Author: admin

Le Monde
Mardi 21 décembre 2004

Charles Aznavour L’Intégrale ;
CULTURE DISQUES

par Véronique Mortaigne

DISQUE
TITRE: L’intégrale
AUTEUR: Charles Aznavour

Un monument, un vrai : 42 CD au sommet de la maquette métallique de
l’Arc de triomphe, avec un livret de 60 pages contenant un concert à
l’Olympia de 1976 inédit en CD et un long entretien donné à Alain
Poulanges en 1995 sur France-Inter. Aznavour reste le plus connu des
chanteurs français à l’étranger, il a fêté ses 80 ans cette année, et
si tous ses disques ont été réédités par ses soins, ils n’avaient
jamais fait l’objet d’une intégrale. Voilà Aznavour tel qu’en
lui-même depuis ses premiers essais en duo avec Pierre Roche (CD 1,
1948-1949) jusqu’à Je voyage (CD 42, 2003). Aznavour, petit émigré
arménien, a travaillé avec acharnement, a composé pour Edith Piaf et
beaucoup d’autres, a chanté Mireille et Jean Nohain (CD 2), joué en
grand dramaturge Je m’voyais déjà, fait swinguer For Me formidable et
a largement mérité sa hauteur, 48 cm d’Arc triomphal. –

–Boundary_(ID_jKq+arVBzjRTSQzpTCKdmQ)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“NEW TIMES” CHAIRMAN AND RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA DISCUSS DOMESTIC AND
FOREIGN POLITICAL AND REGIONAL ISSUES

YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The RF Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Anatoly Dryukov and Chairman of the
“New Times” party Aram Karapetian discussed domestic and foreign
political, as well as regional issues at their meeting on December
21. According to the party’s press service, the meeting was held at
the office of the “New Times” party and took over one hour.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

President Kocharian held a working meeting on the reforms in the social security system

President.am
21.12.2004

Today, President Kocharian held a working meeting on the reforms in
the social security system. Present at the meeting were the Prime
Minister of Armenia, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, President
of the Social Security State Fund, President of the Central Bank and
representatives of other structures.

The President of Armenia draw attention to the fact that while
some issues pertaining to the reforms in the social security sphere
were discussed and a number of state bodies took certain steps to
implement them, still there was no general and overwhelming plan of
reforms. “There is no document which would contain a timetable and
names of those responsible for what should be done, and on what is
required from the corresponding ministries and structures. Meanwhile,
reforms require coordinated and persistent work,” said the President.

According to President Kocharian, reforms in the social security
sphere are the most difficult and time-consuming ones, but putting
together portions of the accomplished work it is possible to create a
coordinated plan, which can be implemented starting next year. “These
reforms assume systematic activities which cannot be done only by
the Ministry of Social Affairs. A number of other structures should
be involved as well. It is necessary to make clear where we stand
today, and what must be done to make a breakthrough next year,”
stressed Robert Kocharian.

President Kocharian assigned the participants to the meeting to
create a working group of reform experts from different agencies,
which in one month would develop a comprehensive plan of reforms on
the basis of the work conducted up to now.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN BANKS TO DISCUSS ISSUE OF ARMENIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN 2005 APRIL

YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Council of Federation of
European Banks will make a final decision about membership of the
Union of Armenian Banks during the April 1 2005 meeting. According
to the Union of Armenian Banks, the bid of Armenia has already been
approved. The membership to the Federation of European Banks will
permit the Union of Armenian Banks, in particular, to participate in
bank conferences and the World Bank Forum, to enter the database of
Federation of European Banks. At present bank unions of 35 countries
are included in the Federation of European Banks. Only Russia among
the CIS countries is a member of the federation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN OFFICE OF VDI INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION OF IT SPHERE IS GOING TO
INCREASE TWICE AS MUCH VOLUME OF WORK

YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Yerevan office of the
Vested Development Inc (VDI) international corporation carried out
the elaboration of programs on system provisison, the reformation of
projects, the elaboration of the data protection bases of the companies
of corporative government and the management systems of documents and
business during the year of its activities. Lev Sevilyan, the Director
of the office, said during the ceremony of summing up of the results of
the activities of the Yerevan Office for a year and the presentation
of VDI that 35 Armenian specialists of the office participated in
the elaboration of 12 programs and projects implemented by VDI. He
mentioned that the activities of the office will be widened next year
and the number of employees will reach 50 till the end of 2005. The
company will carry out not only the elaboration of different systems
and programs, but it will be a subcontractor in the sphere of system
service. Lev Sevilyan mentioned that the specialists of the sphere of
programming taken to job often have secondary vocational education. In
the future thay are retrained at the centers of Moscow and Yerevan, as
well as perfect themselves during the implementation of joint programs
with the specialists of VDI. Artak Ohanian, the Director of Business
Development Department of VDI, in his turn, mentioned that the opening
of tbe office in Armenia is mainly conditioned by the professional
skills and knowledge of the Armenian specialists. At the same time,
he stressed that the shortage of skilled specialists is the main
problem of the sphere of information technologies in Armenia. Artak
Ohanian also said that at first VDI started operating in 1993, then the
central office was opened in Boston (the US) in 1997 due to skilled
specialists. Besides the central office the company has another
five offices – three in Russia, and by one in Ukraine and Armenia
(with a total of 350 specialists). The company cooperates with the
companies of 20 countries (the US, Canada, countries-members of the
European Union), in particular, in the sphere of high technologies,
finances, insurance, telecommunication, energy and information.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COUNCIL OF ELDERS OF INTELLECTUALS FORUM CALLS ON NA TO ABANDON INITIATIVE TO
SEND MILITARY UNIT TO IRAQ AND TO BRING ITS AUTHORS TO JUSTICE

YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Council of Elders of Armenia’s
Intellectuals Forum calls on the National Assembly not only to abandon
the initiative to send a military unit to Iraq but also to find ” all
the authors, participants of this criminal initiative, deprive them of
their power levers and bring them to justice.” “It is to be regretted
and condemned that this provocative step was adopted with a clear
realization of its disastrous consequences for all the Armenians,”
the Forum’s December 20 address to the Armenian people reads. The
document authors qualify it as a next in turn “criminal attempt”
to retain power somehow and ensure one’s security. According to the
Council of Elders of the Intellectulas Forum, all the countries that
joined the statement to be included in the international coalition
forces in Iraq, except Armenia, had previously evacuated their citizens
and compatriots. The Council of Elders urges the political forces,
intellectuals and representatives of the public of Armenia, Artsakh
and the Diaspora to condemn “this plot and declare about the rejection
of every person who participated and supported it.” The authors of the
statement are convinced that by acting like that it will be possible
to prevent “the fatal sword hung over our compatriots.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONGRESSMAN MORAN OF KANSAS JOINS ARMENIAN CAUCUS

WASHINGTON, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). At the urging of Armenian
Assembly of America activists, fifth term Congressman Jerry Moran
(R-KS) joined the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues on December
20, bringing the total Caucus membership to date in the 109th
Congress to 137. Congressman Moran, who serves on the Agriculture,
Transportation and Infrastructure and Veteran’s Affairs Committees,
was first approached by Kansas Armenian activists and ARAMAC Kansas
State Chair Alex Kotoyantz, who was instrumental in securing a
proclamation earlier this year designating June 18 as “Kansas-Armenia
Partnership Day.” “I was encouraged by the dedication of people like
Alex to join. The Armenian Caucus has played an important role in the
House of Representatives, and I am proud to be its latest member,”
said Congressman Moran, who becomes the first member of the Kansas
delegation to join the Caucus. “I have followed the work of the Caucus
and its role in building strong ties between the United States and
Armenia, and by joining this group of dedicated legislators, I hope to
do more to further enhance these already strong relations,” Congressman
Moran said. Welcoming Congressman Moran’s membership in the Caucus,
Assembly Executive Director Ross Vartian said: “The Assembly extends
its appreciation and thanks to Congressman Moran for his expression
of support and decision to be more directly involved in issues of
importance to the Armenian-American community, including Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh.” The Armenian Caucus was formed in 1995 to provide a
bi-partisan forum for legislators to discuss how the United States can
better assist the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Co-Chaired
by Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI), the Caucus has, over the years, played a critical role on
a wide range of issues, including assistance programs for Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh, the ongoing Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades,
the Karabakh peace process and efforts to reaffirm the U.S. record
on the Armenian Genocide.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA AND KARABAKH PARTLY FREE, AZERBAIJAN AND RUSSIA NOT FREE

PanArmenian News
Dec 21 2004

21.12.2004 14:52

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to the results of the recurrent research
of Freedom House human rights organization that summed up the year
2004, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh were ranged among the partly free
countries, while Azerbaijan and Russia are not free. The estimate is
based on a seven-point scale, where 1 is the highest value. According
to the scale Armenia got 4 points in civil freedoms and 5 points in
political freedoms. Nagorno Karabakh got 5 in both categories. The
Freedom House report notes aggravation of the political freedom record
of Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russica Izvestia Information Inc.
RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
December 21, 2004 Tuesday

Ilkham Aliyev teaches politics

by Rauf Mirkadyrov

SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 277, p.5

Azerbaijan’s President believes Russia is excessively interfering
insettling the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh

Commenting on the progress of the talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia
on the problem of the disputed province Nagorny Karabakh, the Azeri
President Ilkham Aliyev praised as successful the recent round of
negotiations the two countries’ foreign ministers Elmar Mamedyarov and
Vardan Oskanyan conducted in Prague. As a result of the four meetings,
the sides came to an agreement on the general principles of settling
the conflict. “I believe that if the negotiations continue in a
constructive manner and the Armenian side doesn’t withdraw from the
existing agreements, as it happened earlier, we can reach a certain
settlement,” Aliyev said.

However, he remarked that the Russia’s excessive interference in the
conflict settlement and backing of Armenia may negatively affect the
peace process. Commenting on the last week’s visit of the Russian
State Duma’s Chairman Boris Gryzlov to Yerevan, Ilkham Aliyev said
the following: “The chairman of the State Duma said the other day
that Armenia is the Russia’s outpost in the Southern Caucasus. We
used to believe Armenia was an [independent] state. Now it turns out
to be just an outpost.” After this sarcastic remark, Aliyev continued:
“With whom shall we conduct negotiations – with the ‘outpost’, or with
its owner?” According to Aliyev, Yerevan should “clear up this issue,”
in order to create favorable conditions for continuing the talks. “If
Armenia behaves like an independent state, we can approach signing
a concrete agreement in the near future,” the Azeri President said.

Experts said that Aliyev’s statement was predictable – after the defeat
of the Russia’s “imperial” policies in Ukraine the Azeri leader is
likely to distance himself from Russia and demonstrate loyalty to
the West.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.N.: Almost a million refugees face hunger in 2005
by JONATHAN FOWLER; Associated Press Writer

Associated Press Worldstream
December 21, 2004 Tuesday 11:10 AM Eastern Time

GENEVA — Around a million refugees could face hunger and malnutrition
next year because of meager donations from governments of more
prosperous countries, the United Nations said Tuesday.

Several hundred thousand refugees are already struggling to survive
because aid agencies have had to drastically reduce rations to ensure
there is enough to go round, said Ron Redmond, spokesman for the U.N.
high commissioner for refugees.

“We are especially worried for refugees in Africa,” Redmond told
reporters.

In Zambia, handouts already have been halved in the past two months
and soon will be slashed again, putting 87,000 people at risk of
malnutrition.

“Already, we are hearing reports of refugee women resorting to
prostitution to support themselves and their children,” Redmond
added. “Field offices in Zambia also report there has been a marked
increase in children dropping out of school, presumably to help their
families find food.”

In Tanzania, rations were cut by a quarter in October. UNHCR and the
World Food Program found last month that malnutrition is rising among
some 400,000 refugees from Burundi and Congo who live in Tanzania’s
camps.

Malnutrition also threatens some 118,000 refugees in Ethiopia, and
another 224,000 in Kenya, Redmond said.

In conflict-ravaged Congo, WFP says that next month it will need to
make ration cuts of almost one third, Redmond noted.

“Africa is not the only continent facing a breakdown in the food
pipeline,” he said.

In January, 140,000 displaced a decade ago by conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan face a complete cut in rations – just two months after
handouts were halved.

Non-U.N. aid agencies also have sounded the alarm, but some have
chastised the United Nations for failing to respond fast enough
to crises.

On Monday, U.S.-based Refugees International said the world body was
moving too slowly to hand out food to people who fled the conflict
in Ivory Coast.

But the Rome-based WFP said Tuesday it can only provide food assistance
to refugees who have a registration and a ration card issued by UNCHR,
given the limited resources of the agency. The ration card is the
only document that makes a refugee eligible for U.N. food assistance.

“We need to be absolutely sure that who gets the food is in need of
it,” said Caroline Hurford, WFP spokeswoman. “Otherwise, what would
we tell our donors?”

Hurford said food supplies are already in the border zone. But many
Ivorians are going back to Ivory Coast to harvest their crop and then
returning to Liberia to look for extra food.

“The process of feeding is not always easy with flows of population
going back and forth,” she said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress