MATENADARAN RECEIVES FRAGMENT OF MANUSCRIPT SAVED BY VICTIM OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. A fragment of “Gospel of John” ancient
manuscript dated by the 10th century, was donated today to Matenadaran
by a representative of “Friends of Matenadaran” Benevolent Foundation
of France Claude Armen.

Director of Matenadaran academician Sen Arevshatyan noted that this
gift was dated to the opening of an exhibition in memory of Genocide
victims. He noted that along with ancient manuscripts 11.700 fragments
of manuscripts and parchments of IV-V centuries, the least and the
biggest manuscripts in the world, as well as unique letters concerned
with the first journey of Christopher Columbus to America are kept
in Matenadaran.

ARMENIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER: WE DID NOT REFUSE TO LEAVE FOR BAKU, WE DID NOT RECEIVE OFFICIAL INVITATION

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. “We did not refuse from participation
in the work of the 4th annual sitting of TRACECA interparliamentary
commission to take place in Baku Apr 21-22. We did not receive an
official invitation”, Armenian Transport and Communication Minister
Andranik Manukyan stated ARMINFO, Apr 20.

To note, Baku mass media informed today that they was informed from
TRACECA office that Armenians will not arrive in Baku.

ISSUE ON RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY ISRAEL IS CONNECTED
DIRECTLY WITH POSITION OF USA: ISRAELI SCIENTIST

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. “As soon as the USA recognizes Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915, Israel will not wait a little to
follow its example”, Scientific adviser of Commission on memory of
victims and heroes of Holocaust Yad Washema Yehuda Bauer stated in
an interview to ARMINFO.

However, professor expressed regret that the USA is not amongst
those countries ready to recognize Armenian Genocide. “Policy of
official Tel-Aviv does not advance to the direction of recognizing
Armenian Genocide, considering that Israel-Turkey relations may suffer
greatly”, Bauer noted and stressed that Israeli opposition and mass
media insisting on recognizing Genocide are in minority.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXPRESSED NOT ONLY VIA MASS SLAUGHTER

Pan Armenian News
20.04.2005 07:05

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Genocide was perpetrated against Armenians not only
in 1915, but also throughout 1906-1923, and it expressed not only in
mass slaughter, Academic Advisor of the Commission for Commemoration of
Heroes and Victims of the Holocaust of Yad Vashem Yehuda Bauer stated
during an international conference in Yerevan devoted to the 90-th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. In
his words, the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust differ from
others in the aspect that when these were perpetrated the world powers
could not or did not wish to prevent them. Specifically, Mr. Bauer
considers that the world could not prevent the Holocaust, however
it did not wish to prevent the Armenian Genocide, as at the time
Turkey was the ally of the Austrian-Hungarian Block in World War I.
The recent genocides, specifically in Rwanda and Darfur were not but
could be prevented, the Israeli scholar considers. In his opinion, to
prevent future genocides it is necessary to avoid academic discussions,
as scientists can only define this misdeed. Meanwhile, Bauer believes
that the international community needs to activate efforts to form
legal mechanisms to prevent and reduce the risk of future genocides,
as it is impossible to fully rule out their repetition. The first real
step in this respect was the creation of the international court in
Rome, which then was moved to Hague, the reporter stated. The formation
of legal mechanisms to be used by international structures in order to
reduce the risk of future genocides should be the next step. Touching
upon Turkey’s denial stance in the issue of the Armenian Genocide,
Mr. Bauer stated that it is not so important for Turkey to officially
acknowledge the misdeed. In the scholar’s opinion, it is more important
that there are many people in the Turkish society, who qualify the
occurrence as a genocide and censure the past Turkish authorities,
Arminfo news agency reported.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU Constitution Is at Risk

French-Armenians Mount Stiff Opposition Ahead of Vote

World News

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
April 21, 2005

By DAN BILEFSKY ([email protected]), Staff Reporter of THE WALL
STREET JOURNAL

PARIS — A constitution for the European Union’s 450 million citizens
risks becoming little more than a historic footnote thanks in part
to an unlikely opponent: 450,000 French-Armenians.

This influential community — a potent force in the battle against
the charter — has linked its opposition to a wholly unrelated matter:
their people’s decades-old fight to get Turkey to acknowledge a 1915
genocide of Armenians. They are mobilizing to show their anger over
Brussels’ willingness to offer EU membership to Turkey.

The group’s strategy is in line with those of myriad other interest
groups that have seized on the May 29 constitutional referendum to
make demands addressing all the EU’s perceived ills, threatening to
plunge the bloc into paralysis.

French farmers have exploited the debate to gain special concessions
from the government: Paris recently agreed to subsidize one-week summer
vacations for livestock farmers, a majority of who were planning to
vote against the treaty, according to recent polls. Meanwhile, the
nation’s powerful unions have threatened to vote “no” unless they get
guarantees that the French social model of strong worker protection
is sacrosanct. When French President Jacques Chirac last week held
a rare televised debate with 83 young people, the audience grilled
him on policemen’s wages, France’s record unemployment and fears of
competition from low-wage countries — but little on the content of
the EU treaty.

“People are using the vote on the constitution as a protest vote,” said
Ara Toranian, leader of France’s largest Armenian association. “There
is a window of opportunity in the next six weeks, and we will make
sure that our voices are heard.”

The EU’s constitution is meant to improve the bloc’s internal
organization and its position on the world stage by creating a
new foreign-policy chief, revamping the EU’s voting structure
to make decision-making easier and introducing a bill of rights,
among other measures. To take effect, it needs approval from all 25
members of the EU; 20 have yet to sign on. Its rejection by France
— one of the document’s prime architects — could be a death blow,
and even a narrow “oui” could help spur “no” votes elsewhere. Another
country’s rejection could be shrugged off, but not that of France. The
Netherlands, where little interest on either side has been apparent,
votes a few days later.

Nineteen opinion polls in a row since mid-March indicate a majority
of French people will vote against the constitutional treaty, with a
poll taken by the TNS-Sofres polling firm published yesterday showing
it losing by 55% to 45%.

An Armenian “no” vote in France could prove decisive, then. The
bare majority — within a hair of 51% — that approved France’s 1992
referendum on adopting the euro currency amounted to about 450,000
votes, roughly the size of the Armenian community. Armenian leaders
hope to help secure a “no” vote by playing up fears about admitting
Turkey into the EU. Those fears resonate with many French voters,
who are ambivalent about their country’s eight million Muslims and
often cite concerns about Turkey as a prime reason for voting down
the constitution — despite the fact that the vote has no bearing on
Ankara’s EU aspirations.

Réné Dzagoyan, a French novelist of Armenian origin and member of the
“no” campaign, insists the matters are linked, though. Mr. Dzagoyan
said he will spend the next six weeks giving lectures arguing that the
constitution is a faulty document because it fails to define what it
means to be European, in either geographical or cultural terms. “The
fact that the EU can open entry talks with a country like Turkey
that doesn’t uphold European values shows that this constitution is
meaningless,” he says, waving a copy of the 300-page document.

Armenians accuse Turkey of genocide in the killing of as many as
1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I. Turkey
rejects the claim, arguing that Armenians and Turks both were killed
when Armenians sided with invading Russians. In December, Mr. Chirac,
an ardent supporter of the EU charter, told Turkey it eventually would
have to acknowledge the mass killing of the Armenians if it wants to
join the EU.

Worried leaders of the “yes” camp in both Mr. Chirac’s ruling
center-right party and the Socialist Party are demanding that their
prominent Armenian members stop campaigning against it publicly.

The Armenian community also has formed an alliance with Philippe de
Villiers, president of the political party Le Mouvement Pour La France.
One of the most fervent campaigners in the “no” camp, he even picks on
the date the referendum will be held, noting that on that day in 1453
the Ottoman Empire wrested Constantinople from the Roman Empire. “The
Armenian community can be an important swing vote in this referendum.
They have been hard-done by the EU, which has decided to add insult
to injury by opening negotiations to admit Turkey into the bloc —
and we should support them,” Mr. de Villiers said in an interview.

Uluc Ozulker, Turkey’s ambassador to France, said he is mystified by
all the attention on Turkey since the referendum on the constitution
has nothing to do with his country. “Turkey is not in the EU and
won’t be for the foreseeable future, so whether there is a ‘yes’ or
‘no’ vote is not our problem,” he said.

Write to Dan Bilefsky at ([email protected])

,,SB111403364123912488-IdjgoNklaJ4m52vZXyIaqaBm4,00.html

–Boundary_(ID_Nr3IFBwI32HLHrGHQmp9pQ)–

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;
April 21, 2005
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

HISTORIC MEETING ON PARLIAMENT HILL WITH
THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA, THE RIGHT HONORABLE PAUL MARTIN

Wednesday, April 20th, 2005 will forever be marked as a most
significant and memorable day in the lives of all Canadian Armenians.

A year ago to the day, the resolution to recognize the Armenian
Genocide was passed in the House of Commons of Canada. At the same
time on April 24th 2004, the Honorable Jim Karygiannis P.C. M.P.
present at the commemoration ceremony of the 89th anniversary of the
Genocide, organized by the Armenian World Alliance, presented to His
Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms, at which time promised that our community will
soon have this most important document presented to us in Armenian.

The Central Board of the Armenian World Alliance undertook the
onerous task of having this most important document translated,
reflecting the precise and accurate rendition of the fundamental
statutes outlined in the Charter. This immense responsibility was
graciously undertaken by one of the foremost scholars of our country,
Prof. Nurhan Ouzounian from Montreal.

In Parliament Hill the Primate and his entourage were greeted by Jim
Karygianis, also present was Raymoinde Folco, M.P. Laval-les-Iles,
Chair of the Quebec Liberal Caucus & a good friend of Armenians in
Laval.

Afterwards, the Primate, Mr. Karygiannis, Mme. Folco and the
community members were ushered to the Prime Minister’s office, where
they were granted an audience by Right Honorable Paul Martin. The PM
showed keen interest in all aspects of the Armenian Community life,
be it religious, cultural, business and educational. A very cordial
conversation took place between him and our Primate. An informative
half hour was spent with questions from all present. The Prime
Minister signed the first copy of Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms and presented it to His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian.
Another autographed Charter was given to Jim Karygiannis, who will
present it to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, upon his arrival in Armenia on April
23rd, 2005.

In his turn, Bishop Galstanian thanked the Prime Minister for taking
time out in his busy schedule to see the delegation, and presented
Mr. Martin with an exquisite crystal etched KHATCHKAR, carrying two
small vials, containing earth & Holy water from Armenia on either
side of the KHATCHKAR, which can also be illuminated through its
bronze base. A commemorative silver medal of the 1700th anniversary
of the proclamation of Christianity as the official state Religion in
Armenia, was presented to Jima Karygiannis and Raymonde Folco.

A very special letter of commendation and thanks from the Vehapar,
Catholicos Karekin II was also presented to the Prime Minister. We,
as Canadian Armenians, are extremely proud that Canada as one of the
first countries, bestowed upon us, through the Primate, the
translation of the most important document outlining the laws of the
Government of Canada. This audience by the Prime Minister and the
gift of the translation of the Charter was special emotional and
moving as it also comes on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and the 1600th anniversary of
the invention of the Armenian Alphabet.

Accompanying the Primate were V. Rev. Father Ararat Kaltakjian-Vicar
of the Diocese, Rev. Archpriest Zareh Zargarian-Pastor of the Holy
Trinity Armenian Church of Toronto, Hratch Boyadjian-Diocesan
Delegate, Central Board of Directors, AWA & Vice Chair ADL Eastern
District & Canada, Armen Kurkjian-Central Board of Directors of AWA,
Mike Kharabian-ARCA member & Treasures Central Board of ADL, Arto
Basmadjian-Secretary of the Diocesan Council, Lilian Sevadjian-member
of the Diocesan Council and of Parish Council Saint Vartan Armenian
Church of Mississauga, Prof. Nourhan Ouzounian-translator of the
Charter, Sossy Boyadjian-Chairperson Primate’s Appeal of Ontario,
Sevag Sagherian-member of the Parish Council of Holy Trinity Armenian
Church of Toronto.

* * * * * *

Tajikistan sees CIS as “very important” factor for regional stability

Avesta web site
20 Apr 05

Dushanbe, 20 April: “The consequences of the spread of terrorism and
extremism in the Eurasian region indicate that all the CIS countries
need to consolidate their efforts closely,” the first Tajik deputy
foreign minister, Sirojiddin Aslov, told a news conference in
Dushanbe today.

He said the measures being taken by the CIS states to boost the
activities of the CIS antiterrorist centre and the CSTO [Collective
Security Treaty Organization; members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia] were a very important factor for
maintaining security and stability in the region.

In turn, Deputy Foreign Minister Abdunabi Sattorov said the issue of
reforming and improving the CIS was currently being considered. He
said the issue was to be discussed at a summit of the CIS heads of
state in [Russia’s] Kazan in August this year.

“As an international organization, the CIS needs radical reforms,”
he said.

Asked whether there was still a need in the CIS, Sattorov said that
Tajikistan advocated the idea of preserving the commonwealth.

“No-one has yet abandoned the mechanisms of the CIS. Nevertheless,
everyone is calling for reforming the organization to make its
activities more effective,” Sattorov said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Genocide. Bundestag will condemn the killings of Armenians

Aktuell Politik Bund

Kuhn: “Beim armenischen Volk entschuldigen”
Genozid
Bundestag will Mord an Armeniern verurteilen

96A674F0A4780E75DA~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html#top

21. April 2005 Alle Fraktionen im Bundestag haben ihren Willen
bekundet, anläßlich des 90. Jahrestages des Völkermords an den
Armeniern die Türkei aufzufordern, ihrer historischen Verantwortung
gerecht zu werden.

Der türkische Botschafter in Deutschland, Irtemcelik, hatte zuvor
drastisch gegen eine derartige Resolution protestiert; er nahm seine
Drohung am Donnerstag jedoch teilweise wieder zurück.
Er äußerte in einer Mitteilung, er habe in einem Zeitungsgespräch dem
Bundestag nicht drohen wollen, sondern lediglich geäußert, daß er
darauf vertraue, daß die Mitglieder des Bundestages diesen Antrag
nicht annehmen werden”.
Gemeinsame Resolution geplant
Mitglieder aller Fraktionen des Bundestages taten am Donnerstag das
Gegenteil kund. Sowohl die Abgeordneten Meckel (SPD) als auch Kuhn
(Grüne) dankten der Unionsfraktion und vor allem dem CDU-Abgeordneten
Bergner für die Initiative, der Ermordung der Armenier im Osmanischen
Reich zu gedenken und dabei auch die unterlassene Hilfe seitens des
Deutschen Reiches in Erinnerung zu rufen, das damals mit der Türkei
verbündet war.
Beide kündigten an, sie wollten in den bevorstehenden
Ausschußberatungen aus dem vorliegenden Unionsantrag eine gemeinsame
Resolution des Bundestages machen.
In möglichst großer Eintracht”
Der CDU-Abgeordnete Bergner sagte, wenn sich nun der Deutsche
Bundestag nach neunzig Jahren dem lange verdrängten Thema stelle,
dann sollten wir es in möglichst großer Eintracht tun”.
Die Ermordung der in Anatolien lebenden armenischen Minderheit, deren
Angehörige mit planvoller Konsequenz und zügelloser Grausamkeit”
getötet worden seien, hätte schon vor neun Jahrzehnten im Deutschen
Reichstag debattiert werden müssen, sagte Bergner, doch habe die
deutsche Militärzensur und das politische Kalkül damals eine
Erörterung oder gar ein Einschreiten zugunsten der Armenier
verhindert.
Land zur Bewußtmachung ermuntern
Bergner beteuerte angesichts der aktuellen wütenden Reaktionen von
türkischer Seite, die Union habe in ihrem Antragstext bewußt auf die
juristischen Begriffe des Völkermords oder Genozids verzichtet.
Alle Sprecher wiederholten seine Versicherung, es gehe nicht darum,
die Türkei heute, nach so langer Zeit, an den Pranger zu stellen,
sondern darum, das Land zu einer Bewußtmachung der damaligen Vorgänge
zu ermuntern.
~DEuropäische Erinnerungskultur”
Bergner sagte, es gehe um die Einbeziehung der Türkei in jene
europäische Erinnerungskultur”, die Grundlage der Aussöhnung der
europäischen Staaten geworden sei und damit die europäische
Integration erst ermöglicht habe.
Der SPD-Abgeordnete Meckel erinnerte daran, daß das Schweigen über
den Völkermord an den Armeniern Hitler als Argument zur
Rechtfertigung seines Vernichtungskrieges im Osten gedient habe.
Keine Einmischung in innere Angelegenheiten
Meckel, Kuhn, der FDP-Abgeordnete Stinner und der außenpolitische
Sprecher der Unionsfraktion Pflüger forderten die Türkei zu einem
bekennenden Umgang mit dem Völkermord mit dem Hinweis auf, auch die
Deutschen hätten es vermocht, sich mit ihren noch weitaus
schrecklicheren Verbrechen auseinanderzusetzen.
Meckel bedauerte, daß die Auseinandersetzung mit dem Mord an den
Armeniern bis heute in der Türkei unter Strafe stehe; das sei in
keiner Weise akzeptabel”. Kuhn reagierte auf die Vorhaltungen und
Drohungen von türkischer Seite auseinander, um eine
Bundestagsresolution zu verhindern; die Debatte sei keine Einmischung
in innere Angelegenheiten der Türkei.
Ãœberdies entscheide der Bundestag ganz allein, womit er sich
befaßt”. Die Grünen seien an dieser Debatte im übrigen deswegen
interessiert, weil sie die Türkei in die EU führen wollten. Kuhn
erinnerte an die deutsche Mitschuld und sagte, er wolle sich dafür
~Dbeim armenischen Volk entschuldigen”.

Dies ist ein Ausdruck aus

–Boundary_(ID_OZo3uztHuXrKV8ntxzGIqA)–

INTERVIEW-Turkey’s Armenians pray for reconciliation
By Ayla Jean Yackley

ISTANBUL, April 21 (Reuters) – Turkey’s Armenians will quietly mark
the 90th anniversary of massacres in eastern Turkey with prayers for
reconciliation between their two estranged homelands, their spiritual
leader said on Thursday.

While more than a million people in Armenia are expected to commemorate
the start of what they say was a genocide against their people at the
hands of Ottoman Turks, April 24 will pass without official ceremony
in Turkey.

Turkey denies a systematic campaign to wipe out Armenians and says
intercommunal strife during World War One claimed hundreds of thousands
of Turkish as well as Armenian lives.

“We pray for peace and reconciliation between Turkish and Armenian
people. We pray for the wisdom of those in positions of power so they
can find ways of reconciliation,” said Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II
in a written response to questions.

Armenia and Turkey share a border but no diplomatic ties. That
stalemate has squeezed Turkey’s tiny community of 65,000 Armenians,
who are often perceived as a kind of fifth column.

European officials have called on Turkey, which aspires to join the EU,
to open the border. Such an overture “would be a sign of determination
to engage in dialogue,” Mesrob said.

Turkey has instead devoted most of its efforts to fighting the
influential Armenian diaspora’s campaign to convince foreign
governments to acknowledge the massacres as genocide.

Several national parliaments, including Poland’s this week, have
passed laws recognising the genocide. Some European politicians have
gone further and said Turkey must admit wrongdoing before beginning
EU entry talks later this year.

There are signs Turkey may take a new approach towards an issue that
has been strictly taboo until now. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan last
month called for an international probe, saying he was confident it
would support Turkey’s stance.

Mesrob cautiously welcomed the recent discussion.

“Debate of any issue means a process of education has begun .. The
Armenian citizens of Turkey are between two fires, since whatever
they . say is misinterpreted by both sides,” he said.

The EU has said interference in running Armenian schools and churches
threaten the community’s distinct identity. The state appoints Muslim
bureaucrats to oversee cash-strapped Armenian schools and has seized
hundreds of millions of dollars worth of church property, which Mesrob
said remains “a major issue”.

While Armenians may link their survival in Turkey to the EU bid,
fears persist the historical issues dividing Armenians and Turks may
be too big a gulf to bridge.

“The upgrading of laws and regulations (to meet EU criteria) will
naturally benefit all citizens,” Mesrob said. “We hope the government
will be at an equal distance to all citizens and communities regardless
of their religions or ethnic background.”

04/21/05 22:59 ET

REPUBLIC PARTY CONDEMNS

A1plus
| 17:35:09 | 21-04-2005 | Politics |

During the meetings of the opposition parties with the Armenian
citizens unknown people provoke incidents to prevent the political
forces from meeting the population. The latest incident of the kind
took place at the meeting of New Times party members with the residents
of Sevan.

Condemning the restrictions of free political activities the Republic
party assesses the instigations as an obvious demonstration of agony
of the administration, which does not enjoy the population’s support
and as desperate attempts to prevent inevitable democratization of
Armenia. “We reiterate that democratic revolution in Armenia has no
alternative and all the attempts of the authorities to impede the
process are doomed to failure”, the statement says.