Author: Emil Lazarian

UN Development Programme Armenia
14, Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Tel: +374 10 56 60 73 + 121
Mob: +374 91 43 63 12
Fax: +374 10 54 38 11
E-mail: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE
October 12, 2006
CONTACT: Aramazd Ghalamkaryan
E-mail: [email protected]
UNDP AND CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND CONTINUE RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION
PROGRAMME
Two remote villages benefit from an enhanced partnership
Yerevan, October 12, 2006 – Today, at the UN office in Armenia, United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Children of Armenia Fund
(COAF), and the mayors of Yervandashat and Shenik villages launched
two projects aimed at community development and rural poverty
eradication – a priority both for the government and the international
community.
Rural poverty eradication was the focus of the recently held
Armenia-Diaspora Third Conference, where UNDP and the Children of
Armenia Fund also participated and presented their corresponding
programmes. An initiative by Mr. Garo Armen, founder of the Fund, was
considered as exemplary and UNDP is proud to partner with such a
renowned and respected organization.
The two village projects are only part of a broader community
development programme that UNDP implements in 20 border villages of
the country. Village development plans were developed with direct
participation of the village inhabitants and the local self-governance
bodies, with UNDP’s assistance. UNDP-COAF cooperation started from
Karakert, another village in the Armavir province. The projects
launched for Yervandashat and Shenik villages are a continuation of
the success in Karakert.
UNDP and partners will rehabilitate, in fact – revive, the water
system Yervandashat village: this will provide the inhabitants with
clean and around-the-clock water supply. In Shenik we will
rehabilitate the secondary school building and thus provide children
with an acceptable educational environment.
It is noteworthy that the communities constantly transform from a
“receiver” to a “partner”: in this case, communities of Shenik and
Yervandashat were directly involved in the planning process, are
involved in funding the initiatives and will contribute to the
implementation.
As UNDP resident representative Ms. Consuelo Vidal noted in her
speech: “The projects that UNDP supports in the villages and urban
areas, are based on joint local priorities and, in particular, on
those who will help overcome poverty and create jobs a the local
level, outside the capital city Yerevan.”
After the signing of memorandums, a film produced by Internews-Armenia
titled “The Life on Border” was screened: the film tells about the
life in Yervandashat and Bagaran villages that border with
Turkey. Packages of 20 village development plans were distributed to
the journalists and partners.
* * *
The story on UNDP website: ;id=326
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHIRAC & FRENCH GOVERNMENT AGAINST ARMENIAN BILL
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 11 2006
The French government and the ruling party have differing views on
the Armenian bill. Both the French president and the French government
evidently oppose the Armenian bill in the French National Assembly.
Chirac repeated his opposition even in his speeches in Armenia, where
he mostly dwelled on the issue. However, Internal Affairs Minister
Nicholas Sarkozy and his right hand man Patrick Deveciyan support
the Armenian bill. By supporting the bill, Sarkozy may be trying
to undermining Chirac’s camp, his main opponent in the upcoming
presidential elections.
Foreign Minister Douste Blazy made a strong speech last May speaking
out against the bill.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL INFORMATION, ARMENTEL SOLD TO ARAB CONSORTIUM
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. 90% of shares of the
telecommunication company ArmenTel that belong to OTE company (Greece)
have been sold to the Arab consortium Emirates Telecomminications
Corporation (ETISALAT)/ Istithmar PJSC/Emergent Telecom Venures
(ETV) for 600 million USD. The news agency Regnum reported that
this information was neither confirmed nor refuted by ArmeTel
itself. According to spokeswoman for ArmenTel Hasmik Chutilian, she
has no information about the winner of the international tender. In the
words of spkeswoman for the RA Ministry of Transport and Communication
Tamara Galechian, the minsiter is away on a business trip so she can’t
get any information about the new owner of 90% of ArmenTel’s shares.
It is worth mentioning that last year OTE announced a tender for
sale of 90% of ArmenTel’s shares. 16 companies participated in
the tender, with the Russian companies VympelKom and MTC, as well
companies ETISALAT (Emirates Telecommunications Corporation/Istithmar
ETV/Emergent Telecom Ventures) and VTEL Holdings/Knightsbridge
Associated reaching the second stage of the tender.
To recap, in 1997 OTE acquired 90% of shares of the telecommunication
company ArmenTel for 142.47 million USD through an international
tender. 10% of ArmenTel’s shares belong to the Armenian government.
Recently the RA Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik
Margarian stated that the purchaser of ArmenTel’s shares must waive
the right of monopoly on a number of activities, and the companies
intending to acquire the company’s shares agreed with this requirement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HRANT DINK IS READY TO STATE IN FRANCE THAT “TURKS DID NOT CONDUCT GENOCIDE”
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 10 2006
ISTANBUL, OCTOBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. If Frenchmen
adopts the draft law considering denial of the genocide as a crime,
“Akos” editor Hrant Dink will go to France, and how much he believes
the opposite, unfortunately, he will insist that Turks did not conduct
a genocide. According to the “Milliyet,” H.Dink made such a statement,
adding that to puhish in Turkey people recognizing the genocide and
to punish people in France denying the genocide is the same thing and
the one who is against violation of the freedom of opinion in Turkey,
must be against it in France as well. “If I’m sentenced here, I’ll
be sentenced there as well,” Dink said. He also expressed an opinion
that the French draft will damage the Armenian-Turkish relations and
will weaken possibility of ideological exchanges.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VIC DARCHINYAN RETAINS IBF TITLE
Armenpress
Oct 09 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS: Australia’s Armenia-born Vic Darchinyan
retained his International Boxing Federation flyweight title with
a technical decision over Glenn Donaire from the Philippines on
October 8.
Darchinyan knocked Donaire down in the fourth round with a short
right on the way to recording his fifth successful IBF title defense
and fourth International Boxing Organization title defense.
The bout was stopped at 1min. 27sec of the sixth round when Donaire
sustained a jaw injury from what referee Tony Weeks determined was
an accidental head clash. The ringside doctor recommended the bout
be stopped.
The fight went to the scorecards with the hard-punching Darchinyan
leading 60-53 on all three.
He improved his overall professional record to 27 wins and no losses
with 21 KOs. Darchinyan was disappointed the result was recorded as
a technical decision rather than a KO, as he was adamant that any
injury Donaire suffered was caused by a punch not a head clash.
“I nearly knocked him out and they stopped the fight for nothing,”
Darchinyan said. “There was no real reason to stop it.
“It was one of my best, but not my best performance, because I was
very sharp and I did what I wanted.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPUBLICAN MP RULES OUT PROGRESS IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT UNTIL 2009
Armenpress
Oct 11 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: A parliament member from the ruling
Republican Party predicted today that a real window of opportunity
to settle the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will likely to
start outlining in 2009 or at best in 2010.
Armen Ashotian, who is the youngest lawmaker in the 131-member
legislative, said all optimistic forecasts made earlier this year
that a major breakthrough is possible this year will remain as
forecasts only.
“The year is moving swiftly towards the end but there are no
indications, even slightest signs of a possible breakthrough in
the solution efforts ,” he argued, citing also the decision of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to transfer
hearing of a report on the Karabakh conflict to 2007 and the delay
of a PACE monitoring commission’s visit to the region to ground
his deduction.
“European structures, at least on the level of the Council of Europe
are realizing well that the problem cannot be settled before the end
of this year and this is why they have postponed all related meetings
until next year,” he argued.
He said no progress could be expected in 2007 or 2008 either as these
are the years for holding parliamentary and presidential elections
in Armenia respectively.
He then moved to underscore a constitution that Nagorno-Karabakh
is going to adopt in December saying it would first reconfirm that
Nagorno-Karabakh is a sovereign state and it would also prove that
Karabakh has chosen the democratic path of development.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY SAYS FRENCH BILL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE “GREAT INJUSTICE”
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.10.2006 16:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The adoption of the bill penalizing the Armenian
Genocide denial in France is a “great injustice” toward Turkey,
Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Turan Morali told reporters October
11. He remarked that France’s move aroused anxiety in Turkey.
“The step taken by the French government is very primitive. The
adoption of the bill by a country like France arouses regret,” Morali
said. The diplomat considers that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by France will hamper Turkey’s accession to the EU.
Morali also remarked that the Turkish government welcomes the Azeri
parliament’s stand on the issue.
“Yesterday we spoke to the chairman of the state committee on the
affairs of Azeris living abroad,” he said and thanked the Azerbaijani
government for support, reports Trend news agency.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UK ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO DIALOGUE WITH SOUTH CAUCASIAN STATES
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.10.2006 16:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with UK Minister for Europe Jeff Hoon, reported the RA MFA
press office. The RA FM assessed highly the bilateral relations
and pointed out to Yerevan’s aspirations to deepen these relations,
especially within the European Neighborhood Policy. When touching
upon the Armenia-EU Action Plan Vartan Oskanian underscored Armenia’s
intention to secure efficiency of the program implementation. At
that he remarked that Yerevan expects practical assistance of the
European Union member states in the issue. For his part, Mr Jeff Hoon
presented the goals of his visit and noted the importance of dialogue
between the UK and South Caucasian states and realization of joint
programs. The interlocutors also referred to regional problems, the
Armenia-Turkey relations and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IT SPECIALIST CRITICIZES ARMENIAN INTERNET SITES
Panorama.am
13:49 11/10/06
Armenian internet sites are “dead” since their pages open for more than
8 seconds, Hovanes Avoyan, director of Lycos’s Armenian representation,
told a news conference today.
In his words, Armenia is poorly presented in the internet. “If our
local users have to wait until the page opens, no one will wait more
than 8 seconds abroad,” Avoyan mentioned. Speaking about the reasons
of such failures, Avoyan said the internet connection is bad. He also
said it is disconnected for hours and even for days. Among reasons,
Avoyan also mentioned the technical capacities.
Some 110 companies work in the sphere of IT today in Armenia 30%
of them with foreign capital. Some 5,000 people are employed in the
field. IT attracts $100 million private and government investment
annually.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY UNITES TO OPPOSE FRENCH PLANS FOR ARMENIAN LAW
by: Ingo Bierschwale, dpa
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
October 10, 2006 Tuesday 11:50 AM EST
DPA POLITICS Turkey Politics France Armenia NEWS FEATURE: Turkey
unites to oppose French plans for Armenian law Ingo Bierschwale, dpa
Istanbul On a visit to Ankara at the beginning of the year, French
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy highlighted the interest shown
by French business in investing in Turkey, particularly in the huge
project to construct a nuclear power station at Sinop on the Black Sea.
Now, instead of lucrative contracts, those same companies face a
boycott of their products, and political relations between the two
countries have plumbed a low not seen since that of five years ago.
Then France passed a law in which the murder of thousands of Armenians
in the declining days of the Ottoman Empire was characterized as
“genocide.”
The reason for Turkish anger this time is that France may take
a further step with a proposed law that would make it a criminal
offence to deny the genocide that took place 90 years ago.
That anger is being expressed right across Turkish politics, by
business leaders and by consumer associations, ahead of consideration
of the bill by the French National Assembly on Thursday.
Ankara has made clear it will not stand idle. The Turkish government
sees the French move as yet another attempt to sabotage talks about
Turkish accession to the European Union that are in any case bogged
down.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called in French business leaders
over the weekend and demanded that these top representatives of French
companies like Renault and Peugeot, Lafarge, Carrefour and Danone to
use their influence at home.
The Foreign Ministry warned on Monday that if the draft law is
accepted, this would be seen as a “hostile decision” that would have
consequences for economic links between the two countries.
France could expect to be excluded from large-scale projects in
Turkey. And calls for a boycott of French products and even for French
visitors to apply for a visa were being raised.
Turkey is particularly outraged and embittered at what it sees as
double standards in the European Union.
Turkey has to endure harsh criticism that there are limits there
on freedom of expression, while precisely this is what is now being
restricted in France.
With the proposed law France, which has “since the revolution of 1789
been in the vanguard of human rights,” is now returning to “the Middle
Ages,” in the words of Rifat Hisarciklioglu, president of the Union
of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey.
And even Turkish intellectuals, who have been brought before the
courts in Turkey because of their opinions on the Armenian question,
have come out against the French draft bill.
Hrant Dink, publisher of the Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper Agos,
said that if the proposal was passed, he would travel to France
with the express purpose of “denying the genocide,” even though he
is convinced of the opposite and is in fact facing prosecution in
Turkey for this reason.
The French initiative displayed the same “mentality” as that shown
by those in Turkey who strongly reject the allegation that genocide
took place, Dink said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress