Author: Emil Lazarian

Armenpress
ARMENIA TO TAKE PART IN PfP MILITARY GAMES

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: A group of Armenian
officers have gone to Tbilisi, the capital of
neighboring Georgia, to participate in a four-day
planning conference for military games that will be
held from May 12 to May 25 in Bosnia-Herzegovina and
Germany within the frameworks of NATO-sponsored
Partnership for Peace program.
Seyran Shahsuvarian, a spokesman for Armenian
defense ministry, said the Armenian delegation in
Tbilisi is composed of three officers. He confirmed
that an Armenian contingent will fly to
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Germany to participate in the
games codenamed as Cooperative Effort. About 237
officers from 42 countries are participating in the
Tbilisi conference. The military games will center n
improvement of joint use of communication and
information systems.
Partnership for Peace program has been effective
since 1994. Armenia is an active participant of the
program.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #052, 23/03/2006

People
MEETING WITH MIKHAIL PIATROVSKY
Our newspaper has already informed that The Caucasian Democracy
Institute invited Mikhail Piatrovsky, director of the Hermitage
Museum, to pay a visit to Armenia. Piatrovsky was born in Yerevan. His
parents were outstanding Soviet scientists and archeologists Hripsime
Janpoladian, and Boris Piatrovsky. Mikhail Piatrovsky is a specialist
of Eastern Philology, particularly, Arabian Literature. He
participated in many scientific archeological expeditions. Since 1991,
Mr. Piatrovsky is appointed the director of Hermitage Museum.
Piatrovsky is a member of RF Academy of Science, professor at
St. Petersburg State University, member of Russian Committee of
UNESCO, as well as member of the International Union of Museums.
Mr. Piatrovsky represented the current state of Hermitage Museum,
touched upon its exhibitions, the restoration works at yesterday’s
press conference in Yerevan. He also spoke the cooperation plans with
the Armenian museums. Mr. Piatrovsky emphasized the importance of
culture for development of human kind. Naturally, he spoke of the
collection of the Armenian exponents that are held in Hermitage that
amount to 500-1000 samples. He said that they proudly represent the
Urartu culture to the world.
By Melanya Badalian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
OSCE PA Preparing Resolution on Nagorno Karabakh
22.03.2006 22:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A resolution on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement will
be adopted at the OSCE PA Summer Session, Armenian National Assembly
Vice-speaker, head of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE PA Vahan
Hovhannisian stated. In his words, OSCE PA rapporteur on Nagorno
Karabakh Goran Lennmarker will pay a visit to Azerbaijan in April to
get acquainted with the members of the Azeri delegation to the OSCE PA
and hand them the proposal of the Armenian party on formation of a
joint committee within the OSCE.
In Hovhanissian’s opinion, the formation of a committee on the
parliamentary level will render an opportunity to coordinate the works
with the rapporteur, exchange information and thus promote the
efficiency of the OSCE Minsk Group. The RA NA Vice-speaker reminded
that Lennmarker’s report was submitted in 2005, but the resolution was
no adopted since the Assembly rejected the project presented by
Azerbaijan. A new draft resolution will be elaborated till summer.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Did Much to Solve Karabakh Issue and Expects Corresponding
Steps from Baku
23.03.2006 18:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ After the Istanbul meeting on March 20 co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group have not informed on their coming steps yet,
Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian said yesterday. In his words, there are
two possible options – either the co-chairs will visit the region
themselves, or they will organize a meeting of the FMs of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The Armenian Minister also added that Armenia has done
much on its part to promote peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict and now expects corresponding steps from
Baku. Oskanian remarked that Opportunities to solve Karabakh conflict
reduced in 2006 a bit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
Mesrob Mutafyan: Hrant Dink Tries to Compromise
Armenian Community of Turkey

23.03.2006 20:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ I supported and I will support any
step of the Armenian and Turkish governments, aimed at
normalizing relations, Constantinople Patriarch Mesrob
Mutafyan stated in an interview with the Hurriyet. He
called the conference at Istanbul University, where
Turkey’s official and unofficial stances over the
Armenian Genocide can be voiced, very important.
Touching upon Agos newspaper editor Hrant Dink’s
article, in which the latter accuses the Patriarch in
efforts to subordinate the Armenian community,
Mutafyan said, «Hrant Dink compared me with a member
of a sect, who blindly attaches community members to
himself. He tries to compromise the community and me.
Of course, I will work to unite the community based on
the Bible. It is normal,» Istanbul-based Marmara
newspaper reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Today is the professional day of meteorologists
ArmRadio
23.03.2006 15:20
This year the professional day of meteorologists is celebrated under
the `Alleviation of the results of natural disasters and danger
prevention’ slogan. 90 percent of the natural disasters are
conditioned with weather changes.
2005 was full of such disasters. Today the issue of global warming is
in the center of the scientists’ attention. Some scientists predict
that starting from 2030 the opposite process, i.e. global freezing, is
possible.
The meteorological service in Armenia faces a number of problems
ranging from low salaries to training of high-level
specialists. However, the employees of the service hope that these
will be resolved in course of time.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

$300 000 for founding an Armenian radio station in Turkey
ArmRadio
23.03.2006 15:35
This year the Armenian Diaspora of Turkey intends to air radio
programs in Armenian, the Turkish `Zaman’ notes according to `Regnum’
Agency.
According to the editor-in-chief of the Armenian `Agos’ newspaper
Hrant Dink, the Armenian Diaspora has already collected $300 000 for
that purpose.
`The Armenian Diaspora has its schools and newspapers. Currently we
are trying to found an Armenian radio in the country. A corresponding
application has been already sent to the Chief Council of Radio and
Television of Turkey,’ Hrant Dink noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Row over US ambassador’s Armenia genocide remark
The Independent – United Kingdom; Mar 23, 2006
Rupert Cornwell in Washington

Protests are growing over the possible recall of the US ambassador in
Armenia after he described the 1915 massacres of Armenians by the
Ottoman Turks as genocide. If he is recalled, it would be seen as
giving in to Turkish pressure.
Officially, John Marshall Evans remains – for the time being at least
– Washington’s man in Erevan. “Ambassador Evans is our ambassador, and
he continues … to exercise that honour and privilege,” a State
Department official said last week.
But that assurance has satisfied neither the ethnic Armenian community
in the US, nor members of Congress from southern California where the
community is centred. Their suspicion is that a successor for Mr Evans
has al ready been lined up, and he will be ordered home. Adam Schiff
and Grace Napolitano, representing districts in the Los Angeles area,
have taken up the matter with the State Department. “I expressed my
opposition to any disciplinary action being taken against the
ambassador for speaking the truth,” Mr Schiff said.
Mr Evans caused a diplomatic sensation in February 2005 when he flatly
called the massacres a genocide, during an appearance at the
University of California at Berkeley. It was “unbecoming of us as
Americans to play word games here,” he declared. “I will today call it
the Armenian genocide.”
By doing so, he became the first US official to use the loaded word in
an Armenian context. Like the Clinton administration before it, the
Bush administration has always referred to the slaughter as a massacre
or a tragedy, but not as a genocide. The circumspection is widely seen
as an effort not to upset Turkey, an important US ally in the Middle
East that shares borders with Iraq and Iran.
The stand-off follows successive efforts by Mr Schiff to introduce a
bill specifically recognising the events of 1915 as an act of genocide
– efforts that have been blocked at the White House’s behest.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT OF CENTRAL BANK ASKS NOT TO WORRY

Lragir/am
23 March 06

It is extremely important to evaluate duly the consequences of the
growing price of gas and to avoid fuss, which gives more trouble to
the Central Bank in sustaining prices in 2006, stated the president of
the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan. According to him, the
peculiarity of estimated inflation is the expected growth of the price
of gas. With regard to this it is extremely important to focus
attention on the environment in Armenia, `that may spur inflation,
sometimes artificially.’
The president of the Central Bank says although the new price has not
been applied yet, already there are expectations and `businesses are
naturally working out their price policy for 2006 and 2007 according
to these estimates, and are already forecasting soaring prices that
will bring about inflation.’ The Central Bank estimated the possible
inflation awaiting the consumer basket under different tariffs. `We
think the concerns are bigger than our estimates. The role of the
National Assembly and the members of parliament is also big, it is
important what they signal to people, what expectations they
instill. By our estimates if the tariffs set by the commission are
applied, by the end of the year the rate of inflation in the consumer
basket will go up by 1 per cent,’ assures Tigran Sargsyan. This
monitoring included the impact of these changes on the prices of
bread, fish, sugar, and other products of the consumer basket.
The president of the Central Bank points out the measures taken by the
government to prevent the fuss. `The co-chair of the Commission for
Russian-Armenian Economic Cooperation stated that the negotiations are
successful, which means that the government will have additional
opportunities to manage all the negative consequences of the increased
price of gas. It will be directed at pushing down the inflation,’
hopes Tigran Sargsyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REAL PICTURE OF UNEMPLOYMENT IS DIFFERENT
Lragir/am
23 March 06

According to the information of the Department of Employment of the Ministry of Social Security of Armenia, about 116 thousand people are currently looking for jobs, 85 thousand of which are unemployed. On March 23 the head of the department Sona Harutiunyan told news reporters that due to the enlargement of social programs more unemployed people wish to get registered and receive benefits.
Sona Harutiunyan says over 70 per cent of the unemployed in Armenia are women, whereas the bulk of the offered employment requires manual workers. Besides, Sona Harutiunyan says the official index of unemployment is not real, since not all the unemployed people are registered. Besides, the representative of the Ministry of Social Security said the rate of unemployment would go extremely high if everyone working abroad returned.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress