Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

RUSSIAN MFA WILL ATTAIN DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF ARMENIAN TEENAGER MURDER
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.11.2006 14:37 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian MFA assures that the murder of the
Armenian teenager in localities near Moscow will be investigated in
detail and those guilty will be made answerable. The 15-year-old
boy was killed November 11 next to the Ivanteevka bay in Moscow
region. “The Russian MFA condoles with relatives of Nairi Kocharyan
and also denounces other crimes, committed on the ground of national
hostility.
We will attain detailed investigation of the murder of the Armenian
teenager,” Russian MFA official representative Mikhail Kamynin
stated. “Xenophobia is alien to the spirit of our people, the Orthodox
origins,” the said. In the diplomat’s words, “individual manifestations
of declassed marginals, aimed at instigating international and
inter-religious discord in our country, seriously harm interests of
our democratic multi-ethnic state.” “The authority structures will
severely rebuff this,” Kamynin underscored, reports RIA Novosti.

EU NOT PASSIVE IN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.11.2006 13:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I cannot say that the EU is passive in the conflict
settlement in the South Caucasus. The EU has done a great deal of
work,” EU High Commissioner Javier Solana stated. In his words,
the conflicts are rooted in the problems the whole region faces. “I
would like to stress the importance of talks between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The EU supports the mediating endeavors of the OSCE Minsk
Group and I hope that the meeting of the Foreign Ministers in November
14 will promote the process,” he said.
When touching upon Georgia’s internal conflicts Solana said the EU
considers the resolution of the conflicts to be vitally important
for the region. “EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby helps Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to reconsider the
economic and political reforms and press for the further development
of the region making contribution to the peaceful settlement of
conflicts and encouraging cooperation between the countries,” he said,
reported Trend.

Chairman of UAR Murmansk Regional Community Killed
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2006 14:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of Murmansk regional community of the
Union of Armenians of Russia, head of the Murmansk Church Council
of the AAC Artur Harutyunyan was killed next to his house November
16 at about 8 p.m. According to informal sources, he was shot into
face. Chief of the Murmansk regional police Victor Pesterev said
that Harutyunyan was killed at the entry of his house in Kolsky
Avenue. An investigation group was formed and search measures are
being carried out. Artur Harutyunyan was 42. He had a 17-year-old
son and a six-month-old daughter.
Artur Harutyunyan was also a famous entrepreneur, who possessed 70.054
per cent package of the Murmansk Social Commercial Bank (the rest
27.47 per cent belong to the Russian government via the Russian Fund
of Federal Property). Presently the state package is put up for sale.

NO COUNTRY THAT RESPECTS ITSELF WILL RECOGNIZE REFERENDUM IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH – AZERI SPEAKER
Author: S.Aliyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
“I do not consider the referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh as a
referendum. No country respecting itself will recognize this
referendum,” the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov
briefed the media on November 15 commenting on the referendum scheduled
to take place on December 10 in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The Speaker stressed that on November 16-17
it is planned to hold the meeting between the Head of Parliaments of
“Caucasus four” within the meeting of the Heads of the Parliaments
of CIS member-countries in Saint-Petersburg. “Azerbaijan will act so
that not to be conflict country in CIS. For this it needs to use the
force and experience of CIS countries to put pressure on the countries
that are guilty in these conflicts,” Asadov said.

ARKA News Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2006
RUSSIAN BUSINESSMEN INTERESTED IN LARGE-SCALE INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, November 9. /ARKA/. Russian businessmen are interested in
large-scale investments in Armenia, President of the Union of
Jewelers of Armenia Gagik Abramyan told reporters.
“Russian businessmen, irrespective of their nationality, have
recently been greatly interested in making investments in Armenia,”
he said.
He said that many Russian companies intend to implement investment
programs in Armenia.
In his turn, President of the MIKA Armenia Trading Mikhail Bagdasarov
pointed out that Russian businessmen are interested in expanding
their business throughout the CIS now.
“Russia is the richest country in the post-Soviet area, and Russian
business has extremely intensified its activities in Belarus,
Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan and even in Georgia,” he said.
The RA Statistical Service reports that Russian investments in
Armenia totaled $19,220.9ths in January-June 2006 – a 41.9% increase
compared to the corresponding period of last year.
A total of $11,679.5ths (60.76%) of Russian investments were directed
to the metallurgical industry, $2,963ths to the recreation sphere,
$1,318.5ths to private services, $1,335ths to production and
distribution of electric power, gas, water and steam, $853.9ths to
computer-related activities, $861.2ths to trade (except trade in cars
and scooters), and $192.7ths to other sectors of mining industry.
In January-June 2006, Russia made the third largest investments in
Armenia’s economy after Lebanon and Greece.
A total of 589 enterprises with Russian capital are currently
registered in Armenia, about 300 of them actively working. P.T. -0–

COMUNITA’ ARMENA SOTTO CHOC, TURCO ROVINA MOSTRA SU GENOCIDIO ; ROVINATI ANCHE I PANNELLI DELL’ESPOSIZIONE DEDICATI AI PAPI ROMA
ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
November 5, 2006
(ANSA) – ROMA, 5 NOV – La comunita armena italiana e sotto choc. Un
giovane turco stamattina ha fatto irruzione nel teatro di Varallo
Sesia (Vercelli), dove era in corso l inaugurazione di una mostra
sul genocidio armeno seminando il panico.
Ad un certo punto e piombato in sala un energumeno che urlava come
un ossesso in turco, prendendo a calci i pannelli della mostra,
rovesciando i libri sul genocidio armeno, spintonando persino delle
signore ha raccontato Pietro Kuciukian, curatore dell esposizione
dedicata allo sterminio che agli inizi del secolo scorso costo la
vita ad un milione e mezzo di armeni cristiani.
Tra i pannelli che il giovane turco ha distrutto ce ne sono due che
riguardano i papi: uno dedicato a Benedetto XV, il primo capo di
Stato che nel 1915 cerco di fermare il massacro appellandosi all
imperatore ottomano dell epoca e l altro al viaggio che fece Papa
Wojtyla in Armenia nel 2002.
La polizia fortunatamente e subito intervenuta e lo ha portato via. Piu
tardi il sindaco mi ha detto che il ragazzo di nazionalita turca vive
a Varallo Sesia da un paio d anni, ha sposato una italiana e gestisce
un negozio di doner kebab ha affermato Kuciukian, sottolineando che
episodi del genere, cosi gravi, non sono mai accaduti in Italia. In
Francia si , tanto che e proprio per questo che il parlamento francese
ha varato una legge per punire i negazionisti che non riconoscono il
genocidio. In diverse citta francesi gruppi di giovani Lupi Grigi
hanno imbrattato monumenti e cose del genere. Cio che e capitato
a Varallo Sesia non e un bel segnale. Non so se e un fatto isolato
oppure, se questo ragazzo e stato istigato da qualcuno. Il dubbio
resta . La mostra di Kuciukian sta girando varie citta italiane e
dovrebbe a breve essere portata a Roma.
Ora il teatro e presidiato dalla polizia. (ANSA).

COMMON GRAVE FOUND IN ON OF TURKISH VILLAGES MIGHT BE THE CEMETERY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 7 2006
Turkish gendarmes have ordered the residents of one of the villages
to keep silent about a community grave found on October 17, which
might be a cemetery of Armenian Genocide victims. According to the
Kurdish “Ulkede Ozgur Gundem” newspaper, when digging a grave for
one of their relatives, residents of Kserabebaba village found a cave
full of bones and skulls of about 40 people. The villagers suggested
this was the grave of about 300 Armenian dwellers of Kserabebaba, who
fell victims of the 1915 genocide. They applied the Police Department
of Ankara. Turkish Army Officers ordered to close the entry to the
cave and keep silent about the Armenian remnants revealed in the
village. They assured that investigation would be launched on the
case. However, the Kurdish paper informs that Turkish Police tried
to conceal the information. Journalists were not allowed to enter
the cave. The village dwellers were instructed not to show the way
to the cavern.

RA GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE THE FREEDOM HOUSE REMARKS SERIOUSLY
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
The Armenian Government should take the remarks of the Freedom House
advocacy organization seriously, representative of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation in Armenia Alex Rusin told the journalists. He
reminded that the means provided in the framework of the Millennium
Challenge Program are meant for poor countries and take as a basis
the indices of independent organizations like the Freedom House.
“Despite the fact that Armenia has been fit for the program ever
since 2004, it should keep the proper characteristics during the
whole course of the grant program, Mr. Rusin noted. Besides, the
indices are expected to improve. Every year the Directorate of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation, chaired by the Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, gives new evaluation to the fitness indices.
“Currently Armenia is fit for receiving financing in 2007. However,
some indices, particularly the political ones that tend to fall, are
worrisome,” the representative of the Corporation noted. He noted
that conduct of free and fair elections in 2007 will considerably
improve the political indices. If the elections are held improperly,
it will have a negative impact on the indices, which will in its turn
result in the disqualification of the country.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVED SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF GREAT BRITAIN FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 7 2006
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and Special Representative
of Great Britain for the South Caucasus Brian Fall have met in Yerevan.
The press-service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo
that B.Fall leads a British delegation which includes the British
ambassadors to Armenia and Georgia who participate in the “South
Caucasus. Perceptions and Challenges of the Region” international
conference in Yerevan. Oskanyan and Fall satisfactorily appreciated
the organization and efficiency of the conference, pointing out that
such event is held in the South Caucasus for the first time. During
the meeting, they also discussed regional problems, particularly,
the Russian-Georgian relations and the Karabakh peace process.
The conference started on November 6 and will last till November 9.
The activities will cover the tasks and possibilities of the region
situated on the West-East crossroad, the independence experience
of the region’s countries, the economic tasks of the governments,
entrepreneurs and financial establishments of the region’s countries
directed at economic development and stimulation of investments.
The organizer of the event is the “Wilton Park” international center
which is attached to the Foreign Ministry of Great Britain and has
the status of an independent academic establishment. Since 1946
it has organized over 1000 conferences on politics, economic tasks
and security.

‘BLACK GARDEN. ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN BETWEEN PEACE AND WAR’ BOOK DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
08/11/2006
“Black Garden. Armenia and Azerbaijan between Peace and War” book
by the British journalist Thomas de Vaal was recently discussed
in Yerevan, Monday. The discussion was initiated by the Yerevan
Office of the British Institute for War and Peace Reporting. The
first edition of the book was published in Russian last year, while
at present, the translations in Armenian and Azeri languages are
ready for publication. The book is based on over 100 interviews with
representatives of the sides in the Karabakh conflict. In the course
of the discussion, Thomas de Vaal stated that half of his efforts
were directed to studying the origins of the conflict. According to
him, one of the conclusions is the fact that it was hard to avoid
the conflict in the conditions of the Soviet Union. Moreover, the
author didn’t agree with the people’s people’s opinion that Moscow is
involved in the conflict. He believes that the origin and development
of the Karabakh conflict testifies to the weakness and not to the
strength of the Kremlin. He added that Gorbachev had not been capable
of handling the issue. The author emphasized that Karabakh conflict
became the first stone in the big avalanche of problems that occurred
to the USSR and led to its collapse. Besides, he stated that the
level of hostility between Armenians and Azerbaijanis is still high,
particularly, from the Azeri are very hostile.
However, de Vaal stated that if one tries to consider the two nations
more deeply, one can see that the two nations have more things in
common. To ground his words he pointed out the Sadakhlo market. The
British journalist denied the idea of ancient hatred between the
two nations, saying that it arose only after the certain historical
developments in the 20th century.
He also drew attention to the certain level of the Armenian and Azeri
presidents’ responsibility to their compatriots. Thus, according to
him, the presidents meet, hold good meetings, and when they return
home they represent everything in quite black and white tones. In
connection with this, Thomas de Vaal emphasized the importance of
using the experience of the older generations who still remember the
years of coexistence, as compared with the younger ones who see the
situation in stereotypes, not knowing each other.
In conclusion, the author emphasized that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
is not like those that people need to wait for settlement for years.