Author: Mamian George

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
August 3, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA WELCOMES WHITE HOUSE WITHDRAWAL OF HOAGLAND NOMINATION AS US
AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

— Decision Follows Extensive ANCA Nationwide Campaign to Block
Appointment of Genocide Denier as U.S. Envoy

WASHINGTON, DC – Following a year of Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) led Armenian American community opposition to the
controversial appointment of an Armenian Genocide denier as U.S.
envoy to Yerevan, the White House, today, announced the withdrawal
of the nomination of Dick Hoagland as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.

"We are gratified to see that the Administration has finally come
to recognize what the ANCA and the Armenian American community have
understood for more than a year – that Dick Hoagland — through his
own words and action – disqualified himself as an effective
representative of either American values or U.S. interests as U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia," stated ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. "We would like to thank Senator Menendez for his
principled leadership in impressing upon the Administration that a
genocide denier should never and must never represent the U.S. in
Armenia."

"This is certainly welcome news," stated Senator Robert Menendez
(D-NJ). "It was clear that their nominee to fill his place was
controversial. I hope that our next nominee will bring a different
understanding to this issue and foster a productive relationship
with our friends in Armenia."

House Armenian Genocide resolution lead sponsor Rep. Adam Schiff
(D-CA) concurred, stating "The President was right to withdraw Mr.
Hoagland’s nomination. During his confirmation hearings, Mr.
Hoagland continued to deny that the massacre of a million and a
half Armenians between 1915 and 1923 was genocide, thereby
compounding the injury done to the Armenian people and, especially,
the few remaining survivors of the first genocide of the Twentieth
Century. I hope that the President will soon nominate a new
ambassador who will be more forthcoming in discussing the Armenian
Genocide"

The ANCA first announced its opposition to the Hoagland appointment
on July 18th, 2006. The decision followed written responses offered
by the nominee to questions posed during his Senate confirmation
hearing, which went far beyond the bounds of the Administration’s
already deeply flawed policy, actually calling into question the
Armenian Genocide as a historical fact. During subsequent months
tens of thousands of Armenian Americans participated in nationwide
phone, letter-writing and ANCA WebFax campaigns urging the Senate
to block the nomination.

On September 12th, Sen. Menendez announced that he had placed a
"hold" on the Hoagland nomination, citing the principled stand
taken by former U.S. Ambassador John Evans, who was fired for
speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide, underscoring his
"great concerns that Mr. Hoagland’s confirmation would be a step
backward."

Citing the opposition of the Armenian American community and the
growing controversy within Congress surrounding the nomination,
Senator Menendez was joined on December 1st by incoming Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in calling on President George W.
Bush to withdraw the Hoagland nomination and propose a new
candidate to serve in this important diplomatic post. They stressed
that, in light of the broad-based concerns within Congress, the
extensive media coverage this issue has received, and the strong
stand of the Armenian American community against the nomination,
"it would serve neither our national interests nor the U.S.-Armenia
relationship to expect Ambassador-designate Hoagland to carry out
his duties under these highly contentious and profoundly troubling
circumstances."

On December 8th of last year, after the Senate failed to confirm
Hoagland, his nomination was returned to the President upon the
adjournment of the 109th Congress. With the expiration of the
Hoagland nomination, the President was free to offer a new
candidate for this diplomatic posting in the 110th Congress, but
chose instead to submit the same one, despite strong Congressional
opposition to his confirmation. Sen. Menendez placed a second
"hold" on the nomination on January 11, 2007.

More than half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and more
than 60 U.S. Representatives have raised concerns about the
Hoagland nomination and the State Department’s refusal to explain
the controversial firing of his predecessor, John Marshall Evans,
for speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide. The Department
of State has also failed to offer any meaningful explanation of the
role that the Turkish government played in the Evans issue.

#####

ARMENIAN CHURCH CALLS REGION CHRISTIANS TO BE AGAINST BAKU-TBILISI-GARS RAILWAY PROJECT

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 2 2007

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian had several meetings with
new leaders of Ajaristan and Samskhe-Javakhetia, Armenian community
and representatives of Armenian Church in the framework his visit
to Georgia.

Ceremony was held in Surp Khach church in Akhalkalak with the
participation of the representatives of local Armenian community on
July 31 after Armenian Foreign Minister’s visit to the region.

Armenian Apostolic Church eparchy’s archimandrite to Georgia
Babken Salbyan stated in the ceremony that geopolitical condition
in the region gives no opportunity for Armenians to establish their
independent subject in Georgia.

"Any measures to be taken in this direction will complicate the
condition, therefore we need at least 10-15 years. Armenian community
should preserve its solidity and should convince official Tbilisi
in the unpromising of the construction of Gars-Akhalkalak railway,"
he said.

Monk Samvel Torosyan addressing the event proposed all Christians
living in Georgia to be against Gars-Akhalkalak project and called
to take necessary measures for it.

ONE MORE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY TO BE TURNED INTO MUSEUM

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.08.2007 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Reconstruction works of an Armenian church in
Edremit district of Van (Turkey) came to end. Turkish media reports
the restored church will function as a museum. The European Union
assigned ~@185 thousand to Turkey for reconstruction works, which
launched June 6, 2007. The church, which was built in the13th century,
will function as a city museum, where historical-cultural values of
Van will be displayed, ‘Yerkir’ newspaper reports.

This is not the first case in Turkey when an Armenian church is being
turned into museum. On March 29, 2007 Turkish authorities opened the
restored Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island as a museum. This caused
a wide resonance among Armenians of the whole world.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH DIPLOMATS ACCREDITED IN GEORGIA

Noyan Tapan
Jul 30, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Foreign Minister, Vardan Oskanian
visited Akhaltskha on July 28 and met with the region’s leadership,
representatives of the Armenian community, and the most active members
of the youth wing.

The Foreign Minister’s next stop was in Akhalkalak, where V. Oskanian
visited the Surb Khach (St Cross) church, met with Armenian deputies
of the Georgian parliament elected from the region, and community’s
representatives.

During the meetings the Minister in detail presented the priorities of
Armenia’s foreign policy, the Armenian-Georgian relations and future
bilateral programs, answered many questions.

In the second half of the day V. Oskanian met with heads of more than
ten diplomatic representations accredited in Georgia, who had visited
the Lori region, and heads of international organizations.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, the goal of the visit to Lori of the diplomats
accredited in Georgia initiated by Hrach Silvanian, the Ambassador of
Armenia to Georgia, is to get acquainted with Lori’s cultural heritage,
as well as industrial enterprises.

During the meeting, the diplomats, accompanied by the Lori Governor,
Aram Kocharian, and the heads of the Georgian Armenian and Gugark
Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church, visited the Haghpat church
and the Sanahin church, the Copper and Molybdenum Factory of Alaverdi,
the village of Sanahin, the House-Museum of Anastas and Artem Mikoyans.

PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN MET WITH US DIPLOMATS

armradio.am
30.07.2007 14:20

President Robert Kocharyan today received the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
Matthew Bryza and US Charge d’Affaires in Armenia Rudolf Perina.,
President’s Press Office informs.

Issues related to the current stage of negotiations on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement were discussed..

ARF INDICATES DEEPENING RIFT WITH REPUBLICAN PARTY

ARMENPRESS
Jul 27, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS: Armen Rustamian, a senior member of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) party and head of a parliament
committee on foreign issues, said today his party will nominate its
own candidate for the next year’s presidential election, ‘who will be
from the ARF.’ He said the ARF will convene a congress in autumn to
decide the candidate. ‘Our party will not defend a candidate nominated
by other political groups and will not nominate a candidate that was
already nominated by another party,’ he told journalists today.

He said the ARF is very likely to strike cooperation with
the Zharangutyun (Heritage) opposition party, because of
‘evident. ideological commonalities.’ Rustamian admitted also a
widening rift between his party and the governing Republican party
saying their approaches towards a set of questions are becoming
apparently different.

At the end of the news conference Rustamian blamed all election vices
on the majoritarian (single-mandate ) election system saying it must
be eliminated to ensure clean and fair vote by party lists only.

Meantime Raffi Hovhanesian, head of the Zharangutyun party, said
to another news conference that his party may nominate him as a
presidential candidate for 2008 ballot, but added that ‘it is not
and end in itself for us and we are ready to give our support to any
other worthy candidate."

Hovhanesian also said the victory of the Justice and Development
party in Turkish parliamentary elections will become a new impetus
for Turkish-Armenian relationships.

TAXI DRIVERS CONTINUE YEREVAN PROTESTS
By Hovannes Shoghikian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 26 2007

Dozens of angry taxi drivers appeared to have clinched concessions
from the government on Thursday after again gathering outside its
headquarters in Yerevan in protest against new licensing rules that
could cost them their jobs.

The rules, which were due to take effect on August 1, would require
taxi companies and independent cab drivers to pay an annual state duty
of 200,000 drams ($590) for each of their cars. More importantly,
they would be banned from using vehicles manufactured more than 10
years ago.

Virtually all of the protesters are self-employed and have older
cars. They were parked in the city’s central Republic Square just
opposite the Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s office for the second
consecutive day. Traffic police tried in vain to keep the convoy from
entering the sprawling square on Thursday.

Several organizers of the protest, which coincided with a weekly
session of Sarkisian’s cabinet, were then received by the chief of
the government staff, Manuk Topuzian. They emerged from the building
an hour later, saying that Topuzian assured them that the government
will delay enforcement of the measure.

"We were told that they will postpone it for six months," said one
driver. "But we want it to be postponed for at least one-and-a-half
years."

Armen Martirosian, an opposition parliamentarian who joined the
protesters after attending the government meeting, quoted Sarkisian
as telling ministers that the new licensing rules were not "well
thought-out." "Your struggle has effectively born fruit," Martirosian
told the protesters.

Also protesting outside the government building were several dozen
former employees of the now defunct Armenian Airlines and residents of
another old Yerevan neighborhood slated for demolition. The ex-pilots
have for years been demanding payment of their back wages, while
the residents seek government assurances that they will be properly
compensated for the loss of their homes.

AIR FLIGHTS’ SECURITY IS NOT GUARANTEED IN ARMENIA, ECONOMIST TATUL MANASERIAN STATES

Noyan Tapan
Jul 26, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. A special commission should be
created for studying the current problems of security in Armenian
civil aviation.

Economist Tatul Manaserian said this during the July 26 discussion
at the Center for National and International Studies. In his words,
as far back as in 2003, Samvel Margarian, the former Chief of the
Armenian Civil Aviation’s General Department, had sent a letter to the
Defence Minister, in which he said that the department cannot provide
flights’ security, but no step has been taken so far. The problem has
not been studied even after the accident of Armavia airline’s A-320
plane at Sochi airport.

According to T. Manaserian, though a number of airlines are officially
registered in the aviation sphere, in fact, there is a monopoly in
the sphere. Small airlines do not implement flights and are only
engaged in sale of foreign airlines’ tickets.

Touching upon the agreement on handing over Zvartnots airport to
Argentine Armenian businessman Eduardo Ernekian for concession
management, T. Manaserian said that it does not include either a
program of sphere’s development, or budget commitments proceeding from
the program. Though no revenues are expected to be received by the
RA budget from this sphere, the civil aviation sphere can annually
provide profit of up to 4bn USD (nearly 120m drams).

UNION HEAD BELIEVES AZERBAIJAN MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE WEST THAN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
16:02 26/07/2007

"Armenian leadership of Karabakh origin is in the interest of the West
since that pushes Azerbaijan towards NATO and Western institutions,"
Armenian Political Scientists’ Union Head Hmaiak Hovannisyan told
reporters at National Press Club today. According to the statement of
the political scientist, Karabakh conflict will be swiftly settled
in favor of Azerbaijan in case Azerbaijan joins NATO thanks to such
politics. "Under this scenario, the guilt will be completely put on
Russia and Raffi Hovannisian may come to power, for example and there
will be no option rather than to join the Northern Alliance since
Azerbaijan and Georgia will be members of the NATO," the political
scientists believes.

Asked if Armenia may prevent such negative developments in case it
manages to join NATO swifter than Azerbaijan, the political scientist
ruled out such a development saying Azerbaijan plays a more significant
role for the West.

In case Armenia becomes a member of North Atlantic Alliance, Russia
will be able to halt Azerbaijan’s inclinations to NATO, he explained.

The union head believes that "Armenian leadership of Karabakh origin
will stay in power until Azerbaijan joins NATO." He said some political
circles have come to realize this. Not many are delighted with the
fact that Armenia and Karabakh have the same power administration,
the politican scientist said.

AMERICAN COURT FINDS ARTHUR SOGHOMONIAN GUILTY

Noyan Tapan
Jul 25, 2007

MANHATTAN, JULY 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The federal court
of Manhattan found 28-year-old Arthur Soghomonian, 35-year-old South
African Christian Spice, and other four defendants (three of them are
citizens of Georgia, and one is a citizen of the Ukraine) guilty of
importing arms in an illegal way into the United States.

According to the information provided by Radio Liberty, which quotes
the Reuters agency, the defendants tried to import a great quantity
of arms made in Russia into the United States, according to the court.

The verdict will be published on December 14. Soghomanian and Spice,
who are regarded as leaders of a criminal group, may be sentenced to
50 years’ imprisonment.

Their prosecutors have declared that they will appeal against the
verdict of the court.