Author: Emil Lazarian

SOUTH CAUCASIAN COUNTRIES ENCOUNTER SAME
PROBLEMS RELATED TO MAN-CAUSED RIVER POLLUTION
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Rafael Hovhannisian, Chairman of
the Union of Armenian Ecologists NGO, subscribes to the opinion of
Azerbaijani ecologists that the pollution level is high in the Armenian
part of the rivers flowing from Armenia to Azerbaijan. According
to him, in particular, the Arax River is equally polluted in the
territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan. He explained the high degree
of the river’s pollution in Armenia by the fact that Arax’s valley
is densely populated, while measures aimed at isolating the dumps,
solid waste and waste waters have not been taken. At the same
time, he noted that the Arax River’s pollution in Armenia has not
increased since the Soviet time. In the words of Volodya Narimanian,
deputy head of the the Water Resource Management Agency of the RA
Ministry of Nature Protection, the degree of man-caused pollution,
especially with municipal and household waste waters, is high in
Azerbaijan and Georgia as well. The main reason is that the waste
waters of settlements in these countries are not cleaned due to lack
of financial resources. V. Narimanian said that the level of natural
background pollution is high in Arax and many other rivers of Armenia,
particularly with copper and molybdenum combinations, since these
rivers are rapidly flowing ones and their beds pass through rocks with
a high content of these metals. In his opinion, Azerbaijani ecologists’
claims that the rivers flowing from Armenia are very polluted have no
grounds, especially as these rivers are rapidly flowing, thanks to
which they have a greater capacity of self-cleaning from biological
pollutants. Besides, Armenia has repeatedly proposed that the
situation related to the regional rivers’ pollution be assessed with
joint efforts of the South Caucasian countries, waste water treatment
capacities be launched with the assistance of donor organizations,
and only after that one of the three South Caucasian countries should
raise the problems related to additional pollution of these rivers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON ARONIAN IS DEFEATED AT FINAL OF DARTMOUTH INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
DARTMOUTH, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The 19th class chess international
super tournament with participation of 8 most powerful grand masters of
the world finished in August 6 in Dartmouth. Levon Aronian from Armenia
lost the last 3 games after 4 uninterrupted drawn games. Kramnik and
Svidler got 4.5 points from 7 possible ones. Kramkin having higher
coefficients was recognized the winner.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN ANNOUNCES CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT TAX REVENUE STILL LAGS
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Aug. 8, 2006
By Emil Danielyan
Armenia’s economy is on track to expand at a double-digit rate for
a sixth consecutive year, earning the government in Yerevan more
praise from Western lending institutions. The Armenian authorities
say that growth may slow down in the coming years but will still be
strong enough to bring about a further drop in poverty and a sizable
increase in the still modest public spending.
Official macroeconomic data for the first half of this year show the
country’s gross domestic product increasing by almost 12% despite a
slight decrease in industrial output. Trade and Economic Development
Minister Karen Chshmaritian blamed the drop on July 26 on a continuing
downturn in the local diamond-cutting industry, which produces one of
Armenia’s key export items. He assured reporters that the impending
reactivation of two large industrial enterprises in Yerevan will
significantly boost the manufacturing sector in the second half.
The continuing robust growth has created additional inflationary
pressures on the economy, leading the Armenian Central Bank (CBA) to
twice raise its refinancing rate in recent months. The benchmark rate
is currently set at 4.25%, up from last January’s level of 3.5%. The
bank hopes that the new rate will help to keep inflation within a 3%
limit in 2006. The Armenian authorities say this growth is one of
the reasons for a renewed appreciation of the national currency, the
dram. It has gained more than 10% in value against the U.S. dollar
since January and is now worth 30% more, in dollar terms, than it
was in late 2004.
Western donors, notably the International Monetary Fund, have been
quick to heap more praise on Armenia. “Armenia’s economic performance
has been impressive in recent years: double-digit growth since 2001 in
an environment of low inflation; a strengthening external position;
a reduction in poverty; and, more recently, a notable improvement
in tax performance,” the IMF’s managing director, Rodrigo de Rato,
said during a late June visit to Yerevan. “The authorities have done a
commendable job in maintaining sound macroeconomic policies,” he added,
promising to reward them with $34 million in additional IMF loans.
“Even China is not achieving that sort of growth,” observed Jeroen
Kremers, another senior IMF official. The macroeconomic performance
also earned Armenia this summer its first-ever credit ratings by two of
the world’s leading risk-assessment companies. The BA2 and BB- grades
assigned to it by Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch, respectively,
indicate a medium-level of creditworthiness and a relatively high risk
of doing business. Armenian Finance Minister Vartan Khachatrian and
Tigran Sarkisian, chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, insisted
at a July 25 news conference that the ratings are quite high for an
ex-Soviet state and will facilitate foreign investment.
The Armenian economy shrank by half in 1992 and 1993 following
the Soviet collapse and the outbreak of the wars in Karabakh and
elsewhere in the South Caucasus. Its slow recovery began in 1994
and accelerated several years later, despite Azerbaijan and Turkey’s
continuing economic blockades of Armenia resulting from the unresolved
Karabakh conflict. Armenian growth has averaged nearly 12% since 2001,
according to official statistics endorsed by the IMF and the World
Bank. The real impact on living standards on the country has been a
matter of contention, however.
The Armenian government says the proportion of Armenians living below
the official poverty line fell from 56% to 34.6% between 1999 and
2005. But the picture is rather mixed on closer inspection. While
increased prosperity is visible in Yerevan (e.g., skyrocketing real
estate prices, proliferating cars, shops, and other small businesses),
many regions outside the Armenian capital have seen little development
over the past decade. The economic upswing has clearly not been
accompanied by the creation of a sufficient number of new jobs, with
some independent studies suggesting that unemployment may still be as
high as 30%. The uneven distribution of the benefits of growth also
manifests itself through massive tax evasion by Armenia’s wealthiest
citizens, many of them having close ties with the government.
Although the Armenian government’s tax revenues have been growingly
steadily and considerably, they still made up only 14.5% of GDP last
year, one of the lowest ratios in the former Soviet Union. President
Robert Kocharian’s top economic adviser, Vahram Nercissiantz, admitted
recently that the Armenian state budget, projected at just over $1
billion in 2006, should have been much bigger given the real volume
of economic activity in the country.
The Kocharian administration claims to be tackling the problem in
earnest. It has promised in particular to raise by 40% the salaries
of civil servants and schoolteachers as well as pensions in the
next three years. The pledge is part of the Armenian government’s
short-term economic outlook that predicts a GDP growth of at least 6%
a year from 2007 through 2009. Officials say Armenia’s GDP per capita
will rise from the current $1,600 to $2,300 as a result.
Fitch also offered a “stable outlook” for the Armenian economy in
a report released last June. But the Western credit rating firm
cautioned that the economy remains “vulnerable to shocks” due to a
low level of monetization and underdeveloped financial services. It
also said the authorities in Yerevan should do more to “strengthen
governance and the still relatively immature political system, as
well as reduce the high level of corruption.”
(Noyan Tapan, August 1; Azg, July 26-27; RFE/RL Armenia Report,
June 28, June 8; Hayots Ashkhar, June 20)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SYRIA WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND LEBANON
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.08.2006 17:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Syria will not interfere with war between Israel
and Lebanon, political scientist, specialist in Turkic philology Ruben
Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. “No one will support Syria
in that issue, and first of all Russia, from which Syria depends,”
he noted.
In his turn political scientist Stepan Grigoryan also underscored that
neither Syria, nor Iran will dare to launch a war against Israel. “In
this case they will have to deal with the US and Russia in direct
sense,” he said.
Syria FM Walid Moallem stated in Beirut that Syria is ready to a
regional war and will respond to any aggression by Israel.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VAHAN HOVHANNESIAN DOESN’T EXCLUDE POSSIBILITY OF
ALLOWING PEOPLE WITH DOUBLE CITIZENSHIP TO VOTE
AZG Armenian Daily #147, 05/08/2006
Home
In the course of today’s meeting with the Armenia youth from Diaspora,
Vahan Hovhannesian, Vice Speaker of RA National Assembly, touched upon
the issues of tax paying order of the people with double citizenship,
the issue of the order of their serving in the army, and the issue of
the right to vote and be elected. Hovhannesian stated that according
to some approaches, the people with double citizenship may run for
the elections for the local administration bodies, if the have the
minimal term for living in Armenia.
“If the term surpasses the minimum period, they may run for the
parliamentary elections,” he said. He added that the draft law on
double citizenship will be discussed at the parliament in autumn. He
said it will be adopted before the parliament of the third convocation
is dissolved.
By Marietta Makarian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GENERAL: WE IMMEDIATELY
RESPOND TO VIOLATIONS OF PRIVATIZATION LAWS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Based on a report submitted by the
National Assembly Control Chamber, the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office registered a number of mistakes made by the government
during the implementation of the 2001-2003 program on state property
privatization. However, as the Deputy Prosecutor General of the RA
Gevorg Danielian stated at the August 4 press conference, there are
no sufficient grounds for opening criminal cases on the basis of the
facts the report contains. He said that the NA Control Chamber’s report
on implementation of the 2001-2003 privatization program was sent on
May 16 of this year by the NA Speaker to the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office. According to G. Danielian, after studying this report, the
Prosecutor General’s Office found some inaccuracies in the information
of the Control Chamber. In his words, the NA lawyers “sometimes
present exaggerated figures, but as a result of working with experts
of the prosecutor’s office, they often change their opinion.” Asked
if he sees any intent in the activity of the NA Control Chamber,
G. Danielian replied: “Even if there is a political implication,
it has no bearing to us.” According to him, the prosecutor’s office
is interested only in the legal aspect of the matter. “In general,
we immediately respond to violations of the laws on privatization,”
he assured.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STUDENTS’ PROGRAMMING SUMMER SCHOOL TO BE ORGANIZED IN TSAGHKADZOR ON AUGUST
6-12 WITH PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION OF
ARMENIA AND GEORGIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State
University (RAU) and the Enterprise Incubator Foundation organize on August 6-12
the Students’ Programming Summer School with participation of leading students’
programming teams of institutions of higher education of Armenia and Georgia.
The opening of the program will take place on August 6 in the “Adigaz”
resting house of Tsaghkadzor. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RAU, the main
goal of the school is to prepare the Olympic teams of institutions of higher
education of Armenia for the International Programming Olympiad. Competitions,
experimental olympiads, courses will be held in the school, Sergey Kuznetsov,
Doctor of physics-mathematics sciences, Professor invited from the Moscow
State University will read lectures. The summer school will allow students’
teams of Armenian institutions of higher education to do together group works, to
widen relations and establish new acquaintances as well as to have exchange
of experience.

VARTAN OSKANIAN RECEIVES DIASPORAN ARMENIAN TEACHERS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Minister of
Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian had a meeting on August 4 with the
delegation of Diasporan Armenian teachers who undergo retraining in
Armenia. As it was mentioned in the information submitted to Noyan
Tapan by the Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department,
on behalf of the delegation, Suren Danielian, the Director of the
“Spyurk” (Diaspora) educational-scientific center addressed their work
of gratitude to Minister Oskanian. V.Oskanian, in his turn, welcame
the teachers on the occasion of their visit to Armenia and of the
effective implementation of the program, emphasizing the importance
of the education sphere in the sense of keeping the Armenian identity
abroad, of improvement of the state, society in Armenia. The Minister
presented in details the main programs of the “Armenia-Diaspora”
conference to take place in the current year and primary tasks
connected with the rural regions. He also touched upon the regional
political problems, pointing out the outcome of the NKR problem,
issues connected with opening of the Turkish border and the military
actions in Near East. The Foreign Minister responded the delegation’s
questions during the meeting. Reference: “Diasporan Armenian Teachers’
Training in Armenia” state program has functioned since 2000. It is
the practical implementation of one of issues attached importance to
by the “Armenia-Diaspora” first conference.
The program has been sponsored by His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos
of All Armenians already for two years. 67 teachers from 12 countries
participate in the mentioned courses. Lessons are held in the building
of the Gevorgian Academy of Etchmiadzin. Famous specialists both from
Armenia and Diaspora are invited to deliver lectures.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INCREASE BY 37 IN YEREVAN IN FIRST HALF YEAR
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, NOYAN TAPAN. 291 traffic accidents were fixed in
Yerevan in January-July as result of what 32 people died, 306 people
were injured.
Vrezh Gabrielian, the Deputy Chief of the RA Territorial Administration
informed about it at the August 7 press-conference. He mentioned
that compared with the first half year of the previous year, traffic
accidents increased by 37 cases, number of deaths by 2. According to
V.Gabrielian, the main reason of increase of traffic accidents is the
increase of the number of cars in the capital. It was also mentioned
that 726 cases of poisoning from domestic gas, food and alcohol were
fixed in the first half of this year. According to V.Gabrielian,
it is more by 120 cases compared with the same period of time of the
previous year.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE CURIOUS CASE OF ORHAN PAMUK
Harvard Political Review, MA
Aug. 7, 2006
By RYDER KESSLER
Turkey learns a valuable lesson – but will its citizens get the
message?
In September 2005, the Turkish government charged internationally
renowned author Orhan Pamuk with “insulting Turkishness” when he
called for Turkey to face up to a legacy of genocide. The charges
carried a possible jail sentence of up to three years. Four months
later, Turkey suddenly dropped the charges. The apparent about face
has been interpreted by some as an attempt to evade international
scrutiny of its less-than-democratic policies. Others see it is a
true step forward in Turkey’s quest to adapt to the standards set
forth by the European Union, whose ranks Ankara hopes to join.
Both views are right, to a point. Turkey is learning that it must
uphold internationally recognized standards of freedom of the press,
but it faces two internal obstacles to lasting change: a deep-seated
custom of sweeping discomforting issues under the rug and citizens
averse to European-style criticism of their nation.
Article 301: Democratic Censorship Since 1999, when it officially
became a candidate country for the EU, Turkey has been struggling to
adapt its policies to Europe’s demands.
Two issues have proven to be especially difficult Turkey’s attempted
Europeanization: its refusal to discuss the alleged Armenian genocide
of 1914-1915 and the killing of Kurdish separatists since 1984.
These sensitive subjects have led to a multitude of arrests under
the country’s Article 301, which forbids insults against any branch
of government. The law has been liberally applied, one of its many
victims being Pamuk, who was charged after he told Swiss newspaper
Tages Anzeiger in February 2005 that “a million Armenians and 30,000
Kurds were killed in these lands, and nobody but me dares talk about
it.” The comments were taken by the government as insulting to the
nation and to the character of Turks; Turkey maintains that neither
the deaths of ethnic Armenians in the early twentieth century, nor
the deaths of Kurdish separatists, qualifies as genocide.
The fact that relatively innocuous comments about decades-old
conflicts led to such a high-profile author’s indictment shows just
how much Turkey fears the consequences of a dialogue on its alleged
atrocities. First, separatists could be emboldened by a perceived
show of weakness if Turkey changes its stance. Second, it could weaken
its position in relations with Armenia, whose border with Turkey has
been shut down since 1993. Moreover, the idea of “national dignity”
has retained a high place in the collective mind of the primarily
Muslim nation.
But the West does not share such values. The widespread application
of a law meant to apply to a narrow range of speech has become, from
the point of view of many international eyes, a tool of oppression.
Though the government does not directly censor the work of journalists
and others within their borders, government retribution has bred a
pervasive brand of self-censorship within the framework of democratic
laws.
The Cost of Accession: Freedom, Not Lira The EU Commissioner for
Enlargement, Olli Rehn, has made clear the costs of such a culture. In
October, Turkey became a “negotiating country,” moving beyond the level
of “candidate country.” In an article in the December 2005/January 2006
issue of Turkish Policy Quarterly, Rehn implored Turks to realize that
“the negotiation process for Turkey means nothing more or less than
Turkey adopting the values, rules and standards which are applied in
today’s Europe.”
On the issue of the Pamuk case-still impending at the time of the
article’s publication-Rehn affirmed the liberal vision that “we must
stand united in defending his fundamental democratic right to freely
express himself.”
The backlash caused by Pamuk’s indictment was not always so
kindly worded. Members of the European Parliament called the case
“unfortunate” and “unacceptable” and the international press excoriated
Turkey’s repressiveness. It was clear that the EU’s expectations were
not being met. Soon, Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul acknowledged
that the trial itself posed a threat to Turkey’s national image. That
top-level officials spoke out on the danger of the prosecution
testifies to the impact of international pressure.
So too did the events that followed: When the trial began December
5, the judge adjourned the proceedings pending the approval of the
country’s ministry of justice. But before the trial could continue,
the government reversed its position, dropping its charges completely
on January 23.
The episode taught Turkey a valuable lesson: international eyes will
stay focused on the nation for as long as it intends to join the
European Community, at which point it will have all of Europe to
report to.
Beyond Pamuk
But whether the lesson truly sunk in is another question entirely.
Five other journalists charged under Article 301 for comments also
relating to Turkey’s denial of genocide still face prison time. Their
trials, which commenced February 8, have been delayed until April.
Now that the international spotlight is off Turkey, there is a risk
that the repression of journalists and others who speak out against
the government will continue unnoticed.
But the repetition of events like the Pamuk scandal is unlikely.
European Parliament monitors will be present at all further proceedings
against the five journalists and the charges against them may even
be dropped by then. What makes the future of censorship in Turkey
unclear is that the Turkish government must report not only to the EU
Enlargement Commission, but to its people, many of whom are fiercely
nationalist and anti-European.
In an essay in the New Yorker in December 2005, Pamuk spoke of the
seeming paradox in his country amongst a growing middle class whose
economic position leads them to Western styles of life but who are
loathe to be accused of abandoning tradition: “What am I to make of a
country that insists that the Turks, unlike their Western neighbors,
are a compassionate people, incapable of genocide, while nationalist
political groups are pelting me with death threats?”
Beyond the death threats and calls from fellow journalists for Pamuk to
be forever “silenced,” there were the demonstrators outside his trial –
not protesting its undemocratic nature, but calling the defendant a
“traitor.” When the other Article 301 trials began on February 7,
nationalist lawyers nearly took over the courthouse, calling for
a new judge and fighting with riot police. Outside, demonstrators
reveled in a chorus of nationalist chants.
Ankara has learned that it must allow for free discourse if it
intends to join Europe. Though the nation may fear for its image,
a preoccupation with quelling “insults” would prove more damaging
than letting those insults be aired in the open. As it makes strides
toward EU admittance, the Turkish government will scale back the
abuse of Article 301, if not drop it from the books altogether.
But even if journalists do not suffer the retribution of their
government for unpopular comments, the imminent hatred from fellow
citizens will continue to foster a culture of fear, meaning that
self-censorship will persist. If Turkey wants its impending EU
accession to be worthwhile, Ankara must teach the lesson about free
speech that it has learned to its people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress