Month: November 2006

MISS ARMENIA 2006 WILL WORK AS A MODEL AND DO Ph.D
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
Miss Armenia 2006, Marina Vardanyan, 22 participated in Miss Europe
2006 in Kiev. Marina Vardanyan was among 12 beauties. And the
director of the Miss Armenia Agency Karen Aristakesyan says Miss
Belarus deserved to be the winner, but Miss France became Miss
Europe. Nevertheless, Marina got offers from model agencies. Besides,
Marina has an opportunity to take part in different fashion and
beauty contests. Marina Vardanyan graduated from the Department of
Russian Philology of Yerevan State University and is going to take a
post-graduate course.

ARMENIA FAILS TO COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
Armenia does not fully comply with the international requirements to
reach the European market. The news agency ARKA reports that this was
stated by the chief executive officer of the World Bank Yerevan
Office on November 3 in Yerevan. He says most legal and institutional
standards are based on the Soviet standards.
The representative of the World Bank emphasized that the agricultural
security of Armenia is greatly hindered by the transition from the
plan to market economy, which is not over yet. The representative of
the World Bank noticed that over the past decade Armenia has carried
out considerable reforms, which enabled it to become an exporting
country, however, the export markets are mainly the CIS countries.
The representative of the World Bank said most products do not comply
with the requirements of the EU and U.S. markets.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SCANDAL IN MOSCOW INVOLVING ARMENIAN GENERAL
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
The Russian web site Grani.ru published information with this
headline. The web site informs that a scandal occurred during the
meeting of the chiefs of army headquarters of the countries of
the Collective Security Pact Organization on November 2 in Moscow
involving the Colonel-General Michael Harutiunyan, the chief of the
headquarters of the armed forces of Armenia, who accused Tajikistan,
which is a member of the Collective Security Pact Organization but
“is setting up military alliance with a country which is a potential
foe of its ally under the Collective Security Pact.” He meant the
agreement on military cooperation signed by Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
One of the participants of the meeting said that Harutiunyan addressed
not only Dushanbey but also Moscow. “It is known to everyone that
Azerbaijan is Armenia’s potential foe, however, certain members of the
Collective Security Pact Organization allow for military cooperation
with Azerbaijan,” stated Michael Harutiunyan. The point is that
besides Tajikistan Russia has also set up military cooperation with
Azerbaijan, and according to Grani.ru, Harutiunyan made it clear that
Armenia disapproves this.

REGULARLY VISITED ARMENIA FOR THREE YEARS
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
On November 3, 2006 the name of a candidate of president for 2008
became known at the Pastark club, who is the first to confess his
likelihood to be nominated. It is the leader of the People’s Party
of Armenia and the president of ALM Holding Tigran Karapetyan. He
announced that one of the goals of his political party is to nominate a
president in 2008, and naturally it is going to be Tigran Karapetyan,
because he states that the members of the People’s Party cannot
imagine progress of the political party without him.
Tigran Karapetyan says he will be nominated not because he does not
consider Serge Sargsyan a worthy candidate of president but because he
has his own ideas, which determines his intention. Tigran Karapetyan
says there are no legislative bars. He says he is a citizen of Armenia
since 1994 and since 1999 he is a resident. In this case, it appears
that he does not comply with the provision of the Constitution that a
resident of Armenia in the past 10 years can be nominated. Meanwhile,
from 1999 to 2008 is 9 years.
But this is not a problem for Tigran Karapetyan. Of course, this does
not mean that Karapetyan is going to break the law, althogh there is
no need to doubt that he will do this too if this will make people
happy. But for the time being, Tigran Karapetyan’s confidence has
another, a more legal basis. He says he is a resident since 1999 but
for three years he regularly visited Armenia.
“If I am a resident, it means I was here all the time, I lived here.
But I can leave and come back, if I am a citizen of Armenia. So I have
the right to be nominated, and if someone thinks that I do not have the
right, they can go to court,” states the leader of the People’s Party.
Meanwhile, before 2008 he is likely to run for parliament in 2007,
especially that there are no legal, even theoretical bars. Tigran
Karapetyan says the parliamentary election in 2007 will differ from the
previous elections because today there is not one political party that
falsifies the outcome. “If formerly there were political parties, which
falsified the outcome, gave some of their votes to other political
parties, today no political party would agree to such deals, because
it has a problem, if it gives one percent to other political parties,
it may have serious problems in the parliament.
Everyone thinks for himself,” says Tigran Karapetyan.
And he will run for parliament alone, without alliances. And he
excludes alliances because he cannot see a force in Armenia, which
is committed to their idea – democracy based on people. Karapetyan
says in the parliamentary election the possibility of reproduction
of the present coalition majority will be great, but this does not
mean that the outcome of the election is already clear. Nevertheless,
the president of ALM Holding thinks that we will see fewer political
parties in the parliament after the election than now. And if someone
tries to misappropriate the votes of the People’s Party, Karapetich
says he will go to church and light a candle. Of course, he does not
say for the enjoyment of the misappropriators or the contrary.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HE DOES NOT GIVE ELECTION BRIBE, HE SHARES WHAT HE HAS
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
The leader of the People’s Party Tigran Karapetyan stated November
3 that the political sphere of Armenia is in a disorder. He made
this statement at the Pastark Club, where Tigran Karapetyan answered
the questions of news reporters. He says that for three years now he
has been prompting to the opposition to meet with people, whereas it
keeps to its traditional style. Tigran Karapetyan says people cannot
see the ideas the oppositionists like to discuss in their offices.
“They think that someone does not let them work. Do work,” says
Tigran Karapetyan. He works, for instance, and “people see and
help him, the People’s Party helps for four years.” The leader of
this political party says other political parties have adopted this
style of work. Perhaps, it is apparent in the case of the Bargavach
Hayastan Party, and it is interesting whether Tigran Karapetyan
considers Bargavach Hayastan an ally or an opponent.
“Neither ally nor rival. I have a positive approach because one of our
approaches is that we must share everything with people. If a political
party wants to act besides words, it is welcome. After all, I think,
the greatest political figure ever was Jesus Christ, who first gave
food then preached, healed then said his word,” says Tigran Karapetyan,
stating that a political unit must prove it has social direction and
show that he wants to come to power to solve the problems of people
not to rob people. And Tigran Karapetyan does not consider his own
way of solving social and cultural problems as election bribe.
“If you aid, if you are a benefactor or you work to have a good
reputation, it is not election bribe. Although some people may think
so because they do not do the same, they spare their money, and others
do, it is clear that they will not like it because this context may
arouse certain attitudes,” says the president of ALM Holding. He
says the election bribe is barter, when you give something and demand
something in return. “If it is so, it appears that if I lay a wreath
at Yerablur, I give election bribe to freedom fighters to win them
over. This is my life, I live for my beliefs, not for someone, I live
and I want to be useful to my people. This cannot be considered as
election bribe because we choose the most elderly people, the people
who, God forbid, may not be with us tomorrow, or who are sick and
confined to bed,” explains Tigran Karapetyan. Besides knowing what is
not election bribe, he knows what election bribe is. “It is what they
keep in their “hatchback” and distribute on the last day,” says the
head of ALM adding that others are accumulating today to distribute
on the last day. Karapetyan has been distributing for four years.

Armenia Fund USA, Inc.
152 Madison Ave, S-803
New York, NY 10016, U.S.A.
T/1-212-689-5307
F/1-212-689-5317
E-mail: [email protected]
Armenia Fund USA’s Agricultural Initiative
Creates Jobs in War-Torn Villages of Karabakh
NEW YORK, New York – 18 villages that make up the Mardakert region of
Nagorno-Karabakh are among the first communities to benefit from the opening
of an agricultural cooperative for subsistence farmers established this
summer within Armenia Fund USA’s Agricultural Initiative. The official
opening of the facilities was on September 23, 2006. About 900 farming
households will have access to badly needed mechanized services and
technical advice from US agricultural experts. This would represent a
significant portion of Mardakert’s population. The project, which is part of
the Regional Development of Nagorno-Karabakh, aims at combating rural
poverty by raising the average family income through improved agricultural
practices and technical assistance. More than this, 30 families are
currently benefiting from a pilot 3-year community development program
co-managed by Armenia Fund USA and Heifer International. The pilot program
will provide seeds, fertilizers, cows and technical assistance in animal
husbandry. Armenia Fund USA and its international affiliates are also
constructing 8 schools, a hospital, and a major water-pipeline in the
Mardakert region.
Armenia Fund USA’s Regional Development Program, launched last year, is an
integrated approach to rural poverty eradication in the war-torn villages.
It focuses on sustainability and continuity of development, combining local
expertise and need assessment of rural communities. The project encompasses
all key aspects of socio-economic development – access to education, proper
healthcare, and clean water, as well as sustainable infrastructure to
support irrigation water systems, roads and agricultural development.
Armenia Fund USA, with its international affiliates, has had a strong and
measurable impact on the development of Karabakh and Armenia since
independence. The organization remains the largest contributor to
socio-economic infrastructure projects there since 1992, having invested
more than $150 million in large-scale infrastructure.
ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA, founded in 1992, was one of the first of Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund’s 19 international affiliates and serves constituents in
all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit, non-governmental,
nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all Armenian constituents.
Armenia Fund USA is the largest contributor among the 19 international
affiliates – supporting strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and
Karabakh. The Fund has adopted a policy to go “Beyond Bricks and Mortar” to
provide sustainability for projects it sponsors.

Glendale News Press, CA
Nov 3 2006
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:
Krikorian starts campaign
More than 200 people showed up at Oakmont Country Club on Oct. 26 to
watch Glendale Unified School District Trustee Greg Krikorian
officially kick off his campaign for City Council.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich spoke at the event.
Other dignitaries attending included former Glendale Mayor Larry
Zarian, Burbank City Councilwoman Marsha Ramos and Glendale City
Council Bob Yousefian. Crescenta Valley Town Council members Steve
Pierce, Sharon Hales, Krista Smiley and Charles Beatty also attended.
Krikorian’s goals include getting the city to stick to its hillside
ordinance more closely.
The election is April 3.
Montrose Shopping Park Assn. President John Drayman has also
officially announced he will run for a spot on the council.
Board moves drug program forward
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Michael
Antonovich’s motion to direct county staffers to pursue the
possibility of expanding a pharmaceutical disposal program to the
entire county.
The “No Drugs Down the Drain” program informs residents about the
hazards of throwing away medications in places where they can reach
surface waters and negatively affect the environment.
Research has shown that medications in surface waters complicates
human growth and reproduction.
The program encourages county residents to either dispose of medicine
waste at hazardous-waste collection centers or seal them in sturdy
plastic containers before putting them in trash cans.
Group inaugurates new headquarters
The Armenian National Committee of America – a national advocacy
organization that promotes the role of Armenian Americans in U.S.
policy – has inaugurated a new national headquarters in Washington,
D.C.
Armenian-American dignitaries and religious leaders from throughout
the country joined Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian for the
inauguration on Oct. 21.
Oskanian stressed the importance of cooperation between Armenians in
the states and the Armenian government in working on issues of
economic and democratic development in Armenia, and in strengthening
the relationship between the United States and Armenia.
Schiff to speak on Darfur genocide
Rep. Adam Schiff will be holding a Town Hall meeting to discuss the
genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan at 9:45 a.m. today at Alhambra
High School.
Schiff, whose district covers Burbank and Glendale, has held previous
meetings on this topic in Glendale and Pasadena and sponsored
legislation to help get funds for victims.
Among those joining Schiff at the meeting will be Mabior Isaac Amol,
a former Sudan resident who helped start an orphanage in Darfur, and
Father Vazken Movsesian, of In His Shoes Ministries in Glendale,
which is raising money to provide aid to the people of Darfur.
Alhambra High School is located at 101 S. 2nd St., Alhambra, and
visitors must sign in at the school office.

Press Release
Humanistische Omroep
Contact: Annelies de Korver
tel.: 00 31 35-6722035;
[email protected]
p.o. Box 135, 1200 AC HILVERSUM,
The Netherlands
AMERICAN FILM AWARD FOR HUMANIST BROADCASTING FOUNDATION
Los Angeles, October 27, 2006
Dorothee Forma awarded for The Story of my Name- an Armenian History
– at the Arpa International Film Festival in Hollywood.
>>From the festival jury rapport:
The AFFMA film award is given to the filmmaker who best represents
the ideals of independent thought, artistic vision, cultural
diversity and social understanding.
This year, the AFFMA award is presented to Dorothee Forma, film
producer for the Humanist Broadcasting Foundation in The Netherlands.
Ms. Forma’s documentary “A Wall of Silence” screened at the 2nd Arpa
International Film Festival in 1999. That film paralleled the
personal and professional lives of Turkish historian Taner Akcam and
Armenian historian Vahakn Dadrian and their call for international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
This year, Arpa honors her for “The story of My Name”, a film
documenting Alex Peltekian’s discovery of his cultural ancestry and
his journey to his grandfather’s homeland.
“The Story of my Name” was produced with support of the Dutch
Cultural Broadcasting Fund
More Information:
Annelies de Korver, tel.: 00 31 35-6722035; [email protected]
p.o. Box 135, 1200 AC HILVERSUM, the Netherlands

BY PROGNOSIS OF Jane’s RESEARCH CENTER, KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
TO 2009 IS “VERY UNLIKELY”
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia Nov 3 2006
By prognosis of the authoritative Jane’s Research Center, the
Karabakh conflict settlement to 2009 is “very unlikely, “Svoboda”
Radio Station reports.
According to the source, in the opinion of the Center’s experts, the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia will hardly reach a consensus,
despite some encouraging signs, even if they meet again this year.
According to experts, “since no side wishes to make concessions in
such a delicate issue in electoral years, reaching of consensus
till 2009 is very unlikely “. In their opinion, the probability
of Armenian-Azerbaijan war, which is not so great at present, may
increase with time.

SERZH SARKISSYAN: THERE IS NO ARRANGEMENT ABOUT NEXT MEETING WITH
AZERBAIJAN’S DEFENSE MINISTER
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 3 2006
There is no arrangement about the next meeting of the Secretary
of the National Security Council under RA President, RA DM, Serzh
Sarkissyan, with DM of Azerbaijan, Safar Abiyev, S. Sarkissyan told
ArmInfo correspondent today, commenting the results of his meeting
with S. Abiyev on October 20 on Armenia-Azerbaijan frontier in the
region of Ijevan-Gazakh.
S Sarkissyan has noted once more that only issues of the frontier
control and keeping of the armistice regime were discussed at October
20 meeting. The issue of “released territories” was not discussed at
the meeting, S. Sarkissyan emphasized.
To remind, the meeting of the two states’ Defense Ministers was held
October 20 by the proposal of the Personal representative of OSCE
Chair-in-Chief, the Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk on the frontier in
the region of Ijevan-Gazakh. – na-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress