ROUMANIE : LE SENATEUR LIBERAL VARUJAN VOSGANIAN FUTUR COMMISSAIRE EUROPEEN
Agence France Presse
25 octobre 2006 mercredi 12:08 PM GMT
Le senateur liberal Varujan Vosganian a ete designe comme futur
commissaire europeen de la Roumanie, après son adhesion a l’UE au 1er
janvier 2007, a annonce mercredi le Premier ministre Calin Tariceanu
au cours d’une reunion du gouvernement.
Age de 48 ans et issu de la minorite armenienne de Roumanie, qu’il
a representee au Parlement entre 1990 et 1996, M. Vosganian est un
economiste respecte et l’auteur de nombreuses etudes ainsi que de
plusiuers volumes de poesie et de fiction.
Depuis 2004, il etait senateur du Parti national liberal (PNL, au
pouvoir) et vice-president de l’Union des ecrivains.
Sa designation a fait l’objet d’âpres negociations entre M. Tariceanu,
qui est egalement president du PNL, et le chef de l’Etat Traian
Basescu, issu du Parti democrate (PD).
Selon des sources au sein de ces deux formations qui forment ensemble
l’Alliance DA, la nomination de M. Vosganian, proche de M. Tariceanu,
aurait ete acceptee par M. Basescu en echange de la demission du
ministre liberal de la Defense Teodor Atanasiu, annoncee egalement
mercredi.
Après avoir ete officiellement designes par leur gouvernement, les
nouveaux commissaires bulgare et roumain doivent etre entendus par
les commissions parlementaires competentes, selon le portefeuille
qui leur aura ete attribue.
Pour pouvoir accueillir les deux nouveaux venus, la Commission
europeenne, qui comptera 27 membres, devrait d’ici la reorganiser
les portefeuilles de certains de ses commissaires.
Le Parlement europeen se reunira en session extraordinaire le 4 janvier
prochain pour investir les nouveaux commissaires bulgare et roumain.
–Boundary_(ID_DQ5Tho4wNhj9+ESOzb1yAg)–
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE ET TURQUIE
Stephanie Renaud
La Tribune de Geneve
25 octobre 2006 mercredi
Edition Tribune de Genève
Versoix, 19octobre. Enfin un geste ne serait-il pas temps pour
les Turcs d’assumer l’histoire de leur pays? Et tout simplement,
d’assumer leurs erreurs? Nier un tel massacre est pire que tout pour
la memoire des Armeniens et cela vaut pour tous les massacres qu’il y
a eu. Tolererions-nous que les Allemands descendent dans les rues pour
nier le massacre des juifs? Clamant haut et fort qu’ils n’y etaient
pour rien et que ca ne s’est pas passe? Non. La Turquie veut rentrer
dans l’Europe? Très bien, mais une telle fuite devant des actes passes
reflète bien la lâchete de ce pays et le fait qu’il n’assume rien. ( )
Regarder simplement la moyenne d’âge des Turcs qui manifestent contre
cette loi et vous comprendrez bien vite que les mentalites n’ont pas
change et ne sont pas pretes de changer
–Boundary_(ID_0lLB9Nkv+cZjrje5AccLyg)–

GENOCIDE : L’ENGRENAGE; LA SANCTION LEGALE RISQUE DE NUIRE A LA RECHERCHE
Hemptinne Jerôme De
Liberation
25 octobre 2006
Le projet de loi adopte par l’Assemblee nationale le 12 octobre
concerne la negation du seul genocide armenien. Mais a terme se posera
la question de son application a d’autres genocides, voire a d’autres
crimes de masse. Pourquoi ne pas sanctionner aussi la negation des
genocides cambodgiens ou rwandais ? Pourquoi ne pas etendre la loi
Gayssot aux crimes contre l’humanite qui, selon la jurisprudence des
tribunaux penaux internationaux (TPI), ne sont pas necessairement
moins graves que les genocides ?
En adoptant cette loi, le legislateur met le pied dans un engrenage
dangereux. D’autant plus qu’il ne definit pas ce qu’il entend
par “contester un crime” et, plus precisement, par “contester au
point de se rendre coupable d’un delit sanctionne par une peine
d’emprisonnement”. Peut-on parler de negation coupable lorsqu’un
chercheur, après avoir porte un regard critique sur un genocide ou un
crime contre l’humanite, en vient a remettre en question son existence
? Ce chercheur est-il coupable au meme titre qu’un individu qui, se
reclamant d’un discours pseudo-scientifique, deforme la realite dans
le but d’innocenter un regime raciste, d’en accabler ses victimes
ou de rehabiliter une ideologie criminelle? Le legislateur ne repond
pas a cette question essentielle. C’est donc au juge qu’incombera la
delicate tâche de trancher entre la negation coupable et la negation
“sans intention de nuire”. Un magistrat independant fera certainement
cette distinction. Il n’empeche que toute personne desireuse de
conduire des recherches susceptibles d’aboutir a la remise en cause
d’un crime contre l’humanite ou d’un genocide sera placee sous une
epee de Damoclès.
En voulant sanctionner l’individu mal intentionne, le legislateur
risque aussi de museler le chercheur de bonne foi. A l’evidence,
ce dernier se doit d’etre d’autant plus prudent que son etude porte
sur des sujets graves et sensibles. Toutefois, “graves et sensibles”
ne veut pas dire “exempt de toute controverse”. Certes, la communaute
internationale s’est accordee sur une definition universelle du
genocide dans la convention de 1948. Neanmoins, les divergences,
exprimees recemment dans la jurisprudence des TPI, sur la determination
des contours de cette infraction montrent combien la realite est plus
nuancee et complexe. Des polemiques ont souvent eclate autour de la
qualification juridique a donner a tel ou tel massacre, comme en
temoignent les discussions a propos des evenements du Darfour. En
tout etat de cause, il serait impensable que les universites,
les instituts de recherche, les tribunaux internationaux et, plus
generalement, le public se privent, sur toutes ces questions, de
l’opinion d’experts qui, desormais dans la ligne de mire des juges,
prefereront rester muets.
*Les opinions exprimees dans ce texte sont celles de l’auteur et
n’engagent nullement le Tribunal penal international ou l’ONU.
Jerôme de Hemptinne juriste au TPI*.
–Boundary_(ID_fnbrlb51F07sKXcL44+xIw)–

YOUR CHURCH. YOUR FUTURE. ENGAGE: A GATHERING WITH ARAM VEHAPAR
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 11:14
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia will be
in the United States in early December. He will deliver the keynote
address at a conference at the University of Notre Dame. On this
occasion, His Holiness requested a gathering of young Armenians from
across the United States and Canada to gather in Michigan and engage
in a dialogue with Him, and have the opportunity to learn more about
the Armenian Church.
The weekend gathering is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday December 1,
2 and 3.
The Midwest was selected as the site of the event because of its
central location accessible to both the East and West coasts of the
United States and Canada.
The theme of the event is “Your Church. Your
Future. Engage.” Organizers of the event, which is being sponsored by
the three Prelacies of North America, are forming a roster of events
that will be challenging and engrossing.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: SPEKING OF THE PRESIDENTS’ MEETING STILL UNTIMELY
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 10:12
At this point there is no need for the meeting of the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan. Speaking of it is untimely, said RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, noting that after the November 14th meeting
with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister in Brussels the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chars may visit the region, after which it will be decided
whether the meeting of the Presidents in necessary.
The Minister clarified that the Co-Chairs had suggested several
new ideas at the meeting in Moscow. During the past two weeks
the Armenian side has been discussing these ideas, NKR opinion
has also been considered. The complete position of the Armenian
side was presented October 24 in Paris during the meeting of the
Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan held under the auspice
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-hairs. Vartan Oskanian noted that there
are no common edges so far, but it is not ruled out that during
the next meeting it will become possible to bring the positions
somehow closer. The Foreign Minister noted also that the document
on principles is quite compete and envisages all the questions,
including the right of self-determination of Arsakhi people and the
status of Nagorno Karabakh. According to him, the document may be
accomplished phase by phase. The question of return of territories is
also part of the common package. The question will be discussed when
there is certain clarity connected with the self-determination aright
and the status of NKR. In Oskanian’s word, by saying “territories”
we mean all the territories – Northern parts of Artsakh, Martakert,
Martuni and Shahumyan. All of these are matters of dispute.

UNDP AND HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND JOIN EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE RURAL POVERTY IN ARMENIA
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 10:28
October 25, 2006 in the UN House in Yerevan, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund signed a memorandum
of understanding to closely cooperate in the area of rural poverty
alleviation in Armenia.
Ms. Consuelo Vidal, UNDP resident representative in Armenia and
Ms. Naira Melkumyan, Chief Executive of the Fund signed the memorandum.
Ms. Vidal noted in her speech: “Rural poverty alleviation is a serious
concern both for the government and the United Nations”.
Rural poverty eradication was the focus of the recently held
Armenia-Diaspora Third Conference. UNDP and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
also participated in the conference and presented their respective
programmes in the field.
As of today, village development plans for 20 communities are already
developed with direct participation of the village inhabitants and the
local self-governance bodies, with UNDP’s assistance. UNDP’s support
will not be limited only to infrastructure, but to local projects in
the villages that generate jobs.
“We are very happy with the partnership with Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund that we formally establish today. We strongly believe that through
joining our efforts we will be able to achieve much more in our fight
against poverty in the country,” – mentioned Ms. Vidal.
Ms. Melkumyan, in her answers to the journalists’ questions, mentioned:
“We and UNDP agree on the methods to be used while supporting Armenian
villages.
Namely, we tend to provide means to build houses and not ready-made
houses.
That is, we want to create all the necessary conditions for villagers
to become wealthy. Only in this case we will be successful in our
endeavours.”

