Author: Toneyan Mark

Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 26 2008

Elchin Behbudov: "The announcement made by Armenian soldier Ambartsum
Asaturyan is false"

26 January 2008 [11:02] – Today.Az

"I think the announcement made by Armenian soldier Ambartsum
Araturyan, captured on August 4 of 2007, and handed over to the
Armenian side, is false", chairman of the Azerbaijani committee
against torture Elchin Behbudov said commenting on A.Asaturyan’s
interview to Liberty Radio.

"This is another attempt of Armenians to spoil the image of
Azerbaijan. I can also understand why Asaturyan did it because I can
imagine the pressure and attacks this soldier was subjected to upon
return to Armenia.

But I can bindingly state that Asaturyan was not subjected to
torture. It would be enough to recall that two trespassers from
Armenia, Roman Taryan and Artur Apresyan, kept in the local Ministry
of National Security, have never carped at the housing conditions. At
the same time, they announced that Armenian powers were training
kamikazes from among orphans, teaching them Turkish and Azerbaijani,
and that there are camps in Armenia, where Azerbaijani captives are
kept.

Moreover, Armenian human rights activists confirmed during frequent
conversations with me, that there are camps where Azerbaijani
captives are kept and tortured, in the occupied lands of Nagorno
Garabagh, as well.

Thus, Armenia would better bear responsibility for its own crimes,
rather than blame the Azerbaijani government", Behbudov said.

/Day.Az/

URL:

Panorama.am

14:10 26/01/2008

SERGEI PARAJANOV’S WORKS TO BE EXHIBITED IN KIEV

>From January 30 to early March, the works of famous
Armenian producer Sergei Parajanov will be exhibited
in the National Museum of Ukraine, Vigen Barkhudaryan,
deputy director of Sergei Parajanov House Museum, told
Panorama.am. In his words, 55 works will be exhibited,
among them film-sketches, puppets, drawings, hats and
others.

`We have received an invitation from the Ukrainian
party. The exhibition was possible thanks to a
tripartite agreement between us and a Ukrainian
producer company that is in charge of all financial
expenditures,’ Barkhudaryan said.

Source: Panorama.am

PM SERGE SARGSYAN RECEIVED THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNING COUNCILOF "GASPROMBANK" OJSC

armradio.am
25.01.2008 12:37

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation headed by
President of the Governing Council of "Gasprombank" OJSC Andrey Akimov.

According to the Prime Minister, the entry of "Gasprombank" – a leader
in the banking system of Russia – into the Armenian financial market
will become a new impetus for the development of cooperation between
the financial and banking spheres of the two countries. Serge Sargsyan
noted that the reciprocally beneficial cooperation with large and
renowned financial structures like "Gasprombank" is one the priority
directions of RA Government’s economic policy. He assured that our
country is trying to make the business atmosphere more attractive for
large investments and is taking steps in the direction of improvement
of the field. The Prime Minister underlined that this is furthered
by the steady economic growth over the past years and the growing
volume of investments into Armenian economy.

Expressing gratitude to RA Government and the Prime Minister for
the support, Andrey Akimov said he considers the cooperation with
Armenia attractive and prospective. He assured that the entry of
"Gasprombank" into Armenia will be targeted at the development of
the country’s banking and financial system. According to him, there
are good opportunities to cooperation and investments in different
branches of economy, particularly the filed of energy.

At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister wished success to the
activity of "Gasprombank" in Armenia and noted that the Armenian
Government is ready to discuss any suggestion and initiative directed
at the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

ARMENIAN STATE BUDGETARY EXPENDITURES ON SOCIAL SECTOR GROW BY 20.2% IN 2007

Noyan Tapan
Jan 25, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA state budgetary expenditures
grew 2.7fold in 2007 on 2000, 1.9fold on 2003 and made 611.2 bln drams
(about 1 bln 787 mln USD). The ratio of state budgetary expenditures
to GDP made up 19.5%, the RA minister of finance and economy Vardan
Khachatrian stated at the January 24 press conference.

In his words, the growth of state revenues allowed to achieve a lower
deficit than was programmed. 0.8% deficit/GDP ratio was registered
instead of the programmed index of 2.3% in 2007. The balance of the
united treasury account made 93 bln drams.

The minister said that like in the previous few years, in 2007 the
expenditure policy was conducted in line with the RA government’s
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper by gradually increasing expenditures
on the social sector (social security and insurance, health care,
education, culture). In 2007, expenditures on the social sector
exceeded by about 222 bln drams or 20.2% the 2006 index.

It was mentioned that the average salary of civil servants made
104.855 thousand drams in 2007, which is more by 16.7% compared with
2006. (The average salary in the Armenian economy made 76,922 thousand
drams in 2007).

The average salary increased 3.6fold in 2007 on 2000, 2.4fold on 2003,
by 20.4% on 2006.

According to V. Khachatrian, state expenditures on social security
and insurance grew 2.2fold in 2007 on 2003 and made 63.2 bln
drams. The average monthly pension increased 3fold in 2007 on 2000 –
from 4.473 thousand drams to 13.2 thousand drams and by about 11%
in 2007 on 2006. The average family benefit grew 2.3fold in 2007 on
2003 – from 7.642 thousand drams to 17.622 thousand drams and by 15%
in 2007 on 2006.

In 2007, 982 mln drams was paid as deposit compensation to citizens,
who were depositors of Armsavingsbank before 1993. With respect to
budgetary loans given from the RA state budget to residents of the
earthquake zone in 1997-2000, concessions were made to borrowers of
Shirak, Lori and Tavush marzes in the amount of 716 mln drams, 364 mln
drams and 150 mln drams respectively. Concessions were also made on the
budgetary loans of the total amount of 111 mln drams given from the RA
state budget in 1998 to Armenian residents displaced from the village
of Artsvashen (loans were provided for purchase of apartments). On
the whole, concessions of 1.341 bln drams were made in 2007.

V. Khachatrian said that budgetary expenditures on health care amounted
to 47.4 bln drams in 2007, growing 4.8fold on 2000 and 1.9fold on 2003.

Expenditures on education and scinece increased 3.4fold in 2007 on
2000 and 2.7fold on 2003 and made 95.6 bln drams. Expenditures on
culture grew 2.9fold in 2007 on 2000 and amounted to 16.7 bln drams.

He underlined that extreme poverty in Armenia was reduced 5.1fold in
2006 on 1999 – from 21% to 4.1%, while poverty declined 2.1fold –
from 56% in 1999 to 26.5%. It has been forecast that poverty will
make 21,9%, extreme poverty – 3.3% in 2007.

CANDIDATES SIGNIFY NK PARTICIPATION IN NEGOTIATIONS

Panorama.am
20:30 25/01/2008

Armenia should be the guarantee in getting NK security and
international recognition. Shavarsh Kocharyan said that Armenia should
not replace NK in negotiations process. Karabakh and Azerbaijan should
negotiate about the territories shared.

According to Gourgen Sargsyan, the representative of Country of Laws,
NK should be recognized as a part of Armenia or it should be recognized
a single independent unity by the international society. He said that
the international society should adopt the independence of NK in the
results of the negotiations.

Artiush Shahbazyan of the Armenia Revolutionary Federation expressed
his agreement on the above mentioned ideas.

MOSCOW TEENS KILL ARMENIAN STUDENT

ARMENPRESS
Jan 24, 2008

MOSCOW, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS; A 20 year-old Armenian student was
stabbed to death last night in Russia’s capital Moscow. Russian media
reported that Vladimir Karamjian, a student of Moscow-based Auto-Road
Institute, was attacked by a group of teens , one of whom stabbed
the Armenian boy.

The Armenian student was assaulted after he saw off a
girlfriend. Karamjian was taken to a Moscow hospital, but died today
while doctors were trying to save his life.

The police was said to be looking for the attackers.

OSCE OFFICE TO SCREEN TRAINING FILM ON ELECTION PROCEDURES

armradio.am
23.01.2008 13:15

An OSCE-sponsored training film for precinct electoral commission
members will be presented in Yerevan tomorrow.

The film explains election procedures in line with the Electoral Code
and Central Electoral Commission (CEC) decisions. It was produced under
a project of the OSCE Office in Yerevan together with the Armenian
Public Relations Association (APRA) and with the help of the CEC.

The Head of the OSCE Office, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Chairman
of the CEC Garegin Azaryan, and the Chairman of APRA, Ara Saghatelyan,
will take part in the event.

30 DETAINED IN GANG OPERATION

The New Anatolian
Jan 23 2008
Turkey

Authorities took 30 people in custody in a major police operation in
Istanbul code named "Ergenekon" against an ultraright wing gang.

Among the detained were underworld figure Drej Ali as well as retired
General Veli Kucuk and Kemal Kerincsiz.

Fuat Turgut, lawyer of Yasin Hayal who allegedly incited O.S. to kill
Hrant Dink, Turkish journalist of Armenian descent, was also taken
into police custody on Tuesday.

The investigation has reportedly been carried out in connection with
explosives seized in a shanty house in Umraniye district of Istanbul.

Turgut was caught in the Aegean province of Izmir and was sent to
Istanbul for interrogation.

ADVICE SO GREAT AND MARVELOUS TO INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS
James Hakobyan

Lragir
Jan 18 2008
Armenia

The president of Armenia gave rather profound advice to the OSCE
long-term observers whom he met January 22. Robert Kocharyan said
he expects that before reporting a fact the observers will study
it thoroughly. It is highly important. In fact, a bit of hastiness
on behalf of the observers may damage the international reputation
of Armenia and waste the money and efforts spent in 2007. It is
even necessary to provide special glasses, microscopes, binoculars
to observers to observe the election fiber by fiber, molecule by
molecule, atom by atom. For instance, if the observers have observed
and reported that before the start of the election campaign some
young people visited homes of people and explained why people should
vote for Serge Sargsyan, they hurried in vain. First they should have
studied this fact thoroughly. It is possible that the young people who
visited people’s homes were not electioneering for Serge Sargsyan but
wanted to say hello to the citizens of their native city. Is saying
hello to the people of one’s city a violation of the Constitution?

Or the observers may have learned that at some places they gather the
passports of people, copy the data, make mysterious lists, threaten
to fire people if they fail to bring at least five or ten passports.

If it is strange to a foreigner, it does not mean that he should label
it as illegality. If they study thoroughly, they will find out that
the government is holding a qualification stage for the contest of
Miss and Mr. Passport 2008.

Or the observers see on the day of voting some people with bags
distribute money to voters. They will report immediately. Meanwhile,
a thorough study will reveal that the person had borrowed money
from his neighbor in the soviet years, and since he could not find
him anywhere, he waited in front of the polling station, hoping that
the neighbor would come to vote. Or the observers notice someone try
to vote for multiple times, or at multiple polling stations. They
will immediately report an illegality. Meanwhile, it is a mere burst
of patriotism which affects separate citizens. A thorough analysis
will show that at different polling stations they vote for different
candidates to maintain the balance. Or maybe a person has sworn to
vote in nine polling stations. Why to violate their religious beliefs
and describe their action as a breach without finding out details? Or a
thorough study may reveal that the people who vote at different polling
stations are local observers or proxies of opposition candidates who
vote at different polling stations disguised as voters to find out
where they might encounter problems with fulfilling their civil duty.

Therefore, the international observers need not hurry regarding
anything, including their meals. They must study their food thoroughly
otherwise the fishbone may get stuck in their throats and they will
immediately report that in Armenia the activities of international
observers were hindered with food. In the end, another expectation
from the international observers. Do study the cases not only before
reporting but also before not reporting them. In other words, do
scrutinize legalities as well, for later major illegalities may
be revealed. After all, you are in the birthplace of a millennial
civilization which knows one thousand relatively honest means of
election fraud.

OBAMA PLEDGES RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’

Today’s Zaman
Jan 22 2008
Turkey

US Presidential candidate Barack Obama has pledged to officially
recognize the controversial World War I-era killings of Anatolian
Armenians as genocide if he becomes president, while also urging
US lawmakers to adopt a pending resolution for recognition of the
allegations on the controversial issue.

A written statement penned by Obama and sent to an influential Armenian
diaspora organization was made public by the group on Monday. While
announcing Obama’s statement, the Washington based-Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) expressed pleasure over the statement,
titled "The Importance of US-Armenia Relations" and dated Jan. 19.

Obama wrote that he had a "firmly held conviction that the Armenian
Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view,
but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body
of historical evidence."

"The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats
to distort historical facts is an untenable policy. As a senator,
I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, and
as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide," Obama said in
the statement, which has also been aired on his campaign Web site
at

"I will promote Armenian security by seeking an end to the Turkish
and Azerbaijani blockades, and by working for a lasting and durable
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that is agreeable to
all parties, and based upon America’s founding commitment to the
principles of democracy and self determination," Obama also said.

Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in
orchestrated killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey categorically rejects these claims, saying that 300,000
Armenians, along with at least as many Turks, died in civil strife
that emerged when the Armenians took up arms for independence in
eastern Anatolia and sided with the Russian troops who were invading
Ottoman territory. In 1993 Turkey also shut its border with Armenia
in a show of solidarity with its close ally, Azerbaijan, which was at
war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, dealing a heavy
economic blow to the impoverished nation.

Last year, despite pleas from the George W. Bush administration,
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives
passed a nonbinding resolution that described the events of 1915 as
genocide. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives and
an ardent supporter of the Armenian claims, has so far not brought
the resolution to the House floor after a strong appeal from the
Bush administration that passage of the resolution would deeply harm
relations with NATO ally Turkey.