Author: Chalian Meline

Public TV, Armenia
Jan 16 2008

RUSSIAN RAILWAYS CONCESSIONARY MANAGER OF ARMENIAN RAILWAYS FOR NEXT
30 YEARS

[Presenter] Today the results of the tender for concessionary
management of the Armenian railways were officially announced. In the
coming thirty years this type of transportation will be managed in
our country by the Russian Railways company. Today [Armenian]
Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukyan, on behalf
of the Armenian government, signed a memorandum of understanding with
the president of the Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin. The
company’s business plan for the Armenian section will be ready in a
month, although it is known already now that the manager promises to
pay to the budget about 8.5m dollars as an entry fee or a
concessionary fee and – four investment options in the future. [Video
shows Manukyan and Vladimir Yakunin signing a document]

[Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik Manukyan
speaking] If the Armenian Railway remains in this condition, the
investments suggested are 570m dollars. The second option – if the
railway communications with Turkey opens – thus, about 610m dollars.
If the communication with Azerbaijan opens as well – the volume of
investments makes about 1.8bn dollars. If the Abkhaz railway opens as
well – that is in general the railway communication open – the
Russian Railways suggest investments of about 2.2bn dollars.

[Vladimir Yakunin speaking in Russian with Armenian voice-over
translation] Our company got an income of R974bn form the total
operations of the railways in the last year. The investment rating of
the Russian Railway, which is at the stage of reorganization, is
equal to the rating of the state. Only this company has such a rating
in the [Russian] Federation. [Video shows Vladimir Yakunin speaking
at a meeting]

Agence France Presse — English
January 18, 2008 Friday 6:17 PM GMT

Novelist calls on Turks to break silence on Armenian killings

ISTANBUL, Jan 18 2008

The Booker-prize winning novelist Anrundhati Roy called on Turks
Friday to break the silence over the World War I-era massacre of
Armenians.

Roy was in Istanbul as part of tributes to mark the first anniversary
of the murder of writer Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian campaigning
newspaper editor shot dead by an unemployed member of a fringe
ultra-nationalist group.

"I haven’t come here to fill the silence that surrounds in this
country the events that took place in Anatolia in 1915. That is for
you to do. That is what Hrant Dink tried to do and therefore paid
with his life," the Indian writer said during a lecture at Bogazici
University.

"Obviously, the assassination was meant both as a punishment for
Hrant and as a warning to others in this country who might have been
inspired by his courage."

Dink campaigned for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians, but
on the basis of Turkish recognition that the massacre of Armenians
between 1915 and 1917 constituted genocide.

The total tally of those killed is disputed, with Armenians putting
it at more than 1.5 million and Turkey saying between 250,000 and
500,000.

Roy told supporters that the killing of Dink had backfired —
highlighting rather than silencing the issue of the massacres.

"Hrant has been silenced but those who celebrate his murder should
know that what they did was counterproductive. Instead of silence it
has raised a great noise. Hrant’s voice has become a shout that
cannot be silenced again."

Dink, who had been given a six-month suspended sentence by a Turkish
court for his views, was nominated on Monday by the International
Press Institute as one of its "heroes of world press freedom."

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 20 2008

Azerbaijan applies to international organizations for inclusion of
Armenian votes into voters’ list

[ 20 Jan 2008 13:40 ]

Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission has sent a repeated appeal
to international organizations for inclusion of Nagorno
Karabakh-based Azerbaijanis of Armenian origin into the voters’ list.

Mazahir Panahov, Chairman of the CEC, said Azerbaijani citizens of
Armenian origin are entitled to enjoy the right to vote and
Azerbaijan is ready to ensure their rights.
`We decided to resort to international organizations for inclusion of
Azeri citizens of Armenian origin into voters’ list. However,
international organizations seem passive,’ he added.
He added that Azerbaijan has done the best to ensure Internally
Displaced Persons’ right to vote.
`It is problematic to do this as they have no permanent place. IDPs
have to be returned to their homelands,’ he added. /APA/

Panorama.am

20:31 18/01/2008

IMPRESSED BY POVERTY OVERCOMING POLICY

Today Vardan Oskanian, the minister of foreign affairs
received Maria Dolores Castro Benitessy, the new
mentioned leader of World Provisions Program’s
Armenian office.

According to the press and public relations department
of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the minister
congratulated Castro for running Armenian office of
such international program, and highly evaluated the
projects carried out by the program in Armenia.

Mrs. Castro said that she is impressed with the
results of `Poverty Overcoming Policy’ program, and
the measures taken by Armenian Government.

Source: Panorama.am

European Parliament called for differentiated approach to Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia

2008-01-18 18:17:00

ArmInfo. The European Parliament called for a differential approach to
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the report adopted by a large majority
of votes in the European Parliament on January 16, reads.

As the European Parliament’s press-service told ArmInfo, the report on
the South Caucasus was presented by Luxemburg parliamentarian Lydie
Polfer and urged the European Commission to carry out a feasibility
study to evaluate the possibility of concluding free trade agreements
with Georgia and Armenia. Moreover, the European Parliament called for
more cooperation in the Black Sea and South Caucasus regions and urged
the European Commission to come up with new "concrete proposals for
fostering regional cooperation" in this part of the EU’s neighbourhood.
Referring to frozen conflicts in both regions, the MEPs noted that they
reject "all attempts by foreign powers aimed at creating exclusive
spheres of influence" and urged the states in the region to "stop the
increase in their military spending".

Levon Ter-Petrosyan: Ruling regime in Armenia not able to withstand
power of people’s movement

2008-01-18 17:45:00

ArmInfo. The ruling regime in Armenia is not able to withstand the
power of the people’s movement, first President of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrosyan said in an interview with the "Izvestiya" Russian
newspaper.

The first president said that he feels responsibility for the coming of
Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan to power in the country. "It seems
to me that I should beg the whole Armenian people’s pardon for that",
he emphasized. Asked whether a process of the property redistribution
will start in case of his return to power, the first president said
that he will try not to allow a "witch-hunt" and the attempts of the
property redistribution during disclosure of the economic crimes. At
the sama time, L. Ter-Petrosyan said that those who abused the state
power will be severely punished, but not the businessmen, and added
that the businessmen will also undergo reformations and those, who
enjoyed the status of the "oligarchic inviolability" so far, will have
to enter the legal and tax field just as everyone and repair the damage
caused earlier to the state.

SAMVEL DILOYAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION OF ARMENIA

YEREVAn, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The reporting and election conference
of the Table Tennis Federation of Armenia was held at Yerevan’s
Congress Hotel on January 16. The 2-year activities of the federation’s
president Hrant Avagian were given a positive assessment.

At the conclusion of the conference, Samvel Diloyan (Vanadzor) was
unanimously elected the new president of the Table Tennis Federation of
Armenia. Prior to that he headed the Table Tennis Federation of the
city of Vanadzor.

YOUTH DISCUSSES ALTERNATIVES TO PEACE SETTLEMENT OF THE CONFLICT

Karabakhopen
17-01-2008 13:19:22

On January 16 Helsinki Initiative 92, a Karabakh-based NGO, the
Helsinki Civil Assembly and IKV Pax Christy held a round-table meeting
in Stepanakert to which the young representatives of the parties of
Karabakh were invited.

The topics of the discussion were: Is there an alternative to a peace
settlement and what will the region be like in 15 years? The purpose
was to find out the opinion of young political activists on the ways
of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The representatives of the youth wings of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun,
the Democratic Party, Helsinki Initiative 92, as well as the youth
organization Birthright Armenia were invited to the discussion.

The organizers say the results of surveys suggest indifference among
the Karabakh youth. Evidence to this is the fact that of 20 young
people invited to the meeting only 4 answered yes to the question
"Are you aware of the Karabakh conflict and what is the official
stance on this issue?"

Opinions on the proposals of the mediators (namely the return of
territories and refugees) varied. All the young people are for peace
but not just at any price.

The representative of the youth wing of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun said
since we have been foes for over a century, it is pointless to try
to find points in common, especially that the current situation
satisfies everyone.

Most young people said against the return of territories and refugees.

Sergey Melkumyan, the representative of the youth wing of the
Democratic Party, says: "As soon as Azerbaijan feels its strength,
it will declare a war."

An optimistic opinion was voiced that as soon as the volume of
production of oil in Baku starts falling in 2012, Baku will stops
threats of war.

There is also an opinion that in case a democratic image of NKR
is shaped, the international community will focus on the regional
problems and the Karabakh issue may be settled then.

KARABAKH MUST JOIN THE TALKS IN THE NEXT STAGE

KarabakhOpen
16-01-2008 14:02:47

After the meeting with the NKR President Bako Sahakyan on January
15 in Stepanakert the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov said in the current stage of the talks the basic issues
of settlement are under consideration. When agreement is reached, the
text of the agreement will be drafted which will have various parts,
and they believe it will be impossible without the participation
of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said. Yuri Merzlyakov thinks so because the
lives of people are concerned.

His French counterpart Bernard Fassier said they stated in both
Yerevan and Baku they should start thinking how to bring into being the
agreement and involve the representatives of Karabakh in this process.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 14 2008

Regulation of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict to Rise after Presidential
Election in Armenia – Pieter Sabnebi
14.01.08 17:44

The possibility of the regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
will rise after the presidential election in Armenia, Pieter Semnebi,
the special representative of the European Union on South Caucasus,
stated to journalists on 14 January, Armenia-News reported.

`We cannot lose our hope for regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The diplomatic negotiation process has been continued and
all measures have been taken to settle the conflict. I hope that the
presidential election in Armenia will give the possibility to attract
special attention to the problem,’ he stated.

Sabnebi noted that the Karabakh conflict can only be settled
peacefully. Commenting on the connection between the Kosovo conflicts
to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Sabnebi, stated that no connection was
between the both conflicts.

`The peaceful negotiations on the regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict must be continued,’ he said.