Author: Badalian Vardan

APRIL 24 ANNOUNCEMENT

Asbarez
Apr 19th, 2010

GLENDALE-The Armenian Genocide 95th Anniversary United Commemoration
Committee issued the following announcement on Monday.

This year, just like previous years, the Southern California Armenian
community will converge at the Montebello Martyrs Monument on Saturday,
April 24, and together will honor the memory of the 1.5 million victims
of the Armenian Genocide. There, in unison, the community will raise
it voice of protest and demand to the entire world and proclaim that
Turkey must acknowledge the Genocide that it committed and as such
must make land and monetary reparations to the Armenian people.

Aside from this gathering, on the same day beginning at 10 a.m. a
protest march will take place in Little Armenia, organized by the
Unified Young Armenians. And, on the same afternoon, at 4 p.m.,
a protest demonstration will take place at the Turkish Consulate in
Los Angeles, organized by the Armenian Youth Federation.

The Armenian Genocide 95th Anniversary United Commemoration Committee
is formed by the three political parties, the AGBU, the three
denominations and compatriotic unions.

In this truly united spirit we call on our people to be present at
all the events, especially the gathering at the Montebello Martyrs
Monument, where Armenian and non-Armenian political and public
officials will be present and where a Memorial Mass will be said in
memory of the victims.

As a sign of respect to our martyrs, we call on our community to
place flowers at the Monument.

Transportation will be provided to the Montebello from the following
locations and at the following times:

Glendale’s St. Mary’s Armenian Church; buses depart at 12:30 p.m.

The intersection of Hobart Street and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood;
buses depart at 1 p.m.

Hollywood’s St. Garabed Armenian Church; buses depart Alexandria
Avenue at 12:30.

St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale
(across from Glendale Community College; buses depart at 12:30 p.m.

We call on the community to encourage participation and be present,
in large numbers, at the Martyrs Monument and to renew our pledge of
staying to their memory.

The Monument is located at Bicknell Part, 900 Via San Clement,
Montebello, Calif.

Armenian Genocide 95th Anniversary United Commemoration Committee

NA Deputy Speaker: Azerbaijan’s expectations from Washington meetings
vanished into the air

15:50 17/04/2010 » Politics

`When a country appears in trouble, its authorities may make
statements that even themselves will not be able to believe some time
later,’ Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, ARP member Samvel
Nikoyan told Panorama.am, referring to the recent statements made by
Azerbaijan.

Note that Azerbaijani officials have been making threats and
condemnations during the recent days. Moreover, chief of the
Socio-Political Department of Azerbaijani President’s Office, Ali
Hasanov said Azerbaijan is looking for new ways to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, slamming the US over not being objective in
the issue.

Deputy Speaker said the Armenian President’s Washington visit was so
actively discussed in Azerbaijan that all those discussions could in a
word be called hysteria.

`I think, the point is that Azerbaijan’s expectations it had from
Washington meetings vanished into the air,’ S. Nikoyan said.

`Through their propaganda machine, Azerbaijani authorities have built
a virtual world, thinking that if they sell oil and get arms, Armenia
will feel afraid and will make concessions, or, Turkey will make
pressure on Armenia over Armenia-Turkey reconciliation and Armenia
will make concessions,’ Deputy Speaker added.

According to S. Nikoyan, Azerbaijan will eventually understand that
these wishes will not come true. `This is why they have appeared in
hysteria and blame everyone: the US, Europe, Turkey, Russia, only
because the latter do not want to `do’ what they want,’ Deputy Speaker
said.

Source: Panorama.am

Lernik Aleksanyan: diplomatic tricks ineffective in Armenian-Turkish process

April 17, 2010 – 15:05 AMT 10:05 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

The recent tensions between Armenia and Turkey had a particular
effect, according to Lernik Aleksanyan, member RPA parliamentary
group.

`The Washington meetings revealed the true intentions of both sides.
Diplomatic tricks are no longer effective in the process,’ he told
reporters in Yerevan on April 17.

Meanwhile, he presumed that the dialogue will be continued after April 24

Supporting his party fellow Galust Sahakyan’s opinion that the border
Armenian-Turkish border can be opened before ratification of the
protocols, he said, `The border can be opened by economic motives, but
establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states remains
the core issue.’

As to the upcoming visit of Armenian President to Moscow, Mr.
Aleksanyan said `it’s normal, as Russia is Armenia’s strategic partner
and is engaged in regional processes.’

RPA: ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION PROCESS GETS IRREVERSIBLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 15, 2010 – 13:09 AMT 08:09 GMT

The process of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement has already got
irreversible and the situation will persist, no matter the protocols
are ratified or not, according to Galust Sahakyan, head of RPA
parliamentary group.

"In my opinion, the Armenian-Turkish border can be opened before
ratification of protocols," Mr. Sahakyan told a press conference
in Yerevan.

Asked to comment whether Armenia can withdraw its signature from
the protocols, he said that "when the time comes and if necessary,
Armenia will do so."

Yet, he described RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Washington
as very fruitful. "The visit united the Armenianhood and I think that
now our nation is united as never," Mr. Sahakyan said.

PACE: POLITICIANS SHOULD NOT TAKE DECISIONS ON GENOCIDE

Trend
April 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President
Movlud Cavusoglu believes not politicians must take decisions in
relation to genocide.

"Decisions relating to the history should not be taken by politicians.

We, politicians, are not so informed in history, we can not check the
archives and we do not have the knowledge and experience to conduct
research in various archives. Specialists should be engaged in this.

Putting such issues on the agenda by the politicians is wrong,
"Cavusoglu said replying the journalists’ questions about the so-called
"Armenian genocide".

Armenia claims that the Ottoman Empire committed "genocide" against
Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Making greater efforts to promote
the issue internationally, Armenians have achieved its recognition
by parliaments in some countries.

BERMAN SLAMS EFFORT TO BLOCK HOUSE VOTE ON RESOLUTION

Tert.am
14.04.10

Howard Berman, the chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs
Committee, denounced efforts by his colleagues in the Turkish Caucus
to question the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide, rejecting
the flawed national security and economic arguments put forth by these
legislators to block the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.252) by the full U.S. House of Representatives, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a strongly worded response to a Congressional Turkish Caucus letter
urging Nancy Pelosi to block floor consideration of the measure,
Berman took "strong exception" to their references to the "so-called
Armenian Genocide Resolution," stating that the assertion, "flies
in the face of the overwhelming weight of unimpeachable historical
evidence and the virtually unanimous opinion of genocide scholars."

Berman also rejected the flawed national security arguments against
the Armenian Genocide Resolution, stating, "I believe that U.S.-Turkish
security relations are founded on mutual interests and that Turkey is
not about to discard the immense benefits it derives from bilateral
security relations for the sake of ‘punishing’ the U.S. for a
non-binding resolution, however much it may resent that resolution."

The chairman also disputed the effect of Congressional genocide
affirmation on Turkey-Armenia relations, arguing that the
Turkey-Armenia protocols "have been gathering dust in the Turkish
Parliament" due to Turkish preconditions on the process.

The chairman’s letter coincides with bilateral meetings held between
President Barack Obama and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
and also between Sargsyan and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Both foreign leaders are in Washington this week as part of
a major multilateral nuclear summit.

MINISTRY OF DEFENSE REFUTES AZERI MISINFORMATION

armradio.am
13.04.2010 17:27

The Armenian Ministry of Defense informs that the information
disseminated by some Azeri media that divisions of the Armenian Armed
Forces violated the ceasefire regime in Tavush marz and opened fire in
the northeastern direction of the contact line from Berkaber village
does not correspond to reality.

The Ministery of Defense says it’s the recurrent false information
disseminated by Azeri media.

BUSINESSMEN DISCONTENT WITH REFORMS EITHER

Tert.am
13.04.10

This year the Armenian government will try to implement the reforms
in tax administration faster than planned, RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan told Tert.am during a work visit to Lori marz (province) today
when asked about statements made by international institutions that
the reforms in tax sector in Armenia are being made at a slow pace.

Tigran Sargsyan also said that the crisis had made the government
delay the implementation of some programs: the dates of about 60%
of thos programs were changed.

RA PM also said that the slow implementation of some of the programs
were due to subjective reasons.

Head of Armenian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Arsen
Ghazaryan, in turn, said in Alaverdy Copper Factory that Armenian
businesmen are not content with the pace of reforms either.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: WE SHALL NOT BEAR TO BE DICTATED CONDITIONS

ArmInfo
2010-04-13 10:53:00

Arminfo. ‘We are ready and we want normal relations with all our
neighbours, but we shall not bear to be dictated conditions’, –
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in the Washington Cathedral
church after visiting the tomb of the 28th president of the USA
Woodrow Wilson.

‘Today morning I met Prime Minister of Turkey. Our stance has always
been very strict: Turkey cannot talk to Armenia and its people the
language of pre-conditions. We shall simply not allow it. We are not
going to make the fact of the genocide a topic for discussion in any
format or to make believe that Turkey may have any positive part in the
Karabakh conflict negotiating process. Any new foreign policy direction
comes under test, since we are passing a new untrod path. I am sure
Armenia will get through the test with honour’, – Serzh Sargsyan said.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Assembly of America
CONTACT: Press Department
April 12, 2010
Phone: (202) 393-3434
Web:
E-mail: [email protected]

JOINT STATEMENT WELCOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ON
THE OCCASION OF HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO WASHINGTON

Washington, DC – The visit to Washington, DC for the Nuclear Security
Summit affords President Serzh Sargsyan an important opportunity to
meet directly with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton. Armenia-U.S. relations need to be strengthened
across a broad range of issues. Of special importance is America’s
role regarding the Protocols to facilitate the normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey without preconditions and the
obligation of the Obama administration to reaffirm the U.S. record
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide if we are to prevent future
genocides and maintain credibility. Rather than employ the Armenian
term for the Armenian Genocide – Metz Yeghern – we urge President
Obama in his April 24 statement to use the English term, and to be
true to his words and promises in developing U.S.-Armenia ties.

We welcome and congratulate President Sargsyan, and we believe that
the Republic of Armenia and its President deserve our support in this
critical work. This is an extension of Armenia’s policy since
independence, and the efforts of the President toward a breakthrough
in Turkish-Armenian normalization represent major steps toward peace
and justice.

The participation of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and his delegation
in the Summit also offer an opportunity for the Turkish government to
live up to its words by ratifying the Protocols immediately and as
signed.

We also encourage the Republic of Turkey to utilize this opportunity
to make a bold step forward and signal its willingness to come to
terms with its past.

We have supported and continue to support reconciliation between
Armenia and Turkey. The Erdogan government’s behavior since the
signing of the Protocols last year, however, indicates that it has
breached and will continue to breach both the letter and the spirit of
those documents. The examples of these breaches include not only the
failure to ratify the protocols in a reasonable period, but also the
condemnable threat of deportation with respect to Armenians living in
Turkey by Prime Minister Erdogan.

We, therefore, anticipate that a frank and sober assessment of the
current status of Armenia-Turkey rapprochement and future prospects
will take place this week. Regardless of the outcome, President
Obama’s reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide can only help to heal
the wounds of denial, and bring Turkey one step closer toward true
reconciliation.

We recognize that the path forward will not be easy, especially this
month of April when Armenians worldwide commemorate the 95th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

We pray that all participants in this process approach the issues with
great wisdom and courage.

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.

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NR# 2010-024