Author: Chmshkian Vicken

COURSES FOR REPORTERS OF REGIONAL MASS MEDIA TO BE ORGANIZED IN ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2006

YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Under the program "Mass media’s role
in monitoring Government’s activities" implemented by the Armenian
office of the British Council, three-day courses for journalists will
be organized in October-November 2006.

According to the information reported to ARKA, the goal of the program
sponsored by the British Government and the UN Development Program is
improving journalists’ professional skills in covering and commenting
on the government bodies’ activities.

The applicants must have at least 2-year experience in journalism
and work for a regional mass media outlet.

The mass media outlets who representatives will take part in the
courses will take part in a grant contest for the creation and
broadcasting of TV and radio programs.

The deadline for applications is October 6, 2006.

ALLEGED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOT A HISTORICAL REALITY: TAN

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Sept 28 2006

A number of electoral candidates of Turkish origin have been struck
off their party’s lists to contest the November 22 ballot.

Guncelleme: 17:51 TSÝ 28 Eylul 2006 PerþembeANKARA – It is a worrying
development that some political parties in Holland have banned ethnic
Turkish candidates from standing in elections unless they accept that
the Ottoman Empire committed an act of genocide against its Armenian
community during World War One, a spokesman for the Turkish Foreign
Ministry said.

"We are deeply worried about the one-sided approach of our ally
Netherlands’ political parties on the so-called Armenian genocide as
this puts a limit on the freedom of expression" said Foreign Ministry
spokesman Namik Tan said Thursday. "It is not possible to accept
allegations on so-called Armenian genocide as historical reality."

Three candidates of Turkish origin were removed from party lists for
the forthcoming elections on November 22 as a result of lobbying by
Holland’s Armenian community.

Tan said that Turkey had done all that had been asked of it to assist
in looking into the incidents of 1915.

"Turkey has opened all archives, including military ones, so that
the incidents of 1915 can be studied from a scientific perspective,"
he said.

"Turkey offered to establish a committee of historians from both
Turkey and Armenia to study the incidents of 1915."

–Boundary_(ID_OI/qhuuza0728eH0UjpYfQ )–

PanARMENIAN.Net

Robert Kocharian Regrets at Absence of Diplomatic
Relations between Armenia and Turkey
30.09.2006 16:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The leaders of states do not exchange messages.
Communication is exercised at the level of the Foreign Ministries and
diplomatic missions, RA President Robert Kocharian said when
commenting on the fate of the letter sent by Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the formation of a commission of
historians for investigation of the Armenian Genocide issue. `I regret
at the absence of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and
I have already proposed to form an intergovernmental commission for
normalization of relations between the two states but have not
received any response so far,’ the Armenian leader said.

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
September 27, 2006 Wednesday 1:04 PM EET

Russia’s UES export arm buys Armenian Power Grids for $73 mln

Inter RAO UES, the export and import arm of Russia’s electric power
monopoly UES, has bought 100% in Armenian Power Grids for U.S. $73
million from the U.K.’s Midland Resources, Andrei Rappoport, chairman
of Inter RAO UES’ board of directors, said at an official ceremony
late Tuesday, ITAR-TASS reported.

Inter RAO UES also plans to invest a total of $20 million in Armenian
Power Grids, Inter RAO UES’ General Director Yevgeny Dod said.

UES now controls about 60% of Armenian power facilities, including
the Sevan-Razdan hydropower plant, Dod said.

Midland Resources Holding bought a 100% stake in Armenian Power Grids
from the Armenian government for U.S. $37.015 million in 2002.

Armenian Power Grids, which operates a 36,000-kilometer power grid
system, serves more than 913,000 consumers in Armenia.

UES holds 60% in Inter RAO UES, or RAO UES International, while
Russia’s state-owned nuclear power monopoly Rosenergoatom holds 40%.

Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
27 Sep 06

Turkish Foreign Ministry: Impossible to accept Armenian genocide
allegations

Ankara, 28 September: "We are deeply worried about the one-sided
approach of our ally Netherlands’ political parties on so-called
Armenian genocide as this puts a limit on the freedom of expression,"
said Namik Tan, spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, on
Thursday [28 September].

"It is not possible to accept allegations on so-called Armenian
genocide as historical reality," told Tan.

The candidacy of several individuals of Turkish background were
annulled in the Netherlands as they refused to accept the so-called
Armenian genocide before the upcoming elections on 22 November.

"Turkey has opened all archives, including military ones, so that the
incidents of 1915 can be studied from a scientific perspective.
Turkey offered to establish a committee of historians from both
Turkey and Armenia to study the incidents of 1915," stressed Tan.

EU RAPPORTEUR SEES ADOPTED PROGRESS REPORT ON TURKEY AS "FAIR"

Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
27 Sep 06

Strasbourg, 27 September: EP [European Parliament] Turkey rapporteur
Camiel Eurlings said (regarding the Turkey report) that it has mainly
returned to its first shape.

Speaking after the voting of the report, Eurlings said that the
current shape of the report is fair.

Expressing pleasure on withdrawal of the call on recognition of
so-called Armenian genocide before Turkey’s EU full membership,
Eurlings said that it is not right to ask for new pre-conditions
from Turkey.

The proposal of Greek parliamentarians for Turkey to recognize
so-called Pontus Greek and Syrian genocide was rejected during the
voting of the report.

The expressions about Pontus Greeks and Syrians was included in the
part about Armenians, and stated that Turkey should adopt the same
attitude towards other minorities like Pontus Greeks and Syrians.

The report calls Turkey to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
and lift economic obstacles with that country, stressing that studies
of historians, academicians and researchers on historical archives
should be supported and encouraged.

The report noted that Turkey should solve its border problems in a
friendly way.

PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC OF FRANCE ARRIVING IN ARMENIA TODAY
By Tamar Minasian

AZG Armenian Daily #185
29/09/2006

At the invitation of president Robert Kocharian, president Jacques
Chirac of France is arriving in Yerevan 29 Sept evening. According
to RA President’s Press Office, the French delegation will include
Philippe Douste-Blazy, foreign minister, Dominique Perben, minister
for transport, infrastructure, tourism and the sea, Christian Jacob,
minister for the civil service, and Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres,
minister for culture and communications. Jacques Chirac will also
be accompanied by businessmen, representatives of science, culture,
education and sport, members of the French-Armenian community and
journalists.

During the two-day official visit, the French delegation will visit
the Memorial of Armenian Genocide. His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos
of All Armenians will also receive the French president.

Tomorrow morning the Armenian and French presidents will take part
in the opening of the French Square downtown Yerevan. Later that day
world famous Charles Aznavour and his friends will perform a concert
at the Republic Square. The legendary singer arrived in Yerevan on
Sept 27. "Even if I am worn out, I will come to the Republic Square in
a cheerful mood because it’s a present for my people," Aznavour said
at the airport. "My visit is also important as Armenia is celebrating
15th anniversary of independence. The independence of my country is
the same for me as it is for every Armenian."

This will be the beginning of the Year of Armenia in France that
bears the title "Armenia, My Friend."

SERGEY IVANOV: GANGSTERISM IN GEORGIA ACQUIRED STATE COLORING

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 13:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Gangsterism in Georgia has acquired a state coloring,
said Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov. "We have warned the
military and their families not to go leave homes if it’s not extremely
necessary," he added.

The Russian Defense Minister accused "some new NATO member states of
selling to Georgia the armament that they purchased from the USSR with
a veto on re-export." "This is a grave violation of the agreement on
the control of armament and nothing else but piracy," said Ivanov,
who will take part in the Russia-NATO Council sitting in Slovenia.

As it was reported earlier, since September 27 evening the
Georgian police have detained 6 Russian military on accusation
of espionage. Presently officers Alexander Sava, Dmitry Kazantsev,
Alexander Barantsev, Alexander Zavgotodtsev and first sergeant Ruslan
Skrylnikov are kept in custody. The Georgian side asserts that another
serviceman Konstantin Pichugin is hiding in the Russian Embassy,
reports RIA Novosti.

GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES" ACTIONS CAN LEAD TO WAR, SERGEY MIRONOV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2006 13:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The actions of the Georgian authorities can lead to
war, said Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Sergey Mironov. In
his words, in history similar attacks of espionage-mania have served
as a start for launching military operations. Meanwhile, according to
the latest data, Georgia produced formal accusation to four Russian
military, who were detained earlier, reports Lenta.ru.

To remind, on September 27 evening in Tbilisi and Batumi four Russian
military were detained. Two other officers were arrested later. One
of them, first sergeant Ruslan Skrylnikov was released on September
29 night. According to Shota Khizanishvili, the administration
head at the Georgian Ministry of Interior, Skrylnikov is a Georgian
citizen. Another prisoner, Amir Aslanyan, is a Georgian citizen too and
"he is not ranked among the detained Russian officers." Khizanashvili
confirmed that lieutenant colonel Alexander Sava, lieutenant colonel
Dmitry Kazantsev, lieutenant colonel Alexander Baranov and captain
Alexander Zavgorodnev have been accused of espionage. Besides,
similar accusations were brought against 11 Georgian citizens,
who are Armenians, said Chief of the RA Armed Forces General Staff
Mikael Harutyunyan.

OSCE MG MAY VISIT REGION IN NEAR FUTURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.09.2006 15:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement may pay a visit to the region in
the near future, RA MFA Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, Vartan Oskanian did not rule
out such a possibility in New York.

As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from the Russian MFA Group on Nagorno
Karabakh, the mediators are in Helsinki at the moment.

To note, Finland presides in the European Union and the mediators
arrived in Helsinki to report on the process of talks in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement.