Author: Kalantarian Kevo

SWEDISH NEWSPAPERS QUESTION – WHETHER THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OCCURRED?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.10.2009 12:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The influential Swedish newspaper Metro refuses
to publish any article which may have a reference to the Armenian
Genocide , Ara Papyan , historian, diplomat and currently the head
of the Modus Vivendi center told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

According to the expert, editor-in-chief of Per Gunne refuses to
place any article in the newspaper about the Armenian Genocide,
because he is "no longer sure if there was genocide or not."

"The same change in policy has been adopted by another Swedish daily,
Svenska Dagbladet, which, through the well-known journalist Bitte
Hammargren, now uses the media expression of "Armenian massacres",
as opposed to the legal term "genocide".

"These are not mere words, but represent policy. Policies have changed
immensely lately, and they have changed after that unfortunate pair
of protocols normalization of the Armenia-Turkey relations was signed,
" Ara Papyan said.

Earlier, fact of the Armenian Genocide was questioned by the well-known
Canadian Embassy magazine. Following the signing of the protocols
Embassy magazine in its October issue placed an article in which,
inter alia, states: "The Armenians of Armenia have made a deal and set
up a joint historical commission to determine what actually happened
in 1915".

In the publication the author comes to the conclusion that "what
happened to the Armenian population was not a genocide".

STATE REVENUE COMMITTEE DOES NOT YET MAKE ANY CHANGES CONNECTED WITH THE OPENING OF THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 23, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian government-affiliated State Revenue Committee does not yet
make any changes connected with the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border. Chairman of the Committee Gagik Khachatryan said today at
the meeting with the reporters that currently the normalization
process between the two countries is in the political field and has
not finished yet.

"We are making certain studies but in respect of customs services
we are not implementing changes of any function. When the decisions
are made in the political field we will also undertake steps,"
Khachatryan said.

He also referred to the issue that the art figures from Iran, Georgia
who come to participate in the exhibition in Yerevan are not allowed
in customs point to pass the border.

"Many think that if they are participating in the exhibition it
means they can transport product without relevant documents. There
is no serious issue. All the cases refer to not having documents,"
Khachatryan said.

GRIGORYAN: "TURKS CONTINUALLY DECEIVED US"

Aysor
Oct 22 2009
Armenia

"I don’t trust Turks, I have good reasons not to and these reasons
come from depths of time," said secretary of Armenian Writers’ Union,
the poet Hovhannes Grigoryan.

Armenian-Turkish protocols are imposed, he says, "imposed with
intensions." He also pointed that Turkey had always maintained flexible
policy and diplomacy.

"We are dealing with a very diplomatic nation. After the World War I
Turkey which lost, due to its diplomacy came out as a winner adjoining
to "top dogs" – being the loser."

Hovhannes Grigoryan said he holds with border opening but voiced
concerns on logic of established relations between the two countries
over past dozen years.

"Turks continually deceived us," he said.

RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED THE DELEGATION OF MINOPHAGEN PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY (JAPAN) LED BY COMPANY PRESIDENT TOKUICHIRO UTSUNOMIA.

W ednesday, 21 October 2009

Greeting the delegation, the Prime Minister assured of Armenia’s
interest in strengthening cooperation ties with Japan. Tigran Sargsyan
noted that the newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister is an old
friend of our scientific community.

Thanking the head of the Armenian government for a warm welcome,
the President of Minophagen said he wishes to contribute to the
development of Armenia-Japan relationships.

Among other issues, the parties have touched upon the possibility
of launching pharmaceuticals production in Armenia. The head of
government expressed support for any such initiative as may prove to
be prospective and feasible.

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN MET WITH KAIDANOW

hos15639.html
20:16:08 – 21/10/2009

On October 21, the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan met
with the U.S. Deputy Assistant State Secretary Tina Kaidanow and the
U.S. ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovich.

In the course of the meeting, the developments in the Armenian and
Turkish normalization process as well as issues relating to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were discussed. The collocutors dwelt on
the democratic issues in Armenia in particular the release of the
political prisoners.

The coordinator of the central office of the Armenian National Congress
Levon Zurabyan and Avetis Avagyan also took part in the meeting,
the HAK office informs.

BATTLE OF FLAGS CONTINUES BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN

Tert
Oct 21 2009
Armenia

Today at 9 am, flags of both countries were removed from in front of
the building of the department of religious affairs of Turkish Embassy
in Azerbaijan, Advisor for Religious Affairs of Turkish Embassy
Muzzefer Shahin told Azerbaijani news agency ANS Press. According
to him, the flags were removed by coworkers of the housing-operation
department.

The reason is unknown. The building of the embassy’s department of
religious affairs is located near the mosque built by the Turkish
community.

Azerbaijani Mili Majlis parliament vice-speaker Bahar Muradova had
stated at the parliamentary session yesterday that Turkish flags were
removed according to the law on foreign flags, which is in force in
Azerbaijan, and the reason the law was not enforced until now was
due to carelessness.

DENIZ BAYKAL: "YOU CAN’T DEAL WITH PKK BUT HIT AZERBAIJAN?!"

APA
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "Without interfering in the recent disputes as to who is
right between Turkey and Azerbaijan, I want to say that Turkey did
not take into account its interests and took a wrong step in Armenian
issue. Saying that they are solving a problem they created another
more serious problem," leader of Turkish opposition Deniz Baykal
said at the meeting of the parliamentary faction of the Republican
People’s Party (CHP), APA reports. He said to ingratiate itself with
some foreign circles the Turkish government created a very serious
problem by taking their recommendations into account. We told the
government "Don’t take a step that may hurt Azerbaijan, don’t forget
Azerbaijan’s significance". Alongside with historical closeness,
common language, religion, we reiterated Azerbaijan’s importance for
Turkey in the Caucasus. Some do not see Azerbaijan, they see Armenia
and exert pressure on you. But you – the Turkish government can not
ignore Azerbaijan. Even though the entire world does not see, you
should see Azerbaijan and underline its importance. Unfortunately,
our words were not taken into consideration. We said to Davutoglu
"Don’t sign the protocols" but they signed," he said.

Baykal said the government has not sent the protocols signed with
the European Union about the opening of Turkish ports for the Greek
Cypriots up to now, but it has immediately sent the protocols with
Armenia to the parliament.

The opposition leader mentioned the incidents during the Turkey-Armenia
football match in Bursa, and said that besides the tensions over the
protocols, the flag issue came to agenda as well.

"Bursa authorities banned the Azerbaijani flags before the match. Our
parliamentarians pressured upon the governor, but unfortunately they
collected the Azerbaijani flags before the match. It was one of the
causes of Azerbaijan’s protests".

Baykal also mentioned the show related to the surrender of a group of
PKK militants on borders with Iraq on October 19. "Thousands of people
demonstratively wave the PKK flags in front of eyes of security forces
and you digest it, but you feel need to ban the Azerbaijani flags
in Bursa. You can’t deal with PKK but hit Azerbaijan?! You offer to
Armenian president Sargsyan seat on $10 000-armchair decorated with
Swarovski crystals, but one million Azerbaijanis were expelled from
their homeland and settled in the tent camps and are living in the
difficult conditions. Azerbaijani people feel the pain of occupation
in their hearts. It is very painful".

Baykal reminded about the Abdullah Gul’s protest at the parliament
in 1993 when then-Prime Minister Suleiman Demirel invited Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosian to the funeral of Turkish president
Turgut Ozal. Gul was one of the leaders of oppositional Welfare Party
in that time and he told Demirel: "You shake the hands of killers of
your brothers and those who claim Kars as Armenian territory".

Baykal said he believed that both Turkish and Azerbaijani people would
not allow the governments’ mistake to damage their brotherhood. "Our
friendship and brotherhood with Azerbaijan is above all. The mistakes
of governments will be left in history. I believe that the Azerbaijani
authorities will soon take the control over this problem. Let the
Azerbaijani people have a peace".

ARMENIA: SERVING UP FROGS’ LEGS TO THE FRENCH

/articles/eav101609a.shtml
10/19/09

Traditionally known in the Caucasus for its fish, meat, apricots and
cognac, Armenia is increasingly betting on aqua-culture to increase
much-needed export revenue. Largely an agricultural state, Armenia
exports a growing volume of farmed frogs, crawfish and eels to the
European Union and Ukraine, local news services say.

Armenia so far this year has exported as much as five tons of frozen
frogs to France, the world’s culinary capital to be used in such
dishes as cuisses de grenouilles, or frogs’ legs.

Aside from France, Alexander Alksanian, head of the Ministry of
Agriculture’s Border Control Department, said that roughly 600
kilograms of frogs went to Italy this year, the Panorama news service
reported on October 16.

VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN REFUSES TO PARTICIPATE IN TRIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.10.2009 12:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 16, 2009 the Javakheti Armenian political
activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, who is currently being held in Rustavi
strict regime detention facility number 6, gave his attorney Stepan
Voskanyan, a statement of refusal to participate in the trial, Yerkir
Union told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The statement reads:

"On July 23, 2009 the Court of Appeals of Georgia began the hearings on
the verdict against my father – Ruben Chakhalyan, my younger brother-
Armen Chakhalyan and me.

As of today, the previous two court sessions show that the proceedings
continue to be held with the same violations, as those committed
during the trial in the Court of First Instance:

– the judicial proceedings still take place without my French lawyer,
Patrick Arapian, who was illegally denied registration by the Georgian
authorities;

– the judge rejects almost all defense motions on unacceptable grounds;

– the Armenian translation of the court hearings is totally inadequate
and incomprehensible,

Therefore, I do not have the opportunity to adequately follow the
course of the trial, as well as to participate in it, that is – enjoy
the minimum rights to protection, provided for by all the domestic
and international laws.

Under these circumstances, my participation in the court proceedings
would mean to legitimize, against my will, a shameful farce that
takes place in the courtroom. Therefore, from this time on I refuse
to participate in trial voluntarily."

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE TURKEY-ARMENIA PROTOCOLS

Today.Az
ics/56690.html
Oct 19 2009
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani parliament will debate the Turkey-Armenia protocols.

"I and my counterparts who have just returned from Turkey will put
forward proposals to prevent discussion of the protocols signed at
the Turkish parliament," Member of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary
Security and Defense Committee Zahid Oruj said.

Oruj said appeal to the Turkish parliament will depend on the
discussions.

"Azerbaijan takes certain diplomatic actions. I believe we can use
different influence tools," the parliamentarian said.

Oruj added that they should not only discuss the policy pursued to
normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia, but also regional
issues.

"We should determine profit and losses of Azerbaijan in these
processes, because Azerbaijan’s future is too important as a result of
a change in a power balance in the region. Exchange of views should
be held on this issue, as the parliament as a legislative body is a
branch of the government," Oruj added.