ARMENIAN NPP RECONNECTED TO THE COUNTRY’S ENERGY SYSTEM
Yerevan, July 17. ArmInfo. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was
reconnected to the country’s energy system the next day after its
disconnection July 14 10:23 AM, reports ANPP Director General Gagik
Markossyan.
He says that the plant is working at full capacity.
It was switched off because of false alarm, but in fact there was no
nuclear or radioactive danger.
Armenian nuclear plant resumes operation
Arminfo
17 Jul 06
Yerevan, 17 July: The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was connected to
the country’s energy system the next day after disconnection.
The station was connected at 1344 local time [0844 gmt] on 15
July, the plant’s director-general, Gagik Markosyan, has told our
Arminfo correspondent. The capacity of the operating energy unit
was completely restored on the same day, he said.
To recap, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected from
the country’s energy system at 1023 local time [0523 gmt] on 14 July
because a false protection system had started operating.
No breaches of nuclear and radiation security have been revealed.
Andzhey Kaspszik wrote 7-page note on arsons on occupied Azeri grounds – Foreign Minister
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 14 2006
Author: E.Huseynov
Andzhey Kaspszik, personal representative of acting chairman of OSCE,
has written a 7-page note on arsons taken place on occupied Azeri
grounds,Trend reports quoting Elmar Mamedyarov, Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan.
Mamedyarov said he had talked to Mr Kaspszik, who said he had
submitted this document to OSCE chairman Karel de Gucht, and Azeri
Foreign Ministry will receive it in the beginning of the next week.
Minister said Kaspszik’s field assistants had lead a monitoring on
occupied grounds, after which Kaspszik himself performed a monitoring
around Agdam.
"This is a sign. Nobody will write notes for fun", Mamedyarov said,
disproving Armenia’s insinuations on not finding any arsons on occupied
grounds during the monitoring.
"Such arsons are an environmental catastrophe and serious steps shall
be taken to prevent this in the future", Minister added.
Armenian leader against defence minister’s plans to join ruling party – daily
Iravunk, Yerevan
12 Jul 06
Text of D. H.’s report by Armenian newspaper Iravunk on 12 July
headlined "He has not given his approval"
According to a source close to a newly-established pro-government
party [presumably, the Flourishing Armenia Party], immediately after
returning from Iran Armenian President Robert Kocharyan had a hard
talk with Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan who is going to join the
Republican Party [led by Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan] and even
occupy one of the top posts in the party.
Robert Kocharyan simply forbade Serzh Sarkisyan to join the Republican
Party explaining this by unfavourable geopolitical reaction to
such a step and saying that an alliance between Serzh Sarkisyan
and the Republican Party was not in line with the programmes of any
geopolitical centre connected with the future of Armenia [sentence
as given].
According to the same source, Kocharyan and Sarkisyan finally arranged
to discuss the problem after a G8 summit which will be held in St
Petersburg on 15-17 July.
WILL ROBERT KOCHARYAN GO ALL THE WAY?
Lragir.am
14 July 06
In the evening of July 12 the Audit Service of the president of
Armenia informed press that serious cases of abuse were revealed in
privatization of state property and land. The cases of abuse revealed
by the Audit Service are so serious that action was taken.
If the Kocharyan administration has just learned about the cases of
abuse in the sale of state property and land, the society has long
been aware of its criminal nature. And if the society was sursprised
at the information, only because the society did not expect that such
revelations are possible in Armenia. On the other hand, there were
no revelations as such. It was merely announced that serious cases
of abuse were reported, and action was taken. The information is not
full, for there are no names of government agencies, public officials,
who are suspected of criminal deals and embezzlement of public money.
In other words, the crime was reported, the criminals will be revealed
later. But it will not take much effort because public crimes and
public criminals are so many that one only needs to match them. In
fact, we must expect that currently the administration is thinking
over matching these. In fact, the role of investigation is going to
be smaller than the role of politics. There is a lot of evidence
to this. The work of the Audit Service of the president gathered
momentum two years ago, when they started hinting at scandalous
revelations to be made soon. These did not take place however,
instead the investigation continued. A year ago they took up the
sphere of expropriation of state land and property. Several months
ago Robert Kocharyan made serious statements. He even threatened to
sue the director of one of the Agencies for Program Implementation,
appointed by the prime minister. Public revelations, however, were
being late. And now they are here. They are made after Mathew Bryza
announces about learning from Azerbaijan, immediately after the
Iranian visit of Robert Kocharyan, by the end of Levitin’s visit,
when the result of the investigation of the crash of A320 is presented
to the president. Finally, the revelation is made when ten days are
left until the extraordinary conference of the Republican Party. It
is notable that the Republican officials attend to the privatization
of state land and property.
Hence, Robert Kocharyan makes a knight’s move on the eve of the
Republican conference, which was said to become a crucial superpartisan
moment for the Republican Party and the defense minister Serge Sargsyan
to acquire a leading position in the Republican Party. The expression
"knight’s move" is losings its originality in the political sphere of
Armenia. However, the president does not have a problem of originality
when someone predicts that this fall Serge Sargsyan will take the
power, who has files on everyone.
In this circumstances all the president can do is show who is the
landlord and what intentions it has. It is not accidental that this
move is made with the knight. "The one who will be up against him
with a knight, he will get the reply with a knight." It is difficult
to say, however, that the announcement of the Audit Service of the
president is a reply. If yes, it is not a full reply, because it is
important to punish criminals, not to announce about the crime.
Besides, it is rather important who will be punished, an ordinary
official or we will see an unprecedented revelation.
In this sense, any development appears possible except a determined
decision, and that the investigation will go all the way and the way of
"compromise" will not be chosen. In other words, the examiners and the
examined will come to an arrangement, including on a scapegoat. But
in this case the situation of the president may become even more
complicated. If Kocharyan fails to be consistent all the way, he may
lose the public support he might have got in case he went all the
way to reveal the criminals, even if they are people around him.
If he fails to be consistent, the president’s step will not get a high
evaluation of the West, which is no less aware of cases of abuse by
whom and where than the president’s audit service. In other words,
being well aware of the real situation, the West is also rigorous
in changing the situation. And if Aliyev’s example is cited, who put
ministers to prison, it is clear what is required from the president
of Armenia.
Half revelation is not in the home political interests of Robert
Kocharyan. The point is that his move, which might be against the
administrative-criminal resource of the Republican Party mobilized
by Serge Sargsyan, can push this resource to consolidation rather
than crush it. Even if they make a compromise, it will be a mere act
of temporising until they take all the power. In this case, Robert
Kocharyan’s has only one chance to avoid the "status of observer"
not to stop after this move, for otherwise this move may become his
last move.
HAKOB BADALYAN
UK Ready to Support Turkey’s EU Bid
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.07.2006 18:52 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Margaret
Beckett said on Tuesday that there are many European Union member
states ready to do their best for Turkey to successfully proceed
with its EU membership talks. Delivering a speech at Johns Hopkins
University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
(SAIS) in Washington, D.C., Beckett evaluated debates about a possible
"train crash," as put by European Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn, during Turkey’s negotiations with the Union over the Cyprus
stalemate. Underlining there can be a variety of problems for all
candidate states during negotiations with the 25-nation bloc, Beckett
said, "However there’s no doubt that there’s a tremendous goodwill
among member states for talks with Turkey to lead to an agreement." "I
hope there isn’t a train crash during Turkey’s negotiations with the
EU over the Cyprus issue, or any other issue," said Beckett, assuring
Ankara of the EU’s goodwill for talks with Turkey and underlined that
this isn’t only Britain’s position, reported The New Anatolian.
MEETING: TIGRAN TOROSIAN MEETS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER OF LEBANON
AZG Armenian Daily #130, 13/07/2006
Tigran Torosian, Speaker of RA National Assembly, met with Fawzi
Salloukh, Foreign Minister of Lebanon. The sides touched upon
the prospects for development of the Armenian and Lebanese inter
parliamentary relations.
The Press Service of RA National Assembly informed that Mr. Torosian
emphasized the importance of the relations between Armenia and
Lebanon not only from the viewpoint of the historical background but
also by the fact that at present there is a large Armenian community
in Lebanon. Mr. Torosian expressed satisfaction with the relations
between Armenia and Lebanon, emphasizing the importance of the balanced
position of this country in the Nagorno Karabakh issue. The sides
stated in the meeting that the Armenian-Lebanese economic relations
have great potential for development.
In his turn, Ambassador stated that the countries should deepen the
inter parliamentary relations and promised that the newly-elected
parliament will also shape MP friendship groups with Armenia. He
added that Lebanon condemns any form of genocide. As for the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement issue, he emphasized the importance of
peaceful settlement acceptable for all of the sides in conflict.
By Nana Petrosian
Gunduz Aktan: Incredible
Turkish Daily News
Jul 13, 2006
American publication the Armed Forces Journal (AFJ) has published an
article written by Ralph Peters, a retired colonel. He is not only an
excellently trained military man but also the author of many novels.
So he knows his job and has imagination.
In his article Peters says that if the artificial borders in
the Islamic "geography" that extend from Turkey to India were to
be redrawn along ethnic and sectarian lines it could be easier to
establish democracy there. Although he knows this can be brought
about only through wars, he thinks that a continuation of the status
quo yields the same result anyway.
It would be wrong to attribute Peters’ views to the U.S.
administration. However, Peters is not just anybody and the magazine
in which his article has appeared is not an "ordinary" publication.
Then the question that springs to mind is "Is this a move made
with ulterior motives?" Generally speaking, the countries and
societies that have good relations with America would profit from
the arrangements suggested in the article whereas Iran, Syria, and
two countries where changing the regime seems impossible, namely,
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, would lose big chunks of land. Is the aim
to intimidate these countries?
On the other hand, some American circles, both civilian and military,
may indeed be convinced that due to their artificial borders it
would be highly difficult to bring about democratization in most
Muslim countries. This does not mean that each and every assessment
to this effect would be translated into policy and implemented. The
cost and results of the efforts to bring democracy to Iraq are all too
obvious. Causing similar situations in an incomparable larger area —
this time deliberately — would be inconceivably idiotic.
For this reason we can describe Peters’ article as something that
does not reflect the official American views, a mainly personal
mental exercise that is not significant from the standpoint of the
real policies though being supported by certain circles.
However, there are certain aspects of the article that have to be
underlined. A growing number of analysts — Peters among them — are
now beginning to concede that multiculturalism, that is, multiethnic
and multi-religion social structures are losing their validity from
the standpoint of democracy. This judgment is all the more true for
Iraq and other Muslim countries where the nation-building process
has not been completed yet.
Furthermore, due to racism, many European Union countries fail
to integrate the Muslim diasporas into themselves and they object
to Turkish accession to the EU on grounds that Turkey is different
religiously and culturally. Similarly, the increase in the number of
people of Latin American origin in the United States is causing an
identity problem from the standpoint of thinkers such as Huntington.
Meanwhile, a miniature society such as Montenegro has opted for
independence and Kosovo is to gain independence at the end of the
current year. These developments could speed up fresh partitioning
processes in the Balkans and the Caucasus. The fact that the
"international" plan suggested for Karabakh would give the Armenians
an opportunity for secession from Azerbaijan — through a plebiscite
confirms that such a trend is under way.
Thus, the principle that the borders cannot be altered, a principle
first proclaimed in Yalta and then reaffirmed by the 1975 Helsinki
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, has disappeared in
Europe. Under the circumstances, can similar developments be prevented
in the Middle East or any other part of the world?
The map suggested by Peters indicates that Turkey would be the
only country to be "punished" despite having good relations with
the United States though it has "no artificial" borders. According
to the map, in an area of 150,000-200,000 square kilometers in the
eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey, a "free" Kurdistan would
be founded. The new country would have access to the Black Sea. The
Azeris, who outnumber the Kurds by four to five times, would get a
tiny part of land from Iran and they would merge with Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, even Tabriz would be left to the Kurds. Having no common
border, Turkey and Azerbaijan would be torn away from one another.
And, as the price of the "genocide" the Turkish provinces of Kars
and Ardahan would be handed out to Armenia.
Is it so hard to predict the possible developments? If such a flurry
of fragmentation is set off, the geography west of Turkey may not
remain outside that development. Turkey may be forced to enter into
cooperation with regional countries considered not very pro-American.
If ethnic cleansing is an efficient instrument as Peters claims, new
ethnic cleansing campaigns may well occur. And if wars broke out,
the map may eventually take a shape highly different than what had
been envisaged.
How does America manage to do itself such harm at a time when it
is conducting public diplomacy at such a cost in order to improve
its image, which has been harmed because of the Iraq war? This is
incredible.
Peninsula On-line, Qatar
July 13 2006
EU warns Turkey on freedom of expression
Web posted at: 7/13/2006 4:31:5
Source ::: REUTERS
BRUSSELS ~U The European Commission told Turkey yesterday it will
have to rewrite its penal code again to meet EU standards after the
country’s highest court confirmed a sentence against an editor for
insulting "Turkishness".
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the High Court of Appeals
ruling in the case of Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the bilingual
Turkish and Armenian weekly Agos, showed Turkey’s reformed penal code
still restricted freedom of expression.
"I am disappointed by this judgment, which limits the exercise of
freedom of expression in Turkey," Rehn said in a statement. The ruling
would set a binding precedent for other pending human rights cases,
he said.
"I would therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301
and other vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom of
expression in Turkey," Rehn said, noting that this was a key political
criterion for EU accession.
He said the Commission would review the situation in the light of the
EU’s political criteria in its upcoming progress report in Turkey in
late October or early November.
Dink, a Turkish-born Armenian, was given a six-month suspended prison
sentence last year for an article criticising Article 301, which
allows prosecutors to pursue cases against writers and scholars for
"insulting Turkish identity".
The top court’s sentencing board on Tuesday upheld the suspended
jail sentence.
Dink voiced dismay in a statement sent to Reuters and said he would
make a final appeal to the European Court of Human Rights since his
legal recourse in Turkey had been exhausted.
"I am of course deeply upset by the verdict of Penal Council of Supreme
Court concerning my case but the verdict itself did not surprise me,"
Dink said.
"The verdict of the Supreme Court concerning myself reveals that
Article 301 and the other similar ones can never suit a democratic
Turkey and should be immediately abolished," he said.
The executive European Commission can recommend suspending negotiations
with Turkey in cases of a serious and persistent breach of human rights
or democracy. The Ankara government has repeatedly said writers have
not served time in prison under laws related to freedom of expression.
But Dink and other intellectuals have faced prosecution under Article
301 for calling into question the official Turkish version of what
happened to the Armenians in Ottoman Turkey and EU officials say
the proceedings are themselves an unacceptable form of intimidation
restricting freedom of speech.
Zaman, Turkey
July 12 2006
Dink’s Suspended Sentence Upholded
By Cihan News Agency
Published: Wednesday, July 12, 2006
zaman.com
The Penal Chamber of the Appeals Court has upheld the suspension of
a verdict against ethnic Armenian editor Hrant Dink.
Sisli Court had given Dink a 6-month suspended sentence on charges
of insulting the Turkish identity.
In his column for the Turkish Armenian daily Agos dated February 13,
2004, Dink had likened Turkish nationalism to carcinogenic tumors
and poisoned blood in its responsibility for genocide.
Today’s Appeals Court statement said that there was no doubt that
Dink’s statement ridiculed and insulted the Turkish identity.