Month: June 2009

"STAR" CONTINUES LOTTERY AND "CHIPPER" SALE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMENIAN.N et/ The new lottery drawing with 50 prizes has been
finished recently at one of the supermarkets of the Star chain. To
take part in the lottery customers were offered to make purchases
amounting at least AMD 4000 between May 7 and 29. Last Saturday on
May 30, the supermarket awarded prizes to winners.

The same day David Azaryan, regional director of the Star supermarkets,
announced a launch of a new lottery. 5 double vouchers to travel
in Armenia will become main prizes of the new lottery. This time to
participate in the lottery AMD 2500 purchases must be done.

Since May 7 new "Chipper" sale is organized at the Star
supermarkets. The purpose of the sale to increase the range of goods
of "low price segment", as well as to reduce prices for another 100
goods offered in the supermarket. Rotation of the goods is implemented
every two weeks.

ARMENIA: UNIFORMED PEOPLE ATTACKED POLICE DEPARTMENT?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARM ENIAN.Net/ A group of people in military uniforms, probably
Defense Ministry servicemen, are reported to have attacked Erebuni
police department and severely beaten police officers. Some people
have reportedly suffered injuries.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY TO OPEN MORE DIFFICULT CHAPTERS IN ITS EU PROCESS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMENIA N.Net/ "We have opened nearly all the easy chapters in EU
process. Now, the remaining chapters require important benchmarks
that could cause trouble at home and in Europe," Egemen Baðýþ,
Turkey’s state minister and chief negotiator in EU process, said.

To open the chapter on social policies, the law on trade unions must
be adopted, the Turkish official said, adding that the same goes for
the chapter on the environment and the laws and regulations on waste
treatment. "We are planning to open the chapter on the environment
during the Swedish presidency," Bagis noted.

The negotiations between Turkey and the EU started in 2005, but so
far, only 10 chapters out of 35 have been opened, mostly because
of the Cyprus problem and France’s opposition to Turkey’s full
membership. Eight chapters were suspended because Turkey rejects to
open its ports and airports to Cyprus.

"For us, our reform process is much more important than the number
of opened chapters. If we focus too much on the chapters, then we’ll
let Brussels get behind the wheel, but if we are concentrated on
reforms, then the control will be in Parliament," Hurriyet quotes
Bagis as saying.

BICKERING IN POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ORGANIZED FOR TRAINING PURPOSES?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMEN IAN.Net/ As reported to journalists, the attack in Erebuni
police department was just a training. But PanARMENIAN.Net has
information on the bickering to have really taken place.

Earlier, a group of people in military uniforms were reported to
have broken into Erebuni police department and severely beaten police
officers. Some people were reportedly injured.

ARMENIAN AND AZERI FMS NOT TO MEET IN ITALY ON JUNE 25

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMENIAN.Net / Armenian and Azeri FMs are not going to meet in Italy
on June 25, RA MFA Spokesman Tigran Balayantold a PanARMENIAN.Net
correspondent. Turkish media, he said, disseminate misinformation
on the issue. In an interview to Milliyet newspaper, Turkish FM
Ahmet Davutoglu said that after today’s meeting in St. Petersburg,
Armenian and Azeri FMs will meet Italy on June 25 .

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN EXPRESSED CONDOLENCES TO HIS BRAZILIAN AND FRENCH COLLEAGES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMEN IAN.Net/ The Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia,
Hovik Abrahamyan, expressed his condolence to On behalf of the National
Assembly of Armenia and himself, Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan expressed
sympathy with the people and authorities of Brazil and France, as well
as the families and friends of the dead crewmembers and passengers.

SHRINKING OF ARMENTEL’S USER BASE CONDITIONED BY NEW COUNTING SYSTEM

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMENIAN .Net/ Shrinking of ArmenTel’s (merchandise mark Beeline)
user base is conditioned by new counting system told news conference
Armentel’s director general Igor Klimko.

According to him the company introduced very strict rules of counting
the user base. Customers, who have made at least one paid transaction
in last three month are included in the "real" user base, he said. For
instance, Viva-Cell, includes in its "real" user base the customers,
who made one paid transaction within the last half year. ArmenTel’s
user base shrunk by 7.5 per cent reaching 481.000 users over the
first quarter of this year.

VARTAN OSKANIAN TO GIVE A TALK AT BENTLEY UNIVERSITY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
05.06.2009

/PanARME NIAN.Net/ Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
will give a talk entitled "Speaking To Be Heard: A Statesman Looks
Back," on June 17, at Bentley University’s LaCava Center on the
Bentley campus in Waltham, Mass. The lecture is co-sponsored by the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and
the Bentley Global Studies Department, Tha Armenian Weekly reports.

Oskanian served as Armenia’s foreign minister for a decade before
leaving office last year. He has been a witness to and a participant
in the historic events that have shaped the Republic of Armenia’s
place in the world since achieving independence.

An eloquent speaker, Oskanian has just issued a volume of his speeches
as foreign minister. Published by the Civilitas Foundation in Yerevan,
of which Oskanian is the founder, Speaking To Be Heard: A Decade of
Speeches, edited by Civilitas Foundation director Salpi Ghazarian,
contains more than 90 speeches. NAASR is the North American distributor
for the book. Speaking To Be Heard will be on sale and available for
signing the night of the talk.

Oskanian holds a master’s degree in international law and diplomacy
from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy at Tufts
University, as well as a master’s degree in structural engineering
from Tufts. This will be his only appearance in the Boston area.

CIS HOME MINISTERS TO DISCUSS CONFRONTING CRIME IN YALTA

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 4, 2009
YALTA

During the consultation scheduled for June 4-5 in Yalta the CIS
Home Ministers will discuss the issues of combating crime in the CIS
territory as well as fostering of cooperation in fighting against cyber
crimes, illegal circulation of drugs and trafficking in human beings.

RIA "Novosti" reports that during the consultation the Ministers will
also discuss the results of cooperation between the CIS Home Ministers
(Polices).

A representative of Russian delegation informed the Agency that the
Russian Home Ministry has drafted an agreement of cooperation between
CIS Home Ministers in the trafficking in human beings.

"The draft agreement contains a full list of types of cooperation
between CIS law-enforcement bodies in the prevention, discovery and
suspension of the given crimes," the interlocutor stressed.

"Signing of this agreement will be an urgent, important and timely step
towards the increase of efficiency of the activity of law-enforcement
bodies in combating trafficking in human beings," the representative
of Russian delegation noted.

Besides that the cooperation agreement between the CIS Home Ministers
in the sphere of legal ensuring worked out by the Russian Home Ministry
will also be signed during the consultation.

CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE APPROVES JUNE 3 "GENOCIDE AWARENESS ACT" BILL 234

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 4, 2009
YEREVAN

California State Senate passed June 3 Senate Bill 234, the "Genocide
Awareness Act." It aims at the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923 as part of its high school curriculum.

On April 29, the Senate Education Committee voted unanimously in
favor of the Senate Bill 234.

An official from the Armenian Assembly of America told Armenpress
that during the public witness hearing, Armenian Genocide denier
Bruce Fein and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)
testified against treating the Armenian example and parallel cases
in Cambodia and Darfur as genocide.

In response to the opposition’s testimony, State Senator Joe Simitian
(D), a member of the Education Committee, expressed his disappointment,
especially given the incontestable historical fact of the Armenian
Genocide.

"Why is it that genocide happens over and over and over again? It
happens because we are unwilling to step back and confront man’s
inhumanity to man. The truth of the Armenian Genocide has long been
settled," Simitian stated.

State Democrat Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, moved the bill directly to for a vote,
stating that the continuing events in Darfur remind him of the words
of philosopher George Santayana who wrote: "Those who do not learn from
history are doomed to repeat it." "Those horrific events only serve to
raise the importance of acknowledging and learning from past. Making
sure that Senate Bill 234 becomes law will help make sure that the
Armenian Genocide is not forgotten for this and future generations,"
the Senator underscored.

Upon successful passage in the California State Assembly, State
Senator Wyland’s "Genocide Awareness Act" would then be signed into
law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The bill requires the California Curriculum Commission to vote on the
inclusion of an oral history component related to Armenian Genocide
of 1915-1923 as part of its high school curriculum.