Author: Greg Madatian

OSCE TO MONITOR CONTACT LINE OF KARABAKH AND AZERI ARMED FORCES MARCH 10
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.03.2006 19:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE monitoring will be held at the contact lime
of the Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces in the west of
Borsunlu village of Terter district on Thursday. The measure will be
held in compliance with the mandate of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office’s
Personal Representative. Harry Eronen and Peter Key, field assistants
to the special envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, will hold
monitoring in the Azerbaijani side of the frontline. Yuri Aberle and
Imre Palatinus, special envoy’s field assistants, are in charge of
monitoring in the Armenian side of the contact line.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA SET TO SIGN $235 MIL PACT WITH MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE
By M. Alkhazashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
March 14 2006
Agreement To Focus On Irrigation And Rural Roads.
By the end of 2006, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vardan
Oskanian and the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will sign
an agreement to allot USD 235.65 million from the U.S. Millennium
Challenge program.
The agreement, known as a compact, will distribute funds over a
5-year period for economic growth programs in Armenia. In a press
release announcing the Millennium Challenge Board of Directors’
approval of the agreement, the U.S. government corporation said,
“The Armenia Compact is focused on one goal: the reduction of rural
poverty through a sustainable increase in the economic performance
of the agricultural sector.”
Out of the total sum USD 146 million is allocated for restoration
and modernizing irrigation systems. Another USD 67 million spent
to rehabilitate “Lifeline roads” that connect villages to larger
communities and market places. Approximately USD 5 million will be
used for monitoring and evaluation and another USD 17.8 million for
other administration, regnum.ru reports.
As part of the project, Armenia is designating its rural roads as
its Lifeline network. The Millennium Challenge assistance is to
rehabilitate one-third of this network, approximately 943 kilometers.
The organizers expect this will provide reliable transport routes to
85 villages and cover 45 percent of the country’s rural area.
The Armenian government has shouldered the responsibility of
restoring the rest of the country’s rural road system during the
current compact’s 5-year lifespan. The government expects to utilize
state resources, financing from Kirk Kirkoryan’s Linsy Foundation
and other institutional credits.
Currently over one million Armenians live in rural areas and are
dependent on semi-subsistence agriculture. Millennium Challenge in
Washington reports rural poverty remains high at 41 percent in 2004.
“Farmers are operating on small plots of land and are constrained
by poor roads, inadequate irrigation, and an under-developed market
economy,” the corporation states.
The American side reports the program will directly impact
approximately 750,000 people, or 75 percent of the rural population,
and is expected to reduce the rural poverty rate and boost annual
incomes.
In autumn 2005, Georgia signed a compact worth USD 295.3 million
with Millennium Challenge. Other countries with signed compacts
include Madagascar, Honduras, Cape Verde, and Nicaragua. On March 2,
the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a five-year USD 65.69
million compact with Vanuatu. One February 22, the corporation signed
a five-year approximately USD 307 million compact with the Government
of the Republic of Benin.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Panorama.am
16:14 10/03/06

KEEP DOORS LOCKED NOT TO BE TAKEN TO POLICE!
`In general the number of crimes has decreased,’
informed the head of Board of Criminal Reconnaissance
of Police Hayk Militonyan in the Police. Thus, 1342
criminal cases have been recorded in our republic up
to March 1, 2006 while the number of crimes at the
same period last time was 1526. H. Militonyan also
mentioned that the number of murders, crimes against
sexual inviolability. With the decrease of number of
crimes the number of robberies and plunder has
increased.
`We have arrested a number of groups that told about
several 10s of crimes they committed.’ The Police
representative blamed the people for the above
mentioned robberies saying: `We have revealed about 40
crimes when people saw that the door of an apartment
is open, entered the house and took anything they
liked.’
H. Militonyan assured that the police pay great
attention to disclosing crimes that had been committed
before but not revealed.
In fact, the policemen lead an active struggle against
crimes connected with drugs as a result of which 80
cases have been revealed this year. What refers to
disclosure of cases with drug selling there were 12
suchlike cases this year, whereas no case has been
revealed last year.
In reply to one of the correspondents’ remark about
the fact that it is mentioned in the report of US
State Department that Armenian policemen torture those
arrested Mr. Militonyan said: `If there are any
concrete facts, please, let us know about them.’ /Panorama.am/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROGRAM TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN MARZES OF KOTAYK AND HEGHARKUNIK THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 14 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The medical employees of the primary
health care circle of the Armenian marzes of Kotayk and Gegharkunik
don’t implement many of main instructions necessary for pre-natal,
post-natal, child’s care, consulting on family planning and treatment
of sexually transmitted diseases.
Zaruhi Mkrtchian, the Monitoring and Estimation Specialist informed
about this at the March 14 discussion, refering to results of studies
held in the above-mentioned marzes. The study was held within the
framework of the Renovate and Assist Reproduction Health program
financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Z.Mkrtchian mentioned that only the 35% of visitors knows which medical
services of the reproductive health are included in the package of the
free medical services adopted by the Government. According to her, the
majority of visitors informed that they paid about 50 thousand drams
(about 110 U.S. dollars) for medical services of maternal health and
neonatal care.
It was mentioned that the goal of the Reproductive Health program
with the duration of 5 years is to improve the accessibility of the
medical services of the maternal and infant’s care in the rural places
of Armenia. The program is implemented by the Emerging Markets Group,
Intrahealth International and Save the Children organizations. The
main circle of activity of the program includes re-training of medical
employees of the rural reproductive health and primary health care
level and allocation of necessary equipment.
The program has been implemented since 2004 in Lori, Shirak and
Tavush marzes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Author Pamuk “did not use the word genocide”
By our correspondent
NRC Handelsblad (Dutch newspaper)
October 17, 2005
Istanbul, Oct. 17. Turkish author Orhan Pamuk defended himself on
television against allegations that he had slandered his country. In
an interview with a Swiss newspaper, Pamuk earlier this year claimed
that “30.000 Kurks and one million Armenians were killed in these
areas and I am not the only who dares to speak about it”. This cost
Pamuk a trial that will begin in December.
However, according to Pamuk, many misread the challenged interview:
“I did not say: we Turks killed so many Armenians. I did not use the
word genocide.” The official Turkish line is that a genocide among
Armenians never took place at the end of the Ottoman empire.
The case around Pamuk is causing more and more fuss within and outside
of Turkey. The European Union, with which Turkey is now negotiating
membership, is very dissatisfied with the whole affair. Euro
commissioner on enlargement, Olli Rehn, recently visited Pamuk and
likewise British author Salman Rushdie, who had to go into hiding for a
long period of time because he was threatened to be killed by radical
Muslims, and took on Pamuk’s defence in a British newspaper. If this
already stirs up so much trouble, while the trial has not even started
yet, then cover yourself, well-known Turkish journalist Mehmet Ali
Birand wrote in a column last week.
Pamuk is being prosecuted based on an article in the new Turkish
Penal Code, forbidding slander against “the Turkish identity”. The
new code at the end of last year caused a great row between Ankara
and Brussels. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan wanted to criminalize
Adultery, which led to a severe admonishment from Brussels. The row
overshadowed the extremely vague articles on the slandering of Turkish
identity that appeared around the same time.
Earlier, Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was given a suspended
sentence of 6 months based on the same article. In an article, Dink
had called on Armenians to distance themselves from the “Turkish
part of their blood” because it “poisoned” them. According to Dink,
Armenians should focus on the future and especially on the new Armenian
state. According to the court, however, Dink had said that there was
“poison” in Turkish blood.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITALY TO SHARE EXPERIENCE OF TRADE CHAMBERS DEVELOPMENT WITH ARMENIA
Pan Armenian
06.10.2005 10:51
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met
with Italian Foreign Trade Minister Adolfo Urso, reported the Press
Service of the Armenian leader. Noting the importance of holding of
Armenian-Italian Friendship Days in Armenia, R. Kocharian stated
the event represents another opportunity to strengthen bilateral
relations. The Armenian leader assessed the rate of development of
the Armenian-Italian relations as satisfactory.
Adolfo Urso qualified the level of the Armenian-Italian relations as
excellent. He informed Italian entrepreneurs had arrived with him
and they have very promising impression of Armenia. In the Italian
Minister’s words, Trade Chambers are rather developed in Italy and
he had discussed matters of sharing Italian experience. Besides, the
interlocutors discussed question of promotion of small and medium
scale business. R. Kocharian noted Italian experience of linking
small and medium business with foreign trade is important from the
point of view of application in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Q&A: STUMBLING BLOCKS
The Daily Telegraph, UK
Oct 3 2005
After years of build-up, the launch of EU entry talks with Turkey in
Luxembourg should have been an occasion for celebration.
Why is Austria so against Turkey’s membership?
But Austria raised last-minute objections, and the EU only came
up with a last-minute offer for Ankara. We look at the main issues
of contention.
Q: What had caused the deadlock in talks?
A: Austria wanted to change the wording in the negotiating text to
make it clear that Turkey might have to settle for less than full
membership of the EU.
Q: Is there anything else which held up the talks?
There are two other issues of contention. Neither on their own are
holding up the talks, but they are being used by Austria and other
hostile countries as reasons for keeping Turkey out of the European
bloc.
Firstly, EU politicians have demanded that Turkey recognise the
killing of more than one million Armenians between 1915 and 1923
as genocide. Turkey refuses to do so, insisting the death toll was
much less, and that most people died inadvertently from starvation,
disease and exposure.
Secondly, Turkey’s unwillingness to recognise the Greek Republic of
Cyprus causes a problem because southern Cyprus is a member of the
25-nation bloc.
Q: Why is Austria so against Turkey’s membership?
A: Austria’s animosity towards Turkey goes back a long way. It began
with a failed attempt by the Ottoman army to storm Vienna in 1683.
Public opinion in Austria is also anti-Turk, and with general elections
looming the current government may be playing to the electorate. Eighty
per cent of Austrians don’t want Turkey in the EU.
Q: Can the Austrians alone spoil the talks?
A: Yes, because agreement on the opening of any EU expansion talks
requires unanimity.
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, keeps pointing out that the
Austrians fully signed up to the exact terms of the Turkey enlargement
negotiations last December and again in June.
Q: So what’s changed?
A: Nobody’s quite sure, but there has been a hardening of views
in Vienna, based on two rejections of the EU draft constitution in
France and the Netherlands. The proposed membership of Turkey was
one of the reasons for the rejections.
Linked to this is Austria’s unhappiness that the EU has put enlargement
talks with Croatia (Austria’s close ally) on hold because Zagreb is
not co-operating in the hunting down of war criminals.
Q: So what does Austria want exactly?
A: It wanted to toughen the Turkey text, deleting a reference to
“full membership” as the EU’s shared objective of the talks and
amending that to a “privileged partnership”.
It also wanted to replace a reference to the “strongest-possible bond”
with Turkey to “an alternative bond”.
Finally, it wanted to harden up a clause which allows the EU to pull
the plug if it can’t “absorb” Turkey by the time the enlargement
negotiations end in about 10 years.
Q: What does Jack Straw say?
A: There is little room for concession on the first and second
requests, but there may be some leeway on the wording “absorption”.
But Mr Straw says the final text already clearly states that the
negotiations with the Turks are “an open-ended process, the outcome
of which cannot be guaranteed”.
Q: Isn’t that good enough for the Austrians?
A: Clearly not, but they are totally isolated. France and a few other
members have their doubts about Turkey, but all European states except
Austria agree talks should begin.
One reason given is that beginning the talks will send a positive
signal to the Middle East that the EU is not merely a “Christian club”.
Q: If the talks do go ahead, when will Turkey join the EU?
A: Even if the talks start on time, they will last 10 years, and
some countries, including Austria and France, will have referendums
on the outcome, which will almost certainly vote down the Turks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PERINCEK LEAVES FOR SWITZERLAND TO GIVE TESTIMONY
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 17 2005
ISTANBUL – Labor Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek left for Switzerland
on Saturday to give testimony in Lausanne Prosecutor’s Office.
Prior to his departure, Perincek told reporters, “I will give testimony
at 9.00 a.m. on September 20th.”
Perincek reminded, “when an investigation was opened against Turkish
Institute of History (TTK) Chairman Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu,
I went to Switzerland and told reporters that so-called Armenian
genocide allegations are nothing but lie. Accusation about me stems
from this statement.”
“I am very pleased that such investigations are opened because the
opportunities to show realities increase,” he added.
“Our struggle will continue until Swiss Parliament abolishes the
resolution which recognizes so-called Armenian genocide. We will
violate this inquisition decision again. Tomorrow we will give a
conference in Switzerland about Armenian issue. We are establishing
a defense line for Turkey in Europe,” he said.
Perincek said, “I am taking English, German and French publications
with me which show realities about Armenian issue. I will show these
documents during my meetings there. Also I will put them in court
files. I will submit them to prosecutor’s office because they do not
know realities. This is a prejudice and we will destroy it.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: [email protected]

13 September 2005
COMMEMORATING THE FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS AND ARRIVAL OF
THE NEWLY APPOINTED CLERGY TO THE DIOCESE
Sydney, Australia – It was one of the five major feast days of the
liturgical calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church on Sunday, the Feast of
the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and in union with Armenian Apostolic
Churches worldwide, in the Church of Holy Resurrection in Sydney, His
Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of Australia and New Zealand celebrated a glorious Holy Mass
empowering his congregation with Christ’s love and message of hope.
In his sermon, the Primate rationalised the significance of the Holy Cross
for those of Christian faith. “Before Christ, the cross was a symbol of
persecution and adversity” he said, “but in Christ the cross became a symbol
of love and sacrifice ~ Christ’s love for mankind and Christ’s sacrifice for
the salvation of all mankind.” The cross bears for all Christians, a mark
of hope that is found in the resurrection and the promise of life eternal
with our Maker.

Following Holy Mass, the traditional Antasdan ceremony took place ~ the
blessing of the four corners of the world seeking God’s provision for Church
authorities, civil authorities, monasteries, cities, land and produce of the
world.

The feast day was ever so special for the Diocese of Australia with the
arrival of Very Reverend Father Vardan Navasardyan, appointed to serve the
Diocese by His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, who arrived from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin early the
same morning. Father Vardan, baptised Arsitakes, was born 4 August, 1979 in
Yerevan. He commenced his seminarian studies at Shirak Theological Seminary
and attained his Bachelor of Theology from Gevorkian Theological Seminary in
St Etchmiadzin. Fr Vartan was ordained a celibate priest in February 2003.
He was appointed Deputy Grand Sacristan in June 2002, served as a Lecturer
in Theology at both Gevorkian and Shirak Seminaries and was a theological
radio broadcaster at St Etchmiadzin.

Reverend Father Vardan will celebrate his first Divine Liturgy in Australia
and deliver the day’s sermon on Sunday, 18 September, 2005.
In attendance for the Divine Liturgy and partaking in Holy Communion, were
28 Year 11 students from the Hamazkaine Arshak & Sophie Galstaun School and
their Principal, Mr Kaylar Mikaelian. The students and their Principal will
depart Sydney on Sunday for a 3-week pilgrimage to Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabagh visiting the many historical sites, churches and monuments
that form part of the students’ Armenian studies. The pilgrimage offers
students the wonderful opportunity to connect with their ancestral homeland
and illuminate their souls with their cultural heritage.
During Holy Mass, the Primate offered prayers to the Almighty for the safe
passage of the group and blessed the pilgrims in their journey of
enlightenment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #162, 10/09/2005
Report
ARMENIA RATED 83RD IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2005
Foreign minister Vartan Oskanian and the diplomatic corpse of Armenia took
part yesterday at the introduction of “International Cooperation at
Crossroads: aid, trade and security in an unequal world” chapter of the
Human Development Report 2005. Vartan Oskanian took the floor to say that
Armenia’s position is not that bad from the first sight but stated that
globally there is still much work to be done. According to human development
index, Armenia is rated 83d among 177 states which is good perhaps but, as
Oskanian said, “it should be no relief for our conscience and mind” as we do
not live so far as we would like to do.
Permanent UN representative, Consuelo Vidal, stressed the importance of the
HDR 2005 as it includes the issue of global cooperation.
Aghasi Mkrtchian, economist of the Human Development Project, represented
the HDR 2005. He said that the report highlights inequality in the world,
which should be considered a primary issue for every state while setting a
policy. Mkrtchian cited Armenia’s example, according to which poverty
outside Yerevan is 70 percent more. In four Armenian provinces –
Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn, Shirak and Armavir – poverty is getting up the
curve, report of 2003 says.
By Aghavni Harutyunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress