Author: Hakobian Adrine

AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS: MEETING IN SAINT-PETERSBURG EXPECTED TO TURN FRUITLESS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 7 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr S. Aghayeva / Independent Azerbaijani
politicians do not expect the forthcoming meeting between Azerbaijani
and Armenian Presidents in Saint-Petersburg to result in a serious
break-through in the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

"I do not see changes in Armenian society that could lead to the
decisions by Armenian President, Robert Kocheryan, that could make a
possible break-through at the talks," Ilgar Mammadov, a politician,
stated.

According to Mammadov, the process of negotiations and the layout
of the peace agreement must provide an answer for the main question
which is being posed, ‘to which country will the Nagorno-Karabakh
region remain part of, after the settlement?’ "If Armenian society is
ready to provide an answer for this question, then that will satisfy
the Azerbaijani side, to be exact if the sovereignty of Azerbaijan
is restored and Nagorno-Karabakh remains a part of the country, then
the break-through will be possible. If not, then I will be confused
by the optimism of the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairmen," Mammadov said.

As to determination of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the politician
said that if any procedure provided for self-determination of
Nagorno-Karabakh as a composite part of Azerbaijan, then it would be
acceptable for Azerbaijan.

According to another politician, Rasim Musabeyov, the forthcoming
meeting of the Presidents in Saint-Petersburg can be considered to
be successful, providing the Presidents say to journalists after the
meeting that the positions of the sides had been drawn together.

Nothing else should be expected from the meeting. Holding a referendum
in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to determine its status contradicts
Azerbaijani constitution, the politician said. "I do not believe
Azerbaijan will agree at the meeting to hold the referendum,"
he stressed.

–Boundary_(ID_z4DMg/zTVyIcL24/u1ap2w)- –

ARMENIA, GEORGIA TO HOST IRANIAN FILM

Press TV, Iran
June 7 2007

The Poet of the Wastes by Mohammad Ahmadi

An Iranian movie The Poet of the Wastes is scheduled to be screened
at two international film festivals in Armenia and Georgia.

The first feature-length made by Mohammad Ahmadi will be presented
at the competition section of the film festivals this summer.

The Poet of the Wastes (2005) narrates the story of a street
sweeper who discovers secrets of the neighborhood by collecting the
inhabitants’ garbage. In this course, he gets involved in romantic
and social adventures.

The film’s screenplay was written by the internationally acclaimed
filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

Leila Hatami, Farzin Mohaddes and Mohammad Eskandari are among
the cast.

The film has been featured in several international events including
the 10th Pusan International Film Festival, South Korea, 2005,
the 41st Chicago International Film Festival, US, 2005 and the 5th
Tiburon International Film Festival, USA, 2006.

It has also won "City of Milan" Prize awarded by the Milan City
Council to the feature film receiving the greatest number of votes
from the public from the 16th African, Asian and Latin American Film
Festival, and Ecumenical Award from the 36th Molodist International
Film Festival, Ukraine.

MOTIVATED DECISION OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

A1+
[05:10 pm] 07 June, 2007

Today the RA Constitutional Court discussed the incorrectness of voting
lists in 5/31 election district. According to the facts presented
by the "Impeachment" block, information on 24 persons was wrong,
since 21 of them was abroad and 3 were dead.

Reflecting on the issue, Deputy Chief of Police Ararat Mahtesian noted
that one of the 3 dead persons died in Armenia and his name was removed
from the list. As to the other two, the police found out that one died
in the US and the other person in the Czech Republic. Mr Mahtesian
considered the presence of their names in the voting lists natural,
since the police was not aware of it.

The plaintiff part proposed to involve experts and witnesses in
the discussion. Artak Zeinalian, member of the "Republic" party,
suggested demanding information from "Haypost" company on the number
of returned notices on the absent citizens.

To the question of "A1+" what expectations he had from the CC, Artak
Zeinalian answered: "In Armenia first decisions are made later on
they are motivated. The problem is not that the CC made a decision in
our favor, the problem is that the decision was fair and legitimate,
as well as motivated".

HI TECH ALLA KARABAKH

KarabakhOpen
07-06-2007 17:52:34

No definite steps have been made towards the development of high
technology in Karabakh. Only the law on government support to
innovative activities was adopted in March.

According to the minister of territorial management and development of
infrastructures Armo Tsatryan, the government will continue working
on the legislation. "If projects are offered within the framework of
the law, the government will fund," Armo Tsatryan said.

RUSSIA, U.S. AND GREECE MAKE LARGEST INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA IN 1988-2007

Noyan Tapan
Jun 06 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. In 1988-2007, the total amount of
foreign investments in the real sector of Armenia’s economy made 2
bln 576 mln 589.4 thousand USD.

As of late March 2007, Russias made the largest amount of investments –
846 mln 264.9 thousand USD. During the indicated period the US invested
240 mln 980.3 thousand USD, while Greece – 213 mln 988.1 thousand USD.

In 1988-2007, Lebanon’s investments in the real sector of Armenian
economy made 203 mln 683.1 thousand USD, investments of Germany –
190 mln 249.8 thousand USD. French companies invested 178 mln 456.3
thousand USD in the indicated period, Canadian companies – 155 mln 70.5
thousand USD, while Argentine companies – 122 mln 921.1 thousand USD.

Investments of Great Britain in the indicated period amounted to 78
mln 788 thousand USD, those of Cyprus – 62 mln 539.2 thousand USD,
of Luxemburg – 37 mln 810.3 thousand USD, of Switzerland – 28 mln
631.1 thousand USD, of Panama – 23 mln 494.4 mln USD.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, in the period
under review, investments of 12.5-17.5 mln USD were made by Bahamas,
Liechtenstein, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium.

In the indicated years 46 countries made investments of 1 thousand
USD or over each in Armenia.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2007
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: [email protected]

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES MILITARY PARITY FOR ARMENIA
AND AZERBAIJAN

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America commended the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs for maintaining military aid parity between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as well as other key provisions.

The Subcommittee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 State, Foreign
Operations Appropriations Bill yesterday, signaling to Administration
officials the necessity to maintain the careful balance between the
neighboring countries. The Administration, in its budget request to
Congress, called for $5.3 million in military aid for Azerbaijan versus
only $3.3 million for Armenia. The Subcommittee action would allocate
$3.3 million in military assistance to both countries, specifically $3
million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $300,000 in
International Military Education and Training (IMET).

"We commend Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking
Member Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) and the members of the Subcommittee for
maintaining military parity, which was envisioned as part of the
conditional waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act," said
Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Azerbaijan’s unabated war
rhetoric, despite U.S. demands to cease such provocative actions remains
troubling," Ardouny continued. "We also strongly encourage Congress to
continue to vigorously monitor this critical issue to ensure that the
principle of military and security parity is maintained throughout all
funding areas. Azerbaijan has rejected numerous proposals by Armenia for
confidence-building measures, and instead has dramatically increased its
military spending. Further, should Azerbaijan not cease its
anti-Armenian rhetoric, we urge Congress to suspend the waiver authority
it granted and reinstate Section 907."

The panel also approved $68 million in assistance to Armenia, which is
almost twice the Administration’s proposed level of $35 million, but
less than the nearly $75 million Congress approved in FY 2007. The
Subcommittee also approved $6 million in humanitarian assistance for
Nagorno Karabakh. In March of this year, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank
Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) along with 30 of his colleagues [letter attached],
sent a letter to Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Wolf urging $10
million for assistance to Nagorno Karabakh, including development
assistance, and not less than $75 million to Armenia in the FY 2008
Bill. The Armenian Assembly reinforced this request in its testimony
before the Subcommittee [see attached Assembly testimony], and was one
of 16 organizations invited to testify before the panel.

The bill also provides continued funding for the Millennium Challenge
Account program (MCA), which is aimed to bolster democracy, human rights
and market economies of developing countries. The panel provided $1.8
billion, while the Administration sought $3 billion. Armenia, based on
its record of performance in key indicators, is a recipient of MCA with
a five-year $235.65 million compact to reduce rural poverty and increase
agricultural productivity.

"We applaud the efforts of the Armenian Caucus, led by Congressmen Frank
Pallone, Jr. and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) to ensure appropriate funding
levels for Armenia as well as Karabakh, including a shift to development
assistance," said Ardouny. "As the Bill works its way through the
legislative process, we will continue to work to bring Armenia’s funding
up to last year’s level." Noting the international praise Armenia
received for the conduct of its recent parliamentary elections, Ardouny
also urged the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to expeditiously
implement the compact, which will impact the lives of thousands of
Armenians.

The full Committee is expected to consider the bill next week, with
action by the entire House of Representatives expected before the July
congressional recess.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

###
NR#2007-068

Editor’s Note: Attached is the full text of Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny’s written testimony, which was submitted to the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs on March 29, 2007. Also attached is the congressional letter
initiated by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and sent to Subcommittee
Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking Member Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) on
March 16, 2007.

RESULTS OF REFORMS IN RA ARMED FORCES TO BECOME EVIDENT IN SEVERAL COMING YEARS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 05 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 5, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Defence Minister Mikayel Haroutiunian
and high-ranking officers staff of RA Armed Forces led by RA Prime
Minister Serge Sargsian visited anti-aircraft defence military unit
located in Chobankara on June 5. Noyan Tapan was informed about it
from RA government Information and Public Relations Department.

RA Prime Minister said that for having a developed, modern and
powerful anti-aircraft defence it should be periodically modernized,
reequipped to ensure its cooperation within the framework of united
anti-aircraft defence system of CIS and CSTO member-countries. In
S. Sargsian’s words, reforms continue in RA Armed Forces and their
results will become evident in the several coming years.

AZARYAN DOESN’T LIKE THE LAW

A1+
[09:01 pm] 04 June, 2007

more images "14 665 irregularities did not affect the election
outcome. The plaintiff’s arguments are groundless and we cannot
recognize the parliamentary elections invalid. There was only a
slight technical shortcoming, nothing more." said Garegin Azaryan,
the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission, during the hearing
of the four oppositional forces’ suit.

"Prime Minister’s actions cannot be regarded as an abuse of power. As
for the raffle initiated by the Prosperous Armenia Party, we made
inquires from the party members and they refuted the rumors."

Azaryan said that he had been guided by the provisions of the Electoral
Code and he hadn’t followed Article 11 of the Law on "Television and
Radio," under which "political advertisements are forbidden at the
period preceding the election campaign and during it."

"Azaryan has made a striking announcement. He didn’t employ the law
as he didn’t like Article 11. This implies that the CEC Chairman
doesn’t like certain constitutional articles, therefore, he doesn’t
employ them," Nikol Pashinyan told A1+.

The hearing will continue on June 5.

Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia)
June 3, 2007 Sunday
Final Edition

BOOKS AND IDEAS; Pg. D9

Writer sees genocide as more akin to bullying than conflict

by Sue Montgomery, CanWest News Service

Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide by Barbara Coloroso;
Viking Canada; 272 pages; $30

To many parents, the name Barbara Coloroso immediately brings to mind
bibles on how to survive the turbulent and mind-boggling challenge of
raising kids. Best-sellers like Kids Are Worth It, Winning at
Parenting Without Beating Your Kids and Now I Know Why Tigers Eat
Their Young — her book on surviving the teen years — have provided
useful, practical advice for years.

Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide may at first seem to
be a major departure from her previous work. In fact, this
examination of three 20th-century genocides is a fascinating
extension of Coloroso’s books on bullying and on raising ethical
kids. It’s also the result of her 30 years of studying how ordinary
people can turn so extraordinarily evil and commit such heinous acts.

For sure, there will be historians skeptical of Coloroso’s conclusion
that genocide is simply bullying taken to its extreme; that it’s a
slippery slope from the schoolyard scene in which a bully picks on
someone as a growing crowd either joins in or passively stands by, to
hate crimes, to an entire group in a country being exterminated by
another.

But for anyone seeking an explanation as to why humans have behaved
in unimaginable ways throughout history — and continue to do so (see
Darfur, Sudan) — her analysis bears serious consideration. Her
experience as a mother of two, parenting expert and former Roman
Catholic nun, combined with years of travelling to places where
genocide has occurred, gives the book a human touch. She somehow
reduces the horror of genocide to digestible terms, making the reader
feel that perhaps he or she does have the power to prevent the
annihilation of entire groups of people.

"When individuals, families, communities and nations stand up to it,
leaders will no longer find support for the complicity that enables
it," she writes.

A big mistake the international community makes in dealing with
genocide is equating it to conflict and using the same tools to deal
with it, she says. Conflict is normal and is susceptible to reason,
genocidal behaviour has at its heart cold or contempt. Conflict
doesn’t escalate into genocide; bullying can.

Like her parenting books, this is well-written and well-organized. It
doesn’t bog down in historical facts, although she does include some
little-known ones, such as that only in 1982 Germany formally
recognized the genocide during the Second World War of the Sinti and
Roma, who had been killed along with 6 million Jews.

The book examines three genocides of the 20th century: that of the
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Jews and others in the Second World
War and Tutsis in Rwanda by the Hutus in 1994. Coloroso argues that
all three tragedies had a common theme and formula, with each group
of "genocidaire" learning tricks of the trade from those who killed
before.

What’s particularly compelling is the former nun’s call for a serious
discussion — in our homes, schools and communities — about the
complicity of religious institutions in hate crimes and crimes
against humanity, especially genocide. Tutsis in Rwanda, for example,
fled to churches, seeking sanctuary only to be hacked to death by the
thousands. The Nazis saw Jews as the evil "Christ-killers" and the
Young Turks wanted to do away with the Armenians Christian minority.

One of the similarities between the genocide of the Armenians and the
genocide of the Jews was an intolerance toward the elements resisting
assimilation, and the incitement of public hostility toward the
targeted group.

The rights of minorities to maintain a separate culture is an
often-debated topic in this country.

Sue Montgomery writes for the Montreal Gazette.

Oil & Gas Journal
June 1 2007

Armenia

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, May 30 — Blackstairs Energy PLC, private Dublin concern,
and Vangold Resources Ltd., Vancouver, BC, plan to explore blocks 4,
5, and 6 totaling more than 3.4 million acres in central and southern
Armenia.

The blocks have a 5-year exploration term and $2.4 million financial
commitment.

The companies plan to learn more about the petroleum system,
highgrade areas, and identify prospects to consider for further
delineation or drilling (see map, OGJ, Aug. 12, 2002, p. 36).

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