Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

ARMENIAN CB PERMITS COMMERCIAL BANKS TO TAKE PART IN INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AND ACCOUNT SYSTEM WESTERN UNION
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 14 2006
YEREVAN, March 14. /ARKA/. The Council of the Central Bank of Armenia
permitted Armenian commercial banks to take part in the international
payment system Western Union. The CBA Press Service reported that
this decision was made at the sitting of the CBA Council presided
by the CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsyan. Permission was granted to 14
commercial banks of Armenia.
In February 2006, the CBA Council made a decision to refuse the right
of participation in Western Union money transfer system to commercial
banks due to discrepancies in the WU regulation, revealed during the
examination of commercial banks’ applications, submitted to the CBA.
The CBA Board’s decision is to take effect from March 15, 2006.
Banks were granted the opportunity to submit new applications
for participation in the WU payment system in conformity with the
contractual amendments. The WU system started cooperating with Armenian
banks on a probation basis in 1995. The system has officially been
working in Armenia since 1996.
During the period under review 14 Armenian banks joined the WU
system. In 2005 money transfers effected by Armenian banks by means
of the system amounted to AMD 44.4bln. In 2005 the share of the WU
system in the total amount of money transfers was 16.04% and 19.85%
of their number. ($1 – AMD 452.94).

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
T | 818-243-6222
F | 818-243-7222
E | [email protected]
Contact : Sarkis Kotanjian
For Immediate Release
March 15, 2006
Armenia Fund Rebuilds Water Main System for Marmarashen
Lebanese Affiliate Finances Project
Yerevan, Armenia – Armenia Fund’s Lebanese Affiliate – Armenia Fund
Lebanon – will finance the implementation of the Marmarashen water
main system in the Ararat Region of the Republic of Armenia. The
Ararat region is home to the most fertile soil in Armenia and accounts
for the republic’s fruit, vegetable, and grain based products and
exports. The region has become the breadbasket of the republic.
Over the past years, due to a lack of funds and maintenance, the
Marmarashen town’s water main has ceased to operate properly. This
has resulted in the exodus of the local population to neighboring
regions. Responding to this water crisis, Armenia Fund will design
and install a new water main system. The new plan will include the
placement of pipes and a special internal network designed to meet
the potential needs of the town and region.
Presently, only twenty families reside in the Marmarashen town, as
a result of the water crisis. According to urban planning experts
working for Armenia Fund, the town will be able to properly sustain
100 families, after the water problem is solved.
This marks a milestone for the Lebanese affiliate, being a newly
revived branch of the Fund and embarking on a major project in the
Republic of Armenia.
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.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698

S. GRIGORYAN: NO PROGRESS IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT CAN BE MADE IN 2006
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.03.2006 00:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Optimism of the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group Steven Mann is ungrounded, as before Rambouillet and after
there seemed to be optimism, but it was not supported by certain
prerequisites, expert, political scientist Stepan Grigoryan stated
in an interview with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, at
present the settlement of the NK conflict is delayed. “Optimism in the
Karabakh issue is due to OSCE MG co-chairs and US State Department
officials having incorrect notion of political processes in the
region. I know for sure that no progress can be made in the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement in 2006: neither the society, nor the authorities
of Armenia and Azerbaijan are ready even to intelligent dialogue,
to say nothing of compromises,” he remarked. In his opinion, world
developments display new processes, which coincide with Armenia’s
interests, e.g. Kosovo or Transnistria. “In different specific cases
we should find our own field and play in it,” the expert emphasized.
When commenting on the latest statement of the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism of Azerbaijan, the political scientist remarked that
hysteria over the cultural and historical legacy is inappropriate. He,
nevertheless, recognized certain diplomatic success in propaganda
war against Armenia. “Unfortunately, we still yield to the adversary
in international organizations. Armenia should find new ways for its
propaganda,” Grigoryan said.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan had sent a letter
to Eurovision organization committee, expressing outrage with the
official site of the contest publishing information that Andre, a
singer from Armenia, was born in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. “The
fact should be viewed as disrespect of the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, provocation and support of Armenia’s aggressive policy,”
the letter noted.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
March 8, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE CALLS FOR PARITY IN
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN MILITARY ASSISTANCE
— Speech on House Floor Also Urges Increased
Economic Aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
“It is incredibly important to… send a
message to Azerbaijan and Turkey that
ethnically charged genocides, illegal blockades
of sovereign nations, and the constant
harassment of the Armenian people will not be
tolerated.” — Rep. Frank Pallone
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chairman of
the Armenian Issues Caucus, took to the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives yesterday to criticize the Administration’s “breach
of an agreement struck between the White House and Congress in 2001
to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan,”
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The Bush Administration recommended last month, in its Fiscal Year
2007 budget, that Azerbaijan receive significantly more military
training and hardware than Armenia. The President also proposed
cutting U.S. economic aid to Armenia from last year’s appropriation
of $74.4 million to $50 million, a nearly 33% reduction.
The New Jersey Congressman explained to his House colleagues that,
“a lack of military parity would weaken ongoing peace negotiations
regarding Nagorno Karabakh. Furthermore, I believe that any
imbalance will contribute to further instability in the region if
military parity is not achieved.” He added that, “failing to
respect the parity agreement undermines the role of the U.S. as an
impartial mediator of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.”
Representative Pallone closed his remarks by noting that, “in the
coming weeks I will advocate to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee
to restore military parity, to increase economic assistance to
Armenia, and to provide for humanitarian aid to the people of
Nagorno Karabakh. It is incredibly important to reward our allies
and to send a message to Azerbaijan and Turkey that ethnically
charged genocides, illegal blockades of sovereign nations, and the
constant harassment of the Armenian people will not be tolerated.”
“We want to thank Congressman Pallone for his longstanding
leadership in educating his colleagues about the important U.S.
interests served by our assistance program to Armenia, direct aid
to Nagorno Karabagh, and the other Armenia-related provisions in
the Foreign Operations bill – most recently and notably – the need
for maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We also
want to express our appreciation to Congressman Knollenberg for his
work, within the Foreign Operations Subcommittee itself, generating
vital support for maintaining military parity and other key
provisions of special concern to the Armenian American community.”
The President’s proposal for Freedom Support Act aid is $50 million
for Armenia, $28 million for Azerbaijan, and $58 million for
Georgia. His Foreign Military Financing proposals are $3.5 million
for Armenia, $4.5 million for Azerbaijan, and $10 million for
Georgia. The White House’s recommendation to Congress for
International Military Education and Training is $790,000 for
Armenia, $885,000 for Azerbaijan, and $1,235,000 for Georgia.
The Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the Senate and House
Appropriation Committees are currently reviewing the President’s
proposed budget and are each drafting their own versions of the FY
2007 foreign assistance bill.
The agreement to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan was struck between the White House and Congress in
2001, in the wake of Congressional action granting the President
the authority to waive the Section 907 restrictions on aid to
Azerbaijan. The ANCA has vigorously defended this principle,
stressing in correspondence, at senior level meetings, and through
grassroots activism, that a tilt in military spending toward
Azerbaijan would destabilize the region, emboldening the
Azerbaijani leadership to continue their threats to impose a
military solution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. More broadly,
the ANCA has underscored that breaching the parity agreement would
reward the leadership of Azerbaijan for walking away from the
OSCE’s Key West peace talks, the most promising opportunity to
resolve the Nagorno Karabagh conflict in nearly a decade. Finally,
failing to respect the parity agreement undermines the role of the
U.S. as an impartial mediator of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.
The full text of Congressman Pallone’s remarks are provided below.
#####
CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR.
FLOOR STATEMENT
Foreign Operations Request:
March 7, 2006
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, the President’s budget request for fiscal
year 2007 proposes 20 percent more military aid to Azerbaijan than
to Armenia. This request is a clear breach of an agreement struck
between the White House and the Congress in 2001 to maintain parity
in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan .
Mr. Speaker, the parity agreement is unfortunately a battle that
the Armenian people have had to fight in the past. The fiscal year
2005 Presidential request was similar in that it called for more
military funding to Azerbaijan .
However, the Congress reversed the President to ensure military
parity in the fiscal year 2005 Foreign Operations Appropriations
Act. After that battle and the President’s 2006 budget request that
included parity , I thought the President’s fiscal year 2007 budget
would continue that policy. But unfortunately that was not the
case. A lack of military parity would, in my opinion, weaken
ongoing peace negotiations regarding Nagorno Karabakh, among other
things.
It will also contribute to further instability in the region,
and it undermines the role of the United States as an impartial
mediator of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Mr. Speaker, the
government should not be rewarding the Government of Azerbaijan for
walking away from the organization for security and cooperation in
Europe’s Key West peace talks, the most promising opportunity to
resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in nearly a decade.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the administration’s budget also
calls for drastic cuts in economic assistance to Armenia. I was
discouraged to see that the President requested a 33 percent
decrease in economic aid from $74.4 million last year to $50
million this year. Technical and developmental assistance and
investment is essential to Armenia. This funding is key to
democratic stability and economic reform in the country.
Mr. Speaker, is this the message we want to send to our friends
in Armenia? Do we want to cut economic aid to a country that is
terrorized by its neighbors and is shut off on its eastern and
western borders due to an illegal blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan?
Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks I will advocate to the Foreign
Operations Subcommittee to restore military parity , to increase
economic assistance to Armenia and to provide for humanitarian aid
to the people of Nagorno Karabakh. It is incredibly important to
reward our allies and to send a message to Azerbaijan and Turkey
that ethnically charged genocides, illegal blockades of sovereign
nations, and the constant harassment of the Armenian people will
not be tolerated.
#####

‘FROZEN CONFLICT THREATENS TO GROW INTO BLOODY WAR’
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
15/03/2006
Anna Palacio, former Foreign Minister of Spain, and Daniel Twining,
consultant of the German Marshal Fund in USA, stated that the
political and military influence of Russia grows in Nagorno Karabakh
in the context of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They
emphasized this in “Shadow Empire of Russia” article published in the
“Washington Post.”
“The armies of both states that fought in a fierce war for that
disputable enclave in the 90-ies, now open fire on each other,” they
stated. According to the authors of the article, “the frozen conflict
may grow into a new fierce war that threatens to the whole region.” On
the other hand, according to PanArmenian .net website, the authors
state that the diplomatic breakthrough in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
is realistic, as the Western governments would support to an agreement
that will make Armenia return the occupied territories to Azerbaijan
and help the Azeri refugees return to their former dwelling places.
Moreover, in this case, Nagorno Karabakh would gain sovereignty until
its fate is defined through a referendum in the near future.
“The West should improve its relations with Azerbaijan for its
efforts to settle the conflict and the reforms they carry out
and stop any punishment measures against this country,” they
said. Palacio and Twining added that the West should demand closure
of the Russian military bases in Armenia that threatens to security of
Azerbaijan. They suggest carrying out a “unique” Marshal plan for the
South Caucasus to help this region follow the path leading to Europe.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA DEFENSE MINISTRY REPORTS SHELLING FROM AZERBAIJAN
ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 7 2006
YEREVAN, March 7 (Itar-Tass) – The Armenian Defense Ministry has
reported the shelling of border army units from Azerbaijan on Monday
and overnight to Tuesday.
According to the spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry, Colonel
Seiran Shakhsuvaryan, the Armenian side had not retaliated with fire.
He said positions in three regions had come under fire.
Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisyan believes there is “no particular
aggravation of the situation on the border”. The minister, who is also
secretary of the National Security Council, told Russian reporters here
that following the signing of an agreement on ceasefire 12 years ago,
it has been violated on a monthly or weekly basis.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday the
shelling of the Azerbaijani western Kazakhsky region from the side of
Armenia. Ministry spokesman Ilgar Verdiyev said national army positions
had been shelled twice from Armenia. He said Azerbaijani positions
had been shelled from sub-machine guns and machine guns. He said
there had been no losses among Azerbaijani military. No retaliatory
fire followed, he added.

AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES UNABATED CEASEFIRE BREACHES
Armenpress
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS; The Armenian military reported fresh
violations of truce on March 7 and 8 . The defense ministry said
Azerbaijani forces on Wednesday continued to violate the ceasefire
regime in the westernmost sections of the border in Ijevan and
Shorzha regions.
On March 8 Azerbaijani troops shelled Armenian military units in
northeastern Tavush province and in Vayots Dzor that borders with
Azerbaijan’s enclave Nakhichevan. One of soldiers, the 19-year-old
Arsen Zakevosian, was wounded and died while being transported to a
military hospital in Ijevan on Friday in Ijevan.
Armenian defense ministry also denied allegations by the Azerbaijani
side that its positions in Kazah region were shelled by Armenians.

2004-2006 EXPENDITURES ON IMPROVING WOMEN’S CONDITION IN ARMENIA TO MAKE ABOUT 1 MLN USD
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. At the March 9 sitting RA government
approved the list and schedule of the programs envisaged by 2004-2010
national program of improvement of women’s condition and raising of
their role in the society. RA Ministers of Labor and Social Issues,
Education and Science, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Territorial
Government, Nature Protection, Trade and Economic Development, Culture
and Youth Affairs, Head of RA Police and Governors were charged to
ensure the implementation of the envisaged events. As Lala Ghazarian,
Head of Women, Family, and Children Department of RA Ministry of
Labor and Social Issues, informed journalists after the sitting, the
main goal of the program is to use women’s potential to the maximum
extent. According to her, in 2004-2006 the program’s expenditures
will make about 1 mln USD, the most part of which is given by UN and
other international organizations.
L.Ghazarian said that within the framework of the program it’s
envisaged to organize trainings on gender issues for civil servants
this year. It was mentioned that spreading of information on gender
problems has already started at 36 educational institutions. According
to L.Ghazarian, it’s envisaged to work out a bill “On Equal Rights
and Opportunities” where the concrete mechanisms of raising women’s
role in the society will be exactly mentioned.

AZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT IS ON OFFICIAL VISIT IN JAPAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 9 2006
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev had a one-on-one meeting with
Japanese Emperor Akihito on 8 March, in the framework of his official
visit to Japan.
APA reports quoting ‘Azertag’ that highly appraising official visit
of the Azerbaijani President to Japan, His Majesty Akihito said
development of bilateral relations would be useful for both sides.
Touching upon the historical friendly links between two peoples, the
Emperor said Japan is deeply interested in strengthening of relations
with Azerbaijan. The Emperor added that successful reforms are leading
Azerbaijan to the world’s developed counties.
President Aliyev said he was pleased with the visit, and spoke of
the legal, democratic, secular state building process ongoing in
Azerbaijan. “The current visit will open a new phase in development
of bilateral relations”, he emphasized.
President Aliyev also said Azerbaijan always attaches great importance
to mutually beneficial ties with the world countries.
“From this standpoint, the relations with Japan are of particular
importance. The country is open to businessmen of world counties,”
Mr.Aliyev stressed.
Speaking of the works done for joint development of prospects at the
Azerbaijan sector on the Caspian, the Azerbaijan President said the
Japanese Itocu had greater share in the projects.
During the talk, also were focused the prospects of the Azeri-Japanese
cooperation, the situation in the region, settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict and other questions.
President Aliyev at his residence in Tokyo received the President
of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ms. Sadako Ogata
yesterday. Reminding that Japan is keen in development of ties in all
fields, and the Japanese companies had invested in some important
projects in Azerbaijan, Ms. Sadako Ogata said that the Japanese
credits are for expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan, “which is
such a country in the Caucasus that any investment in its economy
would certainly yield fruits in future and promote dynamic progress”.
The Azerbaijan President expressed consent with the relations
established between JICA and Azerbaijan, noting there are good
opportunities and prospects for widening of co-operation between
the countries.
President Aliyev also attended the Azerbaijan-Japan Economic Forum
yesterday. The forum brought together representatives of 30 Azerbaijani
and 100 Japanese companies.
Mr. Aliyev gave a large speech, expressing hope that the Forum would
benefit mutual ties.
As a result of the Forum, some companies from each side have sealed
several million dollars contracts.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 10 2006
ARMENIANS ATTACKED IN TSALKA
March 9 an attack was launched against citizens of Armenian
nationality in the city of Tsalka (regional center of Tsalka Region,
Georgia). As a result of the onslaught one person was killed and two
injured.
23-year-old Gevorg Gevorgyan died; 25-year-old V. Sahakyan and K.
Baloyan were taken to hospital with severe injuries. 7 hours after
the incident Baloyan was delivered to a city hospital in Tbilisi.
According to eye-witnesses, a group of Armenians was attacked by
about 15 people. The victims do not know the reasons for the assault,
however, in their opinion, they were assaulted by Adjarian or Swani
settlers.
Georgian Ministry of Home Affairs special subdivisions dislocated in
the Tsalka region did not make arrangements to prevent from the
bloodshed.
In connection with the incident the Tsalka region police instituted
proceedings. Besides, the roads connecting the regional center with
the Tsalka region villages inhabited by Armenians have been closed.