Month: December 2008

TURKISH DEPUTY WOULD LIKE TO THROW A SHOE AT PRESIDENT GUL THE SAME WAY AN IRAQI JOURNALIST LAST WEEK HURLED A SHOE AT VISITING US PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 18:56:00

Turkish President Abdullah Gul released a statement yesterday about
his family’s ethnic origins in response to a Republican People’s Party
(CHP) deputy Canan Aritman’s attempt to link the president’s attitude
toward a recently launched apology campaign for the Armenian killings
at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire in 1915 to his ethnic roots. In
his statement yesterday, Gul announced that his mother’s side, the
Satoglu family from Kayseri, and his father’s side, the Gul family
also from Kayseri, are Muslim and Turkish, according to centuries of
written genealogy records.

According to the Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman, as CHP deputy Canan
Aritman who claimed that President Gul’s mother is of Armenian origin,
continued to attack the president in an interview published in the
Milliyet daily yesterday, saying that she would like to throw a shoe
at the president when she sees him in the same way an Iraqi journalist
last week hurled a shoe at visiting US President George W. Bush.

Aritman last week attacked the apology campaign initiated by a group
of intellectuals to apologize for the Armenian massacres of 1915,
which Armenians claim constituted genocide. "The false scientists
signing it should apologize to Turkey," she said.

In his statement Gul said that he respects the ethnic background,
different beliefs and stressed that all Turkish citizens are equal to
one another regardless of any differences. "No one has any superiority
whatsoever over another one. Everybody has the equal and same rights
under the guarantee of our Constitution," the statement reads.

When asked for his opinion on the campaign, Gul said the state’s stance
is to improve relations with its neighbors. "We believe dialogue to
be the solution to problems we have with our neighbors. Perpetuating
problems is not useful to anyone," he said.

"I would toss a shoe and draw attention to this issue," Aritman
said in her interview. "I wouldn’t recommend suing me. They would be
embarrassed. There is no legal basis for such a lawsuit," she said. "If
I do sue the president on charges of supporting incidents that might
lead to an ethnic conflict, that would have a legal basis." She said
she had known about Gul’s alleged Armenian background for a long time,
adding that she should be appreciated for not revealing the information
during Gul’s election campaign.

Responding to Gul’s statement, the deputy said: "I never asked the
president to announce his genealogical background. I just wanted
him to protect his nation and state, the duty assigned to him by the
Constitution." "Why doesn’t the president show the principled stance
shown by the prime minister?" Aritman asked. To recall, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted harshly to the statement, saying he had
nothing to apologize for.

STAR: THE STATE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN PRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF FAIR PRICES FOR IMPORTED COMMODITIES

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 15:02:00

The state plays an important role in development of Armenian production
and maintenance of fair prices for imported commodities, Vahan
Kerobyan, the executive director of the network of STAR supermarkets,
told ArmInfo correspondent.

He said that over the last month the import of foodstuff has been
steadily growing, and that of non-food items has been falling to some
extent. The foodstuff import rates will be maintained, but the state
should exert certain efforts to present the commodities to consumers at
"correct" prices, Kerobyan stressed.

He also added that in the year 2009, which will pass in the network
under the slogan "STAR-save more!", the company is going to decrease
prices even more, but not at the expense of quality. "The price
decline will be ensured due to liquidation of excessive expenditures
from the prime cost of commodities. This will by no means affect the
tax payment",- Kerobyan said.

To recall, the Central Bank of Armenia has recently announced that
despite the maintenance of import growth in Armenia, nevertheless,
its rates are expected to decelerate because of diminution in demand
in the domestic market.

STAR NETWORK OF SUPERMARKETS ANNOUNCES 10-25% NEW YEAR SALE

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 15:01:00

STAR network of supermarkets has announced 10-25% New Year sale of
a big assortment of products in demand for holidays. STAR Executive
Officer Vahan Kerobyan told ArmInfo in particular, there is sale of
turkey, bacon, strong and other drinks, confectionery. We glad to
offer our ‘consumers all necessary products for fair and accessible
prices. Due to this action, our suppliers have to reduce tariffs
as well. As a result, everyone gains, especially our clients’,
V. Kerobyan said. He said sales volume was up 5 times over the last
week and totaled 200-250 tons of goods daily. All the necessary
measures are taken to timely supply the necessary products.

Logistic center of the network operates 24-hour and the number of
daily visitors of STAR supermarkets reaches 30,000 people. ‘It has
once more proved that STAR reserves its leading positions constantly
improving the service quality’, he said. Kerobyan highlighted that
STAR has renewed the assortment of own products i.e. salads, meat,
bakery, which will be mostly in demand on 29-31 December. He is sure
that the cycle of New Year sale will continue till 4 January. On 5
January a new cycle of Christmas sale will be announced.

There are 12 STAR supermarkets, including one in the regional center
of Hrazdan. In 2009 STAR leadership plans to open another 6-7 big
retail trade points in 2009.

TURKISH COMPANY NEGOTIATES WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER ARMENIAN ELECTRIC POWER TO LOCAL MARKET

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 14:25:00

Armenia has made a contract with Belgian company ‘Unit International’
a contract on delivery of 3 bln kWt/h electric power in 2009, director
general of CJSC ‘Highvoltage electric power lines’ Sahak Abrahamyan
said to ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added at present the company is settling problems with the
government of Turkey. At the beginning of 2009 additional talks
on electric power volumes and regimes will be held with ‘Unit
International’, which has Belgian roots. As for the Armenian party,
he said there is no problem connected with the situation in energy
system, and it is ready to electric power delivery. As for the Turkish
party, certain work should be held there to make mutual electric
power regimes in line with each other.

TABRIZ (IRAN)-YERASKH (ARMENIA) OIL PIPELINE PRELIMINARILY ESTIMATED AT $240 MLN

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 14:25:00

The oil pipeline from Tabriz (Iran) to Yeraskh (Ararat region,
Armenia) will preliminarily be estimated at $240 mln, Armenian
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan said at
today’s press-conference in Yerevan.

Movsisyan said the project was estimated before the global economic
crisis and may be re-estimated in the future. He also added that
construction of the oil pipeline will be launched in spring 2009 and
last 2 years. To implement this project, Armenia and Iran have agreed
to set up a joint venture on parity basis (fifty- fifty). At present
the parties are seeking for funds for the pipeline construction.

The minister added that the pipe will be 250 mm in diameter, which
will make it possible to completely satisfy Armenia’s demand for
fuel. Gasoline and diesel fuel will be delivered to Armenia from
the oil refinery in Tabriz. It is envisaged to build a terminal to
store the fuel in Yeraskh, Movsisyan said. He added that the pipeline
laying route will possibly coincide with that of the already built
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. Transportation of the finished oil products
via the pipeline is several times cheaper than their delivery by car,
he said. Construction of Tabriz-Yeraskh oil pipeline will become
the first step towards construction of an oil refinery in Armenia,
he concluded.

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: NATIONAL MOVEMENT’S GOAL IS DISMANTLING RULING BANDIT SYSTEM AND NOT COLLAPSE OF ARMENIAN STATEHOOD

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

The monolithic character of the ruling clique and of Armenia’s economic
elite, the attitude of the international community closing its eyes on
the March 1 events and existence of political prisoners in Armenia,
the passive position of Nagorno Karabakh authorities make impossible
the fulfillment of the task on organizing mass protest actions in
Armenia aimed against the authorities’ current position in the issue
of conflict settlement. Opposition leader, first RA President Levon
Ter-Petrosian stated at the December 21 conference of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC).

According to him, the wave of people’s discontent can last long,
especially as it can be accompanied by economic crisis difficulties,
and all that will turn over the situation in the country, and
Azerbaijan will not miss the chance of taking advantage of that to
solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by a military way. L. Ter-Petrosian
reminded that Armenian side’s achievements in Karabakh war coincide
with formation of such "disgraceful" situations in Azerbaijan, that
is, passage of power from Mutalibov to Elchibey, from Elchibey to
Aliyev. According to the first President, coming to power is not an
end in itself for the national movement, which has no right to act
by adventure methods. National movement’s goal is dismantling the
ruling bandit system and not collapse of the Armenian statehood.

He specially dwelt on Nagorno Karabakh’s position. According to him,
the circumstance that Nagorno Karabakh remained out of the negotiations
process shows that the Karabakh side proved to be not consistent in
the issue of fulfillment of the decision of OSCE Budapest summit of
1994, where Karabakh was recognized a negotiations side. If Nagorno
Karabakh preserved that status in the negotiations, today the NKR
authorities could renounce and not accept "Madrid principles."

L. Ter-Petrosian said that the Nagorno Karabakh authorities are
connected with the bandit regime of Armenia with various promises
and in that case it is impossible to imagine that a mass movement
against Serzh Sargsyan’s program on conflict settlement can start
in Karabakh. "And until Nagorno Karabakh becomes strong, in Armenia
it will be also impossible to create an atmosphere we had in 1988,"
L. Ter-Petrosian concluded.

ACCORDING TO LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S AFFIRMATION, OPPOSITION HAS ESTABLISHED IDENTITY OF POLICEMEN FIRING AT PEACEFUL DEMONSTRANTS

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

According to opposition’s own investigation of the March 1 events,
the opposition has established the identity of policemen firing at
peaceful demonstrants. First RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian stated
at the December 21 conference of the Armenian National Congress (ANC).

In his words, as a result of the investigation it was also found
out that five high-ranking officials and four oligarches are indeed
responsible for those events, who coordinated the actions of a group
consisting of 950 people. The latters set cars on fire and robbed
shops. The ex-President said that the ANC central office conveyed all
these data to Council of Europe High Commissioner for Human Rights
Thomas Hammarberg and to some of the Ambassadors accredited in Armenia.

L. Ter-Petrosian said that the greatest achievement was that the
national movement managed to prove the groundlessness of the version
put forward by the authorities that clashes between policemen and
demonstrants were provoked by the opposition. And for the Armenian
public primordially not believing that version the March 1 crime was a
terrible slaughter organized by country’s leaders. The international
community also started getting convinced of it under the pressure of
the existing facts.

L. Ter-Petrosian drew attention to the fact that so far no opposition
representative has been accused of carrying arms, using grenades,
setting cars on fire or robbing shops. In his words, those killing
the ten persons have not been disclosed yet. While, the very issue
should have been primary for law enforcement bodies.

L. Ter-Petrosian assured that the March 1 investigation will be
continued, and in case the situation changes everybody really
responsible for these crimes will be brought to the court. He also
stated that opposition’s mass actions of protest can be resumed at
any time.

OPPOSITION CONSIDERS THAT ARMENIA WILL FEEL CRISIS CONSEQUENCES IN 1-1.5 MONTHS

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

The consequences of the economic crisis for Armenia will be very hard,
and country’s common citizens will feel the economic problems already
in 1-1.5 months. Vahagn Khachatrian, the former Yerevan Mayor, stated
at the December 21 Armenian National Congress conference. He also
said thaat budget revenues from VAT will be also reduced.

According to him, fund allocation under the Millennium Challenge
program has been already suspended. He said that instead of real
programs on small and medium-sized business assistance, the authorities
act by administrative methods trying to get tax collection by all
means, which leads to stopping of economic activity of many small and
medium-sized enterprises. Besides, the authorities very much hope for
foreign financial support and ask various countries and international
organizations for sums of 50m, 200m, and even 1bn USD.

In V. Khachatrian’s opinion, for coming out of the formed situation
the government should have presented the respective program in
consideration of the domestic resources. Economy of resources and
optimalization of expenditures should be that program’s component.

Analysing the financial-economic crisis world tendencies, the former
Prime Minister and leader of the Freedom party Hrant Bagratian
characterized the situation in world economy by the following
phrase: "Economy has fallen a prey to bank terror." According to
his estimation, this year capital export from Armenia will amount to
nearly 1bn USD. Meanwhile transfers reduction from abroad await the
country. He also mentioned the high dependence of Armenia’s economy
on non-ferrous metals export and energy carriers import.

H. Bagratian also pointed out to the necessity to stop talks about
closing the Armenian NPP until a new ANPP is built. "Armenia should
remain a country with atomic energy," H. Bagratian said.

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: BY SIGNING UNDER MOSCOW DECLARATION, SERZH SARGSYAN GAVE OFFICIAL CONSENT TO "MADRID PRINCIPLES"
X-X-Sender: [email protected]
X-Listprocessor -Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

Currently one of the most serious challenges for Armenia is the
Nagorno Karabakh settlement problem.

Opposition leader, first Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian stated
at the December 21 conference of the Armenian National Congress (ANC).

He said that today’s situation in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement is
characterized by activization of the negotiations process, signing
of such documents as Moscow Declaration, Helsinki Statement, many
meetings, optimistic statements of many foreign officials on possible
quick settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, urgent amendments
to the law On Referendum, obvious efforts of the Armenian authorities
to prepare society for the solution to the Nagorno Karabakh problem,
etc. "All this, on the one hand, confirms international community’s
resolution to settle the conflict in a very shot term and the
other hand, Serzh Sargsyan’s obvious readiness to go to the problem
settlement," L. Ter-Petrosian mentioned.

According to him, the Moscow Declaration signed on November 2 with
the consent of Armenian and Azeri Presidents finally strengthened two
important principles. In particular, the fact that "Madrid principles"
are the basis of conflict settlement and that unfortunately, Nagorno
Karabakh will not take part in the settlement process.

L. Ter-Petrosian stated that by signing under the Moscow Declaration,
S. Sargsyan gave an official consent to "Madrid principles." And
"Madrid principles," accoridng to him, is nothing else but the ten
points presented by him as far back as at the October 17 rally.

It should be mentioned that speaking at the October 17 rally, L.
Ter-Petrosian presented an approximate plan of the document that
will be offered for signing and where 10 points will be the main
ones: withdrawal of Armenian armed formations from the territories
adjoining Nagorno Karabakh, settlement of these territories with Azeri
refugees, return of Azeri refugees to the Nagorno Karabakh territory,
provision of a land communication between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia,
dislocation of international peacekeepers by the perimeter of Nagorno
Karabakh borders, etc.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON ZURABIAN: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES SPARED NO EFFORTS FOR NO HALL IN COUNTRY TO BE PROVIDED FOR HOLDING ANC CONFERENCE

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 22, 2008
YEREVAN

The main subjects of discussion at the conference of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) held on December 21 at the hall of ANC
Erebuni office were issues regarding Nagorno Karabakh settlement,
problems of financial-economic crisis and possible ways of coming out
of it, as well as home political issues regarding restoration of the
constitutional order in Armenia.

Besides first RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian, former political
prisoner Vardan Malkhasian, Chairman of ANC youth organizations’ Board
Karen Karapetian, former political prisoner and a representative of
the Union of Armenian Volunteers Zhirayr Sefilian, Board Chairwoman
of the Hnchak Social-Democratic Party Lyudmila Sargsian, Chairmen of
the Hanrapetutin (Republic) party and the People’s Party of Armenia
Aram Z. Sargsian and Stepan Demirchian spoke at the conference.

According to ANC central office head Levon Zurabian, the conference
was held in such a limited staff as the Armenian authorities not
only refused to provide them the government sitting hall for holding
the conference, but also spared no efforts for no other hall in the
country to be provided for that purpose.

L. Zurabian said that 18 parties, 20 NGOs and 10 youth organizations,
as well as dozens of thousands of people are included in ANC. At
present ANC offices operate in all Armenian regions and Yerevan
communities. It is also supposed to open offices in all former
RA regional centers, that is, to increase their number more than
three-fold. ANC also has branches in Moscow and Los Angeles.

The representative of ANC central office said that a telethon
on raising funds for Armenia’s political prisoners will be held
on December 21 in Los Angeles by the AMGA Armenian-language TV
channel. The telethon is organized by the Eurokanch (Eurocall) center
for civil cooperation.