d=1/newsid=702611.html
Moldova 2-2 Armenia
Moldova came back from a goal down on two occasions to deny Armenia a
victory. Marcos Pizzelli opened the scoring midway through the first
half but Moldova levelled before the break when Ararat Arakelyan put
through his own goal. Levon Pachajyan gave Armenia the lead for the
second time early in the second half but Serghei Alexeev restored
parity with 18 minutes remaining.
"ARMENIANS AND PROGRESSIVE POLITICS" CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN NEW YORK CITY
DeFacto Agency
May 26 2008
Armenia
YEREVAN, 26.05.08. DE FACTO. Writers, scholars, and activists from
around the world will join their East Coast colleagues in examining
Armenian issues from a progressive viewpoint as a part of the May
30-31 "Armenians and Progressive Politics" conference in New York
City, the Armenian National Committee of America, Eastern Region
(ANC ER) reports.
Seven panels on Saturday, May 31, will discuss issues
relating to Armenia, Armenian identity, gender, genocide, and
coalition-building. Notable panelists include international lawyer and
human rights activist Armineh Arakelian; journalist Florence Avakian;
poet Nancy Agabian, author and Professor Nubar Hovsepian, and others.
Armenians and Progressive Politics (formerly Armenians and the Left)
is an initiative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Eastern
USA. The conference is co-sponsored by the Armenian National Committees
of New York and New Jersey, The Nation Institute, and CUNY’s Center
for Place, Culture, and Politics. Previous participants include Noam
Chomsky and Robert Fisk.
To note, a West Coast "Armenians and Progressive Politics" conference
will be held on June 6-7 in Glendale, California.
For more information on both conferences, visit the conference website
at:
CALIFORNIA-BASED DASHNAKS CONCERN ABOUT ACTIVITY OF AZERBAIJANI DIPLOMATS
Azeri Press Agency
May 26 2008
Azerbaijan
Los-Angeles. Husniyya Hasanova-APA. California-based Dashnaks are
concerned about the activity of Azerbaijani diplomats. "Azbarez",
an official newspaper of Dashnaktsutyun Party in California wrote
that this anxiety was expressed during the meeting with Armenian
ambassador to the US Tatul Margarian.
The newspaper says that representatives of Dashnaktsutyun Party and
the ambassador have discussed the activity of Azerbaijani diplomats
and measures for prevention of it during 90-minute meeting in Beverly
Hills. Moreover, they have exchanged views on confrontation after the
presidential elections in Armenia on March 1, damage on international
reputation of the country. Armen Livonian, Armenian Consul-General
to Los-Angeles also participated in the meeting.
Panorama.am
18:09 24/05/2008
NATURE: FORESTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED
The most valuable types of trees remained in Armenia
are beech tree and oak tree. These are the trees which
are illegally cut down, said Karen Afrikyan, the
coordinator of -Armenian Trees- NGO to the Panorama.am
reporter.
According to him the rural inhabitants are not aware
of the fact that the current types of trees are of
great importance for the protection of forests. -It
does not matter what tress the villager cuts down.
They pay attention on how well they burn. But the main
threat comes from the oligarchs who cut down the most
valuable trees,- he said.
According to K. Afrikyan now some activities are taken
to protect the forests and the trees by making some
gates but the local people complained as they have
animals who get feed from those territories.
Source: Panorama.am
NEXT TELETHON MAY BE DEVOTED TO CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLS
KarabakhOpen
23-05-2008 13:49:51
It is foreseen to finish construction and renovation of schools in
Karabakh in 2 or 3 years, Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan stated. During
the meeting of government he underlined that the telethon of this year
which will traditionally be held in Los Angeles will be devoted to
construction of schools in Artsakh. We have learned that 25 schools
need reconstruction, which are located in villages and were damaged
during the war.
Government investments in education in 2008 will total 830.48 million
drams.
The government funds the construction of schools in Askeran, in the
village of Emishchan, Martuni, the village of Noragyugh which admits
300 students, the village of Maghavuz, the renovation of the school in
Martakert, the construction of the village of Harutiunagomer, 2 schools
in the region of Shahumyan. On charity money the construction of
school N 6 will continue, the new building of school 11 of Stepanakert
will start. The lavatories of all the schools of the capital will be
carried out on 57 million drams.
REAL ALTERNATIVE WITH SERIOUS PROGRAMS
Gevorg Haroutyunyan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 22, 2008
Armenia
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsoutyun started its
30th General Assembly yesterday afternoon
The third assembly, convened in Armenia after the country’s regaining
independence, is attended by deputies and responsible activists
representing the party in 30 countries of the world.
The official opening of the 30th General Assembly took place in the
conference hall of the Government. Among the invitees were Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan, Vice
Chair of the Republican Party Galoust Sahakyan, leader of "Prosperous
Armenia" party Gagik Tsaroukyan, Vice Chair of "Rule of Law" party
Heghine Bisharyan, NDU leader Vazgen Manoukyan, Head of the National
Democratic Party Shavarsh Kochayan, Secretary of the Political Council
of "Heritage" party Vardan Khachatryan, ex-Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan, well-known American-Armenian historian Richard Hovhannisyan
and many others.
The chief speaker was HRANT MARGARYAN, representative of the ARFD
bureau. In his opinion, Dashnaktsoutyun has been an alternative both to
the opposition and the authorities during the past 10 years. "Although
in 1998-2008 we collaborated with the authorities and managed, to a
certain extent, have our participation in the progress as well as the
extremely important process developing the national policy, we also
expressed our disagreements. We didn’t agree to the economic policy,
we were dissatisfied with the fact that the country didn’t organize
a coordinated struggle against corruption; we considered the illegal
demeanor of the privileged group and criminal and half-criminal
elements intolerable. We considered that all this moved the country
towards autocracy or instability.
By participating in the presidential race, we were putting an end to
our previous cooperation with the authorities and somehow, creating a
possibility of a new beginning for us. We didn’t have the right to act
as timeservers at the last moment, by quitting our former partners."
In the estimation of Hrant Margaryan, the last four presidential
elections were held in an extremely tense atmosphere. There were bloody
clashes twice – in 1998 and in 2008. Is it by mere accident that
in both cases the chief player and participant was the same person,
acting as a representative of the authorities in he former case and
as a pro-opposition figure in the latter?
"After ten years of silence, there appeared a person on the political
arena whom society remembers with hatred. The policy course he pursued
in our country suffered a crushing defeat. Realizing this perfectly
well, the former leader returned to the Armenian Pan-National Movement,
his organization, thus hiding his supporters, all his programs and,
after all, his personality behind the dissatisfaction existing in
the country. It turned out that leading a program-based ideological
struggle was not his objective," the representative of the ARFD
bureau mentioned.
GOVERNMENT FIXES LIFE PENSION FOR SECOND PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARYAN
armradio.am
22.05.2008 15:31
In compliance with RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree of April 9,
the Armenian Government today took the decision to fix a life pension
for the second President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan
equal to 80% of the President’s salary.
Head of the State Property Management Department adjunct to RA
Government Karine Kirakosyan noted at the Government sitting that it
is necessary to allocate means for the construction of a house for
the second President with further property rights.
The Government also instructed the Yerevan City Hall to provide area
for the Office of the second President and allocate necessary means
for its reconstruction.
PRESIDENT SARGSYAN MEETS WITH AMBASSADORS
armradio.am
22.05.2008 11:17
President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the Heads of Mission of
the EU member states accredited in Yerevan, and the representative
of the delegation of the European Commission, President’s Press
Office reported.
President Sargsyan said that these meetings are a proper format for
discussing issues on the Armenia-European Union agenda.
According to the President of Armenia, further deepening of the
relations with the EU will undeniably expedite Armenia’s democratic
as well as economic development.
Viewing the implementation of the Action Plan in the framework of the
European Neighborhood Policy as a priority for Armenia, the President
stressed that the Plan is in full agreement with the program of the
Government of Armenia and the logic of the planned large-scale reforms.
Serzh Sargsyan also mentioned that experience of the European
Commission is very important for Armenia. The President of Armenia
said that he is satisfied with the results of the first year of the
Plan’s implementation as well as with the assessment presented at
the EC’s Progress Report. He noted that the assessment is overall
balanced and fair.
Serzh Sargsyan also said that Armenia is striving to join the EU’s
General System of Preferences (GSP) trade regime, to receive from
the EU the status of the country with market economy, and to sign
a free trade agreement with the European Union. In this regard,
the priority directions in the coming years will be the improvement
of the investment climate in the country, improvement of business
environment, and fundamental changes in the customs administration.
Speaking about political developments, Serzh Sargsyan said that
regardless of the post-election developments, the implementation of
democratic reforms remains a necessity, and that we will continue to
work in that direction.
Mr. Sargsyan said that right after the presidential elections he
offered cooperation to all political forces and received a positive
response from the majority of them, which made possible the creation
of the political coalition. He mentioned with pain the impossibility
of preventing the events of March 1. Regardless of the fact that one
of the candidates was speaking about the events months before they
actually took place, President Sargsyan stressed that the authorities
are responsible for all the processes going on in the country and that
they see the elimination of their consequences in the unequivocal
implementation of the recommendations of the corresponding PACE
resolution. In addition, they entirely correspond to the principles
laid out in the President’s pre-election platform and to the principles
of cooperation of the Political Coalition. "The recommendations of the
working group have been approved by the members of the Coalition, and
we are determined to fully implement them," the President underscored.
President Sargsyan spoke also about the simplifying the procedures
for obtaining the entry visas to the EU member states and the EU
regional center for cultural issues to be established in Yerevan.
The President of Armenia also presented his views on the
Nagorno Karabakh peace process, reiterating that official Yerevan
advocates the peaceful resolution of the conflict on the basis of
comprises. Meanwhile, the opposite side very often comes up with
belligerent statements. However, the President thinks that there is
still hope for a peaceful resolution – as long as the negotiations
are continued on the basis of fundamental principles.
Regarding the Armenian-Turkish relations the President of Armenia
said that our country is ready to establish normal relations with
Turkey without preconditions and to discuss all contentious issues
on the basis of intergovernmental relations and negotiations.
On behalf of the diplomats the Ambassador of France, Serzh Smessov
expressed satisfaction that the tradition of conducting these meetings
continues and noted that they are very useful for them.
The Ambassadors welcomed the determination of the Armenian authorities
to fully implement all recommendations of the PACE resolution.
During the meeting the President of Armenia also provided
clarifications on other issues raised by the diplomats.
FOUR EXPERT GROUPS TO EXAMINE GOVERNMENT DECISIONS IN ARMENIA
ARKA
May 22, 2008
YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Four groups will be formed in Armenian
Government to examine all government decisions, Armenian Premier
Tigran Sargsian said.
"Ministers will be involved in the commissions on financial and
economic, social, state and legal, territorial administration and
environmental issues. Before being submitted for discussion at the
government, all issues will undergo a mandatory preliminary discussion
in the commissions," Sargsian said at the government sitting Thursday.
Conceptual targets of the ministries will also be discussed at the
commissions.
For working as a real team, problems existing in one of the ministries
should be discussed jointly, he said adding that success can be
achieved only through combined efforts.
TURKISH AMBASSADOR CALLS ON ARMENIANS: WE SHOULD NOT RAISE OUR CHILDREN WITH ANIMOSITY
Turkish Press
May 21 2008
WASHINGTON D.C. – The Turkish Ambassador in Washington D.C. has called
on Armenians not to raise children with animosity.
Speaking at a meeting hosted by the Potomac Institute for Policy
Studies on "the Future of Turkey-U.S. Strategic Partnership", Nabi
Sensoy said, "the draft resolution submitted to the U.S. Congress on
the incidents of 1915 brought Turkey-U.S. relations to ‘brink of a
disaster’. We are pleased with leaving those days behind as a result
of resolute attitude of U.S. administration and congressmen."
Sensoy reminded that Prime Minister Erdogan had called on Armenians
to form a joint committee of historians to unveil the truth.
"Turkey has opened its archives long ago. Armenians should do the
same thing. We expect politicians in the United States and in other
countries to let historians to deal with past events," he said.
"We should not raise our children with animosity. I grew up together
with many Turkish citizens of Armenian descent. It was one of
our Armenian neighbors who cried and mourned most when I lost my
father. Enmity does not lead us to anywhere," he said.
Denying accusations that Turkey imposed economic embargo on Armenia,
Sensoy said that Turkey was the fifth biggest economic partner of
Armenia and number of weekly flights between Turkey and Armenia
reached four.
"Everyone in Turkey condemned killing of journalist Hrant
Dink. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest his
assassination. It is not correct to claim that the Armenian issue was
not discussed in Turkey. On the contrary, any opposition to state’s
views regarding the incidents of 1915 was banned in Armenia with an
amendment to the penal code in October 2006." he said.
Sensoy also criticized that the Armenian diaspora thwarted Armenian
Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan’s speech during his visit to Washington D.C.
Referring to the other developments in the region, Sensoy said, "Like
the international community, Turkey does not want to see Iran armed
with nuclear weapons. However, we think that Iran should not be fully
isolated by the international community. Instead, we should improve our
relations with them and try to persuade them to change their policies."