Month: March 2007

ANM EXPECTS 20% VOTES OF CONFIDENCE

A1+
[07:14 pm] 19 March, 2007

Aram Manoukyan, member of the Armenian National Movement (ANM), claims
that the party will enjoy 10-20% votes of the electorate despite the
current pressures. He thinks that RA citizens are ill-disposed to
ANM today. ANM will run for the elections with the following motto,
"Open Frontiers, Peace and Integration". "The main objective of ANM
is to restore people’s right to vote", says Mr. Manoukyan.

The Armenian National Movement will not initiate expensive campaign
with posters, video reels and films. They will merely visit people
and rely on their vote of confidence. Aram Manukyan called on the RA
authorities to preserve 15- 20% votes they enjoy as he anticipates
hard times for the authorities; one day the people’s hidden energy
will burst out and public will revolt". Member of the Armenian
National Movement assumes that the RA NA won’t manage to complete
its activity. The geopolitical developments will contribute to it;
Russia’s influence decreases in the region whereas that of the USA
increases. Besides, Georgia is trying to engage into NATO.

Aram Manoukyan also dwelt on the large-scale breaches and frauds
which are already evident in posters, programs and reels.

While speaking of the ideological bases of parties, Mr. Manoukyan
noted that the RA parties lack ideological bases with the exception
of Armenian National Movement, ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Communists.

ICAO INSPECTORS TO VISIT ARMENIA

Panorama.am
19:04 19/03/2007

Inspectors of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will
visit Armenia. Gayane Davtyan, press secretary of the head of the
Armenian civil aviation department, told Panorama.am that the visit
is planned in June of the running year. In the course of the visit,
flights and aviation security checks will be conducted. Davtyan says
such checks are conducted once per a year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAN PARTICIPATES IN OPENING GAS PIPELINE IN ARMENIA

Pravda, Russia
March 19 2007

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian counterpart
on Monday formally open the first stretch in Armenia of a natural
gas pipeline.

Ahmadinejad and Armenian President Robert Kocharian will inaugurate
the 40-kilometer (25-mile) section in the town of Meghri, just over
the border from Iran.

Under the first stage of the project, Iran will deliver up to 400
million cubic meters (14 billion cubic feet) of gas a year; when the
pipeline is completed and extends to the capital, Yerevan, the volume
could rise to 2.5 billion cubic meters (88 billion cubic feet) a year.

Rain and fog prevented a helicopter flight that was to transport
Ahmadinejad, and he was expected to arrive later by road.

The project was launched in 2004 after more than a decade of
negotiations.

Russia, which supplies most of Armenia’s gas, had objected to the
project. Armenian officials said last year they were discussing the
prospect of Russia’s natural-gas monopoly Gazprom purchasing the
Armenian section of the pipeline from Iran, the AP said.

Landlocked Armenia has developed its relations with Iran amid economic
troubles caused the closing of its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan
in the wake of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of
Azerbaijan occupied by Armenian and ethnic Armenian Karabakhi forces.

Iran also has sought projects and influence in other parts of the
former Soviet Union, mostly in Central Asia.

Last year, Ahmadinejad opened an Iranian-financed tunnel improving
connections between impoverished Tajikistan’s north and the capital
region. Tehran has focused mostly on transport and infrastructure
projects and restoring historically close cultural ties.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION EXPECTED TO ALLOCATE $ 60 MILLIONS TO RA

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 19 2007

Ambassador John Danilovich, CEO of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, this week told members of a key House foreign aid panel
that Armenia had made a number of reforms that were both "positive and
constructive," and expressed that elections in Armenia be "conducted
correctly", Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) reports.

Danilovich appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs to discuss MCC’s
funding needs for Fiscal Year 2008.

Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), in her opening statement,
stressed that MCC funding had been designed to be additive, and
should not take away from other funding programs, such as the Freedom
Support Act. Her concerns were echoed by Congressman Jesse L. Jackson,
Jr. (D-IL) and Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
who also noted that Armenia must work to sustain its status as an
MCC recipient.

Last week, Randall L. Tobias, U.S. Director of Foreign Assistance
and USAID Administrator, told Committee Members that MCC funding "is
expecting to disperse 60 million dollars" in FY 2008 alone and that
"together with foreign aid, Armenia will receive 98 million dollars,
or a 34 percent increase."

The Administration has requested $35 million in economic assistance
to Armenia for FY 2008, a reduction of more than 50 percent over the
FY 2007 approved funding level of approximately $75 million.

Last year, the United States and Armenia took a major step forward
with the signing of the Millennium Challenge Compact – a five-year
$235.65 million agreement intended to reduce Armenia’s rural poverty
and increase agricultural productivity.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who took part in the signing
ceremony, called the event a "promising" step in the U.S.-Armenia
partnership and a "testament to the hard work and dedication of the
Armenian people and their elected government."

Established in 2004, MCC is based on the principle that aid is most
effective, when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom and
investments in people. MCC is responsible for the stewardship of the
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), which receives funds appropriated
by Congress every year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMEDIAN’S WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT DOESN’T QUITE CUT IT
Tim Stuart

Daily 49er, CA
March 19 2007

Sam "The Armenian Comedian" Menesian fails to break the world record
for the most haircuts in a 24-hour period last Thursday.

Sam "The Armenian Comedian" Menesian’s attempt to break the "Guinness
Book of World Records" record for the most haircuts in a 24-hour
period was cut short at the on-campus Elektric Hair Salon Thursday.

In the end, Menesian managed to cut 39 heads in 4 hours. Most of the
styles were buzz-cuts, mohawks or trims for long hair.

According to Menesian, he comes from a family of haircutters because
his father, uncle, sister and wife are all hairstylists. The comedian
says he has been cutting hair for 35 years.

Although Menesian has experience cutting hair, Elektric Hair owner
Brandee Tilles said "he does not reflect the quality of our licensed
professionals." She doesn’t know if the event helped or hurt her
business. "I hope it didn’t hurt my business," Tilles said.

The reason KROQ managed to get Menesian to CSULB is the connection
between Tilles and her husband, Jay, better known as Lightening,
who is an executive producer at KROQ. Tilles said she hopes the event
brings exposure to the on-campus salon.

"Only a small percentage of the student body know we exist," Tilles
said.

Tilles has owned the salon since she purchased and remodeled it in
November of 2005. Elektric Hair has been the on-campus salon for 26
years, according to Tilles.

Sophomore Stephanie Williams stood in line at 8:30 a.m., waiting to
get her hair cut. She said she "doesn’t care what happens," to her
hair and wants to get a trim "just for fun."

Williams also said she hopes the comedian doesn’t cut too much hair
off. Although she is not familiar with Menesian, she said she hopes
he does a good job. Williams said she listens to "The Kevin and Bean
Show" every week.

Sophomore Amanda Stupin had never heard of "The Armenian Comedian"
before this event. She watched him cut students’ hair, but wasn’t
willing to get her hair cut by a comedian, especially "not when he is
going for a world record because I just got my hair cut last Tuesday."

Stupin said she usually listens to "The Kevin and Bean Show" on her
way to school or work.

Although the comedian was on track to break the world record, he was
unplugged around 10 a.m. He said "the mother f—ers unplugged me!

It’s not my fault."

Menesian also stated that there was some confusion between the Guinness
Book and KROQ, resulting in him being shut down.

Although he didn’t break the existing world record of 250 different
cuts in 24 hours, Menesian said he enjoyed the experience and will
be back to Cal State Long Beach because he loves the fresh ocean air
and the friendly atmosphere.

storage/paper1042/news/2007/03/19/News/Comedians.W orld.Record.Attempt.Doesnt.Quite.Cut.It-2779446.sh tml

ARMENIA, TURKEY WAIT WHILE US CONSIDERS RECOGNIZING GENOCIDE
By Jason Motlagh

United Press International
March 19 2007

YEREVAN, Armenia (UPI) — Inside the tomb-like confines of the Armenian
genocide museum, a haunting narrative of images and words unfolds. A
list is posted at tour’s end of Western nations that have officially
recognized the tragedy, minus one major endorsement: the United States.

