Author: Chavushian

ARMENIAN WRITING AWARD

BackStage
September 28, 2006

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance has announced the first Frances
Paul Lyons/Almas Paul Annual Screenwriting & Playwriting Award. The
winning writer will receive $10,000 in the fall of 2007. Submitted
scripts must have an Armenian theme, but the writer does not
have to be of Armenian descent. Complete rules are available at
For more information, call (617)
871-6764. The postmark deadline is May 15, 2007.

ARMENIA PLANS TO SIGN TWO AVIATION AGREEMENTS WITH USA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2006

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. Armenia is actively working with the
USA to sign two aviation agreements, Head of the RA Civil Aviation
Department Artyem Movsisyan told reporters.

"We are actively working with the USA to sign an interstate agreement
on aviation security and air communication," he said.

According to Movsisyan, the proposals were made by the US Embassy in
Armenia. "The American side is interested in the sphere. Tjhis is a
very important country for us, and we are happy about their activity,"
Movsisyan said.

According to him, the "Armavia" airline is unequivocally interested
in cooperating with American air carriers, considering the existence
of a large Armenian community in the USA.

CHIEF COACH NAMES FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN COMBINED TEAM

Panorama.am
13:18 03/10/06

The chief coach of the Armenian national football team,
Ian Porterfield, named the football players who will play at
Armenia-Finland and Serbia-Armenia games on October 7 and 11
respectively.

Armenian Football Federation press services say a number of football
players are invited to play in the games, among them goal keepers
Gevorg Kasparov, Armando Hambarzumyan, Feliks Hakobyan, Edle Apula
Edima Bete. The Finland national combined team will arrive in Yerevan
on October 4.

EU/SOUTHERN CAUCASUS : BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER PUSHING TO CONCLUDE ACTION PLANS

European Report
October 2, 2006

After ten months of negotiations, the EU Commissioner for External
Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, is hoping to reach agreement with
the Southern Caucasus countries within the framework of the European
Neighbourhood Policy, when she visits the region on 2-3 October. She
is hoping to finalise the action plans with Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia so that they can be formally signed during the Cooperation
Council scheduled for November, less than a year after the start of
negotiations in December 2005. "We are hoping to add the final touches
to these agreements during this visit," explained a spokesperson for
the commissioner.

Although the negotiations with Georgia are complete, there still
remains a language’ problem with Azerbaijan and Armenia, admitted a
Commission source. The Azeri authorities are opposed to any mention
in the action plan text of the principle of self-determination, the
reason being the conflict with Armenia with regard to the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which belongs to Azerbaijan but is mainly populated
with Armenians.

The frozen conflicts’ will be at the centre of the discussions between
the commissioner and the authorities of the different countries
in the presence of the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki
Tuomioja, currently responsible for the Presidency of the EU. They
will discuss ways to contribute more to the peaceful resolution
of these conflicts. "We have a mutual interest in resolving the
conflicts and bringing stability to the entire region," announced
Ferrero-Waldner. The need is becoming ever more pressing given that
after 1 January 2007, with Bulgaria and Romania’s scheduled accession
to the EU, the Union’s borders will extend to the Black Sea, creating
an open window on the Southern Caucus.

CHIRAC: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS AN EU PROVISION

Sabah, Turkey
Sept 30 2006

French President of the Republic Jacques Chirac has intimidated Turkey
during his visit to Armenia.

He used the word "genocide" for the first time and many times during
his visit.

He said "Turkey should recognize the genocide in order to become an EU
member" He related this issue with the Nazis: "Germany has recognized
the Jewish genocide and grew even bigger"

Chirac insists: "Recognize the Armenian genocide"

Becoming the first Western leader to visit Yerevan, French President
of the Republic Jacques Chirac used the word "genocide" for the first
time in Armenia. Stating that Turkey should recognize the genocide in
order to become an EU member, Chirac said: "After the Jewish holocaust,
Germany has recognized it and defrayed its costs. But this did not
descend Germany. In fact, Germany has grown even bigger in the eyes
of the world. Now it is time for Turkey to play a memory game and to
face reality."

PAMUK’S LAWYER SLAMS TURKISH JUSTICE MINISTER

Reuters, UK
Sept 29 2006

ANKARA (Reuters) – A lawyer for best-selling novelist Orhan Pamuk
chided Turkey’s justice minister on Friday for suggesting his client
was to blame for the controversy surrounding an article of the penal
code blasted by the EU.

The liberal daily Radikal this week quoted Justice Minister Cemil Cicek
as saying Pamuk had caused Turkey much trouble by "acting unethically",
first confirming and later denying comments attributed to him about
Turkish massacres of Armenians.

His comments sparked a case under article 301 that makes it a crime to
insult Turkish identity. Though Pamuk was acquitted on a technicality,
his trial drew condemnation from rights groups and the European Union
as a violation of free speech.

In an open letter published in Friday’s Radikal, lawyer Haluk Inanici
denied Cicek’s suggestion that Pamuk had ever retracted his comment
that a million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds had been killed on Turkish
territory.

"In saying our client has brought down much trouble on Turkey, is
it your wish that people, intellectuals in this society not express
their views?" Inanici asked Cicek.

"Is it ethical behavior to avoid a proper discussion of article 301?

As justice minister, is it not your duty to prepare a climate for
discussion?"

The lawyer accused Cicek of exploiting Pamuk’s name for political
purposes and to divert attention away from the "anti-democratic
and anachronistic" nature of article 301, which the EU and Turkish
liberals want to see modified or scrapped.

"It is not ethical to try to belittle our client and hold him
responsible for implementation of 301," Inanici said.

Turkey’s centre-right government, which began EU entry talks last
year, says more time is needed to assess whether it is necessary
to change article 301. Cicek, a nationalist-minded conservative,
is known to oppose any revision of the article.

Pamuk, author of novels such as "Snow" and "My Name is Red", is one
of a large number of writers, journalists and scholars prosecuted
under article 301, though none has yet gone to jail.

An Istanbul court last week dismissed a case against leading woman
novelist Elif Shafak for comments made by her fictional characters,
also on the Armenian issue.

Turkey fiercely denies claims that 1.5 million Armenians perished in
World War One in a systematic "genocide" by Ottoman Turkish forces.

It says both Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks died in partisan
fighting that raged at that time.

KOCHARYAN: WE ACCEPT BOTH INDEPENDENCE AND INCLUSION OF NK INTO ARMENIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2006

"We accept both Nagorno Garabagh’s independence and its inclusion into
Armenia," Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan said in his interview
to Al-Jazeera TV channel, APA reports.

Kocharyan did not rule out relations on federal bases with the alleged
"Nagorno Garabagh Republic".

"International community will recognize Nagorno Garabagh’s independence
one day. I do not think a problem of recognition in international
level can be solved easily," he said.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO VISIT HELSINKI, NK CONFLICT REGION
Author: E.Huseynov

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2006

Tahir Tagizade, the Press & Information Chief of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry told Trend that OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs will
shortly visit the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict region. He was commenting
on the consultation held by the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov in New York with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, as well
as Andjey Kasprzyk, Special Envoy of OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

During the two-day meeting the parties discussed the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The meeting was very
constructive, Tagizade stated.

The Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian had recently held talks
with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.

At the end of this week the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are paying
a visit to Helsinki. Finland will chair the Conference at the
European Union and the mediators are going to inform Helsinki of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and its resolutions.

CAROLINE COX BRINGS BENEFACTORS TO KARABAKH

A1+
[06:39 pm] 26 September, 2006

On September 26, Nagorno Karabakh Republic Foreign Minister Georgy
Petrossian received Vice-Speaker of the House of Lords of the
Great Britain’s Parliament, Chairman of Humanitarian Aid Relief
Trust Baroness Caroline Cox, who had arrived in Stepanakert with a
delegation of British and American philanthropists.

Opening the meeting NKR Foreign Minister expressed readiness in
rendering all possible support to the programs carried out by the
American and British philanthropists in Nagorno Karabakh.

At the guests’ request Georgy Petrossian dwelt on the current stage
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. The Minister,
in particular, expressed his anxiety concerning Azerbaijan’s attempts
to transfer the resolution of the problem under the aegis of the OSCE
Minsk Group to the UN.

We seriously study the existing situation, draw conclusions to
undertake corresponding steps", – the NKR MFA noted.

Georgy Petrossian emphasized that it was impossible to solve the issue
concerning the fate of entire people without taking into account its
own opinion.

We have played our role in establishing armistice, but why today
we are deprived of our rights to strengthen the peace?" – the NKR
Foreign Minister said.

Answering the question on mutual relations with Armenia Georgy
Petrossian stressed: "The Republic of Armenia is a guarantor of the
NKR’s independence and security, as regards the plane of political
relations there is a principle of non-intervention between both
republics".

Speaking about the unceasing informational war the Minister dwelt on
the clamour made by Baku in connection with the fires on the areas
near the frontier.

We have addressed to the OSCE with a proposal to hold a monitoring
to get an unbiassed opinion on what was taking place. The republic’s
authorities are ready to receive the international experts and show
them everything they are interseted in", – the NKR Foreign Minister
noted.

Georgy Petrossian voiced hope that in the course of the visit the
delegation members would make an unbiassed notion on Nagorno Karabakh
and share the corresponding information in their environs.

PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ADMITS HIGH LEVEL OF MONOPOLIZATION OF ARMENIAN ECONOMY AND FORECASTS 5% INFLATION

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 26, 2006 Tuesday

Inflation in Armenia may total 5% as against envisaged 3%, Vahram
Nersisyan, Advisor of Armenia President, told journalists, Tuesday.

He explained the excess of the envisaged indicator by the high growth
of economy and transfers. He said that 3% inflation was forecasted in
case of a 7% economic growth, while the latter is much higher already
now. (11,6% economic growth was fixed in Jan-Jul 2006). Majority of
transfers are from Russia (70%) and the USA (20%). (Private transfers
to Armenia are expected at $1.5 bln in the current year -ed.) At
the same time, Vahram Nersisyan said no one could forecast that
apartments in Armenia would be so highly in demand among Armenians
from Diaspora. It has led to rather a high growth of construction,
which has a tangible share in GDP, he said. He believes that the
5% inflation in 2006 forecasted by IMF is not a bad indicator
for Armenia’s economy. In addition, the authorities hoped that in
conditions of dram appreciation, importers could create additional
demand in the domestic commodity market, which could led to reduction
of consumer prices. "However, it did not happen as the country’s
economy is monopolized. Several big investors are able to control
over the market prices, which is a great problem," he said.

V. Nersisyan added that the high growth of economy and transfers
have led to appreciation of the Armenian dram. Many exporters are
dissatisfied with this circumstance. However, they must rise the
productivity and become more competitive in the world market in
conditions of globalization, he said. Nevertheless, to soften the
consequences of the surplus appreciation of dram that may lead to
economic shocks, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance and
Economy of Armenia have issued $100 mln state bonds in the current
year. It was estimated that interest rates of credits could rise in
case of issue of more state bonds.