JAPAN HOPES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 15:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 24 newly appointed Japanese Ambassador
to Armenia Yasuo Saito (residence in Moscow) presented copies of
credentials to Deputy FM of Armenia Gegham Gharibjanyan, reports the
Press Office of the American MFA. During the meeting the Japanese
diplomat noted the importance of development of Japanese-Armenian
relations and hoped for strengthening these. He expressed readiness to
contribute to that goal. The parties discussed the matter of opening
Armenian Embassy in Japan and that of Japan in Armenia, as well as
international matters, specifically nuclear tests in North Korea.
Gharibjanyan also briefed the Ambassador on the current situation
with the Karabakh issue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXHIBITION ON RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN CULTURAL TIES TO OPEN IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 15:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 26 within the Year of Armenia in Russia an
exhibition titled Dialogue of Two Cultures: Russian-Armenian Cultural
Ties in 19-20th Centuries will open in the Polytechnic Museum.
According to the Press Office of the Armenian Embassy in Russia,
the exhibition is held in the two capitals – Yerevan (opening was
October 5) and then Moscow – with an interval of three weeks. The
exhibition will feature documented materials of eminent writers,
artists, actors, film directors, scholars and public figures: Ivan
(Hovhannes) Ayvazovsky, Constantine Halabyan, Victor Hambardzumyan,
Eduard Asadov, Arno Babajanyan, Yevgeny Vakhtangov, Armen Jigarkhanyan,
Zara Dolukhanova, Leonid Yengibarov, Komitas, Lev Kulijanov, Sergey
Parajanov, Martiros Saryan, Aram Khachaturyan and others.
The exposition includes over 100 items, among which are ancient
lithographs, autographs of literature works and notes, sketches,
portraits of writers, artists and musicians, memorial items, biographic
documents, materials on the history of the Armenian Church in Russia
and others.
The National Archive of Armenia, Russian State Archive of Literature
and Art, Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, Russian State Archive
of Cinema and Photo Documents, reports the Yerkramas, the newspaper
of Armenians of Russia.

KOCHARIAN TO MEET PUTIN IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 15:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 30 Armenian and Russian Presidents Robert
Kocharian and Vladimir Putin will meet in Moscow. As the Press
Secretary to the Armenian President told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter,
during the meeting a wide range of matters of bilateral relations,
as well as regional issues, including the Nagorno Karabakh settlement
will be discussed. October 30-31 the Armenian President will be in
Russia on a working call.

OSCE MG CONSIDERS OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING “CONSTRUCTIVE”
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.20 06 16:18 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group called the meeting
of Armenian and Azeri FMs Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mammadyarov
yesterday constructive.
“The two Ministers had a constructive meeting in a very frank and
ingenuous atmosphere,” says a statement of the Russian, French and
US mediators. According to it, the Armenian and Azeri FMs in Paris
discussed proposals on the Nagorno Karabakh status, presented by the
co-chairs at the Moscow meeting, reports RFE/RL.

RUSSIA’S ACTIONS REGARDING GEORGIA AIMED TO PREVENT BLOODSHED
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 17:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “People in Abkhazia, South Ossetia are worried by
militarization of Georgia. So are we.
The aggravation of the Russian-Georgian relations is due to it – the
attempt or arrangements of a possible solution of the Abkhazian and
South Ossetian issues by force,” Russian President Vladimir Putin
said during a live news conference today. “If Georgian leadership
resorts to that, it will be a great mistake. If people want to live
peacefully, they need to use all peaceful tools, compromises. Our
latest actions regarding Georgia are not aimed at its plans to join
the NATO or something else. Any state is sovereign and it determines
how to secure itself. Our actions are aimed at the sole goal of
preventing bloodshed.”

COOPERATION WITH CIS COUNTRIES ABSOLUTE PRIORITY OF RUSSIA’S FOREIGN POLICY
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 17:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Cooperation with CIS countries is absolute priority
of Russia’s foreign policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said
during a live news conference today. In his words, in the times of
the USSR many peoples lived within one country, which could not leave
the national economy untouched. “Thus we should avail ourselves with
evident competition advantages as compared with other partners,”
Putin said. He also underscored that it is necessary to move not
only towards coordination, but also integration and “processes of
that type are underway.”
Specifically, the state leader reminded of the existence of the United
Economic Space, Eurasian Economic Community, Collective Security Treaty
Organization. At that Putin noted that speaking “of imperialistic
trends and return to the USSR is absolutely groundless.”

NANCY PELOSI: IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT US RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 17:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA),
a longtime supporter of Armenian American issues who is expected to
become Speaker if the Democrats win a majority in the House this
November, pledged today to support Armenian Genocide legislation
next year during in the 110th session of Congress. In a statement
released to Harut Sassounian, Publisher of the California Courier,
Congresswoman Pelosi stated that: “I have supported legislation,
including H.Res.316, that would properly acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide. It is imperative that the United States recognize this
atrocity and move to renew our commitment to eliminate genocide
whenever and wherever it exists. This effort enjoys strong bipartisan
support in the House, and I will continue to support these efforts
in the 110th Congress.”
Congresswoman Pelosi’s statement is consistent with her past record
of energetic and principled support for U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, dating back nearly 20 years, Harut Sassounian told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HOLLAND RAISES “ARMENIAN ISSUE” WITHIN EU AND IN CONTACTS WITH TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 18:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Representatives of the Federation of Armenian
Organizations in the Netherlands (FAON) met today with Minister
of Immigration and Integration Rita Verdonk. As the FAON told the
PanARMENIAN.Net, the reason for this meeting was connected with the
commotion after the removal of three MP candidates of Turkish descent
from the candidates’ lists of CDA (Christian Democrat Party) and PvdA
(Labor Party) for publicly denying the Armenian Genocide. In response
to that Minister Verdonk underlined that in the international context
the Dutch government has raised the Armenian question repeatedly,
both in EU framework and in the bilateral contacts with Turkey and
will continue to do so. The Armenian Federation, that got the ball
rolling on the matter of the MP candidates through a letter to the
CDA, expressed concern towards the minister on the one-sided way in
which particularly Turks in the Netherlands are informed about this
episode of the history, which hampers their integration into Dutch
society. Moreover, because of current Turkish legislation, it is in
fact impossible for Turks, also those living in the Netherlands,
to give other opinions on the Armenian Genocide than the official
Turkish point of view. The FAON for this reason urged the minister
to adapt the education program on this subject. By means of objective
material, attention should be paid to this history on different levels,
as is the case in neighboring countries, in one package together
with the Holocaust and other genocides. The Institute for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam can play an important role in this
matter. Minister Verdonk promised that she will transmit the request
of the FAON concerning the adaptation of the history curriculum on
this subject to her colleague of Education, Culture and Sciences. The
minister subscribes to the need of sound provision of information on
the matter.
Additionally, the FAON asked for an active attitude of the Dutch
government by acting against denial on Internet sites stirring up
hatred, and other forms of public denial, minimization, justification
or reversing of the Armenian Genocide; action is also necessary against
hackers who continuously try to destroy Dutch and Armenian internet
websites. In response to this request, minister Verdonk promised to
ask the Dutch Complaints Bureau for Discrimination on the Internet
(MDI) to be alert to any form of discrimination towards Armenians.

IRANIAN GAS DELIVERY VIA IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE TO START DECEMBER 20
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2006 18:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian gas will be received in Armenia via the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline earlier than planned, stated Director
of High-Voltage Electric Grids – the customer, which has ordered
the building of the Armenian part of the gas pipeline – Sahak
Abrahamyan. In his words, the gas pipeline is expected to be
commissioned December 20 this year instead of January 1, 2007. Sahak
Abrahamyan also reported that the building works on the 38-kilometer
part of the 40-km lot of Meghri-Kajaran are over. The estimated cost
of the building of the 40-km lot is $35 million.
80% of this sum are lent by the Iranian Development Bank to the
Armenian party, while the rest will be allocated from own sources,
reports IA Regnum.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARCHBISHOP MUTAFIAN, AGAIN TURKEY’S SPOKESPERSON
By Murad Muradian, Oct. 14 editorial of The Armenian Mirror Spectator
AZG Armenian Daily
26/10/2006
It is hard to figure out if Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, Patriarch of
Istanbul, is running scared of the Turks for whom he obviously has
deep affection, or whether he simply opposes anything favorable for
Armenia and Armenians in general.
What is galling is the honor he is given in some newspapers as the
“leader” of Armenians in Turkey. A leader of Armenians hopefully does
not undermine leaders of the Armenian community, Armenian history
or friends of Armenia. What the Turkey-fawning Mutafian fails to
understand is that his words impact upon Armenians and non-Armenians
around the world.
The Turks do not hesitate to splash his comments in international
newspapers because Mutafian has become one of the favored
Ankara-sponsored spokespersons in the world. Unfortunately, his title
receives attention because most persons outside of Turkey do not
know him or his style and assume that he really has deep concerns for
Armenians and Armenia. It is assumed in too many places that because
Mutafian bears an Armenian name that he lives Armenian pain, Armenian
hopes and Armenian dreams as verbalized by most Armenians in general.
That he is now a lobbyist for the Turkish government has become very
obvious. He has indicated many times that the 1.5 million Armenians
slaughtered in the 1915 Genocide share responsibility with the butchers
for their own deaths.
Upon the departure from Armenia of French President Jacques Chirac,
one of Mutafian’s comments as he again kissed the Turkish hand was,
“If Armenians did not lead separation actions… at least 10 million
Armenians would live in Turkey today.” He went on to say that Turkey
would win a lot with that population.
It is interesting that he did not profess sorrow for the Genocide
of Armenians. His main interest was that Turkey would have gained
a lot if the murderers did not butcher the Armenians. It is hard to
imagine that any honest person, much less an Armenian clergyman, has
the audacity to state that the slaughtered Armenian babies, women,
old people, young, sick, etc., were equally responsible with Talaat,
Enver, Djemal and Nazim for the 1915 Genocide.
Of course, Mutafian does not have the courage, or perhaps even
the belief, to state that 1915 was genocide. Keep in mind that he
castigated the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II for having done
so during the latter’s visit to Turkey some weeks ago.
Mutafian objected that Jacques Chirac advanced the Armenian Genocide
as a pre-condition for Turkey’s entrance into the European Union
(EU). Mutafian stated that even if that is what President Chirac wants,
“One must not forget that Louis Michael, the minister of Foreign
Affairs of Belgium, decisively said that one must not put new political
standards before Turkey for membership to the European Union.”
Is this person, Mr. Mutafian, supposed to be a religious leader or
Turkey’s lobbyist? Recalling that he traveled around Europe lobbying
European politicians to allow his masters into the EU, he fits the
description of a lobbyist. Being a political lobbyist for Turkey,
Mr. Mutafian said that Jacques Chirac’s comment that “Turkey must
recognize the Armenian Genocide for membership to the European Union”
might be a “political precept.” In his comments to the Turkish press,
Mr. Mutafian advanced himself as a spokesperson for the Armenians
of Turkey.
One wonders who or what gives him the right to say that it would have
been preferred if the French president attempted to create dialogue
between Armenia and Turkey. For the most part, Armenians to whom I have
spoken who were from Istanbul and now live in the US are embarrassed,
dislike, or find excuses for the comments made by Mutafian.
The excuses are generally that he is frightened of the repressive
government in Turkey and says such things to protect the Armenian
flock. My comment usually is, if this is fact, then Mutafian should
say nothing outside the realm of being a clergyman. A clergyman does
not denigrate proven Armenian/world/genocide history. When anyone says
that the slaughtered Armenians were responsible for their own deaths,
that is abominable and a disgrace. He has become the David Irving
(Holocaust denier) of the Armenian Genocide.
Mutafian’s position and spoken words have even more appalling impact
than David Irving’s books.
Mutafian’s words were spoken to international outlets and will appear
in English, Turkish and German languages, perhaps on TV as well as
in written form. I do not blame Mutafian for wanting Turkey in the EU.
Perhaps he recognizes that the EU will stick by their demands that
Turkey must be a democracy before being allowed into that prestigious
body. And if Turkey does become a democracy and is allowed into the
EU all citizens of the country will benefit, including the Armenian
flock. But it is not necessary for Mutafian to join the Genocide
denier club for that to happen.
Mutafian wants Turkey to be able to write its own rules for entrance
into the EU instead of Turkey complying with rules set up for
Turkey. The Turks object to rules that specifically apply to them. If
one of the leading Europeans (Jacques Chirac) wants to satisfy the
demands of 400,000 French Armenians and countless non-Armenians in
France and Europe for Turkey to recognize 1915 as genocide, it is
unseemly for a wannabe Turk like Mutafian to object.
Why is it appropriate to have rules specifically applicable to Turkey
to join the EU? Point out another wannabe nation to the EU that has
as abysmal a human rights history as Turkey does. What other nation
that aspires to the EU currently threatens to invade northern Iraq to
get its way, and particularly to get oil that is in short supply? Let
us not overlook that Foreign Minister Gul of Turkey threatened to
invade northern Iraq because of comments made about Kurds by President
Talabani of Iraq.
Perhaps Mutafian has lived so long in Turkey under pressure from the
government that he has forgotten what truth and human rights are. One
does not have to be an Armenian to understand these things. So much
the greater shame for the current Patriarch sitting in Istanbul.