Month: March 2007

Panorama.am

18:57 16/03/2007

COMPLAINT- MEDIATION ON MATAGHISI CASE

`Additional initial investigation on Mataghisi Case is running with
serious violations of law,’ Mataghisi Case protection committee
members say. They have prepared a complaint-mediation which says any
involvement by military prosecutor’s office indicates that the real
criminals will not be disclosed. At present, the case is under the
jurisdiction of military prosecutor’s investigators under the
supervision of general military prosecutor Armen Khachatryan.

The mediation is initiated by the parents of Hovsep Mkrtumyan, a
military servant murdered in Mataghisi military unit. It is signed by
the parents of three military servants, Araik Zalyan, Razmik Sargsyan
and Musa Serobyan, who were charged with murder accusation and later
released by Appeal Court.

The mediation group demands to pass the investigation to independent
investigators and exclude the participation of military prosecutor’s
office.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Panorama.am

20:16 16/03/2007

DEPUTY OF PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT

Armen Ashotyan, deputy of parliament, said `history repeats’ speaking
about the text on Armenia in human rights monthly report of U.S. State
Department. The report writes, `Armenia keeps on occupying Nagorno
Karabakh and seven districts of Azerbaijan.’

Ashotyan said such reports are prepared from excerpts from other
reports. `They take from Freedom House or other organizations,’ he
said.

The deputy said USA is guided by Christian principle, `Left hand does
not know what is right hand doing.’ He said USA allocates funds to
Nagorno Karabakh, is a member of Minsk Group and often receives
leadership of Nagorno Karabakh.

Despite of this, Ashotyan says USA should remain as a strategic
partner of Armenia.

Source: Panorama.am

Natural Gas from Iran to Enter Armenia from March 19

Arminfo
2007-03-16 11:44:00

Natural gas from Iran by Iran-Armenia gas line will enter Armenia
started March 19, Director General of "High-Voltage Power transmission
Lines" state CJSC Sahak Abramyan told ArmInfo. The Company is a
Customer of the gas line construction.

According to S. Abramyan, the first 40-km section of the gas line from
Meghri to Kajaran has already been built. A solemn ceremony will be
held in view of the Iranian gas entry the Republic. The two countries’
Presidents and the Government members will take part in the ceremony ,
the Director General said. Armenia will be able to receive to 450 mln
cub m of gas a year by this gas line section till 2008. Further, the
volumes of the Iranian gas supplies may grow to 2,3 bln cub m a year
with the increase of the gas line’s throughput capacity from Kajaran
to Ararat.

As the RA Energy Minister Armen Movsisian told ArmInfo earlier, during
the solemn ceremony of opening the gas line, Armenia and Iran intended
to sign an interstate agreement on construction of a boundary PTL on
Araks river, as well to discuss another energy projects.

To note, the total length of Iran-Armenia gas line makes up 141
km. For construction of the first section, the Iranian side has given
a credit of $28,2 mln with an interest rate of Libor+2 and with the
repayment term within 5 years since the gas line commissioning.
Armenia will pay off for gas by electric energy supplies on the basis
of 3 kWh per 1 cub m of natural gas. It is assumed that the right for
the gas line operation will be given to "ArmRosgazprom"
Armenian-Russian CJSC that presently carries out the works to increase
the throughput capacity of this gas line.

NATO cannot force Armenian-Turkish cooperation – alliance official

Arminfo, Yerevan
15 Mar 07

A senior NATO official has ruled out this body’s particular role in
improving Armenian-Turkish relations, Arminfo news agency has
reported.

At a news conference held in Yerevan on 15 March, Director of the
Defence Partnership and Cooperation Directorate of NATO’s Defence
Planning and Operations Division George Katsirdakis said: " NATO
cannot have any other role in this issue, but call for friendship. We
cannot force friendship."

He expressed his own opinion that the improvement of Armenian-Turkish
relations would be in favour of the region, Arminfo added.

"It would simplify the region’s life and reduce problems," Katsirdakis
said. The NATO official expressed his hope that the two countries’
politicians would find a solution to the problem.

Turkish Press
March 16 2007

Atacal Calls On All Turks To Attend Protests Against Allegations Of
So-called Armenian Genocide
Published: 3/15/2007

NEW YORK – Ulker Aksu, chairperson of the Association of Turkish
American Contend with Armenian Lies (ATACAL), has called on all
Turkish people living in the United States to attend demonstrations
to be held in New York and Washington D.C. to protest the allegations
on so-called Armenian genocide.
Holding a news conference, Aksu said that the first one of protests
would take place in New York`s Times Square on April 21st, and the
second one in Washington D.C. on April 22nd.

"We also want to erect a monument in New Jersey out of respect to
Turkish diplomats who were slain by Armenian terrorists. We held
talks with Turkish Consul General in New York Mehmet Samsar," Ulker
added.

Meanwhile, Hayati Tekin, mayor of Kutlukent town of the northern
Turkish city of Samsun from the delegation of Turkish mayors visiting
New York, said in his part, "Armenian allegations are nothing but
lies. They unfoundedly accuse the Ottomans which embraced all
nations."

"The monument to be erected in New Jersey for the memory of Turkish
diplomats will cost about 300 thousand USD. We, as the Union of
Turkish Municipalities (TBB), will be pleased to pay it," Tekin
added.

PanARMENIAN.Net

77 candidates included in list of National Democratic Party of Armenia
16.03.2007 18:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The list of the National Democratic Party of Armenia
(leader Shavarsh Kocharian) will be presented with 77 candidates by
the proportional system for the parliamentary election scheduled for
May 12. 60% of the candidates are DPA members, 40% represent groups of
non-party civil initiative.

35% are women, 15% are young people under 30, reports IA Regnum.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Film about Karabakh war screened in Brno
16.03.2007 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A film titled `A story of people in war and peace’
produced by Vardan Hovhannisian was screened at the festival of
documentaries in Brno (Czechia). The film shot by an Armenian reporter
tells about the fate of those who fought in the Karabakh war.

CT2 channel, Lidovskiye Noviny, Prague Post, Radio Cesko and other
mass media cover the festival.

Members of Azerbaijani Diaspora in Czechia and Azerbaijani students
delivered brochures and information bulletins to the audience in order
to inform them of `truth’ on the Karabakh problem, reports APA.

`ArmenTel’ CJSC Reduced Tariffs on Corporate Packages of Cell
Communication Services 8 Times

Arminfo
2007-03-16 11:53:00

"ArmenTel" CJSC has announced today about an unprecedented reduction
of tariffs on new corporate packages of cell communication services
from the present 48 drams per minute to 6 drams.

As the Company’s press-service told ArmInfo, the tariffs on new
corporate packages took effect from March 14, 2007. Thus, the
subscribers of SIM-cards are offered a "Corporation" tariff scheme,
according to which a tariff for 1 minute of talk reduces to 6 drams
instead of the present 48 drams provided that 31 numbers are
connected. By the "Team" corporate package, the tariff decreases to 18
drams per minute of talk provided that from 3 to 30 numbers are
connected. The corporate packages are intended for juridical persons
and should sufficiently reduce the expenses of business-subscribers
for telephone talks, the Company informed.

To remind, the "VympelCom" Russian OJSC acquired 90% of shares of
"ArmenTel" CJSC since 2006, the rest 10% of shares are controlled by
RA Government.

To note, the second operator of cell communication in Armenia, the
VivaCell Company, has addressed the Economic Competition Protection
Commission blaming the "ArmenTel" CJSC for using the damping prices.

85% of Azeris consider Turks their frirnds and allies

ArmRadio.am
16.03.2007 11:00

Public opinion polls revealed that 85% of Azerbaijani citizens
consider Turks their friends and allies, the Journal of Turkish Weekly
reports. Russia and Georgia follow Turkey. Armenia is the first in the
list of enemies.

The survey was conducted the `Frederic Eberti’ Fund among 1 000
citizens from 12 cities of Azerbaijan. More than 59% of the
interviewee does not accept the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

Representative of Pentagon anxious about the passage of the Armenian
Genocide resolution

ArmRadio.am
16.03.2007 13:12

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for NATO and European Affairs
Dan Fata declared that the adoption of the Armenian Genocide
resolution `will create nationalist and anti-American moods among the
Turkish society, which is not of high opinion about the United States
even without it,’ Mediamax agency reports.

Dan Fata said this during the hearings on the `American-Turkish
relations and future challenges’ in the US House of Representatives.

`The adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution will have a number
of negative consequences. In particular, the reaction of Turkey will
damage the US continuous efforts to reconcile Turkey and Armenia, will
hamper the military actions of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan and will
cause harm to important issues of national security.

The passage of the bill will create nationalist and anti-American
moods among the Turkish society, which is not of high opinion about
the United States even without it. Such emotional reaction will most
probably make the Turkish Government take steps that can cause
considerable harm to our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey
has considerable contribution to the global fight against corruption
and the defense of US rights in the region, and all this will be
endangered. If we speak in a broader scope, serious damage will be
caused to the relations with NATO, which will considerably harm the
opportunities of the US to reach its short-term and long-term
targets,’ the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense stated.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress