Author: Jalatian Sonya

WASHINGTON’S POLICY ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT REMAINS UNCHANGED – US OFFICIAL

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 27 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov, A.Gasimova / Tom Casey,
Deputy Spokesman for the US Department of States has recently stated
at a White House briefing that the US policy on Nagorno-Karabakh has
not changed.

"Certainly nothing in the Human Rights Report should be interpreted as
differing from that longstanding policy. In the Human Rights Report,
as well as in all of our documents, we try and be as accurate and as
factual as we can. Certainly, we are fallible. But again, with respect
to this issue, the policies remain the same and I think that’s the
main point," he stated.

On 6 March the US Department of State issued its Human Rights
Practices Report, which indicated the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh
and 7 districts attached to it by Armenia. However, on 20 April the
formulation indicating the fact of occupation of Armenia was changed.

The Azerbaijani officials insisted on the necessity to inject changes
to their incorrect statement and to cement this Baku delayed its
visit to Washington to discuss security issues.

On 25 April the US Department of State restored the initial version
of the report.

FACT OF FALSE INFORMATION REVEALED DURING INVESTIGATION INTO CASE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER OF GYUMRI MAYOR

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The Investigation Department of the
RA Prosecutor General’s Office on April 25 opened a criminal case on
the fact of false information during the investigation into the case
of attemped murder of Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasian. Spokeswoman for
the RA Prosecutor General Sona Truzian told NT correspondent about it.

On April 21 the police received a call from a citizen who informed
policemen that the attempted murder had been committed by residents
of Lori marz – three Sahakian brothers and Hamayak Sahakian, whom the
person, who ordered this crime, has paid 150 thousand dollars. The
above mentioned citizen also told policemen that the same persons are
allegedly going to kill the mayor of Vanadzor for 200 thousand dollars.

The investigative group revealed that the person who made this alarm
call was a resident of Gyumri. He informed on H. Sahakian and the
three other men with the aim of discrediting them in order to get
the right to own a 2,000 sq.m. land plot (in the city of Spitak)
currently owned by H. Sahakian.

Later on the same day NT correspondent was informed that the person
suspected of false denunciation was Hovhannes Sahakian, 42, resident
of Gyumri, who has been arrested.

SAMVEL BAGRATYAN STRUGGLES BY DEMOCRATIC METHODS

A1+
[07:24 pm] 25 April, 2007

more images "The candidates and parties are not given equal
opportunities in Vayots Dzor Marz," Sergey Bagratyan, a member of
the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), running for the parliament in
constituency 39, announced at the "Friday Club" today.

He informed the presentees that his rival Samvel Sargsyan, the marzpet
(regional head) of Vayots Dzor and a member of the Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA), has made numerous violations, starting from the
usage of the RoA flag in the campaign posters, which is forbidden
under the acting Electoral Code, to the abuse of marzpet’s livers.

Sergey Bagratyan assesses his chances to be elected 100 per cent. On
the whole, Sergey Bagratyan’s press conference was rather cheerful. He
didn’t deny the fact that PAP and RPA are distributing flour in Vayots
Dzor. In his opinion, the act pursues charity purpose; no votes are
expected in return, though it might affect the voters’ choice.

Mr Bagratyan didn’t refute the fact that his proponents had beaten
the co-workers of the tax department who were preaching in favour of
the acting marzpet.

Then he addressed the audience, "What were they to do if a state
official broke the law?" and immediately gave the answer, "surely,
they were to combat by democratic methods."

Sergey Bagratyan seemed content with the work of the police forces,
National Security Service and Prosecutor’s Office who have impartial
approach to the incident.

DEPUTY ARRESTED

A1+
[06:05 pm] 25 April, 2007

Nairi Iritsyan, a member of "United Javakhk" Democratic Alliance
Presidium and a deputy of the Akhalkalaki sakrebulo (the local
representative self-government body) and Arthur Poghosyan, an activist
of the alliance, were arrested at 10:00 p.m. April 24.

A few hours ago the detainees were taken to Akhaltskha, the centre
of Samtskhe-Javakhk.

According to some sources, the reason for Nairi Iritsyan and
Arthur Poghosyan’s arrest was the recent incident with the driver
of the Akhalkalaki regional prosecutor. Yesterday the prosecutor’s
driver knocked down Andranik Abelyan, a member of "United Javakhk"
Democratic Alliance and deputy of Akhalkalaki regional sakrebulo in
Azatutyutyun Street.

Further on, the driver picked up a raw with Nairi Iritsyan and Arthur
Poghosyan who rushed to help, report the witnesses.

It is noteworthy that the members of United Javakhk were returning
from Samsa village. They had attended an event dedicated to the
Armenian Genocide victims during which a monument to the Genocide
victims was unveiled.

Reminder; Nairi Iritsyan was the Mayor of Akhalkalak in 2003-2006
and is one of the founders of "United Javakhk" Democratic Alliance.

ARMENIA: ‘EVERY ARMENIAN KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR ANCESTORS’
Harry Tamrazian

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
April 23 2007

On April 24, Armenians around the world will commemorate the 92nd
anniversary of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks. Armenians refer to this chapter in their history as
genocide — a term the Turks firmly reject. The issue has strained
relations and closed the border between the two countries. RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service director Harry Tamrazian gives his perspectives on
the issue. The views are his own and do not represent those of RFE/RL.

"To be Armenian and not know what happened in 1915 is unimaginable.

Every Armenian, wherever they are in the world, knows what happened
to their ancestors at the beginning of the 20th century. And every
Armenian knows that almost the entire Armenian population in Turkey
was lost because of an extremist, ethnocentric policy carried out by
the government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

The issue will not go away. Armenians will not give up or compromise
on their tragedy, which they firmly believe was a genocide.

For the Armenian government, the fact that Turkey refuses to
acknowledge the extent of the mass killings is disturbing. They still
consider Turkey to be the biggest security threat for the country.

Yerevan believes that that threat could be eliminated if Ankara
recognizes the Armenian genocide.

There have been hopeful signs in Turkey in recent months. More and
more Turkish intellectuals and academics have come forward to publicly
challenge their government’s stance on the issue, some calling for
open debate. Turkish writer and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk has been
one of the most prominent and outspoken. He has said that over 1
million Armenians were killed in Turkey and no one wants to talk
about it. He was charged by the Turkish authorities for insulting
Turkishness under Article 301 of the penal code, but the charges were
subsequently dropped.

Many hoped that things would change after the killing of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Thousands of Turks took to
the streets to express their anger, chanting ‘We are all Hrant Dink,
we are all Armenians.’ Many saw the outpouring of emotion as a sign
that the reconciliation process had begun. But the Turkish government
has not capitalized on that historic moment. Article 301, which makes
it illegal to criticize Turkishness or the Turkish government, still
remains on the books.

Opening up the Armenian-Turkish border could be the most positive
and effective step toward reconciliation. Unfortunately Ankara still
refuses to consider the move, despite pressure from Washington and
Brussels. The border remains untouched, a relic of the Cold War.

Armenians still hope that one day Turkey will recognize their
tragedy. This year in Paris, Armenians and Turks jointly commemorated
the anniversary of the genocide. More than two dozens French-Armenians
and French-Turks laid flowers on the monument of the great Armenian
composer Komitas, who, for many, has come to symbolize the suffering
endured by the Armenians."

LOWER HOUSE DOES NOT WANT BAN ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL

NIS News Bulletin, Netherlands
April 24 2007

THE HAGUE, 25/04/07 – There is hardly any support in the Lower House
for a proposal by small coalition party ChristenUnie to ban denial
of internationally recognised genocides, such as the Holocaust and
the Armenian genocide.

ChristenUnie MP Joel Voordewind yesterday announced to submit a bill
seeking the ban. The party already proposed including a specific ban on
genocide denial last year. The Council of State studied this proposal
and has meanwhile advised that the Dutch law already implicitly bans
such conduct.

The Council, the highest advisory body on planned legislation, referred
to article 137c in the penal code, which says insulting peoples is a
criminal offence. However, although the Council does not mention this,
this might also hamper free speech on the Armenian genocide as Turks
might feel insulted by claims that this indeed took place.

Armenians yesterday commemorated the 24 April 1915 genocide and
presented the Lower House with a petition asking for the ChristenUnie
bill to be adopted. But apart from Party for Freedom (PVV) and orthodox
Christian SGP all parties reacted extremely cautiously.

Voordewind pointed out that the EU recently called on all member states
to ban genocide denial. Nevertheless, Labour (PvdA), the leftwing
Greens (GroenLinks) and centre-left D66 said yesterday they would
not support ChristenUnie. The Christian democrats (CDA) suggested
the Council of State says an amendment would be superfluous. The
conservatives (VVD) and Socialist Party (SP) were undecided as yet.

In Turkey, acknowledging the Armenian genocide is illegal. PvdA Justice
State Secretary Nebahat Albayrak, who is a Turkish as well as a Dutch
citizen, almost had to resign from the PvdA list of candidates for the
last Lower House elections in November because she would not recognise
the genocide. Media pressure waned just in time for Albayrak, but not
for two other PvdA candidates and one CDA candidate who did have to
go for the same reason. Albayrak stated that it was up to historians
to decide whether genocide technically took place.

A TORCH PROCESSION TO GENOCIDE MEMORIAL TO TAKE PLACE IN YEREVAN TODAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.04.2007 16:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A torch procession that has already become a
traditional one will be held in Yerevan under the slogan "My name
is struggle, my death is victory" to commemorate victims of the
Armenian Genocide in 1915. It will start at the Liberty Square
at 8:00 p.m. and will finish at Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex
dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, reports the Press
Center of the Youth Wing of ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Nikol Aghbalyan
student union. Last year 1500 torches and 300 candles were lit from
the burning Turkish state flag.

CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT WORK OF 20 MILLION DOLLARS TO BE DONE IN YEREVAN THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Apr 23 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, NOYAN TAPAN. This year Yerevan Mayor’s Office
envisages to implement construction and improvement work, as well as
repairs of the outdoor lighting networks of city streets of the total
amount of 7 bln 197 mln drams (about 20 mln USD). Frunz Basentsian,
Head of the Construction, Improvement and Municipal Economy Department
of the mayor’s office said at the April 23 press conference that all
tenders related to this work have already been held.

In his words, 2.3 bln drams has been allocated for asphalt laying
of streets, 1.6 bln drams – for reinforcement of 8 accident-prone
buildings. Work on repairs of the outdoor lighting system of the
total length of 167.5 km in 77 streets will be implemened this year.

F. Basentsian said that 3 pedestrian subways and a pedestrian crossing
will be built in Isakov Street. Tram-lines in Sebastia, Leningradian
and Sasuntsi Davit Streets will be dismantled, and major repair work
will be done in Gay Avenue. Major repairs of Yerevan streets will be
carried out with community funds as well.

It is envisaged to build an irrigation network of 1,700 meters in
Shengavit community, that of 1,200 meters – in Ajapniak community of
the city.

Albany Times Union, NY
April 21 2007

Events mark somber anniversary

Memorials worldwide to pay tribute to the nearly 1.5 million
Armenians killed in Turkey during World War I

By JENNIFER PATTERSON, Staff writer

WATERVLIET — The Rev. Bedros Kadehjian is somber and reflective when
he talks about the Armenian genocide.

Nearing the end of his first month at St. Peter Armenian Apostolic
Church, the assistant pastor is anticipating the annual commemoration
of Armenian Genocide Day, which marks the 92nd anniversary of the
beginning of what has come to be known as the first genocide of the
20th century.

Memorials worldwide will pay tribute to the nearly 1.5 million
Armenians killed in Turkey during World War I, when the Young Turk
political faction sought to create a new Turkish state extending into
Central Asia.

The ideology of Pan Turkism viewed the Armenian minority as an
obstacle to be removed by any means necessary, Kadehjian said.

"The Armenian genocide was a holocaust in itself, a premeditated,
systematic plan to eliminate the male Armenian population and deport
women and children out of Turkey," Kadehjian said. "The fact that
Turkish authors are now coming out and admitting the country’s role"
after nearly a century is significant, even though many have been
punished.

One such writer was Hrant Dink, former editor in chief of the
bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos and a prominent member of
the Armenian minority in Turkey.

Dink was best known for his work on Turkish-Armenian reconciliation,
and human and minority rights in Turkey. On Jan. 19, he was
assassinated in Istanbul allegedly by an ultra-nationalist Turk.
Almost 100,000 mourners walked in protest at his funeral.

"He was killed for his beliefs, and for discussing the Armenian
genocide, which is forbidden under article 301 in Turkey," said
Lucille Sarkissian of Guilderland, whose mother was a survivor. "I,
like all the other people waiting for acknowledgment by the Turkish
government, am hoping that it will come soon to resolve this issue
and allow us to move on."

The massacre began on April 24, 1915, when several hundred Armenian
community leaders and intellectuals in Constantinople (modern-day
Istanbul) were arrested, sent east and put to death.

For years, adult and teenage men were separated from deportation
caravans and killed. Women and children were driven for months over
mountains and desert, raped, tortured and left for dead, Kadehjian
said. By 1923, most of the Armenian population in Turkey had been
uprooted from its homeland.

"It’s important to remember what happened and those that were lost,
especially since Turkey continues to deny what happened to this day,"
Kadehjian said. "Our commemoration is open to anyone wanting to
reflect on the past and look toward a better future."

Patterson can be reached at 454-5340 or by e-mail at
[email protected].

Paying tribute

Armenian Genocide Day Observance What: Film "The Trail of Soghomon
Tehlirian" and panel discussion

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Troy City Hall

Info: 331-8559

Commemoration in Words and Music

Speakers: Revs. Stepanos Doudoukjian and Bedros Shetilian, Mayors
Harry Tutunjian of Troy and Robert Carlson of Watervliet

Performers: Armenian Men’s Choral Ensemble and Armenian students.
When: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29

Where: St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church, 100 Troy-Schenectady Road

Information: 274-3673

RA PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF LATVIA

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 14:22

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received the Foreign Minister of
Latvia Artis Pabriks.

The Foreign Minister of Latvia expressed hope that the newly appointed
Prime Minister of Armenia will continue developing the economic
cooperation in the same spirit as the effective cooperation in the
defense sphere between the two countries.

Considering the volume of commodity turnover between Armenia
and Latvia as small and insufficient, Artis Pabriks noted that
through implementation of joint programs, improvement of transport
communication and deepening of cooperation in other fields it is
possible to considerably change the situation.

Emphasizing the issue of transport communication as the most painful
one, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan suggested to develop the cooperation
in perspective and mutually beneficial spheres like information
technologies, the finance and banking sectors.

The interlocutors attached importance to the cooperation in the
framework of European integration. They stressed the role of the
Armenian community in reinforcing the relations between Armenia
and Latvia.

Mr. Pabriks showed interest in the pre-election situation in Armenia
and wished success, expressing hope that the elections will succeed.