Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN TO VISIT MOSCOW

AZG Armenian Daily
25/10/2006

The Embassy of the Russian Federation to Armenia informed that RA
President Robert Kocharian is going to pay a working visit to Moscow
on October 30-31. The visit is aimed to increase the level of the
Russian-Armenian cooperation. Besides the actual issues of bilateral
importance, the sides are expected to discuss the Russian-Armenian
cooperation in the spheres of energy, transport, as well as those of
Russia’s and Armenia’s subjects. The parties are also to discuss the
issues concerning the implementation of the agreements signed between
our countries.

In the course of RA President’s working visit, the sides will pay
special attention to the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the current
situation in Nagorno Karabakh.

RA PRIME MINISTER WELCOMES ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL LEAGUE OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND SECURITY PROTECTION IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
receiving RF State Duma Deputy, Chairman of the International League
of Human Dignity and Security Protection, army General Valentin
Varennikov and the delegation led by him on October 23, welcomed
establishment of National League of Human Dignity and Security
in Armenia. A.Margarian said that there are some problems that, in
addition to state structures, require wide involvement of NGOs in the
issue of their solution. He assured that RA government will support
the newly founded National League as far as possible. V.Varennikov
also greeted creation of such national organizations mentioning that
they are realized by the dictate of time and have a great role to
play in the issue of protection if dignity and security in their
countries. He emphasized that in the modern world full of dangers
and challenges threatening to all countries, consolidation of forces
and efforts is needed for fighting them efficiently. In his words,
NGOs should create a firm basis for making efficient decisions by
state structures. As NT was informed from RA government Information
and Public Relations Department, V.Varennikov informed A.Margarian
that within the framework of the delegation’s visit, an agreement on
Armenian newly created National League’s joining the International
League of Human Dignity and Security Protection will be signed.

"HAY DAT SUPPORT" BOOK DEDICATED TO 145th ANNIVERSARY OF FRIDTJOF NANSEN PUBLISHED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The series of the 10-day events
dedicated to the 145th anniversary of Norwegian scientist, polar
explorer, humanist, Armenian people’s great friend Fridtjof Nansen
closed on October 20 with the presentation of the book entitled "Hay
Dat Support." Feliks Bakhchian, the book author, the Chairman of the
"Fridtjof Nansen" fund mentioned that historian Makich Arzoumanian
wrote "Nansen and Armenia" the first volumnous work dedicated to
the prominent scientist. This book yeild the previous one by his
volume, and the author attempted to arise Nansen’s humane spurs and
international activity in that sphere from what his impartiality in the
issue of the Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) arises. The author touched upon
in his book Fridtjof Nansen’s idea that the Hay Dat is a possibility
for the mankind’s cleaning.

F.Bakhchinian also stated that the "Nansen and Armenia" film will be
shot soon. To recap, after the 1915 Armenian Genocide, with efforts
of the great humanist, 320 thousand Armenians got Nansen passports
and were able to find refuge in 52 countries of the world.

The Economist
October 21, 2006
U.S. Edition

Where the past is another country;
Armenians in Turkey

This article contains a table. Please see hard copy.

WHAT has to happen before a nation can look honestly at the darkest
chapters in its own past? Moments of truth can occur when a country
isdefeated, occupied and helpless, like Germany and Japan in 1945. At
the other extreme, such moments are also possible when a nation feels
so secure that it can discuss past misdeeds without fearing for its
future existence: think of the British, French and Belgian historians
now uncovering murky chapters of the colonial era. And there is a
third answer: after a big revolution (like the Bolshevik one), the
new rulers are often keen to show up the moral turpitude of their
predecessors.

None of these conditions has ever prevailed in modern Turkey,
although things came close after 1918; and that is why the fate of
hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians who died horribly in 1915
is still a bitterly disputed question, for diplomats and judges as
well as scholars.

What is contested is whether, in addition to the overt orders given
to deport the Armenians – on grounds that they were a fifth column for
the tsarist enemy – secret orders were also given by the Committee of
Union and Progress (CUP), the shadowy clique which wielded effective
authority over the Ottoman empire, to make sure that very few
Armenians survived theexperience.

This timely and well-researched work by Taner Akçam, a Turkish-born
scholar who now lives in America (and would risk prosecution if he
tried to go home) highlights at least two things. First, how many
foreign observers of the deportations, including Germans and
Austrians who were allied to the Turks, did conclude that the
intention was to kill, not just deport. And secondly, the book helps
to explain why the conditions in which these events might be freely
discussed in Turkey have never quite fallen into place.

The Ottoman empire did, of course, accept defeat by the Entente, and
in the months that followed, Britain had much sway over the Ottoman
institutions. From March 1920, Britain and its allies formally
occupied Istanbul. But the occupation, at a time of British-backed
Greek expansion in Anatolia, backfired: the real moral authority of
the war victors over Turkey ebbed rapidly, as did the Turks’
readiness to receive moral lessons from their foes. So too did
Turkish willingness to accept that crimes had been committed against,
as well as by, the eastern Christians.

Things might have been different. During the first world war, all
decisions on the conduct of the war (and the treatment of the
Armenians) were taken by the committee. When the war ended, its
leaders fled, fearing prosecution for their atrocities against the
Armenians. At that time, the Ottoman government was desperate to
distance itself from the CUP’s actions, and agreed readily to a
series of trials in which the fate of the Armenians was considered;
some grisly evidence came to light. But the mood of self-reproach was
short-lived.

Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk), the brilliant general who smashed the
Greeks in 1922 and created modern Turkey, might in theory have
renounced all the deeds of the Ottoman era – given that the republic he
proclaimed was supposed to mark a rupture with the past. But as Mr
Akçam shows, Ataturk’s movement was too close to the committee for a
clean break to occur. That laid the ground for today’s odd
situation – a modern republic that passionately defends, on pain of
prosecution, theimperial regime which the republic’sfounders
overthrew.

GRAPHIC: A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of
Turkish Responsibility.

CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST ROYAL ARMENIA’S MANAGEMENT SENT TO COURT

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The preliminary investigation of the
criminal case against the management of Royal Armenia Ltd was completed
and the case has been sent to court. Gevorg Minasian, the company’s
lawyer, said this at the October 20 press conference. To recap, the
case started on March 10, 2005. On the 7th month of the investigation,
the company’s co-owner Gagik Hakobian and deputy director Aram
Ghazarian were arrested. They were accused of smuggling, non-payment
of taxes, document forgery, legalization of financial resources in
an illegal way, and G. Hakobian – also of fraud. During the press
conference, representatives of Royal-Armenia expressed discontent that
by the investigator’s decision, a 38,400-kg and 76,800-kg shipments
of green coffee that the company received from abroad continue to be
under arrest. They are not customs-cleaned, as a result of which 2
trucks and 6 containers of the foreign transporter have been under
"customs arrest" since September 27, 2006, for which Royal-Armenia
will bear property responsibility to the foreign transporter.
"This action with respect to the company is a previously planned
damage which has no bearing to justice and law," the application
sent to the RA president, prime minister and prosecutor general
reads. According to the application, the company was forced to stop
the process of production and to dismiss 48 employees. Representatives
of Royal-Armenia believe that the investigator’s decision and the
inaction of customs employees are not justified.

According to them, Ltd is not a civil defendant in this criminal
case, and as a legal entity and a independent subject of the law
is not responsible for the liabilities of its participants. "Even
if we admit that the Ltd participants committed an offence, it is
not a reason to put an arrest on the raw material imported by the
company," the company representatives stated. According to them,
in such a case sanctions may be used with respect to the defendants’
property and their shares in the company’s capital.

Ex-Armenian premier: Aggravation of relations with Georgia may lead
to deportation of Javakh Armenians

Regnum, Russia
Oct 20 2006

"Requests of some Russian politicians, who persuade Armenia to
aggravate its relations with Georgia are inexpedient;" head of
National-Democratic Union, ex-Armenian premier Vazgen Manukyan is
quoted by a REGNUM correspondent as stating to a news conference on
October 19.

According to him, Armenia does not have access to sea; Azerbaijan and
Turkey have blocked its borders; its Iranian border is unstable, too,
because of complicated Iranian-US relations. In this connection,
Manukyan believes it to be inexpedient to request from Armenia
to aggravate its relations with Georgia. Moreover, aggravation
of relations with the country may lead to oppressions against or
deportation of Armenians of Javakh (Armenian-populated Georgian
region – REGNUM). Complications of Javakh Armenians’ situation are
already evident now, he mentioned. "Situation around knifing and
arrests, happened in Javakh is absolutely incomprehensible for me,"
he stated, adding that such question was to be discussed more detailed
by politicians on October 19.

Speaking about Russian-Georgian relations, the ex-Armenian premier
stressed that even during armed conflict Armenian-Azerbaijani relations
were not so tensed as current Russian-Georgian relations are now. Such
situation is consequence of unresolved Abkhazian and Ossetian issues,
Manukyan believes. "Armenian relation to the abovementioned issues
should be adequate one, i.e. if we say that the NKR has right on
self-determination, we may strip neither Abkhazia nor Ossetia of the
right," he stated. At the same time, Vazgen Manukyan stressed that
every conflict is to be settled individually; if Abkhazia agrees to
join Georgia on principle of confederation or federation, Armenia
may only welcome it. "Pendency of the abovementioned conflicts is
unfavorable for Armenia, too, because it contributes to its blockade;
as for pressure towards ethnic minorities, carried out in Russia,
it concerns both Georgians and Armenians," he concluded.

French-Belgian Dexia Buys Turkish Denizbank
By Ibrahim Turkmen, Yahya Cark

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 19 2006

Thursday, October 19, 2006
zaman.com

Seventy-five percent of Denizbank’s shares were handed over to
European finance giant Dexia for $2.43 billion Wednesday after
necessary permissions had been granted.

Dexia, the new owner of Turkey’s sixth-largest private bank and a
French-Belgian partnered Finance Company, has become a major player
in the Turkey’s banking sector.

Dexia’s President of the Executive Board Axel Miller says that they
were very happy about the latest step they have taken.

Miller said they were working on long-term projects for Turkey,
and claimed that they had made the greatest purchase in Turkey in
recent years.

They had long aspired to enter into the Turkish market, which has
made great progress since the 2001 economic crisis.

"The progress made in economics and politics keeps surprising us,"
Miller remarked.

"Turkey is the fastest growing market and will shortly become a
value for Europe. Looking at projects undertaken here in the last
five years, you can say that leaders have now got the ability to
take consistent and conscious steps. There are also high quality
partnerships in the banking sector. The risk management is taken care
of very well. Equally important, this is not a unilateral action;
there is a fruitful exchange that assists both parties."

Miller said that the major reason behind the acquisition of Denizbank
was its impressive growth rate.

He emphasized the tremendous contributions of the previous owner,
the Zorlu Group, to this high performance, and noted that the bank
had entered the finance sector in 1997 in 81st place, only to rise
to sixth place, with the help of a carefully planned public offering,
in the course of these last nine years.

An organic growth constitutes the foundation of Dexia’s strategy
for Turkey.

The number of the Denizbank branches will reach 435 by 2009 according
to their plan.

What’s more, 3,000 people will have been employed. The new
acquisition’s financial contribution to Dexia in the field of public
and project funding will be 5 percent and it is envisioned that net
income will increase by 20 percent during the 2005-2009 period.

Dexia, a company of French and Belgian origin, stands out as one of
Europe’s greatest with active capital of ~@514 billion.

The bank operates in over 30 countries with 26,000 employees and
will have increased the number of its employees to 33,000 with the
Denizbank purchase.

"The good old days of Central and Eastern Europe are in the past now.

Our population is on a constant decrease, crippling any further
efforts to launch new big projects. So, we had to set sail for new
markets. With its population of 70 million, Turkey attracts all the
firms willing to enlarge," said Miller.

We’re Europeans, Not French or Belgians

Axell Miller noted that they were not a fickle company that breezed
in and out of a market and their projects were long-term ones.

"In five to seven years we will be able to increase our net income
by 13 to 17 percent. We believe that Denizbank will function as an
engine for our entire group."

"We’re neither a French nor Belgian company. We see ourselves as a
European company."

He also noted that their French partners owned a 13 percent stake.

Also touching on tensions between Turkey and France because of the
controversial Armenian genocide bill, Miller emphasized that history
could not be written with laws.

Dexia To Provide Financial Support To Municipalities

The bank will also focus on local administration funding through a
new process called "Municipality Banking."

Axell Miller said that in this field in Turkey was still untouched.

He believes that public funding in Turkey will make great headway,
and said that they were ready to provide support to the government,
local administrations and municipalities in any way possible.

October 19, 2006

PRESS RELEASE

Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745

E-mail: [email protected]

Website:

BANQUET CELEBRATING THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANTELIAS SEMINARY
WAS A GREAT SUCCESS

On Friday, October 13, on the eve of the Feast of the Holy
Translators, evening services were conducted by H.E. Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, with the participation of Prelacy
clergy members and deacons, at Holy Martyrs Church in Encino.

Following church services, the annual Seminary banquet took place at
"Avedissian" Hall with over 450 Seminary alumni and supporters in
attendance. The host of the banquet was Seminary alumnus Mr. and
Mrs. Zohrab and Liza Manougian, who expressed their support with a
30,000 dollar donation.

With the singing of a hymn dedicated to the Holy Translators, the
clergy members, led by the Prelate, entered the hall in a procession
where they collectively sang the Seminary anthem.

The official program began with welcoming remarks by emcees Very
Rev. Fathers Muron Aznikian and Barthev Gulumian. The evening’s keynote
speaker, Archpriest Fr. Khoren Habeshian, then delivered his remarks
in which he emphasized the mission of the Seminary and its invaluable
contribution to the Armenian people.

In his remarks, the Prelate reminded the guests that one year ago,
this same banquet took place under the auspices and presided by
H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

He stated that as a result of the piety and nationalistic ideals that
the Seminary instills in each student, serving God and the Armenian
people becomes the mission of each Seminarian. The Prelate concluded
by expressing his appreciation to the Seminary Alumni Committee, the
Prelacy Ladies Auxiliary Guild, Executive Council, the Catholicosate’s
Central Executive Council representative, the A.R.F.

Central Committee representative, and to all the benefactors whose
continuous moral and financial support contribute to the fulfillment
of the Seminary’s mission to educate our future spiritual leaders.

Following the official program, former Seminarian Karnig Sarkissian
and his "Knar" band entertained the guests with revolutionary and
nationalistic songs. Throughout the evening, benefactors and supporters
of the Seminary made donations that totaled over 85,000 dollars.

TOTAL LOSS OF ARMENIAN INSURANCE COMPANIES MORE THAN 26 BILLION DRAMS

Panorama.am
17:06 18/10/06

Central Bank sources told Panorama.am that insurance reserves made up
27.5 billion drams in the running year. The sharp rise of the indicator
is connected with the formation of company Grand which paid money
to the relatives of A -320 airliner crash. Large volumes of reserves
ended up in negative balance of own capital of insurance companies –
20.6 billion drams. Despite of the fact that each insurance company
has gained some profit, they totally demonstrated loss of 26 billion
drams.

The Home Forum>Kidspace
from the October 17, 2006 edition

Right at home in Armenia
By Donna Scaramastra Gorman

Arpinka lives with her mother and her grandmother in a one- bedroom
apartment in Yerevan, Armenia (pronounced Ar-MEEN-yuh). The apartment
is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It’s small, but it’s
neat, with handmade lace curtains on the windows. Decorative rugs
hang on the walls much as your family might have pictures on the walls.

Arpinka is 8 years old. Her mother, Liliya, works as a nanny and
makes $10 a day – but that’s considered a good salary in Armenia,
where it is very difficult to find a job.

ARMENIAN GIRL: Arpinka, 8, lives in the city of Yerevan. She is in
the third grade, and she speaks Armenian and Russian, and a little
English, too.

Before her mother found work, the three of them lived with Arpinka’s
aunt, her uncle, and her cousins, Katya and Rubik. Arpinka is happy
to live in her own apartment now, but sometimes she misses her cousins.

Armenia is a tiny country. It is south of Russia, east of Turkey,
and north of Iran.

Like most Armenian schoolchildren, Arpinka speaks both Armenian and
Russian – and even a little English. She is in the third grade at
school, where her favorite subjects are math and English. The school
is close to her apartment, so she walks there by herself each morning.

After school, Arpinka helps her babushka – that’s "grandmother"
in Russian – make blini, which are thin pancakes, or varenniki –
dumplings stuffed with meat and cabbage or potatoes. She can even
make an omelet by herself.

Arpinka likes to cook. But instead of a stove, her family has one
Bunsen burner – which is like a camping stove. Because of its open
flame, she has to be very careful when cooking.

>From their kitchen window, Arpinka can see all the way to Mt. Ararat
in the neighboring country of Turkey.

The mountain used to be part of Armenia, and for Armenians, it is
considered a sacred place – some people say Noah’s ark mentioned in
the Bible is still somewhere on Mt. Ararat.

The snowcapped mountain looms over her city, and as the day passes,
Arpinka likes to watch it seem to change colors in different types
of light.

When Arpinka grows up, she wants to be a dentist or a fashion
designer. She hasn’t decided which yet.

But she won’t graduate from school until she is 17 years old, so she
has plenty of time to make up her mind.

For now, she enjoys playing with her cousins. Katya, who studies at
the music conservatory, is teaching her to play the piano, and Rubik
teaches her how to play chess.

On weekends, Arpinka goes to the market with her mother. The market
is outdoors, and the vendors sell cheeses, vegetables, bread, and
spices – everything you could need for a meal.

The meat at the market hangs on hooks. In warm weather, watermelons
are piled up in the road. Tomatoes and cucumbers are stacked neatly
together on tables.

NAME YOUR PRICE: Sellers present a variety of cheeses at an indoor
market in Yerevan, Armenia, where Arpinka lives with her family. Many
Armenians shop at markets such as this one.

Instead of paying a set fee for each item she buys, Arpinka’s mother
haggles or bargains with the vendors over the prices. Other shoppers
do this, too.

It is the custom in Armenia. Arpinka’s mother says it helps her save
money .

The market is crowded, so Arpinka stays near her mother while she
shops.

Back home, her mother and grandmother can vegetables for the winter
and turn berries into jam. They’ll store all of the bottles and jars
on their balcony, where it is cool year round.

If the weather is nice, Arpinka can play with the other neighborhood
kids in the courtyard of the apartment building.

Sometimes, when her mom isn’t working and it’s not too hot, the two
of them take a bus to the top of a hill overlooking the city. There
is an old amusement park there, and they can walk in the shade or sit
by the fountains. They can even buy ice cream from one of the vendors.

At night, Arpinka, her mother, and her babushka curl up together
to sleep.

Arpinka doesn’t like to sleep – there’s too much she wants to do. But
soon they all fall asleep, in the shadow of Mt. Ararat.

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