Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

ARMENIA MARKS OTTOMAN MASS KILLING

Alalam News Network, Iran
April 24 2008

YEREVAN, April 24–Armenians on Thursday mark the 93rd anniversary
of mass killings of their compatriots under the Ottoman Empire, an
event many countries have recognized as genocide despite Turkey’s
angry rejection of the label.

Thousands were expected to attend ceremonies in the Armenian capital
Yerevan and in other countries to commemorate the killings, which
began in 1915 and lead to a mass exodus of Armenians from what is
now eastern Turkey.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and other officials were to lead a
ceremony on a hilltop memorial in central Yerevan, where an eternal
flame has burned since its construction in 1965, when Armenia was
part of the Soviet Union.

On Wednesday night, more than 10,000 young people carrying torches
and candles marched through the streets of Yerevan demanding Turkey
recognize the killings as genocide.

Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey rejects the killings constituted genocide, saying that 300,000
Armenians and at least an equal number of Turks were killed in civil
strife in 1915-1917 when the Christian Armenians, backed by Russia,
rose up against the Ottomans.

The dispute has been a major obstacle in relations between Turkey and
Armenia, which have no diplomatic ties and whose border has remained
closed for more than a decade.

It has also complicated relations between EU-aspirant Turkey and
many Western countries, especially those with large ethnic Armenian
communities such as the US and France.

More than 20 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Poland and
Switzerland, have officially recognized the killings as genocide.

In 2006, French lawmakers voted to make it a criminal offense to deny
that Armenians were victims of genocide.

But many countries, including Britain and the US, refuse to use the
term to describe the events, mindful of relations with Turkey.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s endorsement of a resolution
labeling the killings as genocide last October sparked fury in Ankara,
which recalled its ambassador to Washington.

Under intense pressure from the White House, the authors of the bill
later asked Congress not to hold a debate on the issue.

CYPRUS MARKS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Cyprus Mail
25 April 08

THE ARMENIAN community in Cyprus yesterday marked the anniversary of
the 1915 genocide by Turkey, with a call to Ankara to recognise its
historical crimes.

The 93rd anniversary was marked by a series of events under the
auspices of House President Marios Karoyan, who is Armenian.

Yesterday’s event involved a service at the Armenian church, and a
march in Nicosia.

Vartkes Mahdessian, the Armenian Representative at the House, said that
the message the Armenian people wanted to send was one of continuous
struggle to internationalise and resolve the Armenian question,
and also to receive acknowledgement and condemnation of the genocide.

"The Armenians will continue their struggle until the final
justification, a duty owed to the victims of the genocide," Mahdessian
said. "It is time that the political leadership of Turkey found
the courage to recognise the crimes the previous Turkish governments
committed, justifying the victims of not only the Armenian genocide but
of the Greeks, Cypriots, Kurds, Arabs, Pontic Greeks and other peoples,
in the hope that it will at some point join the European Union."

Karoyan, in an official statement, reiterated the support of the
House to the demand of the Armenian people for the recognition of
the genocide.

He called on Turkey to recognise and admit its crime and to apologise
to the Armenian people and humanity as a whole.

"We do not beg, we do not implore. We demand justice from the
contemporary democratic humanity, the entire international community,
all the nations and all the peoples. Nothing more, nothing less,"
he said.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS TO BE COMMEMORATED IN ALBANY, NY

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.04.2008 18:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Friday, April 25, 2008, the Armenian National
Committee of Albany (ANC of Albany) will host the 93rd annual
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at Troy City Hall at One
Monument Square at 6:45 pm.

"Every year, Armenian communities throughout the nation and the
world join together in remembering those that perished during the
genocide. Having lost a survivor, Enza Mategian who was just short
of her 95th birthday in July 2007, the time for recognition is now,"
commented Antranig Karaegozian, ANC of Albany Chairman.

Cong. Michael McNulty (D-NY-21), Mayor Harry Tutunjian of Troy, and
Mayor Michael Manning of Watervliet will be in attendance at the event,
and will speak and reflect on the importance of genocide recognition
and local activism. Also present will be Democratic candidate for New
York’s 21st congressional district, Darius Shahinfar, who is seeking
to replace the retiring Cong. McNulty.

Cong. Mike McNulty has served in the House of Representatives since
first being elected in 1988.

Throughout his twenty years of dedicated service to his constituents,
he has been a staunch supporter of issues of concern to the Armenian
American community in upstate New York. He has traveled to the
Republic of Armenia, and has consistently received an A+ rating from
the Armenian National Committee of America for his ardent support for
genocide recognition and the self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh.

Following the ceremony, a "Madagh" dinner sponsored by the Homenetmen
of Albany and a lecture by David Kherdian, an Armenian American
poet and novelist, will be held at the Armenian Community Center
in Watervliet.

OSCE AND CE WELCOME AGREEMENT REACHED WITH LEADING ARMENIAN STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE CHANGES TO RECENTLY AMENDED ASSEMBLY LAW

arminfo
2008-04-22 16:21:00

ArmInfo. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) and Council of Europe’s Venice Commission today welcomed
the agreement reached with leading Armenian state representatives
to make changes to the recently amended assembly law on holding of
demonstrations, processions and rallies .

As OSCE Headquarters told ArmInfo, ODIHR Director Christian Strohal
said: "We see this agreement as another step in the long-standing
cooperation between the Armenian authorities, the ODIHR and the Venice
Commission on the legislative regulation of public assemblies". For
his part, General Secretary of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio
said: "The Venice Commission and the ODIHR look forward to receiving
the drafts of the new amendments and stand ready to review them in
light of relevant international standards".

In a legal opinion published on 28 March, the ODIHR and the Venice
Commission raised serious concerns about the amendments to the Law
on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations which
was passed shortly after the violent events of 1-2 March. During a
visit to Yerevan on 15-16 April, a delegation from the ODIHR and the
Venice Commission delegation met with Tigran Torosyan, the Speaker
of the National Assembly, Gevorg Danielyan, Minister of Justice,
and presidential adviser Gevorg Mheryan.

It was agreed to repeal or change the amendments introduced to tighten
provisions for peaceful assemblies, in particular with regard to
spontaneous gatherings. These changes would bring the law closer to its
original content, which had been assessed positively by the ODIHR and
the Venice Commission. Based on the agreement reached, new amendments
will be drafted and submitted to ODIHR and the Venice Commission for
another review. The ODIHR and Venice Commission experts suggested that
sufficient time be allowed for public discussion of the amendments.

ANC ER HIGHLY APPRECIATES SAMANTHA POWER’S WORK ON RAISING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AWARENESS
[email protected]

DeFacto Agency
April 21 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 21.04.08. DE FACTO. The Armenian National Committee of
America, Eastern Region (ANCA ER) has announced plans to hold its
second annual banquet on September 13, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel
in New York City, with honored guest, Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha
Power.

"We are proud to be honoring Samantha Power," commented ANCA ER
Chairman Dikran Kaligian. "She has been outspoken on human rights
issues and genocide awareness and has educated hundreds of thousands
throughout the nation and the world on this important issue. In her
opening chapter of her first book, she writes about the Armenian
Genocide leading to the unfortunate realities of the other genocides
that followed."

The evening will begin with a silent auction, followed by a dinner and
program, during which Samantha Power will receive the ANCA ER Freedom
Award. This award is given to those who demonstrate extraordinary
courage and devotion to freedom and justice. Last year’s honoree
was former United States Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, who had
been dismissed from his position for speaking the truth about the
Armenian Genocide.

Power, author of "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide"
and her most recent book "Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello
and the Fight to Save the World", teaches at the Carr Center for Human
Rights Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She
was a senior adviser to U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate
Barack Obama. "A Problem from Hell" won the Pulitzer Prize for General
Non-Fiction in 2003.

To note, nearly 400 supporters attended the first annual banquet held
at the Waldorf Astoria last September, and the ANCA ER is excited to
be in the planning phase of what is expected to be another successful
event. More details are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

KASHATAGH REGION – IN THE FOCUS OF THE MINISTRY’S ATTENTION

Azat Artsakh Daily
Published on April 21, 2008
NKR Republic

As the chief of NKR inspectorate of service of hygiene and epidemiology
Ofelya Harutynian has informed us, from 2008 Kashatagh region is in
the focus of attention of the Ministry of Health. 4 visits have been
already done for organizing seminars on the spot, using epidemiological
arrangements. And the Minister of Health A. Khachatrian gave serious
assignments.By the information of the same source, in January the
incidents of jaundice fixed in Berdzor town gave cause to visit
the region in February by special brigade.Ofelya Harutyunian also
left for the region. Visiting Berdzor, they carried out check-ups
either in kinder-gardens or in schools, they realized epidemiological
arrangements. The doctors getting acquainted with the kinder-garden’s
situation, they established there control.

After 35 days the danger was on the back.During the visits another
program was also realised in the region.As Kashatakgh had only one
pediatrician, so by an assingnment of the minister, pediatricians from
the capital were sent on business by the fixed time-limit for working
in "Kashatagh’s medical unit" SNCC. On April 18th the above-mentioned
brigade with the same stuff again left for Kashatagh region for
carrying out seminars with middle medical stuff of all the region. Our
interlocuter noted, that during four visits necessary specialists
were always involved paying serious attention at the local health
service system striving for making it more qualified and hopeful.

ARMENIAN WEIGHTLIFTERS WIN EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

ARMENPRESS
April 21, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS; Another Armenian weightlifter, Tigran
Martirosian, 85 kg, has become absolute European champion in his
weight category and the fourth Armenian who has won gold medals at
the European championship in Italy.

His combined result is 377 kg, 4 kg more than his nearest rival Vasily
Polovnikov of Russia and 15 kg more than Georgy Markov of Bulgaria
who came in third.

Edgar Gevorkian, 94 kg, won silver medal and Arthur Babayan, 105 kg,
came 8-th in clean and jerk event.

Armenians have won overall 13 golden, 3 silver and one bronze medals
winning the team championship.

HUNGARIAN STATE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

ARKA
April 18, 2008

YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. A hungarian delegation led by State
Secretary of Defense Agnes Vadai is to arrive for a three-day visit
to Armenia on April 24.

Press Secretary of the RA Minister of Defense, Colonel Seyran
Shahsuvaryan reported that on April 25 the Hungarian delegation is
top hold official meetings with RA Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham
Gharibjanyan and RA Deputy Minister of Defense Ara Nazaryan.

During the visit, the Hungarian delegation is to lay wreaths to the
Memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide and to the Tomb of
the Unknown Warrior. The delegation is also to visit the Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts and the Mother-Armenia Museum.

On April 26, Agnes Vadai is to lay wreaths to the monument to
the Hungarian soldiers killed during World War II and visit the
peace-making brigades of the RA Ministry of Defense and the Vazgen
Sargsyan Military School.

On April 27 the Hungarian delegation is to leave Armenia.

"NEWLY-APPOINTED OFFICIALS ARE PERCEPTIBLE BY SOCIETY," REPRESENTATIVE OF OYP BELEIVES

Noyan Tapan
April 16, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. For the members of the Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law) Party it is important to carry out their own programs
and promises given to the electorate and not to have positions. This
statement was made by Artashes Avoyan, a member of the parliamentary
faction of the Orinats Yerkir Party, at the press conference, which
was held on April 16.

In his words, the Orinats Yerkir Party will have its representatives
both in the legislative and executive bodies, in particular, the
Orinats Yerkir Party will receive 2-3 ministerial portfolios. However,
Artashes Avoyan had difficulty in mentioning what concrete offices
the members of the Orinats Yerkir Party will hold.

As regards the further activities of Arthur Baghdasarian, the Leader
of the party, on the post of the Secretary of the Security Council,
according to Artashes Avoyan, it will be rather embracing and more
transparent than it has been up to now. In response to the question of
whether the pro-west orientation of Arthur Baghdasarian will affect
his activities on that post, the representative of the OYP stated
that Arthur Baghdasarian will act combining the interests of his own
country both with those of the west and strategic partner Russia.

Touching upon the already made appointments, A. Avoyan mentioned that
the latters are estimated in the OYP rather well. "The newly-appointed
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian is a good figure having experience,
Defence Minister Seyran Ohanian, as a participant of the Artsakh
heroic battle, will use his forces in favour of the defence of the
country, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs as well is an experienced
diplomat," A. Avoyan said. In his characterization, all these officials
are perceptible by society.

RA PRESIDENT: NKR INDEPENDENCE IRREVERSIBLE FACT

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.04.2008 18:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan should once and for all understand
that independence of Nagorno Karabakh is an irreversible fact. It’s
impossible to imagine NKR under Azerbaijan’s control, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan said today when representing newly appointed
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to the MFA leading staff.

"Baku erroneously thinks that petrodollars will help them to leave
us behind and score a military success.

Azerbaijan should understand that sales of natural resources do not
ensure welfare and development of the country likewise bellicose
statements do not ensure efficiency of the army," he said. "

"The people of Nagorno Karabakh have won their independence. With
Armenia’s help, the international community will recognize this fact,"
Mr Sargsyan’s underscored, the leader’s press office reported.