Author: Toganian Liana

RUSSIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
19:52 11/09/2007

Russian transport minister and president of the Russian-Armenian
economic cooperation commission, Igor Levitin, will arrive in Armenia
in the evening of September 13. A panorma.am journalist was thus
informed by the Armenian government’s press service.

On September 14, Levitin will take part in the ninth session of the
Russian-Armenian economic cooperation commission. Prime Minister
Serge Sargsyan is president for the Armenian side.

As was relayed by the transportation minister’s press department,
documents signed on October 9, 2006 (the eighth session), as well as
those registered on March 5 of this year, will be discussed.

"CANDIDACY OF AGHVAN HOVSEPYAN RESULT OF POLITICAL AGREEMENT"

Panorama.am
20:41 10/09/2007

"During Aghvan Hovsepyan’s time, many crimes and murders have gone
unsolved, as well as unsuccessful and bad legal judgments." This was
noted by Styopa Safaryan, secretary of "Heritage," in a conversation
about General Prosecutor Hovsepyan with a panorama.am journalist. In
his opinion, it is now unclear when Hovsepyan will have any proof
as to whether laws were justly served and when he will reveal any of
the unsolved crimes.

We note that a new prosecutor must be nominated within the next 40
days, and that the president has offered a candidate. As is known,
the candidate is Aghvan Hovsepyan. "Heritage" will reveal its final
decision at today’s evening session.

Hovhannes Margaryan, of "Legal State," noted that his party would
reveal its decision tomorrow.

Was the candidate offered by the president in fact the best
possible? "As with all political appointments, this position is chosen
by political agreements and manuevering, not by the qualifications
of the candidate," Safaryan answered in response to our question.

According to NA president Tigran Torosyan, in all probability Hovsepyan
will be allowed to remain in his post, adding that changes for the
better are taking place in the prosecutor’s office, thus the reason
for President Kocharian’s agreement for Hovsepyan’s staying in office.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Bako Sahakyan: Karabakh people wish to live in free
and sovereign historical motherland
08.09.2007 13:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Assuming high and responsible post
of the President of Nagorno Karabakh Republic I would
like to thank in the first place our people for active
participation in the July 19 presidential elections
and my constituency for confidence. I appreciate the
position of those citizens who voted for other
presidential candidates too. This means that they are
concerned about development and progress in our
country. These visions will be definitely taken into
consideration,’ said NKR president elect Bako Sahakyan
during his inaugural address.

`The past elections once again vindicated a unified
will of the people of Artsakh to live in a free and
sovereign historical motherland. Simultaneously, they
demonstrated a decisive role of the country’s public
sector in forming the state’s supreme authority. In
the coming five years we will continue to build free
and prosperous country securing for this very purpose
cooperation between all strata of our society.

Taking the opportunity I would like to thank all
foreign state and non-governmental structures,
international organizations, mass media that carried
out observation of the July 19 elections and covered
this important for our state event. The assessments of
the observers will substantially contribute to the
rating of our country as an effectively functioning
state worthy of international recognition. We also
highly appreciate their remarks and suggestions, which
will be taken into consideration in elaborating
further democratization of our country.

These assessments prove that the foundation of our
independent statehood is quite firm. In this context I
would like to express my respect and gratitude to the
first President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian
to his merit and contribution to NKR’s declaration as
an independent state, effective organization of the
republic’s defense against aggression, development of
state institutions, economic recovery in the first
postwar years, as well as for his input in just
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict

Achievements in the recent period gave me a right to
thank on behalf of people second president of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghukasyan. Under his
leadership in the last ten years our country
registered considerable progress in carrying out
socioeconomic reforms, democratization of public and
political life, and finally adopted its basic law –
the Constitution. We are confident that Mr. Ghukasyan
will continue to use reach experience of state,
political and national figure for the interests of the
Motherland,’ he said.

"ARMENIAN SOCIETY CURRENTLY HAS NO DEMAND FOR NEW QUALITY POLITICAL FORCES," TATUL MANASERIAN IS CONVICTED

Noyan Tapan
Sep 7, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. New quality political forces will
not appear in the interpolitical field before the 2008 presidential
elections and the RA citizens will have to elect a representative
from the current political palette. This viewpoint was expressed by
economist Tatul Manaserian, a former MP of the RA National Assembly,
during the discussion held on September 7. In his conviction, the
absence of new political proceedings and fresh forces is conditioned
by that of a social demand.

Whereas, even the party, which has the best ideas, or a political
figure, according to Tatul Manaserian, will not achieve any success
without an adequate response of the society. He is convicted that
irrespective of the fact that an ordinary citizen is currently
indifferent to the election process, a consolidation of opposition,
"revolting" masses is necessary.

In the words of Heghine Bisharian, the Deputy Chairman of the Orinats
Yerkir (Country of Law) party, the above-mentioned consolidation is
possible first of all through negotiations being conducted between
different opposition forces. Giving a positive mark to the recent
meetings held in the opposition field, the representative of the
Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party mentioned that it will be right
to choose the common candidate according to the response of the people
with regard to the speeches made by them by television. Heghine
Bisharian declared at the same time that everybody knows the
representative of the Orinats Yerkir Party, who has at least 100
thousand supporters.

ARMENIAN BANKS START ‘CARRIAGE PAID CREDITS’ ALLOCATION

arminfo
2007-09-06 17:40:00

ArmInfo. From now on, the Armenian banks will be able to grant
"carriage paid credits". The Head of Policy and Financial System
Analysis Department of the Armenian Central Bank David Sarkisyan said
at a press conference that this is envisaged by the normative changes
of the Central Bank.

According to him, this will give the Armenian banks an opportunity
to grant credits to the residents of the country’s distant
villages without opening branches. He explained that relevant
bank specialists will leave for villages to the clients to hold
consultations, to conclude contracts and to organize retail lending
within the republic. "As a result, the banks will be able to promote
their activity in the country’s regions, without spending money on
opening regional branches", D. Sarkisyan emphasized. He added that
the decision on granting of small loans will be made locally, while
those on considerable credits – at the bank’s head offices.

NATIONAL UNITY TO DECIDE THE MANNER OF CONTESTING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN LATE SEPTEMBER

ARMENPRESS
Sep 4, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: A senior member of an opposition
party spoke today against political discourse highlighting upcoming
presidential elections and the opposition groups’ attempts to agree
on a single candidate, saying a right assessment of the country’s
social-economic conditions and political situation was more important.

Koryun Arakelian, a member of the governing board of the National
Unity of Artashes Geghamian, reconfirmed media reports that Artashes
Geghamian met the other day with ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian to
discuss social-economic and political issues.

"I think if Artashes Geghamian decides to run for presidency Levon
Ter-Petrosian will endorse him," Arakelian said .

He said the National Unity will decide during a late September congress
whether to join the presidential race alone or in an alliance with
other groups.

1% OF RUSSIANS EYE ARMENIA AS RUSSIA’S FRIEND DURING NEXT 10-15 YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2007 15:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)
presented information concerning the countries with which Russia will
have the friendliest relations and with which it will be on the most
inimical terms.

Armenia is absent from the list of Russia’s potential enemies,
although only 1% of Russians eye Armenia as Russia’s friend during
next 10-15 years.

21% of respondents assume that Russia will be on best terms with
China within the next 10 to 15 years; and only 3% consider that
the relations with this country will be inimical or strained. 12%
of respondents name Belorussia and Germany among the friendliest
states; 2% of respondents provide a negative forecast in regard to
Belorussia, less than 1% think negatively of Germany. Besides Germany,
Russians also distinguish France (+6%, -1%) among the countries that
are members of the European Union. 6% of respondents mention India
as one of the most friendly countries of the next decade, another 6%
mention Kazakhstan in this respect (there are practically no negative
forecasts).

The U.S. mostly evokes negative expectations: although 10% rely on
friendship of this country with Russia, nevertheless, those, who
assume that the relations between these two countries will rather be
hostile or strained, are far more numerous (24%). Georgia occupies
the second place in the negative list: 19% of respondents mention it
as a potential enemy to Russia (whereas only 1% of respondents expect
positive development of relations to take place). Forecasts as far as
the Baltic countries are concerned are also rather negative (+1%, -7%).

The views of Russians on Ukraine were nearly equally divided (+6%,
-7%). Positive forecasts in respect to Russia’s relations with Japan
are a little more numerous (+7%, -3%), Great Britain was more likely
to be treated negatively (+3%, -7%).

As a rule, more attention in Russia’s different federal districts is
given to their immediate neighbors. Thus, in the Southern district,
hopes that relations between Russia and Ukraine as its immediate
neighbor will become friendlier are more frequently expressed
than it generally is in Russia on average (11% in the district,
6% average in the country). 29% of respondents in the Far-Eastern
district provide positive forecasts in connection with China, cf.:
21% on average in the country. 21% of respondents in the North Western
region identify Germany as a friendly country, whereas 12% on average
in the country do.

On the whole, expectations that Russia’s relations with other countries
in 10-15 years will be friendly are more typical than forecasts that
these relations will be hostile.

Among international organizations the most important world role in
the next 5-10 years will be played by the European Union (as 32%
of respondents assume), the "Great Eight" and NATO (28-29%). OPEC,
WTO, United Nations Organization and UNESCO are considered to be the
most influential organizations a little less often (13-17%). The role
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), of the Pacific Forum;
the Commonwealth of the independent states (CIS), the Union of Russia
and Belorussia, and the also International Olympic Committee seem to
respondents to be still less important (5-8%).

The All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on August 25-26,
2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of
46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.

ARMENIANS CONVERTED NOT ONLY TO KURDS OR ALEVIS, BUT ALSO TO ARABS
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily #159
04/09/2007

The "Discoveries" of Halacoglu

Turkey’s official chief historian Yusuf Halacoglu announced at the
August 18 conference titled "The Avsharis in the history and culture
of Turks" that Kurds are "Turkmen" by origin in reality, and the
Kurdish-Alevis have "Armenian" origin.

That announcement had got a wide resonance in the Turkish media and
he was forced to give a more precise definition to his announcement:
"I don’t reject the existence of the Kurds in Turkey, but in reality
30 per cent of the Kurds are Turkmen by origin.

In order to avoid the exile, some of the Armenians presented themselves
as Kurdish-Alevis and adopted Islam in 1915. The apostate Armenians
were about 100.000 in Turkey in 1920. From 1936 to 1937 the Government
of Turkey had revealed the apostate Armenians house by house. I have
the list of those Armenians and I will publish it, if the authorities
let me do it".

The above-mentioned announcements of Halacoglu were the basis for the
accusations against him that he was making political preconditions
for the speculation of "apostasy".

It is evident that for the counter-attackers of Halacoglu the main
issue is not the apostate Armenians (the existence of those they don’t
deny), but the application of the apostasy as a means of blackmail.

It’s worth to mention that about the apostate Armenians mentioned also
Pr. of History of the Inyoyu University in Malatia Salim Gyohgen at
an interview to "Aksiyon"magazine: "There are about 80.000-100.000
hidden Armenians in Turkey. They mainly hid themselves among Kurds
and Alevis".

"Aksion" has published the interview with Pr. Salim Gyohgen and the
article about the apostate Armenians, which is of a great interest
and we want to present it partially:

"Pr. Salim Gyohgen supports a thesis, which says: "There are also
thousands of Armenians, who converted to Arabs. There is nothing new
in the announcement of Yusuf Halacoglu. It was evident to everybody,
but nobody wanted to speak of it. American representatives of that
time mentioned of the hidden Armenians in their reports, i.e. Kurds
hid 500.000 Armenians in Erzerum, Alavis helped 50.000 Armenians in
Tungeli (Dersim). The same happened also in Vardo (region of Van),
Khnus and other places.

There are many Armenians in Hata, Sgherd, Urfa, Mardin and other
places, who are converted to Arabs: they speak Arabian and present
themselves as Arabs at present"

Some of the Armenians converted to Assyrians, according to Pr. Gyohgen.

"Aksion" magazine published the number and the "official" originality
of the Armenians. According to it, 1000 Armenian families (converted
to Kurds, Assyrians and Alevis) live in Diarbekir, 3655 families
(as Alevi-Kurds) – in Malatia, 5000 Turks (hidden Armenians) –
in Cesaria, 1000 families (as Kurds and Alevis) – in Eliazig, 4000
families (as Kurds) – in Van, 3500 families (as Kurds and Arabs) –
in Urfa, 1200 families (as Arabs, and a little part as Kurds) – in
Sgherd, 1100 families (as Arabs) – in Hata, 200 families (as Kurds) –
in Bitlis, 3000 families (as Kurds, Alevis and a little part as Turks)
– in Erzerum, 1300 families (as Alevis and Kurds ) – in Erznka, 1500
families (as Arabs) – in Mardin, 3000 families (as Kurds and Alevis)
– in Marash, 1600 families (as Kurds) – in Adiyaman, 2000 families
(as Kurdish-Alevis) – in Tungeli and 2000 families (as Kurds, Alevis
and Arabs) – in Adana.

At the end of the article "Aksion" added: "The data come from the
researches of different institutions and works of different researchers
that continue till today. The indexes can be changed according to
new revelations".

The LA times review

BOOK REVIEW
Money talks

Novel owes a debt to Marx

By Carolyn Kellogg
August 19, 2007

LET’S get this straight, right off: Marx never wrote like this. Then
again, Marx didn’t concern himself with architecture or sex or
Corsica. But Viken Berberian does in "Das Kapital: A Novel of Love
and Money Markets."

The challenge of taking your title from an iconic treatise is that it
can’t help but intimidate readers. Do you have to (re)read that old
"Das Kapital" to get this one? Thankfully, no. The story focuses on
two men, each a true believer in his own way, and the girl they both
fall for. It’s snappy and romantic on top, theoretical down below.

Wayne, a wealthy Wall Street fund manager, is in futures, and maybe
anti-futures. Falling somewhere between Gordon Gekko and Spock, he is
predatory, soothed by numbers, conscience-free and just barely human
enough to be smitten by Alix, an architecture student living in
Marseille. She’s a beautiful cipher dating a Corsican. The Corsican,
as he’s known, yearns for an uncorrupted world; his deepest emotions
can be stirred by the bite of a red ant.

Berberian begins audaciously, with Wayne: "The surrounding landscape
was a concentration of glass and steel, vertical gulags lost in the
clouds below. Facing his electronic terminal, he felt like he was in
the cockpit of a fighter jet, a creature of pure movement and speed."
Nervy to set him up as a jet among skyscrapers — tasteless, even.
But evoking the 9/11 attacks foreshadows the terrorism that factors
into the plot.

Soon Wayne casually destroys the company the Corsican works for, and
the latter takes matters in hand: "I leave for New York City
tomorrow. I am supposed to meet him inside the MetLife Building, that
icon of capitalism condensed; beacon of betrayal to us, symbol of
prosperity to them." The Corsican’s straight-outta Marx dialogue
reads either funny or annoying.

Footnotes keep the book from getting too smart, both elucidating
points in the text and poking fun at the use of footnotes. The jokes
don’t stop there: Wayne orders avocado sandwiches that arrive,
repeatedly, without avocado, sending him into outscale, profanity-
laced rants.

The Corsican and Wayne form a dangerous alliance. Each woos Alix (a
most precious commodity), alternating work on their plan with the
pursuit of romance. But each remains superficial, and as a
consequence the book’s satire is undermined by its lack of dramatic
tension.

The whip-crack writing owes a debt to Don DeLillo, loaded as it is
with naked dialogue, obliqueness and a penchant for repetition.
Words, phrases cycle back until patterns emerge.

If only sharp prose and carefully crafted satire were enough. These
characters are propelled by their roles in the historical dialectic
instead of compelled by emotion. The story is empty at its center,
like one of Wayne’s sandwiches. *

Agence France Presse
Sept 2 2007

Iran builds new cultural center for Jews
AFP

September 2, 2007

TEHRAN — Iran started building a huge new cultural and sports
complex for its Jewish minority in central Tehran Sunday, billing the
project as proof of the freedoms enjoyed by its religious minorities.

Housing and urban development minister Mohammad Saidi-Kia broke the
ground for the new building alongside Morris Motamed, the
representative of Iran’s Jewish community in parliament, the official
IRNA news agency reported.

The total cost for the project is 30 billion riyals ($3.2 million)
and the building will extend for 6,800 square meters (73,194 square
feet), around half of which will be devoted to sport, and half to
cultural activities, Motamed said.

It is expected to be finished in two-and-a-half years.

"In Iran, the followers of the different religions have freedoms
guaranteed in the constitution. The followers of the divine religions
are living under one flag," said Saidi-Kia.

Iran’s Jewish community numbers around 20,000 people, and remains the
largest in the Middle East after Israel, despite substantial
emigration in the aftermath of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sparked an international outcry by
repeatedly predicting Israel is doomed to disappear, and also
questioning the scale of the Holocaust.

However, Iranian officials vehemently deny charges of anti-Semitism,
saying the Jewish minority is well treated, and the president’s
attacks are only against Israel – which the Islamic republic has
always refused to recognize.

The officially-recognized religious minorities in Iran are
Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, all of whom are represented in
parliament.

The Armenians – by far the largest Christian community – already have
a well-established sports and cultural center in the north of Tehran.

However, Iran considers Bahais, who advocate the unity of all
religions, to be apostate, and the sect has none of the rights
enjoyed by the other minorities.

The UN General Assembly in December denounced what it said was
"increasing discrimination" against minorities, but Iran has always
insisted all its recognized religious communities enjoy full rights.