Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

ARA PAPIAN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER DETERMINED BY WILSON’S ARBITRAL
DECISION DERIVING FROM SEVRES TREATY

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Two mutually excluisive viewpoints on
the Sevres Treaty exist in Armenian reality. According to the first,
this document has no legal basis (this viepoint was most widespread in
the Soviet Armenian literature), while according to the second one,
the borders of Turkey and Armenia are determined by the Sevres
Treaty. Ara Papian, former Armenian ambassador to Canada, historian
and diplomat, said this at the March 16 conference "The Sevres Treaty:
Reality or Eternal Dream?" at Yerevan State University. In his
opinion, in essence neither of the viewpoints is correct because the
Armenian-Turkish border is determined by Wilson’s arbitral decision
deriving from the Sevres Treaty. According to Ara Papian, an arbitral
decision is an international decision which has no time limit and is
not subject to cassation.

"This arbitral decision determines de jure the Armenian-Turkish border
and remains so until today, whereas de facto the border is different,"
the speaker noted. Ara Papian said that so far Armenia has not applied
to international courts regarding the issue of the Sevres Treaty
application for a number of reasons: previously Armenia was not an
independent state – only states as subjects of international law may
apply to international courts. After independnce, Armenia had more
important and urgent problems. Besides, there is another simple and
important circumstance: unawareness of Armenian historians about
international law. "The arbitral decision is one that has legal force
for us and the world. I believe that we should pay more attention to
international law and move our struggle to this plane where we are
much stronger," A. Papian stated. Aghasi Yenokian, political
scientist, YSU lecturer, said that today the situation is infavorable
for raising this issue at an international court. In his opinion, now
Armenia is of little interest to other states so that they initiate
"making an angreement signed at one time a reality." On the other
hand, according to him, "there is circumstance to solve de jure the
problem of Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding territories."

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 17 2007

Armenia’s plant failure discharges heavy effluents to Azeri rivers

[ 17 Mar 2007 12:37 ]

Armenia’s Akhtala Mining Combine discharged heavy and harmful
effluents to the Debet and the Khram onward to the Kur after the
accident.

Azerbaijan’s ecological labs have been put on the alert in the
regions of Kazakh and Beilagan during March 6-16 to analyze the river
water and the chemicals let into the water.
Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry told APA that the examination
of the samples taken from the Khram, Kur, Tovuzchay, Aghstafachay
Rivers and Aghstafa Water Reservoir showed that the water contains
copper ions 6.2 times above the average, zinc substances are 1.2
times above the norm in the water of Khram River and 1.3 times more
than the norm in the Kur River, 1.2 times more in Tovuzchay and 1.1
times in Aghstafachay. /APA /

Today, Azerbaijan
March 16 2007

Azerbaijanis protest against Armenian producer’s film in Czechia film
festival

16 March 2007 [15:35] – Today.Az

An international documentary film festival focusing on human rights
is being held in Czechia.

The film "War and peace" produced by Armenian Hovanesyan was
demonstrated at the festival. The film is about the frames taken by
an Armenian reporter fought in Karabakh and the fates of the people
who fought there after the war. The film is based on falsehood, in
which Armenians are introduced to the European audience as victims.
The film will today be demonstrated in Brno, the second big city of
Czechia.

The members of Azerbaijani Diaspora in Czechia and Azerbaijani
students delivered brochures and information bulletins to the
audience in order to inform them of truth on the Karabakh problem.

Karabakh war veteran Fuad Alkhasov, student of Brno Technical
University Nariman Topchubashov, student of Carlow University Vusal
Hajiyev invited the spectators and Armenians to debate and answered
their questions.

Czechia Culture Ministry is one of the organizers of the festival.
The students officially protested to the ministry for permitting
demonstration of such a film in the festival on human rights.

CT2 channel, Lidovskiye Noviny, Prgue Post, Radio Cesko and other
mass media covers the festival. APA

URL:

DEPUTIES NOT INTERESTED IN NATURE PROTECTION

Panorama.am
19:10 15/03/2007

Tatul Manaseryan, deputy of the National Assembly and an economist,
advised not to connect too many hopes with deputies connected with
nature protection issues.

In his words, the deputies are not interested even in the green area
in the yard of the parliament.

Manaseryan believes the state can allocate funds for nature protection
but there is no will for that.

Karine Danielyan, ex-minister of nature protection and the chairperson
of For Stable Human Development NGO, said it is connected with our
oligarchic-capitalist system. "If you ask people what they will choose
"to have" or "to be," many will answer, "to have."

Danielyan believes a lot of natural resources are sacrificed to
personal interests of few.

CONCERT OF ENGLISH CONDUCTOR PAUL MACALINDIN AND SWISS CELLIST IVAN MONIGHETTI TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Mar 15 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The concert of English conductor Paul
MacAlindin and Swiss cellist Ivan Monighetti will be held on March
16 at Aram Khachatrian concert hall. Their Yerevan concert has been
initiated by Armenian Music Center within the framework of Prospects
of 21st 8th international music festival. To the accompaniment of
Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, works of Shostakovich, Beethoven
and Stepan Rostomian will be performed at the concert.

S. Rostomian stated at the March 15 press conference that world
premiere of his Symphony N 1 will take place at the concert. In his
words, that symphony was composed in 1980 for Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra, on the initiative of Orchestra’s conductor David Khanjian,
but it has not been performed up to present. In S. Rostomian’s words,
the work includes ensemble and solo performance fragments.

P. MacAlindin said that though this is his second visit to Armenia,
he is sufficiently familiarized with Armenian culture and has been
cooperating with S. Rostomian for several years. "For me, it is a
great honor to cooperate with such a composer, as well as to conduct
Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra, which is becoming more and
more famous," the conductor said.

In I. Monighetti’s words, though it is the first time he cooperates
with Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the rehearsals made it clear
that the Orchestra is at a very high level. "I am happy to take part
in this festival. I am convinced that our cooperation will continue,"
the cellist said. By the way, I. Monighetti will also take part in the
concert dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich’s 80th birth anniversary
to be held soon in Moscow. He has been invited by RF President
Vladimir Putin.

OSCE LONG-TERM OBSERVERS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA THIS WEEKEND

ArmRadio.am
14.03.2007 11:49

12 long-term observers of the OSCE will arrive in Yerevan this weekend,
Armenpress was told at the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights. A week later another 26 long-term observers will
arrive in Armenia. These will include experts, who will monitor also
the activity of mass media.

Part of the observers will leave Armenia 1-2 weeks after the elections,
after observing the post-election processes. One week proceeding the
voting day about 300 short-term OSCE observers will arrive in Armenia.

The Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly has registered
12 observers; the CIS Executive Committee will be represented by
8 observers.

US FDA ACTUALLY INVESTIGATED COUNTERFEIT ‘JERMUK’

Arminfo
2007-03-14 12:02:00

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has actually investigated
the counterfeit "Jermuk" mineral water, the "Jermuk Group" Company’s
President Adviser Edgar Gazaryan said at today’s press- conference
in the "Urbat" club.

According to him, a photograph of the investigated mineral water’s
bottle was placed on FDA’s official site, where it can be clearly
seen that its label differs from the "Jermuk" label, registered
in 1996. Thus, a faulty product ahs become a basis for FDA’s
recommendation to withdraw the "Jermuk" from the American market.

According to E. Gazaryan, such a "black PR" is a preplanned action
against the producers of mineral waters. One may say with confidence
that this is the beginning of an information war against our Company,
he said. According to Gazaryan, the real picture of the "Jermuk Group"
Company’s possible losses from FDA’s "black PR" may become apparent
mush later. Presently, by his information, the production and sale of
"Jermuk" has not reduced since the FDA’s document publication.

LAVROV VISIT TO YEREVAN TIMED TO 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLM TIES

Itar-Tass News Agency, Russia
March 14 2007

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Armenia slated for
April 3-4 is timed to the 15th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries, Russian Ambassador
in Yerevan Nikolai Pavlov said.

The purpose of the visit "is to confirm Russia’s commitment to
strategic partnership with Armenia", the ambassador said on Wednesday.

During the visit, Lavrov will have meetings with Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan, Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan and Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanyan. The Russian minister will give a speech at Yerevan
State University, the Russian ambassador stressed.

Russia recognised Armenia’s independence on December 18, 1991. April
3, 1992 is the day of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two countries. "This is one more date in the history
of Russian-Armenian relations, which remount to Ancient Russia,"
the ambassador said.

"Then the coincidence of geopolitical interests of both states
determines their wish to establish ally relations between our countries
and bring them to the level of strategic partnership," the ambassador
pointed out. Now it is based on the solid legal foundation and includes
over 160 international agreements and treaties.

"Relations between Russia and Armenia are considered ally and dynamic,"
the Russian ambassador added.

TURKISH CHAUVINIST APPEALS AGAINST SWISS COURT’S VERDICT

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 13 2007

ANKARA, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Chairman of Turkish
Workers Party Dogu Perincek appealed against the Swiss court’s verdict,
by which he was convicted for denying the Armenian Genocide.

According to the Cihan Turkish news agency, Turkish chauvinist’s
lawyer Loran Moreyon said that his defendant appealed against the
verdict at Vo canton provincial court.

To recap, on March 9, Perincek was sentenced to 90-day suspended
imprisonment and was fined in the amount of nearly 3000 USD bu the
Lausanne court for denying the Armenian Genocide.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  +374-10-517163
Fax:  +374-10-517301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
March 11, 2007

His Holiness Karekin II Visits Madras and Oldest Armenian Church in Far East

Having arrived at Chennai Airport on the previous night, His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, accompanied
by his delegation visited the Armenian Church of St. Mary (Surb
Astvatsatsin) in Madras on Friday, March 2.  The church, originally built in
1712, is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is in considerably better
condition today than only a few years ago.  On the grounds of the church is
a cemetery where Archpriest Rev. Fr. Haroutiun Shmavonian is interred.  In
1794, while serving as pastor of the Armenian community in Madras, Fr.
Shmavonian began to publish the first Armenian periodical in the world
entitled `Azdarar’.

Although there are no longer any Armenian residents of Madras, the church
remains continually open.  Many Indians from the surrounding neighborhoods
had come to the church to greet His Holiness upon his arrival and to ask for
his blessings.

His Holiness and the pontifical entourage entered the compound of the church
located on `Armenian Street’ in the center of the city and were greeted by a
number of Indian Orthodox faithful.  As the Catholicos entered the
sanctuary, he offered prayers of thanksgiving for protecting this
significant edifice in the heart of Madras, at a time where there are no
longer any Armenian faithful to care for its maintenance and safekeeping.

His Holiness Karekin II offered a solemn requiem service in the church in
memory of all departed clergymen – bishops, priests and deacons – who have
diligently served the Armenian community of India and the Far East over the
course of the past five centuries.  The Pontiff of All Armenians also laid a
floral wreath at the tomb of Fr. Shmavonian, following which he was guided
on a tour of the church grounds and the historic bell-tower, with its six
cast iron bells, renowned throughout all of Madras. 

While at the church, His Holiness also met with the historical and
architectural preservation committee for Chennai and discussed the efforts
undertaken by the Armenians of Calcutta to preserve and renovate the church
and compound.

In the afternoon, the Catholicos and the pontifical entourage traveled to
the historical St. Thomas Shrine, which rests atop a famous hill in Madras. 
According to Roman Catholic tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle was martyred
on this hill in the first century A.D.  This location was thereafter marked
with a chapel and later a church.  In 1547, the very first Armenian Church
in the Far East was built in this location on the hill.  The original church
building remains to this day as a functioning sanctuary and shrine of the
Roman Catholic faith.  However, its Armenian origin is self-evident by the
countless Armenian gravestones, paintings and inscriptions (most notably on
the Holy Altar) which ornament the interior.  Once again, the Indian
Christian faithful of the area greeted His Holiness and asked him to give
them his pontifical blessings.