Author: Toganian Liana

ARF DASHNAKSUTYUN PARTY COMES OUT AGAINST CREATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH COMMISSION

ArmInfo
2008-07-04 17:00:00

"Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s proposal to set up an
Armenian-Turkish commission is wrong", Secretary of the parliamentary
faction of ARF Dashnaksutyun Party Artyusha Shahbazyan said at a
press-conference at Hayatsk club, Friday.

According to him, it is wrong to conduct any historical investigation
on the Armenian Genocide. "ARF Dashnaksutyun has always said that
it is wrong to choose this way and cast doubt on the fact of the
Armenian Genocide", the MP stressed and added that Serzh Sargsyan’s
statement was followed by statements of the press-secretary and foreign
minister of Armenia, which created quite a different picture. "Probably
we misunderstood what Serzh Sargsyan wanted to say. Therefore we
should wait and follow the further foreign policy of the country’s
authorities", Shahbazyan said.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Assemblymember Paul Krekorian
620 N. Brand Blvd. Suite 403
Glendale, CA 91203
Adrin Nazarian Chief of Staff
(818) 240-6330
(818) 240-4632 fax
[email protected]

July 3, 2008
(818) 240-6330

KREKORIAN ANNOUNCES SAROYAN EXHIBITION AT STATE CAPITOL

Author and playwright William Saroyan’s extraordinary contributions to
the cultural history of California will be celebrated in a photographic
exhibition that opens today at the State Capitol in Sacramento,
announced Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank). Assemblymember
Krekorian, who organized the Capitol exhibition in partnership with the
Saroyan Centennial Committee, said that the exhibition is part of a
statewide year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Saroyan’s
birth.

"The works of William Saroyan are among California’s cultural treasures
and comprise an important part of our state’s story," said
Assemblymember Krekorian. "Saroyan was one of the Twentieth Century’s
greatest chroniclers of small town life in California and the experience
of hard-working people during the Great Depression. Generations of
Americans have come to know and love the San Joaquin Valley and its
people through the eyes and the pen of William Saroyan. I’m proud that
our State Capitol is appropriately memorializing the centennial of his
birth with this important exhibition."

The son of Armenian immigrants, William Saroyan never lost touch with
his proud heritage. Through his literary genius, he made that heritage
an important part of the American cultural fabric.

Among other things, the exhibition features gallery-quality black and
white photographs of Saroyan that were taken by renowned photographer
Boghos Boghossian during the author’s last two visits to Armenia.
Melded with the writer’s own words, the pictures reflect Saroyan in
action, his emotional expressions and inner life while he interacted
with those around him. Boghossian, who currently resides in Armenia,
poignantly captured these special moments in the life of the renowned
writer.

The exhibition will be housed in the historic State Capitol Museum from
July 2 through August 24, 2008. It was made possible through the
efforts and support of Assemblymember Krekorian, the Assembly Rules
Committee, California State Parks, the Armenian Heritage Museum of
Fresno, the Armenian Technology Group, Inc., and Proteck Imaging of
Burbank. Mr. Varoujan Der Simonian is the Curator of the exhibition.
The exhibition is open to the public and is free of charge.

Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) represents the cities of
Burbank and Glendale, and the Los Angeles communities of Atwater
Village, Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley
Glen, Valley Village and Van Nuys.

# # #

US PAYS GREAT ATTENTION TO RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN

ANS
30.06.2008 13:27

Interview of David Kramery, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European
and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State with Mir Shahin.

– Which one from the three South Caucasian countries do you consider
more stable and reliable from the point of view of democracy and
human rights – Georgia, Azerbaijan or Armenia?

– Each of them is safe and I am going to visit the three countries this
week. Every country is unique and each of them has specific problems.

Besides, every country has peculiar relations with the United
States. The common point for all these countries is that we want
to witness more democratic development, more observance of human
rights in them. I hold meetings with governmental officials, civil
society and pres representatives on human rights issue in all South
Caucasian countries. These meetings are aimed at stressing the US’s
great attention to human rights and democracy issues.

– Before Azerbaijan, you paid a visit to Armenia. As I know, there
was held a protest action opposite the US Embassy to Armenia that
time. What was the action aimed at?

– My visit to the South Caucasus began from Armenia. I saw a
protest action while being in that country. The protestors wanted
to draw my and my embassy colleagues’ attention to the arrest of the
editor-in-chief. I met with them, got acquainted with the problem. And
of course, I told them the Embassy was already considering the
issue. We are always ready to hear such people in the every country
of the world.

– How do you assess the situation on human rights and democracy in
Azerbaijan, especially in pre-election period?

– I’d like to stress that we pay a great attention to relations with
Azerbaijan. There is a perfect cooperation between the United States
and Azerbaijan in energy and security spheres. We are also interested
in democracy and human rights issues and we would like to see more
progress in these spheres. Azerbaijan has forthcoming presidential
elections in October.

We stress the importance of these elections for Azerbaijan. And we
hold meetings not only with governmental bodies, but also opposition,
media representatives, ordinary citizens. We focus on political
processes, media freedom, supremacy of law and other issue in these
meetings. These issues are important for not only Azerbaijan-US
relations, but also Azerbaijan’s authority in the world.

-You will have meetings with governmental officials, NGO and media
representatives. How reliable do you consider the information that
you will get from those meetings?

-We get information from different sources and put them together. We
are not aimed to believe to that information, but to prove
it. The important point here is that a government is not the only
one responsible to determine democratic future of a country. Civil
society, ordinary people, media, independent and free justice system
as well as political opposition should take part in decision-making
process. This is very important point for the United States.

– Speaking about democracy and human rights issues, officials of
the United States as well as European countries make more remarks to
Azerbaijan. How do military conflicts affect the democracy?

– The United States, together with other states tries to help
settlement of Daqliq Qarabaq conflict. My colleague and OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair Matthew Bryza deals with this issue. He visits Baku
and other countries trying to find the way of solution. I would stress
that presence of a conflict should not be an excuse for a country to
fulfill its commitments on human rights and democracy. Regulation of
a conflict eases solution of human rights issue. This is one of the
reasons we are trying to settle Daqliq Qarabaq conflict.

– I remembered the Gulf War. Baghdad correspondent point of Al Jazeera
was destroyed killing one correspondent and one cameraman during the
war. This was an accident happened as the result of war actions. In
general, democracy is limited within a country which is in conflict
or in war.

-As I know, there is no state of emergency in Azerbaijan. And if
there is any, it should not be reason for limiting human rights,
for escaping from fulfillment of commitments. Military situation is
much more dangerous and journalists sometimes risk their lives. And
in some cases we grieve for dead journalists. So, it is important to
have a peaceful situation for journalists to perform their duties.

– The cease-fire agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in
1994 was not aimed at development of democracy. It was concluded to
reach quick solution of Daqliq Qarabaq conflict. And people began
looking forward for regulation of the conflict after the agreement
was reached. So, if we have the conflict unsettled for 14 years how
can we speak about development of democracy in Azerbaijan?

-I can not agree that a conflict should welcome violation of laws,
human rights. Conflicts create danger and that is why we are trying
to settle the conflict together with Minsk Group co-chairs. However,
there should not be any excuse, any reason to limit human rights and
democracy in a country.

– Though you are not directly dealing with Daqliq Qarabaq conflict,
I’d like to know your personal opinion. How do you see solution way
of the conflict?

-I see hard work of Matthew Bryza in this issue. So, he has
something to say about that. I’m also acquainted with Daqliq Qarabaq
conflict. But, Bryza is the best man in the Department of State to
speak about the conflict.

PACE POSTPONES ARMENIAN DEBATE UNTIL JANUARY

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
June 27, 2008 Friday

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to postpone
debates on Armenia until January.

In a meeting on June 25, PACE members discussed the country`s
fulfilling the assembly`s demands after a report by the organization’s
co-rapporteurs said the Armenian authorities failed to make sufficient
progress following the post-election violence this February.

John Prescott, PACE co-rapporteur on the Armenian elections, said the
country made insufficient progress in fulfilling PACE resolution 1609
on functioning of democratic institutions.

Prescott said huge job must be done in Armenia to develop democratic
institutions.

Raffi Hovanesian, a member of the Armenian delegation to PACE,
said his country failed to pass the democracy test, and added he
will refuse his deputy mandate if the Armenian authorities fail to
stabilize the domestic political situation.

Rafael Huseynov, an Azerbaijani member of parliament, called Armenia
a unique state whose state sovereignty is something symbolic as the
country is unable to pursue independent policy and is ruled from
the outside.

He said the political situation in Armenia is continuing escalating
since the authorities are still unable to embark on a dialogue with
the opposition.

The Azeri diplomat called on PACE to impose sanctions on Armenia and
strip it from its membership, saying the country may become a huge
threat to democracy not only in the region, but also in whole Europe.

THE MOVEMENT IS BEING DISSOLVED
KIMA YEGHIAZARYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on June 28, 2008
Armenia

Living The Slogan `We Will Win’ Under The Ruins

`I will be the last one to leave the movement,’ leader of the
`pan-national’ movement Levon Ter-Petrosyan announced during the June
20 demonstration in front of Matenadaran.

No more than one week after this announcement the process of leaving
the movement began.

Leader of Marxist Party David Hakobyan publicly announced about his
decision to quit the `everlasting’ struggle.

Most probably David Hakobyan’s decision to leave the struggle is not a
painful fact for the movement, they can show that everything is ok. But
let’s remember the inspiration of LTP and his supporters during the
presidential campaign when the head of the Marxist party announced
about joining them.

At that time the unification of some social organizations and one-man
parties was a matter of enthusiasm for them, especially in case of the
leader of Marxist party who is very popular due to his eloquent and
funny speech.

By delivering regular speeches in the Theatrical Square the main
Marxist was sure that `Levon Bek’s’ victory is out of question, and
that only `Levon the lion-hearted’ can save the country and the nation.
But today he speaks about the bankruptcy of Levon’s ‘ tactical arsenal,
not hiding his deep disappointment.

In general, June 20 demonstration displayed that the courage of the
revolutionaries is not the same as it was before. No matter how much
they assure that they are full of determination, anyway there was lack
of enthusiasm during this meeting.

Therefore the main Marxist is starting a new life, especially because
the regular elections are not very far and he hasn’t time and efforts
to waste. That is why there is no sense to go after `Levon Bek’.
Especially because the last resolution passed by PACE closed the
question of extraordinary elections. In this case as the main Marxist
says only a fool would be attached to the old `boss’.

By the way during the recent days there is no information about new
hunger strikes in Yerablur, no `political walks’ in the Northern Avenue.

As we now LTP’s other companion-in-arm Aram Karapetyan has left the
country, allegedly to solve his heart problem. By the way the latter
didn’t shift his family to Armenia. Of course the leader of `Nor
Jamanakner’ party hasn’t come out with an announcement to quit the
struggle, but the fact that he doesn’t have any intentions to leave
Moscow means that he has no intentions to link his political activity
with Levon.

We must mention that the leader the People’s Party of Armenia as well
has nothing to do with the movement, who was from the beginning a
`sleeve of a vest’ in this movement. During the recent days the leader
of `Hanrapetutyun’ party is also not as active as he used to be. Let
alone the fact that Hovhannes Hovhannisyan is deprived of the title of
a party-leader.

Thus after the coming demonstration we will see who will be the next
one from LTP’s companions-in-arm to leave the `movement’. The guys are
on holiday and we hope they will have time to think about their
struggle which has already met a complete deadlock.’

PRIME MINISTER SAYS SERVICES RENDERED BY GOVERNMENT TO POPULATION SHOULD BE OF HIGH QUALITY, COMPETITIVE AND ACCESSIBLE

ARMENPRESS
June 26

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said today the services which
the government renders to population should be of high quality,
competitive and accessible.

Speaking at the recurrent government session he said when the
government offers poor and little accessible services this brings about
people’s discontent, because they create serious problems for them
and as a result they get dissatisfied with the government performance.

He reminded that all ministries were told to make an inventory of
their services to asses the level of their quality. In this sense
he singled out the work of tax and customs authorities because tens
of thousands of people have to communicate with them. He said the
government has started sweeping reforms in both sectors.

He said the Higher Council for introduction of a new culture of
revenues management meets three times a week to discuss all incoming
issues. According to him, tax and customs authorities are told to
report all cases of breaches to the Council.

"Every attempt of intervention on part of a government official becomes
the subject of our discussions," he said, adding that the Council is
still avoiding to publicize names of those who are trying to influence
tax and customs officials because of innocence presumption.

Tigran Sarkisian said a new legislation is being drafted to ensure
transparency in this sector.

"Unfortunately, we have to register that we do not enjoy the trust
of business community, which is being declared by business people
themselves. This certainly is not positive, but what is positive is
that business people declare that publicly. Only persistent work may
bring about tangible results," he said.

According to him, "traditions that were being shaped inside customs
and tax bodies for years can not be rooted out during one day "because
thousands are corrupted."

However he added that dismissing them is not a guarantee that those
who will succeed will be clean. Therefore, he said there is the need
of institutional changes that will eradicate the negative phenomena.

Describing corruption as number one obstacle to Armenia’s progress
the prime minister said corruption must never be tolerated. The prime
minister spoke also about corruption in passport and visa department
of the police instructing appropriate agencies to propose suggestions
on radical changes in this sector.

STRASBURG TO "EXAMINE" ALL
Vardan Grigoryan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
June 24, 2008
Armenia

Armenia could not be an exception

Despite the Armenian authorities’ efforts towards the implementation of
Resolution # 1609, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
is going to discuss the issue on the "Activities of the Democratic
Institutions in Armenia" in its summer session on June 23-27, taking
into consideration the non-adequate assessment made by the Monitoring
Committee at the last moment.

Following the visit of J. Columbier and J. Prescott, co-rapporteurs
of the PACE Monitoring Committee, Chairman S. Holovati expressed an
opinion on June 20 that it was justified to hold a discussion devoted
to Armenia in the Assembly’s plenary session.

As we see, the European organizations are making much haste. And the
reasons for such haste are neither Armenia nor its opposition.

The EU Summit held in Brussels on the eve of the PACE summer session
has led to the realization of the "idea of the Eastern Partnership"-
an initiative undertaken by Poland and Sweden, (recommending the
European Commission, its executive body, to speedily elaborate the
detailed program on the principles and activities of the next summit
to be held in March 2009).

The authors of such bold initiative are mainly those eastern and Baltic
countries which have just joint the European Union and NATO. Encouraged
by the United States and gradually finding themselves between the
evil and the deep sea, i.e. the "Old Europe" on the hand and the
livening cooperation of Russia on the other, they have elaborated
the "Western Cooperation" format aimed at integrating the Eastern
European and South Caucasian countries of the former USSR (Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and, if possible, Belarus) to
the Western community. And there’s the following goal: to grant those
countries privileged conditions for trade and economic cooperation
in addition to a visa regime.

Such bold step by the EU leaders is also dictated by the serious
discords with Russia in the process of the implementation of the
NABUKO program aimed at exporting power generating substances. In
such conditions, Europe again joins its efforts with the purpose of
spreading its influence upon the independent states of the eastern
and south-eastern parts of the former USSR.

So, it’s not accidental that the process of implementing the bold
initiative dictated by serious geo-political and geo-economic motives
is immediately included in the agenda of the PACE summer session with
stricter "procedures of examining" the democratic institutions in
almost all the above-mentioned states and their neighboring countries.

Judge yourselves: the PACE has just several days to discuss the
following:

a) the activities of the democratic institutions in Azerbaijan

b) the results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia

c) the activities of the democratic institutions in Turkey with respect
to Article 301 of the country’s Criminal Code, and R. Zarakoghlu’s
trial, i.e. the freedom to hold discussions devoted to the Armenian
Genocide.

d) the problem of combating environmental pollution in the Black Sea
basin, an issue closely connected with exporting oil from the Russian
ports via the Bosphorus Strait etc.

It turns out that the PACE summer session is going to become a big
tribunal for "clearing up matters" among the future members of the
"Eastern Partnership" and their closest neighbors, i.e. Turkey
and Russia. So, it becomes quite clear and conceivable why, after
J. Columbier and J. Perscott’s visit to Armenia, the possibility
of holding an extraordinary discussion on the "Activities of the
Democratic Institutions in Armenia" in the June 23-27 session seemed
quite likely.

The overlapped "South Caucasian" agenda causes all the countries of
our region, as well as their closest neighbors to be involved in some
long-term regime of total monitoring, as it is. In such conditions,
each country will become faced with sharply increasing demands in terms
of democratization, freedom of speech, transparency of elections and
other issues.

Does this mean that the PACE summer session may decide to deprive
our country of the right to vote as well?

We believe not, because the task set to the PACE by the European
Union and the United States does not concern the situation with the
democratic institutions in Armenia as a separate country, but rather,
the clarification and completion of the geo-political and geo-economic
course, important for the further development of the whole region.

United Press International
June 21 2008

Armenian officials to discuss protocol

YEREVAN, Armenia, June 21

Armenia will host a conference Monday in its capital, Yerevan, to
discuss the U.N. protocol against torture and other inhumane
punishments.

The conference, organized by the non-profit human rights group
Armenian Helsinki Committee, is an effort to provide recommendations
for implementing a framework for the U.N. convention against torture
and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatments or punishments, the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported.

Officials say representatives at the conference will discuss the
protocol and the best way to integrate its design into policies and
practices.

Top officials from the Armenian government and non-governmental
organizations are expected to discuss "how to improve public control
over penal institutions and international experience with protocol
application, particularly with respect to involving civil society,"
the release said.

Armenia joined the U.N. protocol in September 2006.

"HRAZDAN" WAITS FOR YOU

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
June 19, 2008
Armenia

The pro-Levon activists are planning to hold a demonstration in
the territory situated nearby the Matenadaran, Levon Zourabyan,
member of the administration of the Armenian Pan-National Movement
informed yesterday.

Let’s note that the Mayor’s Office rejected the request for holding
a demonstration on the Theatrical Square because another event, the
"Small Inhabitant of Yerevan", is going to be organized in the same
territory on June 20. As to the request for holding the demonstration
near the Matenadaran, the Mayor’s Office offered the activists to
hold the event in the territory near "Hrazdan" stadium.

ARMENIA SEEKS GENOCIDE RECOGNITION TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.06.2008 18:38 GMT+04:00

Armenia’s Ambassador to the UK Vahe Gabrielyan addressed a letter to
the editor of The Economist.

The letter says,

"The great bulk of specialists in the time and region who refuse to
acknowledge the Armenian genocide, the peak of which was in 1915,
are in fact a handful of people of which almost all names he has
enumerated.

Among those who call the things by their names are the respected
International Association of Genocide Scholars (1997 and 2005), 126
scholars of Holocaust (2001), the Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel
and numerous others.

It is erroneous to believe that the Armenians in the diaspora-
primarily a consequence of the genocide- are the only ones who pursue
international recognition.

The Republic of Armenia aims at its recognition, and in the first
place by Turkey, not only because it is our moral responsibility,
but also for the very sake of normalization of relations and reasons
of security.

Nevertheless, the Armenian Government does not demand that the
recognition be a precondition for opening the border and establishing
bilateral ties.

It is true that a considerable number of Armenians have left the
country, partially because of the ground communications blockade
imposed by Turkey. However, "precipitous decline in population"
does not reflect the precise picture: there are now more Armenians
coming into the country than leaving it. And the GDP growth has been
steadily two-digit over the recent 6 years, without any oil or gas.

It is also true that Armenian businessmen would benefit from
open borders and cooperation, as would their Turkish counterparts
benefit. However, it would be hard for them to do that at the expense
of history: almost every family in Armenia has some kin who were killed
in or banished from Western Armenia. Therefore, we believe the border
should be opened and trade should start while problems can be settled
in a following intergovernmental and public discourse.

As your readers will certainly know well, today in most places debating
the 1915 Genocide the question is no more whether it happened – there
is ample evidence – it is rather how much the recognition affects their
relations with Turkey, a convenient ally of the West in various anti-
or pro- campaigns in time and space."