NATIONAL TEAM OF ARMENIA RETREATS 8 DEGREES IN FAFA CLASSIFICATION TABLE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 19 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The FIFA made public on April 18 the
new classification table of the national teams of football.
Teams of Italy, Argentina and Brazil are in the first three of
the table.
The national team of Armenia descended from the 119th horizontal to
the 127th one, and Azerbaijan rose from the 123rd horizontal to the
103rd place.
PRIMATE OF U.S. EASTERN DIOCESE STRUGGLES AGAINST HOLDING ONE-SIDED CONFERENCE UNDER MASK OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN DIALOGUE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 18 2007
NEW YORK, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Archbishop Khazhak
Parsamian, the primate of the U.S. Eastern Diocese addressed to
the administration of the Southern Methodist University of Dallas,
co-sponsor of the hastily organized international conference entitled
"Relating to Turkish-Armenian Dialogue." According to the information
submitted to Noyan Tapan by the U.S. Eastern Armenian Diocese,
worried with the circumstance that among the 12 speakers invited to
the conference there is no Armenian scientist or American Armenian
figure, exlucing the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, Archbishop Parsamian
persuaded University President Doctor R. Gerald Turner to stop the
university sponsorship and assistance to the conference.
Besides, ecumenic colleagues, like, for example, Doctor Bob Edgar
from the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA,
joined Archbishop Parsamian calling on the university to stop its
sponsoring a conference which will be a monologue, effectively pushing
out Armenians from the supposed dialogue.
In response, University Vice President Jim Caswell informed that the
office of the University spiritual pastor stopped its assistance
to that event and demanded from the University "Turkish Student"
group sponsoring the conference and from other Turkish interested
groups and funds to remove the University name and symbol from their
advertisement materials and web sites.
Later the American scientists, learning about one-sided discussions,
refused to participate in that conference.
But the "Turkish Student" group of the University, the pro-Turkish
fund and the "interreligious" group having a Turk head still plan to
carry out the conference, in spite of the scientific world’s universal
condemnation relating to the framework and organization of the event.
AZERBAIJAN STRETCHES TOWARDS DEMOCRACY
Cafe Babel, France
April 18 2007
Between April 16-20, the European Council discusses the fulfilment
of the Caucasian republic’s human rights obligations
Photo: Shushi church in Nagorno Karabaj, Azerbaijan (Photo:
Sputnikmania/ Flickr)
The European Council has not been the only institution to address
the issue of the Caucasian republic. The United Nations Human Rights
Council’s session in Geneva last March also held debates on the
internally displaced population in the Azeri territory. The population
is displaced due to a conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a region occupied by Armenians that declared its independence from
Azerbaijan in 1991, but that no international state has recognised. At
the start of 2007, Amnesty International published an explicit report
warning of the lack of freedom of expression and threats suffered by
local informants in Azerbaijan.
The protagonism that this ex-Soviet republic has acquired in the
last few months is not accidental. After the ‘information blackout’
that followed the turbulent legislative elections in November 2005,
the Azeri society is stretching and preparing itself to take on what
they see as a ‘political challenge.’ That is to say, the presidential
elections of 2008. The government will have to demonstrate that the
‘little gestures’ that Iiham Aliyev’s executive council has carried
out in the last few months – amnesty to political prisoners, the
remodelling of some government portfolios, the liberalisation of
foreign policy – have not been merely an image clean up to avoid
criticism from the international community, but a convinced and
convincing step towards a mature, definitive democracy.
Electoral ghosts
The election will be a real golden opportunity for the opposition.
During the 2003 presidential and 2005 legislative elections, the
opposition united its forces in a unique opposing platform against
the ‘electoral ghost’ created by Aliyev’s government. This was a
field of entertainment perfect for some elections: those of 2008,
in which the loss of breath of the opposition parties’ union – that
still hasn’t decided on what terms it will compete – can recover with
an announcement that respects international standards of cleanness
and transparency.
For Razi Nurullayev, Azeri activist and founder of the Yox youth
movement, the main challenge for the opposition is to ‘mobilise and
get society involved,’ especially the youngest sectors. ‘The young are
caught up above all in their routines and their problems getting ahead
in life,’ explains Nurullayev, who now works in the consolidation of
the ‘Coalition of Civil Society,’ a network of local and international
non-governmental organisations, civil associations and influential
persons, created in order to favour social debate and build bridges
between political life and society. ‘Citizen passivity is the base
for some bad elections.’ He is convinced that true democracy will
never exist in Azerbaijan until the Azeris get fully involved in the
day-to-day politics of the country.
Euroasiatic chessboard pawn
For the moment, the Azeri government has consented to put into
action some of the recommendations made by the European Councils
Venice Commission and organisms of the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with respect to introducing amendments
in the electoral law. Now, for example, electoral committee members
will be made up of an equal number of representatives from both the
government and the opposition.
However, in its April session, it is probable that the European
Council will insist on a change of course in other areas, including
judicial system reform, the fight against corruption and organised
crime, the situation of human rights defence NGOs in the country,
and freedom of expression and meetings. Premises that, according to
the Azeri government, the European Council should make extendible to
other countries that make up the institution.
Azerbaijan is a vital piece on the Euroasiatic chessboard. It shares
a border with Iran – where 35% of the population is Azeri. That’s
30 million against the 9 million that reside in Azerbaijan. Its
rich energy resources place it in the centre of growing Caucasian
importance in the international geopolitical situation. Azerbaijan,
however, looks at Europe knowing that its outside credibility depends
to a large extent on the democratic advances that it is capable of
stamping on its political life during the months to come.
In-text photos: Aliyevs Sr and Jr, the dynasty ruling Azerbaijan
(Ippy/ Flickr), European Council (Codl/ Flickr)
=T&Id=10707
MEETINGS OF DELEGATION OF IPA CIS COMMISSION FOR OBSERVATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
April 18 2007
Members of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth
Independent States (IPA CIS) Commission for observation of the
parliamentary elections in Armenia headed by the Vice Speaker of
the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian
Federation Mr. Alexander Torshin and the Secretary General of IPA
CIS Mr. Mikhail Krotov will arrive in Yerevan on April 19.
On April 19 meetings of the delegation are scheduled with the
Chairman of the Central Electoral Committee (CEC) Mr. Garegin Azaryan,
with the representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA),
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), United Labor Party (ULP),
Justice, National Unity, Country of Law factions and the Prosperous
Armenia party.
On April 20 the delegation will meet the Prosecutor General of the
Republic of Armenia Mr. Aghvan Hovsepyan, President of the Republic of
Armenia Mr. Robert Kocharyan, the President of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Tigran Torosyan. The delegation will
also have a meeting in the Yerevan office of International Institute
on Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarism and Suffrage
Protection for the Citizens of IPA CIS.
The meetings of the delegation will be summed up with a parliamentary
press conference.
ARMENIANS OF TEXAS PROTEST AGAINST HOLDING CONFERENCE ON "ARMENIAN-TURKISH DIALOG"
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2007 16:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 14, 2007 the Armenian community of Texas
rapidly mobilized to a conference on "Turkish-Armenian Dialogue"
slated to take place at Southern Methodist University (SMU). The main
purpose of the planned conference in SMU is denial of the Armenian
Genocide. A similar conference was organized two weeks ago in Austin
entitled "Ottoman Diversity and Multiculturalism," the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) reports.
With local, regional and national collaboration involving grassroots
activists, the ANCA, ANCA-WR, and the Eastern Diocese of the
Armenian Church joined forces with the Armenian community of Texas to
counter the attempts of genocide denial making inroads at SMU and the
university system of North Texas. These attempts by genocide denialists
coincide with local efforts to build support for the Armenian genocide
resolution, H. Res. 106 which awaits a vote in the U.S. Congress.
The Armenian community of Texas will continue to coordinate efforts
locally and beyond to pursue the truthful, just path of official
recognition of the Armenian genocide through H. Res. 106 and shall
remain vigilant regarding the coordinated efforts of the Turkish
government to fund genocide denial propaganda conferences at
universities and or on Capitol Hill.
200 MARK GENOCIDE’S ANNIVERSARY
Gary Rennie, Windsor Star
Windsor Star (Ontario)
Final Edition
April 16, 2007 Monday
When Domine Rutayisire called from Canada to her parents’ home
in Rwanda for the last time she suspects it was their killers who
answered.
"Those people don’t live here anymore," was the chilling message.
She lost all hope her parents had survived the genocide of some
1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over 100 days of murder, rape
and destruction that began in early April of 1994.
Rutayisire’s story was one of many told Saturday at the University
of Windsor’s Vanier Hall. About 200 people gathered as the Rwandan
Canadian Culture Association of Windsor, Essex County and Detroit
held the 13th remembrance of the genocide.
Six men, women and children died every minute of that 100 days,
often hacked to death by machetes swung by former neighbours, friends
and relatives.
Rutayisire estimated about 90 per cent of her 500 close and distant
relatives died. Now living in LaSalle, the social worker at the Teen
Health Centre said many Rwandans feel a bond with Canada because our
troops led the UN peacekeeping mission in her country.
Rwandans appreciate that Canadian Gen. Romeo Dallaire warned of the
coming genocide and tried unsuccessfully to get reinforcements sent
with authority to respond with force, Rutayisire said.
Rutayisire’s story was told in "Dry Your Eyes Rwanda," a 20-minute
documentary of local survivors of the genocide that was produced by
communication students at the University of Windsor. The commemoration
of the Rwandan genocide ended Sunday with a service at St. Alphonsus
Church, followed by a walk to the Detroit River.
One of the organizers, Hiram Gahima, said the remembrance is also
meant to keep the world’s attention on the survivors of the genocide,
including some 200,000 orphaned children, widows and rape victims.
They still need housing, medicine, food and access to education,
he said.
Other genocides, such as the Holocaust, Pol Pot’s regime of terror
in Cambodia, mass murder of Armenians or what is now unfolding in
the Sudan, were also highlighted.
The parents of Windsor psychologist Morrie Kleinplatz survived the
Holocaust. But even with knowledge of what his parents told him and
professional training, Kleinplatz can’t explain how some people can
be so brutal to others.
"To this day, I can’t imagine it," he said of his parent’s experiences
as teenagers in Nazi Germany. After the horror of the Holocaust was
revealed many opined "never again," said Kleinplatz.
"Never again has become again and again."
MERKEL TO ERDOGAN: TRUST US, WE WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL TO SHRODER’S WORD
Hurriyet, Turkey
April 16 2007
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Germany for meetings
with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, received a message from the
German leader that her administration would remain faithful to the
principles and decisions taken by the previous Schroder government
in regards to Turkish membership in the EU.
Erdogan and Merkel met yesterday for an hour before Erdogan left to
attend the opening of the Hannover Industrial Trade Fair, at which
Turkey is participating as a "Partner Country." During the meetings
with Merkel, aside from Erdogan, only top ranked AKP consultant Cuneyd
Zapsu was present.
Erdogan reportedly relayed to Merkel during the meeting Ankara’s
discomfort with not having been invited to the 50th birthday
celebrations for the EU in Berlin, as well as Merkel’s recent
assertions that the "EU’s foundation is based on Christianity."
Erdogan also reportedly brought up the subject of a bill being
prepared which would bring about fines for people denying the so-called
Armenian genocide.
In response to Erdogan’s complaints, Merkel brought up the topic of
EU expectations from Ankara in regards to Cyprus, and harmony with
protocols which Ankara had previously promised to follow.
The two leaders laters answered questions at a joint press conference.
ARMENIA MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF IMF DATA DISSEMINATION SPECIAL STANDARD
Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Statistics is a science which is
always subject to methodological changes, and there is a constant
need to improve the methodologies used. Head of the RA National
Statistical Service Stepan Mnatsakanian stated this at the April 11
press conference. In his words, the reliability of any statistical
index is determined by the methodology used, whose publication is
one of the requirements of statistics.
S. Mnatsakanian gave the report on implementation of the 2004-2006
three-year program of state statistical work. According to the report,
in the period under review, 99.9% of 5,561 planned units of work
were done. The work was financed from the RA state budget, including
with resources of grants provided by foreign states and international
organizations. S. Mnatsakanian said that out of 1 bln 860.2 mln drams
envisaged by the state budget for implementation of the three-year
program, 1 bln 794.3 mln drams (about 4.8 mln USD) has been allocated.
As the most important result of the work done, S. Mnatsakanian noted
the fact that Armenia has met all requirements of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) Data Dissemination Special Standard and joined
this system of standards.
He said that Armenia is the 54th country to have met these
requirements.
ARMENIAN MP DISMISSES ACCUSATIONS OF AUTHORITIES’ INVOLVEMENT IN BLASTS
Arminfo
12 Apr 07
Yerevan, 12 April: The blasts carried out last night in the Prosperous
Armenia Party offices in Yerevan’s Avan and Kanaker-Zeytun districts
are a blatant provocation, Vahan Hovhannisyan, Armenian parliament
deputy speaker and a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun bureau, has said.
He categorically brushed aside speculations of opposition politicians
who blamed the blasts on the Armenian authorities. It is apparent
that the authorities need calmness. This could be done only by the
forces interested in destabilizing and escalating the situation in the
country with the aim of calling the polls rigged and illegal after the
election. There are many such forces in both Armenia and outside it,
Hovhannisyan said. Asked who specifically he means, Hovhannisyan said
he could not answer the question. "I do not work for the police and
can’t answer that question," he said.
BASE IN ARMENIA IS PART OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSSIA-IVANOV
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 11, 2007 Wednesday
Neither the size nor plans of the Russian military base in Armenia
"bear any aggressive traits or are targeted against third countries,
but they effectively maintain our security," Russia’s First Deputy
Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told a joint news conference with
Armenia’s Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian on Wednesday.
"For this reason the presence of the base should be regarded as a
component of strategic partnership between Russia and Armenia.
Cooperation is not confined to this base, though. There are also the
economy, culture and Russian language.
"I believe that Armenia is our strategic partner. The military factor
is not the sole yardstick. The cultural and historical roots that
bond us together are hundreds, even thousands of years old," he said.