Author: Vanyan Gary

DASHNAK LEADER BLASTS ARMENIA’S ‘FAILED’ POLICY ON TURKEY
Emil Danielyan, Ruben Meloyan

22.04.2009

Hrant Markarian, Armenian politician, top leader of ARF party

The top leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) harshly criticized on Wednesday President Serzh
Sarkisian’s policy toward Turkey, saying that it has only harmed
Armenia and earned Ankara a role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process. (UPDATED)

The extraordinary statement by Hrant Markarian, the de facto head of
Dashnaktsutyun’s worldwide governing Bureau, could further strain
relations between Sarkisian and the influential nationalist party
represented in his coalition government. It already threatened last
week to quit the government if the upcoming municipal elections in
Yerevan are marred by serious fraud.

"The Armenian side must acknowledge that it has been defeated in this
stage of Turkish-Armenian fence-mending negotiations," Markarian
said, dismissing Sarkisian’s recent assurances that Armenia will
"emerge stronger" from the year-long dialogue even if Turkey refuses
to unconditionally normalize relations with it.

"One year ago we were saying that Armenia stands for normalizing
relations with Turkey without preconditions while Turkey sets
preconditions.

We presented ourselves to the world as a peace-loving nation, whereas
Turkey was seen as a crude and inexplicable=2 0state," Markarian
said. The situation has since changed dramatically, he added in a
speech during a public seminar on Turkish-Armenian relations.

The event underscored Dashnaktsutyun’s growing unease over the
unprecedented Turkish-Armenian rapprochement that began shortly after
Sarkisian took office in April last year. The Bureau urged Yerevan in
December to exercise caution in this process, saying that the Turks
are exploiting it to scuttle greater international recognition of
the Armenian genocide.

Dashnaktsutyun, which also has branches in all major Armenian
communities abroad, has traditionally favored a harder line on
Turkey. Its leader’s open criticism of Sarkisian followed growing
indications that Ankara is again linking the establishment of
diplomatic relations with Yerevan and reopening of the Turkish-Armenian
border with a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Markarian claimed that the Armenian side itself allowed the Turkish
government to renew that linkage. "One year ago, Turkey did not
have a moral right to even express views on the Karabakh issue as
it wasn’t considered a party [to the conflict,]" he said. "Today it
is being presented as a party. It is already becoming clear why the
Karabakh issue should be solved also for normalizing Turkish-Armenian
relations."

Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian insisted earlier this
month t hat Karabakh has not been on the agenda of the Turkish-Armenian
dialogue.

They also ruled out any Turkish mediation of Armenian-Azerbaijani
peace talks.

Markarian also expressed concern at reports that a tentative agreement
reached by the two governments earlier this year envisages the creation
of a joint commission to study the 1915-1918 mass killings of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire as well as Armenia’s explicit recognition of its
current border with Turkey. "If there were some agreements on forming
some commission of historians … and if there was any intention on
Karabakh and the recognition of Turkey’s territorial integrity and
the existing border, we must abandon all of that," he said.

Dashnaktsutyun repeatedly warned Sarkisian last year against agreeing
to the creation of such a commission which was proposed by the Turkish
side in 2005 and rejected by then President Robert Kocharian. The
warnings came after Sarkisian indicated that he does not object to
the proposal in principle.

Many in Armenia and especially its Diaspora view it as a Turkish
ploy designed to deter more countries, notably the United States,
from recognizing the Armenian massacres as genocide.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official insisted on Wednesday that Turkey’s
leadership remains committed to normalizing ties with Armenia and
that the two sides are still "working very hard" to achieve t hat
objective. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza held
what he described as "very fruitful" talks in Ankara over the weekend.

"I had some very fruitful discussions in Turkey where it became clear
to me how serious Turkey is about normalizing relations with Armenia,"
Bryza told RFE/RL in Yerevan. "It’s a very complex mix of issues in
Turkey. There are strong opinions in Turkey as in Armenia about whether
or not to go forward, whether or not other issues need to be involved."

"What I can say is that I sense that the top leaders in Turkey really
are committed to opening a completely new historical and positive
phase in relations with Armenia in pursuit of a common Anatolian home,"
he said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated this
month that the 16-year Turkish economic blockade of Armenia will not
be lifted without a Karabakh settlement that would satisfy Azerbaijan.

IN INDIA, HISTORIC ARMENIAN CEMETERY BURIED UNDER WASTE

Asbarez
cle=41714_4/21/2009_1
Tuesday, April 21, 2009

It is perhaps the last known trace of the Armenian connection with
the city of Hyderabad in India. And now it is almost on the verge of
being erased from the city’s historic map.

The Armenian cemetery located at Uppuguda (known as Opiguda in the
colonial times) is reduced to a mere dumping zone and a place where
people relieve themselves.

Armenians came into India as traders through the overland route
much before the advent of European traders into India, in fact seven
centuries before Vasco-da-Gama reached India.

An historian Mesrob Jacob Seth in his seminal work Armenians in India
has noted that 19 Armenians including two priests Rev Johannes (1680)
and Rev Simon (1724) were buried in this now deserted cemetery.

And the cemetery is not confined to Armenians alone.

"With no English graves of 17th and 18th century seems to have existed,
even the Dutch used the Armenian cemetery till they acquired their
own cemetery in the year 1678," B Subrahmanyam, a retired deputy
director of AP Archaeology Department told Expresso.

Referring to a study done by Dr. V. Nersessian, he pointed out that
there was considerable Armenian population in Hyderabad and the
community was sent a Pontifical Bull from Holy Etchmiadzin.

Realizing the importance of the Armenian cemeteries and churchyards,
which are the only attested sources of their presence, the Department
of Archaeology has declared the Uppuguda site as a protected monument
under the Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1960. But due to
sheer negligence, this historical churchyard is reduced to a dump
yard full of liquor bottles and human excreta.

When the sorry-state of affairs was reported to the Director of
Archaeology and Museums Department P. Chenna Reddy, he said that
they have included this cemetery in the colonial heritage monuments
preservation project in Hyderabad.

"The cemetery has been neglected for more than seven years. Before the
Central Government releases funds for this project, the department is
chalking out a plan to clean the site soon," an Archaeology Department
official said.

One can only hope that the condition of this cemetery, where the
Armenian-Hyderabad connection is etched, would be improved as soon
as possible.

MP: IN CASE THE CASPIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION ORGANIZATION IS CREATED THERE WILL BE IMMEDIATE EFFORTS TO INCLUDE ARMENIA INTO IT

Today.Az
38.html
April 20 2009
Azerbaijan

In case the Caspian Economic Cooperation Organization is created
there will be immediate efforts to include Armenia into it, said
Zahid Oruc, member of parliamentary committee on issues of defense
and national security.

According to him, he has repeatedly attended international events
on issues of policy and states, that are in the territory of the
Black Sea.

"And every time we asked the question: how can it be that they are
attended by Armenia, which has no outlet to any sea. And they have
openly explained this by the so-called need to attract this country
to participation in BSEC’s all possible projects, at least as a
transit state.

It means that for some reasons Armenia gets a share in all this
and we all must act, including, for its interests, at least in any
form. Therefore, I have little doubts that in case CECO is created,
there will be immediate efforts to include Armenia into it", said
the deputy.

He also added that this means that Armenia has already been
consolidated in the military sense at the expense of CSTO and supplies
from Russia and now it is only left to involve it into a maximally
high number of economic projects.

THE LAST SURVIVOR: TIRED FEET, RESTED SOULS

Huffington Post
-and-michael-kleiman/the-last-survivor-tired-f_b_1 89087.html
April 20 2009

Yesterday, hundreds gathered in front of the White House to ‘Honor
the Past’ and to ‘Act NOW for Darfur.’ Survivors from past and current
genocides and mass atrocities, including Darfur, South Sudan, Rwanda,
Bosnia, Cambodia, the Holocaust, and Armenia, joined together with
faith leaders, leading anti-genocide advocates, and local activists;
united. And as we stood there among those whose very lives speak to
the world’s failure to uphold its sacred promise of never again, we
couldn’t help but wonder how many more years we will have to gather
to remind ourselves and others to ‘Act NOW for Darfur?’

A few months ago, we heard Ruth Messinger, President of the American
Jewish World Service, speak about the priorities of the anti-genocide
movement in the year 2009. "What is our next cause to fight for in
2009?" she asked the audience rhetorically. "This year’s cause is
Darfur" she exclaimed.

Yesterday as crowds emerged from buses onto the scene at Lafayette
Park – conveniently situated across from the White House – young
faces descended on the park armed with signs carrying the names of
villages across Darfur that have been destroyed.

Dadinga. Tandosa B. Gorne. Dumi. Labandi. Margabaj. Burny
Sakh. Anguri. Amar Gedit. People’s homes that now endure only in the
memory of the survivors.

These are but a few of the names spread across the crowd. Side by
side refugees from Darfur and inspired youth, banded together to
declare that despite all that we’ve lost, there is still much which
can still be saved – and indeed must be saved.

Among the many speakers was the Reverend Gloria White-Hammond. In a
whisper, Reverend White-Hammond, offered a diagnosis of the movement’s
morale, moving into the 7th year of the genocide: "Many of us, perhaps,
are feeling tired," she offered. "Genocides have come and genocides
have gone. And you could perhaps be feeling discouraged," she remarked.

As activists, it seems all too easy to fall victim to our own
expectations – expectations to see tangible change, expectations
to see an end to the Genocide in Darfur. It seems all too easy for
fatigue to set in around us. As we enter into the seventh year of
the Darfur conflict, how can one not be dispirited?

As the Reverend’s voice grew from a soft, gentle tone, she went on
to declare that, "Even though we might feel tired, we cannot stop
raising our voices. Now is not the time to get quiet!" And then went
on to share a story that Martin Luther King Jr. once told when he
felt people around him growing tired.

"Dr. King told the story of Mother Pollard. Mother Pollard was a 70
year-old woman who lived in Montgomery during the bus boycott. And
like many of the older women, Mother Pollard was offered a ride but
Mother Pollard refused to take a ride. And when Martin Luther King
asked her why don’t you just get in the car so you can rest a little
bit, she responded:

‘My feets are tired, but my soul is rested.’"

Indeed, now is not the time to be quiet.

The Reverend’s voice turned to one of fierce determination, "Today
we’re here to say we’ve been on this road a little while and while
our feets may be tired, our souls are rested."

Although the conflict continues in Darfur, our work has made a
difference. The activist movement has accomplished so much over the
last several years, but as John Prendergast pointed out, "We have
unfinished business."

And so today, as we sit on the precipice between the 6th anniversary of
the Genocide in Darfur and Yom Hashoa, let’s take time to celebrate
the progress we have made in combating the horror that continues
in Darfur. But in doing so, let’s never allow ourselves to forget
that such horrors continue, that even as we sit and reflect, many
die. Tomorrow, Yom Hashoa, will serve as a potent reminder of the
atrocities that occur when the world turns a blind eye.

Observe Genocide Prevention Month and watch the 20-minute sneak preview
of The Last Survivor NOW! Share with your friends and family, host
local screenings at community centers, schools, universities, and
your home, and start a conversation in your own community about how
you can work to fight genocide. This is blog is part 12 of multi-part
series. Cross-listed on change.org.

ARMENIAN AMERIABANK’S INVESTMENTS IN HOME OFFICE TOTALS $2.5 MILLION

/ARKA/
April 20, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian Ameriabank has invested $2.5 million in its home office,
Ameribank General Director Artak Anesyan said on Saturday.

He said $1 million of these investments has been allocated for repair
and the remaining $1.5 million has been targeted for equipment.

"The home office is planned to be moved to a new building in June. The
location of the new office is Grigor Lusavorich Street. The center for
serving clients as well as dealing and broker centers will be here",
Anesyan said adding that the building has been rented.

He said that the office will be provided with
up-to-international-standards equipment.

The general director said that the bank has concluded an agreement with
Microsoft for receiving licensed software for servers and computers.

It is also planned to install up-to-date integrated software and
equipment to ensure security.

"The present home office building will function as branch over
one year.

After that it will be reconstructed", Anesyan said.

He said that the present home office was built yet in 1910 and now
needs a substantial repair.

The bank also intends to enlarge the network of branches.

"In 2008 we opened only one branch in Stepanakert, since concentrated
our attention mainly on investment activity, while now, in 2009, we
are planning to open three bra nches – in Kapan, Kajaran and Dilijan",
Anesyan said.

Ameriabank renders corporate, investment and limited retail banking
services.

The chairman of the bank’s directorial board is Ruben Vardanyan and
the general director if Artak Anesyan.

The bank’s strategic partner is Troika Dialog, one of the largest
investment companies in Russia. ($1 = AMD 372.84).

Country profile: Russia

Story from BBC NEWS:
/country_profiles/1102275.stm

Published: 2009/04/16 10:52:29 GMT

Russia is once again flexing its muscles as an international power,
after the decade of economic pain and political instability that
followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

A new political order is in place and the economy has recovered and
grown since the collapse of 1998, fuelled by income from Russia’s vast
natural resources, not least in oil and gas. The state-run gas monopoly
Gazprom is the world’s largest producer and exporter, and supplies a
growing share of Europe’s needs.

Spanning 11 time zones, Russia is the largest country on earth in terms
of surface area, although large tracts in the north and east are
inhospitable and sparsely populated.

The country impresses with its diversity and size. This vast Eurasian
land mass covers more than 17m sq km, with a climate ranging from the
Arctic north to the generally temperate south.

In the privatisation years of the 1990s Russia provided entrepreneurs
with the potential for rich pickings. A small number of them, often
referred to as oligarchs, acquired vast interests in the energy and
media sectors.

Some analysts believed that the then president, Boris Yeltsin, allowed
their influence to extend too far into the political field but his
successor, Vladimir Putin, soon made it clear that there was no
question of that with him in charge.

Some oligarchs found themselves facing criminal investigation and one
or two household names felt it necessary to leave Russia.

One of them, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of the Yukos oil
company, is now serving eight years in a Siberian penal colony having
been convicted on tax and fraud charges.

He had not confined his activities to business but had let his support
for liberal politics be known. Yukos’s assets were later acquired by
the state owned oil giant, Rosneft.

Russia resurgent

During Vladimir Putin’s presidency, Russia recovered from the loss of
confidence that had affected the country since the break-up of the
Soviet Union and acquired a renewed sense of national pride, bolstered
by a booming economy and an assertive foreign policy.

In keeping with Russia’s sense of itself as a major world power, it has
not been slow to take action when it perceives its interests to be at
threat, even when such action appears to place it on a collision course
with the West.

Moves by states that previously formed part of the Soviet Union to
forge stronger links with the US and the EU have been regarded with
dismay by the Kremlin, which has responded by encouraging separatist
tendencies within those countries.

In August 2008, a protracted row over two Georgian breakaway regions
escalated into a military conflict between Russia and Georgia. Russia
sent troops into Georgia and declared that it was recognising the
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, sparking angry reactions in
the West and giving rise to fears that a new Cold War was under way.

At the same time, Moscow was angered by a US plan to develop an
anti-missile system in Eastern Europe, and said it may respond by
pointing its own missiles at the defence shield installations.

Another source of irritation between Russia and the US is Moscow’s role
in Iran’s nuclear energy programme. Russia agreed in 2005 to supply
fuel for Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor and has been reluctant to
support the imposition of UN sanctions on Iran.

Russia’s economic power lies in its key natural resources – oil and
gas. The energy giant Gazprom is controversially close to the Russian
state and critics say it is little more than an economic and political
tool of the Kremlin.

At a time of increased concern over energy security, Moscow has more
than once reminded the rest of the world of the power it wields as a
major energy supplier. In 2006, it cut gas to Ukraine after a row
between the countries, a move that also affected the supply of gas to
Western Europe

Ethnic and religious divisions

While Russians make up more than 80% of the population and Orthodox
Christianity is the main religion, there are many other ethnic and
religious groups. Muslims are concentrated among the Volga Tatars and
the Bashkirs and in the North Caucasus.

The turbulent southern republic of Chechnya has long been a thorn in
Russia’s side. Many thousands have died since Russian troops were first
sent in to put down a separatist rebellion in 1994.

Moscow is convinced that any loosening of its grip on Chechnya would
result in the whole of the North Caucasus becoming a hotbed of
lawlessness and Islamic militancy, and to prevent this from happening
it maintains large numbers of troops there.

Russian forces in Chechnya have been accused by human rights groups of
committing widespread abuses against the general population. However,
the Kremlin faced less criticism from the West over its actions in
Chechnya in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks on the US.

Since then, Moscow has presented its war against Chechen separatism as
part of the global war against international terrorism. It insists that
its hard-line policies there are working and that peace is returning.

In fact, in 2009 the Russian authorities felt sufficiently confident
about the situation in Chechnya to call a formal end to the military
operation against the rebels.

Full name: Russian Federation
Population: 142.8 million (UN, 2008)
Capital: Moscow
Area: 17 million sq km (6.6 million sq miles)
Major language: Russian
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy: 59 years (men), 73 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 rouble = 100 kopecks
Main exports: Oil and oil products, natural gas, wood and wood
products, metals, chemicals, weapons and military equipment
GNI per capita: US $7,560 (World Bank, 2007)
Internet domain: .ru
International dialling code: +7

President: Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as president in May 2008, taking office as
Russia’s third president since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The chosen successor of former president Vladimir Putin, Mr Medvedev
won just over 70% of the vote in presidential elections held in March.

He conducted a fairly low-key campaign, but received generous media
coverage and was always the clear favourite to win.

As his victory became clear he said that he hoped to work with Mr Putin
as his prime minister to improve the quality of life for Russians.

He also said there would be little change in Russia’s foreign policy.
In August 2008, he showed that he was determined to maintain the
assertive stance set by his mentor when, in the wake of the conflict
between Russia and Georgia, he declared that Russia did not want a new
Cold War but was not afraid of one either.

However, a more liberal side has also been evident. In April 2009, he
said in an interview with one of the last media outlets critical of the
Kremlin, the Novaya Gazeta daily, that democracy should not be
compromised for the sake of prosperity.

Dmitriy Medvedev is 42 and has been associated with Vladimir Putin
since the early 1990s when they were both involved in politics in St
Petersburg.

Mr Medvedev is a lawyer by training and managed Mr Putin’s presidential
election campaign in 2000.

He subsequently worked as chairman of Gazprom and as first deputy prime
minister in charge of social programmes.

Prime Minister: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Former president Vladimir Putin was confirmed as Russia’s new prime
minister on 8 May 2008, one day after his protege Dmitry Medvedev was
sworn in as president.

Mr Putin’s unprecedented move from the Kremlin to the premiership
completed a carefully staged transition which will ensure he remains at
the heart of power.

As prime minister, he has promised to curb inflation, cut taxes and
boost social spending. Mr Medvedev has said his political mentor will
play a "key role" in shaping the country’s development over the next
decade.

Mr Putin was barred by the constitution from running for a third
presidential term in the elections of March 2008.

He was elected to a second term as Russian president by a landslide in
March 2004 with around 70% of the vote. His nearest rival, the
Communist candidate, mustered 14%.

Vladimir Putin, who was born in St Petersburg in 1952, started his
career in the ranks of the KGB. From 1990 he worked in the St
Petersburg administration, before moving to Moscow in 1996. By August
1999 he was prime minister.

He was named acting president by his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, who
introduced him as the man who could "unite around himself those who
will revive Great Russia".

He went on to win presidential elections in May 2000, having gained
widespread popularity for his pledge to take a tough line against
Chechen rebels.

Russian TV broadcasting is dominated by channels that are either run
directly by the state or owned by companies with close links to the
Kremlin. The government controls Channel One and Russia TV – two of the
three main federal channels – while state-controlled energy giant
Gazprom owns NTV. Critics say independent reporting has suffered as a
result.

For most Russians, television, especially via the national networks, is
the main source of domestic and international news.

The broadcasting market is very competitive; state-owned or influenced
TV networks attract the biggest audiences. Hundreds of radio stations
crowd the dial; state-run networks compete with music-based commercial
FM stations.

An English-language satellite channel, Russia Today, was launched in
late 2005. The news-based station is funded by the Kremlin and aims to
present "global news from a Russian perspective".

There are more than 400 daily newspapers, catering for every taste and
persuasion. The major nationals are based in Moscow, but many readers
in the regions prefer to take local papers. Several influential dailies
have been bought by companies with close links to the Kremlin.

The conflict in Chechnya has been blamed for government attacks on
press freedom. Journalists have been killed in Chechnya while others
have disappeared or have been abducted.

In Moscow and elsewhere journalists have been harassed or physically
abused. Reporters investigating the affairs of the political and
corporate elite are said to be particularly at risk.

Media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders has expressed
concern at "the absence of pluralism in news and information, an
intensifying crackdown against journalists… and the drastic state of
press freedom in Chechnya".

Around 30 million Russians use the internet (Internet World Stats,
2007).

The press

Komsomolskaya Pravda – mass circulation, left-leaning daily, controlled
by energy group YeSN
Kommersant – daily, business-orientated, controlled by steel tycoon
Alisher Usmanov
Moskovsky Komsomolets – popular privately-owned Moscow daily
Izvestia – popular daily, owned by state-run gas monopoly Gazprom
Rossiyskaya Gazeta – government-owned daily
Nezavisimaya Gazeta – influential privately-owned daily
Trud – left-leaning daily, owned by Promsvyazbank
Argumenty i Fakty – popular weekly, owned by Promsvyazbank
Novaya Gazeta – twice-weekly, known for its investigative journalism;
English-language pages
The Moscow Times – English-language daily
The Moscow News – English-language weekly
Television

Russia TV Channel – national network, run by state-owned Russian State
Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK)
Channel One – national network, 51% owned by state, 49% by private
shareholders
NTV – national network, owned by state-run Gazprom
Centre TV – owned by Moscow city government
Ren TV – Moscow-based commercial station with strong regional network
Russia Today – state-funded, international English-language news
channel, via satellite
Radio

Radio Russia – national network run by state-owned Russian State
Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK)
Ekho Moskvy – editorially-independent station, majority owned by
state-run Gazprom
Radio Mayak – state-run national network
Russkoye Radio – major private network, music-based
Voice of Russia – state-run external service, broadcasts in English and
other languages
News agencies

Itar-Tass – state-owned, pages in English
RIA-Novosti – state-owned, pages in English
Interfax – private, pages in English

Yerevan-based Russian drama theatre art director says crisis affects
theatre projects

YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. Many projects of the Yerevan State Russian
Drama Theatre after Stanislavsky are difficult to implement due to the
global financial recession, said Alexander Grigoryan, art director of
the theatre.

`We are to submit plan of actions for the coming four years, which is a
rather complicated task due to the global financial crisis,’ Grigoryan
said Friday at Novosti International Press Centre in Yerevan.

The organizers of the Warsaw Festival have been sending invitations to
the actors of the theatre since 2006, but they are unable to find money
to make this trip, Grigoryan said. The theatre has also been awarded
for the performance the Broken Chains and has been invited to the Brest
Festival.

Grigoryan expressed a hope that the actors of the theatre would make a
tour to Rostov-on-Don.

`It is rather important trip for us, since there is a large Armenian
Diaspora in Rostov-on-Don,’ he was quoted saying.

Besides, the theatre has been invited to participate in the Odessa
Festival of Russian Theatres of the CIS and Baltic States. The
Stanislavsky actors are also planning to tour in Magnitogorsk as part
of the Russia-Armenia Union.

The Yerevan Russian Drama Theatre after Stanislavsky was established in
1937. People’s Artist of Armenia, Prof. Alexander Grigoryan has been
the artistic director of the theatre for 42 years. Z. Sh. `0–

WASHINGTON BRIEFING : SPEAKER PELOSI SAYS SHE’S COMMITTED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AFFIRMATION
by Emil Sanamyan

eaker-pelosi-says-she-s-committed-to-armenian-geno cide-affirmation
Friday April 17, 2009

Washington, – Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) reiterated
her support for affirmation of the U.S. record on the Armenian
Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported.

In an April 14 letter to her constituents in California’s 8th district,
Speaker Pelosi noted that she "will continue to support official
recognition of the Armenian genocide."

"A grave injustice was committed and the fact that our nation is not
officially recognizing these crimes as genocide is a disappointment,"
Speaker Pelosi was quoted as saying.

The nonbinding House Resolution 252 (H. Res. 252), introduced last
month, as of this week had the support of 94 members, somewhat less
support than its predecessor resolution – H. Res. 106 – had two years
ago in the previous Congress.

H. Res. 252 has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
chaired by another supporter of Armenian Genocide affirmation,
Rep. Howard Berman (D.-Calif.). But it remains unclear when it might
be considered by the Committee.

The Obama Administration has not yet taken a public position on
H. Res. 252.

AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER RECEIVES MATTHEW BRYZA ON HIS REQUEST

APA
April 16 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s National Security Minister, Lieutenant-General Eldar
Mahmudov has received Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs, OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew
Bryza on his request, public affairs center of the National Security
Ministry told APA. Touching on Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Eldar Mahmudov said the fact of occupation posed serious
threat to the security of Azerbaijan and the whole region in terms
of uncontrolled territories. The minister noted that the conflict
should be solved soon.

Eldar Mahmudov also spoke about the ongoing processes in the region,
realities and possible threats, measures taken to combat international
terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crimes and their
concrete results.

EXISTANCE OF DYNAMICALLY DEVELOPING RELATIONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL TRUST BETWEEN AREMNIA AND IRAN STRESSED

ArmenPress
April 15 2009
Armenia

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, AREMNPRESS: On the second day of his official visit
to the Islamic Republic of Iran, on April 14 the Armenian President
Serzh Sargsian met with the Secretary of the Iranian National Security
Supreme Council Said Jalili.

Press service of Armenian President told Armenpress that S. Sargsian
and S. Jalili have with gratification stressed the dynamically
developing relations in the atmosphere of mutual trust between the two
states since the independence, the high level of political dialogue
as well as the saturated schedule of the cooperation.

The interlocutors highly assessed the successes registered in the
energy, transport, economy and other spheres and expressed confidence
that the implementation of the planned extended infrastructural
programs will contribute to the further enhancement of Armenian-Iranian
relationship. S. Sargsian and S. Jalili have stressed the importance
of a close relationship between the national security councils of
the two states.

In Tehran Serzh Sargsian also had a meeting with the spiritual leader
of Iran Islamic Republic Seyed Ali Khamene. The Armenian President and
the Iranian spiritual leader expressed confidence that only a region
which is based on peace, stability and mutually beneficial cooperation
can bring prosperity and development to the people living there.

Highly assessing the efforts of Seyed Ali Khamene in the issue of
consolidation of Armenian-Iranian relations the Armenian President
Serzh Sargsian expressed gratitude to the Iranian spiritual leader
for his considerate attitude towards the protection of Armenian
historical-cultural values.

Afterwards the Presidents Serzh Sargsian and Mahmud Ahmadinezhad,
summing up the two-day discussions in the invited press conference,
highly assessed the results of the official visit and agreements of
cooperation and implementation of extended programs in the economy,
energy, transport, trade and banking spheres signed with the presence
of the heads of two states testify of this.

Within the frameworks of the official visit Serzh Sargsian also
visited the mausoleum to the founder-leader of Iran Islamic Republic
ayatollah Khomeini, put flowers on his grave and made a note in the
register of the honorable guests.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian finished his two-day official visit
to Iran with his speech delivered during his meeting with nearly 3000
representatives of Iranian-Armenian community in the Tehran "Ararat"
sport complex.