Author: Kharatian Ani

ARMENIA HAS ALL POSSIBILITIES OF QUICK DIAGNOSIS OF AVIAN INFLUENZA
AND PREVENTING ITS SPREADING

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. One-day training of response to the
avian influenza was held on March 27 in Yerevan jointly by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), with financing of the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID). As Karl Fickenscher, the Deputy Director of the USAID Armenia
Office mentioned, the RA Government took important steps in the
direction of improvement of abilities to respond possible outbreaks of
the avian influenza. "I am sure that serious steps are taken in
Armenia, in the direction of securing people’s health," he said.
Representatives of all those ministries and departments who must took
corresponding actions of response in the case of possible outbreak of
the avian influenza participated in the training. Grisha Baghian, the
Chief of the State Inspectorate for Food Security and Veterinary
Science of the RA Ministry of Agriculture mentioned that Armenia has
all the possibilities for quick diagnosis of the avian influenza and
preventing its spreading. In his words, no case of the avian influenza
was fixed in the republic till now. G. Baghian mentioned that
prophylactic works are continued in the republic to prevent possible
outbreaks of the avian influenza: all the transport means entering the
country are disinfected, risk zones are controlled, no poultry
products are imported from those coutries where cases of the avian
influenza were fixed. The USAID envisages to organize similar
trainings in other countries of Europe and Eurasia for the region is
ready to counteract possible spreading of the epidemic.

LAST FAREWELL TO BE BIDDEN TO ANDRANIK MARGARIAN ON MARCH 28

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The state commission on funeral
created on the occasion of RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian’s
death, which is headed by RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran
Torosian, states that A. Margarian’s civil funeral rites will take
place at 18:00, March 27, in the address of Sayat-Nova 8, Avan,
Yerevan.

The ceremony of the last farewell to the RA Prime Minister will take
place in the building of the Al. Spendiarian Opera and Ballet
National Academic Theater, at 12:00, March 28. The funeral ceremony
will take place in the Komitas pantheon, at 15:00.

By RA President Robert Kocharian’s decree, March 28 is stated a
mourning day in Armenia.

Conference on Free and Fair Elections as a Cornerstone of Democracy to be
held in Yerevan

ArmRadio.am
24.03.2007 11:38

The prerequisites for a democratic and transparent electoral process
in the light of the European standards will be discussed in Yerevan on
27 March by political parties, Armenian authorities, mass media and
civil society at the conference entitled "Free and Fair Elections as a
Cornerstone of Democracy". The event is organized by the Council of
Europe and aims to contribute to constructive political dialogue on
free and fair elections by bringing together all relevant
stakeholders.

The Conference will be chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly
of Armenia, Mr. Tigran Torosyan. Mr. Andres Herkel, Member of the
Estonian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, Ms Karin Nordmeyer, Member of Council of Europe’s Liaison
Committee of INGO Conference and Mr. Manuel Lucbert, Former Secretary
General of `Le Monde’ will be among the conference speakers. Important
interventions will be made by Mr. Armen Baibourtian, Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Ms Heike Renate Peitsch, the EU Presidency,
Ambassador of Germany, Mr. Marc Bojanic, Deputy Head of OSCE Office in
Yerevan and other participants. The opening address and concluding
remarks will be delivered by Ms. Bojana Urumova, Special
Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

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

PRESS RELEASE
March 21, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF, SECRETARY RICE DISCUSS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
DURING HEARING ON CAPITOL HILL

Washington, DC – In a hearing today before the State, Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, lawmakers
raised a series of concerns regarding past and current genocides.
Specifically, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) raised pointed questions
regarding the Administration’s opposition to H. Res. 106, which he
introduced in January, and that reaffirms the historical fact of the
Armenian Genocide and recalls the proud chapter of humanitarian
intervention by the United States.

The bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by more than 180 Members of
Congress, and is buoyed by the recent introduction of a similar bill in
the Senate by Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) and
Senator John Ensign (R-NV).

In a spirited exchange, Schiff asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
how the U.S., if unwilling to recognize the Armenian Genocide as such,
has the "moral authority that we need to condemn the genocide in Darfur
if we do not acknowledge those atrocities that occurred earlier…"
Schiff continued, "Is there any doubt in your mind?"

"I think the historical circumstances require that we allow historical
commissions to explore this issue and come to terms with their past,"
Rice answered.

"You come from academia, is there anything in your background or
training that would leave you to believe that this murder of 1.5 million
people was not a genocide?" he asked.

"Yes, I do come from academia, but now I am secretary of state," Rice
explained. "I think that the Armenians and the Turks need to resolve
their past before they can move forward."

"When Hrant Dink is murdered on his doorstep, when the Turkish
government moves to bring him up on charges of ‘insulting Turkishness,’
I don’t see Turkey as being a democracy that signifies progress," Schiff
explained.

"I do think there is an evolution going on in Turkey," Rice replied.
"Like many historical tragedies, people need to deal with their past."
Rice also added this: "Congressman, we have recognized the historical
circumstances [and] we do recognize it in Presidential statements."

Schiff, in a second round of questioning, said "urging the Congress to
ignore [the Armenian Genocide] or abide by Turkish Article 301" is not
the solution. "We should encourage Turkey to acknowledge the undeniable
facts of the Armenian Genocide." Schiff also noted that the U.S. does
not support commissions to study Holocaust denial and that we should not
get into the business of historical commissions.

Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, who attended today’s hearing, thanked
Congressman Schiff for raising this important human rights issue.

"We have a fundamental policy disagreement with the Administration,"
Ardouny said. "We cannot allow Turkey’s insidious Article 301, which
penalizes discussion of the Armenian Genocide, to be exported to the
U.S. Further, calls to establish an historical commission to study the
Armenian Genocide ignore the existing scholarship. Every serious study
on the events of 1915 has reached the same conclusion. The fact of the
Armenian Genocide is incontestable."

Ardouny added that 126 Holocaust and genocide scholars have declared the
genocide an incontestable fact. Furthermore, the International Center
for Transitional Justice released a legal study on the use of the term
Armenian Genocide, which states that: "The Events, viewed collectively,
can thus be said to include all of the elements of the crime of genocide
as defined in the Convention, and legal scholars as well as historians,
politicians, journalists and other people would be justified in
continuing to so describe them."

"I was disappointed that Secretary of State Rice was unwilling to
acknowledge the plain facts of the Armenian Genocide," Schiff told the
Assembly. "We cannot maintain the moral force we need to take action
against the genocide going on in Darfur, if the Administration continues
to equivocate about the genocide against the Armenians."

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

###

NR#2007-039

DUAL CITIZENS MAY NOT BE TAKEN INTO SERVICE AT RA NATIONAL SECURITY BODIES AND OCCUPY HIGHEST GROUP POSTS AT POLICE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA NA discussed on March 19 in the
first reading the package of drafts envisaging amendments and additions
to 2 laws on service at the National Security Bodies and Police.

In the words of Gevorg Malkhasian, the main speaker, Deputy Minister of
Justice, the amendments and additions being proposed are provided by
introduction of the dual citizenship institute in Armenia. According
to it, a person, at the same time being a citizen of another state,
may not be taken into service at the National Security Bodies and
occupy highest group posts at the Police. In the case of stopping
RA citizenship as well as at the same time with the RA citizenship
getting citizenship of another state, above-mentioned servicemen of
the National Security Bodies and Police will be discharged. With the
exception of ones occupying a highest group post, other servicemen
of the Police may at the same time be citizens of another state, but
stopping of the RA citizenship will be a basis for discharging them.

AZERI PRESIDENT SURE TIME WORKS FOR HIS COUNTRY

ARMENPRESS
Mar 20 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev said
today he hopes that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would be solved
in favor of his country. Aliyev made his remarks when addressing a
gathering on the occasion of Novruz, an old feast celebrating the
arrival of spring.

Aliyev argued that Azerbaijan was reinforcing its international
standing saying ‘many leading countries and influential international
organizations recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity."

At the same time Aliyev told his country fellows that they should
not pin their hopes on outsiders.

"We have to be strong, we have to develop our economy and our army. We
have to take all measures to be able to liberate our lands at every
moment,’ he said.

Aliyev accused Armenia of dragging off the negotiation process and
adopting a non-constructive approach.

"Armenians must known that times works for Azerbaijan," he said adding
that his country’s economy is seven times stronger than Armenia’s.

"In a couple of years we shall gain an absolute advantage over Armenia,
and this will ease our efforts to liberate our lands," he said.

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 15 2007

( Osce ) – The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Vartan
Oskanian, and Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, met in Geneva on March
14 under the aegis of the three Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group –
Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Ambassador Bernard Fassier
(France), and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza
(USA) – and in the presence of the Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman in Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The two ministers had a frank and constructive discussion about
items raised by the parties since the meeting of Presidents Aliyev
and Kocharian in Minsk on November 29, 2006.

The ministers provided each other a better understanding of their
respective concerns that will allow the parties to pursue discussions
on the basic principles for a future settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, as proposed by the Co-Chairs, which remain the core of
the negotiations.

In that respect, the two foreign ministers agreed to meet again in
April 2007 and possibly later in May to prepare grounds for a future
presidential summit.

CANADA ISSUES BOTTLED WATER RECALL

Water Technology Online, NY
enic-water.html
March 15 2007

OTTAWA – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a recall March
14 of Ark Land brand naturally carbonated mineral water because it
may contain arsenic, according to a March 15 CBC News report.

The water being recalled is packaged in 330-milliliter (ml)
(11.6-ounce) bottles with the universal product code (UPC) 7 85000
12033 9, as well as 550-ml (18.6-ounce) bottles with UPC 7 85000
12050 6; both carry a "best before" date of 09/05/07, according to
the news report.

The report states that the water is imported from Armenia-based Arzni
Source and possibly was distributed throughout Canada, but definitely
in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption
of the recalled bottled water, according to the CBC News report.

Another Armenia-based bottler recently had its product recalled,
as reported by WaterTech Online.

OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING UNDER WAY IN GENEVA

ArmRadio.am
14.03.2007 16:05

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Vartan
Oskanian started in Geneva. The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Switzerland
Elchin Amirbekov informs that the meeting has been under way for two
hours already. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are also participating
in the meeting.

Yesterday the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister had a non-official meeting
with the Co-Chairs.

Tonight Elmar Mammadyarov will leave for Dushanbe to accompany the
President of Azerbaijan during his official visit to Tajikistan.

85 % OF AZERIS SEE TURKEY FRIEND

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 14 2007

* 85% of those surveyed in Azerbaijan consider Turkey Azerbaijan’s
friend. Russia and Georgia follow Turkey. Armenia is at the top of
the enemies list

"Fredrick Ebert" Foundation initiated polling among 1.000 residents
of 15 regions and 12 cities of Azerbaijan. The polling results show
that Azeris see Turkey as the best friend.

More than 59% Azeris don’t accept the variant of compensations in
view of the Karabakh conflict settlement. Karabakh and many Azeri
towns have been under the Armenian occupation. More than 1 million
Azeris became refugees after the Armenian occupation.

Azerbaijan’s Friends

Turkey 85 % Russia 18 % Georgia 9 % Ukraine 8 % US 6 %

Azerbaijan’s Enemies

Armenia 89 % Iran 10 %