Author: Ekmekjian Janet

MehrNews.com, Iran
June 12 2005

Iran to construct first wind power plant in Armenia

TEHRAN, June 12 (MNA) – Based on the accords signed by Iran and
Armenia recently, SANIR Co. will construct four units of wind power
plant in Armenia in the next two months, Ali Kadkhodaii, managing
director of SANIR Co. said on Sunday.
The capacity of the power plant is 2.5 MW experimentally and it is
the first of the power plant that Iran is to construct outside its
borders, he added.

Iran and Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) here on
Saturday to bolster bilateral cooperation in the field of
electricity.

The MOU was signed by Iran’s Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf and
his Armenian counterpart Armen Movsisyan.

Under the MOU, Iran and Armenia reached consensus to implement the
third 400-kW two-circuit transmission line project, valued at 90
million dollars.

The two countries are also slated to implement the second phase of
Iran-Armenia pipeline project valued at 130 million dollars along
with the complementary project of the fifth unit of Harazdan thermal
power plant.

Under the framework of the agreement, Iranian companies of the Iran
Power Plant Projects Management Company (MAPNA) and SANIR are due to
add a new unit of gas power plant, capable of being transformed into
combined cycle, to Armenia. The project is worth 150 million dollars.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005

Iran’s Asalouyeh gas exports to reach $5 bln

LONDON – Gas exports from the southern energy rich region of
Asalouyeh will earn the country almost $5 bln a year.

Announcing this, Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Exports
Company Roknoddin Javadi told IRNA that his company had finalized
talks with foreign companies to export 20 mln tons of LNG and
contract for exporting an additional 7.5 mln tons will be signed in
the coming days.

Javadi said the deals for exporting gas to the UAE, Azerbaijan and
Armenia via pipeline have been finalized and talks are underway on
three more contracts.

Once the contracts are materialized, Iran’s annual earnings from LNG
exports will reach $3.5 bln to $4 bln and exports via pipelines will
fetch about $1 bln per year.

ID=3D13142

Papiere zum Massenmord

Das Lepsius-Archiv an der Uni Halle soll nach Potsdam kommen – es
beherbergt politischen Sprengstoff in Buchform (7.6.05)

Von Henri Kramer Bücher, Bücher, unüberschaubar viele
Bücher. Hermann Goltz kommt kurz ins Stocken beim Nachdenken
darüber, wie viele Bücher sich genau im Johannes Lepsius-Archiv an
der Martin-Luther-Universität in Halle befinden. So muss der
Professor an der theologischen Fakultät schätzen: `Um die 20000
Bände…` Mindestens zwei Lieferwagen werden nötig sein, wenn das
Lepsius-Archiv im Frühjahr 2006 zusammen mit seinem Leiter Hermann
Goltz ins Lepsius-Geburtshaus in die GroÃe WeinmeisterstraÃe
ziehen soll. Goltz sagt: `Es soll ein Ort des Gedenkens, der
Begegnung und der Forschung werden, um den Völkermord an den
Armeniern im Osmanisch-Türkischen Reich historisch weiter
aufzuarbeiten.`

Die Bücher und Schriften aus Halle sollen dabei den Kern der
Gedenkstätte bilden. So findet sich in dem Archiv die seltene
Originalausgabe des `Berichts über die Lage des armenischen
Volkes in der Türkei`, in dem Lepsius zum ersten Mal Details über
den Genozid in Deutschland öffentlich bekannt machte, bei dem
zwischen 1915 und 1917 über eine Million Menschen umgebracht
wurden. 20000 Exemplare des Buchs konnte Lepsius versenden, bevor
seine Schrift von der deutschen Militärzensur verboten
wurde. `Da Deutschland und das Osmanische Reich im 1. Weltkrieg
zusammen kämpften, sollte der Völkermord nicht thematisiert werden`
, erklärt Goltz.

Ebenso ist im Lepsius-Archiv das 1919 erschienene Buch `Der
Todesgang des armenischen Volkes` enthalten, das wegen politischer
Bedenken erst nicht gedruckt werden konnte. SchlieÃlich trauten
sich die Druckereien der jüdischen Firma Imberg & Lefson in
Babelsberg und der christlichen Zeitung `Der Reichsbote` in
Berlin das Buch herzustellen. `Den groÃen Verlagen der Zeit
war das Thema zu heiÃ, niemand wollte Lepsius drucken`, sagt Goltz.

Neben diesen beiden auch heute wissenschaftlich unentbehrlichen
Veröffentlichungen stehen im Lepsius-Archiv 13 Zeitschriften-Serien
aus der Feder des Orientalisten, aber auch Folgeliteratur wie die
Romane von Franz Werfel, indenen die Lepsius-Dokumentationen als
historische Quellen verwendet sind: Alle Werke in verschiedenen
Ausgaben verschiedener Länder in verschiedenen Sprachen. `Es
kommt immer noch neues Material dazu, weil das Thema vor dem
Hintergrund eines möglichen EU-Beitritts der Türkei aktuell bleibt`,
sagt Goltz. Für den Archivleiter selbst ist der Umzug nach Potsdam
die Rückkehr an die alte Wirkungsstätte, hier begann seine Passion
für die Arbeit von Lepsius. `1976 lernte ich die damals
71-jährige Lepsius-Tochter Veronika kennen.` An der Geschichte des
Vorderen Orients und Osteuropas war Goltz schon damals interessiert,
der Völkermord an den Armeniern wurde bald sein wichtigstes
Forschungsfeld, obwohl das Thema sowohl in der DDR als auch in der BRD
zu den Tabus der Geschichtsschreibung gehörte, wie er sich
erinnert. `Die Türkei war im Kalten Krieg für Sowjetunion wie
für das westliche Bündnis ein wichtiger Partner, den niemand
verärgern wollte`, so Goltz.

In Potsdam soll die Analyse des groÃen Verbrechens weitergehen,
auch gegen den Druck der Türkei. So bezeichnete der türkische
Botschafter das geplante Lepsius-Zentrum schon 2000 als eine
angebliche `armenische Propaganda- und Terrorzentrale.` Hermann
Goltz will weiter sammeln, hofft, dass sich auch die Potsdamer
Universität an der Forschung beteiligt. `In nicht allzu langer
Zeit wird sich die Türkei zu ihrer historischen Verantwortung
bekennen müssen.` Die Studien, um den Genozid mit weiteren Fakten zu
belegen, werden jedoch auch in Potsdam nicht mit den Originalen
geschehen können: Jede Seite steht im Lepsius-Archiv nur als Kopie
zur Verfügung, wie bei wertvollen Schriften üblich. Goltz spricht
aber auch von Sicherheitsinteressen: `Die Originale werden wie
hier in Halle an einem sicheren Ort verwahrt, denn natürlich gibt es
Menschen,die nicht traurig wären, wenn diese Dokumente brennen
würden.`

TRIAL ON ARMENIAN CITIZEN CHARGED WITH ESPIONAGE IN FAVOR OF
AZERBAIJAN UNDERWAY IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 9. ARMINFO. Trial on Armenian citizen Andrey Maziyev is
underway at the First Instance Court of Yerevan communities
Malatia-Sebatia. He is charged with three articles of the Armenian
Criminal Code (high treason through espionage, contribution to
preparation of a terrorist act, contribution to preparation of the
murder of a state political figure).

Andrey Maziyev was born in 1961. He is Russian by nationality, from
Tuapse, Krasnodar region. he worked as en engineer at Zvartnots
airport, married, has children. He has previous convictions for
hooliganism (1994 and 1999).

According to the conclusion announced today, in October 1999 Maziyev
was in Azerbaijan wherein he was enlisted by Azerbaijani special
services. By Jan 4 2005 he was receiving tasks from the special
services and fulfilling them. On the whole, he met with
representatives of Azerbaijani special services 17times and received
some 2.5 thous. USD. He sent Armenian Russian language newspaper to
the special services of Azerbaijan, collected information of domestic
political situations in Armenia, on military and defense complex and
the situation in army, information of economic nature as well as on
NKR. The special services were interested whether Maziyev had
acquaintances among the relatives of Nairi Hunanyan and Mushegh
Saghatelyan.

In the autumn of 2000, in conformity with regular instructions,
Maziyev took photos of the president on the latter’s arrival from a
tour. He photographed the landing plane, helicopters protecting the
territory of the airport, the president and his escort passing by the
building where Maziyev lives. He also took photos of the president in
hangar and the building of the airport. He handed over the photos to
the special services, informing them of the places of snipers.

At today’s trial, Maziyev pled guilty. The same day 7 witnesses were
interrogated. The trial is chaired by the judge Tigran Petrosyan. The
prosecution is represented by Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan and
Prosecutor Aram Amirzadyan. The trial will continue on June 13.

A1plus

| 15:17:14 | 08-06-2005 | Social |

HOW CAN DEPENDENT PRESS BE RESPONSIBLE?

`The press is not free enough’, this was the answer of 500 representatives
of the Yerevan State University – lawyers, sociologists, economists,
historians, and journalists, to the question of the `National Center for ‘
about the reasons of the non-effective highlighting of corruption by Mass
Media.

The surveys found out that when it comes to corruption, the Mass Media pay
more attention to education and health fields. During today’s seminar of the
Monitoring center Education deputy Minister Artak Sahradyan said that he is
seriously concerned by the problems in the educational field. At the same
time he thinks the journalists must be responsible for their materials while
highlighting the problems present in the above mentioned field, `WE have
always had two sacred things – the church and the school, and we must be
able to preserve the most important of them – the schools’, he announced.

As for the Mass Media, RA Social Security Minister Aghvan Vardanyan was not
sure whether the journalists are always objective and responsible for their
materials, especially when there is nothing to hide from them. `But this
presupposes two-party cooperation’, said Mr. Vardanyan.

By the way, Vladimir Pryakhin, head of the OSCE Yerevan office who was
present at the seminar made an interesting note. He said that the OSCE does
not consider the Mass Media as a means of propaganda, but the projects
realize by OSCE `according to the Soviet logics have elements of
propaganda’.

AZG Armenian Daily #104, 08/06/2005

Visit

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS TO MEET ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Catholicos of All Armenian, His Holiness Karekin II is paying a patriarchal
visit to California these days. On June 4, His Holiness met with the
Armenian consul to Los Angeles Gagik Kirakosian. A press release by the RA
Foreign Ministry informs that the Catholicos is to meet with the California
governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the sidelines of his visit.

The press office of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin informs that Karekin II
served holy liturgy at the temple of Hreshtakatz. Representatives of 10
religious organizations and denominations headed by Archbishop Roger Mahoney
of Los Angeles’ Catholic diocese attended the service.

Pan Armenian News

SERGE SARGSIAN MET SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

08.06.2005 03:30

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Secretary of the National Security Council under the RA
President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian received Swedish Ambassador to
Armenia Johan Molander, RA Defense Minister’s Press Secretary Seyran
Shahsuvarian reported. During the meeting the Minister informed the
Ambassador of the current situation at the contact line, the activities of
the OSCE Minsk Group in Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement as well as
cooperation with Russia, the US and NATO. The parties also touched upon the
present situation of the military-industrial complex, staff training and
mine clearing in the Syunik region of Armenia.

Analytical Information Agency, Russia
June 6 2005

Impexbank will directly hold 19.9% of Areximbank’s stocks.

Next week Impexbank will acquire a 19.91-percent stake in commercial
Areximbank.

Areximbank’s capital equals $4.7 million. Accordingly the deal value
will total $935.77 thousand.

The share of direct participation of Impeksbank in Areximbank will
make 19.9 %. AT present the shareholders of Areximbank are Armenian
company ” Finmarket ” and the non-resident – RosCreditResources,
being controlled by Impexbank and Unikor-Finance which operates the
assets of businessman Boris Ivanishvili.

The Russian-Armenian export-import bank has been created in 1998 for
support of business and service of financial flows between Russia and
Armenia. As of April 1, 2005, Areximbank’s assets amounted to $46.64
million.

Impexbank was founded in 1993, its authorized capital is 2.334
billion rbl. It enters 30 largest Russian credit organizations,
monthly published by the Central Bank. The Bank is supervised by the
structures close to businessman B.Ivanishvili.

60% OF ARMENIANS HAVE EXCESS WEIGHT AND 26% – ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

YEREVAN, JUNE 3. ARMINFO. According to recent investigations conducted
by the Armenian Medical Association (AMA), 26% of Armenian citizens
have arterial hypertension.

Chief of the AMA Parunak Zelveyan informed at today’s press-conference
that the investigations were conducted in Yerevan, 800 people of
various ages were questioned. According to the questioning, 60% of
respondents had the excess weight, 90% noted that they do not realize
or do not take into consideration the information about the harm of
cholesterol excess in blood. 50% of questioned hypertensive patients
noted that they received medical treatment only a week. In Zalveyan’s
opinion, short treatment is worse than not receive treatment at all.

Zalveyan noted that Armenia’s government should take measures for
precautions of hypertension and to enter to the state order patients
with arterial hypertension as most of them give up the treatment
because of the inaccessibility of drug prices.

PRINCIPLE OF POWER DIVISION NOT PRESERVED

A1plus

| 12:37:10 | 04-06-2005 | Politics |

May 11 the National Assembly in the first reading adopted as a basis
the draft of constitutional amendments submitted by the coalition. The
draft that does not solve the main problem of reformation- the
regulation of balance of power between the states bodies. The Venice
Commission adheres to the same opinion.

“Even in December 2004 the conclusion said that the draft does
not secure the principle of power balance, moreover the President
still preserves his dominating position in the political system”,
constitutional right specialist Vardan Poghosyan reminds. In his words,
both in the acting Constitution and the adopted draft the government
still bears a double responsibility before the National Assembly and
the President. “It means that the President can any moment dismiss
the Prime Minister, what means that the government activity directly
depends on the President’s will.

Vardan Poghosyan assures that in none of the countries with
semi-presidential government system the government bears double
responsibility. “Semi-presidential system supposes that the government
that enlists the support of the parliament is functioning until it
loses the NA’s trust. Besides the problem of dismissing the Premier
the draft adopted leaves the government formation in the President’s
hands. The only change is that the NA will be dissolved not after the
third but after the second time it does not approve the government’s
program” Vardan Poghosyan said.

In his words, these two clauses are enough to be convinced that
the draft violates the logics of the semi-presidential government
system. Thus we are dealing not with the semi-presidential but
the super-presidential system. “The government is obliged to take
decisions on the basis on normative acts by the President. Though
the President does not ratify decision of the government he has the
right to suspend any decision and appeal to the constitutional court
to check it with the Constitution. At that the matter concerns not
only the normative but also individual decisions by the government”,
V. Poghosyan noted.

According to the draft adopted though the President does not preside
over the government sittings he can exercise his right to do that.

The functions of the President remain almost unchanged . “There is
a gap in Article 49. It says that for performing his functions the
President is empowered to undertake any steps; thus the President
has boundless authority. Consequently, Article 49 should define
that the President of the republic can perform his functions within
his authority only”, V. Poghosyan stressed. According to him, the
draft does not solve the problem of expanding the authority of the
National Assembly. On one hand its authority on exercising control is
insignificant, on the other hand with the absence of precise majority
it can turn into an uncontrollable body that can cause governmental
crisis.

In its conclusion the Venice Commission with regret noted the reduction
of the number of questions included in the legislative authority
of the National Assembly (in 2001 draft -37, now – 18). The draft
adopted in the first reading provides for 10 exclusive legislative
authorities of the National Assembly.

Victoria Abrahamyan