Month: November 2009

PLEASE DON’T KICK US OUT OF BRITAIN
By Laura Pitel

Newcastle Evening Chronicle
November 2, 2009 Monday
UK

A TALENTED teenager who has won places at top universities to study
medicine may be kicked out of the country. Lucy Manukyan, 18, got
a string of good grades at A-level, even though English is not her
first language.

The bright student and her family came to the North East with
nothing after being driven out of Uzbekistan, and have made lives for
themselves on Tyneside. But the Manukyan family, of Helmsley Drive,
Howdon, North Tyneside, are in danger of being kicked out of the
country after their asylum bid failed.

And, as Christians, they fear for their safety if they are sent back
to Muslimdominated Uzbekistan. Mum Nonna, and dad Kamo, used to run
a cafe in the country’s capital, Tashkent. But radical Muslims forced
them to flee.

Lucy said: "They beat dad up and broke his leg. No-one did anything
about it. Friends said we should leave the country." Immigration
officials want to send the Manukyans back to Uzbekistan, where Kamo has
citizenship, or to Armenia, where Lucy, Arsen and Nonna are nationals.

The family fear being split up if they are returned to either country.

Lucy said: "If they send us back to Uzbekistan, they won’t accept
the whole family.

"They would send us three back to Armenia. I don’t know if Armenia
would accept dad as an Armenian citizen. They will try to extradite
him from Armenia to Uzbekistan."

Lucy, whose dream is to become a doctor, got all As and Bs in
her A-levels and was offered places to study medicine at Newcastle
University and St Andrew’s. She also won places to study biochemistry
and biology at York and Edinburgh. Lucy and her brother Arsen, 19,
are enthusiastic about their adopted community and have done more
than 2,000 hours of volunteering between them.

They are involved in music and theatre, appearing in performances at
The Sage, Gateshead.

And Lucy and her family have the support of the community on Tyneside,
who cannot belive they could be booted out.

Wendy Brown, Youth Leadership Strand Leader at the Sage Gateshead said:
"She’s got a really caring nature. She’s so considerate.

"She epitomises everything that is good about young people in our
society today, and I cannot believe they are going to try and get
her out.

"She is such a good influence on the young people around here."

Brother Arsen is also a promising artist and is studying for an art
and design foundation degree at Newcastle College.

Lucy said: "I was 16 when I came here and I have all my friends here.

"I feel this is where my future is supposed to be and this is where
I’m supposed to be living.

"They are taking that chance away from me. Britain is so full of
opportunities and you just have to grab them."

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "We did receive an asylum
application from the Manukyan family which was refused.

"Our decision was upheld throughout the full appeal process.

"The family have now made additional representations which are being
reviewed by our case team."

STRUGGLING WITH BUDGET FINANCING, ARMENIA SEEKS TO RESTRUCTURE EXTERNAL LOANS
Venla Sipila

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
November 2, 2009

The Armenian government wants to revise the terms of its external
loans with international financial institutions. According to
Interfax quoting Finance Minister Tigran Daytyan, talks are currently
being held with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank. In particular, the authorities are hoping to loosen the terms
of the second tranche of the current IMF arrangement, consisting of
$150US million to be used for financing the 2010 budget. The IMF in
June approved an increase in the current stand-by loan, lifting the
sum to some $823US million from the previously agreed $540US million
(seeArmenia: 24 June 2009:). In addition, a staff-level agreement has
been reached on the second review of Armenia’s current IMF programme
(seeArmenia: 17 September 2009:). The government hopes to extend
the term of the loan from its current maturity of five years with a
three-year grace period. The interest rate of the first instalment
of $270US million is 1.56%, while the following payment of $135US
million is at 2.56% and the remainder of the credit at 3.56%. In
addition, it was reported that negotiations are also under way with
the World Bank over the conditions of an already approved loan of
$545US million in the framework of a Country Partnership Strategy for
2009-2012 (seeArmenia: 17 June 2009:). Daytyan estimates that Armenia’s
external debt to GDP ratio is expected to rise from 28.5% to peak at
48%, growth in this ratio necessitating an achievable repayment plan.

According to ARKA News, Daytyan also expressed hopes that next year’s
economic growth may exceed the rate of 1.2% projected in the 2010
budget draft.

Significance:The loan restructuring talks comes as the Armenian
government seeks to contain its budget deficit. In particular,
it is hoping to find savings on capital expenditures and spending
on government management. Around half of the budget deficit relies
on external sources for funding. The global economic downturn has
had a strong negative impact on remittance and investment inflows,
highlighting the crucial importance of concessional lending from
international financial institutions (seeArmenia: 30 September 2009:).

The lenient terms of these loans have been critical in securing
Armenia’s ability to meet its external financing needs. When concluding
its recent visit to Armenia, the IMF commended the policy response
of the authorities to the current economic challenges, and thus,
revision the loan terms may be possible. However, the IMF has also
reiterated that continued progress in improving tax administration will
be critical, in order to secure fiscal sustainability (see Armenia:
14 October 2009: ).

ANKARA CRITICISED ON PRESS FREEDOM
Fabrice Randoux

Europolitics information society
November 2, 2009

A "balanced report." That was the reaction of Egemen Bagis, the Turkish
minister for EU relations, to the European Commission’s annual report
on Turkey, published on 14 October. The Commission denounced attacks
on the freedom for the press and unions, children’s rights and sexual
equality.

It showed particular concern over the large fines (over a billion
euro) imposed on the private Dogan Yayin Holding (DYH) media group
for unpaid taxes. "If a tax fine is worth the annual turnover of a
company it’s quite a strong sanction and it may not only be a tax
sanction but it seems like a political sanction," said Olli Rehn, the
commissioner for enlargement. "There are too many provisions in the
penal code that could be used to restrict free expression," he added.

The Commission also lamented "little progress" in terms of political
and constitutional reforms, the fights against corruption, free supply
of services and company law.

REPORT "SOFT" ON CYPRUS

On relations with Cyprus, the report notes the absence of progress
on the opening of Turkish ports and airports since 2006. The EU had
decided to freeze eight of the 33 chapters of negotiations (see box)
as a result of Ankara’s refusal to do this. But the Commission did
not recommend new sanctions, limiting itself to declaring it "urgent
that Turkey fulfil its obligations".

The EU executive is clearly keen not to disrupt delicate talks,
initiated in September 2008 and overseen by the United Nations,
intended to result in a unified Cyprus. The division of the island
since 1974 is an "anachronism," in the eyes of Rehn, "20 years after
the end of the Berlin Wall".

ARMENIA AND KURDISH RIGHTS

The report, however, commends the normalisation of relations between
Armenia and Turkey, two rival countries with a shared bloody history,
which signed a historic accord in Switzerland, on 10 October, sealing
their reconciliation. It also applauds the Turkish government for
opening a "wide public debate" on the Kurdish question, adding that
it was "crucial" that it is "followed by concrete measures" to help
the minority in the South-West of the country. The Commission also
approved of the launch of a Kurdish television channel.

The Commission said it was also pleased with the signing of an
intergovernmental agreement for the Nabucco gas pipeline which,
from 2014, will link the gas fields of Central Asia to Europe,
bypassing Russia. It said this was a contribution to gas security,
which would benefit "Turkey as much as the EU".

The remaining negotiations with Ankara seem to be in firm stalemate
with a lack of motivation on both sides. Since the start of the year,
only one chapter has been opened, that on taxation.

Status of accession talks

Eleven chapters opened: Science and research, business and industrial
policy, statistics, financial monitoring, trans-European networks,
consumer protection and health, company law, intellectual property
rights, information society and media, free movement of capital
and taxation.

One chapter provisionally closed: Science and research

Eight chapters suspended: Free movement of goods, right to
establishment and supply of services, financial services, agriculture
and rural development, fisheries, transport, customs union, external
relations.

Chapters blocked by France: Economic and monetary policy, regional
policy and policy for the structural instruments of coordination,
agriculture and rural development, financial and budgetary provisions,
institutional questions.

Chapters blocked by Cyprus: Energy, education and culture

GLADSTONE LEGACY BEING KEPT ALIVE
By Rob Davies

Daily Post (Liverpool)
November 2, 2009 Monday
UK

FOR some of us,William Gladstone is a name from the history books –
a great statesman of a bygone era. A Victorian icon fading with the
passage of time.

Yet at Flintshire’s Hawarden Castle the spirit lives on of this
towering figure of the 19th century, who served four times as Britain’s
prime minister.

He has, of course, been chosen by Daily Post readers as one of our
top 30 Great North Walians.

The castle remains the home of the Gladstone family and at its head
is Sir William Gladstone, 84 last week, great grandson of the former
prime minister.

To sit with SirWilliam in his study at the castle and talk about his
great grandfather, surrounded by shelf upon shelf of history books is
to feel transported back to the Victorian age dominated by Gladstone
and Benjamin Disraeli.

"When I was a child, most adults in Britain remembered Gladstone as
a living person and gradually they disappeared and he has become
an historical figure," says Sir William, whose father Charles was
Gladstone’s second son.

"But I have learned about him from his grandchildren who know him. My
father attended Gladstone’s funeral as a schoolboy, he walked behind
the coffin with his brother. It was all vivid to him."

There will soon be a new history book about Gladstone, written by
Sir William himself, from the very room where Gladstone would himself
have penned books and speeches.

It is called Gladstone: A Bicentenary Portrait and is intended
to delve further into the life of Gladstone the man, not just the
politician. It will contain previously unseen essays and documentary
evidence from castle archives and be available from December from
Norwich publishers Michael Russell.

"What I want to do is to enable people to know what Gladstone was like,
what he wanted to achieve and feel they know the man by the time they
have read it," says Sir William.

"It’s not just concerned with praising him, but detailing his problems,
difficulties and mistakes. I have picked out some of the most important
scenes in his life. It’s a labour of love and I should have started
it long before."

Does the direct family link help him get closer to his subject? "I
feel I do know quite a lot about him. (Former Home Secretary) Roy
Jenkins paid me a lot of visits and asked me a lot of questions for his
biography – it is very good on his politics and the House of Commons,
but he was weak on some of his other characteristics.

"I am claiming to have a slightly different perception of Gladstone
because I feel I know the man intimately, I have spent so long studying
him and I like the man.

"I understand his faults and his foibles but I like him. It helps to
be a direct descendant and to have the privilege of living among his
possessions and books. His spirit lives on here."

Sir William admires Gladstone as a free thinker, many of whose ideas
were before his time, who generated considerable hostility among
contemporaries, including his monarch, Victoria. There is much which
can connect people today with a politician like Gladstone, believes
Sir William.

"He hated the idea of the British fighting wars in order to acquire
territory.

He roused the nation against the atrocities committed against the
Christians in the Turkish empire and later in life against the
Armenians.

"He was taking an absolutely modern 21st century view of international
tolerance. Gladstone is worth celebrating because he pioneered a
fair society and an inclusive society. He pioneered protests against
ethnic and racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing. He started
out on the road. It’s very easy to forget that the first steps are
the most difficult steps."

Sir William admits his own world view is influenced by his remarkable
great grandfather. Does he regret not following in his footsteps and
giving Britain and the modern-day Liberals a second William Gladstone?

"No, because I felt that all the glory I could get would be reflected
glory. He was very much cleverer and more gifted than me," replies
Sir William. "I would have been a poor shadow of the great man."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MANUFACTURE OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL DENIAL

Belfast Telegraph
November 2, 2009 Monday

Amira Hass was spot on when she said last week that her lifetime
women’s award was an award for failure. The West Bank correspondent of
the Israeli paper Haaretz eloquently explained herself on al-Jazeera’s
English channel.

She received an award for failure, she said, because despite all the
facts that she and her journalistic colleagues had explained about
Israeli occupation in Palestine, the world still did not understand
what occupation meant and still used words like "terror" and "war
on terror".

Amira was absolutely correct. Most of our Western press and television
are as gutless as ever when they have to participate in what Noam
Chomsky described as "the manufacture of consent". Once government
and editors and television management have decided on the "story",
you can be sure that an Israeli "wall" will become a "security barrier"
or a "fence", a pro-Western Arab dictator a "strongman" and "occupied"
Israeli territory will become "disputed"; the unjustly treated will
thus become generically violent, brutality softened and occupation
legalised.

Fred Halliday of the London School of Economics is coming out next
June with a book called Shocked and Awed about the artillery and
minefields used in the battlefield of language.

The "War on Terror" — yes, let’s give this trash the capital letters
it deserves, as in "South Sea Bubble" — has given us "Gitmo" and
"extraordinary rendition" ("extraordinary" indeed!) and imported,
as Halliday observes, perversions of imported words such as "jihad".

But I think the problem goes further than this. It’s not just a White
House-State Department-Pentagon-CNN-Downing Street-Defence Ministry
BBC-military-political-journalistic complex. Our masters prefer us
not to tangle with the bad guys as well as good guys. Years ago,
a Time magazine reporter in Cairo packed his note-book with facts
about the routine Egyptian police torture of prisoners. But the US
ambassador in Cairo persuaded the bureau chief to hold off because he
understood that Mubarak was going to "crack down" on such abuses. Time
didn’t run the story and the abuses got worse. Shortly afterwards,
jail guards were forcing Egyptian prisoners to rape each other.

And nothing has changed. The big Western news agencies which have
headquartered their Middle East offices in Cairo are as loath to
touch these stories today as they were more than a decade ago. It’s
just the same in that other friendly Muslim ally of ours, Turkey.

Now we all know that the Armenian genocide of 1915 was a fact of
history, that one and a half million Armenian men, women and children
were raped, knifed, burned and shot to death by the Ottoman Turks.

So how do our defenders of the Western press refer to the Armenian
genocide? Here is Reuters on October 13 this year, referring to
"hostility stemming from the First World War mass killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Armenia says it was genocide, a term
Turkey rejects". And here’s the Associated Press next day: "Armenia
and many historians say Ottoman Turks committed genocide against
Armenians early in the last century, a charge that Turkey denies." Can
you imagine the uproar if Reuters referred to the "mass killing" of
Jews by Germans with the words: "Jews say it was a genocide, a term
right-wing Germans and neo-Nazis reject." Or if AP were to report
that "Israel and many historians say German Nazis committed genocide
against Jews in the Second World War, a charge German right-wingers,
etc, deny". It would be an outrage. But no one, of course, is going
to close the Reuters or AP bureaux in Berlin. In Ankara and Istanbul
bureaux, however, it’s clearly another matter.

No, Chomsky was wrong. It’s not about consent. It’s about the
manufacture of social, political and historical denial. The motto is
familiar and simple: always give in to the bully.

DEBATE ON GARABAGH MARRED BY TENSION

AssA-Irada
November 2, 2009 Monday
Azerbaijan

A roundtable devoted to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh held in the editorial office of Izvestiya newspaper
in Moscow was marred by tensions. According to Heydar Jamal, the
chairman of Russias Islamic Committee who attended the discussions,
an incident occurred over a separatist regimes representative joining
the event. We demanded that he be represented at the event not as
a representative of Upper Garabagh [an Azerbaijani region currently
under Armenian occupation], but as a private individual.

But, since his speech was a political statement, he was immediately
taken out of the roundtable venue. Jamal emphasized that more Armenians
than Azerbaijanis attended the roundtable, entitled Upper Garabagh
conflict: providing conditions for making peace and Russias role. He
said Azerbaijan was represented by political analysts Rasim Musabayov
and Avaz Hasanov but added: Though I had been invited to the function
as the chairman of Russias Islamic Committee, I could be considered as
a person representing Azerbaijan because I supported the Azerbaijani
stance on the Garabagh issue as well. The Garabagh conflict reared
up in the late 1980s due to Armenias territorial claims. Armenia has
been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijans internationally-recognized
territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law. The
ceasefire accord was signed in May 1994, but over a decade of efforts
by US, Russian and French mediators have been fruitless so far. Jamal
believes that the Garabagh problem would not exist today if Russia
didnt directly support Armenia. He went on to criticize the Armenian
speakers actions and statements during the roundtable. As a result
of unfairness displayed by Armenian experts, a negative environment
and an atmosphere of unprofessional analysis emerged. As before,
the main issues were not being discussed. There was little time to
make speeches, but since Armenians outnumbered others and failed to
observe the rules, their addresses took longer.

Jamal also stated during the debate that the countries around the
South Caucasus region Iran, Turkey, Russia and European states –
are not interested in a solution to the Garabagh conflict and are
using the current situation for their own ends.

EU ENVOY YEREVAN TO REALIZE KEEPING GARABAGH STATUS QUO IMPOSSIBLE

AssA-Irada
November 2, 2009 Monday
Azerbaijan

A European Union official has expressed confidence that the Armenian
leadership will realize that maintaining the status quo in the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict forever is
impossible. Peter Semneby, the EU Special Representative for the
South Caucasus, made the statement in an interview with Russian daily
newspaper Vremya Novostey during a visit to Russia. Semneby said,
further, that Azerbaijan and Armenia have significantly advanced in
discussing the mechanisms of the conflict settlement. Many issues
have yet to be agreed regarding details.

But I am confident that, if a favorable environment emerges, they can
move forward further, the EU envoy concluded. Azerbaijan and Armenia
fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in
1994, but Armenia continues to occupy part of Azerbaijani territory
in defiance of international law. The OSCE-brokered peace talks have
not yet resulted in a solution of the conflict. Semneby said he could
not give a specific answer as to which concessions can be made by Baku
and Yerevan. Everything is clearly indicated in the Madrid principles.

Certainly, the most complicated problems are hidden in the details,
but the Madrid document reflects a decision on mutual concessions,
while the most complex issues, including the determination of Upper
Garabaghs status, are postponed indefinitely. The OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs brokering the peace process submitted a set of basic
principles for the conflict settlement to the sides in November 2007.

The peace outline calls for "the return of the territories surrounding
Upper Garabagh to Azerbaijani control. It also covered "a corridor
linking Armenia to Upper Garabagh", as well as a future determination
of the final legal status of Upper Garabagh "through a legally binding
expression of will" and the right of "internally displaced persons and
refugees to return to their former places of residence." Baku says the
occupied districts must be freed and Azerbaijani refugees displaced
during the armed conflict in the early 1990s returned home, and only
after that could the status of Upper Garabagh be determined within
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Regarding the normalization
of Armenia-Turkey relations, Semneby said the reconciliation process
opens up new opportunities for Garabagh conflict settlement. This
process fosters a positive dynamic, said the EU envoy. Nonetheless,
Semneby believes it is wrong to link the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement
with Garabagh settlement. According to him, these are two separate
conflicts and linking them could again close the doors opening up
for mending ties. At the same time, it is clearly seen that tangible
tension in one of these conflicts immediately affects the overall
environment. It should be ensured that these processes positively
affect one another. Turkey and Armenia face decades of enmity due to
Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory and genocide claims. In
a bid to normalize ties, the two governments signed protocols to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders on October
10. However, the documents require ratification in both countries
parliaments, and Ankara has made clear that it could normalize
ties with Yerevan only after the Garabagh conflict has been fairly
settled. Semneby said parliamentary approval of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols cannot be guaranteed but added he is confident that this will
happen. The EU official believes that ratification of the documents
meets the interests of both countries.

This is an issue of vital importance for Armenia. Turkey did not
start the process due to its well-wishing attitude, it meats its
interests, as well. This step is one of the first examples of Turkeys
new policy toward neighboring states. Certainly, taking into account
Azerbaijans interests and how Azerbaijanis will react to this is
important for Turkey. But, sooner or later, this process will end
in a way that complies with Turkish interests. Semneby said being in
conflict with Armenia restricts Ankaras potential clout in the South
Caucasus region. Normalizing relations with Yerevan will open up new
opportunities, strengthen security in the volatile region and improve
economic relations, he added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMROSGAZPROM OUTLINES PROGRAM FOR COMING YEAR

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.11.2009 22:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 3, ArmRosgazprom CJSC conducted its
regular session in Yerevan to discuss company’s complex reconstruction
and development programs and 2010 gas energy and investment project,
as well as "ArmRosgazprom CJSC’s 2010 Financial-Entrepreneurial
Activity Program".

Managing board made decision to approve the program projects containing
its members’ remarks and proposals and submit them during the next
session of directors’ board, the company’s press service reports.

INTERPOL CIS NATIONAL BUREAUS CLOSELY COLLABORATING

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.11.2009 22:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan hosts the fourth annual meeting of the
heads of Interpol CIS national bureaus, which brought together
representatives from Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia and Armenia.

Opening the event, RA Police chief, major general Armen Yeritsyan
said it’s impossible to combat terrorism, transnational crimes,
trafficking and corruption without cooperating with the similar
structures in other countries.

The participants discussed a wide scope of issues regarding
international investigation and the problems law enforcers face when
wanting a man on a foreign territory, RA Police press unit said.

HNCHAK PARTY ACTS AS OPPOSITION FORCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2009 11:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hnchak party will hold meetings and consultations
not only with those share the same views but also with the forces
whose positions differ, the party said in a statement.

Armenian social democrats intend to act as an opposition force unless
all political prisoners are released and rule of law, democracy and
constitutional order are established across the country.