Author: Toneyan Mark

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2007

"IT IS NECESSARY TO CREATE NEW IMAGES IN LITERATURE IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE NATIONAL IDENTITY," AMERICAN ARMENIAN WRITER OSHIN
KESHISHIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Nowedays, when tendencies for
globalization and global developments of culture prevail over the
spheres of politics, press, and culture, the role of the national
identity obtains a peculiar significance." This statement was made by
Levon Ananian, the Chairman of the Writers Union of Armenia, at the
conference held under the title "National identity issue in
Diaspora", which was held in the RA National Academy of Sciences on
October 11 within the frameworks of the second conference of Armenian
writers in foreign languages.

In the words of Levon Ananian, the recent researches show that under
the circumstances of a colossal leakage of information first of all
small nations and peoples, the foundation-stones of the national
identity, that is, the language and culture, suffer damages, which,
according to him, finally leads to the abolition of the national
identity.

In the words of the Chairman of the Writers’ Union of Armenia,
fortunately, Armenia keeps away from such dangers. However, according
to him, there is a problem of preserving the national identity in the
Diaspora. "We should think what we should do so as our compatriots of
the Diaspora are not gulped down by globalization," Levon Ananian
stressed.

American Armenian writer Oshin Keshishian mentioned in his report
that it is necessary to bring new images into literature in order to
preserve the national identity. "An Armenian is always presented as a
victim of the genocide in the American literature. It is our task to
create the image of a new Armenian, so as foreign readers read about
our achievements, and not only about genocide and lamentation," the
American Armenian writer mentioned.

In the opinion of translator Alexander Topchian, the fact that
certain Armenian writers consciously present works merely on the
subject of the genocide to generations is a very deplorable one, the
same can be said for the cinema and the theater. Thus, in his words,
"we make it archaistic in our national cultural consciousness."

Author: Hakobian Hasmik
Editor: Eghian Robert

Prime News Agency, Georgia
Oct 12 2007

Azerbaijani FM Issued Statement Against Resolution Adopted By U.S. On
Recognition Of Armenian Genocide

Tbilisi. October 12 (Prime-News) – Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
issued a statement against the resolution adopted by the U.S. House
of Representative’s Foreign Affairs Committee on recognition of the
Armenian genocide.

Trend news agency informs that the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
condemns this decision as wrong and biased and considers it harmful
for the developments in the region and globally, the statement said

Azerbaijan supports the Turkish call to examine the archival
documents related to the World War I tragedies in this part of the
world. It is crucial to learn all details before taking steps.

Azerbaijan suffered itself from notorious ethnic cleansing by
Armenia, vivid example of which is genocide in Azerbaijani town of
Khojaly, where hundreds of women, kids, and elderly people have been
killed. Azerbaijan, which is also a victim of numerous terrorist acts
and occupation of territories by Armenia, knows well how Armenian
Diaspora and Government hide their own misdoings through the
aggressive propaganda.

MFA of Azerbaijan strongly urges the U.S. House of Representatives to
refrain from adopting the Resolution 106 in order to demonstrate that
the United States Congress is impartial and not under the pressure of
ethnic lobbies.

The U.S. House of Representative’s Foreign Affairs Committee adopted
the draft Resolution 106, which characterizes the events of 1915 in
Ottoman Empire related to relocation of the part of the Armenian
population collaborating with invading forces, as "genocide".

16022/2007-10-12.html

Religion News Service
October 11, 2007 Thursday 4:54 PM EDT

Armenian church leader supports `genocide’ resolution

By MRINALINI REDDY

As Congress considers legislation that brands the killings of 1.5
million Armenians in 1915 "genocide," the patriarch of the worldwide
Armenian Church said Turkey’s resistance is "unacceptable."

His Holiness Karekin II, the spiritual leader of 7 million Armenian
Christians, stopped in Washington during a month-long U.S. tour and
weighed in on a hot-button diplomatic fracas that is roiling the
nation’s capital.

At issue is the massacre of Armenians on Turkish soil in the last
days of the Ottoman Empire. On Wednesday (Oct. 10), the House Foreign
Relations Committee passed a resolution that called the deaths a
"genocide."

President Bush issued a stern rebuke, saying the bill could threaten
relations with Turkey, a strategic ally and moderate Islamic nation
in the war on terrorism.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has expressed discontent and recalled
Turkey’s ambassador as a sign of protest.

Karekin, speaking Thursday (Oct. 11) on the steps of the Jefferson
Memorial in a ceremony to mark religious freedom, said, "We believe
that similar threats are unacceptable and we would desire a more
positive approach by Turkey itself."

Just hours before the House committee approved the non-binding
resolution on Wednesday, Karekin met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
offered the opening prayer in the House chamber. "With the solemn
burden of history, we remember the victims of the genocide of the
Armenians, the consequences of which are still felt by the entire
world in new manifestations of genocide," he prayed.

Edward Alexander, a former diplomat and parishioner at St. Mary
Armenian Church here, joined Karekin on his visit with Pelosi and at
the Jefferson Memorial. He said he lost members of his extended
family in the massacre.

While the resolution may appear a symbolic gesture, it means a great
deal to the Armenian community, he said. "This is the greatest
country in the world," said Alexander. "It’s a country of laws, deep
democracy and justice."

The Armenian Church holds a unique place outside of Catholicism,
Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Armenia was the first country to
proclaim Christianity the official state religion, in 301 A.D.,
preceding Roman Emperor Constantine by 12 years.

There are about 1 million Armenian Christians in three dioceses in
the U.S. and Canada. The 1915 massacre fueled a wave of refugees to
American shores, which helped build the U.S. church into the largest
and most prosperous of the Armenian diaspora.

Karekin holds a position similar to the pope, and is the church’s
132nd catholicos, or supreme partiarch.

BBC News, UK
Oct 12 2007

Armenian sway over US lawmakers

By Laura Smith-Spark
BBC News, Washington

Despite a direct appeal by US President George W Bush, lawmakers in
the US have backed a description of the mass killings of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks after 1915 as genocide.

The issue of what happened to the Armenians remains hugely divisive

While Armenia welcomed the vote by a panel in the US House of
Representatives, Turkey condemned it as "unacceptable" and has
recalled its ambassador to Washington for "consultations".

Turkey accepts there were mass killings in 1915-17 but denies it was
genocide.

Ahead of the vote, senior administration officials warned that if the
resolution passed, Turkey could cut access to military bases needed
for US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Its passage "would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in
Nato and in the global war on terror", Mr Bush said from the White
House Rose Garden.

Nonetheless, the non-binding resolution passed the House Foreign
Affairs Committee by 27 to 21, a first step towards holding a full
vote in the House of Representatives.

Given that Armenians represent only about 1.5m of America’s 300m
population, what has won them such influence over the US Congress –
and perhaps the nation’s foreign policy?

Organised lobby

Part of the answer lies in the organisation and determination of the
Armenian-American lobby groups, says Dr Svante Cornell, of the
Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the Armenian
Assembly of America (AAA) are among the most powerful.

Another factor is that the Armenian-American community is largely
concentrated in important states such as California, Michigan and
Massachusetts, Dr Cornell said.

"You have basically a number of places where the Armenian issue is
very important in local politics – especially for anybody wanting to
get elected in California," he said.

"The Turkish lobby is much less organised and much less rooted in an
electorate than the Armenian lobby."

Wednesday’s resolution was written by Democratic Representative Adam
Schiff, whose California district is home to the country’s largest
ethnic-Armenian community.

‘Sobering’ choice

Of course, the vote – both for and against – was also based on
representatives’ competing sets of principles.

Q&A: Armenian ‘genocide’
Armenia resolutions

Opening the debate, Tom Lantos, the committee’s Democrat chairman,
acknowledged that the resolution posed a "sobering" choice.

"We have to weigh the desire to express our solidarity with the
Armenian people… against the risk that it could cause young men and
women in the uniform of the United States armed services to pay an
even heavier price than they are currently paying," he said.

Divisions within the committee ultimately crossed party lines, with
eight Democrats voting against the measure and eight Republicans
voting for it.

Opponents of the resolution argue it could endanger US national
security and that now is not the time to have the debate.

Supporters draw a parallel between the mass killing of Armenians and
what is happening in the Darfur region of Sudan today – and say the
US must speak now if it is to maintain credibility on human rights.

Dr Rouben Adalian, of the Armenian National Institute in Washington,
told the BBC’s World Today: "In a world where genocide continues to
occur, there is something to be said about acknowledging past
genocides as a way of preventing other."

‘Close-knit community’

For Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the AAA, the passage of the
resolution "was a historic step forward" in ending what he calls the
"denial campaign" of the Turkish government.

We have a very vibrant, passionate, educated constituency that
feels very strongly and passionately about this

Bryan Ardouny,
Armenian Assembly of America

"We very much appreciate the support of the whole Armenian community
around the country but also the members of Congress who stood their
ground and voted yes for the resolution," he said.

The AAA has worked very closely with the sponsors and co-sponsors of
the resolution, he said, as well as talking to members of Congress
from both parties about the issue.

The close-knit Armenian-American diaspora has also been at work
educating other communities and writing to politicians, Mr Ardouny
said.

"The response has been great in terms of activism throughout the
entire Armenian-American community," he said.

"One of the consequences of the genocide was that Armenians came to
the US. My grandparents were genocide survivors – they came to this
country, they got an education, they became part of the American
fabric.

"We have a very vibrant, passionate, educated constituency that feels
very strongly and passionately about this and the fact it’s still
being denied – this is something that’s painful."

‘Heavy blow’

Of course, some people argue that it is not the place of legislators
to decide history – especially on an issue as fiercely contested as
this one.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul called the US vote unacceptable

Ankara’s decision to recall its ambassador for consultations may be
just the first in a series of steps as it considers future US-Turkish
relations.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul criticised some US politicians as
having "sought to sacrifice big problems for small domestic political
games" in pursuing the resolution’s passage.

Dr Cornell saw it as a "strategic reality that this will deal a very
heavy blow to US policy in the Middle East and with regard to Iraq".

The US has already lost much support among the Turkish people in
recent years, he said.

The resolution is expected to come to the full House before the
session adjourns on 16 November.

Back in 2000, a similar resolution failed when it was withdrawn from
the floor of the Republican-controlled House at the urging of then
President Bill Clinton, who said it could put at risk American lives
and further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

Seven years later, it remains to be seen whether the
Democrat-controlled House will heed the warnings of Mr Bush.

BUSH OBJECTS TO TERM GENOCIDE FOR WWI ARMENIAN DEATHS

Radio New Zealand
Oct 11 2007
New Zealand

US President George Bush says a move by Congress to label the
massacres of Armenians during World War I as "genocide" could damage
ties with Turkey.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the resolution
could damage efforts to secure peace in the Middle East.

Turkey has always fiercely rejected claims by Armenians that up to
1.5 million people died during systematic deportations and killings
between 1915 and 1918 as the Ottoman Empire broke up.

Turkey has warned that if the resolution is passed it could bar the
United States from a key military base in its south.

About 70% of all US air cargo to Iraq goes through Turkey.

The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee is to vote on
the measure shortly.

FMS OF ARMENIA AND ROMANIA SIGNED BILATERAL MILITARY COOPERATION PLAN FOR 2008

DeFacto Agency
Oct 10 2007
Armenia

October 10 a meeting of Armenia’s Defense Minister Mikael Harutyunyan
and Romania’s Defense Minister Teodor Melescanu was held in Yerevan.

According to the information DE FACTO received at RA MOD Press Office,
in the course of the meeting the parties had considered the current
state of bilateral Armenian-Romanian cooperation in military and
military-technical spheres, ascertaining there are all prerequisites
for deepening the cooperation, in part, in the sphere of military
education.

In conclusion of the meeting the parties signed a Plan on bilateral
military cooperation between Armenia’s Ministry of Defense and
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense for 2008.

OMBUDSMAN OF ARMENIA OFFICIALLY APPLIES TO CE VENICE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE ITEMS OF ARTICLE 301 OF ARMENIAN CRIMINAL CODE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

ArmInfo Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2007

ArmInfo. Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan officially applied to the
CE Venice Commission to study the items of Article 301 of the Armenian
Criminal Code (calls of overthrow of power) as soon as possible.

The press-service of the Armenian ombudsman told ArmInfo that
A.Harutyunyan will visit Strasbourg on October 16-19. Within the
frames of his visit, the ombudsman will meet representatives of the
Venice Commission.

According to the source, on September 27, Zaruhi Postanjyan, an MP from
Heritage Party, applied to the Armenian Human Rights Defender’s Office
to study the compliance of Article 301 of the Armenian Criminal Code
with Article 27 of the Armenian Constitution, as well as to express
an opinion about the draft law "On amending the Criminal Code of
Armenia" submitted to parliament. To note, the draft law stipulates
withdrawal of Article 301 from the Criminal Code of Armenia. By
A.Harutyunyan’s instruction, a sub-commission was set up to study
the European legislation and relevant international agreements from
the viewpoint of this article, as well as to get knowledge of the
case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.

To recall, the draft law "On amending the Criminal Code of Armenia" was
submitted to the Armenian parliament by Zaruhi Postanjyan in September.

NEWS RELEASE
United Nations Development Programme Armenia
Community Development Project
14 Petros Adamyan Str., Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Contact: Zara Amatuni
Tel: 374-10-56-60-73
Fax: 374-10-54-38-11
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

October 10, 2007

UNDP Armenia Helps Kornidzor Community of Syunik Marz to Establish
Revolving Seed Fund**

**
Start-up business initiatives launched under the UNDP Community
Development Project in rural communities of Armenia are mostly based on
direct involvement of the local population supported and guided by the
municipal authorities. This year, a revolving seed fund will be
established in Kornidzor community of Syunik marz. UNDP Armenia has just
finished distributing high quality wheat seeds under the contracts
signed between Kornidzor municipality and the community households. A
total of 36 tons of seeds provided to the community are elite class
winter seeds which have been purchased by around 100 households of
Kornidzor.

This is an innovative business program aimed at creating new income
opportunities for the rural population. It is planned that as soon as
the first crop is reaped, the yielded seed will be sold to households of
this and other neighboring communities. Next year, as per the signed
contracts Kornidzor municipality will collect the initial installments
>From all the households engaged in the project, assess the demand for
the year and purchase another quantity of wheat seed. Through this
annually rotating cycle the revolving seed fund will be sustained thus
promising higher revenues to the community and ensuring proper
cultivation of their owned arable lands.

Kornidzor people are highly enthusiastic about the project and view it
as another step towards the economic revival of their community.

`We never believed such projects could ever reach our village’, says
Gravik Amaryan, the village dweller, `And now thanks to this cooperation
with UNDP, we have got access to gas heating and can even launch a joint
enterprise with the fellow-villagers’.

`This opportunity is so important for my family’, adds Karen Nersisyan,
a father of four children, `I’ll surely plant the wheat and hope the
nature will help us gather in a good harvest’.

Recently, UNDP Community Development Project has completed another
project in Kornidzor on intra-community gas network construction. The
gas network has covered the entire territory of the community inhabited
by around 1200 residents.

For more information on UNDP activity in Armenia, please visit our
website at

ACCORDING TO MP FROM RPA, ISSUE OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS NOT CONNECTED WITH NATIONS’ RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION
Author: Karapetian Rita Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Oct 9 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. All kinds of international legal
normative acts, with which Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are guided
in the process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement, prove that the issue
of territorial integrity is not connected with the nations’ right of
self-determination at all. Armen Ashotian, a member of the RA National
Assembly RPA faction, stated at the October 9 press conference.

Touching upon the latest statement of Serge Sargsian, the Chairman of
the Republican Party, the RA Prime Minister, that Armenia is ready to
recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, if the latter recognizes
the nations’ right of self-determination, A. Ashotian said that this
opinion completely coincides with the approaches of Armenian state
policy, as well as those of Armenian and Karabakh societies. According
to him, making a political show of the statement on recognition of
the territorial integrity "is at least a sign of ignorance and malice."

ARA ABRAHAMIAN: ARMENIAN ECONOMY IS ABLE TO ENSURE ARMY POLITICAL SECURITY OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE AND HOMELAND
Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Oct 9 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of Ara Abrahamian,
the chairman of the Union of Armenians of Russia and the World
Armenian Congress, a breakthrough is necessary in those sectors of
the Armenian economy that may ensure Armenia’s leading positions in
the region, taking into account its dffficult relations with neighbors
and especially the factor of the blockade. In the interview with the
Azg newspaper, A. Abrahamian expressed a view that some progress has
been indeed made in the economy, an economic growth has been observed,
which, according to official data, is a two-digit one, however, as
A. Abrahamian said, taking into consideration the whole complex of
Armenia’s difficulties, even such a growth is insufficient for solution
of immensely serious strategic problems. In his opinion, the issue of
lifting Armenia’s blockade and search for ways to restore its transport
communications is still on the agenda, and solution of this issue
would create most favorable conditions for an economic leap. "They
say: "Necessity is the mother of invention," he remarked, adding that
maybe the ongoing blockade of Armenia will cause to use modern means
of communication and the Internet to a greater extent for development
of the knowledge-based economy and information systems. According to
him, the physical blockade of Armenia’s territory is not an obstacle
to involving Armenian programmers, high-tech experts, scientists,
and economists in the global knowledge-based economy and international
labor division. "A lot of investments are certainly needed for this,
and, unfortunately, the country lacks such sums," the chairman of
the Union of Armenians of Russia said.

"We must assess the country’s economic situation not only by comparing
the indices of this and previous years but also in the context of
regional economy’s development and the opportunities of our neighbors,
partners and opponents. Only in this case we will be able to see the
objective picture because Armenia’s economy is able to ensure the
economic and especially the army political security of our people
and our historical homeland," A. Abrahamian said, expressing a hope
that on the whole the new president and authorities of Armenia will
more efficiently use the potential of the Diaspora.