Author: Basmajian Ani

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.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
April 11 2005

MP proposes to raise illegal gold tapping issue in international
organizations

The government is not taking urgent steps to prevent development of
gold deposits by an Indian company in the Kalbajar District,
Azerbaijan’s region occupied by Armenia, MP Mais Safarli said
addressing the Milli Majlis (parliament) on Friday, Assa Irada
reported.

The evidence on development of gold deposits by the Indian company in
Kalbajar has been confirmed, Safarli said.

`The Indian embassy in Baku was the first to confirm the fact.
However, Azerbaijan’s relevant bodies have not taken measures against
it,’ he said.

Safarli suggested that Azerbaijan raise the issue at the OSCE and UN,
if necessary.

Elton Mammadov, deputy chairman of the permanent parliamentary
commission on natural resources, energy and ecology, said that the
issue is being investigated and expressed a hope that this will yield
results.

PRESS RELEASE

Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee – Lebanon
Arax Street, Bourj Hammoud, Metn 1203 2050
Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon
Lebanon
Contact: Hovig Hovhannesian
Tel: 01/258300
Cell: 03/043727
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

David Barsamian in AUB

“Recognition is not enough there should be compensation to
the ancestors of the deported and the massacred Armenians” said
Mr. Barsamian, an American freethinking activist whose parents have
been eyewitnesses of the first Genocide of the 20th Century.

The Youth and Student Committee of the 90th Commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide had organized a lecture entitled “Armenian Genocide:
Justice Denied” in collaboration with the Human Rights and Peace Club
as well as the Lebanese-Armenian Heritage Club of AUB.

The lecture took place in the West Hall at AUB in the presence
of numerous distinguished guests including the Ambassador of the
Republic of Armenia in Lebanon, Mr. Arek Hovhannesian, Archbishop
Kegham Khatcherian, Primate of the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon,
State Minister, Mr. Alain Tabourian, Members of Parliament Sirs
Hagop Kasarjian, Yeghig Gerejian, Jan Oghasabian, Serj Tousarkisian,
representatives of political parties and social organizations.

Miss Nazeli Kandaharian spoke on behalf of the Youth and Student
Committee of the 90th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide stressing
that “we owe our present and future to the will of those who have
secured the beating of the heart decades after decades for this we are
ever grateful.” She concluded her speech inquiring “how can Humanity
prevent a crime from reoccurring when the criminal remains unpunished”?

After the opening speech, a 20 minutes-long documentary, featuring the
survivors of the Armenian Genocide, was viewed after which, Mr. Aram
Kradjian, President of the Lebanese-Armenian Heritage Club of AUB,
introduced the guest speaker.

Mr. David Barsamian stated that the Armenian Genocide “is not an
abstract, ancient history, it’s our present and our daily life”. He
stressed that all denial efforts exerted by the Turkish authorities
and other states like the U.S. and Israel will not succeed in deterring
the will and the determination of the Armenians.

Answering to the questions of the audience, the lecturer tackled the
issue of compensations and reminded that “Hitler knew that nothing had
happened to the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide” and concluded
that “Genocide unpunished is a Genocide encouraged”.

HUNGARIAN COURT DISMISSED PETITION FOR PARTICIPATION OF AZERI EXPERTS IN
EXAMINING RAMIL SAFAROV

Pan Armenian News
08.04.2005 02:46

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri experts will be allowed to be present at
the examination only with the permission of Hungarian doctors,
however they will be deprived of any possibility to present their
conclusions, lawyer Nazeli Vardanian stated when commenting of the
statement of Safarov’s defender Adil Ismaylov regarding the medical
inspection of his client scheduled for next week, Arminfo agency
reports. “The repeated medical inspection of Ramil Safrarov is to be
conducted next week. Azeri psychiaters are mostly likely to leave for
Budapest to take part in it”, the defender stated. When commenting
to Echo newspaper defender Ismaylov stated that the examination must
be conducted with the participation of the Azeri specialists. “Since
the Azeri experts will be present at the test as observers it is not
ruled out that the final permission for the participation will be given
during the examination process”, Ismaylov noted. In her turn Nazeli
Vardanian reminded that the Hungarian court rejected the petition
for the participation of the Azeri experts in the examination. Thus,
Azeri experts being present at the examination will only have the
possibility to make certain of its results. To remind, February
19, 2004 Azeri serviceman Ramil Safarov hacked to death Armenian
officer Gurgen Margarian. Lawyer Nazeli Vardanian is presenting the
interests of Gurgen Margarian and another officer Hayk Makuchian in the
court in Budapest. Safarov is accused due to 166.2 of the Hungarian
Criminal Code providing for punishment up to life imprisonment. The
next sitting of the court is fixed for May 10 and the results of the
medical inspection will be announced. To note, a representative of
Hungarian Ombudsman will also be present at the trial.

Azeri MP criticizes Belgian Speaker’s Karabakh remarks

Assa-Irada
8 Apr 05

Baku, 7 April: The statement by the chairman of the Chamber of
Deputies of the Belgian parliament, Herman de Croo, that the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict is like “a dispute between husband and wife” has
been criticized by Azerbaijani parliamentarians.

The chairman of the Compatriots Party, MP Mais Safarli, said in a
Thursday [7 April] meeting with Croo that such an approach to the
conflict is inappropriate. “Armenia is not our wife. It is common
knowledge that Armenia is Russia’s wife,” said Safarli, emphasizing
that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict remains unsettled due to this.

Safarli noted that Russia has supplied Armenia with weapons worth some
1bn dollars over the past few years. “These arms pose a threat not
only to Azerbaijan and regional countries, but also to Europe,” said
Safarli. He added that it is worthless to speak of democracy and human
rights in Azerbaijan unless the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is settled.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS COMMEMORATED IN BELGIUM

A1+
05-04-2005

An exhibition entitled “Exile, Persecution and Elimination” and
dedicated to the 90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide opened
in the Belgian town of Kortrijk. Documents and photographs depicting
the initial two years of the Genocide are presented at the exhibition
arranged by German historian Tessa Hoffman.

The exhibition, which to last till April 9 and then taken to Brussels
and Netherlands, was organized with joint efforts of the Armenian
Embassy, Armenian community and the town authorities.

Belgian parliament head arrives in Armenia

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
4 Apr 05

A delegation led by the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the
Belgian parliament, Herman de Croo, arrived in Armenia today. The
Belgian delegation visited the memorial to Armenia’s genocide.

To recap, events devoted to the Armenian genocide will be held in the
Belgian parliament within the next two weeks. Employees of the Armenian
Genocide Museum handed over to the Belgian delegation necessary photos
and copies of documents.

[Herman de Croo, captioned, shown speaking in Tsitsernakaberd]
The Armenians are great people. We must not forget the past. What
happened in the past must not be repeated. You are located between
the two countries with whom you have tense relations. You cannot
choose your neighbours but you should live with them.

[Video showed the Belgian delegation paying tribute to the genocide
victims and laying flowers at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex]

“ARMENIA WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART” ANATOLY DRYUKOV, COMPLETING
HIS AMBASSADOR’S MISSION IN ARMENIA, SAYS

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 1, Artur Baghdasarian, the RA
NA Chairman, received Anatoly Dryukov, the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of RF to Armenia, on the occasion of completing
the Ambassador’s mission. According to the RA NA Public Relations
Department, the Chairman of the Parliament expressed his satisfaction
with the Ambassador’s long-term and effective work in the process
of development of the Armenian-Russian relations, which also greatly
contributed to extension of interparliamentary relations. A.Dryukov,
also attaching importance to development of the Armenian-Russian
relations, mentioned that he has always felt the assistance of the
National Assembly during his activities and will always remember his
Armenian friends and Armenia after his return to homeland.

“A1+” TV COMPANY AND A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS TO HOLD TEN-DAY EVENTS
DEDICATED TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The third year of depriving A1+ TV
company of air was on April 2, on the occasion of which the TV company
employees jointly with a number of human rights and other public
organizations held a procession of protest from Grigor Lusavorich
street to monument to Komitas next to Komitas Conservatory, where
signatures were collected. The participants of the procession demanded
to present immediatly the list of free TV frequencies and annouce
an open, transparent, public tender. Events dedicated to freedom
of speech will be held 10 days round in the evenings in the park in
front of the Conservatory, in order to secure ideology and importance
of freedom of speech. Posters including articles from newspapers
and Internet sites will be presented, reportings will be shown and
information inaccessible to society will be represented. According
to Mesrop Movsisian, the Director of “A1+” TV company, their main
task is to restore the freedom of speech in Armenia, which is the
problem of all journalists today. According to Shavarsh Kocharian,
a member of the NA “Ardarutiun” (“Justice”) faction, the Chairman
of the National Democratic Party, press plays a doctor’s role for
authorities: “No matter how much painful this or that publication
is for officials, the activity of press is like the activity of the
doctor that continuously cures the patient.”

FEDERATION OF ARMENIAN ORGANISATIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS (FAON)
24 April Committee
Weesperstraat 91
NL – 2574 VS The Hague
Contact: M. Hakhverdian
Tel. 070 4490209
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

Press Release

The implementation of motion by Rouvoet on Armenian Genocide is followed

BOT: Armenian Genocide keeps full attention

The Hague 30 March 2005 – The Federation of Armenian Organisations
in the Netherlands (FAON) follows carefully the follow up of the
motion submitted by MP Mr. Rouvoet on 21 December 2004 and adopted
unanimously by the parliament, wherein the Dutch government is
requested to bring up continuously and expressly the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide in the dialogue with Turkey. Following this
parliamentary decision the Armenian Federation had several contacts
with Members of Parliament and also with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Members of Parliament, particularly Mr Rouvoet of Christian
Union faction, have insured us that the government will be reminded
of this issue at appropriate occasions.

The European summit on 22 and 23 March was a good occasion for the
Federation to ask once again Mr. Rouvoet to put parliamentary questions
to the government about the progress made in this field and the point
of view of the government on this matter. Accordingly on 29 March
during a debate on the results of the European meeting Mr Rouvoet
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs about the position of the
Dutch government with respect to the motion adopted unanimously by the
Parliament. Mr Rouvoet called on the government to show determination
and to commit itself entirely that during the political dialogue with
Turkey the Armenian Genocide and in correct wording and not in terms
of the events in the period of 1915-1917, constantly and expressly
to be raised, as clearly requested in the motion.

Minister Bot insured that resolution on Armenia continues to
keep the full attention of the government and that this issue is
regularly reminded to the Turkish authorities. Regardless of the
fact that neither the Turks, nor certain number of Member States in
this context speak about the Genocide, minister Bot, however, brings
this up expressly. “We keep track of the developments in Turkey”, the
minister said. Provisional “no” against Croatia has been a good sign
for Turkey, that it is not possible to make fun of the conditions. “The
negotiations will not start if all the conditions are not met with”,
according to Bot.

Mr Rouvoet continued by asking minister Bot why Dutch embassy in Paris
had issued a notice as a result of adoption of the motion concerning
the Armenian Genocide, that an official recognition was out of question
and that this would still possibly happen later? The minister answered,
that he will examine this matter as he was not aware of it.

The other Members of Parliament, cosignatories of the motion
on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, when asked by the
Armenian Federation, have indicated, that although the parliamentary
questions was presented by Mr Rouvoet who had submitted the motion,
they reflected the opinion of the other factions in the Parliament.

This month in the whole world the commemoration of 90th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire takes place. In this
respect the 24 April committee of the Armenian Federation organises a
range of activities, among which a commemoration concert on 17 April
at 14.00 in the Pieterskerk in Leiden. Armenian classical music will
be played by Armenian and Dutch musicians. Also there is an exhibition
on the Armenian Genocide in the Pieterskerk in Leiden from 17 to 21
April. On 24 April the annual laying of wreaths and ceremony for the
commemoration of 1.5 the million victims of the Armenian Genocide
will take place at the Armenian monument in Assen and commemoration
in the auditorium with speakers and Armenian music.