Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

Panorama.am

21:22 05/12/2007

ARMENIAN WOMEN PRESENCE IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE INSUFFICIENT

Today a research presentation conducted by OSCE in Kapan: the problem
is that the participation of the Armenian women in social and economic
life of the country is not sufficient. The research results showed
that the important parts in social and political spheres are governed
by the male part, and they make the final conclusions.

According to the survey, the women in villages are not aware of their
rights and they do not have enough resources to take active parts in
the social and economic life of the country. Sergey Capinos the head
of OSCE Yerevan office said that he hope that this survey will create
basis to solve gender equivalence problems and will increase women’s
role in these fields. There are several proposals marked in the survey
how those problems could be struggled.

Note that the survey is conducted in the collaboration with Armine
Mkhitaryan, the head of the Social Aid Department of Research National
Institute.

Source: Panorama.am

Panorama.am

18:25 06/12/2007

SURVEY REPORTS CONCERNING GROWTH IN POLITICAL CORRUPTION

”In all civilized countries, the citizens believe that the steps
taken by the authorities against corruption are insufficient,” Amalia
Kostanyan, leader of Transparency International told reporters today
speaking about the challenges of corruption.

In her words, public opinion polls conducted by them on the size of
corruption and its perception testify that the political corruption is
increasing in size and that the political parties and the parliament
are considered as most corrupt together with courts and the
police. Moreover, by world corruption barometer surveys in 60
countries show that political parties and the parliaments are
conceived as the most corruption in 2007.

Kostanyan says women are more pessimistic about increase or decline of
corruption which is against the opinion that women give fewer
bribes. Kostanyan said women simply are less related to such
transactions.

In the words of the head of Transparency International, the political
corruption is deepening in Armenia since the concerns expressed during
the recent elections were not properly reacted.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENPRESS

RUSAL PRODUCES 9.5 THOUSAND TONS OF FOIL

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: A foil mill
facility in Yerevan, owned by Russian RusAl,
manufactured 9,440 tons of products in January-October
of this year, 31 times more from a year before, when
it produced only 302 tons of foil, a spokesman for the
company told Armenpress. He said in October alone the
plant produced 1,207 tons of foil.
The spokesman, Alexander Melkumian said the biggest
buyer of foil is Germany, which buys nearly half of
its output.
ArmenAl underwent a major modernization that has
provided for a major upgrade in foil rolling equipment
and also the establishment of a full production cycle,
which is supposed to lift the plant capacity to 25,000
tons of foil per year, including 18,000 tons of highly
profitable thin foil in 6-9 micron gauge.
ArmenAl sells its products to Europe, USA and Iran.
Domestic consumption is not big, foil here is bought
by dairies, tobacco and other companies, nevertheless
it is also growing.

OIL-PROCESSING PLANT CONSTRUCTION IN ARMENIA AT INITIAL STAGE

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2007 18:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Construction of an oil-processing plant in Armenia
was discussed by the Armenian and Russian Presidents early this year,
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said.

"Presently, the construction project is at the initial
stage. Trilateral talks between Armenia, Russia and Iran are held at
the level of experts. Following the recent meeting of working groups,
the sides will proceed with determining the issues regarding the
technical and economic validity of the project," the Minister told
Kommersant daily.

"NEWROZ" AND "KAWA" REASON FOR IMPRISONMENT?

BÝA, Turkey
Dec 4 2007

A trade union representative in Kilis, southeastern Turkey, is on
trial for using the letter "w" in two newspaper articles.

In Turkey, the use of non-Turkish words, for instance from French and
English, is common in books and also in names of workplaces and shops.

No problem if its English, only if it is Kurdish…

While this was never a case for the judiciary, the use of Kurdish
words and letters has been surpressed for years, citing Law No. 1353
on the Acceptance and Application of Turkish Letters. This law was
conceived on 1 November 1928 and was incorporated into the Turkish
Penal Code as Article 222, under the heading "Hat and Turkish Letters".

Before this incorporation took place on 1 June 2005, human rights
activists had warned authorities about its adverse consequences.

"Newroz" articles cause for trial

Now Kiyasettin Aslan, the Kilis province chair of the Office Workers’
Union (BES) is on trial for using the words "Newroz" and "Kawa" in
articles published in two local newspapers. The "w" does not exist
in the Turkish alphabet, which has not stopped people from writing
Internet addresses starting with "www." or the private Turkish Show
TV channel from broadcasting.

In an article published in the local Huduteli newspaper on 20 March
and entitled "May the Newroz Fire Never Go Out" and another article
in the Kent newspaper on 24 March, entitled "Fire and Iron", Aslan
had written about the Newroz Festival.

Prosecutor Serkan Ozkan is demanding that the Kilis Criminal Court
of Peace sentence Aslan to two to six months imprisonment. The trial
will begin on 27 December.

BES province representatives have condemned the trial and called for
solidarity with Aslan.

Aslan warned by employer

After writing the articles, Aslan, who works as a security guard at
the Musabeyli Fiscal Office, was given a warning under Article 136
of Law 657 on Civil Servants on 1 October. His appeal was refused by
fiscal office authorities on 28 November.

Not the only case

Article 222 has also been used to penalise the Sur municipality in
Diyarbakir, which has offered municipal services in Kurdish, Armenian
and Syriac as well as Turkish. The 8th Chamber of the State Council
decreed that mayor Abdullah Demirbas be dismissed from office and
the municipal council dissolved for "violating the Law on the Hat
and Turkish letters".

–Boundary_(ID_VG0LG6DbfSC2+VP7JOa emw)–

IMF ASSESSES THE MEDIUM-TERM ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IN ARMENIA AS POSITIVE

armradio.am
27.11.2007 14:25

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
has completed the fifth review of Armenia’s economic performance
under the three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF)
arrangement.The Executive Board also approved a request for modifying
the end-December 2007 structural performance criterion on the tax
filing process. The completion of the review enables the release of
an amount equivalent to SDR 3.28 million (about US$5.2 million) under
the arrangement, bringing the total amount drawn under the arrangement
to an amount equivalent to SDR 19.68 million (about US$31.4 million),
IMF External Relations Department informs.

The PRGF is the IMF’s concessional facility for low-income countries.

PRGF-supported programs are based on country-owned poverty reduction
strategies adopted in a participatory process involving civil
society and development partners and articulated in the country’s
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. This is intended to ensure that
PRGF-supported programs are consistent with a comprehensive framework
for macroeconomic, structural, and social policies to foster growth
and reduce poverty. PRGF loans carry an annual interest rate of 0.5
percent and are repayable over 10 years with a 5½ -year grace period
on principal payments.

Following the Executive Board’s discussion on Armenia,
Mr. Takatoshi Kato, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair,
stated: "Armenia continues to benefit from a double-digit rate of
growth, moderate inflation, a low fiscal deficit, and a comfortable
reserves position. Moreover, good progress has been made in reducing
poverty. Strong remittance inflows have dampened the impact of rapidly
rising imports on the current account deficit. The medium-term outlook
is positive, with a favorable outlook for investment.

"Sound fiscal and monetary policies will remain key to macroeconomic
stability and external competitiveness, against the background of
large-scale foreign exchange inflows and rising inflationary risks. The
Central Bank of Armenia is committed to tightening monetary policy to
keep inflation low, while maintaining a flexible exchange rate regime.

"Emerging expenditure pressures associated with pension reform and
a potential hike in gas import prices create medium-term fiscal
risks, calling for improved revenue mobilization and expenditure
prioritization. Increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio in a transparent and
nondiscretionary manner will be particularly important, to provide
resources for the country’s infrastructure needs and efforts to reduce
poverty further.

"The authorities intend to press ahead with their structural
reform agenda to remove remaining bottlenecks to broad-based
growth. Policies aimed at boosting domestic competition and
productivity are essential to improve external competitiveness. The
tax administration modernization program will contribute to reducing
tax evasion and strengthening the business environment," Mr. Kato said.

–Boundary_(ID_pxiJgWECwEjN/swoBSr2QA)–

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

November 20, 2007

ACNIS: Armenian Youth Debate

Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) convened on November 17 a policy discussion in order
comprehensively to examine the current dilemma within Armenia’s
external policy with respect to making a choice between Russia, and
the West. The meeting brought together students from the leading
institutions of higher learning, young political activists, and
political scientists.

Welcoming the audience with opening remarks, ACNIS research coordinator
Syuzanna Barseghian underscored the need for student involvement
toward shedding light on this matter. "Instead of national interests,
the direction of Armenian foreign policy is very often decided on
the basis of deep-rooted stereotypes, and now it is up to the young
generation to change this situation." Barseghian also pointed to the
results of several public and expert surveys, conducted by ACNIS,
which show a clear difference of opinion between the body politic
and policy specialists regarding this issue.

In his intervention, Hrair Manukian of the Armenian State University of
Economics (ASUE) explored this matter from the perspective of national
interests and noted that a country’s external policy must first reflect
such interests. "Let us accept this question as our starting point:
What are the imperatives of Armenia’s development and prosperity of
Armenians, and are our measures taken toward solving the problems
in–or against–the interests of Russia, US, and Western Europe?,"
Manukian noted.

In his turn, Armen Vardanian of ASUE expressed a more unequivocal
opinion. In his view, the shared historical past of the Armenian and
Russian people and the specific political and economic facts show that
"the bearing of Armenian foreign policy has no alternative to Russia."

According to the next speaker, Sevada Gevorgian of ASUE, when choosing
a foreign policy course the first precondition must be the lifting of
all blockades. In his words, this is the reason why Armenia suffers
from numerous political and economic setbacks. "Russia hinders the
settlement of the Artsakh issue and Armenian-Turkish relations,
whereas the US supports the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border,
the stability in the Caucasus, and the prompt resolution of the
Mountainous Karabagh conflict," Gevorgian maintained. He also
emphasized the necessity for Armenia’s membership in NATO and its
inclusion in the security system consisting of its neighbors.

The policy roundtable concluded with an exchange of views and policy
recommendations among university students, civil activists, and
political scientists. In consideration of the viewpoints presented
by the students, political scientist Edward Antinian likewise offered
his expert conclusions.

Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi
K. Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS
serves as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy
challenges facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet
world. It also aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic
thinking and a wider understanding of the new global environment. In
2007, the Center focuses primarily on civic education, democratic
development, conflict resolution, and applied research on critical
domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or
27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected] or [email protected];
or visit

The Armenian Weekly On-Line
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-3974
[email protected]
menianweekly.com

The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 45; Nov. 10, 2007

Arts and Literature:

Maiden of Legend
By Seta Krikorian
Translated by Tatul Sonentz

***

MAIDEN OF LEGEND
Oh, wow!
My demented dream my libidinous Love
my startling yearning in bright pink.

How beautiful we are when we learn to care
and learn to burn on our road to love.

My nameless yet ever familiar companion of Love
my very own delight and life
my Aramazd-prince of dreams.
For endless eons as maiden of legend I sought you from my nook
to the very edge of our cosmos
I walked in cold darkness above the snow drifts of Ararat
my feet-weak-weary-frozen- took me all the way to the heavens.

Dry grounds were foreign-alien
Frigid cradles for me
my books served as pillows in my moments of solitude.

I pursued my search for you companion soul of my soul
your voice lingered in my ears like an ethereal desire.

Someone summoned from afar
to locate you my Love
fantasy gave my love-starved soul
wings and I knew you were out there somewhere existing just for me.

But finding you was an uphill climb
beyond mind’s mountain my quest would entail eons of wandering
to reach you I would have to proceed
to a thorn-bush-lined lane.

It would have to be an enticement
worthy of an entire life
I would have to cling to an Ideal
before reaching your shores.

My love would have to set me on fire
way before I bloomed in your bosom.

Even the ecstasy of loving you was to be born of suffering
like Eve’s labor pains
like the revelations of Mashtots
like the on-rushing fervor of a Komitas horovel.

Oh, my!
I finally found you
along my flickering hopes
within the last drop of my oil.

My soul weary of waiting
my snow-gelled digits
In their unassuming fall
found you like a miracle.

You smile now like a spotless dream
my thoughts and spirit
are now bursting with you
now my life is worth a lot more I want to transpire in your love today
incessantly
With no interruptions
All the way to the sun
Beyond the moon
Beyond the end of time.

Seta Krikorian
Translated by Tatul Sonentz

ILHAM ALIYEV IS PLAYING A GAME OF HIS OWN
by Rafael Mustafayev, translated by A. Ignatkin

Novye Izvestia
What the Papers Say Part B
November 29, 2007 Thursday
Russia

HIGHLIGHT: Russia and Azerbaijan sign a military cooperation plan
for 2008; A bilateral military cooperation plan between Russia and
Azerbaijan was signed during Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov’s
visit to Baku this week. Azeri sources said Baku isn’t exactly happy
with Russian arms exports to Armenia.

A bilateral military cooperation plan between Russia and Azerbaijan
was signed during Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov’s visit to Baku
this week.

Serdyukov’s Azeri counterpart Safar Abiyev complained during the
talks that "the international community and CIS countries aren’t
stating their views on Armenia’s occupationist policy [with regard
to Nagorno-Karabakh." Off the record, Azeri sources said Baku isn’t
exactly happy with Russian arms exports to Armenia. The government
of Azerbaijan was particularly disturbed to learn that some arms and
military hardware withdrawn from the Russian military base in Batumi
(Georgia) ended up at the Russian base in Gyumri (Armenia) and in
the Armenian regular army. (Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia is Russia’s
ally in the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization.)

Moscow was disappointed by Azeri Interior Minister Ramil Usubov’s
support of the request from his Georgian counterpart Ivane Merabishvili
to provide whatever equipment is needed to disperse protest rallies
in Tbilisi.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Iran-EU nuclear talks fail
01.12.2007 15:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said he is
disappointed after talks with Iran on its nuclear program, as he
prepares a report for the UN. But top Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed
Jalili said the discussions were positive and more would be held.

The US and its allies are now expected to press for more sanctions on
Tehran, but Mr Jalili said such pressure would not make Iran curb its
nuclear plans.

The UN is demanding that Iran suspend uranium enrichment. Iran says
its program is peaceful, but some Western powers fear it is seeking to
make weapons.

The two envoys emerged after five hours of talks and spoke to the
media separately, giving dramatically different interpretations of the
outcome.

Talks between Jalili and Solana have been frequently delayed.

Mr Solana was looking for signs that the Iranians were prepared to
suspend uranium enrichment work as demanded by the UN Security
Council, but his comments after the talks suggest there has been no
progress on the issue.

"I expected more and am therefore disappointed," the EU official said.

"I will be in telephonic contact with the Iranians before the end of
December," he added, saying the envoys would meet again if
circumstances permitted.

Meanwhile Mr Jalili said the two sides had agreed to continue
negotiations and arrange another meeting next month. But he said it
was unacceptable to pressure Iran into abandoning uranium enrichment,
as it was allowed to do so under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"It is unacceptable that Iran should be deprived of its rights when it
has fulfilled its duties," he said, quoted by AFP news agency.

Further UN sanctions would not work, he added.

"Iran has removed concerns and cooperated with the IAEA [International
Atomic Energy Agency]. But if some countries want to use the UN
Security Council and its resolutions to stop Iran’s atomic work,
surely they will not be successful," he said.

The UN had earlier commissioned two reports on Iran’s nuclear program
– one from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the other
from Mr Solana.

Ahead of the talks, Iranian government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham
did say that Mr Jalili would "present new ideas and initiatives" to Mr
Solana.

However, on Wednesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Iran was
"a nuclear nation", adding: "After this, no-one can threaten the
Iranian nation as we have all stood united so far and [the West] did
not do anything," BBC reports