Author: Khoyetsian Rose

THERE IS NO "AZERI COMMUNITY" IN EASTERN EUROPE

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2007 13:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "According to the Hungarian Constitution, Armenians
represent a national minority, which exercises constitutional rights
provided by the law," the RA Ambassador to Hungary, Austria, Czechia
and Slovakia, Ashot Hovakimian told a news conference in Yerevan.

"In Hungary, this status is granted to traditional communities living
in the country over 300-400 years.

Armenians have lived in Hungary for over 500 years.

They have elective self-government councils.

Meanwhile, there is no Azeri community in Hungary, Austria, Czechia
or Slovakia. The Azerbaijani Embassy is attempting to create a such,
however, in vain," Ambassador Hovakimian said.

For his part, Armenian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Sergei Manasarian said
there is not such a notion as "Azeri community" in Bulgaria. "There
is a Turkish community, which numbers 600-800 thousand people. The
number of Armenians reaches 30 thousand only. I should stress that
we are not at odds. The problem is that unlike the Turkish community,
the Armenian one is not solidary enough.

UN ADOPTED ARMENIAN INITIATIVE

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 1 2007

In its sixth session on September 28 the UN Human Rights Council
adopted the Resolution on the Protection of cultural heritage as an
important component of the promotion and protection of cultural rights,
coauthored and proposed by Armenia, the foreign ministry reported.

This interregional resolution was coauthored by the members and
observers of the Human rights Council Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia,
Russia, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Angola, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Belarus
and other countries. It urges to honor and preserve cultural heritage
as a component of the cultural identity of peoples and individuals,
tolerance, respect, dialogue and collaboration between peoples and
civilizations.

The resolution defines the destruction of cultural heritage as a
violation of cultural rights, and underlines the responsibility of
nations for intentional destruction and failure to prevent, stop and
prosecute. During the same session Armenia presented materials on
the destruction of the Armenian medieval cemetery of Djolfa and the
Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhidjevan in general.

Panorama.am

20:53 28/09/2007

`A shameful verdict for the Armenian people’

`Once again political persecution has taken certain stage,’ read the
announcement by the Heritage party concerning the September 25 guilty
verdict for Jhirayr Sefilian, Vartan Malkhasian, and Vahan Aroyan.

`This is proof that one who expresses his opinions can be denied his
freedom. This verdict is not only shameful for the Armenian people,
but does great damage to Armenia’s reputation throughout the world.

The verdict in fact judges the Armenian legal system. This illegal
decision affects the entire population. With this, the abyss between
the people and their government grows, and puts the country’s security
at risk,’ concludes the text.

We note that the high court sustained the earlier decision by the
first instance court of Nork-Marash. Not only that, the high court
increased Aroyan’s sentence by six months.

Source: Panorama.am

TWO TURKISH POLICEMEN ON TRIAL FOR POSING WITH SUSPECT IN DINK MURDER

By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Daily Star – Lebanon
Sept 29 2007

ANKARA: Two Turkish policemen went on trial Friday for their role
in a scandal which saw security forces pose for pictures with the
suspected murderer of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the
official Anatolia news agency reported. The trial in the northern
city of Samsun is the first time that members of the security forces
have been brought before a court over the January 19 murder, which
the police are accused of failing to prevent.

The charges followed a complaint from Dink’s family that police
protected the self-confessed killer, 17-year-old Ogun Samast, when
he was captured in Samsun a day after Dink was shot dead in Istanbul.

Footage and photos leaked to the media at the time showed officers,
some of them in uniform, posing with Samast as he held a Turkish flag,
unleashing accusations that some officials may secretly approve of
the murder.

Eight police officers were given disciplinary sanctions, but only Metin
Balta, the deputy head of the terrorism department, and Ibrahim Firat,
a police chief in the same office, have been charged over the incident.

Balta is accused of "abusing his office by allowing acts unbefitting
state officials and leading to the impression that there was sympathy
for Samast’s action," Anatolia said.

He could be sentenced to between six months and two years in jail if
found guilty.

Firat risks a one-to-five-year jail sentence on charges of "violating
the secrecy of the investigation" by leaking the images to the media,
Anatolia added.

The police are also under fire for failing to prevent the murder
despite having received intelligence of a plot to kill Dink being
organized in the northern city of Trabzon, the home of Samast and
most of his suspected associates.

Dink, 52, a prominent member of Turkey’s tiny Armenian minority,
was gunned down outside the offices of his bilingual Turkish-Armenian
weekly Agos, in central Istanbul.

POPULATION INCREASE OBSERVED IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 24 2007

YEREVAN, September 24. /ARKA/. During the recent three years trends
of population increase have been observed in Armenia, said Head of
the Department of population census and demography of the Armenian
National Statistical Service Karine Kyumjyan.

"Before 2003 the indices of migration exceeded the population increase,
and the demographic situation did not improve, but starting from 2003
demography has become better accounted for the natural population
increase," she said.

Kyumjyan noted if in 1985-1990 in Armenia 80,000 children were born
annually, in 2002 the index reduced by 32,000, but recently comparative
increase is observed at the level of 37,000 annually. In 52.1% of
these case the child is a firstborn, and in 12.7% – third or more.

She said that Armenia gradually transfers from the model of large
family to that of with 1-2 children.

"In 90s the reproductive performance index was 2.6 children, in 2006
it reached 1,35, and in this period the number of children living
till the reproductive age reduced twice," she added.

She also pointed to the problem of reduction of registered marriages.

She noted that in 2006 the number of marriages was 16,000 against
28,000 in 1990. The correlation of the number of divorces towards
marriages increased. In 2006, 1,700 couples divorced against 4,000
in 1990.

Kyumjyan noted that the average duration of the first marriage
increased from 25.5 years in 1990 to 28 years in 2005.

At the same time she said that in this period the average index of
life interval increased from 67.9 to 73 of men, and from 73.4 to 76.5
of women.

JEWS WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN DECISION MAKING

A1+
[02:23 pm] 24 September, 2007

"We have received no congratulation from the RA authorities on this
great holiday. Despite the authorities’ indifference, we are punctual
tax-payers and RA citizens," Rima Varjapetyan, the head of Jewish
community in Armenia, told A1+.

A few days ago the community celebrated Rosh Hashanah -Jewish New Year
in Armenia. One of the popular practices of the holiday is Tashlikh
("casting off").

They walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, in the afternoon
and empty their pockets into the river, symbolically casting off
their sins.

On the whole, the Jewish community is content with the country’s
attention to national minorities.

"We would like to participate in decision makings and various actions
in Armenia. Unfortunately, so far we have been denied participation,"
Rima Varjapetyan said.

The Jews support Armenians in everything, especially in the recognition
of the Genocide. In this regard they even came into conflict with
the Jewish community of Azerbaijan.

"They attempt to support Azerbaijan in view of the Karabakh conflict
resolution and intervene in its recognition. But I am more than
convinced that they do it forcibly, against their will," says the
head of Jewish community in Armenia

According to Ms. Varjapetyan the two communities had better undertake
a peacekeeping mission to promote dialogue between the two countries.

It is due to mention that the Armenian Jewish community is comprised
of 300 members. Most of them live in Yerevan, Vanadzor and Gyumri. The
community has carried out different cultural programmes over the past
16 years.

Tehran Times, Iran

September 24, 2007

Gas export gives Iran bigger intl. influence: MP

TEHRAN (PIN) – Iran could play a more effective role
in the region and major parts of the world by
exporting gas to India and Europe, said a member of
parliament’s Plan and Budget Committee here Sunday.

Morteza Tamaddon told PIN, `We should not have a
unilateral view of gas export and think of only
economic interests as gas export to India and Europe
serves interests beyond economic profits, empowering
Iran in the region and world.’

He said the country now lacked enough capacity to
refine the whole volume of produced gas, adding the
country would have no alternative but export the
commodity until the refining capacity reached its
desirable level.

`If we stop exporting gas and derive gas from jointly
owned fields according to domestic refining capacity,
we will be outpaced and a part of resources will
fade,’ noted the lawmaker.

Caretaker of the Oil Ministry Gholamhossein Nozari
said Iran was pursuing the export of natural gas,
adding the policy was underlined in the directives of
the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

He said the country held more than 15 percent of the
world’s gas reserves and it needed to have greater
share in the global gas market.

Nozari said some countries, which had less than two
percent of the world gas reserves, currently had a
seven percent share in the global market.

The comments clearly put to question certain domestic
objections to the policy of exporting gas. Some
analysts and Majlis deputies have criticized the
government’s policy to export gas, arguing that the
country needs gas for domestic use as well as for
injection into oilfields. Although the idea is partly
defendable, its proponents ignore that production of
gas for domestic use and injection into oilfields
needs investment. Funds are required to develop gas
fields, especially since those shared with Qatar
cannot be allocated by the government. Gas projects
certainly need foreign and private investments.

State funds have not even been sufficient for
infrastructure projects since the Third Five-Year
Development Plan (2000-2005). So attraction of foreign
and private investments has been a priority for the
government. Deals in the buyback and finance modes
have also been introduced with the aim of attracting
investments.

Recent negotiations with European countries including
Austria and Switzerland as well as with Turkey have
opened new horizon export and expanding production.

Managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company
earlier said that Iran was able to export $35 billion
cubic meters of gas to Europe once contracts were
finalized.

Under the agreement, the country will export $35
billion cubic meters via Turkey to Europe.

Gas export to the Indian subcontinent has topped that
agenda for the past 15 years. If signed, the deal
helps materialize an important part of long-term
policies to make Iran a major gas exporter.

Now, the question is whether Iran will be able to
become a major exporter and also to supply gas for
household, industrial, commercial sectors and power
plants, and to inject into oilfields. As per target of
Vision 2025, Iran should become the world’s third gas
producer by the year. It also has to attain a share of
eight to 10 percent of global trade in gas products.

Given that Iran has abundant gas reserves, the
objective can easily be achieved if it is properly
planned and its gas fields are developed.

The country has to redouble efforts to achieve an 8-10
percent share in the world gas market.

Global gas trade either through pipeline or in the
form of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) stood at 581
billion cubic meters in 2002. The figure reached 748
billion cubic meters in 2006, registering an annual
6.5 percent growth. If the current trend continues,
world gas demand will hit 1,800 billion cubic meters
by 2020. Some 8-10 percent of this figure will be
amounted to 144 billion to 180 billion cubic meters.
In other words, Iran has to increase its gas exports
by 12-15 folds and production by five times.

This is while the priority was given to domestic
consumption and injection of gas into old oilfield.

If production is increased to 600 billion cubic
meters, the country can become the world’s second gas
producer by 2025.

Petroleum Ministry figures suggest Iran has 28.3
trillion cubic meters while domestic consumption is
321 million cubic meters per day or 117 billion cubic
meters per year. If consumption rises by an average of
eight percent, Iran will need six trillion cubic
meters of gas annually by 2025. It is predicted that
total gas injected into oilfields will exceed 1.6
trillion to 1.9 trillion by 2025. So total gas
consumed will be eight trillion or 29 percent of the
country’s gas reserves by 2025.

Despite all the figures, some analysts and
policymakers support the idea of becoming a gas
exporter. They opine if the country sets aside only
five percent of its gas reserves for export, the
target set in Vision 2025 can be achieved.

But the important issue is that the country should
attract investments in the sector to meet domestic
demand and to increase production. The only way to
attract investments is opening the doors to foreign
investors. Another solution is to bolster private
sector’s role. Unless the government overhauls the
structure of its energy sector, these objectives
cannot be materialized

PanARMENIAN.Net

"Screamers" screened in Bern
21.09.2007 14:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 19, 2007, the Switzerland-Armenia
parliamentary group organized in Bern an extraordinary screening of
the documentary feature "Screamers", the story of prominent
heavy-metal rock group, System of a Down, as they strive to gain
recognition of the Armenian Genocide, putting the crime in a universal
context of a violation of human rights, independent French journalist
Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The screening, at the Kino im Kunstmuseum of Bern, was held a month
before Switzerland’s federal elections to the Parliament, where the
current anti-racist law criminalizing Genocide denial is being
attacked by the SVP (Swiss People’s Party).

The screening was attended by prominent representatives of the Swiss
Parliament, representing the entire spectrum of Swiss politics.

In the opening speech, Ueli Leuenberger, Vice President of the
Ecological Party (Green Party) underlined the importance of having an
anti-racist law. "One thing is clear: whoever tries to trivialize
atrocities committed 90 years ago is practicing denial. The positions
of the Swiss National Council as well as the Vaud and Geneva Cantonal
Parliaments remind us of the historical truth. We will oppose, with
all the legal means we have at our disposal, every attempt to weaken
the anti-racism norm. The collective memory should be kept alive and
we all have to fight so that expressions like Never Again become a
reality,’ he said.

The screening was followed by a discussion with participation of
`Screamers’ director Carla Garapedian.

AZG Armenian Daily #172, 21/09/2007

Information Technologies

"VIASPHERE" TECHNICAL PARK RECOGNIZED THE BEST IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

IT Months Becoming Tradition in Armenia

This year the "IT Month" will last longer than the previous one; it
was launched on September 13 and will last until the end of
October. According to Armen Grigorian, the head of the Prime
Minister’s Council for IT Development, the IT Month is aimed at
increasing the role of the government in the process of development of
the IT sphere in Armenia.

The IT Month is organized by the Council for IT Development, the IT
Foundation of Armenia, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, the IT
Enterprizes Union, the UNIDO, the UNDP "Competitive Private Sector in
Armenia" program, and the "Microsoft" and "Sun Microsystems"
companies.

In the frameworks of the "IT Month" event the fifth symposium
dedicated to the Electrotechnics and Radioelectronics International
Institute and the presentation of the "Real advantages of Microsoft
Windows" program have been already held.

An agreement about realizing joint education programs has been signed
between the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and the "National
Instruments" company, USA. At present the "ECAbit 2007" international
innovation symposium (September 20-21) and the "Imagine Cup – Armenia"
competition of young programmers are being held.

The last event of the IT Month shall become the international
"DigiTech 2007" exhibition, October 26-28.

The director executive of the "Synopsis-Armenia" company Rich Goldman
said that the IT sphere is the future of Armenia. Armenia can get the
supremacy in this sphere; therefore there is much to do. Head of the
Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat Engibarian stated that the IT
Month of 2007 remarkably differed from the previous ones both by its
quantity and quality indexes. He emphasized the activity of the
Enterprise Incubator Foundation and "Viasphere" in the region of South
Caucasus.

Head of "Viasphere" technical park Aram Vardanian informed that over
30 companies, structures and services are quartered at present at the
technical park. Due to "Synopsis" the number of the employees of
"Viasphere" reached 800. According to data provide by the World Bank,
"Viasphere" is the best in South Caucasus

By A. Haroutiunian, Translated by A.M.

X2 60, X2 azat, X2 shax, Armen

RIDGEWAY REACHES OUT ACROSS THE GLOBE

Swindon Advertiser, UK
19th September 2007

Rosemary Cairns, Phil Bevan, Trond Vagmo, Gwyn Newman, James Povoas,
Eddie Sims and Silvano O’Malley IT might not be out to conquer the
world – but Ridgeway School is making all the global friends it can.

The Wroughton secondary school has just been awarded an Intermediate
Status International School Award from the British Council.

And to celebrate, Trond Vlagmo, from Ridgeway’s partner school Askim,
in Norway, visited the Inverary Road school to cut a cake and present
a certificate showing their new status. Ridgeway’s International
co-ordinator Eddie Sims said it was a proud day for the school.

"It shows we are being recognised for developing links with other
schools across the globe," he said.

"We are currently working with five or six schools altogether and
hope to increase that in the future."

Among the countries the school has links with are Canada, India, the
Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Armenia, Ghana and, hopefully
in the near future, South Africa, Northern Ireland and America.

advertisement"We really are doing very nicely," said Mr Sims.

"It means that we have a more exciting curriculum and that the students
really enjoy their learning. We really are educating them to become
global citizens, and the students I have spoken to about the award
all seem pleased and excited."

Mr Vlagmo’s visit to the school also marks the start of a permanent
co-operation between the two schools, which will see pupils from each
visiting the other. He said he had enjoyed his trip to Swindon.

"I have been looking forward to this," he said.

"I had some thoughts about the school before I came here. Some things
were how I expected them to be and other things have impressed me."

He said that he thought the school was well equipped and told staff
about the differences in the education system in Norway.

"Here there are different rooms for different subjects and the teacher
owns the room," he said.

"In Norway, my teachers run from one room to another as the class owns
the room and all lessons are taught in there, whatever the subject."

Mr Vlagmo said that he hoped students from Ridgeway would soon be
visiting his school.

He added that he would like the secondary school to have even more
links with schools around the globe.

A hope that Mr Sims said was shared by staff and pupils at Ridgeway.