Author: Karagyozian Lena

AZERBAIJANIS OF TURKEY PROTEST AGAINST ADOPTION OF THE BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 14:20
Azerbaijani organizations of the Turkish cities of Izmir, Izmit,
Mughla, Antalya, Ankara, Manisa, Edirna and Istanbul held a joint press
conference, where they expressed protest against adoption of the bill
penalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, “Trend” agency reports.
“With all our strength why call on France: No to the Armenian
Genocide,” says the joint statement adopted by Azerbaijani communities
of Turkey.

THE MORMONATOR: MITT ROMNEY’S BLINDING AMBITION. PLUS, THE INEXPLICABLE OPPOSITION TO AN ARMENIAN-GENOCIDE MEMORIAL
The Phoenix, MA
Oct 25 2006
Political dynasties are as American as apple pie. Since the Civil War,
witness the marks made – or still being made (for better or worse) –
by the Tafts of Ohio, the Stevensons of Illinois, the Roosevelts of New
York, the Bayhs of Indiana, the Bushes of Connecticut and Texas, the
Clintons of Arkansas and New York, and the Kennedys of Massachusetts,
New York, and Rhode Island.
Now comes Mitt Romney, son of George, who as governor of Michigan
in 1968 unsuccessfully sought to become the first Mormon elected
president. Son Mitt hopes to succeed where dad George failed. And
Mitt, the governor of Massachusetts, is not going to let anything
stand in his way. On the surface he is as smooth and as gentlemanly
as his dad. But in his heart Mitt is a sharpie, as cold as he is
ambitious. Like George Bush II, who saw his dad outflanked on the right
by Reagan, and on the left by Clinton, Mitt Romney is not going let the
failings of his paternity mess with his success. His will to power,
whatever the price, is straight out of Nietzsche. And his desire to
do his dad one better, whatever the cost, feels like pure Freud.
Armchair analysis aside, Mitt Romney’s dedication to his own success is
undebatable. With the help of Christy Mihos (a politically delicious
irony), he strong-armed Republican acting governor Jane Swift aside
to stake his claim to Beacon Hill. He shamelessly fudged his Utah
residency to get on the Massachusetts ballot. He cavalierly abandoned
Massachusetts’s voters after two years in order to launch his White
House run, and he held on to his office to use it as a convenient bully
pulpit. From that perch he morphed from a centrist to a right-winger,
flip-flopping on choice and suggesting – with a straight face – that
the sort of stem-cell research conducted at Children’s Hospital and
Harvard Medical School should be criminalized. Mitt Romney: what
an hombre.
In his latest exercise in duplicity, Romney secretly lobbied an
influential member of the Mormon church’s innermost ruling council
to leverage resources in the service of his White House campaign. The
scandal of this is that Romney has long sought to wrap himself in the
mantle of Roman Catholic John Kennedy, who in his 1960 presidential
run stressed that he would not be an ideological slave to the pope.
On the eve of that election American Protestants – especially the
evangelicals and fundamentalists whom Romney now courts so assiduously
– still feared Rome’s potential influence on the American Caesar. (What
a difference 50 or so years can make.)
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GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN CONFLICT IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN KARABAKH ONE: LEADER OF ARMENIAN UNITED COMMUNIST PARTY
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 24 2006
At a press-conference, Tuesday, Chairman of the United Communist Party
of Armenia Yuri Manoukyan said that in the heat of the Georgian-Russian
conflict, Armenia found itself in a more dangerous condition than
during the Karabakh war.
According to him, Armenians should be “quiet and far-sighted”, as in
case of the Russian-Armenian relations’ aggravation, the problems
between the governments of the two countries will affect not only
energy and gas supply. “We shouldn’t forget that 37% of Armenian
citizens live on money transfers from their relatives working in
Russia. If we start conflicting with Russia, hundreds of thousands of
Armenian citizens will be deported to Armenia and we’ll be unable to
provide them with job”, Manoukyan stressed. He also noted that Armenia
has made a big mistake to cross out the centuries-old friendship with
Russia in an instant. Armenia cooperates with Russia in the political
and military spheres and simply has no right to step aside, he said.
Manoukyan didn’t exclude Armenia’s possible mediation in the settlement
of the Georgian-Russian conflict. Adding that the deportation of
Georgian citizens from Russia and distortion of Georgian’s image
by Russian mass media are the result of the Georgian authorities’
short-sighted policy, Manoukyan pointed out that the Georgian
government should realize that only Georgian people suffer from
this conflict.

ARMEN BAYBURDIAN AND AMBASSADOR OF SWEDEN DISCUSS POSSIBILITIES OF ACTIVIZING INVESTMENTS
Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Hans Gunnar Aden, the Ambassador
of Sweden (residence in Stockholm) gave on October 23 copies of his
credentials to Armen Bayburdian, the RA Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press
and Information Department, welcoming the Ambassador, A.Bayburdian
wished success to the newly appointed Ambassador in the affair of
implementation of the most important mission. During the meeting the
sides touched upon Armenia’s participation in the EU New Neighbourhood
Policy, the present level of the Armenian-Swedish relations as well
as the two countries’ participation in international structures. The
interlocuters discussed already existing contacts of Armenian-Swedish
businessmen and possibilities of activization of investments.

BELARUS INTERESTED IN ARMENIA’S MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE PROGRAM
Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. A tete-a-tete talk took place
between the Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and his
Belarusian counterpart Sergei Sidorski at the Armenian government
on October 23, after which the negotiations continued in an extended
staff. Expressing his satisfaction with the current level of mutual
trust and relations between the two countries, A. Margarian said that
both the practical and warm personal relations between the Armenian
and Belarusian presidents have greatly contributed to it. In his
words, a stable legal and contractual basis has been created for
the Armenian-Belarusian cooperation, with nearly 40 agreements and
treaties being signed. During the talk, the two prime ministers
discussed in detail the current state and development prospects of
the bilateral economic cooperation. They noted with satisfaction
that the commodity turnover has grown 6.4fold in the 5-year period
between the two visits of the Armenian prime minister to Belarus. This
was promoted by the efficient activities of the Armenian-Belarusian
intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. At
the same time, A. Margarian and S. Sidorski underlined that despite
the high growth rates of the commodity turnover, its current volume
does not correspond to the existing potential and opportunities of
the two countries. The prime ministers expressed confidence that the
economic cooperation can be considerably promoted through cooperation
at the level of local self-government bodies of Armenian and Belarusian
regions through the establishment of direct links. They also spoke in
favor of signing bilateral documents with this aim. A. Margarian and
S. Sidorski pointed out that today several regions and cities from
both sides have been involved in this process: in 2004, a cooperation
agreement was signed between the Armenian marz (province) of Syunik
and the Minsk region (Belarus), while within the framework of this
visit, an agreement will be signed between the city of Kajaran (Syunik
marz) and the city of Zhodino (Minsk region). The sides indicated the
establishment of joint ventures as an important factor for promoting
the economic cooperation between the two countries. Noting that 18
Armenian-Belarusian joint ventures are currently registered in Armenia,
A. Margarian spoke about considerable opportunities of cooperation in
this respect. The two prime ministers expressed their satisfaction
over efficient cooperation in military, military-technical and
cultural spheres, and the cooperation between the RA Police and the
Ministry of Interior Affairs of Belarus. They attached importance
to development of cooperation in IT, pharmaceutical, agricultural,
energy, jewelry making and some other sectors, for which purpose
businessmen from the above mentioned sectors, who are interested
in establishing partrnership relations, are included in official
delegations during mutual visits. During the meeting in an extended
staff, the sides discussed the opportunities to increase the export
of some Armenian goods in the bilateral trade, including the opening
of an Armenian firm shop in Minsk for this purpose, as well as
opportunities of organizing an exhibition of Armenian products in
Belarus and creating a center on assembly and servicing of agricultural
machines in Armenia. S. Sidorski said that his country takes interest
in Armenia’s Millennium Challenge Program aimed at rural poverty
reduction and intends to participate in international competitions
to be announced for implementation of this program, thus trying to
be useful for Armenia by its capacities and experience related to
development of agriculture and infrastructures. According to the RA
Government Information and PR Department, the ceremony of signing
joint documents took place on the same day.

LES ARMENIENS N’ONT QUE TROP ATTENDU: PATRICK DEVEDJIAN
Le Monde, France
20 octobre 2006 vendredi
Reconnaissance du genocide : la Turquie doit suivre l’exemple allemand
Michel Wieviorka fait une interpretation très selective du debat
actuel sur la question du genocide armenien.
Dans la tribune qu’il a publiee dans ces colonnes ” Les deputes contre
l’histoire ” (Le Monde du 17 octobre), plusieurs points meritent
d’etre contestes :
1. Il declare que je me suis mis d’accord avec M. Hollande ” pour
faire voter une loi rendant passible de prison quiconque nie le
genocide armenien “. Or j’ai depose un amendement faisant echapper
aux poursuites les travaux a caractère scolaire, universitaire et
scientifique. Malheureusement, pas un seul depute de gauche n’a vote
cet amendement, qui n’a ete rejete que de trois voix. Il n’y a donc
pas ” accord ” avec M. Hollande.
2. Bernard Lewis a ete condamne en 1995 par le tribunal de grande
instance de Paris (dans une affaire où, comme avocat, je representais
les demandeurs), non pas pour avoir simplement ” recuse l’usage du
terme genocide “, mais pour avoir deforme la plus elementaire realite
en affirmant que le genocide armenien etait ” la version armenienne
de l’histoire “. Le tribunal a observe que de très nombreux pays,
de très nombreuses organisations internationales, de très nombreux
historiens en avaient affirme la realite.
3. M. Wieviorka ecrit que les associations armeniennes ont pour but de
” demander de reconnaître les torts historiques d’une autre nation,
d’un autre Etat, et ici la comparaison avec la question juive perd
tout son sens “. Je pense que c’est le contraire : l’Allemagne a
reconnu la Shoah, Willy Brandt s’est mis a genoux a Auschwitz.
Aujourd’hui encore, la Turquie honore comme un heros l’organisateur
du genocide armenien, Talaat, dont les cendres lui ont ete remises
par Adolf Hitler.
Les Armeniens ont ete extermines pendant la première guerre mondiale,
alors que la France et la Turquie etaient en conflit. Ils ont notamment
ete accuses d’etre les agents de la France, qui s’etait engagee a
les proteger. Les associations armeniennes aimeraient que la Turquie
traite la question armenienne comme, après 1945, l’Allemagne a traite
la question juive.
4. Les manifestations negationnistes repetees que la France a connues
depuis quelques mois ne sont pas simplement ” l’importation sur
notre sol du differend turco-armenien “. Elles sont organisees avec
le soutien des autorites turques et constituent un risque de trouble
grave en meme temps qu’un defi a la loi francaise.
5. M. Wieviorka recommande aux Armeniens de prendre patience en raison
du debat interne a la Turquie : je lui rappelle qu’ils sont patients
depuis plus de quatre-vingt-dix ans et que l’actuel gouvernement
turc a fait modifier le code penal pour poursuivre ceux qui affirment
l’existence du genocide armenien.
Patrick Devedjian Depute des Hauts-de-Seine (UMP)
–Boundary_(ID_sFrIp3Q0EyKdfkcICvHdQg)–

MARXIST LEADER HELPS ARMENIAN DIPLOMATIC BRAINS
Panorama.am
14:44 20/10/06
Davit Hakobyan, chairman of Armenian Marxist Party, thinks it is
his duty to help the “diplomatic brains” of Armenia. Hakobyan thinks
Armenian diplomats have to seriously talk to Zatulin and people like
him. Earlier reports say that Konstantin Zatulin, deputy of Russian
State Duma, said Armenia should support Russia in Russian-Georgian
conflict. Hakobyan thinks this statement of Zatulin is a “political
blackmail.”
Hakobyan believes Russia should have clearer disposition to Azeri
Turks, Osman Turks, European and American if she wants Armenia to have
clear-cut pro-Russian disposition. The Marxist also believes Russia
should recognize Nagorno Karabakh as international subject. Hakobyan
urges foreign policy makers to fully engage in diplomatic art so that
Armenia is not presented on the diplomatic altar of big superpowers as
“a chicken gift” once again. /Panorama.am/

Adoption of the bill by the French Parliament reinforces Armenia’s security
(Analysis)
20.10.2006 16:40
Armen Manvelyan
“Radiolur”
As it was expected, the adoption of the law penalizing the
denial of the Armenian Genocide in the French Parliament brought
forward controversial comments and even criticism. No one had the
slightest doubt that it would be discussed by Turkish h media and
society. Criticism came also from the bureaucratic system of the
European Union, which is not surprising, either. The latter consider
issues proceeding from political interests of their structure,
rather than from the perspective of revelation of the historic truth
and correct assessment of events. Yet, it is understandable that
adoption of such a law will seriously hamper the process of EU-Turkey
talks, and it will disturb them more than a similar law adopted by
the European Parliament. Nevertheless, turning to the core of the
question, let’s try to discuss it from the standpoint of Armenia’s
interests in order to understand what it will give us. It’s not a
secret that the Republic of Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno
Karabakh Republic are surrounded with the hostility of Turkey and
Azerbaijan, and this is the reality we cannot escape. The situation
was created in the first half of the past century in the result of the
genocide perpetrated by Turks, when the Armenian people was deprived of
the right to live on its historic land. As it is known the reason of
such policy was the national aspiration of Turks who wished to unite
all Turkic nations and move to Central Asia and Siberia to conquer
all the lands inhabited by Turkish-speaking peoples. A considerable
part of the Armenian nation fell victim of these political ambitions
called Panturkism. Although 90 years have passed after these events,
Turkish ambitions and priorities have not changed, and unfortunately,
today we cannot say we are safe from attacks and aggression of this
kind. One of the reasons is that up to now the Armenian Genocide has
not been condemned by the international community and has not been
acknowledged by Turkey. No one will refute the danger of reoccurrence
of an uncondemned crime. Therefore, we can say that the step of the
French Parliament was the first attempt to prevent any possible future
anti-Armenian crimes of Turkey and Turks in general. Anyway, the time
will come to answer for everything. It is clear that the activity of
the French Parliament is not enough, decisions of the whole Europe and
especially the US Congress are necessary here. To put it different,
French legislators promote the rise of Armenia’s security level in
the region. And it is from this very perspective that the adoption
of the bill penalizing the Armenian Genocide is to be considered.

GETTING READY FOR THE MATCH WITH AZERBAIJAN
A1+
[07:14 pm] 20 October, 2006
On October 21 the Armenian football junior team will leave for Cyprus
where the group phase of the qualifying round of the European junior
football championship will take place on October 27-November 2.
Armenia is included in the seventh group with Hungary, Cyprus and
Azerbaijan.
The first opponents of the Armenians will be the Azeris. The match
will take place on October 27. The second match will take place on
October 29 against Cyprus. The last game will be against Hungary,
on November 1.

WESTERN ARMENIANS TO ELECT THEIR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Armenpress
Oct 20 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, ARMENPRESS: About thirty prominent Armenian
intellectuals have come out today with an initiative to create a body
that will represent the heirs of Armenians who escaped the genocide of
Armenians in the historical Western Armenia in the Ottoman Turkey. The
signatories propose to establish a National Assembly, a National
Council and committees.
The initiating committee had sent messages to all heirs of Armenians
who escaped the genocide to seek their accord and based on the feedback
has decided to call a meeting in Paris on December 9-10. The group’s
statement says the meeting will elect an ad hoc National Council with
its committees which will organize and steer elections of deputies
to the National Assembly in all countries where heirs of the genocide
live. This National Assembly is supposed to elect the National Council
of Western Armenians.
The idea behind this initiative, according to the statement, is to
work out and carry out such all-Armenian projects which will promote
strengthening of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, consolidation of free
democracy and defense of Armenians’ interests globally.
Another goal is to negotiate with Turkish authorities and other
stakeholders to attain the recognition of Armenian genocide, its
condemnation and press for compensations for the property of Western
Armenians and to ensure unobstructed return of the heirs to Western
Armenia where their ancestors lived.