Author: Frangulian Shushan

FACT SHEETS: U.S.-ARMENIAN JOINT ACTION PLAN ON COMBATING NUCLEAR SMUGGLING

State Department Documents and Publications
July 17, 2008

Office of the Spokesman

Secretary of State Condoleezza Enhanced Coverage LinkingSecretary
of State Condoleezza -Search using: Biographies Plus News News, Most
Recent 60 Days Rice and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
signed on July 14, 2008, the "Joint Action Plan between the Government
of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of
Armenia on Combating Smuggling of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials."

This political agreement expresses the intention of the two governments
to cooperate to increase the capabilities of the Republic of Armenia
to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to attempts to smuggle
nuclear or radioactive materials. It specifies twenty-eight agreed
steps that the two governments intend to be taken for this purpose.

The governments agree that they will proceed along parallel paths
in implementing this action plan. The Republic of Armenia intends
to implement those steps that it is capable of carrying out on
its own. For those steps where assistance is needed, the United
States intends to seek to identify sources, from within either
the U.S. government or the international community, to provide
such assistance. This assistance would complement and be carefully
coordinated with the aid the Republic of Armenia is already receiving
from various U.S. and international assistance programs.

With this agreement, the U.S. and Armenian governments are
significantly enhancing their collaborative efforts to combat the
threat that nuclear or highly radioactive materials could be acquired
by terrorists or others who would use them to harm us.

This is the fifth agreement of this nature that has been concluded by
the U.S. government’s Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative. Previous
agreements were completed with Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and the
Kyrgyz Republic, and the U.S. government intends to conclude similar
agreements with approximately twenty additional countries where the
risk of nuclear smuggling is of particular concern. To date, eight
countries and three international organizations have partnered with
the U.S. government to provide assistance to support implementation
of these agreements.

ASIM MOLLAZADE: "ANYBODY BUT ARMENIA CAN MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT SOME VIOLATIONS OF SFE TREATY BY AZERBAIJAN"

Today.Az
July 16 2008
Azerbaijan

"The announcement of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan about
Azerbaijan’s violation of the regulations of the SFE Treaty are not
only false but demonstrate Armenia’s becoming aware of the weakness
of its positions.

This announcement is a repeatedly probed variant of an attempt to
shift the blame on others that is accuse Azerbaijan of what Armenia has
been doing for long", said chairman of the Democratic Reforms Party,
MP Asim Mollazade, commenting on the statement of Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandyan, made during the meeting with co-chairman
of the Commission on Armenian issues of the House of Representatives
Joe Nolenberg and commission members in the US Congress.

He said Azerbaijan has recently intensified efforts for informing the
world society about the true facts on the origin and results of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, which resulted
in occupation of 20% of our lands, and the outcomes of this work are
already recorded in Armenia.

"Realizing that the truth about Armenia’s being initiator of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which turned hundreds of thousands of
people into refugees and IDP and preserve a fifth part of our lands
under Armenian occupation, Armenian authorities make such statements.

Anyone but Armenia can make such statements about some violations of
CFE Treaty regulations by Azerbaijan, for everyone knows well that live
force and military technique, changing balance of powers in the South
Caucasus, are dislocated in Nagorno Karabakh, occupied by Armenia.

Naturally, representatives of official Yerevan leave this detail out
in the talks with various high ranking western diplomats. Instead,
they try to take advantage from misleading the world society",
resumed Mollazade.

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Completes Mataghis Kindergarten Reconstruction And Furnishing Project

armradio.am
15.07.2008 17:29

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has completed the full reconstruction
and furnishing of the Mataghis kindergarten in Karabakh’s Martakert
region. The project was made possible through the sponsorship (cost
around AMD 22 million) of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Lebanese
local committee.

The idea of rebuilding the old village school into a kindergarten
emerged when a spacious modern school for 120 students was constructed
in the community in 2007 with funds from the Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund Toronto affiliate.

The one-storey building of the kindergarten, now standing new and
welcoming, can accommodate 30 youngsters. Donors of the project have
also taken care of the furniture for the place, as well as facilities
for the playground.

As soon as recruitment of mentors, instructors, and supporting staff
is over, the kindergarten will open its doors to the excited youngsters
of the village.

"It is hard to tell which of the numerous infrastructural projects
implemented by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund have been the most
important ones, but one thing I can tell for sure; projects having to
do with children, their upbringing and education, are most special. It
is so rewarding that we have provided a small village like Mataghis
with both a modern school and a kindergarten," says Ara Vardanyan,
the a cting executive director.

EU LAUNCHES ANTI-DUMPING PROBE INTO CHINESE ALUMINUM FOIL

Xinhua

July 14 2008
China

The European Commission has decided to launch an anti-dumping probe
into imports of aluminum foil originating from China.

The commission said in the latest official journal of the European
Union (EU) that the product allegedly being dumped is aluminum foil
of a thickness of not less than 0.008 mm and not more than 0.018 mm,
not backed, not further worked than rolled, in reels of a width not
exceeding 650 mm.

Products from Armenia and Brazil were also targeted.

"The investigation will determine whether the product concerned
originating in Armenia, Brazil and China is being dumped and whether
this dumping has caused damage," the commission said.

The probe was initiated following a complaint lodged on May 28,2008
by the European Association of Metals. Upon receiving complaints,
the commission has 45 days to decide whether to launch an anti-dumping
investigation.

The EU anti-dumping investigation normally takes no more than a year,
and in any case must be completed within 15 months, after which
the EU governments have the final say on whether to impose definite
anti-dumping duties for five years.

However, during the investigation period, the commission may, within
60 days to nine months, impose provisional duties, which may last
for six to nine months.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

11 July 2008

HERITAGE HOLDS FIFTH PARTY CONVENTION:

ANAHIT BAKHSHIAN ELECTED EXECUTIVE BOARD CHAIRWOMAN

Yerevan–Today the Heritage Party convened its fifth congress at the
Conference Hall of the Armenian Government. The event brought together
274 party delegates, numerous supporters, invited guests, renowned men
and women of the arts and letters, leading members of the academic
world, and media representatives.

The convention was called to discuss Heritage’s activities since last
the party had convened in 2006. The congress also thoroughly analyzed
Armenia’s domestic developments and the international events of the
past two years and looked at the avenues for surmounting the current
challenges and crises the country faces. The conference also expressed
deep concern with respect to the processes which are leading to
Armenia’s isolation in foreign politics and with regard to the
domestic unrest which is weakening the republic. The assembly also
outlined the benchmarks and strategic priorities for Heritage’s future
political activities.

Member of Heritage’s executive board and parliamentary group Vardan
Khachatrian welcomed the capacity audience with opening remarks.
Salutations also were delivered by renowned actor Yervand Manarian;
prime minister Tigran Sargsyan; Zhirair Sefilian, a devotee of
Artsakh’s struggle for liberty and self-determination; chairman Stepan
Demirtchian of the People’s Party; Armenia’s first president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan; and several others.

Raffi K. Hovannisian, leader of the Heritage Party and its faction in
the National Assembly, then was invited to take the floor. In a
powerful keynote address, Hovannisian took a historical look at the
origins of the Armenian national legacy and also underscored the need
to make the long-lasting civilization and rich culture of the
Fatherland serve the nation’s prosperity and to learn lessons from the
painful mistakes of the past. "But the important thing today–and
right here–is our future; it is the Armenia which we will hand down
to the coming generations. This Armenia imperatively must be founded
on the aspiration for truth, which in itself requires political valor,
mastery of rights, and moral determination," Hovannisian stated. In
his view, the unity of the nation, which is the vitally important
demand of today, must be achieved by way of exposing the real truth
behind the March 1 tragedy.

The next speaker, Heritage board member and MP Anahit Bakhshian,
presented an accounting of the board’s activities. The congress
approved the report and, through secret ballot, subsequently elected
the new board members. Heritage’s newly elected executive board
comprises Movses Aristakesian, Davit Badalian, Anahit Bakhshian, Haik
Gasparian, Zoya Tadevosian, Vardan Khachatrian, Rafik Hakobian, Raffi
K. Hovannisian, Armen Martirosian, Garnik Sahakian, and Arthur
Sardarian.

Hovsep Khurshudian, chairman of Heritage’s Constitutional Commission,
also presented its report which likewise was approved by the congress.
The latter then endorsed the motions to make amendments to the
party’s Charter and also approved the new members of the Commission.

In his turn, secretary Stepan Safarian of Heritage’s parliamentary
fraction presented a public accounting of its activity.

Next, the convention examined and approved the amendments proposed in
the party’s Program and also endorsed the report by the Audit
Commission.

In conclusion, the congress unanimously adopted the "Resolution of the
Heritage Party’s Fifth Congress." The Resolution specifically affirms:
"So long as Armenia’s democratic establishments are not awakened from
their state of dormancy and ineptitude, the rules of the game remain
unfair, the criminals remain unpunished, and officialdom remains
incapable of conducting a legal and political assessment of its own
administrative agencies and state servants. That this fundamental flaw
stands uncorrected means that our society is still in danger of
another March 1 calamity."

Following the convention, the newly elected executive board of the
Heritage Party convened its first meeting wherein Anahit Bakhshian was
elected chairwoman of the board, Movses Aristakesian as its deputy
chairman, Vardan Khachatrian and Armen Martirosian as secretaries,
Hovsep Khurshudian as Heritage spokesman, and Gevorg Kalenchian as
manager of the party’s headquarters.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected], and website
at

Interfax News Agency, Russia
July 11 2008

ARMENIAN FM LEAVING FOR U.S.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will meet with
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the United States, the
press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Interfax.

On July 13, the Armenian foreign minister will leave on a four-day
working visit to Washington, where he will meet with the
U.S. secretary of state, the press service said.

Nalbandian will also meet with representatives of the White House, the
Congress and the heads of Armenian organizations in the U.S.

Tremors of Turkey’s scandal will be felt in Cyprus
By Simon Bahceli

13 July 08
Cyprus Mail

TOMORROW’S announcement on how Turkish state prosecutors plan to
proceed with indictments against a clandestine group that allegedly
sought to overthrow Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP)
government will have major implications for Cyprus.

Not only did the group ` known in the media as Ergenekon ` allegedly
plan to topple the government, it also plotted to intervene in Cyprus
to prevent the possible implementation of the UN’s Annan plan for the
reunification of the island.

Investigations into the ultra-nationalist Ergenekon group have been
ongoing since police raided a house in Istanbul in June last year and
found a collection of arms and explosives, along with computer
documents outlining plans to overthrow the government. Since then, tens
of people have been arrested, including retired military generals,
journalists, university lecturers, businessmen and economists.

Forty-eight of them are currently being held in jail, and face possible
charges of plotting bomb attacks, assassinations and clandestine media
campaigns aimed at triggering a military coup. Their alleged plans
include a plot to kill Nobel Prize winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk
and a bomb attack in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. It has also been
suggested that the group might be linked to the murder of Armenian
jour
nalist Hrant Dink in 2007.

But what makes the ongoing Ergenekon saga interesting for Cypriots is
the allegation that the group was plotting to `intervene’ to prevent
the UN’s Annan plan going to referendum in the north of the island by
sparking a military takeover. And what makes the story yet more
significant for Cypriots is the allegation, made by a number of
journalists in Turkey, that former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash
was to be the one who would give instructions on when and how the
takeover was to be carried out. These allegations are based on extracts
from the diary of retired Navy General Ozden Ornek, which apparently
stated that he and two other retired generals had received `secret
messages’ from Denktash in February 2004, and that the `theory and
practice’ of what the generals were to carry out was to be `as directed
by Denktash’.

Denktash has not responded to these allegations, despite the banner
headline of one Turkish Cypriot newspaper on June 5 gleefully implying
that Denktash could himself face arrest in the near future. The former
leader also refused an interview with this paper, and has limited his
public comments on the subject to saying that he is `saddened’ by the
arrests of those `who would give their all for their country’.

As a result, debate – albeit hushed – continues in the north over
Den
ktash’s possible links with the currently imprisoned alleged
plotters. Head of the Cyprus Policy Centre at Famagusta’s Eastern
Mediterranean (EMU) Dr Ahmet Sozen says that although Denktash’s links
with the nationalist movement in Turkey are `known to be close’ he
believes Denktash to be `intelligent enough not to associate himself
with people engaged in illegal activities’.

Similarly, Turkish Cypriot journalist Basaran Duzgun wrote on July 5
that he did not believe Denktash would face arrest if he travelled to
Turkey and went further by saying that the fact the Turkish Cypriots
got through the referendum without untoward incident was partly down to
Denktash’s handling of it. `Denktash’s referendum record is clean,’
Basaran insists, although what he says could be perceived as implying
that Denktash simply did not think it necessary to instigate a coup.
Indeed, by the last round of negotiations on the Annan plan in February
2004, it had become fairy certain the Greek Cypriots were going to
reject the plan.

But not everyone agrees that the former hands are entirely clean. One
Turkish Cypriot political analyst who asked not to be named said, `I
don’t have any doubts of his [Denktash’s] involvement. Most of the
people who have been arrested are his friends.’ He went to say that
Denktash had an `ideological identification’ with the Er
genekon group
and believed, like the group, in pan Turkism, a romantic notion whereby
all Turkish-speaking and ethnically Turkish peoples unite to form a
greater Turkish nation. The analyst also believes that Denktash, who he
says sought the toppling of the Turkish government because of its
stance on the Cyrus problem, could face arrest in Turkey `if the
government wishes to do so’.

`It is after all a crime to encourage a coup against a democratically
elected government,’ the analyst concluded.

Another analyst, who also preferred not to be named, said Denktash’s
involvement in the Ergenekon group `almost goes without saying’, but
added that arrest was unlikely because he was `simply too popular in
Turkey’, and that this might provide public sympathy for the group.

Whether Denktash faces arrest, or whether he will be called to give
evidence in court, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the
Ergenekon scandal will rock Turkey to its foundations, and that major
tremors will be felt across Cyprus.

ARMENIA WILLING TO CONTINUE COOPERATION WITH ARGENTINE IN AGRICULTURE

ARKA
July 11

Armenian Agriculture Minister Aramayis Grigoryan told Argentinean
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Leopoldo
Alfredo Bravo that Armenia is willing to continue cooperating with
Argentine in the sphere of agriculture.

The sides discussed the achievements of the two countries’ cooperation
in agricultural food production and further development potential. The
Armenian minister stressed the importance of cooperation in science and
research. The Argentinean Ambassador said he will support establishing
links between INTA, a famous Argentinean institution for research in
agriculture, and the Armenian ministry.

Armenian agriculture chief said Argentine-made anti-hail equipments
were tested in Armenia stressing that he would like to continue
cooperation efforts in this sphere as well. Bravo promised to report
to Argentine’s Agriculture Minister on the issues discusses.

Under a pilot project, fifteen Argentine-made anti-hail stations were
installed at the Armenian region of Aragatsotn in 2004 with a total
worth of $30,000 and coverage of a territory of 85-100 hectares.

The Agricultural Ministry says 10bln to 12bln AMD ($30mln) is required
to install anti-hail stations all over the country. Hail causes close
to $30mln loss to Armenian agriculture annually.

Commissioner Hammarberg visits Armenia to assess progress made in the
investigation of post-election events

Strasbourg, 11.07.2008 – The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, will start on Sunday a three-day visit to
Erevan to weigh the progress made in the investigation of the violent
events in connection with the demonstrations after the Presidential
election in March. He will meet with the highest national authorities
and will visit prisons accompanied by two members of his Office and
Johan Hirschfeldt, an international expert with extensive experience on
national commissions of inquiry.

"This visit is part of the ongoing dialogue with the Armenian
authorities, and follows the visits carried out last October and March"
said the Commissioner. "In my last report
< mmDH(2008)11&Language=3DlanEnglish&V
er=3D REV> on Armenia, I advocated for a comprehensive investigation
into
the 1 March events. The aim of this visit is therefore to take stock of
the progress made towards this end and gather accurate information on
the number of detainees and their judicial status" continued
Commissioner Hammarberg. "I have also taken note of the recent
Resolution adopted by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on
the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia. In this context,
I intend to provide an international contribution towards the
improvement of the human rights situation in the country."

During his visit, the Commissioner will meet the highest State
authorities, including the President Serzh Sargsyan, leading members of
the Government, Parliament representatives, the Prosecutor General and
members of the ad hoc Parliamentary inquiry committee. Commissioner
Hammarberg will also hold further meetings with detainees and their
lawyers, the Human Rights Defender, as well as representatives of
international organisations and civil society.

Press contact:
Stefano Montanari, tel. +33 6 61 14 70 37; [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 525a08
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
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A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 47
member states.

The Azeri side again fails the OSCE monitoring

armradio.am
10.07.2008 17:52

Press Service of RA Ministry of Defense informs that the Azeri side
failed the monitoring planned to be held on July 10, at 11 p.m. near
the village of Chinar (Tavoush marz) within the framework of the
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk.

The Azerbaijani side did not appear at the meeting, saying the ministry
of Foreign affairs has not provided security guarantees.