Author: Antonian Lara

ARMENIANS, WHO WON MISS IRAQ CONTEST, FORCED TO REFUSE THEIR CROWN

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.04.2006 20:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As a result of threats by Muslim radical groupings,
winner of the first Miss Iraq contests, ethnic Armenian Tamara
Goregian had to refuse its title. Silva Sahakyan, who was the second,
also has to hide from radicals. The winner of Miss Iraq contest,
held under secret conditions, returned the crown of the winner
to the organizational committee in four days, as Muslim radical
groupings of Iraq threatened her. “You are the queen of unfaithful,
not that of beauty,” they stated. As a result Tamara Goregian had
to hide in Jordan and the title was offered to two Muslim girls,
who were the second and third, but they refused, too. After that the
crown was handed to Silva Sahakyan, who was the fourth and radicals
started threatening her, too. Silva Sahakyan is hiding at the moment,
however she does not refuse the crown of the winner, reports RFE/RL.

MANE TILES ORGANIZES TREE PLANTING ON APRIL 15 IN YEREVAN AND BRYURAKAN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. It is the second year the Mane Tiles
Armenian-American enterprise producing ceramic tiles and mosaics
made from natural stones organizes tree planting in Armenia. As Arman
Balian, head of the marketing department of the enterprise, informed
at the tree planting organized on April 15 at the Victory Park,
decorative trees were planted in the green territories adjoining the
sports and concert complex after Karen Demirchian and near Byurakan
observatory. A.Balian also said that the production of Mane Tiles
made from Armenian raw materials is mainly sold in U.S.

AZERBAIJANI STUDENTS IN ROMANIA APPEAL TO HUNGARIAN COURTS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006

Azerbaijani students studying in Romania held a protest action related
to the Budapest court’s unfair verdict on Azerbaijani army officer
Ramil Safarov by jailing him to life in prison.

The Eastern Europe bureau of APA reports that the protest action
brought together authorities of Azerbaijan-Romania Culture and Youth
Association, Romania-Azerbaijan Friendship and Romania-Azerbaijan
Commerce and Industry Chamber, members of managing staff, Azerbaijani,
Turkish and Tatar who are living or studying in Romania.

The protesters demanded that Armenian terrorists, who are conducting
ethnic cleansing, murdered and committed torture against Azerbaijanis
with special cruelty, mercilessly in the occupied Nagorno Garabagh and
surrounding regions, should be brought to justice by international
criminal court. The participants of the protest action adopted an
appeal to Hungarian Embassy in Romania, Hungarian Supreme Court,
Hungarian Court of Appeal and the International Criminal Tribunal
in The Hague. The authors of the appeal demand fairly reconsidering
Ramil Safarov’s case.

ANDREW GOLDBERG’S “THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” TO BE SCREENED IN U.S. TODAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.04.2006 21:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today PBS will screen Andrew Goldberg’s “The
Armenian Genocide” documentary. In some states the film show will
be followed by debates with participation of Turkish scholar Taner
Akcam and writer Peter Balakyan as well as two Genocide deniers.

The PBS branch in Los Angeles meeting the wishes of the Armenians
will not screen the film and the following debates, since the Armenian
community considers the Armenian Genocide fact to be indisputable. A
French-shot film about the Genocide will be shown instead.

At that the documentary will be screened in one of Los Angeles
cinemas. “We will show the film as many times as it’s needed,”
said Goldberg, who paid the house rent amounting in $12 thousand,
reported RFE/RL.

POLITICAL COORDINATION CENTER LEADS ROUND TABLE ON NK

Today, Azerbaijan
April 17 2006

Political coordination center of opposition (PCCO) has led a round
table “Influence of new regional situation on Azerbaijan, expected
changes in Karabakh problem” April 17.

Trend reports that state deputies and representative of Azadlyg
political block were partaking at the session.

The session was opened up by Faradj Guliyev PCCO cofounder and leader
of National Renascence Movement. He spoke on influence of the current
regional situation in Karabakh problem. To speed up the resolution
of the problem, Azerbaijan should change the course it adheres to now.

Speaking after him, deputies Nasib Nasibli and Fazil Gazanfarogli said
of tension between the USA and IRI and importance of such situation
for Azerbaijan. In case this conflict turns into a war Azerbaijan
will be in great danger.

The word then was given to Sardar Djalalogli, first deputy chairman
of Democratic party, but Mr. Djalalogli denied. “I haven’t prepared
speech on this issue in public,” – Mr. Djalalogli explained.

At the session the politicians demanded the state inform the public
on the process of conversations on resolution of Karabakh problem.

URL:

HOUSE OF WRITERS UNION NOT TO BE DESTROYED

Lragir.am
17 April 06

On April 17 the president of the Writers Union of Armenia Levon Ananyan
gave certain certainly on the building of the Writers Union. He was
in Lebanon and participated in the all-Armenian conference of writers
when he learnt about the noise over the house of the Writers Union.

Levon Ananyan says the building of the Writers Union on Baghramyan
Street will not be sold or destroyed. However, the building needs
repair, confesses the president of the Writers Union. Nevertheless,
he says, he had rejected the offer of an investor to repair the
building on the condition of building a high-rise over the Writers
Union, the four floors would be given to the Writers Union for free.

“The investor said it would be better if the building of the Writers
Union was included in the high-rise, but the administration discussed
and rejected the offer,” said Levon Ananyan. According to him, it is
impossible to destroy the house of the Writers Union and carry out
construction for three years, because it will disrupt the work of the
Writers Union, which has, Levon Ananyan says, improved significantly.

“No offer that is connected with destroying the house of the Writers
Union will be accepted. I would resign rather than accept such an
offer,” says Levon Ananyan. He is ready to accept another offer,
however. And there is such an offer from a group of Armenians from
the United States. Levon Ananyan says the point of the offer is to
add a building to the Writers Union, Levon Ananyan says, to improve
the conditions of writers. The president of the Writers Union says
this offer needs to be considered. However, there was no dissent on
behalf of writers but not with regard to the offer itself. Simply Levon
Ananyan reminds that when he was elected president of the Writers Union
he raised the issue of an additional building to improve conditions
of the Writers Union. The conference of the Union approved the concern
about the building, says Levon Ananyan.

He is also surprised that the rumored sale of the building raised
such a great noise, whereas no one was anxious when the government
decided to triple the cadastre value and the tax on property for the
buildings of creative unions.

SEPARATISTS CONDUCT WAR GAMES TO PRESSURE BAKU TO SIGN PEACE DEAL – AZERI PUNDIT

Yeni Musavat, Baku
16 Apr 06

Excerpt from Tamerlan’s report in Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 16 April headlined “Armenians preparing for war” and subheaded
“The enemy has started large-scale military exercises in Karabakh”

The Armenian separatists have started conducting military exercises
in Nagornyy Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Military units and mobilized civilians are participating in the
drills, which are aimed at “improving the combat readiness of Armenian
forces and coordinating their work during defence and counterattack
operations,” Turan has reported.

The deputy Armenian defence Minister and chief of the Armenian General
Staff, Col-Gen Mikayel Arutunyan, is monitoring the exercises. In
fact, he commands the drills, which once again shows that the hostile
country is the main occupier of Azerbaijan’s territories.

[Passage omitted: the drills show that it is not “a handful of
Karabakh Armenians”, but the Armenian-Russian military alliance that
has occupied Azerbaijani territories,]

Political analyst Vafa Quluzada says that the Armenian military
exercises do not come by chance. This kind of demarche, which followed
the abortive Rambouillet talks and Azerbaijan’s refusal to sign a
capitulatory peace agreement desired by the West and Armenia, aims
to put pressure on Azerbaijan, he said.

“Or more precisely, this is another ring in the chain of pressure.

Apart from that, this is a way of demonstrating that Russia has a
final say on the issue,” Quluzada said.

Those who are trying to force Azerbaijan into signing a humiliating
peace agreement also take into account the sensitivity of our public
opinion to casualties in the army, he said.

“I mean, the Azerbaijani public is being blackmailed in this way as
well,” Quluzada added.

[Passage omitted: the war games in Karabakh are a response to President
Ilham Aliyev’s bellicose statements]

SAFAROV SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

Yerkir
13.04.2006 17:59

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Azeri officer Ramil Safarov was sentenced to life
imprisonment for murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan that
he committed on February 19, 2004.

Budapest court judge Andras Vaskuti announced the verdict, according
to which Ramil Safarov is sentenced to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole for the first 30 years, the Public TV Company
of Armenia reported.

POPULIST “INTRIGUES” IN THE PARLIAMENT

A1+
[02:34 pm] 13 April, 2006

Today the NA was full of the “legislative branch representative.” The
Republican Party “gathered” all its deputies. Even Levon Sargsyan
(“the flouring – mill Ljovik”) and Samvel Aleksanyan (“Lfik Samo”)
were present.

On the whole, the Parliament was ready to put “the program of 2001
– 2003 privatization revenue” to the vote but before carrying the
ballot the Chairman of the Dashnaktsutyun Party Levon Lazarian and
the Vice-Deputy of the “Justice” Fraction Victor Dallakyan made
interpreting speeches on it. Levon Lazarian explained that they
were against the 2001 – 2003 privatization revenue and now they don’t
vote the program of 2001 – 2003 privatization but the privatization
procedure from January 1 to December 31 of the year 2004. He informed
that they approved of it.

Victor Dallakyan said that people who don’t approve of the program
must not vote so that the bill will not be passed and then he
asked for a 20 – minute break. The deputies “overcame the 20 –
minute test” and finally carried a vote on “the program of 2001 –
2003 privatization.” After the break, before carrying the ballot the
member of the ND Fraction Hakob Hakobyan made a speech and addressed
to the NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan, “We have spoken about robbery
for 2 days and criticized it but as Victor Dallakyan mentioned “if we
vote against, the bill will pass. How can people know whether it is
all formality or not? Which will be you next step? Will you organize
a hunger-strike or a protest?” Arthur Bagdasaryan answered that it
was a position of principle, they will say “no” to the privatization
program and they have already taken measures for the further prevention
of the privatization procedure.

Anyway, the bill passed with 65 “pros,” 10 “cons” and 10
“abstentions.” Only the Opposition did not participate in the
ballot. The 2005 – 2007 privatization program was also confirmed with
80 “pros,” 0 “cons” and 5 “abstentions.” After the voting the hall
became empty within 3 minutes. The NA continued its current work.

The Vice-Deputy of the “Justice” Fraction Victor Dallakyan commented
on the events of the Parliament in the following way, “If any of the
Coalition representatives is against the Government policy it must
raise the question of no-confidence and the vice versa. In developed
countries the Government would arouse the question of Government’s
confidence in case the party led by the Parliament Speaker behaved
like this. Neither of them occurred. Thus, the next populist step
was made in the Parliament.”

By the way, the balloting had a rather interesting result. For
instance, the member of “National Conciliation” Party Haroutyun
Muradyan approved of the privatization revenue program. The Deputies of
Orinats Yerkir, despite Arthur Baghdasaryan’s calls to vote against
the program, voted in its favour; let us mention Artak Sargsyan
(the owner of “Sas” supermarket).

5th UNIT OF HRAZDAN TPP TO BE SOLD TO ARMRUSGASPROM RATHER THAN TO GASPROM

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Contrary to the previously made
statements, the 5th unit of Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant will be sold
not to Gasprom company (Russia) but to its Armenian subsidiary –
ArmRusgasprom, which follows from new reports of Gasprom. There was
a press release on Gasprom’s website on April 11 about a meeting
between Chairman of Gasprom board Alexei Miller and Director General
of ArmRusgasprom Karen Karapetian. The press release in particular
reads: “Gasprom OJSC and the Armenian government on April 6 signed
a 25-year agreenment that specifies the strategical principles of
cooperation in gas energy projects in the territory of the Republic
of Armenia. The document envisages that ArmRusagasprom will take
over the 5th unit of Hrazdan TPP (Hrazdan-5), as well as some
facilities of Armenia’s gas sector from the Armenian government. The
preliminary sale agreements shall be signed until April 14, 2006,
while the transfer of property rights with respect to the indicated
facilities shall take place until January 1, 2007. By the end of
the deal, Gasprom’s stake in ArmRusgasprom’s capital will make a
qualified majority.” Thus, the main mechanism of the deal between
the RA government and Gasprom may be as follows. ArmRusgasprom’s
capital increases to at least 248 mln USD, and the new shares are
acquired by Gasprom. As a result, Gasprom’s stake in ArmRusgasprom
will make a “qualified majority”. (At the moment it is not yet clear
what percentage it will constitute). Gasprom and the RA governemnt
currently have a 45% stake each. With this sum, ArmRusgasprom will
purchase the 5th power unit and other “gas facilities” from the RA
government. It is not also clear what “facilities” are meant, but
it is almost obvious that it may be the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline,
the construction of which is not completed at the present time and,
according to RA Energy Minister Armen Movsisian, it may not be sold,
but it is envisaged to complete its construction by late 2006. NT
failed to receive any comments on the above mentioned press release
of Gasprom from official Armenian bodies.