Author: Maghakian Mike

RA PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED THE AMBASSADOR OF CHINA

ArmRadio.am
26.04.2007 16:41

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of China to Armenia Czyo Syuelian, who is
completing his diplomatic mission in our country.

On behalf of the Armenian Government the Prime Minister thanked the
Ambassador for his contribution to the development of Armenian-Chinese
ties during the five years of his tenure in office. Serge Sargsyan
expressed the willingness of the Armenian side to continue deepening
the cooperation between the two states. He underlined that during
the recent years Armenia and China have made great efforts to create
serious preconditions for the development of friendly and partnership
relations between the two countries. Ambassador Syuelian expressed
gratitude to RA Government and the Prime Minister for constant
attention and support. He characterized the Armenian-Chinese relations
as stable and dynamically developing.

During the meeting the interlocutors expressed appreciation for the
results of the sitting of the Armenian-Chinese Intergovernmental
Commission held on April 5.

At the end of the meeting RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan wished
success to the Ambassador of China in his further activity.

L’Armenie commemore les massacres de l’Empire Ottoman de 1915 (PAPIER GENERAL)
Par Mariam Haroutunian

Agence France Presse
24 avril 2007 mardi 2:40 PM GMT

Les Armeniens ont celebre mardi le 92ème anniversaire des massacres
commis par l’Empire Ottoman, reconnus comme genocide par une vingtaine
de pays et qui assombrissent les relations avec la Turquie voisine.

Sous une forte chute de neige, des milliers d’Armeniens se sont rendus
vers le monument a la memoire des victimes dans la capitale armenienne.

Après avoir brûle un drapeau turc sur la place de la Liberte a Erevan,
les participants ont depose des gerbes de fleurs au pied du monument
où brûle une flamme eternelle depuis 1965, date de sa construction
a une epoque où l’Armenie faisait partie de l’URSS.

De nombreux participants portaient les drapeaux des pays qui ont
reconnu le genocide.

Des responsables politiques, dont le president armenien Robert
Kotcharian, ont assiste a la ceremonie de commemoration.

"La memoire de ces actions demoniaques va toujours rester dans nos
âmes", a declare M. Kotcharian.

"La communaute internationale a pris conscience que le genocide n’est
pas seulement un crime contre un peuple en particulier, mais contre
l’humanite, et qu’un deni et une dissimulation d’un tel crime sont
aussi dangereux que sa preparation et son execution", a estime M.
Kotcharian.

Comme chaque annee, de nombreux membres de la diaspora armenienne se
sont rendus a Erevan pour prendre part a la marche.

Parmi eux, il y avait la realisatrice americaine d’origine armenienne,
Carla Garapedian, qui tourne "Screamers" (les hurleurs), un film
documentaire contre le negationnisme du genocide armenien et de tous
les genocides.

"Je sais que la Turquie veut rejoindre l’Union europeenne. Ils doivent
s’excuser, dire +nous avons fait une enorme erreur et nous en sommes
desoles+", a declare Mme Garapedian a l’AFP.

Hrant Gazarian, 24 ans, est arrive de Turquie pour deposer une gerbe
au pied du monument, en l’honneur de Hrant Dink, un journaliste turc
d’origine armenienne abattu en janvier a Istanbul.

"Cela fait 100 jours et ceux qui sont derrière ce meurtre ne sont
toujours pas identifies et punis (…) La Turquie doit reconnaître
le genocide, afin qu’il n’y ait plus de victimes, comme Dink", dit
Hrant Gazarian.

Les massacres et deportations d’Armeniens de 1915 a 1917 ont fait
plus de 1,5 million de morts selon les Armeniens, 250.000 a 500.000
selon la Turquie, qui recuse categoriquement la notion de genocide.

Erevan et Ankara n’ont aucune relation diplomatique en raison de ce
differend. Cette question complique egalement les negociations de la
Turquie pour son entree au sein de l’Union europeenne.

Plus de 20 pays ont officiellement reconnu les tueries commises
entre 1915 et 1917 comme un genocide, dont la Belgique, le Canada,
le Pologne, la Russie, la Suisse et la France.

Mais des puissances comme la Grande-Bretagne et les Etats-Unis refusent
d’utiliser ce terme, soucieuses de garder de bonnes relations avec
la Turquie.

Israël, qui a des liens très proches avec la Turquie, un des rares pays
musulmans avec lequel il a des relations diplomatiques, a rejete en
mars une motion reconnaissant implicitement la realite d’un genocide
armenien.

La Turquie a suspendu sa cooperation militaire avec la France en
novembre, en raison de l’adoption par l’Assemblee nationale francaise
d’une proposition de loi reprimant la negation du genocide armenien.

–Boundary_(ID_OaZuNu92OzFgI6BWUz7w6A)- –

ACCEPTING TURKEY EU WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT LEBANON, ISRAEL, AND MAGRIB, SARKOZY SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.04.2007 15:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Let me tell you the truth: I am against Turkish
EU membership," French presidential contender Nikolas Sarkozy said
in a letter which was sent to the Armenian Foundations Coordination
Council. "The real problem lies with Turkey; I cannot tell young
French school students that Europe’s borders lie along Syria and
Iraq. If we accept Turkey then, putting aside the Ukraine for a
moment, we have to accept Lebanon, Israel, and the Magrib. If Europe
really wants to give off a sense of security, then its borders must
be defined. We should deepen our relations with Turkey, but not to
the point of EU membership. What we need is an urgent declaration of
‘privileged partnership’ with Turkey…" the letter says.

ARMENIA TO BECOME AN EXPORTER OF URANIUM
By A. Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily
26/04/2007

Economy. Russia-Armenia Relations

An agreement between Armenia and Russia about research and exploitation
of uranium deposits in Armenia shall radically change the status
of Armenia worldwide, stated yesterday Nature Protection Minister
Vardan Ayvazian and head of Nuclear Energy Department of the Russian
Federation Sergey Kiriyenko.

Mr. Kiriyenko said that his optimism is based upon the agreement
between the Armenian and Russian Presidents in Sochi. He also
informed that a major part of the research works on the Armenian
Uranium deposits has already been done. According to the research
of USSR experts, about 30 thousand tons of Uranium are stored in
the deposits of Armenia. Mr. Kiriyenko assured that more intensive
research may reveal 150-200% of Uranium previously detected.

The expertise is to be finished by the end of 2007. After that a joint
Russian-Armenian enterprise shall be established so as to start the
exploitation of the deposits. Armenia most probably will join the new
Nuclear Energy Center, founded by Russia and Kazakhstan. This will
give Armenia opportunity of becoming a producer of nuclear energy
and an exporter of Uranium.

Referring to the issue of the Armenian Atomic Power Plant, the head of
the Russian Nuclear Energy Department said that it can work properly
until the appointed date – 2016. As 2016 is already drawing near,
Armenia should think about constructing a new Atomic Power Plant,
he said. On behalf of the Russian Government he suggested Armenia to
undertake teh construction of the new power plant with output equal
to that of the present one.

Nature Protection Minister of Armenia Vardan Ayvazian said that
the excavation and processing of Uranium in Armenia will surely
encourage the Government about the construction of a new power
plant. Mr. Kiriyenko noted that even Russia, possessing large resources
of oil and gas, is still enhancing its nuclear power system, therefore
Armenia, being deprived of oil, should to the best to start its own
nuclear power program.

LEVON MKRTCHIAN: MAKING EDUCATION SYSTEM PARTY IS MORTAL FOR EDUCATION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 23 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, NOYAN TAPAN. According to characterization of
ARF member, RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchian,
interest is nocited among the people during the propaganda mission
preceding the National Assembly elections to take place in Armenia
on May 12: there is no despair among the public like it was during
the previous elections. "However, task number one of the propaganda
mission today is the issue to take the people to the elections,
L. Mkrtchian mentioned, who also stated that, for example, only 35
thousand of the 90 thousand voters living in the center of Yerevan
participated in the previous elections.

Levon Mkrtchian considers explosions and shots taking place during the
propaganda mission as a normal phenomanon. In his words, the criminal
element always uses the pre-electoral period for "settling accounts:"
"The criminogen situation always strains during that period, and
clashes take place among these or those forces," L. Mkrtchian said.

Emphasizing that making the education system party is mortal for the
education, L. Mkrtchian assured that the ARF has never made the sphere
employees become party members and has not put pressure on them for
joining other parties."

IN CASE OF VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PREELECTORAL AGITATION RA CEC TO APPLY TO COURT WITH DEMAND TO RECOGNIZE INVALID REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES OR POLITICAL FORCES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 23 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 23 sitting RA CEC
unanimously made a decision, according to which it demands from
parties, party bloc registered by proportional system and candidates
for deputacy registered by majoritarian system observing the orders
established by RA Electoral Code and CEC decisions when carrying out
electoral agitation by media. Otherwise, CEC will apply to the court
for invalidating the registration of electoral list of candidate or
political force who violated the order or preelectoral agitation.

CEC’s above mentioned decision was based on the precedent of
Marxist Party’s giving its broadcast hour on Public TV on April 14
to non-partisan deputy Tatul Manaserian registered as a candidate
for deputacy by majoritarian system.

David Hakobian, the leader of the Marxist Party of Armenia, who was
present at CEC sitting, said that "the reproof is absolutely right" and
begged CEC’s pardon. As he explained, he was anaware of the prohibition
to give broadcast hour to another candidate or party, as well as of
the fact that T. Manaserian is a candidate for deputacy. CEC took
into consideration D. Hakobian’s explanations deciding not to follow
the letter of the law in this case.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH SUPPORTED BY THE DIASPORA
By Selahattin Sevi

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
April 24 2007

[IMPRESSIONS FROM OCCUPIED LANDS-1]

* Nagorno-Karabakh supported by the diaspora

* Davit Melkumuyan is a representative of a Nagorno-Karabakh-based
civil society organization. He was expecting an invitation from the
European Commission.

With the invitation, a visa is required and his hometown of Hankendi
(Stepanakerd) in Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be listed. However, Brussels
sent the invitation to Baku as the European Commission — just like
Azerbaijan and many other countries — recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh
as Azeri territory.

The Armenians of Karabakh, however, declared independence after a
referendum in 1991, which was boycotted by Karabakh Azerbaijanis. In
the subsequent war, Armenia occupied Karabakh and five other adjacent
districts disconnecting Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan. Twenty
percent of Azeri territory has been under Armenian occupation since
then.

Despite negotiations supervised by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) after the cease-fire in 1994, no
significant progress has been made in getting past the deadlock.

Davit’s current problem is perhaps the most concrete indicator of
the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh impasse.

Access to Nagorno-Karabakh is possible only through Armenia.

Traveling time for the 330-kilometer-long Yerevan-Hankendi highway
takes six hours. After traveling the Armenian part of the trip, we
approach Lacin, the Azerbaijani city under occupation which serves
as a buffer zone between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Vehicles are
stopped by traffic police. It turns out the road is temporarily closed
to traffic because of a military drill for Armenian troops.

Even this alone signals the tension in the region. The commander
directing the drill from his comfortable jeep pushes the troops to
their limits with his orders.

After passing through the Lacin valley, the first thing we see is
a military control point which marks the beginning of the occupied
zone. There is no serious border check. Nobody asks for either
passport or permit. Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied zones seem to
be extensions of Armenian territory. There is a seemingly abandoned
village a few miles away near a brook. This is Zabuk (Aðavnok)
village which Azerbaijanis left after the war. The village is
dilapidated. However, the presence of bee hives tells us there are
people living down there.

The first person we met there is Griþa who told us she came from
Georgia in 1995 and hesitated to give her last name. Asked why she
came here, Griþa responded: "An Armenian is not asked why he or she
is here. An Armenian is born in somewhere, grows up somewhere else,
migrates to another place and dies in a totally different place."

Griþa had to leave her original home. She now lives in a house
abandoned by the Azerbaijanis. She was followed by other 40 families
who did almost the same thing. They asked for no permission. Nearly
120 people live in the village at the moment.

Sonya is the second person we talked to. A teacher in the village
school which has 30 students, Sonya migrated from Taþkesen in
Azerbaijan nine years ago. She has had no news about her home there.

But she misses Baku a lot. Asked if she wants to live in Baku someday,
Sonya responds asking, "Do you believe everything will be fine?"

* After Lacin (Lacin) was destroyed

Lacin is five kilometers ahead of Zabuk. The same situation prevails
there. Public buildings include a post office, a museum and a theatre;
all are in abject condition. The partially usable ones were transformed
into police station and hospital. No Azeri trace is left in the
city. Even civilian buildings were seized.

We hit the road to arrive in Hankendi before it gets dark. We
traveled 40 kilometers in one and a half hours. Soon we realized
why this region is called Nagorno-Karabakh; impassable mountains,
deep valleys and steep roads that make you dizzy. But green plateaus
and a nice spring evening await us in Hankendi after this tiring trip.

Hankendi, Karabakh’s largest city with a population of 140,000,
features classical Soviet architecture which can be observed in a
large square, wide streets, multiple floor social residences and
public buildings. The impact of the Armenian diaspora is felt on the
streets of Hankendi. Armenians abroad gave large sums for restoration
and reconstruction works in the city, including the renovation of the
schools and the construction of social buildings and roads. The newly
erected public buildings openly display names of American-Armenian
millionaires who sponsored the construction work.

The statue of Alek Manukyan, the benefactor known for his generosity
to Karabakh who died in 1996, adorns the city’s main square.

According to Karabakh’s unrecognized foreign minister, Georgi
Petrosyan, monetary aid provided by the diaspora reaches $9-10
million every year. diaspora aid makes up the third largest portion
in Karabakh’s annual budget.

We were amazed when we saw Turkish goods sold in the stores. Local
people show great interest in these products shipped to Karabakh
via third countries. Turkish products marketed in Hankendi include
virtually all the basics, from tomatoes to tea, from socks to fridges.

To be continued..

–Boundary_(ID_XCqIDtYHVLvWgsQBfAjiwg )–

FAMILY DOCTORS TO FROM NOW ON HAVE POSSIBILITY OF FUNCTIONING INDEPENDENTLY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The order of implementation of
individual and group independent practices of family doctors was
affirmed at the April 19 sitting of the RA Government. It defines
compulsory demands and conditions of implementing the above-mentioned
practice.

It was mentioned at the sitting that introduction of independent
activity of family doctors in the health care system is in keeping
with strategy of primary keeping and development of health care and
is the most important one among the main principles of the family
medicine. Creation of conditions necessary for individual and group
independent practice of family doctors and for their activity will
greatly assist final formation of the family medicine in the RA
and not only accessibility but also security of the quality of the
services in the primary circle.

As Vahan Poghosian, the Chief of the Medical Assistance Organization
Department of the RA Ministry of Health Care informed journalists
after the sitting, family doctors must be utmost independent from
the viewpoint of organization, management of financial resources and
implement their services based on the principle of free choice by
the population.

In V. Poghosian’s words, family doctors had no possibility till now
to independently manage their financial resources and property. And a
family doctor from now on will be more careful and interested in the
issue of medical equipment, responsible for the quality of his service.

It was also mentioned that family doctors will freely implement their
services as it is at polyclinics as the state pays 4800 drams (about
13 U.S. dollars) annually for every person served by them.

CEC ESTABLISHES FORM OF APPLICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF DISTRICT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONS TO BE FORMED FROM APRIL 23

Noyan Tapan
Apr 19 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 19 sitting RA CEC
established the form of application of appointment of members of
district electoral commissions. The application of appointing members
of district electoral commissions by a member of constituency electoral
commission will include the latters’ personal data and the number of
qualification certificate. The copy of qualification certificate will
be attached to it.

To recap, according to the schedule of preparation and holding of
the main events of May 12 parliamentary elections, district electoral
commissions should be formed from April 23 to April 26, 18:00.

CEC also made a decision about using electoral documents’ sack of
one-time use. According to the decision, in case of necessity to
recalculate the votes, the sack will be opened from below, then it
will be closed by laces of one-time use intended for ballot-boxes
and will be sealed and signed by commission member.

By another decision the commission rejected accreditation of observers
of Noyemberian’s Association of Young Christian Women NGO due to lack
of issues of democracy and human rights among the regulation issus
of the organization.

As CEC Chairman Garegin Azarian stated, as of April 19, 28 NGOs and
5 international organizations are accredited in CEC. To recap, the
deadline for accrediting observers is May 2.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

World Public Rejects US Role as the World Leader

Majorities Still Want US to Do its Share in Multilateral Efforts,
Not Withdraw from International Affairs

Mixed Views on US Overseas Bases

April 18, 2007, 01:00 GMT
Contact, International Findings:
Steven Kull, 202-232-7500
Christopher Whitney, 312-451-1040

April 18, 2007, Yerevan, 06:00
Contact, Armenia Findings:
Stepan Safarian, 37410-528-780
Syuzanna Barseghian, 37410-274-818

Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
today convened a roundtable discussion to present the results of the fourth
in a series of reports based on a poll of worldwide opinion on key global
issues. The report was devoted to the role of the United States as a world
leader. The meeting brought together citizens, members of leading think
tanks, analysts, and media representatives.

ACNIS director of research Stepan Safarian delivered opening remarks. "The
attitudes in Armenia and the rest of the world with respect to US global
policy are mixed," he said. "For the most part, this is a reflection of the
double standards endorsed by the current US administration and ongoing
policies that often contradict the precepts of American democracy. The
study, nonetheless, has indirectly revealed the public need and desire for
improving US-Armenia relations." ACNIS analyst Syuzanna Barseghian then
presented survey results.

A multinational poll finds that publics around the world reject the idea
that the United States should continue to play the role of preeminent world
leader. Most publics say the United States plays the role of world policeman
more than it should and cannot be trusted to act responsibly.

But the survey also finds that majorities in most countries want the United
States to do its share in multilateral efforts to address world problems and
do not want it to withdraw from world affairs. Views are divided on whether
the United States should reduce the number of military bases it has overseas
and in some countries publics perceive an improvement in their bilateral
relations with the US.

Americans largely agree with the rest of the world: most do not think the
United States should remain the world’s preeminent leader and prefer that it
play a more cooperative role. They also believe United States plays the role
of world policeman more than it should.

This is the fourth in a series of reports based on a worldwide poll
conducted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and
WorldPublicOpinion.org, in cooperation with polling organizations around the
world. The larger study includes polls in China , India, the United States,
Indonesia, Russia, France, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South
Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel and Armenia-plus
the Palestinian territories. The publics polled represent about 56 percent
of the world’s population. Not all questions were asked in all countries.

Steven Kull, editor of WorldPublicOpinion.org notes that this poll
reinforces the conclusions of other recent global surveys, which have found
that the United States’ image abroad is bad and growing worse. But he added
that this survey also explores what kind of role the international community
would like the United States to play in the world.

"This survey shows that despite the negative views of US foreign policy,
publics around the world do not want the United States to disengage from
international affairs, but rather to participate in a more cooperative and
multilateral fashion," Kull said.

Majorities in all 15 of the publics polled reject the idea that "the US
should continue to be the preeminent world leader in solving international
problems." However in only two of them (Argentina and the Palestinian
territories), do majorities say that the United States "should withdraw from
most efforts to solve international problems."

Publics in all of the countries surveyed tend to prefer that the United
States pursue a cooperative, multilateral approach by doing "its share in
efforts to solve international problems together with other countries."
This is true in South Korea (79%), the United States (75%), France (75%),
China (68%), Israel (62%), Peru (61%), Mexico (59%), Armenia (58%),
Philippines (55%), Ukraine (52%), Thailand (47%), India (42%) and Russia
(42%).

Just as they reject the idea that the United States should continue to be
the world’s preeminent leader, most believe the United States is "playing
the role of world policeman more than it should." Majorities in 13 out of
15 publics express this view, including large majorities in France (89%),
Australia (80%), China (77%), Russia (76%), Peru (76%), the Palestinian
territories (74%) and South Korea (73%). More than three out of four
Americans (76%) also agree. The only exceptions are the Filipinos, a
majority of whom (57%) disagree that the United States is playing world
policeman more than it should, and the Israelis, who are divided on the
issue.

This desire for a reduced American role may flow in part from a lack of
confidence that the United States can be trusted to "act responsibly in the
world." This lack of confidence was the most common view in 10 out of 15
countries. Two Latin American countries show the highest numbers
expressing this mistrust–Argentina (84%) and Peru (80%)–followed by
Russians (73%), the French (72%), and Indonesians (64%). But in four
countries, majorities or pluralities say the United States can be at least
"somewhat" trusted to act responsibly, led by the Filipinos (85%), Israelis
(81%), Poles (51%) and Ukrainians (49%).

Despite the widespread belief that the United States should be more
cooperative and less dominant, countries express mixed views about whether
the United States should reduce its military presence around the world. In
only five out of 12 publics polled does a majority favor decreasing the
number of overseas US military bases: Argentines (75%), Palestinians (70%),
the French (69%), Chinese (63%), and Ukrainians (62%). In four, majorities
favor either maintaining the current number or increasing it: Philippines
(78%), Americans (68%), Israelis (59%), and Poles (54%). Armenians and
Thais lean in favor of maintaining or reducing, while Indians are divided.
No country favors increases.

Also contrary to their negative views of the United States’ role in the
world is the perception in some publics that relations between their country
and the United States are getting better. Majorities in India (58%) and
China (53%) say relations with the United States are improving. Pluralities
think so in Australia (50%), Armenia (48%), Indonesia (46%) and Thailand
(37%). In the other countries polled, majorities or pluralities say
relations with the US are staying about the same: 60 percent in Poland, 56
percent in South Korea, 52 percent in Israel, 52 percent in the Ukraine, and
45 percent in Russia. In no country does a majority or plurality say
relations with the US are getting worse.

"The publics in many countries differentiate between their negative views of
the US international role and their perceptions of bilateral relations,
which are seen as improving in a significant number of countries, even some
that are highly critical of the United States," said Christopher Whitney,
executive director for studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

For details, please see or
WorldPublicOpinion.org is a publication of the
Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

For the Armenian version, visit Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s
first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K. Hovannisian and supported by a
global network of contributors, ACNIS serves as a link between innovative
scholarship and the public policy challenges facing Armenia and the Armenian
people in the post-Soviet world. It also aspires to be a catalyst for
creative, strategic thinking and a wider understanding of the new global
environment. In 2007, the Center focuses primarily on civic education,
democratic development, conflict resolution, and applied research on
critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax
(37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected] or [email protected]; or visit