Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

DOZENS OF THOUSANDS COME TO MOURN PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARGARYAN

Regnum, Russia
March 28 2007

A farewell ceremony started in Yerevan at noon to mourn Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan, who suddenly died of a heart attack
on Sunday. The ceremony is taking place at the National Opera and
Ballet Theater. High-ranking governmental officials, political
elite and public figures are taking part in the ceremony, as well
as delegations from several countries, particularly, from Russia,
Canada, Georgia, Greece, CIS countries, Turkey and others. Dozens of
thousands of Armenian citizens and visitors have come to attend the
funeral of Andranik Margaryan/

At 02:30 p.m. local time, the body will be carried out from the Opera
and the procession will move to Komitas Pantheon, where the funeral
ceremony will be held.

The prime minister died on March 25. According to medical examiners,
Andranik Margaryan died of a sudden cardiac arrest caused by heart
coronary vessels blood supply disturbance.

AZERI ENVOY IN CANADA MEETS CHIEF OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Today, Azerbaijan
March 28 2007

Ambassador in Canada Fakhraddin Qurbanov met with Chairman of the
House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade Leon Benoit.

The Ambassador informed the Canadian parliamentarian about Azerbaijan’s
economic reforms, its investment climate and large-scaled projects
it is participating in.

Fakhraddin Qurbanov stressed Azerbaijan is a world leader in the Gross
Domestic Product’s growth rate, adding the country is an initiator
of regional energy and transport projects.

The Ambassador said the opening of Canadian Embassy in Baku will give
the impetus to further enhancement of the bilateral ties between the
two countries.

Mr. Qurbanov also informed Mr. Benoit about the current peace talks
regarding the long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan
over the Nagorno Karabakh territory.

The Ambassador pointed to Azerbaijan’s just stance on the conflict,
saying Armenia occupied twenty percent of his country’s territory,
AzerTAg reports.

URL:

IF THE MEDIATORS DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING MORE REASONABLE TO PROPOSE…

KarabakhOpen
28-03-2007 13:19:27

Everyone admits that the conflict over Karabakh has run into a
deadlock.

However, it does not mean that this state of things obliges us to
let the Minsk Group co-chairs push ourselves around, for whom certain
interests are more important than the future of our nation.

What will the provisional status proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group
let us have? How will the population of Karabakh react, whom they
have forgotten at such an important period?

"A status is either there or is not there. What does a provisional
status mean? O.K., they are trying to cheat us, but who are we trying
to cheat? Our children? My husband fought in the war and was killed
for the happiness and security of his family. To return the land
means to start war again, to return to the zero point. This time
the life of my son is staked. This cannot be allowed to happen,"
says Anna Beglaryan, the wife of a killed freedom fighter.

"For Azerbaijan, giving away Karabakh means to admit the weakness of
the state and the inability to maintain territorial integrity. For
Karabakh, to believe such "canards" as the provisional status means
to lose everything: territory, peace, and finally life, which is
so precious to us," says Narine Karapetyan from Stepanakert. "What
are they proposing to us? To return Lachin and Kelbajar and beg the
"merciful" Azerbaijanis for security and a corridor with Armenia? Or to
return to Aghdam and then beg "our neighbors" to mercy us, the fools
who were unable to protect themselves, and not shoot at us from such
a close distance? Aren’t my words funny? If for the settlement of the
conflict our mediators could not propose anything more reasonable, we
had better keep our unrecognized status not so clear to the world. I
am sorry but they will have to accept it."

BRITISH JOURNALSIST READY TO GO TO PRISON FOR SPEAKING ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmRadio.am
28.03.2007 15:56

British journalist Robert Fisk is ready to defend his statements about
the Armenian Genocide in the Turkish Court, the Turkish Daily News
reports, turning to the hesitation of Turkish publishers to publish
his latest book because of concerns over the possibility of legal
charges under infamous Article 301 of the penal code that makes it
a crime to denigrate Turkish identity or Turkishness.

"Fisk’s book is invaluable in terms of investigative journalism. Of
course, I want to publish it but I have hesitations because a
court case might be filed against the book under Article 301 due
to its reference to the Armenian question in one of the chapters,"
Osman Akınhay, editor of Agora Publishing House, told the Turkish
Daily News.

The book "The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle
East" is made up of 24 chapters but one chapter is about the alleged
genocide of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World
War I.

"The fact that Fisk’s book, which is easily published and sold in
Europe, cannot be published in a country that aspires to join the EU
is not a problem of mine individually but a problem of Turkey. The
[Turkish] government and Parliament are responsible for safeguarding
the freedom of expression," Akınhay said.

For his part, Fisk assured he is ready stand in court and go to
prison with them if they are in trouble. But instead of publicity
and media hype, the Turkish publishers wanted to publish the book
quietly, said Fisk, as if it were some kind of pornography. He said,
"This is a serious book and you publish it properly."

–Boundary_(ID_5EPkGFDRS93CAYcpYI qlIA)–

Condolence books to be opened at RA MFA and Armenian Embassies abroad

ArmRadio.am
26.03.2007 15:04

On the occasion of the death of RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
condolence books will be opened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia and RA Embassies abroad on March 27 from 14:00
to 18:00.

Armenian PM dies of heart failure

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25/03/2007 – 11:59:58 AM

Prime Minister Andranik Margarian died today of heart failure,
government spokeswoman Meri Arutunian said. He was 55.

Margarian had been prime minister since May 2000. He was appointed in
a politically tense period that followed the October 1999 armed attack
on parliament that killed eight politicians including Prime Minister
Vazgen Sarkisian.

The assassinated premier was first replaced by his brother, Aram, but
President Robert Kocharian fired him and appointed Margarian amid
rising discontent over Armenia’s economic troubles.

Under the Armenian political system, the prime minister has mostly
executive powers and is a much less powerful figure than the
president.

Margarian, educated as a computer specialist, became active in
opposition to the Soviet Union in the 1970s and was imprisoned for two
years in that decade for espousing Armenian independence, according to
his official biography.

Margarian is survived by a wife, two daughters and a son.

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:

ACUSA LECTURE TACKLES MIXED MARRIAGES

The Armenian Church University Students’ Association (ACUSA) organized on
March 17 a lecture on a contemporary issue entitled "the phenomenon of mixed
marriages in our lives". The lecture was held in ACUSA’s Antelias center at
the Catholicosate.

The speaker of the event, prominent Lebanese Armenian psychologist Dr.
Robert Karakash, himself an offspring of a mixed marriage, analyzed the
phenomenon with great detail and depth. He first talked about the reasons
leading to mixed marriages, approaching the issue mainly from a
globalization perspective. Considering mixed marriages as the natural
consequence of multicultural and multiethnic societies, the lecturer
examined the psychological and social difficulties associated with them as
well as the concerns resulting from them.

Dr. Karakash focused in particular on the negative consequences of mixed
marriages in the lives of people with stressed protectionism and
nationalism. His personal experience provided a beneficial example of the
subject matter at hand.

A question-answer session followed during which a healthy discussion
unfolded on the possibilities and ways of preempting mixed marriages, which
although happening at a slower rate in the Middle East, are widely spread in
most Western societies.

In his concluding remarks Dr. Karakash highly praised ACUSA, considering
it a forum for introducing the Armenian youth to Armenian national
traditions and a barrier to the foreign influences.

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View the photo here: #2

"ZHOGHOVRDAKAN UGHI" IS FIRST AMONG POLITICAL FORCES TO PRESENT RA CEC DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR REGISTRATION

Noyan Tapan
Mar 22 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, NOYAN TAPAN. From 27 parties and 1 pre-electoral
block nominated by the proportional electoral system for the May 12
parliamentary elections, as of March 21, the "Zhoghovrdakan Ughi"
(Democratic Path) party headed by Manuk Gasparian presented the
RA Central Electoral Commission (CEC) documents necessary for
registration.

As Tsovinar Khachatrian, the Commission Press Secretary informed the
Noyan Tapan correspondent, the number of candidates at the beginning
involved in the party electoral list reduced by 1. The party Chairman
conditioned this change with the fact that one of the nominated
candidates, though has lived in the country for a long time, but
has no legal reasoning of constantly living in Armenia for 5 years,
what is envisaged by the Electoral Code.

To recap, the deadline for presenting documents necessary for
registration was 18:00, March 28. For registration of the electoral
list of a party or alliance, it is necessary to present the CEC within
the fixed term a receipt on paying the electoral pawn at the size of
2.5 mln drams (about 7 thousand U.S. dollars), references about the
nominated candidates’ RA citizenship during the recent 5 years and
about their constantly living in the RA during the recent 5 years
as well as property and income declaration of a citizen nominated as
a candidate.

FOUR YEZIDIS NOMINATE THEIR CANDIDATURES BY PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 22 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Turkish troops have entered Northern
Iraq’s territory called Larosh, which is considered to be the homeland
and sacred place of Yezidis. Aziz Tamoyan, world Yezidis’ leader,
reported this at the March 23 press conference. Though official sources
do not confirm A. Tamoyan’s statement, nevertheless, he assured that
his sources are very reliable: "I have contacts in some European
countries and these rumors have been confirmed."

In his words, Yezidi community of Armenia condemns that phenomenon
and is going to apply to UN Armenian Office, to international
organizations, as well as to Embassies of a number of countries. "If
Turks have territorial problems with Kurds, let them sit at a table
and solve their problems and not enter the territory of minorities,"
A. Tamoyan said. In his words, at the beginning of 20th century,
besides exterminating 1.5 mln Armenians, Turks also killed 500 thousand
Yezidis and now, in his words, are going to annihilate 1 mln Yezidis
residing in Larosh. Touching upon the issue of parliamentary elections
to be held on May 12 in Armenia, A. Tamoyan said that the Yezidi
community of Armenia has its candidate, whose name he did not wish to
publicize, as after it, in his words, Yezidi community will split. At
the same time it was mentioned that four Yezidis have nominated their
candidatures by proportional system for the parliamentary elections,
two out of which were included in the proportional list of People’s
Party (PP), one candidate in the proportional list of Bargavach
Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party and one in Dashink (Alliance)
Party’s proportional list. In A. Tamoyan’s words, PP Chairman Tigran
Karapetian got insulted that the majority of Yezidis will not support
him, but "each man decides himself for whom to vote and one must not
exert pressure upon people."

YEREVAN POLICE INTERESTED IN DETECTING CRIMES AGAINST REPORTERS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 19 2007

YEREVAN, March 19. /ARKA/. The police of Yerevan is interested in
detecting crimes committed against media representatives, said Head
of Yerevan Police Major-General Nerses Nazaryan commenting on the car
burning of Ara Saghatelyan, Head of the Armenian PR association and
combined editorial office of the newspaper "My Right" and Panorama.am
web-site.

"The fact of attacks on journalists is troublesome for the police,
and in any such case it is not we who control it. This is not honorable
for us and we intend to fully detect them," he said.

At the same time Nazaryan pointed out that it is difficult to detect
such cases because they can be connected with personal motives. "At
present an investigative group is formed, and its primary task is to
detect those who are guilty," he said.

This February, unknown evil-doers burned Saghatelyan’s car by using
polyethylene bottles with petrol.