US State Department Denies Turkey Linked to Recall of Evans
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 14:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US State Department denies that Turkey
communicated with them in any fashion regarding US Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Executive Director Aram Hamparian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. This
denial is simply not credible given Turkey’s past conduct, Hamparian
said.
It should be reminded that during a meeting with San Francisco Armenian
community February 19, 2005 J.
Evans said, “recognition of the Armenian Genocide is important.” “Today
I will call it Armenian Genocide,” Evans stated. US Administration
and officials are used to avoiding the term “genocide”. “No US
official ever denied this fact – I believe playing with words in
this case would not suit Americans,” Evans said. “I believe things
should be called their proper names, however US official policy has
not changed yet, as ties with Turkey are available within the NATO,
especially in the military field.” “The Armenian Genocide was the
first genocide in the 20th century. I assure you that we are going
to work well over this problem,” John Evans added.
Later on, when delivering a speech at the US Embassy in Armenia
February 28, 2005, John Evans wished to clarify his statement,
made February 19, reports IA Regnum. “I want to explain the US
policy. The definitions on the tragedy of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey and future status of Nagorno Karabakh that I assumed during an
unofficial meeting with the US Armenian community can give cause for
misunderstanding.” “In spite I noted that the US policy towards the
Armenian tragedy did not change, I used the word “genocide”, which
reflected my personal point of view – that of John Evans and not a
politician. However, it was inappropriate,” the Ambassador stated.

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN SAYS YOUTH HAS WISDOM BUT IS ISOLATED
Panorama.am
14:40 18/07/06
NA deputy Shavarsh Kocharyan told a seminar on opportunities opened
up for youth by European integration processes that youth does not
play active role, trying to be away from politics. He explained
that many international programs help young people to leave Armenia
and they never come back. In his words, the Armenian youth has a
significantly different mentality. Being born under authoritarian
regime where there are no fair rules of the game, they try to be
flexible to survive. Referring to Freedom House statistics data,
however, Kocharyan said that Armenia is moving away from authoritarian
indicators unlike Georgia and Azerbaijan. Concurrently, he said Armenia
is still considered a semi-established one-man state./Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN TO HOST EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS; On August 9-11 the National Association
of Armenian Photographers will hold an open-air exhibition of Armenian
photographs.
The venue of the exhibition is the Moscow Lane.
Sergey Hakobian, the chairman of the Association, said that will be
the first such festival in Armenia.
He said the exhibition will display the works of around 40
photographers from Armenia, Diaspora and Nagorno-Karabakh.

ARMENIA FLIES 103 PEOPLE HOME FROM LEBANON
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: Armenia flew another 103 Armenians
out of Lebanon on late Monday, part of whom were Armenian citizens
and the rest Lebanese Armenians who decided to spend some time in
Armenia until Israeli stops attacks. The Armenians were first taken
to Syria’s Aleppo and flown home from there.
The first group of Armenians from Lebanon arrived home on July 15. A
spokesman for Armenian foreign ministry, Vladimir Karapetian, said to
Armenpress the Armenian embassy in Beirut received new staff members
to help evacuate Armenians.
He said the Armenian foreign ministry is maintaining constant contacts
with Armenian consulate in Israel. He said in case some of Armenians
in Israel decided to leave the consulate will help them do it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOURTH ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPING PLATOON TO FLY TO IRAQ LATER THIS MONTH
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: The fourth 46-member contingent of
Armenian peacekeepers comprising truck drivers, sappers and medics
will leave for Iraq during the last week of July, Armenian defense
ministry said.
Armenians participate in the multinational force in Iraq. Each shift
serves for approximately six months, contributing to international
efforts to support Iraq’s growing democracy and ensure a peaceful
and prosperous future for the Iraqi people.
Armenians are deployed in Alkut town, 100 km off Baghdad. Armenian
parliament voted recently to extend the presence of its troops in
Iraq until January 2007.

Vardan Oskanyan off to Bosnia and Herzegovina
ArmRadio.am
18.07.2006 11:05
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian will depart for Sarajevo, where
he will meet with his counterpart Mladen IvaniÄ~G. A joint press
conference will follow the meeting. Later the same day, Minister
Oskanian will leave for Banja Luka to participate in the opening
ceremony of the Davis Cup tournament with participation of Armenian
national team.
On June 20, Minister Oskanian’s visit to the Common Institutions of
Bosnia and Herzegovina is scheduled, as well as meetings with Adnan
TerziÄ~G, Chairman of the Council of Ministers, representatives of
the Parliamentary Assembly, and the members of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Presidency
–Boundary_(ID_gAokfU1ZbLB szFZyy1tNJw)–

Second pan-Armenian educational consultation meeting to start in Armenia
ArmRadio.am
18.07.2006 11:16
Second pan-Armenian educational consultation meeting will start
in Armenia today. Headmasters of educational establishments
of the Diaspora, teachers, representatives of organizations and
establishments engaged in the issues of education, other specialists
of the sphere will participate in the event.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NA to continue the consultations over the Electoral Code
ArmRadio.am
18.07.2006 11:45
Today Parliamentary groups and facions will continue the consultations
over the amendments to the Electoral Code at NA Chairman Tigran
Torosyan’s Office.

House members disturbed by State Department non-response to Congressional
inquiry on Ambassador Evans’ firing
ArmRadio.am
18.07.2006 13:54
Members of the US House of Representatives have expressed
disappointment at the Administration’s repeated failure to provide
a clear and straightforward explanation for the dismissal of US
Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans, even as the State Department
issued yet another letter sidestepping the issue, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
In their response to the May 22nd letter spearheaded by Rep. Edward
Markey (D-MA) and cosigned by 60 House members, Assistant Secretary
for Legislative Affairs Jeffrey Bergner failed, once again, to address
reports that Ambassador Evans’ was being recalled for his statements
on the Armenian Genocide. The letter began with the well-worn refrain
that “All Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the President and as
advocates of the President’s policies.” He went on to argue that,
“allegations that the US is removing Ambassador Evans under pressure
from the Government of Turkey are simply untrue,” despite the fact
that numerous Turkish press accounts in March of 2005 reported that
then Turkish Ambassador to the US Faruk Logoglu did indeed protest
Ambassador Evans’ remarks to State Department officials.
The State Department’s letter, sent to House Members on July 11th,
went on to state that “The United States has never denied the tragic
events of 1915. .
. . We believe this tragedy is of such enormous human significance that
its characterization should be determined through heartfelt dialogue,
not through diplomatic or political proclamations.”
Several House Members immediately reacted to the response, expressing
concern that the State Department has, yet again, avoided providing
a clear reasoning for the Ambassador Evans firing.
In their letter to the State Department, Rep. Markey and fellow
Congressional cosigners expressed special concern about the destructive
precedent of recalling a US diplomat for speaking truthfully on
matters of historical record.
They wrote that, “we must not allow the perception to linger that
Ambassador Evans is being required to vacate his position early for
accurately labeling the cataclysmic events of 1915 as genocide.” The
Representatives, noting President Ronald Reagan’s references to
the Armenian Genocide, reminded Secretary Rice that Amb. Evans “did
nothing more than succinctly repeat the conclusions enunciated by
those before him.”
The Congressional signatories also expressed concern about the role of
the Government of Turkey in the impending removal of Ambassador Evans
from his posting. “Were the United States to allow the views or beliefs
of a third country to interfere with our diplomatic postings to the
Republic of Armenia,” wrote the House members, “it would establish a
dangerous precedent and be injurious to the long- standing relationship
built on trust and friendship between the two countries.”

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza to visit Armenia and
Azerbaijan
ArmRadio.am
18.07.2006 15:00
US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza will visit Armenia
and Azerbaijan on July 31 and August 1, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov told the journalists, “Interfax” reports.
In his words, Bryza will arrive in Yerevan and Baku to discuss new
suggestions directed at the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. “We
were told that Bryza has new suggestions, which he wants to discuss,”
Mammadyarov said. He particularly noted that in case Azerbaijan finds
an opportunity of progress in the negotiations over the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict, Baku might approve of the recurrent meeting
between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. “For two
years we have been working on the main principles, most of which have
been agreed upon. However, some questions still persist, and if Bryza
brings new ideas, we’ll be ready to continue the process. In case
of necessity, we may arrange a meeting as well,” the Azeri Foreign
Minister noted.