Author: Zakarian Garnik

WORKSHOP ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN CUBA
By Melania Badalian

AZG Armenian Daily #060
04/04/2006

On April 25, workshop “Armenia and the Armenians in the Context of
World Culture” will be held at Archeological and Museum-Reserve after
Felitsin in Kuban, southern Russia. During the workshop an exhibition
of household articles of Kuban’s Armenians and culture; a concert of
Armenian folk music will close the workshop.

The initiators of the workshop are the Southern Diocese of the
Armenian Church in Russia, the state university of Kuban, the Center
for Ponto-Caucasian Studies, the Center for Study of Northern Caucasian
History and the Armenian community of Krasnodar.

The workshop is dedicated to the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915-1923 that claimed lives of more nearly 2 million Armenians,
Yerkramas Armenian newspaper of Russian informs reminding that suchlike
workshop was held in 2005, too. The last time it was held Turkish
consul general in Novorosiysk Ahmed Reza Demirer sent an official
letter to the rector of the Kuban university that hosted the workshop.

Nevertheless, the event took place and a document was adopted calling
on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide if it wants to join the
European family.

AZERBAIJAN WON’T AGREE WITH DIVISION OF ITS LANDS, BUT PREVENT IT – ARAZ AZIMOV
Author: E.Huseynov

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 1 2006

“The United States must understand, while Armenia must remember that
Azerbaijan won’t agree with division of its lands, but prevent it. It
should be interpreted as toughening of our positions. It is principal
position held by Azerbaijan from the beginning of the conflict. We
will remain in this position,” Trend reports quoting Araz Azimov,
the Deputy Foreign Minister, as stating Azertaj.

According to Azimov, the USA comes out for urgent regulation of the
conflict and it is ready to intensify efforts in this direction.

“Azerbaijan supports peaceful co-existence of the Azerbaijani and the
Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh, and issue of appropriate
guarantees to them. I’m sure Azerbaijan will achieve it at any stage,
as we have no other way,” he said. The same time Azerbaijan is ready
to show appropriate flexibility in the settlement of the conflict.

“Addressing to my compatriots, I say the Armenian community living
in Nagorno-Karabakh must be given self-government in any framework.

Armenians alleged that the Azerbaijani political forces were for exile
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians from the region. It is not true. We
never protested against living of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians as
Azerbaijani citizens in the region. Quite contrary, we think these
people must have appropriate social-public-political freedoms, which
are necessary to be ensured,” the Minister underlined.

Azimov said the Azerbaijani community must certainly return to
Nagorno-Karabakh. “We should ensure use of the same self-government
model by the both communities within the Azerbaijani legislation. It is
constructive position of Azerbaijan. We are ready to refuse from tough
position as non-recognition of Armenians’ rights in favor of moderate
one as ensuring of their rights. Armenia and Azerbaijan can come to a
common denominator in that way. It is early and not important to give
definite name to this. First, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
must be restored under assistance of international community and
rights of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh must be ensured,”
he stressed.

According to Azimov, the issues were discussed with Steven Man,
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the USA, in Washington. Besides,
the Foreign Minister intends to continue the discussion in the USA
during his visit next week.

GERMANY INITIATED DEPORTATION OF ARMENIANS IN OTTOMAN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2006 21:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Germany initiated deportation of Armenians in
Ottoman Turkey in WWI, specialist on Turkic peoples, Director of
the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Moscow State University
Professor Mikhail Mayer stated in an interview with a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. In his words, it was done to divert Entente’s attention
from the Western front, where Germany was being defeated.

“The situation in 1915 did not favor the Armenian population in
eastern vilayets of Turkey. On the one hand – Kurds and Circassians,
who forced Armenians away from villages, on the other – the policy
of the Young Turkish Government, which encouraged the banishment
and accused Armenians in pro-Russian orientation. All this resulted
in mass deportation and annihilation of half of the population of
Western Armenia,” Mayer said. At that he remarked that “if Young
Turks had desired, to fully exterminate the Armenian nation, they
would not have left a single Armenian in Istanbul, Izmir and other
cities of Western Anatolia.” “However, Armenians remained there,
except the intelligentsia, which was killed,” Mayer said.

“Judging from archive documents, accusations of Armenians in
pro-Russian orientation are, to put it mildly, exaggerated. Most of the
Armenian population lived in villages and was rather law-abiding. There
was no much participation of Armenian retinues as part of the Russian
army at the Caucasian front – according to my calculations there were
some 3 thousand Armenians. This is not a figure that can account for
Rusofilia,” Mayer said.

Nevertheless, Professor Mayer agrees that the events in 1915 were
Armenian Genocide. “There was no term “genocide” in early 20th century,
however it was genocide undoubtedly. The matter lies not in figures,
but in the fact itself. If you remember, in 1919 a trial started in
Istanbul against the Young Turkish Government that was organized by
the Entente.

Accusations in deporting and exterminating a whole nation were
voiced there for the first time. However, secondary functionaries,
mere executors were punished,” Mikhail Mayer underscored.

SOUTH CAUCASUS MASS MEDIA DISCUSSES DIVERSITY

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
April 2 2006

A conference on diversity involving mass media representatives
from the South Caucasus states and elsewhere was held in Amsterdam,
Holland March 28-29.

The meeting was organized by the Mass Media Diversity Institute, with
support from some NGOs, the Foreign Ministry of Netherlands, and the
European Commission; representatives from 35 states participated.

The Mass Media Diversity Program in the South Caucasus was started
in 2002 in Tbilisi. Since then, conferences have been held in London
and Vienna. The most recent conference was conducted in Holland as
a result of the country’s growing interest in the Caucasus region.

Participants in the conference discussed the role public broadcasting
plays in covering diversity, freedom of speech, tolerance, and regional
media initiatives.

The legal advisor of the OSCE’s Higher Commission for National
Minorities’ (HCNM), Dzenana Hadziomerovic, spoke about the importance
of supporting national minorities, and using their national languages
in the mass media. According to her, it is very important to take
into account the balance between the rights of minorities, protect
their identity, and promote its integration into the majorities.

According to the OSCE HCNM’s recommendations, public television
stations should include components targeting national minorities in
their programming. In particular, they should provide broadcasts in
the languages of minorities.

According to the results of monitoring of South Caucasus’s mass media,
which was conducted by Cardiff University, during the last year and
half television channels and newspapers in the South Caucasus countries
cover the problems of minorities in adequately. On the whole, the
countries of this region dedicated 4.2 percent of their programming
and articles to minority issues. Minority issues can be divided into
five categories: national, refugees, religious, invalids and sexual.

Research shows that inadequate attention is paid to sexual
minorities. More attention is given to the problems of refugees
and national minorities. As compared with Azerbaijan and Armenia,
Georgia’s mass media is more active in reporting the problems of
minorities. At the same time it was noted that television channels
pay less attention to monitories than the print media.

The presentations of public TV companies in South Caucasian countries
shows they are all undergoing transition to change from state to public
control. The situation is better in Armenian Public TV, which was
has an audience encompassing 30 percent of the countries population,
while 20 percent of market advertisements are placed in their programs.

Special discussions were organized within the frameworks of the
conference, with the participation of Holland researchers and
journalists, to address the problems of South Caucasus, and political
and economic aspects of this region.

Price for Russian gas doubles in Armenia, talks continue
By AVET DEMOURIAN

AP Worldstream; Apr 01, 2006

Armenia began paying about twice the previous price for Russian
natural gas on Saturday, but talks continued on rates and ways to
ease the blow for the small Caucasus Mountain nation, officials said.

Russia’s state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom, which has
been raising prices for ex-Soviet republics, initially demanded that
Armenia pay US$110 (A90) per thousand cubic meters as of Jan. 1,
but later agreed to hold off on the increase until April 1.

Officials at Gazprom’s Armenian subsidiary and the Energy Ministry
said that while the increase took effect Saturday, the two sides were
still discussing prices and potential measures to lessen the impact
on the nation, which relies entirely on Moscow for its gas supplies.

The delay allowed Armenia _ Russia’s chief ally in the strategic
Caucasus Mountain region, partly thanks to its acceptance of a
Russian military base on its territory _ to get through the cold
winter without a price increase. But the rate hike appeared set to
result in higher bills for Armenian consumers and companies.

As of April 10, the price of a cubic meter of gas is set to rise by
about 52 percent for domestic consumers and by about 85 percent for
industrial users. The country’s main electric power station, which is
largely controlled by Russia, wants to raise its rates by 90 percent,
which would likely lead to hikes in electric bills.

“You don’t need to be an economist to figure out how much this chain
reaction will affect the (pocketbooks) of citizens,” said Ashot
Aramian, editor of an Armenian economic magazine called Basis. He
said the government might have to revise the 2006 budget.

Meanwhile, government opponents worry that the government will seek
to ease gas prices by handing further control over Armenia’s energy
infrastructure to Russia _ including an under-construction pipeline
that is to carry natural gas to Armenia from neighboring Iran.

Gazprom has sharply raised prices recently for Ukraine, Georgia and
Moldova, arguing that it is merely ending subsidies to ex-Soviet
republics and bringing the rates closer to market prices but drawing
fire from critics who say the Kremlin is using Russia’s energy wealth
as a political weapon.

GENOCIDE COMMENT COULD COST AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HIS JOB

By Michael Doyle
McClatchy Newspapers
28-MAR-06

Scripps Howard News Service, DC
March 29 2006

WASHINGTON — Ambassador John Evans is unfailingly diplomatic about
his fate as the plain-speaking U.S. envoy to Armenia.

Others, including California lawmakers and Armenian-American activists,
are more blunt.

Unhappy lawmakers and activists contend Evans is being forced from his
post because he conceded last year that the term “Armenian genocide”
appropriately described the slaughter of Armenians between 1915 and
1923. His potential career problem is that the State Department and
the government of Turkey do not accept the term.

On Tuesday, sounding as if he were reciting carefully prepared talking
points, Evans spoke delicately about his current status.

“I am still the ambassador,” Evans said in a brief interview during
a Washington visit. “I have not submitted my retirement papers.”

At the same time, the career foreign service officer underscored the
temporary nature of any diplomatic posting. In June, he will have
served in Armenia for two years _ and he also will have reached the
35-year mark in the State Department.

“No ambassador stays forever,” Evans said, twice.

A Yale graduate who speaks four foreign languages, and is
currently studying Eastern Armenian, Evans is now the subject of
considerable speculation by politically active Armenian Americans
and their congressional champions. Ever since rumors began running
rampant several weeks ago that Evans was to be recalled or otherwise
disciplined, interest groups and lawmakers with large Armenian-American
constituencies have been weighing in.

Most recently, Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif., has called the State
Department to request a meeting. It has not yet been scheduled.

Other lawmakers, too, have been increasing the pressure. At least
three members of Congress, including California Democratic Reps. Adam
Schiff and Grace Napolitano, have leveled written blasts at the
State Department.

“I do not believe it is possible for any ambassador to Armenia to
function with any credibility if he does not recognize the genocide,”
Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., wrote Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
on March 10. “It is simply wrong for the State Department to punish
Ambassador Evans for statements he made that are factually correct.”

Schiff, a member of the House International Relations Committee,
followed up with written questions presented to Rice. Schiff, who
in the past has co-sponsored Armenian genocide resolutions with
Radanovich, also met privately with State Department officials. So
far, though, the State Department has not responded save for a routine
official statement.

“U.S. ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president,” the State
Department declared. “Ambassador Evans and his capable team have the
full confidence of the administration.”

The State Department, under both Democratic and Republican presidents,
has consistently opposed congressional measures that commemorate or
even use the term “Armenian genocide.” The State Department contends
historians disagree over whether the legal term “genocide” applies;
more fundamentally, officials worry about antagonizing Turkey,
a strategically located NATO ally.

Evans, who helped coordinate the U.S. response to the devastating
1988 Armenian earthquake, later began studying Ottoman history before
going on to other diplomatic assignments.

“I informed myself in depth about it,” Evans told an Armenian-American
audience in Berkeley, Calif., according to an account provided by
Pallone’s office. “I think we, the U.S.

government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest
way of discussing this problem. I think it is unbecoming of us, as
Americans, to play word games here. I believe in calling things by
their name.”

Armenian officials agree. About Evans, though, they, too, are
circumspect.

“The U.S. ambassador is the U.S. ambassador,” Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian said in response to a question Tuesday.

“Until he leaves the country, we will treat him as such.”

(Distributed by Scripps-McClatchy Western Service.)

ction=detail&pk=ARMENIA-03-28-06

THE SARALANGE DWELLERS ARE DOOMED TO STAY OUTDOORS

A1+
01:31 pm 28 March, 2006

Today the surrounding of the Government building was overcrowded
again. The inhabitants of Saralange Str. aroused a revolt.

The dwellers of Saralange have always been in constant fear as they
heard that their dwelling places are a “zone of realization” for the
“needs of the Government.” Whereas they found out that in 2004 the
Youth Palace was sold by auction and their territory was privatized
by the Director of “Avangard Motors” Edik Avetisyan.

Edik Avetisyan offered the people present in the revolt to pay one
million ARD per a person on condition to release the premises within
5 days in order to pull it down. “We are not confident that the money
will be given,” complains the inhabitant Zabela Sargsyan living on
147 Saralange and adds, “We demand a compensation corresponding to
the market prices. We can’t even buy a one-room flat with the money
offered.” The inhabitant of 155 apartment Hasmik Sargsyan said,
“We protect our rights. They combat poverty; do they want to make us
poor. Let them provide us with flats, I don’t need their money.”

It wasn’t the first revolt of the Saralange dwellers; they twice
turned to the RA Government but they were sent to the City Hall and
the latter sent them to the Program Implementation Office. “We were
told in the PIO to come in a week’s time. A week later they said it
is beyond their responsibilities,” say the Saralange inhabitants.

They assure that they will go on their protests by the time they
achieve results.

PA OSCE RAPPORTEUR GORAN LENMARKER TO ARRIVE IN AZERBAIJAN IN APR – ELDAR IBRAHIMOV
Author: J.Shahverdiyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006

Goran Lenmarker, the PA OSCE repporteur on Nagorno-Karabakh, will
arrive in Azerbaijan in April, Trend reports quoting Eldar Ibrahimov,
a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PA OSCE.

Ibrahimov stressed that he participated in the parliamentary elections
in Ukraine on 26 March as a representative of PA OSCE. He met with
Hasting Elsi, the chair of the organization, and Spenser Oliver,
the Secretary General, in Kiev. During the meeting Ibrahimov found
out that Lenmarker would arrive in Azerbaijan in April to rework out
the report on Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Azerbaijani delegation to PA OSCE intends to include the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem into the agenda of the summer session to
be held in Brussels from 3 to 7 July. “We plan to meet with Goran
Lenmarker in Azerbaijan and exchange opinions on the report,”
Ibrahimov stressed.

PEACE AND STABILITY BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY POSSIBLE ONLY GIVEN NORMAL RELATIONS AND DIALOGUE

YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. Peace and stability between Armenia and
Turkey is possible only if the countries establish normal relations
and dialogue, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan says in an
interview to Turkish Hurriyet.

Oskanyan says that though having problems with some other neighbors
too Turkey has no diplomatic relations only with Armenia. Meanwhile,
the Turkish-Armenian border is internationally accepted political
reality. The reality is that Armenia and Turkey are neighbors and
must live side by side. Besides, Armenia poses no threat to Turkey’s
security and this alone is enough for taking the first steps towards
each other. There are many misconceptions about Turkey ad Armenia which
are due primarily to Turkey’s refusal to have diplomatic relations
with Armenia.

Asked if it was because of the Armenian Diaspora that Armenia
and Turkey have bad relations, Oskanyan says that were it not for
the events of 1915 there would be no Armenian Diaspora at all. And
now Armenia and the Diaspora seek the international recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. On the other hand, the closure
of borders and the lack of diplomatic relations are making people
nervous and increasing farther from one another. The Armenian Diaspora
wants Armenia to have good relations with all of its neighbors. Armenia
hopes that Turkey also wants to have good relations with its neighbors
and expects relevant steps from Ankara.

Oskanyan notes that Turkey has not yet responded to Amenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s address to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
that “a historical commission” can be formed only between countries
having diplomatic relations and open borders and can become part of
a large-scale governmental dialogue.

ARMENIANS DRINK MORE COFFEE THAN BRAZILIANS

Armenpress
Mar 28 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian importers brought last year
around 11,500 tons of coffee and only 305 tons of tea. Based on these
figures, provided by the customs service, each of 3.2 million Armenians
consumed last year 3.6 kg of coffee and only 100 grams of tea.

Incidentally, per capita coffee consumption in Brazil, one of the
biggest coffee producers and exporters is 3.5 kg and 4 kg in Columbia,
another big coffee producer and exporter. In Europe residents of
Scandinavian countries consume more coffee than other Europeans. For
example, per capita annual consumption of coffee in Denmark is 11 kg,
while in Greece, Spain, and Great Britain is 2 kg.