Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

"CHRISTIANS IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE" INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN CANADA IN 2009

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.06.2008 18:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Canada-based Union of Middle East Christians
has organized a reception to honor Arman Hakobian, Armenia’s Charge
d’Affairs in Canada, who answered numerous questions of the attendees
during the event, the RA MFA press office reported.

The Union is hopeful that the Armenian Embassy will sponsor the
"Christians in Ottoman Empire" international conference that will be
held in Montreal in 2009.

The Union of Middle East Christians includes the Coptic Orthodox
and Catholic Churches, Chaldean and Assyrian Orthodox Churches and
a number of others.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PM RECEIVES UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
June 13, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian
received today Ukrainian ambassador to Armenia Alexander Bozhko.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that during the meeting
the sides discussed a number of issues on Armenian-Ukrainian bilateral
relations.

They referred to the preparation of the session of the
Armenian-Ukrainian inter-governmental commission and its
conduction. They reached an agreement to hold the session in late
September. The interlocutors noted that the two countries have
registered positive dynamics in cooperation in the trade economic
sphere and said that the volume of trade turnover has increased.

The sides also referred to the cooperation in energy sphere and other
issues of mutual interest.
From: Baghdasarian

ART EXHIBITION OF ARMENIAN MASTERS ORGANIZED IN EGYPT

Arminfo
2008-06-12 12:37:00

The Armenian embassy in Egypt and the Center of Russian Culture
organized a joint art exhibition of Armenian masters Vardan Voskanyan
and Khachik Abrahamyan in Cairo and Alexandria on June 8 and June
10. To note, Voskanyan and Abrahamyan live in Moscow.

The press-service of the Armenian foreign ministry told ArmInfo that
the ambassadors of Armenia and Russia to Egypt came out with a greeting
speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
From: Baghdasarian

SWEDEN’S REFUSAL TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO HARM TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.06.2008

Vahagn Avedian, Chairman of the Union of Armenian Associations in
Sweden, told PanARMENIAN.Net that he addressed an open letter to
Swedish MPs to point out some major flaws in the stated arguments,
mentioning that the Foreign Committee members are either poorly
informed on the existing data, reports, conventions and resolutions or
they simply disregard the broad information which strongly contradicts
their assertions.

"The UNCHR Whitaker Report from 1985, the resolutions issued by the
International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the UN Genocide
Convention, its background and meaning, along with the petition
signed by over 60 world leading Holocaust and Genocide scholars were
some of the attachments as evidence for the erroneous and misleading
information the report suggested. But, the debate on June 11 proofed
that the decision had nothing to do with the presented facts.

The more the debate went on, the more it was revealed that no MP could
explain, less defend, any of the above mentioned arguments, save for
maybe the last one. During the debate, Member of Parliament Hans Linde
(Left), talking about the arguments stated in the document repeatedly
asked the members of the alliance parties to explain the argumentation
in the report and answer three simple and straight forward questions,
namely 1) Who are these researchers disagreeing on the reality of the
1915 genocide? 2) If the 1915 genocide can not be recognized due to
the chronology of the 1948 UN Convention, how come then the Holocaust
is recognized? 3) Why should the fear of extremists inside Turkey
dictate the freedom of speech in the Swedish Parliament? None of the
defendants could give an answer. This actually might be the only light
in the otherwise some what embarrassing situation that the MPs were
faced with when trying to evade the questions in whole. Mats Sanders
(Moderat/Conservatives) had, literally nothing to add but to refer to
the report text. Alf Svensson (Christian Democrats), in regard to the
"disagreement among researchers", was asked to name only one serious
researcher who renounces the 1915 genocide. He defended the proposition
by stating that he "believes in the information they receive from
the Foreign Services… I believe that this is the truth, and if it
is proven otherwise, then I am truly sorry." I am not quite sure if
Mr. Svensson really believes in what he stated in that sentence. But
then again, who, if not a Christian Democrat would safeguard issues
such as moral, human dignity, and stewardship.

Mats Pertoft (Green), one of the co-authors of the motions, pointed
out that the 1915 genocide was no different from the climate issue. For
couple of years ago, there was a disagreement among researchers about
the global warming, but now, even though there are some who still
disagree, there is a consensus on the issue among an overwhelming
majority of the researchers. The same applies to the 1915 genocide.

Mentioning the petition signed by genocide experts, Pertoft joined
Linde in urging the MPs to at least deny recognition on political
basis and refrain from abusing the name of science and renouncing
facts. A day earlier, I, together with Linde and Pertoft, partook
in a debate broadcasted live by the Assyrian Satellite TV Station
Suroyo. The TV station had invited several other MPs representing the
"no" side, but in vain. No one was willing to participate.

Linde’s radio debate on the subject, scheduled for the morning
of June 11, was also canceled since the MP defending the Foreign
Committee proposition had backed out in last second. Maybe, just
maybe, the text of the petition, sent to all members of parliament,
made a difference by stating that "Today, the data and information
about the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks are so
extensive that no serious politician can honestly cite insufficient or
inconclusive research as an excuse to avoid recognition." This was at
least true in the case of those who chose not participate in any of
the debates, rather than compromising their honesty by being forced
to follow their party line and defend their denial of a genocide.

Two politicians defied their parties. Yilmaz Kerimo (Social Democrat),
an ethnic Assyrian was one. The other, Lennart Sacredeus (Christian
Democrat), going against his party line, took the podium defending a
recognition of the 1915 genocide and ended his statement by adding:
"I know that we will stay here again in one year debating the very same
question…Turkey will be hit by bad will for every debate in every
parliament where this question is deeply associated with Turkey. I
think that we acknowledge and can understand the background for why
the issue is locked in Turkey; but the truth will set you free and
it applies to Turkey and the legacy after Ataturk." The truth will
set you free, but Swedish politicians today displayed that they are
neither ready to acknowledge the truth nor willing to set Turkey free
from its dark burdensome past.

The debate lasted over three hours, during which the present audience
agreed upon one certainty: no one of those recommending the rejection
of a recognition could, based on the alleged arguments in the report,
explain, less defend their case. It was soon obvious that there simply
were no sustainable arguments to be given to explain why Sweden can
not recognize the 1915 genocide. The "no" was purely a political
decision for maintaining good relations with Turkey, nothing else.

But could such a decision actually benefit Turkey? Or Sweden? Or EU? In
my opinion, similar decisions and signals are nothing but doing Turkey,
and not least oneself, a disservice. What kind of message do we send
to a Turkey in urgent need of reformation and democratization when
we tell them that it is actually acceptable to cover up crimes and
deny facts and the truth? What kind of a democracy does Sweden and
EU nourish in Turkey? Notwithstanding, I can not imagine a single
Armenian who would not welcome, by European measures, a reformed
and democratized Turkey as their neighbor. The same would apply to
Assyrians, Greeks, Kurds etc. But, the kind of signals which the
Swedish Parliament today sent surely cause more damage to the Turkish
process of becoming a more open society than the opposite.

Another paradox in Sweden became evident, namely the existence of the
Living History Forum, a government agency created in the wake of the
International and Intergovernmental Genocide Conference in Stockholm,
2004. On their web site the mission of the agency is described as
follows: "The Living History Forum is a government agency which
has been commissioned with the task of promoting issues relating to
tolerance, democracy and human rights – with the Holocaust as its point
of reference. By spreading knowledge about the darkest sides of human
history, we want to influence the future." The Living History Forum
lists the 1915 genocide as one of the genocides in the 20th century
and educates the Swedish society about what really happened in the
Ottoman Empire during WWI. It seems highly ironic that the Swedish
Government and politicians do not practice what they preach. "By
spreading knowledge about the darkest sides of human history, we want
to influence the future." Suddenly, Darfur makes total sense. The world
which Swedish politicians, or any other politicians for that matter,
shape by influencing the future with their denial of genocide is the
kind where we do speak of, not a historic, but an ongoing genocide,
that in Darfur; and we will most certainly experience yet many more.

The phrase: "history must be left to historians" is often used by the
Turkish state and those politicians around the world who do wish to
avoid treading Turkish toes by recognizing the 1915 genocide. I did
not realize until today how true that phrase is. Actually, I totally
agree with the Turkish state on this one: history must be written by
historians, not politicians. Today, however, Swedish MPs wrote their
own new version of the history, a revised alternative suiting their
political agenda, denouncing a broad data and consensus put forward
by the expert scholars in the field. I hope that Swedish leaders,
as well as all political leaders, would in future leave the research
to researchers and base their decision making on presented facts
put forward by scholars. Sacredeus’ prophecy will be fulfilled as
the 1915 genocide will most certainly be discussed in the Swedish
Parliament again and again. As an answer to the last question I
got in the TV debate, about how we will continue when the highly
expected rejection in the Parliament comes, I replied "We will go on
remembering the genocide of 1915, even after its recognition. We have
already started the preparation for the manifestation on April 24,
2009, which, as the last two years, will take place in front of the
Swedish Parliament. But, I hope that this time, instead of calling
upon the Parliament to recognize the genocide, we will thank the MPs
for having recognized it," Vahagn Avedian said.

On June 11, a long debate took place in the Swedish parliament in
regard to the Foreign Committee report on Human Rights, including
five motions calling upon the Swedish government and parliament to
officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

On June 12, 2008, the Swedish parliament, with the votes 245 to 37
(1 abstain, 66 absent), rejected a call for recognition of the 1915
genocide in the Ottoman Empire. On June 11, a long debate took place
in the Swedish Parliament in regard to the Foreign Committee report
on Human Rights, including five motions calling upon the Swedish
Government and Parliament to officially recognize the 1915 Armenian
Genocide.

In its answer (2007/2008:UU9), a majority consisting of the ruling
alliance parties together with the Social Democrats (opposition party)
proposed rejecting the motions, whereby the Green (Miljopartiet)
and the Left (Vansterpartiet) parties announced their reservations,
forcing the Parliament to have a debate in the main chamber before
the proposal was voted on.

The argumentation for why recognition should be rejected was based
on four main assumptions: "no particular consideration regarding the
Armenian situation has ever been in form of an UN Resolution, either
in 1985 or any other occasion; the Committee understands that what
engulfed the Armenians, Assyrian/Syrians and Chaldeans during the reign
of the Ottoman Empire would, according to the 1948 Convention, probably
be regarded as genocide, if it had been in power at the time; there is
still a disagreement among the experts regarding the different course
of events of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. The same applies
to the underlying causes and how the assaults shall be classified;
[in regard to the development in Turkey] in the time being, it would
be venturesome to disturb an initiate and delicate national process."
From: Baghdasarian

MEETING AT THE GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS
X-X-Sender: [email protected]
X-Listprocessor -Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

A1+
12 June, 2008

Since the RA Government is on an out session in Gyumri, residents
of the alienated zone of the city center gathered in a consultative
meeting at the Governmental buildings instead of staging a protest
action.

They had gathered to inform one another about their meetings with the
RA Minister of Justice, the latter’s assistant and the RA Ombudsman. As
Vachagan Hakobian, Chairman of the "Protection of Property Rights" NGO
informed "A1+", 6 months ago the Municipality received 14 residents
to listen to their complaints but none of them has been given an
answer yet.

The residents had accepted the offer of the Municipality to quit
protest actions as soon as they received compensation. However,
no compensation has been offered so far.

Rafik Hovhannissian, who is one of the 14 residents received, is an
invalid currently living at one of his relative’s in Argavand.

Several years ago Hovhannissian was initially offered USD 32.000 for
his land of 132m2. He was promised another USD 25.000 but six months
has passed and the money has not been transferred to his bank account.

Residents of the alienated zone are planning to hold a protest action
at the Presidential Residence next week to demand a final solution
to their problem.
From: Baghdasarian

SITTING OF RUBEZH 2008 PREPARATION WORKING GROUP TAKES PLACE

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 10, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The sitting of the preparation working
group of the Rubezh 2008 joint commander-headquarters exercises in the
territory of Armenia, within the framework of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO) took place on June 10, conducted by Artur
Baghdasarian, the Secretary of the RA National Security Council.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, issues connected with exercises’ holding
and organization, as well as those regarding creation of operative and
research groups for the purpose of preparing the event and organization
of their activity were discussed during the sitting.
From: Baghdasarian

S. OHANYAN RECEIVED SERGEY KAPINOS

Panorama.am
19:28 10/06/2008

Today the Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan received the delegation
headed by Ambassador Sergey Kapinos the chairman of OSCE Yerevan
office. According to the press secretary of the ministry, Mr Ohanyan
greeted the guest and said he hopes new successes will be registered
chaired by the Ambassador.

In the beginning of the meeting the officials talked about improving
the mechanisms of democratic supervision in the Armed Forces in Rain
the frameworks of alternative military service and military reforms and
human rights protection in the project of RA-NATO Personal Cooperation.

The officials paid attention to the reforms conducted in the armed
forces field. In the end of the meeting the Ambassador thanked the
minister for the cooperation with OSCE office.
From: Baghdasarian

Glendale News Press, CA
June 5 2008

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:
Scott praises Armenian community

Published: Last Updated Thursday, June 5, 2008 11:03 PM PDT

State Sen. Jack Scott, a four-term, nearly termed out legislator,
praised the Armenian community Thursday night as a culture deeply
committed to education during Glendale’s Armenian National Committee’s
annual banquet.

`As someone who chairs the education committee and someone who cares
about educating every child, I know that I stand shoulder to shoulder
with the Armenian community who cares deeply about education,’ said
Scott, the keynote speaker at the event that also handed Glendale
Police Officer John Balian the Community Service Award and named
Glendale High School senior Henrietta Movsessian, 18, the Youth
Activist of the Year.

Scott’s 10-minute address was as much a swan song for the two-term
senator – who also served two terms in the California State Assembly –
as a transition into his next venture, head of California’s sprawling
system of 109 community colleges.

`I’ve had a great career and been successful in passing 158 bills in
my 12 years of service,’ he said.

But his talk also highlighted the relationship with the
Armenian-American community in the region, one of the largest in the
U.S.

`I applaud you for the political efforts you have undertaken and for
the fact that you’ve recognized that in a land like America, the way
you make an impact is through grass-roots activism. I compliment the
Armenian National Committee for that.’

Scott has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation that would recognize the
deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians around World War I believed to
be at the hands of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. His support
stemmed from both political and humanitarian concerns.

`Of all the senators in California, I probably represent more
Armenians than anyone,’ he said. `I was talking to my good friend
[Assemblyman] Paul Krekorian, and he said, `You probably represent
more Armenians than any legislator in Armenia. Well, that’s probably
true, and I’m very proud of that.’

Democrats slam the governor’s budget plans

As California’s politicians returned to work after Tuesday’s primary,
state Democrats wasted no time in rebuking Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s plan to mend a budget deficit of more than $17
billion.

The Democratic version of Schwarzenegger’s May budget revision was
unveiled Thursday in Sacramento by state senators and members of the
Assembly who called for increased educational funds, reinstating
MediCal cuts made in February and restoring $57 million in money for
Cal Grant awards, the state’s primary financial aid for college
students.

`One of the most important things to me is that we restore education
funding,’ Assemblyman Paul Krekorian said. `We are actively paying
down debt the state now owes.’

The Assembly plan provides $2.3 billion more than Schwarzenegger’s
plan for education spending and restores a cost-of-living increase of
1.6%, something that had been wiped away in the May budget revision.

Democratic state senators moved to reduce the cut in the MediCal
provider rate from 10% to 5% and rejected Schwarzenegger’s original
budget proposal to eliminate dental care, optometry and other MediCal
benefits.

Democrats have not revealed how they will restore programs and
maintain a balanced budget, which must be achieved with a two-thirds
majority in both houses, but tax increases are a possibility,
Krekorian said.

`This requires a consensus on new revenues,’ he said. `It doesn’t
necessarily mean new taxes, but Republicans want to achieve this
through cuts only, and Californians clearly disagree with that
approach.’

Assembly Democrats anticipate that Republicans will reject tax
increases and press for continued cuts to state programs, an approach
Krekorian called `irrational and immature.’

The Democratic plan will now go to the conference committees between
the state Senate and Assembly and could then be discussed by the top
five state leaders: Schwarzenegger, Assembly speaker Karen Bass,
Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines, state Senate President Pro
Tem Don Perata and Republican Minority Leader Dave Cogdill.

Both major political parties look ahead

With Tuesday’s primary in the rear-view mirror, Democratic and
Republican observers are looking to shape the vote count to illustrate
which party is better prepared to pick up state and federal seats in
November’s general election.

`There is definitely a blue wave,’ said Mark Gonzalez, secretary of
the 44th Assembly District Delegation. `Now that the Democratic
[presidential] race has been decided, there is a lot of opportunity in
the party to move forward. We’re definitely going to take back the
White House and seats in California. The way California goes, so goes
the nation.’

Incumbent Republican Rep. David Dreier is poised to face Democratic
rival Russ Warner for control of the congressional seat in the 26th
District, which includes La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and
Montrose. Republican Charles Hahn, a Burbank resident and financial
advisor, will try to wrest control of the 29th Congressional District
from incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff.

In an attempt to defeat Dreier, Democrats have plowed more than
$700,000 into Warner’s campaign, with some of that money coming from a
Political Action Committee established by Schiff, Gonzalez said.

`That is one of the most watched races of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee,’ he said.

The money Warner raised is of little concern to some Republicans, who
feel Dreier’s nearly 30 years of experience is invaluable.

`I’m very confident Dreier will retain his seat,’ said Don Meredith,
president of the Buck and Ballot Brigade, which helps elect
Republicans to state and federal seats.

After state Sen. Jack Scott is termed out, Democrat Carol Liu is
slated to run against Republican Teddy Choi in the race for the
Senate’s 21st District, which includes Burbank and Glendale.

In the state Assembly, incumbent Democrat Paul Krekorian is poised to
face Republican Jane Barnett for the 43rd District that covers Burbank
and Glendale, while Assemblyman Anthony Portantino will face
Republican Brian M. Fuller for control of the 44th District, which
includes a portion of Montrose.

Krekorian’s seat is the focus of Buck and Ballot, which is buoyed by
the more than 7,000 votes Barnett received and will focus its efforts
on electing the Burbank businesswoman in November.

`We have to get out and continue to advance the message,’ he said.

008/06/06/politics/gnp-pollandscape06.txt
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENPRESS

CIS CUSTOMS HEADS GATHER IN RUSSIAN NIZHNI NOVGOROD

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS: The recurrent
meeting of the council of heads of customs services of
former Soviet republics which make the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) is taking place today in
Volodarsk town of Nizhni Novgorod province of Russia.
Heads of customs services of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine will come together
for discussions of a set of issues.
At the end of the meeting they will sign joint
documents, developed to facilitate customs services
across the CIS.
From: Baghdasarian

RAZMIK HOVSEPIAN APPOINTED CHAIRPERSON OF STATE SPORTS COMMITTEE UNDER NKR GOVERNMENT

DeFacto Agency
June 3 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 03.06.08. DE FACTO. According to the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic PM Ara Harutyunian’s decree, Lernik Galayan was relived of
the position of the Chairperson of the State Sports Committee under
the NKR government.

According to another decree of the NKR PM, Razmik Hovsepian has been
appointed the Chairperson of the State Sports Committee, the NKR
government’s Press Office reports.
From: Baghdasarian