No New Infectious Diseases Recorded In Armenia Over Last Years

NO NEW INFECTIOUS DISEASES RECORDED IN ARMENIA OVER LAST YEARS

ARKA
Nov 10, 2008

YEREVAN, November 10. /ARKA/. No new infectious diseases have been
added to the list in Armenia over the last years, Chief Infectious
Diseases Specialist of Armenia Ara Asoyan told a press-conference
Saturday.

Armenia managed to avoid new infectious diseases like bird flu and
atypical pneumonia, Asoyan said.

Apart from epidemics recorded in the country from time to time,
no special surges are seen within the epidemiological situation in
Armenia. According to the doctor, this has been possible owing to
preventive measures and check-ups taken by the country’s Ministry of
Healthcare at all levels.

Currently, the situation with infections is stable in Armenia –
summer season of infections is completed and the winter one has not
started yet, the Chief Infectious Diseases Specialist said.

Acute respiratory diseases (ARD) are currently the only ones forming
a sickness rate.

The Chief Infectious Diseases Specialist asked all ARD patients to
stay home not to infect others.

ARD patients, as well as viral hepatitis, angina and chicken pox
patients are currently being treated in "Nork" infectious diseases
hospital he heads, Asoyan said.

ANKARA: Efforts Will Bring Peace, Says Aliyev

EFFORTS WILL BRING PEACE, SAYS ALIYEV

Hurriyet
Nov 7 2008
Turkey

ANKARA – The president of Azerbaijan said yesterday that peace would
be maintained in the Caucasus as a result of Turkish efforts.

"The developments unfolding in the Caucasus closely concern us
all. Turkey is engaged in very active policies for a solution to
regional problems and will interfere more seriously in the future,"
Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the Turkish legislature. The
Azerbaijani leader made his first visit abroad to Turkey after being
re-elected.

"The results of this involvement (by Turkey) will be positive. We
applaud that," he added.

Turkey came up with a proposal to set up a Caucasian Cooperation and
Stability Platform in the wake of the Georgia-Russia war that broke
out in August. Aliyev’s statement is likely to give new impetus to the
proposal that will also include Armenia and provide an opportunity to
resolve differences over Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani territory
occupied by Yerevan.

"The Turkish-Azerbaijani unity is an important factor in the region,"
said Aliyev.

Calls to Armenia The Azerbaijani leader also urged Armenia to pursue
political measures that could lead to the end of the occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh is the biggest problem,"
he said. "Armenia is not fulfilling the United Nations Security
Council resolutions that require it to withdraw from the Azerbaijani
territory."

He expressed the hope that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
would be maintained and that his country would be rid of "occupation
and ethnic politics."

"For that, Armenia needs to exert political effort and comply with
the decisions."

EU envoy in Ankara Meanwhile the energy commissioner of the European
Union started his visit to Ankara on Thursday, a day after the
Azerbaijani leader held talks with Turkish officials on energy
issues. Andris Piebalgs met Thursday high-level Turkish officials,
including the country’s President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The EU envoy discussed the Nabucco project, the pipeline which will
carry Caspian gas to Europe via Turkey. He tried to overcome the
deadlock as the two sides disagree on the financing mechanism of
the pipeline.

The European Commission is confident the Turkish transit deal can be
signed by the end of year. Although the project has a huge political
support from the EU and the partner countries as well as the U.S.,
challenges remain in place with increasing costs and delays in the
final agreements. The EU supports the project in order to reduce its
dependence on Russian energy supplies. The European Union countries
are worried that Russia uses its grip on energy sources as a political
weapon.

Arpi Vardanian Convinced That Barack Obama To Keep His Promise To Re

ARPI VARDANIAN CONVINCED THAT BARACK OBAMA TO KEEP HIS PROMISE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan

Nov 6, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. "There is a high probability that
Barack Obama will keep his promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide,"
Arpi Vardanian, the Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), stated at the November 6
press conference. In her words, Sen. Obama has always spoken about the
genocide as a fait accompli, and for him the genocide’s recognition is
not a pre-election promise but a historic necessity to admit the truth.

In the opinion of A. Vardanian, it does not mean that the Armenian
Americans should stop their lobbying activity. "From now on the
Turks will try to influence Obama and the future vice president Biden
in order to prevent the recognition of the genocide. We should not
twiddle our thumbs either," she remarked.

A. Vardanian pointed out that both the U.S. and the world expect the
newly-elected president of the U.S. to make changes. "Time will show
whether there will be such changes or not," she noted. According to
her, it is still not clear to the Armenians whether the OSCE Minsk
Group’s format will be retained and the U.S. co-chair of the Minsk
Group Matthew Bryza will continue his work in it, and if not, who
will replace him.

http://www.nt.am?shownews=1009511

Minister Nalbandian To Visit Sweden

MINISTER NALBANDIAN TO VISIT SWEDEN

armradio.am
05.11.2008 12:44

November 6-8 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian,
will pay a two-day official visit to Sweden.

During the visit the Foreign Minister will have a meeting with his
Swede counterpart Carl Bildt. The parties are expected to sign a
Readmission Agreement between Armenia and Sweden.

Edward Nalbandian will be hosted at the Institute for Security and
Development Policy, one of the most celebrated higher educational
establishments in Sweden. The Foreign Minister will make a speech on
the main directions and priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy.

In Stockholm Minister Nalbandian is expected to meet with the leaders
of the NASDAQ OMX Group and the Ericsson Company.

During the stay in the capital of Sweden Edward Nalbandian will meet
representatives of the Swedish Armenian community.

Consular Fifth Cooperative Session

CONSULAR FIFTH COOPERATIVE SESSION

Panorama.am
19:41 05/11/2008

On November 4-5 the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Armenia and Iran
have had a Consular fifth cooperative session in Yerevan. During
the session the officials have discussed a range of questions on
passport, entrance visa, legal and social issues. In the aftermath
of the session the heads of Consular Departments of Armenia and Iran
have signed a memorandum.

The representatives of Police Station Passport and Visa Department
also took part in the session.

ANKARA: PM Hopes ‘Genocide’ Pledges Remain In Electioneering

PM HOPES ‘GENOCIDE’ PLEDGES REMAIN IN ELECTIONEERING

Today’s Zaman
Nov 6 2008
Turkey

Speaking yesterday on the occasion of the election of Barack Obama
to the presidency of the United States, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said changes in the administrations of the US and Turkey have
never altered the characteristics of bilateral relations between the
countries, which are based on mutual strategic interests.

He said relations with US President-elect Barack Obama’s administration
should continue in the same vein as before.

Responding to questions from reporters, Erdogan also said he expected
certain ideas expressed by Obama during his election campaign to
remain just part of electioneering and not to be developed further
by the White House in the new term, in apparent reference to the
strong pledges made by Obama to officially recognize the so-called
Armenian genocide.

Obama’s election as the first black president in US political history
has "crossed a threshold," Erdogan first noted.

"With this result, we can say that the problem of white and black
no longer exists there [in the United States], because it was not
possible to get such a result only from the black vote. There must
have been a serious shift in the white vote so that such a result
was achieved. I congratulate Obama, his energetic campaigning and
the efforts by his team," Erdogan continued.

"The burden on the shoulders of the United States is very different
compared to other countries, as it is a strong country with more
opportunities in its hands. Obama will carry such a burden at a time of
global crisis. The US has a much larger responsibility to contribute to
global peace. At this point, we must assess some rhetoric that appeared
during the election campaign that we hope was limited to the campaign
and will remain there," the prime minister added, referring to Obama’s
approach towards a recognition of Armenian genocide allegations.

Emphasizing that mutual strategic interests have always been a
determining factor in bilateral relations between Turkey and the United
Sates, Erdogan expressed hope that the this relationship would not
be harmed by the new administration taking office. The prime minister
didn’t exclude the possibility of having a meeting with Obama when he
travels to Washington later this month to attend a financial summit
of the Group of 20 (G-20) countries called by current US President
George W. Bush.

"We will try to have a meeting if Obama’s hectic schedule to form
his cabinet lets him spare time for such a meeting," Erdogan said,
while, on his final note, he wished for Obama’s term to contribute
to democracy, peace and solidarity in the world as well as to the
Middle East peace process.

President Abdullah Gul, at a joint press conference with Azerbaijan’s
visiting President Ä°lham Aliyev, also congratulated Obama on his
victory, saying he wished Obama’s presidency to cement stability and
security not only for the American people, but for the entire world.

"I hope that a new presidency begins for the entire world," Gul
said. In Rome, while participating in a Turkish-Italian forum,
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan echoed the same sentiments of Gul and
Erdogan when asked about Obama’s election.

"We hope the US will make more contributions to the world’s peace,
security and stability after these elections," Babacan said, noting
that the Turkish government has been in contact with Obama’s staff
already. The minister also said the foreign policy issues of priority
for Ankara and Washington match each other to a large extent, as these
issues are related to the geography in the region surrounding Turkey.

–Boundary_(ID_xs0x+wDmiFdQRR1UJR6MfA)–

November 2 Declaration Is First Document, In Which Azerbaijan’s Terr

NOVEMBER 2 DECLARATION IS FIRST DOCUMENT, IN WHICH AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS NOT MENTIONED, LEVON MELIK-SHAHNAZARIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Nov 3, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the estimation of
political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazarian, the Declaration signed
by the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia on November 2 is
the first document, in which Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is not
mentioned. Instead, as he stated at the November 4 press conference,
the necessity to solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict on the basis
of Madrid principles is mentioned, and those principles mention that
the people of Karabakh has a right of self-determination. According
to L. Melik-Shahnazarian, the other positive peculiarity of the
declaration is that the sides have agreed not to use force.

The main shortcoming of the document, according to the political
scientist, is the lack of NKR President’s signature. "When solving
the conflict by peace is spoken about, it is forgotten that
conflict’s border is the Karabakh-Azerbaijan border, and in case
of war’s resumption the military operations will take place there,"
L. Melik-Shahnazarian said.

As regards Russia’s role in the issue of signing the Declaration,
according to his observation, that country skilfully took advantage of
the circumstance that the United States is busy with the presidential
elections and the whole world is concerned with the economic crisis. L.

Melik-Shahnazarian added that the signing of the Declaration
indeed met Russia’s interests, but the concern that Russia wishes
to dislocate troops (peacekeepers) in the liberated territories is
ungrounded. According to him, such a step is not beneficial for Russia
after the Russian-Georgian war.

Meanwhile L. Melik-Shahnazarian affirmed his conviction voiced before
that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be finally solved not at the
negotiations table but in the battlefield.

http://www.nt.am?shownews=1009399

Bush 41 Grownup Repudiates Bush 43 Foreign Policy

Bush 41 Grownup Repudiates Bush 43 Foreign Policy

The Washington Independent
10/28/08

By Spencer Ackerman

Speaking of recognizing that eight years’ worth of foreign policy has
ended in total failure, an interesting item comes to me from Rice
University.

Edward Djerejian is a longtime diplomat and confidant of James
A. Baker III, the former secretary of state and consigliere to George
H.W. Bush. Djerejian was an outsized figure in GOP foreign-policy
circles in its pre-neocon days, having been the only U.S. diplomat to
serve as ambassador to both Syria and Israel. After leaving government
service in the Clinton administration, he became the founding director
of Baker’s institute at Rice University, and Colin Powell briefly
recalled him to chair a State Dept. panel on public diplomacy during
George W. Bush’s first term. In other words, he’s a grownup.

Djerejian doesn’t have much patience with the ultras who drove
U.S. foreign policy off a cliff during the younger Bush’s term. I
haven’t read his new book, `Danger and Opportunity: An American
Ambassador’s Journey Through the Middle East,’ but according to a
press release I have read, Djerejian reaches over to the right-wing
kiddie table and brandishes a switch he cut off the backyard oak tree:

Djerejian backs a fundamental shift in U.S. foreign policy in the
Middle East from conflict management to conflict resolution.

"The road to Arab-Israeli peace does not go through Baghdad or Tehran
as the neocons advocated. I think that is a wrong-headed policy, and I
think the results of that have been rather disastrous," Djerejian
said.

While supporting moves to spread democracy in the Arab and Muslim
world, Djerejian cautioned against a `fixation on elections.’ He
relayed an anecdote from his time as ambassador in Damascus.
Then-Syrian President Hafez al-Assad had just been reelected with
99.44 percent of the vote. Djerejian said he congratulated Assad on
his overwhelming victory and then asked him who were the .56 percent
who had voted against him. `I have all their names,’ Assad assured
Djerejian. The point of the anecdote, Djerejian said, is that
`elections alone do not make democracy.’

Doug Feith and Paul Wolfowitz better get out the ointment before that
leaves a mark. Djerejian’s book appears to be an unsubtle rebuke of
George W. Bush’s approach to the Middle East and a way of saying the
U.S. has a chance to start over. Is Djerejian even bothering to back
Sen. John McCain this election cycle? Hmmm.

h-41-grown-up-repudiates-bush-43-foreign-policy

http://washingtonindependent.com/15295/bus

Boxing: Arce Halts Garcia, Peterson, Martirosyan Win in Vegas

SecondsOut
Nov 2 2008

Arce Halts Garcia, Peterson, Martirosyan Win in Vegas

By Mike Sloan at ringside

Ask and you shall receive. That’s exactly what happened to veteran
Isidro `Chino’ Garcia in his action-packed battle with fellow super
flyweight Jorge Arce on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort &
Casino in Las Vegas, USA. Garcia continuously taunted Arce after he’d
receive a few punches from the Los Mochis resident, begging and daring
`Travieso’ to keep coming and urging him to throw more punches. Arce
obliged and eventually his crippling body assault sapped the energy
from Garcia and the fight was over shortly after the fourth round
began.

Garcia was brazen with his offense and welcomed everything Arce
threw. He figured he’d be able to withstand Arce’s firepower and
eventually score a victory of his own, but Arce’s tremendous punching
prowess was too much for Garcia to handle. Arce focused almost solely
on Garcia’s body with his power shots and it seemed like a matter of
time before the resident of Hacienda Heights, California, folded like
a business selling Y2K merchandise.

An Arce left hook to the body stiffened Garcia late in the second and
finally another left to the liver sent Garcia to his knees early in
the fourth. He was able to climb back up to his feet but once referee
Tony Weeks allowed the action to resume, Arce finished it moments
later.

Arce unfurled a vicious tsunami of punches but although virtually no
solitary punch landed cleanly on Garcia’s head, Weeks stopped it. The
official time was :48 of the stanza. With the sensational stoppage
win, Arce jumped to 51-4-1 with his 39th knockout. Garcia fell to
25-6-2 (8).

Unbeaten junior welterweight contender Lamont Peterson had his work
cut out for him against the tough-as-nails Lanardo Tyner. Peterson did
enough to hold off Tyner and win a comfortable unanimous decision, but
Tyner was in Peterson’s face from the outset. He’d plug away at
Peterson with rapid body shots and flurries to the face, but he was a
bit too slow and predictable for Peterson to be taken advantage of.

Peterson utilized his reach and size o offset whatever Tyner tried to
throw his way and even though the Washington, DC native was penalized
a point for repeated low blows in the fourth, he walked away with a
lopsided victory in terms of scoring. Official scores of 98-91, 99-87
and 99-90 backed Peterson’s dominance, but the fight itself was a bit
closer than the scores suggested. Still, Peterson kept his unblemished
pro ledger in tact with what will look like a walk in the park, though
he had to earn the near shutout decision. Where Peterson ascended to
26-0 with 12 KOs, Tyner, from Detroit, Michigan, descended to 19-2
(11).

Two time Russian amateur champion Matt Korobov made his professional
debut a good one as he stopped game but overmatched middleweight
opponent Mario Evangelista in the third round. It took Korobov two
rounds to figure out Evangelista but when he did, he quickly
dispatched him. A left hook and follow-up right hand wobbled
Evangelista and the neutral corner held him up. Referee Russell Mora
counted to eight and when Evangelista was unresponsive to his
questions (more out of frustration than damage); the fight was called
off without protest. The official time of the TKO came at 2:01 of the
third, allowing Korobov, from Orotukan, Russia, to begin his pro
career with a bang. Evangelista, who hails from Mazatlan, Mexico,
dropped to 1-2-1 (1).

Junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan made a statement as he
obliterated opponent Charlie Howe early in the first round.
Martirosyan needed a spectacular showing like this as he’s largely
been relegated to toiling in near obscurity in off-TV bouts on major
pay-per-view events. Martirosyan, from Armenia but fighting out of
Glendale, California, dropped Howe moments into the contest with a
stiff overhand right. Howe, who previously lasted a full ten rounds
with John Duddy, beat the count but `The Nightmare’ had just begun for
the Grelton, Ohio native.

Martirosyan, sensing an early kayo, swarmed his foe and pummeled him
along the ropes. Dishing out more punishment than a sadist at a
petting zoo, Martirosyan unloaded a barrage of punches until referee
Toby Gibson had no choice but to stop the mugging. The official time
of the technical knockout came at just 1:20 and Martirosyan bolstered
his pro ledger to 22-0 with 14 KOs. For his efforts, Howe dipped to
16-6-2 (6). On a side note, it’s now time for Martirosyan’s handlers
to consider stepping up the level of this talented boxer’s opposition.

Ty Barnett eked past Johnny Edwards via majority decision after six
back and forth rounds. At 5’4′ Edwards had a difficult time getting
inside on the lanky Barnett for much of the fight but he seemed to do
enough damage to steal a few rounds. However, only Lisa Giampa saw the
fight that way as she scored it 57-57. Her scores were offset by Al
Lefkowitz and CJ Ross, who saw it 59-54 and 59-55, respectively.
Barnett, a super lightweight from Washington, DC, improved to 16-0-1
(11) with the win while Edwards, from Aiken, South Carolina, dipped to
14-3-1 (8).

In the opening bout of the evening, Eldersburg, Maryland’s Mark `TNT’
Tucker went the distance for the first time in his blossoming career
as he won a unanimous decision over Terrance Wilson. Tucker used his
power and speed to outwork Wilson and though Tucker seemed to fade a
little in rounds five and six, the middleweight still was always a
step ahead of his opponent. Tucker won the decision on scores of 60-54
on all three judges’ scorecards and improved to 6-0 (5). Wilson, from
Fort Smith, Arkansas, fell to 5-4 (3).

29&cs=36267

http://www.secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=2

Nagorno Karabakh Is The Main Factor In Contradiction Between Moscow

NAGORNO KARABAKH IS THE MAIN FACTOR IN CONTRADICTION BETWEEN MOSCOW AND ANKARA, LOCAL EXPERT THINKS

ArmInfo
2008-10-30 17:21:00

ArmInfo. Today Nagornyy Karabakh is the main factor in contradiction
between Moscow and Ankara, Director of Oriental Studies Institute
under National Academy of Science Ruben Safrastyan said at today’s
press-conference.

‘In fact Russia has managed to overcome Turkey and in the context
of recent proposals of Abdullah Gul to become intermediary in the
Karabakh conflict settlement, Russian president’s suggestion about
the trilateral meeting proves my words’, – he said. Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents’ readiness to take part in the talks in Moscow
on 2 November is also evidence of it.

‘Turkey was jealous to Russia’s success in the region and undoubtedly
is trying come forward with certain initiatives on Nagornyy Karabakh,
but Ankara will hardly succeed’, – Safrastyan concluded.