Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

ARMENIAN TEAMS OF MEN AND WOMEN TO TAKE PART IN EUROPEAN CHESS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
Oct 26, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The 16th team championship of men and
the 7th team championship of women will start in the city of Heraklion
on October 27. The Armenian team of men has left for the competition
ground with the olympic staff, except Artashes Minasian. Levon Aronian,
Vladimir Hakobian, Gabriel Sargsian, Smbat Lputian, and Karen Asrian
are included in the team. Elina Danielian, Lilit Mkrtchian, Nelli
Aghinian, Siranush Andriasian, and Liana Aghabekian are included in
the Armenian representative team of women.

Representative teams of 40 countries will take part in the tournament
of men and 29 teams in that of women. Each of the teams will hold 9
competitions. 4 chess players will take part in each competition. 2
points will be given in case of victory and one in case the game ends
in a draw.

ARMENIA-IRAN COOPERATION DEVELOPING

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.10.2007 14:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
to Armenia was fruitful and his early departure did not spoil the
results," Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told a news
conference in Yerevan.

"Media extremely politicizes the early departure of the Iranian
President and seeks for sensation where it can’t be. Such cases occur
in international practice and should not be paid extra attention. The
Armenia-Iran cooperation is developing. Projects under implementation
are significant not only for the two states but also for the whole
region," the Minister underscored.

As to signature of an agreement on creation of free trade zone between
Armenia Iran, Minister Oskanian said the paper has not been developed
yet. "We have to clarify a number of Armenia’s terms and commitments
to international organizations. I think the agreement will be concluded
and will not be influenced by UN embargo on trade relations with Iran,"
he said.

NOTHING CAN HINDER THE CONTEST FOR GRANTS

KarabakhOpen
25-10-2007 09:35:39

The contest for government grants will be held in late November
or early December, said the head of the social department
of the NKR government Mikhail Gasparyan in an interview with
Karabakh-Open.com. The contest will be held notwithstanding the change
of the president and the government.

The announcement was placed in August, and so far 32 organizations have
applied. The budget of the proposals totals 108.5 million drams. Last
year 37 applied with budgets of 87 million drams, projects of 43
million drams were financed. According to Mikhail Gasparyan, it is
not known how much money the government will allocate for financing
public projects.

According to the commission, no projects were submitted in two
nominations: ecology and local governments.

"Special groups were set up to monitor the implementation of the
projects, who think the process is normal. Although shortcomings were
observed in some organizations, instructions were given for getting
them over," Mikhail Gasparyan said.

He thinks the most successful project is the HiEr Youth Organization’s
project in Kashatagh aimed to help young people living in the region.

"The Pedagogue and Grace were also successful. The latter proposed
a project on sex education among adolescents and schoolchildren,"
Mikhail Gasparyan added.

LOS ANGELES TIMES WRITES ABOUT CONCERT OF KOHAR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ARMENPRESS
Oct 24, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS: The well-known Los Angeles Times
referred to the concert of KOHAR Symphony Orchestra which took place
recently at "Gibson" Amphitheater. The newspaper writes that led by
artistic director Sebouh Abkarian the KOHAR players started with a
buoyant waltz, stirring evening of Armenian-tinged music.

"Gagik Malkasian’s virtuosic duduk playing and the busy fingers of
kanoun artist Anahid Valesian added Armenian authenticity. Classically
oriented pieces were delivered in well-crafted fashion, and KOHAR
went so far as to open the second half with a surprisingly swinging
number titled "Tetmajazz," the newspaper wrote.

According to it, most of the music was vocal, sung by soloists whose
styles ranged from big-voiced operatic to international lounge. "In
most cases, the singers’ numbers were enhanced by the engaging presence
of eight female dancers led by Sousana Mikayelian. Letters from the
Armenian alphabet were spotlighted across the ceilings and walls,"
the newspaper reported.

Much of the second half of the concert, was strongly-oriented toward
the predominantly Armenian crowd: spirited patriotic songs, pop tunes
and familiar traditional numbers.

The Los Angeles Times also gave information about KOHAR. It wrote that
the orchestra was founded in 1997 by Harout Khatchadourian and his
brothers, who entirely sustain the ensemble and its concerts. Named
in honor of their mother, KOHAR, the founders’ goal with the ensemble
is the "aim of reviving and promulgating the Armenian alphabet and
culture."

‘Z’ CAMP DENIES DARCHINYAN BOUT
By Musong R. Castillo

Inquirer.net
Oct 25 2007
Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Z "The Dream" Gorres will not fight Vic
Darchinyan in an elimination bout for the No. 1 ranking of the
International Boxing Federation on Dec. 1, contrary to what popular
boxing website sportsnut.com reported Wednesday.

"Not true," Aldeguer replied via text when asked of the fight, which
Darchinyan’s agent Angelo Hyder confirmed to sportsnut.com. "We have
not received any offer of the purse or the date of the fight.

"Dec. 1 is out of the question because we have a big promotion on
Dec. 2," he added.

While it is true that the IBF had ordered a Gorres-Darchinyan
eliminator and that they are willing to face the Armenian-born fighter,
Gorres handler Tony Aldeguer Wednesday said that they have not signed
any fight contract.

The winner of the eliminator will be lined up for a possible title
shot opposite Russian super-fly champ Dimitri Kirilov.

Ironically, it would have been the second title eliminator for
Gorres. His last fight against Eric Ortiz of Mexico last Aug. 11 in
Sacramento was also an IBF eliminator. Gorres scored an eighth round
TKO over Ortiz.

The 27-2-1 Gorres lost a controversial 12th round split decision to
Mexico’s Fernando Montiel, the WBO super-fly champ, last February in
Cebu and would like to get back on track to having another title shot.

Washington Post
Transcript [Excerpt]

Rice Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee on Mideast Policy

CQ Transcripts Wire
Wednesday, October 24, 2007; 3:34 PM

DANA ROHRABACHER, R-CALIF: About the vote that we had here a week ago
or so — two weeks ago on the Armenian question that officially has
enraged the Turks, I think that people should understand — and I’d
like your opinion on this — it’s just that the Turks — that vote in
no way was an anti-Turkish vote.

And I think I speak for my colleagues here.

That vote was a human rights vote and a recognition of a violation of
human rights.

But the Turks should understand and the Kurds should understand that
that in no way would mean that we would tolerate attacks by Kurdish
guerrillas on Turkish soldiers and Turkish civilians.

And, quite frankly, the Kurds should understand that we will support
the Turks’ right to retaliate if, indeed, Kurdish terrorists go across
the border and murder Turkish citizens and soldiers.

Is that our position?

SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE: Well, clearly, we have said the
PKK is a terrorist organization. And we’ve clearly said that the Turks
should not have to sustain attacks from havens in — across that
border in Iraq.

We have cautioned that retaliation of cross-border raids and the like
and cross-border operations would have a destabilizing effect, and
that has been the course of our conversation. And we’ve encouraged
everyone to work together toward a solution that does deal with the
terrorist problem but doesn’t destabilize northern Iraq.

If I may, though, Congressman, on the Armenian resolution — and I
recognize that it was a difficult vote for some who supported the
administration’s position on this, because I know it’s difficult —
there was a reason that we felt very strongly that this resolution
should not go forward.

This is a very delicate time with Turkey. It is a time when it is
going through a major transformation internally. We have extremely
important strategic interests with the Turks.

RICE: This is something that was a horrible event, in the mass
killings that took place, but at the time of the Ottoman Empire. These
are not the Ottomans.

ROHRABACHER: Right.

RICE: And what we have tried to do instead is to get the Turks and the
Armenians to work together to look to their future.

I had the Armenian prime minister in yesterday. And I said to him,
"You have to understand that Americans, who are always accused of
being too forward-looking, not looking back enough, really do believe
that it’s important that Armenia and Turkey move forward." And I
encouraged him to reach out to the Turks, at the civil society level
and the like.

But I continue to believe that the passage of such a resolution of —
the Armenian Genocide resolution, would severely harm our relationship
with Turkey.

ROHRABACHER: The reason why…

REP. TOM LANTOS, D-CALIF. CHAIRMAN: The gentleman’s time has expired.

Source: le/2007/10/24/AR2007102401683.html

"THE REASON FOR EARLY DEPARTURE OFTHE IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAY BE AN INVASION OF KURDISH REBELS INTO IRANIAN TERRITORY"

Panorama.am
19:25 23/10/2007

The Armenian reporters asked political analyst Sergey Shaqaryants
about the abrupt termination of Iranian president’s visit to Armenia
and his swift return to motherland. In this relation he said that
part of American program may have started to come true, that is, some
Kurdish detachments have violated Iran-Iraq border. In his words,
Iran has earlier said it is ready to withstand Iranian invasion by
Kurdish groups.

"Such attempts were made in 2006, May-June, and the detachments that
violated the border were punished," the analyst said, also saying
that at that time the leadership of Iran met with Kurd leaders of
Iraq Talaban and Barzani and engaged in "great political work."

"This may be the cause why the Iranian president stopped its official
visit to Armenia so swiftly. A Kurdish group that may have entered the
territory of Iran is a danger for the country and in case of threat,
according to rules of Iran, all first persons must be in the country
and take a common decision," Shaqaryants shared this opinion.

MAKING INVENTORY OF MINES INTRODUCED FOR AUCTION TO START BY THE END OF THE YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to the current
activities of the Ministry of Environmental Protection were discussed
at the October 23 working meeting of RA President Robert Kocharian and
Minister of Environmental Protection Aram Haroutiunian. They also spoke
about the republican geological fund, necessity of making inventory
and digitalization of mines introduced for an auction. R. Kocharian
also instructed to start those activities by the end of the year,
by simultaneously working out the order of using fund materials.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s
Press Office, issues related to decentralization of basin management,
territories under special care were also discussed at the meeting.

DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OF INTER-PARLIAMENTARY RELATIONS DISCUSSED

National Assembly of RA
Oct 23 2007
Armenia

On October 23 Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia had a breakfast-meeting with Dr. Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, the President of Islamic Republic of Iran. The ambassadors
of the two countries, Mr. Vardan Oskanian RoA Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mr. Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Energy of the Republic of
Armenia, IRI Foreign Minister, head of Inter-Parliamentary Commission
Mr. Manouchehr Mottaki, IRI Senior Presidential Advisor Mojtaba Samareh
Hashemi, Nateq-Nouri, IRI Parliament member and other senior officials
participated there.

During the meeting the results of the visit of the President of Islamic
Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Armenia, the development
prospects of bilateral relations and the opportunities of deepening
of the inter-parliamentary ties were discussed.

The sides have expressed satisfaction of the results of the visit,
the Armenian-Iranian productive cooperation considering a very good
example of neighbours’ inter-parliamentary relations.

SEEING CHEAP VOTES IN AN ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’
by Donald Kirk

South China Morning Post
October 22, 2007 Monday
Hong Kong

Turkish sensitivities regarding affronts to the country’s name,
policies and history are legendary. Some years ago in Tokyo, the
Turkish ambassador lodged a formal protest with the Japanese Foreign
Ministry after a mix-up with a taxi driver. When ordered to take
him to the Turkish embassy, the cabbie took him instead to a toruko,
which in Japanese means a Turkish bath – a euphemism for a brothel.

The protest was enough for Japanese authorities to get Turkish baths
in Japan to call themselves "soaplands", pronounced "so-poo-lan-doh",
which sounds a lot closer to what’s going on inside.

Now the Turkish government is infuriated on a much higher level. This
month, the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee
approved a bill denouncing the slaughter and expulsion of Armenians 90
years ago as "genocide". Armenians put the death toll in the order
of at least 1.5 million. Turkey says 300,000 died, most of them
in battle, in freezing weather or from starvation and disease. The
Democrat-dominated committee, sending the bill for a vote by the full
House, has embarrassed the US government. It needs bases in Turkey
to support its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and sees Turkey
as a stable Nato ally.

Without minimising the atrocities that occurred, the question is what
is an American legislative body doing passing judgment on a tragedy
and a conflict that happened nearly a century ago that had nothing
to do with the United States?

The claims of members of the House committee that they cannot gloss
over the horrors of the massacre represent the last word in political
hypocrisy. All that is on their minds is that many, if not most,
Armenians are orthodox Christians whereas the Turks are Muslims; the
political brains on the committee see votes in righteously defending
Christians while offending Muslims.

House Democrats have no qualms about undermining the policies of the
Bush government. Nor do they seem concerned about Turkey’s problems
with a restive Kurdish minority, which is in close contact with Kurds
in northeastern Iraq.

If the House committee is so eager to immerse itself in an ancient
conflict, why does it not show similar concern about North Korea?

Three years ago, the US Congress passed the North Korean Human Rights
Act after a great deal of opposition from critics, who believed it
would anger North Korea in the midst of the ongoing nuclear weapons
crisis. Since the passage of that act, however, the US has done little
to turn it into an effective instrument for combating abuses in North
Korea. Although options appear limited, Washington could begin by
raising the human rights issue, assisting refugees and linking aid
to the North to improved human rights conditions.

US policy today calls for dropping references to "human rights" from
all contacts with North Korea. The term is so offensive to Pyongyang
that US negotiators fear the North Koreans would walk out of talks
on nuclear weapons the moment they heard it.

Members of the US House committee were brave enough to join in
condemning Turkey for what happened 90 years ago. Surely they should
have the courage to go after North Korea for more than half a century
of persecution in which millions have been killed, died of disease
or starvation or have frozen to death – the same fates that befell
the Armenians in Turkey.

It’s unlikely, however, that the committee will display such courage.

Perhaps Democrats are waiting for time to pass before addressing
the lessons of history. Maybe in 50 years or so, Congress will look
back on the suffering of North Koreans and pass another righteous
resolution. By that time, so many Koreans will have fled to the US
that opportunistic members of Congress will salivate over the votes
they will get from a bold resolution condemning Pyongyang.

Donald Kirk is the author of two books and numerous articles on Korea
for newspapers, magazines and journals