Author: Harutyunian Christine

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 14 2005

A SHAREHOLDER OF “ROYAL ARMENIA” AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS OF THAT
COMPANY WERE DETAINED ON THE CHARGE OF CONTRABAND

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14. ARMINFO. “A shareholder of “Royal Armenia”,
Gagik Hakobian, and the deputy director of that company, Aram
Kazarian, were detained on the charge of contraband,” reported the
lawyer of the “Royal Armenia” company, Gevork Minasian.

According to the report, in the beginning of 2005 a criminal case was
brought upon G. Hakobian and A. Kazarian under the statement of
“Federal Investment Group” company, the former supplier of “Royal
Armenia”. According to the statement of “Federal Investment Group”,
the direction of “Royal Armenia” company was engaged in
falsifications of invoices and underrating the goods costs. The
lawyer of “Royal Armenia” stated that the company could make no use
of such falsifications and that the purpose of starting a trial
against Mr. Hakobian and Mr. Kazarian is to dismiss the case of
“Royal Armenia” against the Customs Committee. “Royal Armenia” LTD
demanded to annul the customs value of imported coffee seeds, as for
“Royal Armenia” it is appointed from 60% to 100% higher than for
other companies. The hearing of this case is fixed on October 14, so
as the Customs Committee can substantiate the customs values. “If the
Customs Committee fails to do that, the charge of contraband will be
inconsistent. So the Customs Committee is interested in the
detainment of Mr. Hakobian and Mr. Kazarian, as the demands of ‘Royal
Armenia’ LTD can be dismissed under the new circumstances,” added the
lawyer.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN POLICY – TEMPORIZING OR PASSIVE

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| 21:23:39 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |

“The constitutional referendum will by no means impact upon the RA
foreign policy”, the is the opinion of Armenian political scientists,
who today took part in the discussions dedicated to the Armenian
foreign policy. The meeting was held in Congress Hotel with the
participation of RA MFA representative. The political scientists
concluded that Armenia’s foreign line is reactive, temporizing and
passive.

Head of the department of political programming of the RA MFA Sarmen
Baghdasaryan noted, however, the international processes including the
NATO and EU enlargement, anti-terror struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan,
in which Armenia is taking part. Unlike opposition political scientists
David Shahnazaryan, Vahan Papazyan, Stepan Safaryan and others,
the MFA representative voiced assurance that the positive outcome
of the referendum will have a positive impact at the development of
the country. In his words, “yes” implies democratic changes targeted
at reconciliation of opposite principles of self-determination of
nations and territorial integrity.

All the participants agreed on one fact: the report of the
International Crisis Group is a positive step and testifies that the
mood of the international political community changes in favor of
Nagorno Karabakh.

HRAYR HAWK: “I TRY TO PRESENT NOT ONLY ARMENIA BUT ALSO PEOPLE LIVING IN IT TO THE WORLD”

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 13 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The “Flying Hawk”
photoalbum by Canadian Armenian photographer Hrayr Hawk was published
in Yerevan. The album contains 160 photos depicting historic and
cultural monuments, areas covered with plants, mountains situated in
all parts of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

As Hrayr Hawk noted at album’s presentation held on October 13 at
the Armenian Union of Journalists, his goal was to present Armenia
and Artsakh from above. In 1995 he photographed a part of Armenia
and Karabakh. He continued working in 1999-2002 photographing the
rest part of Armenia except the Tavush region. The Canadian Armenian
photographer got assistance by RA Defence Minister Vazgen Sargsian,
then Serge Sargsian who gave him a helicopter.

“There are such places in Armenia, with which even Armenians aren’t
familiar. I try to present not only Armenia but also people living
in it to the world,” Hrayr Hawk emphasized.

The Canadian Armenian photographer noted that his photoalbum under the
title “Yerkir” (“Country”) was published several months ago. The album
contains 460 photos of historic and cultural monuments situated in the
territory of Western Armenia. Hrayr Hawk will present Armenian churches
existing throughout the world by a separate album. He photographed
numerous Armenian churches during his travel about 43 countries. The
album will be ready next year.

BRONZE SCULPTURE INSTEAD OF COPPER

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| 18:03:21 | 10-10-2005 | Culture |

Sculptor David Yerevantsi who has been living in France for the last
33 years opened his first work in Yerevan today. To be more exact,
he re-opened his work created 38 years ago. {BR}

In 1967 David Yerevantsi who was a student of the third year placed
his first sculpture in the crossroad of Nalbandyan and Toumanyan
streets, “The great Armenian composer Alexander Spendiarian lived in
this house”. The copper sculpture has been washed away by years, and
David Yerevantsi has decided to make a new one, this time of bronze,
at his own expense.

The works of David Yerevantsi can be found almost everywhere in the
world, “I visit many countries, and sometimes I get surprised at how
I find time to visit Yerevan. I love Yerevan as I was born here”,
the artist says.

David Yerevantsi will return to France in a week, and it is not known
when he will visit Yerevan again. But 250 of his 450 works will be
transported and shown in Yerevan on the initiative of the Kentron
community head.

As for today, artists, intellectuals, the Kentron community head,
as well as the Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan participated in the
ceremony. By the way, the head of the house-museum of Alexander
Spendiarian thanked the latter for visiting them for the first time.

TURKEY PLAYS DOWN AUTHOR’S TRIAL

Al-Jazeera, Qatar
Oct 10 2005

Sunday 09 October 2005, 23:13 Makka Time, 20:13 GMT

Abdullah Gul (R) says Turkey’s rights record has improved

Turkey’s foreign minister says he is confident a court will dismiss
charges against a best-selling Turkish writer who faces prison for
his views on the massacres of Armenians 90 years ago.

Orhan Pamuk has been charged with insulting Turkish identity for
supporting Armenian claims that they suffered a genocide under Ottoman
Turks in 1915. He faces three years in jail if convicted.

Pamuk further upset the establishment and nationalists by saying
Turkish forces shared responsibility for the deaths of more than
30,000 Kurds in southeast Turkey during separatist fighting there in
the 1980s and 1990s.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Sunday sought to play down the
controversy, telling Canal television that he expected the case to
be dismissed because a court had thrown out similar charges against
a different person.

Rights record

“The same trial has been held before, over the same phrases, the same
words,” Gul said.

“The judge ruled that everyone has the right to express their
opinion. The same decision will be handed down, I have no doubt
about this.”

Nationalists reject any attempt to reopen the Armenian chapter

Pamuk’s prosecution has highlighted concerns over whether Turkey’s
human-rights record is compatible with EU membership. About 60% of
French voters say they do not want mainly Muslim Turkey to join the EU.

In a show of support, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn met Pamuk
at the writer’s Istanbul home on Saturday and urged Ankara to respect
freedom of expression.

Pamuk, best known for historical novels such as My Name is Red and
The White Castle, goes on trial on 16 December.

Archives opened

Gul said that despite the case, human rights had advanced by leaps
and bounds in the past three years.

“The same trial has been held before, over the same phrases, the
same words”

Abdullah Gul, Turkish Foreign Minister

“We have a limited democracy in Turkey … but thanks to the reforms
of the past few years, its scope has widened enormously.”

Turkey had offered to open its archives to international historians
to resolve the Armenian massacre issue, which has complicated Ankara’s
bid to join the European Union.

The European Parliament last month passed a non-binding resolution
saying Ankara must recognise the Armenian massacres as a genocide
before joining the EU, and gave only grudging support to the start
of entry talks with Turkey on 3 October.

2 IRANIAN LITERARY FIGURES IN YEREVAN

IranMania, Iran
Oct 10 2005

LONDON, October 10 (IranMania) – The Biggest gathering of Armenian
authors will be held in Yerevan from 8 to 12 October with the presence
of 2 Iranian literary figures; Zoya Pirzad and Ahmad Nouri Zadeh,
said CHN.

The gathering is dedicated to the writers and poets who write their
works in languages other than Armenian.

Among the invited literary figures for the event, Zoya Pirzad,
an Iranian awarded female writer, is mentionable. Zoya Pirzad whose
famous ?I am the one who turns off the lights? has won several national
literary awards, is one of the few Armenian writers in Iran who writes
in Persian.

?Since Leon Analian became responsible for the directorship of Armenian
Writers Association, the association is more active.

Organizing several literary conferences are among its achievements?

said Varand, secretary general of the association.

This 2nd edition of the conference of Armenian writers is dedicated
to the review and study of Armenian writers who live outside the
country. These kinds of literary events are aimed at creating greater
kinship among Armenian literary figures from all over the world.

Beside Zoya Pirzad, Ahmad Nouri Zadeh is another Iranian literary
figure who will be present at the event. He will be awarded for his
great translations of Armenian works into Persian.

Gulf Times, Qatar
Oct 9 2005

EU presses Ankara over reforms

Published: Sunday, 9 October, 2005, 10:14 AM Doha Time

ISTANBUL: The European Commission underlined yesterday that progress
in Turkey’s just-started EU entry talks depends crucially on the
speed of reforms by Ankara, warning it faces a `difficult journey’.
Turkey, which has been knocking at the European club’s door for four
decades, finally started EU talks last Tuesday after marathon
haggling overcame Austrian demands that Ankara be offered something
less than full membership.
But the EU has stressed all along that there is no guarantee of
eventual EU membership, and the talks are expected in any case to
last for at least a decade.
`The pace of the negotiations will be … determined by the pace of
the reforms,’ said European Union (EU) enlargement commissioner Olli
Rehn, after a meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. `It
will be a difficult journey.’
Rehn, who will lead the negotiations on behalf of the EU’s executive
arm, also called on Turkish leaders to help overcome prejudices among
both ordinary Turks and Europeans.
`We need to work for better communication between Europe and Turkey
and with our citizens so we can surmount unnecessary difficulties,’
he said. `We discussed how to combat prejudices in Turkey and EU.’
Critics in Europe argue that the vast mostly-Muslim country, which
straddles the border Europe and Asia, is simply too economically and
culturally different to join the rich European club, where
Christianity remains the dominant faith.
Erdogan echoed the EU’s official’s comments, warning of a `difficult
process’.
`Naturally we will face many difficulties along the road,’ he said,
while insisting that Ankara will ultimately succeed in negotiating
its EU entry.
Rehn had discussions with Turkish officials in the capital Ankara on
Thursday, and on Friday travelled to Kayseri in central Anatolia, the
hometown of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
Yesterday Rehn also met best-selling Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk,
who faces a possible three-year jail sentence for his views, and
urged EU candidate Turkey to respect freedom of expression.
`Free speech and free expression are core values of the European
Union,’ Rehn’s spokesman Krisztina Nagy quoted him as saying after
meeting Pamuk at his home in Istanbul.
`You don’t have to agree with everything a writer or journalist says
but they all have a right to express themselves freely,’ Rehn was
quoted as saying.
Pamuk, best known for historical novels such as My Name is Red and
The White Castle, is being charged in connection with claims that
Armenians suffered genocide at Ottoman Turkish hands during World War
I. The first hearing in his trial has been set for December 16.
Underlining the sensitivity of the Armenian issue in Turkey, an
Istanbul court gave Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrank Dink a
six-month suspended sentence on Friday for `insulting Turkish
identity’ in an article he wrote. –

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| 17:09:54 | 08-10-2005 | Politics |

CHOICE BETWEEN CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM WAYS

November 27 a referendum on constitutional amendments will be held in
Armenia

This is an examination for the authorities, who took lessons of democracy
from Europe. This event will reveal the attitude of the national towards the
leadership. However this choice will be falsified. The coalition forces
certainly do not conditioned the outcome of the referendum by the trust to
the authorities. `If we receive a positive result, we will have a state
based on democratic grounds, with balanced power branches and good
international reputation. Negative outcome would mean denial of everything
we have achieved during these years and our country will have not future
despite of change of power’, ARFD leader Levon Lazarian said.

With the adoption of the constitutional amendments, Armenia will rapidly
develop, RPA leader Galust Sahakyan stated. `If the referendum fails Armenia
will not be able to secure a proper position within international
structures’, he noted adding that the outcome should be positive only. `We
could choose either Muslim or Christian path. We have chosen the Christian
one, that is the European criteria, since they concord with our national
values. Over this reason I hope for the positive outcome of the referendum’,
he said.

Positive outcome of the referendum will become a considerable progress,
Orinats Yerkir Party member Samvel Balasanyan considers. In his words, there
are plenty of important items essential for Armenia on the way of
integration to the European structures. `Though the operating constitution
is not exhausted, the amendments are very important. Samvel Balasanyan is
convinced that the authorities will not resort to forgery. `We will closely
watch the process and do everything to make the election fair and free. This
a very important draft and it will be the basis for further steps’, he
resumed.

Diana Markosyan

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY CHAIRMAN KILLED IN TVER

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| 15:24:39 | 06-10-2005 | Politics |

Director General of Arion LTD, chairman of the Armenian community
Harutyun Tunyan was killed in the Russian town of Tver.

As reported by IA Regnum, the corpses of Harutyun Tunyan (1958 year
of birth) and Sapa Olimov, an Uzbekistani citizen, were found near
building 35,Trudolyubiya Street, on October 5 at about 9 p.m.

A 16-year-old girl, who was also wounded, was taken to hospital. A
criminal case on Article 105.2 (murder) was initiated. Details are
not revealed in the interests of investigation. The law enforcers
are searching the killers.

HEAD OF CE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS SUGGESTS PACE CHAIRMAN NOT TO ACCEPT ANTI- ARMENIAN LETTERS OF AZERBAIJAN

ArmInfo News Agency
Oct 5 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5. ARMINFO. Chairman of the CE Committee of Ministers
addressed PACE Chairman Rene van der Linden to stop accepting the
statements and letters of the Azerbaijani party containing accusations
against Armenia. Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran
Torosyan told RFE/RL. He said the letter was sent few days ago.

To note, at every session of PACE, the Azerbaijani party tries to
put about 6-8 proposals concerning Armenia on the agenda.