Author: Chaltikian Arsine

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

armradio.am
06.04.2010 16:41

EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy
Stefan Fule and the Minister of Economy of Armenia, Nerses Yeritsyan,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding today regarding the National
Indicative Programme 2011-2013 for Armenia.

On March 2, 2010, the European Commission, based on bilateral
negotiations with the Republic of Armenia adopted the National
Indicative Programme 2011-2013 for Armenia, which foresees an
indicative allocation of â~B¬ 157.3 million from the European
Partnership and Neighborhood Instrument (ENPI). This includes a
minimum of â~B¬ 32 million earmarked for the Comprehensive Institution
Building programme and a minimum of â~B¬ 7 million reserved for the
Cohesion Polict.

The assistance will focus on three priority areas – democratic
structures and good governance; trade and investment, regulatory
alignment and reform; socio-economic reform and sustainable
development.

The Indicative Programme 2011-2013 EU is aimed at supporting the
implementation of the EU-Armenia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement,
the EU-Armenia ENP Action Plan and the priorities of the Eastern
Partnership launched in May 2009.

ARFD APPEALED TO RA GOVERNMENT FOR GAS PRICE

news.am
April 6 2010
Armenia

Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD) lodged a
petition to RA Government for gas price rise, ARFD member Artsvik
Minasyan stated at April 6 sitting of RA National Assembly.

According to him, ARFD raised three questions. "We put the emphasis
on Government’s policy on gas price, on in-going and outgoing shadow
gas from/to the country, procedure for high rate for the consumers
and substantiations," Minasyan said adding that they aim not solving
the issue with gas rate, but also implement concrete measures for
eliminations of reasons, that is to end monopoly policy in gas field.

"The process will not confine to this, as ARFD intends to come up
with distinct legislative initiatives," Minasyan noted.

CONFERENCE SUR LE NEGATIONNISME TURC A ANKARA

armenews
lundi5 avril 2010
TURQUIE

Une conference organisee par des intellectuels turcs reconnaissant le
genocide des Armeniens va etre organisee a Ankara les 24 et 25 avril
2010. Realisee par l’Initiative pour la Liberte de Pensee d’Ankara
(AFTI), le symposium ne s’adressera pas seulement a l’histoire,
mais explorera des questions comme la confiscation des proprietes
armeniennes et les reparations.

La conference s’intitulera " 1915 dans ses periodes pre et post
historiques : Symposium sur le negationnisme et la confrontation ".

Dans l’appel a des interventions circulant actuellement dans les
milieux academiques on peut lire : " La question armenienne ", qui
correspond a la Turquification du capital et a une pratique incessante
de negation et l’extermination des populations non-musulmanes
d’Anatolie dans le processus de construction d’une nation [turque],
pendant la periode entière s’etendant de la fin de l’Empire Ottoman au
19ème siècle aux temps Republicains, est essentiellement un problème
historique et politico-economique se manifestant lui-meme dans le
genocide armenien commis par le Comite Union et Progrès. Ce problème
qui ne peut pas etre reduit a la question " qu’est-il arrive en 1915 ?

" a une histoire, après les recents evenements et impacts qui
doivent etre discutes a fond et les discussions ne doivent pas etre
limitees a des dilemmes comme " Extreme hasard ou genocide ? " ni
reduire a des absurdites comme les demandes sur " documentations /
preuves du genocide ". Tout cela doit etre traite dans son integrite
et historicite. Par exemple, on ne peut pas parler de 1915 sans
chercher ses antecedents dans les incidents d’Adana d’avril 1909,
ni l’isoler de la dynamique reciproque de la construisant d’une
nation a la fois turque et armenienne. Autrement dit, la reponse a
la question de " qu’est-il arrive ? " doit etre considere dans les
periodes pre et post et des phases actuelles sont essentielles a la
socialisation de l’attitude morale " Nous n’oublierons pas l’histoire
et nous ne permettrons pas qu’elle soit oubliee " contre les tabous
et l’imposition de l’ideologie officielle. La socialisation de la
confrontation avec l’histoire est, d’une part l’exposition des tabous
et les dilemmes du regime republicain turc de " la question armenienne
" et de l’autre, est la connaissance que 1915 a cree la plus grande
diaspora tout en etant " le genocide le plus grand du 20ème siècle "…

Sur cette base, " la question armenienne " ne peut pas etre reduite
a un problème " des droits de l’homme ". C’est un problème social
et historique ; mais est aussi un problème politique qui embrasse
comme la condition sine qua non de confrontation avec l’histoire,
deux conditions : excuse et indemnisation …

(…)

INFORMATION TECHNIQUE

Nom du Symposium : 1915 dans ses periodes pre et post-historiques :
Negation et Confrontation

La date du Symposium / Place : les 25 et 26 avril 2010 – Ankara

Le plan du Symposium : Deux jours, Quatre Sessions (un moderateur
pour chaque session)

Les participants du Symposium : Quatre orateurs pour chaque session
(traducteur pour les orateurs "etrangers".)

Temps des Sessions : 20 minutes pour un orateur ; en addition, les
questions seront acceptees par ecrit.

Titre des Session (s) : (En plus des discours.)

I. Session : La question armenienne dans une perspective historique

II. Session : L’ideologie du negationnisme officiel du Comite Union
et Progrès au Kemalisme

III. Session : Turquification du capital ou ce qui est arrive aux
proprietes armeniennes abandonnees ?

IV. Session : " question armenienne " : Ce qui est et comment cela
doit-il etre fait ?

Les participants confirmes incluent Ragip Zarakolu (editeur), Recep
Marasli (auteur du Mouvement natioanl democratique armenien et le
Genocide de 1915), Sait Cetinoglu (militant et ecrivain), le docteur
David Gaunt, le docteur Henry Theriault et Khatchig Mouradian.

TURKISH PM SET TO VISIT FRANCE

armradio.am
05.04.2010 12:09

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Paris on
April 6 and 7 for the closing ceremony of "Turkey Season" events in
France. Operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party,
or PKK, will be on the top of the Turkish prime minister’s agenda
which includes political, economical, social and cultural issues.

Erdogan will hold high level talks with President Nicholas Sarkozy,
Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Senate President Gerard Larcher and
Parliament Speaker Bernard Accoyer among others during his official
visit.

Turkey’s EU accession process and bilateral economic relations are
on the agenda, too.

However, a number of political debates took place before and during
the 10-month long event because of Sarkozy’s anti-Turkey political
line. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan came
to edge of canceling the events while France titled this project
"Turkey Season" instead of "Turkey Year." The "Turkey Season" was
launched in June 2009, but the official opening ceremony took place
in October 2009 with participation of Gul.

Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry released a statement Friday
saying that new cooperation projects in the fields of transportation,
energy and infrastructure would be taken up during the visit.

The statement also noted that the visit would enable matters related
to Afghanistan, the Middle East and Iran to be taken up. "France’s
support for the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia will
be affirmed," the statement read.

Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia
April 3 2010

Armenian premier gets ‘cerebral stroke’, official denies report

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was taken to hospital with
"cerebral stroke" on 2 April in Yerevan, the pro-opposition Haykakan
Zhamanak daily reported on 3 April. The paper says that Sargsyan’s
health "sharply aggravated" on 2 April, and quotes sources in
Yerevan’s Nairi medical centre saying the prime minister received a
cerebral stroke.

The prime minister’s aide, Aram Ananyan, denied the reports, telling
journalists the prime minister "is passing ordinary medical
examination, he feels very well at present", the paper reports.
Armenian Minister of Health Harutyun Kushkyan has told the paper
Sargsyan had "increase in pressure and is passing medical
examination". The prime minister, who had been transported to the
medical centre at about noon of 2 April, was still in the medical
centre by midnight local time, Haykakan Zhamanak said.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and members of the government
visited the prime minister at the medical centre in the late evening
of 2 April, the pro-opposition Aravot daily said on 3 April.

The reports on the illness of the prime minister might be simply a
"show" to ensure that former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is
appointed to the office of the prime minister, Haykakan Zhamanak
quoted anonymous sources in the government as saying in a separate
report on 3 April.

AZERBAIJANI PEOPLE’S ARTIST: ARMENIANS HAVE LOST MUCH MORE THAN THEY OBTAINED

Today
April 2 2010
Azerbaijan

"A writer can not help but feel sad if his nation experiences grief.

It certainly has an impact on my works," Azerbaijani writer, Chairman
of Azerbaijan Writers’ Union Anar Rzayev said.

"As to my position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, I’m sure: both
Azerbaijanis and Armenians have lost much from the Karabakh conflict.

First of all, it disrupted the tradition of living together. At the
same time, as I have stated repeatedly, we can win the battle, but
it is difficult to win the war," Rzayev said.

"Armenians control Karabakh and 20% of Azerbaijani territory at the
moment. But they have lost Baku, Ganja, Sumgait. If we take seriously
into account their ability to work in business and natural sociability,
I have not doubt that they have long been owners of restaurants,
banks and corporations in Azerbaijan. So, they have lost much more
than they obtained," he said.

"At the same time, Armenians are our eternal neighbors, and we must
find some way to get along with them.You can not live forever with the
burden of the past, dragging the past to the present day. Historical
experience shows examples of how people, once at odds with each other,
in certain circumstances quickly found a common language with each
other and continued along the path of constructive progress.

Therefore, from the standpoint of historical optimism, I still continue
to hope that someday we will address all problems with Armenians. But
they must understand that claim to our territory are unfounded,"
the writer noted.

/Day.Az/

URL:

ANKARA IS LIKELY TO RE-SEND ITS AMBASSADOR TO THE USA BEFORE APRIL 12

ArmInfo
2010-04-01 18:26:00

ArmInfo. In a move to reduce the ongoing tension between the two-long
time allies, Turkey is likely to re-send its ambassador to Washington
ahead of an international nuclear summit on April 12, Hurriyet Daily
News says with reference to diplomatic sources.

To recall, Turkish Ambassador to the United States Nam?k Tan was
immediately recalled from Washington after the US House Committee on
Foreign Affairs had affirmed the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide
(H.Res.252).

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu are expected to attend the meeting although their presence
has not yet been officially announced.

According to the source, Ambassador Nam?k Tan’s return and Erdogan’s
visit to the United States was only made possible following a lengthy
telephone conversation between Davutoglu and U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton on Sunday. Some in Ankara had called for Erdogan
to cancel his trip to the U.S. following the vote. However, recent
diplomatic activity reveals that both Tan and Erdogan could depart
for Washington in the coming days.

Officials also said Ankara was awaiting strong signals from the U.S.

regarding the Armenian resolution, along with assurances from
Washington about the Turkish- Armenian protocols following only
qualified approval for the documents from Armenian top.

According to sources, there are a number of good reasons for Erdogan’s
participation at the summit as Erdogan’s absence would likely be
interpreted as a protest against U.S. President Barack Obama. At the
same time, the unnamed officials said the prime minister’s no-show
would be counter-productive for the country’s national interests,
especially when coming immediately before April 24, the day Obama will
issue an annual message commemorating the killing of Armenians in 1915.

To note, Obama has also invited Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to
the summit.

STUDIES FROM A.O. ABOYAN ET AL PROVIDE NEW DATA ON CRYSTAL RESEARCH

Technology Business Journal
March 30, 2010

"Structural distortions in nonpolar, particularly, in semiconducting
silicon crystals, caused by constant electric field have been disclosed
by means of X-ray interferometry," investigators in Yerevan, Armenia
report.

"It was shown that in the field both the direction of moire fringes
and the frequency (period) are changed, and the moire patterns
disappear at values of potential difference in excess of 1.5 kV,"
wrote A.O. Aboyan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "The moire pattern obtained under the action
of electrostatic field is independent of the direction (polarity)
of the field, the pictures for both the polarities being completely
identical."

Aboyan and colleagues published their study in Crystal Research and
Technology (Structural distortions of semiconducting silicon crystals
caused by constant electric field. Crystal Research and Technology,
2010;45(2):140-144).

For additional information, contact A.O. Aboyan, State Engn University
Armenia, Dept. of Phys, Teryan Str 105, Yerevan, Armenia.

The publisher of the journal Crystal Research and Technology can
be contacted at: Wiley-V C H Verlag GmbH, PO Box 10 11 61, D-69451
Weinheim, Germany.

YOSEF SHAGAL: "THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION ON THE "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" IN THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION" – EXCLUSIVE

APA
March 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. "The adoption of the resolution on the
"Armenian genocide" in the Knesset is out of the question," former
member of Knesset, president of Israel-Azerbaijan International
Association Yosef Shagal told APA exclusively while commenting on the
reports that the issue on "Armenian genocide" would be discussed in
Israeli parliament (Knesset).

He mentioned that the issue was raised by three-member Meretz faction
in the Knesset for several years.

"This is a marginal faction, actually it does not represent anyone,
it has no influence in the Knesset. They know very well that this issue
causes interests in media. This is the only opportunity for Haim Oron
to mention his political existence. There is no opportunity to adopt
any resolution. One can only exchange views on how many persons will
attend the hearings," he said.

Yosef Shagal said the issue was raised when he was member of the
Knesset and only eight attended the similar hearings. He supposes
that two – Haim Oron and the person chairing the meeting will attend
the hearings this time.

"This issue does not raise interest and is of speculative character.

Such issues are raised so that they can cause some discussions in
press. I consider that this issue should not be taken seriously. By
covering it, creating agiotage, we favor those who are interested in
fanning the fame for completely populist purposes," he said.

A NEW "GAS" BY TURKISH HISTORIAN

news.am
March 29 2010
Armenia

Yusuf Halacoglu, Head of the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), made a
"shocking" statement at a conference in Konya, Turkey.

Haberler reported that, speaking of the proposals concerning the
reforms implemented in Turkey since the 19th century, as well as of
the Kurdish problem, Halacoglu claimed that the Kurdistan Workers’
Party, which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, is
not at all a Kurdish organization, as 80% of its members are Armenians.

Yusuf Halacoglu has made numerous false claims about the Armenian
Genocide. His flights of fancy deny imagination. Several years ago
the Turkish authorities "sent him off."