Author: Zargarian Hambik

PanARMENIAN.Net

Suspect of Armenian Youth Murder Released

29.04.2006 00:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Denis Kulagin, the pupil of one of the Moscow
schools, suspected of killing of an Armenian citizen, was
released. According to a source in the law enforcement bodies, the
schoolboy was released after the expiration of the 72-hour detainment
term authorized earlier by the court. `According to the law, he had
to be either articled or the detainment term had to be
prolonged. Since the accusation was not produced, the boy was
released,’ the source said. At that the11-former remains one of the
central suspects. Presently all the possible versions of the incident
are being investigated, the murder through national hatred included.

Meanwhile, several Russian newspapers say the suspect, Denis Kulagin,
17, has not committed the crime. In the words of the schoolboy’s
mother, she made him confess in the murder herself owing to threats of
the inspectors. Besides, the instrument of the crime is not found –
the knife, while the observation cameras did not shoot anything and
the inspectors have only the confession of the minor, who was
illegally interrogated for several hours without his mother’s or a
lawyer’s presence. Besides, the fact that two other teenagers were
wounded arouses doubts. They wounds were not serious but in the
opinion of the Armenian family’s lawyer, this fully refutes the
version of one single murderer.

To remind, April 22, 2006 near the Pushkinskaya subway station a fight
took place. As result, a student of one of the Moscow institutes,
Armenian by origin Vahan Abramyants was wounded with a knife and died.
Immediately after this the fight participants escaped. A criminal
case was initiated according to Article 105 (murder) of the RF Penal
Code.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
April 28 2006

Georgian MFA Comments on Akhalkalaki Base

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said on April 27 that there are
certain forces who will try `to derail the already ongoing process of
withdrawal’ of the Russian military base from Akhalkalaki under the
pretext of deteriorating social conditions in the region.

In an information note issued on April 27 the Foreign Ministry
commented on a protest rally which took place outside the Russian
military base in Akhalkalaki on April 25. The Russian Foreign
Ministry said that this protest rally by the local population against
the withdrawal of the Russian military base hindered the pull out of
military hardware from the base which was scheduled for April 26.
Many locals in Akhalkalaki, a a town predominantly populated by
ethnic Armenians, are employed at the Russian military base.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that a `rather small protest’
rally outside the base was held mainly by `Russian servicemen and
their family members.’

`The Georgian Authorities exercise full control over the situation
[in Akhalkalaki] and continue to unerringly comply with all
commitments under the [March 31, 2006] Agreement between the Russian
Federation and Georgia on Terms and Rules of Temporary Functioning
and Withdrawal of the Russian Military Bases,’ the Georgian Foreign
Ministry said.

The information note also stresses that the Georgian authorities are
planning `a series of effective’ social and economic rehabilitation
programs in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, including those in frames
of the U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Account aid.

Agence France Presse — English
April 28, 2006 Friday 5:07 PM GMT

US and Azerbaijan leaders discuss Iran, democracy, energy issues

WASHINGTON, April 28 2006

US President George W. Bush met Friday with his Azerbaijan
counterpart Ilham Aliyev for talks that centered on Iran, energy
issues and the need for the Central Asian state to implement
democratic reforms.

“We talked about the need for the world to see a modern Muslim
country that is able to provide for its citizens and that understands
that democracy is the wave of the future,” Bush told reporters after
the meeting.

He added that the two men had also discussed the nuclear standoff
with Iran and that he had assured Aliyev of Washington’s “desire to
solve this problem diplomatically and peacefully”.

Azerbaijan shares a 600-kilometer (380-mile) border with Iran and as
such is considered an important ally to the United States. Aliyev,
however, has made clear that his country would not take part in any
possible military operations against its neighbor.

The 44-year-old leader, who had sought the White House meeting since
taking office in a widely criticized election in 2003, said he hoped
to strengthen bilateral relations and welcomed Washington’s
assistance in exploiting Caspian oil and gas reserves.

“We are very grateful for the leadership of the United States in
promoting energy security issues in the region, in assisting us to
create a solid transportation infrastructure which will allow us to
develop full-scale Caspian oil and gas reserves and to deliver them
to the international markets,” he said.

Tapping into Azerbaijan’s important oil and gas reserves are seen by
Washington as a way of offsetting European dependence on Russian
energy supplies.

A 1,760-kilometer (1,100-mile) long pipeline with an annual capacity
to carry 50 million tonnes of crude oil from the Caspian Sea off
Azerbaijan through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan is expected
to begin operating this summer.

Aliyev said he had discussed in his meeting with Bush the issue of
the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been controlled
since the early 1990s by its majority ethnic-Armenian population, and
hoped for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

His visit to Washington has raised eyebrows in many circles, with
critics pointing to Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record and charges
by various groups — including anti-corruption watchdog Transparency
International — that the country is one of the most corrupt
worldwide.

But analysts say the Bush administration has no other option but to
befriend Aliyev, and point to Azerbaijan’s oil and gas riches and its
strategic location as the driving factor behind the warm welcome he
received at the White House.

During his four-day visit to the United States that ends Friday,
Aliyev played down concerns about human rights in his country but
pledged to continue implementing democratic reforms.

He said he was very satisfied with his visit to Washington and hoped
for continued cooperation with the United States on various fronts,
including Iraq and Afghanistan, where Azerbaijan has contributed
troops.

RA PARLIAMENTARIANS WILL PROMOTE THE PROCESS OF ELABORATION OF NKR CONSTITUTION

ArmRadio.am
27.04.2006 17:40

The two-day sitting of the Parliamentary Cooperation Commission of
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh came to an end.

Head of the Press Service of the NKR National Assembly Mickael
Hajyan informed that Vice-Speaker of Parliament Rudik Hyusnunts
spoke about the role of cooperation of Armenian and NKR Parliaments
in the development of the NKR Constitution. Head of the Armenian
delegation, RA NA Vice-Chairman Tigran Torosyan confirms that RA
Parliament will assist its colleagues in the process of elaboration
of the NKR Constitution.

The Armenian delegation headed by Tigran Torosyan comprises Galust
Sahakyan, Mnatsakan Petrosyan, Gagik Avetyan, Areg Ghukasyan. The
Deputies will meet also NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan.

REMEMBERING ’91 YEARS OF RESILIENCE AND SURVIVAL’
By Melody Hanatani/ Staff Writer

Woburn Advocate, MA
April 27 2006

It was a solemn day at the State House last Friday when local
officials and the Armenian community came together to commemorate
the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Generations of Armenians filled the House of Representatives chamber
from top to bottom for the annual ceremony sponsored by the State
House Genocide Commemoration Committee.

Several candidates for the upcoming statewide election, including
gubernatorial hopeful Deval Patrick, were among those in attendance.

State Rep. Rachel Kaprielian of Watertown opened the event by calling
it a commemoration of “91 years of grief … 91 years of resilience
and survival.”

The Rev. Raphael Andonian of Belmont’s Holy Cross Armenian Catholic
Church gave the invocation and the Rev. Antranig Baljian of
St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown gave a requiem
prayer.

Many speakers called for the Turkish and United States governments
to recognize the atrocities in order to begin healing and to prevent
future genocides.

U.S. Rep Edward Markey demanded that President George W. Bush go on
the record and recognize the killings as genocide.

Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey presented Governor’s Proclamations to four
survivors, three of whom attended the ceremony. The son of Areka
DerKazarian accepted the proclamation on behalf of his mother, who
was unable to attend.

“Our country is richer because of you,” Healey said to the survivors.

Healey was filling in for Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Belmont, who was in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Friday.

This year’s ceremony honored Dr. Taner Akcam, a visiting professor
at the University of Minnesota, who was one of the first Turkish
scholars to recognize the genocide.

For speaking out, Akcam received a 10-year prison sentence in 1976. He
escaped after serving one year, and has lived in exile since then.

For the past 20 years, Akcam has worked on human rights issues, in
particular the Turkish government’s denial of the genocide. He said
truth and recognition would deter further human rights violations
and abuse.

He called for Turkey and Armenia to work together to deal with their
pasts as part of the democratization process.

Dr. Henry Theriault, the keynote speaker, said an apology alone could
simply be “empty rhetoric.”

Theriault, who is the coordinator for the Center for the Study of
Human Rights at Worcester State College, said recognition must come
in the form of land and reparations.

In his closing remarks, state Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, talked
about why the Armenian community continues to commemorate the genocide.

He said the commemoration is not about dwelling on the past, but
understanding that the genocide was the first of many that occurred
over the past 100 years.

“We know the events of the past are important today,” he said.

Clara Mandasian of Watertown has lived in Massachusetts for the past
seven years and has attended the commemoration every year. She’s been
to similar ceremonies around the United States.

For Mandasian, the commemoration is a way for her to honor the victims
of past genocides. Her grandmother survived the Armenian genocide.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said of the Turkish government’s denial
of the genocide. “It’s so painful to have a history, to know what
your family endured, and have the perpetrator deny it.”

It was a first-time ceremony for the younger generation of
Armenians. Araxie Poladian of Belmont brought her grandchildren for
the first time.

She hopes her grandchildren can keep the history alive.

“I hope people will tell other people that this shouldn’t happen to
anyone,” she said.

TURKEY IS THE MOST ANTI-AMERICAN COUNTRY

Lragir.am
26 April 06

The results of a survey conducted by BBC suggest that anti-American
moods are most intensive in Turkey, said Ruben Safrastyan April 26,
the head of the Department of Turkey, Institute of History of the
National Academy of Sciences.

He says the survey was conducted in 21 countries of the world,
22 thousand people were questioned. “82 percent are against the
United States,” said Ruben Safrastyan. He says the United States will
recognize the Armenian genocide in the nearest future. The Armenian
expert on Turkey did not mention an exact date but he noticed that
it would happen as soon as the U.S.-Iran conflict is settled. In the
meantime, “the United States is pursuing the isolation of Iran, and
Turkey’s role in this question is big. Now trade is going on between
the United States and Turkey.”

CHAIRMAN OF INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA IN MAY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Lord Max Mostin, Chairman of the
International Automobile Federation, will arrive in Armenia on May
11. As Mkrtich Piltoyan, Chairman of the National Board of Road
Security, said at the April 26 press conference, the goal of the
visit is to take part in the newly founded board’s presentation. The
board already cooperates with the International Federation’s Fund,
the goal of which is to direct the sums earned from the profit of
different events organized by the Federation, especially of Formula-1
tournaments, to solution of issues concerning road security. It was
mentioned that among former CIS countries Armenia was chosen as the
first beneficiary.

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:

Watch the recorded video of the commemoration and the message of His
Holiness Aram I here:

Read the message of His Holiness Aram I in Armenian here:
es/messages8.htm

91ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

“APRIL 24 IS NOT A SINGLE DAY FOR US, EVERY DAY IS APRIL 24 FOR US”
SAYS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

Thousands of Lebanese Armenian assembled in the Antelias headquarters of the
Armenian Church (Catholicosate of Cilicia) on April 24 to commemorate the
first Genocide of the 21st century, that of their forefathers. Gathered
around the first Armenian Genocide monument ever to be erected in the world,
they renewed their pledge to remain loyal to the memory of the victims of
the Armenian Genocide and to demand justice for the Armenian nation.

91 years after the bloody massacres and as established by tradition Holy
Mass was held in the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral. His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, then headed a procession towards the Martyrs’
Chapel where the remains of Armenian Genocide victims rest and a requiem
service was held around the chapel.

The celebrant of the Holy Mass was Bishop Kegham Khatcherian, Primate of the
Diocese of Lebanon. His Holiness Aram I then delivered his message to the
people.

“Today is a day of national struggle and accountability. This is how I
characterize April 24 on our nation’s calendar. We are gathered with the
spirit of accountability and demands. Struggle means accountability. Our
martyrs demand explanation from us today,” the Pontiff said.

“Is the Armenian student ready to give account? Is the Armenian youth ready
to explain that it is strongly committed to the eternal legacy of our
martyrs in its everyday life?” he asked.

His Holiness said: “Our martyrs remind us that we should demand
accountability from criminal Turkey that executed a government planned
Genocide against our nation in 1915. If criminal Turkey continues to deny
the Genocide committed by its ancestors, there are proofs, even in the
criminal’s drawers, that witness to this crime committed against humanity.
Where is justice, where is respect for human rights, where is the unfolding
of truth? we ask. But we will continue our national struggle, accounting to
our martyrs and demanding accountability from the criminal.”

“April 24 is not a single day in our calendar. Every day is April 24 for the
individual who considers himself Armenian and lives as an Armenian. Today we
renew our pledge from Armenia to Antelias gathered around the remains of our
martyrs. In all the corners of the world we renew our pledge to walk down
the path of our martyrs, remaining true to their legacy; walk down the path
that will lead us to justice, because that is the road that leads to the
truth,” added the Spiritual Head.

The thousands of Armenian listening to the message then watched the
placement of wreaths by various Armenian organizations and parties and the
mass then started a march towards the municipality stadium in Bourj Hammoud,
where a special event was organized on this occasion.

##
View photos here:
es57.htm

ctures58.htm

s/Pictures59.htm

*****

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
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.

PRESIDENT OF IAF MAX MOUSLY ARRIVES IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
14:13 26/04/06

On May 11 a demonstration of a special trainer how to use automobile
safety belts will be held in Yerevan.

As the director of the National Council of road security Poghos
Shahinyan said the introduction of the trainer will sign the beginning
of the action aimed at increasing the social consciousness in the
necessity to fasten the belts of safety. As P. Shahinyan assures
the belt is the safest way to exceed the level of injury during
car accidents. P. Shahinyan also informed that the president of
International Automobile Federation (IAF) Max Mousli is arriving
in Yerevan on May 11. He is scheduled to meet the Governmental
representatives.

In his turn the President Armenian Automobile Federation Mkrtich
Pilotyan mentioned that the Council, that includes 5 public
organizations, intends to cooperate with state structures. At present
negotiations are held with the chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee
of Defence, National Security and Home Affairs Mher Shahgeldyan.

As the participants of the press conference think only cooperation
is not enough, the social consciousness should also be increased.

To note, according to the information of RA Police 1313 car accidents
took place in the republic in 2005 as a result of which 310 people
died and 1773 were injured. As compared with 2004 the number of cases
increased by 148 or 12.7%, the number of the injured – by 281 people,
and the number of dead – by 51 people.

POWERFUL ARMY GUARANTEES SECURITY

Lragir.am
24 April 06

On April 24 the government officials of NKR visited the memorial of
Stepanakert. NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan stated that evil must
be punished not to reoccur. Speaker Ashot Ghulyan stated that not
only the government of Armenia but also the leadership of Karabakh
is entitled to pursue the international recognition of the genocide.

“We have expectations too, and I think the connections of the
parliament, the parliamentary relations must be used for the
international recognition of the genocide. The wall of silence has been
demolished, and I think in the upcoming years it will become deeper
and finally there will be a general recognition of the genocide,”
said the speaker of the National Assembly of NKR.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan says this day must be an axis of
solidarity and responsibility. “Turkey must realize that after
recognizing the genocide it can establish friendly relations with
neighbors and be internationally accepted as a democratic state,”
stated the minister. He also emphasized that if we had a strong army
in the early 20th century, we could have prevented the crime.

“With respect to this the army is the main guarantee of security of
Armenia,” said the minister.