Category: News

ARMENIAN MPS WILL RETRAIN IN OSCE
A1 Plus | 15:17:03 | 01-06-2004 | Politics |
For the first time in Southern Caucasus OSCE Yerevan Office jointly
with OSCE PA are holding retraining courses for the members and
employees of Armenian, Azeri and Georgian Parliaments.
During presentation of program for retraining the expert staff
of Armenian Parliament OSCE Yerevan Office head Vladimir Pryakhin
informed the aim of the project is to manage the law-making process
in Armenia more efficiently and transparently.
Courses for the experts of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign
Relations, Committee on State and Legal Issues and Committee on
Defense, National Security and Home Affairs are envisaged within
retraining. The courses will be held as interactive seminars.
According to Pryakhin, OSCE experts will focus on reforms of Armenian
Electoral Code and Armenian Constitution.

PROBLEMS IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM PREVAIL
A1 Plus | 17:01:07 | 01-06-2004 | Social |
Armenian Health Care Ministry held a round table discussion in
connection with the International Day of Children Defense. In 2003
Armenian Government approved 2003-2015′ strategic Document on Mother
and Infant Health Protection.
Under forecast of the strategic program on poverty eradication during
2004-2015 budget allocations for health system will double and funding
for Mother and Infant Health Protection program will increase.
Statistics show infant mortality reduced. 540 children died in 2002,
and 524 in 2003. 3670 children were born during 2003.
There are unsettled problems in the health system. “Maternal and
infant mortality rate and abortion indices are still high”, Karine
Saribekyan, head of Health Ministry Department for Mother and Infant
Health Protection, says.
She hopes all the problems will be solved by 2015.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
“Orran” benevolent NGO
6 Yekmalian Street
Yerevan 375009, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 1) 58.31.60
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
May 28, 2004
ORRAN CHILDREN’S CENTER IN ARMENIA
Yerevan — On May 25, Orran officially opened the doors of its
newly-constructed center in the heart of the capital city’s downtown.
The four-floor building, which includes five classrooms, a library,
a computer room, a social activity area, a dental office, and a
well-appointed garden, will serve more than 65 vagrant children and
35 needy elderly.
Joining in the festivities were Constitutional Court Justice Vladimir
Hovhannisian, Minister of Social Welfare Aghvan Vardanian, and other
government officials; US Ambassador John Ordway, Italian Ambassador
Marco Clemente, German Ambassador Hans-Wulf Bartels, Greek Ambassador
Antonios Vlavianos, and other representatives of the diplomatic
corps; General Arkadiy Ter-Tadevosian and other leaders of public and
non-governmental organizations; and noted intellectuals, academicians,
and people of the arts.
The 300 guests were greeted by Orran founders Armine and Raffi
K. Hovannisian and by Orran board members Susan Klein, Arshavir
Kapoudjian, Aram Harutiunian, and Nick Gilmour. Orran benefactors
Krikor and Anna Krikorian of the United Kingdom were on hand for
the occasion.
The red ribbon, symbolizing the threshold of the new home, was cut by
the youngest and oldest members of the Orran family, Mariam Andrikian,
age 5, and Tsoghik Sevoyan, 86. After prayers offered by Father Shahe
Hairapetian and Father Dajad Davidian, the children performed together
with their good friend, star singer Arthur Ispirian. Krik Krikorian
thanked the many people who had made the grand opening possible,
recalling the living legacy of his own parents which he was fulfilling
on this day. The program concluded with a beautiful song rendition
and dance performance by the young children of Orran.
“We have come a long way from the day we were founded four years ago in
a small two-room apartment that accommodated 16 children. But thanks
to the wonderful friends of Orran–Gerard and Cleo Cafesjian, Carolyn
Mugar, Krikor and Anna Krikorian, the Hovannisian and Kotcholosian
families, and so many others–we were able to build this comfortable
haven for the children and the elderly. The new facilities will permit
us to provide better education and services for the children,” Armine
Hovannisian said.
Orran was founded in 2000 with the mission of assisting children
who have resorted to street life out of poverty, eliminating street
begging by children, helping families in spiritual crisis and economic
distress, and uplifting the lonely elderly.
For more information on Orran, visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected] Website;
CLERGY MEETING
OF THE CANADIAN ARMENIAN CHURCH DIOCESE
WAS HELD IN VANCOUVER
The conference of the clergy of the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian
Church was held on Friday May 28, in Saint Vartan Armenian Apostolic
Church of Vancouver, presided by His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian,
Primate.
Main items on the agenda were issues related to the mission of the
Church and discussion of activities of the past year. The invocation
was offered by the Primate, who conducted a ceremony of Church Rites,
Prayers and Readings of Psalms as well as hymns dedicated to the repose
of the soul of the first Primate of the Canadian Diocese Archbishop
Vazken Keshishian. Bishop Galstanian interpreted the message from
the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 17). Pointing its relevance to
our contemporary issues, His Eminence said that “the formation of a
community is the reflection of the Holy Trinity. The Church is involved
in that mission, by trying to change not just the shape of the world,
but to change its essence. The Church is against the world, but for
the world. Today, particularly on these shores, it is our sacred duty
to lead our children to spiritual life and to orthodox faith”.
The clergy conference then discussed in detail the spiritual and
re-organizational activities of the Primate during the past year of
his tenure. The conference highly commended the tireless efforts of the
Primate of creating the Department of Christian Education that actively
pursues its objectives, with a special attention on programs of Sunday
Schools and the training of teachers for Christian Education. This
year a special project has been embarked upon for children attending
Diocesan Summer Camp, including teaching of our Church History, Rites
and Hymns based on modern pedagogical principles. The conference
welcomed the initiative of the Primate of establishing the new
approach of Feast Days (visit our website ),
that has created a new enthusiasm in our faithful.
The Clergy Conference noted with pride the visits and meetings that
the Primate held with heads of sister churches of the Roman Catholic,
Anglican and Evangelical churches, as well as with Islamic religious
leaders, all of which will certainly have a positive impact on the
future course of the Diocesan activities. The Conference welcomed with
joy the arrival of Rev. Fr. Hayrig Hovhannessian, who has been called
to serve our Diocese upon the directive of His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The conference ended by prayers to Almighty God for the repose of
the souls of martyrs of the First Republic of Armenia, of the battles
of Sartarabad, Pashaparan and Gharakiliseh. Prayers were then raised
for the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and for the
health of His Holiness the Catholicos, as well as for the strengthening
of the Motherland, Armenia.
The Conference was closed by the Lord’s Prayer and by singing of the
hymn “Etchmiadzin I Hore”.
Divan of the Diocese
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected] Website;
THE 21ST DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY COMMENDED THE NEW INITIATIVES OF THE CANADIAN
DIOCESE
The 21st Assembly of the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Holy
Apostolic Church highly commended the successful programs initiated
during the past year within the Diocese.
This year has been of a special significance, because it marked
the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese. This
milestone became an impetus to the Primate, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat
Galstanian, who was elected Primate a year ago. In his own words,
the young Bishop said, “This was a year of changes, of challenges
for revitalization and reform within the Diocese with involvement
of the youth in a variety of projects and at different levels of
responsibility.”
One of the most successful of the new initiatives has been the
establishment of the Press Office of the Diocese in the last several
months. With limited personnel and resources, thanks to a group of
dedicated young volunteers led by Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant
to the Primate it has been possible to set up a mechanism of issuing
timely Press Releases and maintaining a state-of-the-art website
with almost daily updates of information related to the Diocese and
its activities.
Other initiatives have been the establishment of a summer camp and a
centralized Sunday School organization as investment in the future
of the Diocese, said the Primate in his first annual report, and
remarked that this year has been one of learning and reorganization.
The Assembly approved with commendations the reports of Canadian
Youth Mission to Armenia (CYMA) and of the Children’s Fund for Armenia
(CFFA).
The 21st Diocesan Assembly was convened in Vancouver, BC, on May 28-30,
2004, hosted by Saint Vartan Armenian Church, to help rejuvenate
this remote Parish. On this occasion the Assembly expressed its
filial faithfulness to His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians as His Pontifical Letter of Blessing was
read at the Assembly. Letters of congratulations and good wishes were
also sent by the Premier of British Columbia the Honorable Gordon
Campbell and by the Mayor of the city of Vancouver the Honorable
Larry Campbell. The Eastern Diocese of United States was represented
by Mr. John Amboyan, who conveyed to the Assembly the message of H.E
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese.
Chairman of the Diocesan Council Mr. Jack Stepanian submitted a
resolution to increase the number of the members of the Diocesan
Council considering the expansion of the activities of the
Diocese. Mr. Stepanian also talked about the new vision of the
Diocese and presented a plan for raising public support for the
Diocesan projects.
The three sessions of the Assembly were concluded by adoption of a
statement of gratitude and appreciation to the Catholicos of All
Armenians, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Premier of British
Columbia, the Mayor of the City of Vancouver, the Canadian Parliament
(for recognizing the Armenian Genocide), the Primate of the Diocese,
the Diocesan Council and the Organizing Committee of the Assembly.
Next year the Assembly will be held in St. Catherine, hosted by Saint
Gregory the Illuminator Parish, the first Armenian church established
in Canada 75 years ago.
Divan of the Diocese

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
May 31 2004
Georgia: Government Closes Border Checkpoint With Azerbaijan, Sends
Police Reinforcements To South Ossetia
By Jean-Christophe Peuch
The Georgian government in recent months has taken a series of
measures aimed at curbing the trafficking of goods from neighboring
Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has also ordered new checkpoints to be set
up to stop the inflow of contraband goods through the breakaway
Republic of South Ossetia. Tbilisi on 30 May decided to move a step
further in its fight against smugglers.
Prague, 31 May 2004 (RFE/RL) — Georgia has decided to temporarily
restrict border trade with Azerbaijan in a bid to curb illegal trade
with its southeastern neighbor.
New regulations were finalized yesterday by the National Security
Council.
They include closure of the so-called Red Bridge checkpoint, in the
southeastern Kvemo Kartli region, where four policemen were wounded
yesterday while trading fire with suspected smugglers.
Addressing reporters at a press briefing late yesterday, Georgian
security officials said illegal trade with Azerbaijan has presented
long-standing problems for the national economy. They said closure of
Red Bridge — which is the main checkpoint between the two countries
— should help law-enforcement forces restore control over all border
traffic.
The chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s committee for defense and
security affairs, Givi Targamadze, said that law-enforcement agencies
may be able to resolve the trafficking crisis within a few weeks,
hinting that similar operations may be conducted in the near future.
“I believe this problem could be solved within approximately one
month,” Targamadze said. “If there is a need to perform security
operations [such as the one conducted on 30 May], we should be given
the opportunity to do so. We must once and for all get free access to
Red Bridge and nearby [ethnic] Azerbaijani territories.”
Authorities in Tbilisi have noted a recent increase in illegal border
traffic through Kvemo Kartli, where most of Georgia’s ethnic
Azerbaijanis live. They say smugglers operating along the border have
created a criminal enclave that has become inaccessible to
law-enforcement agencies.”If smugglers want to fight us with bare
fists, we will respond in kind. But if they want to use their
weapons, we will respond with fire.” — Georgian Interior Minister
Baramidze
Georgia’s Deputy Security Minister Gigi Ugulava yesterday blamed
former Kvemo Kartli Governor Levan Mamaladze for making the region
open to illegal border trade with Azerbaijan.
Mamaladze was dismissed from his post after President Eduard
Shevardnadze resigned last November. Facing corruption charges, the
former Kvemo Kartli governor fled to Russia, where he is still
believed to be hiding.
Yesterday’s operation took place in the villages of Ponichala and
Karajala, which Georgian law-enforcement agencies claim have become
major regional smuggling hubs.
Early yesterday, some 200 special police forces raided Ponichala,
Karajala, and other nearby border villages, reportedly seizing
weapons, ammunition, explosives, drugs, jewelry, and other contraband
goods.
Georgian media report the dawn security sweep also resulted in the
arrest of an unspecified number of people.
Authorities in Tbilisi said suspected smugglers opened fire on
law-enforcement personnel, slightly wounding four of them.
Local residents in return complained about the strong-arm tactics,
saying police officers searched houses without proper warrants.
The new Georgian government, which has vowed to put an end to
corruption and other financial crimes, has recently taken steps to
restore control over border traffic with Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Soon after President Mikheil Saakashvili’s election last January,
security officials closed contraband paths leading from Armenia to
the border village of Sadakhlo, some 30 kilometers west of Red
Bridge.
Located close to the point where the borders of all three South
Caucasus countries meet, Sadakhlo has long been the site of a major
wholesale market.
Because of the unsolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, there are no
direct trade links between Azerbaijan and Armenia. But residents from
both countries come to Sadakhlo to trade goods, including products
manufactured in Turkey and Iran.
Armenian authorities have complained that Sadakhlo has become a major
contraband center and that the giant open-air market there should be
closed. But regional experts believe Sadakhlo’s closure would be an
unpopular move, since it is one of the main sources of goods for
ordinary people in the region.
International experts believe a substantial amount of Afghan-produced
narcotics meant for European markets transit through Sadakhlo and Red
Bridge.
Other major smuggling routes are believed to pass through Georgia’s
separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The Georgian Interior Ministry today said it has sent police
reinforcements into the South Ossetian area, which is formally under
the control of Russian peacekeepers.
Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze explained the move today in
comments to reporters. He said the Russian Army general in charge of
South Ossetia’s peacekeeping operations had ordered the dismantling
of Georgian police checkpoints established there only last month.
Nabzdorov has denied any plans to remove Georgian checkpoints, saying
such a decision can be made only after consultations with Tbilisi.
South Ossetia claims these checkpoints represent a threat to its
security and testify to Georgia’s eagerness to impose an economic
blockade on the region, which it hopes to reclaim as part of its
territory.
Meanwhile, Baramidze today warned that Georgia would not hesitate to
use force to defend its interests.
“We are not planning to attack anyone. We’re only fighting
smugglers,” Baramidze said. “If smugglers want to fight us with bare
fists, we will respond in kind. But if they want to use their
weapons, we will respond with fire. We are here to defend the
interests of the Georgian government.”
Also today, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said that the
decision to set up police checkpoints in the villages of Tkviavi,
Pkhvenisi, Nikozi, and Eredvi has helped cut off the main smuggling
route from Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia’s Northern Ossetia
republic.
Zhvania also said any attempt at preventing his government from
fighting illegal trade through South Ossetia would be “fruitless.”

Europe’s verbiage
Kavkaz Center, Turkey
May 31 2004
Former students of Communist party schools in the USSR used to tell
me how during classes teachers would make students polish the right
answers to provocative questions by «mudslingers and falsifiers of
the Soviet reality». Thus, this is the kind of answer that was
supposed to be given to the question «Why in the West there is a
multiparty system, but in USSR only one political party is allowed?»:
«In 1917 our people recognized the Communist Party as the only
people’s party and the vanguard that meets the expectations of the
Soviet people… etc». Then the teachers would offer to quote Lenin,
something like, «Doctrine of Marx is all-powerful because it is
true!»
There are less and less masters of speech of days bygone remaining.
But in Europe there is one man who is still a real master of verbal
lechery, even though he did not graduate from a Soviet party school.
His name is Alvaro Gil-Robles and he works as «Council of Europe’s
Commissioner for Human Rights».
The times are gone, when Chechen refugees would apply their ears to
radios and tell each other the news about another session, meeting,
assembly or conference of international officials, who are allegedly
concerned about violations of human rights in Chechnya.
Alvaro Gil-Robles has been an old participant in all these European
get-togethers. This character with habits of an Armenian shoemaker
from the shop that used to be located between a rifle-range and the
main building of Chechen-Ingushetian State University in prewar
Grozny (now Jokhar, capital of Chechnya) has been playing the role of
a good cop all of this time.
The picture cleared up after his first visits to Russia, when he
preferred to be receiving the reports about things happening in
Chechnya not at the scene of the events, but from the mouth of
Sultygov or Rogozin instead. So, his next visit to Moscow would have
remained unnoticed by those who really need their rights defended,
had it not been for the enthusiasm of Russian foreign minister
Lavrov, who said after the meeting with the EU commissioner:
«We are stating that the Chechen subject is gradually being removed
from the European agenda».
This really is the news, but only for those who have still been
thinking that the Chechen subject was on the European agenda in the
first place. Sure, it was there… just to make it look nice. Civilized
Europe, you know. It requires a status. But this subject is standing
still, just like it has been. And no one is going to get it moving…
so far.
But the European commissioner is still called the «Human Rights
Commissioner», and the status implies being civilized, and this is
why he could not share Russian minister’s optimism so readily. So, in
response he came up with something like an objection to such
optimism, worthy of a graduate of Higher School of Communist Party of
the Soviet Union”:
«PACE members may have legitimate concerns about the situation with
human rights in Chechnya».
Sure, it would be inadmissible for the Russian side to deprive PACE
members of the right to have ‘legitimate concerns’ about the
situation in Chechnya. So, that’s what Russia was encroaching on.
Chechens were naive enough to wait that the four years of concern
would sometime develop into some semblance of an outrage over the
slaughter of 250 thousand European people, — there was nothing more
to be counting on. But it all turned out to be much more complicated,
and Europe has been fighting with Russia all of this time just for
the right to have a ‘legitimate concern’ (!).
Only Doctors Without Borders (MSF) can compete with Robles by the
degree of hypocrisy. Not too long ago they mentioned some pragmatism
(!), because of which they would not press charges against the
Russian side for kidnapping their employee, while they had all direct
evidence on hand. But at the same time they cut the assistance to
Chechen refugees and demanded that the FSB releases their colleague.
All right, let’s leave these shows for theatrical critics to delve
in.
Today you have to be a complete idiot to believe in the fairytale
about evil Putin and good Europeans who cannot find the way to deal
with him. Putin is a puppet, who will not take a single step without
a permission from puppeteers. Only for mentioning the Chechen subject
(anything more is out of the question), Russia is conceding, losing
and has already lost so many positions that even an army outnumbering
the Chechen Army hundreds of times could not have been able to seize
from it.
Even if Putin defeated the Chechens in the war, which Moscow is still
paying the price for, it would still have been a plain defeat for
Moscow. But Putin is not getting even that kind of victory on a tiny
piece of Chechen land. After paying such a high price and after
getting a license for genocide from Europe, Putin is still going mad
from being unable to make his plans come true. And this is exactly
why his face changes like he was just taken out of an outhouse, when
Chechnya is being mentioned.
This is what Russian writer Lev Gunin wrote about the problem of
nations under genocide:
«This is the way this world was made: so that the criticism of one
monster stained with blood of innocent victims reaches the people,
you have to appeal to a similar monster, who would be happy to
overthrow the first one».
But for the Chechen nation or for any other Muslim nation there is no
UN with its human rights activists, or even some kind of a monster,
whom Chechens could ask for help if they wanted to. The difference
between the situation described by Gunin and today’s realities is
that the very process of globalization promotes mergers of all sorts
of monsters into one monster.
The best way out of this situation is not to be counting on any
protectors, however strong they would seem in this world. The best
protection for the Muslims is the protection from the Most High. Only
complete assurance in this protection and accordingly, perseverance
in compliance with His orders gives Muslims the power to resist, and
it gives them the spirit, the courage and the faith in victory.
Aset Ismailova,
for Kavkaz-Center

LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFENDERS TO SERVE TERMS IN RENOVATED PRISON
ArmenPress
May 31 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: Some 60 former employees of
law-enforcement bodies, serving prison terms for various offences
will move in July into a new correction facility, complying with
international standards.
The Vardashen prison located in Yerevan outskirts that will take
in the convicts is being now reconstructed as part of a program of
Armenian judiciary system reformation. The major repair, started in
2003 September is expected to be over in July 2004.
Varuzhan Melkonian, head of a justice ministry department, supervising
prison facilities, told Armenpress that the Vardashen prison is
going to be the first one in its kind correction facility in Armenia,
meeting all international requirements.
He said the facility will be of so-called “half–open” type meaning
that prison cells will have wooden doors instead of iron ones and
will be shut only for the night. It will also have a gymnasium and
will be furnished with new furniture. The new prison is expected to
accommodate some 150 inmates.

DEFENSE MINISTRY TO HAVE OWN THINK TANK
ArmenPress
May 31 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: The official start to the construction
of the National Institute for Strategic Researches, affiliated with
Armenian defense ministry, was held today. The new establishment will
carry the name of Drastamat Kanayan, a prominent Armenian military
leader.
Addressing the present, defense minister Serzh Sarkisian said the
idea to build such an establishment ripened after Kanayan’s relatives,
living in the USA, arrived in Armenia to propose to build the institute
on funds they were going to raise.
Sarkisian said the idea was welcomed, “as being located in a
complicated geo-political environment Armenia did not have for
centuries opportunities to conduct national policy and build supporting
establishments.” He said having in mind Armenia’s ongoing integration
with international organizations, its boosting relations with Russia
and the USA, the need of such an establishment is growing day by day.
According to the defense minister, the primary goal of the new
institute will be to provide divisions of the national security
council, in the first place the defense ministry, with qualified
consulting, conducting of special researches and training of
personnel. A total of $600,000 were raised to build the new think-tank.

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE OFFICER ARRIVES IN ARMENIA
ArmenPress
May 31 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik Margarian
received today, Paul Applegarth, a senior US official, who heads the
executive committee for supervising the Millennium Challenges Account
(MCA) program of $1 billion this year as part of a new U.S. policy
to help some countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the former
Soviet Union to continue their political and economic reforms. The
MCA was unveiled by President George W. Bush in 2002. Armenia is among
16 developing countries selected by the United States to benefit from
the program.
Only two former Soviet republics, Armenia and neighboring Georgia,
were picked by the board administering the MCA. The other chosen states
are Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique,
Senegal, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu, Bolivia, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Applegarth will also mee with President Kocharian, government
officials, and with representatives of other sectors of Armenian
society, including the media, NGOs, and the business sector. Their
visit has a two-fold purpose: to acquaint themselves with the current
situation in Armenia, and to inform the various sectors in Armenia
about the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). Paul Applegarth, MCC CEO,
says that although the government of an MCC-eligible country will
eventually be responsible for submitting a project proposal for an
MCA compact to the MCC, the proposal will also be evaluated for its
“inclusiveness,” among other criteria. “Inclusiveness” in this case
means that the proposal is the result of wide discussions among the
sectors of society, leading to consensus on the top priorities for
promoting development in a country.
According to some reports, the Armenian government will request $40
million for the current U.S. fiscal year which ends on September 30,
to spend the money on improving education standards, healthcare and
water supplies.