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12/22/2004
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1) Dutch Parliament Adopts Motion on Armenian Genocide
2) Azeri Press Responds to New ‘US-Drawn Map’ Labeling Karabagh as ‘Arguable
Territory’
3) Armenian Foreign Minister Sums up Progress on Karabagh
4) Ceremony Marks Opening of Aerial Tramway at Tsakhkadzor Resort
5) Melkonian Students Excel in Exams, Defying Closure Threat

1) Dutch Parliament Adopts Motion on Armenian Genocide

THE HAGUE (FAON)–The Dutch Parliament on Wednesday unanimously adopted a
motion on recognition of the Armenian genocide, reported the Federation of the
Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands.
Introduced by the Chairman of Christian Union faction André Rouvoet, the
motion specifically directs Dutch government officials “to bring up
recognition
of the Armenian Genocide continuously and expressly in [their] dialogue with
Turkey.” The motion was backed by all political parties in the Parliament.
It was introduced during a debate on the outcome of last Friday’s summit of
European leaders who decided to begin EU accession talks with Turkey. In that
debate, nearly all Dutch political factions addressed the absence of the
Armenian genocide issue in the EU’s Presidency Conclusions. The Dutch,
ironically, currently hold the EU Presidency.
Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot, nevertheless, assured the Parliament that the
Armenian question has always been brought up in meetings with Turkish
colleagues.
The Armenian community of The Netherlands has consistently pushed the Dutch
Parliament and government to recognize the Armenian genocide–especially in
the
run-up to and during the Dutch presidency of the EU.

2) Azeri Press Responds to New ‘US-Drawn Map’ Labeling Karabagh as ‘Arguable
Territory’

(Azg)–A new US-drawn map, which reportedly labels Karabagh as “arguable
territory,” has caused a stir in two Baku newspapers who responded to the
issue
in their latest editions.
In an article titled “Azerbaijan without Karabagh?” Zerkalo claims that the
map was drawn by the ‘US National Geographic Center.’ Other states which also
bear the label “arguable territory,” according to the paper, are the West bank
of the Jordan River, Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, and Southern Ossetia.
Zerkalo also reports that Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has urged its embassy
in Washington to inquire about the motivation behind not labeling Karabagh as
an Azeri region.
Another Baku newspaper, Yeni Zaman, alleges that after Armenia, Karabagh is
second in line receiving direct aid from the US. According to the paper,
American annual aid to Karabagh will amount to $3 million by 2005.
The paper also refers to a 1970s CIA top-secret document which “considered
Karabagh a historic Armenian territory, and highlights the fact that “Karabagh
was a semi-independent unit for centuries and was ruled by Armenian rulers
even
in times when other Armenian regions were under Turkish and Persian yoke.”

3) Armenian Foreign Minister Sums up Progress on Karabagh

YEREVAN (A1+, RFE/RL)–Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian on Wednesday
summed up 2004, saying that Armenia had both sudden surges as well as
falls–achievements along with failures.
Speaking about negotiations on the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, he stressed
the importance of maintaining political stability in Armenia in order to
advance that process.
Convinced that certain progress has been registered during negotiations, he
said, “Today, we are at more advantageous position than were in 1997,” but
cautioned that the success of those negotiations is not a forgone conclusion.
“What we are trying to do today, and I see the possibilities of that, is to
get the international community to recognize the Mountainous Karabagh people’s
right to self-determination with an agreement resolving the problem,” he
told a
news conference on Wednesday. “The implementation of that self-determination
may not necessarily be immediate.”
The Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers are expected to resume their
face-to-face meetings in the Czech capital next month.

4) Ceremony Marks Opening of Aerial Tramway at Tsakhkadzor Resort

TSAKHKADZOR (President.am)–President Robert Kocharian participated in the
opening ceremony of the newly renovated aerial tramway at the Tsakhkadzor
resort.
Kocharian hailed the completion, adding that the last section of the tramway
would be ready by next year, meeting all international standards. “The new
aerial tramway is built on a higher level than Tsakhkadzor’s entire
infrastructure. We should encourage businesses and investors to build new
hotels here, introduce services and leisure places to make Tsakhkadzor a true
tourist attraction. Only in that case can we claim that we reached our goal,”
Kocharian stressed.
The 2500 meters long aerial tramway has been renovated by a prominent Swiss
company specializing in assembling aerial tramways and other construction
works. The Tsakhkadzor resort is on the eastern slope of Mount Teghenis and is
famous for its numerous lodges and sport facilities.

5) Melkonian Students Excel in Exams, Defying Closure Threat

NICOSIA (Financial Mirror)–Two Melkonian students were among the 135
recipients of the High Achiever awards given out to students who gained top
international marks at an award ceremony in Nicosia last week.
Together with their schoolmates, they overcame the troubles caused by the New
York based administrators’ announcement on March 16 to shut down the school
and
continued with their external examinations.
Hovhannes Atabekyan, a 2004 graduate of the school, was one of only ten
students in Cyprus to gain straight A’s in five Advanced Level subjects, while
only three other Cypriots gained six A’s. Elizabeth Torossian notched up the
highest Ordinary Level international subject mark in Armenian, an award
achieved in only ten other subjects worldwide.
“These outstanding results cast a shadow over the true intentions of the
school’s administrators to shut down the Melkonian and sell off the land,” the
Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus said in an announcement.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress