Author: Chmshkian Vicken

EVENTS DEDICATED TO 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TAKE PLACE IN ATHENS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006

ATHENS, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A number of events
dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took
place at the last week-end in Athens, on the innitiative of the
Athens Governor’s Offoce, Mayor’s Office, the RA Embassy to Greece
and the Armenian community. A solemn ceremony of requim took place
on April 15 in the square of the district of Nea Zmirni of Athens
where the memory monument to the Armenian Genocide victims is
erected. Primates of two dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
the Armenian Catholic and Protestant churches prayed at the same
time. Vahram Kazhoyan, the RA Ambassador to Greece, representatives
of the Athens Governor’s Office and Mayor’s Office, other officials
made speeches. Then wreaths were laid to the memory monument by the RA
Embassy, the Athens Governor’s Office, the Nea Zmirni Mayor’s Office,
RA military students studying in Greece and the Armenian community. A
march of complaint towards the Embassy of Turkey to Greece took place
after the end of the event. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA
Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, on April 16,
on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
a solemn sitting took place at the “Atikon” hall of Athens, on the
initiative of the Athens Governor’s Office, Armenian Rights Council
of the Armenian Liberal Democratic Party and the Hay Dat Committee
of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun. Ioannis Tragakis, the Parliament Deputy
Speaker of Greece, Teodoros Kasimis, the Deputy Foreign Minister of
Greece, representatives of political parties of Greece made speehes
at the event. Vasos Lisaridis, the former Speaker of the Parliament
of Cyprus made a speech. RA Ambassador Vahram Kazhoyan’s speech was
also read. Deputies of the Parliament of Greece, representatives of
political parties, local self-government, primates of two dioceses of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic and Protestant
churches, representatives of Armenian political parties and the
community, students from Armenia studying in Greece and military
academy students participated in the sitting. The event was finished
with a march towards the Unknown Soldier’s Grave in the Sintagma
central square of Athens where wreaths were laid by the RA Embassy,
the Greek Government, Parliament, political parties, the Embassy of
Cyprus to Greece and the Armenian community of Greece.

LAURELS FOR A NATIONAL SECURITY CONCEPTION

Lragir.am
19 April 06

Adviser to President of Armenia Garnik Isagulyan announced April 19
that the government decision of 2004 set a goal before the Institute
of Political Studies he heads to work out a conception of national
security. However, there is a problem: the conception is presently
being worked out by another agency.

“You know that the strategy of national security is being worked out
by the commission set up on the order of the president of Armenia,
headed by Serge Sargsyan, the secretary of National Security under the
president of Armenia, but the institute is actively engaged in it,”
says Garnik Isagulyan.

The notable thing is that Garnik Isagulyan had initiated the conception
of national security and he had even suggested that political forces
become engaged and extend proposals. Presently, however, Garnik
Isagulyan is engaged in the work of the agency, headed by Serge
Sargsyan. It is also possible that he makes proposals.

TURKEY SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 20:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia sets no preconditions for establishment
of normal relations with Turkey, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian said.

“Armenia was ready yesterday, is ready today and will be ready tomorrow
to establish neighbor relations with Turkey without preconditions
and have open borders with it,” the RA FM stated.

“We admit that problems exist but show me two states, especially
in Europe, experiencing no historical problems. However no state
practises the “instrument of closed borders” to force another state
to renounce its history,” the Minister said.

In his words, Turkey should take an appropriate move for the
normalization of bilateral relations. Vartan Oskanian considers that
Turkey doesn’t wish to develop bilateral political relations and
this excludes any progress. “Turkey is incapable to overcome its
narrow-ethnic interests and take a wider approach to the regional
problems,” Vartan Oskanian considers.

According to him, Turkey had the possibility immediately after the
USSR collapse and then at the start of the talks with the EU. “In the
first case it obviously made a mistake and failed, in the second case
the possibility still exists. Anyway it’s not late yet to get proper
orientation and try to establish normal relations with Armenia,”
the Armenian FM said, reported Novosti-Armenia.

DESECRATED ARMENIAN MEMORIAL: “UNACCEPTABLE”

NOUVELOBS.COM
19.04.06 ¦ 14:08

The League of the rights of the Man as well as Nicolas Sarkozy
get indignant forbidden registrations found on the memorial of the
Armenian genocide.

On March 18th, French-Turkish associations against the memorial of
the Armenian genocide scrolled(marched past) in Lyon ( AP)

L e memorial of the Armenian genocide of Lyon was desecrated on Monday,
bring back(report) two Armenian organizations in different communiques.

” There was no genocide “, cries out a registration quoted at the same
moment by the Committee of defence of the Armenian cause ( CDCA) and
the council of coordination of the Armenian organizations of France
( CCAF). The association for the Memorial of Lyons of the Armenian
genocide ( MLGA) raised a complaint on Tuesday against X to know the
authors of the desecration undergone by the monument in some days
of the inauguration fixed on April 24th, according to the president
of MLGA.

Remembrances

Expressing their “indignation”, both organizations wish that the
authors of this desecration are found and judged.

The CDCA asks besides that ” everything is implemented(operated)
to assure(insure) the safety(security) of the remembrances of next
April 24th on the whole French territory “.

The memorial of Lyon must be inaugurated on April 24th of this year,
date in which is commemorated, every year, the Armenian genocide
committed in Turkey in 1915.

Indignant reactions

The League of human rights ( LDH) expressed on Wednesday, April 19th
” its indignation “.

In a communique, the LDH calls back(reminds) ” his(her,its) approval
of the law of January 29th, 2001 by which France recognized publicly
the Armenian genocide of 1915 and opposes to any attempt aiming at
denying the horror of this crime against humanity “.

Home secretary Nicolas Sarkozy judged for his part, on Wednesday,
April 19th, “unacceptable” the registrations concerned the memorial.

In a message sent on Wednesday to Jules Mardirossian, president of the
Association for the memorial of Lyons, home secretary considers that
” this crime of violence, expressing the negationism and the hatred,
is unacceptable “.

” His(her) author, or his authors, must be austerely punished by the
justice of our country “, adds Nicolas Sarkozy, who assures(insures)
the Armenian community of its ” whole solidarity “. He reminds that ”
the Republic expressed herself with force, by the law of January 29th,
2001 according to which: ‘ France recognizes publicly the Armenian
genocide of 1915 ‘ “.

So, asserts home secretary, ” the authorities of the Republic will
not accept that the law is scoffed “.

–Boundary_(ID_BDdEoZs9w8Kdzlkus3+3Ug)–

AZIMOV: CO-CHAIRS HAVEN’T PRESENTED THE AZERBAIJANI SIDE WITH NEW PROPOSALS OR A NEW PROJECT

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 19 2006

“Any improvement is possible if there is a strong will,” Azerbaijani
deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov told journalists (APA).

The deputy minister said the main thing is that specific frameworks
exist and constructiveness and promptness are needed to solve the
problem in these frameworks.

“Azerbaijan is ready to the improvement in this framework. There
are different models, there exist different forms of self-governing
statuses in Europe and in other regions. However, all these statues
are enjoyed on condition of preserve of territorial integrity of the
states they exist,” Mr.Azimov said.

Commenting on OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs often visiting the region,
Azimov said the objective of these visits is to decide on further steps
following the talks at Rambouillet, the sides continuing negotiating
process or finding other ways out.

The deputy minister also said that the co-chairs haven’t presented
official Baku with new proposals or a new project.

Commenting on the recent regular violation of the cease-fire in the
frontline, Azimov said the Azerbaijani government is concerned about
this case, and noted this does not serve peace process.

“Azerbaijan does not want the cease-fire violation, and advocates
continuing the negotiating process in normal atmosphere,” he said.

Responding to the question that the Great 8 is due to discuss the
Nagorno Garabagh conflict in St.Petersburg, Russia, Azimov said this
meeting is important from the aspect of the most developed states
coming together to solve urgent and difficult problems concerning
the international scene.

“Heads of state, who are responsible for great resources and political
wills, come together. However, if Armenian President and the Armenian
side do not respond to Azerbaijan’s constructiveness, neither the Great
8 nor any other great alliance can solve this issue. At the same time,
the Great 8 bringing this issue to focus is important. Because, it is
urgent as a political influence, on one hand, this is a framework which
can influence politically. On the other hand, economical resources
of the countries participating in this framework make us to conclude
that these states can donate a gift to renovation works in the region
after the solution of the conflict. This issue can be discussed in
the framework of a meeting.

However, a certain improvement should be achieved by that. Otherwise,
I think such issues are pointless”, Araz Azimov concluded.

WHEN AND HOW MUCH WE WILL DECLARE

Lragir.am
19 April 06

The bill on declaration of property and income of natural persons
caused dissent between the People’s Deputy Group and president’s
advisor on corruption affairs Bagrat Yesayan. The only dissent is
the threshold of property liable to declaration. The dissent seems
to have been overcome and now the following thresholds and deadlines
are included in the bill.

In 2007 a natural person will not have to make a declaration if their
income does not exceed 6 million drams within the tax year. In 2008
they will not have to declare if the same index is not over 5 million,
in 2009 4 million, in 2010 3 million, in 2011 2 million and in 2012
1 million.

Starting with 2012 most citizens of the Republic of Armenia will have
to write a declaration of income. However, there is not a hint on
declaration of property and income of natural persons in the bill how
much our income will grow year by year by these scales, and naturally
there could not have been any. This bill is solving another problem.

Whereas it would be better if all the questions were solved at once,
and the citizens whose income is one million drams in both 2006 and
2012 could understand why they need a declaration of property. Or
else it will be difficult to explain why the government is adding
nuisance of paperwork if within six years it did nothing to boost
the income of its citizens.

“PEOPLE MUST PREVENT THE FURTHER COLLAPSE”

A1+
[08:29 pm] 18 April, 2006

THE ARMENIAN INTELLEGENTSIA FORUM COUNCILLOR APPLIED TO ARMENIAN
CITIZENS; “The Armenian nation and statehood got a stab in the
back. The criminal group guided with the saying, “After us the deluge”
made a disgraceful deal “property in place of debt” in order to save
its power.” This deal is neither socially nor politically profitable
for us. With the estrangement of the 5th block of the Hrazdan heat
generating plant the country lost one of the important bases of
its statehood and thrust a wedge in Armenian – Iranian friendly and
mutually profitable relations.

During the years of the criminal group’s ruling the nuclear power
station, Sevan – Hrazdan cascade, the Hrazdan energy and power
station, the airport “Zvartnots,” part of the Kentron district, means
of transportation and communication, water and cognac were aliened
from the country… Soon the list will be added by the Armenia –
Iranian pipeline and “ArmenTel.” As a result of it foreign power was
established in our country, and now Armenia is on the verge of losing
its statehood irretrievably.

This devastating and deepening fall must be prevented by the
population; by intelligentsia and youth faithful to their origin and
with joint measures and activities of wise political figures.

The Armenian Intelligentsia Forum joins all the organizations
combating this criminal group and calls on the population of the
country to return the power captured by the group with all possible
and decisive measures.” The letter was signed by Rafajel Ghazaryan,
Silva Kaputikyan, Khoren Palyan, Hrachya Matevosyan, Ervand Manaryan
and Anna Boyajyan.

ARMENIAN MINISTER ONLY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2008 POLLS, POLITICIAN SAYS

Arminfo
17 Apr 06

Yerevan, 17 April: The majority of political parties are pro-Western
in Armenia today, but the West has not its candidate to run for the
forthcoming Armenian presidential election, the leader of the New
Times Party, Aram Karapetyan, has told an Arminfo correspondent.

“Armenian parliament speaker Artur Bagdasaryan is supported by the
West. Look what happened to him. The people who told me in 2005 that
serious cataclysms are expected in the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] Party in 2006, they predict today that only six MPs (less than
one third) will remain in the Orinats Yerkir faction, Karapetyan said.

The voting in the National Assembly on the state property privatization
programme confirm the validity of similar predictions, the leader
of the New Times Party said. He added that Armenian Defence Minister
Serzh Sarkisyan was the only presidential candidate from the Armenian
ruling circles as of today.

Unlike his opponents, Karapetyan denies categorically that the funds
received from the sale of the fifth unit of the Razdan thermal power
plant to the Russian Gazprom were transferred to the Defence Ministry
account and that this meant Russia’s support for Serzh Sarkisyan in
the forthcoming election. “When super powers support their candidates,
they do this unnoticed,” the opposition party leader said.

Aram Karapetyan said that the prevailing pro-Western mood in the
Armenian opposition is linked to the West’s “miraculous” ability to
carry out orange revolutions. “They want to believe in the West’s
active support in the future and meanwhile not to reject its financial
support,” he said.

Russia conducts a pro-Armenian policy today and support for the
Nagornyy Karabakh republic is part of this policy, the leader of the
New Times Party said. He considered the sale of the fifth unit of
the Razdan thermal power plant as the failure of the US Millennium
Challenge Corporation programme in Armenia.

“A total of 235m dollars were intended for the return of seven
districts in a security zone around Nagornyy Karabakh,” Karapetyan
said. He added that the USA would strengthen its pressure on
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the coming months, as a result of which
the geopolitical forces can change their positions in the region,
especially in Armenia.

PROFANATION OF ARMENIAN MEMORIAL OF LYON

ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 11:37

Monday April 17, 2006, seven days before the commemorations of the
Genocide of 1915, the steles of the Armenian Memorial set up in the
town of Lyon (France), which must be inaugurated by President Jacques
Chirac, were profaned with inscriptions of insults and negationnists:

“There never was genocide of the Armenians”.

This act of vandalism followed upon the consecutive racist drifts
with the ultra nationalist Turkish demonstration of 18 March.

NA CHAIRMAN RECEIVED TEH AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE TO ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
17.04.2006 14:30

On April 17 Chairman of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan
received Alexander Bozhko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Armenia.

The Ambassador familiarized the NA Speaker about the Parliamentary
elections and the latest political developments in Ukraine and
informed that in the result of the elections it is expected to sign
an extensive coalition agreement, which will coordinate the activities
of the parliament and the government.

The parties attached importance to the accomplishment of the
interparliamentary agreement signed during Arthur Baghdasaryan’s
official visit to Ukraine.

Stressing the importance of overcoming the post-election difficulties
in the internal political field, the Chairman of the National Assembly
congratulated the creation of the orange coalition and told that
it will promote the reinforcement of stability in the country and
deepening of democracy.