Author: Chakrian Hovsep

PanARMENIAN.Net

U.S. Congressmen call for parity in military aid to
Armenia and Azerbaijan
14.03.2008 16:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a hearing before the State, Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, lawmakers
raised a series of concerns regarding the Administration’s FY 2009
budget proposal for Armenia. Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI) raised pointed questions regarding the
Administration’s proposal to provide Azerbaijan with increased
military funding over Armenia, reported the Armenian Assembly of
America.

Schiff asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice how the U.S. can
justify providing Azerbaijan $900,000 versus only $300,000 for Armenia
in Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance. He specifically
cited Azerbaijan’s ongoing war rhetoric and large increases in
military spending as reason against favoring Baku over Yerevan with
additional security funding.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev recently proclaimed that "Armenia did not
win the war. The war is not over. Only the first stage of the war has
been completed." He added that Nagorno Karabakh will never be
independent.

Knollenberg said it is "not just the rhetoric [from Azerbaijan] but
the threat of war," that is most troubling. He said Azerbaijan’s
recent cease fire violations were the worst in 10 years, adding that
the U.S. should consider discontinuing military funding to Azerbaijan
altogether.

"We should either take away military funding to Azerbaijan or threaten
to stop it as long as they are threatening Armenia," Knollenberg said,
explaining that it is now time to take drastic steps. Knollenberg,
along with Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), also
issued a strong statement regarding Azerbaijan’s ceasefire violations.

In separate responses to the lawmakers, Secretary Rice said the
Administration believes that the request levels for Armenia and
Azerbaijan are appropriate. Noting concerns with the recent state of
emergency in Armenia, Rice also made reference to the suspension of
some U.S. assistance programs to Armenia, and indicated that the
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) funding could be put at jeopardy.

"During this critical time, the U.S. should do more to help Armenia’s
democratic institutions," said Knollenberg, Co-Chair of the Armenian
Caucus.

Congressman Schiff added, "The Administration’s justification for
reduced aid to Armenia is not a solution."

The Administration’s budget slashed funding to Armenia by nearly 60
percent from $58.5 million in FY 2008 to a proposed level of $24
million in FY 2009. The budget request also called for more military
funding for Azerbaijan; a clear breach of the agreement reached with
Congress in 2001 regarding military parity for both countries.
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny thanked Congressmen Schiff and
Knollenberg for raising strong concerns with the Administration’s
spending plan with Secretary Rice

"We thank both lawmakers for their leadership on this important
issue. Providing asymmetrical military assistance to Azerbaijan
violates the will of Congress, subverts the short- and long-term U.S.
policy goals for the South Caucasus region, and will only serve to
legitimize Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockades against Armenia and
Karabakh," Ardouny added.

SOME 276,000 CELL PHONES IMPORTED TO ARMENIA LAST YEAR

ARMENPRESS
March 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS; About 276,000 cell phones were imported
to Armenia in 2007, worth a total of $37 million. According to the
National Statistical Service, one cell phone was exported from Armenia
to France.

Ashot Ananian from the Statistical Service, said the biggest batch
of cell phones-almost 110,000 pieces, worth over $16 million-
was brought from South Korea, 90,000 cell phones worth about $11
million were brought from Hungary, 33,000 cell phones were brought
from Singapore. Cell phones were imported also from China, Finland,
India and Slovenia.

RA PRESIDENT ELECT READY TO MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN

armradio.am
13.03.2008 16:40

RA President-elect, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan will head the
Armenian delegation at the NATO summit to be held in Bucharest on 3-4
April, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told a press conference
today. He noted that Serge Sargsyan is ready to meet with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the summit.

Vartan Oskanian said the mediators are interested in the rapid restart
of the Karabakh talks and organization of the meeting between RA
President elect and the President of Azerbaijan. The Foreign Minister
stated he will discuss those issues during his meeting with the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Vienna tomorrow.

"We think that the NATO summit in Bucharest is the first convenient
opportunity for the meeting. If the mediators make the suggestion and
the Azerbaijani side agrees, the Armenian president-elect is ready
for the meeting," Vartan Oskanian said.

The Foreign Minister underlined that Serge Sargsyan is ready to
continue the negotiations based on the document on the bargaining
table.

Vartan Oskanian informed also that the voting on the draft resolution
on Nagorno Karabakh presented by Azerbaijan is expected at the sitting
of the UN General Assembly on March 14. According to the Minister, he
intends to discuss the question with the mediators, since the Armenian
side considers that adoption of such a resolution when the talks have
not exhausted themselves is counterproductive. "In any case, even
in case it is adopted, the resolution will have no legal importance,
and Azerbaijan’s policy on this issue is like self-delusion," Vartan
Oskanian concluded.

AZERBAIJANI CONSUL GENERAL TO LOS ANGELES ELIN SULEYMANOV PUBLISHES PROTEST LETTER IN INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

Azeri Press Agency
March 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan’s Consul
General to Los Angeles, has published a letter in the International
Herald Tribune as a protest to the editorial "Dark days for Armenia’s
democracy" published in the newspaper on March 8, APA reports.

According to Consul General, this conflict, along with other separatist
disputes in Georgia and Moldova, continue to impede development and
progress in Eurasia.

"The Azerbaijani side would much prefer to stay away from Armenia’s
domestic political crisis. The timing of the armed provocation
raises strong suspicions that the objective was to overshadow the
unfortunate events in Yerevan. Hopefully, the Armenians are able to
resolve domestic political disagreements without undermining regional
stability. Of course, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict should be
settled peacefully and soon to the benefit of both the Azerbaijani
and Armenian people," Elin Suleymanov writes.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT READY TO EASE STATE OF EMERGENCY

RIA Novosti
March 12 2008
Russia

YEREVAN, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – Outgoing Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said on Wednesday he was prepared to ease the state of
emergency regime imposed on March 1 in Yerevan after protests over
recent presidential election results.

Eight people were killed and over 130 wounded in Armenia’s capital
on March 1 in clashes between police and supporters of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, who was defeated by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan in
the February 19 vote. Sarkisyan gained 52.8% of the vote against his
rival’s 21.5%. Protesters said the polls were rigged.

"This evening or tomorrow morning I’ll sign a decree to change the
approach. Under the current state of emergency we indicate what may
be done, while the new decree will indicate what may not be done,"
Kocharyan said.

The state of emergency in Yerevan is expected to last until March 20.

Meanwhile, Sarkisyan reiterated that he had won the presidential
election fairly.

"I believe that I won an honest victory at the presidential election,
all the more so as I received the people’s trust at the parliamentary
election [in May 2007]," he said.

The Republican Party led by Sarkisyan received 65 out of 131 seats
in the Armenian parliament last year.

DEBATE ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP FOR ARMENIAN DIASPORA ADDRESSED IN SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE OF DIASPORA: A JOURNAL OF TRANSNATIONAL STUDIES

AZG Armenian Daily
12/03/2008

Diaspora

In the midst of the current Armenian presidential election and ongoing
debate concerning the form in which dual-citizenship would be extended
to Diaspora Armenians, Assistant Professor of Political Science Anna
Ohanyan’s extensive analysis of citizenship in Armenia and assessment
of the current proposals offers critical perspective to anyone
interested in the future wellbeing of the young republic. Ohanyan
highlights the possible effects of different dual citizenship laws
on the socio-economic and political development of the country and
argues the need for such legislation to further diversify the economic
players and make more efficient use of the financial and political
resources of the Armenian diaspora.

"The Promise and the Perils of Duel Citizenship: The Case of
Post-Communist Armenia," provides through an International Relations
and Comparative Politics perspective, a comparative analysis of
citizenship and the relationship between the state and society in the
Republic of Armenia, within the context of the drastic retrenchment
of the Armenian welfare state and the increased transnational mobility
of labour, capital and production.

The Professor then examines the two main dual citizenship proposals,
the government’s and the Armenia Revolutionary Federation’s,
and evaluates the political, social and economic advantages and
disadvantages of each before offering her own proposal, which she
presents as best suited to enhance the position of Armenia in the
global political economy and invigorate its level of civic engagement.

Diaspora’s continuous efforts to shed important light on current hot
button issues such as transnational networks, extraterritoriality,
digital diaspora, and dual citizenship are represented in this
special double issue that contains ten fresh articles that expand the
discourses of diaspora studies through analysis of Antillean, Arab,
Armenian, Chinese, Israeli, Korean and Latino cases.

The International Institute of Diaspora Studies (A Division of the
Zoryan Institute), in partnership with the University of Toronto,
has been publishing Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies
since its inception in 1991, under the editorship of Professor
Khachig Tololyan. For subscriptions or purchases of single issues
please contact the Journals Division, University of Toronto Press,
email: [email protected]. Tel: (416) 667-7810 or visit

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.

255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310, Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9 Tel:
416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]

PRESIDENT GOING TO MITIGATE THE RESTRICTIONS ON MEDIA

armradio.am
12.03.2008 13:40

RA President Robert Kocharyan told reporters today that he does not see
any reason for prolonging the term of the state of emergency. He noted
that no violations of the state of emergency have been registered,
and the situation in Yerevan is still and fully controlled.

Robert Kocharyan informed that today or tomorrow he will sign a decree
on mitigation of the restrictions on mass media activity under the
state of emergency.

According to the President, the decree will clearly indicate the
activities which the mass media should avoid. It particularly refers
to publication of obvious lies and provocative information.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan described as "provocative" Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s statements on the intention to hold a rally right
after the state of emergency is lifted.

The President told reporters that "for some time one should refrain
from rallies, rest a little and reduce the level of polarization in
the society."

"Imagine if we give permission to hold rallies, and the people,
who participated in the unrest and collisions with the police, and
the representatives of law-enforcement bodies gather at one square. I
cannot imagine what their "communication" will be like. One should be
a provoker to repeat the same steps. Maybe, some people will be glad
to have new collisions and new victims, and it will become a ground
for publications in foreign newspapers, but the authorities will not
allow that, especially taking into account the fact that Article 40 of
RA Constitution provides us with necessary legal grounds for that. I
advise the citizens to refrain from participation in rallies and not
to obey to provocative statements," Robert Kocharyan stated.

FOREIGN STATE DEBT OF ARMENIA GROWS BY 20.2% IN 2007

Noyan Tapan
March 11, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia’s state debt (domestic and
foreign state debt) made 507 bln 156 mln drams in late 2007, including
domestic debt of 66 bln 303 mln drams against 57 bln 962.7 mln drams in
late 2006 and foreign debt of 440 bln 853.1 mln drams or 1 bln 449 mln
124 thousand USD against 1 bln 205 mln 635 thousand USD in late 2006.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, in the structure of
Armenia’s domestic state debt, the debt on short-term state bonds made
7 bln drams (against 7 bln 699.6 mln drams in late 2006), the debt on
medium-term coupon bonds with partial redemption made 47 bln 421.2 mln
drams (against 38 bln 87.8 mln drams), the debt on long-term coupon
bonds made 11 bln 710.6 mln drams (against 12 bln 175.4 mln drams),
while the debt on saving bonds made 171.4 mln drams (there were no
such bonds in circulation in late 2006).

The foreign state debt of Armenia grew by 20.2% as compared with
late 2006.

In late 2007, the RA government’s debt made 1 bln 277 mln 355 thousand
USD (against 1 bln 36 mln 863 thousand USD in late 2006), the debt
of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) made 167 mln 54 thousand USD
(against 163 mln 671 thousand USD). The loans provided with guarantees
of the Armenian government and the CBA were paid off in late 2007
(such loans amounted to 1 mln 49 thousand USD in late 2006), while
the loans provided under special programs made 4 mln 715 thousand USD
(against loans of 4 mln 52 thousand USD in late 2006).

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SEALS SARGSYAN’S ELECTION VICTORY

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
March 8, 2008 Saturday 7:07 PM MSK
Russia

Armenia’s Constitutional Court has upheld a February 24 decision by
the Central Election Commission declaring Serzh Sargsyan Armenian
president.

Glens Falls Post-Star, NY
March 9 2008

The pages left behind

By Lisa Bramen
[email protected]
Published: Sunday, March 09, 2008

BALLSTON SPA

Three months after her husband’s death at 86, Marian Barba’s front
room is slowly transforming from a place for dying to a place for
living.

Gone are the breathing equipment and bedpans from Harry Barba’s final
years, when he was too sick to leave his recliner or, usually, to
speak.

But other reminders of Harry, once a distinguished writer and
educator with a mind that stayed lively to the end, are still
everywhere. His papers and books fill an entire enclosed porch.
Organizing them will be a project for some poor graduate student some
day, Marian said, chuckling softly.

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She pointed out the knickknacks scattered throughout the living room
— a head of Nefertiti, Middle Eastern trinkets, old musical
instruments — explaining that she collected them as a way of
bringing the world to Harry during the years he was homebound.

Despite his illness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Harry
wasn’t depressed about his condition. He managed to enjoy what he
could still get out of life.

"He had a lot of

joie

," Marion said, punching her fist for emphasis.

Barba was born in Bristol, Conn. in 1922. Although he was Armenian
American, he thought of himself primarily as an American writer,
Marian said. He implemented the creative writing program at Skidmore
College, where he taught for many years. Among his achievements were
a Fulbright professorship that allowed him to teach in Syria and the
nomination in 1985 of one of his novels for a Pulitzer Prize by
Edward Said, the prominent cultural critic and literary theorist.

He had an uneasy relationship with the lit

erary and publishing world. His first novel, "For the Grape Season,"
was published by Macmillan in 1960, but in a heavily edited form that
left him unsatisfied. In order to retain creative control in
subsequent works, he established his own publishing company, which he
named Harian Creative Books, a combination of his and Marian’s names.

"I think there was a frustration of not being recognized enough by
the literary community," Marian said.

Recently, she has begun re-reading his work with a new respect.
During their life together, she was a great support to him in many
ways, but not as a critic. They did collaborate on a pair of
cookbooks, though, called "What’s Cooking in Congress?" which sold
well. The first collection, from 1979, includes a recipe for crab
cakes from Strom Thurmond and "Plains Cheese Ring" from President
Carter.

Shortly before he died, two of Harry’s stories were re-published in
an anthology of first-generation Armenian American writers, called
"Forgotten Bread," where he is described in an introduction as "one
of the doyens of Armenian American literature."

His inclusion in the book was a satisfying validation, Marian said,
especially since it was unsolicited.

"His last days were very optimistic and energized by having been
republished," she said. "He said he’d like to start physical therapy.
He had an assessment two days before he died."

In the months before Harry’s death, Marian delved into their record
collection and began playing music from the days when they could
still go to concerts.

"It was like that fall we had to tie up some loose threads," she
said. "It was almost like a date, reliving those old times we had."
Harry’s long illness had allowed him to come to terms with many
aspects of his life, including its eventual end. In the early years
of his 20-year illness, Marian said, his mortality was an untouchable
subject. Slowly, he began to discuss his wishes for how his remains
would be handled, first saying he wanted his ashes scattered in some
far away place. More recently, he asked that his ashes be scattered
under the willow tree in the backyard. To Marian, this meant he was
at peace and comfortable where he was.

They spent their last Thanksgiving at home, one of the few in recent
years he hadn’t been in the hospital. A week later, during a
breathing treatment, he died.

This spring, after the thaw, she plans to carry out his wishes and
scatter his ashes by the willow tree.