Author: Tavakalian Edgar

HULIQ (press release), NC
June 20 2008

Armenia Expects Over Half a Million Tourists in 2008

The head of Tourism Department of Armenia in the Economy Ministry told
reporters during a press conference on Wednesday that his department
is expecting about 600,000 foreign tourists to visit Armenia this
year.

Tourism Head Mekhak Apresian explained to reporters that the
Government has approved a new policy on tourism development and his
department has begun developing a plan of action to implement it.

He said the department will welcome and appreciate all suggestions and
proposals regarding the policy. The first stage of the Government’s
tourism plan, he explained, will cover the period from 2008 to 2012,
and will work to develop Armenia as a national recreational center.

According to Apresian, the plan anticpates that some 3 million foreign
tourists will visit Armenia in 2010. About 510,000 tourists visited
Armenia last year, he explained. The combined total of Armenia’s
hotels and inns can only accommodate 10,000 people at a given time.

Because the number of tourists visiting Armenia is set to grow this
year, the country’s tourism sector must work to raise the quality of
services it provides to foreigners.

The Armenian government has also earmarked $300,000 for advertising to
run on CNN from May to October and 15,000 euros for advertising on the
EuroNews TV channel. He said the government has also allocated funds
for the filming of a documentary about Armenia that will be screened
by major foreign TV stations.

NATO WELCOMES ARMENIA’S DECISION TO INCREASE PEACEKEEPING CONTINGENT IN KOSOVO

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.06.2008 16:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a working visit to Brussels, Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian met with NATO Secretary General Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer, who welcomed the decision of the Armenian government
to increase the peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo, the RA MFA press
office reported.

Appreciating highly the outcomes of the 26+1 meeting of the Alliance,
Minister Nalbandian said Armenia attaches importance to implementation
of the IPAP. He also briefed on the June 6 Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting
in Saint Petersburg.

CENTRAL BANK ISSUES VIRGO MEMORIAL SILVER COINS

ARMENPRESS
June 20, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS: As part of the international Signs of the
Zodiac program Armenian Central Bank issued a memorial silver coin with
the sign of Virgo. The program includes all 12 signs of the zodiac.

The Central Bank said the nominal value of the coin is 100 Drams. It
weights 28.28 grams. Overall 1,200 coins were issued.

U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: "ARMENIA SHOULD DECLARE THAT IT HAS NO DEMANDS WITH REGARD TO TERRITORIES OF TURKEY"

NOYAN TAPAN

JU NE 19

Armenia should declare that it has no demands with regard to the
territories of the modern Turkey. As the Turkish press reports, this
statement was made by Danniel Fried, the U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, during the
hearings organized in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of
Representatives of U.S. Congress.

Speaking about the Armenian-Turkish relations, Fried mentioned that
they are for the settlement of the problems existing between Turkey
and Armenia: "The authorities of Armenia should answer the efforts
of Turkey constructively.

And Armenia should declare that it has no demands with regard to the
lands of the modern Turkey," Fried stressed.

Touching upon the fact of the Armenian Genocide, the U.S. Assistant
Secretary of States mentioned that Turkey should reckon with its
history: "It is necessary that Turkey should reckon with the dark pages
of its history, however, that will not be easy," Daniel Fried declared.

AGMA AND NEAR EAST FOUNDATION SIGNED AGREEMENT OF COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2008 19:22 GMT+04:00

The Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA) and the Near East
Foundation signed an agreement of cooperation on June 12 at the
Foundation’s international headquarters in New York City, the Armenian
Assembly of America told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the two organizations were Van
Z. Krikorian, AGMA Trustee and Building and Operations Committee
Chairman, and Shant Mardirossian, Near East Foundation Board Chairman.

Also present at the signing were Near East Foundation President
Alexander Papachristou, Dr. Rouben Adalian, Director of the AGMA, and
Dr. Hayk Demoyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
in Yerevan, Armenia.

"This agreement opens a treasure trove of historical Armenian Genocide
era documents and artifacts for use in the museum’s exhibits,"
Krikorian said. "We are very pleased to be forging a partnership
with the Near East Foundation to educate the public on one of the
most significant periods of both Armenian and American history." The
Armenian Genocide Museum of America is slated to open in 2010 in
Washington, DC.

"The archives of the Near East Foundation house thousands of documents
which exemplify the first international humanitarian undertaking
of this sort by the American people," Mardirossian said. "Not only
do the archives tell us the stories of countless Armenian orphans,
but they deliver them through the journals, diaries, and writings of
the Near East Relief workers.

This museum, in the heart of Washington, DC, will serve as a tribute
to their heroic efforts."

The Near East Foundation is the successor organization to the
American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, which was founded
in 1915 and later incorporated as Near East Relief in 1919 by an act
of Congress. Near East Relief established and operated orphanages,
hospitals, and schools throughout the Balkans, Caucasus, and the Near
East to ease the suffering of the Armenian Genocide survivors seeking
refuge from the Ottoman Empire.

"Near East Relief was at the forefront of America’s efforts to
respond to the human suffering that occurred in the wake of the
Armenian Genocide," Krikorian said. "Armenians in the United States
and all over the world benefited directly or indirectly from this
monumental undertaking."

According to Near East Foundation records, from 1915 to 1930 the
Near East Relief administered $117 million worth of assistance and
is credited with saving a million lives and providing vocational
training to 132,000 Armenian orphan children.

"Millions of dollars were raised through appeals in the media,
at public rallies, in churches and synagogues, and in schools,"
Mardirossian said. "Not only were funds raised, but hundreds of Near
East Relief volunteers were on the ground ministering to the suffering
survivors of the Genocide, delivering food, clothing, and materials,
but most of all comfort and hope. Many risked their lives and several
gave their lives for this noble cause. Their stories and memories
should be preserved as an example of the American spirit."

This agreement with the Near East Foundation is the second cooperative
agreement AGMA has forged in recent months. In April, the museum
entered into a partnership with the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan, Armenia.

The resources and expertise from the genocide museum in Armenia and
the valuable archival materials from Near East Relief will complement
other artifacts and documents to be incorporated in the AGMA exhibits,
which are being designed by the preeminent Washington, DC area firm
of Gallagher & Associates.

The museum will be housed in the historic National Bank Building
in Washington, DC, at 14th and G Streets, NW, just blocks from the
White House. When completed, it will be the first international class
museum in the Armenian Diaspora dedicated to preserving and honoring
the memory of the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. From
1915-1923 a centrally-planned, government-directed campaign subjected
the Armenian population in Turkey to deportation, expropriation,
abduction, torture, starvation, and outright killings. An estimated
1.5 million Armenians perished and tens of thousands became widowed,
orphaned and homeless.

Today, the Near East Foundation operates development projects in
seven countries in the Middle East and Africa and is planning a
project in Armenia. In 1930, the organization re-defined itself. It
gave the schools, orphanages, hospitals, and other facilities that
it had founded to the countries where it operated, and it became a
pioneer in the field of economic development. Current projects include
agricultural innovation to combat climate change in Mali and Egypt,
reforming primary education to include girls in Morocco, and assisting
Iraqi refugees to support themselves in new communities in Syria and
Jordan. The 100-member field staff all work in their own countries,
so the Near East Foundation supports local professionalism while
helping the region’s poorest people.

"We are proud to continue the tradition of American assistance to
communities in peril in the Middle East and Africa," said NEF President
Papachristou. "We rely fully on the expertise and dedication of our
colleagues who know best how to organize these communities to solve
their own challenges."

The agreement between the AGMA and the Near East Foundation also
anticipates the promotion of each other’s programs and projects.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM OF AMERICA AND NEAR EAST FOUNDATION ENTER INTO COOPERATION AGREEMENT

armradio.am
19.06.2008 17:14

The Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA) and the Near East
Foundation signed an agreement of cooperation at the Foundation’s
international headquarters in New York City.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the two organizations were Van Z.

Krikorian, AGMA Trustee and Building and Operations Committee Chairman,
and Shant Mardirossian, Near East Foundation Board Chairman. Also
present at the signing were Near East Foundation President Alexander
Papachristou, Dr.

Rouben Adalian, Director of the AGMA, and Dr. Hayk Demoyan, Director
of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan, Armenia.

"This agreement opens a treasure trove of historical Armenian Genocide
era documents and artifacts for use in the museum’s exhibits,"
Krikorian said.

"We are very pleased to be forging a partnership with the Near East
Foundation to educate the public on one of the most significant periods
of both Armenian and American history." The Armenian Genocide Museum
of America is slated to open in 2010 in Washington, DC.

"The archives of the Near East Foundation house thousands of documents
which exemplify the first international humanitarian undertaking of
this sort by the American people," Mardirossian said. "Not only do
the archives tell us the stories of countless Armenian orphans, but
they deliver them through the journals, diaries, and writings of the
Near East Relief workers. This museum, in the heart of Washington,
DC, will serve as a tribute to their heroic efforts."

The Near East Foundation is the successor organization to the
American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, which was founded
in 1915 and later incorporated as Near East Relief in 1919 by an act
of Congress. Near East Relief established and operated orphanages,
hospitals, and schools throughout the Balkans, Caucasus, and the Near
East to ease the suffering of the Armenian Genocide survivors seeking
refuge from the Ottoman Empire.

"Near East Relief was at the forefront of America’s efforts to
respond to the human suffering that occurred in the wake of the
Armenian Genocide," Krikorian said. "Armenians in the United States
and all over the world benefited directly or indirectly from this
monumental undertaking."

According to Near East Foundation records, from 1915 to 1930 the
Near East Relief administered $117 million worth of assistance and
is credited with saving a million lives and providing vocational
training to 132,000 Armenian orphan children.

"Millions of dollars were raised through appeals in the media,
at public rallies, in churches and synagogues, and in schools,"
Mardirossian said.

"Not only were funds raised, but hundreds of Near East Relief
volunteers were on the ground ministering to the suffering survivors
of the Genocide, delivering food, clothing, and materials, but most
of all comfort and hope.

Many risked their lives and several gave their lives for this noble
cause.

Their stories and memories should be preserved as an example of the
American spirit."

This agreement with the Near East Foundation is the second cooperative
agreement AGMA has forged in recent months. In April, the museum
entered into a partnership with the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan, Armenia.

The resources and expertise from the genocide museum in Armenia and
the valuable archival materials from Near East Relief will complement
other artifacts and documents to be incorporated in the AGMA exhibits,
which are being designed by the preeminent Washington, DC area firm
of Gallagher & Associates.

The museum will be housed in the historic National Bank Building
in Washington, DC, at 14th and G Streets, NW, just blocks from the
White House.

When completed, it will be the first international class museum in the
Armenian Diaspora dedicated to preserving and honoring the memory of
the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. From 1915-1923 a
centrally-planned, government-directed campaign subjected the Armenian
population in Turkey to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture,
starvation, and outright killings. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians
perished and tens of thousands became widowed, orphaned and homeless.

Today, the Near East Foundation operates development projects in
seven countries in the Middle East and Africa and is planning a
project in Armenia. In 1930, the organization re-defined itself. It
gave the schools, orphanages, hospitals, and other facilities that
it had founded to the countries where it operated, and it became a
pioneer in the field of economic development. Current projects include
agricultural innovation to combat climate change in Mali and Egypt,
reforming primary education to include girls in Morocco, and assisting
Iraqi refugees to support themselves in new communities in Syria and
Jordan. The 100-member field staff all work in their own countries,
so the Near East Foundation supports local professionalism while
helping the region’s poorest people.

"We are proud to continue the tradition of American assistance to
communities in peril in the Middle East and Africa," said NEF President
Papachristou. "We rely fully on the expertise and dedication of our
colleagues who know best how to organize these communities to solve
their own challenges."

RUSSIAN LANGUAGE STILL NEEDS PROTECTION
Alexei Peskov

Moscow News
June 19 2008
Russia

The Russian language has encountered serious problems in recent
times both in the former Soviet republics and in the Russian
Federation. People are using less literary Russian in their everyday
communication, the influence of foreign languages is growing and
obscene language is spreading. These were the subjects that were
discussed at a roundtable conference that took place on June 17 in
the RIA Novosti news agency headquarters.

This round table meeting was held as part of the Session of the
Forum of the youth elites of the CIS countries, which is a public
and educational project by the Center for Political Conjunc­ture
of Russia within the framework of a grant from the President of
Russia. Representatives of 10 CIS countries took part. The tasks of
the Forum are the development of the intellectual interaction and an
establishment of links between youth from the post-Soviet states,
as well as civic diplomacy in relations between Russia and the
neighboring states.

Speaking at the press-conference, the Director General of TSIRKON
research group Igor Zadorin, said that research reveals differences
in terms of the dispersal and the number of people who know
Russian. According to him, there are countries in the CIS where an
overwhelming majority of the population said that they know Russian
either fluently or use it as the second native language, and there are
such states where less than one third of the population said that they
know Russian fluently, and first of all these are the Trans-Caucasian
republics and Lithuania.

"The same situation can be obser­ved in the former Soviet republics,
in terms of knowledge of the Russian language by younger children,"
he said. "And it must be that people at work communicate in Russian
more and more seldom than at home. This is related to some legal and
juridical restrictions on the use of the Russian language at work. And
there are countries in which this distinction is considerable and
significant. Such countries are Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia. Questions
were also asked by us how often people watch TV in Russian, read
newspapers or books. And the research also revealed that in the
Trans-Caucasus and in the Baltic countries a consumption of information
in the Russian language lags behind other CIS states. And we also
observed the following picture. If in Tajikistan and in Armenia the
usage of the Russian language is not widely developed, the demand and
requirement are obviously on the rise. More and more people in these
countries want to learn or to improve the knowledge of the Russian
language and to use it. Such demand is also significant in Kyrgyzstan
where an overwhelming majority of those polled said Russian teaching
should be expanded.

"The matter is that very many guest workers from these countries
temporarily live and work in Russia. And these are economic reasons
which can give an explanation of such a demand. And most of those
polled expressed desire and hope to increase the level of knowledge
of the Russian language."

He then continued that there are countries in which, according to his
assessment, the current state of the Russian language is acceptable,
and the practice of its usage is extensive. "Such countries, first
of all, are Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. And there are countries
where the Russian language has actually already left the information
space, its current usage has been lowered and the demand in the
Russian language is inconsiderable. And its current state is accepted
as satisfactory by most of citizens of these countries. These are,
first of all, the Trans-Caucasian republics, Georgia and Azerbaijan,
and the Baltic states, such as Estonian and Lithuania. Also among
the countries where the demand in learning Russian is significant
is Moldova. In fact, up to one third of men, citizens of Moldova,
are constantly absent because they work abroad, and one half of
those absent work in Russia." He then emphasized the significance of
the economic aspect of learning of the Russian language. Of course,
according to Zadorin, the importance of the cultural factor should not
be diminished but the economic factor is so far in the first place,
it is now dominating. He said that more educational programs should
be conducted in this respect in the CIS countries, especially in
those in which the demand in learning the language is so considerable.

Political figure Alexei Mitrofanov said that quite recently the
Center for World Strategies had been formed in Russia by the Just
Russia party. "One of its important tasks is the popularization of
the Russian language. We shall also help our countrymen who find
themselves in a difficult and complicated situation abroad, including
those who had been imprisoned or simply abandoned. The matter is
that on the territory of some CIS states armed conflicts continue,
and many Russian citizens simply cannot leave these regions. And the
time has come to settle these problems and to help these people."

It was also emphasized at the news conference that many people in
distant countries are eager to learn Russian. For instance, this
phenomenon can be observed in China. Young Chinese now know Russian
worse that the Chinese people of the older generation but they are
eager to learn and to master the language. And many Chinese even
remember and know Russian songs by heart and melodies even better
than members of the Russian delegations who visit China.

The total number of people who know or learn Russian abroad is 300
million.

The roundtable participants noted that the Russian language is
gradually gaining popularity both in the post-Soviet space and in
other countries and expressed the hope that many nations would soon
understand the need to learn it.

–Boundary_(ID_8SVETy3RuA78YmQKY91g3A)–

COMPOSITION OF NKR COURT OF APPEAL CONFIRMED

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 19 2008

On June 19 the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakian
signed a decree on appointment of Chairman and judges of the NKR
Court of Appeal.

According to the Central Department of Information under the NKR
President, Vladimir Hovsepian has been appointed the Chairman of
the NKR Court of Appeal. Hrayr Abramian, Lilia Avanesian, Greta
Arzumanian, Norayr Grigorian, Hasmik Khachatrian and Karen Saghyan
have been appointed judges of the Court of Appeal.

BARACK OBAMA: "THE EVENTS OF 1915 TO 1923, CARRIED OUT BY THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS GENOCIDE"

Azeri Press Agency
June 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Washington. Husniyya Hasanova-APA. With the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee set to consider U.S. Ambassador to Armenia nominee Marie
Yovanovitch at a confirmation hearing on Thursday, presumptive
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama restated his commitment
to U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA.) In a letter to ANCA Chairman Ken
Hachikian, Sen. Obama wrote "I share your view that the United States
must recognize the events of 1915 to 1923, carried out by the Ottoman
Empire, as genocide. We must recognize this tragic reality. The Bush
Administration’s refusal to do so is inexcusable, and I will continue
to speak out in an effort to move the Administration to change its
position." says Sen. Obama in letter to ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian

Sen. Obama went on to cite his concerns about the firing of former
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans in 2006 for speaking
truthfully about the Armenian Genocide

"I was deeply disturbed two years ago when the U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia was fired after he used the term "genocide" to describe the
mass slaughter of Armenians. In a letter to the Department of State,
I called for Secretary Rice to closely examine what I believe is an
untenable position taken by the U.S. government." says Sen. Obama in
letter to ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.

DEMOCRACY ENDS WHERE TRANSGRESSION STARTS
LILIT POGHOSYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on June 14, 2008
Armenia

Member of the `Republican’ Parliamentary faction Artak Davtyan responds
to our questions.

`Do you think the temporary committee investigating March 1
developments will answer its purpose, if we take into account the fact
that the parliamentary opposition has already put forward certain
pre-conditions?’

`The committee has clear goals, enshrined in the draft decision. It is
about violence, about the proportionality of the activity of Police,
the conditions in which each of those victims died, which is also very
important. Besides that the committee must propose political and legal
solutions, which will exclude the repetition of March 1-2 developments.
In my view the Committee will realize all the tasks set, on time and
satisfactory and before October 25 will represent its conclusion during
NA Plenary Session of course with corresponding proposals.

It is natural that the opposition has certain proposals, remarks
regarding the staff of the committee, principle of formation and
function. But this is the case when we must try to avoid party and
political affectations, because this temporary committee is going to
clarify the whole truth regarding March 1 developments – an issue that
is of great significance for our people.

In this respect we welcome Victor Dallakyan’s initiative, regarding the
formation of this temporary committee. It is much more valuable that
our colleague put this draft decision in circulation at the end of
March, before the adoption of the famous resolution by the Council of
Europe, because one of the requirements of this resolution was about
the formation of similar committee.’

`Besides the proposal about providing equal seats for the Parliamentary
minority and majority, they propose to give the seats of the Republican
faction to your former colleagues detained in connection with March 1
developments. What can you say in this respect?’

`This approach is totally unacceptable. If people had direct
participation in those events and they are accused, do you think they
can be impartial? It is another question that according to point 5 of
the draft, three days after the formation it is planned to invite Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and all the other extra-parliamentary forces to
participate in the works of the committee with the right for
consultative vote. And, by the way each of them has the right to
express special opinion, in case they disagree with the conclusion of
the committee. In this respect the authors of the draft have manifested
a very balanced approach.’

`While you and your colleagues speak about excluding the repetition of
March 1 developments Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters don’t mind `crossing
the Rubicon one more time’. The activists of the `movement’ directly
announce that on June 20 they will try to realize their scenario.’

`What do you mean saying `cross the Rubicon’. If saying `Rubicon’ they
mean breaching the law, then they will definitely be punished. If after
these announcements they take concrete steps, illegal actions it will
be prevented by state interference.

After all let’s understand one simple thing, democracy is the only way
for our country, there is no other alternative for us, these are not
empty words, but on the other hand democracy ends where transgression
starts. We must clearly see this differentiation. Opposition has the
opportunity to organize all the forms of protest functions. At the
moment they use their opportunity by organizing `political walks’ in
Northern Avenue. I don’t know to what extent these walks contribute to
the realization of their political purposes, but it will definitely
improve their health.

The effort of the opposition to destabilize the situation is quite
understandable. Ter-Petrosyan’s entire campaign, his pre-election and
post-election strategy was based on the before mentioned, to keep our
society in tension, to make the authorities nervous, forcing them to
take certain measures.

In my view the tragedy of March 1 displays that in such situations the
state must take all the measures from the beginning not to jeopardize
the life of any citizen, instead of sitting and waiting until the
passions will inflame more and more.

The right for demonstrations is enshrined in the constitution. But when
some people use all the possible and impossible measures to take power,
it is a very narrow domain and opposition can’t work in this domain.

In this regard we welcome the changes in NA regulations, which
significantly raises the role of the parliamentary opposition, provides
opportunity to work in the constructive domain as well. And why not
influence the decisions taken by the political majority and propose
alternatives.”