Author: Kanayan Tamar

NEW ARMENIAN LEADER PROMISES TO WORK WITH OPPONENTS
By Hasmik Lazarian

Reuters
April 9 2008

YEREVAN, April 9 (Reuters) – Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan promised
at his inauguration on Wednesday to heal rifts with his opponents, one
month after clashes between police and protesters killed eight people.

After the inauguration Sarksyan, as expected, appointed central bank
chief Tigran Sarksyan to be his replacement as prime minister. The
two men are not related.

With his right hand lying on the Armenian constitution and an
ancient religious text, Serzh Sarksyan was sworn in as president at
Yerevan’s opera house in front of an audience of hundreds including
parliamentarians and foreign guests.

"This ceremony takes place about a month after painful events, which
inflicted wounds that are still fresh," Sarksyan said in a speech.

"These wounds caused pain and bitterness to all of us. Today, I urge
everybody to look forward, together, to seek and find the path of
reconciliation, of development, for the future of Armenia."

Former Soviet Armenia, a Christian state of around 3 million people
which lies on the edge of the volatile Caucasus region, is an important
energy transit route between Asia and Europe.

Anti-government protesters say Sarksyan and his ally, former President
Robert Kocharyan, rigged a Feb. 19 election. Sarkysan was declared
winner of the vote with around 53 percent, beating his nearest
challenger who polled about 21.5 percent.

Armenian security forces broke up a peaceful rally in central Yerevan
on March 1, triggering the worst urban violence in Armenia in a
decade. Rioters smashed and looted shops during clashes with police
in which eight people died.

During the clashes Kocharyan imposed a 20 day state of emergency
which banned public meetings. Armenia’s parliament adopted legislation
tightening restrictions on holding protests, drawing criticism from
rights groups.

On the eve of Sarksyan’s inauguration both the New York-based Human
Rights Watch (HRW) and the Brussels-based International Crisis Group
released reports which strongly condemned the violence and restrictions
on demonstrations.

"The new Armenian leader is facing serious challenges," said Holly
Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW. "He should take
decisive steps to investigate the excessive use of police force and
lift restrictions on freedom of assembly."

Sarksyan, 53, indicated in his inauguration speech he would consider
softening the restrictions.

"For any limitation of rights and freedoms, including the right to
peaceful assembly, we must strike a fair balance between public order
and respect for the rights and freedoms of others, on the one hand,
and the right to peaceful assembly on the other," he said.

During Sarksyan’s inauguration between 1,000 and 1,500 protesters
laid flowers in the central Yerevan square where the eight people
had died in March’s violence.

Police watched on but did not intervene when the crowd started shouting
anti-government slogans. A Reuters reporter said the crowd remained
peaceful and dispersed without incident.

SERGE SARGSYAN CONGRATULATES WOMEN

armradio.am
07.04.2008 17:37

RA President-Elect, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan issued a
congratulatory message eon the occasion of the Day of Maternity and
Beauty. The message says, in part:

"Dear women, I congratulate you on the occasion of the Day of Maternity
and Beauty.

This is one of the symbolic occasions, when any of us wishes to
address warm words of love, appreciation and gratitude to our mothers
and wives, mothers who seeded in us the beginnings of the beautiful
and the kind, wives, who pass to the generations the feelings of love
for family and Motherland and commitment to national traditions.

On this beautiful spring feast I wish you happiness, health and
success."

AMIC GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO TAKE PLACE IN NEW YORK IN MAY

Noyan Tapan
April 7, 2008

NEW YORK, APRIL 7, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The General Assembly
of the Armenian Medical International Committee (AMIC) will take place
in New York from May 2 to May 3. At the end of the meeting the annual
gala dinner of the host association AAHPO (Armenian American Health
Professionals Organization) will take place in Manhattan, during
which Drs. John Bilezikian and Roger Ohanesian (from California)
will receive awards for their distinguished services to Armenia.

AZG Armenian Daily #065, 05/04/2008

National Interests

DEAR FELLOW ARMENIAN AMERICAN: DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF
ARMENIAN AMERICANS SERVING IN THE U.S. CONGRESS.

That’s right.

Today, the only Armenian in the U.S. House of
Representatives is Anna Eshoo, a great friend who
proudly shares both Armenian and Assyrian heritage.

In just one week, this could change. For the better.
With your helping hand, we’ll soon have a second:
Jackie Kanchelian Speier, a long-serving California
State legislator who is running in an April 8th
special election to fill the San Francisco seat once
held by the late Tom Lantos.

You can make the difference.

Your secure on-line donation today to Jackie’s
campaign will make sure she beats her competition,
wins her seat in Congress, and arrives in Washington
with the strongest possible support from the Armenian
American community. A powerful message to our friends
and foes alike.

With the vote just 7 days away, your financial support
is more vital than ever, so please take a moment right
now to give as generously as you can.

You will be proud you did.

Proud to see a gifted and courageous daughter of our
ancient people sworn in as a member of the world’s
greatest democratic body, and even prouder when she
stands up in the U.S. Capitol to fight hard – as she
has for years in California – for the views and values
you and your family hold closest to your hearts.

So please send a secure on-line donation right now and
join with good people from around the country in
writing a new chapter in the legacy of Armenian
American contributions to the richness and diversity
of civic life in the United States.

The Armenians in San Francisco are working hard –
volunteering, raising funds, and getting out the vote.
On April 8th, they will cast their votes for Jackie
Kanchelian Speier. You can cast yours today by sending
your secure on-line donation.

Every dollar makes a difference, so please give what
you can. Whether it’s $500, $100, or even $25, every
donation makes a difference.

Thank you and warmest wishes to you and your family,
Roxanne MakasdjianANC-PAC ActivistP.S. Please take a
look at Jackie Kanchelian Speier’s record of strong
leadership on Armenian issues: Jackie Kanchelian
Speier on her Armenian heritage: "I attribute my
ability to withstand adversity and survive in the
political arena to my Armenian blood," Jackie has
explained. She was referring to the 1978 Jonestown,
Guyana mass murder during which Congressman Leo Ryan
was killed and Jackie, his young staff aide, was shot
five times. "As I lay on the tarmac shot several times
and left to die… I think my ability to survive can be
attributed to my Armenian heritage. As you know,
Armenians are known for their ability to withstand
atrocities greater than anyone can imagine."

Jackie Kanchelian Speier on her Armenian family and
the Armenian Genocide: "Growing up, I remember my
mother sharing stories about her relatives who were
killed during the Armenian Genocide. And I have read
over and over and over again Ambassador Henry
Morgenthau’s telegram to the Secretary of State, dated
July 16, 1915: ‘Deportation of and excesses against
peaceful Armenians is increasing and from harrowing
reports of eye witnesses it appears that a campaign of
race extermination is in progress under a pretext of
reprisal against rebellion.’ We are told by some to
forget the Armenian Genocide. We have a Secretary of
State that says, ‘Get over it.’ But we will not forget
and we will not get over it. We demand justice,
because we know as students of history that our world
is more dangerous to everyone if it is allowed to
dismiss the Armenian Genocide. We demand justice
because we cannot allow the murder of a nation with
impunity. If the US is to be the leader of the free
world, we need to lead on this issue, not follow the
Turkish government’s immoral attempts to bury the
truth."

ALEKPER MAMEDOV: AZERBAIJAN WILL ONLY GET CHANCE OF RECLAIMING TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ARMENIA THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF TIES WITH WEST AND ACCESSION TO NATO

Day.Az
April 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Ilya Faynzilberg’s interview with Alekper Mamedov

Azerbaijan must seek closer ties with NATO

[Correspondent] Alekper muallim [form of address], what do you think
about the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan
signed by Azerbaijan and NATO and the cooperation under the Partnership
for Peace programme?

[Mamedov] I am convinced that Azerbaijan will only get a chance of
reclaiming territories occupied by Armenia through the development
of ties with the West and accession to NATO. One can cite Turkey
as an example of the positive impact of accession to NATO in terms
of the army’s combat potential and the country’s influence on
the international stage. Moreover, by joining NATO Azerbaijan will
reiterate its aspiration to endorse Western values, to democratize the
country and to build a society where the protection of the rights of
every citizen, the freedom of speech and equal protection of the law
for everyone regardless of his or her position are sacred principles.

Unfortunately, we still have problems in these areas and it is too
early to speak of Azerbaijan’s accession to NATO. It is, however,
necessary to step up the work in this director because otherwise the
other two states of the South Caucasus could join the organization
before we do.

[Correspondent] Unfortunately, we have all witnessed Russia’s extremely
nervous and often aggressive reaction to Ukraine’s and Georgia’s rapid
advancement towards NATO membership. In your opinion, is it possible
that Russia will turn equally aggressive towards Azerbaijan when the
prospect of our country’s accession to NATO becomes more realistic?

Russia exerting pressure on former Soviet republics

[Mamedov] Such unfolding of events cannot be ruled out and is actually
quite likely. Russia has imperialist ambitions and has always hoped
to restore its influence in the entire post-Soviet area.

Naturally, Russia’s ambitions have become much bigger now that the
revenues from the export of energy resources have increased and the
country resorts to "gas blackmail" against Europe more and more often.

Moreover, the Russian leadership has endorsed the "ideology of a
besieged fortress" and this is the reason why NATO’s expansion to the
East is interpreted as a threat to Russia by the Kremlin. This view is
fundamentally wrong. At least the NATO Charter does not say anything
about the organization’s plans to take any kind of action against
Russia. On the other hand, the Charter says that all member-states
of NATO are obliged to aid a member-state whose territorial integrity
comes under threat.

This contradicts Russia’s plans as it intends to continue exerting
pressure on the former Soviet republics by enflaming ethnic and
international conflicts. We have witnessed these kinds of moves
by Russia in Nagornyy Karabakh, the Dniester region, South Ossetia
and Abkhazia. It is possible that Russia will attempt to capitalize
on the failure to resolve the Karabakh conflict to exert pressure
on Azerbaijan when the decision on our country’s accession to NATO
is made.

But we need to prepare for these kinds of provocations and to make a
final choice in favour of Western values in general and integration
with NATO in particular because Russia will never stop supporting
Armenia, which means that we should not expect Russia to promote a
fair settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Need for civil control over army

[Correspondent] As we know, establishment of institutions that
exercise democratic and civil control over the army is one of the
conditions for a country’s accession to NATO. What has Azerbaijan
done in this respect?

[Mamedov] It is true that establishment of institutions that carry out
democratic and civil control over the army is among the provisions
of the Individual Partnership Action Plan signed by Azerbaijan and
NATO. It has to be noted that the Defence Ministry has done its best
to obstruct the implementation of this provision of cooperation with
NATO in the past.

However, the calls voiced by our public and the work carried out by
the NATO leadership have led to some positive changes in this area.

Various options for the resolution of the problem are being put forward
at present. Specifically, the OSCE has drawn up a plan whereby the
local NGOs that are working on the army’s problems are to form an
association that would exercise civil control over the armed forces
"under the umbrella" of Milli Maclis. There is, however, a danger
that the Defence Ministry which, in my opinion, does not want real
professionals and truly independent military experts to exercise
control over the army could form a number of similar NGOs in order
to ensure that an individual loyal to the ministry is elected as the
coordinator of the organization.

This would exclude the possibility of establishing genuine control over
the army. There is also a risk that the NGOs working on the problems
of Azerbaijan’s integration with NATO will be primarily concerned
with obtaining the grants allocated for the civil control over the
army instead of concentrating on real efforts to resolve the problem.

I would therefore suggest that the OSCE undertake to act as a
coordinator of the dialogue between the truly independent NGOs that
work on military problems and the state bodies, helping them to do
their work and exercise civil control over the army. This is the only
way of ensuring that the problem is resolved in a manner that meets
the demands and interests of Azerbaijani public.

BACCALAUREATE STUDENTS OF ARMENIAN EVANGELICAL SCHOOLS OF LEBANON TO PASS JOINT TRIAL EXAMS

Noyan Tapan
April 3

The Evangelical Coordinating Committee of Lebanon every year organizes
Joint Trial Exams for Baccalaureate and Brevet students of all Armenian
Evangelical Schools. The main aim of these exams is to acquaint the
student to the method of the governmental exams. Another important
reason for having these exams is to give the student an objective
evaluation of his/her work.

The questionnaires of all the subjects are prepared by all the teachers
of the schools, while the papers are graded anonymously. This year,
the Trial Exams have already started to take place on the 31st of March
at Armenian Evangelical College. They will end on the 4th of April.

TER-PETROSYAN AND GEBELS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
April 01, 2008

According to EDUARD SHARMAZANOV, we have activists whose thoughts
reflect the ideology preached in Italy and Germany in the late ’20s
and early ’30s of the past century.

"Particularly, if we compare Gebels’s 1928 speech delivered in Munich
and 1933 speech delivered in Berlin with L. Ter-Petrosyan’s speeches
delivered on the Theatrical Square, we’ll see that the principles
are almost the same. Both he and L. Ter-Petrosyan consider that those
who refuse to join their movement are scum and those who do not share
their ideology are traitors," he announced yesterday.

ZULEYKA BAZHBEUK-MELIKIAN: THEY SAW AND APPRECIATED ME IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Frankness,
clarity and intimate emotions prevail in paintings of
Zuleyka Bazhbeuk-Melikian, daughter of famous artist Alexander
Bazhbeuk-Melikian. A personal exhibition of this female painter opened
at the National Picture Gallery of Armenia last week.

77 works created by this Georgia-based painter in various years, from
the 1960s to "Appointment" painted recently, are on display in three
halls of the exhibition. Among these works are still life pictures,
landscapes, portraits and compositions. Armenian colors have given
a unique Armenian quality to Zuleyka’s canvases.

This is the first personal exhibition of Zuleyka in Yerevan. "I have
taken part in several group exhibitions in Yerevan but a personal
exhibition is something quite different. All responsibility is on one
painter, and you should be able to organize and present your works
in such a way that everything will be clear and understandable to
visitors." In her words, the impressions were very strong. "Everybody
was so delicate and tender; everybody was so attentive and impressed. I
am quite satisfied with this exhibition because my greatest wish has
been fulfilled: they in Armenia saw and appreciated me as a painter
with an original and distinctive style."

However, Zuleyka has another dream: to hold a personal exhibition
at the Union of Painters of Armenia and to publish a catalogue and
an album in Yerevan. "Of course, it will happen later. After a bit
of work. I want to paint more and to express the best feelings in my
soul – the whole humanity needs such feelings today," Ms Zuleyka said.

She started to paint at the age of 20. In her words, at first she liked
literature, then she grew fond of music but later she started painting
and it was the beginning. "At first I used to work continuously,
10 hours a day.

Father said that while being by his side, I have my own handwriting
and distinctiveness. It is wonderful: I do not copy anyone but I
paint as an individual," Zuleyka recalls.

Paintings of Zuleyka Bazhbeuk-Melikian are kept at state and private
picture galleries in various countries, including Russia, Germany,
Bulgaria, etc.

As a creative personality, she attaches importance to one thing: to
express her inner state in her paintings: "When I fail to do what I
want to, I paint in my soul, then I erase it. However, when this state
is over, the most important thing, which a painter has to convey to
a canvas, remains deep inside – it is a state when motions of your
hand and what you want to say are in harmony with each other. This
is most essential, these are my feelings and colors that complete
each other and appeal to everybody."

In the opinion of Zuleyka, it is important to be a true
artist. Influence is not so essential because the painters, poets
and musicians who have created universal values do not belong to
one nation. They are universal and belong to everybody – people
like Arshil Gorki, Sarian and Bazhbeuk-Melikian. "I am sure that
they cease belonging to a nation, they belong to the world and
humanity. In this respect we should have culture like the one which
France has developed over centuries for non-French artists living in
this country," she said.

"I love both Armenia and Georgia. Both countries are native to me:
in one I was born and grew up – it is all my life, while my roots
and my land are in the other country."

At the conclusion of the interview, the painter said that she has a
great desire to paint the unique, divine snow-covered mountains and
dark clouds of the road from Tbilisi to Yerevan. "I worship Armenia
and its inimitably colored nature."

She wished that there would be peace and quiet, infinite harmony of
soul and nature in Armenia.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMY IN 2007 GREW BY 73,7%

arminfo
2008-04-01 12:46:00

ArmInfo. Foreign investments in Armenia’s economy in 2007 grew by 73,
7% to $1337.0 mln, as compared with 2006, RA National Statistical
Service reports.

According to the source data, direct foreign investments (DFI) over the
reporting period grew by 43,3% to $669.8 mln. The portfolio investments
made up $0.14 mln and reduced by 1,4%. Other investments (available
funds and deposits, as well as other liabilities) totaled $667.1 mln
and grew 2,3 times. Foreign investments in the real sector grew by
34,6% to $845.4 mln, including DFI grew by 34% to $582.3 mln. Russia
leads on foreign investments – $449.4 mln and FDI – $293.2 mln,
which grew 2,1 and 1,9 times, respectively, as compared with the last
year. Foreign investments from Lebanon made up $134 mln and FDI –
$82.8 mln, which grew 2,1 and 72,5 times, respectively. Investments
from Germany totaled $55.3 mln, (completely FDI) and grew by
15.6%. Investments from the USA made up $33.4 mln and FDI – $25.7 mln
under growth by 2,4% and 3,8%, respectively. Investments from Argentine
totaled $26.5 mln and FDI – $18.2 mln under fall by 57,6% and 45,9%,
respectively. 30,9% of foreign investments and 25,7% of FDI over the
reporting period were attracted to the area of communication. 38,3%
of FDI – to the production and distribution of electricity, gas,
hot water and steam, and 10,7% – to the mining industry.

PENNINGTON: KARABAKH PEACEFUL RESOLUTION POSSIBLE IN FRAMEWORK OF OSCE MG ONLY

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.03.2008 16:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. is interested in a peaceful resolution of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, U.S. charge d’affairs Joseph Pennington
told a news conference in Yerevan.

"The U.S. administration views resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group only," he said.

Mr Pennington refrained from further comments.

"Ambassador Bryza, who is more competent in the issue will arrive in
Armenia soon," he said.

Earlier, Matthew Bryza voiced hope that the statement by Azeri Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov on intention to press for dissolution of
the OSCE MG "doesn’t reflect the position of the Azeri top leadership."