Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

MODERNIZATION OF STANDS

A1+
[02:20 pm] 04 December, 2006

The owners of the stands in the Barekamutyun underground station are
worried about the process of the modernization of the stands. According
to one of the owners, Armen M., "We are afraid that they will take
away our stands". Head of the commerce and service administration of
the Yerevan municipality Karen Gevorgyan said that the issue has been
regulated with the district municipality.

Mr. Gevorgyan informed that until 2008 all the stands and kiosks
in the streets of the capital will be modernized. The municipality
has calculated over 6700 such stands. A special committee has been
created to check their documents and the legality. In case of not
having proper documents and/or not having modern appearance the stands
will be deconstructed.

Mr. Gevorgyan mentioned that this is the first time during the last 15
years they have ever deconstructed a stand. 152 of the 386 stands in
Kentron community are to be deconstructed. The communities of Ajapnyak,
Isakov, Davtashen, Sebastia and Andranik are to come next. There are
700 stands there 300 of which are subject to deconstruction too.

KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING LIKELY TO YIELD NO RESULT, YUNUSOV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting of Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev
scheduled for early December in Moscow is likely to yield no result,
said Arif Yunusov, the Director of the Department of Conflictology
at the Institute of Peace and Democracy when commenting on the
expectations from the forthcoming presidential meeting. "Formally,
proceeding from the information on the latest meeting of the
FMs in Minsk the Presidents are expected to sign a framework
agreement. However I do not believe in it. I suppose the meeting
will prove fruitless," he said. At that the Azeri expert remarked
that ‘there is a breakthrough’ in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. "The American plan frequently called the Prague Process is
coming to its logical end. But it will share the fate of the former
plans on the conflict settlement (common state, stepwise plan or
package plan) and will simply become a part of history," he said,
reports Day.az.

Public Radio, Armenia
Dec 1 2006

Vartan Oskanian: The talks are not in a deadlock, the window of
opportunity is open
01.12.2006 17:35

Tatul Hakobyan
"Radiolur"

Only two days have passed after the meeting of Presidents Robert
Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev, and in this period there have been
diverse analyses and statements regarding the negotiations on the
Karabakh issue. Azerbaijan is making optimistic statements on the
highest level, asserting that the parties are close to the settlement
of the conflict. What is the position of the Armenian side? In
response to the question, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
said, `the Minsk meeting was positive. It was held in a rather
constructive atmosphere. The Presidents mainly focused on the
questions, which remain unsettled. Despite the fact that the positive
course of the talks is obvious, it would not be correct to say that
the Presidents agreed upon the disputable questions. There still
remain discrepancies on some principles. Nevertheless, the talks are
not in a deadlock. We did not have the confidence after the previous
meetings, but this time we can assert that the negotiations are not
in a deadlock. The Presidents will soon give instructions to the
Foreign Ministers to continue the talks and there will be precise
instructions on which issues to focus and what kind of approach to
take in order to register further progress in the negotiation
process.’
The Foreign Minister noted that there is a 2.5-page document on the
bargaining table. Azerbaijan’s position is the same, Armenia’s
position has not changed either. Baku insists on territorial
integrity, while Yerevan adheres to the right of self-determination
of peoples. `There is only one way of combining these two seemingly
contradicting principles, and this way is the referendum. And since
the idea of referendum has found expression in the document on the
table, I can say that we see the perspective that these two
principles can be combined. Thus, NKR people should be given the
chance to determine which one they prefer: the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan or the self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh.’
Turning to the contemporary topic of open windows, Vartan Oskanian
said, `Even if the window is closed, it can always be opened.
Progress can always be achieved under the conditions of existence of
political will. I think the window is open.’
Minister Oskanian turned also to the topic of murders of Armenians in
Russia, characterizing these as painful phenomena.
What kind of shifts will be registered in Armenia’s foreign policy
after the parliamentary elections in 2007 and the presidential ones
in 2008? Vartan Oskanian does not think there will be abrupt changes
in the foreign policy priorities.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Dec 1 2006

Turkey condemns Argentinian resolution on "Armenian genocide"

Ankara, 1 December: Turkey has condemned approval of a resolution on
so-called Armenian genocide [passed] by Argentinian House of
Representatives, noting that this initiative did not comply with
historical facts and the international law.

Releasing a statement, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
recalled that Buenos Aires House of Representatives adopted a
resolution making 2 April "the day of tolerance and respect among
peoples in the memory of Armenian genocide".

The statement noted, "Turkey offered that 1915 incidents should be
examined by Turkish and Armenian historians but this proposal was not
backed. We condemn the approval of resolutions (by various
parliaments on the so-called Armenian genocide)."

The statement also stressed that Argentina’s initiative did not
comply with spirit of bilateral relations between Turkey and
Argentina.

ARMENIAN TAXMEN COLLECT 173 BILLION DRAMS

Armenpress
Nov 30 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS: Armenian taxmen collected a total
of 173,2 billion Drams in taxes in January-October of 2006, up 25.2
percent or 34.8 billion Drams from a year ago.

The Armenian state taxation service said 53.6 billion Drams were
collected as profit tax, up from 37.1 billion from a year ago and
27.6 billion in income taxes, up from 20.4 billion from a year ago.

Excise taxes amounted to 10.7 billion drams, up from 10.5 billion in
Jan.-Oct. of 2005. Also some 6.2 billion were collected as so-called
simplified tax, up from 5.5 billion drams from a year ago and 12.8
billion Drams in fixed taxes, up from 10.4 billion in January-October
of 2005.

Mandatory social payments rose to 61.3 billion Drams, 21 percent up
from a year ago.

IRAN ISSUES FATWA ON AZERI WRITER

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

One of Iran’s most senior clergymen has issued a fatwa on an Azeri
writer said to have insulted the Prophet Muhammad.

The call on Muslims to murder Rafiq Tagi, who writes for Azerbaijan’s
Senet newspaper, echoes the Iranian fatwa against Indian writer Salman
Rushdie, BBC reports.

It was issued by the conservative Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Fazel
Lankarani.

The writings of Rafiq Tagi sparked recent demonstrations outside the
Azerbaijani Embassy in the Iranian capital, Teheran.

The Iranian media is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Lankarani’s
followers inside the Republic of Azerbaijan wrote to him asking for
advice about what they called "the apostate writer".

They accuse the Azeri writer of portraying Christianity as superior
to Islam and Europe as superior to the Middle East.

They allege that he has ridiculed all the sanctities of Islam and
done it knowingly, fully aware of the consequences of his action.

In response, Grand Ayatollah Lankarani is said to have issued a fatwa
calling for the death of the writer and also the person responsible
for publishing his articles.

Earlier, an Iranian cleric had offered his house as a reward to anyone
who killed the Azeri writer.

But this latest fatwa comes from one of the dozen or so Grand
Ayatollahs in Iran, who has a large following.

An Azerbaijani court sentenced the writer Rafiq and his publisher to
two months in jail for an article which was illustrated by the same
cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad originally published in Denmark that
caused outcry in the Muslim world.

ARMENIANS AND AZERIS ARE NOT PROPERLY REPRESENTED IN PUBLIC LIFE OF GEORGIA, IS SAID IN ICG REPORT

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 29 2006

BRUSSELS, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Georgian
government must take significant steps to avoid conflict in the
country’s ethnic Armenian and Azeri areas. Georgia’s Armenian and
Azeri Minorities, the latest report from the International Crisis
Group, examines the grievances of these two communities.

In words of the report authors, while there is no risk of the situation
becoming Ossetian- or Abkhaz-like threats to Georgia’s territorial
integrity, tensions are evident in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti
and Kvemo-Kartli, where the two predominantly live. There have been
demonstrations, alleged police brutality and killings during the past
two years.

Georgia has made little progress towards integrating these minorities,
who constitute over 12 per cent of the population.

According the ICG report, Armenians and Azeris are underrepresented
in all spheres of public life, especially government, and a lack of
dialogue between them and Tbilisi adds to perceptions of discrimination
and alienation. This is aggravated by economic problems, including
high unemployment l and decaying infrastructure.

"While the government denies there is any inequality, many minorities
claim they are treated as second-class citizens. Feeling betrayed
by the Abkhaz and Ossetians, who declared independent states on
Georgian territory, Tbilisi has a deeply rooted, if unfounded, fear
that othersmay do the same," is said in the report.

According to the ICG, some steps have been taken to improve the
lives of minorities. With donor support, Georgia has invested in road
and infrastructure rehabilitation in minority regions and created a
ministry for civic integration, established a public administration
institute to train minorities and ratified the Framework Convention
for the Protection of National Minorities.

None of this is likely to appease minorities’ political grievances
without policies that increase inclusion and participation.

According to the report, the government needs to establish a
comprehensive education system to teach Georgian as a second language
to minorities, but while a new generation is educated, minorities
should not be discriminated against, especially in hiring for state
jobs. The state should also implement its international commitments,
particularly allowing use of minority languages for state affairs in
municipalities with large numbers of minority citizens, as is standard
throughout Europe.

HIS EMINENCE AND PRELACY DELEGATES VISIT LEBANESE CONSULATE TO OFFER CONDOLENCES

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

Following the tragic assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister,
Pierre Gemayel, His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate,
and Armenian Prelacy of Canada delegates visited Mr. Khalil El-Habre,
Lebanon’s Consul General to pay their respects on behalf of the
Canadian Armenian community.

His Eminence, accompanied by Archpriest Hrair Nicolian, Rev. Fr.
Karnig Koyounian, and Dr. Garbis Harboyan, Prelacy Executive Council
member, expressed the hope for peace, unity and tolerance in light
of the unfortunate events during the meeting, Armenian Prelacy of
Canada informs.

EURO-INTEGRATION HAS THE SMELL OF MONEY

A1+
[05:22 pm] 28 November, 2006

"An interesting tendency is evident in Armenia; everything connected
with Europe is blackened on the eve of elections" said Karen Bekaryan,
head of "Euro-integration" NGO during the seminar titled "The Policy
of European Neighbourhood: Armenian Action Plan".

He says that the reason for it is apparent: observers will arrive in
Armenia and our authorities will gain nothing from their position.

He is astonished by the fact that prior to elections instead of
initiating black PR against their rivals, the candidates do their
best to realize black PR against the Euro-integration. "No matter
what they intend to do now, they will return to Euro-integration
later on as it has the smell of money, it is stylish and beautiful",
stated MR. Bekaryan.

The Action Plan was adopted in Brussels on November 14. Armen
Roustamyan, head of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs,
maintains that the document opens new prospects and new tasks
for Armenia. "It is high time we appreciated and contemplated over
everything thoroughly. Everybody must have his share and participation;
I mean the executive, legislative branches and the society. "

Mr. Roustamyan tried to persuade that while solving problems we cannot
neglect the European experience.

Armen Roustamyan states that we have stepped into a new phase. The
adopted laws were thoroughly considered by that important structure
and they comply with the international conventions. .

Armen Roustramyan enumerated a number of priorities of the Action Plan,
"The Action Plan is aimed at contributing to the issues of political,
health spheres, promoting democracy, human rights protection, etc."

He voiced hope that with the help of European Union we can achieve
unbiased settlement of the Karabakh conflict taking into account the
great international experience in this respect.

PARTIES CRITICIZE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Panorama.am
14:01 27/11/06

"Nothing positive has taken place in Armenia followed by the
constitutional reform," Aram Karapetyan, leader of New Times party,
told reporters today during a discussion dedicated to one of referendum
on constitution.

In his words, the authorities once again proved that they are the
owners of the country. Karapetyan believes the only positive thing
was that people boycotted the referendum. "More than 350,000 voters
did not take part in the referendum," Karapetyan pointed out. He said
again everything was pre-decided at the top levels.

Eduard Antinyan, secretary of polit board of Liberal Progressive
party of Armenia, said normal elections and referendum are impossible
to conduct under the conditions of distrust. "After constitutional
reforms we have not witnessed democratization. Moreover, basis of
democracy were not created in the country. On the contrary, people
started to trust the authorities less," he said. He also noted that the
positive thing is that citizens can now on apply to the Constitutional
Court.