Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Stage of historical studies in distant past – Vigen Sargsyan

15:50 * 01.02.15

Armenia has clearly stated its position on the Armenian Genocide: the
stage of historical studies is in the distant past, and one has
numerous opportunities to study history in Turkey, Vigen Sargsyan,
Chief of the RA Presidential Staff, told Tert.am as he commented on
Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s proposal for committee of
historians.

“Turkish politicians and historians know this history as well as
Armenian historians do. So I think that the stage of historical
studies is in the distance past,” Mr Sargsyan said.

As to whether Turkey is succeeding in deceiving the international
community, Mr Sargsyan said:

“I have not so far seen any international representative that would
deny the Armenian Genocide or claim that crime has never been
committed. I have often heard that political figures in some countries
say they do not consider it advisable to recognize the Armenian
Genocide for certain political reasons. I see only two states denying
the Armenian Genocide – Turkey and Azerbaijan.”

From: Baghdasarian

EXPERT: ARMENIAN IT PRODUCTS MAY BE ATTRACTIVE TO RUSSIA AMID SANCTIONS AGAINST THIS COUNTRY

YEREVAN, February 2. /ARKA/. Armenian IT products may be attractive
to Russia amid sanctions against this country, Aram Safaryan, head
of Integration and Development research and analysis nongovernmental
organization, told journalists on Saturday.

Russia started understanding the necessity of developing own industry
and productive economy, he said, and Armenia got a change today
to re-launch or establish new industries and to export products to
Russia. In his opinion, special attention should be paid to agriculture
and IT industry’s outputs.

he said. Safaryan called on the government to establish a council
of experts for exploring cooperation grounds within the Eurasian
Economic Union and enhancing public awareness of advantages provided
by Armenia’s membership in this union.

From: Baghdasarian

ANALYST: DECLARATION ON GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL ‘REALISTIC’ ONLY IF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS ARE CANCELED

GENOCIDE | 02.02.15 | 16:20

Ara Papyan

By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Political analyst Ara Papyan, who heads the Modus Vivendi center,
considers the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the 100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide realistic only if the Armenian Parliament cancels
the Armenian-Turkish Protocols signed in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2009.

The 12-point declaration urges Turkey to “face their own history and
memory”, putting an end to the denial policy of the Armenian Genocide.

“[The declaration] expresses the united will of Armenia and the
Armenian people to achieve worldwide recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and the elimination of the consequences of the Genocide,
preparing to this end a file of legal claims as a point of departure
in the process of restoring individual, communal and pan-Armenian
rights and legitimate interests,” the document states.

Papyan thinks that the Pan-Armenian Declaration and the Zurich
Protocols contradict each other.

“If we theoretically admit that Turkey will ratify the protocols,
then these two documents will contradict each other, and in that case
it is unclear what policy should be applied, and if this declaration
is not simply formality but actually contains political context
and actually expresses positions, governments must make two steps –
by a special order the Armenian President must cancel the signature
of the Armenian representative under the Zurich Protocols, and the
Parliament must declare a Day of Fatherland on November 22,” he said.

By declaring Fatherland Day Armenia prevents Turkey from further
possibilities of invoking Armenia’s inaction and using it for not
accepting a lawsuit in the international court.

Ara Papyan sees as positive the fact that this Declaration in terms
of its demands and formation was a step forward, but not enough. He
highlights the part of the Declaration where the role and significance
of the Sevres Peace Treaty of 10 August 1920 and U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson’s Arbitral Award of 22 November 1920 in overcoming
the consequences of the Armenian Genocide are mentioned.

“This is the first instance when it is emphasized and valued by
the Armenian President personally. Now, if we convert this from the
diplomatic language into a simple one, by which, besides reference and
tribute, we also clarify some territorial demands, because especially
the Arbitrary Award speaks of territories, it states Armenia-Turkey
border,” he said.

From: Baghdasarian

RETURN THE FRAGMENTS OF ARMENIAN PAGAN GODDESS ANAHIT’S STATUE TO ARMENIA – PETITION

February 1, 2015

The remains of a statue of the pre-Christian Armenian Goddess of
fertility, healing, wisdom and water are in possession of the British
Museum. We now have the opportunity and obligation to return the
statue home to Armenia. So our people can admire their cultural and
historical artifacts in it’s rightful place.

Anahit, Goddess of fertility, healing, wisdom, water, and war is an
important part of Armenian history, mythology, and culture. According
to the website of the British Museum, the fragments (head and hand)
of Anahit’s bronze statue were accidently discovered in 1872 by a
farmer digging the land in Satagh, south-eastern Turkey. The head made
its way via Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and Italy to the dealer
Alessandro Castellani, who eventually sold it to the British Museum.

The hand was presented to the Museum a few years later.

The widespread turmoil and deportations in the region of historic
Armeniahave robbed the Armenian people of the very artifacts that would
represent the Armenian culture. The historic artifacts, such as the
remains of Goddess Anahit’s statue, that have been scattered around the
world throughout the many centuries of Armenia’s existence should not
be presented to Armenians only through textbooks and encyclopedias. The
physical presence of these remains in Armenia will give the Armenian
people the chance to visit their history in museums or galleries
without having the need to travel more than 2000 miles to do so.

If you, the petitioner, have ever been introduced to Armenians and
their culture, you would be familiar with the name of this Goddess
by the numerous Armenian women that have been named after her. The
following pictures are few of the examples showing that the sentimental
value of Goddess Anahit’s statue is worth far more for Armenians than
how it is currently represented inthe British Museum.

We petition now to return the cultural treasures to the people of
Armenia in care of the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan, where a
copy of the statue is currently displayed. Similar cultural retrievals
have proven to be successful for countries like Greece and Egypt.

Particularly Egypt has succeeded several times in returning cultural
values from the British Museum. We can do the same!

Please sign the petition to politely urge the UK officials to approve
the transfer of the fragments of Armenian Pagan Goddess Anahit’s
statue to Armenia because it is important for Armenians to have what
reflects our cultural heritage and national history in our museums.

Sign the petition here

From: Baghdasarian

L’EMISSION DU CLUB ARARAT TV-RADIO DIALOGUE AVEC RICHARD FINDYKIAN ET LE PROFESSEUR ROBERT DERMERGUERIAN

MARSEILLE-RADIO-MEDIAS
Auteur du livre est consacree a la 5ème edition du Festival National du Livre
Franco-Armenien Prix CHARLES AZNAVOUR 2015 qui se deroulera le Samedi
25 Avril dans le Grand Hall du Palais de la Bourse a Marseille dans
le cadre de 2015 Annee du Centenaire du Genocide Armenien. Invites :
Christian Apotheloz, redacteur en chef de Radio Dialogue, rend hommage
au Pasteur Robert Sarkissian, le Professeur Robert Dermerguerian,
auteur de l’ouvrage ( 2 fois 52 minutes ) sera projete le Samedi 25 Avril
dans le Grand Hall du Palais de la Bourse a Marseille. Realisation
radio : Frederic Marty

Krikor Amirzayan

lundi 2 fevrier 2015, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.co

From: Baghdasarian

MKHITARYAN COULD LEAVE BORUSSIA IN SUMMER, AGENT SAYS

16:12, 02 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan could leave the club
at the end of the season, according to his agent.

The Armenia international is now being linked with a move away from
Signal-Iduna Park with Juventus showing an interest, while Arsenal
and Liverpool are reported to be monitoring his situation.

However Mkhitaryan is unlikely to leave before Monday’s 11pm transfer
deadline, with his agent suggesting a summer move is on the cards.

“High-class players rarely want to change the club during the winter,”
Mino Raiola is quoted as saying by Calciomercato.

“Mkhitaryan plans to leave Dortmund in the summer. Let’s see how it
works out.”

From: Baghdasarian

FOUR ARMENIAN SOLDIERS CHARGED WITH MURDER OF FELLOW SERVICEMAN

12:40 | February 2,2015 | Official

Four servicemen in Armenia have been charged with the murder of fellow
soldier Haykaz Barseghyan, who was found on January 29 hanging from
a rope attached to the horizontal bar in the gym of a training unit
in Yerevan.

Vache Sahakyan, Movses Azaryan, Gnel Tevosyan and Norik Sahakyan,
soldiers of the same military unit, are charged under Article 104.2
of the Criminal Code (murder by a group of people or by an organized
group, out of hooliganism), Investigative Committee of Armenia reports.

Barseghyan, 20, was found hanged in the territory of the Vazgen
Sargsyan Military Institute.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia will draw conclusions about countries that prefer to visit
Turkey on April 24th

18:16, 30 January, 2015

YEREVAN, 30 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The number of countries wishing to be
hosted in Turkey on the day commemorating the victims of the Armenian
Genocide won’t cast a shade on the April 24th events. Coordinator of
the State Commission on Coordination of Events for Commemoration of
the 100 thAnniversary of the Armenian Genocide Vigen Sargsyan told
`Armenpress’.`Yesterday the President of the Republic gave a very
clear evaluation of the Turkish authorities’ decision to reedit their
country’s history due to political considerations. We’re skeptical of
those
attempts and believe that they are not only in vain, but also
dangerous,’ he said.

According to him, Armenia will try to remind its partners that
participation in any celebration on the date customized on the day of
remembrance of the Armenian Genocide is inappropriate. `However, based
on the fact that there will be interests that the leaders of some
countries might have in Turkey, I don’t think we should link them to
the commemoration ceremonies to be held in Armenia. We are
commemorating our victims not to prove anything to anybody, but to
show that we are leading our struggle. If our friends come to support
us, we will highly appreciate
that. If they prefer to be in Turkey on that day, we will draw our
conclusions,’ the official said in closing.

Recently the President of Turkey invited President of the Republic of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to Turkey to attend the celebration marking the
anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, which coincided with the day
marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide through the
small efforts of the Turkish authorities. Representatives of the Staff
of the President of Turkey announced that the invitation had been sent
to the leaders of 102 countries. President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan responded toErdoÄ?an’s letter with a response letter.

From: Baghdasarian

Pan-Armenian declaration makes appropriate references to intn’l law

13:06 * 31.01.15

The Pan-Armenian Declaration, adopted after the Genocide Centennial
Committee’s latest session in Yerevan, contains properly selected
references to norms of international law, an Armenian historian has
said, praising the professionalism of the specialists who drafted the
document.

“I consider the document – the declaration which has been adopted – an
absolute success, as it comprehensively addresses the issue,
reflecting our approaches,” Bagrat Yesayan, a member of the opposition
Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) and a former
editor-in-chief of the newspaper Yerkir, told Tert.am.

Asked whether by saying “our approaches” he means their political
party or the prevalent approaches in Armenia, the politician said he
finds that the declaration reflects the entire Armenian nation’s
stand.

As to weather the ARF-D is not more radically-disposed to the issue,
Yesayan replied, “If Dashnaksutyun had any reservation, they would
have been expressed that; we have our representatives in the
Centennial Committee, so they would have at least raised their voice
to say that something isn’t in line with our approaches.”

The Declaration was promulgated Thursday night in a ceremony held at
the Genocide Memorial after the Committee’s session. The document,
reflecting Armenia and its diaspora’s approaches to the international
recognition and condemnation of the tragic crime, is full of
references and citations of norms of international law (UN Universal
Declaration on Human Rights, Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Convention on the
Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes
against Humanity and other UN conventions, and different other
documents , including the Peace Treaty of Sevres and the Arbitral
Award on Turkish Armenian Boundary by Woodrow Wilson).

Khosrov Harutyunyan, a former prime minister of Armenia who now
represents the ruling Republican faction in parliament, says he
believes that the Declaration is an effort to better express Armenia
and the Armenian nation’s political-legal position on the issue.

“This testifies to the fact that the Declaration is not just a piece
of paper stemming from emotional and nationalist sentiments, but
rather a document anchored on the fundamental approaches of
international law,” he said.

Harutyunyan said he finds that the document, one copy of which will be
sent to the United Nations’ secretary general, is more targeted at the
international community rather than the domestic audience.

According to Armen Martirosyan, a deputy leader of the opposition
Heritage party, the document’s success is due to a deep political
conflict. “It is the fact that Armenia is now within the realm of the
Armenia-Turkey protocols, because it hasn’t yet recalled its
signature. So it entirely runs counter to the Declaration,” he told
our correspondent.

Tert.am also sought comments from Karen Kocharyan, a political
engineer specialized in electoral technologies, over possible
anti-propaganda efforts by Turkey. “One doesn’t have to prove to an
Armenian that a crime of genocide was actually committed in line with
a provision of the UN [convention],” he explained.

As for the key message, Kocharyan said he thinks that the world is
guiding itself by double standards. “They are trying to call attention
to the provisions which they have written themselves, especially the
ones that address the same Kosovo or the Jewish Holocaust, but they
won’t see those provisions whenever we are at issue,” he noted.

The expert said he sees that the message is addressed to the states
which haven’t recognized and do not want to ever recognize the
Armenian Genocide.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian policeman accused of robbing houses of Iranians living in Yerevan

by Ashot Safaryan
Friday, January 30, 18:05

An Armenian policeman has been accused of having robbed the houses of
a number of Iranians living in Yerevan.

The investigators have found out that the policeman had a civilian
accomplice. Both had debts, so, they decided to steal things from
Iranians living in Yerevan.

From: Baghdasarian