Author: Torosian Aram

THE ARMENIAN YOUNG BOXERS WILL LEAVE FOR BAKU ON APRIL 23

Aysor
April 20 2010
Armenia

As we have already informed you the world boxing championship of the
young has been postponed because of the Iceland’s volcano for 5 days
and will kick off on April 25. AIBA taking into consideration the
situation occurred in the air communication decided to give 5 more
days to the participants to arrive at the tournament.

The Armenian youth team which had a meeting in Tbilisi with the
Georgian team has decided to arrive at the capital of Azerbaijan
by delay of 3 days. The General Secretary of the Armenian boxing
federation Lyova Hovhannisyan had stated in the interview with
our reporter that the plans of the Armenian delegation will remain
unchanged, however today he mentioned that the Armenian delegation,
taking into consideration many circumstances has decided to leave for
Baku two days before the championship will launch, on 23rd of April.

US: RATIFICATION OF ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS A DIFFICULT PROCESS

Today’s Zaman
April 19 2010
Turkey

The US administration has expressed awareness of the fact that
parliamentary ratification of deals envisioning normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey, which is required for the
implementation of the deals, is a "difficult process" that involves
"emotion" and "risk" on both sides.

The issue concerning the efforts made by Armenia and Turkey for
normalizing their bilateral ties, which have been stalled for a
number of reasons, was on the agenda of three separate bilateral talks
between Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton last week in Washington.

During a daily press briefing on Friday, the day after Clinton and
Davutoglu’s third meeting, State Department spokesperson Philip J.

Crowley was reminded of Azerbaijan’s objections regarding the
rapprochement process and was asked, "Does the American side work
with their Azerbaijani counterparts to somehow resolve these issues?"

"There are things that both countries have committed to do. There
are difficult processes working with their respective parliaments. We
have the same experience in this country where the executive branch
can make a commitment that has to work with Congress in terms of
implementing that or getting ratification of that. We know this is a
difficult process. We know it involves emotion on both sides, risk on
both sides, and we will continue to work constructively with Armenia
and Turkey to try to see this process through," Crowley responded,
without elaborating on whether the US administration has been exerting
effort to deal with Baku’s recalcitrance on the issue.

A previous question at the briefing invited Crowley to disclose
details of Clinton and Davutoglu’s Thursday meeting in regards to
Armenia-Turkey relations.

"We obviously had very meaningful discussions this week, both with
the Turkish side, with the Armenian side, and we continue to try to
find the right formula working with both countries. And clearly,
we’re also supporting the Minsk process regarding Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh. We are — the process has stalled from last fall
when the countries signed the protocols on normalization. We want to
see Turkey and Armenia ratify those protocols, normalize relations,
open borders. That has significant benefits for both countries. And we
continue to work with both to see if we can find the right formula,
the right timing to see ratification and the benefits that come with
ratification," Crowley said.

Head of Armenian delegation calls on PACE president to join with
Armenians in commemorating Genocide

16.04.2010 19:46

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Davit Harutyunyan, the head of the Armenian
delegation to PACE, has called on the organization’s president to join
with the Armenians in commemorating the Armenian Genocide’s 95th
anniversary.

`Recently you have referred to the commemoration of the Katyn massacre
as an event `about seeking historical justice and bringing about
reconciliation, ‘ the letter sent to PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu
says. `This is most commendable indeed, especially hearing it from the
President of PACE, but above all from a Founding Member and elected
representative of Turkey’s ruling AK party.

Incidentally on this occasion you do not insist that history should be
left to historians. I hope you could live up to your views and join
the Armenian people in commemorating the historical injustice
perpetrated against them by the Ottoman rulers 95 years ago and defy
the denialists of the Armenian genocide in Turkey.’

FRESNO EVENTS MARK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Paula Lloyd

Fresno Bee
esno-events-mark-armenian-genocide.html
April 15 2010
CA

The 95th anniversary of the Armenian genocide will be marked locally
by a lecture series and commemorative event put on by the Armenian
studies program at California State University, Fresno.

The events are a prelude to Armenian Martyrs Day on April 24.

Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for nearly a century over events
between 1915 and 1923, when by some estimates upward of 1.5 million
Armenians died during the final years of the Ottoman Empire before
Turkey was founded. The Turkish government blames the deaths on civil
war. Armenians call the deaths genocide.

The first two lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Alice Peters
Auditorium in the University Business Center.

Dr. Bedross Der Matossian, history professor at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, will speak on "The Taboo Within the Taboo:
The Fate of the ‘Armenian Capital’ in the End of the Ottoman Empire."

Also, Dr. Levon Marashlian, history professor at Glendale Community
College, will speak on "Problems With Denial and Denying With the
Armenian-Turkish Protocols."

Freelance writer and editor Michael Bobelian will speak at 7:30 p.m.

April 21 in the Alice Peters Auditorium on "The Struggle for Armenian
Genocide Recognition in the United States."

The commemorative event at noon April 23 at the Free Speech area on
campus will include speeches by Fresno City Council Member Andreas
Borges and members of Fresno’s Armenian community.

The lecture series will conclude at 7:30 p.m. April 29 in the Alice
Peters Auditorium with a talk by Dr. Abraham Terian, the Kazan
Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies, on "The Less-Known Victims
of the Armenian Genocide."

The events are free and free parking is available in lots A and J on
the Fresno State campus. For more information, contact the Armenian
studies program at (559) 278-2669.

PANEL OF INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN EXPERTS WILL SPEAK ON THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE, ITS DEFINITION, CAUSES, TOOLS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION AT WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL DINNER

Marketwire
April 14, 2010 Wednesday 9:10 AM GMT

The event, hosted by the non-profit organization, the World Affairs
Council of Orange County, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at
the Fairmont Newport Beach, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach Ca.
92660. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner
presentation at 7 p.m. and a Q&A after the speech. The public is
invited to attend.

The World Affairs Council of Orange County is proud that for the first
time in its history it has assembled a panel of internationally known
experts on the Crime of Genocide, its definition, causes, tools of
implementation and the ultimate "goals" sought in committing mass
murder, as well as the aftermath of genocide — the human cost in
suffering and misery and the instability brought to the World. The
"Plague of Evil" has regretfully marked humankind this past century,
from the Armenian, Jewish, Cambodian and most recently Darfur
genocides, what has been learned as to the genesis of the unspeakable
horrors visited upon innocent victims of the policy of genocide.

Our panelists include: Professor Michael J. Bazyler, Professor of Law
and "1939" Club Law Scholar in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies at
Chapman University; Andrew Goldberg, Emmy award winning director and
producer of the PBS special The Armenian Genocide; Professor Richard
G. Hovannisian, Professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History and
Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History
at the University of California, Los Angeles and Lane Montgomery,
author of the book, "Never Again, Again, Again… Genocide: Armenia,
the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Darfur."

For information and reservations, call (949)253-5751 or visit

World Affairs Council of Orange County is a member-driven
non-profit organization that hosts forums on international issues and
presentations by some of the world’s foremost leaders. Past speakers
have included: Muhammad Mian Soomro, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan;
John Bruton, European Union Ambassador and Former Prime Minister of
Ireland; John Bolton, Former Ambassador to the U.S.; Dr.

Hans Blix, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission;
His Royal Highness Prince Andrew; Vicente Fox, Former President
of Mexico, Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General
Richard B. Myers and many other well known people with expertise in
various world affairs with respect to political, social and economic
issues. The World Affairs Council of Orange County was founded in
1967 and today has more than 500 members.

WHY DON’T STATE DEPARTMENT LAND TROOPS IN KARABAKH? – POLITICAL SCIENTIST

news.az
April 16 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan fulfills all US whims – political scientist said.

The global threat for Azerbaijan is the Minsk Group and the countries
supporting regional aggressor-Armenia rather than global warming,
floods, earthquake and AIDS, said political scientist Vafa Guluzade
speaking at the session of the round table at the Center of Strategic
Research under the Azerbaijani president.

‘West is silent about the tragedy of 20 January 1990 in Baku, it
turns a blind eye to the transformation of Armenia into a regional
monster and aggressor by Russia, the United States does not consider it
necessary to study the cause of deportation of Armenians from Turkey
in 1915 but the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan was committed
before our eyes. Why doesn’t the world want to say the truth about it’,
Guluzade said.

Azerbaijan has fulfilled all US whims, including neutralized Russia’s
efforts on intensification in the South Caucasus, laid a pipeline to
the western countries, takes part in the NATO peacekeeping efforts.

However, the United States and NATO pretend not to know about the
occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.

‘If the United States listened to my opinion, I would recommend the
State Department to deploy US troops in Nagorno Karabakh and restore
order in the Azerbaijani land like they did in Kuwait occupied by
Iraq. But I know the reason why the United States would not act like
this’, Guluzade said.

GARANT LIMENS INSURANCE COMPANY HAS BEEN GRANTED CARGO INSURANCE LICENSE

ArmInfo
14.04.2010

ArmInfo. Garant Limens insurance company has been granted cargo
insurance license implying compensation of damages caused to cargo
irrespective of means of transportation. Such a decision was made
by the Central Bank of Armenia. Now over 10 companies provide cargo
insurance service.

According to the Ranking of Insurance Companies prepared by ArmInfo,
in 2009 the amount of cargo insurance premiums by 8 insurance companies
totalled 392.5mln AMD – 6% of the insurance market.

Garant Limens was established in 1999. It has license for 8 types of
insurance. In 2009 the company collected 220.6mln AMD in premiums –
10th place among 12 insurance companies as of Dec 31 2009. The amount
of compensations exceeded 106mln AMD.

ANALYST MARK MEIROWITZ: IF OBAMA ON APRIL 24, 2010, USES THE TERM "GENOCIDE", THIS COULD SHUT DOWN TURKEY-US RELATIONS FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD

APA
April 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Washington. Isabel Levine – APA. APA’s Washington correspondent’s
interview with American analyst on the Turkey issues Mark Meirowitz,
who holds a doctorate in Politics and teaches undergraduate courses
in Politics, History and Law at various colleges in New York

– After Turkish Prime minister’s visit to the Washington DC, how
do you think, can US President Obama recognize "Armenian genocide"
thus spoiling strategic relations with Turkey?

– Being the astute politician that President Obama is (and based on
the meetings at the recent Nuclear Security Summit in Washington,
D.C., among Prime Minister Erdogan, President Sargsyan and President
Obama), it is fairly certain that President Obama will not use the term
"Genocide" in his statement on April 24, 2010, on Armenian Remembrance
Day, when referring the events in Armenia in 1915.

President Obama is fully aware of Turkey’s forceful pushback (including
recalling Turkey’s ambassador to the US) after the unfortunate and
misguided approval by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of
a non-binding resolution (H.R. 252) calling on the US President to
characterize the events in Armenia in 1915 as "genocide" in his April
24th statement.

In 2009, on April 24th, Obama used an Armenian word "Meds Yeghern" to
describe the 1915 events, a term which to Armenians means "genocide"
but may also be interpreted to mean a great tragedy. This approach
which attempted to please all sides actually didn’t please anyone,
but at least the "genocide" term was not utilized.

This year, for the April 24, 2010 statement, the President needs to
say very little, and certainly not use the term "genocide" or any term
even remotely similar, or this will provoke a very negative reaction
from Turkey.

– How will it influence the negotiations over Turkish-Armenian
normalization?

– The April 24, 2010 statement will have little influence if the
President avoids the issue, and does not use the term "Genocide"
or any similar term.

If, however, the President, on April 24, 2010, uses the term
"Genocide" to describe the events in 1915 in Armenia, this would have
a disastrous effect on Turkish-US relations and could even shut down
these relations for an indefinite period and lead to other serious
and severe repercussions.

– Also how do you believe Azerbaijan should behave in such a situation?

– Azerbaijan is in a difficult position. Turkey has taken the position
that the Turkey/Armenia Protocols should be linked to the resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. However, the United States has made it
clear that it advocates decoupling these issues, so the Protocols can
proceed and the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue can proceed
separately. The Protocols have been on shaky ground and have not yet
been ratified by the Turkish or Armenian Parliaments.

It was also unfortunate that President Obama did not invite Azerbaijan
to the Nuclear Summit in Washington (perhaps because the White House
thought that the presence of Azerbaijan would detract from Obama’s
focus on the Turkey/Armenia protocols).

Azerbaijan needs to work with its friends in Turkey, and with the
United States, perhaps taking the approach of "trust but verify",
meaning to allow the Protocols to proceed separately, and resolving
Nagorno-Karabakh separately.

Without the Protocols, the normalization process is a no-starter,
and it is in the interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan to get the
Turkey/Armenia normalization process going as soon as possible.

As normalization proceeds and becomes solidified, the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue can be tackled. To link these issues at the outset, as the US
has argued, makes getting this complicated process off the ground
virtually impossible.

ARF-D DID NOT HEAR WHAT IT WANTED FROM SARGSYAN-OBAMA MEETING

Tert.am
15.04.10

Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun, ARF-D) deputy
Artsvik Minasyan would like to hear or read any news reports that
would state that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan asked or urged US
President Barack Obama, during his visit in Washington, to recognize
the Armenian Genocide.

"Unfortunately, I did not see such a news report, at least in the
media," Minasyan said at a press conference today.

Gagik Melikyan, a deputy of the Republican Party of Armenia, in turn,
said he did not share Minasyan’s viewpoint.

"I am sure that that issue was discussed by Sargsyan and Obama,"
said Melikyan.

Saying that Obama is a person who possesses high human qualities,
Melikyan mentioned that on April 24 this year Obama will say what
is beneficial for his country. At the same time, in his opinion,
Obama’s commemoration address this year will be "a step forward"
compared to the previous addresses delivered by other presidents.

"This year Obama will be tougher over the issue in his speech," said
Melikyan, adding "if not this year, then in the near future US will
recognize the Armenian Genocide."

OSCE OFFICE SUPPORTS STUDY ON RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN ARMENIA

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 14, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, 14 APRIL, NOYAN TAPAN. An OSCE-supported study on religious
tolerance in Armenia was presented at a discussion forum in Yerevan
today.

Representatives of state bodies, the Ombudsman institution, religious
and national minority communities and non-governmental organizations
discussed the study, the state of religious tolerance and freedom of
religion or belief in Armenia and the challenges to be addressed. The
event also focused on legislation and practice in the area of freedom
of religion or belief and proposed legislative changes in this sphere.

The study on "Religious Tolerance in Armenia" was conducted in 2009 by
the Collaboration for Democracy Centre non-governmental organization,
with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. The report includes
interviews, secondary analysis of relevant press, reports and studies,
analysis of legislation and recommendations to the authorities.

"These discussions are a good opportunity to strengthen dialogue
and promote co-operation between different cultural and faith-based
communities as well as authorities to jointly address issues of freedom
of religion or belief and human rights protection. We will continue
to promote tolerance and trust, which are also among Kazakhstan’s
2010 Chairmanship priorities," said Carel Hofstra, the Acting Head
of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Stepan Danielyan, the Chairman of the Collaboration for Democracy
Centre NGO, added: "We hope that the monitoring results contained
in the report on cases of intolerance and discrimination, as well
as the situational and legislation analysis, will be useful and that
our recommendations will be helpful in bringing the law in line with
international standards and promoting freedom of religion or belief
in Armenia."