WE DON’T NEED RUSSIAN SOLDIERS, WE NEED THEIR WEAPON
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
In Armenia we don’t need the Russian soldier, we need the Russian
weapon and equipment, stated Kiro Manoyan, ARF on November 16,
who is in charge of the Hay Dat and political issues. He expressed
this view when the reporters asked him how a Russian young man can
guarantee the security of the people of Armenia, if he is brought
up in an atmosphere of xenophobia in his homeland, and who kills the
citizens of Armenia in his homeland.
“In Armenia, we do not need Russian soldiers to come to Armenia, we
need their weapon and equipment to be here,” says Kiro Manoyan. He
also thinks that the killings of citizens of Armenia in Russia are
not an anti-Armenian policy. Kiro Manoyan says the chauvinism and
xenophobia in Russia is worrying but they do not kill only Armenians.
Kiro Manoyan says, however, that it does not mean we do not need
to worry about the killings of our compatriots. The murder of one
person is worrying and should be condemned, let alone that millions
of Armenians live in Russia, says Kiro Manoyan. The representative of
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun is worried by the reaction of the Russian law
enforcement agencies towards these incidents, which fail to expose
and punish the guilty.

CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS CALL FOR SAVING POLITICAL PROCESS
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
The leader of the Christian Democratic Party of Armenia Khosrov
Harutiunyan thinks that economy cannot be separated from politics, and
if we want to have a competitive economy, we must have a “political
system able to make effective political decisions in any sphere of
the public life. I am inviting all the political parties: let us
save the political process.” The leader of the Christian Democratic
Union presented his standpoint to the news reporters on November
16. Khosrov Harutiunyan thinks that the best way to reach this is
to step up political struggle instead of struggle for power, when
the political teams of the political parties struggle, when before
the election the political teams of the political parties present
the pattern of the future parliament to the public, they say who
the minister of science or culture is going to be. In this case,
according to Khosrov Harutiunyan, the finance and the number of
the members of the party will not be the only and deciding factor,
“Everyone who has something to say and does not have money will be
able to become involved in the political struggle.”
Of course, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party does not think
that the financial factor can be ignored completely, but he is for
the existence of “political teams which make effective political
decisions” and he thinks “the purpose of the political parties
should not be coming to power but having a positive influence on the
processes underway in the public life and politics.” Thus the factor
of the personality will diminish in the political processes. And
now the political forces are thinking about coming to power and “if
you want to be a minister, you have to do two things: guess who the
prime minister will be and do him a favor.” The Christian Democratic
Party thinks that today the Republican Party, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
and maybe also Bargavach Hayastan have the potential to present a
political team. There is no such force in the opposition but it is
commendable that alliances with an ideological basis are outlining.
Khosrov Harutiunyan is for criticizing the governments, against
swearing, and he also thinks that the success of the present government
is the success of all the previous governments. “Newton says I could
see far because I was standing on the shoulders of the giants.”
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union says the media have
an important role in saving the political process. Today, however,
he says there are no serious analyses in the media, “I had expected
more from the media.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE UNITED STATES HELPS KARABAKH ONLY
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
Nagorno Karabakh should not be mixed with South Ossetia or the other
post-soviet conflicts, and we should not think that the policy of
the United States not to recognize the referendums held in these
territories will be applied to Karabakh. On November 16 Kiro Manoyan
in charge of the Hay Dat and political affairs of the ARF Bureau at
the National Press Club.
He said it does not mean that the White House cannot reject Karabakh
but it is a fact that Nagorno Karabakh is the only conflict area,
the only unrecognized country which gets annual assistance from the
United States.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DASHNAKTSUTYUN FAILED TO SOLVE CHAKHALYAN’S MYSTERY
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation was strangely silent about the
passions after the local elections in Javakheti, which culminated in
the arrest of Vahagn Chakhalyan in Armenia. It was strange because
this political party claims to be the advocate of the preservation of
the Armenian nation and the Hay Dat. Meanwhile, when Dashnaktsutyun
failed to react to the recent events, it made think that the silence
of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun is highly doubtful and even part of a plot.
On November 16 we asked Kiro Manoyan in charge of Hay Dat and political
issues of the ARF Bureau to answer why the ARF was silent.
He stated that the ARF did not react to Chakhalyan’s arrest and the
reason was that they considered this arrest as mysterious. “The person
who was awarded by the prime minister several months or one or two
years ago was arrested in Armenia, and returned to Javakheti as a
hero. The truth is not clear, therefore we did not want to express
a standpoint,” says Kiro Manoyan.
And were you willing to solve the mystery, we asked the representative
of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. He assured that they had tried but it was
very difficult to find out anything, and they learned very little. “If
the accusation was real, the accusation that they crossed the border
is to be criticized, and they could stop and get the seal. But I
don’t think that he was a refugee, if the accusation is true because
I know that many people cross the border every day and this is the
first time they demand a seal. If there are other purposes, these
are not clear,” says Kiro Manoyan. His personal opinion on all this
is that Vahagn Chakhalyan returned to Javakheti as a hero.

DEMOCRATS WILL SET HARDER STIPULATIONS
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
The Hay Dat Committee of America backed 198 congressional candidates,
and the majority are Democrats. 93 percent of these candidates
were elected to the House and the Senate. The Hay Dat Committee of
America expects that the Democrats they backed will live up to the
expectations of the Armenian lobby connected with the international
recognition of the genocide.
It is not clear, however, why this time the Democrats should justify
the expectations of the Armenian lobby, if formerly they were majority
in the Congress and the White House but the hopes of the Armenians
of America did not come true. Why are the Armenians of the United
States and namely the Hay Dat Committee hopeful that this time the
Democrats will not disappoint them? On November 16 the news reporters
asked this question to Kiro Manoyan in charge of Hay Dat and political
issues ARF Bureau, hosted at the National Press Club.
He thinks the situation today is different.
“It is different because the elections are new, and all this time
the Democrats or an important part of the Democrats made promises,
and acted besides making promises. Second, a parliamentary election
will be held in two years, and both political parties will hardly want
a politically organized community like the Armenian community to work
against them because it is clear that the community has considerable
political possibilities and strength, and despite controversies
over certain issues they agree on the issue of the genocide,” says
Kiro Manoyan.
For the change or reconsideration of the Armenian and American
relations after the victory of the Democrats, Kiro Manoyan says the
main issue is the U.S. attitude towards Iran and the Russian-American
relation.
“There is already an opinion that there is attitude, which is not final
and formal, which will undergo certain changes, Iran may become engaged
in building peace, stability and security in Iran, which will mean
that Iran and the United States agree on this question, the stance
of Iran on the United States, not suddenly, but will become milder,”
says Kiro Manoyan. According to him, this change will affect our
region because tensions between these two are against the Armenian
interest. Kiro Manoyan says it is possible to expect changes in terms
of the Russian-Armenian relations.
“Although the Russian-Armenian relations may be tenser because the
Democrats may have a harder stance on Russia,” says Kiro Manoyan.
With regard to the U.S.-Armenian relation Kiro Manoyan says that the
Congress will keep the U.S. assistance to Armenia on the same level.
But Kiro Manoyan thinks that the Democrats will be harder in terms
of the stipulations for this assistance: civil rights, democracy. The
representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun thinks that in reality this
favors Armenia, because Armenia needs this for progress rather than
for meeting the demands of the great powers.

THEY GET DOWN TO HADRUT WITHOUT GETTING THROUGH THE RECONSTRUCTION OF MARTAKERT
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
During the meeting of the NKR National Assembly yesterday Speaker Ashot
Ghulyan called the members of parliament and the members of government
to contribute to Telethon 2006. He also stated that the personnel of
the parliament and the members of parliament decided to donate 350
thousand drams to Armenia Foundation, which is 5 percent of salaries.
Member of Parliament Sergey Ohanyan representing the region of
Martakert expressed his worry that without finishing the reconstruction
of Martakert we get down to raising funds for the reconstruction
of the region of Hadrut. He informed that the reconstruction of
the ruined school of the village of Harutiunagomer, Martakert had
been included in the project but “now they say the school will not
be reconstructed.” In answer NKR Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan
said these decisions are made by the foundation.
“We have inquired, they said the pledged sums were not donated,
therefore they have to cut the projects,” said the prime minister.
The estimated costs of the project of the reconstruction of Martakert
was 17 million dollars. Last year 5 million dollars was raised. 1
million was raised in Armenia and Karabakh, 2.5 million was donated
by benefactors. Hence, hardly 1.5 million out of the pledged amount
was raised.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EVENTS DEDICATED TO WOODROW WILSON’S MEMORY HELD IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The November
16 event organized at the Armenian Union of Writers was dedicated
to the 150th anniversary of 28th U.S. President, Nobel prize-winner,
Armenia’s great friend Woodrow Wilson. In the words of Levon Ananian,
Chairman of the Armenian Union of Writers, the Armenian people has
always highly estimated W.Wilson’s activity for the sake of Armenian
people and numbers him among such friends of Armenia as Anatole Franz,
Fridtjof Nansen, Johann Lepsius, Franz Werfel and other great people.
In 1920 W.Wilson made decision On Delimitation Between Turkey
and Armenia, Armenia’s Outlet to the Sea and Demilitarization of
Turkish Territories Adjacent to Armenian Borders having a historic
significance. According to the decision, Wilson completed and
ratified Articles 88-89 of the Treaty of Sevres giving them an
international-legal final form.
In the words of Rafael Hambartsumian, Chairman of Board of the Azgayin
Miasnutian Ukht Party, the Treaty of Sevres signed on 1920 August 10
is considered a document that has preserved its international legal
significance up to present. But, according to the Party Chairman,
it is more than 80 years the Treaty of Sevres is presented wrongly in
the History of Armenian People textbooks. Six out of 480 points of the
treaty concern Armenia, but none of this points has been fulfilled,
while ten states achieved independence by this treaty. “The main reason
of Armenians’ failure was the policy carried on by the Bolshevik
Russia, as it had contacts with Turkey and would not permit Armenia
to have an integral territory,” R.Hambartsumian said. In his words,
the treaty also envisaged to create a large Armenian community in
Turkey, which, however, was not realized. In R.Hambartsumian’s words,
a number of measures and mechanisms should be worked out today for
using the treaty.
For perpetuating the name of Armenian people’s friend W.Wilson
the Azagayin Miasnutian Ukht Party members proposed naming streets,
schools after him in Yerevan and in the regions, erecting a monument to
Wilson in Yerevan, releasing stamps dedicated to his 150th anniversary,
as well as holding Wislon Days in Armenia and Diaspora.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AIR ARABIA COMPANY OPERATES FIRST SHARJAH-YEREVAN FLIGHT
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The airline Air Arabia (UAE) on
November 16 operated the first Sharjah-Yerevan flight with an Airbus
320. The company’s official Armenian representative Versand Hakobian
said that the flight will be operated twice a week – on Wednesdays
and Saturdays. Prior to that, Armenia-UAE flights were operated by
Armavia. According to him, Air Arabia operates flights only to Alma-Ata
and Astana of other CIS cities. He added that it was Armenia’s economic
growth that prompted the company to open flights to Yerevan.
Head of the RA Civil Aviation Main Department Artyom Movsesian said
that in recent years European carriers started to operate flights
in addition to traditional airlines in the Armenian aviation market,
currently – also some Arab airlines. In his opinion, this new flight
will promote the economic and political cooperation between the
two countries.
It is noteworthy that Air Arabia now operates flights to more than
30 destinations in 20 countries.

ARMENIA READY TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSMEM FROM UAE IN IMPLEMENTATION OF JOINT INVESTMENT PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by Shaikh
Abdullah ben Muhammad al-Tani, President of the airline Air Arabia –
national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, was received on November
16 by the RA Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian.
Shaikh Abdullah ben Muhammad al-Tani arrived in Yerevan with the
aim of participating in the ceremony of opening the inaugural flight
Sharjah-Yerevan-Sharjah.
During the meeting, G. Gharibjanian said that Armenia welcomes the
entry of Air Arabia, the national carrier of Sharjah Emirate into
Armenia, which will be a positive incentive for the formation of a
healthy and competitive price policy in Armenia’s aviatransportation
sphere.
According to the deputy minister, Armenia welcomes the entry of the
emirate’s capital into Armenia and is ready to encourage businessmen
from there to engage in joint investment programs in agriculture,
tourism and real estate sectors of the country. Particularly,
he mentioned the agreement on financing the repairs of Haghartsin
church complex, which was reached during the visit of Sharjah’s Emir,
Shaikh Sultan ben Muhammad al-Qasimi to Armenia in September 2005.
According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the sides
also discussed the opporunities of setting up joint ventures, companies
and production in Armenia and of exporting this production to Russia
and other CIS countries thanks to the geographical position of Armenia.

PROMISE OF 40 THOUSAND DOLLARS’ DONATION RECEIVED DURING PHONETHON HELD IN ARGENTINA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. According to
latest data, a promise of 40 thousand dollars’ donation was received
during the phonethon held the other day in Argentina on the threshold
of the annual telethon of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund. As Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed from the Fund’s Public Relations
Department, annual European phonethon started on November 16 in
France. In total, 700 volunteers take part in the phonethon. During
the European phonethon the volunteers will ring up not only French
Armenians, but also representatives of Armenian communities in Germany,
Switzerland, Holland and Belgium.
It was also mentioned that during the phonethon that started in
Armenia on November 15 the Fund employees will telephone more than
1300 Armenian small, medium-sized and big enterprises until November
17 calling them for making a contribution to the Artsakh Revival
program implemented by the Fund. It is noteworthy that the funds
raised during the Telethon 2006 will be provided for implementation
of the program’s second stage, development of NKR Hadrut region.