ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS COMMEMORATED IN MOSCOW
Panorama.am
13:06 20/04/2009
A range of events dedicated to the victims of the Great Armenian
Genocide will launch in Moscow on 23-25 April, "Yerkramas" of Russian
Armenians reports. According to the source on 23 April the victims will
be commemorated in Saint Cross church and the other day, on 24 April,
wreath will be put to their memory. On 24 April a protest march will
be conducted calling on to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
STEPANAKERT MAYOR PRESENTS 2008 BUDGETARY REVIEW
Anahit Danielyan
Nagorno Karabakh
2009/04/20 | 16:42
At an NKR government session held today, Mayor Vazgen Mikayelyan of
Stepanaket, Karabakh, stated that the city municipality collected
597.7 million drams in revenues during 2008, or 87.7% of budget
forecasts. This comprises a jump of 32.9% over 2007 figures.
Regarding construction work, Mr. Mikayelyan reported that the roofs
of five residentail apartment buildings had been totally repaired,
thirty-nine houses belonging to families of fallen war dead that had
been bombed during the war had undergone capital reconstruction, and
that repairs to several major arteries in the city hade been completed.
Some eight apartments in building nine on Azatamartikneri Street
had been allocated to families of those who died in the war whilst
building twenty-one apartments in building twenty-five on Tigran
Metz Street had been handed over to residents living in the town’s
dilapitated dormitory.
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: TURKISH- ARMENIAN COMMEMORATION TO PARIS
LRAGIR.AM
11:59:33 – 20/04/2009
To the initiative of French writer Denis Donikian (signatory of the
thanks letter to the Turkish intellectuals) and french turkish Michel
Atalay (Greens parti), the Collective Biz Myassine (us together),
commemorated on April 19 the 94 th birthday of the Armenian genocide
in front of the statue of Komitas to Paris.
By this unit message the Collective Biz Myassine wishes to found a
franc dialogues between the Armenian and Turkish societies, without
sinking in the lapse of memory, and so that the source leads to banks
of the relief.
" Small buds of dialogue ", says Michel Atalay.
ARMENIA-TURKEY BORDER: TO OPEN OR NOT TO OPEN?
Lena Baseyan
"Radiolur"
20.04.2009 15:41
Open or not to open? MP from ARF Dashnaktsutyun, economist Ara Nranyan
informed during today’s discussions on the opening of the Armenian
Turkish border that they have conducted a research, which should
reveal the implications of the opening of the border for Armenia.
Upon the instruction of the ARF Bureau, a group of specialists is
studying the advantages of opening of the Armenian, Turkish border,
as well as the possible implications for Armenia as a result of close
economic cooperation.
The research is nearing completion, Ara Nranyan informed. He assures
that the specialists have revealed problems the Government of Armenia
has to solve. The programs are primarily related to the World Trade
Organization, to which Armenia and Turkey are members.
According to Ara Nranyan, Armenia could have problems with both
exporting local production and resisting the inflow of Turkish goods.
Country profile: Georgia
Story from BBC NEWS:
/country_profiles/1102477.stm
Published: 2009/04/11 13:44:26 GMT
Situated at the strategically important crossroads where Europe meets
Asia, Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage, famous
traditions of hospitality and cuisine and an alphabet which is entirely
its own.
Over the centuries, Georgia was the object of rivalry between Persia,
Turkey and Russia, before being eventually annexed by Russia in the
19th century.
Since emerging from the collapsing Soviet Union as an independent state
in 1991, Georgia has again become the arena of conflicting interests,
this time between the US and a revived Russia. Tense relations with
Russia have been further exacerbated by Moscow’s support for the
separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Georgia’s previous, and rather brief, interlude of independence after
the 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia ended when it was invaded by
the Soviet Red Army in 1921 and incorporated into the Soviet Union a
year later.
The US now has a major strategic interest in the country, having
invested heavily in an oil pipeline from Azerbaijan via Georgia to
Turkey. The Georgian armed forces have been receiving US training and
support.
Increasing US economic and political influence in the country has long
been a source of concern for the Kremlin, as have Georgia’s aspirations
to join NATO and the EU.
Tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi are never far from the surface and
in August 2008 flared up into an armed conflict triggered by clashes
between Georgian troops and South Ossetian separatist forces.
Post-Soviet years
Following the collapse of communism in the USSR in 1991, Georgians
voted overwhelmingly for the restoration of independence and elected
nationalist leader Zviad Gamsakhurdia as president. However,
Gamsakhurdia was soon overthrown by opposition militias which in 1992
installed former Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze as the
country’s new leader.
During his 11 years in office, the Georgian people felt increasingly at
the mercy of poverty, corruption and crime. He was ousted in November
2003 following mass demonstrations over the conduct of parliamentary
elections.
Once a relatively affluent part of the USSR, with independence Georgia
lost the cheap energy to which it had access in the Soviet period. As
relations between Georgia and Russia deteriorated, Moscow did not
flinch from tightening the economic screws, and the rupturing of
trading ties caused the Georgian economy to nose-dive.
Georgia has been heavily dependent on Russia for its energy supply.
Like some other republics of the former Soviet Union, it saw the price
of gas supplied by the Russian gas giant Gazprom rise sharply in
January 2006. Gazprom has since doubled the price again. It is no
coincidence that20Georgia has started receiving an increasing proportion
of its gas from Azerbaijan.
Breakaway regions
Since independence, the people of Georgia have endured periods of civil
war and unrest as well as violence related to the independence
aspirations of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Both regions have close ties with Moscow, which in August 2008
announced that it was formally recognising their independence.
Russian peacekeepers have operated there since the early 1990s. They
are regularly accused by Tbilisi of siding with the separatists. The
Georgian parliament has demanded that the Russian peacekeepers in both
regions be replaced by an international force. The UN operates a
military observer mission alongside Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia.
Russia has had troops stationed in Georgia for over two centuries.
After protracted discussions, it agreed in 2005 to withdraw from its
two remaining bases, one in Ajaria and the other in southern Georgia,
by the end of 2008. Their presence has been another source of tension
between Tbilisi and the Kremlin.
Full name: Georgia
Population: 4.4 million (UN, 2008)
Capital: Tbilisi
Area: 69,700 sq km (26,911 sq miles)
Major languages: Georgian, Russian
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 75 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 lari = 100 tetri
Main exports: Scrap metal, wine, fruit
GNI per capita: US $2,120 (World Bank, 2007)
Internet domain: .ge
International dialling code: +995
President: Mikhail Saakashvili
Mikhail Saakashvili was elected president in January 2004, and won a
second term in an early election in January 2008, called in response to
opposition protests.
In 2004, Mr Saakashvili led the ”Rose Revolution” protests which
forced his predecessor as president, Eduard Shevardnadze, to resign,
riding a wave of popular anger at a parliamentary rigged election.
He won an overwhelming majority in the subsequent presidential
election, in what OSCE observers described as a "welcome contrast" to
the parliamentary poll.
Soon after that, Mr Saakashvili consolidated his position when his
National Movement-Democratic Front won a resounding victory in
parliamentary elections.
He faced a major challenge towards the end of 2007 when a one-time
ally, former defence minister Irakli Okruashvili, accused him of
corruption and of plotting a murder.
The accusations triggered a wave of protests. Mass demonstrations were
held in Tbilisi demanding elections. The opposition accused him of
being authoritarian and not doing enough to alleviate poverty.
Mr Saakashvili sent in the riot police, imposed a state of emergency
and alleged there was a hidden Russian hand in the unrest.
He also brought forward presidential elections to 5 January 2008,
proceeding to win an outright victory with more than 50% of the vote.
Mr Saakashvili further consolidated his position when his party won a
landslide victory in parliamentary elections in May 2008.
And the outbreak of armed conflict with Russia in August 2008 led many
Georgians who had previously accused Mr Saakashvili of exhibiting
authoritarian tendencies to rally behind him.
His long-term prospects are less certain, as in future Georgia is
likely to be far worse off – both strategically and economically – as a
result of the war.
A protégé of Mr Shevardnadze early in his career, Mr Saakashvili grew
disillusioned by widespread corruption in high places. He became
justice minister in 2000 and launched a high-profile campaign against
it, sparking a major public row with Mr Shevardnadze.
On becoming president Mr Saakashvili vowed to restore Georgia’s
territorial integrity by returning the breakaway regions of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia to the fold. Moscow’s links with both have been a
constant bone of contention.
His ambition to take Georgia into Nato and the EU further soured
relations with the Kremlin.
Mr Saakashvili was born in Tbilisi in 1967. He trained as a lawyer in
the US and other countries and became a member of the Georgian
parliament in 1995. He speaks several languages, including fluent
English.
Prime Minister: Nikoloz "Nika" Gilauri
A business manager and long-serving minister, Nika Gilauri became prime
minister in February 2009. He succeeded Grigol Mgaloblishvili, who
resigned on health grounds a
fter only three months in office.
Born in Tbilisi in 1975, Mr Gilauri studied business and finance in
Ireland and the United States, and worked as a manager abroad and in
Georgia.
He joined the government as energy minister in 2004, after the election
of President Mikhail Saakashvili, and went on to negotiate major gas
supply deals with Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey.
He took over as finance minister in September 2007, combining the job
with the newly-created post of first deputy prime minister in Mr
Mgaloblishvili’s government from November 2008.
Mr Gilauri said that his priorities would be to tackle unemployment,
further democracy and work to bring Abkhazia and South Ossetia under
Georgian control. He repeated previous governments’ commitment to
Georgia’s integration with NATO.
His first major step was to dismiss Kakha Bendukidze, an entrepreneur
who made a fortune in Russia in the 1990s and later spearheaded
Georgia’s privatisation drive, as head of the Georgian State
Chancellery.
Mr Bendukidze’s role in the deregulation of the Georgian economy had
made him a regular target of opposition criticism and had also brought
him into conflict with Mr Gilauri.
Television is the main source of news for most Georgians. There are
dozens of cable TV operators and a handful of major commercial
stations.
Private broadcasters compete for a share of the small, but growing,
advertising market. Newspaper readership is generally low.
A government-funded public broadcaster, Georgian Public Broadcasting,
has replaced the former state radio and TV. The state has relinquished
other media assets, including newspapers and a news agency.
The constitution provides for freedom of speech, and journalists often
criticize officials. A 2004 law decriminalized libel and slander.
However, some journalists and international bodies say self-censorship
is practised. There have been reports of physical attacks on
journalists in the regions.
In November 2007, Reporters Without Borders voiced "deep concern" about
the suspension of news programmes on private TV stations under a state
of emergency, as well as the closure of opposition-leaning Imedi TV,
which remained off the air for five months.
The press
Sakartvelos Respublika (Republic of Georgia) – daily, former government
mouthpiece
24 Saati (24 Hours) – private daily, set up by Rustavi group
Rezonansi (Resonance) – private, daily
Alia (Repatriation) – private, thrice-weekly
Akhali Versia (New Version) – private, thrice weekly
Kvilis Palitra – private, weekly
Georgian Times – English-language, weekly
Georgia Today – English-language, weekly
Georgian Messenger – English-language daily
Svobodnaya Gruzia (Free Georgia) – Russian-language daily, formerly
state-run
Archive of Georgian newspapers – in Georgian
Television
Georgian Public TV – operates two networks
Rustavi-2 – major private network
Imedi TV – private network
Mze TV – major private network
Radio
Georgian Public Radio – operates two networks
Radio Imedi – private, national news and speech network
Fortuna FM – private, music-based
Mtsvane Talgha (Green Wave) – national network linked to
non-governmental organisations
News agencies/internet
Prime-News – private, English-language pages
Kavkasia-Press – private
Civil Georgia – news site run by United Nations Association of Georgia
SENTENCED JOURNALIST
A1+
07:02 pm | April 17, 2009
Politics
Judge of the Kentron and Nork-Marash districts first instance court
Armen Khachatryan acknowledged photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan guilty
today and sentenced him to a pay a 350,000 dram fine.
Gagik Shamshyan was charged with the 3rd part of Article 343 of the
Criminal Code (disrespecting the judge).
The event took place during the trial of "Republic" party’s political
council member Smbat Ayvazyan in 2008 when the photojournalist
allegedly insulted Gagik Avetisyan.
Based on the verdict, the photojournalist must pay the fine by
November 2009, but the latter says that he is going to appeal the
verdict. Gagik Shamshyan has even decided to take the case to the
European Court after threatening the instance courts.
ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT EXPECTED TO PAY A WORKING VISIT TO RUSSIA
armradio.am
17.04.2009 13:20
President Serzh Sargsyan received the Foreign Minister of Russia,
Sergey Lavrov, who arrived in Armenia for the 20th sitting of the
Council of Foreign Ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
Organization.
During the conversation the Armenian President and the Russian Foreign
Minister discussed the Armenian-Russian strategic relations, as well
as issues relating to the forthcoming working visit of the President
of the Republic of Armenia to the Russian Federation.
During the meeting reference was made to regional and international
issues of mutual interest.
SERZH SARGSYAN AND ALI BABACAN DISCUSSED NORMALIZATION OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN TIES
PanArmenian
April 16 2009
Armenia
Today RA President Serzh Sargsyan met Turkish Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ali Babacan who arrived in Yerevan to participate in 20th
BSEC Foreign Ministers Summit.
RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and Turkish Deputy
Foreign Minister Ertugrul Apakan attended the meeting. The parties
focused on normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties, RA President Press
Service reported.
GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES AND JAVAKHETI ARMENIANS SHOULD START TALKS
PanArmenian
April 15 2009
Armenia
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerkir Union calls on Armenian Diaspora and
international community to combine efforts to protect rights of the
Armenian population of Samtskhe Javakheti, Georgia, and demand release
of United Javakhk democratic alliance leader Vahagn Chakhalyan.
"We held a number of meetings in European countries and submitted
a report to the Council of Europe," Yerkir chairman Sevak Artsruni
told a news conference in Yerevan.
"The problem of Armenian population of Javakheti is Georgia’s domestic
affair and can’t be viewed in the context of Armenian-Georgian
relations," he said. "We regret that some political forces in Armenia
are trying to present it as a foreign policy issue."
"We call on the Georgia authorities to respects national minorities’
rights and open talks with representatives of the Armenian population
of Samtskhe Javakheti," he said.
Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet
PRESS RELEASE
April 15, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SPEAKER PELOSI REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
— Backs Adoption of Armenian Genocide Resolution
"A grave injustice was committed and the fact that our
nation is not officially recognizing these crimes as genocide
is a disappointment." — Speaker Nancy Pelosi, April 14, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC – The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives,
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has reaffirmed her longstanding support for
U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, stressing her backing
for the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252, and voicing, once
again, her disappointment that the United States has yet to
officially describe this crime as a genocide, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
In a letter sent this week to constituents throughout California’s
8th Congressional District, the Speaker offered her personal
assurance that she "will continue to support official recognition
of the Armenian genocide," a crime she described as a "grave
injustice" that "should be officially recognized as genocide." She
also stressed her support for H.Res.252, which has been referred to
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Congressman
Howard Berman (D-CA).
Her correspondence, circulated only days before President Obama is
set to offer his April 24th statement, reflects the growing support
in Congress and around the nation for a clear and unequivocal
recognition by the President of the Armenian Genocide. As a
Senator and a candidate for the White House, Barack Obama
repeatedly pledged to properly condemn and commemorate the Armenian
Genocide, stating clearly that: "As President I will recognize the
Armenian Genocide."
In recent weeks, growing support for U.S. recognition has been
reflected by:
— The steady climb of cosponsors of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, H.Res.252, among both Democrats and
Republicans.
— The unanimous decision by the House of Representatives
of Hawaii, the President’s home state, to become the 42nd
to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.
— The letter recently sent by the International
Association of Genocide Scholars urging President Obama to
honor his pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The ANCA, as part of its Fierce Urgency of Now campaign, is urging
citizens to contact the White House and Congress in support of
Armenian Genocide recognition by the U.S. government this April –
#####