Author: Toganian Liana

PanARMENIAN.Net

U.S. State Department human rights report on Armenia contains inaccuracies
09.03.2007 15:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The annual country report on Armenia issued by the
U.S. State Department contains some inaccuracies. Moreover, it’s very
subjective, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told a news
conference in Yerevan. Armenia has a serious attitude about documents
of the kind, he said. `We will examine the report and then the RA MFA
will announce its position. However, the report marks out positive
tendencies on the whole,’ the Minister said.

He informed that his speech at the UN Security Council meeting in
Geneva will be dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the
Armenian-Turkish relations and violations of human rights thereupon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF JAPAN

His Holiness Aram I received the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to
Lebanon, H.E. Yoshihisa Kuroda, in Antelias on Match 9. The Catholicosate of
Cilicia and the Japanese Embassy actively cooperated in the last decade in
the field of humanitarian service particularly in the "Birds’ Nest"
Orphanage and the Azounieh National Sanatorium which enjoy the Catholicosate’s
patronage.

The Ambassador and His Holiness discussed the recent local and
international developments, focusing on the efforts to resolve the Middle
East conflict. Speaking about the stabilization of political life in
Lebanon, the Pontiff stressed the importance of dialogue and the need to end
the political ‘fights’ between various leaders. He stressed the need to
strengthen the internal unity and mutual trust between the different
communities in the country.

The Catholicos also talked about his visit to Japan and his dialogue with
Buddhism, highlighting the role of inter-faith dialogue and cooperation in
the current world.

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View the photo here: #2

INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON WINEMAKING TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

ArmRadio.am
07.03.2007 14:47

April 26-28 an international forum will be held in Yerevan, during
which the legal, production and sale issues of the wine market will
be discussed.

Chairman of the Union of Armenian Winemakers Avag Harutyunyan told
Mediamax that the forum will feature experts from Georgia, Russia,
Ukraine, Moldova, Israel, Turkey, US, Germany, Italy and France.

The forum is organized by the Union of Armenian Winemakers with the
assistance of a number of local and international organizations.

AMERICAN MUSLIM LEADER IN TURKISH PARLIAMENT

Turkish Press
March 6 2007

ANKARA – American Muslim leader Wallace Deen Muhammed, who is
currently in Turkey as a guest of Justice & Development Party (AKP)
deputy Egemen Bagis, called on U.S. President George W. Bush and
other state officials to withdraw from Iraq.

Muhammed and Bagis held a joint press conference at the Turkish
parliament on Tuesday.

Bagis praised Muhammed, saying "he is an outstanding spiritual
and opinion leader for Muslims in the USA," adding that Muhammed
disseminated Islam’s peaceful, modern and democratic message to the
world from the USA.

Bagis noted that Muhammed will support Turkey against the bill on
so-called Armenian genocide in the U.S. Congress.

On the other hand, Muhammed said he is in Turkey for the third time,
noting that he learned a lot about Turkey from his father.

Asked whether he would lobby for Turkey in the U.S. Congress against
Armenian claims, Muhammed recalled that for the first time in USA
a black person was elected a U.S. Congressman, and added that they
would have necessary initiatives to help their all coreligionists.

Upon a question on Iraq, Muhammed said he once supported American
troops in Iraq, however, he now regrets his decision when he saw what
has happened in Iraq.

PRESENTATION OF COLLECTION "ANTI-TOBACCO PROGRAMS REALIZED IN ARMENIA IN 2004-2006"

Arka News Agency, Armenia
March 6 2007

YEREVAN, March 5. /ARKA/. The presentation of the collection
"Anti-tobacco programs realized in Armenia in 2004-2006" was held
in Yerevan.

"We hope that the measures of the combat against smoking realized in
the republic during the last period will have a sequential continuation
in 2007 and we will have a chance to publish a similar edition next
year," said Narine Movsisyan, Coordinator of the Coalition "Armenia
against tobacco".

The collection includes objectives, methods and approaches to the
combat against smoking in Armenia conducted by 25 NGOs entering the
"Armenia against tobacco" bloc.

The collection’s circulation made 400 copies in the Armenian language.

It was published with the support of the American University in
Armenia, the Open Society Institute, the Armenian union "Public health"
and Armenian association of public health.

According to the world healthcare organization data, among the CIS
countries Armenia ranks the first by the number of smokers (two out
of three men smoke). Annually 2,000 people aging 35-69 die in Armenia
because of tobacco-caused diseases.

UN GENOCIDE GENERALEMENT RECONNU

Le Matin
Edition Semaine
05 mars 2007 lundi

Si des destructions de villages armeniens se sont deja produites dès
la fin du XIXesiècle en Turquie, le genocide armenien, a proprement
parler, s’est deroule entre 1915 et 1918 et va provoquer la mort ou la
deportation de 1,2 a 1,5million de personnes. Parmi les explications
habituellement avancees: la frustration de l’armee turque après les
defaites sur le front russe, un nationalisme exacerbe et une volonte de
"turquifier" toute l’Anatolie. Le genocide des Armeniens a ete reconnu
par le Conseil national en 2003, par le canton de Genève et le Grand
Conseil vaudois. D’autre part, la reconnaissance du genocide armenien
fait partie des prealables poses par l’Union europeenne pour l’entree
de la Turquie en son sein.

–Boundary_(ID_MIjS4OucdWopx1fkTzNS7w)–

EMISSIONS FROM ALAVERDI COPPER SMELTING COMPLEX MUST BE REDUCED BY 70% BY 2009

Noyan Tapan
Mar 05 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Sulphur dioxide emissions from the
Alaverdi Copper Smelting Complex amount to 24 thousand tons annually,
for which Armenian Copper Program (ACP) CJSC makes an environmental
protection payment of 120 mln drams (about 288 thousand USD) every
year. NT correspondent was informed from Marzpet Kamalian, Deputy
Head of the State Environmental Protection Inspection of the RA
Ministry of Nature Protection that these emissions exceed 4-8fold the
permissible norm. According to him, in 2005 ACP company presented a
5-year program of environmental protection measures, under which in
2008 the complex’s emissions shall be reduced by 10%, while starting
from January 2009 – by 70%. M. Kamalian said that if the program
obligations are not fulfilled in time, the environmemtal payment to
be made by the company will be increased several times, as a result
of which the complex will either close or be declared bankrupt. ACP
Director Gagik Arzumanian noted that the most widespread method of
reducing exhaust gases is to produce sulphuric acid from them.

However, according to him, there are no prospects of sulphuric acid
production in Armenia now because such production can be organized only
in conditions of a stable and reliable sale market. That is why the
company tries to find other solutions to this problem. In the words
of Samvel Jamalian, a resident of the city of Alaverdi, the complex
does not use titanium filters and a dam to prevent arsenic from being
poured into the Debed River. "Filters were cut and sold, while the
dam is dilapidated and nobody builds a new one," he said, adding that
in recent year cases of congenital defects and various diseases have
become frequent in Alaverdi. The ACP director explained that no filter
or other similar equipment was dismantled and sold from the enterprise
which was re-launched in late 1997. At the same time, G. Arzumanian
noted that filters do not reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide: their
main function is to clean gases of dust in order to process them. As
for the dam, according to G. Arzumanian, unlike previously, now copper
is not refined at the plant so dangerous elements, including arsenic,
remain in concentrate. That is, the company sells unrefined black
copper. "The "arsenik graveyard" in Alaverdi belongs to the former
factory and has no relation to ACP company," G. Arzumanian noted.

NEXT SITTING OF THE CIS COUNCIL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS TO BE HELD ON APRIL 25

ArmRadio.am
01.03.2007 13:34

Director of the Russian MFA Department on CIS Vyacheslav Shumski
told RIA Novosti that that the sitting of the CIS Council of Foreign
Ministers will take place in Astana on April 25. He said the agenda
of the sitting has not been fixed yet, but did not rule out that
the Foreign Ministers of CIS member states will discuss the issue of
reforming the structures of the Commonwealth.

"I do not rule out that the issue may be presented at the sitting
of the Foreign Ministers, since according to the decision of the
Council of Presidents, the work should be completed by June and must
be reported to the Presidents," the diplomat added.

The previous sitting of the Council of Foreign Ministers was held in
Minsk in November. Then the decision was taken to establish a working
group on reformation of the Commonwealth structures.

NDP MADE ALLIANCE WITH CIVIL SOCIETY, SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 01 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The National Democratic Party will
take part in the parliamentary elections "in alliance with civil
society." Shavarsh Kocharian, Chairman of National Democratic Party
(NDP), reported this at the March 1 press conference. He said that
in the party’s proportional list the person following him is Hranush
Kharatian, Chairwoman of National Center for Genealogical Studies NGO,
Head of Department for Affairs of Religion and National Minorities
under RA government, and the third person on the list is Taron
Arakelian, Head of Havatarmutiun (Loyalty) civil initiative. Another
seven members of initiative are also on the list. S. Kocharian also
stated that 27 out of 77 candidates included in NDP’s proportional list
are women. In S. Kocharian’s words, the more democratic the country
is, the larger is women’s presence in government sphere. And the
circumstance that the number of women is small in Armenian government
and parliament is the evidence that the country has serious problems
in connection with building democratic state. The issue of NDP’s
nomination by majoritarian system has not been determined yet. As S.
Kocharian stated, though he has always nominated his candidature by
majoritarian system, this time receiving maximum votes by proportional
system is primary for the party and it will concentrate all forces
for achieving this purpose.

ARMENIA PICKS HAYKO FOR EUROVISION

Doteurovision, UK
Feb 28 2007

Hayko will have the job of following up Andre’s impressive debut at
the Eurovision Song Contest when he represents Armenia in Helsinki.

On the face of it, Andre’s record should remain untarnished. Hayko
will perform ‘Anytime You Need’ in a language that bears striking
similarities to English.

Hayko enjoys a successful career in Armenia, having been voted best
male singer in 2003 and 2006. He has not previously recorded material
in ‘English’.

The song that will be presented during the final of the 2007 Eurovision
Song Contest is written by Hayko along with Karen Kavaleryan, who
co-wrote the Russian entries in 2002 and 2006 and the lyric to the
Belarussian song this year.

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