"Make Hospitals Safe In Emergencies"

"MAKE HOSPITALS SAFE IN EMERGENCIES"

A1+
02:07 pm | April 06, 2009

Official

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a message on
the occasion of World Health Day which says in part:

When disaster strikes, well-prepared, functioning medical services
are a priority. Floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters can
take a terrible toll on human life. So, too, can infectious disease
outbreaks and man-made disasters, such as chemical spills or radiation
accidents. Hospitals, clinics and other health facilities must react
swiftly and efficiently. They must also provide safe havens, and not
become disaster zones themselves.

When a hospital collapses in an earthquake, burying patients and staff,
the human cost multiplies. When an infectious disease spreads because
a hospital is poorly ventilated or constructed, or because health
care workers lack adequate training, we are failing people at their
most vulnerable.

To focus attention on these simple but important principles, World
Health Day for 2009 has adopted the campaign slogan: "Save lives. Make
hospitals safe in emergencies". It is a global call to action for
countries to work to prepare their health systems for emergencies.

Collaboration between different United Nations entities and other
international actors is crucial to helping countries to achieve this
goal. The World Disaster Reduction Campaign for 2008-2009 has pooled
the efforts of the World Health Organization, the UN International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Bank towards making
health facilities more able to stand up to cyclones, earthquakes and
other hazards.

We must protect public health by designing and building health care
facilities that are safe from natural disasters. We must also ensure
they are not targeted during conflicts. Health care workers must
be trained to work safely in emergencies, so they can save lives,
rather than becoming victims themselves. And we must guarantee the
continuity of the health services that a community relies on, such as
immunizations, dialysis and the delivery of babies, once the immediate
emergency has passed.

We cannot prevent all disasters. But we can work together to ensure
that when they occur, hospitals and other health facilities are ready
and able to save lives.

New Sports, Cultural Center Unveiled in Yerevan Suburb of Nubarashen

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, April 6, 2009

New Sports & Cultural Center Unveiled in Yerevan Suburb of Nubarashen, A
Cooperative Venture of AGBU and World Bank

With the cooperation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and
the World Bank/ASIF (Armenian Social Investment Fund) program, the
Nubarashen Sports & Cultural Center was completed and opened on March
25, 2009 in the Yerevan suburb of Nubarashen.

During the opening ceremony, AGBU President Berge Setrakian remarked on
how incredible it was to see the opening of a beautiful new building in
a district which was first established by the organization’s founder,
Boghos Nubar, in the 1930s and today still bears his name. By
participating in the construction of the building, Setrakian said, AGBU
pays homage to Boghos Nubar and his ideals.

The plans for the construction of the Nubarashen center began in 2005
but they were finally realized when AGBU and the World Bank/ASIF program
stepped in with the 85 million AMD (approx. US$250,000) needed to
complete the final stage of the project. Forty-five percent of that sum
was paid by the World Bank/ASIF program, while AGBU provided the
remaining 55%.

Mher Hovanissian, mayor of the Nubarashen district, spoke about Boghos
Nubar’s choice of this site as a recipient of his largesse. He explained
that it was not an accident that the AGBU founder chose this locale,
since it had symbolic importance as a perfect location from which to
view both the Ararat and Aragats mountains–the former being a spiritual
symbol of the Armenian people and the latter, as Armenia’s tallest
mountain, a symbol of Armenia today.

The first floor of the center houses a gymnasium, while a hall for
cultural events is located on the second floor.

Established in 1906, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the
world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New
York City with an annual budget of $34 million, AGBU ()
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving some
400,000 Armenians in 35 countries.

www.agbu.org
www.agbu.org

Obama and Karamanlis unraveling Cyprus and Macedonia

News From Greece
April 4 2009

Obama and Karamanlis unraveling Cyprus and Macedonia

ВаÑ?а: 04 April 2009 :: 18:01:58

The US president Barack Obama and the Greek Prime Minister Kostas
Karamanlis will meet at 01:30pm Greek time today in Strasburg, where
both politicians are participating in the NATO high level meeting. The
news about the first meeting between Obama and Karamanlis was arranged
10 days ago and it was officially confirmed by the office of the Greek
president.

The Greek government confirmed that agreed topics of discussion will
be the global financial crisis, the Greek-Turkish relations, and the
argument about Macedonia’s name. As the US president had numerously
stated, he had been supporting the Greek point of view regarding the
name of the Republic of Macedonia when he was a senator and when he
was a president candidate. Regarding Turkey, Prime Minister Karamanlis
once again will point out the Turkish military provocations in the
Aegean Sea, he will insist on adhering to the rights of the Ecumenical
Patriarchy in Istanbul, and he will insist on the need to withdraw the
Turkish army from North Cyprus as a condition before uniting the
island.

Obama’s answers on those topics are awaited with interest. As a
senator, Barack Obama signed a resolution, which insisted that Turkey
should accept the Armenian genocide. As a president of the USA, Obama
realized the key role, which Turkey could play in protecting the US
interest in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and in the Muslim world as a
whole. It is not an accident that he will spend two days out of his
European trip in Ankara and Istanbul. This is a fact, which is
irritating Greece, because it is violating the unwritten tradition of
US presidents visiting Turkey and Greece during the same trip.

On the other hand, the US is expected to ask for a bigger Greek
participation in the Afghanistan. A request, which probably would not
be taken into consideration, because the Greek unwillingness to
interfere in military actions worldwide is well known. Greece is
participating in Afghanistan with a group of military doctors and it
is not likely that it will send troop there. Another request from the
American side will be to increase Greece’s role in fighting against
the traffic with mass destruction weapons and concluding deals for
armament with US weapons.

It is expected that during the meeting Barack Obama will invite Kostas
Karamanlis to visit the White House. Though, political analyzers
believe that this visit will not take place before the European
parliament elections in June, because Washington does not want to be
accused of trying to influence the vote results.

p?mysid=1878&t=30&SESID=qvcqd321r3br3p9bo3 0va7ec50

http://www.grreporter.info/statiaen.ph

Azeri President Refuses To Attend The "Alliance Of Civilizations" Pr

AZERI PRESIDENT REFUSES TO ATTEND THE "ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS" PROJECT MEETING IN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2009 20:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev refused to
attend "Alliance of Civilizations" project meeting in Turkey. It
could be valued as a protest against Turkey’s intention to open
borders with Armenia.

The sources in the European Union confirmed that Turkey was going
to open borders with Armenia. Euronews agency wrote two days ago
quoting senior officials of the European Union that official Ankara
will pass a decision to open borders with Armenia. According to the
information, Ankara may open borders with Armenia after U.S. President
Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey in April. According to the source, this
will have positive influence on Turkey-European Union relations. All
these factors prove that Turkey intends to open borders with Armenia
without taking into consideration Azerbaijan’s position and before
Nagorno Karabakh conflict is solved. This step may be regarded as
one of the causes of Ilham Aliyev’s refusing to attend Alliance of
Civilizations in Turkey.

Of course, the refusal may also be connected with the president’s
work schedule. Still the main version is that Turkish officials have
not taken a stance on the reports on improvement of Turkey-Armenia
relations and opening of borders.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are the co-chairs of the Alliance
of Civilizations under the auspices of the UN Secretary General,
APA reported.

Armenia And Azerbaijan: OSCE Wants Civil Society Groups To Help Kara

ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN: OSCE WANTS CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS TO HELP KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS
Haroutiun Khachatrian

Eurasianet
eav040209af.shtml
April 2, 2009

As the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh remain stalemated, diplomats
moderating the negotiations recently called on 40 civil society
representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the disputed region to
make a difference in the peace process.

The Azerbaijani-Armenian Peace Forum, held in Vienna on March 24-27,
is the latest in a series of such meetings sponsored by London-based
International Alert, a non-governmental group that describes itself as
"an international peace-building" organization. International Alert
has been involved in the South Caucasus since 1996.

To secure attendees’ interest in trilateral discussions, the three
co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s
Minsk Group, which moderates the Karabakh talks, shared details about
the negotiations’ status — the co-chair’s first such briefing with
civil society representatives.

"The status of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be agreed on now, as both
suggested solutions — international recognition of Karabakh as
an independent state, and its return back into Azerbaijan — are
now impossible," France’s Ambassador Bernard Fassier elaborated
on March 24. The so-called Madrid Principles, a framework for the
negotiations, "are aimed at . . . First, return of the regions around
Nagorno-Karabakh [to] the control of Azerbaijan; second: Reaching an
agreement about a temporary status of Nagorno-Karabakh."

Fassier’s explanation came as a surprise for many of the Armenian
civil society participants present; supporters of ex-president Levon
Ter-Petrosian have speculated that President Serzh Sargsyan is close
to an agreement with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Karabakh’s
final status that would not be optimal for Armenia.

The co-chairs noted that lingering mutual hostility in Armenia and
Azerbaijan is burdening consensus-building efforts. "Our impression is
that the two presidents, Sargsyan and Aliyev, are closer to reaching a
consensus, than the populations in their [respective] countries are,"
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs Matthew Bryza, the American co-chairman, said. Bryza called
for cooperation between civil society representatives and government
officials in improving public support for compromise.

Bryza also expressed optimism about recent developments in relations
between Armenia and Turkey, a key Azerbaijani ally that closed its
Armenian border in 1993 in response to the war with Azerbaijan
over Nagorno-Karabakh. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. The American diplomat underlined that relations between
Armenia and Turkey may normalize soon, which could help Yerevan and
Baku reach a "breakthrough" in Karabakh.

With an eye to Moscow’s 2008 war with Georgia over breakaway South
Ossetia, Yuri Merzliakov, the Russian co-chairman, also stressed the
importance of mutual trust in the South Caucasus region. Merzliakov
expressed regret that Azerbaijan had rejected the recent appeal of
the co-chairs to remove snipers from the frontline.

The three co-chairmen declined further elaboration about the
negotiations. Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, personal representative of
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, and Charalampos Christopoulos, special envoy
of the OSCE Chairman-in-office for frozen conflicts, also attended
the meeting.

Participants in the forum discussed the possibility of holding
mutual visits on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, as well as online
discussions and lectures. Details on such initiatives remain in
the works. A final document, adopted without the co-chairmen’s
participation, agreed with the Minsk Group that "civil society is
insufficiently informed and is misinformed." It added that "language
of enmity is used increasingly."

Editor’s Note: Haroutiun Khachatrian is a Yerevan-based freelance
writer who attended the Azerbaijani-Armenian Peace Forum in Vienna.

www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/

Eastern Partnership Will Help Member-States Making Reforms And Integ

EASTERN PARTNERSHIP WILL HELP MEMBER-STATES MAKING REFORMS AND INTEGRATING INTO EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
By Aram Araratyan

ArmInfo
2009-04-01 10:07:00

An Interview with research fellow at the European Council on Foreign
Relations ( ECFR) Nicu Popescu

The European Union has approved the Eastern Partnership project. What
will this initiative bring to the countries involved?

Eastern Partnership project will help the countries involved in it make
reforms to improve statehood. The eastern neighbors of the European
Union are subject to crises and instability as they suffer from wars,
territorial conflicts, political crises for poor democracy and problems
with supply of power resources. Eastern Partnership will help them
overcome some of those crises. For instance, integration into European
gas market will make it possible for Ukraine to increase energy safety
and settle many problems that arouse also Russia’s concern. When EU
is involved into conflict settlement this may also help stabilizing
conflict situations.

Some analysts say the Eastern Partnership project becomes an obstacle
on the quick way to European Union for the countries involved. Do
you share this opinion?

is not a "quick way" to European integration. It is not an easy
process. For instance, such countries as Hungary and Czech Republic
need about 20 years to fully integrate in European Union. They launched
this process in 1991.

Later they established a free trade zone and customs unions with
the EU.

They joined the European Union in 2004 and then Schengen zone in
2007. They will probably join eurozone in 2011-2013. This is a very
long process with many stages. The progress of any state chiefly
depends on local reforms but not on promises of European Union. The
Eastern Partnership even theoretically cannot delay the process of
European integration. This project may just accelerate the process
helping the countries involved fulfill reforms and gradually integrate
into European community. The integration level depends on how serious
the neighbors of the European Union are ready to reform.

Do you agree with the opinion that Eastern Partnership is anti-Russian
and affects Russia’s interests and the spheres of its influence?

Eastern Partnership project does not have an anti-Russian dimension
since it does not much differ from the European Neighborhood Policy
adopted in 2003.

Eastern Partnership is just trying to repeat and accelerate the
process, which in any case would pass within the frames of the
European Neighborhood Policy. Thus, Russian complaints regarding
Eastern Partnership are rhetorical statements and are not based on
aspiration to understand the core of the project. European Union
wants to see stable, democratic and prosperous neighbors, and there
is nothing anti-Russian in theseaspirations since Russia successfully
cooperates with the EU as well. Look at the foreign trade data: over 50
percent of Russian commodity turnover is with EU states. All the post-
Soviet states except Moldova trade with the EU less than Russia. They
have still much to do to reach the level of Russia’s cooperation with
the EU.

Will the global financial crisis affect the implementation of Eastern
partnership project?

Global financial crisis may create some problems for implementation
of Eastern Partnership project. The procedures of establishing a
free trade zone and facilitating visa regime may slacken. In many
EU member-states and their neighbors protectionism is gathering
pace. Ukraine has recently raised import tariffs by 13% in average,
which hinders EU-Ukraine negotiations for establishment of a deep
free trade zone.

Nevertheless, it should not affect Eastern Partnership. Anyway,
establishment of free trade zone between the EU and neighbors is a
mid-term project. It is hardly possible within the coming 3-4 years
for many of the EU neighbor-states since the negotiations take several
years. The EU has launched negotiations with Ukraine so far. The
crisis will slow down the negotiations to some-extent. Anyway,
irrespective of the crisis, they will not be over soon.

The economic crisis may also increase the EU’s role in the post-Soviet
area. Over the last years the EU financial aid to its neighbors
was not so essential for them. These states had rather impressive
economic growth (often 10%), high inflow of money transfers from
migrants and possible support by Russia in case of necessity. EU
neighbor-states often did not need the support by such institutions
as the International Monetary Fund. Those times have passed. Since
the EU neighbors are experiencing hard time, the financial aid they
receive from the EU is becoming more and more important. The budget
of the European Neighborhood Policy is sustainable and will increase
due to the Eastern Partnership project. In addition, the EU’s vote
at the IMF is becoming significant. The EU has already supported
the IMF credits to Ukraine and Belarus. The current crisis makes the
cooperation of the EU and its neighbors important as never before.

Do you think it possible for Eastern Partnership member-states to
sign an agreement for EU associated membership for the nearest future?

It is possible but it may take several years since negotiations will
take rather long time.

May involvement of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Eastern Partnership
project influence settlement of the Karabakh conflict?

If we compare the EU’s involvement in settlement of the Nagorny
Karabakh conflict and the Transdniestrian conflict in Moldova, we will
see that the EU is more involved in the last one. It mostly depends
on Moldova’s desire to involve the EU in the settlement of the given
conflict. In the meanwhile both Armenia and Azerbaijan have not trie
d to seriously involve the EU in the settlement of Karabakh conflict.

Eastern Partnership will change something in this process only if
Armenia and Azerbaijan are ready to increase the EU’s role in the
process. EU has never forced up its services to partners.

Thank you for interview

NKR: Communities Will Pass To Self-Financing Activity

COMMUNITIES WILL PASS TO SELF-FINANCING ACTIVITY

NKR Government Information and Public Relations Department
April 01, 2009

Today, the regular outgoing session of the NKR Government chaired by
the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan has taken place in the regional
administrative centre of Martouni.

The Executive listened to the Martouni regional administration head’s
account on the activity of 2008 and the general socio-economic state
of the region.

According to the announced data, in 2008 the volume of capital
investments in the region amounted 2546.8 mln drams, which was directed
to the implementation of construction and reconstruction works, water
supply, road construction, gasification and other activities. This
index exceeds that of 2007 by more than 875 mln drams. Dozens of
new units came into operation in the region, however, as Valeri
Khachatryan, head of Martouni regional administration noted, at present
a number of problems are in need of urgent settlement, among them the
replacement of the interior and exterior water systems of Martouni,
the villages of Taghavard and Sargsashen, asphalting the highways of
regional and republican significance, gas supply of the villages of
Kert and Karahunj, construction of a new hospital building of the
regional administrative centre. The construction activities of the
mentioned units are anticipated to be completed within one-two months.

During the previous m onths, though slowly, however population upsurge
was recorded. Major part of the population is engaged in agriculture,
the results of which, on the whole, were positive in 2008, but still
far from being satisfactory. Last year 190158 centners of grain was
gathered, the average crop yield formed 21.7 centners. In comparison
with the previous year the lands under cultivation were reduced by
6318 hectares, in spite of this, however, the gross output increased by
about 39650 centners mainly due to the favourable weather conditions.

The reporter noted that the region’s mountainous communities, where
the available land is not rationally used, are in an unfavourable
state. The arable lands and privatized territories are often turned
into hayfields and pastures. This year only 60 percent of the
privatized lands have been sown.

Works aimed at making the lands irrigable are carried out. During the
forthcoming years about 2000 hectares of arable lands will be irrigated
to necessary volumes. In the accounting year steps aimed at paying
off the existent overdue credits were taken. Though in 2008 a greater
amount was repaid than in 2007, many debtors of the region still have
considerable debts, which, on the total, form more than AMD 151 mln.

Last year positive changes were recorded in social, healthcare,
educational, communicational and other spheres of Martouni region. In
parallel with separate achievements some t roublesome facts concerning
the spheres of education and culture were noted.

The reporter particularly touched upon the fact that the majority of
the region’s culture centres are almost inoperative.

Speaking about the overall socio-economic state of Martouni Prime
Minister A.Haroutyunyan emphasized that inspite of the fact that
this zone suffered less from the war the state attention towards it
is great. In near future gasification of the dwelling areas will be
completed here, the roads Stepanakert-Nngi-Martouni and Martouni-Aghdam
will be restored. The region has a serious problem of water supply
and new mechanisms should be applied for its solution by means of the
state and community joint efforts,- the Prime Minister stated. The
state will focus its attention mainly on the creation of irrigation
systems and purposive steps in this direction have been already taken,
however, the managers’ noticeably indifferent attitude hinders in
rapidly achieving results in an important sphere, upon which the
further development of agriculture depends. Agricultural activities
must not continue developing this way,- the Prime Minister announced
and continued that community heads should destine their time mainly
for the activation and direction of the villagers’ agricultural
worksÂ". Our Republic will develop due to agriculture, people should
achieve serious results in this sphere in order to secure their
prosperity and help the country to overcome the e xisting and the
possible forthcoming financial and economic difficulties.

The head of the Government noted with regret that many rural
inhabitants refuse to engage in agricultural activities, an
inadmissible phenomenon which must be prevented. Prime Minister
A.Haroutyunyan underlined that in near future all the rural
communities should become self-financing ones. The Government cannot
provide unilateral support to the village, it must secure great and
qualitative product enriching the State Treasury with appropriate tax
payments from where the amounts will be directed to the development
of the Republic in the form of new programmes. "First of all we are
ourselves responsible for our prosperity,- A.Haroutyunyan stated and
added that much and qualitative work should be carried out to get
gross incomes". He warned the villagers about the state support to
be henceforth rendered only to working people.

At the outgoing session of the Government which was participated
by the executives of the regional administration, heads of regional
services and community heads, a number of questions were raised by the
participants. They mainly referred to the realization of agricultural
products, construction tenders, heating of educational centres,
re-registration of privatized lands and other issues. Corresponding
clarifications and tasks were given by the Prime Minister and
Government members.

Armenian President Urges Local Ore-Dressing Enterprises To Keep Work

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT URGES LOCAL ORE-DRESSING ENTERPRISES TO KEEP WORKING

ARKA
Apr 1, 2009

YEREVAN, April 1. /ARKA/. Armenia’s large ore dressing and processing
enterprises must keep working, RA President Serzh Sargsyan said
Tuesday during his meeting with Syunik region’s authorities.

The president stared his two-day visit from the Kajaran-based copper
and molybdenum plant. "We have got added evidence that the plant
was working and implementing its development program," Sargsyan was
quoted saying

Touching upon the plants in Agarak and Kajaran, the president pointed
out intensive efforts of owners to overcome all hardships.

Sargsyan urged the tree mining giants of Syunik region (the
Zangezur-based Kajaran copper-molybdenum plant, Kapan-based ore
dressing and processing enterprise and Agarak copper-molybdenum plant)
to keep working amid the crisis.

"They must work even with zero profits, realizing that they both
solve key social issues and gain profits," the president said. "If
the Kajaran-based enterprise had not worked in the early 1990s and
2000s despite hardships, it would not have earned so much profit in
the past 5-6 years," he continued.

Sargsyan vowed staunch support to those enterprises, urging them to
share their expectations with the government.

As a result of the plunge in copper and molybdenum prices, metal
prices dropped about 3.5pct in the past months, the president said as
he comment ed on the harsh situation in Armenia’s metal market. "Since
those enterprises have a lion’s share in exports, it is natural that
we face problems with exports and state revenues," Sargsyan added.

The president said the government had always discussed with the
leaders of the sector the existing problems, trying to find way-outs.

Sargsyan stressed the role of the government-private sector cooperation
to address major problems.

However, not all enterprises were able to make shrewd decisions to
weather the crisis, the president said. "Devaluation of the Armenian
dram and other positive developments in the global metal prices seem
to create favorable conditions and we should take benefits of the
situation," Sargsyan concluded.

Armenian-Turkish Ties Normalization Makes Baku Increasingly Aggressi

ARMENIAN-TURKISH TIES NORMALIZATION MAKES BAKU INCREASINGLY AGGRESSIVE

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.04.2009 16:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian- Turkish border might be opened this
year. This circumstance, as well as intensification of Armenian-Turkish
ties lessen the possibility for US President Barack Obama to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, Armenian Center for National and International
Studies (ACNIS) Director Richard Giragosian stated. "Armenian-Turkish
ties normalization makes Baku increasingly aggressive towards
Armenia. Opening of border and establishment of diplomatic relations
between Yerevan and Ankara deprives Baku of levers to influence
Armenia," the military expert noted.

According to Richard Giragosian, Armenia should be ready to counter
Azerbaijan’s reaction.

"To Armenia Azerbaijan presents more danger than Turkey. Azerbaijan
feels isolated in the region, which might lead to Baku’s increased
enmity," the expert emphasized.

Nairi Petrosyan Appointed RA NA Spokesman

NAIRI PETROSYAN APPOINTED RA NA SPOKESMAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.03.2009 16:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nairi Petrosyan is appointed as RA NA Press
Secretary, RA NA Press Service reported.

Before his current appointment Nairy Petrosyan was a part of RA Foreign
Affairs Ministry staff. Nairy Petrosyan is a qualified orientalist