown earlier last month, the Ter-Petrosyan-led party
decided to schedule its rally for March 1, which marks the seventh
anniversary of the deadly 2008 post-election clashes.

In explaining his decision to declare a pause in rallies, Ter-Petrosyan
also said that the ANC did not want to obstruct in any way the
organization and holding of events commemorating the centennial of
the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The main events are due to
take place on April 24.

After the rally, ANC supporters marched towards the Myasnikyan Statue,
the scene of the most violent clashes between demonstrators and
security forces on March 1-2, 2008. They laid flowers at the monument
in memory of the 10 people who were killed in the unrest that night.

Artsakh Remembers Sumgait Pogroms, 1,200 ARF Members Join Commemoration

By Weekly Staff on February 28, 2015

STEPANAKERT (A.W.)–Around 1,200 members of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) joined high-level officials and
citizens in Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) on Feb. 27 to commemorate the
27th anniversary of the Sumgait anti-Armenian pogroms, which took
place in 1988.

More than 1,000 ARF-D members traveled from Armenia to Artsakh to
participate in the commemoration events, carrying a message of
solidarity.

Artsakh President Bako Sahagyan, Speaker of the National Assembly
Ashot Ghulyan, high-level officials, and clergy–including Primate of
the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev
Martirosyan–visited the Sumgait Memorial site in Stepanakert, where
they laid flowers. ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian led the
visiting party members in the commemoration events, reported
YerkirMedia.

The 1988 anti-Armenian Sumgait pogroms are commemorated in Artsakh,
with the participation of around 1,200 ARF-D members. (Photo:
Aparaj.am)

Sahagyan met with the ARF-D representatives and a delegation of
Artsakh War veterans from Armenia, as well as members of Armenia’s
National Assembly.

ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian joined President Bako Sahagyan
and other high-level officials in the commemoration ceremonies.
(Photo: Aparaj.am)

Speaking with the Armenian Weekly on Feb. 25, ARF-D Bureau member Giro
Manoyan said the purpose of the visit was to express support for
Artsakh. “The visits to the military units and outposts are aimed at
bringing attention to the constant ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan
and expressing support to our soldiers who are defending the borders
and the line of contact. The meetings with the Republic of Artsakh
leadership are also to express support to Artsakh,” said Manoyan.

2014 was the bloodiest year in the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict since the
1990’s, with 39 Azerbaijanis and 33 Armenians killed. By comparison,
the previous worst year on record, 2012, saw 14 Armenian and 20
Azerbaijani soldiers killed.

This year marks the 27th anniversary of the deadly pogroms of Sumgait,
which took place on Feb. 27, 1988. The pogroms are considered the
beginning of a systematic campaign by Azerbaijan’s OMON Special Forces
to use mass violence to uproot Armenians from Azerbaijan and Karabagh.
The Sumgait tragedy and its violent repetitions throughout the country
between 1988-91 led to the disappearance of 450,000 Armenians living
in the long-established Armenian community of Azerbaijan.

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES WILL TRY TO CREATE PRO-WESTERN OPPOSITION – POLITICAL ENGINEER

10:37 * 02.03.15

In an interview with Tert.am, the political engineer Vigen Hakobyan
said he expects the Armenian authorities to make attempts to create
a more or less Western-like opposition to raise the advantages of
the dialogue with Russia.

Mr Hakobyan, who do you think will fill the existing vacuum in the
opposition, and how long is this going to last?

I think it is the opposition that’s more concerned about that, as it
is going to to put the constitutional reforms package to a referendum.

So given the existing vacuum today, it needs opposing forces, as a
matter of fact. And to conduct a democratic referendum and ensure a
democratic process, it first of all needs an opposition, people who
will object to all that. My impression is that the authorities have
now started creating an opposition, naming certain people and dropping
certain hints. If you have noticed, the parliament’s latest four-day
session was quite active, with both the traditional oppositionists –
ANC [Armenian National Congress] members – trying to take advantage of
the vacuum and the oppositionists who try to act individually seeking
to pave their way into this domain with more abrupt speeches. But I
too, insist and think that the authorities will, nonetheless, try to
form a more western-like opposition.

Do you already see such a force?

No, there isn’t such a force at present; what we see are just
individuals.

But why by all means a pro-Western opposition?

A pro-Western opposition is advantageous in terms of the dialogue with
Russia, as you will be able to say ‘I have quite a serious opposition
and need your support’. And that support can be both political and
financial, but on the other hand, you tell the same Americans and
Europeans that we maintain normal relations also with the Western side.

ARMENIE
Rencontre avec le Ministre de la Protection de la Nature, Aramayis Grigorian

Mardi 17 février, l’Ambassadeur de France en Arménie Monsieur
Jean-François Charpentier a été reçu par le Ministre de la Protection
de la Nature, Aramayis Grigorian.

Le Ministre de la Protection de la Nature de la République d’Arménie
et l’Ambassadeur de France ont abordé les points liés à la
programmation de la conférence pour la conférence COP 21 de Paris
2015, notamment sous l’angle des engagements nationaux.

L’Ambassadeur de France en Arménie a réaffirmé son souhait de
renforcer la coopération bilatérale dans le domaine de l’environnement
et de la protection de la nature.

Monsieur Jean-François Charpentier a ainsi annoncé que, dans le cadre
du barrage de Védi, financé par l’AFD, le Fonds Français pour
l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM) va mettre en place un financement
complémentaire pour la préservation de la biodiversité dans la zone de
couverture du barrage.

ambassade de France en Arménie

dimanche 1er mars 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

US Official News
February 27, 2015 Friday

Rep. Chu Commemorates Sumgait Pogroms

Washington

Office of the House of Representative Judy Chu, U.S Government has
issued the following news release:

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) today spoke on the House Floor in remembrance of
the Sumgait Pogroms that started in 1988. The Pogroms began in
response to a peaceful movement towards self determination in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Rep. Chu’s comments are below:

“Twenty-seven years ago, as the lines of the Soviet Union were fading,
the people of Nagorno-Karabakh were united in a call for a say in
their own futures and greater independence from Azerbaijan. This
peaceful movement for self-determination and freedom was followed by
premeditated and government-sponsored attacks.

“Over the next two years, the Armenian population in the territory of
Artsakh was repeatedly victim to brutal and racially motivated
pogroms, darkly reminiscent of the days of the Armenian Genocide.
Hundreds were murdered, thousands were displaced, and the Armenian
community – both in Artsakh and in exile – continues to bear the scars
from the brutal attacks in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku.

“When the people of Nagorno-Karabakh officially declared independence
on December 10, 1991, they were met with full-scale war lasting until
1994. Even today, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are still forced to
live under constant ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan.

“As we commemorate the somber anniversary marking the struggle of the
Nagorno-Karabakh people, we wish for the peaceful resolution of this
conflict and hope that its citizens will be free to determine their
own future.”

PURSING JUSTICE THROUGH ART 2015: MULTI-CULTURAL GENOCIDE EXHIBITION AT WHISTLER HOUSE MUSEUM OF ART

13:56, 02 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

As April is International Genocide Month, the Whistler House Museum
of Art is planning a Multi-Cultural Genocide exhibition and symposium
entitled Pursuing Justice Through Art: 2015. In conjunction with the
symposium, which will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday,
April 18, there will be an art exhibition which will be presented in
the Parker Gallery. The exhibition runs from March 18 to April 25,
where works of art will be displayed by artists whose themes are rooted
in genocide and holocaust memories and commemoration. The opening
reception for the exhibition will take place on Saturday, March 21.

The year 2015 is significant in genocide history. It is the 100th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the 70th Anniversary of the end
of the Jewish Holocaust, and the 40th Anniversary of the Cambodian
Genocide.

The word “genocide” was coined in 1944 to name a particularly shocking
and horrific crime of violence. It was hoped it would never happen
again. Genocide is the systematic and widespread extermination or
attempted extermination of an entire national, racial, religious,
or ethnic group. Genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in
time of war, is a crime under international law.

More than 262 million people throughout the world were murdered as a
result of genocide in the 20th century. Armenian, German, Cambodian,
Bosnian, Guatemalan, Rwandan, Sudanese and Native Americans are only
a few of the nationalities that have been affected by genocide. It
is the hope that education and awareness through the medium of art
can be used to help ensure a more peaceful future in the 21st century.

“We are very proud to be presenting this important program to the
public,” says Whistler House Museum of Art president and executive
director, Sara Bogosian. “It was inspired by Arshile Gorky, the Father
of Abstract Expressionism, who is one of the artists in the Whistler
House Museum of Art collection. Gorky is considered to be one of the
most famous survivors of the Armenian Genocide,” added Bogosian.

The symposium will include experts in the field of genocide studies.