Author: Tambiyan Samvel

5778.8 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID BROUGHT TO ARMENIA IN 2006

Noyan Tapan
Feb 21 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. 5778.8 tons of goods of the total
cost of 53.6 mln U.S. dollars were brought to Armenia in 2006, as
humanitarian aid.

6852.5 tons of goods of the total cost of 40.7 mln dollars were
brought in 2005. According to data of the RA National Statistical
Service, production of chemistry and industrial branches connected
with it made 40.2% of the assistance got the last year, devices and
apparatuses made 23.6%, textiles made 7.2%, machines, equipments and
mechanisms made 6.5%.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMISSIONER ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO MESKHET TURKS’ RETURN TO GEORGIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Feb 21 2007

AKHALKALAK, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Thomas
Hammerberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights,
summing up his visit paid to Georgia, reminded that Georgia must
solve the issue of Meskhet Turks’ return, Javakhk-Info states.

"Georgia, when joining the Council of Europe, undertook a clear
condition which relates to Mohammedan Meskhets. The Georgian Government
promised that Meskhets, who were expeled from Georgia in 40s of the
20th century, will be given possibility to return their country,"
the Commissioner for Human Rights stated.

In his words, the Georgian Government prepared a draft connected
with the problem which has not been presented to the Parliament’s
adoption yet. "During my visit to Georgia I arose an issue that the
time to adopt the law and start works in that direction has already
come," T.Hammarberg said, at the same time mentioning that "there is
some fear in the ruling circles of Georgia that some problems will
arise between Mohammedan Meskhets returned the country and the local
population." He mentioned that in the case of arising similar problems,
it is necessary to inform the population of the region that Meskhets
once lived in this country, they were then expeled by force and they
have complete right to return and again live on their land.

Responding the journalists’ question how the Council of Europe
Commissioner estimates the issue that some obligations undertaken by
Georgia before the EU were not implemented, Hammerberg noticed that
"no government exists which would fully satisfy the standards demanded
within the framework of the Council of Europe." "From the viewpoint
of implementation of the obligations before the EU, there are some
problems in all the governments," Hammerberg stated.

ARMENIAN TDA TO BOOST COOPERATION WITH ITALY TOURIST FIRMS

ANSA English Corporate News Service
February 21, 2007 Wednesday

(ANSA) – Venezia, February 21 – Armenian Tourist Development Agency
(ATDA) will launch a promotion campaign to boost the cooperation
between Italian and Armenian tourist companies during the 2007 edition
of the International Tourism Exchange BIT, to run in Milan, northern
Italy, from February 22 to 25, 2007.

The Italian tourism sector offers a lot of opportunities to Armenian
companies, ATDA said. ATDA’s promotion campaign will also target
to boost the information cooperation between tour operators in the
two countries.

ATDA and six Armenian tour operators will take part in the 2007 edition
of BIT. On February 23, 2007 ATDA will present its new promotion
plan at a news conference in the framework of the fair. The Armenian
representatives will offer traditional food and beverages to visitors
and operators.

ATDA will also take part in the international tourism fair Globe,
which is will take place from March 22 to 25, 2007 in Rome.

GAGIK MKHEYAN DECIDES TO LEAVE ORINATS YERKIR PARTY

Noyan Tapan
Feb 20 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. One more member of National
Assembly Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) faction will leave the
faction soon. As faction member Gagik Mkheyan informed journalists
on February 20, he has handed in an application on leaving the party
and the parliamentary faction. He did not specify whether he is going
to join any other party soon.

To recap, according to some publications in press, G. Mkheyan, as
well as member of the same party and faction Gagik Avetian will be
soon included in the preelection proportional list of People’s Party
headed by Tigran Karapetian.

In response to Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, G. Avetian
categorically refuted this rumor assuring that he is not going to
leave OYP.

AMBASSADORS, COMMERCIAL ATTACHES VISIT IRAN’S QESHM FTZ

Asia Pulse
Published: Feb 20, 2007

QESHM ISLAND, Hormuzgan prov, Feb 20 Asia Pulse – Ambassadors and
commercial attaches from 10 foreign countries on Sunday visited
industrial, transit and tourism facilities in Qeshm Free Trade Zone.

According to the Public Relation Department of Qeshm FTZ, managing
director of the organization, addressing the representatives, said that
the 20-Year Outlook Plan and the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan
(2005-2010) underline expansion of international exchanges through
free trade zones.

Mohammad Asghari added that special strategic priority of FTZs
including Qeshm is that they lie along the North-South corridor
and near international waterway, therefore, have proper transit and
industrial facilities to expand international exchanges.

Pointing to the infrastructures of the island to develop economic
and international links, he added that given the abundant oil nd gas
reserves in Qeshm and its villages, the region will become one of
important hubs of oil and gas industry of the country.

Oil ministry and private sector are cooperating in the construction
project of transferring crude oil from Qeshm to Bandar Abbas, he said,
adding that private sector will obtain the ministry’s permission
to establish a gas refinery and oil refinery with the capacity of
120,000 and 160,000 bpd respectively.

Development of Qeshm International Airport was implemented at a cost
of more than US$84 million under a finance deal, and will come on
stream soon, he noted.

Pointing to industrial, productive and tourist potentials in Qeshm,
he expressed the organization’s readiness to attract domestic and
foreign investments, in particular in private sector through the
participant ambassadors.

German Ambassador to Iran Hubert Honsowitz, for his part said that tax
exemption, lower costs in customs offices and facilitating entrance
and exit of foreign investors into and from Qeshm island are among
the benefits of such FTZs to attract foreign investments.

A European delegation will visit Iran soon, he said, noting, "We will
provide them with appropriate information in this respect." Joint
working groups will be established to expand commercial and trade
exchanges between Qeshm FTZ and the foreign representatives to pave
the grounds for attracting investments.

Ambassadors and businesspersons from Germany, China, Brazil, South
Africa, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan
and Armenia visited various projects in Qeshm FTZ.

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: IT IS DIFFICULT FOR EMPIRES TO BEG PARDON

ArmRadio.am
19.02.2007 17:58

It is always difficult for an empire to beg pardon, and it is
particularly the case when the question refers to Eastern empires,
RA President Robert Kocharyan declare din an interview with "Le
Figaro" newspaper, responding to the question about the possibility
of improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations after the assassination
of Hrant Dink, the editor of Agos daily.

"There are different opinions, but I think this murder will have no
influence after the first shock. The problem is much deeper and derives
from the history of the Turkish people," Robert Kocharyan noted.

Turning to the stance of France on penalizing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide, Robert Kocharyan first expressed gratitude to France
for the bill recognizing the Armenian Genocide. "I know that attempts
are being made to go further. These are not our initiatives, but rather
the result of efforts of the Armenian Diaspora. This is an internal
political question of France. But, of course, Armenia agrees with
all that refers to the Armenian Genocide," said the Armenian President.

ISSUES OF COORDINATION OF SOME SECTORS OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER TO BE DISCUSSED IN TBILISI

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Feb 19 2007

February 19-21 a meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Commission on the
Armenian-Georgian State Border Demarcation and Delimitation – RA Deputy
FM Gegham Gharibjanian and Georgia’s Deputy FM Georgy Manjgaladze –
will be held in Tbilisi.

According to the information DE FACTO got at the RA MFA Press Service,
the Co-Chairs will discuss the issues referring to the coordination
of some sectors of the Armenian-Georgian state border.

IN S. DEMIRCHIAN’S WORDS, FORMATION OF ALLIANCE IS NOT END IN ITSELF, EFFICIENCY OF UNIFICTION IS IMPORTANT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 19 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The People’s Party of Armenia
inclines to alone participate in the coming parliamentary elections but
it did not make a final decision yet. PPA Chairman Stepan Demirchian
stated about it in the February 17 interview to journalists. He
mentioned that the PPA newly elected board will make the decision on
the format of participation in the elections, the proportional list
of the party and majoritarian candidates. S.Demirchian mentioned that
consultations among opposing political forces are still in process
and will continue, but he does not consider correct to speak about
them during the negotiations. He emphasized that not all of the
rumours concerning the contents of the negotiatios being put in the
circulation correspond to the reality. In his words, there is no
use of "amorphous" alliances, formation of an alliance is not end
in itself and one must take into consideration the efficiency of a
similar unification. "In all cases we shall be ready to cooperate
with our partners of the opposing field in the name of free and
fear elections," the PPA Chairman assured. Particularly, the party
positively relates to the proposal to create a coordinating group
to secure legality of the elections. The PPA Chairman reminded that
though during the 2003 elections the party had no members in the
electoral commissions, but the confidants selflessly struggled. "We
have always struggled and will struggle against falsifications, but it
is not a deed of one party. Everybody speaks now about free and fear
elections, including the authorities, but one may not secure free and
fear elections by statements," Demirchian mentioned. In his opinion,
it is necessary to create an atmosphere of intolerance in the country
against illegalities and falsifications. Touching upon nomination of
opposing leaders in all the 41 electoral districts by the majoritarian
electoral system, Demirchian mentioned that the idea was correct, but
it will give maximal result "if everybody really participates." In
his words, it is not obligatory that a candidate is a party head,
" the important one is that he is a powerful candidate."

The PPA Chairman considered absurd the accusations of the party’s
being a "mine" in the opposing field. In his words, the party has
always been a uniting force, the evidence of what is formation of the
"Miasnutiun" (Unity) and "Ardaroutiun" (Justice) blocs. "Unification
of 9 parties in the "Ardaroutiun" bloc was unprecedented, only PPA
was able to do it," the party Chairman stated.

The Times (London)
February 16, 2007, Friday

The Times has received a slew of e-mails from angry Turks

The Times has received a slew of e-mails from angry Turks, who are in
fact complaining about Time magazine. On its February 12 issue Time
issued a documentary DVD about the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in its
European edition an act that has prompted an e-mail campaign alleging
that Time’s action has "distorted the truth". Presumably Time itself
has received more complaints.

FORMER CHIEF OF NA LEGAL SERVICE PRESENTS REJECTION TO JUDGE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 14 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Examination of the case of Suren
Mamikonian, the former head of the RA National Assembly Legal Service,
a member of the "Orinats Yerkir" (Country of Law) party, continued
at the Court of 1st Instance of the communities of Kentron and
Nork-Marash, Yerevan, on February 12.

The claimant disputes NA staff head Hayk Kotanian’s notification
concerning discharging about 40 state servicemen, including him as
well. S.Mamikonian demands from the court to recognize invalid the
official’s act contradicting the law. The claimant presented mediation
at the court session by which the size of demands of the appeal is
added. Taking into consideration that NA Speaker Tigran Torosian’s
31.07.2006 decree on making changes in the RA staff structure became a
basis for the notification being disputed, the claimant demanded from
the court to recognize invalid the NA Speaker’s above-mentioned decree
as well. The court, presided by judge Samvel Tadevosian, refused the
mediation with motivation of NA Speaker’s not being involved in the
case as a side. In the judge’s words, the issue may be discussed within
the framework of other case, in the case of presenting a new claim
to the court. Indignant with that decision, S.Mamikonian presented
rejection to the judge. "I think that the court has been from the
beginning inhibited with the issue of involving the RA NA Speaker
in the case examination and, probably, it is under state pressure
in that sense. The process of the case examination proves this,"
is said in the rejection appeal. The court session was stopped to
discuss S.Mamikonian’s rejection.