TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN UNVEIL MISLEADING INFORMATION
Panorama.am
15:08 30/10/06
Gagik Yeganyan, head of migration and refugees department of Armenia,
said Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah
Giul have again told a lie. The minister reportedly announced a year
ago that there are 40,000 Armenians in Turkey.
Concurrently, Turkey said she will deport 70,000 Armenians, illegally
working in Turkey, in case France adopts a law punishing denial of
the Armenian genocide.
Yeganyan made a little survey to correct the number of Armenians
working in Turkey. In his words, if Giul’s words were correct that
40,000 could not be added by another 30,000 in one year.
Yeganyan beleives there are not more than 10,000 citizens in Armenia
working in Turkey which is far from Erdogan’s stated 70,000.
Similarly, Azerbaijan earlier reported they have 600,000 refugees
and this number gradually reached 1 million.

OPEN LETTER TO THE ARMENIAN PUBLIC
Panorama.am
15:13 30/10/06
The forcible March closure of the Heritage Party’s headquarters, the
subsequent surreptitious and illegal break-in at the already-sealed
office, the criminal theft of information from its main computer,
and the campaign of political pressure and persecution unleashed
against members, supporters, and local chapters of a duly-registered
political organization compelled Raffi Hovannisian and the leadership
of Heritage to seek justice amid the tribunes of the legal system.
In spite of incontrovertible evidence attesting to the commission
of criminal acts, the multiple levels of the judicial branch have
repeatedly rendered capricious rejections of the legal claim to
reopen the offices. This series of unfounded judgments supports the
conviction that we have come up against different links in a single
chain of criminal conduct that is guided by the highest echelon of
executive authority.
As for the scandalous reproduction of the “Watergate” precedent-the
unlawful break-in to party headquarters and the presidential theft
of information therefrom-the Armenian police department and then
Yerevan’s prosecutor have refused our legitimate demand to file
criminal charges, evidently in an ill-disguised attempt to cover up
the crimes in question. Accordingly, as a measure of final recourse,
we have petitioned-and expect a just determination from-the Republic’s
prosecutor general to institute criminal proceedings and commence a
full investigation by November 10, the deadline set by law.
All this is taking place against the backdrop of the administration’s
recently repeated “oaths” to guarantee the absolute fairness of the
parliamentary elections scheduled for Spring 2007. Without further
interpreting Heritage’s recent “experiences,” we submit that the
party enters the pre-election season-which de facto has already been
launched and is overflowing upon the country’s television screens-(a)
locked out of its central offices, (b) with its database broken into
and compromised, (c) being systematically and unlawfully deprived
by relevant state bodies of the right to rent meeting space and
thus to exercise the freedoms of speech and association, and (d)
on a presidentially-conceived “black list” wholly forbidding access
for Heritage, its founder and officials to the electronic media,
which all are under strict supervision and vertical control.
We appeal to the Armenian public with these key queries for the
national agenda: ~U Can this constant course of illegalities and
blatant violations of civil rights assume, under any circumstance,
the mantle of fundamental legitimacy for the upcoming elections?
~U Is it possible that the failure to launch court proceedings-or
their dismissal once instituted-against individuals, both officials
and others, who have committed or commissioned crimes will serve to
rein in the perpetrators of thousands of instances of electoral fraud?
~U Does Armenia’s leadership have, in the first place, the moral right
and legal standing to speak in the name of democracy and justice? ~U In
the sum total of the foregoing, isn’t the prospect of the parliamentary
elections already prejudiced, and its fairness breached in advance?

AMERICAN EXPERTS TRAIN ARMENIAN JUDICIARY
Panorama.am
15:37 30/10/06
American judicial system representatives organized trainings for
prosecutors, advocates and judges of Armenia. U.S. Justice Department
experts will present their experience of European Court of Human
Rights and the case law to their Armenian counterparts.
Particularly, they will discuss articles 4 and 6 of Human Rights
European Convention. Armenia has ratified the European Convention on
Human Rights in 2002.
Reports say the European Court receives more and more applications
from Armenia. The number reached 340 in 2005 as against 89 applications
in 2003.
Article 6 of European Convention on Human Rights provide for fair
trial. Mher Khachatryan, chairman of Criminal Cases Chamber of the
Appeal Court believes that fair trial must also deal with punishment
apart from court procedures.

ABOUT 1000 FOREIGNERS FOUND TEMPORARY REFUGE IN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
16:41 30/10/06
‘I get at least 3-4 applications from Iraqi Armenian every day. We have
granted status of temporary protected individual to some 600 people,”
Gagik Yeaning, head of migration and refugee department, told reporters
today. In his words, another 350 citizens received this status who
came to Armenia as a result of Israel-Lebanon conflict. Sixty of them
are citizens of Israel and 250 – Lebanon. About 20 Lebanese are Arabs
by nationality, however, they believe Armenia is the safest country
for them.
Yeganyan does not have information how many of them have returned to
their countries because they are not obliged to report according to
law. However, he believes some of them have already left Armenia.
Yeganyan said the Armenian community in Lebanon has diminished to
120-130,000 from 500,000 because of constant tension in the region.
He also said Armenia provides no benefits to people who have received
the status of temporary protected individual.

YEGANYAN: XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIA NOT A SPECIAL POLICY
Panorama.am
17:07 30/10/06
“Russia faces serious demographic problem,” Gagik Yeganyan, migration
and refugees department head, told a seminar on dual citizenship and
migration challenges in the light of integration.
Citing forecasts, he said, Russia will have 25 million less labor
force in Russia in the year 2020. He said Armenians have created
1 million employment places in that country. Yeganyan believes,
xenophobia in Russia is not a result of special policy but stems from
everyday life.

YOUNG PARTY MEMBERS LASH OUT AT EACH OTHER
Panorama.am
19:15 30/10/06
Young political figures gathered today to talk about rejuvenescence of
parties. Karen Avagyan, member of Armenian Republican Party (HHK), said
that their party undergoes rejuvenescence gradually. Samvel Faramyan,
member of Orinats Yerkir party, pointed out that rejuvenescence must
be accompanied with qualitative changes.
The two partymen started attacking each other pinpointing to each
other’s faults. Narek Malyan, member of New Times party, claimed
that mass media do not speak about his party because there is such
order.

OSCE STARTS COMMUNITY POLICING PROJECT IN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
20:02 30/10/06
As part of its Police Assistance Programme for Armenia, the OSCE
today kicked off a community policing project in Yerevan, which aims
at improving the co-operation between the country’s police forces
and the public.
“Strengthening the understanding for democratic policing is an
important aspect of Armenia’s development and goes hand in hand with
promoting the respect for human rights”, said Ambassador Vladimir
Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, at the opening of a
seminar that introduced the community policing concept to Armenian
police officers.
The OSCE’s Senior Police Adviser, Kevin Carty, said: “Partnership
between the police and citizens is a fundamental basis of democratic
policing, which is why the OSCE pays particular attention to this
element”.
Colonel-General Haik Harutunyan, Head of the Armenian Police, welcomed
the participants and the OSCE’s close co-operation with the police and
noted that this co-operation is not only strengthening and increasing
day by day, but also gives tangible, effective and useful results,
the evidence of which is elaboration and introduction of community
policing.
The project is one of four components of the OSCE’s Police Assistance
Programme for Armenia, which also includes refurbishing and improving
the standards of the country’s Centre for Induction Training, where
non-commissioned officers of the Armenian police receive their
initial training.
A key goal of the initiative is to increase public confidence in the
police and to improve the exchange of information between the police
and the community.
The project will involve the community in the prevention and solving
of crimes, increasing the knowledge among Armenian police officers of
European policing ethics and human rights standards, and providing
practical on-the-job advice for officers working in the Arabkir
police district.
For the coming year, two international police experts – Charles Riordan
from the United Kingdom and Rita Korotenko from Ukraine – will conduct
training seminars and workshops in Arabkir district. They will also
give advice on a daily basis to the police officers working there.
The project is implemented by the OSCE Office in Yerevan together
with the Armenian Police.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART
Armenpress
Oct 30 2006
MOSCOW, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Robert Kocharian,
who is in the Russian Federation on a working visit, had today
a face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin. Greeting the visit of the Armenian president to Russia,
Vladimir Putin said he is pleased that frequent high-level visits
are taking place between the sides which promote development of
Russian-Armenian relations.
During the meeting Putin referred to the expansion of the
Armenian-Russian economic cooperation pointing out that only during
the eight months of the running year the trade turnover between the
two countries reached 278 million USD which is 60 percent more as
compared with the same span of the last year.
Nevertheless, he considered it shameful that Russia is only on the
third place in Armenia’s economy in respect of investments. “It is
strange and shameful that being Armenia’s strategic partner Russia
is not on the first place in respect of its investments in Armenia,”
Putin said, at the same time pointing out that there exists tendency
of increasing Russian investments in Armenia.
Robert Kocharian, on his part, noted that all the serious agreements
reached with “Gazprom” have entered the round of implementation. “So,
we may say that in the coming year the investments will notably
increase,” Kocharian said. As a brilliant example of effective
bilateral cooperation the Armenian president pointed out to the
operation of modernized “Armenal” foil mill factory which has several
times increased the volume of its production.
During the meeting the Russian president also referred to the Year
of Armenia in Russia saying that it is being held in Russia quite
successively and is a natural continuation of the Year of Russia held
in Armenia. The two presidents also discussed a wide-range of issues
on bilateral relations and exchanged views over the international
and regional developments.
Tomorrow, on October 31, Armenian president will meet with the Russian
Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. He
will also participate in the opening of the monument to world-famous
Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian.

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: THERE IS NO TERRITORIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
“There is not any territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and
Georgia. There are some uncoordinated areas on the front lines of
both countries and these areas are being coordinated in the level of
experts,” Georgi Manjgaladze, Deputy Foreign Minister, the chief of
Delimitation and Demarcation Commission told the APA Georgia bureau
exclusively.
He said that nearly 300 km of 460 km (65%) border line between
Azerbaijan-Georgia was coordinated by the experts. Manjgaladze said
that it is still early to reason about the document to be signed on
the delimitation and demarcation of the border line.
“Azerbaijan and Georgia work on the problem intensively. Delimitation
and demarcation commissions had two joint meetings this year,
and the experts meet continuously and try to coordinate disputable
territories,” he said.
Georgi Manjjgaladze also said that delimitation and demarcation
problems of the territories will be discussed during Georgian Foreign
Minister Gela Bezhuashvili’s short-termed visit to Baku.
“The delimitation of the territories will be one of the problems to
be discussed by the minister during his visit. Generally, Georgia
only has agreement with Turkey on delimitation and demarcation of
territories.300 km of 900 km border line between Russia and Georgia
was coordinated by the intergovernmental commissions, 450 km in the
level of experts. We could coordinate only 100 km of 220km border
line between Armenia and Georgia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MAY MEET AFTER FMS’ BRUSSELS TALKS
Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2006
New proposals of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs connected with Nagorno
Karabakh conflict will be discussed in Brussels meeting of Foreign
Ministers.
According to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov,
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents’ meeting will also depend on
the result of these negotiations. The sides will look through the
proposals of co-chairs. “We discuss the ideas at present. You know
that we must consider not only Azerbaijan’s position, but also the
other side’s position. If the sides come to any agreement in the
next negotiations then co-chairs will start to visit the region. Only
after that the presidents can meet.”
As to the changing of format of OSCE, Mammadyarov says that of Minsk
Group’ mandate was defined according to the decision of OSCE adopted
on April 12, 1992. And the conflict sides were also considered there.
According to Elmar Mammadyarov, if there is any need to change, it
must be started from OSCE. But it needs a lot of time. Generally,
Mammadyarov think that co-chairs’ activity became more active lately.
“The co-chairs did a very good thing. A resolution connected with
Armenia and Azerbaijan was adopted for the first time in UN General
Assembly. Meanwhile, the issue on frozen conflicts within the frames
of GUAM will be discussed during the visit of Gela Bezhuashvili to
Azerbaijan.”
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