Month: October 2005

LEVITIN: RAO UES WILL FURTHER PROMOTE ENERGY GRIDS OF ARMENIA

Pan Armenian
14.10.2005 00:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The matter of RAO UES participation in development
of energy grids of Armenia was discussed in the course of meetings
of Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation, Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitinwith
Armenian President and PM, Levitin reported at a Press briefing in
Yerevan today. He reported RAO UES is a participant of an energy
holding, operating in Armenia. RAO UES will continue dealing with
development of energy grids and generation of additional electric
power, he also confirmed. “As of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, the matter
was also discussed and we understand Armenian party’s actions. I
consider these logical and correct in the situation that is available
between Gazprom and RAO UES and the Armenian party,” I. Levitin stated.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

USA GRANTS 2M DOLLARS TO ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT REFORMS

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

Yerevan, 13 October: Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Artur
Bagdasaryan and the head of the Yerevan office of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), Robin Philips, today
signed a memorandum on cooperation programme totalling 2 m dollars.

Artur Bagdasaryan said that the programme is aimed at carrying out
effective reforms in the Armenian parliament, increasing contacts
between people and parliament and strengthening democratic institutes.

Robin Philips noted that cooperation between the National Assembly
and USAID, which started in 2004, will continue. He expressed the
hope that the programme will help strengthen the role of parliament
in Armenia’s political life.

GEORGIAN COUNTERINTELLIGENCE MAY PROBE ANTI-ARMENIAN POSTER INCIDENT

Imedi TV, Georgia
Oct 13 2005

[Presenter] The hour of revenge has come; Armenians, we are coming and
whoever stands in our way will die; even Russia will be unable to help
you because their time on our land is over – such posters appeared on
almost every house in the main street of Akhalkalaki [mostly ethnic
Armenian town in Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region] in the last
two days. The authors of the posters call themselves Akhaltsikhe
[administrative centre of Samtskhe-Javakheti] Liberation Brigade.

According to the chief prosecutor of Akhalkalaki, Suren Barekyan,
evidence is being gathered and the case is being referred to the
counterintelligence service for further action.

All the posters have now been removed.

There have been no such incidents in Akhaltsikhe.

Van Baiburt, an ethnic Armenian member of the Georgian parliament,
has said that this is an act of provocation by people who do not want
peace in Georgia.

[Baiburt] This is an act of provocation. They think that Armenians
will now rise up. The likely aim of the perpetrators was to provoke
residents of Akhalkalaki into staging another rally, so that what
happened could be discussed.

[Question] Do you think Russia may be behind this?

[Baiburt] I am sure of one thing. Who else could have done it? Who
is against peace in Georgia?

RUSSIA PLEDGES TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS OF IDLE ENTERPRISES IN ARMENIA

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

Yerevan, 13 October: Igor Levitin, Russian transport minister and
co-chairman of the Russian- Armenian intergovernmental commission,
admitted in Yerevan today that Russia has not fully met conditions
of the property-for-debt deal.

Speaking at a news conference on the outcome of the sitting of the
commission in Yerevan today, Levitin said that the main problem was
that Russia did not identify the types of goods to be manufactured
by the enterprises handed over to Russia within the framework of the
repayment of Armenia’s state debts.

The Russian minister said that a joint working group had been set
up for the full resolution of the issue of the enterprises and it
will submit its proposals to the chairmen of the intergovernmental
commission in early 2006. “Russia understands its responsibility for
the fate of these enterprises,” Levitin said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU ENVOY HOPES FOR “BREAKTHROUGH” IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER PROBLEM

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

Yerevan, 13 October, ARMINFO: The opening of the borders with Armenia
does not only arise from Turkey’s economic interests but also from the
interests of the European Union [EU], the head of the EU delegation in
Armenia and Georgia, Torben Holtze, has told an Arminfo correspondent.

He said that Turkey also realizes the necessity of opening borders
with Armenia and the frequent statements by Turkish representatives
on a need for lifting the blockade of the borders show this. The
envoy expressed the hope that a “breakthrough” will be marked in the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders within the next six months.

“I think we shall soon eyewitness the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
borders despite the fact that this is a very complicated and even an
emotional issue,” Holtze said.

He pointed out that the EU is making every effort for the establishment
of the regional cooperation and is not only interested in the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish but also the Armenian-Azerbaijani
borders. Nevertheless, he said that for the time being, we cannot
say that the Armenian-Turkish borders are fully closed as flights
between Yerevan and Istanbul are regular and Turkish lorries deliver
goods to Armenia via Georgia or the other way round.

PAMUK OBSERVES IMPROVEMENT IN TURKEY IN RECENT YEARS

Turkish Daily News
Oct 13 2005

Diplomacy Newsline
ANK – Turkish Daily News

There is more freedom of speech, as well as certain economic
improvements, encouraged by optimism stemming from the country’s
European Union membership process when compared to the environment
of the country when he was writing his novel “Kar” (Snow), published
in 2002, renowned Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk has said.

In an interview with Italian daily La Stampa, Pamuk, however, admitted
that certain problems still remain.

“A horrible discrepancy between the poor and the rich persists.

While Istanbul has been experiencing a kind of explosion, there is
still poverty in eastern parts of Turkey,” Pamuk was quoted as saying
by the Anatolia news agency.

A court case against Pamuk for his February remarks published
in a Swiss newspaper sparked harsh reaction from EU officials and
politicians. When asked about it during the interview, Pamuk declined
to comment on the legal proceedings against him for his remarks on
Armenian and Kurdish deaths some 90 years ago.

“Let’s talk about my books,” he said in the interview titled “Optimist
Defendant Pamuk.”

GOVERNMENT AGENCY CALLS ON TURKEY TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST WRITER

The Associated Press
10/13/05 18:03 EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. government human rights group is calling
on Turkey to drop charges against Orhan Pamuk, a writer indicted for
speaking openly on the Armenian question.

The appeal was made by commissioners of the U.S. Helsinki Commission,
which monitors rights issues, mostly in Europe.

They sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
urging him to authorize the removal of charges against Pamuk.

Pamuk is charged with “public denigration of the Turkish identity.”

“A stable democracy cannot blossom until the government ends the
practice of stifling free speech and removes the clouds of deception
and censorship from a true telling of history,” said Commission
Co-Chairman Rep. Christopher Smith.

The commission, known formally as the Commission on Security and
Cooperation in Europe, monitors progress in the implementation of
the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords.

The Commission consists of 18 members of the U.S. Congress and
representatives from three cabinet agencies.

Eastern Turkey was once a heartland of Armenian culture but was
consumed by ethnic conflict as the Ottoman Empire splintered at the
end of World War I.

Yerevan says Turks slaughtered 1.5 million Armenians. Turkey strongly
denies there was any genocide, saying Armenians were killed due to
civil unrest.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION IMPORTANT
MECHANISM OF DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS: ARMENIAN
PRESIDENT

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13. ARMINFO. Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation is an important mechanism of development of
Armenian-Russian relations. It has always been significant by its
effective activity. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan made this
statement today, during his meeting with Russian Transport Minister,
Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, Igor Levitin.

The presidential press-service reports the sides as discussing the
programs of bilateral cooperation, focusing on the energy, transport
communication issues. The sides are reported to touch upon the
activation of the Abkhazian branch line of the Georgian railway and
the participation of Russia, Georgia and Armenia in its construction.

According to the source, Robert Kocharyan said that reactivation of
the branch line will open new possibilities of cooperation. The sides
also discussed activation of the Armenian enterprises transferred to
Russia under the program “Property for Debt.” In his turn, Levitin
said: “Russia is also interested in activation of the enterprises.

For this purpose, working groups have been formed.”

TRIAL OF SOLDIER COOPERATED WITH ARMENIAN INTELLIGENCE STARTED

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

BAKU, OCTOBER 13. ARMINFO. Preparatory hearing on the soldier Zaur
Veisov, who served in the military unit in Tovuz garrison located on
the Armenian border, started yesterday at the Court for War Crimes
under chairmanship of judge Mamedbagir Zeynalov. He is charged with
Article 274 (high treason) and 338.1 (violation of the rule military
duty).

“In the summer 2004 he was recruited by the Armenian intelligence.

Armenians were holding him during one hour and forced him to work
for Armenian intelligence and supply them with military information
using violence and blackmail. They also gave him $1,000. Later on the
soldier provided military information to Armenians while on duty. One
of the soldiers noticed that and informed commander. Veisov confessed
to the commander, but the commander took away $1,000 from him and asked
him to keep silence. The soldier continued providing information to
Armenian intelligence. After a certain period the soldiers informed
higher command about this fact. The soldier has again confessed to the
high command, but they failed to inform higher instances. After several
months security services arrested Zaur Veisov and instituted a criminal
case against him in June 2005. Trial will be closed and about 20
people will be interrogated as witnesses,” the 252th newspaper reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TURKEY SHOULD FOLLOW GERMANY’S EXAMPLE OF HOLOCAUST

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13. ARMINFO. The recognition of the early XX events
in Ottoman Turkey meets the interests of Turkey itself, the head of
the European Commission delegation to Georgia and Armenia, Ambassador
Torben Holtze says in a talk with ARMINFO.

The events are the problem of both Armenia and Turkey. Turkey should
follow the example of Germany who recognized the Holocaust after
WWII. What heppened in 1915 is not acceptable to civilized societies
and to the EU in particular. Turkey’s recognizing the events is a
very complex issue. This is not just a matter of recognition. The
Turkish authorities say: you can adopt a resolution on the events,
make statements but you cannot change our people’s understanding of
the issue, says Holtze.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress