Yuri Merzlyakov: OSCE MG Proposal Acceptable for Armenia on Whole
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 14:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Azeri side responded to the OSCE MG Co-chairs’
proposals in written form, OSCE MG Russian Co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov
said. In his words, Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov handed the reply at
the London meeting September 13. “However, Mr. Mammadyarov warned
that this not a final reply, the document can be presented to the
other side after the co-chairs rework at it, and it is agreed upon
with the Azerbaijani side,” the Russian diplomat said.
According to him, the Armenian side made an oral statement that the
text is acceptable but for some resolution amendments.
Yuri Merzlyakov remarked that the meeting of the Armenian and Azeri
FMs will not take place within the framework of the 61st session
of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. They will hold separate
meetings with the mediators. The Russian diplomat said that September
12 in Paris the Armenian Minister warned he will refuse to meet with
Mammadyarov in case the issue of ‘frozen conflicts’ is included in
the session agenda. “On the day of meeting with Mammadyarov it was
announced that GUAM’s proposal was not passed in the General Assembly
and we agreed on the ministerial meeting in New York. But then the
proposal was passed with one odd vote and Oskanian said he will not
meet with Mammadyarov but will hold consultations with the Co-chairs,”
Merzlyakov said, reported APA.

Ahmadinejad proclaims respect for pope but Iran has strange anti-Catholic coalition
by Dariush Mirzai
AsiaNews.it, Italy
21 September, 2006
IRAN – VATICAN
Foreigners, Armenians and minorities have taken to the streets, but
the “students” have not. Tomorrow, however, the Islamic Propagation
Office has called a rally in Teheran to “show anger and hatred”.
Teheran (AsiaNews) – Despite Ahmadinejad’s proclamations of “respect”
for Benedict XVI, the anti-pope controversy is not yet over in the
Islamic republic of Iran. However, there is no popular uprising and
the regime so far has not used the fervent ranks of “bassij”, the
“students”, as it did in the controversy about the Muhammad cartoons
in February. But tomorrow, Friday, a day of prayer, the
Islamic Propagation Office has invited Iranian Muslims to a
demonstration in Teheran, to “show the anger and hatred” of the
faithful against the “anti-Islamic” statements of the pope.
The tenors of the regime, the Supreme Guide Khamenei and the powerful
and very rich Hashemi Rafsanjani, stoked controversy against the pope,
accusing him of collusion with Zionist and US circles (Khamenei)
or of “irrationality” (Rafsanjani).
Yesterday’s demonstrations were quite strange: authorised if
not organised by the authorities, they gathered “strangers” and
“minorities”. A group of Armenians and other demonstrators gathered
outside Hosseinieh Ershad mosque to protest against the pope’s
“anti-Islamic” attitude. In Iran, the Armenians constitute quite
an important minority that enjoys historic status of “privileged”
inferiority. What’s more, they are Orthodox, but there is also an
Armenian Catholic community – a Salesian priest of Armenian rite
was recently ordained in Teheran. This demonstration is one of those
typical signs of “peace” and obedience that allow Iranian minorities
to survive.
Another particular demonstration was that held by foreign Islamic
“seminarians” of Qom, including a group of Americans who shouted,
apart from the classic “Down with America” and “Down with Israel”,
a bizarre “Down with the pope”. Gathered outside Qom’s World Center
for Islamic Sciences, they approved a manifesto addressed to “Mr Pope”
and accused Christianity of having caused the last two world wars
and thus of being without reason and without any right to criticize
the use of violence in the name of religion.
Photos of the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Nasrallah, have been
taken down from the streets of Teheran and right now, the faces of
“martyrs” (shahid) from the Iraq war are exposed.
On Friday at 7am, a traditional military parade will take place
near the Mausoleum of Khomeini. In this atmosphere, the next attack
of propaganda should not target religious minorities but rather
“arrogant” states opposed to Iran’s nuclear policy. This was announced
by Ahmadinejad’s address in New York yesterday.

Monument to General Gurgen Dalibaltyan to Be Erected in Javakhk
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2006 15:09 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A monument to Soviet Army General, Armenian
President’s Advisor Gurgen Dalibaltyan will be inaugurated in the
Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti region of Georgia. Native of
Akhalkalaki region, Gurgen Dalibaltyan will mark his 80th birthday
in 2006. According to the source, the monument was designed by Levon
Lazarian. The monument will be 8 meters high and face Western Armenia,
reported Georgia Online.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Government baulks at ArmenTel price hike plan
TeleGeography, D.C.
Armenia
Thursday, 21 September 2006
Senior government officials in Armenia have opposed plans put forward
by the country’s national operator ArmenTel to significantly raise
the cost of fixed line services in the country. The monopoly operator
submitted its proposal to the regulator in August, despite the fact
that its Greek parent the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation
(OTE) was pressing ahead with plans to sell its 90% stake in the telco
to another foreign investor. OTE has short-listed four foreign firms
for the stake, but has yet to announce the winner. Prime Minister
Andranik Markarian has now voiced his opposition to the hike, arguing
that it would significantly push up the cost of dial-up internet
access to the detriment of the development of IT in Armenia.

CIS officials to discuss information security in Tashkent
UzReport.com, Uzbekistan
21.09.2006 14:54:18
The fourth session of Commission on Regional Commonwealth in
communication sphere will be held in Tashkent on 28-29 September. The
commission will focus on information security during its Tashkent
meeting.
The session will consider draft programme on ensuring information
security and proposals on its implementation, draft plan on development
of regulative documents in information security, current state and
problems in information security in CIS countries.
The commission will discuss issue son introduction of e-signature in
state bodies within the CIS area.
The commission on information security carries out work on development
of recommendations on interaction of participants of Coordination
council in information security on analysis of international
experience, modern technical means and information technologies,
development of proposals on legal basis.
The commission also assists to exchange experience in
creation of system and means of information security in
information-telecommunication systems and networks. The commission
considers issues on state of protection of interstate ICT systems,
networks, resources, technologies, means and develop recommendations
on improvement of their work.
It is expected that representatives of informatization administration
of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldavia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine will attend the meeting.

Turkish Press, MI
Press review
Published: 9/21/2006
EURLINGS: “STATEMENTS ON GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS SHOULD
BE STRICKEN FROM THE EP REPORT”
Dutch MEP Camiel Eurlings, the European Parliament Committee on
Foreign Affairs rapporteur who recently prepared a report on Turkey,
yesterday said, “Recognizing the [so-called] Armenian genocide
can’t be a precondition. These statements should be stricken from
the text.” Speaking about next week’s vote on the report, Eurlings
said that he didn’t like the current state of the report and he was
working to change it. “If the report is issued as is, it will be
a problem for Turkey’s accession,” said Eurlings. In related news,
Eurlings’ report, which contains exaggerations, is now encountering
opposition from EP groups. Recognizing the so-called Armenian
genocide as a precondition for membership is at the focal point of
the debates. Socialists and Greens are planning to vote against the
report if it’s not changed. /Milliyet/

Tacy, Israel
INDIA PLANS TO CAPTURE 10% OF THE US$6-7 BILLION CIS
JEWELRY MARKET
21 September 2006
India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) recently
led an 8-member delegation representing leading manufacturers from
different sectors such as diamond, colored gemstones, silver and
jewelry to CIS Nations including Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
The key objective of the visit was to strengthen bilateral trade
between the gem and jewelry industry in India and those countries. The
delegation explored the potential of the gem and jewelry market in
the CIS nations, analyzed the possibility of sourcing raw materials,
supplying cut and polished diamonds as well as gold jewelry, and also
discussed cross participation in jewelry exhibitions.
“The gem and jewelry delegation visit to CIS nations was a very first
sector specific delegation and the initiative was very successful. The
total market size across the CIS countries along with Russia is
estimated at US$6 to US$7 billion with Ukraine providing the maximum
growth potential. GJEPC plans to capture 10 percent of this market in
the next 2-3 years through various aggressive initiatives,” explains
Sanjay Kothari, Convener-PMBD, GJEPC.
As for future courses of action, the GJEPC will promote the import
of polished Russian diamonds through the CIS countries, and intends
to focus on the supply of loose diamonds and colored gemstones in
the CIS nations having a good market.
In order to enjoy more duty benefits while importing jewelry to Russia,
GJEPC plans to encourage exporters to export semi-finished jewelry
to the CIS countries and set up small manufacturing units in CIS
countries where the semi-finished jewelry can then be converted to
finished jewelry. Indian jewelry manufacturers also plan to undertake
an exchange program of jewelry designers in order to understand the
trends prevalent in the CIS nations.
Investment in the mining sector for colored gemstones and silver is
being contemplated as a means to alleviate India’s sourcing problems.

Russia, Kyrgyzstan set to conduct antiterrorism exercise
RIA Novosti
Russia
13:38 | 21/ 09/ 2006
BISHKEK, September 21 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Kyrgyzstan will hold
a joint antiterrorism exercise in the Central Asian republic in early
October, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said Thursday.
Kyrgyz police said in August that radical Islamic groups banned in
many countries across the globe, including Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of
Liberation), have stepped up their activities in the country.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan are both members of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), a post-Soviet security grouping, which
also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security body in Central
Asia that includes China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
The ministry said the exercise will begin October 2 and end October
5 with the firing of live ammunition at the Osh training grounds,
in the south of the country.
The main aim of the exercise is to plan and practice the coordination
of combat units in a joint antiterrorism operation, and to improve the
combat skills of military personnel during operations in mountainous
areas, it said.
The defense ministers of the two countries, foreign military attaches
and media are scheduled to attend the final phase of the exercise.
Russia maintains the Kant airbase, located about 20 miles west of the
Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The base was established in October 2003 to
enable Russian combat aircraft to provide close air support for the
ground units of CSTO member states.
So far, Russia has provided military equipment worth 15 million rubles
($554,006) to the Central Asian nation as part of their military
cooperation agreements.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Monsters and Critics.com, UK
The Almanac: Today is Thursday, Sept. 21
On This Date in History:
In 1792, the Legislative Assembly of revolutionary
France voted to abolish the monarchy and establish the
First Republic, stripping King Louis XVI of most of
his power.
In 1893, the first successful U.S.-made,
gasoline-operated motorcar appeared on the streets of
Springfield, Mass. It was designed and built by
Charles and Frank Duryea.
In 1921, following the sex scandal caused by the
arrest of comedian Fatty Arbuckle, Universal announced
it would require its actors to sign a ‘morality
clause’ in their contracts.
In 1938, an estimated 600 people were killed by a
hurricane that battered the coast of New England.
In 1985, Western intelligence estimates said the
Iran-Iraq war in five years had cost nearly 1 million
lives.
In 1991, Armenia became the 12th Soviet republic to
declare independence.
In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin suspended the
parliament and announced parliamentary elections would
be in December.
In 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton signed into law
the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states to
disregard same sex marriages that might be official in
other places.
And in 1996, John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the late
U.S. president and described by tabloids as the
world`s most eligible bachelor, wed Carolyn Bessette.
In 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton`s videotaped
grand jury testimony, during which he admitted to an
inappropriate relationship with former White House
intern Monica Lewinsky, was shown on television. It
ran more than four hours.
Also in 1998, Hurricane Georges began its deadly
rampage through the Caribbean, killing more than 600
people.
In 1999, at least 2,300 people were killed when an
earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck
Taiwan.
In 2001, a telecast by top movie stars and musicians
raised more than $500 million for survivors of the
victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
In 2002, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
reportedly told the Bush administration Israel would
strike back if attacked by Iraq.
In 2003, the spacecraft Galileo approached the fringes
of Jupiter`s atmosphere and then was directed to
destroy itself in a high-speed plunge.
In 2004, two U.S. hostages were reported executed by
suspected Iraqi insurgents within a day of each other.
Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong, contractors working
for a United Arab Emirates firm, were kidnapped from
their Baghdad home.
In 2005, Texas coastal residents were ordered to
evacuate, creating a mass exodus from the Houston and
Galveston area as Hurricane Rita became the third-most
intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin. Top
sustained winds were near 165 mph over the Gulf of
Mexico.

As Elif Safak trial begins, Erdogan warns police
Hurriyet, Turkey
September 21, 2006
As internationally-known Turkish author Elif Safak goes to court today
to face charges brought against her that she “insulted Turkishness”
in one of her most recent novels, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has reportedly given orders to the Istanbul police headquarters that
street demonstrations in support of convicting Safak by nationalist
citizens are not to be tolerated.
The case against Safak was brought about by well-known nationalist
lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, who heads up a conservative group of lawyers
based in Istanbul.
Kerincsiz, who gained notoriety for his attempts to stop the Armenian
conferences held earlier this year in Istanbul, has based his case
against Safak on the 301st article of the Turkish Penal Code, which
calls for prison terms for people convicted by the court of insulting
“Turkishness, the Turkish Republic, or the Turkish Parliament.”
In preparation for the Safak hearing, lawyer Kerincsiz has reportedly
sent an announcement entitled “National Duty” to supporters and members
of his legal group, telling them to come and demonstrate in front of
the Beyoglu courthouse where the trial is to take place.
In the group’s web site, a passage reading “Elif Safak is the
newly crowned princess of the neo-liberals, the ethnic minorities,
the separationists, the EU and US supporters, and the so-called
intellectuals” has been up all week.
Prime Minister Erdogan told Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah
yesterday “I do not want to see the Kerincsiz supporters on the
street.” Previous trials of famous authors such as Orhan Pamuk and
Perihan Magden have put Turkey in an uncomfortable international
spotlight, just as the Elif Safak trial, before it has even begun,
has managed to do. Whether or not the Turkish Parliament in Ankara
is going to move to alter the 301st article of the penal code is a
question many are now asking throughout Turkey and abroad.