Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

TURKEY: TEENAGER ADMITS KILLING JOURNALIST
By Sebnem Arsu

The New York Times
Late Edition – Final
October 2, 2007 Tuesday

A 17-year-old accused in the shooting death in January of Hrant Dink,
a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist, admitted killing him at his
trial in Ankara but expressed remorse and said he had been under
the influence of the drug Ecstasy. The defendant, Ogun Samast, an
unemployed high school dropout, also said he had been coerced by one
of his co-defendants. He ended his testimony saying that he would
not have killed Mr. Dink if he had known that the journalist had a
family. Mr. Dink’s widow, daughter and brother were in the courtroom.

A total of 18 suspects are on trial for the killing. The judge
scheduled the next hearing for Feb. 11.

STEPAN SAFARYAN TO DEPART FOR BAKU

A1+
[08:20 pm] 01 October, 2007

The Armenian parliamentary delegation leaves for Baku October 2 to
participate at the cultural, scientific and educational sitting of
the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Parliamentary Assembly.

The Armenian delegation is comprised of one member – Heritage Party
member Stepan Safaryan.

Safaryan could be escorted by a secretary. According to RA NA Speaker
Tigran Torosyan, secretaries accompany heads of commissions and
delegations. The Azeri side has guaranteed Safaryan’s security.

Stepan Safaryan will be back on October 9.

VACCINATIONS OFFERED

Panorama.am
19:52 29/09/2007

Ministry of Health officials answered panorama.am about the "Everybody
protected" declaration about measles and chicken pox. According
to Suren Krmoyan, of the ministry, the vaccinations against these
diseases also protect against swelling, problems in pregnancy,
serious blood diseases (such as hemophilia), and temperatures ove
39.5 C. The official says the vaccination does not put a stop to
a pregnancy, There are also vaccinations that work on a temporary
basis. For diseases that flare up dangerously, these vaccinations
are not suggested. For those with issues concerning blood plasma,
a 3-month waiting period is suggested. The minister said that these
vaccinations have been approved by the health ministry. From October
1-13, all from ages 6-27 are suggested to vaccinate against measles
and chicken pox. As everything is certificated, there is nothing to
fear in the realm of error. The last meales outbreak in Armenia was in
2004-2005, in which 4,064 children became ill. According to statistics,
350 thousand children die worldwide of the disease every year.

A1+

`ARMENTEL’ DEPRIVED OF MONOPOLY
[06:32 pm] 28 September, 2007

The August 24 decision of the Commission for Regulating Public
Services (CRPS) annulling ArmenTel’s exclusive rights to monopoly goes
into effect on October 1.

According to CRPS member Samvel Arabajyan, ArmenTel has been
cooperating with the commission throughout the whole procedure and
they have managed to overcome the main discords.

We are confident that new telephone companies providing additional
services will soon emerge at markets, Samvel Arabajyan told A1+. This
refers to companies offering audio services.

It is due to mention that the order of licence granting has been
simplified. It implies that companies are automatically granted
licences within 3-5 days after submitting applications.

ArmenTel took the CRPS decision quite calmly. According to ArmenTel’s
press secretary Hasmik Chutilyan ArmenTel had formerly come up with
the proposal. `WE are ready to competition,’ she said.

To A1+’s question whether they see strong rivals at the market, Hasmik
Chutilyan said, `ArmenTel has enjoyed monopoly for a long time. Is
there any company having such a great network?’

According to Hasmik Chutilyan ArmenTel will not be subjected to
financial and military changes. While Samvel Arabajyan states that
great changes are foreseen in the local and international
communication which will provide fair and healthy competition.

Panorama.am

13:59 29/09/2007

ARONYAN AMONG BEST FIVE

Armenian chess master and Olympic champion Levon Aronyan closes the
first best 5 places in world chess championship in Mexico. The
Armenian chess player played draw with Swidler. Armenian chess
federation official web portal informs that positive result was
recorded only in Leko-Morozevish game in the 13th round with Leko
scoring 1 point. Thus, Vishvanatan Anand is heading the championship
with 8.5 points, followed by Boris Gelfan (7.5 points) and Vladimir
Kramnik (7 points). Levon Aronyan is ahead of Leko with his 6.5
points. Grishchuk, Swidler and Morozevich close the contest list with
5.5 points. There is still one more round to end the championship.

Source: Panorama.am

demaz.org, Azerbaijan
Sept 29 2007

Former US Secretaries of State Against `Genocide of Armenians’
29.09.2007

September 25, former US Secretaries of State – Madlene Albright,
James Baker, Warren Chistopher, Laurence Iglberger, Alexander Hage,
Henry Kissinger, Collin Powel and George Shultz applied in written to
the speaker of US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelocy, with advice
not to put to vote 106 resolution on `genocide of Armenians’.
Former heads of the Department of State are concerned about jeopardy
American interests on US national security in the region may face in
case of adoption of resolution, including troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan, entailing damage of efforts on normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations.
We should remind that author of 106 resolution on genocide of
Armenians is congressman from California, Adam Shiff. Resolution is
high on the agenda of the US House of Representatives, January 30,
2007. Currently 226 congressmen support it. Similar draft law was
presented to US Senate by assistant of leader of Senate majority,
senator, Dick Durbin. 32 senators support the document.

Rizvan Huseinov

AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO HAVE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS IN NEW YORK

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2007

"I will not meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
during my visit to New York. This meeting has not been included into
the visit schedule," Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told
journalists, APA reports.

The minister said that the visit schedule only includes meeting with
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

"The co-chairs will inform me about the agreement reached at the
meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister," he said.

Vardan Oskanyan will leave for New York to attend the 62nd session
of the UN General Assembly.

He is planned to make speech in the framework of common discussions
on October 3.

RALLY AGAINST TURKEY’S EU BID TO BE HELD IN BRUSSELS DECEMBER 14

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.09.2007 15:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The head of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Western Bureau
Mourad Papazian called on all Armenians to mobilize against Turkey’s
entry to Europe, independent French journalist Jean Eckian told
PanARMENIAN.Net.

"State policy of negation and genocide has no place in Europe. We will
gather December 14 in Brussels when 27 heads of state and government
will meet to consider Turkey’s bid," Mr Papazian said.

"There will be many of us and we will be vigilant. We will not let
Turkey carry out the play," he said.

SIMMONS ARRIVING IN ARMENIA

A1+
[01:08 pm] 24 September, 2007

Robert Simmons, the Special Representative of the NATO Secretary
General for South Caucasus is arriving in Armenia on September 24 on
a two-day working visit.

Issues related to the execution of the Armenia-NATO Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), Armenia-NATO partnership, Armenia’s
engagement into the NATO’s peacekeeping missions will be discussed
during the meeting with RA senior officials.

A1+

WHAT IS THE USE OF INDEPENDENCE?
[08:14 pm] 21 September, 2007

What is the use of independence? Did Armenians gain anything of it?
A1+ attempted to find the answer to these questions from our
compatriots. Almost all people surveyed (86) gave the same answer:
independence is a two-fold phenomenon.

`On the one hand Armenia has become a free and independent
country. And yet, independence also has its negative sides, there are
many homeless, unemployed and hungry people in the streets,’
bookseller Sahak said.

44-year-old Aram also pointed out the positive and negative sides of
independence. `Today each person is the master of his life, he can do
whatever he wishes, but it leads to a chaos.’

Some of the respondents complained of the lack of well-paid jobs in
the country. `In the Soviet times you could hardly find an idle man,
everyone was forced to work. Today people want to work but they cannot
find normal jobs, salaries are very low,’ 51-year-old Garnik said.

55-year-old driver Karapet complained of the rise in prices. `We can
go nowhere to rest in summer. In the past we used to go to the Black
Sea with our family while today we cannot even afford a few-day rest
in the Sevan.’

`Once people had permanent jobs and were paid regularly as they worked
for the country. Today people work for manufacturers who can dismiss
them whenever they want,’ said Anahit.

Surely, independence has its positive sides. For example today’s youth
is freer and happier.

It is noteworthy that the youth think independence is a great
achievement for the country. They believe that tomorrow will be better
than today. `Why should people miss the Soviet period? I don’t
understand them. They even feared to spend the money they
earned. Everything was controlled and people were suppressed,’ said
33-year-old Ruzanna.