Author: Badalian Vardan

STEPANAKERT: AZERBAIJANI LEADERSHIP GIVING “WEHRMACHT-STYLE” ORDERS

by Marianna Lazarian

Wednesday, April 22, 16:18

Azerbaijan’s leadership is giving “Wehrmacht- style” orders, David
Babayan, NKR President’s Spokesperson, told ArmInfo when commenting
on Azerbaijani defense minister’s order to the manpower to immediately
destroy any moving military object on the Line of Contact.

According to Babayan, such orders prove that inadequate persons are
in power in Azerbaijan.

“Nevertheless, such orders, threats, and attempts can neither frighten
us nor panic. If Azerbaijani forces make a sabotage attempt, breach
the ceasefire or anyhow threaten our country, we will retaliate
adequately,” the Artsakh president’s spokesperson said.

As for the current tension on the Karabakh-Azerbaijan Line of
Contact, Babayan explained this with a range of factors, including
the approaching centennial of the Armenian Genocide – April 24.

“Ceasefire breaches intensify on April 24, on May 9 -Shushi Liberation
Day. This once again shows the inferiority complexes of the Azerbaijani
people and leadership,” Babayan said and called Azerbaijan a
nationalist country.

Earlier on April 22, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov met
with Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk. “The personnel stationed along the contact line have been
ordered to immediately destroy any moving military target, and the
order is followed unconditionally,” Minister Hasanov said.

It is noteworthy that Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan
called a meeting of the Command Staff earlier today to underline the
need the stay alert ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. The
minister said the adversary intensifies its sabotage attempts on the
dates of special importance for the Armenian people. Seyran Ohanyan
charged the Command Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces to closely
follow the adversary’s actions these days.

NEWSPAPER: TURKEY POLITICAL ELITE’S ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PANIC BECOMES BLACKMAIL

09:46, 22.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

YEREVAN. – The Turkish political elite’s panic with respect to the
Armenian Genocide Centennial has turned to blackmail, Hraparak daily
reported.

“[Turkish] FM [Mevlut] Cavusoglu is in the US with an entire package of
blackmail (…) making it clear that if the US recognizes the Armenian
Genocide at the level of the executive power, Turkey will provide no
assistance whatsoever to the US in the Middle East, the Arab world,
the fight against the Islamic State, Syria, Iraq, etc.

Furthermore, Turkey could freeze the US-purchased weapons’ deals.

“Turkey demands that the US not only not recognize the Armenian
Genocide, but refrain from sending a senior official to [Armenia’s
capital city of] Yerevan [to take part in the Genocide Centennial
commemorations].

“Turkey’s PM [Ahmet] Davutoglu had arrived in the UN days ago with
such other package, and yesterday [i.e. Tuesday], Deputy PM Ali
Babacan. Turkey threatens not to provide any assistance whatsoever
to the UN in a wide variety of programs, if the UN is represented
in Yerevan on April 24 [i.e. the day of the Genocide centenary]
at a high level,” Hraparak wrote.

The Armenian friend of Pope Francis: The story behind the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide

Agencia Prensa Armenia

Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s prime minister said that Pope Francis “has
joined this conspiracy” to form an “evil front” against the Turkish
government and has “ignorance or insufficient knowledge of history.”
Volkan Bozkir, Turkish Minister for European Affairs, said that the
Pope said what he said because he “was Argentine,” a country “that
welcomed the leading executors of the Jewish Holocaust, Nazi
torturers, with open arms.” Then he added that “unfortunately, in
Argentina, the Armenian diaspora controls the media and business.”
Cemil Ã=87içek, president of the Turkish Parliament, claimed that the
Pope’s words were “racist.” The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, was even harder: “Whenever politicians, religious
functionaries assume the duties of historians, then delirium comes
out, not fact.”

“Il primo genocidio del XX secolo” says Pope Francis with slow and
measured voice, during the Mass on Sunday April 12, 2015. He is
reading, but he looks at the people before uttering the word
“genocide”.

What happened so that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, pronounced
one of the most important speeches in the history of the fight for
recognition and repair of the genocide against the Armenian people
perpetrated by the Turkish state?

The person who is closer to answering this question, besides Pope
Francis, is Archbishop Kissag Mouradian, Primate of the Armenian
Apostolic Church for Argentina and Chile Republic. Born in Aleppo,
Syria, Mouradian studied and was ordained in Jerusalem. He arrived to
Argentina in 1975.

Behind the accusations of the Turkish government, there is a simple
story. “The only difference I have with him, is that he is fan of San
Lorenzo and I am fan of River Plate,” says the archbishop at the
beginning of the interview with Agencia Prensa Armenia. “He usually
calls me Mouradian,” recalls.

Asked if the Pope had anticipated that he would call the genocide by
its name, Archbishop Kissag Mouradian said that he had not said
anything before. “I was sure that he was going to say something,
because if he especially celebrated the Mass, he had to say
something.”

“The most important thing was to affirm what he always said and
asked. Turkey has to recognize the genocide for the welfare of the two
peoples, both Armenian and Turkish. Truth is always better than trying
to deny or lie,” says Mouradian.

( Link ->

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“Not only my friendship caused all this. The proximity to the Armenian
community in Argentina has influenced so that Bergoglio feel the truth
as it is. Thanks to what we did here for years, through ecumenism, he
managed to understand many things. That work helped so that the future
Pope knew the history of the Armenians. He is someone who has studied
much, and certainly prepares before giving a sermon,” he adds.

Before the historical Mass, the Pope received on Friday April 10 a
delegation from Argentina. “We were going to be fifteen or twenty
people and ended up going forty. When we greeted him, Pope Francis
told me: ‘If you were twenty I could have invited you to eat. Now it
is impossible’,” says the Archbishop, laughing.

The friendship between them “took hold when he called me to accompany
him to the prayer of the tragedy of Cromañon”, back in 2005. The
tragedy of Cromañon nightclub was a fire that occurred in Buenos
Aires, on 30 December 2004, an accident that killed 194 people. “That
day, in the morning, my phone rang and Bergoglio said: ‘Mouradian
please do not leave me alone, join me to say a prayer at the Cathedral
for the tragedy of Cromañon’. It was very hard, the Cathedral was
crowded with people holding photos of the victims. We were just him
and I, along with other priests. At the door, people asked to pray for
them and one was aware of the impotence they had. It seems that people
expected a miracle from us, to return them the lives of the children
who were lost. You feel you want to help, but you also need help,”
recounts Mouradian.

– Did you met more often after that sad event?

On April 24 we officiated ceremonies of dirge in the Cathedral of
Buenos Aires, where he always addressed his words to the Armenian
people. On one of these occasions he called on Turkey to recognize his
crime to enhance the relationship and doing good to the Armenian
people and the Turkish people. At that time he was a bishop and was
not recognized worldwide. Today is different, he is the Pope and head
of the Vatican.

We also shared several ecumenical prayers, especially those organized
by the St. Egidio group, created by John Paul II, which helps
homeless.

When the Armenians opened an altar of Jude Thaddaeus in the Basilica
of La Merced, he asked to do another one of Saint Bartholomew. They
are the two apostles who went to Armenia to Christianize the Armenian
people.

In the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires there is a Khachkar to
commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and it was
also placed at the express request of Bergoglio. He asked, as a wish,
that someday he wanted to be buried under the Armenian Khachkar at the
Metropolitan Cathedral.

– How do you think he received the reply of Turkish officials that
even call him a discriminator?

If he caused all this, it is because he was ready to face Turkey. He
always told the truth and was in favor of justice. He is very brave
and very convinced of his convictions, they will not change for
anything. He is firm with justice and truth.

Agencia de Noticias Prensa Armenia
Armenia 1366, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel. (5411) 4775-7595
[email protected]
twitter.com/PrensaArmenia

L’ARMENIA DEL GENOCIDIO CENT’ANNI DOPO (2)

Prosegue il reportage del viadanese Paolo Bergamaschi, consigliere
della Commissione Esteri del Parlamento Europeodi Paolo Bergamaschi

16 aprile 2015

La commemorazione (foto Paolo Bergamaschi)

MANTOVA. (segue) La crisi ucraina ha provocato un corto circuito fra
Bruxelles e Mosca ma ha messo anche a nudo le contraddizioni della
politica estera europea ed evidenziato la debolezza della posizione
armena. L’Alto Rappresentante della Politica Estera dell’Unione
Federica Mogherini non perde occasione per ribadire il sostegno
europeo all’integrita territoriale di Ucraina, Georgia e Moldova ma
glissa o tace sull’integrita territoriale dell’Azerbaigian. Non è
certo un esempio di coerenza nei confronti di paesi che fanno parte
dello stesso progetto. L’imbarazzo dell’Armenia in questo contesto,
di fatto paese occupante, è evidente. Nel discorso di apertura
dell’Assemblea Parlamentare dei paesi del Partenariato Orientale che
si tiene a Erevan il ministro degli Esteri Eduard Nalbandyan sembra
arrampicarsi sugli specchi quando affronta la questione ucraina.

“Spero che l’accordo di Minsk 2 possa fare da battistrada ad una
soluzione globale del conflitto”, afferma, “ma non si possono applicare
gli stessi standard a tutti i conflitti congelati”, sostiene. E’
il leit motiv della politica estera armena quello di pretendere
che ogni guerra dimenticata nella nelle ex repubbliche sovietiche
del vecchio continente faccia storia a se rappresentando qualcosa
di unico. E’ la giustificazione dei due pesi e delle due misure,
comoda in questa occasione sia per la diplomazia di Bruxelles che per
quella di Erevan. Con buona pace del diritto internazionale e della
credibilita della politica estera europea.

Invocando la soluzione pacifica del conflitto Nalbandyan finisce, poi,
inevitabilmente con l’attaccare il nemico azero colpevole, a suo dire,
di mettere i bastoni fra le ruote ai mediatori dell’Organizzazione per
la Sicurezza e Cooperazione in Europa. “L’Azerbaigian deve cessare
gli attacchi contro i civili lungo la linea di contatto”, insiste
rivolgendosi alla platea, “è ormai chiaro a tutti chi non vuole la
pace”. L’ultima parte dell’intervento del ministro è dedicata al
genocidio armeno di cui ricorre in questi giorni il centenario. “Il
riconoscimento e la condanna del genocidio sono un fattore chiave per
la prevenzione di nuovi genocidi” “, spiega Nalbandyan rivolgendo
un ulteriore invito alla Turchia perche riconosca i misfatti
dell’impero ottomano e riapra le frontiere con l’Armenia chiuse da
più di vent’anni.

Erevan ha giustamente investito enormi risorse per le cerimonie di
commemorazione del centenario del genocidio armeno. Fu una tragedia
storica di proporzioni immani quella che portò allo sterminio di un
milione e mezzo di armeni che vivevano pacificamente integrati nella
societa ottomana di inizio novecento. Il “Medz Yeghern”, il temine
originale con cui viene chiamato il genocidio, è diventato ormai
l’elemento caratterizzante dell’identita del popolo armeno in larga
parte esiliato e sparso da allora in tutti i paesi del globo. Ed è
proprio grazie alla diaspora se oggi molti stati hanno riconosciuto
l’olocausto armeno o si apprestano a farlo per onorare la memoria
di tante vittime innocenti. Mi trovavo a Erevan anche dieci anni fa
durante i giorni in cui si commemorava il novantesimo anniversario.

Ricordo la ressa di ambasciatori, politici e rappresentanti di governo
che si alternavano sul podio della sala principale dell’hotel Marriot
coordinati dall’allora onnipotente ministro degli esteri Oskanian
oggi caduto in disgrazia. Anche allora ci fu la consueta visita al
memoriale sulla cima della collina di Tsitsernakaberd che sovrasta
la capitale. Mentre ci incamminiamo lungo la spianata che conduce
al monumento la guida che ci accompagna descrive gli avvenimenti che
portarono al massacro della popolazione armena da parte degli ottomani
il cui impero si avviava al tramonto. Una parete lunga cento metri
ricorda da un lato i nomi delle localita e delle citta nelle quali si
verificarono i principali eccidi e le deportazioni mentre dall’altro
sono apposte placche di marmo per onorare una ad una le personalita
che in tutti i paesi si batterono all’epoca per fermare le stragi e
portare soccorso alle vittime.

La grande stele alta 44 metri si erge a simbolo della rinascita
della nazione armena dopo la decimazione mentre le lastre di pietra
inclinate che delimitano in cerchio la fiamma perenne rappresentano
le 12 province dell’Armenia storica che oggi si trovano in territorio
turco. Il cielo sopra di noi è gonfio di nubi che fortunatamente
trattengono la pioggia mentre due soldati precedono la nostra
delegazione a passo d’oca portando una ghirlanda di fiori da deporre
davanti al monumento. In basso si intravedono le strade di Erevan
intasate dal traffico che scorre davanti ai nostri occhi nel silenzio
come un film muto.

Le commemorazioni servono a ricordare ma in questo caso, sostengono
opportunamente gli armeni, anche a prevenire nuovi genocidi. Fu
proprio la mancanza di percezione e consapevolezza per lungo tempo
del genocidio armeno, affermano alcuni storici, che portò agli
stermini successivi del ventesimo secolo incluso l’olocausto. Ancora
oggi, però, la questione del riconoscimento di questo genocidio è
fortemente osteggiata da alcuni paesi che ne mettono in discussione
la ricostruzione storica o ne relativizzano il contesto. Sperimento
nel mio piccolo la controversia durante i lavori dell’assemblea
parlamentare quando la delegazione ucraina si rifiuta di appoggiare una
risoluzione commemorativa se al riconoscimento del genocidio armeno
non si aggiunge anche l’Holodomor, il termine con cui gli ucraini
ricordano la tragica morte di sette milioni di connazionali durante il
periodo staliniano a causa della carestia provocata artificiosamente
dal dittatore georgiano per soffocare la resistenza della popolazione
al suo pugno di ferro.

Punti di vista si accavallano con argomenti di scontro mentre la
politica si intreccia con la storia e la storia viene reinterpretata
dalla politica su un’altalena di verita di comodo, negazioni ostinate
e opportunismi sfacciati. Sullo sfondo, però, c’è la ruggine che
affligge le relazioni fra Ucraina e Armenia, rea quest’ultima di
non avere sostenuto alle Nazioni Unite la risoluzione di condanna
dell’aggressione russa nel Donbass. Anche i genocidi, a volte,
possono diventare merce di scambio.

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS CONDEMNS THE MASS KILLING OF ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANS BY LIBYAN TERRORISTS

17:14, 21 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, has sent a letter of condolences to His Holiness Abuna
Mathias, Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, on the occasion of
the murder of Ethiopian Christians by Libyan terrorists.

On behalf of the members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin and
the Supreme Spiritual Council, His Holiness conveyed his deepest
sympathies and condolences to His Holiness Abuna Mathias and the
faithful of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

“During these days, when our nation commemorates the 100th anniversary
of Armenian Genocide and calls upon the international community to
stand firm in defending human rights and dignity throughout the world,
strongly condemn the mass killing of our Christian brethren and invite
all people of good will to take the necessary measures to prevent
such crimes and atrocities against humanity”, said His Holiness.

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM-INSTITUTE OPENED ITS DOORS WITH A LARGER AREA, MORE TITLES AND GALLERIES – PHOTOS

19:35, 21 April, 2015

YEREVAN, 21 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
is opening its doors with an updated and enriched exhibition ahead of
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The official opening
ceremony of the new exhibition was held on April 21. During a press
conference, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
Hayk Demoyan informed that the museum’s collection includes more
than 90,000 materials, making it the world’s largest collection of
materials devoted to the Armenian Genocide.

According to him, the new exhibition is more for foreigners who won’t
be able to call into question the fact that the Armenian Genocide
was planned.

Hayk Demoyan also informed that the representatives of 20 media
outlets, including Turkish media outlets will have the opportunity
to view the new exhibition on April 23. “The museum will showcase new
and updated materials not as a exhibition presenting the remembrance
of the Armenian people and Armenia, but also the history of Turkey
and the Turks. Thus, this museum will also serve as a platform for
young Turks to come and confront their past,” Hayk Demoyan said.

He also informed that the museum would be open to visitors on April
25 and that it would only be open for representatives of foreign
delegations and media outlets until then. According to him, the area
has been expanded 2.5 times and will include 12 galleries instead of
the previous 3. There will also be 50 titles.

“LIQUIDATION PRICES”: MANY SHOPS ARE ON THE VERGE OF CLOSURE (VIDEO)

12:16 | April 21,2015 | Economy

“Liquidation prices”, ‘Big sales”, “For sale or lease” signs are hung
on the shops.

“There is no sale, we aren’t able to survive, we have to set
liquidation prices in order to close the shop,” Sofya Baghdasaryan,
one of the shop owners, told in the interview with “A1+”.

The vendors aren’t able to pay the loans taken for turnover and area
rents in time. According to their words, it has become impossible to
be engaged in the small and medium-sized business in Armenia.

Economist Zoya Tadevosyan gives some reasons for this situation- high
level of unemployment, sharp decline in consumer purchasing power,
migration, unequal competitive conditions. In this context Mrs.

Tadevosyan notes:

“If there are no favorable conditions for businesses, stable tax
system, if there is corruption, implementation of such mechanisms,
which force people to pay more taxes in order to fill the state budget,
who would like to work under these conditions?”

According to the National Statistical Service data, compared with
the last year the volumes of domestic turnover have decreased by 7.4%
in January, by 6.4% in February and by 5.3 % in March.

Watch the details in the video!

EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO OPEN IN GERMAN CITY OF UBERLINGEN

18:32, 21 April, 2015

YEREVAN, 21 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. An exhibition dedicated to the
100thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide will open in the German city
of Uberlingen in 2016. During an April 21 press conference, President
of the “Dialogue of Cultures” Foundation Sona Harutyunyan informed
that the exhibition would be called “Armenia Past and Present Art and
Photography between 1975 and 2015” and mentioned that a conference
devoted to the Armenian Genocide was held in Uberlingen this year.

According to her, holding the exhibition in 2016 was an informed choice
since there will be many events and initiatives this year, and that’s
why event organizers have tried to hold events in Germany next year
in order to keep “the wave of emotions and expectations high”.

NUMBER OF CHINESE TOURIST VISITS MAY INCREASE STEEPLY – NEWSPAPER

YEREVAN, April 21. /ARKA/. Armenia’s government is to consider,
at its meeting on Saturday, a draft decision that will boost the
number of tourist arrivals from China steeply, Haykakan Zhamanak
(Armenian Time) newspaper said on Tuesday.

Back in July 2014, the Armenian and the Chinese governments signed a
memorandum in Beijing to arrange for Armenia tours for tourist groups
from China.

For this, according to the Chinese laws, Armenia needs to be
included on the Guaranteed Tour Countries list prepared by the
Chinese government.

Armenia was given this status at the end of the last year, and only
a couple of technical issues remain to be solved to start the tours,
the newspaper says. -0–

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS STATEMENT ON GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL

14:04 21/04/2015 >> SOCIETY

The Armenian National Assembly adopted the statement on the Armenian
Genocide Centennial during a special session on Tuesday.

The authors of the draft statement are MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan, Vahe
Enfiajyan, Artak Zakaryan, Koryun Nahapetyan, Araik Hovhannisyan, Naira
Karapetyan, Artashes Geghamyan, Hamlet Harutyunyan, Sukias Avetisyan,
Alexander Arzumanian, Shirak Torosyan, Samvel Farmanyan, Volodya
Badalyan, Tatshat Vardapetyan, Mher Shahgeldyan and Artsvik Minasyan.

The draft statement was adopted unanimously with 113 votes.

The text of the statement is provided below:

“The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia

– having regard to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of the Genocide adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly on 9 December 1948, the law on the Condemnation of the 1915
Genocide of the Armenians in Ottoman Turkey adopted by the Armenian
SSR Supreme Council on 22 November 1988;

– evaluating the provisions stipulated in the All-Armenian Declaration
of the Armenian Genocide Centennial,

– highlighting the contribution of the Armenian people to the joint
efforts of the international community aimed at crimes against mankind,
condemnation and prevention of genocides,

– extending gratitude to the parliaments of all countries, state
and local institutions and international organizations, which have
officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, have adopted laws
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial,

Calls on the parliaments of all countries, inter-parliamentary
organizations and international organizations to officially recognize
and condemn the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire
as a gravest crime against mankind.”