Author: Kanayan Tamar

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee
Eastern Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
Contact: Sharistan Ardhaldjian
Tel: 917 428 1918
Fax: 718 651 3637
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
COURT DATE SET FOR MASSACHUSETTS LAWSUIT
SEEKING TO BLOCK TEACHING OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
BOSTON, MA – A hearing date on whether or not to consider an Assembly of
Turkish American Associations (ATAA) backed lawsuit to compel the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts to include denialist material in their
Armenian Genocide curriculum resource materials has been set for September
18th, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts.
U.S. District Chief Judge Mark Wolf scheduled a hearing for oral arguments
on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts motion to dismiss the lawsuit, filed by
the ATAA, two teachers and a student.
“We welcome the scheduling of a hearing date and look forward to the court
taking this opportunity to dismiss this clearly unfounded and deeply flawed
lawsuit,” said ANC of Eastern Massachusetts Chair Sharistan Ardaljian. “The
authors of this suit – in acting as effective surrogates for Armenian
Genocide deniers in Ankara – have committed a grave disservice to the truth,
to the cause of tolerance, and the growing worldwide movement to prevent
genocide.”
The ATAA lawsuit calls for the inclusion of their website in a list of
educational sources for teachers, as part of a teacher’s guide on genocide
education provided by the State. The ATAA lawsuit also calls for the
addition of other websites, including that of the Embassy of the Republic of
Turkey, which the ATAA had lobbied to include in the guide, but were
disqualified because they denied the Armenian Genocide, in direct
contravention of the Massachusetts statute requiring the teaching of the
Armenian Genocide.
Soon after the lawsuit was introduced, the Massachusetts District Attorney’s
office had filed a motion to dismiss the case. The Armenian Bar Association
joined with the Armenian National Committee of America, Jewish Alliance for
Law and Social Action, the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP), and Irish Immigration Center, in filing a friend of
the court brief in March 2006, in support of the dismissal, arguing that
inclusion of Genocide denial materials in the curriculum would fly in the
face of repeated Massachusetts proclamations and State Resolutions properly
characterizing the Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide.’ The collective brief
may be read at: ae.pdf
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WHY THEY REMEMBER SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CARE WHEN THEY SAY CORRUPTION
Lragir.am
19 July 06
Agmak NGO (National Center for Monitoring of Liberalization) monitored
four directions of activities of the City Hall of Yerevan on a grant
provided by the state budget of Armenia. Agmak monitored auction
of land, the one window principle, education and the quality of
medicaid. The results of the monitoring were summed up on July 19.
The results are not reassuring.
The monitoring of three schools in each community in Yerevan showed
that the school councils do not work properly. Though in accordance
with the law a school council elects a director, there is a school in
Yerevan where the director changed the members of the school council.
Generally, as the chair of Agmak Lusineh Margaryan said, “in fact,
elections of school councils are not held at all”. With regard to
raising money at schools on one occasion or another 36.8 percent
said this phenomenon is growing dangerously. “60 percent think the
school is corrupt.” 60 percent think in senior school attendance is
unsatisfactory because schools fail to guarantee the level required
for universities. Only 4-5 percent pointed to the lack of adequate
control as the cause of low attendance.
The major complaint from medicaid is “if you do not pay, they are
not conscientious and are rude”. 11.7 percent said medicaid does not
work and in polyclinics they demand that people pay. 41 percent always
or regularly pay doctors in polyclinics, 36.5 percent announced that
they pay to get normal medical service, 31.8 percent pay because they
are made to pay and only 19 percent pay because they want to pay.
57.4 percent of our citizens know about the one window principle in
the City Hall, 30 percent are satisfied. As 6 percent said they pay
doctors because it is a custom, 46.9 percent prefer direct meeting
with officials to the one window principle. 75 percent say after the
introduction of the one window principle the activities of the City
Hall declined or did not change.
Agmak monitored 40 decisions on sale and rent of land in 2005 and in
the first quarter of 2006. 40 decisions decided the fate of 360 plots
of land. 69 plots were sold for the same price. “It is true that
neighboring plots of land can be sold for a similar price but not
for the same price,” says Lusine Margaryan, the chair of Agmak. In
most cases the price of auction was lower than the market price by
25 percent. “It means immense sums did not go to the state budget.”
Agmak announced the results of the monitoring for the public. Now it
is not clear if the relevant bodies will use these results. Meanwhile
Agmak reports that the City Hall has a lot of work to do.

Putin says G8 leaders agree to promote energy security
Today, Azerbaijan
July 17 2006
17 July 2006 [20:40] – Today.Az
The Group of Eight (G8) leaders agreed on joint efforts to ensure
global energy security at their summit held on July 15-17, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference following the
summit.
“Our strategy is based on a common understanding of the fact that
humankind has a common energy future,” Putin said. “A future for
which we all share responsibility.”
The G8 has agreed on joint efforts to make energy infrastructure
more reliable, to diversify the production and supplies of energy
resources, to increase energy efficiency and to develop alternative
energy sources, he said.
Putin said Monday in his statement on the summit’s results that G8
leaders had agreed to reduce barriers to energy investment, making
it possible for energy producers and consumers to acquire upstream
and downstream energy assets in other countries.
Earlier this year Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom unveiled
ambitious plans to acquire energy companies in Europe and swapped
some of its assets for ones owned by German companies BASF and E.ON,
triggering Europeans’ concerns about their dependence on Russian
energy. For its part, the European Union has sought to get access
to Russian pipelines and oil and gas deposits, while Russia has been
reluctant to provide it.
The group has also emphasized nuclear energy’s contribution to global
energy security, Putin said.
The G8 has also decided to cooperate in the promotion of education
to meet the challenges of a modern knowledge-based economy, Putin said.
Additionally, the group has announced that it will seek to fight
infectious diseases, including avian flu, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria
and polio, he said.
The G8 leaders have said that they would seek to complete the Doha
Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks, which is mostly
focused on the reduction of agricultural subsidies, by the end of
this year. Other issues in the Doha Round include combating piracy and
counterfeiting, fighting corruption and promoting poverty alleviation
and peacekeeping programs in Africa.
The countries of the G8 have also agreed to fight the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and in particular agreed to submit
the issue of Iran’s nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council
and urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program and stop
missile launches, Putin said.
In general the summit was uneventful in terms of major policy
announcements and was to a large extent focused on growing violence
in the Middle East and failed to deliver a long-awaited agreement
between the U.S. and Russia on the latter’s accession to the World
Trade Organization.
The G8 has announced their intention to combat terrorism and
its threats including nuclear terrorism, increase cooperation in
post-conflict stabilization, prevent violations of arms embargoes, put
an end to Israel’s current conflict with Lebanon and the Palestinian
National Authority, find a compromise between Serbia and Kosovo on
the issue of Kosovo’s independence and stabilize the situation in
Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan’s Darfur region and Azerbaijan’s breakaway
republic of Nagorno Karabakh.
/
URL:

VARTAN OSKANIAN DWELLS ON NUMBER OF REGIONAL AND HOME ISSUES AT “HAYELI” CLUB PRESS CONFERENCE
AZG Armenian Daily #133, 18/07/2006
Press Conference
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian believes OSCE Minsk Group is the
most efficient mission for the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. He stated this at the July 14 press conference at “Hayeli”
discussion club, when commenting on the statement of the Ambassador
of Iran to Azerbaijan Afshar Suleimani that the “activity of OSCE MG
is inefficient”.
“Although the co-chairs stated that their fantasy has been exhausted,
I do not doubt that they meant that their mission is exhausted. I
believe it will continue its active participation in the process,”
the Mr. Oskanian said. As for the various proposals not from OSCE
MG, they may be included in the agenda of the negotiations if they
are interesting, irrespective of who makes these proposals NATO or
Iran. “But I think it is senseless to speak of Iran as a key mediator
as OSCE MG has not exhausted itself yet,” he said.
As for the information that proposals to the conflict parties have
been prepared by Pierre Lellouche, NATO PA Chairman, Mr. Oskanian said
that first of all, NATO PA is not yet NATO, and secondly, they will
touch upon the suggestions when they are made. In response to the
question about the alleged fires in the territories under control
of NKR, the minister said he had no time to waste on Azerbaijan’s
provocations. “We shall not play the games dictated by the Azeri side,”
he said, mentioning that OSCE Mission made a monitoring visit to the
territories and did not confirm the information of the Azerbaijani
party.
In response to the issue about the situation in Upper Lars,
Mr. Oskanian said that Armenia still hopes for opening of Upper Lars
check- point on the Russian-Georgian border in the nearest future. The
negotiations with Moscow for this purpose are continued, he added.
At the same time he thanking the Georgian party for the alternative
way through the Roki tunnel, the check- point of the border with South
Ossetia, the minister stated that “it is an exception and none knows
how long the Georgian party will make this exception for us.” It’s
worth mentioning that Upper Lars check-point was closed 10 days ago.
Touching upon the latest developments in Lebanon, Mr. Oskanian said
that Armenia condemns any violence, whether it is hostage- taking
or application of weapons. “Especially if application of weapons is
disproportionate to the situation and aims to destroy infrastructures
and causes the death of numerous people,” the minister added. The
situation arouses concern, he said. “Our desire is to see restraint in
the region as it is a very fragile region. We also want establishment
of cease-fire and restoration of negotiations,” Vartan Oskanian
emphasized.
In response to the question, whether he intends to run for presidency
in 2008, Mr. Oskanian said: “I want to further make my contribution
to the development of Armenia. And the time will show how.”
The minister said he has not thought yet of running for presidency
as his attention is fully concentrated on his direct duties.
The minister gave a similar answer when asked whether he intends
to join a party. “I have not thought of it, and I have got no such
proposals,” the minister stated. Vartan Oskanian refused to comment
on the information that Defense Minister Serge Sagrsian joined the
proportional list of the Republican Party of Armenia like it was in
2003. “I do not want to comment on the activity of my colleagues.
Everyone resolves how to participate in the development of the country
independently,” the minister said.
Touching upon the issue of Azerbaijan’s growing economy, Mr. Oskanian
said that in order to “struggle” Azerbaijan’s oil, Armenia should
develop its own resources.
He said that Armenia has three powerful resources, the home and
foreign resources and Diaspora. Stating that there is much to do in
all these directions, he touched upon each of the resources. As for
the home resources, he said that soon the country will enter a new
stage conditioned by the coming presidential elections in 2008 and
the necessity to preserve the country’s course. Oskanian said that
one should not only chose between the political forces, but also
choose between the goals that a political force can achieve.
He said that the society should define the necessary goals and make
a choice between the political parties. He pointed out that the home
resources also include the second generation of the economic reforms
that are to be implemented. As for the resource of Diaspora, Oskanian
said that Armenia has used only 1-2% of its potential. He said that
one should develop the relations between Armenia and Diaspora and
make our country more attractive for Diaspora.
By Nana Petrosian

NKR President paying a short working visit to Armenia
ArmRadio.am
17.07.2006 17:55
July 17th NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan arrived in Armenia on a
short working visit. In the framework of the visit he will have
meetings with high state officials of the Republic of Armenia and
representatives of public circles.

Putin: “Russia won’t impose Karabakh settlement on Azerbaijan, Armenia”
Today, Azerbaijan
July 16 2006
Russia will not impose any pattern of settling the Karabakh problem
on Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
But Russia is prepared to act as guarantor to a compromise the parties
would achieve, Putin said, Interfax informs.
“This problem will be definitely raised at the Group of Eight summit –
the more so, since most of its participants are involved in settling
the Karabakh conflict,” Putin said at a press conference in Strelna
on Sunday.
“Presidents Chirac and Bush, and others are involved in the process and
want Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a mutually acceptable solution,”
Putin said.
URL:

Beirut airport bombing puts Lebanese economy, Mideast aviation in disarray
By JIM KRANE
AP Worldstream; Jul 13, 2006
Hundreds of travellers were left stranded and Lebanon faced losses of
millions of dollars a day after Israeli airstrikes smashed runways at
Beirut airport, forcing the closure of the country’s only air outlet
to the world.
Airlines around the region quickly increased their flights to
neighboring Syria, now the only way in and out of Lebanon. Thousands
of people took to the Beirut-Damascus highway, most heading out to
catch flights in the Syrian capital.
Some stranded travellers, however were looking for a way in.
Imad Hajjar was on his way from Paris to Lebanon for his wedding,
scheduled for July 29, when his flight was diverted to Cyprus, where
three Beirut-bound flights landed after Israel’s early morning strike.
At Larnaca’s Flamingo hotel, the 32-year-old Hajjar was following
the news on his laptop, trying to decide what to do.
“Everything is booked and ready for the wedding. We’ve been planning
it for a year now,” said Hajjar, whose fiancee was supposed to fly
out from France to join him on Friday.
“Do I stay here, or go to Syria?” Hajjar said.
Even Lebanon’s foreign minister, Fawzi Salloukh, was affected. He
had to work his way home by land through Syria from a trip to Armenia.
Saad Hariri, the head of the anti-Syrian bloc in Lebanon’s parliament,
ended up in Cyprus, returning from China, so he took the opportunity
to perform some diplomacy, heading to Egypt and Jordan to meet with
those countries’ leaders.
The closure of Rafik Hariri International Airport _ named after Saad’s
slain father, the former prime minister _ will cost Lebanon millions
of dollars a day in lost tourism revenue, said Amr Abdel-Ghaffar of
the U.N. World Tourism Organization in Madrid.
“The longer the airport stays closed, the bigger the impact is,”
he said.
Lebanon is a top summer vacation spot for Saudis, Emiratis, Kuwaitis
and others, as well as for the huge Lebanese community in the Gulf.
Five empty planes of Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East
Airlines, flew to Cyprus to spare them from possible damage in any
new airstrikes, said the director of civil aviation on the east
Mediterranean island, Leonidas Leonidou. Three more were expected
Friday, he said.
Tourism accounts for 12 to 15 percent of Lebanon’s US$23.7 billion
(euro18.7 billion) GDP, said Abdel-Ghaffar. Arrivals in 2006 were 49
percent above those of 2005, when the assassination of former Prime
Minister Hariri in February kept many visitors away, Abdel-Ghaffar
said.
“It’s been a spectacular recovery,” he said. “The Lebanese are
preparing for the high summer season and were expecting a significantly
increased number of tourists, especially from the Gulf region.”
“Unfortunately this will have a direct affect on the tourism economy,”
he said.
Many Gulf Arabs stopped vacationing in the West, especially in the
United States, after the Sept. 11 attacks, and Lebanon has been
a beneficiary.
The World Tourism Organization plans to hold an International
Conference on Safety and Security in Tourism in Beirut in late
October. Abdel-Ghaffar said the conference may have to be shifted
elsewhere, depending on how events unfold.
In Dubai, the Mideast’s largest air hub, six flights to Beirut on
four carriers were canceled Thursday.
Emirates airline said it was accommodating stranded travelers in
hotels. “We’re monitoring the situation. It’s not under our control,”
an Emirates executive said, speaking on condition of anonymity because
she was not permitted to speak to the press.
In Dubai’s neighboring emirate of Sharjah, budget carrier Air Arabia
allowed vacationers to exchange Beirut-bound tickets for last-minute
flights to Egypt, Turkey and elsewhere at no extra cost.
Carriers in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other countries quickly doubled
their flights to Damacus, now unable to fly to Beirut.
The Israeli strike blasted holes in all three of Beirut airport’s
runways. Lebanese Public Works Minister Mohammed Safadi inspected the
airport and said the damage would take up to 48 hours to repair. But
the reopening of the airport would be a Cabinet decision, he added.
____
Associated Press writer George Psyllides in Nicosia and correspondents
in the Mideast contributed to this report.

REFUGEES FORM AZERBAIJAN URGE ILHAM ALIYEV TO RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE
OF NAGORNY KARABAKH FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE IN REGION
Yerevan, July 13. ArmInfo. A network of a civil society “Refugees
and International Law” presenting the interests of 500,000 Armenian
refugees from Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhijevan appealed to the President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for recognition of the independence of
Nagorny Karabakh.
In their appeal, the refugees, in particular, say that in response to
the political issues raised by the Armenian population, the authorities
of the Azerbaijani SSR applied force, organizing pogroms, murders
and deportation of Armenians from Sumgait, Kirovabad, Gazakh, Tovuz,
Baku and other towns having large Armenian population.
However, local Armenians could not defend themselves. Afterwards,
a second stage-expulsion of the autonomous Armenian population from
the villages of Karabakh started. Then, the Azerbaijani authorities
initiated large scale military actions against the Nagorny Karabakh
Republic that declared independence basing on the will of the
population of Nagorny Karabakh Autonomous Region, Shahumyan region
and Getashen sub-region. Then, NKR was in a full blockade due to its
enclave geographical position. The Azerbaijani Republic was defeated.
The borders of NKR and AR were changed as well. The Constitutional
Act on the state independence of Azerbaijani SSR dated 18 October
1991 contains a refusal of Azerbaijan from legal succession of the
Azerbaijan SSR. It not only means that Armenians expelled from the
Azerbaijani SSR cannot rely on the AR authorities in protection of
their rights, but also that AR can claim only part of the territories
of Azerbaijani SSR, created as “union of Armenians and Muslims.”
The atmosphere of armenophobia in AR, the memory of the tragic past
makes impossible the return of Armenians refugees to Azerbaijani
SSR and Nakhijevan. Taking into account the given realities,
Armenian refugees recognize NKR as the only legal successor of
Azerbaijani SSR, the refugees say. In their statement dated June 30,
the refugees applied to NKR authorities for relevant conditions for
their resettlement in the territories under the jurisdiction of NKR and
transfer of these territories to them on the private property rights.
It will partially cover their direct material losses. As regards
indirect losses, the refugees connect them with the privatization in
Azerbaijani Republic. They were illegally deprived of participation
in this process. The refugees believe it fair if Azerbaijani
authorities propose acceptable and adequate mechanisms of providing
Armenian refugees with a share from the profits from recovery,
processing, transportation and sale of oil and gas. And about the
most important. Of course, we are for durable peace based on mutual
protection and respect of interests. Recognition of NKR’s independence
by Azerbaijan will be the best guarantee of peace and prosperity in
the region, the refugees say.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION WELCOMES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS’
INITIATIVE ON ADDING ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FACT ADMISSION BY
TURKEY TO THE ISSUES UNDER EU-TURKEY NEGOTIATIONS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 12 2006
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. European Armenian Federation, EAF,
welcomes European Parliament members’ initiative on including the
issue of Armenian Genocide fact admission by Turkey in the agenda of
negotiations on the latter’s possible EU membership, EAF Chair Hilda
Tchoboian said.
She said the Federation urges European Parliament Foreign Affairs
Commission to keep heading this road and to put the issue on the
negotiations agenda.
Otherwise, she said, every step forward in the Turkey EU membership
negotiation process will mean digression from European values, because
Turkey remains stuck to its policy of denying the genocide fact.
The Commission will consider “Turkey’s progress on its way to the EU”
on Wednesday.
European MPs will hear the report by Dutch lawmaker Camiel Eurlings,
after which draft resolution on Turkey aspiration to join European
Union will be voted.
On Tuesday, the EU key political groups’ representatives welcomed
the genocide-related issue in the agenda.
Parliamentarians seek the genocide fact admission by Ankara. They
also want Turkey to comply with their demand to lift blockade of
Armenia without any preconditions.
European Parliament demands Turkey to recognize Cyprus, to solve Curd
problem and to ensure ethnic minorities’ right for freedom of speech.
M.V. -0–

FOREIGNERS ADOPT CHILDREN
Lragir.am
11 July 06
The minister of justice Davit Harutiunyan told the news agency ARKA
that 44 Armenian children were adopted by foreigners in 2005. In the
first half of 2006 four children were adopted by families from foreign
countries. According to the minister, foreign families annually adopt
50-60 children from Armenia.
Davit Harutiunyan also informed that 75 percent of families adopting
children from Armenia are Armenians living abroad or families of
Armenian origin.
The majority of these families live in the United States, Russia,
France and other countries with Armenian communities.