Author: Vardanian Garo

TURKISH SPEAKER MEETS ALGERIAN PREMIER, CRITICIZES FRANCE

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 8 2006

Algiers, 8 November: Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc met
Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem at Algerian Prime Ministry
Palace on Wednesday [8 November].

Belkhadem told reporters that Turkey, as it happened in Ottoman
period, should pursue an active and sound policy, adding that the
region needs Turkey.

Noting that Algeria does not think Turkey needs EU, Belkhadem said
that Turkey, alone, is a strong country, adding that the EU is not
sincere regarding Turkey’s membership.

Criticizing policy of France regarding so-called Armenian genocide,
Belkhadem said that Algeria, for long years, has been waiting for
France to accept that it committed massacres and made mistakes
in Algeria.

On the other hand, Arinc said, "it is a big contradiction for France
to make statements about so-called Armenian genocide. I saw one more
time in Algeria that France’s statements about freedom, justice and
equality are hollow."

He added that France is applying double standards.

MERKEL TELLS TURKEY TO GET WITH PROGRAM

Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
Big News Network
Nov 7 2006

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned Turkey that it cannot
continue to delay a settlement with Cyprus if it wants to join the
European Union.

We need the implementation of the Ankara protocol on the freedom of
movement of goods also with Cyprus. Otherwise, a very, very serious
situation arises regarding the continuation of the accession talks,
Merkel said in an interview published Monday in the Sueddeutsche
Zeitung.

A European Commission report expected to be released Wednesday could
recommend a partial freeze in talks between Turkey and the union,
the EU Observer reported. Merkel has said she would support a hold
on negotiations if Turkey remains intransigent.

Cyprus is a member of the union. European leaders are also critical
of Turkey’s human rights situation and its curbs on free speech which
have included prosecutions for insulting Turkishness for writers who
discuss the massacre of Armenians in World War I.

WILL JAVAKHETI REPEAT THE FATE OF KARABAKH?

Regnum, Russia
Nov 2 2006

Leader of the United Javakh Alliance Vahagn Chakhalian does not rule
out a possibility of an armed clash in the Armenian-populated area
in Georgia, Samtskhe-Javakheti, taking into consideration similarity
of the situation in the area with the one in Nagorno Karabakh in the
Soviet time. Chakhalian made the announcement at a news conference
in Yerevan on November 2. At the same time he noted that up to date
the question is not vital.

As for cooperation with the Georgian authorities concerning realization
of projects, as Chakhalian noted, "such cooperation is equal to
cooperation with Turks in the beginning of the last century." He
outlined priority issues for United Javakh: inadmissibility of
construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi, status of the Armenian
Apostolic Church in Georgia, teaching Armenian and history in schools,
foundation of the Georgian-Armenian University. Chakhalian denied
statements that the events in Javakh are related to the exacerbation
of the Russian0Georgian relations.

"It is rather weird that everything that happens in the area, Armenian
media connect with the crisis in the Russian-Georgian relations,"
Vahagn Chakhalian said.

In his turn, MP Hamayak Hovhannissyan also noted that not the discord
in the Georgian-Russian relations, but construction of the "monstrous"
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway caused the high interest of Armenia
in Javakh. According to him, despite the fact that European community
and the USA are negative in their assessments of the construction,
Turkey and Azerbaijan under Georgia’s consent have been implementing
the project; so, it is a question of months.

Besides, he expressed indignation at the intention to populate the
traditionally Armenian territory alongside the railway: 12 villages
with a population of 1,000 people. He also reminded that Armenia’s
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan speaking at a session of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Organization leaders also raised the issue
of inadmissibility of constructing the railway and called for Georgia
to abandon the project.

GEORGIAN FM DOESN’T SEE ‘INSUPERABLE OBSTACLES’ IN RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.11.2006 18:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bejuashvili does
not see any insuperable obstacles in relations with Russia. In
an interview with Imedi TV Channel the Minister said, "All the
obstacles and problems available in the Georgian-Russian relations
are surmountable. Political will and wish are essential for their
settlement. In his words, "Georgia is ready for constructive talks
with Russia." The Georgian FM who is scheduled to meet with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today, said, "I am in a working mood
and see no reason for pessimism," reports ITAR-TASS.

CONFERENCE FOR OPEN CODE COMPUTER PROGRAMS
By Karine Danielian

AZG Armenian Daily
02/11/2006

On October 30, "The Role of Open Code Computer Programs Policy in
Development of Information Society" conference launched in "Congress"
hotel in Yerevan.

The conference was organized by the Informational Right and
Policy Internews Center, by the Open Society institute, and the
Internet Society of Bulgaria. The conference is aimed to represent
the experience of the South Eastern European countries in this
sphere. The initiative is also meant to represent all the obstacles and
difficulties of the sphere, the factors that may hinder or contribute
to the development of the open code computer policy in the spheres
of education, local and state government activities.

Experts from Armenia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Tajikistan and Russia
participate in the conference.

IN G.ISAGULIAN’S WORDS, PASSIVE POSE OF POLITICAL FORCES DOES NOT HAVE GOOD EFFECT ON RATING OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. In the political sense, this autumn
does not differ from other autumns: parties do not carry out active
actions, have no enough number of structures in marzes, those existing
do not hold corresponding works with the local population. Garnik
Isagulian, the RA President’s Advisor on Security Issues, expressed
such a viewpoint at the October 28 press conference. Not mentioning,
which parties are particularly spoken about, G.Isagulian stated that
such a passive pose of political forces "does not have good effect
either on country’s rating or, in general, on whole process." In his
opinion, if there is no healthy debate or dialogue in the country’s
politicial field just from the outset, instead of it, there is rivalry
among the forces, who will rail at who more, as a result, after the
2007 parliamentary elections, some political units will not get the
number of votes they expect and will start to complain and consider
results of the elections falsified.

Touching upon the fact of arresting Vahagn Chakhalian, a member of
"United Javakhk" democratic union with accusation of "illegally
breaking the state border of Armenia," G.Isagulian mentioned that "if
there was no break, he would not be arrested" and added that, in his
turn, this is not the theme which needs "to be put into circulation so
much." Responding the question how he will comment upon the statement
made by RF State Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin about the necessity
of clerifying Armenia’s position on the Russian-Georgian conflict,
G.Isagulian said: "If you think that each of his statements will
be commented upon by state high-ranking officials of Armenia, you
are sadly mistaken. I am not interested in statements of this type,
let alone responding."

Responding a journalist’s question if G.Isagulian’s viewpoint,
expressed months ago, according to which he considered RA Defence
Minister Serge Sargsian as the RA President’s "most prepared candidate,
remains in force, the speaker said: "In general, if Isagulian expresses
any viewpoint, he does not change it any more."

UNION OF TURKISH ASSOCIATIONS IN EUROPE PROTESTS FRANCE

Anatolian Times, Turkey
Oct 30 2006

BERLIN – The Union of Turkish Associations in Europe laid black
wreaths in front of French consulates general in four German cities
–Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Munich and Stuttgart– to protest the bill
criminalizing denial of so-called Armenian genocide that was approved
by French national assembly on October 12th, 2006.

Recep Yildirim, chairman of the Union of Turkish Associations in
Europe, said that France, which defended human rights and freedom of
expression, has blackened its history due to adoption of the bill.

Yildirim added, "we hope that the bill will not be approved in the
Senate."

FOREIGN MINISTER: ACTIONS PLAN ON EU NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY TO BE SIGNED IN NOVEMBER 14, 2006
Author: E. Javadova

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 30 2006

An actions plan on the EU Neighbourhood Policy are expected to be
signed by the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia
in Brussels in November 14, 2006, Elmar Mammadyarov, Azerbaijan`s
Foreign Minister, told, Trend reports.

According to him, ideas expressed by the Co-Chairmen of OSCE
Minsk Group on the results of the last meeting in Moscow might be
discussed. Touching upon a possible meeting between the Azerbaijani
and Armenian Presidents, the Foreign Minister pointed out that this
issue can be solved only after November 14. He also added that after
that date, OSCE Minsk Group’s Co-Chairmen are expected to visit
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

WINERIES OF ARMENIA INCREASED PURCHASE OF GRAPES IN 2006 BY 10,9%

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 30 2006

The wineries of Armenia have increased the volumes of grapes purchase
in 2006 by 10,9% to 106,055 thsd tons against the last year’s 95,592
thsd tons, the Head of the Department of Crop Production of RA Ministry
of Agriculture, Garnik Petrossyan, told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, the growth of purchases is conditioned on a
favourable harvest of grapes this year, as well as on extension of
the Armenian wineries’ foreign markets. The leader for purchases is
the Yerevan Brandy Company, to the share of which fell 28 thsd tons of
grapes. The next are the Yerevan "Ararat" winery, which has purchased
15,048 thsd tons of grapes, the Proshyan winery, 6,250 thsd tons,
the Armavir "MAP" winery, 6,030 thsd tons and other wineries.

The average purchase price for 1 kg of grapes in 2006 varied within
130-145 drams and has not nearly changed as compared with 2005, G.
Petrossyan said. He added that, according to on-line data, the harvest
of grapes in 2006 made up 175 thsd tons against 164 thsd tons in 2005.

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 26 2006

WHAT OSKANYAN FEARS?

On October 25 Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan commented on his
recent speeches, namely his statements in the interview with the
Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper.

In the talk with the news reporters the foreign minister said that in
speaking about the necessity to battle corruption he meant the
strategy of the government, which he thinks can be applied more
seriously. Vardan Oskanyan stated that he is not the police or the
procuracy to point to corrupt officials. `What I’m saying is let’s
apply the policy more seriously and urge the political forces to
attend to these questions during the next election campaign and make
promises to people,’ says Vardan Oskanyan.

He also disagreed with the opinion that his recent speeches are
determined by his likelihood to run for presidency. `I do not view my
speeches and my statements with this logic. Simply I think that it is
worthwhile to consider these questions in the next parliamentary
election. If we want to have more progress in this country, remain
competitive in the region, we need to seek new resources. And there
are resources. We need serious reforms, the second generation of
reforms to revive them, make them active. I’m not criticizing anyone.
The government did what it did and goes on doing. The problem is that
the next generation of the leaders, the political forces, who will be
ruling the country, must pay attention to these problems first of
all,’ says Vardan Oskanyan.