Author: Jilavian Emma

GURGEN MARGARIAN AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY MEDAL OF BRAVERY

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian officer
GurgenMargarian who was brutally killed by an Azeri counterpart on
February 19, 2004 in Budapest, was awarded the Medal of Bravery
posthumously last Saturday by Armenian president Robert Kocharian. The
first anniversary of his tragic death was marked last Saturday in
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.

Armenian prime minister Andranik Margarian had said earlier that:
“We hope that the Budapest city court will pass a fair sentence on the
murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian.”

Gurgen Margarian, was hacked to death by Azerbaijani officer
RamilSafarov on 19 February last year when attending an English
language course under the aegis of NATO at a Hungarian military
academy.

An Armenian lawyer who represents Margarian’s family’s interests at
the court told after a visit to Budapest that the results of the
forensic examination clearly show that Ramil Safarov had committed the
murder deliberately, in cold blood and in a mentally healthy
condition. She said all the attempts of the Azerbaijani side to spin
out the trial on various pretexts, transfer it into the political
sphere and declare Safarov a hero in Azerbaijan will fail.

ARMENIA PROPOSES EASING FREE EXPORT REGIME WITH RUSSIA

2005-02-20 17:47

YEREVAN, February 20 (RIA Novosti) – In 2005, Armenia plans to
introduce amendments to the agreement on free trade with Russia,
announced head of the department for trade and services under the
Armenian Ministry of Trade and Economic Development Gagik Kocharyan.

“We propose lifting the procedures of making lists of goods subject to
the free trade regime, and also lift the limitations on the re-export
of goods from Russia, as many CIS countries do,” Mr. Kocharyan stated.

In addition, he said that the changes would be made to an article in
the agreement that differentiates the regimes of bilateral trade for
state and private sectors. In accordance with the agreement signed in
1993, the state-controlled trade enjoys the most preferred status
compared with tradein the private sector. Mr. Kocharyan proposes
applying the same regime for both sectors.

He announced that all issues would be discussed during the next
meeting of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental committee on
economic cooperation scheduled for the summer 2005.

“I think that our proposals will not cause a lot of discussions or
controversy, and will be passed without difficulties,” Mr. Kocharyan
believes.

According to the Armenian National Statistics Service, the volume of
trade turnover between Armenia and Russia in 2004 dropped by 10.6% to
$266.2 million.

Leadership Directories, Inc.
1001 G Street, NW
Suite 200 East
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: (202) 347-7757
Fax: (202) 628-3430

by Ericka J. Claflin
Editor, Congressional Yellow BookAugust 25, 2004

This column highlights changes that have taken place on Capitol
Hill since publication of the Summer 2004 Congressional Yellow Book.
Congressional Offices and Member Organizations

Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus

Co-Chairs: Curt Weldon (R-PA) and Solomon P. Ortiz (D-TX)

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
George Shirinian

DATE: February 18, 2005 Tel:
416-250-9807

Holocaust Scholars to Honor Prof. Vahakn Dadrian. His Book on History of the
Armenian Genocide is Breaking Records in Sales

Philadelphia.- The participants of the Annual Scholars’ Conference on the
Holocaust and the Churches will honor Prof. Dadrian during the scholars’
annual convention that will take place in Philadelphia, March 5-8, 2005. The
ceremony will be carried out during the Conference Banquet on Monday, March
7, 6:30-8:15 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel. Under the theme, “Remembrance of the
Armenian Genocide 90 Years Later,” Dr. Dadrian will be celebrated “for his
lifetime of distinguished work” dealing with studies on genocide in general
and Armenian Genocide in particular. Renowned author and poet Peter
Balakian, Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of Humanities at
Colgate University and a recent Guggenheim Fellow, will present Dadrian
while outlining his accomplishments. The banquet ceremony will be chaired by
Dr. Gregory Dell’Omo, Vice President of Saint Joseph’s University. The
Annual Scholars Conference is a gathering for hundreds of Holocaust scholars
from all over the world, who explore the manifold aspects of the Holocaust
and its connections to Christianity and the Churches.
As an interesting historical note, it was at this conference in 2000, while
celebrating their 30th anniversary, that the organizers invited Prof.
Dadrian to deliver one of the three keynote speeches. The other keynote
speakers were Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and distinguished Holocaust scholar
Yehuda Bauer from Hebrew University and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. On that
occasion, 126 of the conference participants, practically all of them
Holocaust scholars, signed a now famous proclamation. That proclamation
declared that “The Armenian Genocide is an incontestable historical fact”
and that “Turkey for her own sake should come to terms with it.” It further
encouraged Western Democracies “to urge the Government and Parliament of
Turkey to finally come to terms with a dark chapter of Ottoman-Turkish
history and to recognize the Armenian Genocide. This would provide an
invaluable impetus to the process of the democratization of Turkey.” The
proclamation was published in the New York Times, the Jerusalem Post, and
several other periodicals.

Brisk Sales of the New Revised Edition of “History of the Armenian Genocide”

New York- Berghahn Books has announced that the new revised and expanded
version of Prof. Vahakn N. Dadrian’s massive volume, The History of the
Armenian Genocide, is now entering its third printing in paperback format.
The hardcover editions went through six printings from 1995 to 2000,
totaling over 6,000 copies, a remarkable achievement for a serious academic
work.

This ground-breaking book has been translated and published in French (two
editions), Greek, and Italian. There are plans to publish it in Russian and
in Hebrew, as well.

Prof. Vahakn Dadrian is Director of Genocide Research at Zoryan Institute.

The Zoryan Institute is the first non-profit, international center devoted
to the research and documentation of contemporary issues related to Armenian
social, political and cultural life. To this end, the Institute conducts
multidisciplinary research, publication, and educational programs dealing
with Armenia, the Armenian Genocide, and Diaspora, within a universal
context.

KNOW-ALLS IN PACE TAKE KARABAKH ISSUE SUPERFICIALLY: VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17. ARMINFO. The most complicated problem of how
to peacefully settle the Karabakh conflict has been driven back by
propaganda “fencing,” says the former Russian co-chair of the OSCE
MG Vladimir Kazimirov.

Azerbaijan’s recent initiative to raise the “occupied territories”
issue at UN General Assembly has by no means contributed to the peace
process but it did so greatly for denouncing Armenia. In fact Baku
is trying to shift the international attention from the cause of the
conflict – the status of Nagorny Karabakh to one of its consequences –
occupied territories.

Few in Europe actually know how the Karabakh conflict has been
developing so far – so Baku decided that it would not be bad to
raise the issue to get the world’s sympathy. Kazimirov says that the
Armenians have underestimated this tactics but when Yerevan demanded
to have Nagorny Karabakh back at the negotiating table Baku recalled
its UN initiative and was just content with OSCE fact finding mission
to the controlled territories.

The PACE unbalanced resolutions on the reports of Terry Davis and
David Atkinson have very much pleased Baku. The know-alls in PACE did
not care as to go deep into the problem and just took it superficially.

They suddenly found some occupation and refugees but did not take the
pains of finding out where this all has come from and who is guilty
for it. They don’t even know who sabotaged 4 UN Security Council
resolutions, repeatedly wreaked or avoided cease-fires and continues
relying on military force in the issue. They are even unaware that some
of their current positions run counter to those of UN SC and OSCE. OSCE
has never denied that Nagorny Karabakh is a party to the conflict. Only
Azerbaijan did so and now it is backed by PACE. PACE has called on
Baku to start discussing status with Karabakh representatives but
with whom are they to discuss the withdrawal of the Karabakh troops
from the controlled districts and where will those troops go. Who
will resolve this issue?, asks Kazimirov.

COURT: Three accused of brutal murder of Armenian man

Peterborough Evening Telegraph, UK
Feb 14 2005

THREE people have appeared in court in connection with the murder of
a man who was stabbed, shot and set on fire.

Misha Chatsjatrjan (43), a refugee from Eastern Europe, and Nishan
Bakunts (27), from Great Yarmouth, appeared at Norwich Crown Court,
charged with the murder of Hovhannes Amirian (43), on Friday.

The Armenian victim was found in a field between Upton and Wansford,
near Peterborough, by a passing cyclist, in the early hours of December
21, 2002.

Arpine Karapetian (23), from Great Yarmouth, was also in court accused
of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The trio will return to Norwich Crown Court for pleas and directions
on March 11.

GALUST SAHAKYAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

A1+
10 Feb 05

â~@~I cannot say who will be Kocharyan’s successor, but I can firmly
say that I will be elected the Armenian President in 2018â~@~], head
of the Republican Party of Armenia Galust Sahakyan stated during
todayâ~@~Ys briefing.

Today he does not see any political motives for holding extra-ordinary
elections or any reason for dissolving the parliament, since
the conversations on the existing crisis are exaggerated in the
parliament. Galust Sahakyan considers that any elections may be
dangerous at present. When commenting on the accusations of the
Orinats Yerkir party that the businessmen deputies representing the
RPA are absent from the sittings, Sahakyan stated that he does not
wish to speak of such nonsense and dropped a hint that they, the RPA
representatives, have the key role in the parliament.

Taking into account the fact that out of 46 RPA deputies only 17
were present in the sitting hall, his words can be easily proved,
since during the three days of the session there was no possibility
to gather the number of deputies essential for voting.

–Boundary_(ID_jnDzHZzwbVDBXVHe04Vhaw)–

Armenian opposition leader slams anti-corruption campaign

Arminfo
8 Feb 05

Yerevan, 8 February: The fight against corruption in Armenia today
is nothing but “fiction and lies”, Ruben Torosyan, the leader of the
Human Rights – Democracy Party and of the Supreme Council club of MPs,
told a news conference today.

He lambasted both the anti-corruption council led by the Armenian
prime minister [Andranik Markaryan] and the commission to monitor the
implementation of the strategic programme to fight corruption headed
by presidential advisor Bagrat Yesayan. The monitoring commission
announced the creation of 12 working groups comprising representatives
of 120 public organizations in various spheres, Torosyan said. It
is still unclear which organizations or groups they are talking
about. “I, myself, found out from Aravot newspaper that I am a member
of a working group dealing with the judicial system,” Torosyan said.

He also noted that the recent annual report on the activities of the
commission in 2004 is an outright “lie”. The commission itself has no
basic understanding of the situation with corruption in the country. As
to the data revealed by Yesayan at a news conference concerning some
tax officers who were allegedly fired for corruption, nobody knows
anything about that and it has not been confirmed anywhere, Torosyan
said. He noted that the strategic programme makes no reference either
to the ruling “elite” or to numerous employees at foreign diplomatic
missions “who are partaking in corruption in Armenia with pleasure”.
Let alone the most obvious signs of political corruption as election
fraud and the establishment of a political coalition which was
established in violation of all constitutional norms and is in
itself an act of corruption, Torosyan said. The way out, he says,
is to hammer out a new strategic programme to comba t corruption and
set up a socio-political anti-corruption council.

PanArmenian News
Feb 4 2005

ARMENIA TO HEAD REGIONAL GROUP OF REGIONAL GROUP BASEL CONFERENCE ON
BANKING SUPERVISION

04.02.2005 15:09

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the conference of the Regional Group on
Banking Supervision with the participation of representatives of the
South Caucasian states, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kirghizia,
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan finished its work in Yerevan. As reported
by Regnum news agency, Armenia in the person of Central Bank Chairman
Tirgan Sargsian will preside over the regional group of the Basel
Conference on banking Supervision within next two years. He noted
that “the exchange of experience will help to clarify the phases of
implementation of Basel standards in Armenia”. The next conference
will also be held in Armenia this October.

The Daily Telegraph, UK
Feb 4 2005

Downfall of an elite diplomat
By Francis Harris
(Filed: 04/02/2005)

The damning of Benon Sevan by the interim report on the oil-for-food
scandal is no mere condemnation of an anonymous international civil
servant.

It cuts right to the heart of the United Nations and its highly paid
diplomatic elite.

Mr Sevan, 67, a Cypriot Armenian, has worked for the UN for 40 years,
climbing his way up the ladder in postings as far apart as New York,
Afghanistan and Indonesia. Were it not for the oil-for-food scandal,
he would have retired on a pension estimated at £55,000 a year.

It should not have ended like this. Mr Sevan is judged an
international success story by his own people and is listed on
Armenian websites as a credit to his nation.

The UN bureaucracy wields considerable influence, controls huge sums
of money and is even less accountable than most national
bureaucracies.

For decades critics have alleged that this system has allowed some UN
staff to get rich by milking the generous allowances or, worse, to
become corrupt.

Mr Sevan was appointed head of the oil-for-food programme soon after
it began in 1997. He not only had to deal with one of the bloodiest
tyrannies in the world but also served under the watchful gaze of the
Americans, British, French and Russians, all interested in Iraq but
at odds on how to heal an issue which had soured international
relations for a decade.

Mr Sevan maintains his innocence. He said last year that he had been
unfairly portrayed as a jet-setter.

“I had one day off last year for my daughter’s graduation,” he said.

“I escaped death by a minute in Baghdad in the bombing of the UN
building. When I went on holiday [to Australia], they said I had
disappeared, but I had planned it for two years.”