Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT REAFFIRMS MOTIONS RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.04.2006 21:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Mackay,
in response to Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis’ (Scarborough-Agincourt)
question, reaffirmed today Canadian Government’s policy on the
Armenian Genocide, reports the Armenian National Committee of Canada
(ANCC). Mackay stated that the Government reaffirmed the motions
of the Senate of Canada and the House of Commons, recognizing the
Armenian Genocide. At the end of the Question Period the Speaker of
the House invited the members of the House to observe a minute of
silence in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier
in the day a delegation from the ANCC and its regional chapters,
headed by Hagop Der Khachadourian, ANCC International, and Archbishop
Khajak Hagopian, prelate of the Armenian Church of Canada, visited
the Armenian Embassy to lay a wreath at the monument dedicated to the
victims of the Armenian Genocide. The House of Commons had a session
where Genocide affirmation statements were made by the representative
of all political parties.

BUSH AGAIN AVOIDS WORD “GENOCIDE”

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.04.2006 20:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In spite of the urge of over 200 Congressmen, US
President George W. Bush again avoided the word “genocide” in his
annual speech on April 24, reports the Armenian National Committee of
America. In his statement Bush specifically said, “Today, we remember
one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century – the mass killings
and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in the final days
of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was a tragedy for all humanity and
one that we and the world must never forget. We mourn this terrible
chapter of history and recognize that it remains a source of pain
for people in Armenia and for all those who believe in freedom,
tolerance, and the dignity and value of every human life. It is a
credit to the human spirit and generations of Armenians who live
in Armenia, America, and around the globe that they have overcome
this suffering and proudly preserved their centuries-old culture,
traditions, and religion. We praise the individuals in Armenia and
Turkey who have sought to examine the historical events of this
time with honesty and sensitivity. The analysis by the International
Center for Transitional Justice, while not the final word, has made a
significant contribution toward deepening our understanding of these
events. We encourage dialogues, including through joint commissions,
that strive for a shared understanding of these tragic events and
move Armenia and Turkey towards normalized relations. Today, we look
with hope to a bright future for Armenia.

Armenia’s Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the
importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform
and advancement of free markets. We seek to help Armenia bolster its
security and deepen its inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic family. We
remain committed to securing a peaceful and lasting settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hope the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan will take bold steps to achieve this goal. On this solemn
day of remembrance, Laura and I express our deepest condolences to
the Armenian people. Our nations stand together, determined to create
a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for the citizens of our
countries and the world.”

PanARMENIAN.Net

Recognition of NKR to Be Important Factor of Regional
Stability and Security

22.04.2006 20:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Deputy groups and factions of the
National Assembly (NA) of Nagorno Karabakh have issued
a statement on the Azeri-Karabakh conflict. It
specifically says, ~SArguing that the declaring of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) and political and
legal steps that issued from the Declaration were in
line with international law basic principles, as well
as the legislation of the former Soviet Union,
emphasizing that the Azeri Republic did not use the
opportunity to settle issues with the NKR via
dialogue, while holding a blockade and resorting to
illegal use of force and not giving up the state
policy of solving the issue by force until now, we
assure we are committed to a comprehensive settlement
of the conflict. Deputy groups and faction of the NKR
NA

– qualify the Azeri-Karabakh armed confrontation in
1991-94 as aggression of Azerbaijan against the NKR,
while further actions of the NKR are exercising the
inhered right of a people to self-defense, provided by
article 51 of the UN Charter and the current reality
in the conflict zone are consequences of the Azeri
aggression.

– based on the Bishkek Cease-Fire Protocol and the
agreement in effect, which are ratified by
plenipotentiary representatives of the NKR, mediators
and signatures, officially recognized by Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as well as the Final Act of the OSCE
Budapest Summit and other documents, where the NK is
recognized as a party to conflict, address the OSCE
Council of Ministers a solicitation to respect the NKR
full participation in the talks on settlement of the
conflict, in case of absence of which any decision
will not have force.

– express their confidence that recognition of the
democratic and viable NKR formed by a universal will
on December 10, 1991 is fully within the frames of
contemporary reality and will be an important factor
of regional stability and security.

– inform on the current statement the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, parliaments of the OSCE Minsk
Group member states, Parliamentary Assemblies of the
OSCE, CE, NATO and the European Parliament,~T reports
IA Regnum.

Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline may be transferred to Russia

RosBusinessConsulting Database
April 20, 2006 Thursday 6:43 am, EST

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian admits the possibility of
transferring the Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline to Russia, he told
a press-conference today. No scenario of future developments can be
ruled out at the moment. At the same time it is too early to sum up the
results while negotiations are still in progress. “Any talks about the
pipeline’s future are unreasonable because it hasn’t been constructed
yet,” the Minister said. He added that it would be more reasonable
to speak of the project’s possible investors, ARKA News Agency reports.

RA AMBASSADOR TO ARGENTINA VLADIMIR KARMIRSHALIAN OFFICIALLY STARTS IMPLEMENTATION OF HIS OBLIGATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006

BUENOS AIRES, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vladimir
Karmirshalian, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Argentina
handed copies of his credentials to Jorge Taiana, the Minister of
Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship of the Republic
of Argentina, on April 18 and officially started implementation of
his obligations. The private conversation of the Foreign Minister
of the Republic of Argentina and the RA Ambassador took place
after the official ceremony. The Minister congratulated Ambassador
Karmirshalian on the occasion of the appointment and wished success in
this responsible mission. The necessity of strengthening and deepening
relations between the two countries was touched upon, a number of
international and regional issues of mutual interest was touched upon
during the conversation. At the Minister’s request, the Ambassador
presented relations among Armenia and the region, the process of
democratic and economic reforms taking place in Armenia. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, issues connected with opening soon the Embassy of Argentina
in Yerevan were touched upon during the conversation.

EU AGAINST NUCLEAR PLANT

Lragir.am
20 April 06

The Co-chair of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee
Marie Anne Isler Beguin announced April 19 in Yerevan that during
all the talks with Turkey the EU raises the issue of the Armenian
genocide. The EU which recognized the Armenian genocide in 1985 did
not change, noticed Marie Anne Isler Beguin. She said a country, such
as Turkey, which keeps its borders closed for its neighbor, cannot
become member of the EU. According to Ms. Marie Anne Isler Beguin, the
membership of Turkey is greatly determined by this question as well.

The session of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee was
held at the National Assembly, and on these days photos picturing
vandalism against Armenian monuments in neighboring countries are
displayed in the building of the Armenian parliament. The EU delegation
saw these pictures and watched a documentary film about the demolition
of Armenian khachkars in Nakhidjevan. Marie Anne Isler Beguin announced
that the EU is against demolition of any cultural heritage.

With regard to internal problems of Armenia, the EU representative
said there is no wish to leave Armenia without electricity but the EU
thinks that it is not a good idea to prolong the life of the nuclear
plant of Metsamor or to build another nuclear plant in Armenia. Armenia
should consider alternative energy sources.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: IN CASE OF ANY PROVOCATION NKR DEFENSE ARMY IS READY TO CONTEST EVERY INCH OF GROUND

ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 13:56

“In case of any provocation the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh
is ready to contest every inch of ground,” NKR Minister of Defense,
Commander of the Defense Army, Lieutenant-General Seyran Ohanyan said
during the meeting with Armenian journalists.

According to him, the situation at the border is currently calm.

“Fire is sometimes opened at the front line. However, the both
the Officer staff and the soldiers take the shoots calm.” The
Lieutenant-General said, adding that it speaks about the good
moral-psychological state of the NKR Army.

In the Commander’s words, the situation may demand undertaking of
preventive measures.

“When we see that the rival affords violations of different kind,
we should scold,” he said.

Turning to the theme of a thunder war speculated by Azerbaijan,
the Lieutenant General noted that Azerbaijan has no such
opportunity. First, the Armenian positions are protected with a mined
zone, which prevents the enemy’s rapid advance. And the most important
factor is the psychological state of the people.

A reserve call up has been accomplished in the framework of
the large-scale military exercises held for several days in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Harper affirms Cdn position on Armenian Genocide

globalnational.com

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

A member of the Armenian community reads the inscriptions written on
the memorial dedicated to the 1915 Armenian genocide and reading
“blessed thou who is turkish”, Apr. 18, 2006, barely a week after the
erection of the monument to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the
genocide. (PHILIPPE MERLE/AFP/Getty Images)

Around 2,000 people originate from Turkey with Turkish flags, protest
against a memorial on the 1915 Armenian genocide which should be
erected in Lyon, southwestern France, Saturday, March 18, 2006. The
placard reads “There have never been any Armenian genocide”. France
has recognise the 1915 Armenian genocide in 2001. (AP Photo/Patrick
Gardin)

MANITOBA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper affirmed Wednesday his
belief that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a ‘Genocide’ nearly
a century ago during the First World War.

——————————————- —————————
Global National Online Extras
» Peter Harris reports
» Back to globalnational.com
————————————————- ———————

For decades, previous Canadian governments refused to call it
‘genocide’ for fear of upsetting Turkey, which is blamed for the
massacre.

The killings allegedly took place between 1915 and 1920 when over one
million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were systematically
deported at the start of the war.

Scholars estimate that over the course of five years, nearly 1.5
million Armenians were massacred during the mass evacuations — three
quarters of the two millions Armenians living in the region at the
time — and commonly refer to the events as the ‘Armenian Genocide’
or the ‘Armenian Holocaust.’

However, the massacre, and the way they it is described, has been a
matter of ongoing dispute between parts of the international
community and modern-day Turkey.

Turkish authorities have refused to acknowledge the killings as a
‘genocide,’ citing the turmoils of life during the First World War as
the reason behind the deaths — not state-sponsored mass
exterminations. Turkey also differ on the number of casualties,
suggesting that the toll ranges between 200,000 and 600,000, not 1.5
million, and frequently raises the point that many Turks also died
during the tumultuous period.

It is a sensitive issue that, when raised by the Tory Opposition
during the previous minority government, was quickly defeated by
reigning Liberals who feared angering the Turkish government by
labeling the events as a genocide or condemn it as a crime against
humanity.

However, during a news conference Wednesday in southern Manitoba,
Harper affirmed his belief that the Armenians who died during those
years were in fact, subjects of a genocide.

Turkey’s ambassador to Canada thinks the decision goes too far.

“Your own citizens of Turkish origin, they are proud Canadians as
much as you are,” said His Excellency Aydemir Erman. “So your own
House is branding them as the grandchildren of killers.”

To date, 23 countries in the international community officially
recognize the massacre and accepted its authenticity as a ‘genocide,’
including Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland,
Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City, and
Venezuela.

Thirty-nine of 50 U.S. states also recognize the genocide, although
there is no official federal recognition.

© Global National 2006

Click for video of full report

ory.html?id=a5f2efe0-1811-
4d1c-a6a9-

–Boundary_ (ID_rO3g0OnzVA1AWAzY8CoY2w)–

EU TRIO DELEGATION TO VISIT ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 11:30

April 20 a delegation of EU Trio, headed Foreign Affairs State
Secretary of Austria Hans Wnikler will arrive in Yerevan. The
delegation comprises representative of Finland (as next Chair country),
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semnebi,
and members of the European Commission. The delegation is expected
to meet high officials of Armenia. The Trio delegation will leave
Armenia for Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE

Friday, April 14, 2006

Contact: Armen Carapetian
Tel: (818) 500-1918

SOUTHERN NEVADA ARMENIANS TO COMMEMORATE THE 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

LAS VEGAS, NV – The Armenian American community of the Greater Las
Vegas Area will commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923 on Sunday, April 23, 2006 at the Christ Lutheran
Church in Las Vegas.

`The Armenian Genocide – the first genocide of the twentieth century –
was a systematic, premeditated extermination of over 1.5 million
Armenian men, women and children beginning on April 24, 1915,’ stated
Hriyr Dadaian, Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Las
Vegas. `We honor the memory of the victims of this crime against
humanity every year to remind the world of the lessons of what
happened to prevent future genocides from taking place.’

Joining the Las Vegas Armenian American community in commemorating the
Armenian Genocide will be Senator John Ensign (R-NV), Congresswoman
Shelley Berkley (NV-1), Congressman Jim Gibbons (NV-2), Las Vegas
Mayor Oscar Goodman, among other distinguished guests. The Armenian
Apostolic Churches of the Western Prelacy and Diocese, the Armenian
Evangelical Church – Las Vegas, the Armenian-American Cultural Society
of Las Vegas, the Armenian National Committee of Las Vegas, the
Armenian Relief Society – Las Vegas Shoushi Chapter, the Homenetmen –
Las Vegas Artsakh Chapter, and the UNLV Armenian Students Association
will be participating in the commemoration. Armenian National
Committee of America Board Member Raffi Hamparian will be the keynote
speaker of the commemoration.

The official program will begin at 1:30 pm on Sunday, April 23, 2006
at the Christ Lutheran Church located at 111 North Torrey Pines Drive
in Las Vegas. Requiem services will be conducted by clergy from the
Armenian Apostolic Churches of the Western Prelacy and Diocese and the
Armenian Evangelical Church of Las Vegas.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.