Month: March 2007

Ajax USA
March 16 2007

Manucharyan pens contract renewal until summer 2011

16 March: Edgar Manucharyan has committed to Ajax until the 30 June
2011. The previous deal of the Armenian forward (20) would have
expired in the summer of 2008. "I am very pleased that Ajax have so
much faith in me," Manucharyan said, after having signed his new
deal. "I want to win the championship with Ajax and win trophies. I
want to be part of that. Ajax are very important to me and I hope I
can be just as important to Ajax."

Edgar Manucharyan (born Yerevan, Armenia, 19 January 1987) first
arrived at the Amsterdam ArenA on a try-out in December 2004, coming
from Pyunik Yerevan. The Armenian league season had just finished and
Manucharyan himself finished as the top goalscorer of the league. He
was also voted ‘Player of the Year’ in Armenia – and all of this at
the tender age of 17. The ‘Player of the Year’ trophy was supposed to
be presented to him on 14 December 2004, but Manucharyan couldn’t be
there in person: on that some evening the loanee made his unofficial
Ajax-1 début in a friendly fixture against FC Barcelona.

Unfrotunately, Manucharyan lasted for only 13 minutes: then he broke
a metatarsal in his right foot, had to undergo surgery and was
sidelined for approximately three months. Ajax, however, believed in
the youngster’s qualities and decided to give the youngster a second
chance after his recovery. Manucharyan grabbed it and Ajax offered
him a three year-contract as per 01 July 2005, which the player
signed on 15 April 2005.

Everybody at De Toekomst was soon raving about the Armenian’s talent
and he made his official Eredivisie début against AZ on 18 September
2005. However, Manucharyan appeared to be rather injury-prone, mainly
due to the fact that he had problems with the physical demands and
training intensity in Amsterdam. Persistent muscular injuries haunted
him throughout his first season, at the end of which he had to
undergo knee surgery. Manucharyan hardly saw action in the first half
year under coach Henk ten Cate, but is now – by all accounts – on his
way back.

So far, Manucharyan had 12 official first team appearances, in which
he scored one goal (in the UEFA Cup, against Austria Wien). This
season he played another 12 matches for Young Ajax, in which he
netted 8 times. "And now I want to prove that I can do the same thing
on the highest level!" the player said. (MP)

Source: Ajax.nl

The joint Armenian-French film `Parajanov – the last collage’ will be
presented at the Film Festival of the International Francophonie
Organisation (OIF) in Romania

Arminfo
2007-03-17 14:20:00

The joint Armenian-French film "Parajanov – the last collage" will be
presented at the International Film Festival of the International
Francophonie Organisation (OIF) in Romania – that is chairing in the
organization from 2006 till 2008.

Press service of Foreign Ministry reported ArmInfo that the Festival
will start in Bucharest – the capital of Romania – on 14 March. The
Armenian film is presented at the Festival by Armenia’s Embassy to
Romania.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 17 2007

Armenia’s plant failure discharges heavy effluents to Azeri rivers

[ 17 Mar 2007 12:37 ]

Armenia’s Akhtala Mining Combine discharged heavy and harmful
effluents to the Debet and the Khram onward to the Kur after the
accident.

Azerbaijan’s ecological labs have been put on the alert in the
regions of Kazakh and Beilagan during March 6-16 to analyze the river
water and the chemicals let into the water.
Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry told APA that the examination
of the samples taken from the Khram, Kur, Tovuzchay, Aghstafachay
Rivers and Aghstafa Water Reservoir showed that the water contains
copper ions 6.2 times above the average, zinc substances are 1.2
times above the norm in the water of Khram River and 1.3 times more
than the norm in the Kur River, 1.2 times more in Tovuzchay and 1.1
times in Aghstafachay. /APA /

Turkish Daily News
March 17 2007

Gül warns against genocide resolutions
Saturday, March 17, 2007

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül yesterday leveled criticism at
parliaments abroad that pass resolutions recognizing the killings of
Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire as genocide and warned
them not to be deceived by what he said were games.
`I hope that those who pursue policies over the alleged genocide
remember terrorist incidents and see how they generate terrorists by
throwing support to certain groups,’ Gül told a ceremony for the
commemoration of Turkish diplomats who died as a result of terrorist
attacks abroad while serving the Foreign Ministry.

`I also hope they remember how such groups carry out terrorist
activities even in countries which are known to be the most civilized
and that they are not deceived by such games,’ he added.

Several parliaments, including those of France, Canada and Poland,
have passed resolutions backing Armenian genocide claims. None of the
governments of European Union countries – except France – have
endorsed any resolution recognizing the alleged genocide.

Gül said Armenian terrorist organizations and outlawed
international groups caused the death of a number of Turkish
diplomats but made sure that none of the diplomats from the ministry
refrained from taking over Turkish posts abroad having seen such
examples.

`The entire world knows very well that the Turkish nation has never
hesitated to risking their lives for such elevated values,’ he added.
Gül emphasized that everyone should learn lessons from the past
experiences and see that terror is not a way out.

Sabah, Turkey
March 17 2007

‘I did not say not to recognize genocide’

The news that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates wrote a letter against
the Armenian bill to Bush turned out to be wrong. Microsoft Turkey
declared that "Gates has no information regarding the letter."

"I did not say not to recognize"

Referring to the news that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates wrote a
letter against the Armenian bill to Bush, Microsoft Turkey declared
that "Gates has no information regarding the letter."

The news that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates wrote a letter against
the Armenian bill to Bush turned out to be wrong. Since the news
about Gates’ letter appearing on Armenian Diaspora websites and
Azerbaijani press, the world is focused on the content of the letter.
Microsoft Turkey has declared that Gates has not written such a
letter.

Sabah, Turkey
March 17 2007

‘I would not object to negotiation’

The favorite presidential candidate in France, Bayrou said: "If I am
elected, I would not object to the continuance of negotiations just
like Merkel. I will continue French national policy. I am against
Armenian bill."

‘I was against Turkey, but…’

We spoke with Christian Democrat Bayrou who became popular in the
elections suddenly.

Referring to the Armenian genocide denial bill waiting at the senate,
he said: "I do not think the first law (recognizing genocide) is
affirmative. French president can say "I believe in genocide"
representing the country. However, it is wrong to enact this as a
law. Thousands of Armenians experienced a tragedy at the beginning of
the last century. But this should not be a matter of law; it should
be a matter for historians."

Sabah, Turkey
March 17 2007

Prayer for martyrs

The minister Gül attended the memorial ceremony for the martyrs of
the ministry of foreign affairs. Gül prayed with the relatives of
martyrs and gave message to the USA "do not forget Armenian
terrorism."

Gül to the USA: "never forget terrorism"

Gül gave messages to the USA at the memorial ceremony held for the
martyrs of the ministry of foreign affairs.

The minister of foreign affairs Abdullah Gül gave the USA the message
"do not forget Armenian terrorism" as the so-called Armenian genocide
bill was submitted to the Senate. Gül reminded of many diplomats
killed by Armenian terrorist organizations. Gül added: "I hope the
ones assuming the so-called genocide bills a policy for themselves
will remember these terrorist actions."

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 17 2007

Genocide blunder in US Embassy almanac

While debates continue in the US over a resolution presented to
Congress on the alleged Armenian genocide, an almanac distributed by
the US Embassy in Ankara lists Turkey as a country that has committed
genocide.

"The World Almanac and Book of Facts" was first published in 1868 by
the New York World newspaper and has long been distributed by the US
Embassy in Ankara. However this year’s version contains a reference
to the early 20th century killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
as "genocide," a label Turkey vehemently denies.

The most recent version of the annual almanac, which covers important
events in US and world history, mentioned Turkey in the "Crime and
Terrorist activities; Genocide" section.

The almanac noted that the term "genocide" was first used by Dr.
Raphael Lemkin in 1944 and asserts that the definition of the world
contained the practices of "members of a group being killed, serious
bodily injuries to members of a group, prevention of births and
children being removed from the group."

The almanac continued with the following statements:

"The year: 1915, the event: Armenians being destroyed by Young Turks,
the location: Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, estimated deaths: some 1
million."

Other examples of genocide listed in the 2007 World Almanac of Books
and Facts were the events that occurred in Ukraine in the 1930s, the
experiences of Jews at the hands of Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, the
activities of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia from 1975-1979, the murder
of Iraqi Kurds in 1988, the experience of Bosnians from 1992-1995,
the events that took place in Rwanda in 1994 and the events in
Sudan’s Darfur region ongoing since 2003.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 17 2007

FM Gül calls for peace while paying tribute to slain diplomats

Commemorating martyred members of the Turkish Foreign Ministry at a
ceremony held in Ankara, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül called for
attention to the fact that certain radical Armenian groups who now
support the recognition of an alleged Armenian genocide also once
supported terrorist activities.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül attended a ceremony in Ankara yesterday
commemorating martyred members of the Foreign Ministry. Dozens of
Turkish diplomats were slain in the past in attacks by the Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, or ASALA.
"I hope that those who are attempting to politicize the alleged
genocide will not play this game and instead remember past terror
incidents, remember how those groups for which they feel sympathy now
produced terrorists at the time, and remember how they carried out
terrorist activities in countries assumed to be the most civilian,"
Gül said at the ceremony.

"The entire world knows well that the Turkish nation didn’t hesitate
to sacrifice their lives for moral values," Gül added, referring to
the fact that dozens of Turkish diplomats were murdered in the past
in attacks by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
(ASALA). Thirty-nine Foreign Ministry diplomats buried in the Cebeci
Cemetery in Ankara were killed as a result of Armenian terrorism or
some other terrorist attacks.

Expressing the pride that his ministry feels for the martyrs, Gül
also called for peace. "We hope that everyone understands that peace
is precious. When needed, the Turkish nation went to war, however,
when needed, it never avoided peace as well. That’s why we continue
to spread peace in our neighborhood," he said.

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertuðrul Apakan as well as the
relatives of martyred diplomats and ministry staff attended the
ceremony.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 17 2007

‘Anti-Drug Campaign’ Pledged

Lawmakers from the ruling National Movement party have launched
elaboration of a draft law envisaging confiscation of property from
drug dealers, officials said on March 16.

President Saakashvili proposed to adopt this new law as part of a
large-scale anti-drug campaign during his annual state of nation
address to the Parliament on March 15.

`I offer you to adopt a law through which drug dealers will not only
be jailed, but their property acquired through making our citizens
unhappy will be fully confiscated,’ Saakashvili told lawmakers.

In an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster on March 16,
Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said that drug addiction has
reached alarming scales and has turned into one of the major problems
in Georgia.

He said that unfortunately there is `high tolerance towards drug
users’ among the Georgian society and this attitude should be
changed. But he also said that `this high tolerance is not expressed
towards drug dealers.’

Merabishvili also said that unlike in neighboring countries, there
are cases of drug addiction among employees of the Georgian state
structures.

`For example in Armenia you can hardly find drug users among
officials… By the way there are almost zero per cent drug users among
our citizens of Armenian ethnicity in Akhalkalaki and Tsalka,’ he
said.

Merabishvili also noted that the Interior Ministry plans `to deprive
drug addicts of certain rights’ for example driving licenses. He also
said that the Interior Ministry considers of sending list of drug
addicts to the foreign embassies in Tbilisi and ask them not to issue
entry visas to their respective countries if requested.

He also said that breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
represent `free zones of drug trafficking.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress