Author: Maghakian Mike

ARMENIAN SINGER TO TAKE PART IN BBC COMPETITION

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. 17-year old
singer Silva from Armenia will take part with I Like song in the BBC
competition. The author of the song is Silva’s sister Mane, and her
brother Edgar recorded the song.

The BBC competition is called The Next Big Thing: young gifted singers
who can become stars in future are named with that term in the world
of show business.

Peter Gabriel is the superstar involved in the awarding commission.

He has worked for years in the genre of "world music," studies art of
different peoples, cooperates with musicians from all the continents.

The world famous musician has joint works with Armenian artists
as well, particularly, with duduk players (duduk is an Armenian
national pipe).

The commission chose the best 20 from 1100 recordings: Silva’s
song is among them as well. The best singer is chosen with
the help of computer vote in the following internet site:
thing/.

According to Radio Liberty, the vote finishes at 20:00 according to
Yerevan time, on November 28.

BBC will announce names of the best 6 singers on November 29 and 30,
and the winner will become known on December 9.

U.S. EXPERT: YEREVAN HAS ARMY, BAKU HAS ARMED FORCES ONLY

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2006 16:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During debates held in the Johns Hopkins University,
Washington, senior associate at the American Foreign Policy Council
Wayne Merry described Azerbaijan’s constant threats to start blitzkrieg
as unreal. "Nagorno Karabakh is a natural stronghold, which was
consolidated by the Armenian army. Even the U.S. army will face
hardships in case of attacking it," the expert said. "The Armenian
Armed Forces excel their rival several times. It’s not a secret
that Armenia has an army while Azerbaijan has ‘armed forces’ only,"
Merry said. In his opinion, in case of resumption of war Azerbaijan
will hope for human resources while Armenia will rely on armament
and efficiency. Armenians will defend Karabakh while Azerbaijan will
have to conquer it, what is unreal, he added. Taking into account
these factors Merry considers that Azerbaijan will never succeed in
settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by force.

According to him, Baku’s military rhetoric constitutes a threat of
war. As a settlement variant Merry proposes ‘territories in exchange
of status’ meanwhile the Lachin corridor should remain under control
of the Armenian side, reports Yerkir Online.

North County Times, CA
Nov 25 2006

$13.6 million pledged to worldwide Armenia telethon

By: Associated Press –

GLENDALE, Calif. — A telethon that briefly united the global
diaspora of Armenians raised pledges of $13.6 million to build roads,
schools and hospitals in their homeland.

The 12-hour telethon Thursday included Armenian entertainers and
originated from a studio in this Los Angeles suburb, which is home to
the largest Armenian-American population in the country.

The ninth annual Armenia Fund telethon included live TV spots and
Webcasts from around the globe.

"This is an incredible network of people that comes alive for a
12-hour period, all over the world," said the fund’s chairwoman,
Maria Mehranian. "There are people who might never meet, who might
not even like each other if they did meet, but it’s so much fun to
create this vehicle of unity. We have wanted unity for 11 centuries."

The Glendale-based fund has raised $160 million in 15 years of
existence.

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT VISITED THE WALL DIVIDING CYPRIAN CAPITAL INTO
GREEK AND TURKISH PARTS

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Mayor of Nicosia, the capital
of Cyprus, Michalakis Zampelas met in the municipality of Nicosia,
Friday.

After a short conversation, the Mayor of Nicosia thanked the Armenian
President for his visit and awarded a golden key of the city and a
diploma to him. The head of the city noted that the large Armenian
community living in Nicosia makes an important contribution to the
public, political and economic life of the Cyprian capital. In his
turn, Robert Kocharyan thanked the local authorities for their
attitude to the Armenian community and expressed hope that Nicosia
will be united again, as the Cypriotes want. The Mayor accompanied
the Armenian President to the old city. Near the cease-fire line
there is a wall dividing the city into Greek and Turkish parts.
R.Kocharyan made a note in the mourning book. Today, the delegation
led by R.Kocharyan will visit the St.Virgin Church and will meet with
the Armenian community.

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HAS BECOME SUBJECT OF POLITICAL
SPECULATIONS, FIRST RA PRESIDENT’S SPOKESPERSON CONSIDERS

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of the Armenian
Genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire has become a subject of
political speculations. Political scientist Levon Zurabian,
Spokesperson for first RA President, expressed such an opinion on
November 23 at the Hayeli (Mirror) club. As he affirmed, Armenia’s
position in this issue has no significance for the international
recognition of the Genocide. And EU member countries, in L.Zurabian’s
words, use the issue of recognition of the Genocide for preventing
Turkey from joining this organization.

He said that by speculating the issue of the Genocide the Armenian
authorities receive a considerable assistance from the Diaspora.
Besides, the issue is also used for the purpose of distracting the
public attention from the problems existing inside the country.

As L.Zurabian estimated, the issue of the Armenian Genocide has been
inappropriately politicized, whereas it should be considered from
moral point of view. In his words, the approach of former RA
authorities was different in the respect that the issue of
recognition of the Genocide was considered in the context of
Armenian-Turkish relations. In L.Zurabian’s words, the former
authorities also managed to separate Armenian-Turkish and
Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, so to separate Azerbaijan’s and
Turkey’s interests.

BRITISH DEPUTIES LAUNCH CAMPAIGN AGAINST FRENCH ARMENIAN BILL
By Selcuk Gultasli, Brussels

Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 21 2006

In a written declaration, three British deputies in the European
Parliament have harshly criticized France’s draft Armenian genocide
bill, which was adopted in the parliament on Oct. 12.

For the declaration, a joint initiative by British Labor Party deputies
Michael Cashman and Richard Howitt, and British Liberal Andrew Duff,
to become a resolution, it has to be signed by 367 deputies.

Cashman asserted that the French draft bill was aimed at undermining
Turkey’s EU bid and Howitt noted that the French parliament’s decision
was hypocritical and provocative.

The written declaration states its regret for the French Assembly’s
decision and noted that this contradicted the principle of freedom
of speech, a universal right and one born in French enlightenment.

The declaration said that the genocide bill would impede the efforts
of those who have been working on the amelioration of Turkey’s freedom
of speech record.

Furthermore, it would not make any contributions to relations between
Turkey and Armenia, and called on the French Senate to reject the
draft.

The declaration also called on the EP President to transmit this
document to the French Assembly, French government, European Council
and European Commission.

Duff: The Ottoman State was not Strong Enough to Commit Genocide

Speaking to Zaman, British Liberal EP member Andrew Duff said that
most EP members opposed the French Parliament’s decision, but it was
not clear how much support their declaration would garner.

Asked whether he was hesitant to be labeled by the Armenian lobby
and their supporters a "denier," Duff recalled that they had already
declared him one.

He said Turks should be able to face with their history: "However,
I do not think this would mean the acceptance of the allegations. At
its dawn, the Ottoman State was not strong enough to commit genocide.

There were massacres; however, genocide is a strong expression to
describe what had happened."

Duff also said that it was not fair to force Turkey to accept the
existence of an Armenian genocide while most European countries had
a dark history of their own.

ARMENIA’S ECONOMY POSTS 13% GROWTH IN JAN.-OCT. 2006

RIA Novosti, Russia
November 20, 2006

YEREVAN, November 20 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia posted a 13% GDP growth
rate in January-October of 2006, as compared with 12.2% a year ago,
the country’s national statistics service said Monday.

Consumer prices rose over the period by 2.4%, year-on-year, while
industrial prices dropped 3.1%.

Foreign trade turnover reached $2.5 billion – a 14.3% increase on
last year.

The 2006 budget projects this year’s economic growth at 7.5% and
inflation at 3%.

MINSK GROUP TWO CO-CHAIRS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

A1+
[01:43 pm] 21 November, 2006

Today the OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs will hold a number of meetings
in Yerevan.

They will meet with RA President Robert Kocharyan and Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian. The key issue of the discussion will be
the possibility of the Armenian and Azeri presidents’ next meeting.

By the way, the Russian and the French Co-Chairs will suggest Robert
Kocharyan holding a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliev
in the nearest future.

The Co-Chairs will then leave Yerevan for Baku.

To note, Mettew Bryza, the Minsk group American Co-Chair, will not
participate in the coming meeting.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS PRECONDITION FOR ESTABLISHING DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

Armenia attaches great importance to regional cooperation, RA President
Robert Kocharyan said in his yesterday’s speech in Bertelsmann Fund
in Berlin.

Armenia attaches great importance to regional cooperation. We believe
that the resolution of conflicts itself should not be regarded as
a precondition for establishing dialogue and cooperation. Rather,
the regional cooperation should be watched as a great trust-building
measure, aimed at resolving existing disagreements.

It is obvious, that unresolved conflicts hamper the process
of natural development of the South Caucasus. That is why we
are committed to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs works hard to bring closer our
positions. Unfortunately, despite active negotiations underway, there
is little room for optimism. Our principle stand is that the people
of Karabagh have implemented their right for self-determination. It
has been done in full compliance with the international law. Many
currently independent states came into existence after former empires
perished. Independence of Nagorno Karabagh was attained at the time
of collapse of the Soviet Union. Moreover, it was the time of the end
of the grand ideological divide. Nagorno Karabagh has never been a
part of independent Azerbaijan. Through a successful construction
of its statehood Nagorno Karabagh Republic has proved its right
for existence. It regularly conducts democratic presidential and
parliamentary elections. We witness the development of the civil
society. A generation has already grown up, which considers itself to
be the embodiment and safeguard of that statehood. We do not recall
any case of a nation willingly putting it down independence it has
been enjoying for over 15 years. No one has intention to do it in case
of Karabagh. We speak about irreversible changes that took place in
the people’s mentality, R. Kocharyan said.

BOYCOTT AGAINST THE FRENCH PRODUCTS HITS FRANCE BUSINESS IN TURKEY

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Nov 19 2006

The Armenian proposal sparked the anti-French campaigns in Turkey.

Many people in Turkey boycott French products.

The consumer unions and societies have listed the French good not
to buy till France changes its ‘anti-Turkish’ attitude. The latest
French mark on the list is Citroen.

The consumer unions call all Turkish people not to buy Elf (Total),
Loreal, Citroen, Renault and other French companies’ products.

France recognised the Armenian claims in 2001 and the French
Parliament accepted a proposal which makes illegal to reject the
Armenian claims. Turkey says "the Armenian claims are just claims,
not verdict of a court".