Author: Kanayan Tamar

AZNAVOUR: I DO NOT KNOW ANY ARMENIAN WHO DOES NOT SING

news.am
Dec 7 2011
Armenia

PARIS. – Russian Argumenti i Fakti newspaper interviewed famous
French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour.

‘You will win the world as you are able to excite,’ French former
President Charles de Gaulle told Aznavour in the past.

The singer said that he has no intentions to leave the stage in his
87. He started world tour in fall and will sing in Moscow in December.

Armenain News-NEWS.am presents an extract of the publication.

In response to the question, why Aznavour named his children with
Russian names being of Armenian descent, the singer responded that
his love for Russia is in blood, which he inherited from his father.

Besides, most in Russian literature he loves Chekhov’s works. They
inspire him.

In response, whether there was time when his muse left him, the
singer responded that he was always lucky. He always writes and not
only songs. He sings since he was 9 and starred in movies since 1936.

According to him, “every second Armenian is an artist.” He sang, when
got tired of it, starred in movies, and again started to sing. He can
state for sure that there is no Armenian who does not sing. He was
born and lived his life in Paris. However, his roots are in Armenia:
the language, traditions and musicality. His children do not speak
Armenian but they do not forget their origin. Aznavour is currently
Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland and permanent representative in UN.

He helps Armenia’s children by building schools.

In response to name is favorite song, the artist said it is “Eternal
Youth.”

Regarding the report that his energy opposes his real age, the singer
said that he gets power every day. He advised to live life the way
to deplete it thoroughly, to do everything which is possible and even
more. The artist loves life. As a result, he finds power to sing. He
has no intentions to leave the stage. Recently he released 57th album
called Aznavour forever. Moreover, he started world tour in fall and
planned more than 50 concerts.

Aznavour promised to Russian audience that he will sing old and new
songs in the concert scheduled for December 12 in the Kremlin. His
beloved daughter Katya will sing in a duet with him, which is very
exciting. He hopes that audience in Moscow will experience tenderness
and light melancholy on his performance.

In response to whether a magician could realize Aznavour’s dream on
the New Year, what it will be, he said he would like to work till 90
and die at the age of 100.

EMPLOYEE OF HAYASTAN ALL ARMENIAN FUND RELEASED

news.am
Dec 8 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Employee of Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s press service Armen
Ohanyan was released, he told Armenian News-NEWS.am. He was detained
by Armenia’s National Security Service on Thursday morning in Yerevan.

According to him, he refused to answer the questions in the Service
without the presence of his lawyer.

In response how he was detained, he said that first three, then another
three employees came and detained him without showing a notification
adding that no incidents were registered, employees were polite.

“I answered their questions at 04.00 p.m. with the presence of my
lawyer,” Ohanyan said.

Ohanyan was in the investigation department on the case of fake
diplomas on secondary education. His relative had a connection to it
and the Service thought that Ohanyan may also know some information.

His detainment has no political context, he added.

ARMENIAN YOUTH TO APPEAL DECISION RECOGNIZING HARISSA AS TURKISH DISH

news.am
Dec 7 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenian publicist and writer sees a plot in the
Culture Ministry’s policy. She expressed this opinion, during a
press conference on Wednesday, reflecting on including the Armenian
national dish Harissa in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List,
but as a Turkish national dish called Keshkek.

In her words, cuisine is a part of culture, and Harissa is an Armenian
dish which was prepared since long ago. “We must be the masters of our
belonging. We have a Culture Ministry that has two tasks: to preserve
and to reveal what was lost, and to properly present our culture,”
the publicist stated.

In his turn, the “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary
Traditions” NGO Chairman Sedrak Mamulyan noted that the utensils,
methods, and ingredients used for making the Harissa have a pure
Armenian origin and it is a purely Armenian dish. “If a dish is
prepared in the tonir [cylindrical clay oven], there is no doubt that
it is Armenian. The homeland of the wheat is the Armenian Plateau,
and this is accepted by everyone,” he said.

And the aforesaid NGO’s secretary Vahe Antanesyan informed that the
young Armenian ethnographers are gathering all information on Harissa
so as to appeal this decision. “But there must be state assistance
to rectify the situation,” he argued.

ARMENIA, LEBANON SIGN 7 BILATERAL AGREEMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 9, 2011 – 15:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – During Lebanese President Michel Sleiman’s visit
to Armenia, 7 agreements were signed to promote bilateral ties.

The agreements cover economic collaboration, standardization
procedures, cooperation in the fields of sports, culture and tourism,
with relevant Armenian and Lebanese ministers undersigning.

On December 8, Mr. Sleiman arrived in Armenia on the invitation of
Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan. A meeting with President Sargsyan,
Armenian officials as well as Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness
Karekin II are on the agenda. Also, agreements to promote development
of bilateral relations will be signed during the visit.

IN WHAT CONTEXT GORIK HAKOBYAN’S ISSUE WILL BE SOLVED

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:20:52 – 09/12/2011

The Haykakan Zhamanak Daily writes that again rumors appeared on
the upcoming dismissal of the chief of the National Security Service
Gorik Hakobyan.

The newspaper wrote that Serzh Sargsyan is considering his dismissal
seriously because in the presidential office they are afraid that
Gorik Hakobyan’s age and health may “let him down” at crucial moments.

Gorik Hakobyan’s possible successor is rumored to be Arzuman
Harutyunyan, the brother of the chairman of the Constitutional Court
Gagik Harutyunyan.

Rumors on Gorik Hakobyan’s dismissal appear in the Armenian press very
often. It should be noted that according to the law, without further
“complications”, he was to retire earlier but his term of office has
been prolonged by the president for several times.

There is an opinion that the Armenian NSS is closely linked to Russia’s
intelligence service. hHence, the decision on the head of the NSS is
made in Moscow. In other words, de facto the Armenian authorities
play no role in the appointment of the NSS Chairman; this task is
out of the “competences” of the Armenian government.

Gorik Hakobyan has been in this office for so long because he was
intact, and also because there was no one to replace him. Can this
situation change now?

Traditionally, the Armenian army and the NSS have been considered
as branches of Russia’s relevant structures. In case of the army,
we can notice some changes: it became very autonomous in terms of
external military relations and partnership. We can say that the
Armenian army has “diversified” its external relations. The NSS
is a more conservative structure, and in this sense, it is almost
impossible to think about its “diversification”, especially now when
Russia is gradually losing its influence on the traditional “zones”
and will “cling” to everything.

Apparently, Gorik Hakobyan’s issue will be solved in this context.

LEBANON’S PRESIDENT PAYS TRIBUTE TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

armradio.am
09.12.2011 13:49

President of Lebanon Michel Sleiman, who is in Armenia on an official
visit, accompanied by his spouse Wafaa Sleiman visited Tsitsernakaberd
Memorial Complex and put a wreath at the memorial to the Armenian
Genocide victims.

The members of the Lebanese delegation put flowers at the Eternal
Fire and honored the memory of the innocent victims with a minute
of silence.

The President of Lebanon and his delegation visited the Armenian
Genocide Museum and took a tour of the museum after which President
Michel Sleiman left the following note in the Commemoration Book. “The
one, who stands in front of this monument, sees the glorious history
of struggle and sacrifice. I wish prosperity to the friendly Armenian
people.”

The members of the Lebanese delegation also had a tour of the Memory
Alley, where President of Lebanon Michel Sleiman planted a fir tree.

It should be noted that in 2000 the Lebanese Parliament recognized and
condemned the genocide carried out in 1915 against the Armenian people.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN APPELLE LA TURQUIE A SE REPENTIR
Gari

armenews.com
vendredi 9 decembre 2011

Le president armenien Serge Sarkissian, en echo aux recentes
declarations du premier ministre turc Recep Tazyyip Erdogan exprimant
le repentir de la Turquie pour la repression sanglante qui avait
ete exercee – par les gouvernements kemalistes laïques turcs- sur
la minorite kurde, a appele la la Turquie a exprimer un “repentir”
similaire pour les massacres des Armeniens de l’Empire ottoman
perpetres pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Il s’est dit confiant
par ailleurs sur le fait qu’Ankara finira par les reconnaître comme
un genocide.

“Nous pensons que la Turquie doit se repentir”, a declare le president
armenien qui se trouvait le 7 decembre a Marseille où il participait
a la reunion des droites europeennes. “Il ne s’agit la ni d’une
condition prealable ni d’une soif de revanche. La Turquie doit faire
face a son histoire”, a indique M. Sarkissian.

“Un jour, les responsables de la Turquie trouveront le courage de
remettre en cause leur approche du genocide armenien”, a ajoute M.

Sarkissian, qui s’exprimait lors d’une reception organisee en son
honneur par le maire de Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin, en presence de
representants de la communaute armenienne locale.

“Tôt ou tard, la Turquie, qui se considère comme un pays europeen,
sera dirigee par un gouvernement authentiquement europeen qui sera en
mesure de se recueillir a Tsitsernakabert [le memorial du genocide a
Erevan]”, a poursuivi le president armenien en concluant par ces mots :
“Le plus tôt sera le mieux, mais c’est au peuple turc d’en decider”.

La Turquie n’a pas encore officiellement reagi a l’appel du
president Sarkissian, mais le “repentir” de M. Erdogan a deja fait
couler beaucoup d’encre dans ce pays, certains voulant y voir les
premisses d’une reconnaissance du genocide des Armeniens, ce dont s’est
d’ailleurs defend avec vehemence le premier minister turc. Ce dernier,
qui crie a l’electoralisme dès lors qu’il s’agit de reconnaissance
du genocide des Armeniens, tout dernièrement encore après les
declarations de N. Sarkozy a Erevan appelant Ankara a affronter son
histoire, semble avoir obei a des calculs etroitement politiciens
lorsqu’il s’est livre a cet exercice de ” repentir ” concernant les
massacres des Kurdes. Il s’agissait en effet plus d’attaquer les
auteurs directs de ces massacres, en l’occurrence les gouvernements
kemalistes laïques dont l’actuel parti nationaliste turc d’opposition,
CHP, est l’heritier, que de presenter des excuses au peuple kurde.

PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION: OSCE MG MEMBERS’ ACTIVITY ON RESOLVING KARABAKH PROBLEM INSUFFICIENT (PHOTO)

Trend
Dec 7 2011
Azerbaijan

The OSCE Minsk Group member countries’ activity on resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be considered satisfactory, Head
of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev said
addressing the international conference “20 Years of Independence:
achievements and challenges in progressive, fair and dynamic
state-building”.

“Despite maintenance of a situation, which is far from observance
of international legal norms, we are witnessing the international
community’s silence. In the eyes of the entire international community
these states have not taken any action to stop the Armenian aggression
and liberate Azerbaijani territories from occupation for many years,”
Mehdiyev said.

He said the Azerbaijani people have long realized that behind the
scenes these states protect Armenia’s occupation policy.

“The OSCE Minsk Group member countries should be aware that the
Azerbaijani people’s patience limit is not so large and it losses its
patience. At the same time, as the history of the twentieth century
shows, the international community has never recognized the puppet
states created as a result of aggression, and struggled with them.

Otherwise, the world order, protection of international peace and
security would be out of the question,” Mehdiyev said.

He said the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains a major
threat to the future fair society that nations want to build, and
to security.

“The international community must increase its efforts, guided
by the rule of international law and force Armenia to fulfill its
international obligations.

Nagorno-Karabakh residents are Azerbaijani citizens. Azerbaijan,
known by its progressive position in the Council of Europe, along with
ensuring protection of national unity around common and universal
values and ideas, recognizes national minorities’ rights with all
their peculiarities,” Mehdiyev said.

He said everyone in Azerbaijan is free to define his ethnicity and
develop inherent peculiarities.

“A nation reflects the unity of all citizens living within the
state, regardless of language, religious and ethnic difference. The
Armenians born and residing in Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the
commitments undertaken by Azerbaijan towards the UN and the Council
of Europe, and within the Azerbaijani legislation, are free to live
and enjoy the rights granted by the Azerbaijani Constitution. However,
aggression and cooperation are incompatible,” Mehdiyev said.

He said Armenia’s occupation policy has isolated it from the regional
projects and led the country’s economy to the grave situation.

“Armenian population facing hardships leave the country in a mass.

However, today Azerbaijan successfully continues economic strategy,
started in 1994,” Mehdiyev said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

SASON ARMENIANS HALF-PLEASED WITH APPEALS COURT RULING

Today’s Zaman

Dec 7 2011
Turkey

With the Supreme Court of Appeals overturning a local court’s
decision to not give local Armenians the right to use their churches
and cemeteries, Sason Armenians are half-satisfied because they are
also demanding the title deeds to those properties.

“We respect the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals,” said Aziz
Daglı who chairs the Sason Armenians’ Association. “But as well as
having a right to use those places, we also have a right to have the
deeds to these properties.”

The deed registry records in regards to the hundreds-of-years-old
Armenian churches and cemeteries of Sason, a district in the province
of Batman, state that those are “vacant land, forests and deserted
homes.”

The association filed a case in the local court in 2008 asking to
have those areas given “cultural value” status. However, Daglı said
that the local court disregarded their demand.

“This ruling was against the Lausanne Treaty’s articles regarding
minority rights in Turkey. This was also against the Convention for
the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which Turkey
signed and ratified. The local court did not care about our rights.

Therefore, we appealed,” he said.

According to the appeals’ court’s decision, those properties should
be considered “areas of cultural and natural values” and officially
registered as belonging to the state.

However, Daglı said that those properties belong to the Armenian
community, and if they are not able to obtain their title deeds in
Turkey, they will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

CONTESTATION DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : UN NOUVEAU TEXTE ADOPTE EN COMMISSION A L’ASSEMBLEE

Agence France Presse
8 decembre 2011
FRANCE

La commission des Lois de l’Assemblee nationale a adopte mercredi
une proposition de loi de Valerie Boyer (UMP) visant a penaliser
la contestation du genocide armenien, a-t-on appris de source
parlementaire, alors qu’un texte similaire du PS vient d’etre depose
au Senat.

Une proposition de loi socialiste du meme type avait ete votee le 12
octobre 2006 par l’Assemblee nationale mais rejetee par le Senat le
4 mai 2011 via le vote d’une motion d’irrecevabilite presentee par le
president de la Commission des Lois d’alors, Jean-Jacques Hyest (UMP).

Mercredi, la commission des Lois de l’Assemblee a examine ce nouveau
texte, co-signe par plus d’une quarantaine de deputes UMP et Nouveau
Centre, et sanctionnant la contestation du genocide armenien d’un an
de prison et de 45.000 euros d’amende.

“Les Armeniens en France continuent a subir la propagande negationniste
d’un Etat etranger les visant specifiquement”, a explique Patrick
Devedjian (UMP), selon une source parlementaire.

“J’espère que nous irons au bout et que la France est a jamais le
pays des droits de l’Homme”, a affirme de son côte, Valerie Boyer,
deputee des Bouches-du-Rhône (UMP).

Dominique Raimbourg (PS) s’est dit “reserve sur la necessite de creer
un delit alors que nous ne sommes pas dans une periode de contestation
du genocide armenien”, selon une source parlementaire.

Personne n’a cependant vote contre ce texte, a-t-on ajoute de meme
source.

Le president de la commission des Lois, Jean-Luc Warsmann, a precise
mercredi qu’il etait “possible” que le texte soit examine dans
l’hemicycle “au mois de decembre”.

Le 22 novembre, le senateur PS Philippe Kaltenbach a annonce avoir
depose une proposition de loi (PPL) sur le bureau du Senat visant a
reprimer la contestation de lexistence du genocide armenien.

Francois Hollande, candidat PS a la presidentielle, avait declare
en septembre qu’il demanderait “a la majorite de gauche au Senat de
reprendre” la proposition de loi visant a reprimer la negation du
genocide armenien de 1915.

Nicolas Sarkozy avait promis en 2007 aux associations armeniennes,
juste avant son election a l’Elysee, de soutenir la ratification
d’une proposition de loi en ce sens par le Senat.