Author: admin

Tehran Times
March 5 2005

Gazprom wins Iran-Armenia gas tender

MOSCOW (IRIB News) — The Russian Gazprom company has won a tender
for construction of a pipeline which is to transfer Iran’s gas to
Armenia.

The construction work of the pipeline is expected to kick off late
April.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and Armenia signed the contract for the
pipeline in May 2004.

The 100 km of the 140km-long pipeline is to run through Iranian soil
and the rest will be constructed in Armenia.

The 40km pipeline is set to be laid in border city of Kucharan.

Iran expects to export 36b cubic meter gas over twenty years once the
pipeline is being completed by 2007.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 5 2005

U.S. CRITICISM OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMENIA IS EXAGGERATED

YEREVAN, March 5 (RIA Novosti’s Gamlet Matevosyan) – Criticism by the
United States State Department of human rights in Armenia is
exaggerated and biased, says press secretary of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry Gamlet Gaspayan in the statement, reaching RIA Novosti on
Saturday.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has carefully studied the annual human
rights report of the U.S. Department of State and notes with
satisfaction that the report “clearly seals the stable transition of
Armenia to the market economy”.

Simultaneously, Mr. Gasparyan noted that the report also makes note
of Armenia’s human rights oversights last year.

“Although the criticism reflected in the report is exaggerated and
biased, it still can provide the basis and guiding light for the
attainment of greater progress in the sphere of civil and human
rights”, Mr. Gasparyan believes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE REELECTION OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, MARCH 5. ARMINFO. Today, on March 5, is two years since the
reelection of Robert Kocharyan to the post of the Armenian President.

According to the ruling parties in Armenia, during the last two years,
Robert Kocharyan successfully fulfilled his pre-election promises.
Armenian Prime Minister, RPA Leader Andranik Margaryan, in particular,
says that during the last two years Robert Kocharyan fulfilled the
greatest part of his pre-election promises, and preconditions for
fulfillment of the remaining promises are created. Among the
achievements of Robert Kocharyan, representatives of the ruling
coalition called stable the domestic political situation, pointing out
two-digit economic growth and a growth of GDP. At the same time,
representatives of the ruling coalition say that there are many
problems in the country to be solved in future, including the high
level of corruption, and plutocracy reigning in the country.

Unlike the ruling forces, the Armenian oppositionists lever harsh
criticism at the activity of Robert Kocharyan demanding his
resingation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

`THE CAUCASUS IS OF GROWING IMPORTANCE FOR OUR INTERESTS’

Azg
4 March 05

General James Jones, supreme allied commander of U.S. Armed Forces in
Europe, stated about the growing importance of the Caucasus region for
the United States. Mediamax informed that James Jones said about that
during his report on the European Commander’s Issues at The Committee
of Armed Forces’ Affairs at U.S. Congress.

General Jones stated that “the global war against terrorism,
instability in Africa, in the Eastern Europe and Caucasus, enlargement
and modification of NATO make U.S. Commanders in Europe continue
modification not only for the implementation of its traditional
mission but also for withstanding the disastrous threats directed
against our security.”

“Though ethnic conflicts tear apart Caucasus, corruption and criminals
are everywhere in this region, essential progress in democracy was
fixed in some of its regions. The South Caucasus is of growing
importance for us. Its air corridor became `path of life’ for the
coalition forces in Afghanistan and between our military stations in
Europe. The Caspian oil being transferred through the South Caucasus
can secure the 25% of the world oil production’sgrowth, while the
energy carriers of the Caspian region will allow to diversify the
energy providing sources of Europe. This region is a geographical
crossroadfor spreading democracy and free market economy in the
Central and South Eastern Asia,” Jones stated.

General Jones also stated that the commanders of U.S. Armed Forces in
Europe and the commanders of special actions elaborate a new program
“On Location of Permanent and Rotation Forces in the South of
Europe”. ” The location of the land, air and military Naval forces
from the South of the Alps will contribute to the mutual compatibility
and training, as well as to our capacity to response the crisis in the
Caucasus and Africa,” Jones said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
March 4 2005

Civil court irking arson victims

Family is concerned that judge in alleged arsonist’s case is delaying
a freeze of Gary Gene Glazier’s assets.
By Robert Chacon, News-Press and Leader

GLENDALE — On the night of May 13, 2004, an arsonist took everything
Anahit Makhmuryan and her husband, Albert Artsvelyan, owned by
burning down their La Crescenta home.

Now, they say, the civil court system is trying to do the same.

The man accused of the crime is their neighbor, Gary Gene Glazier,
who prosecutors allege torched the couple’s home using an industrial
paint sprayer filled with gasoline, and a long pole, on the end of
which burned a small flame.

Glazier is awaiting trial for attempted murder and arson, but he is
also embroiled in a civil lawsuit in Glendale Superior Court in which
the plaintiffs are seeking $1.5 million in reparation and punitive
damages. He is being held at North County Correctional Facility in
Saugus.

“We lost everything in the fire,” Makhmuryan said. “Everything that
was in the home: our furnishings, our sense of security and safety.”

The family’s civil attorney, Anahid Agemian, filed an injunction
against Glazier in June, ordering him to disclose his assets and
prohibiting him from liquidating them. But Agemian says Glendale
Superior Court Judge Charles Stoll, who is presiding over the civil
case, has “indulged” in a long line of obstructions by Glazier’s
civil attorney, Howard Slavin, thus delaying a ruling on the matter.

“I cannot comment on a case that is pending before me,” Stoll said.

Slavin also declined to comment, saying that he is reserving comment
until the trial is over.

In the meantime, Glazier has been transferring assets to family
members, Agemian said. She does not know exactly what Glazier owns
because he never disclosed his assets.

Glazier married his longtime girlfriend, Linda Darlene Rae, on June
7, a few weeks after his arrest, Agemian said, adding that it was a
move that would make it easier to transfer assets to someone he
trusts.

His criminal defense attorney, Robert Shapiro, has filed a motion to
allow some of Glazier’s properties to be transferred to him as
payment for his work in the criminal trial. The matter is set for a
hearing March 11 in Stoll’s courtroom.

Agemian and her clients fear that the court will allow the transfer
to proceed, leaving nothing for them to collect if they are
victorious in the civil trial.

“The court is placing importance on the criminal trial at the expense
of my clients,” Agemian said. “Court orders have continuously been
violated by Slavin, and the court continues to allow them. It seems
to me that there is a concerted effort going on to not let the
[couple] get paid.”

Since the original injunction in June, Agemian has filed six motions
ordering Glazier to comply, and the court has made three orders
requiring Glazier to provide information regarding his assets,
according to court documents.

Each time, she said, these orders have been violated.

“He took everything from us,” Makhmuryan said of Glazier. “We have
this injunction, and now Shapiro might get everything he has.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER CONSIDERS WRONG “FATHER IS CHARGED WITH HIS
SON” PRINCIPLE

YEREVAN, MARCH 4. ARMINFO. Armenian Defence Minister Serje Sargsyan
considers wrong to follow the “father is charged with his son”
principle. He expressed such an opinion commenting on the recent
incident in the State Institute of Economy when the former student
Hamlet Keshishyan thrice shot from the gas pistol at his former dean.

Minister said that if it is discovered that the father of Hamlet
Keshishyan, colonel Keshishyan violated his duties, he necessarily
will be punished. At the same time, Sargsyan proposed journalists to
think themselves whether it is right to punish the father for the
crime of his son and noted the carelessness of some mass media
publishing unchecked and incorrect information.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CIS chief stresses need for reform – Armenian agency

Arminfo
4 Mar 05

YEREVAN

The Armenian authorities have no claims to the CIS, the CIS executive
secretary, Vladimir Rushaylo, told a news conference in Yerevan
today. “There should be grounds for claims and I have heard no claims
to the CIS at any level, including from the Armenian president,” he
said.

Asked about the CIS’s ability to survive in the wake of the flower
revolutions, Rushaylo said that the technologies that have been worked
out by the West and European institutes for a long time have to some
extent influenced the situation in the CIS. Noting that he did not
intend to dramatize the situation, Rushaylo said that there are some
signs that should be responded.

Asked whether GUUAM [the alliance of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,
Azerbaijan and Moldova] could split the CIS, he said that he did not
think so. “I would not like to comment on statements by other regional
organizations. We should have a well-formed view of our own in this
regard. We have views about prospects of the CIS development, and this
view has been formed not at the level of the executive committee but
at the level of heads of state. We adjust our political positions at
meetings precisely in this format,” Rushaylo said.

However, he said there were some problems with implementing adopted
decisions. “At the current stage, the adopted regulations have to be
amended. Nothing can remain unchanged, and you understand that the CIS
was set up 10 years ago, and the legal documents adopted at that time
need to be amended,” Rushaylo said.

[Passage omitted: CIS to learn from EU experience]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

`NORTH ARTSAKH’ RECEIVED YEGHISHEH PRIZE

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
04March 05

`Azat Artsakh’ regularly published about the activity of the
organization ` Research on Armenian Architecture’. Our interview is
with the director of the Armenia branch of the organization, historian
and archaeologist Samvel Karapetian. By the way, his book `North
Artsakh’ won the Yeghisheh Prize of the NKR government in 2004. The
book is about the Armenians of North Artsakh abandoned on the eve of
repression in 1988, no more able to struggle for living in their
fatherland. For the first time in the history of the region inhabited
by Armenians for thousands of years the Armenian life faded away. A
great number of historical monuments forming an indivisible part of
Armenian culture were orphaned. The aim of this book is to save from
oblivion the cultural valueswhich already fell victims to destruction
and pass them on to generations. According to the author, the book
`North Artsakh’ is another weapon in the arsenal of the war of
propaganda. Samvel Karapetian: `More than 11 years have passed since
the armistice in 1994. The guns have been silent for 11 years already
giving place to the weapon of propaganda. In Karvachar the English
version of the third volume of the book was presented to the OSCE
fact-finding group which visited the liberated territories. So, why
anything else was not presented to them?’ asks the author and answers
himself, `because this is the weapon used in the war of propaganda,
and we will try to fight with that weapon. And now the book `North
Artsakh’ which we have published only in Armenian, unfortunately,
cannot fulfill its political mission until the English version is not
ready.’ Christine Mnatsakanian: `Research on Armenian Architecture’
has, in fact, set an aim to fulfill several missions simultaneously:
search, research and reconstruct monuments and later record them
hoping, as you said, to save them from destruction at least on the
paper. To what extent are you a success?’ S.K.: ` The organization
founded 30 years ago continuously includes a far larger area than
merely the territory of the Republic of Armenia having only the
devotion of several individuals who believe that the work cannot be
delayed. In the months of March and April of 2004 we studied several
archaeological sites in the region of Martakert: the monasteries of In
Masats, Eghisheh Apostle and Yerits Mankants, Jraberd, Kaghakateghi,
etc. A lot of photos and measurements were taken. Since 1996 we have
been restoring the cloistral complex of Dadi Vankwhich consists of
more than 25 buildings. And reconstruction of a monument requires
funds. Our organization gradually reconstructs the buildings of Dadi
Vank. For example, last year we finished the church Catoghikeh owing
to Emil Hovnanian from America. Last year sponsored by Edik Abrahamian
living in Tehran we began the repair of the porch of the chapel and
then we shall pass to the belfry; the work was stopped in winter and
will be resumed soon. We start work mainly in spring because the
majority of monuments are in thick forests. If we go in summer, it
will be impossible to notice, for example, such a famous monument as
Khatravank from 15 meters, moreover take pictures of it as a work of
architecture.’ C.M.: `How do you coordinate your work, by areas or do
you take into account the state of the monument?’ S.K.: `We try to
renderhelp to those buildings which are in an extremely bad state. For
example, the chapel was in such a state. By the way, the chapel is an
exclusive monument. It still stands but it has decayed terribly. In
three-four years it could not be recognized.

The walls simply melted, fell to pieces. They reached us but in their
last breath. ‘ C.M.: `As you said, reconstruction of monuments
requires means. How do you manage to solve the problem of funding?’
S.K.: `Yes, the more work there is, the less means there are. As you
know, mainly Armenians of the Diaspora help us but their sponsorship
is not permanent. Nevertheless, the work goes on.’

CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
04-03-2005

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMBASSADOR EVANS WASN’T AUTHORIZED FOR TALKING ABOUT GENOCIDE

Azg/arm
5 March 05

The biggest Armenian organizations sent a joint letter to George Bush,
calling on him to use the term “Armenian genocide” in his April 24
annual statement addressed to the Armenians. “On the eve of the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide we call for You, Mr. President,
to follow the example of Ronald Reagan and many other American
officials and confirm the historical facts that you have already
characterized as Armenian Genocide once,” the letter said.It is signed
by the Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian General Benevolent
Union, the Commission of the Armenian Cause and a number of other
organizations.

The representative of the White House said in the interview to the
Liberty Radio Station a day earlier that “the things Ambassador Evans
did were totally his own initiative. It absolutely contradicts the
policy of the US government that is defined by our President=80¦ There
is no one in our governmentwho could authorize Ambassador Evans for
such a statement.”

It’s worth reminding that on February 19, Mr. Evans, expressing
hispersonal viewpoint saying during the meeting with the Armenian
community members in California that the Armenian Genocide was the
first genocide of the XX century, adding that “everybody realizes that
Karabakh can’t be given back to Azerbaijan.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MOST ARMENIAN MPs SAY THAT PRESIDENT AND RULING COALITION ARE KEEPING
THEIR ELECTORAL PROMISES

YEREVAN, MARCH 4. ARMINFO. All the parliamentary forces of Armenia
(except for the opposition) says that Pres.Kocharyan and the ruling
coalition are successfully keeping their electoral promises.

The leader of the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party of
Armenia Galust Saakyan says that both Kocharyan and the coalition have
been consistenly fulfilling their electoral programs in the past two
years. But there are still many pending problems among them high
corruption.

Of the same opinion are the leaders of the parliamentary factions of
the ARFD and State of Law Levon Lazarian and Samvel
Balasanyan. Meanwhile the secretary of the People’s Deputy group
Vahram Bagdasaryan says that the ruling coalition is an artificial
alliance aimed to reinforce the positions of the three ruling parties
who have been actively canvassing for the next elections since the
very first day the coalition was formed.

The secretary of the Justice opposition bloc Viktor Dallakyan slates
both the ruling coalition and the president citing the report 2004 of
the US State Department saying that there is high corruption and
unemployment and no freedom of speech in Armenia and that the
presidential and parliamentary elections 2003 in the country did not
comply with the international norms. “This assessment fully coincides
with the opinion of the opposition,” says Dallakyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress