EACH DIASPORAN ARMENIAN EVEN IF ONCE SHOULD VISIT ARMENIA, LEBANESE ARMENIAN STUDENTS SAY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. On April 27, Hranuch Hakobian,
Chairwoman of RA National Assembly Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture and Youth Affairs, received a number of Lebanese
Armenian students who have come to Armenia on a cognitive and
instructive visit. She acquainted them with the parliament’s
structure, legislative works, presented the prospects of economic,
political and cultural development of Armenia. A sincere and ingenuous
conversation about preservation of the Armenian nation, strengthening
of Spyurk-Homeland bilateral contacts, efficient use of the current
resources took place. The Lebanese Armenian students with fervour
presented their impressions from the days spent in Armenia confessing
that the Homeland gave them strength, belief and resolution. In their
opinion, each Diasporan Armenian even if once should visit Armenia
in order to feel himself a complete Armenian.

CHARITY EXHIBITION-SALE OF HANDWORKS OF “PRKUTIUN” ORGANIZATION’S STUDENTS HAVING MENTAL DEFECTS TO OPEN ON APRIL 28

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition-sale pf handworks of the
“Prkutiun” (salvation) NGO students having mental defects will open at
13:00, April 28, by blessing of Bishop T.Navasard Kchoyan, the primate
vicar of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese. The exhibition-sale that
will take place in the building of the “Prkutiun” NGO (Chekhov, 33),
will last three days. The organizer of the exhibition-sale is the
“Ararat” youth union of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA IN NEED OF STATE PROGRAM ON PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Over 50% of deaths in Armenia are
due to cardiovascular diseases, Deputy Director of the RA Institute
of Cadiology Parunak Zelveyan told NT correspondent. According to
studies conducted in Yerevan, more than 200 thousand people or 28%
of the city population suffers from high blood pressure, which
is a risk factor in ischemic and cerebral diseases. According to
P. Zelveyan, no preventive measures are being taken in the country,
while more money and time is spent on elimination of the consequences
of these diseases. Work is underway to develop a state program on the
prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Besides, according to the deputy
director, in order to reduce the risk factors of arterial hypertension
and cardiovascular diseases, it is necessary to create a constantly
functioning information service and implement measures aimed at early
diagnosis of such diseases. P. Zelveyan said that it is envisaged to
establish a new diagnostic service and a prophylactic cardiological
center at the RA Institute of Cardiology in the near future.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR AND ARTSAKH FREEDOM WAR DISABLED VETERANS DEMAND RESPORATION OF THEIR PRIVILEGES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The disabled veterans of the Great
Patriotic war and the Artsakh freedom war, and the family members of
those killed in military operations during these wars refuse their
current monthly monetary aid of 6 thousand drams (about 13 dollars)
and demand restoration of their privileges. Hovhannes Rushanian,
disabled veteran of the Great Patriotic war, former employee of the
Ministry of Interior Affairs, and Albert Manukian, disabled veteran
of the Artsakh war, stated this during the April 26 press conference
at the Hayeli Club. In the words of A. Munukian, by abolishing
the privileges, the Armenian government and the National Assembly
violated the rights of the servicemen and their families, which
are stipulated by an interstate agreement. He noted that under the
agreement on the mutual recognition of the privileges and guarantees
of the participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic war,
participants in military operations in the territory of other states,
and the family members of those killed in action, which was signed
in Minsk in 1992, the disabled veterans of war are entitled to a 50%
discount in utility payments. He said that he filed an application
regarding this issue to the RA Presidential Staff, which readdressed
his application to the government that in its turn sent it to the
Ministry of Social Security, from which there came a response that
it is not within the ministry’ competence to restore or establish
any privileges. A. Manukian stated that he intends to apply to
the Armenian President again. He noted that the matter concerns
1,060 disabled veterans and 2,700 family members of those killed in
action. In his opinion, restoring the privileges of 3,700 persons
would not significantly affect the country’s state budget.

FIRST ARMENIAN OMBUDSPERSON PRESENTS 2005 ANNUAL REPORT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The first Armenian ombudsperson
Larisa Alaverdian on April 26 presented the 2005 Annual Report
on the Activities of Ombudsman and Violations of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms in the Country to the public. To recap,
the new ombudsman Armen Harutyunian presented the 2005 report in
the National Assembly, while the former ombudsperson was invited
to participate in the report’s discussion “with the right to make
a speech”. “Taking into account that the public has the right to
know what avtivities were carried out by the Ombudsperson in 2005,
how she contributed to the protection of human rights and freedoms,
how much a person is protected from arbitrariness of public bodies
and officials and from abuse of official position, to what extent
the state policy in the field of human rights corresponds to the RA
Constitution and the principles and norms of international law, the
2005 Annual Report on the Activities of the First RA Ombudsman and
Violations of Human Rights and Freedoms in the Country is presented
to the public,” the preface of L. Alaverdian’s report reads. The
report was a message of the first RA Ombudsperson to large sections
of the society, which are committed to the idea of establishing a
democratic, social and legal state and which do everything possible so
as to reach, through a dialog and cooperation with the authorities,
a civil consensus on the fundamental principles and goals, the most
important of which is protection of human rights. The report was based
on the analysis of written and oral complaints, visits to marzes and
settlements, studies conducted on the Ombudsman’s own initiative and
by various NGOs, mass media publications, as well as the reports,
which were submitted by Armenia to the appropriate bodies of the UN
and international organizations on human rights and the responses to
these reports. According to Larisa Alaverdian, “for the highest bodies
of power, both human rights as an absolute value and the notion of
“ombudsman” still remain equally not comprehended, and the solution
of this problem is still on the agenda.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN MP SAYS CO-EXISTENCE WITH AZERIS IN KARABAKH IMPOSSIBLE

Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
26 Apr 06

Excerpt from report by Vaan Vardanyan in the Armenian newspaper Ayots
Ashkar on 26 April headlined ” We may become good neighbours but each
of us should live at our own territories ”

On 21 April the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh republic] parliament conducted
hearings on prospects of resolving the Karabakh conflict. Armenian
MP and leader of the union of political scientists Mayak Ovanesyan
has commented on the hearings.

[Ayots Ashkar correspondent] Mr Ovanesyan, what are your impressions
of the NKR parliamentary hearings?

[Mayak Ovanesyan] Such hearings have been organized by the NKR
parliament for the first time. Even though the OSCE Minsk Group is
mainly dealing with the Karabakh talks, it is no secret that certain
processes are simultaneously going on. That is the Dortmund conference,
the International Crisis Group and others are expressing opinions
which are not in favour of us at all. Despite the fact that Armenia
takes part in the talks, we [Armenia and Karabakh] should take a
single position.

[Passage omitted: Asked about new options of settling the conflict,
Ovanesyan said that co-existence of two nations practising different
religions was impossible and that it would lead to new killings]

We may become good neighbours, but each of us should live at our
own territories. The settlement model, which the media have been
speaking about so far, is unacceptable. The point is not that we are
better than Azerbaijanis or Jews are better than Arabs. We are simply
different and our co-existence is impossible.

Those who say that the Karabakh conflict will be resolved, the
Armenians will return to Baku and the Azerbaijanis to Shushi [Susa],
and they will all live in peace are absolutely wrong, although they
have good intentions. This will lead to a new war.

Many of my counterparts in Karabakh supported me. They also think that
the separation of the two nations which took place in past years should
be formalized and each of them should live on their own territories. We
may become good neighbours in the future. I think that Armenia should
suggest and support this idea at the talks. The Armenians of Karabakh
have determined themselves on the territories that belong to them
and the international community should respect this self-determination.

[Correspondent] How do Karabakh’s political forces imagine the limits
on possible compromises?

[Ovanesyan] They very much care about ensuring security of the
NKR in a global sense, rather than status for certain liberated
territories. Learning from bitter experience, they watch the problem
more closely and think that, whatever option for a settlement is
proposed, the NKR’s security should be protected no less well than
it is today. This is their pivotal claim.

ARMENIAN SPEAKER SAYS JOINING NATO NOT ON AGENDA

Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow
27 April 06

St Petersburg, 27 April: Armenia’s attempts to broaden relations
with the EU and NATO are not directed against Russia, Chairman of
the Armenian National Assembly Artur Bagdasaryan has said.

“I support intensive development of relations with the EU and targeted
integration into various European structures including the Council
of Europe,” Bagadasaryan told journalists in St Petersburg.

At the same time, he emphasized, “this does not mean that our
cooperation with the EU should worsen relations between Russia,
our most reliable partner, and the EU”.

On relations between Armenia and NATO, Bagdasaryan said: “We have
an individual partnership plan, but we are only talking about
cooperation. Armenia’s joining NATO is not on the foreign policy
agenda.”

ALLEGED MEDICARE FRAUD RING BUSTED IN LA AREA

San Francisco Chronicle, CA
April 25 2006

Five members of a Russian-Armenian organized crime ring have been
indicted for allegedly bilking Medicare of more than $20 million,
authorities said.

The group operated medical clinics and laboratories in Los Angeles,
Glendale and Pasadena that paid marketers for patient referrals and
billed Medicare for tests that were unnecessary or were not done,
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Searby wrote in court papers. The
alleged fraud took place between 1997 and 2005.

The defendants, who were indicted Thursday, have been charged with
conspiracy, health care fraud, Medicare kickbacks, making false
statements to Medicare and money laundering.

The group allegedly was led by Konstantin Grigoryan, 56, of Altadena,
a former colonel in the Soviet army; his wife, Mayya Leonidovna
Grigoryan, 54; the Grigoryans’ son-in-law, Eduard Gershelis, 34, of
Los Angeles; Mayya Grigoryan’s brother-in-law, Aleksandr Treynker,
48, of Canoga Park; and Haroutyun Gulderyan, 36, of Tujunga.

The Grigoryans and Gershelis have been in federal custody since their
March 21 arrests. Gulderyan and Treynker have been released on bond.

The five are scheduled to appear in court June 13.

Gershelis’ attorney, Jerome Mooney, described the episode as “a very
unfortunate circumstance.” Attorneys for the other defendants did
not return phone calls from the Los Angeles Daily News seeking comment.

Last December, three operators of an Orange County clinic pleaded
guilty to charges they bilked insurers out of nearly $15 million by
operating on healthy people, authorities said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASGAROV: “ARMENIANS DEMOLISH THE RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 27 2006

The issue on demolition of the railway infrastructure of Azerbaijan
in the territories under Armenia’s occupation will also be raised at
the XXI conference of the heads of the railway administrations of the
Organization for Cooperation of Railways held in Baku. Journalists
were told by the chief of the Azerbaijan State Railway Office (ASRO)
Arif Asgarov.

According to Mr.Asgarov, 240 km of the railway are under occupation
of Armenia: “Armenians demolish the railway infrastructure in the
occupied territories. We have already become uninformed about the
situation of the infrastructure in those territories. This question
is raised at meetings every time and will be raised at today’s meeting
as well”.

ETHNIC ARMENIANS IN GEORGIA WANT RUSSIAN BASE AS PROTECTION “FROM THE TURKS”

RTR Russia TV, Moscow
27 Apr 06

[Presenter] The accords between Moscow and Tbilisi on the closure
of Russian military bases in Georgia have encountered an unexpected
obstacle. It appears that officials forgot to consult the residents of
Akhalkalaki District, on whose territory a Russian base is located. If
it closes, their life will be stripped of its most important element
– the stability that the Georgian authorities are incapable of
guaranteeing them. This report by Ia Bersenadze explains how the
inhabitants of Akhalkalaki are trying to defend their rights.

[Correspondent] These military vehicles leaving the 62nd Russian
military base in Akhalkalaki for a routine manoeuvre were obliged
to turn back. Several hundred local inhabitants, protesting at the
planned closure of the base next year, blocked the road and stopped
them passing.

[Villager Garik Manukyan, speaking vernacular, with Russian
translation] The Russian military must not leave Akhalkalaki. They
must defend us from the Turks, because Georgia is incapable of
protecting us.

[Correspondent] Akhalkalaki has always been regarded as a special
area of Georgia. Almost 90 per cent of the population here are ethnic
Armenians. An absolute majority of them do not speak Georgian. For
this reason, they have not been accepted for jobs with state
institutions. The problem of unemployment has always been one of the
main ones.

The Akhalkalaki area is called Georgia’s Siberia because of its harsh
climate. Even at the end of April, when the air temperature in the
rest of Georgia reaches plus 20 degrees, it is still below freezing
here. In this town there are neither plants nor factories. The only
place where, until recently, local inhabitants could find work is
the 62nd Russian military base in the town of Akhalkalaki.

For the last four years (?Musheg Donoyan) has been living in a
well-appointed flat on the military estate. He and his wife work as
teachers at the school located within the base. His children also
study there. They have no complaints about their life. But they are
apprehensive about the future.

[Musheg Donoyan, teacher] If you come back here in a year or two’s
time, you will find us using a little cooking stove to heat this flat.

[Correspondent] The border with Turkey, a country which belongs to
NATO, is only 40 km from here. For this reason, the military base was
a most important link in the Soviet defence system. Local Armenians
still regard it as a guarantee of their security.

[David Rstakyan, resident of Akhalkalaki, speaking Russian] What
we are doing is dictated by our own security. This is not a circus
performance, as the powers that be say. This is simply dictated by
the Armenian population’s instinct for self-preservation.

[Correspondent] It is the Georgian minister of internal affairs
who calls the protests in Akhalkalaki a circus performance and
a charade. Vano Merabishvili claims there is no justification
whatsoever for mass protests and popular unrest in this region
and that the situation is completely under control. However, local
residents do not share the optimism of the Tbilisi authorities. If
the base closes, they say, we will lose a guarantee of peaceful life,
as well as our livelihoods.

[Video, captioned “Akhalkalaki, Georgia”, shows a crowd of people
surrounding an armoured vehicle on a snowy track. An officer
aboard a command and control vehicle addresses the people. Camera
shows the vehicle reversing, then a battered road sign saying
“Akhalkalaki”. Correspondent delivers her piece from in front of
the main entrance to the base, which is guarded by two soldiers at a
barrier. Another sequence shows a squad of troops marching at the base
and the same armoured vehicle seen before, as well as a land rover-type
vehicle. Snow-covered mountains are visible in the background. Another
shot shows news conference by Georgian ministers. There is a final
glimpse of a slogan about military reform at the base.]