ANDRANIK ALEXANYAN: INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS IN VERY POOR STATE IN ARMENIA
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
Below is an exclusive interview given to the ARKA News Agency by
Director General of the Arminco Global Telecommunications Andranik
Alexanyan.
ARKA: What is the state of Internet communication in Armenia? Do You
see prospects of its development in conditions of ArmenTel’s monopoly
over the market?
A. Alexanyan: Internet communications are in a very poor state
in Armenia. Prices are very high, of the highest in the world,
whereas the quality is low. This is the result of ArmenTel’s not
giving proper attention to the creation of an Internet communication
infrastructure. ArmenTel is abusing its monopoly and is not giving
proper attention to the development of Internet in Armenia, which has
a great future both as business and as an infrastructure. But ArmenTel
is not interested in this direction, because cellular communication
is more important for them. ArmenTel’s monopoly slowed down Internet
development in the country. We could have gone further and have a
greater potential. ArmenTel has certain problems, which affects
Internet users in Armenia. ArmenTel’s monopoly has not given us
anything good, and the Government must demand that a company execute
its contractual commitments.
ARKA: What measures need to be taken to prevent failures in Internet
communication, which has lately been the case?
A. Alexanyan: Unstable Internet communication in Armenia may produce
a negative impact on international investments in the country. I
know that a number of international companies left Armenia because
of low-quality communication and high prices. The fiber-optic cable
could damage, which can happen to every country. A communication
company must not restrict itself to only one communication line,
because it is not the first time the entire country has been deprived
of Internet communication. In 2006 alone, communication has failed
about 200 times. A company must have alternative lines. ArmenTel can
lay an alternative cable through Iran. However, this has not been
done for lack of necessary funds, unwillingness or for some other
reasons. Armenia is the only country having Internet access by means
on only one cable.
ARKA: What alternative ways of Internet development are available
in Armenia?
A. Alexanyan: An alternative way is the installation of two-way
satellite Internet. As far as I know the Government permitted the
installation of two-way satellite Internet. At the end of the month all
Internet-providers that want can install it. Competition will reduce
Internet prices, and the problem will be resolved. The installation
of this type of communication is expensive, but it will allow Armenian
Internet-providers to know their potential and have alternatives.
ARKA: What is Your assessment of Armenia’s IT market?
A. Alexanyan: Armenia’s IT market is in a disgraceful state. The
reason is a low level of education and culture in Armenia’s IT
sector, high prices for computers and lack of high-quality Internet
communication. The development of this sphere first of all requires a
higher education level, knowledge of English and opening of computer
classrooms in schools.
Armenia’s IT market has a shortage of specialists, which raises the
value of professionals. Society has come to realize the importance
of this sphere, and the entry to the specialized departments is
rather large now. In five years we will have a necessary number of
specialists, and the problem will be resolved. The second problem is
a high price for computers, which is the result of high customs dues
on the import of computers. Customs dues should be reduced. If the
price of equipment and Internet is reduced and higher schools turn
out relevant specialists, information technologies will become part
of everyday life. Also, international investors will enter the market.
The development of the IT sphere requires the specification of policy
and elaboration of rules of the game on the market. No specific
measures are being taken. Perhaps, they will be in future. Relevant
legislation needs to be drafted. The world IT market is rapidly
developing, and we annot keep pace with it.
ARKA: How many customers does Arminco have? What is the company’s share
on Armenia’s Internet market? What is Your assessment of competition
between the country’s Internet providers?
A. Alexanyan: I would not like to cite any figures because it would not
be honest. But I can say that Arminco has more customers than other
Internet-providers, as the company is the first Internet provider in
Armenia and has made large-scale investments. The State Commission
for Protection of Economic Competition recently recognized Arminco a
dominating company among Internet providers. This is binding, and we
are seeking to do more. There is healthy competition on the market,
and the providers are learning much from one another.
ARKA: How many Internet users are there in Armenia? Tell the dynamics
over the recent years, please.
A. Alexanyan: I cannot cite the exact figure, but their number is
about 100,000. 30% of them are corporate, others individual users.
This calculation is based on the number of computers imported to the
country. The number of Internet users is rapidly increasing, because
IT is becoming an integral part of everyday life and a means of
business. However, its potential is not used to the full degree. For
example, very many gifted people in Armenia’s regions are deprived
of Internet access.

SEMINAR FOCUSED ON SELF-DETERMINATION TO LAUNCH SATURDAY IN AUA
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. A seminar focused on self-determination
is to launch Saturday in American University in Armenia.
The university’s press office told ARKA News Agency that Tom Musaelyan,
professor at the university, will present “self-determination” concept.
Anna Maralyan, a student, will speak on Montenegro’s independence
and Kosovo problems.
Emil Babayan, a lecturer at the university, is to speak about
Karabakh’s independence.

ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS UNION ANNOUNCES CONTEST FOR JOURNALISTS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. Armenian Journalists Union has announced
a contest for the best journalist work. The union sys the contest
is announced as part of the celebration of Armenia’s independence
15th anniversary.
Works have to cover Armenian people struggle for independence.
Media outlets’ and organizations’ journalists as well as freelancers
are eligible to contend. The deadline for submitting works is
September 15.
The ceremony of handing awards is to be held on September 20 September
21 is Armenia’s Independence Day.
From: Baghdasarian

EU LAWMAKERS SLAM TURKISH REFORM SLOWDOWN
By Darren Ennis
Reuters, UK
Sept 4 2006
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – European Union lawmakers approved
a highly critical report on Monday accusing Turkey of dragging its
heels on reforms, marking the start of looming crisis between the EU
and Ankara over its accession bid.
The EU assembly’s foreign affairs committee voted through a paper
which slammed Turkey for not living up to the commitments it gave when
it received the green light last October to start talks on joining
the bloc.
“The European parliament … regrets the slowing down of the reform
process,” the report said, pointing to what it called “persistent
shortcomings” in a range of areas.
The lawmakers said Turkey had shown “insufficient progress” in
the areas of freedom of expression, religious and minority rights,
women’s rights and law enforcement since EU leaders agreed to start
accession talks 11 months ago.
The report urged Ankara to recognise Cyprus and urged it to “take
concrete steps for the normalisation of bilateral relations with the
Republic as soon as possible”.
Experts fear the niggling dispute over Cyprus and mutual public
disenchantment could lead at worst to a breakdown in accession talks
with the strategic, Muslim candidate country. But the report stopped
short of mentioning that scenario.
“We are not saying that we are not still committed to the talks or
that we do not want Turkey to join the EU,” said Dutch conservative
Camiel Eurlings, who scripted the report.
“But we are sending a clear signal to Turkey that it must move quickly
with its reforms,” he told the committee.
However the report’s demand that, as a precondition of membership,
Ankara acknowledge that Ottoman Turkey committed genocide against
Armenians in World War One — a suggestion it strongly rejects —
will raise tensions further.
Any country wishing to join the 25-member bloc requires the approval
of both the European parliament and the agreement of all member states.
ELECTION PRESSURE
The report will go before a full parliament sitting at the end of
the month and is likely to be raised when chief Turkish EU negotiator
Ali Babacan visits Brussels from Wednesday.
Babacan will try to reassure EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
and other EU officials that Turkey is committed to pressing ahead with
economic and political reform despite national elections due next year.
The European parliament has never sought to veto any past accession,
but it has been effective in pressuring EU hopefuls to speed up
reforms in previous enlargement rounds.
However the conservative EPP-ED, the assembly’s largest political
group, still favours “privileged partnership” with Turkey rather than
full membership.
The report censures insufficient progress on freedom of expression
and raises concerns over the lot of religious minorities, corruption,
and violence against women.
It also criticised the unusually high threshold for parliamentary
representation, under which a party must score 10 percent nationwide,
making it hard for Kurdish groups to win seats in areas where they
have a majority.
The Commission is due to issue its regular progress report on October
24. Rehn has urged Ankara to show tangible improvements in human
rights legislation by then, not least to offset a likely negative
finding on its behaviour towards Cyprus.
The Commission’s report will assess whether Ankara has met an
obligation to open ports to ships from Cyprus, which Turkey does not
recognise, under a protocol signed last year extending its EU customs
union to the bloc’s 10 new member states.
If it has not complied, an EU summit in December is likely to put at
least part of the accession talks on hold.
(Additional reporting by Hatice Aydogdu in Ankara, Osman Senkul and
Paul de Bendern in Istanbul and Paul Taylor in Brussels)

AUTHOR FACES JAIL FOR SAYING HERO DRESSED AS WOMAN
>From Suna Erdem in Istanbul
The Times, UK
Sept 4 2006
THE author of this summer’s Turkish bestseller is to stand trial for
allegedly insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the country’s revered
founding father, in her popular revisionist biography of Latife,
his wife.
The case is the latest in a series of high-profile lawsuits initiated
against writers and intellectuals that has brought attention to the
shortcomings of the supposedly reformed Turkish legal system with
regard to freedom of expression in the European Union candidate
country.
Ipek Calislar, the respected journalist and writer, has been charged
by an Istanbul prosecutor over an anecdote in Latife Hanim in which
Ataturk dons a woman’s chador to leave his besieged house with a
party of women and children, bringing back reinforcements to foil an
assassination attempt. Latife remains inside and communicates with
the attackers to give them the impression that Ataturk is still there.
The previously unrecorded version of the attack by “Lame Osman”,
which took place in April 1923, was told to Mrs Calislar by one of
Latife’s surviving relatives, who heard it from her sister, Vecihe,
an eyewitness.
However, it aroused the ire of a reader of Hurriyet newspaper, which
ran extracts of the book. The reader, Huseyin Tugrul Pekin, applied
to the prosecutor’s office in the Istanbul district of Bagcilar,
on the grounds that “To claim and write that Mustafa Kemal Pasha,
whose courage no man, nor any of us, could dare to doubt, did such
a thing is the greatest insult to him, his nation and particularly
to myself”. Mrs Calislar now faces 4½ years in jail for infringing
the special laws in place to protect Ataturk. The trial begins on
October 5. An editor of Hurriyet will also be tried.
Mrs Calislar said that her book was not intended to belittle
Ataturk, lamenting that “the most striking report in the book for our
male-dominated society turned out to be of Ataturk disguising himself
in a chador in order to evade an assassination attempt”. She told The
Times: “If a leader is under siege, his ability to break this siege
with an ingenious method does not diminish him .”
Mrs Calislar’s account of Ataturk’s wife overturns the long-held
belief that Latife was a shrewish woman whose tantrums ended their
marriage. Instead, we get the portrait of a Western-educated woman
who spoke several European and Oriental languages, played the piano
to concert standard and was a driving force behind many of Ataturk’s
reforms for the emancipation of women, including giving them the vote
well before some EU countries. The book has had nine print runs in
two months.
Mrs Calislar joins Elif Safak, who will go on trial next month over her
popular novel The Bastard of Istanbul, in which a fictional Armenian
character refers to “Turkish butchers” who killed large numbers of
Armenians in Turkey during the First World War. Similar charges of
“insulting Turkishness” also put Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s most famous
author, in the dock this year. Perihan Magden, a journalist, stood
trial for her support of conscientious objection.
Mrs Calislar said that Turkey did not deserve such trials as hers.
Most are thrown out of court but the violent environment created
outside the courthouse makes writers’ lives very difficult, she
added. At Mr Pamuk’s trial, supporters were heckled not just by
protesters but also by violent nationalist lawyers in the courtroom
itself.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Government points to the
high acquittal rate from these trials. Ms Magden and Mr Pamuk were
both acquitted, but a High Court decision this month to convict a
Turkish-Armenian journalist on similar charges proved that the show
trials are not just empty threats.
–Boundary_(ID_18439TCiRGA0vb11Pa0N6Q)–

EU REBUKES TURKEY ON REFORM PACE
By Dan Bilefsky International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune, France
Sept 4 2006
BRUSSELS European Union lawmakers on Monday sharply criticized Turkey
for its slow pace of reform and warned that failure to make progress
in a dispute over Cyprus risked bringing entry negotiations to a halt.
The toughly worded report by the European Parliament’s powerful
foreign affairs committee also cited insufficient progress on freedom
of expression and raised concerns about the country’s treatment of
religious minorities, the Kurdish population and women.
The European Parliament must approve whether a candidate country
can join the EU and its views are seen as an important barometer of
a country’s membership prospects. Negotiations are expected to last
up to 15 years.
“The European Parliament regrets the slowing down of the reform
process,” said the report, written by Camiel Eurlings, a Dutch
conservative. He chided Turkey for “persistent shortcomings”
and singled out Cyprus as a key stumbling block. The Parliament’s
impatience reflects a growing wariness in the EU of the risks of
further enlargement and of Turkey’s candidacy in particular.
The possibility of Turkey’s eventual admission was a significant
factor in the rejection of the EU’s constitution in France and the
Netherlands, where voters remain anxious about admitting a large,
agrarian Muslim country.
Olli Rehn, the EU’s expansion commissioner, recently warned that
Turkey was heading toward a “train crash” with the EU.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive, will publish its
assessment of Turkey’s membership progress on Oct. 24 amid growing
concern that the momentum for reform has dramatically slowed since
entry talks began last year. Turkey has, for example, been slow
in enacting a promised law guaranteeing the property rights of the
Christian minority, while a controversial article of the penal code
used to prosecute writers and intellectuals remains on the books.
The deepest immediate division between Turkey and the Union is
Turkey’s failure to open its ports and airports to traffic from part
of Cyprus. Eager to avoid inflaming Turkish public opinion ahead of
presidential elections in May and parliamentary elections in autumn
2007, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has insisted that Turkey
will not recognize the Greek half of the divided island until the EU
lifts trade barriers against Turkish Cyprus, which is recognized by
Turkey alone.
Speaking after a two-day EU foreign ministers meeting on Saturday,
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, whose country holds the
EU’s rotating presidency, warned that if Turkey failed to sign a
protocol extending the EU customs union to Cyprus, “it will create
a serious situation.”
Echoing his concerns, the Parliament’s report Monday called on Turkey
to recognize Cyprus by the end of 2006 or face possible suspension of
its entry talks. “A lack of progress in this regard will have serious
implications for the negotiation process and could even bring it to
a halt,” the report said.
Mehmet Dulger, chairman of the Turkish Parliament’s foreign affairs
committee and a prominent member of the governing AK party, said in
an interview that Turkey was determined to speed up reforms.
But he added that Turks were increasingly frustrated with the demands
placed on them by the EU and that the constant criticism by Brussels
was creating a backlash. “All of these requirements placed on Turkey
create the impression that the EU will never be satisfied, no matter
what Turkey does,” he said.
He added that the EU had exacerbated the Cyprus problem by admitting
the Greek part of the divided island before the conflict had been
resolved.
Referring to Turkey’s progress on human rights, the report praised
recent acquittals of scholars and novelists like Orhan Pamuk, who had
been prosecuted for “insulting Turkishness.” But it cited concerns
over cases such as that of an Armenian-Turkish editor, Hrant Dink,
who was recently given a suspended six-month jail term for saying
that Turkey, under the Ottoman Empire, had committed genocide against
Armenians during World War I.

ABRAHAM IS A GERMAN. IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION WITH NEW NATIONALITY AS OF NOW
EastsideBoxing.com
Sept 4 2006
04.09.06 – Markus Beyer has lost a title – but without having
competed in a fight… the super middleweight champion can no longer
call himself the “only German boxing champion.” From this time on a
second German is in possession of a world championship belt – Arthur
Abraham. For a long time the Armenian-born with the worldwide hardest
punch of all middleweight boxers had to wait for his naturalization
document and the passport with the golden eagle.. Today both documents
have been handed over to him at the resident´s registration office in
Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf – the 26th year old Sauerland-boxer
had to relinquish his Armenian nationality instead.
Arthur Abraham: “I was born in Armenia, my roots are there – but I
grew up in Germany”, says the IBF champion being under contract to
the Sauerland team since 2003. “Here I made something of myself.
Therefore I owe everything to Germany. I like living here. Germany
is my home and that´s final.”
Markus Beyer smilingly accepts the title loss. “I´m pleased for
Arthur”, the super middleweight champion says. In October he has to
provide for the greatest challenge of his career by competing against
Mikkel Kessler in Kopenhagen. “Now there are two German boxing world
champions. And we hope that´s final.”
A statement of the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB) has
been necessary for the complicated procedure of granting the German
nationality. This has been granted but it has run into difficulties.
Athletes resident in team sports have top priority to the DOSB
concerning naturalization. Therefore “single combatants” like Arthur
Abraham have a harder time of it. Finally Berlin´s domestic senator
Ehrhard Korting gave helpful support. He himself fought for the
champion successfully.
The champion is going to defend his title on 23rd September in
Wetzlar. The defence against the Colombian Edison Miranda having been
planed for last Saturday in Oldenburg had to be postponed because of
Abraham´s illness. After the walk in a string quartet will play the
German national anthem in honor of Abraham. “Einigkeit und Recht und
Freiheit (unity and justice and freedom)” – and Arthur may enjoy this
moment with a complete new feeling.
–Boundary_(ID_B/jCH35tCrmWZa8bDazqtQ)–

A COUNCIL WILL BE CREATED ON LEVEL OF AZERI AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTS
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
During the official visit of Ukrainian President Victor Yushenka to
Azerbaijan, it is expected to create a Council on the level of heads
of the two countries, Azerbaijani ambassador to Ukraine Talat Aliyev
told in his interview with AzTV,Trendreports.
According to him, the Council will be headed by the presidents
themselves and will come together once a year. Both presidents have
decided to meet once a year to discuss the development of the relations
between the two countries in the spheres of policy, economy, culture,
humanitarian and other spheres, he added.
Besides, Aliyev mentioned the joint declaration that will be signed
during the visit on the level of presidents. This document will
reflect general approaches of the two countries towards international
problems, as well as Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
joint fight with separatism and terrorism, and joint activities in
resolving energy problems, the ambassador underlined.

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY ASSIGNED AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA TO MAKE NOTE TO RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
Author: À.Ismayilova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
Azeri Foreign Ministry assigned Azeri Ambassador in Moscow is to
write a note of protest to the Russian government as a result of the
interview with Arkady Gukasyan, head of breakaway “Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic” Government, broadcasted by Russian State TV channel “Russia”,
Trend reports quoting Tahir Tagizadeh, Chief of Press & Information
with the Foreign Ministry.
On 2 September TV channel “Russia” broadcasted a report on the
celebration of “Independence Day” of self-proclaimed “Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic”.
–Boundary _(ID_uhltoi85UhVJdQs9l33KgA)–

ALIYEV ATTENDS ISLAMIC CONFERENCE YOUTH FORUM FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev left for one-day visit to Turkey to
attend the opening of permanent headquarters of the Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation, APA’s Turkey bureau reports.
At the Ataturk International Airport, Azerbaijani head of state was
met by Istanbul governor Muammar Guler, Istanbul local authority head
Gadir Topbash and several other officials.
President Aliyev had talks with Turkish Premier Rajab Tayyib Erdogan
in his resident in Chiragan palace.
Following the meeting, the head of state attended the solemn
inauguration of the permanent headquarters of the Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation at the Istanbul World Trade
Center. The opening ceremony also brought together OIC Secretary
General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, OIC members, some European government
representatives as well as UN, Council of Europe, ISESKO and other
international organizations.
The Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation
and the Istanbul World Trade Center concluded an agreement on the
permanent headquarters.
The ceremony continued in the Dolmabakhcha palace then. The Youth
Forum president Ali Sarikaya, secretary general ElshadIsgenderov,
Istanbul local authority head Gadir Topbash, OIC Secretary General
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkish Parliament president Bulent Arinch,
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Turkish Prime Minister
Rajab Tayyib Erdogan addressed the ceremony. Mr.Erdogan thanked to
President Aliyev for his support for the establishment of the Forum.
Mr.Aliyev also addressed the ceremony.
Reminding his participation in the official inauguration of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline in Istanbul and then
in Ceyhan a month ago, Azerbaijani President said he is pleased with
attending the inauguration of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for
Dialogue and Cooperation.
“Youths constitute great part of the populations of the most of the
Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation members.
Youth are the most active layer of the society and are great force.
The interactions among our young people will give strong impetus
to our cooperation and also give a great gift to strengthening of
Islamic solidarity,” the President underlined.
He underlined that like most countries, Islamic countries suffer
terrorist attacks.
“Azerbaijan suffered over 30 terrorist acts committed by Armenian
terrorist organizations early in the 90s of the last century which
claimed lives of at least 2,000 innocent people. Azerbaijan has been
suffering Armenian aggression for many years. Our historical monuments,
mosques, schools, historical sites remaining in the Armenian-occupied
territories have been destroyed.20 percetn of our territories are
under occupied, and we have over one million refuges and internally
displaced persons as a result of this aggression and ethnic cleansing
policy. We have always been the suffering side,” Mr.Aliyev underlined.
He also stressed Azerbaijan is one of the active OIC members adding the
latest session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Baku,
“Baku will host the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers soon. We
are making efforts to ensure close interaction among our countries.”
The persons contributing to the Youth Forum have been awarded.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was also awarded. The President
returned to Baku this morning.