Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

MARGARYAN AND FRADKOV TO MEET IN MOSCOW DECEMBER 1
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.10.2006 15:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian PM Mikhail Fradkov is going to meet with
head of Armenia’s Government Andranik Margaryan in Moscow December 1,
the Russian Premier stated it during a meeting with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian Tuesday. Fradkov reminded that the Year of Armenia
is coming to its end in Russia. “I am convinced that the events
already held and those to be held will benefit economic cooperation
between the two countries,” the PM underscored in his conversation
with Kocharian. “The Russian party wants to organize the work in a
way for the completion of the Year of Armenia in Russia to be held in
Saint Petersburg,” the Russian PM said. He added Vice-Premier Dmitry
Medvedev will represent the Russian party at the closing ceremony.
In his turn, the Armenian President noted the high increase of
commodity turnover between the two countries. At that, in Kocharian’s
words, there are a number of issues, which hamper that increase,
specifically in the field of transport communications.
The situation is favorable in joint investment projects in building
and energy, the processing industry. “Here we feel growth of the
investment component,” Kocharian noted, Rosbalt reports.

SHORT POLITICAL ACTIVITY MAY OCCUR IN NOVEMBER
Lragir, Armenia
Oct 30 2006
Garnik Isagulyan, adviser to president on national security was
hosted at the Azdak Club on October 28. It should be noted that
Garnik Isagulyan’s previous news conference was at the same Azdak
Club on May 20, 2006. After a pause of five months he stated to the
public that the political situation in Armenia is calm and there is
nothing extraordinary. According to him, nothing will spark political
activity in Armenia until the election. Isagulyan forecasts a little
activity in November, which will last till New Year. “Everything is
very calm. Of course, this has its reasons, and unfortunately, this
affects the reputation of the country and generally all the processes,
and this is the fault of certain people,” says Garnik Isagulyan. He
says this is the fault of “the political organizations which have been
unable to realize over these years that the political opposition, the
political dialogue or the political debates involve definite problems,
and they stepped up their activity against definite persons.” In
speaking about this, Garnik Isagulyan says they had better go to the
regions and underpin their political party, which they failed to do.
“In this connection, it is difficult to try to establish a new
political situation based on these worn out activities in the
Republic of Armenia. I think this may produce a negative effect in
the pre-election stage and during the elections, because if there
is no fair competition, if there is no struggle, the outcome of the
elections becomes clear beforehand, and the same problems will occur
involving electoral fraud, etc,” says the adviser to Robert Kocharyan.
Naturally, he uses the phrase “worn-out activities” to describe the
activities of the political parties which criticize the government.
Meanwhile, Garnik Isagulyan avoided assessing the activities of the
pro-government political parties, meanwhile, his political party,
which is called “National Security”, could also be listed among them.
Isagulyan did not speak much about his own political party either. He
only says they will run in the parliamentary election, but he declines
to say what his political party does to improve the political
situation. Isagulyan only says that they are doing something, and
the results will become visible in the end.

Panorama.am
14:02 28/10/06
E-LIBRARY OPENS AT ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY
The opening of a new electronic reading room took place today at the
State Engineering University of Armenia. Vostanik Marukhyan, rector of
the establishment, said it enables students and faculty to take
maximum use of information resources throughout the world. He said it
will also foster individual work among students. The reading hall is
equipped with 24 computers 6 of which are connected to local network
and 6 of them to internet. Knar Lazarian, head of card index of the
library, said students will be given pin codes with which they can
connect to scientific resources from any computer connected to
internet. /Panorama.am/

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armen Darbinyan: «We Want Turks to Become Better»
27.10.2006 16:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «I suppose we are «exploiting» the
fact of the Armenian Genocide very lubberly. Maybe, we
have the task now, which is fulfilled to a certain
degree – to make Turkey and Turks recognize their
responsibility for that bloody action in their
history. Make them, put pressure upon them, make them
understand and only then go further,» Rector of the
Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, former PM of
Armenia Armen Darbinyan stated at the University
October 27. «Judging from our policy, we want Turks to
become better. This is my assessment of our actions,»
Darbinyan remarked. «Our urge to worldwide recognition
of the fact of the Genocide resulted in recognition of
the Armenian Genocide and Turkey’s need to apologize
to us by 22 countries. What does apologize mean? Only
strong ones apologize. Germans apologized for the
Holocaust to the Jews publicly and adopted a law,
criminalizing denial of the Jewish Genocide on the
part of German citizens.
«Turks are not ready to apologize to us. We want to
press on them and make them purer, better, more noble,
but we will not manage by default, as they are not
ready to it. Maybe, by recognition of the Genocide we
make closer a date, when they will be ready to realize
what they have committed – but we speak not of
ourselves, but Turks. Thus, we make actions, put them
in the center of our international policy – actions,
which finally should result in improvement and
ennoblement of Turks. Maybe, it is a good task, but I
believe we have more important ones… We have the task
to ennoble ourselves. This is a task we have to solve
– otherwise the loss we have suffered will remain
unrequited,» the former PM of Armenia said, reports IA Regnum.

Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 28 2006
Former king against pro-Armenian candidate

28 October 2006 [13:08] – Today.Az

Former Bulgarian King is against the pro-Armenian candidate to presidency.

Influential King Simeon Movement headed by the former Bulgarian King
Simeon II in the second turn of presidential elections announced that
he supports incumbent president Georgy Pirvanov’s candidature as a
sign of protest to pro-armenian Volen Siderov, the leader of the
Ataka Party.
Being the member of the current government coalition the former king
stated that he did this “For normal future in Bulgaria”.
He characterized Siderov as a person inciting enmity. In the first
turn of presidential elections Pirvanov, the only candidate who is
not against Turks collected 63%, and Siderov 20% of votes.
But as only 40% of the electors have taken part in the elections
there is a need for second turn.
According to the local legislation the elections are considered to be
effective if more than 50% of the electors participate. The second
turn will take place on October 29, APA reports.

URL:

Cyprus Observer, Cyprus
Oct 27 2006
EU envoy on French bill and Article 301: Do not compare apples with pears
27.10.2006
Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the EU Commission rep – resentative in Ankara
said that Turkey cannot exploit the French parliament’s approval of a
bill that makes denial of the alleged Armenian genocide a crime as an
excuse to avoid democratic reforms. Kretschmer demanded the Turkish
government to take action regarding Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code (TCK). The representative invited Turkey not to `compare apples
with pears’, expressing that the two bills have separate contents;
one would prohibit the expression of one specific statement, but the
other is used to prevent public debate on general political issues.
Speaking at an interview with Reuters last week he said, `[The French
bill] would prohibit the expression of one specific statement, i.e.,
that there was no genocide. But 301 is used to prevent public debate
on general political issues,’ pointing out, `For example, one person
ended up in court because she questioned whether conscientious
objectors should have to do military service. So comparing the French
bill and 301 is really comparing apples and pears.’
He also expressed hope for Turkey’s EU membership saying, `Some say a
Muslim country cannot be a liberal democracy because there is a
danger of radical Islamists coming to power. The task of the
accession process now is to build and strengthen the civilian
institutions in a way that any possible fundamentalist threat, if it
should arise, can be contained. You do not need the military for this
kind of thing.’
US says bill is bad for Turkey’s EU bid
The United States also expressed negative opinions about the French
bill, with Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried saying the
French bill is not helping to better EU-Turkey relations. `The job of
outsiders is to encourage a Turkish-Armenian dialogue, not to take
positions which make that dialogue harder,’ he was quoted as saying
on a trip to Brussels, adding that his government certainly shared
the view that this legislation criminalising discussion did not seem
to make any sense.

The Irish Times
October 26, 2006 Thursday
Enthusiasm for EU now collapsing in Turkey
by Jamie Smyth in Brussels
EU: Support for joining the EU in Turkey has collapsed amid growing
public disillusionment over the slow pace of accession talks with
Brussels.
Less than a third of Turks, some 32.2 per cent, now think Turkey must
join the union, according to a survey carried out by pollsters A&G
and published in Turkey’s Milliyet newspaper yesterday. A similar
poll last year found 57.4 per cent of people thought Turkey “must
certainly enter the EU”. In 2004 the figure was 67.5 per cent.
The opinion poll comes at a sensitive time for EU-Turkey relations as
Brussels pushes hard for more political and legal reform ahead of a
crucial monitoring report on Turkey to be published on November 8th.
Ankara also faces pressure to open its ports and airports to vessels
from Cyprus.
A quarter of the 2,408 people surveyed in the poll said Turkey
“should certainly not enter the EU”, a steep rise on the 10.3 per
cent who felt that way last year, when Ankara began accession talks.
The poll, undertaken in late September, also showed 76.5 per cent of
Turks expect tougher conditions to be imposed on them by Brussels in
the future, while only 7.2 per cent now trust the EU.
Political analysts speculated that the poll results could make it
tougher for prime minister Tayyip Erdogan, who faces a general
election in November 2007, to push through unpopular reforms demanded
by the EU.
The slump in Turkish support for accession follows criticism by
Brussels of Ankara’s reform programme, particularly its failure to
boost freedom of expression.
This month Turkish attitudes to the EU were further soured when
French parliamentarians introduced a Bill making it a crime to deny,
as Ankara does, that Ottoman Turks carried out a genocide against
Armenians in 1915.

US AZERBAIJANIS WORK TO KEEP TRADITIONS ALIVE
By Mike O’Sullivan
Voice of America
Oct 24 2006
The modern state of Azerbaijan is just 15 years old, but the country,
a part of the former Soviet Union, has maintained its distinctive
traditions. Azerbaijani Americans are working to keep alive their
culture and help others understand the nation’s problems and
potential. Mike O’Sullivan spoke with Azerbaijani Americans who
attended a recent conference in Los Angeles.
Asmar Eyvazova (l) and Nazrin Baghirova
Nazrin Baghirova is studying educational administration at the
University of Utah. She tells people about her country and its ancient
capital, Baku, and often get quizzical looks, but says it is a great
way to start a conversation.
“It is always exciting for me to give them information [about] where
I’m from and showing them the location of Azerbaijan on the map,
and seeing their reaction – oh, wow,” she said.
Her friend, Asmar Eyvazova, works at center for distance education at
the University of Texas, Arlington. When Asmar talks about Azerbaijan,
reactions range from blank stares to limited recognition.
Some people know, for example, that Azerbaijan has abundant oil
supplies. A few realize that its population is mostly Turkic-speaking
and Muslim. On occasion, she meets people who have traveled to
Azerbaijan.
“Those who have been to our country, they just really express it
immediately that, oh, you are very hospitable,” she said. “People
are really nice and they like having guests and offer the best things
that they have in their houses.”
Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea and Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Russia
and Turkey. The region was in the news in the late 1980s and early
1990s, and the news for Azerbaijan was mostly bad.
A separatist movement of ethnic Armenians declared independence in
the Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, where they formed the
dominant group. Fighting erupted and Azerbaijan lost 16-percent of
its territory to Armenia. The dispute is unresolved, despite a 1994
cease-fire, and Azerbaijan is now coping with more than half a million
displaced people.
Elin Suleymanov Other Azerbaijanis are scattered around the world,
and many have come to the United States to settle or study. Elin
Suleymanov is consul general for Azerbaijan in Los Angeles. He
estimates there are from 200,000 to 500,000 Azerbaijani Americans,
a figure that includes ethnic Azeris from Iran.
“They share the language and the culture, and attitude, and cuisine and
everything else,” he said. “And increasingly they share the identity.”
He says Azerbaijanis come from a difficult neighborhood, and part
of the reason for holding this Los Angeles meeting is to get Azeri
Americans to tell their story. He urged his countrymen to get involved
in U.S. civic life and make sure their congressional representatives
get to know them.
One participant at the conference is not from Azerbaijan, but is
helping educate the world about the Caucasus nation.
Betty Blair Betty Blair edits a quarterly publication called Azerbaijan
International. She and her husband, an Azerbaijani, started the
magazine in 1993 to answer questions like this one she has encountered.
“Is this in Africa? Where is it? What is it,” she said.
She says when she and her husband started the magazine, fighting was
raging with Armenia, and Americans often heard the Armenian side.
“That other side of the story was not being presented,” she said.
“And we just started very simply, 16 pages.”
Traditional Azerbaijani dancing Now, each issue the glossy magazine
has 100 pages of articles and pictures on Azerbaijani history,
literature, and culture. The couple also runs what is billed as the
world’s largest website about Azerbaijan, called
Blair says that over the years, Azerbaijan has been under the rule of
czars, shahs, caliphs and khans, and now, is coping with the problems
of independence.
The country has been called an authoritarian democracy. Critics say
its oil wealth remains largely undeveloped and that the nation is
mismanaged and plagued with corruption.
But Azerbaijani Americans say their ties with their homeland are still
strong, and that they hope to play a role in the country’s development.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian General Benevolent Union Inc.
Dr. Rita Kuyumjian
Chairperson
805, Manoogian street
Ville St-Laurent, QC H4N 1Z5
Tel: 514-748-2428
Fax: 514-748-6307
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
VIKEN L. ATTARIAN SELECTED AS REGULAR PANELIST ON RADIO CANADA
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM
Montreal, October 20, 2006 – AGBU Montreal is proud to announce that RCI
(Radio Canada International), the international radio broadcasting arm of
the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), has selected its former
chairman, Mr. Viken L. Attarian as a regular panelist for its new
programming lineup starting on October 30, 2006.
The new program is called The Link, presented by host Marc Montgomery. It
will focus on various current affairs in Canada which have an international
dimension. The panelists will articulate positions of immigrant citizens
who have a wider range of views on international matters.
“I was honored to accept this offer” said Attarian, “because it allowed me
to present to a worldwide audience my perspective on important matters. Our
world is constantly evolving and as citizens, we should not only be
continuously informed, but also continuously engaged. Democracy demands
nothing less and this program allows me to do precisely that. Being engaged
in debate and have my voice heard.”
The first broadcast of The Link will be on October 30th as part of the new
program lineup. The first topic of discussion is “On the eve of the 1st
anniversary of the riots in France, can what happened there happen in
Canada?”, further discussion topics include a focus on the contentious topic
of dual citizenship, very relevant in view of the recent evacuation of
Canadian citizens from Lebanon; the issue of recruiting doctors from
developing countries, the topic of prayer spaces in public schools and so
on.
RCI broadcasts regularly in nine languages to the whole world on a variety
of mediums. It can be listened to on analog short wave frequencies, live and
directly on the Internet and on the Sirius satellite network. Information
about RCI, its programs and schedules can be found at .
AGBU Montreal congratulates Mr. Attarian on this achievement. AGBU Montreal
urges its members and the Armenian public to support this initiative, by
listening to this new program, writing letters of encouragement to the RCI
editorial team and management and also by spreading the word about this
program to their personal networks.
For further information, please contact the AGBU at 514-748-2428 or at
[email protected]. Information about AGBU Montreal can be found at
our website at

TEVAN POGHOSYAN: DEFENSE REFORMS WILL MAKE THE ARMY MORE POWERFUL
Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 20 2006
The reforms envisaged by the Individual Partnership Actions Plan
(IPAP) with NATO will endorse the development of the Armenian army,
Executive Director of the Armenian Atlantic Association Tevan Poghosyan
said in an interview with Mediamax agency.
“The IPAP envisages creation of a tighter link between the army and
society, apply the mechanism of public control. In my opinion, in
the result of such changes the army will get more powerful, since
people’s faith and trust in the armed forces will increase,” Tevan
Poghosyan said.
“More coordinated and precise planning of defense expenses envisaged
by IPAP will promote the optimizing of our army, which can have only
positive impact. Thus, we can say with confidence that the reforms
envisaged are in no way directed at weakening of the army,” Tevan
Poghosyan noted.
In response to the question about the opportunities of implementing
equal defense reforms in Armenia and Azerbaijan, he noted that
“Azerbaijan has its own actions plan with NATO, which envisages
conduct of similar reforms.”
“Today we can state that a parallel process is underway in Armenia
and Azerbaijan. I think NATO will be more interested in having a
situation, where the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be
more predictable for the alliance,” Tevan Poghosyan said.
The Executive Director of the Armenian Atlantic Association Tovmas
Poghosyan does not rule out that Armenia may become the first country
in the South Caucasus to join NATO and the European Union.
“It may seem incredible today. However, we must take into account
that both in regard to the value system and the reforms implemented
we are in a more advantageous position,” Tevan Poghosyan said.
At the same time the expert noted that he does not consider membership
to NATO as an end in itself.
It is much more important for Armenia to correspond to those values
and standards, on which NATO is built, and it will be a high assessment
itself. It will mean that we are a developed, democratic and powerful
country,” said Executive Director of the Armenian Atlantic Association.