Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

PREMIER: VIOLATIONS IN PRIVATIZING COMMUNITY LANDS OCCUR EVERYWHERE IN ARMENIA

/ARKA/
April 17, 2009
YEREVAN

Violations in the process of community land privatization occur
everywhere in Armenia, Armenian Premier Tigran Sargsyan said at the
government meeting Thursday.

He pointed out that phenomena becoming a pattern in the country were
summarized at the recent meeting on studies conducted by Armenia’s
Supervision Chamber.

The government should criticize the behavior of officials who
allowed such violations, as well as take certain steps for systemized
legislative changes, the Premier said.

Even elementary rules are not observed in privatizing the community
lands and public lands are alienated for personal purposes, he
said. The studies carried out by the Supervision Chamber show that
these cases occur in all regions of the country, he added.

According to the Premier, this points to the necessity to toughen
the control on the one hand and to toughen the rules, including the
legislation, on the other hand.

The Supervision Chamber also focuses on the pipe procurement issue,
the Premier said.

He considered it worth to set up a vice-premier-headed target group
with representatives from all involved ministries, tax officers
and Supervision Chamber staff to develop a concept of the required
legislative changes to minimize violation risks.
From: Baghdasarian

NALBANDIAN CLAIMS GARABAGH NOT SUBJECT OF TALKS WITH ANKARA

AzerNews Weekly
April 8 2009
Azerbaijan

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict is not a
subject being raised in the current talks between Armenia and Turkey,
Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian has said.

Nalbandian claimed relations between Yerevan and Ankara should be
restored without any preconditions, adding that normalization of ties
with Turkey has no bearing on the Garabagh problem.

He also alleged that improving relations with Turkey, with which
Armenia is facing long-standing tensions, cannot question the so-called
genocide of Armenians, a claim regarding World War I-era mass killings
in the Ottoman Empire.

"Tens of countries and international organizations have recognized
the genocide, and we welcome this step," Nalbandian alleged.

Armenia and Turkey maintain no diplomatic ties and the border between
the two countries has been closed since 1993. Yerevan is failing
both to end the occupation against Azerbaijan, Turkey`s ally, and to
relinquish its territorial claims against Turkey. It also continues
propagating the "genocide" claim throughout the world. However, there
have been signs of normalization in Ankara-Yerevan ties of late,
and the two countries` officials have held several rounds of talks.
From: Baghdasarian

IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER WELCOMES "GROWING" TIES WITH ARMENIA

Mehr News Agency
April 14 2009
Iran

Tehran, 14 April: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamene’i said on Tuesday
[14 April] that outside powers resort to different ploys to halt the
emergence of regional blocs.

Great powers are trying to prevent the growth of regional blocs
through different pretexts, the leader said in a meeting with Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan who was on two-day visit to Iran.

The leader also said Tehran welcomes the growing amicable ties with
the Armenian government and nation and praised ethnic Armenians for
the sacrifices they made in Iran during Iraq’s war against Iran in
the 1980s.

Our Armenian compatriots defended the revolution shoulder to shoulders
with their Muslim Iranian brothers during the imposed war for eight
years.

The leader went on to say that in almost all wars foreign hands
are involved. For example, he said the United States and certain
European countries provoked Saddam to invade Iran. He added Israel
also launched intensive wars on Lebanon in 2006 and the Gaza Strip
early this year with a green light from Washington.

In most wars and regional conflicts the covert and overt hands of
great powers are seen like the Zionist regimes attacks on Gaza and
Lebanon that were done with a support from America. But the failure of
Saddam in the imposed war, and the failure of Zionists in the 22-day
war on Gaza and 33-day war on Lebanon show that dependence on outside
powers will not actually lead to anywhere.

Ayatollah Khamene’i also lauded efforts by Yerevan to establish
friendship between Armenia and its neighbours.

For his part, Sargsyan said he is determined to develop comprehensive
relationship with Iran and said he is optimistic about the prospect
of ties between the two neighbours.

We have come to Iran for a comprehensive development of ties and are
sure of a brighter future in relationship between the two countries.

Sargsyan visited Tehran at the head of a high-ranking political and
economic delegation. During his stay, eight cooperation agreements
were signed between the two sides.

I will implement all agreements of this visit, he explained.

He also called Iran as strong-willed country that is pursuing a
logical and balanced policy in regard to regional developments.
From: Baghdasarian

WHAT AND FROM WHOM OYP DEMANDS
James Hakobyan

LRAGIR.AM
14:55:22 – 13/04/2009

In the morning of the Holy Easter holiday, the Public TV was showing
the Parliamentary Hour TV program, in which course Heghine Bisharyan
candidate for Mayor, first number on the OYP (Orinats Yerkir) ticket
for Yerevan Council election was addressing the National Assemble. She
was complaining saying that the party got a great number of complaint
application which state that in schools and kinder gardens the staffs
are engaged in electoral processes of listing. Heghine Bisharyan
was stating this with an ardour particular to her, saying that
this is impermissible, such kind of institutions where our future
generation is being educated should not be engaged in electoral games,
the teachers and pedagogues should not be humiliated. She means of
course the phenomenon which we witness at every election, when in
offices, schools and kinder gardens, lists are being formed for the
governmental candidate, passport data are written down. Sure, it is
needed to complaint against this, but this phenomenon should be of
course prevented, and of course it is especially impermissible when
such actions are held in schools and kinder gardens.

But, surprisingly, it is the government to complaint against this
phenomenon. In other words, the government does it and complaints
at the same time. This is really surprising. And the OYP is
government. Consequently, Heghine Bisharyan is not logic to try to
win dividends with her oppositional behaviour while complaining of
that phenomenon at the Parliamentary Hour TV program, but it would be
logic to use the governmental levers and prevent this phenomenon. Is
not the OYP role very big in the Security Council? And the role of the
Security Council enhanced in our life. At least, Serge Sargsyan stated
this at his press conference. So, what impedes the OYP candidate to
bring up this question right to the Security Council with the help of
its leader Artur Baghdasaryan? Is this a less national security matter,
when the educational system becomes a means for electoral goals? Can
there be any other more important question for the national security,
when the education of the future generation is factually mutated and
the teacher staffs are engaged in serving the electoral interest of
a certain person. There is no need to try to seem honest on the TV,
but the opportunity of being government should be honestly taken
advantage of. The OYP explained its step of becoming part of the
government right in this way, saying that it wanted to use at least
this possibility to work. Let them work, let them prevent the step
of rendering the schools and kinder gardens an electoral means.

But it is clear why the OYP will not do that. The problem is that what
is done for Gagik Beglaryan, the electoral listings or so called lists
of 100% voters, is done for the OYP too, for the ARF Dashnaktsutyun,
as well as for the Bargavach Hayastan (BHK). That is why, none of
these parties will exercise any governmental lever in order to solve
this question. The point is that the government will just tell them
that Gagik Beglaryan’s victory is not only his victory or only the
Republicans’, but it is the victory of the whole system. And the OYP,
the Dashnaktsutyun and the BHK are a part of that system, hence, if
they do not want to contribute to the system victory, they do not have
any right to impede it either. It is impossible to have any anti-fact
against this answer if you are a member and live in the frames of that
system. And they have to be grateful that they are given a possibility
to voice their complaint during the Parliamentary Hour TV program.
From: Baghdasarian

PRESS RELEASE
United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
Tel: +37410 566 073
E-mail: [email protected]<mailto:hovhannes.sa [email protected]>
Web site:

UN, IFIs Discuss with RoA Government Ways to Offset Social Impact of
the Crisis

Yerevan, 14 April 2009 – The Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, the
United Nations (UN), World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) offices in Armenia, organized a conference on "Social Impact of
the Global Economic Crisis on Armenia." The objective of the
conference was to discuss consequences of the global economic and
financial crisis and find measures to mitigate its impact on
vulnerable groups. The conference brought together around 120
participants.

Representatives from international organizations warned today that the
global economic and financial crisis could have a serious impact on
the Armenian economy and affect the country’s ability to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. UN, WB and IMF officials
told a conference that while the effects on the Armenian economy are
already being felt, the population is now starting to feel the social
impact as well.

The exposure and impact of the crisis varies across countries and
sectors, but it is becoming more apparent that what started as an
economic crisis is now turning into a human development crisis. During
the first two months of 2009 the unemployment rate in Armenia has
increased, while the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has decreased by 3.7
percent compared to the same period in 2008. Moreover, non-commercial
private transfers dropped by about 35 percent in February 2009
compared with a year earlier.

According to the World Bank report on "Implications of the Global
Economic Crisis for Poverty in Armenia," the current crisis could push
172,000 more people below the poverty line in 2009-10, increasing the
total number of poor to an estimated 906,000 people, out of which
297,000 people will be extreme poor. A large part of Armenia’s gains
in reducing poverty over the last years would be erased.

"In many developing countries, the consequences of the crisis could be
a possible reversal of the gains in human development and progress
towards the achievement of the MDGs, especially in the areas of
healthcare, including reduction of child mortality, improvement of
maternity health, and education," said Ms. Consuelo Vidal, UN Resident
Coordinator.

Acknowledging the government’s commitment to maintain the current
level of funding for the social sector, including salaries, pensions,
family and other benefits, UN Agencies will support the government’s
efforts in devising solutions that will draw together all
stakeholders, including international organizations, private sector
and the civil society. In addition, the UN in Armenia is in the
process of tailoring its current programmes to address the needs of
those most affected by the crisis.

"We need to be fast and flexible and seek cost-effective solutions to
emerging problems, particularly, focusing on bringing international
experience and knowledge to help in developing recovery mechanisms,"
Ms. Vidal emphasized.

"Economic growth in Armenia has led to substantial poverty reduction,
but these achievements are now at risk. The global economic crisis
will have potentially serious implications for poverty and this calls
for significant responses by the Government of Armenia and its
development partners," said Aristomene Varoudakis, World Bank Armenia
Country Manager.

The Government has shown commitment by accelerating the implementation
of World Bank funded projects under the new IDA Fast Track Facility.

Such policy responses may include support to the development of small
and medium sized businesses, design and implementation of labor
intensive programmes, including public works, better monitoring of the
human development impacts of the crisis, development of food security
initiatives, efficient budgetary allocation and spending in social
sectors, continuous support to the government in capacity building to
provide quality social services, adjustment and expansion of existing
basic social safety net instruments to better target the most
vulnerable groups, as well as generation of reliable data on children
and women for tailored policy interventions.
From: Baghdasarian

RA PRESIDENT LEAVES FOR IRAN ON TWO-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 14, 2009

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s two-day
official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran started on April 13.

During the visit the President will have a private talk with IRI
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Armenian-Iranian negotiations in an
extended staff will take place, joint documents will be signed.

In Tehran S. Sargsyan will visit the tomb of IRI founding leader
ayatollah Khomeyni, will lay a wreath to his grave, as well as will
meet with IRI spiritual leader Seyed Ali Khamenei.

RA President’s meetings with IRI Majlis Chairman A. Larijani and
Secretary of the National Security Supreme Council A. Jalili are also
planned during the two-day visit.

S. Sargsyan’s meetings with representatives of the Iranian Armenian
community will take place at the Ararat sports and cultural complex.

According to the RA President’s Press Office, Ministers of Foreign
Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, Transport and Communication,
Economy, Diaspora, National Assembly deputies, the CBA Chairman,
other high-ranking officials are included in the delegation led by
S. Sargsyan.
From: Baghdasarian

OBAMA’S DECISION TO VISIT TURKEY WAS SYMBOLIC

The Gazette
April 14 2009
Montreal

It spotlighted a Muslim country in which secular democracy works

By choosing to end his grand tour of Europe in Ankara and Istanbul
last week, Barack Obama fulfilled his pledge to visit a Muslim country
during his first 100 days in office.

He took the opportunity of his address to the Turkish parliament to
reaffirm that the United States was not at war with Islam. But his
visit was also testimony to Turkey’s strategic importance for the
West as a whole.

That reflects partly geography, partly geopolitics. As Obama pointed
out, Turkey is a natural bridge between Europe and the Middle East. Its
potential as an energy transit corridor to Europe was again made
obvious during January’s gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

Turkey has the chance to play a pivotal role in the troubled Caucasus
region, especially if its current efforts to repair relations with
Armenia succeed. Militarily, Turkey has NATO’s biggest army after
America’s, and hosts a large U.S. airbase at Incirlik.

Recently its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has also engaged
robustly in Middle Eastern diplomacy, mediating between Syria and
Israel, talking to Iran and keeping a beady eye on the aspirations
for self-rule of the Kurds of northern Iraq.

Turkey matters for another reason too. It is a working example of a
secular democracy in a Muslim country. It would be wrong to present
it crudely as a model for the Muslim – especially the Arab — world
to follow.

Turkey’s history and geography make it a special case. But it does
help disprove the widespread belief that Islam and overtly Islamist
political parties must always be incompatible with a functioning
democracy.

Almost since it first came to power in 2002, Erdogan’s mildly Islamist
Justice and Development (AK) Party has been under attack from Turkey’s
secular Ataturkist establishment, particularly the generals.

Yet although AK suffered a setback in recent local elections, the prime
minister and his party have retained broad support among voters. And
they have largely, if not always consistently, stuck to the path of
liberalizing reforms that passed a milestone in December 2004, when
Erdogan triumphantly secured a date to open formal negotiations for
Turkey’s membership of the European Union.

Those negotiations have not been going smoothly. The obstacles to
Turkish membership are numerous and as large as Turkey itself. Public
opinion in many EU countries is less than welcoming.

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has loudly and repeatedly made
clear that he is against Turkish membership; so, less vociferously,
has the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. A settlement of the
long-drawn-out Cyprus dispute is anyway an essential precondition
for Turkish entry.

Troublingly, partly in response to Europe’s perceived lack of
enthusiasm, Turks’ appetite for more reforms to fulfill the EU’s terms
of entry has waned. Public opinion in Turkey has recently taken on
a noticeably anti-American and anti-European tinge.

Given all this, it is understandable that Obama repeated the U.S. view
that the EU should admit Turkey. Yet it was a tactical mistake.

The EU’s leaders (not only Sarkozy) do not take kindly to outsiders
telling them publicly who should join their club – any more than
Obama would like to be told by Europeans that he should throw open
the United States’ border with Mexico. They must be persuaded on the
merits of the case, not by lobbying that might make Turkish entry
seem like a U.S. idea.

Above all, they need to believe that the Turks themselves are prepared
to make changes at home to qualify. Turkish membership of the EU
is, at best, many years off. Keeping it on the table is the job of
political leaders in Brussels and Ankara, not Washington.
From: Baghdasarian

CUBA’S AMBASSADOR MARCELO CABALLERO TORRES: AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY SHOULD BE RESTORED, WE SUPPORT YOUR COUNTRY IN THIS ISSUE 100 PERCENT

APA
April 13 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Viktoria Dementieva – APA. Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Azerbaijan Marcelo Caballero Torres
interviewed by APA

-How do you estimate the level of bilateral relations between
Azerbaijan and Cuba?

-The relations between our countries were established in 1992. Until
last year our relations with Azerbaijan had been regulated by Cuba’s
embassy in Russia. Our states have always had good relations, 70
percent of the equipment used in our oil sector has been imported by
Azerbaijan, let alone the products we bought during Soviet period. For
example, the conditioners produced in Azerbaijan are still used in
Cuba. In 2006 Cuban government passed a decision to open its diplomatic
mission in Azerbaijan. It was one more step in the development of our
relations. The relations between our countries are extending thanks
to the work of the intergovernmental commissions. The first meeting
of Cuba-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission was held in Cuba in
November, 2007. The second meeting of the commission will be held on
May 18-19. We have put forward our proposals concerning the meeting
during the visit of the co-chair of the commission Abulfas Garayev
to Cuba. The co-chair of the commission from Cuba – Deputy Minister
of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investments will lead the delegation to
Baku. The composition of the commission has not been specified yet,
but I think that it will include the representatives of Industry
Ministry, Health Ministry and maybe Sport Ministry.

We attach special importance to the second meeting of the
intergovernmental commission, as we still have about ten draft
agreements ready for signing. We plan to sign agreements on culture,
trade, energy and sport during the meeting. We hope that the trade
turnover between our countries will increase after the meeting
of the intergovernmental commission. We are interested in buying
food products, oil industry equipment from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani
businessmen may be interested in buying cigars, rum, sugar and products
of biotechnology from Cuba. Biotechnologies, biological preparations,
medical services have developed much in Cuba. Azerbaijan may take
interest in it. We can exchange specialists in medical sphere.

-What other spheres in Cuba may be interesting for Azerbaijan?

– Speaking of Cuba, one usually thinks about tourism, but Cuba also
has great potential in oil sector, we produce 4 million tones of
oil and gas every year. Risk weighted agreements are signed with
various oil companies, companies carry out exploration and produce
oil. Azerbaijan has great experience in oil production and we hope that
your country will participate in exploring oil wells in future. As
regards sports, it is possible to cooperate in preparing boxers and
wrestlers. Moreover, we have a project to hold Days of Azerbaijani
Culture in Cuba and Days of Cuban Culture in Azerbaijan. the project
may be realized within the framework of the third session of the
intergovernmental commission in February next year. It will be very
interesting, because there are a lot of people in Cuba, who studied
in Azerbaijan.

-What about plans to improve cooperation between Cuba and Azerbaijan
in education?

– Cuban students studied in Azerbaijan took high posts, particularly
in oil sector of Cuba now. There are many general managers, deputy
ministers and directors among them. I hope well develop cooperation
in this field further. The education project considers our cooperation
with Baku Oil Academy. If Azerbaijan is interested, we will carry out
the student exchange programs too. Professor of the Cuba International
Relations Institute delivered lectures at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic
Academy.

-Are there Azerbaijanis residing in Cuba and do they have any
organization there?

-No. There is only the organization of Cuban students studied once in
Baku. The Azerbaijani charge d’affairs in Cuba has regular contacts
with this organization and keeping them in touch with Azerbaijan. There
is a Cuba-Azerbaijan friendship group at the Cuban parliament. I have
regular relations with parliamentary group of both countries and
this is one of my duties. The interparliamentary friendship groups
have not held their meetings yet and I am working to organize their
meeting. Four parliamentarians were involved in Azerbaijan-Cuba and six
– in Cuba-Azerbaijan friendship groups. Vice Speaker of Azerbaijani
Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov was invited to Cuba. I hope he will visit
Cuba in 2009 and will found close relations between the Cuban and
Azerbaijani parliaments.

-How is the Cuban foreign policy today? Particularly, relations with
the United States arouse interest. President Barack Obama ordered to
lift the part of sanctions against Cuba…

-The sanctions are still in force. The President of Cuba said we
were ready to establish the relations, to launch dialogue with the
new US administration and to discuss any issue under the condition
of respecting the sovereignty of each part. Seven members of the US
Senate are on a visit to Cuba now. They were received by President
Raul Castro and discussed the prospects of US-Cuba relations. I don’t
know how it will be, but the US Senators’ visit to Cuba says many
things about that. We appreciate it as first positive step. However
the sanctions imposed against Cuba, including ban on US travelers to
Cuba, are still in force. Only the Cuban people living in the United
States and having relatives in Cuba are allowed to visit the country
once a year. This sanction is a violation of human rights. If even
Obama has good intentions, it is difficult for one person to change
the long-year system in the United States. We have to wait for the
progresses in this field. Both sides express willingness to meet and
both Obama and our president accepted it as a progress.

-Can you make prognosis on the normalization of Cuba-US relations?

-In comparison with previous US administrations, Obama’s administration
is better to work together. It is possible to normalize relations
with Obama administration because we are not witnessing strong
confrontations at least. Let see will this person to change the
whole system? There is only 180 km between Cuba and USA and therefore
establishing of trade relations is useful for both of them.

-How is Cuba’s reaction to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

– We are supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, closely
working with Azerbaijan within the international organizations and
clearly expressing our position to our Azerbaijani colleagues. As
the Azerbaijani leadership says, we hope that the conflict will be
resolved peacefully. The key issue is that the justice will win and
the lands will be returned to their owners. The territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan must be restored and we show 100-percent support to
Azerbaijan in this issue.
From: Baghdasarian

EVENT DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE HELD IN JERUSALEM

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2009 15:38 GMT+04:00

Jewish University of Jerusalem will host an event dedicated to the
Armenian Genocide on April 26, professor of Armenian studies Michael
Stone told PanARMENIAN.Net.

7 reports will be given during the event.
From: Baghdasarian

The Last Armenian Genocide Survivor in Haverhill

ian-genocide-survivor-in-haverhill/
By Tom Vartabedian – on April 11, 2009

HAVERHILL, Mass. – As the last remaining Armenian Genocide survivor in
Haverhill, Jennie Vartabedian wears her history – and longevity – with
pride.

A citywide celebration took place in her honor April 8, hosted by the
Hannah Duston Nursing Home where she has resided the past three years
after spending most of her life in Somerville.

City and state officials were high in their praise for the
97-year-old, who witnessed the genocide at the age of 3 in
Dikranagert.

Among those paying tribute were Mayor James Fiorentini and State
Rep. Brian Dempsey. The event was organized by her son Tom and his
wife Nancy in conjunction with Armenian Genocide Month throughout the
Merrimack Valley.

Jennie is among seven remaining survivors in her area and had been
attending commemorations up until two years ago.

She had been an active member of the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic
Church in Cambridge and was always known for her charity to Armenian
causes. She and her late husband Edward operated a Somerville
luncheonette for 30 years.

Following his death in 1975, the restaurant was sold and she began
work for the city of Somerville as an assistant in the medical
clinic. Jennie was well past the octogenarian age when she finally
retired.

For the next 10 years, she drove herself to the gym daily and served
as a role model for people of her generation.

The joy in her life these days is her family, which includes five
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

`Whatever your life, make sure you have room for God and the church,’
she told the gathering. `God must have had a reason for sparing me.’
From: Baghdasarian