Author: Emil Lazarian

U.S.DEPT OF STATE
12 Jun 2006
U.S. Plans “Significant” Contribution to New Black Sea Fund
Public-private grant-making trust will promote democracy, regional cooperation

By Vince Crawley
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington — The United States plans to make a substantial
contribution to the Black Sea Trust, a new multimillion-dollar fund
promoting democracy and cooperation among nine countries in southeast
Europe, President Bush’s deputy national security adviser says.

The trust will provide grants to focus on enhancing economic and
security cooperation, crisis management and democracy in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey
and Ukraine.

In remarks at the Black Sea Forum June 5 in Bucharest, Romania,
Deputy National Security Advisor J. D. Crouch said the United States
would participate in and make a significant financial contribution to
the trust in partnership with the German Marshall Fund, the Romanian
government and other donors.

Crouch said the United States is supporting other initiatives such
as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation initiative and the Southeast
European Cooperative Initiative. “We want to hear your ideas on how
to cooperate more effectively to address a broader range of issues,”
Crouch added.

“For centuries, these lands have been a cultural crossroads —
connecting Europe to the Middle East and Central Asia,” Crouch
said. The flow of communication through the region was stifled during
the Cold War, he added, “but today your nations have a new opportunity
to build stronger links with each other — and thereby reclaim your
historic position as a region of connections between East and West.”

The German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States announced
the creation of the trust on June 5 during the Black Sea Forum in
Bucharest, Romania. The GMF said it anticipates launching operations
of the Black Sea Trust in the fall, with initial contributions
of more than $20 million, climbing to more than $40 million as the
trust matures. Contributors include the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Romanian
government and other private and public donors from the United States
and Europe.

The trust is expected to provide grants to local organizations —
including civic groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
local and regional governments, educational institutions and media,
according to a news release by the German Marshall Fund. Grants will
be awarded for civic-participation programs as well as projects that
promote cross-border cooperation in the region.

“Approximately $2 million in rolling grants will be given out each
year,” said the GMF, which will staff the trust. “Individual grants
would range from $1,000 to $75,000 with an average size around $15,000
or $20,000, and will be approved monthly by a grant-making committee
that will include GMF representatives and one representative from
each of the donors to the Trust.”

The German Marshall Fund is also in negotiations with the Romanian
government to base the trust’s operations in Bucharest. (See related
article.) The U.S. State Department recently signed agreements with
Bulgaria and Romania to share military bases near the Black Sea
coast. (See related article.) The GMF, USAID, and the Mott Foundation
previously joined forces in 2003 to create the Balkan Trust for
Democracy, a $30 million fund that has given out millions in grant
money toward promoting regional cooperation and reconciliation,
civil society development, and democracy-building ideas and
institutions throughout the Balkans. The Balkan Trust for Democracy
“has successfully grown and added new partners after its founding,
a process the Black Sea Trust will emulate,” the GMF said. (See
related article.) In March, the German Marshall Fund co-sponsored a
conference aimed at promoting cross-border cooperation, particularly
in disaster response planning, and some of the same countries attended
that were represented at the Black Sea Forum. (See related article.)
The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has posted the full text of Crouch’s
remarks on its Web site. The Black Sea Trust press release is posted
on the Web site of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

The Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI) is a law
enforcement consortium that allows authorities to share intelligence
and coordinate activities in the pursuit of criminals across
jurisdictional lines.

Information on SECI’s work against human trafficking is available in
a USINFO Electronic Journal article “European Alliance Combats Human
Trafficking” and the Web site of the SECI Center in Bucharest.

Additional information is available on the Web site of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation, to which the United States was recently granted
observer status.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HRANT DINK TO VISIT KRASNODAR REGION IN SEPTEMBER

ArmRadio.am
14.06.2006 18:05

In September 2006 Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the Ankara based
Armenian Agos newspaper will visit the Krasnodar region of Russia. As
reported by the Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians of Russia,
Dink’s visit is private, however he is expected to hold meetings with
the representatives of the local Armenian Diaspora.

As it was reported earlier, the Turkish court of first instance
sentenced the editor-in-chief to 6 months of imprisonment for
"outrage of Turkish national dignity" in February 2006, since in one
of his articles he wrote that " Turks’ hostility poisons the blood of
Armenians." At that time the judges decreed that the journalist called
Turkish blood poisonous. However the Court of Appeal concluded that the
accusation against Dink was brought through misunderstanding. Recently
the General Prosecutor’s Office of Turkey fully acquitted Hrant Dink.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DISCUSS URGENT ISSUES ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND NATURE MANAGEMENT

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 14 2006

YEREVAN, June 14. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian and
Minister of Environmental Protection Vardan Aivazyan discussed the
urgent issues on environmental protection and nature management. The
press service of the Armenian president reported that the discussion
covered the issues of the level of Sevan Lake, management of deposits
and protection of national parks.

According to Aivazyan, the rise of water level of Sevan Lake today
totals 2.38 meters. At the same time, he informed the president of
the ongoing cleaning works along the lakeside.

Kocharian assigned him to arrange the work on approving nature
management payments and detecting their hidden amounts, and also
ensure transparency of tenders for rights for geological exploration
and toughen control over these processes.

They also discussed a concept on inculcation of mechanisms of
ecotourism in Sevan National Park, Dilijan and Khosrov Park.

The Armenian president and the minister also touched upon the issues
related to air pollution, control over forests, and biodiversity.

IRAN TO START GAS SUPPLY TO ARMENIA

United Press International
June 14 2006

TEHRAN, June 14 (UPI) — Iran will begin supplying natural gas to
Armenia starting in 2007, Iranian Deputy Ambassador to Armenia Ali
Akbar Jowkar said Tuesday.

"Iran has committed itself to providing Armenia with gas and will do
so," Arminfo quoted Jowkar as saying at a news conference.

An agreement between Iran and Armenia was signed earlier this year
to allow for natural gas supply.

The two countries have been working to complete the construction of
the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline that will be put into operation later
this year. The agreement, according to Jowkar, has not undergone
any changes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LOCALS INTERESTED INTO ANYTHING BUT POLITICS SUCH AS ANDRE’S SUCCESS IN EUROVISION
Fotis Konstantopoulos reporting from Athens (Greece)

oikotimes.org, Greece
June 14 2006

source: Armenian News Network – photo: oikotimes resources

If you think that the Armenians worry about the NA chairman’s
resignation, the current failure of Karabakh negotiations in Bucharest
or Dollar inflation, you are mistaken. Anyway, according to the APR
Group phone polling /from 7-9 of June among 652 Yerevan citizens/
our citizens aren’t interested in it. The sociologists have asked the
citizens to mention the most important events of last period and 37%
of them first of all mentioned the victory of Armenian chess players
in the Chess Olympiad in Turin, 24,8% mentioned the crash of A320
airbus, 22,9% mentioned Andre’s success in Eurovision.

The above-mentioned political events have gathered less than 5 %. And
even the violence used against Armenians in Russia are in the first
place for 5,4%. I wouldn’t hurry to accuse people of being "heartless"
or "lumpened".

Maybe the reason is that people became sure during 15 years that
they don’t have any lever for having influence on the policy and
being interested in a thing which has no connection with you, isn’t
reasonable at least. By the way mentioning the reason of considering
important the chess players and Andre 54,8% and 19, 5% of citizens
said that it was the proud and honor of the Armenian nation. It is
also important that 92,5% of citizens who consider important Andre
belong to feminine gentle. We asked APR Group tube interested what
Yerevan citizens think of violence used against Armenians in Russia.

First of all we should mention that 35% wasn’ t informed about it or
wasn’t engaged in that problem. And the opinions of the reasons of that
violence were different. 27,8% citizens think that it is a policy which
Russia carries out, 19,8% is sure that those are accidental cases, 16%
refer it to Russian chauvinism and 15,1% think that it is a slander
addressed by other countries against Armenian-Russian relations.

Some citizens being very sorry for those incidents anyway suppose
that it will help repatriation and some part of the eldest generation
remembered that they had met Russian chauvinism since the Soviet
period. And indeed, I myself living first 30 years of my life in Soviet
"international" period heard " Armyashka" word at that time.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAN: PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD TELLS WORLD CUP TEAM: ‘BRING GLORY TO THE NATION’

Monday Morning, Lebanon
June 12 2006

The Iranian team arrived at their World Cup base at Friedrichshafen,
Germany, under instructions from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to
"bring glory" to their country.

Iranian football supporters braved the rain to welcome their national
side amid expectations of protests about Teheran’s policies.

The German authorities have promised strong police protection for
the Iranian team.

The team were surrounded by children asking for autographs as they
made their way through the terminal before leaving by bus for a luxury
hotel in Schnetzenhausen, a small town northwest of Friedrichsafen
on the shores of Lake Constance, in South Germany.

They had left Teheran optimistic they could create a surprise at the
World Cup, where they were drawn in Group D against Angola, Mexico
and Portugal.

Team Captain Ali Daie said the controversy surrounding the Iranian
president, who has called for Israel to be wiped off the map and
has repeatedly denied the Holocaust, had only served to spur on the
squad. The Iranian team contains one surprise — Andranik Teymourian,
an Armenian and the only Christian in the side.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FUNDRAISER FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Reuters AlertNet, UK
June 14 2006

Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)

Essential operations give children a chance to live a healthier
and happier life World Vision MEERO,
‘Giving your whole heart to the whole world’ was the slogan of a
fundraising reception for essential surgery of children with special
needs hosted by World Vision Armenia’s Child Protection Programmes
(CPP), in the Armenian capital Yerevan last month.

During the event special catalogues with photos and data of eight
children needing urgent medical intervention were distributed among
the guests. Participants also watched a video depicting past problems
and the new life of children who have undergone surgery with World
Vision support.

‘I am a musician and my only dream was to learn music professionally
and perform on the stage. But with my heavy limb I was ashamed to
socialize even with neighbors. Now I can walk properly, I gained
self-confident, and I attend musical school. Now I WILL go on stage’,
says Edik Manucharyan, 16 in the video.

The reception brought together members of the National Assembly,
representatives of charity organizations, NGOs, the Armenian Apostolic
Church and the private sector.

‘Helping children in need is a very noble cause, and I am grateful
to World Vision for bringing us all together to help children with
special needs’, said in her speech Chairwoman of the Association of
Diplomats’ Wives Nani Oskanian.

Kind participation of donors will help to provide for the surgery of
two of these children. All participants of the reception are provided
with details of World Vision’s bank account for transfers.

‘We are trying to encourage and promote the tradition of practicing
good will towards children who need it most. There are so many children
that need help, and events like this allow more to be assisted than
would otherwise be possible’, explains World Vision representative
Marina Hovhannisyan.

Often in Armenia children with special needs, especially with
visible facial and orthopedic disorders, suffer discrimination and
harassment. Many of them end up in special institutions deprived of
parental care. They have no future and no hope.

‘To assist such children, World Vision started its project in 2002
with funding from the UK and Germany, providing essential surgery
to nine children with severe facial disfiguration and orthopedic
disorders. Several other children received surgery with funds raised
through performances played at the National Puppet Theatre and
the National Academic Theatre. After the surgery and post-surgical
treatment these children were able to attend public school and live
a healthy life.

World Vision plans to continue initiation of such fundraising actions,
which will create financial means for continuing to provide surgery
to children, and at the same time, will promote public awareness and
participation in helping children with special needs.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

13-06-2006

Minister Oskanian Departs on Official Visits

On June 13, Minister Oskanian will depart for Paris to meet his Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will be
present at the meeting.

On June 14, the Minister will leave for Brussels to participate, together
with Serj Sarkissian, Defense Minister of Armenia, in the North Atlantic
Council – Armenia meeting (26+1 format). During the meeting, they will
discuss the implementation process of the NATO Individual Partnership Action
Plan (IPAP) with Armenia based on the interim assessment as of May 18 and
19, 2006, by the NATO International Staff.

On June 19, the Minister’s visit is scheduled to Kiev, where he will meet
with the President and Foreign Minister of Ukraine.

On June 20 and 21, he will be in Geneva to attend the opening meeting of the
Human Rights Council of the United Nations.

On June 27 – 28, Minister Oskanian will pay an official visit to Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA IS WORLD LEADER IN SPHERE OF SEISMIC ISOLATION OF BUILDINGS

Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. Armenia is the world leader in the sphere
of seismic isolation of buildings. Mikael Melkoumian, head of the
Armenian Association of the Quake Proof Construction, said this.

He said that at present Armenia is the first and the only country in
the world, where seismic isolators were installed to the buildings
without the dwellers’ preliminarily moving. He stated that 60-70
complete sets of seismic isolators are required for enforcement of a
9 storied building. A complete set of seismic isolators costs about
$550-$700. The application of these technologies help considerably
strengthen the buildings without troubling the dwellers. Melkoumian
stated that the application of the new method elaborated by the
Armenian specialists requires twice less sources, as no construction
materials are needed and the dwellers do not have to move to temporary
dwelling places.

It’s worth mentioning that Melkoumian is the author of the new
seismic isolators.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INDIAN STUDENT GETS KNIFE WOUND IN YEREVAN

Yerevan, June 13. ArmInfo. A student from India was wounded with a
knife in Yerevan. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia reports
Rakesh Kumar Suma (born in 1981,) a student of the Yerevan State
Medical University, was taken to hospital late night on 8 June.

Investigators found out that an unknown wounded the Indian student
with a knife the same day approximately at 22:20pm in the area of
“Youth” underground station. A criminal case has been initiated on the
Article 113.1 of the RA Criminal Code. The investigation is underway.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress