Brownsville Herald, TX
June 25 2004
Olympian visits Brownsville
By Criselda Valdez Villarreal
The Brownsville Herald
June 25, 2004 – Vanes Martirosyan lives and breathes the adage that
`winners never quit and quitters never win.’
Martirosyan – the No. 1-ranked welterweight boxer in the United
States – traveled to Brownsville on Thursday to visit with
participants in the 2004 U.S. Junior Olympic National Championship
games.
The now Glendale, Calif., resident moved from Armenia to the United
States when he was 4. Nearly four years later, Martirosyan’s father
Noviq encouraged his active son to “do something positive and go to
the gym,” Martirosyan, now 18, said Thursday at the Jacob Brown
Auditorium.
At the urging of his father, Martirosyan put on his first set of
boxing gloves and learned the sport. Eventually, his older brother
Vahe and his younger brother Vatche also started boxing.
When the time came that he wanted to play basketball, the Martirosyan
patriarch wouldn’t let him leave. Perhaps his father saw his second
born had Olympic potential.
His father was right.
In a few weeks, Martirosyan will travel to Athens, Greece for the
second time this summer to participate in the 2004 Olympics Games as
part of the boxing team.
The trip from his home in California to the island is just a plane
ride over, but the journey to the U.S. Olympic team was a little more
difficult.
There are seven Olympic team-qualifying games, according to Julie
Goldsticker, USA Boxing director of media and public relations.
The last two were the Everlast U.S. Championships in Colorado and the
Western trials in Bakersfield, Calif. – and the only two that
Martirosyan fought in.
The championships in January ended in disqualification after
Martirosyan threw a `body shot,’ Goldsticker said.
With only one chance left at the Western trials in early February,
Martirosyan said his father and Uncle Serg Martirosyan encouraged him
to have fun. After all, they told him, he had nothing to lose.
Walking into the trials as a relative unknown and definite underdog,
Martirosyan’s first fight was against the U.S. No. 2-ranked boxer in
the welterweight division Timothy Bradley.
`I beat him,’ he said quietly.
After winning the championships, Martirosyan moved on to the Olympic
Team Trials in Tunica, Miss., just two weeks later. According to
Goldsticker, the winners are determined by double elimination and the
winner of a `box-off’ – which features the winner of the weight-class
and the winner of the consolation weight-class – in Cleveland.
Martirosyan walked into the `box-off’ the champion and after winning
that game, became an Olympian.
He had just one more trial ahead before being named to the team –
Gold Rush games in Tijuana, Mexico. To be on the team, Martirosyan
explained, boxers have to win an international game.
Andre Berto, formerly ranked first in the United States before
leaving for his native home in Haiti, proved to be his biggest
competitor.
Martirosyan won in a decision match after four rounds.
`I had to beat him to prove to everyone that I (deserved) to go,’ he
said.
He knows that had it not been for his father encouraging him to stay
with boxing, he wouldn’t be going to Athens.
`I’m going for the gold,’ he said.
Martirosyan and two other members of the U.S. Olympic boxing team
will be at the former Amigoland Mall at 7 p.m. today for the first
Boxing on the Border fund-raiser for the Foundation for Brownsville
Sports.
The fund-raiser will feature auctions, and attendees will have the
chance to meet the three boxing Olympians.
To purchase tickets or for more information on the Boxing on the
Border Fundraiser, call Dr. Rose Gowen’s office at 504-6880.

Providence Journal , RI
June 25 2004
Radio operators plan disaster drill
The Providence Radio Association will hold its annual emergency
communications exercise this weekend at Bevertail State Park in
Jamestown.
Amateur radio operators will set up three shortwave radio stations
that are powered by solar or wind sources and will operate their
communications system continuously from Saturday afternoon through
Sunday afternoon.
“This is a practice exercise,” said Frank DePetrillo, association
president. “We’ve done this as far back as the ’38 hurricane.” He
said amateur radio operators have helped transmit messages during
other storms and during the earthquake in Armenia in 1988, “when we
handled hundreds of health and welfare messages in the aftermath,”
DePetrillo said.
The event is sponsored by the national American Radio Relay League.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 25 2004
INT’L COMMUNITY HIGHLY ASSESS AZERBAIJAN`S POSITION IN FIGHTING
TERRORISM
[June 25, 2004, 11:38:44]
Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Republic Elmar Mammadyarov met the
director of American Jewish Committee on international affairs of
Jews Andrew Baker, 24 June.
In the meeting, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov noted that the relations
between Azerbaijan and US are of traditionally friendly character,
underlined the necessity of continuation of political dialogue for
expansion of the developing links in all spheres, MFA press center
said.
The Minister also stated that the people of Azerbaijan always felt
respect towards civil traditions and was notable for its religious
tolerance. Then, he in detail dwelled on the socio-political
situation in the Republic, on the realized democratic reforms, the
work done in the field of settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorny Karabakh conflict.
Mr. Andrew Baker informing that the Organization he represents
attaches great importance to development of relations between US and
Azerbaijan stated that he adheres continuation of bilateral
cooperation in more intensive form. He noted that integration of
Azerbaijan to the Euro-Atlantic structures, and its active position
in combat against terrorism was highly assessed by the international
community.
Ambassador of the United States to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish attended
the meeting.

PRAVDA / RIA Novosti, Russia
June 25 2004
Argentine Foreign Minister arrives in Russia to give economic
cooperation a boost
11:39 2004-06-25
One of the goals of the Argentine Foreign Minister’s current visit to
Moscow is to boost economic cooperation between his country and
Russia.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Rafael Antonio Bielsa said
the Argentine government’s current confidence-building measures were
aimed at getting the national economy out of a deep crisis. Argentina
is trying to make its trade policy predictable and to rise investor
confidence, the minister said, expressing hope that his country’s
relations with Russia would benefit from these steps.
Russian and Argentine officials will sign a framework agreement on
the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes at a special ceremony
Friday, Mr Bielsa revealed to the media. “One of a Russo-Argentine
joint venture’s senior executives is currently visiting Moscow, and
[cooperation in the] nuclear energy [industry] will be discussed
within the framework of the 2nd Russia-Argentine business forum, now
underway in Moscow,” the minister said.
Mr Bielsa said President Nestor Kirchner had asked him to convey an
invitation for Vladimir Putin. The Argentine government is working
hard to make the Russian leader’s visit possible before the end of
this year, he added.
At a ceremony in Argentina’s Embassy, national Argentine awards were
presented to Russian politicians and people in the arts who had made
outstanding contributions to the promotion of cooperation and
friendship between the two nations. The awardees included former
world chess champion Anatoli Karpov, Armenian community activist Ara
Abramyan, and choreographer Igor Moiseyev.
In his acceptance speech, the 98-year-old Moiseyev said: “Being in
love with Argentina as I am, I feel deeply moved, and will take your
award of honor close to heart. That you have taken notice of my
endeavors inspires me to continue working, however challenging this
may turn out to be for me.”
From: Baghdasarian

ARKA News Agency
June 23 2004
RA Government considers corruption as system evil – Robert Kocharian
RA President Robert Kocharian meets with CE administration in
Strasbourg
International forum on information technologies to take place in
Yerevan on June 28-30
Criminal case brought against two Armenian citizens for illegal
import of 3.3 kilograms of gold
Events devoted to 10th anniversary of founding Vazgen Sargsian
Military Institute of RA Defense Ministry to be held in Yerevan on
June 27
*********************************************************************
RA GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS CORRUPTION AS SYSTEM EVIL – ROBERT KOCHARIAN
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. RA Government considers corruption as
system evil, RA President Robert Kocharian stated at PACE session in
Strasbourg. He said that Armenia is concentrated on system changes
that eliminate the motives of corruption. `That is why we entered
GRECO group, where we can study the experience of other countries in
this sphere. By means of wide discussion with participation of OSCE,
WB and IMF, we development National anticorruption strategy and
several weeks ago, in accordance with my decree, we created Council
on coordination of fight against corruption’, Kocharian said. Among
number-one measures directed on elimination of corruption in Armenia
the President mentioned necessity of deepening of reform of legal
system, improvement of administration in tax and custom bodies,
creation of effective state service system. For decrease of
corruption risks Kocharian noted the importance of approval of
competitive sphere, predictability of Government activities, easing
of procedure, their transparency and public control.
`These are our priorities today and their goal is to provide
irreversibility of economic reforms and democratization of Armenia’,
Kocharian said.
According to research of international agency Transparency
International, in 2003 Armenia placed 78th place among 133 states on
the level of corruption. In this list Armenia is between Turkey (77th
place) and Iran (79th place). L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN MEETS WITH CE ADMINISTRATION IN
STRASBOURG
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian met with CE
administration in Strasbourg, RA President’s press office told ARKA.
The President met with the Chairman of PACE Peter Schider, CE
Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, European Court on Human Rights
Luzius Wildhaber and Norway’s PM Kjell Magne Bondevik. RA President
attended the ceremony devoted to opening of the exhibition in
European Parliament devoted to Fritjof Nansen.
Note Robert Kcharian is paying official visit in Strasbourg since
June 22. RA Today the President will hold a speech on PACE
Parliamentary Session then he will answer the question asked by PACE
MPs. L.D. -0–
*********************************************************************
INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO TAKE PLACE IN
YEREVAN ON JUNE 28-30
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. International forum on information
technologies will take place in Yerevan on June 28-30. The organizers
of the forum told ARKA that the forum will include to large
activities: Open Source and investment conference. According to the
statement, the participants of the seminar will be the heads of
public organizations, local and foreign companies and high officials
of Armenian Government.
The press release also notes that investment conference held in the
frames of the forum is a final stage of grant contest on stimulation
of business, initiated by Enterprises Incubator Fund. The conference
is to coordinate specialists and entrepreneurs of IT sphere,
stimulate realization of new ideas and initiatives and involvement of
foreign financing in Armenian IT sector. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
CRIMINAL CASE BROUGHT AGAINST TWO ARMENIAN CITIZENS FOR ILLEGAL
IMPORT OF 3.3 KILOGRAMS OF GOLD
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. Criminal case was brought against two
Armenian citizens – Anna Kamalian and Vardan Khazmalian – for illegal
import of 3.3 kilograms of gold and more than $30 thousand from
Turkey, RA National Security Service told ARKA. It was discovered
that they hid the gold in delivery blower for production of gold
products, which they received from representative of Spartak Muradian
Ltd, the company dealing with cargo transportations.
Kamalian and Khazmalian stated that they have chosen such type of
import, being confident that cargo transportations do not go through
detail inspection at custom bodies. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
EVENTS DEVOTED TO 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDING VAZGEN SARGSIAN
MILITARY INSTITUTE OF RA DEFENSE MINISTRY TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON
JUNE 27
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. On June 27, Yerevan will hold celebrate the
10th anniversary of founding the RA Defense Ministry Vazgen Sargsian
Military Institute by organizing an event on the Republic Square. As
it is mentioned in the statement, placed on the RA Defense Ministry
website, in the course of the celebration, the graduates of the 2004
academic year of the Institute will be awarded initial military ranks
and diplomas. T.M. -0–

ARKA News Agency
June 24 2004
Today Armenian officers to leave Baku for Tbilisi
Italian edition of Charles Aznavour’s memoirs presented in Milano
Theater Dal Verme
*********************************************************************
TODAY ARMENIAN OFFICERS TO LEAVE BAKU FOR TBILISI
YEREVAN, June 24. /ARKA/. The Armenian officers participating in
conference on planning of filed exercises of NATO Cooperative Best
Efforts – 2004 to leave today Baku for Tbilisi, as stated by RA
defense Minister Arthur Aghabekyan. Touching upon the incident
related to staying of the Armenian officers in Azerbaijani capital,
Aghabekyan stated that the Azerbaijani authorities underestimated the
`opposition movement in Baku’. At the same time, in his opinion, the
incident was not directly organized by Azerbaijani authorities. At
the same time, he said that on the first day of the conference the RA
Defense Ministry demanded that the US Embassy in Baku was in charge
of security of the Armenian officers, however after insisting request
of the Azerbaijani side, the RA Defense Ministry agreed that this was
done by the Azerbaijani side. He also added that two days of the
conference went calmly and the Armenian side was given a number of
positions on exercises. `We, as minimum have five various positions
for officers on subdivision and on headquarter level, Aghabekyan said
adding that possibly an Armenian journalist would participate in the
exercises. He also said that to all probabilities 5-7 Armenian
officers to participate in Baku exercises.
On evening, June 21 Armenian officers – Colonel Murad Isakhanyan and
Senior Lieutenant Aram Hovhannisyan representing the Armenian
delegation arrived in Baku for participation in the conference.
To remind that on the eve of the conference, the activists of
Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) made an attempt to hamper a
three -day final conference in Baku devoted to planning of field
exercises Cooperative Best Efforts -04. KLO protesting against the
arrival of the Armenian delegation in Baku, KLO organized a picket in
front of Hotel Europe where the conference is going on. On June 22
around 100 picketers continued action protest and even 3-4 members of
eth organization were able to cross the police cordons as well as
security employees and approaching the doors of the hall where the
session was on. Seeing that the doors were closed they by broking the
door entered the hall, from where they were pushed out.
Simultaneously other members of the KLO tried closing the traffic on
the Tbilisi Avenue, where the hotel was located. The hotel was
patrolled by intensive unit of the police. T.M. -0–
*********************************************************************
ITALIAN EDITION OF CHARLES AZNAVOUR’S MEMOIRS PRESENTED IN MILANO
THEATER DAL VERME
YEREVAN, June 24. /ARKA/. Italian edition of famous French singer of
Armenian origin Charles Aznavour’s memoirs `Past days’ was presented
in Milano Theater Dal Verme As RA Foreign Ministry Information and
Press department told ARKA, the ceremony of the event was opened by
the Director of the largest publishing group RCS Libri Feruccio de
Bartoli. After this former Italian Ambassador in Russia Sergio Romano
red a paper `Reasons of Forgetting the Armenian Genocide’. Famous
Italian piano player Michele Campanella performed on the concert
organized on occasion of the presentation of the book.
The book is published by famous Italian publishing house Rizoli. The
presentation was attended by RA Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary in Italy Gagik Baghdasaryan. T.M. -0–

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 24, 2003
MEETING AT RA PARLIAMENT
On June 19 speaker of the RA National Assembly Artur Baghdassarian
met with the delegation of the NKR parliament headed by Oleg
Yessayan. During the meeting the preliminary findings of the Armenian
Conference of Parliamentarian Friendship were discussed. It was
mentioned that further effective activity of the conference is very
important. The significance of the participation of the NKR
delegation in the conference now and in the future was emphasized.
The participants of the meeting discussed questions of cooperation
between the two parliaments.
AA

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 24, 2003
CONFERENCE ENDED
The June 19 meeting of the Armenian Conference of Parliamentarian
Friendship discussed a number of questions concerning not only
Armenia but also the countries represented at the conference. Also
the economic and social state of those countries were presented. A
number of questions regarding NKR were discussed, including problems
of exchange of information. NKR National Assembly speaker Oleg
Yessayan presented the present economic condition of Artsakh to the
representatives of European countries and particularly mentioned that
every country of the post-soviet period faced two rather complicated
and interrelated problems after the declaration of independence. The
first of these problems, according to Oleg Yessayan, is formation of
the national economy after the dissolution of the economy, and the
second is to maintain the transition of the national economy into the
model of market economy. The NKR NA speaker stated that the military
and political situation in which years ago the economy of this small
country was formed naturally caused a number of serious
complications. However, today the picture is completely different.
With the assistance of the Republic of Armenia the people and the
government managed to achieve economic reforms. `The GDP in our
country only in 2003 increased by 19.8 percent.’ The average salary
in Artsakh totals over 60 US dollars. According to Oleg Yessayan, if
compared to the rates 10 years ago the average salary certainly grew
10 times. As to the development of business, the speaker of NKR
parliament emphasized that favourable conditions have been provided
in our country for foreign investments. According to the NKR
legislation, absolutely the same conditions work for all investors
but with more privileges for the foreign investors. Thus, in case of
investing 50 thousand dollars and more in the first three year the
investor is exempted from all taxes except for the pension fund
payments. Drawing the attention of the foreign members of parliament,
Mr. Yessayan mentioned that Artsakh has all the favourable conditions
for development of economy of the country as well as the growth of
business of foreign businessmen, which is favourable for both the
businessman and the development of independent Artsakh. For example
he mentioned that during the past four years the total volume of
foreign investments exceeded 40 million dollars, which is a serious
number for a country with 150 thousand population. During the meeting
the staff of the conference was also confirmed. The speaker of the
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Artur Baghdassarian was
elected chairman of the Conference. Six committees were formed.
According to Artur Baghdassarian, the conference will pursue the
settlement of the problems that Armenia and the Armenian nation face,
as well as represent the interests of Armenia and friendly countries
in different international parliamentary organizations. The first
plenary meeting of the Armenian Conference of Parliamentarian
Friendship closed under the hymn of Armenia. The next meeting will
take place next year, however it has not been decided yet in which
country. Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Artur
Baghdassarian considered it appropriate to hold it in Armenia not
refusing invitations from Nagorni Karabakh, Russia and Ukraine. The
delegates of these countries expressed their wish to hold the next
meetings in their countries. And before that the six committees will
discuss and work out the problems for the settlement of which this
unprecedented organization was founded.
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 24, 2003
NO ONE-SIDED CONCESSIONS
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the cease-fire the public
undertaking `Defence of Liberated Territories’ in Yerevan published a
report. The authors of the report think that the negotiations for the
regulation of the Karabakh conflict have reached a deadlock and it is
time to make changes. The report says, `Although the cease-fire was
maintained the diplomatic war goes on.’ The mentioned public
organization informed journalists about this during the seminar on
June 19. `The past years were enough to make it clear that the
international regulation of the Artsakh issue is not its settlement
but the continuation of the war through diplomatic means,’ says the
report. According to the representatives of the public undertaking
`Defence of Liberated Territories’, returning the liberated
territories or part of them is the main problem discussed at the
negotiation, and if it is fulfilled, it will mean serious
reconsideration of the results of the war not in favour of Armenia.
According to the authors of the report, `the current situation has
two solutions: either the liberated territories are fixed in our
consciousness as motherland, populated and made part of the Armenian
state or are merely considered temporarily occupied territories for
the aim of security and estranged sooner or later.’ The settlement of
the Karabakh conflict is related to the problem of telecommunication
and refugees. The authors of the report think that because of the
long-lasting and fruitless negotiations we have appeared in a
deadlock and live under the threat of the imposed one-sided
concession. The director of the undertaking thinks that the policy of
the current government does not differ from the former. The core
principle of the both is willingness for concessions. `The only
difference perhaps is that if the former authorities expressed their
willingness for concessions in plain text, the present government
tries to postpone, not to make that step under different pressuresâ=80¦’
This is, of course, the opinion of the director of the undertaking.
And in order not to mislead the reader, we consider it necessary to
quote one of the representatives of the authorities, vice speaker of
the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Vahan Hovhannissian.
Recently in an interview in answer to the question of the journalist
whether it is possible to make pressure on the government of Armenia
and impose a non-favourable variant in reference to the Karabakh
problem, and under the foreign pressure Armenian will make one-sided
concessions, Mr. Hovhannissian said, `No, because Armenia is an
independent country and it is difficult to whitewash. We also have
eyes abroad.’ Of course, this is not the only argument and more
similar statements of representatives of the present authorities of
Armenia can be enumerated but this is not our task. Our task is to
agree to the healthy idea of the representatives of the public
organization `Defence of Liberated Territories’ that the position of
each conscious Armenian must be that all the liberated regions are an
indivisible part of Armenia and cannot be surrendered to the
strangers or become subject of negotiation bargaining. The speaker of
the National Assembly of NKR Oleg Yessayan said, `For a divided
nation the consistent accomplishment of its integrity must be a law.â=80=9D
And this integrity must not merely be physical but ideological and,
of course, determined, which is more important. With ideological
integrity we may state confidently that we will manage to achieve our
aims. Although as the participants of the seminar mentioned, `Today
Azerbaijan is not ready to admit and sign an agreement recognizing
the right of the Armenians to live free and have self-governance on
the land of Artsakh’, this is a matter of time. And the sooner our
integrity is maintained, the sooner we will manage with the
participation of our as well as a number of European organization
dealing with the Artsakh issue to make our neighbour Azerbaijan
recognize the dominance of Artsakh on the territory which Artsakh
controls de facto as well as recognize that the Republic of Nagorni
Karabakh is a self-governing state and never was and can be part of
independent Azerbaijan.
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 24, 2003
MASS MEDIA – PART OF DEMOCRATIZATION
The topic of the training `Mass Media During Elections’ held in
Stepanakert last week (organized by Stepanakert Press Club with the
assistance of the international organization `Article 19′) was not
only the role of the mass media during elections but also in the
process of democratization of the society in general. The mass media,
as one of the conductors of the training noticed, is like litmus
paper indicating the level of democratization of the society. On the
topic of the role of the mass media in the democratization of the
society and the practical implementation of this role in Ukraine and
Armenia we talked to the conductors of the conference Alexey Koshel
and Elina Poghosbekian.
THE MARKET OF FREE MASS MEDIA IS NOT COMPLETELY FORMED IN UKRAINE.
Alexey Koshel, expert of the international organization `Article 19′,
deputy chairman ofthe non-governmental organization `Committee of
Voters of Ukraine’. – Mr. Koshel, what changes took place in the life
of your society after independence and to what extent are they
principal? – I should say that the transition to new market
relationships is painful not only in our country but in the entire
post-soviet territory. And this is natural. The old always yields
hardly. Principal changes, however, happened. This refers first of all
to the process of democratization of the process of elections. The
second is the publication of the work of the government agencies. Each
citizen has the opportunity to read in the mass media and online the
texts of the speeches in the parliament and government meetings, the
results of voting. The third is structuring of the political processes
in the country the evidence to which is the institute of the
elections, transition of the mass media to market relationships,
freedom of moving, freedom in economy, religion and other spheres. –
During the training you told that governmental mass media should not
exist. Why? And what is the situation of the mass media in Ukraine? –
Governmental mass media cost too expensive to the state budget. 1600
journalists work on the TV and radio of Ukraine. And the largest
private TV channel has 200 journalists even with a greater volume of
work. By the way, these companies are going to make their work more
optimal reducing the number of journalists to 80. I think the numbers
say everything. Today in our country the governmental mass media are
a TV and radio channel and two newspapers which mainly publish state
documents. Among these there are also regional mass media, usually
with too big staff and little circulation. 80 percent of the mass
media are private, the largest are `Facti’ (800 thousand copies),
`Selskie Vesti’ (514 copies), `Vechernie Vesti’ (430 thousand) and a
great number of newspapers with little circulation. In brief,
economically the governmental mass media are not optimal. These should
be replaced by the public mass media. – Closing the training you said
that independent mass media in fact do not exist and these are
considerably dependent on those on whose expense they exist. – If
there are no objective mass media, consequently there is no objective
monitoring? – Yes, independent, therefore objective mass media do not
exist but this does not mean that we should not fight for
accomplishment of at least relatively independent mass media. In
Ukraine this process lasted for 10 years. The Ukrainian private mass
media already know that by disrespectful attitude they may lose their
readers and thus their source of funding. I may state with all
responsibility that there is, nevertheless, relative independence of
the mass media in Ukraine.
SITUATION CHANGED LITTLE.
Elina Poghosbekian, editor of the bulletin of Yerevan Press Club. –
What is the situation of the mass media in Armenia in terms of the
past decade? – After the declaration of independence up today the
situation changed little. And this is conditioned by the fact that the
mass media in Armenia are in great dependence on the political
forces. – Will it go on like that? Which is the way out? – In the
Soviet period the situation was much worse, presently the situation is
better. The way out, in my opinion, is financial independence and
profitability as an economic entity. Today this is very difficult in
the conditions of Armenia. The circulation of the newspapers is
small. Most of the population lives in poverty and purchasing ability
is law, even the small circulation newspapers are sold with
difficulty. I think you are acquainted with this problem. It is
possible to acquire money from advertisement but this is not much for
the same reason that the society is not rich. As long as the mass
media cannot step on their own feet, as long as the legislative sphere
is not accomplished, it is easy to make pressure on the mass media, as
it happened with the 24 hour oppositionist channel A1+. – They say the
mass media are the reflection of the society. To what extent do the
mass media of Armenia reflect the process of democratization and how
can they affect that process? – This is a complicated process for the
progress of which first of all our willpower is important. The
European assistance to our society in democratization is little: we
must first set the aim to achieve it. If at the beginning of the 90’s
the mass media were entirely under the influence of political forces
in the result of which they lost all the best qualities, at the end of
the 90’s and the beginning of the next decade the situation got more
or less better. Among positive changes I would mention the cooperation
of Yerevan Press Club with the Union of Journalists of Armenia
(actually a half-governmental organization), as well as `Internews
Armenia’ and the committee for protection of journalists. This
cooperation enabled to smooth the decision of closing down the channel
A1+, organize protest meetings connected with the bill `On the mass
media’ worked out by the Ministry of Justice after which amendments
were made to the joint project. At the second reading it already
corresponded to the international standards. The work on the third
reading was pure editing and in December the parliament adopted the
bill. There were unhappy attempts to affect the parliament. The above
mentioned organizations tried to oppose to the introduction of
regressive changes in the law `On television and radio’ but in
vain. Today we are attempting to set forth an amendment which would
allow to move the punishment for libel and offence from the criminal
to the civil code (fine instead imprisonment). – During trainings much
was said about the code of ethics of journalists. Are the rules of
ethics kept by the journalists? – Unfortunately we have little in this
sphere to be proud of. The code of ethics of journalists was adopted
by certain mass media and public organizations working in this
sphere. The adoption of the code is actually one of the ways of
self-regulation. However the unwritten laws of the fourth branch of
power have greater force than the written ones. And this is the
reflection of the actual state of the society. The more the rights of
each individual of the society are honoured, the more the journalists
will honour the written laws.
SUSANNA BALAYAN
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress