Author: Chalian Meline

OUR AUTHORITIES FEEL SHAME AT SPEAKING ABOUT HOMELESS PEOPLE
Azg/arm
01 Feb 05
The photo exhibition of Onik Grigorian was dedicated to Bash, Gor,
Mikael, Ruzan and Natasha, homeless people that dwell in the park by
the House of Chamber Music, in the ground floor of a newly built
building on the Northern Avenue, in front of the edifice of the US
embassy, etc. The exhibition was held at Narekatsi Art Union. Bash,
one of them is dead already. He passed away in eight days after being
photographed. His friends gathered in the park near the House of
Chamber Music and buried him in the cemetery envisaged for the
homeless people and put the regular number on his grave on the day he
died.
Onik Grigorian is bewildered why the Armenian authorities don’t do
anything to help the homeless. For this very reason, it is already a
month that he wanders in the streets of Yerevan, talks to the
homeless, makes friends with them and tries to help them somehow.
“There are homeless people in almost all countries of the world. But
shelters are being built for them to spend the winter, the hardest
season of the year, so that these homeless people don’t get frozen. At
least once a daythe homeless are given hot food in these countries. 19
homeless people died in Yerevan in a month,” Onik Grigorian said. He
works with Edik Baghdasarian, head of the Union of Investigative
Journalists, and prepare photos for Hetq Internet weekly.
“Our authorities don’t want to accept that we have the problem of
homeless people in Armenia. It seems to be a disgraceful phenomenon
for them. For ten days, we have been trying to take these people to
the hospital. We failed to take them all. Only one of them was taken
there but he died soon. Neither the society, nor the state
institutions want to help the homeless, to support them morally and
psychologically,” Edik Baghdasarian is sure.
He said that mainly the Diaspora Armenians expressed readiness to help
them. The Association of the Armenian Students of New York send $200,
and 3 American Armenian physicians will arrive in Armenia to render
them medical aid free of charge. Not a single local Armenian physician
helped the homeless and only the members of the union put bandages on
their wounds. The homeless are telling about their lives, their
relatives, their disappointments in the film shot in association with
Yerkir Media TV. The stray dogs are the most faithful and close
friends for most of them, as they feel more confident and clam with
the dogs than with the human beings.
The representative of RA Labor and Social Security Ministry thinks
that the society should deal with the issue of the homeless and not
the state. In the course of the recent few years, they have been
elaborating a program on creating a social center for the homeless,
but it is so hard to find a donor organization for sponsoring this
initiative. At present, the bill on socialsupport is submitted to RA
Government. Being approved it will be adopted at RA National
Assembly. According to her, the new law will make the homeless of our
country more protected.
It is rather surprising but the Armenian Church also is rather
indifferent to the problem of the homeless. Not a single
representative of Araratian diocese was present at the arrangement
though they had been invited. Meanwhile, they should teach lessons of
mercy and generosity by practicing them in everyday lifeâ=80¦
By Ruzan Poghosian

Armenian nationalists call for release of jailed Aryan party leader
Noyan Tapan news agency
31 Jan 05
YEREVAN
The Armenian Nationalist Party disagrees with aggressive statements by
Armenian Aryan Union leader Armen Avetisyan against ethnic minorities
and Masons, considers his arrest illegal and demands his immediate
release.
At the same time, the party considers that “this arrest is, to a
certain degree, of a planned and publicity nature for the Aryan Fist
organization. “There is no need for creating new `heroes’,” the
party’s statement said.
“People should not be arrested in a free and democratic country for
this or that position,” the statement by the Armenian Nationalist
Party said.

UN News Center
Jan 28 2005
UN agency grants Armenia new loan to boost its impoverished rural
economy

28 January 2005 – With output in Armenia still only about 65 per cent
of its level in 1990 when it gained independence from the former
Soviet Union, the United Nations is granting a new $15.3 million loan
to help boost the economy of rural areas, which cover about 80 per
cent of the impoverished Caucasus country.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian today visited the Rome
headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) to mark the agreement, which was being signed by IFAD
President Lennart Båge and the Armenian Agriculture Minister Davit
Lokyan.
The loan, on highly concessional terms, will support the Rural Areas
Economic Development Programme, building on the progress made by
IFAD’s three previous initiatives in Armenia, which involved total
financing of $36.5 million to improve food security in rural areas
and meet the challenges of a market economy.
The new programme targets unemployed men and women, small and medium
farms, rural entrepreneurs, agro-processors and traders. It consists
of a package of measures, including: loans for investment and working
capital; grant-financing of small-scale infrastructure; and training
in developing a business. It is expected that thousands of small- and
medium-sized enterprises in rural areas will be created or enlarged
as a result.
The programme also aims to increase returns from farm labour,
bringing higher levels of disposable income and to facilitate
farmers’ access to markets. Most of the funds will be channelled
through private banks and other financial institutions by means of an
innovative refinancing facility.
IFAD is a specialized UN agency dedicated to eradicating rural
poverty in developing countries. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s
poorest people – 900 million people – live in rural areas and depend
on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. Through
low-interest loans and grants, IFAD works with governments to develop
and finance programmes and projects that enable rural poor people to
overcome poverty themselves.
There are close to 200 ongoing IFAD-supported rural poverty
eradication programmes and projects worldwide, totalling $6.5
billion. IFAD has invested about $3 billion in these initiatives.

Azeri, Armenian foreign minister to discuss Karabakh on 2 March
Turan news agency
28 Jan 05
BAKU
Another round of talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign
ministers, Vardan Oskanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov, will be held in
Prague on 2 March, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
said at today’s press conference.
The latest meeting between the two ministers was mediated by the OSCE
Minsk Group and took place on 11 January 2005.
In all, Mammadyarov and Oskanyan have held eight meetings in the
period starting from April 2004.

UNEMPLOYMENT – PROBLEM OF PROBLEMS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Jan 05
Within the framework of stabilizing the social and economic sector in
Nagorni Karabakh unemployment has always been regarded as the problem
of problems. To find out if there were changes in the number of
unemployment we turned to the head of the department of work and
employment of the NKR Ministry of Social Security Ararat Bakhtamian.
According to A. Bakhtamian, the number of people looking for jobs in
Nagorni Karabakh by January 1 totaled 4223, which has decreased from
January 1 of the previous year by 1.1 per cent or 49 persons. Against
3314 people of the previous year the number of unemployed people
presently is 3278, i.e. it has decreased by 36. At the beginning of
the year 264 people were withdrawn from the records for the reason of
finding employment, canceling the status of unemployed, changing the
residence, as well as retiring. The number of women prevails in the
rate of unemployment, totaling 92.5 per cent or 3032 persons. By
January 1, 2005 of the total number of the unemployed 124 people have
received the unemployment benefit, decreasing from the same period of
the previous year by 55 or 30.7 per cent. The number of workers totals
37.2 per cent of the total number of the unemployed or 1219. Observing
the levelof education of the unemployed, persons with higher education
total 10.1 per cent of the unemployed, 23.4 per cent have average
education and 66.5 per cent secondary or 8-year education. In the
mentioned period the age of the unemployed is the following: 47.6 per
cent are under 30, 48.1 per cent are 30-50 years old, and 4.3 per cent
are above 50. From the beginning of the year 76 people found employment,
of them 57 through employment agencies. According to Ararat Bakhtamian,
the NKR law `On the Minimum Monthly Salary’ hasbeen put in effect
since January 1, 2005, by which the minimum salary in NKR increased
from 10 thousand to 15 thousand drams. Basing upon the law, the draft
decision of the NKR government `On the Basic Unemployment Benefit’ was
worked out which, after its adoption by the government, will maintain
the size of the basic unemployment benefit 9000 drams. The size of
compensation for injuries, professional diseases or damage of health
caused during work will also increase since January 1, 2005. After the
adoption of the government decision the size of compensation will be
maintained 20 per cent of the minimum monthly salary (3000 drams) plus
the sum calculated according to the degree of damage of working
ability.` Till January 1, 2005 66 citizens received 1000 drams of
compensation from the state budget. They received this sum
irrespective of the degree of working ability, which was not socially
fair. I hope the adoption of the decision will enable to differentiate
the degrees of damage to working ability,’ mentioned the head of work
and employment adding that for this sphere in 2005 3947.4 thousand
drams will be provided from the state budget against 3147.4 thousand
drams in 2004.
NVARD OHANJANIAN.
26-01-2005
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan reports soldier killed by ethnic Armenian forces in disputed
enclave
By AIDA SULTANOVA
.c The Associated Press
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – An Azerbaijani soldier was killed on the
cease-fire line separating government troops from ethnic Armenian
forces controlling the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and a swath of
surrounding territory in the ex-Soviet republic, the Defense Ministry
said Thursday.
The military chief in the disputed enclave, meanwhile, said
strengthened defenses on the cease-fire line mean that any Azerbaijani
attempt to take back the territory will be thwarted and could prompt
“successful counterattacks.”
The latest death on the dividing line and the bellicose warning added
to tension that persists more than a decade after a 1994 cease-fire
ended a six-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh that killed 30,000 people
and drove a million from their homes.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said ethnic Armenian forces opened fire
near the village of Shurabad shortly before midnight Wednesday,
killing an Azerbaijani soldier.
Gunfire sporadically breaks out between the opposing forces, and the
dispute has raised fears of renewed war. International efforts have
failed to produce a settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which
supports Nagorno-Karabakh’s internationally unrecognized government.
Also Wednesday, Nagorno-Karabakh defense chief Seiran Oganian said
that “large volume of construction work” done on the front line over
the past year would enable ethnic Armenian forces to “freely conduct
trench fighting in the case military action begins, turning aside all
attempts by the enemy to move forward.”
“We are prepared … not just to defend ourselves but to conduct
successful counterstrikes,” Oganian said.
Ethnic Armenian forces also control a large amount of adjacent
territory, including land that links the enclave with
Armenia. Disputes over the additional territory have been one of the
factors preventing Armenia and Azerbaijan from settling the conflict.
International monitors from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, which has been seeking to foster a settlement
between Armenia and Azerbaijan for a decade, are due to tour the
ethnic Armenian-held territory in the coming days.
Oganian, who spoke at a news conference, said that Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities “cannot prohibit our citizens to farm in these
territories.”
Bernard Fassier, the French co-chairman of the OSCE’s Minsk Group,
said at a news conference in Baku on Thursday that the OSCE could not
resolve the dispute on its own.
The OSCE “can provide help in the process of dialogue, conducting
negotiations, creating productive atmosphere, but it cannot resolve
the conflict for you,” Fassier told Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev.
Fassier said OSCE representatives would travel to Nagorno-Karabakh on
Jan. 29 for a fact-finding mission.
Associated Press writer Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia,
contributed to this report.
01/27/05 14:22 EST

ARS EXPANDS RANGE OF PROGRAMS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Jan 05
The Armenian Relief Society established in 1910 implements numerous
programs in different countries of the world. Presently the Society
has 200 branchesin 24 countries of the world including Artsakh. In
1998 ARS officially became member of the UN Economy and Social
Commission. The activity of the societyis well-known not only in
Armenia and Artsakh but also other countries of the world. Since the
genocide of Armenians in 1915 ARS has been aiding parentless
children. Since the very first day the society opens and sponsors
nursery schools and hospitals. Owing to the donations of different
branches and sponsors of the society it became possible to aid also
sole old people, poor families, excellent students. The ARS isolated
branch of Artsakh was established in 1990. For 15 years the branch
implements three large-scale programs. It annually provides 30
spectacles to the disabled, pensioners and families of killed families
and poor families of Karabakh. In the framework of the program `Soseh’
ARS opened a kindergarten in Stepanakert in 1998 where presently 100
children attend, mainly children of the disabled of the Artsakh war,
children of families having more than 5 children. Currently ARS
sponsors 10 nursery schools in Stepanakert, the villages of Aygestan,
Mets Tagher, Avdur, Karin Tak, Haghorti, Togh, Ashan, Aknaberd, and
Shushi. By the way, the latter three were opened in 2004. On the
whole, the nursery schools `Soseh’ admit 500 children. The chairwoman
of the ARS Artsakh branch Nelly Ghulian said, in 2005 building of the
nursery school of the village of Moshatagh, Berdzor region will be
finished. Speaking about the programs of the current year, Nelly
Ghulian stated that the central executive board demanded the list of
the villages having 50 and more children of school age and probably in
five villages also nursery schools will be opened in the nearest
future. One of the wide-scale programs of the Societyis the
`Sponsor-a-Child’ program. In 1998-2000 the documents of about 3
thousand children were sent to the central executive board most of
them already receive aid for several years already. Children of killed
azatamartiks and parentless children receive 120 dollars annually
until the age of 18. Presently the number of children who receive aid
is over 2000. According to Nelly Ghulian, recently the ARS branch of
the West Coast of America has distributed uniforms to the children of
the nursery schools `Soseh’. It should be mentioned that the activity
of the Artsakh branch is fully coordinated by the central executive
board which takes into consideration all the suggestions and possibly
assists to the implementation of programs. Another important fact: in
the web site of the ARS we read that the Armenian Relief Society, the
Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Armenian Assembly of
America, which are members of the board of trustees of the
pan-Armenian foundation `Hayastan’, took part in the Telethon 2004 and
will be represented in the competitive commission of the foundation.
This means that the ARS will take part in the tenders of the fund.
ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
26-01-2005

Turkish Daily News
Jan 16 2005
Erdoðan’s diplomatic landing in the Kremlin
Yüksel Söylemez
In relation to President Vladimir Putin’s historic state visit to
the Presidential Palace in Cankaya the words of William Shakespeare,
“Within a month, yet within a month,’ are I feel apposite in the
context of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan losing no time and
hurriedly embarking upon a quick-fix businesslike return visit to the
Kremlin.
Why was he in such a great hurry? Setting aside the hair-trigger
timing “a la Erdogan” as the fastest Turkish leader of the decade not
wanting to lose momentum, the apparent pretext may have been the
long-delayed opening of the Turkish Center in Moscow built by the
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) that took
seven troublesome years to complete.
Erdogan’s declared aim was better and bigger business with the
Russians and to increase the volume of trade from last year’s $10
billion to $25 billion, or at least Putin’s more modest target of $15
billion, or $50 billion annually in 10 year’s time.
But how do they propose to achieve this? Russia, after all, is
already Turkey’s second largest trading partner after Germany.
Turkey is dependent on Russian natural gas for 60 percent of its
energy requirements. Energy by other means, coal for example, is
becoming less and less preferred in Turkey as natural gas is cleaner
and comparatively cheaper, although the Blue Stream natural gas
prices that Turkey has to pay are higher than those for other
customers of Russia. Moreover, under the agreed contract Turkey has
to pay for even what it cannot use, however, these are the same
conditions Iran once imposed upon Turkey. Putin, however, offered to
sell electricity cheaply to Turkey from under the Black Sea and a
study group will now be established towards this end.
The Russian private sector will be participating in international
bids concerning the distribution of natural gas in Turkey, as well as
building depots for storing gas underground, thus evening out winter
and summer prices. Russia wants to sell its oil and natural gas to
Israel by an extension of the Samsun-Ankara pipeline. Russia also
now wants to export Russian oil to Europe through Turkey using the
Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline that they were previously against. Russian
interest may not stop here in matters of energy, but go over and
beyond Turkey’s prospective nuclear power plants, rumored to cost
about $20 billion of more, Chernobyl or no Chernobyl notwithstanding.
This three-day visit to the Kremlin came with a clear message from
Erdogan to Putin. To paraphrase, “Russia will continue to be
Turkey’s trading partner on an even greater scale, with or without
Turkey’s European Union membership. Contrary to the serious concern
you expressed in Ankara in December, Russia is not going to lose
Turkey or say “farewell” to it as a trading partner. Quite the
opposite as our trade and cooperation will increase by leaps and
bounds. Remember, Turkey’s customs union with the EU did not
diminish our bilateral trade, but did, in fact, increase it to a
greater extent. We are here in Moscow for business, friendship and
strategic a partnership.”
Never before has Prime Minister Erdogan been accompanied by an army
of 500 plus businessmen in four planeloads, as well as four
ministers, 50 members of Parliament and 90 media members underlining
his message. Some 20 prominent businessmen were among the chosen few
personally introduced to President Putin, probably for their
investment in Russia that is expected to increase from $2.5 billion
or more.
Erdogan proposed joint ventures with Russia in Iraq. Turkey and
Russia are also to cooperate in military procurement and hardware,
such as the Erdogan’s helicopter and aircraft deal which has yet to
be decided, perhaps as a give-and-take in return for reducing natural
gas prices — also to be paid in kind rather than in cash on an
offset basis. The Turkish and Russian navies are now scheduled to
make joint naval exercises against maritime terrorism in the Black
Sea, where Russia is concerned about the presence of non-coastal
navies and the Marmara and Aegean Seas, all of which are on the route
of Russian oil tankers.
Erdogan, including his delegation and entourage, was given an
extraordinary welcome in Moscow. To underline this auspicious
welcome, he and Emine Erdogan were entertained in Putin’s home in
Novo Ogareva as a sign of exceptional courtesy to show genuine
Russian hospitality reserved for only a select few. Putin’s, “I
trust Erdogan because he keeps his word,” shows that there is a
strong personal chemistry between the two leaders with a clear
political will to cooperate, truly and sincerely, in order to replace
centuries of mistrust and enmity, especially after the lost decades
of the USSR to communism when it was considered by Turkey to be
national threat number one. In fact, what is happening now is the
revival of the Turkish-Russian rapprochement era of the National
Liberation War of Mustafa Kemal and the first 10 years of
Turkish-Russian friendship in the 1920s and early `30s.
This visit confirmed that the dialogue started by Putin in Ankara
would continue. This visit, to say the least, confirms the
normalization of bilateral relations and underlines that Turkey is a
regional power, alongside its EU prospects. It definitely brings new
volume to the bilateral relations of two important countries
belonging to the region encompassing Iraq to the Caucasus and to the
problems of that region, of which, broadly speaking, they share
similar views.
In his tete-a-tete with Putin in Novo Ogareva during dinner with
the normal protocol sampling three kinds of exceptionally delicious
caviar, probably wetted with quality water rather than the best
Russian vodka, `Tayyip’ may have asked ”Vladimir’ whether Russia
could be more flexible over the Cyprus problem; and who knows whether
in a light-hearted moment `Vladimir’ did not try to persuade `Tayyip’
in return for such a favor to change his drinking habits and toast
him with Stolichnaya?
It is a two-way street after all, and now that Putin made a
surprise call to the U.N. Secretary-General to say that Russia will
now support his efforts to solve the Cyprus question, Russia is in
the picture to exert pressure on Greek Cypriot leader Tassos
Papadopoulos for a peaceful and equitable settlement that will be in
the best interests of Russia as well. Erdogan presenting the
Chairman of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (KKTC) Chamber
of Commerce Salih Tumar to Putin heralded a volte-face in Russian
traditional policies that hitherto historically favored their Greek
Orthodox brothers as Russian investments abound in Greek Cyprus.
Putin said, “The economic isolation of the KKTC is not fair and
should be ended.” This concession is an outright meeting of Turkish
sensitivities and a quid pro quo for Russia’s large investments in
Turkey.
On Armenia, Putin offered to act as a go-between, but Erdogan’s
condition for establishing relations requires Armenia to recognize
the 1923 Kars Agreement fixing Turkey’s eastern borders that may be
hope against hope.
As Erdogan runs from success to success with his foreign policies,
this visit to Moscow was realized quicker than in the wildest dreams
of all Russian watchers — to say the least. There seems to have
been a sea change in Russia’s traditional policies with much more
understanding shown to Turkey. Now we have to watch that things
agreed take concrete shape and translate into reality. As they say,
`the proof of the pudding is in the eating.’

TROUBLE BREWING FOR ARMENIA
Azg/arm
15 Jan 05
There is real cause for concern when the major news media in the West
begin to focus on Armenia and dwell on the woes that the country is
experiencing at this time. The articles published in the December 9,
2004 and December 26, 2004 issues of The New York Times and signed by
Susan Sachs don’t seem to be coincidental. At the risk of being blamed
for conspiratorial mentality, we will venture to classify this sudden
surge of attention as one of the plots being hatched in that part of
the world.
Ms. Sachs’ very titles indicate what she is up to – “For young
Armenians, a promised land without promise”, “Armenia’s isolation
grows only deeper”. Her conclusion cannot be construed as a Freudian
slip, as she says, “The prospects appear grim without outside
intervention”. “Outside intervention” is the buzzwords about the
impending dangers that the country should anticipate. The fact that
Armenia’s economic liberalization has put the country on the higher
gear of growth has not impressed the writer enough so that she has
taken the pains to interview some destitute and disgruntled youth to
substantiate her grim predictions about Armenia. We have no reason to
doubt the veracity of the complaints. But ignoring the growth of
Armenia’s domestic product (13% in 2002 and 15% in 2004), which placed
the country among the fastest growing economies of former Soviet
Republics, to draw a desperate picture certainly has a political
motivation behind. On the other hand, Azerbaijan, with all its oil
resources, lives in abject misery under a medieval despotic rule, yet
it fails to attract the attention of The New York Times; nor has
neighboring Georgia, which, despite its “rose revolution”, has been
torn in three directions and has plunged into an energy crisis.
Those New York Times articles only echo and complement another article
signed recently by David Phillips in The Wall Street Journal
pontificating that Armenia can live in peace and prosperity ever after
at the tender mercies of neighboring Turkey by removing the Russian
military bases from its territory.
These two influential publications, which have shown sudden interest
in Armenia’s plight failed to report the demonstration of ten thousand
European Armenians, who recently converged to Brussels to protest
Turkey’s accessiontalks with the European Union. That huge
demonstration was not deemed newsworthy.
To complete the mosaic of the political machinations we should also
refer to another initiative, which took place recently, when the
former President Levon Ter-Petrossian was pulled out of his
self-imposed isolation to rub shoulders with incumbent and former US
Presidents at the inauguration of President Clinton’s library. That
was also a not so subtle message to the rulers in Yerevan.
It is very obvious that post-Cold War new world order is being set on
two different levels; by force or by subversion. Yugoslavia was
dismembered under false pretense and Iraq was occupied to serve
Israel’s political needs â=80` at the cost of American money and
blood. On the other hand, colorful “revolutions” began burgeoning in
different parts of the world: Thus the “rose revolution” propelled an
inexperienced young lawyer to the presidency of Georgia (after
“peacefully” smashing the parliament gates). The “orange revolution”
brought Yushenko to power in Ukraine by cutting Russia to size. The
Cold war is continuing under a different guise. Yet still the name of
the game is to contain Russia into its ever-shrinking territory.
Unfortunately, Armenia is caught in this geo-strategic chess game, and
hopefully any revolution that is being concocted in the dark will not
turn out to be a “red revolution”.
Recently the Kocharian administration was cornered to test the
validity of its “complementarist” foreign policy by forcing it to send
a symbolic number of troops to Iraq to join the occupation forces,
which have a fig leaf called “the coalition”.
Armenia’s government was caught between a rock and a hard place. Since
Azerbaijan was being lavishly rewarded for its participation in, and
position on the Iraq war, Armenia was challenged to match Baku’s
commitments to the West. Therefore, the government in Armenia
grudgingly agreed to participate in the occupation of Iraq, with the
full knowledge that it was jeopardizing the lives of Armenians living,
not only in Iraq, but also in the entire Muslim world. Even before the
Armenian contingent set foot in Iraq, the warning shots were already
heard when the Armenian churches were bombed. We need to brace for
further trouble in the Arab world, where Armenians were received with
open arms in the aftermath of the Genocide.
All those developments seem to be components of a similar design to
drive Armenia to further concessions vis-Ã -vis Turkey and Azerbaijan
or drive the country to extinction. This, by no means, must be
construed as extreme pessimism, since The New York Times article has
made a specific reference in that direction. Indeed, Ms. Sachs has
found a young male activist in the town ofGumry who has conveniently
stated, “If nothing changes, Armenia will be left as an
island…everyone will forget Armenia”.
The New York Times editor has gleefully quoted the young man’s
statement, which is very much in tune with the thrust of her articles.
All these articles and other developments seem to be the tip of the
iceberg. Much seems to be in store yet.
Hopefully, the future is not that grim. We cannot allow it to be grim.
By Charlotte Vande, 1/11/05

NKR PRESIDENT’S DECREE
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
14 Jan 05
By the decree of the NKR president Arkady Ghukassian the NKR Ministry
of Development of Industrial Infrastructures and Building was
re-organized into NKR Ministry of Regional Governance and Development
of Infrastructures and NKR Ministry of Building. Boris Alaverdian was
appointed minister of building. Armo Tsaturian was appointed NKR
minister of regional governance and infrastructure.
AA.
14-01-2005