Author: Jagharian Tania

US SNOWBOARDERS AMBER STACKHOUSE AND ERIN COMSTOCK TO SHOOT A FILM ON ARMENIA

Panorama.am
16:03 04/03/2010

Sport

US snowboarders Amber Stackhouse and Erin Comstock, who are in Armenia
in the frames of the Sports Envoys project, presented the route they
have taken, referred to the mission and plans of their visit to Armenia
at a meeting with reporters today. They told Panorama.am reporter
they would like to return to Armenia to shoot a film in the future.

"Yesterday we had a meeting with the cinema institute representatives
and learnt what films are most represented at film festivals in
Armenia. I am particularly interested in "All Women" film festival.

Sure, I would like to participate in that festival and return to
Armenia with a film in the future," Amber Stackhouse said.

In turn, Erin Comstock highlighted that he is working on internet
materials now which have a smaller format. "Of course, I would
like to shoot a film on Armenia, but still I have to talk to
ROXY representatives. I am intent to shoot the film Saturday in
Tsakhkadzor. One day I will return to Armenia with the representatives
of "Snowboarding" magazine because here the landscape is very good I’d
like to extend our activity here," he added highlighting that the film
on this visit will be available in the internet in the upcoming future.

PSRC ADMITS THE ARMRUSGAZARD AGGRESSIVE
Hrayr Manukyan

March 2, 2010

As it was expected, the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC)
has approved the price suggested by the ArmRusGazArd company with
minor changes.

The ArmRusGazArd company suggested to increase the price from 96
dram to 136 dram for the users consuming up to 10,000 cubic meters a
month, and the PSRC approved the rate at 132 dram per cubic meter. In
addition, for the users consuming more than 10,000 cubic meters of
gas the company suggested to increase the price from 215 dollars to
256 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, and the PSRC approved the price
at 243.13 dollars. The reason why the PSRC approved lower rate was
connected with the calculations of the ArmRusGazArd company. For
example, the plan submitted by the company writes that it has 5200
employees, but the PSRC finds that this company can work with 4500
employees as well. The company writes that the median wage was defined
at 130 thousand dram, but the commission finds that they can pay
100 thousand dram. Of course it does not mean that the company will
fire employees or will cut down salary expenses, but it means that
these expenses envisaged by the company will not be calculated in the
company’s incomes and will be covered by the company profits. During
yesterday’s session the representative of the ArmRusGazArd company
presented the reasons why the price should be increased, and such
reasons are the raised price of gas import, currency exchange rate
growth, investments in the gas sector and reduction of natural gas
use capacity. The representatives of non-governmental organizations
in charge of the protection of consumers’ rights, as well as some
members of the Public Chamber, in fact did not have objections about
the increase of the gas prices after the explanations given to them by
the board chairman of the ArmRusGazArd company Karen Karapetyan. They
were mostly speaking of the impacts resulting from the increase
of the price. In the end everyone thanked for such "open and public
discussion" and said they hoped the other upcoming sessions of the PSRC
would proceed in such transparent conditions as well. "The process of
the price increase during the recent years shows that this process has
not reached the final point. We don’t know how much it will be, but we
know for sure that the price is going to be increased in the future as
well. We understand that most of the reasons are objective, but the
economy does not grow in our country, salaries are not indexed even
in the state sector, and generally there is no social justice," said
the head of the Consumers’ Rights Protection NGO Abgar Yeghoyan. "Next
year the price of imported gas on the border will be 270-300 dollar,
and if the prices are calculated according to this methodology, the
price will be more than 400 dollars. This policy of the government is
crossing the permitted limits, after which there are issues connected
with national security. A little has remained till the collapse of
the economy and if it happens, it will be nonsense to speak of the
ArmRusGazArd’s incomes," said Hakob Gharabekyan, a representative of
another organization involved in protection of consumers’ rights. The
chairman of the PSRC Robert Nazaryan and Karen Karapetyan answered
journalists’ questions.

Robert Nazaryan assured that the price of electricity would not grow
because our country will produce electricity and will not export a
part of it to Iran but will use this electricity to meet the demands
of the society. Former prime minister Hrant Bagratyan has raised
this question too and he asks how is the price for citizens twice
more expensive than the import price. "The rate of 340 dollars is
the equivalent of the price in dollar for the citizens. The median
rate of the gas sold to citizens and large consumers is 283 dollars,
VAT included. If we deduct the VAT from this amount (47 USD) and the
losses and current costs during transportation and supply of gas, it
becomes 225. Accordingly, the margin that remains for the ArmRusGazArd
becomes 45 dollars (about the 16% of the selling price), which includes
the current and maintenance costs for the gas supply system, as well
as the amortization and profit," said Karen Karapetyan. In answer to
Hrant Bagratyan’s observation that in the entire world gas is provided
to citizens for cheaper prices than large consumers the head of the
PSRC and ArmRusAGazArd brought a contradiction together and said that
in all places businesses buy gas for cheaper prices. In answer to this
observation Karen Karapetyan said that ordinary consumers use only 38%
of the gas supply but for providing this supply the company spends 60%
of the gas supply expenses on them. In answer to the question when
the ArmRusGazArd will apply for the next raise in the gas prices
Karen Karapetyan said that it depends on the future changes in the
market. However, he said that in case of drastic devaluation of the
national currency they would not apply for price increase as they
did last year as a result of the exchange rate drastic changes. In
answer to the question whether he is sufficed with the price set by
the PSRC Karen Karapetyan said, "As a manager I have been very passive
on lobbying for and pushing forward the rate we want," said Karen
Karapetyan. We asked whether the owners of the company might think
that the chairman does not work well and decide to fire him. After
thinking for awhile he said, "Maybe".

MONITORING OF CONTACT LINE BETWEEN AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN TROOPS ENDS WITHOUT INCIDENT

APA
March 3 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Under the mandate of the Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the contact line of troops in 4 km west of
Tapgaragoyunlu village of Goranboy region of the Republic of Azerbaijan
has been monitored on March 3. Azerbaijan Defense Ministry’s press
service told APA that the monitoring had ended without incident.

Field assistants to Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Imre Palatinus, Vladimir Chountulov and Peter Key
conducted the monitoring on Azerbaijani side, field assistants to
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Jiri Aberleh
and Jaslan Nurtazin conducted the monitoring on the opposite side
of the line of contact recognized as territory of Azerbaijan on the
international level.

‘AZERBAIJAN IS TRYING TO DISTORT IN SERIES THE ISSUE’S BEING’

Aysor
March 4 2010
Armenia

Azerbaijan and its administration are guilty of the fact that
Nagorno-Karabakh isn’t involved in the talks on Karabakh, said at the
press conference NKR Parliament Resident Representative for Foreign
Affairs, Vahram Atanesian.

He said that the NKR administration is ready to negotiate with
Azerbaijan and discuss all contentious issues only from a position
of an equal party, recognized by international community.

Vahram Atanesian said doesn’t think that the Karabakh talks have
entered into their final and decisive round.

"I think there haven’t been any key changes in the talks on settlement
to the Karabakh conflict, and one shouldn’t expect them in the near
future," he said.

There is some kind of break in the process, related to those various
falsifications and distortions that the Azerbaijani side makes to
the process of settlement and in relation to OCSE’s statements.

"Azerbaijan is trying to distort in series the issue’s being, process
of negotiations, and process of settlement. They consider all these
as part of ‘right of nations to self-determination’, as they it
repeatedly voiced," added Vahram Atanesian.

HAK: KOCHARYAN’S 4 BILLION TO KARABAKH

os17003.html
10:52:20 – 02/03/2010

The Armenian National Congress issued a statement which in particular
runs that recently, the Russian Versia and Vek news portals have
released reports on the property of current and former Armenian
officials. According to them, these people gathered their property
of several millions through abuse of their position because they
had nothing in common with business. The sources of the richness
are noted to be drug-business, trafficking, money laundering,
international terrorism.

According to the statement, the HAK has repeatedly said that by October
27, 1999, in Armenia, a corrupt predatory system was established, which
is a cynical denial of the dignity of people and a blatant challenge
to all the people. Under the published lists of marauders hid hundreds
of murders, broken destinies, the roots of emigration, demographic and
social problems. The motives for the crime of March 1, the threat of
the collapse of the Armenian state and the future of Nagorno-Karabakh,
the renunciation of the genocide are to be looked for in this list.

Here are the names of those people: Robert Kocharyan, Serge Sargsyan,
Hovik Abrahamyan, Tigran Sargsyan, Yervand Zakharyan, Sashik Sargsyan,
Grisha Harutyunyan, Arthur Baghdasaryan, Armen Gevrogyan, David
Harutyunyan, Vardan Ayvazyan, Gagik Khachatryan, Suren Khachatryan,
Harutyun Pambukyan, Alexan Harutyunyan Bagrat Sargsyan, Andranik
Manukyan.

The Armenian National Congress raises the question why the Armenian law
enforcement bodies did not respond to these publications containing
references to the commission of the crime. None of the officials
mentioned in the list responded. What would be the solution of the
Karabakh problem, if only some part of the 4 billion looted by Robert
Kocharyan was aimed at the settlement of Karabakh issue?

Congress proposes to establish, by the example of the fact-finding
group, a joint commission of representatives of government and
the opposition to test the facts disclosed in the aforementioned
publications.

TURKISH MFA: CONGRESSMEN SHOULD REJECT RESOLUTION CAPABLE TO HURT TURKISH-U.S. RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 11:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey expects the Foreign Relations Committee of
the United States House of Representatives to reject the Armenian
Genocide resolution, H.Res.252, which can "hurt Turkish-U.S. relations
and harm efforts to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia".

"Adoption of such a resolution would be a blow to not only
Turkish-U.S. relations but also efforts to facilitate peace and
stability in the Southern Caucasus," said Burak Ozugergin, spokesman
for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

"We want to believe that members of the Foreign Relations Committee
of the U.S. House of Representatives will act with a sense of
responsibility," he said, Turkish Press reported.

The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) was submitted to the
House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), on
January 30, 2007, during the 110th United States Congress. It was
a non-binding resolution calling upon the US President to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States
record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes. Upon
its introduction it was referred to United States House Committee
on Foreign Affairs where it passed a 27-21 vote and was sent back
for a full house vote. On October 26, 2007, in a letter addressed
to the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, four key sponsors of the bill,
requested a debate on the bill in full House to be postponed.

Another resolution affirming the U.S. record on the Armenian
Genocide (H.Res.252) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA), George Radanovich
(R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill) in 2009.

It currently has 137 co-sponsors.

HACKERS FROM BAKU ATTACK XOCALI.NET

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 13:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Xocali.net website, containing archive of documents
on Khojaly events, was hacked early on March 2. When the site
administrators started investigating who is attacking their network,
they detected Baku’s IP-address 81.17.90.144 of the Bakinternet
Network.

Xocali.net aiming to reveal the lies and false interpretations by the
Azeri media and various propaganda organizations has been subjected
to attacks since the very first day of its presentation. Attacks
intensified after the media reports openly called to hack Xocali.net.

In addition, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Elkhan
Polukhov called on the population "to involve in different social
networks on Internet to resist Armenians."

"Regardless of all these attacks, the truth about Khojaly and other
information about Azerbaijan’s falsifications will be spread through
all available resources," Xenophobia Prevention Initiative said in
a statement.

CONTROVERSIAL ’60 MINUTES’ AIRS AHEAD OF MARCH 4 VOTE

Hurriyet
php?n=controversial-821760-minutes-ahead-of-march- 4th-vote-2010-03-01
March 1 2010
Turkey

Turkish associations are protesting a private U.S. television channel
after it broadcast a program Sunday night discussing the tragic events
of 1915.

The "Battle over History" segment aired on CBS and was presented
by "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon. Simon acknowledged at
the beginning of the segment that there is an Armenian "genocide"
resolution currently moving through both sides of the U.S. Congress.

The segment was partly shot in Dey-el-Zor, in Syria, and according
to Peter Balakian, who was the most featured scholar on the program,
the place is a cemetery, where 450,000 Armenians were killed and
buried during World War I by Ottoman forces.

Turkey’s former ambassador to the United States, Nabi Sensoy, was
also interviewed on the program, though his remarks were aired very
briefly and interrupted by several questions. Sensoy stated during the
segment that there were no intentional killings and argued therefore
it was not a genocide. He said the tragic events during World War
I happened as a result of mass deportation and there were many more
killings during the war years.

In the cemetery, Simon, along with a guide who was described as an
Armenian dentist, Balakian and several children were seen gathering
joints of bones from desert terrain, allegedly bones of those Armenians
who were killed during the episode.

Both Balakian and Simon compared the Jewish population under the Nazis
with Armenians under the Ottoman rule several times. The assassination
of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was also recalled in the
segment, and Dink’s daughter was interviewed by the "60 Minutes" team.

Simon said past U.S. administrations have fought against similar
resolutions each year, and that Obama did not use the word "genocide"
during his visit to Turkey in April or in last year’s April 24
commemoration statement, even though he openly promised to do during
his campaign.

Ahead of March 4, when the "genocide" resolution will be put to a
vote at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the program was seen as
another venue to pressure U.S. lawmakers, according to many leaders in
the American-Turkish community in the U.S. They called on the Turkish
diaspora to protest CBS and "60 Minutes" for the segment before and
after the program aired.

Meanwhile, two Turkish organizations reacted on Sunday to CBS for
broadcasting a program regarding the incidents of 1915, Anatolia news
agency reported. The Federation of Turkish American Associations,
or FTAA, and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, or ATAA,
sent a letter to CBS executives to show their reaction to the biased
broadcasting of the channel.

Also, Turks living in the United States have launched a campaign to
protest the TV channel by letters, fax and email messages. "We are
sorry to see that a program that will lobby for the Armenians has
been broadcast on a TV channel in a period when Turkey and Armenia
are trying to ease their diplomatic relations with mutual protocols,"
FTAA’s President Can Kaplan said. ATAA’s President Ali Cınar said
they would continue their campaign against CBS until the TV channel
apologized.

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, March 1, 2010

AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New York and Los Angeles Donate
$2000 to American University of Armenia’s ACM Digital Library

By Aleen L. Khanjian

Los Angeles – The AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New York (YPGNY)
and the Young Professionals of Los Angeles (YPLA), along with many YP
Groups around the world, have embraced various fundraising projects that
they subsidize and support annually. In 2009, YPGNY and YPLA continued
their tradition of supporting one of these key fundraising projects by
donating to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital
Library in Yerevan’s American University of Armenia (AUA).

As Dr. Barry Levine, Director of AUA Computer and Information Science
Program, states, "ACM is the flagship computing organization supporting
research and educational activities on an international scale. It is
essential for our program, faculty, and students to have access to the
latest publications to support their research and educational efforts.
To this end, we are indebted to young professionals in New York and Los
Angeles for their continuing financial support towards the costs of
institutional membership in ACM, including the Digital Library
subscription." In response, YPLA Chair Narine Zardarian says, "As the
oldest YP board in the world, YPLA is committed to supporting one of the
AGBU Young Professionals’ nearest and dearest fundraising projects. This
is why our board did not hesitate to donate another $750 for this term."

As a staunch supporter, YPGNY also proudly continues its efforts toward
this worthwhile cause. "Each year, YPGNY hosts a specific fundraising
event, whose proceeds benefit the ACM Digital Library. On October 30,
2009, young Armenians filled Manhattan’s Canal Room for a Halloween Eve
"Rocktoberfest" featuring a musical showcase of Armenian artists. The
generous support of the young Armenian-American community in the greater
New York area helped raise $1,250 for the ACM Digital Library at the
AUA," proudly exclaimed YPGNY chair and Rocktoberfest organizer Aline
Markarian.

To date, AGBU YP contributions to this cause total over $10,000. In
appreciation of the generosity and true partnership represented by the
numerous fundraising activities of the various groups, the AGBU YPs were
recognized by AUA with an inscription of the organization’s name on the
marble AUA Honor Wall at the entrance of the campus, joining the
longstanding list of donors who share in this vision.

Satenik Avakian, AUA Library Director, says, "In the long-term history
of nations, the wealth of intellectual products is more consequential
and significant than material wealth. An informed and knowledgeable
society is what most nations are striving for and we as a university
have an important role to play in the development of such a society. ACM
Digital Library advances education through initiatives that address the
changing needs of students and professionals in computing and
information technologies. It is so important that the library provides
computer-based databases that allow students to conduct much of their
research without setting foot in the library."

There is no doubt that this cooperative effort is of tremendous value to
the university. AUA President Dr. Haroutune Armenian adds, "Your very
important contribution…provides a valuable technical resource for our
Computer and Information Science (CIS) students and others in the
community. In so doing, you are assisting AUA in providing American
accredited graduate education in Armenia. The thoughtfulness of AGBU
Young Professionals is helping to transform the lives of our students,
shape their communities and advance the development and well being of
Armenia."

The AGBU Young Professionals (YP) are a growing network of groups and
supporters around the world who are committed to preserving and
promoting the Armenian identity and heritage through educational,
cultural and humanitarian programs for young Armenians between the ages
of 22 to 40. For more information, please visit

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit

AMENDMENTS ALLOW RA PRESIDENT TO SUSPEND RATIFICATION: TELEGRAPH

news.am
Feb 26 2010
Armenia

Passing amendments to the RA Law on International Agreements, Armenian
parliamentarians adopted "exit strategy" from Armenia-Turkey Protocols,
the British Telegraph reads. According to the daily, this will allow
President Serzh Sargsyan "to suspend ratification and withdraw from
previously signed international agreements."

"The need for these amendments obviously stems from the current
situation with the process of ratification of the Armenia-Turkey
protocols," Telegraph quotes Armen Rustamyan — Chairman of the
Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.

The source recalls that the step undertaken by Armenian side occurred
in the light of Turkish Parliament’s protraction to ratify the
documents, however adding that both sides "traded accusations of
trying to modify the deal."