Author: Kafian Jirair

IAGS PRESIDENT DR. GREG STANTON OUTLINES COSTS OF GENOCIDE DENIAL AT CAPITOL HILL OBSERVANCE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

armradio.am
29.04.2008 16:37

On April 23rd, International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)
and Genocide Watch President, Dr. Greg Stanton, gave keynote remarks
at the Capitol Hill Observance of the Armenian Genocide, organized
by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.

Citing the House Foreign Affairs Committee passage last year of the
Armenian Genocide resolution, Stanton explained that by postponing
a full House vote, "Again the United States surrendered to the
ninety-year campaign of denial by the government of Turkey. 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."

Dr. Stanton went on to explain the eight stages of genocide and
the dangerous cost of genocide denial both to the victims and the
perpetrators.

He described the benefits of genocide recognition, stating that
"telling the truth would ultimately be good for U.S.-Turkish relations,
because they would no longer be based on diplomatic lies." Passage of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution, he noted, would also "pay tribute
to America’s first international human rights movement

NO CRIMINAL CASE LAUNCHED AGAINST ARTHUR ABRAHAM

armradio.am
29.04.2008 17:52

IBF middleweight champion, German boxer of Armenian origin Arthur
Abraham told Armenpress that the information that a criminal case has
been launched against him for raping a waitress in one of the German
hotels does not correspond to reality.

"This is false information disseminated by my opponent – the
"Universum" club – to harm my image," the boxer said. He informed
that the "Bill" newspaper that published the news belongs to the
club and member of the club Felix Shturm is a middleweight champion
in another version, and damaging Abraham’s reputation, the club thus
wished to put their boxer in the forefront. "The only reason is envy,"
Arthur Abraham added.

The Armenian boxer noted that his lawyers will soon bring a case
against the "Bill" newspaper and the "Universum" club for spreading
false information.

NORWAY PREPARED TO ASSIST AZERBAIJAN IN KARABAKH ISSUE

Trend News Agency
April 29 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 April / Trend News corr. K.Ramazanova / Norway
is prepared to assist Azerbaijan to restore its occupied territories
after the conflict is solved.

"We are concerned about the occupation of Azerbaijani territories
and describe it as a tragedy," Jonas Gahr Store, Norwegian Foreign
Minister, stated in the meeting with Azerbaijani students in Baku.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

Store stated that any unsolved conflicts hinder the development in
the region. " Norway supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and stands for the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh," the Norwegian Minister stated.

Store will meet with Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister on 29 April.

The joint Norwegian-Azerbaijani statement to develop friendship and
partner relations was signed in Oslo in December 2007. The document
envisages discussions between the countries in the sphere of policy
and security, the development of cooperation in the economy sector
including energy, and mutual investments, education, science and
culture. Furthermore, the document reflects the cooperation within
the framework of international organizations and integration into
the Euro Atlantic organizations.

RA PARLIAMENT ADOPTED STATEMENT ‘ON SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM’

arminfo
2008-04-29 14:33:00

ArmInfo. Today, RA Parliament adopted the statement "On settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh problem". As RA Parliament speaker Tigran Torosyan
said in his speech, the statement emphasizes that Armenia stands out
the NKR security guarantee. The statement is as follows:

"Expressing its concern over the recent developments in respect of
the settlement of the Karabakh problem;

considering that the Azeri high-ranking officials’ anti-Armenian
militant propaganda is dangerous and aims to break the peace process;

condemning the Azeri army’s provocative actions on violating the
cease-fire regime, particularly, invasion of the Azeri armed forces
to the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on March 4;

taking into account Azerbaijan’s open steps to torpedo the peace
process, aspiration to gain military prevalence due to oil financial
flows and settlement of the problem in the military way;

the blackmail with respect to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, which
is accompanied with threats to express distrust in them and pass
the discussion of the conflict settlement to other organizations,
which is qualified as an open and amoral attempt of Azerbaijan to
break the peace process;

considering that the fragmentary publication of settlement principles
worked out within the frames of the Minsk Group as a possibility of
various speculations is dangerous;

considering Karabakh people’s right to self-determination to be
incontestable and irreproachable from the viewpoint of international
law, and the necessity of unconditional application of this principle
when settling the problem, the National Assembly of Armenia suggests
that the President and the Government of the country to

– intensify and enlarge efforts to develop and implement measures aimed
at informing the world community about the Nagorno-Karabakh problem

– enhance Armenia’s initiative concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh problem

– formulate legal grounds for ensuring the security of Nagorno-Karabakh
in case of military aggression by Azerbaijan.

Speaker of the NA Tigran Torossyan says that this statement is
a response to the latest developments in the framework of the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. It is for the Government and the
President to solve this problem, so, the National Assembly considers
it to be correct to ask them to search for solution. This is the
position of all the MPs. As regards the possibility of recognition of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence by Armenia, Torossyan says that Armenia
may take such a step if need be. Since the statement does not mention
it, Torossyan supposes that it is not yet time for such an action.

LEBANESE ARMENIAN STUDENTS MEET WITH ARA PAPIAN

Noyan Tapan
April 28, 2008

BEIRUT, APRIL 28, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting between
Ara Papian, the former Ambassador of Armenia to Canada, and Lebanese
Armenian students took place on April 23 in the Gyulbenkian hall
of Cilicia museum of Catholicosate of the Great Cilician House. The
territorial request of the Armenians and the Treaty of Sevres were
spoken about during the meeting, in particular.

An opinion was voiced in one of the speeches, according to which the
lands under the rule of Turkey belong to our ancestors and to Armenia
and returning them is a historic right for us.

The meeting was organized by the Armenian club of Beirut’s Lebanese
American University jointly with the Armenian clubs of Lebanon’s
all universities.

Turnout at Burbank AYF Genocide-Commemoration Event is more than 250
people on the steps of Burbank City Hall

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Youth Federation
104 N. Belmont St.
#206 Glendale, CA 91206
Contact: Ovsana Khodabakhsh
Tel: (818) 621-0245

April 26, 2008

On Tuesday, April 22nd, the Burbank Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
"Varak"

Chapter, organized two successful events in and around Burbank City Hall.

First, the Burbank AYF Chairman Shunt Jarchafjian accepted a
proclamation, during a televised Burbank City Council Meeting, from
Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos. The proclamation honored the victims of the
Armenian Genocide.

Jarchafjian was joined by Vahe Shahinian of the Burbank Armenian
National Committee and Burbank AYF member Raffi Proodian, who told an
emotional story to the council about how his great-grandfather survived
the genocide that took the lives of the rest of his family.

Second, just outside the doors of Burbank City Hall, more than 250
Armenian-Americans gathered for an 8 o’clock candlelight vigil, which
also included a poetry reading by Burbank AYF member Nareh Aboolian and
the playing of the Duduk by Armen Kvryan.

In a never-before-seen move by the Burbank City Council, the council
members took a 15-minute break from their 4-hour council meeting to join
their Armenian-American constituents at the candlelight vigil.

The gesture did not go unnoticed and was met with kudos from organizers.

Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, who serves in the California’s State
Legislature, representing Glendale and Burbank, was on hand, to offer
his comments at the event.

"Use this day as an opportunity to recommit yourself to standing up for
what you know is the truth about 1915," Krekorian said.

Other speakers included Hovan Tashjian of the Armenian Cultural
Foundation, Garen Yeghparian of the Burbank Armenian National Committee,
and Caspar Jivalagian of the Armenian Youth Federation.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I stand before you today as living proof that the
plans and dreams of the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide have
failed,"

Jivalagian said in his impassioned comments.

The evening was made particularly special by the singing of the American
and Armenian national anthems by Sherry Aghakhanian and the posting of
the flags of the United States, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh by the
Homenetmen scouts from the Burbank "Sipan" Chapter.

######## — END — #########

02 TV PROGRAM WINS WINNERS CUP IN FESTIVAL HELD IN MOSCOW

Noyan Tapan
April 25, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The work presented by the "02" TV
program of the RA Police Public Relations and Information Department
won the winners cup and the diploma in the nomination "Crime and
punishment" of the 10th International Festival of TV programs "Law
and the society." The festival, which was dedicated to the activity
of the law enforcement bodies and the detective films, was held in
Moscow on April 16-22. Noyan Tapan was informed about this by the above
mentioned department. In the nomination, the TV programs of the state
TV chanels of Italy, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tyumen, Kazan, as well as a
number of TV programs of REN TV were the competitors of the Armenian TV
program. In general, representatives from RF, CIS, Baltic countries, as
well as from Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Bulgaria,
Romania and from other countries participated in the festival.

EXPERT: "ARTSAKH SECURITY GUARANTEE OF RA"

Panorama.am
17:32 23/04/2008

"Armenian question is the question of security of all Armenians
which demands two principles: stable and powerful state of Armenia
and territorial guarantees of this state," said Armen Ajvazyan,
the director of "Ararat" strategical center, in a conference, today.

He said that even today we face Armenian question as the nation has
not yet recived its right of security and its guarantees. "Artsakh is
the guarantee of the Republic of Armenia. And not only people living
in Artsakh should be concerned with the question but those living in
Armenia, too," he said.

According to him after the declaration of independence Armenia has
not yet received its territorial guarantees. He said that the question
of Genocide and Artsakh should be treated as equally important.

"Armenian authorities should draft and adopt new policy towards Turkey,
which states the recognition of Armenian question," he said.

THE ROAD AND THE VILLAGE

KarabakhOpen
24-04-2008 12:56:42

The repair of the road of the village of Ghavakhan, Martuni region,
persists although the people of the village have turned to the local
authorities and the government for a number of times.

Five years before the Karabakh movement Armen Voskanyan and Arkady
Voskanyan raised money with volunteers from the village and evened 6 km
of road with great difficulty, the Azat Artsakh writes. However, after
the tragic death of the brothers the construction of the road stopped.

The people of the village think that the construction of Ghavakhan-Nngi
will facilitate communication with the regional center and the
capital. Over the past 2 years several families have moved from the
village because of the lack of roads. They think the road is not only
of economic but also of strategic importance.

As young people leave the village, the existence of the school will
be questioned. Meanwhile, 10 stone two storey comfortable houses are
abandoned, the newspaper reports.

RA NA ORINATS YERKIR FACTION STAFF TO BE CHANGED

Noyan Tapan
April 23, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Mher Shahgeldian and Gurgen Sargsian,
members of the RA National Assembly Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law)
faction, who have been included in the new government, will renounce
their deputy mandates ahead of schedule. According to the Electoral
Code, the vacant seats of these deputies elected by the proportional
system, by CEC’s decision, will be taken by the next two candidates
of the OYP electoral roll.

The changes in the staff of the OYP parliamentary faction consisting
of 8 people will not be limited to this. According to the agreement
officially publicized in advance, OYP Chairman and head of the
parliamentary faction Artur Baghdasarian, who has been also elected
a deputy by the proportional system, will be appointed Secretary
of Security Council. In this case he will also renounce his deputy
mandate and the faction’s staff will be replenished by the above
mentioned order.

As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Susanna Abrahamian, the
OYP Spokesperson, OYP Board members, Khachik Haroutiunian representing
the Lori region, Artsruni Aghajanian representing the Shirak region,
and Ishkhan Khachatrian representing the Ararat region, will join
the faction. And Heghine Bisharian, the faction’s current Secretary,
OYP Vice-Chairwoman, will assume the post of faction’s head.