Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

International Herald Tribune, France
Oct 27 2006

Romanian PM acknowledges problems with country’s proposal for EU
commissioner
The Associated Press

Published: October 27, 2006

BUCHAREST, Romania Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
acknowledged Friday that there were problems with the country’s
nomination for European commissioner but said that attacks on the
candidate were partly based on unsubstantiated information.

Sen. Varujan Vosganian of the Liberal Party was not approved by the
European Parliament on Thursday after criticism from the Socialist
faction in the Parliament, who said he was too right-wing and had
been "on the payroll of big economic tycoons," according to Hannes
Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice presidents of the Socialist
group in a statement.

The European Commission Thursday accepted Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria’s
European affairs minister for the post but said it would continue
consultations on Vosganian.

Vosganian flew back to Bucharest late Thursday and had talks with
Tariceanu on Friday about the situation. The Romanian media alleged
that Vosganian had collaborated with the foreign espionage agency of
former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

"The sensitive points are that he collaborated with the Securitate
and that he was funded" by economic interest groups, Tariceanu told
reporters after the meeting.

The prime minister and Vosganian said that allegations about
Vosganian collaborating with the secret police could not be
confirmed. Tariceanu said foreign intelligence chiefs had told him
that Vosganian had not collaborated.

"I had no kind of collaboration with the Securitate (communist-era
secret police) and there is no kind of document that says that I
informed for the Securitate or foreign intelligence," said Vosganian.

Vosganian, 48, chair of the Senate’s budget and finance committee, is
known for supporting free-market policies. He is also a fervent
backer of his country’s flat tax of 16 percent, which Romania
introduced in 2005 to replace a progressive taxation scheme ranging
from 18 to 40 percent.

A mathematician and economist, Vosganian is also a writer and poet.
He heads the National Union of (Ethnic) Armenians in Romania. Romania
and Bulgaria are due to join the European Union on Jan. 1.

BUCHAREST, Romania Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
acknowledged Friday that there were problems with the country’s
nomination for European commissioner but said that attacks on the
candidate were partly based on unsubstantiated information.

Sen. Varujan Vosganian of the Liberal Party was not approved by the
European Parliament on Thursday after criticism from the Socialist
faction in the Parliament, who said he was too right-wing and had
been "on the payroll of big economic tycoons," according to Hannes
Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice presidents of the Socialist
group in a statement.

The European Commission Thursday accepted Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria’s
European affairs minister for the post but said it would continue
consultations on Vosganian.

Vosganian flew back to Bucharest late Thursday and had talks with
Tariceanu on Friday about the situation. The Romanian media alleged
that Vosganian had collaborated with the foreign espionage agency of
former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

"The sensitive points are that he collaborated with the Securitate
and that he was funded" by economic interest groups, Tariceanu told
reporters after the meeting.

The prime minister and Vosganian said that allegations about
Vosganian collaborating with the secret police could not be
confirmed. Tariceanu said foreign intelligence chiefs had told him
that Vosganian had not collaborated.

"I had no kind of collaboration with the Securitate (communist-era
secret police) and there is no kind of document that says that I
informed for the Securitate or foreign intelligence," said Vosganian.

Vosganian, 48, chair of the Senate’s budget and finance committee, is
known for supporting free-market policies. He is also a fervent
backer of his country’s flat tax of 16 percent, which Romania
introduced in 2005 to replace a progressive taxation scheme ranging
from 18 to 40 percent.

A mathematician and economist, Vosganian is also a writer and poet.
He heads the National Union of (Ethnic) Armenians in Romania. Romania
and Bulgaria are due to join the European Union on Jan. 1.
From: Baghdasarian

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 27 2006

THE AMOUNT OF TOURIST TO ARMENIA TO MAKE 400 THS IN 2006

The number of tourists coming to Armenia will make up 400 ths by the
end of 2006, Ara Petrosyan, Minister of Trade and Economy
Development, said at the international conference on the role of
youth in keeping and developing cultural-cognitive tourism’.

He said that the annual amount of tourists to Armenia increases by
20-25% for the last seven years. It means that the amount has grown
10 times within the period. To compare – 320 ths of tourists visited
Armenia in 2005, and only 40 ths – in 2000.

Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, said that
apart from reach cultural-historical sights Armenia has all
prerequisites to develop its ecological and agricultural tourism.
Investments in development of tourism infrastructures will be needed
in this case. She pointed out that the Government is regularly
carrying out investment programs to restore cultural and
architectural memorials. Ministry of Trade and Economy Development
reports that half of the tourists come to Armenia to visit friends
and relatives. By estimates, 70% of the tourists are ethnical
Armenians. 31% of tourists arrive to Armenia on business or
diplomatic visits, 5% to improve health problems, and 1% to get
education.

There are 5 ths tourist organizations and operators in Armenia. Every
tourist spends approximately 800-1000 USD during his stay in the
country. About 500 ths USD is annually spent for tourism advertising
in Armenia. Experts say that it is far from being enough to invite
tourists in the state. To compare – in Jordan over 1.5 mln USD is
spent annually in tourism advertising. Tourism experts from Georgia,
Iran, France, Roumania and Belarus participate in the two-day
conference.
From: Baghdasarian

EUobserver.com

Romanian nominee for EU commission job sparks questions
27.10.2006 – 09:29 CET | By Lucia Kubosova

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has postponed
confirmation of Romania’s surprise nominee to join his team, with
socialist MEPs warning they would be "tough" in screening the candidate
they say is known for being "on the payroll of big economic tycoons."

Both candidates for new EU commissioners from the newest member states
met Mr Barroso on Thursday (25 October) but only Bulgaria’s Meglena
Kuneva, currently the country’s Europe minister, received the official
green light.

Ms Kuneva will be responsible for the consumer protection portfolio in
the 27-strong college, an area which Cypriot commissioner Markos
Kyprianou oversees at the moment along with health issues which will now
become his sole task.

"Consumer protection is central to the European citizen’s agenda and
while we have achieved a lot for Europe’s consumers already, there is a
substantial work ahead which I am sure Ms Kuneva can take forward," Mr
Kyprianou said.

However, after Thursday’s discussions, Mr Barroso said talks with
Bucharest on its nomination of Varujan Vosganian – a liberal senator and
keen free market promoter – were "ongoing."

The commission was reportedly taken aback by the surprise nomination as
Mr Vosganian did not previously feature among the mooted candidates and
is currently linked to an internal Romanian government row, according to
the Financial Times.

The tension has also risen a notch following a statement by two
prominent socialist MEPs – Hannes Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma – who
argue that the Romanian nominee is "unknown" in European circles and his
background should be closely "explored."

"What is known is that he has been very much on the right-wing of
politics and on the payroll of big economic tycoons," said the deputies,
referring to Mr Vosganian’s business contacts and noting that they would
strive to prevent the commission’s push to the right.

But Romanian leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu defended his candidate for
the Brussels job and pointed out that the socialists’ claims were pure
speculation.

"They said they will have a fair attitude towards all candidates for the
position of European commissioner and there is no need to view this
matter from the perspective of political groups within the European
Parliament," said Mr Tariceanu.

Mr Vosganian’s nomination has also been marred by Romanian media
speculation he collaborated with Soviet-era secret police, the
Securitate, while Turkish press writes the ethnic Armenian’s prominent
role in recent Armenia genocide memorials is causing ripples in Ankara.

The European Parliament will be involved in confirming the two new
commissioners, with the date of the vote on their nomination – before or
after the countries’ January 2007 accession – remaining unclear.

The plenary vote will be preceded by hearings where MEPs will grill the
would-be commissioner on issues both directly connected to their
portfolios and their general opinions and political and economic
thinking.

Tough screening by MEPs in 2004 lead to a couple of nominee changes
before Mr Barroso’s commission was approved, with the most notorious
case being the removal of the Italian candidate, Rocco Buttiglione, for
his controversial statements on the role of women in society and on
gays. a.. Back b.. To the top
© 2006 EUobserver, All rights reserved

Brussels is still in talks over Mr Vosganian’s nomination for the
commission job (Photo: )
From: Baghdasarian

MEHMET YILMAZ: THE LAST THING THE ARMENIANS WANT IS A DEBATE

Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 26 2006

The Anadolu news agency has reported that the Armenian parliament
has shelved a suggestion to form a commission dealing with genocide
allegations and research. Deputy head of the Armenian parliament,
Vahan Hovanisian, said recently of the unformed commission "It will
only serve the purposes of Turks who wish to deny the reality of the
Armenian genocide." He then went on to add "The forming of such a
commission would mean that even Armenians didn’t know what happened
in 1915."

And so, once again, it becomes clear that neither Armenia nor Armenians
in the diaspora actually have any real interest in what really happened
in 1915. There is only one aspect of this all which really concerns
them: officially registering Turks as genocide makers!

This should also highlight for us the fact that our traditional
"let’s leave this subject to the historians" suggestion will never
receive a real answer. The Armenians, after all, are well aware of how
their campaign, which they have carried on for years now, has helped
them. They know well that real debate on research on the subject of
the genocide allegations will only damage their campaign.

Which is why they will never agree to it.

And this, I maintain, should show Turkey which road it should take
from now on: the parallel but opposite road that the Armenians are
taking! We need to start up a public relations campaign which involves
all sorts of historical documents. It should be a campaign which
involves not only the government, but civil society organizations
too. I have been saying and writing this for years, and what I just
don’t understand is whether it is our brains or a lack of money which
is holding us back on such a campaign.
From: Baghdasarian

ROUMANIE : LE SENATEUR LIBERAL VARUJAN VOSGANIAN FUTUR COMMISSAIRE EUROPEEN

Agence France Presse
25 octobre 2006 mercredi 12:08 PM GMT

Le senateur liberal Varujan Vosganian a ete designe comme futur
commissaire europeen de la Roumanie, après son adhesion a l’UE au 1er
janvier 2007, a annonce mercredi le Premier ministre Calin Tariceanu
au cours d’une reunion du gouvernement.

Age de 48 ans et issu de la minorite armenienne de Roumanie, qu’il
a representee au Parlement entre 1990 et 1996, M. Vosganian est un
economiste respecte et l’auteur de nombreuses etudes ainsi que de
plusiuers volumes de poesie et de fiction.

Depuis 2004, il etait senateur du Parti national liberal (PNL, au
pouvoir) et vice-president de l’Union des ecrivains.

Sa designation a fait l’objet d’âpres negociations entre M. Tariceanu,
qui est egalement president du PNL, et le chef de l’Etat Traian
Basescu, issu du Parti democrate (PD).

Selon des sources au sein de ces deux formations qui forment ensemble
l’Alliance DA, la nomination de M. Vosganian, proche de M. Tariceanu,
aurait ete acceptee par M. Basescu en echange de la demission du
ministre liberal de la Defense Teodor Atanasiu, annoncee egalement
mercredi.

Après avoir ete officiellement designes par leur gouvernement, les
nouveaux commissaires bulgare et roumain doivent etre entendus par
les commissions parlementaires competentes, selon le portefeuille
qui leur aura ete attribue.

Pour pouvoir accueillir les deux nouveaux venus, la Commission
europeenne, qui comptera 27 membres, devrait d’ici la reorganiser
les portefeuilles de certains de ses commissaires.

Le Parlement europeen se reunira en session extraordinaire le 4 janvier
prochain pour investir les nouveaux commissaires bulgare et roumain.

–Boundary_(ID_DQ5Tho4wNhj9+ESOzb1yAg)–
From: Baghdasarian

TOMORROW IS OCTOBER 27

ArmRadio.am
26.10.2006 12:48

Tomorrow the opposition "Justice" block will hold a number of mourning
events connected with the 7th anniversary of the terrorist acts in
the Armenian Parliament.

Press Secretary of the "Justice" block Ruzan Khachatryan told ArmInfo
that members and the leadership of the block will lay a wreath of
flower at the graves of the political and public figures that fell
victims of the terrorist act.

It should be noted that representatives of other opposition parties,
and relatives of the victims also participate in the annual mourning
events organized by the "Justice" block. As for the official
parliamentary events, these are usually held at the memorial to the
victims in the yard if the National Assembly.
From: Baghdasarian

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

26-10-2006

Minister Oskanian Meets with French Counterpart
Philippe Douste-Blazy

On October 24, Minister Oskanian met with his French counterpart Philippe
Douste-Blazy.

During the meeting, the two discussed the Armenia – France relationship, as
well as issues having to do with the ongoing Armenia Year in France.

Speaking about EU-Armenia relations, the Ministers assessed positively the
Action Plan to be signed on November 14 in the framework of Armenia – EU
Cooperation Council. The Action Plan will also promote deepening of the
bilateral cooperation, Minister Oskanian said.

The Armenian and French Ministers discussed regional issues, and the
possible impact of Russian-Georgian relations on the region.

They also exchanged views on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
process.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN EMBASSY COUNSELOR SAYS KARS-AKHALKALAK-TBILISI-BAKU FRUITLESS FOR REGION

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 25 2006

Construction of Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku railway line is aimed at
restrictive policy and is economically inefficient, Yuri Petrosian,
counselor of Armenia’s embassy in Georgia told APA bureau.

But, he considers restoration of through-Abkhazia railway line
(joining Russia and Armenia) as a pragmatic project.

Petrosian said that Kars-Baku project is political project and planned
to discriminate Armenia and this factor is known to most international
organizations and leading countries.

"The existing Kars-Gumru-Tbilisi railway is not in use. Some
South Caucasian states aspire to construction of an inefficient,
discriminating and useless project. The funds can be used for more
actual projects," he said.

He said that restoration of the railway through Abkhazia to Russia
requires $150-200m and some two years and this project is beneficial
for all parties. This project can Georgia’s transportation expenses
by 30% and ensure Armenia’s way-out to Russia.
From: Baghdasarian

KAFKAS OF A.K.P. RESIGNS FROM TURKEY – FRANCE PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP

Turkish Press
Oct 25 2006

ANKARA – Agah Kafkas, a deputy from the ruling Justice & Development
Party (AKP), resigned from Turkey-France Inter-parliamentary Friendship
Group as a reaction to adoption of the draft law criminalizing denial
of so-called Armenian genocide by the French national assembly.

In an interview with the A.A, Kafkas said that the decision was
totally unacceptable.

"I condemn this attitude of France which has ignored democracy and
human rights," he stressed.

Meanwhile, Turkish Parliamentary EU Adjustment Commission Chairman
Yasar Yakis said that France itself would suffer the heaviest loss.

"The bill will damage the image of France in the world. There is a
long process ahead of us. We can still prevent enactment of the bill.

But the measures we will take should not harm Turkey. We cannot reach
anywhere by insulting others," he added.
From: Baghdasarian

MEMORIAL TO ROMANIAN PRISONERS OF WAR WHO DIED IN ARMENIA UNVEILED IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. A memorial to Romanian prisoners
of war who were taken prisoners in the 1941-45 World War and died in
Armenia was unveiled on October 25, in the Kanaker-Zeytun community
of Yerevan. The memorial construction was financed by the Romanian
government. As Christian Scarlar, representative of Association of
Romanian Soldiers Memory, said at the solemn unveiling ceremony,
Romanian Army Day is marked on October 25 and it is symbolic that
the memorial is unveiled on the very day. In his words, the memorial
symbolizes Armenian-Romanian centuries-old friendly contacts. Romanian
Deputy Ambassador to Armenia, Gabriel Grecu, said that 140 thousand
Romanian soldiers were taken prisoners during the Second World
War. They were moved to various countries. The prisoners of war
who moved to Armenia lived in camps and took part in construction
activities. In his words, according to not precise data, 175 thousand
Romanian prisoners of war were buried in Armenia, but only 90 prisoners
of war were mentioned in documents. Historian Ara Demirkhanian also
emphasized that 943 of prisoners of war brought to Armenia after the
Second World War were buried here.
From: Baghdasarian