Author: Tambiyan Samvel

CONFERENCE AGAINST DENIALS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

armradio.am
24.09.2009 17:16

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD),
in association with the Centre Communautaire Laic Juif (Jewish Laic
Community Centre) and IBUKA Memoire & Justice (Ibuka Memory and Justice
Association), will hold a conference entitled Denial and Democracy
in Europe on October 6, 2009 in the European Parliament, Brussels.

The conference will be held under the aegis of Mr Elmar Brok (Christian
Democrat, Germany), in light of the adoption of the Framework Decision
against Racism and Xenophobia by the European Council in December 2008.

Article 1 of the Framework Decision prohibits genocide denial in the
EU. It is now a requirement that EU Member States incorporate the
provisions of this Framework Decision into their national legislations
by 2010.

The conference will be an occasion for political leaders, historians,
experts, human rights workers, philosophers and others to exchange
their views and their concerns regarding the state of genocide denial
in Europe.

Specifically, the speakers will explore critical questions for Europe
arising from increased genocide denial within the EU as well as the
potential benefits or drawbacks of the Framework Decision.

The increase in genocide denial is evidenced by comments such as those
of the president of Iran regarding the Holocaust. More recently,
the Republic of Turkey has incorporate d provisions into a recent
agreement with the Republic of Armenia that call for the establishment
of a committee of experts to revisit and review the actuality of the
Armenian Genocide.

Among others, the experts to take the floor on October 6 include Mr
Ralph Giordano, a Jewish journalist and essayist who survived to the
Nazi regime, Professor Yves Ternon, one of the main French historian
specialized on the 20th century genocides, Professor Mihran Dabag,
founder and director of Institute for Diaspora and Genocide Studies in
Bochum (Germany) or Mr Marcel Kabanda, the chairperson of Ibuka France

ARMENIAN BOTANISTS ANGERED OVER "JRVEZH PINE GROVE" TRANSFER

2009/09 /23 | 15:48

The decision of the RoA government to sell off the Crimean pine grove
now located in the Jrvezh Park has provoked the ire of the Armenian
Botanist Society (ABS).

The ABS has dispatched letters to RoA National Assembly President
Hovik Abrahamyan, RoA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Minister
of the Environment Aram Harutyunyan, protesting the confiscation
of some 20 hectares of the grove and allocating the site to the
community of Voghjraberd. The ABS claims that a host of Academy of
Science academicians and PhD. degree holders and candidates support
the protest.

The pine grove was planted some 30 years ago and is an oasis of green
the year-round which elps clean the air around Yerevan.

The government’s recent decision seems to contradict the fact that
the grove is part of a forest park set aside by the Ministry of the
Environment and thus national property.

The ABS calls the government’s attention to this fact, arguing that
the recent decision is a violation of the Environment Ministry’s
jurisdiction of the grove.

"We wish to express our disagreement with the decision that will
hand over this unique pine grove, the result of years of hard work
and tender care, to the community of Voghjraberd. We strongly urge
you to review the decision which, in our estimation, is unwise."

AZERBAIJANI FOUND 12 ARMENIAN DEPUTIES IN THEIR PARLIAMENT

Panorama.am
17:34 23/09/2009

A story called "Hidden Armenians’ problem in Azerbaijan" is published
by Azerbaijani "Yeni Cag" informative-analytical agency.

It has been surprise for Azeri to reveal that "yet elder Heidar Aliev
talked about 30 thousand Armenians living in Baku, and that many of
them work in state institutions and rule offices of great importance.

Hence, we’ve taken the initiative to investigate what state positions
those "hidden Armenians" have assumed.

According to our trustworthy sources, high ranking officials in
Azerbaijan’s Government having Armenian roots work. To tell more,
excluding National Security Ministry, Armenians are found in all other
ministries, which is a serious threat for our nation. According to
our calculations there are 12 Armenian deputies in mejlis but if we
calculate those who have Armenians spouses then the figure is tripled,"
the author of the story tells.

The "tolerance" of Azerbaijan’s society is expressed with the brightest
colors in his conclusions which the reporter concludes at the end. "You
would ask why to investigate and reveal that? Today strange things
happen in Azerbaijan and the authorities give such responses that
you think whether Armenians have nothing to do with it?"

To conclude Azerbaijani suffer strengthening of fall paranoia searching
and investigating for "Armenian traps" in all world cataclysms,
which is going to be under our consistent control.

AZERBAIJAN SAYS BORDERS WITH ARMENIA TO OPEN AFTER OCCUPIED LANDS VACATED

Azad Azarbaycan TV
sept 21 2009

[Presenter] Baku has reacted strongly to Ankara’s statement that the
improvement of relations between Turkey and Armenia may lead to the
opening of borders between Azerbaijan and the occupier country. Foreign
Ministry spokesman Elxan Poluxov has said that Azerbaijan can open
its borders with Armenia only at its own will and in exchange for
certain conditions.

[Correspondent] Baku states that the Armenian-Azerbaijani borders
can be opened only under Azerbaijan’s decision and that this is the
country’s internal affair. This can be discussed only after Armenian
troops vacate the occupied territories.

[Poluxov] The opening of the borders on the contact line can
undoubtedly happen under Azerbaijan’s decision in the first place. This
decision and our position, as you know, is that this can only be taken
as the first step after Armenian military units withdraw from five
occupied districts [around Nagornyy Karabakh] and after the terms
are set for the withdrawal of military units from the remaining
two districts.

[Correspondent] Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said earlier
that the [possible] opening of the Turkish-Armenian border may lead
to the normalization of [Armenia’s] relations with Azerbaijan and in
the long run to the opening of borders with Azerbaijan as well.

Elxan Poluxov also said that while Azerbaijan is putting forward
constructive proposals, Yerevan is only spreading aggression. As
to Armenia’s refusal to accept Karabakh as a precondition, and the
absence of a provision in the protocol [on the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations] on Karabakh despite the fact that Turkey
has not given up on Nagornyy Karabakh, the protocol is still under
discussion.

[Poluxov] It is not a final document, as of today, the signing of the
protocol has not been suggested. Political consultations are under
way on the protocol in both countries. But today, I will say it again,
we are based on the position taken by Turkey.

ARMENIAN SWEETS SOLD IN AZERBAIJAN

Tert
Sept 23 2009
Armenia

The State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents of
the Republic of Azerbaijan conducted product quality checks in the
district of Masalin, reports Azerbaijan news site 1news.az.

During the standard check, products labelled in Armenian were
uncovered. "Thus, during the checks in the storehouse belonging to
Adam Yagubov, dried fruit, sweets and dessert prepared by Armenian
company Sevan were found," mentioned the announcement.

LILIT MKRTCHYAN WILL REPRESENT ARMENIA AT NANJING 2009 – 2010 2ND FIDE WOMEN GRAND PRIX

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.09.2009 15:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian chess player Lilit Lazarian will represent
Armenia at 2nd FIDE Women Grand Prix to take place in Nanjing, China
from September, 27, 2009 to October, 10, 2009.

12 top chess players will participate in the tournament: Xue, Zhao
(China, 2544), Ju, Wenjun (China, 2443), Dzagnidze, Nana (Georgia,
2536), Sebag Marie (France, 2531), Yuhua, Xu (China, 2485), Chen, Zhu
(Quatar, 2473), Mrktchyan, Lilit (Armenia, 2467), Yang, Shen (China,
2453), Batkhuyag, Munguntuul (Mongolia, 2412), Kovanova, Baira (Russia,
2406), Fierro, Martha (Equador, 2394), Yildiz, Betul (Turkey, 2217).

The Grand Prix will be a series of six tournaments held over two years
(2009-2010) in leading world cities.

The timing of evaluating and contracting host city offers will be very
important particularly at the start of the series. Offers to host
and contract three tournaments over the next six years (i.e. three
cycles – for 2009/10, 2011/2 and 2013/4) will be given preference.

18 top world players will be selected to compete in these
tournaments. Each player agrees and will contract to participate in
exactly 4 of these tournaments. Players must rank their preference
of tournaments once the final list of host cities is announced and
the dates are allocated to each host city.

KARABAKH MUST BE INDEPENDENT, NO UNILATERAL CONCESSIONS for Azerbaijan – President Sargsian

Interfax
Sept 21 2009
Russia

Yerevan will hold a dialog with Baku on Karabakh if certain conditions
are met, said Armenian President Serzh Sargsian."We would accept it
with three amendments: Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan again,
Karabakh’s independence will be recognized at the political level,
and the last one, the independent Karabakh must retain safe ground
communication with Yerevan," he said in an interview with the MK
newspaper published on Monday.

"If these three conditions are met, we will probably be ready for a
dialog," the Armenian president added.

"We are not going to make any unilateral concessions to Azerbaijan.

They are absolutely ruled out," he said.

"This is what some in Russia, in the West and Baku think. But I gave
21 years to the land of Artsakh and I cannot afford to lose it.

Karabakh was and will remain free," the Armenian president said.

"Those occupied territories that Azerbaijan is demanding from us
today are the border settlements between them and us, this is our
security zone. We will not give them away. They may call us occupants
for this. I am not offended," Sargsian said.

"If they were able to take these lands by force, believe me, they
would have done so. But they are not. Therefore, one has to heed
our opinion. Then, sooner or later, a compromise might be found,"
the Armenian president said.

SEPTEMBER 21, 1991 OPENED NEW CHAPTER IN HISTORY OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.09.2009 10:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako
Sahakyan sent Monday a congratulatory address to President of the
Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, reported the Central Information
Department of the Office of the NKR President.

The letter reads:

"I cordially congratulate you on the Independence Day of the Republic
of Armenia.

September 21, 1991 has opened new chapter in the history of the
Armenian people. Building independent statehood was a difficult,
but at the same time respectable path our people could successfully
overcome. Armenian people restored the right to be the arbiter of
their own destiny, to have an independent, free and sovereign state.

Even today under the global financial and economic crisis the
leadership of Armenia is doing everything possible to take up
different challenges and to lay a stable foundation for socio-economic
development. I am confident that under your presidency the Republic
of Armenia will achieve new success, will celebrate new victories
and the cherished dreams of the Armenian people will come true.

I wish you peace, good health and all the best in the name of
prosperous and bright future of Armenia and Artsakh."

TURKEY’S EU NEGOTIATOR SAYS FRANCE GIVES ASSURANCES NOT TO INTERRUPT ENTRY TALKS

Anadolu Ajansi (Anatolia Agency)
Sept 20 2009
Turkey

Paris, 20 September: Turkish State Minister & Chief Negotiator for
EU talks Egemen Bagis said French executives gave assurances that
ongoing full membership talks between Turkey and the EU would not
be interrupted.

Speaking to Turkish journalists about his talks in Paris, Bagis
said he met with French Secretary of State for European Affairs
Pierre Lelouche, noting that Lelouche expressed stance of France on
continuation of talks and assessment of the situation after conclusion
of negotiations.

Bagis said he conveyed Turkey’s uneasiness to French executive over
the news reports that France has launched initiatives to propose
privileged partnership to Turkey. "French executive gave assurances
that no study started or would start regarding an alternative apart
from full membership," he added.

Bagis said ongoing negotiations with Turkey, customs union, illegal
migration were assessed at the meeting, noting that France closely
follows Democratic Move in Turkey and the process of normalization
of relations with Armenia.

Bagis also met with the representatives of Turkish associations
in France.

Aysor, Armenia
Sept 19 2009

The new performance of `Almast’ available also today

The premiere of the new performance of `Almast’ opera took place
yesterday on the stage of the Opera and ballet house after
Al. Spendarian in Yerevan. Today also the lovers of music will have
the opportunity of watching the performance.

The director of the performance is the Russian prominent Georgi
Isahakyan the staging conductor, national artist of Armenia Yuri
Davtyan, the designer Vyacheslav Okunev from Russia, the dances are
staged by Vilen Galstyan Armenian national dancer. It is being
realized by the order of the Culture Ministry of Armenia.

As the ticket seller informed today the Aysor.am journalist there are
tickets for the today’s performance still. They cost 1500 to 5000
drams.

The `Almast’ opera was to be staged on June but as the head of the
public relations of the RA Culture Ministry Gayane Durgaryan told to
Aysor.am the performance was delayed as the art council made up a
decision to open the new autumn period with `Almast’ opera.