Author: Christine Harutyunian

AS CHAIRMAN OF CHOICE IS YOURS NGO AFFIRMS, MUCH MORE VIOLATIONS WILL BE COMMITTED DURING ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

Noyan Tapan
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN. In the parliamentary elections to
be held on May 12 much more violations will be committed during the
electoral campaign than on the elections day. Haroutiun Hambartsumian,
Chairman of Choice is Yours NGO, gave assurance at the March 30
discussion on the subject Armenia on the Threshold of Elections.

In his words, the NGO will start its long-term observation mission as
the agitation campaign starts officially, from April 8. In particular,
all sittings of district electoral commissions will be observed. In
H. Hambartsumian’s words, the necessity of this is conditioned by
amended Electoral Code’s provision, which permits electoral commissions
to make decisions under conditions of no quorum in that period.

H. Hambartsumian said that there were a great number of complaints
connected with electoral rolls in Armavir Mayor’s elections held
lately, so the organization will also touch upon issues connected with
electoral rolls. He said that during the whole period of agitation
campaign Choice is Yours organization will periodically present the
results of its observations.

SWISS ‘GENOCIDE’ TRIAL FOR TURK

Story from BBC NEWS:
europe/6424025.stm
Published: 2007/03/06 17:28:27 GMT

A Turkish nationalist leader has gone on trial in Switzerland for
denying that the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey in 1915 amounted
to "genocide".

Dogu Perincek, 65, is accused under Swiss law of racial discrimination.

The Swiss parliament, along with more than a dozen countries,
recognises the killings as "genocide". Turkey firmly rejects the
"genocide" allegation.

The prosecutor in the city of Lausanne called for a six-month jail
sentence for genocide denial.

Dogu Perincek, head of the Turkish Workers’ Party, made the statements
in a public speech in Lausanne in 2005.

"I have not denied genocide because there was no genocide," he said
in court on Tuesday.

Armenians say 1.5 million of their people were killed in a genocide
by Ottoman Turks during World War I, either through systematic
massacres or through starvation. More than a dozen countries, various
international bodies and many Western historians agree that it was
"genocide".

Turkey says there was no genocide. It acknowledges that many Armenians
died, but says the figure was below one million.

A law criminalising the denial of genocide was adopted in 2003 by
the parliament in the Swiss canton of Vaud.

Twelve Turks prosecuted in Switzerland on similar charges in 2001
were acquitted.

In a controversial move, Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher,
who opposes the Swiss law on genocide, met his Turkish counterpart
Cemil Cicek in Bern at the weekend.

Mr Blocher, leader of the right-wing Swiss Popular Party, caused a
furore in Switzerland when he suggested in October 2006, during a
visit to Turkey, that the Swiss law should be changed.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Father Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

A REQUIEM SERVICE IN MEMORY OF LATE CATHOLICOI AND BROTHERHOOD MEMBERS

A requiem service dedicated it the memory of late Cilician catholicoi and
members of the Cilician Brotherhood was performed this Sunday by His
Holiness Aram I in the Zarhian Cemetery following the Holy Mass in Saint
Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral.

Attached to the cathedral, the cemetery was built in 1964 and it is the
site, where the former Cilician catholicoi and Brotherhood members since the
Catholicosate’s establishment in Antelias, are buried. A requiem service is
held in their memory once a year in the second week of February.

Speaking about the late catholicoi and Brotherhood members, His Holiness
said: "We remember our catholicoi, Archbishops, Bishops and Vartabeds today
through prayers and we should always remember them. They are present in our
collective life and service. Each one of them brought their contribution to
the Armenian Church, nation, motherland, culture and national struggle. Each
of our Pontiffs opened a page rich of church-building in the history of this
Holy See. They continue to live through their dedication and faith, service
and commitment. Today, the same mission is carried on by this centuries-old
See; a mission the purpose of which has been one: to serve God, the Armenian
Church, the Armenian nation and our motherland."

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

ARTHUR AGHABEKYAN: WE NEVER INTENDED TO HAVE THE MILITARY REFORMS SERVE NATO MEMBERSHIP

ArmRadio.am
05.02.2007 15:14

Armenia has never had the target to have the military reforms serve the
idea of joining NATO, RA Deputy defense Minister, Lieutenant-General
Arthur Aghabekyan declared today during the seminar on defense reforms
organized jointly with the George C. Marshall European Center for
Security Studies.

According to Arthur Aghabekyan, Armenia is leading a complementary
polity, which finds its expression also in the defense sphere. We make
the cooperation with both NATO and CTO serve the further modernization
of the defense complex and resistance to threats. "No such issue will
be discussed either today or in the near future," said the Deputy
Foreign Minister.

AZERBAIJAN WON’T BUY RUSSIAN GAS

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.12.2006 14:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s giving no answer to Gazprom in
negotiations on Russian gas imports to Azerbaijan means refusing
Russian gas supplies," Azerbaijani Industry and Energy Minister Natig
Aliyev said. In his words, bilateral talks between Azerbaijani and
Russian energy officials held in Moscow proved fruitless. "As per
the current agreement, Azerbaijan can import Russian gas till January
1. I personally think that the Azeri government will not buy Russian
gas. As for alternative variants Azerbaijan holds no talks with Iran
on the issue at present," Aliyev said.

Gazprom announced that Russia will draw the balance of supplies for
the next year without taking Azerbaijan into account. Gazprom’s
representatives said they will circulate 1.5 billion cu m of gas
between Russian and European consumers. Besides, Azerbaijan is going
to use extra gas for export what is inexpedient for the gas giant.

In 2006 Azerbaijan imported 4.5 billion cu m of gas at the price of
$110 for thousand cu m. In 2007 the Russian side intends to raise
the price up to $235, reports APA.

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 27 2006
WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE GET DOWN TO WORK
NORAIR HOVSEPIAN
In Karabakh every young person will tell you that in rural communities
they have more problems than in the capital. But unfortunately, the
youth organizations, which are supposed to deal with the problems of
young people, are mostly based in the capital. Although from time to
time they make efforts to involve the regions as well. For instance,
the Armenian Club opened in Kashatagh, and the Discussion Club opened
in Martuni, which have the same goal – make young people more
active. Yet we saw a more practical initiative in the village of
Haterk, Martakert. A young man named Vardan Grigorian set up a
vocational college. “We noticed that the students of high school are
interested in crafts. And we thought why not, we can create conditions
for these boys to learn a craft and at the same time study at school,”
says Vardan Grigorian. His idea found supporters. The basement of the
school of the villages was provided for the college. They got
necessary equipment, mostly thanks to Vardan. The work they did not
remain unnoticed. The minister of education visited the village and
promised to help. Now the vocational college is a branch of the
vocational college of Stepanakert, and the students, who count about
15, get a secondary school certificate after two years of
studies. Besides the subjects of the secondary school they learn a
craft. If they continue to study for another year, they get a diploma
of the vocational college of Stepanakert. The director of the college
Vardan Grigorian assured that they will make efforts to make the
routine of the students more interesting. They are going to get new
equipment and literature which will help improve the skills of the
future carpenters. Vardan Grigorian says there is demand for
carpenters in Martakert, which motivates the students. For the time
being, they get the scholarship of the NKR Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sport, 4600 drams per month.

GUL TO REHN: DO NOT IMPOSE NEW CONDITIONS
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 5 2006
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul warned EU Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn to adopt a more constructive and encouraging
position, and not to impose new conditions.
Olli Rehn met separately with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Rehn urged Turkey to fulfill
its obligations under the additional protocol, and open both sea
and air ports to Greek Cypriots. Rehn also sought support for the
Finnish Cyprus proposal. Noting that Turkey is ready to make a
constructive contribution, Gul further said that Turkey expects the
same attitude from the respective parties. Gul added that Turkey
would take positive steps if the isolation is lifted. According to
the reports, Gul “diplomatically” expressed Turkey’s complaints about
the recent demands of the EU. Noting that Turkey’s EU membership is
not a matter of urgency, Gul called on the EU authorities to consider
the long membership venture before setting new obstacles. Recalling
that Turkey is trying to complete its transformation, the foreign
minister, in reference to the progress report, said: “We constantly
receive political messages. Like France… Please note the membership
requirements once more. Assess our performance. Remove the political
considerations from the criteria. We are already trying to make
progress. Just remove the political ambiguity.” Rehn, who carefully
listened to Gul, reminded him that a period of a few months remains
to prevent a possible “train crash.”
When asked about his opinions concerning the contradiction between the
French draft that would penalize the denial of the alleged Armenian
genocide and the criticisms over the Turkish penal code’s controversial
article 301, Gul said the question should be addressed to Olli Rehn.
Polemics over “cucumber size” and freedom of expression
Recalling that Turkey was criticized for its slow progress, Chairman
of the Turkish Assembly’s EU Adaptation Commission Yasar Yakis said
the issue of freedom of expression was brought to the table at a
time when Turkey was negotiating “cucumber size” with the relevant
EU authorities. In response to Yakis, Rehn noted that cucumber size
was none of his business, and the only thing he was interested in
was freedom of expression.
Recalling the previous EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheguen’s
remarks that had referred to the outstanding progress Turkey had made,
Yakis asked the EU to be consistent. Citing Verheguen as famous for
his exaggerations, Rehn asserted that Turkey’s progress is greatly
exaggerated. At the meetings with Turkish parliamentarians, Olli Rehn
stressed the importance of freedom of expression, and the abolition
of the controversial article 301 of Turkish penal code.
Rehn, who also underlined that freedom of expression is the foundation
of the EU, used language that bothered the deputies.
Yakis, in response to Rehn who called for the resumption of religious
training at the Heybeliada Cleric School, said that in that case,
the other religious communities would seek to open their own schools.
Rehn also expressed his appreciation of the difficulties faced by
introducing further reforms in light of the country’s sensitivities
regarding reactionary and separatist threats.
Rehn opposed to privileged partnership
Rehn criticized those who proposed a “privileged partnership” for
Turkey instead of full membership in the EU. Speaking at Bilkent
University, Rehn asserted that this would erode the reliability of the
EU, discourage Turkey from making further progress and cause severe
reactions, and further stated that the EU should remain loyal to its
commitments with Turkey.

WORLD BANK TO PROVIDE 3.1 MLN DOLLAR GRANT TO DEAL WITH HEATING PROBLEMS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS OF ARMENIAN POULATION
Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The World Bank-managed Global
Partnership for Effective Assistance Fund will provide a 3.1
mln-dollar grant for the implementation of a city heating program
in Armenia. Person in charge of foreign relations of the WB Yerevan
Office Vigen Sargsian told NT correspondent that this sum will be
used to solve the heating problems of the vulnerable groups of the
Armenian population. To recap, out of 15 mln USD provided by the
World Bank for the implementation of this program last year, 3 mln
USD was allocated for this purpose.

Alexan Harutyunyan: We should not “break” the singer representing
Armenia before the start of the contest

ArmRadio 24.03.2006 18:45
Today the Parliamentary forces turned also to the `Eurovision’ issue.
Head of the Parliamentary majority Galust Sahakyan, referring to his
musical education, characterized Andre’s `Without Your Love’ song as
Tatar-Mongolian. In response to this, President of the Council of
Public Radio and Television Company of Armenia Alexan Harutyunyan told
`Radiolur’ correspondent Anush Dashtents, `I am very glad that the NA
Deputies have got interested in the projects of the Public Radio and
Television Company. As for Galust Sahakyan, whom I respect very much,
I don’t know what instrument he plays, but I can say that those who
have such an opinion should consider that the whole ashug culture is
Mongolian or Uzbek as well.’
According to Alexan Harutyunyan, tastes and opinions differ. He notes,
however, that even if they do not like Andre’s song they should not
`break’ the singer before the start of the contest. It is like
declaring to the soldier departing for war that they are weak or they
cannot fight, or that they will have to desert.

RUSSIAN SIDE INTERESTED IN OPERATING ARMENIAN ENTERPRISES TRANSFERRED TO IT IN SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Underlining the high level of
cooperation between Armenia and Russia in various spheres, RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian and Russian Minister of Transport, Chairman
of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic,
Scientific and Technical Cooperation Issues Igor Levitin highlighted
the Commission’ role in all this at the October 13 meeting. The sides
noted with satisfaction the recent growth in commodity turnover between
the two countries – according to the data of the first half of 2005,
commodity turnover grew by about 31% over the same period of 2004
and made 120.4 mln USD.
The interlocutors indicated that establishment of closer relations
between Armenia and Russia is significantly promoted by the holding
of various events in Armenia within the framework of Year of Russia
Program, which will be continued by carrying out Year of Armenia
Program in Russia in 2006. RA Prime Minister attached importance to
development of contacts and cooperation between various administrative
subjects of the two countries, and to mutually beneficial agreements
which are reached during visits.
A. Margarian said the establishment of efficient transport
communication can help to further expand the trade and economic
partnership between Armenia and Russia, and in this connection
Armenia attaches special importance to the regular functioning
of Poti-Kavkaz ferry link, a plan which has not been yet fully
put into practice. He stressed that Armenia is interested in the
re-operation of the Abkhazian section of the Georgian railway, which,
according to A. Margarian, is much more profitable and opens new
development opportunities in the relations with Russia and the whole
region. The interlocutors discussed the possibilities of a three-sided
participation (Russia-Georgia-Armenia) in the construction of the
railway. Armenian Prime Minister noted that in an attempt to make the
process more active, the Armenian side always addresses the issue of
reoperating the railway during meetings with the Georgian authorities.
According to RA Government Information and PR Department, during the
meeting A. Margarian and Igor Levitin also discussed the problem of
relaunching the Armenian enterprises transferred to Russia. I.
Levitin assured the Armenian side that the working groups set up to
deal with this problem are carrying out their work, and the Russian
side is also interested in putting these enterprises into operation
in the shortest possible time. At the conclusion of the meeting,
both sides expressed a hope that the Russian Prime Minister’s visit
to Armenia scheduled for late 2006 will provide a new stimulus for
further development of political and economic relations between
Armenia and Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress