Author: Emil Lazarian

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 28 2006
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO EARMARK 586.5THND SQUARE METERS OF
YEREVAN AREA FOR EXPANDING GREEN SPACES IN CAPITAL
YEREVAN, April 28. /ARKA/. Armenian Government decided to earmark
586.5thnd square meters of Yerevan area for expanding green spaces in
the capital.
The Government says it was guided by Land Code in making this
decision.
In particular, 435thousand square meters were given to
Malatia-Sebastia district, 12thnd square meters to Erebuni, 19.5thnd
square meters to Arabkir and 120thnd square meters to Nor-Nork.
These areas are to receive special care and special protection. M.V.
-0—
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Watertown TAB & Press, MA
April 28 2006
Commemoration becomes cultural celebration
By Christopher Loh/ Staff Writer
Friday, April 28, 2006 – Updated: 11:19 AM EST
The message was clear last Sunday afternoon at the St. James Armenian
Apostolic Church – the Armenian culture, 91 years after genocide, has
survived and is thriving.

The performances and speakers at the commemoration ceremonies
were simple yet powerful in their message, and an audience of 800
people helped to ring that message forth.

Lalig Musserian, the master of ceremonies, said the commemoration
was to “underscore the survival” of Armenians.

“It’s an affirmation and a commemoration,” said state Rep. Rachel
Kaprielian, D-Watertown, who attended the event. “An affirmation of
the resilience of the culture.”

A representative of church leadership said the commemoration was
to be a positive celebration of the future and of Armenian survival:
“We’re still here, celebrating our culture.”

The culture was well represented through performances by the
Shushi Dance Ensemble of New York City and Sami and Solange
Merdinian, Armenian siblings from Argentina who performed in voice
and violin.

Musserian said the planning for the fourth annual commemoration
started immediately after last year’s event, especially when she saw
the Shushi dancers perform.

“We wanted them last year, but couldn’t book them,” Musserian
said, adding that she booked the ensemble for this year long in
advance.

The 48 members of the group, composed of children, were all
sponsored, room and board, by the church which raised nearly $5,000
for the entire commemoration.

Musserian said the planning for next year’s commemoration is
already in the preliminary stages as she thinks, “What do we do next
year to top this?” especially as the crowds grow significantly each
year.

“We were delighted with the turnout,” Musserian said.

A highlight of this year’s commemoration was the speech of Henry
Morgenthau III, whose grandfather was the United States ambassador to
Turkey during the 1915 genocide.

Morgenthau’s grandfather spoke out against the Turkish acts,
writing the book “Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story.”
Announcing that his grandfather’s book was recently published in
Turkish, Morgenthau said there is a “small straw in the wind that the
climate is changing” regarding denial themes.

Morgenthau spoke of the recently aired documentary “The Armenian
Genocide” on various PBS affiliates throughout the country.

While a controversy over a panel discussion carrying denial
themes to be aired after the documentary infiltrated the country,
Morgenthau called the panel “quite ridiculous.”

“In my 90th year, I am encouraged to live to see the day when the
Armenian Genocide is fully acknowledged,” Morgenthau said.

“We are here today not because of the path before us, but because
of the path behind us,” Musserian said to the crowd. “The path, once
filled with blood, with hatred and genocide.”

Musserian said the blood of countless Armenians “soils the hands
of the Turkish government. Our blood makes their hands unclean.”

“We live with the pain of our past,” Kaprielian said, “we have
risen from the ashes.”

Christopher Loh can be reached at [email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
April 28 2006
Saint Petersburg Meetings

On April 28 RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan met with Sergey
Mironov, Chairman of RF Federal Assembly Federal Council. During the
meeting an agreement was reached in autumn on holding Days of RA
National Assembly in RF Federal Assembly and a conference over the
inter-regional cooperation problems in any RF region full of
Armenians.
During the meeting of Rene van der Linden, PACE President and Artur
Baghdasaryan, RA NA President issues concerning the process of the
fulfillment of Armenia’s undertaken commitments were discussed. Both
sides touched upon the Electoral Code, highlighted the formation of
political consent around Electoral Code and holding the coming
general elections in conformity with democratic standards. The PACE
President Rene van der Linden expressed readiness to assist in the
name of the Council of Europe.
As BSEC President, the NA President Artur Baghdasaryan and RF State
Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov signed a cooperation agreement between
PABSEC and European Economic Community Inter-parliamentary Assembly,
by which it is designed to promote the cooperation of two structures,
the formation of parliamentary dialogue between countries and
peoples.

Regnum, Russia
April 28 2006
Armenian MP calls for impeaching the speaker
During the next week’s parliamentary session the member of the
Armenian parliament Hamayak Hovhannissyan is going to call on the
political coalition (Orinats Yerkir, Republican Party and ARFD –
REGNUM) to impeach the speaker of the parliament Artur Baghdassaryan.
`Artur Baghdassaryan is not a private person or a company director to
express private views during official visits. He is the speaker of
the parliament and, when at international organizations, must
represent the position of the parliamentary majority that elected him
to his post. If today the president, the Republican Party and the
ARFD say that when speaking about the country’s priorities
Baghdassaryan did not represent their position, they must demand that
Baghdassaryan resign, which is exactly what I propose. Artur
Baghdassaryan is not a dissident or a revolutionary to make
statements contrary to the country’s foreign policy, and the Armenian
people should be confident that the first figures of its state are
unanimous on the issue of national security. If the coalition wants
to make the country’s national security an object for external
speculations, then they and Robert Kocharyan must leave Baghdassaryan
in his post; but otherwise, he has no more right to represent the
parliamentary majority,’ says Hovhannissyan.
He says that `in an interview to a German newspaper the speaker has,
in fact, slapped the country’s leadership and the coalition in the
face, and if the majority fails to dismiss him, it is politically
incapable,’ reports Haykakan Zhamanak daily.
To remind, in an interview Frankfurter Allgemaine Zeitung,
Baghdassaryan said that `Armenia’s future is the EU and NATO’ and
`Russia must not stand in the way to Europe.’ Commenting on the
speaker’s statement, President Robert Kocharyan quoted Armenia’s
Constitution: `Armenia’s foreign policy is determined by the
President.’ `The speaker’s statement might reflect his own changed
position,’ Kocharyan said. Meanwhile, when in St. Petersburg Artur
Baghdassaryan said that `Armenia’s aspiration to enlarge its
relations with the EU and NATO is not aimed against Russia, and
Armenia has no aim to join NATO.’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Fox News
April 28 2006
Bush, Azerbaijani President Talk Iran, Energy Security
Friday, April 28, 2006
WASHINGTON – President Bush told the president of Azerbaijan on
Friday that his oil-rich country has “a very important role to play”
in guaranteeing energy security around the world. The two leaders
also discussed Iran, an area of potential difference.
Bush said he assured President Ilham Aliev that the United States
wants to resolve a crisis over Iran’s nuclear program through
diplomacy. Aliev has made it clear that he would not allow his
country to be used for any operations against its neighbor.
Bush and Aliev met in the Oval Office after the White House
acknowledged that parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan have not met
international standards.
Bush said he told the president that “democracy is the wave of the
future.” Aliev said, “We share the same values.” He said Azerbaijan
is a “secular, democratic country.”
Energy was a major issue. “I appreciate the vision of the government,
the vision of the president, in helping this world achieve what we
all want, which is energy security,” Bush said. “Azerbaijan has got a
very important role to play and we discussed internal politics and we
discussed the politics of the neighborhood as well.”
In a personal note, Bush congratulated Aliev on the wedding of his
daughter this weekend.
Ahead of the meeting, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
called Iran “our big neighbor” and emphasized that the two countries
“share history, culture and religion.” He said Iran guarantees
Azerbaijan transit rights for land shipments and provides gas
supplies to its Nakhichevan enclave, cut off by Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh.
“All this plays a great role when we speak about the situation around
Iran,” he said.
Mammadyarov said the Bush-Aliev meeting signified the two countries
were entering a new level of cooperation as Azerbaijan becomes a key
energy transit country. The newly built Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline,
which provides an alternative to Russian routes and energy sources in
the volatile Middle East, is scheduled to deliver the first shipments
of Caspian Sea oil to Western markets this June. In the fall, the new
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will provide a new source of energy
for the Turkish market.
“This answers our national interest and signifies the strengthening
of Azerbaijan’s independence, of our position on the international
arena and the region,” Mammadyarov told The Associated Press in an
interview.
Azerbaijani officials also hope Bush and Aliev will discuss the
18-year-old conflict over the ethnic Armenian-dominated enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 30,000 people were killed and 1 million
made refugees during six years of war that ended with a shaky
cease-fire in 1994. Ethnic Armenian forces occupy the enclave inside
Azerbaijan.
The United States, together with Russia and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, is trying to mediate a
resolution.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006
GLO issued statement denouncing foreign minister Vardan Oskanian’s
visit to Khankendi
[ 28 Apr. 2006 14:42 ]
Today Garabagh Liberation Organization (GLO) has issued a statement
denouncing Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanian’s visit to
Khankendi, GLO press service has informed APA.
GLO evaluated in the statement Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian’s
visit to Nagorno Garabagh as position in the settling of the
conflict: ` The visit of foreign minister’s visit to Khankendi in
this level of the negotiations shows their not being withdrawal from
their occupation intention. Continuing the talks leads to nothing.’
In the statement it is demanded from Azerbaijani state to stop
negotiations: `Taking into consideration the position of Armenia,
Azerbaijan should continue negotiations and launch anti-terror
operations to free the occupied lands in military way. Not any state
can deprive Azerbaijan from this right.’/APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 28 2006
Two police officers killed in Moscow shooting
11:24 | 28/ 04/ 2006

(Rewrites with investigation details)
MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) – Two police officers shot dead early
Friday were killed by members of a Moscow-based organized crime group
set up by ethnic Georgians, a source close to the investigation said.
The officers came under fire from an automatic weapon as they entered
an apartment in the south of the Russian capital, following a
telephone call reporting an ongoing burglary.
“The attackers are members of a Moscow-based organized crime group of
ethnic Georgians,” the source said, adding that the gang had been
raiding the apartment, owned by ethnic Armenians, as part of a war
between crime groups feuding over economic interests.
He said the killers left the apartment through a window, and that no
casualties among members of the Armenian family that owned the
apartment have been reported.
Police said earlier Friday that one police officer was killed at the
scene, and the other was wounded and died while being taken to the
hospital. The second officer said before he died that there had been
six attackers in the apartment.
Prosecutors said they had opened a criminal case into the incident,
and police have launched a search for the killers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. ADMINISTRATION STRIVES FOR AZERBAIJAN’S SUPPORT IN IRANIAN ISSUE,
RUSSIAN ANALYST CONSIDERS

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. “The goal of the today’s meeting in
Washington between the Presidents of the U.S. and Azerbaijan is that
the U.S. administration influences on Azerbajian in the issue of
Iran, thus, the U.S. strives for having practical support of
Azerbaijan in this issue.” Alexander Krilov, a leading research
officer of the World Economy and International Relations Institute of
the Russian Academy of Sciences stated about this at the April 28
“Caucasus” international conference, organized by the Caucasus Media
Institute. Besides, according to him, Baku, in the respond of striving
of the U.S. to use it as a bridgehead on Caspia against Iran, does
not want to help Americans in this issue not to make relations with
neighbors more difficult.
A.Krilov also attached importance to the succesfully developing
many-sides Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation and pointed out Russia’s
interest in development of “South-North” porjects where Azerbaijan is
destined an important role. At the same time, he assured that the
Kremlin which strives for keeping its presence in Azerbaijan, does not
do it to the detriment of relations with its strategic partner –
Armenia. As for the martial calls made from Baku for settling the
Karabakh conflict in the way of war, the Russian analyst mentioned
that the authorities of Azerbaijan uses the myth about the military
superiority upon Armenia for strengthening its won power.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN HAS MEETINGS WITH SERGEI MIRONOV, RENE VAN DER
LINDEN AND BORIS GRYZLOV IN SAINT PETERSBURG

SAINT PETERSBURG, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April
28, RA National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian met with Chairman
of Council of Federation of RF Federal Assembly Sergei Mironov in
Saint Petersburg. During the meeting they reached agreement about
holding days of RA NA at RF Federal Assembly in autumn, as well as
about holding a conference on issues of interregional cooperation of
the two countries in one of the Russian regions populated with
Armenians. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA NA Press Service,
issues regarding fulfilment of Armenia’s commitments towards PACE, the
Electoral Code were discussed at A.Baghdasarian’s meeting with PACE
Chairman Rene van der Linden. The sides mentioned the importance of
the political consent around the Electoral Code and holding the coming
elections in correspondence with the democratic standards. PACE
Chairman on behalf of PA expressed readiness to provide
assistance. Artur Baghdasarian as the Chairman of BSEC and RF State
Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov signed an agreement on cooperation between
the Parliamentary Assembly of BSEC and Interparliamentary Assembly of
the Eurasian Economic Cooperation, according to which it is envisaged
to contribute to cooperation between the two structures and to
establishment of a dialogue between the two countries and peoples.

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
T | 818-243-6222
F | 818-243-7222
E | [email protected]
Press Release
April 28, 2006
Armenia Fund Continues Reconstruction in Earthquake Zone
Yerevan, Armenia – Armenia Fund continues its reconstruction projects in
the earthquake battered northern region of Armenia. In 1988, the country
was struck with a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 on the
Richter scale and an epicenter at Gyumri-Spitak. Armenia’s 2nd largest
city – Gyumri – fell to rubbles as the earthquake struck a major blow to
its infrastructure. Residential buildings toppled one after another
forcing the population to live in temporary shacks.
Thanks to the combined effort of countless NGOs and Diaspora based
philanthropists, the region is gradually recovering through large-scale,
long-term infrastructure development assistance. Armenia Fund and the
Lincy Foundation have been at the forefront of such reconstruction
projects.
Building upon years of revitalization projects, Armenia Fund is proud to
announce, yet again, that it will construct 2 new, modern residential
buildings in the `Yerankyuni’ District of Spitak. The financing of the
project is generously provided by the British affiliate of Armenia Fund.
The affiliate has also undertaken the reconstruction of the Artik
Regional Hospital of Shirak which is the only regional healthcare
facility catering the republic’s northern population. The new building
will be dubbed as 7B and 8B – completing a series of other building in
the district. Each building will consist of three or two room apartments
designed for 8 families. Although construction of the project had
started in late 2004 and early 2005, the British affiliate of the Fund
pledged to complete its financing.
The buildings will feature four floors, modern windows and doors, as
well as a roof resistant to the harsh climate of Armenia. The
surrounding landscape of the buildings will be rehabilitated through
financing provided by the government of Armenia. Upon the completion of
the project, the `Yerankyuni’ district will enjoy a series of new
residential buildings. The 8A building was completed thanks to financing
provided by the German affiliate of Armenia Fund – Hayastan Fonds eV
Germany. The 7A building was completed by the British affiliate.
Armenia Fund continues to provide large-scale infrastructure development
assistance in the earthquake region. The Fund focuses on the
construction of safe and reliable housing, as well as new schools,
healthcare facilities, and cultural centers. Armenia Fund is the single
most effective organization in carrying out such projects in Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh thanks to the wholehearted support of the Armenian
Diaspora around the world.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress