REP. PALLONE CALLS FOR PARITY IN ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN MILITARY ASSISTANCE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006
WASHINGTON, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Congressman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, took to the
floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on March 7 to criticize the
Administration’s “breach of an agreement struck between the White House
and Congress in 2001 to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA). The Bush Administration recommended last month, in its Fiscal
Year 2007 budget, that Azerbaijan receive significantly more military
training and hardware than Armenia. The President also proposed
cutting U.S. economic aid to Armenia from last year’s appropriation
of $74.4 million to $50 million, a nearly 33% reduction. The New
Jersey Congressman explained to his House colleagues that, “a lack
of military parity would weaken ongoing peace negotiations regarding
Nagorno Karabakh.
Furthermore, I believe that any imbalance will contribute to further
instability in the region if military parity is not achieved.” He
added that, “failing to respect the parity agreement undermines the
role of the U.S. as an impartial mediator of the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict.” Representative Pallone closed his remarks by noting that,
“in the coming weeks I will advocate to the Foreign Operations
Subcommittee to restore military parity, to increase economic
assistance to Armenia, and to provide for humanitarian aid to the
people of Nagorno Karabakh. It is incredibly important to reward our
allies and to send a message to Azerbaijan and Turkey that ethnically
charged genocides, illegal blockades of sovereign nations, and the
constant harassment of the Armenian people will not be tolerated.” “We
want to thank Congressman Pallone for his longstanding leadership in
educating his colleagues about the important U.S.
interests served by our assistance program to Armenia, direct aid to
Nagorno Karabagh, and the other Armenia-related provisions in the
Foreign Operations bill – most recently and notably – the need for
maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan,”
said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
“We also want to express our appreciation to Congressman Knollenberg
for his work, within the Foreign Operations Subcommittee itself,
generating vital support for maintaining military parity and other key
provisions of special concern to the Armenian American community.” The
President’s proposal for Freedom Support Act aid is $50 million for
Armenia, $28 million for Azerbaijan, and $58 million for Georgia. His
Foreign Military Financing proposals are $3.5 million for Armenia,
$4.5 million for Azerbaijan, and $10 million for Georgia.
The White House’s recommendation to Congress for International
Military Education and Training is $790,000 for Armenia, $885,000
for Azerbaijan, and $1,235,000 for Georgia. The Foreign Operations
Subcommittees of the Senate and House Appropriation Committees
are currently reviewing the President’s proposed budget and are
each drafting their own versions of the FY 2007 foreign assistance
bill. The agreement to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan was struck between the White House and Congress in
2001, in the wake of Congressional action granting the President the
authority to waive the Section 907 restrictions on aid to Azerbaijan.

ANCA CALLS ON SECRETARY RICE TO EXPLAIN REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS’ RECALL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006
WASHINGTON, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian called
upon Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to address reports that the
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, is being forced from
office based upon truthful and forthright statements about the Armenian
Genocide. In a March 8th letter, Hachikian asked Secretary Rice to
comment on published accounts (California Courier, March 9,2006) that
the Ambassador is being recalled, well before the normal end of his
term of office, due to remarks during a series of presentations to
Armenian American communities across the country. 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.” Within days after his
remarks and the conclusion of a speaking tour of Armenian American
communities, Ambassador Evans was apparently forced to issue a
statement clarifying that his references to the Armenian Genocide were
his personal views and did not represent a change in U.S. policy. He
subsequently issued a correction to this statement, replacing a
reference to the Genocide with the word “tragedy.” Later last year,
the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), in recognition of
his honesty and commitment to principle, decided to honor Ambassador
Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,” recognizing creative
thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service. Sadly,
as Washington Post staff writer Glenn Kessler revealed on June 9th,
AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from “very serious people
from the State Department.”
In his letter, Hachikian wrote that, “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.” He added that, “if, in fact, punitive measures
are being taken against Ambassador Evans, this would represent a
tragic retreat from our nation’s core values. It would also represent
a new low in our government’s shameful complicity in the Turkish
government’s campaign of denial. Not only does the State Department
continue to be publicly silent as Turkey criminally prosecutes its
writers and citizens for speaking about the Armenian Genocide, it
appears the State Department is following Turkey’s lead by muzzling and
punishing an American diplomat for his speech and his acknowledgement
of a genocide that is extensively documented in the State Department’s
own archives.” The ANCA letter also urged Secretary Rice to respond
in a timely manner to the series of written questions on this matter
submitted on February 16th by Congressman Adam Schiff during her
testimony before the House International Relations Committee. Among
these questions was a specific request that the Secretary assure the
Committee that the Department of State has not taken – and will not
take – any punitive action against Ambassador Evans for speaking out
about the Armenian Genocide. On the other hand, Congresswoman Grace
Napolitano (D-CA) submitted a series of questions to a senior State
Department official during his testimony before the U.S.
House International Relations Committee – including a pointed question
about reports that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia is being recalled
due to his public acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. As a follow
up question, addressed to Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried, the
California Congresswoman asked for a clarification of any restrictions
placed on State Department officials concerning the use of the word
“genocide” when discussing the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians
starting in 1915. She also inquired about U.S.
policy on the Turkish blockade of Armenia and the proposed Caucasus
railroad line circumventing Armenia. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice has yet to respond to an earlier written inquiry regarding
Ambassador Evans from Congressman Adam Schiff during her February
16th testimony before the same panel.
Responding to a reporter’s question at today’s State Department
briefing, spokesperson Sean McCormack said, “I’m not aware that
we have recalled anybody. . . I believe that he’s still serving as
ambassador in Armenia.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DAVID HAYRAPETIAN WINS IN RUSSIAN BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006
KHANTY MANSIYSK, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On March
5, the Russian Boxing Championship ended in Khanty Mansiysk. This
was one of the chief elimination tournaments to the July Europe
Championship. According to the “Yerkramas” (Territory) newspaper of
Armenians of Russia, David Hayrapetian from the Stavropol territory
won in the weight category of up to 48 kg. A number of other boxers
of Armenian origin also became prize-winners in the championship:
in the weight category of up to 54 kg Artur Hambartsumian (Krasnodar
territory) took the third place, in the cetegory of up to 60 kg
Eduard Hambartsumian (autnomous region of Khanty Mansiysk) won a
silver medal, in the cetegory of up to 69 kg David Arustamian (Moscow)
won a bronze medal.

ARCHBISHOP SEPUH SARGSIAN: ENEMY OF RELIGION IS NOT OTHER RELIGION, BUT GODLESSNESS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006
TEHRAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Every religion
has its holinesses, sanctuaries, its prophets and the credo, making
the axis of its belief. Nobody has right to despise or to mock the
cherished holinesses, authorities of another religion. This is one of
the most important circumstances of the human morality”, announced
Archbishop Sepuh Sargsian, the primate of the Armenian diocese of
Tehran, making a speech at the second sitting of the regional council
of the Religious leaders, that was held on March 4 in the building
of the Islamic Culture and Communication organization. His Holiness
Sepuh mentioned that ten days before, the 9th conference of the
International Council of Churches, held at the city of Porto Allegre,
Brazil, which was headed by Aram I Catholicos of the Great House
of Cilicia, refered to this phenomenon with a special announcement,
condemned the happened and called to avoid the savagenesses. “The enemy
of religion is not the other religion, but the Godlessness, poverty,
the usage of drugs, unjustice, the degradation of moral values and
the globalization. We all are called to be unanimous in order to
fight against this kind of phenomena”, mentioned the primate of the
Armenian diocese of Tehran. As the Tehran daily “Alik” (Wave) informs,
Gholamali Haddad Adel, President of the Islamic Parliament of Iran;
Seyed Mohammad Khatamin, Ex-President of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, Director of the International Center of Dialogue of Religions
and Civilizations; Saffar Harandi, the Minister of Islamic Culture
and Leadership; the Deputies of the religious minorities of Iran,
the President of the Council of the Orthodox Church of Russia, the
Ambassador of Vatican in Iran and others also made speeches. Among
those invited were Archbishop Nshan Garakeheyan, the Primate of the
Armenian Catholicos Community of Iran, Henrik Shahnazarian, spiritual
paster of the Armenian Gospel Community of Iran, Academician, Doctor
Harmik Davtian, Gevorg Vardanian and Robert Beglarian, Deputies of the
Northern and Southern Armenians of Iran in the Islamic Parliament,
representatives of the Armenian Diocesan Council of Tehran and of
national primacy. The participants of the sitting condemned the
outrage against the religious holinesses. At the end of the sitting
a resolution was read, one of the points of which, that was worked
out with help of the Armenian Diocese of Tehran, was the following:
“The present century is a century of dialogue. For true, valid and
sincere dialogue the following should be taken into consideration:
every religion has its ideological world, credo. We shouldn’t give
us right to explain and comment upon that persuasions and credos and
to present it as a absolute truth”. At the end of the sitting trees
were planted as a token of dialogue of religions.

ABOUT 85 MLN EUROS NECESSARY FOR IMPROVEMENT OF LORI AND SHIRAK REGIONS WATER SUPPLY AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. About 85 mln euros is necessary for
improvement of water supply and drainage systems in Lori and Shirak
regions. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the Press
Service of RA Territorial Government Ministry’s State Committee of
Water Economy, RA government jointly with the KfW German bank has been
implementing a program aimed at improvement of water supply system of
these regions since the previous year, the first stage of which was
valued in the amount of 25.99 mln euros. At that, 23.37 mln euros of
this sum was given by the German bank (15.54 mln euros as a credit, the
rest of the sum as a grant) and 2.62 mln euros is the co-financing of
RA government. It’s envisaged to finish the program in three years. In
particular, it’s envisaged to implement improvement of water supply
and drainage systems in the town of Vanadzor, Lernapat, Darpas and
Shahumian communities in the Lori region, in the towns of Gyumri,
Maralik, communities of Akhurian, Azatan in the Shirak region. In
the rest of the communities it’s envisaged to place water-maters on
the entrance mains of the populated areas.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VASAK TOROSIAN APPOINTED MEMBER OF RA STATE COMMISSION ON PROTECTION OF ECONOMIC COMPETITION
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. In accordance with the March 9 decree
of the Armenian President Robert Kocharian, Vasak Torosian has been
appointed a member of the RA State Commission on Protection of Economic
Competition for a 5-year term. NT was informed about it from the RA
President’s press service.

ANCA WELCOMES END TO U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT’S THREE-MONTH SILENCE ON AZERBAIJAN’S DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC DJULFA CEMETERY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006
WASHINGTON, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “We welcome the
end to the State Department’s long silence on Djulfa, but regret that
it took three months and sustained international protest before our
government summoned the will to utter its first public condemnation of
a clear cut and thoroughly documented case of cultural desecration,”
said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, commenting on the
statement made by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew
Bryza at the press conference in Yerevan on March 7. Responding to
reporters’ questions by describing the destruction as a “tragedy,”
Matthew Bryza noted that, “it’s awful what happened in Djulfa. But
the United States cannot take steps to stop it as it is happening on
foreign soil. We continually raise this issue at meetings with Azeri
officials. We are hopeful that the guilty will justly be punished. We
are hopeful that in no other state of the region such things will
happen again, as there are great historic monuments in the Caucasus
and, frankly speaking, in all three states they are endangered.” In
December of 2005, approximately 200 Azerbaijani forces were videotaped
using sledgehammers to demolish the Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, a
sacred site of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cemetery dates back
to the 7th Century and once was home to as many as 10,000 khatchkars
(stone-crosses).

PROJECTS ON OPERATION OF SMALL AND MEDIUM MINES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The scientific research institute
Lernametalurgia has received a lot of orders, most of which are
related to studies on minerals found at small and medium mines. Artur
Ashughian, Head of the Nature Use Economics and Mining Industry
Department of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development,
stated this at the March 7 press conference. He said that research
work at small and medium mines started in 2005. It was noted that
5-7 year projects requiring invsetments of 30-35 mln USD are needed
for the research and operation of such mines. It is envisaged that
the extracted ores will be processed at highly efficent plants to be
built within the framwork of these projects.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

30% DISCREPANCY BETWEEN GROWTH RATES OF CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING STONE EXTRACTION INDICATES EXISTENCE OF SHADOW IN BUILDING STONE EXTRACTION SECTOR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. About 300 licences have been
granted to the mineral extraction companies in Armenia, most of
which operate nonmetal or building material mines. Artur Ashughian,
Head of the Nature Use Economics and Mining Industry Department of
the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, said it at the
March 7 press conference. According to him, there is a “shadow”
sector in the building stone extraction, which is indicated by the
fact that in Armenia, the growth rate of construction exceeds that
of building stone production by 30%. Whereas the difference in the
volumes of cement production and exports and the volumes of cement
use in construction are almost the same. According to A. Ashughian,
only two companies are engaged in cement production in the country.

4th SITTING OF ARMENIAN-UKRAINIAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION TO BE HELD IN JUNE
Noyan Tapan
Mar 09 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuri
Ekhanurov proposed that the 4th sitting of the Armenian-Ukrainian
Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation be held in
June 2006. During a meeting with the RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian on March 7, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Alexander
Bozhko noted the expediency of this proposal, as by this June both
the new parliament and government of Ukraine will be formed and it
will be possible to have most efficient discussions on problems of
mutual interest. According to the RA Government Information and PR
Department, A. Margarian considered the proposal of his Ukrainian
counterpart as acceptable. He said that Armenia is interested in
further development of friendly relations between the two countries,
noting the existence of a large Armenian community in Ukraine. The
Armenian prime minister expressed a hope that the pariamentary
elections to be held in Ukraine in late March will take place
sucessfully and in line with democratic standards.