Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DECORATES SHEIKH SULTAN WITH SAINT MESROB ORDER

WAM – Emirates News Agency, United Arab Emirates
Sep 19, 2005 – 10:45

Yerevan, 19 September 2005(WAM)–Armenian President Robert Kocharian
conferred the Order of Saint Mesrob Mashtots on H.H Dr. Sheikh Sultan
bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah,
who is currently on an official visit to Armenia.

Saint Mesrob order is the highest order in Armenia and was conferred on
Sheikh Sultan in recognition of his contribution to the UAE Armenian
relations in addition to his role in the fields of education and
culture.

During a meeting with President Kocharian, Sheikh Sultan conveyed to
him the greetings of President H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

They also conferred on ways of promoting cultural and economic
relations between the UAE and Armenia.

Senior EU lawmaker wants EU delegation to monitor Pamuk trial in
Turkey

.c The Associated Press

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – A senior EU lawmaker wants the European
Parliament to monitor the Turkish trial of author Orhan Pamuk, who has
been charged with insulting the country’s national character and could
face up to three years in prison.

Joost Lagendijk, the head of the EU parliament’s committee on Turkey,
has asked Parliament President Josep Borrell to send a group of
observers to Istanbul for the trial that starts Dec. 16.

“The charges against Pamuk constitute an infringement of the author’s
right to freedom of expression and contravene both U.N. and EU
conventions on human rights,” said Lagendijk, a Dutch Green deputy.

“When we consider that the implementation of a new penal code this
summer was one of the main conditions for opening accession
negotiations with Turkey, it is essential that a small delegation of
observers attends the trial and determines if the code is compatible
with the charges that have been brought against Pamuk.”

Lagendijk’s call came hours before European Union ambassadors were to
resume talks on adopting a joint position for Turkey’s EU membership
negotiations, which are due to start Oct. 3. Earlier this week, the
ambassadors could not agree on a common response to Ankara’s refusal
to recognize EU member Cyprus.

Pamuk, Turkey’s best-selling and widely translated author, could face
prison for his comments on Turkey’s killing of Armenians and Kurds in
a case that senior EU officials say violates the European Convention
of Human Rights.

In an interview with a Swiss newspaper magazine in February, Pamuk
said “30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were killed in these lands
and nobody but me dares to talk about it.”

The reference to Armenians relates to killings by Ottoman Turks around
the time of World War I, which Armenians and several other nations
recognize as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey vehemently denies that a genocide took place, saying the death
toll is inflated and Armenians were killed in a civil war as the
Ottoman Empire collapsed, eventually giving way to the Turkish
Republic in 1923.

Turkey, which has been trying to improve its human rights record as it
vies for EU membership, is extremely sensitive about both the Armenian
and Kurdish issues, and the new Turkish penal code makes it a crime to
denigrate Turkey’s national identity.

The code – adopted at the EU’s insistence – was debated earlier this
year and freedom of speech advocates said the clause on national
identity was too vague and could lead to the imprisonment of artists,
scholars and journalists.

Earlier this week, Olli Rehn, the EU official in charge of the bloc’s
expansion, said it was a “provocation” that Turkey chose Dec. 16 to
open the trial.

Dec. 16 is the first anniversary of the EU’s agreement to start
membership talks with Turkey on Oct. 3, and the date clashes with an
EU summit in Brussels.

09/16/05 04:48 EDT

Turkey says it “strongly hopes” U.S. Armenian genocide resolution
does not go to full vote

.c The Associated Press

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Friday it
“greeted with sadness” the passage by a U.S. congressional committee
of two resolutions that denounce the deaths of Armenians early last
century as genocide, and hoped U.S. legislators would not allow the
resolutions out of committee.

“In the period ahead, we believe that members of the U.S. Congress
will act with a responsibility befitting the Turkish-American
relationship, and strongly hope that the resolutions will stay in the
committee and not be carried to the floor,” the statement said.

Turkey vehemently denies that the killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks around the time of World War I was genocide, and the Turkish
government has made it a policy to fight recognition of an Armenian
genocide.

Armenians and several nations around the world recognize the killings
as the first genocide of the 20th century.

In 2000, under direct pressure from then-U.S. President Bill Clinton,
a resolution on the Armenian genocide was shelved hours before it was
to go to vote before the full U.S. House of Representatives.

It is not clear if or when the current resolutions will be brought
before the full House.

09/16/05 13:43 EDT

EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON SOUTH CAUCASUS APPRECIATES MEETINGS OF
ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS IN KAZAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16. ARMINFO. European Union Special Representative
for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie appreciated the meeting of
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, Robert Kocharyan and Ilham
Aliyev, in Kazan.

Speaking at a press conference in Baku, Thursday, Heikki Talvitie
thinks the conflicting parties should use this chance. European Union
attaches a great importance to the forthcoming elections in
Azerbaijan, Talvitie said promising to visit that country before and
after the elections. He welcomed the opposition-government dialogue
mediated by the OSCE. At the same time, he thinks the great interest
in the forthcoming elections must not neglect the Karabakh conflict.

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| 18:59:09 | 15-09-2005 | Politics |

USAID ISSUED STATEMENT ON ELECTRIC NETWORKS OF ARMENIA

The USAID Statement issued on the Electric Network of Armenia says, “It has
been reported that Midland Resources Holding (MRH) has recently requested
permission from the Government of Armenia and the Public Services Regulatory
Commission (PSRC), as required by Armenian laws and regulations, to sell its
shares of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA).

The PSRC took aggressive steps to seek clarification of this issue in early
August. USAID notes that these steps fall squarely within the mandate of the
PSRC, as the regulating body tasked with implementing relevant Armenian
laws.

A transparent and robust decision-making process, managed by a strong
regulator, is key to protecting the interests of energy consumers. USAID is
happy to continue assistance to the PSRC and others to ensure the design and
implementation of such a process.

USAID will continue to observe, with interest, the process currently
underway to evaluate and respond to MRH’s request.”

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2005

Azeri officer killed in ceasefire breach

An Azeri warrant officer was killed after Armenian military units,
from their positions in the occupied Talish village of Terter
District, fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani troops located in
Borsunlu village of the district last Wednesday.

Casualties are reported on the Armenian side as well, the Ministry of
Defense told AssA-Irada.
Polad Aliyev, 24, who joined the Army in October 1999, was laid to
rest in his native Hindarkhy village of Aghjabadi District.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
September 16, 2005

His Holiness Congratulates Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

On September 15, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians, sent a congratulatory letter to His Excellency Mohammed
Hosni Mubarak on the occasion of his re-election as President of the Arab
Republic of Egypt.

In the letter, His Holiness praised the developing ties between the newly
independent Republic of Armenia and the Arab Republic of Egypt and confirmed
that the relationship benefited not only the two countries, but the entire
region as well. The Pontiff of All Armenians also expressed his
appreciation on behalf of the Armenian people to the president and the
authorities of the government of Egypt for their caring and kind attitude
towards the Armenian people, who for decades have been the worthy and honest
citizens of Egypt, working alongside their neighbors to create a progressing
and modern country.

His Holiness concluded the letter asking God to grant peace and
reconciliation to all nations and all peoples, and to reinforce the
friendship and solidarity between the Armenian and Egyptian peoples.

##

BOJKO IS BACK

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| 15:47:20 | 12-09-2005 | Official |

Today the newly appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Armenia handed his
credentials to the RA President Robert Kocharyan. He congratulated the
diplomat on being appointed Ambassador to Armenia again after 4 year.

Speaking about the Armenian-Ukrainian relations, Robert Kocharyan
underlined with delight that the efforts made in order to enhance
economic connections are proving fruitful. He also mentioned that there
is still much to be done in the fields of political and humanitarian
cooperation.

A1+

| 13:05:04 | 09-09-2005 | Social |

RESISTANCE CONTINUES

The Buzand street is still under control both by the residents and by those
responsible for the `reconstruction’. The menace of destroying the houses
still looms on the horizon.

Several days ago the officials responsible for the reconstruction of the
city said that they must negotiate with the residents of the street to come
to an agreement. But yesterday at about 03:00 – 04:00 p.m. the workers tried
to destroy the 3-storeyed house next to the house of the Mouradyans. As a
result of the resistance of the dwellers, the house was preserved.

It is noteworthy that the workers have put a fence round that area from the
street side, and the destruction can start every minute. `We will preserve
our houses at any cost, we will even become a living wall in order not to
allow it’, the dwellers of the street announce.

By the way, yesterday till midnight the residents of the street celebrated
the 1600th anniversary of historiograph Pavstos Buzand. The residents of the
North and the Main Avenues also joined them. Tonight there will be another
open-air film-watching in the Buzand street.

Russian nuclear power plant held successful emergency drill

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
9 Sep 05

MOSCOW

The Kola nuclear power plant is prepared for any emergency situations,
the technical director of the Rosenergoatom concern, Nikolay Sorokin,
said at a news conference today, referring to the results of a
wide-scale training exercise at the nuclear plant which ended
yesterday. “The plant’s response to emergencies is good,” he said.

Sorokin said that it was “a scheduled training exercise which is held
every year at one of 10 Russian nuclear plants”. A total of 950 people
and 52 pieces of special equipment were involved in it. Specialists
from the USA, Ukraine, Armenia, France, Finland, Sweden and Norway
watched the exercise. [Passage omitted]