Author: Hovhannisian John

Le Monde, France
3 février 2007 samedi

La mémoire vive de l’Arménie

par Sophie Gherardi

D’Erevan, marquée par la période soviétique, aux monastères des
environs, le pays fourmille de trésors

Avant de partir pour l’Arménie, un conseil. Procurez-vous un
enregistrement de cette flûte enchanteresse qu’on appelle doudouk.
Son chant grave, poignant, infiniment nostalgique, vous préparera
pour la suite. La suite ? L’aéroport d’Erevan, neuf et rutilant, fait
paraître fané le terminal de Roissy 1 quitté cinq heures plus tôt –
sans doute l’un des nombreux signes de la générosité de la diaspora
arménienne. Mais sitôt passées les portes, le pathétique
post-soviétique saute aux yeux.

Pour peu que la nuit cache les immeubles sans me et les rues
défoncées, la capitale arménienne peut éblouir avec sa place de la
République. Les arcades de pierre rouge savamment éclairées
surplombant l’esplanade ovale donnent un instant l’idée d’une grande
ville qui aurait pu être celle qu’avait conçue et commencé à réaliser
l’architecte Alexandre Tamanian dans les années 1920. Au lieu de quoi
le touriste devra se contenter des chiches beautés de l’Erevan
actuelle, métropole de 1,2 million d’habitants qui rassemble plus du
tiers de la population d’Arménie.

Au moins, la pluie est rare sur ce plateau entouré de collines, si
bien que le soleil égaye tout ce qui peut l’être. Par exemple, ces
forteresses de pierre ouvragée qui se révèlent être des usines, l’une
d’embouteillage de cognac (de la marque Ararat, rachetée par Pernod
Ricard), l’autre de vodka. Si, malgré tout, le découragement vous
prenait devant la pauvreté de cette ancienne bourgade dilatée au XXe
siècle par les afflux de réfugiés, ravagée dix fois par les
tremblements de terre et les conquérants (arabes, mongols, persans et
turcs), alors rappelez-vous les tendres inflexions du doudouk.

L’Arménie n’est pas une fille facile, voilà la vérité. " Tes sourcils
sont des arcs et tes longs cils des flèches ", écrivait Sayat-Nova,
le grand poète du XVIIIe siècle dans ses Odes arméniennes
(L’Harmattan, 2006, 17,50 euros). Les yeux, bien sûr ! On ne voit que
cela dans les visages arméniens, ceux qu’on croise dans la rue comme
ceux qui sont peints sur les enluminures des manuscrits conservés au
Matenadaran, l’imposante bibliothèque de style stalinien perchée sur
une colline d’Erevan. Yeux noirs perçants – persans ? – que veloutent
des cils immenses, et ces sourcils fortement dessinés qui évoquent
les arches de l’architecture locale. Hommes à l’air fatigué dans
leurs vestes de cuir à la soviétique, jeunes filles juchées sur des
talons-aiguilles, tous partagent ce regard captivant.

Mille autres regards du passé se dardent sur le visiteur muet dans le
Musée du génocide, au lieu-dit la Forteresse des hirondelles. Quels
chiffres peuvent mesurer l’étendue des souffrances subies à partir de
1915 par les Arméniens de l’Empire ottoman ? Un million à un million
et demi de victimes ? 400 000 orphelins ? Ou faut-il plutôt fixer ces
photos de l’officier allemand Armin Wegner, 2 000 clichés en tout,
qui montrent comment, selon ses propres mots, " ils mouraient de
toutes les morts terrestres " ?

L’Arménie historique s’étendait sur 350 000 km2, l’Arménie
d’aujourd’hui, coeur antique de cette civilisation si particulière,
en occupe à peine 30 000. Le peuple arménien, on s’en rend compte
ici, a perdu l’essentiel de sa richesse matérielle, des pans entiers
de sa culture et toute sa gaieté, il y a quatre-vingt-dix ans, sur le
territoire de l’actuelle Turquie.

Les richesses qui restent, enchssées dans le petit territoire
caucasien de la République d’Arménie, sont uniquement historiques et
culturelles. Et elles sont fascinantes. Les monastères aux formes
pures, sous leurs clochers pointus, résistent depuis le VIe siècle
aux terribles séismes de la Transcaucasie. Celui de Khor Virap,
dominé par le mont Ararat (du côté turc de la frontière), a servi de
prison à Grégoire l’Illuminateur, qui évangélisa le roi Tiridate IV
au tout début du IVe siècle, faisant de l’Arménie le premier Etat
chrétien.

