Author: Tavakalian Edgar

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES 294 MLN DRAMS FOR SUPPLYING LAND USERS WITH
NITRIC FERTILIZERS

YEREVAN, MARCH 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the Armenian government’s decision of
March 23, 294 mln drams (about 653 thousand USD) has been allocated to the RA
Ministry of Agriculture for the purpose of supplying the land users with 21
thousand tons of nitric fertilizer at reasonable prices. It was decided at
the sitting to allocate 2 mln 150 thousand drams to the RA Ministry of Labor
and Social Issues for the preparation and holding of events dedicated to the
20th anniversary of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Forthcoming visits of RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan

ArmRadio
23.03.2006 17:58

March 26-31 RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan will pay a working
visit to the United States.

April 27 together with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Minister
Oskanyan will participate in the ceremony of signing a compact with
the `Millennium Challenges’ Corporation. The same day his meeting with
the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group is expected. Vardan Oskanyan
will meet the UNDP Coordinator Kemal Dervish, as well as President of
the General Assembly Yan Eliason.

March 31 the Minister’s meeting with UN Secretary General Coffi Annan
is scheduled.

April 6-7 the Foreign Minister will pay a working visit to Moscow,
where his meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and
Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Igor Ivanov are scheduled.

April 7-9 Minister Oskanyan will leave for Syria on a working visit,
where he will meet President Bashar Asad and Foreign Minister Valid
Muallim.

OBSCURE RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT-LEVEL THINGS

Lragir/am
23 March 06

All that is happening with regard to the price of gas supplied to
Armenia can be surely characterized as Russian-Armenian
government-level manipulation. This will not seem so incredible after
a scrutiny of events connected with gas. However, let us not start
from the beginning, but let us track back to the beginning from the
end, for it became clear on March 22, when Serge Sargsyan, Defense
Minister of Armenia, Secretary of the Security Council, Co-chair of
the Russian-Armenian Intergovernmental Committee, announced at Yerevan
State University that he had sent a letter to the president of Gasprom
Miller, offering proposals on lowering the price of gas, and received
Mr. Millers willing answer. Miller’s answer allowed Serge Sargsyan to
announce that the price of gas for the population and industry would
not go so high as to ruin their budgets.

First it is necessary to find out for who the price of gas will go up,
if `the price of gas for the population and industry will not so that
high.’ At least in Armenia the price of gas is set for the population
and industry. There seems to be no other category of
consumers. However, the thermal power plant of Hrazdan is probably
concerned, which is owned by Russia, and Gasprom probably will not
sell gas to its plant at a lower price. The problem is that the
thermal power plant of Hrazdan will not suffer, because the plant
generates energy and Armenia buys this energy, but in the nearest
future it will hardly afford to buy. And the thermal power plant will
sell electricity at a higher price. And this will not have an
essential impact on the population, because if the thermal plant
increases the tariff on electricity, for the consumer it will go up by
two or three drams only, and the focus of this story is the consumer,
more exactly, the voter.

As for the voter, he is obviously confused. The minister of defense
states that the agreement will be signed at the end of this month. Let
us not forget that he announces that the agreement will not damage the
budgets of the population and industries. On the same day the prime
minister states that it is impossible to give definite facts on the
price of gas. Whereas, twelve days ago the Public Utilities Commission
discussed the bid of Armrusgasard, and assuming that since April 1 the
price of gas will become 110 dollars per cubic meter at the border,
the commission set the price of gas 200 dollars per 1000 cubic meters
for the population and 146.5 dollars for the industry. The decision of
the commission will be put in effect, and cannot be changed for six
months. Moreover, on March 22, when the defense minister had already
announced about his nation-saving correspondence on TV, Robert
Nazaryan announced that the price set by the commission would be
unchanged for a year.

It is at least strange when the government official states that the
price of gas would not be as high as it was expected to be, while the
commission sets a price, which is as high as it was expected.

If the government of Armenia writes letters to Russia and waits for a
reply, why did it fail to urge the commission of Robert Nazaryan to
wait? It is hard to believe that Robert Nazaryan would not defer to
the government, especially that the law empowers Nazaryan to
wait. The bid of Armrusgasard was submitted to the commission on
February 28. The commission can discuss the bid and make a decision
within 90 days. Instead of 90 it took 10 days. Certainly, the
commission need not have waited for 90 days but it had to wait until
April 1, while the talks between the governments of Russia were going
on. Robert Nazaryan announced that if the decision were postponed,
Armrusgasard would suffer losses for about a month, because it would
take time to put the decision in effect. It is worth reminding Robert
Nazaryan that he is not Armrusgasard’s uncle to think about the
company more than the citizens of Armenia, and by making an early
decision he enabled Armrusgasard to get extra profit for at least 6
months.

The defense minister gives an interesting answer with regard to
this. When we asked the minister of defense if the Public Utilities
Commission’s decision was not a hasty decision made when the price of
gas was not definite yet, Serge Sargsyan said the commission had acted
in accordance with the law. I wonder in which law it is set down that
the commission was to make a decision on March 10 and by no means on
April 1 or 2. No doubt, the decision is lawful, but it would be as
lawful if it were adopted in April. Serge Sargsyan’s statement showed
that the decision was untimely, no matter how lawful it was.

Let us imagine for a moment, however, what would happen if the
commission had not made a decision yet. The announcement of the
defense minister that he offered proposals to Miller and Miller
accepted them would not be that appreciable and commendable. No one
could solve the problem of gas unless Serge Sargsyan interfered. And
the decision of the Public Utilities Commission rendered this
interference more appreciable and notable. It also implies that one
should not give up to hardships but turn to the minister of defense,
who will immediately solve the problem. A number of things become
clear at once, as soon as they are viewed from this aspect, namely why
the commission acted independently from the government, and why Russia
would not change its mind, and why the Americans especially began to
worry about the energy security of Armenia in the past few weeks.

One thing remains obscure; what proposals Serge Sargsyan offered to
Miller from Gasprom that were accepted. In return for what did Gasprom
agree to lower the price of gas? As long as it remains obscure, it is
early to be encouraged by the statements of the minister, and think
that this time too we managed to escape, because we do not know yet
how we escaped. Of course, if we ever learn or if we manage to escape
at all.

PLACE OF MEETING CANNOT BE CHANGED

Panorama.am
12:43 21/03/06

A new page seems to be recorded in the relation of the two companies
competing in the filed of cellular connection “ArmenTel” and
“Gh-Telecom”- “Vivacell”.

Today it became known that “ArmenTel” is not going to carry out
the resolution of Official State Committee of Economic Competition
passed during the latest session according to which the activity of
the company has been qualified as misuse of prevailing position.

The head of “ArmenTel” management of public relations Hasmik
Chutilyan confirmed the information about neglecting the resolution
and assured that the company is going to appeal against the decision
of State Committee of Defence of Economic Competition according to
administrative order. Moreover, “ArmenTel” is going to appeal against
the Committee itself.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

March 21, 2006

DIOCESE JOINS RELIGIOUS LEADERS SEEKING MID-EAST PEACE

Vartkes Balian, a member of the Legate’s Committee, represented the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) during a recent gathering of
religious leaders at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C.

Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders, representing 25 national
organizations, met with Karen Hughes, undersecretary for public diplomacy
and public affairs, on Tuesday, February 28, 2006. The meeting was part of
an organizational appeal urging President Bush to make Israeli-Palestinian
peace a priority for U.S. policy.

During the meeting, the religious leaders expressed the desire to see
continued humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, while agreeing with
President Bush’s insistence that Hamas, the newly elected leaders of the
Palestinian Authority, reject violence and recognize Israel.

They specifically asked the Bush administration to press for an immediate
and comprehensive ceasefire, work to assure that the agreement on Gaza is
fully implemented, press both sides to implement their initial Road Map
obligations, and appoint an on-the-ground envoy to manage and monitor
negotiations.

The gathering was organized by National Interreligious Leadership Initiative
for Peace in the Middle East, which was founded in 2003. In a statement on
the meeting, organizers said that they believe “achieving peace in Jerusalem
and the Holy Land is not only essential for Israelis and Palestinians, but
for reducing the threat of global terrorism and easing tensions among
religious communities worldwide.”

The Diocesan Legate’s Committee, of which Balian is a member, is an advisory
board that works with Bishop Vicken Aykazian, legate and ecumenical officer,
to promote the ecumenical and interfaith efforts of the Diocese.

“It is important that our legate and the Legate’s Committee continue taking
an active interest in the status of the Holy Land,” said Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate. “As both Christians and Armenians, we have a strong
historical tie to the Holy Land. It is vital that our voice be heard in
Washington, the United Nations, and around the world, for we are also
stakeholders in the lasting future of the Holy Land.”

— 3/21/06

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SPRING AGGRAVATIONS IN THE NA

Panorama.am
14:48 20/03/06

Today the agenda of the for-day NA sessions from March 20-23 has
been passed with the majority of voices of more than 100 NA Deputies
“registered” in the hall of the NA. And the agenda is rather rich in
bills: 39 issues and 28 international agreements.

Today the Members of Parliament adopted amendments made to 7 laws as
well as laws about making changes.

Among them were amendments made to laws about “Scientific and
Scientific Engineering Activity”, “Higher and post Graduate
Professional Education”.

To remind, by these changes it was envisaged to develop armenology
in Armenia and make Armenian History a subject of final examination
at schools.

The Deputies have also ratified 8 international agreements including
the agreement between Armenia and Iran “About Principles and Bases
of Cooperation”, the agreement between RA Government and NATO about
“Cooperation in Armenia in the form of Notes about Officers”, the
agreement about “Protection of not Material Cultural Heritage” and
so on.

The other questions are being discussed at the moment, and the vote
will be carried as soon as possible, i.e. when quorum is held in the
hall.

TREASURES OF GULBENKIAN MUSEUM TO BE EXHIBITED IN ISTANBUL IN APRIL

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 20 2006

ISTANBUL, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. An exhibition of
models of the Ottaman period art kept in the famous Galust Gulbenkian
museum of Lisbon will open at the Sabanci museum of Istanbul during
April. The Istanbul “Marmara” daily informs about this, quoting
the information of the “Skylife” official newspaper of the “Turkish
Airways.”

ARMENIAN CHILDREN ASK NOT TO SHOOT BIRDS

YEREVAN, MARCH 17. ARMINFO. Armenian children are worried for wild
birds who are being shot because of bird flu.

They have expressed their concern in today’s photo exhibition in
Yerevan, organized by the Center of Bird Lovers and supported by WWF
Yerevan Office.

The children are indignant that birds are being shot without any
control and have decided to express their feelings in their works,
says the president of the center Silva Adamyan.

Everybody present agreed that mass shooting is not a way to solve
the bird flu problem. “How can we order the birds not to fly?” the
children ask in their photos.

ARMENIAN FM, US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE DISCUSS ARMENIA’S ENERGY SECURITY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 16 2006

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and
US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Daniel Fried
discussed issues of Armenia’s energy security.

In this context, the sides pointed out that the settlement of the
South Caucasian conflicts will allow the region’s potential to be
properly used in the future.

The sides discussed the situation round Nagorno Karabakh and exchanged
views on further negotiations as part of the Prague process.

The sides also addressed Armenian-Turkish relations, particularly,
prospects for re-opening the Armenian-Turkish border and resuming
communication.

The sides also discussed the “Millennium Challenges” program, as well
as issues of Armenia’s democratic development.

The meeting was attended by the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
Steven Mann. P.T. -0–

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

March 16, 2006
___________________

NEW AVAK SEASON STARTS FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL FALL EVENTS

By Florence Avakian

The St. Vartan Cathedral “Avak” senior citizens group gatherings are in full
swing this winter/spring season. The gatherings began on January 26 after
the group’s Christmas break with a screening of the film “Yerevan” by Robert
Karapetian.

Meeting every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the participants first
attend an hour-long Bible study with Dn. Sebuh Oskerichian. That is
followed by a lunch and special program at 12:30 p.m. The “Avaks” program
is organized by Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of New York City’s St. Vartan
Cathedral.

“Dn. Sebuh gives us understandable answers to our questions,” said longtime
Avak member Eugenie Soukiasian. “And Fr. Mardiros takes us on trips to
unique places which we enjoy immensely.”

During the fall season, a number of films, videos, lectures, and trips took
place, including a film on Armenian fashions, and a comedy video with the
incomparable Krikor Satamian. Featured musical performers and speakers
included singer Maro Partamian, police officer Stephen Ekizian, Diocesan
Armenian studies coordinator Gilda Buchakjian-Kupelian, motivational speaker
Dottie Bengoian, and journalist Florence Avakian.

The fall season started with a three-day retreat at the Diocese’s Ararat
Center in upstate New York. Thirty Avaks enjoyed Bible study, fellowship,
and dinners together during the weekend. For a special treat they went
apple-picking in the glorious landscape of the Catskill Mountains.

Angel Vantzian looks forward to the Avaks gatherings on Thursdays because
she knows she will be “with friends, enjoying a good meal, and good
conversation. It’s always great fun.”

During a trip in November, more than 25 Avaks traveled to the Guggenheim
Museum to see the monumental “Russia” exhibit, featuring 19th- and
20th-century art and icons. A highlight was the powerful work by
19th-century Armenian seascape painter Hovhannes (Ivan) Aivazovsky, entitled
“The Ninth Wave.”

December was another high point for the Avak members. Close to 50 Avaks
boarded a luxury bus for the all-day trip to Lancaster, PA, where they
enjoyed lunch, shopping, and a performance of the inspirational Sight and
Sound Theater’s production of “Miracle of Christmas.” On a stage which
wrapped around half of the audience, talented performers sang and acted the
timeless drama, starting with Mary and Joseph’s betrothal and ending with
the birth of Jesus.

The season ended with the annual Christmas party, which included a surprise
“grab bag” and delicious lunch. At this gathering, Maro Partamian led the
Avaks in Christmas carols and seasonal songs.

“These gatherings are a lovely initiative, because our soul gets closer and
closer to the church, which is God’s home,” said Sarkis Matosian. “The
sharing, love, smiles, and friendship are God’s blessed feeling, because
love is the unique language of all people. We have learned a great deal
about our Armenian heritage and history in a friendly atmosphere.”

For more information on the Avak gatherings, contact Fr. Mardiros Chevian by
e-mailing [email protected] or calling (212) 686-0710.

— 3/16/06

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Motivational speaker Dottie Bengoian speaks to the Avaks
seniors group at New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral.

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