Month: March 2007

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 27 2007

MARCH 28 ANNOUNCED A MOURNING DAY IN NAGORNO-KARABAGH

The Nagorno-Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghoukassian sent a
condolences telegram to RA PM Andranik Margarian’s family.
According to the information DE FACTO Agency received at the NKR
President’s Administration, the telegram runs, in part:
`A person, who entirely devoted his rich experience, knowledge and
patriotic ardor to the formation and development of an independent
Armenian statehood, promotion of economic progress of Armenia and
improvement of the well-being of Armenian people untimely deceased”.

According to the telegram, `’ since the first days of the Artsakh
movement Andranik Margarian actively participated in the
national-liberation struggle, made significant contribution in
victory achievement, formation of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic as a
second Armenian independent state and its social and economic
development”.
In connection with RA PM Andranik Margarian’s death March 28 has been
announced a mourning day in the Nagorno-Karabagh. The corresponding
decree was signed by the NKR President.

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
March 27 2007

Armenian resolution may not go to Congress: Babacan

The Turkish Economy Minister praised the efforts of US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to push for the bill to be dropped.

Güncelleme: 12:10 TSÝ 27 Mart 2007 SalýWASHINGTON – The chances of
the US Congress voting on a resolution formally recognising
allegations that the Ottoman Empire committed an act of genocide
against its Armenian citizens was receding, according to Turkey’s
Economy Minister.

Ali Babacan, who is the Turkish State Minister responsible for the
Economy and Ankara’s chief European Union said Monday it was now less
likely that a resolution on Armenian genocide allegations would come
to the floor of the US Congress.

`Things looked extremely dark two months ago but thanks to the
efforts exerted by the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the staff at our
Washington Embassy, as well as our lawmakers and non-governmental
organisations, I see better chances that the resolution would not be
submitted to the Congress,’ Babacan said in Washington after
attending the 26th annual conference of the Turkish American Council
(ATC).

Reporters without borders (press release), France
March 27 2007

Call for action against suspected masterminds of journalist’s murder

Reporters Without Borders today appealed to the government to act
against those who ordered the 19 January killing of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink as five people, some of them extreme rightists,
were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder.

`We are alarmed at the possible political implications of the case,
whose outcome is very important for Turkey’s future,’ the worldwide
press freedom organisation said. `Those who carried out the murder
must not be the only ones to be punished. Many things point to them
being supported by various prominent groups and figures. The
authorities must put a stop to these machinations,’ it said.

Five people were arrested yesterday in Trabzon and taken to Istanbul
for questioning, including the head of the Trabzon branch of the
extreme-rightwing Great Unity Party (BBP), Yasar Cihan, and a member
of the branch committee, Halis Egemen. Cihan was picked up after a
photo was found of him with the BBP leader and Erhan Tuncel, one of
the suspected masterminds of the killing and an police informer.

An interior ministry report on the murder investigation by national
security chiefs which was leaked to the media accuses Istanbul police
chief Celalettin Cerrah of failing to protect editor Dink, who was
shot dead outside the offices of his weekly newspaper Agos, even
though Trabzon police has warned their Istanbul colleagues of a plot
to kill Dink. The all-news TV station NTV said Tuncel had warned
Trabzon police 17 times about the plot before they passed the message
on to Istanbul. The record of the interrogation of one of the
suspects, Tuncay Uzundal, was also reportedly forged by Trabzon
police.

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The Messenger, Georgia
March 27 2007

‘Perpendicular competition’ in the South Caucasus?
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)

According to the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Russian Information Agency
Regnum Vigen Akobian March 19, 2007 was an important day for the
South Caucasus. On the same day, Caspian natural gas crossed over the
Georgian border from the east and Iranian natural gas crossed over
the Armenian border from the south.

He calls this ‘perpendicular competition’: competition between a
north-south axis from Russia to Iran backed by Russia, and an
east-west axis from Azerbaijan to turkey backed by the USA.

Development in the South Caucasus, especially economic development,
is closely linked to the politics in the region. The political
context of the relationships between the South Caucasus countries and
the big powers in the region define the hydrocarbon and
transportation-communication projects there.

According to this logic, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey that have
common interests regarding transporting oil and gas supplies, will
widen their cooperation in the military sphere as well and will be
oriented towards NATO for regional security.

Because of Armenia’s exclusion from large regional projects, Yerevan
is strengthening their ties with Iran.

Akobian asserts that some analysts’ statements published in the
Armenian press regarding Armenia’s integration into NATO are just
unreal, he believes Armenia will never seek membership of the
alliance. Even if Georgia and Azerbaijan integrate into NATO, Armenia
will be devoted to its strategic partner Russia, which will guarantee
the maintenance of the region’s status quo, he asserts.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Press TV, Iran
March 27 2007

Over 14 Iraqis killed in violence
Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:24:09

Two mortar rounds on Tuesday slammed into the capital’s Abu Chir
neighborhood where Iraqi and U.S. forces have been concentrated under
a massive new security crackdown, officials said.

Two children, a man and a woman were killed from separate families,
while another 14 people, again women and children included, were
ferried to hospital with injuries from the attack, the sources said.

A roadside bomb attack killed an Iraqi policeman in southeast
Baghdad, while another police officer was killed in a gun attack in
the heart of the capital.

A local soldier was killed by an insurgent sniper in central Baghdad
and four civilians were hospitalized following a mortar attack near
the finance ministry.

South of Baghdad, another four people died in Iskandiriyah when
unidentified gunmen opened fire on a funeral cortege, said Iraqi army
officer Mohammed al-Tahi.

Elsewhere two elderly Armenian women who had lived in Kirkuk for
years were shot dead when gunmen broke into their house early Tuesday
in Kirkuk, said police Captain Imad Jassim. One of the women was aged
80 and the other in her 60s, the officer said.

In a separate incident, two car bombs exploded near the home of a
tribal leader in the Abu Ghraib district west of Baghdad on Tuesday,
killing the man’s son and several other people

Iraqiya state television said there were many casualties.

Sheikh Thahir al-Dari, whose home was targeted, is the head of the
al-Zobaie tribe, which is the same as that of Deputy Prime Minister
Salam al-Zobaie. The deputy prime minister was the target of an
assassination bid last week.

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Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 27 2007

OSCE ready to assist with holding Armenian parliamentary election
according to international standards

( PanARMENIAN ) – The forthcoming parliamentary election is
significant for Armenia and the OSCE is ready to assist with holding
it according to international standards. The OSCE attaches importance
to public awareness, head of the OSCE Yerevan Office, Ambassador
Vladimir Pryakhin said during the presentation of the manuals.

Two manuals dedicated to elections and titled `Guide for divisional
election committees’ and `On the electoral legislation and electoral
administration’ were issued with the assistance of the OSCE Yerevan
Office and the Italian government. The first manual is meant for the
RA CEC for the organization and conduction of trainings. The second
contains a detailed analysis of the RA Electoral Code.

`Both manuals are important for the development of Armenia’s election
system and raising of public awareness of elections,’ CEC chairman
Garegin Azaryan said.

Both manuals were published 20 thousand in number.

Press TV, Iran
March 27 2007

Armenian university establishes House of Rumi
Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:35:46

Armenia’s Acharian University has established a new research center
called the House of Rumi to highlight the Persian poet’s life
philosophy and literary career.

The center is founded in association with Iran’s cultural attaché to
Yerevan.

Reza Otufi said that his office plans future cultural programs in
Armenia including a Rumi conference, a poetry night and publication
of several books about the Persian transcendental poet.

Otufi also said that several Iranian feature films will screen at
Armenian film festivals later this year, including a retrospective to
highlight Iran’s female filmmakers.

Today, Azerbaijan
March 27 2007

Muhsin Yazichioglu: "Forces against Turkish nationalists state
Azerbaijan might be behind Hrant Dink’s assassination"

27 March 2007 [12:08] – Today.Az

"Hrant Dink was Turkish citizen of Armenian origin. Though we were
against his ideas we would like him to live, we do not want people to
die because of their thoughts. Turks live and contribute to others’
lives," said Muhsin Yazichioglu, leader of Turkey’s Great Unity
Party.

He underlined that the forces against Turkish nationalists take
advantage of Hrant Dink’s assassination.

"We can not allow using this crime as insult, slander and pressure
against Turkish nationalists. Besides, this campaign is not
restricted to us. These forces state that `Azerbaijan might stand
behind this assassination.

"Armenians try to disguise their crimes. Nobody speaks of the
genocide committed in Khojaly 15 years ago. Armenians have not
withdrawn their forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The
world community is indifferent towards these events – nobody hears
about one million people, who have become displaced as a result of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict," he told the APA Turkey bureau.

Muhsin Yazichioglu said that Armenia does not observe international
legal norms. "Armenians do not show any sign of withdrawal from these
territories. If Turkey and Azerbaijan show their will, Armenians will
withdraw. Armenia can not survive without opening borders with Turkey
and establishing neighborhood relations with Azerbaijan. Turkey
should not open borders with Armenia and should not have any
relations with Yerevan," he said.

URL:

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 27 2007

Contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops to be monitored

[ 27 Mar 2007 11:49 ]

The contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops near Borsunlu
village of Azerbaijani region of Goranboy is to be monitored in
accordance with the mandate of personal representative of OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Azerbaijan Defense Ministry’s press service told
the APA.
The monitors will be Gunter Folk, and Peter Ki, field assistants of
personal representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office in Azerbaijani
side and Imre Palatinus, Miroslav Vimetal and Jaslan Nurtaz, field
assistants of the personal representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office
in the opposite side, internationally recognized territory of
Azerbaijan. /APA/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Mediamax, Armenia
March 27 2007

Russian mobile operator MTS interested in purchasing assets in
Armenia, but does not have `acceptable proposals’

Yerevan, March 27 /Mediamax/. The Russian mobile operator MTS is
interested in purchasing assets in Armenia, but does not have
`acceptable proposals’ at present.

Mediamax reports that the Spokeswoman of MTS Irina Osadchaya said
this, commenting on the media publications, according to which the
Russian Company holds talks on purchasing the Armenian mobile
operator `VivaCell’.

`MTS is interested in purchasing assets in all the CIS states,
including Armenia, however at present it does not have acceptable
proposals on purchasing mobile operators in Armenia, satisfying the
criteria of strategy in the sphere of mergers and takeovers’, Irina
Osadchaya stated in an interview to Mediamax.