Author: Frangulian Shushan

YEREVAN STATE PUPPET THEATRE RECEIVES “ARTAVAZD” PRIZE

YEREVAN, MARCH 28.ARMINFO. The Yerevan State Puppet Theatre after
H. Toumanian was awarded with “Artavazd” prize for the first time. The
prize was awarded by the annual theatre festival initiated by the
Union of Theatre Workers Armenian.

Rouben Babayan, art director of the theatre, said that they received
prizes in Russia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and other countries. The
theatre received the prize for new performance of “The Little
Prince.” The fairy tale is staged by director Larisa Baghdasarian. The
premier of the performance will take place on March 29.

It is envisaged that the theatre will participate in the Obraztsov
Puppet Theatre Festival in Moscow, as well as in “Hayfest”
international festival this year.

MUNICIPALITY HAD GUESTS

A1+
03:13 pm 29 March, 2006

The tradesmen of the subways of the Barekamutyun, Yeritasardakan,
and Sasuntsi David Underground stations, as well as those of the
Komitas 53 and Abovyan-Koryun subways gathered today opposite the
Yerevan municipality. The gathering of hundreds of people brought
the Security Service workers to the above mentioned area.

The organizers of the act of complaint demanded the mayor to receive
them. Deputy mayor Sargsyan came to receive them instead.

The tradesmen of the Barekamutyun and Yeritasardakan subways do not
have a rent contract with the municipality. “We asked them more than
once to sign a contract with us, but they refused saying that they
have to reconstruct the area. Taking into account the fact that we
do not have a contract, we are afraid that after the reconstruction
there will be 12 stores instead the 37 kiosks with completely different
owners. We made an offer to carry out the process with our financial
means and their projects. Deputy mayor Sargsyan received us and
promised to sign contracts about the payment. At the same time we
will sign contracts that if the present kiosks are deconstructed,
only we can become owners of them after the reconstruction”. These
were the words of Azat Navasardyan who represented the interests of
the 37 tradesmen of the Abovyan-Koryun subway.

Today the real danger menaces the tradesmen of the Barekamutyun subway,
but the other joined them because they fear soon they will deserve
the same fate.

According to Andranik Haroutyunyan, “They want to sell the area to
someone who will carry out total reconstruction and give us the areas
for 150-200 USD instead of the 6500 AMD which we pay today”.

The participants of the act of complaint left the area filled with
hopes and expectations.

ACCORDING TO TURKOLOGIST, ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SHOULD BE MOVED FROM POLITICAL FIELD TO INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FIELD

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 28 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenia’s policy
towards Turkey is extremely mild. Turkologist Ruben Safrastian
expressed such an opinion at the March 28 dispute dedicated to the
problems of Armenian-Turkish relations, organized at the “Heyeli”
(Mirror) club. “I don’t mean that we should threaten them by a sword
demanding that our lands be returned: it is time that the issue of
recognition of the Armenian Genocide should be moved from the political
field to the international legal field,” he emphasized. According
to the scientist, Armenia as a state should be able to unite the
forces of all Armenians and involving the best foreign specialists, to
formulate all demands connected with the international recognition of
the Genocide in the form of international legal documents. Safrastian
mentioned that there are two international instances where it is
possible to bring a lawsuit against Turkey accusing it for committing
a genocide as a legal successor state. They are the UN and the Hague
International Court. According to him, Armenia has no possibility to
achieve success in the UN as the Islamic world will support Turkey but
in case of preparing properly Armenia can gain victory at the Hague
International Court, which is currently the most authoritative judicial
structure in the world. The Armenian side’s demands can concern
both moral and financial and territorial compensation. According to
another participant of the dispute, member of the Armenian National
Movement board Hovhannes Igitian, the recognition of the Genocide
will be possible only when this fact is perceived by the Turkish
society. According to Igitian, a dispute proceeds on this issue in the
Turkish society. The evidence of it are the expressions of writer Orhan
Pamuk and other Turkish figures about the Armenian Genocide, articles
on the Armenian cause published in the Turkish newspapers, etc. In
this issue he also attached importance to the role of the Armenian
community of Turkey, the number of which, according to different
calculations, makes from 50 to 300 thousand. According to Igitian,
the Armenian public does not form a political power, therefore it can
have no impact on the Armenian-Turkish relations. Igitian did not agree
to the thought that we can achieve the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by means of the Hague Court. According to him, the issue is
political and the international court, as we see from the experience of
Balkan countries, is not free from the influence of the great policy.

IDEAS SOUNDED BY NOVRUZ MAMEDOV ON KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING IN MAY MERE GUESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.03.2006 21:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The ideas sounded by head of the department of
external relations at the Azeri president administration Novruz Mamedov
on the meetings of Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev in May are merely
a guess. As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know >From an authority, even
the date of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers was not determined
at the latest meeting of the OSCE MG Co-chairs.

To remind, today Mamedov stated that the next Kocharian-Aliyev meeting
can be held this May. In his words, unlike the Rambouillet meeting the
next one may take place within the framework of an international event.

SME STATE ASSISTANCE PRODUCES RESULTS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 27 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the 2005 state program
on assistance to small and medium enterprises (SME) of Armenia,
about 4.5 thousand small and medium enterprises received state
assistance. Ishkhan Karapetian, Director of the SME National
Decelopment Center (NDC) of Armenia, stated this on March 24. In his
words, assistance was provided for credit guarantees and introduction
of quality management systems, support for businessmen who have just
started running a business, market promotion of goods, as well as for
business information, advice and training. The SME NDC director said
that the implementation of the credit quarantees program started in
2005. Within the program’s framework, 54 guarantees of a total of 195.4
mln drams were given in all the Armenian marzes, which allowed SME to
get loans of the total amount of 370 mln drams (about 822 thousand USD)
at lower interest rates than the market ones.

The credit guarantees program was implemented by 100% in the Armenian
marzes, by 80% – in remote and border areas, where there are still
credit security-related problems. The amount of 7 credit guarantees
has already been repaid, while the credit repayment index makes up
100%. According to I. Karapetian, turnover volumes grew by 30-40%,
jobs – by 24% and tax payment – by 19-20% at the enterprises that
received credit guarantees. It is envisaged to extend the program
in 2006. Besides, within the framework of the SME state assistance
program, a program on assistance of beginner-businessmen was
implemented in three Armenian marzes with the participation of
67 beginner-businessmen, 13 of which were registered as economic
entities. I. Karapetian noted that with the creation of the 4 regional
branches of the SME NDC in 2005, the process of forming a network
of branches was completed, and branches are now functioning in all
Armenian marzes. According to him, the state budget resources for
the implementation of the SME assistance program will increase by
50 mln drams in 2006 compared with 2005 and make 350 mln drams, and
this sum will be allocated for the development of new programs and
mechanisms of SME assistance.

Provision of assistance to the SME of Armenian marzes, especially
to those in border areas, will remain the main direction of the
program. This year it is envisaged to extent the program on assistance
to beginner-businessmen to all the Armenian marzes. In response to a
question of NT correspondent, the SME NDC director said that since
2002 the center has assisted 15-20 companies with introducing the
quality management systems, as a result of which their turnover and
exports significantly increased. According to him, the businessmen
attach now much more importance to the necessity to introduce new
methods of business running than they did in 2002.

THE BACKBONE OF THE AZERI ARMY WAS BROKEN IN KELBAJAR (ANALYSIS)
Tatul Hakobyan

“Radiolur”
27.03.2006 13:25

If we trust the statements of international information agencies,
the Ramboulliet talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents
entered a blind alley just because of Kelbajar (or Karvajar). The
geographical location of the area has strategic importance for the
security of both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. 13 years ago these days
the Karabakh forces took control of the region, which had become part
of Soviet Azerbaijan in 1920. It is hard to find as many khachkars
in any other originally Armenian land as in Karvajar. Dadivank,
one of the masterpieces of the Armenian medieval architecture, is
also located in Karvajar. If the liberation of Karabakh is one of
the most glorious pages in the Armenian history, then the operation
directed at taking the control of the Karvajar region is the central
link of this liberation war. Still on May 9, 1992 the Karabakh forces
had liberated Shushi and opened the Lachin corridor on May 18, but
following this, a period of failures started for Nagorno-Karabakh. In
June the Azerbaijani Army had already invaded half of the former
Autonomic Region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Abulfaz Elchibey, who came into
power in Azerbaijan declared, “In case a single Armenian remains in
Karabakh by October 1992, the Azeri people can hang me in the central
square of Baku.”

The Azerbaijani Army had invaded not only Martakert region, but also
Artsvashen village of Armenia.

In the period from March 27 to April 4, 1993 the Karabakh forces
took complete control of Kelbajar region, thus isolating the possible
danger of attack in the directions of Vardenis and Sevan and resuming
the peaceful life in Martakert region.

Kelbajar has invaluable strategic importance for Armenia and
Azerbaijan. If we return it to Azerbaijan, the front line, according
to military experts, will extend with 200 kilometers, the Lachin
corridor will become vulnerable, any time danger may threaten Vardenis
and Sevan. Karabakh will need 20 thousand soldiers to control the
additional 200 thousand kilometers.

Immediately after the evens of Kelbajar, On April 4, 1993 the Turkish
government took the decision to close the border with Armenia, and
the Turkish blockade, which is considered a way of aggression in the
international practice, continues up until now. On April 6, 1993 in
Tashkent the President of Turkey Turgut Ozal condemned the Armenian
aggression” and underlined that “Armenia carries out unconcealed
aggression against Azerbaijan.” In his turn, Prime Minister Suleyman
Demirel declared that “Turkey will never agree to Armenia’s seizing
part of Azerbaijani land” and intends to undertake steps “to avert
the aggression.” In a few days, on April 13-15 Ozal arrived in Baku
and voiced his recurrent threat, “Armenia should voluntarily withdraw
its forces from Kelbajar, otherwise these will be withdrawn from here.”

In February 2005 the OSCE Fact Finding Mission visited the territories
under NKR control. The Fact Finders and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
counted about 2 700 Armenians in the whole region of Kelbajar, who had
moved here from Shahumyan and Getashen, invaded by Azeri Armed Forces.

In 1920, when Soviet regime was established in Azerbaijan, Karvajar was
annexed to Azerbaijan. In 1923 Red Kurdistan was formed, and the region
of Karvajar, settled with several thousands of Kurds and Caucasian
Tatars, was attached to the newly created administrative unit.

In 1930 the Red Kurdistan was exterminated, and Karvajar (Kyalbajar)
with its 1 936 square kilometers of area became one of the 60 regions
of Azerbaijan. In the course of the years, several thousand Kurds of
Kyalbajar got assimilated with the Azeri people.

World War 4 Report, NY
March 25 2006

Iran, Denmark host religious dialogue conferences

Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sat, 03/25/2006 – 14:40.

Things are more complicated than they look – in the world generally,
and especially in Iran. As the intransigents in Iran and Denmark
alike line up for a depressing and potentially apocalyptic “clash of
civilizations,” conferences on inter-religious dialogue are held in
response to the crisis in both countries. True, the “dialogue” seems
to have been rather harshly proscribed at the Iran conference, and
the Danish one seems to have been very low-profile. Still, a glimmer
of hope that they were held. We wonder: were they at all coordinated?
>From Iran’s official agency IRNA, March 19:

ISFAHAN – The “Global Conference on Constructive Interaction among
Divine Religions: A Framework for International Order” concluded work
in this historical city in central Iran Sunday.

The two-day event which hosted 160 scholars from 38 world countries
aimed at safeguarding the sublime position of divine religions in
today world and highlighting the need for protecting religious sacred
sites from terrorist attacks and destruction.

As the first in the kind to be held in world, the conference provided
an apt opportunity for scholars belonging to different divine
religions including Muslims, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians to
express their views on inter-faith dialogue and raise their voices to
condemn any forms of sacrilegious acts against holy religions.

Isfahan was designated as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World
on January 1, 2006.

Was this just a propaganda-fest for the regime? We hope not, although
this clip, also from IRNA March 19, is less than encouraging:

ISFAHAN – A Spanish scholar here Sunday stressed that the conflict
between Iran and the US was indeed a war between “good and evil.”

A researcher and writer on theological topics Raol Gonzales made the
remark in an interview with IRNA on the sidelines of the two-day
“Global Conference on Constructive Interaction among Divine
Religions: A Framework for International Order,” which opened here
Saturday morning.

Gonzales blamed the tyrannical nature of the US President George
Bush, who believes that every single person who is not with him is
surely against him, as the main cause of the most of the conflicts
underway in different parts of the world today.

Describing victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran as wonder which
shocked the whole world, Gonzales said it was only a miracle that a
country, which relied heavily on the US aid and followed its policies
unquestioningly, managed to confront and fight it.

Referring to the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the scholar said the
attack launched by Iraq against Iranian nation was not a mere war in
its usual sense but rather an event which was supported by many
hegemonic powers in the world to suppress the justice-seeking voice
of Iranian Muslim nation.

He further believed the recent attacks on the Holy Shiite shrines was
a plot hatched by the US to sow discord among Muslims and followers
of other religions.

This one, again from IRNA, smells a bit better:

ISFAHAN – The Archbishop of Armenian Christian Church Nerses
Buzabolyan here on Sunday stressed that the identical origin of all
monotheistic faiths is the element of convergence among all divine
religions and said any insult to the sanctities of each of them would
hurt the feelings of the followers of other faiths as well.

The archbishop made the remark in an interview with IRNA here Sunday
on the sidelines of the “Global Conference on Constructive
Interaction among Divine Religions: A Framework for International
order,” which opened here Saturday with participation of 160 scholars
from 40 countries.

Buzabolyan commented that the spiritual tenets, shared by all the
divine religions, provide them with a common background in that all
the religions, believing in God as the central part of their faith,
share the basic principle that the oneness of God means all human
beings are equipped with wisdom to “feel and see” the presence of God
in every moment of their lives. That, he added, would definitely
prevent them from committing such silly acts as undertaking
sacrilegious actions against any of the divine religions.

He further hailed the ongoing inter-faith dialogue conference as the
first preliminary step towards establishing dialogue among divine
religions because, he said, it would certainly help promote unity and
solidarity among followers of different faiths in a number of
practical ways.

He believed the interaction and exchange of views among scholars
during the event would help them remove walls and barriers and wipe
out many baseless and hollow prejudices.

Archbishop Buzabolyan went on to express hope that the present
gathering would encourage many other similar events in other
countries resulting in establishment of a lasting dialogue among
religions.

Of course inerfaith unity in opposition to free speech and secularism
is also less then encouraging. IRNA, March 18:

ISFAHAN – An Iranian priest stressed that insulting Holy Prophet of
Islam (PBUH) would in fact be an offensive act towards all divine
prophets.

Talking to IRNA at the sideline of the ‘Global Conference on
Constructive Interaction among Divine Religions: A Framework for
International Order’ here on Saturday, Hacoop Arekelian said all
prophets tried to convey a common message which was revealed to them
by single God.

He believed the conference was of great importance in that it aimed
at consolidating unity among followers of all divine religions and
institutionalizing respect to divine religions among people.

At least Jews were invited. And at least they are acknowledging that
the Holocaust happened. IRNA, March 19:

ISFAHAN – A leading Austrian Jewish Rabbi said here that holocaust
catastrophe in Europe, which victimized millions of Jews, is nowadays
used as an instrument for suppressing the rightful demands of the
world nations.

Rabbi Moishe Fridmann, who leads the Association of Anti-Zionist Jews
in Austria, made the remark late Saturday on the sidelines of the
two-day “Global Conference on Constructive Interaction among Divine
Religions: A Framework for International Order”.

Now, did the one in Denmark ever happen? This AP account is from Feb.
23:

COPENHAGEN – Denmark will host a conference next month to promote
religious dialogue following the uproar over the Prophet Muhammad
cartoons, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

The government will also give “a significant financial contribution”
to a U.N. programme aimed at overcoming prejudice between Islam and
the West, and support an Islamic festival in Copenhagen, Foreign
Minister Per Stig Moeller, said in a statement.

The conference on religious and cultural dialogue will take place in
the Danish capital on March 10, ministry officials said.

“This conference will bring together the prominent Islamic preacher
Amr Khaled, two Islamic scholars from the Arab world and three Danish
experts,” Moeller said.

He said the government was planning a range of initiatives to promote
“respectful dialogue,” partly drawing on advice given by Muslim
countries.

“In Denmark there is a genuine respect for the religious feelings of
other people and we acknowledge that many Muslims felt gravely
insulted by these controversial drawings,” the foreign Minister said.

Ministry officials said they would contact Arab and international
media to spread the Minister’s message, and posted a link of his
videotaped statement on the ministry’s Web page.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Evans Will Not Be Recalled Most Likely, Armenian
Political Scientist Believes

23.03.2006 19:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans
will not be recalled to all appearance as the American
diplomat has expressed not only his own opinion but
also that of two thirds of the House, political
scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan stated in a
conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his
words, the recall of an ambassador, whom Daniel Fried
called «fantastic», cannot be taken as US federal
authorities confronting congressmen’s opinion. «Thus I
suppose J. Evans will continue his service as US
Ambassador to Armenia till the end of his tenure,» the
political scientists remarked.

To remind February 19, 2005 John Evans indicated the
importance of recognition of the Armenian Genocide at
a meeting with California Armenian community members.
«I will today call it the Armenian Genocide,’ Evans
said. In the opinion of State Department officials
Evans did not have the right to make statements of the
type even in his personal capacity.

REPRESENTATIVE OF ARMENIA OPENS INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION IN MOSCOW

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 20 2006

MOSCOW, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Karen Aghamian,
Chairman of the Painters’ Union of Armenia, represented Armenia at
the International Art Exhibition “Contemporaries-2006” of Moscow
Central House of Painters.

According to the “Yerkramas” (Territory) newspaper of Armenians of
Russia, heads of leading Moscow creative unions and the only one of the
numerous guests, representative of Armenia, made solemn speeches at the
opening of the current “Salon”. As Aaghamian informed the “Yerkramas”
newspaper’s correspondent, this fact was in no way connected with the
Year of Armenia in Russia being held at present. At the exhibition
Karen Aghamian presented a series of works dedicated to subteleties
of interrelations between the sexes. Armenia was represented by Hakob
Hakobian at the annual exhibition of the Central House of Painters
in 2005. The annual exhibition of the Central House of Painters in
Moscow is a tribute to the traditions coming from Soviet times when
painters from the whole country arrived in the USSR capital. Currently
the festival has a title of the international one.

IT’S ENVISAGED TO INTRODUCE INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AT ANOTHER
8 ARMENIAN SCHOOLS THIS YEAR

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. At present 157 disabled children attend
5 schools of inclusive education in Yerevan. Individual curriculums
were made up for 85 of them and the rest perfectly manage to learn
by school curriculums.

Susanna Tadevosian, Chairwoman of the Huysi Kamurj (Bridge of Hope)
NGO, informed about this at the March 17 press conference. She
mentioned that the inclusive educational program has been implemented
by the organization jointly with RA Ministry of Education and
Science since 2001, in comprehensive schools N 27, 150, 59, 100
and M.Sebastatsi educational complex. According to S.Tadevosian,
teams comprised of the director, a special teacher, social employee,
a parent and other specialists were formed at all schools of inclusive
education. The latters examine children’s medical documents, consider
their educational needs and make up individual curriculums at the
beginning of the schoolyear. The organization chairwoman stated
that children from orphanages and abroad are also involved in the
program. The educational needs of the latters are connected with the
Eastern Armenian language and spelling. S.Tadevosian also reported
that during the current year the inclusive educational program will
be introduced at another 4 Yerevan schools, as well as in Dilijan,
Ijeven, Noyemberian and Berd schools (Tavush region). It was also
mentioned that representatives of Moscow school N 1961 visited Armenia
for the purpose of getting acquainted with the experience of inclusive
education.