Author: Nahapetian Lilit

COMMEMORATION IN LONDON OF THE 94TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENOCIDE OF 1.5MILLION ARMENIANS IN TURKEY -1915-1921

The commemoration in London, of the Genocide of the 1.5Million
Armenians in Turkey, comprised a number of events as has become
traditional over the past years.

On the evening of Thursday 23rd of April – on the eve of the official
day of commemoration, a Solemn Silent Vigil was held outside the
Turkish Embassy in London.

At 6.00pm on Friday, 24th of April, a Memorial Service was held at
St Sarkis Church, at Iverna Gardens in Kensington, officiated by the
Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom, Bishop Nathan
Hovhannisian, and wreaths were laid at the Memorial to Victims of the
Genocide in the grounds of the church, by the Armenian Ambassador Dr
Vahe Gabrielyan on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, and by Mr Ara
Palamoudian, Chairman of the Armenian Community & Church Council of
Great Britain (ACCC), on behalf of the British Armenian Community.

Following the Memorial Service at St Sarkis Church, at 8.30pm. members
of the community attended a Commemorative Evening at St Yeghiche Church
in South Kenington, organised by the CRAG (Campaign for Recognition
of the Armenian Genocide) committee of the ACCC.

Speakers were the Armenian Ambassador, Dr V. Gabrielyan, Mr Viken
Haladjian – Honorary Secretary of the ACCC and Chairman of its
Executive Committee ( Please Click Here to Read Speech ), and by Dr
Onnig Avakian on behalf of CRAG. After the speeches, there followed a
cultural programme comprising songs by Mr George Baghdoyan, followed
by a highly accomplished rendition of two classical songs by the
mezzo-soprano Miss Anais Heghoyan.

The evening’s cultural section was completed by a concert by the
Vardanyan String Quartet led by Miss Astghig Vardanyan, who played
several Armenian pieces mainly by Komitas, in a most sensitive and
touching manner.

The evening was ended by closing words by His Grace, Bishop Nathan
Hovhannisian who referred to the young performers of the evening and
to all young Armenians who are so actively and vociferously pursuing
the campaign throughout the World for recognition of the Genocide,
and the Bishop expressed his confidence that with the new energy shown
by the young generation of Armenians, the Genocide of our ancestors
will quickly be recognised by the whole World and the souls of the
1.5 Million victims will at last rest in peace.

The Commemorative March on Saturday started this year with a short
Memorial Service in the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Bayswater, London
W2 and the 2000 or so marchers then proceeded along Bayswater Road to
the Marble Arch. From there the procession proceeded along Park Lane,
Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square and ended
at the Cenotaph on Whitehall where prayers were said and wreaths laid.

A petition was presented by the Chairman of CRAG, Mr Raffi Sarkissian,
for the attention of the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Gordon
Brown MP at 10 Downing Street.

The Programme of Commemorative Events was concluded on Sunday 26th of
April 2009 with a Requiem Mass – Hokehankist held at the community’s
St. Yeghiche Church officiated by Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian.

E. SHARMAZANOV SAYS REPUBLICAN PARTY IS BIASED TO RELATIONS WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

Panorama.am
17:05 28/04/2009

Edward Sharmazanov, the press spokesman of the Republic Party said
their party has been always claiming that the Armenian-Turkish
relations should get normalized without any preconditions; hence the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the Genocide issue can not become items
of discussion in those relations.

"The first chairman of the party and the chairman-in-office both has
the same position over the issue," Sharmazanov said.

"It’s already two years the communication, set by President Serzh
Sargsyan via football strategy, between the countries became more
active and intensive," Sharmazanov said.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN HAS TAKEN THE WISE STEP OF PULLING OUT OF THE COALITION

ArmInfo
2009-04-27 19:26:00

ARF Dashnaktsutyun has taken the wise step of pulling out of the
coalition, Leader of oppositional Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian
told journalists, Monday.

According to him, the Armenian president should explain the essence of
the Madrid principles and the "Road-map". "People of Armenia should
know what exactly the provisions of the "Road-map" imply and whether
the document content published by Turkish mass media is true",-
the MP stressed and expressed hope that the president will come
out with explanation by the end of this week. "If the Turkish prime
minister calls Armenia an occupant, the Armenian authorities should
give him a corresponding response",- Raffi Hovannisian stressed. As
regards possible cooperation with ARFD, Leader of Heritage said that
cooperation is possible with both ARFD and other parties.

The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
April 24, 2009 Friday
Final Edition

Turkey, Armenia work to mend ties

ANKARA/YEREVAN

Turkey and Armenia have agreed on a road map to normalize ties after
nearly a century of hostility, a move quickly welcomed by the European
Union and the United States, but which could upset oil-rich
Azerbaijan.

The deal, weeks after U.S. President Barack Obama urged Turkey to
resolve the issue, came on the eve of the commemoration of mass
killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915. The two states since
last year have held high-level talks to restore ties.

"The two parties have achieved tangible progress and mutual
understanding in this process and they have agreed on a comprehensive
framework for the normalisation of their bilateral relations," the
foreign ministries of Turkey and Armenia said.

The statement gave few clues on how Turkey and Armenia planned to
tackle the sensitive dispute over the 1915 killings.

Turkish and Armenian government sources said the two sides had not
signed any document, but had agreed in principle to move ahead in
establishing normal relations, which would include reopening a border
shut in 1993.

But a senior Western diplomat said the roadmap commits the neighbours
to establishing diplomatic relations, opening their border gradually
and establishing commissions to tackle historical disputes over "weeks
or months".

"All the documents have been agreed in principle but it’s from the
signing that the clock starts ticking," the diplomat told Reuters. "It
is a finite period that is not very long. We are talking about weeks
or months."

Turkey accepts many Christian Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks
but denies that up to 1.5 million died and that it amounted to
genocide.

The years of stand-off have isolated impoverished Armenia and
obstructed Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union (EU).

"We welcome the progress in the normalisation of relations between
Turkey and Armenia," a joint statement by EU Enlargement Commissioner
Olli Rehn and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner
said.

The move appeared to indicate Ankara is willing to sacrifice
solidarity with traditional Muslim ally Azerbaijan to please the EU
and Washington and pursue a more balanced Caucasus policy.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of
Azerbaijan, which was fighting Armenian-backed separatists in the
breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In public, Turkish officials reiterate they would normalize ties only
in parallel with a process to settle Nagorno-Karabakh.

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

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

STATEMENT BY ANCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARAM HAMPARIAN REGARDING
UPCOMING APRIL 24th U.S. PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT MARKING ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE

America’s stand against genocide represents a clear moral
imperative.

Political considerations – whether Turkish threats, prospects for
Turkey-Armenia dialogue, or in any other form – should never stand
in the way of America’s willingness to condemn the Armenian
Genocide, or any genocide, and to stand up for the truth.

As President Obama so appropriately stated at the Holocaust
Commemoration in the Capitol Rotunda earlier today, "We have the
opportunity… to commit ourselves to resisting injustice,
intolerance and indifference in whatever forms they may take,
whether confronting those who tells lies about history or doing
everything we can to prevent and end atrocities like those that
took place in Rwanda, those taking place in Darfur."

We look forward to President Obama’s lifting America’s response to
the Armenian Genocide – and all genocides – to the level of
American values by honoring his pledge to fully and properly
condemn and commemorate this crime against all humanity.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

First Annual Charity Event in Plovdiv, Bulgaria Raises Funds for
Armenian Institutions

Plovdiv, Bulgaria – On March 21, 2009, 300 members of the Armenian
community of Plovdiv, Bulgaria came together for the first annual
charity dinner dance at the local Novotel Hotel. The event was jointly
organized by AGBU, the Armenian Parish Council of St. Kevork Apostolic
Church and the Erevan Organization, and proceeds from the event were
used to repair two local Armenian institutions: the Armenian Cultural
Hall in Plovdiv and the gymnasium of the Victoria and Krikor
Tiutiundjian Armenian School.

The event featured a festive atmosphere filled with Armenian songs and
dances, as performed by the AGBU Plovdiv Erebouni Band, the Erevan
Organization’s Garabner dance group, and DJ Mailo, and every table was
decorated with Armenian sweets, cognac and wines. Event emcees were Ani
Mihaylova and Todor Bashiyanov from the Bulgarian National TV Channel
1’s popular "The Show of the Channel" program, and they both helped
raise awareness about the event’s fundraising mission.

The event was attended by a number of special guests, including
Ambassador and Mrs. Sergey Manasarian of the Republic of Armenia to
Bulgaria, Ehiazar Uzunian, Honorary Consul in Plovdiv, Archpriest Kevork
Hacherian, Dr. Rupen Krikorian, chair and secretary of the Eparchial
Counsel in Bulgaria, Suzana Nikolova, District Manager for Plovdiv and
the Todor Petkov region, Todor Hristev, leader of the National Union
Attack political party, and Nina Radeva, proxy minister of the economy.
Also in attendance were Elizabeth Vartanian, a teacher at the
Tiutiundjian Armenian School and a representative of the Erevan
Organization, and Sarkis Garabedian, lead engineer of the renovation
projects, who addressed the audience about the importance of the
benefit, ensuring that the Armenian community of Plovdiv supports its
local institutions. The evening also featured a raffle and charity
auction.

As their contribution to the fundraising initiative, the Municipality of
Plovdiv donated 45,000 Bulgarian Levas (est. $30,000 USD) for the repair
of the Tiutiundjian Armenian school.

The evening also featured a traditional Bulgarian Armenian dance, called
"quadrille," which was organized by Hacho Chilingirian and Maxud
Kevorkian and incorporated as many as 40 couples.

Established in 1906, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the
world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New
York City, AGBU () preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians in 35
countries.

Fifth-generation fighter to be developed in joint project

20:26 | 21/ 04/ 2009

MOSCOW. (Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti military commentator) – The
development of the fifth-generation jet fighter is one of the most
widely discussed issues in Russia’s military.
What’s more, with its potential involvement in developing the jet
fighter, India, one of Russia’s long-standing partners in military
technical cooperation, confirms its interest in Russia’s future
project.
The new jet fighter is being developed under the PAK FA (Prospective
(promising) Aircraft System of the Frontline Aviation) program to
replace fourth-generation models now in service in Russian and Indian
air forces.
The Soviet Union launched fifth-generation fighter programs in the
1980s. By the mid-1990s, the Mikoyan Design Bureau developed the
Project 1.44 warplane, also known as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG MFI. The
Sukhoi Design Bureau came up with the S-37 Berkut experimental
supersonic forward swept-wing jet fighter. The S-37 aircraft was an
advanced technology demonstration prototype not intended to be
mass-produced as a fighter. However, due to the lack of funding, the
Project 1.44 aircraft was not streamlined and never entered production
either.
By the late 1990s, it became apparent that existing fifth-generation
fighter projects were becoming obsolete, that their production
versions would be inferior to the brand new American F-22 Raptor air
superiority fighter, and that even if finalized the air force would
receive such warplanes a decade too late.
As a result, in the early 2000s, the Russian Government made decision
to develop an entirely new fifth-generation fighter. The Sukhoi,
Mikoyan and Yakovlev Design Bureaus, all renowned for their fighters,
offered several warplane versions.
The project was eventually entrusted to Sukhoi, which refers to it
internally as the T-50.
Various maiden flight and supply deadlines were discussed from the
very beginning. The T-50 was eventually scheduled to perform its first
flight somewhere between 2008, the commander of the Russian air force
announced that the plane would first take off in August 2009.
Mikhail Pogosyan, head of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, confirmed the
information. "The progress that has been made by now suggests that we
can begin the flight tests within one year," Mr Pogosyan said. Several
versions of the aircraft are being discussed, including a two-seater
model, and a carrier-based aircraft.
In the summer of 2008, officials said the T-50 design had been
approved and prototype aircraft blueprints sent to the
Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft-building plant (KNAAPO) in Russia’s Far
East, where jet fighters will be produced. The plant is currently
building three prototype T-50 fighters for future tests, due to last
five to six years, while mass production will not get underway before
2015.
Although T-50 specifications have not been disclosed, it is known that
prototypes and the first production aircraft will be fitted with 117S
(upgraded AL-31) turbofan engines from Russian aircraft engine
manufacturer Saturn. As a result, the T-50 will be a heavy fighter
with a takeoff weight of over 30 metric tons and will have the same
dimensions as the well-known Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. The Tikhomirov
Institute of Instrument Design, which had developed the Irbis radar
for the Su-35BM Flanker, is now working on the T-50 radar. The new
fighter’s radar and fire-control system will be designs on the basis
of the Su-35BM’s systems.
India is reportedly more interested in the two-seater version, while
Russia, with its developed ground and air fight control system, plans
to concentrate on the one-seater fighter. There is a possibility that
the Indian version of the Russian fighter will be lighter and smaller,
and thus cheaper.
There have been reports in the past few months about the new fighter’s
exterior design. Judging by photographs of the prototype available
online, the T-50 will resemble the American F-22, a fact easily
explained by similar parameters on their technical
specifications. However, it is yet undecided as a prototype.
As of now, one can only make general conclusions on what kind of a
machine it will be, based on the known parameters of their technical
specifications. The new fighter should be:
– multifunctional – capable of successfully hitting air, ground and
water targets alike, including small and moving ones, in any weather
or time of the day, against an enemy equipped with high-precision
weapons;
– super-maneuverable – capable of performing controlled flight at low
velocity and large angle of attack;
– largely undetectable by optical, infrared or radio radars; and
– capable of taking off and landing on short runways.
However, the term "fifth-generation" covers more than just the
fighters. It also embodies a whole range of equipment to ensure
advanced combat capabilities, including weapons, radio-electronic
equipment, ground- and air-based supply and control systems.
These elements are also under development, although not all projects
are proceeding with equal speed and success. Nevertheless, they are
all crucial to the program as a whole. Without them, the new fighter
will remain a very expensive toy incapable of boosting the combat
capabilities of the air force.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not
necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

‘ASSESSING THE KANSAS AND ARMENIAN PARTNERSHIP’ TOPIC OF BROWN BAG INTERNATIONAL LECTURE

Targeted News Service
April 20, 2009 Monday

Washburn University issued the following news release:

"Assessing the Kansas and Armenian Partnership" will be discussed by
Richard Hoffman and Maj. Brett Salamon at the Brown Bag International
Lecture at noon Wednesday, April 22, at the International House,
Washburn University. The event is free and open to the public.

It has been five years since Kansas and Armenia were officially
partnered under the State Partnership Program that utilizes the
unique attributes of America’s citizen-soldiers to promote political,
economic and social development. Professors and administrators from the
University of Kansas and KU Medical School, Kansas State University,
Fort Hays State University, Manhattan Area Technical College, and
Washburn University traveled to Armenia with officers from the Kansas
Army National Guard to meet with their counterparts at two technical
schools and four Armenian universities. Hoffman and Salamon will
discuss what they saw and the benefits of the program.

ANOTHER TWO WITNESSES GIVE CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE ON CASE OF ALEXANDER ARZUMANIAN AND SUREN SIRUNIAN

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 21, 2009
YEREVAN

The trial on the case of former RA Foreign Minister Alexander
Arzumanian and Suren Sirunian accused of organizing mass disorders on
2008 March 1 continued on April 20 at Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash
communities’ first instance court presided over by judge Mnatsakan
Martirosian. Two witnesses were interrogated at the sitting and the
preliminary investigation evidence of another witness was publicized
at the sitting. At the prosecutor party’s suggestion two witnesses,
Mayis Sahakian and Hovhannes Mkhoyan were removed from the list of
witnesses. Thus at the April 22 sitting it is envisaged to interrogate
the last two out of 15 witnesses invited for giving evidence.

Witness Emma Beglarian interrogated at the sitting said that
by coincidence after the midday on March 1, 2008 she appeared
in the territory near Yerevan Mayor’s Office, which was very
crowded. According to the witness, S. Sirunian distinguished himself
by activity, he "was running hither and thither," but she personally
did not hear what he said to his co-thinkers. E. Beglarian also said
that she did not witness any conflict.

At the same time the witness confessed that she took part in the action
of protest organized near first President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s house,
which was in detail covered on TV.

The testimony of the second witness, Ashot Haroutiunian contradicted
his preliminary investigation evidence: in response to defence party’s
questions in many cases he denied some assertions he did earlier
and in response to prosecutor party’s questions confirmed the very
assertions. The witness also mixed up whether he witnessed this or
that episode or saw it by television. A. Haroutiunian confessed that
the investigator "helped" him to formulate his thoughts, as well as
to enumerate the movement activists’ names at the same time mentioning
that the investigator did not exert pressure upon him.

The defence party also drew court’s attention to the fact that there is
also contradiction in the issue of time of witness’ giving evidence:
according to the witness, he was interrogated 15-20 days after the
March 1 events, while the evidence was dated by April 29.

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY INVOLVED IN VOTE BUYING

important society
hetq.am/en/society/tsutsakner/
2009/04/20 | 15:20

On top of recent reports in the press that activists of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia are out collecting names and other
related personal data of Yerevan residents working in various state
and local institutions, schools and colleges, and elsewhere, with the
aim of securing votes for their candidate, Gagik Beglaryan, in the
upcoming May Yerevan municipal elections, it now appears that members
of the Prosperous Armenia Party, headed by wealthy businessman Gagik
Tzaroukyan, have been spotted in the Shengavit district of Yerevan,
canvassing homes, collecting personal data and offering bribes of
5,000 drams (around $13 U.S.) for votes.

Propsperous Armenia Party employees have even visited the home of a
"Hetq" reporter.