US EXPERTS LAUNCH BIRD FLU DETECTING AND PREVENTING TRAINING COURSE FOR ARMENIAN COUNTERPARTS

Armenpress
Mar 15 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS: Experts from the USA have launched today
an extensive training course for Armenian counterparts to teach them
how to detect bird flu cases and how to treat human beings diagnosed
with the deadly virus.

The first group of Armenian specialists are from the veterinary
inspection of the agricultural ministry. The US experts are headed
by Doctor Elizabeth Krushinsky, who traveled across Armenia before
starting the training course with agricultural officials, examined
the situation on the ground.

Deputy agriculture minister Levon Rukhkian said US experts did not
see any indication of a bird flu in Armenia.

Earlier this week the government of USA donated 1,500 set of personal
protective equipment to Armenia.

The equipment, which includes coveralls, latex gloves, protective
boots, goggles and masks, is designed to be used by individuals
involved in avian influenza surveillance and response efforts. In a
related development World Bank resident representative has confirmed
that the Bank will provide Armenia with a $6 million assistance to
help it combat the avian influenza.

GEORGIAN STATE DOESN’T ENSURE ARMENIAN CITIZENS’ SECURITY ANY LONGER, ARMENIAN COOPERATION CENTRE OF GEORGIA EMPHASIZES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 15 2006

TBILISI, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Sorrowfully, the
safety of the Armenian citizens of Georgia is no longer a guarantee
of the Georgian state, to which a testimony is a high rise of crime
directed against Armenians of Georgia,” the official statement of the
Armenian Cooperation Centre of Georgia in connection with the Tsalka
incident read.

On the 9th of March, as a result of an armed attack in Tsalka Gevorg
Gevorkyan was killed, as well as other Georgian citizens of Armenian
ethnicity were wounded to different degrees. This caused mass protests
in the Armenian-populated region of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk).

The ACCG is convinced in the necessity of the prompt investigation
and solution of the criminal case opened by the county’s Ministry of
Internal Affairs law enforcement bodies according to the clause 109
of the Penal Code of Georgia, and the pronouncement of just sentence
to the group of criminals. The organization will supervise the course
of investigation within the framework of its competences.

According to the official position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
of Georgia, the murder in Tsalka has been committed on common grounds
and does not have ethnic pretext. According to the preliminary data of
the investigation, it was a usual quarrel, which began at a restaurant
between drunk people and developed into a fight and knifing during
which one of its participants was stabbed to death and others were
wounded. Ministry of Internal Affairs, however, remains silent about
the fact that the attacked Armenians were also beaten-up by the
employees of that same Ministry.

In the opinion of the ACCG any premature definition of corpus
delicti on the government level is inappropriate and can damage
the objective investigation of the case. It is also wrong to make
premature conclusions regarding the motivations of the crime before
the detention of all suspects.

The Armenian Cooperation Centre of Georgia is convinced that such
crimes against citizens of Armenian origin are encouraged by the
established and growing anti-Armenian atmosphere in the Georgian
society. The Georgian mass media plays an active role in this, by
promoting negative stereotypes of Armenians in the society and ethnic
dissociation in the country. Certain anti-Armenian articles and news
releases demonstrate not only chauvinistic sentiments, but also the
elementary unprofessional approach of many representatives of the
country’s mass media. It is significant that besides of citizens of
Armenian origin, the subject of such an aggression becomes also the
holy of holies of the Armenian people, Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

Concerning the activities undertaken in Akhalkalaki, the ACCG
fully supports the legitimate demands of our fellow citizens and is
ready to promote their realization. At the same time, the Armenian
Cooperation Centre of Georgia calls on the supreme bodies of the
country’s government to pay more attention to interethnic relations
and the rights of ethnic minorities, as well as to the promotion of
principles of tolerance and equality in our country.

WORLD BANK SAYS GAS PRICE HIKE NOT TO AFFECT STRONGLY ARMENIAN ECONOMY

Armenpress
Mar 15 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS; A World Bank representative said today
in Yerevan the Bank will unveil its study on possible repercussions
of Russia’s decision to double the price of natural gas it sells to
Armenia in a week.

Rodger Robinson, World Bank resident representative, told a news
conference that according to preliminary estimations, the gas price
hike will affect Armenia’s economy, but the scale of that negative
impact will not be “too big”. Robinson said the higher price of gas
will affect current electricity tariffs, but declined to elaborate
saying it would be more appropriate to speak about hike’s aftereffects
only after completing the Bank’s study.

But he said the Central Bank of Armenia’s goal to ensure a three
percent inflation was realistic.

Robinson said his forecast was based on the fact that despite ongoing
rise of fuel price at world markets it has had no negative impact on
Armenian economy which has been reporting a two-digit economic growth
for several consecutive years.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS APPLY TO GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
16/03/2006

Javakhk: Cause for Concern

Following the murder of 23-year-old Gevorg Gevorgian on March 9 in
Tsalka, Georgia, the youth organizations of Armenia sent a letter to
Revaz Gachicheladze, Georgian ambassador to Yerevan. According to
official statement of Georgia, law-enforcing bodies of the country
see domestic reasons beyond the murder though eyewitnesses claim the
Armenian was murdered as a result of fight that few young Georgian
provoked.

“Taking into consideration the nature of the crime and its social
danger and the recent policies toward Armenians of Javakhk, we demand
impartial investigation into this case,” the statement reads.

The letter to the Georgian ambassador states that the murder of the
Armenian young man falls on the days of destruction and appropriation
of Armenian cultural monuments in Georgia. Such policy of Georgia goes
against its obligations before the Council of Europe and elementary
tolerance.

The Youth wing of Armenian Aryan Union also issued a statement
demanding to stop “Georgianization” of Armenian monuments in Georgia
and on territories of historic Armenia, to punish those guilty in
murder of the Armenian and to stop the policy of de-Armeniazation
and assimilation in the country.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, BOLOGNA PRINCIPLES AND OUR EDUCATIONAL REFORMS
By Susana Margarian

AZG Armenian Daily
16/03/2006

The first sitting of the republican committee for Implementation
of Bologna principles was held yesterday. The representatives of a
number of state, international and public organizations, as well as
experts from the educational and banking management spheres, students,
participated in the sitting. Sergo Yeritsian, RA education minister,
chairman of the committee, emphasized the importance of Armenia’s
participation in the Bologna process. He represented the international
experience and stated that educational reforms carried out in Armenia
are aimed to secure professional education that keeps in line with
the international criteria.

The participants of the sitting discussed the draft “On Applying
Bologna Principles in Armenia” during the sitting.

RA OMBUDSMAN AGAINST GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENT
By Marietta Khachatrian

AZG Armenian Daily
16/03/2006

Armen Harutyunian, RA ombudsman, is getting prepared to the March 21
sitting of RA Constitutional Court where, according to his appeal,
the August 1 2002, government decision #1151-N on alienation of the
lands for the state needs. RA Government and RA President will be
defendants at the court hearing.

“We will operate with laws, the international treaties and article
#31 of RA Constitution and struggle. The acts I pointed out are
anti-constitutional, thus the alienation of the property right in
the Northern Avenue was implemented according to these acts,” Armen
Harutyunian said. He didn’t want to go into details, adding that he
is quite determined to take victory on March 21.
From: Baghdasarian

‘MAGIC FLUTE’ TO BE STAGED IN ARMENIA
By Tamar Minasian

AZG Armenian Daily
16/03/2006

“Magic Flute” opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be staged in
Armenia for the first time. The initiators of the events said at
yesterday’s press conference that they invited Facundo Agudin,
an Argentinean conductor from Switzerland, who will conduct the
opera. They added that soloists from Europe and Armenia, director
Michael Choler from Germany, costume designer Ana Spinelli from
Switzerland are engaged in the performance.

The organizers said that March 18 concert will be free of charge for
the schoolchildren of Yerevan. The initiative is carried out by the
National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Armenia, the Swiss Orchestre
Symphonique du Jura and Festival Musique des Lumieres, with the
participation of “Cadance” Musical center.

Gegham Grigorian, head of the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre, said
that they are going to stage also “Don Juan” within the framework
of the arrangements dedicated to the 250th anniversary of Mozart. He
added that singers Gevorg Hakobian, Arnold Kocharian, Arsen Soghomonian
and Suren Manukian will participate in the performance.

PHOTOS OF FORMER ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN NAKHICHEVAN PUBLISHED

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2006 01:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spread
photos of the former Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, Nakhichevan. The
MFA press release says in part, “By 2005 only 3500 out of 10 000
of Armenian khachkars remained standing in Old Djulfa. These 3500
monuments were demolished by Azeri soldiers.”

JOHN EVANS CONTINUES TO EXERCISE HONOR AND PRIVELEGE OF U.S. AMBASSADOR

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2006 01:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ John Evans is our Ambassador and he continues to
exercise that honor and privilege Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman of
the U.S. Department of State said when commenting on the report
of his recall due of his speech on Armenian Genocide. As it was
reported earlier, ANCA’s letter addressed to Secretary Rice earlier
this week said in part, “the prospect that a U.S. envoy’s posting –
and possibly his career – has been cut short due to his honest and
accurate description of a genocide is profoundly offensive to American
values and U.S. standing abroad – particularly in light of President
Bush’s call for moral clarity in the conduct of our international
affairs.” Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Armenian
Issues Caucus, also expressed his extreme disappointment to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice over reports that the U.S.

Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, is being forced from
office based upon truthful and forthright statements last year about
the Armenian Genocide. To remind, speaking last year to an Armenian
American gathering at the University of California at Berkeley,
Amb. Evans said, “I will today call it the Armenian Genocide… I
informed myself in depth about it. I think we, the U.S. government,
owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing
this problem. Today, as someone who has studied it… there’s no doubt
in my mind [as to] what happened . . . I think it is unbecoming of us,
as Americans, to play word games here. I believe in calling things by
their name.” Referring to the Armenian Genocide as “the first genocide
of the 20th century,” he said: “I pledge to you, we are going to do a
better job at addressing this issue.” Amb. Evans also disclosed that
he had consulted with a legal advisor at the State Department who
had confirmed that the events of 1915 were “genocide by definition.”

PACE COMMITTEE ON NAGORNO KARABAKH TO PRESERVE ITS STATUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.03.2006 00:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ March 15 the PACE Bureau discussed the fate of the
PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno Karabakh after the report submitted
by Committee chairman Lord Russell-Johnston. According to head of
the Armenian delegation to PACE, RA National Assembly Vice-speaker
Tigran Torosian, the Ad Hoc Committee will continue its activities
under the aegis of the Bureau.

Concluding his speech Lord Russell-Johnston spoke for the preservation
of the status by the Committee. “The Committee head stressed that
its main goal will be the preparation of the two peoples for the
settlement of the conflict. The Committee will do its best to put an
end to calls for hostilities and hatred,” Tigran Torosian said adding
that the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations were unanimous on the
issue, reported RFE/RL.