SENIOR REPUBLICAN MEMBER ‘DISTRIBUTES’ NEXT PARLIAMENT SEATS
Armenpress
Nov 22 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: A senior member of the governing
Republican Party predicted today that his own party and the Prosperous
Armenia of a millionaire businessman Gagik Tsarukian will win seats
in the next parliament.
Galust Sahakian, head of the Republican Party’s parliamentary faction,
also predicted that two opposition parties-the National Unity of
Artashes Geghamian and the People’s Party of Armenia of Stepan
Demirchian will win seats in the legislator.
Sahakian said, ‘irrespective of everything, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) will also be represented in the National Assembly,
as its political ‘visitor card’ is embracing.”
“As regards the Armenian National Movement (the party of ex-president
Levon Ter-Petrosian), I think it is represented in this current
parliament. Let us wait and see whether they will assume a constructive
approach or not,” Sahakian said giving no chances to the Orinats
Yerkir party of former parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian,
saying this party was in the process of changing its image.
Sahakian said all political forces spoke in favor fair and transparent
elections.. He further said that on the eve of the polls all forces
contesting parliamentary seats should announce publicly what sort
of resources they possess and in which polling stations they will be
able to secure that polls be held in just atmosphere.

EAFJD CALLS ON DEUTSCHE BANK TO RETURN ASSETS TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ HEIRS
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.11.2006 18:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Armenian Federation calls the
descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors, defenders of human rights,
European leaders, and all Euro citizens to protest Deutsche Bank’s
refusal to accept responsibility for the crimes it committed in 1915
and continues to profit from today. In a manner consistent with the
U.S.-based New York Life Insurance Company and the French AXA Life
Insurance Company, Deutsche Bank illegally appropriated funds and
property from genocide victims and, as such, played a unconscionable
role in Ottoman Turkey’s destruction of the Armenian population
between 1915 and 1923. Recent estimates by experts in the field
show that Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were, at the time of the
Genocide, owned more than 20 million dollars that were held in trust
by the German company. Deutsche Bank never returned these amounts
to the heirs of genocide victims. As EAFJD told PanARMENIAN.Net,
compounding Deutsche Bank’s intransigence was its use of Armenian
deportees as slave workers on the construction of its Berlin-Baghdad
road works. Following their slave labor, these Armenians were
exterminated during deportations into deserts of Syria.
The Federation notes that the current president of Deutsche Bank
congratulates his company for fulfilling “its social responsibilities,”
a statement that stands in sharp contrast to both its genocidal
complicity in 1915 and its refusal to accept responsibility for its
crimes today. The European Armenian Federation, noting that New York
Life and AXA have been condemned for their crimes, welcomes the fact
that similar proceedings are under way against Deutsche Bank.
Consequently, the Federation calls on all EU citizens to call
on Deutsche Bank to live up to its own standards by accepting
responsibility for its wrongdoing and fairly compensating those whose
families it has stolen from.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN CYPRUS
Armenpress
Nov 22 2006
NICOSIA, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: The President of Armenia Robert
Kocharian arrived late Wednesday for a three-day state visit to Cyprus,
the first visit of Armenian leader since it gained independence 15
years ago.
The Armenian President, accompanied by Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
and a 30-member delegation, was welcomed at Larnaca airport by Acting
Foreign Minister, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the
Environment Photis Photiou.
Kocharian will begin his official program on Thursday, with a meeting
with President Tassos Papadopoulos at the Presidential Palace. The
official talks will include an agreement on co-operation in combating
organized and other forms of crime that will be signed by Cyprus
Minister of Justice and Public Order Sophocles Sophocleous and the
Minister of Justice of Armenia Davit Harutunian.
Kocharian will later meet House President Demetris Christofias, while
Foreign Minister George Lillikas will host a lunch in honor of the
President of Armenia. After that Kocharian will meet with Archbishop
Chrysostomos II and the day will end with a state banquet to be hosted
by President Papadopoulos.
Armenian Central Bank Chairman Tigran Sarkisian is also expected to
have meeting with officials at the Central Bank of Cyprus, while
Deputy Culture Minister Gagik Gyurjian will sign a memorandum of
cooperation that renews a bilateral education and culture program
for the years 2006-2008.
On Friday, Kocharian will visit Nicosia Town Hall where he will meet
with the Mayor of Nicosia Michalakis Zampelas who will present the
Armenian president with the golden key to the city and will accompany
him to a visit to the old part of town and the cease-fire line.
Later on, Kocharian and his delegation will visit the Nareg Armenian
elementary school in Nicosia and meet with the Armenian Archbishop. In
the afternoon he will lay the foundation stone of the monument to
commemorate the survivors of the Armenian genocide at the Larnaca
Promenade. Kocharian will fly back home on Saturday morning
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONTINUING TO TEACH GENOCIDE IN ILLINOIS
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.11.2006 18:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Skokie, IL- A professional development teachers’
institute day took place to help Illinois educators expand Armenian
Genocide education offerings. The two-hour session at Niles North High
School in Skokie was in response to interest from the teachers and
a request from an Armenian teacher who works at the school, reported
the Genocide Education Network of Illinois. The ongoing ANC-Illinois
initiative to meet the newly created genocide education mandate
-HB0312, led to the establishment of the Genocide Education Network
of Illinois (GENI), which acts as a clearinghouse to disseminate
information to teachers about genocide. Co-founder of GENI, Karine
Birazian presented for over two hours to teachers on the history of
the Armenian Genocide, the current denial existing in Turkey, and
even the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. An educational resource CD was
distributed to each teacher that included various documents on the
Armenian Genocide provided by Richard Kloian from the Armenian Genocide
Resource Center, reports the Armenian National Committee of America.

20 KILOMETERS OF NEW ROAD FROM KAPAN TO MEGHRI READY FOR MOTORISTS
Armenpress
Nov 23 2006
KAPAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian transport and communication
minister Andranik Manukian and his entourage traveled yesterday the
first 20 km of a 92 km-long road that is being constructed to provide
a shorter and safer connection between the town of Meghri in Armenia’s
south and Kapan, the capital of the southern province of Syunik.
Some 2.3 billion Armenian drams were spent to built this section. Azat
Gasparian, head of the construction firm that won the tender to build
the road, said they had to narrow the bed of the border Arax river
to built 2.5 km section of the road.
Another 20 km of the road will be ready by the end of this year
and the rest of 32 km will be finished in 2007. The government has
released 26.5 billion drams for building of this alternative road
and will release $6 million more.

INCOME OF PEOPLE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH GROW 12 PERCENT
Armenpress
Nov 23 2006
STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Population’s income in
Nagorno-Karabakh grew 12.3 percent in January-September of 2006
against the same time of 2005 to 39.5 billion or $92 million, its
statistical service reported.
It said population’s expenses in the first nine months of the year
amounted to 37.4 billion drams or $87 million. More than half of
incomes-52 percent, generated from wages and salaries. People in
Nagorno-Karabakh spent in 9 months about $84 million to purchase
goods and pay for services.

FIRST KHACHKAR IN CZECH JIHLAVA
By Hakob Asatrian in Jihlava
AZG Armenian Daily
23/11/2006
Komitas Chamber Quartet Enchants Spectators
On November 17, in presence of many lookers-on the monument of Harutiun
Stepanian symbolizing Armenian-Czech friendship was unveiled in town
of Jihlava in the Czech Republic.
Ashot Hovakimian, Armenian ambassador to Austria, Hungary, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia, Jaroslav Vymazal, Jihlava mayor, Alexander
Sargsian, organizer of the event and head of the Armenian-Czech
Association, senator Jaromir Stetina as well as archbishop Mesrop
Grigorian, Armenian Patriarch’s envoy in Central Europe took part
ion the unveiling ceremony and held speeches.
Mayor Vymazal pointed out that significantly the first Armenian
khachkar in the Czech Republic is being erected in their town.
Ambassador Hovakimian congratulated all Czech-Armenians on this
beautiful event and emphasized the importance of such cultural events
in forming good-neighborly tradition between the two peoples.
Alexander Sargsian stated that the monument is a unique token of
gratefulness to the Czech people for non-discriminatory attitude.
Archbishop Mesrop together with deacon Barsegh Pilavchian, carried out
the consecration ceremony of the monument, after which the girls of
“Hayuhiner” ensemble gave a performance.
The khachkar is erected in front of the Holy Spirit Church in the
central Smetanovi Sad park.
At the end of the event Jihlava mayor invited the guests to a reception
in the Municipality.
In the evening, Komitas Chamber Quartet conducted by Eduard Tadevosian
gave a performance at Horacki Theatre. The Quartet played the works of
Chaykovsky, Handel and Komitas. On November 16, the Quartet performed
at the Russian Center of Science and Culture and was warmly greeted
by the spectators.

ARMENIANS AND SERBS FOLLOW THE SAME PRINCIPLE
A1+
[06:59 pm] 22 November, 2006
RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan met newly appointed Ambassador of Serbia
to Armenia Liliana Bachevich.
The NA Speaker congratulated Mrs. Bachevich and voiced confidence that
during her diplomatic mission she will contribute to the development of
the Armenian-Serbian relations. The NA Speaker mentioned that attempts
are made to set the interests of Armenia and Serbia at opposite sides
taking into account the conflicts over Nagorno Karabakh and Kosovo,
but there is nothing to contradict: both Armenians and Serbians
protect the principle of the integrity of the homeland.
At the request of the newly appointed Ambassador the NA Speaker briefed
her on the current phase of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. He
also highly appreciated the work of the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs.

BESIDES ROUND DANCE AND TREE PLANTING
A1+
[07:21 pm] 22 November, 2006
Today the journalists learned about another hobby of RA Public
Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan. The Prosecutor enjoys not only round
dances and tree planting, but also speaking with pupils. Today he
met a group of 8th-10th-form pupils in school N114 and answered
their questions.
The Prosecutor first represented the functions and role of his
office and then answered the questions of the pupils interested in
law. One of the pupils was interested if the judicial, legislative
and executive powers are separated and how the Constitution works,
Aghvan Hovsepyan assured that by the provisions stipulated in the
Constitution the three branches act separately which is very important
for the realization of a legal country.
A teacher asked if the traditions the people follow and the laws
imported from the European countries contradict each other or
not. Aghvan Hovsepyan noted that it is a very important question,
and law-makers must see to it that the laws adopted and the traditions
of the nations are not too far away from each other.
At the request of the pupils Aghvan Hovsepyan also represented his
biography. At the end of the meeting he presented them with his book
about criminal trials.

GOLDEN PALACE 5 STAR HOTEL
Panorama.am
14:20 22/11/06
There is one five star hotel in Armenia and that is Golden Palace in
Victory Park. The hotel was accredited by the ministry of trade and
economic development 3-4 months ago, Ara Petrosyan, deputy minister of
trade and economic development, told a press conference today. Hotel
Metropol has 4 stars and Congress Hotel has 3. Armenia Marriott Hotel
has no swimming pool and fitness complex and the ceiling is low,
Petrosyan said also saying the hotel aspires to be 5 star. He said
newly built hotels comply with ministry requirements better. In the
words of Petrosyan, the newly built hotel Oriental in the place of
Youth Palace has aspirations to become 10 star. “It is in very good
location and has a very interesting design,” he said.