Author: Tavakalian Edgar

CAPITOL HILL TO BE VENUE FOR COMMEMORATING 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

YEREVAN, MARCH 10. ARMINFO. US congressmen Franck Pallone and John
Knollenberg have proclaimed Capitol Hill in Washington as a venue for
holding an event to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, reports AAA.

The memory day will be held under the auspices of US Armenian Caucus
and US Embassy in the US. The event will remind the world of the
victims of the tragedy and will assemble representatives of over 25
big Armenian-US organizations.

CIS collective security treaty presented to UN CTC

ITAR-TASS
11.03.2005, 07.34

UNITED NATIONS, March 11 (Itar-Tass) — General Secretary of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (ODKB) Nikolai Bordyuzha
briefed on Thursday the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) on
the potential, tasks and mission of the organization that unites
six CIS countries ~V Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Russia
and Tajikistan.

~SI felt the interest of CTC members in the information about the
activities of our organization~T, Bordyuzha told Tass. He said ODKB
actively works to create the necessary legal and information conditions
for efficient operations of special services and law enforcers in
fighting terrorism.

He said CTC members were mostly interested in the potential of the
organization, the level of interaction of member-states, the programs
under implementation and practical results, as well as human rights
observation.

ODKB became an international regional organization after its charter
came into force on September 18, 2003 and after its registration by
the UN Secretariat in December 2003. It enjoys the observer status
at the UN General Assembly.

~SI am sure that in the final end a truly efficient system of
collective security will be created that will include not only concrete
operations and activities of special services, but of executive bodies
of all countries as well~T, Bordyuzha said.

Azeri TV reports casualties in Karabakh truce violation

ANS TV, Baku
8 Mar 05

[Presenter] Armenian troops deployed northwest of the occupied Seysulan
village of Tartar District fired at the Azerbaijani positions in the
Qapanli village of the same district between 2030 and 2300 [1630-1900
gmt] on 7 March. The enemy was silenced by Azerbaijani gunfire.

There are wounded on both sides. Several enemy soldiers were
killed in the attack. Four wounded Azerbaijani soldiers have been
hospitalized. ANS Karabakh correspondent Sahin Rzayev has the details:

[Rzayev, over the phone] The situation in Qapanli village is relatively
calm now. Shooting has stopped.

[Passage omitted: repetition]

We have learnt the names of three wounded soldiers. They are Rafiq
Haciyev, Ilqar Rustamov and Arif Aliyev. The condition of one of the
four wounded soldiers is serious. The other three feel relatively
better.

We can still here sporadic shooting.

PanArmenian News
March 5 2005

OSCE MISSION REPORT ON TERRITORIES CONTROLLED BY NKR CAN CLARIFY
RANGE OF ISSUES

05.03.2005 13:21

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE Mission report on the territories
controlled by the NKR can clarify a range of issues, Armenian Foreign
Ministry Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparian stated. In his words, the
mission report in the middle of March will officially be submitted to
the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. `We are granted the opportunity
for acquaint ourselves with the document. We are sure that
explanations to many issues, which became subject for speculations,
will be given as soon as the document is published,’ H. Gasparian
stated.

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
57/5 Arshakunyats Street
Yerevan, Armenia 375026
Contact: Bella Avetisyan
Tel: (3741) 44 74 01
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
March 4, 2005

Armenia Tree Project and Peace Corps Armenia Co-Host Environmental Education
Workshop

YEREVAN–The first Environmental Education Conference/Workshop, initiated
and implemented by Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and US Peace Corps Armenia,
was held on February 25-26 at the offices of ATP in Yerevan.

The objectives of the conference were to share information about
environmental education, build solid working relationships between Armenian
NGOs and Peace Corps volunteers working in environmental education, and
present a comprehensive agenda for sharing and implementing environmental
education projects among current NGO programs.

The conference coordinators were Armen Tiraturyan, US Peace Corps Armenia
Environmental Education Program Manager, Anahit Gharibyan, ATP Community
Tree Planting Manager, and Karla M. Wesley, Environmental Education
consultant.

Conference attendees heard outstanding presentations by environmentalists
and environmental education trainers from local and international
organizations. Among the speakers were Peace Corps volunteers, ATP
agriculture specialists, forestry experts from the Armenian Agricultural
Academy, and educators from Birds of Armenia Project, Environmental Public
Advocacy Center, World Wildlife Fund in Armenia, and Women for Green Way for
Generations NGO.

Participants witnessed a sample lesson on tree grafting prepared by ATP,
took an active part in a roundtable discussion on overcoming the social and
economic barriers to environmental education in Armenia, and were involved
in a brainstorming session to identify common environmental education goals
for NGOs and Peace Corps volunteers.

In her welcoming speech, ATP Foundation President Susan Yacubian Klein
touched on the importance of environmental education programs. “Ecology in
Armenia is on a path of devastation,” noted Ms. Klein. “While at the turn of
the 20th century forest cover in Armenia was estimated at 25 percent, in
1990 it decreased to 12 percent, and now, due to large-scale cutting, it is
estimated that Armenia has only eight percent of forest cover left. Within
as few as 20 years, the forests may be completely gone. We are facing a wide
range of dangers related to this, which people need to become aware of.”

“The environmental education workshop organized by Armenia Tree Project and
the US Peace Corps is the best way to keep people informed. There is great
hope being generated at the conference to continue working together to
neutralize barriers and to combat current environmental problems more
effectively,” stated Ms. Klein.

“It was remarkable that participating organizations and independent
environmentalists came together for two days of impassioned discussions and
brainstorming–not to conflict or compete with each other–but to share
concerns and opinions, learn and be inspired by each other, and seek
positive solutions for the future of the environment,” added Ms. Klein.

A detailed presentation on forests and forestry management prepared by Hovik
Sayadyan, head of the International Office of the Agricultural Academy and a
lecturer in forestry and agro-ecology, covered deforestation in Armenia’s
regions and addressed present day forestry issues. During his presentation,
Dr. Sayadyan described forestry education curricula in other countries, and
citing a Kashmir proverb, Dr. Sayadyan concluded: “humankind will live as
long as forests live.”

Karen Manvelyan of World Wildlife Fund offered an interesting and
informative report on local biodiversity, from an overview of flora and
fauna to a detailed study of rare plants and animals inhabiting Armenia.
“Many of these species are on the verge of disappearing, and this is a real
danger we have to prevent,” he cautioned. Mr. Manvelyan discussed the loss
of habitat and biodiversity, the pollution of rivers and the atmosphere, and
overgrazing as just a few examples of negative effects on the environment.

“Illegal tree-cutting in small villages with a small population does not
affect forests as much as businesses based on paper and furniture
production, export, and construction. These factors damage green zones the
most,” noted the World Wildlife Fund representative while answering
questions. Stressing the importance of environmental education, Mr.
Manvelyan added that to reduce the harm caused to biodiversity, to save and
preserve remaining species, we need more experts and professionals. As a
result, the World Wildlife Fund mission includes environmental education
programs for schoolchildren, and many of them have been successfully
realized in a number of rural schools throughout Armenia, he stated.

Karine Manoukian of the Women for Green Way for Generations NGO brought
attention to the problem of local and global pollution. She stated that
ultraviolet rays, heavy metals, gas and petrol vapors, and many other
pollutants have a strong impact on the human body. These and other
factors–such as genetically modified products and food–stand in the way of
healthy future generations, she concluded.

Aida Iskoyan of Environmental Public Advocacy Center provided an overview of
environmental legislation in Armenia, paying particular attention to
environmental laws and enforcement. Dr. Iskoyan also discussed the
international treaties and agreements signed by Armenia, and the
environmental education components of those agreements. At the end of her
presentation, Dr. Iskoyan answered questions from participants.

During the second day of environmental trainings, educators presented three
model environmental education lessons, conducted by Peace Corps volunteers,
agriculture specialist Genik Movsisyan of ATP, and conference facilitator
Dr. Karla Wesley. Jeffrey E. Engels, USDA Armenia Director, was present
among over 100 participants and guests at the two-day workshop.

A press conference was held on the second day of the workshop and was
attended by reporters from 11 television channels in Armenia, as well as
from several news agencies. “The Peace Corps in Armenia is very happy to
have cooperated with Armenia Tree Project on this Environmental Education
Workshop. The workshop was very informative and productive, and we look
forward to working together to advance environmental education in Armenia,”
Peace Corps director Patrick Hart told reporters.

Outlining the main aspects of the conference, Deborah Wild, the Training
Officer and Program Manager of Peace Corps Armenia, said, “I’m very honored
to cooperate with Armenia Tree Project. We share the same values and our
common mission is to support Armenia’s long-term sustainable development and
the future of Armenia’s youth.”

Peace Corps Armenia was established in 1992 at the invitation of the
government of Armenia. Currently, 85 volunteers are working in schools,
universities, NGOs, and health facilities throughout Armenia. During the
last 12 years, 383 Peace Corps volunteers have successfully completed their
two-year service in Armenia. The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 by
President John F. Kennedy to provide trained assistance to people of other
countries as requested, to promote a better understanding of Americans by
the people of the countries in which they serve, and to promote a better
understanding of other cultures by Americans.

Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 with the vision of securing the
country’s future by protecting its environment. Funded by contributions from
diasporan Armenians, ATP has planted and rejuvenated 580,000 trees at
approximately 500 sites ranging from Gyumri to Goris. State-of-the-art
nurseries in the refugee villages of Karin and Khachpar provide
40,000-50,000 trees annually for community tree planting all over Armenia,
and are a major source of employment for the villages.

For more information about ATP, visit the Web site

ArmenPress
March 2 2005

CONSTRUCTION BOOM IN DOWNTOWN YEREVAN TO LAST FOR 5 YEARS MORE

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS: Though prices of luxurious
apartments in downtown Yerevan have shot up from $150 for one square
meter to around $600 in the recent 3-4 years local realtors argue
they are still 2 times lower than they should be. According to Armen
Mkoyan from Elite Group real estate agency, the demand for such
apartments is not satisfied yet, prompting the emergence of apartment
constructing companies supported by Russian, French and Iranian
capital.
Mkoyan said the construction boom in central Yerevan is likely to
last for another five years and will then move to other districts. He
said almost 53 percent of new apartments built in the city center are
bought by Diaspora Armenians, especially by Russian Armenians.

Azeri, Armenian foreign ministers to meet in Paris on 3 March

ANS Radio, Baku
1 Mar 05

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is already in Prague and is to
meet the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen today, the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry press service has reported.

He will have talks with [Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan] Oskanyan
not in the Czech Republic, but in France on 3 March. The ministers
will meet in Paris.

Les Echos , France
25 février 2005

Crimes contre l’humanité: proposition de loi UMP

par B. T.

Le député UMP Thierry Mariani a annoncé hier avoir déposé à
l’Assemblée une proposition de loi visant à sanctionner la
contestation de tous les crimes contre l’humanité. «Il est
aujourd’hui possible en France de contester en toute impunité
l’existence du génocide arménien, comme de tous les crimes contre
l’humanité commis en dehors de la Seconde Guerre mondiale», a-t-il
justifié.

PRESS RELEASE
February 24, 2005
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:

State Trio of Armenia Performs in Washington, DC

On February 18, 2005, World Children’s Transplant Fund/Yerevan Chair, under
the auspices of the Embassy of Armenia held a charitable concert in the
Austrian Embassy Concert Hall in Washington, DC

The concert featured the internationally acclaimed State Trio of Armenia,
comprised of Lilit Zakarian (violin), Shushan Hakobyan (piano), and Vahan
Grigoryan (Cello). The Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. has graciously
provided its Concert Hall to this worthy cause, as part of long-standing
cooperation between the Embassies of Armenia and Austria.

The State Trio of Armenia traveled to Washington, D.C for the exclusive
performance at this charitable event. In addition to being laureates and
winners of several international music competitions in Austria, Italy,
Russia, Lebanon and Ukraine the State Trio of Armenia has become the First
Prize winner in the prestigious Pierre Lantier Competition in Paris in 2001.
The Trio has toured the United States in 1998-1999, performing in
Washington, D.C, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Providence, R.I. On April
25, 1999, the group performed at the Armenian Embassy in Washington at a
special event honoring Armenian President Robert Kocharian, in Washington
for the NATO 50th Anniversary Summit.

During February 18th Concert the Trio performed Sergei Rachmaninov, Arno
Babajanian and Astor Piazolla’s pieces.

The charitable concert at the Austrian Embassy was organized by World
Children’s Transplant Fund/Yerevan Chair. The Fund established its presence
in Armenia in 2001, and to date has successfully helped two Armenian
children in need of eye transplants. The Founder and Chairman of WCTF Mr.
Mark Kroeker and Vice-President of the Fund Valerie McCaffrey flew from
opposite parts of the country, New York and Los Angeles to participate on
this event and support Maria Yeganian, Executive Director of Yerevan Chair,
who organized the event.

The Concert has gathered representatives of the Armenian Community, U.S.
administration, World Bank and Diplomatic Community of Washington, DC. All
proceeds from the February 18 concert will benefit the children in Armenia
in need of life-saving organ transplants.

AZG Armenian Daily #034, 25/02/2005

Nagorno Karabakh
13 YEARS AFTER KHOJALU TRAGEDY
Heydar Aliyev: “We’ll Benefit from Bloodshed. We Should Not Intervene With
the Events”
On Feb. 25 of 1992 Nagorno Karabakh forces took their stand in the west of
Khojalu and demanded the enemy to leave the village and to guide the
civilians out via the humanitarian corridor they provided. The Azerbaijani
president of the time, Ayaz Mutalibov, confessed to Nezavisimoya Gazeta on
April 2 that “the Armenians provided a corridor for the people to draw
back”.
An American senator said during the World War I that the truth is the first
victim of war. These words may well be applied to Khojalu. No one was able
to answer why the Azeri armed forces reckoning on Shushi and Ghojalu as
bridgeheads didn’t lead civilians out of Khojalu while the Karabakh side
gave them a chance.
Regardless the reasons, what happened in Khojalu was a tragedy that claimed
lives of 613 civilians. 34 Armenians were killed in the battles of February
25-27.
The February of 1992 was the toughest period in Karabakh war for the
Armenians. The Azeri armed groups occupied more than 40 percent of Nagorno
Karabakh’s territory and kept rocketing capital city of Stepanakert from
Ghojalu, Aghdam and Shushi day and night. Hundreds died under ruins as
result of bombardments.
The only airport of Nagorno Karabakh was in Khojalu. In 1992 the Karabakh
forces had not yet opened the Lachin humanitarian corridor and had not yet
liberated Shushi. In fact, air communication between Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh at that time was the only one. Karabakh was squeezed in grip.
Heydar Aliyev, chairman of Nakhijevan parliament of the time, placed all
blame for the tragedy on former Azeri authorities, precisely Ayaz Mutalibov.
“We’ll Benefit from Bloodshed. We should not intervene with the events”,
Azeri Biliq Dunyas agency quoted Aliyev as saying right after the tragedy.
Allegedly, first publications on Khojalu events in the international press
were on February 27 in The Washington Post and The Sunday Times. American
journalist Thomas Goltz, who had an Azeri wife by the way, was the author of
both articles. Goltz wrote about Khojalu while in Baku and visited the
village only few days later as his articles were published.
There were other journalists as well who wrote about Khojalu after the
tragedy but, contrary to Goltz, after having visited the spot. So, The Times
correspondents, Anatol Lieven and Rory Peck, were the first journalists who
visited Khojalu and took pictures. One and half a year ago Peck was killed
in Moscow during the Ostankino events.
French journalist, Florance David, from French TV broadcasted on March 2
that Armenians and Azeris agreed on exchanging bodies of the killed.
Florance saw 100 corpses on the ground while they were being exchanged. In a
short while he noticed an Azeri helicopter with foreign journalists shooting
pictured of the dead from aboard. Florance reported that the Turkish press
and TV represented the scene as “massacre of hundreds of Azeris by
Armenians”.
Czech journalist, Jana Mazalova, interviewed already the former president
Ayaz Mutalibov several weeks later. The latter said: “The scene of massacres
was staged”. In November 13 issue of 1992 Izvastia wrote: “It was possible
to avert Khojalu tragedy”.
Azeri cameraman, Chingiz Mustafayev, who worked in Aghdam from February 28
to March 2, was suspicious over Azerbaijan’s official view that Armenians
carried out massacre of civilians in Khojalu. The journalist had a high
price to pay for honestly accusing the Azeri forces of Khojalu tragedy. Soon
after his publication he was killed in Aghdam which was under Azeris control
at the time.
The former chairman of Azeri parliament, Tamerlan Garayev, said: “The
Khojalu tragedy was perpetrated by Azeri authorities, by someone from
high-ranking officials”. Recently, vice-chairman of the Azeri parliament,
Ziafed Askerov, told Zerkalo that Ayaz Mutalibov and his entourage and the
Peoples’ Front are the ones to blame for Khojalu.
Stepanakert considers that Baku is trying to “veil” the massacres of
Armenian population in Sumgait on February 25-28 of 1988.
By Tatoul Hakobian