Author: Dabaghian Diana

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES CORPORATION SIGNS FIVE YEAR $235 MILLION COMPACT WITH ARMENIA

Armenpress
Mar 28 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS: On March 27 in a signing
ceremony at the State Department’s Benjamin Franklin room, Chief
Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Ambassador
John Danilovich and Armenia’s Minister of Finance and Economy,
Vartan Khachatrian signed a $235.65 million Compact between MCC and
the Republic of Armenia.

MCC Chair Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice officiated and
witnessed the signing. She was joined by Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian. Over one million Armenians, about 35 percent of the
population, live in rural areas and are dependent on semi-subsistence
agriculture. Farmers operate on small plots of land and are constrained
by poor roads, inadequate irrigation and an under-developed market
economy.

To overcome these constraints, Armenia’s Millennium Challenge
Compact aims to reduce rural poverty through a sustainable increase
in the economic performance of the agricultural sector. The Compact
consists of two investments: a Rural Road Rehabilitation Project and
an Irrigated Agriculture Project. The program will directly impact
75% of the rural population and is expected to significantly increase
the annual incomes of rural poor.

“I congratulate the people of Armenia for developing a results-focused
and transformational program that will improve the lives of the
poor,” said MCC CEO John Danilovich. “MCC assistance will be used
to rehabilitate roads needed for Armenians living in rural areas to
access social services such as healthcare and markets to sell their
products. The Compact also includes funding for projects that will
increase the productivity of farm households through improved water
supply, higher yields, higher-value crops, and a more competitive
agricultural sector.

Armenia is a valued partner and we look forward to supporting
their efforts to build a better life for all Armenians.” Ambassador
Danilovich added, “Continued eligibility for Millennium Challenge
Account funds depends on adherence to our indicators measuring
performance in ruling justly, investing in people, and encouraging
economic freedom. MCC will continue to monitor Armenia’s policy
performance in these three categories throughout the life of the
Compact.”

Since its establishment in 2004, MCC has signed Compacts totaling more
than $1.5 billion with eight nations: Madagascar, Honduras, Cape Verde,
Nicaragua, Georgia, Benin, Vanuatu, and Armenia. MCC is also actively
engaging with other eligible countries in Compact negotiations. The
Armenia Compact is focused on one goal: the reduction of rural poverty
through a sustainable increase in the economic performance of the
agricultural sector. Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a
five-year program of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation
infrastructure and technical and financial assistance to improve
the supply of water and to support farmers and agribusinesses. The
Program will directly impact approximately 750,000 people, or 75%
of the rural population, and is expected to reduce the rural poverty
rate and boost annual incomes.

Rural Road Rehabilitation The Compact includes a $67 million project
to rehabilitate up to 943 kilometers of rural roads, more than a
third of Armenia’s proposed Lifeline road network. When complete,
the Lifeline road network will ensure that every rural community has
road access to markets, services, and the main road network. Under
the Compact, the Government of Armenia will be required to commit
additional resources for maintenance of the road network.

Improved Irrigation The Compact also includes a $146 million project
to increase the productivity of approximately 250,000 farm households
(34% of which are headed by women) through improved water supply,
higher yields, higher-value crops, and a more competitive agricultural
sector. This project consists of two activities: An infrastructure
activity that aims to increase the amount of land under irrigation by
40% and will improve efficiency by converting from pump to gravity-fed
irrigation, reducing water losses and improving drainage; and A
water-to-market activity that will improve the efficiency of water
delivery to farmers and boost farm productivity and profitability
through technical assistance and credit support.

Administrative and monitoring and evaluation costs of the Program
are budgeted at approximately $23 million.

Engaging Civil Society In preparing its proposal for Millennium
Challenge Account assistance, Armenia engaged in a comprehensive
consultative process that reached out to a broad cross-section
of constituents, including rural community members, NGOs and the
private sector.

Meetings were held outside of city centers to seek input on
potential program components and various media outlets were used
to reach remote areas. To increase transparency, the Government
of Armenia sponsored a process that resulted in three NGOs being
named as observers to the Government’s MCA Board of Trustees –
an inter-governmental body, chaired by the Prime Minister, and
responsible for overseeing the Compact development process. Going
forward under the Compact, a Stakeholders’ Committee will be formed
to represent the beneficiaries of the Program. The Stakeholders’
Committee will be entitled to nominate voting members from Armenia’s
NGO sector to serve alongside the government’s representatives on the
Governing Council of MCA-Armenia, the entity that will be established
to oversee and implement the Compact.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S.

government corporation designed to work with some of the poorest
countries in the world, is based on the principle that aid is most
effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom, and
investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination
of extreme poverty.

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO EXERCISE

Lragir.am
27 March 06

Armenia will participate in the NATO exercise in the framework of the
Partnership for Peace program in Moldavia, on September 11-29. The
press secretary of the Ministry of Defense Seyran Shahsuvaryan told the
news agency ARKA about this. He mentioned that in 2006 the Cooperative
Best Effort and Best Partner exercises were held in the framework of
the Partnership for Peace Program as Collaborative Arrow exercise. From
Armenia participated two commissioned officers, a doctor, a signaler,
as well as а squad of eight soldiers of the peacemaking battalion
of the Armed Forces of Armenia. Seyran Shahsuvaryan informed that two
officers from Armenia participated in the opening and main conferences
of these exercises, held in Moldavia in March. The press secretary of
the defense ministry of Armenia informed that the Armenian servicemen
will participate in the closing conference in May and the working
consultation of the exercise that will take place in September.

–Boundary_(ID_on0D0AhOG+qiz6SOcRmmrw) —

Glendale News Press, CA
March 24 2006

Schiff names Women of the Year

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat who represents Burbank and Glendale,
named Tuesday his women of the year from the cities in the 29th
District in honor of Women’s History Month.

They are: Beth Marcus of Burbank, Seta Simonian of Glendale; Angie
O’Brien of Pasadena; Betty Wang of South Pasadena; Helen Hancock of
Alhambra; Nancy Donohue of Temple City; Pat Maguire Freeman of San
Gabriel; Sandra Thomas of Altadena and Sharon Martinez of Monterey
Park.

Marcus is a family physician who practices in La Cañada Flintridge,
where she has practiced for more than 10 years on the medical staffs
of Verdugo Hills Hospital and Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
After completing her family medicine residency, she went on to
complete a fellowship in adolescent medicine, where she worked with
adolescents struggling with poverty, family estrangement, drug abuse,
homelessness, and other issues.

As Burbank Temple Emanu El’s social action chair, Marcus has
coordinated numerous efforts to help others in the Burbank, Glendale,
North Hollywood area. She has arranged blood drives, collected shoes
and clothing for impoverished children, gathered donations for
tsunami victims and hurricane victims, filled backpacks with school
supplies, assembled items for homeless women, and made sandwiches for
the hungry.

She also volunteers her time to help the PTA at Emerson Elementary
School in Burbank, and is planning to implement a nutrition program
at the school called Food is Elementary.

Simonian, a math teacher at Wilson Middle School in Glendale, was
born in Aleppo, Syria, and at age 11 moved to Beirut, Lebanon.

Upon graduating from the American University of Beirut at the age of
22, she married Hratch Simonian.

The Simonians lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for eight years, then
moved to California in 1985. Since 1987, Seta, her husband, and their
two children, Karin and Sebouh, have resided in Glendale.

Simonian co-founded and chaired the Hamazkayin Educational and
Cultural Society of Pasadena.

A1+

WHAT IS THE ILLNESS OF THE BIRD

02:23 pm 23 March, 2006

The inhabitants found a weak water bird incapable of flying on the
coast of Lake Sevan adjacent to the city Martuny between 4-4:30
p.m. on March 22. Being concerned with the menacing birds’ flu they
informed the State Veterinary Inspector of Martuny Koryun Barseghyan
about the incident. On learning the news the latter contacted the
Veterinary Department of Gegharkunik Marz and hurried to the
scene. The experts’ observations revealed that the ill `grey bird’ had
no symptoms of any virus, be it the birds’ flu or anything
else. Anyway, the bird was wrapped up safely and sent to the
Veterinary Diagnostic Centre of the republic.

The experts lay the stress on the measures taken for the prevention of
the birds’ flu and assure once more that so far they haven’t come
across cases of the birds’ flu either in Gegharkunik Marz or in the
whole country. The final answer from the Diagnostic centre of the
Republic will be received on March 23 after the noon though in the
experts’ opinion there is no need for the panic at all.

`Zangak’ TV channel of Martuny

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 23 2006

Russian culture worker claims destruction of ancient graves

Baku, March 22, AssA-Irada

A Russian culture worker has condemned the alleged destruction of
ancient graves in Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan.
`The destruction of Armenian tombstone crosses in the town of Julfa
[Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic] could be described only as a crime,’
said Mikhail Piotrovski, whose wife is of Armenian descent.
Piotrovski heads the Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the
world.
`The destruction of historic monuments for political reasons should
be denounced by everyone. UNESCO and other international
organizations should investigate these undesirable developments and
prosecute the culprits,’ he maintained.
The Azeri ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloghlu voiced his
astonishment at the statement, saying it was a result of Armenian
propaganda.
`We should take counter steps. The embassy will scrutinize the matter
and take relevant measures,’ he said.
The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry exercised restraint in responding to
Piotrovski’s utterances. Its spokesman Tahir Tagizada said he would
not comment on statements by a separate individual.*

PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK ON ARMENIAN PAINTINGS TO BE HELD IN CYPRUS

ArmRadio
22.03.2006 11:50

After completing a successful trip of seven cities in the US and
Canada last year, organised by the Tekeyan Cultural Association, art
historian Mayda Saris, art director of the bilingual Armenian-Turkish
language weekly AGOS newspaper of Turkey, has been invited to Cyprus
by the Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Association Cyprus Oshagan
Chapter, to promote her latest art book, Armenian Paintings: From the
beginning to the Present. The book presentation and lecture will take
place on Friday, 24th Marchat the Utudjian Hall, Nicosia.

The groundbreaking 262 page book with more than 400 illustrations
explores Armenian art from ancient to modern times. The author gives
a comprehensive overview of the origin of the Armenian people, their
folklore, lifestyle, culture, art and faith, which has been a source
of inspiration for the Armenian artists and architects throughout
centuries.

CHESS ENCYCLOPEDIA PUBLISHED FOR FIRST TIME IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. “The Chess Encyclopedia” was published
for the first time in Armenia by the publishing house Areg. It consists
of 6 parts and includes more than 500 word entries, about 300 chess
games, 44 chess openings and 150 photographs.

While following the principle of “dry” information typical of all
encyclopedias, the authors Samvel Gasparian, Gagik Hakobian and
Roland Sharoyan at the same time made an attempt to present the facts
and phenomena in a “non-encyclopedic language”. The two chapters –
“The Lives of 13 Chess Kings and 10 Chess Queens” and “The Armenian
Inhabitants of the Chess World” are especially notable.

Co-author Gagik Hakobian noted at the presentation on March 15
that it is imposible to cover the entire history of chess in one
encyclopedia. That is why it is envisaged to refresh the encyclopedia
every three or four years. “The Armenians are fond of playing chess,
and since the 1950s the Armenian chess players have been in leading
positions. One should not forget that Tigran Petrosian was the 9th
World Champion, and let’s hope that Levon Aronian will win the World
Champion title next year.”

The encyclopedia presentation was attended by the RA Minister of
Defence, Chairman of the Chess Federation of Armenia Serge Sargsian
and some other high-ranking officials.

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Email: [email protected]
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Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 17, 2006 Friday

PEACE IS FORCED ON BAKU AND YEREVAN

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, March 15, 2006, p. 4

Washington needs a bridgehead of stability in the southern part of
the Caucasus to deal with Iran

by Sokhbet Magomedov

AMERICA’S INSISTENCE ON A SETTLEMENT OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
IN 2006 HAS AN EXPLANATION; Washington insists on a solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem this year already.

The visit of US Undersecretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Daniel
Freed and Stephen Mann, American chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group for
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, to Baku ended yesterday. The
Americans met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov and
were granted an audience with President Ilham Aliyev. Nothing is
reported on what transpired at the meetings and talks. Mann only said
that the sides discussed continuation of talks over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

The guests left Azerbaijan for Baku. They also intend to visit
Armenia. The American diplomats’ visits to Baku and Yerevan take
place when the Karabakh talks are in a cul-de-sac and when presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan threaten to resume the hostilities.

The cease-fire regime is broken practically every day, both
servicemen and noncombatants die and that does not make the whole
mess any easier to sort out. Needless to say, this state of affairs
worries OSCE intermediaries who spare neither time nor effort to keep
Baku and Yerevan from escalation of the hostilities.

Commenting on the highly volatile situation, US Ambassador in
Azerbaijan Rino Harnisch told journalists that “deaths occurring on
the front line show that the conflict is anything but over.” The
American diplomat said quite emphatically that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict “should be settled by negotiations only.” Wishing that the
recent meeting between presidents Aliyev and Robert Kocharjan in
France had been more productive, Harnisch emphasized the necessity of
regular negotiations between the leaders of the two states and
activization of intermediaries.

The American diplomat’s categorical tone matched the statement made
by intermediaries in the wake of the March 7-8 meeting in Washington.

Most Azerbaijani analysts believe that the insistence of world powers
and first and foremost the United States on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement in 2006 exactly, has an ulterior motive. Political
scientist Anar Safikhanov is convinced that “the matter concerns the
mounting tension over the Iranian nuclear program.” “It is this
factor precisely that is making international intermediaries and
first and foremost the United States frantic. Now that things are
rapidly progressing to isolation of the “obstinate” Iran, the United
States needs peace and stability in the southern part of the
Caucasus. The Americans view the republics here and particularly
Azerbaijan as a bridgehead – either for isolation of Tehran or for
actual military strikes at this country,” Safikhanov said.
Effectiveness of Freed’s and Mann’s mission will depend on what
Washington intends to offer to Yerevan and Baku. The Americans will
be discussing the same matter with the Armenian leadership later this
week.

LARISA ALAVERDIAN: IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT WRITING LETTER TO COUNTRY
PRESIDENT IS VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTION

YEREVAN, MACRH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The human rights violation in Armenia
is of a regulated character. RA first Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdian
expressed such an opinion at the March 16 discussion organized
by the civil national initiative. According to her, particularly,
the process of violating the property rights of the Buzand street
inhabitants was implemented in conditions of different levels of
cooperation of the authorities.

According to L.Alaverdian, sale of a property may be implemented only
in the case when a profit for the society exists. But in this case,
one may speak about sale with corresponding compensation, but not
about an obliged buy and sale, when owners haven’t even the right to
have their property estimated by an independent agent.

In the given case, people were obliged to sign an agreement on sale
from the money got of which they had to pay taxes, when no taxes are
paid from the money got in the case of compensation.

The former Ombudsperson mentioned that when making an attempt to
draw the country administration’s attention to all these, she wrote
a letter to the RA President, persuading the latters to address to
the Constitutional Court on that issue, a response was got in which
she was accused of violating point 5 of the Constitution with the
explanation that she carried out actions which aren’t arisen of the
Ombudsperson’s commissions. “It became clear that writing a letter
to the President of the republic is a violation of the Constitution,”
Larisa Alaverdian mentioned.

While, according to her, it’s spoken only about the money problem:
people demanded such a size of money which will allow to buy flats
instead of the ones taken from them. According to L.Alaverdian,
in the case of fulfilling those demands, those people or groups of
people the interests of who were classified higher than the interests
of inhabitants at all levels of the authorities, will have no great
losses.

Touching upon the problem of violating the right of judicial
protection, Larisa Alaverdian mentioned that this issue is spoken
about so much that the Ombudsperson’s speech seems to be late. But
according to her, one must give the alarm not about dependence of
judges but about absence of a just legal action. According to her,
for complaints against an unjust decision made by a judge, it isn’t
much important who appoints that judge.