Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

OLYMPIC DAY OF RUNNING RACE HELD IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
13:37 24/06/06

Running on the occasion of Olympic day of race started in Yerevan
today at 10.00 from the Republic Square.

The action is held in many countries around the globe and nominates
the anniversary of the establishment of International Olympic
Committee (June 24, 1894). The participants of the race, students
and schoolchildren, will run to Hrazdan stadium. Certificates will be
handed to the first 20 winners of the race. The runners will be met by
the National Olympic Committee of Armenia and other Olympic champions.

The transport movement is partly stopped in the city due to the
race.

ISLAMIC CULTURE EXPERT JOINS SUIT OF ARMENIANS OF SAINT PETERSBURG,
WHO PROTEST AGAINST TURKISH ADVERTISEMENT

Saint Petersburg, June 23. ArmInfo. The Islamic cultural expert joins
the suit of Armenians of Saint Petersburg against the advertisement
"I dream of Turkey", considering it a provocation. "In order to
quarrel the Christians with Moslems, offending either of them,
a new provocation is invented, i.e. the advertising of tourism to
Turkey is drawn up as an advertisement "I dream of Turkey", which
the TV-Rambler shows in Saint Petersburg by channel 22. A group of
Armenian activists-Christians had already handed in a statement of
claim to the court against the channel, accusing it of honor and
dignity offense". As ArmInfo was told in the Edition of "Yerkramas"
newspaper of Armenians of Russia, Sergey Markus, a cultural expert,
presenter of Islamic programs of the state "Radio Rossii", made such
a statement in the Internet- portal islam.ru.

According to Markus, this advertising is a double blasphemy for any
Moslem. Image of prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) is forbidden by Islamic
rules. Secondly, even if it is a Christian image, it has not to be
trampled on, as requirement of a respectful attitude to the Christians
is stated in the Koran, Markus said.

NKR FM: NKR’S STATUS DETERMINED WITHIN LEGAL FRAMES BY NATION RESIDING HERE

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 22, 2006

Recently the Azeri party via AR FM Elmar Mammadyarov stated readiness
to grant the highest status of autonomy adopted in the world, including
the one equal to Tatarstan’s status within RF, to Nagorno Karabakh.

In this connection Nagorno Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrosyan
gave commentary: "The statement, unless it is a current propaganda
ploy, means that the Azeri leadership is ready for his country’s
federalization. From this viewpoint one can express hope that the
above-mentioned status will be granted to Lezgins, Talyshes and
other nations residing in Azerbaijan. As for the NKR, with which the
Azeri leadership avoids any contacts, it should be underscored that
official Baku cannot grant any status to Nagorno Karabakh, as the
issue is out of Azerbaijan’s competence. Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s
status is determined within the legal frames by the nation residing
here. The Azeri-Karabakh conflict’s essence is that the Azeri party
proved to be unable to resolve the issues of the kind and resorted
to armed aggression.

Official Baku goes on ignoring the present realities, according to
which the NKR’s independence is the greatest value of the Republic’s
nation that has been supported at a nation-wide referendum on state
independence December 10, 1991. The NKR people not only protected
their right to be in charge of their own fate in the course of the
imposed war, but for last 15 years minimum 7 times reaffirmed its will
via democratic nation-wide Presidential and Parliamentary elections,
when the electors voted for the programs of separate candidates and
political parties that spoke up for the Republic’s state independence".

FEARS OF TURKEY’S ‘INVISIBLE’ ARMENIANS
By Sarah Rainsford

BBC News, Istanbul
grammes/from_our_own_correspondent/5102564.stm
200 6/06/22 12:34:56 GMT

The head of the Armenian Orthodox church is in the middle of a
controversial visit to Istanbul. Karekin II has in the past angered
Turks by accusing them of committing genocide against Armenians at
the time of World War I. Turkey denies the charges of genocide.

I thought it was a perfectly simple question.

I had gone backstage to interview the conductor of an ethnic Armenian
church choir after a rousing performance at Istanbul University.

As the choristers packed up their manuscripts, we chatted for a while
about the music and the conductor was all smiles.

Then I asked his opinion on the conference his choir was singing at –
the snappily labelled "Symposium on New Approaches to Turkish-Armenian
relations".

I wondered if he thought the event could help mend fences. Within
seconds, he was edging away from me, apparently deeply uncomfortable.

"I don’t want to talk about politics," he pleaded, "we just came for
the music!"

It was a telling insight.

Closed borders

Turkey and Armenia are neighbours who might as well be a million
miles apart.

Diplomatic relations have been frozen for over a decade; their mutual
border is closed.

They seem to have no idea there used to be hundreds of thousands
of us here Vartan, ethnic Armenian Part of the reason is Turkey’s
support for the Azeris in their conflict with Armenia.

But the direct dispute is over a matter of history: The death of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians in eastern Turkey during the dying
days of the Ottoman empire.

Armenia wants those deaths recognised as genocide. Turkey refuses to
accept that term.

For Armenia and its vast and powerful diaspora, getting recognition
from Ankara is a mission so important, it is almost a way of life.

But here inside Turkey, ethnic Armenians have chosen an uncomfortable
silence over confrontation.

I visited Anush and her brother Vartan in a leafy middle class suburb
of Istanbul.

Their apartment was typical of the area, but with the odd design
twists, like knotted dried flowers on the table that reminded me of
my trips to the Caucasus.

"Turks still ask me where I come from," Vartan told me, as his
sister brought in the tea. "They seem to have no idea there used to
be hundreds of thousands of us here."

Uneasy existence

Anush and Vartan are just two of some 60,000 ethnic Armenians who
still live in Turkey – a land their ancestors have inhabited for
almost 2,000 years. It is an uneasy co-existence.

"We’ve lived with violence ever since I was born," Anush told me.

"Graffiti on our churches, abuse on the streets. I still think twice
in some areas before I say my name openly."

For previous generations life was even tougher.

Anush’s parents barely speak Armenian, because their parents worried
they would stand out and when Armenian militants began assassinating
Turkish diplomats in the 1970s, Turkish Armenian families here made
themselves more invisible still.

It is hardly surprising they do not normally voice an opinion on what
happened in 1915.

Anush and Vartan are a rare exception and, even so, I have had to
change their names.

We know exactly what happened, Vartan told me.

He said his Armenian great grandparents were forcibly deported
south, accused of siding with Russian troops against the Turks. They
handed their children over to Turkish neighbours for safety and
never returned.

There is a similar tragedy behind every Armenian door here, but
the local patriarch has banned his community from discussing it –
if they want to keep their jobs in Armenian churches and schools.

"It’s fear," Anush told me simply.

There have been some early signs of change here. Last year a university
in Istanbul hosted the first discussion of the genocide claims in
Turkey ever to question the official line. It was hugely controversial
but it happened.

And now international pressure on Ankara to re-examine its position
is increasing.

Vartan welcomes that but he senses a rise in aggressive, nationalist
feeling in Turkey in response.

"If other countries force this issue, it will be terrible for the
Armenian people here," Vartan told me quietly.

"If you plunge a man into boiling water, he will burn," he said,
"but if you increase the heat gently, he could get used to it."

‘Pseudo-citizens’

Unlike the Kurds, Turkey’s Armenian population is an officially
recognised minority with certain rights and privileges.

But despite that – and despite their silence – Turkish Armenians seem
like pseudo-citizens.

I began to understand the price people like that choirmaster pay to
live in peace in Turkey Anush told me that in one school text book
Armenians are still described as separatists with an eye on Turkish
land. History books carry the official view of 1915, of course,
with the Armenians exiled as traitors.

And even now, in Armenian schools here, ethnic Armenians are banned
from teaching certain "strategic" subjects – geography, sociology,
morality, history.

As we talked into the warm evening, and glasses of tea gave way to
Armenian cognac, I began to understand the price people like that
choir master pay to live in peace in Turkey.

To many Armenians abroad their silence is a sort of treachery. For
Anush, Vartan and the others it is about protecting a fragile peace.

But it is all built on the shakiest of foundations.

"I am positive. I do have hopes for Turkey," Anush told me as I put
on my shoes to go.

"But I don’t remember ever feeling truly comfortable living here.

Always at the back of my mind is the thought that one day I may be
forced to leave."

TURKEY DOWNPLAYS U.S. FUNDING BAN ON ‘ANTI-ARMENIAN’ RAIL LINK
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 21 2006

Turkey on Wednesday played down the significance of a likely legal
ban on U.S. involvement in its plans to build a rail link with Georgia
and Azerbaijan that would bypass Armenia. Official Ankara said at the
same time that it has begun exploring possible Armenian participation
in the far-reaching regional project.

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved
a legal amendment last week that forbids the U.S. Export-Import Bank
from financing construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway
estimated to cost $400 million. The measure, strongly advocated by
Armenian-American lobbying groups, is likely to be passed by the full
House. Similar legislation is also expected to be debated in the U.S.
Senate.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan told RFE/RL that U.S.
restrictions could not thwart the project’s implementation. "I don’t
think so," he said. "I think the three countries have enough funds.

So we can finance the project in one way or another." Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey are keen to start work on the railway "as soon as
possible," he said.

A senior official at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport, Sadreddin
Mamedov, likewise dismissed the congressional measure at the weekend.

"If American companies do not finance the project, we will find other
sources [of financing]: Japanese banks, the Asian Development Bank
or somebody else," he told the Baku daily "Ekho." Besides, he said,
Azerbaijan has "sufficient resources" to foot a large part of the
construction bill.

Still, Turkish media reports suggest that Ankara is now willing to
show more flexibility on the issue. According to the official Anatolia
news agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev in Baku on Tuesday that "Armenia can also join
these projects if it wants."

Tan confirmed that Gul raised the issue with Aliev but made it clear
that Armenian involvement in the regional railroad is conditional on a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The fact of the matter is
that we have to include Armenia into the project after the solution
of the problem," he said. "That was the discussion which took place
between Aliev and Gul." The Azerbaijani leader was "positive" about
the Turkish proposal, added the official.

Armenian officials argue that there already exists a railroad
connecting Turkey to the South Caucasus via Armenia and that the
Turkish government should reactivate it instead of spending hundreds
of millions of dollars on building a new one. "The Turkish Daily News"
quoted on Wednesday an unnamed official in Ankara as agreeing that
the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi link will make no economic sense if
Turkey lifts its economic blockade of Armenia.

"But there are some realities on the ground which can not be
ignored," countered Tan. "There is a problem and that problem should
be solved. Armenia must exert some efforts and try to find ways to
solve it."

A Karabakh settlement is also a key Turkish precondition for a broader
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. In addition, successive
Turkish governments have demanded that Yerevan stop campaigning for
international recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire. Gul reportedly stated in Baku that the establishment
of diplomatic relations between the two estranged nations and reopening
of their border is therefore "not a subject of discussions" at present.

Senior Turkish and Armenian diplomats have held a series of
confidential meetings over the past year but failed to make any
progress towards a Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. Tan stood by his
earlier statement that more such talks are possible in the coming
months. "We have talked to them and I think we will," said the Turkish
Foreign Ministry official.

A LIBERAL PARLIAMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

AZG Armenian Daily
22/06/2006

The liberal forces will strengthen their positions at RA National
Assembly of fourth convocation. Gurgen Arsenian, leader of the United
Labor Party, said this at "Pastark" club, today. He emphasized
that as a rule, the liberal forces fail to unite and shape the
parliamentary majority. He added that in the future, the positions
of the pro-Socialistic forces will weaken at the Armenian Parliament.

He said that most of the parliament forces are of socialistic
character, particularly, ARFD, National Unity Party, "Justice" faction,
and "Orinats Yerkir" party. "Notwithstanding the fact whether we
will accumulate the required 5% or not, we will always be in the
political arena of the country," Arsenian said about his party,
adding that they will run in the elections independently. His party
is ready to cooperate with any political force that that share the
ideas of liberalism. As for the parliamentary elections in 2007,
Arsenian assured that "Orinats Yerkir" party will still manage to
take the barrier of 5% in the elections. Earlier, Arsenian said that
in the next parliament "Orinats Yerkir," "Republican," ARFD and the
United Labor Party will be represented.

Only "National Unity" party will lose in the parliamentary
elections. As for the presidential elections in 2008, Arsenian said
that his party will support the candidate whose program will keep
in line with the program of the United Labor Party. Besides, he said
that the candidate they support will win in the elections.

As for the withdrawal of "OY" party, he said that there is some
positive point in that, as the party will occupy the position of the
opponent to the authorities. Arsenian also touched upon the issue
of AMD’s consolidation. He said that in Armenia all the financial
operations are carried out by AMD and he expressed bewilderment why
everyone is concerned about the currency of a foreign country.

In response to the question about the conclusion of the experts of
the Venice Committee on reforms to the Electoral Code, Arsenian said
that one should find out why the experts applied such strict formulae,
whether that was caused by the incorrect translation or by the drawback
in the elaborated amendments.

POVERTY REDUCTION POLICY FOR "KOZLEVIC"
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
19 June 06

It appeared that the revaluation of the national money would arouse
pride among the Armenian society against such a supercurrency as
the dollar. The Central Bank of Armenia lays this idea at the basis
of contacts with the Armenian public. It is not a surprise that the
national liberation veil underlies the government propaganda. The
Central Bank would not be an exception and was not. However, let
the organization led by Tigran Sargsyan not disturb itself with the
thought, after all so far there has not been a government agency
in Armenia, which has managed to arouse pride among the citizens
of Armenia. It would be much more difficult to arouse pride for the
dram. How can a person be proud of something he does not have?

The majority of the citizens of Armenia get income in drams.

Therefore the citizen feels pity for the dram rather than pride
for the revaluation of the dram, because he is starting to get less
and less drams in exchange for his dollars. And this is already so
simple and easy that can be used in elementary school textbooks as
an example. Whereas the central Bank would not perceive it. Tigran
Sargsyan continues the "floating" of the exchange rate of the dollar
proudly and self-confidently. And he is tenaciously assisted by
the senior officials of international financial organizations. The
executive directors and other senior and junior officials of the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund support Tigran Sargsyan.

No doubt, this assistance does not pursue interest, and fits into the
"fair governance" and anti-corruption logic that the leaders of the
same organizations are trying to promote in Armenia. However, if we
subtract interest from their words of support for Tigran Sargsyan and
the Armenian government, logic vanishes. Is it fair that due to the
policy of the Central Bank hundreds of thousands of citizens getting
income in dollars, suffer losses, and several importer oligarchs get
profits of millions of dollars. Hence, on the other hand, they invite
the government of Armenia to exercise fair governance, and on the
other hand, they encourage a monetary policy, which inflicts losses
on the majority of the population. Hence, either the international
financial organizations are not aware of the state of Armenia, or
they are aware but they do not care for it. If they are aware of the
state of Armenia, what are the World Bank and IMF representatives
busy with in Armenia then? If they do not care for Armenia, what do
they have to do in Armenia that they visit here very often and praise
the Armenian government.

It is also interesting that the statements of these officials in
Armenia and their countries are essentially different. Their speeches
in Armenia express satisfaction, whereas in their countries their
speeches are reproachful. If these officials care for the state of
Armenia and they are aware of this state, they must have heard the
Armenian proverb about the possibilities of a clever lamb. And maybe
they have heard this proverb and act according to it. For instance,
they in Washington they write letters that Bush, for instance, would
be satisfied to read, and in Yerevan they make announcements that
would please Robert Kocharyan.

It is almost impossible to find another logical explanation. Or by
saying fair governance the international organizations and their
resident representatives mean that besides the Armenian public
the Armenian government should also think about the international
organizations. It is possible that the government of Armenia might
be acting so, dividing the two-digit growth fairly: this is for us,
this is for Ostap Ibrahimovich. What about Kozlevic? For Kozlevic a
poverty reduction strategy. This perhaps explains the observations of
foreigners that the economic growth in Armenia is being distributed
better.

Today, Azerbaijan
June 17 2006

International Working Group to investigate issue on Azerbaijani
prisoners of war in Armenia

17 June 2006 [09:05] – Today.Az

Pata Zakharashvili, co-chair of the International Working Group to
Search for the Missing, Hostages and Prisoners of War will visit
Armenia to investigate the issue on Azerbaijanis missing during the
military operations in Nagorno Karabakh.

The Working Group coordinator in Azerbaijan Avaz Hasanov stated that
the co-chair Zakarashvili will be accompanied by his counterpart
Bernard Klazen and Hasanov himself on the visit.

The delegation members will meet in Tbilisi tomorrow and will visit
Armenia from June 18 till 22.

Hasanov also said they will investigate the reports submitted by the
State Commission for prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons
on Azerbaijani prisoners of war and hostages held in Armenia as well
as appeals of individuals. The Working Group has received 20 appeals
from individuals for investigating the issue in Armenia, APA reports.

URL:

Man gets three years for scam
By Tania Chatila, The Leader

Burbank Leader, CA
June 17 2006

GLENDALE — A United States District judge sentenced a 43-year-old
Van Nuys man to 37 months in prison Wednesday for an investment scam
that bilked about $20 million from about 200 people, many of whom
are from Glendale and Burbank, said officials with the United States
Attorney’s Office.

Melkon Gharakhanian, whose alias was Mike Garian, pleaded guilty
in January to one count of felony federal mail fraud, United States
Attorney’s Office spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

"The court imposed an appropriate sentence," Assistant United States
Atty. Michael R. Wilner said. "Mr. Gharakhanian will not be able to
defraud other victims for a long time, and it’s an appropriate ending
to this case."

Gharakhanian used his Glendale-based company, National Investment
Enterprises Inc., to collect $20 million from 1999 to 2001 from
investors — mostly Armenian-Americans — who thought their money
was going toward the purchase of technological security systems,
Mrozek said.

Gharakhanian, who was arrested at a Pasadena post office in October,
mailed investors false monthly statements about the company and its
purchases of shares, he said.

National Investment Enterprises Inc. went under in 2001 after
Gharakhanian used investor funds for personal use and to pay for the
company’s operating expenses, Mrozek said.

Gharakhanian admitted that investors lost anywhere from $2.5 million
to $10 million when the company collapsed, Mrozek said.

"Investment fraud continues to be a very pressing problem throughout
Southern California for reasons we can’t fully explain," Mrozek said.

Division of Caucasian Region Underway

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.06.2006 15:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has
the change to transform in a powerful bloc if Russia plays the role
of moderator between East and West, Sergey Sargsyan, an expert of
Spectrum, the Center for Strategic Analysis stated in Yerevan. In
his words, expansion of Iran-China and Iran-Japan cooperation is
possible. "Iran has started to change its priorities in foreign policy,
somehow detaching from Russia towards West. In such geopolitical
context Armenia is interested in a constructive dialogue between
NATO and SCO. However, it may face a choice in future, since the CSTO
member states serve on the SCO as well," the expert said.

Sargsyan considers that the region is being divided.

"The presence of several blocs different in essence and aims directly
promote this process. At the same time the West cannot comprehend
the reasons for the worsening of the Armenian-Georgian relations. As
for Azerbaijan, everything is clear – because of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, but what’s happening with Georgia is not understandable. As
for Russia, in Sagrsyan’s opinion, its wish to participate in the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction is an attempt to maintain the
integrity of the region.