Author: Vanyan Gary

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY COMMEMORATE GENOCIDE

ABC Online
April 21 2008
Australia

Around 1,000 people from Australia’s Armenian community gathered in
Sydney’s north last night to commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the
Armenian genocide.

The genocide refers to the massacres and forced deportations of
Armenians under the Turkish Ottoman Empire during and after World
War I.

Last night’s guest speaker, visiting US professor Peter Balakian,
said the lessons from the early part of the 20th century were still
relevant today.

"We can’t understand the Holocaust, or the Cambodian genocide or the
Rwandan genocide without understanding the template for all genocide
in the modern period," he said.

The Turkish Government continues to dispute the use of the word
"genocide" to describe the events.

PKK MILITANTS FLEEING TO ARMENIA, FOUR KILLED

New Anatolian
April 20 2008
Turkey

Turkish forces in northeastern Anatolian continued to hunt down PKK
militants on Sunday and in clashes killed four militants and lost
one soldier, military sources reported.

This time the clashes were carried to the northeastern border area
of Kars where the PKK militants are said to be fleeing to Armenia.

Another Turkish soldier was wounded during the clashes in
Kars. Operations are under way in the region, it added.

Turkey and most of the international community, including the EU and
the U.S., consider the PKK a terrorist organization. Turkey launched
a major eight-day ground incursion against the PKK in February,
sending thousands of troops into Iraq.

ARGAM AIVAZIAN PRESENTS FOUR WORKS ON HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS OF NAKHIJEVAN

Noyan Tapan
April 15, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Argam Aivazian is the only researcher
today, thanks to huge work of whom the historical and cultural legacy
of Nakhijevan has been properly presented in Armenology, the chairman
of the Union of Writers of Armenia (UWA) Levon Ananian stated at
the April 15 presentation of the works published by Argam Aivazian,
an Armenologist – expert on Nakhijevan. The event was held at the UWA.

According to L. Ananian, A. Aivazian has conducted research of
khachkars in Jugha and historical and cultural monuments of Nakhijevan
for decades on end. He is the author of more than 200 studies. Over
20 his works have been published in 30 years.

At the presentation A. Aivazian featured 4 works: "Nakhijevan
Literary Essays and Traveling Notes", "Nakhijevan: "Picture of
Historical Witnesses", "Symphony of Destroyed Khachkars of Jugha"
and "Lithographic Legacy of Nakhijevan".

The first work includes the author’s literary essays on Nakhijevan,
his 1965-1987 traveling notes on history, culture and monuments
of Nakhijevan.

It is for the first time that the author presents Nakhijevan’s
highlands, historical figures and events in fiction.

In the second work – an atlas published in English, A. Aivazian
provides the foreign reader with brief information about Nakhijevan’s
history, culture, monuments, population, etc.

"Symphony of Destroyed Khachkars of Jugha" was released in Armenian,
Englsh and Russian and has brief information about the historical
past and culture of Jugha. There are 727 photos in the book, many of
these photos being published for the first time.

The fourth work contains information on 27 settlements and lithographs
of Goghtn province, as well as numerous photos of monuments and
settlements of this province.

GAS, ELECTRIC POWER AND WATER TARIFFS NOT TO CHANGE IN ARMENIA

arminfo
2008-04-16 11:56:00

ArmInfo. Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission has said
that gas, electric power and water tariffs will not change in Armenia
in 2008.

It also says that beginning from 1 May consumers will pay the same
tariff fixed in 2006 – 84 thsd drams for 1000 cubic meter of gas. The
tariff for the commerce consumers is $153.26.

Meanwhile the point is that till 1 May the gas tariff will be
subsidized by the government and the consumers will pay less. Thus,
for population gas is subsidized in an amount 25 thsd drams per 1000
cubic meter. For this reason in fact they pay 59 thsd drams instead
of 84 thsd. As for the commerce consumers, they are subsidized in an
amount of $52,01 per 1000 cubic meter, and they pay $101.25 instead
of the fixed $153.26.

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR OCULISTS OF THE COUNTRY SUMMED UP

ARMENPRESS
April 15, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS: The training program for oculists of a
number of Armenian policlinics was summed up today in the M. Malayan
Ocular Center followed by handing over certificates, ratified by the
Armenian Health Ministry, to the participants of the classes.

The director of the Malayan Ocular Center, chief oculist of the
Armenian Health Ministry Alexander Malayan told in his speech that
during the training classes the participants got acquainted with the
services provided in the center, participated in the experimental
operations on animals in the laboratory, were present on lectures
and practical works of specialists and had an opportunity to enrich
their knowledge in the library of the Ocular Center.

A. Malayan highly underscored the importance of conduction of such
training programs and expressed readiness in case of necessity support
the oculists of the provinces.

Director of the Armenian Ocular Project Nune Yeghiazarian said that the
training program of oculists has been carried out in three rounds from
January 21 to April 4 of the running year with the participation of 42
oculists – 25 from Armenian provinces and 17 from Yerevan policlinics.

Director of the Armenian office of the Academy for Educational
Development Anoush Yedigaryan pointed out that the successful
implementation of the program is first of all agreed with the
right cooperation of USAID, Armenian Ocular Project and Academy for
Educational Development.

She underscored the involvement of oculists from all the provinces
in the program and the expansion of their knowledge. A. Yedigaryan
also expressed hope that the program will be continuative and will
involve more oculists.

The head of the Yerevan municipality’s health and social affairs
department Armen Soghoyan described the program as one of the most
comprehensive, noting that the Academy for Educational Development
is known with the high quality implementation of programs.

The participants of the training also received packages of necessary
materials for their further effective work.

The training program for oculists has been financed by the USAID.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT TO HOST BSEC PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY GATHERING

ARMENPRESS
April 15, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS: The legal and political commission of
the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) organization’s Parliamentary
Assembly will convene in Yerevan on April 16 for its 31-st meeting.

The meeting will be hosted by Armenian National Assembly (parliament)
and will be opened by Borislav Raichev, chairman of the commission
and Arevik Petrosian, a deputy Armenian parliament speaker.

The parliament press office said on the first day the gathering will
discuss the role of parliaments in fighting international terrorism.

On April 17 it will discuss cooperation between BSEC member countries
and the European Union.

PRIMATE OF ARMENIAN DIOCESE OF TEHRAN RECEIVES EUROPEAN DELEGATIONS

Noyan Tapan
April 16, 2008

TEHRAN, APRIL 16, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. On April 14
Mr. Rishlen and Mrs. Pelez, Secretaries of the Embassy of Holand
accredited in Iran visited the national primacy of the the Armenian
diocese of Tehran. The guests were recieved by Archbishop Sepuh
Sargsian, the Primate of the diocese, who gave the necessary
information on the order and the structure of the church.

"On these April days the whole Armenian people is thinking about its
over one and a half million victims and is praying at the same time
for the peace of their souls. That was the most inhuman and savage
violation of the human rights, which was made by the Ottoman Turkey
by displacing and destroying our people," His Holiness stressed. The
guests expressed their support adding that the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide should be the primary obligation of all the civilized
countries and peoples.

As the Alik daily reports, Zhans Naiber, who is in charge of the
interchurch relations of the Evangelic Church of Germany, together
with Ver. Yeagobov, the pastor of the German speaking church of Tehran,
visited the primate on the same day in the afternoon.

The primate welcomed the guests and attached a great importance to
the role the Evangelic Church of Germany plays in the interchurch
relations, as well as in the process of the relations it has with
the Armenian church. Then, the primate passed certain information
concerning the church-cultural life of the Armenian community to the
guests and rememberd those merited Germans, who were of great help
to our people on the days of the Armenian Genocide and assertained
the Armenian Genocide with their writings and documentary references.

The guests expressed their support on this occasion and stated that
on April 24 they will pray with the Armenian people for the peace
of the souls of its one and a half million victims. At the end the
guests approached the April memorial and prayed for the rest of the
souls of our martyrs.

TODAY THE SESSION OF NKR GOVERNMENT TOOK PLACE

Azat Artsakh Daily
Published on April 15, 2008
NKR Republic

The first question of the agenda of the government’s session,
taken place on April 15th, touched upon NA decision’s project "About
establishing yearly statement of doing NKR state budget of 2007. By
representation of the Minister of Economical development B.Babaian, the
government established council’s charter of efficiency’s assistance, an
order of organizing of transportation by car transport of generall use
in NKR territory .A number of decisions touching upon the sphere were
also adopted. By representation of the minister of Social Maintenance
N.Azatian , the executive established the decision of creating the
Centre of medical-social examination and establishing its charter.
Another decision represented by N.Azatian from just social sphere had
wider inclusion: an order of payment and appointment of monthly pay
of honour of persons being entitled to "people’s" honorary title was
established. It was decided to establish 40 thousand drams instead
of the previous 25 thousand. The last question of the agenda touched
upon the works done in 2007 by the leader of board of administration
of Shahumian region.

ARMENIAN JUSTICE MINISTER DENIES HARASSMENT OF DETAINED OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS

Aravot
April 9 2008
Armenia

Armenian Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan has said that detained
opposition activists are not being harassed andthat only few of them
have been denied visits by relatives due to the ongoing investigation.

When people are suspected of possessing illegal weapons, organizing
and participating in mass riots and making publiccalls for a forceful
change of the constitutional order, "the factor of political harassment
is ruled out",Danielyan said in an interview with opposition newspaper
Aravot on 9 April. Any person – regardless of their politicalviews –
should be held responsible if their guilt in those crimes is proven,
he said.

Visits by relatives during the investigation period are forbidden
in the interests of the investigation, Danielyansaid. However, he
added that as of 1 April, only 18 detainees were denied visits and
that the ban has already beenreviewed. Danielyan also said that he
periodically meets the detainees and that each of their complaints
is looked into as stipulated by law.

Danielyan also touched upon the Armenian president’s 1 March decree
on imposing a stage of emergency andrestricting some basic human
rights. He said the decree was entirely in line with the Armenian
Constitution and theEuropean Convention for Human Rights. He also
said that amendments restricting the Armenian law on assemblies would
bediscussed with the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission in mid-April
in Yerevan.

In the meantime, opposition Haykakan Zhamanak daily reported on 9
April that three more people had joined the hunger strike of the
opposition activists. Zhirayr Sefilyan, Vardan Malkhasyan and the
editor-in-chief of Zhamanak Yerevannewspaper, Arman Babajanyan, who
were all given prison terms last year, have issued a statement saying
they are joining the hunger strike to voice their support for those
"who have risen to struggle for human rights andliberties".

AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS COMPARED TIGRANAKERT WITH TROY

KarabakhOpen
11-04-2008 10:54:37

Yesterday the film about the discovery of the ancient town of
Tigranakert in Artsakh entitled "Artsakh Odyssey of Tigranakert"
was demonstrated in Stepanakert.

"The American newspapers compared the discovery of Tigranakert with
the discovery of Troy," said the head of the Artsakh expedition of
the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy
Hamlet Petrosyan. "It is not just a research with a scientific,
academic value.

Everyone should be aware of the excavations of Tigranakert. Our
greatest achievement would be creation of Tigranakert in our souls
to bring us together," the archeologist said.

The head of the expedition thanked the government of Karabakh for
assistance and held out hope that there will be people who will also
"fall ill" with Tigranakert.