Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

A1+
| 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
A1+
| 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.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
10-09-2005
Armenia Contributes to Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
As soon as news reports indicated the degree of damage that the US has
suffered as a result of Hurricane Katrina, the Government of Armenia
immediately offered help in the form of rescuers and medical personnel.
However, it became clear that the immediate need is for financial resources.
Therefore, at its Thursday September 8 Cabinet meeting, the Government
decided to allocate $200,000.00 to the US for relief efforts.
The funds are being transferred via the Foreign Ministry to a special
Katrina Relief Fund.
The US Embassy in Yerevan expressed its gratitude on behalf of the US
government for the help that the Armenian people are providing.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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]

LA JUSTICE TURQUE NE BADINE PAS AVEC LA QUESTION ARMENIENNE
Le Temps, France
8 septembre 2005
TURQUIE. Figure de proue de la litterature turque, le romancier Orhan
Pamuk devra repondre devant un tribunal de ses prises de position
sur le genocide armenien et la question kurde.
De 6 mois a 3 ans de prison. Voila ce qu’encoure l’un des plus
celèbres ecrivains turcs, Orhan Pamuk, pour avoir declare en fevrier
dans les colonnes du Tages-Anzeiger de Zurich: “30 000 Kurdes et
un million d’Armeniens ont ete tues en Turquie. Personne n’ose en
parler, c’est pour cela que les nationalistes me detestent.” Cet
homme de 53 ans, dont le dernier roman, Neige, a ete traduit en 22
langues, est poursuivi pour “denigrement publique de l’identite
turque” et comparaîtra devant les juges le 16 decembre prochain.
Cette declaration, concernant deux des sujets les plus sensibles de
Turquie, a savoir la guerre qui a oppose l’armee aux militants kurdes
du PKK entre 1984 et 1999 et le genocide armenien qui a fait plus
d’un million de morts entre 1915 et 1916, a souleve le courroux des
nationalistes, particulièrement sensibles en cette annee de celebration
du 90e anniversaire du genocide. Le sous-prefet de la region d’Isparta,
dans le sud-ouest du pays, etait meme alle jusqu’a demander la
destruction des oeuvres de Pamuk. Ironie du sort, aucune bibliothèque
de la ville n’en possède. Depuis, sans surprise, l’ecrivain se terre,
fuyant la presse et ses embetements, mais reste actif. Il a notamment
signe cet ete un appel demandant au PKK de deposer les armes.
Si d’autres intellectuels et journalistes turcs avant lui ont ose
braver la rhetorique officielle, les declarations d’Orhan Pamuk
prouvent une nouvelle fois l’intransigeance des autorites sur ce
dossier. Si l’on s’en tient aux declarations d’Ankara, les Armeniens
de l’Empire ottoman ont certes ete victimes de massacres mais en aucun
cas de genocide. La Turquie recuse l’idee que l’Empire ait organise de
manière systematique l’extermination de ce groupe. Des deportations ont
certes eu lieu mais dans le contexte de la Première Guerre mondiale. De
genocide point. Au contraire, l’Etat evoque les dizaines de milliers
de Turcs tues par des Armeniens a la meme epoque. La thèse officielle
a donc peu evolue et se voit meme protegee par le nouveau code penal,
entre en vigueur en juin dernier, qui sanctionne toute atteinte a
l’interet superieur de la nation.
Les relations entre Ankara et Berne ont elles aussi pâti de ce dossier
après qu’un politicien turc, Dogu Perincek, eut publiquement nie
l’existence du genocide armenien lors d’une conference a Winterthur en
juillet. Les poursuites entamees contre lui ont souleve l’indignation
d’Ankara, et la visite du conseiller federal Joseph Deiss, prevue
en septembre, a ete reportee sine die. Par ailleurs cette semaine,
le president de l’assemblee nationale turque a envoye une lettre
a seize de ses confrères, dont le president du conseil national
suisse. Courrier dans laquelle il juge “inacceptable que l’histoire
soit utilisee a des fins politiques avec l’intention de porter
prejudice a la Turquie”.
La position de l’Armenie donne par ailleurs du grain a moudre a
Ankara. Erevan a mis un terme en decembre, de manière prematuree, a un
cycle de reunions entre historiens des deux pays. Les nationalistes
turcs y voient la preuve qu’Erevan refuse de dialoguer et repètent
que les archives de l’Empire ottoman sont ouvertes, contrairement a
celles de leurs voisins.
Mais le sommet de l’absurde entre les deux pays a ete atteint au
mois d’août avec l’arrestation et le procès en Armenie d’un historien
turc accuse de contrebande de livres d’histoire. Yektan Turkyilmaz,
l’un des rares Turcs a soutenir la thèse du genocide, a recu le
soutien inattendu du gouvernement d’Ankara, soucieux de montrer
l’intransigeance d’Erevan.
Au-dela de ces querelles d’historiens, les choses evoluent toutefois
en Turquie. Le monde universitaire et la communaute armenienne le
reconnaissent: l’atmosphère a change dans ce pays où, il y a encore
trois ans, il etait difficile de discuter en public de cette question
taboue. Aujourd’hui, les journaux ne cessent d’en debattre meme
si a l’image d’Orhan Pamuk, ils se mettent en danger. De son côte,
l’identite armenienne refait surface, avec la parution de romans et
la multiplication d’expositions. Des signes de craquèlement encore
fragiles mais reels. Une conference sur “les Armeniens lors du
declin de l’Empire ottoman” aura meme lieu du 23 au 25 septembre a
l’Universite du Bosphore d’Istanbul, en presence d’historiens turcs
et etrangers soutenant la thèse du genocide. Cette conference, prevue
pour le mois de mai, avait ete reportee au dernier moment après des
accusations de traîtrise lancees par le ministre de la Justice. Mais
il semble que cette fois, a quelques jours de l’ouverture probable
des negociations avec l’Union europeenne, le 3 octobre, la Turquie
ne puisse renouveler ce geste. Au contraire, le ministre des Affaires
etrangères, Abdullah Gul, a prevu d’assister a cette conference d’ors
et deja controversee.
Encadre: Ankara contraint d’ouvrir ses ports et aeroports aux
Chypriotes?
Par Delphine Nerbollier
Le ministre turc des Affaires etrangères assurait la semaine dernière
que rien ne peut contraindre son pays a ouvrir, dans un avenir proche,
ses ports et aeroports a la Republique de Chypre, avec qui la Turquie
est en conflit depuis 31 ans. “Ports et aeroports appartiennent
au secteur des services, a declare M. Gul. Leur (ouverture) n’est
attendue que pour les membres a part entière de l’UE.” En attendant,
la Turquie se dit prete a assurer la libre circulation des biens
entre etats partenaires, comme l’exige le Protocole d’Ankara signe le
29 juillet dernier et qui etend l’accord d’union douanière aux dix
nouveaux etats membres dont Chypre. Rien de plus. Les representants
de l’UE jugent cet argument “techniquement valable” mais estiment que
“les restrictions actuelles de la Turquie sur les transports genent la
libre circulation des biens entre pays concernes, vont a l’encontre de
l’Union douanière et doivent donc etre levees”. La Cour europeenne de
justice a de son côte deja statue sur ce genre de dossier, toujours en
faveur de l’UE. Ankara pourrait donc etre contrainte a ouvrir ports
et aeroports rapidement… et non pas d’ici son adhesion comme elle
le clame aujourd’hui.
–Boundary_(ID_EYDDySNHGZpJBuvn43KCXg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PENETRATING UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
AZG Armenian Daily #160
08/09/2005
Education
Discussions of a new system of higher educational establishment
management have arisen anxiety in a number of Yerevan universities. The
government’s forced discussions came as a result of a decision taken in
July, which tends to completely reform the governance system of higher
educational establishments. If formerly the rector of a university was
elected at a session of a scientific council, then the new decision
makes it mandatory for the government to interfere in election by 50
percent. The universities have been already ordered to present the
lists of members in the governing board by 15 September. Each board
has to have 20-32 members. The heads of a university are not included
in the lists but only lecturers and students are.
Given the fact that the rectors of most of the universities are
in advanced age, it is clear that government officials are in a
favorable position of penetrating into the university management
sphere and dictating their own rules of the game or even appointing
any bureaucrat as rector.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US BRINGS CHARGES AGAINST V. HARUTYUNYAN, WHO THREW GRENADE ON BUSH
Pan Armenian News
08.09.2005 06:31
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US has brought charges against Georgian citizen
Vladimir Harutyunyan, who had thrown a grenade on US President George
Bush during the latter’s visit to Tbilisi. Harutyunyan, 27, is charged
in attempt at Bush and illegal storage and use of arms. A US Department
of Justice statement notes that if the trial on Harutyunyan’s case is
held in the US, he may be sentenced to life imprisonment. If this is
the case, only having announced the verdict will the US authorities
make a decision on extradition of Harutyunyan if requested.