JAVAKHK ISSUE SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION IN GLENDALE
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
06/12/2006

Issues of the Armenians of Javakhk will be publicly discussed at the
Verdugo Hill Club in Glendale, USA, on 7 December. Such topics as
Javakhk’s history, its present geopolitical situation, the forcing
out of Armenians from the region and the key moments in Armenian
people’s history will be touched upon at the discussion.

STILL CONSTRUCTING
By Aghavni Harutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
06/12/2006

The construction of the Kars-Akhalqalak-Tbilisi railway will start
in the spring of 2007. According to Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab
Noghaideli, workgroups are already being formed and the negotiation
process is to be finished by late March 2007 with signing a trilateral
intergovernmental agreement. The first part of the railroad will
be reconstructed in eh spring and the second – built in the end of
the year.

Azerbaijan will put up $150 million for the construction of the
Georgian 30 kilometer-long part.

The sum is to be repaid with the incomes from goods transportation. The
sum necessary for the construction of the rest of the Georgian part
($220 million) will be invested by Turkey.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAQ MUST SOLVE ITS PROBLEMS BY ITSELF, SAID THE LEADER OF THE SHIITES TO PRESIDENT BUSH
By Petros Keshishian

AZG Armenian Daily
06/12/2006

The head of the Iraqi Islamic Revolution Council Abdel Aziz al-Haqim,
leader of the Shiite movement, said on his meeting with President
George Bush in Washington that he stands categorically against the
international interference to the crisis in Iraq. He said that the
problems must be overcome by the people of Iraq itself.

In his return George Bush said that he is disturbed by the situation
in Iraq and that the Unites States wholly support the Government of
Nouri al-Maliqi.

Al-Haqim, although being the advocate of Iraq’s sovereignty, does
not argue the presence of the US military forces in the country,
BBC reports.

Al-Haqim’s party has the support of the Shiite of Iraq’s population. In
the days of Saddam Hussein he was forced to migrate to Iran. The
military wing of his organization became part of the army and the
police.

Some political scientists think that Bush, having meetings with the
outstanding people of Iraq, is trying to insure the "proper" work of
the Iraqi Government. It is also possible that the US President is
getting prepared to decreasing the number of military forces quartered
in Iraq. It should be noted that the military wing of the Iraqi Islamic
Revolution Council has serious contradictions with Muqtada al-Sadr,
one of the most outstanding preachers of Shiitism, and his "Army of
Mahdi". The confrontation seems to grow into an armed conflict. In
October the Americans even tried to arrest Al-Sadr, but their efforts
remained fruitless.

REGULAR LITERARY MEETING IN CALIFORNIA
By Gohar Grigorian

AZG Armenian Daily
06/12/2006

The regularly scheduled literary meeting of Armenian Writers’ Society
of California will take place at the hall of Glendale Public Library
on 7 December. During the meeting poetess Ester Davtian will read
her new poem and literary critic Stepan Topchian will present his
last "Happiness Lives at My Home" book. The society reminds that the
admission is free and not only intelligentsia can be present at the
meeting but also literature lovers.

CONCERT CONDUCTED BY EDUARD TOPCHIAN WARMLY GREETED IN BUCHAREST
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily
06/12/2006

Foreign Ministry informs that within the framework of arrangements
organized by the RA Embassy to Bucharest on occasion of the 15th
anniversary of the Republic of Armenia, a concert of Romania’s
National Radio Philharmonic Orchestra took place several days ago
in the Romanian capital. The concert that took place in the concert
hall of "Mihail Jora" was conducted by Eduard Topchian, the artistic
director and chief conductor of Armenia Philharmonic Orchestra.

The concert program included compositions of Khachatrian, Mozart and
Berlioz. The concert was warmly welcomed by the spectators and was
broadcasted live by two Romanian radio stations.

On occasion of the anniversary days of Armenia cinema were arranged
in Bucharest on the initiative of RA Embassy, Romanian-Armenian Union
and the National Cinema Archive of Romania.

MOUSHAKAN VILLAGE "IS LOST" IN GARBAGE

A1+
[12:51 pm] 05 December, 2006

"We haven’t got sewerage systems, there are no rubbish bans in the
village, the irrigation water is polluted. Besides, we rarely have
drinking water", claimed one of the inhabitants of the village of
Moushakan while complaining of the living conditions.

"The garbage and waste thrown into the streams is a real source of
infection, the hygienic conditions are poor and very often violated
but nobody takes any measures in this respect".

Moushakan has been inhabited since 1950 and it is only two km drive
from Yerevan. But civilization couldn’t overcome this short distance
and penetrate into the village which has got over 500 families.

The village hasn’t got common sewerage. Some of the village residents
have built sewage systems on their initiative directing the pipes to
the nearby gulf.

Others, who couldn’t afford such expenses, connected the pipes with
the stream, the water of which is used for garden watering. By the way,
while representing the problems the village encounters, the inhabitants
refrained from mentioning their names fearing further consequences.

"People throw the garbage and waste into the stream and the water flows
into our homes", says one of the villagers and adds, "We have turned
to the village head several times but nothing has been changed so far".

"We are frequently deprived of running water, especially in summer when
it is so important. And whenever we are lucky to have running water
we turn on the taps for half an hour as the water is mixed with sand".

When we tried to clear up the situation from the local company,
they only promised to see to the problem as soon as possible.

Alongside with the water problem, the village inhabitants face other
problems today. "Children have nowhere to play. There aren’t any
grounds, sports schools, cultural centers in the village. The streets
are full of heaps of litter which is dangerous to the health of both
children and adults," claims one of the inhabitants who is worried
about her children’s future well-being.

The inhabitants have so many problems that they have already forgotten
about the issue of the telephone.

Many of them haven’t even got telephones at homes; their applications
have been turned down on the ground that the telephone station is
under repair.

VARDOUHI VARDANYAN ASSEMBLES ALL SINGERS

A1+
[02:02 pm] 05 December, 2006

On December 3-4 the concert "To the Heaven" was held in memory
of singer Vardouhi Vardanyan in the Opera and Ballet House after
Alexander Spendiaryan.

The concert was organized by Vardouhi’s close friends.

The sum collected via the concert will be transferred to Vardouhi
Vardanyan’s fund, on her son’s account.

The singer’s fans and the representatives of the Armenian show business
gathered in the concert hall.

They recalled Vardouhi Vardanyan’s bright personality.

The concert started with the warm applauses of the audience. The
main initiator of the concert was singer Suzan Margaryan, Vardouhi’s
close friend. "She had a lot of plans and goals to realize. Vardouhi’s
bright memory will always remain with us", says Suzan Margaryan.

"Vardouhi looked like a real angel; she used to assemble all singers
and was in close relations with all of them. She was loved by everyone
despite their age", says singer Kristine Pepelyan. In her words,
the singers have become more united after Vardouhi’s death.

Andre was very excited when singing the duet "Heavy Rain" as he had
to appear on the stage without his companion – Vardouhi. But Andre
claims that he felt her beside him all the time while singing. "We
are all upset by the death of Vardouhi Vardanyan and we shall do our
best to fulfill her dreams connected with her son", added Andre.

SECURITY COUNCIL SITTING IN THE NKR

A1+
[02:56 pm] 05 December, 2006

Arkadi Ghoukasyan, NKR President , convened a Security Council sitting
after returning from the USA, informs "Karabakh-Open" website.

The information was confirmed by the press service of the NKR
President.

Arkadi Ghoukasyan, presented the details of his U.S. visit to the
sitting participants. He also thanked all those people who participated
in the annual TV marathon organised by "Armenia" Pan-Armenian Fund.

At the beginning of the sitting Arkadi Ghoukasyan listened to the
reports on the current situation on Karabakh-Azerbaijan borderline
and the criminal state of the country. The sitting participants also
referred to the negotiation process of the conflict regulation and
the preparation works of the constitutional referendum.

"The press service doesn’t report the details of the discussed issues,
but we can assume that there was much to be discussed in the sitting
taking into consideration the current situation in the country",
writes "Karabakh-Open."

First of all, let’s take the issue of Karabakh conflict which
has aroused diverse interpretations among the politicians and
journalists. The meeting of Armenian and Azeri presidents was kept
in secret, reports "Karabakh-Open." Everybody began to speak about
progress after the meeting. Then the president of Azerbaijan announced
that the conflict must be settled on the principle of Azerbaijan’s
territorial wholeness. In reply to this announcement, Serge Sargsyan,
RA Defense Minister, said that the territorial wholeness of the both
countries – Azerbaijan and Karabakh, must be respected at the same
time. "We wonder what territorial wholeness they were speaking about",
adds "Karabakh-Open."

The preparations of constitutional referendum are far from being
flawless. Have the residents of the country already got acquainted
with the draft bill? Have the fundamental provisions already
been under consideration? What is the attitude of the Karabakh
residents? According to "Karabakh-Open", all these issues haven’t
been discussed thoroughly.

Nevertheless, the Karabakh residents will participate in the
referendum. Only a small percent of the population will stay aside
from the voting as in their opinion the referendum was initiated by
the authorities to serve their objectives.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA WANTS TO HAVE A RESIDENT-AMBASSADOR

A1+
[03:58 pm] 05 December, 2006

On December 5 RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received Per Eklund,
newly appointed head of the European Commission’s mission in Armenia
and Georgia.

The RA prime minister congratulated Mr. Eklund on the new post
and voiced hope that they will continue the constructive and
close cooperation started during the office of Torben Holtze,
former head of the European Commission’s mission. In his words,
the EU-Armenia Action Plan, confirmed within the framework of the
European Neighbourhood, opens new prospects for the enhancement and
expansion of the above-mentioned cooperation.

Andranik Margaryan expressed Armenia’s readiness to exert all the
possible measures to implement the Action Plan efficiently and
underlined the great share of the EC mission.

The RA prime minister claims that the activity of the mission is
highly appreciated in Armenia. Mr. Margaryan also noted that taking
into account the quantity of the issues put into Armenian-EU agenda,
it would be wiser to have European Commission’s resident-ambassador
in Armenia.

During the meeting the two parties also referred to 400 million euros
assistance rendered by Euro-Commission within the realm of TASIS
program. The head of the RA government thanked the commission on this
score and said that the on-going assistance to Armenia contributes
to the economic, political progress of the country, as well as the
integration procedure.

Besides, it enhances the EU-Armenia commercial ties.

EU is Armenia’s commercial partner and the investments of the EU in
our country are rather significant.

The head of Euro-Commission mission assured the RA prime minister that
the relations between the two countries will still thrive and they will
be based on mutual understanding and fruitful cooperation. He thanked
Andranik Margaryan for Armenia’s readiness to cooperate further on.

At the end of the meeting Andranik Margaryan wished Per Eklund success
in his new office.

ALL COUNTRIES WANT TO LEAVE IRAQ EXCEPT ARMENIA

A1+
[04:15 pm] 05 December, 2006

Different countries of the world, U.S. partners in the war against
Iraq, want to take their troops out of Iraq. Meanwhile, RA National
Assembly discusses the issue of prolonging the term of Armenian
peacekeepers in Iraq for another year.

The decision was introduced in the NA by Serge Sargsyan, RA
Defense Minister. In Mr. Sargsyan’s opinion it will increase the
professionalism of the Armenian servicemen and the reputation of
Armenia in the international sphere.

The RA Defense minister also added that taking into consideration the
experience of other countries he doesn’t want Armenia to be regarded
as an unconfident partner.