Author: Ekmekjian Janet

Dashnaktsutyun proposed, the others are thinking

06-05-2008 12:58:18 – KarabakhOpen

According to the Aparazh Newspaper, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun-Movement 88
faction of the NKR parliament proposed holding parliamentary hearings
on the problem of Karabakh in the upcoming months. It is also proposed
to invite the representatives of the foreign ministries of Armenia and
NKR, the political parties of NKR, as well as political experts.

`On the basis of the results of the hearings the National Assembly of
NKR should pass a resolution on the settlement of the Karabakh issue,
as well as to recommend the National Assembly of Armenia to finally
define the relations between NKR and Armenia,’ holds the proposal.

The reporter of the newspaper asked the head of the Democracy faction
and the chair of the NKR National Assembly Committee of Foreign
Relations Vahram Atanesyan to comment on the proposal.

`The factions Democracy and Hayrenik need to discuss the proposal of
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun-Movement 88 faction, and if a uniform opinion is
shaped, the hearings should be held in May, we will hold them in May,’
Vahram Atanesyan said.

With regard to the current situation, the member of parliament said it
is necessary to take into account the passage of the UN GA resolution
`on the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’, as well
as the so-called Madrid principles of settlement.

`In Karabakh nobody has officially agreed to settlement of the issue
through the principles of Madrid, since those principles involve
elimination of the consequences of the military phase of the conflict
rather than resolution of the problem of status of Karabakh which is
the axis of the conflict,’ Vahram Atanesyan said.

`Now Azerbaijan is using every means to reject the principles of
Madrid. Namely, the one which involves holding a plebiscite on the
status of Karabakh. Step by step the stance of Azerbaijan is becoming
tougher. It wants to have more and more countries and organizations to
state about the necessity to solve the problem in the framework of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. In this situation, it is pointless
to talk about negotiations,’ the member of parliament underlined,
relating this to the pre-election period in the neighboring state.

`I think the parliament of NKR should present a definitive stance on
the settlement no earlier than the end of 2008 when the election
process will have ended in Azerbaijan. I think for the time being it is
logical to hold hearings once again, maybe on the level of an extended
meeting of the Committee of Foreign Relations but not parliamentary
hearings because it is the highest level of expression of the official
stance,’ said the member of parliament.

AVET ADONTS: THE ISSUE OF NKR RECOGNITION SHOULD BE APPROACHED FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE

armradio.am
02.05.2008 13:15

"The issue of recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic should
be approached from a broader perspective, and not by taking separate
steps on the parliamentary level," Chairman of the National Assembly’s
Standing Committee on European Integration Avet Adonts said in an
interview with Mediamax, commenting on the refusal to include the draft
law on "Recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic" in the NA agenda.

"The Karabakh issue is a national priority, which touches upon the
directions of foreign policy, national and regional security, the
European integration," the Chairman of the Committee noted.

"The issue of recognition of Nagorno Karabakh should be approached
more broadly, and not by taking separate steps on the parliamentary
level," Avet Adonts said, suggesting to hold joint consultations,
featuring the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
the NKR authorities.

According to the MP, the recognition of NKR by Armenia directly
depends on the negotiation process and the results of the dialogue
between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

At the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on European
Integration Avet Adonts introduced the draft resolution on "Regional
Cooperation." Avet Adonts said 40 parliamentarians from 20 countries
joined the document as co-authors. The draft resolution was not
supported by representatives of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

In the draft resolution the member state of the Council of Europe and
the CoE Committee of Ministers is proposed to discuss and elaborate
new methods of regional cooperation.

"Regional cooperation is important from the perspectives of security,
settlement of existing conflicts, raising the level of trust," Avet
Adonts declared.

A number of regional programs are being implemented in the South
Caucasus, which, unfortunately, do not correspond to the accepted
norms of regional cooperation because of Azerbaijan’s position, which
does not wish to participate in any joint project with participation
of the Armenian side," Avet Adonts said.

NKR REPRESENTATION TO ARMENIA WORKS BADLY

KarabakhOpen
01-05-2008 10:35:38

Today the chair of the NKR National Assembly Committee of Foreign
Affairs Vahram Atanesyan criticized the activities of the NKR
representation to Armenia. He voiced concern that the representation
has as many workers as the NKR foreign ministry and in 2007 about
79.5 million drams was provided for sustaining the representation but
the result of activities of the representation is not seen. Vahram
Atanesyan thinks it is a waste of money, because what the NKR
representation is now doing could be done by a smaller staff.

The member of parliament said the staffs of the other representations
of NKR to four countries are small but their activities are
tangible. In answer to the question of Vahram Atanesyan what the
representation of Armenia is doing in Armenia, the deputy foreign
minister Edward Atanesyan said when the NKR foreign minister was
Arman Melikyan, his residence was in Yerevan, and the efforts were
concentrated there. According to the deputy minister, currently the
representation performs political and consular functions. Besides
meetings and news conferences the representation also receives
documents on humanitarian programs for Karabakh, etc.

Of the 79.5 million drams allocated for the representation in 2007 87
percent was spent. And of the 218 million 512 thousand drams foreseen
for the NKR ministry of foreign affairs (including the other four
representations) 80.5 percent was spent. The minister of finance said
the money was saved from salary, business trips and telephone bills.

KERKORIAN ‘FASCINATED WITH MAKING DEALS’
By John Gallagher

Detroit Free Press, MI
April 28 2008

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Kirk Kerkorian’s latest bid for a hefty stake in an American automaker
has some people asking why the 90-year-old Las Vegas dealmaker cares
so much about Detroit metal.

Since the reclusive billionaire rarely does interviews, his biography
will have to provide any clues.

That personal history shows strong evidence that, once intrigued by
an idea, Kerkorian pursues it relentlessly.

Whatever he fancies, Kerkorian certainly has the money to go for
it. Forbes Magazines estimates Kerkorian’s fortune at $18 billion,
making him the seventh-wealthiest American.

The son of Armenian immigrants who ran a produce business in Fresno,
Calif., Kerkorian quit school as a teenager to go to work. He spent
a year in the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, served
as a military pilot during World War II, and after the war ran a
small air-charter service to ferry gamblers between Los Angeles and
Las Vegas.

Kerkorian paid $60,000 for the charter service in 1947, when he was
30. In 1968, he sold it to Trans-america Corp. for a little over $100
million. It was his first fortune, and a banker friend, Walter Sharp,
said much later the transaction transformed Kerkorian.

"Kirk realized then that everything was in the timing," Sharp said
in 1995. "He became fascinated with the idea of making deals."

And deals there were. For a man so intensely private, he showed a
remarkable taste for splashy investments, mostly in Las Vegas. With
the proceeds of his airline sale, he acquired the Flamingo hotel there
in 1967. It was just the first of several casino-hotels Kerkorian
would buy, sell or build in the decades since.

Movies also have held a lure. Kerkorian bought the MGM film studio
three times between 1970 and 1996, once selling it to mogul Ted Turner
and buying it back again in a matter of months.

It was a chance encounter with Lee Iacocca that sparked Kerkorian’s
interest in Detroit. Meeting the then-automotive executive at a
Florida racetrack, Kerkorian agreed in 1990 to invest in Chrysler,
whose finances were shaky again because of slumping sales.

What followed was a tumultuous relationship with Chrysler that ended
in a nasty lawsuit. Years later, he made a run at General Motors that
ended in disappointment.

MILITARY POLICE CHIEF SAYS ARMENIANS MUST BE UNITED

ARMENPRESS
April 24, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS: "What happened in 1915 should become a
reason for us to make conclusions ," chief of the Armenian military
police, Vladimir Gasparian, told journalists today after paying
tribute to the Armenian genocide victims.

According to him, ‘the Armenian people must be united so that to be
able to resist its enemies and prevent what happened 93 years ago
from happening again,’ he said.

GRAND ORIENT DE FRANCE CALLS FOR RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.04.2008 18:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Representatives of Grand Orient de France arrived
in Armenia to attend events in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

"We condemn indifference and silence over the Genocide. People must
understand that committing a crime against others, they commit a
crime against themselves. We want people to know about the Genocide
and condemn the crime committed 93 years ago," said A.

Abbe.

The Lodge members said they cooperate with their counterparts in Turkey
and although no progress has been fixed in so far, their struggle is
not over.

The Grand Orient de France is an organization which is motivated by
two great principles which are apparently contradictory: the respect
for a tradition inherited from the founders of freemasonry and the
search for progress for the improvement of Men and Society.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF LAS VEGAS GIVES MEMORIAL PLAQUE TO CONGRESSWOMAN SHELLEY BERKLEY FOR HER EFFORTS IN DIRECTION OF RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
April 24, 2008

LAS VEGAS, APRIL 24, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. During the April 20
event dedicated to the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the
Armenian community of Las Vegas gave a memorial plaque to Congresswoman
Shelley Berkley for her tireless efforts aimed at recognizing in
Congress the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Receiving the memorial plaque,
Congresswoman Berkley said: "Being a Jew it is a shame to deny the
genocide of another nation, that is why I cannot deny what happened to
Armenians and will continue assisting the recognition of the Genocide."

NEW GOVERNMENT TO MAKE STEPS FOR THE GOODS IMPORTED TO ARMENIA NOT TO BE DECLARED BY CUT PRICES

arminfo
2008-04-23 14:48:00

ArmInfo. The new government will make certain steps for the goods
imported to Armenia not to be declared by cut prices, Chairman of State
Commission on Economic Competition Protection Ashot Shakhnazaryan
said today when replying to the question why flour price continues
growing whereas the imported wheat price still remains low.

‘Actually cheap wheat and the wheat registered as cheap is not the
same. We need coordinated actions of the government and State Customs
Committee to resolve the problem’, – Shakhnazaryan said and added that
it very much possible that putting the imported prices in order may
lead to raising in price of food products. ‘But in this case price
growing will at least under ontrol’, Shaknazaryan said.

MINISTER NALBANDIAN MEETS WITH UNESCO SECRETARY GENERAL

armradio.am
23.04.2008 12:38

During his visit to France RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met
with the Director General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura. Mr. Matsuura
congratulated Edward Nalbandian on assuming office and expressed
hope that the close contacts and cooperation established in the past
will continue.

Issues connected with concrete actions in the fields of education,
culture and information and telecommunication within the framework of
the document on national programming of cooperation between Armenia
and UNESCO in 2008-2009 were discussed during the meeting.

Once again Edward Nalbandian drew the attention of the UNESCO
Secretary General to the necessity of the organization’s mediation
and support in protecting the Armenian historical and cultural
monuments outside Armenia’s borders, expressing deep concern over
the intentional destruction of Armenian khachkars in Nakhijevan,
and urging to undertake measures to denounce the cultural genocide
against the Armenian monuments in Jugha.

At the end of the meeting the Secretary General of UNESCO asked Edward
Nalbandian to convey his congratulations and wishes of success to
RA president.

–Boundary_(ID_ZMhYAavM4P75eiaM7Ixrhw) —

SARALANJI MOTORWAY OF YEREVAN TO BE READY IN AUGUST

ARKA
April 22, 2008

YEREVAN, April 22. /ARKA/. The construction of the Saralanji motorway
in Yerevan, an AMD 6bln-worth ($19.3mln) project, will be completed
in the middle of this August, Edward Bezoyan, Director of office in
charge of implementation of Lincy-funded road construction programs,
told reporters.

$20.9mln will be spent on improvement of three main motorways in
Yerevan – Tigran Mets Avenue, Komitas Avenues and Saralanji motorway.

"Renovation of Tigran Mets Avenue was completed in November 2007, the
improvement of Komitas Avenue will be completed in July and "Saralanji"
motorway bypassing the capital’s centre connecting Avetisyan and
Heratsi streets will be put into operation in August," Bezoyan said.

Two of the three large transport hubs of "Saralanji" motorway are
ready. Construction is underway on the third hub connecting the
motorway to Mashtots Avenue and Heratsi Street where the tunnel
is located.

AMD 200mln (close to $600,000) were spent on the construction of the
first hub which will ensure an interrupted traffic between Liberty
Avenue, Abovyan Park and Teryan Street. The motorway will further
stretch to Yerevan Railway Station, thus the new motorway will relieve
the traffic in Tigran Mets Avenue allowing a connection of Khanjyan,
Tumanyan, Nalbandyana and Koryun streets to Komitas Avenue.

"Saralanji" motorway is a complex transport network aimed at relieving
the traffic in the centre of Yerevan. The total cost of the project
is $15mln. The project is financed by the Lincy Foundation.

The 2.5-kilometer-long motorway consists of a number of transport hubs
(four crossings, an overpass, a bridge and a tunnel).

The Lincy Foundation is financed by Armenian-American billionaire
Kirk Kerkorian. The first Lincy Foundation program implemented in
Armenia in 2001-2003 totalled $150mln.

A $60mln-worth second program is underway comprising three $20mln-worth
projects – road construction, improvement of Yerevan streets and
schools.