Kyrgyz president hails CSTO rapid deployment forces’ air component

AKIpress news agency web site
5 Aug 04

Bishkek, 5 August: Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev met the defence
ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
member-states and the CSTO Secretary-General Nikolay Bordyuzha in the
Cholpon Ata state residence on 5 August.

The president has congratulated the heads of defence ministries on the
forthcoming joint exercises.

The first full-scale exercises of the CSTO rapid deployment forces,
with the use of an air component deployed in the town of Kant, will
take place tomorrow 6 August , the head of state said.

“The CSTO member-states have not only a reliable shield, but also a
sword for retribution,” the president said about the use of a new air
component of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces (CRDF).

Askar Akayev recalled the decision to establish the CRDF – adopted in
Yerevan in 2000. The countries had managed to establish a security
bastion in the Central Asian region in a very short time since that
moment, the president said.

The course of the exercises – the first phase of the Rubezh-2004
Border-2004 in Almaty and the second phase held in the mountain firing
range of Edelveys in eastern Issyk-Kul Region – was discussed at the
meeting.

SAMVEL DANIELIAN LIKELY TO BE APPOINTED YEREVAN HEAD ARCHITECT

YEREVAN, August 5 (Noyan Tapan). According to reliable sources, Samvel
Danielian, Chief of the Department of Architecture and Urban
Development of the Yerevan Mayor’s Office, is likely to be appointed
Head Architect of Yerevan. At the same time, according to the RA
government’s press service, an official decision about it hasn’t been
made yet. To recap, by the decision of RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian, former Yerevan Head Architect Narek Sargsian was releived
of his post on July 14.

NUMBER OF AMBULANCE CALLS INCREASES IN CONNECTION WITH RADIOACTIVE
RADIATION ACTIVIZATION

Yerevan, August 5, (Noyan Tapan). The maximum of calls received by the
First Aid state-owned CJSC during June – July of 2004, came early on
the morning of July 31 – 418 calls. On that day 193 calls were
serviced by particular specialists and 42 people were hospitalized. As
Nune Zhamkochian, the Company’s Deputy Manager, pointed out at the
August 5 press conference, the minimum of calls – 329 – was registered
on July 20, including 153 calls by particular specialists and 29
patients were hospitalized. According to her, during July the number
of calls tended to fluctuate, which was caused by the radioactive
radiation activization. It was also noted that the majority of calls
had been connected with cardiovascular and nervous diseases. The
majority of patients were people above the age of 65.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHERN AVENUE OF YEREVAN INTEND TO GO ON A HUNGER-STRIKE

YEREVAN, August 4 (Noyan Tapan). On August 5, a group of persons
renting land plots in the Dalma Gardens and a group of residents of
the Northern Avenue, organized a picket near the building of the RA
government. They represented their problems to the Ministers that
arrived to the sitting of the government and demanded the solve
them. According to Vachagan Hakobian, the Chairman of the “Northern
Avenue” public organization, the residents of the avenue will protect
their rights with not only such methods. Application-complaints have
already been sent to international organizations. According to him, a
part of the residents is ready to undertake extreme measures, a
hunger-strike and even self-immolation. According to V.Hakobian,
unlawful actions were committed during realization of the territory of
the Northern Avenue. In particular, physical violence was applied in
relation to the residents, wrong estimation of apartments was carried
out, the cases of the citizens not signing agreements were sent to the
courts and they were solved in favor of the plaintiff, the state. A
number of citizens remained without shelter, as it was impossible to
buy apartments with the allocated money. To recap, upon the March 27
2003 decision of the RA government “On Change of Borders of Lands in
Dalma Gardens Subject to Protection and Change of Purpose,” 256 out of
530 hectares of the gardens are removed to the category of forest
lands and about 50% of lands are transferred for building. It’s
envisaged to carry out construction, to build a highway, a road net,
fairs and service entities in the above-mentioned 256 hectares.

RESULTS OF WRITTEN TESTS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE APPEALED AGAINST BY 237
LEAVERS

YEREVAN, August 5 (Noyan Tapan). 2,340 leavers have taken higher
school entrance examinations on English language in written form from
July 20 up to this day, 189 and 465 out of them got 20 and 19 points,
respectively. 138 leavers got less than 8 points. 4,350 leavers have
taken centralized examinations on this subject. According to Narine
Hovhannisian, the Chairwoman of the subject examination commission, no
changes were made in the examination tests. She also mentioned that
according to the data of the computing center, this year the number of
higher points, 19 and 20, reduced by 10% comapared with the previous
year. 237 leavers have appealed against their marks on this subject
from the beginning of the examinations up to this day. The markes were
improved only in 34 cases.

IT’S DANGEROUS TO SWIM IN YEREVAN POOLS

YEREVAN, August 5 (Noyan Tapan). The decorative pools and lakes of
Yerevan aren’t envisaged for swimming and can’t provide the security
of the swimmers. Nune Bakunts, the chief specialist of the
Sanitary-Hygienic Inspection of the RA Ministry of Health, declared
this at the August 5 press conference. According to her, as different
stray animals may freely enter these poools swimming in them is very
dangerous from point of view of spreading of different infectious
diseases. It was aslo mentioned that though upon the decision of
Yerevan Mayor notices prohibiting swimming will be placed in the
neighbourhood of these pools nevertheless the population’s attention
should be once more drowned to this problem. At present, according to
Nune Bakunts, there are no epidemics of acute intestinal deseases in
the capital. As to the Jrashkhar (Water World) aquapark, M.Bakunts
said that it’s controlled by their department and all the sanitary
norms are observed there. Anahit Hovhannisian, the chief specialist of
the Department on Mother’s and Child’s Healthcare of the Ministry of
Health, reported that the ultra-violet sunrays may be especially
dangerous not only in the respect of skin burns, but they may also
provoke violation of metabolism in consequence of loss of liquid and
gist by the organism, may suppress the immune system of the child,
which leads to activization of diffeent illnesses. It was mentioned
that often rise of temperature, dizziness, sickness are observed in
case of sunblows and in this case the people should apply to the
doctor.

NATURAL CALAMITY AGAIN CAUSES DAMAGE TO BORDER VILLAGES OF TAVUSH MARZ

IJEVAN, August 4, Noyan Tapan. On August 3, at around 19:00 pm, the
border villages of Baghanis, Voskevan and Jujevan in Tavush marz were
hit by a violent wind, strong hail and torrents that lasted for about
20 minutes and caused a lot of damage. As Nver Hakobian, the head of
Baghanis village, told to Noyan Tapan correspondent, the hail damaged
110 ha of not yet reaped grain land in the village, as well as areas
sowed with tobacco and vegetables. The violent wind cut off the energy
supply and telephone connection of the village, which were restored
only the next day. As a result of torrents the inter-state highway
passsing through Baghanis was covered with heaps of stones. The damage
done by the disaster to Voskevan and Jujevan villages is also great.

LEVEL OF POTABLE WATER POLLUTION IN AKHALKALAK BECOMES DANGEROUS

AKHALKALAK, August 4 (Noyan Tapan). In consequence of rains in the
town of Akhalkalak the level of potable water pollution reaches the
point when its use without boiling becomes dangerous. Romik Avagian,
the chief sanitary doctor of the Akhalkalak region, expressed such
opinion. Akhalkalak receives potable water from the location of Ablar
situated 10-12 km far from the town. The reason of water pollution is
the fact that the hollows in the location of Ablar are filled with
rainwater and this rainwater is mixed with the water flowing to the
town by the waterpipe. The public organizations of the region
mentioned at the “round table” that it’s necessary to undertake urgent
measures, otherwise serious consequences are possible. The A-Info
agency mentioned that the springs in Ablar are the only ones in
Javakhk which are to a certain extent controlled by the state, water
is examined in the laboratory and if necessary population is informed
about water pollution. And the other springs of Javakhk (Bezhano,
Dilif, Ekhtila) providing villages with water almost aren’t
controlled.

The Australian, Australia
Aug 5 2004

Armenians build a new world against the odds in Lebanon
By Nicolas Rothwell
August 05, 2004

AS you turn into tranquil Anjar village, deep in the border ranges of
eastern Lebanon, suddenly things aren’t quite the same.

The faces look different, the alphabet is different, the language
spoken on the streets has changed. There are arch-shaped monoliths
marking the crossroads.

A steep-roofed, distinctively Caucasian church looms above the
orchards and the cypress groves.

Anjar, in fact, is one of the Middle East’s more remarkable Armenian
communities, and its dwindling population of 4500 is determined not
just to hang on to its traditions, but to keep its history alive.

This month, as the culmination of its efforts, the Anjar festival,
dormant for more than a decade, will be staged once more in the
majestic Ummayad palace ruins lying on the edge of town.

“We felt the time had come once more to bring the whole world to
Anjar,” says Nicol Hergelian, one of the key figures behind the
festival.

“It will be a mixed affair. We have Muslim performers and Christians,
we have Arabs and also Armenians, all the different elements of
Lebanon.”

But the people of Anjar can’t help highlighting their own story,
which was once world famous.

Their village is an elaborate, well-planned community, built in the
shape of an eagle, “because the eagle is the strongest, most enduring
bird”.

In 1939, the ancestors of today’s Anjarians were living in an area of
northern Syria known as the Sanjak, close to biblical Antioch. Their
homes were seven villages in the mountains of Moses.

But France, which held control of the region, granted it to Turkey.
After a furious battle, which lasted more than a month, the Armenians
were forced into exile.

Their struggle became the subject of a best-selling novel, The Forty
Days of Musa Dagh, by the celebrated Austrian writer Franz Werfel.

The Armenians marched south, as far as Tripoli in Lebanon, and were
once more transplanted by the French to a tent city in the Bekaa
valley.

Here, gradually, they built a new world in the shadow of the Jabal
Esh Charqi mountains, developing an elaborate local irrigation
system, cultivating apple orchards, creating their own independent
schools and social institutions.

Today’s Anjarians face new challenges. Much of the original
population emigrated during Lebanon’s civil war in the 1980s, or
found refuge in their Armenian homeland when the Soviet empire
collapsed in 1991.

Across Lebanon, Armenian numbers fell from 350,000 to a mere 90,000.
Some areas of the country where large Armenian communities once
thrived still have a faintly forlorn air.

Here in Anjar, the local economy has yet to recover, despite the
profusion of engineers, doctors and technicians living in the town.

Nicol Hergelian, a former cheese production expert, is running a
store to put his many talented children through university, while his
plumber friend Musa Topalian, who speaks five languages fluently, is
unable to find a lot in the way of suitable employment.

A sleepy, cerebral mood mantles the little town, which also does duty
as a low-key Syrian military encampment.

Much energy is spent on celebrating the bleak anniversaries that dot
the Armenian calendar: February 18, for instance, which marks
Vartan’s heroic battle against the Persians in the year 451. Or May
28, Armenia’s first, abortive national independence day, or April 24,
which commemorates the deaths of untold numbers of Armenians in 1915.

But there are upbeat events as well, now the Anjar Festival is back
on track. Stars of the Arab music world, like Naiim Al Asmar and
Jahida Wehbi, will perform, while some of the great names of the
Armenian diaspora are expected too.

“Of course this festival is a kind of symbol,” says Hergelian. “And
not just an emblem of Anjar and Armenian strength. Yes, we are
strong, and we are determined to survive.

“We don’t bow our heads to anyone. Otherwise there would be no
Armenians.

“But we want to bring together all of Lebanon. Our neighbours here in
this valley are Arab Christians and Muslims and we enjoy living with
them all. We stay living in Anjar because we choose to – because
Lebanon is a very beautiful and civilised country.”

Noyan Tapan Highlights #30 (532)
02 August 2004

THE SOCIETY AND THE POVERTY

By Haroutiun Khachatrian

Last Friday, the ministry of economy and finance hosted a group of people
who are not typical in that building. The group included the representatives
of trade unions (which is not so unexpected), of business NGOs (who also do
sometimes meet with the minister).

But it also included representatives of environmental protection NGOs, Human
rights protection NGOs and even the Armenian Apostolic Church (Abbot Mushegh
Babayan as a representative of Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians). All
these people were there to sign a specific document, the memorandum on
“performing partnership negotiations on implementation of the Poverty
Reduction Strategic Program”.

The government has adopted the PRSP as early as in August 2003. This
document has two important features. First, it is subject to continuing
changes and improvements. Second, it is to be implemented through
participation of the whole society (at least, in principle), and in
particular, as the government declares, the document is open to signals from
the society aimed at improvement of this program which will be the
guidelines of the countries economy development for at least a decade. The
negotiations to be performed under the memorandum signed will pursue these
two goals.

The PRSP is funded by the foreign donors (led by IMF) and the participation
of the civil society in its implementation (and elaboration) was one of
their preconditions. This is a good thing, of course, and the government
looks like it is happy to share the burden of the PRSP implementation with
the NGOs and the Church. However, the formal initiative still needs to be
made into real deals and there is a real concern that this may not happen.
Just like in judiciary, where there are a lot of good laws which are not
implemented in the real life. Hence it remains to see if the participation
of the civil society in PRSP implementation will go beyond declarations.