Author: Emil Lazarian

RUSSIA CALLS FOR GEORGIA AND ABKHAZIA TO HOLD CONSTRUCTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
AZG Armenian Daily #145, 03/08/2006
Regional
The statement made by RF Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of
withdrawing the Georgian Armed forces from the Kordor gorge. It was
said in the statement that this will be a decisive step for peaceful
negotiations directed to improvement of the situation. “We hope
that the four-lateral meeting envisaged for the coming few days will
effective and will settle the actual issues,” the statement ran. At
the same time, “Regnum” agency informed that the Defense Ministry of
Abkhazia excluded any opportunity of negotiating with Georgia. “We
have nothing to talk about to them. Hiding beneath police actions,
they deployed armed forces in the Kordor gorge,” Defense Minister
of Abkhazia said, adding that Ezmar Kvitsiani will still achieve
his goals.
By Nana Petrosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

75 PERSONS SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL ABUSE
Panorama.am
13:28 02/08/06
Investigation agencies of the republic have considered 17 criminal
cases on human trafficking and prostitution in the first half of
2006. Fifteen of the cases have been under the proceedings of the
Armenian general prosecutor’s office and two cases on prostitution
were examined by Lory marz investigation agency.
Prosecutor General Office website reports that 5 out of the 17 related
to human trafficking and 12 of them were on prostitution. Cases on
human trafficking have grown by 2 in 2006 against the same period
last year, the web site says./Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMMUNITY DEMANDS TO PUNISH VANDALISM AGAINST ARMENIAN CHURCH IN DONI-ROSTOV
Panorama.am
16:04 02/08/06
Armenian community and reporters gathered near the Armenian consulate
in Doni Rostov to discuss the incident near Surb Khach church. Earlier
reports say that an attempt was made to set the Armenian-Russian
friendship museum on fire.
The people gathered near the consulate expressed their concern over
the incident. Alexander Kojov, head of Union of Monument Protection,
said it is a horrifying fact to try to destroy a monument dating
back to 18th century. Kojov said Surb Khach is the only 18th century
monument in Rosstov region.
Ararat Gomtsyan, chief consul, read out the statement addressed
to local governing agencies with a request to find and punish the
transgressors.
Suspicions say skinheads committed the act of vandalism at night, July
31. Law officials refrain from proposing verdicts yet. /Panorama.am/

His Holiness Aram I Appeal for Immediate Ceasefire
ArmRadio.am
03.08.2006 13:25
Speaking to the press after the meeting of the spiritual Heads of
the Christian and Muslim communities in Lebanon, His Holiness Aram I,
the head of the Armenian Orthodox Community said: “This is the true
Lebanon; this togetherness of Muslim and Christian Spiritual leaders
concretely manifest the real image of Lebanon. This very meeting by
itself is a living message. It is a message of the crucial importance
of coexistence; it is a message of peace with justice; it is a message
of compassion tolerance and mutual respect. In fact, violence is
not the way to solve problems. Dialogue, mutual understanding and
compromise based on justice and peace for all, is the most efficient
way of dealing with complex issues and situations”.
Referring to the meeting of religious Heads, His Holiness Aram I said:
“Together with one voice in our joint declaration we appealed for
immediate ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities. We expressed our
full support to all actions and initiatives taken by the government
of Lebanon. We emphasized the importance of the expansion of the
state’s authority over all the territories of Lebanon. It is our
firm expectation that international community and particularly the
United Nations will act decisively to stop violence and help Lebanon
to recover itself”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Community In Rostov Condemns Church Desecration
ArmRadio.am
03.08.2006 13:31
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders condemned the desecration
of Holy Cross Armenian Church in Rostov, Russia, and an attempt to
burn down the Russian-Armenian friendship situated inside the church.
Unknown assailants Monday reportedly desecrated the temple and tried to
burn it. Failing to enter the church they broke and burnt the windows
and sprayed the slogans “white justice has come” and “Russia is for
Russians” on the church walls.
A meeting was held Tuesday at the Armenian Consulate General in
the Southern Russian, during which Consul General Ararat Gomtsian
condemned the act of vandalism and read a message directed to the town
and provincial authorities, as well as to law-enforcement bodies. The
message demands that the persons responsible for this be found and
punished.
The Russian-Armenian Yerkramas newspaper reported that the director of
the Rostov regional monuments protection agency Alexander Kozhin said
“the desecration of historic monuments is terrible.” He added that
the Holy Cross Church was the only architectural monument in Rostov
that date back to the 18th century, Armenpress reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MEETING AT THE NKR MFA
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
31 July 2006
On July 27, Nagorno Karabakh Republic Foreign Minister Georgy
Petrossian received Vice Speaker of the British Parliament House of
Lords Baroness Caroline Cox and a delegation, which had arrived with
her in Stepanakert. On the request of the guests the Head of the NKR
Foreign Office dwelt upon the process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement in the context of recent regional and world events. “The
Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a complicated one, as a great number
of interests are coming into collision here, which acquire a special
urgency from the standpoint of the recent events in the region and in
the world on the whole,” Georgy Petrossian said. The Minister noted
that the existing format of the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict
settlement did not reflect the core of the conflict. “Unfortunately,
today, the mediators focused their attention not on the essence of the
conflict but on the liquidation of the conflicts’ consequences. We
emphasize once more that without the participation of Nagorno
Karabakh – the most suffered party to the conflict, the achievement
and realization of any agreements are impossible,” Georgy Petrossian
said. Having noted that the negotiations for Nagorno Karabakh are
not an end in itself, the Minister expressed the NKR authorities’
readiness to discuss any issues, which do not infringe upon Karabakh
people’s rights and do not threaten their security. The interlocutors
also touched upon the issues of democratic development of Nagorno
Karabakh and its integration into international processes. “Today,
we face a task of development but not a survival. In this connection
we attach great importance to democratization processes. The freer
are the people, the more protected are their rights in our country
the stronger we shall be. It is a strategical way for us,” Georgy
Petrossian emphasized. Baroness Cox and the delegation members,
headed by her, expressed their readiness to assist Nagorno Karabakh in
asserting its interests on the international scene and in announcing
truthful information to the world community.
PRESS-SERVICE OF THE NKR. 31-07-2006
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RECALL OF US AMBASSADOR FROM ARMENIA INSULTING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS MEMORY
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.08.2006 14:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The reason, for which they want to recall US
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, is insulting to the memory of
over 1.5 million innocent Armenians, killed in the Ottoman Empire,
political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. In his words, in this case the policy of Armenian lobby in
the US, led by the Hay Dat office should be hailed.
“Besides, Armenia should stop practicing silent agreement to any
functionary, sent by the State Department as Ambassador to Armenia. In
compliance with the international law, we have the right not to issue
an agreement to a person, who does not display proper respect towards
our history and people,” the political scientist underscored.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SENATOR SAYS HE’LL VOTE AGAINST HOAGLAND’S NOMINATION
ArmRadio.am
03.08.2006 16:48
A Republican senator is planning to vote against President Bush’s
nominee for ambassador to Armenia because the nominee has refused
to refer to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, AP
reported. “I continue to be troubled by our policy that refuses to
recognize what was a historical reality,” Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman
said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
The Bush administration does not question that Turkish troops killed
or drove from their homes 1.5 million Armenians starting in 1915. But
it has omitted the word “genocide” to describe it. Turkey strongly
objects to the use of the term, and U.S. policymakers are wary of
antagonizing an important strategic NATO ally.
On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which Coleman
serves, postponed a vote on Richard E. Hoagland’s nomination until
next month. While other senators have raised concerns about Hoagland’s
nomination, Coleman is the first to say publicly that he will vote
against it, according to the Armenian National Committee of America.
California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, who sits on the
committee, agreed with postponing the vote but hasn’t said how
she plans to vote. “The administration has to change its policy on
Armenia. Unfortunately, Mr. Hoagland is caught in the middle of this
sorry situation, and I will say more about this entire matter when the
committee votes on this nomination,” she said Wednesday in a statement.
In May, the White House announced the recall of the current ambassador
to Armenia, John Evans, two years into the normal three-year diplomatic
term. Last year, Evans told Armenian-Americans, “The Armenian genocide
was the first genocide of the 20th century.”
Sixty members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice protesting that Evans was being
punished for his reference to “genocide.” In a separate letter,
Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts
demanded an explanation from Rice for Evans’ recall.
“It absolutely was cut short because of that,” Coleman said,
referring to Evans’ use of the word genocide. “That I also found to
be troubling. Evans was a good ambassador. “As someone of the Jewish
faith, I bring a heightened sensitivity to the reality of genocide
and mass murder, and the importance of recognizing it for what it is,”
Coleman said.
“I was brought up believing you never forget the Holocaust, never
forget what happened. And I could not imagine how our ambassador
to Israel could have any effectiveness if he couldn’t recognize
the Holocaust.” Asked whether Evans was recalled for using the word
genocide, State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez would only say,
“U.S. ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president.”
At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing in June, senators failed
to get Hoagland to use the word genocide. “I have not received
any kind of written instruction about this,” Hoagland said at that
hearing. “I simply have studied the president’s policy. I’ve studied
the background papers on the policy. And my responsibility is to
support the president.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“ARDAROUTIUN” YOUTH PUBLIC ORGANIZATION HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the
“Well-Informed Young Family” (“Irazek Yeritasard Yntanik”) program, the
“Ardaroutiun” youth public organization published the “Well-Informed
Young Family” book. As Zhirayr Karapetian, the NGO Chairman informed
at the August 1 presentation, the goal of publication of the book
is to inform young people about protection of their rights and
interests. According to Zh.Karapetian, within the framework of the
program having been implemented since 2002, “Ardaroutiun” showed legal
consulting and practical assistance to beneficiaries of the program. It
was mentioned that the organization had about 2000 beneficiaries only
during 2005.
About 100 citizens, among them 38 people for family issues, 27 people
for issues of inheritance, addressed to the organization in May-July
of this year.
Zh.Karapetian mentioned that they got most of all appeals connected
with divorce and issues arising of it. Principles of the amended Family
Code, particularly points relating to signing a marital contract,
issues arising in the case of divorce are presented during the
consultation given to them. The organization got numerous applications
relating to issues of the inheritance right as well. According to
Zh.Karapetian, today in the RA documents affirming the inheritance
right are registered only at the Central Notary Office. Whereas,
in responce to the servey of the organization, they made clear at
the RA Ministry of Justice that according to the acting law, all the
regional notary offices may register similar documents.

Senator Biden Delays Vote on Hoagland Nomination
ArmRadio.am
02.08.2006 10:41
Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), the Ranking Democrat on the Foreign
Relations Committee, was joined today by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) in
forcing a month-long delay in the Committee’s vote on the controversial
nomination of Richard Hoagland to replace the current U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia John Evans, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America.
The controversy within the Foreign Relations Committee over the
Hoagland nomination began with Senator Biden’s June 23rd letter asking
Secretary of State Rice Condoleezza Rice to respond to a series of
questions, including specific inquiries about reports that the current
Ambassador had been recalled due to his having “accurately described
the Armenian Genocide as genocide.” The debate over the merits of the
nomination heated up during the June 28th confirmation hearing due
to the nominee’s evasive and unresponsive answers to straightforward
questions posed by panel members about U.S. policy on the Armenian
Genocide. Following the hearing, Ambassador-designate Hoagland, in a
sharp departure from established Administration practice, responded
to a written Senate inquiry by questioning the genocidal intent of
the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide, a denial tactic frequently
used by the Turkish government.
As a result of the intervention of Senators Biden and Kerry,
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s nomination will not be considered by
the Committee until the Committee’s next business meeting in September.
“The ANCA welcomes the leadership of Senators Biden and Kerry in
ensuring that the Foreign Relations Committee has the time to more
carefully consider the implications – for both our foreign policy and
our values as a nation – of confirming a U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
who is on record denying the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Chairman Ken
Hachikian. “We appreciate, as well, the principled efforts of Senators
Allen, Boxer, Chafee, Coleman, Dodd, Feingold, Kennedy, Reed, Sarbanes,
and others to seek an honest explanation of the firing of Ambassador
Evans, to explore the role of the Turkish government in his recall,
and to insist that the Administration clearly articulate its stand
on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”
The panel’s decision comes in the wake of a nationwide campaign by
the ANCA – in Washington, DC and in grassroots communities across
the country – to demand answers concerning the recall of Amb. Evans
and to educate Senators about the adverse impact of sending an envoy
to Armenia that has called into question the genocidal character of
Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its Armenian population. The
ANCA has mobilized thousands of activists to share their views with
their Senators and Representatives about the need for an honest
explanation of Ambassador Evans’ recall and, more broadly, the exact
outlines of the State Department’s policy on the Armenian Genocide.
As early as this February, Members of Congress, at the urging of
the ANCA, began pressing the State Department for a full, open, and
official explanation of the firing of the current U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia, over his truthful comment last year on the Armenian
Genocide. Despite a series of Congressional letters and questions posed
during Congressional testimony by Secretary of State Rice and other
senior officials, the Administration failed to provide a meaningful
explanation of its decision to recall Ambassador Evans.
In the shadow of this controversy, Ambassador-designate Hoagland
came before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 28th
for a confirmation hearing, alongside the President’s nominees to
represent the U.S. in Ireland and Switzerland. During this hearing,
Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) pressed
Ambassador-designate Hoagland for answers about U.S. policy on the
Armenian Genocide. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) expressed serious
reservations concerning the circumstances of the nomination and the
Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide.
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s responses during the hearing, and
later to written questions submitted by panel members, were largely
evasive, characterized by repeated – often strained – efforts to
avoid using the term genocide, even while refusing to acknowledge
that he had been instructed not to use this term. The following day,
on June 29th, the panel, and then the full Senate, voted to confirm
nominees for the ambassadors to Ireland and Switzerland, but chose
to not take any action on Hoagland’s nomination.
In the days that followed his confirmation hearing, Ambassador-
designate Hoagland responded to several dozen written questions
concerning U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide, the recall of
Ambassador Evans, and the instructions he had received regarding
how to address this matter if confirmed by the Senate. Among his
written responses to a series of questions posed by Senator Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), was a deeply troubling, morally objectionable and
historically inaccurate indication that the Armenian Genocide did
not meet the U.S. definition of genocide because of the absence
of a “specific intent” on the part of the perpetrator. This denial
of the Armenian Genocide – which went far beyond the bounds of the
Administration’s traditional policy – prompted the ANCA to announce
its formal opposition to Richard Hoagland’s nomination on July 18th.
Soon after, the ANCA determined that, according to Department of
Justice records, the State Department had misled the U.S. Senate
about its communications with the Turkish government concerning the
February 2005 public affirmation of the Armenian Genocide by Ambassador
Evans. In a letter, dated June 28th, written on behalf of Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to Senator Biden, the State Department denied
that the Turkish government had even approached the Administration on
this issue. However, official Foreign Agent Registration Act filings
by the Turkish government’s registered foreign agent, the Livingston
Group, document that, in the days following Ambassador Evans’ February
19, 2005 remarks, one of Turkey’s agents communicated on at least
four different occasions with State Department officials concerning
the envoy’s statement and his subsequent retraction.
To date, half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including
Senators George Allen (R-VA), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Christopher Dodd
(D-CT), Russell Feingold (D-WI), John Kerry (D-MA) and Paul Sarbanes
(D-MD), have contacted Secretary Rice or questioned Ambassador
Designate Hoagland directly regarding the Armenian Genocide. Senators
Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with over sixty
members of the House have also expressed serious concerns to the
State Department on this matter.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress