Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

SENIOR TURKISH OFFICIAL VISITS ARMENIA

armradio.am
07.04.2010 15:00

A senior Turkish diplomat is set to hold talks in Yerevan as the
special envoy for the Turkish prime minister, Turkish diplomatic
sources said on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu is set to
meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian to discuss difficulties regarding two protocols Turkey and
Armenia had signed as well as details of a possible meeting between
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sargsyan, sources said,
Turkish media report.

TURKISH ORGANIZATION TO SEND LETTER TO U.S PRESIDENT ON EVE OF APRIL 24TH

Today
April 5 2010
Azerbaijan

Day of Remembrance for the victims of the so-called "Armenian
genocide", the Turkish Group ASIMED will send a letter to
U.S. President Barack Obama not to pronounce the "genocide" word.

"In March, the Committee on International Relations of the House
of Representatives adopted a resolution recognizing the "Armenian
genocide". The decision angered Ankara. In response, Turkish Ambassador
Namik Tan was recalled from Washington.

The letter says that so far none of Obama’s predecessor uttered the
word "genocide", but used the words hinting at it.

"Obama, like other presidents must not utter the word ‘genocide’
or use the expression, hinting at it," the letter said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will visit Washington
April 12-13, said that neither Congress nor the Swedish Parliament,
which adopted a similar resolution a week ago, have any historical
evidence proving that the events of 1915 were "genocide".

The words of Armenian historian Mateos of Urfa were added at the end
of the letter. He wrote that the Turks have never felt hatred towards
Armenians and Christians. Two peoples – Armenian and Turkish have
always lived in peace.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor –
Ottoman empire committed "genocide" against Armenians living in
Anatolia in 1915. The Armenians willing the recognition of this fact,
by strengthening the propaganda of the so-called "genocide" in the
world, achieved its recognition by the parliaments of some countries.

/Trend/

URL:

EU WELCOMES ARMENIA-TURKEY RECONCILIATION

news.am
April 6 2010
Armenia

EU encourages Armenia and Turkey to remain committed to the process
of normalization and calls on both states to ratify and implement
the Protocols without preconditions and in a reasonable timeframe,
reads the statement by Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

"In this context, the EU welcomes the decision of the Armenian
President to submit both protocols to the parliament as well as the
recent declaration by the President of Turkey to remain committed
to the normalization of relations with Armenia. The European Union
believes that the full normalization of bilateral relations between
Armenia and Turkey would be an important contribution to security,
stability and cooperation in the Southern Caucasus. The EU will
continue to provide its political and technical support to this process
and stands ready to help implementing the steps agreed between the
two countries," the statement says.

Armenia-Turkey Protocols were signed in Zurich, October 10, 2009 to
be ratified by both countries’ parliaments.

ESTONIA’S ALEN STEPANJAN TO PLAY FOR ARMENIAN TEAM

Tert.am
14:47 â~@¢ 01.04.10

Alen Stepanjan, a striker with Latvia’s football team FK JaunÄ"ba RÄ"ga
and who formerly played in Estonia’s national under-21 football team,
will most likely come to Yerevan in May.

Born in Estonia, the football player of Armenian origin told
Armsport.am that he got in contact with the Armenian Football
Federation thanks to Boghos Arabajian, a representative of Belgium’s
Armenian community.

"There was an offer for me to come play for my historical homeland,
Armenia’s youth team, and I agreed," said Stepanjan.

IMPOSED BEGGING IS TRAFFICKING

/trafficking
04:16 pm | March 30, 2010

Social

Even adults in Syunik region were unaware of child trafficking.

Last year, 22 experts in five regions of Armenia tried to find out what
children and adults know about child trafficking. Based on results,
girls are more aware than boys. In addition, children from socially
insecure families are more aware than those from rich families.

The study was conducted by "Harmonious Society" social workers
association.

"When children are pushed into begging and the money they "earn" is
used by another person, that means child trafficking," said president
of "Harmonious Society" association Mira Antonyan as she presented
the results of the study at EU Delegation Office in Yerevan.

According to Antonyan, the approach toward child trafficking has
recently changed.

"Before it used to be considered as an anti-social act, but now,
based on the Conventions, it is considered to be the most extreme
case of abuse," said Mira Antonyan.

Only in the past couple of years did child trafficking become the
focus in Armenia and so far only one person has been arrested for
child trafficking.

OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER MAY BECOME NEW SOURCE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2010 20:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Illegal circulation of drugs is a scourge to
society and provides a financial base for terrorism and corruption,
Hrayr Karapetyan, head of the NA Standing Committee on Defence,
National Security and Internal Affairs, member of the ARF group told
parliamentary hearings on the fight against illegal circulation of
narcotic drugs in Armenia.

According to Mr. Karapetyan, unfortunately due to its geography Armenia
is sometimes used as a transit for drug trafficking. According to
the Armenian Police data, last year 1238 crimes and 130 offenses were
revealed in the struggle against illegal circulation of narcotic drugs,
while in 2008 only 763 crimes and 22 offenses were reported.

Hrayr Karapetyan said, Armenia still lacks a universal strategy to
combat the illicit circulation of drugs, which complicates the joint
fight against drug trafficking.

Armenian First Deputy Chief of Police Hunan Poghosyan said, the
struggle against illegal circulation of narcotic drugs is strengthened
every year in Armenia. "Heavy drugs such as opium and heroin are
mostly detected, entering the country from Iran," he said.

In case of opening of the Armenian-Turkish border a new flow of drugs
from Turkey may enter Armenia, Hunan Poghosyan said, stressing that
in order to prevent that flow the Armenia’s border checkpoints should
be significantly reequipped.

By RA President’s decree, an interdepartmental committee has already
been established and currently is developing a universal strategy to
fight against the illicit circulation of drugs.

APA, Azerbaijan
March 27 2010

Israeli parliament may recognize `Armenian genocide’

[ 27 Mar 2010 13:14 ]

Baku ` APA. Israeli parliament (Knesset) is expected to put draft
resolution on recognition of the so-called `Armenian genocide’ to vote
in April, APA quotes Israel-based IzRus website.

The draft resolution was proposed by the leader of the leftist
oppositional party Meretz Haim Oron. His initiative was rejected by
Knesset last year, but it is not ruled out now that the Israeli
parliament can recognize the so-called `Armenian genocide’ because of
the tensions in the Turkish-Israeli relations. Turkey’s protecting
policy towards the Islamic world and especially towards the Arab
countries was estimated as one of the main factors, which weakened the
position of the opponents of the recognition of the so-called
`Armenian genocide’ at the Israeli parliament.

UN to dim lights for `Earth Hour’ Saturday

armradio.am
26.03.2010 15:21

The United Nations will observe `Earth Hour’ on Saturday, 27 March, at
its Headquarters in New York and other facilities around the world to
show its continuing commitment to action on climate change.

Earth Hour, promoted by WWF, the global conservation organization,
asks people and organizations to turn off their lights for one hour on
Saturday night between 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time, in whatever time
zone they may be located.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called Earth Hour
`both a warning and a beacon of hope.’

`By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a
symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need,’ he
said. `As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let
us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and
pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.’

`The message of Earth Hour is simple,’ he added. `Climate change is a
concern for each of us. Solutions are within our grasp and are ready
to be implemented by individuals, communities, businesses and
governments around the globe.’

Earth Hour organizers say that in 2009, hundreds of millions of people
in 4,088 cities, towns and municipalities across 88 countries
participated and hope that the event will reach more than one billion
people around the globe, in more than 6,000 cities, this year.

The UN Office in Armenia is going to join the action and asks the
people of Armenia to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday
night between 8:30-9:30 p.m.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT VISITS DEIR EZ ZOR

lang/en
2010-03-24

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS: Within the framework of the official
visit to the Syrian Arab Republic Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
visited Deir ez Zor. Presidential press office told Armenpress that
in his speech in Deir ez Zor the Armenian President said:

"Your Eminencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am here today since I could not but be here. It is the greatest
grief of my nation that has brought me here, the grief of the first
genocide of the 20th century and the greatest disgrace of the civilized
humanity. Up to this moment, in the 21st century, the stigma of that
disgrace still remains on the foreheads of all those who have turned
the denial of the evident facts into their policy, turned it into
their bargaining chip and into their lifestyle and norm of behavior.

In the desert of Deir ez Zor the most monstrous acts of the tragedy had
taken place, and it is neither possible to articulate the particulars
of that tragedy in the language of human beings, nor am I going do that
since these particulars are well-known even to those who publicly deny
the veracity of the Genocide. Bereft of home and property, bereft of
children and parents, bereft of health and the last hope, and finally
bereft of the most important – their homeland, these people were doomed
to lose the last thing they had – their life in accordance with the
state orchestrated and meticulously developed plan of extermination.

Quite often historians and journalists soundly compare Deir ez Zor
with Auschwitz saying that "Deir ez Zor is the Auschwitz of the
Armenians". I think that the chronology forces us to formulate the
facts in a reverse way: "Auschwitz is the Deir ez Zor of the Jews".

Only a generation later the humanity witnessed the Deir ez Zor of
the Jews. Today, as the President of the Republic of Armenia, the
homeland of all Armenians, I am here to ask: "Where and when will be
held our Nuremberg?"

I’m here to commemorate and to pray for the vast majority of my
slaughtered nation that had suffered both physical and cultural
extermination. I will elaborate neither on the quality, nor on the
quantity of the loss. Let me recall a single fact: as a result of
the Genocide the greatest share of the dialects of one of the most
ancient Indo-European languages – the Armenian – had been irreversibly
eradicated along with its speakers.

In spite of all that happened, we say that we are ready to establish
normal diplomatic relations with the modern Turkey, we are ready to
have open borders and economic relations, we are ready to make efforts
towards building confidence between the peoples of Armenia and Turkey,
we are ready to bring closer the two societies by breaking stereotypes
and myths that have nothing to do with the reality and developed in
decades of dearth of any sensible contacts.

We do this sincerely since we believe that there is no alternative to
the living and development between the neighbors through implementation
of what is proposed and still at the table, at least to start it
up. The signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols presented us with
an historic opportunity that should have a logical destine.

We, however, do not accept the style of references to the
Armenian-Turkish dialogue in attempts to avoid the recognition
of the Genocide. I do not think it helps the process. Moreover,
it is irrelevant to cite some Commission of Historians, since
the Armenian-Turkish protocols provide for merely a governmental
sub-commission on historic dimension. I assume everyone understands
what it means and what the difference is. I ask all those who will
have an occasion to elaborate or express themselves on the topic of
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide: remember of this dessert,
millions of ruined human fortunes and this ancient people deprived
of their motherland and with pain in their hearts, before you make
up your minds.

In 1915 the greatest Armenian poets of the 20th century – 35 years old
Daniel Varuzhan and 37 years old Atom Yarjanian (Siamanto) had also
been slaughtered. Before being tortured to death, they were undressed,
because they wore European clothes. In those times and places European
clothes were quite expensive. The executioners dressed up into the
European clothes – stolen from the Armenian geniuses encompassing
millennia old civilization, stolen from ordinary Armenians. I would
not interpret symbols signified in these images but I am unequivocally
convinced: while preaching European apparel, manners or values no
one has a right to cast these images in oblivion.

I am here to remind of the well-known words: "It is impossible to kill
a nation that does not want to die". We mean to live and to grow. It
is no more possible to intimidate or blackmail us since we have seen
the most horrible. We shall continue to live and create with double
vigor for us and for our innocent victims. We look forward since we
have a lot to say and to share with each other, a lot to say and to
share with the world: the brightness and glow that Daniel Varuzhan
and Atom Yarjanian had no chance to share.

And here, in Deir ez Zor, we firmly and loudly say over and over
again that we are, shall exist and will flourish."

DONAVIA TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF FLIGHTS TO ARMENIA AND TURKEY FROM THE AIRPORT OF SOCHI

8/lang/en
2010-03-24

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS: Donavia airline will increase the
frequency of flights to Yerevan and Gyumri, as well as to Istanbul
from the airport of Sochi in 2010 spring-summer season. Dmitry
Bakulin, press secretary of the airline, told RIA Novosti that
Sochi-Istanbul-Sochi and Sochi-Yerevan-Sochi flights will be performed
three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from March 29
to October 29.

Donavia provides regular flights to Istanbul, Yerevan and Gyumri
from the airport in Rostov-on-Don. Before changes in the timetable
the flights were performed on other days and less frequently.

Till September 25, 2009 the company was called Aeroflot-Don. Donavia
performs regular and charter passenger and cargo flights to
destinations in Russia, Europe, Asia and Africa from airports of
Rostov-on-Don, Moscow and Sochi. Today, Donavia is the biggest
carrier in the Russian South. It was established March 30, 2010 and
is based in Rostov-on-Don. In 2008, Donavia performed 13,122 flights
and carried 1,314.4 thousand passengers. Donavia performs own direct
flights inside and outside Russia, to Europe, Asia and Africa.

Typically, up to 20 routes are covered by regular flights throughout
a season, plus up to 20 routes covered by charter flights.