Author: Hovhannisian John

Armenian National Committee of Arizona
c/o Mr. Yervant Baltajian, Chair
16456 North 32nd Street, Suite 4
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Contact: Yervant Baltajian
E-mail: [email protected]

Arizona ANC Praises Congressman Mitchell

Scottsdale, AZ – Armenian Americans from the Grand Canyon State welcomed
this week Congressman Harry Mitchell’s cosponsorship of human rights
legislation concerning the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.106). Congressman
Mitchell, who represents Arizona’s fifth Congressional District, has
previously served as the Mayor of Tempe, as Chairman of the Arizona
Democratic Party and had a distinguished tenure in the State Senate.

"Our community here in Arizona appreciates Congressman Mitchell’s
cosponsorship of the Armenian Genocide resolution," commented Arizona ANC
Chairman Yervant Baltajian. "We thank Congressman Mitchell for his
principled leadership on this issue which is important to our rapidly
growing community in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District," Baltajian added.

Baltajian and ANC activists working with the ANCA-WR and national ANCA
offices contacted Congressman Mitchell’s local and Washington, D.C. staff
regarding the resolution back in March of this year. This past May,
Baltajian and Arizona ANC activist Salpi Demirjian met with Congressman
Mitchell’s aides in his Scottsdale office to discuss the resolution and the
Armenian Genocide.

Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, which covers Scottsdale, Tempe, and
portions of Phoenix’s northwestern suburbs such as Fountain Hills, Camp
Creek, and Sunflower, is home to a large and growing Armenian American
community. The community is composed of many legal, medical and business
professionals, along with a large number of entrepreneurs who own their own
businesses.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Mitchell served in a variety of
political offices in addition to his work as a teacher. After serving on
the Tempe City Council from 1970 to 1980, Mitchell served as Mayor of Tempe
from 1980 to 1994, winning most mayoral races with large majorities. A
statue of Mitchell is erected near Tempe’s City Hall and the city’s Harry E.
Mitchell Municipal Complex. Mitchell is credited with revitalizing downtown
Tempe and building partnerships between small businesses, communities,
corporations, investors and Arizona State University to manage sustainable
economic development and urban growth. Mitchell then served in the Arizona
State Senate, followed by his chairmanship of the Arizona Democratic Party.

Mitchell was born in Tempe, Arizona on July 18, 1940 and earned both his
bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public
administration from Arizona State University. Congresswoman Mitchell is
married to his wife of 40 years, Marianne. Their son Mark Mitchell
currently serves as Vice Mayor of Tempe.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in
coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout
the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad
range of issues.

BSEC FMS COORDINATE RESULTING DECLARATION OF ISTANBUL SUMMIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.06.2007 18:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The sitting of the BSEC Council of Foreign Ministers
presided by Turkish FM Abdullah Gul has finished in Istanbul. The
parties coordinated the resulting Declaration of the Summit of BSEC
leaders to be adopted upon completion of the summit. Foreign Ministers
from Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Albania, Serbia, Romania,
Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova and Armenia participated in the sitting.

Recognition of the BSEC leading role in boosting economic cooperation
and deepening of friendly and neighborly relations between the member
countries is likely to become the basic point of the Declaration.

The document will also include expansion of cooperation in energy,
transport, environment, science, telecommunications, trade and tourism
as well as war on terror and organized crime.

One of the most promising projects of the organization is the
construction of ring-road around the Black Sea, the RBC reports.

Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Moldova,
Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine are members of the BSEC. 13 states,
including Belarus, Germany, U.S. and France, have the status of
observer.

November 1, 2207 Ukraine will assume presidency in the organization.

THREE MIGRANTS FROM IRAQ DETAINED

Prime News Agency, Georgia
June 25 2007

Tbilisi. June 25 (Prime-News) – The border Guards have detained
5 suspects of illegal crossing of the State Border in groups and
smuggling of migrants over the border near Sarpi border sector.

Prime-News was told at the Border Guard Police that three of the
detainees are the citizens of Iraq of the Armenian origin: Aram Akop,
Ana Makhran and their child, the rest two suspects are the citizens
of Georgia: Ramaz Khorava and Levan Orbelashvili.

At present the detained Iraqis do not explain how they arrived
in Georgia.

Criminal case has been launched against the above-mentioned fact.

PM: BANKING SYSTEM WINS CONFIDENCE OF ARMENIAN SOCIETY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 25 2007

YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. The Armenian society has more confidence
in the banking sector, which is rather stable now, said Armenia’s
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan during the annual meeting of the Union
of Banks of Armenia.

"The advance growth of indices of the banking sector to the
GDP testifies to that, and it is accounted first of all by the
implementation of the principles of corporative management, as well
as by formation of institutes, strengthening the safety of credit
infrastructures, such as deposit guarantee fund, credit bureau,
as well as unified payment system," he said.

According to Sargsyan, Armenia’s banking system integrates into the
world banking community with rapid steps, as well as accepts and
implements the best international standards.

"Together we passed a long way of reformation, the structures, that
did not withstand the competition and constantly violated the rules
of market relations thus creating problems both for the system and
the country as a whole, had to quit the banking system," he said.

Sargsyan pointed out that there is a great field for activity in the
banking sphere.

"The indices of financial mediation are still low, and the unit weight
of credits in the GDP structure does not exceed 10%, which testifies
to the fact that the participation of banks in the development of
Armenia’s economy is not enough," he said.

He pointed out that it is necessary to strive for credit means to be
accessible for every businessman.

"The country’s every citizen should have a possibility to improve his
housing conditions by means of mortgage credit, and the accessibility
of credits for the young generation should contribute to their getting
education," Sargsyan said.

NATO SEC. GEN.’S SPECIAL REP. IN SOUTH CAUCASUS TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN JUNE 20

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2007 16:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative
in South Caucasus Robert Simons will arrive in Armenia with a 3-day
visit. During his visit Robert Simons will meet RA President Robert
Kocharian, Speaker of National Assembly Tigran Torosyan, Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan, Defense Minister Michael Haroutyunyan and
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. On June 22 NATO Sec. Gen.’s Special
Representative will participate in the session of the commission on
realizing NATO-Armenia Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP),
RA MFA Press Office reports.

Los Angeles Daily News
Injustices continue after Turkish-Armenian editor’s slaying
BRIDGET JOHNSON, Columnist
06/18/2007

"HOW real are these threats? To be honest, it is impossible for me to know
for sure," Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink wrote in his last column on
Jan. 10. "…2007 will probably be an even harder year for me. The court
cases will continue, new ones will be initiated and God knows what kind of
additional injustices I will have to face."
Nine days later, Dink was gunned down in broad daylight outside the Istanbul
office of his weekly newspaper, Agos. At the time of his slaying,
prosecutors were preparing the third instance of "denigrating Turkishness"
charges against Dink; he’d previously been convicted once. Dink’s "crime"
was writing about the hotly contested and controversial subject of the
Armenian Genocide.
One can safely say that these prosecutions against Dink’s free expression
helped inflame the ire of Turkish nationalists. On July 2, 18
ultra-nationalists go on trial in Dink’s killing. The alleged trigger man,
Ogun Samast, who faces various charges including "murder with premeditation"
and "membership of a terrorist organization," reportedly quickly confessed,
but the net grew much wider.
Ultra-nationalists Erhan Tuncel, a university student, and Yasin Hayal, who
served time for the 2004 bombing of a McDonald’s, are charged with planning
the crime and terrorist-group membership. But the slate of defendants
reaches up into the political ranks, including Yasar Cihan, chairman of a
localized branch of the Islamist-nationalist Great Unity Party, who is
accused of giving money to Hayal after the shooting.
Yet when Dink prophesized in that last column that additional injustices
would arise, he could have been speaking not only of his cold-blooded
killing but of the trials that would follow.
First, it was revealed that hearings for his alleged assailants will be
closed to the press, and journalists won’t even be given reports of the
trial. Reporters Without Borders states that this is because the alleged
shooter, Samast, is 17 years old. How convenient for those who may be
wanting to shield the extent of the currently 18-strong conspiracy – and
what an ironic blow for the principles of press freedom for which Dink
ultimately gave his life.
And in a slap to all Armenians and all who value the democracy, free speech
and justice ideals furthered by Hrant Dink, his son, Arat, now editor of
Agos, has been charged with "insulting Turkish identity" and appeared in
court last week.
Arat Dink simply reprinted an interview where his father recognized the
Armenian Genocide. For this, prosecutors are urging that Arat spend six
months behind bars. "The most absurd and dangerous (thing) is the fact that
describing a historical event as `genocide’ is perceived as insulting
Turkishness," Arat Dink said.
Like father, like son, the charges fall under Article 301, which stipulates
penalties of up to three years in prison for denigrating Turkishness or the
government, and increases penalties by a third for such offenses committed
by Turkish citizens in other countries. "If a reasonable proposal is made,
we may work on it," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in May
of amending Article 301. The arrest of Arat Dink shows that this hollow
promise is too little, too late.
"Article 301 killed Hrant," Mehmet Ali Birand wrote in the Turkish Daily
News back in January. "This is the reason why, if we would like to make a
change as a society, we need to change Article 301. This is the only way we
can ask for Hrant Dink’s forgiveness."
Turkey has a fleeting chance to ensure that justice is done for Dink and for
all journalists who shouldn’t have to live in fear of coming under the thumb
of the government – and possibly staring down the chamber of an assassin’s
gun. Not only should transparency be paramount in the trial for the killers
of Hrant Dink by granting full media access, but Article 301 charges should
be immediately dropped against Arat Dink and other Agos staff members.
As it stands now, things aren’t getting any better. Agos staff have been
threatened by the Turkish Vengeance Brigade, and the group threatened
Istanbul-based Ozgur Radyo in March: "If you do not stop betraying Turkey,
your end will be the same as the others. Your destiny will be the same as
that of the other traitors."
As Hrant Dink would say now, God knows what kind of additional injustices
the Turkish media will have to face.

WASHINGTON CONCERNED OVER YEREVAN-TEHRAN RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.06.2007 15:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. is concerned about expansion of relations
between Armenia and Iran, said Anthony Godfrey, U.S. Charge d’Affairs
in Armenia.

"The U.S. informed the Armenian authorities of the issue. We welcome
the fact that Armenia builds its relations by the principle of
transparency and announces about further development of relationships
with Iran," he said adding that the U.S. administration seeks to
convince Armenian authorities "to urge Iran to stand by commitments
to the international community."

When touching upon Vladimir Putin’s proposal on joint use of the Gabala
radar station, Mr Godfrey noted "it’s hard to say whether the program
will become a part of the united system or not," IA Regnum reports.

Armenia Solidarity
British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
The Armenian Genocide Trust

c/ o The Temple of Peace, Cardiff, Wales
[email protected] (and [email protected] or
[email protected])
07876561398 07718982732

Number of UK Members of Parliament recognising the genocide rises
three-fold

Another milestone was passed on the road to UK Recognition today
when the 132nd Member of Parliament signed "Early Day Motion" 357
recognising the Armenian Genocide. This is three times the total for
2006, (when 46 MPs signed the motion by Jeremy Corbyn). It is also more
than double the previous highest total of 63, which was acheived in
2003.

It is expected that many more will sign around the 27th june when a
major speech on "Darfur and Armenia" will be delivered by James Smith,
Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust, in Committee Room 10, of the House
of Commons at at 5 p.m. on that day. The new Prime Minister Rt Hon.
Gordon Brown, himself a historian, will be challenged on "Genocide
Denial and the UK government’s Ethical Foreign Policy" at this event.

Parliament will also be lobbied on the 20th of june
Armenians who wish to help with the lobbying are invited to contact us
urgently as parliament will break-up for the summer in five weeks time.

More details from the contacts above

CORY WELT: U.S. NOT GOING TO ATTACK IRAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.06.2007 16:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The U.S. is not planning to attack Iran," deputy
director and fellow of Russia and Eurasia Program of the Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Cory Welt told a news conference
in Yerevan.

"Unfinished war in Iraq and the Afghanistani problem exclude such a
scenario," the American expert said. "We are trying to influence on
Iran with other tools. Furthermore, we are facing a presidential
election. Iran will elect President in two years. Under the
circumstances it makes no sense to wage war," he said.

Victory of a Democrat at the presidential election in the U.S. will
not change foreign policy, according to him. "The U.S. policy doesn’t
depend on a party; it defends national interests proceeding from the
world situation," Mr Welt said.

DEPUTY FM OF ISRAEL: KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY BECOME EXAMPLE FOR SETTLEMENT OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PROBLEM

arminfo
2007-06-13 09:59:00

Karabakh conflict may become an example for Israeli-Palestinian problem
settlement. As the "Trend" reports, deputy FM of Israel Jossi Gal
said at the press-conference upon results of a two-day visit to Baku.

He said that situation in the Near East was discussed during
negotiations with official Baku. Position of Israel is to create
two states in the Near East – Israel and Palestine. Creation of the
latter must be carried out of Palestinian people’s will. The deputy
FM also said that the principal moment is the fact that the newly
created state should live in peace with Israel.

The diplomat added that Israel makes all the efforts to achieve peace
in the region, however, the extremists impede this process. They are
supported by a number of states, including Iran, Syria and others,
he said.