Author: Felekian Ara

EU CONDEMNS ‘PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS’ IN ARMENIAN-OCCUPIED TERRITORY

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 18 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend K.Ramazanova / Allan Vaddams, the head of
the European Commission’s Baku office, stated in Baku on the 18 July
that the so-called ‘presidential elections’ in the Nagorno-Karabakh
have no logical grounds.

"The presidential elections in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani
territory, scheduled for the 19 July will also be discussed at the
Council of Europe and OSCE."

The official of the European Commission voiced his negative position on
these elections and stressed they will not be recognized by European
countries. The European Union does not recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh
as an independent establishment.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of Azerbaijani lands including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts. Since 1992 to the present
time, these territories have been under Armenian occupation. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement at which time
active hostilities ended. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (
Russia, France and USA) are holding peaceful negotiations.

TURKISH OPPOSITION RIDES NATIONALIST WAVE IN ELECTIONS

Raw Story, MA
_rides_nationalis_07182007.html
July 18 2007

A politician brandishes a noose and calls for a jailed Kurdish leader
to be hanged; another accuses the prime minister of being a coward for
not invading Iraq, a third says the premier is the biggest obstacle
to Turkey’s anti-terror effort.

With the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leading the
opinion polls for legislative elections Sunday, opposition parties
are lashing out at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s failure to
quell renewed bloodshed by separatist Kurdish rebels in the southeast.

The secularist army, often at odds with the AKP’s Islamist roots, has
upped pressure on Erdogan with public appeals for an incursion into
neighbouring Iraq, where the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international
community, takes refuge.

Funerals of soldiers killed by the PKK have turned from usually solemn
ceremonies into anti-AKP protests during which ministers are booed
and the government tagged "murderers."

"The terrorism problem is right at the heart of the elections,"
political scientist Fuat Keyman said.

Public anger boiled over in May when a suspected PKK militant blew
himself up in Ankara, killing nine people.

"The opposition is exploiting the people’s security fears. The problem
of terror, the slain soldiers have become political material, which
is not healthy at all," commented Mehmet Ozcan of the Ankara-based
think tank USAK.

The opposition finds fertile ground in a society where nationalism is
already on the rise, analysts say, pointing at Turkish exasperation
with US inaction against PKK bases in Iraq and strong opposition in
Europe to mainly Muslim Turkey’s bid for EU membership.

The main beneficiary of rising nationalist sentiment will be the
far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP), which is expected to go
over the 10-percent national threshold and return to parliament after
a five-year absence, polling expert Hakan Bayrakci told the Internet
newspaper Forum.

"The MHP will pass the threshold thanks to the rise of terrorism,"
he said. "Otherwise, it would have had a very hard time" getting
into parliament.

While the MHP’s nationalist campaign is no surprise, the main
opposition Republican People Party’s (CHP) endorsement of a similar
agenda has stunned many and left a big void in the centre-left of
Turkish politics.

The CHP, expected to be the second force in parliament after the AKP,
"drifted away from its social-democrat identity. It is hard now to
even call it a democratic party," Keyman said.

The traditional voice of pro-Western, secular Turks, the CHP is now
opposed to EU reforms to expand free speech and minority rights and
leads calls for an incursion into northern Iraq.

The opposition’s reliance on "exaggerated and populist" nationalism
reflects its failure to offer efficient economic policies to rival the
AKP, whose four and a half years in power have resulted in economic
stability and strong growth, Keyman said.

The prospect of no centre-left voice in the new parliament gave rise
to an unprecedented grassroots movement that nominated an outspoken
human rights defender, Baskin Oran, as an independent candidate
from Istanbul.

Oran, a respected international relations professor and a close
associate of slain ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, says he is
campaigning for the rights of "all the oppressed and alienated" —
from Kurds and non-Muslim minorities to the unemployed and homosexuals.

He focuses on expanding Kurdish rights as a means of ending the
insurgency in the southeast.

"Nationalism harms the nation most, because it triggers
counter-nationalism," one of his campaign slogans says.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S OFFICE OF SUPERVISION SERVICES APPOINTED AS HEAD OF TAX SERVICE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 16 2007

YEREVAN. July 16. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian released
Felix Tsolakyan from the post of Head of the State Tax Service due
to his transfer to another job position.

The president’s press-service reported that Kocharian appointed Vahram
Barseghyan Head of the State Tax Service, having released him from
the post of Head of the Presidential Office of Supervision Services.

Also, the president appointed Felix Tsolakyan as his assistant.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I EFFECTS A RECONCILIATION BETWEEN
THE COPTIC AND ETHIOPIAN CHURCHES

"You have made history". This is how a Coptic Metropolitan described the
reconciliation brought about by His Holiness Aram I between the Coptic
Orthodox and the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. "This is a historical day",
said an Ethiopian Archbishop. These words were pronounced after the signing
of a Common Declaration, marking the end of more than two decades of tension
between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The
Common Declaration was signed on Friday 13 July 2007 at the Cathedral of the
Coptic Church in Cairo, with the signing of a Common Declaration by the
three spiritual heads: His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and
Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia, and His Holiness Abba Paulos, Patriarch of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Emphasizing "the importance of this historical meeting", the spiritual
heads reaffirmed their unity of faith which is "deeply rooted in the Holy
Scriptures, the Apostolic faith and Tradition, the three Ecumenical Councils
(Nicea 325, Constantinople 381, and Ephesus 431) and the teachings of church
fathers, specially St. Athanasius the Great, St. Cyril of Alexandria and St.
Gregory the Illuminator."

After expressing their "deep thanks to Catholicos Aram I for his fraternal
efforts to bring this historic meeting into reality", Pope Shenouda and
Patriarch Paulos committed themselves to deepen and expand their bilateral
collaboration. Greeting this historic event, Aram I said: "We can not ignore
or change the past; we can change the future with renewed faith, hope and
vision."

The meeting in Cairo was preceded by another meeting in Addis Ababa
between Catholicos Aram I and Patriarch Paulos. In their Joint Declaration
they stressed the need to strengthen the cooperation between the Oriental
Orthodox Churches in the area of Christian education, theological formation,
justice and peace. They called for "the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by the International Community as the first genocide of the 20th Century
just as they recognized the Rwandan Genocide as the last genocide of the
20th Century".

Commenting on the role of the Oriental Orthodox Churches His Holiness Aram
I, the former Moderator of the World Council of Churches said: "Unity must
be translated into a quality of life undergirded by close collaboration,
joint action and common vision. The churches are the limbs of the one body
of Christ; they can not live in isolation; they are interrelated".

He then continued "The Oriental Orthodox Churches with their theology,
spirituality and long history of martyrdom and witness have a unique
contribution to make to the Christian self-understanding and mission in a
new world context" and to the ecumenical movement".

The Oriental Orthodox Family is composed of the Syrian, Coptic, Armenian,
Ethiopian, Indian and Eritrean Churches. These Churches have world-wide
Diaspora and are active in the ecumenical movement.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos14.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

LEADER OF NDU IS AGAINST ARTIFICIAL REANIMATION OF SOME OPPOSITIONISTS

Lragir.am
12-07-2007 15:01:5

The opposition includes such different forces by their importance and
approaches that it is meaningless to think everyone there is good,
and everyone wants it to be good, and if they come to power they
will bring about a change. This idea was stated by the leader of the
National Democratic Union who held a news conference on July 12 at
the National Press Club.

"There are forces in the opposition the unification of which I
would refer to as common candidate, not everyone. Because there
is opposition which fulfills different orders, both internal and
external. They do not necessarily need to unite, what’s the use of
it?" Vazgen Manukyan says.

According to him, besides disadvantages the election of 2007 had also
advantages. "Some of the opposition parties learned their real role
in the process, and there is no need to reanimate them artificially,"
Vazgen Manukyan says, declining to mention the names of oppositionists
who fulfill internal and external orders.

"Even if the opposition wins the presidential election, there is
one obstacle, nevertheless. A major party is needed versus this
government which would involve the major forces of the society,
tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people. Unfortunately,
there is no such party in Armenia.

There are objective reasons but there are also wrong technologies
which led to this dissipation of the opposition," Vazgen Manukyan says.

KAZAKH AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: KAZAKHSTAN’S INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY TOTAL 40 MILLION DOLLARS

arminfo
2007-07-12 14:32:00

Investments of Kazakhstan in the economy of Armenia total 40 million
dollars, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan
to Armenia Aimdos Ersaini Bozdjigitov says in an interview to ArmInfo.

The Ambassador said the investments were made mainly in the banking
sector of Armenia. In general, Kazakhstan considers Armenia as a
country with high-level economic freedom. Moreover, there is ather
favorable climate for investors and exporters in Armenia. All this
alongside with impressive macroeconomic indicators create favorable
conditions for bilateral economic cooperation. At the same time,
the investment cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan is
insignificant. "Our countries have solid mutually advantageous
potential that is not used completely. It is important that the
constructive political dialogue is strengthened by effective
partnership in the trade and economy sphere. We are to elaborate
effective cooperation models, open new cooperation possibilities,
especially, in energy and transport spheres. He added that Kazakhstan
is considering the possible shareholding in the stably developing
banking sector of Armenia," the Ambassador said. Kazakh banks rapidly
increase their assets and enter markets of the neighbouring states,
using surplus resources and low interest rates in the local market,
which makes crediting in abroad profitable. The second largest bank in
Kazakhstan "Turan Alem" has strong positions in the financial markets
of a number of CIS member-states. It established a branch in Armenia
in 2005. Moreover, the Ambassador said that given Armenia’s interest in
the supply of hydrocarbon material from deposits in Western Kazakhstan,
the planned construction of Kazakh oil terminals in the territory of
Georgia will help organizing oil supply to Armenia. Delivery of Kazakh
grain to Armenia is also considered from this point of view. "Joint
ventures have always been considered an effective and strong form of
bilateral cooperation," Ambassador Bozjigitov said. He also added
that Armenia is shareholder of 45 small enterprises in Kazakhstan,
including 21 JVs. These enterprises are mainly engaged on wholesale
trade, services and production of building materials. "We are ready
to discuss possible establishment of JVs in the sphere of machine
building, tourism and jewelry," the Ambassador said.

ZH. SEFILIAN AND V. MALKHASIAN SUGGEST TO ORGANIZE PUBLIC TRIAL
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily
11/07/2007

Zhirayr Sefilian, coordinator of "Union of Armenian Volunteers" and
"Defense of Liberated Territories" NGO and Vadan Malkhasian, member of
the abovementioned organizations, are imprisoned for already 7 months.

Yesterday they spread a statement in which they expressed confidence
that the violence committed against them is grounded on political
reasons. They suggest that a public trial should be organized with
the participation of prominent people and those who are well aware
of the situation. The prisoners stated that they want that "the
case" should be led by well-known figure Parouyr Hayrikian. As for
the court hearings, Sefilian and Malkhasian think that only those
pro-governmental public figures should participate in the trial who
believe in today’s judiciary system of Armenia.

According to another statement, the 40th anniversary of Zhirayr
Sefilian. Nevertheless, the trial on the case of Zhirayr Sefilian,
Vardan Malkhasian and their friend Vahan Aroyan will continue today,
too.

ARMENIA’S REGULATORY COMMISSION TO REJECT ARMENTEL’S APPLICATION

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 9 2007

YEREVAN, July 9. /ARKA/. The RA Public Services Regulatory Commission
intends to reject an application for a revision of prices for major
and minor services rendered by the ArmenTel Company. The Commission
is to hold its sitting on July 13.

On its website, the Commission considers the arguments for price
revision advanced by the company as unacceptable. The Commission
regards as inadmissible the proposal for incorporating the interest
rate of long-term bonds in the calculations of the non-risk interest
rate of the cost of its equity capital, as the interest rate of
long-term government bonds in the countries with underdeveloped
capital market includes the amount of market capital.

The Commission also intends to reject ArmenTel’s application
for incorporating the floating funds of expenses on the internal
interface of telephone networks in the circulating funds, as they
are only calculated values and do not require floating funds or the
application of the depreciation standards set in the taxation sphere
for the calculation of depreciation.

The Commission regards as inadmissible the fact that the ArmenTel
Company did not present any oral justifications of expenditure
distribution principles, particularly expenditures on services,
maintenance costs, proposed rise in prices for dial-up Internet
access. The Commission also rejected ArmenTel’s proposal for the
revision of the minimum free limit – from the 361st minute to the
1,000th against the current 600th minute.

On June 1, 2007, the ArmenTel Company applied to the Commission
for revision of prices for stationary telephone communication. The
application proposes a reduction of prices for long-distance and mobile
calls, changes in user charges and in some types of telecommunication
services. Some prices will remain unchanged.

Specifically, the prices for calls to Russia and the USA are expected
to be reduced from AMD 192 and AMD 344 to AMD 90 per minute. The
minimum price for calls to European countries is AMD 90 per minute
and the maximum AMD 344.

The ArmenTel CJSC, holding a monopoly of stationary telephone
communication, is one of the two mobile phone service providers in
Armenia. It is owned by the Russian company VimpelCom (under the
Beeline brand). In late 2006, ArmenTel had 608,500 subscribers to
stationary telephone communication and 452,000 mobile communication
users.

SECRETARY GENERAL OF SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL VISITS OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI REGIONS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 9 2007

Secretary General of Socialist International Luis Ayala visited
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh after visiting Azerbaijan, APA reports.

Mr.Ayala visiting Nagorno Karabakh met "president of the so-called
republic" Arkadi Gukasyan. They exchanged views on the peaceful
solution of Karabakh conflict and justice solution in the meeting.

The member of Armenian Dashnaksutyun Party, Armenia permanent
representative to Socialist International Kiro Manoyan participated
in the meeting.

The co-chair of Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party Araz Alizadeh who
invited Mr.Ayala to Azerbaijan told the APA, his visit to the region
was possibly only in this way.

Alizadeh said that issue on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has been
debated in Socialist International meeting held in Geneva on June
29-30.

He underlined that he and the leader of Dashnaksutyun Party delivered
speech in that meeting and decision was made on Socialist International
participation in the solution of the conflict.

"Though Mr.Ayala got acquaint with Karabakh problem, he never visited
this region. Therefore, his visit to the region aimed to get acquainted
with the region. I stated in my speech in Geneva that only 1/3 of
Karabakh population are living there. But Armenian representative
said that the population increased there. Mr.Ayala wanted to get
acquainted with the situation in the place of the incident and the
aim of his visit was this," he said.

Alizadeh said that conference dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict is intended to be held in September on the initiative of
Socialist International.

"One day of the conference will be held in Yerevan, the other day in
Baku," he said.

PRISONERS JIRAYR SEFILYAN AND VARDAN MALKHASYAN SAY THEY ARE PERSECUTED ONLY BY POLITICAL REASONS

arminfo
2007-07-09 16:24:00

, – the written statement of the prisoners Jirayr Sefilyan and Vardan
Malkhasyan, presented to Arminfo news agency says.

, – the statement says. The prisoners want dissident of the Soviet
times Paruyr Hayrikyan to coordinate the case.

To recall, Jirayr Sefilyan and Vardan Malkhasyan were arrested on 9
December, 2006 and accused of the calls to forceful overthrow of the
constitutional regime. The court procedure started last Monday. The
regular sitting will be held tomorrow.