Author: Basmajian Ani

ARMENIA’S SUBSIDIZING A RUSSIAN COMPANY

Lragir.am
13 april 06

Member of Parliament Manuk Gasparyan stated April 13 at the Pastark
Club that the words of the minister of defense do not correspond to
the reality. Serge Sargsyan had announced that the fifth generating
unit of the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan, sold to Russia, is like
a three-storey building, only the basement of which had been built.

Manuk Gasparyan announces that Armenia has already spent 217 million
dollars on the generating unit. “RAO EES is now using the cooling
system of the fifth generating unit for the other 4 generating units
that belong to RAO EES. Or the defense minister does not know, but
he must know because as he said nothing good happens without him,
in brackets, of course,” says the member of parliament.

He draws attention to another problem, again related to the Thermal
Power Plant of Hrazdan. Manuk Gasparyan says 20 per cent of the
demand of gas is consumed by the population, the other 80 per cent
is consumed by industry.

“The Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan, which is owned by Russia,
consumes 50 per cent out of this 80 per cent. What do we have now? By
subsidizing the industry Armenia, in fact, subsidizes the Russian
company,” says Manuk Gasparyan. In other words, Russia increases the
price of gas, says the member of parliament, and the government of
Armenia has to subsidize a Russian company.

VARDAN OSKANYAN: ARMENIA IS NOT READY TO JOIN NATO

ArmRadio.am
14.04.2006 15:22

“Armenia is not yet ready to join the NATO, and the alliance is
not yet ready to accept us,” RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
declared today.

The Foreign Minister noted that the security system of Armenia includes
several components – membership to the Collective Security Treaty
Organization, development of relations with NATO and participation
in EU programs.

PACE OFFERS GEORGIA TO ASSIGN REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL STATUS

Prime News Agency, Georgia
April 13 2006

Tbilisi. April 13 (Prime-News) – The Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe urges on Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to assign
the status to the refugees and IDPS sheltering there, as provided
for the international law.

According to the report by Boris Tsilevich, Latvian MP, delivered
at the PACE session, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan must assign a
legal status to the refugees sheltering there, as it is provided by
the international humanitarian law.

The report says that the “situation with regard to refugees and IDPs in
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan hinders economic, social and political
development of those countries”.

The author of the report says that “the efforts undertaken by the
governments of the above-mentioned countries for conflict resolution,
including resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, were vain”.

The document also appeals to the documents by United Nations, saying
that 237 069 IDPs were registered in Georgia in 2005 – 224 938 from
the Breakaway Abkhazia and 12 131 from South Ossetia.

PACE appeals to the Council of Europe and asks to render financial
aid to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan to settle the problem of IDPS
and refugees.

PRESS RELEASE
The Genocide Education Project
51 Commonwealth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 264-4203
[email protected]
www.GenocideEd ucation.org

Contact: Raffi Momjian – [email protected]

L.A. TEACHERS LEARN LESSONS ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
04_13_2006b.htm

San Francisco, CA – The Genocide Education Project kicked off the first
of a series of workshops for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
teachers as part of a joint project to train more than 300 teachers on
the Armenian Genocide.

As part of an effort to uphold the California education framework
requiring public schools teach about the Armenian Genocide, The Genocide
Education Project conducted its first two workshops for Los Angeles high
school teachers on March 23rd and April 3rd. In an article in the The
Los Angeles Daily News, James DeLarme, a 10th-grade teacher
participating in the April 3 workshop was quoted as saying: “We have a
world history book – and it’s an excellent one – but it only has two or
three paragraphs devoted to this time. This [workshop] really opens
your eyes and makes it real as to what happened…”

The workshops are tailored to meet the teaching needs of high school
Social Studies and World History teachers. The Genocide Education
Project conducts and coordinates lectures and provides all necessary
teaching resources, including access to lesson plans, so that teachers
are well-prepared to fulfill the educational standard concerning the
Armenian Genocide. Dr. Nicole Vartanian, who has a doctoral degree in
Education, gave a compelling lecture at the March 23rd event about the
history of the Armenians and genocide denial. Facing History and
Ourselves, another educational organization, also participated in both
workshops.

The Genocide Education Project also conducted a teacher-training
workshop on April 5th for Glendale Unified School District teachers.
Renowned Armenian History scholar Dr. Richard Hovannisian provided a
compelling overview about the Armenian Genocide, and Greg Krikorian,
Glendale School Board member, shared his family’s experiences during the
Genocide.

####

The Genocide Education Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
that assists educators in teaching about human rights and genocide,
particularly the Armenian Genocide, by developing and distributing
instructional materials, providing access to teaching resources and
organizing educational workshops.

HAY DAT COMMITTEE OF TEHRAN ORGANIZES SERIES OF EVENTS DEDICATED TO 91st ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 12 2006

TEHRAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Within the framework
of events dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
the Hay Dat Committee of Tehran envisaged to send a corresponding
package of documentary data concerning to the Armenian Genocide to
foreign embassies accredited in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Swiss
Lawyer Alfred de Zayas’ books in English and French are also included
in the package. The theme of the Genocide under the light of the
international legal reasonings is touched upon in the books.

Within the framework of publication and propaganda works, an
information package concerning the Armenian Genocide will be sent to
Iranian mass media and deputies of the Islamic Parliament. During the
last year, the Hay Dat Committee was engaged in works of gathering
and translating researches concerning the Genocide implemented by
the Armenian, Iranian and European sources, with the initiative of
preparing documentary films. The Armenian Issues Research Center
(AIRC) undertook works of Persian translation and publication of
three books on the theme of the Genocide. Within the framework of
events dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
the center will organize on April 18 an event of spiritism, with the
participation of Persian intellectuals, writers and deputies of the
Islamic Parliament. Doctor Afrough, a deputy of the Islamic Parliament
will be the speaker of the day. As the Tehran “Alik” daily informs,
the Hay Dat Committee also organizes a people’s public event of
spiritism of Armenians of Tehran on April 24.

IN VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN’S OPINION, OSCE MINSK GROUP’S OPTIMISM BASED RATHER ON THEIR WISH

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Somewhat far-fetched optimism of the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen was based not so much on realities as
on their wish.

Vahan Hovhannisian, the RA NA Deputy Speaker, a member of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun Bureau expressed such an opinion, responding questions
of the “Hot Line” of the “Golos Armenii” (Voice of Armenia) newspaper,
about the forecasts concerning the serious break in settlement of
the Karabakh problem in 2006. “Maybe, straining of their states’
relations with Iran had a role in it, maybe – issues of Turkey’s
entering the European Union,” V.Hovhannisian mentioned. At the same
time, he expressed an opinion, that Armenia must not limit itself
in terms. “Armenia and NKR must come out ecxeptionally of their own
national interests and solve this issue at that time and in the way,
when and how it will be profitable,” the RA NA Deputy Speaker stated.

AIR FRANCE OPENS REGULAR FLIGHTS TO ARMENIA

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 10 2006

YEREVAN, April 10 (Itar-Tass) – Air France has begun regular flights
between Paris and Yerevan.

Airbus A-320 planes seating 159 business and economic class passengers
will be used on the route.

Cities in Eastern and Central Europe are Air France’s priority
destinations, Air France Senior Vice President for Europe and North
Africa, Etienne Rachou said.

“Our company tries to keep abreast with the development of our
countries’ relations, contribute to higher economic and tourist
exchanges with Armenia, bearing in mind the large Armenian Diaspora
in France,” he said.

Air France hopes that passengers from Los-Angeles, U.S., where the
largest Armenian Diaspora resides, will guarantee high seat occupancy
rates. The company offers many connection flights across the Atlantic
Ocean.

“This is a strong political message on the eve of the Year of Armenia
in France festival,” French Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuni said.

The launch of Air France flights to Yerevan “proves that Armenia is
of strategic interest to French investors,” he said.

ARMENIAN OFFICIAL SAYS AZERBAIJAN OPEN FOR PHONE CALLS

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted on April 10 2006

Baku, April 7, AssA-Irada
An Armenian official has said that phone calls are made from Armenia
to Azerbaijan.

“It is impossible to call from Azerbaijan to Armenia, but calling
the other way round is very easy. To connect, it is enough to dial
the 994 (area) code and the telephone number,” the head of Armenian
communications ministry’s foreign relations department, Gagik
Grigorian, said, commenting on the Azeri Minister of Communications
and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov’s statement made Thursday.

Abbasov said the government was aware of numerous facts concerning
phone communication between the two countries. He said the National
Security Ministry is monitoring the conversations. It is also working
to oversee the existing electronic communication between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, although it is extremely difficult to control, he said.

Grigorian said that indeed, hundreds of Azeris and Armenians
communicate via different Internet forums every day.

The two countries which are facing a long-standing conflict over Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh maintain no relations.

SCIENTISTS EXPRESS ANXIETY THAT REFORMS OF SCIENCE TO BE HELD IN PERIOD OF CHANGING ACADEMY HEADS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. At the April 10 sitting of the
Chairmanship of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Prime
Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian officially stated about RA
NAS Chairman Fadey Sargsian’s resignation. The decision about it was
adopted by the RA Government on April 6.

By another decision of the RA Government made on April 10, 2006,
Fadey Sargsian is appointed the RA Prime Minister’s Advisor. Before
the elections, Academician Sergey Hambardzumian will be the acting
Chairman of the NAS. While discussing the coming reforms in the sphere
of science, the Prime Minister stated that the package of reforms,
presented to the RA Government will be discussed only after elections
of the new Chairman of the RA NAS. Connected with it, some actual
questions were raised at the Chairmanship of the RA NAS: particularly,
issues of necessity of holding elections of correspondening members
as soon as possible and about elections of new directors of the
institute, connected with age qualification (65 years old). It was
mentioned that reforms must be held in calm situation, but not in the
period of changing heads of scientific departments and the Chairman
of the RA NAS. Academician E.Gabrielian proposed to make changes
in the Regulations of the academy as well, for the election for the
posts of the Chairman and academicians-secretaries is limited by two
terms. The Prime Minister promised that elections of corresponding
members will not be connected with reforms.

ARMENIAN-POLISH RELATIONS DEVELOP NORMALLY

ArmRadio.am
11.04.2006 15:00

On April 11 Chairman of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan
received the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Armenia Tomash
Knothe.

The Ambassador handed an official invitation to visit Poland. During
the meeting the parties attached importance to the development of
Armenian-Polish interparliamentary ties, the cooperation in the
framework of the EU New Neighbors Program and assistance to Armenia,
as well as the establishment of ties between the regions of the
two countries.

Issues related to the official visit of the President of the Polish
Senate to Armenia were also discussed.