Author: Badalian Vardan

BAKU CONDEMNS MEPS’ ILLEGAL VISIT TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 1 2013

1 May 2013, 18:21 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova

Certain EU institutions show different positions on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Ambassador
to Belgium and Luxembourg Fuad Isgandarov, who heads Azerbaijan’s
mission to the European Union, told Trend news agency.

“The European Commission, which is the executive body of the EU,
as well as its External Action Service, which is responsible for
issues of the commission’s foreign policy, do as a rule, say they
support the mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the
conflict. As for the legislative structure, which is the European
Parliament, the situation is different,” Isgandarov said.

He said numerous resolutions adopted by the European Parliament so
far note the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian armed
forces and call for an immediate withdrawal of the invading forces from
all the occupied territories, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz in his interview to a
local news agency in January clearly voiced support for Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity.

“Our position is respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan within internationally recognized borders,” Schulz said.

Amb. Isgandarov said while commenting on those remarks, “Thus,
the European Parliament has repeatedly demanded withdrawal of the
occupying forces from the occupied territories in accordance with
the resolutions of the UN Security Council. I believe that this open
position of the European Parliament may be an impetus so that the
executive structures of the EU would take a more active position on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

Recently, representatives of the European Parliament Ewald Stadler
(Austria), Kyriacos Triantafyllides, Eleni Theocharous (Cyprus),
two members of the French parliament as well as a Belgian professor
paid an illegal visit to the Azerbaijani territories that are
under the occupation of Armenia. They met with the leaders of the
separatist regime in Khankendi, the center of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh republic run by ethnic Armenians in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.

However, the European Parliament told the local media that the visit
took place on those parliamentarians’ personal initiative and the
delegation that visited Nagorno-Karabakh is not an official delegation
of the European Parliament.

Commenting on the issue, Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov
said at a parliamentary session on Tuesday that he would appeal to
European Parliament President Schulz. According to Asadov, his appeal
would cite “the MEPs bribed by the Armenian diaspora”.

According to the Azerbaijani speaker, a number of MEPs, including
representatives of international organizations, issue statements
regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which run counter to
international norms, as well as support the Armenian aggression.

The speaker noted that a tough position should be taken against
international organizations applying double standards toward
Azerbaijan.

“I regret that some international organizations are still pursuing
a dual policy against Azerbaijan and in many cases we took a soft
stance regarding the activity of these organizations. Now we have
to take a hard line with regard to such entities and all layers of
society should support us. Society must unite to protect the national
interests of Azerbaijan. Then we will react harshly to such attitudes
toward us,” Asadov said.

Head of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies,
political analyst Mubariz Ahmadoglu said the visit of the European
MPs, which took place at a challenging time, has struck a crushing
blow to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The leading countries of the EU and Europe should individually
express their concrete and precise position on the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh. If the EU does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh
as part of Azerbaijan, then it must think about leaving the South
Caucasus region,” the analyst said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against the neighboring country. Since a lengthy
war between the two South Caucasus countries that displaced over
a million Azerbaijanis and ended with the signing of a precarious
cease-fire in 1994, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent
of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Peace talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the
United States, Russia and France have been largely fruitless so far.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE IMF

4-Traders
April 30 2013

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the Head of the Armenian
mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mark Horton and
Permanent Representative of IMF in Armenia Guillermo Tolosa.

The President welcomed the guests and expressed gratitude to IMF for
the assistance provided to Armenia and efficient cooperation.

At the meeting, the representatives of the Fund reported to the
President of Armenia on the results of the final stage of the Extended
Financing/Extended Credit program. The program commenced in June 2010
and is to be concluded in September 2013. Mark Horton spoke with
satisfaction about the results of the ongoing program and underscored
that successful conclusion of the program will become a solid base for
the negotiations with the IMF on a new program. The Head of the
mission noted that cooperation between the Government of Armenia, the
Central Bank and IMF has been successful.

The parties discussed the current state of the Armenian economy, main
directions of the economic policy, development programs as well as the
issues related to the negotiations with IMF on a new program.

IAN GILLAN TO PARTAKE IN THE OPENING OF GYUMRI MUSIC SCHOOL

16:52 02.05.2013

The Armenian Government decided today to allocate $10 AMD to
contribute to the reconstruction of Gyumri’s “Octet” music school #6
after Azat Shirinyan.

The reconstruction works implemented under Rock Aid Armenia/Armenia
Grateful 2 Rock project are nearing completion. The school will be
opened in September of the current year. The solemn opening ceremony
will feature Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan.

$110 mln was raised between 2009 and 2012 for the reconstruction of
the Gyumri music school. Last year the Mardikian Family Foundation
tripled the sum. The owner of music store Millbank Music in Canada
Tim Irving will provide musical instruments worth $21,200.

ARMENIA’S EXPORT OF SHEEP AND GOAT TO IRAN INCREASED FOR ABOUT 50 TIMES

17:19, 2 May, 2013

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. The sheep and goat livestock exported
from the Republic of Armenia during the first three months of 2013
has recorded a palpable growth in comparison with the level of the
same period of the previous year. The State Revenue Committee of
the Government of the Republic of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that
during the first three months of 2013 18,991 sheep have been exported
from the Republic of Armenia. During the same period of the previous
year this number reached only 400 livestock. Iran bought almost the
entire amount of Armenia’s sheep export for the first three months
of 2013. The total costumes value of the sheep exported from the
Republic of Armenia equals USD 2, 922,300.

ABOVYAN KINDERGARTEN EMPLOYEES WERE INSTRUCTED TO GO TO PAP RALLY: PARENTS ALARM

14:34, 2 May, 2013

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS: The First Assistant of the Abovyan Mayor
Manuk Hakobyan treats normally the fact that the work of the city’s
kindergartens will be completed four hours earlier on May 2. This
decision, though, emerged serious discontent of the parents of the
children, attending kindergartens. Armenpress got an alarm from them
that, according to the instructions, the employees of the kindergartens
will be transferred to Yerevan to participate in the rally to be held
by the Prosperous Armenia Party.

Manuk Hakobyan did not reject the news about the early completion of
the work, adding that it is in their interests. At the same time he
stated that the announcement of the participation of the kindergartens’
employees in the PAP rally does not correspond to the reality.

Several minutes later, another Assistant of the Abovyan Mayor Hermine
Adamyan contacted the Armenpress correspondent, saying that they did
not give such instructions to the kindergartens, moreover requested
that they work till 16:00 pm.

To the question of Armenpress why the Prosperous Armenia Party takes
the dwellers of Abovyan city to its rally in the case when they do not
have the right to participate in the Yerevan City Council Elections,
thus hindering the work of the kindergartens, the Press Secretary of
the Prosperous Armenia Party Iveta Tonoyan answered that it was an
absolute misinformation.

THE NATIONAL COMMEMORATION OF ARMENIAN GEOCIDE ATTRACTED A RECORD CONTINGENT OF STATE AND FEDERAL POLITICIANS IN AUSTRALIA

16:16, 2 May, 2013

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS: Record crowds gathered in Sydney,
Melbourne and Adelaide to commemorate the 98th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. As reports Armenpress referring to ANC Australia,
numerous events, organised by the Armenian Genocide Commemorative
Committee, were held in each city in remembrance of the 1.5 million
Armenians killed under Ottoman Turkish rule between 1915 and 1923.

The National Commemoration, which was attended by around 1,000 members
of the Armenian community, also attracted a record contingent of State
and Federal Politicians from all sides of politics who joined in the
moving commemoration held at the Chatswood Concourse.

Charles Mahtesian, the former National Political Editor of POLITICO,
delivered the keynote address at the National Armenian Genocide
Commemoration, as well as at the New South Wales State Parliament
and the commemoration in Melbourne.

The Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee, who
forms part of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee, Vache
Kahramanian said: “The 98th anniversary commemoration was an important
time for the Australian community to reflect on the horrors of the
Armenian Genocide. The vast number of elected officials present is a
clear testament that the issue of the Armenian Genocide is no longer
a taboo subject.”

“We thank Charles Mahtesian for providing his detailed insight on the
quest for genocide recognition. The Armenian-Australian community will
continue in our endeavour to have the Armenian Genocide recognised
by the Australian Parliament.”

MEMBER OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: RULING REGIME IS USING NEW FRAUD MECHANISMS FOR FORTHCOMING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

ARMINFO
Thursday, May 2, 16:04

The ruling regime is using all of its administrative resources to
win the forthcoming elections into Yerevan’s Elders Council, member
of the Armenian National Congress, former Mayor of Yerevan Vahagn
Khachatryan told journalists on Thursday.

“They are using new fraud mechanisms because they have almost no
real voters in Yerevan. I have met with a number of businessmen, who
told me that the regime claims specific number of votes from them. In
their turn, the authorities are guided by criminals, who are telling
them how much money they should spend and who they should allow to
campaign in one or another territory,” Khachatryan said.

“SERJ SARGSYAN MUST AT LEAST BE A SADIST…”

A1Plus.am
09:05 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

The rally of ANC was followed by march. At this moment ANC is holding
a march through the central streets of Yerevan. Tomorrow ANC will
continue the campaign, and today the leader of ANC explained why RPA
candidate for Mayor Taron Margaryan is not to be elected.

“A person who has held only administrative positions in all his
adult life, could not accumulate such wealth only through legal
means in any country. I don’t know through whose talent the RPA
wunderkind-candidate has accumulated such wealth only in 10-12 years”,
Levon Ter-Petrosyan said.

According to him, it is amazing how cynic must be any authority and
how much must it ignore its people to present such a candidate. “Serj
Sargsyan must at least be a sadist to do that”.

Ter-Petrosyan also called for a long-term struggle. “People who are
not ready for a long-term struggle, cannot be in ANC”.

ARMENIAN PATRIARCH CALLS ON ISRAEL TO RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE

By GREER FAY CASHMAN

04/30/2013 04:52

Nourhan Manougian reasons that if the United States has recognized
the massacre, than Israel should as well.

Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian Photo: Courtesy Armenian Church

Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian wrote ~V in a missive read on
Sunday at a conference in Jerusalem ~V that he cannot understand
Israel~Rs ongoing refusal to recognize the Turkish massacre of 1.5
million Armenians as genocide.

Manougian reasons is that if the United States has recognized the
massacre ~V which took place over several years and began more than
a century ago ~V than Israel should as well.

Related:

‘Recalling Armenian genocide not attack on Turks’

Manougian~Rs message was read at the Hebrew University, where Prof.

Michael Stone, the founder of the Armenian Studies program at the
university~Rs Institute of Asian and African Studies, annually conducts
a symposium and commemoration of the Armenian genocide.

In his message to Israeli Armenians and Jews at the event, Manougian
wrote, ~SFor 98 years, so many efforts have been invested in getting
the Turks to admit that they committed genocide and the Turks continue
to deny.~T Each year, the message continued, people repeat ~Snever
again,~T and each year human rights organizations repeat the same
report about human rights abuses, genocide, hunger and torture.

Manougian cited Rwanda and Darfur as examples of genocide that occurred
in recent history, ~Sbut who remembers them today?~T he asked.

At the start of his message, Manougian quoted Napoleon Bonaparte as
saying, ~SThe world suffers not because of the violence of bad people
but because of the silence of good people.~T

Similarly, in a leaflet distributed by the Combat Genocide Association,
Holocaust survivor and acclaimed author Elie Wiesel is quoted as
saying: ~SThe opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference.

The opposite of life is not death but rather indifference toward life
and death. The opposite of peace is nothing other than apathy towards
the ugliness of war and the beauty of peace.~T

Tsolag Momjian, the honorary Armenian consul in Jerusalem, whose
grandparents and uncles were slaughtered by the Turks, took exception
to a remark made last week by Deputy Minister for Liaison with the
Knesset Ofir Akunis, in which he said that the State of Israel has
never denied the massacre, but that the decision to label it a genocide
should be made through open debate.

Former MK Yair Tzaban, who was the keynote speaker at the Hebrew
University event, was praised by Stone and Momjian as being the first
lawmaker and government minister to take up the Armenian cause.

Tzaban noted that Yossi Sarid and Haim Oron, two of his former Knesset
colleagues who were also ministers, had also brought the Armenian
genocide to public attention in both the Knesset and the classroom.

He also praised broadcaster Yaacov Ahimeir for his efforts, begun in
1994, to ensure that something related to the Armenian genocide was
broadcast each year on Channel 1.

Tzaban recalled that when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had been
deputy foreign minister, he said that there are some things beyond
politics and diplomacy, and the Armenian genocide is one of them.

Neither politics nor diplomacy ~Sshould prevent us from identifying
with the victims,~T Netanyahu said at the time.

Unfortunately, as prime minister, he has not seen fit to recognize
the Armenian genocide, said Tzaban.

~SIf America can recognize April 24, why can~Rt we?~T he asked. Like
the Armenians, Tzaban was outraged by what Akunis had said.

~SIsrael is so sensitive to all forms of Holocaust denial,
racism, and neo-Nazism, but can~Rt bring herself to acknowledge the
Armenian genocide because it might harm her political and diplomatic
interests.~T

Tzaban bemoaned how quickly Israel had forgotten, in his opinion,
how many Jews begged for help and were turned away because it was
not in the national interest to help them.

Stone underscored that genocide meant not only killing a people or a
substantial part of a nation, but also killing a culture, a language,
music and folk customs.

LA TURQUIE ET LES KURDES IRAKIENS VERS DES LIENS DANS LE SECTEUR DE L’ENERGIE ?

L’Irak a ete le site d’un des plus grands revirements dans la politique
etrangère turque. D’une part, dans le nord, Ankara a ameliore ses
relations epouvantables avec le gouvernement regional du Kurdistan et
il y a longtemps que les responsables gouvernementaux turcs utilisent
le mot ” Kurdistan “. D’autre part, les relations entre Ankara et
Bagdad ont fait un plongeon au cours des dernières annees.

Ces changements simultanes sont, bien sûr, pas isoles les uns des
autres. Une des questions est la question des liens energetiques entre
Ankara et les Kurdes irakiens qui ne peuvent contourner le gouvernement
central a Bagdad et signer des accords energetiques independants avec
les Turcs. Le problème pourrait etre encore plus complique selon un
recent rapport de l’agence Bloomberg, qui pretend qu’Ankara et les
Kurdes irakiens ont signe un accord secret pour envoyer du petrole
irakien et du gaz vers la Turquie.

Selon Bloomberg ” la region kurde de l’Irak a signe un accord
historique avec la Turquie pour approvisionner directement avec du
petrole et du gaz selon deux personnes proches du dossier.

L’accord a ete signe le mois dernier lorsque le Premier ministre
Recep Tayyip Erdogan a rencontre le Premier ministre du kurdistan
irakien Nechirvan Barzani a Ankara. Le ministre turc de l’energie
Taner Yildiz contacte via son bureau de presse, a refuse de faire un
commentaire tout comme les kurdes irakien. Le ministère du Petrole
a Bagdad n’a pas immediatement repondu a une demande de commentaire.

” Les exportations de petrole a grande echelle changeraient la
situation economique du Kurdistan ” a declare Robin Mills, chef du
conseil a Energy Consulting Manar, basee a Dubaï et gestionnaire
de projet. ” Si cet accord se concretise, il s’agit d’un mouvement
agressif de la Turquie que cela signifie que les relations avec bagdad
vont vraiment eclate “.

Le vice-Premier ministre irakien, Hussain al-Shahristani, a declare
que son gouvernement a la Turquie ne permettrai pas des accords
petroliers sans l’approbation du gouvernement central, et que la
Turquie doit respecter la souverainete irakienne.

mardi 30 avril 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com