Category: News

ARMENIA FIRM IN KARABAKH ISSUE
YEREVAN, APRIL 15. ARMINFO. The Armenian authorities are strong and
unchangeable in the Karabakh problem, Armenia’s DM Serzh Sargsyan says
in an interview with Golos Armenii. Asked if domestic political
tension can negatively affect foreign policy objectives of the
country, in particular the diplomatic settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, Sargsyan says: “It is clear that there is no benefit of this
situation. During any talks our positions will be stronger if there
are not such kind of situations. It is no secret that solidity of any
country especially of a country that is in “neither war nor peace”
state, solidity of any army mostly depends on solidity of its rear.”
There three known principles about impossibility of subordination of
Artsakh Karabakh
to Azerbaijan, about impossibility of an enclave existence of Artsakh
and security guarantees. We have neither desire nor potential to give
up something more and we shall to stand up for our position. It is
also known that today the negotiation process has become slower by an
initiative of Azerbaijan.
Commenting on the statement of Azerbaijan’s new foreign minister
Sargsyan says that such kind of statements are first of all directed
to local usage, as it is known that the Azerbaijani like to boast not
only of this. Sometimes they liberate some villages, sometimes
something else. No serious leader of a secret service of a serious
country will not say openly that his secret service is acting in
another country. Such kind of boyishness is not fitting to a leader of
secret service.

INTERNAL POLITICAL CRISIS IN ARMENIA PROVOKED BY SUPER POWERS
YEREVAN, APRIL 15. ARMINFO. The leader of the Armenian Aryan party Armen
Avetissyan says that Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan will have to
answer before the international court for its tough actions against
the Apr 13 opposition rally. Avetissyan is convinced that a video
recording of the incident filed by the US embassy cameras is already
on Kocharyan’s table and he has already been told to answer for what
he did. But even if he makes certain concessions they will be of
territorial rather than economic or moral nature. “The blood of
Armenians was shed according to the scenario of super powers. They
seek to pressure the president into retreating in the Karabakh issue.”

ARMENIA AND ARMENIAN ARMY GUARANTOR OF SECURITY KARABAKH PEOPLE
YEREVAN, APRIL 15. ARMINFO. Armenia and in particular our army is a
guarantor of Nagornyy Karabakh people’s security, nobody has and must
not have illusions in this, Armenia’s DM Serzh Sargsyan says in an
interview to Golos Armenii asked if Armenia’s Defence Ministry is
going to re-consider its military doctrine and in case of resumption
of combat actions to transfer the NKR army to direct subordination of
the Armenian armed forces. We have a military doctrine. It is a part
of the whole security system. May be we need one general document, the
composing part of which will be our military doctrine. But as a rule
such tactical problems are not touched on in the military doctrines.
A doctrine changes – does not change, there is a doctrine – there is
no doctrine. Armenia is a security guarantor of Nagornyy Karabakh.

Armenian Relief Society, Inc.
Armenian Relief Society, Inc. Phone: 617-926-589
Central Office Fax: 617-926-4855
80 Bigelow Avenue E-mail: [email protected]
Watertown, MA 02472 Contact Person: Hamesd Beugekian
P r e s s R e l e a s e
The International Board of Directors of the Armenian Relief Society,
Inc. (ARS) is pleased to announce that the results of “The HIV
Education and Assessment Project in Armenia” have been accepted for
poster presentation at the 15th International AIDS Conference in
Bangkok, Thailand from July 11-16, 2004.
The HIV Education and Assessment Project was conducted by the ARS, in
collaboration with the University of Massachusetts, Worcester at the
ARS Mother-Child Clinic in Akhourian, Armenia. This needs assessment,
completed in September 2002, was sponsored by the ARS, and focused on
identifying major health issues, HIV knowledge, HIV education
strategies that would work, and barriers to HIV prevention education.
A subsequent collaborative effort with the University of
Massachusetts, “The HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention Project,” funded
by a grant from the World AIDS Foundation, emerged directly from the
results of this needs assessment.
Authors include Dr. Carol Bova, Assistant Professor of Nursing and
Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; Dr. Sevak
Avagyan, Director of the ARS Mother-Child Clinic; Carol Jaffarian,
Nurse Manager/Nurse Practitioner of the HIV Clinic at U Mass Memorial
Healthcare, and member ofthe ARS; Dr. Mkhitar Mkhitaryan, Executive
Director of the ARS Mother-Child Clinic; and Dr. Ann Williams,
Professor of Nursing at the Yale University School of Nursing.
Built in the region of Armenia devastated by the 1988 earthquake, the
ARS Mother-Child Clinic, the first licensed and registered
privately-owned medical facility in Armenia, became operational in May
1997. Providing the 22,000 strong population of Akhourian and six
adjacent villages with free medical care and treatment, more than
40,000 women and children have received care at the Clinic since its
inception; and more than 450 children have been born to mothers
followed in this clinic. In September 2003, the ARS celebrated the
ground-breaking of a Birthing Center at the Clinic.
Founded in 1910 as an independent, non-sectarian, non-governmental
organization (NGO), serving the humanitarian, social, and educational
needsof Armenians, the ARS has affiliate entities in 24 countries and
a membership of approximately 18,000. An NGO on the roster in
consultative status with theEconomic and Social Council of the United
Nations, the ARS is a 501© (3) charitable, tax-exempt organization.

U.S.: Border Crossing Lax for Students
Customs officials lack access to vital information system
The State News (Michigan State University)
MSU’s Independent Voice
Friday, April 16, 2004
By Emily Bingham ([email protected] )
Customs officers are not checking the federal Internet database of
information about international students as often as they should,
government officials said Wednesday.
According to a report released by The Chronicle of Higher Education,
officials have confirmed that the initial customs officers who check
foreign students at border crossings, seaports and airports do not have
direct access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or
SEVIS.
In the report, SEVIS director Jill Drury said a secondary line of
customs officers have access to the database, but they only review new
students and those whose information raises suspicion.
In 2001, the USA Patriot Act set aside more than $36 million for SEVIS
and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to collect and manage
information about international students. The computerized, Web-based
system replaced a manual, paper-driven method of maintaining this
information, which includes addresses, biographical data, areas of study
and social security numbers. The system was implemented in January 2003
after it was determined that one of the hijackers from the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks entered the country on a student visa.
Some university and college officials nationwide are alarmed at the lack
of SEVIS utilization, because many schools spent time and money
providing information for the system.
“We had heard that some ports of entry didn’t have access to it,” said
Rosemary Max, assistant director for MSU’s Office of International
Students and Scholars. “But we hadn’t heard anything that was as
comprehensive as this.”
Max said that while she wasn’t too worried about time spent supplying
information, she was somewhat concerned about the safety implications of
not using the database.
“It’s a little bit anti-logical, because they put the system in to make
us more secure, supposedly,” she said. “If they’re not able to get the
real-time information they need when that person enters, then I don’t
see what the point is.”
Drury said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hadn’t reached its
goal of allowing SEVIS access for the first line of customs officers,
and added that she did not know how long it would be until the system
was completely implemented.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security could not be reached
Thursday.
At MSU, some international students said their experiences with SEVIS
have led them to question the system’s usefulness.
Grigor Sargsyan, an economics graduate student, came to campus from
Armenia one year before SEVIS was put into place. Once the system was
implemented, Sargsyan said he had to give the government as much
information as possible, which caused him to worry about his return to
MSU after visiting home for the summer.
“I was really afraid I would have problems,” he said. “What was really
to my surprise was that I didn’t have any problems at all.
“It seemed like they didn’t even use that information.”
Sargsyan said he was surprised when the customs officer at the border
only asked him one question, causing him to wonder whether the “hassle”
of filling out SEVIS documents was really helping homeland security.
“I’m from the economics department, and I look at this from the point of
view of cost and benefit,” he said. “The government spent a huge amount
of money for this and I’m not even sure they’re going to use it for its
purpose.
“The benefit will be less than the cost, definitely.”

ENERGY SAFETY DISCUSSED
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: A presidential nuclear power
safetycouncil held its regular meeting today in Yerevan. The council
is an advisory body affiliated with the Armenian president. It is
composed of eminent experts in the field. Established by a 1996 decree
of Armenian president its aim is to ensure safe operation of Armenian
nuclear power plant.
During the meeting, the president underlined the key importance
ofsafe energy for all economic projects, Armenian president press
services reported. He therefore attached importance to new, systemic
approaches in energy reform.
Kocharian noted that a series of programs have already been carried
out with the assistance of IAEA to raise the plant’s safety. “We are
sure that a real energy safety can be attained through many-sided
cooperation in the field and we are thankful for your effective
assistance,” the president said, addressing the chairman of nuclear
power safety council, the head of GermanNuclear Safety Institute Adolf
Berkhoffer, who in turn expressed his satisfaction with the current
level of the plant’s work . He noted that the Armenian nuclear power
plant worked smoothly last year without any incidents reported, an
indication of stable technical safety system.

ARMENIA TO JOIN INTERNATIONAL ANTI-SMOKE CONVENTION
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: About 1 million 200,000 people die
of smoking in Europe annually. Doctors project this number to reach 2
million by 2020. Mortality rate from cigarettes makes up 14 percent
of total deaths. According to official statistics, 67 percent of men
and 3.1 percent of women smoke in Armenia. Specialists say cigarettes
cause 30 percent of cancer and 20 percent of heart diseases.
Members of World Health Organization which comprise 192 countries
have developed International Anti-Smoke Exchange Convention. Some 102
countries have already signed it. The convention aims to fight smoking
disease. Armenia also intends to join the convention. Armenian Health
ministry discussed the details during a round table yesterday. The
convention will be signed on June 29, 2004 at UN office.
It envisages certain legal and administrative responsibilities,
such as prohibition of promotion of cigarettes, sale of cigarettes to
teenagers. Currently both the foreign ministry and the health
ministry have positive attitudes to the convention but it is being
discussed with other agencies as well. The convention also proposes
control mechanisms. Every 2 year the implementation of convention
requirements are conferred.

NAIRIT PLANT HAS NEW OWNER
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: All shares of one of the biggest
inEurope synthetic rubber manufacturing Nairit plant in Yerevan went
to an international Volgaburmash holding with mainly Russian
capital. The relevant agreement was signed today at the Armenian
Central bank by Volgaburmash’s representative in the Central bank,
Mikhail Zavertyaev and the acting head of Armenian Haykap bank, which
took hold of the plant’s shares in 2003 April after an Indian Ransat,
the former owner of the plant, failed to meet its commitments. The
deal is expected to be finalized in 3-4 days.
Armenian trade and economic development Karen Chshmaritian said the
holding has “a promising” past record of successful operation. He
added that the holding that was granted the trust management of the
plant last year has already invested $3.5 million to pay back wages
and accumulated utility debts.
The minister said under the takeover contract the holding is to
make big investments to replace the outdated equipment. Zavertyaev
said part of investments will be directed to increasing the output and
reach gradually the projected capacities.

OSCE MINSK GROUP ON NAGORNY KARABAKH RESUMES WORK
BAKU/YEREVAN, April 16 (RIA Novosti) – Elmar Mamedyarov, Azerbaijan’s
foreign minister, and Vardan Oskanyan, Armenia’s foreign minister,
well meet within the framework of the Minsk Group of the OSCE
(Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on Nagorny
Karabakh in Prague on Friday, April 16.
This is the first time the Armenian foreign minister will meet his
recently appointed Azerbaijani counterpart.
Moreover, Mr. Mamedyarov and Mr. Oskanyan’s meeting in Prague within
the framework of OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorny Karabakh will be held
after more than a year long interval.
The work of the Minsk Group on settlement of the Azerbaijani-Armenian
conflict over Nagorny Karabakh (an enclave with the predominantly
Armenian population in Azerbaijan) was officially suspended in
connection with the presidential and parliamentarian elections in
Armenia last year (February-March) and the presidential elections in
Azerbaijan last October.
The upcoming meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Prague on
March 29, however it was postponed because of an official request from
Baku.
The meeting was organized through the mediation of the Russian,
American, and French co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorny
Karabakh. Yury Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chairman of OSCE Minsk
Group, told to the Baku-based ATV TV channel that the Prague meeting
would essentially be “consultations of the heads of the foreign
ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the co-chairmen of the Minsk
Group.”
The press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported that
the meeting will be held for information purposes in connection with
the appointment of Azerbaijan’s new foreign minister and the upcoming
replacement of the American co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group.
This opinion is shared by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, whose
information and press department said that the meeting of the two
countries’ foreign ministers would be held within the framework of the
consultations organized by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Gourp on
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Arts Preview: Chamber ensembles travel easily in classical world
Friday, April 16, 2004
By Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In these days of supersized consumption, it’s the small fries who
might be in the best shape.
I Musici de Montreal: Conductor Yuli Turovsky. Appearing as part of
the Quebec Festival. 8 tonight; Byham Theater, Downtown; $20-$25;
412-456-6666. Program: Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances,” Bloch’s
“Three Jewish Pieces,” Komitas’ “Armenian Folk Songs and Dances,”
Gougeon’s “Coups d’archet” and Tchaikovsky’s String Serenade in C
major.
Nuance: Conductor Andres Cardenes. Pittsburgh Symphony chamber
orchestra series. 8 p.m. tomorrow; JCC Katz Auditorium, Squirrel
Hill. $15-$29; 412-392-4900. Program: Bach’s Concerto for Three
Violins, Piazzolla’s “Grand Tango,” Mozart’s Wind Serenade in C minor
and Huebner’s “New York Stories.”
Australian Chamber Orchestra: Leader Richard Tognetti with soprano
Dawn Upshaw. Presented by the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society. 8
p.m. April 26; Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland; $15-$30;
412-624-4129. Program: Corelli’s Concerto Grosso (Op. 6, No. 4),
Lentz’s “Te deum Laudamus,” Bach cantata arias, Schubert’s “Death and
the Maiden” lied and quartet (arranged for orchestra).
Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival: Conductor Lucas Richman. “Klezmer
Concertos.” 8 p.m. April 27; JCC Katz Auditorium; $12-$15.
412-394-3353. Program: Finkel’s “The Fiddle,” Krasa’s “Brundibar,”
Glick’s “The Klezmer’s Wedding,” Hoffman’s “Self-Portrait with
Gebirtig” and Richman’s “Kol Nidre.”I Musici’s conductor Yuli Turovsky
No, this is not another story about diets, but about the orchestra
world.
Full-size orchestras are expensive to record, to maintain and
certainly to tour. In today’s classical musical world, their smaller
counterparts — chamber orchestras — have distinct financial
advantages .
Pittsburgh, a city which once entertained large visiting orchestras,
hosts a number of smaller ones over the next two weeks. I Musici de
Montreal and the Australian Chamber Orchestra visit, complementing
performances by local ensembles, Nuance (Pittsburgh Symphony’s chamber
orchestra) and the chamberorchestra of the Pittsburgh Jewish Music
Festival.
“Touring costs us an enormous amount for our budget, but in comparison
to a large orchestra of course it is a pittance,” says Richard
Tognetti, artistic director and leader of the Australian Chamber
Orchestra. “For example, whenthe Sydney Symphony toured Europe with
Strauss’ ‘Alpine Symphony’ they took 13 or so horns … four players
less than our 17 core players. So indeed a chamber orchestra is a far
more flexible beast.”
The appearance of the 16-member I Musici is part of Pittsburgh
Cultural Trust’s Quebec Festival and is supported by the Quebec
Government House andAlcoa Foundation. Still, the concert will happen
only because the ensemble is already touring nationally.
For I Musici conductor Yuli Turovsky, the benefits of touring outweigh
the costs. “I think it is necessary to tour. First, I think we should
use our flexibility as an ensemble, to compare with big symphonies who
could afforda tour every other year or so. The bigger ensemble has a
bigger budget, but the smaller one is more mobile — it is our
strength.”
Tours can also be a part of the mission statement for a smaller
orchestra, as is the case for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. “We
are the national orchestra, and we are obliged therefore to travel as
much as our schedule permits,” says Tognetti. “I would like to get
more to the outback and places that are not near our urban centers,
but then we can’t do everything.”
The flip side of a tour is the destination city. In the past,
Pittsburgh has hosted such big-ticket orchestras as the Israel
Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and even the Cleveland and
Philadelphia orchestras. A chamber orchestra costs less than these to
present, however it often comes on a series that has less money to
spend. The Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, bringing the Australian
Chamber Orchestra, typically presents quintets, quartets or trios. It
can only offer a larger group so often.
“Chamber Orchestra appearances are rare on the series,” says Natalie
Forbes, executive director of PCMS. “The last chamber orchestra on the
series was in 1994, when the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra performed
with Benita Valente. List prices for better chamber orchestras are
close to $60,000, whereas more standard ensembles may have a list
price in the range of $15,000.”
One major reason why the Nuance series in the JCC Katz Auditorium was
created by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1999 was to offer
different repertoire in an intimate setting. Another was to have a
presence in the Squirrel Hill region with a minimum of expense. A
chamber orchestra of the members of the PSO fit the double bill. Some
of the same players perform in the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival.
Large and small ensembles do share some attributes when touring. With
only one stop in a given city, all touring ensembles must program
carefully to show their best side. Both the Montreal-centered I Musici
and the Sydney-based Australian Chamber Orchestra chose to represent
the quality of culture in their homes, but in different ways.
“I am no missionary, but should people continue to be surprised that
Australia has cars and TV, the telephone and culture, then I am more
than happy to persuade them that Australia is as rich and vibrant in
our need to express artistic ideas as any people anywhere,” says
Tognetti. Rather than show indigenous culture of Australia, therefore,
he booked American soprano Dawn Upshaw to sing Bach arias. The group
will perform a new arrangement of Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”
Quartet (with Upshaw first singing the original lied) and more.
At the other pole is Turovsky’s decision to display the cosmopolitan
nature of Quebec when his strings visit Pittsburgh. “Quebec is a very
international society,” he says. “I wanted to represent the real
picture of Quebec cultural life, which exists of many cultures.”
Romanian, Armenian, Jewish folk worksare programmed with a
French-Canadian composer’s work and Tchaikovsky’s String Serenade in C
major.
Perhaps the best reason to hear a chamber orchestra is the greater
electricity that can result from the communication of fewer players,
no matter if they come from Australia or Shadyside to perform.
“It is difficult to travel, but it is exciting for the musicians — it
makes life more exciting,” says Turovsky.