SERGE SARGSYAN: THE KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE RESOLVED IN A PEACEFUL WAY AND THROUGH CONCESSIONS
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 12:25
In an interview with the “James” military, political and security
research center RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan expressed confidence
that “the Karabakh conflict should be resolved in a peaceful way and
through concessions.
However, in Serge Sargsyan’s opinion, Azerbaijan’s policy dies
not further this kind of solution. Today Azerbaijani officials are
speaking about the resumption of war. During the last year their
military expenses have doubled.
The Minister stated that according to neutral experts, Azerbaijan
is still incapable to resolve the conflict in a military way. “If
military actions resume, Armenia will again have an advantage. Despite
the result, war will be a blow for the both parties.”
Speaking about oil revenues of Azerbaijan, which it wants to apply
for resolving the Karabakh issue, Serge Sargsyan reminds that in
early 1990s Azerbaijan was again exceeding Armenia with population
and the armaments inherited from the Soviet Union.
“In 1992 they surrounded Armenians of Karabakh, and few believed that
we can succeed. Together with all predictions, the oil revenues will
not provide the advantage they had 14-15 years ago. Then the way of
military resolution failed, and it will ail again. I hope that earlier
or later Azerbaijani authorities will refuse from this approach,”
Serge Sargsyan said.
Turning to Armenia-NATO relations, the Defense Minister referred
to Turkey.
In his opinion, for a long time Turkey’s policy has been defaming
NATO’s reputation in Armenia.
“The Russian military base was founded in Armenia under the conditions
of external danger, and this base has been serving as power preventing
this danger. Unfortunately, this threat persists up to now, since
there has been no improvement in our relations with Turkey. Turkey
upholds the blockade of Armenia, which is actually a hostile action
against us. Turkey defends Azerbaijan in the Karabakh issue and the
improvement of our relations depends on the whim of Azerbaijan.”

TOMORROW IS OCTOBER 27
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 12:48
Tomorrow the opposition “Justice” block will hold a number of mourning
events connected with the 7th anniversary of the terrorist acts in
the Armenian Parliament.
Press Secretary of the “Justice” block Ruzan Khachatryan told ArmInfo
that members and the leadership of the block will lay a wreath of
flower at the graves of the political and public figures that fell
victims of the terrorist act.
It should be noted that representatives of other opposition parties,
and relatives of the victims also participate in the annual mourning
events organized by the “Justice” block. As for the official
parliamentary events, these are usually held at the memorial to the
victims in the yard if the National Assembly.
From: Baghdasarian

FRENCH AMBASSADOR HENRY CUNY AWARDED MKHITAR GOSH MEDAL
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 13:36
RA President Robert Kocharyan had a farewell meeting with the
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France Henry Cuny.
With the presidential decree of 25 October Ambassador Cuny was
awarded a Mkhitar Gosh medal for the considerable contribution to
the reinforcement and development of Armenian-French friendship.
Handing the award to the Ambassador, Robert Kocharyan thanked him
for productive cooperation and noted that he is completing his job
having registered considerable progress in Armenia-France relations.
Henry Cuny expressed gratitude for the great honor and assured that
the award is very dear to him. He highly assessed the warm attitude
of Armenia toward France, considering the medal awarded to him as
the guarantee of Armenian-French friendship. Appreciating France’s
involvement in different spheres, the Ambassador said that every work
has been initiated with great devotion. Henry Cuny wished prosperity
to our country, well-being to the Armenian people and success to the
President in his activity.

AZERBAIJANIS OF TURKEY PROTEST AGAINST ADOPTION OF THE BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT
ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 14:20
Azerbaijani organizations of the Turkish cities of Izmir, Izmit,
Mughla, Antalya, Ankara, Manisa, Edirna and Istanbul held a joint press
conference, where they expressed protest against adoption of the bill
penalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, “Trend” agency reports.
“With all our strength why call on France: No to the Armenian
Genocide,” says the joint statement adopted by Azerbaijani communities
of Turkey.