Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ETATS-UNIS : 40 DEPUTES S’ENGAGENT SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Publie le : 20-03-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette compilation faite d’après les depeches.

20 mars 2015 – D’après depeches

A l’occasion du centième anniversaire du genocide armenien commemore
cette annee, une resolution appelant a sa reconnaissance officielle
par les Etats-Unis, ainsi qu’a l’emploi du terme >
par le President Barack Obama, a ete presentee le 18 mars par une
quarantaine de deputes americains devant la Chambre des representants.

Le texte porte par Adam Schiff et un groupe de parlementaires des
partis democrate et republicain invite le president des Etats-Unis a
apporter son soutien au rapprochement de la Republique d’Armenie et
de la Turquie sur la base “d’une pleine reconnaissance des faits et
des consequences continues du genocide armenien”.

En 2008, pendant sa campagne electorale, Obama avait promis de
reconnaître le genocide des Armeniens. Cependant, une fois elu,
il n’a jamais employe le terme de genocide. Tout en affirmant avoir
toujours les memes convictions concernant cette question, il prefère,
depuis, utiliser des definitions telles que >
ou > [Grand Crime en armenien]. L’annee passee,
dans son discours prononce a l’occasion du 24 avril, le president
americain avait – sans craindre les contradictions – fait appel a la > commis en 1915.

La Chambre des Representants a adopte des resolutions reconnaissant
le genocide armenien, en 1975 et en 1984.

De nouveau, le jeudi 4 mars 2010, la commission des Affaires etrangères
de la Chambre des representants americaine avait adopte une resolution
du meme type.

Dans une declaration faite en 1981, le president Ronald Reagan avait
egalement evoque le genocide armenien.

Aucune de ces propositions de resolution – qui ne passent jamais la
barrière des deux chambres du Congrès – ou de ces declarations, n’a ete
suivie d’effet comme le notait l’editorialiste armeno-americain Harut
Sassounian en 2011: “D’aucuns pourraient avoir la fausse impression
que de telles resolutions aideraient les Armeniens a obtenir des
compensations de la Turquie pour leurs terres confisquees et leurs
biens voles. Ce n’est tout simplement pas vrai. Les resolutions
commemoratives expriment “le sentiment” du Congrès et n’ont pas
force de loi. En outre, si ces resolutions avaient un veritable
avantage quelconque, les Armeniens en auraient tire parti au cours
des decennies qui ont suivi leur adoption ! ”

Cependant, en cette annee 2015, les deputes americains pouvaient
difficilement ne pas reiterer leur demarche pour les 100 ans du
genocide armenien qui fit 1,5 million de victimes.

La Turquie, pour sa part, continue de nier les massacres planifies
des Armeniens par les troupes de l’armee ottomane, parlant seulement
de 500.000 victimes armeniennes, mortes selon elle au cours de la
Première Guerre mondiale a la suite des combats ou en raison de la
famine, en consequence de leur pretendue alliance avec l’ennemi russe.

Des dizaines de pays et parlements* ont reconnu le genocide armenien
de 1915.

John Andrew Boehner, membre du parti republicain, President de la
Chambre des representants au Congrès des Etats-Unis, n’a pas encore
precise si le texte serait mis a l’ordre du jour pour un vote.

Compilation Collectif VAN d’après depeches –

*Reconnaissance politique du genocide armenien

Lire aussi :

Congrès US : Resolution sur le genocide armenien ?

Une commission du Congrès americain reconnaît le genocide armenien

Un vote au Congrès americain sur le genocide armenien indigne Ankara

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : OBAMA AU PIED DU MUR

Le lobby armenien aux Etats-Unis

TURKEY AND THE ARMENIAN CULTURAL LEGACY

19:12, 20 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On April 18, the day for protection of monuments, the Erebuni”
Historical & Archaeological Museum-Reserve in Yerevan will host an
exhibition on “The Urartian Heritage of Western Armenia,” Head of
IOMOS Armenia Office and Director of Erebuni Museum Gagik Gyurjyan
told reporters today.

“This is our legacy and we must be the masters of it at least by
organizing such exhibitions,” he said.

Speaking about Turkey’s state policy on the protection of
Armenian monuments, Gyurjyan said Ankara pays great attention to
historical-architectural sites on its territory, including Armenian
ones, out of considerations of development of tourism.

Turkey also pretends to be civilized and tolerant towards Armenian
legacy, he added. He noted that the most important Armenian site
of the territory of Turkey is undoubtedly the ancient city of Ani,
where serious research works are being conducted.

According to Gagik Gyurjyan, Turkey consistently destroys the Armenian
cultural trace dated before the 4thcentury. This refers to the Urartian
period, the Kingdom of Van, etc.

ARMENIA WILL SUCCESSFULLY SELL SECOND ISSUE OF EUROBONDS- ECONOMIST SAYS

YEREVAN, March 20. / ARKA /. Tatul Manaseryan, head of a Yerevan-based
think tank called ‘Alternative’, said to ARKA that a market study
suggests there are all grounds for the government to sell successfully
$500 million Eurobonds.

According to Reuters, Armenia sold a $500 million 10-year dollar bond
on March 19 for only the second time on record, paying a yield of 7.5%.

International law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLC was hired
by the government to act as an international consultant for the issue,
while Deutsche Bank, HSBC Bank and JP Morgan will be the underwriters.

In Manaseryan’s words, by making the second issue of Eurobonds the
government as a matter of fact is increasing its foreign debt, ‘but a
successful placement of Eurobonds will allow it to refinance the debt.’

Plans to sell more Eurobonds at international debt markets were
announced by the government on January 30 in order to finance its
budget deficit.

‘Of course, the government could channel the proceeds from the sale
into the real sector, however, the priority today is to finance its
budget deficit,’ Manaseryan said.

‘The government has set a tradition of financing its budget deficit
by seeking funds form external sources, but what it should do is
to increase the share of domestic debt, by using also the proceeds
from sale of Eurobonds. If the government succeeds in normalizing the
situation with the state debt, then it could finance other important
sectors of economy,’ Manaseryan said.

Armenia first issued $700 million worth dollar-denominated bonds in
September 2013 at the yield of 6.25 percent. According to Armenian
finance ministry, investors were ready to buy as much as $3 billion
worth of Armenian external bonds. The bulk of $700 million was used
to repay a $500 million Russian loan ten years ahead of schedule.

Armenian finance ministry said today it would make an official
statement on the second issue of Eurobonds later in the day.

Moody’s downgraded Armenia’s bonds to a rating of Ba3 from Ba2 in
January, changing its outlook to negative from stable. It cited
declining remittances, uncertain foreign investment, exchange rate
volatility and pressure on foreign exchange reserves. -0-

TURKISH-ARMENIANS ANGERED BY ERDOGAN’S ANTI-ARMENIAN REMARKS

14:45 * 20.03.15

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statement, expressing
hatred and offense against the Armenian nation, have spurred anger
among the Armenians of Turkey.

In a speech delivered at a debate entitled, 100th Year of World War,
Erdogan accused the Armenian Diasopra and the Armenian leadership of
instilling hatred against Turkey through Genocide campaigns.

Candidates who have applied for membership in the pro-Kurdhish party
Democracy of Nations have commented upon the president’s remarks.

One of them, Filor Ulik, said he didn’t see anything constructive
about the statement.

“Erdogan must be realistic if he really wishes the problem to find
a solution,” he said, adding that the archives are now open to public.

The candidate said he sees that Turkey’s continuing denial campaign
against the Armenian Genocide is near collapse. “Turkey pursues
such policies out of helplessnes. Erdogan criticizes the lobbyist
activities of the Armenians scattered around the world, accusing
them of ‘shamelessness’ and considering the 1915 recognition campaign
useless, but on the other hand, when a resolution on 1915 is brought
on the agenda, [the country] and its Foreign Ministry push themselves
to the arena to deny [the crime],” he added.

Murad Mihci, another candidate seeking membership in the party, said
he doesn’t find that what happened in 1915 needs any documentation,
adding that the every single Armenian is a fact in itself.

“Mr President, you demand facts on the Armenian Genocide from the
Diaspora. But you don’t have to. Every Armenia is a document. The
denial policies have been continuing for 100 years, and nevertheless,
the nations now what happened on these lands. Denial and failure
to confront history is to the detriment of all,” he said, recalling
further Erdogan’s 2014 Genocide address to the Armenians.

GARNI RESIDENTS ADDRESSED OPEN LETTER TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN

15:30 March 18, 2015

EcoLur

Garni residents have addressed an open letter to Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, which says:

“On 18.03.2015 the Nature Protection Ministry issued a positive
opinion to the EIA of Qaghtsrashen gravity irrigation system, which
will be implemented with the loaning funds granted by the World Bank
through “Water Industry PIU” of State Committee on Water Industry of
Agriculture Ministry and “Hayhydroenerganakhagits” CJSC.

Garni population is extremely concerned with the implementation of this
project. Qaghtsrashen project will help to irrigate 12 communities
in Ararat Region at the expense of the communities in Garni Gorge,
Khosrov State Reserve and communities getting water from the Azat
River and Azar reservoir, as all of them will be deprived of water.

Under the project, around 900 liter water per second will flow to the
communities in Ararat Region through a pipeline of 37,685 meter long 1
km below the junction of Azat and Goght rivers. It mentions the water
intake will be carried out in the irrigation season, from April to
October, leaving 0.85 cum/s water in the river as environmental flow.

The project is impermissible and inadmissible for us. If this water
is taken, all our sowing areas and a huge area attracting tourists
will be on the verge of destruction.

In the middle reach of the Azat River, where the head section will
be located, sufficient amount water is not available to leave the
planned 0.85 cum/s environmental flow in the river. Almost no water
is left in the river after taking irrigation water. In July-September
months around 650-700 l/s is taken for irrigation purposes, and if the
environmental flow is left, the land areas in Garni can’t be irrigated.

Garni village with a population of 3800 drastically need drinking
and irrigation water, as its 700-800 ha land area has become a desert
because of the lack of irrigation water. The project says the factually
irrigated land areas in 12 communities in Ararat Region account for
1232 ha, and the water in the Azat River will help to additionally
irrigate only 387 ha area. Why shall huge amounts of money be spent
for the additional irrigation of 387 ha, when around thousand ha of
land area in Garni is left without water?

The Azat River borders the Khosrov State Reserve. If Qaghtsrashen
project is implemented, and the river gets dry in hot summer, it
will have its adversary effect not only on Garni Gorge, but also on
Khosrov reserve ecosystem.

Garni gorge is located in semi-desert and desert landscape zones,
while drying Azat River will increase desertification processes in
Garni Gorge, which is already observed because of the lack of water.

The project will have adversary effect on the flora and fauna of the
Azat River basin.

250 animal species inhabit in this area, including red-listed ones.

Garni Gorge is one of the most favourite tourist attractions. The
state authorities are speaking about the great perspectives of tourism
development in our country, nevertheless, their improvident steps
deprive of the opportunity to make these perspectives come true.

Particularly in this case, the implementation of Qaghtsrashen project
undermines the existence of Garni Gorge nature, which attracts
tourists: tree felling is planned both in the gorge and near Azat
reservoir.

Garni population opposed to the implementation of this
anti-environmental project and is willing to fight to save the nature
in Garni from massacre at any price.

We are demanding to stop the implementation of this disastrous
project. Currently, the residents of Garni and adjacent communities
are organizing signature collection as a sign of protest (over 2000
signatures have already been collected) and they are ready to fight
to save Garni nature from imminent disaster.”

EURONEST : DECLARATION MAJEURE POUR LE CENTENAIRE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Publie le : 20-03-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le 17 mars, l’Assemblee
parlementaire Euronest a adopte une resolution urgente sur le genocide
armenien durant sa quatrième session ordinaire qui s’est deroulee a
Erevan du 16 au 18 mars 2015. L’Assemblee parlementaire Euronest,
representant les Etats membres et les pays partenaires de l’Union
europeenne, a exhorte la Turquie a faire face a son passe. Elle a
notamment declare que

TURKEY JOURNALIST: COUNTRY’S AUTHORITIES DECEIVE OWN PEOPLE

10:33, 20.03.2015

Turkey deceives its people for years on end about the Armenian
Genocide issue. The Turkish authorities defraud in history classes
and lie in newspapers.

Turkish Bianet news agency journalist Elif Akgul told the aforesaid
to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Consequently, according to her, he Turkish authorities have committed
a crime not solely against Armenians, but their own people.

“The Turkish state deceives its own people. No one in the world
believes them,” the journalist added.

In her words, the entire history of Turkey is based on lies.

“But independent scholars, [and] Turkey’s historians are working on
the Armenian Genocide issue,” Akgul noted.

She also stressed that the Turks likewise do not trust their own
government.

HOW TO SILENCE AZERBAIJAN

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 20 March 2015, 15:57

As the Armenian side has three victims and four wounded soldiers in
the result of the fight against the Azerbaijani commando as the latter
attempted sabotage at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, there come
more frequent calls to punish Azerbaijan to discourage it from such
actions in the future. We should do so to avoid victims in the future.

Incidentally, people who are saying these things are silent about
the supply of offensive arms to Azerbaijan by Russia worth 5 billion
dollars.

In the meantime, this fact has a key role in border sabotages. Russia
is considered Armenia’s strategic ally, a state which has assumed
security obligations to Armenia, leads CSTO, the military political
security alliance of Armenia. When this country supplies offensive
weapons worth 5 billion dollars to Armenia enemy Azerbaijan which
is a constant threat to Armenia, it is but outright assistance to
Azerbaijan.

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, weapons
bought by Armenia in 2010-2014 make 4% of Azerbaijan’s armament. Over
this period Azerbaijan has bought 2.5 times more weapons. And its 85%
was the result of military and technical cooperation with Russia.

In other words, with Russia’s active participation the balance
between the conflict sides has been disrupted. It has been disrupted
significantly. It is possible that Armenia is not inferior to
Azerbaijan in terms of modern weapons but most part of this weapon
is de jure under Russian control, i.e. the Russian military base. And
Russia is not a conflict side. Moreover, Russia announces to observe
parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which further violates the
balance between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

This setting pushes Azerbaijan towards sabotages. Armenia is
objectively deprived of an opportunity to take steps that will force
Azerbaijan to give up military sabotages, reconnaissance war or slow
war, as the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense called the situation
at the border.

The burden of this situation is lying heavily on the Armenian armed
forces after 3 September 2013 when the responsibility of conducting
a state policy was delegated to Moscow’s imperialistic project called
the Eurasian Economic Union. Azerbaijan grew brazen after this u-turn
of Armenia, i.e. the start of the process of surrender of sovereignty
which culminated in de jure membership of Armenia to the EEU.

In military terms Armenia is trying its best. This does not mean that
the army cannot resolve bigger problems. However, this will inflict
greater problems with bigger losses, without resolving the problem of
silencing Azerbaijan. Without questioning the competency of the army
it would have been a big mistake to underestimate the correlation of
forces. The correlation is such that none of the sides can impose a
fast capitulation on the other.

This does not concern the preventive targeted strikes which is the
tactics adopted by Armenia. However, there is no doubt that Azerbaijan
has accepted and will accept this tactics as long as Aliyev avoids
responsibility for Azerbaijan’s losses at home.

At present, the armed forces of Armenia can resolve an optimal issue
in time and space – defend the territorial integrity of Armenia and
Artsakh, apparently, the last component of sovereignty left.

Armenia has a lot to do in the economic policy. In addition, a lot
that has to be done at this level is related to the army, namely
modernization of the army with full use of the engineering potential
of Armenia that would enable enhancing the individual security of
every soldier, which is an essential part of general security.

The key condition for silencing Azerbaijan is to restore Armenia
as a subject, which requires urgent reforms of internal life,
diversification of foreign economic and political relations, a new
level of partnership with the Euro-Atlantic system of security,
which will enable Armenia to restore the balance.

RA MINISTER OF DIASPORA HRANUSH HAKOBYAN GAVE A SPEECH AT THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA FORUM

2015-03-18 18:00:00 | News

On 18-20 March, Yerevan is hosting a the fifth, three-day international
media forum entitled “At the Foot of Mount Ararat”, which is being
held with the slogan “I Remember and Demand” and is based on four
fundamental principles, including Remembrance, Gratitude, International
Recognition and Renaissance.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan gave a speech to the
participants of the forum on March 18. In her speech entitled
“Armenian Diaspora: From Being Deprived of the Homeland to Adopting
a Pan-Armenian Declaration”, the minister clarified the scope of the
word “Diaspora”, focused on the causes of the formation of the Armenian
Diaspora and the history of the main stages, talked about the current
state of the Armenian Diaspora, the Armenia-Diaspora partnership,
as well as the renaissance and viability of the Armenian people.

According to the minister, there are currently more than 7 million
Armenians around the world, more than 30,000 Diaspora Armenian
organizations, more than 500 Armenian schools and 3 political parties
that have chapters in over 30 countries. There is also a strong
network of churches, as well as cultural and athletic centers.

Touching upon the Armenians of Turkey, the minister mentioned that
based on estimates, there are 3 million Armenians living in Turkey,
most of which have been forced to hide their identity. “There are
two types of Armenians in Turkey-the type of Armenians who live as
Turks until 18:00, and the type of Armenians who live the life of
an Armenian in the family after 18:00,” Hranush Hakobyan stated. The
minister called on the participants of the forum to focus and reflect
on issues that are consequential to the Armenian Genocide. “I would
like to ask you to focus on the fact that Armenia is the only country
in Europe with a closed border since Turkey keeps the country in a
blockade and causes billions of dollars in damages. Diaspora Armenians
still suffer the consequences of the Armenian Genocide because every
Diaspora Armenian spends a lot of money and spiritual resources to
see justice served. But who has “counted” those sufferings? Turkey
overtly falsifies its own history and world history, and we need to
get seriously involved with this,” said Hranush Hakobyan. According to
her, since Turkey has remained unpunished, it continues its criminal
policy. Addressing the journalists of different nationalities, the
minister said: “I would like you to present the lessons learned from
the Armenian Genocide correctly so that nobody remains unpunished. The
damage that can be restored must be restored, while the damage that
can’t be restored must be compensated. To the Turks denying the
Armenian Genocide, ask them what happened to 2.5 million people who
used to live in Turkey, why the desert of Deir ez-Zor is full of
human bones, why all Armenians became dispersed across the globe,
why there were so many orphanages and homes for the elderly and why
the ambassadors of the times would send horrible letters to their
leaders.” The minister concluded with the thought that Armenians
will continue the struggle to make sure genocides never happen
again. “All Armenians will speak out and will conitnue the struggle
for recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. They won’t
keep silent because the generations will always feel troubled whenever
they remember how their ancestors were tortured,” Minister Hranush
Hakobyan concluded.

BESTSELLING AUTHOR PETER BALAKIAN ADDRESSES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Christian News Wire
March 19 2015

Contact: Hamlet Sarokhanian, 469-203-2974

DALLAS, March 19, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ — New York Times
bestselling poet and nonfiction author Peter Balakian will appear
in Dallas on the Southern Methodist University campus on Thursday,
March 19 to kick-off the first in a series of events commemorating
the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century. The
event is hosted by the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of DFW
(AGCC) and the Embrey Human Rights Program at SMU.

Balakian is an award-winning author of several books on the Armenian
Genocide. In his first appearance at SMU, he will speak about
Polish-Jewish jurist Raphael Lemkin, a key figure in the recognition
of genocide as a crime in international law.

“As humanity forgot the Armenian genocide, it became a precedent
for future genocides, such as the Jewish Holocaust of WW II,” says
Hamlet Sarokhanian, chairman and founder of the Armenian Genocide
Committee of DFW. “Today, genocide has become a global phenomenon and
by promoting understanding, we continue create awareness in the hope
that history will not repeat itself.”

About the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee: The mission of the
St. Sarkis Church’s Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of DFW
(AGCC) is to encourage meaningful and respectful dialogue on the
subject of the Armenian Genocide and to educate and raise awareness
of it throughout North Texas. The church was founded 30 years ago in
Carrollton, Texas and is the center of the thriving Armenian American
community in the DFW Metroplex led by Fr. Ghevond Ajamian. For more
information please visit