Author: Vasilian Manouk

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES A DELEGATION REPRESENTING
THE DISABLED PEOPLE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

His Holiness Aram I received today a group of disabled people from Africa
and several European countries, representing the Disabled People
International organization. The group, which comprised handicapped and blind
people met with His Holiness.

The representatives informed the Catholicos of plans to form a union for the
disabled in the Middle East in order to encourage attention and activities
aimed at helping disabled people.

Addressing the guests, the Catholicos saw in their mission the truest
principles of Christianity. In his speech, he replaced the word disabled
with the concept of people "with other abilities", because such people serve
society in various ways despite their inability to carry out certain tasks
due to physical obstacles. The Catholicos stressed that such people should
be given more consideration in our societies in order to make use of their
mental and other capacities. He highly praised his visitors, each of which
told about his work, service and experiences in life.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos206.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

Le Figaro, France
Lundi 3 Mars 2008

État d’urgence à Erevan après de violentes manifestations

Thedrel, Arielle

ARMÉNIE. L’état d’urgence a été instauré pour vingt jours, samedi à
Erevan, après une soirée de violences entre manifestants et policiers
qui a fait huit morts et 131 blessés. Des transports de troupes
blindées et une centaine de soldats ont été déployés aux abords du
siège du gouvernement. L’opposition dé-nonce les résultats de la
présidentielle du 19 février, qui a vu la victoire du premier
ministre, Serge Sarkissian, face à l’ancien président Levon
Ter-Petrossian. Placé en résidence surveillée depuis samedi, ce
dernier a appelé les manifestants à rentrer chez eux.

A concentration of the Azeri military units is observed on the
contact-line sector

07-03-2008 11:51:11 – KarabakhOpen

According to the NKR Defense Ministry’s on-line data, a concentration
of the Azeri military units is observed on the contact-line sector of
the NKR and Azeri Armed Forces, near Levonarkh settlement, where on
March 4, 2008, Azerbaijan’s armed forces violated the ceasefire regime.

We once more urge the Azeri leadership to refuse the attempts to
violate the armistice and warn that the NKR Defense Army will
adequately response to any infringement by the Azeri military units.

In this connection we relieve ourselves of the responsibility for a
possible tension escalation on the contact-line because of the
destructive steps of the official Baku, which, unfortunately, have not
been given a proper political evaluation by the mediators.

Stepanakert
07.03.2008.
NKR MFA

It was rather a test on firmness

07-03-2008 16:12:09 – KarabakhOpen

Interview with Davit Ishkhanyan, representative of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun CC of Artsakh.

In your opinion, is the skirmish on the Karabakh-Azeri border related
to the post-election events in Armenia?

It should not be ruled out though I don’t think so. I think it was
rather a test of our internal state ` readiness for defense and
internal stability. The events in Armenia cause deep concern but I do
not think that they had direct influence on the activities of the NKR
government.

What is the situation on the front line like? Is it possible that the
skirmish will cause more large-scale actions?

We have never ruled out the possibility of a large-scale offensive
because de facto we are in a situation when no peace agreement has been
signed, and the talks continue. I have already had an occasion to say
that as soon as Azerbaijan feels confident to win, it may launch an
offensive at any moment. Our problem is whether we will be ready to
counteract. I think the readiness to counteract must be our primary
goal. It is possible that Azerbaijan noticed a `weak point’ on the
border and used the opportunity to cause a stir.

How do you evaluate the situation in Armenia and were the actions of
the government against the demonstrators adequate?

In the pre-election period in Armenia we declined to comment because
interference with the internal affairs of Armenia would be incorrect.
In the post-election period, to our shame, a national tragedy happened
which may directly affect Karabakh.

As to the adequacy of the actions of the government, I should note that
both the government and the opposition are to blame. I think the
situation should not have been reduced to this.

Naturally, these events will affect the settlement of the Karabakh
issue. At least, both Azerbaijan and the international community are
trying to use this opportunity to pressure on the Armenian side. We
must be ready for this and make coordinated efforts to resist pressure.
Of course, it will depend on the recent events in Armenia, and the
political situation in general. However, I want to be optimistic and I
think that we will be strong enough to separate the wheat from the
chaff and to get consolidated to resolve our most important home
political issue ` the issue of Karabakh.

Serzh Sargsyan: Azerbaijan must recognize Nagorny Karabakh’s right to
self-determination and Armenia must recognize Azerbaijan’s right to
territorial integrity

2008-03-07 17:37:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan must recognize Nagorny Karabakh people’s right to
self- determination, and Armenia must recognize Azerbaijan’s right to
territorial integrity, Armenian Prime Minister, Leader of the
Republican Party of Armenia says in an interview to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Serzh Sargsyan said the Karabakh conflict must be settled exclusively
by peace methods on the basis of mutual concessions. ‘I am from
Nagorny Karabakh and I am well aware of the region’s problems. My
stand on the settlement of Karabakh conflict has been known for over
15 years. I have presented my point of view of the problem also during
my presidential campaign. The votes I have received prove that the
Armenian public approves my approaches to the conflict’s settlement’,
the newly elected president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan says. Asked if
recognition of Kosovo’s independence by a number of states may become
a precedent for Nagorny Karabakh, S. Sargsyan said: ‘We do not think
Kosovo a precedent for settlement of Karabakh conflict since we are
sure that every conflict has its roots, dynamics of development and
ways of settlement’. As regards the Armenian-Turkish relations, the
premier said Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic relations
without any preconditions even tomorrow. ‘It is Turkey that makes
strange demands to Armenia for establishment of diplomatic relations’,
the premier said. ‘I think the civilized way of settling all the
issues of the two countries is establishment of diplomatic relations
and discussion of the existing problems by diplomatic methods.
Unfortunately, Turkey is not ready to it. One can say that now the
ball is no the pitch of Ankara’, S. Sargsyan says.

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
March 6, 2008, Thursday

AZERI SPEAKER RAPS ARMENIA FOR FOMENTING FRONT LINE SITUATION

The speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament has accused the Armenian
leadership of fomenting tension on the Karabakhfront line zone.

In remarks broadcast by private ANS TV on 6 March, Speaker Oqtay
Asadov said: "The Azerbaijani side adheres tothe peace process and
did not attack the Armenian [armed] forces. On the contrary, the
Armenian army has made frequentcease-fire violations on the front
line on these days. False reports disseminated by the Armenian
leadership show thatthey are ready to resort to any intrigues to
distract attention from domestic situation. At the same time, this
provesonce again that the regime existing in Armenia is of
antidemocratic nature and does not enjoy the people’s support.The
regime that fears its own people views the increase in military
activity on the front line as a method ofdistracting the people’s and
the international community’s attention to make them to forget the
country’sdomestic problems."

Asadov made the remark at the 68th Rose-Roth Seminar of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly in Baku.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO 20th ANNIVERSARY OF SUMGAYIT TRAGEDY ORGANIZED ABROAD

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, NOYAN TAPAN. A commemoration ceremony of victims of
Sumgayit slaughter took place on March 2 in the Armenian church of
Bucharest. Archbishop Tirayr Martikian, the leader of the Romanian
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Yeghishe Sargsian, the
Ambassador of Armenia to Romania, Varuzhan Pambukian, the Vice-Chairman
of the Armenian Union of Romania, a deputy of Romanian parliament, made
a speech addressed to those present at the ceremony.

The Embassy of Armenia in Romania, the Romanian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, the Armenian Union of Romania laid flowers to the
memorial cross-stone in the churchyard.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, commemoration events also
took place in the cities of Constanta and Suchava.

The same day, on the initiative of the ARFD Belgian structure, a
requiem dedicated to the memory of Sumgayit victims was held in the
Apostolic Church of Brussels, at which about one hundred
representatives of the Armenian community were present. Pictures on the
subject "Artsakh Revival," "Struggle and Victory" were shown.

A joint concert of laureats of international contests, violinist
Hrachya Avanesian and pianist Lily Maisky took place on March 3 in the
Hall of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. The concert was a tribute
of respect to the memory of Armenians, who fell a prey to Sumgayit
crime.

Vigen Chitechian, the Ambassador of Armenia to Belgium, and Ambassador
Samvel Mkrtchian, the Head of the Armenian mission to NATO, were
present at the concert.

A special requiem ceremony led by Archbishop Khazhak Parsamian, the
leader of the U.S. East Coast Diocese, took place on March 2 in St Mary
Mother of God Armenian Apostolic Church of Washington on the initiative
of the Embassy of Armenia to the United States. Tatul Margarian, the
Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, the Embassy personnel,
members of American Armenian community took part in the event.

PRESS RELEASE
The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex
RA, Armenia Yerevan 0028
Contact: Arevik Avetisyan
Tel.: (+374 10) 39 09 81
Fax: (+374 10) 39 10 41
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

"Long live to the Armenian heroic nation!" Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone.
06.03.2008

His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone secretary of state of Benedict
XVI Pope of Rome visited Tsisernakaberd Memorial Complex. During the
visit guests put a wreath to the memorial to the Armenian Genocide
victims. His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone also planted a fir at
the Memory Alley. On the state, which was putted near the fir, was
writhed "May the Lord bless the memory of the righteous and grant them
eternal rest".
Secretary of state of Benedict XVI Pope of Rome accompanied by the other
clergymen also visited the Armenian Genocide Museum. His Eminence
Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone left a note in the Commemoration Book: "With
great faith I pray high on the behalf of the Benedict XVI Pope of Rome.
With warm regards I wish that this will never take place. Long live to
the Armenian heroic nation!"

