Month: October 2006

City News Service
September 27, 2006 Wednesday 3:03 PM PST

Man Sentenced to 26-Year-to-Life Prison Term in Filmmaker’s Slaying

VAN NUYS

The first man to be handed over to U.S. authorities by Armenia to
face criminal charges was sentenced today to 26 years to life in
state prison for the road-rage murder of a documentary filmmaker.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Kathryne Stoltz rejected the defense’s
request for a new trial for Shahen Eghia Keshishian and refused to
reduce his first-degree murder conviction to second-degree murder.

Keshishian, 34, was also found guilty Aug. 25 of vehicular
manslaughter with gross negligence and leaving the scene of an
accident.

Jurors also found true the allegation that Keshishian used his GMC
Suburban as a dangerous and deadly weapon when he ran down Michael
Craven on April 29, 2000, as he stood on the shoulder of the
Hollywood (101) Freeway, south of Barham Boulevard.

The 44-year-old Canoga Park resident had been driving southbound when
someone in the SUV that Keshishian was driving began lobbing eggs at
his Jeep, authorities said.

Both motorists pulled over and Keshishian ran down Craven as he stood
on the shoulder, then sped away. The filmmaker died at a hospital.

Keshishian was charged with Craven’s slaying on June 23, 2000, and
charged separately by federal authorities that November with unlawful
flight to avoid prosecution.

He was placed on the Los Angeles Police Department’s most wanted list
and named as a fugitive on the FBI’s Web site.

In October 2004, with the help of various agencies in the United
States and in Yerevan, the LAPD’s homicide unit located Keshishian in
Armenia, where he had ties, according to Glendale police.

He was arrested a month later by the Armenian government for
overstaying his visa and subsequently extradited to the United
States.

Glendale police said then that it was the first time someone located
in Armenia was handed to U.S. authorities to be returned to face
criminal charges.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Environment and Energy Publishing, LLC
Greenwire
September 27, 2006 Wednesday

OIL AND GAS: Black Sea summit discusses pipelines, energy contracts

Russia and 10 other countries in the Black Sea region began talks
today on new pipelines and long-term natural gas contracts at a
summit of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization.

Russia is this year’s chair of the BSEC as well as of the Group of
Eight. Ministers affirmed their commitment to energy security today,
as G8 ministers did in July in St. Petersburg, Russia. The BSEC
includes Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece,
Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and Ukraine.

Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said Russia has made
"significant progress" on the Burgas-Alexandropoulis oil pipeline,
which will carry 30 million-35 million metric tons of oil to Europe
annually. He also said BSEC would discuss extending the
Russian-Turkish Blue Stream gas pipeline, which the two countries
have been arguing about since it came online in 2003. Khristenko said
he wanted to extend it to Israel and possibly southern and central
Europe, which would allow Russia to increase shipments regardless of
decreased demand from Turkey.

Khristenko is expected to meet with Ukrainian Energy Minister Yury
Boiko to discuss a new gas supply contract, sorely needed after the
two countries’ pricing dispute led to a supply cutoff in Western
Europe in January.

Ukraine published a strategy document on its Web site today that
projected it would cut imports of natural gas by increasing its own
production. According to the document, Ukraine plans to reduce its
annual consumption from more than 77 billion cubic meters to less
than 72 billion by 2010.

BSEC countries will also discuss Russia’s failure to ratify the
Energy Charter Treaty, which supports market liberalization. Armenian
and Moldovan representatives are expected to press Russia to ratify
the charter (Stephen Boykewich, Agence France-Presse). Russia defends
enforcement of Sakhalin enviro regs

Russian officials continued today to defend their sanctions of
Shell’s Sakhalin II oil and gas project on environmental grounds,
rejecting accusations that they are targeting foreign-owned projects.

On Sept. 5, the Environment Ministry said it was filing suit against
Shell and the other members of its Sakhalin Energy consortium for
failing to prevent erosion and violating other environmental
provisions in the group’s contract to build a pipeline and liquefied
natural gas facility on Sakhalin Island (Greenwire, Sept. 20). Last
week, officials said work could continue on the pipeline.

"The idea that foreigners are being pushed out of the Russian energy
market has no basis," said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russia’s
demands "are based exclusively on the demands of the law," he said.

Ian Craig, head of the Shell-led Sakhalin Energy consortium, said it
was "quite possible" the dispute was linked to state-owned Gazprom’s
attempts to buy a 25-percent stake in the project. He said a one-year
delay in the project would cost $10 billion and "the greatest damage
of all by far would be the damage to Russia’s reputation as a
reliable energy supplier" (Dario Thuburn, Agence France-Presse).

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned at the BSEC meeting that he
would take action against "unconscientious" energy firms that do not
fulfill their contractual obligations. "I expect the [natural
resource] ministry and the government as a whole to take such
decisions, including as regards companies that work
unconscientiously," he said.

Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev said the number of inactive
wells and reserves is currently "twice the legal norm" (Agence
France-Presse). Iran tells Japan to develop its oil field or lose it

Iran today warned Japan that if it does not finalize a $2 billion
deal by Friday to develop the onshore Azadegan oil field, it will
give the project to an Iranian contractor.

"If the Japanese response for development of this oil field is
negative, the development operations will start through domestic
sources," said Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh. The deadline for
Japan’s Inpex Corp. to start developing the field has been pushed
back from March 2005 to this Friday. Azadegan has an estimated 26
billion barrels of oil (Aresu Eqbali, Agence France-Presse).
Production resumes at eastern Prudhoe field

BP restarted oil production yesterday on the eastern side of the
Prudhoe Bay in Alaska and said it expects to reach near-normal
capacity of 150,000 barrels per day by the weekend.

Production will still be 50,000 bpd below capacity because the
corroded transit line that originally prompted the shutdown Aug. 10
is still shut down. BP is building a bypass for that line and hopes
to begin constructing a replacement pipe by early next year (Mary
Pemberton, AP/Anchorage Daily News). (All cites Sept. 27 unless
noted.) — DK

ARMINFO News Agency
September 29, 2006 Friday

UNWILLINGNESS OF MEN TO FIGHT PROSTATITIS INCREASES DIVORCES IN ARMENIA

During the last 10 years, the cases of urinary bladder and prostate
cancer among the men at the age of 40-45 have doubled, Head of the
Urology Clinic, Professor Armen Muradyan, said at the 8th annual
congress of the Armenian Urology Association.

He said 70% of men apply to specialist only at the 3-4 stages of the
disease when efficient treatment is very difficult. In the 55% of
cases prostate cancer leads to impotence. Comparing the number of
prostatitis patients with general situation of cancer diseases, their
number in Armenia grew by 256 times. A. Muradyan says that in 60% of
cases, it is women that recommend their partners to apply to a
doctor. Moreover, married men live by 25% longer and happier than
singles, he said. In addition, during the last 6 years, the general
statistical level of divorces in Armenia has grown by 60.9%.
Specialists say just the unwillingness of men to solve their health
problems is the reason of the majority of divorces.

Among the factors influencing the origination of prostatitis,
specialists mention first of all the age, the genetic susceptibility
(by 8%), as well as a great quantity of meat (increases the risk by
98%) dairy products (by 80%). However, fish and tomatoes considerably
reduce the risk of prostatitis, by 26% and 33% respectively. During
the recent years, the country’s hospitals have been diagnosing
prostatitis through rectal examinations to determine the PSA level
(Prostate Specific Antigen) in the blood.

Associated Press Worldstream
September 27, 2006 Wednesday 10:44 AM GMT

Dutch political parties scrap candidates who deny WWI massacre of
Armenians was genocide

AMSTERDAM Netherlands

The two largest Dutch political parties have scrapped ethnic Turkish
parliamentary candidates who refuse to acknowledge the mass killings
of Armenians during World War I amounted to genocide.

The candidates include Ayhan Tonca of the governing Christian
Democrat Party. Tonca is one of the country’s most prominent Muslim
politicians and is chairman of an umbrella organization of Islamic
groups known as CMO.

The Christian Democrats also retracted the candidacy of Osman Elmaci,
and the opposition Labor Party ended the candidacy of Erdinc Sacan.

In their platforms ahead of next month’s election, both parties have
staked out positions on Turkey’s possible entry into the European
Union, a divisive issue around the continent.

The Labor Party has adopted a view shared by others in Europe that
Turkey should be required to recognize the killings as genocide
before it can be allowed to join the EU.

Whether the mass killings of a million or more Armenians in the last
years of the Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago constituted a
genocide has been the subject of academic and political debate.

The Netherlands and most European governments consider it a genocide.
Turkey and many Turkish scholars, and others, vehemently deny the
deaths resulted from systematic slaughter, saying the death toll of
1.5 million is wildly inflated and that both Armenians and Turks were
killed in fighting during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

The U.S. government has shied away from using the word "genocide" to
define the killings.

Earlier this month the European Parliament voted for the inclusion of
a clause requiring Turkey "to recognize the Armenian genocide as a
condition for its EU accession."

Though their parliamentary runs were ended, the three politicians
were not expelled from their parties. None could immediately be
reached for comment Wednesday.

Tonca and Elmaci had initially said they would assent to the
Christian Democrat Party’s official position acknowledging the
killings as genocide, but both later denied they shared that view in
an interview with a Turkish newspaper.

"As a result of an interview in the Turkish paper Sabah, a discussion
took place between the party and Mr. Elmaci and Mr. Tonca," the CDA
said in a statement. "In this discussion it was determined that there
is a structural difference of opinion over recognition of the
Armenian Genocide."

It said the men would not be candidates and thanked them for their
services.

Labor’s Sacan had never accepted his party’s position accepting the
genocide as a fact.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION AND RULING COALITION SLATE EACH OTHER IN PRESENCE
OF PACE RAPPORTEURS

Yerevan September 28

PACE rapporteurs Georges Colombier and Mikko Elo met today with
representatives of parliamentary forces, chairmen of parliamentary
commissions and Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torossyan.

One of the participants in the meeting says that during the meeting
the leader of the National Democratic Union party Vazgen Manoukyan
said that people in Armenia are disappointed with the European
structures, who are doing nothing to develop democracy in Armenia and
seem to have become toys in the hands of the present regime.

In response, Colombier said that in order to prove their resolution
to develop democracy in Armenia the European structures may well
exclude the country from a number of projects.

Manoukyan retorted that this would be a blow on people rather than
authorities. The only thing people expect from Europe is to honestly
say what is actually going on in Armenia. For example, CE observers
should have honestly said that only 20% of voters took part in the
constitutional referendum. Instead, they just said that there were
some violations as they wanted to push the constitutional reforms
through at any expense – even through fraud.

In response, Colombier said that the assessments of the CE observers
were based on the information provided by the ambassadors of CE
countries to Armenia.

The member of the National Unity parliamentary group Aghasi Arshakyan
said that the present Constitution of Armenia "has been sewn to fit
Robert Kocharyan who wants to put his comrade Defense Minister Serzh
Sargsyan in his place." Today power in Armenia is in the hands of
8-10 people.

In his turn, the representative of the pro-governmental United Labor
Party Grigor Konjeyan said that before criticizing the government the
opposition should remember the years of their own rule. Both
Manoukyan and the leader of the most radical opposition force
Republic party Aram Sargsyan were Prime Ministers and under Sargsyan
Armenia experienced economic decline.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS’ CURRENT PROPOSALS ON KARABAKH ARE HONEST,
WELL-BALANCED AND SENSIBLE: FRENCH PRESIDENT

The OSCE MG co-chairs’ current proposals on Karabakh are honest,
well-balanced and sensible, French President Jacques Chirac says in
an interview to Hayastani Hanrapetouyun daily (Armenia) on the eve of
his visit to yerevan.

For many times we have been very close to peace agreement – in Paris,
Key-West, Rambouillet. I have told Presidents Kocharyan and Aliyev
that to me the co-chairs’ proposals are honest, well-balanced and
sensible. I would like them to show courage to be able to attain
peace, says Chirac. He says that he has got involved in the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict because he is well aware of the
sufferings the conflict has caused to people and because peace is the
only way to build democratic and prosperous future for all the
nations of the region.

The sharp wit of Armenians, the economic dynamism and favorable
geo-strategic situation of Armenia may give it profit only if it has
open borders and normal relations with all of its neighbors, says
Chirac. He says that today G8 and the international community are
ready to guarantee peace agreement. "We should not miss this chance,"
says Chirac.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

FRANCE IS READY TO HELP ARMENIA TO MODERNIZE ITS POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC LIFE

France is ready to help Armenia to modernize its political and
economic life, French President Jacques Chirac says in an interview
to Hayastani Hanrapetoutyun daily (Armenia) on the eve of his visit
to Yerevan.

He says that France is ready ot help Armenia to build modern legal
state – a state guaranteeing human freedoms. France is also ready to
help Armenia to diversify its economy and to build better future for
its people. Such an old nation as Armenians must not be afraid of the
future. Chirac says that the Armenian youths must be happy that being
part of an ancient nation they have a chance to build an absolutely
new country. Armenia is worthy of loyalty and the biggest happiness
for any person is to faithfully serve his country, says Chirac.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OF ARMENIAN ARMY COMMENTS ON ARREST OF RUSSIAN
OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS IN GEORGIA

Yerevan September 28

Before commenting on the Sept 27 arrest of 4 officers and 11
civilians from Russia (among them 5 Armenians) on suspicion of
espionage, one should find out what actually happened, says the chief
of the General Staff of the Armenian army, Gen. Mikayel Haroutyunyan.

Commenting on the statements by some Georgian officials that the
arrested people acted on the instruction of the Armenian authorities,
Haroutyunyan says that they should first present proofs.

In his turn, the advisor of the Russian Embassy in Armenia Igor
Gromyko says the arrest is one more anti-Russian provocation. He says
that Russian FM Sergey Lavrov has already suggested discussing this
problem at the OSCE and the UN Security Council. "I can’t comment on
the fibs of the young Georgian politicians. Perhaps, somebody is
trying to aggravate Armenian-Russian relations," says Gromyko.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

PACE MONITORING GROUP REPORTS DEMANDS FAIR ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

Development of democracy in Armenia requires transparent elections
meeting European standards in 2007, Georges Colombie, a member of
PACE Monitoring Group, told Armenian journalists, Thursday.

The reporters not only wished but also demanded fair elections in
Armenia. G. Colombie said that existence of a strong opposition is a
compulsory condition to development of democracy. Regarding the goals
of their visit, G. Colombie said they intend to monitor the process
of legislative amendments in the country in accordance with the new
provisions of the Constitution. He said during their meetings in
Yerevan, they discussed the judicial reforms, the status of Yerevan,
the role of Ombudsman, the activity of Mass Media, the fight against
corruption and the activity of the Police. They stressed the
necessity of pluralism of opinions.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

CHARLES AZNAVOUR: EVEN IF I AM ALL BEAT UP, I WILL BE IN GOOD SPIRITS
DURING MY CONCERT IN YEREVAN

"Even if I am all beat up, I will be in good spirits during my
concert in the main square of the Armenian capital as it is a gift to
my people." Such were the first words of the great chansonnier
Charles Aznavour on his arrival at "Zvartnots" airport in Yerevan on
September 2 midnight.

It is noteworthy that Charles Aznavour arrived in Yerevan immediately
after his concert in Los Angeles. During the 3-4 minutes of his talk
with journalists, Armenia’s favorite son frankly said that he is very
tired and hungry, as well as that he feels very incited as he always
do arriving in the Motherland. The talk was constantly interrupted by
the cries of fans "We love you very much!" The chansonnier refused to
comment on his concert scheduled for September 30. He just mentioned
through tears of happiness that it is of great importance for him to
sing for the independent Armenia and at the official opening of
Armenia’s year in France. Remembering his last concert in Yerevan at
the Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, Charles Aznavour said that
Armenia is changing for him and only to better.

The well-known French composer, Armenian by origin, Michele Legrand,
who accompanies the chansonnier, said: "I’ve returned to the
Motherland of my ancestors, what else can I say? I love you and
invite you to our concert ‘Aznavour and Friends’ where several of my
works will be performed as well."

Chalrnes Aznavour is accompanied by his friends Helen Segara, Nana
Mouskouri, Isabelle Boule, Lynn Renau, and the well-known French
actor Jean Claude Brialy.

The right of the concert’s broadcasting belongs to the French TV
channel Arte. The concert will start at 9:00pm Yerevan time. However,
Armenians can enjoy the life broadcasting of the concert on the
Armenian Public Television.