Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

SHEVKET SHAYDULIN APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAYS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 11, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. During the December 9 meeting,
the Board of Directors of Russian Railways company took a decision to
relieve Alexander Kuznetsov of his post as director of South Caucasus
Railways company – the Armenian subsidiary of Russian railways and
to appoint Shevket Shaydulin to this post, the mass media reported.

To recap, South Caucasus Railways CJSC is 100% subsidiary of Russian
Railways OJSC. In February 2008, South Caucasus Railways assumed the
concession management of Armenian Railways for 30 years. Under the
agreement signed with the Armenian government, the company is obliged
to invest 572 million dollars in Armenian railway transport sector,
with 200 million dollars of this sum to be invested in the first
5 years.

EUROPEAN SHOULD EXPLAIN WHY THEY DON’T WANT TO HAVE GEORGIA IN NATO

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.12.2008 15:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Europeans do not say exactly what they think,
according to a Georgian expert.

"I will not say whether Georgia should be offered MAP or not. But if
NATO leaders decided to refrain from this move they should explain
their decision," Ivlian Khaindrava, director of South Caucasus programs
at the Tbilisi-based center of development and cooperation said in
an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

"The level of democracy in Georgia is shameful for a NATO
aspirant. Furthermore, the process of decision-making is unpredictable
in Georgia, what is too dangerous for the Alliance," he said.

ARF BUREAU HOLDS PLENARY SESSION IN BEIRUT

Yerkir
04.12.2008 16:13

Yerevan (Yerkir) – The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau held its plenary
session in Beirut, Lebanon, during November 29-December 1.

The agenda included the approval of plans based on proposals-decisions
of previous plenary sessions, the evaluation of completed activities,
forthcoming organizational and public relations tasks, the discussion
of internal and external challenges facing Armenia.

The plenary session discussed the new situation in the South Caucasus,
the tasks to be undertaken by the party, its affiliate organizations
and the Armenian Cause offices in defending the statehood, and the
immediate steps to be taken regarding the Artsakh issue, the recent
developments in Armenian-Turkish relations, and the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

It was reiterated that the final settlement of the Artsakh issue is
possible only through peaceful negotiation process, where the Republic
of Mountainous Karabakh is a negotiating party.

Considering that following the Moscow Declaration Azerbaijan has not
backed down from its warmongering rhetoric, it is extremely important
to continue keeping the issue on the pan-national agenda, as an issue
related to the existence and security of Armenia and the Armenian
people. For us, the basis of the negotiating process should be the
fact of self-determination by the people of Artsakh, expressed on two
occasions, through the 1991 independence and 2006 MKR constitutional
referendums. The mutual concession can only be equal, proportionate,
and concurrent and part of a comprehensive settlement package.

Reaffirming that as neighboring states Armenia and Turkey should
continue their efforts towards normalizing relations, it was stressed
that thus far Turkey has not taken any positive steps. On the contrary,
there are attempts to use the ongoing meetings as hindrance to
the genocide recognition process, and make the relationship of the
two states conditional to Armenia’s relations with a third state,
namely Azerbaijan.

In this context, it was appreciated that the highest authorities of our
country are in complete accord that the recognition and condemnation
of the Armenian Genocide in general, and by Turkey in particular,
is one of the strategic directions of Armenia’s foreign policy. On
the other hand, it was stressed, that the present importance of
regulating Armenia-Turkey relations should not be valued more than
the rights of generations to come.

Decisions were adopted regarding all the discussed issues, always
based on the party’s fundamental policy, that the foremost issue for
the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun is ensuring the independence, security and
utmost self-reliance of the Republic of Armenia.

ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Press Office Yerevan, 2 December 2008

OMBUDSMAN BELIEVES HUMAN RIGHTS TO BECOME ESSENTIAL IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
16:39 10/12/2008

The Defender of Human Rights of Armenia Armen Harutyunyan has made an
announcement which says that the Ombudsman believes that human rights
will become state and national significant values and that political,
personal interests will subordinate it.

The press service of the Ombudsman office informs that the
international organizations of human rights call on the states to make
improvements in their attitudes and approaches. Amnesty International
reports that people are being arrested by their state and laws are
ignored.

ARMENIA’S GOVERNMENT DELEGATION TO VISIT GEORGIA

armradio.am
08.12.2008 12:55

The government delegation headed by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
will leave for the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi on December 9 for a
one-day working visit.

The delegation comprises the Minister of Finance of Armenia Tigran
Davtyan, Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan, Minister of Energy
and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Diaspora Hranush
Hakobyan, the Head of Government’s Staff David Sargsyan, President of
the State Incomes Committee adjunct to RA Government Gagik Khachatryan,
First Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication Hrant Beglaryan,
Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of
Agriculture Levon Rukhkyan, Deputy Minister of Culture Gagik Gyurjyan,
Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Georgia Hrach
Silvanyan, Member of Parliament Vladimir Badalyan, other officials.

Within the framework of the visit the delegation will participate
in the seventh sitting of the Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental
Commission on Economic Cooperation. The Prime Minister of Armenia
will have meetings with the President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili
and Prime Minister Grigol Mgalobashvili. Tigran Sargsyan will visit
the Armenian Embassy in Georgia and the Armenian St. Nshan Church.

TURKISH INTELLECTUALS CALL TO APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIAN PEOPLE FOR 1915 EVENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A group of Turkish intellectuals have apologized
for the "great disaster that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915"
but have fallen short of calling on the state to do the same, Today’s
Zaman reports.

Professors Baskan Oran and Ahmet Insel, journalists Ali Bayramoglu
and Cengiz Aktar personally apologized for the 1915 events.

The group is asking other people to sign the petition, which reads
as follows: "I cannot conscientiously accept the indifference to
the great disaster that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915, and its
denial. I reject this injustice and acting of my own will, I share
the feelings and pains of my Armenian brothers and sisters, and I
apologize to them."

The organizers of the campaign have underlined that first they will
collect signatures from intellectuals and they will then open a secure
website to collect signatures.

166 THOUSAND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES REGISTERED IN ARMENIA TODAY

armradio.am
03.12.2008 11:27

A number of arrangements will be held today in Armenia on the occasion
of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

According to the data of the Department of Persons with Disabilities
and Old People of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, 166 101
people with disabilities are registered in Armenia today, 8 824 of
them are under 18.

According to the data of 2006, there were 141 380 handicapped persons
registered in Armenia, about 8 300 of them were children under 18.

The disabled persons comprise 4% of Armenia’s population, and
females comprise 40% of the entire number of the handicapped. 55%
of the disabled persons are of working age. However, only 8% of them
are employed.

AZERBAIJAN’S AND TURKEY’S FOREIGN MINISTERS SUPPORTED THE CAUCASIAN STABILITY PLATFORM IN BAKU

Azerbaijan Business Center
Dec 2 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The question regarding whether Turkey could open
its borders with Armenia before the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is
regulated or after that, is still not clear. Turkey’s Foreign Minister
Ali Babajan during his visit to Baku has not answered directly to
this question to the journalists.

Babajan after his meeting with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov, said today the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is a very
serious problem demanding solution in the region.

"We think the problem should be solved in a peaceful way on the basis
of political dialogue," Babajan said.

Reminding of Turkey’s initiating the idea of strengthening stability on
Caucasus, Turkey’s Foreign Minister noted presence of unsolved problems
in the region such as Russia-Georgia and Azerbaijan-Armenia relations.

"All these problems are to be solved through a political dialogue
in order to normalize relationships between the regional states and
strengthen peace and stability in the region," Minister stated.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Mammadyarov said the both Ministers
came to conclusion that it is necessarily to continue the Caucasian
Stability Platform’s work and construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway.

"The sooner we complete this railway construction the better for
Azerbaijan and Turkey," Mammadyarov said.

DO NOT LOOK FOR ULTERIOR MOTIVES

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

"The press conference I held yesterday in the Press Club found
a wide response in the press. I have to mention with regret that
instead of presenting first-hand information to the public, some
of our journalists are engaged in inventing materials mixed with
far-reaching conclusions," MIKHAIL BAGDASAROV said yesterday.

"The ideas I expressed during the press conference concerned
the problems in the sphere of economy, as well as the existing
opportunities, and there were no ulterior motives there.

Moreover, the main message I voiced was that all the problems related
to the financial crisis may nonetheless create for us new opportunities
which we must be able to use. This is what ‘Armavia’ company is going
to do, acting in compliance with the Government’s appeal to be more
active in conditions of the crisis," M. Baghdasarov mentioned.

CONGRESS OF ANC TO BE HELD IN DECEMBER

YEREV AN, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. A consultation of the parties and
NGOs composing the Armenian National Congress (ANC) took place on
November 28. Noyan Tapan was informed by the ANC that the first
Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian, the heads and activists of the
parties, representatives of the ANC head office participated in the
consultation.

The internal political and economic situation in Armenia, the current
stage of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and work to be
done by ANC were discussed during the consultation that lasted about 4
hours.

The purpose of the consultation was to outline the major issues on the
agenda of the ANC’s congress to be held in December.