Author: Kamalian Hagop

REPORT ON MISSING PEOPLE IN CAUCASUS IS NOT INCLUDED IN PACE SPRING AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 15:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The report on problems concerning missing people in
the south Caucasus is not included in the preliminary agenda of PACE
(Parliamentarian Assembly of the Council of Europe) spring session,
PACE rapporteur on issues concerning missing people in the South
Caucus Leo Platvoet stated. He added his report may be included till
April 15. L. Platvoet stressed that at his part he has done everything
possible to include the report in the agenda of the coming session.

"I am not a member of the commission, which determines the agenda
of sessions. It has decided that the greater part of spring session
will be devoted to discussions around situation with human rights in
Europe," he stated. At the same time Leo Platvoet expressed hope his
report will be included in the agenda.

Mr. Platvoet added if this does not happen the report will not be
postponed till summer session and will be discussed at the session
of PACE Permanent Commission, which will be held May 24 in Belgrade,
APA reports.

ARMENIAN GRAND MASTERS’ FIRST VICTORIES AT THE EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 11:49

Armenian Grand Masters Rafayel Vahanyan, Artashes Minasyan, Tigran
Petrosyan, Elina Danielyan and Lilit Lazarian celebrated their first
victory at the 8th European Individual Chess Championship held in
the German city of Dresden.

CHAIRMAN OF AZERBAIJAN CEC SAYS ARMENIANS ORGANIZE ELECTION GAMES TO ATTACH A LEGAL SLANT OF OCCUPATION OF AZERBAIJANI LANDS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 4 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend , corr S. Ilhamgizi/ Natig Mammadov, the
Chairman of the Azerbaijan Central Election Committee(CEC), has
made a statement that the initiative of Armenian separatists to hold
"presidential elections" on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh belongs
to Azerbaijan is an arbitrariness of a gruop of some persons. He
noted that any attempts to hold any election campaigns were illegal as
any other actions taken by Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh,
by adding that they were senseless.

According to the Head of CEC, Armenians organizes such election games
to attach a legal slant of their occupying the Azerbaijani lands.

"Each elections should reflect the will of the people, the majority,
and be certainly based upon the international law. Azerbaijanis,
who are local population of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region,
were expelled from there because of their national identity. It means
that the Azerbaijani population of Nagorno-Karabakh will not take
part in the forthcoming "elections", and their will will certainly
not be considered. On other hand, none of the arrangements, which
have been held in Nagorno-Karabakh up to now, have been based upon
either the Azerbaijani legislation or the international law," stated
the Chairman of the Central Election Committee.

Mr. Mammadov also noted that there had not been formed the insitute
of presidency in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Only
those elections campaigns are held on the territory of the country,
which are appointed by the state and official bodies.

OFFICIAL BAKU CONFIDENT FORTHCOMING "PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS"

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 4 2007

Official Baku Confident Forthcoming "Presidential Elections" in Self-Proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh
Separatist Regime Will Not Be Acknowledged by International Community

Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend , corr. E. Husseynov/ Commenting on a piece
of information concerning the so-called "presidential elections"
scheduled for June 19th, 2007 in the breakway Azerbaijani region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Khazar Ibrahim, the Chief of the Press Service of
the Azerbaijani Foreign Office Official Baku is confident that the
elections will not be acknowledged by the international community.

The Press Secretary said that the forthcoming "elections" would have
no force either politically or from any other point of view. "Any
so-called "elections" or other similar elections, connected with
polling the opinion of the remaining population of the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, have been acknowledged by neither any
of the countries nor the entire international community, including
different international organizations."

"Here we may refer to the OCSE Minsk Group Chairs on the resolution
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," resumed
Mr. Ibrahim.

The decision taken by the self-proclaimed "National Assembly of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" concerning the fact that the "presidential
elections" is to be held on June, 19, 2007, has been publicized today
by the Armenian Agency – "Mediamax". The nomination of "candidates"
to the "Presidency" is to begin 90 days prior to the "elections"
themselves. Arkady Gukasian, the Acting Head of the "Republic", who
has held this post since 1997, previously stated that despite the
possibility and right to nominate his candidacy for the "presidency"
for the third term, which was confirmed by the recently-approved
"Constitution", he will not take part in the "election campaign"
this time.

PRESS RELEASE
Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention
185 E 85 Street
New York, NY 10028

top/democracy_and_denial_symposium_on_april_6_2007 3.html

YOU ARE INVITED TO A SYMPOSIUM ON
Democracy and Denial:
Continued challenges for Human Rights in Turkey
Remembering Hrant Dink, assassinated by Turkish Extremist
On
Friday, 6 April 2007
7 PM

Fordham University, 113 W 60th St., (Off 9th Avenue) NYC
12th Floor Faculty Lounge

Professor Helen Fein:
Recipient of 2007 AASSSG Outstanding Achievement Award
Professor Helen Fein, International Association of Genocide Scholars, Boston, MA
Mr. Apo Torosyan, Artist & film maker, Boston, MA
`Discovering My Father’s Village’ 30-minute documentary
Mr. Rag?p Zarakolu, Chair of Freedom to Publish Committee of TPA & Executive Member of Turkish PEN, author and publisher, Turkey

Dr. Kumru Toktamis, Adjunct professor of Cultural History, Pratt Institute, NY

Chairperson: Dr. Anie Kalayjian, Fordham University and President of AASSSG &
Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP)

KRIEGER Essay Contest winners will be announced and awards given
Hosted by: Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress & Genocide (AASSSG), Fordham Psychology Association, SPSSI NY, Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP), and Fordham Psi Chi.

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED
Admission: free with Fordham ID
For information contact Dr. Kalayjian E-mail: [email protected], visit: , or phone: 201 941-2266

This message was sent by: Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention, 185 E 85 Street, New York, NY 10028

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ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN KARABAKH RELEASED THEIR DECISION

KarabakhOpen
03-04-2007 11:00:32

After the extraordinary regional meeting of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
Artsakh the representative of the ARF Central Committee to Artsakh
Arthur Mosiyan released in a briefing on April 2 the decision of
the meeting. It states that NKR is facing external and internal
challenges and outlines the ways of solution of these problems
offered by the ARF Artsakh organization. The ARF Karabakh thinks
that NKR is facing complicated external challenges in connection with
the international recognition of the independence of Artsakh within
the de facto borders. Besides, the organization thinks there are a
number of economic and social problems in Artsakh, namely in terms of
social justice and legality. The ARF Dashnaktsutyun of Karabakh thinks
the rate of emigration is very high, especially from the strategic
regions, which will question the victory in war at the cost of the
lives of many soldiers. The ARF Artsakh organization thinks the
Armenians of Artsakh are in a state of apathy, an inadequate moral
and psychological state, which endangers the track for the logical
completion of the liberation struggle.

"The ARF Artsakh organization thinks the best way to tackle the
abovementioned challenges is to restore the atmosphere of political
solidarity in the country. The upcoming presidential election must
facilitate progress in public administration and development of
the country, in forming a government with a new qualitative basis,
as well as to promote the development of the political sphere on the
basis of a political agreement, a consensus.

The extraordinary regional meeting of the ARF Artsakh organization
decided to instruct the Artsakh Central Committee of the ARF to define
the possibility for naming a common candidate for president of NKR
through negotiations with the political and public forces in the
country in the light of the abovementioned principles. The regional
meeting authorized the Central Committee to announce about its own
candidate or to hold another extraordinary regional meeting of the
ARF Artsakh organization in case the political agreement fails,"
runs the statement of the regional extraordinary meeting of the ARF
Artsakh organization.

AZERI AIRDROMES’ SIGNIFICANCE FOR U.S. EXAGGERATED GROSSLY

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.04.2007 16:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Significance of Azeri airdromes for the United
States is exaggerated grossly," Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of
the Caucasus Media Institute, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. The
U.S. armed forces have sufficient number of bases that can be used
for flights towards Iran, according to him. "Iran borders with Iraq
where U.S. troops are deployed. There are also bases in Saudi Arabia,
Afghanistan and the states of Persian Gulf. Thus, there is no need
in Azeri airdromes," Iskandaryan said.

Earlier in Tbilisi, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew J. Bryza said the United States
would like to use Azeri airdromes if necessary.

ARMENIA’S SECOND LARGEST CITY’S MAYOR WOUNDED IN ATTACK

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 2, 2007 Monday 03:00 PM EST

The mayor of Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri, Vartan Gukasyan,
was attacked on Monday.

Gukasyan’s car was fired at on his way home from Yerevan, the
television company Shant (Lightning) said.

The mayor was in Yerevan to attend a meeting of the leadership of
the Republican Party. The party confirmed the attack on Gukasyan.

According to preliminary information, the mayor was wounded, and two
of his bodyguards killed.

Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia)
March 31, 2007 Saturday
Final Edition

Turkey reopens abandoned medieval Armenian church

Mark Bentley, Bloomberg News

ISTANBUL — Turkey opened a medieval church this week abandoned since
the slaughter of the country’s Armenian community almost a century
ago, a move that may help smooth relations with the U.S. and the
European Union.

The inauguration ceremony marked the completion of the Turkish
government-funded $1.9 million US renovation of the church on Akdamar
Island. The project may ease tensions following the January murder of
Hrant Dink, the most prominent member of the Turkish Armenian
community. The assassination by a suspected nationalist sparked
concern in Europe that Turkey wasn’t doing enough to protect its
Armenian minority.

The EU is pushing Turkey to expand religious freedoms for non-Muslims
as the country presses to become the only predominantly Muslim member
of the European Union. Turkey is also fighting against a proposed
resolution in the U.S. recognizing the massacres as a genocide.

"Every step that Turkey takes to look conciliatory and constructive
on the issue of Armenia and others will help the government in the
eyes of Europe’s politicians," said Katinka Barysch, an analyst at
the Centre for European Reform in London. "People in Europe and
elsewhere are concerned that Turkey looks quite hardline."

Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and the border
between the two countries has been shut since 1993. Gagik Guyurjian,
Armenia’s deputy culture minister, travelled to Turkey through
Georgia to attend the ceremony.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Patriarch Mesrob II, leader of
Turkey’s 60,000 Armenian Orthodox Christians, proposed an annual
pilgrimage to the church, which "perhaps could pave the way for the
longed-for dialogue in which both sides have been unsuccessful to
date."

Koc spoke of the need for Turkey to "protect the cultural diversity
and assets of the different cultures and civilizations in our lands"
without directly mentioning Armenia or Armenians. He referred to the
church, adorned with Turkish flags and a poster of Turkey’s founder,
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as the Van Akdamar Church Memorial Museum. No
Armenian flags were present.

The 300-seat Church of the Holy Cross, located on a small island in
the middle of Lake Van in eastern Turkey, is in many ways a symbol of
the country’s Armenian community.

Reuters AlertNet, UK
April 2 2007

Party nominee for new Armenian PM may eye presidency
02 Apr 2007 18:20:34 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Hasmik Mkrtchan

YEREVAN, April 2 (Reuters) – Armenia’s Republican Party nominated
acting leader Serzh Sarksyan on Monday for the post of prime
minister, paving the way for a bid for the presidency next year.

President Robert Kocharyan is widely expected to sign a decree
endorsing Sarksyan’s candidacy.

"Wednesday is the deadline for the appointment of a new prime
minister, and I think that namely on Wednesday the president will
appoint the prime minister," parliament spokesman Tigran Torosyan
told reporters.

Previous Prime Minister and party leader Andranik Margaryan, died
suddenly of a heart attack on March 25, depriving the tiny ex-Soviet
state of three million of a unifying figure ahead of parliamentary
polls scheduled for May 12.

Sarksyan, 52, who is expected to stand for the presidency of the
Caucasus nation in an election next year, has been defence minister
since 2000.

"Serzh Sarksyan is one of the most experienced and deserving
candidates for the post of prime minister," said Torosyan, who is
also deputy chairman of the Republican Party. He said other major
coalition parties had already approved Sarksyan’s candidacy.

"All the agreements have already been reached, and there can be no
surprises," he said.

The Republican Party is expected to do well in next month’s
parliamentary election.

Analysts believe Sarksyan may seek the presidency after Kocharyan’s
second — and last — five-year term expires.

Christian Armenia is locked in a bloody dispute with Muslim
Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Many voters in next year’s presidential election may be influenced by
the fact that Sarksyan, like Kocharyan, comes from Karabakh.

The area, administratively part of Azerbaijan, is populated by ethnic
Armenians who defy Baku’s rule. More than 35,000 people died in the
Karabakh conflict before a 1994 truce.

Armenia, hemmed by Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and Iran, relies
heavily on financial and moral support from a huge diaspora in
Russia, Western Europe and the United States.