Author: Emil Lazarian

A1plus
| 19:14:54 | 06-07-2005 | Sports |
LONDON ELECTED HOST-CITY OF THE 2012 OLYMPIAD
The Summer Olympic Games of 2012 will take place in London. In the vote of
the International Olympic Committee in Singapore London beat Paris with an
advantage of 4 votes in the decisive 4th round. The latter was considered
the favorite both by the experts and by the bookmakers.
This can be considered a surprise. Before the vote everyone guessed that
Paris will win even without the 4th round. But the applications of both
cities were almost equal. The other applicants were Moscow, New York and
Madrid.
According to the International Olympic Committee head Jaques Rogge, the
least probable applicants were New York and Moscow.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 16:48:25 | 05-07-2005 | Politics |
CONSTITUTION DAY IN THE STREET
With the slogans `White Genocide’, `Justice’ the residents of the North and
Main Avenues, who were expelled from their houses, gathered today at the
President’s residence and then marched to the building of the Constitutional
Court.
`The Constitution does not exist. Today, by decree of the government a white
genocide is perpetrated’, one of the protesters said. Raffi K. Hovannisian,
chairman of Heritage party and Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan were the only
officials to approach the people. They told they share the anxiety of the
demonstrators and agree with their claims.
While the demonstrators were demanding the importance of following the
Constitution, those, who celebrated the holiday were speaking of the
importance of implementation and strengthening of constitutional culture.
To note, a cake called `RA Constitution’ was baked specially for the
holiday, however none of the officials tasted a piece in the presence of
journalists.

Lennmarker: the best way is to unite Karabakh with Armenia
06.07.2005 15:23
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly continued to
discuss the report made by Goran Lennmarker, the special
representative on the Karabakh conflict, at its session in Washington
on Tuesday, Armenpress reported.
Speaking to an Azerbaijani news agency following the discussion,
Lennmarker noted, “By appointing a special representative we intended
to engage the parliamentarians of Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
In his turn, Satar Safarov of the Azeribaijani delegation, has told a
Baku-based newspaper that the Swedish politician has said at the
closed session that “the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
by Europe is unacceptable and would lead to many negative
consequences,” adding, however, that the best way to ensure Armenians’
security is the unification of Karabakh with Armenia.
The Azerbaijani delegation was also informed that the Minsk Group is
to make specific proposals for the conflict resolution before the
Kazan meeting.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 16:20:44 | 04-07-2005 | Social |
MORE MARIJUANA
During the first three months of 2005 the police revealed 66 cases of drug
trafficking and usage instead of 92 of last year.
In the first three months about 780 grams of drug has been confiscated from
which 750 grams was marijuana. Last year for the same three months 2528
grams of drug had been confiscated from which 1398 grams was marijuana.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #122, 02/07/2005
Home
HISTORICAL FACE OF YEREVAN STILL TO BE DISTORTED
The general layout of Yerevan will be confirmed by the end of the year and
will deliberately become a mere formal document. But it won’t be possible to
build edifices envisaged in the layout in some central parts of the capital,
as they are already occupied. Mkrtcih Minasian, chairman of RA
Architectures’ Union, believes that violation of Tamanyan’s layout will
continue unless the urban construction rules function in our city. In the
Soviet times the city’s face was distorted with the permission of local
administration bodies, while at present, that process continues due to the
amazing fantasy of the local and foreign investors. The public parks are
being seized with the permission of authorities, huge buildings are being
built, depriving the people of the opportunity to rest there. “Yerevan
Today” one of the hottest topics was discussed at the meeting at Yerevan
Press Club.
Mkrtich Minasian stated that Yerevan is one of the unique cities of the
world. Tamanyan who realized the uniqueness of the city and preserved the
buildings of 18th-19th century buildings, creating a capital of a national
value. Even later, the successors of Tamanyan’s school built edifices of
traditional architecture in the suburbs. But, both in the Soviet times and
later, they permitted huge violations of Tamanyan’s layout.
RA Union of Architects had certain means to control the urban construction;
each decision of the government was thoroughly discussed at the union. “It’s
quite another issue that sometimes these discussions were just formal ones.
But thanks to them, the architects knew that all the procedures were under
control. Today no one demands to hold public discussions, while not a single
project important for the city should not be approved without public
discussions. We have began a cooperation project with the Yerevan City
Mayor’s Office, according to which each big project should be discussed at
our union,” Minasian said.
“Very few things changed in the city in the course of the last year by the
suggestion of RA Architects Union. For example, some of the gas stations
were closed after our demands. But now we are not very strong and authority
as we were before. There always can be a constructer or an architect who
will say that the existing construction rules are old and demand new ones.
But it’s hard to create new ones, we need a base for that,” he added.
The suggestions and the demands of the Architects’ Union concerning the
construction of the capital are not always accepted or often ignored
totally.
In response to the question of “Azg” whether the union envisages creating a
regulation that will forbid the building of the projects out of the rules of
traditional architecture, Mr. Minasian said that there had been a project
test defining the environment and architectural criteria for the
construction, including the color of the stones even. Nobody was allowed to
build green or yellow building beside the pink tuff houses. Today, the chief
architecture of the city is responsible for that. But in fact, he is not
capable of carrying out that function. We often settle that issue by
changing the Mayor or the chief architect of the city.
By Ruzan Poghosian

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
July 2 2005
PACE REPRESENTATIVES MEET WITH IDPs
[July 02, 2005, 17:18:32]
Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe /PACE/ met on July 1 with the refugees and IDPs, who have been
settling in Sabirabad, Saatli, Imishli, Bilasuvar and Fizuli regions.
The guests familiarized with the living conditions of the refugees,
settled in encampments, forcedly ousted from their native lands by
Armenian Armed Forces.
The IDPs noted that they support the successful policy of the
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in peaceful solution of
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict and expect from PACE
the more fair decision of this problem.

Armenpress
ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS NO RIFT BETWEEN HIM AND PRESIDENT
YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian defense minister Serzh Sarkisian
shrugged off today media allegations that the country’s top leaders have
schemed a coup d’etat “to stage” president Kocharian’s resignation and hand
the power to him.
“Robert Kocharian will stay in his office until the last second of his
term,” Sarkisian told reporters today after a graduation ceremony at a
Yerevan military academy. “Talking about pre-term presidential election is
simply meaningless and these allegations are just fresh attempts to drive a
wedge between the president and defense minister,’ Sarkisian said adding
that he did not care about that talk.
Sarkisian was asked to comment on several out-of-parliament minor
parties’ announcements that they would support him should he decide to make
a presidential bid. “There are still three years ahead of next election and
so far I have made no decision about my intentions,” Sarkisian said, but did
not deny that he may run for presidency. Asked to comment on Azerbaijani
president Ilham Aliyev’s statement that he was ready to provide Karabakh
Armenians with broad autonomy together with security guarantees and
privileges, if Nagorno-Karabakh were brought back under its jurisdiction,
Sarkisian said Aliyev Junior was late.
“This statement should have been made by his father some 20 years ago,
when it could have some value, but today these are just words,” he said,
reiterating Armenia’s official position on how the long-standing dispute
should be resolved, which he said are that Karabakh cannot be part of
Azerbaijan, it must have an overland connection with Armenia and there must
be clear-cut security guarantees for its population, admitting, however,
that the conflict could be resolved only through bilateral compromises.
Armenian defense minister then downplayed Azerbaijan’s declared drive to
drastically increase its military spending up to $300 million this year from
$175 last year, saying Armenia has sufficient resources to ward off any
Azeri encroachment. “Armenia and Azerbaijan are not the USA and former
Soviet Union to plunge into an arms race, especially now when there are
indications of a peaceful resolution,” he said.

Slovene government donates 88,000 euros for mine clearance in Caucasus
STA news agency
30 Jun 05
Ljubljana, 30 June: The government has approved a 21m tolars (88,000
euros) donation for the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine
Victims Assistance (ITF) for its activities in the Caucasus region.
The money is to be spent on the organization of a regional conference
on demining under the auspices of the OSCE, as well as assistance to
mine victims and demining in Azerbaijan.
The Slovene-run ITF specialises in demining in Southeastern Europe,
but it expanded its activities to the Caucasus region in 2002 at the
urging of donor countries.
The government said on Thursday [30 June] that Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Georgia suffer from severe mine pollution, so the country sees demining
there as a crucial foundation for stability, security and democracy.
This also fits with Slovenia’s overall efforts in the region, which
is in the focus of the OSCE, which Slovenia presides over this year.

Armenian foreign minister meets assassinated former Lebanese PM’s son
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
1 Jul 05
[Presenter] Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s visit to the
Lebanese capital continues. Oskanyan arrived in Beirut to take part in
the festivities to mark the 50th anniversary of Haykazyan University.
Minister Oskanyan visited the house of late Lebanese Prime Minister
Rafiq al-Hariri and offered his condolences to his family members,
and laid a wreath at his grave.
[Correspondent Artak Erikyan from Lebanon] Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan today laid a wreath at al-Hariri’s grave. His son,
Sa’d Al-Hariri received Oskanyan at his home. Oskanyan offered his
condolences and congratulated him on his victory in the parliamentary
elections. The 35-year-old young man is one of the famous political
figure in Lebanon.
[Sa’d Al-Hariri, in French with Armenian voice-over] Relations
between Armenia and Lebanon are very good. The Armenians are respected
here. It is necessary to strengthen these relations, particularly in
the economic sphere. I hope that the new government will carry out a
serious work in this direction. I think I shall pay visit to Armenia
this year. My father visited Armenia three times.
[Correspondent] The Lebanese already know the name of their new
prime minister. It is Fu’ad Sinyurah. He was Rafiq al-Hariri’s
right hand. The new Lebanese prime minister is well-informed about
the Armenian-Lebanese intergovernmental relations, he visited Armenia
together with Rafiq al-Hariri in 2004.
Our diplomats did not meet the new prime minister today. He is the
busiest man in Lebanon today, Oskanyan said.
[Oskanyan] It was possible to meet the new prime minister, but we have
to admit that at this moment he is the busiest man in Lebanon because
at this very moment as I speak, the prime minister’s appointment
issue is being discussed in parliament.
[Correspondent] So, on the 136th day after al-Harari’s assassination,
Lebanon is forming a new government; for the first time after the
withdrawal of the Syrian forces and special services.
Artak Erikyan, Akop Papazyan, “Aylur” from Beirut.
[Video shows the scene of al-Hariri’s assassination, his grave and
Oskanyan’s meeting with Sa’d Al-Hariri]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SENATE APPROPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ADOPTS $75 MILLION
FOR ARMENIA; $3 MILLION FOR NAGORNO KARABAGH
— U.S. House Finalizes Approval of its
Version of the Foreign Aid Bill
WASHINGTON, DC ~V The Senate and House continued consideration of
the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 foreign aid bill this week, with the
Senate Appropriations Committee today adopting appropriations of
$75 million for Armenia and $3 million for Nagorno Karabagh,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The
House adopted their version of the foreign aid bill on Tuesday.
“We want to thank Senator McConnell for his leadership in securing
a $75 million earmark for his Armenia, and to thank all our friends
on the Foreign Operations Subcommittee for their work on each of
the provisions in this bill that will contribute to the further
strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA. “We look forward to supporting Senators
McConnell and Leahy as well as Representatives Kolbe, Knollenberg,
Lowey, Rothman and all the other conferees who will, in the coming
weeks, engage in the important work of reconciling the Senate and
House versions of this legislation.”
Senate Appropriations Committee assistance levels for Armenia
represent a $20 million increase over President Bush’s budget
request earlier this year, and $7.5 million more than the House
measure adopted earlier this week. The Senate panel also approved
over $6.4 million in military and security aid to Armenia,
including $5 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF), $750,000
in International Military Education and Training (IMET), and
$700,000 in Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, De-mining and Related
(NADR) assistance.
The House and Senate versions of the foreign aid bill differ in
their overall support levels for U.S. assistance to the former
Soviet States. The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an
overall figure of $565 million for the region, approximately $88
million more than their House Colleagues. As part of that
allocation, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $70.5
million for Georgia and $38 million for Azerbaijan. The Senate
Committee report called on the “State Department and USAID to
more emphatically and publicly support political process
programming in Russia and Azerbaijan. Freedom is ill served by
excessive hand wringing over concerns with projecting political
balance in programming or of offending authoritarian host
governments.”
The House allocation of up to $5 million for Nagorno Karabagh is $2
million more than the amount set by the Senate panel. The
Committee report accompanying the House measure, noted that, “in
furtherance of a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabagh
conflict, and in support of the measures discussed at NATO and OSCE
summits, the Committee strongly supports confidence-building
measures among the parties to the conflict. Such measures include
strengthening compliance with the cease-fire, studying post-
conflict regional development such as landmine removal, water
management, transportation routes and infrastructure, establishing
a youth exchange program and other collaborative and humanitarian
initiatives to foster greater understanding among the parties and
reduce hostilities.”
In a new development this year in the House bill, foreign military
assistance to Turkey was reduced sharply from $29.6 million in FY
2005 to just $4.4 million for FY 2006. While the Committee report
was careful to state that the reduction “is not a reflection of a
lessening of the Committee’s appreciation for Turkey’s support,” it
did note that “sufficient justification” was not provided for the
funds.
In a related matter, the House will take up a $975 million veterans
healthcare measure this evening, the funding for which comes from a
$1.1 billion rescission in foreign aid to Turkey that was part of
the FY 2005 Iraq supplemental assistance package.
“It is particularly fitting that $1 billion in U.S. assistance,
originally slated for Turkey, should now go to help fund better
healthcare for our veterans here at home,” noted Hamparian. “By
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld’s own account, Turkey’s refusal, in
early 2003, to create a northern front in Operation Iraqi Freedom
contributed to the strength of the ongoing insurgency. These much-
needed funds to our nation’s Veterans Hospitals can play a crucial
role in helping our veterans – including those who were made more
vulnerable as a result of Turkey’s actions.”
————————————————————
Representatives Knollenberg, Pallone, and Rothman Hail House
Passage of the House Foreign Aid Bill
————————————————————
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) were joined this week by Rep. Steve Rothman
(D-NJ) in welcoming the House passage of the foreign aid measure.
Reps. Knollenberg and Rothman are both outspoken leaders in support
of U.S. assistance to Armenia in the House Foreign Operations
Subcommittee. “The U.S needs to provide persistent and vigorous
assistance to help minimize the negative impacts of the damaging
blockades on Armenia’s borders,” explained Rep. Knollenberg. “Our
assistance has so far produced important positive reforms in
Armenia’s economy and government. With the funds approved in the
Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, Armenia can continue on the
path towards economic stability.”
Rep. Rothman noted that, “most Americans believe that America
spends 10%-15% of its budget on foreign aid. That simply is not
the case, we only spend about 1% of our budget on foreign aid – and
that 1% is very well spent. By giving Armenia this aid package, we
are providing the financial support that will help this nation
establish a more fiscally sound economy, while also ensuring its
security.”
Rep. Pallone stressed that, “by allocating equal levels of military
and security assistance to both nations (Armenia and Azerbaijan),
the U.S. government will preserve its credibility as an impartial
and leading mediator in the continuing sensitive peace negotiations
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Given the ongoing Azerbaijani
blockades and threats to renew military aggression against Armenia
and Karabakh, it is critically important that the Administration
continue to promote balanced short- and long-term policies that
elevate regional cooperation and reduce the risk of conflict in the
South Caucasus region.”
In response to an initiative spearheaded by Congressman Pallone,
the House version of the bill included $500,000 for the creation of
an Armenian Institute at Monmouth University. In advancing this
measure through the appropriations process, Congressman Pallone
stressed the value of providing opportunities to Armenian graduate
students to further their education in the United States by
studying at Monmouth University. The Institute will include a
fast-tracked Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program for
10 students from Armenia.
Commenting on the adoption of this measure, Rep. Pallone said, “New
Jersey is home to a very large Armenian-American population, and
I’m confident Monmouth University’s Armenian Institute will foster
greater appreciation of a culture steep in tradition and history.
Armenia continues to suffer from economic hardships and it is
important to educate future economic leaders who are pro-west and
can help the situation there.”
#####
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress