Author: Emil Lazarian

ALIEV THREATENED NOT ONLY THE ARMENIANS
A1+
06:55 pm 16 March, 2006
“My ambition is to make the military budget of Azerbaijan equal to
the state budget of Armenia.
Armenia can never compete with us. The sooner Armenia realises this
fact, the better for the country,” the president of Azerbaijan Ilhalm
Aliev declared today during the Second World Session of the Azeris.
According to the data of “Trend” Agency the military budget of
Azerbaijan is about 600 million dollars.
Ilhalm Aliev also declared in front of the Azeris that Azerbaijan
will observe its position in the peaceful settlement procedure of the
NK conflict, if they find out that Armenia hinders the negotiation
procedure with its non-structural principles. “It is already 12 years
the negotiation procedure goes on, but no results have been reached so
far and nobody knows how long it will last. We are for the peaceful
regulation but when we come across non-structural approaches from
the Armenian side our patience comes to an end. If we find that the
negotiation procedure takes an imitatitive character we shall refuse
our participation,” claimed Ilhalm Aliev.
The latter also promised the Azeris that Aderbaijan will not allow
the separating Nagorni Karabakh in 10 or in 100 years’ time. “There
won’t be any peaceful treaty in case the return of the refugees is
not settled,” declared the president of Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN ‘SECURITY EXPERTS’ HEIGHTEN POLITICAL PASSIONS IN KENYA
Agence France Presse — English
March 16, 2006 Thursday 5:09 PM GMT
Nairobi
Two Armenian brothers operating in Kenya are “security experts”, a
senior government official said Thursday, but opposition politicians
say they mercenaries doing dirty work for the state.
Government spokesman Alfred Mutua has described the Armenians as
legitimate investors and influential opposition lawmaker Raila Odinga,
who brought the affair to light, has said they werehired by the state
to carry out secret operations.
Mutua said Artur Sargasyan, 36, and Artur Margayan, 33, were investors
who registered a development and financial consultance firm called
Brother Link International on December 1, 2005, but obtained their
work permits on January 23.
Amid the controversy on what the two actually do, a well-placed top
government official told AFP that they are “security experts,” but
declined to explain their mission in the east African country.
“They are security experts,” the official, who asked to remain unnamed,
told AFP.
Odinga began the saga when he claimed the two were among hooded
policemen who raided Standard Group — the country’s second largest
media house — early this month after it published an report that
President Mwai Kibaki held secret talks with his onetime ally turned
foe Kalonzo Musyoka.
Police officials could not be reached Thursday for comment on the
respective claims.
On Monday, the Armenians, who said they are nephews of Armenia’s
President Robert Kocharyan, gave a press conference in Nairobi
airport’s government VIP Lounge to deny the allegations they were
mercenaries and declare themselves people seeking “business investment
venture in the hotel industry and general trade.”
“I have been greatly troubled by reports … to the effect that I
am a mercenary … These accusations are entirely false hence the
decision to come to Kenya,” Sargasyan told reporters, saying he had
returned from Dubai that day to clear his name.
Yet an official document shown to AFP indicated that the pair were not
on the national carrier Kenya Airways passenger manifest from Dubai.
“This means they have not left Kenya,” since they came, the official
said.
Police have issued no formal statement except recorded ones from
Odinga, a fierce foe of the government of President Mwai Kibaki,
and lawmaker Kalonzo Musyoka, who conceded they have met the pair,
but described them as “dangerous people.”
The Armenians further claim they loaned Odinga 1.5 million dollars but
refused to grant a further three billion shillings (42 million dollars)
“to finance an anticipated no-confidence vote against the president.”
Odinga denies both these claims. He went further and produced copies
of the Armenians’ passports in public, but refused to say where he
got them from.
He and Musyoka are among opposition members of a so-called Orange
Democratic Movement (ODM) that carried out a successful campaign last
year against a government-backed constitution that handed Kibaki a
humiliating defeat in a referendum vote.
“The two individuals have never worked for the government of Kenya
nor undertaken any business with or for the government of Kenya,”
Mutua told press conference here.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALIYEV: AZERBAIJAN “WILL NOT ADMIT TEARING AWAY KARABAKH” EITHER IN 10 OR 100 YEARS
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2006 23:52 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Armenia can never compete with Azerbaijan,” Azeri
President I. Aliyev stated at the II World Azerbaijanis Congress
March 16. In his words, Azerbaijan is increasing its military power
and its military budget makes $600 million this year. “I set a task of
making Azerbaijan’s military budget equal to all of Armenia’s budget
in the near future.” “Armenia can never compete with us. The earlier
Armenian leaders understand it, the better for them,” Aliyev said.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan will have to reconsider its
participation in the peace talks over the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement if it sees “Armenia breaks the negotiation process and
is not constructive.” “The peace talks have been held for 12 years,
but they did not bear fruit. We abide by the peace process, however
when we encounter Armenia’s not constructive stance, our patience
expires. If Azerbaijan sees that the peace process is an imitation,
it will refuse from participation in it,” Aliyev said. In his words,
Azerbaijan will not admit tearing away Nagorno Karabakh either in
10 or 100 years. “There will be no peace accord without solving
the question of return of displaced persons to their native lands,”
the Azeri President underscored, Trend reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“A1+” CANNOT RELEASE THE PREMISES
A1+
09:17 pm 16 March, 2006
“A1+” will not release the premises on Grigor Lusavorich 15 unless
the RA State Property Department offers an adequate version for the
release, and not only one room instead of 11 as it has already done,”
claims the director of “A1+” Mesrop Movsesian.
Tomorrow at any time after 12 the Compulsory Service representatives
can exile “A1+” from the premises rented for 15 years.
” It is strange to me that they are going to expel us without our
knowledge as we haven’t decided where to move and haven’t made any
preparations yet,” says Mr.
Movsesian stating the real reasons because of which “A1+” can’t release
the premises of the NAS on March 17. The release will be equal to the
cease of the activities of the Internet site”A1+”, the Media Agency
“A1+”, weekly newspaper “Ajb – Fe” and the net “Hamaspur” of the
independent regional TV companies.
We face different problems today, starting from the cabling
of the telephone net to the mounting of the expensive TV
equipments. Mr. Movsesian deems the Court resolution according to which
“A1+” must release the premises illegal. “We have got controversial
facts which have been ignored by the Court and I consider this
step another case of the violation of our rights” “A1+” has been
punctually fulfilling its renting liabilities for 15 years, it has
invested its own money for the building repair and the company has
paid the salaries of the guards and their energy fees.
“Before releasing the premises “A1+” must be compensated for its
investments,” says Mesrop Movsesian. By the way, he claims that “A1+”
already got tired of that bustle and they will willingly release the
premises in case of an adequate offer and money compensation. But the
NAS must leave the idea of exiling “A1” as long as there are other
tenants in the building. By the way, those are not “old dwellers,”
but newcomers who have recently moved to Grigor Lusavorich 15. Let’s
take the Union “Ergir” whose president decided to take away its poster
from the entrance this afternoon. “A1+” was also offered to leave the
second floor of the building where the company has no rooms. “The
second floor is free, they can take it,” says Mesrop Movsesian and
gets astonished that the NAS doesn’t know its tenants.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ILHAM ALIYEV NOT AGAINST NEIGHBOR RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 16 2006
Tbilisi, March 16 (Prime-News) – Release of Azerbaijani territories
occupied by Yerevan will assist improvement of neighbor relations
with Armenia, Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani president, stated.
“We demand release of our lands from occupation, withdrawal of
Armenian troops from those territories, after that we will have
neighbor relations,” Aliyev stated during the meeting with Turkish
delegation, which arrived in Baku to participate in the second session
of all Azerbaijanians.

EBRD TO PARTICIPATE IN REHABILITATION OF RUSSIA-GEORGIA-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE
Prime News Agency, Georgia
March 16 2006
Tbilisi, March 16 (Prime-News) – European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) is satisfied with economic reforms implemented
in Georgia and in 2006 intends to invest about EUR 90 million in
Georgian economy.
Nikolay Hadjiski, permanent representative of the EBRD in Georgia,
stated about that noting that amount of the funding could be increased,
Reuter informs.
According to the EBRD representative, improvement of energy supply
in the regions of Georgia will allow the Bank to implement more
projects there.
Besides, the EBRD intends to participate in rehabilitation of the gas
pipeline, which is used for import of gas from the Russian Federation
to Georgia and Armenia.
EBRD plans to expand its activity in banking sector of Georgia by
means of opening credit lines and participation in banks’ capital.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“TELEVISION DAY” IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
March 16 2006
At March 15 sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education,
Culture and Youth Affairs the draft of RA Law on Making Amendments
and Addendum on Higher and Post-Graduate Specialized Education.
As Sergo Yeritsyan, RA Minister of Education and Science, as
the faculty is the structural division of the higher educational
institution, and the dean of the faculty carries out the management
of the faculty and the organization of the work, except the
scientific-pedagogical activity, his work is also of administrative
nature, what is suggested to fix in the law.
In some MPs’ view, the dean can carry out administrative functions,
but it doesn’t mean that his/her post, it’s of organizational
character. Committee Chairwoman Hranush Hakobyan proposed the authors
to specify this disputable problem with RA Ministry of Justice, clarify
the problem of complying it with the law, after which guarantee to
put it on the sittings agenda.
Gevorg Gevorgyan, RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, presented
the draft on Libraries and Library Science, informing that taking into
account the claims and suggestions voiced during the parliamentary
hearings the draft has been improved. He noted in particular that the
name of the draft has been changed into draft on Libraries. There
are also amendments on the librarians’ training, the necessity of
compliance with their specialty and availability of at least one
community library in each community.
Hranush Hakobyan, Committee Chairwoman, noticed that we should be
realistic and should not add any provision on double fold of the
salary without any financial ground, to lay down the problem of
having compulsory specialized education in the conditions of the
specialists’ lack, which can be a reason of social encroachments. At
Mrs. Hakobyan’s proposal the draft was guaranteed to be put on the
agenda of the session of the National Assembly.
Alexan Harutiunyan, Chairman of the Public TV and Radio Council
addressed the 2005 activity of the Council, presenting the goals of
the activity, the measures ensuring them, the implemented programmes,
the indices of financing, the commercial and investment activity. Mr.
Harutiunyan informed that till the end of 2006 the works of technical
upgrading of TV and Radio Company will be completed, providing
with international indices the high quality of the broadcasting
programmes. The Public TV Company has done a lot of work in
re-broadcasting the programmes through cable and other communications
in the settlements having Armenian big communities abroad, making more
accessible for the Diasporan Armenians the watching of the programmes
pf Public TV Company.
On December 2005 on the assistance of the Public TV Company and
involved credit expenses the Shirak Public TV and Radio obtained
technical means, due to which instead of network the broadcasting of
the radio programmes is carried out within FM for 24 hours. Mr.
Harutiunyan expressed a hope that during the discussion of the 2007
state budget draft the National Assembly will support in adding the
financing of Shirak Public TV and Radio Company.
According to the programme “State Order in TV Films Production”
envisaged by 2005 state budget, “Yerevan Studio” CJSC has shot two
TV films: one of them related to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, and the other one – the 60th anniversary of the victory in
the Patriotic war.
Mr. Harutiunyan informed that the live broadcasting have cultural
and sports events of international importance is carried out on the
expenses of commercial revenues: the 2006 World Cup Football matches
will also be broadcast with those means.
Alexan Harutiunyan also touched upon the broadcasting of TV and
radio programmes on National Assembly activity, noting that they
propose to regulate them not by law but on contractual bases, which
doesn’t assume the financial obligations. He said that he applied to
Mr. Baghdasaryan, President of the National Assembly, with a letter,
and he hopes that in near future the council will have an opportunity
to meet with NA leadership in order to thoroughly discuss that issue.
Grigor Amalyan, Chairman of the TV and Radio National Commission,
addressed the 2005 activity, presenting the amendments made on the
list of the envisaged frequencies for the TV and radio broadcasting,
the results of 2005 broadcasting competitions.
At the authors’ proposal the commission postponed for 15 days the
debate on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA law on the Information
Freedom and the package of the addenda and amendments being proposed
in other 6 laws connected with it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HUNDREDS TO JOIN WORLD AZERIS CONGRESS
AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006
Over a thousand representatives from different countries will gather
in the Azeri capital Baku to attend the second congress of World
Azerbaijanis on Thursday.
The event is to draw 1,300 visitors, including more than 600 from
49 countries, the chairman of the State Committee on Work with
Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, Nazim Ibrahimov, said. Most of the
attendees, 170, will arrive from neighboring Russia, while 60 from the
former Soviet republic of Ukraine, 40 Georgia, 39 Turkey, 33 Germany,
25 Kazakhstan. Visitors from France, Sweden, Netherlands, Hungary,
Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria are expected as well.
Azeri representatives from Egypt, Iceland, Japan, Thailand, Australia
and New Zealand will be in attendance for the first time. About 300
political figures, MPs from dozens of countries, officials, renowned
scientists and intellectuals, who have contributed to the development
of Azerbaijani communities abroad, will be among the attendees,
along with representatives of the Jewish and Turkic communities,
Ibrahimov said. Speaking at the event will be Turkish state minister
on Turkic states Mehmet Aydin, ex-state secretary of the former
German Federal Republic Otto Hauser, state secretary of Kyrgyzstan
Dastan Sarigulov, former French ambassador to Azerbaijan Jean Perren,
Michael Nobel, the grandson of Alfred Nobel, and others. “The congress
will discuss a number of issues pertaining to the current standing of
the Azerbaijani Diaspora and ways of informing the world community
about Azerbaijan’s realities, acts of terror and genocide committed
against Azeris and strengthening relations with other communities,”
Ibrahimov said. The participants are expected to adopt appeals to world
Azeris and the international community concerning the Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict, as well as Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan
and the destruction of historical and cultural sites in the occupied
territories. Ibrahimov noted that intense discussions are currently
under way on establishing a special fund for the Azeri Diaspora.
“Some believe that the entity should be an independent public
organization, while others say it should be a government agency.”
There are currently about 50 million Azerbaijanis throughout the
world, including 30m in neighboring Iran, two million in the country’s
northern neighbor Russia, 1.5 million in the United States, 500,000
in Ukraine, and 350,000 in France, according to the State Committee.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GERMANY LIFTS BAN ON TALAT PASHA DEMONSTRATION
New Anatolian, Turkey
March 16 2006
The German Administrative Court late Tuesday lifted a ban on the Talat
Pasha demonstration, saying that the march will not harm Armenians.
The march set for Saturday in Berlin aims to have recognition of
the Armenian genocide claims by European countries rescinded. The
court’s decision follows a ban imposed on the march by Berlin’s police
department on Monday.
The court also underlined in its decision that the march isn’t an
insult to the souls of dead Armenians.
The march, which has the slogan “Take your flag and come to Berlin,”
has caused tension between Turkey and Germany. Flyers announcing
the movement read, “If Western capitals don’t want to be burned like
Paris, unjust treatment towards Turkey must end.” Workers’ Party (IP)
leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) President Rauf Denktas will lead the planned demonstration
with the participation of many representatives from Turkish political
parties and European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the
framework of the Talat Pasha Movement. The main aim of the group is to
put pressure on the German Parliament to remove official recognition
of the Armenian genocide claims. The movement also aims to attract
some 5 million supporters, including some 1,000 from Turkey.
Denktas is expected to lay flowers at the place in Berlin where
Talat Pasha was assassinated on March 15, 1921 by an Armenian, and
an assembly will gather in a memorial for Talat Pasha on Sunday.
In an effort to hamper these efforts, the German Embassy in Ankara
turned down yesterday visa applications for some who might be intending
to participate in the demonstration.

AUTHOR TO GIVE READING
Lincoln Journal, MA
March 16 2006
Local author Ken Janjigian will give a reading and sign copies of
his new novel “Trapped Doors” Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at the
Lincoln Public Library.
Daphne Abeel of the Armenian Mirror Spectator said of “Trapped Doors,”
“Janjigian demonstrates a knack for the comic and an ear for dialogue
in these stories…His descriptions of the varied cast of barflies are
painfully hilarious. Janjigian captures their dilemma in as pitiless a
light as the American dramatist, Eugene O’Neill, and with considerably
more humor.”
“Trapped Doors” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, independent
bookstores, and directly from the publisher through
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress