Author: nina hovnanian

When did Sarkozy make decision on Genocide law? – French Journal

news.am
February 12, 2012 | 09:02

The voting of January 23 was the epilogue of the Armenians’ long
struggle against denying the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Nikolas
Sarkozy decided upon the law criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide
during his visit to Armenia in October 2011, the French journal
L`Express informs.

Under the impressions of his official visit to Armenia in October
2011, Nikolas Sarkozy made a final decision about the law
criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide, a government member told.
More accurately, the president came upon the decision after visiting
the Memorial in Yerevan dedicated to the memory of the 1915 Genocide
victims. The members of the Armenian Associations in France, who were
represented in his delegation, asked the president to do what he
intended to.

`If Turkey does not acknowledge his responsibility until the end of
this year, France will adopt a law,’ Sarkozy had warned.

EU TO GRANT ARMENIA [email protected] BILLION FOR FAIR ELECTIONS

Vestnik Kavkaza
Feb 10 2012
Russia

Armenia may receive a grant of [email protected] billion if the upcoming
parliamentary polls will be held without violations, ARKA reports.

EU ambassadors in Armenia sent a message, stating that ~@100 million
will be granted to Armenia in September 2012, if observers give
positive ratings to the electoral process.

The EU will organize a conference at the end of 2012 to discuss the
polling results and decide on whether or not to hand the grant.

AZERBAIJAN OFFERS ARMENIA ASSISTANCE IN RECREATING YEREVAN’S HISTORICAL CENTER

Interfax
Feb 10 2012
Russia

Baku has offered assistance to Armenia in restoring the historical
look of its capital city and pledged to provide maps and drawings of
ancient Yerevan, spokesman for the Azeri presidential administration
Fuad Akhundov told Interfax.

Armenia earlier announced plans to restore the historical center
of Yerevan.

“If Yerevan does want in earnest to reconstruct the historical look of
the city we would be glad to hand ancient maps and drawings to it,”
said Akhundov, who is in charge of the presidential administration’s
socio-political department.

“Also, there are canvasses by well-known European painters Tavernier
and Chardin, and by Russian painters Rubo and Gagarin meticulously and
elaborately representing the 19th century Erivan Fortress,” he said,
adding that a large collection of drawings and plans of old Yerevan
can be found in Russian archives.

“I have heard of a project, dubbed ‘Old Yerevan’ through Armenian
media. Curiously enough, a replica of the late 19th century – early
20th century architecture is to appear instead of the actual mediaeval
center of the city, methodically destroyed by the Armenian authorities
in the Soviet era and in the epoch of Armenia’s independence,”
Akhundov said.

“It is an attempt to delude the world public and to manipulate the
discussion of the city’s authentic image and give Yerevan a look that
has nothing to do with history,” he said.

The explanation to this is that “the true look of mediaeval Irevan
(now Yerevan) was a creation of Azeri architects. Reconstruction of
the authentic image of the city’s historical center would be at odds
with the Armenian ideology which maintains that Armenians have been
living in the region for about 8,000 years,” Akhundov said.

RUSSIA, ARMENIA HAVE ALLIED RELATIONS AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER — PATRUSHEV

ITAR-TASS
February 9, 2012 Thursday 01:12 AM GMT+4
Russia

Russia and Armenia have allied relations and supported each other in
all fields, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said.

“We have allied relations with Armenia, and we support each other
practically in all areas and jointly solve problems we encounter,”
he said at a meeting with officers of the Russian military base and
the border guard department of the Federal Security Service in Armenia.

“This allows us to minimise costs and solve our tasks as effectively
as possible,” he added.

“On the whole, the situation in Russia and Armenia is absolutely
normal and does not require any special measures. We must control it
and make corrections if necessary,” Patrushev said.

“In addition to analytical and other work, our Security Councils
are also engaged in inter-departmental activities,” he said, adding
that officials from different, mainly power-wielding, ministries and
agencies have come with him to Armenia.

“Work becomes more targeted when the interests of agencies are
interconnected,” he stressed.

Patrushev said the purpose of the visit is to coordinate issues at
the inter-departmental level.

Earlier this week, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov
visited Armenia to discuss economic cooperation. He noted that trade
turnover between the two countries in 2011 had reached one billion
U.S. dollars.

“We have good prospects in many sectors of the economy, primarily in
the energy sector, the power industry, atomic energy, and many other
serious projects,” Zubkov said upon arrival in Yerevan on a working
visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan.

“Over the past four years, our relations have become even warmer,”
Zubkov said, recalling his previous trip to Armenia in February 2008
as prime minister at that time.

In his opinion, Sargsyan’s state visit to Russia in October 20112
helped strengthen political relations between the two countries.

“Ministries and agencies of our countries are actively working to
implement the instructions that were given by the heads of Russia
and Armenia” after that visit, Zubkov said.

“Big prospects lie in joint development of the agro-industrial sector
in Armenia,” he added.

“We cooperate practically in all areas, and we are pleased by the pace
with which our relations develop, even though we always want more,”
the president said.

ARMENIA READY TO CONTINUE PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN KOSOVO – DEFENCE MINISTER

Mediamax News Agency
Feb 9 2012
Armenia

Yerevan, 8 February: Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan told
Mediamax today that Armenia is ready to continue its peacekeeping
mission in Kosovo.

Talking to Mediamax’s correspondent, the minister clarified his
statement made at a press conference today as to which the Armenian
peacekeeping unit has temporarily been withdrawn from Kosovo.

Seyran Ohanyan recalled that the Armenian peacekeeping unit in
Kosovo serves under the Greek command and the Greek side reduced its
participation in the KFOR operation due to financial issues.

The minister said that the Armenian unit withdrawn from Kosovo is
currently in Yerevan but if one of the partner-countries offers
the same conditions as in case of the Greek command, Armenia will
continue its peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, mostly logistics expenses
are concerned.

The minister said that Armenia has received a similar offer from
Hungary which is now being discussed.

Answering Mediamax’s question, Seyran Ohanyan ruled out that the
unit withdrawn from Kosovo could join the Armenian contingent in
Afghanistan.

The minister recalled during the press conference today that Armenia
has increased the number of Armenian soldiers serving in Afghanistan
three-fold in 2011.

LEVON MINASIAN’S THE PIANO TO BE SCREENED AT DISABILITY FILM FESTIVAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 10, 2012 – 16:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Picture This, an international disability film
festival showcases films about disability and films that were produced,
directed or written by people with disabilities will kick off on Feb
13 under the motto “Eleven years of excellence” in Calgary, Canada.

According to Calgary Herald, over 40 films will be screened over three
days, including The Piano by Armenian-French filmmaker Levon Minasian.

The film, which won the Best of Festival award, is about Louissine, a
young talented pianist who is blind. Unfortunately, her piano doesn’t
fit through the door of her house, leaving her to practice the same
piece over and over again in her front yard.

BELARUSIAN MPS TO VISIT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 10, 2012 – 18:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – From February 13-18, delegation of Belarusian MPs
will visit Armenia. Members of Armenia-Belarus interparliamentary
group are due to meet with Armenian National Assembly speaker Samvel
Nikoyan and vice-speaker Eduard Sharmazanov to discuss cooperation
within the framework of international organizations.

HOVHANNES TUMANYAN HOUSE-MUSEUM’S ROOF FACES COLLAPSE DANGER

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: Architect of Hovhannes Tumanyan
house-museum is alarming that as a result of continuous heavy snow,
the roof of the building is endangered and the help of the rescuers
is necessary. Emergency Situations Ministry official told Armenpress
a rescue squad has departed for the site.

WASHINGTON POLICY ON GENOCIDE UNDERMINES U.S. MORALS – JOURNALIST

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 10, 2012 – 16:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – American journalist Tasbeeh Herwees published an
article revealing U.S. authorities’ position on the Armenian Genocide
recognition.

The article titled “Controversy Over Armenian Genocide Puts U.S. On
Shaky Moral Ground” depicts recent developments over adoption of the
bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

“Turkish authorities are already up in arms about the Genocide bill,
denouncing the law and threatening France with economic sanctions.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan railed against the bill, calling it
“racist” and a threat to free speech.

Egemen BagıÅ~_, the Turkish Minister of European Affairs, said the
law was “null and void” in Turkey and Turkey’s ambassador to France
hinted at his possible “permanent departure” from Paris after the
bill was approved in the French Senate.

In the midst of the democratic uprisings raging across the Middle
East, Turkey proudly trumpeted the praises of international experts
and diplomats who promote it as an example of a democratic Islamic
state to future Arab leaderships.

The U.S. in particular has strengthened relations with the Turkish
government in recent years. Just last week, President Obama named
Turkey among his top five international “friends.” Like most U.S.

presidents, Obama made plenty of promises to officially recognize the
Genocide once in office to Armenian-American voters. But he has since
pandered to Turkish interests by avoiding the Genocide label at all,
enabling a horrific tradition of genocide denial,” the article reads.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide. If signed into law, the bill will impose a 45,000
euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this
crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

A Zurich prosecutor on February 6 launched an investigation into
remarks by BagıÅ~_, after he said in Zurich that there was no Armenian
Genocide and that Swiss authorities could arrest him if they wanted to.

MPS VOTING FOR OTHERS IS PROOF THAT PRESIDENT’S PROMISE OF DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IS A LIE, SAYS DASHNAK MP

epress.am
02.10.2012

Yesterday’s incident of lawmakers voting for others in Armenia’s
National Assembly wasn’t the first – there have been other preposterous
atrocities, said Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun,
or ARF-D) MP Vahan Hovhannisyan, speaking to reporters in the capital
today.

Recall, Heritage Party MP Larisa Alaverdyan on Thursday drew attention
to the fact that there were fewer deputies in the room than those who
voted in favor of a law on emergency rule, implying that lawmakers
were casting votes for their colleagues who were absent.

“This means that the ruling political power is really not a power,
but a power forced by strength – it is able neither to convince
nor to place its words as truth. It is even unable to organize its
own faction’s voting; a vivid example of this occurred several days
ago when one of the coalition parties left the room [referring to
Prosperous Armenia lawmakers who boycotted the assembly, as a result
of which the Republican Party of Armenia was unable to pass a bill
into law]. Having the absolute majority, the Republican Party of
Armenia is unable to pass a law. This isn’t a new phenomena, but
perhaps could overcome its own feebleness. Pressing a button for
someone else describes not only the button-pushers, but also their
faction – this speaks of the entire political system.

“If you have a disregard for and can bypass the law in order to
achieve your goal, then why should I believe that you, despite all
your promises, will hold democratic elections in Armenia?” asked
Hovhannisyan.

If the sole purpose of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and its
leaders is to remain in power, the Dashnaktsutyun MP continued, and to
pass even but a single law they value their goal more highly than the
country’s, the parliament’s and their dignity, and if they are adopting
such measures to achieve this goal then they will always do so.