Author: Karagyozian Lena

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
AGBU MONTRÉAL RAISES RECORD AMOUNT FOR MOUNTAIN LAKE PBS STATION
Montréal, Canada – On April 11th, 2005, AGBU Montréal Scouts,
chaperoned by Chairman Viken L. Attarian and Group Leader Lory
Boudjikanian, served as membership drive volunteers for Mountain
Lake Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), in Plattsburgh, NY. Calling
on viewers to become members, Attarian emphasized the importance
of public programming and how it provides essential exposure to
Armenian issues. In turn, viewers responded setting a station record
in membership pledges.
The Mountain Lake PBS evening program included two Armenian
documentaries, “Images of the Armenian Spirit” and “Armenian
Americans,” segments from the inauguration ceremonies of the newly
renovated AGBU Alex Manoogian Community Center, and pre-taped
interviews of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada, and AGBU President
Mr. Berge Setrakian.
A grateful Paul King, Mountain Lake PBS Director of On-Air Programming,
approximated that to date AGBU Montréal has helped to raise $100,000
over the last five years, consistently providing drive volunteers and
in record-breaking amounts. King also acknowledged that the Armenian
programs aired on Mountain Lake PBS have been some of the station’s
most successful.
Founded in 1957, AGBU Montréal is dedicated to preserving and promoting
the Armenian heritage and culture through educational, cultural,
and humanitarian programs within the greater Montréal region. For
more information on AGBU Montréal, please call 514-748-AGBU (2428)
or email [email protected].
For more information on AGBU and its chapters around the world,
please visit
–Boundary_(ID_I3DOWTB6Au6HTB+uBmT0Vg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS ARRIVING IN ARMENIA TODAY
Pan Armenian News
04.05.2005 03:30
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus,
Ambassador Heikki Talvitie is arriving in Armenia today. During the
visit Mr. Talvitie is scheduled to meet with the Armenian President,
Parliament Speaker, Foreign Minister as well as the Ambassadors of
the UK and US in Armenia, temporary charge d’affaires of Russia in
Armenia and leaders of some public organizations. The EU Special
Representative is to depart from Armenia on May 6.

SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON PRESS FREEDOM DAY
A1plus
| 16:08:22 | 03-05-2005 | Politics |
On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, marked 3 May,
the international community’s four special rapporteurs on freedom
of expression issued a joint statement, paying tribute to the
courage and professionalism of the numerous journalists and other
media professionals either killed or wounded on account of their
professional activities.
They also addressed such issues as decriminalization of libel, the
importance of access to information and the role of all forms of
media in society.
The Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mr. Miklos Haraszti, the
Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression, Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo, and the Special Rapporteur for freedom
of expression of the Organization of American States, Mr. Eduardo
Bertoni were for the first time joined by the Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Expression of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’
Rights, Mr. Andrew Chigovera.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH
A1plus
| 19:02:42 | 03-05-2005 | Politics |
“We will by all means press for the opening of “A1+”, chairman of the
Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan stated today. In his
words the depriving of A1+ of air is the flagrant violation of freedom
of speech in Armenia and April 2, the day of the company closing –
is a symbolic day of the limitation of freedom of speech.
April 2-May 3, 5750 Armenian citizens put their signatures to the
demand to publish the list of free frequencies and offer A1+ the
possibility to return air.
For Freedom of Speech initiative is going to convey the signatures
to the government. According to head of the Yerevan Press Club Boris
Navasardyan, is after the adoption of the constitutional amendments
the order of the National Committee on TV and Radio is not changed,
any future elections will fail.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Press
April 29 2005
Kocharian’s Letter And The So-called Genocide

BY MUSTAFA KARAALIOGLU
YENI SAFAK- No problem can be resolved by ignoring it. All foreign
policy problems have a shelf life. Just as a resolution is now
inevitable on Cyprus after 30 years of deadlock, Turkey will also
have to face up to the Armenians sooner or later.
Facing up doesn’t necessarily mean accepting, approving or submitting
to the other side’s demands. In this case, facing up refers to
finding a solution to a problem which could block Turkey’s way to the
European Union.
Let’s take a glance at the thorny issues between the two countries:
Yerevan’s so-called genocide allegations, and Armenia’s occupation of
Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Official contacts between Ankara and Yerevan are so few that the
recent correspondence between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Armenian President Robert Kocharian might be seen as diplomatic
sparring. Kocharian responded to Erdogan’s letter, which offered to
establish a joint commission to debate Armenia’s so-called genocide
allegations.
In brief, Kocharian proposed establishing relations between the two
countries without any preconditions. However, his letter said nothing
about the genocide allegations.
To Yerevan, establishing diplomatic relations with Ankara and opening
its border gate are very important. Turkey is a profitable getaway
for this isolated country. So, Armenia’s demand for trade with Turkey
can be used as a trump card during possible negotiations on the
so-called genocide claims. However, this can’t be as useful as we
hope. As a matter of fact, the Armenian public relations campaign has
superiority in the international community. In other words, they have
managed to convince nearly all countries that there was a `genocide.’
Therefore, they can’t and won’t retreat from this position.
Accordingly, for Yerevan, it wouldn’t be reasonable to discuss the
issue with historians.
To Ankara, establishing relations with Armenia wouldn’t be as easy as
it hopes because this issue is directly related to the cost of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project. We’ll be in trouble if we
establish contact with Yerevan despite the fact that Azerbaijan’s
territories are occupied by Armenia.
Nonetheless, if Turkey manages to improve its relations with Armenia,
this would of course blunt the impact of the Armenian anti-Turkish
propaganda, paving the way for a more advantageous EU platform.
However, the first step that Yerevan must take is to withdraw its
troops from Nagorno-Karabakh. In other words, Armenian should make
the first move if it really wants to boost its relations with Turkey.
And the only country that could force Yerevan to make this move is
the United States, not the European Union or any other bloc.

Zaman, Turkey
April 27 2005
‘Let’s Settle the Scores with Our Own History First’
By Zaman
Published: Wednesday 27, 2005
zaman.com
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that he is ready
to face with his own history regarding the so-called Armenian
genocide allegations and said, “If we have to settle with our
history, then we will; however, those, who also have to settle with
history, should do so.”
Erdogan confirmed Turkey’s readiness to open the archives regarding
the events in 1915 and said: “No one has the right to put Turkey, our
past and our ancestors under suspicion by lobbies. We cannot say
“yes” to this.” The Prime Minister continued: “Armenians, too, should
open their state archives. If there are third-party countries
involved in this, let them open their state achieves, too.” Erdogan
also repeated his proposal of a joint study by politicians and
historians of the two countries. Attending a meeting titled “The 14th
Business World Round Table Meeting with the Turkish Government” that
was organized by the Economist Group within the framework of the
Economist Conferences series, Erdogan answered questions from
participants. He underlined that Turkey does not find steps taken
regarding the so-called Armenian genocide allegations by various
regions of the world correct. The Prime Minister warned that some
decisions reached by fait accompli in some countries’ parliaments
trigger hatred and animosity around the world. Erdogan urged that he
would inform the parliaments of 15 countries and 56 state councils,
which had made decisions on the so-called genocide, about Turkey’s
recent steps and the latest proposals regarding the issue.

Pan Armenian News
TO EQUATE HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE IMPORTANT FOR ARMENIANS AND JEWS
27.04.2005 06:20
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The presence of four Israelis in Yerevan at the events
dedicated to the 90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was very
important for the initiators, since that have made some amendments to the
agenda with the consideration of our requests’, Knesset member Yossi Sarid
writes in the article entitled `Return from Armenia’, Yerkir online
reported. According to the Israeli politician, the fact of the Armenian
Genocide cannot be questioned and the debates on this issue going on in the
Israeli parliament sometimes bear rather stupid character. When stressing
the necessity of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel Sarid
writes that to equate the Holocaust and Genocide is very important both for
Armenians and Jews, but it is much more important for the whole mankind.

Czech lawmaker says he would introduce Armenian Genocide resolution
26.04.2005 15:11
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Speaking during a mass in a Prague church, Yaromir
Stetina, a member of the Czech Republic Parliament, has announced he
would be working towards introducing an Armenian Genocide bill in the
Czech Republic Parliament, Armenpress reported, citing a Czech news
agency.
“I am shamed that the Czech Republic has no such a law to date,” he
has been quoted as saying. “I am seeking the Armenian community’s
support in this.”
Stetina has also explained that his decision is also triggered by the
fact that Poland has recently adopted a similar resolution. ” The
Ottoman Empire’s successor Turkey which is willing to join the
European Union, should confront its past.”

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 26 2005
ARMENIANS DISSATISFIED WITH STATEMENT OF USA PRESIDENT
[April 26, 2005, 15:57:48]
Annually on April 24, the Armenians mark anniversary of the notorious
“genocide” being a fruit of their sick imagination. Acting on this
day with a statement, the US President expresses condolence to
citizens of the country of the Armenian nationality. However, despite
of pressure on the part of the Armenians, till now any President of
the USA has not used in the statement the word “genocide”. And this
year, President George Bush has not used in the traditional statement
the word “genocide”. He has called Armenia to develop democratic
reforms. He has declared that supports fair and peaceful settlement
of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. And it has
caused big discontent of Armenians living in the USA. So, ÀNÀÀ (the
Armenian National Assembly of America) has declared that does not
approve the statement of President George Bush. It has estimated the
statement of the President as `formal and ambiguous’. And has accused
President George Bush that he `has not fulfilled the promise ‘. And
chairman of Assembly Aram Khamparian has called the Armenians to
direct to the White House letters and faxes of their discontent.
And the Armenians living in Turkey consider that it would be more
expedient to send the large means spent on propagation of notorious
“genocide”, to Armenia, which experiences famine and poverty.
Appearing on the “TRT-1” TV, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Turkey Mumtaz Soysal has stated that the Armenian nationalist
societies and the churches created in foreign countries, with a view
of protection of the Armenians against assimilation, have generated
the idea of “genocide” and have united them around of this utopia.
Just such persistence of Diaspora has arisen a myth about “genocide”.
And in present conditions, the Armenians, using the opinions, which
have arisen in some western countries in connection with the question
on membership of Turkey in the European Union, have wanted to receive
material indemnification, and, probably, lands.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 25 2005
PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES US DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S SENIOR
ADVISER FOR EURASIA, AMBASSADOR STEVEN MANN
[April 25, 2005, 16:32:50]
On 25 April, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received US
Department of State’s Senior Adviser For Eurasia, Special Negotiator
for Nagorno-Karabakh and Eurasian Conflicts, Ambassador Steven Mann.
Mr. Mann expressed satisfaction with visiting Baku and his recent
meeting with President Ilham Aliyev during the GUUAM Summit in
Kishinev the attendance of Romanian and Lithuanian Presidents at
which was described by him as an indication of increasing interest in
the organization.
Noting the Summit was a success, the Azerbaijani leader underlined
the increasing role of the organization in the system of
international relations. President Ilham Aliyev highly appreciated
the fact that the resolution adopted in Kishinev and GUUAM leaders’
statements reflect the importance of the conflicts’ resolutions in
accordance with the principles of international law – countries’
territorial integrity and inviolability of borders – and strong
denunciation of the aggressive separatism. He expressed confidence
strengthening of GUUAM would serve ensuring of regional peace and
stability.
President Ilham Aliyev and Ambassador Steven Mann have also exchange
views on development of US-Azerbaijan relationship, prospects of the
large-scale energy projects, settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and other issues.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress