Author: Arsine Chaltikian

ARKA News Agency
July 13 2005
RA PRIME MINISTER: PROBLEMS OF THE YOUTH ARE IN THE CENTER OF
ATTENTION OF THE ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES
YEREVAN, July 13. /ARKA/. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
received representatives of the European Steering Committee for Youth
(CDEJ), who arrived in Armenia to participate in the work of the
summer University of the steering committee. According to RA
Government’s Press Service Department, the Head of the Committee
Peter Lauritzen introduced the results of the training courses
“Active Participation in European Youth Policy” held in Tsaghkadsor
(Armenia). He noted that their activity mainly targets at promoting
youth policy and exchanging experience in youth affairs between
countries-members of the Council of Europe.
Margaryan expressed his satisfaction with the successful courses and
noted that it’s very important for Armenia to organize youth
arrangements, testifying to high evaluation of the work done in this
direction. Introducing practical steps made by Armenia on the way to
European integration, Margaryan noted that the youth, no doubt, plays
the most important role in it. He assured that the problems of the
youth are in the center of attention of the authorities and the
latter creates all the possible conditions for involving the youth in
political, governmental and public work. He also noted that almost
all political parties and NGOs of Armenia have their youth blocs,
which work actively both in the republic and international arena. The
Prime Minister expressed confidence that the programs implemented by
the committee in Armenia will have their input in international youth
cooperation. A.H. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Head of Russia-Belarus Union says Putin will become its president in 2006
NTV Mir, Moscow
22 Jun 05
[Presenter] New unions were being built in Moscow today, and existing
ones were being shored up: leaders of the member countries of the
Eurasian Economic Community [EAEC] met in the Grand Kremlin
Palace. The EAEC includes Russia, Belorussia [Belarus], Kazakhstan,
Kirgizia [Kyrgyzstan], Tajikistan and also Armenia – as an
observer. No major political decisions are expected from this
meeting. Experts say it is a response of sorts to alternative meetings
of [other] former Soviet republics within the framework of GUAM
[Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova]. Vladimir Kondratyev
reports.
[Correspondent] [Passage omitted: EAEC, and not CIS or Single Economic
Space, appears to be the most viable integration platform in the
region. Known details about the meeting.] Belarusian President
[Alyaksandr] Lukashenka will be at the helm of the EAEC for the next
year: [Kazakh President Nursultan] Nazarbayev has passed on this heavy
burden. Lukashenka, however, is facing a more important task: to make
sure he achieves union with Russia on his own terms.
[Pavel Borodin, state secretary of the Union of Russia and Belarus] We
are a bit short of political will.
[Correspondent] What should it consist of?
[Borodin] It should be like it was before; convene the Politburo and
say: we are holding a referendum in November; in January-February,
elections to the parliamentary assembly of the Union State; and in the
autumn of next year, elect president and vice-president.
[Correspondent] Who will be president then?
[Borodin] Well, you know-
[Correspondent] I mean, what does the constitution say?
[Borodin] Don’t prompt me with the answer! Of course it will be Putin
because- Of course Putin, and Lukashenka [will be] vice-president.
[Correspondent] Does Lukashenka agree to this?
[Borodin] You know, even if he is loath to, he will still agree.
[Correspondent] The Belarusian delegation reacted sceptically to this
statement. The Belarusian blueprint is presumably different.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN NKR IN NORMAL COURSE: ZORAN PUZICH
STEPANAKERT, June 20. /ARKA/. The parliamentary elections in Nagorno
Karabakh were held in their normal course, without any serious
violations. Democratic elections are more obvious in the unrecognized
country, Zoran Puzich, a member of the Croatian Human Rights
Committee, told ARKA.
According to him, the voters’ activity demonstrates the people’s
desire to participate in building up their future. All the different
political parties demonstrated the understanding of the importance of
elections, he said. Democracy is not only elections. Democratic
standards need to be consolidated, especially in relations with
refugees. Croatia has experience in overcoming the aftermath of
interethnic war. It is very difficult, but peace and democracy are
impossible without it, Puzich said.
In her turn, Chairperson of the Czech Association of Refugees Marina
Sargsyan pointed out that nobody forced Karabakh voters to vote
against their will. She also pointed out voters’ activity, saying
that the observers did not record any serious violations. P.T. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
EU-ARMENIA COOPERATION COMMITTEE SITS IN YEREVAN
20.06.2005 03:52
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 6-th sitting of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Committee
started in Yerevan today. The agenda contains economic issues for most part.
The sitting is co-chaired by RA Minister of Trade and Economic Development
Karen Chshmaritian and Hugues Mingarelli, European Commission Director for
Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Deputy Minister of Trade and
Economic Development Tigran Davtyan stated that discussions will focus on
Armenia’s participation in Wider Europe: New Neighbors EU program. `Armenia
was included in the program two months ago. Presently we should hold
negotiations in bilateral format, work out a political line till end of the
year and start its implementation next year’, he noted. Besides the
neighborhood policy the agenda contains issues referring to the
trade-economic cooperation, creation of business atmosphere, energy
problems, investment cooperation as well as political situation in Armenia,
struggle against corruption and cooperation with international
organizations, FRE/RL reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARF LEADER ACCUSES KARABAKH AUTHORITIES OF PUSHING IT OUT TOWARDS OPPOSITION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: A top member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) announced today about breathing a new
life into a consultative body which was set up several years ago but
has been inert.
Hrant Margarian, representative of the ARF Bureau, said the Ruling
Coalition Council that comprises heads of three members of the
governing coalition-ARF, Republican Party and Orinats Yerkir as well
as president Kocharian, would be discussing urgent problems in a more
coordinated way.
Margarian agreed with parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian that
there are now four poles of power, which have different positions on a
set of issues, but described the discrepancy as “normal,” saying also
that differences should be solved in a healthy climate. Margarian said
his party is against revolutionary changes, which ‘are aimed to topple
the ruling regime.” “When there are no reasons to spark a revolution,
no revolution takes place no matter what kind of efforts are exercised,
but when there are such reasons, nothing can stop it,” Margarian said.
Margarian also warned that the ARF would have to take adequate measures
if the June 19 parliamentary elections in Nagorno-Karabakh were rigged.
Margarian accused the current Karabakh authorities of “pushing the
ARF out towards the opposition.” “Karabakh is not the place where we
would like to be in opposition, but it experiences a set of economic
and social problems and we are not satisfied with the policy of
authorities to resolve them,” he said.
A statement issued by ARF and Movement 88 earlier this week accused
“some puppets of the incumbent authorities of plotting to secure
parliamentary seats for pro-government candidates with the aim of
maintaining the atmosphere of connivance, lawlessness, corruption
and bribery as long as possible.” It also accused them of abusing
power, using levers of power and riches illegally earned through
misappropriation and embezzlement, ignoring human and moral values
and inspiring fear and terror to achieve their goals by using dirty
tricks, breaking the law and giving bribes.”
Margarian said also the ARF would not take a step that would jeopardize
the stability in Karabakh. “The June 19 elections should be looked
upon as a step that could raise the international image of Karabakh,”
he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH LEADERS OF COALITION PARTIES
YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharyan held a meeting
with the leaders of the political parties forming Armenia’s ruling
coalition. The RA presidential press service reports that the meeting
participants discussed a package of constitutional amendments.
Final draft amendments to Armenia’s Constitution are to be submitted
to the Venetian Commission before June 20. A discussion of the draft
is to be held with the participation of the Commission’s task group
and of Armenia’s representatives on June 23-24. P.T. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Middle East Online, UK
June 3 2005
Young Kurds dream of independence
Kurdish dream of independence spurs militant youth in Iraq’s northern
mountains.
By Abdel Hamid Zebari – LIJWA, Iraq
On the sidelines of a Kurdish congress in this northeastern Iraqi
village, young Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants from the region
and Europe are bound together by the dream of an independent state.
“I will only get married when my people are free,” said Sara Haldan,
expressing the burning hope of these people who adhere to what has
been labelled a terrorist group by the United States, European Union
and Turkey.
“I decided to join the fighters at the age of 15 after I saw Turks
drag my friend to her death behind an army vehicle. I decided then
to abandon my family and join the guerrillas to fight injustice,”
Haldan said.
This young Turkish Kurd has not seen her family in years for fear of
being recognized and arrested by Turkish authorities.
Kurds, who have sought independence since poet Ahmad Khani first
called for a Kurdish state to fend for its people in 1695, share a
common history, culture and language across four countries – Iran,
Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
For the meeting in this village 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast
of Baghdad, the young militants broke out their traditional shalwar
pants, multicoloured shirts and wide belts.
PKK flags, red and yellow with a red star, flapped in the wind.
Narin, 22, came from Syria and took advantage of a journalist’s
presence to denounce problems faced by Kurdish women.
“Kurdish men fight for their freedom, while Kurdish women fight for
their freedom and their rights,” she said. “We should never give up
the armed struggle before we regain all our rights.”
Others who have gathered in Iraq’s northern mountains agree.
“When my family emigrated from Turkey to France I was 12 years old. I
lived there for eight years before the party called me back to join
fighters in northern Iraq,” said 23-year-old Jankiz.
He now trains Kurdish fighters and insists he “wants to remain in
this natural, human landscape until my dream of a state in these
mountains is fulfilled”.
An Indo-European people descended in large part from the Medes and
Scythian tribes, Kurds are mainly Sunni Muslims who have settled
across nearly a half-million square kilometers (200,000 square miles).
Their total number vary according to official or Kurdish sources,
from 25 to 35 million people, with between 13 and 19 million living
in Turkey.
Iran is home to six to eight million Kurds, Iraq has four to five
million and Syria around 1.5 million.
Large Kurdish communities also exist in the former Soviet republics of
Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as in European countries like Germany.
The PKK waged a bloody campaign for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern
Turkey between 1984 and 1999 in a conflict that has claimed some
37,000 lives.
Around 5,000 militants are believed to be based in Turkey and the
mountains of northern Iraq.
On Wednesday, the party said it was ready to declare a ceasefire and
offered to begin peace talks with Ankara.
PKK official Murad Karayilan said the group was now seeking a “Kurdish
democratic federation.”
In Iraq, Kurds represent 15 to 20 percent of the population and were
severely persecuted by the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein.
They have now become a political force, with Jalal Talabani becoming
in April the first Kurd to assume the nation’s presidency.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RURAL COMMUNITY IN SYUNIK JEOPARDIZED BY METALLURGICAL PLANTS
Armenpress
KAPAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS: The population of Syunik rural community in
south-eastern province of the same name incurs huge damages caused by
the tailing pits of the Zangezur and Kapan metallurgical plants. Their
health, their cattle, their land and their orchards are under constant
threat because of regular breakdowns at the pits, resulting in the
flow of industrial wastes into canals polluting irrigation water.
The government has released 1.5 million drams for elimination of the
aftereffects, the plant pays compensations but due to new breakdowns
the community continues to sustain new damages. The community’s
population suffers also from a lime-pit near their village.
The Zangezur and Kapan plants and adjacent mines are located near the
town of Kajaran in the southeastern Syunik region. The mountainous
area has Armenia’s largest deposits of copper and molybdenum ores.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UC-Davis students remember Armenians at vigil
By Joanna Tung, The California Aggie; SOURCE: UC-Davis
University Wire
April 25, 2005 Monday
DAVIS, Calif. — With a new bill signed into law by California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday, April 24 now marks the official
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide that took place between 1915
and 1923.
In remembrance of the genocide, which resulted in the deaths of 1.5
million Armenians, the Armenian Student Association at the University
of California at Davis held a candlelight vigil Friday evening.
Michael Armstrong, an executive member of ASA, was one of the speakers
at the event who reviewed the atrocities of the genocide and conveyed
an urgency to prevent such an event from being repeated in the future.
“I stand here as a UC-Davis student, but in the context of this day,
I am here as representative of one person in my family who was able
to survive,” Armstrong said. “In my heart and in my veins runs the
blood of a nation martyred.”
Other speakers at the vigil included Associate Executive Vice
Chancellor Rahim Reed, Associated Students of UCD President Caliph
Assagai, ASA President Aileen Babajanian and ASA executive member
Garo Manjikian.
Friday’s event marked the conclusion of the annual Genocide Awareness
Week, which included documentary and movie screenings, a genocide forum
and a March for Humanity to the Capitol in support of the state bill.
In previous years, the ASA focused its efforts solely on the Armenian
Genocide, but this year’s events also touched on mass persecutions
that affected other groups, Manjikian said.
While the Armenian genocide devastated the Armenian nation, the
systematic elimination of particular groups of people is not limited
to one culture alone, as history has shown in the Holocaust and the
Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, to name a few.
For this reason, the ASA emphasized cultural awareness and respect,
stressing the importance of understanding these historical crimes
against humanity to prevent future intolerance and destruction,
Manjikian said.
Although 90 years have passed since the genocide, ASA students believe
much more can be done to educate the public about the Armenian genocide
to attain future peace and harmony among various cultures.
After the ceremony, vigil participant and former Turkish missionary
Melissa McKeand addressed the lack of both religious and cultural
tolerance that contributes to the ongoing cruelty facing Armenians
today.
“People desperately need to develop a greater tolerance for each other,
not only for culture, but for religion too,” McKeand said.
ASA members announced that for the first time, the week’s participants
included scholars from outside the Davis, Calif., community, thus
creating a greater sense of unity among several universities and
their diverse student bodies.
As the week came to a close, Manjikian said the ASA hoped to spark
a spirit of open-mindedness, universal acceptance and harmony among
people.
“I’m definitely happy the bill passed …. It’s going to raise more
awareness about the genocide,” he said. “We’re still waiting for
federal government to recognize the genocide.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The celebration of the 90th anniversery of the Armenian Genocide in Sharjah
Azad-Hye, Dubai
May 1 2005
The Armenian Youth Foundation prepared and presented an English
speaking play named ANI on the 28th of April 2005 in “Ohannessian
Varjaran” (Weekly school of Armenians in Sharjah).
The teenagers who have been working for 6 months presented the story
of half an Armenian girl – NAIRI – who wanted to visit Moush in honor
of her grandfather, who was originally from there and survived the
genocide.
In a flash back to the 1915 we can see the teenagers’ theatrical
abilities both in playing the role of a lover – mother – victim and
crazy persons all done in high touch of responsibility and integrity.
There was no place for fake imotions as if we were in front of
professionals. It was a remarkable work specially using the english
language to make the armenian cause open to all nationalities.
At the end the song “menk kitch enk sagayn mez hy en asoom” by
Barouyr Sevag was sang both in English and Armenian.
Good job
Liza Saghdejian
Sharjah Miyorya Ohannessian Varjaran
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress