Author: Ekmekjian Janet

TURKEY FACING NECESSITY OF MAKING A STEP TO IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
26/09/2007

In another publication, entitled "Turkey’s attitude towards Armenia
remains unalterable", "Azg" expressed opinion that in any cases Turkey
has faced the necessity of making a step towards the improvement
of its relationship with Armenia. First of all, this refers to the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.

It is remarkable that this takes place in a period when Turkey stands
on the threshold of radical structure changes, when the project
of the new Constitution, dictated by the Islamic party of Erdogan,
is yielding its positions and when the nationalistic opposition is
escalating the political station in the country.

In other words, the inner confrontation of political powers in Turkey,
which is represented as struggle between secularism and Islamism by
the nationalistic powers, by no means hampers the wide discussion of
the issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border. The last discussion
of that topic was organized by AIRPG on September 18, Istanbul and
was entitled "The Economic and Social Consequences of Opening the
Armenian-Turkish Border".

The initiative of AIRPG, basing in Washington, was supported by USAID
and the "Eurasia" foundation. A similar event was organized also on
September 20 in Ankara, in which an important role belonged to the
Democracy Fund of Turkey.

Member of the European Department of the Middle-Eastern Technical
University Burcu Gyultekin supported the opinions of AIRPG
representative Mher Bagramian and worker of the Orientology Institute
of Armenia Vahram Ter-Matevosian about necessity of opening the
border and the necessity of involvement of NGOs in the resolution
of that question. Gyultekin said that keeping the border, besides
having negative effect on the political life and the economy of both
the states, also harms the societies, impeding their contact and
interference. He pointed out that the blockade of the Armenian-Turkish
border also impedes the development of the relations between Armenia
and Azerbaijan; therefore Turkey must work out a policy of cooperation
with Armenia, similar to the policy of partnership with Greece.

Gyultekin’s opinion was argued by the head of the International Center
of Strategic Research, Sedat Laciner. To his opinion, Turkey will have
no profit from opening the border with Armenia. He noticed that Turkey
will have difficulties with Azerbaijan, in case the border is opened
before the final resolution of the Karabakh conflict. He reminded
that Azerbaijan is much more important for Turkey than Armenia.

The information about the aforementioned discussions in Ankara
and Istanbul was taken from the bulletin of the Armenian Research
Institute of the Eurasian Strategic Research center. In the September
21 bulletin head of the Institute Omer Engin Lutem referred to the
topic with an analyzing article.

Lutem’s article supports the positions of Laciner, explaining that
the export of Turkish goods to Armenia is only 0,15% of the whole
foreign trade of Turkey.

Even when the border opens, writes Lutem, Turkey will hardly have
any profit; even Kars shall have nothing, as goods produced there
are not demanded in Armenia.

He added that Armenia shall not profit from the opening either,
as it has noting to export.

Lutem noted that Armenia is interested in opening the border with
Turkey rather politically than economically, for it shall bring forth
difficulties between Azerbaijan and Turkey. ""If Turkey realizes
that opening the border shall improve the relations with USA, EU or
other states, then the question of full or partial opening must be
considered," he wrote.

September 26, 2007

Bostonist: Authorial Intent

Ben Kiernan, Friday, September 28, 3:00 pm, Harvard Book Store

Given the recent firestorm about the Anti-Defamation League’s presence
in Watertown and the ADL’s refusal to push for legislation declaring
the Armenian Genocide a genocide, Kiernan’s Blood and Soil: A World
History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur should be
a must-read. And, yes, Kiernan studies the Armenian Genocide–as well
as many others–to try to find ways to recognize potential genocides
and stop them as soon as possible.

Source: php

Ref: 780300100983

FIRST SUKHOI-SUPERJET TO BE DISPLAYED AT KOMSOMOLSK-ON-AMUR

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 24, 2007 Monday

The long-awaited first demonstration of the new Russian regional
"Sukhoi Superjet-100" liner will be held at Komsomolsk-on-Amur this
Wednesday. Work on its construction began in 2001. It is to replace
the outdated family of Tu-134 and Tu-154 planes on the short and
medium-range Russian airlines not longer than 5,000 kilometres. The
plane will appear on the world market, too.

President Vladimir Putin told a meeting, which he held early this year,
that as many as 700 such aircraft would be built in Russia within the
next few years. Officials of the Sukhoi Company predict a still bigger
figure. "According to more optimistic forecasts, it will be up to 1,200
planes. The average forecast is 800-900 machines," Director General
of the Sukhoi Aviation Holding Mikhail Pogosyan stated last May.

The first Sukhoi Superjet will be rolled out of the shops of the
KNAAPO Aircraft Building plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where such
planes are to be eventually assembled. The first liner will come off
the conveyor line in time for its scheduled flight trials.

"There are 73 rigid orders for Sukhoi Superjet-100 planes today:
for 61 aircraft from Russian air companies and twelve – from foreign
air carriers," Itar-Tass was told on Monday at the Press Service of
the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company. Itar-Tass has gleaned information
that 30 such machines were ordered by Aeroflot Company, ten – by
the Financial Leasing Company, fifteen – by the Air Union Aviation
Alliance, and six – by the Dalavia Air Company. The Italian Air Italy
Company is expecting to get ten such planes and the Armenian ArmAvia
Company – two. "Even conservative forecasts show that we shall get
firm contracts for 100 planes already this year, not counting the
various memorandums on intentions," Acting First Vice-Premier Sergei
Ivanov, who is in charge of the project on behalf of the government,
stated last May.

Nine planes will be assembled in 2008, thirty – in 2009, and sixty –
in 2010. After that, the annual output will total 70 machines. Acting
Minister of Transport Igor Levitin estimates the cost of each aircraft
at 25 million U.S. dollars. This is 15 percent cheaper than planes
of the Embraer Company, which is Sukhoi’s chief rival on the market
of regional aircraft.

Sergei Ivanov, who visited Komsomolsk-on-Amur six months ago, predicted
that 500 Sukhoi planes would be sold on the world market of aircraft
in 2025. "The Sukhoi Superjet-100 is of priority, actually of state
importance, because we shall substantially reduce our transport
inequality by producing such planes," he said. Ivanov noted that
this primarily referred to the Russian Far East, "meaning that the
program can be regarded as a parallel one to those that are now being
adopted at state level for the social and economic development of
the Far East."

Approximately 115 million euros will be invested in the technical
re-equipment of Russian enterprises, figuring on the Superjet-100
program. Funds to modernise the production facilities of three
aircraft-building plants, located in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Novosibirsk
and Voronezh, are coming from several sources. They include budget
financing, KNAAPO’s and Sukhoi’s own means, and contributions of
leasing companies.

"In accordance with the technical re-equipment program, KNAAPO is
getting, along with other equipment, many automatic assembly tools,
cutting down to the minimum the share of manual labour in the assembly
process. This is bound to substantially improve the quality and
exactitude of the production processes and to reduces the time required
to do the job," officials of the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company noted.

They also noted that the characteristics of the new Russian plane
are unique for global civil aviation. Their service life equals to
70,000 hours, while the mean global figure is 30,000 hours. This was
achieved chiefly by means of novel construction methods and by using
new-type wear resistant materials in individual assemblies.

Sukhoi officials are sure that the plane’s interior will be on a par
with its flight qualities. "We are not saving money on the inside
finish because the liner is not sufficiently known yet and, therefore,
everything must be topnotch. For instance, we are purchasing seats for
the plane in the Untied States, where they are cheaper and more in
line with the international standards," Pogosyan told reporters. As
a matter of fact, Sergei Ivanov has issued an instruction to "launch
the production of such seats in Russia."

The Superjet-100 project is being implemented in cooperation with
some Italian companies, which are supplying spare parts and avionics,
and also in cooperation with the Boeing Company". Sukhoi and Boeing
signed a protocol last June on the latter’s broader participation in
the program to design and build planes of the Superjet family. The
document envisages cooperation in the provision of post-sales technical
services, assistance to the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company in its
work to build its own infrastructure, access to the infrastructure
and modern technologies needed to service the sold Boeing planes,
including the training of pilots and technical personnel, as well as
access to the spare parts distribution sources.

President Putin backed the cooperation of foreign and Russian companies
in the work to implement the Superjet project. "I was reported on
the proposals of our foreign partners to boost cooperation in the
development of this plane. They are good proposals and I think a
decision is needed to go ahead in this direction," he stated.

The first statistical copy of the plane is now being tested at the
Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute (TsAGI), which is near Moscow,
in the town of Zhukovsky. Plans are already afoot to test the service
life of the second statistical prototype. The trials will be held
early next year, Director of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur subsidiary of the
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company Sergei Shkryabun stated. All in all,
the program envisages the building of six test planes: four for fight
tests and two – for statistical trials.

The Aeroflot Company is planning to certify the Superjet-100 and to
begin the delivery of these aircraft to the first client at the end
of next year. An important role in the certification of the plane
according to European flight standards is assigned to the Italian
Alenia Aeronautica Company, Pogosyan said. "We are also planning to
certify our Superjet according to the American flight standards,"
he added.

A conveyer-type assembly method will be used when the quantity
production of these planes is started. Six workplaces have been
equipped in the final assembly shop: a sector for the automatic laser
assembly of the fuselage, a sector for the connection of the wings
with the fuselage, a sector for the integration of the engine with the
fuselage, a sector for the assembly of the plane’s systems – hydraulic,
oxygen, anti-fire, water supply, etc. Six planes will be simultaneously
handled within this shop, moving across the indicated sectors.

It is planned to spend twenty-eight days on the assembly of each plane.

The Sukhoi Superjet family consists of two types of plane, one with 75
and another with 95 passenger seats in configuration with the basic
one – SSJ100/75B and SSJ100/ 95B and of increased flying range –
SSJ-100/75LR, SSJ100/95LR.

The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft is a "daughter" firm of the Sukhoi Company.

It was founded in 2001 to implement the latter’s civilian projects.

The company is now working, among other things, on the regional
Superjet-100 project.

The company expects to sell as many as 1,800 planes of the Superjet-100
family within the next twenty years, including the 120-seat machine,
which is now on the drawing boards. The Holding expects to account for
fifteen per cent of the world market of civilian regional aircraft,
which the Boeing Company predicts to be at the level of 6,000 machines
until 2022.

FROM ROTTERDAM TO PRAGUE, THEN BACK TO YEREVAN

A1+
[01:01 pm] 25 September, 2007

Tomorrow the Armenian national judo team is to leave for Rotterdam,
where the Judo World Cup tournament will be launched on 27
September. The coach of the Armenian team Karen Simonyan will head
the team. The following sportsmen are involved in the team: Arthur
Srapyan (60kg), Ashot Vardikyan (60kg), Hambardzum Tonoyan (66kg),
Mesrop Barbaryan (66kg), Ghazaros Grigoryan (73kg).

After Rotterdam review, the Armenian national youth judo team is to
leave for Prague.

The Armenian Judo Federation informed "A1+" that the youth team
will participate in European Youth Championship on 5-7 October in
Prague. Alexan Avetisyan, head of the Armenia Judo Federation will
participate in the Championship as a judge. The Armenian team will
be headed by Tigran Babayan and Karapet Krchayan with the following
staff: Anush Hakobyan (52 kg), Hovhannes Dermishyan (60 kg), Artyom
Baghdasaryan (66 kg), Robert Vardanyan (73 kg), Hakob Arakelyan
(90 kg).

"Gran Pri" tournament will be launched in Yerevan on 10 November, where
the world best athletes will take part. Armen Nazaryan and Hovhannes
Davtyan will probably represent Armenia during the tournament since
they are the best athletes in Armenian and have got the right to
participate in 2008 Olympic Games.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA AND ARMENIA WILL NOT AFFECT ALLIED RELATIONSHIPS

ARMENPRESS
Sept 25 2007

MOSCOW, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS; Russia’s prime minister Viktor Zubkov
said today that the forthcoming presidential elections in Armenia and
Russia, both scheduled for 2008, will not affect the allied relations
between the two nations.

He was speaking to a session of the bilateral commission on economic
cooperation that convened today in Moscow. The Armenian delegation
is led by prime minister Serzh Sarkisian.

"Our major common task, as I see it, is to continue developing our
allied relationships, first of all, in economy and humanitarian areas,
and to also strengthen the legal framework for cooperation,’ he said,
adding that as a result of the negotiations both sides will sign
several agreements.

The Armenian prime minister described relations with Russia as
‘dynamically developing."

According to him, a 70 percent rise in bilateral trade in the first
half of this year is the best evidence of it."

Speaking to journalists after the session the Russian prime minister
said Russian investments in Armenia are expected to doubted to $1.5
billion.

"What we mean are resumption of operation of several enterprises in
Armenia and building an oil refinery," Zubkov divulged.

"Russian companies, particularly, Gazprom, Rusal and Vimpelcom are
ready to invest in Armenia and work there actively," he said.

iBerkshires.com, MA

Collector: Hitler Photo Marks War’s Start

By Tammy Daniels – September 22, 2007

This photo is believed to have been taken days before the start of
World War II. Hitler is at right. NORTH ADAMS – A bunch of sour-faced
men in suits in a grainy black and white photo are standing around
another who is gesturing excitedly, his right hand a blur of
white. Some stand with their arms crossed, others with their hands in
their pockets.

It’s an unremarkable snapshot but for Darrell K. English it’s the
smoking gun, the most incriminating photo of the 20th century.

"I equate this with someone being in Ford’s Theater, with a camera,
the night Lincoln was shot," said English on Friday.

Why? Because when you look closely at the picture you realize that the
man who’s gesturing is Adolf Hitler and those surrounding him, his
notorious henchmen.

English says the photograph was taken Aug. 22, 1939 – 10 days before
the invasion of Poland. Essentially, it’s the day World War II began
in Europe, the day that Hitler called his commanders to his mountain
retreat, the Berghof, to tell them that months of German maneuvering
and mobilizing were about to unleashed on Europe.

"We know when it was taken, we know what was said during that
meeting," said English. "Now we have an actual photograph of the
actual date and the actual happening."

The story goes that this was where Hitler made his infamous remark
"Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"
when speaking of the coming destruction of the Polish people. While
most historians discount that remark, it is a fact that an all-day
meeting was held Aug. 22, 1939, between Hitler and his commanders
detailing the invasion.

Darrell K. English’s collection of World War II artifacts numbers in
the thousands.

"Basically, he’s saying, ‘we’re invading Poland in 10 days and my
Death’s Head units have been given the orders to kill every man, woman
and child," said English. This is beginning of the end for the more
than 50 million people who would die in the war and the Holocaust, he
said.

Hitler had just received word that Josef Stalin was agreeable to a
nonagression pact, which would be signed two days later. The pact
cleared the way for Germany to invade Poland and divide it and
neighboring countries with the Soviet Union. The treaty would stand
until June 22, 1941, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

English said the men in the room can be matched with records of the
meeting. Among them are rarely photographed Gestapo head Heinrich
Mueller, SS leader Walter Schellenberg and Chief of Staff Martin
Boorman.

The photograph was taken by Heinrich Hoffmann, the Fuehrer’s favorite
photographer. His personal stamp is on the back along another in
German of "not for publication." The mark 44 03/28 is written,
possibly a index number, said English.

A penned scrawl across the back says it was found in a house on the
German border.

English has had the photo for eight or nine years; he got it from
someone in the National Security Agency who, in turn, got it from
another intelligence officer.

He also has a "what if" picture, also taken by Hoffmann, of Hitler
with his savior, Ulrich Graf. Graf, his bodyguard in the early 1920s,
took nearly a dozen slugs meant for Hitler in the Beer Hall Pustch of
1923. He survived the shooting and died in 1960. "What if he’d been
too slow?" mulled English. "The world would have been different."

The photo was picked up by a GI sometime after the war. On the back it
says, "Hitler’s dead. Don’t know where Graf is but I’m living in his
house. Not bad."

English is a well-known collector of World War II-era materials; his
collection has appeared in numerous books, magazines and exhibitions,
including the annual Holocaust exhibit at Clarksburg School and in the
recent WGBY documentary "From the Factories to the Front Lines: Our
Stories of World War II."

The WGBY documentary was made as a local aspect of Ken Burns’
seven-hour documentary "The War," premiering on PBS stations on Sunday
night.

English is hoping the Burns documentary will do for World War II what
his "Civil War" did for that era – spark a renewed interest in an
important period of American history. And he’s hoping that interest
will be a catalyst in helping found a museum for the thousands of
posters, pictures, uniforms, badges, letters, weapons, etc., in his
possession.

"People ask me all the time what I have in my collection," he said. "I
tell them, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me."

This picture of Ulrich Graf and Hitler was taken from Graf’s apartment
after the war.

English feels he’s a custodian of the historical artifacts in his
possession, and that they should be placed where others can see them
and where they can be used in research. It’s to keep alive the
experiences of those who lived through that era and to make sure they
are not forgotten by the next generation, he said.

Meanwhile, the photograph of Hitler at the war’s start will rest in
its Plexiglass holder, tucked away until a permanent place can be
found for it.

"It’s chilling when you realize what you’re looking at," said
English. "This is as close to pure evil as you’re going to get. These
guys all sat here and plotted this whole thing out. You don’t get much
more dramatic than that."

DASHNAKTSUTYUN IS EXTREME OPPOSITION

Lragir.am
20-09-2007 16:08:27

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun is the most extreme opposition, said Gurgen
Arsenyan, the leader of the United Labor Party, on September 20 at the
Pastark Club. He explained that now the Republican Party is the ruling
party in Armenia which has a liberal ideology. "It is necessary to
draw conclusions because a political force based on social, socialist
values must be open or hidden opposition to the political forces which
conduct a policy of liberal reforms," the ULP leader concluded.

Azeri Press Agency

Chingiz Huseynzada: Armenia is Russia’s outpost

[ 20 Sep 2007 14:40 ]

`Russian legionary-wrestler gained only medal for
Armenia team. It proves one more time that Armenia is
Russia’s outpost’, the NOC vice president Chingiz
Huseynzada was quoted as saying.
According to Huseynzada Armenia should thank Russia
for its successes in every field.
‘ Russia always helped the Armenian in everything.
Armenians occupied Garabagh with Russian’s support’.
Armenia team gained one medal in the world wrestling
championship in Baku. Russian legionary of Armenian
team Yuri Patrikiyev held 3rd place in 120 kg
competitions. /APA-Sport/

TREND
21.09.2007 13:42:41

Lawsuit May be Initiated against US Sound-Recording Company for
Misappropriation of Azerbaijani Song

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr A. Gasimova / A lawsuit may be made
against US’s EYE RECORDS sound-recording company for violation of a
copyright by a famous Azerbaijani composer.

On 15 September, Russian ORT TV channel broadcast the `Ice Age’
program where figure skaters Sasha Savelyeva and Alexander Sakhnovski
performed a dance under a musical illustration entitled `Armenian
Dance’ which in reality is a work of Azerbaijani composer Tofig
Guliyev called `Sana da Galmaz’.

This fact gives all juridical grounds to the Azerbaijan Republic’s
official bodies Tofig Guliyev to initiate a lawsuit against the
violators of the copyright – US’s EYE RECORDS company and the
producers of the disk, Ara Gevorkyan and Sarkis Berberyan, according
to the report of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia.

The report says the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, Polad
Bulbuloghlu, who is connected with the chief trainer of the TV
program, honoured master of sports, the Champion of Europe and the
World in Figure Skating, Alexander Zhulin. Azerbaijani Ambassador
voiced his bewilderment with regard to the incident. `Zhulin called
it an unfortunate misunderstanding and expressed his regret in
connection with the incident. He made it clear that the melody used
for the dance performance was suggested to him by his students. They
found the melody in an ANI disk produced in the United States in
1999,’ the report says.

The cover of the ANI disk contained the name of an Armenian composer,
conductor and performer Ara Gevorkyan. The disk contains 10 melodies,
the 5th of which is named ARTSAKH and that is the exact melody used
for the performance of the aforementioned dance, Zhulin said. The
cover of the disk depicts that the disk was produced in the United
States by EYE RECORDS company in 1999.

AMRATING AGENCY ENHANCED CREDIT RATING TO ARARATBANK FROM ‘B-‘ TO ‘B+’, OUTLOOK ‘STABLE’

ArmInfo
2007-09-17 21:47:00

The AmRating Rating Agency enhanced the credit rating to ARARATBANK
from ‘B-‘ to ‘B+’, "stable" outlook. As the bank’s press-service
reports, the rating is substantiated by high development rates, maximum
transparency, strong support by a financially independent owner,
the available political resources, positive development dynamics,
availability of a good potential for further development.

The factors which clampdown the rating are as follows: insufficient
diversification of liabilities, quick growth of the retail credit
portfolio, characterized by increased risks, high level of competition.

Enhancement of the bank’s rating is conditioned by growth of assets
under retention of capitalization at high level, development of the
retail business, improvement of the level of diversification of the
credit portfolio and liabilities, retention of positive assessments in
the bank’s corporate management. In May, 2007, the ARARATBANK issued
and successfully placed non-documentary corporate coupon bonds with
the emission volume of 250 mln drams which are actively quoted in the
Armenian Stock Exchange ArmEx. Due to the active work in the market
of government bonds, the bank was conferred the status of RA Finance
and Economy Ministry’s agent in June, 2007. In the tideway of the
credit policy extension, the bank standardized granting of autocredits
under its own steam. It also developed credit special programmes with
discounts for corporate clients, as well as new interrelated deposit
and card products.

Executive Director of AmRating Emmanuil Lazarian thinks that rating
enhancement by two points at once indicates the bank’s serious
steps towards improvement of its key indicators and increase of the
investment attractiveness by entry the market with a bonded debt and
decision on reorganization to an Open Joint Stock Company. In this
context, the AmRating’s Director says, the ARARATBANK’s cooperation
with rating agencies becomes one of the important components of
the business development. Chairman of the ARARATBANK’s Board of
Directors Ashot Osipyan thinks it is important to enhance the rating
since it increases the trust towards the bank not only by clients
and partners but the structures which cooperate with the bank. The
"stable" rating forecast is an evidence of further improvement of
the bank’s indicators, successful implementation of technologies,
extension of the spectrum of services and, as a result, the growing
reliance on our development policy, A.

Osipyan said. To note, the ARARATBANK is a small, private, developing
bank of Armenia, which is controlled by one of the biggest oil traders
of the country, the "Flesh" Company, by 100%. The main direction of
activity at present is service of big and middle corporate clients.

The bank also develops the retail business. The bank’s strategy
envisages its entry into the leading positions in Armenia in the sphere
of retail services and crediting of economy’s real sector. The bank
takes part in the international credit programmes. The bank possessed 4
branches as of the end of June, 2007, one of which, the Western Union,
is the only specialized branch in the country. Two capital and four
regional offices will be added to the acting branches in Yerevan and
Nagorno Karabakh till the end, 2007.

The AmRating is an independent Rating Agency of the Republic of Armenia
being part of the GlobalRating group, which also includes the RusRating
Agency (Russia) and KzRatingAgency (Kazakhstan). The AmRating Agency
launched its work in December, 2006. The Agency’s main services include
conferral of a rating to the banks and study of the banking sector.