MINISTER OF ECOLOGY IS ILL
Panorama.am
14:32 29/03/06
At the moment the Minister of Ecology Vardan Ayvazyan is in “Nairi”
medical centre with pneumonia. Today the Deputy of the Minister Hakob
Manoukyan was present at the ceremony dedicated to the 20th anniversary
of the foundation of the Ministry. As the latter informed: “The
minister is in room N403. You may visit him,” he advised.
From: Baghdasarian
SCHOLAR DISCUSSES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT U. UTAH
By Jay Logan Rogers, Daily Utah Chronicle; SOURCE: U. Utah
Daily Utah Chronicle via U-Wire
University Wire
March 27, 2006 Monday
Salt Lake City
The Turkish government refuses to acknowledge the genocide committed
against the Armenians, said Richard Hovannisian, professor of
Armenian and near-eastern history at the University of California at
Los Angeles.
Hovannisian commented on the contemporary interpretations of the
Armenian genocide at the University of Utah Hinckley Institute of
Politics on March 23.
Between 1915 and 1918, actions of the government of the Ottoman Empire
(present-day Turkey) resulted in the elimination of a substantial
portion of its Armenian minority population.
While the exact numbers are in dispute, most scholars agree that more
than one million Armenians were killed through outright massacres and
mass deportations to barren deserts, where they were left to starve.
Hovannisian’s talk focused on the scholarly debate over whether
the genocide was premeditated or a “crime of passion” that occurred
suddenly during the tense conditions of war.
He expressed his opinion that the elimination of the Armenians had
been contemplated by the Ottoman government before the outbreak of
war, but that it was wartime conditions that allowed it to turn a
“final solution into an accomplished fact.”
The Ottoman Empire distrusted the Armenians, in part because they
were a tight-knit Christian ethnic group in the middle of a mostly
Muslim empire, Hovannisian said.
While some Armenians were agitating for self-government and autonomy,
most were not involved in any politically dissident activities,
he said.
“They were an ethnic group seen as potentially troublesome to an
authoritarian state at war,” he said.
No official government document specifically outlining the Ottoman plan
to eliminate Armenians has been found, although there is overwhelming
evidence that the massacres occurred, he said.
There may be a “smoking gun” somewhere in Turkish archives proving that
the Ottomans premeditated the Armenian genocide, Hovannisian said,
but the nation’s government does not provide Western historians with
access to those materials.
He said there are psychological reasons that Turkey refuses to admit
the genocide occurred.
“They don’t want to believe that their grandparents could’ve been
murderers,” Hovannisian explained. “They also don’t want to deal with
the consequences of recognition, including contrition and restitution.”
Jonathan Cates, a senior in history and Middle East studies, said he
thought it was a fair explanation of the historical event. “He gave
a broad overview of all the current interpretations and put them in
good context,” he said.
Mariya Mamaeva, a senior in political science and Russian, agreed. “I
think he has very good points and is very insightful,” she said.
From: Baghdasarian
ARARAT COGNAC NOT DELIVERED TO RUSSIA
Kommersant, Russia
March 28 2006
Yerevan Cognac Distillery has terminated Russia’s deliveries of its
product on failure of Central Excise Customs to provide new excise
stamps to alcohol importers. According to the analysts, the alcohol
import will be paralyzed for two months from April 1 even if the
stamps are given already tomorrow.
Yerevan Cognac Distillery (owned by French Pernod Ricard) was forced
to terminate shipment of product to Russia, as all new stamps had
ended and no new stamps were provided, said Zara Nazaryan, who heads
the foreign ties department at the distillery. Armenia exported to
Russia 9.78 million liters of cognac worth $250 million in 2005;
Yerevan Cognac Distillery covered over a half of the exports.
The problem faced by Yerevan producers is common to all importers
of alcohol. The Central Excise Customs set to accepting excise
applications and payments only past week and no one knows for sure
when the first stamps will be given. Pursuant to the revised act on
government’s control over the alcohol production and sales, which took
effect January 1, 2006, all import of alcohol with old excise stamps
is banned from April 1 and no alcohol product with such stamps could
be sold from July 1.
The imported product covers 10 percent of Russia’s market of alcohol,
which overall turnover was roughly 200 million decalitres, or $19.7
billion, in 2005.
From: Baghdasarian
AZERI, ARMENIAN LEADERS MAY MEET THIS YEAR
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006
Baku, March 27, AssA-Irada
Presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Robert Kocharian
may meet by the end of 2006 for another round of talks on settling
the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, officials have said.
“The meeting may take place on the level of international forums and
summits,” the head of the President’s Office international relations
department, Novruz Mammadov, told journalists on Sunday. He added that
a meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers is not ruled out.
From: Baghdasarian
EMERGENCY BUILDING INHABITTED ILLEGALLY FALLS INTO RUINS IN GYUMRI
Panorama.am
12:29 27/03/06
On March 24 at 14.45 it has been informed that that the roof of the
two-storied building on Gorky Street, 30 in Gyumri fell.
The operative group of Shirak Regional Saving Board sent to the site
of occurrence found out that on March 21 the stones of the Southern
wall of the building fell into ruins. As it has been informed in
RA Saving Service press centre there are no victims. To note, the
building was built in 1968, it is an emergency building and was
dwelled illegally.
From: Baghdasarian
US Fed News
March 23, 2006 Thursday 1:18 AM EST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER BUILDS CROSS-CULTURAL
RELATIONSHIPS IN ARMENIA
WASHINGTON
The Peace Corps issued the following press release:
When Nicole “Nicki” Hendrix, a Peace Corps volunteer from Los Angeles
arrived at her site in the former Soviet republic of Armenia in 2004,
her presence caused quite a stir: the 35-year old community
development volunteer was the first African-American to ever live and
work in the village.
Upon her arrival, Hendrix had large groups of people, young and old,
who came running up to her while calling out the “n-word” – one of
the most hurtful racial slurs imaginable to Hendrix. She didn’t know
it then, but this was the only word most of the local Armenians knew
for “African-American.” She later learned that during the Soviet Era,
although students were taught about the history of African-Americans
in America, school books referred to African-Americans by the racial
slur. Many Armenians, Hendrix discovered, were not aware of the
negative connotation that word has in the United States.
Changing perceptions: Nicki Hendrix and the mayor of her host
community in ArmeniaAlthough she was shocked by the greeting that
first day, she didn’t turn around and leave – she had a job to do, a
job that became even more critical as a result of that initial
greeting.
“I use each encounter involving the word’s usage as a chance to teach
Armenians about African-Americans and our history, if they are not
familiar with it. It also gives me the opportunity to tell those who
do not already know that the U.S. is a very ethnically diverse
country with people from many different nationalities and ethnic
groups that live and work there,” Hendrix said of her experience of
dispelling stereotypes in an ethnically-homogeneous society like
Armenia.
Hendrix set out to not only accomplish her goals as a community
development volunteer, but also to help change the perception of
African-Americans in Armenia by helping to eradicate the use of the
racial slur. “The challenge is getting people to see things
differently and to embrace the unfamiliar, instead of the familiar. I
know this will not happen overnight, but I am at least planting the
seed for change in the people that I meet. I believe these
experiences define my minority Peace Corps volunteer experience:
educating and introducing a different aspect of American culture to
the people of Armenia,” she said.
Since she arrived in Armenia, Hendrix feels she has made a real
impact on her village. Working with the members of her community,
Hendrix helped renovate a local park (“Peace Park”), which services
not only her town, but also the seventeen surrounding villages.
During the Soviet Era, the park was once considered the central
meeting place for the exchange of culture, business and fun for
children and adults. But when the Soviet Era ended, the town could no
longer afford to maintain it; the equipment became dilapidated and
was later taken away for fuel and heating during the initial
tumultuous years of becoming a newly independent state.
For nearly a decade, the renovation of the park had been a top
priority among community members, businesses, and the town’s
municipality, to provide the villagers with a place to rest, exercise
and communicate with each other – and to prevent people from taking
the park land for their own personal use. Hendrix said she was glad
to be able to help assist the members of her community in making
their dream come true. The park now serves a population of over
100,000 people.
Nearly two years have passed and Hendrix’s service in Armenia is
almost finished. “I can honestly say that I am not the same person I
was before becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. I am a better person. I
am able to see all sides of an issue or situation. My views on life
and people are no longer narrow – they are multifaceted and global. I
am confident and self-assured in my skills and abilities, and best of
all, I am a more compassionate person,” Hendrix said.
Serving as a minority volunteer has not been easy for Hendrix, but
she has learned a great deal from the experience. “The most prominent
challenge I faced upon arriving to my host country was getting the
host country nationals to see me as a person instead of an object. As
an African-American living in Armenia, I received a lot more
attention than my fellow Caucasian Peace Corps volunteers,” she said.
“I find that some Armenians are still learning how to treat
foreigners who look differently than them.”
Hendrix noted that her presence in Armenia has also helped some host
country nationals see that all African-Americans are not just
entertainers and athletes, because she is neither. According to
Hendrix, her presence also showed Armenians – who are unfamiliar with
the concept of volunteerism – that African-Americans volunteer to
serve others, too.
“Being a minority Peace Corps volunteer has made the world seem
smaller. We all have the same fears, hurts, pains, problems, issues,
and we all want to be loved, respected, heard, accepted, successful,
happy, and needed. We just say it in different languages and with
different customs,” said Hendrix.
“We can all help each other if we have a desire to do so. In every
country, there are the ‘haves and have-nots,’ and in each country,
there are those who are trying to rid the world of divisiveness and
make the world a better place for everyone. I believe that the U.S.
Peace Corps is one of many organizations that is trying to make the
world a better place for everyone, regardless of race, class, creed,
or educational background. I believe that my service as a minority
Peace Corps volunteer helps to get this message across to the people
in my region and the country at large.”
The Peace Corps has been sending volunteers to Armenia since 1992.
Throughout the country, volunteers work in the fields of business and
community development, education, health and environment. There are
currently 86 volunteers serving in Armenia and, since the program’s
inception, 442 volunteers have served. To learn more about Armenia,
please visit the Where Do Volunteers Go? section.
The Peace Corps is celebrating a 45-year legacy of service at home
and abroad, and a 30-year high for volunteers in the field. Since
1961, more than 182,000 volunteers have helped promote a better
understanding between Americans and the people of the 138 countries
where volunteers have served. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S.
citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a
27-month commitment.
From: Baghdasarian
RA GOVERNMENT AFFIRMS ORDER OF GIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the RA law “On Social
Protection in the Case of Employement and Unemployment of the
Polulation,” the RA Government affirmed at the March 23 sitting the
list of documents to be presented by people addressing to the state
employment service with issues of getting job, getting information on
vacancies, consultation on professional orientation, professional
education, the order of people’s registrating and taking out of the
registraion as well as the list of necessary documents for giving the
people addressing to the state employment service a status of an
unemployed. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by
the RA Government’s Information and Public Relations Department, the
order of giving unemployment benefit was affirmed by another
decision. It’s fixed by the order that the process of giving the
unemployment service is implemented by an organization serving payment
service according to the order fixed by the RA law “On Purchases.” The
type of the list of payment presented to the organization branches by
the regional employment services as well as other issues connected
with definition of the payment terms of the unemployment benefit,
stopping the payment process, information exchange will be regulated
by an agreement signed with the above-mentioned organization branches
by the fixed order. Issues of giving benefit by a warrant as well as
in the case of being appointed but not getting the benefit before the
day of sentence or arrest of a citizen got the rigth of the
unemployment benefit and being arrested or sentenced, giving the
unemployment benefit not got in the case of death of the unemployed
getting benefit are regulated by the document. It was fixed that the
unemployment benefit not got by an unemployed till the day of his
death is given to an adult member of his family, or the wife (husband)
of the died person, one of the parents, and the model representative
of the under-age children, tutor or trustee, if they present death
certificate or passport of the unemployed person. As Sona
Haroutiunian, the Chief of the “Employment Service” agency of the RA
Ministry of Labour and Social Issues informed journalists after the
sitting, no order of giving employment benefit existed before. And
it’s fixed by the newly adopted order who has a right to get
benefit. Unemployed people having up to 1 year insurance experience,
who died: payment of death benefit is envisaged for them as well. She
also mentioned that if in the past the status of unemployment was
given during 10 days, it will be done at present during 7 days.
According to the Chief of the agency, at present the number of those
looking for job makes in the republic 116 thousand people, and the
number of those unemployed makes 88.5 thousand. 7400 people got
unemployment benefit in 2005. At the same S.Haroutiunian confessed
that official data concerning the level of unemployment are far from
the reality.
From: Baghdasarian
Turkish Press
March 23 2006
Lutem: Ottoman Empire Granted Broad Religious Freedoms To Non-muslim
Minorities
Published: 3/22/2006
NEW YORK – ”Non-Muslim minorities were granted broad religious
freedom under Ottoman Empire,” Omer Lutem, chairman of the Institute
of Armenian Studies, said on Wednesday.
Taking the floor in a seminar at the New York Columbia University on
”Minorities in the Ottoman Empire” Lutem said: ”according to
sources, nearly 2 million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire.
During the World War I, Armenians collaborated with the enemy, i.e.
Russian forces. Therefore, the Ottomans had to fight against both
Russians and Armenians. On the contrary of all allegations, Armenians
were not deported. They were merely relocated in different parts of
the empire. Some of them died during the transfer. However, Armenians
exaggerated number of casualties and qualified the relocation as
‘genocide’. In fact, number of killed Muslim civilians was much
higher.”
”On the other hand, Armenians signed the Gumru Treaty in 1920 and
acknowledged the borders drawn with the Treaty of Sevres. Therefore,
they cannot have territorial claims from Turkey,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eurasia Strategic Studies Center Chairman Gunduz Aktan
said, ”there are personal and collective memories on one hand, and
history on the other. Memories belongs to the Armenian diaspora. But
the history is much more objective. We (the Turks) have also memories
about the events. Dialogue and cooperation are necessary to form a
common recollection. Actually, Turkey is the party which has launched
initiatives to this end. Lately, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan proposed to set up a joint commission, however, the Armenians
rejected the proposal.”
From: Baghdasarian
Panorama.am
17:50 22/03/06
KOBZON AND LUZHKOV INFLUENCE POLITICAL FIELD IN ARMENIA
`We have become Russia’s both political and economic attaché,’
announced member of Armenian National Movement Aram Manoukyan at the
National Press Club today. As he said the Armenian present government
is to blame for all that. The latter has lost not only its present,
but its past as well. As he said even if the coming government is more
democratic, patriotic and pragmatic nevertheless they are going to
face serious problems concerning energetic system.
Aram Manoukyan is sure the roles of Kobzon and Luzhkov in Armenia are
more serious than that of certain representatives of political field.
As the politician assures the policy of the RF is wrong in Russia as
they serf and humiliate their people. As the ANM member stated it
would be wrong to put an end to Armenian-Russian strategic relations,
but we as well shouldn’t let Russia impose its will on Armenia without
reckoning with as stuff arms was brought to Armenia from
Georgia. /Panorama.am/
From: Baghdasarian
POPE VOICES DESIRE TO MEND A 1,500-YEAR SPLIT
Zenit News Agency, Italy
March 21 2006
Promotes Unity With Armenian Apostolic Church
VATICAN CITY, MARCH 20, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI signals
his desire to promote unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church,
a Christian confession that separated from Rome in the fifth century.
The Pope expressed his desire for unity today when he received in
audience His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Catholic patriarch
of Cilicia of the Armenians, Lebanon, with members of the patriarchal
synod and a group of pilgrims.
The Mideast-based patriarch leads 600,000 Catholic faithful in
communion with Rome, assisted by 120 priests and about 90 women
religious, according to Vatican Radio.
By contrast, more than 90% of the Armenian Christians are under the
Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate, which separated from Rome after
the Council of Chalcedon in 451. A key step toward overcoming this
division was taken in 1996 when Pope John Paul II and Patriarch
Karekin I signed a joint declaration on the nature of Jesus.
Benedict XVI, in his address to guests of the Armenian Catholic Church
in communion with Rome, recalled the sufferings of the Armenian people
“in the name of the Christian faith.”
At the same time the Holy Father manifested his satisfaction because
in recent years “a cordial and fruitful dialogue” has begun among
the Armenian Christians for unity with Rome.
“I encourage this renewed fraternity and collaboration hoping that it
may give rise to new initiatives for a joint journey towards full
unity,” he said, “with its own hierarchy, in fraternal interior
harmony and full communion with the Bishop of Rome.”
Benedict XVI concluded: “We all wish to be instruments at the disposal
of Christ. May he — who is the Way, Truth and Life — enable us to
continue with all our strength, so that, as soon as possible, there
may be one flock with one pastor.”
From: Baghdasarian