Author: Kanayan Tamar

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
June 11, 2004
His Holiness Karekin II Departs for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
On June 10, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, departed for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland for an official visit to the Church of England, upon the invitation
of His Grace Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the
Anglican Communion. Following the ecumenical visit, His Holiness will
conduct his first Pontifical Visit to the Armenian Church Diocese of Great
Britain.
>>From June 10-14, His Holiness will stay in Lambeth Palace, which is the
administrative center of the Church of England. On June 11, the Pontiff of
All Armenians will meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by a
meeting with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace. In the
course of the trip, His Holiness will visit the Nikaean Club, the Shrine of
St Edward and Shrines of 20th Century Martyrs, St Mary’s Abbey (Anglican
Benedictine Women’s Community), and the King’s School, Canterbury. His
Holiness will also attend prayer services in Westminster Abbey, and on
Sunday, June 13, will deliver a homily in Canterbury Cathedral during church
services.
As part of the ecumenical portion of the visit, His Holiness is scheduled to
have meetings with His Eminence Gregorios, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great
Britain (of the Greek Orthodox Church), and the Council of Oriental Orthodox
Churches.
>>From June 14-19, the Catholicos of All Armenians will visit the Armenian
Church Diocese of Great Britain. His Holiness will meet with Armenian
community members, visit the St. Sarkis Armenian Church (Diocesan
Headquarters), and will preside during the celebration of Divine Liturgy in
St. Yeghishe Armenian Church. His Holiness will also receive the Armenian
community of Manchester.
His Holiness Karekin II is accompanied by His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian,
Director of Inter-Church Relations; His Grace Bishop Yezras Nersissian,
Primate of the Armenian Diocese of New Nakhijevan and Russia; Rev. Fr.
Mesrop Parsamian, Staff-bearer of His Holiness; and Dr. Radik Martirossian,
Rector of Yerevan State University.
##

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
June 8 2004
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONCERN FOR PEOPLE – PRIORITY
DIRECTIONS OF STATE POLICY IN AZERBAIJAN
SPEECH OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV AT CEREMONY OF NAMING
CENTRAL SQUARE AND AVENUE IN THE TOWN OF YEVLAKH AFTER NATION-WIDE
LEADER HEYDAR ALIYEV
[June 08, 2004, 18:21:38]
Dear residents of Yevlakh!
Dear sisters and brothers!
I am cordially greeting you all, and expressing my deep respect and
love to you.
A very remarkable event is taking place today in Yevlakh. These nice
square and avenue are about to be named after nation-wide leader of
our people Heydar Aliyev. On this occasion I extend my sincere
congratulations to all of you.
Nation-wide leader of our people Heydar Aliyev served the Motherland
and nation during all his lifetime. In 1970-80s, the great
constructive work was carried out under his leadership. The country’s
economy was developing leaving behind the rest of the Soviet
Republics. The people in the Soviet Azerbaijan, indeed, felt this:
standard of living increased, new enterprises, hospitals, schools,
scientific and cultural centers were built. It was exactly the period
when powerful economic potential was created in Azerbaijan,
particularly, on oil sector. This potential is serving independent
Azerbaijan even today, and is a great support of the country’s
economy.
After coming back to power in 1993, this time to govern independent
Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev continued to serve his people, and helped
the country out of difficult situation. We all remember well that
after re-gaining independence Azerbaijan appeared to be in the very
difficult situation. On the one hand, Armenian aggression against
Azerbaijan, on the other hand processes taken place within the
country. Chaos and anarchy were ruling the country. At that hard
time, the people appealed again to their nation-wide leader, and
invited him to Baku. After Heydar Aliyev returned to the capital,
stability has been re-established in the country, and favorable
conditions have been created here for further development. Since
then, Azerbaijan has been successfully developed.
Our country has managed to occupy a worthy place in the international
arena. My recent foreign visits have shown again that Azerbaijan has
turned into a very important country in the region. Of course, it, in
the first place, is the result of Heydar Aliyev’s efforts, triumph of
his diplomacy.
Huge investments have been made in our country, and Azerbaijan is a
leading one from this standpoint, as well. Today, a section of the
Baku–Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and large pumping station are being
constructed in Yevlakh. It of course became possible thanks to the
activities of Heydar Aliyev. If the oil strategy were not laid by
Heydar Aliyev in 1994, we would not achieve such successes.
At the same time, social problems are also resolved in Azerbaijan.
Living conditions of refugees and IDPs are improved – new
settlements, schools and hospitals are being constructed for them.
This process will be continued. I stated during my pre-election
campaign that no an encampment would remain in the country. In this
connection, relevant decrees have already been signed, and their
implementation has already started.
In a word, Azerbaijan has been strengthened under the leadership of
Heydar Aliyev for the past decade. Today, our country is looking to
the future with confidence. We have great prospects. The whole world
knows that Azerbaijan will shortly turn into economically powerful
state. To reach this goal, it is first of all necessary to continue
Heydar Aliyev’s policy. Today, taking the opportunity, I want to
express my gratitude to the people of Yevlakh for supporting the
Heydar Aliyev’s policy in the elections. There are no alternatives to
this course. And we will do continue that in all spheres.
Azerbaijan’s positions in the international arena will do
strengthened. My recent visits indicate once again that Azerbaijan is
pursuing very successful policy in this direction. Azerbaijan has
good relations with the world’s most prestigious international
organizations – Council of Europe, European Union and NATO, as well
as with the world’s leading countries.
Azerbaijan’s economy strengthens day by day and intensively develops.
Measures are taken to open new working places. Oil strategy continues
successfully and in early next year the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan MEP will
be put into operation. Social problems are solved. Last year the
pensions and wages have increased. These positive trends will
continue. We shall try to do our best to improve living conditions of
our people.
As you know, we have adopted socio-economic and regional programs
important for future development of Azerbaijan. These programs are
being realized. I am confident that in the coming five years,
realization of them will greatly benefit our Republic. We are
fighting poverty and this will be continued. Opening of new working
places is priority for us and I have several times stated on this.
Today, with a feeling deep pleasure I would like to say that about 30
thousand of working places have been opened after the President
elections. It is also pleased that these working places have been
opened in the regions. This is one of the major factors of our
policy. All regions of Azerbaijan should develop. All the regions and
cities, settlements and villages, all residential areas should
develop. The people should be employed. I am very glad that early
conclusions of this policy have become reality. I am convinced that
these trends will continue and poverty and unemployment will be
abolished.
Today, I am pleased of being in Yevlakh. It was said here that I had
visited Yevlakh before the elections and met the residents of
Yevlakh. I received their support and won at the elections. It is
rather pleased that large-scale works are carried out in Yevlakh. You
know that I have appointed a new head of the executive power in
Yevlakh. In the course of conversation, we have decided that probably
in six months I shall come here to familiarize with the done works. I
am very glad that this was two months. Large works have been done in
Yevlakh during these two months – streets and parks have been paved,
enterprises restored, attention and care for people increased. Should
these factors exist everywhere, Azerbaijan will solve its problems in
a short period. I hope it will be so. If in Yevlakh during two months
such large-scale works have been done, then, I am sure it can be done
on other regions as well. I have a demand for all the executives and
managers in the places – to develop the cities, regions, build and
open new working places, set conditions for entrepreneurs, assist the
farmers, peasants, at the same time attentively treat the people. I
am rather glad that all these are being realized in Yevlakh. I wish
success to the new management, the residents of Yevlakh in this
direction.
The grounds of this policy have been established in 1993. Should this
course of development not be taken in that year, today Azerbaijan
would face more problems. In those years, difficult problems of the
Republic were solved. Restoration of stability, maintenance of order
and rule and at the same time, as an important problem – the process
of strengthening of Azerbaijan statehood was launched. At that time,
the state independence of Azerbaijan was under jeopardy. As a result
of Heydar Aliyev’s gigantic efforts, significant steps were made in
this direction. To say, Azerbaijan, since 1996, has overcome all
these difficulties. Since that time, the country is developing
dynamically.
Today, we are optimist for the coming years. Morrow is bright. The
Country will develop, strengthen, become stronger and our crucial
problem – the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh problem find its
solution. I am confident. Our cause is fair. We support justice, want
to restore territorial integrity of our Country. We try this conflict
to find its solution in the frame of international law and
peacefully. At the same time, we should be ready for all other
happenings. We have no claims on territories of others and will not
give a span of Azerbaijani land to others. We shall liberate our
native lands. We are going to do it in peaceful way. Should it not be
possible, we shall do it by all means.
Heydar Aliyev’s policy should be continued to solve the forthcoming
tasks and problems. Azerbaijan needs this policy today and it will
need it tomorrow. I have stated to adhere to this policy before the
elections and I am devoted to this policy today and will not
backtrack from this. We shall go only forward and to new
accomplishments.
Dear residents of Yevlakh, I once again congratulate you on naming
this Square and Avenue after the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar
Aliyev, wish you new successes, new victories. Thank you.

Fighting for Life: “I couldn’t bury my daughter alive”
Yulia Kirnitski and Janar Amankulov, ArmeniaNow Interns
ArmeniaNow
04Jue2004
The little girl who has few reasons to smile is holding a ball that
says: “Smile ! Jesus loves you!”
Liana, age 10, was not expected to be alive by now. She has acute
myelogenous leucosis, one of the most fatal forms of leukemia.
Four months ago doctors told her father that the girl was too sick to
even bother staying in hospital. They told him to take her home. To
die.
“I couldn’t bury my daughter alive,” says Aram Givargizov, Liana’s
father. “I knew I had to do everything to save my child and I insisted
on her hospitalization.”
The disease has completely destroyed the girl’s bone marrow and
the level of white blood cells was 10 ten times below normal,
says the doctor who treats Liana at the Institute of Hematology,
Samvel Agatelyan.
In her first month of treatment, she had 25 blood transfusions because
of non-stop bleeding from her gums.
Liana lives with her parents and two sisters, in Upper Dvin, a village
of about 3,000 in the Artashat region, some 35 kilometers south of
Yerevan. Her father is Assyrian; her mother is Armenian.
At the end of last year the girl caught cold. There is no hospital
in Upper Dvin. There’s only one doctor, who examined Liana and said
she had a usual case of flu.
But when Liana’s health worsened, her parents took her to doctors in
Artashat. There, the discovery of her true condition was devastating
and incomprehensible.
“She never fell ill when she was little,” recalls Anna Khachaturyan,
Liana’s mother.
The doctor says that if she’d been brought to the hospital a week
later, it would have been impossible to save the girl.
Only 15 percent of patients with her diagnosis are cured. Intensive
treatment lasts a year and a half and consists of four courses. On
whole, patients have to be under a doctor’s observation for five
years to get the disease to a manageable level.
After the first course of treatment the girl’s state significantly
improved. The mother is happy saying, “Lianik’s analysis is clear.”
Agatelyan explains that “tissues of bone marrow have completely
recovered but there still are cancerous cells in the organism.”
After a month of being confined to bed the doctor allowed Liana to
walk, but not long. The first thing she did was ask her mother to
take her to a church and then to a merry-go-round. In the street
the girl never takes off her blue hat. It covers the balding effects
of chemotherapy.
Liana says that during the long days spent in hospital she likes
most of all to draw. Her drawings now decorate the pale walls of the
hospital ward. She especially likes drawing flowers and animals.
The first course of treatment cost $1000, says Anna. For a family
dependent on a teacher’s salary (an average of about $30 a month)
and whatever the garden produces to sell in market, the amount is
inconceivable.
But while money is hard to come by, the support of friends has
been plenty.
When villagers found out about Liana’s disease, they came to the
hospital to give blood. They also collected money. Anna says there was
a lot of support from the priest of Upper Dvin village, father Isahak.
Just recently Liana has started the second course of treatment. The
girl’s father says if they don’t manage to find money to continue
the treatment they’ll have to sell their only cow.
But giving up the family’s source of income would be a price worth
paying, especially seeing the improvement Liana has made in recent
weeks.
She remains in hospital. But these days, Liana can sometimes go
outside. She plays with her sisters and other kids at the hospital. And
the smiles in her room are not just on the ball in her hand.
(If you would like to send a letter of encouragement, or help Liana
and her family, write to us at [email protected])

INTERNET CHESS TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN DECEMBER
A1 Plus | 18:04:01 | 04-06-2004 | Sports |
Armenian Chess Academy has decided to organize Internet Chess
Tournament in December of this year, in which four best countries –
China, India, Russia and Armenia – will take part.
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan called on the Council for
Informational Technologies Development and its crews to take active
part in the event.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 3 2004
ONE-ON-ONE MEETING OF PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV AND
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE LEONID KUCHMA
[June 03, 2004, 22:57:13]
President Leonid Kuchma and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev had
a one-on-one meeting at the residence of the President of Ukraine on
3 June, AzerTAj correspondents reported.
President Ilham Aliyev thanked to President Leonid Kuchma for
invitation on a state visit to Ukraine and expressed hope that the
current visit would play important role in development of relations
between the two countries. Expressing his gratitude to the Ukrainian
leader for erection of monument to the national leader of Azerbaijan
people Heydar Aliyev in Kiev, Head of Azerbaijan State said that just
thanks to the efforts of President Heydar Aliyev President Leonid
Kuchma the bilateral relations between the two countries developed
speedy. As was noted the cooperation of the two countries in the
frame of international organizations is also high level. President
Ilham Aliyev also underlined his satisfaction with the economic links,
goods turnover and realization of joint projects.
Noting exclusive role of President Heydar Aliyev in development of
the relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine, President Kuchma said
that he always remembers him.
Touching upon the prospects of the bilateral relations, the state visit
of President Ilham Aliyev and the documents to be signed, including
the joint Statement the Presidents will sign, President Leonid Kuchma
said that this visit would open a new phase in the bilateral relations.
During the meeting, discussed were issues of cooperation in the
trade-economic relations, including in transportation of the oil
and energy carriers to Europe, international problems, cooperation
issues in the frame of GUUAM, mutual links with the European Union
and NATO, and exchange views on political, socio-economic situation
in both countries. The Heads of State also focused settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict. President Leonid
Kuchma stated that Ukraine adheres to peaceful resolution to the
problem, supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and would do
it henceforth.

Those dark, soulful eyes
The Age
Australia
May 29, 2004
Melbourne writer Carole Browne remembers a charmed moment with
Charles Aznavour.
The promoter was horrified at the question. “No, he won’t agree.”
“But surely I can ask him?” I replied.
“It’s a waste of time. You know he never touches women in public.”
It was 1976 in Melbourne. The man we were talking about interrupted
the exchange, which involved an introduction to a TV interview. He
was short, craggy and dressed in brown; brown jacket, brown trousers
and brown-striped shirt.
Even his thinning hair and long sideburns were brown.
An ordinary-looking man, until he smiled and spoke. The voice was
soft and accented, his face crinkled in an elfin grin.
Quickly I asked: “Monsieur, before the interview, I’d like us to
slowly dance for the camera. What do you think?”
A pause, a frown, a Gallic shrug and then a smile as he agreed. I
gently turned his back to the camera and danced, in a fashion, with
the man adored by millions of women, Charles Aznavour.
As we were the same height, around 162cm, it was easy to address the
camera across his shoulder. He then turned to thefront on the final
words, so ladies eat your hearts out.
Aznavour was then 52 and had that undeniable something, a
sexiness. During the interview, it was more than pleasant looking
into dark, soulful eyes or being aware of his sensuous mouth. His eyes
widened under bushy raised eyebrows when confiding that away from the
stage he loved simple things: shopping, cooking or just doing nothing
at home. Coyly he said he had learned to work with his hands. So
he was a handyman? He chuckled that, well, he could change a fuse.
Those expressive hands were never still, pointing or emphasising words.
Discussing early struggles, his censored songs and connection with
Edith Piaf, he became sombre. More than once he stressed that even
having known poverty as a child, his family had been very loving;
very different to Piaf’s life. Two years later, Charles Aznavour was
again in Melbourne. He looked happier and younger than before. His hair
was short and thicker, with just a hint of grey. No brown clothes ths
time. Instead, he wore a navy sweater with sailing pennants. He said
was going to be a sailor. He waxed lyrical about riding motorcycles
with his children down to a harbour and cruising in a small motorboat
he intended to buy. They lived close to Lake Geneva and he wanted to
visit cafes around the lake to sit, drink coffee and meet people.
When complimented on how healthy he looked, he was animated, raving
about his new saltwater spa bath.
>>From his mid-20s he had had arthritis and rheumatism. For years
he had felt like an old man. Grinning again, he sat back relaxed,
arms out wide, saying he had been cured and felt great.
Talking about his composition, Yesterday When I Was Young, I asked
if he would like his youth back again. No, he felt that life was not
long enough for him and it would not be interesting to step back and
do it again. No, he would much prefer to have a longer life with 20
more years to live.
Then he was only 54. Recently he turned 80. Happy Birthday – Bon
Anniversaire – Charles Aznavour.
Carole Browne worked for channels Nine and Ten in the 1970s.
This story was found at:

CHS students hear first-hand stories of survival
By MICHELLE COLE 05/28/2004
Coventry Courier, RI
May 28 2004
COVENTRY – High school students from across the state heard firsthand
the stories of survivors during Coventry High School’s first annual
History Symposium last Thursday.
The theme for the day was “Terror and Tragedy in the 20th Century,”
and presentations focused on three infamous historical events: the
Armenian genocide; the Holocaust; and the Cambodian genocide.
Nicole St. Jean and Mackenzie Zabbo, two CHS seniors, organized
the history day as part of their CIM project. The students had
participated in a “Terror and Tragedy” unit in their 11th grade
history class and decided to pursue the issues as their CIM project
to share the experience with others, according to Matthew Brissette,
social studies chairperson.
Five schools attended the History Symposium last Thursday, packing
about 450 students into the high school auditorium to learn from the
guest speakers.
“If [the students] can see things firsthand, it’s going to have that
much more profound of an impact,” Brissette explained.
With moving presentations from the survivors, students learned how
some childhoods end suddenly and tragically as young children are
caught in the crossfire of government changes and warfare.
For Loung Ung, one of the three guest speakers, her childhood – with
its memories of going to the movies with her father and sitting on
his lap eating fried cricket snacks – ended when a new regime took
power in Cambodia.
She was five years old.
In 1975, Ung’s family joined in the mass evacuation of homes from
the city of Phnom Penh and was forced to try to farm in primitive
“labor camp villages” in the countryside. She shared memories of
malnutrition and starvation and how she ate charcoal – imagining it
was cake – for her sixth birthday.
These changes were part of the new Khmer Rouge regime’s desire to
create a utopian agrarian society, Ung explained, and any who were
different or did not conform to this ideal were killed. Ung told
students how both of her parents – as well as 20 other relatives –
were killed by the regime. At nine years old, she was orphaned and
had to train as a child soldier.
In 1979 the Vietnamese army defeated the Khmer Rouge, and Ung was
able to escape the country. Today, she speaks to audiences about the
dangers of land mines – which still threaten the people in Cambodia
decades later – and the need for justice and peace. She is the
author of First They Killed My Father: a Cambodia Daughter Remembers
(published by HarperCollins in 2000).
“Peace is a choice. Peace is an action,” Ung said. Other speakers
included Moushegh Derderian and Alice Golstein. Derderian was born
in Turkey in 1911 and is a survivor of the Armenian genocide. From
1915 to 1923, more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the
Ottoman Turkish Government in a move to exterminate all of the
two million Armenians from the multi-ethnic Empire, according to a
handout. Golstein was born in Germany at the beginning of the Nazi era
and experienced many of the devastations leading up to the Holocaust.
“[The History Symposium] went very well for the first time,”
Brissette said. “Most students seem to be pretty positive [about
the experience].”
Brissette said he hopes the history day will continue in the coming
years through student organization and departmental support.

Armenian National Committee of New York
PO Box 693
Woodside, NY 11377
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
May 27, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tony Vartanian
[email protected]
CONGRESSMAN ANTHONY WEINER MEETS WITH
ARMENIAN COMMUNITY AT FUNDRAISER IN NEW YORK
— Armenian National Committee Activists Thank Congressman for Unwavering
Support of Armenian American Issues
NEW YORK, NY–On May 16, members of the New York Armenian-American
community, including a number of ANC activists, gathered at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Antranik Boudakian for a fundraiser for the New York
City mayoral campaign of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner (D-NY 9).
Mr. Boudakian welcomed Congressman Weiner and thanked him for his
ardent support of issues concerning Armenian Americans, especially for
Armenian Genocide recognition. He then showed a clip of Congressman
Weiner’s inspirational speech at the Genocide Commemoration organized
by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York on April 23 at
the City Hall of New York.
After his distinguished service on the New York City Council,
Congressman Weiner was elected to the United States House of
Representatives in 1999, representing the boroughs of Queens and
Brooklyn in New York City. He is a Democratic Whip and serves on
numerous prominent committees such as the Judiciary Committee, Science
Committee (Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics) and Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee (Aviation and Highways Subcommittees).
In addition, Congressman Weiner was the only New Yorker appointed by
the leaders of the House of Representatives to serve on the Homeland
Security Task Force following the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001.
Congressman Weiner’s dedicated service to his Armenian constituents
is clearly evidenced as he is an active member of the 129-member
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. This year, he was one of
signatories to the Congressional letter to President Bush urging him
to recognize the Armenian Genocide as “genocide” as well as one of the
25 Senators and Representatives who commemorated the 89th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide during “Special Order” remarks on the House
floor. Congressman Weiner recounted the events of April 24, 1915,
the beginning of the first genocide of the 20th century, praising
the resolve of the Armenian community to overcome such a tragedy and
its invaluable contributions to society, promising never to forget
the Armenian Genocide, and stressing the need for US recognition of
the Genocide.
Congressman Weiner thanked Mr. Boudakian for hosting the fundraiser
as well as those in attendance for their support. He remarked on
the parallels that exist between the Armenian and Jewish communities,
namely as they relate to their respective genocides and their struggles
to overcome enormous adversity to ultimately thrive and prosper in the
communities in which they settled while equally committed to ensuring
that the atrocities committed against them were never forgotten
or repeated. Congressman Weiner recalled the misguided advice he
received early in his career from former Congressman Steven Solarz,
now chief lobbyist for the Turkish government on Capitol Hill, who
told him to avoid the complicated political issue of the Armenian
Genocide. He acknowledged the unwavering support of the Armenian
community throughout his career and reiterated his commitment to
champion Armenian issues in Congress and, if successful, as Mayor of
the City of New York.
“The Armenian-American community of New York owes a great debt of
gratitude to Congressman Weiner,” stated Tony Vartanian, Chairman
of the ANC of New York. “His support of Armenian American issues
throughout his three terms in Congress shows the strong bond shared
between the Congressman and his Armenian constituents,” continued
Vartanian.
“We are confident that whatever path Congressman Weiner’s future holds,
he will continue to be a friend of the community and an advocate of
our issues,” concluded Vartanian.
Among those in attendance included Vicar General of the Prelacy
and Pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Douglaston,
New York Very Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, ANC representatives
Tony Vartanian, Antranig Kasbarian, and Roupen Ardhaldjian, and Sam
Azadian and Ani Minnetyan of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan.
The Armenian National Committee (ANC) is the largest Armenian American
grassroots political organization in New York and nationwide. The ANC
actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian
American community.
####

MEDICINE REGISTRATION FEES TO BE LEVELED
ArmenPress
May 26 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS: According to a health ministry-affiliated
agency for medications and medical technologies, foreign pharmaceutical
companies seeking registration of their products in Armenia will
pay as much fee for expert examination of their medicines as
local companies. Until now overseas companies have paid $1,500
for conducting expert examination of their medicines and local
companies-$400. The lower price for domestic companies was to help
boost home pharmaceutical production.
Under the new scheme, both local and foreign companies, will have to
pay $1,200. Leveling of fees is one of the requirements Armenia assumed
when joining the World Trade Organization. According to the agency,
around 4,000 medicines are registered in Armenia, of which 7.4 percent
are domestically produced. Armenia brings medicines mainly from US,
Great Britain, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary and CIS countries.
Two of 11 Armenian companies, licensed to manufacture medicines,
Pharmatech and Arpimed have brought their products in compliance with
GMP requirements.

A lesson in democracy
by Igor Fedyukin, Vitaliy Ivanov, Anna Nikolayeva
SOURCE: Vedomosti, No 88, p.A2
RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
May 26, 2004 Wednesday
Pro-democracy group says Russia is headed towards authoritarianism
Russia and other former Soviet countries outside the Baltics lag far
behind most of Europe in political reforms, a pro-democracy nonprofit
group said in a report.
The European Union’s recent expansion to include 10 new members,
eight of them in Eastern Europe, highlights a “widening and worrisome
democracy gap,” said the report, issued Monday by Freedom House.
The group’s annual “Nations in Transit” report tracks progress in
six categories: electoral process; civil society; independent media;
governance; constitutional, legislative and judicial framework;
and corruption.
Russia’s ratings declined in the greatest number of categories (5
out of 6). Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine performed better
(4 out of 6 each). Out of the CIS countries, Turkmenistan received
lowest ratings, followed by Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan
and Kyrgyzstan.
The report states that Russia “is moving further along the
authoritarian path.” In particular, President Putin “strives to
concentrate the power, leaving no space for viable civil society,
independent media or political opposition.”
The State Duma’s independent deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov told Vedomosti he
fully agrees with Freedom House: “Our democracy has indeed degraded
in all aspects, and it has been noted by all the international
organizations that monitor the development of democratic institutions.”
Such ratings “are as relevant to reality as the Pravda’s reports in
the sixties about the hard life of African Americans in the U.S.,”
believes Aleksey Volin, the Cabinet’s former deputy chief of staff.
“Even Armenia has been ranked higher than Russia, although there the
presidential elections and the state of opposition sparked serious
criticism of foreign observers,” Volin remarks. “And if Freedom
House believes that the status of Russian-speaking minorities in
the Baltic states corresponds to the international norms, then the
Pravda’s reports about life in the U.S. were absolutely true.”