Author: Chakrian Hovsep

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT ARMENIANS CONCERNING FIRES IN OCCUPIED LANDS OF AZERBAIJAN: MINISTER

Trend News Agency
July 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has accused international organizations of supporting
Armenians’ interests concerning fires set to the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan. "OSCE and NATO render financial support to Armenia and
make offers to stop fires instead of driving back the Armenian forces
together with Azerbaijan and taking ecological measures," Huseyn
Bagirov, minister of ecology and natural resources of Azerbaijan said
on 18 July.

The fires in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan have been intensified for
the last three years which inflicted great damage to Azerbaijan. The
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has informed
international organizations of this fact.

"We should not accept the position of the international organizations,"
he said. "It means that the Armenians pollute the environment and at
the same time they want to receive financial aid from the international
organizations," minister said.

According to Bagirov, the fact that international organizations
attribute the fires to the dry climate is not acceptable. "These fires
aim at destroying dwelling houses and to lose traces of burglary. There
are large dry lands in Azerbaijan, but there are usually no fires
in these lands," minister said and added that the ongoing fires show
that the Armenians are not interested in continuing peace talks. "We
inform the states who urge us for peace, of these fires, but they
do not take any steps, and the rhetoric on peace by Armenia is just
senseless propaganda," he said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and
Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active
hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia,
France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful, but fruitless
negotiations.

LIST OF PROGRAMS MEANT TO ASSIST ARMENIA IN ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION NOT CONFIRMED YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.07.2008 18:30 GMT+04:00

Presently, the programs within the ENP can be divided into two
categories – traditional technical assistance and joint programs that
will start this autumn, France’s Ambassador to Armenia Serge Smessov
said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

"The list of programs has not been confirmed yet but they are
meant for consolidation of the Ombudsman’s institute, flight safety
(standardization of forms of civil aviation) and preliminary analysis
of financial consequences of any legislation," the Ambassador said.

WE HOPE ISSUE OF PKK TO BE OUT OF AGENDA IN RELATIONS WITH IRAQ, BABACAN

Turkish Press
July 17 2008

ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Wednesday the
Turkish government hopes the issue of terrorist organization PKK to
be out of the agenda in relations with Iraq.

Speaking at a program on state run TRT tv channel, Babacan said
that it is the wish of the Turkish government to normalize relations
with Armenia.

"Armenia is the only neighbor of Turkey with which Turkey has
problems with. Turkey has taken many unilateral steps in regard to
Armenia in the recent past. There are direct flights between several
Turkish provinces and Armenian capital of Yerevan. There is indirect
trade with Armenia. We, as Ankara, have sent messages to Armenia for
dialog. Armenian allegations in regard to the incidents of 1915 cause
problems in relations and actually poison Turkish-Armenian relations,"
Babacan said.

Touching on Turkish-Iraqi relations, Babacan said that "Turkey wishes
for the issue of terrorist organization PKK to drop out of the agenda
in relations with Iraq. This can be possible with the political will
of the central government in Baghdad and the regional administration
in north of Iraq."

In reference to Iran, Babacan stressed that "Turkey is against the use
of nuclear weapons in the region. However, we have respect for any
sovereign country to utilize nuclear technology. The international
community must be in dialog with Iran to overcome its suspicions on
Iran`s nuclear program."

On Cyprus, Babacan said that a new atmosphere of optimism has come
into existence following elections in the Greek Cypriot administration.

"The two leaders in Cyprus will hold talks on July 25th and evaluate
the works of the technical committees. We are the side that favors
a solution. The solution should be found within the framework of the
United Nations," Babacan also said.

TURKISH SCHOOL TEACHER DISMISSED FOR CONDEMNING DINK MURDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.07.2008 17:34 GMT+04:00

When referring to the Hrant Dink murder, Turkish high school teacher
Aysel Kilic said in class that no one should be killed for their
thoughts and was exiled to Trabzon for that remark, Sabah daily
reports.

When one of the students said in class that he is happy that Hrant
Dink died, Kilic replied, "Killing someone for his or her thoughts
is not right."

The students related this to their parents and one of them applied
to the Selcuk District Administration, Education Ministry, and Izmir
Governor’s Office with the claim that Kilic said Turks have committed
crimes against Armenians, that she humiliated Turks because of the
Dink murder, that she said the living conditions of Abdullah Ocalan
were bad, that she claimed Fehriye Erdal, who killed businessman
Ozdemir Sabanci, was not a murderer, and that she gave low grades to
students that opposed her views.

Two inspectors commissioned by the ministry found the teacher guilty
and a criminal case was filed against her.

Meanwhile Kilic was appointed to a high school in Trabzon. Kilic has
applied for a stay in proceedings and approached the Selcuk Public
Prosecutor’s Office with a brief saying that the accusations are false.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT APPLIES TO ALL ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN TO BE ACTIVE INITIATORS IN THE MATTER OF THEIR NATIVE LAND DEVELOPMENT

ArmInfo
2008-07-15 15:24:00

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan has applied will a challenge to
Armenians of all over the world.

As ArmInfo correspondent reports, making a speech in front of
participants in the youth gathering Baze, in Jermuk, he said: ‘I call
everybody to draw more attention to their Motherland, which is the
home for our generation. I am sure that memories of childhood always
call you to your native home. We should take care about our common
home – Motherland’.

The president applied to all the Armenian businessmen: ‘You should be
the active initiators in the matter of our Motherland development. Such
is my request to you. We should bring up Armenian young people in the
right way on the basis of the elder generations’ achievements… I
call everybody to choose his own element of Motherland. I ask Armenian
businessmen to choose and build, create, implement and multiply and
I am sure my challenge will not remain without respond’, – Armenian
president said.

Commissioner Hammarberg visits Armenia to assess progress made in the
investigation of post-election events

armradio.am
12.07.2008 11:25

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg,
will start on Sunday a three-day visit to Yerevan to weigh the progress
made in the investigation of the violent events in connection with the
demonstrations after the Presidential election in March. He will meet
with the highest national authorities and will visit prisons
accompanied by two members of his Office and Johan Hirschfeldt, an
international expert with extensive experience on national commissions
of inquiry.

`This visit is part of the ongoing dialogue with the Armenian
authorities, and follows the visits carried out last October and March’
said the Commissioner. `In my last report on Armenia, I advocated for a
comprehensive investigation into the 1 March events. The aim of this
visit is therefore to take stock of the progress made towards this end
and gather accurate information on the number of detainees and their
judicial status’ continued Commissioner Hammarberg. `I have also taken
note of the recent Resolution adopted by the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly on the functioning of democratic institutions in
Armenia. In this context, I intend to provide an international
contribution towards the improvement of the human rights situation in
the country.’
During his visit,20the Commissioner will meet the highest State
authorities, including the President Serzh Sargsyan, leading members of
the Government, Parliament representatives, the Prosecutor General and
members of the ad hoc Parliamentary inquiry committee. Commissioner
Hammarberg will also hold further meetings with detainees and their
lawyers, the Human Rights Defender, as well as representatives of
international organisations and civil society.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN RECEIVED INDIA’S AMBASSADOR

armradio.am
11.07.2008 15:49

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the Ambassador of India to
Armenia Rina Pandey, President’s Press Office reported.

The President underlined the high level of political relations between
the two countries and the productive cooperation within international
organizations.

Turning to bilateral economic ties, the interlocutors stated that there
are successful examples of Indian business investments in Armenia. At
the same time they attached importance to the economic potential and
more efficient use of the existing opportunities.

Reference was made to the cooperation in the fields of science and
economy.

It was noted that many Indian young people study in Yerevan today.

Stressing the important role of the Indian Armenian community in
the development of bilateral ties, the President said it has a rich
history and many Armenian educational-cultural monuments have been
created in India.

Ambassador Pandey noted that the results of RA President Serzh
Sargsyan’s different initiatives are already visible and wished
him success.

Science-Private Sector Cooperation Program Kicks Off In Armenia

YEREVAN, July 9. /ARKA/. A grant program supporting cooperation between
science and the private sector launched today in Armenia, Director of
Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) Bagrat Yengibaryan reported today
at a press conference.

Groups of scientists and businessmen can apply for the tender by July
18. After July 25, they are to submit their applications electronically.

`All the applicants can submit their joint programs and elaborations to
local and foreign investors’ consideration at a venture co9bference
scheduled for October,’ Yengibaryan said.

The authors of the best three projects will be awarded $10,000.
Yengibaryan said last year the best five groups were awarded $5,000 for
their agricultural, pharmaceutical, microbiologic, IT and engineering
products.
The EIF Director stressed the importance of the group activities to
attract venture capital. He said the focus will be on IT-solutions.

Yengibaryan believes the programs will contribute to the development of
IT sector which has considerably progressed for the past five years.

The private sector-science cooperation program is being implemented by
EIF and the U.S. Civil Research Development Fund as part of the Science
Technologies and Entrepreneurship Program. `0′

UNDP: rural communities have huge room for development

YEREVAN, July 10. /ARKA/. Rural communities have a huge room for
development, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, Consuelo Vidal,
said Thursday at the second annual conference on development of
Armenia’s rural communities.

She said that Armenian rural areas are very vulnerable now because of
underdeveloped infrastructures. A third of rural population can’t
develop. Vidal thinks obstacles must be removed from the road of
development.

She pointed out the necessity to develop small- and mid-scale business
in provinces and to establish partnership between state and private
sectors.

She said that FAO food and agriculture organization is implementing
programs in four border villages of Armenian province of Shirak. These
programs imply creation of cluster development system and exchange of
experience between Armenian provinces of Syunik and Armavir and
Georgia’s border areas.

Vidal said that the agencies running communities should outline common
problems and goals, and UNDP will support them in solving these
problems.

The conference was launched in Yerevan on Thursday. It was organized by
American University of Armenia on the initiative of Trpanjan, the
program of development of rural communities, and Yerevan Office of
UN.-0-

"Azerbaijan’s foreign policy on Daqliq Qarabaq conflict must be of offensive
NATURE"

ANS
07.07.2008 20:36

Azerbaijani Presidet Ilham Aliyev stated in the third Congress of
heads of diplomatic missions and consulates.

"Azerbaijan’s foreign policy on Daqliq Qarabaq conflict must be of
offensive nature," Azerbaijani Presidet Ilham Aliyev stated in the
third Congress of heads of diplomatic missions and consulates. The
Head of State said Armenia’s agressive police must be condemned at
all level.

"One of the activities of our diplomats is to increase awareness of
international community about Daqliq Qarabaq conflict," the President
said. Ilham Aliyev stressed that many successes had been achieved
in these directions and added that Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys territorial
integrity was recognized at all levels and international community
supported solution to Daqliq Qarabaq only within the framework
of Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys territorial integrity. He said this position
is connected with norms of human right, historical realities and
Azerbaijan’s booming image in international policy.

Speaking of global energy projects carried out by Azerbaijan, Ilham
Aliyev said these projects serve to internation enegy security.

Touching priorities of Azerbaijani foreign policy, President Aliyev
said diplomats had more responsibilities on the implementation of
those priorities. He called the officials of Azerbaijani embassies in
foreign countries to make close cooperation with state institutions
of countries, where they function and provide information about
Azerbaijani realities and make efforts serving political and economical
interests of the country.

–Boundary_(ID_y46CO/3aMPQlNIMRPvNVXg)–