“NATION, STATE, IDENTITY IN 21ST CENTURY” THEME TO BE DISCUSSED IN ARMENIA-DIASPORA FORUM ON SEPTEMBER 19
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The
Armenia-Diaspora forum continued its works on September 19. As Vartan
Oskanian, the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs stated, the discussions
at the conference will be dedicated to the “Nation, State, Identity
in the 21st Century” theme. The Fatherland-Diaspora mutual relations
from the practical viewpoint as well as the problem of emigration
and repatriation will also be touched upon. Vartan Oskanian also
stated that the discussions will be dedicated to “Diaspora in 2020”
theme on early September 20. Particularly, the discussions will be
on the issue of what kind we expect to see Diaspora in 2020.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN: ONLY STABLE STATE CAN ENSURE ISSUE OF NATION’S INDENTITY
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. New theoretical
approaches on preservation of nations’ identity and their application
for peoples having a diaspora, in particular, for Armenia, were raised
at the forum on the subject “Nation, State and Identity in the 21st
Century” held on the second working day of Armenia-Diaspora third
conference, on September 19.
RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian greeting the conference
guests said that it is the third time issues of vital importance
relating to Armenia and Diaspora are discussed. In the words of the
NA Speaker, the difficulties existing at the initial meetings have
been already mitigated.
In his words, the subject of identity is pivotal in Armenia-Diaspora
relations not from the viewpoint “who we are, where we come from
and where we go,” but in the aspect that it has not been completely
clarified yet “in what place we are today, as only in this circumstance
we can clarify, what is our place in the world and in the region,
what are our arguments in politics and in other spheres.”
The NA Speaker is also convinced that only a stable state is able
to solve the issue of ensuring the nation’s identity, at that, in
practice this is impossible without modernization, as for a long time
our stereotypes often impeded and failed preservation of our identity.
“If the state is the guarantor of identity preconditions, in our
case, when the state of Armenia is at the stage of transformation or
establishment, the issue becomes more complicated. On the one hand,
the state is obliged to make its geopolitical choice and, on the
other hand, to confront the internal dangers, to support Diaspora,”
Tigran Torosian emphasized.
In his words, after the collapse of the Soviet system Diaspora
supported the homeland with its knowledge and experience. “Diaspora’s
experience and knowledge support the country’s establishment more
than the financial means,” T.Torosian is convinced.
By the way, Tigran Torosian considered as a serious omission the fact
that representatives of Artsakh were not involved in the discussion.

GALUST SAHAKIAN IS CONVINCED THAT NK PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED IN 2012
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The
Nagorno Karabakh problem should not become a subject for political
speculation. Galust Sahakian, Head of NA Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) faction, said at the September 19 political dispute. In his
words, “2006 is not the year when any final or conditional solution
can be given to the Nagorno Karabakh problem.” In G.Sahakian’s words,
we should expect solution of this issue in 2012.
G.Sahakian said that in the whole world Artsakh is considered as
“more democratic territory” than Armenia, especially than Azerbaijan.
This fact, as Sahakian estimated, is evidence of progress. However,
in the speaker’s words, “the world has political processes of its
own, into which the ideology of this issue’s solution is pierced,
and we have become a toy in the hands of super-powers.” In any case,
as Galust Sahakian affirmed, we should see the key of NKR problem in
the context of establishment of a strong state.
Answering a journalist’s question, whether there is intervention
of authorities in the fermentations among the leaders of the
Constitutional Law Union, G.Sahakian said that each party solves its
problems itself. “If the authorities were able to destroy a party,
this means that no party exists,” he declared.

9 CHESS PLAYERS OF ARMENIA WIN AT PENULTIMATE STAGE OF EUROPEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2006
HERZEG NOVI, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The 8th stage meetings of the
European Youth Chess Championship being held in Herzeg Novi took place
on September 18. 9 from 17 representatives of Armenia had victories,
3 had losses and 5 chess players ended their meetings with drawn games.
After 8 stages, Zaven Andreasian (18 years old) has good possibility
to take the 3rd prize-winning place. He got 6 points from 8 possible
ones and is the 4th among 74 participants. Samvel Ter Sahakian (14
years old) and Susanna Gaboyan (10) who occupy the 6th place in their
age group have 6 points each from 8 possible ones.
The last, 9th stage meetings finish on late September 19.

A NUMBER OF STATE FIGURES AWARDED ORDERS AND MEDALS ON OCCASION OF 15th ANNIVERSARY OF RA INDEPENDENCE
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 19 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. By RA President Robert Kocharian’s
September 18 decrees, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of
proclamation of RA independence, for his great contribution to
establishment of statehood and development of economy, RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian was awarded St Mesrop Mashtots order.
By the President’s another decree of the same day, for his great
contribution to establishment of statehood, army building and
strengthening of homeland defence, RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian
was awarded Tigran Mets order.
According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan from RA President’s
Press Office, RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian, RA NA Vice-Speaker Vahan
Hovhannisian, member of RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations
Gurgen Arsenian and member of RA NA Standing Committee on Finance and
Credit, Budgetary and Economic Issues Karen Karapetian were awarded
1st degree medal For Services Rendered to the Homeland.

DONETSK: RUSSIAN SHOOTS ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN
5tv.com, Ukraine
19.09.2006 17:04
Prosecutors in Donetsk have initiated criminal proceedings in the
Monday shooting of businessman Samvel Adamian in the eastern city. Both
Adamian and his would-be assassin are currently in hospital.
The shooting occurred after 3 PM outside of the offices of
Donbasnaftoprodukt – a firm widely believed to be owned by Adamian. He
was shot in the chest as he exited his car. Guards form the building
ran out upon hearing the shots and returned fire, injuring the
attacker. Police recovered two pistols, two passports and two mobile
phones at the seen of the crime. The possibility that a second
attacker took part in the shooting is being invesitgated. Donetsk
prosecutor Oleksandr Ol’mezov said that the injured assasin is a
citizen of the Russian Federation. Adamian is a leading member of
the Armenian Diaspora in Donetsk, who has himself reportedly been
convicted of crimes in the past. Adamian has also reportedly survived
an assassination attempt in the past.

SECOND ARMENIA-DIASPORA ECONOMIC FORUM STARTING IN YEREVAN
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 19 2006
The second Armenia-Diaspora Economic Forum will start in Yerevan
today. The official opening of the event, featuring Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan and Trade and Economic Development Minister Karen
Chshmarityan, will take place in Karen Demirchyan complex.
PanaArmenian EXPO universal exhibition will be held in the framework
of the forum.
A roundtable discussion on small and medium entrepreneurship situation
in Armenia will be held in the Ministry of Trade and Economic
Development. During the roundtable, Mr. Bernard Snoy, Coordinator of
OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (from Vienna) will present
the Armenian version of the Best Practice Guide for a Positive Business
and Investment Climate and SME Statistical Reference Book 2004-2005.

COURT HEARS MOTION TO DISMISS GENOCIDE DENIERS’ CASE
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 19 2006
In US District Court in Boston on Monday, Assistant Attorney General
William Porter argued for the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a
Turkish group and others seeking to reinsert genocide denial materials
into the Massachusetts school human rights curriculum guide. In
support of the Attorney General’s position, the Armenian Assembly
filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief, and argued for
the rights of the defendants to recommend teaching the facts of the
Armenian Genocide.
The lawsuit, filed last year by the Assembly of Turkish American
Associations (ATAA), asserts that the Massachusetts Department of
Education’s decision to remove denialist materials in the school
curriculum guide amounts to “censoring” and therefore would be
a violation of the First Amendment. In court, Assistant Attorney
General Porter, who represented the Commonwealth, argued that the First
Amendment cannot be applied to statements by the government and said
that the Statute of Limitation requires that the case be dismissed.
Furthermore, the state pointed out that the plaintiffs have no
standing to sue since there was no harm suffered because students and
teachers may still independently access genocide denial information
from sources not recommended by the state’s curriculum guide.
“If the plaintiffs succeed with this lawsuit, there will be no stopping
point for the demands anyone can make for the inclusion in curriculum
recommendations, no matter how flawed or outrageous,” said Attorney
Arnie Rosenfeld of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP,
who argued the Armenian Assembly’s Amicus together with Board of
Trustees Counselor Van Krikorian.
Rosenfeld and Krikorian warned that if the court accepts the
plaintiffs’ First Amendment claims, it would open the door for any
extremist group, such as Holocaust deniers, to challenge curriculum
matters in court.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE OFFICE ORGANIZES TRAINING COURSE FOR ARMENIAN ADVOCATES AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 19 2006
Some 60 advocates and public defenders took part in a training course
on advocacy skills and human rights that ended in Yerevan today.
Organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Armenian Chamber of
Advocates and the Council of Europe, the two-day event focused on the
concept and the application of articles 5 (the right to liberty and
security) and 6 (the right to a fair trial) of the European Convention
of Human Rights.
“Effective protection of human rights in court depends on the
professional preparedness of the defense lawyers,” said Silvia Pogolsa,
Human Rights Officer at the OSCE Office.
“This is particularly important due to the recently held qualification
examination, designed to enlarge the number of licensed advocates in
Armenia. We hope this training course will equip advocates and public
defenders with the necessary knowledge to be able to effectively
apply provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in their
daily work.”

FM VARDAN OSKANIAN MET WITH OSCE COORDINATOR OF ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGY ISSUES BERNARD SNOY
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 19 2006
September 19 RA Foreign Minisyter Vardan Oskanian received Coordinator
of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities Bernard Snoy.
The interlocutors discussed the accomplishment of joint economic and
ecologic programs of RA Government and the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
The guest confirmed the readiness of the structure under his
supervision to promote the accomplishment of various economic and
ecologic initiatives in Armenia.
The parties turned to issues connected with the OSCE Mission to arrive
in the region for investigating the fires.