SEVAN THREATENING THE TREES
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| 18:39:58 | 07-09-2005 | Social |
Today the session of the RA Forests Repair and Development Fund
Trustee Council took place which was presided over by the President
of the Council, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.
It was stated in the session that the non-governmental organization
“Green Earth” was allotted 5 million ARMD to realize the planting
of trees near the RA roads. A reference has also been made to the
problems arisen as a result of the raising of the Sevan level. The
Prime Minister mentioned that the Minister of Ecology has already
been asked to represent the schedule of the cleanings works of the
areas occupied as a result of the level raise.
The Prime Minister has underlined that the lake level raise program
will be realized all the same and there is no need to worry.

ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES ASPIRED TO MEET NATO AND EU STANDARDS
Pan Armenian News
07.09.2005 07:21
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The goal of the Armenian Armed Forces is to meet
the standards of the NATO and EU, Armenian Defense Minister Serge
Sargsyan stated in Riga during the meeting with his Latvian counterpart
Einars Repse.
In his words, over insufficient financing the Armenian defense cannot
meet the EU and NATO standards at present. During the meeting the
Minister signed a treaty on military cooperation. Mr. Repse noted
that after joining NATO official Riga raised interest towards
the South Caucasian states and that it’s time to activate defense
cooperation with Armenia. In his turn the Armenian Defense Minister
added that Armenia has scheduled reorganization of the Armed Forces
till 2015 and is interested in studying Latvia’s experience in the
field. Serge Sargsyan aslo met with Latvian Prime Minister Aigars
Kalvitis, who confirmed his support to the development of programs
targeted at Armenia’s aspiration to the North Atlantic structures
and the establishment of closer ties with NATO. Today the Armenian
Defense Minister departed for Tallinn, reported by Mediamax.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TO PARTICIPATE PACE COMMITTEE ON KARABAKH SITTING
Pan Armenian News
07.09.2005 07:07
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Vice Speaker of the Armenian parliament Tigran
Torosian and MP Shavarsh Kocharian will take part in the second
sitting of the Sub-Committee on Nagorno Karabakh at the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to be held September 12 in
Paris. To remind, the first sitting was held on June 23 within the
framework of the PACE Summer Session in Strasbourg. Delegations of the
member-states of the OSCE Minsk Group are to produce assessments of
the measures undertaken for the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. The Sub-Committee is scheduled to issue its first report
at the PACE January Session, Yerkir Online reports.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION TO BE DISCUSSED IN U.S. CONGRESS
Pan Armenian News
07.09.2005 06:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Genocide legislation appears set to come
before the influential House International Relations Committee as
early as Wednesday, September 14-th. H.Res.316, which was introduced
by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI), calls upon the President to ensure U.S. foreign
policy reflects appropriate understanding of the Armenian Genocide. The
resolution includes thirty detailed findings from past U.S. hearings,
resolutions and Presidential statements, as well as references to
statements by international bodies and organizations. This measure,
which is in the process of being amended, reaffirms the Armenian
Genocide within the broader context of regional relationships and
addresses Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union. The Turkish
Ambassador and his lobbyists – including the Livingston Group – are
actively making the rounds to members of the International Relations
Committee, seeking to block any action on U.S.
reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide. As part of this effort, the
Livingston Group has been distributing a four-page genocide-denial
document to Congressional offices, Yerkir Online reports.

5000 ARMD: ELECTORAL BRIBERY OR OLD-AGE PENSION?
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| 20:33:26 | 07-09-2005 | Social |
Today the resident of Noubarashen Andranik Pogosyan periodically
visited the office of the community head candidate Mher Hovhannisyan
and community head’s office. In the morning he had gone to get his
old-age pension but could not as he had no passport.
“I don’t know, there is a kiosk in the park, I gave it to them, and
they gave 5000 drams to me and said that Mher must be elected. I will
give them their money and demand my passport back”, he complained in
the community head’s office, that is to the opponent of the candidate
who had bribed him.
The present community head Robert Asatryan is one of the candidates for
the post. The other candidates are wrestling coach Mher Hovhannisyan
and member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Kamo Berberyan.
We caught no cases of bribing in Mher Hovhannisyan’s office, but there
was a queue of people with passports. There were women who had 4-5
passports in their hands. When we tried to take a photo of the room,
the head of the office Vardan Haroutyunyan took immediately took the
women out of the room.
“The strong are always blamed in suchlike business. The strong cannot
give electoral bribes and cannot take passports, we do not follow
that technique”, said Vardan Haroutyunyan. By the way, he considers
the information about the electoral bribes the result of the black
PR of their opponents, mainly that of Robert Asatryan, who “did not
organize a single youth event in his 22 years of activity”.
Robert Asatryan informed that he “never said anything bad about his
opponents”, and he learned about the taking of passports when the
residents of the community asked him to solicit for them to get
their pensions without passports, but he was told that it is not
possible. The head of the old-age pension fund Varazdat Kirakosyan
claimed that “We do not have the right to give the pension without
the passport and the social card”. As for how many people have been
deprived of the pension because of the absence of passports, he did
not know.
BY the way, the pensioner said that this is the first time they are
requested to show their passports. “I came here and learned that
they will not give the pension without documents, whereas up to now
I always got it with my social card”, said Hasmik Araqelyan who had
gone home and brought her passport. The other citizens in the queue
claimed the same.

WHO ARE THE “OTHERS”?
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| 20:00:52 | 07-09-2005 | Social |
The RA Ombudsman has sent letters to the RA President and the
head of the Courts Council where she has referred to several court
decisions about confiscating the property of the citizens by the
programs of Yerevan reconstruction. According to the decisions,
the owners are obliged to sign a contract with the customer for
the money he offers. By the same decision the owner, the enumerated
people registered in the area and “other people occupying the area”
are to be evicted.
Mentioning that the “other” people occupying the area must be evicted,
the Court does not mention who these people are – deprived of the
right of the court protection, who cannot participate in the trial.
For example, by the certificate given by the RA Civic Issues Court of
Appeal, on May 1 owners Edward, Rudolf, and Angela Mouradyans, Sergey,
Magdalena and Nelly Asoyans, as well as refugees Emma Aghajanyan and
his two teenage children have been evicted from the house in Buzand
23 as “other” people.
The RA Ombudsman mentions that Emma Aghajanyan has not participated
in the trial and her name is not mentioned in the court decision,
but she and her sons have forcefully been evicted from the house as
“other people”.
As far as suchlike decisions tend to repeat, the Ombudsman has
suggested that the Courts Council should make the issue subject for
special discussion and evaluate suchlike decisions.

UNDER THE SHELTER OF «ORRAN»
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| 19:46:46 | 07-09-2005 | Social |
“To eliminate begging of children, to help the needy families, to
support the elderly”, this is the motto of the non-governmental charity
organization “Orran” with which it has been working for several years.
The organization celebrates the 5th anniversary of its
activity. Staring from 16 children, now it has 75 children and 100
old people under its care.
In order to represent the work of the organization to the people
and to get their help “Orran” organized an action today calling it
“Month of Orran”.
The opening ceremony of the action took place before the central
entrance of the hotel “Armenia Marriott”.
For a whole month the guests living in the hotel will have the
possibility to buy the works of the children under the care of the
organization and make donations.
–Boundary_(ID_PKv76hohLRQ3xxQd7MrOnA)–

VATICAN REACTS TO ARMENIAN MONASTERY DESECRATION
Printed from:
06/09/2005
A decision by the Turkish occupation regime to grant a “license” to
operate a recreation centre in the Armenian Monastery of Surb Makar
(Saint Makarios) in the Halefka area, north of the Turkish occupied
village of Kythrea, has spurred a strong reaction by the Vatican.
Cypriot Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said today that
the government totally agreed with the Vatican’s reaction, noting
that it was after moves by the government that the desecration of
the monastery had come to the attention of the Vatican.
The Spokesman noted that “various protests were made and there has
been a reaction on behalf of the Vatican, which says and stresses
in its verbal note that the attention of the competent Turkish
authorities has been drawn to the specific case, as well as other
lamentable incidences.”
Chrysostomides added that this was “a severe response, which is not
customary on behalf of the Vatican, and the language used is also
stern against the occupation authorities.”
“We totally agree and it is after actions by the government that the
desecration of the monastery has come to the attention of the Vatican,”
the Spokesman pointed out.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGISLATION SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Genocide legislation appears set to come
before the influential House International Relations Committee as
early as Wednesday, September 14th, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
07.09.2005 15:43
According to Congressional sources, Committee Chairman Henry Hyde
(R-IL) is prepared to “mark-up” both Armenian Genocide Resolutions
(H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195). During this mark-up session, the fifty
members of the panel will have an opportunity to consider changes
and then to vote to either approve or disapprove each measure.
“We want to thank Chairman Hyde for his leadership in ensuring
that the members of his Committee have the opportunity to vote on
Armenian Genocide legislation,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. “Along with our local chapters around the nation and
coalition partners here in Washington, DC, we are working hard to
support the efforts of our friends – Congressmen George Radanovich,
Adam Schiff, and Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg and
Frank Pallone – in encouraging the Committee to act favorably on
this legislation.
H.Res.316, which was introduced by Representatives George Radanovich
(R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), calls
upon the President to ensure U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate
understanding of the Armenian Genocide.
The resolution includes thirty detailed findings from past U.S.
hearings, resolutions and Presidential statements, as well as
references to statements by international bodies and organizations. As
of today, a bipartisan group of over one hundred and twelve
Representatives have already agreed to cosponsor this measure.
H.Con.Res.195, introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff and cosponsored by over
eighty Representatives, was offered following direct negotiations
with House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde
(R-IL). The Chairman agreed to Committee-level consideration of
Armenian Genocide legislation in return for Rep.
Schiff tabling a planned June 8th Armenian Genocide amendment to the
House Foreign Relations Authorization bill. The agreement addressed
serious concerns on the part of the Administration and Congressional
leaders that the Schiff Amendment – which had strong prospects of
passing – would overshadow the White House meeting, held that same day,
between President Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
This measure, which is in the process of being amended, reaffirms the
Armenian Genocide within the broader context of regional relationships
and addresses Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union.
The Turkish Ambassador and his lobbyists – including the Livingston
Group – are actively making the rounds to members of the International
Relations Committee, seeking to block any action on U.S. reaffirmation
of the Armenian Genocide. As part of this effort, the Livingston
Group has been distributing a four-page genocide-denial document to
Congressional offices.

SOCCER-POLAK DOUBLE LIFTS CZECHS UP TO SECOND PLACE
By Alan Crosby
Reuters
09/07/05 19:44 ET
OLOMOUC, Czech Republic, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Jan Polak scored twice
to lead the Czech Republic to a 4-1 win over Armenia in their World
Cup Group One qualifier on Wednesday.
The Czechs, who have 24 points from 10 games, leapfrogged Romania
(22 points) into second place in the table. Group leaders Netherlands
(25) play hosts to Andorra later on Wednesday.
Marek Heinz opened the scoring for the Czechs in the 47th minute
when his shot from 18 metres took a deflection off Armenia defender
Sargis Hovsepjan.
Polak struck five minutes later when his 25-metre drive took another
ricochet before finding the back of the net.
Milan Baros made it 3-0 when he swept home Jan Koller’s rebound in
the 58th minute before Polak notched his second with 14 minutes left.
Ara Hakobian pulled a goal back for Armenia in the 85th minute.
“We only started to play after the break. In the first half, we were
like Sleeping Beauty,” Czech coach Karel Bruckner told reporters.
The Czechs needed maximum points after a 2-0 defeat by Romania on
Saturday.
“If we could have got ahead, the Czechs would have had a very
difficult task. But after they scored the second goal, it was pretty
well decided,” said Armenia’s Dutch coach Henk Wisman.