Author: Khoyetsian Rose

SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HRANT DINK OPENS IN PARIS

PARIS, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The opening ceremony of
the Armenian-French school named after Hrant Dink took place in the
Arnouville la Gonesse region in Paris on June 30. This information was
provided by the Turkish press.

Edward Nalbandian, the RA Ambassador to Paris, Alexis Govjian, the
Chairman of the coordinating council of the Armenian unions in France,
Armenian clergymen, as well as Michel Oman, the Chairperson of the
regional council of Arnouville la Gonesse, were present at the opening
ceremony of the school named after the former editor-in-chief of the
Weekly Akos.

No representative of Turkey was present at the opening ceremony of the
Armenian-French school, Rakel Dink, the widow of Hrant Dink, was not
there either.

SAMAD SEYIDOV: AZERBAIJAN HAS ALMOST FULLY IMPLEMENTED COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMITMENTS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 3 2007

"Azerbaijan has almost fully implemented commitments vis-a-vis the
Council of Europe," head of Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to
the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Samad Seyidov
told the APA.

Commenting on the visit of Ago monitoring group from the Committee
of Ministers of Council of Europe to Baku Samad Seyidov linked it
with investigating Azerbaijan’s fulfilling commitments vis-a-vis the
Council of Europe.

Permanent Swedish representative to the Council of Europe Per Sjogren
leads the group. The group includes permanent ambassadors Eberhard
Kolsch (Germany), Bruno Guen (France), Peteris Elferts (Latvia),
Stellan Stolan (Romania) and Alexander Alekseyev (Russia). They
will be accompanied by CE secretariat officials Puarel, Aarnio-Lvoff
and Cheliento.

The current state of the relations of Azerbaijan with the Council of
Europe, implementation of the commitments, independence of courts,
activity of local authorities, freedom of media and the Nagorno
Karabakh problem will mainly be debated during the meetings.

Ago group is expected to meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, head
of President’s Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, speaker of Azerbaijani
Parliament Ogtay Asadov, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, chairman
of Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov, chief of
Azerbaijan National Television and Radio Council Nushirevan Meherremli
in the framework of their visit to Azerbaijan.

Justice Minister of the group is expected to participate in the
roundtable on activity of judicial system with the participation of
Prosecutor General, chiefs of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court,
Bar and Commissioner for Human Rights.

Samad Seyidov said that Azerbaijan has not fulfilled several
commitments described on document #222 of Council of Europe. The
parliamentarian said that one of the unfulfilled commitments is the
peaceful solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and adoption of draft
law on alternative service.

Though Azerbaijan is neither in the condition of war, nor peace, it
submitted a draft on alternative service to Council of Europe. The
issue regarding this commitment will be solved after the reference
of the experts of the organization," he said.

Mr.Seyidov also commented on Azerbaijan’s not joining several
conventions of Council of Europe. He stated that any new convention
is brought to the agenda at each session of PACE and the states are
invited to sign this document.

"Some of the states conclude these conventions, some of them not.

This is the issue concerning the internal work, internal interests of
the countries, the country is not obliged to adopt this commitment,"
he said.

RA GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS PROHIBITING USE OF PUBLIC RADIO-TELEVISION FREQUENCIES BY ANOTHER MASS MEDIA

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly got down to
the discussion of the package of bills of the RA government by the
first reading at the June 28 sitting of the special session.

According to the bill, which envisages to make amendments in the valid
law on "Television and Radio", the activities of other broadcasting
organizations are unequivocally prohibited on the frequencies used
by the Public Radio-Telvision company. According to the current law
in force, such an activity is possible only in case the Cfouncil of
the Public Radio-Television company agrees to this.

The government connects this change with the fact that the activities
of the Public Radio and Television company, which was created by
the state, has a special status and solves problems concerning,
exclusively, public interests, can not go with the activities of
other broadcasting organizations, which are directed at solving
private problems.

With another bill the government suggests making addenda in the RA Law
on "State Duty". According to this bill, a state duty of 70 thousand
drams (about 200 U.S. dollars) is defined for each broadcast of the
programs of national editorial staff and service of foreign mass media
by a RA private television company, irrespective of the duration of
the broadcast.

According to independent analysts and some MPs, the above mentioned
package of bills is directed against the broadcast of the programs
of the Armenian service of the Azatution (Liberty) radio station by
the Public Radio company. This is connected with the fact that about
20 MPs were registered in order to make speeches and ask questions
to Gevorg Danielian, the RA Minister of Justice and the main speaker.

The Minister denied the fact that the bill is directed against
Azatutiun (Liberty) radio station. According to him, there are two
more similar companies, one of which is the MIR television company.

Raffi Hovannisian, the head of the Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction,
mentioned in his speech that MPs should not "put stigma on themselves
by vertical orders" as they are to take responsibility for that
decision. He believes that there are still a number of other foreign
mass media broadcasting in the territory of Armenia: the ORT and
RTR Russian television companies, in particular, as well as Euronews
and CNN.

FOREIGN BROADCASTING BAN ‘APPLICABLE TO RFE/RL’
By Astghik Bedevian and Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
July 2 2007

A legal ban on retransmission of foreign broadcasts by Armenia’s
widely accessible state radio could extend to the daily news programs
of RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian said
on Monday.

Danielian made this clear as parliament wrapped up heated debates on
a package of government-drafted amendments to the Armenian laws on
broadcasting and state duties that are widely regarded as an attempt
to severely restrict RFE/RL broadcasts. The National Assembly passed
the draft amendments in the first reading on Friday and is expected
to turn them into law on Tuesday.

In what may have been a sign of disagreements within the country’s
leadership, Danielian’s remarks contradicted renewed assurances by top
members of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK)
that the highly controversial bill does not apply to the crucial
retransmission of RFE/RL’s popular Armenian-language programs by the
government-controlled Public Radio.

"This law can in no way apply to Radio Liberty," Samvel Nikoyan, a
senior HHK lawmaker, said, presenting the governing party’s official
position on the contentious issue.

Another top Republican, parliament speaker Tigran Torosian, was also
at pains to insist on this during Monday’s debates and in an extensive
weekend interview with RFE/RL. Torosian repeated his arguments that
the proposed ban concerns only "broadcasting companies." Under Armenian
law, RFE/RL can not be considered as such because it does not have its
own broadcasting license and has to use the broadcasting frequencies
of state and private radios instead, he said.

"Nobody will have the legal grounds to close down Radio Liberty on the
basis of this bill, if it is adopted," said Torosian. "I say this for
certain. And if it crosses somebody’s mind to take such a step after
the adoption of this law, you will be able to easily challenge those
‘grounds’ in the court."

However, the government added to its package on Monday new language
containing a more ambiguous legal definition of "broadcaster" which
Danielian said may apply to RFE/RL. Asked by RFE/RL to explain
the diametrically opposite interpretations of the bill by senior
officials, the justice minister said vaguely: "There are new terms,
new formulations, and the situation is new. There are no differences."

The parliament’s tiny opposition minority, meanwhile, again accused
Kocharian and his three-party governing coalition of seeking to
muzzle what it again called the sole broadcaster not controlled by
the authorities.

"The freedom of the rank-and-file citizens of our country is under
attack," said Raffi Hovannisian of the opposition Zharangutyun party.

"It is evident that Armenia’s political leadership has decided
to close down Raffi Liberty," charged Victor Dallakian, a veteran
parliamentarian opposed to the government.

"If you are rejecting Radio Liberty, then you should also reject
assistance provided by the United States," Dallakian said, pointing
to the fact that Armenia has been a leading per-capita recipient of
US economic aid ever since its independence.

The opposition claims were again rejected by representatives of the
parliament majority. "Claims that freedom of the media could die are
not serious," said the HHK’s Eduard Sharmazanov.

A representative of the pro-Kocharian Prosperous Armenia Party
(BHK), one of the HHK’s two junior coalition partners, was even
more unwavering in advocating the draft laws. Aram Safarian said the
government should disregard the domestic and international criticism to
"establish law and order in our house" and ensure "equal competition"
among media outlets.

The third coalition partner, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), again avoided publicly expressing its position on
the issue, in what amounted to tacit approval of the government bill.

Like their colleagues from the HHK and the BHK, Dashnaktsutyun deputies
present at Friday’s parliament session unanimously voted for it.

ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADE: I CAN ALSO VISIT NAGORNO KARABAKH IF NECESSARY

Azeri Press Agency
Azerbaijan
July 2 2007

"I have met Armenian religious figures several times. I can also
visit Nagorno Karabakh if necessary," chief of Caucasus Muslims Office
Sheikhuislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade told journalists, APA reports.

He underlined that Shusha is a historical Azerbaijani land.

"Shusha is our land. I can invite Armenian Garegin to Shusha. All
parties – politicians, religious men and public figures should be
involved in the process of negotiations," he said.

Allahshukur Pashazade did not rule out military way of solution to
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict if the negotiations for the peaceful
resolution turn out ineffective. /APA/

Abkhazia during the Georgian Golden Age and Renaissance

322/63/
Saturday, 30 June 2007

By George Nikoladze

Reign of Queen Tamar was the peak of Georgia’s might in the whole
history of the nation. In 1194-1204 Tamar’s armies crushed new Turkish
invasions from the south-east and south and launched several successful
campaigns into Turkish-controlled Southern Armenia. As a result, most
of Southern Armenia with the cities of Karin, Erzinjan, Khelat, Mush
and Van, was put under Georgian control. Although not included into
Georgian Crown lands and left under nominal rule of local Turkish Emirs
and Sultans, Southern Armenia became a protectorate of the Kingdom of
Georgia.

The temporary fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1204 to the Crusaders
left Georgia the strongest Christian State in the whole East
Mediterranean area. The same year Queen Tamar sent her troops to take
over the former Byzantine Lazona and Paryadria with the cities of
Atina, Riza, Trebizond, Querasunt, Amysos, Kotyora, Heraclea and
Sinopa. In 1205, the occupied territory was transformed into the Empire
of Trebizond with Tamar’s’ relative Prince Alexius Comnenus crowned
Emperor. Although officially called an Empire the new state was
Georgia’s dependency for more than two hundred years. In 1210 Georgian
armies invaded northern Iran (today’s Iranian Azerbaijan) and took the
cities of Marand, Tebriz, Ardebil, Zenjan and Kazvin putting part of
the conquered territory under Georgian protectorate. That was the
maximal extent of Georgia throughout her history. During the described
period of time Queen Tamar was addressed as `The Queen of Abkhazians,
Kartvels, Rans, Kakhs and Armenians, Shirvan-Shakhine and
Shakh-in-Shakhine, The Sovereign of the East and West’. Georgian
historians often refer to her as `Queen Tamar the Great’.

According to the Georgian chronicles, Queen Tamar granted the lordship
over part of Abkhazia to the Georgian princely family of Shervashidze.
According to traditional accounts, they were an offshoot of the
Shirvanshahs (hence allegedly comes their dynastic name meaning "sons
of Shirvanese" in Georgian). The ascendancy of this dynasty in Abkhazia
would last until the Russian annexation in the 1860s.

The Genoese established their trading factories along the Abkhazian
coastline in the 14th century, but they functioned for a short time.
The area was relatively spared from the Mongol and Timur’s invasions,
which terminated Georgia’s golden age. As a result, the kingdom of
Georgia fragmentized into several independent or semi-independent
entities by the late 15th century. The Principality of Abkhazia was one
of them. The Abkhazian princes engaged in incessant conflicts with the
Mingrelian potentates, their nominal suzerains, and the borders of both
principalities fluctuated in the course of these wars. In the following
centuries, the Georgian nobles of Abkhazia finally prevailed and
expanded their possessions up to the Inguri River, which is today’s
southern boundary of the region.

RA CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CONTINUE HEARINGS ON CLAIM OF DEPUTY CANDIDATE FROM 36TH SINGLE-MANDATE DISTRICT

arminfo
2007-06-29 11:00:00

RA CC will continue hearings on the claim of a deputy candidate from
the 36th single-mandate district Mushegh Saghatelyan.

To recall, the hearings on the claim of M. Saghatelyan, who required to
cancel the results of voting in the 36th district and call reelection ,
started on June 25.

During the hearings, representative of the claimer Gevork Minasyan said
that according to the decision of the district election committee from
May 17, 2007, a non-party Mkhitar Varagyan, who gathered over 14,000
votes, was announced a winner at the election, the second place was
taken by representative of the "Prosperous Armenia" party Mushegh
Petrosyan, who gathered over 13,000 votes, the third place was taken
by a non-party Mushegh Saghatelyan, having gathered a bit more than
7,000 votes. As the claimer’s representative said, the true number
of inaccuracies during the voting is not 131, as indicated in the
final Protocol of the 36th election committee, but 9 632, i.e. more
than the difference in the votes among the candidates, that is a good
reason to cancel the voting results and call a reelection. However,
during the hearings, the claimer’s representatives could not give
a distinct answer to the question of CC Head Gagik Haroutyunyan:
"What these digits are confirmed by, where have they been taken
from". Having heard the defendant’s party, RA Constitutional Court
announced a three-day interval to study the final protocols of the
voting in 26 of 59 polling stations of the 36th single-mandate district
in RA Shirak region.

ARMENIANS AND TURKS SHOULD RECONCILE: WILSON

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
June 29 2007

The US Ambassador to Ankara referred to 1915 Armenian incidents as
one of the greatest tragedies of the last century.

Guncelleme: 14:10 TSÝ 29 Haziran 2007 Cuma

IZMIR – Turks and Armenians to openly debate the incidents of 1915
and build an atmosphere of reconciliation, US Ambassador to Ankara
Ross Wilson said Friday.

Wilson, speaking at a business meeting in Izmir, said that Washington’s
policy over the Armenian incidents would not change.

In respect to Iraq, Wilson said that it developments n that country
were not only Turkey’s problem but one for the entire world.

"Our entering Iraq is debated," he said. "We know that there have
been big mistakes, even President Bush admits that."

Iraq now was a place of chaos where terrorism existed. It was a bad
thing that northern Iraq was a place where PKK terrorists were based.

"There is the need to stop the financial support to the PKK and stop
the present terrorism," Wilson said.

–Boundary_(ID_FgF+NAeKkxzbxLb4KCUXtA)–

WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE SYSTEMS UNDER REPAIR IN LORI AND SHIRAK REGIONS WITH FINANCING OF GERMAN KfW BANK

Noyan Tapan
Jun 29 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Some work, particularly on drafting
the maps of the main water-pipe and the distribution networks, has
already been done under the program on repairs of the water supply
and sewerage systems of Lori and Shirak regions. NT correspondent was
informed from the State Committee of Water Industry of the RA Ministry
of Territorial Governance that the tenders for a construction company
and a water meter supplying company have been announced.

The Armenian government jointly with German KfW bank has been
implementing the program on improvement of the water supply systems of
the above mentioned regions since 2005. It is envisaged to complete
the first stage of the program in three years. Its cost makes 25.99
million euros, 23,37 mln euros of which was provided by the German
bank (15.5 mln euros as a credit, the rest as a grant), while the
Armenian government’s cofinancing makes 2.62 mln euros.

The water supply and sewerage systems of the city of Vanadzor, the
villages of Lernapat, Darpas and Shahumian (Lori region), as well
as of the cities of Gyumri and Maralik, the villages of Akhurian
and Azatan (Shirak region) will be repaired at the first stage of
the program. It is also envisaged to install water meters in other
communities during the first stage.

TURKEY: AZERBAIJANI, BULGARIAN PRESIDENTS ADDRESS BLACK SEA SUMMIT

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
June 25 2007

["BSEC 15TH ANNIVERSARY SUMMIT – 20 PER CENT OF OUR TERRITORY IS
STILL UNDER INVASION, ALIYEV" – AA headline]

ISTANBUL (A.A) -25.06.2007 -Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan,
underlined that 20 per cent of their territory near Armenian border
was under invasion and one million Azarbaijani citizens were refugees
separated from their homeland and said this was a major injustice.

Taking the floor at the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) 15th
Anniversary Summit Aliyev said majority of the countries member to
BSEC gained independence shortly before becoming members 15 years ago
and said concrete results were achieved since then through cooperation.

Aliyev indicated that Azerbaijan had to struggle with many problems
inherited from the past and said they had implemented many economic
and political reforms to reach the level they deserve.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan had large energy resources and pointed out
that these helped Azerbaijan to contribute to regional cooperation.

Aliyev drew attention to Azerbaijan’s partnership with Russia,
Turkey and Georgia and said Azerbaijan was part of three pipelines
one opening to the Black Sea and the other to the Mediterranean.

"Next year 1 million barrels of oil will be pumped through these
pipelines. This will be increased in the years to come. This year
Azerbaijan will become a natural gas exporting company," said Aliyev.

-UNRESOLVED CONFLICTS

Aliyev also pointed to the problems between BSEC member states that
gained independence after 1990 and said military interventions were
one of these.

"20 per cent of our territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia is still
under invasion and one million Azarbaijani citizens are refugees
separated from their homeland. This is unfair, this is truly a major
injustice. This is totally a violation of the rule of law, democracy
and human rights. Armenian forces have to withdraw from the area,"
underscored Aliyev.

Aliyev said they wanted the international norms and principles to
be implemented in the region and said they did not want any more
conflicts and problems.

-PRESIDENT OF BULGARIA PIRVANOV-

On the other hand Georgi Parvanov, President of Bulgaria, said priority
goal of BSEC should be fostering of relations with the EU.

Pirvanov stressed that, EU was an important economic partner to BSEC
member states and regarded the beginning of negotiation talks between
Turkey and EU, the study platform proposed by the European Commission
under the "Black Sea Synergy" title, were important developments
contributing to the growth of BSEC.

Pirvanov emphasized that the memberships of Bulgaria and Romania
brought new opportunities for the fostering of relations between BSEC
and the EU.