Month: October 2006

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CANADA AND FRANCE

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 17 2006

October 17 RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian is leaving for Canada
on a working visit.

October 18 in Ottawa RA Foreign Minister is due to meet with the
Foreign Minister of Canada Peter MacKay.

The same day Minister Oskanian will meet with representatives
of Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship group, as well as the
Armenian community.

October 19 the Minister will leave for Toronto, where he will deliver
a speech in the international forum titled "The role of the Diaspora
in building opportunities for peace and development organized by
UN University for Peace. And opening speech will be delivered by
President of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly Sheikha Haya
Rashed Al Khalifa.

October 21 the Minister will leave for Washington, where he will be
present at the festive events dedicated to the 15th anniversary of
Armenia’s independence.

The next day Minister Oskanian will leave for Paris, where he is
scheduled to meet with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on October 24.

NKR PRESIDENT MET WITH DIRECTOR OF HALO TRUST PROJECT ON KARABAKH

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

On October 5 NKR President Arkady Ghukassian met with Valon Kumnova,
director of the Karabakh project of the HALO Trust, which deals with
humanitarian mine clearance, and Mathew Howell responsible for the
Balkan and Caucasian countries. The guests told the president about
the activities of the HALO Trust and the achievements. In particular,
they mentioned that about 100 sq km of area was cleared of mines and
over 43 thousand mines and unexploded ordnance were rendered to pose
no threat. For his part, Arkady Ghukassian mentioned that thanks to
the high quality of work the people of Artsakh respect and trust the
HALO Trust. The president thanked the organization and reasserted
the readiness of the Karabakh government to assist the project of the
HALO Trust in Artsakh. On October 5 NKR President Arkady Ghukassian
conducted a working consultation on several current issues on the home
and foreign policies. During the consultation the president instructed
the government to sum up the results of the survey on the social and
economic state in the region of Kashatagh and prepare the question for
discussing it in the upcoming meeting of the NKR Council of Security.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HARVEST FESTIVAL
Norair Hovsepian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

On October 8 the second harvest festival took place in Stepanakert,
in Sasuntsi Davit Street. Tigran Arstamyan, a senior official of the
Ministry of Agriculture, who was the head of the organizing committee,
said this year harvest was poor and they feared that the communities
would not take part in the festival. Nevertheless, the participants
were many. Tigran Arstamyan said if the harvest were good, more
farmers would arrive for the fair. "Our greatest achievement is that
the participants of the previous festival inquired all the time when
the next festival would be. Besides, there are very many farmers who
participate for the first time," he said.

This year, besides the Artsakh-based processing factories, several
Armenian factories participated as well. Despite this enthusiasm, the
organizers failed to lay out stands for display and sale of products.

Last year this question was raised but there was very little or
almost no change this year. The farmers were supposed to take
care of stands. Some people brought small tables, others arranged
the produce on the ground, or sold from their car. This disorder
caused long queues. In fact, nobody minds queues, which are also
part of such fairs, but everyone would agree that it is necessary
to provide conditions for normal trade. "We wanted to hold the fair
this year in a special area and get stands, but this is costly,"
said Tigran Arstamyan. The communities have a lot of problems,
of course, but many farmers found time to come to the capital and
sell their products. Moreover, despite the poor harvest, the number
of participants from some regions grew, including participants from
Kashatagh. This year 11 cars arrived from this region. Suren Abunts,
the mayor of the village of Saratak, took part in both festivals. He
thinks such events are very important and encouraged the farmers
of his community to participate. 3 out of the 11 cars from Kshatagh
were from Saratak. "Buyers often like our produce and want to buy in
big amounts," he says. As for the buyers, they came to the fair not
only out of interest but also because the prices of some products,
such as grapes, potatoes and pork, were lower than on the market,
although the prices of other products were not, and the reason is
poor harvest, the problem of transport, etc. Despite the different
opinions people have, the harvest festival is becoming part of their
lives. Tigran Arstamyan said the second Sunday in October will become
the official day of the Harvest Festival.

VITICULTURE REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION
Norair Hovsepian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

Vladimir Zakiyan, the NKR minister of agriculture says restoring
viticulture in Karabakh is already a great achievement. However,
he says planting a vineyard is not the only thing to do. The problem
of problems has not been solved yet. "Wine growers cannot wait, they
have to sell their product as soon as it is ripe," says the deputy
minister. Now, with regard to planting vineyards there is progress.

For instance, in 2000 there was 960 hectares of vineyards, 1322.2
hectares in 2003, and 1546 hectares in 2005. In 2005 7409 tons
of grapes was produced. These are just figures. Let us see what is
hiding behind these figures. The government conducts a loan policy to
develop this sphere. The policy was launched in 1999, and over these
years it has been modified and made more controllable. The government
also provides long-term loans to facilitate viticulture for rural
land owners. Although the outcome of this policy will become clear
later. The approximate comparison of government loans and the cost of
planting a vineyard shows that private capital is also invested. And
this tendency remains dominant. We asked Mr. Zakiyan if there is an
overall program of development of viticulture. He said, it is not
difficult to work out such a program, and there is already one, but
the implementation requires immense costs. There are a great number of
problems, for instance, mechanization. New machines for wine growing
have not been imported since 1990. Another problem is the sorts of
vines. In this connection, the nursery of Khramort is reassuring. At
present, about 20 sorts of vines are grown there, which enables to find
out which sort of grapes is the best to cultivate in Karabakh. Another
problem is chemicals. Fortunately, there is already a laboratory and in
2007 all the chemicals will be tested at the laboratory before going to
consumers. Irrigation and specialists are other core problems. Hence,
despite difficulties there is progress, vineyards grow, production
grows, but the underlying problem is becoming more tangible. Today it
will not sound exaggerated to say that the development of viticulture
depends on processing factories. "In developing viticulture it is
necessary to operate perfectly all the links in this chain, from wine
growing to processors and sale of the final product. If one fails, the
effectiveness of the others will be affected," said Vladimir Zakiyan.

NEARLY 80 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGE US PRESIDENT TO EXPAND RELATIONS

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

Washington, DC – To mark the 15th Anniversary of Artsakh’s
Independence, Members of Congress joined the Co-Chairs of the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), in sending a letter to President Bush
urging him "to recognize the 15th anniversary of the independence of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic [Artsakh]" and calling the President’s
attention to Artsakh’s "efforts in furthering their democracy and
creating an independent state." Nagorno Karabakh’s decision to
establish a sovereign state came as a continuation of the national
liberation movement that began immediately after Joseph Stalin
awarded administrative control over Karabakh to Soviet Azerbaijan
in 1921. After suffering from over 70 years of discrimination and
oppression by Azerbaijan and the Soviet regime, the people of Artsakh
stepped up their struggle for freedom and democracy by establishing
the independent Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. The congressional
letter, signed by 77 members and sent to the White House on September
29, highlights a long history of U.S support to Nagorno Karabakh
and the will of the people of Artsakh to build a democratic and
economically viable country. The letter also notes the continuation of
Azerbaijan’s destructive policy, which threatens peace and stability
in the region and "goes against U.S. interests." Most importantly,
the congressional letter advocates for expansion of U.S. political and
economic engagement with Nagorno Karabakh. The letter said in part:
"As we work towards peace, the United States can and must expand
its engagement with the lawfully and democratically established
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. These ties should not be dictated by
outside forces but rather should be guided by the shared values
of our two nations. […] We should build on this success by
investing in developmental and good governance programs that will
strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh’s economy, democratic institutions,
and promote even greater cooperation on a range of regional and
security issues." Despite the overwhelming challenges of the past 15
years, Artsakh has registered impressive achievements: successful
defense of its freedom against Azerbaijani military aggression,
nearly complete restoration of its war-devastated economy, continued
strengthening of its democracy, unprecedented economic growth and
constructive partnership with the international community to bring
about lasting peace and stability to the South Caucasus. "Everyday, we
are advancing in building a country of our dreams – a free, democratic
and prosperous Artsakh. Fifteen years of independent statehood have
proved the righteousness of the historic path chosen on September 2,
1991. Throughout these years, the people of Artsakh have been truly
blessed to enjoy the political and economic support of the U.S.

Congress. We are deeply thankful to the American people for their
generous economic assistance that helped restore dozens of war-torn
villages, drinking water supplies and medical facilities," said NKR
Representative in the United States Vardan Barseghian. Rep. Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI), who co-chairs the Armenian Caucus, said:
"The United States stands for freedom and democracy, values that
have vividly triumphed in Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, without any
international support. I am proud to support this nation as it works
to achieve formal international recognition of its well-deserved
independence. The U.S. economic assistance to Nagorno Karabakh should
be continued." "Time and again, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have
demonstrated their firm commitment to values of liberty and peace.

They have also worked hard to establish a developing democracy and
growing market economy. The United States should expand its political
and economic engagement with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic," echoed
fellow Armenian Caucus Co-chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).

Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone also thanked their colleagues,
the co-signers of this congressional letter to President Bush, for
supporting this critical initiative. "In its quest for freedom and its
efforts to strengthen its democracy and develop its economy, Nagorno
Karabakh enjoys a broad-based congressional support. Our collective
aim was to convey this message to President Bush as the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic celebrates the 15th Anniversary of Independence,"
the congressmen said. This congressional effort enjoyed strong
support of the two Armenian-American advocacy groups in Washington,
DC. "The Armenian Assembly commends Congressmen Knollenberg and
Pallone for their initiative and leadership in urging the U.S. to
strengthen relations with Karabakh as it celebrates 15 years of
independence," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "As we
mark this special occasion, we are reminded of the accomplishments
the people of Karabakh have already achieved. The Assembly will
continue to work with its friends in Congress and the Administration
to advocate for Karabakh’s right to self-determination." "We want
to thank Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone and all those who
joined with the Armenian Caucus in marking this milestone of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s continued contribution to the growth of
democracy, economic development, and the prospects for an equitable
and lasting peace in the Caucasus," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. On behalf of the NKR Government, Barseghian thanked the
Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of
America for their effective work on Capitol Hill. "We are also grateful
to our congressional friends for their continued support of Nagorno
Karabakh on our path towards freedom, democracy and prosperity —
universal values that have been guiding Artsakh since independence,"
said Representative Barseghian.

The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is
based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia
and the public representing the official policies and interests
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. September 29, 2006 The Honorable
George W. Bush President of the United States The White House 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President:
We write to recognize the 15th anniversary of the independence
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and to call your attention to
their ongoing efforts in furthering their democracy and creating an
independent state. The United States has a long history of supporting
Nagorno-Karabakh’s democracy and its right to live in freedom and
peace. Since 1992, our government has taken part in international
efforts to reach a sustainable resolution to the conflict between
Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. A durable cease-fire has been in
place since 1994, bringing relative stability to the region. However,
a comprehensive peace agreement has not been reached and the
continued standoff could lead to yet another cycle of violence. The
democratically elected leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have
repeatedly offered to implement mutual confidence-building measures,
for which the U.S. government has continued to allocate funding.

These leaders have consistently demonstrated a willingness to make
difficult compromises in the interest of a lasting peace. However,
in contrast, Azerbaijan has rejected confidence-building measures and
demonstrated a consistent pattern of inflexibility in the negotiating
process. To further destabilize the region, Azerbaijan continues to
maintain a blockade of both Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and regularly
threatens a new wave of violence against Nagorno-Karabakh.

We have every reason to believe this threat is realistic given their
rapidly increasing military budget. An arms race or new violence in
the South Caucasus region goes specifically against U.S. interests
in the region. The key to preventing this outcome is for the United
States to send a clear message to Azerbaijan that we will not tolerate
renewed aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh. Earlier this year, we were
pleased with Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried’s statement that,
"the will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh has to be respected." We
wholeheartedly share this view and hope that you will build upon
this constructive approach to a long-term settlement. Our interest
is in working, in a manner consistent with fundamental democratic
principle, to bring a durable resolution, acceptable to all parties,
to the region. As the world’s greatest force for freedom, we should
always champion values of liberty, democracy, and peace. As we work
towards peace, the United States can and must expand its engagement
with the lawfully and democratically established Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic. These ties should not be dictated by outside forces but
rather should be guided by the shared values of our two nations. Our
decision in 1988 to aid Nagorno-Karabakh has become one of the
most effective assistance efforts anywhere in the world, providing
thousands of people with housing, water, and healthcare needs. We
should build on this success by investing in developmental and good
governance programs that will strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh’s economy,
democratic institutions, and promote even greater cooperation on a
range of regional and security issues. Mr. President, as we mark the
15th anniversary of independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, we urge you
to join with us in celebrating this nation’s courageous choice for
freedom, its strong commitment to democratic values, and its sincere
desire to work toward lasting peace. We appreciate your consideration
of our concerns. Sincerely, [signed] Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Joseph
Baca (D-CA), Charles Bass (R-NH), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Xavier Becerra
(D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Loi Capps
(D-CA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA),
Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA),
Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ),
Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY),
Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Jesse
Jackson (D-IL), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee
(D-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), James Langevin
(D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),
Nita Lowey (D-NY), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY),
Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI),
James McGovern (D-MA), Howard McKeon (R-CA), Michael McNulty (D-NY),
Martin Meehan (D-MA), Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), Candice Miller
(R-MI), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes
(R-CA), John Olver (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ),
Collin Peterson (D-MN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Michael Rogers
(R-MI), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby
Rush (D-IL), Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff
(D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL), Chris Shays (R-CT),
Brad Sherman (D-CA), Robert Simmons (R-CT), Hilda Solis (D-CA),
Mark Souder (R-IN), Fortney Stark (D-CA), Ted Strickland (D-OH),
John Sweeney (R-NY), John Tierney (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),
Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Frank Wolf (R-VA),
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Albert Wynn (D-MD)

FAUNA OF ARTSAKH TO BE STUDIED
Laura Grigorian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

Several days ago Professor Wiaclaw Bogdanovitz, director of
the institute of biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and
Professor Martha Gayevska, a DNA specialist of the same institute,
visited Artsakh. The aim of the visit was to study the fauna of our
highlands. Wiaclaw Bogdanovitz said the purpose of their visit is
to set up relations between the universities of Yerevan and Artsakh
and study the fauna of the region together to find out what kinds
of rodents and bats live here and how much damage they inflict on
agriculture. In Artsakh the guests met with the NKR minister of
agriculture and the rector of Artsakh State University. They also
visited the cave near the village of Azokh.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOUNDATION OF SHUSHI OUTLINED RECONSTRUCTION POLICY
Laura Grigorian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

On October 4 the board of trustees of Shushi Revival Foundation set
up in spring 2006 met at the Narekatsi Cultural Center in Shushi. The
chief executive of the foundation G. Hovanissian presented a report
on the work of the foundation over the past few months. The priority
of the foundation is to work out the strategy of reconstruction
of Shushi for 5-10 years. There are both short-term and long-term
projects. According to G. Hovanissian, it is estimated that the
population of Shushi will grow to 10 thousand by 2015. Yerevan Project
is already working out the project of the water supply system of the
city. According to the short-term policy, besides its contribution
during the upcoming six months the Shushi foundation will facilitate
the engagement of other investors. The investment and urban planning
projects will be presented to the government and investors, the
social and economic state of the population of Shushi must be made
sustainable, 100-150 jobs must be created, mostly in the spheres of
service and building, it is necessary to promote connections between
the settlements of NKR and Armenia by setting up infrastructures of
superior quality, upgrade the qualification of the local labor. Prime
Minister Anoushavan Danielian said since Shushi is growing, it is
necessary to have a policy of overall reconstruction and a coordinating
body. "The reconstruction of a town like Shushi is very complicated
and requires responsibility. We have to restore everything that
used to exist in Shushi," said the prime minister. At the same time,
Anoushavan Danielian said the government will support the foundation
and added that the allocations from the state budget to the region
increase annually. The board of trustees decided to hold a Shushi –
Yerevan – Moscow – Paris telethon on May 7 on the 15th anniversary
of liberation of Shushi.

SERGEY LAVROV: BORDER ISSUES MUST BE RESOLVED ON THE BILATERAL BASIS

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 17 2006

RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov considers that regulation of border
issues on post-Soviet space must take place on the bilateral basis
rather than in the CIS format. The Foreign Minister said this in Minsk
today, summing up the results of the sitting of the CIS Council of
Foreign Ministers. In his words, the problems are of bilateral nature
and the Commonwealth is not eligible to resolve such problems.

IN this regard, Lavrov informed that in the near future Russia intends
to undertake demarcation of the borders with Ukraine.

PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN MET WITH TORBEN HOLTZE, HEAD OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATION

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 17 2006

October 17 President Robert Kocharyan had a farewell meeting with
Head of the European Commission delegation to Armenia Torben Holtze.

The parties thanked each other for the productive joint work.

The President noted with appreciation that during Mr. Holtze’s tenure
in office serious progress was registered in Armenia-EU relations.

These turned more coordinated and entered a very important phase for
our country. Robert Kocharyan expressed confidence that the Action
Plan in the framework of the New Neighborhood Policy will provide
the opportunity to work more closely and effectively.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"WE MUST LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF ARMENIANS"

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 17 2006

On October 7 the repaired building of Arevik Children’s Medical
Center was opened, the reconstruction of which started in 2003. At the
ceremony the president, the speaker and the prime minister, as well
as members of government, health workers and the benefactors were
present. In her speech Minister of Health Zoya Lazarian thanked the
French Aida for Armenia organization (President Stepan Berberian),
as well as everyone else, who had contributed to the reconstruction
and equipment of the hospital. The minister of health said the project
implemented for several years now was also supported by the ministry
of health, as well as several local businessmen.

Although part of the building was repaired, over 360 thousand euros
was spent on this project. Stepan Berberian said when six years ago he
first visited Artsakh and saw the state of the children’s hospital, he
decided to take up its reconstruction. He was helped by his parents
and uncle. Stepan Berberian, the president of Aida for Armenia,
thanked the NKR government, people living in France and Artsakh who
contributed to the project. President Arkady Ghukassian said in his
speech that hopefully the other part of the building will be repaired
too. "We must take care of the health of our people for them to feel
safe here and not have to leave for other cities to get treatment. We
must live up to the expectations of Armenians for them to be sure
that the money they donate for one purpose or another reaches its
destination," said Arkady Ghukassian.