Agence France Presse
July 15, 2004 Thursday
Salah le chiite et Vartan le chretien, amis face aux islamistes
par Sebastien BLANC
BAGDAD
Cinq attentats ont devaste des magasins d’alcool de l’avenue
Al-Thariba a Bagdad: au milieu des gravats, un chretien et un chiite
assurent jeudi que leur amitie est plus forte que les islamistes.
Vartan Sarkissian, 51 ans, est un Irakien d’origine armenienne. Sa
famille vit a Bagdad depuis des decennies, apres avoir echappe au
genocide de 1915 sous l’Empire ottoman. Leur quartier est comme eux,
chretien.
Du moins a 90%. Car Salah Abdallah y habite aussi. Ce chiite de 38
ans, marchand de voitures, reside juste au-dessus du commerce de
Vartan, qui vend des telephones cellulaires.
Les deux moustachus sont amis depuis dix ans. Leurs enfants jouent
ensemble. Ils se refusent rarement un petit verre, y compris
alcoolise.
Salah le musulman modere est parfois invite a l’eglise, pour des
ceremonies importantes. Il a une effigie de Jesus a l’avant de sa
voiture, un “cadeau d’amis chretiens”. Il a aussi beaucoup aime “la
Passion du Christ”, le film de Mel Gibson.
Pas etonnant dans ces conditions que les comperes s’epaulent,
quelques heures apres une serie d’explosions qui ont souffle les
devantures des boutiques d’alcool, au pied des immeubles. Celle de
Vartan a egalement ete endommagee par l’onde de choc.
“On ne veut pas d’un gars avec un turban pour diriger l’Irak. Ce
n’est pas possible d’instaurer un regime islamiste ici”, dit,
rassurant, Salah.
Pour lui pas de doute: les attaques de la nuit sont l’oeuvre de
l’Armee du Mehdi du chef radical chiite Moqtada Sadr. Ces miliciens
pronent une application rigoriste de l’islam et voient d’un mauvais
oeil les debits de boisson generalement tenus par des chretiens.
“Moqtada a divise les chiites. Mais ces attentats ne vont pas
affecter nos relations avec les chretiens. Ce sont nos freres, ils
ont toujours vecu ici”, reprend Salah.
Pourtant, les intimidations ont des consequences. Vartan connait cinq
ou six familles chretiennes qui sont recemment parties en Syrie ou au
Kurdistan irakien. “C’est triste, reagit Salah, des gens avec
lesquels on a vecu sans probleme durant vingt ans”.
Son compagnon chretien assure, lui, vouloir rester. “Je vais reparer
mon magasin et prier pour ces gens qui ont perdu le sens commun”, dit
Vartan. Il dedouane les musulmans irakiens des violences recentes.
“Il n’y a qu’a considerer les cibles pour trouver ceux qui poussent
derriere: c’est l’Iran”.
Salah et Vartan sont prets a reprendre les patrouilles communes
qu’ils menaient, kalachnikov en main, lors des pillages de
l’apres-guerre, afin de securiser les commerces du quartier.
“Je le protegerai. Il me protegera. Nous ne sommes pas seulement des
voisins, nous sommes des amis, des freres. Il est comme l’oncle de
mon fils. Des gens veulent casser la chaine qui unit chretiens et
musulmans, ils n’y arriveront pas”, predit Vartan.
Les attentats contre les debits de boissons alcoolisees se sont
multiplies ces dernieres semaines en Irak. “Avec les troubles, la
situation est plus difficile” pour les chretiens, a recemment estime
le patriarche chaldeen Emmanuel Delly, qui represente la plus grosse
communaute chretienne d’Irak.

Armenianow.com
July 16,2004
Laughing at Ourselves: American artist introduces unique comedy to Armenian
stage
By Vahan Ishkhanyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
“Americans tell each other: ‘It’s not your business’. But can
Armenians say the same? All Armenians are engaged in each other’s
affairs.”
With such observations on Armenian culture, California monologist Vahe
Berberyan kept a sold-out crowd at the Yerevan Chamber Theater
laughing for 90 minutes last Friday evening.
“There is nobody like him in Armenia.”
In a performance titled “So Far”, Berberyan brought standup comedy to
Armenia where, previously, audiences were more accustomed to hearing a
Russian humorist poke fun at Russians. This time, it was an Armenian,
comparing his people with other nationalities.
“The Irish always drink and then beat each other,” Berberyan told the crowd,
“but Armenians first drink then give toasts to each other, praise each other
and only after that they beat each other.”
When Russian humorist Mikhail Zadornov compares Russians and Americans he
says that Americans are surprised at Russians when they see that a man
wearing a tie and coat enters stage, talks and people begin laughing.
In Berberyan’s performance the Armenian audience got a chance to see an
American-Armenian (from Lebanon) enter the stage and make people laugh. But
in this case the actor has a far different appearance. Berberyan, who is
also a painter and writer, has long ponytails and wears earrings – a look
that commands attention in Yerevan.
“I was walking down the street and saw three guys sitting on their
haunches,” the comedian said after his performance. “They were looking at
me very closely and then one of them said, ‘I’m gonna sell my car and buy
earrings’.
“According to existentialism, if nobody pays attention to a man then that
man doesn’t exist. Here people pay so much attention that it is more than
you need.”
“So far” mainly concerns Diaspora Armenians and some of the monologue was in
English.
“It was a wonderful performance,” said Anahit Sargsian, a French-Armenian.
“Most of all I liked his free speech which had nothing to do with literary
Armenian language. In Diaspora there is a tendency to speak literary
Armenian language out of obligation.”
The actor/writer/painter performed one night for a sold out theater.
For locals, it was a mild culture shock to hear words that aren’t normally
said on Armenian stages.
” Armenia is my spiritual parent,” Berberyan, age 49, said in his show. “I
mean mother and father at the same time. That’s why people say mother
fatherland. Lebanon is my biological home because I was born in Lebanon. My
fatherland is USA because I’ve been living there for many years and I’m a
citizen of USA. Canada is my aunt. South America and Arab countries such as
Nicaragua and Palestine are my brothers and sisters because my fatherland
f—-d their motherland.”
After the performance Berberyan said that when he used the “f-word” one of
the audience covered her face and another looked around to see the reaction
of people. When they saw others were laughing they laughed too.
While about 80 percent of the crowd was Diaspora, locals also were delighted
with Berberyan’s one-night show.
I liked his ease, I saw writer and actor in one person. I saw how he was
controlling the entire hall with his energy,” says writer and actress
Armineh Abrahamyan. “There is nobody like him in Armenia.”

ARKA News Agency
July 14 2004
There can be any new variants of Karabakh conflict settlement – Yuri
Merzlyakov
RA Regular Representative to CE appointed the Chairman of group of
reporters on education, culture, sport, youth and ecology affairs of
CE Ministers Committee
New Iranian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
gives credentials to RA President
RA NA Speaker receives the German Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia on the occasion of the completion of his
diplomatic mission
NKR President meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
RA President and his spouse visit French Embassy in Yerevan on
occasion of National Day of France
*********************************************************************
THERE CAN BE ANY NEW VARIANTS OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT – YURI
MERZLYAKOV
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. There can be any new variants of Karabakh
conflict settlement, OSCE MG Co-Chairman Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia)
stated today in Yerevan. According to him, negotiations are held for
a long time and during this period all possible approaches and
variants were considered and `today all of them can be counted on the
fingers of one hand’. `Everything proceeds just as earlier, but today
we have new situation, new conditions’, Merzlyakov said. He also said
that negotiations have confidential character and represent
consultations that develop the agenda.
At this Maerzlyakov aid that during negotiations the parties did not
discuss withdrawal of Armenian forces from concrete Azeri territories
as it is represented by Azeri mass media. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA REGULAR REPRESENTATIVE TO CE APPOINTED THE CHAIRMAN OF GROUP OF
REPORTERS ON EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORT, YOUTH AND ECOLOGY AFFAIRS OF
CE MINISTERS COMMITTEE
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. On July 13, CE Ministers Committee
appointed RA Regular Representative to CE Christian Ter-Stepanian the
chairman of group of reporters on education, culture, sport, youth
and ecology affairs of CE Ministers Committee, RA MFA told ARKA.
Armenian representative will replace representative of France on this
position. Activities dedicated to 50th anniversary of European
culture convention will start since December 2004 and will last
throughout 2005. Besides, 2005 is declared a European Year of
Citizenship by Means of Education. RA MFA statement says that new
appointment is also important because it took place several months
ahead of scheduled 3rd summit of CE States’ heads on May 2005.
CE Ministers Committee acts through several reporters and working
groups. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
NEW IRANIAN AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ARMENIA
GIVES CREDENTIALS TO RA PRESIDENT
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. New Iranian Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ali Resa Hakikyan gave credentials to RA
President Robert Kocharian in Yerevan. According to RA President’s
Press Service Department, the Ambassador said that the official
Teheran highly appreciates the attention of the President to Armenia
and the development of bilateral relations between Iran and Armenia.
Kocharian congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment. The
President appreciated the present level of Armenian-Iran relations
and was for their continuation. According to Kocharian, together with
active political contacts Armenian-Iran economic co-operation
acquired new quality, including the development of infrastructures.
There are some important programs on the stage of realization, as
President said.
The parties noted that the coming official visit of the President of
Iran Mohammad Khatami to Armenia will become a serious impulse for
the further strengthening of bilateral relations. Also the last
events in the region were discussed and the issues of Karabakh
conflict settlement. The parties estimated Armenian-Iran relations as
an important factor to ensure peace in the region. A.H. -0–
*********************************************************************
RA NA SPEAKER RECEIVES THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND
PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ARMENIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMPLETION OF HIS
DIPLOMATIC MISSION
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan received
German Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
Hans-Wulf Bartels on the occasion of the completion of his diplomatic
mission. According to RA NA Press Service and Public Relations
Department, Bahgdasaryan wished Hans-Wulf Bartels luck in his new
work, noting the great input of the Ambassador in the development of
the German Armenian relations. Bartels by attaching inportance to the
economic development of Armenia noted that Germany is ready to
continue to support development programs in Armenia. He spoke about
the achievement of the country in the policy of Euro integration, and
emphasized the importance of peaceful settlement of the conflict and
development of democracy in Armenia. Bartels assured that the new
Ambassador will contribute to the development of intergovernmental
and interparliamentary relations as well. A.H. – 0–
*********************************************************************
NKR PRESIDENT MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan met with the
Chairmen of OSCE Minks Group on Nagorno Karabakh which arrived in
Nagrono Karabakh on the eve. As NKR President Information Department
told ARKA, during the meeting with yuri Mrzlyakov (Russia), Steven
Mann (USA) and Henry Jacolin (USA) Ghukasyan confirmed the position
of Officail Stepanakert around the main principles of the settlement
of the Nagornio Karabakh conflict, mentioning once more that without
participation of Karabakh side on parity level the final settlement
of the conflict is practically impossible. As it is mentioned in the
press release, the most of the negotiations was held behind the
closed doors.
The Co-Chairmen also met with the representatives of NGOs of Nagorno
Karabakh. Today Yuri Merzlyakov, Steven Mann and Henry Jacolin left
Stepenakert. T.M. -0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT AND HIS SPOUSE VISIT FRENCH EMBASSY IN YEREVAN ON
OCCASION OF NATIONAL DAY OF FRANCE
YEREVAN, 14 July. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and his
spouse visited the French Embassy in RA on occasion of the National
holiday of France – the storming of the Bastille. As RA President
Press Service told ARKA, Kocharian congratulated the employees of the
Embassy and expressed a confidence that the friendly relations
between two countries will continue developing successfully. T.M.
-0–

Armenianow.com
July 16, 2004
Two Months, No Answers: Haglund family says “someone has gotten away with
murder”
By John Hughes ArmeniaNow reporter
The family of an American murdered in Armenia two months ago says it remains
“determined to find answers and have justice served”.
Investigators in Armenia, however, are giving no information on whether such
answers exist or whether justice is near.
Joshua Haglund, a citizen of the United States from Wisconsin, was stabbed
to death outside his Yerevan apartment in the evening of May 17. He is
believed to be the first American murdered in Armenia.
Haglund, 33, was in Armenia as part of a U.S. State Department language
fellow program. He was teaching English at Brusov Linguistic University and
was killed just days before he was scheduled to end his service in Armenia.
Reached at her home in Wisconsin, Haglund’s mother Maxine Haglund-Blommer
told ArmeniaNow that her son held high hopes for his work in Armenia and
talked about “the excitement and possibilities Armenia had in its future and
he wanted to be a part of it all.”
It happens, too, that Joshua Haglund was gay. And, privately, expatriate and
Armenian acquaintances are saying he was killed by those who opposed his
lifestyle.
ArmeniaNow asked investigators whether Haglund’s death was being considered
a hate crime. Police would give no details of the investigation nor say
whether a suspect has been identified nor how many people have been
questioned.
Members of Armenia’s gay community have privately complained that police
used Haglund’s murder investigation as an excuse to intimidate those known
or thought to be gay.
At least one man was held in confinement for several days. Another says he
was called to a police station and when he asked what crime he was being
charged with, an investigator said: “Don’t you think being a faggot is a
crime?” He also alleges that police told him they did not care whether the
law protected homosexuality, and that, in their precinct, they were the law.
“Josh was openly gay in America and his family supported him,”
Haglund-Blommer said.
She says she doesn’t understand the relevancy of her son’s sexuality to his
death because: “It isn’t important what my son’s sexual orientation was but
rather that he was a person that wanted to make a difference in the world
through teaching and travels.”
But the mother also says his family “doesn’t know what it is like to be gay
in Armenia.”
“Joshua would never intentionally put himself in danger,” Maxine
Haglund-Blommer said. “If this was a hate crime, we don’t know. But we sure
would like to find out.”
His mother says that many of her son’s friends and colleagues in Armenia
have contacted her over the past two months.
“They don’t understand how or why this could happen,” Haglund-Blommer said.
“Several have said they don’t have great hope or confidence in the legal
process in Armenia.”
Haglund-Blommer says Haglund’s brothers and sister are “very discouraged and
disappointed” with the investigation and that the family is now looking into
hiring a victim representative in Armenia.
“We want some answers to this senseless death,” she said. “Our son and
brother is gone and someone has gotten away with this murder.”

ARKA News Agency
July 15 2004
Ovik Abramian appointed the head of Armenian delegation at summer
Olympic Games in Greece
NKR President receives the heads of Armenian Dance Group Ani
RA Foreign Minister and UK Ambassador to Armenia sign agreement on
culture centers
Spread of measles is recorded in Armenia
RA and RF authorities consider the possibility of creation of joint
commission
*********************************************************************
OVIK ABRAMIAN APPOINTED THE HEAD OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION AT SUMMER
OLYMPIC GAMES IN GREECE
YEREVAN, July 15. /ARKA/. RA Minister of Territorial Management and
Infrastructure Coordination Ovik Abramian was appointed the head of
Armenian delegation at summer Olympic Games in Greece, RA Government
press office told ARKA. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVES THE HEADS OF ARMENIAN DANCE GROUP ANI
STEPANAKERT, July 15. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkady Gukasian received
the heads of Armenian Dance Group Ani from USA. During the meeting,
Art Director of the Dance Group Yeghia Asholian said that it is third
for the last five years visit of Nagorno Karabakh. According to him,
this time Armenian dancers from America came to Artsakh to perform at
Karabakh scene with holiday concerts dedicated to 30th anniversary of
the group.
Gukasian in his turn said that visit of Karabakh by foreign Armenian
art groups became a good tradition that should be by all means
supported. He wished the guests success in their work and expressed
hope that they’ll always remain good friends of Artsakh. L.D. –0
*********************************************************************
RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND UK AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA SIGN AGREEMENT ON
CULTURE CENTERS
YEREVAN, July 15. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian and UK
Ambassador to Armenia Torda Abbot Watt signed today an agreement on
culture centers, RA MFA told ARKA. Agreement between the countries
puts it on official base the existing high level of culture links,
which increased with an opening of British Council in Armenia in
April 2001. According to the document, British Council is an official
body, coordinating culture links between Armenia and GB. Besides, the
agreement creates backgrounds for foundation of the same Armenian
culture representation in United Kingdom. The parties also receive an
opportunity to establish culture centers in the capitals of the two
countries and other cities on mutual agreement. The basic goal of
culture center is development of Armenian-British relations in the
spheres of language, literature, culture, art, science and
technology, etc. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
SPREAD OF MEASLES IS RECORDED IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, July 15. /ARKA/. Spread of measles is recorded in Armenia,
according to RA Deputy Minister of Health Haik Darbinyan. As he said,
in spite the fact that the disease is dominates in winter period,
this year already some cases of catching the disease in summer were
registered. However, Darbinyan didn’t state the exact number of the
infected. He just said that the disease could be caught through the
air, in particular, a whole bus of passengers recently caught the
disease. According to Darbinyan, cases of patients with intestinal
infections are registered this summer. Some of such infections
haven’t spread yet.
To remind, immunization of the population against 9 kinds of
infections is carried out among the population, and from the
beginning of the year the list of the injections included those
against Hepatitis -B, measles, roseola, parotids. A.H.–0–
*********************************************************************
RA AND RF AUTHORITIES CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATION OF JOINT
COMMISSION
YEREVAN, July 15. /ARKA/. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov suggested
creating a joint commission of RA and RF authorities. According to RA
President’s Press Service and Public Relations Department, he stated
this during the meeting with the RA Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan. According to Luzhkov, the commission will allow the two
Governments directly solve problems of mutual interest. He added that
such commissions already function in some states of CIS. Luzhkov also
mentioned the issue of construction `Yerevan’ trade house in Moscow
with the participation of Armenian builders. According to him,
construction is planned to be completed in 2005.
According to the press release, the parties discussed the issue of
founding a center for wholesale in Moscow. As Luzhkov said, the
center would allow Armenian side to distribute goods lots without
wasting time on looking for buyers. He noted that such centers
already exist in Moscow. In addition to that, the sides discussed the
possibility of organizing Armenian trade fairs in central regions of
Moscow. Luzhkov expressed his readiness to contribute the issue of
setting stable rent taxes in Pan Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow.
A.H. – 0 –

ARKA News Agency
July 16 2004
New German Ambassador to Armenia Haikke Renate Paich to arrive in
Yerevan in the middle of August
Photo-journalism courses to open in Caucasus Media Institute since
October 1
*********************************************************************
NEW GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA HAIKKE RENATE PAICH TO ARRIVE IN
YEREVAN IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST
YEREVAN, July 16. /ARKA/. New German Ambassador to Armenia Haikke
Renate Paich will arrive in Yerevan in the middle of August, RA NA
told ARKA with reference to German Ambassador to Armenia Hans Wolf
Bartels. The Ambassador considers it important to deepen bilateral
economic cooperation in all directions. He also expressed hope that
German businessmen will continue investments in Armenian economy.
L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
PHOTO-JOURNALISM COURSES TO OPEN IN CAUCASUS MEDIA INSTITUTE SINCE
OCTOBER 1
YEREVAN, July 16. /ARKA/. Photo-journalism courses will open in
Caucasus Media Institute since October 1. According to CMI Director
Vigen Chiterian, two-year education program, conducted by CMI and
World Press Photo, will allow young photo-journalists directly
communicate with leading photo-reporters of the world. According to
him, WPP specialists will teach at the courses. Besides, in the end
of the courses the works of the students (photo story) will be
represented at photo-exhibition in Amsterdam.
The courses are envisaged for photo-journalists from Armenia and CIS
at the age of 17-30 years.
The cost of 9-months course makes $300.
World Press Photo is one of the most authoritative organizations in
the field of photo-journalism. It was founded in 1995 in Netherlands.
L.D. –0–

Armenianow.com
July 16, 2004
Last Stop: Armenia’s southernmost village feels isolation amid natural
beauty
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
The last Armenian village before reaching Iran, Nyuvadi is buried in the
rich foliage of the Araks river valley. It is home to 45 families, and the
southernmost settlement of 13 villages in the sub region of Meghri (Syunic
Region).
Nyuvadi is connected to the center, Meghri, by a 30-kilometer road that is
little more than carved rock.
The distant village is isolated
“Despite the fact that on all the maps this section is classified as a
normal transport thruway, it actually looks more like an extreme rally quite
capable to compete with the famous Paris-Dakar route,” points out Hrachya
Harutyunyan, a veteran driver for Agarak copper-molybdenum plant. “In
different parts of Meghri region it’s still preferable to travel on pack
animals since a traveler never knows what to expect around any turn. And
besides, the road itself lies on the edge of the canyon.”
The distance between Yerevan and Nyuvadi is about 450 kilometers, about the
same as to Baku, Azerbaijan. But while it takes 7 hours to reach the capital
of Armenia, the capital of Baku can be reached in four and a half hours (via
the Iranian side).
“The road from Iran to the Azerbaijan capital runs through slightly bent
lowland,” the truck driver explains.
On the Iranian bank of the Araks, the renovated highway can be seen with
considerable traffic, especially for the region.
“There was no highway about five years ago,” Harutyunyan says. “Only a
narrow road was seen on which mainly pack animals were walking. The Turkish
population of the Easten Atropatena province of Iran is in fact the
connecting link between Nakhichevan and Baku. They built the existing road
to provide a direct land connection between the two places.”
But Nyuvadi does not enjoy such a connection with its capital.
“High passes, which reach up to 2,500 meters above sea level, make
transportation rather difficult and the average driving speed is 60 km per
hour or 1 km per minute,” says Harutyunyan. And the crossing through Tashtun
pass is not only spectacular, but challenging. The road drops (or rises) two
kilometers over a 20 kilometer stretch.
“Nowhere else in Armenia one can feel a 10cm slope per one meter of road,”
says the employee of Meghri road exploitation department Armen Vahanyan.
“The winter lasts for about 6 months at such heights, so our department
works almost without having rest. The Meghri territory is a part of Armenia’
s state highway that guarantees the connection with Iran and the trucking
industry which is of such importance to us. On average, an Iranian truck
passes over that road every sixteen minutes.”
Despite all the complex communication between Yerevan and Meghri, it wouldn’
t be a great exaggeration to say that the 30 km section that connects the
regional center with Nyuvadi is less laborious. The village enjoys
subtropical nature, where there are almost no winters and in December and
January persimmon, kiwi and pomegranate start blossoming. It is not just the
road, but nature itself that isolates Nyuvadi.
Vladimir Bayanduryan, 78, is one of the 153 residents of the village. Like
most of the residents of Nyuvadi he is a refugee from Azerbaijan.
“By some mystic coincidence the year when I was born, 1926, became an omen
of my wondering destiny,” Vladimir says. “It was in that very year that the
government of Bolshevik Azerbaijan made an administrative territorial reform
in the republic, as a result of which parts of North Karabakh populated by
Armenians in no time flat became parts of Shamkhor and Khanlar regions.
“In the same year the government of Azerbaijan refused the request of
Armenian refugees from Nakhichevan to return to their native land. So, I, an
Armenian born in Getashen, was destined to be a refugee. On April 30, 1991,
the Soviet Army and the Azerbaijani emergency platoon carried out a military
operation called ‘The Ring’ on deportation of Armenians from Getashen,
Shahumyan and Martunashen. So, and my family and I became refugees.”
Bayanduryan, twice a refugee, has been living in Nyuvadi since 1991, but is
still not used to his surroundings.
It is easier to pass along the canal than on the “road”.
“There are no living conditions,” says his son Yeghishe. “There are no roads
in the village, no shops, no irrigation water, no production, no doctors and
probably no future prospects. There’s only one phone number and one SUV for
the whole village. Wonderful natural-climatic conditions are not likely to
be able to fill in these gaps, since we’re practically unable to take out
our agricultural production to the market. Excellent persimmons and
pomegranates are rotting right in the gardens and as a result end up as
cattle food.”
However, the most irritating thing for the villagers is the attention of the
officials to their problems. Or, it is more correct to say, the absence of
any attention.
“Even the houses in which we’ve lived for more than 10 years, are not our
property,” says Vladimir Bayanduryan. “Since we have no jobs, we’re not able
to pay 60 thousand drams ($115) per square meter of the area for
privatization, as the government requires. So, the land is ours but the
houses are not.”
During Soviet times around 180 hectares of land were under cultivation.
Today only 52 hectares are cultivated.
Crops in Nyuvadi must rely on irrigation from the Araks, but villagers say
the unused cropland is not due to water supply. Simply, there is no need to
produce more than villages can consume, since transporting goods to Yerevan
is too expensive.
“It’s the time to include the residents of Nyuvadi in the Red Book of
Armenia, since this really is an endangered species,” says a math teacher
Lyuba Muradyan. “During Soviet years the number of school children reached
900. Today, all the school contingent including the 14 teachers doesn’t even
reach 45 people. That’s how we get settled in the new and, as they say in
the capital, ‘strategic’ village. While just 10s of kilometers from here in
Nakhichevan, there’s Agulis, a place where 1600 years ago the modern
Armenian alphabet was born.”
Nevertheless, today Nyuvadi – an Azeri name – is being renamed into New
Agulis. That’s the wish of the residents themselves.
Villagers say they feel a connection to their national history. And, in
fact, a connection to the history of civilization. Some say that 6,000 years
ago in this very territory, the copper age was born.
Sometimes, it seems not much has changed since.

Armenianow.com
July 16, 2004
Meghri: Armenia’s “subtropics” in search of a market
By Aris Ghazinyan ArmeniaNow correspondent
Located in the far south of the Siunic Region and bordering Iran, the
territory of Meghri is as close as Armenia gets to Mediterranean conditions.
With a significantly milder climate than the rest of the republic, the small
territory (664 square kilometers) produces fruits not found in other parts
of Armenia.
In addition to pomegranates and figs – found in lesser amounts in other
regions – Meghri also produces lemons, persimmons, almonds and, recently,
olives and kiwis.
The lower zone of Meghri is only 500 meters above sea level (compared to
Armenia’s average of 1,830 meters). The average temperature in Meghri is 14
(57 F), some three degrees Celsius warmer than the capital (51 F).
“With the proper conditions this strategically very important region could
be fully involved in the republic market,” says Hovhannes Saadyan, top
scientific officer of Yerevan State University.
About 1,000 Meghri residents work in the only stable industry, the Agarak
Copper-Molybdenum Combine. Some 5,000 live in the region’s three towns. The
rest, about 9,000, are almost all involved in subtropical farming.
But while Mother Nature has blessed the region with good growing conditions,
man-made obstacles hamper efforts to exploit potential.
Meghri faces closed borders on two sides; Azerbaijan to the east and
Azeri-held Nakhichevan to the west. With fruit-rich Iran to the south, the
only practical market for Meghri produce is in Yerevan, 420 kilometers to
the north, mostly uphill.
In Soviet times, before Nakhichevan was closed, the trip to the capital took
about three hours. Plus, the Baku-Meghri-Yerevan railroad route was a
reliable, short and inexpensive means of transport.
Today, however, a trip to Yerevan takes 7 to 8 hours by car and can be
especially difficult in winter. Transport costs have to be added to the
price of goods, adversely affecting Meghri farmers’ sales outside their
region.
In fact, it is cheaper for fruit growers who enjoy similar cultivation
conditions in West Georgia – who have the advantage of the Georgia-Armenia
railroad – to reach the Yerevan market, than those from Meghri.
“This is a very important issue as it immediately affects vital activity of
the whole region,” says Cultural Center of Meghri employee Michael Azatyan.
“Practically, there are no production units in the city and the population
has to ensure their incomes by agricultural production sales. The same also
concerns 11 villages of Meghri region where more than 4,000 people live.”
Azatyan says that unless something changes, the population will decrease, as
people will be forced to leave in search of better opportunities.
In 2000, the Government of Armenia adopted legislation aimed at reviving
Meghri. Residents say, however, that efforts have mostly remained on paper,
and even then their distinct district is included in overall plans for the
entire Siunic Region.
The legislation “doesn’t reflect the specificity of the Meghri region,” says
Meghri resident Sirun Sargsyan.
A previous initiative did, however.
In an effort to assist Meghri farmers, in 2002 the Ministry of Agriculture
of the Republic of Armenia imposed restrictions on the amount of subtropical
fruit that was imported from Georgia.
“The results were not long in coming,” Sargsyan says. “The year 2002 was
really profitable for the residents of the region.”
But the program was only carried out in that year, and, without the
restrictions, Meghri again struggles.
(According to Sirun Sargsyan, at the request of Meghri Municipality the
Ministry said they didn’t continue the program due to some reasons connected
with market relations.)
Rugged Meghri is in the region’s most populated
Meghri’s potential harvest isn’t only above ground.
On March 11 of this year, the Government of Armenia approved the sale of the
Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Plant. American company Compass Commodities will
pay $350 million for the plant, with provision that it will invest $3.5
million in the first year.
Surely the Americans see potential in Meghri’s rich earth, but, like the
region’s fruit farmers, they face considerable transport challenges.
Long before westerners discovered the ore field, the Soviets already knew
that it was not enough to simply extract the ore. So, in 1949, the railroad
conduit was built for the purpose of exporting the mineral.
“Serious investments are required for maintaining the southern ore belt of
Armenia,” says plant director Mais Khachatryan. Northern ore sources in
Alaverdi, Akhtala, Shamlugh are accessible to the Georgia-Armenia railroad,
but: “Because of the blockade, the southern ore belt found itself at a
considerable distance not only from Yerevan but also from alternative
communications.”
While ore and subtropical fruit have long been Meghri’s strong suit, it’s
very geographical location has introduced a new value of international
consequence.
In recent years the area surrounding Meghri has been the subject of debate
and speculation over a so-called “Meghri corridor”. The territory of Meghri
links Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan, but since the Karabakh War, borders have
been closed, cutting off transport between the Azeri-controlled territory
and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Third-party negotiators have discussed Meghri as a possible deal-maker in
talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan – specifically, Armenia would give up
Meghri as part of a compromise peace agreement to settle the conflict over
Karabakh.
“Taking into account Meghri’s geopolitical position of the Southern Caucasus
it would be amazing if the question of its perspectives was not discussed
during Armenian-Azeri negotiations,” said the mayor of Meghri Misha
Hovanisyan. “However, we should realize that discussion initiated from
outside is one thing, while position of Armenian government on these
developments is another. It won’t be a mistake if I say that population of
the region for a long time has been ignoring different speculations
concerning the subject of so-called ‘territorial exchange’ introduced from
outside.”
Residents agree with the mayor, saying they do not take seriously any talk
of their homeland becoming the lynch-pin of a peace deal.
“The Araks River, which by mutual agreement are used by Armenian and Iranian
sides for the purpose of irrigation of lands, form a very deep canyon,” says
a gardener in Legvaz, Movses Asatryan. The villager says foreign diplomats
accredited in Armenia often come to admire nature and that “malicious
tongues continue to insist that the wonderful landscape is not the only
reason they visit. But we don’t pay attention to statements like that.”
Recently, even Kiwi are being grown in the “subtropical” region
“Nobody doubts that the ‘Meghri card’ was played during negotiations,” says
deputy head of Agarak municipality Martin Hovakimyan. “However, it is
regrettable that the card becomes trump in the hands of Armenian
politicians. This is a dirty game of internal policy and there shouldn’t be
continuation of that game in the future.
“Finally, the consistent spread of rumors has a negative influence on the
inflow of investments, which the Meghri region needs very much. There were
cases when possible investments into the economy of a region were frozen as
a result of consistent spreading of rumors like that.”
The mayor of Meghri reminds that for nearly a century, Meghri has been the
focus of dispute over who has legitimate ownership.
“Since the signing of the Russian-Turkish agreement in Moscow on March 16,
1921 between Bolsheviks and Kemalists, as a result of which Nakhichevan,
among other things, was separated from Armenia, Ankara and Baku have often
been laying claims to Meghri and Siunic in whole,” Hovannisyan says. “So the
population of the region has already become immune to ignoring such
projects. C onsequently, the matter depends on businessman because if any
region is geographically farther from the Armenian center then the center
must be economically closer to it.”
Plant manager Mais Khachatryan believes “it is necessary to give offshore
zone status to the region.”
Such a status would be incentive for investors to start small business in a
tax-free zone.
“The year 2002 demonstrated that in case of proper economic policy towards
Meghri it is possible to achieve many successes,” says Sargsyan. But in
conditions favoring an open economy, Meghri loses.
And such conditions, Sargsyan and others here believe “can destroy the
structure of the local economy, in which the absolute majority of the region
‘s population is involved.”
And many here, holding on to the tip of Armenia with unfriendly neighbors on
two sides, believe any weakening of Meghri would be a big strategic mistake.

Armenianow.com
July 16, 2004
Sound for Sight: Armenian computer program opens doors for visually impaired
By Julia Hakobyan ArmeniaNow reporter
Recently Hayk Papikyan has developed a passion for his computer, scanner and
a program called “AREV” and is eager to show off the way by which the
combination of the three are making his life more enjoyable.
“Look here,” he says carefully grouping the keys. “I am scanning the page of
the book, then launch AREV and that’s it. It reads for me.”
Hayk Papikyan and his tools for “seeing”.
AREV is a recently developed, unprecedented audio program in Armenian
language for the visually impaired. The brainchild of scientists of the
Yerevan Computer Research and Development Institute (YCRDI), the program
allows the blind to use Armenian websites, communicate via e-mail or listen
to books or other information written in Microsoft Word.
Hayk, age 22, is one of 18 who completed AREV lessons organized by the
YCRDI. He lost his sight when he was 14, after complications with influenza.
Despite the unexpected problems, he strongly decided to continue his
education.
Hayk moved from the ninth grade of his school to a Yerevan boarding school
for blind children, where he learned the Braille system. Upon finishing
school he successfully passed three university exams and now he is at the
second course of the history faculty at Yerevan State University.
Hayk writes down the lessons in a Braille notebook or records them on tape
recorder.
But apart from learning those lessons he needs to become familiar with more
extensive literature, including the classics and professional literature.
His mother has been helping him, by reading literature and university books
for him.
But since completing a course in how use AREV last week he has pinned great
hopes on the AREV program’s use in helping him finish his degree
“The AREV system tremendously helps me with my university homework,” he
says. “I don’t need my mother to read books or lectures as I scan them and
hear a reading. Besides, I can type the essays and then hear what I wrote
and edit it.”
Arman Kuchukyan, creator of AREV and the Technical Director of the YCRDI
says that it took two and a half years for his group to develope the
program. Kuchukyan says he does not diminish the value of Braille system. He
says it has been a perfect aide, but it now outdated.
“Only few books are available in Braille in Armenian or in Russia. It is
unfair that blind people were deprived of an opportunity of reading other
books. The systems like AREV are available in West for a long time, and I am
happy that we managed to make the similar program for Armenians,” he says.
Kuchukyan, 73, has worked at the YCRDI for 51 years and says that AREV is
one of the institute’s best achievements. He is inspired by AREV, but is
unsure about its future.
“We organized the computer lessons for the blind people free of charge and
gave AREV programs also free of charge to those few who had computers at
home. What about those who do not have computers? They will forget soon what
they learned,” he says.
Kuchukyan applied to the Parliament asking to assist in providing computers
the school graduators.
Kuchukyan says a lot of Armenians can benefit from the program.
“Annually there are about 20-25 graduates of the boarding school for blind
children,” he says. “So many people can help those young ones by giving them
computers which were in use. Imagine, how the life of a young person will
change if he gets a computer, so many opportunities will be available for
them.”
But Kuchukyan’s good intentions were not favorably met by government.
We did not get a single dram from the government for this program,”
Kuchukyan says. “Eight people worked hard on the program to install about
10,000 Armenian sounds into the program. AREV is not perfect and we need
sponsorship to continue our research on its improvement, but all our efforts
will be in vain if people for whom we develop the program will not have
chance to take advantage on it for the simple reason of a lack of
computers.”
The All Armenian Fund “Hayastan” has allocated six computers to the boarding
school for the blind children N 14 and AREV program was installed in those
and other computers there.
“About three years ago scientists from the YCRDI came to our school and
asked if children need the program which will read the Armenian fonts,” says
Alexan Aharonyan, the director of the school. “Of course we said ‘yes, we
need it urgently’, because the government does not sponsor the production of
the Braille books, and each time when we want to issue the book we apply to
the Armenian Society for blind people. Besides Braille books have a short
life and it is hard to read when it is not new.”
Currently there are 120 students studying at the school from grades 1-11. It
is the only school of its kind in Armenia, except for the school for the
children with poor eyesight. In all there are 4,000 blind people in Armenia
and most of them are involved in production of electronic houseware.
Hayk Papikyan who completed massage courses at the boarding school says that
before entering university he tried to find a job of a masseur, but he could
not find any vacancy.
The education that the blind people get at the school is not enough to find
a job,” he says. “For others it is hard to continue education at the
university. I hope that AREV will open many doors for many people who will
have a chance to get education by correspondence, to meet in chat rooms, to
get letters by e-mail and read them without anyone’s help. In other words to
escape the limits we have by getting more privacy and self-dependency.”

Armenianow.com
July 16, 2004
Cool Relief: Armenian summer melts under 14 factories of ice cream
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
With temperatures rising toward the dreaded 40-degree (104 Fahrenheit) mark
of recent summers, Armenians look for relief from a source once only dreamed
of: Real ice cream.
In the hard years of 1988-93, mothers tried to pacify children with
home-made versions of ice cream that rarely came close to the real thing.
14 companies produce “baghbaghak” in Armenia.
“I have a special notebook where all my ice cream recipes are written, but
however hard I tried still my children were saying it doesn’t taste like the
ice cream in stores,” says Nazeni Mkrtumyan, a housewife.
Today, however, 14 companies produce ice cream in Armenia.
“In summer, about 40 percent of our daily income comes from selling ice
cream, and Tamara and Ashtarak Kat are selling the best,” says the manager
of Milena store Artur Minasyan.
Tamara, in 1992, was the first company to start producing ice cream after
independence, but its quality was far from today’s standards. (During Soviet
times there were three-four types of ice cream in Armenia, but none as good
as today’s quality).
In 1995 Ashtarak Kat entered the market, followed by the rest that today
offer an unimagined paradise of cold sweets.
All the selection of ice cream producing companies in Armenia was thoroughly
studied by Anna National Association of Consumers in 2003. According to the
president of the association Melita Hakobyan, the research that lasted 6
months included a market study, monitoring, sociological poll carried out
among 1,000 people, tests done in 4 laboratories and tasting by an 11-member
panel of specialists.
The poll found that about 40 percent of consumers prefer Ashtarak Kat; 30
percent, Tamara; about 20-25 percent favor Shant, while the other 11
companies (ASA, Grand Candy, Yerevan Penguin and others) get only seven
percent of the market.
“Our next most important step was laboratory tests which were carried out at
3 laboratories accredited by the RA Accreditation Council and at one
inspection laboratory which has all the modern facilities and which we
trust,” says Hakobyan.
After laboratory tests, tasting and visits to plants the committee gave 98
points (on a 100 scale) to Ashtarak Kat, 94 to Shant, 82 to Shant, 81 to
Grand Candy. The rest did not score 80 points, which means they fall below
acceptable standards
Samples of different ice creams were taken from the city’s different
communities. In the center 85 percent of ice cream corresponded to its
expiration date. In the suburbs, however, 25 percent of ice cream was found
to violate health standards (such as being kept with other food products, or
stored above accepted temperatures).
Some companies weren’t happy with Hakobyan’s assessment of their product.
Often, in order to save electricity, sellers turn off refrigerators during
the night. But according to specialists, re-freezing ice cream can create
bacteria that lead to illness.
Hakobyan, herself, became a victim of bad ice cream during the testing.
“I was getting treatment for a month, feeling for myself the situation of
over 100 consumers who applied to us with complaints; who have had various
poisonings and diseases because of bad quality ice cream,” she says.
Besides suffering health damage as a result of these tests, president of the
association Hakobyan, also suffered moral and psychological pressure. After
several TV programs during which together with members of the committee,
Melita Hakobyan presented results of the research, she was receiving many
threatening phone calls.
“They (ice cream companies) would call a lot and say ‘We’ll destroy you, we’
re coming now with our guns’ and so on, and I was telling them not to
bother, that I shall go to them myself, I have nothing to be afraid of, I
only now that there’s a product that is a threat to people’s health and I
consider it my duty to warn the consumer about it,” assures Hakobyan.
Together with Armenian ice cream producing companies today, there’s also the
ice cream of Algida company. According to the manager of importing company
Cleopatra Anahit Dervishyan, this kind of ice cream is not a competitor to
the local production.
“Of course, I’m not saying that Algida is so good that they cannot compete
with it, our local ones are very good, too, but Algida has totally different
taste peculiarities and is made with other technology and raw material,”
says Dervishyan.
>From the freezer to the waistline?
Algida is produced in 150 countries, but is imported into Armenia from
Trabzon, Turkey.
This brand of ice cream was also tested by the National Association of
Consumers. Unlike the local brands, Algida is the only one with packaging
that fully corresponds to the law, by listing in detail the ingredients.
Among the ingredients are preservatives not found in the local product. If
local ice creams can be kept from 4 to 5 months, Algida can be kept a year
and a half.
Prices of Armenian-produced ice cream bars range from 50 drams (about 10
cents) to 450 (about 90 cents).
According to saleswoman Naira Muradyan most of her customers prefer local
ice cream. According to her, children who often don’t have a lot of money
buy cheaper ice cream, like ASA, or Grand Candy, and the adults mainly buy
Ashtarak Kat or Tamara.
“It has often happened that a child asked the parent to buy Algida but the
parent refused, saying that it’s Turkish,” says Muradyan. “But it’s not the
child’s fault, it really is very tasty, but not as good as our Tamara,”
continues the young saleswoman jokingly and enjoys the cold ice cream
covered with chocolate.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress