BAZEYAN CALLS ON PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS BY OUR OWN STRENGTH
By Marietta Khachatrian
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
Albert Bazeyan, chairman of National Revival party, expressed concern
about the recent incidents with Yerkrapah Union. He said that the
law enforcement bodies didn’t arrest one of the organizers of the
attempted murder against Sasoun Mikaelian, member of Yerkrapah Union,
though they were informed about that a week earlier. Bazeyan said that
the suspect who wasn’t arrested was attacked and wounded. As a result,
he was taken to the hospital. “If the criminals are not punished,
the crime causes another crime, while the punishment of the criminals
is of mere preventive character,” he said.
He also reminded about the incident in Armavir, stating that Rustam
Gasparian survived by a miracle and is recovering at present. Bazeyan
believes that the threats of the authorities to deport Zhirayr
Sefilian, former commander of Shushi battalion, is conditioned by the
fact that Sefilian and his colleagues criticized the recent tendencies
in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. “In the conditions, when
the enemy constantly threats to settle the conflict through war the
presence of the members of Yerkrapah Union of home guards in Armenia
is very important,” Bazeyan said. He called for all participants of
Artsakhi war to unite and struggle for the rights of their colleagues.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESENTATION OF ‘ARMENIA IN A TRANSFORMING WORLD’
By Marietta Makarian
AZG Armenian Daily #067
13/04/2006
Yesterday, the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) presented to the public its third major volume entitled
“Armenia in a Transforming World”. Head of ACNIS investigation
group, Stepan Safarian opened the ceremony and shared with the
content of the book. Gevorg Lalayan is the editor-in-chief of this
annual publication, Stepan Safarian did the scientific editing and
maps by Hasmik Mkrtchian. The three-language (Armenian, Russian,
English) book is the result of scrupulous studies done in concert
with a group of experts from the USA, Europe, Middle East, CIS and
other states. Authors of the book had a goal to present to experts,
analysts and circles interested in politics the basic tendencies of
the transforming world, Armenia’s priorities in this context and the
ways of meeting challenges our country faces. The 3 parts of the
study include experts’ researches such as the “Collapse of States
as a phenomenon of Foreign Relations” by Austrian military analyst
Martin Malek.

NA DISCUSSES PRIVATIZATION OF STATE PROPERTY
AZG Armenian Daily
13/04/2006
As a result of privatization processes in 2001-2003, the state property
was squandered away, Hovhannes Margarian, member of Orinats Yerkir
Party, said at parliament on April 11. He said that the government
keeps complaining of the lack of financial sources. He added that
this is quite possible, as the property costing AMD 5 billion 850
millions was sold at AMD 950 million, which makes the 16,2 % of its
real cost. In particular, the assets of Orbita CJSC were valued at
AMD 3 billion 212 millions but the company was privatized for AMD 116
million, which makes 3,6% of its real cost. “How can our authorities
restore the banking deposits of the population or secure the residents
of earthquake zone with flats, to reconstruct the transportation
infrastructures of Ashotsk and Amasiya regions that connect Armenia
with Javakhk if the people’s wealth had been squandered?” he posed
a rhetoric question.

IRAN WANTS TO SEND MAN INTO SPACE
Armenpress
Apr 11 2006
MOSCOW, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS: Iran wishes to send a man into space. The
country plans to ask Russia for help and Russia is not opposed to
the idea, a Russian expert said on Tuesday.
“The idea of the first spaceflight by an Iranian is very attractive
to Iran in the light of the country’s ambitions to become a key state
not only in the region but in the whole Islamic world,” the director
of the Russian Centre for Modern Iranian Studies, Rajab Safarov,
was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying while on a visit to Tehran.
Safarov said “the Russian side does not object” to helping Iran. He
added that the Iranian leadership would put the proposal to Russia
“in the very near future.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SAAKASHVILI ASSIGNS HIS DEFENSE MINISTER TO PROMOTE WINES
Armenpress
Apr 12 2006
TBILISI, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili
was quoted by his press office today as saying that he has assigned
defense minister Irakli Okruashvili to promote Georgian wine on new
foreign markets.
“I have instructed Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli to be in charge of
the promotion of Georgian wine on domestic and CIS markets; this will
be his prime goal until Russia lifts embargo on imports of Georgian
wine. I have also instructed defense minister Irakli Okruashvili to
take charge of issues related to the export of Georgian wine to new
foreign markets,” said Saakashvili after attending the Georgian-Chinese
business forum in Beijing.
He also said that Okruashvili’s experience in business management
was the reason behind his decision.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KOCHARIAN AND CHIEF OF CUSTOMS DISCUSS WAYS TO FIGHT SMUGGLING
Armenpress
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian received
today the chief of customs committee Armen Avetisian to discuss
a string of issues on the results of the first quarter, fighting
contraband and the pace of fulfillment of instructions issued by the
president earlier this year.
Kocharian’s press office quoted Avetisian as saying that the committee
collected in the first quarter 31.5 billion drams, which was 400
million more than projected. In regard to fighting smuggling of goods,
the president ordered mapping all transit routes that could be used by
smugglers, especially after Georgian authorities closed the biggest
wholesale market in the South Caucasus in Sadakhlo. Kocharian said
these roads must be taken under tight control to prevent smuggling.
The two men also discussed progress in fulfillment of Kocharian’s
instructions. Avetisian was quoted as saying that they all were
fulfilled in due time.

PRESIDNET KOCHARIAN MEETS US CONGRESSMEN, MCC CEO
Armenpress
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian received
today US Congressmen Jim Kolbe and Congressman Scott Garrett and
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO John J. Danilovich, who
are visiting Armenia April 10-12 as part of regional travel.
Kocharian’s press office said the president expressed his satisfaction
with dynamically developing US-Armenian relations which he said
expanded year after year. Kocharian thanked the government of the USA
for the release of hefty extra US aid to Armenia within the frameworks
of the Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC), saying that Armenia
remains committed to strengthening of democracy and liberal market
relations, for which the MCC aid is intended for.
Kocharian underscored the importance of the aid because it targets
mainly rural population and is aimed mainly at improving rural roads
and reconstruction of irrigation systems. Civil society development
and the importance of free and fair elections in Armenia in 2007 and
2008 are important for Armenia’s continued eligibility for funding
by the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
The parties also spoke about the process of resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

OUR NAME ON THE ENGLISH STAGE
A1+
[06:26 pm] 12 April, 2006
On April 7 in London during the official ceremony of the BBC world
award “Armenian Navy Band” of Arto Tunchboyajyan was recognized as the
most popular performer in the World Music tendencies as a result of the
voting throughout the world. 20 thousand people had voted for the Band.
The award was given to the head of the Band who is a percussionist,
composer and singer. “This victory is not only ours; it belongs to
the whole Armenian nation. We want to thank all those who have been
with us for all those eight years,” the manager of the Band John
Grigoryan said during the press conference in Yerevan.
At present Arto Tunchboyajyan is in New York. He will arrive in Armenia
after April 20. The members of the Band mentioned that on June 4 and
5 they will have concert in Italy. In October they with play in France.
Tunchboyajyan has been making records with Bob Berg, Bill Evans,
Simon Nabatov, “Oregon”, “System of a Down”, and other famous jazz
and rock performers.
By the way, after April 20 an avant-garde folk festival will take
place in which famous foreign musicians will participate.

TRANSFORMATION IN THE ALMANAC
A1+
[08:12 pm] 12 April, 2006
Yerevan-Today the Armenian Center for National and International
Studies (ACNIS) publicly presented its annual trilingual almanac,
this year entitled “Armenia in a Transforming World.” The event
brought together the yearbook’s participating authors, editorial
staff, publisher, foreign embassy personnel, political scientists,
and media representatives for the expression of mutual gratitude and
the sharing of views and evaluations.
Held in the official reception hall at ACNIS headquarters, the program
was opened by Stiopa Safarian, the Center’s director of research and
academic editor of the new release. “The research presented in the
yearbook encompasses Armenia’s transnational and domestic challenges,
which in the transforming world render imperative Armenia’s own
transformation. The answers provided by the authors to a variety of
problematic issues such as international and regional security as well
as Armenia’s global surroundings and its complex relationships dictate
new approaches for our Center and Armenia’s analytical circles alike,”
he said.
By the way, RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutyunyan and representatives of
international organizations and NGOs were present at the ceremony.

DEMOCRACY WAS ABOLISHED TWO YEARS AGO
A1+
[08:49 pm] 12 April, 2006
At night of April 13, 2004 the authorities used all the forces of
the police, water-spraying cars, batons and explosives to fight
against they own people. They even blocked several parts of the
streets. And all this because the people used their Constitutional
right to organize peaceful demonstrations to demand a confidence
referendum against the President.
The unprecedented violations resulted in tens of injured. Two years ago
the rights of the journalists were violated harshly: representatives
of several Mass Media – journalist of the newspaper “Armenian Times”
Hayk Gevorgyan and cameraman of the TV Company ORT Levon Grigoryan
were beaten severely, and their cameras were broken.
In the picture the policeman is trying to forbid the representative of
“A1+” to take photos of what is going on in the Baghramyan avenue. It
is noteworthy that there were no representatives of the Armenian
“free and fair” TV Companies. Being closed down by the authorities
“A1+” still tried to do its professional duty representing unbiased
information about the incidents to people. The “A1+” website worked
online, and the “A1+” staff provided NTV, ORT, Rossia, Reuters and
other foreign TV Companies with impartial information and photos.
After April 13, 2004 many international organizations made condemning
statements. But that changed nothing in Armenia. The fact is that the
common citizens felt on their skin that one fair word in Armenia is
equal to one hit with a baton.