Author: Chilingarian Babken

"REVELATION OF MURDERERS IS MOST IMPORTANT"

A1+
25 June, 2008

"The most important for me is the investigation of the March
1 murders," said Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, during an interview with Radio Liberty. Terry Davis expressed
the opinion in reply to a journalist’s question how he estimates the
implementation of PACE Resolution 1609 by the Armenian leadership.

"I am really concerned that the investigation is paid less attention
to. I continue asking my Armenian colleagues about new details. I am
most concerned about the March 1 vandalism. It is necessary to find
out who is responsible for the murders," said Terry Davis.

U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY OFFICIAL VISITED ARMENIA JUNE 23-25

armradio.am
26.06.2008 15:33

David Kramer, the U.S. Department of State’s Assistant Secretary
for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, visited Armenia June 23-25,
2008. The purpose of his visit was to discuss the current human rights
and democracy situation in Armenia, and in particular to register
U.S. government concerns about the recent democratic setbacks related
to February’s presidential election, March 1-2 events, and their
continuing aftermath.

During his visit, Assistant Secretary Kramer met with Armenia’s Human
Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian, various human rights activists,
Mr. Levon Ter-Petrossian, various media representatives, Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsian, Minister of Justice Gevorg Danielian, Prosecutor
General Aghvan Hovsepian, various members of the political opposition,
and various relatives of opposition activists who are currently in
detention. The U.S.

Embassy also hosted a reception in honor of Assistant Secretary Kramer
that was attended by government officials, members of the opposition,
civil society activists, and various European ambassadors to Armenia.

Assistant Secretary Kramer addressed a wide range of issues in
his discussions. In particular, he urged Armenia’s authorities to
promptly undertake a series of initiatives to help Armenia return to
a democratic path, including a) the full restoration of freedoms of
assembly and the press; b) immediate release of all members of the
opposition who have been detained for having expressed their political
views; c) the launching of a serious, credible and independent
investigation into the March 1-2 events, including into the deaths
of the ten victims; and d) engagement of the authorities in a genuine
political dialogue with the political opposition and civil society. To
this end, Assistant Secretary Kramer in his meetings urged both the
authorities and the political opposition to refrain from unhelpful
public statements that hinder the prospects for dialogue.

Assistant Secretary Kramer also urged the authorities to allow the A1
Plus television channel back on the air, and to put an immediate stop
to anti-Semitic attacks seen recently in Armenia’s Public Television
and other media.

During his trip to the South Caucasus region, Assistant Secretary
Kramer is also visiting Georgia and Azerbaijan.

AZERBAIJAN INSISTS ON EXTRADITION OF RAMIL SAFAROV FROM HUNGARY

ArmInfo
2008-06-23 11:56:00

Azerbaijan insists on extradition of the officer Ramil Safarov,
who is serving life imprisonment for murder of his fellow student,
from Hungary.

As APA reports, the Azerbaijani ombudsman’s administration appealed
to the Justice Ministry and a number of structures for extradition
of Safarov from Hungary to Azerbaijan. Safarov’s father met the
Hungarian ombudsman.

To recall, the Azerbaijani officer R. Safarov is serving life
imprisonment in one of the Hungarian prisons for murder of the Armenian
officer Gurgen Margarya in Budapest.

MINISTER NALBANDIAN, COMMISSIONER FERRERO-WALDNER HAIL THE ENP ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

armradio.am
20.06.2008 13:02

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who is in Brussels for a
working visit, had a meeting with the EU Commissioner for External
Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

The interlocutors positively assessed the process of accomplishment
of the Action Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy and discussed
the perspectives of making better use of the cooperation opportunities
under the program.

Minister Nalbandian said Armenia will continue its consistent steps
towards the European family. He expressed gratitude for the assistance
of the EU structures and member states to the reforms implemented
in Armenia.

The interlocutors referred to the activity of the formats of political
dialogue between Armenia and the European Union, implementation of
bilateral programs in different spheres.

Minister Nalbandian and Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner discussed the
situation in the South Caucasus region. Upon the Commissioner’s
request, the Armenian Foreign Minister presented the latest
developments in the negotiation process on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement.

ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTERS DISCUSS MILITARY COOPERATION ISSUES

ARKA
June 17

Armenian and Russian Defense Ministers Seyran Ohanian and Anatoly
Serdiukov discussed issues on Armenian-Russian cooperation in Moscow
Tuesday.

The sides considered issues on regional security and stability,
exchanged view on reforms being implemented in the defense ministries
of the countries, the Press Secretary of Armenian Defense Ministry
Seyran Shakhsuvarian reported. The ministers also addressed issues
on military, military-technical and military-educational cooperation
and achievements in the sphere.

Along with the ministers’ meeting, an extended meeting of the
countries’ delegations was held to discuss bilateral military
cooperation within the earlier agreements.

Armenian delegation headed by the Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanian
arrived in Moscow yesterday on a three-day visit within the program
of bilateral military cooperation for 2008.

RA FM AND RUSSIA’S AMBASSADOR DISCUSSED ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

DeFacto Agency
June 17 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 17.06.08. DE FACTO. The issues referring to deepening
and strengthening versatile Armenian-Russian relations were
discussed in Yerevan on June 16 in the course of the RA FM Edvard
Nalbandian’s meeting with Nikolay Pavlov, Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Armenia.

According to the RA MFA Press Office, during the meeting the parties
also discussed the issues referring to the preparation for the RA
President Serzh Sargsian’s visit to Moscow scheduled for late June.

Armenian Genocide Museum of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-383-9009, Web:

PRESS RELEASE
June 17, 2008
CONTACT: Rouben Adalian
Phone: (202) 383-9009
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM OF AMERICA AND NEAR EAST FOUNDATION ENTER
INTO COOPERATION AGREEMENT

New York City – The Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA) and the
Near East Foundation signed an agreement of cooperation on June 12 at
the Foundation’s international headquarters in New York City.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the two organizations were Van
Z. Krikorian, AGMA Trustee and Building and Operations Committee
Chairman, and Shant Mardirossian, Near East Foundation Board
Chairman. Also present at the signing were Near East Foundation
President Alexander Papachristou, Dr. Rouben Adalian, Director of the
AGMA, and Dr. Hayk Demoyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute in Yerevan, Armenia.

"This agreement opens a treasure trove of historical Armenian Genocide
era documents and artifacts for use in the museum’s exhibits,"
Krikorian said. "We are very pleased to be forging a partnership with
the Near East Foundation to educate the public on one of the most
significant periods of both Armenian and American history."  The
Armenian Genocide Museum of America is slated to open in 2010 in
Washington, DC.

"The archives of the Near East Foundation house thousands of documents
which exemplify the first international humanitarian undertaking of
this sort by the American people," Mardirossian said. "Not only do the
archives tell us the stories of countless Armenian orphans, but they
deliver them through the journals, diaries, and writings of the Near
East Relief workers. This museum, in the heart of Washington, DC, will
serve as a tribute to their heroic efforts."

The Near East Foundation is the successor organization to the American
Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, which was founded in 1915
and later incorporated as Near East Relief in 1919 by an act of
Congress.  Near East Relief established and operated orphanages,
hospitals, and schools throughout the Balkans, Caucasus, and the Near
East to ease the suffering of the Armenian Genocide survivors seeking
refuge from the Ottoman Empire.

"Near East Relief was at the forefront of America’s efforts to respond
to the human suffering that occurred in the wake of the Armenian
Genocide," Krikorian said. "Armenians in the United States and all
over the world benefited directly or indirectly from this monumental
undertaking."

According to Near East Foundation records, from 1915 to 1930 the Near
East Relief administered $117 million worth of assistance and is
credited with saving a million lives and providing vocational training
to 132,000 Armenian orphan children.

"Millions of dollars were raised through appeals in the media, at
public rallies, in churches and synagogues, and in schools,"
Mardirossian said. "Not only were funds raised, but hundreds of Near
East Relief volunteers were on the ground ministering to the suffering
survivors of the Genocide, delivering food, clothing, and materials,
but most of all comfort and hope. Many risked their lives and several
gave their lives for this noble cause. Their stories and memories
should be preserved as an example of the American spirit."

This agreement with the Near East Foundation is the second cooperative
agreement AGMA has forged in recent months. In April, the museum
entered into a partnership with the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan, Armenia.

The resources and expertise from the genocide museum in Armenia and
the valuable archival materials from Near East Relief will complement
other artifacts and documents to be incorporated in the AGMA exhibits,
which are being designed by the preeminent Washington, DC area firm of
Gallagher & Associates.

The museum will be housed in the historic National Bank Building in
Washington, DC, at 14th and G Streets, NW, just blocks from the White
House.  When completed, it will be the first international class
museum in the Armenian Diaspora dedicated to preserving and honoring
the memory of the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. From
1915-1923 a centrally-planned, government-directed campaign subjected
the Armenian population in Turkey to deportation, expropriation,
abduction, torture, starvation, and outright killings. An estimated
1.5 million Armenians perished and tens of thousands became widowed,
orphaned and homeless.

Today, the Near East Foundation operates development projects in seven
countries in the Middle East and Africa and is planning a project in
Armenia. In 1930, the organization re-defined itself. It gave the
schools, orphanages, hospitals, and other facilities that it had
founded to the countries where it operated, and it became a pioneer in
the field of economic development. Current projects include
agricultural innovation to combat climate change in Mali and Egypt,
reforming primary education to include girls in Morocco, and assisting
Iraqi refugees to support themselves in new communities in Syria and
Jordan. The 100-member field staff all work in their own countries, so
the Near East Foundation supports local professionalism while helping
the region’s poorest people.

"We are proud to continue the tradition of American assistance to
communities in peril in the Middle East and Africa," said NEF
President Papachristou. "We rely fully on the expertise and dedication
of our colleagues who know best how to organize these communities to
solve their own challenges." 

The agreement between the AGMA and the Near East Foundation also
anticipates the promotion of each other’s programs and projects. The
links to the Web sites of the two organizations are
and

The Armenian Genocide Museum of America is an outgrowth of the
Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Institute
(ANI), catalyzed by the initial pledge of Anoush Mathevosian toward
building such a museum in Washington.

####

NR#2008-04

MISREPRESENTING THE ISSUES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKHALEXANDROS PETERSON IS WRONG: THIS SOUTH CAUCASES COUNTRY IS A WELL-FUNCTIONING DEMOCRATIC ENTITY DESERVING EU RECOGNITION
Vahe Gabrielyan

guardian.co.uk
Monday June 16 2008

The article Negotiating a black hole by Alexandros Petersen on
Cif on June 7, was regretfully unbecoming for such a reputable
newspaper. The author refers to a conflict of which he either has
little understanding, or knowingly distorts the truth. He fails to
mention how the conflict evolved and grossly misjudges its character.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not an "ethno-religious conflict"
and not one over a disputed territory where "Armenian Christians [are]
against Azerbaijani Muslims". It is about the fundamental human rights
issue of self-determination, one of being able to peacefully live on
the land of your ancestors and be the master of your own destiny. The
current situation is a result of decades-long systematic abuse of the
human rights and ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population
by the Soviet Azeri authorities since the unlawful annexation of the
ancient Armenian province (Artsakh) to Azerbaijan and later, of pogroms
and outright military aggression against the peaceful population.

The military phase of the conflict between Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh ended with the victory of the latter’s hastily-formed
defence forces and enabled their people to start re-building their
lives and homes. Since its independence (impeccably proclaimed
according to same laws and procedures by which Azerbaijan gained
independence from the USSR), in the political and socio-economic
turmoil following the break-up of the Soviet Union and even under
military aggression, Nagorno-Karabakh has been a surprising case
of rule of law and well-functioning state machine. Starting with
the independence referendum in 1991, all manifestations of its
people’s will, which included four presidential elections and
several parliamentary and local ones, have been orderly, dignified
and democratic exercises, as witnessed by numerous independent
international observers, including, incidentally, members of the UK
parliament and the US Congress.

Indeed, Nagorno-Karabakh is not "a governance black hole", but a
well-functioning democratic entity with strengthening civil society
and full economic and cultural life, possessing all attributes of an
independent state, save for international recognition. Its elected
authorities have announced on several occasions that they would be
happy to receive international inspection missions who can study the
situation in situ and refute any groundless allegations. There have
been no volunteers to chase ghosts. The allegations of all earthly
sins in the mentioned article, happily picked en masse from the Azeri
propaganda machine of libellous campaign of hatred and misinformation
against Karabakh and enriched by references to all possible evils
of our times to scare the modern security-conscious citizen are so
bizarre that they are at best ignored or frowned upon in any more or
less informed circles.

However, the author is right in saying that the conflict should concern
Europe. It should, because although the people of Karabakh have been
able to stop the regular bombings of their homes by resorting to
self-defence, peace has not been made final yet and threats of war
are heard from the other side of the border regularly. It should,
because although we keep fingers cross for the renewed negotiations
between the presidents and foreign ministers to succeed – the last,
June 6 round was constructive and it was decided to continue them
– the continuing military rhetoric and the fierce anti-Armenian
hate campaign on all levels of society, combined with the mentioned
ever-growing military budget, are an ominous sign. It is much worrying
that today, fed on this campaign; more than one-third of Azeris are
for a military solution while international mediators (the Minsk Group
co-chair countries) are widely lambasted for their impartiality. The
oil money paid by the European companies should not facilitate the
unleashing of another war, the consequences of which will indeed be
dire. With a fragile ceasefire being maintained simply because of the
balance of power, it is easy to instigate another war that will hugely
increase the toll on human life and create new refugees. On top of
the already existing one million, about 400,000 of which by the way
are the Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and from Nagorno-Karabakh,
this will result in a large-scale humanitarian disaster affecting whole
of Europe and beyond. This cannot be allowed to happen. This is why
both past and present Armenian authorities have readily engaged in
negotiations in good faith and have strived to find lasting peace,
despite and because of the fact that one party of the conflict,
Azerbaijan, refuses to talk to Nagorno-Karabakh, the other party.

Security in the modern world is certainly a global problem and in
order to ensure global peace and security, frozen conflicts should
be resolved in a way so that the vital interests of all parties are
taken into account. That will take concessions on both sides and it
is a hard thing to do. In order to help, the international community,
as well as its individual members, should adopt an attitude based on
values and principles that apply universally. Acknowledging that the
people of NK have the right to be in charge of their own destiny would
have helped. It has in other cases. On the other hand, giving in to
dirty propaganda and trying to discredit one side, be it with either
explicit or implied allegations does not help and raises questions.

About this articleClose This article was first published on
guardian.co.uk on Monday June 16 2008. It was last updated at 12:13
on June 16 2008.

NEW POLITICAL CULTURE WILL BE FORMED IN ARMENIA BY AMENDMENTS IN
PARLIAMENT REGULATIONS, RA NA VICE-SPEAKER HRAYR KARAPETIAN IS
CONVINCED

14488

YEREVAN, JUNE 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The draft amendments to the RA National
Assembly Regulations, which has been already adopted in the first
reading, will contribute to formation of a new political culture in the
country. RA NA Vice-Speaker Hrayr Karapetian gave assurance at the June
13 press conference adding that opposition is given some powers by the
Regulations’ amendments. In his words, the opposition should have a
possibility to present its viewpoints from political tribunes.

H. Karapetian considers that this initiative of the political coalition
should be appreciated. "No political will of the kind had been shown
before. Maybe if it had been shown, this violent conflict with ARFD,
the March 1 events would not have happened," he said considering the
initiative retarded in that respect. "It is a pity that after such
events and PACE Resolution N 1609 we came to such a conclusion," H.
Karapetian said. In response to the question of why ARFD had no come up
with such an initiative before, the ARFD deputy said that they have
always made proposals of giving wider political arenas to the
opposition.

South China Morning Post, HongKong
June 8, 2008 Sunday

Paradise Lost: Smyrna 1922

by Ed Peters

Paradise Lost: Smyrna 1922

by Giles Milton

Sceptre, $320

It is axiomatic that history repeats itself and while Giles Milton is
too subtle a writer to underline a moral, the catastrophe that
overtook Smyrna in 1922 is echoed by more recent events in Rwanda and
Darfur, to name but two degraded places.

The city now called Izmir occupied a unique position on the Aegean
coast in the aftermath of the first world war. Thanks to an indulgent
arrangement with the Turkish government, it enjoyed the status of a
special economic zone and a bevy of merchant princes turned it into
one of the most prosperous entrepôts of the time.

Cosmopolitan and tolerant, Smyrna’s numerous nationalities existed
side by side, watched over

by paternalistic, dynastic Levantine families who intermingled and
intermarried, socialised and traded with one another in a latter-day
Arcadia. But the idyll was not to last.

Greece, which harboured territorial ambitions, landed an army in
Smyrna in May 1919, which pushed deep into Anatolia, but after a
lengthy campaign was defeated and driven back to the coast. Avenging
Turkish forces, headed by Mustafa Kemal, followed in hot pursuit and
bent on revenge.

At first the Smyrniots assumed they would be spared, putting up no
resistance and placing their faith in their city’s obvious economic
benefit to Turkey. A fleet of Allied warships was anchored in the
harbour, which residents reasoned would keep the Turks in
check. Kemal’s cavalry trotted into the city on September 9, 1922.

For Smyrna, it was the beginning of the end.

Large numbers of refugees from the countryside had already descended
on Smyrna and the Turkish army was augmented by a marauding mob of
ill-disciplined irregulars, who soon embarked on a campaign of murder,
plunder and rape. The Turks deliberately set fire to the Armenian
Quarter and the blaze engulfed the entire city, propelling an
estimated 500,000 refugees to the quayside. To compound the tragedy,
the crews of the warships offshore, bound by their neutrality and
their governments’ cynical desires to befriend the new Turkish regime,
did nothing to help.

Starving and helpless, the refugees were at the mercy of the Turks,
who robbed and raped with impunity. Corpses bobbed in the harbour and
women gave birth on the filthy pavements. It was a portrayal of hell
that contrasted bitterly with Smyrna’s years of easy prosperity.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Into the maelstrom stepped the
foremost hero of Paradise Lost. Asa Jennings was a diminutive, devout
Methodist minister from New York, who worked for Smyrna’s
YMCA. Appalled by the atrocities unfolding before his eyes, he bullied
and bluffed an armada of Greek ships to sail to the rescue. Together
with an American doctor, Esther Lovejoy, Jennings oversaw the
evacuation, saving countless thousands of people from death. Their
gallant efforts stand in stark contrast to the record of Mark Bristol,
the American high commissioner in Constantinople, who denied the
genocide, declaring the Turks to be "fine fellows".

Fans of Giles Milton won’t need to be reminded that he excels in
seeking out lesser-known yet pivotal events of the past and relating
the tales through the lives of unusual characters, be they medieval
nutmeg traders or Caucasian samurai adventurers. Like 2004’s White
Gold, which revealed the extent of the white slave trade in Africa in
the 18th century, Paradise Lost – brilliantly researched from official
and eye-witness accounts and grippingly written – casts a wider net.

When a crisis of international proportions threatens, it is of concern
to the entire world and should not be left to a few resolute
individuals to solve.