Author: Navasardian Karapet

Massis Weekly Online

VOLUME 27, NO. 6 (1306)
SATURDAY, MARCH 03, 2007
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– Armenian Opposition Parties Fail To Form An Election Alliance
– Turkish MPs To Lobby Against Armenian Genocide Bill
– SDHP "Sarkis Dkhrouni" Youth Association Organizes A Seminar
Dedicated To Sumgait Pogroms
– Education Minister Asks University Boards To Investigate Corruption
– British House Of Commons Hosts Meeting On Armenia
– Armenian Community Leaders In Canada Meet With Minister Jason Kenney
– Vivacious, Talented & Young Cellist Ani Kalayjian
– UCLA International Conference On Indian Ocean Armenians
– Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State To Hold 19th Annual Banquet
—————

– Armenian Opposition Parties Fail To Form An Election Alliance

YEREVAN — Last-ditch attempts by several Armenian opposition parties
to form an election alliance have ended in failure, it was confirmed
on Wednesday. The parties led by former Prime Ministers Aram Sarkisian
and Vazgen Manukian and former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian
failed to iron out their differences in late-night negotiations on
Tuesday. All there men were tight-lipped about reasons for the fiasco,
which is another good news for the Armenian government.
Sarkisian seemed particularly disappointed with the collapse of the
talks, saying that his radical Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party will
have to run for parliament on its own. He confirmed that Hanrapetutyun
will not team up even with the former ruling Armenian Pan-National
Movement, another opposition party involved in the talks.
"I wouldn’t like to use details of those negotiation for attacking
anyone," Sarkisian told RFE/RL. "I think those details won’t be of any
use." But the outspoken oppositionist did say that he suspects some of
his potential allies of playing into the government’s hands.
"Unfortunately, in Armenia and dictatorial countries in general there
are too many such parties," he said. When asked to name them,
Sarkisian said, "The public will see that during the election
campaign. I think the public already has suspicions about one or
another party. I don’t have to specify them."
Manukian also refused to elaborate on the opposition discussions. "I
don’t want to play the blame game," he told RFE/RL. "That’s just the
way it is. We failed for some reason, and I don’t want to make any
comments."
Manukian also said later in the day that his National Democratic Union
(AZhM), one of Armenia’s oldest opposition parties, has decided to
boycott the May 12 elections. The veteran politician has advocated
such a boycott in the past, arguing that the country’s culture of
electoral fraud leaves little room for the opposition.
The nominal chairman of Hovannisian’s Zharangutyun party, Vartan
Khachatrian, may have had Manukian in mind when he complained that
some unspecified participants of the talks were skeptical about the
chances of an opposition bloc making a strong showing in the May 12
elections.
"We did everything in our power to reach agreement and always remained
open to mutual concessions," Khachatrian told RFE/RL. He said
Hovannisian was even ready not to occupy any of the five top spots in
the would-be bloc’s list of candidates. Khachatrian added that
Zharangutyun will decide later on Wednesday whether or not it will
contest the elections.

– Turkish MPs To Lobby Against Armenian Genocide Bill

Turkish legislators are traveling to Washington to lobby members of
the U.S. Congress against a draft resolution recognizing the mass
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide,
parliamentary sources said last Thursday.
Three separate delegations, including members of the ruling Justice
and Development Party and the main opposition Republican People’s
Party, are visiting Washington starting late February and in March to
seek support against the resolution, expected to be debated at the
House of Representatives in April.
The Democratic-controlled Congress is widely expected to back the
draft, even though the White House is opposed to it, wary over the
impact on relations with a key Muslim ally and a NATO member. Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said after a visit to Washington this
month that passing the draft would "poison" ties and "spoil
everything" between the two countries.

– SDHP "Sarkis Dkhrouni" Youth Association Organizes A Seminar
Dedicated To Sumgait Pogroms

YEREVAN — The Social Democrat Hnchakian Party "Sarkis Dkhrouni" Youth
Association conducted a discussion with a panel of speakers
emphasizing the importance of educating the international community
about the Sumgait pogroms on the 19th anniversary of the massacres.
The panelists delved in the issues concerning the proper way of
presenting the historical and political motives behind the atrocities
towards the Armenians of Sumgait.
The 1988 Sumgait atrocities in Azerbaijan were viewed by the panelists
as a continuation of the genocidal persecution of the Armenian people.
The Azerbaijani government carried out very similar actions as their
ancestral kins, the Turks, with the same motives to eliminate the
Armenian population
from their historic lands to achieve pan-Turkism.
Hrair Ulubabyan, who organized an Armenian resistance in Sumgait and
currently is the head of the initiative protecting the rights of the
Sumgait Armenians, was a panelist at the lecture. He stated that the
century old intention of the Turkish people was to achieve an Armenia
without an Armenian population; that was the driving force behind the
Azerbaijani government. That vision was attempted to become a reality
when the pogroms had been initiated.
The panelists stated that the atrocities against Armenians, which
continued until 1991, were so vile that they could be comparable to
the Genocide of 1915. Thus it is important to state that justice for
the victims of both Genocides remains unresolved.
The most striking is the fact that neither the international community
nor Armenia has recognized the events of Sumgait as massacre. Former
Ombudswoman for the Republic of Armenia and prominent Human Rights
Activist, Larisa Alaverdyan who was also a member of the panel stated
that the international legal issues concerning the Sumgait pogroms had
not come to culmination since the last time it was discussed in 1989
during the Soviet era. The Sumgait pogroms are a prime example of
human rights abuse, Alaverdian stated that we simply have not been
able to raise the issue as a state matter within the international
community. She believes that it is crucial the Sumgait pogroms and
their aftermath be addressed by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

– Education Minister Asks University Boards To Investigate Corruption

Following a survey that was conducted and publicized by the Social
Democrat Hunchakian Party "Sarkis Dkhrouni" Student and Youth
association exposing a system of payment for good test and exam
results at government run universities, Republic of Armenia’s
Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian has prompted University management
boards to investigate the persistent corruption.
Out of 2000 students – five percent of all the students in Armenia –
1821 said that there was corruption in their colleges. A striking 93
percent of respondents to the survey recommended that instructors
salaries be improved to discourage them from accepting bribes.
The results of the survey were submitted to the education minister
asking him to remedy the problem. Up until the now, the Education
Minister had been non-committal. Yet mounting international exposure
and pressure concerning the revelation of persistent corruption within
higher educationhas finally resulted in his compliance to a formal
investigation.
Within a statement the "Sarkis Dkhrouni" student association conveyed
its desire that exposure of this corruption will lead to the overhaul
of the current Soviet-era system of marking. Adjustments need to be
implemented and mandated from above. As 87 percent of the surveyed
students stated there should be a functioning system of discipline in
the management of higher education establishments.
If this systemic problem of corruption within our system of higher
education is not resolved, bribery will persist in the country and the
deep rooted culture of corruption will remain. Those who pass their
exams with a bribe are assumed to be knowledgeable, will gain
respectable positions in the future, and ask for bribes. The cycle
must be stopped.

– British House Of Commons Hosts Meeting On Armenia

LONDON — Armenian Ambassador to Great Britain His Eminence Vahe
Gabrielian met on February 20 at the UK House of Commons with
representatives of both Houses and prominent members of the Armenian
community in the UK. The event was organized by Armenia Solidarity
group, the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group, and the
Social Democrat Hunchakian party UK organ "Nor Serounti Tsayn" (Voice
of Nor Serount). The meeting was also jointly sponsored by Ms. Nia
Griffith MP and Dr. Bob Spink MP.
The meeting was devoted to two motions submitted to the parliament
urging the end of the Turkish blockade of Armenia and the
re-affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. The parliamentary motion to
recognize the Armenian genocide; EDM 357, was submitted by Bob Spink
of the Conservative Party. Currently it has been endorsed by 68
parliament members. The parliamentary motion on the Turkish blockade
of Armenia; EDM 344, was submitted by Nia Griffith from the Labor
party and currently has the support of 66 MPs.
Presentations were made by: Dr Spink, Baroness Cox, Nia Griffith,
Quentin Davies, Paddy Tipping, Andrew Dismore, Lord Avebury and Eilian
Williams. Members of the Panel presented each their own points of view
about Turkey’s ascension to Europe, the opening of the borders between
the two countries and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. In
their closing remarks the parliamentarians advised the British
Armenian community: to advocate their own MPs and ask them to sign EDM
357 and EDM 344. Another factor that the community must address is
the UK governments keen interest to admit Turkey into the Europe
Union. The panelist stated that it is imperative that the British
Armenian community contact their MEPs and voice their concern over the
matter.
The parliamentarians announced their intention to organize their
fellow members of parliament and wear a white poppy on April 24 in
remembrance of those who perished during the Armenian Genocide.
The speaker of the day His Excellency Dr Vahe Gabrielyan, the Armenian
Ambassador who spoke about "The Turkish Blockade of Armenia" and "the
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the UK Government" and
reiterated the statement that "Turkey must apologize to Armenia." His
Excellency spoke extensively on Armenia’s approaches to these and
other issues and called on the MPs to use Britain’s close ties with
Turkey to force it to open border with Armenia and establish relations
with it. The ambassador thanked the organizers and well as British MPs
for their efforts
urging debates on these two very important problems

– Armenian Community Leaders In Canada Meet With Minister Jason Kenney

MONTREAL — Several leaders of the Canadian Armenian community met
earlier today with Minister Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for
Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. The meeting, which was held in
the Montreal offices of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada,
was organized by the Congress of Canadian Armenians at the request of
the Minister. The discussions centered on Armenian issues and the
concerns of the community.
The recent assassination of Hrant Dink in Istanbul was discussed with
the Minister. The Rural Poverty Eradication Program in Armenia, which
the Canadian Diocese and the Congress of Canadian Armenians have
committed to actively support, was explained.
Suggestions were made on how to streamline the Canadian visa
application process in Armenia. The community leaders also recommended
that Canada play a more active role in supporting a lasting solution
to the Nagorno-Karabagh issue based on its right to self determination.
During the meeting, Payam Akhavan, Professor of Law at McGill
University, thanked the Minister for his recent timely intervention in
facilitating Taner Akçam’s entry into Canada. Akçam, a Turkish
historian, visited Montreal last week to give two lectures. "Akçam is
a voice for Armenian-Turkish reconciliation," said Professor Akhavan.
"Thankfully, those who tried to silence him by making slanderous
accusations failed."
At the end of the meeting, Jason Kenney concluded his remarks by
saying: "I treasure my relationship with the Armenian community. I am
sensitive to its concerns, and am committed to help it achieve its
future aspirations." "I am very encouraged by the Minister’s response
to the several suggestions
we made to him," said Taro Alepian, Chairman of the Congress of
Canadian Armenians. "The Government of Canada has shown by its actions
that it is supportive of our community, and of our stated positions on
Armenian issues."
The member organizations of the Congress of Canadian Armenians include
(in alphabetical order): AGBU Alex Manoogian School, AGBU Montreal
Chapter, Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Holy Cross Church of
Laval, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Montreal, S.D. Hunchakian
Party, Society of Armenians from Istanbul, Tekeyan Cultural Association.

– Vivacious, Talented & Young Cellist Ani Kalayjian
By Arpine Kocharian

"I find the process of being a cellist, and performing with other
musicians to be an exhilarating experience." Ani Kalayjian

Cellist Ani Kalayjian has garnered respect in the classical music
world at an age when most artists have yet to prove themselves. At
just 25 years old, the Armenian-American talent has had groundbreaking
performances in the United States, Canada and Europe, appearing in
concert both as a soloist and chamber musician. She has set the stage
for a prolific career having collaborated with many of the world’s
most famous artists, while expressing her own artistic vision through
an impressive repertoire that reflects a wide range of genres and
styles.
What started as a hobby soon became a true passion for music. Ani
began taking cello lessons at the age of four after she moved to the
United States. Her grandfather, who taught cello in the Middle East,
and was involved in the formation of a local orchestra in the 1960s,
was an early source of inspiration.
Ani’s musical studies continued at the Manhattan School of Music
preparatory division. She received her Bachelor’s degree in cello
performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City, where
she studied with Timothy Eddy, cellist of the Orion Quartet. Ani went
on to obtain her Master’s degree with distinction from the Royal
Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, where she was a
student of Ralph Kirshbaum, international soloist. Ani’s teachers,
whom she considers integral to her success, refined her artistry and
skills as a professional musician. She concluded her postgraduate
studies in 2006 embarking on an exciting career in music.
International exposure to classical music festivals and her myriad
experiences have helped shape and impact her direction as a performer.
Ani was one of the two cellists selected for the national program of
the inaugural season of David Finckel and Wu Han’s Music@Menlo. She
has appeared in Michael Tilson Thomas’ Aaron Copland workshop at
Carnegie Hall where she performed at Zankel and Weill Hall. At Prussia
Cove in Cornwall, England, she was featured in a BBC documentary
playing in a master class with Steven Isserlis. In 2003, Ani made her
concerto debut atColumbia University’s Miller Theatre performing
Saint-Saens concerto with orchestra. Her recent competition success
includes winning the Anglo-Czechoslovak Trust competition where she
was also granted the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation Prize. Her 2006
concerts included appearances with the Bayside Trio in Portland,
Maine, as well as solo performances in Holland, the Czech Republic,
and at Oxford University in England. Among her upcoming engagements
are solo recitals in Montreal, as well as her New York solo recital
debut at Carnegie Hall on March 31, 2007.
As well as her ambitions as a soloist, Ani’s passion for chamber music
is manifested in Trio Nareg where the brilliant young cellist will
perform with Ani Kavafian, one of America’s most versatile violinists,
and pianist, Armen Guzelimian, a virtuoso soloist. The three
celebrated solo artists will perform at the inaugural season of the
opening of Segerstrom Hall for the very first time on May 24, 2007.
This groundbreaking musical event will promote Armenian contemporary
and classical works.
David Finckel, Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of
Lincoln Center has been quoted with saying, "Ani Kalayjian’s music
making is infused with her personal warmth. She brings joy into the
concert hall and shares it generously with the audience and with her
colleagues. She is an important musician who will undoubtedly touch
many lives during her career."
As a messenger of classical music, Ani wishes to discover seldom
played works that have not yet been explored to their full potential.
She is also dedicated in promoting classical music amongst the
younger generations. "I want to educate people of the living power of
classical music. I can say that this is the central goal of my career."

– UCLA International Conference On Indian Ocean Armenians

UCLA — "Ebb and Flow of the Armenian Communities of the Indian Ocean"
is the theme for the next UCLA international conference, Saturday and
Sunday, March 17-18, 2007. Sixteen scholars from Armenia, Europe, and
North America will discuss the important commercial, cultural, and
intellectual roles of the Armenian communities of Southeast Asia from
the seventeenth through twentieth century. The conference, open to the
public at no fee, will be held in Young Hall, Court of Sciences 50, on
Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30p.m and on Sunday from 2:00 to 5:30p.m.
The Saturday sessions will focus on cultural and intellectual themes,
including the current state of the Indo-Armenian community, while the
Sunday afternoon session will feature three presentations on the
long-distance trade of the New Julfa merchants and their interaction
with the mercantile forces in the Indian Ocean and beyond.
The conference is sponsored by the UCLA Armenian Educational
Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History and co-sponsored by the
Center for India and South Asia, Department of History, International
Institute, Center for Near Eastern Studies, and the AGBU Southern
California District Committee. It is the sixteenth consecutive
conference in the UCLA series on Historic Armenian Cities, Provinces,
and Communities.
After introductory comments on the "ebb and flow" by Professor Richard
Hovannisian, the Saturday morning sessions will be chaired and
discussed by Professor Engseng Ho of Harvard University, with five
papers: Professor Margaret Sarkissian of Smith College will give an
illustrated talk on the Armenian mercantile communities of Southeast
Asia; Professor Khachig Tololyan of Wesleyan University will speak on
eighteenth-century thought on transforming the Armenians from
dispersion to nation; Professor Peter Cowe of UCLA will examine the
development of Armenian drama in India; Professor Osheen Keshishian of
Glendale Community College will assess the roles of "Azdarar" and
other Indo-Armenian periodicals; and Ph.D. candidate Mana Kia of
Harvard University will present Joseph Emin in the context of British
colonial policies.
The Saturday afternoon sessions on March 16 will be chaired and
commented on by Professor Houri Berberian of CSU, Long Beach.
Presenters include Professor Michael Fisher of Oberlin College on an
Armenian lady from Agra in London in the early seventeenth century;
Professor Bhaswati Bhattacharya of Leiden on the noted Armenian
general, Khwaja Gorgin Khan; Dr. Richard Hovannisian on Indo-Armenian
notables, with a film on Sir Catchik Paul Chater; Mr. Gregory
Aftandilian, a fellow at Harvard University, on American GIs in India
in World War II, and Honorable Armen Baibourtian, Armenia’s first
ambassador to India, on the present situation of the community.
Extended time has been given for each of the three presentations on
Sunday afternoon, March 17, dealing with long-distant merchants and
trade. Edward A. Alpers of UCLA will serve as chair and discussant.
Professor Sanjay Subrahmanyan, director of the India and South Asia
Center at UCLA, will speak on French commercial ambitions and Armenian
interlocutors in the seventeenth century; Dr. Sebouh Aslanian of UC
Irvine and a co-organizer of the conference, will focus on the role of
the New Julfan "Network of Trust," and Tatiana Seijas of Mexico City
and a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University will present Don Pedro di
Zaratte, a Julfan Armenian in Mexico City. Discussions will follow
each of the conference sessions.
As in past conferences in this series, Richard and Anne Elizabeth
Elbrecht of Davis will mount a pictorial exhibit, this one on the
Armenian churches, buildings, and institutions of South Asia.
The conference proceedings in this series are edited and prepared for
publication by Richard Hovannisian. To date, six volumes have been
released: Van/Vaspurakan, Bitlis-Mush/Taron, Kharpert/Tsopk,
Erzerum/Karin, Sivas/Sebastia, and Diarbekir-Urfa/Tigranakert-Edessa.
The seventh, Armenia Cilicia, is being co-edited with Professor Simon
Payaslian of Clark University and will be published in 2007, to be
followed by volumes on the Armenian communities of Constantinople,
Smyrna, the Black Sea-Pontus region, Kars and Ani, Caesarea,
Jerusalem, and New Julfa.
Parking for the international conference on the Indian Ocean
communities may be found along Hilgard Avenue (limited space) or in
the UCLA Parking

– Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State To Hold 19th Annual Banquet

FRESNO — The Armenian Studies Program of California State University,
Fresno, will hold its 19th Annual Banquet on Saturday, March 24, 2007
at the Fort Washington Golf & Country Club, 10272 N. Millbrook, in
Fresno.
The keynote speaker and special guest for the Banquet is The Honorable
Armen Liloyan, Consul General of the Republic of Armenia, who will be
paying his first official visit to Fresno. The Consul General was born
in Yerevan, Armenia and received a Bachelor’s degree from the
Department of Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University. In
2001-2002 he received his M.A. in Diplomacy and International
Relations, from the University of Westminster, in London. He has
diplomatic experience as a desk officer for Central Europe and later
the Balkans in the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Armenia. In
November 2006 he was appointed as Consul General of the Republic of
Armenia in Los Angeles. During the Banquet, student recipients of
Armenian Studies scholarships and grants will be recognized.
The Armenian Alumni and Friends Chapter at Fresno State is organizing
a silent auction at the Banquet. During the past several decades the
Program has gained national and international recognition, with an
undergraduate program offering as many as ten courses in Armenian
Studies.
The Program houses two endowed positions, the Haig & Isabel Berberian
Chair of Armenian Studies, held by Prof. Kouymjian, and the Henry
Khanzadian Kazan Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies. Barlow Der
Mugrdechian and Dickran Kouymjian constitute the core faculty of the
Program along with the annual Kazan Visiting Professor. The reception
and silent auction begin at 6:00PM followed by the Banquet at 7:00PM.
Tickets are available at $50 per person, with a special price of $20
for Fresno State students. For more information about the Banquet,
please contact the Armenian Studies Program at 559-278-2669.

—
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19 YEARS AFTER THE MASSACRES OF SUMGAIT
Tatul Hakobyan

"Radiolur"
28.02.2007 13:51

Why the Sumgait events occurred 19 years ago is still a matter
of dispute.

The perpetrators of the massacres were mainly common Azerbaijanis,
to put it in a Soviet way – the working class. However, up to now
it is not completely clear who incited the massacre of Armenians in
Sumgait. But one thing is clear: in Sumgait an attempt was made to
terrify Armenians and oppress the Karabakh movement.

Seven decades of Soviet history are full of bloody episodes, but
the events in Sumgait are unprecedented in many regards. First,
the massacres occurred at a completely peaceful period. Second, the
slaughter was of ethnic nature and not of political one, that is to
say Azerbaijanis were killing Armenians for being Armenian. Third,
the central and republican authorities of the Soviet Union were not
organizing the bloodshed themselves as it was the case in Tbilisi in
April 1989, but with their idleness they were inciting the working
class to carry out killings.

In the morning of February 29, when massacres were under way in the
city of Sumgait, the Political Bureau was holding a sitting in Moscow,
presided over by Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev informed the Soviet political elite: "The measures we
undertook, including the messages to Armenia and Azerbaijan played
their role. Moments ago there were no less than half a million people
in the streets of Yerevan. In Karabakh a clash occurred between
Azerbaijanis and Armenians, two were killed. Leaflets distributed in
Yerevan were saying: Armenians, stop the meetings, take weapons and
oppress the Turks. We know there are extremist elements there. But
I should say that even when there were 500 thousand people in the
streets of Yerevan, the orderliness of Armenians was on a high level,
there was nothing anti-Soviet. The masses were marching, holding the
portraits of the Political Bureau. The topic of Karabakh’s joining
Armenia was touched upon in all speeches…"

Defense Minister Dmitri Yazov suggested announcing martial law
in Sumgait.

Mikhail Gorbachev informed the members of the Political Bureau that
there were already 14 victims in Sumgait, many were hospitalized:
"Now it is important to involve the working class in the fight against
those who breach public order."

On his return from Moscow on February 28, leader of the Communist Party
of Sumgait Jahangir Muslimzade assured the crown gathered in the centre
of the city that Karabakh will be never given to Armenia. However,
this assurance did not suffice the crowd. They told Muslimzade that
Armenians should be allowed to freely depart from Sumgait.

According to official data, 29 Armenians and 6 Azeris were killed as
a result of massacres in Sumgait, about 400 Armenians were wounded,
18 thousand became refugees. Only a small part of Sumgait Armenians
moved to Karabakh or Armenia.

Official of the Central Committee Grigori Kharchenko was impressed
by one fact: most of the Sumgait Armenians were wishing to leave
for Russia.

"None of the Armenians we spoke to expressed the will to leave for
Armenia. All of them were asking to let them move to Krasnodar,
Stavropol or Rostov regions.

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN: "COOPERATION OF ARMENIA WITH UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME GIVES POSITIVE RESULTS"

Noyan Tapan
Feb 27 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian received on February 26 Kori Udovicki, the UN Assistant
Secretary General, UN Development Programme Assistant Administrator,
Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and Commonwealth
of Independent States, and the delegation headed by her. Louise
Vinton, the UNDP Senior Programme Manager for Caucasus was also
in the delegation staff. Attaching importance to the high-ranking
delegation’s visit to Armenia, the RA Prime Minister mentioned that
becoming a UN member in 1992 and accepting the principles of universal
values, protection of human rights and establishment of democracy
as preconditions necessary for a democratic state, Armenia actively
participates in works being promoted within the framework of that world
authoritative organization and cooperates with active structures and
circles of the organization. Today, in A.Margarian’s words, based
on the experience gathered during the last years, Armenia is ready
to make its participation and cooperation more effective. The RA
Prime Minister emphasized that Armenia appreciates the role of the
Human Development Reports, prepared with the assistance of the UN
Development Programme, in the affair of covering the state of human
development during the transitional period of time and presenting to
the international community. The volume of programs implemented by
the UNDP in Armenia from 1993 foundation of its office in Armenia till
now made 21 mln U.S. dollars. Today as well the Programme shows great
assistance to the RA Government in the affair of implementing the
millennium development program and in the issue of reducing poverty
till 2015. The Prime Minister attached importance, particularly,
to implementation of 2006-2008 programs for bording communities
of Armenia as well as to works already implemented for 2005-2009
and review of the programs being envisaged. A.Margarian expressed
confidence that without active assistance of the UN agencies,
development and implementation of poverty reduction, anti-corruption
programs, ones on protection of the women’s and children’s rights,
struggle against organized crime started by the Government of Armenia
would be incomparably difficult. Mentioning that activity of the UN
Office in RA assisted strengthening of statehood and affair of economic
development, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the practical
contribution made by UN system bodies in those spheres, emphasizing
that the Armenian side in future as well expects assistance of that
international authoritative organization in the affair of solution
of problems most important for our state. Within that context,
A.Margarian attached importance to the RA Government’s initiative
for review of the poverty reduction strategic program as well as for
working out of a new anti-corruption strategy. He mentioned that if
the issue of creation of the legal basis for anti-corruption struggle
was mainly solved by the first anti-corruption program, then efforts
will be made by the new strategy in the direction of taking practical
and effective steps based on it.

K.Udovicki stated that after having been appointed on the post of
the Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Caucasus only three
weeks before, she paid her first visit to Armenia what, in her
words, is not accidental, taking into consideration the impressive
achievements of the republic during the recent years in the sense of
reforms being implemented especially in the sphere of economy. In her
opinion, the main problem at present is even distribution of achieved
results. K.Udovicki appreciated the Armenian Government’s efforts,
especially in the direction of implementation of the programs
on poverty reduction, overcoming gender inequality as well as
coordination of international organizations’ activity for solution
of those problems. She emphasized that all these give possibility
to much more effectively use the assistance shown by international
organizations within the framework of Millennium Challenges, European
Neighborhood Policy and other programs. As Noyan Tapan was informed
by the RA Government’s Information and Public Relations Department,
at the end of the meeting A.Margarian mentioned that the experience of
the last one and half decade proves that the cooperation of Armenia
with the UN Development Programme gives positive results and assured
in the RA Government’s readiness to continue that cooperation from
now on as well.

PROJECT FOR YEREVAN LAKE CLEANING TO BE STARTED IN 2008

Arminfo
2007-02-26 16:03:00

The project for cleaning Yerevan Lake will be started in 2008, says
the head of the Yerevan Munucipality’s department for development,
construction and housing Frunze Basentsyan.

The final estimates will be made when the municipality receives the
findings of the US Embassy, whose building is located on the shore
of the lake.

For the moment, the municipality is building a new drain line for
cleaning Hrazdan, a river flowing into Yerevan Lake.

The project for Yerevan Lake cleaning was to be launched last
year. Then Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharyan said that the project would
last for three years. He said that there are over one million c m of
silt in the lake and the lake is in a bad ecological state. The US
Embassy is also involved in the project.

ARMENIA APPROVES LAW ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP

Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates
Feb 26 2007

YEREVAN – Armenia’s parliament has passed a bill giving ethnic
Armenians the right to hold dual citizenship, a measure which could
almost quadruple the number of its nationals around the world.

Wedged between Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan, Armenia has a
population of just 3.2 million and a diaspora of 8 million spread
across the globe, mainly in the United States, Russia and France.

The law, passed in the final second reading on Monday, allows
all emigres to attain Armenian citizenship. Armenia’s president,
parliament deputies and constitutional court judges are not entitled
to dual citizenship, according to the law.

Armenians voted in favour of dual citizenship in a November 2005
referendum.

Most Armenians fled their home land at the end of World War One
following mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915. Turkey
denies there was systematic genocide and says Armenian deaths were
part of inter-ethnic fighting, disease and famine in which both
sides suffered.

Under the law, emigres with dual citizenship can vote in national
elections only if they obtain a local residence permit.

GDP INCREASED BY 10% IN THE NAGORNO-KARABAGH

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Feb 26 2007

According to tentative data, in 2006 the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic GDP
increased by 10, 1 %, as compared with 2005, making 61 milliard 885,
9 millions drams.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the NKR National
Statistic Service, the GDP growth had been mainly provided at the
expense of industry (3, 5 %), taxes on goods and import (3 %),
construction (2, 4%), finances and credits (1, 3 %).

Last year industrial production for 24 milliards 203, 6 millions
drams was made in the Republic (the growth is 16, 3 %).

In 2006 the amount of capital construction made 17 milliards 602
millions drams, which is 39, 7 % more than the level of 2005.

As compared with 2005 the amount of the NKR external turnover increased
by 19, 1 %, while export increased by 19, 3 %, import by 18, 6 %.

In 2006 the number of the employed population in the Republic made 39
533 people, which is 4, 7% more than the level of 2005. The employees’
average monthly salary was 56 683 drams, which is 10, 9 % more as
compared with the index of 2005.

According to the data of January 1, 2007 the number of the registered
unoccupied population made 3805 people, 93, 6 % of which received the
status of unemployed. The level of unemployment in the Republic was 6,
1 % versus 5, 6% in 2005.

GERMANY TO PROPOSE COMMON EU HISTORY BOOK
Selcuk Gultaþlý Brussels

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 26 2007

European Union term president Germany is to propose an EU-wide common
history book that is expected to be a model for history textbooks
for the 27 members of the union.

In the wake of another history-related proposal to punish the deniers
of "genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity," Germany is
expected to unveil its proposal at an upcoming informal meeting of
EU education ministers in Heidelberg on March 1-2.

While the common history book initiative has created yet another
controversy like the one on penalizing deniers of genocide, another
debate on history is on the way. Eastern European member countries
want a reference to the dark days of communism in the declaration of
the 50th birthday of the EU that will be held in Berlin on March 25.

While EU education ministers are set this week set to debate the
possibility a common European history book, some member countries have
already taken a position against the initiative. British politicians
say it is an encroachment on the sphere of education that should
be national.

The Armenian lobby has supported the proposal to punish deniers of
genocide hoping the Armenian "genocide" will also be included on the
list. EU members like Britain, Italy and Denmark oppose such measures
on the grounds they damage freedom of expression.

While the German initiative is expected to be announced by the German
education minister Annette Schavan, EU diplomats, speaking to Today’s
Zaman, said it was not yet a proposal. "It is just an idea, nothing
more nothing less. We will see how EU members react. It is going to
be a preliminary debate. If the reaction will be positive, then we
will be able to proceed," said a diplomat.

As reactions have already started to come forward, German government
spokesman Rainer Rudolph said: "It is not the idea at all to rewrite
history. There would be no suggestion of leaving out anything that
might be unpleasant or difficult for the Germans or for anyone else.

That would be ridiculous," according to the British daily The Guardian.

EU diplomats say the idea was inspired by a similar project already
existing between France and Germany involving a book called "Histoire
Geschichte" written by 10 historians, five from each country. Though
the Germans say it is a very successful initiative, experts argue
that already this version — bringing together only two countries —
exposed national differences, with room made for separate paragraphs in
the French and German versions on communism and the US role in Europe.

Meanwhile, European history is also emerging as a potential point of
conflict on the planned declaration to mark the EU’s 50th anniversary,
which will be signed by European leaders in Berlin on March 25.

–Boundary_(ID_iUyb7iliuG05oiCGIbUhVQ)–

Panorama.am

18:48 24/02/2007

DISTRIBUTION NETWORK TO BE MODERNIZED

Armenian Electric Networks CJSC is going to make investment of $75
million in the energy system of Armenia in the course of the upcoming
three years, Public Services Regulatory State Committee web page
reports. The page refers to the investment program 2007-2009 of the
company, according to which, distribution networks will be modernized,
costing 25 billion drams, and automating calculating programs will be
installed, costing 1.65 billion Armenian drams.

Source: Panorama.am

PanARMENIAN.Net

68 British MPs in favor discussing Armenian Genocide issue
22.02.2007 17:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Ambassador to Great Britain
Vahe Gabrielyan had a meeting with members of both
chambers of the British Parliament and representatives
of Armenian community organizations in London. The RA
MFA Press and Information Department reports that the
meeting was organized by `Armenia Solidarity’
Armenian-British parliamentarian group and `Voice of
the New Generation’ publication. The meeting was
dedicated to latest offers to hold discussions in the
parliament over Armenia’s blockade by Turkey and the
Armenian Genocide. The offer to discuss the Armenian
Genocide issue was made by MP Bob Spink (Conservative
Party). It was supported by 68 MPs. And the author of
holding discussions over Armenia’s blockade by Turkey
is Nia Griffith. 66 MPs joint this initiative. In his
speech Vahe Gabrielyan expressed gratitude to MPs for
their activity aimed at recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and condemnation of Armenia’s blockade. He
scrupulously presented Yerevan’s stance concerning the
establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations and called
upon the British parliamentarians to use Britain’s
close ties with Turkey as much as possible for opening
the border with Armenia and establishing relations.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Intelligence on Iran’s nuclear facilities turns out unfounded
23.02.2007 13:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Much of the intelligence on Iran’s nuclear
facilities provided to UN inspectors by American spy agencies has
turned out to be unfounded, The Guardian reports with a reference to
diplomatic sources in Vienna. The claims, reminiscent of the
intelligence fiasco surrounding the Iraq war, coincided with a sharp
increase in international tension as the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran was defying a UN security council
ultimatum to freeze its nuclear program. That report, delivered to the
security council by the IAEA director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, sets
the stage for a fierce international debate on the imposition of
stricter sanctions on Iran, and raises the possibility that the US
might resort to military action against Iranian nuclear sites.

At the heart of the debate are accusations, spearheaded by the U.S.,
that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons. However, most
of the tip-offs about supposed secret weapons sites provided by the
CIA and other US intelligence agencies have led to dead ends when
investigated by IAEA inspectors, according to informed sources in
Vienna.

"Most of it has turned out to be incorrect," said a diplomat at the
IAEA with detailed knowledge of the agency’s investigations. "They
gave us a paper with a list of sites. [The inspectors] did some
follow-up, they went to some military sites, but there was no sign of
[banned nuclear] activities."

One particularly contentious issue concerned records of plans to build
a nuclear warhead, which the CIA said it found on a stolen laptop
computer supplied by an informant inside Iran. In July 2005, US
intelligence officials showed printed versions of the material to IAEA
officials, who judged it to be sufficiently specific to confront
Iran. Tehran rejected the material as forgeries and there are still
reservations about its authenticity in the IAEA, according to
officials with knowledge of the internal debate inside the
agency. "First of all, if you have a clandestine program, you don’t
put it on laptops which can walk away," one official said. "The data
is all in English which may be reasonable for some of the technical
matters, but at some point you’d have thought there would be at least
some notes in Farsi. So there is some doubt over the provenance of
the computer."

IAEA officials do not comment on intelligence passed to the watchdog
agency by foreign governments, saying all such assistance is
confidential. A western counter-proliferation official accepted that
intelligence on Iran had sometimes been patchy but argued that the
essential point was Iran’s failure to live up to its obligations under
the non-proliferation treaty.

"I take on board on what they’re saying, but the bottom line is that
for nearly 20 years [the Iranians] were violating safeguards
agreements," the official said. "There is a confidence deficit here
about the regime’s true intentions."

That deficit will be deepened by yesterday’s IAEA report. It concluded
bluntly: "Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities",
in defiance of a December UN ultimatum to stop. The report noted that
Iran had continued with the operation of a pilot enrichment plant.

Furthermore, the report said that Iran had informed the agency of its
plan to install 18 arrays, or cascades, of 164 centrifuges in an
underground plant by May – a total of nearly 3,000. At the moment,
Iran’s centrifuges are being used to make low-enriched uranium, but if
they were switched to making highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium,
they could produce enough for a bomb in less than a year.

Dr ElBaradei’s report said that Iran had so far not agreed to the IAEA
installing remote monitoring devices in the enrichment plant to keep
constant tabs on what the Iranians were doing with them.

Furthermore, the IAEA still has a string of questions about the
Iranian program that remain unanswered. Until they are, the agency
will not give Iran a clear bill of health.

One of the "outstanding issues" listed in yesterday’s report involves
a 15-page document that appears to have been handed to IAEA inspectors
by mistake in October 2005. That document roughly describes how to
make hemispheres of enriched uranium, for which the only known use is
in nuclear warheads. Iran has yet to present a satisfactory
explanation of how and why it has the document.

Last night Iran, which says its nuclear fuel program is designed only
to produce electricity, remained defiant. "Regarding the suspension
mentioned in the report, because such a demand has no legal basis and
is against international treaties, naturally, it could not be accepted
by Iran," Muhammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy
Organisation, told Reuters in Tehran. Mr Saeedi said the report showed
that returning to talks was the best way to resolve the dispute.

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said he was "deeply
concerned". "I urge again that the Iranian government should fully
comply with the demands as soon as possible and engage in negotiations
with the international community so that we can resolve this issue
peacefully."