Author: Ekmekjian Janet

US EMBASSY DISAPPOINTED BY ANCA STATEMENTS

ArmRadio.am
15.03.2007 12:35

The US Embassy noted with deep disappointment the statement made in
Yerevan on March 13 by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hambarian.

"His remarks were a willful distortion of reality and have no place
in any serious discussion about policy differences. Mr. Hambarian’s
comments are particularly out of place in Yerevan, where the Government
of Armenia has already signaled its readiness to work with Ambassador
Hoagland. Neither Ambassador Hoagland nor the Administration has ever
denied the mass murders and forced exile of over 1.5 million Armenians
that occurred in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. During his
confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
June 28, 2006, Ambassador Hoagland specifically said, on the record,
"No one in the Administration has ever denied the events." He has
read broadly the history of the period. However, the Administration,
and therefore Ambassador-designate Hoagland, does not use the word
"genocide" to describe these events," says the statement of the
US Embassy.

PARTNERSHIP WITH NATO DOES NOT SUPPOSE OBLIGATORY MEMBERSHIP, REPRESENTATIVE OF ARMENIA IN NATO CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 14 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia widely cooperates with NATO,
in particular, the Individual Partnership Actions Plan (IPAP) is
rather large.

Samvel Mkrtchian, Resident Representative of Armenia in NATO, stated
this at the March 14 press conference. At the same time, he said
that currently the Armenian leadership does not discuss the issue of
membership to NATO.

In S. Mkrtchian’s words, partnership with NATO does not suppose
that the country will have the goal to join NATO without fail. In
S. Mkrtchian’s words, each country itself estimates threats of its
national security and chooses the ways of resisting them.

In addition to 26 member-countries, today NATO has 23
partner-countries, and not all of them have expressed willingness to
join NATO in the future. S. Mkrtchian said that currently Macedonia,
Croatia and Albania implement membership actions plans. They hope that
they will receive membership invitations at the 2008 summit. Ukraine
and Georgia received "format of strengthened political dialogue"
with NATO in 2006. Georgia, in S. Mkrtchian’s words, strains great
efforts in the direction of joining the organization.

It was mentioned that in case of joining NATO Georgia will be the
second member of NATO after Turkey, which has a common border with
Armenia. Regional countries’ membership to NATO can generate problems
for Armenia being a member of CSTO: today the common border with
Turkey is closed and it is not known how the relations with Georgia
will develop in the future.

In S. Mkrtchian’s words, trying to form a united security system in
the South Caucasus and not seeing its prospects in consideration of
Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Georgia’s
strained relations with Russia and a number of other factors,
NATO has brought forward the idea of IPAP program. It will enable
to cooperate with each country with the depth, with which that
country wishes to develop its relations with NATO. In the future
the relations of countries with that organization will depend on
regional developments. S. Mkrtchian said that EU has also adopted
the same approach by working out individual cooperation programs with
regional countries.

ZURAB GUMBARIDZE: GEORGIA WILL IMPLEMENT IN ITS TERRITORY ANY PROJECT THAT IT WISHES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2007

"Georgia does not intend to take any measures against
Akhalkalaki Armenians that does not want the implementation of
the Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway project. Georgia will
implement in its territory the project that the country wishes,"
Georgia’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zurab Gumbaridze told journalists,
APA reports. Saying that Georgia works hardly to get accession to
NATO membership, the ambassador noted his country does not hide
its intentions.

"We have never hidden our intention to access to NATO membership. All
political parties represented in Georgia’s parliament support Georgia’s
NATO membership and this is an example of it. We have only to wait
how NATO member states will solve this problem," Mr. Gumbaridze said.

PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 164a07
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
internet:

Venice Commission’s 70th session: discussions include freedom of
expression v. freedom of religion, and the Serbian constitution

Strasbourg, 13.03.2007 – The Council of Europe’s European Commission for
Democracy through Law (the "Venice Commission") will be meeting in
Venice on 16 and 17 March (Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista).
This is its 70th session since it was set up in 1990.

The Commission will adopt a report on blasphemy, religious insults and
inciting religious hatred. Another point on the agenda concerns the
extent to which video surveillance is compatible with respect for human
rights. These questions were submitted to the Venice Commission by the
Parliamentary Assembly.

Terry Davis, Council of Europe Secretary General, and Fiorenzo Stolfi,
Foreign Minister of San Marino and Chairman-in-Office of the Council of
Europe Committee of Ministers, will both speak at the opening of the
session on Friday 16 March at 9.30 am.

The session will also include:
* an exchange of views with Gia Kavtaradze, Georgian Minister for
Justice, and the adoption of an opinion on the disciplinary
responsibility of judges of common courts;

* adoption of an opinion on the new Serbian constitution;
* a discussion, attended by the Speaker of the Montenegro Parliament,
Ranko Krivokapic, on developments concerning the adoption of a new
constitution in Montenegro;

* adoption of opinions relating to the "the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia", in the presence of Justice Minister Mihajlo Manevski, on:

o the legal status of churches, religious communities and religious
groups;
o the office of the Public Prosecutor and the Council of Public
Prosecutors;
o the draft revision of the electoral code.
* adoption of opinions relating to Ukraine on parliamentary opposition,
the imperative mandate for members of the Verkhovna Rada of the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea and of local councils, and on the judicial
system and the status of judges;

* adoption of a joint opinion with the OSCE/ODIHR on the revision of the
electoral code in Armenia.

The Venice Commission will also adopt the Code of good practice in
referendums.

All the adopted texts are public and will be available on the
Commission’s website:

Press contacts:
Estelle Steiner, Press officer, Directorate of Communication, Council of
Europe
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 33 35, mobile +33 (0)6 08 46 01 57,
[email protected]

Roberto Tumbarello, Council of Europe press correspondent in Italy –
Mobile: +39 335 69 38 216, [email protected]

To receive our press releases by e-mail, contact :
[email protected]

A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 46
member states.

‘OLIGARCHIC’ PARTY AGAIN ACCUSED OF VOTE-BUYING
By Irina Hovannisian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 12 2007

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), a key election contender, faced
more opposition accusations of vote-buying on Monday after lavish
dinner parties thrown by its millionaire leader Gagik Tsarukian for
many women across the country.

Tsarukian’s Kentron television and another major Armenian TV channel
aired over the weekend a 30-minute "special report" on celebrations
of International Women’s Day that were organized by the tycoon in
Yerevan and dozens of small towns. Viewers were shown scores of women
marking the March 8 holiday in restaurants and receiving flowers on
the occasion. The largest of the parties involved live performances
by some of Armenia’s most popular pop singers.

It was the latest in a series of "benevolent actions" that are
thought to have earned Tsarukian’s party a considerable following
over the past year. Representatives of opposition parties were quick
to denounce it as another manifestation of wholesale vote-buying.

"That is no benevolence," said Suren Sureniants of the Hanrapetutyun
party. "That is a process of bribing and humiliating people. A
benefactor is not supposed to pursue political goals."

A BHK spokesman, Baghdasar Mherian, rejected the accusations. "Can
the people who claim that our benevolence is political propaganda
cite one example of a woman being told to vote for Prosperous Armenia
after being handed flowers?" he said. Mherian also argued that the
tycoon close to President Robert Kocharian has engaged in charitable
work since 1992, comparing him to Diaspora Armenian philanthropists
like Kirk Kerkorian and Charles Aznavour.

Armenian law forbids politicians and political parties running for
office from providing any goods and services to people in the hope
of securing their votes. Officially, Tsarukian’s stated benevolence
is done through a charity named after himself, meaning that his party
technically does not violate this restriction.

Tsarukian raised eyebrows last autumn by financing a large-scale
distribution of agricultural relief and provision of free medical
aid and other public services to tens of thousands of impoverished
people. BHK representatives say that the assistance has no connection
with the May 12 parliamentary elections, a claim dismissed by
opposition leaders and some representatives of the governing Republican
and Dashnaktsutyun parties.

The BHK claims to have recruited 370,000 members, or more than
all other Armenian parties taken together. The party, widely
regarded as Kocharian’s new power base, is expected to do well in
the forthcoming elections. But whether or not its real popularity
matches the staggering membership figure remains unknown due to a
lack of credible opinion polls in Armenia.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  +374-10-517163
Fax:  +374-10-517301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
March 12, 2007

His Holiness Karekin II Meets with President Abdul Kalam of India

On March 4, the final day of his pontifical visit to India, His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, met with His
Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of the Republic of India, in
the presidential palace in New Delhi.

President Kalam welcomed His Holiness to the palace and spoke of the long
history of friendship and cooperation between the Indian and Armenian
peoples.  The president specifically mentioned the Armenian merchants who
brought their contribution to the economic and societal development of
important trade cities like Calcutta, Madras and Bombay from the 17th
through the 19th centuries.

The day of the meeting between the Catholicos and the President was also a
holiday in India called `Holi’, the festival of colors.  The Catholicos of
All Armenians congratulated the President on the holiday and extended to the
people of India his best wishes on this festive day.

His Holiness Karekin II also expressed his appreciation to President Kalam
for the careful attention and kind attitude that religious and national
minorities have always enjoyed in India, and specifically thanked the Indian
authorities for the freedoms and opportunities given to the Armenians to
organize and create their national and spiritual lives for centuries.  His
Holiness mentioned that he was greatly impressed by his visits to the major
Indian cities of New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras) and Mumbai
(Bombay), where he was able to visit at least one Armenian holy shrine or
church in each city, preserved to the present day.  His Holiness further
stated his happiness and pride at seeing the well-kept and maintained
conditions of the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy in Calcutta,
the Armenian churches and complexes, as well as the Armenian cemeteries
located throughout India.

The Pontiff of All Armenians also stressed the importance of continuing the
cultural exchange of young students between Armenia and India, specifically
in the universities of the two countries.  More than 800 Indian students
currently study in Yerevan, most at Yerevan State Medical University, and in
exchange, a number of Armenian students are pursuing their higher educations
in major universities in different cities of India. 

President Kalam stated his pleasure with the developing ties between Armenia
and India, specifically during the last 15 years of independence.  His
Holiness thanked the Indian state and people for all of the assistance
provided during that time, first in the form of humanitarian aid in the
years immediately following the earthquake of 1988, and later through the
present day, in the form of economic development assistance in the spheres
of agriculture and information technologies.

His Holiness was accompanied during the meeting by His Excellency Ambassador
Ashot Kocharian, Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian and Rev. Fr. Hovnan Hakobian.  Also
present during the meeting was Her Excellency Reena Pandey, Ambassador of
India to Armenia.  At the conclusion of the meeting, President Abdul Kalam
guided the Pontiff of All Armenians on a tour of his private garden in the
presidential palace compound.

Having concluded his first pontifical visit to India, the Catholicos of All
Armenians and his delegation returned to Armenia and the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin on the following day, Monday, March 5.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, March 12, 2007

AGBU Donates Twelve New Ultrasound Machines to Armenia and Javakhk

YEREVAN, Armenia – In an official ceremony held on March 6, 2007 at
the Jefferson Ultrasound Training Center, AGBU, on behalf of AGBU
Trustee Nazar Nazarian, donated 12 ultrasound machines at a cost of
$290,000 to state health establishments of the Republic of Armenia and
the predominantly Armenian region of Javakhk in neighboring Georgia.

The machines will be donated to the Sisian Hospital, ARS Mother and
Child Health Center of Akhuryan, St. Grikor Lusavorich Hospital and
Maternity House in Yerevan, Akhalkalak Hospital, Berd Hospital, Nairi
Hospital of Yeghvart, "Gracia" international reconstructive center of
the Armenian Red Cross, Cardio and Radiology departments of Yerevan
State Medical University’s #1 Hospital, as well as to the Jefferson
Ultrasound Training Center in Yerevan. Included on the list of
recipients for these hi-tech machines are parts of the republic where
there is no such modern equipment, as well as Javakhk.

These machines ensure quick and secure diagnoses of diseases in the
early stage. Ultrasound is a safe and relatively inexpensive method
for imaging the body. These ultrasound machines have color Doppler
capability, which enables specialists to make state-of-art diagnoses
of a wide array of diseases involving blood vessels, the heart, and
other internal organs.

"The main advantage of these machines is that it is possible to ensure
two new examinations, cardiographic and vascular, as well as provide
emergency assistance to people with fractures and unconscious
patients," said Head of the Yerevan State Medical University Radiology
Chair, Dr. Andreas Hambardzumian.

"Last year we donated 10 such machines to the health establishments of
Yerevan and the regions of Goris and Kapan, as well as Karabakh. The
program will continue and be regularly renewed," said Ashot Ghazarian,
AGBU Armenian Representation Director.

The doctors that will work with these machines in the future undergo
training courses in the Jefferson Ultrasound Training Center under the
supervision of its co-directors Dr. Andreas Hambardzumian and
Dr. Hmayak Sissakian and with the participation of specialists from
the United States. The new ultrasound-trained doctors will not only
acquire the skills necessary to work with the machines, but also get
acquainted with innovations in the fields of tomography, sonography
and echocardiography. Experienced doctors also receive instruction in
ultrasound research. It is worth noting that the Center is regularly
updated with a vast array of academic materials (journals, videos,
etc.) that arrive from abroad.

The Ultrasound Center will help maintain the connection between the
hospitals that received the machines and the doctors that received
training to work on them. Regular follow-up courses and consultations
will be organized to keep them current and informed.

During the press conference, Ghazarian noted that the initial idea for
the Ultrasound Center originated with Dr. Levon Nazarian, Professor of
Radiology and Vice Chairman for Education at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital, and was facilitated with generous funding
provided by Nazar Nazarian, formerly treasurer of the AGBU Central
Board of Directors and currently a member of the organization’s newly
formed Board of Trustees. Recently, Dr. Nazarian became a member of
AGBU’s Central Board of Director.

Yerkir Media TV company () has placed its video
material of the above-mentioned distribution ceremony on its Internet
site, and it can be viewed-in Armenian-at the following URL:
;page=1& amp;id=1409.

Established in 2000, Yerevan’s Jefferson Ultrasound Training Center
was founded as a joint venture of Yerevan State Medical University,
Jefferson Ultrasound Research and Education Institute of Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and AGBU. More than
100 doctors and medical internship program students from Armenia,
India, Pakistan and Russia have completed training courses at the
Ultrasound Center.

AGBU is the largest Armenian nonprofit organization in the world. It
promotes the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural,
humanitarian, and media projects. For more information on AGBU and its
projects in Armenia, please visit

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 9 2007

US Department of State Armenia Human Rights Practices Report: Armenia
Occupies Azeri Territories

Friday , 09 March 2007

US Report says "Armenia continues to occupy the Azerbaijani territory
of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories"

The report continues:

"Armenia continues to occupy the Azerbaijani territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories.
During the year incidents along the militarized line of contact
separating the sides again resulted in numerous casualties on both
sides. Reporting from unofficial sources indicates that approximately
20 persons were killed and 44 were wounded, including both military
and civilian casualties on both sides of the line of contact.

All parties to the Nagorno‑Karabakh conflict have laid
landmines along the 540‑mile border with Azerbaijan and along
the line of contact. During the year there were reports that a
landmine killed one civilian and unexploded ordnance killed another.

On September 5, unknown persons killed a senior tax official using a
bomb apparently planted under the seat of his government car. State
prosecutors opened an investigation and arrested two suspects, based
on the testimony of the official’s driver. One suspect was released
from prison on medical grounds. At year’s end the investigation was
ongoing."

The OSEC and the EU have also recently named Armenia ‘occupier’ in
Azeri territories.

The News – International, Pakistan
March 10 2007

Turkish leader guilty of genocide denial

GENEVA: A Swiss court on Friday found a Turkish leader guilty of
denying the Armenian genocide, the first time Switzerland’s
anti-racism law has been applied to the World War I slaughter.

Turkish Workers’ Party leader Dogu Perincek received a suspended jail
sentence of 90 days or an equivalent fine from the Lausanne court as
well as a fine of 3,000 Swiss francs (1,900 euros).

Perincek had described the Armenian genocide under the Ottoman Empire
as an `international lie’ at a Turkish rally in the Swiss city in
2005.

The Turkish government also fiercely rejects the genocide label and
the issue has sparked diplomatic tensions with Switzerland in the
past.

Judge Pierre-Henri Winzap called Perincek an `arrogant provocateur’
in his ruling at the end of a week-long trial, adding that he had
`racist and nationalist motives’.

Lausanne was also the site of the international conference and treaty
signed in 1923 which sealed the break-up of the Ottoman Empire and
the birth of the modern Turkish state.

Winzap said the Armenian genocide was `a proven historical fact
according to Swiss public opinion’ and the fact that it was not
listed as a genocide by an international court did not rule out its
reality.

He also ruled that Perincek made two speeches in May 2005 in the full
knowledge that he would be breaking the law.

Charges against Perincek were pressed under Swiss anti-racism law,
which includes an offence of denial of genocide or crimes against
humanity, following a complaint by a Swiss-Armenian group.

The verdict marks the first time that the 1995 law was applied to the
massacre of Armenians, said Doris Angst of Switzerland’s official
anti-racism watchdog.

`The commission welcomes the fact that the issue has been clarified
in a certain way with this ruling,’ the secretary of the Federal
Commission Against Racism told AFP.

Perincek said afterwards that he would appeal the verdict of
Lausanne’s magistrates court. `I will appeal this decision. I still
have confidence in Swiss justice. We will take it to the end to the
European Court of Human Rights if necessary,’ he told the Anatolian
news agency.

`This decision reflects in a concrete manner the Swiss judge’s hatred
for Turkey and the Turkish nation,’ he added.

In 2001, a court in the capital Bern acquitted 12 Turks facing
similar charges.

However, two years later the Swiss lower house of parliament formally
recognised the massacre of Armenians during World War I as genocide,
despite fierce protests from Turkey.

Perincek argued in court that he had not committed an offence with
his statements during the rally, insisting there had been no genocide
in 1915.

Swiss anti-racism law was not applicable in the Armenian case while
it was fully justified for the Holocaust in World War II, claimed the
Turkey-based militant.

Taliya, Iran
March 9 2007

Iran’s fiber-optic network to be connected to Armenia
March 9, 2007 11:55 PM

Tehran, March 11, Taliya News – Infrastructure Telecom Company’s
Technological Affairs Deputy said here Tuesday a delegation comprised
of experts and technicians would be dispatched to Armenia to connect
country’s fiber optic network to Armenia’s through Jolfa
International Border.
Jalal Mahfouzi referring to the visit of an Iranian delegation from
Armenia a while ago, added in an interview with ISNA, `During that
visit the members of the Iranian delegation had talks with Armenian
officials regarding connection of the two countries’ fiber-optic
networks and the Armenian ICT Minister approved of the proposal.’
He said, `A company called `Fiber-Net’ has recently been established
in Armenia and commissioned to take advantage of the Iranian
fiber-optic network, of which Iran’s entire neighbors, save for
Pakistan are now benefited.
He added, `Those benefits particularly included getting connected to
the fiber-optic networks of Iran’s southern neighbors on the southern
shores of the Persian Gulf, that are connected to the international
fiber-optic network.’
Pointing out that these networks are able of transforming voice and
data inputs, he said, `It is predicted that the capacity of the
capacity of these lines would be some two STM1 links, and the
contract would be based on the IRI ratified tariffs.