ANASTASIA GREBYONKINA – VAZGEN AZROYAN DANCING PAIR TO REPRESENT ARMENIA AT FIGURE SKATING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2007
TOKYO, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Figure skating world championship started
on March 20 in the capital of Japan, Tokyo. In competitions of ice
dancing pairs Armenia will be represented by Anastasia Grebyonkina –
Vazgen Azroyan pair.
PROGRAM ON FOUNDATION OF GORIS BUSINESS INCUBATOR TO COST 4 MILLION EUROS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2007
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "Armenia’s Small and Medium
Entrepreneurship Development National Center (SME DNC) and the OSCE
Yerevan Office are taking steps to raise 4 million euros necessary
for foundation of a business incubator in the city of Goris. The
OSCE Yerevan Office Head, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin stated this
at the March 20 press conference after the signing of the mutual
understanding and cooperation memorandum with the SME DNC.
In his words, the indicated sum is envisaged for the first 4 years of
implementation of the Goris business incubator program. He expressed a
hope that "this year we will already start implementing this program."
The SME DNC Director Ishkhan Karapetian in his turn noted that it is
also planned to found a business incubator in the city of Gyumri. Each
of these bodies will service 15-20 SME subjects.
CONSTRUCTION OF KARS-AKHALKALAKI-TBILISI RAILROAD HAS NEGATIVE EFFECT ON PABSEC IMAGE: ARMENIAN MP
Arminfo
2007-03-20 20:01:00
Signing of the agreement on constructing the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi
railroad has a negative effect on the image of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, as during its sessions
in Kishinev and Tiraspol PABSEC made a statement about inexpedience of
constructing this railroad, Gagik Minasyan, the head of the Armenian
delegation, said during a session of the PABSEC Committee on Economic
and Nature Protection Issues held in Athens.
He reminded that PABSEC’s statement emphasizes that the construction of
the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railroad will create new dividing lines in
the region, which will hinder its stable development. The statement
points out the necessity of reactivating the existing railroads,
particularly, the Kars-Gyumri-Akhalkalaki railroad. "Despite this
statement, three members of PABSEC – Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan
signed an agreement on constructing a new railroad, casting doubt on
the role of PABSEC as an organization which regulates and contributes
to stable development and peace in the region," G.Minasyan said.
He added that PABSEC member countries positively perceived this
statement.
Moreover, the organization’s leadership offered to present the document
at the Committee’s session in Varna for the further reconsideration
of the document at PABSEC’s plenary session.
PROCESS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION ENTERED NEW PHASE
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 13:58 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The process of Armenian Genocide international
recognition has entered a new phase, head of "Hay Dat" International
Office Giro Manoyan stated to a press conference in Yerevan. He said,
currently Turkey has directed all his efforts towards preventing
discussions around 106th resolution that recognizes the Armenian
Genocide, in the U.S. Congress. "But actually Turkey betrays his
strategic ally and partner, which is unacceptable for the United
States," Manoyan stressed.
The "Hay Dat" Office head also noted formulations in U.S. State
Department’s human rights report concerning Armenia can be viewed
as a method of pressure on Yerevan on the eve of parliamentarian
elections. "Such a report clearly shows that the United States being
a OSCE Co-Chair state, backs one of the conflicting parties. The
statement of U.S. Embassy in Armenia is also obscure concerning ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian’s comments on Richard Hoagland’s
nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. Such statements are not
accepted in diplomatic practice," Giro Manoyan underscored.
As to the next steps of the Armenian side, Giro Manoyan thinks if
suddenly Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide, it is necessary to
demand that Ankara declares about his responsibility for the committed
crime. "Modern Turkey is the assignee of the Ottoman Empire and fully
accounts for the events in 1915," the "Hay Dat" Office head underlined.
The U.S. State Department in its annual report on Human Rights
concerning Armenia called the Nagorno Karabakh and the territories
under her control "occupied territories". It is also worth
mentioning that the United State’s Embassy in Armenia "expressed
deep disappointment" for Aram Hamparian’s words, who said that
the U.S. Senate will not approve Richard Hoagland’s nomination as
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.
The latter denies the Armenian Genocide and doubts in deliberate
actions of Ottoman Empire authorities. Aram Hamparian’s statement is a
"wishful distortion of reality", says the statement of U.S. Embassy
in Armenia.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH IRAN PROVIDE EXIT FOR ARMENIA TO OUTSIDE WORLD
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 14:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Any communications that connect Armenia with Iran,
let it be a gas pipeline, railway or oil pipeline, are an exit for
Armenia to the outside world, head of "Hay Dat" International Office
Giro Manoyan stated to a press conference in Yerevan.
He said, with this gas pipeline Armenia’s energy independence will
be ensured. "Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is a counterbalance to all
those projects, which bypass Armenia bringing her to isolation:
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Kars-Baku railway. Having such
dangerous neighbors as Turkey and Azerbaijan we must think about our
own security and exit to the outside world," Manoyan underscored.
The construction of the 141-km gas pipeline was launched in November
2004. Initially Armenia will receive 1.5 million cubic meters of
Iranian gas per day. The second stage supposes construction of
the pipeline from Kajaran to Ararat (150 km). The project totals
$200-250 million. The gas pipeline is built by Iran, Armenia and
Russia represented by GazProm and RAO UES of Russia. In the course
of the coming 20 years Iran will supply Armenia with 36 billion cu
m of gas. The ‘blue fuel’ will be processed into energy for further
export to Iran.
TRIAL AGAINST JOURNALISTS WHO INCITED ISLAMIC RELIGION LAUNCHED IN BAKU
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 14:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday a trial launched in Sabil district court
of Baku against two Azeri journalists.
Reporter Rafiq Tagi and editor S. Sadagatoglu of "Senet" newspaper are
accused of inciting religious hatred with an article that criticized
Islam. On November 15 the court ordered a 2-month imprisonment
for R. Tagi and S. Sadagatoglu as a preventive punishment. . Tagi’s
November 1, 2006 article titled "Europe and we" asserted that Islamic
religion has suffocated people, pulled them away from freedom and
hindered humanity’s development, and said the Prophet Muhammad
created problems for Eastern countries. R. Tagi and S. Sadagatoglu
were arrested under 283rd article of Azeri Penal Code (inciting
religious, national and racial hatred). First lawyer of defendants
Isahan Ashurov basing on corresponding articles of law demanded to
change preventive punishment for his clients because of violation of
their rights. However the court rejected the petition.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 2, Day.az reported.
"ECHO": REGIONAL "GAS WAR" STARTED
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 14:48 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran-Armenia gas pipeline (IA) was put in commission
March 19 and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum (BTE) gas pipeline will be launched
March 25. Still during construction works of BTE analysts underlined
that the pipeline, which stretches from Azeri "Shahdeniz" main filed,
can serve as an additional and alternative way to Russian supplies
and a reliable channel of supplying the Old World with natural gas.
Azeri newspaper "Echo" reports that completion of IA pipeline also
aroused a number of discussions.
According to analysts, Iran that has vast resources of gas would
hardly participate in financing of such an expensive project
like construction of the pipeline, only to supply Armenia with
"blue fuel". Analysts say, it is not excluded that Iran wants to
use IA pipeline for entering transporting channels of Georgia and
then to the European market. According to other estimations, Iran,
which can fully use BTE pipeline for these purposes, is already an
all-sufficient country, and it is unlikely that the Islamic Republic
plans to deliver gas resources to Europe. In any case a real "gas war"
starts for supplying Europe with gas resources, say Azeri analysts.
ARMENIAN CHILDREN TO GET OPPORTUNITY FOR TREATMENT IN EUROPEAN CLINICS
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 14:59 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ From April 13 to 18 German physicians will work in
the Children Association of Armenia; they will select ill children,
whose treatment is impossible in Armenia. The program does not
suppose treatment of those children who suffer from cerebral palsy,
poliomyelitis, ontological diseases, epilepsy and schizophrenia.
PETER SEMNEBY TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN MARCH 23
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 15:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ European Union’s Special Representative for
Southern Caucasus Peter Semneby will arrive in Yerevan March 23, RA
MFA Acting Press Officer Vladimir Karapetyan told the PanARMENIAN.Net
journalist. Semneby himself said during his visit he is going to meet
with Armenian authorities. The Special Representative plans to visit
Azerbaijan and then Nagorno Karabakh in April.
ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES INTERESTED IN HOLDING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2007 15:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian had a
meeting with Ambassador Boris Frlec, head of OSCE’s ODIHR (Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) observation mission, which
will closely watch the May 12 parliamentary elections in Armenia. Boris
Frlec informed the minister about OSCE’s ODIHR mission goals, which
opened its representation in Armenia for long-term monitoring of
electoral campaign and the process of parliamentarian elections. On
the eve of elections some 300 observers will arrive in Armenia from
OSCE member-states with a short-term mission.
In his part the RA FM expressed readiness to assist the mission and
underlined that Armenian authorities are interested in holding free
and fair elections. The two particularly underscored the necessity of
participation in elections of all political parties in the republic,
the RA MFA Press Office reports.