Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

PRESIDENT SERZH SARKISIAN RECEIVES CONSUELO VIDAL, UN PERMANENT COORDINATOR AND UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE

ARMENPRESS
June 17

President Serzh Sarkisian received today Consuelo Vidal, UN Permanent
Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia.

The presidential press office told Armenpress that President Sarkisian
emphasized greatly the programs ran by different UN agencies in Armenia
for years, aimed at strengthening the state and boosting the economy.

Expressing his pleasure over the close and constructive interaction
Serzh Sarkisian said that the Armenian side is ready to deepen it
and use the available possibilities more effectively.

According to Ms. Vidal, Armenia is an active member of UN making its
positive contribution to its work.

She presented to the president programs and the activity of 12 UN
agencies operating in Armenia saying that it is their wish that they
serve more effectively for the prosperity of the Armenian people.

She said also that a new four-year plan of cooperation between Armenia
and UN is being developed currently. She said they would like the
government to point out the priority directions and sectors where it
expects UN support.

Serzh Sarkisian listed as priority shifting from humanitarian projects
to development ones, expressing also a wish that joint projects be
more tangible and addressed.

He especially emphasized the expertise assistance provided by all
UN agencies, noting that the government’s capacity is growing year
after year and now the main problem is to use it more effectively.

During the meeting the sides also spoke about changing prices of
food commodities and fuel in global markets in the context of food
security and relevant cooperation between the government and UN.

They also referred to social and economic conditions of refugees
singling out apartment purchase certificate program as an important
move in this direction.

At the end of the meeting Ms. Consuelo Vidal invited President
Sarkisian to visit the UN Armenia Office to see on the ground its work.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SETS UP BODY TO PROBE MARCH UNREST

Mediamax News Agency
June 16 2008
Armenia

Armenian parliament made a decision today at its extraordinary session
on setting up a temporary committee for investigating the 1-2 March
events [post-election opposition protests] in Yerevan, which led to
the death of 10 people.

Mediamax reports that 93 MPs voted for the approval of the resolution.

The main author of the resolution on establishing the committee,
supported by the [governing] coalition, was independent MP Viktor
Dallakyan.

According to the draft resolution, the temporary committee is to
investigate the 1-2 March events in Yerevan and present its conclusion
at a parliament session no later than 25 October 2008; determine the
lawfulness of the actions of the police; find out the circumstances
of the death of the 10 citizens; present proposals concerning legal
and political decisions, which would rule out the possibility of such
events taking place again.

RPA MEMBER SAMVEL NIKOYAN ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF NA AD HOC COMMISSION

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 16, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Samvel Nikoyan, the Secretary of the RPA
faction, was elected Chairman of the ad hoc parliamentary commission
on study of the March 1-2 events in Yerevan and their reasons formed
on June 16. The Chairman was elected at the commission’s first
sitting convened on the same day. As S. Nikoyan informed Noyan Tapan
correspondent, it was decided to reserve the right of nominating
a candidature for the post of commission Vice-Chairman for the
Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction. As the faction has not introduced
its two members to the commission yet, the issue of the election
has been postponed. The commission will approve its regulations and
working plans at the next sitting to be held on June 17.

DM SEYRAN OHANYAN PARTICIPATED IN THE SITTING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL

armradio.am
13.06.2008 17:22

On June 12 RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan participated in the
sitting of the North Atlantic Council held in NATO Headquarters on
the level of Defense Ministers of the countries participating in
the Kosovo operations. The Armenian Defense Minister reconfirmed the
resoluteness of Armenia to continue its support to ensuring stability
and security in Kosovo and informed his counterparts about the doubling
of the Armenian peacekeeping forces in Kosovo.

During the conversation with NATO Secretary General Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer the latter welcomed the decision to increase the
number of Armenian peacekeepers in Kosovo in the current complex
military-political situation.

In the framework of the visit to Brussels, Defennse Minister Seyran
Ohanyan met with the Special Representative of the NATO Secretary
General Robert Simmons. Issues related to the implementation of the
Individual Partnership Action Plan, the process and perspectives of
NATO-Armenia cooperation were discussed.

Seyran Ohanyan had meetings with the Defense Minister of Greece
Evangeles Meymarakis. Issues related to Armenian-Greek military
cooperation were discussed. The Ministers reconfirmed the readiness
to expand the bilateral cooperation. The Defense Minister of Greece
highly appreciated the mission Armenian peacekeepers are carrying
out in Kosovo.

TDSB APPROVES HIGH SCHOOL COURSE ON GENOCIDE

680 News
tent=20080613_064328_4920
June 13 2008
Canada

Toronto – A controversial high school course on genocide has been
unanimously approved by the Toronto District School Board.

The Globe and Mail reports about 50 protestors waved Turkish flags
and picket signs outside the board’s North York office Thursday night
objecting to the inclusion of the Armenian genocide as one of the
course’s three-case studies.

Meanwhile, a group of Ukrainian-Canadians sat in meeting to support
the inclusion of the Ukrainian genocide.

Board members say they hope the new course will help promote
cross-cultural understanding and awareness of the dangers of
stereotyping and prejudice.

MORE WATER TO BE RELEASED FROM LAKE SEVAN

arminfo
2008-06-10 12:26:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Parliament amended the Program of Restoration,
Preservation and Reproduction of Lake Sevan Ecosystem in second and
final reading Tuesday.

In his speech, Chairman of the State Committee of Water Management,
Ministry of Territorial Administration, Andranik Adreasyan said
the bill was carefully discussed after it was passed in the first
reading and a consensus was achieved. Thus, the water release
quota is to be increased to 240 million cubic meters instead of 285
million cubic meters the government proposed in the first reading. The
government explained that due to early droughts, Aparan water reservoir
short-received 50 million cubic meters of water and Azatek reservoir
20 million cubic meters. The necessary 70 million cubic meters will
be released from Sevan. A. Andreasyan said the government will monitor
the release of water every day to make necessary corrections.

It is noteworthy that Vice Chairman of the Expert Commission on Lake
Sevan, National Academy of Science, Rafael Hovhannissyan says the
water level of Lake Sevan rose by 2.8 meters over the last 10 years
to 1,899.11 cm, which was by 3.4 meters less than necessary to restore
the ecological balance of the lake.

BOARD OF VTB BANK ARMENIA UNDERGOES CHANGES

ARKA
June 9, 2008

YEREVAN, June 9. /ARKA/. The Board of the VTB Bank (Armenia) has
undergone changes due to the expiration of the term of office of VTB
Board members Olga Kanovich and Mikhail Baghdasarov, the bank’s public
relations department reports.

On the basis of the decision made during the General Annual Meeting
if the Bank’s Shareholders and according to the RA Law on Banks and
Banking Activities and the bank’s articles, the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) is to license the newly appointed VTB Board members.

Yelena Narozhnaya, acting Deputy Head of the VTB Bank’s Coordination
Department in the CIS, and Olga Grachova, acting Head of the VTB Bank’s
Corporate Management Department, are the new members of the VTB Board.

Senior Deputy Chairman of VTB Bank Nikolay Kuznetsov has been
reappointed VTB Board Chairman. Among Board members are Alexander
Yashnik, head of Directors of Business Development and Sergey Somov,
head of VTB Bank Retail Sale Department.

Established in 1923, the VTB Bank (Armenia) (formerly the
Armsavingsbank) had been member of the USSR Sate Savings Bank by
1993. Later, the bank was renamed Savings Bank of the Republic of
Armenia. The bank’s absolute shareholder is the Russian VTB Bank.

My Grandmother
By Fani Papageorgiou

FT
Published: June 7 2008 03:00

My Grandmother

by Fethiye Ã?etin

translated by Maureen Freely

Verso £12.99

160 pages

FT Bookshop price: £10.39

In 1915, the author’s Armenian grandmother, Heranus, was a little girl
forced on a death march with others from her village. The men were
taken away by the gendarmes, never to return; some women drowned their
children and then themselves in the river. Those who could no longer
walk were killed with bayonets. A corporal on horseback snatched
Heranus from her mother and galloped off to raise her as his Muslim
Turk daughter, renaming her Seher.

In her sober, heartbreaking memoir, Ã?etin tells her grandmother’s story
and how she helped her find relatives who had emigrated to America.
Heranus’ uncom- plaining nature casts a horrifying light on the
atrocities committed on a million and a half Armenians.

Maureen Freely’s introduction is lucid and her translation – like her
renditions of Orhan Pamuk’s books – is fluid and elegant, amplifying
the merits of this earnest memoir.

Fani Papageorgiou

TURKISH REVENGE BRIGADE THREATENS MINORITY RIGHTS DEFENDER BASKıN ORAN
Erol ONDEROÄ~^LU

BIA
h/kategori/english/107427/turkish-revenge-brigade- threatens-minority-rights-defender-baskin-oran
Jun e 5 2008
Turkey

Following the police protection he was given, Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran,
one of the leading figures in defense of the minority and cultural
rights, has now received a death threat from the Turkish Revenge
Brigade.

Despite the police protection and the trial these attacks receive,
the intellectuals continue receiving death threats after the murder
of Hrant Dink.

After his acquittal by the court for the case about the "Minority
Report and the Cultural Rights Work Group Report", Prof. Dr. Baskın
Oran, a former member of the Human Rights Advisory Board of the Prime
Ministry (BIHDK), has been threatened by the Turkish Revenge Brigade
(TÄ°T)with an e-mail sent on May 30.

There is swearing at Baskın Oran and Armenians in the message Baskın
Oran, who filed complaints regarding similar threats previously,
told Bianet that since the name of the organization in the e-mail
was seen in connection with other incidents, he was planning to file
a complaint through his lawyers today (June 4).

The message, which was sent from [email protected], claims that he
will be the new target. There is swearing at Oran and Armenians in
the message as well.

The name Turkish Revenge Brigade, which was responsible for the
assassination of Akın Birdal, who was the president of the Human
Rights Association (Ä°HD) in 1998, have appeared on threat messages
to Ä°stanbul "Free Radio", the artist Ferhat Tunc and the lawyer
Eren Keskin.

Since it was an "abstract claim", he was not protected; now a police
officer protects him Although Baskın Oran’s pervious complaints
regarding the death threats were ignored as "abstract claims", he
was given police protection after the murder of Hrant Dink.

A person who sent Oran similar messages will be on trial today (June 5)
at the 4th Court of First Instance of Ankara. However, Oran thinks that
he will be acquitted of the charge, since the internet coffeehouse,
from where the message was sent, was not registered.

Prof. Dr. Ä°brahim Kaboglu, the publisher Necati Abay and the lawyer
Eren Keskin are among those who were tried for their thoughts.

It was announced by the Minister of Justice Mehmet Ali Å~^ahin that
Zeki Ozhan, who had sent a threat message to Eren Keskin from his
prison cell, was "reprimanded". (EO/EZO/TB)

–Boundary_(ID_IcN28i8Oc9qiaHaFdIfxAQ )–

ARMAVIA COMPANY SEES OFF ITS 200 000TH PASSENGER

arminfo
2008-06-03 19:49:00

ArmInfo. On June 3, Armavia company saw off its 200000th passenger
in 2008.

It was N.Aghakhanyan, a passenger of the Yerevan-Moscow flight. A
Nokia mobile phone and a "gold" number from VivaCell company were
presented to N.Aghakhanyan. "We esteem this traditional ceremony
of giving prizes to each 100 000th passenger. At the same time,
we try to please each passenger with our services no matter whether
he/she is a milestone passenger or not", Acting Director of "Armavia"
Rafael Avetikyan said. He added that such high results reflect the
company’s efficient activity. "It is possible to gain such results
due to correct planning, efforts to expand the air fleet, as well as
skilled work of our employees", Avetikyan said.

Speaking of Armavia’s plans, Avetikyan noted that many of the
projects have been implemented. In particular, flights from Yerevan
to Dusseldorf and Riga were opened on June 2. The flight to Marseilles
will be opened on July 5.

According to him, these cities were chosen chiefly due to the transit
opportunities: through Dusseldorf it will be possible to establish
connections with many directions of Europe, and the flight to Riga
will help Armenia establish ties with not only Baltic but also
Scandinavian countries.

Furthermore, Armavia is considering possible opening of flights to
Beijing and Urumqi.

To recall, in 2007 a total of 572300 passengers were carried by
Armavia’s regular and charter flights, this index being by 21% higher
than in 2006.