Tout en majesté, le grand monastère d’Etchmiadzine, non loin
d’Erevan, est le " Saint-Siège " de l’Eglise apostolique arménienne.
Avec l’alphabet arménien, inventé en 405 par le moine Mesrob
Machtots, cette Eglise est l’un des fondements de l’identité du pays
: elle a affreusement souffert du pouvoir stalinien, qui a fait
exécuter quelque 1 500 prêtres entre 1930 et 1947. Grce à Karékine
II, l’actuel catholicos (le chef de l’Eglise arménienne), le nombre
d’ecclésiastiques est remonté à 350 depuis l’indépendance, en 1991.

Blotti dans les montagnes, le fabuleux monastère de Geghart (mot qui
signifie " lance " en français, puisque cette relique de la Passion y
est conservée) s’ouvre sur un immense narthex puis sur une sobre
église cruciforme. Mais deux autres églises, accolées à la première,
sont invisibles du dehors : elles ont été creusées dans la falaise
par le sommet, avec leur coupole, leurs piliers, leurs autels. Le son
passe de l’une à l’autre, offrant une acoustique exceptionnelle au
cristal des chants liturgiques arméniens. A quelques kilomètres à
peine, le temple hellénistique de Garni dresse ses colonnes de
basalte au bord d’un canyon spectaculaire. Avant la conversion du
pays, le peuple arménien comptait déjà mille huit cents ans
d’histoire…

Partout, dans les églises, les cimetières, au bord des routes
parfois, on découvre de grandes dalles de pierre ornées de croix, les
khatchkars. Plus que l’art de l’icône orthodoxe, les monophysites
arméniens – qui reconnaissent la seule nature divine du Christ – ont
pratiqué la sculpture. Leurs pierres-croix sont toutes différentes et
leurs motifs préfigurent l’abstraction d’un certain

art musulman : le Crucifié n’y figure qu’exceptionnellement.

C’est dans l’art moderne laïque qu’on voit réapparaître le talent des
enlumineurs médiévaux. Plusieurs musées d’Erevan en portent
témoignage. Du majestueux Musée d’histoire " des origines à nos jours
", on emporte parmi cent autres le souvenir charmé de la Joconde
arménienne peinte par Hakob Hovnatanyan le Jeune vers 1840. Il faut
passer au musée consacré au maître portraitiste du XXe siècle,
Martiros Saryan.

Mais surtout, aucun séjour à Erevan ne serait complet sans la visite
de la maison de Sergueï Paradjanov. Le Pasolini soviétique, interdit
de tournage pendant deux décennies, emprisonné quatre ans, déploya sa
créativité dans des centaines de collages d’une folle fantaisie. Son
ami Zaven Sargsyan en a fait un musée. C’est un endroit unique.

MAIN ELECTORAL FALSIFICATIONS WILL BE COMMITTED AT DISTRICT
COMMISSIONS, CEC MEMBER DECLARES

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The main falsifications at the May
12 parliamentary elections will be committed at district electoral
commissions. Felix Khachatrian, Ardarutiun (Justice) bloc
representative at the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), made such a
statement at the February 2 press conference. Presenting "the main
loop-holes of falsifications" he said that it will be difficult to
stuff ballot-boxes due to putting ballot-papers into enevelopes and
the mechanism of "double voting" will be mainly used.

In F.Khachatrian’s words, "15-thousand army of falsifiers" has been
formed in the country, the representatives of which actively work
during all elections. He stated that according to his information,
pressure is already exerted upon OYP representatives at
commissions. They are forces to resign. F.Khachatrian also said that
according to the amended Electoral Code, some changes should be made
at commissions’ staffs, which, in essence, has not been done.

According to the Electoral Code, in the period from fixing the date of
state elections until summing up the results of elections, electoral
commissions’ sittings are considered as competent irrespective of the
number of members participating in the sitting. This provision of the
law, in F.Khachatrian’s words, creates a possibility for exerting
pressure upon commissions’ members: by bribing or intimidating they
can force them not to attend these sittings.

In the CEC member’s words, the number of electors is already being
exaggerated by electoral rolls compiled by Passport and Visa
Department of RA Police. The number of electors at the constitutional
referendum held in 2005 November was 2 251 754, while as of January 1
it amounted to 2 325 353 and at the moment 2 333 460. In
F.Khachatrian’s words, under conditions of lack of growth of
population in the country the number of those having become adults
should be approximately equal to the number of the deceased. So, no
growth of the number of electors mentioned above is possible.

It was decided to set a seal to servicemen’s identification cards
before voting for excluding double voting by them, but the danger of
double voting by policemen has appeared instead. F.Khachatrian said
that three days before the elections the Cheif of RA Police will
approve the list of the policemen who will control over the process of
elections. Their names should be removed from the electoral rolls of
the place of their residence and within 1-day period should be added
to the lists of the districts where they will be on duty. Thus, as
F.Khachatrian affirmed, the variant of double voting by policemen
becomes possible through their being simultaneously on the two lists.

Similar change of electoral rolls is also planned for electors
receiving hospital treatment. Their family names should be removed
from the main electoral rolls to the rolls of the hospital’s nearest
district. F.Khachatrian said that part of 170 hospitals of the country
has more than 700 beds.

Flag dance of friendship that stepped on a nation’s pride
Tony Halpin in Moscow and Gayane Abrahamyan in Yerevan

The Times/UK
February 03, 2007

The modern dance performance was billed as a frank expression of
friendship between Britain and Armenia, the former Soviet republic.
Instead, Nigel Charnock’s solo show provoked diplomatic outrage after
he was accused by the Armenian Culture Minister of desecrating the
national flag.

Charnock, a noted dancer, has been called a `national treasure’ by
British critics and praised for his `eerie brilliance’ and `profligate
talent’ by The Times. The British Council had described Frank,
Charnock’s one-hour improvised performance, as `a stand-up, sit-down,
leap-around live show that picks you up, calls you names and lets you
in on some home truths’.

But the name-calling was largely done by Hasmik Poghosyan, the Culture
Minister, after Charnock, on his first vist to the country, had placed
Armenian and British flags on the stage and danced on them before an
audience at the Stanislavsky State Theatre, in Yerevan, on Wednesday.

Mrs Poghoysan, 46, who was not at the performance, ordered a second
show to be cancelled and accused Charnock of committing a criminal
offence punishable by up to a year in prison. She declared: `It is
unacceptable for us that someone who is considered a national treasure
in Britain would bring such low-quality art to Armenia.

`We honour the high art of British theatre and are sure that from the
Queen to ordinary Britons the greatest pride and treasure is
Shakespeare. It appears that the English perception of treasures has
been drastically devalued and Nigel Charnock is its best evidence.’

Mrs Poghosyan said that she was not censoring artistic expression but
acting to prevent disrespectful treatment of Armenia’s flag.

`Charnock may treat the British flag as he likes. He can drop it on
the floor, step on it, chew it or swallow it, but it is unacceptable
and punishable by law to treat the Armenian flag that way,’ she said.

At a press conference called swiftly by the British Council, a
chastened Charnock, 45, offered his `unconditional apologies’. He told
reporters: `All I’ m trying to do is communicate love.’

The Culture Ministry lifted the ban, provided that Charnock promised
not to repeat the offence, but by then it was too late to reschedule
the performance and the dancer flew home yesterday.

Lucine Ghulyan, arts manager at the British Council in Yerevan, told
The Times: `He was trying to show friendship between Armenia and
Britain. There was a total misunderstanding of his intentions.

`He was showing his affection for Armenia, but when I called the
deputy minister to explain this she didn’t want to listen to me. She
kept saying that she was offended as a citizen of Armenia to see the
flag on the floor.’

Ms Ghulyan acknowledged that some in the audience had been offended by
sexually suggestive movements during the performance. Charnock had
wrapped a Union Jack around his loins and then draped the Armenian
tricolor over his naked torso.

But Ms Ghulyan said that most had understood the show and many gave
him a standing ovation at the end.

Charnock, 45, has performed Frank around Europe since 2003, when it
was commissioned for the Venice Biennale. He co-founded the DV8
Physical Theatre before establishing his own dance company in 1996.

168 Zham, Armenia
Feb 1 2007

AUTHORITIES TO FORCE SALE OF GOLD MINE TO RUSSIANS

According to our information, the Armenian authorities are forcing
Vedanta Resources to sell the Ararat Gold-Mining Plant [AGMP] to the
Russians. Several days ago, the Armenian and Russian presidents,
Robert Kocharyan and Vladimir Putin, said in Sochi that Russia is
going to make investments in the mining sphere.

This information has been circulating at the AGMP for a month
already. The leaders of the company are even advising their workers
to find new jobs. The children of the Indian managers at the plant
have told their teachers at the Ashtarak school that they will stop
attending lessons as their families are going to leave Armenia.

The director of AGMP, Vardan Vardanyan, told us that he does not have
any information about this. But the intentions of the Armenian
authorities are already being outlined. Let us recall that the
Ecology Ministry last year audited the AGMP and twice found large
stocks of [unreported] gold. The plant appealed against those acts,
and at present the plant and Ecology Ministry are engaged in
litigation.

Let us also recall that there is a lot of gold at the Sodk deposit:
eight grams per tonne. And the Indian owners were to mine about 50
tonnes of gold over the next 12 years. Gold prices are rising on the
world market.

The Japan Times, Japan
Feb 2 2007

Tales of tribal terror

By KAORI SHOJI

When Hitler got his collaborators together and proposed the genocide
of Jews, one of the things he said to justify the act was that before
long the world will forget the whole thing. He is famed for having
cited the example of the Armenian Genocide (1915-1917, in which
around a million people were estimated to have been killed) and said
that after all, no one remembered such a thing had happened, so how
different could it be this time around?

It seems that the same logic applied to the instigators of the
Rwandan genocide. Indeed, one remark by a soldier in "Shooting Dogs,"
just before he takes a machete to a victim’s head, says as much: "No
one will remember you existed."

The point of films like "Shooting Dogs" and the earlier "Hotel
Rwanda" is less about how well they’re made than the fact that
they’re there: that they get on the international film distribution
circuit, or that such films continue to be made, again and again. So
what if these movies aren’t hardcore documentaries? If entertainment
value is what it takes to get audiences to see them, then I cast my
vote to entertainment.

This especially goes for "Shooting Dogs," directed by entertainment
artisan Michael Caton-Jones, who has made works as diverse as "Basic
Instinct 2" and "Rob Roy." Caton-Jones takes a craftsman’s approach
to the story, and doesn’t let himself cave under the enormous weight
of this fact: In 1994, 800,000 Rwandans were murdered in the space of
100 days.

In many ways, "Shooting Dogs" displays a surreal insensitivity and a
typical Hollywood handling of real-life filth — the interior shots
are defined by a pristine orderliness, everyone looks as if they had
showered that morning and the Europeans depicted here are annoyingly
well-groomed. Still, it’s impossible not to come away with nerves in
tatters. Caton-Jones keeps an emotional distance. There was probably
no other way to go about it.

Based on true-life locations and the life of a Bosnian priest who had
been one of two white clergymen to remain in Rwanda after every other
Westerner had evacuated, "Shooting Dogs" opens with the news that the
president has been killed in a plane crash. There are rumors of a
coup, which quickly escalates to a mass wave of ethnic cleansing,
underscored by a feud that had continued between Rwandan Hutus and
Tutsis for centuries. Hutu extremists seize the upper hand by
installing road blocks, closing public facilities and taking to the
streets with machetes and lists containing the addresses and names of
Tutsis. Some 2,500 Tutsis take refuge in a local technical school run
by the idealistic Father Christopher (John Hurt) and the
well-intended young British teacher Joe Connor (Hugh Dancy). Both
strive to save their neighbors, their students and families, but
they’re ultimately helpless; the most chilling scene is when Father
Christopher finally leaves the school (he’s the last white man to go,
and the last vestige of hope for these people) in a truck. Even
before the dust from the wheels have cleared, Hutu extremists (who
had all been waiting at the gates with machetes and cleavers) are
given the command to "let the work begin!"

"Shooting Dogs" was partly written and produced by BBC news reporter
David Belton. In 1994, he had been in Rwanda to report on the
massacre and was helped by the Bosnian priest who inspired the story.
Eventually Belton got out of Rwanda when the atrocities threatened to
extend to the whites. He learned later that the priest was murdered.
What surfaces throughout the story is Belton’s sense of guilt at
having abandoned the country and its people and his deep frustration
at having been powerless to "make a difference," an oft-repeated
phrase in the dialogue.

Connor, however, is not Belton’s alter ego. Of all the characters
here, he seems to be the least substantial and is perhaps meant to be
so; an amalgam of all the Westerners who, with the best intentions,
fled Rwanda, not least of all the U.N. peacekeeping forces. In the
story, a Belgian unit based at the school is given orders to shoot
the dogs eating the corpses from genocide ("it’s a health risk!") but
they do nothing to stop the Hutu militia from producing corpses by
the score. Once seen, "Shooting Dogs" isn’t likely to be forgotten,
and that’s exactly what it aims for.

2a3.html

"NEW MIGRATION POLICY OF RUSSIA IS AIMED TO PROTECTION OF MIGRANTS’
RIGHT AS WELL," GAGIK YEGANIAN FINDS

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. When working out the migration
policy, every country attempts to solve the economic, social,
demographic as well as national security problems arisen in front of
it at the moment. Gagik Yeganian, the Chief of the Migration Agency of
the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration expressed such an
opinion at the January 31 press conference, touching upon the new
migration policy of Russia, which, in his words, is aimed to
protection of the migrant’s rights.

G.Yeganian mentioned that by the new legislation Russia make
foreigners’ entrance to labour market easy. According to it, a
foreigner must present only 4 documents: a passport, migration card,
receipt about the state duty and an application to a corresponding
structure to get permission to do work. 10 days instead of former 6-8
months were defined for study of those documents.

The agency chief also mentioned that according to the next most
important change, some limitations were made in Russia in the sphere
of retail trade. Particularly, the number of foreigners living in
markets will make 40% till April 1, and no foreign sellers will at all
be in markets after April 1. Those limitations, according to
G.Yeganian’s estimation, will not influence on Armenian migrants’
activity as the latters are involved mainly in the spheres of
construction and service.

It was also mentioned that according to Russian sources, payments and
taxes annually not credited in the country from outgoing working
activity make about 100 bln roubles. By the way, Armenian business
migrants created 1 mln working places in the RF.

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Feb 1 2007

NGOs summit on article 301 Friday

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if NGOs would not bring
up a proposal reached by consensus that government would go ahead
with its own plan.

Güncelleme: 18:04 TSÝ 01 Þubat 2007 PerþembeANKARA – Representatives
of 19 Turkish non-governmental organisations will meet on Friday to
discuss proposed changes to the controversial article301 of the
Turkish Penal Code.

The decision to stage meeting came after the call by the Chairman of
Bar Unions Ozdemir Ozok last week.

Article 301, which covers the crime of insulting Turkishness, has
again become a subject of debate after the murder of Turkish Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, who had been was convicted under the article
prior to his murder on January 19.

Azeri Communication Minister against "electronic war"

ArmRadio.am
31.01.2007 18:00

Azerbaijani Minister of Communication Ali Abasov called to stop the `
electronic war’ between hackers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Commenting
on the facts of attacking websites by hackers of the two countries,
the Minister noted he does not welcome such activity. `I think the
sides should refrain from such steps and should join the international
convention of website protection,’ the Minister declared.

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Jan 27 2007

Top Trabzon officials suspended after Dink killing

The New Anatolian / Ankara
27 January 2007

The governor and police chief of the northern province of Trabzon
have been recalled to the capital, a week after the shocking murder
of Armenian origin Turkish journalist Hrant Dink.

The city has now been shaken by two murder cases, with Italian
Catholic Priest Andrea Santoro killed by a reportedly mentally
unbalanced teenager last year, and journalist Dink slain in Istanbul
by yet another Trabzon teen.

Hours after the Interior Ministry launched an investigation into the
administrative and security personnel of the city, following claims
of a security lapses following Dink’s murder, Police Chief Resat
Altay and Governor Huseyin Yavuzdemir were called back to Ankara for
reassignment.

The ministry said in a written statement that two chief inspectors
were assigned to investigate the recent developments in the city
following the killing. It also added that the primary mission of the
inspectors is to find out whether the city’s security and
administrative heads neglected their duty in incidents and
demonstrations in the aftermath of the murder.

On Thursday it was reported that the gendarmerie asked the public not
to talk to people introducing themselves as secret service personnel
while questioning passers-by about the killer Ogun Samast and other
suspects.

A recently revealed intelligence report also said that certain
foreign circles had tried to establish youth gangs in the city that
resembled the gang allegedly founded by Yasin Hayal, reportedly the
second man behind the journalist’s murder.

A photo of Samast published by several dailies along with claims that
it was made available by the Trabzon gendarmerie has also fueled
concerns, as both the gendarmerie and police say they haven’t taken
photos of Samast since his detention.

Third man detained

Also on Friday, Erhan Tuncel, allegedly the third man behind the
killing, who in his initial testimony to police confessed to ordering
Hayal to found a gang and provide firearms training as well as
ideological indoctrination, was charged by the 11th Istanbul Heavy
Criminal Court. Tuncel reportedly exercised his right to remain
silent.

The total number of suspects reached six with the latest arrest.

Tuncel was seen behind Muhsin Yazicioglu, the leader of the
ultranationalist Grand Unity Party (BBP), in a newly released photo,
reinforcing speculation that the three suspects and unknown others
had been used by ultranationalist circles.

However Yazicioglu denied allegations of links to the suspect, saying
that he cannot know who is standing behind him everywhere. Reports
have claimed that all suspects were once members of an extremist
youth organization affiliated with the party.

Hayal, who was convicted for a bombing outside a McDonald’s
restaurant in Trabzon in 2004, told police that he was given bomb
training by Chechen militants in Azerbaijan, a country where a
notorious ex-army officer allegedly founded anti-Armenian assassin
groups.

The ex-general, Veli Kucuk, was also alleged to have threatened Dink
and sent his men to the journalist’s hearings. Dink’s prosecutor,
ultranationalist lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, is also said to be a close
figure to the former army member.

Bomb outside Parliament walls raises fears

Acting on a tip-off, police defused a bomb in a package found near
the outer walls of the grounds behind Parliament on Friday.

The package also contained a letter, signed by Turkish Revenge
Brigade, calling for Hayal and Samast be released.

"Set free our brothers Yasin and Ogun," said the letter, which also
protested demonstrations during Dink’s funeral ceremony.

The note resembled many others including those from political parties
that protested the banners, "We’re all Armenians, we’re all Hrant."
Even an unrelated civil group, the Association for Protection and
Evaluation of Natural Resources (EVDK) said, "We’re all Mehmed, tens
of thousands marched for an Armenian, we lose thousands of soldiers
each year; who marched to protest the losses?"

The threatening messages were also posted on the message board of a
website belonging to a local football club where both Hayal and
Samast was players for days after Samast was detained by police.

Those who posted the messages, apparently members of the football
club, called Hayal "the bomber," and expressed their hatred for Dink
while praising what Samast did.

The brigade became a high-profile yet mysterious illegal group when
it tried in 1998 to assassinate former Human Rights Association (IHD)
head Akin Birdal. The group last year claimed responsibility for a
number of bombings in southeastern Diyarbakir. A note on its website
read that they will kill 100 Kurds for every Turk killed.

Bomb causes minor damage in Samsun

Also on Friday, a bomb explosion at the entrance of a business center
in the northern province of Samsun, although it caused minor damage,
alerted police for further investigation.

Dink’s killer was apprehended at a bus terminal in Samsun, which
neighbors his hometown Trabzon, over the weekend.

The bomb was placed outside the Sengun Business Center where several
shops and non-governmental organizations are located.

The bomb went off around 2:15 a.m., shattering windows of the
building and damaging parked cars.

Police said a pipe bomb was responsible for the explosion.

TREE-CUTTING WITHOUT EXAMINATION

A1+
[06:01 pm] 25 January, 2007

The cut down grove between Aghayan 19 and Teryan 56 buildings hasn’t
undergone any ecological examination.

Under the acting law the territories of at least 1000 square meters
are subjected to examination. But the above-mentioned grove is only
512 square meters that’s why "it is not subjected to examination". The
answer of A. Santrosyan, head of "Ecological Examination" Department,
to Garegin Noushikyan, president of "Noushikyan Association" LTD
testifies to this phenomenon.

Reminder: on January 20, early in the morning "Noushikyan Association"
cut down over 20 trees for the construction of a hotel thus arousing
a wave of complaint in the neighborhood. The tree-cutters showed the
written permission of Vardan Ayvazyan, minister of Environment to
justify their step.

While talking with us, Romik Mangasaryan, head of the Yerevan regional
department, showed all the documents under which the activity of
"Noushikyan Association" is considered legal. "The Association is
the owner of the disputable area. In 2000 under the decision of
the Yerevan Municipality a bargain was made with the Noushikyan
Association" and in 2002 512-square-meter area was sold to them",
states Romik Mangasaryan. The letter of the association with warranted
facts addressed to the minister served as a ground to make the deal
legal and get the minister’s permission.

Under the given conditions the ministry couldn’t help denying. Our
rights are now limited though I must say that we denied the association
many times a few years ago. I am awfully sorry for the tree-cutting
of the grove as I live in the neighborhood and I have tried to combat
it myself. But it is already late; we must have taken measures before
the territory was put into auction", noted Mr. Mangasaryan.

By the way, the association is to plant more trees in return of the
cut down 20 ones. Mr. Mangasaryan added that at present the complaints
of the residents and their further actions are but a waste of time.