Month: October 2006

DOKURCUM MILL, SILENT WITNESS OF MASSACRE

Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006

GAZIANTEP – "Dokurcum mill in (southeastern city of) Gaziantep where
14 Turkish youths were shot to death by French soldiers should be
restored," Tourism Association Chairman Bekir Sitki Severoglu said.

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Severoglu stated, "French soldiers
committed massacres in Gaziantep (in 1920). All countries should be
informed on this matter."

Severoglu noted, "I took several initiatives to condemn France,
but I did not receive any positive answer on the matter."

He indicated that "Dokurcum Mill Monument" should be erected against
the French draft law criminalizing denial of so-called Armenian
genocide.

A group of French soldiers executed 14 Turkish youths by shooting in
front of Dokurcum Mill on March 28th, 1920 (during Gaziantep Defence
in Turkish National Independence War).

WINNERS OF EIF AND CRDF GRANT TENDER ASNNOUNCED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. At the venture conference of the US
Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and its Armenian
partner Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) in Yerevan on October 24,
the scientific research organizations – winners of the grant tender
held by CRDF and EIF – were announced. The tender was held under the
CRDF Science and Technologies Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). For
their developments with Armenian production enterpise-partners,
5 thousand dollars will be given to the Institute of Mathematics
(for design and creation of prototype of a new piston pump), to
the scientific group led by Ruben Vardanian of State Engineering
University of Armenia (SEUA) (for development of new cost-effective
photovoltaic solar energy concentrator system), and the group led
by Gagik Aivazian (SEUA) (for design, fabrication and marketing of
photovoltaic systems based on silicon vertical multi-junction solar
cells). The scientific group led by N. Vardanian, laboratory head of
the Institute of Microbiology, will receive a grant for developing a
new integrated biometallurgical process for gold production, the same
institute’s group led by Hrachia Hovhannisian – for intensification
of probiotics production by means of burdock’s raw inulin, while
the group headed by Mikael Hovhannisian of the Institute of Botany
– for TPS technology used in elite seed-potato production. During
the conference, another four reports on applied developments were
made. EIF Director Bagrat Yengibarian said that the work on assistance
of their authors will continue separately. Natalia Pipia, Manager
of SRDF Industrial Programs, underlined the importance of the fact
that the scientific groups – tender participants found production
enterprises as partners. Jim Butterworth, jury member, expressed a
high opinion about the applied developments presented by 10 Armenian
scientific groups. The jury was also composed of Hovhannes Avoyan,
Director of Sorsio company (Armenia), Chairman of the Union of IT
Enterprises, Ara Hamazaspian, Director of the Izmirlian Foundation,
and Hayk Papian, Director of Venture Management Advisors company.

B. Yengibarian reminded that the above mentioned 10 developments
were selected out of 30 bids. According to him, it is envisaged to
spend 20 thousand dollars to assist the scientific groups which won
the tender. He expressed a hope that such a tender will be held in
2007 as well.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MANAGER OF WORLD BANK YEREVAN OFFICE AT PARLIAMENT

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Oct 25 2006

On October 24 the President of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia Mr. Tigran Torosyan received the Manager of the World
Bank Yerevan Office Mr. Roger Robinson, who is ending his mission in
our country.

Mr. Robinson thanked the President of the National Assembly for the
four and a half years of effective work noting, that during those
years our country has achieved serious economic results and a stabile
development rate, which is not less important. Mr. Robinson stressed
the importance of three factors for the development of each country –
political, economic and social. He noted that these three factors are
not achieved simultaneously because the economic development is always
ahead, while the political and social developments require longer
time because they imply a change in the mentality and perceptions of
people, as well as in the relations between each other and with the
state. The World Bank does not interfere with the politics, but the
success of the forthcoming elections is important for maintaining
the economic development, noted Mr. Robinson adding that he will
officiate in Kyrgyzstan but he will always stay friends with Armenia.

Wishing success to the future activity of Mr. Robinson, the President
of the National Assembly Mr. Tigran Torosyan noted that in the post
soviet countries the importance of economic developments was stressed
during the first years of independence, but the logical course of
the development made people realize that the social life also has
to be improved and the success of the country is conditioned by both
political, social and economic reforms. The improvement of political
mechanisms has a special significance in the reforms of the social
life. The President of the National Assembly noted that Armenia is
in an interesting state of development and expressed confidence that
it is possible to succeed through reforms of social life in 2-3 years
and create full opportunities of a worthy life for people.

JAILED SOLDIERS’ LAWYERS FACING PROSECUTION
By Anna Saghabalian and Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 25 2006

State prosecutors have launched criminal proceedings against the
defense attorneys of three Armenian soldiers sentenced to life
imprisonment on what local and international human rights groups see
as trumped-up murder charges, it emerged on Wednesday.

Zaruhi Postanjian, Ashot Atoyan and Stepan Voskanian are being
investigated for allegedly showing contempt for three judges of the
Armenian Court of Appeals that handed down the ruling last May.

It is not clear when the judges lodged a formal complaint with the
Office of the Prosecutor-General. The latter opened a criminal
case against the lawyers on October 10, the day after the Court
of Cassation, Armenia’s highest body of criminal justice, agreed
to consider their appeal against the extremely controversial life
sentences.

The lawyers strongly deny the contempt of court accusations that
could be leveled against them and see the prosecutors’ move as a
retaliation for their vocal support for the jailed soldiers. "They
are thereby trying to force us to abandon the case," Voskanian told
RFE/RL. He said it is the three judges that repeatedly insulted the
defense lawyers during the appeal proceedings and must be prosecuted.

The extraordinary criminal proceedings bring a new twist to the saga
of Razmik Sargsian, Musa Serobian and Araik Zalian. The three young
men were originally convicted of murdering two fellow servicemen
in Nagorno-Karabakh and sentenced to 15 years in prison by a local
court of first instance in April 2005. They protested their innocence
throughout the trial and appealed against the verdict only to see it
toughened to life imprisonment by the appeals court.

Military prosecutors allege that Sargsian, Serobian and Zalian murdered
the two other soldiers and dumped their bodies into a reservoir in
northern Karabakh in December 2003 following a brawl over a food
parcel that was delivered to one of the servicemen. The accusations
are based on Sargsian’s pre-trial testimony in which he admitted to
this version of events.

However, Sargsian subsequently retracted the testimony, saying that
he incriminated himself and his comrades under brutal torture. The
two other defendants, who never pleaded guilty to the charges, also
claim to have been mistreated in custody.

Both courts refused to investigate the alleged torture, denied by the
prosecutors, leading the defense lawyers and Armenian human rights
activists to denounce the trials as a parody of justice.

Ruben Sahakian, chairman of Armenia’s Chamber of Advocates, expressed
serious concern at the case on Wednesday, saying that the leadership
of the bar association will meet soon to discuss it. "We will adopt
a statement during that meeting," Sahakian told RFE/RL.

The case has also had a resonance outside Armenia, with Human Rights
Watch finding the torture allegations "credible" and urging the Court
of Cassation to give the young men a fair trial.

"Human Rights Watch believes that it is very important that … a
prompt investigation into the allegations is ordered, and that all
measures are put in place to ensure that any conviction based on
evidence coerced under torture does not stand," the New York-based
group’s director for Europe and Central Asia, Holly Cartner, said in
a September 12 letter to the Armenian Court of Cassation.

Aaron Rhodes, executive director of the Vienna-based International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, echoed those concerns in a
similar letter sent to Yerevan three days later. "The investigation
into the murders, and the subsequent trials, were marred with
irregularities that raise questions about Armenian prosecutors’ and
judiciary’s professional qualifications and commitment to international
standards for a fair trial," Rhodes wrote.

The defense trio suspects that both murders were committed by Captain
Ivan Grigorian, the Karabakh Armenian commander of the army unit
where the dead soldiers served. According to their version of events,
Grigorian beat one of the soldiers to death and killed the other
after the latter refused to "confess" to the crime.

The commander of the Karabakh army, Lieutenant-General Seyran Ohanian,
lent more credence to these suspicions when he wrote to Armenia’s
chief military prosecutor in early 2004 and asked him not to bring
charges against Grigorian. Ohanian argued that the officer had greatly
contributed to the Armenian military victory over Azerbaijan.

KOCHARIAN TOURS ARMENIAN FRONTLINE POSITIONS
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 25 2006

President Robert Kocharian has conducted a two-day inspection of
Armenian troops deployed along the volatile frontline with Azerbaijan,
his office said on Wednesday.

A statement by the presidential press service in Yerevan said Kocharian
visited "a number of frontline army units" on Monday and Tuesday to
assess their "combat and technical readiness." "The president of the
republic visited firing ranges, followed the course of trainings,
talked to officers and soldiers, and familiarized himself with their
living conditions," it said.

The statement did not specify the location of the inspected units.

But photographs released by Kocharian’s office showed the Armenian
leader in the company of Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, the
commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh army Lieutenant-General Seyran
Ohanian and Karabakh leader Arkady Ghukasian, suggesting that he
toured heavily militarized areas around the Armenian-controlled
disputed region. The four men, all of them natives of Karabakh,
were shown wearing army uniforms, with Kocharian shaking hands with
soldiers and inspecting their seemingly brand new light weaponry.

Kocharian’s previous tour of Armenian frontline positions was reported
in November 2004. His latest inspection coincided with the start of
the Karabakh Armenian army’s regular military exercises held near
the no-man’s land separating it from Azerbaijani forces. A military
spokesman in Stepanakert was reported to say that Karabakh army units
will practice coordination of their actions in "defense battles and
counteroffensives."

News reports from Baku said residents of Azerbaijani villages located
close to the Karabakh frontline heard powerful explosions late on
Tuesday. Local residents were also cited as saying that Azerbaijani
army positions in the area came under Armenian fire. The Armenian
and Azerbaijani militaries did not immediately comment on the reports.

GOVERNMENT SIGNALS RUSSIAN CONTROL OF IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 25 2006

Prime Minister Andranik Markarian on Wednesday effectively confirmed
reports that Russian energy companies are set to gain a controlling
stake in a key pipeline which is due to start pumping Iranian natural
gas to Armenia next year.

Markarian indicated that his government will likely sell the first
Armenian section of the under-construction pipeline to ArmRosGazprom
(ARG), the Russian-Armenian joint venture that owns Armenia’s gas
distribution network.

The 40 kilometer section was reportedly covered by a controversial
April agreement that allowed Armenia to temporarily avoid a surge
in the price of gas imported from Russia in return for handing over
more energy assets to Gazprom, the state-run Russian monopoly. The
most important of them is the incomplete but modern Fifth Unit of
the country’s largest thermal power plant located in the central town
of Hrazdan.

Gazprom initially confirmed but later refuted reports that it will
also get hold of the Armenian pipeline from Iran as part of the deal.

Officials in Yerevan also denied that.

However, the Yerevan daily "Haykakan Zhamanak" reported last week
that the Russians will after all win control of the pipeline through
the ARG operator, in which Gazprom and the Russian-owned group ITERA
hold 45 percent and 10 percent shares respectively. The remaining 45
percent belongs to the Armenian government. The paper cited a Russian
document which presented the takeover as a fait accompli that will
be formalized by January 1.

Markarian appeared to confirm the information as he spoke to
reporters after his cabinet’s regular question-and-answer session
in parliament. "We are not talking about the sale [of the pipeline]
as such," he said. "It’s just that Armenia may invest in the charter
capital [of ARG] or we will jointly make investments because it would
be illogical to have two gas distribution networks in Armenia."

Markarian added that Moscow and Yerevan hope to reach agreement on
the issue by the time the pipeline comes on stream later this year
or early next.

Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who has been actively involved
in Russian-Armenian energy dealings, also strongly hinted at the
pipeline’s imminent transfer under ARG control. He said he will ask
the ARG chief executive, Karen Karapetian, to publicly "explain the
situation in great detail."

The pipeline from Iran was supposed to end Armenia’s strong dependence
on Russian gas and other energy resources. Critics say that by putting
it under de facto Russian control the Armenian government would only
deepen that dependence. Moscow is thought to have already made sure
that the pipeline’s diameter is not large enough to re-export Iranian
gas to Georgia and other countries.

RUSSIAN EXPERT SUGGESTS RESOLVING THE KARABAKH CONFLICT AT THE EXPENSE OF GEORGIA

ArmRadio.am
25.10.2006 12:26

Head of the Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute of Russia
Mikhail Alexandrov considers that the best way of resolving the
Karabakh conflict is the transfer of Georgian regions inhabited by
Azeris to Azerbaijan. Mikhail Alexandrov said this in an interview
with Strana.ru, Mediamax agency reports.

"Since there is a region in Georgia, mainly inhabited by Azeris, we
can think about transferring it to Azerbaijan. Instead, Azerbaijan will
refuse from Nagorno Karabakh. Such development of events is possible in
case of disintegration of the central authority of Georgia and collapse
of the country. It is not ruled out in the light of Saakashvili’s
current policy. The policy of pressuring ethnic minorities,
confrontation with Russia, conservation of internal discrepancies
can lead to this kind of collapse. In this case the establishment of
peace in Georgia can become the priority of CIS peacekeeping forces,
and in the course of this action decisions will be taken on secession
of some regions of Georgia inhabited by ethnic minorities," Head of
the Caucasus Department of Russia’s CIS Institute declared.

PARTY LEADER: ARMENIA’S LEADERSHIP AFRAID OF MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI

Regnum, Russia
Oct 25 2006

Armenia’s position in relations with Georgia should be clear-cut
and tough. New Time opposition party leader Aram Karapetyan made the
announcement at a news conference on October 25.

According to him, "the current situation with Javakh (Javakheti,
Armenian-populated area in Georgia – REGNUM) is a result of
lack of a clear action plan by the Armenian authorities." "It is
necessary to present the question and claims in a tough way. If
we solve the Javakh issue on conditions favorable for Georgia, it
should be pre-conditioned that the Georgian side settles all the
problems of the Armenian-speaking population: teaching in Armenian,
Armenian-speaking TV-channel, and other issues," he notes. Besides,
as Karapetyan stresses, the issue of transit roads is to be determined
by a special article in all intergovernmental treaties, which will
result in final settlement of the problem.

As Aram Karapetyan says, Armenia’s leadership avoids harshness, as
they are afraid of Mikhail Saakashvili, thinking that if the Georgian
leader is "pro-American," it is necessary to be in "good relations"
with him. For the reason of those "good relations," he notes,
the republican authorities practically yielded 6,000 km of its own
territories. "The current authorities are unable to comprehend one
thing: last for power should not be the basis for such an affair,"
the party leader concludes.

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIANS’ APPEAL DISCUSSED IN CE MINISTERS COMMITTEE MEETING

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 25 2006

The 978th meeting of the representatives of ministers was held in the
CE Ministers committee, APA Europe bureau reports. Four written appeals
to Ministers Council made by Rafael Huseynov and Genire Pashayeva,
the representatives of Azerbaijani Parliament in PACE was discussed
in the meeting.

The document sent by Rafael Huseynov is called "Impediment of the
dangerous precedent caused to the future and integrity of Europe by
the belligerent Armenia, which is not willing to obey international
laws and legal norms" and the documents sent by Genire Pashayeva are
called "Environmental catastrophe as a result of the pollution of the
Azerbaijani water sources with chemical and biological substances by
Armenia" , "The functioning of the Metsamor Atomic Power Station of
Armenia : great danger for the South Caucasus and the whole of Europe",
"Regular violation of the agreement on cease-fire regime between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and crimes against humanity perpetrated by
armed forces of Armenia against civil citizens of Azerbaijan". The
discussions were tense. Armenian side suggested removing of these
issues from Ministers Committee’s agenda and suggested sending
a letter to PACE President, because they think there will not be
consensus. Azerbaijani Standing Representatives in PACE also made
speeches in the meeting. Azerbaijani side also presented Pashyeva’s
position on Metsamor Atomic Power Station to the committee. She stated
that the work of this station is dangerous not only for Azerbaijan,
but also for the region. Turkey, Germany and Switzerland supported
Azerbaijani’s position.

At the end, the chief of the committee suggested holding consultations
between Azerbaijan and Armenia on this problem with its participation
and it was decided to discuss the problem in further meetings.

BULGARIA, ROMANIA PROPOSE NEW COMMISSIONERS

EurActiv.com, Belgium
Oct 25 2006

In Short:

Meglena Kuneva and Varujan Vosganian have been named as Commissioner
candidates by Bulgaria and Romania.

Brief News:

The Bulgarian candidate Meglena Kuneva holds a doctorate degree in
law and has worked on environmental issues in Bulgaria, as well as
for international organisations, such as the World Bank. Since 2001
she is deputy minister of foreign affairs and chief negotiator for
Bulgaria with the EU. In 2002 she was elected special representative
for Bulgaria to the Convention on the Future of the EU.

Varujan Vosganian holds a doctorate degree in economics and is the
president of the Union of Armenians in Romania. He is founder and
former president of the "Union of the Right-wing Forces" party.

Currently he is spokesman and MP for the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe. According to Mediafax, Vosganian was proposed
and especially favoured by Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu
Tariceanu. Tariceanu said: "I strongly believe that the solid
political experience and the professional profile of Mr. Varujan
Vosganian recommends him for this position."

The official decision will be announced on October 26 2006, following
the Council meeting.

The European Parliament hearings of the two candidates is expected
to take place 27-29 November 2006. The Parliament is to vote on the
new commissioners on 4 January 2007.

EurActiv.ro has contributed to this article.