POPE: “TERRIBLE PERSECUTION” OF ARMENIANS LINGERS IN HISTORY

AsiaNews.it, Italy
March 20 2006

Receiving members of the Patriarchate of Cilicia, Benedict XVI
praised the loyalty of the Armenians to Christianity and expressed
the hope that continued division between the different Churches will
be overcome.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “Metz yeghèrn, the great evil”: this
is what Armenians still call the genocide they suffered in the
years of the First World War, at the hands of the then Ottoman
Empire. The phrase was repeated by Benedict XVI when he received
Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia for Armenians, who
was accompanied by members of the Patriarchal Synod. He talked about
the “great persecution” at the roots of the diaspora of that people,
and also about the division which persists among Armenian Christians,
expressing the hope that it will soon be overcome.

“The Armenian Church that refers to the Patriarchate of Cilicia (in
Lebanon n.d.r.), is certainly a full participant of historical events
lived by the Armenian people throughout the centuries and, especially,
of the suffering they bore in the name of the Christian faith in the
years of the terrible persecution which remains known in history by
the sadly significant name of metz yeghèrn, the great evil. How can
one not remember, in this regard, the many invitations sent by Leo
XIII to Catholics, to go to the rescue of the poverty and suffering
of the Armenian peoples?”

Benedict XVI continued: “The Armenians, who have always sought to
integrate themselves with their industriousness and dignity in the
societies where they found themselves, continue to bear witness to
their faithfulness to the Gospel still today.” This is a fidelity that
is also a “strong attachment, sometimes even to the point of martyrdom,
which your Community has always shown towards the See of Peter,
in a reciprocal and fertile relationship of faith and affection”.

A relationship that the Pope would like to see extended to other
Christian communities of Armenia, which are still divided, although
they recognize St Gregory the Illuminator as their common father
founder and even if “in recent decades all have resumed a cordial and
fruitful dialogue to the end of rediscovering their common roots. I
encourage this rediscovered fraternity and collaboration, with the
hope that new initiatives for a shared path towards full unity will
spring from this. And if historical events have seen the fragmentation
of the Armenian Church, may Divine Providence allow that one day it
will return to being united, with its hierarchy in brotherly internal
harmony and in full communion with the Bishop of Rome.”

–Boundary_(ID_KRsltsoTMXQBn5Pcd83C6Q)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REVENUES TO THE NKR STATE BUDGET INCREASED COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 20 2006

January – February 2006 the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) state
budget own revenue made 1 milliard 464,4 million drams, which surpasses
the level of the same period last year by 39,1 %.

According to the information De Facto Information-Analytics Agency
got at the NKR Ministry of Finance and Economy, the budget revenues
have been guaranteed at the expense of the tax receipts, state duty
and operations with capital.

The state budget expenses for the same period made 2 milliard 114,2
million drams.

The budget revenues from the operations with capital made 125,6 million
drams, 62,6 million drams of the sum has been received from the state
property and 63 million from expropriation of the principal funds,
which are considered to be state property.

For current January – February incomings to the NKR Social Insurance
Fund increased by 14,7%, having made 254,4 million drams.

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE ON GIVING ARMENIAN LANGUAGE STATUS OF SECOND STATE LANGUAGE IN REGIONS COMPACTLY POPULATED WITH ARMENIANS TO BE PRESENTED TO GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

AKHALKALAK, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. At the regular
sitting of the Samtskhe-Javakhk Armenian Public Organizations’ Council
which was held on March 16 in Akhalkalak, it’s decided to make a
statement on a legislative initiative on giving the state status to
the Armenian language parallel with Georgian in Samtskhe-Javakhk
and its neighboring region of Tsalka. Representatives of public
organizations intend to present their legislative initiative to
the Parliament with the help of all the 4 Armenian deputies of the
Parliament. If the issue doesn’t enter the Parliament with the help of
the Armenian deputies, then the Council will make a statement about
the legislative initiative according to the order envisaged by the
Constitution of the country. According to the “A-Info” agency, the
issue of giving the Armenian language the state status was touched
upon at previous sittings of the Council as well, and after a long
discussion the Council made the above-mentioned decision.

During its discussions the Council also took into account the
fact that Georgia signed and certified the Framework Convention
for the Protection of National Minorities (Strasbourg, February
1995), according to Article 10.2 of which, “in places, populated
traditionally or with considerable quantity of people belonging
to the ethnic minorities, if those people ask and this request
corresponds to real needs, the sides, as much as it’s possible, must
strive for providing such conditions which will give possibility to
use the language of the minority in relations among those people and
administrative authorities.” The Council also took into account that
when joining the Council of Europe, Georgia undertook obligation
to sing and certify the European Charter for Regional and Minority
Languages where in this sense the rights of minorities are defined more
detailed. According to the Council representatives, in the region,
giving the state status to the Armenian language in parallel to the
Goergian one will create guarantees for the language-cultural safety
of the Armenian inhabitation as well as will decrease the interracial
tension in the region incomparably.

RUBEN SHUGARIAN: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS A HISTORIC FACT AND ISN’T SUBJECT TO DISCUSSION

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

ROME, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The March 21 live
broadcast under the title “History” from the cycle of information
programs TG1 of RAI UNO Italian TV company was dedicated to the
“Armenian-Turkish Relations of the Past, Present and Future”. The
guests of the program were Armenian Ambassador to Italy Ruben
Shugarian and Turkish Ambassador to Italy Ugur Dziyal, as well as
Turkish historian Omer Turan. An occasion for the program became the
special issue of the RAI UNO TV channel in January 2006 dedicated to
the genocides of the 20th century, which started with the presentation
of the Armenian Genocide, against which the Turkish Ambassador sent
a written complaint to the Italian TV company. The program started
with Charles Aznavour’s interview to a journalist who has experienced
Oswiecim. Then, as Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Foreign Ministry
Press Service, the Turkish Ambassador blamed the Italian press
for a one-sided coverage of the Armenian Genocide asserting that
Turkey doesn’t carry on a policy of denial but only tries to jointly
search for the truth in archives suggesting that an Armenian-Turkish
commission of historians be founded for this purpose. Ruben Shugarian
in his turn began to assert that the interpretation of the issue
by Turkey has nothing in common with the point of view of not only
the Armenian side but also the world community, the majority of
which, including the Italian Parliament, has recognized the Armenian
Genocide. The Armenian Ambassador emphasized that the history can’t
be corrected or changed through censorship. The Armenian Genocide is
a historic fact and isn’t subject to discussion and the 6-million
Armenian Diaspora is the bright proof of this. “Can you imagine,
Shugarian emphasized, a commission consisting of Jewish and German
historians that is to decide, if there has been Oswiecim or not?”. In
this connection RA Ambassador reminded the last year letter of Armenian
President Robert Kocharian to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, in
which it was emphasized that development of bilateral relations is
the responsibility of the governments and we don’t have the right
to move this responsibility on the historians and we need to found
an intergovernmental commission for it, which will discuss and find
the respective solutions to these problems. Touching upon the current
relations between Armenia and Turkey, Ambassador Shugarian presented
Armenia’s readiness to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey
without any preconditions meanwhile mentioning that the borders’
being closed contradicts the European Union’s spirit. Documentary
stills and photographs were also shown in the course of the program.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LITHUANIAN VIOLONCELLIST CONSIDERS ARMENIANS ONE OF PEOPLES OF EUROPE HAVING RICHEST CULTURE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Lithuanian cellist and conductor David
Geringas’ concert takes place in Yerevan on March 21 and 23. The Music
Information Center of Armenia initiated the concert of the cellist
arrived in Armenia and his wife, pianist Tatyana Geringas, within
the framework of the “Perspectives of 21st.” As Stepan Rostomian, the
artistic head of the center informed at the March 20 press-conference,
David Geringas’ visit to Armenia must be considered as a great event
as he is one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. According
to S.Rostomian, Geringas is considered one of the best cellist
teachers as well, and Armenian cellist Alexander Chavushian and
Vahe Rostomian are among his students. According to David Geringas,
he is acquainted with the Armenian culture and history and considers
Komitas’ “Krunk” (crane) to be one of the world masterpieces. “Works
of not only Komitas but of a number of other Armenian composers must
enter the international field as those are such works which deserve
world recognition. Armenians are supposed one of the peoples of Europe
having the richest culture,” the cellist mentioned. Geringas is going
to include some of Edvard Mirzoyan’s and Tigran Masurian’s works in
his programme. He also mentioned that Stepan Rostomian writes music for
him. S.Rostomian informed that it’s already the 7th year that concerts
of famous musicians are organized in Armenia within the framework
of the “Perspectives of 21st” festival, and the festival became one
of the most representative cultural events in Armenia and the CIS
territory. But, according to the composer, the RA Ministry of Culture
and Youth Issues has never assisted in organizing the concerts. “There
is no cultural policy in Armenia, and our culture suffers of periodical
change of Ministers” I think not the Minister but the way of action
of that institute must be changed,” the composer emphasized.

RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RATIFIES 3 INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on March 21
ratified 3 international treaties which were discussed the day before:
– the Convention on Ciber Crimes signed in Budapest on November 23,
2001, – The Convention on International Protection of Plants, signed
in November 1951 and ratified in 1979 and 1997, – the Agreement
on Development Credit 4144 (the seconf credit on poverty reduction
assistance) signed between the RA and the International Development
Association in Yerevan on January 27, 2006. Under the above mentioned
agreement, a 20 mln-dollar credit will be allocated to Armenia on
concessional terms. The credit is repayable in 2016-2045 and carries
an annual interest rate of 0.75%. A credit of the same amount was
provided in 2004.

PUBLIC SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION MAY MAKE DECISION OM BID OF HRAZDAN TPP ONLY IN JULY

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Public Services Regulatory
Commission may make a decision on the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant’s bid
for an increase in the tariff of its electricity only in July. Nikolai
Grigorian, deputy chairman of the commission, told NT correspondentn
that the commission already set the internal tariffs of the Hrazdan
TPP on January 1, and these tariffs are not subject to any change
within 6 months. According to N. Grigorian, it is expected that the
Yerevan TPP will also submit a tariff rise bid within the next few
days. As regards Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC, N. Grigorian noted
that this company will submit a bid only after a decision about the
thermal power plants has been made.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: SUPPORT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO PROCESSING ENTERPRISES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. During the March 21 working meeting
with the RA President Robert Kocharian, the Agriculture Minister
Davit Lokian presented the latest results of the research conducted by
the Armenian and US experts, according to which there is no bird flu
virus in Armenia. NT was informed about it from the RA President’s
press service. The problem of setting up about 200 small and medium
processing enterprises in Armenia was discussed. R. Kocharian gave
instructions about the adoption of a respective concept in near
future. He noted that support should be given to processing enterprises
by enabling them to receive loans at low interest rates. R. Kocharian
was also provided information concerning the issues of irrigation
systems, the import of modern agricultural equipment, and the
availability of enough stocks of fertilizers.

WHAT SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI NEEDS

Lragir/am
21 March 06

The results of the poll on the problems of Samtskhe-Javakheti among
the readers of Lragir.am show that opinions on the ways of settlement
of the problems of Samtskhe-Javakheti are quite different.

The majority voted for sovereignty. 48 per cent of readers think that
Samtskhe-Javakheti must become sovereign. 22 per cent think that
the improvement of the social and economic state in the country is
urgent. 14 per cent think Samtskhe-Javakheti needs greater integration
into the Georgian society, and 13 per cent think that it is urgent
to eliminate discrimination in this region. 3 per cent think that
Samtskhe-Javakheti wants an official status for the Armenian language.

OSCE OFFICE ORGANIZES DISCUSSION IN YEREVAN ON CYBER SECURITY THREATS

Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

March 21 2006

YEREVAN, 21 March 2006 – Combating cyber crime and threats to cyber
security were the topic of a roundtable discussion, organized today
by the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Experts from the Armenian Task Force on cyber crime and cyber security
presented the main challenges in the field and suggestions to improve
the situation, recommending as a first step that the country’s
Parliament ratify the 2001 Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime.

“Cyber security is strategically important for Armenia as the country
expands the IT-services sector,” said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin,
the head of the OSCE Office.

“It is vital to protect people and businesses from financial fraud
and any attempts to alter, steal or destroy information on a computer
system. Inadequate legislation and a lack of technical preparedness
make the sector vulnerable. Fighting cyber crime is part of the
struggle against organized crime and terrorism. As such, it is an
essential component of the OSCE’s focus on countering the new threats
to security that have arisen in recent years.”

The Task Force was created in 2005 on the initiative of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan, and includes key national players in the field
— the Defence Ministry, the National Security Service, the Police,
the Central Bank, the National Assembly, as well as the Presidential
Administration. It helps raise awareness of the issue and advises on
ways of improving the legislative basis and operational measures to
effectively combat cyber crime.