‘Under the Apricot Trees’ released in Yerevan
Yerkir.am
July 07, 2006
“Under the Apricot Trees,” a new book by author Ruben Hovsepian has
been published in Yerevan by the ART Publishing House.
Fortunately enough, Hovsepian, who is also a National Assembly member,
finds time to serve his main call and puts a valuable book on the
table of readers.
“Crossing the city bridge, ignoring the devil under the bridge,
Avetik crossed himself, looking at the St. Sargis Church sitting
over the Hrazdan Gorge, where many panhandlers have been gathered
along with venders, whose candles blackened the church,” this is how
the novel begins. It ends with a grandfather and his son engaging in
mature dialogue. Between those two events lays our life, our victories
and losses.
A human being – an Armenian–between the skies turned gray from
low-quality candles and bombarded soil is the main character of the
novel. A successful documenting of the time we have lived follows by
the time we still have to live, our future and the future of the world.
The book acquires an additional charm by the illustrations made by
the writer ‘s daughter, artist Moni Hovsepian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian delegation to OSCE PA prevented adoption of anti-Armenian
resolutions
ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 17:37
July 3-7 stormy disputes were launched between Armenian, Turkish and
Georgian delegations in three Committees of the annual session of
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. However, NA Vice-Chairman Vahan
Hovhannisyan is content, since according to his information,
the Armenian delegation managed to prevent adoption of about ten
anti-Armenian bills, including two joint resolutions of Georgian and
Azerbaijani delegations, according to which the unresolved conflicts
should be resolved via returning the disputable territories to those
countries to which these belong. The second resolution was demanding
to affirm that no matter what status is granted to Kosovo, it cannot
become precedent for resolution of similar conflicts. Instead, with
the support of the delegations from Russia, Switzerland and Monaco
and under conditions of severe resistance for the first time the
Armenian delegation managed to have the issue of self-determination
of peoples, based on the referendum on independence in Montenegro,
be included in the OSCE resolution package.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

An Armenian national among crashed A-310 passengers
ArmRadio.am
10.07.2006 15:30
Russian citizen Karen Andreasyan was among the passengers of
the A-310 plane that crashed Sunday at Irkutsk airport, “Arminfo”
correspondent was told at the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Nothing is known about the place of Andreasyan’s residence
and age. There is no information whether he is alive or not.
To remind, a Sibir Airlines passenger jet with 200 people on board
veered off the runway early Sunday while landing at Irkutsk airport
in eastern Siberia, crashed into a concrete barrier and burst into
flames, killing at least 122 people, 50 people survived.

ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS RANK 59TH IN LIST OF FINES FOR WRONG PARKING AT
UN HEADQUARTER
Yerevan, July 10. ArmInfo. Armenian diplomats with 10.1 fines proved
the 59th in the lists of fines for wrong parking at UN headquarters in
New York, says a survey by the economists of Columbia University and
Berkeley University. Washington Profile reports that data for 1997-2002
were subjected to analysis. Diplomats evaded 150,000 fines for a total
of $18 million for the period under review. Kuwait representatives
proves the most undisciplined (246.2 evaded fines per diplomat a
year in average). Then goes Egypt and Chad. As regards the diplomats
from post-Soviet states, representatives of Kazakhstan are in the
lead (the 33rd place in the list, 21.1 unpaid fines per diplomat
a year). Ukraine goes the 51st (12.9), Estonia – the 57th (10.5),
Georgia – the 64th (9.7), Uzbekistan the 68th (8.8), Turkmenistan
the 81sr (5.8), Kyrghyzstan – the 85th (5.2), Tajikistan the 89th
(4.3), Belarus the 102nd (2.7), Russia and Lithuania share the 108th
position (2), Moldova is on the 118th position (0.7). The source
reports Azerbaijan and Latvia among the most conscientious diplomats,
they had no single fine to pay. They are among leaders alongside with
Great Britain, Netherlands, Oman, Israel, Greece and Equador.
In addition, the university experts draw a parallel between the
unwillingness of diplomats to pay fines, the complicate relations
of countries with the USA, as well as with wide-spread corruption in
the countries having diplomatic relations with the USA.
To note, the RA Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo, three Armenian diplomats
work at the UN headquarters, with relevant number of official cars.

APRICOT FESTIVAL TO OPEN IN THE HERMITAGE GARDEN IN MOSCOW
Yerevan, July 8. ArmInfo. Apricot Festival will open in the Hermitage
garden in Moscow on July 9 within the frames of Armenia’s Year in
Russia. The Izvestia reports, the event organizers are Yerevan and
Moscow Municipalities.
The festival will be held in the atmosphere of a beautiful Armenian
national holiday with participation of Armenian singers. Visitors will
enjoy fiery Armenian songs and dances and sounds of duduk, national
wind instrument made of apricot tree exclusively. Moscow artists,
children groups will perform at the event. In addition, contests,
drawing and prizes are expected. Apricot is considered a verily
Armenian fruit and its Latin name – Prunus Armeniaca – is an evidence
of it. Moscow residents will also enjoy real Armenian apricot, apricot
jams, confitures, syrups, marmalades and dried fruits, as well as
lavash, Armenian bread, baked in the special stove tonir in the place.

ARF Bureau representative inaugurates Hay Dat office in New Julfa
10.07.2006 16:47
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – At the blessing of Bishop Babken Charian, Primate
of the Isfahan Armenian Diocese, Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Bureau representative Hrant Margarian and prominent Iranian Armenian
Tatul Oahanian inaugurated on July 7 the new building of Hay Dat
office in New Julfa.
As reported by the Iranian Armenian newspaper Alik, later in the
day the local Armenian community met with Hrant Margarian at the
Ararat Hall. Issues related to Artsakh, Kavakhk and Republic of
Armenia were discussed. Margarian detailed the ARF stance in the
forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
Incidentally, New Julfa is Margarian’s birthplace.

Armenia: Watchdog concerned at jailing of editor without bail
Text of press release by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ) on 7 July
The editor of an opposition daily has been jailed in the Armenian
capital, Yerevan, for more than two weeks without bail. Arman
Babadzhanian, editor-in-chief of Zhamanak Yerevan (Yerevan Times),
faces up to five years in prison for allegedly forging documents
to avoid military service, but the Committee to Protect Journalists
[CPJ] and others are concerned that the charge was prompted by his
newspaper’s critical reporting on government conduct.
Babadzhanian was arrested 26 June, just days after the
Armenian-language newspaper published an article questioning
the independence of the prosecutor general’s office, said Seda
Muradian of the London-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting
(IWPR), which has followed the case closely. Authorities allege that
forgeries occurred in 2002, but they did not explain the delay in
pressing charges.
Press reports said the prosecutor general summoned Babadzhanian for
questioning as a witness in a criminal case but jailed him instead
on the forgery charge. News reports said that the editor allegedly
confessed to forging documents to avoid the draft, but press freedom
and human rights groups are questioning the prosecutors’ motives.
Babadzhanian was being held today [7 July] in the Nabarashen
pre-trial detention centre in Yerevan, according to the Yerevan Press
Club. His lawyer unsuccessfully sought Babadzhanian’s release from
preliminary detention while the case was pending. CPJ sources said
that Babadzhanian could remain imprisoned without bail for weeks
before the case proceeds.
Muradian, Armenia country director for IWPR, said the prosecutor’s
refusal to grant Babadzhanian preliminary release on bail is very
unusual in this type of case. “Authorities are treating Babadzhanian
as a dangerous criminal,” Muradian told CPJ.
On Wednesday [5 July], the Yerevan Press Club, Internews Armenia, the
Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, the Helsinki Committee
of Armenia, and other local press freedom groups sent a letter to
the prosecutor general’s office seeking Babadzhanian’s release on
bail. The groups also challenged the validity of Babadzhanian’s
purported confession. Also on Wednesday, editors of seven Armenian
independent and opposition newspapers issued a statement saying
Babadzhanian’s arrest was intended to intimidate the press.
“We are very concerned that the criminal case against Arman
Babadzhanian may be related to his journalism,” CPJ Executive Director
Joel Simon said today.
“We call on Armenian authorities to release him pending trial and
make their evidence against him public.”
Babadzhanian’s colleagues from Zhamanak Yerevan staged protests in
front of the prosecutor general’s office for three days after their
editor was arrested, saying that the case is politically motivated
and connected to the paper’s critical editorial stance, according to
press reports.
Armenian independent press has come under pressure in recent
years. The independent television station A1+ has been refused a
broadcast licence 11 times since it was taken off the air in 2002. In
April 2005, legislation restricting press coverage of terrorism was
adopted. Retaliatory assaults against journalists continue, especially
in the provinces, and officials do little to apprehend and prosecute
the perpetrators, CPJ research shows.

9 LEADING BOXERS FROM ARMENIA TO TAKE PART IN EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP
YEREVAN, JULY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The Europe Championship of Boxing will
be held in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria on July 14-23, where the 9
leading sportsmen from Armenia will take part in. The delegates of
Armenia, led by Derenik Gabrielian, Vice Chairman of the European
Assocciation of Boxing will leave for Plovdiv on July 10. Suren
Khazarian from Yerevan is included in the judge committee of the
championship.

50 MLN DRAMS ALLOCATED BY GOVERNMENT AS COMPENSATION TO INHABITANTS
OF 10 HOUSES BURNT ON MAY 30 IN THE DISTRICT OF KOND
YEREVAN, JULY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. A compensation will be given to
inhabitants of 10 houses burnt on May 30 in the district of Kond. As
Vano Vardanian, Deputy Mayor of Yerevan informed at the July 10 press
conference, the RA Government allocated 50 million drams (nearly 120
thousand U.S. dollars) as compensation. In his words, the inhabitants
suffered from the fire did not complain over the compensation
size. According to V.Vardanian, the inhabitants will receive their
sums in the coming days and will implement the reconstruction works
of their housing.

Armenia Not to Lose from Goran Lennmarker’s Election OSCE PA President
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.07.2006 17:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The institute of the OSCE PA rapporteur on Karabakh
may be transformed in a working group, head of the Armenian delegation
to the OSCE PA, RA NA Vice-speaker Vahan Hovhannisian stated in
Yerevan today. In his words, the work in such a format can become
more efficient. At the same time he remarked that Armenia will not
lose anything because of Goran Lennmarker’s election the OSCE PA
President. “Lennmarker considers that certain work will be carried
out for the settlement in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict till the end
of the current year. Everyone understands who is ready for compromise
and who is not. Armenia has demonstrated the maximal possibility,”
Vahan Hovhannisian said.
To note, earlier Goran Lennmarker performed his duties as the OSCE
PA rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh.