Author: Maghakian Mike

ARMENIA SHOULD ADVANCE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, US SECRETARY OF STATE
Artur Grigoryan, Karen Grigoryan, “Aylur”.
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
28 Mar 06
[Presenter] Armenia has signed an agreement with the Millennium
Challenge Corporation [MCC] at the State Department in Washington,
under which the US will provide 236.5 million dollars in assistance
over five years.
The bulk of the funds will be spent on reducing poverty in the
Armenian villages, restoring of infrastructure, roads and irrigation
system. It is said that this will improve the lives of about 1m
peoples. About 1m people live in the Armenian villages. The American
State Department confirmed that the price of this great present is
to continue democratic reforms in Armenia.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan took part in the signing ceremony.
[Condoleezza Rice, captioned, speaking in English with Armenian
voice-over] Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honour
for me to greet the members of the Armenian delegation. This meeting is
a promising step in the US and Armenian partnership. The agreement is
also the embodiment of America’s transformational diplomacy because it
will empower Armenian people to better their own lives, to strengthen
their own communities and to transform their own future.
[Vardan Oskanyan, captioned, speaking in English with Armenian
voice-over] We welcome the US government’s decision to assist those
countries which pledge to govern justly, to encourage economic openness
and to invest in people.
[Passage omitted: correspondent reported about the details of the
programme and about a teleconference from Washington for Armenian
journalists]
[Vardan Oskanyan] The elections of 2007 and 2008 will be an examination
on democracy in Armenia. Our task is, until the elections, to partner
with the US and the European governments to implement the necessary
corrective steps to improve the conditions necessary for an honest
and fair expression of people’s voices.

STANDSTILL IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATION, DEADLOCK IN THE KARABAKH ISSUE (ANALYSIS)
Tatul Hakobyan
“Radiolur”[ArmRadio.am]
28.03.2006 18:15
On April 4, 1993 the Armenian-Turkish border was closed on Turkish
government ‘s decision. Soon it will be 13 years of the blockade. The
ground for the blockade was taking control of Kelbajar region by Armed
Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh. Preceding that, in late 1991 Ankara had
recognized Armenia’s independence and established diplomatic relations
proposing two preconditions: Armenia should refuse from its ambitions
regarding the Eastern regions of today’s Turkey and should recognize
the borders of contemporary Turkish state, as well as stop the campaign
for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In fact,
the withdrawal of forces from Kelbajar and later from the security
zone around Nagorno-Karabakh became the second precondition.
However, Ankara was not content itself with the blockade. In
1993 Turkey intended to penetrate into Armenia, about which
former Ambassador of Greece Leonidas Khrisantupolis wrote in his
recollections. Former head of the State National Security Agency of
Armenia Eduard Simonyants confirmed the statement.
Simonyants had stated in his talk with “Noyyan Tapan” Agency, “In
autumn 1993 Turkey was really intending to attack Armenia. And it
is not the sole case, for several times Armenian territory has been
under threat of Turkish attack.
The threat of invasion was really immense.”
In the recent 13 years there have been a number of meetings on the
level of Presidents and Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Turkey;
Armenian-Turkish relations, however, were not brought out of the
deadlock. Like 13 years ago, today Ankara does not refuse from
preconditions. On the other hand, however, Armenian-Turkish relations
have undergone certain transformations lately, to be more correct,
another component has been added to these relations, that is the
Karabakh issue.
The West is trying to include the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict and the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations in a
single package, i.e. to find a simultaneous solution to these two
most complex and extremely important issues for Armenia. Here, it
is important for us to understated the core of the solution, i.e. in
case we receive something useful in the Karabakh issue, what should
we give instead to Armenian-Turkish relations? And the opposite, if
we gain something in Armenian-Turkish relations, what and how much
should we yield in the Karabakh case?

INTERNATIONAL BANKING CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN TO DEAL WITH TRADE FINANCING
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
March 27, 2006 Monday 11:12 PM EST
Armenia’s trade financing matters of current importance are to
be discussed at an international banking conference opening here
on Tuesday.
The conference, which has been organised by the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Armeconombank,
the republic’s leading commercial bank, one quarter of the assets
of which belongs to the EBRD, is held within the framework of the
EBRD-devised trade assistance programme for the banks of Central and
Eastern Europe and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries.
The Programme is aimed at stepping up intra-regional and international
trade through encouragement of the activities of West European banks.
The EBRD, in particulr, assumes political and payment risks in favour
of Armenian companies that transact export-import operations.
The Conference is to be addressed by Central Bank executives and
officials of the Armenian government and various international
financial organisations.
The delegates of the banks of Russia, Austria, Belarus, Britain,
Germany, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, the Netherlands, the United
Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Ukraine are to share their experience. The
guests are to get acquainted with the peculiarities of banking, tax
and customs legislation of the republic and its practical applications.
The forum has already attracted the attention of numerous companies
which operate in Armenia and are interested in the crediting of
their commercial activities. They operate in most diverse sectors of
the the economy ranging from engineering and communications to the
production of canned food and toys. A practical training seminar is
to be conducted for them with the participation of the experts of
the EBRD and other organisations.
The Armeconombank, which is the legal successor to the Armenian
republican bank of the Zhilsotsbank of the USSR (housing and social
development bank), was the republic’s first one to get reorganised
from the state-run bank into a joint-stock one. At present, it has
39,000 clients who are catered for in 40 branches of the bank.
On the strength of last year’s results, Armenia’s Central Bank
and the Ministry of Finance referred to the Armeconombank as the
republican government’s best agent in the management of the national
domestic debt.

FRANCE INCLUDES GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS EVEN IN MEDICAL BOOKS
By Emre Demir, Strasbourg
Zaman, Turkey
March 27 2006
In France, allegations on the so-called Armenian genocide have made
their way into medical books. It has been revealed that the so-called
genocide-advocate Armenian lobby holds the copyright of some books
used in French medical faculties.
In the prefaces of Axel Balian’s books, a book students must buy,
genocide allegations are included. In the book, the European Union’s
starting negotiations with Turkey is also criticized. The whole
income of Armenian Balian’s seven books is transferred to the Armenian
associations. Especially Turkish students studying in medicine faculty
have concerns over their money being transferred to the Armenian lobby.
In France, which officially recognized the so-called Armenian genocide
in 2001, doctors joined the debates over “genocide” after politicians
and historians. In Balian’s “Hepato-Gastro-Enterologie,” book, which
is used for stomach-intestine specialization, the European countries,
which started full membership negotiations with Ankara, are criticized.
There are some striking remarks in the preface: “The income of this
book will be transferred to the associations, which are trying to
evoke the ‘genocide’ took place in 1915. Few people remember the
1.5 million Armenians that lost their lives while fleeing and in the
camps. This book is prepared in the hope that those who seem ready
to make a ‘denying country member of the EU’, should also remember
the genocide.” The Armenian doctor has seven books on the same subject.
All of the books refer to the so called Armenian Genocide and the
Copyrights of the books were transferred to Armenian Foundations.
Turkish students, who are obliged to buy these books at medical
faculties, are unhappy because their money is transferred to “genocide”
foundations. Straoussgbourg Pasteur University Freshman student Fatih
Akin said: “We have to buy this book to pass the course; however, we
are not comfortable as our money is sent to the foundations making
genocide propaganda.” Akin also said it is interesting a medicine
book gives place to a political issue like this in its preface session.
Hosting about 500,000 Armenian immigrants France had passed a law
recognizing the so called Armenian Genocide in 2001. Armenians
are quite influential in France, which hosts the biggest number
of Armenians in Europe. Tension increases every year on April 24
in France, the Genocide commemoration day, and 450,000 Turks in
France become offended by these genocide discussions. Recently the
Turks living in Lyon had organized a protest march against the
second genocide statue in the city. Some events had taken place
after Armenians attacked Turks during the demonstrations and Lyon
Governorship explained it would not longer tolerate demonstrations
against the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian Diaspora defends the number of Armenians that died between
1915 and 1916, when the Emigration Law was implemented in the Ottoman
Empire, reaches 1,500,000. The Armenian Genocide claims have been
accepted by the parliaments of 15 countries so far.

AZG Armenian Daily #054, 25/03/2006

Anniversary
CHOREOGRAPHIC COLLAGE CELEBRATES ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY
The Choreographic Collage is celebrating its 80th Anniversary. The
collage prepared a 2-hour long performance especially for this
occasion. Vilen Galstian, director of the collage, stated that the
performance had two parts – classical and folk dances.
Mr. Galstian stated that the collage has many problems, including
those of economic or organizational character. He stated that RA
Culture Ministry have already allocated about AMD 1 million 200
thousand on the occasion of the collage’s anniversary.
By Gohar Gevorgian

Today, Azerbaijan
March 24 2006
Tahir Karimov: No talks on Nagorno Karabakh conflict in Washington

25 March 2006 [00:21] – Today.Az

No talks are planned on the regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh
problem in US March 2006, Tahir Karimov, the adviser to the
Azerbaijani Embassy in US on political issues, stated.
As Trend reports, Karimov was commenting possibility of negotiations
or consultations of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the visit of
Vardan Oskanian, the Armenian Foreign Minister, to USA.
“As far as I know the Armenian Foreign Minister arrives in Washington
March 28 to discuss issues related to the program “Challenges of
Millennium”. No contacts with Azerbaijan are envisaged,” he stressed.
Media spread information about the meeting of Azerbaijani and
Armenian FMs in Washington late March.

URL:

AZG Armenian Daily #053, 24/03/2006

Diaspora
HISTORIC MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER
A Canadian Armenian delegation, led by the Primate His Eminence Bagrat
Galstanian, met with The Right Honorable Stephen Harper in his
Parliament Hill office on Tuesday March 21, 2006.
The Primate congratulated the Prime Minister on his recent election,
and thanked him for actively supporting the passage of Bill M-380 by
the House of Commons in 2004 which recognized the Armenian
genocide. He also presented a letter from His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
“We highly appreciate this important action,” said the Vehapar in his
letter to the Prime Minister, referring to Bill M-380, “and appeal to
you to condemn all similar atrocities throughout the world that are
directed against the well-being of man.”
“We look forward that during your term in office, there may be further
tangible cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Armenia,
leading to official diplomatic representation in Yerevan” added His
Holiness.
The Primate told Mr. Harper that he was gratified to hear the policies
of the Conservative government on social issues, and offered his
co-operation towards enhancing dialogue with Church and interfaith
community leaders in Canada.
The Prime Minister showed keen interest in all aspects of Armenian
community life, and had a cordial conversation on several topics with
the Primate and his delegation. Mr. Harper asked Bishop Galstanian to
convey his greetings to the Catholicos of All Armenians, and to thank
His Holiness for his blessings.
Accompanying the Primate were V. Rev. Father Ararat Kaltakjian, Vicar
of the Diocese; Rev. Archpriest Zareh Zargarian, Pastor of Holy
Trinity Church in Toronto; Mr. Jack Stepanian, Chairman of the
Diocesan Council; Mr. Taro Alepian, Vice-Chairman of the Diocesan
Council; and Mr. Ara Boyadjian, Treasurer of the Diocesan Council.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Bishop Galstanian presented
Mr. Harper with a “Khatchkar” exquisitely etched in crystal, with two
small vials containing earth and Holy water from Armenia.
Prior to meeting with the Prime Minister, the delegation had visited
the Armenian Embassy in Ottawa, where they were briefed by Counselor
Mikhayil Vardanian on several issues concerning Armenia, including the
situation in Karabakh.

PanARMENIAN.Net
40% of Russian Frontier Guards in Armenia Serve on Contract

22.03.2006 21:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The number of Armenians serving in the Russian
frontier troops has already exceeded 50%, commander of the Russian
border-guard force in Armenia, General Lieutenant Sergey Bondarev
said. In his words, 40% of the Russian frontier troops in Armenia are
staffed with military serving on contract and the number of Armenian
servicemen is growing.
`This is a unique fact when citizens of another state serve in our
troops,’ Bondarev noted. According to a treaty, the expenses are
covered equally, reported the Military-Industrial Express.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS DISCUSSED AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
ArmRadio
22.03.2006 17:30
“We should put an end to emotional approaches and carry out a
pragmatic policy with Russia,” Head of the “New Times” Party Aram
Karapetyan said.
Representatives of nearly all forces of the political field of Armenian
were invited today to the National Press Club to discuss the problems
of Armenian-Russian relations and the prospects of resolution of these.
Which is the major reason for the absence of mutual understanding
between Armenia and Russia? NA Deputy Shavarsh Kocharyan is confident
that no economic issues lie in the basis of this, the reasons are
political. Russia is not content with the Armenia’s aspirations for
Eurointegration.
“The crisis in the Armenian-Russian relations is mainly Armenia’s
fault,” considers Aram Manukyan, member of the All-Armenian National
Movement.
The representative of former authorities condemns our current
leadership of losing the future of Armenian-Russian relations.
“Although Armenia is the strategic partner of Russia, our country
has no correct strategy of relations with Russia,” President of the
Democratic Party Aram Sargsyan noted.
Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau’s Hay
Dat and Political Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan considers that it
is senseless to break the ties with Russia because of the rise of
gas price.
“The strategic partner should be reminded that it must fulfill
its duties.
However, if we are partners with a country, it does not mean that
we cannot be partners with another state,” Kiro Manoyan said, adding
that we have no problem of being pro-Russian or pro-American.

THE COMMERCIAL AGENTS’ VICTIMS
A1+
05:32 pm 21 March, 2006
“The inspectors of the Centre, the guide angels of the laureate
deceivers, watch out the vagrant “treacherous” commercial agents,”
today 9 families who were cheated by such agents organized a revolt
in front of the RA Chief Attorney building with suchlike posters.
On March 13 the initiating group sent a letter to Robert Kocharyan,
then to the RA Ministry of Justice and to the RA Chief Attorney
building. Not getting any response on March 17 the protestants handed
another application to the RA General Attorney and the latter promised
to answer them within 5 days.
According to the application “there are vagrant commercial agents in
Yerevan, who want to obtain the right of ownership on our property
and belongings in order to exploitate our confidence. These “talented”
cheaters exclaim among people that they “have no problems” in Yerevan
and in the courts as all those people are their acquaintances.”
The protestants ask the RA General Attorney to pass the cases of the
sufferers from the Kentron Police station to the RA Attorney building
for primary investigation.
Today the protestants were received in the Letter Department of the
RA Attorney premises and they were promised to satisfy their demand
by 17:00.
It is worth mentioning that the suffering inhabitants needed some
money and they gave their flats as a pawn.
Ruzanna Adamyan who is one of the commercial agents sold the
inhabitants belongings for a little money.
There are also cases of other sufferers. In 2003 certain people brought
a flat for 6500 US dollars but so far they haven’t moved in as the
person registered there does not want to release the flat. It turns out
that the commercial agents cheated both the buyer and the flat owner.
By the way if the protestants’ complaint remains without an answer
this time they are going to go on a hunger strike in front of the
resident of RA president.