Author: Jagharian Tania

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SIGNS A DECREE ON APPOINTING ARTUR BAGHDASARYAN SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

arminfo
2008-05-04 21:10:00

ArmInfo. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on
appointing Artur Baghdasaryan the Secretary of the National Security
Council, the Armenian presidential press-service told ArmInfo.

Note: Artur Baghdasaryan was born on November 8, 1968. In 1985-1992 he
studied at the law faculty of the Yerevan State University. In 1989-
1993 he worked for the "Avangard" newspaper as a journalist, then as
a head of a department and finally as a deputy editor. In 1994-1997
Baghdasaryan studied at the Russian Academy of State Service. In July
1995 he was elected a deputy of the Armenian parliament, in March
1998 he was elected chairman of the Armenian parliamentary standing
commission for state and legal affairs. In June 1998 Baghdasaryan was
elected chairman of the Law-Governed Country Party (Orinats Yerkir). In
May 1999 Baghdasaryan was elected an Armenian MP. In 2001-2003 he was
a member of the Armenian parliamentary standing commission for foreign
affairs. In 2003-2007 he was an Armenian MP, from June 12, 2003 till
May 29, 2006 he held the post of the Speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly. On May 12, 2007, he was elected an MP from the Law-Governed
Country Party. Baghdasaryan is married and has three children.

THE WEST IS SERIOUS ABOUT AZERBAIJAN
VARDAN GRIGORYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 03, 2008
Armenia

On May 1 touching upon the forthcoming, October 15 presidential
elections in our neighbor country, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ann
Darcy, proposed merely unsolvable issues to Azerbaijani authorities.

In her view their future cooperation with Azerbaijani government and
the civil society will be directed to `holding the first free and fair
elections in the history of that country’. It is quite comprehensible
that the United States is trying to solve quite different issues, by
placing similar inaccessible plank in front of Azerbaijanis
authorities.

To have the preliminary picture of the goals of the United States,
let’s familiarize ourselves with the list of the organizations, which
are going to get 3 million dollars from the US government, for
assisting the process of the elections in Azerbaijan ` examining the
complaints, conducting parallel counting of the votes, organizing
pre-election debates, training the law enforcers, etc. They are ` the
US National Democratic Institute, the Republicans’ International
Institute, International Fund of the Electoral System, the American
Lawyers’ Association, the International Council of Investigation, and
Exchange, which includes the whole `assortment’ of the American
structures skilled in `colored revolutions’.

Meanwhile the Committee dealing with small grants under the US State
Department will start the funding of Azerbaijani non-governmental
organizations and social groups.

Before the publication of the names of this rather outstanding
organizations, the not less famous `Ago’ group was dealing with
Azerbaijan, which in its April 22 report attached great importance to
making amendments in Azerbaijan’s Electoral Code and emphasized the
significance of the adoption of the amended version of the law on `the
Freedom of Rallies’ with the participation of Venice Committee. The
task of ensuring the independence of the national council of the TV and
Radio has also been advanced.

So, it turns out that all the American and European structures that
used to deal with Georgia and Armenia in winter are sending their
`landing forces’ to Azerbaijan.

It’s worth mentioning that Azerbaijan’s governing elite is seriously
concerned about the steps taken by western structures before the
presidential elections in Azerbaijan on October 15, trying to confront
their proposals, reports, and suggestions regarding the organization of
democratic elections. Meanwhile they are trying to create an impression
that allegedly there are no objective or subjective preconditions for
the repetition of the events that took place in Georgia and Armenia.

But it is evident that despite the impression of the stability and
economic development of Azerbaijan created by Ilham Aliev and his
administration, the problems existing in this country are far more
complicated than the ones in Georgia and Armenia. Particularly the
stressed difference in the development of the capital city Baku and the
suburbs, or the dissimilarity of the income of different layers of
society, is greater than in any other country in South Caucasus
deprived of oil and gas resources.

Unlike Armenia there is also an emphasized dissatisfaction towards the
policy of the past years, regarding Karabakh issue, which the
pro-oppositional radical powers will definitely speculate during the
pre-election campaign.

However the profound motives of the US and European organizations are
still not clear. But one thing is evident, that they will over again
pursue their double standard policy here, the USA will try to `liven
up’ the pro-oppositional powers, by giving hopes of victory, on the one
hand, and will `work’ with Ilham Aliev, trying to extort concessions of
geopolitical nature from him, one the other hand.

In our opinion by October 15 the Unites State and all the international
structures acting under its patronage, as well as the EU countries will
do their best to apply the formula `weak authorities ` strong foreign
players’ in Azerbaijan, the same way as they did in Georgia and
Armenia. The thing is, whether or not Azerbaijani pro-oppositional
powers will succeed in using all this in strengthening their positions.

In any case the electoral hullabaloo, in store for Azerbaijan, promises
to turn into a short but indispensable period for the re-establishment
of the internal unity for our people and making Armenia’s foreign
policy more active.’

FIRST EVENT DEDICATED TO 75th ANNIVERSARY OF ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY HELD AT SYNOPSYS ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 1, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Education-science-production cooperation
between State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA – "Polytechnic")
and Synopsys company will be contagious for many, while the RA National
Assembly is ready to encourage and assist with Synopsys’ initiatives,
the speaker of the NA Tigran Torosian during the April 29 festive
event dedicated to 75th anniversary of SEUA. The event was organized
by Synopsys Armenia CJSC – Armenian subsidiary of Synopsys company,
world leader in electronic automated design.

In the words of Rich Goldman, Vice President for Strategic Market
Development of Synopsys and CEO of Synopsys Armenia, SEUA is a
very important university for Armenia and one of the most famous
universities which prepared a great number of qualified engineers
and political figures.

"We are proud of having such good relations with SEUA. It is obvious
that this university will make a great contribution to the the
country’s building," he said.

General manager of Synopsys Armenia Hovik Musaelian in his turn
stated that over the 75 years of its existence, SEUA has implemented
its major mission by ensuring an efficient "university-production"
cooperation. According to him, although Synopsys cooperates with nearly
500 universities worldwide, the company management has repeatedly
noted that the cooperation with SEUA in Armenia is unique by its
nature and significance. The fact that an interdepartmental chair
"Microelectronic Systems and Chips" functions at SEUA shows that
the company has established quite serious cooperation with the
university. About 300 students study at the chair. Nearly 30% of
Synopsys Armenia’s employees are SEUA graduates.

The RA minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian also attached
importance, from the viewpoint of economic development, to the
successful experience of cooperation of Synopsys and SEUA by
education-science-business link. In his words, it is based on this
link that a knowledge-based economy should be built in Armenia. The
state will increase financing of sceintific developments and research,
and the financing experience of Synopsys will be used for calculation
of allocations for this purpose.

Rector of SEUA Vostanik Marukhian said that the event organized by
Synopsys Armenia launches a series of events dedicated to the 75th
anniversary of "Polytechnic", and the fact of holding this event at
Synopsys Armenia shows that the cooperation of SEUA and Synopsys, which
began four and a half years ago, is bearing fruit. In this respect he
considered it imporatnt that some graduates of SEUA interdepartmental
chair "Microelectronic Systems and Chips" now teach at the university,
which contributes to rejuvination of the teaching staff.

"FINANCES. LOANS. INSURANCE AND AUDIT EXPO-2008" EXHIBITION OPENS IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
02.05.2008 15:52

"Finances. Loans. Insurance and Audit Expo-2008" Exhibition opened
in Yerevan today.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, organized by LOGOS EXPO
Center Company, the Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia
Artur Javadyan stated that "by joint efforts we will be able to
increase the level of the financial competence of citizens and support
the effective development of the financial system of Armenia."

"The exhibition is meant to improve the understanding of the society on
the provided financial service in Armenia. Organization of such events
is an important step from the point of view of securing transparency
of the financial system and protecting the rights of consumers of
financial services," Artur Javadyan stated. He added that training
programs will be organized this year within the framework of Central
Ban’s arrangements aimed to protect consumer rights.

"We will carry out such measures in future as well, informing the
society on the programs and tasks of the banking system of Armenia,"
the Chairman of the Union of Banks of Armenia Emil Soghomonyan stated.

Over 25 organizations are participating in the exhibition that will
continue through May 4th.

The following sections are presented at the exhibition: banking;
banking services for legal entities and individuals; mortgage
crediting; crediting of small and medium enterprise; consumer
express-crediting; car crediting; financial consulting; investment
management; insurance; realtor and assessment services; audit services.

The exhibition is conducted with the support of the Ministry of
Economy, the Central Bank of Armenia, the Armenian Development
Agency, the Union of Bank of Armenia, the Union of Manufacturers and
Entrepreneurs of Armenia.

EU GIVES CAUTIOUS WELCOME TO TURKEY’S FREEDOM OF SPEECH BILL

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 30 2008

The European Union gave a cautious reception Wednesday to amendments
approved by the Turkish parliament on its infamous Article 301 of
the criminal code regulating freedom of speech, reported the dpa.

In a statement issued on behalf of all 27 EU member states, the bloc’s
presidency called it "a constructive step forward".

"We look forward to its effective implementation. This step is both
positive for Turkey and an indication of Turkey’s continuing commitment
to the reform process," the statement added.

The European executive, the commission, said it was now looking
forward to "further moves to change similar articles in the penal
codes" so as to ensure an end to unwarranted prosecutions.

"Now the Turkish authorities need to focus on the implementation of the
reform to guarantee freedom of expression for all Turkish citizens,"
a commission spokesman said.

Late on Tuesday, Turkey’s lawmakers agreed to rewrite Article 301,
replacing "insulting Turkishness" with "insulting the Turkish nation".

The approved amendments also reduce the maximum prison sentence that
courts may inflict on offenders, from three to two years, and makes
the opening of court cases subject to approval by the justice minister.

The EU and human rights groups have long campaigned for changes to
the law, which have been used to prosecute hundreds of writers and
intellectuals. Of these, the most prominent has been Nobel laureate
Orhan Pamuk and ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered
after being found guilty of "insulting Turkishness".

Article 301 has also been cited by opponents of Turkey’s entry into
the EU as evidence that it cannot join the bloc.

FREEDOM HOUSE MEDIA REPORT PAINTS BLEAK PICTURE FOR CENTRAL ASIA, CAUCASUS
Deirdre Tynan

EurasiaNet, NY –
April 29 2008

The news is bleak for media outlets in the Caucasus and Central Asia,
according to an annual report released by Freedom House on April
29. And the forecast calls for periods of repression, heavy at times.

Press freedoms worldwide are under threat, but the drift toward
repression in the former Soviet Union is the most pronounced and
alarming, said Karin Karlekar, the managing editor of the report,
Freedom of the Press 2008. "It’s very worrying. In past years we’ve
seen declines in the worst performing countries, but what’s interesting
this year is that we’ve seen declines in the whole region, from the
better performing countries all the way down to the worst performers,"
she said.

Freedom of the Press 2008 rates countries as free, partly free or
not free across three categories: the legal environment in which
media outlets operate; political influence on reporting and access to
information; and economic pressures on content and the dissemination of
news. Countries were scored on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing
total government control over mass media, and zero indicating perfect
freedom. [For a look at the entire table, click here].

"There were a wide range of trends. In the better performing countries
there was increasing pressure from governments on public broadcast
media. We noted in several of the mid-range countries there were
downward trends. In Kyrgyzstan that was mostly connected to the
political environment. In Georgia, political polarization, elections
and the state of emergency led to a crackdown on media. Armenia had
a similar sort of experience with pre-election tensions." In the 2008
survey Kyrgyzstan received a score of 70, Georgia 60 and Armenia 66.

Perennial human rights bad boys – Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – were,
not surprisingly, found at the bottom of the Freedom House table.

Despite Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s oft-stated
desire to liberalize, Turkmenistan retained its title as the most
media unfriendly state in Caspian Basin. Ashgabat’s total of 96
in 2008 remained unchanged over its tally the previous year. In
the world, only Burma and North Korea received a worse score than
Turkmenistan’s. "The government retained its absolute monopoly over
all media, directly controlling not only media outlets, but also the
printing presses and other infrastructure on which they depended,"
the Freedom House report stated.

Berdymukhamedov in recent weeks has demanded that state-controlled
mass media outlets improve the quality of programming. He added
that journalists should be more "creative" and trained by foreign
professionals. However, Karlekar countered that the media situation
in Turkmenistan is so debased "it would be difficult to say what
could be done to improve it."

"We were hoping to see some positive changes in Turkmenistan [after
the death of former dictator Saparumat Niyazov] but there’s been
scant change, which is very disappointing," she added.

Uzbekistan registered a 92 score in the 2008 report, up from its
91 the previous year. "The aftermath of government clampdowns in
2005-2006 left an already barren media landscape even more desolate
in 2007," this year’s report states. "Despite nominal constitutional
guarantees, Uzbek authorities showed no respect for freedom of speech
or of the press."

"Virtually all media were linked either directly or indirectly to the
[Uzbek] state, and the government used them to present a carefully
constructed picture of an ideal reality, with occasional forays into
limited criticism," the report continued.

After Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan proved the most
state most hostile to independent media. Astana saw its 2008 score
stand at 78, a two-point increase over the previous year. "Political
events underscored the overwhelming extent of partisan ownership and
presidential influence," the report said. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. Independent-minded journalists continue to
encounter "harassment and obstacles, including criminal charges and
civil libel suits," the report continued.

Azerbaijan and Tajikistan trailed just behind Kazakhstan, each
country receiving a score of 77. In examining Dushanbe’s conduct,
the report criticized the introduction of amendments criminalizing
libel and defamation on the internet, featuring penalties of up to
two years in prison. It also noted the government’s manipulation of
the judicial system to harass journalists and editors, and licensing
difficulties for both domestic and foreign media outlets.

Azerbaijan, the report points out, remains one of the world leaders in
imprisoning journalists. "Fearful of a ‘color revolution’ scenario,
the government continues to clamp down on all opposition media and
has no tolerance for criticism," the report added.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF POLAND HOLDS PROCESSION IN MEMORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Noyan Tapan
April 29, 2008

WARSAW, APRIL 29, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. On April 24, the
Armenian community of Poland held a silence procession dedicated
to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims. The peaceful procession
started from the Blessed Virgin church and finished near the Embassy
of Turkey with an action of protest. The demonstrants carried flags,
placards, and candles.

AHARON CHILINGARIAN APPOINTED FIRST DEPUTY HEAD OF STS

Noyan Tapan
April 28, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. People expect changes to be made in
tax administration sector too, and Armenia has no right to yield
to regional countries in this sestor’s development, even though
international organizations noted that tax administration is not
so good in the country, the Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsian
stated on April 28 when introducing the first deputy head of the RA
State Tax Service (STS) Aharon Chilingarian to the STS staff.

Describing A. Chilingarian as an honest and decent person, the prime
minister said that he is also one of the best experts in this sphere.

In the State Tax Service, A. Chilingrian will coordinate the program
of reforms in tax administration. Prior to this appointment, he worked
at Aharon Paradigma consulting company.

DINK MURDER TRIAL SHOULD BRING COUNTRYWIDE ACCOMPLICES TO JUSTICE, URGE LAWYERS
Erol Onderoa~^Lu

BÄ°A, Turkey
April 28 2008

15 months later, with a hearing nearly every three months, the court
has still not determined all the responsible parties in Hrant Dink’s
murder trial. The lawyers do not think "a few young men planned
the murder."

The accused murderers of Hrant Dink, the slained editor of bilingual
Turkish-Armenian biweekly newspaper Agos, will appear before the judge
for the fifth time 15 months after the murder. On 28 April hearing
(Monday), the remaining questionings are expected to be completed.

The Istanbul 14th Criminal Court, which tries the 19 defendants,
eight of whom are arrested, had demanded at the previous hearing that
the physical surveillance reports and telephone records concerning the
arrested defendants Yasin Hayal and Mustafa Ozturk. It is established
now that Yasin Hayal was under the surveillance of the Trabzon
Police Department, a major province in the eastern Black Sea region
of Turkey, and is accused of inciting the killing, facing strict
life imprisonment. Similarly accused Mustafa Ozturk is a member of
Alperen Ocakları (translated roughly as Hero-Saint Hearths), a far
right nationalistic youth group linked to the Great Unity Party (BBP).

It is not known whether the reports will show a connection between
the Trabzon police, Alperen Ocakları and the Great Unity Party (BBP).

However, during the previous trial, the court had removed the
obligation that the head of BBP Trabzon provincial organization YaÅ~_ar
Cihan, the member of the Central Decision and Executive Committee of
BBP Halis Egemen and the two other people should join the hearings. Not
arrested, these defendants are charged with sentences of up to ten
years in jail for "being members of a terrorist organization."

Lawyer Cinmen: It was planned in Alperen Ocakları, the killers were
protected According to Ergin Cinmen, one of the lawyers of the slained
victim, who petitioned the court on February 22, there are indications
that the murder was planned at Alperen Ocakları: the statement
by Erhan Tuncel, who is being tried as the "inciter brother," that
"I still have the key to Alperenler Ocagı"; his picture with the
BBP leader Muhsin Yazıcıoglu; the fact that his place of work is
Alperen Ocakları and that his Alperen Ocakları connection was Ozturk.

The lawyers of the slained victim think that the killing of the
journalist on January 19, 2007 is not "a murder planned together by
a few young men and executed in spite of the authorities; they claim
that the local security units supported this group.

Ä°stanbul Police Department under investigation; except Cerrah

The court did not see the need to connect the ongoing trials of
the two police officers in Samsun, a Black Sea town near Trabzon,
and the two gendarmerie officers in Trabzon with the hearings of the
Dink trial. The police officers are accused of dereliction of duty,
as they had their picture taken with the accused triggerman O.S. and
the gendarmerie officers are accused with not preventing the murder
and hiding the evidence.

Following the lack of jurisdiction decision by Istanbul Chief
Public Prosecutor’s Office, Fatih Public Prosecutor’s Office,
also in Istanbul province, had opened an investigation into the
involvement of Istanbul’s chief of police Celalettin Cerrah and the
other Istanbul police department officers who are accused of not
taking into consideration the warnings before the Dink murder.

Recently, it had made it into the headlines that the Provincial
administrative Council of the Istanbul Governorship allowed the
investigation proceed only for Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler, the Head of the
Intelligence Office for the Istanbul Police Department, and the six
police officers but kept Cerrah out of it.

Upon hearing the confession "It was not us, but our superiors
who neglected their duties" of the two gendarmerie officers who
are tried for dereliction of duty in Trabzon, the lawyers of Dink
family petitioned the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office for having
Trabzon’s former Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Colonel Ali Oz and nine
gendarmerie officers brought to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s
Office to be tried in the murder case.

The purpose of the lawyers is to combine the trials of police and
gendarmerie officers in Samsun and Trabzon and perhaps the possible
trial of Cerrah and the officers tied to him in Istanbul with the
Dink’s murder trial.

–Boundary_(ID_hI8acMwImraidDf1aRbUAA)–

Economic Times, India
April 27 2008

Armenian PM welcomes Turkish dialogue request
27 Apr, 2008, 2205 hrs IST, PTI

YEREVAN: Armenia is ready to start dialogue with Turkey on improving
relations if Ankara does not set preconditions to talks, Armenia’s new
prime minister said on Sunday.

The two neighbours have no diplomatic links after Ankara severed ties
in protest against Armenian control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region
over which Armenia fought Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan in a war in the
early 1990s.

"I confirm the readiness of the government of Armenia to engage in
constructive dialogue and establish relations without preconditions,"
the press office of the Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarksyan said
he wrote in a letter to Turkey.

An Armenian backed administration controls the Nagorno-Karabakh
region. Armenia and Azerbaijan are still officially at war over the
mountainous area.

Last week Turkey’s foreign minister said he had sent Armenia a letter
calling for dialogue. Armenia is a mainly Christian state of around 3
million which lies on the edge of the Caucasus which hosts a pipeline
pumping oil to Europe from Asia. Armenia also accuses Turkey of
genocide during violence at the end of World War One.

Turkey denies the accusations and says that both Christian Armenians
and Muslim Turks died in fighting. "I assure you that our efforts will
be aimed at ensuring peace, tolerance and stability in our region,"
Sarksyan told Turkey in the letter. Sarksyan took over as prime
minister earlier this month. He had previously been central bank
chief.