Author: Nahapetian Samvel

European Parliament observed a minute’s silence in Hrant Dink’s memory

01.02.2007 18:16

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The European Parliament observed a minute’s silence
in memory of slain journalist Hrant Dink, a leading member of Turkey’s
tiny Armenian minority and Editor-in-Chief of `Agos’ bilingual
Armenian-Turkish weekly.

He was gunned down outside his editorial office in central Istanbul on
January 19. `I would like, in the name of the European Parliament to
express our indignation,’ said the assembly’s president Hans-Gert
Poettering during a plenary session in Brussels.

`The fact that thousands attended Dink’s burial gives us hope that
this sad event will be a catalyst for the Turkish authorities to go
forward with fresh reforms to guarantee freedoms,’ he added. The
European Union has repeatedly called on candidate nation Turkey to
reform its penal code, which limits the freedom of expression.

International Herald Tribune, France
Jan 31 2007

Congressional resolution on Armenian genocide introduced; lawmakers
expect Bush reaction
The Associated PressPublished: January 30, 2007

WASHINGTON: Ignoring expected opposition from President George W.
Bush, Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced a
resolution urging the U.S. government to recognize as genocide the
deaths of 1.5 million Armenians at the end of World War I.

The resolution probably will anger Turkey as well as the president.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a co-sponsor, acknowledged that the
resolution might harm U.S.-Turkish relations in the short term.
Nevertheless, he said, "I’m optimistic that the relationship will go
on. We will move beyond this."

Schiff and other lead sponsors who introduced the resolution in the
House of Representatives say they have commitments from more than 150
other members who wanted to add their names as co-sponsors after the
legislation’s introduction. That would be a strong show of support in
the 435-member body.

The sponsors, who held a new conference Tuesday attended by two
Armenian survivors of the episode, say that the move to Democratic
control in Congress increases chances that the bill will reach the
House floor for a vote. Similar resolutions have been introduced in
the past but were kept from a vote by congressional leaders.

"We feel very strongly that this year is the year we’re going to get
this passed," said another co-sponsor, Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone
Jr., whose state, New Jersey, has a large Armenian-American
community.

The bill, which recalls the deaths of the 1.5 million Armenians
almost a century ago, is likely to touch raw nerves in Turkey. The
Bush administration has warned that even congressional debate on the
genocide question could damage relations with a vital Muslim ally and
member of NATO.

The resolution’s supporters say that the leader of the House, Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, who has expressed support for the
resolution, is likely to come under pressure from the Bush
administration to keep the House from voting on the bill.

"Make no mistake, the speaker will get a call from the president
asking for no vote on the grounds of national security," said
Republican Rep. George Radanovich, a co-sponsor.

Bush issues a statement every year to commemorate the event. He has
used such words as "tragedy," "forced exile" and "terrible events,"
but not "genocide." In Turkey, it is a crime to use the word to
describe the deaths.

Turkey has adamantly denied claims by scholars that its predecessor
state, the Ottoman government, caused the Armenian deaths in a
planned genocide. The Turkish government has said the toll is wildly
inflated, and Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest
during the disarray surrounding the empire’s collapse.

After French lawmakers voted in October to make it a crime to deny
that the killings were a genocide, Turkey said it would suspend
military relations with France. Turkey provides vital support to U.S.
military operations. Incirlik Air Force Base, a major base in
southern Turkey, has been used by the U.S. to launch operations into
Iraq and Afghanistan and was a center for U.S. fighters that enforced
the "no-fly zones" that kept the Iraqi air force bottled up after the
1991 Gulf War.

In Washington, Armenian-American groups have been pressing for years
for a resolution on the genocide issue. Last year, the House of
Representatives’ International Relations Committee endorsed two
resolutions classifying the killings as genocide. But House leaders,
members of Bush’s Republican Party, prevented a vote by the full
chamber.

With a reference to the two survivors in the room, Rose Baboyan and
Sirarpi Khoyan, 100, supporters said that they feel an urgency to
pass a resolution this year.

"While there are still survivors among us, we have, I think, the
highest ethical obligation to recognize the losses of their
families," said co-sponsor Schiff.

"BUSINESS SOLUTIONS OPEN SOURCE " SEMINAR TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

Yerevan, January 31. ArmInfo. A seminar "Business Solutions Open
Source " will be held in Yerevan, the seminar organizers and the Union
of Companies of Information Technologies told ArmInfo.

The seminar will start on February 1, 2007, in the American University
of Armenia. According to the source, during the seminar, the Armenian
companies will represent the packages of business solutions, based on
the Open Source technologies, for the automation of organizations’
activities. The "Sorsio", "Unicomp" Companies and the "Youth Academy"
public organization will take part in the seminar. Besides the
software and hardware presentation, the projects aimed at the creation
of a Network Attached Storage, a great-volume network memory with a
high speed of operation, will be also discussed. To note, the Open
Source technologies have been actively used in Armenia for several
years.

Many projects were carried out by the "Open Source Armenia" program,
the most noticeable of which is the armenified Open Office 1.1.

Canada NewsWire (press release), Canada
Jan 30 2007

News Media Advisory – Ethnic Canadian leaders to highlight issue of
war criminals in Canada

OTTAWA, Jan. 30 /CNW/ – Representatives of five Canadian ethnic
communities will come together Tuesday, January 30, 2007 in Ottawa to
draw attention to the continued presence in Canada of a number of
Nazi-era enablers and why Canada should not be a haven for those who
have committed crimes against humanity.

Journalists are invited to a News Conference on January 30 at the
Lord Elgin Hotel, 100 Elgin Street, Ottawa, at 11 a.m. in the Lady
Elgin Room.

Participating speakers represent communities that have suffered
genocides in their recent histories.

Speakers include:

– Bernie M. Farber – Canadian Jewish Congress
– Leo Adler – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust
Studies
– Aris Babikian – Armenian National Committee of Canada
– Bakri Abdalla – Darfur Association of Canada
– Jean-Paul Nyilinkwaya – PAGE-Rwanda
– Miloslav Slavchev – Roma Community Centre
>>

For further information: David Eisenstadt, The Communications Group Inc.
for: Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, 1-800-267-4476
ext. 36, [email protected]; Len Rudner, National Director of Community
Relations, Canadian Jewish Congress, (416) 631-5712, (Cell) (416) 666-1761,
[email protected]

RA TAX SERVICE PUBLISHED LIST OF GREATEST EMPLOYERS OF ARMENIA

Yerevan, January 29. ArmInfo. The Tax Service of Armenia has published
the list of the greatest employers of the Republic, leaded by the
"Electric Mains of Armenia" CJSC that has created 7984 workplaces.

The place by the number of workplaces is taken by the Armenian-Russian
"ArmRosgazprom" CJSC (5167 employees). The leading five includes also
the "ArmenTel" CJSC, the "Armenian Railway" and the "Haypost" (Armenian
post).

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
January 27, 2007 Saturday 01:20 PM EST

Georgia hopes to receive gas from Azerbaijan – Saakashvili

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Georgia hopes to receive
gas mainly from Azerbaijan.

In an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Saturday,
Saakashvili said, “Georgia will receive gas mainly from Azerbaijan.
We’re very grateful to Ilkham Aliyev (President of Azerbaijan) who
decreed on gas supplies to Georgia last year despite the difficulties
in Azerbaijan itself.”

In his view, at present, the third part of all gas supplies to
Georgia will account on Azerbaijan. “I think that the supplies will
reach 80 percent by the spring, April.”

At the same time, Saakashvili noted that Georgia did not give up
Russian gas supplies. But he described the gas price – 235 U.S.
dollars per 1,000 cubic metres as “unlimited”. Saakashvili said the
gas price for Georgia is of political nature.

In his words, Russia supplied gas to Armenia via Georgia at a sum of
110 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic metres. “It will be good Georgia to
receive gas at the same price,” the Georgian president added.

PanARMENIAN.Net

With its efficiency Armenian Army is in one line with strongest armies in world
27.01.2007 15:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian, Parliament
Speaker Tigran Torosyan, PM Andranik Margaryan, Defense Minister Serzh
Sargsyan, NKR President Arkadi Ghukassian, NKR Defense Army Minister
Seyran Ohanyan, Armenian Prosecutor General, the Armenian Police
Chief, the head of National Security Service, other high ranking
officials, ministers, participants of Artsakh war attended pantheon of
Karabakh War Heroes in `Erablur’ January 27. They paid tribute to
those who have died during the Artsakh war, laid wreaths on the
memorial. `Every time we come here and pay tribute to those who went
to protect the fatherland on those fatal days. I am sure that if a
necessity occurs to perish life for the sake of the fatherland, our
guys will fight and protect our country,’ stated Serzh Sargsyan,
adding that Armenian recruits are ready to perish their lives for the
fatherland. Serzh Sargsyan also stressed that the peculiarity of the
Armenian Army is the fact that a lot of officers have war experience.

NKR Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Seyran Ohanyan underlined that
the 15-year way, which the Armenian Army has passed, was full of
various events. `The army was formed with joint efforts of the
Armenian nation during military actions, and if we look at it from
tactical point of view, rather mobile troops were formed,’ he
thinks. In his words, Unity and responsibility of the Armenian nation
allowed to increase the efficiency of the Armenian Army in a short
period of time after the cease-fire, to restore the loses and increase
the efficiency of the Armenian Army. `The achievement of those 15
years is not only the fact that we could win, but also the fact that
during a very short period of time we could reach the current level we
have in the army, which can compete with the countries in the region
with its efficiency and is in one level with the strongest armies in
the world,’ Seyran Ohanyan underlined. `We pass the next generation
all the skills and experience, which were obtained during military
actions during 15 years. I am sure they will be more skilful and
active ready than we are,’ concluded Seyran Ohanyan, IA Regnum
reports.

UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO KOSOVO SHORTLY TO PROMULGATE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF
THIS REGION OF SERBIA

Yerevan, January 26. ArmInfo. UN Special Envoy to Kosovo Marti
Ahtisaari will shortly promulgate the plan for the future of this
region of Serbia.

Ahtisaari will come out with a report in Vienna for the Contact Group
(Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Russia, France and the USA). The report
focuses on the protection of the Serbian minority’s rights. To remind,
Albanians make up the most part of the region’s population. The report
will be the first step towards defining Kosovo’s status: since 1999
after the NATO military campaign, the province has been under the UN’s
protectorate. Ahtisaari will propose a certain form of statehood for
Kosovo, as well as the measures of protection of Serbs’ rights, the law
and order in the province will be ensured by international forces. The
Contact Group will hold a closed session.

To remind, yesterday, in Stepanakert, answering journalists’ questions
about Kosovo’s precendent, Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chairman of
the OSCE MG, emphasized that this will create a precedent, as for the
first time the matter concerns the status of a former autonomous
formation. Earlier it was a question about the federative order of the
state. U.S. co-chairman Matthew Bryza sees no precedent in Kosovo’s
situation. He considers that each situation or conflict is different.
Bernard Fassier, the French co-chairman of the OSCE MG, agreed with
M.Bryza. He emphasized that each conflict has its own complexities, and
the solution should be found on the basis of special aspects of each
conflict’s situation.

Globe and Mail, Canada
Jan 26 2007

Ethnic groups unite in push to deport Nazi suspects

Communities ‘feel it in their bones,’ says Jewish group leader
GLORIA GALLOWAY

OTTAWA — Four ethnic communities that have suffered persecution in
their homelands will join Jewish groups in demanding that Immigration
Minister Diane Finley deport six men accused of aiding the Nazis in
the Holocaust.

Representatives of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, the
Darfur Association of Canada, PAGE-Rwanda and the Roma Community
Centre will take part in a news conference on Tuesday to press for
the action that has been urged by Jews in this country for many
years.

"If any community can understand the moral imperative, it’s
communities that have themselves been part of the murderous aspect of
genocide," Bernie Farber, the chief executive officer of the Canadian
Jewish Congress, said yesterday.

"They feel it viscerally. They feel it in their bones. They
understand that they, by the grace of God, escaped. They came to this
country to live in freedom. And the last thing they would have
expected is that the country . . .would deem it appropriate . . . to
allow war criminals to live here."

The Canadian Jewish Congress and other groups like the Friends of
the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies have asked
successive governments to expel six men found by the courts to have
misrepresented their wartime activities to gain entry to Canada.

They are Helmut Oberlander, whose citizenship was ordered revoked for
his activities as a member of an elite killing unit; Vladimir
Katriuk, who was accused of Nazi collaboration; Wasyl Odynsky, who is
alleged to have served as a guard at two SS forced-labour camps;
Jacob Fast, who is alleged to have collaborated with the Nazis; Jura
Skomatchuk, who is alleged to have been a guard at an SS camp; and
Josef Furman, who is also alleged to have been an SS guard.

The Jewish groups had hoped that Prime Minister Stephen Harper would
announce some movement on the deportations when he attended a B’nai
Brith dinner in Toronto last year. That didn’t happen, and Ms. Finley
did not return phone calls yesterday.

But Mr. Farber said he and other members of the Jewish community
still hope something will be done.

"This gathering on Tuesday will focus that hope and make it clear
this is not just a Jewish issue, that this is an issue about
multicultural Canada," he said.

"We cannot even start to deal with the present and understand the
impact in the future in relation to war criminals being in our
country until we at least start dealing with the past."

PACE President: Whole Country Can Not Be Condemned Because Of A Fanatic
Published: 1/23/2007

Turkish Press
Jan 24 2007

STRASBOURG – Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE)
President Rene van der Linden, commenting on the murder of journalist
Hrant Dink, stated that the whole country could not be condemned
because of a fanatic.

Speaking at a news conference, Linden said there were extremists
in every country including the Netherlands, "a country can not be
condemned just because of this," he added.

Expressing Council of Europe`s willingness to contribute to the efforts
to alleviate tension and searches for dialogue, Van Der Linden said, "I
will separately meet the heads of the Turkish and Armenian delegations
in PACE to see what can be done to ease tension."