INTRODUCTION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN CAN TOUCH UPON SOME SPHERES OF ARMENIAN-IRANIAN COOPERATION, EXPERT CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. It is not excluded
that possible sanctions against Iran can have a negative impact on the
development of Armenian-Iranian cooperation. Sevak Sarukhanian, expert
on Iran of the Noravank scientific-educational fund, declared this
answering Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, what impact possible
introduction of economic sanctions against Iran can have on Armenia. As
he estimated, today the world is not ready to refuse supplies of the
Iranian oil. Therefore, possible sanctions against Iran will rather
touch upon other spheres than the oil one, which can have a negative
impact on some sides of Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation and,
in particular, trade between the two countries. According to the
expert, the beginning of discussion of the issue on introduction
of sanctions against Iran by the European Union is an integral part
of the political pressure exerted by the world on Iran today. Seven
Sarukhanian did not exclude that today for EU it is not beneficial to
introduce any sanctions against Iran as in difference to U.S., today
Europe directly depends on supplies of the Iranian oil. In addition,
in his opinion, the sanctions can do harm the dialogue that started
between IRI and EU on the issue of perspective supplies of the Iranian
gas to Europe. The expert considers that for the present, introduction
of sanctions against Iran by U.S. and a group of countries at one
with U.S. is more realistic. Some members of EU can also appear among
them. However, EU as an orga nization will hardly introduce sanctions
against IRI, especially forestalling the UN Security Council.

HAYRIKIAN CONGRATULATES SAHAKASHVILI “IN CONNECTION WITH LIBERATING GEORGIAN PEOPLE FROM LAST STRONGHOLDS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM”
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. “I congratulate you and in your person
the whole Georgian people in connection with liberating the Georgian
people from the last stronghold of the Russian imperialism and making
Georgia a base of deserved and human way of life in the region,”
the address of Chairman of the National Self-Determination Union
Paruyr Hayrikian to Georgian President Mikhail Shahakashvili read
this. According to Hayrikian, Russia has appeared in the Caucasian
region as a conqueror and as this country is not democratic it cannot
be interested in another purpose. “The withdrawal of the Russian troops
from Georgia and especially the exposure of the agent, in essence, spy
net, is a historical achievement equal to declaration of independence
in Georgia. It is no doubt the representatives of this agent net
that at the bidding of the Russian secret services sometimes play
the role of provokers hampering the Armenian-Georgian relations,”
the letter read. Hayrikian gives assurance that these attempts will
fail with the efforts of the Georgian people and very soon Georgians
in Armenia and Armenians in Georgia will feel themselves at home.
“I shake hands with you as fulfilling the dreams of my
companions-in-arms Merab Kostava, Gia Chanturia and others who
struggled for the sake of Georgia’s independence, you pave the way for
liberation and prosperity of not only Georgia but also the region,”
Paruyr Hayrikian’s letter read.

FILMS WITH PARTICIPATION OF CHARLES CHAPLIN SHOWN ON HIS BIRTHDAY AT NATIONAL GALLERY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On the birthday of legend of
world movie Charles Spenser Chaplin, April 16, 5 films with his
participation, shot in 1918-1922, were shown at the cinema hall of
the Armenian National Gallery. As Melik Karapetian, employee of the
educational department of the Armenian National Gallery, said in his
interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent, it is already the 4th year
showing of films dedicated to Chaplin’s birthday is organized in
Yerevan. In the first two years it was held at Yerevan children’s
library after Khnko Aper under the title “Chaplin Marathon” but
already last year a regional festival of mute movie was organized
for the first time at the National Gallery, during which mute movies
created in the regional countries were shown.

RA AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA AND PRIMATE OF VIRAHAYOTS DIOCESE VISIT JAVAKHK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Hrach Silvanian,
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the RA to Georgia
and Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, the primate of the Virahayots Diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church started their two-days vitis to
Samtskhe-Javakhk on early April 15. According to the “A-Info” agency,
the first meeting of the Ambassador and His Holiness took place
in Akhaltskha where in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church,
first, the Surb Easter Liturgy was celebrated, then a meeting with
representatives of Armenian public organizations of Akhaltskha
took place.
The Ambassador mentioned at the meeting that the visit is of
introducing character. The Ambassador of Armenia had a meeting with
Tamaz Petriashvili, the Mayor of Akhaltskha as well. After midday,
the delegation arrived from Tbilisi left for Ninotsminda and Akhalkalak
where similar meetings took place in the evening and the next day.

ACCORDING TO CHAIRMAN OF ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS’ COUNCIL OF JAVAKHK, REFUSAL OF GEORGIAN ARMENIANS REQUEST TO GIVE STATE STATUS TO ARMENIAN LANGUAGE NOT MORAL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Nino Burjanadze,
the Georgian Parliament Speaker stated that though at elementary level,
everybody must learn the Abkhazian language in Georgia. The “News of
Georgia” department of the “RIA-Novosti” information agency informed
about this on April 14. The Parliament Speaker reasoned his idea with
the fact that the Constitutional status of the Abkhazian language
obliges to respect that language. According to the “A-Info” agency,
Khachatur Stepanian, representative of the Samtskhe-Javakhk Armenian
Public Organizations Council, responding Burjanadze’s statement,
again touched upon the problem of giving state status to the Armenian
language in the southern regions of Georgia populated with Armenians
(Samtskhe-Javakhk and Tsalka region). According to Kh.Stepanian, if
the language of the main inhabitation (60 thousand) of the territory
de facto independent of the central authorities is constitutionally
made state, at least in a part of the territory of the country and
its teaching in the whole country is considered necessary, it will be
immoral to refuse the request of giving state status to own language
of 200 thousand law-abiding citizens (Armenians of North Georgia)
of the country.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF MOSCOW PREPARES TO MARK 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
MOSCOW, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian community
of the capiltal of the Russian Federation plans a number of events
dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. On the
initiative of the “Mitk” (thought) Armenian Youth Union, a meeting
with Yuri Barseghov, the Director of the Armenian Institute of
International Law and Policy of Moscow, Law Doctor, Professor, took
place at the conference-hall of the Russian Public Political Center
on April 14. The following issues were discussed at the meeting:
the Armenian Genocide as a crime against mankind and the mankind,
international recognition of the fact of the Armenian Genocide and the
legal resposibility of Turkey, official recognition and condemnation of
that crime by Turkey itself, ways of just liquidation of consequences
of the genocide, the Hay Dat (Armenian cause) solution based on the
international law. The organizer is the “Mitk” Armenian Youth Union,
which is the youth project of the “Russian-Armenian Cooperation”
public organization. Armenia young people’s meeting with Giovanni
Guaita, an Italian writer, author of a number of books about the
history of Armenia, the Armenian Church and the Armenian Genocide,
took place on April 15 at the cultural center of the Moscow city
department of the Union of Armenians in Russia. The program involves
presentation of a rare multimedia disk involving documents, photo and
video facts concerning the Armenian Genocide, questions and answers
concerning those materials. The Union of Armenians of Russia and
the Association of Armenian Youth’s Intellectual Cooperation are the
organizers of the event. 21:00- 02:00, April 22- Mourning vigil at
the Surb Haroutiun Armenian Church. The action is held already for the
second year. The goal of the action is to reach universal condemnation
of that crime against the mankind and prevetion of similar crimes in
future. The organizers are the Coordination Council of Armenian Youth
Organizations, the Armenian Students’ Association of the Moscow State
University and the “April 24” organization committee. At 11:00, April
24, the memory day of the Armenian Genocide victims, representatives
of the RA Embassy to the RF, the New Nakhijevan and Russian Diocese of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian public organizations will lay
wreaths at the khachkar (cross stone) in the territory of the Surb
Haroutiun Armenian church. At 12:00 the Liturgy will be celebrated
at the Surb Haroutiun church to the memory of the Armenian Genocide
victims. The Liturgy will be celebrated by Bishop Yezras Nersisian,
the Primate of the New Nakhijevan and Russian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church. At 13:30 the same day, a mass meeting is envisaged
at the Turkish Embassy. The organizers are the Union of Armenians of
Russia, the “Mitk” Armenian Youth Union, the Coordination Countil of
Armenian Youth Organizations.

ARMENIAN-LATVIAN FISH AND CRAYFISH PROCESSING JOINT VENTURE SET UP IN RIGA
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. A joint venture for fish and crayfish
processing was set up in the capital of Latvia – Riga in January
2006. According to Hayk Mejlumian, Director of programs of the RA
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), the enterprise will start
operating until late 2006. He said that the European Union does
not yet allow to import fish products and processed crayfish from
Armenia into EU member states. However, it will become possible if
Armenian fish and crayfish are processed in Latvia, which is a EU
member state. In his words, it is envisaged that the Armenian-Latvian
enterprise will produce frozen, canned fish, as well as other processed
fish products. The enterprise plans to export its production to Sweden
and Finland.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALAVERDI COPPER SMELTI0NG-WORKS’ EMMISSIONS TO DECLINE BY 30% IN A YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
ALAVERDI, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Measures are underway to reduce
emissions of the Alaverdi copper smelting-works. Nikolai Feofanov,
head of the production department of the copper smelting-works, told
NT correspondent that after the installation of absorbtive equipment,
which will take about a year, emissions will decline by 30%. The works
currently employs 650 people insteas of the previous 850 employees,
200 of whom were transferred to the Drmbon concentration mill (Artsakh)
of the Armenian Copper Company.

DESPITE ASSURANCES, FILM “ARARAT” AIRED WITH ABRIDGEMENTS IN TURKEY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
ISTANBUL, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The film “Ararat”
of world-famous Canadian Armenian film director Atom Egoyan was finally
aired on April 13 in Turkey by Canal Turk television channel. However,
according to the newspaper “Marmara” (Istanbul), despite assurances
to air the film without abridgement and censorship, two scenes –
one showing a Turkish officer burning a group of Armenians and the
scene of an Armenian woman’s rape – were removed, while sound was
muted in the scenes cotaining swear-words. No Turkish company agreed
to dub the film, so the Turksih subtitiles were prepared by Canal
Turk. Prior to the film’s demonstration, program presenter Turkcai
Eozkan stated that “Ararat” contains “imperialistic propaganda”
and recommended the viewers “never to belive the lies expressed
in the film”. The airing of “Ararat” was followed by the program
“Truths”, in which Baskn Oran, progressive Turkish intellectual,
Kemal Yavuz, retired general, Hrant Dink, editor of the newspaper
“Akos” (Istanbul), and Necati Seonmez, film critic, were invited
to take part. At the beginning of the program, it was announced
that at the last moment Dink declined to take part due to some
private reasons. Baskn Oran also refused to participate in the TV
program. Kemal Yavuz said that the events shown in the film “do
not correspond to the reality” and that the international courts,
even US archives “failed to present any fact against a number of
Turkish officials who were put on trial for committing the genocide
and who were eventually recognized innocent”. Necati Seonmez in his
turn criticized Eozkan for putting pressure on the viewers before
the film’s demonstration. He noted that in his opinion, “Ararat”
is the “most unsuccessful” of Atom Egoyan’s films. Nevertheless,
he was appreciative of the film’s artistic structure.

147 TITLES OF BOOKS TO BE PUBLISHED IN ARMENIA BY 2006 STATE ORDER
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the 2006 state
order, it is envisaged to publish about 147 titles of childrens’,
popular scietific, encyclopedian, jubilee, translation and other
literature. About 135.4 mln drams (about 300 thousand U.S. dollars)
will be allocated from the state budget for that purpose. As the Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed by Seyranuhi Geghamian, the Chief
of the Publishing Department of the Book Publishing Agency of the RA
Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues, publication of books dedicated
to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will continue this
year as well. According ti S.Geghamian, it’s envisaged to allocate
31 mln 730 thousand drams for publication of 62 titles of children’s
literature, 30 mln 596 thousand drams for 7 encyclopedian, 16 mln
391 thousand drams for 15 popular scientific, 11 mln 636 thousand
drams for 8 titles of jubilee, 21 mln 506 thousand for 17 titles of
translation and 24 mln 190 thousand drams for 38 titles of other
literature. According to S.Geghamian, the commission defining the
state order gives preference to publication of modern Armenian writers
and literature in translation. According to her, the commission gets
300-350 claims every year, 150-170 of which are affirmed. It was
mentioned that every year 1100-1200 titles of books are published in
Armenia, the average print run of which makes 500-1000 copies. But,
according to S.Geghamian, the most part of them is not sold the main
reason of what is high prices. For making literature published by the
state order available for readers, their prices are fixed considerably
low of their cost price.