LILIT MKRTCHIAN WINS IN THE FIFTH TOUR OF KRASNOTURINSK SUPPER TOURNAMENT

KRASNOTURINSK, JULY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 29, Lilit Mkrtchian,
representative of Armenia, defeated Antuaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria)
with black in the fifth tour of the Ladies Chess International Supper
Tournament held in the city of Krasnoturinsk, Russian Federation. Now,
the Armenian chess-player shares the 3rd and the 7th places with 2,5
points.

RA CONSUL GENERAL IN BRAZIL HANDS MAYOR OF RIO DE JANEIRO INVITATION
OF YEREVAN MAYOR

RIO DE JANEIRO, JULY 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Issues
relating to the development of cooperation between Armenia and Brazil,
establishment of direct ties between the two countries’ presidents and
cities were discussed at the July 26 meeting of the Rio de Janeiro
Mayor Cesar Maia and RA Consul General in Rio de Janeiro Ashot
Yeghiazarian. The secretaries on social issues, culture and tourism
and the head of the protocol of city government also took part in the
meeting.
As Noyan Tapan was informed from the Press and Information Department
of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ashot Yeghiazarian handed Cesar
Maia the letter of Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian, by which the
latter invites the Brazilian counterpart to Armenia to get acquainted
with the life of the country and its capital, to discuss issues of
mutual interest and to sign an agreement on cooperation between the
two cities.
Accepting the invitation to visit Armenia with pleasure, the mayor of
Rio de Janeiro highly estimated the suggestion of the Yerevan mayor
and assured that his government will make the necessary efforts to
establish and develope the mutually beneficial relations of the two
cities in spheres of culture, tourism, trade-ecomony and in other
spheres.

JURIST, University of Pittsburgh
July 28, 2006
Turkish court dismisses civil damages case against novelist
Joshua Pantesco at 1:02 PM ET

[JURIST] A Turkish court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit seeking
compensation from novelist Orhan Pamuk [TIME profile; JURIST news
archive], who was sued by six nationalists after he made allegedly
unfavorable remarks to a Swiss magazine about Turkey’s stance on the
mass killing of Armenians during World War II. The lawsuit demanded
6,000 Turkish Lira (US $4,500) from Pamuk to compensate each
defendant for “insulting, humiliating and making false accusations.”
In January, a Turkish court dropped criminal charges against Pamuk
[JURIST report] arising from the same statement. Pamuk was on trial
for “public denigration of the Turkish identity,” and the case was
dropped after the Justice Ministry declared that it was legally not
competent to judge whether the case should proceed under the
controversial revised penal code [JURIST report]. Criminal charges
now stand against journalists Hrant Dink and Murat Belge [JURIST
reports] for “insulting Turkishness” by referencing the alleged
Armenian genocide.

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 28, 2006
PRESENTATION OF VOLUNTARY WEB-SITE HELD IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. The presentation of a voluntary web-site
() has been held in Yerevan. During the presentation,
Chairwoman of the “Professionals for Civil Society” NGO Tsovinar
Sukiasyan stated that the goal of the web-site is facilitating the
formation and development of volunteers, informing the public of
voluntarism and creating favorable conditions for involving NGOs and
citizens in voluntary activities.
Sukiasyan pointed out that the web-site contains the information and
news about voluntary organizations, laws, legal acts and
international conventions on their activities. She said that the
web-site also has a forum for discussing topical issues, and all
those wishing can get registered. “In Armenia voluntary activities
evokes negative associations, and I hope that this project will help
peo9ple overcome this stereotype,” she said.
The web-site was designed by the “Professionals for Civil Society”
NGO with the assistance of the US Embassy in Armenia, under the
program of encouraging voluntarism and reforming legislation
regulating voluntary activities. P.T. -0–

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 28, 2006
HEAD OF UN/WFP TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, July 28. /ARKA/. A delegation of the UN World Food program
(WFP) headed by James Morris is to arrive for a visit to Armenia on
August 1-3, 2006, Liana Khachatrya, press secretary of the WFP
Armenia office, told ARKA.
She reported that James Morrison is to hold meetings with Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan and Premier Andranik Margaryan. The WFP
delegation is to visit Armenia’s regions, where the organization is
implementing its programs.
The WFP has been working in Armenia since 1993, providing aid to
220,000 socially vulnerable people every year. The organizations has
provided $75mln humanitarian aid. P.T. -0–

EurasiaNet
July 28, 2006
OPPOSITION PARTY STILL UNDER LOCK AND KEY
Marianna Grigoryan 7/28/06

Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party has been blocked from entering
its rented offices as part of an ongoing property dispute that party
sympathizers say is politically motivated.
Party representatives were blocked on July 21 from reentering their
office in Yerevan’s Paronian Theater of Musical Comedy after a
three-and-a-half month court battle that had appeared to end in their
favor. The theater’s management had sealed the door in early March as
allegedly part of the transfer of the theater to state ownership.
Since then, the party’s documents, seal, all computer equipment, and
telephones have remained under lock and key.
A June 26 court ruling that found the closure illegal prompted Party
members to believe they could return to their office. But marshals
from the Ministry of Justice’s Service for Execution of Mandatory
Acts (SEMA) resealed the office last week after saying that the
ruling did not specify that the party could begin work again in the
space. The officials stated that they planned to take the office
contents to SEMA in the meantime.
Party lawyers are disputing the interpretation of the ruling, while
party members and political analysts consider that what happened is
more than a property dispute.
The Heritage Party was founded in 2003 by Raffi Hovannisian, foreign
minister from 1991 to 1992, and the only Diaspora figure in the
Armenian opposition. (Hovannisian was born in Fresno, California.)
The party claims to have more than 5,000 members.
In an earlier interview with EurasiaNet this year, Hovannisian said
that he is convinced that Armenian President Robert Kocharian had
ordered that his party’s office be shut. The offices of
Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian and Police Chief Hayk Harutiunian
have affirmed that no crime was committed by closing Heritage’s
office, although an investigation is ongoing into the confiscation of
the party’s computer databases.
Some analysts say that Hovannisian’s popularity rating is high enough
to pose a real threat to the authorities in the next parliamentary
and presidential elections.
“In recent years, there have been many cases when the authorities
interfered with opposition parties, confiscated their property,
created numerous problems for them [by] disorganizing their
activities,” said parliamentarian and National Democratic Party
Chairman Arshak Sadoyan. “The authorities’ handwriting . . . is well
known to everyone. This way, the authorities are trying either to
subdue the opposition or clear the way, or to frighten others so that
they stop making active efforts.”
According to Suren Sureniants, a political analyst and board member
of the opposition Hanrapetutiun (Republic) Party, the government
began to view Heritage’s activities with concern after Hovannisian
“publicly caused certain unpleasant things for Kocharian and his
entourage.”
Before the November 2005 constitutional referendum, Hovannisian
called on voters to protest the vote in Yerevan’s Freedom Square.
Upon leaving the country later that month, he was reportedly searched
by national security service workers who explained that they were
looking for documents that contained state secrets.
Associates contend that the pressure on Hoyannisian increased
considerably after the party leader read out 21 questions for
President Kocharian at a November 9, 2005 opposition rally. The
document, titled “A Civil Request for a Public Account” quizzed
“acting” President Kocharian on whether he had killed a man during
the 1988-1994 war with Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, and on the details of his relatives’ property
holdings, among other topics.
The presidential administration responded that the questionnaire was
not worth a response, but in the months following, pro-government
media outlets began to circulate discrediting reports that accused
Hovannisian of espionage. Public television also took aim at
Hovannisian’s wife, alleging that that funds raised in the United
States for a local chapter of the non-profit youth education
organization Junior Achievement, run by his wife, had been used to
fund the political activities of her husband and the organization of
public rallies.
Sympathizers maintain that the tussle over the Heritage Party’s
office space is just the latest installment in the government’s
campaign against Hovannisian.
Theater Director Karapet Shahbazian, however, has ruled out any
political motives for closing the Party’s office. “I told them I must
hand over the property to the state, but they refused to leave, and I
put on the second lock,” Shahbazian said. Hovannisian had a five-year
lease with the theater, signed in 2002.
Meanwhile, the party leader maintains that he will fight on. “All I
need in this country is a small tent,” he commented to EurasiaNet.
“But recent experience shows that even a tent causes fear.”
Editor’s Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a reporter for the
Armenianow.com weekly in Yerevan.

Regnum, Russia
July 28, 2006
Oppositionist: Revolution in Armenia can be accomplished with the
help of Russian, US and European mass media
The leader of the Democratic Way party, MP Manuk Gasparyan says that
his party may establish cooperation with 5-6 political forces before
the parliamentary elections 2007. REGNUM correspondent reports him to
say during a press-conference today that he does not have enough
funds to run in the elections 2007. `I consider possible cooperation
with parties sharing our ideology: with Artur Bagdassaryan (ex
parliamentary speaker, the leader of the Orinats Yerkir party), Aram
Z. Sargsyan (the Republic party), Artashes Gegamyan (the National
Unity party), Raffi Hovhannissyan (the Heritage party), Stepan
Demirchyan (the People’s Party). We will not form a bloc with those
parties, but if they decide to join us before the elections, we will
welcome them. I don’t know what exact decision will be made, but
cooperation with those forces is quite possible,’ says Gasparyan.
He notes that presently the Armenian opposition is quite weak and
inactive. `Our opposition cannot carry out a revolution. The only
person who can do that is Gagik Tsarukyan (well-known businessman,
the founder and leader of the Prospering Armenia party – REGNUM), but
he will not,’ says Gasparyan. However, he says that revolution in
Armenia can be well imposed from outside. `If external forces wish to
carry out a revolution, they will easily do that and the Russian, US,
and European mass media may help them in the matter,’ says Gasparyan.
Gasparyan says that mid-term parliamentary elections are also
possible in Armenia. He also promises to `put an end to corruption
and crime in three days’ if he wins in the elections.

iBerkshires.com, MA
July 28, 2006
Piano Virtuoso Karen Tchougarian to Perform (Aug 4)
Armenian piano virtuoso Karen Tchougarian will bring his
distinguished and international talent to EPOCH Assisted Living at
Melbourne on Friday, August 4, at 3 p.m. EPOCH Assisted Living is
located at 140 Melbourne Road.
Tchougarian studied at the Komitas University in Armenia and the
University of Arkansas. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts from
the Manhattan School of Music and has won many performance
competitions, including the 1999 Artists International Auditions. As
the winner, Tchougarian made a fully sponsored debut at Carnegie
Hall. Tchougarian will perform a full range of music from classical
to movie scores to jazz and waltz.

Zaman Online, Turkey
July 28, 2006
Turkey to Try Elif Safak for Denigrating Turkishness
By Cihan News Agency
Friday, July 28, 2006
zaman.com
An Istanbul court decided on Friday to open a case against author
Elif Safak on charges of denigrating Turkishness in the press.
In compiling its indictment file, Beyoglu Prosecution Office based
its accusation against Safak on remarks uttered by the Armenian
characters in her book, “The Bastard of Istanbul.”
Safak’s trial is to open on September 21 at Beyoglu Court in
Istanbul. She could face up to 3 years in prison if found guilty.
The ultra-nationalist Turkish Lawyers Association Chairman Kemal
Kerincsiz, who is infamous for filing complaints against journalists
and authors, had filed the complaint against author Elif Safak
Kemal Kerincsiz has filed suits against famous Turkish novelist Orhan
Pamuk and ethnic-Armenian writer and journalist Hrant Dink.
Safak’s book, entitled “Baba and Pic” in Turkish, narrates the
relationship between an Armenian family and two Turkish families.
Elif Safak, who also writes for Zaman daily, has said that the
remarks of Diaspora Armenians in her book had wrongly been attributed
to her.
Earlier on Friday, a compensation case filed against well-known
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk was dropped by an Istanbul Court. The
Martyrs’ Mothers Association had opened the case against Pamuk for
allegedly vilifying Turkish dignity in an interview published in a
Swiss magazine. The association had sought 36,000 YTL ($24,000) in
compensation from Pamuk.

EurasiaNet, NY
July 28, 2006
ARMENIA DEEPENS TIES WITH EMBATTLED IRAN
Emil Danielyan 7/28/06
Armenia is deepening what it regards as a strategic relationship with
neighboring Iran despite mounting international concern over the
Iranian nuclear program and widespread speculation about potential US
military action against Tehran. The two countries’ governments have
agreed in particular to press ahead with the implementation of more
multimillion-dollar energy projects in addition to the ongoing
construction of a pipeline that will pump Iranian natural gas to
Armenia.
The agreements were announced during and after Armenian President
Robert Kocharian’s early July visit to Tehran, which officials said
gave a further boost to bilateral cooperation. Kocharian’s Iranian
counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and reaffirmed the Islamic
Republic’s commitment to maintaining close ties with Armenia. “The
Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes and supports the development of
ties with Armenia in various areas, particularly in energy as well as
transportation, sports, and tourism,” Iranian media quoted
Ahmadinejad as saying after talks with Kocharian. “I hope the
Armenian president’s trip to Iran would serve as an important step
toward the development of all-out ties between the two countries.”
Kocharian, for his part, reportedly welcomed “noticeable progress” in
the development of those ties and said they must be followed up by
“new steps.” Some of those steps are presumably contained in several
agreements signed during his trip. The most important of them
envisages the construction of a third power transmission line that
will connect the Armenian and Iranian power grids. Work on the $90
million project is expected to start later this year and take up to
three years.
The 312-kilometer-long line is meant to allow for a substantial
increase in Armenian electricity supplies to Iran that officials say
will follow the completion of the gas pipeline slated for the end of
this year. Yerevan had borrowed $34 million from Tehran to finance
the construction of the first 40-kilometer Armenian section of the
pipeline and will repay the loan with power supplies. The Iranian
Mehr news agency reported on July 17 that the two sides also plan to
start building a large hydroelectric plant next year on the Arax
River marking the Armenian-Iranian border.
In addition, the Armenian government is currently building a second,
bigger highway leading to the Iranian border in the hope of boosting
trade with Iran. In 2005, Armenia’s trade with Iran totaled a modest
$105 million. The European Union, by comparison, accounted for more
than a third of Armenia’s $2.6 billion external trade in 2005.
Commerce with Iran proved vital for Armenia’s economic survival
during the early 1990s, however, when the conflicts in the breakaway
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and elsewhere in the South Caucasus all
but cut off the country from the outside world. Unlike Turkey, the
Islamic Republic did not close its border with its Christian neighbor
out of solidarity with Muslim Azerbaijan. Observers believe that by
supporting Yerevan, Tehran has sought to limit Turkish presence in
the region and contain separatist sentiment among Iran’s sizeable
ethnic Azeri minority.
“We are building multi-faceted relations with our neighbor and friend
Armenia,” Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a
visit to Yerevan in February. “We are trying to ensure that they have
a regional significance.”
Having a warm rapport with Iran has always been a matter of virtual
national consensus in Armenia. Many politicians and ordinary people
see it as a way of mitigating the effects of the continuing
Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades. “Given this geopolitical
environment, Armenia has the legitimate right to cooperate with Iran
for ensuring its security,” Stepan Safarian of the Armenian Center
for National and International Studies, a Yerevan-based think-tank,
told EurasiaNet. “Besides, Armenia has an energy surplus and its only
major export market at present is Iran,” he said. “So there is also a
lot of economic interest involved.”
Not surprisingly, the United States, an equally important partner of
Armenia, has followed Armenian-Iranian cooperation with unease. But
while openly voicing its opposition to the Iran-Armenia pipeline, the
US administration seems to be acquiescing to this and other
Armenian-Iranian energy projects. “The United States is very
sympathetic to Armenia’s efforts to diversify sources of energy,”
Washington’s outgoing ambassador to Yerevan, John Evans, said earlier
this year. He also argued that “up to now” the Armenian government
has not breached long-standing US sanctions against Iran.
The fact that Kocharian chose to meet Ahmadinejad amidst Tehran’s
intensifying nuclear standoff with the West suggests that Armenia is
not under strong US pressure to freeze ties with the Iranian regime.
Yerevan also makes no secret of its strong opposition to any US
military campaign against Iran. “There are hardly any political
circles in Armenia that believe the dispute over Iran’s nuclear
program must be resolved by military means,” said analyst Safarian.
The Americans may well be happy with the recent controversial
settlement of Armenia’s gas dispute with Russia, which is widely seen
as a setback for Armenian-Iranian energy cooperation. Under the deal
cut last April, the Kocharian administration agreed to hand over a
large thermal power plant in the central town of Hrazdan to Russia in
exchange for a temporary increase (until 2009) in the price of
Russian natural gas delivered to Armenia. Yerevan had pledged late
last year to place the incomplete but modern facility under Iranian
control. There were reports that Russia’s state-run Gazprom monopoly
will also gain ownership of the Armenian section of the gas pipeline
from Iran as part of the settlement. Gazprom initially confirmed
these reports, but later refuted them, as did the Armenian
government.
Still, Gazprom’s deputy chairman, Aleksandr Ryazanov, announced on
June 29 that the Russian giant intends to buy the pipeline, a conduit
which was supposed to end the Russian monopoly on gas supplies to
Armenia. The Russians had already made sure that the pipeline’s
diameter is not large enough to allow Iran to export gas to Georgia
and other countries through Armenian territory. Analysts believe
Ahmadinejad and Kocharian discussed the issue during their July 6
meeting in Tehran. However, neither leader commented on it
afterwards.
Editor’s Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.