Author: Antonian Lara

LATVIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVING IN ARMENIA ON OFFICIAL CALL
Pan Armenian
06.10.2005 08:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 6-8 Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
along with her husband Imants Freibergs will be in Armenia on
an official call on the invitation of Armenian President Robert
Kocharian. As the Press Service of the Armenian leader had told
PanARMENIAN.Net before, the Latvian delegation will include Ministers
of Economy, Transport and Communication, Culture, other officials,
some 50 entrepreneurs. The visit main goal is to encourage development
of inter-state relations, strengthening cooperation, as well as
determination of priority directions of economic cooperation. The two
state leaders will discuss EU-Armenia cooperation, regional issues
and will exchange views over urgent international problems. It should
be noted that in April 2005 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan included
Vaira Vike-Freiberga in the group of world leaders, who will promote
UN reforms as delegates of the Secretary-General.

HETQ.am
Flash’s Good Reputation is in Danger
October 3, 2005
Ararat Tsovyan feeds his family by repairing eyeglasses. His shop at 15
Pushkin Street was demolished on government orders, as part of the work on
Hyusisayin (Northern) Avenue. He was given the dram equivalent of US$ 8200
as compensation, as well as the right to rent a 20-square-meter property
adjacent to 15a Pushkin, in order to open another shop.
The decision (no. 2320-A, dated 01.12.2003) of Yerevan Mayor Yervand
Zakharyan allowed Tsovyan to receive a ten-year lease for 20 sq. m. of
property adjacent to 15a Pushkin. He followed procedure and signed a
contract to rent the property and received the lease after which he obtained
permission to start building, designed the project plan, agreed it with
authorities and began construction. “During construction, some people
approached my builders a number of times and said, ‘Don’t build it in vain.
If it’s in Flash’s way, it’ll be torn down anyway,” said Tsovyan.
The property allocated to Tsovyan is also adjacent to 19,Pushkin a building
which now belongs to Flash ltd. The company bought the building after
offering compensation to its residents, demolished it, and is now
constructing a new building for Armcapbank, which it owns.
Flash ltd. is one of Armenia’s largest importers of petroleum products.
According to the data of the Competition Conservation Commission, Flash is
in second place among petroleum product importers, providing 25-28% of the
diesel available in Armenia. Barsegh Beglaryan is the founder and president
of Flash. More than 1/4 of the petroleum market belongs to this company and
it has more than 200 employees. Besides this, Flash is the main shareholder
in the Nairit chemical plant. Barsegh Beglaryan, who also owns Flash, has
started doing business in Nagorno-Karabakh as well.
On March 10, 2005, equipment belonging Flash ltd. was used to demolish
Tsovyan’s half-built shop. “They tore it down, used some of the material to
build toilets for their laborers, and took the rest away in broad daylight,”
said Tsovyan.
Flash offered a different description of what had happened – “We didn’t tear
down his shop, the office of the mayor did. When we were tearing down the
building in order to build another one, Samvel Danielyan, the head architect
of Yerevan, was present, as were the heads of two City Hall departments [he
couldn’t remember which departments] and two policemen. The City Hall
representatives said that Tsovyan’s shop had to be torn down too, because
the mayor had taken a wrong decision in this regard – architecturally
speaking, such land allocation is unsound – besides which the shop was not
in accordance with the blueprints. So, it was the mayor’s office that tore
it down, not Flash. It’s just that City Hall asked for our excavator, and we
provided it, which is why the pictures show Flash equipment being used,”
said Moushegh Elchyan, vice-president of Flash ltd., “Now Tsovyan can come
and build his shop, we don’t want his land at all, but we will cause
problems, because we don’t like that structure.”
Contrary to Elchyan’s assurances that they don’t want Tsovyan’s land, it
turned out that the atrium of the future bank had already been built there,
and a parking lot is planned below it. Elchyan claimed that after the shop
was demolished, the mayor’s office asked Flash to help Tsovyan in order to
keep things quiet, since it was in Flash’s best interests as well to keep
that land free.
“If Tsovyan’s shop had indeed strayed from the original blueprints, then he
should have been by fined or warned by City Hall or the State Department of
Construction and told to bring things back to plan. But that was not the
case. I’ve conducted a legal investigation at the mayor’s office and
discovered that Tsovyan had the necessary documents to build his shop and
that it was not torn down by City Hall,” said Karen Mejlumyan, Tsovyan’s
lawyer.
Flash ltd. insists that Tsovyan’s shop was torn down on the orders of head
architect Samvel Danielyan as well as two heads of department at City Hall,
and in their presence. In reply to a written query, G. Khangeldyan, the head
of the Department of Construction and Land Supervision at City Hall, said
that the mayor’s office had not ordered the demolition of Tsovyan’s shop.
Besides this, an investigation by the prosecutors’ offices in the Central
and Nork-Marash municipalities also proved that City Hall could have no
legal basis to order the demolition of that shop. One can assume the
following based on all this – either Flash vice-president Elchyan has
committed slander against the high-ranking City Hall officials or head
architect Danielyan has abused his position by deeming that legally
constructed structure to be “architecturally unsound”, just to serve Flash’s
interests. In the abundance of illegal and “architecturally unsound”
structures in Yerevan, the head architect picked this legal half-built shop.
It is a point of interest as to whether the head architect was authorized to
declare the mayor Zakharyan’s judgment wrong and verbally overrule a written
decision, or whether the mayor would tolerate such impertinence if it did
not serve the interests of Flash ltd.
Tsovyan awaits the decision of the Prosecutor General. A decision has to be
taken as to whether to file a criminal case or dismiss the charges. In case
of dismissal, Tsovyan is preparing to appeal the case to a superior body or
the court of review.
“Flash had offered Tsovyan land in a different location, or a compensatory
sum of money, but he refused. Now we offer nothing. City Hall tore it down,
let City Hall compensate his loss,” insisted Elchyan. He is probably trying
not contadict Flash’s slogan- “Our good reputation is our dearest capital.”
Aghavni Yeghiazaryan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN-ITALIAN FRIENDSHIP DAYS BEGIN IN YEREVAN
By Gohar Gevorgian
AZG Armenian Daily #179
06/10/2005
Event
“Armenians in Italy. Armenian Community of Italy” discussion will
open the Days of the Armenian-Italian Friendship. Vartan Oskanian,
RA foreign minister, will receive Adolfo Urso, Italy’s trade
minister. They will officially open the Days of the Armenian-Italian
friendship and “Armenian Venice. Treasures of St. Lazarus.” Gala
concert of classical concert at Aram Khachatrian Philharmonic Concert
Hall will complete the day.

ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF ARMENIA AND UKRAINE UNDERUSED IN GOODS TURNOVER BETWEEN THEM
Pan Armenian
04.10.2005 10:48
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian PM Andranik Margaryan met with
newly appointed Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Aleksandr Bozhko,
reported the Press service of the Armenian Government. Having
congratulated the diplomat with appointment to the office for a
second time, A. Margaryan said he hoped for the Ambassador to promote
Armenian-Ukrainian relations further. Mr.
Bozhko informed the Armenian PM on latest developments in the political
and economic life of Ukraine. The situation in the region is stable
at present, a new Government is formed, headed by an experienced PM,
relations in the international arena are also being regulated, he
emphasized. Having noted the importance of further strengthening of
political and diplomatic relations between the two countries that have
chosen the way of European integration, the interlocutors discussed
the current state and prospects of development of bilateral trade and
economic relations. They specifically highlighted cooperation within
international organizations. The economic potential of Armenia and
Ukraine is underused in goods turnover between the two countries, the
interlocutors noted. The parties expressed confidence that the previous
sessions of the Armenian-Ukrainian Inter-Governmental Commission for
Trade and Economic Affairs, as well as a range of agreements signed
between the parties would encourage bilateral economic relations. A.
Margaryan and A. Bozhko agreed to speed up the holding of the
Commission fourth session upon the appointment of its new Ukrainian
co-chair to deal with accumulated matters more efficiently.

FORMER PRESIDENT WARNS US AGAINST MILITARY ATTACK ON IRAN
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran
Sept 30 2005
Former Iranian president and long-time Chairman of the Expediency
Council Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has reiterated Iran’s intention to use
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He reminded the worshippers
at Tehran Friday prayers earlier today that despite being a victim of
Iraqi chemical weapons “Iran could have used chemical weapons. But it
did not”. Rafsanjani said: ” Our main task is to prove that we are not
the sort of people to utilize nuclear weapons… This shows that we are
not the people to resort to such ugly calamities… However, we must
prove this in practice to them [to IAEA and EU]. This is a difficult
task and requires talks and the delicate job of diplomacy.” The
following are excerpts from a live broadcast of Friday prayer sermons
by Iranian radio on 30 September, subheading inserted editorially.
[Rafsanjani] In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
[Passage on the forthcoming month of Ramadan, Iran-Iraq war
anniversary, omitted.]
The issue I want to talk about here is the nuclear issue. We are
facing a very serious and crucial situation. The issue is extremely
serious. Our nation should not be influenced by misleading comments
made to undermine the importance of the issue. Our nation has accepted
the main point and knows that nuclear technology is crucial to the
country and that it can not be ignored. Nothing is hidden from the
nation on the issue. The main challenge we are facing with at this
point in time is the conflict we have with those who want to create
nuclear apartheid and want to be the only ones to have this vast
power and important technology. We are not seeking the technology
for military purposes. We are pursuing it for peaceful purposes. We
want to utilize this technology for agriculture, energy, industry
and health. This technology is among the most advanced and up-to-date
technologies in today’s world and one cannot forgo this right.
If we forgo this right, it will be registered in the history of our
country, just like the Treaty of Turkmanchai [Agreement signed by
Russia and Persia in 1828 by which Persia was forced to cede part of
Persian Armenia to Russia and grant extraterritorial rights] or the
Treaty of Vosouq ol-Dowleh, and the officials of the country will
never be forgiven throughout history in the eyes of the nation.
Therefore we, the whole system with the guardianship of the leader,
are determined to defend this right with our full determination
and power. [Crowd chanting: God is great, Death to America, Death
to Israel]
But this challenge is not an easy one. Sometimes it is believed that
by looking at the matter optimistically, the morale of the people
will be boosted and it will increase their resistance. I, too, believe
that people should not despair and should be hopeful and resist. But
I do not believe that people should be given false hope in thinking
that others will resolve the issue for them. The issue is extremely
serious. Our opponents are explicitly and firmly stating that Iran
should not have the nuclear fuel cycle and we are explicitly and
firmly saying that we must have this technology. There is no other
alternative. Of course we are trying to resolve the matter through
negotiations. Because they are claiming that they do not trust Iran
and that they cannot be sure that Iran will not use the technology for
military purposes, we should prove to them that we are not doing so.
Our main task [over the nuclear issue] is to prove that we are not the
sort of people to utilize nuclear weapons. And we have a proud record
to prove this. I mean [at the time of the Iran-Iraq war] when our
combatants were martyred by [Iraqi] chemical weapons in such oppressive
manner, Iran could have used chemical weapons. But it did not. They
[Iraqis] were hitting our cities in the most despicable manner. But we
were instructed that before hitting any [Iraqi] city in retaliation,
we had to give a warning 48 hours in advance in order to give people
a chance to leave. This shows that we are not the people to resort
to such ugly calamities. Therefore, this is our nature. However,
we must prove this in practice to them [to IAEA and EU]. This is a
difficult task and requires talks and the delicate job of diplomacy.
Two points are important here. Firstly, our opposite side comprises
America, Europe and others. We tell them: To you, this [oily?] arena
is not a highway to cross. This is a mined battlefield and dangerous
for you. If you were to enter this arena, you will impose heavy losses
on the region, on yourself and on the rest of the world. Iran is not a
sort of state to raise its hands in surrender as soon as you pick up
your weapon and draw your dagger. Such a thing will not happen. You
should therefore act wisely and prudently. If by uttering words and
issuing resolutions, you intend to intimidate us, you must realize
that the Iranians are not scared and will not be intimidated.
If you truly wish to get somewhere, this cannot be achieved by
issuing resolutions, by intimidating us, by publishing articles and
by delivering speeches. Instead, one [you and Iranian authorities]
should sit around to talk and reach trust. And you will become certain
that Iran is not adventurous over this issue. Iran wishes to acquire
peaceful nuclear technology. This is a right that no country will
justify itself to sign away and deny itself the right. This will not
happen in Iran, if this is what you are pursuing.
I would like to let the [Iranian] managers in this sector know that
here you need diplomacy and not slogans. This is the place for wisdom,
the place for seeking windows that will take you to the objective,
the place for negotiations and extensive diplomatic activities to
say that we are present all over the world. This is the place for
utilizing all the levers at our disposal, but prudently, wisely and
with patience – without provocation and slogans that may please the
enemy and give him an excuse. We must avoid providing the enemy the
weapon that we could deploy in the world to gain victory.
We must properly resolve this sensitive problem facing our country,
with the goal of safeguarding our nation’s right and preventing others
violate the rights of our own people. God willing, we shall benefit
from the plentiful advantages of nuclear technology. [Shouts of
“God is great” from the conjuration]
Iraq and Palestine
I wanted to speak about Iraq and Palestine, but my second sermon went
on longer than I expected. I’m just going to point out that we are
witnessing mischievous and harmful actions that are hurting Iraqi
people. The three car bombs in Balad yesterday killed and injured
close to 200 people. There were more explosions in Hilla today –
these crimes usually occur in Shi’i sections. It would appear that
certain mysterious characters don’t want security to be restored
in Lebanon. Lebanon was the victim of civil war for years, which
destroyed it.
And It would appear that Israel has reduced its vulnerability
by withdrawing from Gaza. Because it was involved in clashes with
Palestinian combatants. These days it is attacking Palestinian areas
by tanks, fighter jets and helicopters. It has escalated its attacks
instead of working towards peace.
Syria is being threatened. We need Islamic unity today. We need
solidarity among those forces loyal to Islam and the revolution. God
willing, we will be able to strengthen our correct diplomatic actions
in the region and the world, thereby reducing the chances of harms
to the regions.

DELEGATION HEADED BY GREEK DM TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON OCT. 4
Noyan Tapan News Agency
Oct 3 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by Greece’s
Defence Minister Spilios Spiliotopulos will come on a two-day official
visit to Armenia on October 4.
According to the RA Defence Minister’s spokesman Colonel Sayran
Shahsuvarian, meetings with the RA President Robert Kocharian, Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian and Defence Minister Serge Sargsian are
scheduled within the framework of the visit.
The Greek delegation will attend the Museum Institute of the Armenian
Genocide, lay a wreath at the Memorial to the 1915 Genocide Victims,
and visit the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin to meet with Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II.

RA LOST SECURITY SYSTEM
A1+
| 15:31:52 | 01-10-2005 | Politics |
Former chairman of the NA permanent commission for foreign affairs
Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, who has held numerous meetings with leaders
of other states, insists that Europeans do not admit complementation
policy.
Chairman of the Liberal Progressive Party Hovhannes Hovhannisyan
considers that there was time when complementation was essential
for Armenia, but presently this policy may prove dangerous. “It is
especially dangerous at present, when serious geopolitical changes
are taking place. Such policy would make Armenia more vulnerable.”
H. Hovhannisyan considers that Armenia’s participation in the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is senseless. He
explains it by the following fact: Kazakhstan, the second major CSTO
members is aspired for presidency in the organization. Armenia is
against it, since Kazakhstan pursues pro-Azerbaijani policy. Azerbaijan
is not CSTO member. Which state will Kazakhstan support if problems
arouse?
Proceeding from these conclusions the LPP leader says that the CSTO
has lost its actuality and the security system does not exist. He is
convinced that Armenia should take decisive moves towards the NATO,
the organization, which during 50 years has proved capable of solving
all the internal issues.
However in this case there exist some problems as well. There are NATO
members-states which rate oil as a priority factor. “is fifty states
unite and set the rules, no other state can break them. Azerbaijan
has oil. Thus the attitude towards this country will be always
special. We must keep it in mind. What can we offer instead of oil? Our
democracy?” he says.
The RA authorities do not wish to joint the NATO and admit the rules,
since corruption and disorder have no place in the NATO member-states,
H. Hovhannisyan resumed.

AZG Armenian Daily #175, 30/09/2005
Turkey-EU
ANKARA SPEAKS A LANGUAGE OF THREATS TO EU
Turkish Delegation Will Not Leave for Luxemburg if the Phrase ‘Privileged
Partnership’ Is Not Removed from Documents
Speaking about European parliament’s resolution, Turkish Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan said: “This resolution is not mandatory. No matter what
resolution they passed, we shall not renounce our stance”. The International
Herald Tribune referred yesterday sources standing close to PM Erdogan
writing that the Parliament’s resolution was in fact a sting for him despite
PM’s outwardly calm response. The paper says that Erdogan at first wanted to
boycott the negotiations.
The representatives of EU member states tried to set the format of Turkey-EU
talks in Brussels yesterday. The EU ambassadors failed to come to a
unanimous decision. Meanwhile Austria proposed the status of “privileged”
partner, which Ankara rejected. Austria’s chancellor Wolfgang Schlussel
declared yesterday that his country will agree to start negotiations for
Turkey’s full membership if the EU reopens talks with Croatia halted because
of Zagreb’s refusal to hand a war criminal over to the Court of Hague.
The Great Britain, which holds the EU presidency, confirmed yesterday that
foreign ministers will meet on Sunday. In effect, the ministers will try to
save EU-Turkey talks slated in Luxemburg, October 3.
Abdullah Gul, Turkey’s foreign minister, called his British counterpart
earlier threatening that the Turkish delegation will not leave for Luxemburg
unless final negotiation documents lay bare on the table. According to
Hurriyet, the Turks will not leave for Luxemburg if EU does not remove
“privileged partnership” wording from the documents and does not withhold
Cyprus’ right for veto on Turkey’s participation in international meetings.
The September 28 speeches at the European Parliament as well as opinion
polls in different EU countries show that the Europeans are not inclined to
accept Turkey as a full member of the European family. Most of the French,
Germans and Austrians are against Turkey’s membership and the Danes would
prefer Ukraine to agricultural, Islamic Turkey. One of Greek deputies said
in his speech: “It’s inadmissible to make a positive decision hoping that
Turkey will some day become a democratic country. Following that logic we
can admit to EU countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iran and other
undemocratic states”.
The International Herald Tribune writes that pessimism in Europe about
Turkey will deepen in near future. In case Angela Merkel wins the elections
in Germany her government will not go beyond “privileged partnership” with
Turkey. Presidential candidate in France, Nikola Sarkozy, is also against
Turkey’s membership.
By Tatoul Hakobian

EuroNews – English Version
September 28, 2005
Parliament green lights Ankara’s EU talks, adds criticism
Even on the threshhold of formal discussions on joining together,
Europe and Turkey tensions continue. Parliament deputies in
Strasbourg have demanded that Ankara recognise the 1915 Armenian
genocide.
They also strongly criticised Turkey’s human rights record today.
‘Recognise Cyprus soon,’ they said. But the majority approved the
start of EU membership negotiations with Turkey next week.
The assembly postponed a vote to ratify Turkey’s extended customs
union with the EU. This was the doing of the conservative group,
which favours something short of full membership for Turkey in the
bloc. The postponement was a bid to put pressure on Ankara to open
its ports and airports to traffic from EU member Cyprus.
Meanwhile, EU governments remain deadlocked on a negotiating mandate
for the talks. Austria has informally linked its acceptance of the
start of the Turkey talks to an agreement to begin talks with
Croatia.
Ankara rejects anything less than full membership. Opinion polls show
a majority of EU citizens, especially in Austria, France and Germany
oppose this.Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed
parliament’s decisions as unimportant.
To seek an accord, diplomats say, an emergency meeting of the 25 EU
foreign ministers is likely on Sunday night. That is just hours
before the Turkish negotiations are meant to start, in Luxembourg.

EU MINISTERS TO HOLD EMERGENCY TALKS ON TURKEY
Ireland online, Ireland
Sept 29 2005
European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks this
weekend to try to overcome Austrian objections to starting entry
talks with Turkey, after ambassadors failed to reach agreement today,
diplomats said.
Austria held to its position that Turkey be offered the option of a
lesser partnership rather than full membership in negotiations which
are scheduled to start on Monday.
All 25 EU nations have to agree on a negotiating mandate before talks
can begin with Ankara.
The deadlock will put further strain on ties with Ankara which is
growing increasingly restless over attempts by several EU nations to
put the brakes on opening negotiations.
A British EU presidency spokesman confirmed the EU foreign ministers
will hold talks on Sunday in Luxembourg, on the eve of the planned
opening of negotiations with Turkey. Bilateral talks will continue
in the meantime between London and Vienna to try and get Austria to
back down.
Austria says its people – and many others across the bloc – do not
support full membership for Turkey and is demanding Ankara be given
the option of a privileged partnership. Turkey firmly rejects anything
less than full membership talks.
Austria is also linking the Turkey talks with its wish to see the EU
do more to review Croatia’s now-frozen efforts to join the bloc.
Brussels has demanded that Zagreb cooperate more in handing over a
top war crimes suspect to the UN war crimes tribunal.
Diplomats said Britain and other member states were unlikely to yield
to demands to drop guarantees of full membership.
The draft mandate states the “shared objective of the negotiations
is accession,” but adds they are “open-ended.” It does not mention
a partnership as an alternative.
Membership talks would be a major milestone for Europe and
predominantly Muslim Turkey, which has been knocking on the EU’s door
since 1963.
The EU nations secured Cypriot support last week to start the talks,
after Nicosia agreed to plans that the EU push Turkey to recognise
the Mediterranean island during entry talks, leaving Austria as the
only hold up.
EU diplomats have been negotiating for nearly two months to agree on
a joint negotiating mandate and a declaration demanding that Turkey
recognise EU member Cyprus.
The declaration warns that non-recognition could paralyse the
negotiations. The EU issued the demand after Turkey said it still
refused to recognise the island’s government, which effectively
controls only the Greek Cypriot south.
Ankara said an agreement it signed in July to widen its customs union
with the EU to include Cyprus and nine other new EU members did not
amount to recognition of the Greek-Cypriot government.
Yesterday, the European Parliament added to tense EU-Turkey ties,
voting to postpone a vote to ratify Turkey’s customs union with
the EU, a requirement of membership. The politicians also called on
Ankara to recognise the 1915-1923 killings of Armenians as genocide,
which Turkey vehemently denies.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately dismissed the
non-binding European resolution on the extremely sensitive Armenian
issue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress