Author: Kamalian Hagop

KIRO MANOYAN: PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL USE THE WORD "GENOCIDE" ON APRIL 24
Gita Elibekyan

"Radiolur"
08.04.2009 17:12

US President Barack Obama will use the word "genocide" in his April
24th address, Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan told a
press conference today. He added that the US President will thereby
respect his pledge to his citizens. "If he decided not to respect his
promise, it will lead to political consequences," Kiro Manoyan said.

The Armenian community is actively working with the Congress, and its
possible counteraction should not be neglected. If not that political
influence, Barack Obama could have nothing to say in Turkey, while
he became the first US President to suggest Turkey to study its own
history and reckon with it, Kiro Manoyan said.

US President’s meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Turkey in Istanbul evidences that there is an opportunity for the
establishment of the Armenian-Turkish relations and opening of the
border. Turkey got involved in the process out of its own interests,
trying to increase its role in the region after the August events,
which is impossible without relations with Armenia.

If Turkey yields to Azerbaijani threats and the negotiations produce
no result in the near future, the Armenian side will not continue the
talks. 9 COur President will not want to extend the negotiations for
years. We want to see practical results soon," he noted, expressing
confidence that diplomatic relations with Turkey would be established
and the border would be opened this year.

According to Kiro Manoyan, up to now the Armenian diplomacy has
succeeded in leaving the Karabakh issue out of the agenda of the
Armenian-Turkish negotiations, and Turkey is trying to convince
Azerbaijan that it will not "leave" that country, although Ilham
Aliyev’s refusal to visit Istanbul speaks about discrepancies between
the two countries.

"The Armenian-Turkish relations will once be established, but it’s
important for Armenia not to sacrifice its interests in the talks. We
must not allow any point in the agreement that would question the
fact of the Armenian Genocide," Kiro Manoyan said.

14 ARMENIAN SAMBISTS TO TAKE PART IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

YEREVAN
APRIL 7, 2009
NOYAN TAPAN

Armenian sambo youth and juvenile national teams left for Lithuania
on April 7 to take part in the European Championship. 14 sportsmen
are included in the delegation. The prize-winners will become known
on April 12. Representatives of nearly 30 countries take part in
the championship.

OBAMA’S SPEECH WAS RATHER UNEXPECTED FOR TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.04.2009 17:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In his address to Turkish Parliament Barack Obama
spoke about US Administration’s fixed position on the Armenian Genocide
issue, Armenian Genocide Museum Deputy Director Suren Manukyan told
a news conference in Yerevan.

Barack Obama referred to Turkey’s role in the region and Islamic
World, passing on to Armenian issue. US President’s speech was often
interrupted by applause. Yet, the audience became silent upon Obama’s
touching on Genocide issue, which was rather unexpected for Turkish
parliamentarians, Suren Manukyan noted.

"Barack Obama called on Turkey to work through its past. US President
didn’t use the world Genocide in his speech, but his dwelling on the
subject is very important. Besides, he confirmed his position on the
Armenian Genocide," Genocide Museum Deputy Director emphasized.

According to Suren Manukyan, Obama’s speech was followed by the
outbreak of anti-American protest actions in some major cities
of Turkey.

WAITING FOR THE POLICE EVERY NIGHT

A1+
07:59 pm | April 07, 2009

Society

Resident of the Nerkin Sasnashen village of the Talin region Vera
Safaryan’s family has been living in fright for a year now. They wait
for police officers every moment.

Vera’s son Sevak Stepanyan, 25, is part of the opposition and is
under persecution for a year.

Police officers at the Talin police division say that they have seen
Sevak in one of the scenes of the events of March 1, 2008. The scene
shows how Sevan resisted police officers during a beating near the
Yerevan city council building.

That served as a basis for law-enforcement bodies to come to the
Stepanyan household and threaten the family. But the Stepanyans and
their relatives couldn’t tolerate what happened on March 26 at around
2 a.m.

Vera Safaryan’s older sister Annman told us that the law-enforcement
bodies came without notice and searched for Sevak around the entire
house, including cabinets and under beds.

"The family was in stress. They checked the rooms where the brides
were sleeping and the three-year old child was surprised and scared
after the brutal treatment," said Mrs. Annman.

According to her, law-enforcement bodies had disputed with Vera’s
other son Armen Stepanyan, 27. They cursed him, beat him and tried
to throw him in the car. They pushed Vera Safaryan, threw her on the
floor, damaged her arm and left her unconscious. As Mrs. Annman said,
this was headed by Head of the Talin police division Gevorg Poghosyan
and his assistant David Hovhannisyan.

According to member of the ANC and resident of Talin Hayk Atanesyan,
the behavior of the law-enforcement bodies is more of a threat because
the Stepanyans support the ANC and come to all the rallies. "They
are not after Sevak; they simply want to teach others a lesson,"
said Hayk Atanesyan.

The ANC is getting ready to file an official notice to the
RA Prosecutor General, the RA Ombudsman and a number of other
international organizations in Armenia to conduct an investigation.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM, VIC DARCHINYAN WELCOMED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.04.2009 11:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ IBF Middleweight World Champion Arthur Abraham
and WBA, WBC and IBF Undisputed Super Flyweight World Champion Vic
Darchinyan were welcomed in Yerevan on April 7.

Asked about their training methods, Abraham said, "Our training
methods are different. I do spend most of my time on training, Vic
doesn’t. But he proves his professionalism in the ring."

"I do not spend my free time on training. Arthur was right to say that
our methods are different. When I have free time I spend it with my
family or come to Armenia," Darchinyan said.

Both boxers said they will spare no effort to defend their titles.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Turkish Peace Union: Turkey will see no benefits from opening of
borders with Armenia
04.04.2009 19:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s opening border with Armenia will constitute
a stab in the back for the whole Turkic world, Turkish Peace Union
statement reads. `Turkish Government venturing this step will cause
Turkish people to rebel against it. Turkish people have waited for 70
years to re-unite with their Azeri brothers, and will not allow of
repeated separation,’ the statement read.

The statement detailed the following consequences of Turkish Armenian
border opening: Azerbaijan ceases collaboration with Turkey in the
sphere of energy, threatens to undermine Nabucco projects and
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction. `In other words, Turkey will
see no benefits from opening of borders with Armenia, so the
authorities have to reconsider the issue,’ 1news.az cited.

MITQ: TURKISH ARCHITECTS WORK FOR TURKISH INTELLIGENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2009 13:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ After a presidential meeting in Davos, Ankara
set to development of mechanisms of pressure on Caucasus countries,
an Armenian expert said.

Promoting the Caucasus stability platform, Turkish politicians work
for creation of international Caucasus parliament engaging youth in
the process. A number of youth NGOs have been already formed in Georgia
and Azerbaijan," Eduard Abrahamyan, expert at Mitq analytical center,
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

He also said that Turkish architects in Caucasus are Turkish
intelligence officers. "A department titled "Armenia" is also
functioning. It develops the methodology of public propaganda and
psychological projects targeting demoralization and political split
of Armenian people," he said.

"Destruction of Armenian self-actualization through gradual
Turkification is Ankara’s main goal," Abrahamyan concluded.

KARABAKH DEFENSE FORCES TEST COMBAT READINESS

40926_3/27/2009_1
Published: Friday March 27, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Nagorno-Karabakh’s army has held a fresh military
exercise aimed at testing and strengthening their combat readiness,
a military spokesman in Stepanakert said on Friday.

Lieutenant-Colonel Senor Hasratian told the Arminfo news agency that
the exercise was envisaged by an annual training plan of the Defense
Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). "The NKR Defense Army
periodically holds such exercises," Hasratian said, calling the latest
drill a success.

The drills come as ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan have become
more frequent, prompting serious concern from foreign powers seeking
to broker a peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijani media reports have said the exercise began in the Aghdam
district east of Karabakh earlier this week and involved heavy
artillery and other military hardware. According to them, heavy fire
could be heard and even seen in recent days from Azerbaijani-controlled
areas across the nearby line of contact separating Karabakh Armenian
and Azerbaijani forces.

Aydyn Mirzazade, a senior Azerbaijani lawmaker dealing with defense
and security, condemned the war-games on Thursday, saying that they
are aimed at intimidating the people of Azerbaijan. "Instead of
holding constructive negotiations and liberating Azerbaijani lands,
Armenia holds provocative military exercises," he told the Day.az news
service. "But the Azerbaijani army is ready to repel any aggression."

The Karabakh Defense Forces already practiced military operations
in the same area last October. That exercise was watched by Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian and the top NKR leaders.

IF BEING ELECTED MAYOR TIGRAN KARAPETIAN TO BE BOTH MASTER AND SERVANT FOR YEREVAN RESIDENTS

Noyan Tapan
March 26, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, NOYAN TAPAN. "If being elected Mayor I am ready to
be both master and servant for Yerevan residents," Tigran Karapetian,
the Chairman of the People’s Party, stated at the March 26 press
conference.

Providing guarantees for Yerevan residents’ ownership, living rights
is among his program provisions. "The Mayor should not only think of
rubbish as it is today," the PP Chairman said.

According to T. Karapetian, he is an alternative in the May 31 Yerevan
Council of Elders elections. "I am an alternative to the opposite
principle "who is not with us is against us," to these bad laws that
will never change unless people like me make part of power," he said.

According to T. Karapetian’s prediction, on the threshold of
elections the power resources will unite and try to work for the
RPA candidate. In that respect, according to him, any political
force, pro-governmental, opposition, and people’s, taking part of
the elections has its exact electorate. T. Karapetian considers that
the possibility of OYP’s winning the elections is equal to zero. "No
matter who heads their list, a Bolshevik or a Menshevik. If the people
did not like him it will never like, as one can deceive the people
at least once," T. Karapetian said.

According to the PP Chairman, it is much more difficult to commit
electoral violations in Yerevan, as capital’s residents are
socially more secure, therefore are more free and independent in
expressing their opinion. In his words, by appointing Gagik Beglarian
Mayor, the authorities gave him a possibility to consolidate its
resources. However, according to T. Karapetian, "moments come when
it becomes impossible to jump above one’s head." And, according to
him, in this case Yerevan residents can be persons of principle and
"not play into authorities’ hands."

ROMAN BEREZOVSKIY WILL JOIN ARMENIAN TEAM IN A GAME AGAINST ESTONIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.03.2009 17:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The goalkeeper Roman Berezovskiy will join Armenian
Team in a game against Estonia due on March 28 in Yerevan Republican
stadium for a World Cup 2010 qualifier. Armenia team will conduct
its last training on Mar. 27 in the Republican stadium, AFF Press
Service reported.

According to earlier reports, Khimki goalkeeper Roman Berezovskiy
was not included in Estonia match roster published by Jan Poulsen.