Author: Karagyozian Lena

RA AMBASSADOR HANDED CREDENTIALS TO CZECH PRESIDENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.11.2006 17:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 7 newly appointed Armenian Ambassador to
Czechia Ashot Hovakimian handed his credentials to Czech President
Vaclav Klaus, reported the RA MFA press office. During the meeting
the interlocutors assessed highly the friendly relations established
between the two states and remarked that there is still much to be
done in political, economic and cultural fields. They also touched
upon the cooperation with using the possibilities provided by the
Armenia-EU Action Plan within the New Neighborhood Policy. Completing
the meeting President Klaus wished every success to the newly appointed
Ambassador in performing his high mission. Ashot Hovakimian also met
with a number of top officials to discuss the Armenian-Czech bilateral
relations and approve some measures for their encouragement.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Nov 11 2006

SPEAKER OF AZERBAIJAN PARLIAMENT MEETS ITALIAN DELEGATION
[November 10, 2006, 22:22:51]

Speaker of Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic Ogtay Asadov
November 10 met with the delegation led by President of the
Constitutional Court of Italy Franco Bile visiting the country to
take part at the international conference held at Constitutional
Court of Azerbaijan in Baku.

The friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Italy successfully develop,
Mr. Asadov noted. The negotiations President of Azerbaijan carried
out in Italy in February 2005 and the signed documents have opened a
new phase in development of relations. As stated, today the goods
turnover between two countries has reached $1,5 billion. All the
large-scale economic projects in region have been initiated by
Azerbaijan and now the country plays importunate role in Europe’s
energy safety, the Speaker of Azerbaijan stressed.

Ogtay Asadov spoke of the inter-parliamentary links between the Milli
Majlis of Azerbaijan and Italian Parliament. He also updated the
guest on ensuring human rights and freedoms in the Republic, the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the UN Security
Council’s resolutions to solve the problem.

President of the Constitutional Court of Italy Franco Bile expressed
gratitude for hospitality they were shown during the event in Baku.
`Azerbaijan develops intensively and ensures human rights at high
level. We are convinced that reciprocal visits will have positive
influence on development of our relations’, he underlined.

The sides also had exchange of views on a number of other questions
representing mutual interest.

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 10 2006

STUDENTS COUNCILS OF ARMENIA ON THE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION REFORMS

Representatives of the Students Councils of Armenia discussed
prospects of high school educational reforms in the Congress Hotel
today. The workshop was organized under the initiative of the ‘Nikol
Agbalyan’ students union of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) ‘Dashnaktsytyun’. Levon Lazarian, Minister of Education and
Science of Armenia and a member of ‘Dashnaktsytyun’ party, attended
the meeting.

L. Lazarian said that he will support students’ initiatives
concerning reforms in high education system. As part of it,
regulations of Armenian declaration signed in Bologna will be
realized. He said that it is important that Armenian educational
system integrated into the international systems. "In order to be
successful, educational system of a small country should partake in
the international processes", concluded L. Lazarian.

MOSTRA SU ARMENI DEVASTATA, REGIONE PIEMONTE LA ACQUISISCE ; ASSESSORE CULTURA OLIVA, GIRERA’ SCUOLE PER RICORDARE GENOCIDIO

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
November 6, 2006

TORINO

(ANSA) – TORINO, 6 NOV – La Regione Piemonte acquisisce la mostra sul
genocidio armeno che durante l’inaugurazione ieri a Varallo Sesia
(Vercelli) e’ stata danneggiata da un giovane turco che ha preso a
calci i pannelli e rovesciato a terra preziosi volumi storici. Lo
annuncia l’assessore alla Cultura Gianni Oliva, sottolineando che
l’iniziativa sara’ accompagnata dall’organizzazione di un incontro
con lo scrittore turco Orhan Pamuk, premio Nobel 2006, che lo scorso
anno venne incriminato nel suo paese per avere espresso parole di
condanna del genocidio armeno.

"La Regione – ha detto Oliva – si impegna ad acquisire la mostra
e a farla girare nelle province e soprattutto nelle scuole di
tutto il Piemonte, perche nessuno dimentichi questo triste pezzo
di storia. Insieme alla diffusione della mostra – ha aggiunto –
organizzeremo una iniziativa pubblica con Orhan Pamuk, incriminato
in Turchia per le sue dichiarazioni sul genocidio degli Armeni, e
con lo scrittore Guenter Lewy, che da pochi mesi ha pubblicato per
Einaudi un significativo libro dal titolo ‘Il massacro degli Armeni,
un genocidio controverso’".

La mostra di Varallo Sesia, ora presidiata dalla polizia, raccoglie
fotografie di Armin Wegner ed e’ curata da Pietro Kuciukian, armeno
figlio di uno scampato al genocidio del 1915, autore di vari libri
sul tema. Tra i pannelli semidistrutti dal giovane turco (che e’
sposato con un’italiana e vive a Varallo Sesia da circa due anni),
ne figurano due che riguardano i Papi.

Uno e’ dedicato a Benedetto XV, che per primo nel 1915 cerco’ di
fermare il massacro appellandosi al sultano ottomano del tempo.

Un altro ricorda il viaggio che fece Papa Wojtyla in Armenia nel
2002.(ANSA).

TURKEY RISKS EU NEGOTIATIONS IF CYPRUS NOT RECOGNISED: FRANCE

Agence France Presse — English
November 8, 2006 Wednesday 3:25 PM GMT

France called Wednesday for the timetable governing Turkey’s talks
to join the European Union to be revised if Ankara does not change
its defiant stance on the divided island state of Cyprus by the end
of the year.

"If by the end of the year Turkey still does not recognise the 25
(EU) member states, including obviously Cyprus, then it seems to
me necessary to review the membership timetable for Turkey into
the European Union," Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told
parliament.

Earlier, the European Commission issued a report warning Turkey
to meet its obligations, in particular toward Cyprus, or else its
"overall progress" in EU membership talks would be affected.

The report said there was no resolution in sight over Cyprus, which
is divided between an internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot
administration in the south and a northern self-declared statelet
under Turkish patronage.

Although Turkey is keen to join the European Union, it has not modified
its stance on Cyprus, which it invaded in 1974 in response to a Greek
Cypriot coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.

"Today, it has to be noted that Turkey still does not accept opening
its ports and airports to ships and planes, not only (southern)
Cypriot ones, but also those that come from (southern) Cyprus. It
is therefore evident today that Turkey is not responding to its
obligations," Douste-Blazy said.

The minister said current EU president Finland was doing everything
to resolve that and other outstanding issues with Turkey by the end
of the year.

But he stressed that the European Commission report said that Turkey’s
EU negotiations were "accumulating delays" because of Ankara’s lagging
reform in the areas of freedom of expression, religious freedom and
minority rights.

Although French President Jacques Chirac has said he was in favour
of Turkey one day joining the European Union, relations with France
and Turkey have frequently been strained over the issue.

In the latest row, Turkey last month expressed fury at a French
parliamentary bill which would make it a crime in France to deny that
the World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks constituted
genocide.

BRUXELLES RENONCE A PUNIR LA TURQUIE
De Notre Correspondante A Bruxelles Alexandrine Bouilhet

Le Figaro, France
08 novembre 2006

MALGRE la remise par ses propres services d’un rapport très critique
sur l’evolution de la Turquie, malgre l’impasse sur la question
chypriote, la Commission europeenne ne recommandera pas aux Vingt-Cinq,
aujourd’hui, la suspension des negociations d’adhesion avec Ankara. "
Personne, a Bruxelles ou dans les capitales des Etats membres,
ne veut porter la responsabilite d’une crise avec la Turquie " ,
explique-t-on a la Commission. Pour ne pas donner l’impression de
fuir ses obligations, face a des Etats membres sous pression de leurs
opinions, l’executif europeen promet de faire une recommandation au
Conseil avant le sommet des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement prevu le
15 decembre.

La bataille n’est donc que partie remise. À Bruxelles, on compte sur
un plan de sauvetage finlandais pour resoudre a temps le casse-tete
chypriote. La bienveillance de la Commission a l’egard de la Turquie,
qui se voit octroyer un delai de cinq semaines pour ouvrir ses ports
aux navires chypriotes, irrite plusieurs Etats membres. " La question
chypriote va polluer le Conseil europeen ! " redoute un diplomate
francais. La France, l’Autriche, les Pays-Bas, la Grèce et Chypre
figurent parmi les pays les plus sevères envers la Turquie. Mais
aucun d’entre eux n’ose demander a Bruxelles la suspension des
negociations. " Personne ne veut porter le chapeau d’une rupture "
, resume un connaisseur du dossier. Embarras de Paris Bete noire
d’Ankara depuis le vote de l’Assemblee nationale penalisant la
negation du genocide armenien, la France est très prudente. " Ce
n’est pas a nous de bloquer " , confie-t-on côte francais. L’embarras
de la France laisse les mains libres a Olli Rehn, le commissaire
finlandais a l’Elargissement. Refusant la rupture avec la Turquie,
c’est Olli Rehn qui a eu l’idee de reporter de cinq semaines l’avis
de la Commission. Il est soutenu dans sa demarche par Jose Manuel
Barroso et l’ensemble du collège, a l’exception du Chypriote Markos
Kiprianou. Egalement d’accord avec cette approche en deux temps,
le Francais Jacques Barrot n’aurait qu’une seule exigence : fixer la
date butoir au 12 decembre pour la recommandation de la Commission. À
court terme, les manoeuvres de la Commission font le jeu d’Ankara,
qui accuse l’Europe de vouloir lui claquer la porte au nez sans
respecter ses engagements. À moyen terme, elle peut se reveler tout
aussi douloureuse pour la Turquie. " Si la Turquie n’ouvre pas ses
ports aux bateaux chypriotes d’ici a la fin de l’annee, comme prevu,
il y aura des consequences sur les negociations ", assure-t-on
a Bruxelles. En attendant, la tactique d’Olli Rehn n’est pas sans
resultats. Le premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a annonce
une revision de l’article du Code penal qui punit les insultes a "
l’identite turque ". " C’est la preuve que le premier ministre turc
est engage en faveur de la liberte d’expression ", s’est felicite
Olli Rehn, persuade de pouvoir regler de la meme facon la question
chypriote, pourtant beaucoup plus complexe.

–Boundary_(ID_H47nrpqyGishssW1CmaP5Q)- –

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE

November 9, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN ISSUES SUPPORTERS TO LEAD IN DEMOCRATIC SENATE
REID, DURBIN & BIDEN POISED FOR KEY POSITIONS

Washington, DC – One day after winning majority control in the House of
Representatives, Democrats took back the U.S. Senate, with Armenian
issues supporters Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Richard Durbin (D-IL)
positioned to serve as Majority Leader and Majority Whip respectively,
in the 110th Congress. Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. (D-DE), also a staunch
supporter, is expected to chair the powerful Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, which oversees policy concerning Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh.

All three Senators have raised awareness of the Armenian Genocide as
cosponsors of S. Res. 320, a resolution reaffirming the U.S. record
which is currently pending before the Foreign Relations Committee.
Reid, Durbin and Biden also voted to maintain Section 907 of the Freedom
Support Act in an historic Senate floor fight in 1999 of which, Senators
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) led the effort in
maintaining Section 907 at that time. Sarbanes announced his retirement
from the Senate earlier this year and did not seek re-election. The
Assembly awarded him for his longstanding support of Armenian issues
during the National Advocacy Conference and Banquet in March of this
year.

"The Assembly will continue its bipartisan approach in the Senate and
looks forward to working with our Senate friends, as well as reaching
out to the new class of incoming Senators," said Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny. "We have much at stake and will continue to promote an
aggressive agenda to ensure a strong, prosperous and democratic
Armenia."

Ardouny also noted that Reid and Durbin, along with House Speaker-to-be
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who is running for Majority
Leader, have been consistent supporters of Armenian issues. Their
anticipated leadership positions in the next Congress will provide new
opportunities for advancing key issues.

Additionally, Senator John Ensign (R-NV), who introduced S. Res. 320
with Durbin last year, was re-elected for a second term. Supporters of
the resolution who also won re-election include Senators Maria Cantwell
(D-WA), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Edward
Kennedy (D-MA), Herbert Kohl (D-WI), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Robert
Menendez (D-NJ), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Senate Democrats Russ Feingold (WI), John Kerry (MA), Barbara Boxer (CA)
and Christopher Dodd (CT), who also support S. Res. 320, are positioned
for Subcommittee Chairmanships on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is in line to chair the important State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, a position
currently held by Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky
lawmaker, who has been instrumental in securing humanitarian, technical
and economic development assistance for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, is
expected to serve as the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member in the next
Congress.

Several other Armenian issues supporters are slated to chair full
committees, including Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) – Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions; John Kerry (D-MA) – Small Business and
Entrepreneurship; Carl Levin (D-MI) – Armed Services; Tim Johnson (D-SD)
– Select Committee on Ethics; Herbert H. Kohl (D-WI) – Select Committee
on Aging; and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) – Banking, Housing and Urban
Affairs. Furthermore, Senators Charles Schumer (NY), Jack Reed (RI),
Dianne Feinstein (CA), Tom Harkin (IA), and Barbara Mikulski (MD) – are
all poised to chair various subcommittees.

Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), who has worked against the Armenian
community’s efforts to reaffirm the U.S. record on the Genocide, is in
line to chair the full Appropriations Committee.

Senator George Allen (R-VA), an ardent supporter of Armenian issues,
conceded his re-election bid today, while Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues Members Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
both won seats in the Senate. Brown and Cardin both voted for Section
907 in the House floor fight in 1998 and support Armenia-specific
legislation in the current Congress.

As previously reported, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was re-elected
for a second term, while Republican Rick Santorum was defeated in
Pennsylvania’s Senate contest.

The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issue. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

####

NR#2006-098

Editor’s Note: Photographs available on the Assembly’s Web site at the
following link:

/2006-098-1.jpg

Caption: Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) with Board of Trustees
Executive Committee Member Lisa Esayian.

098/2006-098-2.jpg

Caption: Senator Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD) with Board of Trustees
Executive Committee Member Annie Totah at the Assembly’s National
Advocacy Conference and banquet in March 2006.

TURKEY MAY RELAX FREE SPEECH LIMITS
By Dan Bilefsky

New York Times
International Herald Tribune
Nov 7 2006

ISTANBUL Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled that he is
prepared to amend a law limiting free speech, in an apparent 11th-hour
attempt to prevent a crisis with the European Union.

The surprise move Sunday by Erdogan came just three days before
the European Commission is expected to publish a report criticizing
Turkey for sluggishness on reforms necessary if it wants to join the
25-member bloc.

"The move looks desperate," said Ilker Domac, a Turkish economist.

"It shows how badly things are going with Turkey’s EU membership
prospects."

Talks with the EU have reached an impasse that could result in the
suspension of the country’s EU membership talks, some Turks fear.

Such a move would hobble a key European and American ally in an
unstable region and would risk slowing the pace of its political and
economic reforms.

The commission, the EU executive branch, has been particularly
concerned by Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes
insulting Turkishness a crime. The law attracted global criticism
earlier this year when the Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who was awarded
the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature, was put on trial for telling a
Swiss newspaper that more than a million Armenians were massacred by
Ottoman Turks during World War I. The case was later dismissed.

In an apparent attempt to gain favor with the European Union before
the commission’s report is released Wednesday, Erdogan signaled that
his party, Justice and Development, might be willing to amend the law.

"We are studying several options for how we can handle Article 301 in
harmony with the spirit of the reforms," he said without elaborating.

Turkish analysts said this would likely entail narrowing the legal
definition of what constitutes an insult to Turkishness and amending
the law to make it compatible with the European Court of Human Rights.

Erdogan, who faces strong pressure from nationalists not to change
the law, all but ruled out doing so last week. But Turkish officials
said he had tempered his resistance after furious lobbying by human
rights groups, trade unions and the business community, which fear
that a break in EU membership talks would undermine Turkey’s stability.

EU officials cautiously welcomed the move, but warned that Turkey’s
membership bid still faced enormous obstacles, in particular a
simmering dispute over Cyprus that shows little sign of resolution.

"This is a positive signal, but there are other big hurdles that still
need to be overcome," said Joost Lagendijk, the chairman of the Turkey
delegation in the European Parliament and a member of the Green group.

Turkey has said it will not open its ports to ships from Cyprus,
an EU member, until the European Union lifts trade restrictions
against Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus, which is recognized
internationally by Ankara alone. The Cyprus impasse has proved so
intractable that last week Finland, which holds the Union’s rotating
presidency, canceled talks because the parties refused to be in the
same room.

Armenian Technology Group, Inc.
1300 East Shaw Ave. Suite 131 ; P. O. Box 5969; Fresno CA, 93755
Tel: 559-224-1000; Fax 559-224-1002; Web Site:

PRESS RELEASE

Date: November 7, 2006
Contact Person: Lucille Gahvejian
For Immediate Release Tel: 559-224-1000

"I Am Impressed!"

Minister of Agriculture Davit Lokyan and
Governor of Shirak, Romig Manougyan
Visit ATG Wheat Seed Farms

Yerevan, Armenia – "I am impressed how ATG is helping our farmers
establish a strong private sector seed industry in Armenia," said
Davit Lokyan the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture during his recently
visit to the Armenian Technology Group (ATG) wheat field trial plots
in Karnut village near Gyumri. Mr. Lokiyan was accompanied with the
Governor of Shirak Marz, Mr. Romig Manougyan, Deputy Ag Minister
Samvel Avedisyan and Mr. Garnik Petrosyan, Head of the Department of
Agronomy at the Ministry of Agriculture. Joining them were
representatives from the UN, World Bank and other institutions.

The purpose of Mr. Lokyan’s visit was to witness first hand one of the
14 wheat seed production sites around the country that ATG and its
Seed Producers Association farmers have set up their trial
plots. There are up to 30 different new and improved seed varieties
being tested in each of these locations. Others are locations in areas
such as Ararat, Sissian, Armavir, Kotayk, and Tavoush
regions. Minister Lokyan and his entourage were impressed by the trial
plots in Karnut village near Gyumri.

"I have not seen such an organized scientific research conducted on
seed production anywhere in the Republic. It is marvelous!" said
Mr. Lokyan while visiting the seed trial plots and production farm of
ATG farmer Hovhanness Galoyan, who was the recipient of a Gold Medal
during the latest International AgroForum Conference, for his
accomplishments.

The purpose of these trial plots are to research and identify higher
yielding and rust resistant new seed varieties with minimum input, and
after going through extensive cultural adaptation process make them
available to the farmers.

These are on-going technical practices that were transferred to the
local farmers by series of long time ATG technical farm advisories
from the United States, some of whom were stationed in Armenia for
over 12 years! Since the start of the wheat seed program in 1992, ATG
and its farmers have tested over 400 wheat, barley, alfalfa and corn
varieties, and selected the best yielding seeds for the Armenian
farmers.

The program is now totally being administered by the local team of
agronomists headed by Gagik Mkerchyan, a 13-year veteran of ATG in
Armenia and the director of the SPSA, along with his assistants,
agronomist Vaghinag Kamrastyan and Mekhitar Grigoryan have been
overseeing the wheat seed program that ATG transferred to them.

"I am so proud of Gaigk and the work that he is continuing with his
farmers" said Roger Culver, ATG technical advisor and six year
in-country director in Armenia, from his home in Oregon. "He not only
mastered the western knowledge and farming practices that we transfer
to them, but he and his colleagues are training other farmers to
maintain the highest standard and quality control of seed production
in Armenia. We thank the Lord for provided us with such dedicated
individuals."

"Our goal has been to train and enable the farmers to help increase
their farm production and feed their families" said Varoujan Der
Simonian, Executive Director of ATG. The program inspired the farmers
and gave them hope. It increased production and saved rural Armenia
from starvation during the early years of the Republic. The project
created thousands of jobs, and generated income that otherwise would
not have been possible. "ATG is thankful to all those who continue to
contribute to our mission."

The ATG Seed Multiplication Project has been funded through USDA
Foreign Agricultural Service – Food for Progress, The Lincy
Foundation, The Bertha and John Garabedian Charitable Foundation,
Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church, organizations and individuals
in the United States.

The Armenian Technology Group, Inc. is a California based non-profit,
public benefit corporation with offices in Fresno, CA, Yerevan,
Armenia and Stepanakerd, Artsakh. Tax deductible donations could be
mailed to ATG 1300 E. Shaw Ave. Suite #131; P.O. Box 5969, Fresno, CA
93755. You can also visit the ATG web site at and
donate on line.

Rural Armenia News Service

Brought to you by ATG, Inc.
(Armenian Technology Group)

For more information about how you can help rural Armenia,
contact ATG at [email protected]

ROUNDTABLE ON INTELLIGENTSIA’S ROLE IN NKR’S PUBLIC LIFE HELD IN STEPANAKERT

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 7 2006

STEPANAKERT, November 6. /ARKA/. A roundtable "Intelligentsia’s role
in the public life of Nagorno-Karabakh" was held in Stepanakert on
the initiative of the NKR Union of Journalists.

Chairman of the NKR Union of Journalists Kim Gabrielyan pointed out
the intelligentsia’s great role during the Nagorno-Karabakh movement
and now.

"We are still in the process of forming our state, its principal
component being the recognition of the NKR’s independence," Gabrielyan
said.

According to him, the NKR intelligentsia must display a common
approach to the national problems. With this end in view, the country’s
intellectuals, as well as representatives of state government bodies
must direct their efforts to the benefit of the NKR people.

Speaking at the roundtable were Chairman of the Standing Commission
for Foreign Relations, NKR Parliament Vahram Atanesyan, Chairman of
the Stepanakert Press Club Gegham Bagdasaryan, Chairman of the NKR
Presidential Commission for Ethics Murad Petrosyan.

Attending the roundtable were members of the NKR Parliament,
intellectuals, members of the NKR public and political organizations
and journalists.