Month: April 2007

RESTORATION OF THE CROSS OF SURB KHACH CHURCH FOUND UNREASONABLE
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2007

Already on March 2 Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Atilla
Koc stated that a cross shall be certainly placed on eth dome of the
Surb Khach church of Akhtamar if it originally had one. Nevertheless
he submitted patriarch Mesrob II Mutafian’s request to restore the
cross and allow yearly religious celebrations at Surb Khach to the
Foreign Ministry.

On April 11 "Miliet " newspaper expressed negative opinion about
the placement of a cross on the dome of Surb Khach. The article was
represented to the Culture Ministry and the Department of Historical
Memorials and Museums of Turkey.

According to "Milliet", the Foreign Ministry of Turkey says that "Aya
Sofia" temple ios also turned into a museum and neither Christian
or Muslim holy services are held there. The Ministy states that the
same status is given to the Surb Khach church. Therefore placing a
cross on its dome is unreasonable.

FIRST GOODS TRANSPORTED THROUGH "PORT KAVKAZ – POTI" FERRY LINK TO BE IMPORTED INTO ARMENIA WITHIN NEXT 10-15 DAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The first goods transported through the
Port Kavkaz – Poti ferry link will be imported into Armenia within the
next 10-15 days. Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen
of Armenia Arsen Ghazarian said at the April 12 press conference that
the cargos will be transported by the ferry "Smak" that can carry 50
vans with the capacity of 60 tons. Although Reserve Capital company
(Switzerland) – the owner of the ferry will set the tariffs in the
next 1-2 weeks, according to A. Ghazarian, it is envisaged that the
tariff for transportation of each van will be reduced by 1,000-1,500
dollars or will be by 15-20% lower than tariffs of Ukrferry company
that carried out transportation previously. Besides, goods carried
by the "Smak" ferry will reach Armenia 10-15 days earlier than those
transported by Ukrferry company. (By the way, it was mentioned that
Reserve Capital offers to sell up to 49% of its shares to Armenian
companies).

A. Ghazarian said that the ferry will not work at its full capacity
in the next 6 months: it will make one trip weekly, then – in case
of necessity, two trips. In his words, the Port Kavkaz – Poti ferry
link will account for 80% of the annual commodity turnover of 1.5
million tons between Armenia and Russia.

Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the RA Ministry of
Transport and Communication Gagik Grigorian noted that the state did
not take any financial part in this program.

As regards automobile cargo transportation, it will not be done
through this ferry link but by the Novorossiysk – Burgas – Poti –
Novorossiysk route. G. Grigorian said that the ministry is now
conducting negotiations with the respective bodies of Russia and
Georgia with the aim of carrying out Armenian automobile cargo
transportation through the Novorossiysk – Poti ferry link and hiring
a ferryboat.

USDA PROVIDES NEW COMPUTERS TO REGIONAL VETERINARY CENTERS OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

ARMAVIR, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. A new computer, printer and "Augius"
software were given to the veterinary inspection and the laboratory
of Armavir by the National Veterinary Program of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA). During his visit to Armavir on
April 12, the RA Deputy Minister of Agriculture Levon Rukhkian said
that it is envisaged to provide all regional offices of the State
Veterinary Inspection with computers having Internet connection –
computers have already been installed in five marzes.

According to the US Charge d’Affaires Anthony Godfrey, these computers
will enable to send immediately information about cases of animal
diseases in Armenian marzes to the central veterinary laboratory
of Yerevan.

Director of the Republican Veterinary Anti-Epidemic and Diagnostic
Center Hovhannes Hakobian noted that about 2,000 diseases of
agricultural animals are registered in Armenia annually. In his words,
the inspection jointly with the ministry makes regular diagnosis of
animals, as well as takes preventive measures in order to prevent
possible outbreaks of bird flu in the country.

IN MY VIEW: APRIL 24, 2007, MARKS THE 92ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Armen Vartanian, The Journal

THE JOURNAL (Newcastle, UK)
April 11, 2007 Wednesday
Edition 1

Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the first genocide of the
20th Century with solemn religious and civil ceremonies. Along with
the Armenian people, prominent celebrities and statesmen will be
participating in this day of remembrance.

Since April of 2003, GenocideEvents.com has undertaken the task of
informing the general public, as a community service, of the events
commemorating the Armenian Genocide. The public is encouraged to
reflect upon the horrors which fell upon the Armenian nation and
Armenian people in the beginning of the last century.

During the First World War, The Young Turk political faction of the
Ottoman Empire sought the creation of a new Turkish state extending
into Central Asia. Those promoting the ideology called "pan Turkism"
(creating a homogenous Turkish state) now saw its Armenian minority
population as an obstacle to the realisation of that goal.

On April 24, 1915, several hundred Armenian community leaders and
intellectuals in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) were arrested,
sent east, and put to death. In May, after mass deportations had
already begun, Minister of the Interior Talaat Pasha ordered their
deportation into the Syrian Desert.

The adult and teenage males were separated from the deportation
caravans and killed under the direction of Young Turk functionaries.

Women and children were driven for months over mountains and desert,
often raped, tortured, and mutilated.

Deprived of food and water and often stripped of clothing, they fell
by the hundreds and thousands along the routes to the desert.

Ultimately, more than half the Armenian population, 1,500,000 people
were annihilated. In this manner the Armenian people were eliminated
from their homeland of several millennia.

On April 29, 1915, Henry Morgenthau, Senior, United States Ambassador
to the Ottoman Empire, had stated that "I am confident that the whole
history of human race contains no such terrible episode as this. The
great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant
when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915."

In 1915, 33 years before the United Nations Genocide Convention was
adopted, the Armenian Genocide was condemned by the international
community as a crime against humanity.

Armen Vartanian works for GenocideEvents.com in California, USA. Its
email address is [email protected] while its website is
located at

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: NECESSITY HAS ARISEN TO ADOPT NEW APPROACHES IN INOFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES SECTOR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. During the April 12 meeting of
the Armenian president Robert Kocharian and the heads of over ten
companies of the Armenian IT sector, participants discussed issues
related to increasing the number of companies engaged in the IT
sector, preparing qualified employees, ensuring the participation of
Armenian IT companies in international exhibitions and creating the
opportunities for holding exhibitions in Armenia.

R. Kocharian said that the difficulties related to the previous
monopoly in the communication sector have been overcome, which will
be a good stimulus for further development of information technologies.

According to heads of IT companies, although a 20-30% growth is
registered in the sector annually, its share in economic, especially
export indices, is still not large, which is not in line with the
real potential of the IT sector.

Proposals on some issues discussed were made at the
meeting. Particularly, it was proposed to attract purpose credit
resources for increasing the number of IT companies, and to create
an educational center for preparing qualified engineers, at which
short-term training courses should be organized as well.

NT was informed from the RA president’s press service that R. Kocharian
said that the state is interested in rapid implementation of all
useful proposals. He underlined that a necessity has arisen to adopt
new approcahes in the IT sector development concept.

DISCUSSION OF THE ARMENIAN GENIOCIDE AT THE CALIFORNIA SENATE

AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2007

Armenian Consul to the USA Armen Liloyan held a speech at the Higher
Senate of California dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. According
to the Armenian Foreign Ministry the Consul emphasized taking into
account the lessons of the past and preventing such outrageous crimes
in the future. Mr. Liloyan also made comments on the Turkey’s official
policy of denying the Genocide. He noted that such policy can by no
means serve to the improvement of relations of the two states and
establishment of stability in the Southern Caucasian region.

On the same day the power chamber of the parliament of California
passed a bill declaring April 24 a day of commemoration of the victims
of the Armenian Genocide.

The bill also calls upon Turkey to recognize the Genocide.

EARTHQUAKE OCCURS NEAR ARMENIA CAPITAL, NO CASUALTIES REPORTED

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 11, 2007 Wednesday 08:04 PM EST

Over a million residents of Yerevan were awakened overnight by rather
noticeable earth tremors. The National Service of Seismic Protection
of Armenia told Itar-Tass the earthquake occurred at 00:43, local time,
Thursday (11:43 p.m., Moscow time, Wednesday).

The quake epicentre was located near the Parakar settlement, a small
locality 10 kilometres west of the centre of Yerevan and practically
neighbouring the outskirts of the Armenian capital. The quake force
in the epicentre was four-five pointes on the 12-point scale MSK-64.

The earthquake was felt in Yerevan and the regional centre Ashtarak
measuring three-four pointes.

There have been no reports about casualties and destruction. The
earthquake has not impeded normal work of Zvartnots international
airport of Yerevan that is located one kilometre from Parakar.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES 2006 ANNUAL REPORT ON STATE PROPERTY PRIVATIZATION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 12 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the bill on approval of the 2006 annual
report on implementation of the 2006-2007 program of state property
privatization. The bill will be submitted to the RA National Assembly
in prescribed order. NT was informed about it from the RA Government
Information and PR Department.

In the year under review, 11 companies included in the program
were privatized, with 4 of them being sold through direct sale
in the investment form, 3 – through tender, and 4 companies were
auctioned. 455 mln 420.4 thousand drams and 550 thousand dollars
were transferred to the privatization account of the RA state
budget. According to the law, 42 mln 157.1 thousand drams (about 114
thousand dollars) out of the resources received from privatization
in 2006 was transferred to community budgets.

PULLOUT OF RUSSIA MIL BASE EQUIPMENT IN AKHALKALAKI RESUMES

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 11, 2007 Wednesday

The withdrawal from Georgia of automobile equipment and property of
the Russian military base in Akhalkalaki will resume, a spokesman
for the base command told Itar-Tass. According to him, on Thursday,
the first convoy comprising 10 heavy-duty trucks with the property
of the base and three units of automotive equipment will depart for
Armenia to the Russian base Gyumri. These 10 trucks will return after
leaving in Gyumri the property and three automotive equipment units.

A total of six truck convoys with machinery and equipment of the base
will be sent from Akhalkalaki to Gyumri in April-May, and on May 17
and 24, a part of the machinery and equipment will be transported to
Russia by railway in two troop trains.

The schedule of the withdrawal of the machinery, property and troops
is coordinated with the Georgian Defence Ministry. The process of
the Russian troops pullout from Akhalkalaki and handing over of the
facilities to the Georgian Defence Ministry will be completed before
July 1, this year. All heavy machinery and weapons of the base had been
withdrawn from Georgia (part to Armenian and part to Russia) last year.

The pullout of the machinery and equipment of the Russian base
in Batumi that was launched two years ago, will be resumed in the
coming month and will be gradually completed next year. The Batumi
base should be closed before October 1, 2008.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IVANOV, KOCHARYAN DISCUSS RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN COOPERATION IN YEREVAN

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 11, 2007 Wednesday

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Russia’s First Deputy Prime
Minister Sergei Ivanov met on Wednesday to discuss some aspects of
bilateral cooperation, specifically in the economic area, the Armenian
government’s press service told Itar-Tass.

The increased presence of Russian capital in Armenia and expanded
bilateral trade were described by the parties as a major result of
the development of bilateral partnership, the press service said.

Kocharyan and Ivanov discussed how to use industrial enterprises
control over which was passed by Armenia to Russia as repayment of
its debt, as well as transportation services and regional cooperation,
the press service said.