Author: Topchian Jane

US SENATORS INCREASE PRESSURE ON PRESIDENT OBAMA AHEAD OF APRIL 24

Tert.am
21.04.10

A group of 14 Senators headed by Senator Barbara Boxer (California)
have called on US President Barak Obama "to side with the historical
truth and recognize the Armenian Genocide," informs the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).

"Despite the irrefutable body of evidence, US has yet to recognize
the 1915-1923 events by their rightful name," reads the letter,
addressed to the White House.

The signatories call on Obama "to correct this injustice and eventually
acknowledge one of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century as
Genocide."

"We would like to thank Senator Boxer and her Senate colleagues
for their efforts to end Turkey’s gag rule on U.S. affirmation of
the Armenian Genocide – a morally bankrupt policy that continues to
undermine our nation’s credibility in the fight to end the cycle of
Genocide,’ said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

EVENTS DEDICATED TO THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN STATE PARLIAMENT OF CALIFORNIA

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 19, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS: Commemoration events were held on April
15 on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
in the Upper and Lower Houses of the state parliament of Sacramento,
capital of the U.S. State of California.

Public Relations Department of the ARF Central Committee of the Western
America told Armenpress that the prayer in the Lower House opened
by Spiritual Pastor of Fresno Trinity Cathedral Vahan Kostanyan,
and in the Upper House – by Primate Hovnan Terteryan.

An exhibition of photos taken by art figures Ara Oshakan and Levon
Paryan and dedicated to those who survived the Armenian Genocide opened
at the exhibition hall of the parliament and will last till April 30.

The two houses of the parliament have ratified the resolutions on
the Armenian Genocide, which declare April 24 a day of commemoration
of the Armenian Genocide and call the US Congress and president to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.

At the parliament a decision has also been adopted to place posters
on Los Angeles free way N 60, which will lead to the Armenian Genocide
Monument, built in the town of Montebello.

High-ranking American officials, representatives of the Armenian
Cause of the Western America, of Armenian Youth Federation, as well
as pupils from Gruzyan-Zakaryan-Vaspurakan National College of San
Francisco and from Sahak-Mesrop Armenian Christian College were
present at the inspiration events.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF SYDNEY HOLDS PROTEST ACTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 19, 2010 – 15:54 AMT 10:54 GMT

Australian national television networks Channel 7 and SBS, along with
national radio networks, the ABC, Triple J and SBS covered the Sydney
Armenian community’s protest against Turkey’s denial of the Armenian
Genocide at the NSW Turkish Consulate on Sunday, the Armenian National
Committee of Australia told PanARMENIAN.Net

The protest of over 500 Armenians, which also drew 100 members of
the Sydney Turkish community, was on the eve of Armenian Genocide
commemoration week, which marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, which saw 1.5 million Christian Armenian civilians living
inside Ottoman Turkey murdered in a coordinated attempt to exterminate
the Armenian race.

Kevork Tufenkjian of the organizing Armenian Youth Federation of
Australia said: "Despite over 20 legislatures around the world,
including the governments of New South Wales and South Australia,
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has failed to do so, and
holds on to 90% of land that is historically Armenia’s." Armenians,
joined by Sydney Assyrians and Sydney Greeks, chanted "1915 Never
Again", "Turkey Is Guilty, Turkey Must Pay", "We Want Justice",
"Turkey Denies, Turkey Lies" and "Genocide Is Fact".

Nearly 100 Police were in attendance to stop the crowd of Turks from
clashing with the Armenian protestors.

AGARAK COPPER-MOLYBDENUM COMBINE SOLD 7THOUS. T OF COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM CONCENTRATES IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 19, 2010 – 18:28 AMT 13:28 GMT

During the first quarter of 2010, Agarak copper-molybdenum combine
CJSC sold 7thous. t of copper and 100t of molybdenum concentrates.

Agarak copper-molybdenum complex (ACMC) CJSC mined 741,660t and
processed 762,720t of ore during the same period, the press service
of GeoProMining Group in Armenia reported.

According to the source, overburden operations totaled 377.2 cubic
meters, meanwhile the company sold 6.938t of copper and 100t of
molybdenum concentrates during the reported period.

ACMC CJSC processed around 1.3mln t of ore during six months of 2009.

As a result of it, around 248t of molybdenum concentrate and 13,500t
of copper concentrate were produced in 2009.

GeoProMining Group international company acquired the shares of Agarak
Copper Molybdenum Combine in December 2007. GeoProMining deals with
mining and processing of polymetallic ores and precious metals. The
company’s deposits and combines are located in Armenia, Georgia,
Russia and Vietnam.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER BLACKMAILS OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS

ArmInfo
2010-04-19 10:42:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev is blackmailing
the OSCE MG Co-chairs. Specifically, Defense Minister of Azerbaijan
Colonel-General Safar Abiyev received Under Secretary of Defense
for Policy

Michele Flournoy on April 17. Minister of Defense said, "If the
Co-Chairmen of the Minsk OSCE Group don’t increase action on Armenian
aggressions, Azerbaijan will have to take other measues." According
to Azerbaijani media, they discussed the military political situation
in the South Caucasus and tension in Nagorny Karabagh region.

RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOT TO AFFECT PROTOCOLS: BERMAN

news.am
April 19 2010
Armenia

The Chairman of U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard Berman
urged U.S. Congressmen to reject all "morally blind" arguments
disputing the irrefutable fact of Armenian Genocide.

Berman replied to the letter addressed to the Speaker of the U.S.
House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi by a group of his colleagues
lobbying Turkey’s interests, calling them not to include the Armenian
Genocide Resolution in the plenary session agenda in the House of
Representatives, Voice of America reports.

The congressmen assured that the resolution adoption will irreparably
harm the U.S. security, handicap the Armenia-Turkey normalization as
well as clog American products purchase in Turkey.

"I disagree with many points in the letter, but I take particularly
strong exception to the use of the phrase &’so-called ‘Armenian
Genocide Resolution", which casts doubt on the historicity of the
Armenian Genocide. I believe that US-Turkish security relations are
founded on mutual interests and that Turkey is not about to discard
the immense benefits it derives from bilateral security relations
for the sake of &’punishing’ the US for a non-binding resolution,
however much it may resent that resolution," Berman’ letter reads.

"In addition, I dispute the argument that passing H. Res. 252 would
derail the Turkish-Armenian protocols. The protocols have been
gathering dust in the Turkish parliament since they were signed in
October, and particularly in light of the preconditions established
by the Turkish leadership, there is little likelihood that they will
be ratified any time soon," Berman says.

news.az, Azerbaijan
April 17 2010

Azerbaijanis protest against Armenia’s occupational policy in Canada
Sat 17 April 2010 | 08:20 GMT Text size:

The Azerbaijani community has held a protest outside the parliamentary
building in Ottawa due to commemoration of victims of genocide on
March 31.

The meeting of the Azerbaijani community has been held outside the
parliament in the Canadian capital on April 16 due to commemoration of
the victims of March 31 genocide and against the Armenian policy of
ethnic cleansing carried out against Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani embassy in Canada reports that the slogans against the
policy of ethnic cleansing held by the Armenian nationalists against
Azerbaijan in the 20th century and the aggression that continued since
1988 were voiced at the meeting.

The march participants demanded to stop the occupational policy, the
assessment of this event by the Canadian deputies and putting pressure
on Armenia.

The picket has also been held outside the Armenian embassy in Ottawa.

1news.az

news.am, Armenia
April 17 2010

Armenian delegation landed in Moscow

17:34 / 04/17/2010April 17, the plane of Armenian delegation headed by
RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan heading to Poland for
the funerals of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his spouse Maria
Kaczynska and other high ranking officials landed in Moscow.

The reason was cancelled flight to Poland due to the ash cloud of the
erupted Eyjafjallajokull volcano in the south Iceland. At the moment
Abrahamyan awaits for an opportunity to travel to Poland, deputy head
of RA National Assembly press service Gagik Nahapetyan told NEWS.am.

Due to volcanic eruption all flights from Yerevan, namely to Paris,
London, Amsterdam, Odessa and Zurich were cancelled.

L.A.

news.am, Armenia
April 17 2010

No positive changes in Turkey’s foreign policy, expert says

14:46 / 04/17/2010RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s meeting with Turkish
Premier Recep Erdogan in Washington is unlikely to bring about any
changes in Turkey’s political life. That meeting must not be viewed as
one of high importance, the political analyst Yervand Bozoyan told
NEWS.am.

He pointed out that the mediator, United States, was especially
concerned with the Sargsyan-Erdogan meeting. In this context Bozoyan
stressed that the USA is doing its best for the Armenian-Turkish
normalization process to go on. `The United States is doing all in its
power for the process to remain alive de jure,’ he said. The expert
stressed that official Washington did not invite Ilham Aliyev
deliberately to neutralize the factor of Azerbaijan.

According to Bozoyan, a number of objective factors will not allow any
progress in the Armenian-Turkish process. `Turkey is setting
preconditions in both its own interests and Azerbaijan’s interests,
which is causes disagreements,’ he said. He stressed that nothing
special should be expected from the Washington meeting, as no positive
changes in Turkey’s foreign policy will take place.

NEWS.am reminds readers that RA President Serzh Sargsyan held meetings
with Recep Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of
the Global Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

T.P.

RA PRESIDENT’S POLICY INVULNERABLE: A. SAFARYAN

news.am
April 16 2010
Armenia

All moves of RA President Serzh Sargsyan are based on scientifically
proven and in-depth analysis, whereas foreign policy line is formed
by weighing views and principles of the main political forces. Thus,
policy carried out by the President is invulnerable, Prosperous
Armenia faction secretary Aram Safaryan told journalists.

The politician highly assessed Sargsyan’s visit to Washington and
his speech at the Woodrow Wilson’s Memorial, that welded Diaspora
with its Motherland even more. Safaryan hailed positive Obama’s
efforts into breaking deadlock in Armenia-Turkey relations. MP
welcomed Turkish authorities’ readiness to continue the dialogue
with Armenia, adding that linkage of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation
with Karabakh peace process is unacceptable. "Serzh Sargsyan gave to
understand that he will neither allow for a compromise on Genocide,
nor unilateral concessions in Karabakh issue to reconcile with Turkey,"
Safaryan noted, expressing confidence that the dialogue will go ahead
after April 24 as well. Commenting on the Protocols’ ratification,
he said that if Turkish parliament adopts them without reservations
RA National Assembly will do so as well. "If Turkish MPs voice
reservations, our parliament will behave likewise or simply reject
them," Safaryan explained.

As for Karabakh peace process, Prosperous Armenia member is confident
that as soon as Baku alerts that Azerbaijan is ready to recognize
sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh, all other issues will be discussed
at the talks.