Author: Emil Lazarian

Vartan Oskanian’s Speech at the Independence Celebration in Washington
ASBAREZ, 10/28/2006
More than 500 Armenian political party leaders, community organization
representatives, religious leaders, dignitaries and government
officials, among them Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
attended a banquet organized by the Armenian Embassy on Oct. 21
marking the 15th anniversary of Armenia’s independence the Omni
Shoreham Hotel. Among the speakers at the event were Foreign Minister
Oskanian and the chairman of the Armenian National Committee of
America, Ken Hachigian. This week we present the text of the two
speeches.
I am pleased, honored, and still a little awed by the fact that I can
stand before you, as foreign minister, at the official celebration of
15 years of Armenia’s independence. The fact that we are celebrating
in this important capital, with the representatives of a strong,
active, prosperous, proud and engaged Diaspora, in the presence of
several of Armenia’s ambassadors, is still the stuff of dreams.
It has been 15 years since our independence. This came at the end of a
difficult century and an even more difficult millennium. Armenians
take great pride in their millennia of history. The leitmotifs that
run through our recollections of our past are fraught with a search
for silver linings.
We have outlived the empires of the Babylonians and Assyrians, the
Hittites and Medes, the Byzantines, the Mongols and the Ottomans. We
shared the gods of the Greeks and the Romans, until St. Gregory
illuminated the path to Christianity. We translated the Bible not just
into Armenian, but also into Chinese. We recorded the history of
Armenians and of Western civilization in beautifully illuminated
manuscripts. We welcomed the Crusaders to our Kingdom in Cilicia, and
accompanied European traders to the exotic East. Instead of
fortifications, we built monasteries and centers of learning which
have withstood invaders and earthquakes.
In the 18th century, when first the American colonies, and later the
people of France were upholding liberty, equality and fraternity, our
students and merchants in Europe, were watching and learning. They
knew that they had rights and liberties as subjects of three different
empires, and used the formulations and vocabulary of the leaders of
the Western enlightenment to articulate them. It wasn’t that they
wanted to overthrow those governments which abused or usurped their
rights, but to reform them. It didn’t work.
The Sublime Porte, which ruled over the majority of Armenians, made
its Armenian minority the scapegoat for its own inability to
govern. The Genocide followed. The remnants of the Armenian people who
emerged following the Genocide had independence hoisted upon them in
1918. A population of refugees, insufficient resources with which to
govern and protect, an elite that did not live in Armenia, and an army
composed of well-meaning patriots-that was Armenia’s first modern
attempt at independence. It was a valiant effort to first wrestle with
the social and existential dangers from within, and later to fight
against the direct physical threats from without. The First Republic
of Armenia survived independently long enough that, when it fell, it
fell as a legitimate, independent, political entity. That entity was
subsumed into the Soviet Union as the Armenian Soviet Socialist
Republic.
That was the journey that brought us to today and to the improbability
of our independence-the improbability that this surviving nation would
witness the fall of yet another empire-this time Lenin’s. And that the
homeland would be born again, free and independent.
In Armenia, and in the Diaspora, too, where you are still overwhelmed
at the improbability of Armenia’s independence, you sometimes suffer
from the reverse: because we’ve never really had independence, we
sometimes believethat we don’t deserve to have it or that it will
necessarily be taken away again. I want to tell you that Armenians are
not only worthy of independence, we are also capable of independence,
aware of the demands of independence, responsive to the expectations
of independence and accepting of the burdens of independence.
But we were ready. Armenia’s Democratic Movement, the Environmental
Movement, the Karabakh Movement were not just the product of a changed
Soviet Union, but they also accelerated the transformation of the
USSR.
Independence is borne of high ideals. We believed that freedom is the
secret to a prosperous nation, a healthy nation, a fair and just
nation, and a stable future. We believed that freedom isn’t just the
right to do what you want, it’s the opportunity to do what you want,
it’s the opportunity to make choices, the right choices.
We made the basic choice ”we chose the way of a liberal society”open
markets and democratic institutions. That was the first choice.
And today, as we celebrate independence, we are celebrating that
choice. We are celebrating in Washington, the capital of the country
that proved thata liberal economy in a democratic republic is a
winning combination. Americans are the people who set out to design a
political system that is built around the individual, his liberties
and capacities.
In other words, the American Declaration of Independence is about
rights. It is a testament to the rights of individuals, of peoples, of
society. But no man was ever endowed with a right without being at the
same time saddled with a responsibility.
We are privileged to be the generation that is consolidating
independence. We do have wide and generous opportunities to turn a
dream into a country,a stable country with a promising future.
And to that end, I want to propose a declaration of
responsibilities. Our responsibilities. This generation’s
responsibilities. The responsibilitiesof Armenia and Diaspora, of all
those who call themselves Armenian.
* We have a responsibility to empower our people to confidently
participate in building their democracy.
* We have a responsibility to create an even playing field for every
Armenian citizen.
* We have the responsibility to continue on the diffcult but necessary
path of political and economic reforms.
* We have a responsibility not to take Armenia for granted, but to
work to create an Armenia that makes real the promises of democracy
and freedom.
* We have a responsibility to remember our past, without being bound
by it, because the future is ours.
* We have a responsibility to reach a just and lasting resolution of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict based on mutual compromise.
8 We have a responsibility to make the Diaspora an extension of the
homeland- not a permanent dislocation, not a destructive dispersion.
* We have a responsibility to welcome and embrace every Diasporan who
calls himself or herself an Armenian.
* We have a responsibility to rally every bit of our
resources-individual and collective, private and public.
* We have a responsibility to stand united, to work united, to go
forward united in the face of new challenges, we can win together, and
not lose separately.
These responsibilities come with independence, with freedom, with
liberty. Demanding freedom means recognizing the responsibility to
ourselves, for ourselves. Freedom is also the right to make mistakes,
to learn from those mistakes. It remains for those who have greater
experience in freedom to be patient as we sort out the options and
freely choose the one that is right for us.
We believed that independence may be bestowed, but freedom must be
achieved. Independence meant rights. Liberty means responsibility.
Thank you
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

World Screen News, NY
Oct 26 2006
Globo Hails Successful MIPCOM
RIO DE JANEIRO, October 26: Globo TV International has announced the
highlights of its MIPCOM stint, including a slate of new deals as
well as securing an International Emmy nod in the dramatic series
category for its telenovela Little Missy.
The first novela ever nominated in this International Emmy category,
the show recently wrapped its Brazilian run with a 60 percent
audience share.
On the sales end, Soico TV in Mozambique, which has already broadcast
more than 30 Globo TV International productions, has signed up for
Belíssima and the JK mini-series.
Romania’s Acasa TV renewed an agreement to broadcast more than 350
hours of Globo telenovelas in 2007. The selected titles include
Belíssima and America.
Armenia TV, currently broadcasting two telenovelas – Taste of Passion
and America – has signed an agreement to air Belíssima and Soul Mate,
plus the historical miniseries Mad Maria and JK. Belíssima was also
sold to Imedi Television in Georgia.
Finally, City of Men was purchased by Fox Italy and Swiss TV. The
acclaimed series has been licensed into some 50 markets, including
the U.S., with Sundance, the U.K., with BBC Four, and France, with
France 5.

San Mateo Daily Journal, CA
Oct 26 2006
Anna Eshoo has come a long way in Congress
By Keith Kreitman

There is no question U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Atherton, 63, is a
people person. I still recall the first time I interviewed her six
years ago. That interview is still relevant to this day.
After speaking at a legislative luncheon, she started in my direction
but was cut off again and again by friends, fans and well wishers.
There were hugs and short intense verbal exchanges and then, another
move in my direction, only to be interrupted again by hugs and more
intense verbal exchanges.
Meanwhile I was leaning against a post contemplating my `lead’ for
the story.
Should it be, `Another lady disproves the myth that women cannot be
hard-nosed, effective legislators?’
Or, should it be, `The lady has guts,’ for her vote in favor of the
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) despite the opposition of
some of her most ardent constituent supporters?
This reflects the dichotomy legislators must face when they are sent
to represent a local district and are asked to vote on issues of
broader national scope.
Some quiver, quake and vote only their own local interests.
Others rise above that and vote their consciences for what they
perceive to be the greater national good. These are the ones who make
history and leave their mark on the national consciousness.
Finally, she reached me and we headed for a stairway and away from
this madding crowd.
No luck! Another fan was mounting the stairs. Another hug and another
short intense exchange and finally we were able to make it across the
lobby to some soft chairs in a secluded corner of an adjoining room.
Our staff photographer, was circling about us with his cameras like a
stalking panther.
`Matt!’ I growled. `Take her photo from any angle. There’s no way
that you could ever make this lady look bad.’
Another friend walked across the room. Another intense exchange. Does
she know and make contact with everyone in the world?
Finally, she leaned forward to speak. Intense. Passionate. Infused
with the juices of life. To me, it was deja vu, like the old days in
ethnic Chicago where people freely communicated their emotions as
well as their intellect. Like the others before me that morning, to
Anna Eshoo, at this moment, I was the only other person in the world.
Facts: Born in New Britain, Conn. Armenian-Assyrian. (Looks with
disdain upon those who change their names to disguise origin for
career purposes.) Father: jeweler and watchmaker. Mother: housewife.
Speaks lovingly about her greatest accomplishments, her teacher
daughter and then college student son who, after serving in the Peace
Corps, is now a humanitarian and economic aide in Laos.
Came to California in 1962. Served for 10 years on the San Mateo
County Board of Supervisors before winning a seat in Congress in
1993. Sixty-three years old.
She speaks passionately about her commitment to her constituents,
expanded health care, environmental protection, abuse-protection for
women and children and other humane areas of legislation.
Then, I framed the next question as delicately and sensitively as
possible: `How in the hell did you, the first Democrat in decades and
the first woman ever, become elected with a 20 percent majority in
such a heavily Republican district?’
She sat back shyly and modestly presents me with a practiced litany
about how she had learned to be a loser in her first run in 1988 and
how her 1,200 volunteers had put her over the top and …
I broke in: `Baloney! C’est toi! C’est toi! It’s you! It’s you! You
did it. You touched some nerve and revived some confidence in the
disenchanted electorate to gain a margin of victory that would have
been a shock even in Mayor Daley’s Chicago.
`Nobody can tell me that a Congressional member who is a favorite of
both the president and vice president of the United States, has been
elected repeatedly to leadership positions so early in her national
career and who has won the ungrudging support of the hard-nosed CEOs
of Silicon Valley is a shrinking violet. You’ve got something, Lady!
Well, she has never gone off that course. Same issues. Same concerns,
except expanded, big time. Now, she sits on the House Intelligence
Committee, where she is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on
Technical and Tactical Intelligence; the House Energy and Commerce
Committee; Subcommittee on Telecommunication and the Internet;
Subcommittee on Health; the House Medical Technology Caucus and the
21st Century Health Care Caucus.
And, although she opposed our involvement in Iraq, she is unfailingly
a big-time supporter of our troops wherever they are, as well as
returning veterans.
Are there any committees more important in the 21st century than
these where Eshoo can exercise her experience as a legislator and
strong influence?
As we used to say back in the 1960s, `You’ve come a long way, lady!’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Business Wire (press release), CA
Oct 27 2006
Comstar-UTS Announces Acquisition of Armenian Telecommunications
Group CallNet/Cornet
MOSCOW–(BUSINESS WIRE)–JSC `COMSTAR – United TeleSystems’ (`Comstar
UTS’, LSE: CMST), the leading provider of integrated
telecommunication services in Russia and the CIS, today announced
that it has acquired majority shareholding in CallNet and its 100%
owned subsidiary Cornet (together the `Group’) in the Republic of
Armenia. Comstar has purchased 75% of the shares plus one share with
an option to acquire the remaining stake in the Group. The companies
together comprise the second largest alternative telecommunications
group in the Republic of Armenia: Callnet is a transit operator and
Cornet is an Internet Services Provider.
CallNet is one of the four telecom operators in the Republic of
Armenia, which have a license to provide transit of international
traffic across Armenia, a strong competitive advantage due to high
volume of incoming international voice traffic in Armenia. Cornet has
a fast growing customer base, including 76% of the banking sector in
Armenia. In 2005 the consolidated revenues of the Group doubled year-
on -year to US $4.3 million.
Eric Franke, CEO and President of Comstar – United TeleSystems,
commented: «Both companies have leading positions in the fast growing
telecom segments in the Republic of Armenia – data transmission and
Internet access- the same business model that Comstar has in Russia.
Cornet is a sole provider of WiMax services in Armenia, and we will
use their expertise in the deployment of WiMax services in Russia.
This acquisition clearly provides us with additional synergies within
Comstar-UTS Group».
The purchase of CallNet and Cornet is the second transaction by
Comstar UTS in the CIS, and it follows on the JV agreement signed in
June of 2006 to establish the subsidiary Comstar – Ukraine with the
local partner OOO Neotel.
`This is the first transaction in a pipeline of new acquisitions
which we announced in October 2006 to make use of IPO proceeds in
order to implement our investment program in the regions’, –
continued Eric Franke.
Comstar UTS is a leading provider of integrated communications
services in Moscow and the Moscow region in terms of revenues and
subscribers and also offers communications services in other regions
of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Comstar UTS had
3.6 million subscribers in its traditional segment of the business,
479.2 thousand subscribers in its alternative segment in Moscow and
91.1 thousand subscriber in its alternative segment in the regions at
June 30, 2006. Comstar UTS offers voice, data and Internet, pay-TV
and various value-added services to corporate, operator and
residential subscribers, using its alternative and traditional
fixed-line networks. Comstar UTS had consolidated operating revenues
of US$ 286.6 million for the second quarter of 2006 and Comstar UTS’
consolidated assets totalled US$ 2.7 billion at June 30, 2006.
Comstar UTS ordinary shares are listed on the Moscow Stock Exchange
and on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol `CMST’.
Some of the information in this press release may contain projections
or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the
future financial performance of Comstar UTS. You can identify forward
looking statements by terms such as `expect,’ `believe,’
`anticipate,’ `estimate,’ `intend,’ `will,’ `could,’ `may’ or
`might’, the negative of such terms or other similar expressions.
Comstar UTS wishes to caution you that these statements are only
predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially.
Comstar UTS does not intend to update these statements to reflect
events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Many factors could
cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in
projections or forward-looking statements of Comstar UTS, including,
among others, general economic conditions, the competitive
environment, risks associated with operating in Russia, rapid
technological and market change in the industries Comstar UTS
operates in, as well as many other risks specifically related to
Comstar UTS and its operations.
Comstar UTS
Masha Eliseeva, +7 495 950 02 27
Mobile +7 495 997 08 52
[email protected]
or
Shared Value Limited
Larisa Kogut-Millings, +44 (0) 20 7321 5037
[email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ãóíäîãàð, Turkmenistan
Gundogar – For Democracy and Human Rights in Turkmenistan
Oct 27 2006
Bermuda Triangle
Leonid Kolosov/Gundogar
Turkmenistan – Turkey – EU: how will their further relations develop?
Events seemingly independent from each other – EU’s refusal to ratify
the interim trade agreement with Turkmenistan and tightening of the
process of Turkey’s possible entry into the European Union,
nevertheless, appear to be closely connected.
And the point is not that in both cases debates are aroused by
antidemocratic policy of authorities of the two countries and
violations of human rights, which in opinion of the European
officials is absolutely not acceptable.
In case with Turkmenistan, according to the resolution of the
International Trade Committee of the European Parliament, the
European Union will approve an interim trade agreement with
Turkmenistan only if `clear, tangible, and sustained progress on the
human rights situation is achieved.’ Before continuing negotiations
Turkmen government has to release all political prisoners, allow the
registration and free functioning of nongovernmental organizations,
and to grant international human rights monitors access to
Turkmenistan to oversee the situation in the country.
Europe already knows enough about dictatorial method of government
embraced by Saparmurat Niyazov and the European officials had enough
opportunities to become acquainted with it personally. `It is the
most repressive country I’ve ever been to, – British conservative,
deputy of the European Parliament Martin Callanan said after
returning from a five-day trip to Turkmenistan. – There are no human
rights at all’.
Therefore, it is not a surprise that a question: `to trade or to not
trade with Turkmenistan?’ – was answered by prevailing common sense
and unwillingness to soil the reputation by cooperating with
dictator, even considering the `countless’ hydrocarbon resources and
interest in deliveries of Turkmen energy to Europe. `I do not say,
that we should buy oil and gas only in the democratic countries –
with such an approach we shall buy nothing at all, – M. Callanan
said. – However signing of the new agreement, should probably be
postponed until improvements with human rights situation in
Turkmenistan begin to show’.
In order to reach EU standards, Turkey also has to undertake a number
of measures in sphere of political and civic freedoms, in particular,
regarding freedom of speech and civil control over the army. Till now
pace of these reforms was considered insufficient. Besides, Till now
Turkey did not get over the stumbling block – an issue of recognition
of genocide of Armenians in 1915 and the Cyprian problem – and this
won’t happen in the near future.
`Turkey may stop it’s movement towards the West, which started 80
years ago with Kemal Ataturk and start implementing Islamic and
nationalist policy instead’, – reports British Financial Times.
In turn, head of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter
Steinmeyer sharply criticized Ankara and has declared that progress
in observance of the human rights `in this country exists only on
paper’.
But if we assume that European countries will open doors of the
European Union for Turkey how in this case they will look at more
than friendly relations between Turkey and Turkmenistan? Which way
the EU’s geopolitical pendulum will swing: will the Europe follow a
course of principle and will not encourage numerous trading and
economic contacts of Turkey with Turkmenistan which for Turkey,
certainly, will be difficult to refuse or will be indulgent to their
`related’ communication?
`One nation – two states’ – this is the principle of mutual relations
which have developed between Turkey and Turkmenistan since the first
days of declaration of independence of the last. During 15 years
which have passed since then, interdependence of the two countries
became even more evident. Turkey, trying to achieve long-term
influence among the independent Turkic states of Transcaucasia and
Central Asia: Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and
Kirghizia – used Turkmenistan as a base for development of this
influence, which promised considerable gain. Huge fuel and energy
resources, low level of development of the infrastructure,
opportunity to find new markets made Turkmenistan attractive to
Turkish businessmen, and the new Turkmen ideology proclaimed by
Saparmurat Niyazov and which made Turkmen hostages of their own
history, conformed to ideas of panturkism in the best way.
Turkmen-Turkish colleges, libraries, cultural centers started
appearing in the country. Ashkhabad got Turkmen-Turkish university,
Turkish hospital, supermarket `Yimpash’, Turkish language newspaper
`Zaman-Turkmenistan’ appeared in print, Turkish TV was broadcasted.
Ottoman style mosques were built with participation of Turkish
builders…
Turkish `brothers’ have introduced into practice kissing Niyazov’s
hands, and for a reason! More than 300 Turkish firms have been
registered in Turkmenistan. Projects, on which they worked, were
estimated in billions of dollars. Thousands of workers have been
delivered from Turkey; there was even talk about resettlement to
Turkmenistan, to `their historical native land’, of two millions
Anatolia Turks to whom `kind’ Turkmenbashi promised the land and the
citizenship.
Large and small Turkish firms account for hundreds of building
contracts, energy and textile branches are practically completely
supervised by Turkish business. Niyazov often invites representatives
of the Turkish side to sessions of the Cabinet to discuss economic
issues.
Niyazov entrusts the most important projects to Turkish companies
`Chalyk Holding’, `Chalyk Energy’, `Norsel’, `GAP Inshaat’,
`Polymex’, `ERKU’: the factory producing polyethylene, polypropylene,
glass-fiber and steel wire reinforced thermoplastic pipes of various
diameter, hoses and pipes for drip irrigation in Rukhabad (cost of
the project is 85 million dollars) – to firm `ERKU’; shopping center
in Ashkhabad (cost of the project is 34 million dollars), olympic
water-sports complex (cost of the project is 25 million dollars),
Turkmen `Disneyland’ (cost of the project is 50 million dollars) – to
firm `GAP Inshaat’; gas turbine power station in Ashkhabad vicinity
(cost of the project is more than 109 million dollars) – to firm
`Chalyk Energy’, hydropark in Ashkhabad (cost of the project is 63
million dollars) – to firms `Polymex’, `GAP Inshaat’, `ERKU’.
All of this is only a top of the construction iceberg. Only this year
volume of capital investments mastered by smaller Turkish
construction firms makes hundreds of millions US dollars.
Turkmenistan with its low standard of life represents a huge market
for selling cheap Turkish products and merchandise. Only during the
first quarter of 2006 delivery of goods from Turkey have increased by
4,6 times in comparison with the same period of the last year.
Turkish businessmen are the most frequent visitors at the tenders of
the Turkmen commodity exchange. They are interested in cotton yarn,
knitted wear and garment, yarn and cotton-spinning waste, gray cloth,
raw silk, cattle skins, diesel fuel, gasoline, black oil,
polypropylene, technical carbon, technical iodine, petroleum coke,
virgin gasoline and other goods.
In May of this year Turkmenistan has prolonged till 2010 the
effectiveness of the contract on deliveries of the electric power to
Turkey. According to Niyazov’s decree the state power supplier
`Turkmen Energo’ of the Ministry of Energy and Industry was entrusted
to complete an additional agreement with the Turkish electric power
trader `TETAS’ to contract on delivery of the electric power from
Turkmenistan to Turkish Republic from 12 May 1999, prolonging
validity of the contract with preservation of volumes of delivered
electric power (300 million kilowatt hour per year) and prices (3,35
US cents for 1 kilowatt hour).
We shouldn’t ignore some not quite legal forms of Turkmen – Turkish
cooperation. First of all, it concerns laundering of huge money
through different projects, which in most cases are carried out in
obviously overestimated prices, which interests first of all the
Turkmen party led by Niyazov, and the Turkish – led by Ahmed Chalyk.
The full control of these two figurants extends not only to economic
and political life of the country. They also control the
traditionally active drug-traffic, connecting the Afghani
manufacturers, through Turkmenistan and Turkey, with the European
consumers.
Therefore the analysts who consider that `Turkmenistan is not so
sensitive to reproaches of the European Union’ and that even in case
of removal of the European business Turkmenistan hardly will lose
much, are rather right. Ashkhabad has an alternative, it has enough
trading partners, and one of the most active ones is Turkey.
But Turkey aspires to join the European Union, the political and
economic organization which considers violations of the human rights
in Turkmenistan as a reason sufficient enough to refuse ratification
of the trade agreement with this country. It would be logical, if one
more condition of Turkey’s entry into EU would be its refusal to
cooperate with regime of the Turkmen dictator, at least, at the state
level.
Certainly, a choice which can be put in front of Turkey by the
European Union: Turkmenistan or Europe – looks at first sight rather
fantastic.
Well, what if?..
0000011000000

TREND, Azerbaijan
Oct 27 2006
`Muasir Musavat’ Party Preparing for a Picket in Front of French Embassy

Source: Trend
Author: J. Shakhverdiyev

27.10.2006

The party `Muasir Musavat’ (`Modern Musavat’) is expected to hold a
picket in front of the French Embassy in Baku, at 3 p.m. local time,
on October 31, the press-service of the Party told Trend today.

The main cause of the forthcoming action is to protest against a bill
concerning acknowledging of the so-called imaginary Armenian
`genocide’ recently passed by the Lower Chamber of the French
Parliament. The Party also told that 50 members of the Party are
expected to take part in the forthcoming picket. In this connection,
a corresponding appeal has already been sent to the Baku City
Executive Power.

The opposition party `Muasir Musavat’ was established by an
initiative of Khafiz Hajiyev in 2002. Mr. Hajiyev is the acting
Chairman of the Party.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Regnum, Russia
Oct 27 2006
EU gives a positive assessment of reforms in Armenia
The 7th committee on Armenia-EU cooperation met in Brussels on Oct 25
to discuss the problems concerning the implementation of the New
Neighborhood Policy program in Armenia.
The press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry has told REGNUM
that the Armenian delegation was led by Trade and Economic
Development Minister Karen Tchshmarityan and comprised deputy
ministers of foreign affairs, justice, economy and finance and energy
as well as the head of the Armenian mission to the EU Vigen
Chitechyan.
The Armenian delegates told their EU colleagues about the steps they
had taken and would take in their respective spheres. The EU
representatives gave a positive assessment of the reforms in Armenia
and stressed the importance of the Nov 14 signing of the NNP action
plan.
On Oct 26 Tchshmarityan met with David O’Sullivan, Director General
for Trade of the European Commission. The sides discussed the ways to
create a free trade zone and market economy in Armenia and to enlarge
the country’s trade with the EU member states.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 27 2006
THE HOLY SEE IS LUCKY

We could lose the Holy See of Echmiadzin in 1988. The former pilot of
the navy Vladimir Poghosyan made this sensational statement on
October 26. He spoke about the Yugoslavian plane which crashed on the
road to Armavir, not far from Echmiadzin. Vladimir Poghosyan said he
had taken part in the investigation of this crash, and the simulation
of the flight showed that if the pilot had carried out the
instructions of the dispatcher, the plane could crash into the Holy
See, which was on the way of the plane. There would be a double
tragedy, says Vladimir Poghosyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 27 2006
WHO AND HOW MUCH SUGAR PUT TO GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN RELATION?

It is necessary to clarify the nuances, which are essential to
answering the question why six months before the parliamentary
election the Georgian-Armenian border and tensions in Javakheti were
pushed into the political sphere of Armenia. Only after that it will
become clear who put forward this problem. But the problem has
already found its place, and it is clear that everyone is up for
using this problem for their political interest. In this sense, it is
perhaps favorable for most people that they find `fertile land’ in
this political `drought’ to sow and to reap the harvest in Armenia.
And it should be noted that the sowing has started, and rather
actively. For instance, the Republican Party used the
Georgian-Armenian problem to attack the foreign minister of Armenia,
when the young Republican Armen Ashotyan, who is the loyal defender
of the prime minister and apparently also the advocate of the
Republican Party, demanded that Oskanyan clarify the issue of the
Georgian-Armenian border. We should not forget, however, that Victor
Dallakyan, already or for the time being an independent members of
parliament, raised this issue. He is worried that Armenia may lose
territories as a result of the negotiations over the border.
Answering Ashotyan’s question in the parliament, the foreign minister
of Armenia, in fact, did not denythat this danger, but instead
Oskanyan said that the problem is that of exchange, which has been
agreed to. However, the point is that this exchange may not be equal
because it is not logical when say we give 5 sq m of our territory to
the Georgians and they give as much territory to us. Such exchange is
simply meaningless. Consequently, the problem of much or little is
concerned. And in this sense it is important whether we are going to
give much or little. If we are going to give little, what will we
have to do in return and if much, what are the Georgians going to do
in return?
The problem is, however, that in Armenia the question is viewed from
a quite different point of view, that of giving or not giving, which
means that the problem is political. And in order to discern the
vector of its development it is already important to understand who
wanted to introduce the problem to the political sphere where we
already have a dispute over giving or not giving. It is also possible
that the problem is the existing dispute, and this is an effort to
distract attention from it. In other words, when the problem of
another territory occurs, the attention of the public is halved. And
in this case it becomes easier to solve the problem of this
attention. Especially that the public is attracted by a fresh issue
rather. Ostensibly, the Georgian-Armenian border issue was pushed
forward in an effort to distract the attention of the public from the
security area of Karabakh. This is quite possible, considering that
the resumption of the talks over Karabakh was marked by `new ideas’
proposed by the mediators. However, it is also possible that the
reason why the Georgian-Armenian issue occurred is quite different.
At least, the enthusiasm of the political forces of Armenia, who are
eager to become engaged in this `process’, means that the issue is
favorable for everyone, and the impression is that if Victor
Dallakyan had not made this attempt, someone else would have done it.
However, this does not mean, of course, that it makes no difference
who put it forward. Moreover, it is interesting to know when it
started.
The question emerged simultaneously with the `last supper’, which
took place in Yerevan at the Parvana Restaurant, owned by a sugar
importer. And perhaps it is not accidental that Serge Sargsyan, Gela
Bejuashvili, Georgian foreign minister and Vardan Oskanyan had chosen
this restaurant to sweeten the Georgian-Armenian relation. The
details of the supper are not known, but whatever took place after it
allow supposing that they talked about a number of things. Moreover,
there is an attention-grabbing detail. Vardan Oskanyan officially
announced about the supper, perhaps thereby showing that he did not
take part in secret arrangements during this event and only did not
refuse Serge Sargsyan’s invitation. In other words, ostensibly, Serge
Sargsyan and Gela Bejuashvili had certain ideas they wanted to share
with Vardan Oskanyan. Meanwhile, Oskanyan publicly `denied’ this
supper which was followed by the emergence of the Georgian-Armenian
border issue along with the local elections in Javakheti. And it is
notable that as the passions grow in Javakheti, the border issue is
becoming a more burning issue.
Consequently, it is possible that it is put forward to counterbalance
the emerging factor of Javakheti.
HAKOB BADALYAN
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 27 2006
ARMENIA BADLY ‘EXPLOITS’ THE 1915 GENOCIDE FACT: RECTOR OF RAU
“I think that we are badly ‘exploiting’ the fact of Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Empire in 1915. Maybe we have a task and we are on the way
to achieve it – to press on Turkey with the whole world to
acknowledge the responsibility for the bloody facts in their history.
And only after we made them take over the responsibility for that can
we move forward”, said Armen Darbinyn, Rector of Russian-Armenian
(Slavonic) State University (RAU) at the meeting in the University.
“We want Turks to be better. Out strives for the world’s
acknowledgement of the Genocide resulted in that 22 countries, where
Armenian Diaspora is strong, acknowledge the Genocide”, said the
Rector. “What does asking for excuse mean? Only the strong can do
that. Germans have publicly asked for excuse of Jews for the
Holocaust. And to prove that they ‘purified’ themselves they adopted
a law on criminalizing denial of Jewish Genocide”, he pointed out.
A. Darbinyan added that there is no political party in Germany that
would come up with nationalist slogans. He goes on “There is a party
of the kind in Austria, in France, there are many of such in Russia,
but there is none in Germany. Turks are not ready to beg their pardon
before us. We want to press on them to make them purer, better,
nobler but we won’t succeed in it because they are not ready yet”.
“We are placing Turks in the core of our foreign policy and actions
that in the end lead to making Turks better. Maybe it is an important
task but we have other more important tasks. There is a task before
us – to make ourselves better. This is the goal we must achieve,
otherwise the victims we have had won’t be revenged”, stressed A.
Darbinyan. – MR-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress