Author: Karakhanian Suren

"DIGITEC 2007" EXHIBITION-FORUM OPENS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 26, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The regular holding of DigiTech
exhibitions on information, communication and high technologies in
Yerevan shows that this sector of the Armenian economy is developing
at stable rates, the RA minister of trade and economic development
Nerses Yeritsian stated during the opening ceremony of "DidiTec 2007"
international exhibition-forum on October 26.

According to Karen Vardanian, executive director of the Union of
IT Enterprises of Armenia (UITE) – the event’s organizer, DigiTec
has become the biggest international high-tech exhibition in the
region. At the press conference dedicated to the opening of the
exhibition, he attached importance to participation of IBM company in
"DigiTec 2007", expressing a hope that this company will set up its
subsidiary in Armenia within a year, just like the companies National
Instruments (US) and Mitsubishi (Japan) did so after taking part in
"DigiTec 2006". The importance of displaying electronic services
by 7 Armenian departments at the pavilion "Electronic Government"
for the first time was also underlined.

During "DigiTec 2007" (www. digitec.am) held with the participation
of 43 companies, higher educational institutions and organizations,
a number of events, including "Business Solutions" forum-meeting,
"DigiLife" series of seminars, and "Electronic Government" forum
will be organized. At "DigiLife", Armavia airline will present its
experience of using information technologies in aviation business. In
the words of Levon Ghazarian, head of the airline’s IT unit, during
the exhibition an attempt will be made to find solutions for creation
of a single information field in Armenia’s aviation sector.

"DigiTec 2007" will continue its work on October 28.

PM SERGE SARGSYAN MET WITH HIS FRENCH COUNTERPART

armradio.am
26.10.2007 11:11

October 25 RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan had a meeting with his
French counterpart Francois Fillon.

The Prime Minister of France highly appreciated the friendly Armenian
French relations, describing these as "brilliant" especially in the
political, cultural and local self-governance fields. He noted that
the economic relations between our countries are also improving. He
noted that as a country possessing powerful economic capacities, France
can play an essential role in the development of Armenia’s economy.

The two Prime Ministers also turned to issues of stability in the
Caucasus, the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement in the
framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, the forthcoming presidential
elections in Armenia and a number of other issues of reciprocal
interest.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon accepted RA Prime Minister’s
invitation to visit Armenia.

Today PM Serge Sargsyan will meet with the President of France
Nicolas Sarkozy.

SECOND IRAN-ARMENIA HIGHWAY OPENED IN MEGHRI WITH PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

arminfo
2007-10-26 13:45:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian section of Iran-Armenia interstate highway
worth $45 million was officially opened in Meghri with participation
of Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, Friday.

In his speech, President Kocharyan said that highway is of great
strategic importance for Armenia and will boost the commodity
turnover with Iran. It may become a transit highway as well. The
president thanked the builders for high quality work and stressed
that the highway meets international standards unlike the old one
(Kapan-Kajaran-Meghri). The president said the construction of the
new Karan-Tsav-Meghri section of the highway will also boost the trade
with Syunik hereby raising the living standards in the region. Robert
Kocharyan stressed the necessity of continuing the construction
of Kapan-Sisian section. He also added that Armenia is seriously
discussing the project of railway construction with Iran at present.

The data of the Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communication say
that the construction of the 90km Karan-Tsav-Meghri section started in
2005. The 40 km section Verishen-Tsav was fundamentally reconstructed
and the remaining 50 km were repaired. The state budget approved
15.2 billion drams ($45 million on current exchange rate) for this
purpose. The average lorry speed on the new highway is 55-60 km/h
as against 35-75 km/h on the old road. Although the new highway is
longer, its travel time is 1 hour and 45 minutes as against 2 hours
and 10 minutes of the old one. The road capacity of the highway is
about 80 tons as against 35 tons of the old way. The highest datum is
2.215m as against 2.535 of the old way. The camber angle was reduced
by 10-14% to 8-9%.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
October 25, 2007

Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION SPONSORS ANNOUNCE
REVISED TIMETABLE FOR HOUSE CONSIDERATION OF H.RES.106

— Schiff, Pallone, Sherman and Eshoo Send Letter to
Speaker Pelosi Citing Continued Efforts to Pass
Resolution "Later this Year or in 2008"

WASHINGTON, DC – The four leading Democratic sponsors of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106) have called on Speaker
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to adopt a revised schedule for the
consideration of this human rights legislation by the House of
Representatives, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

In a letter sent today to Speaker Pelosi, lead author Adam Schiff
(D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-
NJ), and Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
stressed that, in asking for this delay, "we believe that a large
majority of our colleagues want to support a resolution recognizing
the genocide on the House floor and that they will do so, provided
the timing is more favorable." The letter goes on to note that
they will continue to work with Speaker Pelosi’s staff and the
House Foreign Affairs Committee staff to bring up the resolution
"sometime later this year or in 2008."

"Trying to advance American interests by compromising our values is
a fast-track to failure in foreign policy," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. "By enabling Turkey’s genocide denial,
America undermines its own ability to be a positive influence in
the Middle East and around the world."

In a letter circulated today to every member of the House,
Hamparian noted that, "In the days since the House Foreign Affairs
Committee approved the Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.106),
the initial cautious response by many Members of Congress to
Turkey’s threats has already begun to give way to a more lasting
impression of disappointment, even anger, that an ally is so
brazenly threatening the security of our troops." He added that,
"we are confident that, as the confusion over these threats lifts,
an even stronger bipartisan majority will stand up against Turkey’s
intimidation and vote to adopt this human rights resolution on its
merits."

The letter also noted that Armenian Americans remain deeply
appreciative of the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, chief
authors Adam Schiff and George Radanovich (R-CA), Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), and leading
advocates Brad Sherman, Ed Royce (R-CA), Anna Eshoo, and Thaddeus
McCotter (R-MI), all of whom are working with their colleagues on a
bipartisan basis to put America on the right side of this human
rights issue.

The full text of the ANCA letter is provided below.

#####

TEXT OF ANCA LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 25, 2007

Dear Representative:

I am writing to share our thoughts about how the ongoing
consideration by the House of H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, has brought greater clarity to this human rights issue.

In the days and weeks since the Foreign Affairs Committee approved
H.Res.106, we have seen that the initial response of caution to
Turkey’s wave of threats has already begun to give way to a more
lasting impression — one of disappointment, even anger, that an
ally is so brazenly threatening the security of our troops. As the
confusion over these threats lifts, we are confident that an even
stronger bipartisan majority will stand up against Turkey’s
intimidation and vote to adopt this human rights resolution on its
merits.

Looking back on the contentious events of the past two weeks, three
issues stand out:

1) Turkey has revealed itself to be an increasingly unreliable ally

Turkey displayed a truly remarkable willingness to disrupt U.S.
military operations.

Sadly, Ankara’s new readiness to place our strategic priorities at
risk was only encouraged by its success, once again, in forcing the
Administration’s capitulation. As a result of our appeasement in
responding to their blackmail, we can expect to see Turkey’s
leaders continue to employ similar threats in connection with the
full range of issues on our bilateral agenda, among them Iraq, the
Kurds, Israel, Syria, Cyprus, and Iran. Their behavior is
particularly abhorrent in light of the challenges that we face
today in Iraq.

This disturbing episode serves as a much needed wake-up call for
our State Department and Pentagon to make preparations to limit our
future reliance upon Turkey by exploring alternate ways to supply
and support our regional operations.

2) The real danger is compromising American moral leadership

The true danger to U.S. interests and American troops comes not
>From Turkey’s threats, but rather from the long-term damage to our
international standing when we publicly retreat from our core
values under unwarranted pressure from a foreign government.

We cannot advance our interests by compromising our values.
Agreeing to a Turkish government-imposed "gag-rule" on the Armenian
Genocide sets a dangerous precedent, emboldening other nations to
use similar threats against America. Such a response diminishes
our moral standing, making it more difficult to move international
public opinion toward greater acceptance of our values and
increased cooperation with our nation’s foreign policy priorities.
Rest assured that Turkey will concoct another "threat" to our
security whenever an Armenian Genocide resolution is considered.
We would expect no less from a country where one literally faces
prosecution for even speaking about the Armenian Genocide.

3) The facts of the Armenian Genocide are not in dispute

The debate over the Armenian Genocide Resolution, particularly
during the nearly three hours of consideration of this measure by
the Foreign Affairs Committee, was characterized by a common
acceptance of the Armenian Genocide. Even those who spoke most
ardently against the measure – based on a fear of Turkey’s reaction
– never denied this crime.

While we remain, of course, deeply troubled by the opposition to
this measure – in the view that it is always the right time for
America to stand up against genocide – we do, however, take a
measure of satisfaction from this progress within Congress toward a
proper and accurate understanding of the history of the Armenian
Genocide.

Moving forward, we are hopeful that these considerations will help
inform the ongoing discussion of H.Res.106 as we continue our
efforts to secure its adoption by the 110th Congress. Armenian
Americans remain deeply appreciative of the leadership of Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, lead authors Adam Schiff and George Radanovich,
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg, and
leading advocates Brad Sherman, Ed Royce, Anna Eshoo, and Thaddeus
McCotter, all of whom are working with their colleagues to put
America on the right side of this human rights issue.

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. We would, of
course, be pleased to meet with you to discuss this matter in
greater detail.

Sincerely,

[signed]
Aram S. Hamparian
Executive Director

The Brussels Journal

Turks Set Cars Alight in Brussels
>From the desk of Paul Belien on Wed, 2007-10-24 23:21

Tonight (Wednesday evening) heavy rioting erupted in Turkish quarters
of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Buses and trams were attacked.
Several cars were torched and shops destroyed. Police forces were
unable to restore law and order in the boroughs of Sint-Joost-ten-Node
and Schaarbeek where since last Sunday the animosity among Turks is
running high. Turkish flags are omnipresent. In some streets the
Turkish crescent and star adorns almost every house.

The Turks’ anger was provoked by rising tension with Kurds along the
Iraqi-Turkish border and by the debate in the American Congress about
the Turkish genocide of the Armenians in 1915. On Sunday night Turkish
youths in Sint-Joost destroyed the pub of Peter Petrossian, an ethnic
Armenian who had to flee for his life. Apparently, some Turks think
that by attacking the Armenians in Brussels they can convince the
world that the Turks never committed a genocide of the Armenians.

Tonight the youths attacked Kurdish shops. They also set fire to
several cars.

Belgium’s Muslim population consists mainly of Moroccans and Turks. In
the past rioting Muslim youths were mostly Moroccans. The Turkish
community is controlled by the Turkish embassy. The latter used to
restrain the Turkish population so as not to upset the Belgian
authorities and thwart Turkey’s chances of EU admission. This policy
seems to have changed recently. In Antwerp, too, Turkish youths
demonstrated tonight.

The events in Brussels indicate that in admitting large numbers of
immigrants Belgium has also imported the ethnic quarrels of the Middle
East.

Meanwhile in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, Moroccan
youths have been burning cars for more than a week now. Today a
15-year old Amsterdam schoolboy was stabbed by youths. The boy
survived the attack but is seriously wounded. On 11 October a 16-year
old Amsterdam boy was stabbed to death in school. On 4 September a
similar incident occurred in the Belgian city of Ghent where a 14-year
old Belgian boy fought for his life after being stabbed in the throat
by two immigrant youths from his school.

IRAN LEADER SUPPORTS IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE EXTENSION TO EUROPE

RIA Novosti
14:41 | 25/ 10/ 2007

YEREVAN, October 25 (RIA Novosti) – Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has described plans to extend the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
to Europe as very promising.

"The possibility of extending the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to Europe
is a very good scenario for us, and we will welcome the project,"
the Iranian leader said in an exclusive interview with Armenian
television, aired late on Wednesday.

Ahmadinejad, who cut short his planned two-day visit to Armenia on
Tuesday, said thorough feasibility studies should be made to extend
the project, originally designed to meet Armenian domestic needs with
Iranian natural gas.

The gas pipeline is currently being tested, the Iranian leader said.

The Armenian Energy Ministry has forecast that the Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline will be commissioned by early 2009.

The first 40 km (24 miles) leg of the pipeline went on stream in March,
and the second 141 km (87 miles) leg is currently being built.

The pipeline’s cost has been estimated at between $220 million and $250
million. During the first stage, Armenia will pump some 400 million
cubic meters of gas annually with plans to increase the volume to
2.3 billion cubic meters.

JOURNALIST LALE SARýIBRAHIMOðLU FACES TRIAL UNDER ARTICLE 301

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Oct 23 2007

Today’s Zaman columnist and Jane’s Defence Weekly (JDW) correspondent
Lale Sarýibrahimoðlu is to appear tomorrow at the first hearing of
a court case filed against her after she allegedly "insulted the
military."

The court case is based on the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish
Penal Code (TCK), which penalizes the denigration of "Turkishness"
or the Turkish army. Article 301 has given Turkey a headache in its
European Union accession process, but for the time being it seems to
be the cause of a bigger headache for one of Turkey’s distinguished
journalists.

Sarýibrahimo&#xF0 ;lu will appear in court together with Ahmet Þýk, a
reporter from the now closed Nokta newsweekly, who had published an
interview with Sarýibrahimoðlu titled "The military should withdraw
its hand from internal security" in the Feb. 8, 2007 edition of Nokta.

Reporters Þýk and Sarýibrahimoðlu, who have been accused of violating
Article 301 due to Sarýibrahimoðlu’s statements made in the interview,
will be tried at the Bakýrkoy 2nd Court of the First Instance with a
penalty recommendation of up to three years’ imprisonment. The basis
for the court case is Sarýibrahimoðlu’s remarks regarding media images
of the alleged gunman who shot Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink
in January of this year): "While police officers were suspended,
military personnel were only transferred to other posts. When you
examine this picture, you see a concern for protecting not only the
personnel, but an institution — moreover, a mentality. … We saw it
once again with the Dink investigation; there are sordid and rotten
ones in each of the three institutions that should be removed. …"

Sarýibrahimoðlu, an expert on defense and diplomacy, has been writing
columns as well as news articles for Today’s Zaman and has also been
working for the UK-based JDW since 1991 as its Turkey correspondent.

Apart from her award-winning book on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline published in 1997, Sarýibrahimoðlu contributed three articles
to "Almanac Turkey 2005: Security Sector and Democratic Oversight,"
co-published by the Istanbul-based Turkish Economic and Social Studies
Foundation (TESEV) and the Geneva-based Democratic Control of the
Armed Forces (DCAF) in June 2006.

"Turkish Defence Procurement, Joint Ventures & Offset Agreements:
The International Guide to the Turkish Defence Industry," also written
by Sarýibrahimoðlu, was published in 1999 by the UK-based SMI.

Article 301 of the TCK was used to file indictments against Nobel
laureate Orhan Pamuk, slain journalist Dink and novelist Elif Þafak.

More recently, Dink’s son Arat Dink and colleague Serkis Seropyan
faced trial under Article 301. The ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) is preparing to amend or at least significantly
change the wording of the article.

–Boundary_(ID_Z2csChobqW2IP4Vqq2R5lQ)–

CHAIRMEN OF SEVERAL OPPOSITION PARTIES AND EDITORS OF NEWSPAPERS ARRESTED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 23, at about 7:10 p.m. law
enforcement bodies arrested the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "4th
Power" Shogher Matevosian, the editor-in-chief of the daily "Armenian
Time" Nikol Pashinian, the chairman of the Conservative Party Mikael
Hayrapetian, the representative of the "Armenian National Movement"
party Davit Matevosian, the chairman of the "Democratic Homeland"
party Petros Makeyan and several other persons.

Reporter of "Armenian Time" Lusine Barseghian told NT correspondent
that the reason for arrest of the above mentioned persons was the
procession that they and several dozen supporters organized, during
which they were calling on (by using a loud-speaker) residents of
Yerevan to participate in the opposition rally scheduled for October
26 in Freedom Square. Besides, procession participants distributed
leaflets of the same contents.

According to L. Barseghian, a group of policemen approached the
procession participants and demanded that they switch off the
loud-speaker, in response to which the latter started chanting:
"Struggle, struggle till the end!"

After repeating their demand several times, policemen used tear gas
against procession participants.

The arrested persons are being held at the Kentron unit of the police.

WHO SPEAKS TODAY?: WITH SURVIVORS DWINDLING, CONGRESS MUST TAKE A STAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY AND DECLARE THE 1915 SLAUGHTER OF ARMENIANS GENOCIDE
By John C. Geragosian

Hartford Courant, CT
hc-commentaryarmenia1021.artoct21,0,2527425.story
Oct 21 2007

Imagine half the population of Connecticut murdered over seven years,
and hundreds of thousands more raped, beaten and driven from their
homes. How long would you fight for justice for your family, friends
and neighbors?

The Turkish government’s stubborn denial has forced the Armenian
people of the world to wait for 92 years.

I urge Congress to do the right thing and finally pass the resolution
declaring the 1915 massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide.

Why now? Because the last eyewitnesses of this barbaric genocide are
almost all gone. Without these survivors, the Turkish government and
its powerful and sleazy lobbyists who profit from 1.5 million dead
souls will be even more emboldened. No witnesses, no genocide.

We must not allow the truth to go with the survivors.

Two Connecticut survivors died in the past year: Maritza Ohanesian,
born in 1905, and Yegsa Mazadoorian, born in 1912, both of New
Britain. These women, pillars of the region’s Armenian American
community, were small children who witnessed mass rape, deportation
and murder at the hands of soldiers of the Ottoman Empire.

Mrs. Ohanesian, the eldest of five children, was the only survivor in
her family. Mrs. Mazadoorian’s obituary said: "She personally witnessed
the most barbaric treatment of fellow Armenians and actually started
out with her mother and two uncles in the horrible death marches in
which her mother and uncles were put to death.

Before her death, her mother literally gave her young daughter Yegsa
away in order to save her daughter’s life."

There are believed to be fewer than 10 genocide survivors left in
our state. Who will tell their stories when they are all gone?

Armenians were slaughtered for no reason other than their ethnicity.

For us and the rest of the Armenian diaspora, justice delayed is
justice denied.

In a civilized world, neither ally nor foe should be given a free
pass for crimes against humanity in the name of political expedience.

Denial is the final act perpetuating the genocide, far more painful
for the survivors and their families than the fleeting moment of
embarrassment for an honest Turkish government would be.

Turkey claims to be a great ally of the United States, yet would
threaten sanctions for passing a nonbinding resolution stating what
genocide scholar Elie Weisel and others know to be the truth: The
Armenian genocide happened.

If Turkey is indeed our friend, why should the truth threaten the
security of our troops? Twenty-three other countries have passed
similar resolutions. It is time for Turkey to live up to its billing
as a modern democracy and allow open discussion of its history instead
of punishing academics and journalists for such attempts.

After Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a notorious Holocaust
denier, visited the United States last month, President Bush was
invited to speak at an Iranian university. A National Security
Council spokesman said, "President Bush looks forward to traveling to
a democratic Iran, an Iran where its leaders allow freedom of speech
and assembly for all of its people, and an Iran where the leaders mourn
the victims of the Holocaust, not call for the destruction of Israel."

Sadly, the Bush administration protects a Turkish government that
squelches free speech and denies the slaughter of Armenians rather
than mourning the victims.

Acknowledging the genocide would only benefit Turkey. It would
enhance Turkey’s prospects for much-desired membership in the European
Union. Modern Germany fares better today for having recognized the
atrocities of the Holocaust.

Adolf Hitler used the Armenian genocide as the model for his mass
killings. He pointed out: "Who, after all, speaks today of the
annihilation of the Armenians?"

I speak for them, and so did Mrs. Mazadoorian and Mrs. Ohanesian.

John C. Geragosian, D-New Britain, is chairman of the Democratic
caucus in the state House of Representatives. He is the only Armenian
American member of the General Assembly and is an organizer of the
annual Armenian genocide commemoration at the state Capitol.

VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV: THE ATTEMPTS TO SETTLE THE KARABAKH CONFLICT WITHOUT ITS PARTICIPATION ARE AWKWARD

Arminfo
2007-10-22 12:55:00

‘It is absolutely clear that no party will get everything it wants. But
the community does not want to understand it. It lives in a dope of
high illusions, and the leaders don’t have enough will and courage
to help people assure themselves in it’, – the former co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group on Karabakh conflict settlement, envoy Vladimir
Kazimirov told ArmInfo correspondent.

Asked if he noticed readiness of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
authorities to show political will, and can societies of the two
parties accept necessity of compromises at this stage, Kazimirov
replied that at present there is shortage of the culture of
compromises. He also added that journalists could do much in this
context, but they don’t dare. As a result, radicals and demagogues
deceive both nations. ‘The attempts to settle the Karabakh conflict
without its participation are awkward. Sooner or later they should
involve it in the talks, meanwhile they will lose several years’, –
the former co-chair of the OSCE MG said.

Asked if the negotiating process entered deadlock at present, and if
active talks are possible before ending of the presidential elections
in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Kazimirov replied: ‘You question
itself contains the answer, to which I fully agree. We have to wait
for two years, but this does not promise progress either’.