Author: Kharatian Ani

ARMENIAN PM ORDERS TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY OF WORK ON ALIENATION OF FACILITIES IN CENTER OF YEREVAN

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 4 2007

YEREVAN, October 4. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan
ordered to provide transparency of work on alienation of facilities in
the center of Yerevan for public needs, he said during the parliament
session on Thursday.

"We cannot provide 2,000 square meters of area register the area to
a person whose property is liable to alienation, and his neighbor’s
is not," Sargsyan said and ordered Mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan
to punish the people who make such decisions.

He gave certain orders to Zakharyan and pointed out that unequal
terms for people whose territories are alienated should be excluded.

Sargsyan attached great importance to the transparency of holding all
the contests with citizens’ approval and exclude the possibility of
selling a citizen’s apartment without providing equal dwelling space.

During the session the Government basing on the General Plan of Yerevan
and prospects of the capital’s development, recognized the construction
program in Kond and market on Mashtots Ave exclusively public interest.

The Government approved that the Republic of Armenia will become
the owner of these facilities and the Municipality of Yerevan speaks
in the name of it. Mayor of Yerevan will implement the deals on the
alienation and inventory of property in these territories.

The alienation process will start not later than January 1, 2009.

The Municipality of Yerevan, in accordance with the Government’s
decision, implements a number of huge capital programs, in particular,
construction of underground and ground pedestrian passages on the
crossroads of Vardanants-Khanjyan, Nalbandyan-Isahakyan-Alek Manukyan,
and Myasnikyan Ave across the zoo.

The construction of the passages is implemented within the General Plan
throughout the city. The General Plan was approved by the Government
in 2005, and its realization is scheduled until 2020.

CHRISTIAN-DEMOCRATIC UNION OF ARMENIA NOT TO NOMINATE CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 2 2007

ArmInfo. ‘Our party has no intention to nominate own candidate for
president unless there are sharp changes in the political sphere, ‘
Leader of the Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia Khosrov Haroutunyan
told journalists at Hayatsk Club, Tuesday.

He said the party may support of one the presidential nominees if his
program will coincide with the party’s approaches. Asked about the
nomination of ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Haroutunyan said he
had occupied high posts both under the ex-president and the incumbent
authorities and the party will not support a candidate to ensure high
post for its leader.

As regards the domestic political situation in Armenia, Khosrov
Haroutunyan said it is logical for the pre- election campaign that
actually started yet at the end of 2006 alongside with preparations
for the parliamentary election of May 2007. Nothing extraordinary
is happening even given the nomination of L. Ter-Petrosyan. The
front-runners are already emerging, he said. These are Prime Minister
Serzh Sargsyan, Leader of National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan
and Levon Ter-Petrosyan, if he makes a final decision to run for
president. One can expect rather an interesting and keen fight of
candidates, Khosrov Haroutunyan said.

PRESS RELEASE

The Paros Foundation
918 Parker Street, A14
Berkeley, CA 94710
United States
Contact: Peter Abajian
Tel: 310-400-9061
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Bay Area Leaders Support Representative Frank Pallone at Event

Event at the Strauch – Kulhanjian Home Yields $25,000

Piedmont, CA–On Saturday, September 22nd, more than 30 people
gathered at the Strauch-Kulhanjian home to show their support for
Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ).

The event was co-hosted by Roger Strauch and his wife, Dr. Julie
Kulhanjian Strauch, and Raffi and Lucineh Kassardjian. Supporters,
including leaders of the Armenian American community in the Bay Area,
well known Democratic Party supporters, and leaders of industry,
discussed many issues with Representative Pallone during the course of
the evening’s dinner event. Congressman Pallone talked about several
issues important to the Armenian-American community including the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, the 2008 foreign aid bill, and the
Nagorno Karabakh peace process. The evening’s guests also exchanged
views on other issues of concern with Congressman Pallone including
the war in Iraq, the environment and healthcare.

Regarding the current efforts to bring the Armenian Genocide
Resolution to a vote, Congressman Pallone expressed his optimism that
the 110th Congress would indeed be able to act on this important
issue.

"It is important for the U.S. Congress to take a principled stand and
vote on this Resolution and not to cave to Turkey’s empty threats",
commented event host Roger Strauch. "We commend Congressman Pallone
for his leadership and tenacity on this important mission and his
leadership on issues essential to our community."

U.S. Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) is now in his 10th term in
the U.S. House of Representatives. In the 110th Congress he serves as
a senior member of the House

Energy and Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over issues
pertaining to energy, environment, health care, commerce and
telecommunications. He is chair of the Subcommittee on Health which
has jurisdiction over Medicaid, the FDA, National Institutes of Health
and the Center for Disease Control.

Throughout his tenure, Congressman Pallone’s legislative
accomplishments have been geared to protection and restoration of
environmental resources and expansion of health care to the uninsured.
Recently, he introduced legislation to ban off shore gas drilling and
has worked to codify laws to permanently protect the ocean such as the
COAST Anti-Drilling Act. He has worked to permanently close ocean
dumpsites and ban sand and gravel mixing. He introduced the Toxic
Right to Know Protection

Act to re-strengthen toxic reporting requirements. He has introduced
legislation to prohibit commercial harvesting of Atlantic Striped Bass
which will allow coastal populations to rejuvenate. Earlier this
month, Congressman Pallone was critical in gaining support for a
national renewable energy standard amendment.

Congressman Pallone is a great and dedicated friend of the Armenian community.

Since 1988 he has fought tenaciously in Congress to support issues of
importance to Armenia and Armenian Americans. As founder and co-chair
of the 155 member

Congressional Armenian Caucus, he coordinates bipartisan efforts to
build a stronger relationship between the U.S. and Armenia.

SERBIAN PRESIDENT WARNS AGAINST "UNFORESEEABLE CONSEQUENCES" OF KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.09.2007 12:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Serbia warned the United Nations on Thursday of
"unforeseeable consequences" that could destabilize the world if the
breakaway province of Kosovo declares independence unilaterally later
this year.

Serbian President Boris Tadic urged the UN General Assembly to avoid
creating what he said would be a dangerous legal precedent hours
before foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, Britain, France,
Germany and Italy met at UN headquarters on the future of Kosovo.

Tadic said Kosovo Albanian leaders were threatening to declare
independence on December 11 if talks brokered by the major powers
failed, and he warned the world against recognition.

"Following a one-sided recognition of Kosovo’s independence, the
international legal order would never be the same," he said. Separatist
movements everywhere would seize on the precedent, he said.

"Many regions of the world would be destabilized that way."

Tadic reaffirmed Belgrade’s position that independence for Kosovo was
unacceptable and said Serbia was willing to offer broad autonomy in
line with European norms — a stance the West calls unrealistic and
Kosovo’s 2 million Albanians reject.

Tadic said his country is ready to compromise in talks on the status of
its breakaway Kosovo province, but ruled out independence for the area.

"Serbia offers solutions that would solve, through mutual agreement
and with the implementation of European values and rules, an old
inter-ethnic conflict for good and open the prospects of reconciliation
and co-existence within a modern, democratic and European Serbia,"
said Boris Tadic. "My country is ready for a compromise."

NATO waged an air war to drive Serbian forces out of the province in
1999 and end ethnic cleansing against the Albanians in Belgrade’s
crackdown on separatist guerrillas. Kosovo has been in legal limbo
under UN supervision since then.

Serbian and Kosovo Albanian leaders are due to hold their first
face-to-face talks under the mediation of the six-power Contact Group
in New York on Friday in a negotiating process due to conclude on
December 10.

Chances of a deal appear remote, Reuters reports.

TORCH RELAY CAMPAIGN AGAINST CURRENT GENOCIDE IN DARFUR REACHED ARMENIA
By Sousana Margarian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/09/2007

The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) organized a special
commemorative event to take place at the Tsitsernakapert Genocide
Memorial on Tuesday, September 25 at 10.30 AM in Yerevan.

In collaboration with "Olympic Dream for Darfur" the AAA will organize
an Olympic-style torch relay, as Armenia is the third stop on an
international symbolic Olympic Torch Relay campaign that calls for
an end to the genocide currently unfolding in Darfur. Special guests
in attendance will consist of survivors of the Armenian Genocide,
Rwandan Genocide and Darfur Genocide as well as His Holiness Garegin
II, Catholicos of All Armenians, and The Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams.

The torchlight procession that started in Eastern Chad today marched
through the states which suffered from genocide in different times. In
a couple of months the action participants will cross Rwanda and
Cambodia and reach Armenia. Afterwards they will head for Sarajevo.

The purpose of the procession is to attract attention of the
international community to the problem of genocide, specifically to
the situation in Darfur. The action was initiated by UNICEF goodwill
ambassador, actress Mia Farrow, who is dealing with the Darfur problem.

"We constantly speak of prevention of genocides.

However, they are repeated again and again. The activities of the
Sudanese government in Darfur can be described as the first genocide
of the 21st century.

It should be stopped," Ms. Farrow said.

The procession started August 8. On this very day the Summer Olympic
Games will kick off in Beijing next year. China, as Sudan’s major
economic partner, was chosen as one of the targets of the action. "The
Sudanese government empowered Chinese oil companies to use nature
resources of the country while 80% of the income is spent on military
operations in Darfur.

Cooperating with China, we support the perpetrators of the genocide
in Darfur," Ms. Farrow noted.

LEADER OF APNM THINKS THAT THE TEAM WORKING AT RETURNING OF THE FIRST ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO POLITICS MAY BE CONGRATULATED A LITTLE

ArmInfo, Armenia
Sept 25 2007

ArmInfo. ‘The team working at returning of the first Armenian president
Levon Ter-Petrosyan to the active political life may be congratulated
a little. His first speech after a break, made on 21 September, has
become the result of which we spoke several months ago’, – chairman
of the Armenian Pan-National Movement board Ararat Zurabyan told
ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added that not only representatives of the APNM but also
of other political forces were working for his first success. He
said that the APNM organizes reception every year on 21 September,
Independence Day. ‘As organizers of the reception we invited many
guests – representatives of the parties which are our allies, and
those which we should pass the joint way of the political fight.

We invited 500 people, but 2500-2700 people were present’, –
Zurabyan said.

AKIF NAGI: POLITICAL PARTIES AVOID OF CALLING AKIF NAGI, LEST THEY CAN BE BLACKLISTED

Azeri Press Agency
[ 22 Sep 2007 13:08 ]

The police do not allow chairman of Karabakh Liberation Organization
Akif Nagi leaving his house for six days.

Akif Nagi told APA that though there is no court decision about it, the
police keep him and the organization activists under observation. Akif
Nagi said there are men in civil uniforms in front of his house and
sent a message to the political parties in opposition.

"Maybe political parties avoid of calling Akif Nagi, lest they can
be blacklisted. Political parties and public organizations can not
ground their waiting position," he said.

Karabakh Liberation Organization had planned to hold rallies protesting
to the participation of Armenian sportsmen in the world wrestling
championship in Baku.

Akif Nagi and members of the organization were several times taken
to the police office and released a few hours later. Akif Nagi was
detained in front of his house on September 17, taken to Khatai
district police office and held there for a day.

His house has been under police observation since September 18.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Tigran Torosian: we are close to formation of Republic of Armenia our
ancestors dreamt about
21.09.2007 14:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Independence is the supreme value and great
responsibility for the Armenian people, who should maintain it by
everyday assiduous and efficient work, says a congratulatory message
issued by RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian on occasion of
Independence Day.

`Independence offers boundless opportunities for development of the
state, welfare of the citizens, defense and modernization of national
originality. Having overcome losses and hardships, we are close to
formation of the Republic of Armenia our ancestor dreamt about. Our
generation is charged with a holy mission and we should perform it
with honor,’ the message says.

