Author: Harutyunian Christine

SPAIN MAY COME FORTH WITH INITIATIVES OF RESOLVING THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

ArmRadio.am
14.12.2006 16:16

In the framework of the OSCE Chairmanship Spain may come forth with
initiatives of the Karabakh conflict resolution, Second Secretary
of the Azeri Embassy in Spain Anar Mageramov told "Trend" agency,
commenting on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ meeting with the Foreign
Minister of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos.

Mageramov noted that the meeting was held at the initiative of the
Spanish MFA, which will preside over the OSCE next year. Respecting
the confidentiality of the negotiations, the Spanish MFA refuses
to provide any information about the results of the meeting, the
diplomat noted. It’s known only that the mediators familiarized the
Spanish Foreign Minister with the negotiation process.

V.HOVHANNISIAN: "I DO NOT THINK THAT THEY WILL EVER ARREST IN ARMENIA ANYBODY WHO IS AGAINST GIVING TERRITORY TO AZERIS"

Noyan Tapan
Dec 14 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. "The accusation presented to
Zhirayr Sefilian, which was at least stated at this stage, relates
to the anti-constitutional activity, there is no issue connected with
giving the liberated territories." Vahan Hovhannisian, the NA Deputy
Speaker, ARF Bureau member expressed this opinion on December 13 at
the Parliament, answering journalists’ questions. "I do not think
that they will ever arrest anybody in Armenia who is against giving
territory to Azeris: then, they must start with me," he said. The NA
Deputy Speaker at the same time mentioned that he considers premature
conversations about giving territories.

FESTIVAL DU LIVRE ARMENIEN
Valerie Marin La Meslee

Le Point, France
14 decembre 2006

Des contes traditionnels aux ouvrages d’historiens sur le genocide,
la production litteraire armenienne se decouvre dans sa richesse a la
faveur de l’annee de l’Armenie en France. Lors de cette après-midi
phoceenne, où l’ecrivain Berdj Zeytountsian est a l’honneur,
Franz-Olivier Giesbert remettra le prix Charles-Aznavour.

NOTES: Le 16. Sofitel du Vieux-Port de Marseille (a partir de 14 h).

–Boundary_(ID_UgUdCAfmp P5uXKpYFn/NnA)–

COUP ATTEMPT IN ARMENIA?

The Moscow Times, Russia
Dec 11 2006

Armenian authorities on Sunday detained the head of a public
organization accused of plotting a coup attempt, officials and
activists said.

Zhirair Sefilian, a citizen of Lebanon who heads For Protection of
Liberated Territories, is facing deportation on charges of plotting
to overthrow the government, said Armen Agaian, a leading member of
Sefilian’s group. Agaian rejected the charges.

Sefilian is a veteran of the 1988-1994 war in the disputed enclave
of Nagorny Karabakh.

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I LECTURES AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ArmRadio.am
08.12.2006 16:28

His Holiness Aram I delivered the keynote address at an international
conference organized jointly by the Notre Dame and Indiana State
Universities in the United States. The conference entitled "Faith
and Health" brought together renowned medical doctors, academics,
psychologists and sociologists, the Communication and Information
Department of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia informs.

The president of the university commended the Armenian Pontiff by
highlighting his role in the Christian church and particularly his
outstanding contribution to the ecumenical movement. He presented His
Holiness Aram I as an international figure with an important place
in academic circles through his several theological publications on
theological issues.

During his speech "An Ecclesiological and Missiological Approach to
Healing" , the Catholicos approached the theme of the conference from
a theological viewpoint, analyzing many important and contemporary
questions in the field.

The lecture was followed by a question and answer period. The
attendants expressed great satisfaction at the spiritual leader’s
arguments and explanations.

The Prelates of Eastern and Western prelacies, Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan and Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian also attended the
conference in addition to the chairman of the Executive Council of
the Eastern Prelacy and faithful Armenians from nearby cities.

The president of Notre Dame University had visited His Holiness Aram I
for a private meeting before the conference. Notre Dame is one of the
most important universities in the United States with 20,000 students.

The administration of Indiana State University also had a meeting
with the Catholicos.

US TO ASSIST AZERBAIJAN WITHIN IPAP

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 18:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Washington is ready to discuss the possibility of
modernizing a military airdrome in Azerbaijan if Baku asks assistance,"
stated Jonathan Henick, the Public Relations officer of the US Embassy
in Baku. In his words, if Azerbaijan turns to US with a request to
modernize a military airdrome in the republic, Washington will be
ready to discuss the issue and assist Azerbaijan in the framework of
Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP).

"Further that airdrome can be used for refueling the planes heading
for Afghanistan or Iraq from US or Europe. At the same time the United
States does not consider the issue to lodge an American contingent
in Azerbaijan," J. Henick stressed, reports Mediaforum.

TURKEY’S INTEGRATION INTO EU IS SUSPENDED AT LEAST FOR 20 YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.12.2006 GMT+04:00

According to the Hudson University expert Zeyno Baran the probability
of military upheaval in Turkey in 2007 is estimated 50/50.

European Politicians have started to speak of Turkey as of a
country having small possibilities for integrating into EU more
frequently. Nicola Sarkozy, a possible candidate for the French
presidency, announced that "Turkey has no place in EU"; these words
caused recurrent indignations in the country.

"The latest events caused troubles in Turkey’s relationship with the
European Union.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Pope’s visit together with the European
Commission’s decision on suspending the negotiations about
the country’s integration into EU, in fact, breaks off Turkey’s
relationship with the West. The Pope’s visit emphasized the great gap
between the Islamic religion and culture and the Christian Europe,"
writes John Hopkins University professor Steven Sabo.

Leaders of a number of European Countries, including Germany, France,
and Greece consider it a paradox that Turkey, which is ambitious
to become fully integrated into Europe, denies recognition of the
EU Member Cyprus, and applies economic sanctions against it. EU
Council’s session on foreign affairs and common issues is going to
be held on December 11. The President of the European Commission Jose
Manuel Barroso hopes that the European countries will have developed
a common view point by that time and says that Turkey’s integration
into EU is suspended at least for 20 years.

Turkey’s integration into EU has become the number one question on
the agenda of the US Foreign Policy. Will US, regardless everything,
impose its will on EU regarding Turkey’s Euro integration, or will
EU fight the pressure and make it on its own way, which in fact, was
obvious already last year, when the negotiations on full membership of
Turkey in European Union had only started. Such turnings in the doings
gave birth to some problems; after the defeat of the Republicans,
it is senseless to speak about the US policy in Europe. America has
already got stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan. But there is also the
problem with North Kurdistan, which, mildly speaking causes troubles
in the Turkish-Iraqi relationships. Besides, it should be remembered
that Turkey, finding itself on the roadside to Europe, may suddenly
recall its belonging to Islam, and then the world will have a rather
powerful country ruling over the army headquarters, and which can very
soon become uncontrollable and even unpredictable. Both Brussels and
Washington is well aware of this fact, that’s why they are trying
to avoid such a scenario. Moreover, according to Hudson University
expert Zeyno Baran, the probability of military upheaval in Turkey
in 2007 is estimated 50/50. That is why, she advises to recognize
Turkey’s integration into EU, to avoid "unpleasant" outcomes.

George Bush’s true ally Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair
called Turkey and EU "to compromise over the issue of Turkey’s
integration into Europe".

According to Turkish mass media the British Prime Minister fears
Turkey’s close relations with Islamic radical countries (because of
Ankara’s confrontation with EU), which will have its negative impact
on the Caspian power stuff supply. "We must take measures to help to
carry on the process of Turkey’s integration into EU. It will demand
compromises from all the sides involved in it. To deny Turkey, I
believe, would be a serious mistake for Europe in respect to long-term
prospective", quotes British Mass Media. EU demands from Turkey to
satisfy the requirements of the additional protocol of Customs Union
and open its sea and airport to Cyprus. The Turkish authorities in
their turn demand to remove the trade and economic embargo from the
northern part of the island, where the self- declared "Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus" is formed, which is recognized in the whole world
community by Ankara only. Other requirements are the negotiations with
Armenia over the matter of the Armenian Genocide, reestablishment of
the railway communication with Armenia and negotiations with Greek
refugees from the Northern Cyprus (occupied by Turkey in 1974),
and provision of equal rights of Kurds.

As for the words of the Pope Benedict XVI, according to which he
"supports the country’s urge towards integration into European Union",
then it must be mentioned that this statement doesn’t adjust with
his previous statements, when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
of Germany. At the time he announced, "The fact that Turkey is an
Islamic country means that this country can never belong to the
European Union".

"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department

ITALY VS. "FRANCO-GERMAN" ALLIANCE ON TURKISH EU MEMBERSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2006 13:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Italy gives you a guarantee of full support in
negotiations for European Union membership," said Italian Foreign
Minister Famiano Crucianelli in Ankara during his meeting with Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. In his words, Prodi’s statement that
"there is no change in Italian policy on that subject" was interpreted
by Ankara to mean support from Rome for the so-called "Franco-German"
alliance against Turkish EU membership. Famiano Crucianelli said
that the Italian Prime Minister Prodi was misunderstood, the Hurriyet
reports.

ORDER OF STATE REGISTRATION OF WASTES ESTABLISHED

Noyan Tapan
Dec 06 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The order of state registration
of wastes was established at the December 7 sitting of RA
government. Noyan Tapan was informed about it from RA government
Information and Public Relations Department. It was mentioned at
the sitting that the main goal of state registration of wastes is to
create an information bank on volumes of wastes’ emergence, which is
necessary for creating and running a state cadastre of wastes.

Creation of information bank will contribute to management of the
sphere of wastes’ use, setting of state rate, exercising of nature
protection control, working out of programs of measures aimed at
decreasing volumes of emergence of wastes.

ANCA CAPITAL GATEWAY PROGRAM BEGINS FOURTH YEAR OF OPENING DOORS FOR YOUNG ARMENIAN AMERICANS

ArmRadio.am
07.12.2006 12:15

The Armenian National Committee of America’s Capital Gateway Program –
the innovative Armenian American job placement program now approaching
its fourth year of operations in the nation’s capital – continues
to provide recent college graduates with opportunities to launch
successful careers in Washington, DC.

In addition to being granted access to the full use of ANCA facilities,
those who are accepted into the program are provided free housing
in downtown Washington, DC, as well as training, networking, and job
placement support as they seek full-time government, public policy,
and media-related job opportunities in the nation’s capital.

Officially inaugurated in May 2003 – with the support of the Cafesjian
Family Foundation – the Capital Gateway Program has benefited
tremendously over the past three years from the generosity of donors
committed to creating public service opportunities for young Armenian
Americans. The leading financial contributor to the Program has been
the family of Hovig Apo Saghdejian, a 23-year old youth leader and
community activist from Fresno, California, who lost his life in
2004 in a tragic car accident. His family established the Hovig Apo
SaghdejianMemorial Fund in Hovig’s memory. These funds are held
in perpetuity, with all their income being used to finance the
participation of young Armenian Americans in the Capital Gateway
Program.

The current Hovig Apo Saghdejian Fellow is Hovig Shirikian, who
is interning with California Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
as a stepping-stone for a Washington career in public policy. After
learning about the Capital Gateway Program before graduating from the
University of California at Santa Barbara, Shirikian decided to apply
for the program and come to Washington, DC to pursue his interest in
political advocacy. "I wanted to come to DC because that is where the
action is," says Shirikian. "I wanted to learn first-hand how things
are run and gain experience that will be respected no matter where I
decide to go in the future." Past Hovig Apo Saghdejian Fellows have
included: Ani Bedrosian, Andrew Gregorian, and Vasken Kassakhian.

Other current participants include Taline Ghazarian, Rita Garabedian,
and Antranik Boyadjian. The program recently helped Ghazarian, a
graduate in Sociology from UCLA and former English-section editor
for the Asbarez Armenian Daily Newspaper, land an internship with
Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA). She hopes to use the position to
learn more about the inner workings of Congress and gain a foothold in
the policy-making arena. "It’s really interesting getting a first-hand
look into how government works and figuring out your particular niche
in it," said Ghazarian.

The program has also provided opportunities for Rita Garabedian, a
native of Kenner, Louisiana. After graduating from the University of
New Orleans with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History,
Garabedian came to DC to find work as a Congressional staffer. She
is currently serving as an intern for Representative Albert Wynn
(D-MD 4) while continuing to explore full-time staff positions. She
believes the recent shakeup in the House of Representatives could
provide her a unique opportunity to fill a position with one of the
many new members of Congress. "I feel very fortunate to be here on
the Hill at such an exciting moment," Garabedian commented. "Both
job-wise and politically, there are a lot of encouraging prospects."

Antranik Boyadjian, a university student from France, has come to
Washington, DC to volunteer at the ANCA office. Robert Khatchadurian,
who recently graduated from the program, has secured a consulting
position with Booz Allen Hamilton. These exceptional individuals add
their names to a growing list of participants who have taken advantage
of the unique opportunities offered by the Capital Gateway Program.