Author: Chatinian Lara

TASHNAQ IS SILENT AS SUPPORTERS SPECULATE
by Matt Nash

NowLebanon
icleDetails.aspx?ID=84737
March 24 2009
Lebanon

NOW asks party faithful which side it will choose

MP Michel Murr (R) announced he would ally with March 14 in the
Metn. The Armenian community generally votes with Murr, but the
largest Armenian political party has yet to announce with whom they
will ally in the June 7 polls. (AFP) The most dominant political
party among Lebanon’s Armenian community, the Tashnaq, has not yet
announced with which political coalition it will ally with in the
upcoming parliamentary elections. The community gets six seats in
Lebanon’s parliament (four in Beirut, one in the Metn and one in
Zahle), and Armenian votes were decisive in the 2007 by-election in
the Metn. That year the Free Patriotic Movement candidate Camille
Khoury beat Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel by a few hundred votes
to fill the seat of former MP Pierre Gemayel, who was assassinated in
November 2006. Tashnaq traditionally allies with political heavyweight
Michel al-Murr, who announced he will be allying with March 14 this
election year. NOW Lebanon went to Bourj Hammoud, an almost exclusively
Armenian suburb of Beirut, to see what people thought of Tashnaq’s
delay and Murr’s announcement.

Andre, 37, Bourj Hammoud They are now with [FPM leader] Michel Aoun
because the past few years they’ve been allied with Michel al-Murr, and
now he’s alone so they are confused between him and Michel Aoun. But
they are probably all with Michel Aoun more than Michel al-Murr,
but they can’t leave Murr all together. They’re with both of them,
but I’m not sure how they can do it.

Do you think the party will split if Murr stays allied with March 14?

No, no, no. They party is all together. For example, I don’t like
Michel Aoun, but I am with the Tashnaq and I respect their opinion. But
I don’t like Aoun.

Will you vote with Tashnaq if they ally with Aoun?

I don’t know. I don’t know.

Colandaria, 55, Achrafieh Right now they are an opposition
party. They’ll ally with General Michel Aoun. Maybe there are
discussions between the Tashnaq and the Hariri parties [March 14],
I don’t know. Maybe they will reach a compromise on something. I
don’t know. They only had problems with the Hariri parties in the 2000
elections. Always the Armenians are their own parliamentary bloc. And
during the 2000 elections, Hariri didn’t give them anything. He didn’t
want an Armenian bloc [to have independence.] He wanted them to follow
him alone. He said, "You are either with me or against me." So Tashnaq
went alone in the elections and only got two deputies [of the six seats
reserved for Armenians.] Now they are trying to have all six deputies
so that there is an Armenian bloc. We are Armenians. We are neutral. So
now they are trying to negotiate this. If they achieve some agreement
with Hariri, maybe they will side with [March 14]. If not, no.

Do you think they’ll ultimately side with Murr and go along with
March 14?

Now the Tashnaq says we are with Michel Aoun. But the Armenians have
been with Murr for over 40 years. So they might say, "Ok, Murr is
not with us now so we will give votes just for him, not all of his
allies," which would mean voting March 14 in the Metn but voting
March 8 everywhere else.

Partick, 66, Oukar There are talks going on. There is no definite
answer. It takes time.

Do you think they’ll ultimately side with Murr and go along with
March 14?

Actually, I’m not interested in the political situation. Whatever will
happen, we will see. I cannot personally say that what Murr says will
lead to this, or that what someone else says will lead to that. The
Tashnaq party has a committee, and they are the actual deciders. I
cannot say what is going on.

Robain, 44, Bourj Hammoud They said they are with Michel Aoun. Of
course they’ve said this, [and] of course it’s a good thing.

So do you think they’ll split with Murr in the Metn?

No. We’re also with Michel Murr. All the lists will be with Michel
Aoun.

So the party will split its votes by siding with Murr and March 14
in the Metn and vote for March 8 everywhere else?

Tashnaq will vote with Aoun, and Murr will leave March 14.

Vacche, 35, Baabda Of course we will go with March 8 because there
is no place for Tashnaq in March 14.

So what does Murr’s alliance with March 14 mean for the Tashnaq?

Michel Murr is not with Michel Aoun now, but he will be before the
election. It will be the same relationship like in 2005. There is no
place in March 14 for Michel Murr.

EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE EXERCISES HELD IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
March 24, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS: UN Armenian office and Armenian
Emergency Situations Ministry’s Rescue Service are carrying out
INSARAG exercises (response to earthquake, group consultation on
international search-rescue issues) March 24-26. Today early in the
morning the exercises were held in the Armenian province of Lori and
on March 26 will be wrapped up in Arzni gorge. At the exercises it
is expected to try all the elements of the international response
which will be necessary for a country suffered from a natural disaster.

Heads of disaster management establishments of 22 countries, rescue
teams, UN different agencies participate in the Armenian exercises.

In the opening of the event Armenian Emergency Minister Mher
Shahgeldyan said that disasters do not recognize borders and in the
whole world coordination mechanisms are being developed, institutions
are being established the issue of which is to coordinate the search,
rescue, prevention forces and opportunities of different countries.

"INSARAG organization has been established taking into consideration
the tragic experience of Spitak earthquake. From this viewpoint
the goal of the world organization is to coordinate the forces of
countries," the minister said.

UN permanent coordinator in Armenia Bushra Halepota said that it is
necessary to be ready to possible earthquake and have functioning
coordinating mechanisms, ensure immediate and effective search,
rescue activities as well as restoration works.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES SHOULD NOT BE USED

168 Zham
March 21 2009
Armenia

Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan received the US ambassador to
Armenia, Marie Yovanovitch, yesterday [20 March].

According to a press release issued by the parliament’s public
relations department, the US ambassador said: "If there is one
person who can eliminate the gap between political forces, improve
Armenian-Turkish relations and contribute to the peaceful settlement
of the Karabakh issue, it is President [Serzh] Sargsyan".

Yovanovitch said the US government believes the development of
democracy in Armenia is important. She pointed out in this context
that holding the upcoming May election of Yerevan’s city council in a
free and fair atmosphere is an important stage on the path to progress
in democracy. She expressed the hope that equal conditions will be
created for all participants, and that no administrative resources
will be used.

The parliament speaker also attached importance to holding a free and
fair election, saying that the parliament will do everything possible
to exclude violations and create equal opportunities for everyone,
the press release said.

At the meeting with Yovanovitch, Abrahamyan said he did not agree
with the assessment of Armenia in the US Department of State’s annual
report on human trafficking. In turn, the ambassador said that Armenia
is in the list’s second group of countries subject to control.

"Seeing positive work done by the Armenian authorities in this
direction, the ambassador will try to assist Armenia on the issue
of getting out of the control group," press the release of the
parliament’s information service said.

The Nagornyy Karabakh issue was also discussed. Abrahamyan attached
importance to the peaceful settlement of the issue in the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group. Yovanovitch said the US position on the issue
has not changed: "The principles of non-use of force, territorial
integrity and the right to self-determination should be used".

ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK DIRECTOR GENERAL TO BE HONORED WITH FRENCH ORDER OF MERIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.03.2009 10:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank Director General Stepan
Gishyan will to be honored with French Order of Merit.

The awarding ceremony will take place in French Embassy in Yerevan
on March 26, the embassy’s press office reported.

NO US SECRETARY OF STATE HAD EVER RISKED CRITICIZING HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2009 GMT+04:00

Washington is so eager to get rid of the "painful heritage" of the Bush
Administration that she often makes statements against her own self.

Probably, no one could expect Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to
introduce changes in country’s foreign policy, as the foreign policy
of any country is a more conservative segment of management. Moreover,
no one could expect so slighting, if not to say more, attitude towards
the work done by one’s own department. Everything began with the
notorious annual State Department Report on Human Rights. Everybody
knows that it has always been politically booked and biased, but
no US Secretary of State had ever risked criticizing the Report,
especially doing it not in Washington but on a trip abroad.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
undercuts the State Department’s own human rights reporting, The
Washington Post writes. According to the author of the article "Some
Friends", Clinton declared in China that "Violations of human rights
in China can’t interfere with economic, security or environmental
matters".

The new Secretary of State delivered a similar shock in Turkey and
Egypt, the two US key allies in the region. "State Department issues
these reports on every country and we hope that it will be taken in the
spirit in which it is offered, that we all have room for improvement,"
Clinton said in an interview to al-Arabiya satellite network.

As for the state of human rights protection in Turkey, the US Secretary
of State said: "Senior government officials strongly criticize the
press and media business figures". "Overall, we think that Turkey has
made tremendous progress in freedom of speech and freedom of religion
and human rights, and we’re proud of that," noted Clinton in Ankara.

In fact, as the State Department has documented, Turkey is retreating
on freedom of speech. In Egypt, the human rights situation also
is getting worse rather than better. "By minimizing those facts,
Ms. Clinton is doing a disservice to her own department and sending
a message to rulers around the world that their abuses won’t be taken
seriously by this U.S. administration," The Washington Post reports.

On the whole, Hillary Clinton is right: the Human Rights Report
has long ceased to be objective, especially since it is written up
in participation with the Human Rights Watch, organization that,
to put it mildly, perceives the reality inadequately, especially in
post-Soviet territory. Not pretending on a distinct opinion in this
matter, we have to admit that in majority of cases organizations of
protecting human rights are engaged in bringing accusations against
the states, which, in their opinion, are Â"non-democraticÂ". Examples
are not few: South Caucasus states, Russia, China. For some reason
these reports almost never include names of EU member states and the
USA. But these are all rhetoric questions that do not refer to the
essence of the issue. And the essence is that Washington is so eager
to get rid of the Â"painful heritageÂ" of the Bush Administration
that she often makes statements against her own self.

By the way, Barack Obama too has decided to contribute his mite in
changing the priorities of his foreign policy. For the first time the
US President has congratulated the Iranians on Nowruz. Of course,
the fact itself deserves respect, only Obama will have to explain
his gesture of good will to those Americans, who were taken hostage
in Tehran in 1979 and survived by a hair’s breadth …

But politics operates with categories, a bit far from morals. It is
difficult to say whether such policy is beneficial for the country
or not. At least, the United States has always been famous for its
pragmatism and pursuance of personal interests, naturally, offering
it to the world in Â"democraticÂ" wrapping.

And lastly, US Secretary of State has invited President of the "Turkish
Republic of North Cyprus" Mehmet Ali Talat to visit Washington. In the
judgment of Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) the invitation
issued to Talat may be wrongly assessed as recognition of Cyprus’
occupation and existence of the "Turkish Republic of North Cyprus". In
the words of American diplomat of Greek origin Gregory Marquis,
Â"isolationÂ" of Turk Cypriots is the result of occupation of the
northern part of the island by Turkey. Hardly can the US Secretary of
State be ignorant of the Cyprian problem. We’ll make bold to assume
that all the curtseys are dropped before Turkey as a preparation for
Barack Obama to utter the word ‘genocide’ in his annual speech of April
24. And here nolens volens we recall the words of Arthur Sasounian:
"Armenians should not require every newly-formed Congress recognize
what has already been recognized twice. Congress has already passed
two resolutions on the Armenian Genocide recognition, one in 1975,
the other in 1984. The Armenian nation should not be constantly asking
American presidents to recognize the Genocide." As for Turkey, it is
not so irritated at just another resolution on the Armenian Genocide,
as at its constant repetition for more than 30 years…

ITERA INTERNATIONAL ENERGY NO LONGER ARMROSGASPROM’S SHAREHOLDER

ARKA
March 23, 2009

YEREVAN, March 23. /ARKA/. Itera International Energy has sold its
2,800,000 nominal equities of ArmRosgasprom CJSC to Garsprom, press
office of ArmRosgasprom reported on Monday.

The equities make 4.45% of ArmRosgasprom’s authorized capital.

The transaction was registered in Central Depository of Armenia on
March 12.

ArmRosgasprom’s press office refrained from more detailed comments
on the matter.

ArmRosgasprom enjoys the sole right to import and distribute Russian
natural gas in Armenia.

Russia conveys natural gas to Armenia through Georgia’s territory.

ArmRosgasprom was established in 1997. Gasprom holds 80% of the
company’s shares.

The remaining 20% belongs to Armenian Government.

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAYS SPEEDS UP OVERHAUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.03.2009 19:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ For coordinated organization of repair works on
South Caucasian Railway link, South Caucasian Railway CJSC resolved
to set up "breaks", announcing full motion dwells at specific railway
territories. The project involves capital repair of 5,4 km on the
main line to be completed by Apr. 10, South Caucasian Railway CJSC
Track Maintenance Service Head Ahot Unusyan reported.

Over 925 km of Kanakert line was recently completed. Completion of
1000 km of Arteni lines repair is due by Mar. 23.

According to Ashot Unusyan, upon recovery works completion at
territories specified, Arteni-Aragats line repair will be launched. The
territories specified had not been repaired for over 20 years, so
their state can be defined as highly unsatisfactory.

Over 3000 wooden ties and 10 switch tie sets were replaced at Vanadzor
line, 2600 wooden ties and 8 switch tie sets at Gyumri line, 420
bridge sleepers were replaced on metal bridges.

PR Newswire (press release)
March 18 2009

Pacifica Institute to Give Californians A Taste of Anatolia

LOS ANGELES, March 17 /PRNewswire/ — The first Anatolian Cultures and
Food Festival celebrating the architecture, crafts and food of that
region (modern day Turkey) will run April 2nd to 5th 2009 at the
Orange County Fairgrounds. The event has a unique focus on the
multi-cultural heritage of Anatolia, showcasing the Ottomans,
Hittites, Armenians and other civilizations.

Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the
festival and plans to make this an annual fixture in California. Other
participants are the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce
(CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA).

"We want to provide a full sensory experience of the history of this
region," said festival coordinator Kemal Gur. "Visitors will literally
eat the foods, see the sights and hear the sounds that an ordinary
Byzantine or Ottoman citizen experienced thousands of years ago."

The festival will showcase five major cities and 11 arches including a
reconstruction of the Trojan Horse. The sets were constructed in
Istanbul over a six-month period by a team of 50 carpenters, under the
guidance of historians and archeologists. They used 60 tons of steel,
20,000 square meters of vinyl and other materials to recreate
landmarks such as Rumi’s Museum in Konya.

Each set will also feature 3D graphics and photographs, along with
documents translated from manuscripts. During the festival artisans
will demonstrate regional crafts, ranging from filigree to weaving.

There will also be nightly live concerts, featuring virtuoso Omer
Faruk Tekbilek and his ensemble of Turkish, Greek and Armenian
musicians, as well as the Whirling Dervishes, folk dancers and an
Ottoman marching band. At more than 90 booths reminiscent of
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar festivalgoers will savor authentic foods and
purchase crafts.

There will also be a children’s area where puppet theater and fairy
tale performances will run on two stages.

For additional information visit , contact
Elif Cercel or Atilla Kahveci at [email protected] or call
(310) 208 7290.

Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American
community of California as a non-profit organization. Its mission is
to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals,
conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to
bring people together from different communities and ethnic
backgrounds.

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Novinite.com, Bulgaria
March 21 2009

Turkey Starts Armenian, Kurdish Language Radio Channels
World | March 21, 2009, Saturday

Turkey’s state radio and TV corporation TRT is going to start an
Armenian-language channel.

The news has been reported by the Hurriyet Daily News, which also
reminds that on Wednesday Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, said TRT would launch a radio station broadcasting in
Turkish.

The radio channels in Armenian and Kurdish are expected to start in
two or three months.

The move signifies the recent thaw in Armenia-Turkey relations. Even
though Armenia wants Turkey to recognize the 1915-1922 Armenian
genocide, whose existence Turkey adamantly denies, Armenia also would
like to see a normalization of the relations with its Turkish
neighbor, BGNES points out citing a recent statement of Armenian Prime
Minister, Tigran Sarkisian.

Some 50 000 ethnic Armenians currently live in Turkey, and most of
them are in the country’s largest city of Istanbul.

Turkey has recently stepped up with a program to boost the cultural
rights of the Kurdish minority including by launching a 24-hour TV
channel in Kurdish, TRT-6.

‘I WISH THE AZERBAIJANI PEOPLE THE LIBERATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED LANDS ON NOVRUZ:’ NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATE

Trend
March 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Iranian Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi congratulated the people
of Azerbaijan on Novruz Bayram.

The Azerbaijanis are a peace-loving people and heroic nation, Ebadi
told Trend News.

Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2003.

"I hope the people feel even better with springtime’s arrival,"
Ebari said.

Ebadi said the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a
tough situation for the Azerbaijani people. He said Nagorno-Karabakh is
a beautiful region with splendid nature, and the Azerbaijani people’s
zeal to liberate their lands will never fail.

Ebadi said he hopes the conflict will be resolved peacefully.

"People wish the best to their relatives and friends on Novruz. I wish
the Azerbaijani people the liberation of Azerbaijan’s Armenian-occupied
lands," Ebadi said.