Author: Nahapetian Samvel

SWEDEN READIES TO SOFTEN ITS ‘GENOCIDE’ LAW, ANKARA CAUTIOUS

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 31 2007

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has requested information from the
Turkish Embassy to Switzerland over media reports suggesting that
Swiss Justice Minister Cristoph Blocher intended to make a major
change to Switzerland’s anti-racism law, which criminalizes denial of
the alleged genocide of Anatolian Armenians in 1915, Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Levent Bilman told reporters on Wednesday.

Media reports said that Blocher has drawn up a package for abolishment
or softening of Swiss Penal Code Article 261 — which makes punishable
the public incitement to racial hatred or discrimination under which
the leader of the neo-nationalist Turkish Workers’ Party (ÝP),
Doðu Perincek, was found guilty in March by a criminal court in
Lausanne for calling the alleged genocide of Armenians in 1915 an
"international lie" during Turkish rallies in Lausanne two years ago.

"If this is true and if there are efforts for removing the barriers
in front of freedom of expression in a way which befits a democratic
country, we can only feel pleasure over this," Bilman said, noting,
however, that the consequences of those reports should be waited for.

The March ruling by the Lausanne court has made Perincek the first
person sentenced under Switzerland’s anti-racism law for denying
the alleged genocide. The case has caused diplomatic tension between
Switzerland and Turkey.

–Boundary_(ID_/4Igz3Ttj8r2/QRmwO+YiQ)–

LIBRARIES OF ARTSAKH RECEIVE 3478 BOOKS
By Marieta Makarian

AZG Armenian Daily
01/06/2007

Karine Khodikian, RA Deputy Culture and Youth Affairs Minister,
informed that a unique event is being held within the framework of
the 15th anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces and the liberation
of Shoushi.

In particular, the Artsakh based libraries received 3478 books. All
of the books were newly printed, published within the framework of
the state order. The collection included classical books, as well
as modern literature, books for children, encyclopedias, translated
books and critical literature. The collection will be distributed to
the libraries located in both towns and the villages of Artsakh. The
Artsakh people were glad to receive such a precious present, as
the libraries of the republic are always crowded with readers of
various ages. Mrs. Khodikian emphasized the importance of paying great
attention to the book publishing, of supporting such state programs,
as the demand of classical literature is great not only in Artsakh
but also in Armenia.

U.S. CONGRESS DELEGATION AT TURKISH PARLIAMENT

Turkish Press
May 30 2007

ANKARA – Turkey-U.S. Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chairman
Egemen Bagis hosted a dinner on Monday in honor of members of
U.S. Congressional Study Group on Turkey who are currently in Ankara.

Speaking at the dinner, Bagis reminded that Ed Whitfield
(Co-chairman of Turkey Friendship Group at House of Representatives
of U.S. Congress) led the first U.S. delegation which visited Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) by using Ercan Airport. He said,
"following this initiative, other foreign delegations paid such
visits."

"Also U.S. delegation`s attending the first formal luncheon in
Turkey together with TRNC Ambassador shows the determination to lift
the isolations (on TRNC)," noted Bagis. He also expressed pleasure
over the efforts of U.S. delegation against the draft on so-called
Armenian genocide.

Noting that Iraq and PKK terrorist organization were discussed in
all meetings of U.S. delegation, Bagis said that terrorism in Iraq
is preventing many things.

On the other hand, Co-chairman Whitfield said that they had many
beneficial meetings within the last few days, adding that they
discussed TRNC issue, PKK terrorism, Turkey`s EU process and the
draft on so-called Armenian genocide.

The U.S. delegation will proceed to Istanbul on Tuesday, and depart
from Turkey on Friday.

TURKISH GENERAL INCITES AZERBAIJAN TO WAR IN KARABAKH

ArmInfo News Agency
2007-05-29 10:42:00

It is impossible to settle the Karabakh conflict in peaceful way,
ex-Head of the Intelligence Department of Turkey’s Air Forces,
Lieutenant-General Yashar Demirbulagh told APA.

"Everyone must know that the lands, which are conquered by bloodshed,
cannot be returned bloodlessly. If Azerbaijan intends to solve this
issue through the mediation of international organizations, it has to
weigh everything once more. These lands were lost not as a result of
defeat of the Azerbaijani people and not by the power of the stronger
army of Armenians, but as a result of treachery. Therefore, Azerbaijan
will return these lands by its forces only.

Everyone must know that this matter will be resolved neither by
OSCE charity nor by the UN instructions, nor by charity of other
international organizations . No one should forget under what
conditions one million refugees live in Azerbaijan. If the Azerbaijani
party resolves on liberation of its lands in military way, it will
be able to save them. The World will look at Azerbaijan otherwise
after beginning of the military operations", the Turkish General said.

Ouest-France
25 mai 2007 vendredi
Toutes Edition

Le cinéaste retourne sur les traces de son grand-père arménien

ISTANBUL (de notre correspondante). – Avédis, le grand-père du
cinéaste et acteur Serge Avédikian, n’aurait sûrement jamais imaginé
que son petit-fils insisterait tant à raconter son histoire : celle
d’un Arménien de l’empire ottoman qui, en 1915 prend le chemin de
l’exil pour échapper à la mort. Et surtout renouerait un dialogue
avec les habitants actuels de Sölöz (où vivait le grand-père), un
village autrefois arménien, près de Bursa, ville turque d’un million
d’habitants.

Mais comment parler d’un passé aussi douloureux que le génocide
arménien alors que le sujet reste un tabou en Turquie ? Comment les
Turcs qui habitent aujourd’hui à Sölöz perçoivent ce passé dont ils
ne connaissent que des bribes ?

Avec son film Retourner, Serge Avédikian explore ces questions. Le
réalisateur est invité dimanche à Istanbul pour une projection
spéciale du film. Une première en Turquie où d’autres films évoquant
le génocide arménien avaient été censurés dans le passé. «Le film a
une histoire incroyable, confie le réalisateur dont les parents sont
nés en France. En Arménie, il a été accueilli avec beaucoup
d’enthousiasme. Les gens ont saisi l’originalité de la démarche: ne
pas être dans une logique de demande des comptes, mais essayer de
comprendre.»

Retourner montre comment les habitants de Sölöz ignorent le sort
réservé aux Arméniens en 1915. Ils croient, sincèrement, qu’ils ont
simplement été déplacés ailleurs, comme eux-mêmes ont dû quitter la
Grèce en 1922. Mais l’amnésie n’est pas le seul mal qui touche la
Turquie. Le pays souffre aussi d’un nationalisme violent qui a coûté
la vie au journaliste arménien Hrant Dink, assassiné en janvier.
«Nous devons trouver un moyen de dialoguer, on ne peut plus tourner
autour du pot, déclare Serge Avédikian. Les milieux nationalistes se
sentent en danger, c’est pour cela qu’ils sont aussi violents. Mais
la démocratisation du pays est en cours. Le processus d’adhésion de
la Turquie à l’UE doit continuer pour cette raison.»

Burçin GERCEK.

MUSIC REVIEW: TRIO NAREG OFFERS ARMENIAN RARITIES
By Richard S. Ginell, Special to the Times

Calendar Live
LA Times, CA
May 25 2007

The new group, which takes its name from a mystic poet, makes an
impressive debut in the Chamber Music in Historic Sites series

A new piano trio has come onto the scene, one that definitely has an
identity of its own.

Named after the 10th century Armenian mystic poet St. Gregory of
Nareg, Trio Nareg aims to mix Armenian repertoire with European
classics, not unlike the Dilijan Chamber Music Concert Series
downtown. Appropriately, the trio made its debut Wednesday night in
Burbank’s Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America –
another distinctly different locale for the Da Camera Society of
Mount St. Mary’s College’s Chamber Music in Historic Sites series.

Two of the musicians are noted veterans – pianist Armen Guzelimian
and violinist Ani Kavafian – while cellist Ani Kalayjian represents
a young, up-and-coming generation. On Wednesday, the balance of
the instruments tended to strongly favor the piano and the violin,
but this cannot be attributed solely to star power. For one thing,
Guzelimian was manning an aircraft carrier of a piano, a 97-key
Bosendorfer Imperial with the lid fully open.

Yet already, one could hear a well-developed sense of give-and-take
in Haydn’s brief Trio in A, Hob. XV:9, with Guzelimian offering a
particularly sharp, incisive presence (the Bosendorfer can serve
classical-period music surprisingly well). The Mendelssohn Trio in
C minor was a little rough in patches – especially the difficult,
quicksilver scherzo – but the performance had life and impressive
weight.

Of greatest interest were the rarities from Armenia. Arno Babadjanian’s
Piano Trio turned out to be another powerful, unabashedly Romantic
composition from this composer – a little easier on the Rachmaninoff
sauce this time, highlighted by the juicy, gorgeous melody lines for
the strings in the second movement before a boisterous folk-flavored
finale.

Tigran Mansurian’s meditations and modernisms are more fashionable
these days; his style is a good fit for the sleek sound of the ECM
label, which has released a lot of his music. Yet the most striking
thing about his Five Bagatelles – with its episodes of spare trance
music and vehement mini-dances – is its symmetry, the arch-like shapes
of each of the central three pieces and the work as a whole.

Trio Nareg also played a lighthearted Edward Aprahamian scherzo that
was loaded with tunes of local color.

Everything sounded clear, if rather dry, in the ballroom-like Nazareth
and Sima Kalaydjian Hall, which is very well-insulated from the noise
of its next-door neighbor, Interstate 5.

DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY WITHDRAWN VIA AZERBAIJAN FROM RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES IN GEORGIA

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr E. Huseynov / Defence equipment was
withdrawn from two Russian military bases in Georgia on 24 May. It
will be delivered to Russia via the Azerbaijani territory.

According to data provided by the Azerbaijani Embassy to Georgia on 24
May, the defence technology is being withdrawn from the 62nd Russian
military base located in Akhalkalaki and the 12th base in Batumi.

The agreement to withdraw four Russian military bases from Georgia
was signed in 1999 at the OSCE summit in Istanbul. In accordance with
the agreement, the 62nd Russian military base must be shut down by
the end of 2007 and the 12th Russian military base within 2008.

However, the head of the Joint Staff of the Russian Federation Armed
Forces, Yuri Baluevski, stated at the beginning of May that Russia
would complete the withdrawal as early as 2007.

The equipment assembled in one train has been sent from Khashuri
railway station and includes 33 carriages carrying mainly motor
transport facilities, armoured troop carriers, ammunition and property.

Fourteen trains with equipment and property must be withdrawn from
the Russian military bases in Georgia via Azerbaijan by the end of
August; another 5 trains will go to Armenia to the 102nd Russian
military base in Gumri.

In May, 2 trains with ammunition and defence equipment have been
withdrawn from the 12th Russia military base in Batumi, Georgia via
Azerbaijan. In compliance with the agreement, the defence equipment
will be withdrawn from Batumi every Thursday.

The Russian defence equipment is being withdrawn via the Azerbaijani
territory as it simplifies the withdrawal of troops and lowers the
cost for the Russian Defence Ministry.

The Russian-Georgian agreement stating the terms and the temporary
functioning and withdrawal of the Russian military bases and other
military units of the Group of Russian Troops in Transcaucasia located
in Georgia was signed on 31 March, 2006.

–Boundary_(ID_tNdkUxHOllNlLsV1O/ty+Q)–

COOPERATION PLAN BETWEEN YEREVAN AND SAINT PETERSBURG SIGNED

armradio.am
23.05.2007 17:18

In Saint Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko and the Mayor of
Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan signed the 2007-2009 plan of cooperation
in the trade-economic, scientific-technical and humanitarian spheres.

Valentina Matvienko declared during the ceremony of signing that
the relations with Yerevan have always been a priority for Saint
Petersburg, but the potential of cooperation is not exhausted yet.

"It is necessary to increase the volume of cooperation, primarily
in the filed of trade and economy. The cooperation in the spheres
of architecture and urban development also seem to be prospective,"
the Governor of Saint Petersburg said, adding that Saint Petersburg
is ready to exchange experience with Yerevan, Russian media report.

"There has been centuries-old friendship between our peoples, and
this program will unhopefully enhance its further reinforcement,"
Yervand Zakharyan declared.

AFTER THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, A FORMATION OF "A NEW PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL SYSTEM" IS LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA, MEMBERS OF THE RPA COUNCIL BELIEVES

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 21 2007

Yerevan, May 21. /Mediamax/. Member of the Council of the Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA) Armen Ashotian stated in Yerevan today that
after the parliamentary elections of May 12, a formation of "a new
progressive political system" is launched in the country.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today,
Armen Ashotian stated that "the transition period in the Armenian
politics nears its end".

Armen Ashotian explained the unsuccessful performance of the opposition
during the parliamentary elections by the fact that "they did not
manage to solve the problem of generation shift". Member of the RPA
Council believes that "the main way out" for the parties, which did
not enter the parliament, is the merger with stronger parties with
closer ideologies.

Armen Ashotian stressed that "being a strong party and representing
the political backbone of the country, the Republican Party of Armenia
is open for cooperation with all the political forces".

Member of the RPA Council expressed opinion that "the foreign policy
of Armenia should be modified".

"The complementary foreign policy should be replaced by a multi-vector
and well-considered policy, based on the interests of the country",
he noted.

EVEN IF THERE IS A RULING COALITION IN ARMENIA, IT WILL BE FORMAL, HEAD OF RPA FACTION SAYS

arminfo
2007-05-17 13:51:00

There are no preconditions for aggravation of the post- election
situation in Armenia. If there were such, the opposition would
attract more people to its May 13 rally, Galust Sahakyan, head of
RPA parliamentary faction, said at a press conference, Thursday.

The small number of opposition protest rallies showed that the
people are satisfied with the election result, he said. Speaking
of RPA’s plans, he said the party is ready to cooperate with all
the political forces solidary with it, including the forces that
failed to overcome the 5% threshold to the parliament but approached
it. "Despite constituting absolute majority in the parliament,
RPA is against monopolization of the political field. Thus, it
is ready to cooperate with other forces, and not necessarily in a
bloc or coalition. Even if a coalition is formed, it is likely to be
formal. If political forces refuse to cooperate with us, we are ready
to assume a full responsibility for the country’s future," G. Sahakyan
said. He added that RPA could gain much more votes. As regards the
presidential election, he said that the candidate representing RPA
will gain the necessary 51% of votes. Commenting on rumors about his
appointment to the post of the minister of culture and youth affairs,
Galust Sahakyan said: "I am a cultivated man, but this post is not
for me." Regarding Prosperous Armenia party, G. Sahakyan said that
the party will have a serious role in the parliament.

Asked to comment on the hunger strike by Israel Hakobkokhyan,
the candidate for parliament in the 11th electoral district and
the sit-down strike by Nikol Pashinyan, one of the "Impeachment"
bloc leaders, against the voting results, Galust Sahakyan said:
"There are no reasons for such actions of protest as the violations
during the election were insignificant." He expressed hope that the
opposition in Armenia will become more constructive.