Without your love
Armenian song online

esctoday.com, Netherlands
March 17 2006

Armenian broadcaster ARMTV have officially released the song which
will represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest, to take
place in Athens, Greece.

Earlier in the year ARMTV, the national broadcaster of Armenia,
launched a Eurovision website. On this site, all the facts about the
very first Armenian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest can be found,
now including the video and audio of the song.

You can visit the official ARMTV Eurovision website by clicking this
link

Armenia participates for the very first time in the Eurovision Song
Contest and shall therefore compete in the semi final on May 18th.
The song will be performed by Andre (pictured), the Armenian Singer
of the Year of both 2004 and 2005.

Congressional Record: March 15, 2006 (Extensions)
> > From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access
> > [wais.access.gpo.gov]

A TRIBUTE TO SETA SIMONIAN
HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Seta Simonian, of
Glendale, California. Each year In March, in recognition of Women’s History
Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by
our nation’s women.

Ms. Simonian’s community involvement demonstrates her devotion to education
and art, because she believes in promoting and preserving the treasures and
the beauty of Armenian culture and heritage.

Seta was born in Aleppo, Syria, and at age 11 moved to Beirut, Lebanon.

Upon graduating from the American University of Beirut at the age of 22, she
married Hratch Simonian. The Simonians lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for
8 years, then moved to California in 1985. Since 1987, Seta, her husband,
and their two children, Karin and Sebouh, have resided in Glendale,
California.

Soon after moving to California, Ms. Simonian cofounded and chaired the
Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Society of Pasadena. She is a current
member of Arvest and Artee Cultural Groups of Hamazkayin, and since 1994,
has been the chair of the Hamazkayin Music Committee which collaborates with
artists in Armenia and releases authentic CDs and classical Armenian music.

She is currently an assistant for the Hamazkayin Student Forum held in
Armenia every summer. Seta served as an Anchor for Horizon Armenian TV in
Glendale for three years. A cofounder of the Committee of Armenian Students
in the Public Schools, she is also a member of the Armenian Cultural
Foundation, Armenian Educational Foundation, Armenian International Women’s
Association, the National Education Association, and the California and
Glendale Teachers’ Associations.

Seta received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the American
University of Beirut, and a master’s in education administration from
California State University Los Angeles. She has a teaching diploma, a
bilingual teaching certificate, and has completed an Armenian Studies
program.

A wonderful role model for her students, Seta has been a teacher for over
30 years and is currently teaching math at Wilson Middle School in Glendale.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring an outstanding
woman of California’s 29th Congressional District, Seta Simonian.

March 22 – Los Angeles, CA (8:30 to 4:00 pm) BISNIS
briefing on doing business in Eurasia BISNIS Trade
Specialist Desi Jordanoff will make presentation and
then be available for scheduled one-on-one meetings
Point of Contact at BISNIS:
[email protected]
nis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/Mar22Bisnis.pdf

March 23-25 – Anaheim, CA (All day)
BISNIS Participation in Natural Products Expo West
BISNIS Trade Specialist Desi Jordanoff will
participate in ~SShowtime~T ~V an opportunity for
individual counseling sessions ~V in conjunction with
local US Export Assistance Center Point of Contact at
BISNIS: [email protected]
w2006.html

April 6 ~V Las Vegas, NV (All day)
Waste Expo
Participation in ~SShowtime~T ~V an opportunity for
individual counseling sessions ~V in conjunction with
the local US Export Assistant Center BISNIS Tajikistan
representative Jamshed Rahmonberdiev will be present
as well as BISNIS International Economist Chris
Christov Point of Contact at BISNIS:
[email protected]

April 10-12 – Las Vegas, NV (All day)
Power Gen Renewable Energy
Participation in programs put together by local US
Export Assistance Center Point of Contact at BISNIS:
[email protected]

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/16/2006
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1) US Assistant Secretary of State Visits Armenia
2) Turks in Germany Rally Honor Talaat Pasha
3) Istanbul University Hosts Conference on Turkish-Armenian Relations
4) Armenian Vice-Speaker Meets with Armenian Youth of Moscow

1) US Assistant Secretary of State Visits Armenia

YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Armenpress)–On the last leg of his regional tour, US Deputy
Secretary of State Daniel Fried met Thursday with Armenia’s President Robert
Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, and Defense Minister Serge
Sargsian.
Fried, who also visited Azerbaijan and Georgia, said the goal of his trip was
to study the situation in the region after the Rambouillet meeting between the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as to discuss a number of issues
pertaining to the future of the region, including energy security.
Steven Mann, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair from the United States, accompanied
the
US deputy secretary of state to Yerevan and said: “It is a difficult fact that
we did not move ahead at Rambouillet. But the two countries’ presidents are
willing to move forward.”
Fried says he believes there is still an opportunity for Armenia and
Azerbaijan to make a breakthrough in the Karabagh settlement process. He said
he is convinced that negotiations can be continued despite the lack of
progress
at the latest round of high-level talks at Rambouillet.
“Both governments express their countries’ interests and take the Karabagh
settlement process seriously,” Fried said, sharing with the media his
impressions of the meetings with officials in Baku and Yerevan.
He added that the settlement of the conflict will stimulate the economic
progress of the region.
Fried also addressed energy issues at a news conference in Yerevan. He said
the US would not object to the Armenian government’s ambitious plans to
build
a new nuclear power station replacing the Medzamor plant, which is due to be
decommissioned by 2016.
Fried said after recent explosions in the pipeline that ships Russian gas to
the South Caucasus, the US and Europe have been paying greater attention to
the
energy situation in the region and the need to cut its heavy dependence on
Russian fuel supplies.
He said Armenia’s desire to build a new nuclear power plant will be discussed
in Washington.
During his trip, Fried also denied media allegations that US ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans, would be recalled soon, allegedly for acknowledging
publicly last year that 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was
genocide.
“Ambassador Evans enjoys the confidence of the State Department and will
continue to serve as US ambassador to Armenia,” he said.
Ambassador Evans who was also present at the news conference reiterated what
he had said earlier: “I serve at the pleasure of US president.”
Fried said the US Government is also interested in the democratic
situation in
Armenia.
The American diplomats left Yerevan for Istanbul later on Thursday to
attend a
meeting of the Minsk Group cochairmen due to be held there.

2) Turks in Germany Rally Honor Talaat Pasha

BERLINAfter German courts overruled the Berlin Police Department’s decision to
stop the Turkish march in honor of Talaat Pasha, around 20 Turks gathered in
Berlin to honor one of the masterminds of the Armenian genocide.
This group of Turks, however, was prevented from placing a wreath at the foot
of a memorial dedicated to victims of the Nazi regime in Germany. A group
consisting of both Armenians and Germans blocked the Turks from placing the
wreath there, because they considered honoring a perpetrator of genocide to be
disrespectful to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust.
Following these developments, the Berlin Police Department has submitted a
request to the court to stop another planned Turkish rally scheduled for
Saturday, March 18. The court will rule on the matter Friday.
The court’s ruling will be based on the German law that forbids denial of the
Holocaust. It is unclear whether that law can be applied to the denial of
other
genocides as well.

3) Istanbul University Hosts Conference on Turkish-Armenian Relations

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)–Some 70 Turkish and foreign academics gathered in
Istanbul on Wednesday for a three-day conference titled “A New Approach to
Turkish-Armenian Relations.”
In a rare move, the gathering, organized by Istanbul University, included
presenters of all convictions, but it was largely dominated by historians and
officials who defend Turkey’s official position on the Armenian genocide.
Turkey categorically denies that 1.5 million Armenians were victims of
genocide under its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire.
Twenty-four historians from around the world attended the conference, which
failed to fill up even half of the hall’s 2000 seats. Historians and experts
from Armenia were also invited to the conference. However, they refused to
participate.
Historian Ara Sarafian, who did participate in the conference, told reporters
outside the conference hall that the Genocide is a historical fact, during
which several of his family members lost their lives.
In the first session of the conference, Yair Auron, an Israeli researcher of
Jewish archives from Ottoman times, openly used the term “genocide” and
appealed to Turks to question their past.
“Every civil society has to deal with its past, including the black pages of
this past,” Auron said.
In a message sent to the conference, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
stressed that Turkey is at peace with its past, saying, “We have no page in
our
history to be ashamed of.”
Noting that many conferences and symposiums have been held in Turkey recently
on the Armenian allegations, Gul said, “There has been an increase in the
amount of scientific research, articles and books published about the last
period of the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian genocide claims.”
In a rare move, books deviating from the official Turkish position were made
available at the entrance to the conference hall.
One of the books displayed by Sarafian caused a stir among some of the
Turkish
participants who were offended by the way the Turkish flag was presented on
the
cover. Sarafian subsequently removed the book’s jacket cover, but one
participant continued to verbally assault Sarafian until others intervened.
Turkey has only recently begun discussing the taboo subject of the Armenian
genocide, which many countries have recognized.
In September of last year, a private Istanbul university hosted a landmark
conference organized by Turkish intellectuals disputing Ankara’s official line
on the issue, despite a court order to block it.

4) Armenian Vice-Speaker Meets with Armenian Youth of Moscow

(PanArmenian.Net)–Mitk Union of Armenian Youth organized a meeting between
representatives of Moscow’s Armenian youth organizations and Armenian
Parliamentary Vice-Speaker and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau
member Vahan Hovhannisian.
During the meeting, Hovannisian discussed issues relating to Armenia’s
development, Russian-Armenian cooperation, and Armenia-diaspora relations. He
also spoke about the geopolitical situation in the region and the Karabagh
conflict settlement.
Mitk is a project organized by the Russian-Armenian Commonwealth NGO. Members
of the Mitk Friends’ Club are given the opportunity to meet with Russian and
Armenian politicians and public figures.

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STEVEN MANN: U.S. IS READY TO ASSIST KARABAKH PROCESS IN BEST POSSIBLE WAY

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “I think the
negotiations process on Nagorno Karabakh problem should continue,”
Steven Mann, OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chairman, declared at the
March 16 joint press conference with Daniel Fried, U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

He informed that before coming to Armenia he and Daniel Fried have
met with OSCE Minsk Group another Co-chairmen, had a consultation
with them and coordinated the issues to be discussed in Baku and
Yerevan getting the Co-chairmens’ full support.

As for the issue, why it was decided to hold the Co-chairmen’s
meeting in Istanbul, the American diplomat said that “he wanted to
find a convenient place to tell his colleagues about the results of
his visits to Baku and Yerevan, so the choice of the place wasn’t of
essential importance”.

According to S.Mann, during this visit he and D.Fried wanted to
find out “how to move forward from this moment”. “The fact that no
progress was registered in Rambouillet is a difficult problem but
at the Presidents’ meeting we saw that the sides have readiness to
move forward and the U.S. is ready to assist this process in the best
possible way,” the Minsk Group American Co-chairman declared.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State in his turn gave assurance that
the governments of both of the countries represent the interests of
their countries in the negotiations process. Both of the countries
treat the Nagorno Karabakh problem seriously as this is an important
and significant issue for these countries,” Fried mentioned.

As for the issue of pre-term recall of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans, the Ambassador himself declared that he serves the
U.S. President and Daniel Fried mentioned that he has worked with
Ambassador Evans for 20 years and will continue working with him as
long as the Ambassador will work”.

PRESIDENT ALIYEV: “ARMENIA WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RIVAL WITH AZERBAIJAN”

Today, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006

Armenia will never be able rival with Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev stated on March 16 to an opening ceremony of the 2nd
Congress of the World Azerbaijanis.

Azerbaijan strengthens its power mint year by year and this year
its military budget is $600m. “I have charged recently to make equal
the military budget of Azerbaijan to public budget of Armenia in the
near future,” President said. “Armenia will never be able to rival
with Azerbaijan.”

According to Trend, Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan should reconsider
its participation in peace talks on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution if it founds Armenia violating the peace process and
showing unconstructive approach.

“The 12-year peace talks yielded no results, while it is unknown how
long will they continue. We are loyal to peace talks, but our patience
expires when we face with unconstructive position by Armenia. If
Azerbaijan sees the negotiation process to be of imitation character,
it will refuse from participation in it,” he stressed.

“Azerbaijan neither within 10 nor 100 years allow the annexation
of Nagorno Karabakh. Any peace agreement is out question without
repatriation of internally displaced persons,” he assured.

URL:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STATE DEPARTMENT AGAIN REFUSES TO DIRECTLY COMMENT ON REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS’ RECALL

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. For the fourth time in the last week,
the State Department’s official spokesperson has failed to directly
respond to questions raised by journalists during the Department’s
daily press briefing about reports that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
John Marshall Evans, has been recalled due to his truthful statements
on the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA). “It’s certainly disappointing seeing State Department
officials hiding behind their spokesperson to avoid directly answering
questions about whether Ambassador Evans is being recalled because
he had the courage to stand up against what effectively amounts to a
‘gag-rule’ preventing our nation’s diplomats from speaking truthfully
about the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in a March 8th letter to
Secretary Rice, wrote that, “If, in fact, the State Department has
taken punitive steps against Ambassador Evans, you should fully and
openly explain your policies and actions to the American people. If,
on the other hand, the Department has not taken any such steps, you
owe it to the American people to affirm that it is not the policy
of the United States of America to punish its diplomats for speaking
the truth about the Armenian Genocide.”

Questions concerning Ambassador Evans were raised on March 8th and
March 10th and again on March 13th and 14th. Each time journalists
asked for official comments about Ambassador Evans’ reported recall.

Reflecting the growing frustration among journalists over the lack of
a clear response to their inquiries, a member of the State Department
press corps publicly described the answers provided by the official
spokesperson as “a bit of a dodge.” The growing controversy surrounding
reports of Amb. Evans’ recall has resulted in separate letters being
sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from ANCA Chairman Ken
Hachikian and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the Co-Chairman of the
Armenian Issues Caucus, as well as formal Congressional inquiries by
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA).

Speaking last year to an Armenian American gathering at the University
of California at Berkeley, Amb. Evans said, “I will today call it the
Armenian Genocide. . . I informed myself in depth about it. I think
we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank
and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone who has
studied it. there’s no doubt in my mind [as to] what happened . . . I
think it is unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games here. I
believe in calling things by their name.”

Referring to the Armenian Genocide as “the first genocide of the 20th
century,” he said: “I pledge to you, we are going to do a better
job at addressing this issue.” Amb. Evans also disclosed that he
had consulted with a legal advisor at the State Department who had
confirmed that the events of 1915 were “genocide by definition.”

Within days after his remarks and the conclusion of a speaking tour
of Armenian American communities, Ambassador Evans was apparently
forced to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the
Armenian Genocide were his personal views and did not represent
a change in U.S. policy. He subsequently issued a correction to
this statement, replacing a reference to the Genocide with the word
“tragedy.” Later last year, the American Foreign Service Association
(AFSA), in recognition of his honesty and commitment to principle,
decided to honor Ambassador Evans with the “Christian A. Herter
Award,” recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within
the Foreign Service. AFSA states, “The purpose of the [award] is
to encourage Foreign Service career employees to speak out frankly
and honestly.” Sadly, as Washington Post staff writer Glenn Kessler
revealed on June 9th, AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from
“very serious people from the State Department” just days before
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington,
D.C. to meet with President George W. Bush.

RISE IN GAS PRICES TO BE COMPENSATED FOR IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. The rise in the price for Russian gas
supplied to Armenia will be compensated for, Chairman of the National
Civil Council for International Affairs, Director of the Institute of
political Research Sergey Markov told reporters in Moscow. According
to him, compensations will be paid in any cases independently of the
rise in gas prices.

“We have a lost of means of compensation. For example, Armenian
students can receive free educations in Russian higher schools, and
Armenian businessmen will have certain tax privileges in Russia,”
Markov said.

He also reported that in discussing the gas prices the sides should
consider the fact that the rise will tell on all the consumers,
including Russian ones. “The task of raising the gas prices is bringing
gas prices to the international level, and no discrimination should
be seen in this,” Markov said.

>>From April 1, 2006, the Russian “Gasprom” company plans to raise the
price for gas supplied to Armenia up to $110 for 1,000 cubic meters.

The negotiations over the “gas issue” with the participation of
Director General of the Armenian-Russian “ArmRosgasprom” CJSC JV
Karen Karapetyan are still under way in Moscow.

ARMENIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY BRINGS PURIM TO YOUNG, OLD AND HOMEBOUND

Federation of Jewish Communitites of CIS, Russia
March 16, 2006

YEREVAN, Armenia -In the Armenian capital of Yerevan, local Jews
felt the joy of this holiday, leaving behind their personal problems
and gathering at the ‘Mordechai Navi’ Jewish Community Center for a
good party.

Plenty of rattles for use during the reading of the ‘Megilat Esther’
were waiting for participants in this Purim festivity. On the eve of
the holiday, Chief Rabbi of Armenia Gersh Meir Burshtein read out
this exciting story, which happened many years ago in the Persian
Empire. The kids did their best to make as much noise as possible,
which was heard even outside the JCC.

After reading the ‘Megilat Esther’, the organizers had prepared a
wonderful kosher feast for everybody, featuring the traditional food
of Purim, with homentaschen and wine.

For homebound Jews, who are either sick or else frail and elderly,
community workers brought the merriment of Purim right to their
homes, by paying home visits and bringing them ‘mishloach manot’ –
traditional Purim treats.

A separate Purim festivity for children also occurred. Held in a
local cafe, the youngsters enjoyed a delicious kosher meal and a
lively Purimspiel. These youngest community members wore carnival
masks and costumes, playing the characters of the Purim story.

Following this, Rabbi Burshtein announced a contest for the best Jewish
dance, which involved both children and their parents, the winners
taking home various prizes. As the party wrapped up and community
members headed home, they took with them the joy of being part of
the amazing history of the Jewish people.

D=368593

PUBLIC HEARINGS ON “WHAT ARMENIAN CITIZENS GAINED AND LOST IN 2005” TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON MARCH 16TH

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. Public hearings on “What Armenian citizens
gained and lost in 2005” will be held in Yerevan on March 16th. The
National Civil Initiative reported that a special report of the
Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan on “The Situation with Human
Rights in Armenia in 2005” will be presented during the discussions.

The political secretary of “Legacy” party Vardan Khachatryan also
plans to have a talk concerning the evaluations “for” and “against”
the referendum on constitutional amendments held on November 27th,
2005.