Author: Ani Basmajian

KOCHARIAN READILY ANSWERS

A1+
30 January, 2008

President Robert Kocharian had the recurrent meeting with Ambassadors
of EU member states accredited in Armenia on January 30th.

Noting that Armenia is facing a responsible period, the President
expressed willingness to respond to the questions the diplomats were
interested in and listen to their opinions and remarks.

Robert Kocharian assessed Armenia’s cooperation with the European Union
as positive adding that the relations have become more coordinated. He
said his recent visit to Brussels was very productive. Concrete
programmes of cooperation were discussed during the visit. According
to the President, the Government is very resolute and will try to do
its best for the election process not to affect the practical work.

"The reforms continue and will continue," he underlined.

Turning to the forthcoming presidential election, President Kocharian
again stressed the political will of the authorities to hold the
election in compliance with international standards.

Afterwards the President gave clarifications about the issues the
diplomats were interested in, which mainly related to the pre-election
process and the developments in the Karabakh conflict resolution.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT MULLS NEW SECURITY AGENCY
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 2 2007

The Armenian parliament began debating on Friday a government
proposal to set up a new security agency that would be tasked with
investigating instances of government corruption and other abuses
committed by state officials.

Presenting a relevant draft law to the National Assembly, Justice
Minister Gevorg Danielian said the proposed Special Investigative
Service (SIS) would exclusively deal with crimes that have a "great
public resonance and "relate to the status of state officials." He
said it would also be supposed to combat electoral fraud.

Under the government bill, the head of the SIS would be nominated by
Armenia’s prosecutor-general and appointed by the president of the
republic. This provision prompted strong objections from opposition and
even some pro-government deputies. Those included David Harutiunian,
Danielian’s predecessor who now chairs the parliament committee on
legal affairs.

"In my opinion, the nomination by the prosecutor-general is
unacceptable," Harutiunian said during the debates. He said the SIS
chief should be nominated by the Armenian prime minister instead.

Harutiunian also rejected as unconstitutional some of his opposition
colleagues’ demands that the head of the new security service be
chosen by the parliament.

The parliamentary faction of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), a junior partner in the governing coalition, also
voiced misgivings about the bill, requesting a separate meeting with
Danielian. Its leader, Hrayr Karapetian, said Dashnaktsutyun lawmakers
have "many question" regarding the bill.

Opposition lawmakers, for their part, were highly skeptical about
Danielian’s assurances that the SIS would be independent of all
branches of government and therefore better placed to tackle government
abuses than the existing law-enforcement bodies. "Can you really
imagine this supposedly independent security service equally dealing
with all cases and investigating crimes originating in the prosecutor’s
office or the presidential administration?" Raffi Hovannisian, the
leader of the opposition Zharangutyun Party, asked the minister.

Other opposition deputies expressed concern about the possibility of
a further restriction of civil liberties enjoyed by Armenians. Zaruhi
Postanjian, another Zharangutyun parliament, pointed to the passage
last month of a highly controversial government bill that allows
law-enforcement authorities to wire-tap phone conversations without
a court authorization. He also accused the authorities of planning
to create "networks of secret agents" for all law-enforcement and
tax agencies.

"Where will this path take us?" said Postanjian. "Do we want to
make our people even more scared and reduce Armenia’s population to
a minimum?"

The government wants the proposed law on the SIS to take effect
as early as on December 1, the day when Armenia’s Office of the
Prosecutor-General will formally lose its authority to conduct
pre-trial criminal investigation. Danielian insisted that the bill is
not aimed at mitigating the serious reduction in the law-enforcement
agency’s powers.

Haaretz, English Edition
Friday, August 24 2007

Turkey expresses anger over statements by ADL leader
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

The Turkish government is pressuring Israel in an effort to reverse an
American Jewish organization’s decision to recognize Turkey’s massacre of
Armenians during World War I as genocide.

A meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Israel’s
ambassador to Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, became "shrill," according to Foreign
Ministry sources in Jerusalem. Gul expressed Ankara’s "anger and
disappointment" over the matter.

On Tuesday, the Anti-Defamation League announced that it recognizes the
events in which an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were massacred as
"genocide." ADL’s national director Abraham Foxman, said he made the
decision after discussing the matter with historians and with Nobel Peace
Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

According to an Israeli ministry source, Gul told the Israeli ambassador
that "Turkey knows Israel was not responsible for the Anti-Defamation
League’s announcement, but is disappointed because Israel could have done
something to prevent it."

Avivi replied that Jerusalem was not involved in the ADL’s decision and
that "there is no change in Israel’s position. We are not taking sides,
and believe that the parties must hold a dialogue to clarify and
investigate the matter and determine what really happened."

A senior Foreign Ministry official told Haaretz Thursday that the main
focus now is on calming the situation.

"This is a highly sensitive issue for Turkey, and we have signaled to them
that there is no change in our position and that we do not wish to harm
the friendly ties between our countries. We believe that they have
understood our message," the official said.

The question of the Armenian genocide is being handled at the highest
levels of the Turkish leadership, and Foreign Ministry sources noted that
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are
planning to discuss the matter with their Israeli counterparts, Shimon
Peres and Ehud Olmert.

Israel is concerned that the matter may lead to a genuine diplomatic
crisis between the two countries, and it has sent quiet signals to
American Jewish organizations in an effort to lower the tone. The Foreign
Ministry is concerned that the strategic relationship between the two
countries could be harmed and that the Jewish community in Turkey could be
affected.

JEWISH GROUPS LOBBY AGAINST ‘ARMENIAN RESOLUTION’ IN US CONGRESS

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
April 27 2007

In a letter addressing influential members of the U.S. Congress,
including head of the House of Representatives’ Foreign Relations
Committee Tom Lantos, the US-based Jewish groups demanded that
voting on congressional resolutions urging the U.S. administration
to recognize an alleged genocide of Armenians be delayed.

The letter was jointly signed by B’nai B’rith International, the
Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish
Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA).

The letter included an annex — a letter signed by the Turkish Jewish
Community — which said maintenance of good relations between Turkey
and Israel and among Turkey, the US and Israel were crucial at a time
when the US faces troubles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Two separate resolutions are pending at the US Senate and the House
of Representatives, urging the administration to recognize the World
war I era killings of Anatolian Armenians as genocide.

Turkey has warned that passage of the resolutions in the US Congress
would seriously harm relations with Washington and impair cooperation
in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US administration has said it was opposed
to the resolution, yet the congressional process is an independent one.

In his message for April 24, which Armenians claim marks the
anniversary of the beginning of a so-called systematic genocide
campaign at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, US President George
W. Bush remained adhered to the administration policy of not referring
to the incidents as genocide.

"Each year on this day, we pause to remember the victims of one of the
greatest tragedies of the 20th century, when as many as 1.5 million
Armenians lost their lives in the final years of the Ottoman Empire,
many of them victims of mass killings and forced exile," Bush said.

Turkey categorically rejects the Armenian claims and says as many
Turks were killed when the Armenians took up arms against the Ottoman
Empire in collaboration with the invading Russian army.

Bush, in his message, also called for the normalization of ties
between Turkey and Armenia:

"Today, we remember the past and also look forward to a brighter
future. We commend the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who are
working to normalize the relationship between their two countries. A
sincere and open examination of the historic events of the late-Ottoman
period is an essential part of this process. The United States
supports and encourages those in both countries who are working to
build a shared understanding of history as a basis for a more hopeful
future," he said.

The Bush administration dismissed its former ambassador in Yerevan last
year after he violated the US policy and called the events "genocide."

Ambassador John Evans was insistent on his stance when he spoke at
the National Press Club in Washington and said Turkey should accept
"historical facts." He also claimed that Turkey’s efforts had played
a role in the abrupt termination of his duty as the US ambassador
in Yerevan.

FUTURE ARMENIA BY ARTUR BAGHDASARYAN

Washington Times, DC
Feb 28 2007

Armenia will hold its parliamentary election this May and soon after,
next February, its presidential election. How we conduct our elections
will determine not only the future of the Armenian democracy but of
the Caucasus region as a whole.

I come to Washington with a simple message and a handful of ideas,
which I believe can help bring stability and prosperity to Armenia
and the broader South Caucasus region. Only legitimate politics which
is based on a strict commitment to democracy is a platform that will
lead us to lasting stability. We need the United States to defend
this axiom in our region.

The South Caucasus is a bridge between Europe and Central Asia.

It is a gateway to the Caspian energy and a transit corridor between
the European and Chinese markets. Our attractive geostrategic location
is perhaps also our curse as the degree of external competition over
our region is overwhelming.

To survive and compete, we need transparent and able institutions. I
am convinced that economic progress, conflict resolution and regional
integration derive from a healthy democratic vocation.

We need democracy in the region not as a slogan, but to help
us resolve our frozen conflicts, our corruption problem and our
insecurities. Armenia above all now needs free and fair elections,
which are the foundation for a stable and progressive society.

One should not forget that there exists a direct correlation between
political legitimacy and diplomatic compromise. The Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict has a solution — in fact, some sound solutions have
already been proposed and rejected, not because they were unjust or
impractical, but because the political processes in our region are
too weak.

A government that is elected by the people has the mandate and
the maneuvering room to seek a compromise solution and resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Thus, the immediate priority must
be building democracy in the region, which rests on free and fair
elections both in Armenia, as well as in Azerbaijan.

Armenia must become a society based on the rule of law. Law is not
a guideline, it is a fundamental principle that must be adhered to
and protected. I don’t believe in arbitrary application of the law
and my party — the Rule of Law Party — is committed to fighting
corruption in Armenia.

It is high time to normalize the Armenian-Turkish relationship, open
up the Turkish-Armenian border, and allow the free flow of goods,
capital and people.

Border opening and establishing economic cooperation with Turkey is
important for Armenia and necessary for diversifying our communication
routes. History between Armenia and Turkey has sometimes been tragic,
such as the 1915 Armenian genocide, but we must look to the future
as our citizens want better lives tomorrow.

And I think we could build our relations based on a broader approach,
without preconditions, and simultaneously not rejecting and honestly
looking at the past. Probably, the time has come for Turkey and
Armenia to start building a relationship embracing European priorities.

Likewise, improved relations with Azerbaijan are necessary for
our long-term energy stability which can come only through energy
diversity. I support resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based
on mutual compromises, and I support normalizing relations with
Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s future is tied to European integration and on deepening of
our relations with NATO. The relations with the West, though, should
not be contrasted with our relations with Russia. We need a balanced
foreign policy. We also need a positive relationship with Iran. The
Iranian nuclear issue is an element of concern, but I believe the
international community needs dialogue with Iran.

The long-term economic growth of Armenia and the region depends
on diversifying our economic portfolios and better managing
privatization. In this respect the upcoming pair of elections is of
major significance for the future of Armenia and for the future of the
region. We need a democratically elected government in Armenia which,
and that will only happen if we have a free and fair election process.

Artur Baghdasaryan is chairman of the Armenian opposition party,
the Rule of Law Party.

084731-6578r.htm

BERD-CHAMBARAK, SARAVAN-SISIAN ROAD SECTORS AND SELIM MOUNTAIN PASS CLOSED

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Due to January 30 snow, as of 12:00,
Berd-Chambarak, Saravan-Sisian road sectors and Selim mountain pass
were closed.

The other republican and interstate roads of Armenia are open. Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed about it from Press Service of RA
Ministry of Transport and Communication.

Sabah, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Pamuk postpones Armenian conference
After learning he won a Nobel Prize, Pamuk’s first act was to
postpone his conference about the so-called Armenian genocide.
Pamuk postpones Armenian genocide conference after winning a Nobel
Prize
The conference which was supposed to be held on October 16 by Orhan
Pamuk at Minnesota University has been postponed to an uncertain
date. It was claimed that it was Pamuk who postponed the conference
after learning he won a Nobel Prize.
Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk’s conference on Armenain genocide has
been postponed to an uncertain date. The conference which was
supposed to be held on Monday, October 16 at Minnesota University was
about Armenian genocide claims. Minnesota University has announced
the postponement from its official website and said the conference
was postponed due to bad reputation around Pamuk’s winning
announcement. However, according to some sources it was Pamuk himself
who wanted to postpone the conference.

THE RUSSIAN MILITARY LEAVE GEORGIA IN AN ENGLISH WAY
by Vladimir Novikov, Andrei Ivanov
Source: Kommersant, May 4, 2006, p. 10
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 10, 2006 Wednesday
Military hardware was withdrawn from Akhalkalaki at night
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY WITHDREW MILITARY HARDWARE FROM THE AKHALKALAKI
BASE (GEORGIA); Nongovernmental organizations stated that they will
not give up attempts to prevent the withdrawal of the Russian base
from Akhalkalaki.
The Russian military and the Georgian authorities prepared for
the withdrawal of military hardware from the 62nd military base in
Akhalkalaki as a military operation. Local residents held actions
of protest against the withdrawal of the Russian military base last
week. The protesters stated that many locals will lose jobs. The
leaders of the Virk movement fear that the threat of the Turkish
expansion will increase after the withdrawal of the base.
Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili reproached the Russian
special services of plotting provocations aimed at hindering the
withdrawal of the bases. Major-General Andrei Popov called these
accusations unfounded. He stated that Russia is prepared to withdraw
part of military hardware until May 15.
The Georgian Interior Ministry sent the Task Force to Akhalkalaki
on Wednesday night. Policemen had to stop people who could try
to blockade the base. However, only a dozen of people protested
against the withdrawal. It turned out that the military hardware
left the base on May 3. The protesters stopped their action when they
learnt this. Organizers of the picket stated that it’s inadmissible
to organize such actions when the Armenian people grieve over the
crash of a jetliner over the Black Sea. Nevertheless, nongovernmental
organizations stated that they will not give up attempts to prevent
the withdrawal of the Russian base.

WB UN PROCUREMENT – ARMENIA, WATER AND WASTEWATER PROJECT

Asia Pulse; Mar 08, 2006
*** Asia Pulse Tender ***
WORLD BANK UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS SERVICE PROCUREMENTS – MARCH
2006
Country: Armenia
Project: MUNICIPAL WATER AND WASTEWATER PROJECT
Financing: World Bank
Abstract: GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE
Sector: Water Supply/Sanitation Loan/Credit Number: Project ID P063398, Loan
Info IDA 38930IDA Q2870 Deadline: not specified
Contact:
Tel: 1 (212) 963 1516
Fax: 1 (212) 963 1381
The Government of the Republic of Armenia has received a credit from
the International Development Association (IDA) in the amount of US$
25.5 million e quivalent, toward the cost of the Municipal Water and
Wastewater Project, and it intends to apply the proceeds of this
credit toward payments for goods, works and services to be procured
under this project. Bidding for contracts financed by the Bank will be
governed by the World Bank’s eligibility rules and procedures and will
include the following subcomponents:
Procurement of Water Meters, Pumps and Electric Panels, Pipes and
Valves Consulting services for design of water and wastewater systems
rehabilitation
Procurement of contracts financed by the credit will be conducted
through the procedures specified in the World Bank’s Guidelines:
Procurement under IBRD
Loans and IDA Credits
( /PROJECTS/PROCUREMENT
/0,,pagePK:84271 theSitePK:84266,00.html), January 1995, revised
January and August 1996, September 1997 and January 1999 and is open
to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the
guidelines. Consulting services will be selected in accordance with
the World Bank’s Guidelines:
Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers
( AL/PROJECTS/PROCUREMENT
/0,,pagePK:84271 theSitePK:84266,00.html), January 1997, revised
September 1997, January 1999 and May 2002. Specific procurement
notices for contracts to be bid under the World Bank’s international
competitive bidding procedures and for large-value consultants’
contracts will be announced, as they become available.
Interested eligible bidders who wish to be included on the mailing
list to receive an invitation to bid and interested consultants who
wish to receive a copy of the advertisement requesting expressions of
interest for large-value consultants’ contracts, or those requiring
additional information should
contact: Notice Number: WB848-675/06 UNDB
Print Edition: Issue No. 675, 31 March 2006
Posted Online: 2 March 2006
(Copyright United Nations Development Business Unit
)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Former U.N. prosecutor seeks GOP nomination
The Sacramento Bee
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
By Andy Furillo, Bee Capitol Bureau
A former Bush administration official has taken out papers to challenge
state Sen. Charles Poochigian for the Republican nomination for state
attorney general, a spokeswoman for the new candidate said Monday.
Pierre-Richard Prosper had served in President Bush’s State Department
as ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues until he recently departed
the administration to enter the attorney general’s race, spokeswoman
Elizabeth Blackney said.
The Denver-born Prosper, 42, had previously served in the Clinton
administration as a top assistant in the criminal division of the
Department of Justice and as special counsel and policy adviser to the
war crimes ambassador.
Prosper also is a former United Nations war crimes prosecutor who
obtained a 1998 genocide conviction against a local official named
Jeal-Paul Akayesu who allowed Hutu police to rape and murder Tutsi women
during the ethnically based Rwandan civil war, according to his official
State Department biography.
From 1994-96, Prosper served as a drug prosecutor for the U.S.
attorney’s office in Los Angeles. Before that, he worked five years as a
Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, including two years he
spent in the Hardcore Gang Division.
The Colorado native was raised in New York and graduated from Boston
College before moving to Southern California and getting his law degree
from Pepperdine University.
“He has a real passion for the rule of law and helping the rule of law
take root,” spokeswoman Blackney said. “Whether it’s in Inglewood or
Compton, where he served, or in Rwanda, the world is growing smaller,
and in California, being the seventh-largest economy in the world, we
need that kind of experience.”
Blackney said Prosper signed organization and statement of intent papers
Monday and mailed them to the secretary of state’s office.
In Poochigian, Prosper will be taking on a Republican stalwart with more
than $2 million in cash on hand as of June 30 and the endorsements of
former Govs. Pete Wilson and George Deukmejian, of every GOP lawmaker in
the state and most of the party’s congressional delegation in
Washington, according to Poochigian’s strategist, Ken Khachigian.
Poochigian has served more than 10 years in the Legislature as a senator
and Assembly member. His resume also includes a three-year stint as
Wilson’s appointments secretary and three years of work as senior staff
member to Deukmejian.
Khachigian said he views Prosper’s candidacy as “inconsequential.”
“I’m looking at somebody who has no ties here …, has no family here,
has no roots here, and has done nothing for the Republican Party here,”
Khachigian said. “It doesn’t make any sense at all. He’s not a Californian.”
On the Democratic side, Los Angles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has
officially announced for the attorney general’s race that is expected to
pit him against Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown.
The Bee’s Andy Furillo can be reached at (916) 321-1141 or
[email protected].
nt/politics/story/13732076p-14574914c.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress