EXPLOSIVE ASSEMBLY FOUND ON PAVEMENT NEAR HOUSE NO 24 IN MASHTOTS AVENUE
YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Policemen found and rendered harmless a
self-made explosive assembly in a Samsung mobile phone box on the
pavement in front of house # 24 in Mashtots Avenue. An investigation is
underway. NT was informed by the RA Police PR and Information
Department that the Central police station received the alarm call
about a suspicious device at 9:40 am on May 9.
AZG Armenian Daily #088, 09/05/2008
Turkey
PM ERDOGAN’S CALL FOR "MINIMUM THREE CHILDREN PER
FAMILY" AFFECTS FAMILY PLANNING
Remziye Kiymik, the head of Mother-Child Health and
Family Planning Foundation in Antalya said that they
are faced with difficulties in their efforts to
educate families on birth control. She said that many
citizens are saying, "The PM himself tells us that we
should make more children, and you come here to say
the opposite" and they shut their doors to the
educators.
Remziye Kiymik said that the number of people willing
to accept support and assistance in family planning
has been reduced to half, since PM Erdogan’s remarks.
A1+
BUS FARE WENT UP
[06:27 pm] 05 May, 2008
Prices of freight services were expected to go up
after the recent rise in price of natural gas.
A new 400-dram fee has been fixed for a
Noyemberian-Bagratashen route instead of the former
350 drams.
`Kamut’ TV, Noyemberian
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 5 2008
US State Department says Armenia is a country potentially vulnerable
to money laundering and terrorist financing schemes
[ 05 May 2008 11:24 ]
Washington. Husniyya Hasanova `APA. The Office of the Coordinator for
Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State has issued Country
Reports on Terrorism 2007, which contains keen opinions about Armenia,
APA US Bureau reports.
The Armenia Report says: "Armenia’s warming relations with neighboring
Iran continued, with Armenia hosting official visits by Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in October and Iranian Defense Minister
Musrafa Mohammad Najjar in November. In addition to fostering closer
diplomatic ties, these visits served to solidify previous bilateral
commitments to develop joint energy and transportation projects. This
closer cooperation has made Armenia more reluctant to criticize
publicly objectionable Iranian conduct or join other UN member states
in advocating for sanctions on the Iranian regime. Although Armenia
continued to strengthen its counterterrorism capabilities and enhanced
its counterterrorism cooperation with the United States and other
international security organizations, its geographic location, porous
borders, and loose visa regime still provided ample opportunities for
traffickers of illicit materials, persons, and finances. Furthermore,
endemic governmental corruption, a significant organized crime
presence, and a large shadow economy made the country potentially
vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing schemes."
Earlier White House and State Department stated that they were
thinking about sanctions against Yerevan for its suspicious relations
with Iranian officials.
A1+
A WEEK AT THE VATICAN
[01:03 pm] 06 May, 2008
By invitation of Pope of Rome Benedict XVI, His
Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians left for the Vatican to promote
relations and cooperation between the two Churches.
On May 6-9 His Holiness is to meet Cardinal Walter
Casper, the head of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, and visit Papal University
in Rome. On May 8 Supreme Patriarch will join the
assembly dedicated to the Armenian Divine Liturgy.
The two patriarchs will also hold an ecumenical
ceremony.
On May 10-13 Catholicos of All Armenians will meet the
Armenian Community in Italy and will visit the Venice
Mkitharian Academy.
Kentucky becomes 41st state to recognize Armenian Genocide
armradio.am
06.05.2008 18:06
Kentucky Governor Steven L. Beshear proclaimed an issue recognizing the
Armenian Genocide. The "Bluegrass State" proclamation brings the number
of states to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide to forty-one.
The powerfully worded proclamation designated April 24, 2008, as "Day
of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide" in the state of Kentucky,
noting that "recognition of the ninety-third anniversary of this
genocide is paramount to guarding against the repetition of future
genocides and educating people across the Commonwealth about the
atrocities of these horrific events."
"Gov. Beshear’s proclamation reflects the growing sentiments of U.S.
government officials to speak with moral clarity on the Armenian
Genocide," stated ANCA Eastern Region Director Karine Birazian. "The
burgeoning Kentucky Armenian community’s initiative serves as an
inspiration to Armenian American activists across the U.S. to redouble
efforts to end Turkey’s gag rule on U.S. affirmation of this crime
against humanity."
AZERBAIJAN: BUSH’S REMARKS IRRESPONSIBLE
PRESS TV
May 4 2008
Iran
Azerbaijan Republic officials have branded recent comments by President
Bush’s on a lack of free expression in their country irresponsible.
Ramiz Mekhtiev, the head of president’s office and Khazar Ibragim,
foreign ministry spokesperson said in speeches on Friday that freedom
of press and human rights in Azerbaijan is far more substantial than
in other south Caucasus’s states such as Armenia and Georgia.
According to the US, human rights and democracy is considered as
established only in countries that have undergone a bloody power
struggle and been mired in great chaos and the loss of innocent
lives. Since Azerbaijan has not experienced any of those conditions,
its circumstances are simply beyond US perceptions the Azerbaijani
officials explained.
The head of Azerbaijan’s president office also noted that the US
Embassy in Baku has paid out USD 3.2m for the upcoming presidential
election–thereby directly meddling in state affairs. He said a
change in the American opinion about the situation in Azerbaijan
would be welcomed.
VESTRON WINS TENDER FOR SUPPLY OF EQUIPMENT FOR ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
ARMENPRESS
May 4, 2008
YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: A Ukrainian-American company, Vestron,
was recognized the winner of an international tender for supply and
installment of equipment for the second unit of the Armenian nuclear
power plant in Metsamor.
Movses Vardanian, the chief engineer of the nuclear power plant, told
Armenpress that the supply and installment of the equipment is part
of safety raising measures. He said the new equipment is intended for
ensuring uninterrupted power supply to unit 2 in case of emergencies.
Vestron cooperated with the Armenian nuclear power plant in the
past. It built an automatic management system for ensuring proper
water levels for all 6 steam generators of the plant.
Movses Vardanian said the government of the U.S. provides the plant
with annual financial assistance to help raise its safety. He said
this assistance in the last 15 years amounted to $35 million.
The tender for supply and installment of equipment was held with the
support of the U.S. government, Movses Vardanian said.
SUCCESSFUL FOREIGN POLICY ONLY IN VIRTUE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT
By Marietta Khachatrian
AZG Armenian Daily
02/05/2008
Foreign policy
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian answered the
questions of the journalists in the National Assembly, on April
30. Before it, in NA hall was criticized absence of details of RA
foreign policy in the program of the government. To the question of
"Azg" daily about it Foreign Minister mentioned that RA President
carries out general foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia. The
program also mentions that foreign policy will be carried out together
with RA President corresponding to the terms of the strategy of
national security. And repetition of the strategic terms would only
increase the volume of the program.
According to E. Nalbandian, Foreign Ministry will always present
foreign policy issues to the public to discuss them and get the public
support as successful foreign policy can be carried out only in virtue
of public support.
To the question if it was right to adopt a statement on Nagorno
Karabakh in the National Assembly, when by the way was criticized the
policy accomplished until now, E. Nalbandian answered, "I think that
we have passed a fair way in the process of Karabakh issue settlement
and as a proof there are draft proposals on the table presented by
the Minsk Group. It is a result of long-lasting efforts and we should
continue the process based on those proposals. But our readiness is
not enough; Azerbaijan should also express readiness".
On May 6, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign Ministers are to meet
in Strasbourg. Maybe it is a cognitive meeting but E. Nalbandian
hopes that it will be a meaningful meeting and after the meeting,
the parties will announce that the negotiations will be continued.
Armenians: More pressure on Turkey
Reformatorisch Dagblad
Dutch daily newspaper
23 April 2008
By Political Editor
THE HAGUE – The Netherlands should give more support to those who want an
open discussion on the Armenian Genocide in and outside of Turkey.
The Netherlands should also more strongly emphasise the necessity of
Genocide recognition in the process of the negotiations for accession of
Turkey to the European Union.
This is written in a petition that the Federation of Armenian Organisations
in the Netherlands (FAON) offered Tuesday to the Dutch parliament. Tomorrow
it will be the 93rd anniversary of the deportation and annihilation of about
1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. Turkey still refuses to
recognise the massacres as genocide.
The Dutch parliament indeed recognised the Genocide by adopting the motion
submitted by Mr. A. Rouvoet in 2004. The government however should work out
more seriously the conditions drawn up in the motion, according to the
Armenians. For example the government should keep harking on the issue of
human rights within the framework of the accession negotiations to European
Union.
The Armenians rectified on Tuesday the misconception, that the recognition
of the black past would not be part of the conditions for the accession of
Turkey to the European Union. That is in fact one of the conditions, they
emphasised. Minister Bot has in the past pointed out in the parliament that
the recognition of the Genocide is implied in the condition of the so-called
³good neighbourhood².
In addition to the petition the FAON also handed over to the Parliament the
Dutch translation of the book ³The First Holocaust² by the journalist Robert
Fisk, in which the correspondent of the British newspaper The Independent
draws attention to the Genocide of the Armenians.