ATTEMPTED ROBBERY FOILED IN CURRENCY EXCHANGE OFFICE
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Yerevan Arabkir Department of the
RA Police received on April 5 an alarm call from the currency exhange
office at 30 Komitas Street. Upon arriving at the scene of the crime,
the operative group found that two unknown persons, one of them armed
with a Voltran gas pistol, had entered the above mentioned office and
tried to steal money from the office employee. However, Arman H, who
was there at that moment, grabbed the pistol from the intruder’s hand
and, firing 3 times into the air, put the robbers to flight. Arman
H. received an injury in the head. The police confiscated the gas
pistol and 3 bullet cases found at the scene. An investigation is
underway.

A.BAGHDASARIAN: BAGRAT YESAYAN DOES NOT SPEAK WITH FACTS
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. “Bagrat Yesayan does not speak with
facts. There are no issues on the RA agenda which were not discussed
for a long time, at least for the simple reason that our agenda is not
too full,” RA National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian said to
journalists on April 6, qualifying RA President’s Advisor B.Yesayan’s
statement concerning the anti-corruption struggle made on the same day
as one not corresponding to reality. At the break of the “Role of RA
NA – Civil Society in Anti-Corruption Struggle” international
conference organized at the Parliament, the RA President’s Advisor
said to journalists that “at last in the last year of its activity,
the NA undertakes one of those most important principles.” “I’m sure
that this statement won’t stay only as words, and we shall not be eye
witnesses of a state, when the most important anti-corruption drafts
remained at the NA for few months, if not for few years,” he
said. B.Yesayan also mentioned that he means, particularly, the drafts
on natural person’s property and income declaring and on
operative-investigation activity as well as the legislative
initiatives on amendments and additions to the Electoral Code aimed to
reducing the list of people with personal immunity.

SERGE SARGSIAN PRESENTS PITER SEMNEBY PRINCIPLES BY WHICH ARMENIAN
SIDE TO BE GUIDED DURING KARABAKH ISSUE SETTLEMENT
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Serge Sargsian, the
Secretary of the RA National Security Council attached to President,
the Defence Minister recieved on April 6 the delegation headed by
Piter Semneby, the Special Representative of the European Union to
South Caucasus. Minister Serge Sargsian congratulated P.Semneby on the
occasion of his new appointment, wishing him successs in his future
activity. The EU Special Representative expressed hope that the
European Union-Armenia mutual relations will enter a new stage during
his officiating. Touching upon the Karabakh conflict settlement, the
sides attached importance to exclusion of re-start of military actions
and security of the continuous character of the negotiation
process. Serge Sargsian again presented those main principles by which
the Armenian side will be guided during the peaceful settlement of the
problem. As Noyan Tapan was informed by Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian,
the RA Defence Minister’s Press Secretary, the participants of the
meeting also exchanged opinions concerning working out the Actions
Plan of Armenia within the framework of the European Neighborhood
Policy, relations of Armenia with neighboring countries and other
issues of bilateral interest. Renate Heike Peitsch, the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the FRG to the RA participated in
the meeting.

AZERIS DECLINES PROPOSAL OF ARMENIAN SIDE TO SUBSTITUTE RADIO
MONITORING BY VISUAL OBSERVATION OF CONTACT LINE
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Within the framework
of the mandate of Andrej Kasprczik, the Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, radio monitoring of the contact line took
place near the village of Barkaber, in the Ijevan-Ghazakh part of the
Armenian-Azeri border, on April 6. At the place of holding the
monitoring, connection was established with the OSCE representatives
who are in the territory of Azerbaijan, headed by Andrej Kasprczik,
shots were fired by the Azerbaijani side during the observation, what
was fixed by the participants of the monitoring. Summing up results of
the monitoring, for increasing productivity of the actions, the
Armenian side proposed the OSCE representatives to substitute in
future the radio monitoring by visual observation of the contact line,
with direct participation of the commanders of bordering military
units, governors, communities representatives, but the Azerbaijani
side declined the proposal. As Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, the RA
Defence Minister’s Press Secretary informed Noyan Tapan, on the same
day, the radio monitoring was preceded by the OSCE representatives’,
Tavush Governor Armen Ghularian’s and military units commanders’
briefing at the Governor’s Office. A.Ghularian expressed anxiety on
the occasion of the fact that firings of the Ijevan-Noyemberian road
by the Azerbaijani side became friquent during the recent period.

SERGE SARGSIAN CONFIDES IN HUNGARIAN JUSTICE AND SURE THAT AZERI
CRIMINAL TO TAKE HIS DESERVING PUNISHMENT
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “I confide in the
Hungarian justice and am sure that the criminal will take its
deserving punishment,” Serge Sargsian, the Secretary of the RA
National Security Council attached to President, the Defence Minister
stated. As Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, the RA Defence Minister’s
Press Secretary informed Noyan Tapan, the Minister made the statement
in response to a question of a number of media representatives how he
estimates the measure of punishment proposed towards murderer Ramil
Safarov by the prosecutor’s charge at the last sitting of the court
procedure going on Budapest on the case of Armenian officer Gurgen
Margarian’s murder (the measure of punishment is life imprisonment,
within the right of presenting a claim for amnesty during the first 30
years), and what he expects of the final verdict of the court.

KAREKIN II CATHOLICOS PRESENTS PITER SEMNEBY MISSION OF CHURCH IN
PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Karekin II
Catholicos of All Armenians received in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin on April 6, Piter Semneby, the EU Special Representative
to South Caucasus, accopanied by Heike Renate Peitsch, the Ambassador
of the Federal Republic of Germany to the RA. Welcoming at the Mother
See the EU Special Representative to South Caucasus, His Holiness
congratulated and blessed him on the occasion of the new mission,
wishing him, that his mission is crowned with complete successes. “We
are full of hope that owing to Your work we’ll be able to make peace
stable in this region and to develop and deepen cooperation in this
region and among peoples of this region,” the Armenian Patriarch
said. His Holiness also touched upon the mission of the church in the
affair of the peaceful settlement of the Artsakh conflict, mentioning
that the Church attepmts to do its best, to support those mutual
relations of peace and cooperation with the help of religious and
spiritual leaders. Piter Semneby remembered his first visit to Armenia
in 1987, and then during the days of the awful earthquake. In his
speech he also touched upon the obligations he has undertaken,
mentioning that he is called to support peaceful settlement of the
conflict. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Information Services of
the Mother See, other problems of the region were spoken about at the
meeting, mutual relations existing between the Armenian Apostolic and
Georgian Orthodox Churches, problems of the Virahayots diocese were
touched upon. Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, the primate of the Armenian
Diocese of Georgia was present at the meeting.

PITER SEMNEBY: EUROPEAN UNION IS INTERESTED IN QUICK SETTLEMENT OF ALL
CONFLICS OF SOUTH CAUCASUS
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The European Union’s
intentions and initiatives connected with the South Caucasus are
valuable. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian stated about this at
the Aptil 6 meeting with Piter Semneby, the newly appointed Special
Representative of the European Union to South Caucasus. He mentioned
that though the EU representatives and the OSCE Minsk Group present
themselves in the affair of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict in different formats, but, finally, all the efforts are
directed to the same goal, a peaceful and quick settlement of the
conflict. Andranik Margarian said that Armenia is anxious by martial
statements of Azerbaijan, cases of breaking the cease-fire became
friquent at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The head of the RA
Government also mentioned that the Armenian side would like to see an
EU delegation acting by itself in Yerevan. Expressing satisfaction on
the occasion of the sucessful and productive process of working out
the Actions Plan of Armenia within the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy, the head of the Armenian Government expressed
hope that adoption of the Actions Plan will not be very late after the
successful final of the third stage of the negotiations scheduled for
May. Piter Semneby mentioned that though this is his first visit to
Armenia in the status of the EU Special Representative, he intends to
visit the RA more friquently from now on, and it’s too pleasant for
him that he is appointed on this post within such a period of time
when the relations of the South Caucasus and the EU have got a new
qualitative character. He emphasized that the EU is interested in
quick settlement of all the conflicts of South Caucasus, and his
mandate’s change is provided just by it. Piter Semneby informed that
he’ll visit Armenia in the nearest future as well, within the
framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen’s visit. Emphasizing
that he’ll be actively involved both in process of the Karabakh
conflict settlement and ! in the process of strengthening the
supremacy of law, implementation of reforms of the judicial system,
the EU Special Representative asked the RA Prime Minister to present
his estimation concerning works being done in these directions.
Andranik Margarian mentioned that after the referendum of the RA
Constitutional amendments, work of implementation of the steps arising
of the Constitution in the above-mentioned directions is undertaken in
the country. Within the framework of the work, the RA Government has
already affirmed in the program of events of the current year the
instructions given to ministries, departments in those directions,
with correct fixing of terms. Mentioning that Armenia has fostered the
way of Eurointegration since declaring its independence, Andranik
Margarian said that active works are done in the direction of making
the legislation of the country corresponding to the legislation of the
European Union. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Government’s
Information and Public Relations Department, the interlocuters touched
upon issues of holding future elections in the RA corresponding to
international standards, the RA-RF relations and cooperation, the
policy implemented by the RA in the sphere of energy and a number of
other issues.

From: [email protected]
Subject: British Columbia Legislative Assembly Recognizes Armenian Genocide
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
OTTAWA, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Legislative
Assembly of British Columbia unanimously adopted a Private Member’s
Motion 59, recognizing the Armenian Genocide and to designate April
24th of every year as a remembrance day for the 1.5 million Armenians
who fell victim to the first genocide of the 20th Century. The debate
on the Motion, which was sponsored by Member of the Legislative
Assembly (MLA) Adrian Dix (Vancouver-Kingsway), commenced at 11:00
a.m. on April 3 and was voted upon at the end of the allotted one hour
according to Private Member’s Motion rules. MLAs Adrian Dix
(Vancouver-Kingsway), Rob Fleming (Victoria-Hillside), Randy Hawes
(Maple Ridge-Mission), Dave S. Hayer (Surrey-Tynehead), John Horgan
(Malahat-Juan de Fuca), Maurine Karagianis (Esquimalt-Metchosin),
Leonard Krog (Nanaimo), Kevin Krueger (Kamloops-North Thompson), John
Nuraney (Burnaby-Willingdon), Michael Sather (Maple Ridge – Pitt
Meadows), and John Yap (Richmond-Steveston) spoke in support of the
Motion. Since last August The Armenian National Committee of Canada
(ANCC), The Armenian National Committee of Canada – West (ANCCW), and
The Armenian National Committee of Vancouver (ANCV), have worked
closely with the MLAs Dix, Hawes, Sather, and Hayer to build
non-partisan support for Motion 59. The ANCC, ANCCW and ANCV delegates
had numerous meetings with various MLAs to brief them on the Motion’s
importance as a universal human rights issue. In addition, the
delegates presented historical overview of the Genocide and supporting
documents. The executive director of The Armenian National Committee
of Canada Aris Babkian, on behalf of the Canadian-Armenian community,
thanked MLAs Adrian Dix (NDP) and Randy Hawes (Liberal) for their
leadership role in the successful adoption of the Motion. Furthermore,
Mr. Babikian thanked members who spoke in favour of the Motion and the
members who voted to adopt it. Mr. Babikian said: “This is a historic
day for our community in Canada and in British Columbia. The steadfast
suppor! t and the unanimous vote of the MLAs demonstrates once again
that the Turkish Government’s denial policy and rewriting of history
will not succeed. We call upon the Turkish Government to be
constructive, to come to terms with its dark history and to
acknowledge its predecessors’ guilt and extend a hand of atonement and
reconciliation to the Armenian People.”

PREMIERRE OF GOLDBERG’S “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” FILM TAKES PLACE AY
U.S. CONGRESS LIBRARY
WASHINGTON, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The first public
watching of Andrew Goldberg’s “Armenian Genocide” documentary film
took place on April 4 at the U.S. Congress library. It was organized
on the initiative of Congressman Adam Schiff. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, a reception took place before the first show during what
Congressmen Adam Schiff, Frank Pallone and Rush Holt made
speeches. Then Tatul Margarian, the Ambassador of Armenia to
U.S. thanked Adam Schiff for the initiative as well as mentioned
specially the work done by Andrew Goldberg, the author of the
documentary film. Show of the “Armenian Genocide” one-hour documentary
film is scheduled for April 17 in the whole territory of the U.S. by
the Public Broadcasting Service.

RA EMBASSY TO EGYPT PUBLISHES “ARMENIANS NEWS” OFFICIAL REFERENCE BOOK
IN ARABIC
CAIRO, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The RA Embassy to Egypt
published on April 6 the first issue of the “Armenian News” quarterly
official reference book in the Arabic language. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, it’s the first time that a reference book with similar
contents is published in the Arabic language. Numerous materials both
about official-political life of Armenia and Armenian-Egyptian
relations are included in the reference book. The reference book has a
goal of wide propaganda: to inform the political and public circles of
Egypt about the Armenian-Egyptian ties and Armenia- Arabic world
relations. The reference book is published with coloured photos and
with 1000 copies print run.