PanARMENIAN.Net
Karabakh Became `Subject of Talks’, Alexander Iskandaryan Considers
28.04.2006 22:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The year of 2005 in Armenia may be called the year
of death of the opposition, Caucasus Media Institute Director,
political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan stated at Caucasus 2005
international conference held in Yerevan. In his words, in 2005 the
opposition rating kept on falling what could be vividly seen after the
constitutional referendum when a small number of people attended the
opposition rallies. `People are bored of talks about revolution. This
became quite obvious after the events that followed the
referendum. The domestic situation in Armenia can be interpreted the
following way: weak power and absence of opposition,’ he remarked.
Alexander Iskandaryan also emphasized that the conflicting parties
still work towards conservation of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. The
political scientist supposes Karabakh has just become a `subject of
talks’. `All say that precise dialogue will become possible after a
political decision is made. But the interested sides know that there
will be no political decision,’ he said.
As for the rise in gas prices the CMI Director remarked Armenia loses
most of all. `When Russia blocks gas pumping for Georgia it does not
think of its strategic partner and ally. The same situation is with
the withdrawal of the military base from Akhalkalaki. We are not asked
weather we want these weapons. They just bring it,’ he remarked.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Azeri Diaspora to Have No Impact on Georgia’s Position in Karabakh
28.04.2006 22:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Georgia practices multisided foreign policy. We are
not merely geographical neighbors with Russia. We have great number of
contact points at historical, cultural and human level,’ Georgian
Ambassador to Armenia Revaz Gachechiladze stated in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, there is nothing strange in the fact
that Georgia heads for the West, since Russia’s new policy is oriented
towards western democratic values as well.
When touching upon the regional conflict, the Georgian Ambassador
remarked that the unsettled conflicts in Georgia and the presence of
the Azeri Diaspora are by no means bound with the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement.

WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT TELL ROGER ROBINSON?

Lragir.am
28 April 06

The World Bank Armenia Country Manager Roger Robinson gave a news
conference on April 28 and gave reporters interesting ideas and
revelations on the fifth generating unit of the Thermal Power Plant of
Hrazdan.
Roger Robinson first stated that the government of Armenia is planning
to hold public debates on the deal on the fifth generating unit next
week, and to answer questions on this issue. Roger Robinson announced
that the government is responsible for people and has to report on its
steps. After this idea the interesting viewpoints of Robinson began.
He said that judging by the information he got from government
officials the deal was highly profitable for Armenia, and if the mass
media discussed these problems with the government, they would agree
and realize that it was a truly favorable deal for Armenia. He does
not consider it troubling that the entire energy sector of Armenia is
monopolized by another country. Roger Robinson says it is more
important to have a strong controller to maintain and control the
offered public utilities. He also calls for considering the reality.
According to Roger Robinson, the reality is that the main supplier of
fuel for energy generation, i.e. nuclear fuel, gas, is Russia. The
only resource Armenia has is water, or the snow that melts and fills
the rivers and is used in water power plants. The World Bank Armenia
Country Manager emphasizes the awareness of the reality which cannot
be changed in a couple of minutes.
Certainly, this reality cannot be changed in a several minutes, but it
can be changed over years. In the meantime, there is danger that the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline that gave a hope of change may be given to
Russia. In this perspective it is interesting what the attitude of the
World Bank towards the new reality will be. With regard to this Roger
Robinson said the ownership of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is not
part of this deal.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Georgian Ambassador: Christian Peoples Surrounded by Islamic World –
Medieval Anachronism
28.04.2006 23:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The relations between the churches should be
determined at the meetings the church hierarchs. The Embassy
represents the temporal power and does not interfere in religious
matters, Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Revaz Gachechiladze stated in
an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. As for the cliché `Christian
peoples/states surrounded by the Islamic world’, this is an anarchism
of the medieval age. As far as I know Christian Armenia enjoys very
best relations the Islamic Republic of Iran,’ the Ambassador
remarked. To note, the Armenian Apostolic Church demands six Armenian
churches taken away in the soviet period be returned under its
jurisdiction.

From: [email protected]
Subject: Water Will Not Get Expensive But Over The Next Month Only
WATER WILL NOT GET EXPENSIVE BUT OVER THE NEXT MONTH ONLY

Lragir.am
28 April 06

The Public Utilities Commission, headed by the former mayor of Yerevan
Robert Nazaryan, was supposed to discuss the bid of Yerevan Water
Company on April 28. In other words, Robert Nazaryan and his
colleagues were supposed to discuss the new tariff of water. The
commission had even prepared the draft decision, and browsed on its
official website.
In the beginning of the meeting of the commission the head of the
State Water Committee under the government of Armenia Andranik
Andreasyan, apologizing to the participants, asked the commission to
postpone the meeting for a month. The official excuse is the procedure
of the management agreement, signed with the French company Generale
Des Eaux, which will take up the management of Yerevan Water Sewage
Company. Andranik Andreasyan says there are problems with transfers of
property, which requires additional time. In other words, the
agreement will take effect later than May 1, as it had been foreseen
in the agreement, as soon as the problems of transfers of property are
settled. Therefore the parties of the agreement asked the committee to
put off the meeting for a month. Robert Nazaryan asked Serge Popov,
the manager of Yerevan Water, to confirm that they accept the proposal
of the Water Committee. Popov confirmed saying that the proposal was
based on a mutual agreement. The meeting of the committee was
postponed.
`There is a huge problem of transfers of property, about 30 pieces of
property is being transferred, there are drawbacks regarding certain
elements, which need further elaboration. They have certain questions,
more elucidation and within these several days or a week these
questions will get answers. After all, a huge system is transferred,’
says Andranik Andreasyan.
The manager of Yerevan Water Serge Popov says the problems are typical
of big deals. Popov says Generale des Eaux has signed similar
contracts in the countries of East Europe where the period of transfer
of property was 6 months but an additional three months were
required. In Armenia the period mentioned in the contract was only 3
months. The problems are not unexpected, and the proposal of the
parties of contract is justified. Serge Popov says for a ten-year
contract 15 days is not a long time. Hence, Yerevan Water Company has
not started yet, which means that Yerevan Water Sewage Company still
operates, and the tariff remains the same.
Currently 1 cu. m of drinking water is 120 drams. The French suggest
increasing it to 172.8 drams. This price is written down in the
management contract as a source of investments. The Public Utilities
Commission has accepted the bid of Yerevan Water but partly, as it
usually does. However, this is not exactly the same as the previous
cases, for with regard to water the price is mentioned in the
contract. If the commission rejected the bid of the French company, it
would be considered a breach of the management contract.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
April 28, 2006
Defense of Doctoral Theses in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
Four New Vardapets in the Armenian Church
On April 21, three members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin and one
member of the Brotherhood of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
defended their doctoral theses before the doctoral examination committee in
the Mother See.
Rev. Fr. Abgar Hovakimian, Vicar of the Diocese of Syunik, defended his
doctoral thesis entitled `St. Dionysius the Areopagite in Armenian
Bibliography’.
Rev. Fr. Mkrtich Proshian, Dean of the Vaskenian Seminary of Lake Sevan,
defended his doctoral thesis entitled `An Analysis of Feminist Sotierology’.
Rev. Fr. Hovakim Manukian, Office Director of the Department of Inter-Church
Relations, defended his doctoral thesis entitled `Ecumenism in the Twentieth
Century and the Armenian Church’.
Rev. Fr. Sahak Mashalian from the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
defended his doctoral thesis entitled `Faith and Miracle’.
The examination committee was comprised of His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian
(Chairman); His Grace Bishop Mikayel Ajapahian, Primate of the Diocese of
Shirak; and His Grace Bishop Arshak Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother
See.
Following each candidate’s presentation and question and answer period, the
committee determined that all four presentations were acceptable and deemed
the priests worthy to be granted the rank of `Vardapet’ (Archimandrite).
On Saturday, April 23, in the Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots in Oshakan, His
Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrosian, bestowed the rank of Vardapet on the three
members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin.  The priests recommitted
themselves to the service of the Armenian people and Holy Church by taking
an oath near the tomb of the `Great Teacher’ St. Mesrop, whereupon they
received their doctoral staffs.
Rev. Fr. Mashalian will be granted his doctoral staff in the month of June.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Consumers Association call upon boycotting Turkish goods
ArmRadio.am
25.04.2006 17:26
`We should start boycotting Turkish goods in the Armenian market. This
is, first of all, a problem of our national dignity, and then an
economic issue,’ President of the Armenian Consumers Association Armen
Pogosyan has announced at a news conference on April 25.
However, according to him, surveys have shown that many Turkish goods
meet consumer standards and it is impossible to isolate fully the
Armenian market from Turkish goods. `Our citizens should understand
that they should not buy some products, despite it is cheap, as it
touches upon dignity of any Armenian, who remembers history of his
people,’ Armen Pogosyan noted.
As a REGNUM correspondent reports, the association’s president
reminded that when the French Senate recognized the Armenian Genocide
of 1915, `on that very day the Turkish Union for Consumer Rights
Protection announced boycott against French goods imported to the
country.’ `We should undertake administrative measures too, without
violation of the law for consumer rights protection, ‘ concluded Armen
Pogosyan.

Caucus Co-Chairs urge President Bush to condemn Azeri actions against
Armenia and Karabakh
ArmRadio.am
28.04.2006 10:36
On the eve of President Bush’s meeting with Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev, Members of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues
called on the US leader to firmly denounce Azerbaijan’s ongoing war
mongering, and other actions, against the Republic of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh.
Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, Jr., along with
Caucus Members George Radanovich and Adam Schiff, sent a letter to the
President that states in part:
“Azerbaijani government officials have consistently threatened war and
fostered anti-Armenian intolerance. Ignoring international criticism,
President Aliyev has repeatedly declared that Azerbaijan could launch
a new military offensive against Karabakh, and that he is waging a
‘cold war’ against Armenia where the ongoing negotiations are only a
way to achieve unilateral Armenian concessions.”
In a speech before the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington
Aliyev continued making bellicose statements against Armenia, saying
that the “war is not over,” and that the “patience of the Azerbaijani
people has limits.”
The Congressmen also underscored the fact that Azerbaijan’s actions
are counterproductive to the stability of the South Caucasus as well
as US objectives in the region.

Frank Pallone: Bush’s remarks failed to properly characterize Armenian
Genocide
ArmRadio.am
28.04.2006 11:35
Representative Frank Pallone, Jr, co-chairman of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, made the following statement after
President Bush’s proclamation on the 91st anniversary of the start of
the Armenian Genocide: “The President should have used today’s 91st
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to promote a United States
foreign policy that reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
to human rights, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Instead, President
Bush failed, once again, to honor his pledge to properly characterize
the Armenian Genocide as “genocide” in his annual April 24th
remarks. Despite a plea by over 200 Members of Congress last week, he
continues to avoid any clear reference to the Armenian Genocide.”
“It’s time the U.S. government recognizes these actions as genocide so
that we can renew our commitment to prevent such atrocities from
occurring again. By properly affirming the Armenian Genocide, we can
also help to ensure its legacy and rightfully honor its victims and
survivors,” Frank Pallone concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR urges Armenian MPs to present the position of the Karabakh side to
the international community more actively
ArmRadio.am
28.04.2006 13:28
NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan urged Armenian parliamentarians to
present the position of the Karabakh side to the international
community more actively.
Arkadi Ghukasyan said this during the meeting with the delegation of
Armenian MPs headed by NA Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan. The delegation
was participating in the sitting of the Parliamentary Cooperation
Commission of NKR and Armenia. During the meeting issues related to
expansion of parliamentary cooperation and development were discussed.
Tigran Torosyan positively assessed the results of the two-day work of
the Commission and declared that an agreement has been reached to
include issues of economic integration of NKR and Armenia in the
agenda of the next sitting.
The Vice-Speaker of RA National Assembly underlined the importance of
exchange of views with Karabakh parliamentarians and also expressed
his support for activation of relations.