WILL THE RAILWAY BE RE-EXPLOITED?
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| 19:17:32 | 26-09-2005 | Economy |
On September 21-22 the Armenian delegation with Gagik Minasyan at the
head participated in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parliamentary
Assembly in the Moldavian capital Kishinev.
In the 25th session of social, economic, technological and
ecological issues where the report about the development of regional
sub-structures has been discussed, the Armenian side has adopted
4 offers.
The Armenian managed to convince the participants of the BSEC
Parliamentary Assembly that the construction of the railway which goes
round Armenia is much more expensive that the re-exploiting of the
existing railway Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku. “Thus all the 4 countries
of the region will solve the problem of economic integration providing
economic stability”, the Armenian delegates said.
Let us remind you that the offered project costs $400 million. With
the re-exploiting of the railway the volume of freight transportation
will increase considerably.
All the 8 members of BSEC were for the re-exploitation of the
existing railway, including Turkey. According to Gagik Minasyan,
in the convention which was adopted in Kishinev the offer of the
Armenian side has been included, and the issue of adoption of the
convention will be discuss in the BSEC plenary session in Tirana on
November 22 where Armenia will preside over the session.

CANDIDATE UNTIL TRIED
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| 19:27:25 | 26-09-2005 | Politics |
The present mayor of Nor Hachin Armen Qeshishyan who is in criminal
isolator will participate in the elections of mayor on October 9. On
September 24 he killed the head of the Electricity network of Nor
Hachin Ashot Mkhitaryan.
According to the legislation Armen Qeshishyan can participate in the
elections as the court has not found him guilty yet.
The only known reason for the assassination is pre-electoral: the
preset mayor had put forward his candidacy, and Ashot Mkhitaryan was
for his opponent Babken Margaryan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COURT COMING IN ACTION
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| 18:55:13 | 26-09-2005 | Politics |
“If the court decides that the 129 ballots voted for Arayik Qotanjyan
which were considered invalid are valid, he will be elected head of
the Qanaqer-Zeytun community without second elections”, this is the
opinion of the NA independent deputy Manouk Gasparyan who supports
the candidate. He also informed that an action has been brought to
the Court of Appeal.
Let us remind you that the Local Electoral Committee had announced
the results of the September 19 election in Qanaqer-Zeytun and fixed
new elections.
After the reports of the LEC the ballot packs were torn and according
to the NA deputy 54 ballots from one area and 75 from the other were
“spoilt by hand” and considered invalid. The action by Arayik Qotanjyan
is about the “fate” is these ballots.
Manouk Gasparyan thinks that tomorrow the Court will send an order
to the LEC not to organize elections until the court makes a decision.
It is noteworthy that Arayik Qotanjyan was not recognized community
head as the number of errors exceeded that of the difference
between the votes received by Mr. Qotanjyan and his opponent Valeri
Haroutyunyan.

MASSACRES OF ARMENIANS IN 1915 NOTHING BUT GENOCIDE, TURKISH HISTORIAN CONSIDERS
Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 04:24
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Scientific conference titled “Ottoman Armenians
During the Decline of the Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility
and Democracy” was held in the Bilgi University last week. In the
opinion of many exerts, it can give start to the discussion of the
Armenian issue by the Turkish society. “We should try to realize what
happened in 1915”, well known Turkish historian Halil Bektay stated
adding that at the beginning of the World War I the leaders of the
Ottoman Empire announced the hunting season against Armenians. In his
turn historian Fikret Adanir stated that the carnages of Armenians at
the beginning of the 20-th century are nothing but genocide. “It is my
personal opinion”, he said. “This conference will surprise Armenians
all over the world. Now some of them will have the courage to start
dialogue with Turks”, Los Angeles Times writes citing editor-in-chief
of Akos Armenian newspaper published in Istanbul. To remind, the
conference has been twice postponed, last time on Thursday, September
22 by a resolution of a Turkish court. It should be also noted that
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the court
resolution and called it incompatible with the norms of democracy
and civilized society.
Spokesperson for the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Krisztina Nagy
characterized the court decision as a “recurrent provocation”.

PRE-ELECTION HUBBUB IN GYUMRI
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| 20:30:54 | 26-09-2005 | Politics |
On September 23 in the Shirak region the phase of putting forward
candidacies for the elections of local governing bodies started. The
first candidacy was that of the Gyumri present mayor Vardan Ghoukasyan.
At 05:00 p.m. the Local Electoral Committee N34 which includes
79 electoral areas in Gyumri had received 21 applications for
the posts of aldermen. 13 of the candidates do not belong to any
party, 4 of them represent the Republican Party, and the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, the Orinats Yerkir Party, the Union for
National Self-Determination and “Democracy and Labor” Parties have
one candidate each.

VLADIMIR RUSHAYLO TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN SEPTEMBER 27
Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 09:08
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of the Executive Committee, CIS Executive
Secretary Vladimit Rushaylo will pay a visit to Armenia September
27-19, RA MFA press center reported. V. Rushaylo is scheduled to meet
with President Robert Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan. September 29 the opening ceremony
of the Council of the CIS Ministers of Interior will take place.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO MEET IN VIENNA
Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 08:47
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated
that OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Steven Mann (U.S.), Bernard Fassier
(France) and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) will meet in Vienna September
26-27. In his words, the mediators will determine the format and
location of the conduction of the next round of the negotiations
on the Karabakh conflict. “The further strategy will become clear
after the meeting. Either the talks will be continued at the level
of FMs or the mediators will pay a visit to the region,” Mammadyarov
said. Noting the existing possibilities for continuing the negotiations
the Azeri FM voiced opinion that Azerbaijan should still expand its
military potential. He also confirmed the position of official Baku
“to grant Nagorno Karabakh the status of autonomy within Azerbaijan.”
“The Armenian community is not alone. Azerbaijanis also line in
Karabakh and their opinion cannot be ignored. They should return to
Karabakh and line normal life”, Mammadyarov stated.

CoE SEC. GEN. COMMENDED INITIATORS OF ARMENIAN ISSUE CONFERENCE FOR COURAGE AND RESOLUTENESS
Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 07:46
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Council of Europe Secretary General Mr.Terry Davis
commended the initiators of the conference of the Armenian issue for
courage and resoluteness. He also noted that the “people believing in
modern, democratic and tolerant Turkey do not fear of nationalists
in the Istanbul streets any longer.” “I confirm my endorsement to
the position of Prime Minister Erdogan, who came to support freedom
of speech in Turkey. I hope that such attitude will affect the legal
proceedings against well known Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who is
accused of making public statements on the Armenian Genocide”,
Mr. Davis said. “I understand the sensitivity of the Turkish
authorities on this issue, however such delicate issues should be
solved via dialogue and truth but not by means of prosecution and
propaganda. Being a member of the Council if Europe Turkey is obliged
to respect the European Convention on Human Rights. I am convinced
that the Turkish leadership will not abandon the way of democratic
reform in the time epochal for the Turkey-Europe relations,” CoE
Secretary General stated, Mediamax reports.

MINISTER OSKANIAN RECEIVES “GROSSO D’ORO VENEZIANO” AWARD IN VENETO
Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 06:31
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Grosso d’Oro Veneziano award was bestowed on
Armenia¹s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian by the Masi Foundation of
Italy’s Veneto Region, on September 24. The prize is a special award
on an international level for individuals who have contributed to
the cause of peace and brotherhood among nations. It was conferred on
Minister Oskanian for his contribution to Armenia¹s integration into
European structures, to the deepening of Armenia-Italy ties, and for
his active involvement in peace talks. In the 8th century St. George
Cathedral in Verona, before several hundred Italian intellectuals,
artists and businessmen, the Masi Foundation held its 25th awards
ceremony. After receiving the award ­ a sculpture in silver, decorated
with grapes as well as designs from ancient khachkars, and topped
with a gold medal­ the Minister spoke about Armenia’s determination
to pursue the path of European integration. He also spoke about
traditional Armenian-Italian ties and the upcoming Italian-Armenian
Days in Yerevan.
During the ceremony, other awards were also given to those who protect
and promote Veneto’s historic legacy and cultural values. The Masi
Foundation, in line with its guiding philosophy and with an original
policy for recognizing subtle changes in the world, awarded prizes
for excellence in education, medicine, theater, fashion, as well as
in the area of vinoculture. The Masi Foundation was created and is
run by the descendants of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri.The only
other recipient of the Grosso d’Oro Veneziano has been Slovenia’s
former President, Milan Kucan.
–Boundary_(ID_ti+1EpZktdiPktVYp+A3bQ)–

NATO PA ROSE-ROTH SEMINAR TO START IN YEREVAN OCTOBER 6
Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 04:13
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 6-9 NATO PA Rose-Roth seminar with the
participation of 60 parliamentarians from 22 states will be held
in Yerevan.
The agenda includes the issues referring to the Karabakh conflict
settlement, regional cooperation, and reformation of defense and police
systems. The Armenian party expressed readiness to host participants
from Azerbaijan and guarantee their security. An invitation for
the seminar was sent to PACE Rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh Goran
Lennmarker. By the RA government’s decree 32 million 549 thousand
AMD was allocated to the National Assembly for the conduction of
the seminar.