Author: Karapetian Hovik

ARMENIANS URGE JEWS TO TAKE MORAL HIGH GROUND
By Etgar Lefkovits, The Jerusalem Post

AZG Armenian Daily
28/08/2007

The State of Israel and Jewish organizations around the world
should take the moral high ground and recognize the World War
I-era killing of Armenians by Turks as genocide regardless of the
political ramifications with Turkey, Armenian residents of Jerusalem
said Wednesday.

The Armenian Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Torkom Manoogian, lays
a wreath in the city last year, marking the anniversary of the mass
killing of Armenians in Turkey.

"Israel understands the issue better than anyone else… [but] her
judgment is impaired by the politicizing of the issue," said Father
Samuel Aghoyan, 66, a priest at the Armenian Patriarchate in the Old
City of Jerusalem and a superior at the Church of the Holy epulchre.

He noted that politics alone has prevented Israel from recognizing
the killing as a genocide.

"When you politicize the issue, you kill the spirit upon which both
the US and Israel were founded," Aghoyan said.

"If you don’t want to recognize it openly at least say that it
happened," he added.

His remarks come one day after the New York-based Anti Defamation
League reversed itself and called a World War I-era massacre of
Armenians a genocide after previously firing an organization official
who said the same thing.

The director of the Armenian school and library in the Armenian Quarter
of the Old City of Jerusalem said that Armenians were pleased over
the about-face taken by the ADL.

"The Jewish lobby should make their minds up as representatives of the
Jewish people – as people who suffered the Holocaust – to take a more
moral stand in fully and unconditionally recognizing the killing of
the Armenians as a genocide, regardless of politics," Father Norayr
Kazazian, 30, said.

He added that Israel and the Jewish world should not be overly fearful
of the repercussions such a move could have on the Jewish community
living in Turkey, noting that hundreds of thousands of Armenians
are also living in Turkey, and citing Turkey’s good relations with
both France and Belgium even though both countries have defined the
killings as a massacre.

Historians estimate that as many as 1.5 million Armenian Christians
were killed by Muslim Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923, an event
widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey, however, denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying that
the toll has been grossly inflated and that those killed were victims
of civil war and unrest.

Armenian residents of the small Armenian Quarter in the Old City said
Wednesday that they sensed an unquestionable difference between the
views of Jewish people, who recognized the mass killing as genocides,
and the political leadership who were concerned with the political
ramifications of such a move with Israel’s warm relationship with
Turkey.

"I know the Jewish people are with us and recognize the killing as
a genocide but it is political interests which prevent the Knesset
and Jewish groups from doing so," said Hagop Antressain, 63, an Old
City shopkeeper who expressed mixed feelings about the ADL reversal.

The son of a survivor of the massacre, Antressain said that the Jewish
and Armenian people shared a common tragedy.

He noted that when he watches Holocaust movies on Holocaust Remembrance
Days he sees not Jewish children but Armenian children.

"It is my father’s eyes when he was seven-years-old," Antressain said.

He opined that passage of a pending US Congressional resolution, which
would term the killings a genocide, was "only a matter of time," adding
that the legislation was brought about as a result of pressure by
Armenian and Jewish intellectuals, and not by American Jewish groups.

Antressain lambasted recent remarks by the Executive Director of
the American Jewish Committee David Harris that Armenian and Turkish
historians should sit down together and discuss the genocide.

"Should we ask Jewish and Nazi historians to discuss the Holocaust?" he
asked. As a native of Jerusalem, Antressain said that it was important
for him that Israel would not be the last country to recognize the
killing as genocide.

"I know the feelings of the Jewish people and I do not want the Jewish
State to be the last to recognize the genocide," he said.

The Armenian residents of Jerusalem opined that eventually all
countries would come to recognize the killing as a genocide.

"Sooner or later the right time will come," Aghoyan concluded.

NO PLANS FOR UNIVERSITY IN AKHALKALAKI – MINISTER SAYS

Daily Georgian Times
Aug 22 2007
Georgia

Alexander Lomaia, the education minister, has denied the government
planned to open an Armenian-language university in Akhalkalaki in
the southern Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti.

"We believe that our education system’s capacity provides enough
opportunities to let our citizens of Armenian ethnicity, living in
Akhalkalaki or Ninotsminda, to receive education in Georgia in the
Georgian-language universities," Lomaia told reporters on August 22.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli told a government session on
August 22 that the authorities had "an ambitious plan" to overhaul
secondary schools throughout Georgia. Minister Lomaia said the
reconstruction of 400 schools was planned.

"I want to request local governors in the regions to pay special
attention to this project and provide assistance," PM Nogaideli said.

ADL RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, BUT REMAINS OPPOSED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Armradio.am
23.08.2007 21:39

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), under pressure from a national
campaign of protests initiated by the Armenian National Committee of
Eastern Massachusetts, backed nationally by the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA), and supported by leading voices in
the Jewish American community, reversed its longstanding policy of
complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide.

In a statement ADL National Director Abraham Foxman formally recognized
the Armenian Genocide but – in what appeared to be a gesture intended
to appease the Turkish government – voiced the organization’s continued
opposition to legislation before Congress (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106)
marking this crime against humanity.

"The ANCA welcomes the Anti-Defamation’s League’s decision to
finally end its longstanding complicity in Turkey’s international
denial campaign by properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide. We
remain deeply troubled, however, that elements of its national
leadership seek to prevent the United States from taking this very
same principled step by adopting the Armenian Genocide Resolution
currently before Congress," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. "Much work remains, both in bringing the ADL fully to the
right side of this issue and on the broader challenge of achieving
proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide. But we are, today,
gratified by this step forward, and want to offer our thanks to all
the many Armenians and Jews who cooperated together on this issue on
the basis of our shared values of tolerance, truth and justice. We
further urge the ADL leadership to review its unfair and unjustified
decision to fire New England Regional Director Andrew Tarsy, who had
the courage to speak truthfully on this key human rights issue."

The ADL’s actions come in the wake of a growing controversy stemming
from the decision last week by the Watertown, Massachusetts Town
Council to end its association with the ADL’s "No Place for Hate"
program due to the ADL’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. This decision
led to sharp divisions within the ADL, with Foxman firing New England
Regional Director Andrew Tarsy for his public recognition of the
Genocide, a move that precipitated the resignations of two regional
board members.

The ADL National’s heavy-handed response was greeted by a groundswell
of support by the Jewish American community for Tarsy and for ADL
National recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its reaffirmation
by Congress. The Boston Globe reported today that "Nancy K. Kaufman,
executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater
Boston, e-mailed a letter yesterday to some 40 prominent Jewish leaders
in Massachusetts, asking them to support the ousted director [Tarsy]
and to recognize the genocide against Armenians. . . Within hours of
sending the letter, Kaufman said that 11 groups had signed and that
more were expected to do so shortly."

Members of Congress also added their concerns about the ADL’s
Genocide denial and its effects on its credibility as a civil
rights organization. In a statement issued yesterday, Congressional
Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsor Adam Schiff (D-CA) condemned
Tarsy’s firing, stating that "this decision does not reflect well
on the organization and compound’s the error of failing to speak
candidly about the past with firing someone who did." Rep. Schiff
compared the move to the State Department’s decision to fire former
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans for properly characterizing
the Armenian Genocide."

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) stated that "The Armenian Genocide is not
an historic dispute or a rhetorical argument over semantics. The
failure of the international community to deter and, if necessary,
stop genocide by use of force, has only served to embolden those
who seek to do evil. . . As a friend of the ADL, I encourage the
national organization to reconsider its position and recognize the
Armenian Genocide, and I also commend the New England region for its
principled decision on this important issue."

AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO ARMENIA LEE KYU-HYUNG: "WE’LL HAVE NOTICEABLE SUCCESS AFTER A YEAR"
By Nana Petrosian

AZG Armenian Daily #150
22/08/2007

International

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Kyu-hyung
expressed his regret at not performing his mission continuously in
Armenia because of the residence in Moscow.

"As I expected, I met a warm hospitality here, and I felt I would
like to come here often", said the Ambassador in the interview with
"Azg" daily.

On August 17, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of
Korea to Armenia Lee Kyu-hyung presented his credentials to President
Robert Kocharian.

The President of Armenia congratulated the Ambassador with his
nomination and noted that in the Asian direction of Armenia’s foreign
policy Korea occupies an important place.

Robert Kocharian mentioned with satisfaction positive dynamics of
cooperation between the two states, the increasing mutual interest and
efficient cooperation in the framework of international organizations.

Noting that success of the Korean economy in different areas is
impressive, President of Armenia said that it could be instructive
for Armenia, which is going through the intricacies of the transition
period.

Ambassador Lee Kyu-hyung said that he was deeply impressed by the
ancient history and culture of Armenia. According to the Korean
Ambassador, his country is interested in Armenia’s more active
involvement in the numerous Korean training, experience sharing and
development programs.

"Korea shows interest in involving Armenia in its different projects",
Lee Kyu-hyung informed in his interview with "Azg" daily, after the
meeting with the Consul of Honor of the Republic of Korea to Armenia
Armen Abrahamian. "This year the Korean side is ready to receive 3
officials of Armenia on this purpose.

It’s planned to invite delegation of 10 Armenian scientists, experts
and officials next year, who will have the opportunity to be acquainted
with Korea’s informational technologies and development process of
economy. After that, we will discuss concrete cooperation projects.

Korean cultural figures will visit Armenia in October-November of
this year on the 15th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between
Armenia and Korea".

Lee Kyu-hyung highlights the importance of the legislative basis
for the protection of the investments in Armenia, which will help to
widen and deepen the bilateral relations of the two states.

The Ambassador of Korea mentioned that the Armenian-Korean relations
were not strong yet, but they could be impossible if not the efforts
of Armen Abrahamian.

Armen Abrahamian also underlined that the readiness of Lee Kyu-hyung
would contribute to the development of the relations of the two
countries, as there is also the active contribution of the President
of Armenia.

At the end of the interview, the Ambassador assured that we would
record noticeable success in the cooperation of the two states in
the next year.

According to the two indexes of RA Foreign Ministry there has been
recorded a success in this sphere – in 2003 the commodity circulation
between Armenia and Korea was 2,2 mln U.S. dollars, and in 2006 it
reached to 8,9 mln U.S. dollars.

There is evident dynamics of growth in this sphere.

DISCOUNT AIRLINE TICKETS PRICES COULD BE RAISED

Panorama.am
19:15 21/08/2007

To speak about the effect on Armenia of the planned raising of
prices in the Russian aviation market is still early. A member of
the management of Armavia revealed this to a panorama.am journalist,
yet chose not to be present for an interview. We remind that the head
of a Russian transport agency, Yevgeni Bachurin, that those serving
the Russian transportation system would be raising their prices by
up to 40%.

According to the Armavia representative, the question of discount
prices can only be decided by reciprocal agreements. "Only we and
the Russians serve the Yerevan-Moscow route. What would happen if
our ticket price was less than theirs? Especially now, when demand
is less," our interviewee surprisingly stated.

Further analyzing the situation, we asked if it wasn’t possible for
them to raise their prices first, to keep things on a equal field,
to which they answered "It’s too soon to say."

PRESIDENT ATTENDS TJEKNAVORIAN’S SYMPHONY

Iran-Tjeknavorian-Ahmadinejad
IRNA
Aug 20
Tehran

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a suite symphony performed by
famous Iranian-Armenian composer Loris Tjeknavorian Sunday evening.

‘The Prophet of Love and Hope’ symphony dedicated to the holy prophet
of Islam, Hazrat Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him), was composed by Mehdi
Shojaei and prepared for orchestra by Tjeknavorian.

It is performed by Tehran Orchestra at the Vahdat Hall, downtown
Tehran.

The symphony is a combination of music, words and musical play.

President Ahmadinejad went on the stage at the end of the program to
appreciate Tjeknavorian and his group for performing the piece.

"Art is the most beautiful way of expressing the truth," said the
president.

The symphony will be performed until August 24 after being extended
twice due to massive public welcome.

REFUGEE INTAKE TO INCREASE FROM MIDDLE-EASTERN COUNTRIES

Christian Today, Australia Edition
Aug 18 2007

Society

The media is reporting that the Federal Immigration Minister, Kevin
Andrews, is expected to announce the intake of more refugees from
the Middle East, in particular Iraqi Christians.

By: Aaron Smith Christian Today Correspondent Saturday, 18 August 2007,
10:58 (EST)Statcounter

The media is reporting that the Federal Immigration Minister, Kevin
Andrews, is expected to announce the intake of more refugees from
the Middle East, in particular Iraqi Christians.

Mr. Andrews is expected to increase the Middle East intake component
from 28 percent to 35 percent, while reducing the African intake
percentage from 50 to 30 percent, reported the Daily Telegraph which
is a local news publication. The drop in the African intake component
was attributed to an improvement in some of the countries’ situation
as well as an increase in the numbers returning home.

Baghdad’s Armenian Archbishop Avak Asadourian, primate of the Armenian
Apostolic Church (See of Etchmiadzin) in Iraq, told the World Council
of Churches (WCC) that the situation in his country was ‘tragic’
and that the violence was being targeted at everyone.

"The situation is the same for all Iraqis, Christians or Muslims, and
it is a tragic one. Bullets do not discriminate between religions,"
he said.

"The violence is targeting everyone in the same way. Of course,
in a context of complete lawlessness, some thugs do whatever they want.

They can threaten you, kidnap or kill you."

Archbishop Asadourian has made an appeal to churches outside,
especially those in the occupying countries, stating: "Help us to make
life better for the Iraqi people, to alleviate its suffering, to keep
their governments’ promises for a better future in all walks of life,
and ask for God’s help in this humanitarian endeavour," to the WCC.

The United Nation Human Right Commission for Refugees has reported
that 1.2 million Iraqi Christians have fled the country since the
start of last year.

AZERBAIJAN AND TURKISH NGOS DEMAND TO CLOSE METSAMOR ATOMIC POWER-PLANT

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Demaz.org
Aug 16 2007

Local experts consider that breakdown in Armenian station will fraught
with negative consequences in the region Azerbaijan and Turkey demand
to close Metsamor atomic power-plant in Armenia which is considered
dangerous to the entire region. Recently representatives of public
organizations carried out protest action demanding to close the
said atomic power plant. The members of Turkish NGOs gathered in
the eastern city Igdir pursued a purpose to attract international
community’s attention to the risk which present atomic power plants
in the world. As secretary general of the Association of health
care workers "For peace and environment against the risk of nuclear
explosion" Derman Boztokm on behalf of the public organizations stated,
"there is clearly a need to close the Armenian atomic power-plant,
as breakdown in the station can affect on the East and South-East
Asia." It is appropriate mention that the said station is situated
for a distance of 16 km from Turkish frontier.

According to the director of Azerbaijan’s Human Rights Centre Eldar
Zeynalov, Metsamor APP problem was not at the focus of attention
since late 90s, as after a number of breakdowns it had been closed.

"After that Armenia has been deprived of the power industry
consequently which decided to use of the Metsamor APP even despite
its uselessness," said E. Zeynalov.

According to him, such protest actions took place in Armenia itself,
and their organizers also demanded to close the said station:
"In Armenia they themselves were beware of that in case of accident
first inhabitants of this country would suffer from that. In addition,
environment organizations began gathering signatures for its closing."

The issue became more acute after earthquake which took place in
Armenia and it was revealed that the APP had been built in tectonic
break and could be destroyed any time. Anyway the APP is ongoing
functioning.

According to E. Zeynalov, possible consequences of the breakdown can
be predestined on basis of the catastrophe in Chernobyl APP which
caused the regrettable enough consequences.

Furthermore, as E. Zeynalov said, countries wherein there are APPs
cooperate with each other and Turkish authorities’ demand could have
some political nuance. For instance, Armenia cooperates with Iran
that is today against the IAEA because of nontransparent nuclear
programmes. Thus, as E. Zeynalov stressed, installations for uranium
enrichment are likely to be used for the atomic bomb production. At
the same time he said that Turkish organizations’ apprehensions can
be justified.

In turn, the chief of Ecology Forecasting Centre of Azerbaijan Telman
Zeynalov stated that Azerbaijan’s ecology organizations are backing
their Turkish colleagues. According to the experts, breakdown in APP,
Armenia can have negative impact upon Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey,
Iran, as the breakdown in Chernobyl APP affected on Belarus, Russia
and other countries.

He reminded that the APP in Armenia is built by outdated technologies
and generators do not meet modern requirements. In conclusion,
T. Zeynalov informed about his backing up Turkish public organizations
considering that Metsamor APP should be closed.

–Boundary_(ID_+wcgSblldCEv2bCtCCJh4Q)–

THE FIRST AZERBAIJANI $40 MLN TO GEORGIA FOR BAKU-TBILISI-KARS PROJECT

AZG Armenian Daily
16/08/2007

Azerbaijani International Bank transferred $40 mln to the Georgian
operator of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway: Marabda-Kartsakh Railway
Company. It’s the first part of the total $220 mln loan from
Azerbaijan, given to Georgia with a period of 25 years and 1 percent
interest annually.

According to Azerbaijani media, the first $ 40 mln are aimed for the
construction of 29 km railway in Georgia.

The project has been estimated $420 mln from the beginning. 2250 m
long tunnel, 12 bridges and 3 stations will be constructed in the
Turkish side of the project.

It’s planned to spend $99 mln for the reconstruction of 160 m long
Marabda-Akhalkalak railway.

It’s also planned to reconstruct the Azerbaijani part of the railway
and finish the whole Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project at the end of 2008.

ARMAVIA LIKELY TO BUY AIRCRAFT OF $150 MILLION

Lragir, Armenia
Aug 15 2007

Armavia, the national airlines, is likely to buy Sukhoi Superjet100
planes for regional flights, ARKA reported. "Currently Armavia is
negotiating with VTB Leasing to buy the planes," Jasmine Vilyan,
press secretary of Armavia, told ARKA. The Sukhoi Civilian Planes
Company produces the planes. Jasmine Vilyan declined to specify the
number and value of the planes.

Meanwhile, the Russian Komersant reported referring to the president
of VTB Bank Andrey Kostin that VTB may finance this purchase. "We are
negotiating the delivery of five Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes through
our leasing company," ARKA reported. Although the value of the deal
is not revealed, it is known that the catalogue price of this plane
is 28.9 million dollars, and the deal with Armavia may cost 144.5
million dollars.