Author: Torgomian Varazdat

MEMBERSHIP OF ARMENIAN IT PROMOTION COUNCIL APPROVED
YEREVAN, June 22. /ARKA/. The new membership of the IT Promotion
Council of Armenia has been approved. The new Council members are
Director of “Synopsys Armenia” Hovik Musaelyan, Executive Director of
the “Lycos” CJSC Hovhannes Avoyan, Executive Director of the E-Armenia
Foundation Levon Galstyan, Director of the Alcatel Trade international
LG representative office Avetis Kalantaryan, President of the Bi Line
Ltd Hayk Khanjyan, Director of the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts
“Matenadaran” Sen Arevshatyan, Prorector of State Engineering
University of ArmeniaRuben Aghbashyan and Director of the Executive
Office “Center of education programs” Karine Harutyunyan. P.T. -0–

The Nation (Thailand)
June 20, 2005, Monday
MISSION FROM ARMENIA
Visit in September
Armenia plans to send a trade mission and display its products in an
exhibition in Thailand in September.
Last week, Armenian Prime Minister A Margaryan met with House Speaker
Bhokin Bhalakula to cement economic and political ties between the
countries.
Margaryan said Armenia was interested in furthering and strengthening
cooperation as it views the Kingdom as the gateway to Southeast
Asia.He expressed confidence that the improved legal environment
would help develop both the public and private sectors in the
economy.

National Post (Canada)
June 18, 2005 Saturday
National Edition
Correction
As the result of an editing error, a chart in yesterday’s National
Post incorrectly identified Armenia as a secular Muslim democracy. It
is in fact a predominantly Christian country made up of Armenian
Apostolic Christians, 94%, and other Christians, 4%, with Yezidis
(Zoroastrian/animist) accounting for 2% of the population.
The Post regrets the error.

TURKS NEED RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE MORE FOR GETTING RID OF THE COMPLEX
OF PEOPLE WHO COMMITED GENOCIDE: HRANT MARGARIAN
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian-Turkish
relations stopped when Turkey adopted a decision on closing
the border bringing unacceptable conditions. Hrant Margarian,
the representative of the ARFD Beauru stated this at the June 16
meeting with journalists. According to him, the reason of stopping
any relations between Armenia and Turkey is the agressive position of
the latter. Hrant Margarian pointed out the necessity of establishing
normal relations between the two countries, emphasizing that these
relations must be based on respecting dignity of both peoples. “Turks
need the recognition of the Genocide more for getting rid of the
complex of a people having commited a genocide,” the representative
of the ARFD Beauru stated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

8 ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
A1plus
| 20:00:11 | 17-06-2005 | Politics |
Today in Warsaw the Chess European individual Championship will
start. 8 Armenian chess players will take part in it – Levon Aronyan,
Artashes Minasyan, Smbat Lputyan, Ashot Anastasyan, Karen Asryan,
Gabriel Sargsyan, Tigran L. Petrosyan, and Levon Babujyan.
Vladimir Hakobyan and Rafael Vahanyan are factually the only leading
Armenian players who will not participate in the championship. Before
leaving for Poland the RA Defense Minister and President of the Chess
Federation Serge Sargsyan received the players.
The first round of the championship will be held tomorrow. The winner
will be awarded with 20 thousand Euros, the player winning the second
place will get 16 thousand, and the third place – 12 thousand. Besides,
the European championship will reveal many participants of the World
Championship.

TBILISI WARMS TO IDEA OF RESTORING RAIL LINK TO ABKHAZIA
By Zaal Anjaparidze
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Jamestown Foundation
June 17 2005
Friday, June 17, 2005
The prospects of reopening the Georgian-Abkhaz railway line seem to be
improving. The issue has been the subject of discussions at various
high-profile meetings in recent months. The Georgian government has
significantly softened its initial tough stance on the issue. Reopening
the railway branch between Georgia and Abkhazia was one of the central
topics at the June 15 summit of CIS railway CEOs in Tbilisi, although
the issue was not officially on the agenda.
Experts estimate that the full restoration of the Abkhaz railway
branch will cost at least $100 million. Ararat Khrimian, chief of
the Armenian railway company, said that Armenia would definitely
participate in this venture if the Georgia and Russian governments
reach an agreement. The blockade of this railway branch costs Armenia’s
state budget about $500 million annually.
As early as April, Tbilisi showed a willingness to reconsider
its opposition to reopening the Abkhaz portion of the railway,
when Georgian parliamentary chair Nino Burjanadze told her Armenian
counterpart, Artur Bagdasarian, that Tbilisi has “changed its position
over restoration of a railway link via Abkhazia and is ready to
discuss this issue if concrete progress is made in resolving the
[Abkhaz] conflict” (Resonance, Civil Georgia, April 29).
The Georgian government is showing a moderate optimism. “We
should not create euphoria around this issue, since there are
still many unresolved problems, particularly with regard to the
safe repatriation of refugees,” said Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Nogaideli. He admitted to having discussed the issue with his Russian
counterpart, Mikhail Fradkov, during his visit in Tbilisi on June 3.
“Georgia’s former government was against the reopening of the railway,
while the new government has a positive approach to this issue,” he
added. If the Abkhaz portion is restored, the Trans-Caucasus Railway
will again operate along more than 2,300 kilometers (Civil Georgia,
June 16). The railway line connects Armenia and Georgian Black Sea
ports with central Russia. This would likely revitalize the region’s
faded economy. However, all stakeholders are wondering who will be
the biggest winner.
It appears that Tbilisi still seeks unilateral advantages from this
venture. “We are ready to start rehabilitation work, and sooner or
later the railway has to be opened. Georgia must have an advantage
from this venture in the first turn,” Davit Onoprishvili, chief of
the Georgian railway, declared (24 Saati, June 16).
On June 15, the Georgian, Russian, and Abkhaz delegations met in Moscow
to discuss reopening the rail connection and returning refugees to
Gali district, although no concrete documents have been signed. The
self-styled president of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, said reopening
the rail communication via Abkhazia “is advantageous for Russia,
Abkhazia, Armenia, and Georgia” (Apsynpress, Caucasus Press, June
15). Yesterday, Sergei Shamba, the foreign minister of the Abkhaz
separatist government, said that the organized return of refugees to
Gali could possibly begin in September (Caucasus Press, June 16).
Meanwhile, Leonid Lakerbaya, deputy prime minister of Abkhazia,
conceded the need to quickly restore the railway line, but added that
the Abkhaz leadership has to discuss the issue with the Abkhaz public
and other governmental bodies (24 Saati, June 16).
The railway is scheduled to be discussed at a July 1 meeting in the
office of the UN special envoy in Gali district. This meeting of
Georgian, Russian, and Abkhaz specialists will focus on technical and
financial issues related to the restoration of the railway. “This
meeting will help us to define our further plans,” said Georgian
State Minister for Conflict Resolutions Giorgi Khaindrava.
Georgian analysts have different views about the issue. “We have to
separate politics and economics,” says Sandro Tvalchrelidze, who is
against linking the railway project with the repatriation of Georgian
refugees to Abkhazia, as Tbilisi demanded several months ago. Other
analysts, however, are less optimistic and argue that reopening the
railway link would be less productive without a concurrent solution
of the refugee issue. There are also numerous technical problems,
including guaranteeing the safety of cargo and the installation
of customs points. (Tbilisi likely wants to install them at the
Russo-Abkhaz border and not on the Enguri River, which could serve
as a provisional demarcation line between Georgia and breakaway
Abkhazia). These analysts argue that under no circumstances should
Georgia separate the issues of railway and repatriation issues. “It
turns out that the Georgian side is doing something for the welfare
of Abkhazia, but what is Abkhazia doing for Georgia?” asked analyst
Ramaz Sakvarelidze (Resonance, June 16).
However, the Abkhaz leadership remains distrustful of Georgia’s
apparent desire to resolve the Abkhaz conflict by non-violent means.
Nugzar Ashuba, chair of the Abkhaz parliament, complained at a June 15
meeting with a British delegation headed by Special Representative to
South Caucasus Brian Fall that Georgia was not interested in stability
and strengthening Abkhazia. He said that the National Bank of Georgia’s
appeal to the Central Bank of Russia to close all accounts in related
Abkhazian commercial banks revealed their true intention. The accounts
have reportedly been closed (Caucasus Press, June 16).
The perception that Tbilisi harbors a grudge against Abkhazia appears
to still dominate the Abkhaz political sphere. Any inconsistency
in Georgian policies toward Abkhazia only serves to further this
perception.

Erdogan: We Talked Syria into Withdrawing from Lebanon
By Fikri Turkel
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 16 2005
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, it was Turkey
who talked Syria into pulling out from Lebanon.
On his way to the Lebanese capital Beirut to attend the Arab Economic
summit, Erdogan spoke of the Syria and Lebanon-related parts of his
visit to Washington last week. Turkey supports democracy and human
rights in the region and as part of this, Turkey also talked Syria
into pulling its military out of Lebanon, Erdogan said.
“I talked to Mr. Asad about troop withdrawal. He said, ‘I need time.’
Five months later, President [Ahmet Necdet Sezer] visited Damascus.
Mr. Sezer told me, ‘Asad will pullout his troops because I talked
him into it.’ A week later, he [Asad] started to withdraw the troops.”
As for commercial relations, Turkey is not at a point to evaluate
the trading potential in the Middle East the Prime Minister thinks;
however, he will search for possibilities to assess Middle Eastern
finance in Turkey during his visit.
Before Erdogan’s trip, radical Armenians held a protest in Beirut,
burning a Turkish flag and insulting Erdogan.

TURKEY ESCALATES INTERNATIONAL WAVE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL
A1plus
| 14:31:18 | 16-06-2005 | Politics |
Activists from across the United States, throughout Europe, and around
the world are streaming to the Armenian National Committee of America’s
(ANCA) website to take part in an on-line response to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recently unleashed international wave
of genocide denial.
In recent weeks, Erdogan has dramatically raised the stakes in his
government’s campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide, orchestrating
the purchase of major media advertisements, applying intense pressure
on foreign governments, and severely cracking down on dissidents
within Turkey who seek to speak openly about this crime against
humanity. Elements of this wave of denial include:
Blocking the first-ever Armenian Genocide conference in Turkey,
which was to have taken place in Istanbul this June.
Spending over $1,000,000 to have Time Magazine include DVDs denying
the Armenian Genocide in all of its editions throughout Europe,
and placing a major genocide denial ad in the Washington Post.
Pressing the U.S. government to withdraw the American Foreign Service
Association’s “Constructive Dissent” award to U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans for speaking the truth about the Genocide.
Pressuring President Bush, during their June 8th White House meeting,
to oppose the Armenian Genocide Resolution before Congress. This
legislation (H.Res.316) was introduced on June 14th by Congressmen
George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
Twisting arms at the State Department to continue to exclude any
mention of the Armenian Genocide in the Department’s official website’s
section on Armenian history.
Imposing an effective “gag-rule,” silencing any U.S. protests over
Turkey’s new Penal Code provision (Section 305) outlawing even the
discussion of the Genocide.
“The powerful response to our action alert reflects the seriousness
with which Armenians worldwide are responding to Erdogan’s escalation
of his attacks on the truth, on the memories of genocide victims,
and on the very security of Armenia,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA.
“But he will fail – despite all the millions of dollars and vast
political capital he will expend. He’ll fail – because of the powerful
grassroots response he will face from Armenian Americans; because of
the moral indignation of the American people as they learn more about
how his government’s values stand in stark contrast to those held
by the vast majority of Americans; because he is finding himself
increasingly isolated internationally as he loses his partners
in denial, and – perhaps most importantly – because his years of
hateful lies and deception will collapse under their own weight,”
added Hamparian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Daily Star – Lebanon
June 16 2005
Armenians protest as Erdogan arrives in Beirut
Demonstrators demand Turkey acknowledge and apologize for Ottoman-era genocide
By Rym Ghazal
Daily Star staff
Thursday, June 16, 2005
BEIRUT: Hundreds of Lebanese Armenians waved Armenian flags and
burned Turkish flags to send a message to visiting Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to acknowledge the Armenian genocide.”
“Animals are not welcome,” read one demonstrator’s sign under a
picture of the visiting Turkish premier. The protestors gathered
in Bourj Hammoud, an Armenian suburb of Beirut, and shouted slogans
condemning the 1915 Ottoman massacre of the Armenians.
The demonstration, organized by the Armenian Tashnag Party, was
not a protest against the actual visit, “as diplomatic relations
are respected,” said a Tashnag Party spokesperson, but rather was
intended as a “reminder” to the Turkish and the Lebanese governments
about the genocide that reportedly killed 1.5 million Armenians.
“By Turkey ignoring what happened … it is like a painful continuation
of the genocide,” said the spokesperson.
Hratch Balekijan, one of the protestors, came carrying a poster of
Erdogan depicted as Pinocchio.
Balekijan said: “Turkey keeps lying about what happened and Lebanon
keeps ignoring our voices.”
Balekijan, like the rest of the demonstrators, is frustrated at how,
after 100 years of demonstrations over the killings, some countries
like Lebanon have not yet officially acknowledged the massacre as
genocide.
Lebanon is home to the Arab world’s largest Armenian community, made
up of descendants of survivors of the 1915-1917 massacres in Turkey.
There are an estimated 120,000 Lebanese Armenians, half as many as
before the 1975-1990 civil war.
While waiting in the airport for the Turkish prime minister’s arrival,
Turkish Ambassador Irfan Acar told The Daily Star: “We have been
saying that since the genocide remains a controversial issue, we are
inviting historians from both sides, Turkish and Armenian, to meet
and come and view our archives and reach a final conclusion.”
“Instead of burning flags and going to the streets, there is a more
civilized way of dealing with this issue like organizing a formal
commission and sending it to Turkey,” said Acar.
Erdogan is expected to stay for two days, during which he will hold
talks with Lebanese officials and participate in the Arab Economic
Forum.
The Armenian slaughter remains a controversial issue. Several countries
like France have recognized the massacres as genocide – a term Turkey
fiercely rejects – and Brussels has urged Ankara to face its past
and expand freedom of speech.
But Ankara last month squelched a landmark conference that was to
have been held at Istanbul’s prestigious Bogazici University and
would have questioned the official line on the mass killings.

Baltic News Service
June 13, 2005
INTL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED IN SOLVING MOUNTAIN KARBAKH
CONFLICT — LITHUANIA’S PARLT CHAIR
VILNIUS, Jun 13
Lithuania could encourage the international community to increase
its involvement in solving the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict over the
Mountain Karabakh region.
This idea was voiced at a press conference at the parliament on
Tuesday by Parliamentary Speaker Arturas Paulauskas, who had been
paying an official visit to South Caucasus countries last week.
“Only rendering the solution of this problem international can bring
around some improvement. This might be an international mission,
international observers. Obviously, today the two countries are
unable to reach the right solution,” Paulauskas said and added that
a concrete position may be formulated after a meeting with Foreign
Minister Antanas Valionis.
Valionis has been delegated to the government by the New Union (the
Social Liberals) led by the parliamentary speaker.
There is an ongoing military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia
over Mountain Karabakh, a large Azerbaijan region dominated by ethnic
Armenians. The 1988-1994 war over the disputed territory claimed the
lives of over 35,000 people. There is only a fragile truce between
Armenia and Azerbaijan at the front line in Mountain Karabakh, still
occupied by Armenia.
Paulauskas told the press conference that the initiative of cooperation
with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia under formula 3+3, involving
Latvia and Estonia might offer some prospects.
“I saw that this project needed support. This might not happen today,
but this project is prospective,” he said.
Having become a full-fledged member of the EU and NATO last year,
Lithuania is seeking to convey its experience of Euro-Atlantic
integration to South Caucasus countries, however so far only Azerbaijan
and Georgia have declared pro-western orientation.
Armenia tends to relate its future with Russia, which has established
military bases in the country.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress