Author: Zaminian Bedik

MIKAEL HARUTYUNYAN APPOINTED AS ACTING DEFENSE MINISTER

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.04.2007 13:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to the Regulations of Defense Ministry
Chief of General Staff of RA Armed Forces, First Deputy Defense
Minister colonel-general Mikael Harutyunyan has been appointed as
Acting Defense Minister of Armenia, the PanARMENIAN.Net journalist
was told in RA Defense Ministry Press Office.

On April 4 Armenian President Robert Kocharian singed an order on
dismissing Serzh Sargsyan from the post of RA Defense Minister and
appointing him on the post of RA Prime Minister. By another order Serzh
Sargsyan was dismissed from the post of Acting Secretary, National
Security Council under the President of the Republic of Armenia.

AN ARMENIAN FAMILY SLAUGHTERED IN STAVROPOL

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.04.2007 13:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A triple murder was committed in a private house
on Lermontov street of Stavropol city, Armenians from Baku lived in
the house for a long time, Armenian newspaper "Erkramas" reports. The
murder was committed April 1 between 7:30 pm and 21:30 pm. At half
past seven daughter of the slain businessman went for a walk. She
was absent two hours, prosecutor of Leninski district of Stavropol
city Andrey Vlasov told. When Marina returned nobody answered the
doorbell. It was rather strange, the family used to spend Sunday
evenings at home. The girl opened the gates with her own key. She saw
bodies of her 45-year-old mother, 50-year-old father and 78-year-old
grandmother near the entrance. Murderers were armed with knives,
investigators found a lot of stab-wounds on their bodies. There was
a mess in the rooms, obviously murderers were looking for something.

The 24-year-old girl summoned her strength and called ambulance
and police.

Later investigators found out that jewelry and home equipment was
stolen from the house. The total sum of damage is still under
specification. Currently investigation studies all contacts of
slain businessman. Inquiry group at the head of Stavropol Territory
prosecutor Sergey Golovanev arrived at the crime scene. A criminal
case has been brought in action on Article 105 part 2 (murder of two
or more persons). Prosecutor’s Office of Stavropol Territory deals
with the investigation. "It is hardly an ordered murder, most likely
they have been killed for robbery, and may be the matter concerns
personal hostility.

After all the businessman might cross somebody’s way," prosecutor of
Leninski district stated.

SERGEY LAVROV: ARMENIAN COGNAC IS BETTER THAN FRENCH ONE

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 16:45

"Armenian cognac is better than the French one," said Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, visiting the Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC).

Accompanied by YBC Executive Director Erve Karoff, Sergey Lavrov and
members of the Russian delegation learned about the production of
Armenian cognac and its peculiarities.

The Russian Foreign Minister made a record in the book honorable
guests, left his signature on the peace barrel, which must be opened
on the occasion of the final settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The guests tested 25-year-old exclusive "Erebuni" cognac, 40-year-old
" Sparapet" cognac was presented to Russian Foreign Minister Segey
Lavrov.

PRIME MINISTER OF KAZAKHSTAN: AZERBAIJAN AND KAZAKHSTAN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDLY POWERS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 3 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend E.Huseynov / Trend Exclusive Interview
with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Karim Masimov

– How do you asses present bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan? What are the prospects of Azerbaijani-Kazakh cooperation?

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have always been friendly powers. After
regaining independence, a constructive political dialogue was
established between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The basis for
bilateral cooperation between the two countries was built up by
agreements reached during official visits of the former President
of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, to Kazakhstan in 1997-1998, a visit of
the present President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to Astana in March
2004 and a State visit of the President of Kazakhstan, N.Nazarbayev,
to Azerbaijan in May 2005.

Bilateral cooperation is actively developing in the economic sphere as
well. The Kazakh-Azerbaijani Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic
Cooperation was established in October 1999. Thus, at present 36 small
and medium sized enterprises tended by Azerbaijani business people
have been registered in Kazakhstan and of them, 13 are joint ventures.

The priority in direction of cooperation is the participation of the
two countries in the project of the international transport corridor
Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA). The interaction is successfully
developing under the working project group, Organization of Cooperation
of Railways (OCR), Transport and crossing of the borders within UN
Special Program for Economy of Central Asia and CIS Inter-Governmental
Council of Railway People.

A grain terminal and a mill complex are being built in Baku to reduce
the price of Kazakh grain and increase the volume of its delivery
to the market of Azerbaijan. The key direction of Azerbaijani-Kazakh
cooperation in the oil and gas field is the transportation of Kazakh
oil to the world market via the trans-Caspian route.

Undoubtedly inter-parliamentary relations are expanding as well. An
Azerbaijani delegation chaired by the head of the Azerbaijani-Kazakh
Parliamentary Cooperation Group, F.Garibov, arrived in Astana
in December 2006 at the invitation of the Kazakh side. During
the visit, the sides exchanged views and experience regarding
legislative activities, as well as discussing the strengthening of
inter-parliamentary relations. In addition, progress is observed
in cultural and humanitarian cooperation, in particular in the area
of cinematography and the mutual participation in various creative
competitions and festivals.

– What key issues will be discussed during the visit?

– My visit to Azerbaijan has been scheduled for 3-4 April. Diplomats
of the two countries are working on a list of issues to be discussed.

However, answering your question I can say that we will discuss
the issues of expanding and strengthening bilateral commercial and
economic relations with regards to cargo transportation, agriculture,
tourism as well as inter-religious cooperation, etc.

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an inter-governmental agreement on
Joint Oil Transportation via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. What
does Kazakhstan expect from future development of cooperation with
regards to exportation of its own oil to world markets via the
territory of Azerbaijan?

– As you may remember, on 16 June 2006 the Presidents of Kazakhstan,
N.A.Nazarbayev and Azerbaijan, I.Aliyev, signed an agreement
between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on assistance and support of oil
transportation from Kazakhstan to world markets via the Caspian Sea
and territory of Azerbaijan through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline.

The key goal of the project is to create conditions for transporting
the growing volumes of Kazakh oil to the Mediterranean Sea via the
East-West energy corridor.

Principally a new transportation system is capable to ensure the
transportation of the light Kashagan oil. The Trans-Caspian transport
system will ensure the transportation of 5 mln tons of oil at the
initial stage, and in the future an increase of up to 38 mln tons of
oil per year.

It is supposed that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will create new
oil transportation infrastructures under the realization of the
Trans-Caspian system on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Presently the
Kazakh side is implementing works to agree the technological aspects
of the project.

In my opinion, generally the realization of the project plays a key
role in developing a unified energy corridor East-West.

– How do you assess the present level of the economic cooperation
between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan? What priority of direction of the
oil sector can you highlight from the point of view of cooperation
of the two countries?

– As I said, the economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan
is actively developing. Thus, according to statistics, the amount of
trade turnover in 2005 totaled $150.4 mln, this figure equaled $297
mln in 2006, with $226 mln for export and $71 mln for import. In
addition, a tendency of growth is being observed both in export and
in import. The amount of trade turnover from January to March 2007
already equaled $41mln. Kazakhstan exports oil and hydrocarbons,
natural chemical compounds, grain, barley, tobacco products and
electrical equipments to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan exports oil products, ethylene polymers, accessories
for machines and mechanisms, pumps and elevators and prefabricated
elements to Kazakhstan.

The volume of Kazakh export to Azerbaijan has increased by 175%.

Moreover, significant changes of the commodity structures are observed
due to the strengthening of commercial relations between the two
countries. Thus, in 2006 the share of export of water transport means
(vessels, boats and floating installations) increased by 33% compared
with previous years.

In addition, the export of fuel, oil and oil products, machines and
equipments has decreased compared to 2005. Moreover, a significant
increase is observed over products from ferrous metal and land and
water transport means.

All figures that I mention testify to the positive dynamics in the
development of economic cooperation of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Moreover, we can surely speak of the significant potential for future
productive economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

– What is the position of Kazakhstan on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement? Does Kazakhstan support the settlement of the conflict
on the base of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?

– Kazakhstan supports and offers support to a peaceful settlement of
regional and international conflicts, including Nagorno-Karabakh. We
share the anxiety of the international community on this issue and
condemn any kind of interference in internal affairs of the states,
which brings escalation of tension and imposing threats for the
territorial integrity, independence, security and stability of the
sovereign states. As Head of the Government of Kazakhstan, I hope
that the complicated situation will be settled peacefully.

CHP ASKS FOR ANTI-SO CALLED GENOCIDE COMMITTEE

The New Anatolian, Turkey
April 2 2007

The main opposition party over the weekend called for establishment
of a parliamentary investigation committee to broaden the scope of
strategies in order to forestall so-called Armenian genocide claims
and especially the Armenian lobby in the U.S.

The Republican People’s Party’s call came soon after the U.S. House
of Representatives slightly changed remarks over "genocide" in a
resolution in favor of Turkey.

The resolution which has no binding for Turkey but is important in
terms of international politics, excluded the term "Armenian genocide,"
but condemned the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
in January.

The paper, passed on Friday, also replaced the part "Dink was
prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for
mentioning about Armenian genocide," with a new version worded more
cautiously, which reads, "Dink was prosecuted under Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for calling the ‘1915 massacre of
Armenians genocide’."

A group of CHP deputies led by Istanbul Deputy Sukru Elekdag submitted
a motion to the Parliament Speaker’s Office on Saturday accusing
Turkish authorities of remaining relatively passive regarding the
so-called claims.

The petition, which cited that Armenia has made a long way to introduce
Turkey a genocidal country, thus a great many Western states has
come to use the opportunity laid by mostly Armenian diaspora to steer
Turkish foreign policy and reap concessions or avoid Turkey to become
a full member of the European Union, said that the so-called claims
have come to affect the current international affairs of Turkey as
a global threat.

It also said that the claim is engineered as a tool for the racist and
imperial policies of Armenia and Armenian diaspora which concentrated
on efforts to put forward territorial claims or compensations. "The
Armenian side has been carrying out a paramount international public
drive through academic publishing, political symposiums, lobbying,
and even movies portraying a genocidal Turkey," said the paper.

The petition also admitted that Turkey cannot be called better off
compared to Armenia since although it has gave pace to its efforts
recently, it is too late and weak to fight Armenian ardor regarding
the issue.

Arab American News, MI
March 31 2007

Searching for the Arab American story
By: Ali Moossavi / The Arab American News
2007-03-31

Most Americans view people of Middle Eastern descent as either
terrorists or buffoons, thanks to the media and entertainment
industry. Yet there’s a real history of Arabs in America that goes
back to the nation’s founding. And most people are also ignorant of
the contributions Arab Americans have made – and continue to make –
to the fabric of the United States.

It’s these facts that the Chief Executive Officer of Verasoni
Worldwide Communications and Syrian-American Abe Kasbo seeks to
correct through his documentary film in progress, "The Arab American
Experience."

Kasbo’s goal is to ensure that the contributions of Arab Americans
are viewed as part of the American experience. "When I looked around,
I saw Irish, the Italians, you know, the Mexicans, they all have one
of these," he said. "They all have a film about how they contributed
to the American fabric."

"And certainly, Arab Americans have been contributing to the American
fabric for about 200 years, so somebody had to tell their story and
we’re doing it."

The "we" Kasbo talks about includes Arab Americans and non Arab
Americans alike, including Kenn Bell, a filmmaker who won the 2003
Sacramento Film Festival short film entry, with "Tedtrip." Aside from
Bell, however, making this movie has been an arduous – and non-profit
– "labor of love," Kasbo says.

Among the unknown contributions Arab Americans have made to the
United States that Kasbo’s team has found, is military service. The
first Arab American to die in combat was Syrian immigrant Private
Nathan Badeen, who died on May 23, 1776, a month and a half before
the United States came into existence.

Since then, according to the website, ,
Arab Americans have fought in every war the U.S. has engaged in. The
most significant contribution occurred during World War I, when 10
percent of the Syrian-American population – 15,000 men – went off to
fight.

"In WWII, for example, there were at least 10,000 people of Arab
American origin who signed up to fight on the side of the United
States," Kasbo said.

The inspiration for making this movie stems from his own experiences
as a Syrian immigrant. Born in the city of Aleppo and of Armenian
descent, Kasbo came to the Paterson, New Jersey area at the age of 10
in 1980, right in time for the Iranian hostage crisis and the first
wave of American prejudice against Middle Eastern immigrants.

"People were confusing Syria with Iran, so at the time it wasn’t a
most hospitable place," he said.

Like all immigrants, he found a niche to win acceptance, and that
niche was sports. Since then, he became an adjunct professor at Seton
Hall University, teaching marketing and public relations at the
Graduate Center for Public Service. In 2005, he founded Verasoni and
is listed in NJBiz’s "Forty Under 40" 2006 Class, which recognizes
exceptional business leaders under the age of 40.

Other contributions from exceptional Arab Americans include those in
the entertainment industry, which includes Danny Thomas, Kathy Najimi
and Tony Shalhoub; and Congressman Charles Boustany and Ralph Nader
in politics. It’s this hidden history that Kasbo is trying to
illuminate.

"I want this film to show the important contributions Arab Americans
have made to the fabric of the United States," he said, highlighting
it as his first goal.

His second goal for the movie is to build bridges between the
perceptions Americans have of their Arab counterparts and the reality
of being an Arab American. His third goal is to show that there’s no
difference between Arab American experience and the experience of
other immigrants.

Since the project is non-profit, with no major financial backing, the
project relies on the contributions of ordinary people. So far, Kasbo
says, the Arab American Institute and American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee have helped out, but with 40 hours of
footage shot, Kasbo says his team will need 200 more in order to
finish. And, he and his team will be coming out to Detroit and Ohio,
so more support will be critical to the project’s success.

"Right now, we have a website, you go to
and you can actually see some of the
interviews," he said. "People can share their stories with us right
on the blog and certainly they can donate to the effort and any
donation is very much appreciated."

For more information on "The Arab American Experience," go to

Russian power exporter threatens to cut electricity supplies to Azerbaijan

RIA Novosti
30 Mar 07

Moscow, 30 March: The company Inter RAO UES [Unified Energy Systems of
Russia], the only operator for the import and export of electricity in
Russia, could cut off supplies to Azerbaijan from 1 April, which
threatens the country with a rise in prices on the domestic energy
market, RIA was told by a source in the company.

If it loses power transmissions from Russia, Azerbaijan, whose power
system is subject to peak surges, could come up against a serious
shortage of electricity.

The source said supplies to Azerbaijan are currently being made under
a contract signed in 2006: it is in force until the end of the current
year, but in the area of supplies only until 31 March. "From 1 April,
unless we receive acceptable proposals from Azerbaijan, supplies could
be halted," the source told the agency. [Passage omitted]

GUL: POLITICIZING ARMENIAN ISSUE JEOPARDIZES TURKISH-US TIES

The New Anatolian, Turkey
March 30 2007

Armenian lobbying groups politicize the past and impose their view of
history with allegations branding a 20th century tragedy "genocide,"
and in so doing jeopardize Turkish-American ties, argued Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday in an guest op-ed in The
Washington Post.

In his op-ed entitled "Politicizing the Armenian tragedy," Gul stated
that the strategic cooperation between Turkey and the United States
is jeopardized by a single interest group that solely pursues its
own political agenda over national interests.

"A recent resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
makes mention of the events of 1915 as ‘genocide’," wrote Gul. "Its
passage will be tantamount to legislating a skewed version of history,
which will be totally unjust and thus deeply offensive to the Turkish
people who have expressed their readiness to seek out the truth."

Underlining that the Turkish-U.S. strategic partnership spans a wide
range of global challenges, from helping secure Iraq and Afghanistan
to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
promoting energy security and fighting terrorism in our region and
beyond, Gul continued, "Once again, Armenian lobbying organizations
are determined to politicize the past — and impose their view of
history — without any regard to the overriding and lasting interests
of the United States or Armenia."

Stating that the historical period in question centers on 1915, when
immense mutual suffering occurred amid the atrocities of World War I,
Gul argued that countless individual stories have been passed from
generation to generation among Turks, Armenians and others who then
made up the Ottoman Empire.

"But the complex political history and dynamics of that tumultuous
period are yet to be fully grasped," Gul argued. "Each life lost is
one too many, whether it is Armenian or Turk. It is truly regrettable
that there is no mention today of Turkish or Muslim lives lost during
the same period."

Citing’s Turkey’s 2005 proposal to Armenia to set up a joint commission
of historians to find out once and for all what really happened, and
how it took place, Gul stated that whether the Ottoman government
systematically pursued a calculated act of state policy for their
destruction in whole or in part can only be established by scholars
who have the ability to evaluate the period objectively, working with
the full range of available primary sources.

"Turkey has no difficulties in facing its past," he wrote. "All Turkish
archives, including the military archives of the period, are open
to the entire international academic community. However, important
Armenian archives are not." Gul then underlined that Turkey eagerly
awaits a positive response from Armenia, agreeing to establish this
joint commission and declaring its readiness to accept its conclusions.

Gul also called on third parties, including the United States,
to contribute to this commission by appointing scholars who will
earnestly work to shed light on this tragedy, stating that such
a commission would also help shape an atmosphere conducive to the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

Stating that following the repulsive murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, Turkey invited officials of the Armenian
government and representatives from the Armenian diaspora to share
the genuine grief of the Turkish people, Gul underlined that the
diaspora witnessed the enormous reaction of Turkish citizens, who
poured by thousands into the streets.

"As we today consider ways to create a much-improved atmosphere with
our neighbor, the Armenian government appears to be propagating the
fallacious idea that Turks are missing a chance to recognize their
genocide claims," he stated, underlining that Dink himself also said
in a published interview shortly before his death that he wants the
Armenian diaspora not to make any demands about accepting the genocide,
neither from Turkey, from the Parliament nor any other governments.

Gul stated that there are 70,000 Armenian citizens working in
Turkey, and there are direct flights between Istanbul and Yerevan,
underlining that Turkey is determined to save future generations from
the hegemony of bitter rhetoric and outright hostility, yet is faced
with a non-compromising, unmitigated assault not over a political
matter, but a politicized one.

Stating that he fully understands the pressures imposed by narrow
interest groups, he argued, "However, there is also the imperative
to rise above such pressures and see the national and international
repercussions of one’s choices. After all, the decisions we make return
back to us in this globalized world, where the interests of nations —
especially neighbors — are intertwined."

RA DEFENSE MINISTER EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO HIS AMERICAN AND RUSSIAN COUNTERPARTS

ArmRadio.am
31.03.2007 12:40

On the occasion of ratification of RA National Security Strategy,
on behalf of RA President the Secretary of the Presidential Council
on National Security, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan sent letters
of gratitude to the US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary
of the Security Council of Russia Igor Ivanov for methodological
assistance of the US National University of Defense and the Russian
Presidential Academy of State Service in the process of working out
the National Security Strategy of Armenia.

ACCORDING TO SOME INFORMATION, RA DEFENCE MINISTER SERGE SARGSIAN VISITS HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF HEALTH PROBLEMS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 29 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian
visited the Saint Gregory the Illuminator medical center of the
capital at about 12:00, March 29, because of health problems. He was
subjected to some examinations here. As the Noyan Tapan correspondent
was informed from the hospital, the Minister left the hospital,
immediately after being examined.