Author: Hambardsumian Paul

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT OFFICE OPENS IN AKHURIAN
Armenpress
Oct 31 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS: A regional office for management of
water resources of the Akhurian water basin was inaugurated today. The
office was established with the support of the USAID and PA Government
Services organization.
The office, furnished with advanced equipment, will manage water
resources of Shirak and Armavir provinces fully and part of Aragatsotn
province. Armenian Water Resources Management Agency set up in 2003
five regional water resources management basins. The Akhurian basin
has become the first to have its own office. The second will open
before the end of the year in the southern Kapan, the administrative
center of Syunik province.
Creation of these offices is part of a program designed to decentralize
water resources management system.

THE STATE CAN ONLY GRANT A STATUS
A1+
[07:58 pm] 30 October, 2006
Head of the Migration department of the Ministry of regional governing
Gagik Eganyan gets 4-5 applications a day from the Armenians of
Iraq. Today during the seminar titled “Dual citizenship and migration
issues under the light of integration processes” Gagik Eganyan
mentioned that about 600 Armenians have been granted temporary status;
390 of them are from Lebanon. “The citizens of the countries at war
choose Armenia as a safe country. But what is important is that 20
of the citizens of Lebanon are Arabs who could have found refuge in
other countries”, Gagik Eganyan said.
The Migration department does not have data about those who go back,
as “there is no request to inform us when they leave. But some of
them do leave, and it’s natural”.
According to Gagik Eganyan, Armenians living in foreign countries
must have ground for living in our country when they come back. Since
2002 Armenia grants those who migrate to Armenia status of temporary
protection. What is interesting is that the only thing the state
does is granting status: no help is offered when it comes to housing
or transport.
Asked the question what we will do if Russia follows the same policy
towards Armenians as it does towards Georgians, Gagik Eganyan answered,
“In that case not only the state, but also the Diaspora will support
us”.

AFTER ELF AND L’OREAL, TEFAL THIRD FRENCH COMPANY NAMED IN BOYCOTT
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 29 2006
ANKARA – Turkish Consumers Union named Tefal as the third company to
be brought under the boycott campaign against a new French company
every week following the French Parliament’s decision on October 12,
2006 concerning the so-called Armenian genocide.
Consumers Union had initiated the boycott campaign with Total (Elf)
petroleum retailer in the first week and brought L’oreal under the
boycott in the following week.
Consumers Union Chair Bulent Deniz called on the Turkish consumers
not to buy products by French company Tefal. Deniz said `From today
to the day that the unfortunate decision by the French Parliament
is withdrawn, we are not buying the products by French Tefal and its
subsidiaries Moulinex and Rowenta.’
Deniz expressed his confidence that the boycott against Tefal would
be supported by the consumers, like the Total and L’oreal boycotts
initiated in the first two weeks, and stressed that the boycott would
be decisively maintained until the legislation that criminalizes the
denial of the so-called Armenian genocide is withdrawn.
If the bill becomes law in France, all Turks and French would have to
accept what the Armenians claim about the past. Turks and Armenians
disagree on the 1915 Events. Turkey says about 2 million Turkish and
other Muslim Ottoman citizens were massacred by the Armenian gangs,
while the Armenians name the Armenian killings as genocide. Armenians
rioted against Istanbul and joined the occupying Russian forces. The
communal clashes and war curcumstances caused a great tragedy at
both sides.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Monument to Holocaust and Genocide Victims Opened in Yerevan
28.10.2006 16:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 27 a monument to Holocaust and Genocide
victims opened in Yerevan. Chair of the Jewish community of Armenia
and initiator of creation of the monument Rimma Varzhapetyan-Feller
made the opening address. Members of Armenian Government,
representatives of foreign embassies, media, Union of Nationalities of
Armenia, Jewish community members were present at the opening. As
PanARMENIAN.Net got informed, the opening meeting was accompanied by
violin music of Song of Songs of famous Armenian composer Willy Winer,
who announced a minute of silence to commemorate the innocent victims
of Holocaust and Genocide. Chief rabbi of Armenia Gersh Meir-Burstain
lit candles and read Kadish, after which music from Schindler’s List
film was played.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: “MAJORITARIANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXECUTIVE POWER’S RESERVE”
Noyan Tapan
Oct 26 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Hakob Hakobian, a member of the
“People’s Deputy” deputies’ group, deputy elected from Gegharkunik,
new Republican, stated during the October 25 discussions of the
amendments to the Electoral Code held at the National Assembly that
if the existing correlation of majoritarian-proportional places is
broken on account of the majoritarians’ reduction, the group may
present itself with the opposite initiative. NA Deputy Speaker, ARF
faction member Vahan Hovhannisian, responding that speech, noticed that
“People’s Deputy” joined the 2005 agreement for getting place at the
electoral commission. “If the proportional system is reviewed about
what we agreed, maybe, it will be reviewed as well,” the NA Deputy
Speaker said. In response to another part of H.Hakobian’s speech,
V.Hovhannisian said: “When I am said that political forces are afraid
as forward which side the majoritarian bends that force will win, I ask
you forward which side you have ever bent besides the authorities. Have
the majoritarians ever been with any political force besides the
authorities? No. They have always been the executive power’s reserve.”

ABDULVAHABOV: I INFORMED AZERBAIJAN AND USSR KGB ABOUT ARMENIANS PLAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 25 2006
Azerbaijan’s Court of Grave Crimes today continued the trial of
the gang led by Haji Mammadov, former high ranking official of the
Interior Ministry Crime Investigation Department, APA reports.
26 members of the gang stand trial presided by Judge Ali Seyfaliyev.
Defendant Ibrahim Bagirov answered lawyer Adil Ismayilov’s questions
on the murder of criminalist Rovshan Aliyev. He said that he planned
to meet with Haji Mammadov that day, but they could not meet.
Then Agil Huseynov, deputy chairman of International Bank Sebayel
branch gave free testimony and found himself innocent. He said that
he gave a credit illegally by Elchin Aliyev’s order.
The third defendant Hussain Abdulvahabov gave testimony about his
visit to Azerbaijani.
“I brought my family to Azerbaijan because of the war in Chechnya. My
brother Sidek Abdulvahabov also lived here. I wanted to go back to
Chechnya, but the border was closed. I always wanted to work in favour
of Azerbaijan. I informed USSR and Azerbaijan KGB (State Security
Committee) about Armenian’s plan to occupy Nagorno Garabagh a year
before the war,” he said.
Abdulvahabov accused the court of a loyal attitude to Haji Mammadov.
“Haji blames me in his testimonies. But the court does not let me to
clarify the accusations,” he said.
The trial will continue with Abdulvahabov’s testimony in the second
half of the day.

FRANCE MANEUVERS AND GIVES ARMENIA SOME TIME TO PREPARE
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am, Armenia
Oct 25 2006
A strange similarity can be noticed in the actions of the foreign
legacies in Armenia. The ambassadors do not make that significant
steps over the years of their work than when they prepare to leave.
The reason perhaps is that since they are diplomats, representatives
of other countries, their actions are restricted by the “imperative
mandate” and they beware evaluations and comments, meanwhile as they
are about to leave, they are more free, at least with regard to the
given country. The evidence to this is that the ambassadors of two
great states to Armenia the United States and France left with a noise
although they worked quite tacitly. We should not forget that after
John Evans had left, the U.S. embassy announced about extending facts
on corruption to the Armenian government. Meanwhile, they had insisted
on the contrary before Evans left. Henry Cuny outdid Evans with his
“post-diplomatic ease”. His five years in Armenia were so unnoticed
that some people were even surprised to hear that Cuny was ambassador
to Armenia for five years. And it is possible that for this reason
he decided to leave slamming the door behind him. And the slam was so
hard because it concerned the recent delight of the Armenian foreign
policy: the law passed by the French parliament and its influence on
the Turkish and Armenian relations. Ambassador Cuny literally stated
that our relations with Turkey is our business. This was but an overt
answer to the Armenian diplomacy with Commander Vardan Oskanyan and
“Commander-in-Chief” Robert Kocharyan, who used their entire arsenal
to present to the public from early morning till late at night what
a diplomatic victory Armenia celebrated by the decision of the French
parliament. Meanwhile, Cuny hints that it was not the goal of France
to interfere with the Turkish-Armenian relation and solve a problem
for Armenia but France solved its own problems, and the ambassador
naturally did not speak about these problems because unlike Armenia
in France they usually keep and solve their problems inside their
own circle.
I wish Cuny had stated that the relation with Turkey is our business.
He also advised to listen not only to the opinion of people who hurry
to thank France but also the young people who, besides gratefulness,
say that their future, if they want to live in Armenia, depends on
the dialogue with the neighbors rather than confrontation. In other
words, the ambassador of France conveyed to the Armenians that before
the delight and celebration of a decision made by another country
it is first of all necessary to realize the effect of this decision
on the future of their own country. Of course, Cuny cannot imagine
that moral victories are of more value in Armenia because these do
not require special intellect and efforts, all they take is some PR.
Moreover, he cannot imagine that the people who deal with the foreign
policies and who should have calculated and analyzed for the people
what practical use the bill adopted by the French parliament would have
for the future of the country are in reality busy analyzing their own
future, not the future of the country and people. And they concluded
from their analysis that the decision of the French parliament is
what they need to stir emotions and turn into a means of praising
themselves. And while anyone in Armenia who would speak against this
public psychosis propagated by the government would immediately be
characterized as a betrayor, a false Armenian or a foreign agent,
it is impossible to say the same about the French ambassador. He
cannot be a betrayor, a false Armenian and especially a foreign
agent. Consequently, he did not have any motivation stemming from the
logic of the Armenian government to announce what he announced only
five days before leaving Armenia. In other words, the motivation is
quite different, and the ploughmen of the Armenian foreign policies
should at least now make an effort to analyze and get the meaning of
Cuny’s words.
It appears that by hinting that the bill on the genocide has nothing
to do with the Turkish-Armenian relation and the future of Armenia
Cuny definitely opposed to the parliamentarians of his own country,
who asserted that they adopted the bill out of moral standards and
support to the Armenian people. This may be true, and it may even
appear that like in Armenia in France too the right had does not know
what the left hand is doing. But again this is what the logic of the
Armenian elite suggests. In reality, it is highly probable that Cuny
is preparing the failure of the bill on the genocide in the Senate or
at the Palais d’Elisees, where Jacques Chirac may simply decline to
sign the law. We should not forget that Chirac will retire soon and
he may agree to accept the blow, namely the dissatisfaction of the
Armenian voters in France. In other words, it is more expedient that
the French Senate adopts the law not to arouse dissatisfaction among
the Armenian voters, meanwhile Chirac is the most convenient way of
preventing the triumph of this bill. France did what it needed to do
and now it does not need to go forward. The bill will prove useful
in their relations with Turkey, therefore it is not necessary to
adopt it right now. It may appear that only several days ago Chirac
spoke about the friendship of Armenia and France in Yerevan and he
would never agree not to sign the law. Meanwhile, Cuny’s words, who
is announcing, in fact, that the bill is against the interests of
Armenia, may serve this purpose. Hence, already an effort is made to
justify the possible move by Chirac, presenting it in the light of
the pursuit of the Armenian interest. Therefore, though it may seem
that the Armenian government should be offended by Cuny revelations,
it had better thank him for outlining so early the possible moves
of the French policy. The point is that the French ambassador simply
tried to help the Armenian government to take its time and work out
an action plan not to be given a surprise when the Senate rejects or
Chiract declines to sign the bill to include this move immediately
into the national liberation propaganda and present it as another
diplomatic victory of Armenia.

DESIGN OF ARMENIA-GEORGIA HIGH-VOLTAGE LINE TO BE COMPLETED BY LATE 2006
Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. It is envisaged to complete the
design of the 400-kv high-voltage line from Georgia to Armenia by the
end of 2006, after which a tender to choose a construction organization
will be announced.
Karen Poghosian, architect of Grig Realty company that implements
the design work, told NT correspondent that the high-voltage line
will be 215-km long. The customer of the construction is Georgia’s
Ministry of Energy.

A NUMBER OF CHILDREN’S SPORT CLUBS HOLD PROCESSION UNDER TITLE “SPORT AGAINST SMOKING”
Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 25, a number of
children’s sport clubs held a procession in Yerevan under the title
“Sport Against Smoking.”
As Ashot Levonian, editor-in-chief of the Sport.am web-site, mentioned,
the procession’s goal was to call on the youth to give up the harmful
habit of smoking. “With this action aimed at healthy way of life we
tried to show that one can be engaged in much more interesting business
instead of smoking,” he said. A.Levonian also said that it is planned
to hold another anti-smoking events by the end of November 25.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Missionary Association of America, Inc.
31 West Century Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
Tel: 201-265-2607
Fax: 201-265-6015
[email protected]
The AMAA Board of Directors with great sorrow announces the passing away
of its Ex-Executive Director, and Executive Director Emeritus, Rev. Dr.
Giragos H. Chopourian, who made the transition from life on earth to life
in eternity on October 11, 2006.
Dr. Chopourian was a great servant of God. He dedicated his entire life
to the Lord. He served the Lord and our communities around the world with
faithfulness, courage and wisdom. Through his selfless and dedicated
services he touched the lives of thousands of people. His departure is a
great loss for us but is a gain for eternity. May God bless his memory.
A celebration of Dr. Chopourian’s life will be held on Saturday, October
28, 2006, at the Armenian Martyr’s Congregational Church, 100 N. Edmonds
Avenue, Havertown, PA (Tel 610-446-3330). The celebration will begin at
noon with lunch followed by memorial service at 2:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Rev. Giragos
and Yeprouhie Chopourian Endowment Fund with the AMAA, c/o 31 West Century
Road, Paramus, NJ 07652.