Author: Nargizian David

NEW AUTHORITIES TO WORK UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES – PRESIDENT

Interfax News Agency
April 7 2008
Russia

President Robert Kocharian chaired the last meeting of the Armenian
government in that capacity on Friday.I am grateful for being
responsible for Armenia for the past decade, he told the government
members. He thanked them for the joint work and said that Armenia
had conducted a number of reforms, which substantially improved the
living standards.

At the same time, the newly elected president and the new government
have no less difficult missions, the president said, referring to
further reforms.

He also said that the new authorities would work under difficult
circumstances of the world economic recession.

The question of security remains topical for Armenia, Kocharian said.

The world has not become safer. Our region is full of confrontations,
and we should do more for the provision national security and higher
combat ability of the army. Such steps should be accompanied with
flexible and appropriate diplomatic efforts, he said.

He called for strengthening the Armenian statehood, as there are
certain forces inside and outside the country that do not want Armenia
to be stable and prosperous.

Armenian President Elect Serzh Sargsyan will be inaugurated on April 9.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 7, 2008
Contact: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

NEWSEUM HONORS SLAIN JOURNALIST HRANT DINK

Mrs. Rakel Dink Attends Dedication Ceremony for Journalists Memorial

Washington, DC – Ambassadors, prominent journalists and Armenian
Assembly representatives were among the more than 400 guests at the
dedication of the Journalists Memorial at the Newseum in Washington, DC
on April 4th. The memorial pays tribute to some 2,000 journalists who
were killed in the pursuit of news, including noted Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink.

Dink’s widow Rakel traveled from Turkey to attend the dedication
ceremony, which honored journalists from around the world who died
reporting the news from 1837-2007. The event included a special
recognition for the 158 journalists who lost their lives in 2006 and
2007. The Assembly contacted the Newseum shortly after Dink’s
assassination in January 2007 to ensure that his name was included in
the list of names to be inscribed in the memorial.

In his opening remarks, Joe Urschell, Executive Director and Senior Vice
President of the Newseum, welcomed the relatives of Hrant Dink, as well
as other family members who traveled from afar.

"While these families, colleagues and government representatives may
have journeyed here today from diverse parts of the globe, they share a
common bond," Urschell said. "The join us to pay tribute to the courage,
dedication and sacrifices made by their loved ones in the pursuit of
news."

The event also included remarks by ABC Newsman Bob Woodruff, who was
seriously injured by a roadside bomb while covering the Iraq war in
January 2006.

"I look at the pictures of the journalists who were killed and I feel a
connection to them," Mrs. Dink said in Armenian. "I look at their
smiling faces and feel sad that this happened to them. It is clear that
they believed in the importance of their work and in what they were
doing. It is unfortunate to see the measure of cruelty that still
exists in our lives today."

"The only crime my husband committed was to stand up and take ownership
of his past," Mrs. Dink continued. "In a free society, his actions would
not have been a crime. We should change those issues that men die for,
to issues that men live for."

"The Armenian Assembly applauds the Newseum for this special dedication
which honors the memory and life’s work of so many brave men and women,"
said Assembly Board of Trustees Member Annie Totah, who attended the
event. "Hrant Dink was an exceptional human being and civil rights
advocate who was determined to serve as a catalyst for mutual
understanding, tolerance and dialogue between Turks and Armenians. We
commend Rakel and the entire Dink family in their efforts to continue
Hrant Dink’s legacy."

The Journalists Memorial is a soaring two-story glass structure that
bears the names of reporters, editors, photographers, broadcasters and
executives who died covering wars, civil violence or natural disasters,
or who were killed because of their work.

Following the event, Mrs. Dink attended a private luncheon for family
members and close friends, hosted by the Newseum, a $450 million
seven-story, steel-and-glass monument to journalism which opens to the
public on April 11.

Last year, the Assembly posthumously honored Hrant Dink with the
Distinguished Humanitarian Award for his leadership and tireless efforts
in building bridges between Armenians and Turks through tolerance,
honesty, goodwill, and dialogue. Mrs. Dink accepted the award on behalf
of her late husband during the Assembly’s National Gala in Beverly
Hills, California.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###

NR#2008-038

Editor’s Note: Photographs can be viewed on the Assembly’s website at
the following links:

ges/PR_-_2008_April_-_May/News
eum_1.jpg

Caption: Rakel Dink with Charles L. Overby, Chief Executive Officer of
the Freedom Forum and Newseum.

mages/PR_-_2008_April_-_May/News
eum_2.jpg

Caption: L to R: Rakel Dink flanked by Assembly Board of Trustees Member
Annie Totah and Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

mages/PR_-_2008_April_-_May/News
eum_3.jpg

Caption: Rakel Dink, left, and Assembly Board of Trustees Member Annie
Totah stand next to a photograph of Hrant Dink at the Newseum.

WORKING GROUPS TO PREPARE GEORGIA FOR MAP

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.04.2008 16:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia and NATO are forming bilateral working
groups to prepare the country for the Membership Action Plan (MAP).

"The groups will operate until Georgia becomes full-fledged NATO member
state. Their activity will be periodically assessed in Brussels in
26+1 format," said Batu Kutelia, Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister.

For his part, Foreign Minister David Bakradze said that the working
groups will draw up a to-do list. "We should be maximally prepared
in December," he said, RBC reports.

During the NATO summit in Bucharest, Georgia’s way to NATO was cut
by 8 European states, including Germany and France. Georgia was only
offered "intensive engagement."

The possibility of granting MAP to Georgia will be considered in
December at a meeting of the Alliance’s Foreign Ministers.

HAUT-KARABAKH – L’ARMENIE S’ETEND
par Pasquier Sylvaine

L’Express
3 Avril 2008
France

Statut : region autonome a dominante armenienne de l’Azerbaïdjan.

Secessionniste depuis 1991, non reconnue, sauf de facto par
l’Armenie. 4 400 kilomètres carres

Conflit : 1988-1994. Aide militaire fournie par Erevan aux
separatistes. Occupation par les forces armeniennes de sept districts
adjacents au Haut-Karabakh.

Bilan : entre 22 000 et 25 000 morts, plus de 1 million de refugies
et de personnes deplacees, dont une majorite d’Azeris.

Recensement de 1989 : 192 000 habitants, dont plus de 75 % d’Armeniens
ethniques, 23 % d’Azeris, minorites russe, kurde…

Population en 2008 : environ 135 000 (sources internationales) ;
144 000 selon les separatistes, dont 98 % d’Armeniens. Erevan fournit
des passeports armeniens aux residents.

Règlement du conflit : mediation du groupe de Minsk (France, Russie,
Etats-Unis). Rencontres periodiques entre les presidents d’Azerbaïdjan
et d’Armenie.

–Boundary_(ID_CCNXCWM4QxjnA/Tq5Syy0g) —

ARMENIA FACING THE CROSSWAY
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 02, 2008

Fall Or Abrupt Upgrade

The delegates of Ago Monitoring Group of the Council of Europe
Ministers’ Committee met with the representatives of the parliamentary
factions, members of Armenian delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe and the Speaker of the National Assembly
Tigran Torosyan.

What task does Ago group set to our legislative bodies? To what extent
is the package of proposals consisting of 6 points, with which the
European high-ranking officials hope to mitigate the tensed situation
created after March 1 events, acceptable for us.

Below we introduce the clarifications of the Head of PACE delegation,
Head of the Committee on Legal Affairs Davit Harutyunyan.

"During the meeting we touched upon the 6 proposals, introduced to
the countries. But there are certain issues, typical of parliamentary
work. In this context we discussed certain issues, particularly the
issue of our cooperation with the Council of Europe, as well as issues
concerning the preliminary expert conclusions regarding the bills. We
attached special importance to the opinion of the Venice Committee
regarding the amendments in the law on "Rallies, Demonstrations,
and Gatherings". Ago group insisted on discussing that issue.

The next important issue is the dialogue, the dialogue between the
political powers. In this regard the members of the delegation welcomed
the proposals made by the President elect. The conversation is not
only about the formation of coalition government. We specifically
underscored that not all the political powers are ready to participate
in the formation of the executive power and it is natural.

Moreover opposition doesn’t always agree to form part of government and
the second proposal made by the President elect is much more important
– which is – to form a political agenda and jointly discuss all the
issues faced by the country. Fatal issues, such as the organization of
the election process, the accomplishment of an independent judiciary,
Mass Media, freedom of speech, etc.

We came to an agreement that the cooperation around the before
mentioned issues is one of the most serious factors, which can provide
an opportunity for the country’s development. One thing is evident –
the situation is unique, it is, we can say critical, and we haven’t
yet overcome this crisis. But another thing is that this situation
can’t last long. This is our opinion and Ago group agreed that there
are two options for Armenia – fall or abrupt rise. And I really expect
that we will overcome this situation with a bigger potential."

"Did they specify any time limits for the review of the amendments
of the law on "Rallies, Demonstrations, and Gatherings?"

"No time limits have been specified. However, in my opinion, the
issue is urgent."

"What does Venice Committee propose – to return to the preliminary
version of the law?"

"The thing is, the right on rallies, demonstrations and gatherings
is considered one of the most important rights, and the restrictions
must comply with the international standards. Of course there are
restrictions in all the countries, and each country envisages certain
legal mechanisms, but the Council of Europe and Europe in general
are trying to form so-called universal standards.

The European Court has many times touched upon these restrictions and
distinguished by their decision, which restrictions are substantiated
and which invasive, that is to say "invading" in the sphere of
human rights.

In this respect the restrictions envisaged in the law must be of
extreme indispensability and moderate. Which means, when elaborating
similar bills the principles of indispensability and moderation
must prevail.

It is evident that the preliminary version of the law didn’t shoulder
any responsibility for many issues and of course, sooner or later the
parliament must have touched upon this issue. In my view it is a chance
to correct our legal field, to envisage more moderate restrictions,
and meanwhile working mechanisms, which will avert any disorders."

"During the discussion did Ago group clarify what they mean by speaking
about the necessity to conduct an independent "national investigation"
of the March 1 tragic events?"

"In my view this issue needs additional discussion. Similar mechanisms
are well known in accomplished democratic countries. But will those
mechanisms, especially the parliamentary investigation insure public
trust in our reality. I’m not sure. In my opinion we should observe
the issue on another plane. Which is the goal? If the thing is in the
public trust, then we must find the mechanisms, which will insure this
trust. We can’t take the model of another country and artificially
make it ours."

ARMENIAN QUARTER OF VICTORIA STREET, BEING RETURNED, AS CURRENT STATUS OF LEDRA

Gibrahayer
April 1, 2008

Nicosia April 1, 2008 – Gibrahayer – The opening of Ledra street as
agreed by President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali
Talat has brought about prospects for fresh restructuring of the Paphos
Gate, that extends a hundred meters from the Ledra street check point.

To that end the Armenian quarter at Paphos Gate – now under Turkish
occupation – is being returned to the rightful owners, the Armenian
community of Cyprus.

As announced a few years ago the Armenian quarter on Victoria street,
comprising of The Sourp Asdvadzadzin Church, The Armenian Prelature,
The Armenian Genocide Memorial, the Melikian-Ouzounian elementary
school and The Armenian Kindergarten started going through major
renovations, funded by the UNOPS which have taken place on quarters
on both side of Nicosia.

It is expected that the Armenian quarter on Victoria street will return
to our community in a better condition than before the invasion and
inter-community troubles.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND HEAD OF AGO GROUP ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO POLITICAL FORCES’ DIALOGUE AND HOLDING OF FAIR EXAMINATION OF POST-ELECTORAL EVENTS

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The home political situation formed
in Armenia after the presidential elections and steps aimed at
restoration of public solidarity were discussed at the March 31
meeting of RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian and the delegation of
the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Monitoring Ago Group
headed by Per Sjogren, the Ambassador of Sweden to the Council of
Europe. The interlocutors attached importance to holding of a fair,
transparent examination and dialogue of political forces.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, during the meeting, the
sides also touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh problem emphasizing the
necessity of continuing the peaceful negotiations process.

New York Times Blogs, NY
March 29 2008

Aronian Easily Wins Melody Amber

By Dylan Loeb McClain

Levon Aronian of Armenia ran away from the field to capture the
annual Melody Amber tournament, which this year was held in Nice,
France. The tournament ended Thursday. Aronian finished with 14.5
points out of 22, 2.5 points ahead of a logjam of four players in
second: Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, Peter
Leko of Hungary and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. A list of the
participants and the final standings are available on the
tournament’s Web site.
The tournament had two parts: rapid games played at the rate of 25
minutes per player per game, with 10 seconds added to each player’s
clock after each move, and blindfold games in which players typed
their moves into a computer and could see only boards on a screen.
Aronian won so handily because he excelled in both formats, although
particularly in the rapid portion where he finished with 8 points,
1.5 points ahead of Vassily Ivanchuk of the Ukraine.
Aronian’s victory was not a surprise. Over the last few years, he has
established himself as one of the best players in the world, winning
a number of major events. His most significant victories include the
2005 World Cup, the Morelia-Linares super tournament in 2006 (sole
first), the 2006 Tal Memorial in Moscow (tie for first with Leko and
Ruslan Ponomariov of the Ukraine), the 2007 Corus tournament (tie for
first with Topalov and Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan), and the 2008
Corus tournament (tie for first with Carlsen). Aronian also won two
candidates matches to earn the right to play in the World
Championship tournament in Mexico City last year.
If there was a surprise, it was the performance of Viswanathan Anand
of India, the world champion. Anand finished in a tie for sixth,
mostly because of his dismal results in the rapid games. Anand has
been considered the best rapid player in the world for more than a
decade, having even won the world rapid championships in Cap d’Agde
in 2003. His performance at Melody Amber was almost certainly his
worst rapid result ever.
A bit less surprising was how Alexander Morozevich and Vladimir
Kramnik of Russia did in the blindfold segment. Both are blindfold
experts and usually distance themselves from the rest of the field.
This year, they finished in a tie for the lead in the blindfold games
with Topalov and Aronian. Aronian even beat Morozevich in their
blindfold game.
An unusual feature of the event was that most of the fireworks
occurred in the rapid games, not the blindfold ones. Normally, the
biggest mistakes and most dramatic victories are in blindfold games
because players forget where some pieces are. That was not true this
year as some of the shortest games were rapid ones, including
Aronian’s victory over Topalov in Round 7, Boris Gelfand of Israel’s
win over Anand in Round 10, and Ivanchuk’s win over Topalov in Round
11.

an-easily-wins-melody-amber/

CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO TAKE PLACE IN JERUSALEM

Noyan Tapan
March 28, 2008

JERUSALEM, MARCH 28, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. A symposium on the
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide will take place in the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem on April 29. As they report from the local
Armenian community, professor Israel Charney will be the main speaker.

ARMENIAN THEATERS’ SUCCESS IN 2007 SUMMED UP BY ARTAVAZD AWARD GIVING CEREMONY OF UNION OF THEATRICAL FIGURES OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 28, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 27, on the occasion of the
International Day of Theater, the annual Artavazd award giving solemn
ceremony of the Union of Theatrical Figures of Armenia was held late
in the evening in the Moscow theater. RA Prime Minister, newly elected
President Serge Sargsian, RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosian,
theatrical figures, art lovers were also present at the event.

"Today is the holiday of theater, this is one more occasion to remember
that the Armenian nation has an ancient theater, and to say that we
will have interesting theatrical future. Theater has difficulties but
it does not fall, our theaters work inspired with the future, serve to
our state and culture," in his opening speech said Hakob Ghazanchian,
the Chairman of the Union of Theatrical Figures of Armenia.

In the words of the Chairman of the Union, this year the award giving
ceremony is being held with new regulations. no one will know who
has received award till the moment of opening the parcel. Besides,
the participants themselves submitted bids for being included in the
nominations as pretenders. The new performances which were presented
from March 1, 2007 till March 1, this year have been given marks by
the jury of the competition.

Anna Elbakian was awarded Artavazd prize and was recognized the Best
Actress of the Year for the performance "Will you dance with me?". In
the nomination of the Best Actor of the Year two Artavazd prizes were
given to Armen Elbakian and Varuzhan Manukian for the performances
"Will you dance with me?" and "The daughter of a rich man cannot be
ugly," respectively.

Tumanian State Puppet Theater’s "AK-AK" performance, producer Ruben
Babayan, was recognized the Best Performance of the Year.

The prize for the nomination The Best Producing of the Year was given
to young producer Vahan Badalian for the performance "The theater of
Ofelia’s shadows".

Vahagn Galstian from Yerevan H. Ghaplanian Dramatic Theater and
Samvel Topchian from H. Malian theater-studio shared the prizes in
the nomination The Best Young Actors of the Year.

Lusine Yernjakian and Suren Shahverdian were recognized the Best
Young Producers of the Year.

For honourable service to the art of theater Artavazd prizes
were also given to figures having considerable contribution to the
sphere of theater: Rafael Jrbashian, Perch Zeytuntsian, and Varuzhan
Khdshian. V. Khdshian was also given a golden medal by the RA Ministry
of Culture and "Saint Sahak, Saint Mesrop" high order of honor by
the Catholicos of All Armenians.