Author: Felekian Ara

ALIK SARGSYAN: WE SEEK TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN ARMENIAN POLICE ACTIVITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.11.2009 17:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, a meeting with Yerevan State University
Juridical Department students was held on RA Police initiative. At
the meeting, Chief of RA Police Alik Sargsyan briefed the students
on law enforcement agencies activities, seeking to increase their
transparency. "Within the last 9 months of 2009, 7960 crimes were
registered, while in 2008, 5600 crimes were committed," Sargsyan
citied social situation as the reason, adding a the same time that
crime detection rate has also increased. "We’re actively struggling
against human, drugs and weapon trafficking. A significant progress
in registered in this sphere," he noted.

He also emphasized that police intends to follow the educational
process in Police Academy , to promote professionalism increase.

Commenting on violations committed by police officers, Alik Sargsyan
stated that violators are being sanctioned and dismissed.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief of RA Police Artur Osikyan,
Head of RA Police Investigation Department, Major General Gagik
Hambartsumyan, Head of RA Road Police Colonel Margar Ohanyan, Head
of RA Police PR Department Sayat Shirinyan, 3-rd Division Head of RA
Police Criminal Investigation Department Nelly Duryan.

MANUFACTURE OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL DENIAL

Belfast Telegraph
November 2, 2009 Monday

Amira Hass was spot on when she said last week that her lifetime
women’s award was an award for failure. The West Bank correspondent of
the Israeli paper Haaretz eloquently explained herself on al-Jazeera’s
English channel.

She received an award for failure, she said, because despite all the
facts that she and her journalistic colleagues had explained about
Israeli occupation in Palestine, the world still did not understand
what occupation meant and still used words like "terror" and "war
on terror".

Amira was absolutely correct. Most of our Western press and television
are as gutless as ever when they have to participate in what Noam
Chomsky described as "the manufacture of consent". Once government
and editors and television management have decided on the "story",
you can be sure that an Israeli "wall" will become a "security barrier"
or a "fence", a pro-Western Arab dictator a "strongman" and "occupied"
Israeli territory will become "disputed"; the unjustly treated will
thus become generically violent, brutality softened and occupation
legalised.

Fred Halliday of the London School of Economics is coming out next
June with a book called Shocked and Awed about the artillery and
minefields used in the battlefield of language.

The "War on Terror" — yes, let’s give this trash the capital letters
it deserves, as in "South Sea Bubble" — has given us "Gitmo" and
"extraordinary rendition" ("extraordinary" indeed!) and imported,
as Halliday observes, perversions of imported words such as "jihad".

But I think the problem goes further than this. It’s not just a White
House-State Department-Pentagon-CNN-Downing Street-Defence Ministry
BBC-military-political-journalistic complex. Our masters prefer us
not to tangle with the bad guys as well as good guys. Years ago,
a Time magazine reporter in Cairo packed his note-book with facts
about the routine Egyptian police torture of prisoners. But the US
ambassador in Cairo persuaded the bureau chief to hold off because he
understood that Mubarak was going to "crack down" on such abuses. Time
didn’t run the story and the abuses got worse. Shortly afterwards,
jail guards were forcing Egyptian prisoners to rape each other.

And nothing has changed. The big Western news agencies which have
headquartered their Middle East offices in Cairo are as loath to
touch these stories today as they were more than a decade ago. It’s
just the same in that other friendly Muslim ally of ours, Turkey.

Now we all know that the Armenian genocide of 1915 was a fact of
history, that one and a half million Armenian men, women and children
were raped, knifed, burned and shot to death by the Ottoman Turks.

So how do our defenders of the Western press refer to the Armenian
genocide? Here is Reuters on October 13 this year, referring to
"hostility stemming from the First World War mass killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Armenia says it was genocide, a term
Turkey rejects". And here’s the Associated Press next day: "Armenia
and many historians say Ottoman Turks committed genocide against
Armenians early in the last century, a charge that Turkey denies." Can
you imagine the uproar if Reuters referred to the "mass killing" of
Jews by Germans with the words: "Jews say it was a genocide, a term
right-wing Germans and neo-Nazis reject." Or if AP were to report
that "Israel and many historians say German Nazis committed genocide
against Jews in the Second World War, a charge German right-wingers,
etc, deny". It would be an outrage. But no one, of course, is going
to close the Reuters or AP bureaux in Berlin. In Ankara and Istanbul
bureaux, however, it’s clearly another matter.

No, Chomsky was wrong. It’s not about consent. It’s about the
manufacture of social, political and historical denial. The motto is
familiar and simple: always give in to the bully.

ARMENIA NEVER QUESTION THE FACT OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2009 12:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia never question and will never cast doubt
on the fact of the Armenian Genocide, foreign minister of Armenia
Edward Nalbandian told a press conference in Yerevan, answering the
question of PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Now the world has seen a huge flow of materials and publications on
the Armenian Genocide. In this flow, there are several publications,
certainly, that do not mention about "Armenian Genocide", but it was
in the past, " the foreign minister of Armenia stressed.

Edward Nalbandian said that he does not think that these exceptions
can reflect the general trends of suspension of the international
process of the Armenian Genocide recognition.

Commenting on the introduction of a resolution on the Armenian
Genocide in the U.S. Senate, Mr. Nalbandian said that Armenia has
always welcomed the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
other countries.

"More than 20 countries have already recognized this fact of history,
concerning not only the Armenian people, but all mankind. Recognition
of the Armenian Genocide will help to prevent such crimes against
humanity," the foreign minister of Armenia said.

Recently, the fact of the Armenian Genocide was questioned the
Canadian Embassy magazine and influential Swedish newspapers Metro
and Svenska Dagbladet.

Following the signing of the protocols Embassy magazine put in its
October issue an article which, inter alia, states: "The Armenians
of Armenia have made a deal and set up a joint historical commission
to determine what actually happened in 1915". The author made a
conclusion "what happened to Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was not
the genocide".

ARMENIAN COMPANIES WIN 4 OUT OF 12 NOMINATIONS AT AWARD-GIVING CEREMONY OF 2ND REGIONAL GEORGIA IT INNOVATION CONFERENCE

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30, 2009

TBILISI, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Second Regional Georgia IT
Innovation Conference and an award-giving ceremony took place in
Tbilisi, Georgia on October 29-30. Ten Armenian companies, including
E-dram, CHS Verisel Service, Strategic Partners, E-works, Spyur,
IDS Design and Technologies, Grant Thornton Amyot, and Macadamian AR
participated in the event.

Their participation was organized and coordinated by the Union of IT
Enterprises (UITE) with the assistance of the USAID CAPS Project.

The purpose of this regional IT event was to establish and encourage
cooperation among the state and private sectors, various associations
and companies engaged in the Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) sector of Central and Eastern European, Caucasian and Middle
East countries, as well as Baltic states and to promote their
competitiveness and innovations. The event’s organizers were the
Georgia ICT Business Council and the State Commission of e-Governance
Development of Georgia.

Armenian companies won 4 out of the 12 nominations which were divided
into two groups: solutions for the state and private sectors. The
ID cards and e-Signature System project of the Nork Information and
Analytical Center won "The Best IT Project" nomination;
of Strategic Partners company won "The Best Integrator of the Year" and
"The Best Multimedia Project"; and Spyur company ‘s Armenia Business
Directory and Yellow Pages project won "The Best B2B Solution"
nomination.

RATIFICATION OF THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS: PROS AND CONS
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
29.10.2009 17:50

The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) had expressed its stance in
September, when it declared it backed the establishment of dialogue
with Turkey without preconditions. PAP leader’s spokesman Khachik
Galstyan reconfirmed the Party’s position during today’s press
conference.

Being confident that the protocols include no preconditions, the
party will vote for ratification of the documents, PAP Spokesman told
a press conference today.

Tigran Pashabezyan, Oukht Ararati coordinator dealing with former
prisoners, members of ASALA, considers, however that the protocols
should not be ratified, since they have been imposed by superpowers.

Accoridng to him, they include preconditions and counter the national
interests of Armenia.

PROTOCOLS RATIFICATION WAY OUT OF RUSSIAN DEPENDENCE FOR ARMENIA: OPINION

Tert
Oct 28 2009
Armenia

Further rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey is possible, though
the countries pursue different goals, said Igor Tomberg, professor at
the Moscow State University of International Relations and Director
of the Oriental Studies Institute Center for Energy and Transport
Research at the Russian Academy of Sciences, reports Azerbaijani news
agency Today.az.

"In fact, both countries are interested in establishment of normal
diplomatic relations. Turkey is interested in becoming a regional power
while Armenia seeks a way out of the complete dependence on Russia,"
Tomberg said.

"In the end, the protocols will be ratified as opposition to
rapprochement between the two countries come mainly from outside.

Armenian Diaspora (especially in Europe) states some concerns in
Europe about intensified efforts and strengthening of Turkey. Russia
is also concerned with its ally country’s gaining additional
manoeuvre. However, it will retain a neutral and consistent position."

Tomberg said the process of settlement of the Karabakh problem has
not come to a halt.

"Attempts to find a solution have intensified. Russia does not want
to give initiative in the region to Turkey. So it has intensified
peacekeeping activity. While solutions are not available, the chances
have increased," the professor said.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS IN LUXEMBOURG

Tert
Oct 27 2009
Armenia

On October 26, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov, Bernard Fassier, Robert
Bradtke and Personal Representative of the Chair-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk in Luxembourg, states the Republic of Armenia Ministry of
Foreign Affairs press office.

During the meeting, the latest developments on negotiations on the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the possibility of
the co-chairs paying a visit to the region in the near future were
discussed.

TURKEY, ARMENIA PROTOCOLS TO "POSITIVELY AFFECT S. CAUCASUS STABILITY"

Oct 27 2009
Turkey

Turkish FM said that a positive development in Azerbaijani-Armenian
dispute would have a positive impact on ratification of
Turkish-Armenian protocols.

The Turkish foreign minister said on Monday that a positive development
in Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute would have a positive impact on the
ratification of Turkish-Armenian protocols.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the Turkish
government would not make an imposition on the parliament for adoption
of the protocols signed with Armenia.

"However, a positive development in the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute
will have a positive impact on the ratification process," he told
the Al-Jazeera TV in Pakistan.

The Turkish minister said the protocols would positively affect
the stability in South Caucasus, particularly the settlement of the
Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute, and the end of occupation of Azerbaijani
territories.

"However, if things go wrong and if hopes fade for a positive
development (in the above mentioned issues), our members of parliament
may be in a tendency not to approve the protocol, and therefore we
have to work for a positive scenario," Davutoglu said.

Davutoglu said there was need for political and psychological ground
to get a vote in favor of the protocol from the parliament, and there
should be progress in peace talks for that positive vote.

The Turkish minister defined Azerbaijan as a strategic ally and an
internal policy element, and called on the international community
to do something to end occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

On October 10, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his
Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian signed two protocols in the
Swiss city of Zurich.

The two protocols were on "the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia" and "the
Development of Bilateral Relations between the Republic of Turkey
and the Republic of Armenia".

The protocol on establishment of diplomatic relations envisages mutual
recognition of the existing border between the two countries.

Under the protocol, Turkey and Armenia reconfirmed their commitment,
in their bilateral and international relations, to respect and ensure
respect for the principles of "equality, sovereignty, non-intervention
in internal affairs of other states, territorial integrity and
inviolability of frontiers".

The protocol on development of bilateral relations aims to facilitate
the development of relations between Turkey and Armenia in all fields
and took significant steps within this frame.

One of the steps has to do with the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border two months after the protocol goes into effect. The two
countries have decided to establish committees in various fields and
at various levels. An historical sub-committee will be established
with the participation of international experts.

Cyprus issue

Also talking about Cyprus problem, Davutoglu said that had the European
Union (EU) put enough pressure on the Greek Cypriot administration
for adoption of the Annan plan in 2004, there would have been a
different Europe, a different Eastern Mediterranean and a different
Turkish-Greek relationship.

Davutoglu said concerned parties should take lessons from 2004,
and underlined importance of justice.

The Turkish minister said the Turkish Cypriots voted for the Annan
plan, whereas the Greek Cypriots rejected it, which indicated that the
Turkish Cypriots wanted to reunify the island but the Greek Cypriots
wanted to divide the island.

Davutoglu said the same tendency continued, and that the EU should tell
both parties that "it was enough" and it was time for reunification
and peace.

Also, Davutoglu underlined importance of forming a permanent
political structure in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and underlined importance
of representation of all ethnic identities.

TURKISH POLICE OFFICER LAID OFF IN AZERBAIJANI FLAG INVESTIGATION

Tert
Oct 26 2009
Armenia

The investigation, which was launched after Azerbaijani flags were
found in garbage during the Turkey-Armenia match on October 14,
has been concluded, reports Turkish news agency Today’s Zaman.

Bursa Governor Sahabattin Harput said one police officer was dismissed
as a resut of a disciplinary investigation.

ITALIAN PRESIDENT PLANS TO VISIT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.10.2009 12:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Ambassador to Armenia Ruben Karapetian presented
his credentials to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Following the ceremony, the President noted that Armenia is an
important partner to Italy, with RA-Italian friendship lasting for
centuries.

In his turn, Ruben Karapetian emphasized official Yerevan’s
readiness to rise bilateral relations to a new level and invited
Giorgio Napolitano to visit Armenia. Ruben Karapetian briefed Italian
president on recent developments in RA-Turkey rapprochement process
and NKR conflict settlement..

Wishing RA Ambassador success, Giorgio Napolitano expressed hope
that the diplomat will contribute to development and strengthening
of RA-Italy relations, RA MFA press service reported.