ARA ABRAHAMYAN: ARMENIA AND DIASPORA SHOULD COOPERATE
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 18:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 450 Armenian NGOs, which were not informed of each
other’s activities, have been registered in Russia till 1999. Them
it was decided to form an organization that would coordinate the
activities of the Armenian Diaspora in Russia. In the course of
formation of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) 90% of the NGOs
broke off activities, the others joined the UAR, Ara Abrahamyan,
the UAR President stated at a press conference in Yerevan. In his
words, about 2 million of Armenians live in Russia at present. Some
500 thousand are citizens of Armenia.
“After the formation of the UAR we decided to form an Armenian
organization that would unite the whole Diaspora. Presently the World
Armenian Congress unites the Armenian communities of 27 states. Our
major problem was the interaction with the Armenian authorities. But
I should underscore that presently the WAC and the Armenian state
structures experience no discrepancies,” he said.
Ara Abrahamyan remarked that the Armenia and Diaspora should work
jointly. “Without the coordination with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs the WAC cannot deal with the Armenian Genocide issue within
international structures. We have prepared a package consisting of
600 questions for submission to the International Tribunal. But the
document will not have weight without the approval of the RA MFA,”
the WAC President said.

ARMENIANS SHOULD JOIN EFFORT FOR GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 18:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met
with the international experts dealing with the Armenian Genocide
issue. The experts are in Yerevan to participate in the conference
organized by the World Armenian Congress (WAC), reported the RA
MFA press office. Expressing gratitude for the contribution to
the Genocide recognition issue Vartan Oskanian welcomes the WAC
initiative. The interlocutors touched upon Turkey’s Genocide denial
policy that is being pursued at the state level and claims significant
resources. They also noted the necessity of joining efforts for the
Genocide recognition.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION CAMPAIGN LACKS COORDINATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 18:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Genocide recognition campaign lacks
coordination, President of the World Armenian Congress (WAC) Ara
Abrahamyan stated at a press conference in Yerevan today. In his words,
the traditional parties of the Diaspora are engaged in maintaining
the culture, language and traditions and pay little attention to
the Genocide issue. “The WAC is called to fill this gap and during
several years already we hold annual international conference with
the participation of outstanding historians, politicians and public
figures to bring the Armenian viewpoint to the notion of the whole
world,” he said.
Meanwhile ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Office Director Kiro
Manoyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that the ARFD have been pressing
for the Armenian Genocide recognition for 45 years already. “As result
18 states including France, Russia, Belgium as well as majority of
the U.S. states recognized the Armenian Genocide,” Manoyan emphisized.

GENOCIDE ARCHIVE PROJECT LAUNCHED SECOND DVD ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2006 19:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Genocide Archive Project, Inc. launched
its second educational DVD, titled “1915 Turkish Genocide of
the Armenians,” specifically to educate students, teachers, and
lawmakers. Hundreds of these DVD were hand-delivered to members of
the U.S. Congress during March and April of this year by the two
major Armenian advocacy groups based in Washington, D.C.
The DVD “1915 Turkish Genocide of the Armenians” consists of a powerful
documentary and survivor accounts, detailing cause, implementation,
German complicity, and aftermath of this World War I genocide. World
indifference towards this progenitor of modern state-sponsored genocide
led directly to its repetition by Nazi Germany against European Jews
and other groups.
This DVD is available to the general public, by contacting the Genocide
Archive Project via email at [email protected].
The Genocide Archive Project is a non-profit foundation dedicated
to educating the general public on genocide and related acts of mass
extermination, in particular through its unique digital archives and
wide range of academic resources.

ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN IS STILL PRESIDENT OF THE NA
A1+
[08:16 pm] 17 May, 2006
On May 17 RA NA President Arthur Baghdasaryan received Stephen Nix,
Director on Eurasian affairs of the US International Republican
Institute and political expert Rasa Alisauske.
During the meeting issues about the IRI activity in Armenia were
discussed. The sides found the enhancing of democratic reforms
important. The guests represented the results of the investigations
about different problems to Arthur Baghdasaryan.

ARA ABRAHAMYAN WILL PARTICIPATE BUT WON’T INTERFERE
A1+
[08:41 pm] 17 May, 2006
We are so far unsuccessful in uniting the Armenian Diaspora, and only
the Armenians of Russian keep working without disagreements. This
is the opinion of Ara Abrahamyan, head of the Union of Armenians of
Russia and President of the World Armenian Congress.
“In 1999 there were about 450Armenian NGOs. I applied to them in
connection with the elections the next year and it turned out that
they are not liked to each other and are not a political power. So
the idea to create the Union of Armenians of Russia was born.
Later on the NGOs either disappeared or joined us, and we were able to
do considerable work together and to keep up our interests in Russia,”
he said.
Speaking about his participation in the inner political events of
Armenia Ara Abrahamyan said that 500 thousand citizens of Armenia
live in Russia and he cannot but participate in the coming elections.
“We will participate but we will not interfere.
Armenia is an independent state,” Mr. Abrahamyan said.
Speaking about his relationships with the political parties
Mr. Abrahamyan noted that he has meet the representatives of all the
parties and discussed variants of efficient cooperation which have
nothing to do with politics.
As for the information about him supporting the newly created party
“Unity for the Sake of Armenia”, Mr. Abrahamyan did not refute it,
“We are ready to support them if it helps Armenia.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MANOUCHARYAN WILL REMAIN IN “AJAX”
A1+
[08:53 pm] 17 May, 2006
19-year old Armenian football player Edgar Manoucharyan will continue
playing with FC Ajax from Amsterdam which he joined in summer of 2005.
Manoucharyan’s knee has recently been operated on. He will return
to the field at the beginning of July and start to prepare for the
coming championship of the country.
Let us remind you that Manoucharyan rarely played in his team as he
underwent medical treatment for a long time.

ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN NOT TO BECOME SAHAKASHVILI
Panorama.am
16:33 17/05/06
According to forecasts NA deputy Hmaiak Hovhannisyan, political
scientist, Arthur Baghdasaryan will not become Sahakashvili because
Robert Kocharyan is not Leonid Kuchma or Eduard Shevardnadze. To H.
Hovhannisyan, R. Kocharyan’s image reminds him of Yeltsin. Those
political forces that left the ruling power during Yeltsin’s governance
never won next elections. Thus far, Hovhannisyan predictions
were realistic so we may expect that Arthur Baghdasaryan cannot
have considerable success either in 2007 or in 2008. Hovhannisyan
predicted 6 months ago that Orinats Yerkir will withdraw from the
ruling coalition and Sergo Yeritsian, second person in the party,
will leave the party the first. As we see Hovhannisyan was not wrong.
Predicting possible outcomes for the upcoming elections, the
deputy told a news conference today that Republicans will come up
as “a super party” which the president does not want. According to
Hovhannisyan’s forecasts, Serj Sargsyan will become the prime minister
after economically guided 2007 elections.

ANOTHER ILLEGAL CHAIRMAN? …AND THAT IS RADIK MARTIROSOVICH
Panorama.am
16:34 17/05/06
Today Radik MARTIROSYAN, YSU former rector, academician was elected as
the president of National Assembly with 46 of votes. 27 academicians
voted against and 6 ballot papers were considered invalid.
His rivals Lenser Aghalovyan received 35 votes and Eduard Ghazaryan
-36.
So, the talks that Radik Maritorisyan was promised this position
by the ruling authorities upon his resignation of the rector’s post
proved to be reality.
Once again an illegal president is going to rule the Academy
of Sciences. The point is that according to the Law on State Non
-commercial Organizations the presidents of such organizations should
not be above 65.
“There is no age limit in any country. The president of the academy
has another status,” closed the issue the newly elected president.
Yuri SARGSYAN, Rector of Engineering University does not see
any contradictions between the election procedures and academy
charter. Although it was clear that he himself did not put his
candidacy because he is above 65. Academician Anri NERSISYAN, on the
other hand, notices contradictions between the law and AS charter. “I
don’t know why they recall it only now,” he said.
Another academician Rafael GHAZARYAN said he would prefer either
Lenser Aghalovyan or Eduard Ghazaryan.
“They are young and have contributed a lot to the academy,” he said.
The newly elected president stated that there are going to be
reductions in the academy. He refuted the rumors that election bribes
were given out. “I don’t have money to give out,” he said. Lenser
Aghalovyan, on his own turn, doubted that academicians would take
bribes “no matter how hungry they are,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WE ARE GOING TO APPLY TO INTERNATIONAL COURT
Panorama.am
16:56 17/05/06
The Armenian foreign ministry on behalf of the government expressed its
support to the experts on Armenian genocide working within the World
Armenian Congress. “Our dispositions were very seriously discussed
for the first time,” Ara Abrahamayan, the Head of World Armenian
Congress told reporters today.
In his words, in the course of three years the experts have come up
with proposals but no conclusions have been drown yet. Abrahayman
could not say either when such conclusions will be reached.
Several experts have suggested applying to the international court
but that is not going to be soon.
The experts are ready for court procedure and have developed 200
questions which may be asked during interviews.