THE CHAIRMAN OF CB LEAVES FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH
Panorama.am
15:04 04/07/2008
The chairman of Central Bank of RA, Artur Javadyan, today leaves for
Nagorno Karabakh Republic to take part in the outgoing session of
Armenian Banks Union council. The public administration of Central
Bank informs that the problem of widening of bank system`s services
` specter will be discussed in ABU council session.
TV STATION WINS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION RULING
Media Helping Media
Friday, 04 July 2008
UK
News and features – Europe
Staff at A1+ in YerevanIn April 2002, the Armenian government took
A1+ off the air. The station was the most watched independent TV news
channel in Armenia at that time.
When the A1+ signal ended, thousands gathered on the streets of
Yerevan to protest. Those protests lasted for more than a week.
It was a show of public support that convinced the A1+ director, Mesrop
Movsesyan, that he must find other ways to continue delivering news
to the people of Armenia. He said he knew then that the withdrawal of
the licence didn’t mean that his team of journalists had to be silent.
"The sheer scale of the public protest, when ordinary people realised
that freedom of expression was being attacked through the silencing
of A1+, persuaded us that we had a duty to continue to operate as a
news organisation, even though our transmitters had been turned off."
Movsesyan set up a news agency, a newspaper and websites in Armenian,
Russian and English, in order to continue to provide coverage of
events in Yerevan and the rest of the country.
TV news reports continued to be produced by A1+, but instead of being
broadcast from Yerevan, they were distributed to affiliates in every
region of the small, landlocked country. The affiliate network was
unaffected by the government ruling that silenced A1+.
Mesrop MovsesyanSince it lost its licence in 2002, A1+ has reapplied
for a licence to broadcast a dozen times and each time it has been
refused. In 2003, Movsesyan took the case to the European Court of
Human Rights and a lengthy investigation followed.
During that investigation, the Armenian government said A1+ lost its
licence because it presented a poor application when the competition
to broadcast took place. Ministers in Yerevan submitted evidence to
the European Court to support the decision to close the TV station.
Announcing the decision in favour of A1+, the Council of Europe
Secretary General, Terry Davis, said it was "a victory for freedom
of expression".
He went on to explain that the ruling could have a wide-reaching
impact.
"It should also serve as a lesson to all governments inclined to
arbitrary interpretations of Article 10 of the European Convention
on Human Rights, which guarantees this essential freedom."
The Council of Europe’s Ministerial Committee will now monitor
Armenia’s implementation of the court decision.
Movsesyan said the court decision merely provides grounds for the
station to bid on available broadcast frequencies. A new tender is
planned for the autumn, when the five-year licence term for a number
of TV companies expires.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION
Arthur Hovhannisyan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
July 03, 2008
Armenia
Prime Minister, Head of Anti-corruption Council Tigran Sargsyan
answered the questions of the journalists, during the break of
the conference aimed at the discussion of Armenia’s international
anti-corruption obligations.
"The second stage of the anti-corruption program is the stage of
actions. What are you planning to do, what will you start with?"
"First of all it is very important for us to have a program that
will be perceptible for our people. We have already elaborated
the first part of that program, which has been discussed during
the session of the anti-corruption committee. At the moment we are
working on the second part of the program, by the participation of
the international experts, to bring this program in conformity with
the best international practice.
It is very important for us to involve a wide layer of society,
opposition representatives in the elaboration, realization and control
of this program, to have trust and involvement in this program and
the government’s activity. This is the only way to gain the trust of
our people and to show real results in this field."
"What conditions will be created for the opposition?"
"We have invited the opposition to participate in the works of the
monitoring group, which is very important. It is the monitoring
group that controls this program, controls the government. All the
documents will be accessible for those opposition representatives
who will agree to participate in the realization of this program."
"Is this anti-corruption struggle imposed upon Armenia by the West,
or it is a personal initiative?"
"I have already announced today that we initiated this anti-corruption
program because we are well conscious that it is an evil for our
country.
Because it hinders the normal social developments, our economic growth,
and jeopardizes the future of our nation. This is the reason why we
started this struggle.
I strongly believe we must find our way to fight corruption. A method
that will be perceptible for our society, to make a wide layer of
society participate in this struggle. This is the only guarantee
for success.
It is not a secret that every nation, every state has got its own
perception of corruption. The latter is manifested in different ways in
different countries and different spheres. We must take into account
our peculiarities, the illnesses that we have in the Republic of
Armenia; we must be able to give right diagnosis and prescribe the
right medicine.
In my view the monitoring that we are going to realize by the
participation of the social organizations will provide an opportunity
for us to reveal all the ailing spheres and make it a matter of public
discussion, to make the society see all the existing problems. By
revealing these problems, we will be able to fight corruption
by joint efforts. In my view publicity is the principal tool for
fighting corruption."
"How do you imagine the participation of the journalists and the Mass
Media at the second stage of the implementation of the anti-corruption
program?"
"You see there is one very interesting thesis, that I have voiced
many times: "if you want to have responsible Mass Media, you must
firstly have a responsible government. This means we must be very
attentive towards the issues raised by the Mass Media. Naturally it
is impossible to solve any issue without Mass Media."
NATO-ARMENIA COOPERATION NOT DIRECTED AGAINST RUSSIA – OFFICIAL
Interfax News Agency
June 27 2008
Russia
NATO’s cooperation with Armenia should not arouse concerns in Russia,
NATO Assistant Secretary General for public diplomacy Jan Francois
Bureau said in Yerevan on Friday.
"NATO’s cooperation with Armenia should not trouble Russia. It is
not directed against Russia. NATO never interferes in the relations
of its member-states or countries aspiring to join it," he said.
"We only support cooperation between them and now we are even helping
Georgia improve relations with Russia," he said.
Bureau said that the alliance will be developing relations with
Armenia irrespective of the republic’s relations with other countries.
He said the cooperation between Armenia and NATO was aimed at
upgrading the army, conducting peacekeeping missions and implementing
environmental protection programs.
"The main task of NATO is to strengthen stability. I hope that the
peaceful settlement of conflicts in the region will become possible in
the near future, after which a dialogue between countries of the South
Caucasus can begin. Conflicts can be settled only through cooperation,"
he said.
NATO cannot welcome the resumption of violence in the region,
Bureau said.
Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON KIP 5G4
Tel: 613-235-2622
Fax: 613-238-2622
E-mail: [email protected]
BOB RAE ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Hon. Bob Rae, Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and the
Liberal’s Foreign Affairs critic, gave an interview on the Turkish
television program "Turkuaz" which aired on Channel OMNI-1 March 8,
2008. During this interview, which was on the topic of the Armenian
Genocide, he said that he had read "many" books on the subject, that
only a few hundred thousand Armenians had been killed, and that as far
as he was concerned Armenians should be satisfied with Parliament’s
recognition of the event and that "there was nothing more that they
could demand".
These remarks offended Canadians of Armenian heritage. It ignores the
fact that the crimes perpetrated by the Turks can not be corrected by
their mere recognition by the Canadian Parliament. At the conclusion
of this segment of the television program, the host and another guest
Mr. El-Khalili invited Armenians to dialogue with them on the subject.
Following this disturbing interview, Pierre Akkelian, Vice-Chairman of
the Congress of Canadian Armenians, met with Mr. Rae to seek a
clarification of his views on the Armenian Genocide. Jack Chadirdjian,
a member of the CCA – National Committee, and Senator Raymond Setlakwe
were also present. Following their discussions, Mr. Rae issued a
letter to the Congress of Canadian Armenians, the full text of which
is reproduced below. The Congress of Canadian Armenians is satisfied
with the contents of this letter.
Ottawa, June 5th, 2008
Mr. Taro Alepian
Chairman – Congress of Canadian Armenians
615 Stuart Avenue
Montréal (Québec) H2V 3H2
Dear Mr. Alepian,
I recently met your colleague Mr. Pierre Akkelian, Vice-Chairman of
the Congress of Canadian Armenians. Mr. Akkelian raised concerns with
me regarding my position on the Armenian genocide.
My position is the same as the resolution passed by the House of
Commons on April 21st 2004. My position is also reflective of the
Liberal Party of Canada_s position as well as our leader_s, the
Hon. Stéphane Dion. As such, I recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915
– 1918 and condemn it as a crime against humanity. It is an
undisputable historical fact that some 1.2 million Armenians fell
victim to this reprehensible act.
I also believe that this recognition by the House of Commons must
serve the greater purpose of reconciliation between the Turkish and
Armenian communities. The many years of dispute between these two
communities have created resentment and mistrust. This recognition
must be a strong signal for these two communities to put this dispute
behind them, and look to the future on how to best move forward for
the greater good of humanity.
Sincerely,
Hon. Bob Rae
Member of Parliament _ Toronto Centre
Established in 2004, the Congress of Canadian Armenians is comprised
of many of the large Canadian Armenian organizations. It serves as a
united voice to present Armenian issues to the Canadian public and to
promote Armenian interests.
RA CHIEF OF POLICE TO PARTAKE IN THE SITTING OF CIS INTERIOR MINISTERS
armradio.am
28.06.2008 14:26
The delegation headed by Chief of Police of the Republic of Armenia,
Major-General Alik Sargsyan left for Georgia to participate in the recurrent
sitting of CIS participating states scheduled for June 28-29 in Batumi,
Information and Public Relations Department of RA Police informed.
Among others, the participants of the sitting will discuss the issue of
creating a "hot line" in the fight against cyber crimes.
ABRAHAM LEVELS MIRANDA WITH CRUSHING 4TH ROUND TKO
Chris Robinson
Boxing Herald
June 25 2008
MA
Last night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida,
Arthur Abraham again emerged victorious against Edison Miranda,
brutally halting the Columbian in the 4th round. The victory was
Abraham’s first fight on US soil and his record moves up to 27-0
with 22 knockouts. Miranda’s hopes were high coming into the rematch,
but he sees his record fall to 30-3 with 26 knockouts to his credit.
In September of 2006 Abraham and Miranda engaged in one of the year’s
most memorable fights that saw Abraham come away with a unanimous
decision in his adopted home of Germany. That fight featured wild
action and the ebb and flow in the contest shifted throughout
the night. Abraham suffered a broken jaw while Miranda himself
suffered five point deductions which helped the champion secure a
victory. Following the loss Miranda claimed foul play and had been
dying to get his Armenian counterpart back in the ring.
Miranda stated that he was more than ready to extract his revenge
on Abraham and his preparation for the rematch seemed to be on
point. Miranda’s training camp was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
and he seemed strong and focused upon returning the states earlier
this week. At the pre-fight press conference he called Abraham out,
demanding both his respect and attention, and it was obvious that his
emotions were heavily tied to this bout. With much support coming from
his fans down in South Florida as he entered the ring, Miranda had
every reason to be both motivated and confident the second time around.
The fight itself saw Miranda get off to a fast start. Known greatly for
his punching power, Miranda worked Abraham’s body early and tried to
break through his opponent’s tight defense. A right hand from Miranda
elicited a great response from the crowd, but Abraham remained poised
and calm.
Miranda continued to press the issue in the second round, and for a
moment it seemed as though Abraham might have left his best fight in
the gym, as he was content with trying to pick off Miranda’s shots as
opposed to rallying with an offense of his own. A low blow by Miranda
late in the round called a halt to the bout momentarily while Abraham
was given time to regain his composure.
The early momentum favored Miranda but things unraveled for him in the
4th round. Like a calculated assassin, Abraham chose to erupt with
his best work of the fight in the form of a right hand counter shot
and follow up left that sent Miranda crashing to the mat. Miranda
was shocked, but rose courageously, only to be greeted with another
onslaught. Abraham smelled blood, and a sweeping left hook would
again see Miranda crumbling to the deck.
The end seemed near as Miranda again rose. Now in full command,
Abraham wasted no time in swarming his younger foe and ending matters
with a crushing left hook that floored Miranda for a third time and
prompted referee Telis Assimenios to call a halt to the contest.
The ending result must be hard for Miranda and his followers to
swallow. After nearly two years of anticipation towards this coveted
rematch, Miranda had promised to even the score but it wasn’t meant
to be. Abraham showed himself to be a champion of true class and
now has his sights set on WBC and WBO Middleweight champion Kelly
Pavlik. A Pavlik-Abraham meeting would answer a lot of questions in
the 160 pound landscape and after his performance last night Abraham
must be taken seriously.
Marquez shows much moxy in outworking Lorenzo in IBF Eliminator
Coming into last night’s fight against Giovanni Lorenzo, Raul Marquez
was a man with his back to the wall. Despite sporting a respectable
40-3 record with 39 knockouts, it had been over ten years since
Marquez was the IBF Jr. Middleweight champion of the world and it
remained questionable how much the 36-year old had left in his tank.
Impressively and courageously, Marquez answered all questions with
a gutsy twelve round unanimous decision over Lorenzo, who at nine
years younger was pegged as the fresher and stronger fighter coming
in. After twelve heated rounds of action, scores of 114-113 by all
three judges gave Marquez the victory and the right to fight Abraham
next, as the fight was an IBF eliminator.
>>From the early going in was evident that Marquez was neither
intimidated nor outmatched by Lorenzo. Marquez has faced a fine
list of fighters in his day such as Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas,
Yori Boy Campas, and Jermain Taylor and even in defeat he has shown
himself as a true professional with the ability to carry himself late
into fights. Lorenzo’s 26-0 record seemed promising, but when he met
Marquez, his lack of big fight experience became obvious and telling.
The fight itself was both rugged and competitive, with Marquez taking
the early initiative, connecting with clean straight left hands from
his southpaw stance. Lorenzo seemed flat on his feet and had trouble
dealing with Marquez’s awkward style. Marquez began to turn the crowd
in his favor by pleading for Lorenzo to engage with him more often.
To his credit, Lorenzo did fight with heart, and his right hand began
to show the effects on Marquez’ face. While his attack wasn’t fluid,
he was effective, and at times you had to wonder if he would be on
the verge of breaking down the older Marquez. At the end of the day
it was Marquez’ straight left hand, his willingness to engage Lorenzo
in the trenches, and his overall professionalism that would carry
the day for him.
As the contest approached the later rounds, both men were tired, yet
Marquez seemed to dig a little deeper and fight with a little more
heart and urgency than his Dominican foe. When the scores were read
and he was declared the winner, Marquez was lifted in the air by his
team. The victory has to be one of the sweetest of the Houston, Texas
resident’s career and he now has the opportunity to do something even
greater if he is somehow able to defeat Abraham in the near future.
Post fight press conference
At the post fight press conference, Leon Margules, executive
director of Warrior’s Promotions, gave much credit to Abraham for his
victory. He admitted he was disappointed that his fighter, Miranda,
was unable to secure a victory, but noted that Abraham is scheduled
to face yet another Warrior’s promoted fighter next in the form of
Raul Marquez.
Raul Marquez was next to take the podium and answered all questions. He
said that despite being a champion over ten years ago, he now feels
better than ever as a fighter. He said that his sparring for the
Lorenzo fight was top notch and pointed to his overall commitment
and dedication to the sport as the keys to his victory. Marquez
claimed that ever since losing to Jermain Taylor in June of 2004 he
has treated every fight as if it were his last. That outlook has seen
him go undefeated in his last seven bouts, and he can be expected to
give a spirited effort against Abraham, despite being the underdog
if the two ever meet.
When Abraham came into the room, he first congratulated Marquez,
who himself returned the favor. As possible opponents in the future,
the two men posed together and were nothing but respectful to each
other. Abraham addressed the media and claimed that he had a great
time in America; he pointed to the overall confidence of being a
champion as one of the reasons he was able to prevail.
As he continued taking questions from the media, Abraham admitted that
the rematch with Miranda went easier than expected, but the ending
result was still the same. He stated that despite Miranda’s verbal
assaults leading up to the fight, he himself remained unfazed. Abraham
claimed that he wanted to let Miranda exert himself early before going
on the attack. Abraham also stated that it is a pleasure dealing with
a fighter of Marquez’ respectful nature, yet also made it clear that
he held no grudges against Miranda and admitted that boxing needs
outspoken and charismatic fighters like Edison to keep the sport going.
ITAR-TASS
June 24 2008
Russia
RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS ADOPT JOINT STATEMENT
The presidents of Russia and Armenia have adopted a joint statement
as a result of talks held in the Kremlin on Tuesday. The document
covers a broad spectrum of problems in the Russo-Armenian relations.
Both presidents come out for reform of the United Nations and the
CIS. The two sides approve the necessary and rational reform of the
United Nations for purposes of raising its prestige and effectiveness
and strengthening its potential of giving rebuff to new challenges and
threats. Both countries will make maximum effort to improve the CIS for
purposes of achieving maximum effectiveness of the CIS with respect to
the interests of all its member-states, the sides said in the document.
The sides confirmed the significance of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) "as an important guarantor of ensuring security
of CSTO member-states and pledged to actively cooperate with each
other in fulfilment of the obligations envisaged by the Treaty."
In a separate clause of the joint statement the two sides declared that
they come out for the soonest resumption of the railway service and
other transport services in the Caucasus and are ready to make efforts
in this direction. The two sides declared that they would coordinate
their foreign political activities aimed at strengthening security,
stability and development of cooperation in the area of South Caucasus.
Russia and Armenia come out for the soonest settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means only on a just basis
acceptable to all the parties concerned and welcome constructive
efforts made by co- chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group aimed at
political-diplomatic settlement of the conflict, the joint statement
said.
BAKU DOESN’T MIND IRAN’S MEDIATION IN KARABAKH PROCESS
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.06.2008 14:18 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Baku does not oppose Iran’s mediation in settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
"Given Iran’s resources, official Tehran can contribute to the
conflict settlement if it sends the right message to Armenia," said
Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
During a visit to Baku in mid-June, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister
Alireza Sheikh-Attar said Iran could join the talks on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict as a mediating party, Trend Azeri news agency
reports.
SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on June 20, 2008
Armenia
Assistant to US State Secretary in the issues regarding Europe and
Eurasian countries Daniel Frid announced in Washington that the US
doesn’t struggle against the Russian Federation for the spheres of
influence in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and has no intentions
to withdraw RF from Trans-Caucasus.
"The US has no anticipations to exclude Russia from that region. It
is not sensible and it is impossible," Frid underscored in his report
made in the US Congress.
The US diplomat said: "The US doesn’t see itself in the style of
the 19th century and won’t compete with Russia for the spheres of
influence in any region. All the Trans-Caucasian countries, Russia
and Trans- Atlantic community will only benefit from the positive
mutual relations."
Frid underscored that it is up to the countries of that region
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to decide their future and build
mutual relations with other states and international institutions
including NATO.