Author: Harutyunian Christine

IS MENTAL RETENTION CONTAGIOUS?

Hurriyet
Nov 12 2008
Turkey

Vecdi Gönul is a politician who is considered by many people in this
country as a "statesman" who, particularly over the past six years,
served successfully in the difficult defense minister portfolio. Even
before he became a defense minister in Dec. 2002, he indeed was
enjoying the support and sympathy of the nation as a successful
governor, politician and a man with a very respectable personality…

But, mental retention is apparently a contagious condition. Not only
is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffering from it Ä~^ as the
symptoms of the condition were demonstrated in the premier’s "love
or leave" statement in Van or his attempt to legitimize the lynching
culture when he said in Istanbul that though he would not approve of
it, people may take defensive measures Ä~^ but Defense Minister Gönul
has as well started to show some symptoms of this serious condition.

Minister Gönul was in Brussels on Nov. 10 and attended a commemoration
of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at the Turkish Embassy there. While one would
expect a former governor, veteran politician and a six-year defense
minister to stay away from making controversial remarks that could
be exploited by enemies of Turkey, Gönul delivered a statement at
the commemoration that was so unfortunate for him.

He, with that statement, provided ammunition to those at home and
abroad who hate Ataturk and the Turkish Republic. The result: The words
of the minister were considered by the Greek media as a confession
by Turkey that atrocities were committed against Greeks, Armenians
and other minorities in the early years of the Turkish RepublicÃ~I

What did the minister say? "If today in the Aegean Greeks continued
to live, if in many parts of Turkey Armenians continued to live, could
Turkey be the same state? Even today, in the struggle continuing in the
southeast, in this nation building, we cannot reject the contributions
of those who consider themselves aggrievedÃ~I particularly those who
consider themselves aggrieved because of their relocation!"

Can these words reflect the policy of the Turkish state, or the view of
the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP? They cannot, because
what the minister has said is a total denial of the official thesis of
the country regarding the Armenian forced relocation, as well as the
understanding behind the population exchange clauses in the Lausanne
Treaty and the way the young republic and Greece implemented that
treatyÃ~I As regards the shameful 1955 Sept. 6-7 events in Istanbul,
however, no one can deny the role of some government agents and thus
the responsibility of the Turkish state in the tragedy.

Yet another manifestation of the ‘love it or leave it’ mentality

What the minister has said will be used by Turkey’s adversaries as a
confession by a Turkish defense minister that this country has had a
policy of systematic ethnic cleansing with the aim and intention of
building an ethnically cohesive nationÃ~I Indeed, what the minister
said could be summarized as a confession that the "love or leave it"
mentality was exercised "systematically" during the early years of
the republic for the sake of "nation building," and as a consequence
of the aim of building a new nation, the Greek, Armenian and Jewish
citizens were being routedÃ~I

Furthermore, he has said that the Armenian forced relocation "was
being usefulÃ~I" However, the population exchange deal under Lausanne
and the forced Armenian relocation are mostly being considered by the
Turkish people as some "racist" manifestations in Turkey becoming a
nation state and as a consequence of losing those colors from the
Turkish society, the end result was not a success at all when the
riches we have lost are taken into consideration. Just think what
great contributions the Armenians, Greeks and other minorities might
have made to today’s Turkey if they were given the chance of staying
on as an integrated part of this society.

1915 events Ä~^ irrespective of whether they are described as a
genocide Ä~^ as Armenians do Ä~^ or as immense suffering of the
Anatolian population of the time, they were the product of a calamitous
mistake of the Union and Progress government which indeed brought the
end of the Ottoman Empire with its totally wrong policies. No one in
today’s Turkey can be held responsible for that shame!

–Boundary_(ID_lhv3dkEvg10OuM6QYzbEpg)–

GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO INCREASE STAKE IN ARMENIA’S GAS TRANSPORT JV ARMROSGAZPROM
Andrew Neff

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
November 10, 2008

The Armenian government is reportedly seeking to increase its stake
in ArmRosGazprom, the gas transport venture with Russia’s Gazprom
and Itera. Prime-TASS reported that Energy and Natural Resources
Minister Armen Moysisyan said on Friday (7 November) that the
government has proposed transferring Armenia’s gas distribution
pipelines to ArmRosGazprom in exchange for new shares in the
company. ArmRosGazprom, the monopoly importer of gas to Armenia,
currently operates the country’s gas distribution system, but does
not own the pipelines. The Armenian government currently has a 17.32%
stake in ArmRosGazprom, while Gazprom has 78.83% and Itera owns 3.85%.

Significance:Moysisyan said that another alternative for the
Armenian government is for the state to inject $20US-25 million in
ArmRosGazprom directly. The government formerly had a 45% stake,
equal to Gazprom’s 45% stake (Itera had 10%), but the Russian gas
giant increased its stake as a result of several gas price deals with
the Armenian government under which Gazprom agreed to freeze prices
from 2006 to 2008, then extend the transition to "market prices"
through to 2011 (seeCIS: 24 September 2008:). Moysisyan said that the
Armenian government will make its proposals to other ArmRosGazprom
shareholders at a shareholder meeting early in 2009.

"MOUVEMENT POUR LA FRANCE" PARTY LEADER TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN NOVEMBER 15

DE FACTO
Nov 13, 2008

YEREVAN, 13.11.08. DE FACTO. Philippe de Villiers, French "Mouvement
pour la France" Party leader (right), will arrive in Yerevan on
November 15 in the evening for a three- day friendly visit.

On November 16 he will meet with its holiness Garegin II, and then will
plant a shrub to the Tsitsernakaberd’s Memorial, an independent French
journalist Jean Eckian told DE FACTO. The following day, November 17,
head of MPF will meet with RA President Serzh Sargsian, RA FM Edvard
Nalbandian and the RA Minister of the Culture Hasmik Poghossian.

French politician will also visit Monastery of Khor-Virap and Amberd
castle.

According to Eckian, Philippe de Villiers is particularly concerned
for the recognition of the Armenian genocide, being against the
integration of Turkey in European Union, and for religious reasons.

MASSIVE MONK BRAWL AT JESUS’ TOMB

Neocon Express
November 9, 2008 Sunday 5:28 PM EST

Nov. 9, 2008 (Neocon Express delivered by Newstex) — As Greek Orthodox
and Armenian Christians brawl; Jewish police are sent in to separate
the two sides at Jesus’ tomb. I have been to the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher many times and can offer first hand wittiness to the fact
that every inch of the Church is contested and occasionally fought over
by the various Christian sects.A ladder placed on a ledge over the
entrance sometime in the 19th century has remained there ever since
because of a dispute over who has the authority to take it down. The
keys to the church are in the hands of a Muslim family because no
branch of Christianity can agree on who should be in control of the
keys. Every window, every corner of the roof, every stone of the church
is controlled by different Christian sects and each branch struggles
for influence and control over this tiny piece of real estate. A tense
calm is usually maintained with occasional outbursts as happened today.

"IF WE ELECT A MAYOR THAT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD"
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[08:18 pm] 10 November, 2008

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of
the Council of Europe, Yavuz Mildon, will soon arrive in Armenian
on an official visit. The Congress is one of the three CoE political
institutes.

November 10 marks Day of Local Government in Armenia. Mr. Mildon has
issued a congratulatory message on this occasion.

"The Congress welcomes the initiative of the Communities’ Association
and the Government of Armenia to celebrate Day of Local Government,
on 10 November 2008, and mark it with joint activities raising public
awareness of the importance and workings of local governance. "It is
a symbolic occasion to show the continuity of action for the benefit
of communities in Armenia, reaffirm the commitment to local democracy
and awaken people’s activism," he said, adding that Day of Local
Government fit perfectly with the European Local Democracy Week.

Note, the Congress had deployed 10 observers to monitor the local
elections of September 28 in Yerevan’s communities of Kentron, Nor
Nork, Nork-Marash, Davitashen and Shengavit. Another 13 observers
watched the local elections in the marzes of Armavir, Lori and Tavush
on October 19.

A1+ tried to know Yavuz Mildon’s opinion about Armenian elections to
self-government bodies.

Local elections in Armenia are long processes because they don’t take
place on the same day. We have observed part of these elections. It
seems that the elections are in line with the requirements of the
Council of Europe but, as I have already mentioned, we have observed
only a part. So, we are waiting for the end and only then we shall
share our opinion. But remember that there is a positive evaluation
for the organisation of the elections in Armenia although there are
some concerns about the staff of electors, voters and some concerns
about Election Day. Anyway, it is going on in a positive way. But I
would like to mention that there is no protect democracy for sure that
there are some impacts or some concerns. But I believe that they will
better in future. I would also like to remind that Armenia has to stay
in line with the standards of the Council of Europe, it means with the
decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. At the Congress we are
following the situation, our reporters are following the development
of local and regional democracy in Armenia and after the elections,
for sure, after establishing new municipal councils in all regional
and mostly local entities, we shall stay in contact with the local
representatives and government of Armenia.

Is it possible to use e-voting in Armenia taking into consideration
the election processes in the country?

Everything is possible. E-voting is even possible in some big
countries and in old democracies. I think that e-voting is possible
everywhere, also in local elections. For me the most important is
the confidentiality of the vote. Confidentiality should be guaranteed
during the whole voting process. When the voter takes the ballot paper
from the election commission and goes to the cabin and then to the
polling box he should be aware of the confidentiality of the vote. He
doesn’t have to show for which party or candidate he has voted for as
this confidentiality is not preserved during the whole process. So,
in e-democracy it will be easier to achieve the secrecy of the vote
and we have to be well aware of the confidentiality of the vote. I
think that in future e-voting can also be applied in Armenia. Why not?

Mayor of Yerevan City is elective today. What is your opinion on this?

But I have some information from Armenia that the post will be elective
in Yerevan in future. A non-elective mayor is incompliant with the
standards of the CoE and even with the standards of the European
Charter of Local Self-Government. We hope that it will be in line
very soon and, in that way, the system of local democracy will be in
line with the CoE. If the mayor of Yerevan is not elective it will
be a big concern regarding the local democracy in Armenia because
Yerevan is the capital city and the capital needs an elected mayor.

And what is your advice to our authorities with regard to election
processes? What steps should they take to better electoral processes?

I would like to talk about the post-election period. After the
elections when we elect a mayor that is not the end of the world. So,
we elect a mayor and after that we have to give him some competences
and some financial resources. It is very important. Then we shall
watch the situation in Armenia to see if the municipalities have
financial support of the government and financial opportunities for
the functioning of local systems because without financial resources
nothing is possible. For that reason I hope that in Armenia the
financial opportunities for the local entities will be in line with
that of other countries of the Council of Europe as in that way the
mayors and the local representatives will become the closest people
to citizens. As to the principle of popularity they have to help the
citizens in the post role. Therfore, I say they need some financial
resources.

The lowest voter turnout in Armenia was registered during the recent
local elections. What is your opinion? What should we do to stimulate
voters?

That is not the case only in Armenia. That is the case in many
countries. Of course, it is a concern for the Congress. We are working
in that connection. We are trying to convince the governments and
the local bodies to share their activities with the people and to
establish a system and to convince the local people to be involved
in that system on a local and national level. The problem is that if
people think their vote is not decisive, that is not their vote. For
that reason we have to convince people that their voting will be a plus
and to share our activities with people. Then we need to inform our
citizens regularly, not only during election campaigns but constantly,
about the functioning of local systems. I think that in future if we
share our activities and inform them of voting processes there will
be a big majority of people to vote.

ACCORDING TO RA FOREIGN MINISTER, SERIOUS PRECONDITIONS HAVE BEEN FORMED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN-SWEDISH BILATERAL COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan

Nov 10, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of his official
visit to Sweden, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a number
of official meetings on November 7 in Stockholm, where he had arrived
at the invitation of Foreign Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt.

RA Foreign Minister’s first meeting was with his Swedish counterpart,
Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Carl Bildt.

A wide range of issues regarding Armenian-Swedish bilateral relations,
Armenia-European Union cooperation, regional and international
issues were on the agenda of negotiations of the Armenian and Swedish
Foreign Ministers.

Touching upon Armenian-Swedish bilateral relations, E. Nalbandian said
that Armenia is interested in development of cooperation with Sweden,
for which serious preconditions have been formed.

E. Nalbandian and C. Bildt in detail discussed issues regarding
Armenia-European Union cooperation expressing satisfaction with
the process of implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy
Actions Plan.

The interlocutors also discussed the Polish-Swedish proposal of Eastern
partnership, on the occasion of which E. Nalbandian said that the
Armenian side positively estimates that initiative and follows with
much interest the revision of that proposal by the European Commission
expecting holding interested discussions on that issue with partner
countries and European structures in the near future.

C. Bildt, in his turn, said that the Polish-Swedish proposal has
received EU’s assistance, and subject discussions will be already
held in that direction in the near future. He also assured that
in the second hald if 2009, in the period of Sweden’s chairmanship
in EU, serious attention will be paid to relations with the South
Caucasian countries. He accepted RA Foreign Minister’s invitation
to visit Armenia promising to visit Armenia before Sweden’s assuming
chairmanship in EU.

At the request of his Swedish counterpart E. Nalbandian presented
the process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement expressing the hope that
the declaration signed by the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Russia in Moscow will create a possibility to make the negotiations
active and to record progress in them.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Sweden also exchanged thoughts
over the possibilities of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

The events around South Ossetia were touched upon during the discussion
of the problems of the Caucasian region.

The Ministers’ meeting was followed by their joint press conference.

A ceremony of signing of a Readmission Agreement between the Republic
of Armenia and the Kingdom of Sweden took place then.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, in the second half of the
day E.

Nalbandian made a speech on Armenia’s foreign policy at the Institute
for Security and Development Policy of Sweden.

During the meeting with Ulf Berg, the President of the Swedish Trade
Council, E. Nalbandian presented the steps taken in the direction
of Armenia’s development, investment possibilities, and primary
directions. The possibility to organize an Armenian-Swedish business
forum, as well as to organize mutual visits of economic sphere
executives were discussed. The interlocutors also exchanged thoughts
regarding the world financial crisis and ways of coming out of it.

In the headquarters of the Ericsson company E. Nalbandian met with
Bjorn Hemstad, the President of Ericsson Eastern Europe. During
the meeting the Minister got acquainted with company’s activity and
long-range programs, expressed satisfaction with Ericsson’s efficient
cooperation with Armenia’s mobile communication operators. The
possibility to expand cooperation between Armenian companies and
Ericsson was discussed during the talk.

In Stockholm E. Nalbandian also met with the management of the
Nasdaq OMX financial group, Armenia’s financial exchange manager,
and discussed issues regarding company’s activity in Armenia.

In the evening of November 7 E. Nalbandian met with representatives
of the Swedish Armenian community, presented Armenia’s foreign policy,
possibilities of Nagorno Karabakh settlement, steps undertaken in the
direction of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. Speaking
about the Homeland-Diaspora relations, the Minister said that the
Armenian authorities are going to make more active cooperation with
the Diaspora, and the creation of the Ministry of Diaspora in the
homeland pursues the very purpose.

AN OPPOSITIONIST CLAIMED ATTEMPT ON ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S LIFE ARRESTED

Azeri Press Agency
Nov 10
Azerbaijan

Yerevan-APA. An Armenian oppositionist Sargs Apchanyan, who told
journalists he knows about the plans of attempt on the President Serzh
Sargsyan’s, was arrested by the Armenian Ministry of National Security.

The opposition newspapers published claims of French citizen living
in Armenia, APA reports. Apchanyan described scenario of several
assassination attempt on the president’s life, including killing
him on board of the plane. He said he received information about the
assassination plans against the head of state from his friend working
at the military academy of one of the European countries.

Apchanyan said former president Robert Kocharyan, Dashnak Party,
as well as forces, who are against the concessions to Azerbaijan
in Nagorno Karabakh conflict, were interested in Serzh Sargsyan’s
assassination. After the publishing of these claims, a criminal case
was launched under the article on assassination attempt against the
head of state and later the charge was replaced with the article on
spreading of false information.

FRENCH CITIZEN SAYING THAT PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA WILL BE ATTACKED IS ARRESTED

ArmInfo
2008-11-10 12:25:00

ArmInfo. Sargis Atspanyan, a citizen of France, saying that President
of Armenia Serzh Sagrysan will be attacked is arrested.

Press Secretary of Armenian National Security Service (NSS) Artsvin
Baghramyan told ArmInfo the French citizen was arrested last Friday
for false denunciation under a criminal case initiated by the NSS.

As it was reported earlier, a week ago, Haykakan Zhamanak daily
published an interview with Sargis Atspanyan, a participant in Karabakh
war, initiator of the recently set up organization ‘Sardarapat’,
Armenian from France, wherein the latter said that an attack is
prepared on Serzh Sargsyan and the notes confirming the information
have been distributed to definite people in France, Javakhq, Armenia,
and Nagorny Karabakh. Atspanyan’s compatriot, a professor of a military
academy in Europe, told him the information. A criminal case has been
initiated on the basis of the item in the above daily on Article 35-305
of Armenian Criminal Code (preparation of an attack on a statesman).

TAXI DRIVERS GO ON A STRIKE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
08 Nov 08
Armenia

Yesterday morning, several dozen taxi drivers went on a protest with
their cars. They gathered near the ring road situated in the
neigborhood the Heat-Electric Generating Plant. From there, they moved
towards the building of the Government.

Let’s note that the Ministry of Transportation and Communication, in
conjunction with the Police, has been recently carrying out inspection
work throughout the republic with the purpose of preventing the illegal
transportation of passengers and regulating the licensing procedures of
the taxi services.

`There are numerous taxis that use white number plates instead of the
yellow ones approved by the Government, that’s to say, they continue
carrying out illegal transportation of passengers,’ the representative
of the Ministry mentioned.

REAL SALT LAKE GETTING SPARK FROM MOVSISYAN

USA Today
Nov 7 2008

For Real Salt Lake’s Yura Movsisyan, there’s no time like the
last minute. The 21-year-old striker scored in the 90th minute of
the regular-season finale at the Colorado Rapids to put Real in the
playoffs. Then he scored in the 90th minute of last week’s playoff
game against Chivas USA to give Real a 1-0 lead heading into Saturday
night’s second leg of the two-leg aggregate-goals series (Fox Soccer
Channel, 10:30 ET).

Getting the job done late is appropriate for a player who puts in
extra work after practice and didn’t even take up the game seriously
until age 12, when many serious youth players are already funneling
into elite programs.

His late start was a result of growing up an outsider overseas. When
the Soviet Union splintered, Movsisyan lived in Azerbaijan. But he’d
rather not talk about that country.

"I’m Armenian, and that’s what I want people to know," Movsisyan says.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Utah | Soviet Union | ETrade Financial Corp. |
East | Texans | Pasadena | Chicago Fire | CD Chivas USA | New England
Revolution | Azerbaijan | New York Red Bulls | Columbus Crew |
Colorado Rapids | Kansas City Wizards | Houston Dynamo | Salt Lake |
HDNet | Jason Kreis | Real | Zach Thornton | City College | Houston
TV | Movsisyan Upon moving to the USA at 12, he found his game and
a tight-knit Armenian community. Those ties helped lead him from
the Kansas City Wizards, who took him fourth in the 2006 draft from
Pasadena (Calif.) City College, to Salt Lake, where he joined fellow
Armenian Alecko Eskandarian.

"The staple of the Armenian culture is that we’re loving people but
we’re very resilient," Eskandarian says. "We’re always accepting of
our own as family even if we don’t know them."

Movsisyan, not playing much for Kansas City at the time, shyly didn’t
approach Eskandarian when his team met Eskandarian’s in 2006. But
Eskandarian, then with D.C. United, sought him out to exchange jerseys
and phone numbers. "When I had a chance to meet him, a fellow Armenian,
it was something special," Movsisyan says.

Eskandarian has since moved on and will be on the other side of the
playoff matchup with Chivas USA. But another reason Movsisyan welcomed
the move to Utah was to learn from coach Jason Kreis, who scored 108
goals in his MLS career.

"We really knew nothing about him, so I had to look at video clips
of him and liked what I saw," Kreis says. "I was willing to take a
little bit of a gamble."

Kreis, who has a talented corps of strikers on the roster, has worked
with Movsisyan on finishing skills and tactics, teaching him how to
combine with other attackers. Yet Movsisyan’s raw talent led to the
goal against Chivas USA, an audacious back-heel flick that wrong-footed
goalkeeper Zach Thornton.

"It was all instinct," Movsisyan says. "You never really know where the
ball’s going to go because you’re not actually facing the goal. … It
was very difficult for a goalkeeper to read what you’re doing."

Though that goal came against his team, Movsisyan’s friend likes the
young striker’s approach.

"He’ll try things that if they don’t work, he’s going to have a
bunch of guys yelling at him, but if they do work, everyone loves
you," Eskandarian says. "He’s not afraid to take those risks. That’s
something I admire from him, and I’m glad it’s working out."

Sellout expected:

The Houston Dynamo, the West’s top seed, has roughly 6,000 seats left
for Sunday’s game against the New York Red Bulls (Telefutura, 3 ET).

"We have an attitude, internally, that the playoffs need to sell out,"
Dynamo chief operating officer Chris Canetti says.

The team worked with the NFL’s Texans on the timing of their press
conferences this week, ensuring the presence of every Houston TV
station, English and Spanish, at the Dynamo gathering, Canetti says.

The first game was a 1-1 tie.

Eastern playoffs:

The top-seeded Columbus Crew also is tied 1-1. The Crew will host
Kansas City on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, HDNet). The New England
Revolution and Chicago Fire met Thursday night in the other East
matchup. The teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first leg, leaving
injury-riddled New England a difficult task in Chicago.