HABITAT CONTINUES BUILDING HOMES FOR INSECURE ARMENIAN FAMILIES
ArmenPress
June 3 2004
ASHTARAK, JUNE 3, ARMENPRESS: Habitat for Humanity Armenia, a
non-government charitable organization that supports community
development in the Republic of Armenia by building and renovating
simple, decent, and affordable homes, has renovated the first of four
semi-built homes in the village of Voskeat, Aragatsotn province.
US ambassador to Armenia, John Ordway, traveled today to the village to
attend the start of the renovation of the second cottage. Some $5,000
are envisaged for renovation of each house. This an interest free-free
loan that the owner has to pay back in 20-25 years.
Armenian Habitat charitable non-governmental organization (NGO) was
founded in Armenia in March 2000 by a group of enthusiasts headed
by a former US Peace Corps volunteer. The prototype of this local
non-profit was Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), which
“brings families and communities in need together with volunteers
and resources to build decent, affordable housing.”
Armenian Habitat operates in Armenia’s capital Yerevan and four
surrounding marzes – Aragatsoten, Armavir, Kotayk and Ararat. The
logic behind the NGO’s projects is that the grantee should be a needy
family but with a reliable source of monthly income, have an incomplete
house, and be prepared to pay roughly US $20-30/month for the next
20-25 years to reimburse fully Habitat’s non-interest-bearing loan,
and these funds will also be used for completing new houses.

ARAM IVANIAN’S PAINTINGS TO BE EXHIBITED IN FRANCE
ArmenPress
June 3 2004
YEREVAN, JUNE 3, ARMENPRESS: Two French cities of Lyon and Marseille
will host a trade exhibition of 168 paintings by Aram Ivanian, a member
of the Armenian Astghik (Starlet) organization of disabled children,
which he painted by using computer technologies.
The Armenian-French Association of Disabled People (ALFA) was very
instrumental in helping organize this exhibition that will travel
to France later this month. Rosa Bashinian, a French citizen who
is the chairwoman of the ALFA is now in Armenia. She said she hopes
all the paintings will sell and the raised proceeds will be added to
the funds, being collected for construction of Hope Shelter Center,
run by Astghik.
“There is a peculiar simplicity in the works of Aram Ivanian,
typical only of children, but he is able to make masterly daring
generalizations. His works are many-style, sometimes unexpected and
courageous,” Levon Nersisian, the chairman of Astghik said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June3, 2004
Contact at HFH Armenia:
Zara Tonapetyan
Aygestan 8-th str, h 5,
Yerevan-025, Armenia
Tel: (374 1) 556-114
e-mail: [email protected]
Yerevan, Armenia – June 3, 2004 – US Ambassador in Armenia, Mr. John
Ordway, has joined Habitat for Humanity Armenia local and International
volunteers to build a home in partnership with a disadvantaged family
in the village of Voskehat, Aragatsotn region on June 3, 2004.
Following the tradition of lending a hand to Habitat for Humanity
Armenia, Ambassador Ordway requested the opportunity to join HFH
Armenia local and US volunteers in constructing a house for a needy
Armenian family. With this volunteer effort the Ambassador demonstrated
his good will and commitment to the development of Armenia, and served
as an example to others in the community encouraging them to join
HFH Armenia in its work eliminating sub-standard housing in Armenia
and throughout the world.
Ambassador Ordway first collaborated with HFH Armenia local and
international volunteers to build a home for a disadvantaged family
in the village of Oshakan, Aragatsotn region in August 2002. Later,
in April 2003, he also participated in the dedication ceremony for
the house that he had helped to build.
“This a kind of example, when neither the government helps needy
people, nor the government pays to people to help those in need, but
volunteers come together with needy families and are helping them
to help themselves.” – said Ambassador Ordway speaking of Habitat
mission in the building site.
“I am sure the tradition of lending hands to those in need will
continue and HFH Armenia will attract many more volunteers, following
the illustration by Ambassador Ordway”,– said Executive Director
for Habitat for Humanity Armenia, Ashot Yeghiazaryan.
Habitat for Humanity Armenia is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity
International and supports community development in the Republic of
Armenia by assisting in the construction and renovation of simple,
decent and affordable homes. The purpose of the organization is to help
families in need improve their living conditions, to raise funds to
support the vital work, and to give hope to thousands of people across
the country. The organization was formed in March of 2000 and, to date,
has dedicated 82 homes and given shelter to more than 400 people.
Sub-standard housing is all too common in Armenia. Many families live
in deteriorated housing, in cramped quarters with inadequate water
and heat. HFH Armenia’s selected target group is families living in
substandard, over-crowded and unacceptable living quarters. This group
comprises more than 50-60% of the country’s current population. These
families are unable to purchase their own homes, as they do not have
sufficient income to save to pay for the entire house cost up front,
nor can they risk, or would they be eligible for, a high-interest
loan from a commercial lender.
Habitat for Humanity Armenia has found a way to solve the
problem. Families, with two or three wage earners, pay back a
no-interest loan for a simple, decent, affordable, and healthy home,
and are still able to feed their families. Habitat for Humanity
Armenia is using a combination of two approaches to help Habitat
families solve their housing problems:
1) Completing half-built homes, which are numerous in Armenia. This
approach enables families to fulfill their dream of completing their
own home. Utilizing existing core structure reduces costs and prevents
the disruption of relocating.
2) Purchasing apartments to make use of Armenia’s existing
under-utilized housing stock. Purchased homes are resold at no-profit,
interest-free, to Habitat families who renovate their apartments and
help in the construction of other families’ homes.
To schedule an interview please email Zara Tonapetyan, Communication
Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Armenia [email protected].
See for more information.
Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International is a
non-denominational Christian, non-governmental, non-profit housing
organization that has helped more than 700,000 people of all races,
religions and backgrounds to have a simple, decent and affordable
place to live. Habitat for Humanity has built or renovated more
than 150,000 homes throughout the world, becoming a global leader
in addressing poverty housing. Habitat for Humanity is active in 92
countries worldwide, including 18 in Europe and Central Asia.

Azeris stage anti-Armenian protest in Brussels
Sarq, Baku
4 Jun 04
Text of Rasad report by Azerbaijani newspaper Sarq on 4 June headlined
“No to ‘Armenian genocide’ claims” and subheaded “Our compatriots
organized march in Brussels”
The cultural centre of Azerbaijanis in Europe, the Belgian Ataturk
centre and the Belgian Turkish Platform staged a joint sanctioned
march on Gare du Nord Square in Brussels yesterday [3 June].
Fatma Aliyeva, chairwoman of the cultural centre of Azerbaijanis
in Europe, has told the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with
Azerbaijanis Living Abroad that thousands of people attended the march
and carried various placards and the Azerbaijani and Turkish flags. The
placards read “Armenians occupied Karabakh”, “Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s
integral part”, “We condemn the so-called Armenian genocide and lies”,
and “The so-called Armenian monuments should be removed”.
The march was staged in the area of 5 km between Gare du Nord and Gare
du Midi Squares. The report says that mainly Azerbaijanis and Turks
joined the action. Politicians of Turkish origin were also among them.

Armenia to amend foreign policy if Turkey admitted to EU – minister
Mediamax news agency
3 Jun 04
Yerevan, 3 June: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan today
expressed the hope that US efforts towards the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations would be successful in the end. The
Armenian foreign minister said this at a meeting with students of the
international relations department of Yerevan State University today.
Vardan Oskanyan said that negotiations on the date of Turkey’s
admission to the European Union might start this year, which “will
give a new status to this country” and will require some corrections
to Armenia’s foreign policy.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Minister wishes for Karabakh’s unification with Armenia – agency
Mediamax news agency
3 Jun 04
Yerevan, 3 June: Armenia’s task is to obtain the international
community’s full recognition of the right of the Nagornyy Karabakh
people to self-determination, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
has said at a meeting with students of the international relations
department of Yerevan State University.
The right of the Nagornyy Karabakh people to self-determination means
that the people of Nagornyy Karabakh will have the right to decide
on their future, Oskanyan said. If Armenia achieves this, this will
be a success of Armenian diplomacy.
“I wish that the right to self-determination manifested itself
in the unification with Armenia. This would be the best option,”
Oskanyan said.

Oskanyan Says Negotiations May Progress Within Next Two Months
Baku Today
04/06/2004
Armenian foreign minister said on Thursday that peace negotiations
to settle Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may progress in the near future,
The Associated Press Reported.
Vardan Oskanyan said that “certain progress” may be achieved on the
issue within the next two months, but he would not elaborate on that.
Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region of Azerbaijan
that is home to about 100,000 ethnic-Armenians, and also seven Azeri
administrative districts surrounding it in 1991-94 war. Despite a
cease-fire agreement reached in May 1994, no final settlement has
been found to the conflict.

Report shows UkraineTs industrial growth fastest in CIS
Interfax
Jun 4 2004 1:59PM
MOSCOW. June 4 (Interfax) – The CIS Statistics Committee reported on
Friday that Ukraine’s industrial output had grown at the fastest rate,
17.8%, among CIS member nations from January-April 2004.
In Georgia, the rate was 14.9%; in Moldova, 14.1%; in Belarus and
Kyrgyzstan, 11.3%; in Tajikistan, 11.2%; in Kazakhstan, 9.3%; in
Russia, 7.4%; in Armenia, 7.1%; in Azerbaijan, 3.8%. No data is
available on Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the committee reported.
The CIS industrial output growth averaged 9% and GDP increased by an
average of 8%, the report said. <>

Ukrainian President: Time Is Working For Azerbaijan
Baku Today
04/06/2004 16:50
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said on Thursday that
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan can be
resolved only through restoration of the latter’s territorial
integrity, Azertag reported.
“This conflict should be resolved by peaceful means and only through
restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial unity. The time is working
for the benefit of Azerbaijan,” Kuchma told a joint press conference
also attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Armenian army has been occupying one-fifth of Azerbaijani territories
since 1991-1994 war. Peace negotiations mediated by Minsk group of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have yielded
no result in bringing a no war no peace situation to an end between
the two former Soviet republics.

Armenian president, Russian official discuss economic ties
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
3 Jun 04
Presenter over video of meeting Noticeable growth can be felt in
Armenian-Russian economic relations, the Russian co-chairman of the
Armenian-Russian economic cooperation commission, Nikolay Ryzhkov, said
at a meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today. Ryzhkov
said that this growth was the result of cooperation between large
Armenian and Russian enterprises.
Ryzhkov said that the newly-established Armenian-Russian Business
Cooperation Association would be of great importance in deepening
economic relations.
President Kocharyan informed his Russian guests that the agreements
achieved during his recent visit to Moscow were being implemented
consistently.