Month: June 2005

A1plus
| 18:42:24 | 10-06-2005 | Official |
OSKANYAN MET RICE
On the second day of the official visit RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
met in Washington US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice.
A large circle of issues of the Armenian-American agenda was discussed. The
sides referred to the dynamically development two-party relations,
mentioning that the two countries are leading a healthy political dialogue,
and are efficiently cooperating in the commerce and economy fields.
Condoleezza Rice highly appreciated the participation of Armenia in the
combat against terror and in the Iraq restoration program. Issues about the
internal developments in Armenia and democratic process in Armenia were also
discussed.
Vardan Oskanyan informed the US State Secretary about the recent
developments in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
During the meeting the sides exchanges ideas about the developments in the
Southern Caucasus and nearby regions, as well as about the issues about the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

A1plus
| 18:02:18 | 10-06-2005 | Politics |
IS THE GENOCIDE PART OF THE COMMON CULTURE?
«We have a common culture», said doctor Turhan Chomez, deputy of the Turkish
Parliament during the meeting with the Yerevan State University professors
and students. Doctor Chomez is the youngest deputy in Turkey, member of the
governing «Fairness and Development» party, and is the advisor and assistant
of the Prime Minister Rejeb Taip Erdoghan. He explained his visit to Armenia
by his desire «to make a step in the Armenian-Turkish relations».
He informed that they had fears in Turkey that he would not be received well
in Turkey. «I was not very quiet while coming but when I return I will tell
that I was received warmly», said the Turkish deputy. «Today I am your
friend from Turkey», finished the prologue of his speech Doctor Chomez. Then
YSU pro-rector Aram Avetisyan invited the professors and student of the
University to an interview.
The President of the YSU Student Council immediately informed the Doctor
that «we do not have a common culture». The he asked, «Is it normal to
condition the Armenian-Turkish relations by the Armenian-Azeri ones? ». The
Turkish deputy did not answer the question (by the way, he did not answer
any question about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the Armenian-Azeri
relations – editorial). He only said, «In order to make the settlement of
the relations of the two countries possible it is necessary to see the
common circles of problems». Then he said that the relations must be
established without prejudice. According to him, the reconsideration of
prejudices must be the first step towards the establishment of relations.
President of the YSU Students Scientific Union Erjanik Mirzoyan asked the
deputy if he has been to the Genocide Victims Museum or if he is going to
visit it. Turhan Chomez said that he is here as a guest of the Armenians and
added, `The program of my visit was made by Mr. Ozalan, and I did not find
it necessary to visit it’. The deputy qualified the Armenian Genocide as
`something very bad’. `It is impossible not to mourn the death of so many
Armenians because of the migration’, he added. And he said that `for 850
years we have lived together with the Armenians’. `And during the war with
Byzantium there were many Armenians fighting on our side’, added his
assistant.

Pan Armenian News
SERGE SARGSIAN MET NATO SECRETARY GENERAL
10.06.2005 07:25
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Secretary of the National Security Council under the
RA President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian handed the Representation
Document of the Armenian Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) and
Robert Kocharian’s letter to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
During the meeting the parties discussed development of the Armenia-NATO
relations as well as current situation in the South Caucasus. To note, Serge
Sargsian is in Brussels to take part in the sitting of Defense Ministers of
the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Mediamax agency reported.

Pan Armenian News
VARTAN OSKANIAN CONGRATULATED PILOTS WITH DISCHARGE FROM GUINEAN JAIL
10.06.2005 07:02
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On occasion of the discharge of the Armenian pilots from
the Equatorial Guinean jail Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian when a
guest to Haylur TV news program congratulated the pilots and relations and
thanked all the states and persons, who attended to the settlement of the
problem, RA MFA press center reported. `It is a really good event and the
results were achieved thanks to joint activities. First of all the Armenian
President sent a letter to the Equatorial Guinea President, then Catholicos
of All Armenians appealed to the head of that country and also requested
Pope John Paul II for mediation. During his visit to Vatican Robert
Kocharian personally asked Pope for assistance. I visited Malabo and held
meetings with the FM and Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea. The
contribution of some individuals is as well priceless. Here I would like
first of all to mark Ara Abrahamian, who used his business contacts and ties
in Russia and UNESCO’, Vartan Oskanian stated. He also added that he will
meet with the pilots upon their arrival in Yerevan.

AZG Armenian Daily #107, 11/06/2005
Appointment
EDUARD MURADIAN APPOINTED HEAD OF RA ECONOMIC COURT
A press release of RA Justice Ministry informed that Eduard Muradian was
appointed head of RA Economic Court. Yesterday, David Harutyunian, RA
justice minister, introduced the newly appointed head of the court to its
staff and the judges, emphasizing the importance of the Economic Court in
Armenia.
Hovhannes Manukian, head of RA Appeal Court, congratulated Eduard Muradian
on his new appointment, expressing the opinion that he newly appointed
official will be able to continue the work at the economic court and
contribute to its development.
Eduard Muradian promised that his work at the court will be easy, as he will
work with formed staff and experienced judges already.

AZG Armenian Daily #107, 11/06/2005
Cooperation
DUTCH GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT ITS BUSINESSMEN IN ARMENIA
Armenia and Netherlands signed two documents yesterday. The first one is a
memorandum of mutual understanding within the framework of cooperation
projects and the second one – an agreement to encourage and secure
investments.
Vartan Khachatrian, RA minister of finances and economy, shared with the
contents of the documents as soon as they were signed. He pointed out that
the government of the Netherlands has been continuously supporting Armenia
with different grants since 1998. It promised previously that money allotted
to the Armenian budged will amount to 1.3 million euros, Holland assigned
far greater sum – 4.7 million euros.
According to the new document, the Dutch government will lend support to
those businessmen of the country who will decide to start business in
Armenia. Each shared business will receive 5 thousand euros; annually there
will be 3 such common business projects. Seeing this as an important aspect,
Dutch minister of economic development Mrs. Van Arden noted that Armenia
simply needs investments to set the wheels in motion. The minister said that
her country has suchlike agreements with 32 states. She also stated that the
Dutch government has decided to increase the aid to Armenian budget raising
it from 4.7 to 5 million euros.
Deputy prime minister and minister of finances of Holland, Herit Zal, shared
with his impressions of Armenia and said that this was his third visit.
First time he was in Armenia in 1995 and says that the country has palpably
developed during those 10 years.
By Ara Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily #107, 11/06/2005
Neighbors
‘AZERI AUTHORITIES TREAT OPPOSITION QUITE HUMANLY’
Novruz Mamedov, head of External Relation’s Department at Azeri President’s
Office, stated that Ilham Aliyev treats the opposition quite humanly. He
reminded in the interview to that the law “On
political parties” envisages restriction of a political party’s activities,
if they violate the points of the document.
“Recently, various U.S. circles, including the official ones, show concern
over the situation in Azerbaijan. In the October of 2003, Ilham Aliyev
smashed the opposition psychologically and physically, but the American were
not concerned back then. What do you think why American remembered that
Azerbaijan is no democratic country?”, daily Azg asked Mamedov. “On May 21,
when the parties, included in the pre-electoral opposition federation tried
to hold illegal rally in the center of Baku, they began discussing this
issue not only in the U.S. but also in Azerbaijan. By the way, the deputies,
members of the ruling party, and many others severely criticized the actions
of the opposition. Our country step by step comes forward, joining the
leading European states. The opposition aims to increase tension and
resistance in the country,” Mamedov said in response.
Mamedov stated that on May 25, 2005, when “the first” oil flew through
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Azerbaijan became “a political heavy
weight fighter” whose opinion is important. Azerbaijan is getting integrated
into the circle of the leading states of the world very successfully.” As
for the calls of the high-ranking Azeri officials to settle the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict by war, Mamedov said that Azerbaijan spares no efforts to
avert military actions. “As for the statements of the officials, they
correspond the will of the Azeri people that believe that the territorial
integrity of our state is the main priority,” he said.
“Does official Baku consider that current NKR within the borders of the
former NKAR is a territory occupied from Azerbaijan?”, Azg asked Mamedov.
“According to the international law, the UN formulae, all the CIS countries
that were formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union should be recognized
within the borders they were in as state units in the structure of the
Soviet Union. Thus, both Valley Karabakh and Nagorno Karabakh are the lands
of Azerbaijan and it’s out of question, even in respect of the state’s
territorial integrity,” Mamedov said.
In 2003 Ilham Aliyev called for the Azeri NGOs to stop cooperating with
Armenians. Mamedov said that he agrees with the decision of his president,
as some of our NGO members violate the formats of communicating with the
Armenians.” We need to settle Nagorno Karabakh conflict first, return the
territories and only after that we can unfold full communication,” Mamedov
said.
Mamedov said that Russian-Azeri relations were greatly improved when Putin
came to power. He added that goods turnover between these two countries
amounted to $1 million in 2004.
By Tatoul Hakobian

AZG Armenian Daily #107, 11/06/2005
Visit
FAR YOUTH GROUP IN HOMELAND
The Fund for Armenian Relief has organized the 9th visit already of young
American-Armenian specialist to Armenia. Members of the group are form
different US states, mostly eastern. They did not know each other before
traveling to their motherland and united in a group to come and see the land
of their ancestors.
This travel is far from being an ordinary one. As the director of the FAR
projects and head of the group Arto Vorberian said, besides going
sightseeing, the American-Armenian young people will take a closer look to
the projects of the beneficial projects of the organization and will specify
their place among the donors and friends of FAR. There were numerous cases
when our young compatriots engaged in practical patriotism when back home
again. The Organization of Young Specialists within the FAR that was created
2 years ago occasionally holds meetings and draws up projects.
The group members have already visited museums and concert halls of Yerevan
as well as traveled to Byurakan and Oshakan. They visited the
Armenian-Turkish border yesterday to look at the ruins of Ani. Next week the
group will be in Nagorno Karabakh to get acquainted with the humanitarian
projects of FAR.
For one, Teacher Molly Hashian coming from Philadelphia is impressed to see
changes in Yerevan. Edina Kobelian says that Mount Ararat presents them with
wonderful moments of spiritual satisfaction.

AZG Armenian Daily #107, 11/06/2005
Tourism
TSAKHKADZOR – INTERNATIONAL TOURIST RESORT?
On June 9, the government of Armenia drew up a project of making Tsakhkadzor
an international tourism center by the year of 2007. Ara Petrosian, deputy
minister of trade and economic development, told a press conference that the
project will cost 1.6 billion AMD. It is envisaged that international
organizations and the private sector will allocate additional 70 million
AMD.
The deputy minister emphasized that the new cable railway made the project
possible. This meant that all infrastructures will be built around the cable
railway. Ara Petrosian thinks that the main aim of the project is to spur
visits to the resort and Armenia as a whole. He assured that the number of
tourists will grow by 10 percent reaching 20-25 thousand.
The second important aim is to prolong the tourist season in Armenia. Today,
Armenia is known to the international market as a country of spring, summer
and autumn tourism season. Once Tsakhkadzor is developed, Armenia will
become all-the-year-round tourism country. Besides the historic and cultural
tourism, the sports tourism will develop as well.
The project also looks to boosting inner tourism and develop business in
that region. The deputy minister said that they will launch ad campaign on
CNN, BBC, Euro News and others. Negotiations with the World Tourism
Organization are under way to arrange advertising.
Answering a question about the number of tourists visiting Armenia, Ara
Petrosian said that last year the country hosted 260.000 tourists. He noted
that it is the WTO that defines whether the traveler is tourist or not.
According to that definition, regardless a person’s visit aim, he is
considered a tourist if travels within certain time frame, stays at hotel
and does not get employed for the time being. If he stays longer than his
planned schedule, then he is not a tourist. This is the definition by which
officials count tourists arriving in Armenia.
By Ara Martirosian

Jerusalem Post
June 11 2005
Armenia wants US help with Turkey border dispute
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON
Armenia’s foreign minister urged the United States to become more
involved in settling his country’s dispute with Turkey, especially in
persuading Turkey to reopen its border and resume normal trade with
its landlocked northern neighbor.
The Turks closed the border in 1993 during Christian Armenia’s
six-year war with another Muslim neighbor, Azerbaijan.
“The United States is active in this, but we would like to see them
more engaged,” Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said Friday after a
meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
“I believe the United States can be more assertive on the border
matter. Not other matters, but on the border.”
Turkey closed the border after Armenian-backed troops from
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Christian Armenian enclave ruled by
Azerbaijan when Armenia and Azerbaijan were Soviet republics, moved
into other parts of Azerbaijan, seized towns and approached the
Iranian and Turkish borders. A 1994 truce largely ended hostilities,
but a final settlement has not been reached.