Author: Karabekian Emil

ERDOGAN REBUKES ARMENIAN JOURNALIST’S ‘GENOCIDE’ CLAIMS

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Nov 6 2006

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rapped an Armenian
journalist who said that Turkey should recognize the so-called Armenian
genocide, challenging the Armenian president to open its archives.

Erdogan attended the fifth NewsXchange conference on Friday, in which
hundreds of delegates representing TV channels and news agencies
participated.

The two-day gathering was held at the Conrad Hotel Istanbul.

Following a speech he delivered at the conference, Erdogan responded
questions from reporters.

Erdogan reacted to Gegham Manukian from Yorki Media of Armenia,
who said that Turkey should recognize the so-called Armenian genocide.

Recalling that Turkey had opened its archives on history, the Turkish
premier called on the Armenian president to do so.

"Tell your president to open your archives, if he could," he responded.

Manukian later tried to wave a poster; however, security guards
prevented him by seizing his poster.

KAMALADDIN HEYDAROV HAS ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS IN MOROCCO

Today, Azerbaijan
Nov 4 2006

11th Ministerial Session of the European and Mediterranian major
hazards areement took place in Morocco October 30-31.

The main aim of the ministerial meeting was to obtain political support
for disaster reduction as a central element of sustainable development
and to define priorities for the five coming years 2007-2011 which
will guide the work of the Partial Agreement.

The meeting was attended by representatives of some 30 states, PACE,
UN commissions and some 10 international organizations. Azerbaijan was
represented by Azerbaijani emergencies minister Kamaladdin Heydarov.

As APA reports, Mr. Heydarov spoke on sociopolitical situation and
achievements in Azerbaijan, saying Azerbaijan has become a leading
country of the region thanks to the far-sighted policy of national
leader Heydar Aliyev, and this policy is successfully being pursued
by President Ilham Aliyev at present. He also stated that Azerbaijan
is a leading state in the world because of its economic growth rate.

"Azerbaijan is located in seismically active zone and the development
of risky oil and gas pipelines, refineries, chemical industry and
other achievements made necessary the establishment of this ministry
in Azerbaijan," he said.

He also said that Azerbaijan is cooperating with Russian, French,
Ukrainian, Turkish and other states’ relevant bodies.

Mr. Heydarov also touched Nagorno Karabakh conflict, saying aggressor
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azeri lands, displaced over 1m people and
commit arsons in the occupied lands. Despite objections of Armenia
side, the information on the truth of Azerbaijan was welcomed by
the participators.

Mr. Heydarov also meet with Mohamed El Yazghi, Moroccan Minister of
Territorial Development, Water and the Environment, Rumanian Public
Affairs and Territorial planning deputy minister Laslo Borbeli,
Turkish public affairs and settling minister Faruk Hafiz Ozak,
Bulgarian Natural Disasters and man-caused emergency disasters minister
Angel Chakarov.

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TRANSIT OF IRANIAN GAS THROUGH ARMENIA REMAINS ISSUE ON AGENDA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Nov 2 2006

YEREVAN, November 2. /ARKA/. The transit of Iranian gas through Armenia
remains an issue on agenda, Director General of the "ArmRosgasprom"
CJSC Karen Karapetyan told a press conference.

"In theory, Armenia can become a transit country. This is also possible
if the seller and the purchaser agree on terms and the advisability
of the transportation way running through Armenia is substantiated,"
he said.

Karapetyan explained that if the Iran-Armenia gas main had been
designed as a transit gas main its capacity would be four times as
high and the design cost three times as high. However, the financing
burden would be laid on consumers.

"In this aspect, Armenia is a unique country, because it assumed
the burden to ensure the repayment of the funds. Armenia has made
an unprecedented, but right, step by constructing an alternative gas
main in cooperation with Iran," Karapetyan said.

In this context, Karapetyan stressed that Armenia’s domestic market
is extremely small, and no other small country in the world is known
to have constructed a gas main for its own needs.

He also reported that after the Iran-Armenia gas main has been put
into operation in December 2006 Armenia will receive 300 to 400mln
cubic meters of gas at the initial stage, with this amount to be
increased up to 2.3bln cubic meters.

Armenia currently exports natural gas only from Russia – 1.7-1.8bln
cubic meters annually.

STATE BUDGET MUST ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMBAT AGAISNT TRAFFICKING

A1+
[05:25 pm] 01 November, 2006

The RA Government intends to process a new national program in order
to combat trafficking, but no real steps have yet been taken as the
state budget does not allot means for that. According to US deputy
Ambassador to Armenia Anthony Godfry, if the RA Government allots
a certain sum for this purpose, the USA and the UNDP are ready to
actively finance the project.

Today deputy Ambassador Godfry and political-economic expert of
the Embassy Masha Herbst met Hranoush Hakobyan, the head of the NA
Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth.

Mrs. Hakobyan agreed that trafficking is present in today’s reality,
and measures must be taken in order to eradicate it: the national
project must be put into execution, Armenia must sign international
treaties regulating the field, and the legislative field must be
regulated. He expressed readiness to contribute to the solution of
the financial problem and to apply to the RA Government.

EUROPEAN UNION EXPRESSES READINESS TO LIQUIDATE DELAYS OF GIVING RA CITIZENS ENTRANCE VISAS TO SCHENGEN AGREEMENT COUNTRIES

Noyan Tapan
Nov 01 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. At the 7th sitting of the
Armenia-European Union Cooperation Committee held in Brussels on
October 25, the Armenian side arose the issue of inappropriate
complication of giving citizens of Armenia entrance visas to the
Schengen agreement countries. Karen Chshmaritian, the RA Minister of
Trade and Economy Development, the Co-Chairman of the RA-EU Cooperation
Committee stated about it at the October 31 press conference. In
his words, giving of entrance visas to the mentioned countries is
implemented with inappropriate delays, even in the case of RA state
servicemen leaving for Schengen agreement countries in the staff of
state delegations.

K.Chshmaritian assured that the European side expressed readiness to
give urgent solution to the issue. In his words, issues of clerifying
procedures of giving ectrance visas were involved in the RA-EU
joint Actions Plan within the framework of the European Neighbourhood
Policy. "The reality is not combined with the policy which is today led
between Armenia and the European Union," the Minister mentioned. He
added that development of relations among countries, especially,
deepening of business and economic ties, is attached importance within
the context of the Actions Plan, and it is simply not possible without
clerifying the procedures on giving entrance visas."

CIRCUS ANIMALS "EARN MONEY" DURING THE BREAKS

A1+
[12:19 pm] 31 October, 2006

Our general imagination of the Yerevan circus is formed the moment
the ticket-collector nervously tears the tickets of the audience. Then
follows the hustle and bustle and endless queue.

The circus administration has been concerned about the reconstruction
of the arena since the Soviet times.

They hung various multi-colored balloons from the ceiling in attempt
to make the general atmosphere more attractive. Neither the orchestra
nor its site has changed. The only change we fixed immediately was
that recorded music was switched on during the breaks to entertain
the audience.

The show was to start at 5 p.m. but it was cancelled for half an
hour because of the hawkers. One can buy anything he wishes inside
the building – from food to toys.

finally, the show started. It was announced that besides the Armenian
entertainers and performers there would also be guests from Russia
and Ukraine. The start was promising. The Ukrainian equilibrist Gayane
greatly impressed the audience.

But the second performer’s attempts to roll five loops at a time
were doomed to failure. The loops kept falling all the time. When the
assistant gave her 25 loops, she made great efforts to roll them at
least twice but in vain.

The continuation was still worse.

The appearance of the animals on the arena was completely spoiled. The
horses made such an impression as if they were in the circus for the
first time. One of them even tried to hit one of the front sitters.

At that moment someone shouted from the audience, "We had better go
to the zoo instead of the circus and watch the animals as long as we
wished. Then there was a break for 15 minutes.

The performers earned 500AMD per a circle on a "trained"
horseback. Soon a large queue was formed, and the administration
added the time of the break for another fifteen minutes.

P.S.

We shall try to find out from the circus administration in the nearest
future what factors such a low-quality show was determined by and
what problems the Yerevan State Circus faces nowadays.

AMBASSADOR OF GEORGIA AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Oct 31 2006

On October 30 the President of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia received the Ambassador of Georgia in Armenia Mr. Revaz
Gachechiladze.

Mr. Gachechiladze thanked the President of the National Assembly for
showing a restrained, balanced and an acceptable position for the
international community towards the Georgia- Russia conflict. Mr.

Tigran Torosyan expressed a hope that the conflicts between two
countries will be soon overcome and noted that Armenia is ready to
contribute to the settlement of problems with its balanced position.

Mr. Torosyan said that Armenia is always for the regional peace and
welfare and is ready to do its best for achieving it.

On November 17 at the PACE Standing Committee session of San Marino
the report dedicated to the establishment of a Stability Pact of South
Caucasus will be discussed. During the meeting the parties discussed
also other issues related to the report.

The opportunities and development of the Armenian-Georgian
inter-parliamentary cooperation were also touched upon during the
meeting with Mr. Revaz Gachechiladze, Ambassador of Georgia in Armenia.

HIS HOLINESS CONGRATULATES ARMENIAN CYPRIOT MP ON HIS ELECTION AS PARTY LEADER

ArmRadio.am
31.10.2006 18:00

His Holiness Aram I congratulated Cypriot Armenian Member of
Parliament, Mr. Marios Garoyan, for election as President of the
Democratic Party (DIKO).

During a phone conversation with Mr. Garoyan, His Holiness considered
him to be a great honor for the Armenian nation in general and the
Cypriot Armenian community in particular. His Holiness Aram I wished
the newly elected party leader full success in his new mission.

A highly educated man from the Cypriot Armenian community, Mr. Garoyan
has for years been an active member in DIKO and was recently elected
as a Member of Parliament from that party.

GEORGIAN AMBASSAFOR EXPRESSES SATISFACTION OVER ARMENIA’S RERSERVED ATTITUDE TO ISSUE OF GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN CONFLICT

Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia has always supported peace
and prosperity in the region and is ready to do everything possible
for this purpose. The RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian
stated this when receiving the Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Revaz
Gachechiladze on October 30.

According to the RA National Assembly PR Department, the ambassador
thanked the Armenian parliament and its speaker for their reserved,
balanced attitude, which is acceptable to the international community,
to the issue of the Georgian-Russian conflict. T. Torosian expressed
a hope that Russia and Georgia will soon overcome the current
disagreements, noting that Armenia with its balanced position is ready
to assist with solution of the existing problems. During the meeting,
the sides discussed issues related to the report on creation of the
pact on stability in the South Caucasus to discussed at the meeting
of the PACE Standing Committee in San Marino on November 17. The sides
also addressed the development opportunities of the Armenian-Georgian
interparliamentary cooperation.

CZECK MP CALLS FRENCH BILL ‘UNFORTUNATE AND INAPPROPRIATE’
By Cihan News Agency

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 28 2006

Jan Zahradil, a member of the Czech Civic Democratic Party and the
European Parliament (EP), said that distant historical events could
no longer be manipulated as a political instrument.

Czech parliamentarian Zahradil commented on the controversial French
bill to Cihan News Agency when he attended the celebrations of the
83rd anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic at the
Turkish Embassy in Prague.

The Czech MP labeled the French bill, which penalizes the denial of
the so-called Armenian genocide, as "unfortunate and inappropriate."

Zahradil stressed the French bill would aggravate ties not only
between Turkey and France but also jeopardize the Turkey-EU relations.

Zahradil remarked that Czech Republic had its own negative experience
with the retroactive abuse of its past.