Author: Tambiyan Samvel

ARMENIA HOPES LOTTERY WILL STAMP OUT TAX EVASION
By Hasmik Lazarian

Reuters
Feb 5 2009
UK

YEREVAN (Reuters) – Armenia is offering thousands of dollars in lottery
prizes to consumers who take receipts for their purchases to try to
tackle rampant tax evasion in the former Soviet republic.

The initiative began on January 1 and the first prizes will be awarded
this month, after authorities said the threat of prosecution had
failed to encourage shopowners and market sellers to install cash
registers and provide receipts.

"It’s no secret that not many people give receipts in Armenia,"
said Armen Alaverdyan, deputy head of the state revenue committee.

Authorities estimate the grey economy accounts for 30-40 percent of
economic activity in Armenia, a landlocked country of 3.2 million
people, in transition since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Street sellers are everywhere and markets rarely have cash registers.

Under the new scheme, if customers buy from a trader with a cash
register, they stand to win between 5,000 drams (11 pounds) and 500,000
drams. One lucky winner, if the eight-digit number on their receipt
matches that drawn in the monthly lottery, will win 5 million drams
($16,000).

The monthly prize fund amounts to a maximum of $380,000. The government
hopes the lottery will bring in an extra $17 million per year in
tax receipts.

But not everyone is smiling.

"The market sellers don’t want to install cash registers because they
want to avoid paying taxes," said Vahan Kerobyan, chief executive
officer of Star supermarkets.

One market trader in Yerevan, who asked not to be named, said:
"We always pay taxes. If we install cash registers, the amount of
tax will increase, and we’ll need to hire accountants, which will
cost even more."

ARREST OF YOUNG ARMENIANS IS ONE OF GEORGIA’S NEXT IN TURN PROVOCATIONS

Noyan Tapan

Feb 5, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. "We never abandon our friends at a
difficult moment," the Russian ambassador to Armenia Nikolay Pavlov
stated at the February 5 press conference when responding to the
question about the provision of a 500 million dollar stabilizing
credit to Armenia by Russia.

He denied the information that Russia allegedly supplied additional
ammunition to Armenia recently. As regards Armenia-NATO and Armenia-US
relations, N. Pavlov said that Armenia is an independent state,
and he is not jealous of NATO and the US.

In response to the question about whether Nagorno Karabakh may
participate in the CSTO’s operative response forces in some way
or another, N. Pavlov advised to be patient, noting that he is not
familiar yet with the details of the Agreement.

Commenting on the arrest of two young Armenians in Javakhk on suspicion
of spying for Russia, the ambassador declared that this is "one of
Georgia’s next in turn provocations".

OFFICERS IN THE GREEK ARMY CELEBRATING THE 17TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN ARMY

Gibrahayer e-magazine
29.01.09
Nicosia

Greek National Defence Ministry Officers’ Mess in Athens on the
occasion of the 17th Anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian
Armed Forces. Embassy Military Attache Col.

Samvel Ramazian highlighted the historical and centuries-long
Armenian-Greek alliance, the present-day bi-lateral military
cooperation, which is forever developing, having already been implanted
in the hearts and souls of our two nations. A joint wish was made for
the Armed Forces of Armenia – NKR, Greece – Cyprus and the Armenian –
Greek peacekeepers serving abroad.

NATO REPRESENTATIVE: "AZERBAIJAN HAS REALLY ESTABLISHED AN ARMY WHICH IS READY TO CONDUCT OFFENSIVE"

Today.Az
04 February 2009 [10:02]

After Day.Az has posted information about the visit of Azerbaijani
deputies to the frontline regions, it has received a call from a
senior official of NATO from Brussels, who said he always reads
Russian language e- mass medias of the South Caucasus states.

Asking not to mention his name, he dictated the comment on the
statement of Milli Medjlis deputy Baba Taghiyev about the ability of
the Azerbaijani army to liberate all the occupied lands of Azerbaijan
"within 48 hours". Below, is the text of the comment of the NATO
commander.

"It seems that the deputy spoke in a figural sense when he stated
the ability of the Azerbaijani army to liberate the lands just
in two days", said he. "Even the NATO army is unable to do this
wonder. And the matter is not the power of the armed forces of
Armenia, now occupying Nagorno Karabakh and seven other regions of
Azerbaijan. The matter is that though the statements about the power
of the Armenian armed forces have been exaggerated even considering
the free supplies of the Russian military hardware, well-known even
without publications in the Georgian press, the front units of the
Azerbaijani army will hardly manage to reach the Armenian-Azerbaijani
borders within 48 hours due to the complex landscape and numerous
mine fields and other military and technical obstacles. Well, they
can just have a trip around an empty Karabakh.

We are closely watching the armament process of the two countries. The
Azerbaijani army has really grown stronger over the past years. Your
country has really created an army which is able to hold offensive on
the background of which the Armenian army does not seem significant
any more. Today’s relative index, we use in NATO, is absolutely not
the same that we used before reconciliation, when there was almost no
regular Azerbaijani army, while Armenian formations invaded almost
empty settlements of lower Karabakh. Those times are far behind
and now you have a real army, which is able not only to defend the
remaining part of your territory but also to conduct offensive.

Anyway, the statements of your deputy should be perceived in a figural
sense like the statements of Armenian generals about the ability
of the Armenian armed forces to move further and hold hostilities
inside Azerbaijan. Both parties need to calm down, though Armenians
have to worry more and more. In this sense, we really think that in
the tactical sense the years of reconciliation worked in your favor,
Armenian army is no longer able to hold offensive without facing
resistance. Time continues to work in your favor, but you have not
yet reached the critical overbalance".

EastsideBoxing.com
Feb 1 2009

Vic Darchinyan-Nonito Donaire II – Will It Ever Happen?

by James Slater –

When Filipino flyweight Nonito Donaire flattened the fearsome punching
Vic Darchinyan in five rounds back in July of 2007, "The Filipino
Flash" sent shockwaves through not only the Armenian-born Australian,
but through the sport of boxing itself. Until then, "The Raging Bull,"
as Darchinyan is known, had beaten everyone in his path, including
Nonito’s older brother, Glenn Donaire..

The younger brother not only took Darhinyans’s IBF flyweight title, he
also restored the family name. Since then, the 26-year-old who has
only ever lost once as a pro (way back in just his second fight), has
further enhanced his reputation by successfully defending his
112-pound crown on two occasions – beating Luis Maldonado and Moruti
Mthalane, both inside the distance. The Mthalane fight, Donaire’s most
recent, came in November of last year, after a near 12 month inactive
spell.

During this time, the flyweight boss saw the man he shocked make the
move up to super-flyweight and restore his own reputation with
splendid victories over Dimitri Kirilov and Cristian Mijares, both of
whom Darchinyan stopped. Now, the word is, after his highly
anticipated battle with Mexico’s tough and always colourful Jorge Arce
is over with, the 33-year-old Australian citizen will move up yet
again, this time to bantamweight. The question is, will we never get
the chance to see Darchinyan-Donaire II, and will Vic never really
care if he does not get the chance to avenge his sole career loss?

As great as he has looked up at 115-pounds, and as fine a fighter as
he has proven himself to be in general, does Darchinyan not need to
get back in there with the man who stopped him; so as to silence the
few critics of his that remain? Of course, if Darchinyan can no longer
make super-flyweight comfortably, no-one can blame him for moving up –
certainly no-one is accusing him of ducking Donaire. But if he were to
hang around at 115 for just a while longer, surely the two rivals
could meet in a rematch that would prove to be highly interesting.

Donaire has a March defence coming up against the unbeaten Raul
Martinez of San Antonio, Texas, and it would really have been
something if he and Darchinyan had agreed to meet at super-flyweight
immediately after their two respective fights. Donaire would almost
certainly have agreed to a second fight, at the slightly higher
weight, but with Darchinyan seemingly headed to bantamweight we can
forget it. And this is a shame.

The fans would love to see if "The Filipino Flash" could once again
slay "The Raging Bull," and the fight would have almost definitely
been a big seller. Who knows, maybe the rematch will still happen, but
it looks doubtful. This part two, as is often the case in boxing,
seems destined to go unmade.

Will Darchinyan, and to a lesser degree, Donaire, live to regret not
meeting again? And, in the case of the 33-year-old, will there always
be a sense of his wondering, "could I have ever beaten him?"

Boston Globe, MA
Feb 1 2009

Widow continues journalist’s fight for human rights

She hopes to shed new light on Turkey’s past

By Jenna Russell
Globe Staff / February 1, 2009

ARLINGTON – Days after her husband, the outspoken Turkish Armenian
journalist and activist Hrant Dink, was shot dead outside his Istanbul
office, Rakel Dink urged forgiveness.

The killing of her husband, a beloved human rights leader, sparked
outrage and protest, and it pushed his widow to become an even more
visible spokeswoman for his ideals and goals.

Today, Rakel Dink will speak at a panel discussion at MIT about her
husband’s legacy. The event is organized by a new Cambridge-based
nonprofit group, Friends of Hrant Dink, dedicated to the cause of
human rights. Yesterday, she told her story to an appreciative
audience at the Armenian Cultural Foundation in Arlington.

"His death, as painful as it is, brought a message to all the people
in Turkey," Rakel Dink said yesterday, in an interview conducted in
Turkish and translated by her longtime family friend Eric Ozcan. "It
motivated people, and gave them reasons to talk about the dark past,
the problems that have been pushed under the carpet for close to 100
years."

By speaking out – and leaving behind her once-quiet life as a wife and
mother – Dink, 50, said she hopes to continue the conversation her
husband started.

Panelists at today’s 3 p.m. event at MIT will include Oktay Ozel, a
professor of Ottoman history; Peter Balakian, author of a best-selling
book about the Armenian genocide; and Andrew Tarsy, who was ousted
from his job at the Anti-Defamation League last year after a public
skirmish with the organization over its position on the Armenian
genocide.

Hrant Dink – who was editor of Agos, the Turkish Armenian newspaper he
founded – was a leader of the minority Armenian community in
Turkey. Dink advocated fearlessly for Turkey to recognize as genocide
the deaths of some 1.5 million Armenians in the early 20th century,
during the final years of the Ottoman empire. He clashed with the
government frequently, and was tried and found guilty in 2005 of
violating a ban on "anti-Turkish" statements.

Frequently threatened for his views, he was shot to death in broad
daylight on a busy street by a teenager believed to have been
influenced by the country’s militant nationalist movement. The
investigation continues, said Rakel Dink.

The couple, both from humble backgrounds, first met as youngsters 40
years ago in an orphanage camp. Married 30 years, they had three
children, now in their 20s. For decades, Rakel Dink was a quiet source
of strength for her husband, living outside of the spotlight.

"Every morning, he would say, ‘Pray for me; you’re my angel,’ " Dink
told a gathering of about 50 Armenian-Americans yesterday at the
lakeside Greek Revival mansion home of the Armenian Cultural
Foundation.

The crowd, most of whom followed Dink’s remarks in Armenian without
help of a translator, murmured as she described her husband’s
dedication.

"One friend of his said that if he knew his death would improve
relations between Turks and Armenians, perhaps he would have said he
was willing to die before this," said Dink. "He was a very noble
person."

Since his death at age 52, an international foundation set up in his
name has advanced the democratic mission Dink embraced. Yesterday, his
widow described some of the efforts under way: An institute to be
founded in his name, devoted to the study of Armenian history and
culture; a conference to focus on themes of discrimination and
tolerance; an archive to collect his speeches and writings; a
biography she hopes will be published.

Among those listening yesterday was Joy Renjilian, a leader of the
cultural foundation.

"She’s a woman of great faith, courage, and vision," Renjilian said of
Dink, "because she could have continued her life in private, but she
chose to carry on and celebrate his life and legacy."

The new Cambridge-based nonprofit named for Dink will also work to
further his goals of free speech and equality. Its ultimate goal, said
Harry Parsekian, one of its members, is nothing less than
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.

massachusetts/articles/2009/02/01/widow_continues_ journalists_fight_for_human_rights/

Kurdish Aspect, CO
Feb 1 2009

Neo-ottoman policy of AKP

EUTCC – By Michael Gunter

Professor of Political Science Michael Gunter and expert on Turkey and
Kurds explained the evolving role of Turkey in international relations
during the EUTCC’s Fifth international conference on EU, Turkey and
the Kurds.

According to Gunter the AKP government has played an important role to
establish peace and security on regional and international
levels. Turkey is one of the founding members of the United Nations
and recently became a non-permanent member of the UN security
council. Turkey contributed to international missions in Latin
America, Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, and Asia.

Gunter’s examples of Turkey’s constructive role are the
Palestinian-Israeli forum to develop the West-Bank, the Israeli-Syria
negotiations, the hosting of a conference for neighbouring
countries. The organization for Islamic Conference (OIC). The Caucasus
platform with Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. And additional
black sea cooperation and the recent football diplomacy with Armenia.

The Kurdish problem

The AKP’s Middle Eastern policies are focused on two factors says
Gunter: The Kurdish problem and Neo-ottomanism. "In the Kemalist
vision the Kurds are an existential threat to the Turkish
existence. This is in contrast with Neo-ottomanism, that doesn’t have
a problem with Kurdish identity and is focused on economic growth and
comfortable with islamic/multiple identities without seeking
imperialism. Since military means by Kemalism to repress Kurds, will
not solve the problem by itself."

Neo-Ottomanism

Turkey uses soft power. "This is increasingly important. Turkey also
contributes significantly to humanitarian and technical aids and
participates in numerous bilateral aid programs. Turkey is rapidly
emerging as a major state and assists in development. Turkey also
contributed to human rights and the status of woman."

Gunter thinks Turkey plays an important role both regionally and
internationally and is an important transit rout for energy resources
from both the Middle East and Central Asia to Europe. "Turkey is seen
by other UN members of working hard to establish peace in a difficult
region."

But Gunter also remarked that the problems with the PKK, the Kurdish
government in Iraq and the EU and the USA will challenge the Turkish
capacity in the UN security council. Especially if they continue with
the military operations.

Role Obama

But Obama as a new president could result in new opportunities and
problems. "Obama promised to re-establish relations with Turkey and
the Regional Kurdistan Government (KRG) and negotiate a comprehensive
agreement that will deal with the Turkish PKK threat, guarantee the
Turkish territorial integrity and investment in the KRG regions."

Many Turks are also wary of Obama’s possible recognition of the
‘Armenian genocide’ and Joe Biden’s decentralization plan for
Iraq. "Also the EU membership remains problematic. If Turkey manages a
constructive role in the UN council, this might soften resistance for
Turkish accession to the EU. But Turkey must solve the Kurdish
problem." Otherwise Turkey forgot nothing and learned nothing.

Courtesy of Mezopotamian Development Society

html

Belfast Telegraph
January 31, 2009 Saturday
First Edition

The blessings of St Blaise

by EDDIE McILWAINE

Next Tuesday is St Blaise’s Day, I am advised by Sharon McComb of
Comber who informs me it is an anniversary the late Queen Mother must
have known well.

You see, this Blaise was an Armenian bishop to whom a few miraculous
deeds were attributed including saving from death a fellow who was
choking on a fishbone.

In her time the Queen Mum was known on at least two occasions to have
choked on similar bones.

Mind you, I think it was her doctor who saved this Royal and not this
saint, but in her day she enjoyed reading about the Blessing St Blaise
asked in his lifetime for God’s protection against afflictions of the
throat.

Sharon also reveals that St Blaise is the patron saint of wool combers
and one of his emblems is a comb.

WHY THE ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT CANNOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT

Lragir.am
16:54:01 – 29/01/2009

On January 29 at the National Press Club Hovanes Igityan, member
of the Armenian National Congress, expressed his opinion on why the
government of Armenia cannot tell anything to the Georgian government
regarding the arrest of the Armenian young men in Javakheti. According
to Hovanes Igityan, after March 1 the Armenian government extended
a list of 100 people to the Georgian government, including his name
as well and asked informally, without legal grounds, to inform the
Armenian government in case these people show up in Georgia to arrest
them. According to Hovanes Igityan, because of this case, the Armenian
government cannot say anything regarding the arrest of the Armenians
of Javakheti because the Georgian government will answer, "you treat
your citizens unlawfully, and we treat our citizens the way we want,
and we decide whether they keep a dance hall or a group of militants."

ARONIAN CORUS CHESS 2009 SOLE LEADER

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.01.2009 21:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the 10th tour of Corus Chess 2009, Armenian
grandmaster Levon Aronian defeated Michael Adams, fixing his third
victory and becoming sole leader of the tournament with 6.5 points.

Slovakia’s Sergei Mosvesian failed to inflict a defeat on China’s
Yue Wang.

In the 11th tour, Aronian will play vs. Leinier Dominguez. Movsesian
will meet with Loek van Wely.

After 10 tours, Levon Aronyan (Armenia) has 6.5 points; Sergei Karyakin
(Ukraine) has 6 points; Leinier Dominguez (Cuba), Sergei Movsesian
(Slovakia), Teymour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
have 5.5 points each; Jan Smeets (Netherlands) and Loek van Wely
(Netherlands) have 5 points; Michael Adams (UK), Yue Wang (China) have
4.5 points; Daniel Stellwagen (Netherlands) has 4 points. Alexander
Morozevich (Russia) closes the chart with 3.5 points.