Author: Basmajian Ani

ALVARD PETROSYAN FORGIVES OSKANIAN BUT NOT SARGSYAN

A1+
[05:56 pm] 18 April, 2007

Today Alvard Petrosyan, poet-publicist and member of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, pointed out that Armenia must give up the idea of
"patrons" as afterwards Moscow and Washington will cease to be our
elder brothers. The acting officialdom should speak Armenian out of
the state etiquette.

While speaking of the RA and RF FMs’ meeting during which Vartan
Oskanian made a speech in Russian, Ms. Petrosyan said, "I forgive
Vartan Oskanian. Maybe it is a pleasure for him to speak in Russian
or maybe he wanted to show that he masters Russian, besides Arabic,
English, Armenian and Persian. It is noteworthy that the Diaspora
representatives have flair for languages."

As for Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan’s meeting with a RF high-level
official in which the latter said "Armenia is the outpost of the
Russian Federation," Ms. Petrosyan said, "I forgive only Vartan
Oskanian for his speech in Russian. Everyone ought to speak in their
Mother Tongue both inside the country and beyond its boundaries. They
can make use of interpreters’ service in such cases. It is our fault
that the RF high-ranking official considers Armenia as Russia’s
outpost. The logics of the outpost is incomprehensible for me. Once
we get rid of that psychology and assess our capacities and dignity,
no one will dare to insult us in such a way."

A KHACHKAR IN MEMORY OF NANSEN AND VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE INSTALLED IN NORWAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2007 12:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On April 21 a khachkar monument will be placed in
Bergen, Norway, dedicated to Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian polar explorer,
scientist, diplomat and humanist, Nobel Peace Prize in 1922, and the
1915 Armenian Genocide victims. Independent French journalist Jean
Eckiyan told the PanARMENIAN.Net corespondent, in his book "Armenia
and the Near East" published in 1923, Fridtjof Nansen one wrote,
"The massacres that started in 1915 have nothing to compare with
the history of mankind. The massacres by Abdul Hamid are minor in
comparison to what today’s Turks have done. Woe to the Armenians,
that they were ever drawn into European politics! It would have been
better for them if the name of Armenia had never been uttered by any
European diplomatist." The initiative of placing the khachkar comes
from the Armenian Society of Kaunas, a District in Lithuania.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN TO VISIT KARABAKH

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 19 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend /The OSCE Minsk Co-Chairmen are expected to pay
a visit to the Karabakh region to become acquainted with the positions
of the conflict parties, as well as discuss the possibility of holding
the next meting between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Armenian Agency "ARKA" has been informed at the Press

During the discussions held, the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen put forward
proposals to the disputing parties, emphasizing a number of the
issues, not agreed within the principles being presently viewed by
the parties. At the same time, no date of the forthcoming visit of
the mediators was confirmed.

Notably, in Belgrade, the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers
participated in the 16th meeting of Foreign Ministries of BSEC (Black
Sea Economic Co-operation).

3 SLAIN AT BIBLE DISTRIBUTOR IN TURKEY
By Benjamin Harvey

Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, IL
April 18 2007

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Assailants tied up three people at a publishing
house that distributes Bibles in Turkey and then slit their throats
Wednesday, adding to a string of attacks apparently targeting the
country’s tiny Christian minority.

The killings occurred in Malatya, a city in central Turkey known as a
hotbed of Turkish nationalism and is the hometown of Mehmet Ali Agca,
the gunman who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Malatya Gov. Ibrahim Dasoz said two of the victims at the Zirve
publishing house were found already dead and the third died after
being taken to the hospital. All had their throats cut and their
hands and legs were bound, he said.

Dasoz said police detained four suspects and were investigating
whether another man who suffered head injuries when he jumped from
the window of the publisher’s office may have been involved in the
attack. He was reported undergoing surgery for his injury.

The German Embassy said one victim was German. "I am shocked that a
German citizen is among the victims. Even if the exact circumstances
of the crime are not yet known, I most strongly condemn this brutal
crime," German Ambassador Eckart Cuntz said in a statement.

Another victim was Turkish, Dasoz said, but he could not confirm the
nationality of the third person killed.

Zirve’s general manager told CNN-Turk television that his employees had
recently been threatened. "We know that they have been receiving some
threats," Hamza Ozant said, but could not say who made the threats.

The publishing house had been targeted previously in protests by
nationalists who accused it of proselytizing in this overwhelmingly
Muslim but officially secular country, Dogan news agency reported.

Making up less than 1 percent of Turkey’s 70 million people, Christians
have increasingly become targets amid what some fear is a rising tide
of hostility toward non-Muslims.

In February 2006, a teenager fatally shot a Catholic priest as he
prayed in his church, and two more Catholic priests were attacked
later in the year. A November visit by Pope Benedict XVI was greeted
by nonviolent protests, and early this year a gunman killed Armenian
Christian editor Hrant Dink.

Associated Press writer Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara contributed to
this report.

RIGHTS DEFENDERS APPRAISE DEBATES ON AZERBAIJAN IN PACE

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 17 2007

"Debates on Azerbaijan in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) can be regarded as the victory of Azerbaijan and
Azerbaijani rights defenders," human rights defender Saida Gojamanli
told the APA correspondent accredited in the Council of Europe.

She highly appreciated the solidarity demonstrated for common
interests.

"Nagorno Karabakh was the main issue, issue on appointing special
representative on political prisoners in Azerbaijan was not on focus
and amendment to the report suggested by Armenia was not approved,"
she said.

Saida Gojamanli said that human rights defenders left for Strasbourg
to attend the PACE spring session will have meeting with Ago group.

The rights defenders are also expected to meet with Lord
Russell-Johnston and Andreas Gross, former co-rapporteur of the
monitoring committee for Azerbaijan.

Eldar Namazov, president of Public Forum for Azerbaijan told the APA it
is welcoming that despite Armenian delegation’s protest, the principle
points on Nagorno Karabakh were not removed from the co-rapporteurs’
report. He said that three or four amendments were made to the report
according to Azerbaijan’s inquiry. These amendments were connected
with improving Electoral Code and activity of Public Television.

Members of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE did not make any statements
to the media on the debates.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Talat Pasha committee calls on France to abandon Armenian Genocide bill
16.04.2007 14:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Addressing a conference in Paris organized by the
nationalist Talat Pasha Committee and the Paris Association for
Kemalist Thought (ADD), Talat Pasha general secretary Ferit Ilsever
said that France should abandon legislation that would make it a crime
to deny the Armenian Genocide.

`Last week the Turkish Minister of Justice and Turkish Ambassador to
Paris, Osman Korutürk, called us to cancel the protest march we were
planning in the Place de la Bastille, so as not to provoke the
French. We have postponed it for now, but the protest will certainly
take place in the near future,’ Ilsever said. `We have come together
to tell people that the proposed law regarding the denial of the
Armenian Genocide is misleading the French public. The forced
emigration that took place was in defense of the nation, there was no
genocide, the nation was defending itself,’ he said, Hurriyet reports.

EARTHQUAKE OCCURS IN KARABAKH

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 13 2007

Earthquake at the magnitude of 4-5 occurred in 25 km east of
Azerbaijani region of Aghdam, Karabakah at 11.12, APA reports quoting
Armenian National Seismological Center. The tremors were felt in
Khankendi (now Stepanakert) and Agdere at the magnitude of 3 and in
Khojavand at the magnitude of 4.

Deputy director of the Republic Seismological Centre of Azerbaijan
National Academy of Sciences Gurban Yetirmishli told APA that Armenian
Seismological Service’s information is not right.

Yetirmishli said that shocks occurred 45 km far from Barda and the
magnitude of the earthquake was below 2.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF
CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM DIALOGUE VISITS ANTELIAS

His Holiness Aram I received the General Secretary of the World Council of
Islam-Christian Cooperation, Dr. Youssef Farran in Antelias on April 12.

The Pontiff and his guest discussed the efforts carried out in
Christian-Muslim dialogue in a number of Middle Eastern and Western
countries. His Holiness shared with his guest some information about the
Christian-Muslim and other inter-religious international conferences held in
Antelias and elsewhere.

Dr. Farran, in his turn, spoke about the current status of
Christian-Muslim dialogue, informing His Holiness about a number of upcoming
projects. His Holiness commended the common commitment to overcome the
challenges of contemporary times through cooperation between religions. "Our
differences separate us from each other. However, our similarities, which
are more than our differences, bring us closer to one another and drive us
towards joint efforts and work," he said.

##
View the photo here: #3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

ACCORDING TO RESULTS OF GRAND HOLDING’S SURVEYS, RPA CAN MAKE ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN NEW PARLIAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the results of unofficial
survey held by Grand Holding, the Republican Party of Armenia can
make absolute majority in the future parliament. Holding Chairman
Hrant Vardanian reported this at the April 11 press conference.

In his words, the company holds surveys for its own purposes
by using its own methods. So, each of over 5 thousand employees
of company’s enterprises collects 20 opinions of their friends
and relatives. According to the results of one of surveys, among
pro-governmental parties RPA and ARFD can pretend on receiving the
greatest number of votes at the May 12 parliamentary elections, among
opposition forces these are Orinats Yerkir and National Unity and among
newly created parties Bargavach Hayastan and People’s Party. At that,
the number of supporters of the latters is almost equal. H. Vardanian
said that in spite of half-ironical attitude of media, head of ALM
holding, Chairman of People’s Party Tigran Karapetian is very popular
with the people.

To recap, Hrant Vardanian’s two non-partisan sons also take part in
the elections. MP of current NA Mikayel Vardanian is registered by
majoritarian system at Tavush region’s electoral district N 40. Though
the MP formerly elected by ARFD’s proportional list has been currently
nominated by civil initiative, nevertheless, RPA and ARFD not having
their candidates in their territory will support him. His younger
brother, Chairman of Board of Grand Candy company Karen Vardanian is
the 15th on ARFD’s proportional list.

ARMENIANS STRONGLY FIRE ON AZERBAIJANI VILLAGES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 10 2007

Report of APA’s Karabakh bureau from the front line

Armenian Armed Forces have been firing on Azerbaijani villages of Tap
and Tap Garagoyunlu of Goranboy region situated on the border with
the villages of Agdere for 10 days, Over 30 houses were damaged as a
result of the skirmish. APA’s Karabakh bureau correspondent prepared
a report from the village Tap. When you approach the village you have
the impression that life is normal here. It seems that the village does
not differ from other villages, engaged in farming. Your impression
changes when you see the doors of the first house. Roofs, windows,
walls have been damaged.

The residents of the village say that they spend most of their time in
cells. When Armenians see two-three men in the village they start fire.

APA correspondent visited school in the village Tap and saw a strange
"subbotnik". The pupils were gathering shrapnel. Teachers said that
the pupils gather shrapnel every day before the classes.

"It is impossible to start a lesson. The village is fired every day,"
they said.

School director Rovshan Garayev noted that when Armenians violated
the ceasefire for the last time they targeted the school.

"Fortunately, this happened in the evening. The lessons were over
at school otherwise it would be very difficult to manage with this
situation," he said.

The principal also added that Armenians used to fire at Azerbaijani
positions in sub areas of the village, but within the last ten days
they fired directly at the village. There is no undamaged house
or enterprise left. The village residents noted that no-one of the
statesmen or officials visit the village.

"Regular violation of the ceasefire prevents us from sowing,"
they said.

It is impossible to do something in the village. Armenians are able
to control the village from their positions. It is for many ages
that the village has not been cleaned. As soon as we start sowing
Armenians begin to fire. At the same time the number of snakes has
increased too," the residents said.

The residents have gathered stones in front of their windows in order
to be protected from the Armenians’ fires. But Armenians began to
fire from sub-machines so that is difficult for the residents to
be protected.

Ceasefire violations have killed 16 civilians in Tap village, seven
of which were children. Three of them were killed by Armenians,
other four died in the blast. 19 became martyrs before the ceasefire
.Nine of them died during the war and three were wounded during the
ceasefire period.