US PLANS TO HELP ARMENIA OVERCOME POVERTY IN AGRARIAN SECTOR
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
April 12, 2006 Wednesday 03:45 PM EST
U.S. delegation arrived in Yerevan on Wednesday to present a grant
provided by the U.S. administration to Armenia under the Millennium
Challenges programme.
The 235 million U.S. dollar grant will be used to fight poverty in
Armenia’s agrarian sector.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received the delegation to thank
the U.S. government for its financial assistance. He believes that
the programme “is very important, because it may help to bridge the
gap in living standards between the capital and rural areas.”
The Chairman of the Appropriation Subcommittee for Foreign Assistance
at the U.S. House of Representatives, Jim Kolbe, said at a news
conference that the South Caucasus is the region that has a bright
future and may develop successfully if there is peace between its
countries.
He said the U.S. would not have started the programme, had it been
not confident of Armenia’s committment to free and fair parliamentary
elections next year and presidential elections in 2008, Kolbe said.
The U.S. will closely watch the implmentation of the programme and
reforms in Armenia, Millennium Challenges Executive Director John
Danilovich said.

BEST BETS TONIGHT
By Free Press News Services
London Free Press, Ontario, Canada
April 12 2006
Must-see
Human Edge: 10 p.m., TVO. Human Edge presents the world premiere of
The Armenian Genocide. Written, produced and directed by Emmy-winning
filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, the documentary explores the 1915-1923
genocide when more than a million Armenians perished, most under the
rule of the Ottoman Empire. It will be preceded at 8 p.m. by a panel
discussion on TVO’s Studio 2.

MISS IRAQ FLEES A JOB THAT CALLS FOR COURAGE MORE THAN JUST BEAUTY
>From Daniel McGrory in Baghdad
The Times
April 13, 2006
IT IS proving as hard to find a beauty queen as it is to find a prime
minister in Iraq.
Exhausted by the time their politicians are taking to agree on a
leader, the country thought it had at least succeeded in choosing a
Miss Iraq.
But last night the people’s choice — Tamar Goregian, 23, a blonde
student with photogenic pout — was in hiding in neighbouring Jordan,
having hastily renounced her crown after death threats from Islamic
extremists.
Only six days ago she was revelling in her victory, blinking back
tears of joy as she told admirers crammed into a Baghdad nightclub
that “maybe beauty is the final step to end the violence here and
preach peace after all”.
Organisers had hoped that her appearance at the Miss Universe contest
in Los Angeles in July would show the world a different image of
Iraq. By yesterday they were searching for a replacement after
fundamentalists denounced Miss Goregian, an Armenian Christian, as
“the Queen of Infidels”. The two runners-up, both Muslim, swiftly
declined the crown.
Last night it was left to the fourth-placed contestant, Silva Sahagian,
23, another Christian, to assume the mantle. “Our politicians should
have more to worry about than whether Miss Iraq should go to America,”
she said. “I cannot believe the extremists would do anything to a
beauty queen.” A civil engineering student in Baghdad, she added:
“I want to show the world Iraq has beauty and education and talent
instead of just bloodshed.”
Staging the world’s most dangerous beauty pageant proved tricky from
the start. Merely to visit a nightclub is to invite kidnapping or
worse. The event was held in secret to avoid prying eyes, and nine
of the twenty finalists got cold feet on the day of the contest and
dropped out.
To avoid offending sensibilities any further, contestants were
requested to wrap a sarong over their one-piece bathing suits as they
paraded for the judges. But in a nod to democracy, the audience was
allowed to vote for the winner.
The organiser, who was too afraid to give his name, said: “We have
no hard feelings towards Tamar Goregian. She couldn’t handle it and
is frightened for her family. She just sent us an e-mail and ran.”
Miss Sahagian, who has shoulder-length auburn hair and hazel eyes
and chose an all-pink outfit for the contest, insists that her
fellow contestants were professional women and not “airheads”. Their
traditional mantra about ” wanting to do their part for world peace”
resonates in Baghdad.
Yesterday brought the usual catalogue of mayhem. A car bomb killed
at least 26 people and injured 70 outside a Shia mosque north of
Baghdad. The explosion in Howaydir was the latest in a wave of attacks
against Iraq’s Shia majority.
Three other car bombs around the country killed eight people. Gunmen
killed three government officials as the Interior Minister admitted
that death squads are operating among Iraq’s security forces. Two US
soldiers died after an attack on their vehicle, bringing the number
killed already this month to thirty-three — two more than in the
whole of March.
Iraq’s parliament, meanwhile, announced plans to meet next week in
an effort to break a three-month impasse over who should be prime
minister. The majority Shia parties had promised a resolution by
yesterday over the fate of Ibrahim Jaafari — the embattled incumbent,
who is bitterly opposed by the Sunni and Kurdish factions — but now
say they need more time.
It remains to be seen whether Mr Jaafari lasts longer in office than
the latest Miss Iraq.

OSKANIAN BRIEFED TO U.S. CONGRESSMEN ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 23:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with U.S. Congressmen Jim Kolbe and Scott Garrett as well as MCC
Chief Executive Officer John Danilovich, reported RA MFA press office.
The interlocutors discussed the agenda of the Armenian-American
relations, specifically the Millennium Challenge Compact. Assessing
highly the assistance rendered to Armenia since its independence the
parties noted the importance of transparent spending of the funds
allocated by the MCC, public awareness and adherence of the Armenian
government to the democracy principles. Besides, they referred to
some regional issues including the Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey
relations. By the guests’ request Vartan Oskanian briefed on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

ARMENIAN-POLISH ASSOCIATION FORMED IN POLAND
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 23:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An Armenian-Polish Association was formed in
Poland, Association Chairperson, Armenian language tutor of the
Warsaw University Margarita Yeremyan-Wozniakowska told PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter in Poland. In her words, Armenians have for a long time lived
in Poland but they have not formed a community yet. Presently there
are some unsettled problems mostly connected with the financial state
of the Association. According to Yeremyan-Wozniakowska, the membership
fee amounting in 20 zlotys cannot solve even the tiniest problems. “We
hope for grants,” she said noting that a slide show on the Armenian
Genocide will be the first event organized by the Association.
The event will take place in the Center of Culture in Warsaw April 24.

TURKEY SETS THREE CONDITIONS TO ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 23:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Without the fulfillment of Turkey’s three fundamental
demands by Armenia any development of ties between the two states is
out of the question, head of the Turkish delegation to the PACE Murat
Mercan stated in Strasbourg. According to the Turkish parliamentarian
the conditions are as follows: settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict admissible for both parties; Armenia’s positive reply to
Turkey’s proposal on the Armenian Genocide issue; recognition of
the present borders with Turkey on the basis of the Kars agreement
of 1921 by Yerevan. “Without fulfillment of these conditions it’s no
sense speaking of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations,”
Merjan said emphasizing the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border also
depends on the proper fulfillment of the above mentioned conditions,
reported Trend news agency.

ARMENIAN NAVY BAND AND SYSTEM OF A DOWN GOING TO RELEASE JOINT ALBUM
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 23:48 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Navy Band and System of A Down are
going to release a joint album, Armenian Navy Band manager John
Grigorian told reporters. He also informed that the Armenian Navy
Band and Arto Tunjboyajian will give a concert in Avanguarde-Folk
Club in Yerevan April 22.
To note, the Armenian Navy Band received The Audience Award 2006 as
the Best European Band at the annual BBC World Music Award contest.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA DEVELOPS RELATIONS WITH MOROCCO
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2006 00:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Ambassador of Morocco
to Armenia Abdeljalil Saubry (residence in Kyiv) handed copies of
credentials Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, reported the RA
MFA press office. Assessing highly Armenia’s traditional close ties
with the Arab world the interlocutors voiced readiness to develop
the Armenia-Morocco relations.
Besides, the parties referred to the cooperation within the
international organizations and conflict settlement. On behalf of the
Moroccan Foreign Minister Abdeljalil Saubry invited Vartan Oskanian
to Rabat.

TEENAGERS WHO ASSAULTED ARMENIANS “SHOULD BE FLOGGED”, ARMENIAN HONORARY CONSUL CONSIDERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2006 00:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The teenagers who assaulted two Armenians in
Yekatirenburg in late March should be flogged. The incident is
settled,” Armenian Honorary Consul in the Ural Federation Okrug
Artashes Chlingaryan stated. To remind, March 28 three young men
assaulted two Armenians. “We all understand that the assault was
committed in anger and was not against the Armenian nationality. It’s a
mere coincidence,” Chilingaryan said. According to him, representatives
of the Armenian Diaspora will not dispute the decision despite the
fact that the police detained the malefactors and found nationalistic
literatures in their homes, reported Ekho Moskvi.

AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY IN HUNGARY REFUSED TO CONVEY SIGNATURES COLLECTED IN SAFAROV’S DEFENSE TO COURT
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2006 01:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary refused to
admit and convey the 100 thousand signatures collected in Safarov’s
defense to the court, Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) head
Akif Naghi stated in Baku. In his words, “the leadership, committee on
Diaspora and the Embassy have initially taken a wrong position.” “The
authorities were wrong to demand not to interfere or collect signatures
while the committee on Azeris living abroad openly supported a position
close to the position of the Armenian party,” the KLO head said.
To note, the committee on protection of Ramil Safarov’s rights
proposed to send Azeri parliamentarians to Hungary to holds talks
with the Hungarian counterparts and a group of journalists to cover
the Safarov’s trial, reported Day.az.