Author: Zaminian Bedik

HAMSHEN AND HAMSHEN ARMENIANS: HISTORY AND CULTURE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD ON JULY 23 IN YEREVAN

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 18

On 23 July, the RA National Academy of Sciences Institute of Oriental
Studies and the Yerkir Union of NGOs for Repatriation and Settlement
are organizing the international conference Hamshen and Hamshen
Armenians: History and Culture in Yerevan. According to the report of
conference organizers, curently there are many ethnic Armenians living
in Turkey, who, assimilated and converted to Islam, still preserve
some elements of their original ethnic culture in spoken language,
customs and culture. "Hamshens or Hamshen Armenians are one of such
ethnic group. Interest towards this particular group has considerably
grown in recent years. There have been many scientific studies,
publications and reports about the Hamshen Armenians," the report read.

According to the organizers, the aim of the conference is to
facilitate further studies of Hamshen and Hamshen Armenian reality
and strengthening of ties with Hamshen Armenians.

It should be mentioned that the conference will take place within the
framework of the Hamshen Week to be held on July 21-27 in Yerevan,
during which it is also envisaged to organize other events, concerts
of the Vova Hamshen ensemble, photoexhibition dedicated to Armenian
architecture of Hamshen, etc.

BULLS DEMOLISH ARMENIAN CHAMPS

AUSTRIA TODAY
July 18, 2008

Austrian Bundesliga runners-up Red Bull Salzburg kicked off their
UEFA-Cup campaign with an impressive 7-0 win over Armenian cup
winners Bananz Eriwan on Thursday night. Salzburg started their UEFA
qualification at the Wals-Siezenheim Stadium with the biggest victory
in the club´s history. Under new coach Co Adriaanse the Salzburg side
played a typically offensive game, continuing what they began in the
first two games of the this season´s Austrian Bundesliga.

They surprised the crowd with a spectacular and fast-paced style of
play, marking a return to their goal-scoring form that was mostly
absent under former coach Giovanni Trapattoni. Salzburg started the
game without their injured top scorer Mark Janko but still took the
lead after 22 minutes with a header by Ibrahim Sekagya. Three more
goals by Ngwat-Mahop (29th min.), Zickler (34th min.) and Tchoyi (37th
min.) followed in the first half. Red Bull´s Dutch coach Adriaanse
later told reporters, "In the halftime I said to the team that I want
to see 7 goals in total." And his players managed to satisfy him with
the 7-0 result. A further three goals in early in the second half –
Ngwat-Mahop (46th min.), Obster (48th) and Zickler (65th) – sealed
an embarrassing defeat for the Armenian Champions. The Armenian side
were however missing key players but even so never looked anything
like keeping up with Salzburg. The second leg will take place on 31
July in Eriwan, but nobody expects anything but Salzburg advancing
to the next round. Unlike Salzburg, Austria´s second side in this
year’s UEFA-Cup, Austria Vienna, disappointed their supporters with an
embarrassing 0-1 away defeat to Kazakh side Tobol Kostanaj. Salzburg
had never come to a higher victory in an international game, so far
the 5-0 win against Adanaspor from Turkey in 1976 was the club´s
record. Only twice have higher victories by Austrian teams have been
recorded in European competitions – Austria Vienna´s 10-0 drubbing
of Luxemburg’s Bonneweg and Rapid´s 8-0 victory over Avenir Beggen,
also from the tiny European state.

–Boundary_(ID_dtCqOQtuEFYG2hGnJJWshw)–

THE COMPETITION TO BE ANNOUNCED ON JULY 17-18

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 17, 2008
Armenia

During the session of the committee regulating public services the
package of the documents on the organization of the competition
for license of the third operator of the mobile service and radio
frequency has been confirmed.

The minimum sum required for the license is 10 million euro, which
the organizations that want to get license must pay when they submit
the documents.

The competition will be announced on July 17-18 in "Wall Street
Journal" and "Financial Times". 90 days after the announcement of
the competition the jury will decide who will be the third operator
of mobile service in Armenia.

US, ARMENIA AGREE TO UPGRADE ARMENIAN CAPABILITIES AGAINST NUCLEAR SMUGGLING

International Herald Tribune
July 14 2008
France

The Associated PressPublished: July 14, 2008

WASHINGTON: The United States and Armenia have agreed to cooperate
against the smuggling of nuclear and radioactive materials.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian signed the agreement in what is called a "joint
action plan" that makes the cooperation activities official.

The document was signed Monday at the State Department and establishes
a 28-step program to increase Armenia’s abilities to prevent, detect
and respond to attempts at smuggling dangerous nuclear materials.

In June 2003, authorities in Armenia’s neighbor Georgia arrested an
individual trying to smuggle six ounces of highly enriched uranium
into Armenia. Such trafficking surged as the Soviet Union broke apart
in the early 1990s.

Tax proceeds to Armenia’s budget total 48 bln drams in Jan-June 2008

YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. Tax proceeds to Armenia’s state budget were
some 48bln drams in the first half of 2008, Head of the RA State
Customs Service Vahram Barseghyan reported today RA President Serge
Sargsian.

`The increase was secured thanks to the effective struggle against
shadow economy,’ the Customs Service Head said.

President Sargsian has charged relevant agencies to combat monopoly,
corruption and shadow economy, so that everyone pays equal taxes,
irrespective of a person’s status and relations.

Barshegyan and the President touched upon current tax reforms, as well
as import and export tariffs. ($1 ` 303.12 drams). `0–

`HERITAGE’ – NO MORE THAN A MICROPHONE
GEVORG HARUTYUNYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 12, 2008
Armenia

As we now for different reasons `Heritage’ party was obliged to
postpone its regular congress. Finally it took place yesterday. But the
congress didn’t manage to confirm anything. The settlement of all the
issues is still under the responsibility of the administration. The
staff of the administration was in essence re-elected.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, representative of ARFD bureau Hrant
Margaryan, Leader of `National Renaissance’ Alvard Bazeyan,
ex-presidential candidate Arman Melikyan participated in the single
pro-oppositional party represented in the parliament. And leader of the
People’s Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan, leader of `Hanrapetutyun’
party Aram Z. Sargsyan, and Hovhannes Hovhannisyan came to listen to
Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

The Prime Minister Wanted To Connect The Bridges

In his welcome speech Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan firstly confirmed
that in a short period of time `Heritage’ party managed to `unite
members and supporters around its program and ensure representation in
the legislative body’. And the fact that the latter is the only
pro-oppositional party represented in the parliament is the
`peculiarity of the present political situation’ and underscored that
the party must shoulder additional responsibility in front of its own
electorate, the extra-parliamentary opposition and the country in
general.

`I came here to connect the bridges. It is very easy to burn the
bridges. I came here to say that we need strong opposition. And it is
far not a gesture of politeness. Strong, constructive opposition means
strong society, strong state. We don’t fear strong criticisms and
daring proposals, because we need them,’ the Prime Minister announced.

The Biggest Treachery

After a little period of time Levon Ter-Petrosyan entered the hall
accompanied by his guards Levon Zurabyan and Davit Shahnazaryan.

Approaching the tribune he firstly showed the real place of his
favorite `Heritage’ party. `I will try to place this congress in
Armenia’s present day internal political situation and in the context
of the pan-national movement.’

It turned out that `Heritage’ party is the `microphone of the
pan-national movement in the Parliament and in PACE bureaucratic
apparatus’. `I don’t want to humiliate anyone. As a formality there
should be one or two pro-oppositional parties represented in the
parliament. But of course they can’t change climate. It is extremely
difficult to play a positive role in a corporative club,’ Ter-Petrosyan
noticed pessimistically.

Touching upon `the alliance formed around me’ the speaker gave an
exclusively true characteristic to himself and the pre-election
alliance. `It is a real anachronism. The elections are over and it
should change its contents. He said he is `planning to create a serious
political factor, which will not be temporary and will not pursue an
exclusively situational goal. It will unite a total conscious political
society from independent political developments.’

He also added: `The political situation in Armenia is so complex that
the parties can’t overcome it separately. We are going to live in this
evil for 10 more years. Everything depends on whether or not the people
will tolerate it. If the authorities try to suppress this movement it
will be an anti-national policy. It will be the biggest national
treachery.’

IMMEDIATELY AND RIGHT AWAY

Raffi Hovhannisyan stated: `only the truth will save our country and
will help the republic and the people progress, move towards
national-democratic and civil prospects.

But he also added that the re-elected administration would decide the
format of the participation of `Heritage’ party in the works of NA
temporary committee investigating March 1-2 developments. The decision
was, in essence pre-determined by the following announcement: `Can the
National Assembly enjoy trust, in case when the parliament itself has
got its share of guilt in what happened.’

Touching
upon internal and external issues, the relations with Turkey
and Azerbaijan R. Hovhannisyan expressed standpoint that we will find
solutions to all the issues in case: `we manage to have a
democratically united society and ruling power.’

`What we need is dialogue and national support. Immediately and right
away. Otherwise we will have to hold new elections to discharge the
created situation.’

MINISTER NALBANDIAN TO VISIT WASHINGTON

Armradio.Am
11.07.2008 13:42

On July 13 RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian Will Leave For
Washington For A Four-Day Working Visit.

In Washington Minister Nalbandian will meet with US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.

The Foreign Minister is scheduled to have meetings at the White House,
the Congress. He will meet with the leadership of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, as well as the leaders of the American Armenian
community.

Within the framework of the visit Edward Nalbandian will make a speech
on Armenia’s foreign policy at the Carnegie Fund.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian, Azeri, Ukrainian servicemen participating in NATO exercise
in Georgia 10.07.2008 16:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 5, NATO maneuvers started in Viziani
military base located less than 100 km from the border with Russia.

Servicemen from the U.S., Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine are
participating in the exercise held in the framework of Partnership for
Peace program, ITAR-TASS reports quoting the U.S. European Command.

CZECH, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS EU, BILATERAL RELATIONS

ITAR-TASS News Agency
July 6 2008
Russia

Armenia-EU relations were in the focus of Sunday negotiations between
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and Armenian Foreign
Minister Eduard Nalbandian.

The sides also discussed political, economic and humanitarian contacts
between the Czech Republic and Armenia.

Armenia welcomes the EU neighborhood initiative and will develop
closer relations with the European Union, Nalbandian said. In his
words, bilateral relations with the Czech Republic are friendly.

It is possible to enlarge bilateral trade and economic contacts,
the sides said. The issue will be on the agenda of a Czech-Armenian
business forum, which will take place on the sidelines of the three-day
official visit of Schwarzenberg. The delegates represent Czech energy,
tourist, financial, transport and IT companies.

The Armenian minister informed his Czech colleague of the Karabakh
settlement process by the latter’s request.

The ministers signed an intergovernmental agreement on the prevention
of dual taxation and a memorandum on the cooperation between the two
foreign ministries in European integration issues.

PRESIDENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH: NO SOLUTION POSSIBLE WITHOUT STEPANAKERT’S INVOLVEMENT

WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY
July 2, 2008 Wednesday

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Bako Saakjan, met with OSCE
Minsk Group chairmen Bernard Fassier (France), Matthew Bryza (United
States), and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) in Stepanakert on June 28.

Saakjan’s press service reported the Karabakh settlement in the focus
of attention at the talks. The president informed the visitors that
no final solution to the problem was possible without Stepanakert’s
direct involvement in the process. He added that Baku’s anti-Armenian
propaganda and warlike statements failed to promote trust between the
involved parties and had a thoroughly negative effect on the talks
and regional stability in general.

The president said the matter should be tackled within the framework
of the OSCE Minsk Group and Baku’s efforts to find a new intermediary
had a disrupting effect on the process of conflict settlement.