Author: Kanayan Tamar

COMMEMORATION DU GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS A LYON

23 ET 24 AVRIL 2012

Comme chaque annee, l’association FRA Nor Seround a organise ce 23
avril, une marche aux flambeaux et une veillee a Lyon pour commemorer
le souvenir des centaines d’intellectuels armeniens (ecrivains,
musiciens, hommes politiques, hommes d’eglise) qui ont ete arretes
le 24 avril 1915, sous les ordres du comite Union et Progrès des
Jeunes-Turcs, et ont ete methodiquement et sauvagement assassines
pour la simple raison qu’ils etaient Armeniens et chretiens. Ce
fut le signal de debut des massacres organises, planifies et suivis
methodiquement, qui ont abouti a un crime contre l’humanite, nomme
quelques annees plus tard : GENOCIDE.

Plus d’une centaine de personnes, notamment des jeunes, ont repondu a
l’appel du Nor Seround, lundi soir, faisant fi de la pluie et du vent
froid. La marche est partie vers 19 h 30 de la rue de Massena pour
s’arreter place Antonin Poncet au memorial du genocide des Armeniens.

Sur la place, les jeunes du Nor Seround avaient prepare plusieurs
actions d’information a l’attention des manifestants et des passants.

Ainsi, après un discours introductif clair et instructif sur
l’actualite, la loi contre le negationnisme et l’importance de la
lutte contre le negationnisme, le public a visionne un court film
reprenant l’historique du genocide, l’invention du mot genocide,
la lutte de la cause armenienne et l’actualite recente. La troupe
de danse ” Arevik ” a presente une danse intitule ” Gomidas ” ; les
jeunes danseuses habillees de longues robes noires ont represente la
douleur, le recueillement, l’espoir et la vie.

Une idee nouvelle et interessante a ete soumise aux personnes
presentes. Elles ont ete invitees a signaler a l’aide de punaises de
couleur, le pays que leurs anciens, rescapes du genocide, avaient ”
choisi ” pour demarrer une nouvelle vie et fonder une famille. Chacun
a montre le pays d’accueil de sa famille et a note le nom de famille.

Mardi 24 avril, a l’occasion du 97e anniversaire du genocide, une
messe solennelle a rassemble une foule nombreuse a l’eglise Sourp
Hagop de Lyon. Dans une ambiance de recueillement, les prières
ont ete nombreuses a l’attention des 1 500 000 victimes innocentes
du genocide, mais egalement en souvenir du journaliste Hrant Dink
assassine par un nationaliste et de Sevag Sahin Balikci, le jeune
conscrit armenien assassine le 24 avril 2011, alors qu’il terminait
son service militaire dans l’armee turque.

Puis, près de 2 000 personnes se sont rassemblees devant l’eglise. Les
enfants et les personnalites ont ouvert le cortège qui s’est mis
en marche vers 16 h pour se rendre place Antonin Poncet au memorial
armenien. Ni le vent glacial, ni la forte pluie n’ont decourage les
manifestants. Durant le trajet, ils ont scandes differents slogans
dont : ” Ni haine, ni vengeance, justice pour le peuple armenien “,
” halte au negationnisme “, ” reconnaissance et reparation du genocide
armenien “, ” 1 500 000 victimes, la Turquie assassine, la Turquie
nie ses crimes “, ” genocide armenien, genocide impuni “.

Differentes personnalites et hommes politiques etaient presents
a cette commemoration, pour certains deja durant la marche, pour
d’autres sur la place Antonin Poncet. Après les depôts des gerbes
au nom des differentes municipalites, associations et organismes,
les manifestants ont egalement depose aux pieds du monument des
oeillets rouges. Une representante du CCAF (Conseil de Coordination
des Organisations Armeniennes de France, organisateur de la journee) a
debute les prises de parole a 17 h. Plusieurs personnalites politiques
se sont egalement exprimees. On a note entre autres, la presence de
monsieur Gerard Collomb, maire de Lyon, monsieur Jean-Paul Bret,
maire de Villeurbanne, monsieur Jerôme Sturlat, maire de Decines,
monsieur Bernard Genin, maire de Vaulx-en-Velin, monsieur Michel
Forissier, maire de Meyzieu.

De tous les discours, il faut retenir l’idee que, plus que jamais, la
Cause Armenienne a besoin de la mobilisation de tous. Notre presence
doit etre plus forte, plus constante, plus pesante dans les rues,
dans les coulisses, dans les medias et les librairies. Notre juste
cause ne peut accepter de demission, beaucoup ont donne leur vie pour
notre quotidien de confort…

I.A-K

NB. En France, la diaspora armenienne est evaluee a quelques 600 000
personnes dont 45 000 dans le Grand Lyon. La region Rhône-Alpes (Lyon,
Valence, Decines) est leur troisième region d’accueil derrière l’Ile
de France et les Bouches-du-Rhône.

DIJON. MARCHE SILENCIEUSE POUR COMMEMORER LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Gazette Info

24 avril 2012
France

Mardi a Dijon, une marche silencieuse etait organisee pour commemorer
le genocide armenien de 1915. Plusieurs rassemblements de ce type ont
eu lieu un peu partout en France pour commemorer le 97eme anniversaire
du genocide commis sous l’Empire ottoman en 1915. Quelque 1,5 million
d’Armeniens, hommes, femmes et enfants, ont ete massacres, selon les
historiens. La Turquie refute encore toute volonte d’extermination.

En France, le sujet a fait debat en fevrier dernier quand Nicolas
Sarkozy avait voulu faire adopter un texte de loi reprimant la negation
du genocide armenien de 1915. Le Conseil constitutionnel avait censure
cette loi, la jugeant contraire a la liberte d’expression. Francois
Hollande et Nicolas Sarkozy, tous deux presents pour la commemoration
du genocide armenien a Paris, souhaitent faire adopter le texte de
loi une fois elu president de la Republique.

ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN BUSINESS FORUM AIMS TO STRENGTHEN ECONOMIC TIES

Georgia Today
April 26 2012
Georgia

The Armenian business commission, headed by Deputy Economy Minister
Robert Harutyunyan, as well as representatives of the Armenian
Development Agency (ADA), traveled to Georgia on April 21-22 to attend
the Armenian-Georgian business forum.

According to the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers)
of Armenia, the forum will help strengthen economic cooperation
between the two countries.

Agriculture and processing,ã~@~@IT, chemical industry, transport,
pharmacy, construction, jewelry, textile industry, tourism and
hospitality and engineering companies sent their representatives
to Georgia. In total, about 40 Armenian companies participated in
the forum and made presentation on their services and goods. The
delegation’s members held meetings with representatives of Georgian
companies to seek future cooperation ties.

Within the visit, The Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen
(Employers) of Armenia and the Center of International Integration
Support MASTER organized a trade-industrial exhibition BRIDGE EXPO.

Armenian agri-business companies presented their product at the
exhibition.

The Armenian delegation included General Director of the Armenian
Development Agency, Robert Harutyunyan; Head of the Foreign Markets
Department of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia Gagik Kocharyan,
and Head of the Industry Department of the Ministry of Economy of
Armenia, Haik Mirzoyan.

TURKEY SHOULD BE FIRST WHO CONDEMN AND RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – ARMENIAN MP

news.am
April 25, 2012 | 22:32

The Armenian representative to PACE Hermine Naghdalyan made a statement
in connection with the 97th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In her statement Heghine Naghdalyan thanked all states, organizations
and parliaments who recognized the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

She announced that Turkey should have been the first to recognize and
condemn the Armenian Genocide, but instead they forget their history
and propose to create a historian’s commission.

THE ABKHAZIAN STATE TV SHOOTS A FILM ON ARTSAKH

19:40 . 25/04

The camera crew of the Abkhazian state TV is in Artsakh. It is
preparing a documentary on Artsakh before the 20th anniversary of
the liberation of Shushi.

In his talk with yerkir.am the Abkhazian TV broadcaster Robert Jopua
has stated that the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi is
an occasion for shooting a 30-minute documentary on Artsakh.

“Politics will not be touched upon in the film. Instead, they will
show how people live here, what the army and the culture are like
and what is their history,” Jopua has said.

The camera operator of the film Hakop Kushkyan is sure that what he
has shot and is going to shoot is enough that people have an idea
about Artsakh in Abkhazia.

Most probably, the film will be screened on May 8 or 9.

RUSSIA’S ROSNEFT AWARDS ENI $120 BN ARCTIC DEAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 25, 2012 – 19:00 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian oil giant Rosneft and Italy’s Eni will
invest $70 billion in developing Barents Sea offshore deposits
and $55 billion in Black Sea offshore production under a strategic
partnership agreement signed by the companies on Wednesday, April 25,
RIA Novosti reported.

“The two firms will invest $50-70 billion for full development in the
Barents Sea and about $50-55 billion in the Black Sea,” according to
preliminary forecasts, Rosneft President Eduard Khudainatov said.

The deal was signed by Khudainatov and Eni Board Chairman Paolo
Scaroni in the presence of Russian Prime Minister and President-elect
Vladimir Putin.

Eni will have a 33.3 percent share in the joint venture. The Italian
company will finance geological prospecting of the offshore deposits
with recoverable reserves estimated at 36 billion barrels of oil
equivalent.

Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop the Val
Shatskogo deposit in the Black Sea and the Fedynsky and Cental Barents
blocks in the Barents Sea.

Rosneft will also participate in Eni’s international projects as part
of the strategic partnership deal.

Investment in geological prospecting in the Barents and Black Sea
will total $2 billion, Khudainatov said.

Scaroni said the two companies would also discuss in May a list of
joint projects in third countries.

The Fedynsky block in the Barents Sea includes nine deposits with
recoverable hydrocarbon reserves of 18.7 billion barrels of oil
equivalent and the Central Barents block comprises three deposits
with hydrocarbon reserves of 7 billion barrels of oil equivalent,
according to briefing documents prepared for the signing ceremony.

The West Chernomorsky (Val Shatskogo) block includes six fields with
recoverable reserves of about 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVED RF PROSECUTOR GENERAL

ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: On April 25 the President of the
Republic of Armenia hosted Yury Yakovlevich Chaika current Prosecutor
General of Russia. The President noted that Armenian-Russian high-level
political dialogue and active economic cooperation strengthen the
relations between the two allied countries, press office of the
Presidential informed Armenpress.

The head of the state considers that the fact that Armenian General
Prosecutor was granted with Honor Medal by RF heads testifies the
effective cooperation established by two states.

RF Prosecutor General Yury Chaika considers the signing of cooperation
project between the General Prosecutors of two countries due in
2012-2013 comes to prove the confirmation of bilateral relations
and close cooperation in professional field within the framework of
his visit.

GLENDALE THEATER HOSTS GENOCIDE COMMEMORATING PERFORMANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 25, 2012 – 13:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Nearly 1,400 people who packed the Alex Theatre
in Glendale on Tuesday, April 24 night at a city-sponsored event
commemorating the 97th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which
began in 1915 when the Ottoman Empire massacred roughly 1.5 million
Armenians.

According to Glendale News-Press, missing from the audience, though,
was reality star Kim Kardashian, who was personally invited by
Councilman Ara Najarian last week after news circulated that she
planned to take the Glendale mayoral seat within five years.

Najarian said Kardashian sent her regrets and created a video to
present during the event, but the file was incompatible with the
theater technology. The video described the general importance of
remembering the genocide, Najarian said.

Kardashian tweeted similar sentiments earlier Tuesday. “Today lets all
stand together & remember the 1.5 million people who were massacred
in the Armenian Genocide. April 24th, 1915. #NEVERFORGET,” she tweeted.

However, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) flew in from Washington to attend
several genocide commemoration events, including a march throughout
Hollywood that flooded the streets with thousands of people and
clogged traffic for hours. “It’s a very solemn moment,” he said,
before speaking at the Alex Theatre event.

City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian made the opposite commute. On Wednesday he
plans to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Capitol Hill observance
of the Armenian Genocide.

The Glendale event included speeches by Canadian parliamentary member
Jim Karygiannis and filmmaker Eric Nazarian, whose recent work features
a musician searching for a family heirloom lost during the genocide.

Najarian and Councilman Rafi Manoukian said the commemoration
symbolized the fight for recognition.

“Years ago, Armenians would remember the genocide once a year, but
lately Armenians around the world have been talking about the event
on a daily basis in an attempt to get it recognized by all nations,”
Najarian said.

“Instead of getting weaker and weaker over time, our cause is getting
stronger,” Najarian said.

Manoukian, Schiff and others at the commemoration said they were
upset that in a statement released by the White House, President
Obama called for a “just acknowledgement of the facts” but did not
use the word genocide when describing the massacre.

“It was very disappointing,” Manoukian said.

Although some were upset, others said they didn’t think much of it.

“We weren’t expecting anything,” said Glendale resident Aline Miskjian.

THOUSANDS COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT SITE OF MONTEBELLO MONUMENT

ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012

About 2,000 Armenian-Americans, as well as friends and supporters
gathered Tuesday at the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument at Bicknell
Park to commemorate the 97th anniversary of the genocide.

Speakers, including elected officials, scholars and professionals,
gave voice to the frustration of the continued denial of the slaughter
of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire from 1915
to 1923, reports Armenpress citing Whittier Daily News.

“The continued failure of the U.S. government to recognize the Armenia
genocide is deeply disturbing and from a human rights point of view,
terribly counterproductive,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena. “If we
are to lead the fight against genocide in Darfur or elsewhere, we must
be willing to recognize genocide wherever and whenever it has occurred.

The monument, at 901 Via San Clemente, was approved by the Montebello
City Council in 1965.

It symbolizes the first genocide of the 20th century and is in memory
of the those who were systematically massacred.

It was unveiled in April 1968 to honor the Armenians and all victims
of crimes against humanity.

Turkey denies that the massacre was the result of state-sponsored
extermination, but rather the result of ethnic strife, famine and
disease during World War I.

“Armenian genocide recognition demands for the formal acceptance that
the massacre and forced deportation of Armenians committed

by the Ottoman Empire constitutes genocide,” said Tom Alexanian,
a board member of the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles, the
event’s sponsor.

“As of 2009, 21 countries, including France, Canada, Argentina and
Sweden, and 43 states of the United States of America, have followed
suit,” he added.

United Armenian Fund President Harout Sasounian chided elected
officials, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe
Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for not acknowledging
the genocide.

“Shame on them,” he said, saying that their campaign rhetoric has
not matched what they said after being elected to office.

” Joining Schiff were Los Angeles Councilman Paul Krekorian, Los
Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, the former president of the
Glendale Unified School District Greg Krikorian and other dignitaries.

The keynote speaker was Israel Charny, the executive director of the
Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide.

The event also included a religious service led by all denominations
of the Armenian community, a flag ceremony performed by the Homenetmen
and the Armenian General Benevolent Union scouts and the placement
of wreaths by various organizations.

L’ARMENIE A LA CONQUETE DE L’ESPACE
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 25 avril 2012

Le premier ministre Tigran Sarkisian a rencontre mardi 24 avril 2012
une delegation de l’agence spatiale russe pour evaluer la possibilite
de lancement d’un premier satellite commercial armenien.

Le gouvernement armenien a declare que Sarkissian et deux
vice-directeurs de l’Institut Russe de Recherche sur la Construction
des Machines (TsNIIMash) ont discute des scenarios de cooperation
entre les deux pays dans le cadre de l’espace. L’ambassadeur russe
a Yerevan, Vyacheslav Kovalenko, faisait partie de la reunion .

Le TsNIIMash fait partie de l’Agence Spatiale Federale Russe,
connue aussi sous le nom de Roscosmos. Elle est specialisee dans
le projet des missiles balistiques et des navettes spatiales. ” Les
interlocuteurs ont discute des problèmes lies a un possible lancement
d’un satellite commercial armenien, qui pourrait travailler dans
le secteur des telecommunications “, a declare le gouvernement. ”
A ce propos, les parties ont affirme qu’elles sont pretes a prendre
les mesures necessaires pour concretiser ce projet “.

” Elles ont souligne la necessite de commencer un procès d’inscription
a l’Union Internationale des Telecommunications “, a ajoute le
gouvernement. Il n’a pas precise les possibles coûts du projet et
les sources de financement.

A ce jour, le gouvernement armenien a exprime son interet pour un
satellite.