Author: Antonian Lara

FIRST BENCHMARKING BONDS IN ARMENIA TO BE ISSUED BY FINANCE MINISTRY

ARKA News Agency
Feb 1 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, January 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Ministry of Finance and Economy
announced about the upcoming placements of the first benchmarking
mid-term and long-term government (treasury) coupon bonds.

The first tranche of three-year bonds of AMGN36052110 series for
total of 3.5bln Drams is to be placed on February 5, the Press Service
of the Central Bank of Armenia reported. Five-year government bonds
of AMGN60052135 series for 3bln Drams are to be issued on February
12. The total volume of the expected placement is to make 20bln Drams
(annual coupon yield set at 7.5%) and 30bln Drams (8.5% annual yield)
respectively.

The Ministry of Finance also reported the expected placement of
long-term government bonds on February 7 (AMGB10072186 series with
redemption period of 10 years) and on February 14 (AMGB20072283
series, 20-year redemption period) for 3.5bln Drams and 4bln Drams
respectively. The total volume of the first expected placement is to
make 50bln Drams (10% annual coupon yield) and total volume of the
second series to be placed – 80bln Drams (11% annual yield). For
mid-term bonds redemption dates are 05.02.11 and 05.02.13, for
long-term bonds redemption is scheduled for 07.02.18 and 07.02.28
respectively.

Coupon payments for all bonds are to be made once every half a year.

The minimum demand volume is set at 10,000 with one step being
1,000Drams multiplied by the number of coupons in circulation.

The peculiar feature of benchmarking bonds is that during the
primary placement only agency can take part in auctions and the
tranches on placement of bonds can be effected by the final date of
the redemption. The secondary issue can be effected on both stock
market and off-floor market. The secondary circulation of the new
sort of bonds is expected to promote intensification of auctions in
the Armenian Stock Exchange.

Currently the following five Armenian banks are agents allowed to
participate in primary placement of government (treasury) bonds –
Conversebank, Ardshininvestbank, Araratbank, Armswissbank and HSBC
Bank Armenia. ($1=306.84Drams).

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
January 30, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA ENDORSES OBAMA IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully
about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully
to all genocides. I intend to be that President."
— Barack Obama

— Announcement on Republican Candidates Expected Soon

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
today endorsed Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate best
positioned to bring fundamental change to how the United States
addresses issues of special concern to Armenian American voters.

"The Armenian National Committee of America is proud today to
endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of
the United States," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "Based on
his strong record in office, his bold statements as a candidate,
and our judgment as to the policies he will pursue as President, we
believe that, among a strong field of Democratic candidates,
Senator Obama will best reflect the views and values of Armenian
American voters."

The official announcement came during a press conference held at
the ANCA Western Region headquarters, featuring remarks by Obama
supporters, Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) and L.A. City Council
President Eric Garcetti as well as ANCA National Board Member Raffi
Hamparian and Armenians for Obama Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian.

Barack Obama: The choice for change

In a powerful statement, issued on January 20th, Senator Obama
voiced his strong support for passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (H.Res.106 & S.Res.106) currently before Congress, and
pledged that, as President, he will recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

The Presidential hopeful also reaffirmed his support for a strong
"U.S.-Armenian relationship that advances our common security and
strengthens Armenian democracy." Unlike other Democratic
candidates, he also pledged to "promote Armenian security by
seeking an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, and by
working for a lasting and durable settlement of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict that is agreeable to all parties, and based upon
America’s founding commitment to the principles of democracy and
self determination."

The key elements of the Obama record that led to the ANCA
endorsement include the following:

* Public criticism of the Bush Administration for firing
former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans over his
truthful remarks recognizing the Armenian Genocide. He has
publicly asserted that, "An official policy that calls on
diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable
policy."

* Strong support for the passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution currently before Congress, in his capacity as
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relions Subcommittee on
European Affairs.

* A written pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide as
President, clearly spelling out his "firmly held conviction
that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal
opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented
fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical
evidence. The facts are undeniable."

* A commitment to ending the cycle of genocide. He has
said, on the record, that, "America deserves a leader who
speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that
President."

* Letters to President Bush urging him to properly
recognize the Armenian Genocide and a record of defending
that position, when challenged. While visiting Azerbaijan
in August 2005, in response to media inquiries about why he
signed these letters, Senator Obama publicly defended his
decision by stating that the Armenian Genocide was a
historical fact.

* Commitment to promoting Armenia’s security "by seeking
an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades."

* Support for "a lasting and durable settlement of the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict that is agreeable to all parties,
and based upon America’s founding commitment to the
principles of democracy and self determination."

The full text of Senator Obama’s statement is provided below:

Barack Obama on the Importance of US-Armenia Relations

JANUARY 19, 2008

I am proud of my strong record on issues of concern to the
one and a half million Americans of Armenian heritage in
the United States. I warmly welcome the support of this
vibrant and politically active community as we change how
our government works here at home, and restore American
leadership abroad.

I am a strong supporter of a U.S.-Armenian relationship
that advances our common security and strengthens Armenian
democracy. As President, I will maintain our assistance to
Armenia, which has been a reliable partner in the fight
against terrorism and extremism. I will promote Armenian
security by seeking an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani
blockades, and by working for a lasting and durable
settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict that is
agreeable to all parties, and based upon America’s founding
commitment to the principles of democracy and self
determination. And my Administration will help foster
Armenia’s growth and development through expanded trade and
targeted aid, and by strengthening the commercial,
political, military, developmental, and cultural
relationships between the U.S. and Armenian governments.

I also share with Armenian Americans – so many of whom are
descended from genocide survivors – a principled commitment
to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with
acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world
history. As a U.S. Senator, I have stood with the Armenian
American community in calling for Turkey’s acknowledgement
of the Armenian Genocide. Two years ago, I criticized the
Secretary of State for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used the term
"genocide" to describe Turkey’s slaughter of thousands of
Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with Secretary Rice my
firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an
allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but
rather a widely documented fact supported by an
overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are
undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to
distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a
senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian
Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as
President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Genocide, sadly, persists to this day, and threatens our
common security and common humanity. Tragically, we are
witnessing in Sudan many of the same brutal tactics –
displacement, starvation, and mass slaughter – that were
used by the Ottoman authorities against defenseless
Armenians back in 1915. I have visited Darfurian refugee
camps, pushed for the deployment of a robust multinational
force for Darfur, and urged divestment from companies doing
business in Sudan. America deserves a leader who speaks
truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President.

I look forward, as President, to continuing my active
engagement with Armenian American leaders on the full range
of issues of concern to the Armenian American community.
Together, we will build, in new and exciting ways, upon the
enduring ties and shared values that have bound together
the American and Armenian peoples for more than a century.

Sen. Obama’s statement on U.S.-Armenia relations is available on
the official campaign website at:
bama_on_the_importance.php

ANCA Outreach to Candidates:

In recent weeks, the ANCA has invited each of the candidates to
share their views on Armenian Americans issues, and to comment on
both the growing relationship between the U.S. and Armenian
governments and the enduring bonds between the American and
Armenian peoples. Questionnaires sent to the candidates have
invited them to respond to a set of 19 questions, including those
addressing: affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, U.S.-Armenia
economic, political, and military relations, self-determination for
Nagorno Karabagh, the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, and the
genocide in Darfur.

The other two leading Democratic candidates, Senator Hillary
Clinton (D-NY) and former Senator John Edwards (D-NC), are friends
of the Armenian American community, and have each reached out in
substantive ways to Armenian American voters. Either one, if
nominated, would represent candidacies offering a profound
improvement over the policies of the current Administration.

On January 24th, four days after the Obama statement, Senator
Hillary Clinton, who is a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (S.Res. 106), issued a forceful statement calling for
Congressional passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and
pledging that, as President, she will recognize the Armenian
Genocide. Her statement, welcomed by the ANCA, stressed that, "Our
common morality and our nation’s credibility as a voice or human
rights challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be
recognized and remembered by the Congress and the President of the
United States." As a Senator, Hillary Clinton has, since 2002,
cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide resolutions. She joined
Senate colleagues in cosigning letters to President Bush in 2005
and 2006 urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In a January 24th letter to the ANCA, John Edwards voiced support
for the passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, within the
context of a diplomatic effort to assure the Turkish government
that the legislation is not aimed at present day Turkey, but rather
the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire. As a Senator, John
Edwards cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide Resolutions
beginning in 2002. He also supported Section 907 restrictions on
U.S. aid to Azerbaijan due to its ongoing blockades of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabagh.

The ANCA has been reaching out to each of the leading Republican
candidates and hopes to issue a statement on the GOP primaries in
the near future.

ANCA Presidential endorsements, in both the primary and general
elections, are offered against the backdrop of several decades of
disappointing experiences, during which Presidents, while running
for office, have affirmed the Armenian Genocide to win hearts and
minds among Armenian American voters, only to retreat from this
recognition once in the White House and aggressively pressure the
U.S. Congress from properly commemorating the very same crime
against humanity they once condemned as candidates.

The Armenian American Vote:

Armenian Americans, in key primary states and throughout the
country, represent a motivated and highly networked constituency of
more than one and a half million citizens. The ANCA mobilizes
Armenian American voters through a network of over 50 chapters and
a diverse array of affiliates, civic advocates, and supporters
nationwide. ANCA mailings reach over a quarter of a million homes,
and, with the addition of internet outreach, updates and action
alerts reach well over 350,000 households. The ANCA website, which
features election coverage from an Armenian American point of view,
attracts over 100,000 unique visits a month. The ANCA also has
broad reach to Armenian American voters via a sophisticated media
operation of newspapers, regional cable shows, satellite TV, blogs,
and internet news sites.

Along with its Presidential endorsements, in both the Primary and
General elections, the ANCA reminded Armenian Americans that their
ability to impact policy-level decision-making depends, first and
foremost, on the continued expansion of advocacy efforts at all
levels of government. The ANCA’s Congressional endorsements, which
will be announced later this year, will represent an important
element of this process by providing Armenian American voters with
the information they need to solidify the strong, bipartisan
support our community enjoys in Congress.

As always, the ANCA welcomes feedback on its service to the
Armenian American community. Please forward your thoughts and
suggestions about the 2008 Presidential election by email to
[email protected].

The need for change: The Bush Administration’s record

The pressing need for fundamental change in how the United States
addresses issues of special concern to Armenian Americans is
highlighted by a review of the current Administration’s record in
twelve key areas:

1) Broken campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide

Almost immediately after taking office, President Bush
abandoned his campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian
Genocide. Rather than honor this promise, the President
has, in his annual April 24th statements, used evasive and
euphemistic terminology to avoid describing Ottoman
Turkey’s systematic and deliberate destruction of the
Armenian people by its proper name – the Armenian Genocide.
Moreover, the Administration has echoed the Turkish
government’s denial by claiming that the Armenian Genocide,
one of the most studied genocides of the 20th century,
"should be a matter of historical inquiry, not
legislation." On October 17, 2007, after the House Foreign
Affairs Committee passed the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
President Bush argued that, "one thing Congress should not
be doing is sorting out the historical record of the
Ottoman Empire," claiming there was "more important work to
do."

2) Opposition to the Congressional Genocide Resolution

The Bush Administration, throughout its tenure, has actively sought
to block the adoption of the Genocide Resolution in both the House
and Senate. As recently as October of last year, the President
spoke to the national media from the White House, on more than one
occasion, against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and
personally lobbied Members of Congress to prevent the commemoration
of this crime.

3) The Evans firing and the Hoagland nominations

The Bush Administration fired U.S. Ambassador John Evans, a career
Foreign Service officer with 35 years of experience, simply for
speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide. Despite numerous
Congressional inquiries, his Administration continuously attempted
to cover up the true reasons for Evans’ removal and the Turkish
government’s protests over his statements. When the American
Foreign Service Association (AFSA) awarded John Evans the Christian
Herter prize for constructive dissent, Administration officials
forced AFSA to rescind the award just days before Turkish President
Erdogan came to Washington, DC to meet with President Bush.

The President’s nominee to replace Ambassador Evans, Dick Hoagland,
denied the Armenian Genocide in response to Senate inquiries during
his confirmation process. After being blocked by a Senatorial
"hold" placed by Robert Menendez in the 109th Congress, the
President again nominated Ambassador Hoagland, only to have this
nomination blocked once again on the grounds that a diplomat who
denies the Armenian Genocide cannot serve effectively as the U.S.
representative to Armenia.

4) The Waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act

The Bush Administration, in 2001, aggressively pressured Congress
into granting the President the authority to waive Section 907, a
provision of law that bars aid to the government of Azerbaijan
until it lifts its blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
President Bush has subsequently used this authority to provide
direct aid, including military assistance, to the government of
Azerbaijan, despite their continued violation of the provisions of
this law.

5) Reduction in aid to Armenia

In the face of the devastating, multi-billion dollar impact of the
Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades on the Armenian economy,
President Bush has, in each of his years in office, proposed to
Congress that Freedom Support Act humanitarian and developmental
aid to Armenia be reduced.

6) Abandonment of the Military Aid Parity Agreement

The Bush Administration abandoned its November 2001 agreement with
Congress and the Armenian American community to maintain even
levels of military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. In successive
budgets submitted to Congress, the President effectively sought to
tilt the regional military balance in favor of Azerbaijan,
undermining the role of the U.S. as an impartial mediator, despite
Azerbaijan’s increasingly violent threats of renewed aggression.

7) Mistaken Listing of Armenia as a Terrorist Country

The Bush Administration sought, unsuccessfully, in December of 2002
to place Armenia on an Immigration and Naturalization Service watch
list for terrorist countries. This obvious error was reversed only
after a nation-wide protest campaign. Neither the White House nor
the Department of Justice has apologized for the offense caused by
this mistake.

8) Lack of U.S.-Armenia Presidential visitations

The President neither visited Armenia nor did he invite the
President of Armenia to visit the United States, despite similar
visits by the leaders of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

9) Failure to maintain a balanced policy on Nagorno Karabagh

The Bush Administration, to its credit, took an early initiative to
help resolve the Nagorno Karabagh issue in the form of the Key West
summit meeting in 2001 between Secretary of State Powell and the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. After Azerbaijan’s failure to
honor its Key West commitments, however, the Administration failed
to hold Azerbaijan accountable for unilaterally stalling the
Nagorno Karabagh peace process.

10) Taxpayer financing of the Baku-Ceyhan bypass of Armenia

The Bush Administration supported American taxpayer subsidies for
the politically motivated Baku-Ceyhan pipeline route that, at the
insistence of Turkey and Azerbaijan, bypassed Armenia.

11) Refusal to pressure Turkey and Azerbaijan to end their
blockades

The Bush Administration has not forcefully condemned the Turkish
and Azerbaijani blockades as clear violations of international law,
nor, outside of occasional public statements, has it taken any
meaningful steps to pressure the Turkish or Azerbaijani governments
to end their illegal border closures.

12) Neglect of relations with the Armenian American community

Breaking with the tradition of the last several Administrations,
the Bush White House failed to reach out in any meaningful way to
our nation’s one and a half million citizens of Armenian heritage.
While the State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council
maintained their long-standing, policy-level dialogue with the
Armenian American community leadership, the White House itself
essentially neglected Armenian Americans as a civic constituency.

ABOUT 890 CERTIFICATES ON APPROVAL OF MEASURING INSTRUMENTS GRANTED BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY IN 2007

Noyan Tapan
Jan 29, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. 28 national standards in line with
international and European standards were developed and put in use by
the National Institute of Standards of the RA Ministry of Trade and
Economic Development in 2007. According to the ministry’s Information
and PR Unit, last year the National Institute of Metrology granted
about 890 certificates on approval of types of measuring instruments,
2 licences on production of measuring instruments and one licence
was reregistered.

In 2007 the ministry developed the bill on making amendments and
additions to the RA Law on Standardization and presented it to the
RA government for discussion. The purpose of the bill is to bring
the current law into line with the EU’s New Approach Directives. The
bill on making additions and amendments to the RA Law on Conformity
Assssment was also submitted to the RA government. This bill is
aimed at promoting cooperation with the EU under the Agreement on
Partnership and Cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and
European Communities and Their Member States.

Last year the following decisions were developed by the ministry
and approved by the RA government: the decision on approval of the
annual program on standardization work and development of technical
regulations in the RA, the decision on approval of technical
regulations of requirements to substances in contact with foodstuffs
and to marking and contents of Armenian information about these
foodstuffs, and the decision on approval of technical regulations of
requirements to juices and juice products.

On January 1, 2007 Armenian joined the European Committee for
Standardization (CEN) and participates in activities of 3 commissions
of the CEN.

In 2007 the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development developed
the concept of standardization, metrology, conformity certification,
accreditation and state control in the RA, which is aimed at removing
technical obstacles to foreign trade, protecting consumer and state
interests in issues related to safety of products and services,
improving the quality of products made and services provided in the RA
and increasing their competitiveness in foreign markets, and ensuring
the unity of measures.

The Rating Agency AmRating/GlobalRating has issued a new report on the
Armenian Banking System Transparency. Attractiveness. Funding Scarcity.

2008-01-28 14:46:00

ArmInfo. The Rating Agency AmRating/GlobalRating has issued a new
report on the Armenian Banking System Transparency. Attractiveness.
Funding Scarcity.

GlobalRating Group press-service reports AmRating states that the
Armenian banking system is in an intensive development phase and has
drawn a lot of attention from foreign investors. Developed legislature,
strict prudential regulation, increasing competition and scarcity of
resources are conducive to the development of good corporate governance
standards, the accumulation of management experience, lowering
corruption and lower non-financial risks. Because of the strict
prudential monitoring and regulation by the Central Bank of Armenia,
commercial banks are in line with recent international trends and
moving towards Basel II standards. Liquidity and capital adequacy
measures are quite high, and the percentage of officially overdue loans
on the books is insignificant.

"The low politicization of the Armenian banking system is a positive
development. Its exposure to political risk is minimal, making banks
comparatively immune to potential shifts in the power structure,
lowering the overall country risk,”- said Executive Director Emmanuel
Lazarian.

Despite the fact that most of the recent investors in the market for
banking services have been members of the Armenian Diaspora (both pre-
and post-Soviet waves) who carry little weight in political circles,
new non-resident institutional investors who may have specific
strategic goals are entering the market.

Interest from foreign investors in the controlling banks’ stakes raises
questions as to whether Armenia’s banking system will remain "national"
in character or will be controlled by foreign strategic investors.

In order to avoid the latter under conditions of scarcity of funding
resources, the regulator’s idea of attracting capital by entering DPOs
and then IPOs is gaining momentum.

Analysts at AmRating/GlobalRating recognise the main development
strategies for the Armenian banking system in general and commercial
banks in particular as: 1. Increased capitalization. 2. Solving the
problem of a scarcity of long-term resources. 3. Preparation for the
gradual transition towards Basel II principles. 4. Expanding the range
of offered services. 5. Regional Expansion

The Global Rating Group – a family of rating agencies. The rating
agencies RusRating (Russia), KzRating (Kazakhstan) and AmRating
(Armenia) were created by Richard Hainsworth and have been brought
together in the Global Rating Group. In the near future the group plans
to add national rating agencies in Azerbaijan (AzeriRating), Ukraine
(Ua-Rating) and other CIS regions.

The primary goal of the Global Rating Group is to establish a network
of national rating agencies across the CIS, promoting national brands
and strengthening the market position of each agency in its own country
and the international community.

NAGORNO KARABAKH: ‘FROZEN CONFLICT’ IS A PRESSING CHALLENGE
By Isabel Gorst and Leyla Boulton

FT
January 24 2008 16:14

Ramana, near Baku, is one of the new settlements being built to house
people who fled the disputed enclave of Nagorno Karabakh during the
war with Armenia in the early 1990s.

Financed by the state oil fund, the $35m settlement has a music school
and shop, gas, power and running water. Each house has a small plot
of land.

"You cannot keep people in camps if you have oil wealth," explains
Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister and President Ilham Aliyev’s
special envoy on Nagorno Karabakh. He adds, however, that the housing
is temporary until they can return home.

"These buildings are comfortable, but that is not what we need,"
says Rafael Temurlu, a school teacher. "We need to return to the
place they chased us from."

Fourteen years after a ceasefire left Armenia in control of Nagorno
Karabakh, memories of the conflict, which deprived Azerbaijan of
14 per cent of its territory and claimed up to 25,000 lives, still
evoke anger.

In a region traditionally inclined to blood feuds, this so-called
"frozen conflict" is the most pressing foreign policy challenge faced
by Azerbaijan.

Any renewal of the conflict would threaten the strategic pipeline
corridor carrying oil and natural gas across Georgia to the west.

But Mr Azimov agrees with western diplomats who say neither side has
an interest in resuming hostilities.

Ethnic tensions over Nagorno Karabakh, established as an autonomous
region within Azerbaijan with a predominantly Armenian population as
part of the Kremlin’s divide-and-rule policies, erupted into violence
as the Soviet empire began to disintegrate in the late 1980s.

Armenians seized control of the region and occupied a clutch of
surrounding Azerbaijani provinces. In 1994, Azerbaijan opted for
a ceasefire.

International efforts to broker a resolution of the dispute have
proceeded fitfully since 1994.

Azerbaijan’s ministry of foreign affairs says 760,000 internally
displaced people from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding occupied
territories live in Azerbaijan, in addition to some 220,000 refugees
from Armenia proper.

The principles of a settlement contained in an agreement in 2004 call
for self-determination on the future legal status of Nagorno Karabakh,
the withdrawal of troops from adjacent provinces and the deployment
of international peace keepers.

Azerbaijan and Turkey refuse to lift their blockade of Armenia until
the dispute is resolved.

The two have also excluded Armenia from regional co-operation projects,
ranging from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and, in spite of US
protestations, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway scheme.

President Aliyev has described 2008 as a decisive year for solving
the dispute and Matthew Bryza, US deputy assistant secretary of
state responsible for the region, last week resumed shuttle diplomacy
between Baku and Yerevan.

But it is not clear how progress can be made in the run-up to
presidential elections scheduled in both Azerbaijan and Armenia this
year. In both countries any signal of a willingness to compromise in
the dispute would risk votes.

Azerbaijan plans to increase defence spending this year to $1bn from
$600m in 2007, in proportion with an expansion of its overall budget.

However, Mr Azimov says Baku is determined to regain the territory by
peaceful means, albeit from a stronger and richer position than in the
early 1990s, when its fledgling army was crushed by better-equipped
and trained Armenian forces.

He says: "All we are saying to the Armenians is ‘look at the
reality. If you want to be part of a success story, come with us’."

With many saying that only Russia – one of three international
mediators in the dispute together with the US and France – can
influence Armenia, Mr Azimov detects a shift in Moscow’s position.

"Russia started realising they need stability and economic viability
in the South Caucasus," he says. "They realise it is better to run
tankers rather than tanks in the area."

In the meantime, the people of Ramana are likely to remain pawns in
a bigger geopolitical game.

Most of Mr Temurlu’s pupils are too young to remember life in Nagorno
Karabakh.

But he tells them all they will one day leave Ramana and return to
their rightful home. "We will rebuild our land. We can make bread
out of stones," he says.

SOUR TASTE OF SUDANESE VISIT

Turkish Daily News
Jan 24 2008
Turkey

Sudanese President Omar Hasan al-Bashir’s visit to Turkey has shocked
international relations experts who openly condemn Ankara’s top level
contacts with a leader held responsible for humanitarian atrocities
in his own country.

"One would think Turkey’s leaders would be a little more careful
before laying down the red carpet for the likes of President Omar
al Bashir of Sudan," said former United States ambassador to Ankara,
Morton Abromowitz. The international community considers Bashir as an
illegitimate dictator presiding over a pariah state guilty of crimes
against humanity, he said.

"He is a seemingly strange bedfellow for Turkey’s AKP [Justice and
Development Party] trying to prove to many domestic and Western
observers of its balanced, well-calibrated foreign policy, and its
attachment to international norms," Abromowitz said.

Last year, defying Turkish state policy of avoiding contacts with
Bashir, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan visited Sudanese capital
Khartoum and said that "Muslims would commit such murders."

Bashir is considered to have given a free hand to the Janjaweed,
the Arab militia that commits mass killings and systematic violence
against Darfur’s population to quell the rebellion launched in
2003 by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), representing
non-Muslim tribal Africans, and the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM), a movement of African Muslims to claim equal rights.

A peace deal was signed in 2006 between the government and rebel
factions in the Darfur region, only to incite divisions between
dissident groups and exacerbate violence. In June 2006, three rebel
groups including the JEM and part of the SLM/A joined forces to form
the National Redemption Front (NRF), which opposes the May 2006
peace agreement. At least 200,000 people have lost their life and
2.5 million people have been driven from their homes as aresult of
violence in the region.

Government policy alienates experts

The AKP’s attempts to form contacts with the al -Bashir government had
been blocked by intense resistance from Foreign Ministry officials
who asked President Abdullah Gul, at the time foreign minister,
to ignore the Sudanese leader’s requests to visit Turkey.

But they failed to stop Erdoðan from visiting Darfur in March 2006
to participate in a meeting of the Arab League, where he said that
no assimilation or genocide was committed in Darfur.

International relations expert Soli Ozel dubbed the visit as "foreign
policy fantasies of the government" and lamented the decision to
welcome Bashir in Ankara.

"The government claims to be able to speak about everything with
everyone. This is nonsense and is a shame to Turkey," said Ozel.

Abromowitz pointed to Turkey’s endeavor to persuade the international
community that there was no Armenian "genocide" in 1915 and noted
that Bashir’s visit will reduce the persuasiveness of Turkey’s thesis.

–Boundary_(ID_Rc3pH9910lPYgrRRqNH7Ow)–

ERDOGAN ADVISES OBAMA TO OUTGROW AMATEUR TALK

Turkish Press
Jan 24 2008

ANKARA – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dubbed Barack Obama, one
of the Democratic frontrunners in the U.S. presidential elections who
promised to recognize the killing of Armenians in 1915 as "genocide,"
an amateur of politics without explicitly mentioning his name.

"Presidential elections campaigns continue in the United States. Some
politicians` discourse demonstrates that they do not have an adequate
knowledge of their country`s policies," said Erdogan in his Justice
and Development Party (AKP) meeting yesterday. He noted that Turkey
nurtured good relations and a strategic partnership with the United
States. "Everybody knows that adoption of such a resolution would
cause irreparable damage to Turkish-American relations," Erdogan
said. Ankara-Washington relations cannot be subdued by lobbies, slander
and petty internal political calculations, Erdogan said. "A day may
come when you will have to choose between 70 million Turkey and two
million Armenia. One has to think carefully before uttering such
words. I suggest that he outgrow the amateur period of his political
career," he said.

CROAT DOCUMENTARY CLAIMING GENOCIDE ON PBS

Serbianna.com
008/01127.shtml
Jan 24 2008
MI

A documentary is set to air on the American public television depicting
WWII Croatians as victims of genocide in hands of communists. During
WWII, Croatia was an ally of Hitler and engaged in extermination of
Serbs and Jews in several Croat-run concentration camps.

Titled Freedom From Despair, the documentary features actor Michael
York, John Savage, Beata Pozniak and politician Dennis Kucinich
narrating alleged Croatian victimhood during WWII.

"Brenda Brkusic’s award winning film uncovers the long history of
suppression and abuse of the Croatian people and their struggle for
independence from communist Yugoslavia,’ states the promotional flyer.

The documentary will air on January 24, 2008 at 9:00 pm PDT by KOCE
TV. The station manager is asking for support by viewers by their
calling a number at the station as a sign of approval.

According to the email we obtained, the director of the film Brenda
Brkusic says that she expects "this screening of Freedom from Despair
on KOCE-TV to be as successful as the Armenian Genocide film that
aired on KOCE-TV last year. Immediately after the Armenian film,
KOCE listed a phone number for viewers to call to support the film.

Hundreds of people from the SoCal Armenian Community called the KOCE
phone number. This is our once in a lifetime chance to show support
for the film that shows the genocide of the Croatian people on TV.

Five million people will be watching. Will you be one of the people
watching and calling in to show your support of our Croatian story
on PBS?"

More information: – Brenda Brkusic Channel Manager KOCE-TV 17011
Beach Blvd, Suite 1550 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 Phone 714-861-4341

2007 STATE AWARDS TO ART AND CULTURE WORKERS

armradio.am
23.01.2008 14:20

Today the ceremony of presenting the State Awards 2007 in the field
of art and culture was held at RA President’s Office today.

The Prizes were awarded upon President Robert Kocharyan’s decree of
December 26, 2007.

2007 State Awards were conferred on:

David Hovhannes in the sphere of literature and publicism;

Ruben Sargsyan in the sphere of music;

Paravon Mirzoyan in the sphere of painting

Jim Torosyan, Roland Martirosyan, Henzel Hakobyan, Gagik Galstyan and
Artsrun Sergoyan in the sphere of architecture and urban development.

FILM CHARGING OF PROMOTING VIOLENCE AND INTOLERANCE TO BE SHOT IN NETHERLANDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.01.2008 17:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A Dutch politician’s plan to release a film
that charges the Koran of promoting violence and intolerance has
sparked controversy in the Netherlands. Government officials are
distancing themselves from the project and stepping up security at
home and at embassies abroad, while Muslim leaders fear that it could
strain relations between the Dutch and their large Muslim immigrant
population.

Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing Freedom Party, says he will
release a 10-minute-long film on Friday that shows how the Koran is
used by Islamic radicals to promote homophobia, the abuse of women
and violence. The film was slated to debut on Jan. 25 but as of last
Friday Wilders had not found a Dutch broadcaster willing to air it. If
he can not find one by Friday, he says he will post it on the Internet.

As Wilders searched for a broadcaster last week, Dutch Prime Minister
Jan Peter Balkenende urged Wilders to exercise restraint. "The
Netherlands has a tradition of freedom of speech, religion and
beliefs," said Balkenende. "The Netherlands also has a tradition
of respect, tolerance and responsibility. Unnecessarily offending
certain groups does not belong here."

Balkenende said that cities in the Netherlands were on alert for
potential protests in response to the film, and diplomats abroad were
briefed on responding to potential animosity. "We should be ready
for the worst," he resumed, RFE/RL reports.