MARCH 10, 2012 MirTHE rARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator In Our 8 Volume LXXXII, NO. 35, Issue 4229 0th Y$e2a.r00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Serge Sargisian Meets Mediators again Visit Karabagh With EC President BRUSSELS, Belgium (Armenpress) — During his visit to Belgium, Armenian President Serge Sargisian met with president of the European Amid More Deadly Fighting Commission (EC) José Manuel Barroso. Afterwards, the two leaders summoned a joint press conference. On the first day of his visit to Brussels, Sargisian YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — met with President of the Belgian Senate Sabine de International mediators have Bethune and representatives of the Armenian orga - toured the Nagorno-Karabagh nizations in the country. conflict zone amid continuing Sargisian also visited NATO headquarters, where deadly skirmishes between he met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Armenian and Azerbaijani forces Rasmussen, after which he participated in the that left two Azerbaijani soldiers North-Atlantic Council and Armenia meeting. dead at the weekend. On March 7, Sargisian met with European The US, Russian and French Parliament Speaker Martin Schulz and diplomats co-chairing the Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Organization for Security and Policy Stefan Füle. Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group held talks in Turkish FM Pays Visits Yerevan on Friday, proceeded to Karabagh on Saturday and were Istanbul Patriarchate due to arrive in Baku on Monday. Official sources in Armenia gave ISTANBUL (armradio.am) — Turkish Foreign few details of their meetings with Minister Ahmet Davutoglu paid courtesy visits to President Serge Sargisian and religious leaders here, including one to Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Deputy Patriarch of Turkey Aram Ateshian. Nalbandian. In a statement, the Davutoglu said the reason for the visits was to fur - Armenian Foreign Ministry said they ther peace in the region. discussed ways of implementing Ateshian said that until the ruling Justice and understandings reached by President Serge Sargisian (right) meets with the US, French and Russian co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Development Party (AK Party) came to power in Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s presi - Group in Yerevan. Turkey, no ministers or deputies in the country had dents at their last meeting hosted by visited the Patriarchate. their Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi in late January. counter to the agreements reached at Sargisian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Group Calls for The statement quoted Nalbandian as Sochi.” It did not elaborate. Aliyev pledged to “accelerate the achieve - complaining about recent statements by In a joint statement with Medvedev ment of an agreement on the Basic Boycotting Eurovision Azerbaijani leaders which he said “run issued in the southern Russian city, Principles” of a Karabagh settlement put forward by the Minsk Group co-chairs. They BAKU (Armenpress) — Graham Watson, president said they also told the mediators to contin - of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform ue working with the conflicting parties on Party, has called on the organizers of Eurovision a mechanism for jointly investigating cease - 2012 Song Contest to boycott the contest, to be Schiff Presses Clinton on Armenian Genocide fire violations along the “line of contact” held here. He states: “Together we can announce to around Karabagh and the Armenian- the Azerbaijani government that by denying the Position during Congressional Hearing Azerbaijani border. fundamental rights of their own people, they can - not host the most authoritative cultural event of WASHINGTON — This week, Rep. Adam Secretary Clinton stated that the Armenian see MINSK, page 20 Europe.” Schiff (D-CA), the lead author of the Genocide was a matter of ‘historical According to Azadlig newspaper, a statement on Armenian Genocide Resolution, questioned debate.’ But there is no debate about the the website of the European Movement Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a facts of the genocide and we urge the International presents the poor state of human hearing before the State, Foreign Secretary to speak plainly about the delib - Armenian Rep. to rights and fundamental freedoms in Azerbaijan. Operations and Related Programs erate mass murder of 1.5 million people,” “European Liberals stand up for human rights Subcommittee on her recent comments said Schiff. “I can’t begin to express how UN Calls Attention and civil freedoms. So, when the world is going to that characterized the Armenian Genocide much anguish has been caused in the celebrate that happy event in Azerbaijan, the liber - as a matter of “historical debate.” Before Armenian-American community and with To Misleading Azeri als and democrats call on Europe to remember the the hearing this week, Representatives human rights activists by the secretary’s atmosphere of fear existing in Azerbaijan,” the Schiff and Robert Dold (R-IL) also sent a comments, and I hope the president will Statements statement reads. letter to Clinton with 60 of their colleagues use the occasion of April 24 to set the asking her to disavow her “historical record straight.” YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — The debate” remarks, which she made at a pub - “I will continue to work with colleagues office of the permanent representative of lic town hall meeting, and instead properly from both sides of the aisle to push the Nagorno Karabagh Republic to the United recognize the Armenian Genocide. United States government to recognize the States of America reported that Armenia’s INSI DE “In a town hall she recently held, see SCHIFF, page 20 ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Garen Nazarian, sent a letter on February 24 to the UN Secretary General, protesting the information put out by Azerbaijan Diradour regarding the massacre of civilians 20 years Monograph on Armenian-Turkish ago by Armenians. The letter reads as follows: Running Protocols Published “I regret to note that the representative of Azerbaijan has once again taken an ini - Story on page 8 NEW YORK — Diplomatic History: The Turkey-Armenia Protocols by David L. tiative of circulating misleading and decep - Phillips provides an insider’s account of negotiations resulting in the 2009 Protocol tive information related to the tragic events on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the Protocol on the Development of 1992 in the settlement of Khojalu. This of Bilateral Relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia. delegation has on numerous occasions Published by Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights and issued anti-Armenian propaganda and falsi - INDEX the Project on the Future of Diplomacy at Harvard’s Kennedy School, the mono - fications on behalf of Azerbaijani authori - Arts and Living . 12 graph is based on interviews with US and Swiss officials involved in the mediation, ties relating to those events. Armenia . .2,3 as well as envoys from Turkey and Armenia. It would be most relevant to recall the Community News. 5 The monograph offers a detailed history of Turkish-Armenian rapprochement appeal of the international community, the Editorial . 16 beginning in 2001. It provides a blow-by-blow account of meetings mediated by European Court of Human Rights and International . 4 see PROTOCOLS, page 20 numerous human rights organizations, to see STATEMENTS, page 20 Benefit for the Armenian Mirror-Spectator Celebrating 80 Years and Beyond Thursday, May 24, 2012 2 S ATURDAY , M ARCH 10, 2012 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Yerevan Hails Putin’s Victory National Gallery of In Russian Presidential Vote Armenia to Present Unique Exhibition of Book Art By Tigran Avetisian YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The National Gallery of Armenia will present an exhibition within the YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia’s framework of the 500th anniversary of Armenian leaders rushed to congratulate Russian book printing. Director of the National Gallery, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Monday Paravon Mirzoyan, said in an interview that an on his victory in Russia’s weekend pres - original collection of book art will be exhibited in idential election, saying that it will give May. “It will be very large and interesting,” he said. a further boost to Yerevan’s “strategic Mirzoyan also noted that more than 500 exhibits partnership” with Moscow. are kept in the museum, but about 200 works will In a letter released by his press office, be exhibited. President Serge Sargisian said the offi - cial vote results demonstrated Russians’ strong support for Putin’s Vazgen Sargisian’s efforts to “modernize” their country and enhance its “role and influence in Father Receives Medal global processes.” Sargisian also YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — By Defense Minister praised his “invaluable personal contri - Seyran Ohanian’s decree, Zaven Sargisian, the bution” to the strengthening of father of National Hero of the Republic of Armenia, Russian-Armenian ties. President Vladimir Putin Republic of Artsakh Hero Vazgen Sargisian, was “I am confident that further devel - awarded the Defense Ministry’s Vazgen Sargisian opment of our bilateral strategic part - Medal, both for raising a patriotic son as well as for nership will also help to reinforce Putin’s election can serve as a new in four people in Armenia approve of his contributions to the army. peace, security and stability in the impetus to Russian-Armenian political, the current Russian leadership’s track Fittingly, the younger Sargisian would have Caucasus and allow us to not only economic, cultural and other relations,” record. Only 7 percent of Armenians turned 53 last week on the day of the awarding cer- implement long-term economic pro - HHK spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov were critical of the Kremlin. emony. Top military officers from Armenia’s armed jects … but also identify new oppor - said. The Armenian president and prime forces, led by Ohanian, visited Yerablur Pantheon tunities for inter-state cooperation,” Also congratulating Putin was Gagik minister mostly recently met Putin dur - to commemorate the birthday of the late hero.