Author: Kajoyan Gevork

DASHNAKTSUTYUN, ANC, HERITAGE ANNOUNCE FORMING OPPOSITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 20, 2012 – 12:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The head of Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary group Armen
Rustamyan; parliamentary group secretaries of Armenian National
Congress (ANC) opposition bloc and Heritage, Aram Manukyan and Ruben
Hakobyan expressed intention to form an opposition at Armenian
National Assembly sitting. However, Heritage Armenia party, which
earlier refused to join the ruling coalition, refrained from making a
statement.

Following the statement, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan briefed the
parliamentarians on Armenian government’s program and delivered a
report of activities completed. The PM specifically stressed the
government’s anti-crisis program and struggle to overcome financial
crisis consequences, noting that not a single program was terminated
or downsized in crisis years.

ARMENIANS LEARN FROM KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD
By Andy Marso

June 19, 2012

Sitting at a horseshoe-shaped table in a conference room at the
State Defense Building in Topeka, members of the Kansas National
Guard helped shape the future of Armenia’s military Tuesday.

Two Armenian officers visited the guard’s senior leaders this week
to gather information as the landlocked former-Soviet nation east
of Turkey continues its transition from conscripted, or mandatory,
military service to a force of professional, non-commissioned officers
similar to the guard.

“We’re working with the Armenian military Ministry of Defense so they
don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” said Sgt. Maj. James Moberly of
the Kansas Army National Guard. “In the Army National Guard we’ve
got more than 400 years of experience reaching the point we’re at
with the professional, non-commissioned officer.”

Moberly noted that the U.S. Marine Corps, the RAND Corporation,
and German and British military forces are also partnering to assist
the Armenians.

Moberly and other Kansas officers met this week with two Armenian
officers: Maj. Gen. Ishkhan Matevosyan, the head of the country’s
Combat Readiness Department, and Col. Gevorg Hakobyan, the chief of
the department’s Noncommissioned Officer Development Branch.

The partnership between the Kansas Army and Air National Guard and the
Armenian military dates back to 2003. The two forces have exchanged
information and experience in defense, deploying medical care, and
handling emergency situations.

Matevosyan, through an interpreter, said he’s not sure why Kansas was
initially chosen as the partner for his nation, but he’s glad it was.

“Armenians appreciate and value the U.S. history and history of each
state,” Matevosyan said. “I would not say that we had to be partners
with Kansas, I would say we’re lucky that we had Kansas as our state
partner.”

Stephen Larson, assistant director of public affairs for the adjutant
general’s department that oversees the Kansas guard, said Kansas has
learned much from the partnership. He highlighted the history of an
Armenian nation that was established thousands of years before the
United States. The centerpiece of the coat of arms on the country’s
flag is Mount Ararat of Biblical fame, with Noah’s Ark resting on
its peak. It is surrounded by the symbols of four Armenian royal
dynasties that date from 190 B.C. to 1,375 A.D.

Armenia declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and since
then the nation has striven to establish a “Western-style parliamentary
democracy,” according to the U.S. Department of State.

For more than 20 years it has also been at odds with neighboring
Azerbaijan over a contested strip of land called Nagorno-Karabakh
that runs along Armenia’s southwest border with Iran. The U.S. State
Department says that though a cease-fire has been in place since 1994,
the conflict “has not been resolved.”

Matevosyan said the purpose of his visit was not to discuss his
country’s military role in the region, but he said the country,
which is slightly larger than Maryland, does not want to be only a
“user” in its global partnerships.

“Although we are a small country, we want to have our input in
enforcing stability and development in the areas we can in the world,”
he said.

Matevosyan, who was on his way to tour the Museum of the Kansas
National Guard at Forbes Field later Tuesday, said he wishes “the
people of Topeka and the United States prosperity, stability, peace
and stable development.”

Andy Marso can be reached at (785) 233-7470 or [email protected].

Follow Andy on Twitter @andymarso.

EXPOSITION DU 26 JUIN AU 27 OCTOBRE: HOMMAGE AUX ENFANTS DE LA SHOAH

Publie le : 20-06-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette annonce publiee sur le site officiel de la Mairie
de Paris le 13 juin 2012.

Paris.fr

Credits : © Archives CDJC-Memorial de la Shoah. Coll. OSE

[13/06/2012]

Hommage aux enfants de la Shoah

Juillet 1942, près de 14 000 Parisiens sont arretes par la police
francaise et rassembles au Velodrome d’hiver. Parmi eux de nombreux
enfants. Au travers de l’exposition “C’etaient des enfants” la Mairie
de Paris honore leur souvenir et celui des milliers de leurs camarades
qui ont survecu a la Shoah en presentant aux visiteurs lettres,
photographies, dessins et documents officiels. Salon d’accueil de
l’Hôtel de Ville. Du 26 juin au 27 octobre – Gratuit.

Dans l’ensemble de l’Europe, 1 500 000 enfants juifs ont ete tues.

Parmi eux, 11 400, dont 2 000 qui n’avaient pas six ans ont ete
deportes depuis la France ou ont trouve la mort dans l’un des camps
d’internement installes sur le territoire. La majorite de ces jeunes
victimes etaient de petits Parisiens. Deux-cents seulement sont
revenus vivants.

” Survivants “, ” enfants caches ” ou encore ” rescapes “, les
termes pour designer ces enfants qui ont echappe aux deportations
sont nombreux, et invitent a s’interroger : survivre et après ?

L’exposition “C’etaient des enfants” apporte un eclairage sur cette
periode de notre histoire, en presentant de nombreux documents inedits,
issus de collections particulières, comme ce journal tenu en juillet
1942 par une adolescente juive parisienne, membre des Eclaireurs
israelites, qui parcourt Paris le jour de la rafle du Vel’d’Hiv’
afin de porter secours a des enfants laisses seuls.

Voir aussi le reportage sur “La medaille des Justes” qui distingue
ceux qui ont secouru des Juifs pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. Cet
article est extrait d’ “a Paris+” le supplement numerique du magazine
“a Paris”, trimestriel de la Ville de Paris.

Infos pratiques

Du 26 juin au 27 octobre Salon d’accueil de la Mairie de Paris 29,
rue de Rivoli. 75004 Paris

Ouvert tous les jours sauf dimanche et jours feries de 10h a 19h.

Gratuit

Metro

ligne(s) 1,11 – Hôtel de Ville ligne(s) 1,4,7,11,14 – Châtelet ligne
4 – Cite ligne 4 – Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame

Catalogue – Sarah Gensburger C’etaient des enfants. Deportation et
sauvetage des enfants juifs a Paris.

24,90 ~@ – 128 pages

***************************************************************

Pour ne jamais oublier

La population Juive a Paris en 1940

A cette epoque, la population juive de France est estimee a 320 000
membres. Tres diverse, un tiers de ses membres sont nes en France,
l’autre partie sont des immigres. Ces hommes et ces femmes ont quitte
leurs pays pour fuir les persecutions antisemites mais aussi afin
d’ameliorer leurs conditions de vie. On trouve quelques familles
aisees, professions liberales ou cadres, mais surtout une majorite de
menages très modestes qui travaillent dans l’artisanat ou le commerce.

À l’arrivee des soldats allemands en juin 1940, près de 200 000
Juifs vivent dans la capitale francaise : de Belleville a l’ouest
parisien, en passant par la rue de la Roquette. Cette population juive
parisienne est jeune, sur les 140 000 Juifs qui resident encore dans
le departement de la Seine, un quart ont moins de 15 ans.

Identification et exclusion

L’armistice du 22 juin 1940 divise la France en deux et dès septembre
les autorites occupantes et le gouvernement de Vichy y organisent
la stigmatisation des Juifs. La plupart de ces mesures concernent
egalement les enfants.

L’ordonnance allemande du 27 septembre 1940 ordonne aux juifs de zone
occupee de se declarer. Les chefs de famille ont jusqu’au 20 octobre
pour faire etat de leur identite. C’est sur la base de ce recensement
que la prefecture de police de Paris cree finalement un fichier
des enfants juifs. Le tampon ” Juif ” est porte sur leurs papiers
d’identite, les enfants âges de plus de 6 ans doivent porter l’etoile
jaune. C’est a partir de la loi francaise du 3 octobre ” portant statut
des juifs “, que leurs parents sont exclus de nombreuses professions.

L’ordonnance allemande du 8 juillet 1942 interdit aux juifs l’accès
aux lieux publics. L’image des petits juifs parisiens est alors
utilisee par la propagande antisemite pour denoncer le ” peril ”
que representent les juifs, et ce, dès leur plus jeune âge.

L’Ecole republicaine : entre continuite et rupture

La Revolution nationale promue par le gouvernement de Vichy entend
s’attaquer a l’ecole. Il s’agit de proteger la jeunesse francaise de
” l’influence juive “. Les elèves juifs restent cependant admis dans
les ecoles elementaires et les lycees où ils sont soumis au port de
l’etoile jaune. Lorsque la police francaise arrete en juillet 1942
des enfants juifs, elle arrete d’abord des ecoliers.

Au total, plus de 6 100 enfants ont ete arretes a Paris durant la
Shoah , la plupart d’entre eux ont ete deportes au camp d’Auschwitz
en Pologne où ils furent extermines a leur arrivee.

En 1941 ont lieu les premières rafles parisiennes, elles conduisent
a l’arrestation de près de 8 200 personnes, exclusivement des hommes
et presque tous etrangers. L’internement de ces pères de famille
plonge leur femme et enfants dans des difficultes materielles et
psychologiques supplementaires. Il signifie parfois que les enfants
sont brutalement laisses seuls.

Le Vel’ d’Hiv’ : un ” camp d’enfants ”

La grande rafle parisienne des 16 et 17 juillet 1942 est la première
a concerner les enfants de plus de deux ans. Une triple epidemie
de diphterie, de scarlatine et de rougeole touche 300 enfants dont
plusieurs mourront dans les jours qui suivent.

En juillet 1942, le camp de Beaune-la-Rolande compte 300 petits
Parisiens de 2 a 5 ans, près de 500 de 6 a 10 ans et 600 de 10
a 15 ans. Pour remplir au plus vite les convois de deportation,
il est decide de separer les familles. À partir du 15 août 1942,
les enfants du Vel’ d’Hiv’ encore vivants sont progressivement
transferes a Drancy pour y etre deportes en compagnie d’adultes et
maintenir ainsi l’illusion que ces deportations visent a organiser
des peuplements juifs a l’est de l’Europe.

Aucun statut particulier n’est prevu pour ces jeunes internes et c’est
entre le 14 et le 31 août 1942, que plus de 3 000 enfants sont ainsi
deportes pour Auschwitz, la plupart y sont extermines a leur arrivee.

Seulement 200 des quelques 11 000 enfants juifs deportes de France
sont revenus des camps d’extermination.

Les Parisiens se mobilisent

C’est a Paris que s’est joue le sort de la majorite des enfants juifs
deportes. Les Parisiens qui constatent la disparition d’hommes, de
femmes et surtout d’enfants decident de les sauver. Les reactions a la
rafle du Vel’ d’Hiv’ sont en effet nombreuses. Ce sont des voisins,
des amis ou encore des camarades de classe qui portent secours aux
enfants juifs parisiens.

Dès sa creation en 1941, l’Union generale des Israelites de France
(UGIF), assure la gestion de plusieurs centres d’accueil pour enfants
a Paris. Plus de 3 000 enfants sejournent dans l’une de ces maisons
entre juillet 1942 et août 1944. Plusieurs rafles y sont conduites
jusqu’a la dernière où, durant la nuit du 20 juillet 1944, 125
petits pensionnaires sont arretes a Paris puis deportes a Auschwitz
par le dernier convoi a quitter Drancy. Dès 1942, des reseaux
interconfessionnels ou laïcs, redoutent cette issue et debutent
l’evacuation clandestine et progressive des maisons de l’UGIF. Ils
sauvent ainsi plusieurs centaines d’enfants.

Survivre et grandir

À Paris comme dans l’ensemble de la France, environ 80 % des enfants
juifs ont survecu a la guerre. Du fait de leurs prises en charge
par des reseaux juifs de sauvetage, epaules par des non-juifs. Il
est toutefois difficile d’etablir un chiffre definitif, comme il est
encore plus delicat de faire une estimation des gestes de solidarite de
tel ou tel voisin, ami ou camarade. En tous les cas, la consideration
exclusive du sauvetage physique des enfants meconnaît les conditions de
leur survie. Etre ” cache ” suppose souvent d’accepter d’etre separe
de sa famille, de changer d’identite, parfois etre baptise dans la
religion catholique, de quitter Paris enfin de se faire accepter par
un nouvel entourage, entre quasi-adoption et maltraitance.

Afin d’attenuer la separation et lorsue cela est possible,les enfants
ecrivent a leurs parents. Lorsque ceux-ci sont ” introuvables “,
ils leur font des dessins, preparent des cadeaux dans l’attente de
les revoir, attente qui s’avèrera souvent vaine.

En 1945, on denombre en effet 10 000 orphelins juifs en France.

D’autres retrouvent des parents affaiblis, sans ressources et
souvent sans logement. Les oeuvres juives ouvrent alors des maisons
pour accueillir temporairement et parfois elever une large part des
enfants qu’elles ont contribue a sauver. La vie en collectivite dans
ces maisons marque une nouvelle epreuve pour les enfants. Elle signifie
qu’ils ne reverront jamais leurs parents.

L’après-guerre

Dans l’immediat après-guerre, le vecu de ces enfants n’a pas sa place
: ils ont eu la ” chance ” de survivre. À la fin des annees 70, c’est
d’abord comme orphelins que certains prennent publiquement la parole.

Il faut attendre encore dix ans pour que ces memes personnes
parlent d’elles. Les annees 90 voient alors la multiplication des
associations ” d’ enfants caches ” et ” d’anciens “. Ces enfants
devenus grands-parents prennent souvent conscience de la dette
qu’ils ont envers tel resistant juif comme envers ces non juifs qu’ils
decident, parfois, de faire reconnaître comme ” Juste parmi les nations
” par l’Etat d’Israël.

Autour de l’exposition

– Exposition temporaire – Memorial de la Shoah “Au coeur du genocide –
Les enfants dans la shoah 1933-1945″ Du 19 juin au 30 decembre

– ” Je pars demain… ” Ete 42 : les dernières lettres – CERCIL
d’Orleans Exposition du 16 mai au 30 septembre

En juin-juillet 1942, des milliers de Juifs etrangers sont deportes
a partir des camps de Pithiviers et Beaune-la-Rolande où ils ont ete
internes pendant plus d’un an. Avant le depart, ils vont ecrire une
lettre a leurs proches ” nous partons pour une destination inconnue “.

Ecrites le dernier jour dans le camp, parfois meme dans le train,
elles seront les ” dernières lettres “…

– Exposition “Sauver les enfants, 1938-1945”- Archives nationales Du
2 octobre au 27 novembre

– Exposition-atelier “Sur les traces d’une photo. Dix histoires
d’enfants sauves”- Bibliothèque Marguerite Audoux Du 28 juin au
31 juillet

– ” Nous qui sommes encore vivants ” – Resister dans les camps nazis.

Musee de la Resistance nationale a Champigny-sur-Marne Jusqu’au 31 août

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Paris.fr

REUVEN RIVLIN SUR LA RADIO DE L’ARMEE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 20 juin 2012

Le Parlement israelien a debattu mardi de la reconnaissance par Israel
du genocide des Armeniens.

Aucun vote n’a eu lieu mardi. Le Preseident du Parlement Reuven Rivlin
a nie que le debat ait un lien avzc la deterioration des relations
avec la Turquie.

” Les Turcs seront certainement fâches, mais il n’y a aucune intention
de provoquer, seulement de se souvenir ” a-t-il dit a la Radio de
l’armee d’Israël. ” Le monde libre doit se rappeler, apprendre les
lecons pour que cela n’arrive pas de nouveau “.

Zahava Galon presiente du parti Meretz a declare a la Radio de l’armee
” Je ne les compare pas et vous ne pouvez pas comparer les deux
[genocide], mais cela exige que nous soyons sensible a la souffrance
des autres “.

Arieh Eldad de la faction ultranationaliste union Nationale a
ecarte les accusations que de parler de la question etait maintenant
inopportun.

” Il y a quelques annees les gens ont dit que nous ne pouvions pas en
parler en raison de nos bonnes relations avec la Turquie. Maintenant
les gens disent que nous ne pouvons pas en parler a cause de nos
mauvaises relations avec la Turquie ” a-t-il dit. ” Quand vous ne
voulez pas traiter avec quelque chose de morale et d’ethique, il y
a toujours ceux qui diront que ce n’est pas le juste temps “.

THE WEST MUST WORK WITH PUTIN’S RUSSIA, NOT JUST BERATE IT

June 19, 2012 7:23 pm

The arguments between the west and Russia over what to do in Syria
resemble the old proverb of the two bald men arguing over a comb. In
truth, neither side knows what to do. Both, however, respond to their
lack of a plan in their traditional fashion: Russia, with stonewalling;
the west, with empty rhetoric.

The west is right to believe that the Baath regime in Syria cannot
continue in power without endless savagery, and that an agreed
departure of the Assad dynasty is greatly to be desired. Russia is
right to fear that its fall may lead to an even worse regime and a
nightmare for Syria’s minorities.

However unpalatable this may be to Washington, the Kremlin is
also correct in arguing that if there is to be any chance of an
international deal over Syria working, then Iran has to be part of it.

This is because of Tehran’s close ties with the Syrian regime and
because Iran has a legitimate stake in the future of the quasi-Shia,
Alawite minority. Moreover, as has happened all too often in the past,
the US and Israeli obsession with Iran has led Washington to turn a
blind eye to the dangers posed by Saudi policy, despite the way in
which Saudi support has helped lay the basis for Islamist extremism
in Pakistan and elsewhere.

When listening to Washington and Paris on Syria, it is worth
remembering US and French policy towards their ally Algeria in the
1990s, when the military cancelled a democratic election and engaged
in a ferocious campaign of repression against the Islamist victors,
leading to more than 150,000 deaths. There was no question then of
the west isolating or intervening in Algeria.

This record casts an ironic light on present western rhetoric. Perhaps
before Hillary Clinton called Russia and China “despicable” for
opposing international action over Syria, she might have taken a quick
look in the historical mirror. It also does not help that Mrs Clinton
publicly accused Russia of selling attack helicopters to Syria, only
for US officials to admit privately that she deliberately exaggerated
the claim to put pressure on Moscow. Is this supposed to increase
mutual respect and confidence?

The case of Syria is of great human and geopolitical importance in
itself, and has serious implications for the wider issue of the west’s
relations with Russia. Sections of western opinion are engaged in
another round of furious rhetoric against the Putin administration,
mainly because of its semi-authoritarianism, but with Syria supplying
additional ammunition. This is by no means wholly unjustified, given
some of the odious aspects of the Russian state, but it needs to
be qualified.

As both Russia’s election results and the composition of the
opposition demonstrations make clear, an overwhelming majority of
Russians support a mixture of nationalists and Soviet loyalists. Even
if they are sick of the corruption of the elites, most are not going
to vote for pro-western liberals. This underlying Russian reality –
and the relatively good performance of its economy under Vladimir
Putin’s cautious management – not only gives the Putin administration
residual strength, it also means that in the unlikely event that it
fell, Russian foreign policy would not change by one iota.

The west needs to seek compromises with Russia in part because the
west is weaker than it was. Among other things, the idea of Nato and EU
membership for Georgia and Ukraine, or even any significantly enhanced
partnership, is dead. This in turn requires a change in western policy
from expansion vis-a-vis Russia to a strategy of jointly containing
crises: for example, the real danger of a new Armenian-Azeri war
over Nagorno-Karabagh.

Current developments suggest two other things: that if we wish
western democracy to retain its global influence, we need to work
urgently on improving its performance at home; and that the world
will in future have a plurality not only of great powers but also of
political systems.

So, if there is to be any chance of international co-operation, we
must learn to treat each others’ systems with respect. Talks with
Russia and China over Syria would be a good place to begin.

The writer is a professor in the War Studies Department of King’s
College London and author of ‘America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of
American Nationalism’

NUMBER OF ARMENIAN TOURISTS IN TURKEY INCREASES

news.am
June 20, 2012 | 00:04

The number of Armenian tourists who visited Turkey this April increased
by 26.9%, as compared to last year.

Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said 4,889 Armenians visited
Turkey in April 2012 as compared to 3,854 last year.

The number of citizens visiting Turkey as compared to March grew by 25.

In 2011, over 72,000 Armenian citizens visited Turkey.

ARMENIA RANKS 102 IN FAILED STATES INDEX

news.am
June 19, 2012 | 17:31

The Fund for Peace today released the eighth edition of its annual
Failed States Index (FSI), highlighting global political, economic and
social pressures experienced by states.

Armenia has the best indicators among the regional states and is
ranked 102nd in the 2012 Failed States Index. Among the regional
states Azerbaijan is ranked 68th, Georgia -51st and Turkey – 85th.

The FSI ranks 178 countries using 12 social, economic, and political
indicators of pressure on the state, along with over 100
sub-indicators.

Each indicator is rated on a scale of 1-10, based on the analysis of
millions of publicly available documents, other quantitative data, and
assessments by analysts. A high score indicates high pressure on the
state, and therefore a higher risk of instability.

The 2012 FSI ranks Somalia as number one for the fifth consecutive
year, citing widespread lawlessness, ineffective government,
terrorism, insurgency, crime, and well-publicized pirate attacks
against foreign vessels.

The Finland, Sweden and Denmark have the best three rankings.

WORKS OF ARMENIAN PAINTERS ARE PRESENTED IN VIEANNA

On June 19 exhibition of four artists was opened in Vieanna, at the
hall belonged to the Austrian Ministry of Education, Art and Culture.

As press service of Armenian MFA informs the exhibition is organized
in frame of the “Artists in Residence”. Armenian participant Mary
Moon (Amirkhanyan) presented he “urban” project with the Vienna city
images. The project is a part of the painter’s works devoted to the
Yerevan, Tbilisi, Ukrainian and German city images.

Norbert Rild, head of the department of the exchanging programs of
the Austrian Ministry of Education, art and culture delievered speech
during the opening ceremony.

Armenian Ambassador to Austria Arman Kirakosyan also delivered speech.

On the same day personal exhibition of the Armenian artist Arthur
Karapetyan was opened in “Culturcrais Vin” exhibition hall in Vienna.

Armenian Ambassador to Ausrtia A. Kirakosyan attended the opening
ceremony and welcomed the initiative.

CLINTON FACTOR: MG CO-CHAIRS IN PARIS TO SUBMIT NEW APPROACHES TO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
By Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow
18.06.12 | 13:21

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are meeting co-chairs
of OSCE Minsk Group in Paris today to discuss a number of new ideas,
US Ambassador in Armenia John Heffern said in an interview to RFL/RF.

The Paris meeting was first talked about during US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to the region; moreover, Clinton
stated in Baku that “in Paris a new approach to the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict will be presented to the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan”.

It is noteworthy that Clinton’s visit was accompanied by incidents
in various sections of the Armenian-Azeri border, which led to the
deaths of at least seven Azeris and four Armenian servicemen.

Condemning these incidents, Clinton stated in Yerevan and Baku that
solving the Karabakh issue by force is not an option.

“The peaceful settlement of the conflict has to be based on the
principles of the Helsinki Final Act, and no principle can be separated
from the others,” the US Secretary of State said during her press
conference in Yerevan.

Experts in Armenia responded quite positively to this statement.

The Helsinki Final Act (otherwise known as Helsinki Accords or Helsinki
Declaration) signed in 1975 states in Paragraph 8 (Equal Rights and
Self-Determination of Peoples):

“By virtue of the principle of equal rights and self-determination
of peoples, all peoples always have the right, in full freedom,
to determine, when and as they wish, their internal and external
political status, without external interference, and to pursue as
they wish their political, economic, social and cultural development.”

Thus, Clinton’s statement that the conflict settlement “has to be
based on the principles of Helsinki Final Act” and that “no principle
can be separated from the others” did not exclude the possibility of
the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh’s recognition as an independent state.

The fact of recognition of more than 30 new states over the past two
decades indicates that recognition of new independent entities of
international law is an ongoing process and is based on the principle
of people’s right to self-determination in full accord with the
provisions of UN Charter and principles of the Helsinki Final Act.

It will become known by June 19 whether the US Secretary of State’s
statement in Yerevan will be taken into account when “new approaches”
are introduced in Paris.

AL. MANASYAN: TODAY’S MEETING IS A PREPARATION OF THE ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS’ MEETING

Today Armenian and Azerbaijani Ministers of Foreign Affairs Edward
Nalbandyan and Elmar Mammadyarov will meet in Paris. Nagorno-Karabakh
issue settlement is on agenda of the meeting. International society
has already expressed its attitude towards the meeting. As US State
Secretary Hilary Clinton and OSCE chairperson-in-office Eamon Gilmore
announced before new offers will be presented by the OSCE MG co-chairs
which will aim to make Armenian and Azerbaijani attitudes nearer.

Armenian politician Alexander Manasyan referred to the meeting of
two MFAs today during the press-conference.

The politician does not have any special expectations from this meeting
and considers this is just a preparation for the meeting of Armenian
and Azerbaijani Presidents.

”Nothing decisive must be expected from this meeting. But in any
case now these meetings have anti-Armenian character”, Manasyan
underlined. According to the speaker Azerbaijan plans provocations
on the border in order to make pressure on Armenian society and on
the international society as well.

”It will be better if we discuss the events in larger frame and not
only in local frame. It will be righter if we take into consideration
the developments of the last 20 years when Azerbaijan always tried
to present the issue as Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict”, politician
underlined.

The politician considers that the idea of the attacks is more important
case. ”Azerbaijan aims to strengthen idea of taking back the lands
by force. We must explain the international society that it has no
right to claim even one centimeter of land”, the speaker underlined.

Manasyan presented two possible versions of the Azerbaijani provocation
on the border. ”First, it may be Azerbaijani own decision and
the second, the international frames might be informed about it.
In first case Azerbaijan just checks our strength. If the second
version works, then the events may be connected with Iran as well
and here the situation is becoming more complicated. In this case
our diplomacy must act”, Manasyan considers.

While speaking about the possibility of war Manasyan said: ”We must
always be ready for the war. In general, in the whole world everyone
must be ready for the war as we face the competition every day and
also in economical sphere. The peace is perfect but we must not also
forget about the war”. The politician also added that according to
him no war will take place now. At the same time Manasyan underlined
that he would go to war if there is such a necessity.