Armenpress

YEGHISHE CHARENTS MUSEUM TO OPEN ALAN HOVHANNES STUDIES CENTER

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS: The director of Yeghishe Charents Museum
in Yerevan, Henrik Bakhshinian, told Armenpress that after a major repair
the museum, which features the life and the works of prominent Armenian
poet, will open a special center for studying the legacy of
American-Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness.
Alan Hovhannes became acclaimed for his talent to meld Western and Asian
musical styles creating a unique melodic blend of his own. He died in June
2000 at the age 89.
Hovhaness wrote more than 400 pieces, including at least nine operas, two
ballets, more than 60 symphonies, and more than 100 chamber pieces.
He was born Alan Vaness Chamakjian, in Somerville, Massachusetts, in
1911. His mother was Scottish and his father, an Armenian chemistry
professor.
His early compositions were thoroughly Western. But the influences of
Eastern musical styles became more evident after he attended Bohuslav
Martinu’s master class in composition in 1942 at the Berkshire Music Center
at Tanglewood.
Hovhaness was the first Western composer asked to write music for an
orchestra comprised entirely of Indian instruments.

Pan Armenian News

EVENT DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 90-TH ANNIVERSARY HELD IN OTTAWA

11.04.2005 05:40

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An event dedicated to the 90-th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide initiated by the Armenian Students’ Union of the Ottawa
Universities with the assistance of the RA Embassy in Canada and the
Armenian community will take place in Ottawa April 8, Yerkir online reports.
Books by Armenian and foreign authors dedicated to the Genocide,
recollections of the Armenians, who survived the tragedy, articles published
in different times in the Armenian and foreign press were presented at the
exhibition, which opened within the frames of the event. `Forgotten
Genocide’ documentary of the well-known British director Michael Connors was
also shown. Armenian Ambassador to Canada Ara Papian and Adviser of the
Turkish Embassy were present at the event.

Pan Armenian News

TRIP TO ARMENIA INSPIRED GERMAN ROCK SINGER TO CREATION OF NEW ALBUM

11.04.2005 05:32

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ HARMFUL rock group will present their new album entitled
Sis Masis in Legau, Germany. The idea of the creation of the album occurred
to guitar player and singer Aren Emirze after visiting his historical
homeland – Armenia. Sis Masis contains songs reminding of Armenian music
traditions. Early the group was playing heavy and alternative music. The new
album is more tuneful. The concert and presentation will take place April 23
in Lugau.

AZG Armenian Daily #064, 12/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TURKISH PARLIAMENT

Abdullah Gul Denies

Abdullah Gul, Turkish deputy prime minister, stated that the program of
Ankara’s “actions against the statements about the so-called Armenian
genocide” will be discussed at the Turkish parliament on April 13. Gul said
this at the airport during his trip to Algeria.

The Turkish press is littered with the articles denying the Armenian
Genocide. Though negatively, but the neighboring country arouses greater
noise around the massacres of 1,5 million of Armenians committed in the
early 20th century in the Ottoman Turkey.

“I am going to give some explanations concerning the statements of the
Armenians, adding that Turkey can be more active and brave in this issue,”
Sabah daily quoted Gul as saying.

This will be the first discussion of the Armenian Genocide at the Turkish
parliament, certainly in the negative context. On April 5, the Committee for
Harmonic Relations with EU at Turkish Parliament also discussed the issue of
“the Armenian allegations” during its sitting.

Ropper Hattechian, editor-in-chief of Istanbul-based Marmara daily, said in
the interview to daily Azg the idea to discuss the events of the early 20th
century in the Ottoman Turkey belongs to a group of parliament members of
oppositional democratic-republican and Justice and Prosperity centrist
parties.

Hattechian said that the Turkish press is full of articles about the
Armenian Genocide, today. He said that it’s natural that they are going to
deny the Genocide in their speeches at parliament, including Abdullah Gul.

NTV informed that Ahmed Necdet Sezer, Turkish President, touched upon the
Armenian Genocide on April 9. Holding a speech at the Istanbul Military
Academy, Sezer said that the statements saying that the Ottoman Empire
committed a genocide against its Armenian citizens are offensive to the
Turkish people.

Sezer said that one should carry out an investigation when touching upon the
historical issues, using documents that reflect objective and unprejudiced
attitude.

This January, when Mehmed Ali Birand, Turkish well-known journalist, warned
about the danger of “the Armenian Tsunami,” the Turkish mass media began
dwelling on the issue more and more frequently.

Zaman newspaper said in April 9 issue, in “What Does Genocide Mean?” article
that in 1915-16, when the Ottoman Empire decided to evict its Armenian
citizens, thousands of Armenians died of hunger, cold and attacks. Zaman
characterized the Armenian Genocide with the term “the great tragedy.”

Turkish Daily News online news portal wrote in its April 7 issue that Ankara
gave its consent for opening a new Yerevan-Antalia air route. The newspaper
cited an unknown official who said that “this gesture of Turkey will help
release the tension between the two countries,” caused by the conclusions
about “the so-called Armenian genocide.”

The newspaper reminded that the Turkish officials allowed “Armavia” company
to make flights between Istanbul and Yerevan. CNN-Turk informed that in 2004
the number of the Armenians that spend their holidays in Turkey amounted to
50 thousand.

Turkish Daily News reminded that on April 24 the Armenians are going to
commemorate the anniversary of “the so-called Armenian genocide.” “Over 90
congressmen applied to president Bush with a letter, calling for recognizing
the statements about the Genocide. But the Turkish authorities, including
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are sure that the Bush administration
is likely to avert this step, as, otherwise, it may seriously damage the
Turkish-American relations.”

By Tatoul Hakobian

Pan Armenian News

TRANSPORT BLOCKADE IMPOSED ON ARMENIA HAD NOT ONLY NEGATIVE IMPACT, ROBERT
KOCHARIAN CONSIDERS

11.04.2005 07:42

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `No single Armenian state structure presented territorial
claims to Turkey. The agenda of our foreign policy includes the
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. After achieving the goal
we will proceed to analyzing the legal consequences’, Armenian President
Robert Kocharian stated during the meeting with students and the teaching
staff of the Yerevan State University, IA Regnum reports. At the same time,
the President said that the approach to the issue should be realistic. `When
the expectations are big, the possibility of disappointment is big too’, he
noted. When commenting on the blockade imposed on Armenia Robert Kocharian
noted that the blockade had not only negative impact. `The blocking of
communications allowed Armenia to sooner achieve replacement of import’, the
Armenian President noted. When touching upon the Kars-Akhalkalaki railway
construction the president noted that though he doubts the availability of
the project he does not expect any problem. `The more are the railways in
the region the better. Anyway the route will be competitive, as the
investments in the Kars-Akhalkalaki will be compensated at the expense of
high tariffs. The compensation process will last 7-10 years. I think we
should treat it calmly moreover that we cannot hamper the realization of the
project’, Robert Kocharian said.

Pan Armenian News

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC
FORUM DEDICATED TO 60-TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN GPW

11.04.2005 07:25

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from the press service of
the Armenian National Assembly, the parliamentary delegation headed by
Speaker Artur Baghdasarian will take part in the 25-th plenary session of
the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and International Scientific Forum
dedicated to the 60-th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic
War. The events will be held in Saint Petersburg April 13-15. Within the
frames of the visit Artur Baghdasarian is to meet with the PACE President
Rene Van Der Linden, chairman of the Assembly of the Western European Union
Stef Goris, President of the French Senate Christian Poncelet and other high
rank officials.

Pan Armenian News

ARMENIAN NA SPEAKER TO DEPART FOR MOSCOW APRIL 12

11.04.2005 06:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 12 the Armenian delegation headed by NA Speaker
Artur Baghdasarian will depart for Moscow, RA NA press service reported. The
visit will be held on the invitation of Chairman of the Russian State Duma
Boris Gryzlov. The delegation members are scheduled to meet with Boris
Gryzlov, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly
Sergey Mironov, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and co-chair of the
Armenian-Russian interparliamentary commission Igor Levitin. It should be
also noted that an exhibition dedicated to the 90-the anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide will be opened in the building of the Federation Council.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News

ROBERT KOCHARIAN OFFERED ARMENIAN OPPOSITION NOT TO WORRY MUCH OVER FAILURE
OF ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE POWER IN REPUBLIC

11.04.2005 06:49

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The developments in Georgia, Ukraine and Kirghizia can
give cause for analysis as they had both common features and obvious
differences, Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated during the meeting
with the teaching staff and students of the Yerevan State University, IA
Regnum reports. When commenting on the common features of the `revolution
processes’, the President noted that they all took place at the period the
elections were held, i.e at the period when the `society was maximally
trained’. According to Robert Kocharian the factor of weak power, which was
not able to solve current problems, was present in all the three states.
`Under Eduard Shevarnadze the people did not get salary for 8-10 months;
pensions were delayed for over a year. The situation in Kigrhizia was no
better – with the 5-million population the state budget made $300 million.
To compare, the Armenian state budget makes $800 million with the population
less in number’, the Armenian President stated adding that in Ukraine
despite the economic growth the leadership’s control was weak, the western
and eastern parts of the state were conflicting and a number of other global
factors existed as well. At the same time, in the President’s words, people,
who earlier occupied high administrative posts and acquired the image of
young reformers, came to power. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and
Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli belong to this class of people. Thus, a
change of generations has taken place as it happened in Armenia in 1991 and
1998. According to Robert Kocharian, all the above mentioned factors are
absent in Armenia. `Active and constructive leaders are encouraged in our
country’, he noted. When addressing the Armenian opposition Robert Kocharian
offered them not to worry over the failure of the attempts to change power
in the republic. `It does not mean that our opposition is bad, the matter is
that our country is much better’, the President stated.

Pan Armenian News

PACE TEMPORARY COMMISSION ON KARABAKH CONFLICT TO BE FORMED THIS APRIL

11.04.2005 06:06

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ PACE Temporary Commission on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
composed of the parliamentarians of the OSCE Minsk Group member-states will
be formed in April, 2005, Armenian NA Vice Speaker Tigran Torosian stated.
He reminded that the PACE resolution on Karabakh adopted this January
contained an item according to which the PACE is to revert to the discussion
of the issue in January 2006. The Commission will be ordered to observe the
settlement process, Tigran Torosian noted. He expressed discontent with the
fact that certain items of the resolution became the subject of speculation
for some Armenian political forces. `The resolution really offers
possibilities for an efficient settlement of the conflict’, Tigran Torosian
added.

Agence France Presse
4 avril 2005 lundi 5:47 PM GMT

“Colloque sur les génocides du XXe siècle” sur le campus de Jussieu

PARIS 4 avr 2005

L’association”Forum étudiant” de l’université Pierre et Marie-Curie
(Paris VI), a annoncé lundi la tenue cette semaine sur le campus de
Jussieu d’un “colloque sur les génocides du XXe siècle”, assorti
d’expositions.

Ces expositions, visibles à partir de mardi concernent les génocides
des Arméniens, la Shoah, celui perpétré par les Khmers rouges au
Cambodge et le génocide rwandais.

Réalisés par le Mémorial de la Shoah, l’association Terre et Culture
et l’association Art et Urgence, ces expositions présentent des
photos d’archives, des textes et des documents audiovisuels, avec
trente heures de projection de films et de documentaires.

Deux conférences ont déjà eu lieu en mars, l’une portant sur les
génocides en général et le travail de mémoire, l’autre sur le
génocide arménien. Deux autres sont prévues, le 12 avril traitant de
l’Arménie et le 14 avril de la Shoah.

“Nous entendons lutter contre le négationnisme, remplir le devoir de
mémoire qui nous incombe et donner aux étudiants des clefs pour être
capables de réagir car malgré les +plus jamais ça+ dits après les
guerres, l’histoire du XXe siècle montre que de tels crimes, que les
génocides peuvent toujours resurgir”, estiment les responsables de
“Forum étudiant”.