Author: Nanijanian Alex

SPEAKING OF 1 MARCH INCIDENTS, ONE SHOULD PROCEED FROM THEIR REASONS, PEOPLE PARTY OF ARMENIA CHAIRMAN SAYS

arminfo
2008-04-04 15:01:00

ArmInfo. ‘Speaking of 1 March incidents in the center of Yerevan, one
should proceed from their reasons>, People Party of Armenia Chairman
Stepan Demirchyan said at National Press Cluib.

He said that the tragic incidents in the area of the Monument for
A. Myasnikyan were provoked by the application of brutal force against
peaceful demonstrators in Liberty Square earlier in the morning that
day. ‘All the rallies and processions were peaceful since February
20. They were necessitated by the fair dissatisfaction of people
with another election rigging. The authorities try to speak of some
technologies applied by the opposition, whereas people voluntarily
took to the streets. Now, the regime pushes a groundless opinion that
we want to hold new rallies to provoke conflict’, S. Demirchyan said.

Asked about the responsibility of opposition parties for the tragic
incidents of 1 March, the politician said that the authorities
constantly talk to the people from a position of strength. Thus,
in 2003 the whole city center was surrounded by barbed wire. On 12
April 2004 at night the police severely cracked down the peaceful
demonstrators in Baghramyan Avenue. This time, we have casualties. ‘All
the opposition leaders, including me, called on the public for peace
on 1 March, whereas no power representative came out to the people. The
regime resorted to brutal force. In response, the people had to resort
to self-defense’. S. Demirchyan said.

He is sure that one of the reasons of the tragic income of 1 March
incidents was the impunity of law- enforcers for their previous
crimes. ‘No one was punished for illegal penetration into the building
of Karen Demirchyan Museum on April 13 2003. No objective inquiry is
conducted now into the evident facts of abuse of power by the police
and internal troops officers>, Stepan Demirchyan said.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: "UNLIKE OTHER CONFLICTS IN THE POST-SOVIET AREA, THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM HAS NEVER STOPPED"

Today.Az
olitics/44007.html
April 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced the position of the
Ministry as to the situation around Nagorno Karabakh.

Lavrov said during a plenary session held in the Russian parliament
on April 2 that unlike other conflicts in the post-Soviet area,
the negotiation process on Nagorno Karabakh problem has never stopped.

The Foreign Minister of Russia noted that by results of numerous
direct contacts of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the three
mediators-Russia, United States and France, presented a document,
containing the proposals on basic principles of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement, with participation of OSCE in November of 2007.

"We consider that the document will be a good base for the continuation
of talks on a high level in order to pass to the mutually profitable
resolution of the remaining issues", Lavrov said.

PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 3, 2008
Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region
Contact: Karine Birazian
Tel: 917-428-1918

CONGRESS REMEMBERS A NEVER FORGOTTEN SURVIVOR OF THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE
–Paying tribute to Askouhy Jallyan-Vassilian

Washington, DC- On March 31, 2008, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-
NJ-6) paid tribute on the House floor in memory of Armenian
Genocide survivor Askouhy Jallyan-Vassilian who passed away on
February 27th, 2008, shortly after celebrating her 94th birthday.
Vassilian, who was present during the House Foreign Affairs
Committee markup of H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
on October 10, 2007, lived in Cong. Pallone’s district, and was one
of the remaining survivors of the genocide.

Following Cong. Pallone’s remarks, her son, Dr. Asbed Vassilian, a
professor of chemistry and director of the Armenian Studies Program
at Rutgers University in New Jersey, reflected on Cong. Pallone’s
statement with the following:

Congressman Frank Pallone’s remarks are really touching, and I am
personally grateful that his office, upon your request, made those
remarks. Regarding my mother, she just wanted justice to prevail
and that all those who perished in 1915 and who did not have any
descendents as she did as a survivor, should be recognized and
their memories should eternally be kept alive. Across from her
bed, she had the picture of her father, Nazaret, who she lost when
she was ten months old. She never knew him. My grandmother had
the picture above her bed all the time she was alive, and my mother
kept it after my grandmother died and put it across her bed so that
every night she would look at it before going to bed.

Having seen and experienced the good, the bad and the ugly, my
mother had a calming effect on the new generation whenever they
came and complained about the problems they were having in their
lives. She would tell them to be happy with what they have, and
not sad or angry with what they lack; mainly, count your blessings
and thank God. She would tell them to look at the problems with
the microscope inverted: rather than seeing small things big, try
to see the big things small. She was a happy, energetic, sharp
minded, and most importantly, content, reconciled with her life,
with its ups and downs. She was thankful to the St. Stepanos
Church community for giving her the spiritual nourishment and to
her new host country, the United States, for taking care of her
over so many years. I will always miss her.

The following is the text of the remarks offered by Cong. Pallone

IN HONOR OF ASKOUHY JALLYAN-VASSILIAN – Madam Speaker, I rise today
to honor Askouhy Jallyan-Vassilian and her dedication to her
community and the Armenian people. Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian was a survivor of the
genocide inflicted upon the Armenian people. She was the embodiment of the
enduring human spirit.

Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian was born Askouhy Jallyan on February 12,
1914, in Orfa, Turkey. Her mother, Khanem, had married in 1913 and
was 18 years old when she gave birth to her only daughter. Khanem
was widowed in 1915 when her husband, Nazaret, was murdered. Mrs.
Jallyan-Vassilian was able to flee the horrors of genocide when she
escaped with her mother to neighboring Syria.

Later, Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian married her husband Missak Vassilian
at the age of 19. Together they raised three sons and a daughter.
She was also the proud grandmother of 10 grandchildren and 12
great-grandchildren. Her son, Asbed Vassilian, is currently a
professor of chemistry at Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey, and is the head of that school’s Armenian studies program.

On October 10, 2007, Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian attended a markup
session of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign
Affairs as it worked on a resolution recognizing the deplorable
deprivation of human rights that occurred during the Armenian
genocide. She had waited 92 years for the United States Congress to
recognize the genocide and suffering that her people had endured at
the hands of hate and intolerance.

Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian passed away on February 27, 2008. She will
be remembered for her devotion to her Armenian heritage and her
commitment to the cause of those Armenians who suffered wanton
violence and cruelty.

Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in
celebrating the life of Askouhy Jallyan-Vassilian. Her legacy will
continue to serve as a reminder of the audacity of human
resilience.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) 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.
####
Photo Caption #1: Askouhy Jallyan-Vassilian at the House Foreign
Affairs Committee markup on October 10, 2007.’Photo Credit Nuyiri
Kasabian

THE BELATED CONFESSION OF CARLA DEL PONTE

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2008 GMT+04:00

Evidences of atrocities committed by Hashim Tachi have been revealed.

"The Kosovo Independence" has started to develop in new directions, the
majority of which would take away Hashim Tachi’s hopes of establishing
a recurrent Islamic county in the middle of Europe. This time a person
who cannot be easily blamed for his likings for the Serbs spoke with
revelatory details. The former attorney general for International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Carla Del Ponte in her
autobiography "The Hunt" told about how the present authorities of
the independent Kosovo made money on trade of inner organs, taken
out of the bodies of the kidnapped Serbs.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The announcements of Carla Del Ponte were already
becoming the reason to initiate proceedings in Serbia. The circuit
court of Belgrade has started the hearings on the case of kidnapping
of 300 young Serbs in summer 1999, who, as the former major accuser
of the Hague Tribunal confirms in his book, were called to Albania
for requisitioning internals, says "Izvestia". According to Del Ponte,
the leaders of Kosovo Liberation Army, among who was the present Prime
Minister of the independent Kosovo Hashim Tachi, committed atrocities,
which are compared with the ones committed by Third Reich in the
concentration camps. Evidences of atrocities committed by Hashim
Tachi have been revealed.

According to the President of the Union of the seven missing Kosovo
Serbs Simo Spasich, he has met Carla Del Ponte several times and
has given her the proofs of kidnapping and killing the Kosovo Serbs
in the concentration camps. However, even after in 2003 when the
public prosecutor himself visited the place where the crime had been
committed, in the north of Albania, in the house where the extraction
of organs was committed, she didn’t initiate any procedure, although
according to her own confession, marks of blood and medical equipment
were found.

However, none of the declarations became a criminal case. Del Ponte
herself in one of her recent interviews to the Italian La Stampa
confessed that the prosecution of the military criminals in the modern
world is exceptionally of political character. If these crimes had been
revealed before, no Kosovo independence could ever be mentioned. It
is not by chance that the book by Del Ponte was published only now,
when the independence has already been declared.

This means that the Islamic militants are of greater importance for
the USA and EU, than the Christian Serbs.

According to the Belgrade newspaper "Press", Hashim Tachi himself
was the head of the business. He earned millions on trade of organs,
extraction of organs of people. The former judge of the circuit court
in Pristine Danitsa Marinkovich tried to give evidence in Hague at
the process against Slobodan Milosevich.

According to her the UN Mission to Kosovo (UNMIK), which was then
headed by the present Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Bernard
Kouchner, prevented the investigation of the case of kidnapping of
people on the territory. Ponte and her former assistant Florence
Artman assure that the UN administration under whose jurisdiction the
territory has been for many years prevented the attempts of calling
the Albanians to responsibility. In one of the interviews Atrman
announced that the UNMIK organization men didn’t let the "iron Carla"
initiate a case against the Albanians regarding the disappearance of
people and the trade of donor organs.

It is hardly possible that Martti Ahtisaari or George Bush doesn’t
know about the bloody past of Tachi. In the given case, like in many
others, there is the policy of double standard. The thing is though,
that this time no one can guess who will enjoy the protection of
the USA and EU. It is no secret that Kosovo Albanians will stop on
the achieved: their aim is the Great Albania. In this regard the
continuous announcements that Kosovo cannot become a precedent are
more than doubtful.

Perhaps in this regard Germany and France having immediately recognized
the independence of Kosovo, now speak against the integration
of Georgia and Ukraine to NATO. Germany and France insist that
Georgia and Ukraine are not ready yet for this step. According to
the representative of the chancellor Angela Merkel, the political
disorders in Georgia and the existing serious disagreements over the
NATO membership among the population of Ukraine prove that these two
countries "are not mature yet" for being integrated in the alliance,
says The Financial Times. In his turn the Prime Minster of France
Francois Fillon announced that France will not grant agree on Georgia’s
and Ukraine’s integration into NATO. "In this issue France’s opinion
differs greatly from that of the USA.

We think that the integration of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO will
not be correct for the balance of powers in Europe, the balance between
Europe and Russia," said Fillon in his interview to the radio station
France Inter.

RPA REPRESENTATIVE: CANDIDACY OF PRESIDENT OF ARMENIAN CENTRAL BANK TO THE POST OF THE HEAD OF THE ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE RPA FACTION

arminfo
2008-04-02 14:18:00

ArmInfo. Candidacy of President of Armenian Central Bank Tigran Sarkisyan to
the post of the head of the Armenian government has not been discussed by
the RPA faction, the RPA member, leader of the parliamentary permanent
commission on finance, credit and budget issues Gagik Minasyan said at
today’s press-conference.

He also added that if Tigran Sarkisyan candidacy is put forward by the
newly-elected President Serzh Sarkisyan, in that case the RPA faction is
ready to discuss it. At the same, as Minasyan said, the RPA is ready to
discuss any candidacy suggested by the new head of state.

To note, the inauguration ceremony of the new Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisyan will take place on 9 April. According to unofficial data,
President of Central Bank Tigran Sarkisyan, chairman of the RPA faction
Karen Karapetyan and director general of ArmRosgazprom Karen Karapetyan are
among the candidates to the post of Armenian premier.

REFORM NECESSARY FOR TURKEY REGARDLESS OF EU NEGOTIATIONS PACE

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2008 17:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A delegation of 15 members of parliament from 10
different countries led by Tchetin Kazak (Bulgaria), Chairman of
the Subcommittee on Democratic Governance of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly’s Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security visited
Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey on 24-27 March 2008, NATO press office
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

In meetings with government and parliament representatives, EU
officials and independent experts, they discussed some of the main
issues on Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy agenda, including the EU
accession process, Turkey’s regional ambitions, secularism in Turkey,
the Kurdish issue, and the fight against terrorism,

Turkey’s accession process to the European Union featured prominently
in the discussions. Turkish officials regretted the delays in the
negotiations, claiming that the official reasons put forward by the EU
were mere excuses, hiding the opposition of certain European leaders
to Turkey’s membership aspirations, a position which they denounced
as short-sighted and in contradiction with earlier commitments made
by the EU to Turkey. Officials clearly rejected any suggestion of a
privileged partnership in lieu of membership.

Additionally, they pointed out that the EU’s hesitations risked
alienating the population’s support for Turkey’s membership in the EU.

Officials regretted the suspension of negotiations over 6 chapters
due to Turkey’s refusal to open its ports and airports to Cypriot
ship and aircraft, and denounced the contradictions of the EU’s
approach towards the Cyprus issue. They stressed that it was the Greek
Cypriots who rejected the EU-backed Annan peace plan, while Turkey
had played a constructive role, courageously convincing the leaders
of the Turkish part to support the plan. They also emphasized that
the EU had not fulfilled its part of the deal and still refused to
open trade relations with the Turkish-Cypriot authorities. In this
context, Turkey found it difficult to offer more concessions at this
point. Nevertheless, officials expressed renewed hope for an early
settlement of this issue following the recent leadership change in
the Republic of Cyprus.

Parliament and government officials reaffirmed Turkey’s unwavering
commitment to reform, which they emphasized is necessary for
Turkey regardless of the pace of EU negotiations. Both officials and
independent experts also stressed that Turkey’s geostrategic position
as a bridge to Eurasia and the Middle East should be regarded as a
major asset for the EU. Turkey considers its relations with Europe on
the one hand and with its neighbors to the East and to the South on
the other, as complementary and mutually reinforcing; each of these
enhances the attractiveness of Turkey for the other.

Hilmi Guler, Turkey’s Minister of Energy, also emphasized Turkey’s
ambition to become a major energy hub and presented plans to develop
existing East-West and North-South corridors. He was convinced that
with these new energy routes, Turkey could greatly contribute to
enhancing Europe’s energy security

The visit came at a challenging moment in Turkey’s political life,
amidst evidence of an ongoing struggle between supporters of the
ruling AKP party and secularist forces. The latest signs of this
struggle included tensions surrounding the election of Abdullah Gul to
the Presidency in 2007, the controversy connected with a decision to
lift the ban on headscarves in universities, and legal action aiming
to ban the AKP and bar its main leaders from political activities.

Asked about the potential outcome of this legal action, Mustafa Aydin,
professor at TOBB University, explained that the problem was not with
the judges, but with the law, which provided tools for the judiciary
to take action against political parties.

Amendments to the constitution were now being considered in order to
prevent any similar move in the future, which would further damage
Turkey’s democratic development.

Another major domestic challenge relates to the situation of
Turkey’s Kurdish population. Journalist Cengiz Candar explained to
the delegation that this was an extremely sensitive issue in Turkey,
where the existence of a "Kurdish issue" as such has never been
officially acknowledged

Rather, the focus has been on promoting economic development in
Turkey’s Southeast and on fighting PKK terrorism. In contrast, Mr
Candar argued that terrorism is only a by-product of the Kurdish
question, and resolving this question would isolate the PKK and
undermine its support base. According to Mr Candar, the creation of an
autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq, while it could not serve as a direct
model for Turkey, should prompt the current government to consider ways
to address the political claims of Turkey’s Kurdish population. One
way would be to engage with the Iraqi province of Kurdistan. Such a
gesture would send a positive message to Turkey’s Kurdish population,
amounting to a de facto acknowledgement of the Kurdish identity. Mr
Candar also suggested that, having received a strong mandate from the
population in the 2007 elections, the government should deliver on
its promise of a democratic and civilian constitution, and, in this
context, promote a new definition of citizenship.

While federalism is not an option for Turkey, the government should
also consider measures granting greater self-government powers at
the municipal level.

Commenting on Turkey’s recent military intervention in Northern Iraq
against the PKK, several speakers emphasized that the stability of
Iraq is of prime concern for Turkey. While pointing out that many
areas in Northern Iraq remain outside the control of federal or
even regional authorities, they generally welcomed recent signs of a
deepening co-operation with Iraq, as well as with the United States,
in combating PKK terrorists based in Northern Iraq.

Government officials confirmed that the fight against terrorism is one
of Turkey’s main priorities at home and abroad. Deputy Prime Minister
Cicek explained to the delegation that terrorism remains a serious
threat for Turkey. Efforts focus in particular on the PKK, whose
actions, according to one official, have claimed the lives of some
35,000 people of various nationalities, ethnicity and belief in the
past 25 years. Mr Cicek called for greater international co-operation
in the fight against terrorism, regretting the inconsistencies
exhibited by some of Turkey’s allies in their approach to this issue,
which, in some cases, has undermined Turkey’s own efforts. He denounced
in particular the improper or incomplete application of the principle
"prosecute or return" and the safe haven provided to known terrorists –
including members of the PKK – in some European countries.

WHITE HOUSE HAS NOT NAMED NEXT U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2008 15:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The White House has not named the next
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia yet, U.S. charge d’affairs Joseph Pennington
told a news conference today.

"According to the appointment procedure, the White House forwards the
designation to the Senate, which approves or disapproves it after a
hearing held with participation of the nominee," Mr Pennington said.

Earlier, The California Courier publisher Harut Sassounian said the
Bush Administration has submitted to the Armenian government the name
of Marie L. Yovanovitch (currently serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz
Republic) as the next Ambassador to Armenia, according to several
Armenian and American reliable sources.

An earlier attempt to nominate Amb. Richard Hoagland to replace
Amb. Evans was blocked by Sen. Robert Menendez (Dem.-N.J.), to protest
the dismissal of Amb.

Evans and to object to Amb. Hoagland’s poor choice of words in
responding to Senators’ questions on the validity of the Armenian
Genocide.

WINNER OF AMBER INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT LEVON ARONIAN GAINS 14.5 POINTS

Noyan Tapan
March 28, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The Amber International Chess
Tournament finished in the city of Nice, France. Levon Aronian,
who in the penultimate tour with 13.5 points had already surpassed
his rivals by gaining the title of the winner ahead of the schedule,
in the last, 11th tour drew the game (in blind and speed chess) with
Peter Leko (Hungary) and concluded the tournament with 14.5 points.

Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Peter Leko
(Hungary), and Magnus Carlsen (Norway) took the 2-5th places with 12
points each.

L. Aronian, V. Topalov, V. Kramnik, and Alexander Morozevich (Russia)
shared the 1-4th places in blind chess with 6.5 points each, and
L. Aronian was recognized the first in speed chess with 8 points. He
was followed by Vasily Ivanchuk (the Ukraine) with 6.5 points, Boris
Gelfand (Israel), Peter Leko, and Magnus Carlsen with 6 points each.

AVERAGE SALARY EXCEEDS THE COST OF LIVING 2.5 TIMES

KarabakhOpen
28-03-2008 11:17:07

According to the NKR National Statistics Service, the labor resource
of NKR was 81.6 thousand in 2007 and was up by 1.6 percent compared
with 2006. The economically active population totaled 59.1 percent,
which was up by 1.5 percent compared with 2006. As of January 1, 2008
the number of people employed in economy was 56.1 thousand compared
with 54.6 thousand in 2006, including 15.1 thousand self-hired people
and 41 thousand wage earners. 23.5 thousand people of working age did
not work or look for jobs, compared with 23.1 thousand people in 2006.

In 2007, according to the NSS, the average monthly wage of people
employed in the economy was 68,610 drams, and was up by 21 percent
compared with 2006. In addition, the monthly wage of people employed
in offices and organizations funded by the government was 77,235 drams
and was up by 20.2 percent compared with 2006. The monthly wage of
people employed in commercial and non-commercial organizations was
62,641 drams and was up by 21.8 percent.

In the fourth quarter of 2007, the ratio of the minimum salary to
the average salary was 26 percent, and to the cost of living was
64.3 percent.

The ratio of the average monthly wage to the cost of living was
247.3 percent.

TARSY TO JOIN ‘FACING HISTORY’

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

Mar ch 27 2008
MA

Andrew H. Tarsy, former regional director of the Anti-Defamation
League in Boston, has told Lawyers Weekly he will be joining the
leadership team of Facing History and Ourselves.

The Brookline-based educational organization focuses on preventing
prejudice by teaching about the Holocaust and other examples of
genocide.

Tarsy left the ADL in December, following a year in which he was
fired and then rehired by the league. He had been critical of the
national ADL’s stance on the Armenian genocide. Widespread objections
to his termination resulted in Tarsy’s return to his post as regional
director, but he resigned a few months later.

Tarsy told Lawyers Weekly that his exact title at Facing History and
Ourselves had not yet been determined. He voiced enthusiasm about
being part of an international educational organization that is doing
what he said are "amazing things."