Month: April 2007

TURKEY DENIES HALTING GAS TALKS WITH FRANCE

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 12, 2007

Turkey has not officially suspended talks with Gaz de France over the
Nabucco pipeline project to bring Caspian gas to Europe, the energy
minister said on Wednesday, but energy officials said Ankara had also
begun talks with other firms on joining Nabucco.

Senior Turkish energy officials had said last week talks with the
French company had been halted in protest at a French bill making
it a crime to deny genocide was committed against Armenians at the
hands of Ottoman Turks during World War One.

"Nabucco is an extremely important project for us and the process is
continuing normally. Gaz de France has not been suspended from the
project," Energy Minister Hilmi Guler told reporters. But he said
economic, strategic and political issues, including the French bill,
would be taken into account when selecting the sixth partner for the
project. A senior Turkish energy official, who declined to be named,
told Reuters the government had been pressured to tone down its
statement on GDF following political and diplomatic lobbying.

"Turkey, which is seeking European Union membership, looked favourably
at companies from Germany and Ukraine which want to join the project
as Nabucco’s sixth member instead of GDF," the official said.

The 4.6 billion euro ($6.14 billion) project envisages transporting
natural gas from Turkey to Austria, passing through Bulgaria, Romania
and Hungary and would reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas. The
four other countries have already approved a partnership with Gaz
de France in the project. Austrian oil and gas group OMV heads the
consortium planning to build the pipeline. Bulgargaz, Transgaz from
Romania, MOL of Hungary and Turkey’s Botas are also partners in the
project. The planned pipeline — a project backed by the EU and the
United States — would reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas but
has already hit several hurdles. If construction of the 3,300 km
(2,050 mile) pipeline starts in 2008, it could begin operating in
2011. It could transport annually 25.5 to 31 billion cubic metres of
gas by 2020. Turkey remains angry at the French national assembly’s
approval last year of a bill making it a crime to deny that the mass
killings of Armenians during World War One amounted to genocide. The
bill has not become law. Ankara rejects claims by Armenia and other
countries that Ottoman Turks committed a systematic genocide against
1.5 million Arme-nians during World War One.

ONE OF SQUARES OF PARIS 9th DISTRICTS TO BE CALLED AFTER SHAVARSH MISAKIAN HENCEFORTH

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2007

PARIS, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April 11, one
of squares of Paris 9th district was named after Shavarsh Misakian,
founder of Yaraj Armenian newspaper published in France since 1925. As
Noyan Tapan correspondent reports from France, present at the event
were: Paris Mayor Bernard Delanoe, Mayor of 9th district Jacques
Bravo, RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France
Eduard Nalbandian, Shavarsh Misakian’s daughter, Yaraj’s current
editor Arpik Misakian.

"Shavarsh Misakian deserved naming this square after him: he deserved
such square thanks to the great work he did by founding Yaraj,
which continues to be published at present thanks to his daughter,"
E. Nalbandian said in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent. In
the Ambassador’s words, this in some respect is the square of all
French Armenians, as "simple, ordinary Armenian people have become
the best citizens of France, as well as a link connecting Armenia
and France."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘TURKISH-ARMENIAN COOPERATION NEEDED’

The News – International, Pakistan
April 12, 2007

NEW YORK: Fifty-three Nobel laureates are calling for Turks and
Armenians to open their border, improve official contacts and resolve
differences over the mass killings of Armenians by Turks in the early
20th century.

In a letter released Monday by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity,
the Nobel laureates urged Turkey to end discrimination against ethnic
and religious minorities and to abolish Article 301of its penal code,
which makes it a criminal offence to denigrate Turkishness. They said
Armenia should "reverse its own authoritarian course, allow free and
fair elections and respect human rights."

The letter, which was released to the Turkish and Armenian media,
referred to the Jan. 19 slaying of Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist
who had made enemies among nationalist Turks by labelling genocide
the mass killings of Armenians toward the end of the Ottoman Empire.

The laureates said that the best tribute to Dink would be "through
service to his life’s work safeguarding freedom of expression and
fostering reconciliation between Turks and Armenians."

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY DECLINES TO PLACE CROSS ON CUPOLA OF SURB KHACH CHURCH ON AGHTAMAR ISLAND OF LAKE VAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 12 2007

ISTANBUL, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Turkish
foreign ministry rejected the proposal of the Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian to place a cross on the
cupola of Surb Khach Church on Aghtamar Island of Lake Van.

The Turkish ministry of culture recently applied to the country’s
ministry of foreign affairs on the issue of cross.

According to the newspaper "Marmara" (Istanbul), the foreign minister
informed heads of both the ministry of culture and the museum (NT:
Surb Khach Church) about his decision to reject this proposal.

The Turkish ministry of foreign affairs "substantiated" its decision
by the fact that Aya Sofia museum (NT: St Sofia church) does not have
a cross and crescent symbolizing Christianity or Islam on its cupola
either. "Aghtamar will be used as a museum so it would be incorrect
to mount a cross on its cupola," the Turkish MFA stated.

ONE OF PRE-ELECTORAL OFFICES OF "BARGAVACH HAYASTAN" PARTY BLOWN UP IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. One of the pre-electoral offices of
the "Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia) party in the community
of Avan, Yerevan, was blown up at the night of April 11-12. The Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed about it by the territorial office
of the party. Nobody suffered in the consequence of the explosion.

But, according to some sources, other two pre-electoral offices of the
"Bargavach Hayastan" party in the communities of Kanaker-Zeytun and
Arabkir were also blown up during the mentioned night.

To recap, they disproved this information at the territorial offices
of the party in the communities of Avan and Kanaker-Zeytun, stating
that only one pre-electoral office was blown up.

JSC "ETALON" HAD TO PAY 10 000 RUBLES FOR PREVIEW TRAILER WITH A DANCE ON JESUS CHRIST’S FACE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2007 16:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Vasileostrovski Court of Saint Petersburg in an
open session examined Artak Aleksanyan’s suit against JSC "National
Broadcasting Network, "Etalon", "Rambler Broadcasting Corporation" TV
Radio Company. A. Aleksanyan demanded to compensate the moral damage,
which was caused to him by a preview trailer shown on NVM channel’s
"Voyage" program from 2005 till the beginning of 2006. The preview
trailer, which tells about trips to Turkey, shows people in dervish
dresses dance on cruciform nimbus of Jesus Christ. A. Aleksanyan
indicated that he is a believer, and the above mentioned trailer
insults his religious feelings, causes moral sufferings and is capable
of resulting in religious animosity.

Russia based "Yerkramas" Armenian newspaper reports that during the
court process an expertise was drawn up. The document confirms that
the video fragment, where dervishes dance on the cruciform nimbus
of Jesus Christ, debases Christians. According to Saints Petersburg
Diocesan Board of Moscow Patriarchate, the frames, which show people
in dervish dresses dance on Jesus Christ icon, is a video-edition,
i.e., deliberate combination of two different objects in frames. It
is Jesus Christ’s mosaic icon, which now is on the walls of St. Sofia
Church in Istanbul. It is one of the most important elements in the
faith of Orthodox believers. Consequently, improper and blasphemous
treatment towards it may be viewed as insult to religious feelings.

The court ruled that the disputed preview trailer insulted plaintiff ‘s
religious feelings, which caused him moral damage. However, according
to the court there is no proof about inciting religious animosity in
the case. Court thinks the preview trailer is unethical, and by act
of Federal Law on Advertisement dated 18.07.1995, which was in force,
when disputable legal relationships occurred, unethical advertisements
are not allowed.

The court ruled that JSC "Etalon", which ordered the preview trailer,
is responsible for causing the plaintiff moral damage. While
determining the amount of compensation for moral damage, the court
took into account the degree of guilt, degree of moral sufferings
of the plaintiff, requirements of justice and rationality. Thus,
according to the court’s decision JSC "Etalon" must pay 10 000 rubles
as compensation for moral damage to Artak Aleksanyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAN-U.S. POSSIBLE WAR TO HAVE BAD CONSEQUENCE FOR ARMENIA, DIRECTOR OF "NORAVANK" SCIENTIFIC-EDUCATION FUND CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The Iran-U.S. possible war will
have bad consequences for Armenia, starting from destruction of
communication ways to beginning of ecological disaster," Executive
Director of the "Noravank" scientific-educational fund Gagik
Haroutiunian considers. G. Haroutiunian expressed a confidence at the
April 11 press conference entitled "Regional Developments and Armenia"
that in the case of straining of the Iran-U.S. conflict, Armenia
must not make sharp statements as "Armenia has no political weight
to make sharp statements or decisions." In the speaker’s words, the
best variant for Armenia in this sense is to support mutual agreement
of the problem, its solution in a peaceful way. At the same time he
did not exclude possibility of military actions.

In words of the Director of the "Noravank" scientific-educational fund,
the Iran-U.S. war has started still since 1979, after the Islamic
revolution of Iran. The war between the two countries without military
actions proceeds in three, civilization (ideological), geoeconomic
and geopolitical, fields.

In the case of the first the struggle proceeds between the liberal
and Mohammedan ideologies, the reason of the second, geoeconomic
struggle is the wish to define control upon huge oil and gas reserves
of Iran, and the reason of the geopolitical war is the U.S. wish
to have a dominant role in Eurasia, particularly in the region,"
G. Haroutiunian emphasized.

AGHVAN VARDANIAN: YEAR BY YEAR ARF’S ACTIVITIES BECOME MORE RECOGNIZABLE, UNDERSTANDABLE AND EXPLAINABLE BY PEOPLE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. "The ARF Dashnaktsutyun will have
more seats in the new National Assembly than it had previously." The
RA Minister of Labor and Social Issues Aghvan Vardanian stated this
at the April 12 press conference.

According to the minister, the reason for such confedence is contacts
of the ARF members with people. "It is obvious that year by year the
activities of the ARF are becoming more recognizable, understandable
and explainable by people," he said.

In his words, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun will do everything possible to
prevent electoral riggings. "Our party will have representatives
in all polling stations and struggle against riggings committed,"
A. Vardanian pointed out.

In response to the question about what post he will hold after the
elections, member of the ARF Armenia Supreme Body A. Vardanian replied:
"After the formation of the government, it will be clear who will
hold this or that position."

Summarizing the results of his 4-year work while in the minister’s
post, A. Vardanian said that these were "years of system reforms"
in the social sector. In his words, during this period, tens of
fundamental laws on the social sector were adopted, the minimal and
average salaries, poverty benefits were increased. However, as the
minister added, serious reforms still need to be implemented in the
social sector.

RA CEC CALLS FOR REFRAINING FROM ACTIONS DESTABILIZING SITUATION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. "The act of violence committed
towards Bargavach Hayastan Party’s offices in Avan and Kanaker-Zeytun
communities is an attempt to form an atmosphere of intolerance during
the elections," RA CEC’s April 12 statement made on the occasion of
explosions that took place the same day at Party’s offices read.

"Condemning the incident, the Central Electoral Commission of Republic
of Armenia calls electors, political forces, all participants of
elections for refraining from actions destabilizing the situation, for
manifesting mutual tolerance and assisting with holding of democratic
elections," CEC stated.

SERGE SARGSIAN: THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE, FOR WHOM HOLDING OF NORMAL ELECTIONS IS NOT BENEFICIAL

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. In connection with reappointment
of RA government members Prime Minister Serge Sargsian said that
naturally, no changes were envisaged in the government’s staff, as
it was just not expedient to make new appointments in the one-month
period preceding RA NA elections. At the beginning of RA government’s
April 12 sitting the Prime Minister expressed confidence that with
this staff the government is able to successfully solve the problem
of continuing its normal work.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan from RA government
Information and Public Relations Department, S. Sargsian at the same
time emphasized that all members of government have been appointed by
RA President’s decree, with the exception of the Defence Minister and
this means that the government has not been formed yet. In his words,
the Defence Minister will be also appointed in the term established
by the law, after which the government’s program will be submitted
to RA NA.

Touching upon the future developments, Prime Minister Serge Sargsian
said: "If we succeed at the elections and if we are charged to form
the next government, we should make some changes without fail. At
that time we will observe, discuss in detail the work of each of
us and will see where, with what status we can do more good to our
country and economy."

The Prime Minister asked the government members to work in more
disciplined way, with more responsibility in the coming month, because,
in his words, "the most important problem faced by the state, holding
of normal elections, is important for all of us and the government
has much to do in this issue.

Especially as, unfortunately, it is already obvious that there are
some forces, who have already set themselves the task to impede the
normal process of elections."

S. Sargsian emphasized that the incidents that happened previously,
the attempt upon life of Gyumri Mayor and other incidents could be
supposed to be connected with the elections, while the explosions
committed at preelection headquarters of political forces this night
unequivocally show that there are some people, for whom holding
of normal elections is not beneficial. "No matter representatives
of what political force they are, they are enemies, enemies of the
state, our people, holding of normal free, democratic elections,"
the Prime Minister said.

He called all members of government as representatives of various
political forces for contributing to spreading of their party ideology
through good work. S. Sargsian emphasized that he has adopted such
policy in this preelectoral period.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress