Author: Nanijanian Alex

CEREMONY OF DELIVERING NKR PRESIDENT’S CERTIFICATE TO BAKO SAHAKIAN HELD AT NKR CEC

Defacto Agency
Sept 4 2007
Armenia

Today the ceremony of delivering NKR President’s certificate to Bako
Sahakian was held at the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic Central Electoral
Commission.

Addressing the audience Bako Sahakian assured he would follow the
course adopted by the Republic leadership targeted at the further
democratization of the Nagorno-Karabagh’s public and political life
and civil society’s formation.

Bako Sahakian won NKR Presidential elections held July 19, receiving
85, 12 % of the electors’ votes.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

STATE MENT BY
H.E. VARTAN OSKANIAN
At the Strengthening the European Neighborhood Policy
Brussels, September 3, 2007

Madame Chair,

You’ll forgive me if I look at our mission here from a distance – both a
geographic distance from Brussels, and the space provided by time, by the
decades from the beginning of this integration process until today.

The Schumann-Monet dream was for peace and prosperity — at a time when both
seemed to be out of reach. Today, both can be taken for granted by Europeans
who have begun to create a bond between human beings that transcends older
boundaries and makes out of this new institutional form something that
really is a community.

The first community was formed around coal and steel. Energy was the means
to economic integration, and economic integration would be the safeguard,
the guarantor, the catalyst for peaceful coexistence in a common search for
prosperity.

That community flourished, proving that the formula of economic and
political interdependence and sharing does work. Indeed, stability and
prosperity were achieved. So, the success of the vision was sufficiently
attractive and convincing that the community turned into a union.

Peace and prosperity remain the most critical items on the union’s and the
world’s agenda. Solving energy-related and environment-related problems
again provide the means again to address this bigger agenda.

Neither these problems nor their solutions recognize borders. At the same
time, with distances shrinking, with national and domestic actions having
international influence and impact, the Union for its own sake and for ours,
made the historic decision to welcome its neighbors to share its values,
duplicate its economic successes and meet its democratic standards.

We in the neighborhood and in Armenia embraced this invitation. We
appreciated deeply the farsightedness and the generosity of spirit. From
where we sit, the results, even in the first year of this policy have been
extremely gratifying.
1. First, there is the actual value of the
development process itself. In preparing our Action Plans, we acquired the
discipline to understand each other’s expectations and limitations as we
analyzed, assessed, summed up our accomplishments and our needs.
2. Most interesting and gratifying for me has been
joining the CFSP. Not only does this make our political dialogue with the EU
more immediate, it brings us into the loop more frequently and give us a
reference point by which to regularly review our policies in light of
international and European developments.
3. The onus remains on us to continue actively with
needed political, economic and institutional reforms. This is more than a
moral obligation. There is much that we have each done – in our case in the
spheres of judicial and administrative reform specifically. Our Action Plan
has been transformed into a clear blueprint of what needs to be done.
4. Those of us with conflicts in our areas each
have a paragraph in our Action Plans providing a general vision for a
resolution that we dearly need and want. What’s most important is that this
provides a context, integrational context, within which to view this
conflict anew.
5. The guided and accelerated approximation of our
legislation, norms and standards to those of the EU is an invaluable benefit
that opens the doors for many kinds and levels of economic integration. We
will begin to have a stake in Europe’s markets, Europe will have a stake in
ours. We are committed to this process and we’ve formalized our commitment
not just thru the Action Plan, but also by formally adopting our list of
priorities and measures to be taken by a government resolution.

This is the difference between the European Neighborhood Policy and
everything else that we have done with the EU over this last decade of
transition. Within the Neighborhood Policy, the integrational elements are
greater and therefore the relationship is now qualitatively different. In
addition, if as President Barroso and you Madame Chairman stated, with new
financial resources, stronger economic integration, education opportunities
and visa facilitation, I believe we will have smoother sailing.

Madame Chair, again thank you for this invitation. Looking around the table,
one can’t but be impressed by the the geographic breadth of this gathering.
It is testimony that the EU is an axis around which to rally our energies,
rather than an exclusionary fortress.

In Europe’s capital and in each of our capitals today, the echoes of this
meeting will raise awareness that we are all working together, deliberately,
seriously and productively.

Although the European Neighborhood Policy is individualistic in its
implementation, the spirit and the vision is collective. It takes us all in
the same direction. So the success of the program shall be measured not just
by the extent and number of individual projects, but also by the audacity of
our intent to work regionally together for a common goal and a common
future.

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN: SEVERAL POSITIVE PREMISES FOR ARMENIA ARE OBSERVED IN KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

arminfo
2007-09-03 19:16:00

ArmInfo. "The current stage has a number of premises that can make
the Karabakh peace process more favorable for both Armenian states,
if a relevant serious work is done", Shavarsh Kocharyan, Leader of
the National-Democratic Party, told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, first and foremost, the matter concerns the
long process of democratization in Nagorno- Karabakh, where the
democratic process is really going on, unlike many unrecognized
states. Karabakh adopted its Constitution, which one of the best ones
in CIS; Karabakh was the first to show an example of its president’s
refusal to run for the third term. At the same time, Azerbaijan trends
towards dictatorship at a furious pace. Certainly, the international
community takes political decisions, but these decisions are affected
by different factors, Sh.Kocharyan noted.

Sh.Kocharyan thinks that another profitable premise for the Armenian
party is the militarist position of Azerbaijan that doesn’t meet the
interests of the West, which, in its turn, doesn’t want stability in
the region to be broken. Moreover, important processes are going on in
Europe, such as Chernogoria’s independence and the Kosovo problem. "So,
if we do regular distinct work, we can make the apparently pro-Azeri
situation in the Karabakh peace process more favorable for both
Armenian states," the politician said with confidence.

1.3THND ENROL IN ARMENIAN STATE ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY THIS YEAR

ARKA News Agency
Aug 31 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, August 31. /ARKA/. Hasmik Yesayan, Armenian State Engineering
University press secretary, said on Thursday that the 1.3thnd enrolled
in the university this year, and 5063 of them to state-paid student
vacancies.

"The new academic year starts with traditional meeting between the
university administration and students. The University Rector Vostanik
Marukhyabn welcomes students", the university press release says.

According to the press release, new laboratories, classrooms, computers
and devices were acquired this year.

Besides, the university opened new departments – enterprises management
and economy and printing trades and thermal energy.

Armenian State Engineering University is the leader of national
technical education.

The university was established in 1933. More than 100 000 students
have graduated from the university since then.

Today over 11 000 students attend the university. 1000 lecturers
work here.

The university gives bachelor and master-degree diplomas to graduates
in 105 specialties and research-engineer diplomas in 17 specialties.

Armenian State Engineering University has three branches in Armenian
cities of Gyumri, Vanadzor and Kapan.

CONGRATULATIONS FOR GUL CONTINUE TO FLOOD IN

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 31 2007

As the announcement of the composition of the new Turkish Cabinet on
Wednesday took over Thursday’s newspaper headlines, messages continued
to flow in to the Cankaya Presidential Palace to congratulate its
new resident, Abdullah Gul, who was elected the new president of the
Republic of Turkey on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned her former
counterpart Gul on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election,
expressing her hope that the United States and Turkey "continue to
have a good, positive relationship with him in his new capacity,
that she enjoyed with him when he was foreign minister," US State
Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II sent a message of congratulations to
Gul on Thursday. "I send you my congratulations on your election as
President of the Republic of Turkey. My Government and I look forward
to continuing the close cooperation and excellent relations between
our two countries. I send you and the people of Turkey my best wishes
for the future," the queen said in her message.

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy, known with his firm stance against
Turkey’s EU bid, was among those leaders who sent a congratulatory
message to Gul, voicing hope for stronger ties between Paris and
Ankara. "We salute the election of Mr Gul, who has always shown himself
very attached to relations with France and Europe," foreign ministry
spokeswoman Pascale Andreani told reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, quite notably, Robert Kocharian, president of Armenia with
which Turkey has no diplomatic relations, as well as Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian also sent congratulatory messages to Gul,
Armenian media reported.

Another telephone call to Gul was from Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

According to a palace-issued statement, the king "expressed his trust
in Gul’s ability … to achieve the ambitions of the Turkish people"
while congratulating him.

Gul’s election as the new president of Turkey was described as "a
victory" displaying "a natural demonstration of the region’s turn
toward Islam," according to Palestinian movement Hamas’ spokesperson
Sami Abu Zuhri. "This historic change will benefit both the Turkish
people and the nations of the region, especially the Palestinian
people," Zuhri added.

Israeli President Shimon Peres called Gul and expressed his country’s
expectation that friendly bilateral relations between Israel and
Turkey would continue during Gul’s term in the presidential office.

Peres praised Gul’s efforts for contributing to regional stability
and peace.

Neighboring Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, for his part,
expressed his expectation to see the promotion and cooperation of
the mutual relationship between Turkey and Iraq in the fields of
politics, security, economy and culture during Gul’s presidency. "I
wholeheartedly congratulate you. Your being promoted from the Cabinet
to the presidency is an indication of the trust felt toward you,"
Talabani said.

The secretary-general of the Developing-8 (D8) also congratulated Gul
on behalf of the organization, which was established by Bangladesh,
Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan in addition
to Turkey.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who worked closely with Gul when
the latter was serving as Turkey’s foreign minister, welcomed his
election and said he was "convinced" that Gul would strive to be a
"unifying force in Turkey, a country undergoing great change."

"As foreign minister he has contributed strongly to the reform process
that has characterized Turkey in recent years and which is key to the
country’s continued road towards membership in the European Union,"
Bildt said in a statement.

"VISION, WILL, AND HEALTH" WISHED FOR GUL

Panorama.am
21:06 29/08/2007

Today Raffi Hovhannisian, leader of "Heritage," sent a congratulatory
message to the newly-elected president of Turkey, Abdullah Gul.

"Please accept my congratulations for being elected to this most
responsible position, which is decisive for our countries and the
entire region.

I nourish the hope that you and the soon-to-be-elected president
of Armenia will work together to create a new, positive stage in
our relations. This can take place not only thanks to political and
creative diplomacy, but in mutual cooperation, but bold initiatives
concerning our history," as was stated in Hovhannisian’s message.

"The deep chasms that exist between our countries, be they current
or due to the sad history of being deprived of our homeland, must be
conquered by truthfulness and correctness by our two newly-elected
leaders and the interested citizens of their countries," continued the
message, which concluded thusly: "Let God grant you farsightedness,
will, and health, so we may reach that day."

THE LARRY CRAIG DEBATE

Town Hall, DC
-b5b7-c6200795763f
Aug 29 2007

MY LONG TIME SPARRING PARTNER Glenn Greenwald has unearthed an old
quote of mine that he thinks brilliantly illuminates my intellectual
incoherence. When the campaign to out Larry Craig began last October
hot on the heels of the Foley debacle, I wrote:

I’m sorry if this topic causes embarrassment to Larry Craig and his
family, but I assume by now they’ve figured out that politics in 2006
is a thoroughly rotten business. . . .

THE FIRST LEFT WING PATHOLOGY "OUTED" by the Craig story is the
relentless meanness that characterizes modern day liberalism. . .

.BUT MOST DAMNING OF THE LEFT is the casual assumption of group-think
that this exercise demonstrates. The logic is that if you’re gay,
you must therefore support gay marriage. What’s more, you must support
everything that someone like Glenn Greenwald supports. To do otherwise
evidences self-hatred and a betrayal of the cause.

In his post on the subject, Glenn wrote that I was specifically
addressing the bathroom sex charges. If you read my post, I was
addressing the general campaign to out Craig. I’m sure Glenn will
rush to publish a correction. Since I consider outing a viciously
mean political tactic, I remain comfortable with that post. For what
it’s worth, I believe most of the gay community agrees with me on
this matter.

So what’s happened to make things different now than they were back
in October when the cretinous Mike Rogers began his outing effort?

Craig outed himself. What’s more, he lied (and continues to lie) to
his constituents. If he had said last year words to the effect of,
"My private life is private, and will remain that way," everyone
would have understood the coded message and backed off. No one bother
charting Barney Frank’s nocturnal activities once he came out of
the closet. Barney’s honesty took his sex life off the table as a
political issue.

There’s also the obvious additional note that cruising for sex in a
public Men’s Room and getting arrested for those cruising activities
are things that disgust most people. Kids presumably use that
restroom. So presumably do unsuspecting travelers, who unsuspectingly
heeded nature’s call in Minneapolis’ smelly indoor version of a
highway rest stop. Senator Tappy-Toes’ activities are not acceptable,
not for a United States Senator, a person in a committed relationship,
or for someone who purports to live up to our community’s standards.

On a related note, reader BR emailed, "I don’t understand, if it’s
not homophobic, how trying to pick up a date in a public restroom is
any different than picking up a date in a tavern, or an office. Can
you explain?" My answer is no. If you don’t understand the difference
on its face, then it’s unlikely that I can explain it to you.

ONE LAST NOTE here for the gay community. As a Jew, I’m frequently
disgusted by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL purports to speak
for all of American Jewry, and yet is led by a craven, intellectually
dishonest hierarchy. Recently, the ADL once again stepped in the
proverbial poo when ADL leader Abe Foxman refused to recognize the
Armenian Genocide as a real genocide. This was Foxman at his finest:
Pointless, stupid, and using our own experience with the Holocaust
as a bullying club to beat his critics. Abe didn’t win this one,
and relented late last week. Anyway, my point is that as a Jew, I
rush to remind my Gentile friends and readers that this man doesn’t
speak for me.

What I find odd about the Craig situation is how the left has rushed
to either defend his actions or at least try to mitigate them by
comparing him to someone like David Vitter. If I were part of the
gay community, my initial reaction to Craig’s actions wouldn’t be a
pathetic attempt to minimize the depravity of looking for love in
an airport men’s room. It would be to insist that as a community,
the people who engage in antics like that are outliers and degenerates.

I spent several years living in working in Boston’s Back Bay and South
End neighborhoods. Both had large gay populations. I won’t resort to
the old clich that many of my best friends are gay, because they’re
not (although I do have questions about a few of them – you know who
you are). But spending a lot of time around gays in my neighborhood,
at the gym and at work, I got to know the community.

Good people. I think these experiences are partly to credit for why I’m
more favorably inclined to the gay agenda than most arch-conservatives.

Behavior like Craig’s confirms the worst and darkest prejudices of
people who fear and/or loathe the gay community. Larry Craig is an
outlier, and his behavior a disgrace to everyone who has associated
or is now associated with him – the Republican Party, conservatives,
Mitt Romney, and gay America. People who care about the gay community
should be rushing to condemn Larry Craig and distance themselves from
him. And yet they’d rather score cheap political points.

LAW-ENFORCERS LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO LORI PROSECUTOR MURDER

Armenpress
Aug 27 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian law-enforcement bodies are
looking into possible motives for the killing of Albert Ghazarian,
chief prosecutor of the northeastern province of Lori, who was gunned
down August 25 overnight in Vanadzor, the region’s administrative
center.

Sona Truzian, a spokeswoman for the Office of Prosecutor General,
told Armenpress that the prosecutor was shot and killed near his
apartment on his way home from office.

"A task force led by deputy prosecutor-general Mnatsakan Sarkisian
has been sent to Vanadzor to investigate the case,’ she said, adding
that Albert Ghazarian was shot four times — in the back, neck,
and shoulders.

Prosecutors have filed a criminal case under article 104 of the
Criminal Code and a special investigative team has been set up
comprising seasoned prosecutors and people from the National Security
Service and Police, she said.

Albert Ghazarian served as deputy chief prosecutor of the northeastern
province of Lori from 1999 to 2006. In 2006 March he was appointed
chief prosecutor of the region President Robert Kocharian condemned
swiftly the murder through a spokesman, Viktor Soghomonian, who told
Armenpress that the president has ordered law-enforcement bodies to
take swift measures to track down and reveal the murderer of Albert
Ghazarian.

The spokesman said Robert Kocharian conveyed his condolences to the
killed prosecutor’s family.

"This crime, directed not only against the high-ranking prosecutor, but
also against the entire law-enforcement system is strictly condemnable
and will make the latter more resolute in their fight against crimes,"
the spokesman said.

YIELD IS LOW BUT COVERS COSTS

KarabakhOpen
22-08-2007 16:03:11

As of August 20, 95 percent of wheat fields was harvested, which
totaled 44 840 ha. 50 thousand tons of wheat was produced. The
average yield per hectare totaled 1.12 metric tons. The highest was
in the regions of Shahumyan and Kashatagh, 1.6 and 1.5 metric tons
respectively. The lowest was in Shushi (0.9 metric ton). The average
yield is down by 250 kg compared with the previous year.

Farmers say 600 kg per hectare covers the costs of sowing and
harvesting.

United Press International
Aug 18 2007

ADL fires official in Armenian dispute

BOSTON, Aug. 18 The U.S. Anti-Defamation League has dismissed a
regional director for arguing publicly that the ADL should recognize
the Armenian "genocide."

Andrew Tarsy has been head of the ADL’s New England operations for
two years and was civil rights counsel for the previous five. He told
The Boston Globe he was fired after a telephone conversation with
Abraham Foxman, the national director, in which he said the ADL’s
refusal to call the Turkish massacre of Armenians 90 years ago a
genocide is "morally indefensible."

In a letter explaining the ADL position, Foxman and Chairman Glen
Lewy said the organization recognizes that Turkey killed 1.5 million
Armenians. But they suggested the group does not want to anger
Turkey, one of the few Muslim countries that recognize Israel.

Some local ADL leaders told the Globe the firing could reduce support
for the organization. Steve Grossman, a former regional board member
living in the Boston suburb of Newton, called the firing "a
vindictive, intolerant, and destructive act."