Author: Kalashian Nyrie

Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 1 2007

AZERI EXPERTS WARY ON POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF ARMENIAN RESOLUTION BY US
CONGRESS

Baku, 1 February: The adoption of the bill on the official
recognition of the Armenian "genocide" drawn up and submitted to
Congress by pro-Armenian congressmen is not realistic, political
expert Vafa Quluzada has told Trend news agency.

According to the expert, the United States is conducting a policy of
defeating regional states in the Middle East – Iraq has been
defeated, and the issue of Afghanistan lies ahead. Thus, Turkey
remains the only major Muslim state in the region, which is why the
USA is preparing the ground for a striking at Turkey in the future,
he said. It is impossible to give any other assessment to such a
hostile act towards a member of NATO – an ally of the USA, the
political expert thinks.

In Quluzada’s opinion, the so-called Armenian "genocide" is an issue
for scientists, not for the US Congress, and has nothing to do with
modern Turkey.

Political expert Rasim Musabayov thinks that given that the
administration does not have a majority in the House of
Representatives and Senate, the risk of the US Congress adopting a
bill on the official recognition of the so-called Armenian "genocide"
is fairly high right now. He did not rule out that this attempt might
be more successful for the pro-Armenian congressmen. At the same
time, the political expert thinks that the US administration has the
resources to carry out work and explain the consequences that this
situation might bring about.

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Jan 31 2007

DASHNAKTSUTYUN DOESN’T REGRET ITS MEMBERSHIP IN ARMENIAN RULING
COALITION

YEREVAN, January 31. /ARKA/. Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
Dashnaktsutyun party, doesn’t regret its membership in ruling
coalition, Hrant Margaryan, the party representative said Monday at a
press conference. He said that the government composition is not an
end in itself for the party.
"If we fail to win a majority in parliament, we’ll enter into
negotiations over government composition", he said.
In his words, everything depends on how will be percent of the votes
scored by the party in parliamentary elections.
Margaryan said the party will be unable to form
Dahsnaktsutyun-dominated government based on social equality ideas.
"We have never evaded responsibility for the Armenian National
Statistical Service development", he said.
He stressed that Dashnaktsutyun’s ambition to take power is grounded
on its wish to implement its programs, but there would be no problem
if the party find itself in the opposition.
"Unlike the present-days opposition, we’ll try to change the
situation through the follow-up elections", Margaryan said.
Earlier, Hrayr Karapetyan, the head of Dashnaktsutyun’s parliamentary
faction, said that the party’s views on some issues differ from those
of the government and pointed out discord in economy and social
areas. M.V.-0–

Pamuk cancels Germany visit amid safety fears

Jess Smee in Berlin
Wednesday January 31, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk has cancelled a publicity tour of
Germany amid fears for his safety following the murder of
Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink.

Hanser Verlag, Pamuk’s German publisher, confirmed that the celebrated
author had called off a string of book readings in Hamburg, Cologne
and Stuttgart. He was also due to receive an honourary degree at
Berlin’s Free University on Friday.

Fears for Pamuk’s safety are running high. Last week, Yasin Hayal, the
man who police say has confessed to orchestrating Dink’s murder,
issued what appeared to be a direct threat to the novelist. "Orhan
Pamuk, be smart! Be smart!" he called to journalists as he was being
taken to an Istanbul courtroom by police. Police are investigating
whether his words constitute a threat to the novelist, something that
could lead to Hayal’s prosecution.

Both Pamuk and Dink have been the focus of controversy in Turkey after
talking openly about the mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th
century. They have been accused of the crime of "insulting
Turkishness". Pamuk is famed for novels such as Snow and My Name is
Red and won the Nobel prize for literature in 2006. His publisher said
there were no immediate plans to reschedule the trip to the Germany
where Pamuk has a large readership, partly because of the country’s
sizable Turkish community.

Dink’s assassination earlier this month has prompted an outpouring of
outrage at home and abroad. Within Turkey it has sparked fierce debate
about excessive nationalism and freedom of expression.

JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL ARMY MARKED SOLEMNY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. "After having had
no state, statehood and own armed forces for long years, we got
possibility to use own forces for own well-being," RA Defence Minister
Serge Sargsian states in his speech at the January 28 ceremony taken
place at the Yerevan Spendiarov Opera and Ballet Theater on the
occasion of the 15th anniversary of formation of the National Army of
Armenia.

The Defence Minister touched upon the main stages of foundation and
formation of the Armenian national army. In his words, the high level
of readiness of the Armed Forces of Armenia allows not to retreat
before Azerbaijani warlike statements and promises of serious growth
of its military budget. "The Armenian Army is not frightened by the
neighboring republic President’s resources promised to his army as the
army becomes efficient not only by money. We have enough will, are
devoted to our Fatherland and are decisive to bring to the end the
struggle which we started just 19 years ago, in 1988. We proved this
clear truth in early 90s, will prove tomorrow if there is its
necessity," the Defence Minister of Armenia stated.

The solemn sitting in which RA President Robert Kocharian with his
wife, Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians, Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian, government members and soldiers participated, finished with
a festive concert.

A state march-parade on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of
formation of the National Army was held on the Hanrapetutian
(Republic) square of Yerevan on the same day. During the parade, 6
military companies at the same time entered the square from 6
entrances marched by performing patriotic songs. The parade was
organized by the Defence Ministry joint with a number of institutions
of higher education of the capital.

Mediamax, Armenia
Jan 29 2007

`We plan a large-scale advancement of WiMAX in Armenia starting from
the third quarter of 2007′

The interview of «Cornet» Company’s Director Boris Demirkhanian to
Mediamax news agency

In late October, 2006, the Russian `Comstar – United TeleSystems»,
which is a part of the AFK «System», informed on its purchasing 75%
plus one share of the international «Collnet» Operator, the assets of
which in Armenia make the 100% share of the Armenian «Cornet»
Internet provider. Simultaneously, the `Comstar – United TeleSystems»
signed an option on purchasing the remaining shares of the company.
It was said in the statements on the deal that «Cornet» provides
internet access services by telephone lines with the use of dial-up,
ISDN, DSL and Wireless technologies, the access to the interbank
SWIFT net, as well as web-hosting services.

The General Director of «Cornet» Boris Demirkhanian informed Mediamax
on the details of the deal and the development prospects of the
company.

– As opposed to other Armenian providers, «Cornet» and «Collnet»
brands have been widely recognized by the ordinary customers. Which
is your «strong point» and why your company in particular was chosen
by «Comstar-UTS»?

– `Collnet’ – is an English international communication operator,
which was the 100% share owner of the `Cornet’ Company. What concerns
the interest of `Comstar-UTS’, I should say that being a dynamically
developing company, it does not limit itself to the Russian market
only, and our republic was of special interest for `Comstar-UTS’.

To my mind, `Cornet’ is of interest, first of all, because it
provides diverse services. Besides, `Cornet’ tries to be a company
`with a salt’, from the point of view of specific services, which it
can offer on the market.

I suppose that of no less significance a role in the choice of
`Comstar-UTS’ played the fact that in 2004-2005 «Cornet» developed
very intensively. In particular, in 2005, the growth of revenues as
compared to 2004 made 100%, and the profit in 2005 made about 40mln
AMD.

-What are the conditions, scales and the terms for the realization of
the «Comstar-United TeleSystems» investments in Armenia?

– The formalities of the deal on purchasing `Collnet’ were finished
in late 2006. It is obvious that the development program of `Cornet’
for 2007 is subject to fundamental reconsideration in the light of
the plans and prospects of development with the participation of the
parent company. However, as a rule, such prospect planning needs
certain period of time, which we did not have in connection with the
formalization of the relations only in late 2006. At present,
`Cornet’ works on the development program for 2007, and we hope that
already starting from mid-2007 certain steps directed at the
implementation of the given program will be made. `Comstar UTS’ has
plans concerning the development of infrastructures and its positions
on the Armenian market, but we will be able to talk about them more
concretely some time later.

-In Autumn 2006, it was noted that `Comstar’ intended to purchase the
remaining 25% of the `Cornet’ Company. When will that take place and
under what conditions?

– I would like to once again clarify that the deal was made between
`Collnet’ and `Comstar UTS’. The conditions of the deal on purchasing
`Collnet’ were the following: the control package (75%+1share) passes
into the hands of `Comstar’, and the 25%-1 share remains as an option
and is subject to conclusion at the expiration of the 2-year term.
That is, following the year of 2008, the formalities of selling the
remaining 25% shares will be determined.

– The new owner of `ArmenTel’ – `VimpelCom’ stated its readiness to
gradually renounce all types of monopoly. Does it introduce serious
changes in the plans of your company, or was the refusal of the
tender winner from the monopolies a predictable event, and so, that
was the reason for the decision of `Comstar’ to start working in
Armenia?

– There were several companies participating in the tender on
purchasing `ArmenTel’, including the `Mobile TeleSystems’ (MTS), and
the talks concerning the legitimacy of the status of `ArmenTel’ were
underway. `VimpelCom’, most likely, supposed that such a development
of events was possible. Such large-scale companies should take a
sober view of liberalization of the telecommunications market, and
corresponding expectations were not a surprise.

What concerns the liberalization, and the form, in which it is being
realized in Armenia, even if the market is liberalized de jure, de
facto the stance, the scale and the status of `ArmenTel’ impose a
certain specific character on the market. It will take much time
until it becomes possible to announce with all certainty about the
liberalized market of telecommunications in all its segments in
Armenia. And that, in its turn, means that on the market there will
appear a player, which will be able by its potential and services to
really compete with `ArmenTel’, as the given company was developing
in the course of ten years, based on the monopoly status. And, in the
given process, to my mind, is not of less importance the role of the
government as to how balanced will be its regulation of the relations
between `ArmenTel’ and other companies, assisting real liberalization
of the telecommunications market.

-Is it possible to talk about the fact that `Cornet’ will seriously
try to compete with `ArmenTel’ in certain segments of the market?

– The very segment of the market, which we want to become strong in,
does not intersect with `ArmenTel’ today. `ArmenTel’ is, first of
all, a telephone company, a mobile net and datacom net. If the
position of `ArmenTel’ on the market does not change fundamentally,
we will not be competing with each other, at any case, in the segment
of broadband access and provision of Internet services.

On the other hand, `Comstar’ is a huge company with a distributed
network of services. It does not limit itself to providing services
of broadband access to Internet, and if all the services, which the
company provides in Russia, become available in Armenia also, first
of all, in case of their legitimateness on the market, we can
intersect with `ArmenTel’. And here we will be able to talk about
competition in the form, in which it should be present on a
liberalized market.

– According to you, when will it be possible to talk about full
liberalization of the market of Internet services in Armenia? How
legitimate are the assumptions on the near `boom’ in the sphere of
Internet in Armenia, as a result of ArmenTel’s renunciation of the
monopoly?

– As a matter of fact, the internet-market in Armenia has never been
monopolized. This is the only type of service, which never fell under
the monopoly of `ArmenTel’. The position of `ArmenTel’ indirectly
influenced the development of internet-services in Armenia, as the
international exit and surface communications channels belonged to
the given company. On the other hand, the given dependence will be
present on the Armenian market for a very long time yet, as today all
the wire technologies are IAE connected to `ArmenTel’. The only way
to establish certain freedom in developing end-to end services is to
implement various wireless solutions (radio-net).

– Does your company have any plans in the given direction? You are
the only company in the country having a license for WiMAX, aren’t
you?

– Factually, there is no notion of a license for WiMAX in Armenia.
Any company, which has a license for providing datacom services, and
the most important, a permission to use radio-frequency spectrum
line, can establish and operate radio nets, including ones, based on
WiMAX technologies.

As `Cornet’ has all the necessary licenses and frequency range, we
have launched a net in test regime, based in WiMAX technologies. This
is a new technology, and there are not many standards for it, that is
why for a start we are realizing a pilot project, which is being
realized jointly with the `Alvarion’ Company. It will allow assessing
the abilities and the prospects of the given technology, will allow
probing the readiness of the market to accept a novelty.

We plan a large-scale development of the WiMAX net, starting form the
third quarter of 2007. Strengthening the facilities in Yerevan, we
intend to move through the entire republic, covering those regions of
Armenia, where there is demand for the service. We plan to provide
datacom services, Internet access and to establish a distributed
department and corporate nets through the WiMAX net in the most
developed and densely populated towns and regional centers of
Armenia, using the privileges of quick expansion of the net and its
penetration. The situation on the telecommunications market in the
regions is reasoned by the unsatisfying quality of the cooper cable
infrastructure, and sometimes by complete absence of opportunity to
use cable technologies, which gives the net of wireless broadband
access (WBA) irrefutable competitive privileges. Naturally, for us of
main interest are the corporate users, however, we consider the
possibility of providing services to natural persons as well.

– In autumn, the Russian Media were writing that your company is in
fact the only operator in Armenia, which provides services of
connection to the global inter-bank S.W.I.F.T. network by means of
close, protected IP SWIFT (SIPN) net. If possible, please, tell us in
detail about the given sphere of activities and about the plans for
its development.

– More than 70% of the Armenian banks are the customers of the
`Cornet’ Company, however, we are not involved in SWIFT directly. We
have the opportunity to provide the given service, but it is somewhat
specific, and there are organizations on the market, which specialize
in the given sphere.

I think that today SWIFT services do not represent a determinant
service for the Armenian banks. The issues of interaction between the
branches of the bank are more relevant, and `Cornet’ on this occasion
prefers to orient itself more on interbanking – the organization of
telecommunications solutions for providing interbranch, interbank
cooperation.

– What difficulties does your company face today?

– We go through all the difficulties, which each company, working in
the same sphere as we do, faces on the Armenian market. However, the
basic difficulty lies in the plane of state control and regulation.
We go through a transition period, and any development is coupled
with difficulties, which we overcome without assistance. We would
like the regulation bodies to listen more keenly to the needs, which
are present today in the IT sector.

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
January 22, 2007 Monday

PACE URGES YEREVAN TO INFLUENCE GARABAGH ARMENIANS

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
rapporteurs have called on Armenia to avail of all opportunities and
exert influence on the Armenian population in Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict. A report
prepared by the Monitoring Committee rapporteurs Georges Colombier
and Mikko Elo says Yerevan has been failing to take the needed steps
to advance the peace process, which is the greatest hurdle in the way
of stability in the Caucasus region. The document mentions that
although the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders met three times last
year, 2006 saw no substantial action to achieve a peaceful solution
of the dispute. No work had been done to prepare the people in the
two countries for compromise. Neither the Armenian nor the
Azerbaijani public is ready for concessions, it reads. The report
also assesses the developments ongoing in Armenia, suggesting that
the parliamentary and presidential elections eld in this country
since it was admitted to the Council of Europe were unfair and lacked
transparency. The rapporteurs further called on the Armenian
government to heed attention to the issues concerning composition of
election commissions and the procedure of making appeals. The PACE
hopes that the Armenian parliament that is cooperating with the CE
Venice Commission will tackle work to eliminate shortfalls in the
Electoral Code, says the report, which will be discussed during the
winter session of PACE.

Le Figaro, France
26 janvier 2007

Tractations diplomatiques autour de la frontière turco-arménienne

Istanbul LAURE MARCHAND

DEUX CENT soixante kilomètres hérissés de miradors, un no man’s land
de part et d’autres des barbelés : la frontière est fermée depuis
1993… L’Arménie indépendante avait juste deux ans quand la Turquie
a interrompu ses relations diplomatiques. Paradoxalement, c’est
l’assassinat du journaliste d’origine arménienne Hrant Dink, le 19
janvier, qui pourrait amorcer le dégel de ce statu quo qui dure
depuis quatorze ans : un contact entre Erevan et Ankara a été établi
lors des obsèques. Mercredi, après avoir présenté ses condoléances à
la famille du rédacteur en chef d’ Agos, le vice-ministre arménien
des Affaires étrangères, qui avait fait le déplacement pour les
funérailles, a fait le premier pas : « Le souhait de l’Arménie est
d’établir des relations diplomatiques sans condition (…). D’autres
pays maintiennent des liens entre eux malgré leurs difficultés. »
L’invitation d’Arman Kirakosian a reçu un accueil mitigé de la part
du gouvernement turc.

Conflit du Haut-Karabakh Prudent, le premier ministre, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan a répondu qu’il « ne serait pas sérieux de (se) prononcer
sans connaître la teneur de la proposition faite par l’Arménie » .
Abdullah Gül, le ministre des Affaires étrangères s’est montré
davantage réceptif, tout en soulignant les difficultés d’une reprise
des négociations : « Nous n’avons aucune hostilité envers notre
voisin, mais il doit également modifier son comportement envers nous.
» La réouverture de la frontière turco-arménienne se heurte à
plusieurs écueils. D’abord, la reconnaissance des massacres
d’Arméniens commis par l’Empire ottoman en 1915, que les autorités
turques persistent à qualifier de « soi-disant » génocide. Erevan
n’en fait pas une condition sine qua non. De son côté, Ankara réclame
que l’Arménie s’engage à reconnaître le tracé de la frontière, fixé
lors du traité de Lausanne en 1923. Il y a aussi le conflit au
Haut-Karabakh, en Azerbaïdjan, allié de la Turquie : les autorités
turques avaient justement fermé la frontière, en rétorsion à
l’occupation par Erevan de cette enclave à majorité arménienne.
Malgré ces multiples entraves, un haut responsable du gouvernement
turc s’est entretenu pendant deux heures avec le ministre Kirakosian
sur ce sujet, dévoile une source turque qui y voit « un signe très
positif, une première dans les relations bilatérales » . Comme Hasan
Cemal, éditorialiste du quotidien de centre gauche Milliyet , qui
souhaite que la mort de Hrant Dink « ouvre la porte de l’amitié avec
l’Arménie », une large frange de l’opinion publique ne s’oppose pas à
la réouverture de la frontière. La question est moins sensible que
celle du génocide arménien. « Les partis de l’opposition se
déchaîneront contre une reprise du dialogue, avant les échéances
électorales, estime le journaliste politique Mehmet Ali Birand.
Néanmoins, il y a un climat propice au sein du gouvernement, qui
pourrait enfin tenir là une occasion de se mettre à la table des
négociations. »

Gul acknowledged the necessity to make changes in 301st article

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.01.2007 13:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul acknowledged
that changes in penal code article on "Insulting Turkishness" are
necessary. "We know that there are some problems with Article 301
and we see that changes in the article are necessary," he stated.
"We want free expression of thoughts that do not contain any incitement
to violence. We don’t want anyone to go to jail because of expressing
his or her views," said Gul adding that the government was in touch
with non-governmental organizations to obtain their proposals on how
Article 301 should change.

Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code is once again under the spotlight
after the murder of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who had
been tried and sentenced to a six-month suspended imprisonment for
"insulting Turkishness" under the law.

Meanwhile, the Turkish government has dragged its feet on changing
the law, requesting more time to see how it is implemented and saying
that no one, in the end, has been sent to jail under Article 301. But
Dink, in his last column for his Turkish-Armenian newspaper, Agos,
wrote that imprisonment was not the only punishment that a person
could suffer, complaining that he had come to be known as a person
convicted of insulting Turkishness.

Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, one of the most reluctant figures
within the government to change the law, said on Tuesday that possible
amendments should be discussed at a later stage, after Dink was buried,
Turks.US Daily News reports.

Dink’s funeral took place in Istanbul January 23. Dink’s funeral
drew up to 100 000 people. Some participants carried banners reading
"Murderer 301", "We all are Armenians". The Armenian delegation at
the head of Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakossian had departed
for Istanbul to attend Dink’s funeral.

Three more detained over Dink murder

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Jan 24 2007

Dink was laid to rest Tuesday, his funeral bringing tens of thousands
out onto the streets of Istanbul.

Guncelleme: 12:45 TSİ 24 Ocak 2007 CarşambaTRABZON/BURSA –
Three more people have been detained by Turkish police in connection
with the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

Two persons were taken into custody in the Black Sea city of Trabzon,
on the orders of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s office, which is
conducting the investigation into Dink’s slaying last Friday.

A third person, identified by authorities as Muharrem K, aged 19,
was detained in the western city of Bursa before being transferred
to Istanbul for questioning, officials said.

At least ten people have been taken into custody over the killing of
Dink outside the offices of the Argos newspaper, including Ogun Samast,
a 17 year old from Trabzon who has admitted carrying out the murder.

Massive crowds, estimated by some officials as being 100,000, attended
a commemorative service for Dink in Istanbul Tuesday, before following
the hearse carrying his coffin to the Church of the Virgin Mary in
Kumkampi, where his funeral was held. Dink was later buried at the
Balikli Armenian Cemetery in the Istanbul district of Zeytinburnu.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 22 2007

PACE: Free and fair elections never held in Armenia

[ 22 Jan. 2007 14:31 ]

Free and fair elections have not been held in Armenia since it became
the member of the Council of Europe, 2001, it is reflected in the
report made by Armenian Rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee
Mikko Elo, Georges Colombier, APA reports.

According to the report the situation became better after the
reforms carried out in the Electoral Code of the country in 2005.
"But the government should pay attention to two issues in connection
with election legislation – composition of election commissions and
process of appeals. The assembly hopes that the Armenian Parliament
will deal with the removal of current problems in the Electoral Code
within the cooperation with the Venice Commission. The PACE hopes that
free and fair elections will be held in Armenia in 2007-2008." /APA/