Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

A1+

| 21:16:32 | 20-09-2005 | Politics |

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN SAYS “NO”

Today the Heritage Party declared its position on Draft Constitutional
Amendments.

The statement says: “The Constitution is the fundamental law of the land and
its citizens. The most authoritative source of rights, it defines and
guarantees the structure of state, its political system, and civil liberties
and obligations. Its legitimacy and force of example turn on its acceptance
as the fruit of political consensus and civic confidence.

The Constitution is not a game. It is not a means or excuse to cling to a
political seat or to clarify private relationships. It is not a veneer to
gloss over cracks in the republican home and to hide societal sicknesses.

Our home is cracked, divided, and under pressure. The first decade and a
half of our rediscovered independence have borne witness to an impressive
array of legal and human rights violations committed, in large measure,
under the very cover of cunning constitutional and legislative references.
Testifying to the subjugation of the absolute benchmark of the national
interest to layers of personal gain, our Homeland has been usurped, our
voice and vote have been grabbed away, millions of individual destinies have
been torn asunder, and the assets and inheritance that belong to the
generations have been stolen or sold off together with any remnant sense of
honor.

We have already crossed the final frontier of forging and being forged,
deceiving and self-deceiving. The world is not dumb, and Armenia is not a
gaming hall.

The crown of illegitimacy earned by our country’s authorities beginning ten
years ago and cresting in 2003 is not commensurate even with the lowest
threshold required to posit constitutional amendments for an accountable
public vote.

If in the present conditions that document is put to referendum, the most
compelling priority will become not its small substantive advantage, but the
imperative of democracy through the conduct of a free, fair, and truly
participatory electoral procedure. Any breach or falsehood, whether during
the campaign, on election day or in the counting, will strike a blow to the
Republic of Armenia, its esteem and future, its every citizen. Our heritage
as witness, that shall be the final shame of modern Armenian history.

Heritage, a national liberal party, will stand at full capacity for the
democratic integrity of the process and a democratic result on the merits.
Considering that the instant draft of the Constitution, as much as it
betokens a textual improvement, is in essence a collection of half-measures
born of unhealthy circumstances, the party is now preparing and will soon
make public its own alternative Armenian Constitution. Our firm expectation
is that, among other things ruling out any prejudicial propensity toward the
undemocratic reproduction of authority, it will become one of the
cornerstones of our forthcoming political quest and with its inclusive
vitality will guide Armenia through the 21st Century, permanently offering
sound answers and comprehensive solutions to the national challenges of our
times.”

THE RISE OF THE HOLOCAUST (DAY) DENIERS
by Michael Stickings
>>From the (London) Times:

The Moderate Voice
Sept 12 2005

ADVISERS appointed by Tony Blair after the London bombings are
proposing to scrap the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day because it is
regarded as offensive to Muslims.

They want to replace it with a Genocide Day that would recognise the
mass murder of Muslims in Palestine, Chechnya and Bosnia as well as
people of other faiths.

The draft proposals have been prepared by committees appointed by
Blair to tackle extremism. He has promised to respond to the plans,
but the threat to the Holocaust Day has provoked a fierce backlash
from the Jewish community.

Holocaust Day was established by Blair in 2001 after a sustained
campaign by Jewish leaders to create a lasting memorial to the 6m
victims of Hitler. It is marked each year on January 27.

The Queen is patron of the charity that organises the event and the
Home Office pays £500,000 a year to fund it. The committees argue
that the special status of Holocaust Memorial Day fuels extremists’
sense of alienation because it “excludes” Muslims.

A member of one of the committees, made up of Muslims, said it gave
the impression that “western lives have more value than non-western
lives”. That perception needed to be changed. “One way of doing that
is if the government were to sponsor a national Genocide Memorial Day.

“The very name Holocaust Memorial Day sounds too exclusive to many
young Muslims. It sends out the wrong signals: that the lives of one
people are to be remembered more than others. It’s a grievance that
extremists are able to exploit.”

Come on, really?

Look, I have no problem with a day to remember victims of genocide more
generally, nor even specifically: It’s certainly true that the victims
of genocide in, say, Armenia and Cambodia, or Bosnia and Rwanda,
or even Stalin’s Russia, are often forgotten, or at least subject
to far less official remembrance than the victims of the Holocaust
(and, even there, largely the Jewish victims of the Holocaust). Is
this fair? Is it even a matter of fairness of victimhood? Maybe,
maybe not. I’ll let you decide that for yourselves.

But the fact is, there was, in my view, something truly exceptional
about the Holocaust. It was the culmination of centuries and centuries
of persecution. It was an attempt to wipe out an entire people –
even the memory of an entire people. I realize that there have been
similar genocides throughout history, but it’s difficult, at least
for me, not to view the Holocaust independently of, or at least as
the ultimate event in, the history of genocide.

It could be argued, I suppose, that the Holocaust has been granted
this “special” status as a result of highly effective lobbying and
marketing by a powerful interest group – namely, Judaism as a whole,
backed up by the state of Israel and its supporters throughout
Europe and America. But this misses the point. We’re talking about
the United Kingdom here. It seems to me that the Holocaust means
something there (and here in North America) that it may not mean,
at least not to the same degree or in the same way) in other parts
of the world. Obviously, jurisdictions with, say, large Armenian or
Cambodian populations would likely afford those two genocides greater
emphasis in terms of official remembrance.

To me, lumping genocides together means, ultimately, neglecting the
singularities of each one. I see nothing wrong with recognizing a
Holocaust Day, but then I see nothing wrong with recognizing a day
for another genocide (or other genocides). That should be up to
individual jurisdictions.

I realize that this is an incredibly sensitive topic, and I must
admit that I was hesitant to write anything about it. It’s too easy
to write off this latest effort to do away with a Holocaust Memorial
Day as anti-Semitism (as Andrew Sullivan does). It surely is for
some, but there is indeed a case to be made, and not just for the
sake of Muslim youth, for lumping together all genocides into a
generic Genocide Memorial Day. But why do that? It’s important to
remember the Holocaust as the Holocaust, not as yet another example
of humanity at its worst. It needs to be remembered on its own, just
as all other genocides need to remembered on their own, independently
of one another, whatever the similarities that bind them.

–Boundary_(ID_1vOySNUHX+WmmsK+5Sz8eg)–

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (E.)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: <;

September 12, 2005

8-CITY TOUR OF AWARD-WINNING YOUTH TROUPE FROM
ARMENIA SHAPING UP FOR OCTOBER DEBUT

Eastern Diocese & AGBU Co-sponsoring “A Mosaic of
Music, Dance & Performance” to Honor 1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet

* * *

This fall Armenians in North America will be treated to a glimpse of
the promising artistic future of their homeland, when a troupe of more
than 60 young performers will tour the eastern U.S. and Canada. The
young artists, ages 10 to 19, will bring to life a variety of Armenian
art forms–song, dance, instrumental music, dramatic recitation,
gymnastics and acrobatics–in what has been called an “Armenian Cirque
du Soleil.”

The gifted youth from Armenia’s AGBU-sponsored “Holy Etchmiadzin Nork
Children’s Center” will visit eight North American cities under the
sponsorship of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).

Billed as a “A Mosaic of Music, Dance and Performance as Vibrant as
Armenia,” the tour will debut in New York City’s Town Hall on Sunday,
October 9, and will then proceed to performances in Richmond, VA;
Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Racine, WI; Boston, MA; and Montreal,
Canada (for two performances); before concluding in Toronto, Canada,
on October 30. (Tour details appear below.)

The Diocese and AGBU are sponsoring the Nork Children’s Center
performers to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian
alphabet. Co-chairing the organizing committee are Hrant Gulian (for
the Eastern Diocese) and Anita Anserian (for the AGBU), with officials
of the Canadian Diocese organizing the tour’s final leg through their
country.

The young performers are already well known in Armenia, where they
play to enthusiastic capacity crowds, and have won awards in European
festivals. This will be their first exposure to American audiences.

With a combined enrollment of 3,500 students, ages 7 to 19, and an
administrative staff of 300, the three Children’s Centers in Yerevan
provide a constructive, after-school environment for young Armenian
students to nurture their talents and broaden their knowledge in
courses unavailable to them at overcrowded public schools. With daily
instruction in music, art, crafts, dance, computers, language, history
and gymnastics, the centers have truly had a positive impact on a new
generation of Armenians. The centers are funded by AGBU and run by the
Holy See of Etchmiadzin.

The following performance dates and venues for the “Mosaic of Music,
Dance and Performance,” featuring the Nork Children’s Center
Performers, have been confirmed. See individual listings in the
Armenian press for further details. Please be aware that itineraries
are subject to change.

NEW YORK CITY–NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT: Sunday,
October 9–Town Hall, 3:00 p.m. For info/tickets
contact the Eastern Diocese, (212) 686-0710, or AGBU, (212) 319-6383.

RICHMOND, VA: Wednesday October 12–Short Pump
Middle School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact
St. James Armenian Church, Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan,
(804) 282-3818, [email protected].

WASHINGTON, DC: Friday, October 14–Rockville
High School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact
St. Mary Armenian Church, Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian,
(202) 363-1923, [email protected]; or Louisa
Baghdassarian, (301) 468-7669, [email protected].

CHICAGO, IL: Sunday, October 16–Regina Dominican
High School, 4:00 p.m. For tickets contact
(Search: MOSAIC) or
(800) 838-3006. For general info contact St.
James Armenian Church, (847) 864-6263.

RACINE, WI: Tuesday, October 19–St. Catherine’s
High School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact
St. Mesrob Armenian Church, Fr. Yeprem Kelegian,
(262) 639-0531; or Abraham Ouzounian, (262) 880-1277, [email protected].

BOSTON, MA: Friday, October 21–Watertown High
School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact St.
James Armenian Church, (617) 923-8860; or Holy
Trinity Armenian Church, (617) 354-0632; or Garo Salibian, (781) 439-2762.

MONTREAL, CANADA–TWO PERFORMANCES: Sunday,
October 23, 7:00 p.m., AND Monday, October 24,
8:00 p.m.–Salle Claude Champagne. For
info/tickets contact the Canadian Diocese, (514)
276-9479; or AGBU Montreal, (514) 748-2428.

TORONTO, CANADA: Sunday, October 30–time and
location to be announced. For info/tickets
contact AGBU Toronto, (416) 431-2428; or Salpi
Der Ghazarian, (416) 754-0218; or Lena Ouzounian, (416) 441-6763.

–9/6/05

E-mail picture available on request.

PHOTO CAPTION: More than 60 young artists from Armenia’s Nork
Children’s Center will present “A Mosaic of Music, Dance and
Performance,” touring eight North American cities from Oct. 9 through
30. The tour is being sponsored by the Eastern Diocese and AGBU, to
honor the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet. Confirmed
stops include New York, Richmond, Washington, Chicago, Racine, Boston,
Montreal, and Toronto.

# # #

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:

THE CATHOLICOSATE PARTICIPATES IN WCC DISCUSSIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING
DEVELOPMENT PLANS
Possibilities for establishing an international ecumenical organization
responsible for development programs were discussed during meetings held in
the regional bureau of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on September 1
and 2 in Beirut. The meetings were convened by WCC.

Participants included delegates from the region’s churches, WCC, the General
Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and from MECC’s
various units.

Dr. Nora Bairakdarain-Kabakian, chairwoman of the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s
ecumenical committee participated in the meetings on behalf of the
Catholicosate.

In light of the growing gap between the North and South countries, the plan
aims at creating an international ecumenical network that would
professionally implement development plans.

The participants reviewed the development programs already being implemented
in the region, the activities carried out by churches and MECC in this field
and discussed what needs to be done in the region.

The plan is still in the planning and consultation phase. It is expected
that the next General Assembly of WCC, to be held in February 2006 in
Brazil, will finalize the plan.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Aug 8 2005

PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV’S VISIT TO SOUTH REGION OF AZERBAIJAN
OPENING CEREMONY OF MONUMENT TO NATIONWIDE LEADER HEYDAR ALIYEV
[September 08, 2005, 17:23:18]

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has visited
the South Region of the country on Thursday, reported AzerTAj
correspondent.

First, the head of state and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva have arrived
in Lankaran city, where was welcomed by thousands of residents warmly.

At the center of Lankaran city took place an opening ceremony of
monument to the nationwide leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar
Aliyev. President Ilham Aliyev and members his family laid flowers
on the monument.

Addressing a ceremony President Ilham Aliyev has especially spoke of
the Armenia- Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement. The
President also told about the economic development in the country,
the achievements in the field of oil and gas and the social measures
undertaking by Azerbaijan’s government for improving a social
conditions of the population.

As regards the forthcoming parliamentary elections, President Ilham
Aliyev expressed his confidence that it will fair and democratic
as well.

ARMENIAN, LATVIAN DEFENCE MINISTERS SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Arminfo
7 Sep 05

Yerevan, 7 September: The Armenian and Latvian defence ministers, Serzh
Sarkisyan and Einars Repse, signed a military cooperation agreement
in Riga yesterday, the press service of the Armenian Defence Ministry
told Arminfo today.

Einars Repse said at the meeting that Latvia has doubled its attention
to the South Caucasus since it joined NATO and it is high time to
intensify military cooperation between Armenia and Latvia, the press
release said. Informing his opposite number about the pace of reforms
in Armenia’s defence sphere, Sarkisyan said that the Armenian armed
forces do not meet NATO and EU standards due to insufficient funding,
however, Armenia aims to achieve this.

He said that Armenia plans to completely reform its armed forces
by 2015, and therefore, Armenia is interested in cooperation with
Latvia as a country with great experience. The Armenian defence
minister expressed his wish to learn about the structure of the
Latvian Defence Ministry, its international experience and the sphere
of civil defence. The two defence ministers spoke out in favour of
intensifying political contacts between Armenia and Latvia in the
military sphere. Sarkisyan invited his counterpart to pay a return
visit to Armenia.

HER MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD IS BIG ON FLAVOR
By T. Susan Chang, Globe Correspondent | September 7, 2005

Boston Globe, MA
Sept 7 2005

Zov: Recipes and Memories From the Heart, By Zov Karamardian, Zov’s
Publishing, 262 pp., $35

Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Zov, of
Zov’s Bistro and the recently published “Zov: Recipes and Memories
>>From the Heart,” actually has a last name. She’s Zov Karamardian,
a chef from Orange County, Calif., who has built an institution around
affordable, accessible pan-Middle Eastern cuisine. But Zov likes to
keep things simple, on a first-name basis. Her recipes are the same,
with easy-to-find ingredients, big flavors, straightforward technique.

Karamardian, an Armenian born in Israel, is heir to the huge variety of
culinary styles that meet in the Caucasus region. Though her cooking
centers on flavors from Syria, Israel, Greece, and North Africa, she
is as likely to prepare a typical Mediterranean pasta salad as she is
the more eastern pilafs and grilled meats, with their seasonings of
sumac and Aleppo pepper. But classics like baba ghanouj, stuffed grape
leaves, tabbouleh, spanakopita, and moussaka also make appearances.

New England can match the natural abundance of the Fertile Crescent
(or southern California, for that matter) only in late summer. But when
our tomatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers are available in profusion
and the grill’s still up and running, these are the recipes you’re
looking for.

Moroccan salmon with charmoula sauce is thoroughly dredged in a bazaar
of spices; the charmoula’s liberal dose of diced tomatoes and cilantro
keeps the fish moist and bright-tasting. Rosemary-garlic chicken with
lemon gets marinated and grilled with its skin, for maximum flavor.

A massive quantity of thinly sliced onions, patiently cooked to gilded
brown shreds of sweetness, is the secret to her mujadara, or rice
pilaf with lentils and caramelized onions. Zov’s version uses a more
than generous dollop of sweet butter, which melds the flavors together
and gives depth to the onions. For vine-ripened roasted tomato-basil
soup, plum tomatoes get blasted in a 450-degree oven to concentrate
their flavor before joining a broth of aromatics and potatoes.

This is hot-weather food, so it’s no surprise that Zov’s desserts
turn toward cool, creamy comforts. Most are favorites, slightly
tailored. Jasmine rice pudding with fresh berries gets an elegant
scattering of sliced pistachios. Luscious lemon squares offer just
enough sweetness in their silken custard to get away with what would
otherwise be a withering, mouth-puckering tartness.

In other words, Zov doesn’t take any chances when it comes to flavor.

Why add just a teaspoon of lemon juice to the custard when you can
use two-thirds of a cup — and a handful of the grated rind while
you’re at it?

It’s not just the flavors that are big. You’ll need to break out your
largest pots for these recipes, none of which seem to be constructed to
serve fewer than six; eight to 10 is typical. These are party recipes,
meant to share with a big family or group of friends. A household of
only two would be dining on leftovers for a week.

“Zov” is a heavy, handsome book published outside traditional
channels. At $35, it doesn’t come cheap. Four-color photographs
fill every spread, large as life and sometimes larger. Those with a
taste for endless summer will find much to love in it; others will
thankfully browse its sunlit pages during the long season when sweet,
ripe tomatoes are just a memory.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HISTORY TO BE PRESENTED IN BRAZILIAN TOLERANCE MUSEUM

Pan Armenian News

05.09.2005 07:32

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The government of Brazil has passed a decision to
establish a Museum of Tolerance (Museo de Tolerancia) at the State
University of San Paolo with sections dedicated to grave crimes
against humanity, including the violence against Indians, Inquisition,
Holocaust and other genocides. As reported by the Armenian Foreign
Ministry, the $10-million-worth project will be completed in one and
a half year. The museum is likely to have a section on the Armenian
Genocide. In protest, Turkey’s ambassador to Brazil sent a letter to
the project director claiming the events that occurred during World
War I “were painful but cannot be characterized as genocide.” Armenian
Council General Ahsot Yeghiazarian, joined with Armenian Revolutionary
Federation’s South America Central Committee member Tigran Bokhchalian
and professors Hakob Keshishian and Yervand Tamjian, paid a visit
to the project director and handed a letter stating that despite the
Turkish government’s denial of the Genocide, it is proven by thousands
of documents. They also expressed hope that the section on the Armenian
Genocide will find its permanent place in the museum’s expositions.

Armenian Youth Federation-YOARF Eastern US
80 Bigelow Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel. (617) 923-1933
Fax (617) 924-1933

Press Release
For Immediate Release ~ September 1, 2005
Contact: Sossi Essajanian
(617) 923-1933
[email protected]

AYF Eastern Region Calls for End to Azeri Military Aggression Against Karabagh

Organization Leads Protest in Front of Azeri Embassy in Washington, D.C.

WATERTOWN, Mass.- On September 1, over 150 Armenian-Americans in front
of the Azerbaijan Embassy in Washington, D.C., to call attention to
ongoing threats by Azerbaijani government officials to use military
force to deny self-determination to the people of Karabagh. The
protest was organized by the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern
United States.

For over an hour, demonstrators marched, holding placards that read
“Self-Determination=Human Rights,” “No More Blood for Oil,” and “Aliev,
Stop Threatening War,” reminding the world that Azerbaijan’s government
killed thousands of Armenians in Sumgait and Baku, ethnically cleansing
thousands more from all over Azerbaijan.

Protesters-young and old, from Providence, Washington, D.C.,
Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto,
Chicago, Detroit, and Worcester-spoke out against Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliev’s threat to resume war against Karabagh.

The group chanted slogans such as, “No more blood for oil! Stop
threatening war!” and Sumgait 1988, never again!” while somber music
played in the background.

In his keynote address, AYF New Jersey chapter alumnus Ken Sarajian
said “I come today with three messages for you. I speak first to the
United States and friends of peace, second to the AYF to say that
I am proud of you. Third, to the Azerbaijanis sitting there in that
building; why do I stand here with a microphone and speak? So that
maybe they will listen. Why? Because when we speak in peace talks,
they do not listen. I speak now so that all can here. Democracy speaks
of self determination, not of we will not yield land.”

Sarajian said, “Some will ask, why don’t we negotiate? We are
willing to talk peacefully with anyone, but we are not willing to
give up rights.”

Other speakers at the protest included AYF Eastern Region chairman
Antranig Kzirian and Armenian National Committee (ANC) Eastern Region
executive director Doug Geogerian, who both spoke about Karabagh’s
right to self-determination and how Armenians should not stand for
Azerbaijan’s militantly aggressive threats.

Providence AYF member Garine Palandjian spoke about her experiences
this summer in Karabagh, while Sossi Essajanian from the Greater
Boston chapter read accounts from survivors and victims of the 1988
Sumgait and 1990 Baku massacres by Azeris.

“I have come here to help get the word out about the Karabagh conflict,
educate non-Armenians about the ongoing political tensions Armenia has
suffered not only with Azerbaijan, but in the 1915 Armenian genocide,”
said Detroit AYF member Teny Mishigian.

The event took place a day prior to the start 72nd annual AYF Eastern
Regional Olympics in Washington, D.C., where over 3,000 are expected
to arrive for the games.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) serves as the
youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (YOARF).

The AYF stands on five pillars that guide its activities: education,
political awareness, fellowship, athletics and culture. Moreover,
the AYF promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for the diversity of
ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation
are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work
together and realize its objectives.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Crowd1: For over an hour, demonstrators marched, holding placards that
read “Self-Determination=Human Rights,” “No More Blood for Oil,” and
“Aliev, Stop Threatening War”

AYFers with flag: Protesters from Boston held the Karabagh flag in
front of the Azerbaijan Embassy in Washington, D.C. during a protest
held by the AYF Eastern region

PARTIES READY FOR COOPERATION
By Karine Mangassarian

Yerkir/arm
August 26, 2005

At the August 22 meeting between secretary of ARF’s parliamentary
faction Hrayr Karapetian and secretary of the British International
Association of Business and Parliament (IABP) Frederick Hyde Chambers
the latter pointed out that the British society is concerned that
any cooperation between the business and the parliament is corrupt.

Chambers noted that this concern was the reason why the IABP was
created. A similar concern exists in Armenia and the cooperation effort
launched today attempts at mitigating this concern. Chairman of the
NGO for Protection of Consumers Rights Abgar Yeghoyan and coordinator
of IABP’s Armenian branch Karen Sargsian attended the meeting. The IAP
delegation headed by Chambers first visited Armenia in March this year.

As Chambers noted at the meeting, he came to Armenia upon the
invitation of the National Assembly Vice Speaker Vahan Hovhannissian
to assess the possibility of introducing the business and parliament
model in Armenia, a model that would benefit the economy, ensure fair
competition and eliminate the possibility of misuse of legislative
power. Chambers had a meeting with the National Assembly Speaker.

The latter assured that Armenia is open to support any initiatives
aimed at facilitating transparent relations between the National
Assembly deputies and the businessmen. A series of meetings were
held with representatives of various organizations supporting the
development of SME’s.

Meetings were held with representatives of the Union of SME’s and
the Union of Traders as well as several international organizations
implementing projects on empowerment of the parliament and development
of small and medium businesses. At Karapetian’s request, Chambers
presented the activities of IABP.

“Our goal is to achieve mutual understanding, trust between the
non-corrupted entities, enhancement of constructive approaches
and transparent relations between the parliamentarians and
the businessmen,” Chambers noted adding that for this purpose
representatives of various political parties and businesses united in
1977 determined to create mechanisms that would ensure transparency
of all processes within the economy.

“These activities were not the result of lobbying from any
specific business since all strata were represented there”, Chambers
said. Similar approaches were used in Finland, France, Belgium, Spain,
Holland, Sweden, USA, Canada and New Zealand. Chambers noted that
among the post-Soviet countries only Georgia had introduced this model.

IABP’s national models initially designed as educational resources
for the parliaments involve various projects for representatives of
all business sectors and all political parties represented in the
parliament. IABP offers opportunities for international exchange of
parliamentarians and businessmen participating in the IABP national
models.

Karapetian who is also heading the parliament group for protection
of the consumers’ rights noted with appreciation Chambers’ proposal
for cooperation pointing our that a number of large businesses are
represented in the Armenian parliament and the opinion that the
relations between the parliament and the businesses are corrupt is
relevant for Armenia as well.

“Cooperation within the National Assembly is important in terms
of protection of small and medium businesses as well as protection
of the consumers’ rights. We have discussed these issues with the
representative of OSCE in Armenia and with representatives of various
NGO’s.

There is no need to invent a new bicycle – we are ready to cooperate
with interested international organizations and study the international
experience since the problems are similar,” Karapetian said presenting
the activities of the parliament group for protection of consumers’
rights in the sphere of food safety. Chambers agreed that problems are
similar everywhere assuring that IABP is ready to implement practical
projects and provide consulting and expertise.

“It is important that the entire business sector is involved in this
cooperation initiative from the very start. We are ready to cooperate
on issues related to food security since this is directly connected
to our activities,” Chambers said noting that his impression from
the meetings with the Armenian parliamentarians and businesses has
been that the cooperation will be a success.

Answering our question whether he believes that it is possible to
eliminate the opinion prevailing in the society that the relations
between the business sector and the parliament are corrupt Chambers
noted, “In all the countries, irrespective of whether or not the
relations between the parliament and the business sector are corrupt,
the public opinion holds that there is corruption.

Our national models can help in both cases – when the public opinion
holds that there is corruption and when there really is corruption in
the relations between the parliament and the business sector. Our
goal is to facilitate non-corrupt relations so that the public
opinion changes”.