Author: Ekmekjian Janet

VOTE ON DRAFT LAW ON ABOLISHMENT OF STATE MONOPOLY IN NUCLEAR ENERGY SECTOR POSPONED AGAIN
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. At the four-day sittings of the RA
National Assembly that started on March 20, the parliament adopted
6 draft laws and a legislative package, which were discussed at the
previous 4-day sittings and envisage amendments and additions to
a number of laws. The NA also ratifieed 8 international agreements
presented by the RA President. The vote on the draft law on amendments
to the Law on Energy was postponed indefinitely. To recap, the draft
proposes abolishing the state monopoly in the energy sector. The draft
aroused serious objections, and the government agreed to postopone
the vote until the current 4-day sittings, after which the vote was
postponed indefinitely. According to the NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian,
it will be revoted on after being discussing byt the NA together with
the government.

1.5 MILLION FOWLS VACCINATED AGAINST PLAGUE
Armenpress
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS: Grisha Baghian, chief of Armenian
veterinary inspection said one man was suspected to have the deadly
H5N1 virus but he tested negative after was examined thoroughly by
experts of the Armenian genetics center.
Baghian said now people should be more careful as the risk of getting
the virus becomes higher with migratory birds stopping in Armenia
in their way to the north. He said 1.5 million domestic fowls were
vaccinated against a disease known as bird plague.

US diplomat notes Armenia’s interest in having “up-to-date” nuclear plant
Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow
16 Mar 06
Yerevan, 16 March: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev have expressed their willingness to continue
contributing to efforts to reach a peace agreement on Nagornyy Karabakh
during their recent negotiations in France, US Assistant Secretary of
State Daniel Fried said at a news conference in Yerevan on Thursday
[16 March].
Fried disagreed that the talks between Kocharyan and Aliyev in
Rambouillet on 10-11 February drove the negotiating process into a
dead end.
Attempts are currently being made to see in which direction the
settlement process could now move, he said.
During his visit to the region, Fried said he addressed ways of
settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, energy security and prospects
for the region’s development.
The US believes it would be useful to look into the future in light
of the current problems in the South Caucasus to see how the region
is to develop on the whole and how democracy and economic reforms
will proceed there.
The US does not rule out that nuclear energy could be used to diversify
energy supplies in the region, he said.
The diplomat said he is aware of Armenia’s interest in building a new
safe and up-to-date nuclear power plant and that he would inform his
leadership in Washington of this.

IMAGE OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION BY ACADEMIC
Panorama.am
16:07 16/03/06
“The leaders of our opposition thinks about getting ready to
the parliamentary elections of 2007 not to get rid of the present
Government but to have seats in the Parliament,” announced academic and
always oppositional Rafael Ghazaryan at the public hearings organized
at “National Civil Enterprise” today.
The experience showed the academic that the oppositional politicians
mostly think about their own interests and repel the common
interests. “Nothing is going to change unless out opposition rises
and matures for the sake of this poor country,” Rafael Ghazaryan
added.

POLICE GENERAL PROMISES EXPOSE MYSTERY OF VOSKEPAR TRAGEDY
Noyan Tapan
Mar 15 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Events taken place in 1991 in Voskepar
are presented in publicist and poet Ignat Mamian’s “Cry of Wounded
Mountain” documentary book the presentation of which took place on
March 14 at the Writers Union of Armenia (WUA). This isn’t the first
time that the publicist touched upon the tragedy of Voskepar. I.Mamian
presented the heroic battle of the police duty detail boys died at the
Katarka mountain as well as the military-political picture created at
borders of Armenia, particularly in the Noyemberian-Ghazakh, in the
“Tragic Daylight” book as well.
According to WUA Chairman Levon Ananian, though 15 years passed
after the Voskepar events, it has still remained unknown by now how
and by which traitor the murder of the sons of Armenians fighting in
Voskepar was organized. “The heroic event is called the tragedy and
mystery of Voskepar. This history remains a completely not deciphered
one even today,” L.Ananian mentioned.
According to poet, translator Nerses Atabekian, I.Mamian has gathered
“the reality flying to bits in the crossroads of time” for 15 years and
made an attempt to present the heroic deed of the Armenian policemen
both in Artsakh and in bordering regions of the republic. According
to him, a movement started in 1980 which, it’s a pity, is spoken about
only now: this was the police detachment of special significance formed
in 1990. Hundreds of young people joined it. They participated both in
martial shift in the border regions of Armenia and in military actions
going on in Artsakh. According to N.Atabekian, the existence and work
of the police detachments also became an incitement for formation of
the RA National Army.
According to Major General Ararat Mahtesian, the RA Police Chief’s
First Deputy, in epilogue of the book the author presented a number
of questions which must get their answers. “I would attempt to find
answer for some “whys” for those are less in the author’s third book,”
he mentioned.

ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN OLD JUGHA TURNED INTO FIRING GROUND BY AZERIS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 15 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. After more than
3500 khachkars (cross-stones) were completely destroyed in the ancient
Armenian cemetery in Old Jugha in December 2005, the number of which
formerly reached 10 thousand, according to eye-witnesses, in early
March this year the Azeri servicemen turned this territory into a
firing ground.
Informing about this, RA Foreign Ministry Press Service also spread
photos making it evident that the cemetery in Old Jugha doesn’t
exist any longer, just like the Pombloz Church, St Saviour Church
and Red Church.

‘MAGIC FLUTE’ TO BE STAGED IN ARMENIA
By Tamar Minasian
AZG Armenian Daily
16/03/2006
“Magic Flute” opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be staged in
Armenia for the first time. The initiators of the events said at
yesterday’s press conference that they invited Facundo Agudin,
an Argentinean conductor from Switzerland, who will conduct the
opera. They added that soloists from Europe and Armenia, director
Michael Choler from Germany, costume designer Ana Spinelli from
Switzerland are engaged in the performance.
The organizers said that March 18 concert will be free of charge for
the schoolchildren of Yerevan. The initiative is carried out by the
National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Armenia, the Swiss Orchestre
Symphonique du Jura and Festival Musique des Lumieres, with the
participation of “Cadance” Musical center.
Gegham Grigorian, head of the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre, said
that they are going to stage also “Don Juan” within the framework
of the arrangements dedicated to the 250th anniversary of Mozart. He
added that singers Gevorg Hakobian, Arnold Kocharian, Arsen Soghomonian
and Suren Manukian will participate in the performance.

AZERBAIJAN TO REVIEW POLICY SHOULD ARMENIA DISRUPT PEACE PROCESS, PRESIDENT SAYS
AzTV Baku
16 Mar 06
President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan wants to resolve
peacefully the conflict over the disputed region of Nagornyy Karabakh
but it may rethink its policy if Armenia disrupts the peace talks,
the state-run AzTV reported on 16 March.
In a live address to the Baku-hosted second congress of Azeris of
the world, the president said: “If we see that the peace process is
being undermined by Armenia…, then of course, Azerbaijan will have
to reconsider its participation in the peace process.”
“Over the past 12 years we have shown loyalty to the peace talks
despite the failed attempts to resolve the conflict. There has been
a cease-fire regime between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the past 12
years. We are taking part in the talks because we are still hoping
to achieve certain results. But how long will this continue? This
process cannot go on forever. The patience of the Azerbaijani people
and authorities is being tested… Our participation in the peace
talks once again confirmed our resolve to settle the problem not
militarily, but peacefully. We have channelled all our efforts into
this. If we see that Armenia’s position at the talks is insincere and
not constructive, if we see the international community being deceived
and misinformed by Armenia – we will have no choice…. Azerbaijan
will not participate in the talks for the sake of talks,” Aliyev said.
The president called for the Armenian withdrawal from the occupied
territories and the return of Azerbaijanis to their homeland, including
to Nagornyy Karabakh.
“Normal relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan can be restored only
after this. Only then will the peace process be possible. We will not
allow Nagornyy Karabakh to part with Azerbaijan today, tomorrow, in a
decade or in a century. We are the victims of the conflict. Armenia
had carried out an ethnic cleansing policy against us for which it
should answer before the international community,” the president said.

TURKEY NOT “ASHAMED” OF PAST TREATMENT OF ARMENIANS – FOREIGN MINISTER
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
15 Mar 06
Istanbul, 15 March: “Turkey is at peace with its past. There is no page
in our history that we will be ashamed of,” Turkish Foreign Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday [15 March].
Sending a message to the opening of an international conference on “New
Approaches to Turkish-Armenian Relations” at the Istanbul University,
Gul said many conferences and symposiums were held in Turkey recently
on baseless Armenian allegations.
“There has been an increase in number of scientific researches,
articles and books published about the last period of the Ottoman
Empire and the Armenian issue. Thanks to the studies in question,
we have the opportunity to see the facts and to make the voice of
the truth heard against the biased publications by the Armenians of
the diaspora.”
“Furthermore, we bequeath detailed data to next generations about a
period of Turkish history. I would like to emphasize that the number
of impartial publications in the United States and Europe towards
this issue increases. Serious steps are being taken to make public
the facts,” the message said.
Gul reiterated that archives of the Ottoman and Republican period
were open to all researchers.
Gul urged that not only Turkish archives but also all the archives
that will shed light to a specific period of history should be
opened to researchers. “Last year we had proposed to the Armenian
government to form a commission to examine controversial episodes of
Turkish-Armenian relations. However, we haven’t yet got a positive
response from the Armenian party,” he indicated.
On the other hand, Istanbul University’s President Prof Dr Mesut
Parlak said: “Genocide is a crime against humanity. Such a heavy
accusation must have a legal basis. The international law defining
genocide was adopted in 1948, and does not cover past incidents.
Therefore, it is impossible and illegal to qualify 1915 incidents
as genocide.”
According to Parlak, the conference aims to reveal historical
realities.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA RECALLED DUE TO STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.03.2006 22:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans is recalled to
Washington, reports the California Courier. John Evans has already
informed the Armenian Government on his withdrawal. His statement
on the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 was the cause
of the recall of the American Ambassador. According to the source,
the US Senate has already approved the candidacy of new Ambassador to
Armenia: incumbent Ambassador to Tajikistan Richard E. Hoagland will
take the office of the Ambassador to Armenia. It should be reminded
that during a meeting with San Francisco Armenian community February
19, 2005 J. Evans said, “recognition of the Armenian Genocide
is important.” “Today I will call it Armenian Genocide,” Evans
stated. US Administration and officials are used to avoiding the term
“genocide”. “No US official ever denied this fact – I believe playing
with words in this case would not suit Americans,” Evans said. “I
believe things should be called their proper names, however US official
policy has not changed yet, as ties with Turkey are available within
the NATO, especially in the military field.” “The Armenian Genocide
was the first genocide in the 20th century. I assure you that we are
going to work well over this problem,” John Evans added.
Later on, when delivering a speech at the US Embassy in Armenia
February 28, 2005, John Evans wished to clarify his statement, made
February 19, reports IA Regnum. “I want to explain the US policy.
The definitions on the tragedy of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey
and future status of Nagorno Karabakh that I assumed during an
unofficial meeting with the US Armenian community can give cause for
misunderstanding.” “In spite I noted that the US policy towards the
Armenian tragedy did not change, I used the word “genocide”, which
reflected my personal point of view – that of John Evans and not a
politician. However, it was inappropriate,” the Ambassador stated.
The US Embassy in Armenia refused from commenting the report to
PanARMENIAN.Net.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress