Month: March 2007

PILOT TRAINING FOR ARMENIA

Turkish Press, MI
March 13 2007

Turkey is making preparations to become the pilot training center
of the region. Accordingly, Turkey will also train pilot candidates
coming from Armenia.

TURKISH MPS IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Turkish Press, MI
March 13 2007

WASHINGTON D.C. – Turkish parliamentarians arrived in Washington D.C.
today to lobby against the resolution on the so-called Armenian
genocide, presented to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Turkish MPs are to meet executives of the U.S. Department of State
and members of Jewish organizations, and participate in a meeting to
be organized by Turkish American Council.

This is the second parliamentary delegation visiting the United
States. The first one lobbied against the resolution in the previous
weeks.

Another parliamentary delegation is expected to arrive in Washington
D.C. at the end of this month.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE FLIGHT NOW LEAVING HEATHROW IS…EMPTY
Dominic O’Connell and Maurice Chittenden

Times Online, UK
March 13 2007

AN airline is flying an empty passenger jet between Heathrow and
Cardiff on a daily basis – just so that it can hold on to its lucrative
slots at the London airport.

The flights, which have pumped hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere in the past five months, threaten to undermine
the aviation industry’s public stance of trying to reduce emissions.

The flights are being run by British Mediterranean Airways (BMed) –
until recently part-owned by the family of Wafic Said, the Syrian-born
financier – which flies the Airbus passenger plane from Heathrow to
Cardiff and back six times a week. As a British Airways franchise,
it pays a percentage of its revenue to BA in return for operating in
its livery.

No tickets are sold and all 124 passenger seats are empty. Because
there are no passengers, the "ghost" flights, which have run since
October, do not appear on departure or arrival boards.

Related Links Tories plan to slap tax on frequent flyers The sole
purpose is to keep hold of landing slots on runways at Heathrow, the
world’s busiest airport for international flights. The slots can be
reallocated if an airline does not use them regularly.

They are so valuable that they can change hands among airlines for
up to £10m each.

The disclosure comes as David Cameron, the Tory leader, attempted this
weekend to seize the "green" initiative with plans to hit airlines
and passengers with new taxes. These could be calculated according
to the number of miles they fly each year.

In The Sunday Times today, David Miliband, the environment secretary,
proposes giving people an annual carbon allowance, making them
financially responsible for their emissions. He also calls for
restrictions on airline emissions.

Such concerns will be reinforced by the BMed ghost flights. Each
140-mile flight produces 5.21 tons of carbon dioxide.

Over the five months, the 12 flights a week will have sent as much CO2
into the atmosphere as 36,000 cars streaming along the M4 motorway. It
is equivalent to the annual CO2 output of a town of 2,000 people.

By the end of this month the flights will also have cost BMed at
least £2m. There is a £2,500 fuel bill for each flight, plus £300,000
a month for the lease, insurance, crew and maintenance charges.

Graham Thompson of Plane Stupid, a campaign group, said: "It’s quite
shocking. These ghost flights very much undermine the greenwash
we get from the airlines on how they are going to protect the
environment. This shows that they are willing to sacrifice the climate
for a profit."

The flights reveal the lengths to which airlines will go to hang on
to runway slots. All of Heathrow’s daily 1,250 time slots – except
for a few late at night – are allocated to particular airlines and
are jealously guarded. BA has 40% of the slots at Heathrow. There
is also an active trade in the runway positions, with some carriers
prepared to buy their way in.

While the trades are rarely made public, three years ago Qantas,
the Australian airline, paid £20m for just two return flights a day.

Airlines must use their allocation or have the slot withdrawn. If a
slot is not used 80% of the time over a six-month season, it is handed
back to an independent coordinating body that allocates runway times.

BMed has just eight aircraft and flies as a BA franchise to
destinations such as Tehran, Beirut, Yerevan in Armenia, Baku in
Azerbaijan and Tbilisi in Georgia – a list that has led some to
describe it as "BA with balls".

It came up with the Cardiff plan after it was forced to scrap flights
to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, at the end of October after
civil unrest there.

There is no passenger service between Heathrow and Cardiff. Industry
experts claimed that the costs of launching a new service for five
months would have been prohibitive. However, selling tickets at £100
a journey could have brought BMed as much as £12,400 revenue for
each flight.

Last Friday night’s arrival was the last of the day at Cardiff and
the two pilots walked through a deserted airport before going to
their hotel to rest before yesterday’s return flight.

Green campaigners believe that airlines such as BMed should be fined
for their blatant disregard of environmental concerns. Many airlines,
including BA, offer to offset each passenger’s share of a flight’s
carbon emissions in return for an extra fee.

Tony Juniper, vice-chairman of Friends of the Earth International,
said: "It’s nuts. The government should take immediate steps to stop
the practice. Clearly if a plane is full it can claim to be energy
efficient, but flying empty planes is madness."

He said that the government should introduce a new system to "fine"
airlines that fly empty planes. There would be no charge for full
aircraft but the levy would increase as the passenger list diminished.

David Richardson, BMed’s chief executive, said the company had examined
several options for retaining the slots, including leasing them to
another airline or operating ghost flights with a smaller aircraft.

"The Uzbek market had really collapsed, but we knew we would want to
use those timings again this summer. It wasn’t the ideal thing to do,
but we wanted to keep hold of it," he said.

"It is possible to do it more cheaply than we have done – in theory.

Our difficulty was that with the timings we had we needed an airport
that was open all night. We looked at the alternatives, including
Manston [in Kent], and Cardiff was the best option."

Richardson said that BMed had decided to use a full-size airliner
on the flight, rather than a smaller plane, so as not to slow down
other arriving aircraft.

"You could use any type of plane, but the airport gets a little upset
with you if you use a little Piper Warrior, say. We did not want to
get on the wrong side of the airport on that, so we used the Airbus,"
he said.

At the time BMed was eager to retain the valuable slots because it was
seeking either fresh investment or a buyer. The airline was founded
in 1994 under the chairmanship of Lord Hesketh, the Conservative peer.

Guernoy, a Guernsey-registered investment group which is controlled
by the trust settlements of three members of the family of Said,
the benefactor of the Said Business School at Oxford University,
owned a 49% stake in BMed.

Last month BMI British Midland, the British airline group chaired by
Sir Michael Bishop, announced that it had struck a deal to buy BMed
for £30m. It will continue flying as a BA franchise until October.

BMI is the second largest slot holder at Heathrow, with 12% of the
total. The London airport’s runways may be about to become even
more valuable with the prospect of an open skies deal between Europe
and America.

If this deal goes through – it is to be decided at a meeting of
European transport ministers on March 22 – large American airlines
that are currently barred from Heathrow are expected to buy their
way in, pushing the prices of runway slots even higher.

–Boundary_(ID_sLRFwl80JsriMnn5ZsqgHQ)–

CHAIRMAN OF THE ARMENIAN CB TO DISCUSS IN UFA THE STANDARDS OF THE QUALITY OF THE BANKING ACTIVITIES

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
March 13 2007

Yerevan, March 13 /Mediamax/. Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia
Tigran Sarkisian left for Ufa today to participate in the "Banks,
Processes, Standards, Quality" forum.

As Mediamax was told in the CB press service, the forum is dedicated
to the memory of the first Deputy Chairman of the Russian Central
Bank Andrei Kozlov.

During the forum, which is jointly organized by the Russian CB,
the Association of Russian banks, the National Bank and the Union
of Credit Organizations of Bashkiria, the quality standards of the
banking activities, the implementation of the standard of providing
information security to the organizations, involved in the banking
sphere, and other issues will be discussed.

Tigran Sarkisian will make a speech during the forum "What the
financial control should be like".

UNESCO TO DECIDE ON SENDING MISSION TO AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA BY LATE MARCH

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2007

It is not exactly known whether UNESCO will send mission to Azerbaijan
and Armenia to monitor the situation of historical monuments, UNESCO’s
central headquarters in Paris told the APA.

The headquarters said that the negotiations on the organization’s
sending mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia continue. A final decision
is expected to be made by late March.

The decision will determine the date and the places to be monitored
by the mission.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH INCLUDED IN LIST OF PROBLEMATIC REGIONS IN EUROPE

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2007

France, Paris / Trend , corr E.Mejidli / The Council of Europe hosted
a meeting of the Committee on Political

Hajiyeva said that the discussions were very positive. They focused
on the democratic situation in Europe, human rights and freedom.

The gathering also discussed the disputable territories called ‘black
points’. Protesting against the absence of Nagorno-Karabakh which is
also one of the disputable regions in Europe, she proposed to include
it in this list. The proposal was adopted after a majority vote and
Nagorno-Karabakh was included on the list

PACE Co-rapporteur Andreas Herkel also said that Karabakh was
considered as one of the uncontrolled regions.

GENOCIDE DENIAL

Kathimerini, Greece
March 13 2007

Turkish militant leader Dogu Perincek will appeal his conviction under
a Swiss law for denying that mass killings of Armenians during World
War One constituted genocide, his lawyer said yesterday.

Perincek, the leader of the Turkish Workers’ Party, received a fine
of 3,000 Swiss francs (-1,900) and a suspended sentence last Friday
from a court in Lausanne, over comments he made during a rally in
the Swiss city in 2005. He was the first person to be convicted in
Switzerland for denying the Armenian genocide, following his claim
the killings were an "international lie." (AFP)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANI MP ACHIEVES INCLUSION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH AS UNCONTROLLED TERRITORY INTO REPORT "SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN EUROPE"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2007

The Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) Committee for
Legal Affairs and Human Rights met yesterday, APA’s Europe bureau
reports.

The approval of the report on situation of human rights in Europe
and Montenegro’s admission to the Council of Europe were debated.

Analogous issues were discussed at the meeting of the PACE Political
Affairs Committee. Azerbaijan was discussed at the meetings of
both committees. Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE,
parliamentarian Gultekin Hajiyeva told the APA’s Europe bureau that
the report "The situation of democracy in Europe drawn up by Swiss
parliamentarian Andreas Gross was debated.

"I gave proposals to this report and most of them have been taken
into consideration. The proposals were connected with the necessity of
preventing cases of islamophobia, religious and national discrimination
and creating conditions for ensuring women’s rights in European
democracies. The discussions on the report "Situation of human rights
in Europe" drawn up by Purgoridz, parliamentarian from Cyprus, was
very interesting for Azerbaijan. The most interesting point in the
report is connected with uncontrolled territories in Europe. I had
some additions to the report. The rapporteur included South Ossetia,
Abkhazia and Transnestria in the list of uncontrolled territories,
but forgot Nagorno Karabakh. After my serious remark, the rapporteur
agreed to include Nagorno Karabakh into the list of uncontrolled
territories," she said.

Gultekin Hajiyeva noted that there were unpleasant momentums during
the discussions.

"Deputy Chief of the Committee for Legal Affairs, Ukrainian MP
Holovatiy was against my proposal and said that Nagorno Karabakh
problem differs from South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transnestria
problems. He always expresses his own position and his position does
not coincide with the position of the Ukrainian government. I protested
against his position and drew his attention to four resolutions of
the UN Security Council and the document #1416 adopted by the PACE
in January, 2005. I also told the committee members that Holovatiy
is very crude towards the Azerbaijani delegation. Nagorno Karabakh
is not a disputed territory. Azerbaijan’s sovereign rights over
Nagorno Karabakh are out of discussion. I asked Holovatiy what his
position is based on and said that such position of a deputy chief
of the Committee for Legal Affairs is unwelcoming. My remarks were
adopted and Nagorno Karabakh was included in the list of uncontrolled
territories in Europe," she said.

Gultekin Hajiyeva said that the reports approved at the meetings of
both committees will be debated in the PACE spring session.

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER TO PRESENT SPEECH TO UN ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend , corr S.Agayeva / The Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, is participating in a session of the UN
Council of Human Rights, held in Geneva.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported that the Minister is expected
to make a speech on the situation of human rights and inform the
participants in the session about reforms held in this sphere.

The Council of Human Rights is a subsidiary body of the UN General
Assembly, which replaced the UN Commission on Human Rights. Since
2006 Azerbaijan has held a membership at the Council.

As part of its participation in the session, the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister will also meet with the Armenian Foreign Minister.

EBB AND FLOW OF THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

UCLA Asia Institute, CA
March 13 2007

March 17, 2007-Saturday Morning (9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.)

Introduction-Ebb and Flow. Richard G. Hovannisian, UCLA

Armenian Settlements and Cultural Life

Chair and Discussant: Engseng Ho, Harvard University

Armenian Mercantile Communities in Southeast Asia. Margaret Sarkissian,
Smith College

>>From Dispersion to Nation: Armenian Diasporic Speculations in
18th-Century India.

SATURDAY, March 17 (9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

Morning Session: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Introduction-Ebb and Flow Richard G. Hovannisian, UCLA

"Armenian Settlements and Cultural Life" Chair and Discussant:
Engseng Ho, Harvard University

Armenian Mercantile Communities in Southeast Asia Margaret Sarkissian,
Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts >>From Dispersion to Nation:
Armenian Diasporic Speculations in 18th-Century India Khachig Tololyan,
Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut The Indian Interlude in
the Development of Modern Armenian Drama Peter Cowe, UCLA INTERMISSION
"Azdarar" and Other Armenian Periodicals of India Osheen Keshishian,
Glendale Community College Joseph Emin and British Colonial Policy in
Calcutta Mana Kia, Harvard University General Discussion LUNCH RECESS

Afternoon Session: 2:00-:5:30 p.m.

"Indo-Armenian History and Relations" Chair and Discussant: Houri
Berberian, California State University, Long Beach

Colonial Counterflows: An Armenian Lady from Agra in London, circa 1610
Michael Fisher, Oberlin College Khwaja Gorgin Khan: An 18th-Century
Armenian General of the Bengal Army Bhaswati Bhattacharya, University
of Leiden Notables and Benefactors (with a film on Sir Catchick Paul
Chater) Richard Hovannisian, UCLA INTERMISSION Armenian-American
GIs and the Armenian Community of India in World War II Gregory
Aftandilian, Harvard University The Present State of the Indo-Armenian
Community Armen Baibourtian, Erevan, First Armenian Ambassador to
India General Discussion

SUNDAY, March 18 (2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

"Long Distance Merchants and Julfan Trade in the Indian Ocean" Chair
and Discussant: Edward A. Alpers, UCLA

French Commercial Ambitions and Armenian Interlocutors in 17th-Century
Asia Sanjay Subrahmanyam, UCLA Long Distance Merchants and the Role
of Julfan "Networks of Trust" Sebouh Aslanian, Columbia University
Don Pedro di Zaratte: A Julfan Armenian in Mexico City, 1723-31.

Tatiana Seijas, Yale University General Discussion

Concluding Remarks

Khachig Tololyan, Wesleyan University

The Indian Interlude in the Development of Modern Armenian Drama.

Peter Cowe, UCLA

Refreshments

"Azdarar" and Other Armenian Periodicals of India. Osheen Keshishian,
Glendale Community College

Joseph Emin and British Colonial Policy in Calcutta . Mana Kia,
Harvard University

General Discussion

Lunch Recess: 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Saturday Afternoon: (2:00-5:30 p.m.)

Indo-Armenian History and Relations

Chair and Discussant: Houri Berberian (California State University,
Long Beach)

Colonial Counterflows: An Armenian Lady from Agra in London, circa
1610. Michael Fisher, Oberlin College

Khwaja Gorgin Khan: An 18th-Century Armenian General of the Bengal
Army. Bhaswati Bhattacharya, University of Leiden

Notables and Benefactors (with a film on Sir Catchick Paul Chater).

Richard G. Hovannisian, UCLA

Refreshments

Armenian-American GIs and the Armenian Community of India in World
War II. Gregory Aftandilian, Harvard University

The Present State of the Indo-Armenian Community. Armen Baibourtian,
Erevan, First Armenian Ambassador to India

General Discussion

Sunday March 18: (2:00-5:30 p.m.)

Long Distance Merchants and Julfan Trade in the Indian Ocean

Chair and Discussant: Edward A. Alpers, UCLA

French Commercial Ambitions and Armenian Interlocutors in 17th-Century
Asia. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, UCLA

Long Distance Merchants and the Role of Julfan "Networks of Trust".

Sebouh Aslanian, Columbia University

Don Pedro di Zaratte: A Julfan Armenian in Mexico City, 1723-31.

Tatiana Seijas, Yale University

General Discussion

Concluding Remarks

Photographic Exhibit by Richard and Anne Elizabeth Elbrecht, Davis

Date: Sunday, March 18, 2007

Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Court of Sciences 50 (Young Hall) UCLA Los Angeles, CA 90095

Cost: Open to the Public at No Charge

Special Instructions Parking: Structure 2 ($8.00), UCLA Entrance,
Hilgard and Westholme Avenues.

For more information please contact Richard Hovanissian

Posted by: Center for European and Eurasian Studies

Sponsor(s): Center for European and Eurasian Studies, UCLA
International Institute, Center for India and South Asia, Department
of History, Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian
History, G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies

ent.asp?eventid=5382