IRAN READY TO EXPORT GAS TO ARMENIA

PRESS TV
Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:06:50
Iran

A gas pipeline project for export of Iranian gas Iran is waiting
for a green light by Armenia to start gas transfer to the CIS state,
National Iranian Gas Company director general says.

"We are waiting for a signal by the Armenian side to transfer gas to
Armenia", National Iranian Gas Company director general, Seyyed Reza
Kasaiizadeh, told oil ministry News Agency Shana.

Kasaiizadeh said that the oil transfer pipelines and the installations
needed for gas transfer have been prepared and Iran expects to export
3 million Cubic meters of gas per day.

Reza Kasaiizadeh, National Iranian Gas Company DG

Iran also transfers some 20m cubic meters of gas to its northwestern
neighbor Turkey.

According to an agreement clinched between Tehran and Ankara, Iran
has undertaken to export 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey
per annum.

Iran’s National Gas Company director general also said that no
more plan is on the agenda to export gas to other countries at the
moment, but has given the 2011-12 as a timeline to consider new
export projects.

IF THERE IS NO INTENTION TO RETIRE
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
19-09-2007 12:13:29

The recent consultation at the office of the president of Armenia
can be considered as a model. Robert Kocharyan gathered together
the so-called relevant agencies and created a commission for tax
collections, boosting tax collections through taxing illegal turnover
of imports and sale of goods, led by the head of the state tax service
Vahram Barseghyan. Besides, Robert Kocharyan said some phenomena exist
due to protection of government agencies, consequently, "those who
are involved in protectionism must be exposed and punished severely."

What happened is not only a model but also deserves being listed
among the classic theories on governance, independent from which
particular theory. However, the model is such that this move reminds
a theoretical meeting aimed to show something to someone rather than
an effort to battle illegal business and protectionism. This someone
could be the society, ordinary citizens, to see the government is
committed to battling black economy, or this someone could be some
government official who is involved in protectionism or business,
and thinks that in this period of transition of the post of president
the water may get troubled, and he may make use of the troubled water.

Certainly, it should not be ruled out that it was not a demonstration
but Robert Kocharyan who soon leaves office wants to leave with a
good name, and being less confined to obligations before clans now
because he has perhaps already transferred them to Serge Sargsyan,
started doing what he was supposed to do in the past eight years, from
2000 to 2008. Better late than never, and if Robert Kocharyan displays
political will and launches serious efforts against black economy, at
least to make the presidential way for Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan,
his move is commendable. However, the problem is that the government
and particularly the president has no resource of confidence regarding
such moves. This is the reality, despite the percentage of confidence
that the political set gives to Robert Kocharyan. The society trusts
what it sees rather than what it hears. Therefore, compared with the
reality the consultation with the president reminds of a demonstrative,
a theoretical seminar.

These seminars might be seasoned with practical moves, and some
officials might be dismissed for protectionism, such as Grigor
Harutiunyan, deputy head of the National Security Service who
ran several businesses from import of bananas to taxi service. The
sources say his dismissal was in the framework of this consultation on
battling protectionism. However, these moves do not build confidence
but increase the lack of confidence for the government because they
are based on a faulty methodology, if we may put it so.

The point is that when the official is punished for illegality, it
should be put clearly in the order on his dismissal. When it is not
mentioned, the society righteously thinks the problem was not the
illegal actions of the official but transgression on the limit of
illegality, or in other words, he did not share equally or tried to
hide money from the "fund", especially in the pre-election period,
or made a decision on his own. In other words, he broke the rules of
government coexistence, not the rules of social coexistence. Or the
government decided to put the administrative resource on the alert
before the pre-election developments. The Russians say hit your
friend to scare your enemy. And the society may and must think so
unless someone is punished for the crime against the society.

Otherwise, no consultation on battling protectionism compares to the
thought of the citizen who can see how the former and present ministers
spend their leisure, the cars they ride, the houses they live in, the
cities where they go for a holiday, and the silence of the president
for so many years. How can the citizen believe the belated words of the
president who was silent for many years and protected protectionism
with his silence? Perhaps it is necessary to think on it if there is
no intention to become a young pensioner.