Author: Vasilian Manouk

"SOUTH CAUCASIAN RAILWAYS" COMPANY STUDIES RESTORATION OF KARS-GYUMRI RAILROAD

ARMENPRESS
Feb 25, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS: "South Caucasian Railways" company
studies the restoration of Kars-Gyumri railroad. During today’s
press conference chief director of "South Caucasian Railways" company
Shevket Shaydulin informed that nearly 90 million rubles are invested
in restoration and development of the infrastructures.

"We have a task to restore all the Armenian railway directions",-
he said.

Sh. Shaydulin considered construction of Iran-Armenia railroad a very
important and right program, stating that today only Iran-Armenia
highway functions.

"It is important for Armenian and Russian economies. Construction
of Iran-Armenia railroad is being discussed on the levels of
governments. The program was positively assessed by Armenian and
Russian governments. There is a problem in the issue of participants
of construction of the railroad. I think the issue will be settled
in the nearest future",- he noted.

Sh. Shaydulin informed that as of now Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku
railway is not being constructed.

SALLOUKH AND ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AGREE ON ACTIVATING A LEBANESE-ARMENIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION

iloubnan.info
Feb 25 2009
Lebanon

BEIRUT – Foreign Minister of Affairs Fawzi Salloukh emphasized on
the importance to increase communications between Lebanon and Armenia
and discuss common matters of interest between both counties.

Salloukh called on more cooperation between Lebanon and Armenia
and continuing mutual support particularly exchanging support in
all international organizations, the United Nations and relevant
committees.

In a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Edward
Nalbadian, Salloukh pointed out that it had been agreed on activating
the work of the Lebanese-Armenian Economic Commission and developing
a bilateral agreement into effect.

Nalipidian, on the other hand, announced that he had discussed with his
Lebanese counterpart a number of issues related to the revitalization
of the bilateral relations existing between the two countries at the
highest levels.

Panorama.am
12:15 21/02/2009

CRISIS HAS MANY SIMILARITIES WITH SOVIET SYSTEM COLLAPSE

Investor and millionaire George Soros compared the current situation
of the world financial-economic crisis to the demise of the Soviet
Union, reports Reuters. He said that the world financial system has
effectively disintegrated, adding that there is yet no prospect of a
near-term resolution to the crisis.

Soros said at a Columbia University dinner the turbulence is actually
more severe than during the Great Depression. He said the bankruptcy
of Lehman Brothers in September marked a turning point in the
functioning of the market system. `We witnessed the collapse of the
financial system,’ Soros said.

Source: Panorama.am

CATHOLICS OUTRAGED OVER ISRAELI TV SPOOF

Melbourne Herald Sun
Feb 20 2009
Australia

CATHOLIC bishops in the Holy Land have expressed outrage over what
they call "repulsive attacks" on Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary
after an Israeli TV program spoofed them.

"We, the members of the Assembly of the Catholic Bishops in the Holy
Land deplore and condemn with utter dismay the repulsive attacks on
our lord Jesus Christ and on his mother, the blessed Virgin Mary,
carried out on Channel 10 of the Israeli television," the group said
in a statement.

Earlier this week, the private channel broadcast a series of skits,
one of which suggested the Virgin Mary "was impregnated at the age
of 15 by a school friend."

Another said Jesus died at a young age "because he was fat" and
that his excess weight would have made it impossible for him to walk
on water.

In the program, Israeli comedian Yair Shlein joked that
since Christians "deny the Holocaust, then I want to deny
Christianity." Following protests, he later apologised to Arab Israeli
Christian dignitaries.

The bishops said they viewed "this recent incident in the larger
context of continuous attacks against Christians throughout Israel
over the years" and urged authorities to launch an investigation.

"It is unconceivable that such incidents have to occur in Israel
which hosts some of the holiest shrines of Christianity," said the
statement, signed by the Latin patriach of Jerusalem as well as
Armenian, Chaldean, Greek, Maronite and Syrian Catholic bishops.

Uneasy relations between the Vatican and Israel have been further
strained a by Pope Benedict XVI’s recent decision to lift the
excommunication of Holocaust-denying English Bishop Richard Williamson.

The pontiff is scheduled to visit Israel in May.

STATEMENT OF THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP: THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION TO THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Regnum
l
Feb 20 2009
Russia

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier
of France, Yury Merzlyakov of Russia, and Matthew Bryza of the United
States, released the following statement on February, 19, 2009:

"The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group stress that, despite two
reports circulated at the request of the Permanent Representative
of Azerbaijan to the United Nations on December 24 and 29, 2008,
there is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The
Co-Chairs further underscore the non-use of force as a core element
of any just and lasting settlement of the conflict.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan described their most recent
meeting, in Zurich on January 28, 2009, as useful and constructive,
despite two Azerbaijani reports circulated in the United Nations
General Assembly one month earlier. At the conclusion of their Zurich
meeting, the Presidents reiterated their commitment to the Minsk Group
peace process, and asked the Co-Chairs to intensify their efforts to
help the parties bridge their remaining differences with regard to
the Basic Principles.

In subsequent public statements, both Presidents underscored their
enduring commitment to the Minsk Group’s mediation effort. Therefore,
the Minsk Group’s Co-Chairs will visit the region before the end of
February to help the parties to accelerate their efforts to finalize
the Basic Principles. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs will not allow the
peace process to be subverted by legalistic or historical discussions,
though they will remain sensitive to historical concerns expressed by
the parties to the conflict, all of which must be addressed in due
course. The Co-Chairs further believe the above-mentioned reports
should have no bearing on negotiations within the Minsk Group in
pursuit of a peaceful and political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, to which both Presidents committed themselves in their
Moscow Declaration of November 2, 2009."

PARLIAMENTARY AD HOC COMMITTEE ON INQUIRY INTO MARCH 1 EVENTS SHOULD ADOPT TOUGHER POSITION, GURGEN ARSENIAN BELIEVES

Noyan Tapan
Feb 20, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "The current situation in Armenia
is unprecedented in modern criminology: there were three victims,
four carabines, four shots and we are unable to identify which shots
caused human death," member of the National Assembly ad hoc committee
on inquiry into March 1 events, chairman of the United Labor Party
(ULP) Gurgen Arsenian said at the February 20 press conference, when
addressing the problem of the citizens killed as a result of the use
of special weapons by the police in Yerevan on March 1. In his words,
if the appropriate bodies are unable to find out whose shots killed
three participants in the rally, two opinions form involuntarily. The
first is that the state considers those killed as rebels and does not
care about their deaths, and the second opinion is that all the three
persons were killed as a result of actions of a fanatic-policeman. In
order to refute these opinions, according to G. Arsenian, it is
necessary to reveal the truth.

The leader of ULP added that the ad hoc committee’s work is like a
pyramid, in conquering whose top the committee members "meet with
stiff resistance".

G. Arsenian, however, did not clarify who offers that resistance. He
only said that the committee "should adopt a tougher position and
invite some high-ranking officials – former head of the police and
former defence minister for a talk". In his words, if armed forces
were used against demonstrators prior to declaration of the state of
emergency, it is a violation of the law.

PRESS RELEASE
Zoryan Institute
George Shirinian, Executive Director
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON
Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736

CONTACT: Megan Swan

DATE: February 20, 2009 TEL: 416-250-9807

Announcing the 8th Year of Human Rights and Genocide Course

Toronto, Canada – The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights
Studies is proud to announce its 8th year of offering the Genocide and Human
Rights University Program (`GHRUP’). This marks the second year the program
is offered in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s History
Department, which provides graduate-level credits for registered students.

Roger W. Smith, the Director of the GHRUP, believes that the program
"thrives on a unique combination of student diversity, commitment, and
faculty expertise. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we deal with the
phenomenon of genocide, why it occurs, how it takes place, who is
responsible, and how it can be prevented. The seminar has been one of the
most satisfying events in my teaching career, now approaching forty years,"
he said.

The program is often described by students as a life-changing experience.
One recent student stated, `The mixture of perspectives and cultures that
make up the student body of this course allow the classroom to be filled
with discussion, and free time to be spent in thought-provoking
conversation. I have learned a great deal from this course, but most
importantly, participating in this course has solidified in my mind the
importance of committing my future to the intervention in, and the eventual
prevention of genocides globally.’

The GHRUP is a comprehensive, graduate-level seminar taught by eight leading
experts in their fields. Incorporating genocide theory, history, sociology,
political science and international law, and through a comparative analysis
of several case studies (such as the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust,
Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur) and a number of special themes, it explores such
issues as:
– The Foundations of Human Rights
– International Politics and Genocide
– International Law and Genocide
– The Preconditions of Genocide
– Patterns of Genocide
– Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation
– Genocide Denial¬¬
– Genocide Prevention

Prof. Herbert Hirsch of Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the
editors of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal and
teaches about prevention at the GHRUP. He remarked that `This course is
perhaps the most exciting educational experience available to any person
interested in preventing genocide and protecting human rights. Participants
are given the opportunity to interact with and learn from some of the major
experts in the field. Even more importantly, they meet, form friendships,
and learn from each other.’

Applicants must be current or recent university students with a minimum of
three years of undergraduate experience. Details and registration
information are available on the program’s website,
or by emailing [email protected]. The GHRUP will be held in Toronto,
August 3rd to 14th, 2009.

Students currently registered at the University of Toronto and graduate
students from any university in Ontario may receive credit with no
additional cost in tuition. Undergraduate students registered at other
institutions across the province may make special arrangements for the same
privilege. Students in other jurisdictions who wish to take the course for
credit must make special arrangements with their local institution.

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A
Division of the Zoryan Institute) is dedicated to the study and
dissemination of knowledge regarding the phenomenon of genocide in all of
its aspects. This is achieved through the GHRUP and publication of Genocide
Studies and Prevention: An International Journal, in partnership with the
International Association of Genocide Scholars and University of Toronto
Press.

INSURANCE SERVICES TARIFF RAISE EXPECTED IN 2009

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.02.2009 19:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Insurance services tariffs raise is expected in
Armenia, INGO ARMENIA Insurance Company Director said.

"The quality of services and qualification of insurance specialists
improves day by day in the developing market, what results in
tariff raise both for insurance and reinsurance," Levon Altunyan
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Giving his assessment of the Armenian social insurance market, Altunyan
noted that average market capacity growth of 20 percent was registered.

"INGO ARMENIA share on the insurance market totals 25-27 percent,
today that would equal AMD 8-10 billion. Insurance specialists forecast
a considerable market capacity growth. CB-created Law on Obligatory
Insurance will result in 50 percent growth of insurance market within
2 years," Altunyan said.

"Thus, it will be necessary to improve the quality security services
to investigate falsified insurance deals and contracts," he added.

TURKISH NATIONALIST CHARGED OVER ‘NO JEWS, NO ARMENIANS’ PLACARD

Monsters and Critics.com
Feb 15 2009

Ankara – The head of a Turkish nationalist group could face up to a
year in jail after being charged over a placard he put in his office
barring Jews and Armenians from entering, the Dogan news agency
reported on Monday.

‘No Jews or Armenians are allowed through this door. Dogs are free
to enter,’ read the sign that Niyazi Capa, general manager of the
Osman Gazi Culture Federation, placed in the window of his office
of the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir in January just after the
Israeli military began it’s three-week operation in Gaza.

Prosecutors have now charged Capa with ‘discrimination on the basic
of race or religion’, a crime punishable by between six months and
one year imprisonment.

Dogan said that Capa had denied the charges, telling prosecutors
investigating the case that he was not a racist and that he had no
problem with Armenian or Jewish people.

Capa’s alleged action in January co-incided with large-scale protests
across Turkey condemning the Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Whilst Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a number of extremely
critical speeches condemning Israel’s actions, including describing it
as a ‘stain on history’s page’, he specifically condemned the actions
of Capa, describing anti-Semitism as a ‘crime against humanity’.

Capa said that the sign’s reference to Armenians was in response
to a recent campaign by Turkish intellectuals to apologise for the
massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during the First World War.

Capa defended his sign saying it was similar to one posted at the
door of a concert in France by the American rock band ‘System of a
Down’. Members of the band have in the past denied ever having posted
such a sign.

Capa’s trial will start at an Eskisehir magistrates court later
this year.

SVERDLOV REGION, ARMENIA TO COOPERATE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND ATOMIC ENERGY AREAS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 16, 2009

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. Armenia and Russia’s Sverdlov region
intend to cooperate in mechanical engineering and atomic energy areas.

On Monday, Eduard Rossel, the region governor, hosted a delegation
headed by Ashot Kagramanyan, governor of Armenia’s Armavir region.

The Armenians expressed readiness to participate in projects on
recycling anthropogenic wastes and to involve specialists from Ural
in construction of a nuclear plant in Armenia, ITAR-TASS reports.

The Armenian delegation is set to visit Uralwagonzavod.

Rossel welcomed the intention to establish a joint enterprise producing
and repairing railway cars in Armavir province.

In October 2008, Sverdlov region’s representatives came to Yerevan
as members of the Russian delegation headed by Dmitry Medvedev and
signed cooperation agreement.

Trade turnover between Armenia and Russia’s Sverdlov province reached
AMD 13.5 million in 2008, but the parties think there is greater room
for cooperation.