Author: Madatian Greg

CANADIANS WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN INVESTIGATION

A1+
14 February, 2008

The RA President Robert Kocharyan convened an extraordinary meeting in
regard with the air crash of the plane of "Belavia" Company carrying
out Yerevan-Minsk flight. The Head of the President’s Administrations,
General Prosecutor, Police representatives, National Security Service
and heads of General Department of Civil Aviation, deputy ministers
of Foreign Affairs participated in the meeting.

The Head of General Department of Civil Aviation presented the details
of the air crash, pointing out that at 4.15 a.m. the CRJ-100 plane
belonging to "Belavia" Company turned to the left while carrying out
Yerevan-Minsk flight and stroke on the runway.

Then a fire broke out on the plane.

Owing to the effective activated of the Aviation Security Service
and firemen, 18 passengers and 3 staff members were evacuated
immediately. They were taken to hospital after receiving first medical
aid at the airport. 6 passengers have got trivial injures and nothing
threatens their lives.

The President tasked the Minister of Health to follow the state of
the injured and provide them with necessary medical aid.

He tasked the legal bodies to carry out the investigation of the
accident together with Aviation Services.

An investigation will be organized together with Intergovernmental
Aviation Committee, involving the experts from Belarus and Canada.

Aravot, Armenia
Feb 15 2008

Levon Ter-Petrosyan is leading: The word is about negative coverage,
according to the monitoring by the Yerevan Press Club

by Eva Hakopyan

The chairman of the Yerevan Press Club (YPC), Boris Navasardyan,
presented in the Urbat [Friday] discussion club yesterday the results
of the monitoring of eight Armenian broadcast media’s coverage of the
Armenian presidential election. The monitoring was carried out by the
YPC and the TIM research centre in the period 31 January-9 February.
Armenian Public TV, ALM TV, Armenia TV, the Second Armenian TV
Channel, Yerkir Media TV, Kentron TV, Shant TV and Public Radio were
monitored.

Navasardyan said that apart from the candidates who received the most
attention [former President] Levon Ter-Petrosyan and [Prime Minister]
Serzh Sargsyan, the mass media also paid attention to Artur
Baghdasaryan [leader of the Orinats Yerkir (Law-Governed Country)
Party], Vahan Hovhannesyan [the presidential candidate from the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun], Tigran
Karapetyan [owner of the ALM Holding and the leader of the People’s
Party], Vazgen Manukyan [leader of the National Democratic Union] and
Artashes Geghamyan [leader of the National Unity Party], while Arman
Melikyan [former aide to the president of the unrecognized republic
of Nagornyy Karabakh], who was self-nominated, and Aram Harutyunyan
[leader of the National Solidarity Party] lagged behind in this
regard.

According to the results of the monitoring, Ter-Petrosyan received
the most attention in the eight media outlets, and only then Serzh
Sargsyan. If we discount Serzh Sargsyan’s status as prime minister
and coverage in this format, then his total airtime is behind that of
Artur Baghdasaryan (29,963 seconds), Tigran Karapetyan (25,706
seconds) and Vahan Hovhannesyan (25,601 seconds).

According to the results of the monitoring, Ter-Petrosyan also
continued to be the leader for the number of negative mentions (143
times). In comparison to the first president [Ter-Petrosyan],
Sargsyan received only 24 negative mentions. The YPC chairman said
that the polarization in coverage of these two candidates was most
pronounced on Kentron TV, where Sargsyan was mentioned 19 times and
only positively, and Ter-Petrosyan was mentioned 44 times and only
negatively. The monitoring group also identified that the seven TV
channels had the same policy for campaign coverage. They broadcast
reports on Serzh Sargsyan’s election campaign on the following day,
and those of the other candidates on the same day. The monitors
believe that it emerges that most of the mass media cover the
election campaign in a coordinated or directed way.

Navasardyan also said that the level of participation of presidential
candidates in debate programmes on the monitored media remains low.

Touching upon election adverts, the monitors stated that all the
candidates use their free airtime on Armenian Public TV, and
according to the results of the 20-day monitoring, Vahan Hovhannesyan
was the leader for the total volume of election adverts in the eight
media outlets. Comparing the current election campaign to the
[presidential] campaign in 1996, Navasardyan said: The campaigning
period in 1996 made a worse impression. On the other hand, however,
the two or three months ahead of the 1996 election were a rather
quiet period. The current election campaign is distinguished by the
fact that a tough political struggle started from September [when
Ter-Petrosyan returned to politics]. I think that we should have
become a slightly more civilized country in the period from 1996 up
to the present, but it did not happen.

Concordia Journal, Canada
Feb 14 2008

A shoe for a flea By Barbara Black

David Wilson, the founding director of the Museum of Jurassic
Technology, is devoted to the arcane, the little-known, and the
downright weird aspects of human endeavour.

At his institution in southern California, visitors can wander past a
model of the giant horn that once grew out of a woman’s forehead,
exhibits of stink ants and ray bats, and painstaking expositions of
the work of eccentric and justly forgotten scientists. There is art,
and there is kitsch. One section is devoted to peach-pit carvings;
another, to objects collected by the denizens of trailer parks in the
Los Angeles area, including decorated pincushions.

This museum, which has existed for some 20 years on cosmopolitan
Venice Blvd., has come to fascinate intellectuals and lovers of
contemporary art. They detect something going on under the earnest
nerdiness of the enterprise: an elaborate put-on, or performance art;
at any rate, a new take on the role of the museum.

In a lecture at the D.B. Clarke Theatre on Feb. 7, Wilson, a slight,
soft-spoken man, chose to focus on one aspect of the museum
collection, micro-art. He called his talk `The Eye of the Needle,’
and that is literally where much of this art took place.

Photo: Most of Hagop Sandaldjian’s microminiatures are sculpted into
the eye of an ordinary sewing needle out of `motes of dust, specks of
lint, and wisps of hair,’ but this one has Goofy dancing on the top
of an needle. It’s one of the exhibits in the Museum of Jurassic
Technology.

Wilson described the work of the great masters of the art form, who
tend to be eastern European. He set the scene with care, reading a
long excerpt from Flann O’Brien’s novel, The Third Policeman, in
which the policeman reveals a series of boxes he has made, each
smaller than the last, to the point where `the dear knows where it
will stop,’ the point, literally, of invisibility.

The greatest exponent of art in the eye of a needle may have been an
Armenian immigrant to California, Hagop Sandaldjian, who crafted tiny
masterpieces out of human hair, motes of dust and bits of metal. His
subject matter often reflected his love for his adopted homeland,
such as his renderings of Goofy, Donald Duck and other denizens of
Disneyland.

When asked by a member of the audience to name the smallest made
object Wilson had encountered, he responded seriously that it was
probably a shoe for a flea made by a Russian micro-artist called
Nikolai.

This combination of the laughable, the awe-inspiring and the oddly
poignant rarely fails to intrigue those who visit the museum or hear
Wilson’s lectures. The Jurassic phenomenon was given international
currency through a 1995 bestseller by Lawrence Weschler called Mr.
Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder.

You can watch David Wilson’s presentation by going to
finearts.concordia.ca/html/defi.htm

The third and last lecture in this season’s Defiant Imagination
series will be given by Carol Becker, of Columbia University, on
`Values Implicit in Schools of Art and Design,’ on Feb. 27 at 6 p.m.
in the D.B. Clarke Theatre.

080214/a_shoe_for_a_flea.php

Interfax News Agency, Russia
Russia & CIS General Newswire
February 13, 2008 Wednesday 4:29 PM MSK

RZD, Armenian Railways sign concession agreement

MOSCOW Feb 13

Vladimir Yakunin, the president of Russian Railways (RZD) (RTS:
RZHD), and Andranik Manukian, the Armenian transport and
communications minister, have signed an agreement on the concession
management of Armenian railroads, RZD said in a statement.

The concession agreement is designed for 30 years with the right to
extend it for another 20 years after the first 20 years. The South
Caucasian Railways, a 100% affiliate of RZD specially established in
Armenia, will manage Armenian railroads.

RZD will pay an initial contribution of $5 million, while annual
payments will amount to 2% of revenue, except for revenue from
passenger services. The concessionaire will gain control over all
Armenian rolling stock.

According to a preliminary investment plan, RZD will invest about
$400 million in the development of Armenia’s railroad infrastructure
in 30 years. Approximately $170 million is expected to be invested in
upgrading the rolling stock.

AZERBAIJAN’S DEFENSE MINISTER: "ARMENIA’S NON-CONSTRUCTIVE POSITION HINDERS PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT"

Today
itics/43078.html
Feb 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev received US ambassador to
Azerbaijan Anne Derse.

Day.Az reports with reference to the press service of the Defense
Ministry that the meeting participants discussed military and
political situation in the region and ways of Nagorno-Garabagh
conflict resolution.

The Minister noted that Armenia’s non-constructive position hinders
peaceful resolution of the conflict.

"This may lead to further use of other methods of the conflict.

Azerbaijan will never agree to occupation of its lands", he said.

S.Abiyev noted that double standards are still observed in the attitude
of the world community to the conflict.

US Ambassador Anne Derse announced, in turn, announced that her
country recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DISMISSES ALLEGATIONS OF LAND SWAP FOR RESOLVING KARABAKH ISSUE

ARMENPRESS
Feb 13, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS: Foreign minister Vartan Oskanian
echoed president Robert Kocharian on Tuesday to dismiss media
speculations claiming that president Robert Kocharian had agreed back
in 1999 to give the Armenian region of Meghri to Azerbaijan in return
for Nagorno-Karabakh within its 1988 borders and the Lachin region
of Azerbaijan, which would become internationally recognized parts
of Armenia.

A local daily Haykakan Zhamanak published last Saturday the text of
a Nagorno-Karabakh peace plan drafted ostensibly by international
mediators, which it claimed was accepted by Kocharian in 1999.

During a televised appearance on Shant TV Tuesday evening Oskanian said
no official or semi-official document related to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement had ever mentioned Meghri as part of a land
swap option.

Oskanian said the text of an agreement, published by Haykakan Zhamanak,
refers to a settlement option proposed by a U.S. expert Paul Goble
that was circulated in early 1990-s and was denied flatly by 2000.

Media stories in Armenia claimed that Kocharian was going to cede
Meghri to Azerbaijan and thus deprive Armenia of a 45 km long border
with friendly Iran, but Oskanian said the OSCE Minsk Group, the sole
internationally mandate team to help Armenia and Azerbaijan end their
dispute, had never proposed a swap option.

Ter-Petrosian’s allegations, which he sounded during a rally in Yerevan
on February 9, were dismissed earlier by president Robert Kocharian
as a "cheap pre-election ploy." Addressing the crowd on Freedom
Square Ter-Petrosian said if materialized the agreement would entail
to the loss of a common border with Iran and would have disastrous
consequences for the landlocked Armenia. He further claimed that the
document was authentic.

On Tuesday Oskanian likewise described ex-president’s allegations as
‘a cheap election ploy."

"His (Ter-Petrosian’s) allegations are not true. They are speculations
and unfortunately, I have to say they are immoral as he is trying to
link it to the October 27, 1999 parliament attack,’ Oskanian said.

Ter-Petrosian claimed that the plan was strongly opposed by late prime
minister Vazgen Sarkisian and parliament speaker Karen Demirchian at
a meeting of Armenia’s National Security Council which took place
shortly before the October 27, 1999 armed attack on parliament in
which both of them were killed.

Ter-Petrosian further argued that this must be examined as "one of
the likely theories" of the parliament attack.

However, according to Oskanian, after his resignation in 1998
Ter-Petrosian never met with late prime minister Vazgen Sarkisian
while president Kocharian had ‘excellent’ prelateships with him.

Oskanian said back in 1994 a narrow circle of Armenian leaders had
discussed the so-called Goble plan and he was present at it in the
capacity of a deputy foreign minister. He said Ter-Petrosian had
expressed an opinion saying ‘if the northern section of Azerbaijani
exclave Nakhichevan were given to Armenia to ensure a border with Iran,
the Goble plan would be beneficial for Armenia.’ At that Oskanian
said he could not say that "Ter-Petrosian wanted to hand Meghri to
Azerbaijan because it is absurd, not correct as Ter-Petrosian never
said anything like that".

Oskanian said the region of Meghri is vital for Armenia and has become
the symbol of Iranian-Armenian partnership. He said Iran-Armenia
gas pipeline, an inter-state highway run through Meghri, and soon a
refinery will be built there and a hydro power plant will be built
on the River of Arax. He said all these projects were conceived 10
years ago.

SERGE SARGSIAN PRESENTED WITH "GOLD CROSS" AWARD OF WAC

Noyan Tapan
Feb 13, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The chairman of the World Armenian
Congress (WAC) and the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamian
handed the WAC award "Gold Cross" to the Armenian prime minister Serge
Sargsian during an event held at the RA National Academy of Sciences
on February 13.

He underlined the prime minister’s role in development of
Armenian-Russian relations, which is of great importance for nearly
2.5 million Armenians who live in Russia.

The chairman of the Union of Composers of Armenia Robert Amirkhanian
was presented with a "Siver Cross" of WAC. He informed those present
about Ara Abrahamian’s intention to repair the House of Composers
in Dilijan. It is envisaged that this health resort will host gifted
children and function as a cultural center.

NEARLY 100 ARMENIAN SUNDAY SCHOOLS FUNCTION IN RUSSIA

Noyan Tapan
Feb 13, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Nearly 100
Armenian Sunday schools function in different regions of the
Russian Federation. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by
the RA Ministry of Education and Science, the most part of Armenian
educational institutions is in the Krasnodar territory: only in the
town of Sochi Armenian lessons are organized in 16 schools. Teaching
of Armenian in the form of optional lessons is organized in a number
of schools of Novosibirsk.

Nine Armenian Sunday schools function in the Stavropol region. There
are two Armenian schools in the town of Rostov-on-Don, Rostov region,
but lessons of Armenian language are organized in three Russian
secondary schools. Besides, there are two study groups of Armenian
language.

In the Moscow region Armenian children go to the Armenian Sunday
school attached to the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in
Russian Federation, Pushkino’s and Ivanovo’s Erebuni Armenian
Sunday schools. Lessons of Armenian are also organized in Moscow
Mutli-Cultural Educational Complex, in the Luys cultural center, as
well as in some kindergartens. Lazarians’ Center of Armenian Education
of Saint Petersburg also does much work in teaching of Armenian.

Armenian educational institutions also function in the Saratov, Ryazan,
Voronezh, Volgograd, Omsk, Smolensk, Pemza, Krasnoyarsk, Kaliningrad,
Tyumen, Astrakhan regions. They are both Sunday schools and cultural
centers attached to the Armenian community or church.

PETER SEMNEBY: IT’S POSITIVE THAT THERE ARE MANY BRIGHT CANDIDATES IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
13.02.2008 12:24

"There are many bright candidates in Armenia, and this is a very
positive factor, which leads to the increase of interest of the
population for political processes," Special Representative of
the European Union for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby said in an
interview with the Russian "Kommersant" newspaper.

"There are, indeed, problems with the media, and the most part of
the complaints here is from the candidates. Those complaints will be
considered in detail," the EU Special Representative stated.

Answering the question on the role of the "Russian factor" in the
election campaign in Armenia, Peter Semneby stated: "It is obvious
that there are close contacts between Armenia and Russia, but I do not
want to exaggerate the influence of the given factor on the electors."

CHRISTIAN EDITOR’S MURDER TRIAL SEEN AS TEST FOR TURKEY

Christian Today
Feb 12 2008
UK

Supporters of slain Turkish Armenian editor Hrant Dink demanded justice
on Monday at a third hearing in the trial of his suspected killers,
in a case seen as a test for democracy and human rights in Turkey.

The murder of Dink, who hails from Turkey’s 60,000-strong Christian
Armenian community, has also shone a spotlight on religious intolerance
in this mainly Muslim but secular country.

Last April, three Protestants — two Turks and a German — had their
throats slit at a Bible publishing house. Several Christian clergymen
have been attacked, most recently an Italian priest in his church in
the Aegean port of Izmir.

Dink was killed outside his Istanbul office in January 2007 by an
ultra-nationalist teenage gunman. He had received death threats from
far-right groups over his calls for Turkey to accept its role in the
mass killings of Armenians in 1915.

The trial of the gunman and 18 others has taken on greater urgency
since the recent arrests of another 29 people, including ex-army
officers, as part of a probe into a far-right gang said to be behind
a series of killings, including that of Dink.

The European Union, which Turkey aims to join, is also closely
following the Dink case.

"This stain must be wiped away for the sake of a Turkey in which people
are not tried or punished for their thoughts," said a statement of
Dink’s supporters, including writers, journalists and parliamentarians.

Demonstrators waved banners reading "Justice for Hrant".

"We consider it the minimum requisite to bring about a ruling that
reaches all the people and organisations that are behind this case,"
the statement said.

Many Turks suspect the involvement of a "deep state" in Dink’s
murder. "Deep state" is code for ultra-nationalists allegedly operating
in the security forces and state bureaucracy who are willing to break
the law for political aims.

Turkish media have chronicled a series of police lapses in the handling
of the Dink case which newspapers say suggest official attempts to
protect those who plotted the crime.

SUSPECT’S CLAIM

Kemal Aytac, a lawyer representing Dink’s widow Rakel, said one
suspect, who is believed to have provided the murder weapon, told the
court on Monday he had been taking orders from security personnel in
Istanbul and the Turkish capital Ankara.

"We don’t expect a verdict today and we have not testified yet,"
Aytac added.

Last month, in a separate case, police arrested ultra-nationalists
whom they suspect of plotting bombings and assassinations to sow
chaos in Turkey and help provoke a military takeover in 2009.

Prosecutors have declined to comment on the charges against the
29 suspects, but Turkish newspapers have said the gang, known as
"Ergenekon", was also probably behind Dink’s murder.

Dink was hated by Turkish nationalists for his stance on the sensitive
issue of the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World
War One. He had urged reconciliation between Turks and Armenians
based on an acceptance of past wrongs.

Dink had received a suspended jail sentence before his death under
article 301 of Turkey’s penal code, for insulting "Turkishness" in
his writings on the mass killings. The EU is demanding that Turkey
scrap or amend the article.

Up to 50 lawyers tried to attend Monday’s hearing, though only 17
were allowed into the courthouse. Security was tight, with police in
riot gear stationed at the courthouse entrance.