Author: Torgomian Varazdat

ABC News
April 24 2010

Once Again, President Obama Breaks Promise to Call Armenian Genocide ‘Genocide’
April 24, 2010 8:07 PM

President Obama today again broke his promise to use the word
`genocide’ when describing the systematic slaughter of 1.5 million
Armenians at the beginning of the last century.

`I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view of that history has not changed,’ the president said in a
statement today commemorating the genocide but not using the g-word.
`It is in all of our interest to see the achievement a full, frank and
just acknowledgment of the facts.’

In actuality, the only consistencies are that as a candidate Mr. Obama
incessantly labeled the genocide as such and heralded himself for
doing so, and since becoming president — and suddenly having to deal
with the a key ally, Turkey, which disputes that term — he has
refused to do so.

This was the case in April 2009 when he visited Turkey, and one year
ago today for the same commemoration.

Last month the Obama administration even asked the chairman of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee to cancel a vote scheduled on a bill
recognizing the Armenian genocide. After speaking to Turkish President
Abdullah Gül, the president had Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
reach out to committee chairman Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif.

`Secretary Clinton called Chairman Berman yesterday and in that
conversation the secretary indicated that further Congressional action
could impede progress on normalization of relations,’ National
Security Staff spokesman Mike Hammer said.

The conversation took place after the president spoke with President
Gül and `expressed appreciation’ for his and Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s `efforts on normalization of relations between
Turkey and Armenia.’ The president also `pressed for rapid
ratification of the protocols,’ Hammer said, referring to efforts at
normalization between Armenia and Turkey.

As a senator, and then as a presidential candidate, Barack Obama often
talked about how bold he was to call the slaughter of an estimated 1.5
million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire just what it was:
a genocide.

`America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian
Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides,’ he said. `I intend
to be that President.’

In a January 2008 letter to the Armenian Reporter, Mr. Obama said he
shared `with Armenian Americans — so many of whom are descended from
genocide survivors — a principled commitment to commemorating and
ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances
of genocide in world history.’

In 2006, Mr. Obama noted, `I criticized the secretary of state
[Condoleezza Rice] for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John
Evans, after he properly used the term `genocide’ to describe Turkey’s
slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with
Secretary Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is
not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather
a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of
historical evidence.’

Asserted Mr. Obama, back then: `The facts are undeniable. An official
policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy.’

Mr. Obama also stated unequivocally that `as President I will
recognize the Armenian Genocide.’

His position on the matter was so strong, the Armenian National
Committee of America had its own Obama File on Armenian Genocide
Recognition, which included a Youtube clip of the President on the
campaign trial saying, `There was a genocide that did take place
against the Armenian people. It is one of these situations where we
have seen a constant denial on the part of the Turkish government.’

-jpt

icalpunch/2010/04/once-again-president-obama-break s-promise-to-call-armenian-genocide-genocide.html

NOBODY AND NOTHING WILL BE FORGOTTEN…

Panorama.am
24/04/2010

Representati ves of different NGOs, national minorities, political
parties visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial with posters reading
"Genocide never gets old", "Nobody and nothing will be forgotten",
"Justice not restored."

There are representatives of Kurdish community among them who have
come to condemn the Armenian Genocide.

COMMEMORATION CEREMONIES ON 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN SWITZERLAND

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 23, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS: Commemoration ceremony on the 95th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held today at Saint Hagop
Armenian church of Troinex, municipality of the Canton of Geneva,
Switzerland. An official from the press and information department
of RA Foreign Affairs Ministry told Armenpress that RA Ambassador
to Switzerland Charles Aznavour, members of the Armenian community,
representatives of the city authorities attended the ceremony,
put a wreath to honor the memory of the victims of the Genocide and
addressed speeches as well.

The next one in the chain of ceremonies and events, dedicated to the
95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, is the press conference
of the Switzerland-Armenia Association and Switzerland-Armenia
Parliamentary Friendship Group expected to be held today in Bern. A
commemorative concert is intended to be held April 24 at a concert
hall in Bern, at which Verdi’s Missa da Requiem will be performed
(conductor- Luke Baghdasaryan).

The Holy Liturgy will be chanted April 24 at the Armenian church of
Geneva. The series of concerts of ‘Narekatsi’ ensemble is intended
in Geneva, Zurich, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano.

LOS ANGELES TO HOST ROCK CONCERT ON OCCASION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 23, 2010 – 19:42 AMT 14:42 GMT

On April 24, El Rey Theatre of Los Angeles will host Silence the Lies,
Rock the Truth concert on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. The concert organizers aim to increase awareness
of the Armenian Genocide and raise money for Armenian orphans.

Viza, Element, R-Mean and the Dirty Diamond Armenian groups, which are
famous in the U.S., will perform. Besides, Arek Santikian of Armenian
Youth Federation, Anthony Portantino, a CA State Assembly member,
and Jim Lafferty, a member of the National Lawyer’s Guild from Los
Angeles, will speak during the event.

The concert is organized by a coalition of community organizations and
artists for the second year. Proceeds of the concert will be donated
to two organizations – The Armenian Relief Society’s Armenia-Artsakh
Orphan Project and the Bird’s Nest Orphanage in Lebanon, both dealing
with problems of needy children.

ARMENIA REPLIED TO TURKEY’S "IMITATION POLICY" THROUGH ITS STATEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 23, 2010 – 17:17 AMT 12:17 GMT

Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan said that Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan’s statement on termination of the current stage of the
Armenian-Turkish normalization is a reply to Turkey’s "imitation
policy." Though the process is frozen, but it has not completed
finally, as Armenia has not withdrawn its signature under the
Protocols, Mr. Melkonyan told a press conference in Yerevan. He noted
that de-facto Turkey has frozen the process long ago.

The Armenian expert also stressed that Armenia has taken such Á step
right now to prevent possible speculations by Turkey and the U.S. on
April 24. "The freezing of the Armenian-Turkish process is advantageous
for Turkey to some extent, since it will gain time through it. As soon
as it solves internal problems, the country will be able to resume
the Armenian-Turkish normalization from a new side," said Melkonyan,
adding that currently Turkey is straining its political machine to
find an adequate response to Armenia’s statement.

"In my opinion, Turkey’s reply will not be tough," the Armenian expert
noted, adding that possibly Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will try to use this statement for speculations. "But these attempts
will be baseless, as Armenia appeared to be a more reliable partner
for the world, in contrast to Turkey," said Melkonyan.

The Armenian expert also said he does not think that the latest
developments in the Armenian-Turkish normalization will have an
impact on the Karabakh conflict settlement, as they are entirely
independent processes.

On April 22, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on
termination of the procedure on ratification of the Armenian-Turkish
Protocols signed in Zurich on October 10.

CROSS-STONE, DEDICATED TO 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, TO BE ERECTED IN MONTREAL

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 22, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS: Varazdat Hambardzumyan’s cross-stone,
dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, will
be erected in several days in the territory of St. Jacob Church,
Montreal, Canada. Master of cross-stones Varazdat Hambardzumyan
informed Armenpress that the two-meter cross-stone, which symbolizes
the commemoration of the innocent victims of the Genocide, is his
gift to the Armenian community of Montreal. There is a fighting
ram carved under the big cross on the stone. Another cross-stone
by Varazdat Hambardzumyan will be transported to Paris and erected
there in the common grave-monument of 38 Armenians. Honored master
Varazdat Hambardzumyan created more than 400 cross-stones. Most of
them are erected in various places of Armenia, as well as in Greece,
Switzerland, UAE, Turkey, Russia, the Ukraine and US.

TURKEY PRESSURES ITS POLITICAL MACHINE TO FIND ANSWER TO ARMENIAN COALITION PARTIES STATEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 22, 2010 – 17:20 AMT 12:20 GMT

Turkey missed her chance at normalizing ties with Armenia; yet I don’t
consider that chance completely lost, an expert Ruben Melkonyan stated.

As he told PanARMENIAN.Net Ankara will be able to normalize ties with
Yerevan in case of altering position on the issue. "By continued
imitation of reconciliation process, Turkey gained an image of
unreliable partner."

He expressed a supposition that oncoming presidential address will
refer to either freezing of the process or Armenia’s withdrawal of
Protocols signature.

"Currently, Turkey is pressuring its political machine to find answer
to Armenian coalition parties statement," the expert said, adding
that Turkey might resort to blackmail.

"Armenian government took these steps in an attempt to prevent possible
bargains with Armenian Genocide memory," Ruben Melkonyan stated.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PROVIDES 50 TRACTORS TO ARMENIAN FARMERS

/ARKA/
April 22, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. The U.S. Government’s total investment in
the agricultural and water sector in Armenia through the Millennium
Challenges Account (MCA) -Armenia Program will amount to about $180
million by the time the program ends in September 2011, the U.S.
embassy in Armenia said today in a pres release.

It said on April 22 Dmitrov community in Ararat marz became the
site for signing leasing agreements by farmers who took possession
of 50 tractors. The occasion was made possible by Farm Credit Armenia
(FCA), one of the ten credit providers involved in Millennium Challenge
Account – Armenia’s (MCA-Armenia) farm credit program.

The event was kicked off by U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch
who highlighted FCA’s role in MCA-Armenia’s credit program. "This
USDA-established lender has become an important player in agriculture
financing through its own resources and MCA-Armenia funds, thereby
insuring the sustainability of U.S. government assistance in the
field of agriculture,’ she said.

Farm Credit Armenia, together with nine other financial institutions,
has been selected to help disburse $8.5 million in loans for
farming and irrigation technologies, greenhouses, cooling facilities,
establishment of fruit tree orchards, processing and other activities
that promote the objectives of the MCA-Armenia program. Equipment
leasing is another essential aspect of agricultural financing that
makes state-of-the art tractors and heavy machinery available to
Armenian farmers. Farm Credit Armenia is one of the pioneers in
introducing agricultural machinery leasing to Armenia and has acquired
50 tractors through MCA-Armenia’s funding.

Overall, since 2007, MCA-Armenia has disbursed about $7.3 million to
633 borrowers.

‘CHANGES IN OSCE MINSK GROUP TO BE INEFFECTIVE’

news.az
April 22 2010
Azerbaijan

‘Tehran has voiced intention to mediate the Karabakh settlement’.

The replacement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries with
others is not effective for Azerbaijan especially now when the OSCE
Minsk Group has done so much in the Karabakh settlement, considers
political scientist Rasim Aghayev.

‘Azerbaijan is unable to regulate the Minsk Group unilaterally because
Armenia’s agreement is also required for this. On the other hand,
the OSCE that has been watching the activity of the Minsk Group for
long years and has not expressed its resentment over the results does
not agree either’, Aghayev said commenting on the opinion of some
representatives of the Azerbaijani political elite about the need to
replace the United States with Turkey within the OSCE Minsk Group.

The political scientist is also against Azerbaijan’s refusal of the
mediation efforts of the Minsk Group, with its replacement with Iran
as a mediator. As is known, Tehran has voiced intention to mediate
the Karabakh settlement.

‘Armenia does not want Tehran’s mediation. Thus, the replacement of
the Minsk Group with Iran will also be not productive’, Aghayev said.

ACBA CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK RECEIVES WORLD FINANCE BANKING AWARDS 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 22, 2010 – 16:26 AMT 11:26 GMT

Armenia’s ACBA Credit Agricole Bank received World Finance Banking
Awards 2010 as the best banking group in the republic.

2010 is taking shape as the recovery year, with financing for new
investments, in infrastructure, the energy sectors – as well as
acquisition finance – returning. This has been put down to better
dealing of the economic crisis by specific governments and financial
institutions.

Banks have used issuance of convertibles and capital increases to
reinforce their capital base. This year is seeing the application of
stricter rules on provisions.

The crisis had its reverberations on both developed and developing
economies of the world; however, not all banks experienced the kinds
of losses that even revered financial institutions of the other
countries have faced. World Finance conducted in-depth investigations
into this year’s banking sector. The magazine’s researchers found a
lot of promise in the emerging banking systems. Congratulations to
the winners. The second installment of the awards will feature in
the July-August issue, available in newsagents from June.