Author: Hunanian Jack

AZERBAIJAN CONVEYS SECOND NOTE OF PROTEST TO RUSSIA

ArmRadio.am
02.05.2007 10:44

Azerbaijan has conveyed a second note of protest to Russia, without
receiving an answer to the first one, Day.az reports referring to
Leader news agency.

According to the source, yesterday Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov handed the note to Russian Ambassador Vasili Istratov.

The disappointment was caused by the encyclopedia published by the
Russian " Tera" publishing house, in which it is noted that Nagorno
Karabakh is an independent republic. The first note of protest followed
the report of a Russian TV Channel, in which Azerbaijan did not like
the way Nagorno Karabakh was presented.

SECOND ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF HEAT SUPPLY SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES IN YEREVAN

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 2 2007

YEREVAN, May 2. /ARKA/. The second annual exhibition of heat supply
systems and technologies launched in Yerevan. Director of the Armenian
Renewable Energy Foundation Tamara Babayan said that within its
frames not only various expositions but also pavilion discussions
will be held. She said that the exhibition is conducted in the frames
of a joint program between the Foundation and the WB in providing
heat supply.

"The objective of the program is to stimulate implementation and
usage of energy-saving technology in the populated areas of Armenia,
in particular, multi-apartment buildings. It is rather important for
the program to research the negative influence of low-quality heat
supply systems used in the republic," she said.

Babayan said that sometimes the usage of low-quality technology is
not a lack of financial means but lack of information on where to
obtain them. That is why the exhibition aims to inform public about new
technologies and systems, financial organizations that provide credits
for obtaining them, Government’s efforts to develop this sphere.

The second annual exhibition of heat supply systems and technologies
which will last will May 4 is organized by the Armenian Renewable
Energy Foundation and the World Bank. 40 companies and organizations
participate in it, in particular, the network of the following shops:
"Comfort", "Euroterm", company AR & AR, as well as banks and credit
organizations.

The first exhibition was held in Yerevan on March 15, 2006 on the
initiative of the Foundation and the USAID.

SHOAH FOUNDATION STRUGGLES AGAINST ALL GENOCIDES OF THE WORLD

AZG Armenian Daily
01/05/2007

Well-known filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s Shoah (translated as
‘holocaust’ from Hebrew) Foundation, interviewing fifty thousand
people, who survived Nazi persecution during WWII, decided to
publish a book of their histories. The foundation continues its work
connected with Holocaust. It has also begun discussions to enact
similar programs about the Genocides of Rwanda and Cambodia. "The
obligation to remember is a moral responsibility that all of us owe
to all of those who have suffered violence and racism in the modern
world, whether they are Jews or Armenians or Cambodians or Rwandans
or Darfuris," Douglas Greenberg said, the executive director of the
Shoah Foundation Institute at the University of Southern California.

Panorama.am

20:18 27/04/2007

ARMENIAN POSTAL SERVICE JOINS EUROGIRO

Today HayPost signed the membership agreement for Eurogiro Network, through
which HayPost offices will be electronically connected to more than 60,000
post offices across Europe; the 50 million Postbank accountholders in Europe
will be able to send money in a reliable, fast manner and at low cost to any
of the 900 communities in Armenia. The Eurogiro membership also provides
high quality gateways to the U.S. banking system, and e.g. postal banks in
Brazil, Japan and China.

" The Eurogiro membership is a fundamental step towards the Postbank in
Armenia – it will fuel the competition in money transfers. Armenia’s rural
and remote communities will be able to receive their money literally around
the corner- without the need to travel a day to a bank branch in the city "
said Hans Boon, trust manager of HayPost. " Armenia is the first country of
the Commonwealth of Independent States that joins Eurogiro – we are very
happy with this expansion of Eurogiro’s network and welcome HayPost !"
commented Soren Rose, the Deputy Managing Director of Eurogiro Network. The
agreement was signed today in Switzerland, Berne at the headquarters of the
Swiss PostFinance, one of the leading members of Eurogiro.

Source: Panorama.am

Minister Oskanian’s meetings in Brussels

ArmRadio.am
28.04.2007 13:15

During the stay in Brussels RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met
with the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security
Policy Javier Solana, the European Commissioner for External Relations
and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and EU Commissioner
on Enlargement Olli Rehn.

During the meeting with Javier Solana, the interlocutors assessed
the Armenia-EU cooperation. Minister Oskanian voiced the wish of
the Armenian side to deepen the political dialogue with the European
Union. The interlocutors touched upon the peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh issue, discussing the results of the talks between the Foreign
Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Belgrade. Minister Oskanian
mentioned that in case of political will on the part of Azerbaijan,
it will be possible to register progress in the future.

During the meeting with Olli Rehn, the parties dwelt on regional
questions. Speaking about the current state of Armenian-Turkish
relations, Mr. Oskanian stressed the importance of opening the
Armenian-Turkish border and expelling Article 301 of the Turkish
Penal Code. In his turn, Olli Rehn presented the process of Turkey’s
progress towards the European Union, and position of the European
Commission on the issue.

Minister Oskanian will participate in the "Brussels Forum 2007"
and will and will participate in the discussion entitled "From the
Baltic Sea to larger Black Sea: New Euro-Atlantic Challenges."

BRITISH EMBASSY RETALIATES TO ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER REPORT

ARMENPRESS
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: The British Embassy in Yerevan has
retaliated today to a report in the local Russian-language ‘Golos
Armenii’ newspaper, which claimed it disclosed the purported details
of a ‘confidential’ meeting of a former parliament chairman Arthur
Baghdasarian, head of the opposition Orinats Yerkir party, with a
British diplomat (it emerged today that it was deputy ambassador
Richard Hyde) that focused on Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary
elections.

The newspaper published what it said were excerpts from a secretly
recorded conversation of Baghdasarian with Richard Hyde in Yerevan
during a dinner in a Yerevan restaurant last February. ‘Golos Armenii’
said the conversation was recorded on a compact disk sent to it by
unknown individuals In one of these excerpts ex-parliament speaker
was quoted as urging the European Union to criticize the Armenian
authorities’ handling of the May 12 vote.

Baghdasarian retaliated in a written statement saying the report was
part of a "well-engineered smear campaign" launched against his party
by the Armenian authorities.

A statement released today by the British Embassy in Yerevan said the
British Embassy ‘is dismayed that a clandestine recording has been
made, and recently released in part to the press, of a conversation
between an official of this Embassy and the leader of an opposition
party."

"We do not propose to comment in detail on the gross misrepresentation
of a conversation, details of which appear to have been obtained
through dishonest and deplorable means."

The Embassy statement said that ‘along with the OSCE, European Union,
Council of Europe, the diplomatic community and others, the Embassy is
interested in seeing elections on 12 May that conform to international
standards. In this context the Embassy maintains a wide range of
contacts and dialogues with institutions and individuals across the
political spectrum in Armenia, in order to be informed of all shades of
political opinion. This enables us to form as complete and objective
a view as possible of the political process, and is in line with the
normal and accepted practice of any embassy anywhere in the world."

"As a member state of the EU, we wholeheartedly support the commitment
shared by the EU and Armenia in the European Neighborhood Policy
Action Plan to work together to strengthen democratic institutions,
and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we welcome
Armenia’s democratic achievements so far.

In that context, our objective will remain to do what we can to
support and promote effectiveness in the performance of democratic
institutions and processes in the country. It is not, never has been
and cannot be, our business to support the political platform of any
specific political party."

MANUK GASPARIAN ESTIMATES STATE EXISTING DURING PRE-ELECTORAL PERIOD IN GENERAL POSITIVE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Manuk Gasparian, the Chairman of the
Zhighovrdavarakan Ughi (Democratic Path) party estimates the state
existing during the pre-electoral period in general positive. Stating
about it on April 26, at the Pastark club, he also mentioned that he is
pleased with the Central Electoral Commission, Police, media employees,
with some preservations with the propaganda mission process as well,
where there is almost no "black" propaganda yet.

M. Gasparian mentioned that he "is not engaged in deception,"
has some authority among the people owing to his deeds and will
enter the parliament in an honest way. According to his foresight,
all the ruling forces will in general get utmost 43-45% of votes of
electors, and the utmost expectation of the party headed by him is 15%
of votes. In his words, in the case of getting 7% of votes he will
consider that the Democratic Path party "worked badly."

M. Gasparian at the same time expressed displeasure with not skilled
actions of the national security service employees observing the
Democratic Path party propaganda mission "as if secretly" but obviously
evidently. But, M. Gasparian’s main displeasure was connected with
actions of Ashot Tonoyan, the Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia)
party candidate at electoral district No3. He characterized the latter
as a person far from the policy who "decided to directly move from
construction to parliament chair." A. Tonoyan, in the Democratic Path
leader’s words, is obviously engaged in bribing what was also fixed by
the observers and proved in written form by a number of electors. In
M. Gasparian’s words, the mentioned candidate, to all appearances,
functions "wilfully" and the Bargavach Hayastan and its Chairman
Gagik Tsarukian are not aware of all those. His attempts of the recent
10 days to drow together with G. Tsarukian failed, and M. Gasparian
expressed a hope that after his this statement’s being published in
press, the Bargavach Hayastan party will respond. Otherwise he will
have to officially address to the Central Electoral commission with
the issue of reviewing A. Tonoyan’s registration.

EMBASSY OF GREAT BRITAIN TO RA STATES THAT IT HAS NOT ASSISTED AND WILL NOT ASSIST ANY ARMENIAN POLITICAL PARTY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The Embassy of Great Britain to the
RA is anxious on the occasion of overhearing the conversation taken
place at the Marco Polo restarant in February, 2007 and publication
of some parts of that recording in the Golos Armenii newspaper.

To recap, according to that publication, during the mentioned
conversation, A. Baghdasarian "in any way attempted to assure" the
British diplomate to interfere in the parliamentary elections of
Armenia and discussed with the latter a number of potential speeches
compromising Armenia (extended arrests, beating and thrashing of
participants of mass meeting, etc.), in the case of which, in his
words, the international community would have possibility to interfere
in the inner-political processes of the country.

According to the April 26 statement of the Embassy, both OSCE, European
Union, Council of Europe and diplomatic society and Embassy of Great
Britain are interested in holding the May 12 elections corresponding
to the international standards. In this context the Embassy maintains a
wide range of contacts and dialogues with institutions and individuals
across the political spectrum in Armenia, in order to be informed of
all shades of political opinion.

"It is not, never has been and cannot be, our business to support the
political platform of any specific political party," is mentioned in
the statement of the Embassy of Great Britain to the RA.

ARMENIE : " LE TRISTE ANNIVERSAIRE DU GENOCIDE "

La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
25 avril 2007 mercredi
Edition Indre Et Loire

A l’occasion des nombreuses manifestations culturelles organisees a
Tours (dont l’exposition Tours d’Armenie qui se tient au château de
Tours jusqu’au 29 avril), l’Union des Armeniens du Centre souhaite
rappeler que la date du 24 avril correspond au premier genocide du XX
siècle perpetre par le gouvernement " jeunes turcs ottoman " en 1915.

" C’est avec respect et emotion que nous, Armeniens et Francais
d’origine armenienne, honorons leur memoire, ecrit le president, A.

Gabedian. A toutes ces victimes, hommes, femmes, enfants, jeunes ou
vieux qui dorment sans sepultures nous pensons très fort a eux. "

–Boundary_(ID_gBfKLBayiSYPBK+r49n7kg)–

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DEBATE
by Johan Huizinga

Radio Netherlands, Netherlands
April 24 2007

The Dutch Armenian Committee for Justice and Democracy march in The
Hague for the victims of the genocide (Photo ANP)

"Let’s unearth the truth about what happened in 1915 together". That
was the headline of a page-wide advertisement from the Turkish
government in some international newspapers. Ankara hopes to win
public support over the issue of the Armenian genocide in 1915.

The proposal to let Armenian and Turkish historians investigate
the matter together, however, is not new and neither is the support
from Washington for this idea. But the timing of the adverstisment,
just before the annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, was
very clever.

In the advertisement, Ankara invites Armenia to establish a joint
commission of historians to investigate the 1915 killings of thousands
of Armenians in the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Estimates range from
800,000 to 1.2 million Armenians who have died between 1915 and 1917
in the mass killings and deportation of Armenians. However, for mainly
nationalistic reasons, Ankara still refuses to acknowledge that what
happened was genocide, the planned extermination of an ethnic group.

Thorny issue

The genocide denial remains a thorny issue in Turkish relations
not only with Armenia, but with the US, the EU and several European
countries as well. That explains the advertisement, which also quotes
US President George W Bush and his Secretary of State, Condoleezza
Rice who are backing the proposal. But according to Professor Eric
Jan Zurcher, Turkey expert at Leiden University, neither the proposal,
nor the American support is new.

The proposal is a few years old and has been categorically rejected
by the Armenian government. The Armenians claim no extra research is
needed to establish the historical facts. The Americans support the
Turkish proposal since they are bound by the need to maintain good
relations with Turkey and the demands from Armenian pressure groups.

So in the end, the advertisement very much looks like a publicity
stunt to win time for Turkey.

Fruitless debates

And the chances of any joint commission of historians reaching the
same conclusions are still very small, fears Mr Zurcher. Historians
appointed by the Armenian and Turkish governments will first of all
be selected for their loyalty to the national points of view on this
issue. So the attempt to find a common conclusion will most likely
end up in some fruitless debates.

Then there remains another possible pitfall, warns Professor Zurcher.

In the initial stages, Ankara hinted that such a joint commission of
historians would get exclusive rights on the issue.

That could bar independent historians from using Turkish archives,
for instance and it would possibly silence the debate on the Armenian
Genocide for the time being which might be exactly what the Turks
are after.

This leaves the Armenians, demonstrating at the Turkish embassy
in The Hague, with their clear demands: a penalty on denial of the
Armenian Genocide and no Turkish EU-membership without acknowledging
the genocide by Ankara. Whether the Armenians will have it their
way remains very doubtful however. Although more than 90 years have
passed since the atrocities took place, the discussion is a long way
from reaching a conclusion.

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