Author: Anna Tamamian

Noyan Tapan News Agency
Sept 23 2005
WORK OF 60 MLN USD TO BE DONE AT SECOND STAGE OF LINCY FOUNDATION

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Work of 60 mln USD will be done
in Armenia during the second stage of the Lincy Foundation in the
next two years, including the “Road Construction”, “Yerevan Sreets
Repairs” and “School Construction” components, each worth 20 mln USD.
Artashes Tumanian, Head of the RA Presidential Administration and
Chairman of the Lincy Foundation’s Armenian Office Management Board,
told this to reporters after the September 23 board meeting. He said
that the construction work envisaged by the program will be carried
out in accordance with the procedure, particularly after the approval
of the program by the RA National Assembly in October. According to
A. Tumanian, higher quality work will be implemented at the second
stage. In this connection he mentioned that as a whole, the work
carried out during the first stage was successful, but it was not
free from faults, due to the considerable volumes of the construction
work. It was pointed out that all the construction organizations
responsible for these faults have been held accountable.
According to A. Tumanian, the road construction component envisages
major repairs of three roads – 90-km Armavir-Gyumri Road, 50.8-km
Horom-Artik-Alagyaz Road and 36-km Stepanavan-Odzun Road.
The school construction component envisages major repairs of 18
schools, including 13 schools in Yerevan and one school in each of
the following marzes: Aragatsotn, Lori, Kotayk, Gegharkunik and
Shirak. The choice of so many Yerevan schools was conditioned by the
fact that over the past 5 years, 91% of the RA state budget resources
have been allocated to marzes. Considerable sums were allocated for
each school (on average 1.1 mln USD), since the buildings were in
poor comdition. The work to be done at the schools included in the
program will involve the reinforcement of buildings, the installation
of local heating systems and furnishing classrooms and sport
facilities.
The Yerevan streets repairs component envisages constructing a new
road to join Abovian and Papazian Streets, as well as reconstructing
Kasian, Komitas, Terian and some other streets.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1+
| 21:06:45 | 20-09-2005 | Politics |
POSITIVE ASSESSMENT TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
«We positively assess the changes of the juridical system. In case of
adoption of the constitutional amendments 9 judges elected by the general
sitting of the judges will serve on the Council of Justice, 2 judges will be
appointed by the National Assembly and the other 2 by the President of the
republic», Chairman of the Court of Cassations Hovhannes Manukyan stated.
Today Manunkyan’s position was supported by the Chairmen of all the Court.
The judges discussed 10 issues including the regulations of the behavior of
a judge, administrative punishment, etc.

How should we integrate into the global economy?
By Mher Ohanian
Yerkir/arm
19 Aug 05
The most recent studies show that globalization results in unequal
distribution of global income between the rich and poor countries. In
other words, the rich countries get richer while the poor ones get
even poorer. In this context, the unequal distribution of income
between transition countries becomes more noticeable.
The rapid increase of the development rate of the progressive counties
that have developed due to appropriation of the largest share of the
global income and the drastic improvement of the welfare of those
countries’ populations constitutes the main contradiction of
globalization.
In the past decade, we have witnessed an ideological revolution within
our society whereby the old value system has stopped playing an
important role while the new values have not been consolidated yet. On
the one hand, this situation is a natural response to a systemic
crisis.
On the other hand, the question is what value systems come to
substitute the collapsed socialist or communist ideology and the
institutional framework anchored on it. This remains an open question.
It is obvious that no political ideology can be static and constant
for a nation. Culture is constant. The stability of the cultural
values of a nation determined the latter’s ability to counter external
challenges, including external pressures and threats.
The stability of cultural values also determined the nation’s ability
to modernize and develop. Just like an individual’s instincts
developed in the course of his life ensure his vitality and ability to
adequately respond to the challenges of the external environment, the
interests of the nation become crystallized and preserved throughout
centuries determining the latterâ=80=99s rational-competitive actions
due to the stability of cultural values in the constantly changing
paradigm of time.
The above mentioned arguments allow us to insist that liberal economic
reforms do not necessarily ensure technological and cultural
modernization of a country (a position often voiced on different
occasions) and a drastic improvement of the population’s welfare.
The developing countries have access to a miserable portion of the
global income. They are most of the time assigned the function of
being a source of raw materials and cheap labor, or consumers of
outdated, or sometimes modern but ecologically unsafe technologies, a
function that is strategically unfavorable.
This function is often presented by the developed countries exporting
not very progressive technologies and the international financial
organizations as a `benevolent mission’ of foreign direct
investments. Meanwhile, such ` investments’ are merely a way of
cutting down the production costsand increasing the absolute profit.
One factor is overlooked in this process – to what extent do these
foreign direct investments contribute to the diversification of the
receiving countries ‘ economies and their technological modernization
to ensure their post industrial leap?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

I AM VISITING THE SOUTH CAUCASUS BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE MOST SENSITIVE REGIONS OF EUROPE, PACE PRESIDENT SAYS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. “I am visiting the South Caucasus
because it is one of the most sensitive regions of Europe, and the
countries of this region are members of the Council of Europe.” The
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Rene van der
Linden stated this in an exclusive interview to Radio Liberty on the
eve of his visit to the South Caucasian region – August 17. According
to him, some important events will soon take place in the region,
particularly the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan in
November. He expressed a desire to have an open talk about the Council
of Europe memeber states’ obligations and commitments towards the
CE. In connection with Armenia, PACE President underlined the necessity
for achieving a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, holding
only free and fair elections in Armenia in the future, and having a
well-organized opposition in the country. In Rene van der Linden’s
words, it is also necessary that all the proposals and requirements
of the Council of Europe be accepted and fulfiled, since in this way
Armenia will show to the international community that it belongs to
modern Europe.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CNN
July 21 2005
Bush grenade scare: Man confesses
Thursday, July 21, 2005; Posted: 7:05 a.m. EDT (11:05 GMT)
Vladimer Arutiniani confessed to throwing the grenade, according to
Georgian officials.
TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) — A man has confessed to throwing a live
grenade near where U.S. President George W. Bush was speaking during
the American leader’s visit to Georgia in May, a government official
says.
Vladimer Arutiniani, 27, was wounded then detained in former Soviet
nation Georgia on Wednesday, following gunfire in which a policeman
was killed, Interior Minister Ivane Merabishvili told reporters.
Arutiniani made the confession to doctors from his hospital bed,
he said.
Merabishvili said police went to the man’s apartment on Wednesday
after receiving a tip that he might have information regarding the
throwing of the grenade. The gunfight began when the man opened fire,
he said. (Full story)
Georgian officials have said that the grenade was made in Armenia.
The suspect is a citizen of Georgia and an ethnic Armenian, according
to government officials.
Georgia, in the Caucasus Mountain region, is bordered by Armenia,
Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Black Sea.
No-one was hurt in the incident, which happened in Tbilisi’s Freedom
Square in May. Tbilisi is Georgia’s capital.
Although the grenade did not explode, it could have, according to
Georgian officials and an FBI agent. (Full story)
Asked about Wednesday’s developments, Secret Service spokesman Tom
Mazur said, “We were not involved” in the incident but “we continue
to monitor the Georgian investigation.”
In the hours after the incident, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry
had described the device as an inert, Soviet-era training grenade
that posed no threat to President Bush or his audience.
The grenade was tossed within 100 feet (30 meters) of the podium where
Bush, Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili and other officials were
protected by bulletproof glass.
Tens of thousands of people had crowded into Tbilisi’s main plaza to
hear President Bush speak on May 10.
A statement on the U.S. Embassy Web site called the grenade a “live
device that simply failed to function.” There was no disturbance in
the crowd.
The grenade was wrapped in a “dark tartan-colored cloth,” the
statement said.
“We consider this act to be a threat against the health and welfare of
both the president of the United States and the president of Georgia
as well as the multitude of Georgian people that had turned out at
the event,” the statement added.
A reward of 20,000 laris ($10,978) was offered in exchange for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person
responsible, the embassy statement said.
CNN’s Nastya Anashkina and Helen Gotsadze for CNN contributed to
this report.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News, Armenia
July 11 2005
MG OSCE CO-CHAIRS’ VISIT TO KARABAKH CONFLICT REGION STARTED
11.07.2005 03:12
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Within the frames of the recurrent regional visit
the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Bernard Fassier
(France) and Steven Mann (US) arrived in Baku yesterday. Today they
will hold secret consultations with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov. To note, earlier Ilham
Aliyev stated that `peaceful negotiations on Karabakh settlement will
be continued.’ `I think positive outcome is possible taking into
account the progress that has become obvious recently’, he said.
After Baku the MG Co-Chairs will make for Yerevan to hold analogous
consultations with the Armenian leadership. Later they will leave for
Stepanakert. The visit will be over July 16.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 17:36:52 | 05-07-2005 | Politics |
HAYRIKYAN’S THREE HOLIDAYS
`I am celebrating three holidays today – the US Independence Day (day is not
over in the US yet), my birthday and the Constitution Day’, leader of
National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan stated.
Paruyr Hayrikyan is grateful to the United States for ruining the Soviet
Union. As for the Constitution, he said the following: `A nation can have a
state without Constitution but there can’t be guaranteed democracy.’ However
he refrained from commenting on his birthday.
To note, P. Hayrikyan submitted a number of proposals referring to
dissolution of the parliament and dual citizenship, which, according to him,
were included in the draft amendments.
Paruyr Hayrikyan also noted that the NSDU leadership decided to restore the
representations abroad.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THE ARMENIAN WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN EDUCATION COURSE ENDS
His Holiness Aram I received around 200 women attending the Armenian Women’s
spiritual education courses on June 21.
Christian education officer Fr Mashdots Tchobanian expressed his gratitude
to God for the success of the courses, which have been ongoing on a weekly
basis for the last six years. Fr Tchobanian also thanked Aram I for his
constant support of this initiative.
His Holiness Aram I spoke about the doctrine of Christianity. His Holiness
considered that the realization of God’s existence and the responsibility of
accountability in a Christian’s life were the two main aspects of the new
reality created by Christ’s humanization.
“God is not a far, distant being. Christ’s incarnation and the salvation
brought through Him established a constant link between God and man, heaven
and earth. God is present in our lives always and everywhere,” said His
Holiness. Aram I added that it is the conscious realization of this presence
that transforms a Christian’s life into a happy and ideal life.
Aram I considered that accountability is the “irresistible force controlling
man’s life and work, and which through reward and punishment would direct
people’s lives towards a life that is pleasing to God.”
The students then kissed the right hand of His Holiness and received his
blessings and special gifts he distributed on this occasion. Then Fr
Tchobanian presided over the last meeting of this year, with the hope to
gather again in fall.
##
View pictures here:
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
jurisdiction and the Christian Education activities in both the
Catholicosate and the dioceses, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman Online, Turkey
June 29 2005
Opening Armenian Border Adds to Caucasus Tension
By Enes Cansever, Ramil Ýsmailov
Published: Wednesday June 29, 2005
zaman.com
On June 28, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to make
his first official visit to Azerbaijan after coming to office.
Within the framework of the two-day visit, Erdogan will meet with
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and other authorities. The visit
will mainly emphasize economic matters. Prime Minister will also
lay the foundations for the new Turkish Embassy building. As well as
confirming Turkey’s full support to Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister is
expected to deliver messages about the Armenian occupation in Karabakh
and the alleged Armenian genocide. Azerbaijan Presidential Foreign
Policy Adviser Nevruz Mehmedov said, “Erdogan’s visit can once again
launch a new turn in the relations between the two countries.” Advising
that the foreign policies of Ankara and Baku were being executed upon
a ‘common’ ground, Mehmedov noted that there was no other two such
states like it in the world.
Mehmedov said Azerbaijan is in favor of Turkey’s current Armenia
policy; the reopening of the Armenian border gate would raise tensions
in the region and worsen the current situation in the Caucasus,
he claimed, asking “What positive steps came from the Armenian party
after the opening of Turkish air space?” Armenia receiving the support
of its Diaspora presses Turkey to reopen of the border gate, he said:
“On the one hand Armenia is willing to get closer with Turkey, on the
other hand it increases its military built up in the vicinity of its
border. What is this built up for?”
On the so-called Armenian Genocide that until recently Turkey has
remained indifferent, Mehmedov suggested, “Turkey could have brought
about a solution before entering the 21st century.” He also pointed
out that the greatest support to Ankara in this regard came from Baku.
Turkey’s Azerbaijan Ambassador Turan Morali said Baku “had to make
encouraging steps” so that Turkey could become more efficient in
the region, during a June 27 news conference. Morali denied any link
between Erdogan’s visit and the domestic politics of Azarbaijan during
the pre-electoral period.
–Boundary_(ID_vYq2aKTKdxY8xfKH7knUbg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
June 22 2005
Russian, Armenian presidents discus bilateral issues
19:53
MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and
his Armenian counterpart, Robert Kocharyan, said they were satisfied
with the Year of Russia celebrations in Armenia as they met to
discuss bilateral issues and focus on energy and investment projects.
Vladimir Putin said that Armenia’s participation in the Eurasian
Economic Community (Eurasec) as an observer would be useful.
“It is a positive signal that you regularly participate in the summit
meetings of the Eurasec heads of state,” Putin said. “I would like to
say how satisfied I am that both countries have had such close
contacts lately.”
“Russian governors are visiting Armenia and the Russia Year
celebration in Armenia covers a whole range of bilateral relations,”
Kocharyan said.
According to the Russian president, the Bolshoi Theatre tour in
Armenia was a great success. He expressed the hope that all the
events planned for the Year of Russia in Armenia would be very
impressive.
Kocharyan said that Russia was holding many events in Armenia and
economic projects were a priority.
The Armenian president further said that today’s meeting was useful
for discussing bilateral relations, especially as a continuation of
their conversation in Yerevan.
“I would like to discuss energy issues and specific investment
projects,” Kocharyan said.
According to him, “the instructions given in the past have been acted
upon and relations are developing dynamically.” At the same time, the
Armenian leader said some issues in bilateral relations needed to be
corrected.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress