Author: Boshkezenian Garik

TURKEY PULLS OUT FROM MILITARY EXERCISE IN CANADA TO PROTEST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE STATEMENT
Benjamin Harvey

AP Worldstream
May 11, 2006

Turkey pulled out of a military exercise in Canada, a Foreign Ministry
official said Thursday, further expressing Turkey’s displeasure with
its NATO ally for saying Turks committed genocide against Armenians
during World War I.

The refusal to send Turkish F-16s and officers comes in a week of
tense diplomacy for the Turks, who recalled ambassadors to both France
and Canada in protest against recent statements on the killings of
Armenians in those countries.

Turkey vehemently denies that a genocide took place, and has made it
government policy to fight such allegations.

The Foreign Ministry official spoke on condition of anonymity, in
keeping with government rules. He said the military exercise in Canada
was not a NATO exercise, but was open to other allied countries and
that Turkey had planned to send six or seven F-16s and pilots.

An earlier statement from the Foreign Ministry criticized Canadian
Prime Minister Stephen Harper for saying he stood by the Canadian
parliament when it voted to recognize that Armenians were victims of
a genocide. The Turkish statement said a freeze in Turkish-Canadian
relations was evidence of Canada’s unhelpful stance on the issue.

The decision to pull out of the military exercise was “to tell them
we are upset about their attitude, about their policies,” the Foreign
Ministry official said.

ARMENIAN PM MEETS WITH CREW OF “KILIKIA” SAILER

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 10 2006

YEREVAN, May 10. /ARKA/. Armenian Premier Andranik Margaryan met
with the crew of “Kilikia” sailer that will leave for London to start
the third round of the trip. The press service and public relations
department of the RA Government reported that during the meeting the
captain Karen Balayan, publicist Zory Balayan and other members of the
crew showed Margaryan the preparatory work for the final round of the
trip and pointed out that they act in keeping with the scheduled plan.

At the moment, the sailer is moored at the coasts of South England.

According to the schedule, the ship will head to the French port Calais
on 28 May. After crossing North and Baltic Seas through territories of
about 10 countries “Kilikia” will arrive to St.-Petersburg in August
2006, and then to the Black Sea port Poti through a river path.

Then, the ship will be transported to Armenia by land. Next year in
spring it will cast anchor on Lake Sevan, and will “become one of
the symbols the Armenian history, creative thought and the Armenian
people”.

The Armenian Premier assured that as well as during the previous
rounds of the trip, this time the government will assist as far as
possible with the preparatory work and solution of problems occurring
during the sailing.

“Kilikia” sailer was build by members of the Yerevan club of marine
explorations “Hayas” and resembles Armenian merchant ships of the 13th
century. The ship was restored according to medieval manuscripts and
miniatures and built with application of medieval technologies.

Creators of the ship spent 11 years to build it: from May 1991 to May
2001. During two years the ship was tested under sail on Lake Sevan.

In autumn 2004, for the first time in 800 years, a ship with the
Armenian flag put out to sea, heading from Poti to Sukhumi – Sochi –
Burgas – Athens – Beyrut – Haifa – Alexandria – Iraklion – Dubrovnik –
Cadis – Lisbon and many other European ports.

It is the exact route of Kilikian merchants who had close trade
relations with these cities.

DAVID NALBANDIAN IS AGAIN THIRD IN LIST OF ATP RATE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 09 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Argentinian tennis
player David Nalbandian who is of Armenian origin, is after last
successful performances again on the 3rd horizontal line with 2845
points in the May 8 rate list of the Association of Professional
Tennis (ATP). According to Radio Liberty, Spanish Rafael Nadal is on
the second place, having 4135 points. And Swiss Roger Federer, having
7160 points, is considered the best tennis player. David Nalbandian
for the first time appeared on April 20 of this year at the third
place of the rate list of the Association of Professional Tennis.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
May 9 2006

Georgia, Armenia Discuss Border Delimitation

The Armenian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Gegam
Garibjanyan is holding talks with Georgian Foreign Ministry officials
in Tbilisi on May 9-10 over border delimitation issues.

This March Georgia created a commission, chaired by Deputy Foreign
Minister Giorgi Manjgaladze, to deal with issues of negotiating
border delimitations with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the Armenian Deputy
Foreign Minister will also hold talks with Georgian Foreign Minister
Gela Bezhuashvili and First Deputy Foreign Minister Valeri
Chechelashvili to discuss bilateral cooperation.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF DAMASCUS APPEAL TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ MEMORY

DAMASCUS, MAY 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Events dedicated to
the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide were held in the
Armenian community of Damascus. The divine service was celebrated on
April 23 at the Surb Sargis church, wreaths were laid at the April
Martyrs Monument after what Armenian unions of Damascus presented an
artistic program. On behalf of the Damascus cultural unions, Doctor
George Barseghian made a speech. “If Armenia’s independence was a
dream for us and today it has come true, then we are sure that the
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is a vision as well
that will become reality,” he particularly said. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the Damascus Armenian Diocese, at the end of the April 24
solemn Surb Liturgy, a private divine ceremony took place in front of
the April Martyrs Monument. Diocese primate Bishop Armash Nalbandian
addressed a commandment at the Surb Liturgy. Bishop Rimon Id, the
primate of the Maronite church of Damascus was present at the
liturgy. He prayed in front of the Martyrs’ Monument, expressing his
support to the martyr Armenian people. After the Surb Liturgy, all
those present went to the national graveyard where a requiem at the
Martyrs’ Monument was also held. Tatev Basmajian, the spiritual pastor
of the Armenian Gospel church of Damascus addressed commandment at the
national graveyard. In the afternoon, His Holiness Armash, the
Armenian diocese primate of Damascus and representatives of Damascus
unions visited the RA Embassy and left a notice in the memorial
register. The Surb Liturgy was celebrated at the Armenian Catholic
Church of Damascus late on April 24, after what a requiem ceremony was
held. A lecture dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide was delivered at the Surb Sargis Church of Damascus on late
April 28. Doctor Tessa Hoffman arrived from Germany spoke on the theme
“Germany and Armenia: Facing Historic Responsibility.” Touching upon
the Genocide reality, Tessa Hoffman made a detailed historic review,
particularly emphasizing Germany’s complicity and participation in the
Genocide as well as Germany’s silence in the process of recognition
and condemnation of the Genocide. At the end of her speech, Tessa
Hoffman apologized for that state which has not recognized the
Armenian Genocide up today.

A-320 CRASH CREATED ATMOSPHERE OF GENERAL PAIN IN ARMENIA: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT:

Yerevan, May 6. ArmInfo. The crash of A-320 has created an atmosphere
of general pain in Armenia, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
said during his meeting with a delegation of Ramkavar Azatakan party
(Liberal Democratic Party).

The leader of the party Mike Kharapyan extended his deep condolences
on behalf of the Armenian Diaspora. He said that this tragedy was as
painful for the Diaspora as it was for Armenia.

The sides also discussed the possibility of more effective use of
the party’s potential in all-Armenian initiatives and particularly
the conduct of Armenia-Diaspora forum in Yerevan Sept 2006.

Nagorno-Karabakh analyst on Vilnius conference: “evidently, they are deluding themselves”

Regnum, Russia
May 7 2006

“The forum on NATO’s Role in Defrosting Frozen Conflicts recently
held in Vilnius is a landmark event revealing a number of trends,”
Karabakh analyst David Babayan commented to a REGNUM reporter. First
of all, the Forum confirms the gravity of NATO’s plan to strengthen
its role in resolving conflicts in South Caucasus.

“We can only welcome participation of such an influential organization
in peaceful conflict settlement in this strategically important South
Caucasian region. However, the conference participants offer NATO
a ready approach, a preset settlement scenario. They behave quite
contradictory in this context,” David Babayan said. He reminded
that in the declaration adopted at the forum it is pointed out that
unsettled conflicts in Transdniestria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and
Nagorno Karabakh corrupt general European well-being: “The existence
of unrecognized states is straightforwardly characterized in the
declaration as aggressive separatism. Meanwhile, another declaration
article proclaims that unsettled European conflicts may be settled
only based on principles of democratic pluralism and respect for human
rights, as well as with the assistance of peacekeeping missions. These
two theses conflict with each other. On the one hand, unrecognized
states are stigmatized as aggressively separatist, which excludes
every chance to recognize their self-determination. On the other
hand, principles of democratic pluralism and respect for human rights
are maintained. What is it really that hinders application of the
abovementioned democratic principles?” David Babayan questions.

The situation, according to Babayan, is rather paradoxical: politicians
are trying to “delude themselves and avoid taking decisions crucial
for the strengthening of democracy itself.”

“Meanwhile, international conflicts are a good test to measure
democracy. It is how states behave in the process of conflict
settlement and how they approach the settlement that indicates most
clearly sincerity of the states’ adherence to democratic values.

Otherwise, lofty democratic ideals merely camouflage aggressive
imperial striving,” analyst stressed. He believes that the threat
of such neo-imperial striving to democratic communities could not
be overemphasized. It is too often underestimated due to the small
size and relative weakness of states who adopt such covert official
ideology. “An analogy with medicine immediately comes to mind.

Generally speaking, the size of viruses is neglectable compared to
the size of organisms which they invade, but the former are able to
parasitize and paralyze the latter, even when these are healthy and
very large organisms,” David Babayan resumed.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO MEMORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS HELD IN CITIES OF POLAND

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

WARSAW, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Events dedicated to
the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims took place in the city of
Krakow, Poland, on April 29. The liturgy was celebrated to the memory
of innocent victims in the Saint Mikolay church of Krakow. Then the
divine service and lighting of candles took place at the khachkar
(cross stone) placed in the yard of the church. RA Ambassador to
Poland Ashot Galoyan, RP Senate Deputy Piotor Boron, Chairman of the
Armenian Culture Association of Krakow Adam Terketski made speeches
at the event. RA Ambassador A.Galoyan and Senator Boron laid wreaths
to the khachkar. Pupils of the Krakow Sunday school made speeches
in the yard of the Saint Mikolay church. Members of the authorities
of the Malopolska province and Krakow city, society of Poland, press
representatives as well as numerous members of the Armenian community
of Poland were invited to the event. As Noyan Tapan was informed by
the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, events
dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims were held
in Wraslow, Jeshuv, Elblong, Ljublin.

SERVICE FOR CRASH VICTIMS HELD IN CHURCH OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 23:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A service for those killed in the A-320 jet crash
was chanted in the Church of Christ The Saviour on Friday. To remind,
all 113 people aboard the Armavia-owned Airbus-320 were killed in
the crash.

Head of the Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian Dioceses of the Armenian
Apostolic Churches, Bishop Yezras (Nersisyan) informed that May 5
mourning liturgies will be chanted in Armenian Churches throughout
the globe. Presidents Robert Kocharian and Vladimir Putin proclaimed
May 5 was the day of mourning in Armenia and Russia, reported Interfax.

HYDROGEN SULPHIDE DECOMPOSES THE BODIES

A1+
[12:46 pm] 05 May, 2006

Special equipment will be transported from Novorossiysk to Sochi in
order to get the record boxes of the plane out of the water. French
specialists have also promised technical support.

RF Minister of Transportation Igor Levitin underlined the importance
of finding the bodies, the record boxes and other parts of the plane
as deep under the sea the bodies are quickly decomposed under the
influence of hydrogen sulphide, and the parts of the plane are damaged.