Author: Hakobian Adrine

ARMENIA’S TRADE RISES 1.5 PERCENT IN QUARTER ONE

ARMENPRESS
May 4, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s trade in quarter one rose
1.5 percent from a year before amounting, by current prices, to 283
billion Drams.

According to numbers, released by the National Statistical Service,
retail trade rose 4.5 percent to 184.3 billion Drams. Wholesale trade
volumes fell 10 percent from a year before to 76.8 billion Drams. Car
sale rates grew almost 30 percent to 20.8 billion Drams.

The bulk of retail trade was made by shops-96 billion Drams, which was
9 percent higher from a year before. Second were consumer fairs-36.7
billion Drams and trade kiosks were third with 10.1 billion Drams
trade turnover.

The last two figures declined 17 and 16 percent respectively from
a year before. Agricultural products retail trade made 5.3 billion
Drams, which also fell 10 percent from a year before.

Per capita trade in quarter one was 57,000 Drams (less than $200)

THE FORMULA OF VICTORY
G. KH.

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 03, 2008
Armenia

In our reality, May has always been a month of victories: Avarayr,
Sardarapat, Shoushi ¦

This seems to be the repeated regularity of our history, which
coincides with the awakening of spirit and courage – a regular process
characteristic of spring.

All this undoubtedly has a certain sense and logic: we have always held
victories due to the awakening of such features and were defeated when
they came to be replaced with other features, also characteristic of
our nature.

Probably, the most important among them is that the elements of our
organism have a peculiarity of pushing away one another. This
peculiarity is characteristic of all the ancient nations and is also
viewed as a sign of ageing.

The same phenomenon was observed, for instance, during victories held
in May 1918 as well as the defeat suffered in autumn 1920. And the
logic of such developments can be accounted for by nothing more than
the existence of some chronic disease.

In May 1918, we were hungry, tired and poorly armed, and our enemy was
incomparably stronger, but wee won. In autumn 1920, our army was
properly armed and replete due to the help of Entente, while the enemy
was hungry and weak, but we were defeated.

And today we are again in need of understanding and learning these
harsh lessons. Perhaps, we are again pursuing the same path, not
realizing the impending danger, because what happened after the
victories of May 1992 did not contribute to the strengthening of our
spirit.

In the present-day world, our traditional ideas about the physically
armed victories become deprived of sense if they do not fit the general
context of the new challenges. Heretofore, at least during the past 16
years following May 1992, these challenges seemed to us to be on the
diplomatic or economic fronts.

But the reality is that the latter derive from the most important front
existing at present, i.e. the front of intellect

Morality plus intellect ` here are the main factors that may impart an
on-going nature to the victories we have held in Sardarapat and
Shoushi, because the modern world recognizes no weapon which might be
more powerful than intellect.

AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN STUDENTS SCUFFLE IN PEOPLES’ FRIENDSHIP UNIVERSITY OF RUSSIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2008

Baku. Tamara Grigorieva-APA. Azerbaijani and Armenian students have
scuffled during a festival of "South-West planet" at the Peoples’
Friendship University of Russia in Moscow on Friday.

Representatives of different countries have performed their national
cultures in the festival, Press-Service of the University told
APA. When Armenian student sang a song at the stage, Azerbaijani
students protested him saying that he sang Azerbaijani song. They have
chanted "Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan" and waved Azerbaijani flags. Armenians
have also started to chant their country’s name, which resulted
with the scuffles between the students. Both have been taken away
from the area for the prevention of mass clashes. The University
authorities called on Azerbaijani and Armenian students to calm down
and to continue the festival’s work, but the students didn’t avoid
the offensive thoughts. Finally the University authorities have benne
forced to stop the festival.

IRAN PRAISES ARMENIA’S RESTRAINT AGAINST NEIGHBOR’S WARLIKE STATEMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.04.2008 17:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan met Wednesday
with Iran’s Ambassador Seyed Ali Saghaiyan, the RA leader’s press
office reported.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of bilateral relations, the
parties expressed satisfaction with the rapid development of the
Armenian-Iranian cooperation.

The Armenian President pointed out to the necessity of implementation
of regional programs in the energy field and increase of the commodity
turnover between the two countries.

Amid regional issues, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement was
discussed.

In this view, Ambassador Saghaiyan said that Iran appreciates Armenia’s
reserved reaction to regular bellicose statements by one of the states
of the region.

For his part, President Sargsyan welcomed Iran’s balanced stand
on the Karabakh conflict, noting Armenia’s adherence to a solution
observing the nations’ right to self-determination in the framework
of the international law.

TURKISH FREEDOMS REFORM CRITICISED AS INADEQUATE

EuroNews, France
April 30 2008

Turkey’s writers and political activists say an attempt by parliament
to increase freedom of speech in the country does not go far enough.

The crime of "insulting Turkishness" is being removed from the penal
code after being used to prosecute hundreds of writers. However Turkish
deputies have opted to keep the punishment of up to two years in jail
for anyone who insults Turkey as a nation. Parliament voted by five
to one in favour of the revision. Only the Nationalists were strongly
against it, accusing the government of pandering to the European Union.

The reaction on the streets was mixed: "This should have been done a
while ago in a democratic country," said one man. "I think there could
still be some abuses under the new article, given the geopolitical
position of our country" said another man.

The European Union has welcomed the change in the law as a step
forward in Turkey’s commitment to political reform.

Political Analyst, Bahedir Kaleagasi said: "Most of the cases, most
of the investigations against intellectuals, ended with no punishment
anyway, but the fact that the article existed, and the way it was
interpreted by some prosecutors, has created a certain pressure,
which is why a change was required, addressing really cases where
an institution is insulted rather than an intangible concept such
as Turkishness."

However, thousands of people have been taken to court in the past
five years, and 745 people have been convicted. There have also been
wider consequences. Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot
dead after being found guilty of insulting Turkishness by writing an
article about Armenian genocide.

The Nobel Literature Laureate Orhan Pamuk was also charged for the
same crime, after the law was introduced in 2005, but for him the
case was dropped.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 29, 2008
Contact: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

SPEAKER PELOSI RENEWS CALL FOR GENOCIDE AFFIRMATION DURING CAPITOL HILL
COMMEMORATION

Armenian Assembly of America Takes Part in Observance Events in U.S.,
Armenia

Washington, DC – In commemoration of the 93rd Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reaffirmed her
commitment to this critical human rights issue.

"It is long past time for the President and Congress to formally
recognize the Armenian Genocide," Pelosi told the crowd gathered at an
observance event on Capitol Hill. "If we ignore history we are destined
to repeat the mistakes of the past.

"On this anniversary we must remember the victims and survivors of the
Armenian Genocide," she continued. "We must provide the leadership to
ensure that his human tragedy is not repeated."

Pelosi began her remarks by first acknowledging survivors of the
genocide who were present, as well as Archbishop Vicken Aykazian,
President of the National Council of Churches in the USA and legate of
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in Washington.

Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Jr.
(D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) spearheaded the April 23 observance
event, held in conjunction with the Assembly, ARMENPAC and other
Armenian organizations.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), in his remarks, discussed the
importance of recognizing the transgressions of the past in order to
prevent future crimes.

"Denial is the child of repetition," Hoyer said. "If one does not
remember that which happened, and recognize it for what it was — a
genocide, then the risk of it being repeated is far greater."

Echoing Hoyer, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said that the United
States makes an enormous mistake as a country, when it denies the
existence of genocide. As a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (S. Res. 106), Menendez promised to vote for the resolution
when it is brought to the Senate floor, saying "nothing will deter me
when that opportunity comes up."

Delivering the keynote address was Dr. Gregory Stanton, President of the
International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), a global,
interdisciplinary, non-partisan organization that seeks to further
research and teach about the nature, causes, and consequences of
genocide, and advance policy studies on prevention of genocide.

While discussing the history and the House Resolution recognizing the
Armenian Genocide, Stanton said that the United States, once again,
"surrendered to the 90-year campaign of denial by the government of
Turkey."

Stanton added that "the State Department and the White House have
continued the cowardly policies of every Secretary of State since
Lansing, who have considered it more important to placate the Turkish
Government, than to be truthful about history."

"Denial is actually the continuation of genocide," and according to
Stanton, Turkey has three favorite methods to continue genocide denial,
and they are:

1) Blame the victims by claiming the killings were in self-defense
against people who were disloyal to the Ottoman Empire;
2) Claim that Muslim Turks suffered many deaths; and
3) Claim that the deaths were inadvertent due to lack of food and water,
not due to intentional destruction.

Stanton explained that these claims are proven false and problematic by
the eyewitnesses [here tonight], and by American counselor officers,
missionaries and "most tellingly perhaps, in the archives of the old
allies – Germany, Austria and Hungary."

"This was not simply a by-product of deportation, this was mass murder
intended by starvation."

The attendees or speakers also included Michelle Bachman (R-MN); Gus
Bilirakis (R-FL); Jim Costa (D-CA); David Dreier (R-CA); Anna Eshoo
(D-CA); Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); Jim McGovern (D-MA); George Radanovich
(R-CA); Steven Rothman (D-NJ); Ed Royce (R-CA); Adam Schiff (D-CA); Brad
Sherman (D-CA); Jackie Speier (D-CA); Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Joe
Wilson (R-SC); and Frank Wolf (R-VA).

Tatoul Markarian, Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., and Vardan
Barshegian, Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, also
addressed the crowd.

"We appreciate Speaker Pelosi’s commitment and leadership to ensure the
unequivocal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide," said Assembly Board
of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. "In the face of Turkey’s ongoing
denial campaign, the Armenian-American community will not rest until the
United States reaffirms the incontestable fact of the Armenian
Genocide," added Hovnanian.

The Assembly also participated in commemorative events across the
country, from New York and California, to Boston and Texas, as well as
Armenia.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###

NR#2008-044

Editor’s Note: Statements can be found on the Assembly Website at:

Photographs can be viewed at the following links:

ges/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Pelosi.jpg

Caption: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), with Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny, right, Associate Grassroots Director Taniel Koushakjian,
far left, and Congressional Relations Associate Bianka Dodov.

_-_2008/May_-_June/Menendez.jpg

Caption: L to R: Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Associate Grassroots
Director Taniel Koushakjian, and Congressional Relations Associate
Bianka Dodov.

_-_2008/May_-_June/Hoyer.jpg

Caption: L to R: Associate Grassroots Director Taniel Koushakjian,
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
(D-MD) and Congressional Relations Associate Bianka Dodov.

_-_2008/May_-_June/93rd_Anniversary.jpg

Caption: L to R: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, President of the National
Council of Churches in the USA and legate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), Dr. Gregory Stanton, President of the
International Association of Genocide Scholars, Armenian National
Institute Director Rouben Adalian, and Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny.

ainc/images/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Sherman.jpg

Caption: Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) flanked by Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny, left, and Associate Grassroots Director Taniel
Koushakjian.

in/aaainc/images/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Rothman.jpg

Caption: Congressman Steven Rothman (D-NJ) with Congressional Relations
Associate Bianka Dodov.

_-_2008/May_-_June/Bilirakis.jpg

Caption: Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Congressional Relations
Associate Bianka Dodov and Director of Communications Michael
Zachariades.

min/aaainc/images/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Costa.jpg

Caption: Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), center, with Associate Grassroots
Director Taniel Koushakjian and Congressional Relations Associate Bianka
Dodov.

_-_2008/May_-_June/Radanovich.jpg

Caption: Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA), center, Associate
Grassroots Director Taniel Koushakjian and Congressional Relations
Associate Bianka Dodov.

ges/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/VanHollen.jpg

Caption: Democratic Congressional Campaign Chairman Congressman Chris
Van Hollen (D-MD) flanked by Executive Director Bryan Ardouny and
Director of Communications Michael Zachariades.

nc/images/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Wilso
n.jpg

Captio n: Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) with Associate Grassroots
Director Taniel Koushakjian.

"VTB" BANK ARMENIA ESTABLISHES HYPOTHEC CENTER IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
15:41 29/04/2008

‘VTB’ Bank (Armenia) CJSC plans to establish hypothec specialized
center in Yerevan, said Valeri Ovsyanikov the chief director of VTB
Armenia, in a press conference held on today. He said that the mission
of the center is to improve the hypothec project level.

In the future when the construction and hypothec market are developed
in regions, the bank will establish common centers there.

According to Ovsyanikov, in the end of 2007 large scale increase in
hypothec figures was registered.

"But we do not want to stop on that and now we plan projects with our
colleagues," he said. In the future the bank is intended to increase
its hypothec portfolio and to occupy the first place in Armenian
hypothec market.

TURKEY-ARMENIA EXCHANGE LETTERS AS SARKSYAN BEGINS HIS TERM IN OFFICE

Hurriyet, Turkey
April 28 2008

Armenia’s new prime minister welcomed on Sunday the good will
congratulatory message of his Turkish counterpart, saying Yerevan is
ready to start dialogue with Turkey on improving relations but repeated
its view that talks should not have any preconditions. Turkey’s Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan expressed his hope that with the election of
Tigran Sarkisyan Turkish-Armenian relations "will enter a new period,
which would contribute to peace, stability and welfare in the region,"
Yerevan-based Mediamax agency reported. Armenia was ready to start
dialogue with Turkey on improving relations if Ankara does not set
preconditions to talks, Sarksyan wrote in his response letter.

The letter exchange between the two countries’ prime ministers came
after Turkish people and the government showed strong reaction to the
Armenian provocation during a so-called "genocide" commemoration last
week. In the official ceremonies, Armenians walked over and burnt
the Turkish flag. A deputy chairman of the ruling AKP said Armenia
"should apologize" for the incidents.

Last week Turkey’s foreign minister said he had sent Armenia a letter
calling for dialogue. Turkey’s calls for dialogue or proposal to
form a committee to investigate the so-called "genocide" clams have
continually received a cold response from Yerevan.

However some think the recent letter exchanges between two countries
could be a step towards a warming of relations. "I confirm the
readiness of the government of Armenia to engage in constructive
dialogue and establish relations without preconditions," Sarksyan
wrote in a letter to Turkey.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic links after Ankara severed ties
in protest against Armenian control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
which Armenia invaded in a war with Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. The
border between Turkey and Armenia has been closed.

"I assure you that our efforts will be aimed at ensuring peace,
tolerance and stability in our region," Sarksyan added in the letter.

Armenia’s genocide claims are another problem in two countries’
relations. Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5
million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.

Turkey rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along with
at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when the
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.

Turkey is of the view that parliaments and other political institutions
are not the appropriate forums to debate and pass judgment on
disputed periods of history. Past events and controversial periods
of history should be left to historians for their dispassionate study
and evaluation.

In 2005, Turkey has officially proposed the establishment of a joint
commission comprised of historians and other experts from both sides
to study the events of 1915, utilizing not only Turkish and Armenian
archives, but also those of relevant third-party countries and to share
their findings with the public. Armenia has not responded positively
to this initiative, as yet.

REP. SCHIFF VOWS TO CONTINUE FIGHT TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

US Fed News
April 24, 2008 Thursday 1:06 AM EST

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (29th CD), issued the following news
release:

At an event on Capitol Hill last night in honor of the 93rd Anniversary
of the Armenia Genocide, Rep. Adam Schiff vowed to continue to lead
efforts in Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Rep. Schiff
is the sponsor of "The Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the
Armenian Genocide" resolution (H. Res. 106) which calls on the
President to "ensure that the foreign policy of the United States
reflects appropriate understanding" of the "Armenian Genocide" and to
"accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation
of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide." His remarks from last night’s
event are below:

"I’m Congressman Adam Schiff and I’m very proud to represent one of the
largest Armenian communities in the country. Ninety-three years ago,
a million and a half people lost their lives for the simple reason
that they were Armenian. It began with a round-up of intellectuals. It
continued with forced marches in the desert; women and children,
parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles perished. Whole families
were lost. Almost an entire people were lost.

"Ninety-three years later we still fight in the greatest democracy
on earth to recognize the plain facts of what took place. We have
witnesses; some of them are here today. There are fewer and fewer
witnesses left, though, and while there are witnesses among us we have
the strongest moral imperative to recognize what they went through
and what their families went through.

"We have the strongest moral imperative to call that loss exactly what
it was – without equivocation, without mitigation – a genocide. And we
will fight until we succeed. We have a moral imperative and we have
a very practical imperative as well. And the practical imperative
is this, although this genocide took place ninety-three years ago,
there is also a genocide taking place today half-way around the
world. And we cannot have the moral authority we need to stand up
and ask the world to take action against that genocide if we don’t
have the courage and the moral rectitude to recognize this genocide
and indeed every genocide.

"So this must change, this will change, the fight will go on, we will
prevail. I ask your help and God’s help that we prevail in time for
the survivors to see justice done in their name."

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT SERZH SARKISIAN ON THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ARMENPRESS
April 24, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS: Dear Compatriots: today we pay tribute
to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

As a result of the state-conspired and carried out genocide in the
Ottoman Turkey, a vast number of the Armenians were annihilated on
their native land and lost their living space. At the time numerous
cultural and material values, which the Armenian people had been
creating for thousands of years, were destroyed and are being destroyed
even today.

International recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide
is an appropriate and inevitable part of the Armenia’s foreign policy
agenda. The Motherland of all Armenians – the Republic of Armenia –
should double its efforts for the restoration of historic justice. When
it comes to the genocide condemnation, the denial has no future,
especially today, when many countries of the world have added their
voices to the voice of truth.

Recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is not just an
Armenian issue. Crime against humanity bears universal significance
and reverberation and must receive a universal recognition. Our goals
have nothing to do with animosity or revenge. While keeping the memory
of the innocent victims alive, presently we are ready to establish
normal relation with Turkey without any preconditions.

Dear Compatriots: The preconditions and causes of the Armenian Genocide
have been widely spoken and written about.

Many new facts and analytical works are waiting to be
published. However, one thing is absolutely clear: execution of such
a crime became possible only in the absence of the Armenian state.

Today, on April 24 we must acutely realize the exceptional meaning of
the Armenian state. The Armenian nation should develop and strengthen,
embracing our state – the guarantor of our people’s security.