Author: Emil Lazarian

Zaman, Turkey
June 2 2006
New Genocide Denial Bill on Agenda in Netherlands
By Anadolu News Agency (AA), Cihan News Agency, Hague,
Published: Friday, June 02, 2006
zaman.com
After the delay of the French bill to penalize the denial of the
so-called Armenian genocide, a similar offer came from the
Netherlands.
Prepared by the Christian Union (CU) party having three seats at the
150-seat Dutch parliament, the draft was presented to the assembly.
The bid aims to criminalize denial of the so-called Armenian
genocide.
Tineke Huizinga-Heringa, who submitted the motion, said the bill does
not contradict the freedoms of thought and speech.
Huizinga-Heringa said they thought legal regulation was called for
after certain developments were not initiated for the so-called
Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust, adding they expect support
from other parties for the bid.
The Netherlands Armenian Federation and Dutch antiracism organization
(LBR) supported the offer.
The Turkish community showed immediate reaction to the latest
development by Dutch deputies.
Last year, the Danish Administration had attempted to prepare a law
criminalize people and foundations who voice their ideas about
neglecting, approving or rejecting terrorist actions.
The bill, which accepted genocide as a crime, did not mention the
so-called Armenian Genocide explicitly. The government later
abandoned this attempt.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA OFFERS SPECIAL FORCES TO QUELL AZERI PROTESTS IN IRAN – ACTIVIST
Azerbaijani news agency APA, Baku
1 Jun 06
Baku, 1 June: The Armenian ambassador to Iran, Gegam Garibdzhanyan,
suggested during secret talks with the Iranian government that
his country can send military forces to crush protests in southern
Azerbaijan [northwestern Iran], Sirus Azadi, a member of the World
Azerbaijani Congress and the committee to support the National Movement
of Southern Azerbaijan, has told APA.
There is no doubt that the sides have secured some kind of agreement,
Azadi said. “It is possible that special forces will be brought from
Armenia to crush protests in southern Azerbaijan.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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