Author: Dabaghian Diana

Vice Secretary General of CSTO: Aggression against one of the CSTO
member states will be regarded as aggression against the whole
organization

2008-04-26 13:45:00

ArmInfo. The Collective Security Treaty clearly says that aggression
against one of the members of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization should be regarded as aggression against the whole
organization, the vice secretary general of CSTO Valery Semerikov said
during a press-conference in Yerevan today.

This treaty was signed on a very high level, is published and is known
to the whole international community.

In Oct the presidents of CSTO signed a protocol on provision of
military-technical support in case of aggression against one of CSTO
member states. This protocol is not secret and clearly says how the
CSTO member states will act in case of aggression. In any individual
case CSTO will pass a specific individual decision.

PRESS RELEASE
Senator Barbara Boxer
Washington D.C.
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3553

cfm?gpiv=1999902403.1910123.0&gen=1

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

*IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 93rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE*

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity today to solemnly
observe the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century. From
1915 until 1923, 1.5 million Armenians were brutally killed by the
Ottoman Turks in a systematic effort to eradicate the Armenian
people. There were unbearable acts of torture; men were separated from
their families and murdered; women and children were put on a forced
march across the Syrian desert without food or water.

Henry Morgenthau, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913
to 1916, recalled:

`When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations,
they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they
understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made
no particular attempt to conceal the fact…I am confident that the
whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as
this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost
insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in
1915.’

Tragically, 1915 was just the beginning. We saw the horrors of
genocide in World War II when Jews were subjected to systematic
extermination at the hands of Adolf Hitler and his followers. Indeed,
Hitler remarked at the outset of this unbridled evil, `Who, after all,
speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?’ Unfortunately, the
phrase `never again’ turned out to be a hollow slogan. In the later
half of the last century, countries like Cambodia and Rwanda were
ravaged while the world was silent. And even now, in this new century,
Darfur is the latest place to experience such brutality and inhumanity
as the world stands idly by, either incapable or unwilling to do what
is necessary to stop the devastation and murder.

Today, the Turkish government denies what happened in the dying days
of the Ottoman Empire and thus this scar on history cannot be healed
until history is accurately spoken, written, and recalled. These are
lessons that must be told and repeated to each and every generation.

In order for democracy and human rights to flourish, we must not
support efforts to rewrite and deny history. In the United States, we
strive to make human rights a fundamental component of our
democracy. It is long overdue for our nation to demand that the truth
be told. We must recognize the Armenian Genocide in the name of
democracy, fairness, and human rights.

To that end, I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of Senator
Richard Durbin’s Senate Resolution 106, calling on the President to
accurately characterize the Armenian Genocide in his annual message
around April 24th and to ensure that the foreign policy of the United
States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning
issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide
documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian
Genocide.

It is important that we recognize the Armenian Genocide while its
survivors are still with us to tell their stories. We must recognize
the genocide for the survivors. We must recognize the genocide because
it’s the right thing to do. We must recognize the Armenian Genocide to
help shed light on the darkness and move toward a more humane world.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS REMEMBER THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Los Angeles Times, CA
April 24 2008

Many of Southern California’s more than 300,000 Armenians will today
gather at memorial services, protests and other events to mark the
93rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The striped Armenian flag
was already seen fluttering from cars earlier this week as local
Armenians prepared for the emotional and controversial observance of
the more than million people who died under Ottoman rule in what is
now modern Turkey.

The anniversary has long been denounced by many Turks and others,
who dispute the larger number of deaths or that the genocide even
occurred. Last year, the most recent effort to have the U.S. government
officially recognize the genocide triggered a bitter battle on Capitol
Hill. The animosity lives on, and one of today’s events includes a
human rights protest outside the Turkish consulate.

There are also new tensions. On Wednesday, a memorial assembly at Grant
High School in Van Nuys lead to a shouting match between Armenian
and Latino students. Several students were sent home and additional
school district police officers patrol the campus for the remainder
of the week.

Today’s memorials, however, remain a source of pride for Armenians,
including a young generation far removed from the pain and suffering
of nearly a century ago.

"A lot of people ask me why we care so much, especially the
youth because we are a few generations out from the genocide,"
twenty-year-old Caspar Jivalagian told the Times Molly Hennessy-Fisk
last year year. "Every Armenian we have it in us, under our skin."

BOOK "THE FIRST HOLOCAUST" BY ROBERT FISK TO BE SUBMITTED TO DUTCH PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONS

Noyan Tapan
April 24, 2008

AMSTERDAM, APRIL 24, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian
community of Holland will commemorate the 93rd anniversary of Armenian
Genocide at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide in Assen.

As the local Armenian websites report, the April 24 Committee of
the Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAON)
will hand over a Dutch translation of the book "The First Holocaust"
by Robert Fisk on Armenian Genocide to the Permanent Commissions of
European Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the Dutch Parliament.

The April 24 Committee of FAON will submit a petition on April 22
together with the Fisk’s book to the Dutch Parliamentary Commisions
regarding lack of progress in Turkey on such issues as the human
rights, freedom of expression and rights of minorities, as well as
continuation of persecution of Armenians and other Turkish citizens. It
is also noted that there is no progress in recognising the past,
particularly the Armenian Genocide, by Turkey.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: IN RECENT YEARS IT BECAME POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A SERIOUS TURNING POINT IN ENERGY SECTOR

Noyan Tapan
April 21, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. It became possible to achieve a
serious turning point in the energy sector, there is a successful
controllable system, and the minister’s role was great in that, the RA
prime minister Tigran Sargsian said on April 21 when introducing the
re-appoined minister of energy Armen Movsesian to the staff of the
ministry. In his words, it is impossible not to note and appreciate
the direct constribution of the minister, whose re-appointment and
the expansion of the ministry – henceforth the ministry will also deal
with problems of natural resources – bear evidence of this fact. The
prime minister stated that the energy sector will be one of the driving
forces of the economy: serious steps have been taken and considerable
investments made in the sector which has much potential.

In response to the question about why the function of managing the
natural resources has been given to the ministry of energy, Tigran
Sargsian explained that so far no single ministry was responsible
for this sector, some problems were dealt with by the ministry
of environmental protection, others – by the ministry of trade and
economic development, while some problems were disregarded. According
to him, taking into account the fact that the forms and methods of the
energy sector’s organization are like those of managing the natural
resources, the chemical industry is closely related to this sector,
and, finally, the level of controllability is high at the ministry,
a decision was made to entrust the management of natural resources
to the ministry of energy.

CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE COUNCIL OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA CONGRATULATES PM TIGRAN SARGSYAN

armradio.am
22.04.2008 12:00

Chairman of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Wen
Jiabao has congratulated Tigran Sargsyan on his appointment to the
post of RA Prime Minister. The congratulatory message states in part:

"Over the past few years, the Government of Armenia has been
concentrating upon the development of its national economy, the
improvement of population’s living standards, the maintenance of social
stability and has had significant achievements. I am confident that
the Armenian people will have even greater achievements in future.

Over the past 16 years that followed the establishment of diplomatic
relations, the Armenian-Chinese friendly ties of cooperation have
experienced steady development: the mutual understanding in the
political field becomes stronger with gradually developing trade and
economic exchanges. There are good prospects for the development of
the Armenian-Chinese relations and I am prepared, together with you,
to further deepen the friendship between our two peoples and make
efforts in support of cooperation in different areas.

I wish you health and success in your post."

WE PRESENT OUR STANCE BADLY

KarabakhOpen
22-04-2008 11:44:56

During his visit to Stepanakert the speaker of the Armenian parliament
Tigran Torosyan visited Yerevan State University on April 18 to meet
with the staff and the students.

With regard to the ongoing discussion of the draft statement on
Karabakh at the Armenian National Assembly, Tigran Torosyan said the
document cannot be viewed as a sign of panic or rejection of what has
been done so far. He underlined that significant progress toward the
settlement of the Karabakh issue has been made over the past few years.

A significant shortcoming of the Armenian sides is the insufficient
dissemination of information on the Karabakh issue to the international
community. The NKR National Assembly is likely to make efforts to
improve the situation.

The Scientific Board of the University awarded the title of honorary
doctor to Tigran Torosyan.

COUNTRY – IN NEED OF A NEW OPPOSITION
Armen Tsatouryan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 18, 2008
Armenia

The sharp and unyielding struggle of the pre-election period ended
in the formation of a quadrilateral political coalition around the
new authorities, whereas the political camp opposing the authorities
keeps preserving the mentality and status it had before February 19.

This actually is the repetition of the uncertain situation following
the 1998 and 2003 presidential elections, when the forces that united
around a particular pro-opposition figure prior to the electoral
campaign found themselves in painful and long-lasting processes.

In 1998, the role of such individual was reserved for Karen
Demirtchyan, and in 2003, it was reserved for Stepan Demirtchyan. At
present, Ter-Petrosyan has found himself in their status.

To what extent is it beneficial to the country and the political
arena to maintain the model of bi-polar confrontations resulting from
post-electoral developments?

It’s obvious that:

First: the possible dialogue within the frameworks of the continuing
confrontation may certainly alleviate the internal political tension
to a certain extent, but it can never serve as a basis for civilized
relations between the authorities and the opposition, as such relations
develop only in case the debate goes around the ways of the country’s
further development and not around some unfinished political processes.

Second: In view of the new developments taking place in the region,
prolonging the confrontations may become a mechanism of imposing
serious concessions on the new authorities of Armenia on the external
front, because the pro-opposition camp is supervised by forces favoring
a much more moderate foreign policy course.

Third: the perilous situation existing in the opposition camp will all
the time force the new authorities to think about neutralizing the
imminent danger instead of finding ways for reforming the political
arena.

Therefore, the model of a bi-polar confrontation formed in the
pre-election period has become an obstacle towards the country’s
further development.

Such obstacle restricts the country’s opportunities for further
democratization, serious economic reforms and the fair solution to
the Karabakh issue, because such tasks continue to be viewed through
the prism of disputing the elections.

That’s to say, the opposition, which suffered a defeat during the
elections, is trying to block and "conserve" the post-electoral
situation, anticipating the failure of the authorities’ policy. Whereas
being an inseparable part of the political system of the given
country, any normal opposition should shift its political steps to
the plane of criticizing the initiatives and programs directed at
the country’s future.

As a result of the presidential elections, the playing cards of
most of the political forces, which created a certain climate in our
reality during the past ten years, were mainly hit at. The field was
trampled down and suffered a great shock, creating conditions for
the formation of new political forces. The people have also divided
into two camps, one of them supporting the authorities and the others
favoring L. Ter-Petrosyan.

Therefore, the delusion of a "pro-Levon" alternative will grow weaker
in case there’s an increase in the quality and quantity of the "new
alternative" opposing the policy of the new authorities. In this
respect, the post-electoral period is the time for the formation
of a third force or forces whose existence was simply ruled out in
the pre-election period. Such forces may be formed as a result of
the consolidation of the existing small parties or the creation of
new ones.

The first tendency was observed before the elections when several
national-liberal forces united with Ramkavar-liberal party. The
temporary unification of some of the former NDU members around the
"mother party" and its leader was also an evidence of the same process.

As to the inevitability of the second tendency, it is dictated by the
following obvious reality: ex-president Ter-Petrosyan’s preferences
in the spheres of both foreign and domestic policy are alien to the
opposition-oriented citizens. More unacceptable are the key figures
of the political team with whom L. Ter-Petrosyan wanted to come to
power during the elections. That pro-opposition electorate has already
complied with the ex-President’s proposal saying "make me your tool",
and now they are experiencing a political apathy since the "potential
tool" did not serve its purpose.

We believe that there currently exist all the political preconditions
required for the formation of a new opposition next to the authorities;
an opposition which will be more radical on the external front and
which will make demands for speeding up the paces of the reforms and
increasing their social trend.

Episcopal News Service, NY
April 19 2008

At ecumenical service, Pope Benedict XVI calls for oneness of hope, faith and love among Christians

‘Prophetic actions’ leading to splintering of Christian bodies decried

By Jan Nunley, April 19, 2008

[Episcopal News Service] National and local leaders of the Episcopal
Church were among the invited guests at an ecumenical prayer service
on April 18 with Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Joseph Roman Catholic
Church on New York’s Upper East Side. The parish, founded in 1873,
grew out of the German-speaking community of Yorkville.

After greetings by Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York and Monsignor
John Sullivan, administrator of Saint Joseph Parish, the audience
of some 250 Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox and 50 Roman Catholic
leaders in ecumenism then heard Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan, vicar
general for the archdiocese, welcome the Pope with a summary of recent
ecumenical relations between the branches of Christianity.

Speaking in soft, Bavarian-accented English, Benedict took Ephesians
4:1-6, St. Paul’s plea for Christian unity, as his text for the
evening. He expressed appreciation for the ecumenical work of the
National Council of Churches, Christian Churches Together in the
USA (CCT/USA), and the Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Ecumenical
and Interreligious Affairs, and lauded the contribution of American
Christians to the ecumenical movement.

But then Benedict sounded the theme that has threaded throughout
his first U.S. visit as Pope: the dangers of secularism, unbridled
individualism, and relativism.

"Scientific discoveries, and their application through human ingenuity,
undoubtedly offer new possibilities for the betterment of humankind,"
Benedict stated. "This does not mean, however, that the ‘knowable’
is limited to the empirically verifiable, nor religion restricted to
the shifting realm of ‘personal experience.’"

Benedict returned to the topic of ecumenism, several times referring
to the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis
Redintegratio ("Restoration of Unity"), promulgated by Pope Paul VI
in 1964. Citing Father Paul Wattson, a former Anglo-Catholic turned
Roman Catholic priest who co-founded the Society of the Atonement in
Garrison, New York, he expressed confidence that ecumenical efforts
would result in the "oneness of hope, oneness of faith, and oneness
of love" for which Christians seek.

Benedict decried the "splintering" of Christian churches over
"so-called ‘prophetic actions’ that are based on a hermeneutic not
always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition." Such
actions, he said, cause Christian communities to "give up the attempt
to act as a unified body, choosing instead to function according
to the idea of ‘local options,’" thus losing their connections to
Christians in other times and places. Some, but not all, interpreted
that as a veiled reference to controversy in the Episcopal Church
and the Anglican Communion.

"I think he did us the honor of giving us a serious address that I
think needs to be read and reflected upon," said New York’s Bishop Mark
Sisk. Asked whether he thought Benedict had singled out the Episcopal
Church in his remarks, Sisk responded, "It’s possible–but I would
be rather surprised. I don’t think he was trying to send shots across
the bow at particular churches. I think he spoke in a respectful way
and I didn’t see that as a shot at the Episcopal Church."

(In 2003, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sent a telegram on behalf of
Pope John Paul II to the American Anglican Council’s "A Place to Stand"
protest meeting in Texas following that year’s General Convention. The
message spoke of the Pope’s "heartfelt prayers" and said that "the
significance of your meeting is sensed far beyond Plano… in the
Church of Christ there is a unity in truth and a communion of grace
which transcend the borders of any nation. With this in mind, I pray
in particular that God’s will may be done by all those who seek that
unity in the truth, the gift of Christ himself.")

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was invited to the service,
but was unable to attend due to a previous commitment to bless a new
diocesan center in Utah. Bishop Christopher Epting, the Episcopal
Church’s ecumenical officer, represented her.

At the end of the ceremony,Benedict greeted national and local
ecumenical leaders, including Archbishop Demetrios of America,
Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Exarch of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate; Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America; Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian, legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern) in Washington and president of the National Council of
Churches USA; the Rev. Dr. Donald McCoid, Director of the Ecumenical
and Inter-Religious Relations Office of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, representing ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson;
Bishop Jeremiah J. Park of the New York Annual Conference of the
United Methodist Church; the Rev. Dr. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson,
General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America and one of five
Presidents of Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT/USA);
the Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian
Church (USA); the Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw, President of the National
Baptist Convention, USA, and one of the five CCT/USA Presidents;
Bishop James Leggett, General Superintendent of the International
Pentecostal Holiness Church and a CCT/USA President; and Dr. Leith
Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

In addition to Bishop Sisk, invited leaders from the New York area
included Bishop David H. Benke, president of the Atlantic District of
the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod); the Rev. Dr. A. R. Bernard Sr.,
president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York; Elder
Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta
Scott King; and the Rev. Jimmy Seong G. Lim, executive director of
the Council of Churches of the City of New York.

Council of Europe head wants info on political prisoners problem in Armenia

Interfax News Agency, Russia
April 18 2008

YEREVAN April 18 — Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis,
who is in Yerevan on a visit, said the problem of political prisoners
in Armenia should be considered with due account taken of the local
specific circumstances.

It is a very specific problem, Davis said at a news conference on
Thursday, when asked if there were political prisoners in Armenia.

Sometimes, journalists brand a political figure, who finds himself
behind bars, a political prisoner, although one should find out why
he had been jailed, he said.

Davis said he had met with Armenian politicians and they promised to
provide him with detailed reports on this issue.