Month: October 2008

OSCE: ABSENCE OF MIDDLE CLASS SOURCE OF INSTABILITY IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2008 14:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE Office in Yerevan is implementing a number
of programs for development of democratic institutes, civil society
and dissemination of OSCE principles.

"Presently, we are implementing a project meant to make the police more
democratic and to strengthen trust between the public and police. Next
year we will launch a training policemen to prevent disorders,"
said Sergei Kapinos, the head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

"With the support of the authorities, we will also try to increase
the parliament’s control over security, defense and law enforcement
agencies," he said.

"Another trend of our activity is economy. Stability and security in
the region may be achieved through formation of middle class in the
republic. Unfortunately, its absence is the source of instability
in Armenia. Besides, special programs will be launched to combat
illegal migration and trafficking as well as to secure human right
protection. Reform in the juridical system is also envisaged,"
Ambassador Kapinos said.

CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE IN TURKEY DUE IN BRUSSELS NOV. 13

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2008 15:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian General Benevolent Union Europe will
host a conference in the European Parliament on the rediscovery of
Armenians and of Armenian cultural heritage in Turkey on November 13.

The conference is open to all and is part of the official European
Year for Intercultural Dialogue. It will review the recent public
debate in Turkey on the country’s forgotten Armenian heritage in the
light of recent groundbreaking artistic and intellectual contributions
in Turkey itself. It will also examine the significance of Armenian
cultural heritage in Turkey from a European perspective, the AGBU
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Speakers at the conference will include Fethiye Cetin, author of the
book "My Grandmother", Osman Koker, creator of the groundbreaking
exhibition "My Dear Brother", art historian Professor Patrick
Donabedian as well as historian Vahe Tachjian and historian and
publisher Ara Sarafian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN, ALBANIAN FMS AGREE TO DEVELOP BILATERAL COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2008 15:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian,
currently in Tirana attending the summit of BSEC Foreign Ministers,
met Wednesday with his Albanian counterpart Lulzim Basha to discuss
bilateral relations and ways to encourage political, economic and
cultural cooperation.

Edward Nalbandian invited his Albanian counterpart to Armenia. The
delegation of the Albanian MFA will visit Armenia in the near future
to organize signing of several agreements on bilateral cooperation
in various fields, the RA MFA press office reports.

TURKISH CC SAYS AK PARTY INVOLVED IN ANTI-SECULAR ACTIVITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2008 15:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s constitutional court has ruled that key
members of the ruling AK Party, including Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the
prime minister, have been involved in anti-secular activities. Friday’s
ruling was related to a case which sought to ban the party on charges
it was seeking to throw out the country’s secular system, in favor
of an Islamist regime.

The judge said the AK Party carried out anti-secular activities and
exploited religion for political gains. However, he found no evidence
that the AK Party was trying to incite violence and only fined the
party for undermining Turkey’s secular principles.

"It needs to be accepted that the party became a focus of anti-secular
activities due to its move to change some articles of the Turkish
constitution," the court said referring to an AK Party-driven attempt
to lift a ban on the wearing of Muslim headscarves at universities.

In a setback to the AK Party, the constitutional court in June
overturned an amendment to lift the restriction, saying it violated
Turkey’s secular constitution.

The court’s unexpectedly harsh criticism against Erdogan, who remains
Turkey’s most popular politician according to recent opinion polls,
is likely to renew tensions at a time when it is fighting to limit
the impact of a global financial crisis.

The court dismissed in July the prosecutor’s case to have the AK
Party closed down and to bar Erdogan and other leading members from
party activity for five years.

The AK Party has been locked in a battle with Turkey’s powerful
secularist establishment, including judges and army generals, since
it first came to power in 2002. Secularists say the party is seeking
to bring back religion to public life, contrary to the constitution.

The AK Party, which won a sweeping re-election last year, denies it
has any Islamist agenda, Al Jazeera reports.

UN CONVENTION ON GENOCIDE PREVENTION SIGNIFICANT FOR ARMENIAN NATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2008 18:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Modern UN and problem of International Terrorism
seminar was organized on the initiative of Lions Clubs International
and Unity International Foundation in New Delhi on October 23, the
RA MFA reports.

Addressing the event, Armenia’s Ambassador to India Ashot Kocharian
stated that Armenia is engaged in activities of UN various
structures. He also reminded that this year the UN marks the 60th
anniversary of adoption of Convention on Genocide Prevention, the
date significant for the Armenian nation, which survived the Genocide.

"Armenia condemns terrorism and expresses solidarity with the
international community in combating this evil. We are hopeful that UN
will remain the key organization observing human values and resolving
global problems," Ambassador Kocharian said.

ALIYEV: BAKU STILL INTERESTED IN KARABAKH TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2008 18:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan is still interested in resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, said Ilham Aliyev, who officially assumed
the office of the Azerbaijani President today.

"We still have hope and we think that talks can lead to a fair
resolution of the conflict. Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan can’t
be questioned. Nagorno Karabakh will never be granted independence,"
he said.

"The international law is on our side. We are strengthening our
economic power and our positions in the region. Five years ago I
pledged to form a strong army. Now, with our military potential,
we will promote resolution of the Karabakh problem," Aliyev said,
ITAR-TASS reports.

UN IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA STEMMING FROM LOCAL PRIORITIES

ARMENPRESS
Oct 24, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS: Today is the day of United Nations
Organization. UN started functioning in Armenia from 1992 implementing
programs stemming from local priorities. Permanent representative
of UN in Armenia Consuelo Vidal noted today in the Armenian office
of UN that the institution tries to support the prospering of the
country, struggle with the challenges of the time, overcome poverty
and corruption by cooperating with Armenian government and other
organizations functioning in Armenia.

UN focuses on community development ensuring the participation of
citizens in working out "Strategic Program of Poverty Reduction".

"We already have certain successes and the implemented models can serve
as an example for the Government, so that they could be implemented
in other communities," UN permanent representative in Armenia added.

Creation of harmless industry is another program direction of UN
representation. Due to effective work fighting against trafficking
is promoted. UN aims to enhance the institutional abilities of the
Government in the issue of rights and support of refugees as well as
offer final solutions to their problems.

Today the refreshed variant of web page of UN Armenian office
was presented.

Wide range of information about UN and its programs implemented in
Armenia can be found there. The web site is being updated regularly
and is presented in English and Armenian variants.

CONSUELO VIDAL PRESENTS UN ARMENIAN OFFICE’S PROGRAM OF ACTIVITY FOR 2010-2014 TO NA SPEAKER

ARMENPRESS
Oct 24, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Hovik Abrahamian received today UN permanent representative in Armenia,
coordinator of the UN Armenian office Consuelo Vidal Bruce.

Public relations department of the NA told Armenpress that greeting
the guest, H. Abrahamian congratulated her on the International Day of
UN and thanked for programs carried out in Armenia since 1993. Hovik
Abrahamian underscored the support of the UN in reforms in local
self-governmental bodies.

The sides also referred to the Education and Global Innovation
Conference held in Yerevan under the sponsorship of UN and underscored
the importance of involvement of youth and applying innovative
technology in Armenia. The NA speaker expressed readiness to hence
continue close cooperation with the UN Armenian office.

Consuelo Vidal congratulated Hovik Abrahamian on being elected in the
high and responsible post and presented to him the program of activity
of UN Armenian office for 2010-2014 which is currently being discussed
with the Armenian government and asked to present his remarks.

NA speaker Hovik Abrahamian suggested that within the frameworks
of the program issue on getting expertise conclusion over important
bills presented to the NA be included.

Consuelo Vidal expressed readiness to support in the issue from 2009
and include it in the 2010-2014 program of activity as well.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES LEBANESE DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC FIGURE LEYLA HAMADEY

ARMENPRESS
Oct 24, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
received today Lebanese distinguished public figure, deputy chairwoman
of "Ualid Ben Talal" Foundation Leyla Sol Hamadey. Her charity and
humanitarian activity is known in the whole world.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that the president of the
country highly underscored the support of L. Hamadey to the Lebanese
Armenian community.

Leyla Sol Hamadey, underscoring the contribution of the Lebanese
Armenian community to the progress of the country, noted that they
have become inseparable part of Lebanese public.

She said that she will actively continue her humanitarian activity
without putting any ethnic and religious differences.

"ARMENIA SHOULD STICK TO ITS PRINCIPLES"

A1+
[07:19 pm] 24 October, 2008

"The fact of the NKR independence cannot be ignored in the process
of the Karabakh conflict settlement. There should be no mention
of compensations. These principles should lie at the heart of the
negotiations," Heritage Party MP Stepan Safaryan said today during
the parliamentary briefings.

"We are really concerned about the recent developments in the conflict
resolution. No one has presented the disputed "principles of Madrid"
aimed at the conflict settlement," noted the Heritage Secretary.

Another member of the Heritage party, Larissa Alaverdyan, says that the
negotiations will be deemed as an ordinary meeting without Karabakh’s
involvement. Therefore, no decision taken in the process of such a
meeting will be obligatory for Karabakh.

"Although Azerbaijan would like other instances, for example the
UNO, to deal with the conflict resolution, I think the Minsk group
framework is the best one," noted Prosperous Armenia Party MP Aram
Safaryan. "I don’t think that the future developments can lead to
the change of the Minsk group format."

He also noted that "the OSCE expects tangible progress in the conflict
resolution based on the Madrid principles in 2009." Safaryan reminded
that the conflicting sides had many times been close to the conflict
resolution but one of them unexpectedly toughened its stance at the
last moment thus leaving the issue unsettled.

"I strongly believe that Armenia should stick to its principles during
the talks," he added.

ARF Dashnaktsutyun member Ara Nranyan emphasised public attitude
towards the regulation of the Karabakh conflict. He thinks the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot sign a document which
is not accepted by the two peoples. Reminding the case of Serbia,
Nranyan said that the society should finally realise that "once
they surrender a centimeter they will lose everything." He thinks if
Armenia takes a strong position it will yield to no pressure.

The secretary of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Artyusha Shahbazyan, noted
that the Armenian officialdom have many times voiced support for
settlement of the Karabakh issue in the frame of the Minsk Group.