Author: Kanayan Tamar

KIM KARDASHIAN PLANNING NO TRIP TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

13:16 * 09.04.15

Kim Kardashian’s official representatives say that the reality star
is not planning any trip to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as part of
her visit to the ancestors’ homeland.

The report was also confirmed by David Babayan, a spokesperson for the
country’s president. “At least, I personally have not been notified
of any possible visit of hers,” he told our correspondent.

The US-Armenian celebrity is in Armenia on a private visit. She arrived
in Yerevan with husband Kanye West, daughter North and other family
members on Thursday.

The British Daily Mail had earlier described Kardashian’s scheduled
trip as a return to historical roots. In a report on Thursday, it
says that the family are planning to visit the Genocide monument on
the eighth day of their stay in Armenia.

PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION TO CALL ON ALL PARLIAMENTS TO RECOGNIZE AND CONDEMN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY

YEREVAN, April 9. / ARKA /. Armenia’s National Assembly began on
Thursday discussion of a draft resolution, which calls on parliaments
all over the world and international organizations to recognize and
condemn the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey in 1915.

“Guided by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948, the law of
the Supreme Council of the Soviet Armenian Social Republic on the
Condemnation of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey in 1915
of November 22, 1988, emphasizing the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the
100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the contribution of the
Armenian people together with the international community to the fight
against crimes against humanity, appreciating the parliaments of the
countries which recognized the Armenian Genocide and the countries
which adopted laws condemning the denial of genocide, the National
Assembly of Armenia calls on the parliaments of all countries and
nations to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman
Turkey as a crime committed against humanity,’ the resolution states.

The resolution is authored by MPs from Heritage, Prosperous Armenia,
the Republican Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir and the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation / Dashnaktsutyun parties.

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.

According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million
Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by
the government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades.

The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first
was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France,
Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina,
42 U.S. states.

It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the
World Council of Churches and other international organizations. -0-

WHAT DID IRANIAN AMBASSADOR PROPOSE?

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 09 April 2015, 11:16

While presenting the report of the ad hoc gas committee, the head of
the Standing Committee of Economic Affairs Vardan Aivazyan surprised
with his answer to Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan’s question.

Nikol Pashinyan said according to the report, extraction costs of the
Iranian gas are the lowest in the world and asked why Armenia does
not buy gas from Iran. Vardan Aivazyan stated that Iran will never
propose a price lower than 189 dollars.

His statement is at least strange, considering that in 2013 the Iranian
ambassador to Armenia Muhammad Reisi announced several times that Iran
can supply gas to Armenia that will be competitive with Russian gas.

Then the Armenian minister of energy Armen Movsisyan announced that
the Iranian gas is more expensive than the Russian gas. The Iranian
ambassador replied to him in his next press conference that everything
depends on negotiations, and gas may cost 400 dollars for one and
100 dollars for another.

The ambassador is an official, the representative of his country to
Armenia, and if the ambassador states something, it is an official
statement, not his personal opinion. Hence, either Vardan Aivazyan
is distorting the truth or he is not competent and does not know that
Iran has offered cheap gas to Armenia. How Armenia responded to that
offer is another issue.

For example, in his end-of-year press conference in 2013 the Armenian
ex-prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said the statements of the Iranian
ambassador were apparently a “diplomatic error”. It was the so-called
official response to Iran’s proposal.

It is possible that official Yerevan was expecting an original proposal
of cheap gas from the Iranian side, for example, the Iranian foreign
minister of president drop the cheap gas offer with a parachute
on the Republic Square or knock at the window of one of the public
institutions of Armenia, such as the president or the government,
and offer cheap price. Or write the price with balloons in front of
the government.

However, Yerevan did not get original proposals. Tehran did not try
to be original and simply announced bluntly that they could sell
cheap gas to Armenia and everything depends on negotiations.

Yet it is clear that Russia will not allow Armenia to buy cheap gas
from Iran, especially now when every single cubic meters of gas
matters much to Gazprom. Moreover, statistics will show that the
quantity of electricity generated on the expensive Russian gas has
increased. Only sovereign Armenia can buy cheap gas from Iran which is
capable of political decisions. Furthermore, the political decisions
will not be limited to the revision of the gas deal and negotiations
with Iran. The point is that the negotiations will cover important
political issues, namely the destiny of the regional status quo.

Iran wants the Armenian side to continue to control the liberated
territories. This is especially relevant on the backdrop of the
growing pressure by Russia to station CSTO peacekeepers in Artsakh.

Russia thereby offers a deal to Azerbaijan and Turkey, promising to
pressure on Armenia to return one or two territories. This is not a
desirable option for Iran, and it is generally reluctant to see anyone
else at the northern border apart from the Armenian military control.

However, this is not a goal but a means of protection of the Armenian
factor through which Iran expects to boost its regional role,
especially with the positive dynamics of normalization of relations
with the West. In this respect, Armenia is a very important platform
for Iran, a platform to which there is no alternative, and Tehran
highly estimates the sovereignty and autonomous policy of Armenia.

There are big economic and defense prospects but it is more convenient
to tell that Iran has not proposed anything to Armenia than to assume
responsibility for complicated political issues. It is good that
there are no statements like there is no Iran, and they never knew
such a country ever existed.

CHYPRE CRIMINALISE LA NEGATION DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Publie le : 08-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le parlement chypriote
a adopte jeudi 2 avril 2015 une resolution penalisant la negation
des genocides, des crimes contre l’humanite et des crimes de guerre,
modifiant la loi existante qui exigeait la condamnation anterieure
[d’un genocide] par un tribunal international pour faire de son deni
un crime. Le lundi 30 mars, les deputes chypriotes avaient accepte
de modifier la loi penalisant la negation d’un genocide, si le
genocide en question avait ete reconnu a l’unanimite par la Chambre
des representants. C’est precisement le cas du genocide armenien que
la Chambre des representants de Chypre a officiellement reconnu le
24 avril 1975, en votant a l’unanimite la resolution 36. La nouvelle
decision intervient a quelques jours du centenaire du genocide contre
les Armeniens dont les commemorations se tiendront le 24 avril 2015.

L’extermination programmee en 1915 par le gouvernement Jeune-Turc
avait fait 1.500.000 victimes parmi les Armeniens et au moins 250.000
morts chez les Assyriens. Le Collectif VAN vous propose la traduction
de deux articles en anglais du journal chypriote Cyprus Mail, publies
les 3 mars et 2 avril 2015.

Cyprus Mail

Le 2 avril 2015

George Psyllides

Chypre criminalise la negation du genocide armenien de 1915 par
les Turcs

Chypre a estime jeudi [2 avril] que nier que les Turcs ottomans ont
commis un genocide contre les Armeniens de Turquie il y a un siècle,
etait un crime.

Le parlement chypriote a adopte une resolution penalisant la negation
des genocides, des crimes contre l’humanite et des crimes de guerre,
modifiant la loi existante qui exigeait la condamnation anterieure
[d’un genocide] par un tribunal international pour faire de son deni
un crime.

“Aujourd’hui est un jour historique”, a dit le president du parlement,
Yiannakis Omirou. “Il permet au Parlement de retablir des verites
historiques, avec des decisions et resolutions unanimes.”

L’île a ete l’un des premiers pays au monde a reconnaître en 1975
les massacres armeniens comme un genocide. Ce dernier est commemore
le 24 avril.

La Turquie accepte que de nombreux Armeniens sont morts dans des
combats partisans au debut de 1915, mais nie que jusqu’a 1,5 million de
personnes ont ete tuees et que cela constituait un acte de genocide
– un terme utilise par de nombreux historiens occidentaux et des
parlements etrangers.

L’Armenie accuse les autorites ottomanes de l’epoque d’avoir
systematiquement massacre un grand nombre d’Armeniens, puis d’en avoir
deportes un plus grand nombre, y compris les femmes, les enfants,
les personnes âgees et les infirmes, dans les conditions terribles
des marches dites >.

La question a longtemps ete une source de tensions entre la Turquie
et plusieurs pays occidentaux, notamment les Etats-Unis et la France,
où vivent de grandes diasporas armeniennes. Chypre a egalement une
population armenienne.

Article en anglais:

Cyprus criminalises denial of 1915 Armenian genocide by Turks

———————————————————————————

Cyprus Mail

Le 31 mars 2015

Accord sur la penalisation de la negation du genocide armenien

Par Elias Hazou

Ce lundi [30 mars] les deputes chypriotes ont accepte de modifier la
loi penalisant la negation d’un genocide, si le genocide en question
a ete reconnu par la Chambre des representants [1].

La question concerne essentiellement le genocide armenien et elle a
refait surface la semaine dernière en raison de la prochaine visite a
Chypre du president de l’Assemblee nationale armenienne pour marquer
le 100ème anniversaire du genocide armenien [Nota CVAN : cette visite
a eu lieu le 2 avril].

En l’etat actuel, la loi stipule que la negation des crimes contre
l’humanite et du genocide est consideree comme une infraction penale
uniquement dans le cas où le crime en question a ete reconnu par la
decision irrevocable d’un tribunal international.

Chypre figure parmi les 22 pays qui ont reconnu le genocide armenien.

Cependant, comme la Cour penale internationale ne l’avait pas reconnu,
la negation de ce genocide n’etait pas consideree comme une infraction
penale ici [a Chypre].

Le president de la Chambre des representants, Yiannakis Omirou, a tenu
a ajouter une clause a la legislation, penalisant la negation d’un
genocide, que celui-ci ait ete reconnu par un tribunal international
ou par une resolution du Parlement de Chypre.

Après un debat qui s’est tenu lundi a la commission des affaires
juridiques de la Chambre, les parties ont adopte la proposition
legislative d’Omirou, mais avec une modification – la negation d’un
genocide sera consideree comme une infraction penale uniquement si
la resolution de la Chambre reconnaissant ce genocide avait ete votee
a l’unanimite.

Omirou avait voulu faire modifier la loi avant ou pendant la visite
a Chypre de Galust Sahakyan, president de l’Assemblee nationale
armenienne.

Des sources emanant du Parti du Rassemblement democrate (DISY)
au pouvoir [Nota CVAN : opposition de droite liberale] ont indique
a Cyprus Mail que la Chambre pourrait tenir une session plenière
extraordinaire jeudi matin [le 2 avril], avant la plenière prevue,
pour adopter la modification de la loi.

Sahakyan, qui est attendu sur l’île mercredi, doit prononcer son
discours devant la Chambre des representants jeudi après-midi.

Il semble qu’Omirou a promis a son homologue armenien lors d’un voyage
officiel en Armenie en novembre dernier, que Chypre allait penaliser
la negation du genocide armenien, comme d’autres pays – la Suisse,
la Slovaquie, la Grèce – l’ont fait.

Les memes sources du Parti DISY ont rejete l’opinion rapportee par
le quotidien Simerini, selon laquelle Omirou et la presidence etaient
en desaccord au sujet de la modification de la loi.

Les seules reserves que le president avait, concernaient le fait que
le gouvernement n’avait pas ete consulte sur cette question qui est
liee a la politique etrangère.

Les sources ont egalement refute les rapports des medias selon lesquels
les deputes du DISY avaient pris position, devant la commission,
contre la penalisation du negationnisme car cela pourrait provoquer
la colère des Chypriotes turcs et de la Turquie, particulièrement en
ce moment où les pourparlers de paix peuvent reprendre.

Chypre a ete le premier pays europeen (et le deuxième au monde, après
l’Uruguay) a reconnaître officiellement le genocide armenien. Le 24
avril 1975, la resolution 36 a ete votee a l’unanimite par la Chambre
des representants.

Etant donne que la decision a ete unanime, l’amendement de la
criminalisation proposee maintenant devrait automatiquement s’appliquer
au genocide armenien.

Cela suggèrerait que la penalisation de la negation de cet evenement
n’a jamais ete un point de desaccord entre les deputes – sauf
peut-etre le fait que DISY faisait une question de principe que de
telles decisions doivent etre adoptees a l’unanimite, donnant de cette
facon au gouvernement en place – via les voix du parti au pouvoir a la
Chambre Рun levier dans les questions liees a la politique etrang̬re.

Selon la loi, la negation ou la > de crimes
de guerre reconnus, de crimes contre l’humanite et de genocide,
dans le cas où le crime est reconnu par un tribunal international,
est passible d’une peine qui peut atteindre cinq ans d’emprisonnement,
accompagnee ou non d’une amende de 10.000 euros.

Les gouvernements de la Turquie et de l’Azerbaïdjan nient le
genocide armenien. Les organisations internationales reconnaissant
officiellement le genocide armenien sont le Parlement europeen,
le Conseil de l’Europe et le Conseil oecumenique des eglises.

Le genocide armenien concerne l’extermination systematique par le
gouvernement ottoman, de ses sujets de la minorite armenienne, dans
leur patrie historique au sein du territoire qui constitue l’actuelle
Republique de Turquie. On estime que 1,5 millions d’Armeniens ont
peri entre 1915 et 1923.

[1] Nota CVAN : La Chambre des representants est monocamerale. Ses
membres sont elus au suffrage universel pour un mandat de cinq ans. Le
Parlement comprend 80 sièges dont 56 sont elus par la communaute
chypriote grecque et 24 par la Communaute chypriote turque. Depuis
1963, les sièges des Chypriotes turcs restent vacants (ce qui explique
le vote a l’unanimite de la reconnaissance du genocide armenien
en 1975).

(c)Traduction de l’anglais Collectif VAN – 2 avril 2015 –

Article en anglais:

Agreement on criminalising denial of Armenian genocide

—————————–

Nota CVAN :

Turquie

La Turquie, qui est pourtant dans un processus d’adhesion a l’Union
europeenne, occupe 37% de l’île de Chypre, un territoire de l’UE…

Ankara ne reconnaît toujours pas la Republique de Chypre et a mis
un veto a son adhesion a plusieurs instances internationales (OCDE,
Wassenaar, MTCR en particulier). La Turquie interdit l’accès aux
ports et aeroports turcs des bateaux et aeronefs chypriotes ou ayant
transite par Chypre. Cette situation est contraire au Protocole
d’Ankara, signe par la Turquie le 29 juillet 2005 et qui visait
a etendre l’Union douanière aux dix Etats membres ayant adhere en
2005, dont Chypre. Alors que les Turcs avaient souligne, dans une
declaration, que cette signature ne valait pas reconnaissance de la
Republique de Chypre, les Etats membres ont adopte en septembre 2005
une contre-declaration rappelant que la reconnaissance de tous les
Etats membres etait une condition necessaire du processus d’adhesion
a l’UE et que l’ouverture des chapitres de negociations serait liee
a la pleine application du Protocole.

Lire aussi :

> vs >

Observatoire du Negationnisme du Collectif VAN

Source/Lien : Cyprus Mail

ARMENIA’S SECOND PRESIDENT FINDS CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM SENSELESS

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan
finds constitutional reform senseless.

He is convinced that the country’s problems are not connected with
the Constitution, especially with the type of governance.

Kocharyan said in an interview he posted on his informal
website.

In his opinion, important is an accomplished system of parties and
democracy and struggle inside parties that renewed their leadership
and update their strategies.

“Do you know such parties in Armenia? Unfortunately, even the level
of political discussions is extremely primitive here,” he said.

“It is naivety to think that a parliamentary governance model will
automatically create democratic and competitive environment for
parties. It is more likely to strengthen cronyism in the governance,
which is dangerously commonplace in Armenia and is one of the
country’s woes.”

On March 14, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan approved the concept
of constitutional reforms that has been worked out by a professional
commission.

In compliance with the president’s instruction, the commission must
organize discussions with political parties and respond to their
proposals and remarks.

The concept is focused on reasonability of transition from

ARMENIA’S AMBASSADOR TO GREECE AND GREEK NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER DISCUSS MILITARY COOPERATION ISSUES

20:42, 7 April, 2015

YEREVAN, 7 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to
Greece Gagik Ghalachyan had a meeting with Minister of National Defense
of Greece Panos Kammenos. During the meeting, the sides discussed a
broad range of issues related to Armenian-Greek relations and praised
the current level of relations.

As the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports to
“Armenpress”, the sides exchanged views on the perspectives of further
development of the existing cooperation between the Ministries of
Defense of both countries. The sides recorded with satisfaction the
fact that Greece and Armenia have successfully enhanced cooperation
in military instruction, the training of officers, peacekeeping,
military industry, military-technical and other spheres and touched
upon the upcoming programs for cooperation.

VLADIMIR SPIVAKOV TO GIVE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENARY COMMEMORATION CONCERT IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. The National Philharmonic of Russia led by
world-known conductor Vladmir Spivakov will hold concerts in Armenia
to commemorate the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the Top Concert
facebook page reports.

The concerts will take place at the National Academic Theatre of
Opera and Ballet in Yerevan.

The concert program includes Mozart Piano Concert N12 and Requiem
(April 14), Verdi, Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti and Puccini (April 15)
and Chaplin “Big City Lights” multimedia project (April 16). -0–

BACK TO ROOTS: KIM KARDASHIAN ARRIVES IN ARMENIA

21:23, 08 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Armenian-American reality star Kim Kardashian has just arrived in
Armenia, accompanied by her husband Kanye West and sister Khloe.

She was greeted at Zvartnots Airport by tens of journalists.

“I’m very happy to be in Armenia,” Kim said.

Once outside the terminal the reality stars left in a minivan together.

On a visit to the country of her ancestors, Kim Kardashian will pay
tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide.

The Kardashians will be followed by camera crews from the broadcaster
E! to film several episodes of the reality seriesKeeping Up With The
Kardashians, but no official meetings or press conferences are planned.

Her late father Robert was a third-generation Armenian American,
and on several occasions she has publicly supported international
recognition of the Armenians’ systematic extermination at the hands
of the Ottoman government.

CYPRUS PRESIDENT TO VISIT TSITSERNAKABERD WITH A REPRESENTATIVE DELEGATION

17:37, 8 April, 2015

NICOSIA, 8 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades
will be accompanied by Members of the Parliament of Cyprus and
representatives of the Cypriot-Armenian community during his April
22-25 visit to Armenia. As a representative of the office of Armenian
Member of the Parliament of Cyprus Vartkes Mahdessian said in an
interview with “Armenpress”, the President will be accompanied
by members of the country’s three major political parties at
Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex. “Member of
the Parliament of Cyprus, leader of Tisi Party and chair of the
Cyprus-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Averof Noephytou,
secretary of Akel Party of Nicosia Stefanos Stefanou and former leader
of Cyprus’s TICO Party and former parliamentary speaker, current
Member of Parliament Marios Garoyian will also be participating in
the ceremonies commemorating the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide
to be held in Armenia on 22-25 April,” as reported from Nicosia.

Armenian Member of the Parliament of Cyprus Vartkes Mahdessian will
also be joining the President on his visit to Armenia.

REPORT: PLAQUE OF AZERBAIJANI MONUMENT BROKEN IN TURKISH PARK

14:41 08/04/2015 ” SOCIETY

Unknown people broke the plaque in the Park of Shekhids in the Turkish
district Turgutlu which was set to memorize the victims of Aghdam
events in 1992, Azerbaijani site Report.az writes.

According to the article, Turgay Sirin, the head of Turgutlu district
municipality, said that some parts of the plaque were broken, and
the Turkish flag was taken off and thrown to the ground.

The agency notes that the park was opened in the street Ozgun,
block Turgutlar on February 27, 2015 upon the decision of the local
municipality board.

On February 26, 1992, during the war in Karabakh, around 200 to 300
people (according to Human Rights Watch, and more than 600 according
to the version propagated by Azerbaijan) were killed in unknown
circumstances near the city of Aghdam. They have been deliberately
withheld by the Azerbaijani authorities in the midst of the military
actions. Population of the village of Khojalu, which was one of the
firing points shooting at the blockaded Stepanakert (among five others)
was kept in the village for months by force and was not evacuated by
the authorities of Azerbaijan deliberately, in order to use them as
human shields later.

Residents of Khojalu coming out through the humanitarian corridor,
that the self-defense forces of NKR had left open, freely passed more
than 10 km and reached the Aghdam city controlled by the Azerbaijani
troops. Later, not far from the positions of Azerbaijani troops dead
bodies of the villagers were found. The exact death toll remains
unknown as the official Baku publishes data contradicting each other.

Parliamentary Commission investigating the tragic death of the
civilians at Aghdam city was dissolved by the order of Heydar Aliyev,
the investigative materials are kept secret.

Source: Panorama.am