Sunday 22 June 2008

Armenian News


See the Armenian version of the National Geographic by clicking:

Serzh Sarkisian: `Armenia Shall Overcome'

In comments sent to the RFE/RL Headquarters in Prague, Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian says that Armenia will overcome the situation
created in the country. Below we present the commentary in full:

`Armenia made European headlines for two reasons in the past few months
-- one bad and one good.

The first was unrest in our capital after presidential elections in
February; the second was a meeting between myself and my neighboring
Azerbaijani counterpart on June 7.

Both emphasize that Armenia is very much a country in transition, within
Europe's neighborhood. Despite the numerous obstacles in our way,
however, Armenia is deepening its reforms and strengthening its
democratic institutions as part of a path toward sustainable good
governance.

Postelection disagreements among parties led to an opportunity for me to
work to bring together a wide political coalition, incorporating four of
the five factions represented in parliament. An important part of that
coalition's mission are the large-scale democracy-oriented, social, and
economic reforms we are implementing at the moment. We are working
together to comply with the letter and spirit of Resolution 1609 of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the
functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia.

Concrete Changes

Tangible reform steps in line with international standards include:
-- Amendments to liberalize the Law on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies,
Rallies and Demonstrations,
-- Broadening the rights of the parliamentary opposition through
concrete legislative changes, guaranteeing an inclusive role in the
political system and decision-making processes,
-- The drafting of a comprehensive amendment package to the electoral
code in line with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
recommendations, which includes provisions for participation of intra-
and extraparliamentary parties,
-- Significant legislative changes to the TV and radio law.
All of these reforms are conducted with positive expert assessment by
the Council of Europe's Venice Commission.

These are, by any measure, decisive steps towards long-term reforms that
will address the discontent that emerged after recent elections and
guarantee more freedoms for the people of Armenia. We welcome any
proposals from the European Union and the upcoming French presidency on
supporting this reform process and ensuring that it is implemented
effectively.

Independent Findings

Above and beyond PACE recommendations, we have embarked on major law
enforcement reform, and a parliamentary ad hoc committee that includes
all factions of the National Assembly has been established to
investigate the tragic circumstances of postelectoral events. This
committee will have the widest possible involvement to study all facts
and come up with its own independent findings. Extraparliamentary
groups, civil society institutions, and independent international
experts are encouraged to participate in these efforts.

We, along with PACE's Monitoring Committee, have observed important
progress to date, but there is still much work to be done. Fortunately,
the political will exists within our coalition to carry through with our
ambitious plans. We recognize that our attractiveness as a partner for
Europe and the broader international community is at stake.

History has been cruel to Armenia. Our people have overcome enormous
difficulties, both in the distant and very recent past. But we are
determined that our country will not remain stuck in permanent
transition. Taking our cue from the U.S. civil rights movement, I am
confident in saying that, despite the challenges ahead in terms of our
democratic development, we shall overcome.

As an enthusiastic member of the European neighborhood, Armenia will
eventually ensure that its democratic governance is irreversible.'

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Nominee to be US Ambassador to Armenia Refuses to Call WW I-era
Killings Genocide
By Desmond Butler, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. diplomat nominated to be ambassador to Armenia
came under intense questioning Thursday at her confirmation hearing over
the U.S. policy not to label as genocide the World War I-era killings of
huge numbers of Armenians.

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, who blocked the Bush administration's
previous nominee over the issue, told The Associated Press that he had
not decided whether also to block career diplomat Marie Yovanovitch.

Menendez questioned Yovanovitch in prosecutorial style during a hearing
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the facts surrounding
the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Yovanovitch, current
ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, explained administration policy, but
would not comment whether she believed genocide had occurred.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed, an
event widely viewed by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the
20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying
the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil
war and unrest.

`It is a shame that career foreign service officers have to be brought
before the committee and find difficulty in acknowledging historical
facts,' Menendez said. `It is a ridiculous dance that the administration
is doing over the use of the term genocide.'

At the same time, he expressed admiration for Yovanovitch. After the
hearing, Menendez said he would review her written responses to
questions before making up his mind.

Other Democratic senators also criticized the administration's policy.

The administration has warned that even a congressional debate on the
genocide question could damage relations with Turkey, a moderate Muslim
nation that is a NATO member and an important strategic ally.

In August, the White House withdrew its nomination of career diplomat
Richard Hoagland after Menendez held up his confirmation through a
Senate procedure.

Hoagland's predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty in
Armenia cut short by the administration because, in a social setting, he
referred to the killings as genocide.

Armenian-American groups sought to prevent Hoagland's nomination unless
he made a clear statement affirming the genocide.

Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of
America, criticized Yovanovitch's responses in the hearing.

`We were troubled by Ambassador Yovanovitch's refusal to offer any
meaningful rationale for the administration's ongoing complicity in
Turkey's denials,' he said in a statement.

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ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN CONCERNED ABOUT MPS' ARREST
Mediamax
June 20 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 20 June: Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan voiced concern
today regarding the "lack of legal grounds" for the detention of
three Armenian MPs, who are accused of organizing mass disorders in
Yerevan on 1-2 March.

The ombudsman said that the co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee
of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, John Prescott,
took an interest in the issue of the extension of detention of MPs
Sasun Mikaelyan, Hakob Hakobyan and Myasnik Malkhasyan during his
latest visit to Armenia.

Harutyunyan said he is ready to defend the rights of the defendants,
with regard to whom no investigation is being carried out. He said
the applications of the Prosecutor-General's Office to extend the
detention of the MPs show lack of substantial evidence necessary to
send the cases to court.

The MPs' lawyers said today that their clients do not plead guilty
and refuse to give testimonies.

While commenting on the progress of the investigation into the 1-2
March events, Harutyunyan expressed surprise at the decision of the
Prosecutor-General's Office not to open criminal cases into the death
of the 10 people [killed in the March clashes between the police
and opposition protesters]. He said many questions addressed to the
investigation bodies remain unanswered. "This witnessed to the lack
of a reasonable approach and unwillingness to perceive constructive
criticism," the ombudsman said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nominee to be US Ambassador to Armenia Refuses to Call WW I-era
Killings Genocide
By Desmond Butler, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. diplomat nominated to be ambassador to Armenia
came under intense questioning Thursday at her confirmation hearing over
the U.S. policy not to label as genocide the World War I-era killings of
huge numbers of Armenians.

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, who blocked the Bush administration's
previous nominee over the issue, told The Associated Press that he had
not decided whether also to block career diplomat Marie Yovanovitch.

Menendez questioned Yovanovitch in prosecutorial style during a hearing
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the facts surrounding
the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Yovanovitch, current
ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, explained administration policy, but
would not comment whether she believed genocide had occurred.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed, an
event widely viewed by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the
20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying
the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil
war and unrest.

`It is a shame that career foreign service officers have to be brought
before the committee and find difficulty in acknowledging historical
facts,' Menendez said. `It is a ridiculous dance that the administration
is doing over the use of the term genocide.'

At the same time, he expressed admiration for Yovanovitch. After the
hearing, Menendez said he would review her written responses to
questions before making up his mind.

Other Democratic senators also criticized the administration's policy.

The administration has warned that even a congressional debate on the
genocide question could damage relations with Turkey, a moderate Muslim
nation that is a NATO member and an important strategic ally.

In August, the White House withdrew its nomination of career diplomat
Richard Hoagland after Menendez held up his confirmation through a
Senate procedure.

Hoagland's predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty in
Armenia cut short by the administration because, in a social setting, he
referred to the killings as genocide.

Armenian-American groups sought to prevent Hoagland's nomination unless
he made a clear statement affirming the genocide.

Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of
America, criticized Yovanovitch's responses in the hearing.

`We were troubled by Ambassador Yovanovitch's refusal to offer any
meaningful rationale for the administration's ongoing complicity in
Turkey's denials,' he said in a statement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 21 2008
Earthquake strikes NE Armenia, no destruction reported
21.06.2008, 10.00


YEREVAN, June 21 (Itar-Tass) -- An earthquake struck northeastern
Armenia on Saturday. It was recorded at 04:41 local time (03:41 Moscow
time). The tremours measured 5.0 on the 12-point macroseismic scale in
the epicenter, 12 kilometres southeast of Noyemberyan, a district
centre. There were no victims and no destruction.

Residents felt tremors in the district centre of Berd (4.0-5.0) and
the regional centre of Idzhevan (3.0-4.0) located not far from the
epicenter.

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World renowned Armenian duduk player Jivan Gasparyan to perform at a
concert in London
2008-06-21 14:18:00


ArmInfo. The world renown Armenian duduk player Jivan Gasparyan will
perform at the June 21 Hyde Park concert to mark the 90th birthday of
Nelson Mandela.

Gasparyan will open the show and will play national melodies.

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