Author: Vanyan Gary

KARABAKH ECONOMY POSTS 15 PERCENT GROWTH

ARMENPRESS
Aug 08 2007

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS: Nagorno-Karabakh authorities
reported almost a 15 percent GDP growth in the first six months of
this year. Thus, according to figures, released by the statistical
service, the GDP grew in January-June 14.7 percent from a year ago
to 28.7 billion Armenians Drams.

The statistical service said import dues and taxes accounted for
4.6 percent GDP growth, construction was responsible for 3.3 percent
growth, industrial output growth was 3.1 percent while transport and
communication reported 2.2 percent growth.

Nagorno-Karabakh enterprises produced 10. 4 billion Drams industrial
output, which was 33 percent higher from a year ago.

Consumer goods production amounted, in terms of money, to 3.4 billion
Drams against 2.5 billion from a year ago. Agricultural GDP was 482
million Drams, rising 18 percent year-on-year. Construction growth
was 50 percent, or 8.6 billion Drams.

Foreign trade rose 72 percent to almost 40 billion Drams.

Some 1,010 babies were born in the republic, 2.7 percent more from a
year ago, while deaths declined 0.3 percent to 659. Also 360 marriages
were registered and 56 divorces granted in the same time span.

Turkish parliament to be sworn in

Story from BBC NEWS:
europe/6930915.stm

Published: 2007/08/04 11:10:03 GMT

Turkey is preparing to swear in a new parliament with attention
focusing on 20 pro-Kurdish deputies, represented for the first time
since 1991.
The new deputies say they want reconciliation and a peaceful solution
to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, which has claimed 30,000 lives since
1983.

The last time Kurdish MPs were elected, they incurred jail terms by
trying to take their oath of office in Kurdish.

Their party was later banned for its alleged links to the PKK rebel
group.

The new parliament is to convene after last month’s elections saw the
Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) strengthen its
position in the house, whose first major task will be to elect a new
president.

The AKP’s previous nomination for the post, Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul, triggered a political crisis and a warning from the military that
it was ready to intervene.

Secularists were concerned that Mr Gul began his career in the
pro-Islamic Welfare Party, and has a wife who wears the headscarf – an
extremely divisive symbol in Turkey.

Clashes

Deputies will convene to swear their loyalty to a united, independent
and secular Turkish republic.

Alongside the pro-Kurdish MPs, deputies from the nationalist MHP party
will also be taking their seats.

PARTYS IN PARLIAMENT
AKP 341 seats
CHP 99 seats
MHP 70 seats
Kurdish MPs (DTP) 20 seats
Democratic Left Party 13 seats
Independents 6 seats
Total 550 seats

The MHP won 70 seats in the 22 July poll, after running a hardline
anti-Kurdish campaign, at a time when clashes between the army and the
Kurdish separatist PKK are on the rise.

Kurdish MPs from the Democratic Society Party (DTP) insist they want to
use parliament as a platform for dialogue.

The nationalists, though, say they will not talk to anyone who refuses
to condemn the PKK as terrorists.

Presidential elections

BBC’s correspondent in Turkey, Sarah rah Rainsford, says Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul has refused to rule himself out of the running
when the election process begins in ten days’ time.

A candidate needs a two-thirds majority to be elected president in the
first two rounds of voting and an absolute majority, 276, in the third
round.

The AKP should be easily able to elect a candidate in the third round.
But it also needs a quorum of 367 MPs, a goal which eluded the party
last May and led to the early parliamentary elections.

The MHP has hinted it will not boycott the presidential poll, thus
ensuring a quorum.

The nationalists hope, however, to be able to put pressure on the
government to nominate a less controversial candidate than Mr Gul.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE LEADER OF LEBANESE FORCES SAMIR GEAGEA VISITS
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea had a private meeting with
His Holiness Aram I in the Saint Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya on August 3.

The Pontiff and Geagea discussed a number of issues related to Lebanon,
focusing particularly on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Metn.

Dr. Geagea explained his viewpoints and concerns. The Catholicos stressed
the importance of avoiding acts that would trigger sensitivities, preserving
democratic principles and Christian unity.

##
View photo here:
tos/Photos19.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

"IT IS TIME TO BECOME SERIOUS," CHAIRMAN OF PROGRESSIVE UNITED COMMUNIST PARTY OF ARMENIA DECLARES

Noyan Tapan
Aug 2, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN. It is time to become serious and take
structural steps and if communists do not unite and do not take part in
the 2008 presidential elections with a common candidate, their prestige
will remain low for a rather long time. This conviction was expressed
by Vazgen Safarian, the Chairman of the Progressive United Communist
Party of Armenia, at the press conference held on August 2. According
to him, the number of electors for the Communist Party of Armenia is
gradually decreasing: if the Communist Party of Armenia received 12.4%
of the votes in the 1995 parliamentarian elections, 12.2% in 1999,
then in 2003 and 2007 it, correspondingly, received 2.1% and 0.63%
on the whole.

In the conviction of Vazgen Safarian, communists should take part
in the 2008 presidential elections and prove that they have been
taught lessons from the mistakes of the past. He expressed hope that
the members of the Communist Party of Armenia themselves will give a
mark to the inefficient activities of the Chairman of the party. At
the same time the Chairman of the Progressive United Communist Party
of Armenia made assertions that the unification process of communists
will continue.

Vazgen Safarian mentioned that irrespective of the participation of
the Communist Party of Armenia, other communists will try to hold a
joint conference in autumn and nominate a common candidate. If they
do not manage to nominate a common candidate, then communists will
support that candidate for the post of the president, who will bear
the socialistic ideology.

However, communists will not support the candidate of the ARF
Dashnaktsutiun party, as, in the words of Vazgen Safarian, "their
socialism is of right character, and that of communists is left."

In response to the question of whether people are ready to vote for a
communist candidate, Vazgen Safarian mentioned that people saw many
liberals and nationalits during the past 17 years and became sure
that the authority of money does not make them happy. V. Safarian
also mentioned that the society in Armenia is very polarized and
that it cannot go on like this for a long time. Then he expressed
conviction that the moment when those down will no longer want to go
along with this situation, and those up will not be able to control
the situation will come soon.

MATTHEW BRYZA MEETS SAFAR ABIYEV

arminfo
2007-08-03 18:46:00

Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and the US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia Matthew Bryza
discussed prospects for military cooperation between Azerbaijan and
the USA. Problems of the Gabala radar station, energy security, and
the military political situation in the region were also touched on.

Touching on the Karabakh conflict, Safar Abiyev said that Azerbaijan
has a right to liberate the occupied territories by force. Bryza
confirmed that the USA supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, and
shares the position regarding returning of the occupied territories.

RED CROSS APPROVED REPORTS ON DETENTION OF AZERBAIJANI CITIZEN BY ARMENIA
Trend corr. E.Huseyinov

Azerbaijan, Baku
On 3 August

International Committee of the Red Cross’ representative visited the
Azerbaijani citizen being detained by Armenians, who was imprisoned on
2 August in the north-east direction of the contact line of Armenian
and Azerbaijani troops while he was passing to the Nagorno-Karabakh
side.

The representative of the Red Cross reported that the physical and
psychological state of the prisoner was examined. The results of the
examination have not yet been announced. The Committee stated that the
Azerbaijani Authorities has been informed about the results of visit.

The Committee noted that they also visited the other Azerbaijani man
being kept in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian media has reported that twenty-three year old Aliyev
Anar Arifoglu, a resident of the Tartar region of Azerbaijan was
arrested on 2 August at the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops. Earlier the Armenians detained twenty-nine year old Ashraf
Jafarov.

ONLY ONE QUESTION TO LEVON TER-PETROSYAN

Lragir, Armenia
Aug 2 2007

On August 2 at the Friday Club the reporters asked the leader of the
National Self-Determination Union Paruir Hairikyan who initiated the
meetings of the leaders of the opposition about his attitude if Levon
Ter-Petrosyan is viewed as the common candidate, considering that the
leader of the All Armenian Movement is also running in the election.

"If the issue of the individual is discussed, I will ask him only
one question. As a commander-in-chief, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
you had to go all the way to set a model for your soldiers. Meanwhile,
you said in your statement of 1998 that you "resign under the pressure
of certain forces." It is not the way a commander should act. Are there
guarantees that you will not resign under the pressure of certain or
uncertain forces, and will not abandon the positions?"

Paruir Hairikyan asks to the first president. He also says, however,
he is not prejudiced when the national issues are concerned.

"But if we come to an agreement and we decide that he must be our
representative, he will work with this team, and this man says we
will agree on principle issues, I am not prejudiced. If the person
who was neglected by people at the height of the Artsakh movement,
who was neglected by people, became one of the political figures in
Armenia and a National Hero, a person who was opposed to the Artsakh
movement, why Levon Ter-Petrosyan cannot?" Paruir Hairikyan says.

He says, however, that if the common candidate is concerned, there
must be agreement on the program, on the team, because it is pointless
to consider the victory of an individual.

NOTIFICATION OF NKR CEC

Azat Artsakh Tert
Aug 2 2007
Nagorno Karabakh Republic

On July 31st, the session of NKR Central Electoral Commission took
place, led by its chairman Sergey Nassibian. In the session the
reference of audit service attached to CEC about the pre-election funds
formed by the candidates participated in the presidential elections of
July 19 were accepted as knowledge. Then the Commission discussed the
question of preparing and carring out the next elections of NKR local
self-government institutions. It was accepted as knowledge, that by
the desision of number 311 of NKR Government of July 14, 2007 about
carring out the next elections of local self-government institutions,
tha day of elections of NKR local self-government institutions was
fixed October 14, 2007. It was defined, that the territorial electoral
commissions of Askeran, Shahumian, Shushi and Kashatagh organize
and carry out the elections of region communities. The territorial
electoral commissions were charged to carry out necessary organizing
works with plenipotentiary bodies for organizing and carring out
the coming elections of local self-government institutions at a high
level. The chairman of NKR CEC S. Nassibian

AZERBAIJANI DEFENCE MINISTER: ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES INCESSANTLY VIOLATE CEASEFIRE

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 2 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr E. Huseynli / The Armenian Armed
Forces have been incessantly violating the ceasefire agreement for
several days, the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry,
Eldar Sabiroghlu, reported on 2 August. According to Sabiroghlu,
the Armenians regularly open fire on the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

"Unfortunately, Armenia does not observe any international
agreements. We have made appeals to international organizations
regarding this matter and the organizations were informed of the
incessant violation of the Bishkek Protocol on Armenia’s ceasefire
agreement with us," Sabiroghlu added.

He noted that when the OSCE monitors the contact line of
Azerbaijani-Armenian troops, Armenia suspends its shelling, but
again violates the ceasefire one the monitoring exercises have been
completed.

–Boundary_(ID_JQN+Y2qr+S6JVbyecr w8zQ)–

FORMER HEAD OF PENITENTIARY DEPARTMENT OF RA MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PUT UNDER ARREST

Noyan Tapan
Aug 1, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Detention was chosen as a preventive
measure with regard to Samvel Hovhannisian, the former Head of
the Penitentiary Department of the RA Ministry of Justice, by the
decision of the Court of First Instance of the Kentron and Nork Marash
communities of Yerevan made on July 30. It should also be mentioned
that he was charged with the indication of the first point of the
third part of Article 131 of the RA Criminal Code: kidnapping by an
organized group.

According to the message received from the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office, citizen Rubik Simonian was kidnapped with threats of
assasination in Moscow on June 27, 2007 and Russian roubles adequate
to 500 thousand at first, later 300 thousand U.S. dollars were
demanded as a ransom. Samvel Hovhannisian sent his representative
to Moscow in order to receive the money and the latter got Russian
roubles equivalent to 300 thousand dollars from the relatives of the
kidnapped after which Ruben Simonian was set free.

Searches were conducted during the preliminary investigation in the
appartments of Samvel Hovhannisian and H. Poghosian, who was involved
in the case as a defendant on July 31 for knowing and not informing
about the crime. In her interview with a Noyan Tapan correspondent,
Sona Truzian, the Spokeswoman of the RA Prosecutor General, denied
the information, according to which a search was conducted in the
appartment of Yervand Zakharian, the Mayor of Yerevan, as well.