Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

DES JUIFS D’ARMENIE MARQUENT LE JOUR DE L’HOLOCAUSTE EN ISRAEL
Stephane

armenews
30 avril 2010
ARMENIE

Les evenements commemorant l’Holocauste ont commence en Israël

Sofya Barim (Chernamorian), 81 ans, vit avec son mari Petros
Chernamorian et sa famille dans la ville israelienne de Qiryat Gat.

Elle a dit comment ensemble avec une soeur elle a fuit l’occupation et
est allee au Kazakhstan, a travaille dans des champs de coton et est
retourne sur son lieu de naissance, la ville de Krasilov en Ukraine.

Alors elle a appris l’execution de la famille de sa soeur par les
fascistes et de la destruction de sa maison.

Un soldat armenien s’est approche d’elle et, pensant qu’elle etait
armenienne, a commence a lui parler en armenien. Après avoir compris
qu’elle etait un juive il a decide de la prendre en Armenie, a
Leninakan (maintenant Gyumri) et en 1946 ils sont alles en Armenie
ensemble. La femme dit que les armeniens l’ont bien accueilli dans
leur pays, où elle a appris la langue.

Zhanna Amniel, originaire de Kharkov en Ukraine, est un ancien
residant d’Erevan en Armenie. Amniel (Tarumian) avec son mari
Bebel Tarumian a miraculeusement rechappe au genocide, a ete evacue
dans l’extreme-Orient russe et après son retour a Kharkov a appris
qu’environ 90000 juifs avaient ete enterres dans une fosse creusee
près de l’usine de tracteur.

Amniel a quitte la ville et s’est deplace en Armenie en 1961 après
avoir connu un ingenieur armenien, Bebel Tarumian. Elle est arrivee
en Armenie, un pays avec lequel, elle dit avoir vecu ses annees les
plus brillantes et les plus heureuses de sa vie.

" Quand j’ai dit que j’etais un Juif, j’ai remarque le respect envers
moi dans les yeux des armeniens, c’etait une sorte de merite d’etre un
Juif " a dit Amniel a RFE/RL. " Meme pendant les jours de la guerre
Israelo-egyptienne les armeniens m’exprimaient leur sympathie. "
Parlant de la reconnaissance du Genocide armenien par Israël,
l’ancien residant d’Erevan a ajoute " ils veulent le reconnaître,
seulement la politique est une entrave sur la question. "

NKR Public Council for Foreign and Security Policy

Press release

Stepanakert, April 26 2010

NKR Public Council for Foreign and Security Policy has called on
Armenian Diaspora organizations to initiate the process of
international recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

In a letter addressed to three traditional political parties and
lobbying structures of the Armenian Diaspora, the Council noted that:

`Since April 2009, when Armenian-Turkish dialogue gained greater
public prominence, we have been faced with new challenges. The process
of negotiations between Armenia and Turkey and the signing of the two
well-known protocols have caused much debate among Armenians.

Meantime, Turkey’s efforts to link its ratification of protocols to
Armenian territorial concessions in favor of Azerbaijan have added to
tensions in the Caucasus region.

With support of Diaspora Armenian organizations, Western parliaments
have stepped up the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide as
a form of pressure on the Turkish leadership which is refusing to
fulfill obligations it has assumed as part of the Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation effort.

In response to this pressure, Turkish leaders have declared about a
danger of regional destabilization. Keeping in mind Azerbaijan’s
militaristic designs and the fact that Turkey remains Azerbaijan’s
closest ally, there is little doubt as to where such destabilization
might occur.

In this regard, there is a need to strengthen the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic’s security and thus rule out a danger of another Armenian
Genocide, this time in Eastern Armenia.

NKR Public Council for Foreign and Security Policy believes that
together with recognition of Genocide, Diaspora Armenian organization
should make the issue of international recognition of the Artsakh
Republic a priority direction of their activities. We do not believe
that promotion of `commitment to peaceful resolution of the conflict’
is sufficient.

Having gained substantial experience working with legislative bodies
of various levels around the world, Diaspora organizations are capable
of initiating the process of recognition of NKR by these entities.’

Masis Mayilian, president of the Public Council for Foreign and
Security Policy noted that recent precedents in the Balkans and the
Caucasus have shown that such recognition can serve as a real
mechanism to strengthen security in conflict areas and support
stability at relatively little material cost.

Gegham Bagdasaryan, member of the NKR Parliament and the Public
Council member recalled that `Our compatriots abroad have extensive
experience, gained during decades fighting for recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. Time has come to use that experience to safeguard
Armenian victories in Artsakh in the framework of international law.’

The Public Council believes that Artsakh’s recognition even by
provincial governments and local self-government entities would serve
to provide Artsakh with important moral and institutional support.

LES CHEFS SPIRITUELS D’ARMENIE ET D’AZERBAÏDJAN APPELLENT A UNE RESOLUTION PACIFIQUE DU CONFLIT DU KARABAGH
par Gari

armenews
mardi27 avril 2010

RELIGION

Lors de sa visite historique a Bakou, le chef supreme de l’Eglise
apostolique armenienne, le Catholicos Karekine II, s’est entretenu avec
le chef spirituel des musulmans chiites d’Azerbaïdjan, Sheikh-ul-Islam
Allahchukur Pashazade, ainsi qu’avec le chef de l’Eglise orthodoxe
russe, le patriarche Kirill II, en marge d’un sommet ~cumenique
rassemblant des representants de toutes les confessions dans la
capitale azerbaïdjanaise. Les trois dignitaires religieux ont lance un
appel en faveur de la paix au Karabagh dans une declaration conjointe
rendue publique a l’issue de leur reunion. La declaration encourage
les presidents armenien et azerbaïdjanais, ainsi que les mediateurs
internationaux, a continuer de chercher un compromis en vue d’un
règlement durable du conflit. "Il est extremement important de ne pas
permettre un retour a des moyens militaires pour resoudre les questions
litigieuses", indique notamment le document. " Par nos efforts de
paix, nous entretenons l’espoir de voir s’effacer les divisions,
les obstacles et les haines actuels ; la guerre, si elle reprend,
n’aura pas de fin" poursuit le texte des trois chefs religieux, qui
se felicitent par ailleurs de la liberation des prisonniers etautres
" actes de bonne volonte " entre les les parties belligerantes et
condamne tous les "actes de violence et de vandalisme" commis dans
la zone de conflit.

IT’S TIME TO MAKE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A LEGAL ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net –
April 26, 2010 – 15:10 AMT 10:10 GMT

Due to rain, the event dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide took place in St. Vardan Armenian Church, instead of
Times Square in New York. Despite poor weather conditions, the event
brought together U.S. senators and congressmen, Armenian community
representatives, as well as the Armenian Genocide survivors, who came
to commemorate the victims.

"Rain will not prevent us from lighting a truth torch about the
Armenian Genocide every year," U.S. Senator Chuck Schwimmer said.

Participants emphasized that it is high time to make the Armenian
Genocide a legal issue and demand a moral and material compensation
from Turkey.

Signed by the city Mayor and Governor, a declaration on making April
24 the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day was issued in New York.

ASSYRIANS, ARMENIANS IN AUSTRALIA COMMEMORATE TURKISH GENOCIDE

Assyrian International News Agency AINA

A Pril 26 2010

The Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) – Australia Chapter participated
in the annual worldwide commemoration of the genocide committed
by the Ottoman Turks from 1915 to 1918 during WWI against Turkey’s
Christian Assyrian, Armenian and Pontic Greek constituents of Anatolia,
strengthening the Assyrian links with Armenians and Hellenics.

The AUA representatives attended the observance conferences organized
by the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee that took place on
April 22 and 24. The first gathering was held at the Parliament House
of New South Wells, and the second one at Macquarie University. Both
events held in Sydney were attended by more than eight hundred people.

The keynote speaker at these commemorations was Mr. Seto Boyadjian
Esq, a political analyst and the former executive director of the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Assyrian delegation included Mr. Hermiz Shahen, Deputy Secretary
General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance and the Regional Secretary
of Australia and New Zealand, Mr. David David, Executive Secretary
of the AUA – Australia Chapter and the President of the Assyrian
Australian National Federation, Miss Annabel Saint Vincent, Mr.

Benjamin Benjamin, Mr. Paul Azzo, Mr. Nenos Nissan, Mr. Ben Jabro,
and Mr. Ninos Aaron.

In addition to participating in these conferences, Assyrian activists
joined the Armenian nationalists who protested outside the Turkish
Consulate in Sydney on Sunday, April 18, 2010, demanding that modern
Turkey recognize and condemn the horrible acts of its Ottoman Turk
government.

On Friday, April 16, the Assyrian Universal Alliance representatives
attended an important annual reception organized by the Australian
Hellenic Council of NSW at Campsie in Sydney, celebrating the
longstanding ties that have bonded Australians and Hellenics. The
keynote speaker was Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis, a specialist in holocaust
and genocide studies, who gave an informative seminar about the
genocide in Anatolia, highlighting the passionate stance of the
Australian people toward the victims of this genocide in providing
assistance to the survivors. He spoke about the role of Australian
WWI soldiers who advocated for Assyrian, Armenian and Pontic Greek
refugees, deeds that these "diggers" recorded in their memoirs and
reported in their correspondence with their headquarters in Australia.

The Assyrian Universal Alliance-Australia Chapter believes that through
our united efforts, we can convince the international community to
persuade the people and government of Turkey to recognize these
heinous acts that were perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks against
Turkey’s Armenian, Assyrian and Pontic Greek subjects.

Assyrian Universal Alliance Australian Chapter

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN : L’AZERBAIDJAN NON PRETE POUR DES CONCESSIONS MUTUELLES
Stephane

armenews
26 avril 2010
ARMENIE

L’Azerbaïdjan n’est pas prete pour des concessions mutuelles a declare
le vice-ministre armenien des Affaires Etrangères Shavarsh Kocharyan
lors d’une interview a l’agence Interfax.

Commentant la dernière declaration presidentielle azerie comme quoi le
règlement du Karabakh est entre dans une decisive, Kocharyan a dit : "
Bakou continue a produire l’illusion que ses approches perverties sont
percues comme une etape decisive des negociations. Pour entrer dans
une etape decisive, les parties ont besoin de demontrer l’empressement
a faire des concessions mutuelles. "

Le vice-Ministre des Affaires Etrangères a rappele que les negociations
se passent sur la base d’un document – les Principes de Madrid acceptes
par l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan en 2007. Si l’Azerbaïdjan veut des
progrès, elle doit discute sur des questions au lieu de deformer
l’essence du document ou de le rejeter " a dit Shavarsh Kocharyan.

Selon le vice-Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, un accord sera atteint
quand l’Azerbaïdjan arrete de mener le processus dans une impasse. Il
a note que " l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan sont des membres de l’ONU
et doivent agir conformement a la charte de cette organisation, qui
exige que les discussions soient resolues d’une facon paisible sans
utilisation de la force et sans menace d’utilisation de la force. "

Ombudsman says Armenian Genocide crime against international community

16:46 24/04/2010 » Society

The recognition of the Armenia Genocide is directly linked with the
protection of the human rights, Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan
told reporters in Tsitsernakaberd today. The Armenian Genocide is a
crime against the international community, he said.

`The protection of human rights is directly linked with the issue
since if you respect human rights and prepare venerable citizens, this
makes the struggle for the rights more valuable,’ he said.

Source: Panorama.am

Turkish FM offers ‘parallel process’ to solve Armenia deadlock

2010-04-24 14:01:00

ArmInfo. ‘We are ready to take steps in order to further the
normalization process when the conditions are consistent,’ Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview to Hurriyet
Daily News & Economic Review on Friday.

The decision did not come as a surprise, according to Davutoglu, who
said Turkey is seeking "parallel parliamentary ratifications" to
normalize ties with neighboring Armenia as a way out of the deadlock.

"It is not a surprise for us. Armenia made a one-sided decision as a
result of its domestic process. But the positive element is that they
have confirmed to continue the process."

The minister also expressed his hopes for a better climate in both
countries, saying "achieving the normalization process will serve both
sides, as well as the whole region," and suggesting a "parallel
ratification" process in response to Yerevan’s vow not to take any
further steps unless the Turkish Parliament ratifies the protocols
first.

"What is important for us is parallelism. It is not important when the
ratification takes place. I think the window of opportunity is still
open," he said. "I see what difficulties Sarkisian and Armenia are
dealing with. But Turkey’s concerns must be correctly analyzed too."

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 22 2010

Turkish premier reaffirms commitment to protocols signed with Armenia

Ankara, 22 April: Turkish premier has said his country remained
committed to achieve goals set by two protocols with Armenia to
normalize relations.

"As we have earlier stated numerous times, we are loyal to the
protocols, their essence and spirit as well as their implementation,"
Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a joint press conference with New Zealander
counterpart John Key after a their meeting in the Turkish capital,
Ankara.

Erdogan was responding to a question over Armenian coalition
government’s statement on Thursday that it suspended the ratification
process of the protocols.

Turkey and Armenia have signed last the protocols to normalize
relations, reopen their border and restore diplomatic ties which broke
down in 1994 following the Armenian occupation of Karabakh region in
Azerbaijan.

"Obviously, it is at their own discretion over how they would manage
the ratification process. I am in no position to tell them what to
say," Erdogan said, adding that he had "taken note" of the Yerevan
government’s decision.

Eurasia Review
April 25 2010

Armenians Mourn World War I-Era Killings

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tens of thousands of Armenians gathered in the capital of Yerevan
under cloudy skies Saturday to remember mass killings of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks.

Rain fell as they placed flowers at a hilltop memorial on the 95th
anniversary of the World War I-era deaths.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan thanked countries all over the
world, including Turkey, that "understand the importance of preventing
crimes against humanity."

Armenia says the killings of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians
between 1915 and 1923 constituted genocide, a charge rejected by
Turkey. Turkey says the death toll is greatly exaggerated, and that
the Armenians died in a civil war that accompanied the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire.

U.S. President Barack Obama released a statement Saturday calling the
killings "one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century" but avoided
using the term, genocide.

Mr. Obama said he is encouraged by dialogue between Turks and
Armenians, and within Turkey over what he called "this painful
history."

Turkey briefly recalled its ambassador to the United States after a
U.S. congressional panel passed a resolution labeling the World War
I-era killings a genocide.

Turkish officials have also been pressuring U.S. officials to make
sure the measure is not ratified by the full House of Representatives.

The killings, which Armenians call the Meds Yeghern, were also
commemorated in several major cities around the world, including
Moscow, Beirut and Jerusalem.

The day was also marked by human rights activists in the Turkish city
of Istanbul. They gathered outside a railway station holding pictures
of Armenians killed during World War One. They later threw flowers
into the water a sign or mourning.

This year’s anniversary comes as efforts to normalize relations
between Armenia and Turkey have broken down.

Despite the renewed tensions, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has said his government is committed to normalizing ties with
Armenia.

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