Month: December 2008

RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: THE THAW IN ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS IS A STEP FORWARD RATHER THAN DIALOGUE
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
22.12.2008 14:41

Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the National Academy
of Sciences, Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan is inclined to assess the
thaw in the Armenian-Turkish relations and the football diplomacy
as a step forward in the relations between the two countries rather
than dialogue.

Ruben Safrastyan welcomes the fact that there were intellectuals
in the Turkish society who initiated a campaign of apology on the
Internet for the World War I-era massacres of Armenians in Turkey.

The group of prominent academics, journalists, writers and artists
stated in the petition:"My conscience does not accept that (we) remain
insensitive toward and deny the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman
Armenians were subjected in 1915," read the apology. "I reject this
injustice, share in the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers,
and apologize to them."

However, Ruben Safrastyan insists that two important factors should
not be forgotten: "First, the number of intellectuals was very
small and their voice cannot be viewed as the opinion of the Turkish
society. Besides, they avoided using the term genocide in the apology,
using the less explosive Great Catastrophe instead."

Director of the Oriental Studies Institute assesses the campaign as the
first step, hoping that such initiatives will beco me more principled
in the future. In general, he characterizes the recent thaw in the
Armenian-Turkish relations and the football diplomacy as a step forward
in the relations between the two countries rather than dialogue.

It should be noted, however, that the pressure of the government
on Turkish society is weakening year by year. According to Ruben
Safrastyan, the fear is also reducing. Although Article 301 of the
Penal Code is still vital in Turkey, this country is not the same as
three or four years ago, the Turkologist stated.

EDWARD SHARMAZANOV: DEMOCRATIC VALUES HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE IN ARMENIA
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
22.12.2008 16:58

"The perspective of whether Armenia will be deprived of voting
right at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is
very dim," Spokesman for the Republican Party of Armenia, member of
the Republican faction Edward Sharmazanov told a press conference
today, speaking about the latest proposal of the PACE Monitoring
Committee. The Spokesman agrees that the proposal is not a favorable
one. However, according to him, the application of double standards is
also evident. "Generally, if the European partners want to see Armenia
more democratic, the application of sanctions is not the best way,"
Sharmazanov noted.

"Of course, there are problems. Problems arise in any state after
an attempt of a coup d’etat," the Spokesman noted, adding that these
problems have lessened during President Sargsyan’s tenure in office;
reforms have been implemented in different spheres.

According to Edward Sharmazanov, application of double standards
is noticeable in the suggestion of the Monitoring Committee, which
is not the best way for reinforcement of democracy. In any case,
irrespective of the developments, the authorities of the Republic
of Armenia will continue the reforms in the direction of democratic
development and there is one reason for that: "It’s a fact for us that
the=2 0democratic values should have no alternative in Armenia. I
hope that when PACE representatives arrive in Armenia in January,
they will see that serious work has been done. The fair probe into the
"Case of 7" can contribute to that."

According to Sharmazanov, Armenia respects the commitments it has
assumed before the Council of Europe. At the same time he added
that the amnesty is out of question until the courts announce the
final verdict.

"We need strong Armenia, and to have it we should put aside the
personal ambitions," Sharmazanov said

ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONAL LEADER: WE HAVE PROVED IDENTITIES OF POLICEMEN WHO SHOT AT DEMONSTRATORS FROM AUTOMATIC RIFLES

ArmInfo
2008-12-21 18:34:00

ArmInfo. ‘We have proved identities of the policemen in masks who
shot at demonstrators from automatic rifles on March 1’, the first
President of Armenia, oppositional leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan said
at yesterday’s 1st conference of Armenian National Congress [ANC].

According to him, all the data received from the reliable sources, have
already been submitted to the Expert Group investigating circumstances
of the March 1 tragic events, the Human Rights Commissioner Thomas
Hammerberg and heads of several diplomatic missions accredited
in Yerevan. As L. Ter-Petrosyan said, according to the specified
data, the actions of pogromists who fired the cars and robbed the
stores were coordinated by five top officials and four oligarchs. He
added that the ‘number of participants in bandit groups under the
authorities’ control amounted to 950 people’. L. Ter-Petrosyan
said one of the most important tasks of the opposition is complete
denial of the power version of the events, according to which there
were collisions among the demonstrators and the police having been
allegedly provoked by the opposition. ‘The circumstance that March 1
crime is nothing but a monstrous slaughter, dispassionately organized
by the leaders of the banditism, is already an absolute truth for the
Armenian public. Under the pressure of facts, the world community
has finally started to be convinced of this’, L. Ter-Petrosyan
said. The oppositional leader also added that irrespective of the
internal political and geopolitical environment, the ANC will hold
a several thousand strong rally and a procession on March 1, 2009,
timed to the anniversary of the tragic events.

To note, Armenian National Congress had to hold its first conference
in a small hall for 320 people in the ANC office of Erebuni Yerevan
community, as the authorities refused to provide the opposition with
an apartment.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RPA PRESS-SECRETARY: SANCTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IS NOT THE BEST WAY FOR SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 13:43:00

ArmInfo. Sanctions of international organizations is not the best way
for supporting democracy development in Armenia, press-secretary of
Republican Party of Armenia [RPA], deputy of National Assembly Edward
Sharmazanov said at today’s press-conference in Hayeli club when
commenting on the decision of PACE Monitoring Commission regarding
fulfillment of 1609 and 1620 PACE resolutions by Armenia.

He also added nobody from the present authorities came forward with
threats to European structures, on the contrary, the authorities have
always emphasized their gratitude for support and said their course
is towards European integration. ‘European parliamentarians could
not but see the huge volume of the work implemented by the country
for fulfillment of the requirements of resolutions 1609 and 1620. Of
course, we still have problems regarding human rights protection
and we are going to resolve them. But I think it is unreasonable to
declare amnesty before passing sentence upon the persons accused of
an attempt of the anti-constitutional coup. It may create dangerous
precedent’, – he said.

He also said "it is impossible to avoid dual standards application"
in the politics, and at present it is taking place in Armenia. But
RPA press-secretary thinks that the prospect of depriving Armenia of
the voting right in PACE is still not so clear.

ABDULLAH GUL TO FILE A CHARGE AGAINST AN OPPOSITIONIST WHO CALLED HIS MOTHER ARMENIAN

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 12:09:00

ArmInfo. President of Turkey Abdullah Gul will file a charge against
the member of the Republican People’s party Janan Aritman who called
his mother an Armenian, Bakililar.AZ reported. My relatives are
purebred Turks, A. Gul said. The offender of the president’s family
will answer in the court.

To recall, earlier, J. Aritman dropped a hint that the president’s
mother was Armenian. "We see that the president supports this
campaign. Abdullah Gul should be the president of the whole Turkish
nation, not of his ethnic origin. Investigate the ethnic origin of
the president’s mother, and you will see," he said.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN FM: ‘WE ARE NOT ABLE TO REACH ANY DECISION WITHOUT DIRECT PARTICIPATION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH IN NEGOTIATIONS’

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 10:29:00

ArmInfo. ‘We attach much importance to direct participation of Nagorno
Karabakh in negotiations. We are not able to reach any decision without
direct participation of Nagorno Karabakh in negotiations. I always
emphasize that the Karabakh problem can be solved only in case of
recognition and fulfillment of the NKR right for self-determination’,
Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan, being in the NKR
with a two-day working visit, said, ArmInfo special correspondent in
Stepanakert reports.

To recall, during the visit to Stepanakert, E. Nalbandyan met
NKR President Bako Sahakyan. The parties discussed the issues
of the present stage and prospects of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. E. Nalbandyan also met the professor-teacher staff and
students of Artsakh State University.

ARMENIA PUTS UP PROPERTY AND BRANDS OF CJSC ‘BJNI MINERAL WATER PLANT’ TO AUCTION

ArmInfo
2008-12-19 17:39:00

ArmInfo. The property and brands of CJSC "Bjni Mineral Water Plant"
were put up to e-auction at 5:19 local time, Friday, Rouben Grdzelyan,
the press-secretary of Judicial Acts Compulsory Execution Service of
Armenian Justice Ministry, told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, the knockdown bid for the property and brands
"Bzhni" (mineral water) and "Noy" (clear water) is 4,934 bln AMD
($16 mln). The auction will last 10 days. Financial claims worth a
total of 4.1 bln AMD were filed to the company as a result of audit
of tax bodies. These assets have been transferred to the state.

To note, CJSC "Bjni Mineral Water Plant" is included in the
structure "SIL Concern" belonging to the Sukiassyans’ family of
entrepreneurs. The fact of unprecedented pressure on the concern
structures is connected with the political activity of one of the
shareholders, Armenian MP Khachatur Sukiassyan, who openly supported
the oppositional candidacy of the first president of Armenia Levon
Ter-Ptrossyan during the presidential election in February 2008.

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA ISSUES MEMORABLE COIN OF ‘THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC’ SERIES

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 13:57:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Central Bank has put into circulation a memorable
gold coin ‘Pisces’, Central Bank press-service told ArmInfo. The
series consists of coins with 12 signs of the Zodiac issued under
the international program ‘The Signs of The Zodiac’.

Thus, the nominal value of the coin is 10000 drams. It is made
of 900 standard gold. The diameter is 22 mm and the weight is 8.6
g. The averse of the coin bears national emblem of the Republic of
Armenia, the nominal value of the coin ‘10000’ ‘DRAM’ in Armenian and
English and the year of the mintage ‘2008’ above the emblem. The sign
REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA in Armenian and English is on the milled edge of
the coin. The reverse of the coin bears the image of Pisces against
starry sky. The Latin name of the Sign of the Zodiac is engraved
above the image and in Russian below it.

The mintage is 10000 coins. The sample is by Ursula Valezhak –
designer of Polish Mint where the coin was minted.

DEPUTY DM OF ARMENIA DOUBTS ABOUT EFFICIENCY OF EXTENDING THE VALIDITY OF LAW ‘ON CITIZENS HAVING NOT DONE COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE IN VIOLATION OF ESTABLISHED ORDER’

ArmInfo
2008-12-22 13:55:00

ArmInfo. Hearings on the Law "On Citizens Having not Done Compulsory
Military Service in Violation of the Established Order" were held in
the Standing parliamentary Commission on Defense, National Security
and Internal Affairs.

The primary goal of the hearings is extension of validity of the
afore-indicated law which was first passed in 2003 and took effect
in March, 2004. However, as deputy Defense Minister of Armenia Ara
Nazaryan told ArmInfo, no relevant bill still exists on extending
the validity of the law.

He said 72 sessions of the Republican Commission were held from March,
2004 to December 12, 2008, during which 445 cases were heard. Total
of 4002 decisions were made and the law-fixed amounts were paid on
them. ‘According to the data of December, 2008, the paid amount for
violation of the Law ‘On citizens having not done compulsory military
service in violation of established order’ makes up 2 bln 703 mln 156
thsd drams’, A. Nazaryan said. The deputy DM expressed confidence
that in the number of those who evade compulsory military service
will increase in case of extending the law validity. ‘The Chief
commissar of Armenia said in his report that the payments grew by 1
bln drams during a year. It is necessary to thoroughly think over,
weigh and then make an optimal decision’, A. Nazaryan advised. The
law says the itizens who did not made a compulsory military service,
from the date of non-appearance to the call-up till the age of 27,
may pay and, thus, escape criminal responsibility for avoidance of a
compulsory military service. According to the law, the payments make
up 100-fold size of the minimum salary.

Violent protests resume in Greece’s Athens

14:00 | 21/ 12/ 2008

ATHENS, December 21 (RIA Novosti) – Hundreds of Greek youths staged
fresh protests in Athens, clashing with police amid Greece’s worst
riots in decades sparked by the recent killing of a teenager by police,
local TV channels reported Sunday.

Students threw stones and firebombs at police in the Athens district of
Exarchia where 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos had been shot dead
on December 6, and also erected roadblocks around the nearby
Polytechnic University. The police responded with tear gas, TV channels
said.

The riots, sparked by the youth’s killing, earlier spread to other
Greek cities, leaving a trail of destruction as youths went on the
rampage looting shops and setting fire to hundreds of cars, banks and
businesses.

A recent opinion poll published by the Ethnos newspaper said 83% of
Greeks were unhappy with the methods used by the government to deal
with the violence.

Two police officers have been detained over the teenager’s killing. One
of them, Epaminondas Korkoneas, who claims he fired warning shots in
self-defense which ricocheted, was charged with murder and the illegal
use of his weapon. The second officer, Vassilios Saraliotis, was
charged with aiding and betting Korkoneas