Author: Zargarian Hambik

ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN BOOSTED SERGE SARGSYAN’S CHANCE

Lragir, Armenia
Aug 3 2007

"The ARF Dashnaktsutyun is the humblest party to the Armenian
government. And I do not think Dashnaktsutyun may take any independent
steps," Davit Shahnazaryan stated August 3 at the National Press
Club in speaking about the participation of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
to the presidential election. Davit Shahnazaryan said now the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun is part of the government, "the appendix of government".

"This is my assessment of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun," Davit Shahnazaryan
says. He even thinks the ARF Dashnaktsutyun may renege on its word and
not name a presidential candidate. "You know they have stated for a
number of times that they will name president but Dashnaktsutyun may
give its word and then renege on it," Davit Shahnazaryan says. He also
stated that after the ARF stated it will not support Serge Sargsyan,
Serge Sargsyan stands a bigger chance to win.

TURKEY BACKS RWE FOR NABUCCO PROJECT

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Reuters Ankara, Stanbul
Aug 3 2007

Turkey favours German energy company RWE as the sixth partner in the
Nabucco pipeline, which will carry Caspian and Middle Eastern gas to
European markets, an energy ministry official said.

He said he preferred RWE over Gaz de France, which is also in talks
with the Nabucco gas group, as the project’s sixth partner. "We have
had meetings with RWE officials and they are continuing. Turkey is on
the side of the German firm becoming a partner in Nabucco. We can say
that RWE is ahead of Gaz de France in becoming a long term partner,"
the official said late on Wednesday.

Earlier this year a Turkish official told Reuters it had suspended
talks with Gaz de France on it becoming a partner in Nabucco after
France passed a bill making denial of an Armenian genocide at the
hands of Ottoman Turks a crime.

The official said the genocide bill was still a factor in their
preference of RWE over Gaz de France.

"Our position is the same," he said.

Turkey denies that Ottoman Turks committed a systematic genocide
against 1.5 million Armenians during World War One and and has said
it would take punitive measures against countries that enacted such
legislation.

The five signatory companies to the pipeline project — Austria’s OMV,
Hungary’s MOL, Romania’s Transgaz, Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz and Turkey’s
Botas have been looking for a sixth partner. A source close to the
talks has said a partner may be chosen by October.

A Botaþ official said the five Nabucco signatories hope to choose a
construction company for the project by the end of this year.

"We plan to work out the technical details for the tender documents
within the next two months … and we hope to select a construction
company by the end of this year," said Emre Engur, head of
international operations at Botaþ.

The 4.6 billion euro ($6.14 billion) pipeline project has been seen
as a way of easing Russia’s hold on Europe’s gas resources after the
country cut off its supplies to Ukraine following a political row.

In June, Russia’s Gazprom announced that it was building a natural gas
pipeline with Itay’s Eni under the Black Sea to Bulgaria, from where
it would stretch to Italy, in a project that would compete directly
with Nabucco.

European gas demand is expected to increase sharply in the coming years
and depend more on imports, as output from European fields shrinks.

The Nabucco group has yet to determine the financing structure for
the pipeline as well as choose its final member.

–Boundary_(ID_jLZJGwI/EKMzKRTbZSfyrA)–

US MEDIATOR OUTLINES ARMENIAN-AZERI CONFLICT SETTLEMENT PRINCIPLES

Turan news agency
2 Aug 07

Baku, 2 August: The Nagornyy Karabakh subject was one of the central
subjects during the current visit to Baku by Matthew Bryza, the US
deputy assistant state secretary for European and Eurasian affairs
and US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Bryza said at a news conference at the US embassy that all efforts of
the co-chairmen and Minsk Group countries are aimed at enabling the
sides to sign an agreement on the principles of the Karabakh conflict
settlement before the presidential elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

He admitted that there are still some fundamental issues on which no
agreement has been reached. After the meeting of the two countries’
presidents in St Petersburg, there was an impression that the sides
want to reach an agreement, but then these hopes failed. "However,
no-one but the sides themselves can make important compromises,"
the diplomat said.

As for yesterday’s meeting in Moscow, this was a working meeting
between the co-chairmen and two Russian deputy foreign ministers. Bryza
called these consultations very important.

Asked by Turan news agency how a compromise can be made between
the principles of territorial integrity and self-determination,
Bryza said that this is something really difficult to do. At the
same time, the issue should be solved on the basis of Helsinki and UN
principles which envisage territorial integrity, non-use of force and
self-government. Self-government is not independence. "It is necessary
to find compromises within the framework of these principles, and
I think this is an attainable task and we are close to it. However,
we cannot make a decision instead of you. You yourselves must take
this step," Bryza said.

AS KHOSROV HAROUTIUNIAN PREDICTED, IDEA OF OPPOSITION’S COMMON CANDIDATE WILL NOT BE CROWNED WITH SUCCESS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 31, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian opposition field is mixed,
from socialists to right liberals, and under such conditions searching
for a common candidate for presidency is an artificial process. Khosrov
Haroutiunian, the Chairman of the Christian-Democratic Union of
Armenia, stated at the July 31 press conference. As he affirmed,
the opposition forces have no ground to unite except overthrowing
the current power by all means. "And the thesis, no matter who will
be, only not the current authorities, has exhausted itself long
ago," K. Haroutiunian said. He added that the goal of the most of
oppositionists is to come to power, and as by saying power they
imagine only the post of country’s President, which is only one,
so, they cannot let others have it. Therefore, as K. Haroutiunian
concluded, the idea of a common candidate is doomed to failure.

Touching upon the possible nomination of the candidature of the first
RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian for the 2008 presidential elections,
he said that the latter can be an alternative candidate, but not the
only alternative. According to K. Haroutiunian, L. Ter-Petrosian has
his contribution in the issue of building independent statehood,
irrespective of the fact how society treats this. However, in the
words of the leader of the Christian-Democratic Union, society rejects
the first President’s political environment, which "did not justify
people’s hopes and discredited L. Ter-Petrosian."

RAMIL SAFAROV’S LAWYER TO BE SUBSTITUTED

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 30 2007

"Though I can not engage in Ramil Safarov’s case de jure, I will do
my best as a citizen," former lawyer for Ramil Safarov’s family Ikram
Shirinov told APA.

Ikram Shirinov said he consults with Ramil Safarov’s father concerning
protection of his rights.

"Ramil will phone me and I will speak to him about necessary points.

We are carrying out activities regarding Ramil Safarov that can not
be publicized," he said.

Ramil Safarov’s father Sahib Safarov told APA that Ikram Shirinov
told him his mission expired.

"The Bar appointed two lawyers on this case for three-year term. They
were Ikram Shirnov and Elmar Karimov. Elmar Karimov will possibly
continue to deal with the case," he said.

Defense Ministry’s press service officer Ilgar Verdiyev told APA that
the ministry pays to Ramil Safarov’s lawyer and Ramil Safarov’s family
determines the lawyer.

Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, accused of killing Armenian officer
Gurgen Markaryan in Hungary was sentenced to life imprisonment.

His lawyer Ikram Shirinov has recently been appointed judge of Nasimi
district court. He will take up his post soon.

PRIVATE COMPANY ISSUES FIRST BONDS

ARMENPRESS
Jul 27, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS: A private Armenian company has announced
today the issuance of 350 million Armenian Drams worth 7,000 bonds
with a 10.5 percent annual interest rate and 18 month maturity period.

The value of each of the bonds issued by Valletta company is 50,000
Drams (about $147).

Henrik Zakharian, the founder and a major shareholder, praised the
Central Bank’s policy during the presentation ceremony saying it was
very instrumental in their decision to enter the corporate market.

Valletta company owns a chain of shops selling sanitary equipment
and meat and coffee processing workshops.

Central Bank governor Tigran Sarkisian said bonds will give this
company extra opportunities to enlarge its businesses. He also promised
Central Bank’s assistance to all companies which will decide to follow
the example of Valletta.

He said another company is going to issue its bonds soon, but declined
to name it.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN WELCOMES AMBASSADOR PERINA

A1+
[04:14 pm] 27 July, 2007

Heritage Party leader Raffi K. Hovannisian received the new chief of
the US mission to Armenia, Ambassador Rudolf Perina, at the National
Assembly today. They exchanged views and analyses on Armenia’s
diplomacy and domestic affairs, Mountainous Karabagh’s road to
liberty and democracy, and Armenian-American relations in general,
the party’s press service reports.

RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE NOT ONLY A DUTY BUT A GEOPOLITICAL FACTOR, EXPERT IN TURKISH STUDIES SAYS

Panorama.am
18:21 27/07/2007

"Not only is the recognition of the genocide our debt in front of our
ancestors but also a means to become a member state in geopolitics,"
Director of Easter Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences
Ruben Safrastyan told a news conference today. In his words, with that
Armenia joins the list of countries that are guiding the geopolitical
processes. "Genocide is a crime against humanity. By consistently
demanding its recognition, we become the country that condemns a
crime and is the defender of human values," the Turkish expert said.

Speaking about Erdoghan’s April statement that there is a need to
set up a group of historians, Safrastyan said it was a discrepancy
from the denial policy but no serious progress may be expected. "We
do not need to set up a group of historians since the historical fact
does not need to be checked again," Safrastyan said.

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER: PROGRESS CAN BE MADE ON NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT BY THE YEAR-END

Azeri Press Agency
July 27 2007

"Opportunities for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict have
not run out and progress can be made by the year-end," Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in the interview to local TV
channels, APA reports.

The minister does not agree with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who
consider that elections in Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2008 will impede
the process of negotiations.

Expecting good results from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ meeting
in Moscow on August 2, the minister said that American co-chair
Mathew Bryza will visit Azerbaijan after the meeting and deliver the
co-chairs’ proposals.

"Everyone knows that it is a very delicate issue. I think if there
is political will, progress can be made," he said.

Noting that Matthew Bryza’s visit to Baku mainly aims at
debating bilateral relations, Elmar Mammadyarov underlined that
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict will also be debated during his visit.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATE
HIS HOLINESS ON HIS NEW PUBLICATION

His Holiness Aram I recently published a new book in English. The President
and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lebanon sent special congratulatory
notes to the Pontiff on this occasion.

Entitled "For a Church Beyond Its Walls", the book is composed of 342 pages.
Its contents are divided into four major sections. The book is primarily a
discussion of issues related to the church’s mission, identity, inter-faith
dialogue, difficulties facing contemporary societies, including violence,
globalization, decay of moral values, the emergence of a new global order,
human rights, genocide, justice and peace. The Introduction to the volume is
written by the General Secretary of the world Council of Churches, Dr. Sam
Kobia.

The Pontiff also received congratulatory notes from spiritual leaders,
theologians and other prominent individuals.