Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

Interfax, Russia
Aug 29 2009

France extradites Armenian native to Russia on suspicion of crime

MOSCOW Aug 28

France is going to extradite Armenian native Karen Margarian to Russia
at the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office request.

Margarian is suspected of inflicting serious harm to a resident of the
Altai territory in 2000.

The investigation has determined that Margarian several times fired an
air rifle at a man and caused him numerous wounds in a village in the
Altai territory in December 2000, the Prosecutor General’s Office
website said.

Margarian was placed on the federal wanted list in November 2001 and
on the international wanted list in July 2007. He was detained in
France in August 2007.

France granted the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office request on
Margarian’s extradition in August 2009.

The Interpol National Central Bureau under the Russian Interior
Ministry told Interfax that Margarian would be delivered to Russia on
Friday.

This will be the 24th extradition to Russia in 2009 involving Russian
National Central Bureau officers, it said.

SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 22 IN PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN BORDER

Panorama.am
12:25 28/08/2009

About 22 are killed because of suicide bomber in Pakistan at a
checkpoint on the border with Afghanistan, foreign media reports. It
is said that the bomber approached on foot as guards were breaking
their Ramadan fast.

The blast was the first major attack since the killing of the Taliban
leader Baitullah Mehsud earlier this month.

MARKETING INITIATIVES INCREASED DEMAND FOR VIMPELCOM OJSC’S SERVICES

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.08.2009 19:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Marketing initiatives in the second quarter of the
current year increased demand for ArmenTel OJSC’s services (trade mark:
Beeline), Dmitry Pleskonos, VimpelCom’s Executive Vice President on
Business Development in CIS, said during a TV bridge devoted to the
company’s financial and operational results. The Company (ArmenTel
CJSC) was active enough in proposing market initiatives which "have
high demand among our clients," Pleskonos said, adding that "APRU
(average revenue per user) has increased to 10%,".

Among marketing initiatives, Pleskonos touched upon the introduction
of 3G system, stressing that the video calls, more than half a million
in number, were registered during the second quarter.

Fixed and mobile connection indexes are symmetric, Executive Director
said, noting that their profitability level exceeded 50%. Besides,
there has been a growth in local currency receipt which made up 7%
during the second quarter.

EUROPEAN ELECTORAL CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN

Aysor
Aug 28 2009
Armenia

On September 3-5 in Yerevan will take place the annual 18th conference
of the association of the European Electoral authorities called "Court
Defense of Electoral Rights", – today during the conference Garegin
Azaryan, the RA Chair of the Central Electoral Commission, informed.

According to the speaker around 150 representatives of different
international organizations of 30 countries will participate in
the conference.

"In the frameworks of the conference discussions on "the role of the
courts in electoral processes", "the mechanisms of resuming the active
electoral rights and court defenses", "the international experience
of using sociology in electoral processes" will be held", – mentioned
the Chair of the Central Electoral Commission adding that there will
be organized an exhibition of electoral equipments and services during
those days.

The organizers of the conference are the Central Electoral Commission
and the Association of the European Electoral Authorities, by the
support of the OSCE Yerevan office and the Yerevan branch of the
"IFES".

WEBSITE CREATED TO ASSIST DISABLED PEOPLE IN FINDING JOBS

ARMENPRESS
Aug 27, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: A website has
been created with the support of "Unison" NGO and "Support Fund" of
Open Society Institute for supporting disabled people in finding jobs.

Executive Director of the "Unison" Armen Alaverdyan told journalists
that functional advices have been placed in the site which helps
to search for job, prepare for job interview, form a resume. Brief
analysis of legal acts regulating the sphere, the opportunities of
professional education of people with disabilities and their job
privileges are given in relevant chapters.

According to A. Alaverdyan, though 150 000 out of 170 000 people
with disabilities are workable, only 8 percent of them are ensured
with work. The site will assist many of the above-mentioned people to
find job corresponding to their standards. It will assist employers
as well to find candidates corresponding to their requirements.

The series of the information lists dedicated to different spheres –
educational, health care, service, life allowance, competence, and
published by the organization has been presented.

GENOCIDE VICTIMS LOSE COURT CASE
By Christopher Cadelago

Glendale News Press
09/08/25/politics/gnp-courtreact082509.txt
Aug 25 2009
CA

Two of three judges vote to nullify state law giving heirs the right
to sue for unpaid benefits.

DOWNTOWN — A state law allowing heirs of victims of the Armenian
genocide to sue in state courts for unpaid insurance benefits was
deemed unconstitutional last week by a federal appeals court, setting
off a wave of local reaction.

A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on
Thursday nullified the state law that allowed descendants of Armenian
genocide victims killed by the Ottoman Empire to request payment on
the life-insurance policies of relatives.

The panel said in its 2-1 decision that the law amounted to
unconstitutional interfering in U.S. foreign policy. The same panel
one day prior used similar reasoning to strike down a state law meant
to aid the inheritors of artwork allegedly stolen by Nazis. Both
of the laws extended the statute of limitations to file claims to
Dec. 31, 2010.

Thursday’s decision was based on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling
that invalidated a state law designed to help Holocaust survivors
collect on World War II-era insurance policies.

Three times Congress has considered resolutions in the last decade
that would have provided recognition of the Armenian Genocide. But the
White House each time urged that the bills be foiled, fearing that
their passage would damage relations with Turkey, whose government
denies that a genocide took place.

"Our position is it’s not just a stretch, it’s bordering on ludicrous,"
said Brian S. Kabateck, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the
plaintiffs, and whose maternal grandparents died in the genocide. "I
think these judges — the two judges that ruled against us — saw
it wrong."

Prior Armenian genocide cases yielded significant agreements, including
a 2004 settlement in which New York Life Insurance Co. agreed to pay
$20 million and a 2005 settlement in which AXA S.A. agreed to pay
$17 million.

Armenian descendants last year filed a class-action against Aviva PLC,
a British firm, and another suit is pending against Deutsche Bank.

Glendale priest Vazken Movsesian of St. Peter Armenian Church —
joined by the thousands of Armenians whose relatives were among the
1.5 million killed between 1915 and 1923 — filed their case six years
ago. The group sought a settlement of claims under policies issued by
German insurers Victoria Versicherung and Ergo Versicherungsgruppe,
as well as parent company Munchener Ruckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG.

The plaintiffs scored a partial victory two years ago when
U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder said the law passed in 2000
by the California Legislature gave the descendants standing to sue.

The appellate court, however, reversed that decision.

"The federal government has made a conscious decision not to apply
the politically charged label of ‘genocide’ to the deaths of these
Armenians during World War I," said Judge David R. Thompson, who
wrote the majority opinion in Thursday’s rulings. "Whether or not
California agrees with this decision, it may not contradict it."

Neil Soltman, lawyer for one of the insurance companies, maintains the
ruling was consistent with past decisions overturning state efforts
to adopt legislation that interferes with the national government’s
foreign policy.

Because the ruling does not apply retroactively, none of the California
residents paid as part of earlier settlements must refund the money.

Genocide of Armenians during World War I has yet to be recognized
by the federal government, despite recognition by 42 states. The
Turkish government has made no official objection to any of the
states’ resolutions.

Rep. Adam Schiff, who as an assemblyman co-wrote the overturned
law, said he found the court’s reasoning perplexing. "It’s very,
very peculiar logic," he said. "I was very distressed to read the
opinion, and I think it’s an awful result." Kabateck, who indicated
he would appeal, said there is no conflict between the state law and
federal policy.

Local members of the Armenian community expressed dismay.

"The state has the right to reflect the will of its citizens, and in
this case it has already reflected that with laws that were passed,"
said Zanku Armenian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee
Glendale chapter. "A crime was committed back in 1915. What we are
trying to do is make sure that the U.S. government does not outsource
its foreign policy to a foreign government, in this case, Turkey. The
judges’ decisions in essence make the same mistake as the president
and the State Department."

The panel Thursday said the issue was defined by George W. Bush and
Bill Clinton when they warned that recognizing the Armenian Genocide
would damage U.S.-Turkey relations.

President Obama, who on the campaign trail said the nation deserves
"a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide," stopped
short of using the term during a trip to Turkey in April and has not
taken a position on the court case.

"Clearly there was political pressure brought on these judges to
rule the way they did," Armenian said. "If the U.S. says ‘enough,’
what’s going to happen? The Turkish denial machine would crumble;
it would force them to start dealing with the truth."

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
August 25, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA CITES PRESIDENT OBAMA’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR COURT
RULING AGAINST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-ERA CLAIMS

"You bear direct responsibility, Mr. President, by virtue of your
failure to keep your repeated, crystal clear pledges to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, for the Court’s judgment that it is the
official policy of the Executive Branch of the United States
government to actively oppose proper recognition of this crime and,
upon this basis, to thus prohibit states from passing laws to help
Armenian Genocide-era victims seek to reclaim lost or stolen
property." — ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian

WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Chairman Ken Hachikian today called on President Barack Obama to
reject a misguided federal appeals court decision striking down a
California law to allow for the return of Armenian Genocide-era
assets, and encouraged him to immediately and publicly affirm that
it is not the "express federal policy" of the United States, as the
court argued, to prohibit the recognition of this crime by the
Congress or the states.

The letter follows a August 20th flawed ruling of a three judge
panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the
case of Movsesian v. Versicherung A.G. (No. 07-56722), that struck
down a California law providing remedies for Armenian Genocide-era
wrongs. The ruling contended that state level recognition of this
crime contradicts "express federal policy" and is therefore
unconstitutional.

"You bear direct responsibility, Mr. President, by virtue of your
failure to keep your repeated, crystal clear pledges to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, for the Court’s judgment that it is the
official policy of the Executive Branch of the United States
government to actively oppose proper recognition of this crime and,
upon this basis, to thus prohibit states from passing laws to help
Armenian Genocide-era victims seek to reclaim lost or stolen
property," said Hachikian in an August 25th letter to President
Obama.

Hachikian’s letter to President Obama also noted that the ANCA’s and
Armenian American community’s frustration is not limited solely to
his broken promise related to Armenian Genocide recognition, but
also extends to " your White House’s use of Turkey’s cynically-
inspired ‘roadmap’ to defer U.S. recognition, and your State
Department’s shameless pressure on Armenia to accept the artificial
‘historical commission’ that Ankara has long advanced to prevent
the proper recognition of thisvcrime."

The California Legislature passed a law in 2000 giving heirs of
those who died or fled to avoid Armenian Genocide-era persecution
until the end of 2010 to file claims for old bank accounts and life
insurance policies. European banks and insurers are said to have
retained assets valued in 1915 at about $15 million, a sum worth
substantially more in today’s dollars. Class-action lawsuits
brought by Armenian descendants in California and other states led
to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in
2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life
insurer AXA.

As a candidate, President Obama issued a series of statements
pledging to recognize the Armenian Genocide. In an early campaign
statement, issued on January 19, 2008, then-Senator Obama stated
"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian
Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be
that President." Just three days prior to his election, his
campaign issued yet another statement noting "Barack Obama strongly
supports passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and
S.Res.106) and will recognize the Armenian Genocide." A complete
background on President Obama’s past support for Armenian Genocide
recognition can be viewed at:
_Genocide.pdf

Following his election, President Obama, while stating that his
personal views have not changed on the matter, broke his repeated
campaign promises by failing to properly characterize the Armenian
Genocide in his April 24th annual commemorative statement.

The complete text of the ANCA’s letter to President Obama follows.

#####

TEXT OF ANCA LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

August 25, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to urge you to take immediate steps to publicly reject
the flawed ruling of a three judge panel of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the case of Movsesian v.
Versicherung A.G. (No. 07-56722, August 20, 2009), that struck down
a California law providing remedies for Armenian Genocide-era
wrongs, and argued that state level recognition of this crime
contradicts "express federal policy" and is therefore
unconstitutional.

You bear direct responsibility, Mr. President, by virtue of your
failure to keep your repeated, crystal clear pledges to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, for the Court’s judgment that it is the
official policy of the Executive Branch of the United States
government to actively oppose proper recognition of this crime and,
upon this basis, to thus prohibit states from passing laws to help
Armenian Genocide-era victims seek to reclaim lost or stolen
property. The Court’s interpretation of your broken promise marks
an unmistakable and historic low in our government’s long
complicity in Turkey’s campaign of genocide denial.

As you know, over 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives and, of
course, many more were deprived of their property as a result of
the Ottoman Turkish government’s systematic and deliberate campaign
of race extermination. It is particularly tragic, given the
thorough understanding that you have articulated regarding the
moral, historical, and political meaning of this crime, that, it is
under your leadership that the United States government is today
not only engaged in complicity in genocide denial, but also,
according to a judicial ruling, actively working to ensure that the
remaining survivors and their families are denied avenues to seek
to reclaim property lost during these massacres.

Your Administration’s policies, as understood and affirmed by the
Court, in addition to blocking legal redress for U.S. citizens,
have now opened the door – in unprecedented and profoundly
dangerous ways – for interests aligned with the Turkish government
to seek to roll back several generations of American civil society
efforts to mark this tragedy, including through formal recognition
by 42 U.S. states. As such, we once again urge you to publicly
reject the Court’s interpretation of your Administration’s position
and call upon you to honor your covenant with American voters to
properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In closing, I would like to stress to you, once again, how broadly
and profoundly disappointing your failure to honor your many
commitments on issues of special concern to Armenian American
citizens has been for the ANCA, a grassroots organization that,
based upon your track record and series of publicly stated
commitments, enthusiastically endorsed your candidacy and
successfully mobilized an unprecedented community drive to help
secure your election. In the wake of your many broken campaign
commitments, your silence in the face of this profoundly misguided
judicial action would compound the Armenian American community’s
sense of betrayal regarding your Administration’s behind the scenes
efforts to block adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, your
White House’s use of Turkey’s cynically-inspired "roadmap" to defer
U.S. recognition, and your State Department’s shameless pressure on
Armenia to accept the artificial "historical commission" that
Ankara has long advanced to prevent the proper recognition of this
crime.

We remain ready, as we have shared with you on a number of past
occasions, to meet with you to discuss these matters personally and
in greater detail.

[signed]
Kenneth V. Hachikian
Chairman

TURKEY AIMS TO STRENGTHEN ITS POSITIONS IN SOUTH CAUCASUS THROUGH ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.08.2009 18:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It’s wrong to link the entire Armenian-Turkish
process with the issue whether or not Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan will leave for Turkey to watch return football match, RA NAS
Oriental Studies Institute Director, Turkish studies specialist Ruben
Safrsastyan told a news conference in Yerevan. "I think Turkish side
has already made a decision to at least open the border. By signing
the "road map", Ankara proved it has refused its previous policy in
relation to Armenia," the speaker noted.

Following the August war, Turkey weakened its positions in the region,
while Moscow strengthened its influence, Safrastyan finds. "And
now, Turkey aims to strengthen its positions in South Caucasus
through Armenia. But in the meantime, Turkish diplomacy resorts
to different methods to impose concessions on Yerevan in Karabakh
conflict settlement and Armenian Genocide recognition processes,"
Professor noted.

In that regard, he found Armenian President’s recent statement too
abrupt. "I don’t think Turks will immediately agree to open border,"
he said.

News.am

Azeri insurance market dilapidated
14:22 / 08/22/2009

As a result of global crisis Azeri insurance sector slumped,
Zerkalo.az reports.
In H1 2009 collections totaled to 79 890 330 manat, that is 18.38%
less, compared to H1 2008 (97 877 150 manat).
The report says in H1 2009, life insurance collection dropped 2.6
times compared to last year. Life insurance benefits per capita made
0.5% having dropped from 1.06% as of H1 2008.
Car insurance companies reported the largest negative profit.
The economic recession proved Azeri insurance market dependent on
banking sector, that however suffered least.
The reduction of car loan allowances by commercial banks caused
insurance market dilapidation. Vehicle insurance collections downfall
in H1 2009 was set at 14 821 210 manat, that is twice as much as of H1
2008. It reduced vehicle insurance share from 30.26% to 18.52% as of
H1 2009.

RIA Oreanda, Russia
Aug 13 2009

President Sargsyan Conducted Working Visit to Jermuk

Jermuk. OREANDA-NEWS . On August 08-09, 2009 President Serzh Sargsyan
conducted a working visit to Jermuk, reported the Official website
president.am.

At the meeting with the leadership of the region and the town, the
President discussed issues pertaining to the implementation of the
decisions adopted during the last year meetings, when Jermuk was
designated a center for recreation and tourism activities. In
particular, the Deputy Minister for Urban Development, Chief Architect
Narek Sarkissian presented to the President of Armenia the blueprint
of priority construction on the territory of the Jermuk airport, which
is currently inoperative, as well as the outline of the hotel compound
with the recreational SPA center to be constructed in Jermuk town.

The territory of the inoperative airport and the adjoining 120
hectares of land will be used to build the relaxation and
entertainment areas, tourism, lodging, and administrative facilities,
residential area, variety of structures, and a cultural compound,
which will include the chess center and winter sport facilities. This
project is developed based on the government decision of September 18,
2008, according to which Jermuk will become a recreational center,
center of winter sport activities and tourism, venue for international
chess tournaments, as well as the campground for different
pan-Armenian and international youth gatherings. Development works of
the project are to be concluded in September, 2009.

The Chief Architect informed President Sargsyan that the construction
of the hotel compound with the recreational SPA center has already
started and would be concluded in 2011. Investments into the compound
total 15mln USD.

The President of Armenia also examined the outline of the new
transportation hub, which is to be built at the entry to the town for
traffic safety, and the automobile road.

Serzh Sargsyan visited also the Jermuk air tram station and observed
the development works on its territory.

Accompanied by the President of FIDE, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who is in
Jermuk for the opening of the FIDE Grand Prix Jermuk-2009 tournament,
Serzh Sargsyan made a trial trip on the air tram.

President Sargsyan met also with the winners of the Armenian Knight
telegame, members of the team from Jermuk secondary school N.1. Serzh
Sargsyan congratulated the kids and said that he was delighted with
their love for knowledge and the beautiful victory. The President
noted that these examples are important for the schoolchildren and
would help them to appreciate the importance of solid knowledge for
studying well and finding their place in life.

Members of the team told President Sargsyan about their feelings and
impressions of the game and about their experience of being received
as little heroes in their home town.

The President of Armenia wished the kids, who later that afternoon
would be heading for historical Western Armenia, a nice trip, noting
that that trip was a unique opportunity to augment their knowledge of
the Armenian history.

On behalf of the President of Armenia and Pyunik Foundation the kids
were presented with the notebooks.