Author: Khondkarian Raffi

OSCE MG CONSIDERS OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING "CONSTRUCTIVE"

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.20 06 16:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group called the meeting
of Armenian and Azeri FMs Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mammadyarov
yesterday constructive.

"The two Ministers had a constructive meeting in a very frank and
ingenuous atmosphere," says a statement of the Russian, French and
US mediators. According to it, the Armenian and Azeri FMs in Paris
discussed proposals on the Nagorno Karabakh status, presented by the
co-chairs at the Moscow meeting, reports RFE/RL.

ARMENIAN-BELARUSIAN COOPERATION PROMISING IN HIGH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, JEWELRY MAKING AND AGRICULTURAL SECTORS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei
Sidorski, who is on an official visit to Armenia, was received on
October 23 by the Armenian President Robert Kocharian. R. Kocharian
expressed a satisfaction at the current dynamics of the relations
between the two countries, noting that the Belarusian prime
minister’s visit will contribute to the further development of the
cooperation. Speaking about his first impressions about Yerevan, Sergei
Sidorski said that the active construction work underway in the city
catches the eye, which bears evidence of Armenia’s economic progress.

Adressing the Armenian-Belarusian economic cooperation, the sides
noted that today the commodity turnover is not so large, although it
has a tendency to grow.

They indicated high and information technologies, jewelry making
and agriculture as promising sectors in terms of cooperation. The
interlocutors exchanged information about the economic policies of
Armenia and Belarus, and the current situation in various sectors of
the economy of each country.

THEATRICAL FIGURES MARK TIGRAN LEVONIAN’S 70th BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 24 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The jubilee memorial event held
on October 23 at the Union of Theatrical Figures of Armenia was
dedicated to the 70th birthday anniversary of Tigran Levonian, a RA
People’s Artist, leading soloist and producer of the opera theater,
professor. In theatrical critic Haykaz Yeranosian’s words, the famous
artist was first on the stage with the part of Cavaradossi (Puccini
"Floria Tosca") and charmed extremely pedantic Armenian spectators
and his partners. Then Levonian’s art became crystallized role by
role, became clear and joined famous singers’ voice. Having been
the leading tenor for many years, he personified with great success
the best parts of the national and world repertoire: Saro, Tirith,
Herman, Edgar, Don Carlos, Othello, etc. "The prominent singer was
gifted also with an actor’s exclusive talent: emotional inner world,
pleasant appearance, clear speech articulation and, added to all these,
astonishing diligence," the speaker of the day emphasized. With all
these, however, a keen producer lived in T.Levonian’s deep essence what
is proved by about a dozen and a half of performances which he staged
at the Al.Spendiarian National Opera and Ballet State Academic Theater.

"Basis of Levonian’s producer work is music. Starting point of
the stage actions created by him and interpretation of characters
is music," H.Yeranosian emphasized. Performances of Donizetti’s
"Poliuto" and Tigranian’s "Anush" operas were among the greatest
creative achievements of the artist.

RESIDENTS MAY APPEAR IN THE STREET
Armenouhy Minasyan

A1+
[02:03 pm] 24 October, 2006

Over hundred homeless families of Gyumri may be deprived of their
temporary dwelling places on the eve of winter. At present the families
live in country district behind the Shirak Hotel.

Under the court decision, the residents’ cottages, belonging to
Shirakshin organization, have been put into action to pay back the
715 million debt of the organization which was found insolvent by
the court.

The action was scheduled on October 11 but it was cancelled because
of the claimant’s absence.

The freelance experts claim that each cottage in the disputable area
costs 2 million 100 thousand AMD. Five people live in 400-square-meter
cottages, thus in case each family pays 500 thousand AMD, and they
may become the owners of the cottages. But none of the families can
afford to buy the shabby cottages.

Fearing the possibility of appearing in the streets, the residents
appealed to higher institutions, even the Municipality of Shirak marz.

The last hope is that in case there are no buyers in the actions the
price of the cottages will decrease 20 percent, and the residents
will be able to but the cottages themselves.

ARMENIA IS READY TO MEDIATE RUSSIA – GEORGIA CONLICT

Lragir.am
Oct 23 2006

The Armenian government is ready to assist in the settlement of the
Russian-Georgian conflict if Russia and Georgia wish that, stated
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan October 23 in Yerevan during the
news conference with his Belarusian counterpart.

"This is the problem of Georgia and Armenia, and the interference
of Armenia or Belarus is not expedient," said Andranik Margaryan,
the news agency ARKA reports. The prime minister of Armenia added
that if Georgia and Russia want Armenia to assist in settling the
existing problems, the Armenian government is always ready. "However,
we have not been invited yet," stated Andranik Margaryan.

RA PRIME MINISTER AND AMBASSADOR OF KAZAKHSTAN ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO ENCOURAGING MUTUAL COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. There is still great unused
possibilities and potential in the Armenian-Kazakh relations. It
was mentioned at the meeting of RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian and Aimdos Bozdjigitov, the newly appointed Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to
Armenia. Congratulating the Ambassador on the occasaion of starting
his diplomatic mission in Armenia, A.Margarian mentioned that the
Armenian and Kazakh peoples have deep roots of friendship, and it is
being strengthened year by year by development of the two states’
cooperation. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Government’s
Information and Public Relations Department, Ambassador Bozdjigitov
expressed confidence that the RA President’s coming visit to Kazakhstan
will become a stimulus for both improvement of the judicial-legal
field and widening cooperation in different spheres, taking into
consideration that a sitting of the Armenian-Kazakh Intergovernmental
Commission will also be held within that framework. The RA Prime
Minister and the Ambassador of Kazakhstan attached importance
to encouraging economic mutual cooperation in the directions of
activization of businessmen’s contacts, stimulating investments,
increase of volumes of export and etc. They considered also the
Armenian community as an important factor in all these, it may have
an active role in the affair of widening and development of the
cooperation between the two countries. At the end of the meeting,
Andranik Margarian expressed readiness on behalf of the Government
and himself to assist Ambassador as much as possible during the whole
period of his officiating and wished him successes.

"NOR ZHAMANAKNER" CALLS TO IMMEDIATELY SET FREE VAHAGN CHAKHALIAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The "Nor Zhamanakner" (New Times)
party addresses the RA National Assembly, all the deputies and calls
to take steps to immediately set free Vahagn Chakhalian, a member of
the chairmanship of the "United Javakhk" peoples’ alliance, and then
assistance is shown to all Armenians of Javakhk from now on who will
expect support of the Republic of Armenia. It is said in the statement
spread on October 20 by the party board. To recap, V.Chakhalian was
arrested on October 10 with accusation of illegally breaking the
RA state border and was moved to the RA National Security Service
isolator. "Vahagn Chakhalian is famous for his patriotic motives as one
actively speaking loudly about problems of Armenians of Javakahk and
looking for their solutions. It is characteristic that in the issue
of elections of local self-government bodies recently taken place
in that region, full of Armenians, the "United Javakhk" alliance
expressed a unique position not tolerating mass falsifications and
violation of ethnograthical dignity by the Georgian authorities,"
the statement authors mention, adding that in the case when one,
expecting the RA authorities’ support must properly be received in
Armenia, "was, unfortunately, settled a score by the authorities,
beaten and arrested."

"This incident again proves that the RA acting authorities became a
puppet not only in hands of superpowers but also obey implicitly to
Georgian President M.Saakashvili’s adventurous policy already reached
extremity," is said in the statement.

ONE-SIDED COVERING OF EVENTS BECOMES USUAL EVENT FOR ARMENIAN MASS
MEDIA, "A1+" EDITOR SAYS

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The last draft to the law on
television and radio proves that nothing essencial is done in Armenia
in the sense of strategy in the direction of supporting improvement of
the freedom of information. RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian expressed
such an opinion during the October 20 round table on the theme
"Armenian Mass Media on the Eve of 2007 Parliamentary Elections." The
event was organized by the Armenian representation of the "Article
19" international public organization. In A.Haroutiunian’s words,
every new draft relating to this sphere must become a stable step of
progress in the issue of securing the freedom of information. But,
the draft put in circulation is not capable to become such one. The
Ombudsman mentioned that it is not enough to touch upon the theme
of the freedom of expression only on the eve of elections, it is
necessary to do everyday work in that direction.

A.Haroutiunian also expressed opinion that it will be possible to raise
the level of public awareness only in the case of securing variety of
political opinions. In words of Mesrop Movsisian, the editor of the
"A1+" electronic newspaper, "if the freedom of press is much spoken
about in any country, it means that the country has serious problems
in that sphere." In his words, the "sad experience" of mass media
showed during the 2003 elections that variety of opinions in Armenia
is of formal character: one-sided covering of events became a usual
event." M.Movsisian emphasized that according to his observation,
today the Armenian society "believes romour heard in the market more
than an official information broadcast on TV."

President Kocharyan received the parliamentary delegation of China

ArmRadio.am
21.10.2006 13:35

October 21 President Robert Kocharyan received the delegation headed
by Deputy Chairman of the All-China Assembly of People Representatives
of the People’ s Republic of China Syu Stzialu.

Syu Stzialu conveyed the warm greetings of the President of the
People’s Republic of China to Robert Kocharyan.

RA President emphasized the high level of the Armenian-Chinese
political dialogue and said: "Armenia is consistent in its intention
to reinforce the relations with China and is interested to have the
bilateral ties be more dynamic and coordinated."

Underlining China’s great role on the international arena, Robert
Kocharyan highly assessed the country’s balanced position toward the
sensitive issues of the South Caucasus.

In Syu Stzialu’s words, Armenian-Chinese cooperation is successfully
developing. He said Robert Kocharyan’s state visit to China in 2004
was pivotal in the expansion of bilateral collaboration.

The interlocutors underlined also the productive cooperation of
Armenia and China on the international arena, noting that the two
countries have similar approaches on a number of questions. They
exchanged views on the situation in the North Korea.

The Jurist – Univ. of Pittsburgh, School of Law
Oct 21 2006

Senior US diplomat decries French genocide denial bill as senseless

Leslie Schulman at 12:13 PM ET

senior-us-diplomat-decries-french.php

[JURIST] US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried [official
profile] Friday condemned the passage of a bill [text, in French;
JURIST news archive] last week by the French lower house of
parliament making it a crime to deny that killings of Armenians
in 1915 [ANI backgrounder] in the then-Ottoman Empire (now Turkey)
was genocide. Fried said the bill, which still needs approval by the
French Senate and President Jacques Chirac to become law, hampers EU
relations with Turkey and "doesn’t seem to make any sense. Every nation
. . . has things in its past of which it is not proud." AP has more.

In the wake of the legislation, relations between France and Turkey
have become strained, notwithstanding an apology from Chirac [JURIST
report] to the Turkish prime minister, and have sparked a Turkish
boycott of French goods and television programs [JURIST report]
and talk of retaliatory litigation [JURIST report] in the European
Court of Human Rights. Turkish lawmakers have meanwhile threatened to
pass a matching bill [JURIST report] labeling as genocide colonial
killings of Algerians by the French and making it illegal to deny
French culpability. Turkey, which is currently trying to join the
European Union, denies [JURIST comment] that the killing of 1.5
million Armenians during World War I was in fact genocide.