Author: Emil Lazarian

AZERI, RUSSIAN MEDIA EXTEND COOPERATION
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 22 2006
Azeri, Russian media intend to extend cooperation in providing more
unbiased information to the public of both the countries, Trend
reports quoting organizers of the first joint Azeri-Russian media
project Russia Today, special appendix to Baku Worker.
The project is implemented by Russian Fund “Caucasian Democracy
Institute”. The Fund Director Valery Turtsunov said The Fund’s
objectives include strengthening friendly relations between the two
countries and nations, a well as providing more correct information
n Russian realities and preserving Russian language. He highly
appraised Azeri government’s work on preservation and development
of Russian language in the country, where no Russian school was
closed to date. The Fund also aims at working practice and exchange
of journalists, as well as work with youth. Said activities will be
carried out with support of the RF President Administration.
Within the event, participants were introduced two new books,
“Azerbaijanis of Georgia” and “Karabakh conflict: Azeri view”,
compiled by Regnum news agency of Russia. These books include materials
on Karabakh conflict, official documents revealing Azeri-Armenian
relations through the XX century.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OUR SLAVES, OUR SELVES
by Bruce Schimmel
Philadelphia citypaper.net, PA
June 22 2006
Here’s a cheery thought for the upcoming Fourth: Our freedom was
founded on cruelty, genocide and slavery. But you know this already.
Most of our ancestors fled from oppression. Billy Penn, ever the
crafty land developer, may have promoted Philadelphia as a holy Eden.
But almost all who risked the voyage came here to escape a hell
on earth.
That inalienable human rights will conquer man’s inhumanity makes a
fine tale for many Americans. But for those whose ancestors didn’t flee
from genocide, and instead were dragged into it, that story rings sour.
For many, our nation’s apple pie tale is rotten at the core. That’s
because the story of African-American slavery has been cut off from
the mainstream narrative, said historian Howard Dodson to an audience
of several hundred recently at the Convention Center. Dodson heads
the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York
Public Library.
On the agenda was how best to reveal the hidden story of the slaves who
lived on Independence Mall. In the nation’s first executive mansion,
nine slaves served under their master, George Washington.
For decades, Dodson said that black history found no place in the
textbooks that honed children’s civic pride. And neither did the tale
of the president’s slaves find a place on Independence Mall. That’s
about to change.
That George Washington kept slaves in Virginia has never been denied.
But about 30 years ago, it was discovered that as president, he also
kept slaves in Philadelphia. So the National Park Service did what’s
generally done with ugly stuff. They buried it.
In 1997, independent historian Ed Lawler rediscovered the slaves’
story, and that they were locked in nightly in a bunkhouse near the
executive mansion. To keep slaves in a free state, Washington even
exploited a loophole, by periodically swapping his Philadelphia slaves
with those in Virginia. And when some slaves did manage to escape,
Washington re-lentlessly hunted them down.
Still, the Park Service denied the truth. Three years ago, they added
insult to ignorance by building part of a new pavilion for the Liberty
Bell right over where slaves slept.
Last year, though, Lawler’s protests paid off. Mayor John Street
found some city funds and essentially hijacked the project from the
Park Service. The mayor declared that the President’s House would be
complete by the end of his term, and amazingly, it looks likely.
The mayor’s office held a competition, and recently chose six teams
to design a monument to express some key themes:
To show how slavery was integral to the founding of America, and the
impact of slavery on its wealth.
To weave the personal tales of Washington’s slaves into the larger
fabric of the nation’s history.
And, most remarkably, to reveal how the story of Washington’s slaves
remained lost for centuries-which will include the Park Service’s
recent efforts to bury the truth.
A wondrous thing will soon be seen on Independence Mall: The federal
government will confess how it systematically lied to us.
How this will finally come together is still in play. All are invited
to comment at
It’s time to hear the whole story. I know the anger of a tale that’s
not told. As an Armenian whose people were exterminated in the 20th
century’s first holocaust I live with that outrage, because the Turkish
government still denies the slaughter. But as a Jew, I also know that
Germany’s diligent truth-telling has healed many wounds. As I said
recently to a friend who was born in Germany, that debt (at least
for me) is just about paid-even as it’s recorded forever.
The descendants of American slavery also deserve a place to have
their tale heard. A prominent and permanent place. We all deserve it.
Because ultimately this story is America’s story: for the tales of
our slaves is also part of our selves.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LAVROV PRESSES OSCE CHIEF ON REFORMS
Sergei Grits / AP
The Moscow Times, Russia
June 22, 2006
Lavrov, right, welcoming de Brichambaut during their meeting Wednesday.
Reform of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
topped the agenda at Wednesday’s meeting between Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov and OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.
Russia says the multinational group, and especially its Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights must stop applying
a double standard when it comes to monitoring elections in former
Soviet republics.
Most recently, Russia has opposed OSCE election-monitoring in Belarus,
where President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in March to a
third term and OSCE monitors declared the election rigged.
“OSCE member-states understand the need for reform,” Foreign Ministry
spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said Wednesday, Itar-Tass reported.
OSCE spokesman Martin Nesirsky responded that the ODIHR “applies the
same standards whenever it is invited to monitor.”
The Foreign Ministry wants the OSCE to adopt a code of regulations,
give more power to the secretary general and make the financing of
its projects more transparent.
Russia has slashed its annual contribution to the 55-member group to
$7.5 million from $11.4 million and has threatened to cut it further.
The United States has accused Russia of trying to block the OSCE’s
democracy-building projects.
During their meeting, Lavrov and de Brichambaut also discussed the
ongoing conflicts in Transdnestr and Nagorno-Karabakh. Lavrov said
Russia wanted “to continue the dialogue to increase the efficiency”
of the organization.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A NUMBER OF ARMENTEL’S EMPLOYEES ACCUSED OF FRAUD
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo. Seven employees of the telecommunication
operator of Armenia – ArmenTel company, are accused of fraud,
misappropriation of funds and abuse of position.
The Public Television of Armenia reports as a result of fraud, the
damage totaled 104 million AMD (about $242,000), including the state
budget received less than 53 million. In the course of preliminary
investigation, the accused employees compensated the damaged caused
to the country, and 7 million AMD to ArmenTel.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARTY OPPONENTS ARGUE ABOUT FATE OF USD RATE IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo.Devaluation of USD rate in Armenia is more
conditioned by paradoxes, than by economic laws. Tatoul Manaseryan,
member of “Justice” faction, said this at “Hayeli” club today.
He said that in the theory of economics there are 4 basic factors
that may have impact on consolidation of the national currency.
Firstly, this is the growth of economy, but in this case Armenia
should have at least 30% of the economic growth for devaluation.
Secondly, devaluation is caused by the fluctuation of the main
world currencies, which, in the case of Armenia, can’t have such
a big impact, either. The third factor is the state of the payment
balance of the country. Manaseryan said that we have nothing to boast
about, as the export tempo experiences slowdown. He added that the
payment balance of Armenia is negative, and Armenia mostly exports USD
(about $3 billion). The fourth factor is a subjective one. Manaseryan
supposed that there are forces that get inside information and make
super profits, holding monopoly positions in the markets. Besides,
the super profits they get are connected to the shadow economy that
makes about 80%.
At the same time, MP representing the Republican Party of Armenia,
economist Gagik Melikyan said the euro-dollar fluctuation in the
international market is in conformity with the revaluation level
of the Armenian dram. Nevertheless, he believes that one should not
neglect the season factor used by certain financial organization who
speculate on sharp drop of the exchange rate. The last dollar sag
was connected with the “last phone call,” Melikyan said. However, T.
Manaseryan disagreed with him. He called paradoxical that prices,
including for imported goods, are growing in the country despite
the strengthening of the Armenian dram. If it is connected with the
rate of US dollar, the rise of prices is tangible enough. He said
all this paradox is connected with the high black economy and its
monopolization.
Nevertheless, G. Melikyan said, one should not neglect either the
high economic growth or the US policy on devaluation of the US dollar
or the large-scale private transfers to Armenia. In such conditions,
the Central Bank can maintain the foreign exchange rate only through
dram interventions into the market, which will lead to inflation. T.
Manaseryan does not see any way out of the situation though
intervention into the market either. The only way out is to peg the
Armenian dram to the “basket of world prices” for key products in order
not to depend on the dollar or euro, he said. This way is successfully
applied in a number of states. He underlined a circumstance that
Armenia still lacks an exact program of economic development, its
structures, priorities. However, his political rival disagreed with
him again.

PACE AD HOC COMMISSION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO VISIT THE REGION IN THE FALL
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 18:15
The Armenian delegation should be ready that Azerbaijan may make
unexpected statements at the PACE Summer Session, Armenian Speaker
Tigran Torosyan stated at a news conference in Yerevan. In his words,
Azerbaijan tries to attract attention of PACE delegates to invented
facts regarding Armenia, when Azerbaijan’s mandate is discussed.
Torosyan reported that October 15-16 the PACE Monitoring Commission
will meet in Armenia. “We received the consent of the Commission. It
is now PACE Bureau’s turn to approve the trip. We should, in our turn,
clearly determine our tasks at the session,” Torosyan underlined. He
added that PACE Ad Hoc Commission on Nagorno-Karabakh will visit the
region in autumn and the PACE Bureau’s decision is already available.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WILL MONUMENT TO HEYDAR ALIYEV BE SET IN MOSCOW?
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 13:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The monument to Heydar Aliyev, that was to be opened
in a square next to Baku cinema, will not be erected soon. In the
words of Advisor for Cultural Affairs of the Azeri Embassy in Moscow
Nigyar Akhundova, there are some problems. “Only our Ambassador has
information on whether the monument will be set there or not, but he
is in Baku now and it cannot be cleared out,” she said.
If the monument is not to be set at the location provided before,
what should be done with the pedestal? Meanwhile, June 22 an
authorized protest action was held next to Aeroport metro station
against erection of the monument to former Azeri President, writes
the Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA JOINED UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.06.2006 16:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia has jointed the UN Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. As
reported by Head of the Department for Information and Public Relations
of the Ombudsman Grisha Grigoryan, this was possible after Armenian
Parliament ratified the Facultative Protocol of the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
In Grigoryan’s words, by that provision Armenia joins the Convention
participant states, thus agreeing with all its provisions. The
facultative Protocol of the UN Convention against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was adopted on
18th of December 2002 and will come into effect on June 22, 2006.
According to article 17 of the Convention, each of the participant
states binds itself to form an independent body to prevent domestic
torture in a year since its entry into force. Mechanism to prevent
torture should be applied in all venues of imprisonment, as well as
psychiatric clinics without any hindrances, reports Novosti-Armenia.

YEREVAN AUTHORITIES INTEND TO EVICT RESIDENTS OF FIRDOUSI STREET
Yerevan, June 20. ArmInfo. Yerevan authorities intend to evict the
residents of Firdusi street occupying a territory of 5 ha.
RFE/RL reports, an area of 282 sq/m of the street was transferred
to Hotel Yerevan, anther 50,000 sq/m to the English company City
Center Development.
To note, yesterday, “guided with the state needs and the mediation of
Yerevan mayor,” the Armenian Government resolved to transfer the area
to the above companies for further development. The local residents are
offered $120 per sq/m of premises. However, the residents demand more
compensation to leave their homes. The municipality plans completing
the construction of the area by 2010. The Government’s decision must
be ratified by the President. To note, earlier the authorities evicted
the residents of the street where currently the Northern Avenue is
built and from Byuzand street against their will.
Earlier, the Constitutional Court recognized the rights of these
residents infringed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMEN HOVNANIAN DIES AT 76
AZG Armenian Daily
22/06/2006
On June 2, pharmacist Armen Hovnanian from Farmington Hills, Detroit,
died at the William Beaumont Hospital at 76.
Born in Akron, Ohio, Hovnanian moved to Detroit with his family
while still a child. While working at a drug store as 13-year-old
boy, he firmly decided to become a pharmacist. After graduating high
school in 1947, he attended the Detroit Institute of Technology and
graduated in 1951 with a pharmacy degree. He used that knowledge to
become a leader in one of Michigan’s largest drugstore chains during
the 1970s. He was promoted to executive vice president of the company
in 1971 and was responsible for sales. He helped the store develop
the concept of a one-stop drugstore, which sold pharmacy items along
with other merchandise.
Armen Hovnanian served in the US Army during the World War II for two
years as a lab technician. He loved classical music and was a Detroit
Tigers baseball fan, the Armenian Mirror Spectator weekly reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress