Author: Karagyozian Lena

VARTAN OSKANIAN: THE VISIT OF THE AZERI AMBASSADOR TO KARABAKH AND ARMENIA WAS "EXTREMELY POSITIVE"

armradio.am
29.06.2007 15:15

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian assessed as "extremely
positive" the visit of the Azerbaijani Ambassador Polad Bulbuloghlu
to Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. The Foreign Minister declared this
at a press conference today.

"One of the obstacles of the talks is the lack of trust between the
two peoples. It must be restored by all means. Without restoration
of trust it will even more difficult to reach concessions. I view
the Ambassador’s visit in this context and positively assess the
delegation’s visit to Stepanakert, Yerevan and Baku, the Minister
noted. In his words, the Armenian delegation returned from Baku early
morning. The Minister said Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan
also highly appreciates the joint visit. "I hope that this initiative
will be continues," the Minister added.

ARMENIAN CYCLISTS TIGRAN KORKOTIAN AND ARAM BELELIAN ENTER FINAL STAGE OF SECOND GROUP OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
Jun 28, 2007

CAPE TOWN, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The group tournament of the public
cycling race of the second group of the world championship was
held in the city of Cape Town in the South African Republic on June
27. Two representatives from Armenia won in the preliminary stage
and qualified for the final one. In the struggle with 24 strongest
participants Tigran Korkotian gathered 40.733km/h speed in a 15km
race and took fifth place. Aram Belalian took 12th place, however
Vazgen Ghulijanian did not reach the final stage.

The participants of the tournament will compete in a highway cycling
race.

The three Armenian cyclists will also take part in the competition.

DIASPORA ONLY SOURCE OF SUPPORT FOR ARMENIA’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 28 2007

YEREVAN, June 28. /ARKA/. The Diaspora is the only source of support
for Armenia’s healthcare system, President of the Armenian Medical
International Committee Jean Arakelyan stated at the opening of the
2nd international medical congress in Yerevan.

According to him, the reason is the medical celebrities in the Armenian
Diaspora, who are ready to contribute to the development of Armenia’s
medical sphere.

The Diasporan medical associations and their unification is of
importance for the consolidation of Armenia’s healthcare system,
Arakelyan said.

He pointed out that the Diaspora is ready to support Armenia in
implementing the "Armenia without Cigarettes" program as well as
to study further opportunities for implementing various cooperation
programs.

Speaking of the medical congress being held in Armenia, Arakelyan
pointed out the necessity for holding similar congresses in the
countries with Armenian communities, which will allow foreign
specialists to be connected with Armenia’s medical system.

He reported that the 10th congress of doctors from the Armenian
Diaspora is to be held in New York in 2009.

Among over 2,000 prospective the participants in the congress
are specialists from Armenia, the NKR, Russia, the USA, Canada,
Great Britain, Germany, France, Iran, Lebanon, Romania, Australia,
Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium and Argentina.

The 1st international medical congress was held in 2003.

Regular medical congresses have been held outside Armenia since 1974
on the initiative of the Armenian Medical International Committee
(AMIC). The last, 9th, congress of Armenian doctors was held in San
Francisco, USA, in 2005.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS CRACKDOWN ON CORRUPTION AMONG ITS POLICE’S KEY FOCUSES BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 26 2007

YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. Armenian government considers crackdown on
corruption among its police’s key focuses between 2008 and 2012.

The government says in its action program sent to National Assembly
for approval that multiparty system formation is the main condition
for effective struggle against corruption.

The government also says in its program that it will work out a new
anti-corruption strategy to protect human rights and fundamental
values as well as to improve state and local governance institutions’
activity.

According to the document, the government will inform the community
about the course of its crackdown on corruption and involve civil
society in the process.

The government also intends to involve the community in state
governance, make favorable environment for fair competition among
economy entities and shadow economy reduction.

The government attaches great importance to justice system reformation
including new codes elaboration and approval.

New courts will be built as part of the justice system reformation.

The unit in charge of investigation is planned to be moved from
Prosecutor Office to another Armenian National Statistical Service
governing institution and provided with financial and technical
means.

RA DEFENCE MINISTER AND AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION TO ARMENIA DISCUSS ISSUES CONCERNING ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN MILITARY COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan
Jun 27 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Mikayel Haroutiunian, the RA Minister
of Defence, and Nikolay Pavlov, the Ambassador Extraordinaire and
Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Armenia, discussed
issues of bilateral interest, as well as the current state and
further development prospects of military and military-technical
cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries during the
June 26 meeting.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Defence
MInistry, the two sides also touched upon the developments taking
place in the region at the end of the meeting.

9% OF ARMENIAN HOUSEHOLDS STILL USE WOOD AS FUEL FOR HEATING AND FOOD MAKING

Noyan Tapan
Jun 27 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The report-manual "Economic Study of
Armenia’s Forest and Woodworking Sector" contains information about
wood consumption, cash flows in the woodworking sector, exports
of wood and finished articles made of wood, as well as the current
environmental protection problems. Manuk Hergnian, representative
of the research center "Economy and Values" said at the June 27
presentation of the manual that studies showed that 9% of Armenian
households still use wood as fuel for heating and food making.

According to him, the annual amount of wood used by over 300 small
and medium-size woodworking enterprises is ten times as much as
the amount envisaged by state norms. The revenues of the Armenian
woodworking sector, including revenues from the export of expensive
wood, amount to 132 million dollars a year.

In the words of Jeffrey Tufenkian, the chairman of "Armenian Forests"
NGO, the report throws light on one of the most obsure sectors of the
Armenian economy. He considered the manual as an excellent basis from
shifting from deforestation to forest restoration in the country.

Janet Clozer, OSCE Armenia Office executive on economic and
environmental protection issues, presented the position of
international organizations on this issue, noting that their objective
is to assist the Armenian authorities and public with sustainable
forest management. According to her, increasing the awareness and the
creation of national capacities represent important steps in order
to prevent illegal tree cutting and to restore the environmental
protection and economic values of Armenian forests.

The British Charge d’Affaires in Armenia Richard Hyde also expressed a
willingness to assist with the implementation of this initiative. He
expressed a hope that the above mentioned report will launch a
process to help preserve Armenian forests for the present and future
generations.

According to the proposals presented in the report, the problem of
deforestation should be solved through such measures as provision of
gas supply to border villages, use of microcredits to cover preliminary
costs of gas supply, imposing a ban on the export of building wood
from Armenia, use of alternative energy resources, and development
of ecotourism.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER PRESENTS GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY PROGRAMME

ArmInfo
2007-06-26 10:49:00

The settlement of the accumulated social -economic problems will be
in the focus of attention of the Armenian Government for the coming
five years, Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said presenting
the Government activity programme in the Armenian National Assembly,
Tuesday.

He said that after May 12 parliamentary election in the country
a political coalition was formed through consultations with the
major parliamentary political forces. The coalition, in its turn,
formed the Government, which pledged to wage a unique policy. "The
executive power has faced a heavy task. We started building a new life
overcoming the economic crisis, aggravated social conflicts, party
and ideological disagreements. As a result, the life of the country’s
citizen is gradually changing to better," the prime minister said. He
also added that he sees Armenia’s safe future and an opportunity for
every citizen to show his abilities. He believes the spiritual unity
of the people, mutual respect and atmosphere of trust prior to boost
the country’s development. In this connection, the premier cited the
famous Armenian philosopher of Middle Age Nerses Shnorhali who thought
"unity, freedom and love for everyone" the most important.

V. OSKANIAN EXPRESSES HOPE THAT FUTURE TURKISH GOVERNMENTWILL CHANGE ITS POSITION ON ISSUE OF OPENING BORDERS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 26, 2007

ISTANBUL, JUNE 26, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian had a number of bilateral meetings within the framework
of the Summit of Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization on June
25 in Istanbul. During the meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Minister Oskanian reaffirmed
Armenia’s position in the direction of normalizing the relations
without any preconditions.

The interlocutors also discussed the latest developments in the
negotiations over Nagorno Karabakh settlement. The Turkish Foreign
Minister mentioned that his country is interested in quick and fair
settlement of the conflict.

According to the Milliyet daily, the RA Foreign Minister touching
upon Armenian-Turkish relations at the BSEC Summit, blamed Turkey for
not undertaking any measures to normalize relations. "If you treat
seriously the subject of starting a dialogue, then first of all open
the borders," V.

Oskanian stated.

During the press conference held after the meeting with Turkish Foreign
Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, V. Oskanian said that
Armenia has never put forward any precondition for the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. The Minister declared that the conditions
put forward by the Turkish government within the framework of that
issue are unfair and unacceptable, at the same time, he expressed
the hope that after the elections the future Turkish government will
change its position in the issue of opening the borders.

Speaking about the Armenian Genocide, the RA Foreign Minister said
that this is a "historic fact" and added that Armenia has never put
forward the recognition of the Genocide as a precondition in the issue
of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. "Turkey is the only
country, which does not admit the fact of the Armenian Genocide. But
we have and will never put forward the issue of recognition of the
Genocide as a precondition in the issue of normalizing our relations,"
V. Oskanian declared.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS AND ANCC CONDEMNED PROSECUTION OF HRANT DINK’S SON

Yerkir.am
June 22, 2007

Reporters Without Borders have condemned the decision to prosecute
Arat Dink, the son of assassinated Agos weekly editor-in-chief Hrant
Dink, and his colleagues.

"Once again we have to denounce the use of article 301 of the criminal
code, which is a threat to freedom of expression," said Reporters
Without Borders.

For its part, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) called
on the Canadian Government and the international community to declare
Turkey a pariah nation and to take serious measures to force Turkey
to acknowledge its predecessors’ crimes against humanity.

"Canada, the United Nations, the European Union, and other
international organizations and fora should stop treating Turkey with
kid gloves and should hold Turkey accountable," said ANCC executive
director Aris Babikian.

"Furthermore, article 301 is an impediment to freedom of expression. It
is intended to silence dissidents who dare to challenge the official
line of the Turkish Government on the Armenian Genocide. The civilized
world can not become an accomplice to Genocide denial and in fomenting
intolerance, hatred and xenophobia," said Babikian.

The ANCC executive director concluded his comments by drawing to the
attention of politicians, the media and the public that the charges
against Agos journalists are a "clear manifestation that the Turkish
Government is not sincere in its so-called offers of dialogue and
reconciliation with the Armenian people.

These political maneuverings are nothing more than public relations
stunts and diversions to avoid addressing the real issue between the
two nations," the ANCC said.

Arat Dink and three of his colleagues at weekly have been charged with
"denigrating Turkishness," under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The Istanbul prosecutor office has charged the Agos staff for
publishing, on July 2006, an interview with the Reuters news agency,
in which late Hrant Dink had referred to the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Dink’s family lawyer, Erdal Dogal, has also been charged.

During last Thursday’s hearing the Turkish prosecutors called for a
prison sentence of up to three years for Arat Dink.

Hrant Dink also stood trial under the notorious article 301 and was
handed a 6-month suspended sentence. He was gunned down January 19,
2007 in Istandul by 17-year-old national Ogun Samast.

IT IS EARLY TO RETURN TURK-MESKHETIANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2007 17:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgian authorities must postpone for several years
the return of about 300 000 Turk-Meskhetians, Zviad Dzidziguri,
leader of opposition "Democratic Front" party in the Georgian
Parliament stated.

"Georgia is not ready yet to return Meskhetians who practice Islam,
on their historical homeland. We say that first of all it is necessary
to ask the population of Georgia what they think about returning
Turk-Meskhetians. We think it is necessary to organize a national
survey of public opinion for this issue.

Political leadership of Georgia committed a big mistake by taking a
responsibility in front of the Council of Europe in 1999 on returning
displaced settlers to their historical homeland," the Georgian MP
thinks, RIA "Novosti" reports.

According to the CoE commitments authorities of the country must
resolve this issue till the end of 2001.

About 300 000 so-called Turk-Meskhetians, i. e. Muslim Georgians
who used to reside in the south-eastern regions of the country near
the border with Turkey, in Meskheti were resettled in Central Asia
in the mid of 1940ies by the order of the Supreme authorities of
USSR. Currently descendants of resettlers live in Russia, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey.