“POET’S RETURN” FILM OF HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN TO PARTICIPATE IN
COMPETITION PROGRAM

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Film director
Haroutiun Khachatrian’s “Poet’s Return” film will be shown on March
15-20 in three cities of Belgium: Antwerp, Ghent, Anderlecht, where at
the same time lectures and meetings will be held. As the Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed by the “Golden Apricot” (Voske Tsiran)
festival office, the film will also participate in the competition
program of the Italian “Infinity” festival to take place from March 30
to April 7. Later, from June 30 to July 8, the “Poet’s Return” film
will participate in the competition program of the Karlovy Vary
International Film Festival to take place in Czechia as well.
Haroutiun Khachatrian’s previous, the “The Documentarist” film was
awarded special prize in the same festival. Retrospective show of
Haroutiun Khachatrian’s films will be held in the cinematheque of
Slovenia on May 26-30. The director’s five films:

“Kond,” “White City,” “Return to the Promised Land,” “The
Documentarist” and “Poet’s Return” will be shown. It’s envisaged to
organize similar retrospective shows in the cinematheques of Uruguay
and Argentina as well. Retrospective shows of films of four directors
of the Armenian origin: Sergey Parajanov, Artavazd Peleshian, Atom
Egoyan and Haroutiun Khachatrian will take place in cinematheque of
Holland in autumn.

“MILITARY SUCCESS NECESSARY TO STRENGTHEN BY POLITICAL SUCCESS,” BABKEN
ARARKTSIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The peaceful process of the Karabakh
conflict settlement entered deadlock. Babken Ararktsian, the former
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament (1991-1998), the Chairman of the
“Armat” (root) organization stated about this at the meeting taken
place on March 10 at the National Press Club.

According to him, in the Karabakh problem the authorities of Armenia
had a goal to prolong the negotiations anyway, thus, to keep the
created status-quo, and in the case of fail of the negotiations, to
use tone of an ultimatum and state that Armenia will recognize the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

Babken Ararktsian excluded the possibility of the international
pressure both on Armenia and on Azerbaijan: “They’ll put pressure if
they are interested, but this issue isn’t their one, and they want the
conflict sides to solve the issue.”

According to Ararktsian, the time works for Azerbaijan which actively
uses all its possibilities in different international instances and
initiates adoption of a number of new documents, which, like the new
“terms about the aggressor and the occupied territories,” are spread
in international spheres.

He expressed confidence that it’s necessary to strengthen the military
success by political success what wasn’t implemented, and the role and
influence of military successes weaken during the time.

Babken Ararktsian attached special importance to the participation of
Nagorno Karabakh in the negotiation process.

ARMENTEL FINED IN AMOUNT OF 1% OF ITS REVENUES RECEIVED IN 2005 FROM
MOBILE PHONE COMMUNICATION SERVICES

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. ArmenTel company, which has monopoly
on fixed line phone communication, has set such conditions, as a
result of which K-Telecom – its competitor in the mobile phone
communication sector – has found itseld in unequal conditions. This
was the conclusion of the RA State Commission on Protection of
Economic Competition, which on March 10 examined the complaint of
K-Telecom (VivaCell) company against ArmenTel company.

It is noted in the commission’s conclusion that ArmenTel offered a
discount, including for calls made to fixed-line phones, for a certain
group of its mobile phone contract system’s subscribers. K-Telecom,
for whose subscribers the commutation payment is higher, has no
opportunity to offer such discounts to its subscribers. As a result,
according to the commission, some discriminatory conditiones were
created between ArmenTel and K-Telecom companies.

Qualifying ArmenTel’s actions as abuse of its dominating position, the
commission made a decision to fine ArmenTel in the amount of 1% of the
revenues that the company received for providing mobile phone
communication services in 2005. The commission obliged ArmenTel to
ensure such conditions, under which its rival would be able to use
similar discounts.

In response to a question asked by NT correspondent, the commission
chairman Ashot Shahnazarian said that the commission does not know the
amount of ArmenTel’s reveues against mobile phone communication
services in 2005, and it will take into account the information to be
provided by the company itself.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CREMATORY IS REFUSABLE FOR ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH, PRIEST TER HAKOB
KHACHATRIAN STATES

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Crematory is refusable for the Armenian
Apostolic Church, this is inadmissible from the viewpoint of national
traditional thinking and moral and psychology. Priest Ter Hakob
Khachatrian, spiritual serviceman of the Surb Sargis Church stated
about this at the March 7 discussion organized in the “Hayeli”
club. According to him, crematory is impossible for an Armenian’s
thinking and Armenia usually don’t make use of this service in those
countries where it’s a normal event. According to the priest, it’s a
law defined by the God: “you’re land and will become land.”

To recap, the article concerning the crematory is fixed in the
Febraury 27 law “On Organizing Burials and Usage of Graveyards and
Crematoria” adopted by the RA National Assembly.

NA Deputy Vladimir Badalian, the author of the law, mentioned that the
city of Yerevan is surrounded by graveyards which occupy the 7-8% of
the territory of the capital. And, according to rough calculations,
those territories will make the 30-40% in 2050 in the case of keeping
the present order of burials.

Reasoning the necessity of using crematory, V.Badalian mentioned that
crematory is justified in sanitary-epidemic, ecological and other
senses. Besides, according to the law, crematory may be implemented
only “with the written expression of the will of the man died or those
undretaken the burial.” The Deputy also mentioned that crematories
will start to operate in Armenia from 2008.

Responding the law author’s reasonings, priest Ter Hakob Khachatrian
expressed confidence that the lands may be kept by implementing burial
on another grave what is allowed by the same law. Besides, according
to him, it may be prohibited to build capital constructions on
graves. “In this case, on the one hand, our lands will be kept and on
the other hand, our national and Christian picture won’t be
distorted,” priest Ter Hakob Khachatrian mentioned.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WORLD BANK CONFERS “1993-2002 COUNTRY PROGRAMS BEST PRACTICE AWARD” ON
ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2005, the World Bank (WB) conferred
the 1993-2002 Country (Armenia) Programs Best Practice Award on
Armenia. Armenia has become the first country to receive this award of
the World Bank.

According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Finance and
Economy, an annual meeting-discussion on assessment of the WB-financed
programs’ package took place in Yerevan on March 10. The purpose of
the discussion was to examine the overall situation regarding the
programs’ implementation in Armenia, assess efficiency of their
implementation, identify problems related to these programs and
propose their solutions, etc.

It was noted that the annual study of the 2005 package of programs
showed that they continue to be low-risk. The index of expenditures
is considerably higher than the average regional index of Europe and
Central Asia, which creates positive trends in terms of invsetment
activities and programs’ implementation.

41 programs of a total of 920.9 mln USD have been approved by the
World Bank in Armenia, with the programs of 749 mln USD being already
implemented. The total amount of the currently opertaing programs
makes 280.4 mln USD.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UPCOMING ELECTIONS WOULD BE CRUCIAL TO ARMENIA’S FUTURE, INTERNATIONAL
WORKING GROUP ON ELECTIONS CONVINCED

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The international working group on
elections was established in 2002 to provide a forum for the exchange
of information and experience among representatives of international
organizations and Embassies in Armenia that have been involved in
election assistance. The group meets regularly and is chaired by the
OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Ambassadors and the heads of intergovernmental organisations involved
in the working group met on March 9 and exchanged information about
Armenia’s progress in preparing for Parliamentary and Presidential
elections that will be held in 2007 and 2008.

According to the statement adopted by the working group, provided to
Noyan Tapan by OSCE Yerevan Office Press and Public Relations
Department, the participants took note of the steps that have already
been initiated by the Armenian authorities, including efforts to
update the voters list, the beginning of training for members of
electoral commissions, and preliminary steps to review the existing
electoral code.

The participants noted that the elections scheduled to take place next
year and the year after would take place in new circumstances
following the Constitutional referendum which modified the system of
governance in the country. The participants welcomed these changes as
constituting, on the whole, progress for Armenia and correcting a
number of shortcomings in the constitution as it existed.

At the same time, the shortcomings of previous elections were recalled
and the participants noted that those international observers who were
invited to witness the voting related to the Constitutional referendum
in November concluded that the process was marked by serious abuses. A
number of Armenia’s leaders have acknowledged that numerous
shortcomings were evident and that for this reason a shadow had been
cast on the voting process itself.

With these circumstances in mind, the participants agreed that the
upcoming elections would be crucial to Armenia’s future. They are of
the view that a government that is, and is perceived by its population
to be, fairly chosen by the people, is not only essential to a just
society, but is also a significant factor in political stability,
national security, and economic development. A fair and open electoral
process is also one of Armenia’s international commitments. The
participants welcomed statements by a number of Armenian officials
that the Government of Armenia was taking steps to ensure that the
shortcomings of the past would not be repeated.

Several participants of the meeting have indicated their willingness
to provide appropriate assistance. They noted, in particular, the
importance of assisting with the training of election commission
members, the provision of expertise in connection with possible
revisions of the electoral code, improvements in the voters list, and
the promotion of popular awareness of the procedures that must be
followed in order to produce a free and fair election. The meeting
stressed the importance of the earliest possible engagement of foreign
governments and international organisations in providing requested
assistance, having in mind the complexity of electoral processes and
the time often required to develop and mobilise assistance programs.

The participants expressed the hope that the Government of Armenia
would engage civil society in ensuring that the forthcoming elections
constitute a unifying process between the people and those who govern
them.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CE SECRETARY GENERAL SENDS LETTERS TO FOREIGN MINISTERS OF 37 CE
MEMBER STATES, INCLUDING ARMENIA

STRASBOURG, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The Secreatry General of the
Council of Europe (CE) Terry Davis sent letters to the foreign
ministers of the 37 CE member states, reminding, in the context of
secret arrests and transportation of prisoners in Europe, about
honoring the commitments of the CE member states within the framework
of the European Convention of Human Rights.

These countries are Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxemburg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Russia, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, “the Former Republic of Macedonia Jugoslavia”, Turkey, Ukraine
and the UK. The letter to Albania was sent on February 22.

According to the CE press service in Armenia, the governments of the
above mentioned countries were requested to make additions to or
explain the responses given during the November 21, 2005 survey. The
deadline for providing answers is April 7.

NATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY DEGRADES TODAY, SPECIALISTS EMPHASIZE

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The March 10 discussion at the
“Hayeli” (Mirror) club was dedicated to the current problems and
further fate of the Armenian choreography. The discussion was held
with participation of Zemfira Yeritsian, professor of Choreography
Chair of Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema, and Albert
Kizirian, Head of Choreography Chair of Yereven Pedagogical University
Culture Faculty.

The discussion participants touched upon the current condition of
national choreography stating that it is gradually degrading giving up
its place to the choreography of oriental peoples. They are convinced
that the Ministry of Culture has no exact state policy for the
regulation of this issue, as a result of which “we have the current
situation”.

Albert Kizirian said that the folklore of each people is the basis of
its choreography. Meanwhile, he is convinced that having folklore in
the basis of choreography, nevertheless, today we should also take
into consideration the requirements and dictates of time in this
sphere of art.

According to Zemfira Yeritsian, the current choreography figures,
performers and producers have lost not only the Armenian traditional
dancing elements but also a very important thing – the fire of the
soul. “They dance without any fire, without feelings, without a
dialogue with the spectators, which has made the national dance simple
and non-attractive,” the former solo dancer considers.
From: Baghdasarian

DISC OF SONGS IN HAMSHEN DIALECT OF ARMENIAN LANGUAGE RELEASED

KRASNODAR, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A disc titled
“First of Hamshen” was released in Krasnodar. According to the
“Yerkramas” (country) newspaper of the Armenians in Russia, the most
popular music compositions in the dialect of Hamshen are gathered in
the disc for the first time. The compositions are recorded being
performed by the “Caravan” music group of the region of Tuapse,
Krasnodar, with the organization assistance of the “Hamshen” Armenian
scientific information-cultural center and financial aid of the local
benefactors.

There are other works as well in the 2006 programs of the “Hamshen”
center: working out of the form of the “Encyclopedia of Hamshen,”
urgent researches in the regions of inhabitation of Armenians of
Hamshen, publication of scientific reference books concerning problems
of Hamshen Armenians, creation of the site of the organization,
preparation of the idea and scenario of a documentary film,
publication of the “Library of Hamshen” serios of books, creation of
the Armenian folk theater, organization of the Hamshen cultural
festival, etc.

Armenians of Hamshen make the great part of the waterside region of
Krasnodar and few regions of Kuban and Adghe. They moved to Kuban from
the Hamshen province (at present in the territory of Turkey) of the
Western Armenia in the middle of the 19th century and early in the
20th century, after the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. According to
experts’ data, about 250 thousand Armenians of Hamshen live jointly in
Kuban, Adghe and Abkhazia, and according to data of different sources,
from 700 to 1.5 mln Armenians of Hamshen became Moslem live within the
borders of the traditional inhabitation in the territory of Turkey.

YOUNG ARMENIAN KILLED IN TSALKA, ANOTHER TWO SERIOUSLY INJURED

AKHLAKALAK, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the ninth of
March, at about 6 one o’clock in the evening in the city of Tsalka
(the center of Tsalka area of Kvemo-Kartli region of Georgia) an armed
attack took place on a group of young men of the Armenian
nationality. 23-year-old Gevorg Gevorkyan was killed, as a result of
knife wounds he died shortly after the incident, V. Saakyan (25) was
wounded in the leg, and K.Baloyan (25) with a serous wound, 7 hours
later was delivered to (Aramyants) Tbilisi city hospital.

According to an eyewitness, the number of those attacking was about
15. After the attack the criminals escaped. The casualties are not
aware of the reason for the attack, committed, from their point of
view, by Adjar or Svan migrants.

According to eyewitnesses, after a while, all entrances to the city of
Tsalka from the Armenian villages were blocked by SWAT
units. According to the A-Info agency, the other roads including the
trunk one leading to the capital were free for travelling.

The same day in the evening the regional police arrested 3 suspects in
connection with the incident. At present they are being
interrogated. At the same time, nearly 300 Armenians, residents of
Tsalka, gathered in front of the police building in token of
protest. They demand a deserved punishment for the murderers. The
Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has increased the number of the
spcial services with a motivation of taking control of the situation.
The regional police building was surrounded by about 150 servicemen in
masks.

Later the crowd in indignation broke the windows of Tsalka police. In
response, the special detachment that urgently arrived in Tsalka from
Tbilisi beat the Armenian demonstrants with sub-machine guns and
rubber clubs. As Hayk Meltonian, Deputy of Georgian parliament elected
by a majoritarian system, affirmed, about 100 demonstrants were
beaten.