Fighting the denial of genocide
Panel calls for Turkey’s recognition of Armenian killings, compares
them with 1940s Holocaust

UCLA Daily Bruin
/07/fighting-denial-genocide/

By Wafiqah Basrai

Friday, March 7, 2008

In a panel discussion titled "Facing Denial, the Last Stage of
Genocide," four experts spoke about the injustice of denying the
Armenian genocide.

The event, hosted by the Shant Student Association and the Armenian
Graduate Students Association, was held in order to acknowledge all
genocides, said Raffi Kassabian, executive officer of AGSA.

The Armenian genocide refers to the killing of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire beginning April 24, 1915.

The total number of Armenian deaths are estimated to be around 1
million to 1.5 million. Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman
Empire, does not recognize these events as genocide.

But Joey Kurtzman, executive editor of Jewcy, an online magazine, said
there is an overwhelming consensus regarding the Armenian genocide.

Richard Hovannisian, chair of modern Armenian history at UCLA, said
genocide often involves denial, with the government covering up and
justifying what they are doing. When the genocide ends, denial
commonly follows, he said.

The panelists agreed that the importance of recognizing genocide is
crucial in providing comfort to those who have felt the effects of it
and to help prevent future genocides.

"Those won’t be able to look at the Armenian genocide like Hitler did
as an example of being able to get away with it," said Aram Hamparian,
executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

Hovannisian drew parallels between the Armenian genocide and the
Holocaust.

Both genocides were based on wartime propaganda and the victims of it
were portrayed as threatening to the country. Also, both governments
said they were simply relocating the victims and justified their
actions by claiming their own people were killed as well.

One of the significant differences between the two, Myers pointed out,
is that the Holocaust was recognized afterward and reparations were
made to the Jews, whereas the Armenian genocide was not acknowledged.

Hamparian said he believes recognizing genocide is a moral obligation.

"Efforts to cover up the destruction of a nation are wrong," he said.

David Myers, director of the Center for Jewish Studies said the
recognition of the genocide is important so that it fosters
communication between Armenians and Turks.

Hamparian said that the genocide is being denied is for political
reasons. He drew a connection between lobbyists preventing laws
against cigarette companies and governments being reluctant to
recognize genocide.

Kurtzman said that, as a Jew, he is especially concerned that some
Jewish leaders are denying the Armenian genocide for political
reasons.

"This is especially disconcerting for those in the Jewish community,"
he said. "What we claim to learn from our history is being desecrated
in a pretty mortifying manner."

Hovannisian said that Turkey can benefit from recognizing that a
genocide did occur.

By denying the genocide, he said the Turks who helped the Armenians
during that time are not being recognized, as those who helped Jews
during the Holocaust were.

All the panelists agreed that progress is being made with recognizing
the Armenian genocide. Some Turkish scholars are combating Turkish
denial themselves, Hovannisian said.

There is currently a pending resolution that was officially approved
by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in
October to recognize the Armenian genocide.

SARKISIAN VOWS TO HEAL ELECTION WOUNDS

Radio Liberty
March 6 2008
Czech Republic

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian said on Thursday that his hotly
disputed victory in last month’s presidential election has split
Armenian society and told his cabinet members to start "dialogue"
with citizens bitterly opposed to the country’s leadership.

"Spite in the society has increased, the society is divided, and in
this regard I expect all of you to work actively in that direction,"
he said, opening a weekly cabinet meeting, the first since Saturday’s
bloody confrontation between security forces and supporters of his
main election challenger, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian.

"You should engage in dialogue, you should argue, explain, even if
your interlocutor doesn’t understand. Even if your interlocutor is
blinded by hatred," said Sarkisian.

The president-elect at the same time defended the use of force against
thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters who had been protesting the
official election results on a daily basis and pledged to punish
organizers of those unsanctioned protests. "Thank God, our security
forces managed to find adequate solutions," he said.

"We will make sure that all the guilty are punished," continued
Sarkisian. "I am promising this to all of you by 100 percent. This
is not a promise, this is an obligation which I will fulfill."

Sarkisian also criticized government ministers and other officials for
being too "passive" in trying to have the international community
accept the official version of events that left at least seven
protesters and one interior troops officer dead. He assured them that
relevant official reports aired by Armenia’s government-controlled
TV channels are truthful and can be cited as proven facts "without
hesitation."

The Armenian authorities say the violent confrontation which followed
the break-up on Saturday morning of Ter-Petrosian supporters’
sit-in in Yerevan’s Liberty Square was an opposition attempt at
a coup d’etat. Ter-Petrosian and his allies insist, however, that
the authorities themselves provoked the deadly clashes with their
heavy-handed tactic and refusal to end the former president’s de
facto house arrest.

Armen Harutiunian has questioned the credibility of the official
theory, prompting harsh criticism from President Robert Kocharian. "I
didn’t get answers to my questions," Harutiunian told RFE/RL,
commenting on the criticism.

"I can only say that as human rights ombudsman, I tried to do what I
consider the right thing," he said. "I think time will tell that my
approach was objective."