Author: Maghakian Mike

DMITRI HAROUTIUNIAN TO REPRESENT ARMENIA IN DOCTORS’ WORLD SPORTS GAMES TO BE HELD IN ITALY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. It is the first time that a
representative of Armenia will take part in the Doctors’ World Annual
Sports Games to be held in July 1-8 in Italy. A selection tournament
was held from March 27 to April 2 for the purpose of selecting the
representative of Armenia. As Parunak Zeylveyan, Chairman of the
Armenian Medical Association NGO, said at the April 5 press conference,
41 doctors from different medical institutions took part in the
tournament. Dmitri Haroutiunian, clinical house-surgeon of Infectious
Diseases Chair of Yerevan Medical University after M.Heratsi, became
the winner of the tournament and will leave for Italy.

IT IS YET UNCLEAR WHERE ARMENIAN AND AZERI FOOTBALL TEAMS WILL PLAY
Yerevan, April 5. ArmInfo. It is yet unclear where the Armenian and
Azeri national football teams will play in the framework of the World
Cup 2008 qualification round.
In a joint press-conference with President of the Football Federation
of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan Tuesday UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christen
Olsson said that the Armenia-Azerbaijan matches have a political
context and the sides can agree only through constructive dialogue
mediated by a special UEFA commission.
Olsson said that the Armenian and Azeri football federations and the
UEFA special commission will discuss this problem in Geneva May 11-12.
Hayrapetyan said that Armenia is ready to receive the Azeri team in
Yerevan but the Azeri side refuses to host matches with Armenia. He
noted that during the UEFA congress in Budapest the president of the
Football Federation of Azerbaijan Ramiz Mirzoyev confessed that the
Azeri side cannot guarantee security in Baku and does not rule out the
possibility of violence. Hayrapetyan once again confirmed Armenia’s
readiness to host the matches, while the inability of the Azeri side
to ensure security on their territory is their problem.
Olsson noted that if the sides fail to agree, the matches will be held
on neutral stadiums or will not be held at all, like was the case with
Israel. If a country says that it can’t ensure security, UEFA can’t
do anything – as violence may take place even on neutral territory.

AFFA LEADERSHIP AND ARMENIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION TO MEET IN GENEVA
Author: Z. Safarov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 5 2006
A special meeting between the AFFA leadership and Armenian Football
Federation, considering the place of the Europe-2008 championship
selective games will take place on May 11 in Geneva.
The UEFA executive director, Lars-Christer Olsson, who has paid a 2
day visit to Armenia, noted that the given dialog will be held with
the participation of the UEFA special commission that is to visit
Baku and Yerevan.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan can reach the consensus only the constructive
dialog with each other,” he said. At the same time, the UEFA executive
director stated that a difficult situation has been created around
the two teams “with a political pretext.”
Previously, Olsson has stated that UEFA would like to hold games both
in Baku and Yerevan.

KIDS LEARN ABOUT GENOCIDE
‘iWitness’ gives teachers sense of 1915 tragedy
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News
April 4 2006
The Armenian Genocide – once observed primarily by Armenian-Americans
and marked by events in parochial schools and annual protests at
the Turkish Embassy – is taking on a greater role in the culture of
Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has launched a genocide
curriculum that more effectively teaches students about the killing
of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 – considered the first large-scale
genocide of the 20th century.
City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo hosted the first in a series of
training workshops Monday, with more than 300 teachers reading witness
testimonials and looking at survivors’ photographs in the “iWitness”
exhibit on display at his office.
“I run an office where every day truth is powerful. It leads us to
justice, and I think the images out there speak truth and justice,”
Delgadillo said. “This isn’t a huge demonstration, but, hopefully,
it will inspire these kids and teachers to follow that same lead and
demonstrate courage at every turn.”
The Genocide Education Project developed the curriculum. It focuses on
the 1915 genocide by the Ottoman Empire against its Armenian citizens,
but it also includes materials on other genocides of the 20th century –
the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia and Darfur.
California schools are required to discuss the Armenian Genocide in
their 10th-grade modern world history classes.
Two El Camino Real High School history teachers said “iWitness” –
with its stark portraits and poignant stories of victims – brought
to life for them horrors from nearly 100 years ago.
“We have a world history book – and it’s an excellent one – but it
only has two or three paragraphs devoted to this time,” said James
DeLarme, a 10th-grade teacher. “This really opens your eyes and makes
it real as to what happened. It will help when I teach students about
what happened.”
Teacher Devon Krodle said it was the emotion of the stories that
impressed him.
“When you hear these stories and see the pictures, it gives you a
better sense of the reality of that period,” he said.
The Turkish government blames the deaths of Armenians on civil war
rather than an orchestrated massacre, and the U.S. government has
not yet formally recognized the killings as a massacre.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, has been trying for years to push
through a bill officially recognizing the genocide, but has met with
resistance from Congress because of America’s relationship with Turkey.
“I think we need to do whatever we can do to help educate the public
by teaching its youngest members what genocide really means, to help
them understand their own history and what’s going on elsewhere in
the world like in Darfur,” Schiff said.
L.A. Unified’s goal is to expose its students to facts about human
rights violations in the world. In March, district teachers attended
training on a new Holocaust curriculum that helps them put the
topic in perspective and increases their sensitivity to the events,
officials said.
“As a people, if we’re not aware of how prevalent genocide has been
in (the last) century, then it will keep happening,” Clay said. “The
key point we want to make is that we want to impart to students the
factual material and let the students make up their own minds.”
The idea is to study the similarities and differences of all genocides,
because no genocide can be studied in isolation, said Raffi Momjian,
executive director of the Genocide Education Project.
“The key is training teachers on how to address human rights topics,
and our ultimate goal is to empower students to learn why and how
these things happen,” said Momjian, whose nonprofit group develops
instructional materials about human rights and genocide.
“As they grow up and hear about these things, hopefully they become
an informed and active citizenry.”

A COMMON SOLDIER OF THE ARMY OF AZERBAIJAN WAS KILLED AS A RESULT OF ATTACK FROM THE ARMENIAN SIDE
Source: Informacionnoe agenstvo “Turan”(Baku), March 31, 2006
Translated by Anastasia Zanina
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
April 3, 2006 Monday
Today at about 12 o’clock p.m. as a result of the engagement of the
positions of the army of Azerbaijan near the village Alibeili in
Tovyzsky region common soldier, Aliev Farid, was killed (1986 year
of birth). As was reported to the press service of the Minister
of Defense, the fire was started by Armenians from the side of the
village Ajgepar of Berdsky region. (…)
This was the sixth case of death of Azerbaijan military men during
the current month, and several men were injured.

KARABAKH ANALYST: SUBJECTIVITY AND DOUBLE STANDARDS HINDER SETTLEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS
17:28 04/04/2006
“While solving all kinds of conflicts so-called ‘double standards’
always appear. There is an opinion; these standards are negative
phenomenon, which hampers final conflict settlement, especially
international ones. But it would be a serious mistake categorically to
maintain rightfulness of such approach,” expressed such opinion adviser
to Nagorno Karabakh president David Babayan, interviewed by REGNUM.
According to him, double standards are, first of all, clearly defined
state interests; and in such context, presence of double standards,
i.e. clear objective interests by different actors and interested
sides in conflict settlement, especially international ones, may give
additional impetus for the conflicts’ settlement, because in case
of clash of different interests, inhered in both conflict parties
and external powers, possibility of finding compromise appears. “In
such case, the double standards become necessary element of conflict
settlement. But they really begin to hamper conflict settlement, and
sometimes worsen situation, if they are based on subjective approaches,
because of which they often totally reverse.
Discrimination, as most dangerous result of subjectivism in double
standards, is most striking example of that,” said David Babayan.
At the same time, he stressed, at present there are clear double
standards — both objective and subjective ones — in conflict
settlement, especially in post-Soviet space. “Among all foreign
actors the USA and Turkey have most clearly defined interests. Iran
has its permanent interests too. Changes of interests of Russia
are obvious. Parties, which immediately conflict, have rather clear
position in Nagorno Karabakh settlement. Europe as whole has more or
less unclear interests, and it may be explained by fact, that Europe
is still forming, and continuing to look for compromise foreign policy
doctrine. The latter becomes rather apparent during visits of some
European politicians to the region too”, said the analyst.
As an example David Babayan named former Spain Foreign Minister Anna
Palacio, who visited Stepanakert as member of group of analysts and
former politicians two years ago. “I had occasion to speak with her
rather long on Nagorno Karabakh settlement. Of course, the matter
concerned territories. Palacio did not know details of the question,
and I explained her, among other things, territorial questions have
many ingredients, in particular, political, military, ecological
aspects. She especially interested in ecological aspects, and in
the context, I presented her importance of Kelbajar area, where 85%
of water resources of former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Republic
originated, including rivers Arpa and Vorotan. They play key role to
rescue Lake of Sevan which contains 80% of Armenian water reserves.
Vitally importance of the territory, especially taking into
consideration facts of hydro-terror from Azerbaijan, as well as
its threat to repeat them in future, if the area is controlled by
Azerbaijan again, was stressed. On the following day Palacio told me,
she had been thinking about our conversation the whole night, and had
concluded, Kelbajar area might not be returned to Azerbaijan because
of guaranteeing water security of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. But
in her article in Washington Post, published on April 11 of this year,
Palacio stated, Armenia had to return Azerbaijan ‘occupied territories,
around disputable territory, Karabakh must receive full autonomy
before definition of its final status’ etc. It is nothing else, but
a subjective approach, and may be to a certain extent a mercantile
one, fully corresponding with winged words ‘O tempora, o mores!’,”
resumed David Babayan.

SITUATION IN GEORGIA’S ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGION BACK TO NORMAL – AGENCY
Arminfo, Yerevan
4 Apr 06
Akhalkalaki, 4 April: The situation in the Armenian-populated
Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia is gradually getting back
to normal.
After protest rallies and riots that followed the killing of ethnic
Armenian Gevork Gevorkyan in Tsalka District on 9 March, the life in
the region is “gradually getting back to normal”, A-info news agency
reported today.
The press service of the council of Armenian public organizations in
Samtskhe-Javakheti said that the Armenian population of the region
is waiting for a just verdict from Georgia’s law-enforcement agencies
on the killing of Gevork Gevorkyan. This is the reason the situation
in the region is currently calm, the press service said.
The Armenian population of Samtskhe-Javakheti has become more vigilant
and is trying not to yield to provocation. For instance, unnamed people
spread information, urging people to participate in a rally planned
to be held on a square in the town of Akhalkalaki on 16 March. But
no-one went to that rally.
The council of Armenian public organizations of Samtskhe-Javakheti
states that the rally had been planned by those who are trying to
destabilize the situation in the region, A-info reported.

INTERNATIONAL QUALITY CERTIFICATE TO BE GIVEN TO LABORATORY OF BLOOD ANTIBODIES DIAGNOSIS OF “ARMENIAN BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY”
Noyan Tapan
Apr 03 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Federation for
Immunogenetics will give the international quality certificate to
the Laboratory of Blood Antibodies Diagnosis of the “Armenian Bone
Marrow Donor Registry” charity fund. As Sevak Avagian, the Executive
Director of the fund mentioned at the March 30 press-conference,
they satisfied all the demands proposed by the federation to get that
certificate. According to him, as the registry is a body working
with international structures, so having such a certificate is
very important. As Krissa Papasteriades, the representative of the
federation mentioned, existence of a package facting the quality
of qualified specialists, modern equipment and work are among the
demands presented to laboratories to get such qualification. It was
also mentioned that the Armenian registry has more than 10 thousand
donors at present. 400 patients have addressed to the registry by
now, data of 300 of who coincided with data of donors registered
at the Armenian registry. 6 marrow stem cell transplantations with
participation of donors of the registry were implemented in different
countries based on compatibilities found out till today.

TURKISH AND FRENCH INTELLECTUALS AGREE ON TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP
Zaman, Turkey
April 2 2006
Turkish and French intellectuals, who gathered for the 10th Abant
Platform in Paris, discussed Europe’s future.
Issues such as, “Globalization and Liberalism” and “What kind of
a Europe?,” were discussed in the last part of the meeting. The
intellectuals questioning the future of Europe agreed on the idea
that Turkey’s European Union (EU) membership would make a significant
contribution to Europe. Professor Nilufer Gole told that intellectuals
from both countries came together for the first time in this frame
explaining that, “The intellectuals laid their hearts beyond the
discussions. This is crucial for the bilateral relations.”
French philosopher Olivier Abel told Europe needs Turkey for its own
future. “Europe should accept Turkey as a member in order to complete
its democratization,” he noted.
Galatasaray University faculty member Professor Kenan Gursoy, who
made the closing speech together with Abel, received a loud applause
when he explained the legendary Turks’ march from Ergenekon to Europe.
Speaking in the morning session of the meeting, French philosopher
Professor Monique Canto Sperber, a lecturer in one of the prestigious
French schools, Ecole Normale Superieure , told EU was undergoing
a transformation and Turkey would play a bridge role for the EU. He
defended that the liberal economy changed the borders of Europe adding,
“We see that Europe’s geo-strategic understanding has started to
change.” The French thinker told Turkey encountered many problems
during its globalization process, “It is natural for Turkey, which was
established on the basis of the nation-state model, to be influenced
from Europe,” he said. Sperber claimed that it was very important
how Turkey would take steps before issues such as the Kurdish issue,
rising nationalism and the Armenian genocide allegations.
Indicating globalization turned the entire world into a single type,
Sperber told this yielded a different outcome and strengthened
the local identities in all the societies. “Globalization does
not guarantee a world of peace where all the nation states are
eliminated. On the contrary, it causes communities to highlight their
cultural identities with the instinct of defense, “he expressed.

PREDICTIONS BY “NEW TIMES”
Panorama.am
14:44 31/03/06
The head of “Nor Jamanakner” (New Times) party Aram Karapetyan
says that part of the finances of Lincy fund did not serve their
purpose. “As far as I am concerned it is demanded that Artashed
Toumanyan should pay about 3 millions back as a result of abuses,”
the political figure says calling the publications in the Mass Media
his source of information.
“Every day that person is called to 6th department, to the
State Security Service. They want to tell him something, don’t
they?” Moreover, A. Karapetyan is not sure that such abuses will
not be allowed in case of 235.65 million USD given to our country
by Millennium War-calls Corporation. “I think part of the money will
certainly be robbed,” the leader of “New Times” predicts the fate of
the American grant. /Panorama.am/