Month: November 2006

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON ARMENIAN ISSUES MEMBERS LIKELY TO HOLD
IMPORTANT POSITIONS AT THE U. S. CONGRESS
One day after winning majority control in the House of
Representatives, Democrats took back the U.S. Senate, with Armenian
issues supporters Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Richard Durbin
(D-IL) positioned to serve as Majority Leader and Majority Whip
respectively, in the 110th Congress. Senator Joseph Biden, Jr.
(D-DE), also a staunch supporter, is expected to chair the powerful
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees policy concerning
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
All three Senators have raised awareness of the Armenian Genocide as
cosponsors of S. Res. 320, a resolution reaffirming the U.S. record
which is currently pending before the Foreign Relations Committee.
Reid, Durbin and Biden also voted to maintain Section 907 of the
Freedom Support Act in an historic Senate floor fight in 1999 of
which, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) led
the effort in maintaining Section 907 at that time. Sarbanes
announced his retirement from the Senate earlier this year and did
not seek re-election. The Assembly awarded him for his longstanding
support of Armenian issues during the National Advocacy Conference
and Banquet in March of this year.
According to the information DE FACTO got at the Armenian Assembly of
America (AAA), AAA Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said, `’The
Assembly will continue its bipartisan approach in the Senate and
looks forward to working with our Senate friends, as well as reaching
out to the new class of incoming Senators. We have much at stake and
will continue to promote an aggressive agenda to ensure a strong,
prosperous and democratic Armenia.”
Ardouny also noted that Reid and Durbin, along with House
Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who is
running for Majority Leader, have been consistent supporters of
Armenian issues. Their anticipated leadership positions in the next
Congress will provide new
opportunities for advancing key issues.
Several other Armenian issues supporters are slated to chair full
committees, including Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) – Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions; John Kerry (D-MA) – Small Business and
Entrepreneurship; Carl Levin (D-MI) – Armed Services; Tim Johnson
(D-SD)
– Select Committee on Ethics and others.
Senator George Allen (R-VA), an ardent supporter of Armenian issues,
conceded his re-election bid today, while Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues Members Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Benjamin Cardin
(D-MD) both won seats in the Senate. Brown and Cardin both voted for
Section 907 in the House floor fight in 1998 and support
Armenia-specific legislation in the current Congress. Senator Robert
Menendez (D-NJ) was re-elected for a second term, while Republican
Rick Santorum was defeated in Pennsylvania’s Senate contest.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
Aliyev named `Man of the Year’ in the country of `Orange Revolution’
10.11.2006 17:01
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was awarded the `Man of the Year’
international prize of Ukraine. The decision was taken by the supreme
academic council of the `Man of the Year – 2006′ national program,
`Trend’ agency reports.
The mid-term results of the decision were announced by Academician of
the National Academy of Sciences Vladimir Seminozhenko. According to
his information, the international prize in the sphere of
socio-political activity will be awarded to the President of
Azerbaijan.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
President awards medals to community heads
10.11.2006 16:53
President Robert Kocharyan handed medals to a number of
representatives of the self-governance sphere. According to
President’s decree of 9 November, on the occasion of the 10th
anniversary of self-governance bodies of Armenia and for considerable
contribution to the development of communities Anania Shirakatsi
medals were awarded to Head of Kentron community of Yerevan Gagik
Beglaryan, Head of Erebuni community Mher Sedrakyan, Head of
Margahovit village Seyran Ananyan, Head of Merdzavan village Levon
Grigoryan, Mayor of Hrazdan Aram Danielyan, Head of Voskevan village
Emma Hakobyan, Mayor of Gyumri Gevorg Malkhasyan, Head of Agarak
village Razmik Martirosyan, Head of Malishka village Mher Movsisyan,
Mayor of Ashtarak Gagik Muradyan and Head of Aragats village Gagik
Poghosyan.
Handing the awards, the President congratulated on the occasion of
the 10th anniversary of self-governance bodies.
Robert Kocharyan expressed willingness to know the assessments of
community heads of the problems, development traits and process of
local self-governance.
Noting that the activity of communities will be more effective in
case all the community issues are resolved by communities themselves,
Robert Kocharyan said year by year the government delegates certain
liabilities to local self-governance bodies.
During the meeting discussions were launched on the territorial
policy, the further deeds of local self-governance bodies and
development of communities.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
Turkey expands property rights of non-Muslim communities
10.11.2006 14:32
The Turkish Parliament has adopted a law, which expands the property
rights of non-Muslim communities of the country. Thus, Ankara has
fulfilled the recurrent requirement of the European Union on
reinforcement of minority rights.
The new law to be still signed by the President allows the Christian
Greek and Armenian, as well as the Jewish communities to demand
return of the property confiscated in 1974 by the Turkish state.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
Bogdan Borusewicz: The Karabakh conflict should be resolved based on
principles of international law
10.11.2006 13:47
`There is contradiction between two principles of settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. The first one is the principle of territorial
integrity. The second is the right of self-determination of peoples.
The conflict should be resolved based on the combination of these two
principles,’ Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz said in a press
conference in Baku.
`Poland is not party to the conflict, and I’m not a representative of
any of the sides. But I think that this conflict should be resolved
in a peaceful way, and the only possibility of the settlement of the
conflict is adherence to the provisions set by the OSCE Minsk Group.
The Group has correctly determined the steps that need to be taken
for the resolution of the conflict,’ added the Polish Senate Marshal.
Bogdan Borusewicz repeated the suggestion he made in Yerevan earlier
this week, when he had declared that Poland is ready to act as a
mediator to reduce the tension between Turkey and Armenia.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 10 2006
EU willing to build special relations with the South Caucasus
10.11.2006 12:23
The EU backs the OSCE Minsk Group mediation efforts, EU High
Commissioner for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana
told `Trend’ agency. `We cannot say that the EU is passive. EU has
done much. The region faces problems rooted in the conflicts. I want
to emphasize the importance of continuing the negotiations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan for reaching an agreement as soon as possible.
EU backs the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. I hope that
November 14th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries
in Brussels will help achieve further progress,’ declared Javier
Solana.
As for Georgia, EU considers that settlement of its internal
conflicts is of vital importance for the whole region. `EU Special
Envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby helps Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia to discuss the further political and economic reforms and
promote development of the region, making its contribution to the
peaceful settlement of conflicts and promoting further cooperation
between the countries of the region,’ EU High Commissioner reminded.
In response to the question about the importance the European Union
attaches to the cooperation with the countries of the South Caucasus,
Javier Solana noted that the fact that the three South Caucasian
countries are EU neighbors and are included in the European
Neighborhood Policy speaks about EU’s wish to build special relations
with the region.

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Nov 11 2006
Poland seeks to mediate between Turkey, Armenia
The New Anatolian / Warsaw
Polish Senate Chairman Bogdan Borusevic on Friday requested to
mediate between Ankara and Yerevan, through representing Armenia in
Turkey and vice versa until the two countries normalize their
relations.
Speaking to reporters following his contacts in Baku, Azerbaijan,
Borusevic stressed that the Polish initiative aims at easing tensions
and strengthening trust between Turkey and Armenia, noting his
country’s good relations with both countries.
“Although the border between Turkey and Armenia is closed, there are
limited and indirect economic relations between them,” he said.
“There is the need to establish the appropriate atmosphere to solve
the problems. Therefore, the Polish Foreign Ministry has requested to
represent the interests of Armenia in Turkey and Turkey in Armenia.
We are awaiting replies.” He also underlined the need for a positive
stance from both sides for the Polish initiative to succeed.
Borusevic also touched on the situation of Nagorno-Karabakh, saying,
“Poland thinks that the problem of the disputed enclave should be
solved through peaceful means through protecting the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.”
Praising the efforts of Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group towards finding a peaceful solution to the
dispute in Nagorno-Karabakh, Borusevic said, “They are bringing
apparent suggestions and direct parties about what kind of steps
should be taken.”
The disputed territory in Azerbaijan has been under the control of
Armenian and ethnic Armenian Karabakh forces since a 1994 cease-fire
ended a six-year separatist war that killed about 30,000 people and
drove about 1 million from their homes. The region’s final status has
not been worked out, and years of talks under the auspices of
international mediators have brought few visible results.

Azad Hye
November 10, 2006
Reported by Ara Ashjian
A decision was made to construct an Apostolic Armenian Church in the city of
Dahuk in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
During his recent parochial visit to Kerkuk, Zakho, Dahuk and other
locations, Archbishop Avak Asadourian, Primate of the Diocese of Iraq,
inspected the plot granted to the Armenian community by the Government of
Iraqi Kurdistan, on which the church would be constructed. The dedication of
the 16 foundations of the church is expected to take place during the
Archbishop’s next visit to Dahuk.
It is worth mentioning that there are recently four Armenian Apostolic
(Orthodox) churches in Baghdad; one church in each of Kerkuk, Zakho and
Basrah; a church in the village of Avzrouk in the Governorate of Dahuk and
two churches in Mosul (one of which was a target of terrorist act in 2004
and is now almost ready to serve the believers, following a renovation
project funded by the Iraqi Government).
On the other hand, construction work is going ahead for a multi-apartment
project in the Riyadh suburb (Camp Sarah Khatoun) in Baghdad. The building
site, the construction of which is supervised by the Armenian Apostolic
Prelacy, consists of two stories with a total of 18 residential apartments
and 6 commercial shops. The generated income will be used for the
restoration and maintenance service of the complex. Each apartment will host
one or two members of the community.
See photos: 21sks41
Original Arabic text available at:
p;id=51
Ara Ashjian’s articles are posted also at:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

International Herald Tribune, France
Nov 11 2006
Officials: Armenian military officer wounded in Iraq
YEREVAN, Armenia: An Armenian military officer with a contingent of
troops serving in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq has been wounded,
officials said Saturday.
Lt. Gevorg Nalbandian was wounded while on a mission to defuse mines,
Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Seiran Shakhsuvarian said, but he
did not say when or where the incident occurred.
Nalbandian had his foot amputated after the incident, Armenian
Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian said Saturday on a visit to the
military conscription office in the Armenian capital.
The Armenian troops have been deployed to Iraq since January 2005,
and early this year Armenia rotated its troops in Iraq for the fourth
time, sending 46 servicemen.
The mission has been met with criticism from opposition parties, many
Armenians and even the 30,000-strong Armenian community in Iraq,
which fears being targeted for attacks.
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian and his government have sought
to portray the deployment as a way to boost ties with Europe.
The Armenian contingent serves under Polish command.

Mehr News Agency, Iran
Nov 11 2006
Development of Iran-Armenia ties needs a legal framework: Armenian official
TEHRAN – The Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Karen Nazaryan said on
Saturday the expansion of trade ties between Iran and Armenia
requires a legal framework upon which their shared aims could be
established.
`Governments of both countries have long been trying to develop their
ties but few contracts have been signed due to lack of a mutually
accepted legal basis,’ he added, noting that the move has even been
pursued by the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Committee.
The two sides, she stated, should also resolve the problems that have
so far hindered cooperation between Iranian and Armenian private
sectors.