Author: Navasardian Karapet

LEBANESE ARMENIAN PURCHASES EQUIPMENT FOR DIGITALIZATION FOR MATENADARAN
By Rouzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily
28/06/2007

Having followed the recent events connected with the digitalization of
the ancient manuscripts of Matenadaran, Pierre Gouyoumjian, Lebanese
Armenian, decided to be useful for Matenadaran. About a fortnight ago,
he met with the leadership of Matenadaran and told them that he had
decided to purchase digitalization equipment for the institute of
Ancient Manuscripts. Gouyoumjian and the scholars from Matenadaran
had already jointly discussed the programs for digitalization of
the manuscripts and creation of electronic libraries. A week ago,
he arrived in Yerevan and brought the abovementioned equipment to
Matenadaran. According to Guyoumjian, the equipment purchased for
Matenadaran is more powerful than that in "Hill" American Museum
of Manuscripts.

Arshak Banouchian, acting head of Matenadaran, they have already
submitted the sketches of the digitalization project to RA
Government, but the project will be fully elaborated only after three
months. Gouyoumjian and Banouchian signed an agreement on exploitation
of the newly purchased equipment that will be tested in the
photo-laboratory of Matenadaran for 2 months. Banoiuchian emphasized
the importance of having such equipment in Matanadaran. "As soon as
I heard about the recent developments with the digitalization of the
Matenadaran manuscripts, I decided to purchase the best equipment and
bring that to Armenia, as I know that we have great IT specialists
in Yerevan who will be able to carry out the digitalization process
at best. Having used this equipment, we will be able to define in 2
months how much time we will need to digitalize the entire collection
of unique manuscripts," Gouyoumjian said.

It is expected that the digitalization program will be discussed
at Matenadaran in August, then at the relevant Ministry and
at the Government. Before that, within the coming two months,
the administration of Matenadarn is ready to accept cooperation
suggestions from individuals and various organizations.

ARMENIAN PUBCASTER RENEWS ZODIAK TALENT SHOW

World Screen News, NY
June 26 2007

COPENHAGEN, June 26: Armenia’s Public Television has ordered an
additional three seasons of 15 episodes each of Zodiak Television
World’s prime-time talent show Stars on Stage.

The renewal follows the ratings success of the series’ first season
on the Armenian public broadcaster, which doubled the slot average
from a 40 percent share to an 80 percent share.

ANTV Indonesia has also commissioned a second season of Stars on
Stage after the first season regularly won its slot. TVI in Portugal
achieved a 45-percent audience share for the series. The show has
also been picked up by Record TV Network in Brazil, ONT in Belarus,
First Channel in Russia, and by a broadcaster in the Ukraine.

Originally developed by the Zodiak Television subsidiary MTV
Mastiff Sweden, Stars on Stage sees celebrities performing duets
with well-known singers. Over the course of ten weeks, a panel of
music industry experts and the viewing public vote to find the best
star pairing.

Patrick Nebout, the VP for Russia and CIS at Zodiak Vostok, commented,
"We are delighted to have secured this deal, which will see the show
becoming a truly long running format in Armenia. Eastern Europe
is a diverse market with a wide range of broadcasters and we are
experiencing success for a variety of our formats in the region-from
reality shows to big variety formats."

rent.php?filename=zodiak062607.htm

RUSSIAN RACISTS CARRY OUT GROUP ATTACKS
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/06/2007

The racist attack on Caucasians and Asians in the center of Moscow
on June 22 was not only a hooligan attack as the Russian officials
used to formulate in those cases.

Several racists attacked Armenian Davit Hovhannisian, who left Yerevan
for Moscow for about 10 years ago, and other Caucasians and Asians on
June 22 in Moscow, "Moskovski komsomolets" newspaper informed. They
knifed him twice.

"They appeared from somewhere. They were about 20.

They knifed my back twice. Then they began to beat me.

They let me go only when the police appeared", told the 17-years-old
Davit Hovhannisian.

According to "Moskovski komsomolets" the police arrested 19-years-old
Igor Sergeyev, who knifed Davit Hovhannisian. It’s not the first
time that Igor Sergeyev came to Moscow to take part in racist attacks
on foreigners.

According to Moscow police 42 people are arrested, not only Caucasian
but also members of so-called "Movement against illegal migration",

Moscow authorities called the leaders of political parties and NGOs
to forbid youth and teenagers to be involved in such illegal actions,
as racist actions.

Anyway, according to official sources the racist-activists started the
fight, but the Caucasians and Asians will also be answerable for it –
maybe for standing up against the beating and hiding.

NSS FILES PETITION TO COURT WITH REQUEST TO EXTEND TERM OF FORMER ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER’S ARREST FOR TWO MONTHS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 27, 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Security Service
(NSS) on June 27 filed a petition to the court of first instance of
Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash communities with the request to
extend the term of the former Armenian foreign minister Alexander
Arzumanian’s arrest for another two months, NT correspondent was
informed by A. Arzumanian’s defence lawyer Hovik Arsenian. He said
that on the decision of the body investigating the case, A. Arzumanian
has been deprived of the right to see his relatives.

"From the viewpoint of the criminal law, Alexander Arzumanian did
not commit a crime," H. Arsenian said. To recap, A. Arzumanian is
charged with money laundering.

WHICH GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS THAT THERE ARE POLITICAL PRISONERS IN THE COUNTRY?

A1+
26 June, 2007

Arman Babajanyan, editor-in-chief of "Zhamanak-Yerevan" newspaper
was detained a year ago.

He was sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment for fabricating documents
and avoiding military service.

Today representatives of legal NGOs, opposition parties and journalists
discussed the issue of political prisoner Arman Babajanyan. Nikolay
Baghdasaryan, lawyer of Arman Babajanyan says that the law on
alternative military service was denied to his defendant.

"There was a clear explanation that Mr Babajanyan was sick. Besides
he was ready to pay the fine", said Mr Baghdasaryan. According to the
RA General Prosecutor’s Office, 2067 people were given the opportunity
to pay the fine and not to be detained.

The lawyer tries to find out why the law referred to 2067 people
but not to Arman Babajanyan. Nikolay Baghdasaryan mentioned that the
international structures, particularly, the Freedom House mentioned
in its report that the punishment was too strict, while the US State
Department qualified him as a political prisoner.

The lawyer has applied to the European Court of Human Rights. "If
it turns out that the punishment was for being a journalist, Armenia
will suffer", said Mr Baghdasaryan.

Artak Zeinalian, member of the "Republic" party, pointed out that
Arman Babajanyan was chosen as a victim first and then recognized
guilty. Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman of Armenian Helsinki Committee,
agreed with that. "That was a preliminary alarm to punish a printed
media representative".

"Arman Babajanyan was persecuted. Why he? Because he was a
journalist. He was a free journalist. He was arrested by political
decision and will be released by political decision. He will
be detained again if no political decision is made", said David
Shahnazaryan, President of "Concorde" Centre.

By the way, reflecting on Tigran Tororsyan’s statement that there were
no political prisoners in Armenia, Avetik Ishkhanyan noted that no
government accepted that there were political prisoners in the country.

That is accepted only by the society and judicial persons.

TOP ARMENIAN, TURKISH DIPLOMATS HOLD RARE TALKS AT SUMMIT

Voice of America
June 25 2007

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has appealed to Turkey to
reopen the border between their countries as an essential first step
in healing historical disputes dividing them.

The Armenian minister issued his plea at talks with his Turkish
counterpart Abdullah Gul on the sidelines of the Black Sea economic
summit in Istanbul.

But Oskanyan said he could not detect any change in Turkey’s position.

Bilateral ties have been severely strained by Armenia’s claim that
its people suffered systematic genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks
during World War I – a contention repeatedly denied by Ankara.

Separately in 1993, Turkey shut its border with Armenia in a show
of support for ally Azerbaijan, because of its conflict with Armenia
over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people died in deportations
and systematic killings under the Ottoman Empire – the predecessor
to modern-day Turkey. Ankara has vehemently denied the accusations
and says 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil
strife during World War I.

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY DECLARES INVALID AGREEMENT ON LEASING AREA IN BOTANICAL GARDENS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 25 2007

YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. Yerevan Municipality declared invalid
the agreement on leasing area in the Botanical Gardens to the NGO
"Armenian Association of Agro-ecologists", said Deputy Director of
the Botanical Gardens Gohar Oganesova.

She said that the cause for annulling the agreement is the fundamental
construction in the territory of the Gardens expanded by the
Association.

"According to the agreement, on the area only small cottages can be
built to serve as studios for craftsmen to produce national souvenirs
for tourists, but in reality fundaments are being dug there for
many-storied buildings," Oganesova said.

She also added that the "Armenian Association of Agro-ecologists"
turned to the Economic Court of Armenia to reconsider the
Municipality’s decision, taking advantage of some inaccuracies in
the formulation of the agreement.

"We hope that the decision will not be reconsidered, otherwise the
Botanical Gardens will turn into a construction lot," Oganesova said.

The agreement between the Botanical Gardens and NGO "Armenian
Association of Agro-ecologists" was signed three years ago. According
to the agreement, 25 hectares in the territory of the Botanical
Gardens were leased for constructing small commercial facilities to
develop ethnic tourism.

CHAIRMAN BIDEN SUPPORTS NOBEL LAUREATES APPEAL

ArmRadio.am
19.06.2007 10:42

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, Jr. (D-DE),
commended the 53 Nobel Laureates who signed an appeal by the Elie
Wiesel Foundation for Humanity in support of "tolerance, contact
and cooperation between Turks and Armenians," reports the Armenian
Assembly of America.

Biden’s statement endorses the Laureates’ call for Turks and Armenians
to take steps to lift the blockade, generate confidence through
civil society cooperation, improve official contact and allow basic
freedoms. He also supports their call on Ankara to end all forms of
discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and repeal of
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

Shortly after Hrant Dink’s murder in January, Biden introduced
legislation, condemning the assassination of the Turkish-Armenian
journalist and honoring his legacy of tolerance and peaceful
change. The resolution, known as S. Res. 65, urges Turkey to
take appropriate action to protect freedom of speech by repealing
Article 301, which criminalizes public discussion on the Armenian
Genocide. S. Res. 65 also calls on Turkey to reestablish full
diplomatic, political and economic relations with Armenia.

"There is no question that Article 301 contributed to the toxic
political environment that led up to Mr. Dink’s assassination in
January," Biden explained in his statement.

Turning to the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Biden reiterated the
need for Turks and Armenians to address the "huge gap in perceptions"
that the Laureates identified. The Laureates called for further study
and dissemination of the International Center for Transitional Justice
(ICTJ) report which concluded that "the Events, viewed collectively,
can thus be said to include all of the elements of the crime of
genocide as defined in the Convention, and legal scholars as well
as historians, politicians, journalists and other people would be
justified in continuing to so describe them."

Biden noted that the independent legal study was corroborated by the
International Association of Genocide Scholars, which determined the
events constituted genocide and conform to the statutes of the United
Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

"The existence of these independent evaluations of the Armenian
Genocide and relevant international law should provide an opportunity
for both countries to accept the verdict of history and move forward,"
Biden stated.

"I hope that the words of these Nobel Laureates will encourage the
people of both nations to recognize and ultimately transcend the
legacy of the Armenian Genocide," Biden concluded. "Once this occurs,
I have every confidence that the people of Armenia and Turkey will
be able to rebuild the ties between their countries and forge a new,
enduring peace."

ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 17 2007

Breakaway republics form united stand on settling conflicts

17.06.2007, 12.55

CHISINAU, June 17 (Itar-Tass) – The foreign ministries of four
self-proclaimed states – the Dniester republic, Abkhazia, South
Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh – signed the Declaration on principles
of a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts in the territories of
Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Its text was circulated on
Sunday by the Foreign Ministry of the Dniester republic.

The document runs that conflicts should be settled only by peaceful
political means on the basis of respect for positions of all the
sides of a conflict and unconditional recognition of the right of
peoples to self-determination. It precludes the use of any forms of
pressure at negotiations, including military, information, economic,
diplomatic and other measures.

Its authors called for respecting the will of the peoples of
Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, the Dniester republic and South Ossetia,
which mapped out their way of development during supreme
manifestations of direct diplomacy – nation-wide referendums.

They also agreed to set up guarantee systems of a post-conflict
settlement, including outside, internationally-legal and economic
guarantees, as well as guarantees of security of peoples and
observance of human rights as well as to ensure clear-cut and
unconditional implementation by the sides in conflicts of assumed
obligations.

The conclusive part of the document expresses conviction that
`respect of these principles by all subjects of the international
community, including Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova, will create
adequate prerequisites for the earliest and just settlement of
conflicts and will be a common contribution to strengthening of
international stability and protection of human rights’.

Following the signing of the document, Dniester Foreign Minister
Valery Litskai noted that while the Kosovo problem would be discussed
at the UN, the CIS breakaway states would draft one more joint
statement which would be forwarded to the UN Security Council.

He expressed opinion that an inevitable gain by Kosovo of
independence would create a precedent for self-proclaimed post-Soviet
republics which look much more preferable, taking into account
maturity of their state institutions.

`We are 17 years old, while Kosovo is only seven. Kosovars are far
from international democratic standards so far. They are still to
hold elections and to form political institutions,’ Litskai noted.

GEORGIA TO START NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH FRENCH COMPANY

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
15 Jun 07

[Presenter] Georgian ambassador to France [Mamuka Kudava] has
confirmed Rustavi-2’s information on [plans to build] a nuclear
reactor in Georgia.

Mamuka Kudava said that the Georgian side will start cooperating
with the French AREVA company in the near future. Consultations will
also be held with experts who will be tasked to finalize appropriate
documentation required for resolving technical issues and starting
construction.

The Georgian parliament speaker [Nino Burjanadze] also commented on
this issue. Nino Burjanadze believes that the construction of a reactor
and cooperation with the AREVA company will be useful for both sides.

[Kudava, speaking in France] We discussed issues of bilateral
cooperation regarding prospects for a peaceful nuclear power station
and we agreed that this sphere is, of course, in our interests. The
president said this. We will start consultations at the expert level
in order to discuss various issues.

[Burjanadze, speaking in France] Cooperation with this organization
in this field is important for Georgia.

[Correspondent] In the energy sector? For peaceful purposes?

[Burjanadze] Of course. No one is going to use nuclear weapons or
create them. Naturally, it is only cooperation with peaceful purposes
that is being discussed.

[In a separate report in the same bulletin, Georgian Prime Minister
Zurab Noghaideli said in Tbilisi: "This depends not so much on us as
on Armenia.

You know that there is a nuclear reactor there. The replacement of
the old Armenian reactor with a new one is at issue. I would like
to repeat that what is being discussed today is whether it will be
in Armenia, in Georgia or whether it will exist at all. Whether the
old one will be replaced with the new one depends on what decision
Armenia will make. Therefore, it is too early to speak about where,
when, why and how it will exist and my advise is not to make a special
issue out of this now.]