PanARMENIAN.Net
Today Armenia passes to summertime
24.03.2007 16:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the night of March 24 to 25
Armenia passes to summertime. At 2:00 am it is
necessary to move forward hands of clock for an hour.
The country usualy passes to wintertime on the last
Sunday of October (the hands of clock are moved back
for an hour). And on the last Sunday of March Armenia
passes to summertime.
ARMENPRESS
DEATH OF ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER IS A GREAT LOSS, SAYS
ARMENIAN NA SPEAKER TIGRAN TOROSIAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National
Assembly Speaker, the deputy head of the Armenian
Republican Party Tigran Torosian said today that the
death of the Armenian Prime Minister, chairman of the
Armenian Republican Party Andranik Margarian is a
great loss for the country, the party and his friends
as thanks to his contribution, the country and the
party have achieved successes.
He said Andranik Margarian was not only a great
state-political figure but he was a person ready to
listen to his opponent and rival and each citizen. `A
person who embodied tolerance and care towards
people,’ Torosian said.
`It is really a great loss for all of us but I
think that the party, his friends must find strength
in themselves and do everything to complete the work
we have started together. It will be our best tribute
to the memory of Andranik Margarian,’ Torosian said,
expressing assurance that the party will be able to
find strength and get over this great loss and finish
the works started together.
RICE AVOIDS ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Yerkir
22.03.2007 17:27
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday
the U.S. should not be involved in a dispute between Turkey and
Armenia over whether the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians almost
a century ago constituted genocide, AP reported.
Under questioning the sponsor of a House resolution that would
declare that Turkey’s Ottoman predecessor state committed genocide,
Rice avoided answering whether she believed there was any basis for
historical debate on the matter.
"What we’ve encouraged the Turks and the Armenians to do is to have
joint historical commissions that can look at this, to have efforts
to examine their past, and in examining their past to get over it,"
she told House Appropriations subcommittee.
"I don’t think it helps that process of reconciliation for the United
States to enter this debate at that level."
"Madame Secretary, your comments that there should be some kind of
debate or discussion about the genocide suggests that you have a
question about whether genocide occurred," said the resolution’s
sponsor, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
The Bush administration, which has heard threats from top Turkish
officials that passage of Schiff’s resolution would damage relations,
has been trying to quash it.
"I believe that this is something that the Turks and Armenians are best
to address," Rice told Schiff at the hearing on the State Department’s
spending for foreign operations.
Later in the day, Shciff said that the US has to press Turkey to
recognize the undeniable fact of the Armenian genocide.
ARMENIAN LEADER SAYS POWER PLANT PROJECT TO "OPEN NEW PAGE" IN TIES WITH IRAN
Mediamax news agency
19 Mar 07
Yerevan, 19 March: The Armenian and Iranian energy ministers signed an
intergovernmental agreement in Meghri today on the joint construction
and exploitation of a hydroelectric power plant on River Aras.
As the special correspondent of Mediamax reports from Meghri, the
signing of the document took place after putting into operation the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, in which the presidents of Armenia and Iran,
Robert Kocharyan and Mahmud Ahmadinezhad participated.
Speaking at a news conference, Robert Kocharyan said that the
construction of a joint power plant "will open a new page in
Armenian-Iranian relations".
He stressed that 15 years ago there was nothing in Meghri evidencing
Armenian-Iranian relations and that the two sides were separated with
a barbed wire.
"Today, there are many things here evidencing our growing relations. By
the bridge, on which I met the Iranian president today, 600,000 tons
of cargo was transported last year," the Armenian president said.
Robert Kocharyan highlighted that economic cooperation between Armenia
and Iran had started including large infrastructure projects.
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad said that he had discussed with
Robert Kocharyan the issues of cooperation in the sphere of energy,
transport, communication and water industry.
AHMADINEJAD: IRAN-ARMENIA JOINT PROJECTS BROADEN MUTUAL TIES
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran
March 19 2007
Teheran, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that
any cooperation and joint ventures between Iran and Armenia will
develop the relations of two nations.
According to a report released by the Presidential Office Media
Department, the statement was made during Ahmadinejad’s talks with
his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan at Nordouz border area on
the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.
The president added that the strong will and firm determination of
Iranian and Armenian officials is highly significant in broadening
of bilateral relations in all fields.
Turning to Iran and Armenia as neighboring and friendly countries, he
said, "Expansion of relations has always been faced by administrative
problems and a number of other obstacles. But such a strong resolve
will eventually overcome all difficulties." Expressing his satisfaction
with the implementation of one of the joint projects between the
two states, he said that Iran’s numerous potentials in different
fields such as energy, establishment of refinery, railway and
power plant as well as cooperation in the domains of communication,
telecommunication and export of various products have prepared the
ground for transferring the relevant experience to Armenia.
Meanwhile, President Ahmadinejad declared the country’s readiness
for cooperation in this regard.
ARMENIA, IRAN OPEN KEY GAS PIPELINE
By Ruzanna Stepanian in Agarak
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 19 2007
President Robert Kocharian and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad inaugurated on Monday a long-awaited pipeline that will
allow Armenia to import natural gas from Iran and ease its strong
dependence on Russian energy resources.
Lighting a symbolic torch, the two leaders officially opened the first
Armenian section of the pipeline during a ceremony held in Agarak,
a small Armenian town on the Iranian border.
The ceremony was delayed by four hours because rain and fog prevented
a helicopter carrying Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials from
crossing into Armenia. They had to arrive by car.
"This is a historic event. We have turned a new page in
Armenian-Iranian relations," Kocharian declared at an ensued joint
news conference.
Ahmadinejad likewise called the event a "big step" in the development
of bilateral ties. "I am very happy and grateful to Almighty God for
enabling us to open the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline and to provide a
new service to the people of Armenia," he said. "I told my good friend
[Kocharian] that we are very happy because he is happy, the government
of Armenia is happy, and the people of Armenia are happy," he added.
Work on the 40-kilometer section of the pipeline, connected to
a 100-kilometer stretch built on Iranian territory, began in
late 2005 and was financed by a $34 million loan provided by the
Iranian government. The Armenian side is to repay it with supplies of
electricity. The two governments agreed to build a third high-voltage
transmission line connecting the power grids of the two neighboring
nations for that purpose last year.
Officials said Armenia will initially be able to receive only up to
400 million cubic meters of Iranian a year, or less than a third of
its current gas imports from Russia. That capacity will rise to 2.3
billion cubic meters a year after the planned construction of the
pipeline’s second, much longer Armenian section.
Yet even that volume will hardly allow Armenia to re-export Iranian
gas to Georgia and other countries, something which seemed a real
possibility several years ago when the pipeline’s diameter was
projected at 1,500 millimeters. The Armenian government reportedly
agreed to cut it to just 710 millimeters under pressure from Russia
which feared losing its status as the region’s main gas supplier.
Yerevan is also widely expected to grant Russia’s state-run Gazprom
monopoly ownership of the newly built pipeline as part of a complex
2006 deal that reinforced Moscow’s grip on the Armenian energy
sector. Some analysts wonder whether the pipeline will actually boost
Armenia’s energy security under these circumstances.
Ahmadinejad and Kocharian, who made sure only journalists from Armenian
and Iranian state televisions could ask them questions, did not comment
on implications of the likely Russian control of the facility. The
two leaders spoke instead about what they see as huge progress made
in the development of Armenian-Iranian relations over the past decade.
"The peoples of the two countries are determined to further develop
their ties," said Ahmadinejad. "I believe that this [pipeline] project,
which we are putting into practice, will further reinforce friendship
and ties between our peoples."
"As recently as ten years ago our energy systems were not connected to
each other," argued Kocharian. "Now we are talking about constructing
a third high-voltage line and signed today an agreement to build a
hydro-electric plant on the river Arax [marking the Iranian-Armenian
border.]"
Kocharian gave no details of the multimillion-dollar energy project
that has long been discussed by Yerevan and Tehran. Iran’s Energy
Minister Parviz Fattah announced last July that construction of the
Arax plant will get underway "in early 2007."
TWO INTERNATIONAL AND TWO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE FOR THE PRESENT ACCREDITED AT CEC FOR OBSERVATION MISSION DURING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The CIS Interparliamentary Assembly
Council and Executive Committee among the international structures
for the present officially responded the RA authorities’ invitation
to implement observation mission during the May 12 parliamentary
elections. As Tsovinar Khachatrian, the RA Central Electoral Commission
(CEC) Secretary informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, the mentioned
structures, correspondingly, placed orders for accreditation of 12
and 8 observers. As of March 12, 2 observation missions, "The Choice
is Yours" and the Center for Electoral Systems are for the present
accredited at the CEC among the local organizations. To recap,
the deadline for accreditation of observers is May 2. According to
the Electoral Code, international organizations, representatives
of foreign states, other RA and foreign public organizations, the
regulations issues of which involve issues of democracy and human
rights protection, and which do not support candidates or parties,
have the right of observation mission. International observers can
implement the mission in the case of presence of a corresponding
invitation. The right for invitation is preserved for the RA President,
NA, Government and CEC.
ARE TREES POORLY POSITIONED?
By Ng Tze Yong
Electric New Paper, Singapore
March 13 2007
Yes, they hide buildings, says Heritage Society president
No, they give buildings unique tropical look, says architect
GREEN is Singapore’s favourite colour.
Singapore is the Green City, the Garden City, the City in the Garden.
Victoria Memorial Hall behind a ‘curtain of trees’. — KUA CHEE SIONG
But, as our photos show, this garden may be looking just a tad
overgrown.
Be a tourist for a day.
You might find your patience – and photographic skills – put to
the test.
Several of our iconic buildings are obscured behind a ‘green curtain’
of trees. And it’s almost impossible to take an unobstructed picture
of them.
Sometimes, it’s almost comical to watch tourists squat and tip-toe
as they hunt for that postcard-perfect view.
During his Budget Speech last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
set out his vision of a ‘City in a Garden’.
And Singapore will be spending $700 million building more parks, park
connectors, rooftop gardens and even vertical and high-rise greenery.
That’s many more trees coming our way.
Is it time to start planning more carefully where and what we plant?
Dr Kevin Tan, the president of the Singapore Heritage Society, feels
there is ‘a certain insensitivity about the way some trees are planted,
especially those in front of landmarks’.
He said: ‘If you plant trees on road dividers, that’s fine. But why
plant big trees in front of historic landmarks?
‘The Urban Redevelopment Authority, Preservation of Monuments Board
and the National Parks Board should work more closely together.’
Mr Tim Auger, an editor, agrees.
When he was working on Singapore: The Encyclopedia, Mr Auger found
it tough to photograph Singapore’s landmarks.
‘If you cannot photograph a building properly, it’s hard to think
about promoting it as an icon,’ he said.
Besides, wouldn’t it be ironic if tourists who come here to see the
‘City in a Garden’ can’t see the City because of the Garden?
So why are we hiding historic buildings behind trees after spending
so much money to conserve them?
NO COMPLAINTS
The Singapore Tourism Board said it has not received any complaints
about this, while the URA said it has had some feedback from the
public about the issue.
Some say there is a case to be made for keeping the greenery.
Mr Simon Longman, director of streetscape at NParks, said trees have
‘aesthetic value’ and also provide much needed shade.
He added that Singapore is held up as a model for being a Garden City,
adding: ‘We should not be too hasty in abandoning our approach.’
The URA conserves historic buildings because they ‘imbue a city with a
sense of history and social memory’. But can they do that from behind
their ‘green curtain’?
Dr Yeo Kang Shua, a heritage lover who is also a trained architect,
said it’s a fine line to draw.
‘We can’t just look at the buildings or just the trees alone,’ he
said. ‘We need to look at the whole environment.’
He pointed out that there used to be a carpark in front of Victoria
Memorial Hall. ‘You could see the building completely. But the carpark
was an eyesore,’ he said.
Today, there’s a garden. But the trees obscure the view.
So is it better to have the carpark or the garden?
‘The camera is fixed. Humans are mobile,’ Dr Yeo said. ‘We can move
around to enjoy the building from different angles.’
Many of the pictures you see on the previous page are actually old
postcards.
Were the buildings photographed from those angles because that was
the best way to show the building?
‘Some buildings are meant to be monumental and enjoyed from far,’
Dr Yeo said.
An example: City Hall.
‘Other buildings are more intimate. They invite people to explore
its spaces up close,’ he said.
Like the Armenian Church. Its trees provide shade for its quaint
garden located in the heart of the city.
‘If you put these buildings on a pedestal, you make them look
unapproachable,’ said Dr Yeo.
This issue goes beyond historical landmarks.
Last year, a Straits Times columnist suggested cutting down trees in
Orchard Road because they overshadowed the buildings. Nature-lovers
promptly wrote in to protest.
But Orchard Road is a big street. For individual buildings, removing
just one or two trees will do the trick.
Ultimately, it’s an unusual tussle because it’s between romantics –
romantics who love old buildings versus romantics who love trees.
Which should we value more? The green or the old?
TREES COMPLEMENT
It’s not a win-lose situation.
Planted with care, tropical trees complement our landmarks, many of
which were built in the colonial style.
Said Dr Yeo: ‘Without these tropical trees, our churches will look
just like churches in England.’
Heritage guide Geraldene Lowe-Ismail loves the trees.
She said: ‘The shade allows tourists to linger and admire the building,
but it’s no good if they can’t see the building.’
Dr Tan suggests trimming or transplanting the trees.
‘We don’t even need to chop them down. Buildings are our heritage.
They are part of people’s memories,’ he said.
‘But trees are, too.’
,4 136,124730,00.html
Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Url:
PRESS RELEASE
Contact ~ [email protected]
Armenia Fund’s Village Development Program Discussed in Paris
Paris, France – A special joint meeting took place in Paris, France
between Armenia Fund affiliates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia, on February 16, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, H.E. Vartan Oskanian and the Executive
Director of `Hayastan’ All-Armenian Fund Ms. Naira Melkoumian and was
organized by Armenia Fund’s French affiliate – Fonds Armenien de France.
The meeting discussed the scope of the Village Development Program which
identifies a total of 125 villages along the borders of Armenia in
clusters of five to ten villages. A number of international sources and
private donors are identified that will provide funding mechanisms for
economic and infrastructure development with the aim of revitalizing
each cluster. The participants decided to conduct a needs analysis for
the first cluster which will work as a pilot project. A number of other
clusters will be identified in the coming months and will be discussed
in detail during Armenia Fund’s Annual International Board of Trustees
meeting in May. The clusters will be included in Armenia Fund’s global
fundraising activities in fiscal year 2007.
In an attempt to better coordinate ongoing United Nations projects in
Armenia, present at the meeting was Armenia’s Ambassador to the United
Nations in Geneva, H.E. Zohrab Mnatsakian.
The Armenia Fund Village Development Program by its very nature and
scope has the potential to work closely with the Millennium Challenge
Account. Therefore, the CEO of Millennium Challenge Corporation in
Armenia Mr. Ara Hovsepian was present to assess the areas of synergy and
coordination. The Millennium Challenge Compact is a 5 year program
awarded by the U.S. government to Armenia with the purpose of rebuilding
the former Soviet republic’s rural irrigation and road network. The $235
million program is set to revive Armenia’s rural economy, as well as
boost the regional Development efforts currently underway by the
Armenian government.
Armenia Fund’s international Executive Director, Mrs. Naira Melkoumian
stressed that since the Fund’s establishment 15 years ago, the
organization has implemented large scale infrastructure development
projects and humanitarian aid in Armenia and Artsakh. She also briefed
the attendees on the Fund’s ongoing projects and emphasized that the
organization continues to enjoy the undivided support of the Diaspora.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $160 million in
development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is
the U.S. Western Region affiliate of "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. Tax
ID# 95-4485698
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 9 2007
Turkish Prime Minister: Azerbaijan and Turkey can Settle Issues
Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend A.Ismaylova / The Prime Minister of
Turkey, Rajab Teyyub Erdogan, stated at the first Forum of the
Azerbaijani-Turkish diasporas on 9 March in Baku that Azerbaijan and
Turkey are able to settle issues and problems facing them only
through close co-operation.
According to him, Azerbaijan land has been occupied by the Armenian
side, but sooner or later justice will triumph. Amongst the issues
and problems facing Turkey, the Prime Minister mentioned the
so-called Armenian genocide and the unfair isolation of the Turkish
community of Cyprus.
Erdogan highlighted the importance of unifying and strengthening the
efforts of Azerbaijani-Turkish diasporas. In addition, he highly
assessed the importance of realizing joint regional projects in
strengthening the independence of the two countries.
Unpleasantness for Azerbaijan is unpleasantness for Turkey and
happiness for Azerbaijan is happiness for Turkey, Erdogan said.