Month: April 2007

SAMVEL BABAYAN: WE DO HAVE A WAY TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE EXISTING CLAN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The "Dashink" (Alliance) party
has no goal to overcome the 5% at the parliamentary elections and
have a small faction at the new National Assembly. Party Chairman
Samvel Babayan stated about it at the April 19 meeting with voters in
Etchmiadzin. In his words, being represented with a small number of
deputies will not give them possibility to influence on the political
processes of the country. S. Babayan mentioned that he observes the
pre-electoral campaign and does not find a word to comment upon it: in
his words, "politicians giving today promises will forget all us in 5
years." In the "Dashink" head’s opinion, any state functions according
to the laws written by a deputy but "if those laws are dictated by a
group of people and they only press a button at the parliament hall,
then we are condemned to live in the conditions like the present ones."

Responding a question of one of those present, if he was taken to
the NSS and examined laid on the floor, he mentioned that "there is
no such a person who will be able to stand in front of me and speak,"
so it can not even be spoken about laying him on the floor. He added
that similar rumours are spread tendentiously in order to show that
"there is no way to struggle against the existing clan," whereas,
in his words, "there is a way: this way is our struggle itself."

Touching upon the arrest of Zhirayr Sefilian, the coordinator of the
"In Defence of Liberated Territories" public-political initiative,
commander of the "Shoushi" battalion, S. Babayan mentioned that he
did not know what anti-constitutional statements Sefilian made but he
observed events being promoted on his arrest. "The reason of Zhirayr
Sefilian’s arrest was that Samvel Babayan attempted to unite around
him boys passed through the war, including Sefilian as well," the
"Dashink" head concluded.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: WE NEEDS UNIFICATION BUT NOT SEPARATION IN THIS REGION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Foreign Minister participated
on April 19 in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation organization. According to the press release
submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign Ministry, the Foreign
Ministers of Greece, Russia, Romania, Turkey, Azerbaijan, other
high-ranking delegations of the member states of the organization
participated in the sitting. Vuk Draskovic, the Foreign Minister of
Serbia, presiding at the BSEC opened the sitting.

The RA Foreign Minister, particularly, mentioned in his speech:
"if we today sign the Belgrade declaration, it is for the reason
that we accept, re-affirm and emphasize the one that the heads of our
states and governments signed in June, 1992: that there is economic
unequality among our members, that there are political hesitations
because of historic and other motives, and that, finally, none of
them is a reason to avoid cooperation. Just the opposite, those are
just the logic and motives which, though slowly and stage by stage,
must stimulate, encourage and assist promotion of the cooperation. And
we did it. From the bank to Center foundation, we created succeded,
functioning mechanisms for many-sided cooperation. The Minister also
mentioned: "None of us is here, at the BSEC, by an invitation. We are
here as we are here, among this neighborhood, in this region. And here,
in this region, we have transport systems, that need unification but
not separation, we have energetic systems which we must share with
each other but not isolate from each other, banking systems that
need increase but not reduction of resources, educational systems
that must be widened not isolated, societies that must be including
but not excluding ones."

The Belgrade declaration was adopted and the Memorandum on Mutual
Understanding for Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway
was signed as a result of the meeting. After the meeting Minister
Oskanian participated in the solemn ceremony dedicated to the start
of the Caravan 2007 car march dedicated to adoption of the memorandum.

The chairmanship was passed from Serbia to Turkey for the coming
half a year. The BSEC summit will take place in Istanbul on June 25
of the current year on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the
BSEC organization.

Mentioning at the April 19 meeting between President of Serbia Boris
Tadic and Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, that Armenia
attentively observes developments round Kosovo, Minister Oskanian
presented some details of his and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister’s
meeting on the previous day.

FOUR-DAY COURSES DEDICATED TO ISSUES OF COOPERATION OF ARMED FORCES AND MASS MEDIA TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN IN JUNE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of implementation
of the goals of the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Actions
Plan, the RA Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Center for Civil-Military
Relations will jointly organize in Yerevan on June 12-15 four-day
courses dedicated to mutual relations and cooperation of the Armed
Forces and mass media in the democratic social system. Noyan Tapan was
informed about it by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department.

The courses are envisaged for departments responsible for press and
public relations of the force ministries and departments as well
as for officials of middle and high cicles having a right of direct
contact with mass media and for media representatives.

CONGRESSMEN DEMAND FROM PRESIDENT BUSH TO RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 20 2007

WASHINGTON, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Co-Chairmen of the
Congress Armenian Caucus Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg addressed
a letter to President George Bush, demanding to recognize the 1915
massacres as the Armenian Genocide in his memory statement on April 24.

The President mentioned in his annual memory speech of the last year
that "the happened was a tragedy against the whole mankind, and we and
the whole world must never forget it," but he again avoided using the
"genocide" word.

The Co-Chairmen in their letter called on President Bush to recognize
the ferocities committed against the Armenian people as a genocide,
particularly by stating: "The United States must never allow that
the crimes committed against the mankind are forgotten without being
remembered and punished," In addition, the letter emphasized devotion
of the United States to prevention of future genocides, repeating
that: "it is necessary to pay tribute of respect to memory of those
who suffered and never forget the past."

PUPILS OF ARMENIAN SCHOOLS OF TEHRAN PAY TRIBUTE OF THEIR RESPECT TO MEMORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 20 2007

TEHRAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Pupils of the Armenian
schools of Tehran gathered in the Ararat sports center on April 18,
on the initiative of the education council of the Armenian Diocese of
Tehran to jointly do honour and respect memory of the 1915 Armenian
Genocide victims.

At the beginning of the event dedicated to the 92nd anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, pupils lighted candles and laid flowers in front
of the khachkar (cross stone) symbolizing the Armenian Genocide under
the sounds of Armenian church psalms. Then a literary-artistic evening
which was completely organized with the pupils’ efforts took place
at the Sasuntsi Davit hall of the Ararat sports center. According to
the Alik daily, a documentary video material concerning the Genocide
was also shown during the evening.

"We shall not stop struggling as the Armenian people’s just rights were
not implemented yet," the pupils’ event was closed with these words.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CATHOLICOS LEAVES FOR DAMASCUS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 20 2007

ANTELIAS, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Aram I Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia left for Damascus on April 19 to participate
in the meeting of the spiritual heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches
taking place in their center in Middle East. The above-mentioned
churches are the Patriarchate of Alexandria of the Coptic Church,
Patriarchate of Antioch of the Assyrian Church and the Great House
of Cilicia Catholicosate of the Armenian Church.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press Services of the Great
House of Cilicia Catholicosate, Archbishop Sepuh Sargisian, the
Tehran Diocese Primate, Bishop Gegham Khacherian, the Lebanon Diocese
Primate and Bishop Narek Aleemezian, the Manager of the Catholicosate
Interchurch Relations Department will participate in this congress
with Aram I. Before the spiritual heads’ meeting, a meeting of the
commission appointed by the spiritual heads took place at the Antelias
Cathedral. Then the commission continued its work in Damascus.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARONYAN AND KRAMINK PREPARING FOR THE YEREVAN MATCH

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 17:05

Leading Grand Master of Armenia Levon Aronyan has started preparing
for the match with Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to be held on May 4-6
in Yerevan.

Krmnik is also preparing for the match. In particular, April 24-29
he will hold a match against Hungarian Grand Master Peter Leko in
the city of Miskolc (Hungary).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GARNIK ISAGULYAN CONFIDENT THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WILL CORRESPOND TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 17:17

Garnik Isagulyan, Adviser to RA President on National Security Issues,
Head of the Institute of Political Research, stated in Yerevan today
that the research of the pre-election campaign of various parties
showed that the political sphere of Armenia is distinctly formed.

Garnik Isagulyan told a press conference that the results of the
research, conducted in all the regions of Armenia by the employees
of the institute he heads, reveal that an active work with the
rural population is carried out by the "Prosperous Armenia" Party,
Dashnaktsutiun and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). The Adviser
to RA President noted that the three parties secure balance of the
political field, as they have different political orientation.

Turning to the opportunities of the opposition forces, Garnik Isagulyan
stated that for a whole year the representatives of pro-authority
forces were advising them to get united; however, the ambitions of
the heads of opposition parties did not allow them to form a strong
alternative to the present authorities.

Mr.Isagulyan expressed confidence that the parliamentary elections
be held in compliance with international standards, and only those
political forces, which assess their chances too high, will be of
another opinion after May 12.

Garnik Isagulyan also informed that the "National Security" Party,
headed by him, "supports RPA for obvious reasons" and participates
in its pre-election campaign.

FAMILY DOCTORS TO FROM NOW ON HAVE POSSIBILITY OF FUNCTIONING INDEPENDENTLY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The order of implementation of
individual and group independent practices of family doctors was
affirmed at the April 19 sitting of the RA Government. It defines
compulsory demands and conditions of implementing the above-mentioned
practice.

It was mentioned at the sitting that introduction of independent
activity of family doctors in the health care system is in keeping
with strategy of primary keeping and development of health care and
is the most important one among the main principles of the family
medicine. Creation of conditions necessary for individual and group
independent practice of family doctors and for their activity will
greatly assist final formation of the family medicine in the RA
and not only accessibility but also security of the quality of the
services in the primary circle.

As Vahan Poghosian, the Chief of the Medical Assistance Organization
Department of the RA Ministry of Health Care informed journalists
after the sitting, family doctors must be utmost independent from
the viewpoint of organization, management of financial resources and
implement their services based on the principle of free choice by
the population.

In V. Poghosian’s words, family doctors had no possibility till now
to independently manage their financial resources and property. And a
family doctor from now on will be more careful and interested in the
issue of medical equipment, responsible for the quality of his service.

It was also mentioned that family doctors will freely implement their
services as it is at polyclinics as the state pays 4800 drams (about
13 U.S. dollars) annually for every person served by them.

BULGARIAN NEVERHALL ROCK GROUP RELEASES NEW DISC DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 20 2007

VARNA, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Neverhall
Bulgarian rock group creating in the city of Varna released a disc
on the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. As
Noyan Tapan was informed by the Greek Azat Or (Free Day) periodical,
this disc makes a part of the 1915 Genocide album all the songs
involved in which are dedicated to memory of the genocide victims.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress