Author: Emil Lazarian

TOO EARLY TO DEPLOY PEACEKEEPERS IN KARABAKH – ARMENIAN OFFICIAL

Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow
1 Jun 06

Yerevan. 1 June: Armenia’s Foreign Ministry believes it is too early
to consider a possible deployment of peacekeepers in the conflict
zone in Nagornyy Karabakh.

“At present there are no final agreements concerning the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, so it is premature to speak about a deployment of
peacekeepers,” a representative of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry told
Interfax on Thursday [1 June].

The Armenian diplomat also refused to comment on the possibility
of sending CIS peacekeepers to the conflict zone in case Baku and
Yerevan reach an agreement on a settlement.

Armen Rustamyan, the chairman of the foreign policy parliamentary
commission, told Interfax “at present it is too early to talk about
the possible presence of any peacekeeping forces in the zone of the
Karabakh conflict”.

“The issue of peacekeepers’ deployment in the conflict area is only
a component of the whole package on the Karabakh settlement, and it
makes no sense to comment on it separately,” said the MP.

“We think that all issues concerning the possible deployment of a
peacekeeping force in the zone of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
can be discussed only when some agreement on the Karabakh settlement
has been reached but not apart from the general package of issues,”
said Rustamyan.

DIPLOMAT’S SON SAYS HE NEVER THOUGHT HE’D BE ONE HIMSELF

Embassy, Canada
May 31 2006

Arman Akopian, the new Minister Counsellor and Charge d’Affaires at
the Embassy of Armenia, grew up the son of a diplomat, but he never
thought he would one day become one himself.

At a young age, Mr. Akopian embarked on an academic career in Arabic,
Hebrew and Aramaic studies at Yerevan State University in Armenia. At
that time, Armenia was part of the Soviet Union and Mr. Akopian says
opportunities for a career in diplomacy were limited. But that changed
when the Soviet Union collapsed and Armenia became independent in 1991.

But still, Mr. Akopian says he didn’t give any thought to following in
his father’s footsteps in the Foreign Service, and continued teaching
at the university. Then he was invited to join the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs as a desk officer in the Middle East Department.

In 1992, he was posted to Egypt as Second Secretary in the political,
economical and cultural affairs section of the Armenian mission
in Cairo.

“It took me two months to get used to it,” says Mr. Akopian, 42.

After his Egypt posting ended in 1995, Mr. Akopian was promoted to
the position of Second Secretary in the Middle East Department in
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Later he became First Secretary and
a member of Armenia’s foreign policy planning group.

Towards the late 1990s, Mr. Akopian became Director of the Middle
East Department. In 1999 he was posted to New York as Counsellor at
Armenia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. In 2002, he became
Director of the Department of Arms Control and International Security
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Akopian arrived in Ottawa two weeks ago. He replaces Ambassador
Ara Papian, who left for Armenia early this year. But even though he
became a diplomat, Mr. Akopian continues to teach at the university
whenever he is working in Yerevan. He admits that he is still deeply
attached to academia and relishes every chance he gets to teach.

“Teaching young people is refreshing, it keeps you away from being
bureaucratic,” he says. Mr. Akopian says he chose to come to Canada
because of interactions with Canadians in multilateral forums like
NATO and the UN.

“I already had a very good knowledge about Canada even before coming
here,” he says, adding that he hopes to add to the cordial relations
between Armenia and Canada. Mr. Akopian is married and has two
daughters. In his free time he likes fencing, studying and playing
classical guitar and reading. In addition he also likes studying
languages and spending time with his family. Mr. Akopian speaks
Armenian, English, French, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin
and is the author of two books on modern Hebrew and classical Syriac,
an eastern Aramaic language.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO KOREA DOES NOT UNDERSTAND MOTIVES OF DECISIONS OF US STATE DEPARTMENT

Yerevan, May 31. ArmInfo. In a talk with an ArmInfo correspodent former
US Ambassador to Korea Stephen Bosworth said that he did not often
understand the motives of the decisions of the US State Department
when he was in office. He said this in response to ArmInfo’s request
to comment on the reports about the recall of US Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans.

To remind, many believe that the key reason for Evans’ recall was
his last year’s public recognition of the Armenian Genocide during
a meeting with US Armenians.

Bosworth said that the Armenian Genocide recogniton is a fundamental
issue. Nevertheless, one should not forget that Armenia has many
other interests and concerns that require close attention and urgent
solution.

ANY ATTEMPT TO DISTURB KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL TRIGGER MILITARY CRISIS

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.06.2006 16:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When commenting on statement of Russian Defense
Minister Sergey Ivanov that the sending peacekeepers to Nagorno
Karabakh is possible in the air of Mayak radio publicist Yegor
Kholmogorov noted, “Any promises of international mediation cherish
first of all Baku’s ears.” “If international and not only Russian
peacekeepers actually appear in the conflict zone, moreover, if they
try to return anything against the will of Armenians, this may result
in deconservation of the conflict and turning it into an actual one,”
the journalists thinks.

“What can cause a serious chain of consequences – Armenia interferes
with the clash between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Turkey collides
Armenia, union of Russia and Armenia, NATO treaties will come into
effect simultaneously,” Kholmogorov. “In general, any attempt to
disturb the conflict will trigger a diplomatic and military crisis,”
the expert is sure.

In his words, it is “one thing” if Russian peacekeepers “correctly
build into the situation in the conflict zone”. “Another thing” is
“if an international contingent loudly arrives to “peacekeep”. “The
world ahs already seen what this peacekeeping may end up in. And not
only in Yugoslavia…” the Russian publicist believes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

71 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN IRAQ AGAINST THE 69 DURING THE WW II

AZG Armenian Daily
01/06/2006

The Iraqi war that burst out in 2003 has set a sad record. Two
journalists of the CBS TV Company were killed on Monday raising the
death toll of journalists in the Iraqi war to 71.

According to ITAR-TASS, during the World War II the death toll of
journalists did not exceed 69.

The list of killed journalists in the Iraqi war prepared by the
Committee to Protect Journalist does not include those who fell victim
to accidents or diseases. ¾ of killed journalists in Iraq are locals.

The list also does not include such media workers as clerks,
interpreters, drivers etc.

–Boundary_(ID_MhWWRnN0QRFOhnAnHw6UPw)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NA TO ELECT HEADS OF TWO STANDING COMMITTEES

ArmRadio.am
02.06.2006 10:27

Elections of Heads of NA Standing Committees on Defense, National
Security and Domestic Affairs and Social, Health and Ecology Issues
will be held during today’s special sitting. It is expected that for
the first position the Armenian Revolutionary Federation will suggest
Aramayis Grigoryan’s candidacy.

For the second one the United Labor Party will suggest the candidacy
of Mnatakan Petrosyan, Vice-President of the Party.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VARDAN OSKANYAN’S VISIT TO KAZAKHSTAN COMING TO AN END

ArmRadio.am
02.06.2006 10:39

RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s visit to Kazakhstan is coming to
an end. Today the Minister will meet representatives of the Armenian
community in Almati.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JEHOVA’S WITNESSES TRY TO OCCUPY NOYEMBERIAN

Noyan Tapan
Jun 1 2006

NOYEMBERIAN, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN. It is already two weeks two 20 and
31-year-old girls, Yehova’s Witnesses, from Yerevan have settled in
the border town of Noyemberian, Tavush region. These girls go from one
house to another, carry on propaganda, give books on their sect. The
girls rent an apartment in the town. The eldest of the girls, Alvina,
informed Noyan Tapan correspondent that currently there are 9 thousand
Jehova’s Witnesses in Armenia. The inhabitants of Noyemberian are
anxious about the girls’ activity considering that their appeal not
to take arms does not at all correspond to the region’s situation when
the Azerbaijani armed forces periodically violate the ceasefire regime.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE FOCUSES ON PLIGHT OF ASSYRIANS
Hermiz Shahen Secretary, Assyrian Universal Alliance-Australian Chapter

Assyrian International News Agency
May 31 2006

(AINA) — In a private members business session on Monday, 29 May 2006,
in the house of representative of the Australian Federal Parliament
and under the title of religious minorities Mr Allen Cadman MP.,
member for Mitchel raised a motion with reference to the Republic of
Turkey and its relations with the different Christian minorities in the
area. Mr Cadman commended the Australian of Greek and Turkish origin
for the peaceful and harmonious relationship they have established in
Australia which is an example to all communities coming from older
cultures, he requested the Turkish government as it moves towards
joining the European Union as a full member to return private property
to minority groups of all religious backgrounds, to permit r-opening
of the Greek Orthodox Theological College on the island of Halke and
to permit Christian denominations to operate seminaries of their own,
wether Greek, Armenian or Syriac.

Mr. Chris Bowen MP, member for prospect who raised the Assyrian
Universal Alliance petition in the Australian Federal Parliament
on May last year, calling on the Australian Government to urge the
Iraqi Government to create a ‘protected administrative region for the
Assyrians’, seconded the above motion and added his concerns about the
rights of Christians in Iraq which he have spoken about previously in
the house. Mr Bowen said, ” It is hard to conceive that the position of
Christians in Iraq has actually deteriorated since the fall of Saddam
Hussein. As a member of the coalition of the willing, this government
has an obligation to speak up for Christians in Iraq. I am sorry
to say that the government’s response has been less than adequate,
and I used the forum of this motion to again call on the Minister
for Foreign Affairs to make representations at the highest possible
level to insure the protection of Assyrians, Chaldeans and Mandians
in Iraq. The government also needs to be doing more in relation to
providing save heaven for Christians who have left Iraq. I again call
on the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to review
the way her department handles applications for refugee status from
Christians and Mandeans who have fled Iraq”.

On the Turkish issue Mr Bowen added, ” It is also important for
the future that the wrongs of the past are acknowledged. I believe
the Assyrian people, among others, have a legitimate concern to
insure that the terrible event of 1915 are properly acknowledged and
commemorated. The Turkish people and the Assyrian people could then
join together in the acknowledgement that we must all work together to
insure that such event can never happen again-just as the Turkish and
Australian people joined together in friendship after Gallipoli,…”

To read the whole motion please click here. In the House of
Representatives Hansard page choose 29 May 2006-05-31, and then go
to page 23 “Private Members Business” Religious Minorities.

On behalf of the Assyrian Universal Alliance-Australia Chapter and
the Assyrian Australian community we would like to thank Mr. Chris
Bowen MP, member for prospect for raising the Assyrian issue with
the Australian Government, for his great determination, sincerity
and outstanding effort to support the indigenous Assyrian rights in
Iraq and for his dedication in serving the people of his electorate,
which give us as Assyrians the citizens of this country; despite
being citizen of many countries of the Middle East the pride to be
known as Australians.

TURKEY, ARMENIA IN TALKS ON TIES

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
May 31 2006

Turkey is intending to pursue efforts to normalize relations with
Armenia, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

ANKARA – Turkey has announced its officials have been meeting with
Armenian counterparts to discuss the normalisation of relations
between the two countries, a spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Minister
revealed Wednesday.

While not going into details of the talks, Foreign Ministry spokesman
Namik Tan, said that three rounds of discussions have so far been
held. “A negotiation process has started between the two countries
to seek a common ground,” Tan said.

The two countries do not have formal diplomatic ties, with one of the
main stumbling blocks being Armenian claims that the Ottoman empire
carried out a systematic slaughter of its Armenian citizens during
the years of the First World War. Turkey strongly denied the claims
and points to massacres of Turkish civilians in areas of the east of
the country by Armenian forces that Allied themselves to invading
Tzarist troops during the war. However, Turkish does acknowledge
that some 300,000 Armenians dies during the unrest in the region,
mainly when being relocated away from the scenes of fighting.

Tan said that the talks were initiated after Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote to his Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharian calling for the two countries to conduct a joint historical
investigation the alleged massacres.

“Turkey is intending to pursue efforts to normalize relations with
Armenia”, said Tan during a regular press briefing. “The success of
Turkeys efforts to normalise relations depends on a more flexible
approach from Yerevan as well as to the overcoming of bilateral and
regional problems.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress