Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA REGISTERS PROGRESS IN TALKS ON EU ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT – FOREIGN MINISTER

February 27, 2013 | 19:28

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said Armenia has
registered progress in talks on EU Association Agreement and free
trade area agreement.

The Minister expressed hope that talks will be over by the Eastern
Partnership summit planned for November in Vilnius.

“In December we signed an agreement to relax visa requirements and
starting from January EU citizens can visit Armenia without an entry
visa,” he said in an interview with Austria Press Agnecy.

Armenian FM noted that the signed agreements pave the way for the
start of talks on lifting visa regime.

– See more at:

ECHAUFFOUREE A L’ASSEMBLEE ENTRE MILITANTS PRO-ARMENIE ET DEUX AZERBAÏDJANAIS

Le Monde, France
27 fevr 2013

Le Monde.fr avec AFP | 27.02.2013 a 19h42

Des incidents ont oppose mardi soir a l’Assemblee nationale des
militants de la cause armenienne, qui y tenaient une reunion, a deux
Azerbaïdjanais, provoquant l’intervention immediate de l’ambassadeur
d’Azerbaïdjan et une polemique entre parlementaires, a-t-on appris
mercredi 27 fevrier.

Les pro-Armeniens s’etaient rassembles pour une ceremonie d’hommage
aux victimes armeniennes d’un pogrom dans la ville azerie de Soumgaït,
en 1988, a l’epoque de l’URSS, quand les deux Azerbaïdjanais sont
intervenus et ont ete, selon l’ambassade d’Azerbaïdjan a Paris,
frappes. Ils avaient declare a la salle vouloir pour leur part
commemorer un autre massacre, perpetre selon eux par les Armeniens
en 1992 a Khojaly, lors du conflit de la region du Nagorny-Karabach.

“DES COUPS AVAIENT ETE PORTES”

Les militants armeniens ont alors, toujours selon l’ambassade,
“sauvagement battu les deux Azerbaïdjanais”. Ceux-ci se sont alors
refugies dans une autre salle, où se reunissait le bureau de l’UDI
(Union des democrates et independants), preside par Jean-Louis Borloo,
a confirme le depute UDI Philippe Vigier, qui participait a la reunion
: “Ils etaient en etat de stress, et des coups avaient ete portes”,
a-t-il indique.

L’ambassadeur d’Azerbaïdjan en France, Elchin Amirbayov, s’est ensuite
rendu sur place pour reclamer que “les agresseurs” soient “bientôt
identifies et traduits en justice”, selon l’ambassade. Pour sa part,
le Conseil de coordination des Armeniens de France, jugeant “curieux”
cette arrivee de l’ambassadeur “quelques minutes après l’incident”,
a denonce dans un communique “une provocation inadmissible” de la
part des Azerbaïdjanais.

“NOUVELLE PROVOCATION AZERIE”

De meme, Valerie Boyer, deputee UMP des Bouches-du-Rhône a l’origine
de la loi (annulee par le Conseil constitutionnel) penalisant la
negation du genocide armenien, a juge dans un communique que le
“moment de recueillement et d’emotion” organise a l’Assemblee avait
“ete le theâtre d’une nouvelle provocation azerie”.

A l’inverse, la senatrice centriste Nathalie Goulet, qui s’etait
opposee a cette loi, a proteste, en seance au Senat, contre le fait
que les Azerbaïdjanais aient ete “passes a tabac”. “L’un a une côte
cassee et l’autre a ete serieusement blesse”, a-t-elle ajoute. “Il
est inadmissible que de tels actes puissent etre perpetres dans les
locaux du Parlement”, s’est-elle indignee dans un communique cosigne
avec six autres parlementaires.

SELON LE MINISTRE TURC A L’UNION EUROPEENNE, PARLER DU GENOCIDE DE 1915 C’EST DE LA MASTURBATION !

Le 16 janvier 2013, s’est tenue a la residence de l’ambassadeur
de Turquie a Stockholm une reunion entre plusieurs organisations
assyriennes en Suède et le ministre turc a l’UE Egemen Bagis. Aucune
organisation assyrienne ayant participe a cette rencontre n’a fourni
d’informations detaillees. Mais quelques informations ont a present ete
divulguees – le ministre turc a l’UE a compare le Seyfo, le genocide
subi par les Assyriens, a de la masturbation.

Il apparaît que la rencontre etait preparee par le gouvernement turc
après avoir pris des contacts avec les organisations mentionnees. Par
tradition et selon une pratique protocolaire non officielle entre
les Turcs et les Assyriens, ces derniers obtiennent qu’aucune de
leur demande ou condition pour qu’une telle rencontre ait lieu ne
soit revelee, en particulier lorsqu’un ministre participe a la reunion.

La question interessante concerne les raisons pour lesquelles la
Turquie est soudain interessee a se reunir avec les representants
des Assyriens.

La reponse est tout a la fois simple et compliquee. L’elite du pouvoir
turc avec les interets qu’elle represente est très embarrassee et son
attitude envers les Assyriens en Suède est negative. C’est a cause
du soutient que les Assyriens apportent a la question du Seyfo –
le genocide de 1915 des Assyriens, comme un fait historique.

Une autre raison de l’irritation turque est l’attention autour du
processus kafkaïen que l’etat turc applique au monastère Saint Gabriel
de Turabdin, en Turquie. Le gouvernement turc s’efforce de confisquer
un monastère en activite depuis le 4ème siècle après JC.

La reunion evoquee s’est deroulee, selon l’information qui a filtre,
dans une ambiance très deplaisante, les representants assyriens ayant
ete litteralement soumis a la lecon du ministre turc a l’UE. Les
Assyriens, qui n’existent meme pas officiellement en Turquie, sont
consideres comme citoyens de deuxième classe dans ce pays.

Selon les informations qui ont ete devoilees, le negociateur en chef
de la Turquie, le ministre Egemen Bagis, se tournant au cours de la
reunion vers le membre du parlement suedois Yilmaz Kerimo disant ce
qui suit :

” Que pensez-vous pouvoir obtenir, vous les Assyriens, en usant du
Seyfo comme on recours a la masturbation et en le proclamant dans
les medias et au parlement suedois ? Pourquoi invoquez-vous les Grecs
Pontiques dans la question ?

Après un moment de silence dans la salle de reunion, le ministre
turc s’est tourne vers l’ambassadrice turque Zergun Koruturk et s’est
excuse pour son langage, parce qu’elle est une femme et parce qu’il
s’est rendu compte du caractère particulièrement incongru du choix
de ses mots.

Comment l’attitude du ministre turc peut-elle etre interpretee ?

Ce n’est pas la première fois que le ministre Egemen Bagis se moque et
insulte les victimes assassinees au cours du Genocide de 1915. Tout
de suite après que la Suisse ait criminalise la negation du Genocide
de 1915, Egemen Bagis s’est ostensiblement rendu a Zurich pour nier
publiquement le Seyfo – le Genocide de 1915, violant ainsi les lois
de Suisse de facon ehontee.

Si un ministre, qui negocie les conditions dans lesquelles la Turquie
fait acte de candidature a l’Union Europeenne agit comme il le fait,
que peut-on alors attendre du reste de la Turquie ?

Les 11-13 mars 2013, le president turc Abdullah Gul fera sa première
visite officielle en Suède. Les Assyriens prevoient de montrer leur
desapprobation au cours de cette visite.

Dikran Ego

[email protected]

Source : Copyright © Acsatv.com

Traduction Gilbert Beguian

jeudi 28 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

LE GOUVERNEMENT PRET A ENTENDRE LES PROPOSITIONS DE L’OPPOSITION

Le gouvernement armenien est pret a entendre les propositions du
chef de l’opposition Raffi Hovannisian pour desamorcer les tensions
post-electorales et proceder a des reformes dans le pays, a declare
le president du Parlement Hovik Abrahamian. Ce dernier a precise que
le principal candidat de l’opposition a l’election presidentielle
doit reconnaître sa defaite.

” Ce serait bien si M. Hovannisian presentait des propositions
prudentes au nom des electeurs et appelait a des reformes serieuses
“, a dit Abrahamian. ” Je pense que c’est la voie a suivre. ”

Abrahamian a indique que le gouvernement pourrait, en particulier,
offrir des postes ministeriels aux membres de Raffi Hovannisian ou du
parti Zharangutyun (Heritage) s’ils le souhaitent.” Je suis convaincu
que Serge Sarkissian serait pret a discuter de ces questions avec M.
Hovannisian “, a-t-il dit.

Hovannisian a reagi a cette offre plus tard dans la journee. ” Si
Serge Sarkissian a quelque chose a me dire, je suis pret a l’ecouter
“, a-t-il declare. ” Je n’ai pas recu de propositions pour le moment.

”

Hovannisian et Sarkissian se sont deja rencontres la semaine dernière
pour discuter des resultats officiels de l’election du 18 fevrier. Le
chef de l’opposition, qui considère le vote comme frauduleux, a exige
que les autorites organisent une nouvelle election. Sarkissian a
rejete cette demande.

Hovannisian a tenu le plus grand rassemblement a Kapan. En revanche,
peu de gens se sont reunis a Goris, qui a longtemps ete le fief de
Surik Khachatrian, le gouverneur regional controverse. Hovannisian
a accuse Khachatrian d’intimider la population locale.

La chef de l’opposition organise une autre manifestation a Erevan
jeudi et a programme plusieurs manifestations pour les jours suivants.

” Nous devons continuer cette lutte “, a-t-il dit.

jeudi 28 fevrier 2013, Laetitia ©armenews.com

AZERBAIJAN SENDS NOTE TO LITHUANIA

APA, Azerbaijan
Feb 27 2013

Baku. Shamil Alibeyli – APA. Azerbaijani Embassy in Lithuania presented
a note of protest to Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.

The Embassy told APA that the note of protest is related to the
initiative of a group of the Seimas members to establish friendship
group with separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Embassy told that a number of meetings have been held on this
issue, Lithuanian officials have been informed about Azerbaijan’s
objection and concern: “The Azerbaijani Embassy presented a note
of protest, we received verbal response and are currently waiting
for an official response. This initiative has been put forward by
a group of members of Lithuania-Armenia interparliamentary group,
but does not express the country’s official position. Lithuania
recognizes territorial integrity of our country, this step is a
personal initiative of some parliamentarians. Azerbaijan’s embassy
in Lithuania will do its best to prevent the establishment of this
friendship group,” he said.

A group of members of Lithuania’s Seimas signed a declaration on the
establishment of the friendship group with the unrecognized separatist
“Nagorno Karabakh Republic”.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENCE MINISTRY: ARMENIAN ARMY WILL BE DRIVEN OUT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 27 2013

The cause of what is happening on the contact line between Armenian
and Azerbaijani troops is that Armenia doesn’t free the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, head of the press service of the Defence
Ministry of Azerbaijan, Colonel Eldar Sabiroglu said.

“Armenia violates the ceasefire throughout the entire line of contact.

Azerbaijani armed forces give them a fitting rebuff. Unfortunately
violation of the ceasefire on the contact line leads to losses and
injuries on both sides. That is inevitable, ” Sabiroglu said.

Armenia has to free the territories, occupied over 20 years ago,
he said. “The day will come, when the Armenian army stationed in
Nagorno-Karabakh will be driven out,” Sabiroglu said.

Armenia shouldn’t be proud of solely occupying territories of
Azerbaijan. This is not the case. Supporters of the aggressor have
given it the maximum assistance, the head of the press service stated.

“The armed forces of Azerbaijan possess sufficient strength to protect
the state and its people,” Sabiroglu said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four U.N. Security Council resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

19 ARMENIAN NGOS DEMAND PUBLISHING VOTERS LISTS

ARMINFO
Tuesday, February 26, 20:00

19 Armenian NGOs demand publishing the names of the people who voted
during the Feb 18 presidential election.

The NGOs do not trust the ruling regime and their voting process.

“The authorities have choked the people’s voice and forged the way for
their illegitimate president into a new term. The official results
are not true, so, we demand publishing the names of the people who
voted during the election,” the NGO say.

According to the official results, the winner of the Feb 18
presidential election is Serzh Sargsyan with 58.64% of the votes,
the runner-up Raffi Hovhannisian with 36.75%.

AZERBAIJANI PROVOCATIONS IN FRENCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AIMED AT BREAKING DOWN DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY

17:48 27/02/2013 ” SOCIETY

Yesterday, in one of the halls of the National Assembly of France
a conference titled “25 years after the Sumgait events: present
situation and future prospects for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh”
was held. The conference was marred by the Azerbaijani provocation.

At the end, the attendees stood to honor the memory of the victims
killed during Sumgait pogroms and kept a minute’s silence. Two
Azerbaijani provocateurs, a girl and a young man, refused to stand
up and to honor the Armenian victims in Azerbaijan and started to
shout anti-Armenian slogans.

On the photos, published in “Nouvelles d’Armenie”, it is obvious how
the Azerbaijani tries to provoke a fight and attacks the audience.

Azeri press disseminated false information about beating and causing
serious injuries, right up to fracturing, to provocateurs. In the
photos, published in the same Azerbaijani media, it is clearly visible
that there is no serious damage caused to both. Moreover, participants
of the provocation give contradicting evidence about the incident:
at first they say the girl was beaten together with the guy, then
they say she managed to leave the room.

Guard of the National Assembly took away the provocateurs. It is
also noteworthy that a moment later the employees of the Azerbaijani
embassy in Paris, headed by the Ambassador were at the place of the
incident which speaks of the pre-planned provocation.

Meanwhile, the Hay Dat French Bureau says: “We are dealing
with unacceptable provocation, which is aimed at disrupting the
demonstration, planned for February 28 at the Embassy of Azerbaijan.

We are intended to file a complaint against the instigators.”

On 26-29 February 1988 in terms of actual complicity of local
authorities and inaction of the USSR government mass pogroms
of civilians were organized in Sumgait city of Azerbaijani SSR,
accompanied with unprecedented brutal murders, violence and pillaging
against the Armenian population of the city. Armenian pogroms in
Sumgait were carefully organized. At the meetings, which began on
February 26 in the central square, city leaders openly called for
violence against the Armenians.

On February 27 protests which were attended by hundreds of rioters
turned into violence. Armed with axes, knives, specially sharpened
rebar, rocks and cans of gasoline and with the pre-compiled lists of
apartments where Armenians lived the rioters broke into the houses,
turning everything upside down there and killing the owners. In
the same time, people were often taken out to the streets or to the
courtyard for jeering at them publicly. After painful humiliations
and torture the victims were doused with gasoline and burnt alive.

On February 29 army troops entered Sumgait but without an order to
intervene. Only in the evening, when the mad crowd began to attack
the soldiers the military units took up decisive steps.

The exact number of victims of Sumgait pogroms is still unknown.

According to official data, 32 people were killed; however there
is ample evidence that several hundred Armenians have been killed
in the city in three days. There is also evidence that the riots
were coordinated by KGB in Azerbaijan. Executioners of Sumgait were
subsequently declared as national heroes of Azerbaijan.

Documentary “Ordinary Genocide: Sumgait 1988”

Source: Panorama.am

AJEMIAN AHNERT TO SPEAK AT ST. JAMES

February 27, 2013

WATERTOWN, Mass.-On Mon., March 4, Margaret Ajemian Ahnert, an
award-winning author, businesswoman, T.V. producer, and philanthropist,
will speak at the St. James Armenian Church Men’s Club dinner meeting
about her book The Knock at the Door, a journey through the darkness
of the Armenian Genocide.

“The Knock at the Door is an inspired beautifully written chronicle
of one of the worst eras in human history,” writes Robert Morgenthau,
a former district attorney for New York, and the grandson of Henry
Morgenthau, Sr., the U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during
World War I. “Had such books been written long ago, another holocaust,
which followed 25 years later, might never have happened.”

Hugh L. Carey, a former governor of New York, writes, “In The Knock
at the Door, Ester’s daughter has captured the haunting details of
her mother’s compelling story. The author invites us into her family
circle, offering a fascinating glimpse of the Armenian culture and
its painful history. Through the work of the author, we come to know
Ester’s wit, wisdom, and charm as they come to life on each page of
this unforgettable story.

The Knock at the Door has been translated into eight different
languages and was named “Best Historical Memoir of 2008” at the
New York Book Festival, and one of the “Best Books of 2007” by USA
Book News.

Ajemian Ahnert was born in New York City and has a bachelor’s degree
from Goddard College, Vermont, a master’s of fine arts and literature
from Goucher College, Baltimore, and is a graduate of the Barnes
Foundation of Fine Arts, in Merion, Pa. She has lectured as a docent
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
and taught art appreciation in elementary schools.

She has received numerous humanitarian awards, including the “Ellis
Island Medal of Honor,” and in 2010 established the Margaret Ajemian
Ahnert scholarship program, which supports female journalists in
Armenia. She also holds a 100-ton master captain’s license and is an
avid hunter and fisherwoman.

The social hour begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by a complete vosbov
kheyma and imam bayeldi dinner at 7 p.m. Admission is $12 per person.

The dinner meeting is held at the St. James Armenian Church, Charles
Mosesian Cultural and Youth Center, Keljik Hall, 465 Mt. Auburn St. in
Watertown. It is open to the public.

KARABAKH FM SPEAKS AT CONFERENCE IN LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT

NEWS.AM
February 27, 2013 | 16:25

STEPANAKERT.- A conference titled “Lithuania and Armenia: a look to
the recent past” dedicated to the 25 anniversary of the democratic
movements in Armenia and Lithuania and the National liberation
struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh took place in Seimas, Parliament
of Lithuania on Tuesday.

The participants also honored the memory of the victims of the Sumgait
massacre, NKR Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.

Members of the Lithuanian legislative body, representatives of
political, social and academic circles, including the founding members
of the Lithuanian movement of “Sajudis” as well as members of the
Armenian community of Lithuania participated at the conference.

Minister of Foreign affairs Karen Mirzoyan was invited as a special
guest of the conference and delivered a speech where he noted that
the movements of the national revival that united the Armenian and
Lithuanian peoples around common ideals and principles of freedom
and democracy have resulted in independence. “In Lithuanian case the
independence gave its people possibility to restore its statehood and
fully integrate into the international community, European Union” ,
– stated Karen Mirzoyan, stressing that the people of Artsakh not
only had to assert its right to freedom and independence but also
to struggle for its survival and right to live on the land of its
ancestors.

The minister reminded that Azerbaijan from the very beginning
rejected dialogue and search for political settlement of the issue,
resorting to the threats and terror, in response to the peaceful and
lawful demands of the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh. “But our people
withstood and passed the test of the imposed war. In May 1994 the
ceasefire agreement was signed which gave us opportunity of peaceful
life and building of an independent statehood”, – said Karen Mirzoyan.

He stressed that NKR is committed to the democratic way of the
state building, which guarantees all the fundamental human rights
and freedoms. Even though Nagorno-Karabakh is an unrecognized state
and may not undertake commitments to observe the universal democratic
standards before international organizations, but it is steadfast in
following them. “Moreover the human rights record in our republic
is significantly higher than in many recognized states, which was
reflected in the last Freedom House report”, – the minister noted. He
expressed regret that the unrecognized status of the NKR is a barrier
for its full involvement in the international developments that in turn
limits the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens.

Dwelling upon the issue of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement,
the minister reiterated the the NKR’s commitment to the peaceful
settlement of all disputable issues with Azerbaijan. At the same
time he noted with regret that the official Baku does not only reject
all the proposals of the mediators but also suppresses any even weak
initiatives towards reconciliation, as well as implants cult of hatred
towards Armenians and anything Armenian and propagates xenophobia,
intolerance and militaristic moods.

Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Vahan
Hovhannesyan and Armenian Ambassador to Lithuania Ara Ayvazyan
addressed the conference and noted the irreversibility of the
democratic processes started 25 years ago, emphasizing the importance
of the ideas and the spirit in the peaceful settlement of conflicts.

Members of Seimas DangutÄ- MikutienÄ-, Algis KaÅ¡Ä-ta, Vilija
AleknaitÄ–AbramikienÄ- also delivered speeches and mentioned the
importance of the imperative of staying committed to the ideas of the
democratic movements. Lithuanian MP Dalia Kuodyte read a declaration
on to establishing in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Friendship Group with the Republic of Artsakh (the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic).The original of the signed document was officially handed
in to NKR Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan. 9 members of different
fractions of the Lithuanian Seimas joined the initiative.

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