Author: Emil Lazarian

ARMS DISCOVERED IN LUSARAT IS ONLY CAUSE FOR CONTINUING ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN’S PERSECUTIONS, MEMBERS OF CONSOLIDATION OF ARMENIAN VOLUNTEERS ARE CONVINCED

Noyan Tapan
Jan 11 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Vahan Aroyan arrested on December
28 2006 in the village of Lusarat is not connected at all with the
Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers public initiative and has never
taken part in the organization’s meetings. Armen Aghayan, temporary
coordinator of the Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers, made such
statement at the January 11 press conference.

In his words, employees of the National Security were well-aware
that "Vano is a great lover of arms and he accumulated the arms and
ammunitions found on December 28 in the years of war." In A.Aghayan’s
words, the whole village, as well as law enforcement bodies knew about
arms kept at V.Aroyan. "National Security Service officials knew that
Vano and Zhirayr Sefilian were friends and used this circumstance for
confirming absurd accusations ascribed to Zhirayr by means of Vano’s
arms," A.Aghayan said.

He also emphasized that though Aroyan, his arms and his being
acquainted with Z.Sefilian were used by the Security Service against
Sefilian, the Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers almost excludes
that Aroyan is a Security Service agent and deliberately contributes
to prolonging Sefilian’s arrest. "Vano’s arms mean nothing and are
only a cause for continuing the persecutions," A.Aghayan concluded.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GALUST SAHAKIAN: THERE WILL BE NO "POTATO REVOLUTION" IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Jan 11 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Thanks to a number of political
forces, in spite of some rumors about tension expected in the country,
the year 2006 proved to be stable." Galust Sahakian, the leader of
the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) parliamentary faction, declared
at the January 11 press conference.

In his words, the end of the past year was characterized by active
preparation of political forces for parliamentary elections. G.Sahakian
said that a new and very serious political season is being prepared
at present. Most probably, this season will start in February. He
expressed the hope that the political forces will reach an agreement
on rules of civilized struggle, otherwise the preelection race will
turn into "mutual discrediting."

In response to the question about giving potato to population by the
Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party, the parliamentary
majority leader said that the situation in the country is so that
the people is rather concentrated on social problems. Meanwhile, he
declared: "True, "rose revolution" took place in Georgia, but there
will be no "potato revolution" in Armenia."

As regards the fact, whether the Republican Party and other parties
give potato and other necessary products, G.Sahakian said: "Everybody
gives potatoes as much as possible. As for RPA, being in power we
bear the burden of building a mighty state."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR AUTHORITIES READY TO PASS THE SOLDIER WHO CROSSED BORDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.01.2007 17:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
are ready to pass to the Azerbaijani party serviceman of Azerbaijan’s
army Eldaniz Beyali oghly Nuriev born in 1979, says the statement
of NKR State Commission on Issues of Prisoners of War and Missing
People. Soldier E.Nuriev passed to the Karabakh side at night of
December 31, 2006, in the Fizouli direction of the Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijani armed forces contact-line and was detained by servicemen
of the NKR Defense Army.

The NKR State Commission on Issues of Prisoners of War and Missing
People turned to the Office of the International Committee of Red Cross
accredited in Nagorno Karabakh with a request to render assistance in
passing E.Nuriev to the Azerbaijani party. The ICRC representatives
were granted free access to E.Nuriev and they regularly visited him
during the Azerbaijani serviceman’s stay in Nagorno Karabakh.

WHITE HOUSE RESUBMITS CONTORVERSIAL NOMINATION FOR AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

International Herald Tribune, France
The Associated Press
Jan 9 2007

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush on Tuesday re-nominated as
ambassador to Armenia a career diplomat whose confirmation was blocked
by Senate Democrats in the last Congress.

The White House announced the submission of Richard Hoagland Tuesday,
despite calls by top Democrats to withdraw the nomination because of
his refusal to call the World War I-era killings of Armenians genocide.

Hoagland’s predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty
cut short because, in a social setting, he referred to the killings
as genocide.

Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat, blocked the nomination after
Hoagland’s refusal to use the word genocide at his confirmation
hearing in June. Bush needed to resubmit the nomination, because it
effectively expired at the end of the previous Congress in December.

Menendez and the Senate’s top Democrat, Harry Reid, wrote a letter
to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in early December asking
the Bush administration to withdraw the nomination.

The Bush administration has warned that even congressional debate on
the genocide question could damage relations with Turkey, a moderate
Muslim nation that is a NATO member and an important strategic ally.

Turkey has adamantly denied claims by scholars that its predecessor
Ottoman state killed Armenians in a planned genocide.

ADAM SCHIFF IS GOING TO INTRODUCE A BILL ON RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.01.2007 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In near future Congressman Adam Schiff is going to
introduce a bill, which recognizes the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Empire. "As a state we ought to recognize the Armenian Genocide,
and soon I’ll introduce a bill in the House of Representatives on
that issue, which will reflect the position of Congress. I hope that
in case of new Congress leadership finally we well be able adopt it,"
Adam Schiff stated. He also supposed that ‘it is the best opportunity
to adopt a resolution on the Armenian Genocide in the past 10 years.

The Turkish Daily News reports that the Armenian organizations in
the Unites States have already declared that they are going to reach
an adoption of resolution till April 24-the Remembrance Day of the
victims of Armenian Genocide. The Turkish newspaper mentions that
during George Bush 6-year presidency the White House administration
has always impeded the discussions on the resolution of the Armenian
Genocide in the House of Representatives. The Democratic Party’s
victory in November held elections increases the possibility of
recognizing the Armenian Genocide by the Congress, RFE/RL reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY CATEGORICALLY AGAINST SELLING ARMS TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.01.2007 17:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic roughly
criticized the deal to sell armaments to Armenia. In his words,
the steps taken by President Tadic, are contrary to Prime Minister
Voislav Kostunica’s opinion." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not
issue permits for the exportation of arms; rather, that is the job
of the Serbian government. We only provide a political opinion, and
that opinion has not changed from the outset. We have long declared
that the OSCE has imposed an arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan
because of the conflict in Nagornyy-Karabakh and that there is an
instructive Resolution 8153 by the UN Security Council that requires
all countries to refrain from supplying "any arms or ammunition to
Armenia or Azerbaijan." underlined Draskovic.

Then there is the decision by the US Government to discontinue business
with countries that violate arms embargoes. Since the Kragujevac arms
manufacturers earn more than 20m dollars a year from exporting arms to
the United States, there is a big risk of losing 22m dollars because of
that 2m dollars deal with Armenia, but from the outset I have thought
that the state should compensate the arms manufacturers. They will
if the government decides they can, because that it entirely under
their purview. If that is what the government decides after this, in
my opinion, irresponsible and private diplomacy by President Tadic,
then our state is obliged to report that exporting of arms to the
OSCE and the United Nations and explain to them why the embargo and
the UN instructive resolution were violated, reports Vecernje Novosti
in Belgrade.

It is worth mentioning that official in Armenia do not confirm Arms
deal with Serbia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FPWC
Foundation for the Presevation of Wildlife and Culture
Nr. 5, Byron Street
Yerevan
Republic of Armenia
375009
Tel: 00374 10 529340
Fax: 00374 10 564484

Eva Martirosyan
Press Coordinator
Tel: (+374 10) 529340
Mob: (+374 93) 206248

>From April 1 to 15 in Dilijan, Armenia, the First Regional Environmental
Festival Sun Child will take place. The festival is organized by the
Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in the
Republic of Armenia (FPWC) and Sun Child NGO.

In the framework of the festival, besides competitive film screenings
and photo exhibitions a number of environmental activities are planned
– tours, tree planting, scavenging. Discussions on such actual problems
as development of eco-tourism in the region, integration of the region
in international environmental communities and exchange of local and
international experience will be held by the experts, leading
ecologists, environmentalists and eco-journalists invited from the
regional countries and all over the world.

Sun Child enjoys the slogan For Children with Children’s Active
Participation. The festival puts a special emphasis on the youth and
children participation as the new generation of the region constitutes
a strong whole able to overstep boundaries and we aim to create a new
field for their dialogues and mutual collaboration.

Our region faces a number of serious ecological problems. The most
urgent issues are depletion of natural resources, mass extinction of
valuable species, pollution of the environment which, among other
evils, endanger human health. The latest statistical data show an
ominous increase of respiratory diseases, especially among the
children.

The situation is alarming and jeopardizes the welfare of the present and
coming generations.
The idea of having a regional festival has arisen due to the fact that
most ecological problems have regional aspect. Nature recognizes no
borders and only friendly cooperation, joint efforts and conscious
struggle will make its conservation possible and eliminate the threat.

Sun Child is another attempt to raise awareness of the existing menace
and an earnest appeal for collaboration.

Call for Entries

Environmental Film Competition includes 2 main sections: Regional
Environmental Film Program and Children Film Program. The Prize Fund
of the Festival contemplates awards for both sections.

The Deadline for application for Regional Environmental Film Program is
15 February, 2007 and for Children Film Program 1 March 2007.

Please find here enclosed the entry forms and regulation of the
festival.
Both can be downloaded on our web-site:

Feel free to contact us for any further information.
We are looking forward to your films. JOIN SUN CHILD!!!

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN 2006 US DIRECT AID TO ARMENIA MADE UP $76 MILLION

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.01.2007 16:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In 2006 US direct aid to Armenia has made up $76
million, to Karabakh-$3 million, as well as observing the parity
of $3.5 million for military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan,
says the RA MFA annual report on Armenia’s foreign activities in 2006.

The document stresses that the main event in the Armenian-American
relations in 2006 became the signing of Millennium Challenges program
on March, according to which Armenia will be granted $236 million
for overcoming poverty and developing its economy. The program is
scheduled for 5 years and is addressed to the population in the
villages and development of agrobusiness. In December the American
government granted the first portion-$1.4 million of the grant.

"During the year American high ranking diplomats visited the Armenia:
Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and
Eurasian Affairs, Mathew Braiza, the State Secretary Assistant of
the US, Ambassador John Danilovich, Representative Jim Kolbe. On
March Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian had meetings with
US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Daniel Fried and Mathew Braiza,
says the report. The document also reminds about the ban on financing
the construction of bypassing Armenia Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku
railway by the Export-Importing bank and the American aid in retraining
the workers of Armenian national security.

"In the sphere of Armenian-American economic cooperation for Armenia
it is important the signing of bilateral treaty on refusing from
bilateral taxation and widening the list of Armenian exporting goods
to the United States," says the RA MFA report.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA IS ONE OF PRIORITIES OF ARMENIAN FOREIGN POLICY

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.01.2007 16:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ One of the priorities of Armenian foreign policy is
the development of military-political, trade-economic and humanitarian
relations with Russia. As says the annual report on Armenian foreign
activities in 2006, during the last year a number of reciprocal visits
of high ranking officials of the two countries were organized. The
conduction of the Year of Armenia in Russia in 2006 in many cases
contributed to the activation of bilateral relations, in the frameworks
of which took place a number of high level visits. During those visits
the Armenian and Russian sides discussed issues over developing
mutually beneficial cooperation in trade-economic, scientific and
technical and humanitarian aspects, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, the regional security and stability providing issues,
cooperation in the sphere of energy.

In Moscow during the 8th session of intergovernmental Russian-Armenian
commission on economic and scientific and technical cooperation
the sides discussed the ways to secure uninterrupted work for the
‘Kavkaz-Poti’ train-ferry, as well as the possibility to launch
‘Novorossisk-Poti’ car-ferry. Armenia, underlining the importance of
the above mentioned car ferry, hopes that in the near future it will
be launched fully and the repair works of Lars check point will be
finished as soon as possible.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA’S REFUSAL FROM DEMANDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE GENOCIDE BY TURKEY WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.01.2007 15:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The issue to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide does
not hinder the establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations, said
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian to a press conference in
Yerevan. In his words, Armenia’s refusal from demands to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide by Turkey will not change anything. "The
main obstacle for normalizing the relations with Turkey and opening
the borders is the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and not the Armenian
Genocide," Oskanian stressed. As to a possible adoption of a resolution
on the Genocide in US Congress, the RA Foreign Minister, responding
to the PanARMENIAN.Net journalist question, stated," Let’s hope,
the time will show."

The foreign minister also stressed that Turkey puts forward a number
of preconditions in front of Armenia, whereas Yerevan is ready for
dialog without preconditions. "Armenia repeatedly offered to discuss
the issue between the states and solve the disagreements. But Turkey
with Azerbaijan continues the policy of isolating Armenia from regional
projects by non-constructive ways. Basically the Armenian-Turkish
relations are restricted with meetings in international organizations
like UNESCO, EU and the like." Oskanian stressed.

He also underlined that Turkey continues to discuss the Armenian
Genocide issue both on political and public levels. "The problem
reached its high point when France adopted the bill of criminal
punishment for denying the Armenian Genocide," Oskanian said. He
also underscored that basically the Armenian-Turkish relations are
of non-governmental character.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress