Author: Ekmekjian Janet

IRANIAN PRESIDENT SUSPENDS VISIT TO ARMENIA

ITAR-TASS
Oct 23 2007
Russia

YEREVAN, October 22 (Itar-Tass) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
has suspended his visit to Armenia and leaves for home, ITAR-TASS
learnt at the press service of the Armenian president.

Unofficial sources name unforeseen circumstances emerged in Iran as
a reason for altering the visit programme.

In the morning, the Iranian head of state was to visit the memorial
to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and in the afternoon,
he was expected to address deputies of the Armenian parliament.

"Today’s program has been cancelled, and the Iranian president
is flying to Teheran," a representative of the presidential press
service said.

NON-MATERIAL CULTURAL HERITAGE NEEDS LEGISLATIVE PROTECTION IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Cultural globalization has called
forth the necessity to bring out problems of preservation of national
indentity, national culture, including keeping of non-material cultural
heritage, and to find a new solutions to them. Karine Khodikian, the
RA Deputy Minister of Culture, stated this at the October 23 third
international three-day conference under the title "Knowledge and
Symbol, Belief and Custom," dedicated to preservation of non-material
cultural values.

According to her, the whole non-material cultural heritage and system
of values need legislative and institutional protection today in
Armenia. At that, not only adoption of individual laws by the state,
but also bringing them in line with international standards regulating
the sphere is necessary.

Garnik Guyumjian, the Head of the State Programs, Cultural Cooperation,
Science and Education Unit of Cultural Policy Department of the RA
Ministry of Culture, said in his speech that the Ministry has already
worked out a bill On Non-material Cultural Heritage, which is at the
interested Ministries. The law’s adoption pursues a single purpose,
to regulate legal interrelations in the sphere, to specify state
governance bodies’ authorities, to establish the directions, in which
international cooperation should be carried out. G. Guyumjian said
that Armenia joined the International Convention On Preservation of
Non-material Values in 2005.

G. Guyumjian said that the bill will have a special provision on
preservation of non-material cultural heritage in the Diaspora.

Ethnographer Levon Abrahamian’s report on the subject "Indefinite
Limits of Non-material Culture" rendered clear the borderline between
material and non-material values. "Non-material culture is everything
surrounding us, which is not tangible. In my opinion, we should start
from what is lost or disappears from our life. For instance, a singer
sings, his ability to sing is a non-material, not tangible value:
the matter is how to preserve the ability to perform (a bad or good
song or performance are not important)," the ethnographer said giving
assurance that material values cannot be be created today unless we
have non-material values.

ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL ENTERPRISES TO BE REHABILITATED IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency
Oct 22 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, October 22. /ARKA/. The activity of chemical enterprises
will be rehabilitated in Armenia, said President of the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) Radik Martirosyan during the International
and chemical technologies.

According to Martirosyan, the prospects of rehabilitating chemical
production in Armenia will be discussed during the conference.

"The Armenian Government intends to conduct work on the rehabilitation
of chemical plants by their own efforts and by attraction of private
means. Of course, we will also participate in it: our elaborations
in the chemical sphere were always used in the Soviet Union,"
Martirosyan said.

He pointed out that the chemical production has a very important role
in the development of the Armenian economy.

"During the conference we will discuss the last achievement of science
and technology in the sphere of organic chemistry, as well as the ways
and methods of using scientific elaborations in the production. At
present there are some difficulties, as the economy is doing the
first steps," he said.

He pointed out that the conference has a great significance not
only in the development of the Armenian science and production, but
also the development of the international cooperation in the sphere
of chemistry.

The international scientific and technical conference dedicated to the
50th anniversary of the Institute of General and Non-organic chemistry
after M. Manvelya, NAS will be held in Armenia on October 22-25.

Specialists from Russia and Georgia will participate in the
conference.

A FOREIGN-POLICY TURKEY IF EVER THERE WAS ONE
By Cal Thomas, [email protected]

Sauk Valley Newspapers, IL
pinion/columnists/337618732355982.txt
Oct 21 2007

Democrats playing a dangerous game with genocide vote

Just as it appears the United States may have turned an important
corner in Iraq with the reported disabling of al-Qaida, Turkey is
threatening to invade northern Iraq in an attempt to stop attacks by
Kurdish rebels on Turkish territory.

House Democrats added fuel to the combustible situation when the
House Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 10 passed a resolution that
recognizes as genocide the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman
Empire during World War I. The resolution is opposed by the Bush
administration, not necessarily because it disagrees that genocide
occurred nearly a century ago, but because such a resolution will
inflame passions at a time when there are passions enough in the
neighborhood.

Democrats, who control Congress, are playing a dangerous game that
might severely damage America’s foreign policy, further diminish
President Bush, hand over a weakened presidency to his successor and
put more of our troops in jeopardy.

That reality apparently began to reach the Democratic congressional
leadership by midweek, as supporters of the resolution began a retreat
and senior Democrats urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to drop her
support for the measure.

Since Saddam Hussein was toppled from power, Turkey has been
threatening to invade northern Iraq to settle old scores. Turkey has
the provocation it believes it needs in the killing of 30 Turkish
soldiers and civilians by members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(known as the PKK) in just the last two weeks.

Writing in the publication Insight, Gallia Lindenstrauss notes,
"(Turkish) President Abdullah Gul accused American politicians of
sacrificing big issues for petty games of domestic politics."

That sounds about right.

Are Democrats so cynical that they would stir an already boiling pot
in hopes that it would negate whatever success America finally may be
having in quelling terrorist acts in Iraq? One would hope that is not
the case, but given their leadership’s rhetoric about the war already
being lost and their refusal to acknowledge even the slightest progress
in Iraq as positive lest it reflect well on the Bush administration,
cynicism about their cynical actions might be justified.

If Turkey will not be dissuaded from entering Iraq to root out the
rebels, the Bush administration might consider helping the Turks do
the job quickly and as painlessly as possible so they might hastily
return to their side of the border. If the Kurds wish to continue
with their prosperous and more peaceful lifestyles, they will help
locate and expunge the rebels among them.

The last thing the region needs is to inflame Islamic fundamentalists,
who, despite tensions that have long threatened to topple Ankara’s
secular government, have so far managed to peacefully coexist with
moderate Muslims, as well as secularists.

A senior commander of the rebel group, Duran Kalkan, was quoted in
an Associated Press story as saying the Turkish military will suffer
a serious blow if it launches a cross-border offensive and would be
"bogged down in a quagmire." Another quagmire is precisely what is
not needed in Iraq. Oil prices, which have increased in recent days in
anticipation of Turkish military action, would go even higher should
another front be opened in Iraq.

There should be no rush to condemn a genocide that took place more
than nine decades ago (and the very word "genocide" is in dispute
as a description of what happened). Politically, it might play well
for Democrats, but it could backfire and have severe repercussions
for American foreign policy, American forces in Iraq (supply lines
could be disrupted) and American interests in Iraq and throughout the
region for years to come. The next president cannot possibly enjoy
long-term benefits from such shortsightedness by House Democrats.

Whatever immediate political gain Democrats might hope to extract
from this misguided and ill-timed resolution will be overcome by the
long-term pain it generates. Apparently, there are limits beyond which
even Democrats are not willing to go in their pursuit of political
gain. There are some issues that ought to transcend partisanship and
this is one of them.

IRANIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT WEEK

Agence France Presse — English
October 20, 2007 Saturday 3:08 PM GMT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make an official visit
to neighbouring Armenia on October 22 and 23 for talks with his
counterpart Robert Kocharian, the official news agency said Saturday.

The two men are expected to sign a series of bilateral agreements
Monday, and Ahmadinejad will also meet the head of the national
assembly, Tigran Torossian, and students and professors at Yerevan
University.

The Iranian leader is expected to visit a memorial to victims of the
Ottoman massacres of Armenians between 1915 and 1917, as well as the
Blue Mosque in Yerevan, and meet members of the Iranian community here.

Landlocked Armenia has sought closer links with Iran because of an
economic blockade imposed by neighbours Azerbaijan and Turkey over
the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region, as well as Armenia’s efforts
to gain international recognition of the Ottoman massacres as genocide.

In March, Kocharian and Ahmedinejad inaugurated a 150-kilometre
(93-mile) pipeline that will deliver 36 billion cubic metres (1.27
trillion cubic feet) of gas from Iran to Armenia over 20 years.

H.RES.106: MOURNING WREATH LAID TO U.S. EMBASSY IN BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.10.2007 13:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The world congress of Azeris and Azeri-Turk women’s
organization signed a "statement of protest" over adoption of the
Armenian Genocide resolution, H.Res.106, by the U.S. House Foreign
Affairs Committee.

The statement says "the decision will damage not only
Turkey-U.S. relations but also Azerbaijan-U.S. relations.

The WCA claimed that discussion of the "unjust" resolution in the
United States, the advocate of human rights, "conflicts with all
international conventions."

The protestors laid a mourning wreath to the U.S. Embassy in Baku,
ANS TV reports.

IT SNOWED

A1+
[01:08 pm] 18 October, 2007

Salut, Vardabyur, Bashgyugh, Sarqar, Sarapat, Kakavasary, Dzorashen,
Mets Sepasar, Pokr Sepasar, Ghazanchi, Tavshut, Sizavet, Lernagyugh,
Toros Gyugh and Arpi villages in the region of Shirak were deprived
of electricity in the result of wild wind and heavy snowfall early
in the morning on 17 October.

At about 14.20 12 villages were provided with electricity,
but Lernagyugh, Toros Gyugh and Arpi villages are still without
electricity, the repair of electric lines is still carried out.

ARPA INSTITUTE
18106 Miranda St., Tarzana CA 91356 . PHONE/FAX (818) 881-0010
24 B, Baghramian, Mech. Inst. Bldg. of ASc,3ed Flr, Yerevan, Armenia.
Tel: (374 2)545538 (39), Fax:151167
&
Armenian Engineers & Scientists of America
417 W. Arden Ave., Suite 112C, Glendale, CA 91203

Present: Lecture/Seminar

"Adoption of the European Educational System & the Reforms in the
Schools of Armenia"

by: Professor Vosdanik Maroukhyan

Thursday, November 1, 2007 @ 7:30PM

Merdinian Auditorium: 13330 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks
Directions: On 101 FY East Exit on Woodman, Go North and Turn Right on
Riverside Dr.

Abstract: This (Armenian language) lecture will discuss the reforms
that followed the adoption of the European educational system in
Armenia, both for the Institutions of higher education and the
elementary, middle and secondary schools. The implementation of new
programs as well as the development and the reforms in the curricula of
the school system in Armenia will be discussed. In addition the
implementation of educational reforms and new subjects introduced in the
school system will be presented.

Vosdanik Maroukhyan is the rector (President) of the State Engineering
University of Armenia (SEUA, formerly the Polytechnic Institute). He has
previously served as professor of environmental engineering, pro-rector,
department chairman and in many leadership roles. He is the author of
over 95 articles, chapters in books, and conference proceedings. He has
won numerous awards for his outstanding academic achievements and
leadership. He has served, and continues to serve as the chairman of the
Ecology Department of the SEUA and has authored numerous articles and
books on the environment and ecology.

For more Information Please call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)586-9660

.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

The Wall Street Journal
How Turkey Could Undermine Iraq
By NICK TIMIRAOS
October 20, 2007; Page A9

Turkey’s parliament voted overwhelmingly this past week to allow its
army to cross the Iraqi border to fight Kurdish rebels, a move that
President Bush warned against because it would threaten the stability
of one of Iraq’s few relatively peaceful regions.

The vote comes in response to attacks by Kurdish rebels that killed at
least two dozen Turkish civilians and soldiers two weeks ago, the
deadliest such attacks in 12 years. The prospect of a cross-border
Turkish campaign helped drive oil prices to an intraday high of $90 a
barrel.

"I think a full-scale invasion is unlikely, precisely because the
consequences would be so severe, for the U.S., for Turkey, for Iraqi
Kurdistan."

–Amb. Peter W. Galbraith, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
– Chart: Balancing Act
– Review & Outlook: The Turkish Front

Meanwhile, Congress’s consideration of a resolution that would label
the killings of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during
World War I as "genocide" has infuriated Turkey, the successor to the
Ottoman Empire. Ankara recalled its ambassador from Washington two
weeks ago when a House committee passed the resolution and has
threatened to limit access to a critical air base in southern Turkey,
jeopardizing supply lines for U.S. troops in Iraq.

Here’s a closer look:

Why would Turkey want to send troops into Iraq? Turkey has amassed
60,000 troops on its border to stop the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK,
which launched the deadly attacks inside Turkey two weeks ago. The
PKK, a Marxist insurgent group designated a terrorist organization by
the U.S., was founded in the 1970s to fight for an independent state
that includes Kurds in both Turkey and Iraq. Attacks against Turkey
diminished eight years ago when the group’s leader was captured but
have flared up in recent years. The northern portion of Iraq is
governed by Kurds and is relatively autonomous.

Why hasn’t the U.S. dealt with the PKK? U.S. troops are tied down in
Iraq and the Kurdish part of Iraq remains relatively stable. The
terrain in Northern Iraq and porous borders with Turkey and Iran
create huge obstacles for any military campaign. In addition, some in
Washington still bear animosity toward Turkey for denying the U.S.
permission to launch its initial invasion of Iraq through Turkey in
2003.

How likely is a Turkish invasion? Recent violence has increased public
pressure on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to launch a
major operation, but the prime minister remains reluctant to invade,
experts say. Mr. Erdogan was quick to state this past week that the
resolution didn’t mean a cross-border operation was imminent. Many
Turks blame the U.S. for increasing border violence because the U.S.
has prevented Turkish troops from entering Iraq to stamp out civil
unrest. Iraq responded to Turkey’s resolution by calling on the PKK to
leave Iraq and said it would consider allowing limited air strikes
within its borders.

How would an invasion complicate the Iraq war? The U.S. doesn’t want a
war between two of its allies in one of the few stable parts of Iraq.
Also, if the U.S. allows Turkey to cross the border into Iraq, it sets
a precedent that could lead Iran to take similar steps to quell
violence on its border with Iraq. The prospect of war has rattled oil
markets because Iraq ships some of its oil through a pipeline to the
Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean Sea. The oil pipeline that
runs from Kirkuk, Iraq, to Ceyhan has averaged an output of 500,000
barrels a day, about 0.6% of daily global demand.

What effect could the Armenian genocide resolution have? Turkey has
threatened to restrict access to the Incirlik Air Base, which has
become a primary resupply area for the Iraq war. Critics say the
resolution risks emboldening Turkish nationalists who already oppose
Ankara’s cooperation with Washington. A Pew Research Center poll found
that 9% of Turks view the U.S. favorably, compared with 83% who view
the U.S. unfavorably.

The Pentagon has prepared alternate supply routes through Jordan and
Kuwait in case the U.S. loses access to bases in Turkey. Nearly 70% of
all air cargo, including 95% of all roadside bomb-proof armored
vehicles, goes into Iraq via Turkey. In addition, one third of all
fuel goes through or comes from Turkey.

Will the resolution pass? Probably not. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was
forced to backtrack from a pledge to bring the measure for a vote.
Support for the symbolic resolution dropped as the Bush administration
and others warned that angering Turkey would hamper efforts in Iraq.
The resolution has 215 co-sponsors, three short of the majority needed
to pass in the House of Representatives, and down from the 236
co-sponsors it had earlier this year.

Why is Congress considering it? Armenian-Americans have long pushed
for Congress to recognize the killings of Armenians during World War I
as genocide. The subject remains taboo in Turkey, where referring to
the killings as genocide carries a criminal charge of "insulting
Turkishness." Turkey’s official position is that the deaths weren’t
genocide but rather the result of civil war and unrest.
* * *

Facts
– Kurds make up 20% of Turkey’s 71 million citizens.

– With a population estimated between 1.5 million and two million,
Armenian-Americans outnumber Turkish-Americans by a 3-to-1 margin.

– Armenian influence is most pronounced in Glendale, Calif., a Los
Angeles suburb of 200,000 that is 40% Armenian.

– President Reagan was the only U.S. president to publicly refer to
the killings of Armenians as genocide.

– A trial against Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel Prize-winning Turkish novelist,
for referring to the deaths of Armenians as genocide was halted last
year after drawing negative publicity for Turkey.

– The 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which created Iraq, Syria and Kuwait,
included the possibility of a Kurdish state. Turkey, Iran and Iraq
agreed not to recognize an independent Kurdish state after Kemal
Ataturk overthrew the Turkish monarchy and rejected the treaty in
1923.

– France, Germany and Canada are among nearly a dozen countries that
have passed laws recognizing the Armenian genocide.

STARTING FROM NEXT YEAR NAIRIT TO USE BUTADIENE TECHNOLOGY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 16, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting from 2008, Nairit Plant will
use the butadiene technology because it is not profitable to produce
rubber by using the acetylene method in case of an increase in the
price of natural gas, the acting chairman of Nairit’s board Grigor
Stepanian told reporters on October 16. In his words, everything is
being done now in order to restore the usual operation rhythm of the
plant. It is envisaged to produce 10 thousand tons of rubber a year
and export it to Western Europe, the US, Russia.

According to G. Stepanian, the company fulfils its agreement
obligations.

Particularly, Nairit has paid off all its debts, including salary
arrears.

He denied the recent rumor that the plan’s owner – Sawex company
(Poland) intends to surrender its shares.