Author: Nalbandian Albert

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
June 6, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

HOUSE FOREIGN AID PANEL PROPOSES $68 MILLION FOR ARMENIA;
$6 MILLION IN DIRECT AID TO NAGORNO KARABAGH

— Key Subcommittee Maintains Military Aid
Parity Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON, DC- The U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee on
foreign aid voted yesterday to allocate $68 million in fiscal year
(FY) 2008 assistance to Armenia, a 48.5% increase over the
President’s budget request earlier this year, but less than the $75
million sought by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
in testimony submitted to the panel this March.

The State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee also approved $6 million
in direct assistance to Nagorno Karabagh, double the amount
allocated in FY2007. The panel did not, as the ANCA had
recommended, require the expansion of the Nagorno Karabagh aid
program from solely humanitarian to developmental assistance.

Despite the Bush Administration’s proposal to break military
assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the panel, led by
Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking Member Frank Wolf (R-VA),
voted to allocate $3 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF)
assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan and an additional $300,000 in
International Military and Education Training (IMET). The foreign
aid bill does not directly set the level of funding for the ongoing
"Caspian Guard Program" in Azerbaijan. In previous testimony, the
ANCA has argued that, "each dollar in U.S. military assistance –
either specifically appropriated or provided at the discretion of
the Administration – should be matched with a dollar of military
aid to Armenia."

The Subcommittee also rejected efforts by Azerbaijan’s lobbyists to
weaken the Section 907 restriction on U.S. assistance to
Azerbaijan, which was put in place more 15 years ago as a response
to Baku’s ongoing blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
Economic assistance to Azerbaijan was set at $18 million.

"We value the leadership of Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Wolf,
and the key members of the panel – Steve Rothman, Joe Knollenberg,
Adam Schiff, Jesse Jackson, Mark Kirk, and others – for maintaining
military aid parity, elevating aid to Armenia above the President’s
request, and for approving substantial increase in direct
assistance to Nagorno Karabagh," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. "We look forward to working with our friends on Capitol
Hill, both in the Senate and during the conference committee
process, to bring Armenia’s aid level at least to last year’s level
of $75 million, and to ensure full funding of our request for $10
million in humanitarian and development aid to Nagorno Karabagh.
We will work, as well, to secure Congressional support for the
growth of the California-Armenia Trade Office, which has already
proven its value in promoting increased commercial ties between
Armenia and the Golden State."

The full House Appropriations Committee is set to consider the
foreign aid bill next week.

In testimony submitted to the Foreign Operations Subcomittee on
March 29th, ANCA Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian
touched upon a number of key issues, including:

1) Restoring parity in all military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan

2) Increasing economic Assistance to Armenia to at least $75
million.

3) Expanding U.S. Assistance to Nagorno Karabagh to at least $10
million in both humanitarian and development aid.

4) Preserving Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.

5) Funding the California-Armenia Trade Office.

The full text of the ANCA’s testimony is available at:
pdf

In a March 16th letter to Chairwoman Lowey, Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep. George Radanovich
(R-CA) were joined by some 30 Members of Congress in urging $75
million in assistance to Armenia, $10 million in assistance to
Nagorno Karabagh and calling for maintaining military aid parity to
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Radanovich
in cosigning the letter to Chairwoman Lowey were: Joe Baca (D-CA),
Howard Berman (D-CA), Mike Capuano (D-MA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim
Costa (D-CA), Joe Crowley (D-NY), William Delahunt (D-MA), Chaka
Fattah (D-PA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Rush Holt
(D-NJ), James Langevin (D-RI), Sander Levin (D-MI), Dan Lipinski
(D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen Lynch
(D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), James McGovern
(D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Collin
Peterson (D-MN), Mike Rogers (R-MI), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Jim Saxton
(R-NJ), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Anthony
Weiner (D-NY).

GEORGY SAFARYAN: CEC’S DUTY IS NOT ONLY TO ACCEPT BUT ALSO TO CHECK THE DOCUMENTS

KarabakhOpen
06-06-2007 12:53:43

The Civic Action Center NGO released a statement on May 29 addressed to
the NKR Central Electoral Commission. The statement voiced concern that
the documents of one of the presidential candidates Bako Sahakyan does
not comply with the NKR Constitution. The CEC has already responded
to the director of the CAC Albert Voskanyan advising him to "mind
his own business."

We asked Georgy Safaryan, chair of the Artsakh Association for Human
Rights, to comment on this situation.

"According to the Constitution and the Electoral Code, any citizen and
any NGO can come up with proposals and complaints to the CEC, drawing
attention to facts which they think shorten the right to vote. The CEC
as a government body must attend and respond to these inquiries. In
addition, the response should be appropriate and within the framework
of the law. As to the response of the CEC to the inquiry of the human
rights defender Albert Voskanyan, I think it is an inappropriate reply
to the inquiry of the human rights defender who raised definite issues.

As to the issue, the CEC’s duty is not only to accept but also
to check the documents. And a definite answer must be given to a
definite question."

KACZMAREK: AGREEMENT WITH GEORGIA, DECLARATION WITH AZERBAIJAN

PAP Polish Press Agency, Poland
June 4, 2007 Monday

Polish Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek has signed an agreement on
fighting organized crime and drug trafficking with Georgia. Poland
and Azerbaijan have signed a declaration on cooperation between the
Border Guard of the two countries.

Minister Kaczmarek returned Sunday night from a five-day visit to
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Poland wants to regulate rules of cooperation with those countries
to have better abilities to fight international crime groups using
southern Caucasus as a drug trafficking route to Europe, PAP was told
by the minister.

The Polish-Georgian agreement provides legal foundations for
cooperation, police and border guard training and use of special
operational techniques, Kaczmarek stressed.

A declaration to sign in future an agreement similar to the one signed
in Georgia was signed in Azerbaijan, Kaczmarek said, adding that this
initial agreement envisaged cooperation between border guards of the
two countries.

The goal of all meetings in the countries was to establish bilateral
cooperation, Kaczmarek stressed.

Minister Kaczmarek was accompanied by Poland’s police chief Konrad
Kornatowski and border guard deputy chief Jacek Bajger.

Armenian National Committee of Orange County
5305 West McFadden Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92704
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
June 5, 2007

Contact: Lucy Der Yeghiaian
Tel: [email protected]

Orange County ANC Chapter Is Strong and Growing

Orange County, CA – The Armenian National Committee of Orange County
(ANC-OC) has been active in Orange County for over 25 years and has assisted
the ANCA in Washington, DC and ANCA-WR in Los Angeles to achieve a number of
successes by securing the support of local, state and national
representatives on issues of concern to the Armenian-American community.

Over the past year the ANC-OC has grown stronger, building new friendships
with local, state and federal officials and generating even better ties with
members of Orange County’s growing Armenian American community. Under the
leadership of longtime community activist Lucy Der Yeghiaian, the ANC-OC has
taken the initiative on a number of important issues and has:

– Raised political awareness among Orange County’s Armenian American
community by educating individuals on different political races and
strengthening ties with powerful officials like Sheriff Mike Corona and
Supervisor Bill Campbell.

– United young Armenian Americans by hosting a series of mixers, including a
successful event at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Guldjian.

– Educated the community on genocide issues by organizing a "Walk for
Remembrance" in collaboration with St. Mary Apostolic Church and Forty
Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church which drew over 300 participants to mark
the Armenian Genocide.

– Led the community in genocide awareness by hosting a town hall meeting
with Carla Garapedian, Director of the award winning genocide awareness
Screamers.

– Defended the Armenian community when Turkish Faculty Members at UCI and
CSULB stated that the Armenian Genocide is a lie. The ANC-OC responded
promptly by sending letters to the administration of UCI and CSULB regarding
their faculty and the Universities’ position on the Armenian Genocide.

– Embraced new technology by maintaining a website – – to keep
community members in Orange County abreast of the latest developments when
it comes to the Armenian Cause.

The ANC-OC has and continues to successfully focus on developing working
relationships with elected officials, encouraging young Armenian-Americans
to get involved in politics, educating the public about the Armenian
Genocide, and creating a network for Armenian professionals. With a renewed
commitment to "Hai Tad" and activism the ANC-OC is reaching out to the
entire Armenian-American community to present a united front on important
national and local issues. For more information or to get involved with the
ANC-OC please visit

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in
coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout
the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad
range of issues.

COLLABORATION WITH ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN WILL BE FRACTIONAL

Lragir.am
05-06-2007 13:42:21

Galust Sahakyan, member of the Republican Party’s council, stated
May 5 at the Pastark Club tonight the Bargavach Hayastan Party, the
Republican Party and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun will perhaps sum up the
negotiations over the government and will release their stance. "The
main principle is widely known: we are trying to create a friendly
atmosphere," Galust Sahakyan says, mentioning that the Republican
Party has been ready to collaborate with parties with identical
programs since 1999.

Galust Sahakyan declined to answer the question directly if the
negotiations over the coalition involve the stipulation to support
Serge Sargsyan in the presidential election of 2008. However, he
said underlining it is his personal opinion it is illogical to form
a government together and then support different candidates in the
presidential election. The member of the council of the Republican
Party said if the ARF Dashnaktsutyun refuses to support Serge Sargsyan
and puts up another candidate, collaboration with this party will be
fractional, not profound.

As to signing a memorandum on coalition, Galust Sahakyan said the
format of the collaboration is a technical matter. According to Galust
Sahakyan, the formation of this government does not differ from the
previous and there is no confidentiality. The difference is, according
to Galust Sahakyan, that the talks and political consultations help
define the tactics for the upcoming five years, which include the
presidential election as well.

However, the Republican says the coalition proposals of the Republican
Party are not confined to the desire to guarantee support for the
candidate in the presidential election of 2008. Galust Sahakyan
says the Republican Party has always endorsed use of the potential
of political parties, both in 1999 and in 2003 when there was no
necessity for political support for the presidential candidate.

THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA DID NOT LET TURKEY COMPLETE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.05.2007 GMT+04:00

In May 1918 the Armenian Nation believed that it could fight and win
the war.

By spring 1918 the situation in Transcaucasia, which was left in ruins
by the war, became almost uncontrollable. After the October Revolution
of 1917 in Russia the Russian troops situated in Western Armenia left
exposing the Caucasian front. The Turkish troops taking advantage of
the created situation broke the Yerznka Armistice signed on October 5,
1917 and took the offensive on February 10, 1918.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian corps, composed of 35 thousand soldiers
fought at the front under General Nazarbekov’s (Nazarbekian)
supervision, as Georgian troops and the "Wild Division" of
Transcaucasian Muslims were situated in separate locations from the
scene of the military activities. According to RA Prime-Minister
Simon Vratsyan, Armenia found itself in between the Bolshevik hammer
and Turkish anvil.

Transcaucasia turned to the Turkish headquarters with the suggestion
to start separate negotiations. During the negotiations in Trapezund
the delegation tried to reestablish the Russian-Turkish prewar border
and secure the self-determination of Western Armenia.

However, taking advantage of the superiority in forces and successful
offensive (the Turks occupied Ardaghan, approached Kars and Batoum),
the Turkish party pulled out difficult conditions. On April 22,
1918 Transcaucasia was proclaimed an independent federal republic by
Turkey’s request. The Turkish troops, defeating the resistance of
the Armenian forces which not only fought with aggressor, but also
struggled for securing the Armenians from Western Armenia, occupied
Kars, Artvin and Batoum. On May 11 in Batoum the cutoff negotiations
were resumed. Representatives from Transcaucasia insisted on Brest
Treaty to serve as basis for the negotiations, but the Turkish party
announced that Turkey couldn’t be contented with the territorial
compromises, which are stipulated by the Treaty. Continuing the
offensive the Turkish forces invaded the provinces of Tbilisi
and Yerevan, and occupied Alexandrapol on May 16. Developing the
offensive the Turkish troops advanced towards Yerevan and met a
strong resistance in Sardarapat. On May 26 at Sardarapat Battle the
Armenian forces sealed a glorious victory. The Turkish troops met
rather strong resistance of the Armenian forces during Bash Aparan
and Gharakilisa battles. In the result of the heroic battles the
Armenian forces didn’t let the Turks invade the Ararat Valley and
complete the Armenian Genocide.

After the victory over the Turks the Armenian National
Council proclaimed the Armenian independence on May 28, 1918 in
Tbilisi. Hovhannes Kajaznuni became the first Prime-Minister. On
June 20 the Government moved to Yerevan. The Armenian Republic had a
population of 1, 510 million, including 795,000 Armenians and 575,000
Muslims. Since June the Parliament became the supreme legislative
body of the Armenian Republic, where the ARF Dashnaktsutiun possessed
90% of the seats. After 600 years under the Ottoman power Armenia
proclaimed its independence and Statehood at last.

Though for 2 years only, the Armenian Nation believed that it could
fight and win the war.

Later the Red Army arrived and Armenia became Soviet, as for the
officers who had saved the Nation from the complete extermination,
they were killed cruelly in prison in Alexandrapol or were sent to
camps, to be killed later. By 1937 the pick of the Armenian army was
destroyed by the Bolsheviks, only General Andranik, who immigrated
to the USA in 1922, was able to escape. Garegin Nzhdeh, who saved
Zangezur, was deported during II World War from Bulgaria and died in
Vladimirsky Prison. During the Soviet years the First RA was hardly
ever or only negatively mentioned, though without it the present 29
thousand sq. km wouldn’t exist. By 1918 only 9 thousand sq. km and
approximately half a million Western Armenian refugees were left from
Armenia. No doubt, the Soviet Armenia was also an Armenian State,
but the history shouldn’t be forgotten either, which is often being
misinterpreted. To manage what the First Government was able to do
during the years of war, the Bolsheviks needed more than 10 years of
a severe repression.

"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department

KARABAKH’S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION PRIORITY, ARMENIAN MINISTER

Arminfo
31 May 07

Yerevan, 31 May: "The priority for us during the negotiations is the
right of the Nagornyy Karabakh [NKR] people to self-determination,"
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told journalists today. He
was answering a question about the latest rumours about the possibility
of Armenian troops withdrawing from the security zone around the NKR.

"The emphasis is placed exactly on this. The remaining issues can
be considered only after a full settlement of this issue," Oskanyan
stressed and added that Armenia cannot consider other issues without
settling the issue of the right to self-determination.

Commenting on the statement of Council of Europe Secretary-General
Terry Davis that it is preferable to achieve a settlement before the
[2008] presidential elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Oskanyan said
"it is preferable, but it is difficult to make any forecasts".

KERKORIAN SEEKS TO BOW OUT ON HIGH NOTE
By Bernard Simon in Toronto

FT
May 29 2007 03:00

Kirk Kerkorian is struggling to end his long investment career on a
high note.

Until last year, Mr Kerkorian, who turns 90 on June 6, was set to
be remembered as one of the builders of modern Las Vegas, and for
the handsome profits he reaped from a 14 per cent stake in Chrysler
after the Detroit-based carmaker fell into the arms of Germany’s
Daimler-Benz.

But two of Mr Kerkorian’s latest and boldest forays have not gone
smoothly.

An attempt to take the wheel of General Motors last year ended in
humiliation.

For a time, Tracinda- Mr Kerkorian’s holding company named after
his two daughters, Tracy and Linda – was GM’s biggest individual
shareholder. But Mr Kerkorian sold his shares last autumn after the
carmaker rejected his proposal for an alliance with the Renault-Nissan
group.

More recently, Mr Kerkorian struggled in his attempt to become a
Chrysler shareholder for a second time. DaimlerChrysler all but
ignored Tracinda’s $4.5bn offer, giving the nod instead to Cerberus
Capital Management, the private equity group.

The son of Armenian immigrants, Mr Kerkorian ferried aircraft across
the Atlantic during the second world war.

He used poker winnings to buy an aircraft in 1945,offering charter
flights between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Airlines have been among
his favourite investments.

He sprang to prominence in the late 1960s by building Las Vegas’s
first mega-resort and, at the time, the world’s biggest hotel.

He also reaped handsome profits from twice buying and selling the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio. His investment in Chrysler paid off
with a $3bn profit. But an attempt to take over Walt Disney in 1984
came to naught.

Mr Kerkorian still controls MGM Mirage, the second-biggest publicly
traded casino group.

He used the proceeds from the sale of his GM investment last year to
raise his stake to 62 per cent.

His future role at MGM has been thrown into question with last week’s
announcement that he was seeking "strategic alternatives" for his
stake, involving "financial restructuring transactions".

The news has sparked speculation that Mr Kerkorian is preparing to
sell his holding to a private equity group.

At the same time, Tracinda has offered to buy two of MGM’s prime
properties, suggesting that its ageing owner still has ambitions in
Las Vegas.

The extent of Mr Kerkorian’s own involvement in this and other recent
deals is hard for outsiders to gauge. He relied heavily in his quest
for GM and Chrysler on Jerry York, a former chief financial officer
at Chrysler.

Mr Kerkorian has given only two media interviews over the past decade
– one to the Los Angeles Times shortly after he began his move on GM
in mid-2005, the other to the Wall Street Journal last autumn when
he sold the last of his 9.9 per cent stake.

The Journal reported in December that Mr Kerkorian still drove
himself to his nondescript Beverly Hills office in a Jeep Cherokee
sports-utility vehicle.

He has yet to start using a credit card.

Degeneration in his left eye had forced him to give up tennis, but he
was hoping that stem-cell surgery would be available in a few years
to improve his vision.

"I’m going to play again," he vowed.

GREEK PROSECUTOR PRESSES CHARGES OVER TURKISH FLAG BURNT IN ARMENIAN DEMO

Agence France Presse — English
May 23, 2007 Wednesday 10:50 AM GMT

A prosecutor in the northern Greek city of Salonika has pressed
charges against unidentified persons who burned a Turkish flag during
a Greek-Armenian demonstration at the city’s Turkish consulate last
month, a local justice source said on Wednesday.

The charge of insulting the symbol of a foreign state will enable
the perpetrators to be brought to justice should they be identified
via photographs and video shot during the demonstration.

The incident occurred during an April 24 demonstration to mark the
92nd anniversary of massacres allegedly committed against Armenians
by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

The Turkish consular authorities complained to Greece over the burning.

Greeks of Armenian descent annually hold demonstrations to press
Turkey to admit guilt over the massacres.

Ankara says 300,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, died in
civil strife when Armenians took up arms for independence and sided
with invading Russian troops during World War I.

But Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their ancestors were
slaughtered in orchestrated killings that can only be seen as genocide.

Greece’s parliament adopted a resolution condemning the Armenian
massacres as genocide in 1996.

FRENCH PRESIDENT STANDS FIRM IN HIS OPPOSITION TO TURKEY’S EU BID

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2007 15:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed his
opposition to Turkey being allowed to join the European Union. During
his speech in the Headquarters of the EU Commission in Brussels Sarkozy
underlined he has not changed his stance on the issue of allowing
Turkey to enter the European Union. "I think there is no place for
Turkey in the European Union. I have not changed my viewpoint in this
regard," he stated.

Sarkozy thinks this issue must be discussed only after reforming
EU institutions. At the same time he refused to say if Paris will
undertake any steps for continuing negotiations with Ankara on his
EU membership, which are on the way from 2005, world media reports.