Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

MEDAL OF HONOUR TO GREAT BENEFACTOR

A1+
02:38 pm | May 04, 2009 | Official

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, bestowed Karine Sargsyan with the Saint Gregory the
Illuminator Medal of Honor for her untiring work over the years
towards assisting the Armenian Church.

In 2008, Mrs. Sargsyan, along with London-Armenian benefactor Armen
Sargsyan, undertook the construction of St. Vardan and St. John the
Baptist baptismal chapel on the grounds of the Holy Etchmiadzin See.

The Catholicos thanked Mrs. Sargsyan for applying all her professional
skills and abilities for the sake of the Armenian Church, its
construction and prosperity.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Ilham Aliev sends a special envoy to Ankara
02.05.2009 15:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri President Ilham Aliev is sending a special
envoy to Ankara to relieve the current tension between Ankara and
Baku. As reported by Hurriyet Daily News Turkish newspaper, Azeri
President explained that he is attempting to restore ties with Ankara,
expressing hopes about their future discussions over Armenian-Turkish
ties.

During the NATO Council Session in Brussels, Tacan Ildem, Turkish
Ambassador in Netherlands, said that Ankara keeps Baku informed about
talks with Yerevan. In response, the Azeri President said, `Informing
and consulting are absolutely different things’.

INTERNATIONAL LAW SHOULD BECOME BASIS FOR RESOLVING NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM – ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Interfax
April 27 2009
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan told the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that this conflict can be resolved
on the basis of the international law.

"The Armenian president told the meeting that the solution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is within the OSCE Minsk Group, based on
peaceful talks and basic principles of the international law," the
Armenian president’s press service told Interfax on Monday.

The sides discussed the current stage of the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as the organization issues of the
upcoming meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
it said.

TURKEY URGES OBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF JOINT HISTORY WITH ARMENIA

Hurriyet
April 29 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – Turkey and Armenia’s joint history should be evaluated with
"an objective and scientific approach," the Turkish National Security
Council, or MGK, said after a meeting held Tuesday.

"The joint history of the Turkish and Armenian nations should be
evaluated with an objective and scientific approach that is supported
by undisputable proofs and documents and is free of all pre-conceived
notions," the MGK said in a statement issued after the meeting.

The MGK discussed Turkey’s possible additional contributions to the
International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

The MGK said that issues pertaining to Turkey’s security were discussed
and a will to continue the fight against terror under the framework
of democracy and the rule of law was emphasized.

"We have evaluated our relations with Iraq and discussed in detail
the fight against terrorist incidents stemming from north of Iraq,"
the MGK said. "The issue of Turkey’s energy needs was discussed from
political, strategic and diplomatic perspectives. We welcome with
pleasure the early elections that took place in the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus in a peaceful atmosphere."

TURKEY REJECTS "IMMATERIAL ALLEGATIONS OF ARMENIA"

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.04.2009 00:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said "Turkey
would reject the immaterial (Armenian) allegations noting that the
analysis of the shared history of Turkey and Armenia could only
be made with unbiased and impartial scientific evidence," Today’s
Zaman reports.

Babacan who addressed the General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament
Wednesday said, "regardless of origin of these allegations, we will
continue to stand by the historic truth."

Babacan said "U.S. President Barrack Obama’s statement on the occasion
of the Armenian Remembrance Day on April 24 was a result of domestic
political concerns noting that certain expressions and comments
regarding the events of 1915 was unacceptable for Turkey."

"One of the shortcomings of Obama’s statement was that it ignored
the fact that hundreds of thousands Turks lost their lives during
the events of 1915," said Babacan.

"If the motive behind Obama’s statement was to state a prejudgment
on the joint history committee foreseen to be formed by Turkey and
Armenia, Turkish Foreign Ministry have announced on April 25 that
Turkey would not accept this, and explained it in detail to the
U.S. Ambassador who was invited to our Ministry," said Babacan.

Babacan said he also expressed Turkey’s discomfort to U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton over the phone and made it clear that the
joint commission foreseen to be formed between the two countries
could only depend on undisputed evidence and documents.

NEITHER USA NOR RUSSIA ABLE TO HOLD ARMENIA AND TURKEY FROM ESTABLISHING RELATIONS: TURKISH EXPERT SAYS

ArmInfo
2009-04-29 11:59:00

Neither USA nor Russia able to hold Armenia and Turkey from
establishing relations. Moreover, only Turkey and Armenia should
be interested in the negotiation process between our states, Bulent
Aras, Professor, Dean of Isik University Department of International
Relations, senior fellow at the SETA, Ankara-based think-tank,
told ArmInfo.

‘Armenia’s image in the European part of Turkey has become more
positive recently. Nevertheless, the greatest part of the regions
in our country prefers Azerbaijanis as people closer to Turks. But
Armenians are also close to us’, he said.

As regards the possibility of Turkey’s recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, Bulent Aras said that in the years of the World War I not
only Armenians but also other nations including Turks were killed in
the Ottoman Empire.’The past should be left for Armenian and Turkish
historians to study, we should live in the present’, he said.

Turkish president A. Gul visited Yerevan at the invitation of Armenian
president Serzh Sargsyan to watch Armenia vs. Turkey match on Sept
6 2008. For his part the Armenian President accepted the proposal
of his Turkish counterpart to watch a return match on October 14
2009. The two countries lack diplomatic relations and their border
has been blocked since 1993.

Genocide of Armenians has been recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France,
Lithuania, the Lower Chamber of Italian Parliament, the majority of
American States, the Greek, Cyprian, Argentinean, Belgian Parliaments,
the Parliament of Wales, the National Council of Switzerland, the
House of Commons of the Canadian Parliament and Polish Seim. Turkey
denies the genocide of 1,5 million Armenians in 1915-1923.

ANC COORDINATOR: WE HAVE NOT YET NOTICED WITHDRAWAL OF ARFD FROM RULING COALITION

ArmInfo
2009-04-28 16:10:00

‘We have not yet noticed withdrawal of ARF Dashnaktsutyun party from
the ruling coalition’, coordinator of the Armenian National Congress
Levon Zurabyan said at today’s press-conference. Commenting on ARFD’s
statement on withdrawal from the coalition and its reincarnation into
an oppositional force, Zurabyan said one statement is insufficient
to become a real opposition. ‘One may publish a statement about
withdrawal, however the right to become a real oppositional force
should be deserved’, ANC coordinator said.

Along with it, he said, ARFD’s statement may be considered the ‘first
swallow’ on the way of its formation as an opposition, and this fact
has proved once again that the current regime is nonviable.

According to Zurabyan, withdrawal of ARDD from the coalition also
testifies that there will be further developments in the internal
political life of the country.

Talking about a probability of ANC’s cooperation with ARFD, L. Zurabyan
emphasized: ‘When we see it is already a real opposition and open
for cooperation with us, we shall be ready for that’.

49 ARMENIAN ARTISTS TO BE EXHIBITED IN FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 22:30 GMT+04:00

49 Armenian Artists will exhibit about 400 artworks in the lounges
of the Palais de Bondy in Lyon, France. Artists coming from France,
Europe and Armenia, they will once again show the variety of their
cultures on a bottom of common origin.

The artworks will be presented in the framework of exhibition titled
"Tha ArtShow of Armenian artists".The event organized by ADCARLY
(Association for the Developpement of Armenian Culture in Lyon)
and the CLFA (Lyon’s Circle of Armenian Women).

TURKEY SUMMONS U.S. AMBASSADOR IN ANKARA TO EXPRESS DISCOMFORT OVER OBAMA’S SPEECH

Anadolu Agency
April 27 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) – 27.04.2009 – Turkey summoned the U.S. Ambassador in
Ankara, James Jeffrey, and expressed discomfort over U.S. President
Barack Obama’s statement on the occasion of the "Armenian Remembrance
Day" on April 24. Jeffrey was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on Saturday and Turkey’s reaction, and views were communicated
to him, said sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Obama’s statement on April 24, "Armenian Remembrance Day" stirred
wide reaction and drew severe critism from Turkey’s top officials
and politicians on the grounds that it was biased.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul was the first to criticize Obama. He
told reporters the following day that not only Armenians but hundreds
of thousands of Turks and Muslims had lost their lives during the
events of 1915, adding that pain and suffering of all people who lost
their lives in 1915 should be remembered.

Gul said statesmen and politicians could not pass judgement on events
in the history, adding that it was time to look to the future and
give a chance to diplomatic efforts for solution of issues between
Turkey and Armenia, and Armenia and Azarbaijan.

Gul was followed by Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan who argued that
Obama’s statement was related with a pledge he made to Armenian
lobbies during his election campaign.

"Such a sensitive issue requiring expertise, which should in fact be
left to historians, is continuously being used as a tool for politics
and exploited by lobbies every year, and this prevents normalization of
relations between people and countries," Erdogan was quoted as saying.

Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan also criticised Obama’s statement and
said such statement on events of 1915, seriously harmed the process
for normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkish Foreign Ministry regarded Obama’s statement unacceptable in
a press release issued Sunday, noting that history could be construed
and evaluated only based on undisputed evidence and documents. (OZG-AO)

NATO DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL IN YEREVAN

Arminfo
2009-04-27 19:29:00

The delegation headed by NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador
Claudio Bisogniero is arriving in Yerevan today.

As press-service of Armenian Foreign Ministry reported, over the visit
he is going to meet President Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisyan, speaker of the parliament Hovik Abrahamyan, Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan and Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan. Armenia-NATO
relations as well as the process of Individual Partnership Programme
fulfillment will be discussed over the meetings.