Category: News

ARMENIAN LEADER DISCUSSES FOREIGN POLICY WITH DIPLOMATS
Arminfo
4 May 04
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today received the participants in
another forum of the leadership of the central staff and heads of
Armenia’s diplomatic and consular representative offices accredited
abroad.
The press service of the Armenian head of state told Arminfo news
agency that during the meeting, the Armenian president welcomed the
idea of holding the forum and pointed out that such meetings are a
good opportunity to discuss the state’s foreign policy approaches with
the aim of enriching the base of arguments and applying them in an
effective, selective and purposeful way.
Kocharyan touched on issues that concern a peaceful solution to the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, national security and Armenia’s relations
with the diaspora. Drawing the ambassadors’ attention to the economic
sphere, he noted the importance of stepping up the investment
policy. During the meeting the president also presented the internal
political situation in the republic.
In turn, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan pointed out that
the plenary session also discussed foreign policy issues and regional
processes that affect Armenia, dictating changes to some aspects of
foreign policy. The results of the discussions in working groups were
presented as well.

ARMENIAN MINISTER DECLINES TO COMMENT ON AZERI COUNTERPART’S REMARKS ON TALKS
Arminfo
4 May 04
YEREVAN
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has refused to comment on
the statement of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov that
Armenia and Azerbaijan “are discussing the issue of returning
territories”.
“I don’t want to comment on these statements,” Oskanyan said today,
answering journalists’ questions within the framework of the meeting
of the group on information affairs. He added that the meeting between
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Robert Kocharyan and Ilham
Aliyev, was successful enough and such meetings will be
continued. This meeting gives us the right to hope that common contact
points will be found during the negotiations, the Armenian foreign
minister added.

Armenian opposition sets deadline for meeting European demands
Arminfo
4 May 04

YEREVAN
The Armenian opposition has given the authorities a 10-day break to
meet the demands stated in the resolution of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE].
The chairman of the Antrapetutyun party, Albert Bazeyan, said during
the opposition demonstration in Yerevan today [4 May] that the next
rally would be held on 14 May. Prior to that the authorities of the
country are to start fulfilling the demands stated in the PACE
resolution. The opposition demands that the authorities start with
releasing arrested opposition activists.
The decision has been made not to conduct any demonstrations for 10
days. The main demand of the opposition concerning the resignation of
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan remains unchanged. During these 10
days the authorities have to show that they intend to fulfil the
demands put forward by the opposition and confirmed by PACE, he said.

ARMENIA SET TO BENEFIT FROM WORLD BANK LOANS
Mediamax news agency
5 May 04
YEREVAN
Three new credit programs approved for Armenia by the World Bank board
of directors will be realized in four to five years, the head of the
World Bank’s office in Yerevan, Roger Robinson, said today. He said
that the World Bank’s board of directors made a decision to allocate
three credits to Armenia to the overall amount of 35m dollars, 23m of
which will be used for the municipal water and wastewater project;
10.15m dollars for the public sector modernization project and 1.75m
dollars for the agricultural reform support project.

Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
May 5, 2004
Contact: Ardashes Kassakhian
Telephone: 818.500.1918
ANC PRAISES REPUBLICANS ADVANCING GENOCIDE REAFFIRMATION IN CONGRESS AND
ACROSS THE NATION
GOP Elected Officials Spearhead Efforts For Genocide Acknowledgment In
Congress and Western United States
Los Angeles, CA – The largest Armenian-American grassroots public
affairs organization in the Western United States issued a statement
today praisinga number of Republican legislators in the U.S. Congress.
The statement issued by the Armenian National Committee of America –
Western Region praisedGOP members of Congress for their outstanding
support on issues of concern to tens of thousands of Armenian American
voters throughout California, Nevada and other western states.
The statement went on to praise Republican Governors in the states of
Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska for joining the growing list of states
that have officially acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. April 2004
marked a month when a record number of Governors issued proclamations
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and April 24th as a Day of
Remembrance. The list includes Republican Governors Dirk Kempthorne
of Idaho, Judy Martz of Montana, and Mike Johannsof Nebraska.
In addition to praising these states for their acknowledgement of the
Genocide, the ANCA-WR praised Republican Governor of California,
Arnold Schwarzenegger for designating April 24th in the State of
California, as a Day of Remembrance for the Genocide. Republican
State Senator Chuck Poochigian presented the proclamation to the
Armenian-American community at the ANCA-WR organized April 24
Commemoration in Montebello, California.
`We appreciate the work of our Republican friends, particularly
theGovernors and members of Congress who supported the ANC’s
initiatives to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and urge
Congress to pass resolutions acknowledging this crime against
humanity,’ stated ANCA-WR Government Relations Director Armen
Carapetian.
Last week the Nevada ANC honored Senator John Ensign (R-NV) as the
â=80=9CANC Man of the Year’ for his staunch support of Armenian
American issues. Senator Ensign introduced Senate Resolution 164,
which reaffirms America’s commitment to preventing genocides and
punishing perpetrators of genocide. The legislation also clearly
recognizes the mass murder of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as a case of
genocide. Currently the bill has the support of over 39 Senators,
including 9 Republican Senators.
Several months ago, the Orange County ANC honored Congressman Ed Royce
(R-Fullerton) with the local chapter’s Freedom Award. Rep. Royce
serves on the influential International Relations Committee and has
had a long track record of support of issues that are of concern to
his Armenian-American constituency. During his remarks at the ANCA
Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide Observance last week, Rep. Royce
renewed his pledge to fight for official acknowledgment ofthe Armenian
Genocide.
The ANCA-WR honored Republican Congressman George Radanovich
(R-Fresno) as its `Man of the Year’ several months ago at its largest
event of the year. Radanovich is the principal author and sponsor of
H.R. 193, which acknowledges the Armenian Genocide. That legislation,
which was passed unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee on May
21, 2003 is awaiting a vote on the House Floor.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughoutthe United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
#####

The Russia Journal
May 06, 2004, 10:16 (Moscow time)
At USD 400 an ounce, Armenia dispenses with its gold reserve
WORLD/CIS » :: May 05, 2004 Posted: 18:49 Moscow time (14:49 GMT)
YEREVAN – Armenia has sold its gold reserve, and the Armenian Central Bank
no longer will accumulate gold, Tigran Sarkisian, the bank chief, announced
at a press conference here. Sarkisian said the nation’s gold reserve of 1.4
tonnes was sold when gold prices reached USD 400 an ounce. The resulting
profit, he said, was USD 5.5 million.
‘Gold is considered a means of accumulating wealth. At the same time,
holding gold offers very little profit,’ Sarkisian said. He also explained
the drop in the value of the US dollar with respect to the Armenian drachma
as a result of a sharp rise in Armenia’s gross national product and a
consequent increase in demand for drachmas. He also noted last year’s sharp
rise in transfers from abroad to a total of approximately USD 450 million.
The dollar has fallen 5.3% against the drachma in the past 12 months.
/Rosbalt/

NKR FM Accuses Azerbaijan of Lack of Interest to Solve Karabakh
Arminfo
4 May 04
YEREVAN
Azerbaijan is trying to explain its own lack of interest in the
speediest resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict by the activity
of the OSCE Minsk Group, the foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic, Ashot Gulyan, told journalists today when speaking about
Azerbaijan’s negative attitude towards the organization’s work.
However, Gulyan said that the mediators’ attitude towards the
settlement had changed long ago and their position is that the sides
should find a settlement themselves, while the mediators should focus
on facilitating such a settlement.
The Karabakh minister did not rule out that the replacement of the US
cochairman of the Minsk Group could contribute to speeding up the
process of settlement. However, he said this change was only a part of
the principle of rotation within the Minsk Group.
(Passage omitted: known details)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia Tree Project
Yerevan 375025, Aygestan 9th Str., #6
Tel./Fax (374 1) 569910
Internet:
E-mail: [email protected]
Press Release
06.05.2004
Armenia Tree Project Finalizes the Results of `Trees for Life’ Sister Art
Contests in Armenia and America
April 29, Yerevan – In celebration of its 10th Anniversary, the Armenia Tree
Project (ATP) announced the winners of an art contest , entitled `Trees for
Life’, held at 6 schools in Yerevan and Gumri. The art contest was conducted
at the same time in 6 American schools in Boston, Massachusetts. Eighteen
winning posters (3 from each Armenian school) will travel to Boston from
Armenia to be exhibited with the winning American posters during the
celebrations of ATP’s 10th Anniversary in June.
The aim of the Contest is to raise the level of awareness on environmental
issues among younger schoolchildren – the upcoming generation that will play
a crucial role in preserving forests in Armenia. All participants are in
grades 5-7. To inaugurate the contest the ATP staff provided environmental
education materials to the teachers and conducted environmental awareness
classes with the Armenian children. The schoolchildren grasped the problem
of deforestation surprisingly well, and the quality of posters through which
they expressed their ideas and suggestions was high. In addition to having
their posters exhibited in America, the winners will be presented with
special certificates and prizes.
For further information, please contact Karen Sarkavagyan at the Armenia
Tree Project, phone numbers 569910 and 553069, E-mail [email protected]
The Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 during Armenia’s darkest and
coldest years with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by protecting
Armenia’s environment. Funded by contributions from Diasporan Armenians, ATP
has planted and rejuvenated over 500,000 trees at more than 450 sites
ranging from Gumri to Goris.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
May 4 2003
Thousands Protest Against Armenian President
4 May 2004 — Around 6,000 people today demonstrated in Armenia’s
capital Yerevan calling for President Robert Kocharian to resign.
Protesters also called for the government to implement
recommendations made by the Council of Europe last week that urged
Armenian authorities to allow peaceful protests, create fair
conditions for the media, and to investigate claims of rights abuses.
Armenia’s opposition accuses Kocharian of rigging last year’s
presidential election and has been staging regular protests calling
for his removal from office.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Canadian Press
May 4 2004
Canada elected to UN watchdog
UNITED NATIONS (CP) – Canada was one of 14 new members elected to the
United Nations human-rights watchdog for a two-year term beginning in
2005, Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham announced Tuesday.
Canada was one of four countries vying for the three seats available
in the western nations division. Finland and France were also
successful, defeating Spain in the vote for representation on the
world body’s 53-member Commission on Human Rights.
“The promotion and protection of human rights is a fundamental part
of Canadian foreign and domestic policies,” Graham said Tuesday in a
release after the election at the Economic and Social Council of the
UN in New York.
“The commission remains the pre-eminent intergovernmental body
charged with promoting these rights, and we know that its
effectiveness must be improved in order for it to fulfil its intended
function. Our election to the commission will allow us to maintain
our prominent role in advancing international human-rights issues.”
Canada has been a member of the commission for 24 of the last 28
years. Although not a member for the current term, Canada was
involved in negotiations on all substantive matters and co-sponsored
more than 30 resolutions, Graham said.
Canada also led on several resolutions, including texts on freedom of
expression, aboriginal issues, violence against women and impunity.
During Tuesday’s vote for the African candidates, the United States
walked out of the Economic and Social Council chamber to protest the
council’s decision minutes later to give Sudan a third term on the
commission.
U.S. Ambassador Sichan Siv called the vote an “absurdity” and accused
Sudan of massive human-rights violations and “ethnic cleansing” in
the western Darfur region before walking out.
As he was leaving, Sudan’s deputy UN ambassador, Omar Bashir Manis,
launched into a heated response, accusing American forces of engaging
in degrading treatment of Iraqi prisoners and committing “atrocities”
against innocent Iraqi civilians.
But the United States’ seat in the chamber was empty, and no American
diplomat was there to hear it.
Finland’s UN Ambassador Marjatta Rasi, the president of the 53-nation
Economic and Social Council, then noted that the slate of candidates
from Africa was uncontested, and it was approved by consensus as she
banged her gavel.
Under UN rules, regional groups decide which countries are nominated
to fill seats on UN bodies.
The African group waited until late last week to present its list of
candidates for four seats. It presented four names, guaranteeing
election for Kenya, Sudan, Guinea and Togo.
The United States scrambled to get another African nation to apply in
an effort to make it a contested race and unseat Sudan. But with so
little time it was unsuccessful, UN diplomats said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
Siv, the U.S. ambassador to the economic council, said the United
States was “perplexed and dismayed” by the African group’s decision
to nominate Sudan, a country that he said “massacres its own African
citizens.”
He noted that at last month’s Human Rights Commission meeting in
Geneva, members expressed concern about Darfur even though they
blocked a stronger U.S. resolution that would have condemned the
Khartoum government.
Manis countered that Sudan has acknowledged the humanitarian problem
in Darfur, noting the government’s call for international help and
the recent visit by two UN teams.
“It is yet very ironic that the United States delegation, while
shedding crocodile tears over the situation in Darfur . . . is
turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the American
forces against the innocent civilian population in Iraq, including
women and children,” he said.
In the vote for other seats, Armenia and Romania representing Eastern
Europe and Ecuador and Mexico representing Latin America also faced
no opposition.
In the other contested race, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea
defeated Vietnam for the Asian division.
Last year, the United States also walked out to protest Cuba’s
re-election to the Human Rights Commission, which it called “an
outrage.” Russia, Saudi Arabia and several African countries with
poor human-rights records also won seats, and Libya chaired the
commission in 2003.