Author: Toneyan Mark

HOVHANNES BACKOV FAILS AT YOUTH BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP

Aysor
April 27 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s boxer Hovhannes Backov (in the 54 kg) lost to Latvia’s
Edgaras Skurdelis at the Youth Boxing Championship, which is
taking place in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku, and had to leave the
contest along with other Armenian boxers Karen Tonakanian and Koryun
Soghomonian.

Narek Abgarian (in the 51 kg), Hrayr Matevosian (in the 60 kg), and
Arthur Kiradjian (in the 64 kg) will contest in the following rounds:
Narek Abgarian will fight against Egyptian boxer, Arthur Kiradjian –
against boxer from Germany, and Hrayr Matevosian will fight against
Argentinean boxer.

The Championship is acting as the only qualifier for the inaugural
Youth Olympics in Singapore in August. Boxers reaching the semi-finals
in Baku will qualify for Singapore.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE REGION SIGN A JOINT STATEMENT

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
ETCHMIADZIN

ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: A trilateral meeting of religious
leaders of the Caucasian region was held April 26 in Baku with
participation of Catholicos of All-Armenians Karekin II, Patriarch
of Moscow and All Russia Kirill I and Head of the Caucuses Muslims
Department Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade. Press service of the
Mother See told Armenpress that issues on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
were discussed. At the end of the meting the religious leaders signed
a joint statement.

"Looking upon this meeting as expansion of a peacemaking dialogue
between the Armenian Apostolic Church and Caucasus Muslims Department
initiated with mediation of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988,
and remaining faithful to the spirit of the previous statements,
we hope to help the progress of the peaceful coexistence principles
of our people in future as well and assist in working out mutually
comprehensive decisions exclusively by means of negotiations.

We are happy to witness that the meetings in such a format have
promoted the suspension of the Armenian-Azerbaijani forced conflict
initiated by the Karabakh issue. These meetings, no doubt, have
helped to avoid turning the conflict into an inter-religious one,"
the statement runs. According to the latter, the strength of the
religion, which calls kindness, peace, sympathy and patience, must
become a factor of reconcilement.

The religions heads condemned the acts of vandalism attaching
importance to protection of religious monuments and icons of peoples.

"The responsibility and the duty in front of the Most High and our
people prompt us, the religious leaders, to exert efforts in favor
of peace and settlement of the current issues. May there be solid
and fair peace in the fruitful land of Caucasus and may our people
inherit welfare and prosperity," the statement runs.

After the trilateral meeting the Catholicos of All Armenians
participated in the works of the consulting body on cooperation
with the UNESCO, the goal of which is to start a dialogue over the
current issues between the religious communities and UNESCO. The
religious heads presented their concerns and cooperation spheres to
the representative of the UNESCO.

ARMENIAN VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY HAS HAD OVER 500 STUDENTS UP TO DAY

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Virtual University
designed by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) has had
over 500 students in about a year since its foundation. Founder and
Chairman of the university Yervand Zoryan told Armenpress that it is
a great success for a novice university.

According to him, the majority of the students are from countries
with the largest number of Armenian communities – the USA, France
and Russia; there are students from Argentina, Canada, Brasilia and
Spain as well.

Armenians of nearly 35 countries of the world participate in the
classes of Armenian Language, History and Culture. There are also
foreign students, who have working or family ties with Armenians
and want to get acquainted with Armenian culture and history. "In
this case the presence of the internet is very useful. It unites the
world-spread Armenians of the world," Y. Zoryan said.

According to him, the expectations connected with the university are
justified and it is intended to expand the frameworks of its activity.

First of all the number of the languages is intended to add; currently
the classes are conducted in 6 languages – West Armenian, East
Armenian, English, Russian, French and Spanish. There is an intention
to conduct the classes in Turkish and in other languages as well.

According to the chairman of the university, the framework of study
of Armenian history and culture will be expanded too, by involving
different periods. Y. Zoryan noted that the teachers of the university
pass special trainings; they must master languages fluently, as well
as must have well-developed communications kills.

Diplomas are given to the students of the university. The goal of
the Armenian Virtual University is to help students to gain basic
knowledge on Armenian culture, history and Armenian language through
on-line education.

