The twelfth court session looking into the murder of Agos newspaper editor Hrant Dink took place in a court located in the Beşiktaş neighbourhood of Istanbul. On hand were friends and family members as well as relatives of other journalists and activists murdered for their political beliefs.

Dink’s wife, Rakel, told reporters outside the courthouse that there will be no salvation unless there is “admission, repentance and apology.” »»»»»

The meeting scheduled for today in Washington D.C. between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and various American-Armenian organizations has been postponed due to the heavy snowfall that has blanketed the city. More than twenty inches fell on Washington over the past weekend.

At the meeting, which some in the community described as exclusionary because not all American-Armenian organizations had been invited, Secretary Clinton was to have laid out Washington views regarding the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, in particular the Protocols.

RoA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan officially launched the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of poet Vahan Teryan, by visiting the Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan and placing a wreath at the writer’s memorial. The Prime Minister was accompanied by government officials, writers and other dignitaries.

PM Sargsyan heads the commemorative committee entrusted with organizing a variety of events this year to honour the great poet.

During a press conference today, Garnik Asatryan, Head of the Chair of Iranian Studies, said that Iran and Turkey were waging a “super power” struggle in the Caucasus and that both nationas had a right to strive for such a position.

“Turkey, naturally wants to become a more active player in the northern and southern Caucasus. The recent cooling of relations between Turkey and Israel has proved that Ankara wants to mend fences with the Islamic world and establish cordial relations with Armenia,” said Professor Asatryan. »»»»»

At a meeting the other day in Gyumri, Minister for Urban Development Vardan Vardanyan said that none of the apartments constructed by the company “Glendale Hills” had yet been accepted by the government. The apartments are to be handed over families left homeless by the Spitak earthquake.

Minister Vardanyan said that seismic tests had been constructed on the buildings and that the results were satisfactory. He said that construction shortcomings would be fixed and that directives had been handed down so that such problems wouldn’t occur in the future. »»»»»

RoA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan arrived in Paris the other day at the invitation of French Defense Minister Chief of Defense Staff, General Jean-Louis Georgelin.

DM Ohanyan met with representatives from over twenty French-Armenian organizations yesterday. He gave an overview of the 18 year history of the RoA Defense Forces and emphasized the important role played by the diaspora in the formation of the army. He also fielded questions from the representatives on a host of topics. Also discussed were ways of expanding the involvement of the diaspora in the strengthening of the army. »»»»»

Within the framework of its ongoing Rural Development Program, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund recently began construction of a vitally needed community center in Aknaghbyur, a village in Armenia’s Tavush Region. The project is sponsored by the fund’s French affiliate, through the financial support of the France-based Tavitian family. »»»»»