Author: Nadirian Emma

DETENTION TERM OF ALEXANDRE ARZUMANIAN PROLONGED FOR TWO MORE MONTHS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The detention term of Alexandre
Arzumanian, the former RA Minister of Foreign Affairs, was prolonged
for two more months by the July 2 decision of the Court of First
Instance of the Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan, headed
by judge Ruben Nersisian. This information was provided to a Noyan
Tapan correspondent by A. Arzumanian, the lawyer of Hovik Arsenian,
who is accused of money laundering. He expressed his doubtfulness
with the fact that the court has not referred to the petition of the
defensive side concerning the application of alternative precautionary
measures, that is to say pawn, as well as the ones of 19 MPs.

H. Arsenian declared that he will appeal against the decision of the
Court of First Instance in the Court of Appeal on criminal cases.

Armenian Foreign Minister tries to familiarize his Turkish colleague
with Armenia’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

arminfo
2007-06-29 16:27:00

At the June 29 press-conference, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan said that he tried to familiarize his Turkish colleague with
Armenia’s position on the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict during a meeting
with Abdullah Gul in Istanbul on June 25. The meeting was held beyond
the scope of the BSEC summit.

According to the Minister, the meeting with Gul covered chiefly two
group of questions: the bilateral relations, to be more precise, the
lack of the relations, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During the
meeting V.Oskanyan confirmed Armenia’s position about willingness to
normalize Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions. At the same
time, the Minister recalled that Turkey knows Azeri position
better, and Oskanyan presented Armenia’s position for Ankara’s
assertion to be more objective. As for Turkey’s position on the
bilateral relations, it has undergone no changes. Though there are
behind-the- scenes conversations about possible changes of Ankara’s
policy after the election in Turkey, V.Oskanyan doesn’t believe these
rumors. "There were such conversations before, too, but there has been
no progress yet," the Minister noted.

V.Oskanyan told about his meetings with the Serbian, Georgian and Greek
Foreign Ministers in Istanbul. He also expressed his impressions from
communication with media representatives. "As soon as I arrived in
Istanbul, I received so many requests for interview that we decided to
hold a press-conference. Over forty Turkish journalists participated in
it, and the press-conference was interesting enough," the Minister
noted. According to him, the journalists’ questions concerned mainly
the Armenian-Turkish relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

VARDAN OSKANIAN: DE FACTO NKR IS ALREADY INDEPENDENT, IT ONLY REMAINS TO CONFIRM THIS DE JURE, THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 29 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Foreign Minister, Vardan
Oskanian, at the June 29 press conference, stated that the official
bellicose statements of Baku are an obstacle in the settlement of
the conflict. He said that with their statements the sides should
promote and not hamper the process of settlement.

In V. Oskanian’s words, the document, which is being discussed during
the negotiations over the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, includes all
principles related to the settlement. In particular, this is the
issue of Nagorno Karabakh’s status, territories, and refugees. The
Minister also mentioned that the document contains points which are
unacceptable for both sides.

In connection with the possibility of reaching a deadlock situation
in the negotiations process, he mentioned that nothing should be
excluded. At the same time, V. Oskanian stated that everything possible
should be done to ensure progress in the issue of the settlement.

As regards the issue of possibly giving independence to Kosovo and
the impact of that decision on Nagorno Karabakh’s fate, the Minister
stated: "If Kosovo is given independence, it is not excluded that the
international community can declare that it will no longer consider
issues connected with nations’ right of self-determination. And,
unless they give independence to Kosovo, this is also dangerous
for us. We should take into consideration the fact that the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic is already independent, it only remains to confirm
this de jure, through negotiations."

V. Oskanian did not agree with the opinion that no progress has been
registered in the negotiations process on Nagorno Karabakh settlement
today, compared with 1997. "Unequivocally, this is not so. Today the
core of the negotiations is the issue of Nagorno Karabakh’s status,
which should be solved through a referendum," the Armenian Foreign
Minister said.

SLAIN TURK EDITOR’S LAWYER URGES INDEPENDENT TRIAL
By Thomas Grove

Reuters
San Diego Union Tribune, CA
29-0747-turkey-editor-trial.html
June 29 2007

ISTANBUL June 29 – A Turkish lawyer said on Friday the murder of
Turkish Armenian editor Hrant Dink had not been thoroughly investigated
and expressed fears for the independence of a court due to try the
suspected killers.

The killing of Dink in January outside his Istanbul office by
an ultra-nationalist gunman shocked Turks and raised doubts about
freedom of speech in this EU-applicant nation. Some 100,000 people
turned out at Dink’s funeral to show solidarity.

His murder also threw a spotlight on possible links between far-right
gangs and elements in Turkey’s security forces.

The trial of the 17-year-old self-confessed gunman and his suspected
accomplices, who mostly come from the Black Sea city of Trabzon,
begins next Monday.

‘The preliminary investigation has been limited to the place of
planning (Trabzon),’ Fethiye Cetin, a lawyer for the Dink family,
told a news conference.

Prosecutors failed to fully examine links with the scene of the murder
in Istanbul and to investigate properly the criminal organisation
believed to have plotted the killing, she said.

‘To reach a sound verdict, it is necessary to secure the independence
of the court, to ensure the functioning of the democratic system with
all its rules and institutions and to prevent those with power having
any influence over the trial,’ Cetin said.

The European Union, which Turkey aims to join, has long complained
of shortcomings in the country’s judicial system, saying judges and
prosecutors are often open to political and other forms of pressure.

Last year, a prosecutor investigating the possible involvement of
the military in a bombing in southeast Turkey was removed from his
job after his comments angered the army.

NATIONALISTS

Dink had infuriated Turkish nationalists by urging Turkey in his
writings to face up to its responsibility for the mass killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915.

He had received numerous death threats, but Turkish media say
authorities failed to provide him with proper protection.

After his murder, video footage came to light showing security
officials posing with Dink’s suspected killer in front of the Turkish
flag, reviving fears of a shadowy ‘deep state’ working in collusion
with criminal gangs.

The ‘deep state’ is allegedly made up of hardline nationalists in
the security forces ready to break the law in defence of what they
perceive as Turkey’s vital interests.

Several officials, including the head of police intelligence in
Istanbul, were sacked or reassigned to other jobs over their handling
of the Dink case.

Dink’s widow recently sent a letter to Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan calling for the court case to be accelerated.

NKR MFA DELIVERED A NOTE TO OSCE AMBASSADOR

KarabakhOpen
28-06-2007 15:40:27

On June 27, 2007 the NKR Ministry of Foreign affairs delivered a
note to Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk
Conference, expressing concern over numerous cases of fires from
Azerbaijani side across the Line of Contact between armed forces of
NKR and Azerbaijan.

Taking into consideration the detrimental impact on the republic’s
economy and environment as well as threat to human health and security,
caused by fires in summer of 2006, the NKR MFA urged the Office of
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to conduct
a crisis monitoring of the borderline area.

The NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the timely
interference of the Office of Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office would allow avoiding a repeat of the summer
2006 situation, which had been used by Azerbaijani authorities,
in particular, for propaganda and became an additional factor
destabilizing the peace process.

OSCE MONITORING IN THE FRONT LINE INVOLVES AZERBAIJANI AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 28 2007

The place of the monitoring of the contact line of Azerbaijani
and Armenian troops near Hindarkh-Aghdam road planned for today
in accordance with mandate of Personal Representative of OSCE
Chairman-in-Office has been changed. APA’s Karabakh bureau reports.

The monitoring was held in Cheraberd- Armenian-occupied village of
Agdam region. Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office
and his filed assistants as well as Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia
Polad Bulbuloglu were involved in the monitoring from the Azerbaijani
side. Ambassador Bulbuloglu yesterday visited Barda region together
with Kamal Abdulla, president of Baku Slavic University and Farhad
Badalbayli, director of Baku Music Academy.

Meeting with the region executive power the visitors did not go into
details of the aim of the visit and issues debated.

The Defense ministry confirmed the fact on the change of the place
of the monitoring. The Ministry press service head Eldar Safarov told
APA there was not any serious reason for the change of the venue.

"It was decided later to conduct the monitoring in Aghdere. It was
passed without an incident," he reported.

The press service head said he was not informed on Ambassador Polad
Bulbuloglu’s participation in the monitoring.

The monitoring was held by field assistants of personal
representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Miroslav Vimetal and
Imre Palatinus from Azerbaijani side, by personal representative
of OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his
field assistants Peter Ki and Jaslan Nurtazin in the opposite side,
internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

YEREVAN RESIDENTS ENJOY 17-HOUR WATER SUPPLY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 27 2007

YEREVAN, June 27. /ARKA/. Yerevan residents are provided with 17-hour
water supply, on average, Yerevan Jur General Director Serhe Popoff
said on Wednesday.

In his words, some districts’ residents enjoy only four-hour supply,
but there are also districts with round-the-clock water supply.

He said only one district’s residents have water only 2.5 hours a day,
but this may be caused by breakdown.

Popoff said that the city’s northern districts are provided with
water properly.

He said the things are worth in Erebuni and Saritag.

The company decided after the study to increase water supply in
Yerevan to 23 hours a day within one decade.

The study embraced 308137 consumers, 70 of which enjoy round-the-clock
water supply.

Yerevan Jur, a resident company, was established by Generale des
Eaux. This French company won tender announced by World Bank in 2005
for Yerevan Vodocanal handover.

The French company is to allocate $20 million for water supply system
repair under WB credit program for ten years of its administration.

EUR 17.6mln will allocated from receipts after approving consumer
prices for water and another EUR 6.4 million will be own investments.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE LEADER OF NATIONAL EVANGELICAL CHURCH
OF LEBANON VISITS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

His Holiness Aram I received the spiritual leader of the Arab Evangelical
Church of Lebanon, Rev. Dr. Habib Badr in Antelias on June 25. Dr. Badr is
also a member of the Middle East Council of Churches’ (MECC) executive
committee.

The purpose of the meeting was the reform of MECC and its mission in the
region. Rev. Badr asked for the Armenian Pontiff’s support in the efforts to
be exerted in this respect. His Holiness made several proposals,
particularly concerning the imperative of a direct and consistent
relationship between the MECC and its member churches. He stressed that the
MECC should devise projects that are directly related to the daily lives of
churches and their service. Finally, the Catholicos emphasized the
importance of focusing on the Christian-Muslim dialogue.

A special meeting will be held in Antelias between the representatives of
various other churches to discuss these issues more closely. The
Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the founding members of the MECC and
participates in the council’s activities through its representatives.

Service d¹Information
Du saint siège d¹Etchmiadzin

Tel : 00 374 10 517 128
Télécopie : 00 374 10 517 301
Courriel : [email protected]
Responsable : Père Vahram Mélikian

Communiqué
22 juin 2007

Élection du Primat du nouveau diocèse de France*

Le 22 juin, à Paris, dans la salle de la cathédrale saint Jean-Baptiste, a
eu lieu l¹élection du Primat du diocèse récemment créé de France de la
sainte Eglise apostolique arménienne.

Par un vote à bulletin secret, l¹assemblée diocésaine a élu l¹évêque Norvan
Zakarian, qui exerçait jusqu¹à cette date son ministère à Lyon, à partir de
la liste de trois candidats (Evêque Nareg Chakarian, évêque Norvan
Zakarian, archimandrite Gomidas Hovnanian) confirmée par sa Sainté Karékin
II, Patriarche suprême et Catholicos de tous les Arméniens.

Au mois de décembre de l¹année dernière, Sa Sainteté Karékin II, Patriarche
suprême et Catholicos de tous les Arméniens annonçait par une bulle
patriarcale la création du diocèse de l¹Eglise apostolique arménienne de
France. L¹Eglise- cathédrale Saint Jean- Baptiste de Paris continuera d¹être
le siège de la Primature. Conformément aux statuts, deux vicariats, l¹un
pour le Sud de la France, l¹autre pour la région Rhône-Alpes, et 24
communautés ecclésiales, sont placés dans sa juridiction.

*Traduction du communiqué officiel

SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HRANT DINK TO OPEN IN PARIS

PARIS, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A school named after
Hrant Dink, the former editor-in-chief of the Weekly Akos, will open in
France in June due to the efforts of the Armenian Diaspora in France.
This information was provided by the Daily Hyurriyet.

The opening ceremony of the Armenian-French school, named after Hrant
Dink, will take place in the region of Arnouville la Goness in Paris on
June 30. Dink’s widow, Mrs. Rakel will also take part.