Author: Hakobian Adrine

CIS INTERSTATE BANK COUNCIL REELECTS ARMENIAN CB PRESIDENT AS ITS CHAIRMAN

Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. Apr 25 the Council of the Inter-State
Bank, set up by the CIS countries, reelected the President of the
Armenian CB Tigran Sargsyan as its Chairman, reports the CB press
service.

The Inter-State Bank was set up in 1996 is an international
credit-financial organization which carries out payment transactions
and develops investment-credit activities in the CIS. The founders are
the central and national banks of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
and Moldova. The Armenian office was opened Aug 1 1997. The
headquarters are in Moscow.

RA AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON OPENS PHOTO EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO STATE OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN TURKEY AND NAKHIJEVAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 27 2006

WASHINGTON, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A photo exhibition
dedicated to the state of the Armenian historic-cultural monuments in
Turkey and Nakhijevan which was presented by the Armenian Architecture
Studying Organization, opened at the RA Embassy to Washington on April
24. Few dozens of photos that J.Manucharian, the Deputy Chairman of
the organization presented, picture the process and consequences of
the successive annihilation policy implemented towards the Armenians
historic monuments, monasteries and khachkars (cross stones) in the
above-mentioned territories. The organization functions under the
slogan condemning the “cultural genocide” and organizes exhibitions
to draw the international communities’ attention to the necessity
of protecting the Armenian historic-cultural values. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, in the exhibiton’s opening speech RA Ambassador Tatul
Margarian appreciated the work done in the direction of studying
Armenian architectural monuments existing out of the borders of the
Republic of Armenia, interpretation and certification of monuments
lost as a result of historic events. The Ambassador mentioned that
the issue of keeping the Armenian rich architectural culture, making
property of generations is today modern and urgent, particularly
emphasizing the fact of barbarous annihilation of Armenian khachkars
implemented recently in Nakhijevan. The exhibition will function
during the coming ten days, hundreds of American Armenians, American
officials have already visited it.

AZERI OFFICIAL SAYS IRAN’S THREATS TO ATTACK MAJOR OIL PIPELINE “NOT SERIOUS”

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
25 Apr 06

[Presenter] Iran still believes that US special services are using
Azerbaijani territories to carry out operations against Iran. Baku
regards Iran’s concerns as groundless and not serious.

[Correspondent] If the USA uses Azerbaijani territory to carry
out military action against Iran, Iran will launch strikes on the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline [BTC] and destroy it, the secretary
of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has
said. Tehran is seriously worried that the US special services are
currently using Azerbaijani territory against Iran, he said. Baku
regards the statement by the Iranian security chief as not serious.

[Novruz Mammadov, captioned as head of foreign relations department
at the presidential administration] It will not attack and it cannot
attack. There is no need to say more on this. These statements are
not serious and do not need to be commented on.

[Correspondent] Despite Iran’s threats, Kazakhstan is also going to
join the BTC. The president of the State Oil Company [of Azerbaijan;
SOCAR], Rovnaq Abdullayev, has said that an intergovernmental
commission is currently working on this issue and that this issue
will also be on the agenda of [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev’s
Washington meetings. The SOCAR president also commented on threats
to the BTC.

[Rovnaq Abdullayev] There is no need for any additional talks on the
BTC. The BTC is to be completed by the end of May and the first oil
will be loaded on tankers.

[Correspondent] Novruz Mammadov said that in any case, Azerbaijan’s
position is of great importance to Washington in the US policy on
Iran. From this viewpoint, serious discussions will be held during
Ilham Aliyev’s trip to the USA. In return, Azerbaijan will ask
Washington to demonstrate firmness in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

[Novruz Mammadov] The United States, as a mediator, should finally
demonstrate that it is earnestly interested in the settlement of
this conflict and wants to take important steps to that effect. We
expect, and I believe, that the United States must take a step in
that direction. This will bring great dividends to the USA’s authority
and will also finally establish stability and security in the region.

[Passage omitted: communications projects to be discussed in
Washington; list of US officials scheduled to meet Ilham Aliyev]

RA NA SPEAKER MEETS WITH NATO PA PRESIDENT AND FRENCH SENATE CHAIRMAN IN PARIS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 26 2006

PARIS, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA National Assembly
Speaker Artur Baghdasarian met with NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA)
President Claude Lellouche on April 25 in Paris. Issues regarding
cooperation between NA and NATO PA within the framework of legislative
reforms, exchange of experience and retraining were discussed at
the meeting. As Noyan Tapan was informed from NA Public Relations
Department, issues concerning deepening of interparliamentary ties,
bill on negation of the Armenian Genocide discussed at the French
parliament and other issues of mutual interest were discussed at
Artur Baghdasarian’s April 26 meeting with Chairman of French Senate
Christian Poncelet. NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian expressed gratitude
to Christian Poncelet for hosting thousand Armenian children within
the framework of Year of Armenia in France and confirmed his invitation
about Poncelet’s visiting Armenia.

BUSH USES ‘MASS KILLING AND FORCED EXILE OF AS MANY AS 1.5 MILLION OF ARMENIANS’ ‘GENOCIDE’
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/04/2006

“Today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century:
the mass killing and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million of
Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was
a tragedy for all humanity and one that we and the world must never
forget,” US President George Bush said in his annual speech on the
occasion of April 24, the day of commemoration of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide.

Though Bush didn’t use the term “genocide,” he stated about the mass
killings and the forced exile of 1,5 million of Armenians in 1915.

Praising the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought to
examine the historical events with honesty and sensitivity, Bush
encouraged dialogues directed to normalized relations between Armenia
and Turkey through shared understanding of the tragic events.

“Today, we look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia’s
Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the
importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform
and advancement of free markets. We remain committed to securing a
peaceful and lasting settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and
hope the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take bold steps to
achieve this goal,” Bush stated.

In fact, touching upon the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, he
urges resolute steps from the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. This
factor may be imparted with great importance from the viewpoint of
USA activeness in Nagorno Karabakh issue.

TABOO ON DISCUSSION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TURKEY WILL BE LIFTED

Yerevan, April 24. ArmInfo. “We would give much for the Turkish
nations to reconcile themselves with the historical fact of the
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey,” the chairman of the “Union
Against Genocide” NGO (Turkey) Ali Ertem.

He is sure that the taboo on the discussion of the Armenian Genocide
in Turkey will be lifted in the coming years. Turkey’s intention to
become a EU member will promote the freedom of speech in the country.

MARGARIAN: IF TURKEY WANTS TO JOIN EU, IT SHOULD ADMIT ITS GUILT

Yerkir
25.04.2006 11:47

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – “For the Armenian people the April 24 is not only
a day of commemoration but also a day of struggle since by paying
homage to the memory of the innocent victims we also express our
protest to the Turkish government,” Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) Bureau representative Hrant Margarian said when visiting the
Armenian Genocide Memorial on April 24.

“The stronger Armenia becomes the closer we’ll get to the admission
of the Armenian genocide by Turkey.” He added that the recognition,
however, “is not our only goal, we should also demand our rights.”

“Armenians’ rights to live, survive and develop were violated by the
Genocide, and by the recognition of the Genocide, we will restore
those rights,” Margarian said.

When asked would Turkey be accepted to the European Union without
the recognition of the Genocide, Margarian answered, “If Turkey has
decided to join the EU, it should be able to admit its guilt and thus
gain the right to join it.

To be a part of Europe, Turkey should become Europeanized itself.”

CIS ministers approve programme to fight human trafficking at Tajik summit

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
21 Apr 06

Dushanbe, 21 April: The CIS Council of Interior Ministers has approved
a programme of the CIS member states on cooperation in the fight
against human trafficking for 2007-2010. The Council meetings are
being held in Dushanbe.

“We have laid down specific legal, organizational and practical
measures in this programme,” Russian Interior Minister Rashid
Nurgaliyev has told journalists at the end of the meeting. He expressed
confidence that “the approval of this document will substantially
boost the joint work in this direction”.

[Passage omitted: he said that human trafficking was a matter of
great concern across the CIS states]

Nurgaliyev said that the Russian Interior Ministry was carrying out
a set of measures to fight these types of crimes. “These measures
include the analysis of the crime situation; ensuring required
migration control; the organization of the work to prevent the
sexual exploitation of minors; and most importantly, conducting
special operations to thwart the activities of criminal groups and
organizations that are active in this area,” he said.

As an example of successful cooperation in the fight against such
crimes with CIS partners, he cited an operation [conducted] with the
Armenian police to thwart the activities of an international criminal
group that was involved in trafficking young women from Armenia,
Russia and Moldova to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, where they
were forced to work as prostitutes. “Six girls who had already been
prepared for trafficking abroad were freed during the operation,”
Nurgaliyev said.

Virtue Online, PA
April 22 2006

As Eye See It : Palestinian Christians: persecuted, betrayed, forced
out of their homes

Posted by David Virtue on 2006/4/22 11:50:00 (61 reads)
Palestinian Christians: persecuted, betrayed, forced out of their
homes and sacrificed

The Palestinian Christian is an endangered species. When the modern
state of Israel was established there were about 400,000 of us. Two
years ago the number was down to 80,000. Now it’s down to 60,000. At
that rate, in a few years there will be none of us left. When this
happens non Christian groups will move into our churches and claim
them for ever. Palestinian Christians within Israel fare little
better. On the face of it, their number has grown by 20,000 since
1991. But this is misleading, for the census classification
“Christian” includes some 20,000 recent non-Arab migrants from the
former Soviet Union.

So why are Palestinian Christians abandoning their homeland?

We have lost hope, that’s why. We are treated as non-people. Few
outside the Middle East even know we exist, and those who do,
conveniently forget.

I refer, of course, to the American Religious Right. They see modern
Israel as a harbinger of the Second Coming, at which time Christians
will go to paradise, and all others (presumably including Jews) to
hell. To this end they lend military and moral support to Israel.

Even by the double-dealing standards of international diplomacy this
is a breathtakingly cynical bargain. It is hard to know who is using
whom more: the Christian Right for offering secular power in the
expectation that the Jewish state will be destroyed by a greater
spiritual one; or the Israeli Right for accepting their offer. What
we do know is that both sides are abusing the Palestinians.
Apparently we don’t enter into anyone’s calculations.

The views of the Israeli Right are well known: they want us gone.

Less well known are the views of the American Religious Right.
Strangely, they find the liberation of Iraqis from a vile dictator
just, but do not find it unjust for us to be under military
occupation for 38 long years.

Said Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma): “God Appeared to Abraham and
said: ‘I am giving you this land’, the West Bank. This is not a
political battle at all. It is a contest over whether or not the word
of God is true.”

Inhofe must have got it wrong. Promises are being made to earthly
Jerusalem that God did not make. The Holy Land was promised to
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, as stated in the Bible.
These are the Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews, who have
been living in the land for thousands of years. The Bible never
mentioned that God promised it solely to Jews. Anyone can be a Jew,
but not anyone can be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
their descendants. James Inhofe and followers are unable to tell the
difference between Jew, Israelite, and Israel.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) was even more forthright:
“I’m content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank … I happen to
believe that the Palestinians should leave.”

There is a phrase for this. Ethnic cleansing.

Silencing us, from seeking your support and enlightening you about
our suffering, goes counter to what Jesus has mandated us to do. We
all know that Muslims and Jews get ceaseless support (political,
spiritual and financial) from Saudi Arabia and America respectively,
while Palestinian Christians get nothing from Australian and other
western “Christian” governments. (The Pope has been an exception.)

Prior to the 1967 war, the Christian youth at the Lutheran, Baptist,
Methodist and other churches in Bethlehem used to pray and rejoice
and have a good chat with hundreds of American Christian pilgrims. In
particular Texas and California were two places from where many came
from to visit the Holy Land. Today only fading memories prevail.
Bethlehem has been vacated by Christian families. The remaining
Christians are paying the price by experiencing curfews which last
for weeks. They remain sandwiched between Muslims and Jews without
drawing the slightest concern from the many so-called Western
Christians.

So why do American Christians stand by while their leaders advocate
the expulsion of fellow Christians? Could it be that they do not know
that the Holy Land has been a home to Christians since, well …
since Christ?

Do not think I am asking for special treatment for Christians. Ethnic
cleansing is evil whoever does it and to whomever it is done.
Palestinian Christians – Anglican, Maronite Catholics, Orthodox,
Lutherans, Armenians, Baptists, Copts and Assyrians – have been
rubbing shoulders with each other and with other religions – Muslims,
Jews, Druze and (most recently) Baha’is – for centuries. And we want
to do so for centuries more. But we can’t if we are driven out by
despair.

We are equally frightened by those who commit suicide bombings. None
of us Christians have condoned it or even contemplated the idea. Our
commitment to Jesus’ teachings will never shake our resolve in this
matter.

American journalist Anders Strindberg makes a clearer conclusion. He
says Palestinians are equated with Islamists, Islamists with
terrorists. And presumably because all organised Christian activity
among Palestinians is non-political and non-violent, the community
hardly ever hits western headlines. Suicide bombers sell more copy
than people who congregate for Bible study.

What we seek is support: material, moral, political and spiritual. As
Palestinians we grieve for what we have lost, and few people have
lost more than us (the Ashkenazi Jews are one). But grief can be
assuaged by the fellowship of friends.

–Professor Abe W. Ata is a 9th generation Christian Palestinian
academic born in Bethlehem.

ules/news/article.php?storyid=3921

TREND Info, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006

Report on Nagorno-Karabakh by Goran Lenmarker will be revised and
amended – MP Eldar Ibrahimov

Source: “Trend”
Author: J. Shakhverdiyev

20.04.2006

The report on Nagorno-Karabakh drawn by Goran Lenmarker, PACE’s
speaker, is revised and amended, trend reports quoting MP Eldar
Ibrahimov, members of Azeri delegation to PACE .

Lenmarker’s report on Nagorno-Karabakh will be revised due to its
failure to satisfy Azeri side. In this respect Lenmarker is soon
visiting Baku.

Ibrahimov said also he was unaware of meetings Lenmarker had had with
Armenian deputies during his visit to Armenia. “We also have no idea
on revisions in his report. We are going to learn that from Lenmarker
himself while in Baku”, – he said.

Ibrahimov claimed the speaker was supposed to visit Baku in October
2005. His visit was postponed due to November’s parliamentary
elections. “He gave a word he would arrive in Azerbaijan in March.

For some reason he didn’t. Then he said he would come in April but
didn’t. And now he says he will arrive in May”, – deputy said.

Lenmarker is arriving in Baku on May 5.