Author: Khondkarian Raffi

"RELATIONS OF LITHUANIA WITH ARMENIA HAVE GOOD FUTURE," MINISTER SAYS

Panorama.am
15:09 13/11/2007

Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received Lithuania National
Defense Minister Yozas Olekas today together with the delegation,
spearheaded by him.

During the meeting, both parties underscored that there is large
number of issues around which the Armenian and Lithuanian defense
ministers can cooperate on mutually beneficial terms.

Government press services report that minister Olekas praised Serzh
Sargsyan’s personal contribution in the development of bilateral
relations, saying he put best efforts in that direction being a
defense minister.

The minister praised his meeting with his Armenian counterparts.

The prime minister and the national defense minister pinpointed
to the significance of exchange of Lithuanian experience in
EU meaning that it may be beneficial for Armenia on the way to
European integration. "Lithuania’s relations with South Caucasus and
particularly with Armenia have good future," the minister noted.

LITHUANIAN SERVICEMEN TO PASS TRAINING IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Nov 12 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. All necessary preconditions
have been created for Armenian-Lithuanian military cooperation. RA
Defence Minister Mikayel Haroutiunian gave assurance at the end of the
November 12 meeting with Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas,
who has arrived in Yerevan on an official visit.

According to him, the negotiations with his Lithuanian counterpart
were very efficient and included a wide range of issues of bilateral
interest. In particular, issues connected with peacekeeping
activity, military legislation, military-technical cooperation were
discussed. Opinions over international and regional security issues
were exchanged. The parties held the same opinion that the regional
conflicts should be given exclusively a peaceful solution.

M. Haroutiunian expressed confidence that Lithuania being European
community’s full member and Armenia striving for the same thing will
use the potential of military relations for the purpose of providing
atmosphere of all European security and stability.

Juozas Olekas said that the issue of Lithuanian servicemen’s
training in Armenia was also discussed at the meeting. According
to him, trainings in mountainous conditions are necessary for the
Lithuanian servicemen to be ready for military operations in such
climate conditions.

It should be mentioned that an agreement on Armenian servicemen’s
study at Lithuanian higher military educational institutions has been
signed between Armenia and Lithuania.

KNUCKLING UNDER TO TURKEY WILL HAVE ONGOING REPERCUSSIONS IN PAKISTAN, THE MIDDLE EAST

Blogger News Network
Nov 12 2007

In an op-ed published by The New York Times, former Pakistan prime
minister Benazir Bhutto (1988 to 1990; 1993 to 1996) and head of the
Pakistan People’s Party, writes:

Pakistan is a military dictatorship. Last Saturday, Gen. Pervez
Musharraf removed all pretense of a transition to democracy by
conducting what was in effect yet another extraconstitutional coup.

In doing so he endangered the viability of Pakistan as an independent
state. He presented the country’s democratic forces with a tough
decision – acquiesce to the brutality of the dictatorship or take
over the streets and show the world where the people of Pakistan
really stand.

General Musharraf also presented the democratic world – and especially
the countries of the West – with a question. Will they back up their
democratic rhetoric with concrete action, or will they once again
back down in the face of his bluff? …

It is dangerous to stand up to a military dictatorship, but more
dangerous not to. The moment has come for the Western democracies to
show us in their actions, and not just in their rhetoric, which side
they are on.

The Stiletto hates to break it to Bhutto, but the Bush Administration
favors cynical pragmatism over principle to hold together the iffy
coalition of Muslim countries helping the effort in Iraq – no matter
what.

For instance, Turkish and Saudi operatives have been caught red-handed
funneling insurgents or funds for their upkeep into Iraq, but the
U.S. looks the other way and provides massive economic and military
aid packages to both countries. Despite ritualistic hand-wringing
by various members of Congress, the U.S. will look the other way and
continue to pour money into Pakistan to support various military and
foreign policy objectives.

Here’s WaPo columnist David Broder’s description of what India –
Pakistan’s next door neighbor geographically, but a world apart
politically – thinks of the tepid U.S. response to Musharraf declaring
martial law:

During a visit to New Delhi that happened to coincide with the
crisis, I found that Indians were both puzzled and dismayed that the
U.S. government seemed so ambivalent about Musharraf’s actions. The
Indian press reported, along with U.S. journals, that the Bush
administration had sent urgent messages to Musharraf counseling him
against the crackdown.

But when he ignored their advice and declared martial law, President
Bush and the State Department offered only the mildest reprimands and
immediately signaled a willingness to continue to support Musharraf
and his regime.

To many here, that made it appear as if democracy was less important
to the U.S. government than whatever help Musharraf might supply in
fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

And consider how the Bush administration chose pragmatism over
principle by sending a parade of cabinet members to the House of
Representatives to parrot Turkey’s Armenian Genocide denial and
derail a symbolic resolution acknowledging Ottoman Turkey’s crime
against humanity.

If the Turks were able to bully Bush on the Armenian Genocide
Resolution – an internal U.S. matter – Musharraf can be assured that
the U.S. will do nothing to force him to hold parliamentary elections,
should he decide to renege on his promise to do so.

And you can be sure that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, too, understands that
the Turks have unmanned Bush. No amount of Viagra can counteract
U.S. impotence in the Middle East now.

"BRIBARY IS A WEAPON OF THE WEAK"

Panorama.am
16:14 09/11/2007

"I am content with some and discontent with others," chairman of
the Armenian Advocates Chamber, Ruben Sahakyan, answered Panorama.am
reporter’s question about his assessment of the advocates’ work. In
the words of the chairman, for years the advocates were an affiliated
body of authorities in power and are independent only in the course
of the recent few years.

"It is the last two years that the advocates are absolutely
independent. It is the last two years that the advocates and not the
state structures conduct qualification exams," R. Sahakyan said.

The chairman of the advocates’ chamber is sure that no one has the
right to say that the advocates are subject to supervision by state
structures. He said the institute is absolutely independent.

The dissatisfaction of the chairman is connected with professionalism
of the advocates and their corrupt nature. "Bribery is the weapon
of the weak," Ruben Sahakyan said, also saying combat is under way
against those who take bribes.

103% CONSUMER PRICES INDEX RECORDED IN OCTOBER 2007 IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC

ARKA
Nov 9, 2007

STEPANAKERT, November 9. /ARKA/. Consumer prices index in
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was recorded at 103% in October 2007,
compared with December 2006.

National Statistical Service of the republic told ARKA News Agency
on Friday that foodstuff index, including alcohols and tobacco,
made 104.6% and non-foods’ 98.1% and paid services’ 102.7%.

Precipitous growth is recorded on bread – 116.6%, butter and vegetable
oil – 144.1% and education services – 112.2%.

Index of consumer prices (including foods with alcohols and tobacco –
103.2%) was recorded at 103.6% in Jan-Oct 2007.

Non-foods’ index was 99.4% and services’ 109.4.

Consumer prices’ index made 105.1% in this year’s October, compared
with 2006.

Karabakhi National Statistical Service says process for some
first-priority goods have mounted for last two mo months at the
republic’s consumer market.

In particular, bread price rose from AMD 269 for one kilogram to AMD
300.6 by October 1.

Flour price grew from AMD 222.1 to AMD 245.7 and macaroni price
averaged AMD 394.3 instead of former 361.4.

Butter prices averaged AMD 2035.7 instead of AMD 1792.9 and vegetable
oil AMD 1027.1 instead of 768.6.

An average bread price jumped 24.5%, flour price leapt 48.1%, macaroni
rose 9.1%, butter mounted 21.3% and oil vegetable surged 70.2%. -0–

LITTLE HOPE OF PEACE IF THERE IS NO RESPECT FOR THE PAIN OF OTHERS
by David Williamson

Western Mail/Wales
Nov 8 2007

FOUR men from Northern Ireland visited the Senedd yesterday in search
of inspiration.

They were members of the Stormont Assembly and in Wales to learn
how technology and translating services could be put to use in
their own debating chamber. This was an unextraordinary meeting of
elected representatives with counterparts from a different region of
post-devolution UK.

Twenty years ago today, 11 people were killed when a bomb
exploded during a Remembrance Day service at Enniskillen in County
Fermanagh. The fact these four politicians were chatting about the
most mundane logistics of democracy is evidence of the near-miracle
which has taken place in Northern Ireland.

Francie Molloy, now Stormont’s Deputy Presiding Officer, was director
of elections for Bobby Sands during the 1981 hunger strikes by
republican prisoners. Lord Morrow of Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionist
Party opposed the Good Friday Agreement when it was spearheaded by
David Trimble.

Ulster Unionist Billy Armstrong, an Orangeman, was a part-time reserve
constable with the RUC – 277 of whose officers were killed by the IRA.

And Thomas Burns of the SDLP is a supporter of the Gaelic Athletic
Association, which until recently banned UK police from its membership.

Former enemies are now fighting for the votes of an electorate
demanding efficient government.

It is unlikely any of them would ever claim Ulster has a perfect
peace. But important figures on each side of the divide decided
to suspend their conflict, swallow the most bitter pills, tacitly
acknowledge the deep grief in each community, and begin to build a
new future.

No such respect for those mourning their dead was evident on Saturday
when a monument was unveiled outside the Temple of Peace in Cardiff
in memory of the 1.3 million people Armenians believe died as the
Ottoman Empire disintegrated. A crowd waving giant Turkish flags
hollered there was no "genocide" and denounced the men and woman
gathered around the small memorial as liars.

Resolutions describing the deaths as genocide have been passed
in countries including France, Switzerland, Canada, and, in 2000,
Wales. This does not prove Armenians were targeted for extermination,
but parliamentarians do not risk the ire of Turkey – a democracy and
an ally – without good cause. The protesters who did their best to
drown out the commemoration in Cardiff have a right to argue their
version of history, but hopes for healing in a powder-keg region will
be dashed if they demonise those who have carried memories of sorrow
for generations.

Ireland’s pain is not buried far below the soil and there has been
only limited reconciliation. It takes a tough and truly brave person
to sit down with a foe – forgiveness may follow, but it is not the
prerequisite for progress. That is respect.

WILL HE GATHER 60 PERCENT VOTES?

A1+
[05:32 pm] 08 November, 2007

Deputy Chairman of the "Republican Party of Armenia" Razmik Zohrabyan
informed "A1+" that the RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan will be
elected to the post of the chairman of the "Republican Party of
Armenia" on Saturday. The party will put forward his candidature
during the upcoming presidential elections. The chances of the
Party’s candidate to win during the elections is estimated more that
60 percent.

Besides electing the Chairman of the "Republican Party of Armenia"
and nominating him for the elections, the Party’s session has other
issues in the agenda to discuss: "Election of an executive body,
election of the representative board. They will make some legislative
amendments electing an executive body, members of the board, and at
the end they will nominate their candidate".

The nomination of the RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan will
not alter the strategy of the "Republican Party of Armenia". "We
have defined our strategy a year ago, during the NA elections. We
were waiting for the results of elections to get ready for the
presidential elections".

Razmik Zohrabyan considers Ter-Petrosyan a common candidate. "Another
presidential candidate is added to the list".

1200-1500 people will participate in the session. The "Republican
Party of Armenia" has not invited the leaders of the opposition
party to participate in the session, only the "Prosperous Party
of Armenia" and the "Armenian Revolutionary Party-Dashnaktsutyun",
as well as representatives of public organizations will take part
in the session. In fact, organizations supporting Serge Sargsyan’s
candidature will participate in the session.

IRAN’S STANCE ON KARABAKH UNCHANGEABLE: CONFLICT SHOULD BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.11.2007 14:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 7 Armenian Defense Minister Mikael
Harutyunyan received his Iranian counterpart, RA Minister’s Spokesman,
Col. Seyran Shahsuvaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The tete-a-tete meeting was followed by the enlarged talks.

The parties asserted that the recent presidential meeting cemented
economic and cultural ties between the two states.

They also referred to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

"Iran’s stance on Karabakh unchangeable: conflict should be resolved
peacefully," the Iranian Minister said.

Mikael Harutyunyan and Mostafa Mohammad Najjar also discussed the
Armenian-Iranian cooperation in various fields.

SPORT NEWS

KarabakhOpen
07-11-2007 16:55:33

The women’s team of Artsakh won silver on the Volleyball Cup of
Armenia.

The tournament was held in the town of Artik, from October 25 to 30,
the NKR Sports Committee reports.

In the recent open championship of track and fields athletics Anush
Yesayan from Artsakh took the first place, Ninelle Mnatsakanyan,
Vakhtang Arakelyan and Hranush Babajanyan won bronze medals.

On October 30 the cup of the handball federation of Armenia was held
in Berdzor. The teams of boys and girls of Berdzor took the second
and third place respectively.

KOCHARYAN: OUSTING RUSSIA LEADS NOWHERE

KarabakhOpen
07-11-2007 14:02:42

Ousting Russia from the South Caucasian region would not lead
anywhere, said President Robert Kocharyan in his lecture at the
Aleksanteri Institute in Helsinki, who is in Finland for an official
visit. According to Kocharyan, there may be different views on the
role of Russia in the region, however, it would not be useful to cause
tensions and to oust a country which has experience and influence in
the South Caucasus, the Armenian president said and added that for
Armenia Russia is a stabilizing factor, and this country obviously
cannot replace the Soviet Union and become dominant.

By the way, Robert Kocharyan delivered the lecture in English but
answered the questions of the participants in Russian.