Author: Harutyunian Christine

CONSTRUCTION OF KARMIR SHUKA-CHARTAR TARMAC WILL FINISH THIS YEAR

KarabakhOpen
23-08-2007 11:21:34

During the war the roads in the region of Martuni were badly damaged
by shelling. Over the past 15 years the roads were partly repaired but
their state remains poor. "If you watch you will see that much work
has been done," Ararat Suleimanyan, chief architect of the region of
Martuni, told the reporter of the Azat Artsakh.

"Some roads become impassable in bad weather. Martuni-Nngi-Stepanakert
and 10 community roads are in line to be repaired. 40 million drams
was allocated for the repair, which is up by 5 million compared with
last year," Suleimanyan said. The 20 km road connecting the villages
of Karmir Shuka and Chartar will be repaired this year. Last year the
government provided 390 million drams for this road, this year the
government provided another 790 million. "Unfortunately, road building
on Diasporan benefactors is confined to the Karmir Shuka-Shekher
section of the North-South highway. We offered a proposal to repair
the 8 km Sos-Amaras road but I am not going to tell you the details
yet," Ararat Suleimanyan said.

ADL won’t back US resolution recognizing Armenian genocide
——————————
michal lando, jerusalem post correspondent , THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 23,
2007
——————————

Despite the Anti-Defamation League’s reversal this week of its longstanding
refusal to recognize the massacre of Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks
almost 90 years ago as genocide, it has stopped short of supporting a
resolution currently before Congress that calls on the Bush administration
to give it formal recognition.

Talking to *The Jerusalem Post* on Wednesday, ADL National Director Abraham
Foxman said: "Most Jews understand it’s a very difficult choice. There’s
very little I can do [for the Armenians, who can’t be brought back to
life]."

"[But] I can put at jeopardy [ties with Turkey]," he said.

By siding with the Armenians, "we put at risk some very important
relationships that are important to the Jewish community worldwide," because
it could endanger the Turkish Jewish community and relations between Israel
and Turkey, Foxman said.

Foxman’s earlier refusal to change the ADL stance sparked division within
the organization last week, when Foxman fired New England regional director
Andrew Tarsy for his public recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Two other members of the ADL’s regional board – Boston City Council member
Mike Ross and former Polaroid Corp chairman Stewart Cohen – resigned in
protest.

Foxman said he reversed the ADL’s position because "what I was seeing in
Boston was the Jewish community being ripped apart."

It was "a gesture to try to save our unity."

Following the resignation of the two board members, several Boston-based
Jewish organizations – including the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the
Russian Community Association of Massachusetts, the Hillel Council of New
England, the Bureau of Jewish Education, and the David Project Center for
Jewish Leadership – signed a petition to support Tarsy and to recognize the
genocide.

"I think he saw this issue dividing the Jewish community in a very
significant and potentially harmful way," said Steven Grossman, a former ADL
board member and ex-AIPAC chairman. "He recognized potentially losing the
moral high ground they have occupied for so many years, and relations with
other communities possibly eroding."

The "rock solid unanimity" of Boston’s Jewish community paved the way for
Foxman’s change of heart, Grossman said. "Such unified and highly charged
emotional consensus that failure to call this genocide, when most historians
have referred to it as genocide, became an untenable position," Grossman
said. "Considering the potential damage to ADL’s effectiveness, it was
impossible to maintain their long-held position."

Nancy Kaufman, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations
Council of Greater Boston, also welcomed Foxman’s reversal.

"We think it’s terrific," Kaufman said. "The willingness to change his
position is admirable and surprising, and we are delighted here that it
happened."

The New England Regional ADL met Wednesday, and was expected to approve a
resolution calling for Tarsy to return as regional director.

Although it welcomed the ADL’s decision to use the genocide label, the
Armenian National Committee of America called the organization’s continued
opposition to the Congressional resolution a "gesture intended to appease
the Turkish government."

Boston-based Jewish organizations continued to back the resolution. "I think
ADL should support the congressional bill. As much as I understand taking
into consideration relations between Israel and Turkey, this is something
you have to do even though it’s politically difficult," said Samuel
Mendales, director of Hillel Council of New England.

Other Jewish groups, however, refrained from supporting the resolution.
Earlier this year, the ADL – along with the American Jewish Committee, B’nai
B’rith International and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
– opposed the legislation in a letter sent to congressional leaders.

"We’ve said this before – the issue is best resolved by the interested
parties not by a third party," said Kenneth Bandler, AJC communications
director. "It’s not going to be helpful for an arm of the US government to
lay in with a resolution declaring genocide."

*Hilary Leila Krieger contributed to this report.*

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"RESULTS OF 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ARE PREDETERMINED," SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 22, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, NOYAN TAPAN. "The whole political field in Armenia
has become opposition towards the people as currently the ambitions
of individuals are in the foreground." This opinion was expressed
by Shavarsh Kocharian, the Chairman of the National People’s Party,
at the press conference, which was held on August 22.

In his conviction, the candidate, who will win in the 2008
presidential elections, cannot make any serious changes in the bodies
of the authorities even if he wants, since the competences of the
president are limited by the amended constitution. In addition to
this, according to him, the result of the forthcoming presidential
elections is predetermined.

As for the opposition’s participation in these presidential elections
with one common candidate, Shavarsh Kocharian mentioned that "no
heat is added from the constellation of extinguished stars." And the
political forces, which support the return of Levon Ter-Petrosian, the
first President of the Republic of Armenia, to the political field,
according to the Chairman of the National People’s Party, hope that
the field of the authorities will thus separate and that they will
receive an opportunity to bring their representatives to that field.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT TO PAY WORKING VISIT TO RUSSIAN FEDERATION

ARKA News Agency
Aug 21 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, August 21. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian will
pay a working visit to the Russian Federation.

The visit is scheduled for late August, Viktor Soghomonian, Press
Secretary of the RA President said.

According to him, a number of meetings are envisaged within the
framework of the visit. RA President Robert Kocharian will meet with
RF President Vladimir Putin.

Armenian-Russian bilateral relations will be on the agenda of the
visit.

PRESIDENT OF TURKISH SCIENCE COMPANY HALACOGLU OPPOSED BY HIS OWN COMPATRIOTS
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
22/08/2007

Halacoglu’s Dismissal Demanded by "Justice and Prosperity" party

President of the Turkish Science Company professor Yusuf Halacoglu has
officially stated on an international conference in Kesaria, Turkey,
that the ethnos of Kurds have Turkmen origin and the ethnos known as
"Kurd-Alavis" are of Armenian origin.

This statement roused irritation among scientific and political circles
of Turkey. Halacoglu was condemned by the leaders of the Kurdish
"Democratic Society" organization, who in result of parliamentary
elections of July 22 were admitted to the Parliament of Turkey.

Alavi organizations were also quick to express their protest.

Deliberations about the statement still go on, and irritation it
roused is escalating. It is remarkable that Prime Minister Erdogan’s
party also condemns Halacoglu, accusing him for racism. In the
meanwhile Turkish press reminds how in 2005 Halacoglu defamed Nobel
Prize laureate Orhan Pamuk for his statements about massacres of
Armenians and Kurds, how in 2006, after France adopted a low about
the Armenian Genocide, he made a show about the genocide in Algeria
and how he conealed the letters of Latife Khanum, the wife of Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk.

Of all the publications on this issue in the Turkish press the article
by "Hurriret" is the most remarkable. On August 21 "Hurriet" wrote
that Halacoglu is not a plain person but he is the head of the Turkish
Science Company, specializing in studies about "the alleged Armenian
Genocide" and that Turkish authorities rely on his researches when
defending their position on the Genocide. "In case Halacoglu’s last
statement is estimated scientifically, Turkey’s situation will be
miserable. It seems that we shall have go on in this struggle (against
Armenian ‘allegations’ – Azg)" on the lowest scientific level, which
surely shall lead us to defeat," adds "Hurriet".

According to "Gundem" newspaper, sociologist Ismail Besikci in
connection with Halacoglu’s statements said, "People like Halacoglu
think that 2×2 equals 5.

His conclusions are anti-scientific and therefore are worth of no
attention". Turkish Armenian writer Mkrtich Markosian said that
Halacoglu is an obvious nationalist therefore his statements are
worthless.

According to "Radikal" professor Aktar thinks that Halacoglu,
telling about Armenians turned to Islam because of deportation,
de-facto confessed that the mass deportations took place indeed. And
professor Oran said about Halacoglu, "Soon he will declare Adam and
Eve Turkish, too".

"Democratic Society" representatives, who demanded dismissal
of Halacoglu and and submitted a corresponding petition to the
Parliament, now are joined by a great number of "Justice and
prosperity" members. One of them said that Halacoglu’s statement
about the origis of Kurds is pure racism and the Prosecutor’s Office
shouldstart and investigation.

By the way, Halacoglu was appointed on his office in 1993, September
21. The candidatures to the post of the Science Company’s director
are suggested by the Prime Minister and approved by the Education
Council and the Government for one-year term. The Prime Minister is
authorized to prolong this term each year.

Possibly this year Prime Minister Erdogan will make a decision not
to prolong Halacoglu’s term once more.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYER BEST AMONG 1838

Panorama.am
15:14 21/08/2007

International chess master Hrant Melkumyan has won in international
internet championship organized by ICC chess internet portal. Two
Armenian chess players Gabriel Sargsyan and Hrant Melkumyan have
defeated Azerbaijani players Hadir Huseinov and Rauf Mamedov in
the semi-final.

Armenian Chess Federation informs that Melkumyan and Sargsyan competed
in the final. Melkumyan won the game and gained the first award. This
victory entitled him to take part in the world championship which
will kick off in Mexico on September 12, 2007.

About 1838 chess players took part in this championship.

Panorama.am

14:06 18/08/2007

CRIMEA CELEBRATES 650TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. CROSS CHURCH

Festivities dedicated to 650th anniversary of Armenian medieval church
complex St. Cross will take place in the Crimea on the day of
Ukraine’s independence on August 24. The Press Services of the Board
of Ministers of the autonomy told `Regnum’ agency that the information
was released by Deputy Head of the Crimean government Tatiana
Umrikhina during a discussion with the leaders of the autonomy and
respective organizations. The meeting discussed issues relating to
reconstruction of a road leading to the church, antifire works as well
as problems connected with the rental of the church complex space and
its vicinities.

Source: Panorama.am

TATUL MANASERIAN: THERE WILL BE NO CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY UNTIL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 16 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, NOYAN TAPAN. There will be no considerable progress
in the Armenian economy and no new investments will be made until
the 2008 presidential elections, as well as no new programs will
be carried out unless they are implemented by businessmen in close
cooperation with the authorities. Prof.Tatul Manaserian expressed
this opinion at the August 16 press conference.

He expressed a wish to see "the start of the reforms promised in the
period preceding elections to the National Assembly." According to the
economist, it is necessary to implement these reforms so that voters
will have confidence at the upcoming presidential elections. "In this
sense, some progress is not ruled out," he said.

MURDERER OF ARMENIAN IN RUSSIA GETS 21 YEARS IN PRISON

ARMENPRESS
Aug 16 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS: A court in the northern Russian city
of Murmansk sentenced Dmitry Chemarov, a Slav, to 21 years in prison
for killing Arthur Harutunian, an ethnic Armenian businessman and
chairman of the local Armenian organization.

The court ruling said that after killing the Armenian the Russian
tried to escape the murder scene firing back at two police officers.

The Russian was also found guilty of illegal arms possession and
official document forgery.

Arthur Harutunian was killed in 2006 November. His murderer was
arrested in Saint Petersburg in 2007 February.

ARMEN JIGARKHANYAN PLAYS IN A NEW FILM ‘VAN GOGH NOT GUILTY ‘

arminfo
2007-08-15 13:23:00

Actor Armen Jigarkhanyan plays in a new picture by Ukrainian film-
director Vera Yakovenko ‘Van Gogh Not Guilty.’

Kiev-based newspaper ‘Khrechatik’ reports the picture was shot by
FAINO-Company. It will be released in autumn. Drama ‘Van Gogh Not
Guilty’ tells about a 45-year-old owner of a furniture factory Danis
Kazantsev. Danis has many friends and hobbies. Unfortunately, when he
occurs in hospital after a car accident and becomes no longer able to
continue his business, his friends leave him. In an interview with
the newspaper, A. Jigarkhanyan says that he agreed to sign on for
production of the picture because ‘the plot was serious and not like
the soap operas’ of the new Russian movies. ‘I am 72 and I am most
of all afraid of being pitied. That is why I do not make plans. I
agree to play in a picture when I am invited to a serious one,’ the
actor says. At the same time he regrets that the only film studio in
his motherland Armenia no longer operates and its fate is unknown,
although one of American Armenians has acquired it.