Category: News

FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN BANKS TO DISCUSS ISSUE OF ARMENIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN 2005 APRIL
YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Council of Federation of
European Banks will make a final decision about membership of the
Union of Armenian Banks during the April 1 2005 meeting. According
to the Union of Armenian Banks, the bid of Armenia has already been
approved. The membership to the Federation of European Banks will
permit the Union of Armenian Banks, in particular, to participate in
bank conferences and the World Bank Forum, to enter the database of
Federation of European Banks. At present bank unions of 35 countries
are included in the Federation of European Banks. Only Russia among
the CIS countries is a member of the federation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NDU LEADER CALLS ON ARDARUTIUN FACTION TO PARTICIPATE IN NA DISCUSSION ON
ISSUE OF SENDING ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN TO IRAQ
YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The December 21 meeting of
different political forces organizied by the Forum of Intelligentsia
was dedicated to discussion of the opportunities of sending Armenian
servicemen to Iraq. The leaders of National-Democratic Union, Nor
Zhamanakner (New Times) party, Constitutional Right union, Democratic
and People’s parties, Hayrenik National Front participated in the
discussion. Perch Zeytuntsian, a well-knomn writer, called on not to
consign to oblivion the assistance of the Near East countries to the
Armenians who escaped from the Genocide. “One mustn’t be ungrateful and
endanger the Diaspora. I respect pragmatism but not when it exceedes
the limits of morals. We remember about the Diaspora at the time
of telethons when its representatives allocate millions of dollars
but forget about security of our compatriots.” Rafael Ghazarian,
an academician of RA National Academy of Sciences, reminded that
10 Christian churches were blown up from the beginning of the Iraq
war: “Hundreds of thousands of Christians have already left Iraq,
can you imagine the consequences of the analogous processes in
the other countries of Near East?” Vazgen Manukian, Chairman
of National-Democratic Union, an MP, declared that the current
authorities destroy the national construction built for centuries,
which supposes unity of Armenia and Diaspora and friendly relations
with the world. V.Manukian called on the members of Ardarutiun
(Justice) faction to leave aside the boycott and come to the NA on
December 24 in order to participate in the discussion of the issue of
sending Armenian servicemen to Iraq. He called on the political forces
and intelligentsia to continue analogous discussions till the the full
solution of the issue. Aram Karapetian, Chairman of Nor Zhamanakner
party, called on the NA not to submit this issue for discussion. “The
President and Defence Minister, as well as the parliament will bear
the responsibility for this decision.” He gave assurance that the
reason of this “political adventure” is not the pressure exerted by
US but the initiative of the very Armenian authorities.

ARMENIAN CULTURAL DAYS HELD IN SHARJAH ON DECEMBER 11-16
YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Armenian cultural days were
held in Sharjah on December 11-16. The string orchestra after Komitas,
the “Shoghakn” ethnographic group and the ensemble of dudukists of
prominent artist Gevorg Dabaghian performed within the framework
of the cultural days. The cultural days completed with the “Game”
performance of Mnjakhagh theater. RA Minister of Culture and Youth
Affairs Hovik Hoveyan said during the December 21 press conference that
the official opening of the cultural days was held at the Arts’ Museum
of Sharjah with the exhibition of the works of Haroutiun Boyajian and
Karo Yeghiazarian, then the presentation of the book “Pages from the
History of Armenian-Arab Cultural Relations” published in Arab was
held at the conference hall of the Expo Center of Sharjah. Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the United Arab
Emirates Arshak Poladian is the author of the book. The Ambassador also
spoke about the Armenian-Arab relations – from the Middles Ages to our
times. H. Hoveyan mentioned that the practical program on cooperation
for the upcoming two years was signed between the two countries as a
result of the visit. The purpose of the document is to develop and
strengthen cultural cooperation between the two countries, which,
according to the Minister, will contribute to the deepening of the
friendly relations. According to the program, it is expected that
the Arab cultural days will be organized in Armenia in 2005, and the
exhibitions of book and other printed products will be organized in
Sharjah. The Minister also said that the Armenian art critics visited
the newly constructed church of Gregory the Illuminator in Sharjah,
met with the Armenian Community of the United Arab Emirates, the head
of the council of elders, Head of the Diocese Ter Aram Deirmejian, and
200 books published in Armenia were given to the Ohannesian Gymnasia.

YEREVAN OFFICE OF VDI INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION OF IT SPHERE IS GOING TO
INCREASE TWICE AS MUCH VOLUME OF WORK
YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Yerevan office of the
Vested Development Inc (VDI) international corporation carried out
the elaboration of programs on system provisison, the reformation of
projects, the elaboration of the data protection bases of the companies
of corporative government and the management systems of documents and
business during the year of its activities. Lev Sevilyan, the Director
of the office, said during the ceremony of summing up of the results of
the activities of the Yerevan Office for a year and the presentation
of VDI that 35 Armenian specialists of the office participated in
the elaboration of 12 programs and projects implemented by VDI. He
mentioned that the activities of the office will be widened next year
and the number of employees will reach 50 till the end of 2005. The
company will carry out not only the elaboration of different systems
and programs, but it will be a subcontractor in the sphere of system
service. Lev Sevilyan mentioned that the specialists of the sphere of
programming taken to job often have secondary vocational education. In
the future thay are retrained at the centers of Moscow and Yerevan, as
well as perfect themselves during the implementation of joint programs
with the specialists of VDI. Artak Ohanian, the Director of Business
Development Department of VDI, in his turn, mentioned that the opening
of tbe office in Armenia is mainly conditioned by the professional
skills and knowledge of the Armenian specialists. At the same time,
he stressed that the shortage of skilled specialists is the main
problem of the sphere of information technologies in Armenia. Artak
Ohanian also said that at first VDI started operating in 1993, then the
central office was opened in Boston (the US) in 1997 due to skilled
specialists. Besides the central office the company has another
five offices – three in Russia, and by one in Ukraine and Armenia
(with a total of 350 specialists). The company cooperates with the
companies of 20 countries (the US, Canada, countries-members of the
European Union), in particular, in the sphere of high technologies,
finances, insurance, telecommunication, energy and information.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH DIALOGUE IS POSSIBLE IN CASE OF COURAGEOUS VIEW ON
HISTORY AND TRANSFER FROM IT TO THE FUTURE,” WRITES TURKISH JOURNALIST
ISTANBUL, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). Two wrong approaches always throw
obstacles for the Armenian-Turkish dialogue. According to the first
approach, there is no history at all, according to the second one,
it is only history that exists. Turkish journalist John Dyuntar
expresses such an opinion in his regular article. Both of these
approaches, according to the Turkish journalist, make the dialogue
impossible. That’s why they become a reason for the fact that the
supporters of the both of these viewpoints become opponents and start
assuring the third sides that it is they who are right. Meanwhile,
according to Dyuntar, the decision consists of the courageous view
on the history and in transfer from it to the future. In Yerevan
the Turkish journalist had met with Babken Ararktsian, the former
Chairman of the RA parliament, the leader of the “Armat” (“Root”)
organization. B. Ararktsian said that his family is from Van by
birth. He also said that he wants the issue of the Armenian Genocide
not to hinder the Armenian-Turkish relations. John Dyuntar reports that
100 students study at the Department of Turkish Studies of the Yerevan
State University at present. 5,000 tourists from Armenia visited Turkey
last year. But he is puzzled in connection with the fact that meanwhile
the way from Yerevan to Istanbul lasts two hours, it is impossible
to cross the boarder through Kars by land, which takes only half an
hour. It is a great obstacle for trade, and Georgia takes advantage
from it. The dialogue between the two countries, according to the
journalist, may benefit from the circumstance that the Armenians have
friendly attitude towards Islam today, as the Arabs received their
refugees in 1915. According to the Istanbul “Marmara” newspaper, John
Dyunrtar also told about the meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II, during which the Supreme Patriarch positively estimated
the visit of representatives of the Turkish intelligentsia and said
such mutual relations help to resolve the available problems. When
the Catholicos was asked if he wants to visit Turkey, he answered
that he ought to visit all his flocks and, of course, wants to visit
Turkey. Karekin II emphasized that one should not turn the issue of
the Genocide into the theme of discussion, as it is an irrefutable
fact. As for the war of religions and civilizations, the Catholicos
of All Armenians said no war is waged in the name of the religion,
all the wars are of political nature.

EDUARDO ERNEKIAN INVESTS IN ARMENIA’S AGRICULTURAL SPHERE
YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). On December 21, at Zvartnots
Airport Director of the Tiera de Armeni company Anna-Christina
Shirinian and shareholder of Max Group Khachik Manukian signed an
agreement on joint activities. According to the agreement, at least
1,600-1,700 hectares of apricot orchards, 200-300 hectares of peach
and plum orchards and 500 hectares of grapevines are to be planted
in the area of 6 thousand hectares (3 thousand ha was sold to Tiera
de Armeni) located near the settlement of Baghramian (Armavir marz)
and belonging to Max Group. According to Khachik Manukian, it is
envisaged to start the construction of a fruit processing plant
with a processing capacity of 40 thousand tons of fruit per year at
the end of 2005. The harvest is expected in 5 years, meanwhile 20-25
million dollars will be invested. Tiera de Armeni, which was recently
registered in Armenia, is owned by Eduardo Ernekian. The American
International Airports company also belonging to the multimillioner
from Argentina implements the management of Yerevan’s Zvartnots
Airport. Max Group, one of Armenia’s big multiprofile companies,
has 15 thousand 200 hectares of land in the country’s various
marzes. Its shareholders are Khachik Manukian, Harutyun Pambukian
(both deputies of the NA) and Mher Bagratian. Kh. Manukian also stated
the two sides will make equal in amount investments, the Argentinian
side will implement the management of the business and the Armenian
side will carry out the agricultural work. The Airport lawyer Armen
Ter-Tachatian announced that profit made by Tiera de Armeni will
not have a commercial significance, it will go to a special fund
established by Ernekian and used to develop the agriculture.

CASES OF UNKNOWN VIRAL DISEASE INCREASE IN ARTSAKH
SPEPANAKERT, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). An unknown viral disease has
recently spread in Artsakh. There is no laboratory to diagnose the
disease both in Armenia and Artsakh. According to Karine Balayan, head
of the epidemic department of the NKR Republican Center for Hygiene
and Anti-Epidemic Control, during 11 months of 2003, 11,104 cases of
the disease was registered, while 12,888 cases were registered during
the same period of this year. It was noted that only in November, 2004,
1,442 cases of this viral disease were registered in Artsakh, including
463 cases in Stepanakert. It was also pointed out that the checking
conducted by the center revealed that the temperature in Stepanakert
schools was below 18 degrees. According to the data provided by the
education department of Stepanakert mayor’s office, as of December
17, 2,434 from the 7,288 pupils of Stepanakert schools did not attend
school because of the disease. For the same reason the NKR Ministry
of Education, Culture and Sports made a decision to discontinue the
teaching process at schools from December 20 to January 7.

COUNCIL OF ELDERS OF INTELLECTUALS FORUM CALLS ON NA TO ABANDON INITIATIVE TO
SEND MILITARY UNIT TO IRAQ AND TO BRING ITS AUTHORS TO JUSTICE
YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Council of Elders of Armenia’s
Intellectuals Forum calls on the National Assembly not only to abandon
the initiative to send a military unit to Iraq but also to find ” all
the authors, participants of this criminal initiative, deprive them of
their power levers and bring them to justice.” “It is to be regretted
and condemned that this provocative step was adopted with a clear
realization of its disastrous consequences for all the Armenians,”
the Forum’s December 20 address to the Armenian people reads. The
document authors qualify it as a next in turn “criminal attempt”
to retain power somehow and ensure one’s security. According to the
Council of Elders of the Intellectulas Forum, all the countries that
joined the statement to be included in the international coalition
forces in Iraq, except Armenia, had previously evacuated their citizens
and compatriots. The Council of Elders urges the political forces,
intellectuals and representatives of the public of Armenia, Artsakh
and the Diaspora to condemn “this plot and declare about the rejection
of every person who participated and supported it.” The authors of the
statement are convinced that by acting like that it will be possible
to prevent “the fatal sword hung over our compatriots.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY’S EU ENTRY IS LITTERED WITH OBSTACLES
By LINDA S. HEARD
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
December 21, 2004
Special to Gulf News
Even as the Turkish people are rightly
celebrating their country’s first step on the road to EU accession,
their leaders know that there is many a slip not least the desire of
certain EU members to keep the union as a wealthy and elitist
Christian club.
Although negotiations with Turkey are due to begin in earnest during
October 2005, France and Austria are already touting the holding of
national referendums in the full knowledge that their respective
publics are largely against the Turkish bid.
Given that one member country can veto the entire process, Turkey’s
entrance could be thwarted almost from the get-go.
One of the future sticking points could be France’s insistence that
when talks begin proper, Turkey should acknowledge the mass killings
of Armenians from 1915 as a “tragedy”.
Armenians contend that some 1.5 million of their people were killed
or forcibly exiled during Ottoman rule under a policy of deliberate
genocide, while Turks maintain they fell victim to civil unrest.
Discriminatory
Whatever the truth, this requirement appears to be discriminatory on
France’s part some are referring to it as a red herring since Britain
wasn’t required to apologise for its flattening of the German city of
Dresden prior to its entry, France was not forced to apologise to
Algeria for its vicious occupation of that land, and Germany did not
have to come up with mea culpas to all and sundry over Nazi
brutalities.
Turkey’s reluctance to recognise the Republic of Cyprus could prove
to be a further stumbling block. Even as headlines in the Turkish
dailies Hurriyet and Yeni Safak were boasting, “We did it” and
lauding Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his coup at putting
Turkey on the first step of the EU rung, while side-stepping this
sticky issue, the Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos was
threatening to throw a spoke in the wheel.
“The Republic of Cyprus has the right not to consent to the start of
entry talks,” he said during a television address. In reality, Turkey
will eventually be forced into a de facto recognition of the Republic
of Cyprus as part of the customs union but says its negotiations with
the whole does not constitute its explicit recognition of a single
participant.
Even if Turkey successfully jumps the hurdles of public referendums
over its membership, its apology to Armenians and manages to mollify
Papadopoulos, the EU Commission has warned there are no guarantees of
Turkish entry. Indeed, it has announced it would recommend talks be
broken off “in the case of a serious and persistent breach of the
principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms -“.
The Commission has also recommended in a total departure from EU
regulations applying to current members that the free movement of
Turkish workers throughout the Union be curbed.
Turkey has made it clear that this is unacceptable, saying it will
refuse second-class status. There is no doubt that ageing and
shrinking European populations need a fresh injection of youthful
migratory workers, not least to cough up their pensions. The problem
many EU states have with Turkish workers is related to religious
demographics at a time when the French, for example, feel threatened
by their burgeoning Muslim population and the small percentage of
extremists within.
At the same time, Holland is coping with a wave of anti-Islamic
sentiment subsequent to the slaying of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a
youth who objected to his portrayal of Muslim women, while Austria is
beset by the rise of right-wing xenophobic political parties.
Germany already has its fair share of Turkish migrants, and complains
they are reluctant to assimilate while conveniently forgetting that
until 1974, its guest workers were forbidden from bringing in their
wives and children.
Until recently its half-million Turkish-born citizens along with 2.5
million Turkish workers within its borders were barely tolerated.
Indeed, former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt recently told a
newspaper that bringing millions of Turkish Gastarbeiter to Germany
was a mistake, adding, multiculturalism can only work under
authoritarian regimes.
Given the hostility experienced by Turks in Germany, there is little
wonder they have clung together and to their own culture.
The US president’s promises to back Turkey’s bid and to use his
leverage with his European pals has rubbed certain EU states up the
wrong way, including France.
Last June, Chirac lambasted George Bush for suggesting Turkey should
be given an accession date, saying his interference was comparable
with France telling the United States how to manage its own relations
with Mexico.
Permanent rift
Ian Bremmer, writing in the International Herald Tribune wonders why
Bush is so eager to see his Turkish ally ensconced in the bosom of
the EU. “Turkey’s inclusion in the EU causes real trouble for the
United States,” he writes, “because it makes a permanent rift between
Europe and the United States along the lines seen recently over Iraq
(when Turkey’s position was already closer to Paris and Berlin than
to Washington) much more likely”.
Bremmer further points out that “the addition of Turkey’s armed
forces makes a common EU defence more feasible which makes Nato less
necessary” and suggests Turkey’s current amicable relations with both
the US and Israel would likely cool.
There is no doubt that it is in Europe’s interests to draw Turkey,
which is geographically partly within the European continent, into
the fold.
If Turkey were to be rejected out of hand, it could be forced into an
even closer relationship with the United States or, alternatively, it
could throw in its diplomatic lot with Russia or, even, with its
neighbours Iran and Syria.
EU members should put aside their differences, quash their irrational
fears vis-a-vis the Turkish bid and extend its collective hand before
Turkey, tired of Europe’s endless procrastination and being
humiliatingly singled out, may choose to erect an iron fist.

AFTER ACCESSION TO EU TURKEY WILL COLLAPSE, WELFARE PARTY LEADER SUPPOSES
PanArmenian News
Dec 21 2004
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The basins of the Tigris and the Euphrates in the
future should be passed under the international control in compliance
with a secret report “the Turkish Government conceals from the
people,” stated leader of Welfare Turkish party Recai Kutan, Eni
Shafag Turkish newspaper reported. If Turkey becomes an EU member,
it will be dismembered, the influential Turkish politician considers.
“The Government has concealed from the people the report arranged
by the EU, which notes that in the future sweet water will become
more expensive than the oil.” Exactly for that reason the Tigris and
the Euphrates should be passed under international control as most
powerful sources of sweet water in the Near East.