Month: April 2007

STATE DEPARTMENT REVISES MISSTATEMENT REGARDING NAGORNO KARABAGH

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 12:16

The US Department of State has revised the mistaken assertion, within
the Armenia section of its recently released annual human rights
report, that, "Armenia continues to occupy the Azerbaijani territory
of Nagorno-Karabagh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories,"
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The amended language, released this week, has been posted on
theDepartment’s website. It reads as follows: "Armenian forces
occupy large portions of Azerbaijan territory adjacent to Nagorno-
Karabakh. Armenian officials maintain that they do not ‘occupy’
Nagorno-Karabakh itself." The Azerbaijan section, which included
nearly identical language, has yet to be revised.

"We take note of the fact that the State Department has responded
to our concern that the report’s mischaracterization of Nagorno
Karabagh’s status would be detrimental to the U.S. government’s role
as an impartial mediator of the Minsk Group negotiations," said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We remain concerned that
the amended text continues to fall short of accurately describing
the situation, as well as by the fact that the Azerbaijan section of
the report continues to make incorrect assertions, thus making its
text inconsistent with the State Department’s own revision of the
Armenia section."

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in an April 3, 2007 letter to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, expressed the Armenian American community’s
profound concern that, "such statements fundamentally misrepresent the
well-documented reality in the region, contradict the Department’s
previous human rights reports, and undermine the credibility of the
United States as an impartial arbiter destined to a leadership
role in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process." He added that,
"These unprecedented assertions are both factually inaccurate and
counter-productive to our government’s aim of reaching a durable
resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. To say that Nagorno
Karabagh is an Azerbaijani territory and that Armenia occupies Nagorno
Karabagh and other territories is to ignore the very fundamentals of
this conflict. These statements only serve to send the wrong message
to the Azerbaijani side and further complicate the peace negotiations."

EARTH DAY AND ARBOR DAY TO BE MARKED IN THE VILLAGE OF KARIN

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 13:48

On April 25, 2007 US Chargé d’Affaires Anthony Godfrey will mark
Earth Day and Arbor Day in a ceremonial tree planting initiated by the
Armenia Tree Project Charitable Foundation (ATP). US Embassy Chargé
d’Affaires Anthony Godfrey and honored guests will plant evergreens
on a specially prepared plot at ATP’ s nursery in Karin village
(Aragatsotn region).

With the participation of the US Embassy, high ranking government
officials, and representatives of a number of international and local
organizations, this event will not only mark worldwide environmental
celebrations, but will also raise the broader public awareness of
the ecological issues existing in Armenia at present. The date of the
ceremony (April 25) has been chosen to coincide with the traditional
Earth Day and Arbor Day festivities, marked globally on April 22 and
April 27 of 2007 respectively.

More than seventy guests have been invited to partake and rejoice
in this celebration with ATP. Among anticipated attendees are the RA
Ministers of Nature Protection, Agriculture, Education and Science,
as well as representatives of the US Embassy in Armenia, including
directors of the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), the US Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD),
and Peace Corps.

In the beginning of the event ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian
will make opening remarks, after which US Chargé d’Affaires Anthony
Godfrey will greet the participants. RA Minister of Nature Protection
Vardan Ayvazyan and RA Minister of Agriculture David Lokyan are also
expected to present speeches.

–Boundary_(ID_lcDcSNzynhyBHfkBbqGdMw)- –

RA PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF LATVIA

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 14:22

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received the Foreign Minister of
Latvia Artis Pabriks.

The Foreign Minister of Latvia expressed hope that the newly appointed
Prime Minister of Armenia will continue developing the economic
cooperation in the same spirit as the effective cooperation in the
defense sphere between the two countries.

Considering the volume of commodity turnover between Armenia
and Latvia as small and insufficient, Artis Pabriks noted that
through implementation of joint programs, improvement of transport
communication and deepening of cooperation in other fields it is
possible to considerably change the situation.

Emphasizing the issue of transport communication as the most painful
one, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan suggested to develop the cooperation
in perspective and mutually beneficial spheres like information
technologies, the finance and banking sectors.

The interlocutors attached importance to the cooperation in the
framework of European integration. They stressed the role of the
Armenian community in reinforcing the relations between Armenia
and Latvia.

Mr. Pabriks showed interest in the pre-election situation in Armenia
and wished success, expressing hope that the elections will succeed.

3 NEW SCHOOLS AND A RENOVATED KINDERGARTEN FOR MARDAKERT

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 12:45

Recently the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund completed 2 projects in
Mardakert.

Now the village of Madaghis has a new school and Haterk has a renovated
kindergarten. By September 2007, school construction in villages of
Kochoghot and Verin Horatagh will be completed too, Public Relations
Department of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund informs.

Having a school building was central for the village of Madaghis,
where up till now classes were held in container houses. With the
financial assistance of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Toronto
affiliate, a donation of 264 thousand US dollars (104 million AMD),
a three-floor school with adjacent sanitary units and a boiler house
was constructed to accommodate 120 students.

A similar three-floor building will open its doors for the
schoolchildren of Kochoghot next September. Currently a run-down
building with no heating, adapted to minimal schooling needs serves the
village as a school. On funding received from the Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund France affiliate the first two floors and the basement of the
school building is completed; the attic is sill under construction.

The construction of the school building in Verin Horatagh is also
underway.

A new, three-floor building will soon replace the half-ruined village
school built in the 1930s. The project is financed by the Toronto
affiliate of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

The France affiliate of the Fund will furnish the Kochghout school
and in collaboration with the St. Etienne city hall has donated
11.5 million AMD (29.4 USD) worth of furniture and sport facilities
equipment to the Haterk school.

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Toronto affiliate has furnished the
newly built Madaghis school and will soon furnish the Verin Horatagh
school. The Mardakert school number 1 has also been furnished due to
various donations from France.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: A THIEF THAT STEALS EGGS WILL STEAL A HORSE

Arminfo
2007-04-20 10:15:00

If the Republican Party of Armenia is given an opportunity to
implement its pre-electoral program, during 4 years the party will
double the achievements which have been registered over the past 7
years, Serzh Sargsyan, the Armenian Prime Minister and the Chairman
of the Political Council of the Republican Party of Armenia, said at
his meeting with the voters of the Kanaker-Zeitun community, Yerevan.

The Prime Minister noted that in case the RPA is elected, the people
will feel the changes in the country with every passing month. He
emphasized that the RPA has always given realistic promises and kept
them, and the double-valued economic growth in the country proves
this. At the same time, S.Sargsyan pointed out that the largest
Armenian capital in the world totals $100 bln, but even 1% of these
funds is not directed to Armenia as investments. "To see these funds
invested in the Armenian economy, we should gain the confidence of not
only the foreign forces but also the Armenian people, and the free
and fair elections will guarantee this. I promise that the RPA will
go to the election with no violation of the electoral legislation,"
the Armenian Prime Minister said.

He asked the participants of the meeting to compare the programs
of all the political forces and make a choice with a clear
conscience. S.Sargsyan noted that many political parties failed to
implement their programs and explained it with the fact that they were
not in power. But these forces could have carried out their programs
assisting the authorities, he pointed out. The Prime Minister also
stressed the importance of opening new job positions. In conclusion,
S.Sargsyan appealed to the participants of the meeting to keep the
city clean and to observe the traffic rules. "The thief that steals
eggs will steal a horse," he said.

ARMENIAN PREMIER PROMISES CHANGES

Arminfo
19 Apr 07

Yerevan, 19 April: If the Republican Party is given an opportunity
to implement its election platform, in four years the party will
double achievements that had been made in the last seven years. The
Armenian prime minister and chairman of the political council of the
Republican Party of Armenia [RPA], Serzh Sargsyan, said this during
a meeting with voters of Yerevan’s Qanaqer-Zeytun community.

He stressed that these achievements would not resolve all the
problems in the country. "You should run away from those who promise
miracles. Nobody has a magic stick, I haven’t myself either, to solve
all the problems immediately.

However, I promise that if we are elected, you will feel changes
every month," Sargsyan said.

He stressed that the party had always made realistic promises and
kept them.

The proof is the country’s two-digit economic growth. Sargsyan said
that funds owned by Armenians throughout the world amounts to 100bn
dollars, but even one per cent of this money is no being invested in
the country. "To ensure that these funds are invested in Armenia’s
economy, we have to win confidence both of outside forces and of
the Armenian people. Free and fair election will guarantee this. I
promise that the RPA will run in the election without falsifications
and violations of the electoral legislation," he said.

He called on the participants in the meeting to compare the platforms
of all the political forces and make a choice as their conscience
suggests.

Sargsyan said that many political forces had failed to implement
their platforms, pleading that they were not in power. But they could
have implemented their platforms assisting the authorities, Sargsyan
said. He also spoke about the necessity to create new jobs.

Then Sargsyan suddenly called on the participants in the meeting to
keep the city clean and obey traffic rules. "A thief who steals eggs
will steal a horse as well," Sargsyan said.

POLL SHOWS CORRUPTION IS ARMENIA’S MAJOR PROBLEM

Arminfo
19 Apr 07

Yerevan, 19 April: In the opinion of 73.9 per cent of those polled
by the Transparency International’s centre for anticorruption
investigations and initiatives, Armenia’s electoral system is the
most corrupt [sphere] in the country.

Chairman of the Transparency-Armenia Amalia Kostanyan told students
of Yerevan State University today that such polls ahead of the
parliamentary election should be a stimulus to conduct free and
transparent election in the country.

She went on to say that the respondents described as super-corrupt
the following state agencies – the traffic police (68.2 per cent),
the police (63.3 per cent), the tax inspection (63.3 per cent),
the state customs committee (60.8 per cent), education system (48.5
per cent), health (46.2 per cent) and the army (40.4 per cent). As
to officials, 63.8 per cent of the respondents said that the most
corrupt are Armenian ministers, 52.9 per cent said the most corrupt is
the prime minister, 52.4 per cent mentioned the Prosecutor-General’s
Office, 51.3 per cent – the Armenian government administration, 48.9
per cent – MPs, 46.2 per cent – the presidential administration and
44.5 per cent the president himself.

Those polled said that main reasons of the widespread corruption was
the ineffective implementation of laws, the imperfect constitution,
the lack of a punishment system, and the people’s tolerance towards
corruption. The poll showed that 69.4 per cent of the respondents
did not know about the existence of an anticorruption strategy,
84.4 per cent did not know about the existence of the council to
fight corruption, 91.4 per cent about the monitoring commission, and
84.3 per cent did not know about Armenia’s international obligation
to fight corruption. At the same time 90 per cent of the respondents
think that corruption is a major problem in Armenia.

[Passage omitted: the poll was conducted in 31 cities and 40 villages]

THE PUBLIC RADIO IS THE MOST BALANCED

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 15:02

"The Public Radio of Armenia is the most balanced among broadcasting
media," President of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan
declared today.

April 8-15 the "Team" Research Centre conducted monitoring of Armenia
media, the results of which revealed that the Public Radio of Armenia
demonstrated the most balanced approach in highlighting the election
campaign.

The monitoring has been conducted among 18 broadcasting and print
media.

CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD DALEY ISSUES RESOLUTION IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 15:15

The Mayor of Chicago Richard Daley signed the resolution adopted by
the City Council of Chicago that recognizes April 24th as a day of
remembrance for the Armenian Genocide, reports the Armenian National
Committee of Illinois.

"We are honored that Mayor Daley signed this resolution, which
signifies the ongoing initiative in Illinois to raise awareness of
the tragic events that happened to the Armenians in 1915," commented
ANC of Illinois Chairman Ari Killian. "We look forward to continue to
build our relationship with local and national figures in Illinois"
he stated.

The proclamation adopted by the city council of the City of Chicago
and signed by Mayor Richard M Daley was issued in the midst of a
campaign by the Turkish Government to defeat H. Res. 106 pending
in the US House of Representatives that would mark the slaughter
of 1.5 million Christian Armenians as the first genocide of the
20th century. Currently, 12 of the 19 Illinois representatives
have cosponsored H. Res. 106. Similar legislation, S. Res. 106, was
introduced last month in the US Senate by Assistant Majority Leader
Dick Durbin (D-IL) who also actively has worked to promote awareness
about the genocide in Darfur.

In August 2005, Illinois became the eleventh state to mandate teaching
of genocide as part of the public school curriculum. The mandate
signed by Gov.

Rod Blagojevich resulted from the efforts of the Armenian National
Committee of Illinois and other ethnic groups that had been subject
to a genocidal campaign.

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ARTISTS OF ARTSAKH HELD ITS FIRST EXHIBITION

KarabakhOpen
20-04-2007 15:20:15

On April 18 the first exhibition of the newly-established International
Union of Artsakh opened at the picture gallery of Stepanakert. The
founders of this organization and the authors of the works are three
known artists: Samvel Gabrielyan, Arnold Meliksetyan and Robert
Askaryan.

It is notable that the exhibition attracted both government officials
and the artistic circle. Maybe because the three artists left the
Union of Artists of NKR last autumn as they were dissatisfied with
the atmosphere in this organization, set up their organization,
and intended to impart it with an international importance.

There were unusually many people. The chair of the Union of Writers
of NKR Vardan Oskanyan dedicated the exhibition, then Speaker Ashot
Ghulyan, the minister of education and culture Kamo Atayan, the head
of the department of education and culture of the City Hall Carlen
Margaryan made speeches. Samvel Gabrielyan, one of the artists, made
the closing speech. "The idea to create a new organization occurred
a long time ago. Finally it was born. However, I would like to make
it clear that the word "international" is not pretentiousness but the
necessity of the time. In the soviet times creative unions were set
up to serve the political pyramid rather than the creative demands
of the artists. Today when we are creating our independent country,
we cannot follow what was injected then, in addition, broken from
the world progress. We need to keep up with the time, go out to the
world, get in touch with the best representatives of modern art,
invite them to Artsakh. The men of culture should know the folk;
people have always had and have their own culture."

According to the artist, they have already set up contact with artists
of different countries and intend to hold two similar events abroad.