Author: Antonian Lara

SARGIS ASATRYAN ABOUT HIS PROGRAMS ON FINANCIAL CAPITAL

Panorama.am
14:45 12/12/2007

Sargis Asatryan, who ceased to be the chairman of the Armenian Youth
Party by the party assembly decision of December 2, intends to continue
his "political and reporting" career. By saying a reporting career,
he means that he was the reporter of "Burg" TV series for 6 years
on one of the Armenian TV companies that stopped the air in March,
last year. Asatryan says he is going to resume the program in the
course of the next year slightly changing its format.

In terms of politics, his programs are very ambitious, as he said. He
plans to initiate an "extensive political force" that will gain the
"absolute majority" during the next parliamentary elections. The
Armenian Youth Party is going also to submit a suggestion to the
newly elected president on building a "financial and youth city"
that will enable to shift the financial capacities focused in Yerevan
to another place in the course of 10-15 years. For that reason, they
anticipate that 150 ha land will be donated to them on Yerevan-Gyumri
highway. "This program will connect two big cities. It will be a
financial capital and investment and financial streams will flow
there," Asatryan said without detailing who will finance that big
project.

THE TURKIC UNION SOLVES THE ARMENIAN PROBLEM IN THE USA

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2007 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ However, this is not the most essential
thing. According to the Azeri Mass Media, the entrepreneurs, deputies,
social-political figures of Azerbaijan and Turkey are going to meet in
the USA, where they will participate in the works within the frames
of the conference with the theme "Azerbaijan-Turkey-USA relations
and their effect on the Eurasian region". The event is organized with
the initiative of the Azeri-Turkish union of businessmen, the Hudson
University (USA) and the Institute of Central Asia and Caucasus John
Hopkins University (USA). The chairman of the Party of Democratic
Reforms, Deputy Asim Molladze is participating in the conference
works from Azerbaijan. "The development prospective of the relations
between these countries, the broadening of their ties in the sphere of
business, culture, politics and the matters of the future strategic
cooperation are going to be discussed during the conference. Besides
the current problems regarding the Armenian-Azeri-Turkish relations
will also be analyzed during the meeting. The meetings are going to
be held in Washington and Los-Angeles," says the Party of Democratic
Reforms.

In fact this is not the first time that the USA has held such events
and not only with the participation of Turkey and Azerbaijan but with
other countries as well. But this is not the thing. It happens so,
that Turkey not being able to overcome its own ambitions and imagined
"superiority" over the Armenians, decided to resort to court of
arbitration, in this case to the USA. They do not lay any hopes on
Russia yet, because of 102 military base and the non-identified
Turkish-Russian relations. Besides, there is no Russian factor
in Iraq or Afghanistan; consequently there is nothing to threaten
Turkey with. The USA is just another thing is, and from point of
view Turkish speaking states, which is headed by Turkey and by some
misunderstanding Azerbaijan, it is a mere sin not to take advantage of
another opportunity to pay attention to Armenia, which "for Russia’s
sake" doesn’t give up its principles. This position from point
of view of the Turkish authorities has no risk of loss, moreover
when they managed to cancel the voting on Resolution 106 about the
Armenian Genocide. By the way, they are well aware of the fact that
this Resolution will change nothing, since this is merely a moral act.

Though in politics, nothing happens for no reason, and thinking ahead,
Turkey has decided to ensure its security in the near future. But this,
as it shows, is a momentary glory only, which may in future bring to
worse losses for the Turkish speaking countries. It is quite possible
that soon Azerbaijan will follow its neighbor Iran, announcing that
Israel (in this case, Armenia) must be wiped off the face of the earth.

It is quite unlikely that something new would be said during this
conference in the USA. Azerbaijan’s position ensured by the oil it
possesses, and Turkey threatening with the North Iraq, looks almost
invulnerable to the USA. At least it will be so for the upcoming
year. The truth is though, that it is also possible that the next
President of the USA will hold the same policy, for now the most
important thing for the USA is to keep Iraq. The rest is a game in
front of the public or… simply recurrent provocations organized
by Baku and Ankara, which sometimes very unfortunately gets us,
the Armenian journalists.

"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
Dec 8 2007

Russian `VTB Bank’ and ACP signed a loan agreement at the sum of $257mln

Yerevan, December 8 /Mediamax/. Russian `VTB Bank’ and the Armenian
Copper Programme (ACP) signed an agreement in Yerevan today on
allocating a loan at the sum of $257mln at the term of 12 years for
elaboration and exploitation of the Teghut cooper-molybdenum deposit.

Mediamax reports that the President of `VTB Bank’ OJSC Andrei Kostin
said this in Yerevan today. According to him, this is one of the
largest investment deals in Armenia and for the bank `this is a
project with increased profitability’.

The signing of the agreement took place at the presence of the
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

According to the assessment of the Chairman of the Central Bank of
Armenia Tigran Sarkisian, `we have not had such large loans for the
private sector, and this is the largest investment project, which is
realized in Armenia through the banking system’.

Andrei Kostin stressed that `VTB Bank’ will continue the work with
Armenian corporate customers, in particular, financial resource at
the sum of $70mln will be provided to `Armenian Electricity Networks’
CJSC.

By the end of the year, the authorized capital stock of `VTB Bank
(Armenia)’ will increase for $20mln and will make $52mln.

In the beginning of 2008, `VTB-Leasing (Armenia)’ leasing company
will start functioning in Armenia, by means of which the first part
of the program of leasing services for `Armavia’ Company at the sum
of $55-60mln will be realized.

Andrei Kostin stated the necessity to continue the work on improving
the quality of `VTB Bank (Armenia)’ branch network. From the 89
branches of the bank, which function today in Armenia, 28 branches
fall on the share of Yerevan. In 24 branches of the capital city, the
work on their re-equipment is concluded.

According to Andrei Kostin, the Armenian government renders the
necessary support to the plans of the bank, and the `climate,
existing in the republic, is very auspicious for the work of the
banking sector’.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: LEVEL OF COMPROMISE DEPENDS ON REALITY: EVERYBODY SHOULD REALIZE WHAT DECISIONS CAN BE TAKEN AND WHAT DECISIONS CANNOT

Noyan Tapan
Dec 7, 2007

BAKU, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Azerbaijani agency "APA" has
published an exclusive interview with the Armenian foreign minister
Vartan Oskanian.

Below is the full text of the interview.

"- What compromises does Armenia expect from Azerbaijan and what
compromises is it ready to make itself?

– We (the sides) should make a compromise consciously. We all
understand that if we take extrimist positions, nothing will be
achieved. It is necessary to understand that a document that everybody
will agree with should be prepared. The level of a compromise depends
on reality – everybody should realize what decisions may be taken and
what decisions may not. We should have courage and political will to
achieve peace in our region.

– Presidential elections are approcahing in our countries. Does it
mean that there will be a time-out in negotiations on Karabakh?

_ As you see we are continuing to work on the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement.

Yes, there will be elections but we do not connect these elections
with the negotiation process. The co-chairs will again visit the
region soon – in late December or in January, and negotiations will
be conducted again. Of course, during elections all attention will
focus on the voting process, and we will not be able to devote as
much time to the settlement as previously.

Nevertheless, negotiations will go on.

– May a change of the country’s government influence Armenia’s position
in the negotiation process?

– I hope it will not happen. That is why the co-chairs want everybody
in Armenia and the world to know what basic principles are included
in this document so that the country will take the same position and
act based on it, regardless of who will be elected in Armenia at the
elections. We must continue to work on the basis of this document. It
was scrupulously prepared, it is a balanced and a very compromise
document. We must be sure that the position will not change regardless
of the fact who will win the elections in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

– Serge Sargsian said in an interview that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict has a religious character. Do you agree?

– No, the religious factor has nothing to do with it. It is not
a conflict of Muslims and Christians. These issues should not be
confused.

– May Kosovo set a precedent for solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem?

– We have always said that these are absolutely different conflicts. Of
cource, precedents are important but we will not specifically link
any conflict to Nagorno Karabakh. Karabakh is a different thing,
it made a decision on its own about its future in the issue of
self-determination. It does not matter what will happen in Kosovo. On
the other hand, if Kosovo receives independence, nobody must tell us
that it is permissible for them and impermissible for us.

– During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani population
was subjected to ethnic cleansing. Do you think that after all this,
our peoples can live in peace?

– Your question is one-sided. Etnic cleansing was started not by
us, it was started in Azerbaijan. While peaceful actions were being
held in Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, Azerbaijanis started ethnic
cleansing of the Armenian population in Sumgait. Nevertheless, we
must settle this conflict because if we do not settle it, this will
be done by the future generations. An abyss is growing between our
peoples with every passing year because of the propaganda of hatred
being conducted in Azerbaijan.

– Do you want to say that there is no propaganda of hatred in Armenia?

– Certainly not. We understand that our peoples must live together,
and the region needs peace. So we are concerned about such propaganda
in Azerbaijan.

We should be constructive because we will have to live together sooner
or later.

– If there is no propaganda of hatred in Armenia, it means that it
is ready to accept Azerbaijani refugees?

– I wouldn’t like to comment on your question specifically. It is
only a detail. There are a lot of issues to be solved. It is early
to pass to other issues without solving the issue od status.

– Is the issue of status being discussed?

_ Of course, it is. This is a major issue. If the issue of status is
not being discussed, then what is being discussed? And the referendum,
and the issue of self-determination are also being discussed at
negotiations.

Panorama.am

16:46 06/12/2007

10 PERCENT OF GDP NEEDED FOR SHUT DOWN OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT BY 2015

The shut down of Metsamor nuclear power plant will have a long-term
effect on the Armenian economy, AEPLAC Armenian director Tigran
Jrbashyan told reporters today while presenting Moody’s Investor
Service international rating agency assessment. The agency has come to
the conclusion that the shut down of the nuclear power plant will
require a lot of funds from the state budget. According to Moody, 10
percent of GDP will be needed to cover the expenses by the year 2015.

The Armenian nuclear power plant was put into commission in January,
1976 and it was shut down in 1989. The second block of the plant
reoperated in 1995 due to energy crisis. Experts say the station may
work until the year 1016. Initial estimates say $280 million is needed
to shut down the plant and another $2 billion must be invested for the
construction of a new plant.

Source: Panorama.am

Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 N. Belmont, Suite 208, Glendale, CA 91206
Tel. (818) 500-1918
Fax. (818) 246-7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE ~ 2007-12-07
Contact: Haig Hovsepian ~ Tel: (818) 500-1918

*ANCA-WR CONDEMNS HARMAN’S DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ARMENIAN AMERICAN MEDIA*

— California Legislator Barred Armenian American Journalist from Media
Forum

*Los Angeles**, CA* – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western
Region (ANCA – WR) Board of Directors issued the following statement in
response to Rep. Jane Harman’s decision to bar Armenian American media from
a November 28th media round table she hosted at her El Segundo, California
district office.

The round table, which dealt with "local, national and international
issues," disallowed the participation of a journalist from the Armenian
American media.

"We are saddened, but not surprised, that Jane Harman has reduced herself to
outright discrimination against an Armenian American news outlet, in an
apparent bid to contain the growing controversy over her opposition to U.S.
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Freedom of the press lies at the
foundation of our democratic form of government, but apparently this bedrock
principle does not hold much meaning for Jane Harman – at least when it
comes to speaking the truth about genocide. By any standard, Congresswoman
Harman was wrong to bar a journalist from her media forum based solely on
her desire to avoid having to publicly answer questions about her stand
against this human rights issue. Instead of trying to limit negative
publicity of her morally reprehensible position on genocide recognition,
Representative Harman should send a clear message that genocide should be
condemned whenever and wherever it occurs."

A week before the mark up of the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res. 106)
and while still a cosponsor of the bill, Congresswoman Harman sent a letter
to House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Tom Lantos urging that the H.
Res. 106 not be brought to a vote. In protest, California State Senate
candidate and former State Assemblymember Carol Liu issued a strong letter
disagreeing with the Congresswoman’s efforts to stifle committee
consideration H. Res. 106. Soon after, on October 4, 2007, community
activists challenged the Congresswoman’s actions publicly in Lakewood,
California. On November 10, 2007, over one hundred and fifty human rights
activists including members of the Darfur Action Committee led by the UCLA
Armenian Student Association (UCLA ASA) and UCLA Armenian Graduate Student
Association (UCLA AGSA), organized a demonstration to highlight the
Congresswoman’s denialist activities.

Thousands of human rights supporters have contacted Congresswoman Harman’s
offices in California and Washington, DC to voice considerable
disappointment in her actions.

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization. Working
through a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the US and
around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the
Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.

###

World Socialist Web Site, MI
Dec 7 2007

Turkey: Assaults on freedom of expression continue

By Sinan Ikinci
7 December 2007

Ragip Zarakolu, owner of the Belge Publishing House and chairman of
the Committee for Publishing Freedom, is facing up to three years in
prison for publishing a book by a British-Armenian author, George
Jerjian, entitled The Truth Will Set Us Free. The book deals with the
mass deportations of Armenians in 1915 and chronicles the life of
Jerjian’s Armenian grandmother who survived the genocide with the
help of an Ottoman soldier.

The court case against publisher Zarakolu was opened last year in
April and he is being charged under the notorious Article 301. Dozens
of writers, journalists, artists, academics, publishers, translators
and others have been tried under Article 301 and court cases against
well-known authors such as the Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and
Elif Safak and journalist Hrant Dink attracted considerable media
interest in Turkey and internationally. However, non-celebrity
victims’ court cases have generally gone unnoticed.

In the latest 301 case the prosecutor claims that Jerjian’s book
`insults’ the memory of Turkey’s founder Kemal Ataturk by portraying
his close advisors as the people responsible for the mass deportation
of Armenians.

At a court hearing on October 3 a letter written by author Jerjian
was presented to the court. It has been reported Jerjian initially
considered coming to Turkey to attend the hearing, but then changed
his mind due to the high risk of being attacked.

This risk is not imagined. In many other Article 301-related cases
fascist groups, generally accompanied by Maoist-Kemalist members of
the misnamed Workers Party, have organised demonstrations denouncing
the accused as traitors, spies and `missionary children.’ They harass
defendants and their legal representatives in and outside the court
buildings and have physically attacked them.

In addition there are growing indications that the Turkish police are
directly involved in the persecution of dissidents and
oppositionists. Clues have emerged linking the police directly to the
murder of prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, a victim
of a 301 case who was shot dead outside his bilingual newspaper’s
Istanbul office this year by a fascist assassin. There are also
allegations implicating the police in the bloody killings of three
Christian missionaries in Malatya.

Zarakolu and his late wife Ayse Zarakolu, who died in 2002, as well
as authors, editors and translators working for his publishing house,
have faced frequent legal harassment for publishing books on minority
and human rights in Turkey.

In a climate of nationalism and chauvinism spearheaded by the Turkish
military and fuelled by the bourgeois parties (both right-wing and
the nominally `left-wing’) and the news media, state prosecutor
offices and police departments, which are dominated by fascistic and
Islamist elements, continue to level charges against writers,
journalists, artists, academics and publishers with dissident views.

Recently a prosecutor launched an investigation targeting a book
written by British writer Richard Dawkins, an expert in evolutionary
biology, entitled The God Delusion. The aim of the investigation is
to establish whether the book incites religious hatred. The inquiry
was initiated following a complaint that the book defamed `sacred
values.’ This investigation is a good example of the utterly
hypocritical attitude of the ruling Islamists with regard to freedom
of expression.

The Islamist AKP (Justice and Development Party) government has also
been conducting a virtual war to expel evolution theory from Turkish
schools. There is growing pressure on teachers to teach creationism
alongside the theory of evolution and some teachers don’t teach
evolution at all.

Just two months ago, the Kurdish nationalist Gundem newspaper was
closed for a month for publishing two articles authored by the
outlawed PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) leader Murat Karayilan. Under
the Anti-Terrorism Law the daily was accused of spreading PKK
propaganda. This was the forth closure of the paper this year.

A recent study on media freedom across Europen entitled `Goodbye to
Freedom?’ published by the Association of European Journalists (AEJ),
gave some idea of the extent of the campaign against basic rights in
Turkey. The report concludes: `In 2006 a total of 293 people faced
legal action based on the country’s illiberal laws on free
expression. In some cases the army itself has brought prosecutions
against journalists who investigated or criticized the military’s
involvement in politics.’

007/turk-d07.shtml

ON DECEMBER 4 COURT TO MAKE DECISION CONCERNING CASE ON REFUSING TO GIVE CERTIFICATE TO ARAM KARAPETIAN

Noyan Tapan
Dec 03 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The trial against the Passport
and Visa Office of the RA Police concerning the case on the lawsuit
of the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party started on December 3. The
party appeals against the decision of the above-mentioned office on
refusing to give certificate to Aram Karapetian, the Chairman of the
Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party, about having permanently lived in
the Republic of Armenia for ten years. This certificate is one of
the documents necessary for being nominated in the RA Presidential
elections.

The trial is proceeding in the Court of First Instance of the Kentron
and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan with judge Edik Avetisian at
the head.

Aram Karapetian made a petition to conduct a survey and demand from
the archives of the Central Electoral Commission the certificate
presented by him during the nomination as a candidate in the 2003
presidential elections, as well as the one on his having permanently
lived in Armenia given by the same sub-division of the police. The
Chairman of the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party also made a petition
to conduct a survey in the corresponding regional sections of the
police and the military registration and enlistment office in order
to find out since what year he has been registered: the plaintiff
claims that he has been registered in Armenia since July 3, 1992.

Hovhannes Kocharian, a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Police and the Deputy
Head of the Legal Security Office of the Police, was present at the
trial as the respondent party. The latter asked the court to give him
two days for preparing return explanations. However, as a five-day
term is defined by the Code of the Civil Procedure for similar cases,
which expires on December 4, the court sitting was postponed until
December 4.

It should be mentioned that on the occasion of the fact that Aram
Karapetian has turned to court, an explanation has been put on the
website of the police beforehand, according to which Aram Karapetian
has not been given a certificate on having permanently lived in the
Republic of Armenia for the past ten years as "according to the data
of the RA Police, he was not a permanent resident of the Republic
of Armenia between 1997-2002, since January 13, 1997 he has been
registered in the apartment 342, building 15, Vernandski avenue,
city Moscow, Russian Federation." According to his application,
Aram Karapetian was struck off the register of the above-mentioned
address on May 17, 2005.

UKRAINIAN IMAGE HOLDING APS CONCERNED ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH PROTECTION OF KHORTITSA TRADEMARK IN ARMENIA

2007-12-04 16:08:00

ArmInfo. A meeting with Head of Intellectual Property Bureau of
Megapolis Ltd A. Molotay took place at the Ukrainian Embassy in
Armenia on December 3 2007. A. Molotay represents the Image-Holding
Affiliated Enterprise of Image-Holding ApS JSC (TM ‘KHORTISTSA’).

The Ukrainian Embassy told ArmInfo the Ukrainian-Armenian trade and
economic cooperation was discussed at the meeting. A. Molotay was
concerned about the protection of KHORTITSA trademark in Armenia. Thus,
in the summer of 2007 a trademark ‘Khloptsi’ vodka occurred in
the trade network in Armenia with its design (bottle, label and
cover) fully reflecting the distinctive features of KHORTITSA
TM. Moreover, the bottles of KHORTITSA TM are used for bottling
of vodka ‘Khloptsi’. As a result, the Committee for Protection of
Economic Competition imposed a ban on the production and circulation
of the vodka ‘Khloptsi’ and fined the producer in conformity with its
decision N071 dated 22 July 2007. Despite the ban, the given product
is sold in the trade network in Armenia.

Given the aforementioned, the Ukrainian Embassy to Armenia promised
to study the problem with the competent bodies of the Republic
of Armenia and to submit the problem to the consideration of the
bilateral intergovernmental commission in case of necessity.

STATEMENT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Dec 4 2007

The Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia will organize parliamentary hearings on
"Armenian-Turkish Relations: Problems and Perspectives."

The hearings aim at understanding through broad discussions the reasons
for the current crisis in Armenian-Turkish relations, assessing the
nature of the existing problems and specifying the opportunities
and mechanisms of parliamentary diplomacy in the settlement of those
relations.

The parliamentary hearings will be held on 19-20 December 2007.

Representatives and experts of all concerned political and public
organizations, political research centers are invited to take part
in the parliamentary hearings.

To receive additional information about the parliamentary hearings,
please apply to the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia: (tel. 588-517, fax:
52-54-30, e-mail: [email protected] ).