U.S. lawmakers have recently introduced non-binding resolutions that
would declare up to 1.5 million Armenians victims of genocide at the
hands of Turkish forces almost a century ago. Support is reported
to be strong enough in the House to pass the measure if it goes to
a vote; the Senate introduced a similar resolution last Wednesday
with 21co-sponsors.

Historians and analysts here say recognition from Washington is long
overdue since evidence validating the case for genocide is "clear-cut,
more than factual, and very obvious." But Turkey’s priority status
as a vital strategic ally in a troublesome region stands in the way.

"Although Turkey needs the U.S. more, the U.S also needs Turkey right
now . . . so it’s not realistic to think the government will formally
acknowledge [the genocide]," Hagop Avedikian, editor of Azg newspaper,
said. He noted that every April 24, a day of observance, President Bush
"highlights the genocide and explains it without using the word."

In the past month, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of
the General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and a parliamentary delegation
have met with congressmen and administration officials to derail the
resolution. Gul was quoted as saying the delivery of a U.S. genocide
resolution would inflict "lasting damage" on bilateral relations.

Such statements were not lost on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who last week wrote a joint letter
to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other senior members
warning against a measure they said would harm national security
interests. Articles on this Issue

Passage of the House resolution "could harm American troops in
the field, constrain our ability to supply our troops in Iraq
and Afghanistan and significantly damage our efforts to promote
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey," the letter said according
to the Associated Press.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried has said Turkey might respond
by closing Incirlik Air Base, used for operations in nearby Iraq and
Afghanistan. Rice and Gates pointed out how the Turkish military
severed all ties with the French military and terminated defense
contracts after the French National Assembly voted last October to
criminalize denial of the genocide.

The Israeli Knesset killed a motion to discuss possible recognition
earlier this month, fearing a political crisis with Ankara.

Failure to pass the resolution would be "too bad because it could
be a very catalytic moment for rapid recognition by other states,"
Hayk Demoyan, director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, said.

U.S. backing could give Armenians leverage to press for compensation
and possible territorial claims, he added.

However, a raft of Western countries have already recognized the
genocide and made denial a punishable offense. An ethnic Turkish
politician, Dogu Perincek, received a $2,500 fine and a suspended
prison sentence from a Swiss court last Friday for calling the genocide
an "international lie" at a political rally two years ago.

The dispute is over whether hundreds of thousands of Armenians who
died between 1915-23 were part of systematic eradication campaign by
Ottoman Turkey. Armenians contend mass killings and forced deportations
amount to genocide, while the Turkish government insists the deaths
were the result of chaos amid the breakdown of the former empire.

Critics say the Turkish state’s reluctance to confront the Armenian
issue is but one facet of a broader identity crisis that is starting
to show ugly symptoms.

"Textbooks [in Turkey] have for decades placed taboos on certain
issues. To confront them would be catastrophic for the national
identity," Demoyan said.

The latest schism followed the Jan. 19 killing of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink in broad daylight on a heavily trafficked
Istanbul street. An unprecedented number of people, estimated at more
than 100,000, turned out in protest, chanting: "We are all Armenians."

The 17-year-old killer claimed to have shot him because "he had
insulted the Turks" and said he felt no remorse. Photographs surfaced
soon after his arrest showing the teenager posing with smiling police
officers beneath a Turkish flag.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly said the protesters
went "too far."

There are renewed fears in Armenia that the backlash from the
military-dominated state will be felt by Armenians and other ethnic
minorities in the near future. After he saw the demonstrations on TV
after Dink’s murder, Avedikian said he was afraid, along with many
of his Armenian friends in Istanbul and elsewhere, who are "convinced
Turkey will become even more radical."

Avedikian asserted that the softer line that has prevailed in recent
years may change in light of now-suspended EU accession talks.

Appeals to nationalist sentiment may also be a tactic to secure votes
in the run-up to November parliamentary elections.

"I have a lot of faith in Turkish intellectuals, but not in the army
and those connected with it," he said.

Leftist intellectuals have been hounded by Turkish prosecutors over the
past two years for alleged violations of Article 301 of the Turkish
penal code, which holds that "insulting Turkishness" is a criminal
offense. They include Dink and Nobel prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk,
who was put on trial for recognizing the genocide, though his case
was later dropped.

Pamuk emigrated to the United States after continued harassment and
death threats.

DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM REMAINS IN THE FOCUS OF NKR LEADERSHIP ATTENTION

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 19 2007

In the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic 1000 Hectares out of 60 000 arable
lands are irrigated, or 5-6% of water’s total reserves are used,
NKR PM Anoushavan Danielian stated, answering the questions of Azat
Artsakh newspaper web site’s readers.

"We shouldn’t wink at the fact that 50 000 of Stepanakert inhabitants
receive water every other day, and yet for one or two hours", the PM
stated. In his words, the development of irrigation system remains
in the focus of the government’s attention.

Anoushavan Danielian said according to the specialists’ researches,
there were inexhaustible reserves of water in the Nagorno-Karabagh.

According to the specialists’ estimation, the NKR water resources
enable to accumulate over 95 millions cubic meters of water (without
Sarsang reservoir) and irrigate 21 000 hectares of land.

According to the PM, with the help of Armenia’s specialists the works
on elaborating technical and economical documents of water and economic
objects have already been completed.

The implementation of the program on transfer of waters of the river
of Trge to the Sarsang reservoir is being carried out.

As a whole, irrigation of about 8 000 hectares of land by water are
to be ensured until 2010. Only in 2007 about 2 milliards drams will
be allocated from the state budget for the purposes of irrigating.

ARMENIA-IRAN GAS PIPELINE TO OPEN

IranMania News, Iran
March 19 2007

LONDON, March 19 (IranMania) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
and his Armenian counterpart will formally open the first stretch of
a natural gas pipeline Monday in Armenia, a landlocked country that
relies on Russia for most of its gas, AP reported.

Ahmadinejad and Armenian President Robert Kocharian will open the
25-mile section in the town of Meghri, just over the border from Iran.

Under the first stage of the project, Iran is to deliver up to 14 bln
cubic feet of gas a year. When the pipeline is completed and extends
to the capital, Yerevan, the volume could rise to 88 bln cubic feet
a year.

The project was launched in 2004 after more than a decade of
negotiations.

Russia, which supplies most of Armenia’s gas, had objected to the
project. Armenian officials said last year they were discussing the
prospect of Russia’s natural-gas monopoly Gazprom purchasing the
Armenian section of the pipeline from Iran.

Armenia has developed its relations with Iran amid economic troubles
caused by the closing of its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan in
the wake of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan
occupied by Armenian and ethnic Armenian Karabakhi forces.

Iran also has sought projects and influence in other parts of the
former Soviet Union, mostly in Central Asia.

Last year, Ahmadinejad opened an Iranian-financed tunnel improving
connections between impoverished Tajikistan’s north and the capital
region. Tehran has focused mostly on transport and infrastructure
projects and restoring historically close cultural ties.

ABKHAZIANS ELECT NATIONAL MINORITIES FOR PARLIAMENT

Regnum, Russia
March 19 2007

Tentative results of votes’ count in the second round of parliamentary
election in Abkhazia have been published. Of 34 candidates that stood
the second round, elected are 26 Abkhazians, three Russians – Valery
Kondakov, Pavel Leshuk, and Viktor Vasilyev, three Armenians – Albert
Hovsepian, Sergei Matosyan, and Valery Mairomyan, two Georgians – Yuri
Kereselidze and Bezhan Ubiria, and one Turk – Vladimir Nachach-ogly.

Second round of the vote was held in 17 electoral districts of
Abkhazia. Voter turnout was 43,2%.

To remind, first round of the election was held March 4. A total of
108 candidates stood the ballot. In the first round, 18 out of 35
deputies were elected.

EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 19 2007

Peter Semneby, European Union’s Special Representative for the South
Caucasus will visit Azerbaijan in April, the special representative
told the APA exclusively.

Mr.Semneby said that he intends to visit Nagorno Karabakh following
the visit to Azerbaijan. He noted that he will leave for the Armenian
capital, Yerevan on March 23 adding he could not meet some officials
during his previous short-term visit.

"I hope to meet with important officials during my visit to Armenia,"
the Special Representative said.