Author: Emil Lazarian

CIVIL INITIATIVE FOR LAWFUL ELECTIONS
Press Service Of Orinats Yerkir
Lragir.am
05 Sept 06
On September 4 the Orinats Yerkir faction of the National Assembly
held a discussion in the framework of the Civil Initiative for Lawful
Elections”, the main directions of which are:
1. Amendments to the electoral code to make it comply with
international standards and will lead the forces inside and outside
the parliament who are for reforms to consensus;
2. A clear system of training of members of electoral committees,
which will guarantee an equal approach for all the political parties;
3. Transparency of the electoral process, providing pro-active
mechanisms of civil control;
4. Guaranteeing freedom of the media, other institutions of the
civil society in the electoral process, which presupposes several
legislative reforms in the nearest future.
The leaders and representatives of 14 political parties (including
ARFD, People’s Party, Labor Party, National Self-Determination Union,
National Democratic Union, Republic, Orinats Yerkir) and NGOs.
Over 50 political parties and NGOs endorsed the initiative (including
Constitutional Right Union, Democratic Path, Alliance, and other
political parties). However, since the National Assembly refused
to provide the hall, it was impossible to invite all of them to
the discussion.
In presenting their standpoints the participants of the discussion
pointed to the steps intended to guarantee lawful elections, approved
the Civil Initiative for Lawful Elections and discussed the mechanisms
of future cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROMANIAN NATIONAL DEFENCE MINISTER’S VISIT TO ARMENIA POSTPONED FOR INDEFENITE TIME
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The visit of the delegation
headed by the National Defence Minister of Romania is postponed for
indefinite time.
Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, the RA Defence Minister’s Press Secretary,
informed Noyan Tapan about it.
Reasons for postponing the visit are not mentioned.
The three-day official visit paid to Armenia by Teodor Atanasiu, the
National Defence Minister of Romania, is scheduled for September 6-8.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SYRIAN MUFTI IS PRESENT AT SAINT LITURGY IN MOTHER SEE
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
ETCHMIADZIN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by Sheikh
Ahmed Badr-Eddine Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of
Syria, was present at the Saint Liturgy celebrated in the Mother See
of Holy on September 3.
At the beginning of the liturgy, Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians and the Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic
of Syria, accompanied by a great procession of churchmen, were led
to the Mother Cathedral. The officiating priest was Archbishop Yeznik
Petrosian, the Mother See responsible for interchurch relations.
Then the two spiritual leaders returned the Patriarchate where the
two delegations’ meeting took place. During the meeting, the Grand
Mufti of Syria passed to His Holiness greetings and best wishes of
President of the Arab Republic of Syria Bashar Al-Assad.
The Catholicos of All Armenians, in his turn, thanked for the careful
attitude that the President of Syria and his predecessors have always
shown towards sons of the Armenian nation.
According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the
Information Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Gabriel
Geara, the Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to the RA, and doctor
Moukhlis Faraun, the Charge d’Affairs of the Arab Republic of Syria
to the RA, were also present at the meeting.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DELEGATION OF EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO VISIT ARMENIA ON SEPTEMBER 7-9
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. By the invitation of Gagik
Tsarukian, the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia,
a delegation headed by Patrick Hickey, the newly elected Chairman of
the European Olympic Committee (EOC), a member of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC), the Chairman of the Olympic Committee of
Ireland, will pay an official visit to Armenia on September 7-9. It’s
his first official visit on the EOC Chairman’s post.
Pamela Vipond, the Deputy Director of the Olympic Solidarity programs
of the IOC and EOC Financial Administration Manager G. De Angeles,
are in the delegation staff.
The goal of the visit is to get acquainted with the Olympic movement
process, dome works, sporting structures and problems arisen in front
of the NOCA.
The guests will meet with the NOCA heads, members of the executive
committee, federation chairmen of different kinds of sport. RA
President Robert Kocharian will receive the delegation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GLOBAL GOLD MINING DEPRIVED OF ITS LICENCE FOR EXPLORATION OF MARJAN MINE
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ministry of Nature Protection
deprived the company Global Gold Mining (GGM) of its licence for
exploration of the mine in Marjan (Sisian). The RA Minister of Nature
Protection Vardan Aivazian stated this at the September 5 press
conference. According to him, the company has no longer the right to
carry out work at the above mentioned mine.
However, GGM is continuing exploration of the Marjan mine, so the
ministry has applied to the RA Prosecutor General’s Office.
GGM’s director Ashot Poghosian told NT correspondent that the company
has sent the minister a letter with the indication of the respective
RA law’s provisions, according to which “the unilateral annulation
of a licence through a statement or letter is forbidden”. He noted
that the ministry was obliged to warn in writing the company about
its decision to cancel the company’s licence, and if the company
committed a violation, the ministry was to allow GGM to eliminate
that violation within a 90-day period. After that, the company must
have been given an opportunity for damage compensation repayment. In
the event that compenstaion is not paid, the ministry may apply to
court. Yet, according to A. Petrosian, GGM has never received such
a warning from the ministry.
“If the ministry does not observe the provisions of the RA law and
international agreements and continues making illegal statements,
it means that we have a “textbook” example of confiscation of our
investments,” A. Poghosian said.

ARMENIANS ARE WELCOME IN AJARIA
A1+
[01:04 pm] 05 September, 2006
Hrach Silvanian, Armenian Ambassador to Georgia, met with Levan
Varshalomidze, Ajarian Prime Minister in Ajaria during his visit
to Batumi.
The Prime Minister informed the Armenian Ambassador that the Ajarian
Autonomous Republic has welcomed 35 thousand Armenian tourists and
they expect that the number of Armenian tourists will still increase
and reach 45 thousand at the end of September. The two parties find
that there is an urgent need to found a consulate in Batumi taking
into consideration the abundant flow of Armenians to Ajaria.
Levan Varshalomidze attached great importance to the involvement of
the Armenian businessmen into Ajarian interior market taking into
account their great experience in agricultural sphere. The two parties
focused on the necessity to enhance bilateral cooperation via working
out mutually beneficial new methods.
The Prime Minister also referred to the problems of the Armenian
church enclosure and restoration of the adjacent territories. Levan
Varshalomidze noted that the Mayor of Batumi will be assigned with
a concrete task on this score.

ON SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENIAN FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM TO RECEIVE NATIONAL TEAM OF BELGIUM
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia-Belgium meeting will take
place on September 6 at Yerevan Vazgen Sargsian republican stadium
under the group tournament program of Football Europe Championship
selection tour. The Armenian national team started preparatory
trainings almost a week before the game headed by coach of the national
team, Scot Ian Porterfield. Roman Berezovski, Artavazd Karamian,
Edgar Manucharian will not take part in the game. Instead, experienced
players Karen Dokhoyan, Hamlet Mkhitarian, Romik Khachatrian, Arman
Karamian, Armen Shahgeldian are included in the team.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN JANUARY-JULY ARMENTEL’S REVENUES INCREASE BY 40.1% COMPARED WITH SAME MONTHS OF 2005
Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The total volume of revenues of
ArmenTel company received from services rendered to population and
different institutions and organizations in January-July this year
amounted to 66202.8 mln drams (about 166 mln USD), which in comparable
prices exceeded the 2005 January-July index by 40.1%.
According to the data of RA National Statistical Service, the revenues
from services rendered to population made 24087.7 mln drams, which
exceeded the index of 2005 January-July by 57%.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: “THE RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS A PREREQUISITE FOR TURKEY’S ACCESSION”
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 05 2006
STRASBOURG, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The European
Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) voted late last evening
on the Eurlings report on “Turkey’s progress towards accession”
and its 343 amendments.
According to the European Armenian Federation for Justice and
Democracy, this mostly critical report of Turkey was adopted by 53
votes, with 6 against and 8 abstentions.
With regard to the question of the Armenian Genocide which was
constantly discussed during the debates, a majority of MEPs from
the main political groups (EPP, PSE, ALDE, GUE) adopted two similar
amendments which reiterates its call on Turkey to acknowledge the
Armenian Genocide as a precondition for its accession.
In addition, the AFET “strongly condemns the racist and xenophobic
‘Talaat Pasha committee’ [.] for gravely infringing European
principles, and the denialist demonstrations in Lyon and Berlin”
organised by those same organisations. It calls on Turkey to abolish
this committee and end its activities.
The European Armenian Federation informs that the AFET also adopted
a compromise amendment disputed by many MEPs, which expresses a whole
series of obscure proposals such as the opening of the Turkish archives
and reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.
The AFET committee also invites Turkey “to establish, without
preconditions, good neighbourly relations with Armenia and to end
the economic blockade and to open the land border [.] in order to
fulfill the priorities of the Accession Partnership and the obligations
defined within the Negotiating Framework”.
“It is a victory for the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) which
confirms that it can resist the pressures of Ankara. We congratulate
the rapporteur and the many members of Parliament who reaffirmed
the political line of the Parliament, which consists in making the
recognition of the Genocide into a prerequisite for accession,”
declared Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation.
“However, we regret the amendment called the ‘compromise amendment’,
which in fact only copied the position of some isolated MEPs who still
support Ankara in its attempt to deny the Genocide and to escape the
political problem that it constitutes,” continued Hilda Tchoboian.
The European Armenian Federation will continue its consultations with
all the MEPs before the vote in the plenary session of the European
Parliament, which will take place at the end of September.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MEPS: TURKEY MUST RECOGNISE CYPRUS AND OPEN ITS BORDERS TO CYPRIOT VESSELS
Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Cyprus News Agency
Aug 5 2006
The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee urged Turkey to
recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since May 1,
2004, and open its borders to Cypriot vessels and airplanes.
In a report adopted on Monday, the Committee urges Turkey “to take
concrete steps for the normalization of bilateral relations with
Cyprus as soon as possible” and refers to the EU Council declaration
of 21 September 2005, which said that continuing negotiations would
depend on Turkey opening its borders to Cypriot vessels and airplanes
and that the recognition of Cyprus is a necessary component of the
negotiating process.
Regarding Cyprus itself, MEPs welcomed the meeting between the leader
of the Greek Cypriot community Tassos Papadopoulos and the leader
of the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat, that led to the
agreement of 8 July, 2006.
The Foreign Affairs Committee called on Turkey to recognize the
Armenian genocide as a precondition for its EU accession and although
welcoming the start of the accession negotiations with Turkey, it
expressed regret that the reform process in Turkey has slowed down.
The report, prepared by Camiel Eurlings (EPP-ED, NL) and adopted
by 53 votes in favour to six against with eight abstentions, notes
“persistent shortcomings” in areas such as freedom of expression,
religious and minority rights, the role of the military, policing,
women’s rights, trade union rights and cultural rights. It urges
Turkey to “reinvigorate” the reform process.
MEPs repeated that negotiations do no lead automatically to accession
and said that whether or not negotiations are successfully concluded,
Turkey must remain “fully anchored in European structures.”
It also called for a lowering of the threshold of ten percent of
the votes below which political parties cannot enter the Turkish
parliament.
The text will be debated by the whole Parliament during the EP plenary
session of 25 – 28 September.
Before the start of the vote, Eurlings said that “unfortunately,
reforms have clearly slowed down” and expressed hope that the Turkish
government would regard his report “as a signal and an incentive to
reintroduce the vigorous speed of reform it had shown in the year
before accession negotiations started.”
President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat
agreed on July 8th 2006, during a meeting here in the presence of
UN Undersecretary General for political affairs Ibrahim Gambari,
to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect
the day to day life of the people and concurrently those that concern
substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement
to the Cyprus problem.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress