Author: Tambiyan Samvel

TWO CAMPS TUG AT ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By David Olson, [email protected]

Press-Enterprise, CA
ews_Local_D_armenianside15.295044b.html
Nov 15 2007

Although the Turkish government contends the deaths of more than 1
million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 were not a genocidal attempt
to expunge the Armenian population from their ancestral homeland in
what is now eastern Turkey, many leading scholars say the massacres
clearly fit the definition of genocide.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars unanimously approved
a 2005 letter stating that "the overwhelming opinion of scholars who
study genocide" is that the murders were genocidal.

To deny the Armenian genocide "is like Holocaust denial," said Gregory
Stanton, vice president of the association, president of Genocide Watch
and a professor of human rights at the University of Mary Washington
in Virginia.

Other genocide-studies groups — including the Center for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota, the Institute
on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem and the Institute for the
Study of Genocide at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York
— also term the massacres genocide.

James Sheehan, a professor of history at Stanford University and former
president of the American Historical Association, said extensive
documentation supports defining the atrocities as genocide, which
involves a deliberate intent to fully or partially destroy an ethnic,
national, racial or religious group.

Sheehan said evidence that Turks tried to obliterate their Armenian
population is visible throughout eastern Turkey, which had been home
to Armenians for 2,500 years.

"I’ve spent some time in eastern Turkey, and it’s quite remarkable
that there’s virtually no trace of the Armenian population that lived
there for centuries," he said.

The Turkish government said the number of Armenian deaths has been
exaggerated.

Armenian groups say 1.5 million died. Stanton said the number was
between 1 million and 1.5 million.

The Turks say fewer than 600,000 Armenians died.

The Turkish government asserts that the deaths occurred as part of
World War I and its aftermath, when many Armenians supported Russia,
which was at war with the Ottoman Empire, the forebear of modern
Turkey. Armenians also killed many Turks, the government contends.

The Turkish government has prosecuted Turks — including Nobel
Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk — who deviate from the government’s
official position on the Armenians’ deaths.

Serdar Bozdag, a Turk studying for a computer-science doctorate at UC
Riverside, said it is clear that horrible violence occurred between
Armenians and Turks during World War I.

But, he said, "with all the problems we have today, we should not
focus on the history. We should focus on today."

AZERBAIJANI AND FRENCH PRESIDENTS TO DISCUSS ‘HOT POINTS’ IN EURASIA

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 14 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / The forthcoming meeting
of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and France, Ilham Aliyev and Nicola
Sarkozy, is important for exchange of opinions both on bilateral
cooperation and regional issues, Novruz Mammadov, head of the
International Relations Department at the Azerbaijani President’s
Administration, told Trend. He was commenting on the Azerbaijani
President’s upcoming visit to France on 19-20 November.

" Azerbaijan and France have good relations and a dialogue should
be held to continue the cooperation," Mammadov said. On the other
hand, it is also important for Sarkozy to meet with the Azerbaijani
President to get closely familiar with regional issues and know the
Azerbaijani President’s position on ‘hot points’, he stressed.

"Indeed, the meeting will focus on the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict," he said.

France is a co-chairing country at the OSCE Minsk Group, which is
involved in the resolution of the conflict between the two countries
of the South Caucasus broken out in 1988 due to Armenian territorial
claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have
occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
its seven surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities
ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and
the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

Mammadov said that during the upcoming visit it is not planned to sign
any document on bilateral cooperation, because the visit is of working
character. At the beginning of the year the Azerbaijani President was
to France with official visit and signed several bilateral documents,
he said.

MEETING AT "ARMENTEL"

Panorama.am
21:52 14/11/2007

"Those who tried, but did not manage to join "Armenia call" service,
and in the result lose money can call (010) 28-37-10, or go to
"ArmenTel" building and the employee will return the money." Anyway
the employee offered this service today. To our explanation that
our test to join the service was useless and we lost 200 drams, the
girls could not answer. Besides "ArmenTel" company said that they are
not responsible for the service. Later on they refused to answer to
our calls. According to our information the number of people being
unsatisfied by this service is large, so meet you at "ArmenTel".

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE PARTICIPATION OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN THE GLOBAL CHRISTIAN FORUM
MEETING IN KENYA

The first meeting of the Global Christian Forum was convened on November 6-9
in the Kenyan city of Limuru. 250 representatives from several families of
churches and international religious organizations attended the meeting
under the theme "Our Journey with our savior Jesus Christ."

His Holiness Aram I delegated Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) to
participate in the meeting. Bishop Alemezian also represented the Middle
East Council of Churches (MECC) and read out the Council’s address to the
meeting.

Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian (Primate of the Diocese of England) represented
the Catholicosate of All Armenians.

During the course of daily collective prayers, Bible readings and full and
group sessions, the participants had an opportunity to meet Christians from
other geographic locations and different church traditions. They discussed
the difficulties churches and ecclesiastical organizations face in the field
of the collective Christian legacy.

The prospects for formation of the Global Christian Forum started forming in
the 1990s. His Holiness Aram I as moderator of the World Council of Churches
played a significant role in this process. The meeting in Kenya was the
culmination of regional meetings in Asia, Africa, Europe and South Africa.

***

The annual meetings of the secretaries of the Greek Orthodox, Russian
Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformist, Methodist and other
Protestant Churches was held in Nairobi (Kenya) on November 10-12, 2007.

Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) participated in the meeting as
Moderator of the WCC/Joint Commission between Christian World Communions and
the World Council of Churches and presented the Commission’s report.
Responding to the request of the participants, Bishop Alemezian also
presented a brief introduction on the family of Oriental Churches,
highlighting the historic reconciliation, in July 2007, between the Coptic
and Ethiopian Churches as a result of the efforts of His Holiness Aram I.

Other participants presented reports on their respective families of
churches and discussed the results of the first meeting of the Global
Christian Forum held a few days before in Kenya, the possibilities of
organizing a conference with the participation of several churches and
church councils and a number of urgent issues related to the ecumenical
movement.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

BULGARIA’S PRIME MINISTER ARRIVING IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
13.11.2007 10:47

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Sergey Stanishev is
arriving in Armenia today on an official visit.

The delegation headed by the Prime Minister of Bulgaria comprises
the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Armenia Stefan Dimitrov, Chairman of
the "Coalition for Bulgaria" parliamentary group, Chairman of the
Deputy Friendship Group with Armenia Ruben Krikorian, Head of Prime
Minister’s Staff Phillipe Bukov, President of the State Agency for
Sport and youth Affairs Vesela Lecheva, Secretary for Foreign Policy
Emil Vilev, Deputy Foreign Minister Evgenia Koldanova, Deputy Minister
of Economy and Energy Yavor Kuyumjiev, other officials.

During the offciial visit Sergey Stanishev will have meetings with
RA President Robert Kocharyan, Speaker of the National Assembly
Tigran Torosyan, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and the Catholicos
of All Armenians Garegin II. The Bulgarian Prime Minister will visit
Tsitsernakaberd and will lay a wreath of flowers at the memorial to the
Armenian Genocide victims. In the Yerevan State University he will meet
with the faculty and students. Mr. Stanishev will visit the Armenian
Union of Cultural ties to meet with members of the Armenian-Bulgarian
Friendship Group and representatives of the Bulgarian community.

The Prime Minister will also visit Matenadaran, the secondary school
#131 after P. Yavorov, the Yerevan Brandy Factory, and the Treasury
and Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

EBRD ADVISES ARMENIA TO CONDUCT MORE EFFICIENT COMPETITION POLICY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12 2007

LONDON, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. In its report on transitional
countries, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
advises Armenia to improve the business environment and conduct a more
effiecient competition policy with the aim of making the country’s
industry more diverse, Radio Liberty reported.

"Foreign and local companies continue meeting obstacles in entering the
main branches of the Armenian economy, which impedes fair competition,"
the report says. "Lack of competition has been registered, especially
in the market of goods in great demand, mainly for the reason that
some monopolies control the import of consumer goods".

The report reminds that in the past, Armenia was ranked among the
CIS countries where it is advisable to do business. However, the
last report of Transparency International organization on the fight
against corruption says that the index of corruption perception has
grown in Armenia in the past three years, EBRD says.

As for the indices of the economic growth registered in 2006 and
in the first six months of this year, the report states that the
large-scale construction (mainly done with funds transferred from
abroad) in the country is the driving force of this growth. Instead,
a bit of stagnation has been observed in the industry and agriculture.

"As a whole, the market of goods in great demand continues to be
limited – due to the absence of relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan,"
the EBRD report says, adding that this is one of the main obstacles
to the development of entreprenuership, and not only for the reason
that Armenian goods are deprived of the opportunity to enter a large
market and the transport costs are increasing but also because the
dependence on donors and international financial bodies providing
money on concessional terms is growing.

According to the EBRD report, unlike in other transitional countries,
in Armenia salaries remain low and at the same time, the low index
of tax collection continues to be a cause for concern.

ISSUE OF ELECTION OF VICE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT ENVISAGED TO BE DISCUSSED IN NOVEMBER 12 SITTING OF RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of the election of the
Vice Speaker of the RA National Assembly is envisaged to be discussed
on November 12: on the first day of the regular plenary four-day
sittings of the RA National Assembly.

In general, there are about sixty issues and 17 international treaties
submitted for approval by the RA President on the agenda.

The 2008 draft state budget, the 2008 activity programs of the state
commissions for Protection of RA Economic Competition and Regulation
of RA Public Services, the reports on the RA Central Bank, the Council
of the Public TV Radio Company, the activities of the RA Human Rights
Defender and the violation of Human Rights and Basic Freedoms in the
country, as well as the 2006 report of the NA Control Chamber are
included on the agenda.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT SETS RULES FOR WORKING OUT PROGRAM OF SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN

ARKA
Nov 9, 2007

YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Armenian government set Thursday rules
for working out a program of social and psychological rehabilitation
of children living in extraordinary situations.

Govenrmental press office told ARKA News Agency on Thursday that
the program targets children having social, health, educational and
psychological problems and facing difficulties in integration in
the society.

At its Thursday’s session, the government gave instruction to social
and education ministries to set criteria for gauging needs of such
children.

Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan stressed that considerable financial
means are earmarked for this program implementation and said that
the government will do whatever necessary to ensure effective and
spending of this money.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TOUGHENING PUNITIVE MEASURES FOR ECONOMIC CRIMES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 8, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 8 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the draft law on making amendments and
additions to the RA Criminal Code. The RA deputy prosecutor general
Mnatsakan Sargsian said after the sitting that the adoption of the law
is conditioned by the necessity to change the penal policy conducted in
the fight against crimes aimed against economic activity. According to
him, by these amendments, it is envisaged to use a fine in the amount
of three thousand minimum salaries instead of a thousand minimum
salaries as the upper limit of the fine and 3-5 years imprisonmet
instead of the current 2-4 years’ imprisonment as administrative
penalty in case of an economic crime.

According to statistics, 137 economic crimes were registered last year,
which was twice as many as in 2005.

By the way, M. Sargsian said that the ground for opening a criminal
case against the director of Pizza di Roma company was the fact that
evasion of taxes of 15 million drams (about 45 thousand dollars)
was revealed only at one of the seven facilities owned by the company.

"THIS TIME AUTHORITIES WILL NOT MANAGE TO FALSIFY ELECTIONS," RA FIRST PRESIDENT IS CONVINCED

Noyan Tapan
Nov 7, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The authorities will not hold
the forthcoming presidential elections according to their habit,
that is to say, by making falsifications. This statement was made by
Levon Ter-Petrosian, the first President of the Republic of Armenia,
during the meeting with the young held in the "Armenia-Marriott"
hotel of Yerevan on November 3. "I think, the things will not go so
far, we will not allow any falsification.

That depends on you as well: if each of us becomes a soldier, a
devotee of this case, they can do nothing," he said. According to
Levon Ter-Petrosian, that process should be launched not after but
before the elections.

"We ourselves will make no falsification, we do not need that. We
defeated the communist authorities not only due to being very
organized but respecting the letter of the law up to the end. We
should struggle against them that very way: let them infringe the law,
let them infringe the law day and night. Evil always has an end,
they did it for ten days, this time they will not manage," Levon
Ter-Petrosian made assertions.