ARMENIA NEEDS LAWS TO REGULATE ACTIVITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 2 2006
YEREVAN, November 1. /ARKA/. Armenia needs laws that will regulate
the activity of local government bodies, Vahan Movsisyan, president
of the Union of Community Financiers (UCF) reported at the round
table on the topic “Role of Local Government Bodies in Encouraging
Economic Development”.
He said that the activity of local authorities in Armenia is not
systematized and regulated.
Movsisyan pointed out that private entrepreneurship can successfully
develop in those communities where stability of the system of
infrastructures is ensured. “The principal element of our support is
expected to bring the existing infrastructures to the level that will
be attractive for business,” he said.
Besides this, it is necessary to create certain ways to influence
representatives of the business environment. “This influence can
be exerted by provision of certain tax breaks for local government
bodies. In this case, the profit from business should be regarded as
the income of the given community,” he said.
In this relation, the UCF president pointed out that there is lack
of mid- and long-term development programs in communities. On their
basis, the government’s and donors’ support could be obtained.
“It is important to begin a simultaneous work on elaboration of the
relevant laws and search of funds.

“DARK SIDES” OF A320 CRASH: WHO WILL BE LEFT “HOLDING THE BAG”
Regnum, Russia
Nov 2 2006
“The crash of Armavia’s Airbus A320 near Sochi on May 3, 2006 was
caused by the failure of the plane’s navigation system,” a reliable
source from the air circles of France has told REGNUM.
It says that “on the night of the crash, there was almost zero
visibility in the area, and the pilot was guided exclusively by the
commands of the controller and the parameters of the sensors.”
“During the landing, many passengers – due to their national
peculiarity – began calling their relatives on their mobile phones
in order to tell them that they were already arriving. The calls,
first, disturbed and, then – during the second approach – upset the
navigation system. The experts note that it was exactly after the
second turn that something strange began to happen to the plane and
the crew and the crash followed right afterwards.”
The source says that “the investigation is being dragged on because
the sides are searching for the ‘scapegoat,’ and the Armavia company
will certainly be the one – even though it is not guilty.”
“There are four concerned parties to this tragic story – Russia,
Airbus, Armavia and the re-insurer. The insurance contract says that
the beneficiary party is Airbus, but it also has a proviso that the
party responsible for a crash should recompense the re-insurer’s
indemnity expenses. In this particular case, Airbus may be the guilty
side and may be doing its best to conceal the information about
the failure of the A320,” says the source. It notes that “the point
is not that Airbus has no money to pay the indemnity. Simply, the
problems of such big companies are usually a matter of international –
presidential-level – politics.” The source notes that “exactly at that
time Airbus was preparing to sell 150 planes to China (the relevant
agreement was reached during the Chinese leader’s visit to France)
and the company was very much worried lest there might be a top-level
scandal.”
“In fact, Airbus has ensured its immunity, while Russia will never take
the blame for something it did not do. Meanwhile, the re-insurer wants
his money back. The only way-out for the sides is to leave somebody
‘holding the bag’ and Armavia will be the one. That’s exactly why the
Armenian side was minimally involved in the investigation. Armenia was
not provided with all decoded data under the pretext that it might
give publicity to secret information,” says the source. “There was
one more fact left. It was Armavia’s second plane – an absolute copy
of the crashed one, the plane that could be used for so-called bed
tests and where one had ‘suddenly’ found the technical documentation
of the crashed A320,” says the source. To remind, the second A320
burned down in a servicing hangar of the Belgian airport, with no
tests ever conducted.
Asked if it was possible to test another air liner of the same
configuration, the source said that one should consider the fact that
the company got the plane from “third-rate” countries. There is one
more interesting circumstance: the black boxes were found only after
the fire in the hangar in Belgium.
The source notes that there are many “dark sides” in this story.
“But the darkest side is the insurance of Armavia’s plane. As you
may know, at first, part of Armavia belonged to Sibir Airlines. Their
insurer was a Russian company who insured Armavia’s aviation risks for
twice as much as on the market and used quite a strange reinsurance
scheme. The risks were, first, given to the Malakut reinsurance broker
(Russia), who gave them further to the United Brokers company. Only
then the risks were reinsured on the British market,” says the
source. “The point is not even why they used two brokers, but that
50% of the money disappeared somewhere between Malakut and United
Brokers,” says the source. “In fact, their objective was to pump
out as much money from Armenia as possible. But the strangest thing
is that Armavia’s owner and re-insurer (Grand company) have changed
but the scheme and the tariffs are the same. We can only guess who
is receiving all this money,” wonders the source.
In fact, this version explains why Armavia’s owner has decided to
get rid of the company’s shares.

ARBITERS OF MORALITY
Vinay Lal
Times of India, India
Nov 2 2006
The French have long believed in themselves as one of the supreme
arbiters of the moral history of humanity, as exercising a unique
civilising mission on less fortunate parts of the world, and the
ardour with which they cling to an exalted vision of themselves as
moral legislators has clearly not diminished over the years.
On October 12, the French assembly approved legislation that would make
it a crime in France to deny that the mass killings of Armenians which
took place between 1915-17 in Ottoman Turkey constitute ‘genocide’.
The senate vote is still awaited, but following in the wake of
legislation from 2001 under which the mass killings of Armenians
are recognised as genocide, the present legislation seems headed
for approval.
France has nearly 5,00,000 Armenians, more than any other country in
western Europe, and it would be idle to pretend that politicians do
not court minorities.
However, Turks too number over 3,00,000 in France, and one can be
certain that the recent legislation will aggravate their mood of
discontent.
Whatever the appeals to the Armenian-French constituency, this
legislation must clearly be located within the vortex of a more
complex geopolitics.
Among the considerations that weigh most heavily, one must number the
strained relations between Turkey and the European Union, suspected
alienation of Muslim minorities from the dominant European cultures
amidst which they find themselves, growing tensions within the Muslim
ummah, and the wave of Islamophobia which has swept Europe.
The Bill will doubtless convey to Turks the message that they have
not yet attained that state of enlightenment which might warrant
their admission into the EU.
Among the critics of the French legislation is the Turkish writer
Orhan Pamuk, who admitted in an interview that Turkey should be held
responsible for the genocide.
He was put on trial for insulting the nation and denigrating
“Turkishness”, but immense pressure, largely from the EU, contributed
to his acquittal by the court.
It is altogether likely that the Bill may have been partly motivated
by the desire to strengthen the hand of Turkish secularists and
‘moderate Muslims’, such as Pamuk, who are viewed as being locked in
battle with Muslim extremists and nationalist hardliners.
Pamuk nonetheless has criticised the French legislation as an attempt
to stifle freedom of speech and as a betrayal of the ideals championed
by France.
In Pamuk’s critique, framed very much by the parameters of western
liberal thought, when two or more interpretations vie for attention
the more sound position always prevails.
In 1972, France passed a law which makes it a crime to deny the
Holocaust. Though the Holocaust is far from being the only genocide
in a violence-filled century, it occupies in the West a singular
status as furnishing the paradigmatic instance of genocide and crimes
against humanity.
The obsession with the Holocaust has, so to speak, obscured the
recognition of other equally horrific atrocities. Socialist legislator
Christophe Masse, in his defence of the Bill, described it as helping
to “ease the unhealthy rivalry that exists among victims of genocides
and that is fuelled by their inequality before the law”.
Ironically, this, the only defence of the legislation of any merit
that one might invoke, is also the one that will be categorically
rejected in Europe and the Anglo-American world, and even adduced as
an expression of support for anti-Semitism.
Whatever else might be permitted in the West, any interpretation of the
Holocaust which merely questions its canonical status as the ultimate
form of victimhood opens itself to vicious attack and ridicule.
That a genocide of Armenians took place under Ottoman Turks is beyond
question. Succeeding Turkish governments have not only fudged the
numbers, but claim, astoundingly, that Armenians died mainly on
account of war, disease, and hunger.
In Turkey, the admission of an Armenian genocide can lead to criminal
prosecution. However, not only is there overwhelming evidence to
establish that the death of Armenians was the consequence of a
deliberate policy, but the Turkish government at the conclusion of
WWI itself court-martialled the Young Turks by whose orders a genocide
was perpetrated.
As Peter Balakian has so amply demonstrated, the government-appointed
commission of inquiry gathered insurmountable evidence of the massacres
and it became part of the official record.
If the Turkish government of that day set an example to the world in
creating the model for war crimes trials, the present government has
unfortunately chosen to make a foolish spectacle of itself by its
denial of the genocide. But what of France?
The history of French colonial rule in Algeria, Indo-China, Haiti,
the Ivory Coast, Congo Brazzaville, and elsewhere is littered with
corpses of colonised people.
The assassinations of Algerians settled in France remain unpunished
more than four decades after Algeria’s declaration of independence, and
it is no more shocking that the French National Assembly in February
2005 passed a law requiring schoolchildren to be taught “the positive
role of the French presence overseas, notably in North Africa”.
As the unrest of recent years suggests, France’s treatment of its
own North African minorities leaves much to be desired.
If France wished to be daring, it might consider enacting legislation
that would make it an offence to deny French colonial atrocities.
That is exceedingly unlikely. Colonising nations can be stripped of
their colonial possessions, but they find it exceedingly difficult
to shed their past and their habits of evasion of responsibility.
The passage of the recent legislation on the Armenian question, far
from signifying any enlightened view, is the most decisive indicator
of France’s inability to own up to its wretched colonial past.
The writer teaches history at UCLA.
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SHARJAH-BASED AIR ARABIA LAUNCHES DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ARMENIAN CAPITAL
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Nov 2 2006
Dubai: Sharjah-based budget carrier Air Arabia is to fly direct from
Sharjah to Yerevan, Armenia, which is one of the latest additions to
the Middle East carrier’s destinations portfolio.
Yerevan is the fifth new destination announced by Air Arabia in the
last few weeks and promises to attract many travellers as it is only
three hours away from Sharjah airport and therefore a very convenient
attraction for nature-inspired weekend breaks.
Yerevan is the capital of Armenia and has 1.2 million inhabitants,
which is 40 per cent of Armenia’s total population and makes it the
most animated city in the country.
As a tourist destination, Yerevan will provide UAE travellers the
possibility to walk in a green city, visit numerous monuments from
the former Soviet Union era, shop in traditional boutiques and markets
and discover the beauty of the snow-capped Mount Ararat.
“Yerevan is a unique destination for us as it is still uncharted
territory for many residents and travellers. We are very proud to
bring our passengers the opportunity to discover historical cities
and learn more about destinations that are out of the ordinary,”
said Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia.

CHIEFS OF GENERAL STAFFS OF ARMED FORCES OF CSTO COUNTRIES TO HOLD CONSULTATIONS IN MOSCOW
ArmRadio.am
02.11.2006 10:27
Working consultations of Chief of General Staffs of Armed Forces
of CSTO member states will be held in Moscow today. The Armenian
delegation is headed by Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces
of the Republic of Armenia, RA First Deputy Defense Minister,
Colonel-General Mickael Harutynyan. The agenda of the consultations
includes CSTO coalition army building by 2010, the format of the
mechanism of cooperation of the CSTO joint Staff and General Staffs
of member countries, military-technical cooperation, joint training
of specialists.

UN SECRETARY GENERAL MET WITH PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS
ArmRadio.am
02.11.2006 11:43
Yesterday in Moscow the newly appointed UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon met with the President of the World Armenian Congress Ara
Abrahamyan, who is also UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. The interlocutors
exchanged views on the maintenance of the cultural legacy of peoples,
increase of the role of UN and its structures in the development of
education and science, ITAR-TASS reports.

RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN: EVEN THROUGH FORTIFYING THE ARMY, AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT COME OUT VICTOR
ArmRadio.am
02.11.2006 12:41
Even through fortifying the army, Azerbaijan will not come out victor
from the Karabakh conflict, since official Baku is not inclined to
make concessions, said political analyst Richard Giragosian, who
has been invited to Armenia to participate in the international on
“New Threats and Global Challenges in the 21st Century” organized by
the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
In his words, in ten years Azerbaijan’s strategy on reinforcement
of its own army will make the world face the fact that the balance
of military forces in the region will change. “In the future it
will become clear for everyone that the break of balance comes from
Azerbaijan, not Armenia, and this factor is a good reason for Armenia
to undertake corresponding steps today,” the expert noted.
Richard Giragosian mentioned also that one of the failures of Baku
in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict is the attempt
to transfer the discussion of the issue from the OSCE to the UN. The
analyst welcomed the resumption of negotiations in the OSCE Minsk Group
framework, noting that through freezing the process, the Azeri side is
trying to focus on everything that exceeds the negotiation framework.

CANADIAN ARMENIAN PRELACY RELIGEOUS COUNCIL MET IN TORONTO
ArmRadio.am
02.11.2006 13:32
Under the Auspices of His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian,
Prelate, the Religious Council of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada and
church pastors held a meeting at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic on
the afternoon of October 31, 2006, Armenian Prelacy of Canada informs.
During the extensive meeting, the major points of discussion were
the upcoming youth gathering with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of
the Armenian Catholicosate, in Dearborn, Michigan from December 1-3,
2006, this year’s Armenian Religious Education Council Youth Seminar,
next year’s Church Choir Seminar and the Canadian Armenian National
Assembly Representatives (CANAR) meeting in Cambridge.
The meeting was succeeded with a special Divine Liturgy service at
St. Mary’ s Church served by Archpriest Hrair Nicolian, under the
Auspices of His Eminence Hagopian. His Eminence, Archbishop Souren
Kataroyan, concluded the evening with a sermon.
Church pastors across the country attended the meeting, as well
as Divine Liturgy, including His Eminence, Prelate Hagopian, His
Eminence, Archbishop Kataroyan, Very Rev. Fr. Meghrig Parikian, Very
Rev. Fr. Housig Mardirossian, Archpriest Armen Ishkhanian, Archpriest
Hrair Nicolian, Rev. Fr. Gomidas Panossian and Rev. Fr. Karnig
Koyounian.

ARMENIANS OF HOLLAND INTEND TO INVOLVE THEME OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TEXT BOOKS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Nov 02 2006
ISTANBUL. NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Turkish
Hurriyet newspaper wrote that Armenians of Holland intend to involve
the theme of the Armenian Genocide in text-books. As Marmara informs,
Rita Verdonk, the Minister on National Minorities Issuess of Holland,
who is famous for her firm policy towards foreigners, proposes with
the Armenian organizations of Holland that the theme of the Armenian
Genocide is involved in text-books and punishments are defined against
those internet sites which will deny the fact of the Genocide.

RA NAS CHAIRMANSHIP AFFIRMS CANDIDATURES FOR DIRECTORS OF 4 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
Noyan Tapan
Nov 02 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Candidatures for directors of 4
scientific research organizations were affirmed at the November
1 sitting of the chairmanship of the RA National Academy of
Sciences. Aram Papoyan was affirmed on the post of the RA NAS Physical
Researches Institute Director, Arsen Hakhumian – on the post of the
Radiophysics and Electronics Institute Director, Artak Mkrtchian – on
the Director’s post of the Institute of Applied Problems of Physics,
Hayk Haroutiunian was appointed on the post of the V.Hambardzumian
Byurakan Observatory Director. To recap, 23 directors of the RA NAS
scientific research organizations were discharged on the occasion
of their becoming 65. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA NAS
Information Services, candidatures for directors of other institutes
will be discussed at the NAS chairmanship soon.