Author: Zargarian Hambik

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian factor is gaining political weight in South America
05.12.2007 14:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ MERCOSUR’s measure recognizing the Armenian Genocide
proves that the Armenian factor is gaining political weight in South
America, Professor of international relations and politics at the
San-Andres University of Buenos Aires, Khachik Ter-Ghukasyan said in
an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

`I should mention that the motion was initiated by Uruguay, the first
state that recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1965. The statement was
signed by parliaments of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and
Paraguay. Venezuela is expected to join them. Chile, a very likely
candidate for MERCOSUR membership, made a similar decision earlier. As
to Paraguay, recognition of Genocide is a unique phenomenon, since
there is no Armenian community living in this country. This move is of
strategic importance for Armenia’s foreign policy and I welcome Robert
Kocharian’s edict on establishing Embassy of Brazil,’ he said.

On 19 November by a majority vote MERCOSUR bloc members – Argentina,
Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay – approved the Human Rights Committee’s
decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The parliament calls on
the states which haven’t recognized the Genocide yet to make the
decision.

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 5 2007

4.16% rise in Armenia’s financial resources in oct 2007

YEREVAN, December 5. /ARKA/. Armenia’s financial resources in October
2007 increased by AMD 14bln or by 4.16% and totaled AMD 346.9bln.

According to the Armenian National Statistical Service based on the
preliminary data of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), cash drams
outside the CBA totaled AMD 292bln at the end of October 2007 against
AMD 279bln at the beginning of the month.
The amount of obligatory reserves in drams totaled AMD 28.6bln
against AMD 26.97bln at the beginning of September, in foreign
currency – AMD 25.3bln against AMD 26.6bln.

Net foreign assets (without means from privatization) totaled AMD
424.5bln at the end of September 2007, increasing by AMD 15bln or by
3.75%. The amount of net internal assets totaled minus AMD 77.7bln
against minus AMD 76.2bln at the beginning of the month (minus AMD
38.8bln – at the beginning of the year).

>From the beginning of 2007 the volume of financial resources in
Armenia increased by 22.57% (from AMD 282.9bln). In accordance with
Armenia’s money and credit policy, the CBA forecasts 25.4% rise of
financial resources for 2007. ($1 – AMD 306.5). -0–

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 4 2007

DUDAYEV PREVENTED BASAYEV FROM FIGHTING IN KARABAKH

`There are people who may remember righteously that both the Taliban
and Shamil Basayev got their first military practice in Karabakh.
They can remember it, as to Shamil Basayev, I also remember
something. He was prevented by Djohar Dudayev,’ the leader of the
National Democratic Party Shavarsh Kocharyan stated December 4 at the
Hayatsk Club in answer to the question how expedient it is to voice
the thesis on the religious component of the Karabakh conflict, which
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan has recently done in the United States.

Shavarsh Kocharyan says this component existed but it was not the
underlying component, and it was a mistake to speak about it. `This
component should not be focused on,’ said the leader of the National
Democratic Party.

Business Recorder
December 3, 2007 Monday

DR EQBAL’S LECTURE ON DECEMBER 4

Dr Eqbal Ahmed’s distinguished lecture will be held on December 4,
2007 at 4.00 pm at Arts Council Auditorium here. According to a press
release, the lecture will be delivered by renowned intellectual and
broadcaster David Barsamian on topic "What we say goes – America and
the World." The ceremony will be presided over by eminent historian
Dr Mubarak Ali.

Monthly magazine ‘Badalti Duniya’ is organising this lecture. This
magazine is being published since 2001 by a group of progressive and
democratic-minded individuals.

David Barsamian, an American radio broadcaster and writer of Armenian
descent, was born in New York. As a writer, Barsamian is best known
for his series of interview with Noam Chomsky, which have been
published in book form and translated into many languages, selling
hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. He has also published a
book-length interview with Edward Said, ‘The pen and the Sword’.-PR

"THE FORTY DAYS OF MUSA DAGH" TO BE SHOT IN HOLLYWOOD

armradio.am
27.11.2007 10:30

Turkish Akcam reported that the Armenian Diaspora in Hollywood
Is completing the preparations for shooting a film based on Franz
Werfel’s "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh," one of the most remarkable
works on the Armenian Genocide.

According to the newspaper the Kurdish authorities that have invited
more than 30 most famous Hollywood actors to Northern Iraq, wish to
shoot the "Peshmerga" film about the life of Kurdish leader mullah
Mustafa Barzani.

According to the same source, the actors involved in the shooting
of the films include Mel Gibson, Omar Sheriff, Antonio Banderas and
Sylvester Stallone.

The "Foundation for the Struggle Against Baseless Allegations of
Genocide" (ASÄ°MED) has begun an e-mail campaign to try and dissuade
actor Mel Gibson from playing a role in the film on the Armenian
Genocide.

–Boundary_(ID_0QVLjgxaZcc22gg IugakqQ)–

LEADER OF NATIONAL UNITY PARTY ARTASHES GEGHAMYAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

2007-11-27 14:24:00

ArmInfo. Leader of National Unity party Artashes Geghamyan will
announce his candidature for president. A relevant decision was made
at the party presidium with participation of the heads of the party’s
territorial offices.

After the presidium, Artashes Geghamyan called a press conference
in which the members of the presidium grounded the necessity of
Geghamanyan’s nomination for president using sharp and even insulting
epithets addressed to the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Thus,
NU Vice Chairman Aleksan Karapetyan said the aspiration of Levon
Ter-Petroysan and his supporters are quite different of public
interests. ‘They cynically speak of morality being a classical example
of corruption,’ A. Karapetyan said. On the whole, he is sure that
together with Artashes Geghamyan the country will find ‘the way to
the bright future.’

In his turn, representative of NU Shirak regional office Leva Galstyan
commented on an earlier made statement that ‘Geghamyan is a mine in
the opposition field> and stressed that Geghamyan is not a mine but
‘an intercontinental missile.’ Other supporters of Geghamyan praised
the ability of their leader to master economic and financial policy
best of all, to carry out the best analysis of world and regional
processes, to define the security ways for Armenia etc: Nevertheless,
the most important argument they brought in favor of A. Geghamyan
was the ‘big love for the motherland and the people’.

"DEMOLITION OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IS CONTINUATION OF POLICY OF GENOCIDE," ARMENIAN SCIENTISTS BELIEVE

Noyan Tapan
Nov 28, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. At present, they continue to
demolish the Armenian architectural monuments in Turkey. This statement
was made by Samvel Karapetian, the representative of the Research on
the Armenian Architecture organization, at the international conference
dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the memorial of the victims of
the Genocide on November 28.

According to him, the authors of the vandal programs implemented
against humanity assumed the reconstruction of the St. Cross monastery
of Aghtamar in 2005 for the purpose of slurring over their main
essence, at the same time continuing to demolish other Armenian
tumbledown architectural monuments, such as Mren, Horomos, Ili,
as well as many others.

Samvel Karapetian mentioned that under the circumstances of the absence
of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia at present as well
the authorities of Turkey continue to display intolerant, in general,
and wilful attitude at best towards the monuments, which have already
been incomparably reduced.

Seda Parsamian, a collaborator of the Museum-Institute of the
Armenian Genocide of the National Academy of Sciences of the
Republic of Armenia, mentioned that the demolition of the Armenian
historical-architectural monuments in the territory of the Ottoman
Empire and the republican Turkey makes a component part of the policy
of genocide.

PRIME MINISTER HOSTS BIG CANADIAN BUSINESSMEN

Panorama.am
17:47 28/11/2007

Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan received today Canadian big businessmen
Jonathan Goodman, James Smoli and Canadian Armenian businessman and
professor Azat Vardanyan, government information and public relations
department informs.

The family of Goodmans has businesses in several fields with a
standing capital of $65 bln. Jonathan Goodman is the owner and
president of Dandi Precious Metals that does research and mining
of previous metals. In Armenia, the company is represented by Dino
Gold company. The company has started active mining in the region of
Siunik and has invested $30 million so far. It also plans to invest
$20 in Kapan mines saying there are serious expectations to find rich
mines. A day ago Goodman was received by the president of the republic.

IMPORTANT DONATION TO "ARMENIA" ALL-ARMENIAN FOUNDATION

AZG Armenian Daily
29/11/2007

According to Regional Council of Syunik province, Zangezur Copper and
Molybdenum Plant donated 100 mln drams to the "Armenia" all-Armenian
Foundation telethon held recently.

It’s worth to mention that the plant is one of the biggest taxpayers
of Armenia.

THE RISK OF A THAW

Economist, UK
Nov 29 2007

Another dangerous conflict zone in the Caucasus

IT MAY be the most combustible place in Europe. Were it to reignite,
the effects could be dire. Yet the world takes little interest in
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave disputed by Armenians and
Azerbaijanis, preferring to see it as just another "frozen conflict".

The fear is that it may be thawing.

A war that killed 25,000 people ended in a ceasefire in 1994,
leaving Armenians in possession of the province (which already had
an Armenian majority in Soviet times, but was part of Azerbaijan),
plus a long ribbon of Azerbaijani territory that the Armenians treat
as a "buffer zone". The trenches across the ceasefire line have moved
closer, and shots are often exchanged; 30 soldiers have been killed
this year. There are no peacekeepers, only a tiny unarmed group
of international observers. Even they are no longer monitoring the
ceasefire after a diplomatic dispute.

Suspicions in both countries have stymied any peace talks. Both are
expanding defence spending. Oil-rich Azerbaijan takes in as much as $20
billion a year in oil revenues. President Ilham Aliev has promised that
his military budget, now $1 billion a year, will overtake Armenia’s
total public spending. On October 30th he said, "We should be ready
at any moment to liberate the occupied territories by military means."

A meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers this week offered
only a fading chance for an agreement on a framework peace deal. The
hope had been that the two presidents might accept a statement of
basic principles that postpones final decisions on sovereignty, while
Armenians withdraw from occupied territory and the borders reopen.

Unfortunately both countries face presidential elections next year,
so their political leaders prefer not to risk accusations of making
deals with the enemy.

A full-blown war may still be unlikely in the immediate future. But
as a recent report from the Brussels-based International Crisis Group,
"Risking War", points out, the most dangerous moment may come in 2012,
when Azerbaijani oil revenues start falling and Mr Aliev’s government
may feel the country’s military edge over Armenia is at its greatest.

Nagorno-Karabakh sits in a strategically vital region, surrounded by
Georgia, Russia, Iran and Turkey. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
runs close to the ceasefire line. It would be easy for even a small
clash to get out of hand. An official who has dealt with the dispute
for years quotes Anton Chekhov’s maxim that, if a gun is hanging on
the wall in the first act, it will always go off by the play’s end.

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