Author: Kanayan Tamar

Pan Armenian News
EVENT DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 90-TH ANNIVERSARY HELD IN OTTAWA
11.04.2005 05:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An event dedicated to the 90-th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide initiated by the Armenian Students’ Union of the Ottawa
Universities with the assistance of the RA Embassy in Canada and the
Armenian community will take place in Ottawa April 8, Yerkir online reports.
Books by Armenian and foreign authors dedicated to the Genocide,
recollections of the Armenians, who survived the tragedy, articles published
in different times in the Armenian and foreign press were presented at the
exhibition, which opened within the frames of the event. `Forgotten
Genocide’ documentary of the well-known British director Michael Connors was
also shown. Armenian Ambassador to Canada Ara Papian and Adviser of the
Turkish Embassy were present at the event.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 11 2005
`Armenia ready to match Azerbaijan’s military spending in 2005′ –
Armenian defense minister

Armenia is ready to spend no less on armament than Azerbaijan in
2005, says Armenian defense minister Serzh Sarkisian.
`We have heard for 10 years about Azerbaijan’s hopes to solve its
problems through considerable military budget and will hear this for
another decade.’
Sarkisian said that armament and army capabilities are inseparable
and require major financial investments. He said that upgrade of the
existing arms is under way, as this requires less spending than
acquiring new weapons.
Commenting on the possibility of compromises between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, Sarkisian said: `Some say that compromises are unacceptable,
but we must decide where we want to take our people, and whether we
want a new or everlasting war’.
The Armenian minister said that eternal war is an alternative and if
the entire Armenian people make such a decision, he would support it.
`I am not required to listen to just one or two people that are
authorized to speak but do not see far ahead. They should realize
that bragging does not mean expressing views.’
Sarkisian added that he does not believe that considering compromises
represents a defeatist approach.
Pundits say that Armenia, whose military budget is three times less
than that of Azerbaijan, again relies on Russia as a source of
funding for its armament.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARPI VARDANIAN: “AAA SHOULD CONTINUE ITS ACTIVITY UNTIL US RECOGNIZES
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. “The Armenian Assembly of America has
carried out active and compassionate work years running in order to
achieve the US government’s official and final recognition of the
Armenian Genocide and to avoid making it a political issue by the US
government as the fact remains,” Arpi Vardanian, Armenian Regional
Director of AAA, declared in her interview to Noyan Tapan’s
correspondent. She emphasized that the problem of genocides has become
much more urgent and received wide publicity during the recent 10-15
years. A number of genocides occured during 50-60 years in the world,
including the Jewish Holocaust, the genocides in Ruanda and Cambodia,
and these events changed the position of the international community.”
By the way, 20-30 years ago nobody was engaged and interested in
problems of genocide,” Vardanian mentioned. At the same time,
according to her, unless the Armenians had begun their activity aimed
at the Genocide recognition some decades ago today they would have
been be left out of this process. “Some changes gradually happen, even
some influential newspapers have begun to use the word “genocide” and
not “massacres” or “tragedy.” There are facts about the Genocide in
archives of the US and many other countries and it can’t be hidden but
the most painful is the fact the problem became a political one and
this hampers the issue of recognition,” Arpi Vardanian emphasized. She
said that the content of US President George Bush’s April 24
traditional address to the American Armenian community isn’t known to
her but according to her, some events may have a positive impact on
the President’s 2005 speech. Among these events Arpi Vardanian
attached special importance to US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans’
statement on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which was a great
progress in the process of Genocide recognition. Besides, according to
her, the positive response of the International Center for
Transitional Justice on the applicability of the United Nations
convention on the preventation and punishment of the crime of genocide
to events which occurred during the early 20-th century was also a
very great event. Arpi Vardanian also attached special imortance to
the initiative of J.Knolenberg and F.Pallone, Co-chairmen of the
Commission on Armenian Issues of the House of Representatives of US
Congress, saying that nearly 130 congressmen have already joined the
initiative. “The AAA should also continue working with the community
in order to make the latter active in this issue, as well as with
congressmen and US President George Bush’s administration until the US
recognizes the Armenian Genocide,” A.Vardanian said.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CONCURS THAT ARMENIAN KARABAKH CAN NEVER AGAIN BE
GOVERNED BY AZERBAIJAN
Arminfo
YEREVAN, APRIL 8. ARMINFO. said Ross Vartian, Executive director
Armenian Assembly of America in a letter to the editorial office of
The Washington Times.
AAA informs ARMINFO that the letter was a response to the article of
the head of Caspian Energy Consulting company Rob Sobhani. Vartian
says in the letter that Karabakh Armenians have long made their
choice for freedom and democracy and have defended that choice
in a war forced on them more than a decade ago. Besides he writes
that in “A ‘warehouse of evil,’ ” Mr. Sobhani claims that Armenian
authorities are unable to manage their armed forces and armaments. The
FBI disagrees and just two weeks ago praised “the professionalism and
active cooperation of the Armenian authorities” in a sting operation
in which would-be smugglers were nabbed before they attempted to move
the weapons into the United States. In fact, Washington has praised
Armenia’s military cooperation, calling the country a “key partner”
in the war on terror. To claim that Azerbaijan, as compared to Armenia,
has been unfairly penalized in foreign aid misrepresents the situation
on the ground. Mr. Sobhani could have added that U.S. assistance to
Armenia would not be so critical if Turkish and Azeri blockades were
not strangling its eastern and western borders, he writes.
“While Mr. Sobhani correctly notes that Armenia’s president supports
a peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict, his Azeri counterpart
does not. President Ilham Aliyev has declared repeatedly that he is
“not in a hurry” to settle the conflict and would start a new war at
the time of his choosing.”

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON THEME “ON LOCAL SELF-GOVERNCE” TO BE HELD
ON APRIL 27
YEREVAN, APRIL 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Parliamnetary hearings on the theme
“On Self-Governce” will be held on the initiative of the RA National
Assembly Standing Committe on State and Legal Affairs on April 27.
Drafts authored by the Government on additions and amendments proposed
in the RA law “On Local Self-Governce” adopted on June 5, 2002, are
envasiged to be dicussed. Foundation and dissolution of intercommunity
unions, legal status, powers as well as issues concerning property
and financing of the union are settled by one of them. Administrative
control concerning powers of local self-governmental bodies (LSG)
are defined by another one. As Rafik Petrosian, the Chirman of the
Committee informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, among those whom
invitations to attend hearings were sent are: all the regional
governors, heads of 47 urban and some rural communitis, NGOs
interested in self-governmental issues, the LSG Committee attached
to RA President.

Azeri foreign minister discusses Karabakh, economic ties in UAE
Trend news agency
8 Apr 05
Baku, 8 April, Trend correspondent S. Agayeva: The United Arab Emirates
[UAE] has always supported Azerbaijan’s fair position on the Nagornyy
Karabakh issue and it decisively condemns Armenia’s aggression against
Azerbaijan, UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Bin-Abdallah Ali al-Nu’aymi
said at a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
during his official visit to the UAE on 6-7 April, the press centre
of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has told Trend news agency.
Elmar Mammadyarov thanked the UAE government for supporting
Azerbaijan’s fair position, condemning Armenia’s aggression against
Azerbaijan and providing humanitarian aid to refugees and displaced
persons.
The Azerbaijani foreign minister also met UAE Minister of Economy
and Planning Lubna al-Qasimi and discussed prospects for bilateral
economic development, expanding cooperation and exchanging experience
between the two countries in the oil, energy and other spheres.
Stressing the importance of increasing trade between Azerbaijan and
the United Arab Emirates, the sides pointed out that the establishment
of a joint intergovernment commission is of great importance to the
development of economic and trading relations.
The sides also pointed out that the holding of joint business forums
plays an important role in terms of studying the investment environment
in both countries.
During the visit, the Azerbaijani foreign minister read a lecture on
the subject “Azerbaijan in the modern world” at the UAE centre for
strategic research.

LEVON ARONIAN IS AMONG FIRST FIVE CHESS PLAYERS IN “GIBRALTAR MASTERS” TOURNAMENT
GIBRALTAR, February 7 (Noyan Tapan). The traditional tournament on
chess entitled “Gibraltar Masters” has completed. 120 chess players
from different countries participated in the tournament. Five
participants, including Armenian young grandmaster Levon Aronian,
earning 7.5 points each, placed 1st-5th in the tournament held by
the Swiss system with ten days. Alexei Shirov (Spain), Emil Surovsky
(Israel), Kiril Gevorgiev (Bulgaria) and Zakhar Yefimenko (Ukraine)
are the leaders of the tournament. Another Armenian representative
Gabriel Sargsian earned 7 points and shared 6-10th places.

ERDOGAN ASKING SCHROEDER TO POSTPONE DISCUSSIONS ON GENOCIDE
By Hakob Chakrian
Azg/arm
8 April 05
A possible crisis in German-Turkish relations because of the Armenian
Genocide resolution discussions in the German parliament was averted
the last moment. In its April 7 issue Turkish Sabah newspaper cites
a reliable diplomatic source informing that Turkish PM Recep Tayyip
Erdogan had a phone talk with German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder
over the Genocide resolution.
According to Sabah, Erdogan called Schroeder asking “to postpone or
cancel” discussions of the resolution. Schroeder met Erdogan halfway
and postponed discussions till the end of his Turkey visit on May
3. Together with the German opposition, the Greens also back the
resolution and that greatly worries Ankara, Sabah writes. Moreover,
certain circles in Ankara are sure that Germany will adopt the
resolution.

Armenian president, Lithuanian minister discuss military cooperation
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
6 Apr 05
[Presenter over video of the meeting] Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan and Lithuanian National Defence Minister Gediminas
Kirkilas highly rated the current level of cooperation between
the defence ministries of the two countries. The sides discussed
Armenian-Lithuanian cooperation regarding army reforms.
The sides also discussed Armenia’s European integration and noted
that Armenia could learn from Lithuania’s experience of accession to
the EU and its activity as a European Union member.

RA STATE BUDGET REVENUES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY EXCEED 42.5% IDNDEX OF SAME MONTHS OF 2004
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. In January and February of 2005,
the revenues and state transfers of the RA state budget grew 42.5%
compared with the same period of last year and made 51 bln 765.8 mln
drams (about 110 mln USD). According to the RA National Statistical
Service, in the period under review, the current budgetary revenues
increased 42.6% to 51 bln 561 mln drams, with tax revenues growing
25.8% to 41 bln 275.2 mln drams and customs duty revenues declining
2.8% to 1 bln 863.4 mln drams. The state budgetary expenditures made
38 bln 63.2 mln drams in January and February of 2005, which exceeds
by 19.2% the respective index of last year. The budgetary surplus
made 13 bln 702.6 mln drams.