Author: Emil Lazarian

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 23 2006
Ilham Aliyev: “Creation of two Armenian states is impossible and
poses a threat to Europe”
[ 23 Sen. 2006 12:55 ]
“South Caucasus plays a vital part for Europe. Particularly, delivery
of Caspian energy recourses to European market is of great
importance.
But, Nagorno Garabagh conflict in the region is a big obstacle to the
relationship between Europe and South Caucasus, Azerbaijan’s
President Ilham Aliyev told Bertelsmann Forum 2006 in Berlin.
“Europe should play decisive part in the settlement of the conflict
and work for a peace accord in the region”. He said energy security
for Europe is a demand of time and in this respect, Azerbaijan is
ready to act as a reliable partner of Europe. He said Azerbaijan has
joined New Neighborhood Policy and integration into the west is
priority of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.
Azerbaijani President mentioned Baku’s stance on the Nagorno Garabagh
issue once again.
“Armenian is the only state in the world without national minorities.
In this regard, creation of two Armenian states is impossible and is
not in line with international norms and principles and poses a
threat to future Europe” he stated.
Rumanian President Traian Basescu supported the position of
Azerbaijan and drew attention to the fact that defence of the rights
of ethnic minorities mustn’t violate the territorial integrity of a
country.
“Ideas not in accordance with European standards will not be
effective. Every ethnic minority can’t establish its own state. There
exists an experience of authority; the conflicts have to be settled
on these principles”.
Azerbaijani President also answered questions on global energy,
Azerbaijan’s oil and gas policy, BTC and other projects, and
international issues.
The forum is being attended by presidents, premiers, parliament
speakers and foreign ministers of some 20 countries.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU Commission President Manuel
Barroso, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Belgian Prime
Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc
Gyurcsany told the forum that the principal aim of this meeting is to
exchange views on the future of Europe.
It was said at the forum that resolution of frozen conflicts,
elimination of obstacles to economic growth is very necessary. Issues
on countries wanting to be admitted to the EU, relations with OIC
member-states, energy security of Europe, scientific research
programs, economic and political projects, reforms in education
sphere, creation of new universities, happenings in Near East and
other hotspots etc. were also discussed at the forum.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev also met with Speaker of
Georgian Parliament Mrs. Nino Burjanadze and former US secretary of
department of state Henry Kissinger in Berlin.
The International forum is ending today. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 23 2006
Demand on Recognition of Armenian Genocide by Armenia Might fall Out
of EU’s Document
Source: Trend
Author: A.Alasgarov
23.09.2006
Next Tuesday, 26 September, the European parliament is to consider a
document on the cooperation with Turkey.
Trend Special Correspondent in Ankara reports the draft document was
proposed to include the European Union’s (EU) demand for Turkey on
the recognition of the Armenian genocide as one of terms for this
country’s admission to the EU. However, the issue is expected to fall
out of the document under pressures of Turkey and opponents of this
item.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 22 2006
Aliyev: Azerbaijan key to European energy security
AssA-Irada 23/09/2006 01:07
“Azerbaijan has turned into a major oil producer and this is of great
importance for European energy security,” President Ilham Aliyev told
the International Bertelsmann Forum in Berlin, Germany on Friday.
Aliyev said his country is ready to play the role of a reliable energy
partner of Europe.
The president regarded the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict as a serious hurdle for the integration of the South Caucasus
region and pointed to the importance of European states’ efforts in
solving the long-standing dispute.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered opening remarks at the
forum. She pointed to the possibility of Turkey’s becoming a member
of the European Union within the next 10 years.
The participants have discussed the future of the 25-member union
and economic cooperation among EU states.
President Aliyev was previously expected to hold a tete-a-tete meeting
with the German Chancellor. However, Merkel postponed all of her
meetings after a train crash in Germany.
Along with Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania are represented
at the two-day forum by their presidents. The event is also attended
by the parliament speakers of France and Georgia, the Armenian foreign
minister, as well as the heads of the EU and the Council of Europe.
Forums of this kind are organized by Carl Bertelsmann Foundation once
in two years in an effort to hold dialogue on the future of Europe
among political, economic and cultural circles and media outlets. The
last such event, “European alternatives – changes and prospects for
expanding Europe”, was held in Berlin in 2004 and drew over 30 leaders
and prime ministers, parliament speakers and ministers from 22 European
states, as well as representatives of the United States and Israel.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘Once upon a time…’
By Kathleen Cordeiro/ Staff Writer
Friday, September 22, 2006
Harvard Post, MA
Sept 22 2006
If the traditional Armenian ending for stories is true, the heavens
above Bedford will break open next weekend, when the Three Apples
Storytelling Festival brings together storytellers from around the
state and across the country in a weekend of masterful performances,
amateur story swaps and traveling tales.
Now in its 22nd year, the festival demonstrates that storytelling is
for children, octogenarians and everyone in between. And while Three
Apples (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) has adults-only events ranging from evening
performances to classes with the masters, the best memories may be
made in the family-friendly performances that take place throughout
the day on Saturday, or from the vantage point of a blanket at the
free events on Bedford’s Town Common.
The storytellers have been selected for the breadth and balance they
will bring to the event, according to Susan Harris, treasurer of the
Three Apples Storytelling Festival. The three featured performers
are a case in point. Jay O’Callahan – one of the founding members
of Three Apples – has been a storyteller for 25 years. His stories
range from his growing up years in Boston, to the dramas of World
War II to species extinction. O’Callahan has discovered stories as
well as told them as he travels around the world to perform.
“The storyteller of old got on a horse,” he said. “I get on a plane,
parachute into a community and I’m part of its life for a while before
moving on to the next one.”
O’Callahan will host a family concert on Saturday afternoon and will
open the festival on Saturday morning with fellow featured performer
Elizabeth Ellis.
Ellis is a renowned teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories
of heroic American women. She grew up in the Appalachian Mountains
and learned to tell stories from her grandfather, a circuit-riding
minister. Although Ellis has been a featured performer at storytelling
festivals around the world, this will be her first appearance at the
Three Apples. In addition to opening the weekend, she will perform
for school-age children.
Rounding out the trio of featured performers is Antonio Rocha, who
has studied mime with masters Marcel Marceau and Tony Montanaro.
His tales take listeners on a journey to his native Brazil and around
the world, using mime, theater and sound effects. Rocha will host the
free Community Stage on Bedford Town Common and perform for school-age
children Saturday afternoon.
O’Callahan, Ellis and Rocha will be joined by 10 accomplished
storytellers from around New England, who have been selected based
on their body of work In addition, there will be selected tellers
(all members of the League for the Advancement of New England
Storytelling) who auditioned specifically for this year’s Three
Apples Storytelling Festival. Among the storytellers hailing from the
surrounding communities are Tim Seston of Concord, Robert Isenberg of
Lexington, Jim LaChapelle of Wilmington and Joey Talbert of Sherborn.
“Every year we find people we have never heard of before,” Harris
said. This year, Vics & Sticks are among those unknowns. They are
musical storytellers from Leicester and will host a portion of the
Story Swap on Bedford Common.
The festival spent its first 21 years in Harvard, a beloved venue
that the festival finally outgrew, according to Harris. “We looked
for a community that was similar to Harvard, to maintain the intimate
nature of the festival,” she said. Bedford is that town.
Bedford Center for the Arts, which is the festival host, has worked to
ensure that festival-goers are warmly welcomed, with indoor performance
venues located close to the Common, free parking – even for bicyclists
who take advantage of the Minuteman Bike Trail – and shuttle buses
from selected parking lots.
At two sites, Town Common and the John Glenn Middle School, there will
be a marketplace and food. Visitors can find published selections
from every featured teller. Homemade meals and apple treats will be
available for purchase, benefiting Bedford community groups.
The schedule
Performances on and around the Bedford Town Common begin on Saturday,
Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. with the Festival Opening featuring Ellis and
O’Callahan. Bring a blanket and enjoy the free Story Swapping Ground
from 10:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on the Common. Anyone from toddlers to
adults, amateurs to professional tellers, can share a story.
At 11:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. on Saturday are a selection of eight
performances for adult, elementary and preschool audiences at indoor
venues around the Common.
Gain insight into how storytellers work on their craft with Antonio
Rocha at the free Community Stage on the Town Common at 12:30
p.m. Rocha will work with volunteer audience members to improve their
storytelling right in front of your eyes.
Participate in Traveling Tales and see how stories evolve over time
as they are told and re-told. Look for people with story pouches
and ask them to tell you the story, then you get the pouch and pass
the story onto the next person who asks. Come to the Traveling Tales
Finale on the Town Common at 4:45 p.m. to see what happened to the
stories over the course of the day.
Special Events take place at the John Glenn Middle School including
the Family Concert with Jay O’Callahan at 2 p.m., an Adult Concert
with Jay O’Callahan at 7 p.m. and Down Home Humor featuring Elizabeth
Ellis, Kevin Brooks and Antonio Rocha at 8:30 p.m. Or if you dare,
join Terror in the Night Ghost Stories with Laura Packer, Tony Toledo
and Elizabeth Ellis at First Parish Bedford at 8:30 p.m.
Adults may sign up for separate Sunday master classes with Jay
O’Callahan and Elizabeth Ellis, or a master coaching class with
Antonio Rocha.
Community support
The Three Apples has long enjoyed the financial support of the
Massachusetts Cultural Council. It is also supported by several
local cultural councils, including Bedford, Stow, Littleton, Concord,
Arlington, Wellesley, Harvard, Acton, Wayland, Burlington, Maynard,
Groton, Lexington and Westford. It also is supported by the New
England Foundation for the Arts, The Millipore Foundation and Progress
Software. Community Newspaper Company is the media sponsor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kurdish Aspect
Sept 22 2006
Genocide survivors turn into lobbyists for Darfur
Jewish Journal
by Sarah Price Brown
Eli Wiesel and George Clooney have spoken out about it. Protesters
have rallied against it. Even an online game seeks to draw attention
to the ongoing genocide in Sudan’s Darfur.
Now, a local group is taking a different approach to turning the
world’s eyes toward the Sudanese government-sponsored violence that
has left hundreds of thousands dead, more than 2 million displaced,
villages destroyed and tens of thousands of women beaten and raped.
Jewish World Watch, a consortium of 44 synagogues in Southern
California committed to fighting genocide, has decided that it is
time to put a face to the anonymous victims.
Last week, the group assembled survivors of attempted genocides around
the world, including the Holocaust and the mass killings of Bosnians,
Cambodians, Armenians and Kurdish Iraqis. Volunteers and survivors
boarded a couple of vans and embarked on what they called a “caravan
of peace.”
Timed to coincide with the opening of the 61st session of the United
Nations General Assembly, Jewish World Watch arranged for the survivors
to meet with diplomats from seven U.N. member countries.
One group of survivors met with officials from Great Britain,
Greece and France in the morning, while another group met with
representatives from Spain, Argentina, South Africa and Peru in the
afternoon. All the countries but Spain and South Africa are members
of the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to make decisions
that U.N. member countries are required to carry out.
As the first group gathered in Brentwood, Janice Kamenir-Reznik,
president of Jewish World Watch, reminded the team of its mission.
The Security Council has authorized the deployment of peacekeepers
to Darfur, she explained, but the Sudanese government has refused
to accept the troops. The goal for the day, she said, was to ask
diplomats, “if Sudan continues to say no, will the United Nations
send peacekeepers anyway?”
“If not, there will be another 100,000 … dead in a few weeks,”
Kamenir-Reznik said.
Lucy Deutsch, a 76-year-old Holocaust survivor who was sent to
Auschwitz at age 14, said she was ready for the challenge.
“I want them to urge their governments to do something with Darfur
immediately. Now. Even if they have to jump on their desks in the
U.N.,” Deutsch said. “The people in Darfur shouldn’t have the same
end that we had in Auschwitz.”
Deutsch climbed into the van along with Chhang Song, a 67-year-old
survivor of Cambodia’s killing fields, and Luqman Barwari, a
44-year-old former refugee from Southern Kurdistan, or northern Iraq.
Kamenir-Reznik took a seat at the front and had everyone put on green
wristbands, which read: Do Not Stand Idly By — Save Darfur.
The group’s first stop: the British consulate. In the lobby,
Kamenir-Reznik said she believed the day’s work would make a
difference.
“Advocacy involves taking many different strategies at the same
time,” she said. “I don’t feel at all demoralized. I really believe
… everything you do will build upon everything else.”
And then, there they were, face-to-face with British Vice Consul Angus
Mackay. “Here we have the different faces of genocide from the past
100 years,” Kamenir-Reznik told him. “Not only were they victims of
horrible governments,” she said, “but they were also victims of the
world standing by.”
The survivors introduced themselves and told their stories.
“Auschwitz and Darfur are melting together in my mind,” Deutsch said.
“It’s about time to take out the English hammer and knock some sense
into the U.N. to act immediately,” she said.
Mackay promised to relay the group’s concerns to Washington and
London. He said he would do some research and send along the British
government’s latest policy statements about Darfur.
So far, so good, the group concluded, and it was on to the
next meeting, at the Greek consulate. Consul General Dimitris
Caramitsos-Tziras greeted the group warmly and spoke with a sense of
resignation, or perhaps, realism.
“The trouble spots around the world are growing in number, and so
the demand for help is also growing,” he said. The high-demand has
become “a serious strain on human resources.” Although Greece holds
the presidency of the Security Council this month, “one country alone
cannot influence the balance in a high-powered body like the Security
Council,” he said.
Still, the diplomat took notes. He, too, pledged to pass along the
group’s message “to the authorities” and respond with feedback.
“We’re listening,” he said, “and hopefully, we’ll be acting.”
For Kamenir-Reznik, a promise to listen and relay the message was
enough. But Holocaust survivor Deutsch expressed frustration.
“I am not a politician nor a diplomat,” she said, “but if I would be
a U.N. member, you would hear my voice screaming, not just talking.”
Where were the strong, impassioned words she wanted to hear? Why was
no one screaming?
Finally, it was time to meet with a diplomat from France, a country
that, like the United Kingdom, holds a permanent seat on the Security
Council. Francois-Xavier Tilliette, deputy consul general, welcomed
the group into his office.
“France is very concerned,” Tilliette said. “We need an urgent
solution…. We must not turn a blind eye to this crime against
humanity.”
Deutsch smiled. “He used the words I wanted to hear,” she said after
the meeting.
The morning’s work complete, the group offered its reflections on
the day. “I would give up a week of work for this,” said the Kurdish
Barwari, a scientist at Amgen.
“If we can save one person,” Deutsch said, “we’ve achieved our goal.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Spiegel Online, Germany
Sept 22 2006
Turkish Intellectuals Between Democracy and Nationalism
By Dilek Zaptcioglu in Istanbul
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak was taken to court on charges of
“insulting Turkishness.” It’s a part of the Turkish penal code often
used to go after intellectuals. But do the country’s politicians have
the courage to change it?
AP
Turkish author Elif Shafak is just one of many intellectuals in
Turkey who have run afoul of Section 301.
It’s a scenario familiar to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Apply the criminal code to the work of a novelist, and
massive protests from the European Union about the freedom of opinion
in Turkey ensue. Indeed, Erdogan has been taking those protests to
heart and has recently been trying to change the Turkish penal code’s
notorious section 301. In comments delivered on Thursday, Erdogan
promised that the section will be deleted should a consensus be
reached in parliament.
Such a consensus is not yet in sight. Novelist Elif Shafak was taken
to court on charges of “insulting Turkishness” this week — and
acquitted for lack of evidence. So far, the most well-known victim of
section 301 has been the editor-in-chief of the Armenian weekly Agos,
Hrant Dink, who will be sentenced to six months in prison if he
“re-offends.”
Section 301 of Turkey’s penal code makes “insulting Turkishness, the
Republic or the National Assembly” punishable by a prison sentence of
between six months and three years. The sentence increases threefold
when the offense is committed abroad. The EU has been demanding the
abolition of section 301 for months. Since the law went into effect
about one year ago, it has been used to press charges against at
least 82 writers, publishers, journalists and intellectuals. During
the past 15 months, numerous periodicals and books have been
confiscated, and Internet sites have been shut down, according to the
most recent report by Turkey’s Human Rights Foundation (TIHV). A
total of 15 people have been sentenced under the law. It is widely
expected that this year the European Union Commission will use its
annual progress report on Turkey’s fitness for EU membership — due
out in mid-October — as an opportunity to demand a re-drafting of
section 301.
But doing so would require a major transformation within Turkey, and
that transformation has yet to occur. Danish Amnesty International
member Elna Leth Pedersen, who monitored Shafak’s trial, believes a
“change of mentality” is needed. It won’t do for the section to be
scrapped and replaced by another, she believes.
“Many countries — including EU countries — have similar laws,” says
Joost Lagendijk, a member of the European Parliament, speaking in
Istanbul on the day of Shafak’s trial. “But these laws never lead to
writers or journalists being arrested,” Lagendijk adds.
Eugene Schoulgin, a representative of the PEN Club, the international
writers association, has called Shafak’s trial a “scandal” and
pointed out that hers is not the only case his organization is
keeping a watchful eye on. “There are genuine human rights violations
occurring in various countries, from EU member states to Australia,”
says Schoulgin, a Norwegian who now lives in Istanbul. He adds that
the rising number of trials in Turkey is to do with the country’s
“giant steps towards democracy,” which he says are prompting strong
nationalist reactions “in certain circles.”
A Nationalist Backlash
In fact, the lawyers who always appear as joint plaintiffs in section
301 trials are genuinely reactionary. They are members of the
far-right lawyers association “Hukukcular Birligi.” Led by Istanbul
lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, they are often the ones who press charges
against authors. In their eyes, sensitive topics include the massacre
committed against Armenians in 1915, the Kurdish question, the role
of the military in Turkey — and recent Turkish history in general.
For the past several years, Turkey has been undergoing a rapid
cultural transformation. Thanks to the country’s bid for EU
membership, Turkey’s past and present is being discussed more openly
and controversially than ever before. But this also entails a growing
rift between reformist forces and the rest of society. Many feel the
reforms are happening too quickly and going too far.
Formally left-wing and now liberal-minded intellectuals such as Murat
Belge, a professor of English literature, are speeding the EU reform
process in the area of culture. Today these intellectuals are no
longer as marginalized as they were 10 or 20 years ago, when they
found themselves unemployed because of their views or were struggling
to survive in small publishing houses. Now they hold teaching
positions at Istanbul’s many private universities, where they are
using their connections to organize conferences on the Armenian and
Turkish questions.
Official Turkish historiography is the main target of the criticisms
repeatedly formulated at these conferences. According to Belge,
official Turkish historiography has “achieved nothing so far besides
denying the Armenian and the Kurdish questions and falsifying
historical truths for extremely nationalist reasons.” Turkey’s
liberal intellectuals make up a kind of “closed society” entertaining
close contacts to the West; their activities are often financed with
Western funds.
The result is that Turkish nationalists have a bone to pick. They’re
using section 301 as a weapon and they want to use the charges of
“insulting Turkishness” and “damaging Turkey’s reputation abroad” to
expose the activities of intellectuals and writers to the public. The
goal pursued by Turkish nationalists isn’t necessarily that of
getting writers into prison. Rather, it’s to make these writers look
like dangerous enemies of society to those Turks who haven’t read
their books.
The strategy is working. Most Turks view Kerincsiz and his right-wing
lawyers as slightly overzealous champions of a just cause. Widespread
popular support for the extreme nationalists and their struggles
against the “enemies of the people” is even pushing the social
democrat opposition in the Turkish parliament to argue against the
abolition of section 301.
Elections will be held in Turkey in the fall of 2007. Even Prime
Minister Erdogan will likely lack the courage to fully liberalize the
Turkish penal code. Right now Erdogan is smugly playing the role of
the democrat whose hands are tied. All he did on the eve of Shafak’s
trial was wish her the best of luck.
,1518, 438674,00.html

ANC PAC
104 N. Belmont St.
Suite 200B
Glendale, CA 91206
Press Release
September 21, 2006
Adam Schiff Continues Leadership on Armenian Issues in Congress
Washington, DC – Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) aggressively pursued
a number of issues important to his Armenian American constituents
during the 109th Congress. For raising awareness of the Armenian
Genocide on Capitol Hill and his efforts in support of the freedom
of Nagorno-Karabagh, Schiff has been awarded a grade of an A+ from
the ANCA Congressional Report Card.
“Congressman Schiff has been a very visible ally of Armenian- Americans
both in Washington, DC and here in his Congressional District. He has
helped our community by providing outstanding constituent services
and by representing our hopes and dreams with respect to Armenia in
the halls of Congress,” remarked ANC-PAC Chairman Leonard Manoukian.
“From intervening to help an orphaned Armenian child gain asylum,
to pushing Republican leaders to schedule a vote on the Armenian
Genocide resolution, Adam has fought the good fight during this past
legislative session. We encourage all of our supporters to vote for
Adam this November” Manoukian added.
During the 109th Congress, Schiff delivered a speech on the House
floor in support of freedom for the people of Nagorno-Karabagh. He
attended an event on Capitol Hill honoring senior officials from
Nagorno-Karabagh. The Congressman has also been a forceful voice in
objecting to the Bush Administration’s firing of Ambassador John
Evans. At a hearing held in February, the Congressman questioned
Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice on the status of Ambassador Evans
and what role the State Department played in the withdrawal of an award
given to the Ambassador by the American Foreign Service Association. In
June of 2006, he co-authored a letter urging the Secretary of State
to reconsider the recall of Ambassador Evans.
Congressman Schiff has also been active on a number of other Armenian
American issues and has been present at a great number of Armenian
events in the 29th Congressional District. He was a keynote speaker
at a banquet held by the Burbank ANC Chapter in May and submitted
a Congressional Record statement last year on the occasion of the
Pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia.
The ANC-PAC is a non-partisan federally registered political action
committee established to support campaign committees for Members of
Congress who share the values of the Armenian American community.
The ANC-PAC is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the voice
of the Armenian American community is clearly heard in our nation’s
capital. The ANC-PAC continues a century old tradition of Armenian
Americans engagement on the public policy issues facing national
political leaders, both in the U.S. Congress and the White House.
#####
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. Senate Committee Blocked Funding for Kars-Tbilisi-Baku Railway Project
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.09.2006 16:16 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) today welcomed the vote by a powerful Senate panel to block
U.S. taxpayer funding for an unnecessary and costly proposed railroad
between Turkey and Georgia that would, if built, circumvent Armenia
and, in the process, undermine the economic viability of the existing
Caucasus railroad route through Armenia.
With a unanimous voice vote earlier today, the Senate Banking Committee
adopted the amendment spearheaded by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ),
and later adopted as proposed by Committee Chairman Richard Shelby
(R-AL) and Ranking Democrat Paul Sarbanes (D-MD). According to the
measure, the Export-Import Bank “shall not guarantee, insure or extend
(or participate in the extension of) credit in connection with the
export of any good or service relating to the development or promotion
of any railway connection or railway-related connection that does
not traverse or connect with Armenia, and does traverse or connect
Baku, Azerbaijan, Tbilisi, Georgia and Kars, Turkey.” The provision
is now part of the Senate Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Bill,
also adopted unanimously by the Committee, paving the way for full
Senate consideration of the legislation.
“We would like to thank Senator Menendez, Chairman Shelby, Senator
Sarbanes, and all members of the Senate Banking Committee for ensuring
that U.S. taxpayer funds are not wasted in the construction of an
ill-advised railway project, initiated by Turkey and Azerbaijan, solely
to exclude Armenia,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
22-09-2006
Third Armenia – Diaspora Conference Concluded
The third Armenia Diaspora Conference concluded its activities on Wednesday,
September 20. More than 2,000 people from 40 countries attended the
three-day gathering.
The conference began on September 18 with opening speeches by President
Robert Kocharian, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, His
Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, President Arkady
Ghoukassian of Nagorno Karabagh, as well as the heads of pan-Armenian
organizations. They addressed the various issues on the conference program,
as well as the general issues of Armenia-Diaspora agenda. (Statements can be
found at )
The second session, on the same afternoon, focused on Rural Poverty
Eradication – a program launched at the conference to encourage Diaspora
individuals and organizations to sponsor specific villages and undertake the
infrastructure rebuilding and economic development of Armenia’s border
communities. The first speaker at this session was Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan, who spoke about the impact of rural poverty on Armenia’s economic
development and emphasized the importance of such a pan-Armenian
undertaking. Sitting around the table were those who had already agreed to
sponsor a village, as well as those individuals and organizations, including
international NGOs, who are prepared to partner with the program.
A decision was taken to create a Council with participation of the Diaspora
Secretariat to oversee the planning, organization and implementation of the
program. Implementation of the rural poverty eradication program will begin
in spring 2007.
Also, during a special meeting in the margins of the conference with the
representatives of organizations and communities, a decision was taken to
create a consultative body (composed of the same representatives) that would
ensure continuity between conferences by coordinating communication and
maintaining ties and links among the participants, and between the
participants and the Armenia Diaspora Secretariat.
The third session of the Conference began on the morning of Tuesday,
September 20, with the start of a forum entitled ‘New Answers to Old
Questions: Armenians in the 21st Century’. Tigran Torosyan, Chairman of the
National Assembly, made the opening statement.
Answers to Old Questions- Arm
The Forum consisted of four panels and concluded on Wednesday morning. Forty
speakers and discussants from eight countries addressed issues of culture
and identity, and their application to diasporas, to cooperation and
exchange, and specifically, to Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.
During Panel 2 and Panel 3, Armenia-Diaspora relations were discussed from
the practical viewpoint. The participants were seeking answers to the
following questions: What direction can be given to future cultural and
socio-economic relations between Diaspora and homeland, as well as questions
having to do with emigration and repatriation.
The final panel entitled ‘A Look at Diaspora 2020’, featured four different
perspectives on what the Diaspora might look like in 2020, and how to arrive
at more efficient Armenia-Diaspora relations.
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian delivered the Forum’s concluding statement.
At the conclusion of the conference, a declaration was adopted. President
Robert Kocharian addressed the participants and thanked them for their
comments and input.
Armenia-Diaspora Third Conference
STATEMENT
Armenia-Diaspora Third Conference, which took place on the eve of a
historical event – 15th Anniversary of the Armenian independence, reiterates
our resolve and determination to promote in every possible way the
strengthening of Armenian Statehood, as a vital precondition for the
resolution of all problems faced by all Armenians and for our continuous
advancement.
The Third Conference takes note that in recent times, Armenia-Diaspora
relations and cooperation have been developing harmoniously, with reciprocal
trust and respect, and a solid base has been established for future
expansion and strengthening.
We have a common history, shared objectives and problems, priorities which
pertain to all Armenians and as well as those which are particular to
specific communities, and only through combined efforts, through the
consolidation of our human and material resources, will we be able to
resolve existing problems.
The Republic of Armenia, as a state, assumes with all its capacity and
power, the responsibility to provide the necessary conditions for every
Armenian to participate in state-building, and in Armenia’s strengthening
and development processes.
The Conference reaffirms that our national identity is indivisibly linked
with Christianity, and that the mission of the Armenian Church in the
spiritual and ethical life of the Armenian people, as well as in the
expansion and deepening of Armenia-Diaspora relations, is momentous and
significant.
The Conference approves the Rural Poverty Eradication Program and appeals to
all structures, organizations and to all our people as a whole to actively
participate in the planning, organization and implementation of the Program.
In our modern history, the greatest achievement of our people has been the
liberation of Artsakh, which is the expression of our people’s unwavering
resolve to defend our historic rights. The liberation of Artsakh has become
the clear evidence of our unity, solidarity and commitment.
We reiterate our total responsibility and complete support for the right of
the people of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic to live in freedom and to
exercise their right of self-determination.
After Armenia regained independence, the Armenian Diaspora found itself in a
new situation and throughout the period when serious and risky challenges
confronted the newly independent Armenian state, demonstrated unprecedented
material, political and moral support to our country.
Concurrently, the issues faced by the Diaspora remain mostly the same. These
are preservation and continuity of national identity, traditions and culture
in the various host countries, in different religious and ethno-cultural
conditions. Toward that end the Republic of Armenia lends its total support
to Diaspora.
The Conference reaffirms its resolve to attain international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide in all countries. The Conference welcomes and
expresses its gratitude to all the just-thinking friends of the Armenian
people, whose efforts testify the growing feeling of responsibility on the
part of the international community for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
We are confident that principles of democracy, human rights and liberty are
the priorities for a properly functioning state and social structures.
Our fundamental values are peace, friendship and mutually beneficial
cooperation among peoples, the right of individuals and peoples to live in
liberty and exercise freedom of speech and faith.
We are resolved and determined to protect our national rights and interests
in the 21st century, to enforce peace and unity, to solve our problems, to
fulfill our dreams together in the name of our people, for the safe and
secure development and advancement of our homeland.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #181, 23/09/2006
Karabakh issue
YURI MERZIAKOV DWELLS ON SOME SUGGESTION
The Azeri side has already submitted the written
response to the suggestions of the OSCE Minsk Group on
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. According to
Azeri Press agency, Yuri Merzliakov, OSCE MG Russian
Co-Chair, made this statement. The source said that
Azeri FM Elmar Mamediarov handed the written response
to the suggestion to Merzliakov in London, already on
September 13. He also warned that the document is not
the final version and it should be elaborated in
collaboration with the co-chairs before handing that
to the other side in conflict.
Merzliakov also state that they haven’t received any
written response from the Armenian side, but certain
statement was made that said that the suggestion sent
by the co-chairs principally satisfies the Armenian
side, expect for some changes in the resolution.
One can only suppose what Merzliakov speaks about. But
we can state that after the discussion of the
situation with the fires at the UN and the recent
meetings between the foreign ministers and the
co-chairs, the OSCE MG co-chairs make the last attempt
to fix definite progress in the settlement process
this year.
By Aghavni Harutyunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress