Author: Navasardian Karapet

CHILDREN MARCH TO EMBASSIES

A1Plus.am
06:14 pm | April 23, 2010 | Social

More than 500 Armenian pupils today marched to different embassies
with a demand to recognize the Armenian Genocide and guarantee peaceful
childhood for children.

They were carrying the photos of their peers killed during the Armenian
Genocide, which were handed to the UNO Yerevan office with a letter.

The event was initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science,
Yerevan City Hall and Genocide Museum-Institute.

The children were received by German Ambassador to Armenia Hans-Jochen
Schmidt who promised to convey the children’s request to his government
and people.

In his speech, the ambassador said he deeply mourns over Armenian
losses during the events of 1915.

U.S. SENATOR HARRY REID ISSUES STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2010 – 10:53 AMT 05:53 GMT

Nevada Senator Harry Reid made the following statement in recognition
of the 95th Commemoration of Armenian Genocide:

"In recognition of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I
honor the memories of the more than 1.5 million men, women and children
who perished in this unthinkable genocide. The time has come for our
government to identify these organized acts of mass violence for what
they really were – genocide. In my ongoing efforts to encourage our
country to recognize the genocide, I have co-sponsored the Armenian
Genocide resolutions in the last three Congresses. I believe that
paying tribute to those affected by this tragedy is a necessary step
to combat future forms of violence and intolerance. I am glad Nevada
is included among the 40 states that have recognized the Armenian
Genocide, and hope our entire government soon follows."

THIRD PROGRAM OF THE "LINCY" FOUNDATION TO LAUNCH SOON

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 23, 2010
YEREVAN

The third program of the "Lincy" Foundation will launch in Armenia by
the end of spring. Vice President of the Foundation Harut Sassounian
told Armenpress that the program intends restoration of six schools
in the disaster zone. Twelve million USD will be invested for that
purpose.

"Currently organizational works are being regulated with the Armenian
authorities and by the end of spring the works will launch," H.
Sassounian said.

With this program the "Lincy" foundation is planning to carry out
only school-building works.

IRANIAN OFFICIAL BLAMES NEIGHBOURS FOR ARMENIAN-AZERI CONFLICT

ANS TV
April 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has said that
neighbouring countries created conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In an interview with private Azerbaijani ANS TV, presumably filmed
in Tehran, Ramin Mehmanparast said, in Persian with a superimposed
Azerbaijani translation: "It is clear that the regional confrontation
occurs with the interference of neighbouring countries. As a result,
the interests of all regional countries come under threat. Taking
advantage of our relations with Armenia and the Azerbaijani Republic,
we will try to achieve the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. This is included in our work plan."

ANS TV’s website at anspress.com quoted Mehmanparast as saying the
following: "Tehran is interested in the resolution of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict and believes that it is important to carry out
thorough work to achieve a breakthrough". He added that external
interference in the conflict hampered a positive settlement to it.

"Iran tries to put an end to regional confrontations and to conflicts
that could negatively influence the development of the countries.

Within our cooperation efforts we try to solve such problems and
we hope to achieve a positive result. I think Iran makes sufficient
efforts to solve regional problems. Iranian officials are ready to
fulfil all of their commitments," Ramin Mehmanparast said. "First,
we need to find the causes of the conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia and then eradicate those causes. Then we will see that peace
and stability dominates the region," the website quoted Mehmanparast
as saying.

ARMENIANS RALLY TO MARK GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY IN HAGUE

Yerkir
21.04.2010 14:27
Yerevan

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Over 500 people participated in a rally for the
95th commemoration of Armenian Genocide in the Het Plain Square near
The Hague parliament on April 20. The event was organized by Armenian
Union of Netherlands and local Hay Dat office.

Dutch parliament MPs Kees van der Staaij, Harry van Bommel, Joel
Voordewind and Armenian community members took the floor. During
their speech MPs Kathleen Ferrier and Han Ten Broeke left Parliament
building, joined the rally and delivered speeches.

Participants called on Turkey to recognize Armenian Genocide and end
negation policy. Joel Voordewind, Kees van der Staaij and Han Ten
Broeke expressed their support to Armenian community intending to
erect a memorial to Armenian Genocide victims in The Hague.

The organizers handed a petition to the Foreign Affairs Committee
chairman of the Dutch House of Representatives Ormel, H.J.

The demonstration was videoed by two Turkish and several local media.

In closing, the demonstrators headed to Turkish Embassy in the
Netherlands.

Later same day, representatives of Azerbaijani and Turkish communities
held a meeting in the same square accounting maximum 40 people.

ARFD TO HOLD TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION ON APRIL 23

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2010 – 13:20 AMT 08:20 GMT

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun will start a torchlight procession in
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide victims at 8pm on April 23,
from the building of Matenadaran, Yerevan.

The march will proceed by the traditional route – across the entire
city toward Tsitsernakaberd.

A rally will take place at the Armenian Genocide Memorial,
representative of ARFD youth wing Arthur Ghazaryan told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The torchlight march will start with the burning of the Turkish flag,
according to the tradition.

ARMENIA’S AGRICULTURE FINANCING HALVED IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2010 – 12:09 AMT 07:09 GMT

Armenian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Samvel Avetisyan said that
the financing of Armenia’s agriculture has halved in 2010, totaling
AMD 600mln against 1.6 billion in 2008 and 2009.

"Due to the crisis, the state financing has significantly reduced,
making around 600mln," Mr. Avetisyan told a press conference in
Yerevan on April 21.

According to him, a part of the allocated funds is foreseen for the
animal husbandry, specifically, for providing services and vaccination,
another part is provided for preserving the crop production.

In addition, the Chinese government granted 61 tractors to Armenia.

Samvel Avetisyan added that the government also plans to allocate
huge funds for the financing of irrigation water system, the charge
for which rose from AMD 9 to 11 per 1 cubic meter.

"Certainly, these measures are not enough, since agriculture requires
substantial state assistance, due to its specific nature. Agriculture
is not reduced to agricultural production, but it also involves
development of rural territories and communities, protection of
landscapes and ecology, etc" Mr. Avetisyan said.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister added that with worsening of
production conditions, a farmer not only incurs losses but even leaves
the business.

Retired Turkish ambassador claims nuclear bombs stored in Istanbul

Monday, April 5, 2010
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet

Taner Baytok, retired ambassador and former Defense Ministry
consultant, claimed that the U.S. has tactical nuclear weapons in
Istanbul.

According to Baytok, the approximately 100 tactical nuclear weapons
are not at the U.S.’s Ä°ncirlik Base in Adana as believed but in
Istanbul, the most populated city of Turkey.

Baytok explained the difference between strategic and tactical
weapons: Strategic ones are continent-to-continent class and they are
mostly stored on American soil. The tactical ones were placed during
the Cold War, which would be fired to the Iron Curtain countries first
as they are attached to faster missiles with shorter ranges. Baytok
said some of these weapons are in Istanbul and in some other cities
near the Black Sea.

The weapons are fired with a double-key system, said Baytok. `One of
the keys is in the U.S. and the other in the host country, in this
case Turkey. During war time these weapons are fired with this
double-key system.’

Baytok also said the SALT and START pacts signed between the former
Soviet Union and the U.S. have resulted in the modification of the
nuclear weapons of the latter in Europe. Many of the tactical warheads
in Europe were modified to be installed on planes but those in Turkey
remain the same.

`The only governmental decision dates back to 1972. That decision is
interesting. It says no changes will be made on the nuclear weapons in
Turkey unless necessary. This means we haven’t received new nuclear
weapons nor we have returned the old ones,’ he said.

TURKEY SHOULD MAKE ITS FURTHER STEPS CLEAR: M. SHAHGELDYAN

Panorama.am
20/04/2010

Armenian-Turk ish reconciliation process has not entered a deadlock at
all, Armenian "Orinats Yerkir" party deputy chairman Mher Shahgeldyan
said at a press conference today. Moreover, as he said, there
is advance in the process. "The latest discussions showed this,"
Shahgeldyan said referring to President Sargsyan’s Washington meetings.

Speaking about President’s Washington meetings, Mher Shahgeldyan
signified it in terms of Armenia’s participation in global processes,
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Armenia-Turkey talks,
reinforcement of Armenia-Diaspora ties.

He said, Armenian-Turkish normalization process passes certain
steps and currently Turkey should make its further steps clear. "The
disposition of the Armenian side in the process is clear: establish
relations without preconditions," M. Shahgeldyan said.

Deputy chairman found it hard to mention dates for the opening of
the border. "The opening of Armenia-Turkey border depends on the
processes in Turkey," he said.

Sixth grade students in Uruguay to be lectured on Armenian Genocide
April 19,
2010 – 11:56 AMT 10:56 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net

Sixth grade students in Uruguay will be lectured on the Armenian
Genocide. The school curriculum and textbooks were filed by four young
teachers on the initiative of Uruguayan Deputy Minister of Tourism
Lillian Keshishian. `It’s important for us to tell the young
generation about the historical truth. Only recognition of Genocide
will help prevention of similar crimes in future,’ she said. Ms.
Keshishian will also suggest introduction of a special source in the
senior school curriculum.