Author: Torosian Aram

RSPP FOUNDER ARKADY VOLSKY, 74, DIES
By Valeria Korchagina
Staff Writer

The Moscow Times, Russia
Sept 10 2006

Roman Denisov / Itar-Tass

Volsky speaking with reporters while in Grozny for peace negotiations
during the first Chechen war in June 1995.

Arkady Volsky, who is credited with preventing an industrial collapse
after the Soviet demise and founded the Russian Union of Industrialists
and Entrepreneurs, died Saturday in Moscow. He was 74.

He died of complications from leukemia, NTV television reported.

Volsky, a critic of the Yukos affair, was an active player in business
and politics until last year, when an internal squabble at the powerful
big business lobby, known as RSPP, saw him pushed aside and handed
an honorary post.

"Volsky’s death is a big loss, not only for the RSPP but for the entire
business and political community of the country," Alexander Shokhin,
who replaced Volsky at RSPP’s helm, said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

Volsky represented a relatively rare breed of the country’s political
and business leaders who managed to have equally successful careers
under Communist rule and during the first wild years of Russian
capitalism.

Born in Belarus on May 15, 1932, and raised in an orphanage, Volsky
started out at a ZiL car factory as an ordinary worker and eventually
became the factory’s party boss.

Moving into government, he served as an aide to Soviet leader Yury
Andropov in the early 1980s. As an aide, he pressed for the return
of Andrei Sakharov from exile in Gorky, now Nizhny Novgorod.

In the late 1980s, he joined the Communist Party Central Committee’s
division in charge of industry. At the time, he also tried to settle
an ethnic and territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh. During the 1994-96 Chechen war, he participated in
peace talks with rebel leaders.

In 1990, Volsky founded an organization uniting some of Russia’s
first capitalists. The group later grew into the RSPP.

During the August 1991 coup attempt, Volsky managed to call Soviet
President Mikhail Gorbachev, who was under house arrest in Crimea,
and confirm that he was not ill, as the nation had been told.

Volsky quit the Communist Party in disgust after the failed coup.

Gorbachev said Saturday that Volsky played a key role in making sure
that industry did not collapse completely after the fall of the Soviet
Union, Interfax reported.

He praised Volsky for his attempts to establish a dialogue between
business and the state.

>From 2000, Volsky was also among the few public figures in Russia who
dared to criticize publicly the state’s legal onslaught on Yukos and
its founder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Liberal politician Irina Khakamada said she had known Volsky since
1989 and recalled that even though he was a senior Communist official,
he had supported private entrepreneurship, Interfax reported.

Condolences also were expressed by President Vladimir Putin, Prime
Minister Mikhail Fradkov and former President Boris Yeltsin.

Volsky will be buried at Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery on Tuesday,
Interfax reported. A civil memorial will be held from 10 a.m. to
noon at ZiL’s House of Culture. A church service will be held at the
Novodevichy Monastery at 1 p. m. and be followed by the burial.

Volsky is survived by his wife, Lyudmila, a son, a daughter and six
grandchildren.

ARMENIAN LOBBYING GROUP TO FIGHT ON AGAINST NEW U.S. ENVOY
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 8 2006

A leading Armenian-American lobbying group has pledged more efforts
to block the congressional confirmation of President George W. Bush’s
pick for new U.S. ambassador to Armenia, which cleared a key hurdle
on Thursday.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said it is undaunted
by career diplomat Richard Hoagland’s crucial endorsement by the
U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. His confirmation by the
full Senate now seems a forgone conclusion.

The committee had twice delayed the vote this summer due to its
pro-Armenian members’ protests against Hoagland’s refusal to refer to
the 1915 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire as genocide. Washington’s outgoing ambassador in Yerevan, John
Evans, is believed to have been recalled for publicly recognizing
the genocide.

"The ANCA remains firmly opposed to the Hoagland nomination, and
will continue to seek to block his confirmation until he publicly
states that he does not question the Armenian Genocide, and the State
Department explains both its firing of the current Ambassador as well
as the role of the Turkish government in this controversy," the ANCA
executive director, Aram Hamparian, said in a statement. Hamparian
thanked the five senators who voted against Hoagland and denounced
the Bush administration for its continuing refusal to use the word
"genocide" with regard to the slaughter of some 1.5 million Ottoman
Armenians.

The Armenian Assembly of America, a more moderate advocacy group, also
praised those lawmakers but stopped short of calling for Hoagland’s
rejection by the Senate. "We appreciate the remarks of the Senators to
squarely affirm the Armenian Genocide and to urge the Administration
to review and rethink its current policy," its executive director,
Bryan Ardouny, said in a statement. "The historical truth is undeniable
and we will continue to pursue universal and irrevocable affirmation
of the Armenian Genocide."

The Assembly’s praise was also addressed to those senators who called
for U.S. recognition of the genocide but voted for Bush’s nominee,
citing U.S. national interests. Among them was Senator Joseph Biden
of Delaware, who demanded last month an official explanation from
the State Department regarding Evans’s dismissal.

Another ranking Democrat, John Kerry of Massachusetts, remained adamant
in rejecting Hoagland’s candidacy and accusing the White House of
caving in to pressure from Turkey. "For us to allow an ambassador
to be recalled because he uttered the word ‘genocide’ is to kowtow,
it’s to cave in, to those who change history," Kerry told the Senate
panel during a 45-minute debate that preceded the 13-to-5 vote.

"We’re not going to allow revisionism … We honor history and we
honor the truth," he added, according to AFP.

Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, likewise said she can
not support Hoagland "until we call the first genocide of the 20th
century by its rightful name." "In Darfur we are witnessing the first
genocide of the 21st century and the Bush administration called it
that," Reuters quoted her as saying.

However, Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican,
countered that rejecting a qualified nominee "because of concerns
of U.S. policy toward that country (Armenia) would set a troubling
precedent."

Vahagn Hairapetyan & Cats to Perform in Moscow

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.09.2006 16:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The concert of Armenian ethno-jazz band Vahagn
Hairapetyan & Cats will take place in Moscow September 9. Vahagn
Hairapetyan is one of most known and popular jazz musicians of
the contemporary Armenian scene, a son of well-known violinist Karo
Hairapetyan. He has played swing and bop, appearing with his trio. In
2005 Hairapetyan created Vahagn Hairapetyan & Cats septet, which
performed within annual Jazz Appreciation Months, organized by the
US Embassy in Yerevan, as well as Yerevan 2006 Third International
Jazz Festival, reports the Yerkramas.

Oskanian Not to Go to London in September

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.09.2006 18:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The schedule of Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian does
not include London, acting Spokesperson for the Armenian MFA Vladimir
Karapetyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. As of Oskanian’s meeting
with OSCE MG co-chairs and the Azeri FM in the near future, Karapetyan
stated, that information on it will be reported later.

Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov had stated in Baku September 6 that a
meeting is expected in London on September 13.

ARMENIA OCCUPIES THE LAST PLACE IN THE FIRST GROUP

A1+
[03:45 pm] 07 September, 2006

Azerbaijan – Khazakhstan, Finland – Portugal and Poland – Serbia
meetings were held in the elimination trials of "Euro – 2008" alongside
with Armenian – Belgium meeting. All these meetings ended in a draw –
1:1. Only Armenia lost the meeting to Belgium by 0:1 and appeared in
the last place of the 1st group.

1st group

1. Finland 2 meetings 4 points

2. Serbia 2 meetings 4points

3. Belgium 2 meetings 4 points

4.Khazakhstan 2 meetings 2points

5. Portugal 1 meetings 1points

6. Poland 2 meetings 1points

7. Azerbaijan 2 meetings 1points

8. Armenia 1 meetings 0 points

Thus, we can say that only the Armenian football players didn’t manage
to gain points. But we mustn’t forget that in comparison with other
teams Armenian team has held only one meeting so far. Specialists
think that among the first group teams Finland, Belgium, Portugal,
Poland and Serbia are likely to appear in the final phase. But the
first meetings showed that other teams may take the fans unawares.

Other group meetings were also held. Germany beat San – Marino
with surprising scores 13:0. Current World champion Italy lost to
ex-champion French 1:3. At present Italy is in an awful state and
the team may be left out of "Euro – 2008" final phase if they don’t
display proper participation.

To note, Northern Ireland beat Spain 3:2 in Belfast which was the
most striking meeting of the tournament.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSAULTED

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 6 2006

Editor-in-chief of the key pro-opposition newspaper "Iravnuk" Ovannes
Galajyan has been assaulted by unidentified persons, APA reports.

Two unknown persons attacked the editor-in-chief in front of his
apartment. Galajyan thinks the attack is related to his professional
activity. He said unknown persons threatened him several days ago.

But he refused to clarify why he became unwelcome for some
persons.

OSKANIAN THANKED EVANS FOR PROMOTION OF ARMENIA-U.S. RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.09.2006 17:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian met with U.S. Ambassador John Evans, who is completing
his diplomatic mission in Armenia, reported the RA MFA press
office. During the meeting the parties noted the progress fixed in
the Armenia-U.S. relations in the course of recent 2 years. They also
voiced assurance that the agenda of the Armenian-American cooperation
will be replenished with new initiatives and fields. Vartan Oskanian
thanked the Ambassador for promotion of bilateral relations and wished
him every success in further activities.

CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II WORK PROJECT’ TO DRAW 300 VOLUNTEERS

Construction and Maintenance News, Belarus
Aug 5 2006

As part of an ongoing partnership between Habitat for Humanity and
the Armenia Apostolic Church, a blitz build of homes for 24 families
in need kicks off next week in Armenia.

More than 300 volunteers are expected throughout the week, from
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of all Armenians, to a Harvard
professor, to a former Miss Armenia. The build project will provide
37 homes for families in need in Armenia, symbolizing 36 worldwide
Dioceses, plus the Holy See. From Sept. 5-9, volunteers will completely
renovate one apartment building of 24 homes in Gavar, near Armenia’s
Lake Sevan. A further 13 homes are being built across the country.

TURKEY REJECTS EU CALL TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Agence France Presse — English
September 5, 2006 Tuesday 12:54 PM GMT

Turkey denounced on Tuesday a European Union report saying that Ankara
must recognize the 1915-1917 genocide in Armenia as a condition for
joining the EU.

"We are dismayed by efforts aiming to impose preconditions that are
far from objective on questions that require serious academic inquiry,"
the Turkish foreign ministry said in a communique.

A report adopted by the EU parliament’s foreign affairs committee
Monday night deplored Turkey’s lack of progress in implementing reforms
needed to join the rich 25-nation bloc, and alluded specifically the
Ankara’s refusal to acknowledge the Armenian genocide.

"Certain elements of the report… written with political
considerations are not compatible with the credibility of the European
parliament," the Turkish foreign ministry said.

Armenians estimate that up to 1.5 million of their forebear perished
in systematic killings orchestrated by the Ottoman Empire between
1915 to 1917.

Ankara rejects all accusations of genocide, estimating the number of
Armenian deaths at 300,000 and arguing they were not a consequence
of deliberate extermination but a combination of war, disease, famine
and ethnic conflict.

NUMBER OF ARMENIANS IN JAVAKHK BRANCH OF TBILISI STATE UNIVERSITY IS JUST SYMBOLIC

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 04 2006

AKHALKALAK, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Entrance exams
finished in the Akhaltskha and Akhalkalak branches of the Tbilisi State
University. 350 entrants enter the Akhaltskha branch, 80 ones enter
the Akhalkalak branch. Though the absolute majority of the region is
Armenians, and the Akhalkalak branch of the university was founded
with a reasoning of giving Armenian young people possibility to get
higher education at place and to integrate in the Georgian society,
the number of Armenians entering the university is just symbolic:
14 Armenian entrants entered the Akhalkalak branch and other 14
ones entered the Akhaltskha branch. According to the A-Info agency,
Georgian young people from other regions of Georgia made a great
number by percentage, especially in Akhalkalak.