Author: Kanayan Tamar

FM DENIES REPORTS ON ONGOING YEREVAN-ANKARA RAPPROCHEMENT TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 4, 2012 – 21:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Foreign Minister denied Turkish officials’
statements suggesting Yerevan-Ankara rapprochement negotiations are
still in progress.

As Edward Nalbandian stressed, the talks had already taken place,
with Armenian-Turkish Protocols signed as a result. “I believe Turley
has no right to set preconditions,” Foreign Minister said.

As he further noted, no preconditions had been set at the time the
Protocols were signed.

CLINTON SADDENED BY CHINARI INCIDENT, PROMISES TO ASK AZERBAIJANI LEADERSHIP “SERIOUS QUESTIONS”

Panorama.am
04/06/2012

“I was saddened to hear the latest news,” U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton told a news conference at the Presidential Palace
in Yerevan, commenting on the ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan
recorded today.

Mrs. Clinton expressed concern over death of soldiers. “Force cannot
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, force must be ruled out.”

“I will visit Baku the day after tomorrow, and I have serious questions
to ask the Azerbaijani leader. Both me and the Co-Chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group are convinced that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be
resolved exclusively by peaceful means, and a way should be found in
this direction,” the senior U.S. official noted.

She called on the sides to refrain from use of force, because there
is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The only path for a solution is through the negotiating table,” Mrs.
Clinton added.

BARUCH BEN NERIA: WITHOUT CONCRETE SOLUTIONS AND INITIATIVES THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY TENSION OVER NAGORNO KARABAKH WILL CONTINUE
by Oksana Musaelyan

arminfo
Monday, June 4, 21:13

ArmInfo’s interview with first Israeli Ambassador to Armenia Baruch
Ben Neria

First, do you think the past parliamentary elections in Armenia were
free and fair?

Considering the elections polls which were supervised by our
organization there were very little disturbances and problems during
the election procedures. It seems like they were free, where were
acting in the cities of Yerevan and some others, where we didn’t
reveal frauds and obstacles disturbing the free course of elections.

There were plenty claims of bribes that were presented by certain
political parties as gifts. Do you think these gifts are legal ones
or no?

Fortunately we didn’t discover any bribes or gifts given voters and
naturally we couldn’t be present in these occasions. Of course if
there we had discovered these frauds, we would have reported them
immediately.

As a result of the elections, the leading party won, what does this
victory mean for the geopolitical disposition of the country and its
relations with the neighbor countries, in particular – Azerbaijan,
Turkey, Russia and if possible, I would also like you to comment on
the geopolitical situation in the region and potential threats here
in the light of Iran problem and the fueling Karabakh problem?

The situation in your Transcaucasian region, and the complicated
reality between the regional powers such as Turkey, Russia and Iran,
and the activity of the United States and the European community due
to the energetic and economical and geopolitical problems make this
region very important for different regions in the world, especially
the ME, central Asia and others. The dissolution of the USSR created
some ethical regional conflict between them Armenia and Azerbaijan on
Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia with Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Adjaria
and the problems of Russia in the North Caucasus, in Chechnya and
other Caucasian republics. The prolonged conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan should be resolved only by the international standards of
conflict resolution, meaning that all the sides have to come to an
agreement on the subjects and the condition which are signed.

Do you think there are prerequisites for situation to be worsen and
war could be broken in Karabakh?

Because of the non recognition of Nagorno Karabach by the international
organizations and states as an independent state, the chances for
a new military activity still exist. But it is very important to
regulate the conflict to a situation of conflict management, and
mutual trusting relations between the opponents.

Without concrete solutions and initiatives, that both sides know
they will need to give up on some of their dreams, the political and
military tension will continue on different level of tension. This
situation doesn’t demonstrate any advantages to the most relevant
countries of the region.

Israel has sold military armament to Azerbaijan, don’t you think
that Israel is playing not only against Armenia but also against
itself since Azerbaijan is a brother of Turkey with whom Israel has
strained relationship?

Israel as all other states in the world has its own strategic and
national interests, which are very important to keep the defense of the
state and also to prevent military and strategic threats on Israel. The
cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan is by no mean against
Armenia, but because of the real and concrete threats and intimidation
from the side of Islamic fundamentalist Iran which is developing its
nuclear weapons and is ready to use terror all over the world against
the USA, Israel and other countries. It is very important for Israel
to have a good relationship with all the countries of the region,
like Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The Israeli Turkish diplomatic
crisis which occurred two years ago, I hope it is a temporary one,
and will bring both sides to reconciliation and appeasement eventually.

How would you generally estimate the level of relationship of Israel
and Armenia and the potential for the Armenian Genocide bill motion
in Knesset on the eve of 100 anniversary?

As the first ambassador to Armenia and Georgia, establishing and
developing relations between the countries, I would wish for better
relations between Israel and Armenia, but it depends not less on
the Armenian side as well. Armenia has its own national interests in
the region and abroad, and has to develop it’s economy, international
trade and foreign investments, and as far as I know there are number of
Israeli business men who are interested in such a mutual relationship.

What do you think about the possibility of the Israeli Knesset adopting
an Armenian Genocide bill?

The question of the Armenian genocide bill in the Knesset, it is not
an easy task, but I believe there is a serious majority in the Knesset
to accept such a bill, but it takes time and has to be decided by
the members of the Israeli Parliament.

ARMENIAN CHURCH TO MARK FEAST DAY OF ST. GAYANE, HER COMPANIONS

NEWS.AM
June 04, 2012 | 15:49

The Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate Tuesday the feast day
of Saint Gayane the Virgin and her Companions.

At 10am, an ecclesiastical procession, together with pilgrims,
will head from the Mother See of Saint Etchmiadzin to the St. Gayane
Monastery, also taking along the reliquary of the Holy Virgin Gayane
being kept at the Mother See.

And at 11am, a Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in the Monastery.

TURKISH AMBASSADOR VISITS ARMENIAN PRIMATE OF GERMANY

hetq
15:10, June 4, 2012

Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Diocese in Germany, says he’s been visited by Turkey’s Ambassador to
Germany Huseyin Avni Karslıoglu regarding his candidacy to become
the next patriarch of Turkey’s Armenians.

“He asked questions about my patriarchal candidacy. In previous months,
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who also visited Germany,
wanted to pay a visit, but we could not hold the meeting due to some
other pre-scheduled activities,” Bekdjian recently told the Hurriyet
Daily News.

Bekdjian is seen as one of the strongest candidates for the Armenian
Patriarchate of Turkey. Current Patriarch Mesrop II cannot perform
his duties due to a disease called frontal lobe dementia.

Even though the Armenian community wishes to choose its own patriarch
by holding an election, Turkey’s Interior Ministry appointed an acting
patriarch, Aram AteÅ~_yan, two years ago – marking a first in the
patriarchate’s history.

TURK IS A TURK, BUT OUR PEOPLE ARE STRONG, HEAD OF CHINARI VILLAGE

Panorama.am
04/06/2012

Chinari village is not in chaos and local residents are not in panic,
head of the rural community Samvel Saghoyan told Panorama.am.

“Our people are strong, they do not plan leaving the village. They have
lived in fire for 22 years, Turk is a Turk, people cannot do anything,
but they don’t quit the village either,” said Samvel Saghoyan adding
that the schoolchildren are having exams today, the kindergarten is
open to host kids.

Early in the morning Azerbaijan has severely violated the ceasefire
regime on the line of contact of Armenian-Azerbaijani armed forces.

The rival attacked Armenian military stations in Berdavan and Chinari
villages. Defense Ministry said Armenian armed forces defeated the
rival’s attacks and forced to yield. However, three soldiers are
reported dead and several are injured.

Investigation got under way. RA military prosecutor and Defense
Ministry special investigation group arrived at the scene.

Saakashvili Meets Turkish PM in Istanbul

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 1 Jun.’12 / 01:09

President Saakashvili met on May 31 with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip ErdoÄ?an in Istanbul on the sideline of Partners Forum of the UN
Alliance of Civilizations.

Saakashvili and the Turkish PM discussed bilateral cooperation, as
well as “issues related to stability and security in the region,” the
Georgian President’s administration said in a press release, adding
that the Turkish PM reaffirmed Ankara’s support to Georgia and its
NATO integration.

In his speech at the Partners Forum of the UN Alliance of
Civilizations in Istanbul on May 31, President Saakashvili focused on
Turkey’s role in the region and hailed it as “regional leader in the
fight for peace.”

“We clearly see all over the Middle East in the wider middle east
region an emergence of Turkey as a major regional leader, as a
principal regional leader in the fight for peace, but also for new way
of seeing things, a new direction for the region,” Saakashvili said.

“We should ask why it is happening. Is turkey the most important
military power here? Well it’s an important power, but there are other
powers all the time meddling much more actively than Turkey. Is Turkey
a main economic power? It’s an amazing economic power but there’s also
the crossroads of all different economic powers that also are present
here. I think what Turkey has in addition to being strong power and
economic power is the amazing power of ideas, and an amazing model for
the whole region,” Saakashvili added.

Nabucco Pipeline Might Be Abandoned by June

Thursday, May 31st, 2012
by Asbarez

Proposed Nabucco Pipeline route

An unnamed British report stated that the European Commission-backed
project to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russia for natural gas
supplies will officially fall victim to changing market conditions
before June is over.

SOFIA, Bulgaria (publics.bg) – The long-planned Nabucco natural gas
pipeline, once envisioned as stretching from Azerbaijan to Austria,
will be abandoned by the end of June, a Russian report says.

Citing unnamed London oil and gas analysts, the Itar-TASS news agency
reported the European Commission-backed project to reduce Europe’s
dependence on Russia for natural gas supplies will officially fall
victim to changing market conditions before June is over.

The news agency said British experts have concluded Nabucco’s backers
– which include Austria’s OMV, Germany’s RWE, Hungary’s MOL, Turkey’s
Botas, Bulgarian Energy Holding and Romania’s Transgaz – will abandon
the USD10 billion effort as competitors appear to be gaining traction.

The consortium that controls Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz II gas field in
the Caspian Sea is scheduled in late June to choose between a
scaled-down version of Nabucco (dubbed Nabucco West) and the BP-backed
South East Europe Pipeline as the candidate to go up against the Trans
Adriatic Pipeline in a final decision on which will transport billions
of cubic meters of gas annually to Europe.

The Shah Deniz consortium includes BP as well as Azerbaijan’s
state-owned oil company SOCAR.

The original vision for the Nabucco was for it to have a transport
capacity of 31 billion cubic meters per year but, under the Nabucco
West version, that has been scaled back to 10 billion cubic meters.

And while the first iteration was to run 2,500 miles from Azerbaijan’s
Shah Deniz II gas fields through Georgia, Turkey and Eastern Europe to
Austria, the downsized pipeline would be 800 miles, starting at the
Bulgarian-Turkish border.

Comments last week from BP Chief Executive of Refining and Marketing
Iain Conn to an audience in Berlin also seemed to cast doubt on
Nabucco’s viability, the EUobserver reported, as quoted by UPI.

While Conn said the choice of an Azerbaijan-European pipeline
connection would be `transparent’ with `no pre-determined winner,’ he
added that BP’s own SEEP proposal `offers an efficient routing into
and through these strategically important markets’ in southeastern
Europe, while not similarly praising Nabucco.

Publics.bg is an online media product of Public Services Ltd. The
company was founded in January 2010 with the mission to develop
knowledge in the field of energy, public services and utilities. The
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in diverse sectors of public services.

L’Est Républicain, France
Vendredi 1 juin 2012
GBS Edition

L’anglais avec l’accent arménien

Neuves-Maisons

Christine Eguizaryan était professeur d’anglais en Arménie. Les
vicissitudes de l’histoire font qu’elle se retrouve avec son mari et
ses quatre enfants au foyer Aristide-Briand. Elle souhaite s’intégrer
dans notre société. Son projet est de rejoindre l’université en
septembre prochain afin de valider ses diplômes arméniens et
poursuivre son métier en France. Cependant, elle parle encore très peu
le français. Alors, elle a eu l’idée de donner des cours d’anglais Ã
la Maison de la vie associative (MVA) qui lui a ouvert ses portes.
Depuis peu, elle propose des cours pour les débutants et les moyens.

Jeudi, le groupe de débutantes a révisé l’heure en anglais. Chacune a
énoncé en bon anglais l’heure GMT indiquée par la prof sur le tableau.
Puis, elles ont récité les jours de la semaine précédant le week-end.
Et une petite conversation utilitaire a permis à chacune de se
familiariser avec les sonorités de la langue.

Les cours d’anglais manquaient à Neuves-Maisons. Les retraités,
souvent grands voyageurs, apprécient les cours de Christine. Les cours
du matin sont généralement suivis par les hommes, ceux de l’après-midi
par les femmes et ceux du soir sont mixtes. Gisèle Logeard, qui
maîtrise assez bien le langage shakespearien, traduit en français si
besoin est le contenu des leçons.
Les séances ont lieu les lundis (pour les moyens) et les jeudis (pour
les débutants) de 9?h à 11?h, de 14?h à 16?h et de 18?h à 20?h. Ils
seront reconduits à la rentrée de septembre étant donné leur succès et
leur prix très bas.

Le Parisien, France
Lundi 28 Mai 2012

Le dernier des Manouchian livre sa version de l’histoire

par farida chadri

Il a une analyse des événements qui risque de faire grincer des dents.
Il s’en moque. « Personne ne connaît autant que moi l’Affiche rouge.
J’ai des documents. Moi-même, je suis un document vivant… pour le
moment », lche Arsène Tchakarian, 95 ans, en se levant de sa chaise
et brandissant en l’air son index, en guise de défi.

Le pas alerte, la parole inépuisable, le dernier survivant du groupe
Manouchian, le réseau de résistants, livre l’une de ses dernières
batailles avec la sortie de son livre « les Commandos de l’Affiche
rouge ». Pour continuer à entretenir « la mémoire de [ses] camarades
et dire dans quelles conditions ils se sont battus », explique-t-il
dans sa maison de Vitry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne).

Des années durant, il a reconstitué les multiples attaques perpétrées
au cours de l’année 1943 par l’équipe dirigée par le poète arménien
Missak Manouchian, avant qu’elle ne soit démantelée. Appartenant au
FTP-MOI (Francs-tireurs partisans – Main-d’oeuvre immigrée), ce groupe
armé avait pour objectif de déstabiliser les troupes occupantes.
Déraillements de trains, attaques de pylônes, exécutions d’hommes,
nazis comme collaborateurs, récupération de documents au domicile de
communistes arrêtés… Il repositionne chacun des protagonistes dans
ces actions, décrit le mode opératoire, les repérages, les fuites à
bicyclette, l’organisation du groupe Manouchian… Lui-même, alors gé
de 22 ans, participe à l’attaque d’un autocar rempli d’officiers
allemands en juin 1943 ou trois mois plus tard à des repérages qui
conduiront trois de ses compagnons à abattre Julius Ritter, colonel SS
qui supervisait en France le Service de travail obligatoire (STO).

Le groupe Manouchian aurait été infiltré et dénoncé

Mais tout cela, il l’avait déjà exposé en 1986 dans son ouvrage « les
Francs-tireurs de l’Affiche rouge ». Dans son nouveau livre, il aborde
une question épineuse que les historiens auront à coeur de discuter. «
Moi, j’accepte les débats. J’expliquerai et je dirai où aller chercher
les preuves », affirme avec aplomb Arsène Tchakarian. Le résistant
estime que le groupe Manouchian, composé d’une trentaine d’hommes, a
été infiltré par un certain « Roger », alias Boris Holban, chef
militaire des FTP-MOI. « Dans mon premier livre, je pose des
questions, je prends des gants. Là, j’ai les preuves. » Ainsi, ses 23
camarades fusillés en 1944 au Mont-Valérien l’ont été du fait d’un
traître? Arsène Tchakarian persiste et signe.