Author: Antonian Lara

Clarin, Argentina
Domingo , 14 de abril de 2005

Armenia recordó a sus víctimas en un nuevo aniversario del genocidio

Decenas de miles de armenios homenajearon hoy en Erevan a sus
compatriotas asesinados por los turcos en el primer genocidio del
siglo XX del que se conmemoró el 90 aniversario.

El masivo acto se celebró en el monumento a las víctimas situado en
la colina de Tsitsernakarberda, en las afueras de la capital armenia,
con la presencia de las autoridades de Armenia y de miles de
ciudadanos procedentes de diversos países del mundo.

“Hace 30 años que vengo en este día al memorial, bien temprano por la
mañana. Traigo seis tulipanes, seis como los muertos en mi familia
por el genocidio”, dijo Mikhitar Harutunian, un armenio de 74 años.

En la noche del 24 al 25 de abril de 1915, una primera parte de 235
intelectuales armenios de Constantinopla era detenida, deportada y
asesinada por orden del gobierno de los Jóvenes Turcos. Fue el primer
asalto de una operación que no se detuvo hasta eliminar en los años
siguientes a la mitad de la población de esa minoría cristiana, más
de 1,5 millón de personas. Se trató de una de las peores masacres de
la aventura humana. (Edición impresa)

Los homenajes se realizaron en Erevan. Es una ciudad pequeña capital
de un Estado que perteneció a la Unión Soviética hasta la caída del
comunismo en el umbral de la década del 90, en cuya primera mitad
Armenia también libró una guerra sangrienta con la vecina Azerbaijan
por el dominio del enclave de Nagorno Karabaj.

Durante nueve años, se produjo una masacre masiva que causó, según
los armenios, un millón y medio de muertos y el desplazamiento
forzado de otro millón, muchos de los cuales rehicieron su vida en el
exilio en países como Estados Unidos, Francia y Argentina.

A pesar del continuo reclamo armenio para que Turquía reconozca su
responsabilidad en el genocidio, los sucesivos gobiernos de Ankara
jamás la han admitido. La única respuesta oficial turca es que
murieron entre 300.000 y 500.000 armenios en el marco de una guerra
civil con los kurdos.

Armenia es una república del Cáucaso independiente desde 1991 pero
Turquía se niega a iniciar un diálogo que permita la revisión del
pasado y la reconciliación, y la frontera entre ambos países está
cerrada.

Pese a su negación, la cuestión armenia resulta decisiva para Turquía
porque varias naciones europeas se niegan a discutir su ingreso a la
Unión Europea si no admite el genocidio y mejora su política de
derechos humanos.

Armenian massacre anniversary marked in Moscow

Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow
24 Apr 05

A commemoration of the victims of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman
Empire [in 1915] is taking place in Moscow right now. As Interfax
reports, around 1,000 people gathered next to the Armenian church that
is under construction in Moscow for the start of the ceremony of
mourning. People are continuing to arrive despite the cold
weather. Many are carrying flowers and wreaths to lay at a
commemorative cross erected nearby. All who arrive light
candles. According to the organizers of the commemoration, 1.5m
candles will be lit here during the day – the number of Armenian
victims of the tragedy.

“DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH” – GEORGIAN PRESIDENT MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI
Theresa Freese 4/22/05

Eurasianet Organization
April 22 2005

Recent protests by ethnic Armenians, Georgia’s largest ethnic minority,
against the closure of a Russian military base in the predominantly
Armenian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti have helped underscore the
difficulties faced by the Saakashvili administration as it promotes
inter-ethnic accord in the country. In a recent interview, Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili outlined the government’s economic
development plans for Samtskhe-Javakheti, and stressed that “diversity
is our strength.”

Armenians constitute almost 8 percent of Georgia’s 4.5 million
population – a statistic that has spurred demands by some Armenian
community leaders for attention equal to that given Georgia’s smaller
Ossetian and Abkhaz minority populations. Most ethnic Armenians
are concentrated in two areas – in and around Tbilisi and in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region. The over 113,000 in Samtskhe-Javakheti –
most of them living in two districts, Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki —
comprise a majority of the remote and impoverished region’s overall
population. Some analysts suggest discontent among the so-called
Javakheti Armenians could pose a potential threat to Georgia’s goal
of territorial integration. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive].

Disputes over Russia’s 62nd military base at Akhalkalaki, one of two
Russsian military installations remaining on Georgian territory,
drive much of the concerns. The base is located at the heart of
the Javakheti-Armenian community and serves as the region’s driving
economic force. In March, Javakheti Armenians held demonstrations
in Akhalkalaki to protest Georgia’s demand that the base be closed,
arguing that the Russian military presence provides them with both
economic security and defense against Turkey, a traditional Armenian
enemy. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The Armenian community in Tbilisi is not playing as large a role in
opposing a quick Russian withdrawal.

Talks held on April 14-15 with Russian diplomats in Tbilisi failed to
reach an agreement on a mutually acceptable withdrawal timeline. Each
side has blamed the other for the failure of the negotiations. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Saakashvili spoke to a EurasiaNet correspondent during a helicopter
ride from Samtskhe-Javakheti to Tbilisi. He had traveled to Borjomi,
one of the six districts that comprise Samtskhe-Javakheti, where he
had opened a new park. During the interview, Saakashvili said Georgia
is promoting a “phased withdrawal” for the base with no concrete
completion date-as long as the withdrawal starts immediately. He added,
however, that the Russians are looking for a set timeframe around 2009,
the date of Georgia’s next presidential election. “Basically, they
are waiting for the next Georgian election,” Saakashvili said. “We
say ‘OK’ to 2009, but let’s start now so [that] by the time of the
elections most of the troops are gone.”

Repeating earlier promises, Saakashvili stated that the government
plans to make sure that the base’s dissolution does not undermine
the local employment climate. Saakashvili said that “formally” 3,000
Russians are stationed at the base, though he believed the real figure
was much lower. Local employees, he added, number 340 ethnic Armenians,
including soldiers. On top of this, a “few thousand” others are linked
to the base by selling products to soldiers, including wheat, fuel,
and spare parts.

“Everybody who serves there will be given a job locally,” Saakashvili
said. “If there are enough people locally, we won’t bring others to
the region. Every qualified soldier can stay . . . Those who want
to stay will keep their apartments. The base’s infrastructure can
be used for social infrastructure for the local population. We don’t
want to confiscate or sell it.”

As part of an assistance program to aid the transition and spark small
business development, Saakashvili said, long-term bank credits ranging
from $3,000-$5,000 would be provided to individual contractors over
the next 20 to 25 years.

The president also advocated dual citizenship for ethnic Armenians
working on the Russian base who have taken on Russian citizenship,
a proposal also made for South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “They won’t face
discrimination,” he stressed. Flights to Moscow, a bi-annual perk
provided by Russia to base employees, would possibly be replaced by
local bus trips or flights (pending restoration of Samtskhe-Javakheti’s
airport) to Tbilisi, he suggested.

But the base is only the tip of the iceberg for this isolated region.
During a March 13 demonstration to preserve the base, Javakheti
Armenians also called for roads to link Akhalkalaki with Armenia
and the rest of Georgia, promotion of language and cultural rights,
stronger local self government, improved energy access, and the
establishment of a customs unit at the Armenia border. Saakashvili
characterized the political ferment underpinning these demands as
“normal” and said: “The local population has social demands and
cultural demands. The state exists to give them assurances.”

Although speculation has grown lately that problems associated with
the Javakheti Armenians could develop into a “pre-conflict situation,”
Saakashvili downplayed the notion. “I don’t think they will cause any
problems,” he said. “We should solve problems for them. They are our
essence and should not be wasted.”

To respond to the community’s demands, Saakashvili said he is promoting
an “incentives-based approach,” that includes transferring some public
services, such as the passport department, away from the regional seat
at Akhaltsikhe to Akhalkalaki (a demand made by community leaders),
and giving local government responsibility for budget management.

Road projects could prove a crucial variable for the success of this
project, and in connecting this poverty-stricken region with the
rest of Georgia. Georgian officials want to tap into the US-sponsored
Millennium Challenge Account to fund a several-million-dollar project
to repave the 320 kilometers of road linking the Armenian border
region with Akhalkalaki, Tbilisi and Kars, Turkey. Work could begin
on the project as early as September. However, observers say that
could be years before work is completed.

“Resources are scarce and everything must be rebuilt,” Saakashvili
said. A prospective Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway line, which could
further boost economic development, as well as regional integration,
he termed a “more difficult” issue. Armenians believe that the
route bypasses Armenia as part of Turkey’s economic blockade of the
country following Armenia’s war with Azerbaijan over the breakaway
region of Nagorno-Karabakh. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. “The Turks must do their part,” he said, adding that Georgia
has “strong interest in the railroad.”

Language could prove a more difficult barrier to integration. Most
Javakheti Armenians speak Russian before Armenian. Few are fluent in
Georgian. Families choose between sending their children to Moscow
or Yerevan-before Tbilisi-to receive a higher education. Many locals
say that their inability to speak Georgian has prevented them from
finding well-paying jobs.

Saakashvili conceded that the region is lacking in Georgian language
specialists because few Georgians or Georgian-speaking and trained
language teachers reside in or near Ninotsminda or Akhalkalaki. “We
are trying to give them incentives to learn Georgian -not to force
them,” he said. In contrast to other ethnic minority groups in Georgia,
including Ossetians and Abkhaz, Saakashvili said Javakheti Armenians
are “enthusiastic” about learning Georgian.

Nonetheless, state-sanctioned protection of minority rights also
feeds into the mix. “We need some kind of affirmative action,”
Saakashvili said. “[Minorities] should feel that their children
have equal opportunities-that they are citizens of the country.” As
part of that message, the government has recently erected throughout
Tbilisi billboards with the slogan “Celebrating Georgia’s Diversity”
in English, and with similar messages in Russian and Georgian. The
Russian version states “Georgia is Our Motherland,” while the Georgia
translation reads “United We Stand.”

In the end, Saakashvili believes, it could be just a matter of
time for that message to become reality, as well as a matter of
asserting Georgian statehood. “In 10 to 20 more years,” he said,
Samtskhe-Javakheti “will feel entirely integrated, and the former
[Soviet] empire [will be] entirely gone.”

Editor’s Note: Theresa Freese is a freelance journalist and political
analyst who has been conducting research on unresolved conflicts in
the South Caucasus since September 2003.

Armenia’s foreign debt reported

Ros Business consulting

RBC, 22.04.2005, Yerevan 09:23:39.The state foreign debt of Armenia
totaled 1.18bn in 2004, the ARKA news agency has reported with
reference to deputy finance and economy minister Atom Dzhandzhugazian,
who presented a report on the implementation of the country’s budget
for 2004.

The minister remarked that the foreign debt to GDP ratio had reached
33.3 percent. Dzhandzhugazian added that this ratio had been decreasing
steadily over the past few years. For example, the corresponding
figure for 1999 was 47 percent.

The overall amount of foreign debts includes the government’s direct
liabilities and guarantees, totaling $965.3m. The minister added that
the total sum of debts rose $85.5m, or 7.8 percent, in December 2004,
compared to that in December 2003, as a result of transactions carried
out in 2004 and changes in the US dollar’s exchange rate against the
main currencies included in Armenia’s foreign debt “basket.”

Armenians not to attend TRACECA conference in Baku

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 20 2005

Baku, April 19, AssA-Irada — The Armenian delegation has refused to
attend the fourth conference of the TRACECA International Commission
due in Baku on April 21-22.

Armenia has forwarded a note informing the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry and the TRACECA member states that it will not participate
in the event, the national coordinator of TRACECA in Azerbaijan Akif
Mustafayev told local ATV on Tuesday.

The Garabagh Liberation Organization issued a statement on Tuesday
urging the government to take the necessary steps to prevent Armenians’
visit.

Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov said earlier that the Azerbaijani
government provided its consent to inviting Armenian representatives,
as its refusal to do so would cause discontent of the European
Commission funding the project.*

The Gazette (Montreal)
April 19, 2005 Tuesday
Final Edition

Russians, famous or otherwise feature in I Musici season: Work of
unknown Galinin kicks off season and is included on chamber
orchestra’s CD

Mother Russia and her former satellites will play a large role the
2005-2006 I Musici de Montreal season announced yesterday by Yuli
Turovsky.

The downtown series, divided between Pollack Hall and the Theatre
Maisonneuve of Place des Arts, opens on Sept. 22 with a program
featuring the Piano Concerto of German Galinin, a virtually unknown
Russian composer who ended his days in an insane asylum. Ukrainian
virtuoso Sergei Salov does the honours. This program also includes
Beethoven’s Fifth – a major continuation of Turovsky’s anticipated
cycle of that composer’s symphonies.

Next comes Shostakovich’s substantially vocal Symphony No. 14, a work
first performed in the presence of the composer by an orchestra,
including Turovsky as a cellist. Tchaikovsky is the focus on Dec. 8.
Turovsky is the soloist in the Rococo Variations and the arranger of
the String Quartet No. 1.

On Jan. 25, the young German violinist David Garrett is the soloist
in Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Also heard will be Otto
Joachim’s Concertante No. 1 and the Symphony for Strings and Timpani
by Edvard Mirzoyan, an Armenian student of Shostakovich. The annual
one-act opera on March 22 will be Menotti’s The Old Maid and the
Thief. The series concludes on May 11, 2006, with a night of
Stravinsky (Apollon Musagete), Shostakovich (Piano Concerto No. 1
with Simon Trpceski) and Keith Jarrett (Elegy).

Russian music is not overlooked in the Ogilvy Series, which opens on
Sept. 8 and 9 with arrangements of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an
Exhibition and Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2. A theatrical show with
eastern European folklore content, Cesar & Drana, follows on Oct. 6
and 7. Canadian music will be heard on Dec. 15 and 16 and the Italian
baroque on Feb. 23 and 24. Turovsky explores Op. 1 compositions by
Barber, Nielsen and Dvorak on March 30 and 31 and the Bach family on
April 27 and 28, 2006.

There are four West Island concerts and four children’s concerts, all
with Catherine Perrin as hostess. There are two CDs on the agenda,
one comprising Piano Concertos by Galinin and Galina Ustvolskaya as
played by Salov and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3.

HAMLET GASPARIAN, FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, SKEPTICAL
ABOUT OPINION THAT RECENT STATEMENT OF OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS REACHING DESIRABLE RESULT

YEREVAN, APRIL 18. ARMINFO. The Armenian Foreign Ministry is
skeptical about the opinion that the recent statement of OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs on settlement of Karabakh conflict is reaching the
desirable result. Hamlet Gasparian, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson,
commenting on this statement to Mass Media states: “Since it is only
the Azerbaijanis who make militaristic statements and warmongering
calls, it is obvious that the statement applies to them. However,
if the intended purpose of this statement is to try to put an end to
the ceasefire violations, we don’t believe that will happen unless
the violators are not being held accountable.”

He says that Armenia, in its letter to the co-chair countries foreign
ministers, and to the OSCE CiO, explained that the fundamental reason
for the recurrence of these abuses is that Azerbaijan is assured of
impunity. They know that even when such encroachments are obvious
and visible, as they are now, and Azerbaijan has clearly violated the
ceasefire and advanced, no one criticizes or condemns their actions
by name. As a result, they can breach the ceasefire again and again.
“That is what has happened here. If in the past, shots were heard and
it was not always evident who fired first, today, it is obvious that
the Azerbaijanis have advanced their positions, and have clearly,
visibly altered the status quo. That is why we are convinced that
such a universal call for abiding by the terms of the ceasefire won’t
help. Instead, we would expect that the co-chairs and others interested
in ensuring stability in this region, take a tougher stance.”

To note recently OSCE MG Co-Chairs expressed concern over the
growing tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan, pointing out that
such violations leaded to human losses and endangered the cease-fire
agreement.

ARKA News Agency
April 12 2005

Regular conference of Council of Europe member-states’ Justice
Ministers to be held in autumn 2005 in Yerevan

New telephone codes to be put into operation on May 1, 2005

Photo exhibition entitled `Cultural Genocide’ opens today in Yerevan

CTS-2005 tourist exhibition to be held in Yerevan April 28-30

Photo exhibition `People Who Won the War’ dedicated to 60th
anniversary of Victory, opens today in Yerevan

7th annual meeting of the Board of BSTDB Governors to be held in
Yerevan on June 5-6

46.3% of Armenia citizens view NKR as independent state

Most Armenia citizens consider Russia’s role important in Karabakh
settlement

Central Bank of Armenia: 8-% economic growth in Armenia likely in
2005

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REGULAR CONFERENCE OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEMBER-STATES’ JUSTICE
MINISTERS TO BE HELD IN AUTUMN 2005 IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Regular conference of CE member-states’
Justice Ministers will be held in autumn 2005 in Yerevan, as the RA
Ministry of Justice told ARKA News Agency, the corresponding decision
was made at the meeting of CE Justice Ministers in Helsinki.
Note, RA Justice Minister David Harutunyan also participated in
Helsinki meeting of April 7-8 as Vice-Chairman of the conference.
L.V.-0–

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NEW TELEPHONE CODES TO BE PUT INTO OPERATION ON MAY 1, 2005

YEREVAN, April 13. /ARKA/. New telephone codes are to be put into
operation on May 1, 2005, as AtmenTel telecommunication company told
ARKA. In particular, Yerevan’s international code will be 10 instead
of 1 formerly. It means 0+374+10+ the number of customer should be
dialed to make phone call to Yerevan. 0+374+91 number is set for
mobile communication. Mobile communication code of the K-Telecom, the
second operator, will be 0+374+93 (or 94).
Phone codes of Gyumri and Vanadzor, the other largest cities of
Armenia, will be 0+312 instead of 0+41 in Gyumri and 0+322 instead of
former 0+51 in Vanadzor.
Besides, 2 is added to the present codes of Armenian regions of
Kortayk, Armavir, Ararat, Aragatsotn, Shirak, Gegharkunik,
Vayots-Dzor, Tavush, Sunik and Spitak, Alaverdi, Tashir and
Stepanavan cities (0+2+ present code). In Lori region, 51 is replaced
with 322.
4 is added to Nagorno-Karabakh current codes (0+4+current codes of
the cities). Nagorno-Karabakh codes of mobile communication will be
changed as well – 097 instead of 07 in case of a call from Armenia
and 0374+97+ the number of customer in case of offshore calls.
As a result, to call a customer in Yerevan from the republic’s
regions, Karabakh and by ArmenTel and K-Telecom mobile networks, one
should dial 0+10+ a customer’s number. For entering calls, 0+a region
code+ the number of a customer should be dialed. For ArmenTel mobile
communication from Yerevan, regions and Nagorno Karabakh 0+91+the
number should be dialed and to contact with a K-Telecom customer 0+93
(or34) + a number should be dialed. Along with that, six-figure
dialing numbers in ArmenTel mobile communication from mobile phone to
mobile phone stops functioning. M.V. -0–

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PHOTO EXHIBITION ENTITLED `CULTURAL GENOCIDE’ OPENS TODAY IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Photo exhibition entitled `Cultural
Genocide’ dedicated to 90th anniversary of Armenian Genocide opened
today in Yerevan. As Vahe Sargsyan, the head of the Students Council
of Yerevan State University Faculty of History, it is vital to
preserve the cultural heritage of various peoples given the active
communication and dialogue of different cultures and civilizations.
`For this purpose, measures should be undertaken on international
level to prevent the barbarity and encroachments like the cultural
genocide carried out by the Ottoman Turkey in Western Armenia’, he
noted. The exhibition which presents about 36 pairs of photos in old
and new variants will last 2 days.
The organizers of the exhibition are `Nicol Aghbalyan’ Students Union
of Armenian Revolutionary Federation `Dashnaktsutyun’ and the
Students Council of Yerevan State University Faculty of History. L.V.
-0–

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CTS-2005 TOURIST EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN APRIL 28-30

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. The 5th international tourist exhibition
CTS-2005 is to be held in Yerevan on April 28-30, Yeghishe Tanashyan,
Director of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) told ARKA.
According to him, both local and foreign firms are to take part in
the exhibition. Among them are the First Insurance Company,
Association of Tourist Operators of Armenia, `Belavia’ air carrier,
Czech Airlines, and five hotels. Tanashyan said that workshops will
also be held to discuss the role of international and regional
tourist cooperation and ongoing processes.
The CTS-2005 exhibition has been organized by the ASTA and the RA
ministry of Trade and Economic Development, with the sponsorship of
the Yerevan Brandy Company, `Congress’ and `Golden Tulip Yerevan’
hotels, Czech Airlines, and the Visa Concord company, which is
General Agent of Czech Airlines in Armenia. The information support
is being provided by the `TourInfo’ magazine, Spyur information
service, Ardzagank radio and the National Tourist Development Agency.
P.T. -0–

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PHOTO EXHIBITION `PEOPLE WHO WON THE WAR’ DEDICATED TO 60TH
ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY, OPENS TODAY IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Photo exhibition `People, Who Won the War’
opened today in Yerevan dedicated to 60th anniversary of Victory in
Great patriotic War. As Marine Kalacheva, Attache on Cultural Issues
of RF Embassy in Armenia stated at the opening ceremony of the
exhibition, the exhibited documentary photos fully convey the
atmosphere of the military years. `These pictures provided by the RIA
Novosti, give us the opportunity to perceive the horrors and deep
tragedy of this war ‘, she noted.
According to Armen Darbinyan, the rector of Russian-Armenian
(Slavonic) University, this victory is the result of feats of not the
commanders or marshals, not the coalitional government, but the feats
of the people.
The exposition which includes 30 pictures will last for 8 days, from
April 12 to 20. The exhibition was organized by RF Embassy in Armenia
and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University.
RIA Novosti has presented more than 150 unique black-and-white
photographs of 1941-1945 from the archives of Sovinformbureau, the
assignee of which is RIA Novosti. The first show of the mobile photo
exhibition took place in September 2004 in the headquarters of Polish
Printing Agency in Warsaw. L.V.–0–

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7TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF BSTDB GOVERNORS TO BE HELD IN
YEREVAN ON JUNE 5-6

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. 7th annual meeting of the Board of
Governors of Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) and Black
Sea Business day will be held in Yerevan on June 5-6, 2005. As the RA
Ministry of Finance and Economy told ARKA News Agency, members of
BSTDB Board of directors and Board of Governors will take part in the
meeting. Top officials from other countries of the Black Sea region,
international financial institutions (EU, EBRD, IMF, WB,
International Financial Corporation), private investors and business
leaders active in the region will be invited to Black Sea Business
Day.
The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is an international
financial institution established by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and
Ukraine. With an authorized capital of SDR 1 billion (approx. 1,4
billion US dollars), the Bank supports economic development and
regional cooperation by providing trade and project financing,
guarantees, and equity for development projects supporting both
public and private enterprises in its member countries. L.V. – 0–

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46.3% OF ARMENIA CITIZENS VIEW NKR AS INDEPENDENT STATE

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. 46.3% of Armenian citizens view
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent and sovereign state, Research
Coordinator Stepan Safaryan stated tt a seminar organized by the
Armenian Center of Strategic and National Research. Presenting the
results of an interview `Artsakh Problem: ten-year-long unfinished
story’, which was conducted by the Center and involved 1,900 Armenian
citizens and 60 experts, he reported that 30% of the experts and 38%
of the respondents believe that Nagorno Karabakh will eventually
become part of Armenia.Safaryan pointed out that 2.6% of the
respondents and 3.4% of the experts do not rule out the possibility
of Nagorno Karabakh’s remaining part of of Azerbaijan as an autonomy,
and 6.7% of the experts and 0.7% of the respondents consider possible
the formation of a common state between Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabakh.
According to Safaryan, 73.3% of the experts and 50% of the
respondents consider possible concessions to Azerbaijan at the
expense of the Nagorno-Karabakh security zone (Lachin, Kelbajar,
Aghdam, Fizuli, Zangelan, Kubatly, Jebrail). 66.7% of the experts and
50.4% of the respondents consider concessions possible in exchange
for Nagorno Karabakh’s independence or for its joining Armenia.P.T.
-0–

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MOST ARMENIA CITIZENS CONSIDER RUSSIA’S ROLE IMPORTANT IN KARABAKH
SETTLEMENT

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. Most Armenian citizens consider Russia’s
role most important in the Nagorno-`Karabakh settlement, Research
Coordinator Stepan Safaryan, Armenian Center of Strategic and
National Research (ACSNR), stated at a seminar organized by the
Center. He said that an interview `Artsakh problem: ten-year-long
story, which was conducted by the Center and involved 1,900 Armenian
citizens, showed that 60% of the respondents and 73.3% of the experts
consider Russia’s role in the Karabakh settlement process a key one.
According to 60% of citizens and 60.2% of the experts the USA plays
the second important role in this process. On 1.7% of the experts and
7.1% of the respondents consider France as a key country in the
settlement process. 19.1% of the experts and 13.4% of the respondents
pointed out the EU’s important role. Also, 38.4% of the experts and
18.8% of the respondents assigned an important role to the OSCE. P.T.
-0–

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CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA: 8-% ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ARMENIA LIKELY IN
2005

YEREVAN, April 12. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia expects 8-%
economic growth in Armenia in 2005, was said at the Bank’s Board
regular quarter meeting with the republic’s commercial banks, as the
CBA Press Service reports.
In this year Jan-Feb the economic growth made 7% comparing to the
same period of last year while planned growth for the first quarter
was 7,3%. The growth was mostly ensured by industry sector (excluding
diamond processing) and construction that grew by 9,3% and 22,2%. The
growth in agriculture sector was due to season factors. This sector’s
growth pace is expected to speed up considerably in 2 and 3 quarter.
The bankers gathered at the meeting pointed out significant increase
in commodity turnover volumes for the first two months of 2005
comparing to the previous year. In particular, the export (without
taking into account precious metals and jewelry) rose by 36% while
the import by 26%. As a result, trade balance deficit deepened by 21%
with its weight share in GDP reduced four points to 34%.
According to the CBA press release, it was said at the meeting that
significant deflection was visible in tax-budget sector at the first
quarter of 2005. The expenditures program is underfulfiled by AMD
15bn, despite the fact that the program of taxes was overfulfilled by
AMD 5bn. Comparing to the same period of previous year, expenses rose
by 10,6% and taxes by 19,3%. M.V. -0 –

The Newton Tab

Newton, MA

Koutoujian eyes DA job

By Bernie Smith/ Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 13, 2005

State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, whose district covers portions of
West Newton and Nonantum, said he is considering running for Middlesex
district attorney next year, if current officeholder Martha Coakley runs for
state attorney general, as expected.

“It’s something my wife and I are talking about right now,” Koutoujian
said when reached by phone this week. “If I feel I can do this and still be
a good husband and a good father, then it’s something I’d very much like to
do.”

The five-term representative, who currently chairs the House’s
Committee on Healthcare, joins a growing list of high-profile officials who
are considering running for the seat.

Last week, state Sen. Jarrett Barrios, D-Cambridge, said through a
spokesman that he is considering whether to “continue public service by
seeking another office,” which many consider to be Coakley’s seat.

Gerard Leone, a former Middlesex prosecutor who recently left the
Justice Department as an assistant U.S. attorney, is also considering
running for the office. A Boston Globe article last weekend said Leone has
already begun soliciting support from noted fund-raisers for the race.

Koutoujian said the crowded field will not be a factor in whether he
runs.

“No one has entered the field that would, in any way, give me pause
about my thoughts on the race,” Koutoujian said.

Coakley said she plans to run for Attorney General Tom Reilly’s seat if
Reilly runs for governor in 2006, as expected.

In recent years, the Middlesex DA’s seat has been a springboard for
higher office. Scott Harshbarger, who served as Middlesex DA from 1983 to
1991, became attorney general in 1991 and unsuccessfully ran for governor
against Paul Cellucci in 1998. Reilly succeeded Harshbarger as Middlesex DA
in 1991 and later as attorney general.

Koutoujian spent about $119,000 last year to run for re-election, even
though he ran unopposed. He aired television commercials that were broadcast
in Newton and Waltham, as well as in other out-of-district communities,
including Somerville, a city that falls within the Middlesex DA’s
jurisdiction. In January, he had a campaign chest of $207,000, the seventh
most of all Beacon Hill lawmakers..

Koutoujian said he has not committed to running for the seat, and said
he is happy serving Waltham and Newton as their state representative.

“I love what I do right now. I don’t have to run for anything [other
office]. I love the position, I love the job I’m in right now,” Koutoujian
said.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]

13 April 2005

FIRST LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA TO RECOGNISE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Sydney, Australia – On Tuesday, 12 April, 2005 history was made in Australia
with the first municipal or local government, namely Ryde City Council,
unanimously passing the motion of Councillor Sarkis Yedelian recognising the
Armenian Genocide of 1915. (See text of motion below)

The Council meeting was opened with the Lord’s Prayer and the Prayer of
Divine Wisdom written in the 12th century by Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali,
delivered by His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand. The prayers were
warmly received by Mayor Terry Perram and Councillors. A large number of
Armenian residents of the city of Ryde attended the meeting lending their
support. Also present were members of the Church Council of Sydney.

The Council meeting was addressed by six members from the Armenian Community
including the Primate who appealed to the conscience of the Councillors to
play their part in healing a nation’s deep wound and denouncing violation of
human rights through their public affirmation of the proposed motion. In
doing so, Ryde City Council would become the first local government in
Australia to officially recognise the Armenian genocide and would join the
ranks of 76 municipal/local governments worldwide.

The Councillors favourably received the motion of Cr Sarkis Yedelian and the
united voice of the speakers calling for justice to be done. With
Councillor Ivan Petch seconding the motion, all were in favour and the
motion was carried forward unanimously.

This is a triumphant result for Armenians in Australia and the international
movement for genocide recognition. It is the second official recognition by
an Australian government. On 17 April 1997, the NSW State Parliament passed
a bipartisan resolution condemning the genocide of the Armenians and in 1998
a memorial to the Armenian Martyrs was dedicated on the rooftop gardens of
Parliament House.

MOTION OF CR YEDELIAN:

“That Council
(1) acknowledge this year as marking the occasion of the 90th anniversary
commemoration of the Genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the then
Ottoman Government between the years 1915-1922;
(2) joins the Armenian community of Ryde in honouring the memory of 1.5
million men, women and children who died in the first genocide of the
twentieth century;
(3) recognises April 24 every year as a day of remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide;
(4) condemns the genocide of the Armenians and all other acts of genocide
committed as the ultimate act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance;
(5) calls on the Commonwealth government to officially condemn:
(i) the genocide of the Armenians
(ii) any attempt to deny such crimes against humanity.”