Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

VAZGEN MANUKIAN TO APPLY TO PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE DEMANDING INSTITUTION OF CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK DAILY

Noyan Tapan
Dec 19, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman
of the National Democratic Union party, is going to apply to the
Prosecutor’s Office demanding institution of a criminal case against
the Haykakan Zhamanak daily, with the accusation of insult and slander.

The reason is the article under the title "Vazgen Manukian’s "Mein
Kampf" – My Struggle" published on December 15 in the Haykakan
Zhamanak, which, according to V. Manukian’s December 19 statement,
"is built on a written document ascribed to me ungroundedly." According
to V. Manukian, with this publication the newspaper stepped beyond
all borders of journalist ethics and morality.

GYUMRI MAYOR PROPOSES THAT "GALA" PAY INADMISSIBLY LARGE RENT PAYMENT FOR OLD TELEVISION TOWER

Noyan Tapan
Dec 17 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Gymri mayor and the mayor’s
office have actually rejected the proposal regarding the tripartite
agreement on the use of Gyumri’s old tower by "Gala" TV company,
because they have asked an inadmissibly high price for rental, is said
in a statement of the headquarters on protection of speech freedom and
" Gala" television company.

According to it, the head of the information unit of the mayor’s
office L. Aghekian told the headquarter’s coordinator Levon Barseghian
during a phone talk on December 17 at 1 p.m. that the mayor’s office
considers it expedient to charge a monthly payment of 200 thousand
drams – for payment of the past debt.

The headquarters stated that this sum is unreasonable as television
companies pay about 120-140 thousand drams a month (for installation
and servicing of the aerial placed on Gyumri’s main ("new") television
tower at the height of 140-150 metres) to the Gyumri branch of the
Armenian Television Network CJSC of the RA ministry of transport
and communication.

Whereas, "Gala" uses 50-meter-high old tower which was partly repaired
prior to its use by Chap LLC – the founder of "Gala".

To recap, during the December 13 meeting with the mayor Vardan
Ghukasian, L. Barseghian proposed signing a tripartite agreement
among him, the mayor’s office and "Gala", by which L. Barseghian was
obliged to pay a reasonable sum for the use of the old television
tower over the past 2.5 years, while the mayor’s office was to give
up its decision to solve the problem in court and to rent the tower to
"Gala" for a reasonable payment.

GALA PROTECTION HEADQUARTERS INVITES TO RALLY IN GYUMRI ON DECEMBER 19

Noyan Tapan
Dec 18 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The Headquarters on protection of
speech freedom and " Gala" television company invites all the people,
who consider themselves free, to take part in the rally to be organized
by the Headquarters on December 19 at 16:00, in defence to the freedom
of Gala and the speech of all of us. The rally will take place at
the Theatrical Square in Gyumri. The Headquarters reminds that those,
who closed "Gala", yesterday deprived "A1+" and "Noyan Tapan" of air":
"We will not allow to close "Gala", they will not succeed in it. We
do not exist without our free speech," is said in the statement of
the Headquarters.

The Headquarters on Protection of the TV Company reminds that it is
already two months, "Gala" has been submitted to unprecedented pressure
by different departments and offices. However, the TV Company has made
a statement that it will not be subject to that pressure and dictation,
will not change its information policy, will freely provide people of
all the public political views and ideas with air, as well as will
objectively and comprehensively cover "all the developments taking
place in our life."

The Headquarters on Protection of speech freedom reminds that the State
Tax Inspectorate has "drawn" penalty of 26 665 100 drams against the
TV Company and has submitted an application to court with a suspicion
on having maliciously concealed taxes. The court has put a seizure
on the property and financial means of the ChAP CJSC, the founder of
the "Gala" TV Company. The municipality in its turn has submitted
an application to court with a claim to free the TV tower from the
aerial of "Gala". And it is already 40 days, the police has not
oriented as yet, breaking all the terms, whether to file a criminal
case on the fact of attack on the operator of "Gala" by the operative
plenipotentiary of the State Tax Service or not. It is already 45
days pressure has been exerted upon the advertisement givers of the
"Gala" TV Company, prohibiting them to put an advertisement on air.

According to the statement, the goal of all this is to deprive the
TV Company of air, to make 50 people unemployed and teach a lesson
to others by punishing the disobedient TV Company.

KARABAKH ISSUE BASES ON RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.12.2007 17:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Whatever OSCE MG proposals could be, the opinion
of Karabakhi people will be taken into account, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian told a news conference in Yerevan.

"Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan did not say that religious factor lies
in the basis of the conflict.

His statement was distorted," he noted. "The issue of Nagorno Karabakh
is the issue of right of Karabakhi people to self-determination. If
Azerbaijan were a Christian state the problem would remain."

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times Armenian Prime Minister
Serzh Sargsyan conceded that the conflict can have a religious motive
but it’s not decisive in the opposition.

ARMENIAN BLOGGERS HANDED A PIECE OF SOAP TO IMITATOR OF "DAYS OF AZERBAIJAN" IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.12.2007 19:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A group of Armenian bloggers handed a symbolic
present – a piece of soap – to Georgy Vanyan, the initiator of "Days
of Azerbaijan" in Yerevan. The present was handed with a wish "for
better work."

The measure had for an object to teach the organizers of the so-called
Days of Azerbaijan a good lesson.

December 17, a rather strange event titled "Days of Azerbaijan" took
place in Yerevan. The event was organized by well known director of
Mkhitar Sabastatsi educational complex Ashot Bleyan and his assistant
Georgy Vanyan, who represents a Caucasus center of peace sponsored
by the UK Embassy. Not to mention absurdity of the event jointly
with a state which tries to justify Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh’s
blockade in the eyes of the world community, it’s noteworthy that
such an initiative could hardly occur in Azerbaijan.

The RA Armenian Ministry of Science and Education did not react.

Armenian schoolchildren were offered to write a composition
with a title "Open letter to my peer", "How I see Azerbaijan",
"Armenia-Azerbaijan: the future."

Comments are unnecessary, but take into account the writings of the
schoolchildren who are being filled with the ideas that "Baku and
Ankara are Armenia’s best friends and the evil comes from Diaspora
and Dashnaks, who keep on speaking of a genocide." No one wants war,
especially Armenians. But there is a difference between desire for
peace and treason.

Unfortunately, Bleyan and Vanyan are not the people to understand this.

CONSIDERING GREECE AND ARMENIA’S SUPPORT OF TURKEY’S EU CANDIDACY

PoliGazette, Netherlands
Dec 16 2007

Filed under: Feature, Turkey – Benjamin on December 16, 2007 @ 10:58
pm CET

Aside from the ongoing drama between the PKK and the Turkish military,
a great deal of Turkey’s most recent foreign affairs activity has
been tied to its potential accession to the European Union (EU). Most
observers of Turkey derive the majority of their analysis of Turkey’s
potential EU membership from the stoic proclamations of President
Gul or the anti-Turkish rhetoric of President Sarkozy. However, an
additional angle from which one can develop further understanding of
the EU issue is by exploring the perspective of Turkey’s traditional
foes, Greece and Armenia.

This past week featured Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Greek
Foreign Minister Theodora Bakoyianni exchanging incredibly sugar-coated
words concerning Turkey’s EU candidacy and also on the general subject
of relations between their two countries. With Greece wholly behind
Turkey’s EU bid, Turkey has gained a very valuable source of support
given the fact that the relations between the two countries have been
historically sour at best.

Some observers consider Greece’s strong support for Turkey’s bid
as somewhat inevitable given the growing amount of humanitarian
cooperation between the two countries since they were struck by the
same earthquake several years ago. Cross-border investment is growing
in both directions and young Turks certainly do not harbor the same
acrimonious feelings about Greece that their grandparents possess.

The recent inauguration of a gas pipeline between Greece and Turkey
to serve European markets further highlights the growing strategic
connections.

There is no question that the positive momentum that increasingly
characterizes the relations of Turkey and Greece is real. While
Turkey’s motivations are clear, it is nevertheless important to take
a closer look at why Greece has chosen to extend its support. To
understand Greece’s motivations in greater depth (and beyond their
interest in seeing the Cyprus issue resolved at some point during this
century), it is helpful to jump to Armenia in order to consult that
nation’s conversation concerning Turkey and the EU. Whether due to
the historical issue of the Armenian Genocide or the ongoing Turkish
(and Azerbaijani) economic blockade, Armenia’s affairs and future
are very much tied to those of Turkey.

While largely unnoticed by the Turkish media, there is a heated debate
between Armenia’s long-time former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian,
and the current president, Robert Kocharian, concerning Turkey’s
future in Europe. While both are interested in greater normalization
of ties with Turkey, Ter-Petrossian is much more aggressive about
pursuing cooperation and dialog. Concerning Turkey’s candidacy for
the EU, Ter-Petrossian’s views are quite logical as exhibited in the
following article from armenialiberty.org.

"Isn’t it obvious that Turkey’s membership in the EU is beneficial
for Armenia in the economic, political and security terms? he added.

"What is more dangerous: an EU member Turkey or a Turkey rejected by
the West and oriented to the East?

"Or what is more preferable? An Armenia isolated from the West or an
Armenia bordering the EU? Our country’s foreign policy should have
clearly answered these questions a long time ago."

Ter-Petrossian’s comments are just as applicable to Armenia as they
are to understanding Greece’s interest in Turkey becoming a member
of the EU. In addition to the regional economic benefits of Turkey
joining the EU, both Armenia and Greece are very aware of the value of
the horse-and-carrot strategy that the EU has used to prompt Turkey
to pursue internal changes. This EU strategy has been implemented in
order to force stubborn Turkey to pursue a path that is complimentary
to the Western European system of political, economic and social
values. Most Turks, in turn, have become embittered by what they
see as a series of false promises, which have provoked a dizzying
contortion of Turkey’s identity. Both Greece and Armenia could not
be more pleased by this painful process and will rue the day that
Turkey is no longer tempted to join the European fraternity.

It is of course irrelevant to either Greece or Armenia whether
joining the EU is truly the best direction for Turkey. Both nations
realize that Turkey would pose a bigger threat to their interests
today if Turkey had not been under the EU microscope for roughly the
past decade. As long as it continues to seek entrance, the EU will
increasingly deny Turkey’s ability to pursue its traditional agendas.

It therefore appears likely that Greece and Armenia are hoping to use
Brussels as the means for realizing their own historic interests vis
a vis their greatest rival.

ing-greece-and-armenias-support-of-turkeys-eu-cand idacy/

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID APPRECIATION OF NATIONAL CURRENCY UNDER
CONDITIONS OF RAPID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORLD BANK REPRESENTATIVE
SAYS

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Under conditions of rapid economic
development, it is impossible to avoid appreciation of the national
currency, and as a small country Armenia has difficulty with managing
the appreciation of the dram, Shigeo Katsu, WB Regional Vice President
for Europe and Central Asia, expressed this opinion on December 14.
According to him, there are several measures (including increasing the
competition and making the economy more transparent) for dealing with
the difficult situation as a result of the dram’s appreciation.

S. Katsu pointed out the necessity of taking extra measures aimed at
extending the business environment and the investment field. In his
words, the rules of the game and the main players of the economic field
should be definite, while investors should be fully informed about it.
He said that there are still a number of problems in Armenia, and
foreign investments have consideraly contributed to their solution.
However, these investments were mainly made in some sectors of the
economy.

Nevertheless, S. Katsu positively assessed the two-digit growth of the
country’s economy. According to him, economic developments are
proceeding rapidly in Armenia and this growth is expected to continue
in the next years. He expressed an opinion that Armenia should be able
to increase its investment attractiveness not only in economy but also
in the sphere of educaion.

"ARMENIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT HAS CHOSEN ROAD OF BLACKMAIL AND LIE,"
CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL UNITY SAYS

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Levon Ter-Petrosian, the former
President of Armenia "is conducting a campaign in the direction of
intentionally discrediting all the skilful and experienced political
figures of the republic" with the assistance of the media serving to
the Armenian National Movement. This statement was made by Artashes
Geghamian, the Chairman of the National Unity party at the press
conference held on December 13. In his words, the Armenian National
Movement "has chosen the road of blackmail and lie," the main target of
which has become the National Unity.

According to Artashes Geghamian, an agreement was reached during the
meeting between Levon Ter-Petrosian and him on being correct, however,
the pro-Armenian National Movement press broke the arrangement. In
response to the statements discrediting him, Artashes Geghamian
promised to make public such facts, "which will not do credit to the
country and will definitely remove both Levon Ter-Petrosian and his
supporters from the political arena."

According to the Chairman of the National Unity, having a 4-5% rating
the Armenian National Movement sets its hopes on instigations, at the
organization of which it is very skilful. In the words of Artashes
Geghamian, the representatives of that political force brought forth an
incitement in the railway station of Yerevan on May 27, 1994, as a
result of which 16 people died. He stated that he is ready to give the
video clip proving what he said for a TV broadcast. Artashes Geghamian
declared that at present as well they would make attempts "to organize
instigations and deprive people of their lives." However, the National
Unity party will try to keep people away from taking part in mass
events.

Touching upon a number of sensational murders committed under the
former authorities, Artashes Geghamian introduced his hypotheses of
their motives. According to Artashes Geghamian, Marius Yuzbashian, the
former Armenian KGB Chairman, was killed as he knew that only "invoices
were going and coming" and the product was not entering Armenia, it was
being sold in Russia. Railway troops General Isahakian, according to
Geghamian, was shot as he had refused to accompany vacant goods wagons
and Hambardzum Galstian was shot as he knew under whose patronage the
machine-tools of the Armenian factories were being exported to Iran and
sold there as scrap metal.

ARMENIA CAN SUSPEND CFE ONLY IF NEIGHBORS RECONSIDER THEIR POSITIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.12.2007 14:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia’s suspension of the CFE is a tough attempt
to correct the mistakes the Russian leadership made in 1990-ies,
RA National Assembly Vice Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian told a news
conference today.

"NATO’s constants enlargement and post soviet republics’ aspiration to
join the Alliance do cause Russia’s concern. However, western partners
will not favor Russia for suspending the Treaty. At the same time,
Russia’s move should not arouse any concern, since this country is
not plotting aggressive programs," he said.

When asked whether Armenia can follow Russia, the Vice Speaker said:
"Such move is possible only if Armenia’s neighbors reconsider their
positions. As you know, one of the neighbors, Azerbaijan has never
limited purchase of armament, violating the CFE principles," IA
Regnum reports.

Russia’s unilateral moratorium on a major arms reductions treaty in
Europe came into force December 12.

During the temporary suspension of Russia’s participation in the
CFE treaty, the country will not be bound by limitations [under the
treaty], including by ‘flank limitations’, on the number of deployed
conventional weapons.

AZERI SOCIO-ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS DISSATISFIED WITH MINSK GROUP ACTIVITY

armradio.am
13.12.2007 17:52

The socio-economic organizations of Azerbaijan are dissatisfied with
eth activity of the OSCE Minsk Group.

"If from the beginning of next year the Minsk Group does not present
proposals on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in accordance
with Azerbaijan’s position and within the international legal
standards, Baku may refuse the mediation service of the Minsk Group,"
the Head of the so-called Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh,
Nizami Bahmanov, told Trend.