KAREKIN II INVITED ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADEH TO VISIT ARMENIA

news.am
April 26 2010
Armenia

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Patriarch of Moscow and all
Rus Kirill I and Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh stand for
peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict.

"As religious leaders we are called to sow the peace and breed the
good. From the very first day of the conflict we offered our help
to establish peace in Nagorno-Karabakh," Azerbaijani media quotes
Karekin II.

According to Patriarch Kiril I, despite the difficulties there
are prospects for the conflict resolution. "We are not political
leaders, but we are called to assist the process and support political
leaders through our joint efforts in their positive intentions and
aspirations," Patriarch said.

Allahshukur Pashazadeh thanked Russian religious leader for mediating
efforts and expressed hope that all issues in the Caucasus, including
Karabakh conflict will be settled peacefully and fairly.

In his turn, Karekin II expressed gratitude to the head of Caucasian
Muslims for the meeting and possibility to continue the dialogue.

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II who is currently on a visit to
Baku invited Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh to visit Armenia.

According to Interfax, addressing the participants of Religious
Leaders World Summit, Karekin II offered to hold the next summit in
Etchmiadzin – spiritual center of Armenia.

Trilateral meeting of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani religious
leaders was held on the sidelines of Religious Leaders World Summit
in Baku.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN STRASBOURG

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 26, 2010
STRASBOURG

STRASBOURG, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Events dedicated to the 95th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide were held in Strasbourg on
April 24. A commemoration of the innocent victims of the Genocide
took place at Monument aux Morts (Monument of Victims) in Republic
Square of the city. Among those present were Armenian Ambassador
Zohrab Mnatsakanian, Head of the Armenian delegation in the PACE David
Harutyunian, Armenian Judge at the European Court of Human Rights Ms.

Alvina Gyulumian, a representative of the Strasbourg Mayor, leaders
of Strasbourg-based Catholic, Protestant and other churches, heads
of the Jewish and Kurdish communities, and numerous representatives
of the Armenian community.

Speeches were made by Z. Mnatsakanian, representatives of the Armenian,
Kurdish and Jewish communities and the city authorities.

The RA MFA Press and Information Department reports that the
commemoration ceremony was followed by an ecumenical liturgy in
Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune Church.

ANKARA RESPONDS TO OBAMA’S MESSAGE

news.az
APril 26 2010
Azerbaijan

Barack Obama Barack Obama has declined to use the word ‘genocide’
to describe the atrocities experienced by Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire a century ago.

In Ankara, reactions were mixed. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
appeared to welcome the statement, saying on Saturday that ‘Turkey’s
sensitivities have been observed’ and that Obama’s refusal to call
the 1915 events ‘genocide’ was due to the diplomatic efforts of Turkey.

But the Foreign Ministry, in a written statement, called Obama’s
statement an ‘incorrect and one-sided political perception’.

‘We deeply regret this statement which reflects an incorrect and
one-sided political perception. The toughest enemy of the historical
facts is subjective memory records. No nation has the right to impose
its memory records on another nation,’ the Foreign Ministry statement
indicated.

The statement further added that ‘third counties have neither the
right nor the authority to judge the history of Turkish-Armenian
relations with political motives’.

The opposition parties, which object to the government’s efforts to
restore relations with Armenia, were also unhappy with the statement.

Onur Oymen, the deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP), said the use of the term ‘Mets Yeghern’ was no
different from using the word ‘genocide’, while Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli called Obama’s terminology a ‘play of
words’ that meant his accusations against the Turkish nation remained
in place. Bahceli also accused Erdogan of sharing the same position as
the Armenian diaspora by welcoming Obama’s statement and reiterated
his call for the withdrawal of two protocols signed by Turkey and
Armenia on normalizing bilateral relations.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu criticized Obama’s statement
and said that it was ‘unacceptable’.

‘If we are going to share grief for humanitarian reasons, then we
would expect respect for our own grief as well,’ Davutoglu said.

The Turkish Coalition of America also said Obama’s statement did not
address ‘the equally tragic loss of Muslim lives in this turbulent
period of Ottoman history’.

‘Where does the ethnic cleansing of Ottoman Turks from the Balkans,
Eastern Turkey and the Caucasus – with 5 million lost and 5.5 million
refugees – come on the president’s list of ‘worst atrocities of the
20th century’?’ Turkish Coalition of America President G. Lincoln
McCurdy said.

Armenians in the US, on the other hand, were disappointed that the
statement did not include the word genocide. ‘Today we join with
Armenians in the United States and around the world in voicing our
sharp disappointment at the president’s failure to properly condemn
and commemorate the Armenian Genocide,’ Armenian National Committee
of America Chairman Ken Hachikian said.

Obama is closely watching rapprochement efforts between Turkey and
Armenia, which are full of difficulties.

Ankara and Yerevan signed protocols for reconciliation in October
envisaging the reopening of the borders and the establishment of
diplomatic relations. But the protocols need to be approved by the
parliaments of both countries.

Just a few days before 24 April, Armenia’s ruling coalition on 22
April said it had decided to freeze the ratification of the protocols.

The Armenian government claimed that the Turkish side had refused to
fulfill the requirement of ratifying the accords without preconditions
in a reasonable time.

The Turkish parliament has held up ratification of the deal as Turkey
presses for a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a region
in Azerbaijan that has been under Armenian control since a war in the
1990s. But Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Davutoglu and
President Abdullah Gul, have voiced their expectations that the freeze
in the normalization process between Ankara and Yerevan will serve as
an opportunity for both sides to thoroughly consider the rest of the
process with a mutual understanding of the difficulties on each side.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVED NAS ACADEMICIANS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 26, 2010
YEREVAN

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received today members of
the board of Armenian National Academy of Sciences and heads of
scientific-research institutes of the Academy.

Presidential press office told Armenpress that Serzh Sargsyan noted
that he considers it necessary to discuss with them issues impeding
the development of the sphere of science and possible ways of their
solution. "The discussion over it point the right way, I think our
prior issue is to link science with education and economy," the head
of the country pointed out.

Serzh Sargsyan spoke about three prior directions of developing science
and education sphere in Armenia. "The first way we must follow is
the re-equipment of scientific and educational establishments and
more effective usage, that is to say – the continuation of reforms.

The second way is creation of new kind of educational and scientific
establishment like it was established in Tavush – contemporary boarding
school where the classes will be held in foreign language and the
newest achievements of the educational sphere will be applied,"
the leader of the country said.

Armenian President said that the means of the "Louys" Foundation will
be doubled to increase the number of Armenian students who want to
study in foreign leading universities. Serzh Sargsyan pointed out the
necessity of creating an opportunity for young scientists to train
abroad. The president of the country spoke about readiness of the
state to solve certain social issues saying that certain steps must
be undertaken in that direction.

The academicians spoke with the leader of the country about the issues
impeding the development of the science. They pointed out that because
of the absence of experience-structural infrastructures the academy
cannot fully invest its scientific results in the economy. They said
that the absence of such structure makes the flow of private capital to
the science impossible which has an essential importance in making new
researches and forming a scientific result. The participants of the
meeting also spoke about ways of creating mechanisms for establishing
cooperation between the branch institutes of NAS and relevant branches
of economy.

Besides the issues impeding the development of science the academicians
referred also to the issue on normalization of the Armenia-Turkey
relations. They said they back the steps undertaken by the president
and consider them effective.

In pictures: Armenia killings anniversary

s/8641787.stm

Le président arménien s’est recueilli au Mémorial du génocide d’Erévan
en une file ininterrompue, des centaines de milliers de personnes ont
déjà défilé devant le Mémorial
ARMENIE

samedi24 avril 2010, par Krikor Amirzayan/armenews

Malgré une pluie persistante depuis la veille, ce 24 Avril, des
centaines de milliers d’Arméniens ont déjà défilé en une file
ininterrompue au Mémorial du génocide de Dzidzernagapert à Erévan.
Transmis en direct par les télévisions arméniennes ces recueillements
marquant le 95e anniversaire du génocide arménien continueront jusque
tard dans la nuit.

Ce matin, le président arménien Serge Sarkissian et son épouse
accompagné des membres du gouvernement au complet et le catholicos
Karékine II se sont recueillis au Mémorial du génocide. Dans la foule,
de nombreux Arméniens de la diaspora avaient également fait le
déplacement pour honorer le souvenir des 1,5 millions d’Arméniens
victimes de la barbarie du gouvernement Jeune-Turc entre 1915 et 1923.
Après la prière de Karékine II la délégation officielle s’est retirée
laissant la place à une foule très dense. Les Arméniens de la diaspora
pourront suivre ce recueillement à Dzidzenagapert tout au long de la
journée à travers la Chaîne publique d’Arménie, Armenia TV ou Shant.

Worcester Telegram, MA
April 25 2010

Faithful mourn victims: Armenians mark start of massacre

By Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]

WORCESTER ‘ For years, the Worcester-area Armenian community has
gathered on April 24 to solemnly mark the beginning of the purge
nearly a century ago that led to the eventual slaughter of 1.5 million
Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks.

A number of Armenians who had escaped the brutality and who had later
settled in Central Massachusetts would attend the services.

Yesterday, local Armenian faithful met again at the Armenian Church of
Our Saviour on Salisbury Street to mourn the dead and to pray such
massacres never occur again.

This year, however, none of the aging survivors attended, though three
of them ‘ Asdghig Alemian, Almas Boghosian, and Heghine Minassian ‘
are still living.

Instead, Chantal Kayitesi and Franco Majok, survivors of genocides in
Rwanda and Darfur, stood in their places reminding service
participants atrocities continue around the world, 95 years after the
Armenian killings in Turkey.

`All survivors of genocide must band together,’ said Ms. Kayitesi, who
lost her husband, parents, sister and brother in the ethnic cleansing
that occurred in Rwanda. `There will always be one of us to fight, to
succeed, and to remember.’

Armenians worldwide mark April 24, 1915, as the start of the massacre
of their people in Turkey during World I. At the time, the country was
part of the Ottoman Empire.

On that day, Armenian leaders, intellectuals, writers, and
professionals were rounded up.

The government effort was stepped up and thousands of Armenians were
abducted, tortured, deported and killed.

Armenians, along with many others in the international community, have
labeled the massacre `a genocide’ and have charged Turkey refuses to
take responsibility for what happened.

Over the years, the U.S. government, concerned about alienating
Turkey, has also declined to term the slaughter a genocide.

Yesterday, the White House released a presidential statement calling
the massacre `one of the worst atrocities’ of the 20th century and `a
devastating chapter’ in history.

President Obama, however, stopped short of calling it a genocide,
something he had promised as a candidate to do.

Armenian groups and their allies yesterday, including those in
Worcester, called on the president to follow up on his promise.

`It’s time to break the Turkish gag rule on the Armenian genocide,’
said U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, who attended the
service in Worcester.

Mr. McGovern said he remains `frustrated and angry’ with the U.S.
government’s refusal to call the massacre a genocide. He said the
American position has nothing to do with the historical facts or a
lack of sympathy for the victims but because of `modern-day hard
politics.’

Mr. McGovern urged the president to be `on the right side of the issue.’

Mr. McGovern was joined at the service by local and state officials,
including Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, Mayor Joseph C. O’Brien, City
Councilor Joseph M. Petty, and state Rep. John P. Fresolo,
D-Worcester.

Mr. O’Brien, who noted the massacre was `the first holocaust of the
20th century,’ and Mr. Fresolo presented proclamations to the Armenian
community on behalf of the city and the state House of Representatives
while Mr. Murray applauded the Armenians for their courage and
resilience.

A number of area clergymen also attended the ecumenical service,
including retired Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly.

Dr. Richard Bedrosian, who served as master of ceremonies and whose
family was affected by the genocide, said services such as yesterday’s
raise consciousness about the event.

He said the Armenian killings served as `a template’ for the Jewish
Holocaust and noted Adolf Hitler said that no one spoke of the
Armenians after their purge.

Dr. Bedrosian said the Armenian love of family has helped the
community triumph over evil.

The Rev. Aved Terzian, pastor of the Armenian Church of Our Saviour,
said Armenians are saddened not only by the horrific events
surrounding the genocide, but by the refusal of so many to recognize
it.

`The event has marked our people for 95 years,’ he said.

Mr. Majok, who came to this country in 1995 from Darfur and who became
an American citizen in 2005, said nations must intervene to prevent
genocides.

`I have a lot of sympathy for you,’ he said.

The purge of Armenians initially occurred between 1915 to 1918, with
another wave of atrocities taking place between 1920 and 1923.

WS/4250459/1116