Author: Jilavian Emma

Jerusalem Post
Jan 21 2005

Armenian GDP up 10.1% in 2004

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia’s GDP increased 10.1% year- on-year to
1.89 trillion dram in 2004, a source in the Armenian National
Statistics Service told Interfax.

Industrial production in the republic last year amounted to 530.2
billion dram – up 2.1% year-on-year. Agricultural output was up 14.5%
from 2003 to 504.1 billion dram.

By the end of December foreign trade was at over $2 billion (up
5.1%), including exports – up 4.3% to $715 million, and imports – up
5.6% to $1.351 billion.

The average-weighted exchange rate of the dram to the dollar in 2004
was 533.45 dram to the dollar.

The official exchange rate on January 20 was 493.43 dram to the
dollar.

MY BROTHER’S ROAD

Azg/arm
21 Jan 05

For the past eight years I have been researching and writing a
biography/memoir about my late brother, Monte “Avo” Melkonian. The
book, entitled My Brother’ s Road, has been a long time in coming, and
it has not been easy to get it published. I’m happy to announce that
the London publisher I.B.Tauris will officially release the book in
the USA on February 1. Part biography and part memoir, My Brother’s
Road is about a third-generation California boy who became a promising
student of archaeology, a strike leader in revolutionary Iran, a
militiaman in Beirut, a guerrilla, a convicted Armenian militant, a
prison strike leader, a fugitive from half a dozen security agencies,
and finally, a commander of 4000 warriors in one of the most vicious
wars raging on the ruins of the former Soviet Union.

My Brother’s Road is a story that is at once inspirational and
cautionary. Los Angeles Times writer Mark Arax has described it as
“an astonishing book,” and historian Christopher Walker has described
it as “driven by a sense of commitment which never overshoots into
sentimentality or chauvinism.”

I invite you to read My Brother’s Road. The book in hardcover is now
available for advance orders directly through the publisher,
I.B. Tauris, or through the online booksellers. Amazon.com
() lists it for $19.77 plus shipping. (I understand that
Amazon will ship any order of more than $25 for free within the USA
and Canada. Thus, two copies of the book would cost around $40
including shipping, compared to one copy for $25. If you order more
than one copy through Amazon, be sure to ask for Super Saver
Shipping.) The online stores will ship the book on or around February
9. By mid-February, the book should also be available at your local
bookstore. If the book is not on theshelf, please request that the
store carry it.

 By Markar Melkonian

 P.S. Please forward this message to family, friends and Internet
lists that might be interested.

Jerusalem Post
Jan 19 2005

On this Day

On this day
By ALEXANDER ZVIELLI

50 years ago:
On January 19, 1955, The Jerusalem Post reported that finance
minister Levi Eshkol announced far-reaching, further incentives for
foreign investors.

Israel told the UN that it would not accept any solution to the
question of the Bat Galim vessel, impounded by Egypt, that would not
provide for the ship to proceed through the Suez Canal to Haifa.

Israel also drew the UN’s attention to the continued Syrian attempts
to arrogate to itself, by force, rights in the Demilitarized Zones to
which Syria was not entitled. This was also the reason Israel turned
down the suggestion, made by general Burns, chief of staff of the
Truce Supervision Organization, to partition the Demilitarized Zone
into two administrative areas. Israel held that it had exclusive
rights in these areas under the relevant pasages of the Armistice
Agreements. (All such disputes referred to the pre-1967 armistice
lines.)

350 Armenians crossed into the Jordanian-occupied Old City of
Jerusalem and Bethlehem to celebrate their Christmas (across the
pre-1967 armistice lines).

The Kibbutz Dati refused to join the merger of the Mizrahi and Hapoel
Hamizrahi movements.

The percentage of locally mined clay used by the Israeli ceramic
industry had risen from less than 30% in 1951 to 80% in 1954.

Armenian leader, justice minister discuss setting up administrative courts

Noyan Tapan news agency
19 Jan 05

YEREVAN

As part of the reform of Armenia’s judicial and legal system, it is
necessary to establish administrative courts and start work on the
relevant legal framework as soon as possible, Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan told Justice Minister David Arutyunyan during a
working meeting today.

The president said that the system of administrative courts, which is
widely applied in the world, will provide for an opportunity to defend
the interests of Armenian citizens and legal entities in their
disputes with the government apparatus. Administrative courts are
tentatively expected to start operating in Armenia in 2006.

[Passage omitted: minor details]

PanArmenian News
Jan 19 2005

“WILL PUTIN BE PAID?” HAYRENIK WEEKLY WRITES

19.01.2005 17:10

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hayrenik weekly, the official body of ARF
Dashnaktsutyun of the US eastern coast published an article titled
“Will Putin be paid?” and dedicated to the latest developments of the
Russian-Turkish relationships making parallels with the film “Who
paid to Lenin?” Armenian people has experienced the bitterness of
being under pressure of Turkish-Russian relations”. Touching upon V.
Putin’s visit to Turkey and Erdogan’s visit to Moscow, the author
says that the warming of the relations between the two states is
tending to growth. In part, he mentions of Erdogan’s promise to
support Russia at the entry to the WTO and to conduct joint military
exercise. The article also cited Putin, who said that the two
countries can reach the level of relations existing in time of
Ataturk. “The warmth of the visits exceeded expectations”, the author
resumes.

Agence France Presse
17 janvier 2005 lundi 12:34 PM GMT

Fin de la grève de la faim à Marseille d’une Française d’origine
arménienne

MARSEILLE

Une Française d’origine arménienne, en grève de la faim depuis le 6
janvier à Marseille pour protester contre une adhésion de la Turquie
à l’Union européenne sans reconnaissance préalable par Ankara du
génocide arménien, a mis fin à son action dimanche soir, a-t-on
appris lundi auprès de l’intéressée.

Mme Koulas Karpinian, 44 ans, qui a expliqué avoir décidé d’arrêter
sa grève de la faim à la demande de sa famille, a affirmé à l’AFP que
son “combat ne cessait pas” et qu’il allait “redoubler au niveau
politique”.

Mme Koulas Karpinian, qui habite la Lozère, s’était installée pendant
plusieurs jours dans l’enceinte de la cathédrale apostolique du Prado
à Marseille, demandant à être reçue par le président Jacques Chirac.

Elle a également déclaré avoir écrit au ministre des Affaires
étrangères Michel Barnier pour demander au gouvernement d’exiger de
la Turquie une reconnaissance du génocide de 1915.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
January 18, 2005 Tuesday 12:28 PM Eastern Time

Armed forces, journalists forming new info model – minister

MOSCOW

The Russian armed forces and journalists are forming a new
information model based on maximum openness and constructive
partnership, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a Tuesday
reception for Russian media’s military writers. The reception was
held on the occasion of the Russian Press Day.

“More than 11,000 journalists were accredited for covering the army
life last year,” the minister said. About 900 representatives of the
federal media visited army units stationed in conflict zones and
areas of peacekeeping operations, including 600 in Chechnya, Abkhazia
and South Ossetia, over 160 in Tajikistan, over 100 in Armenia and 16
in Sierra Leone.

The Press Club, working trips to military unit locations, foreign
visits, briefings and press conferences provide for direct dialog
between defense ministry officials and the press, he said. More than
15,000 articles on military development and armed forces routine were
published in the federal press last year.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Jan 17 2005

WB KEEN IN DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN
[January 17, 2005, 21:32:50]

Visiting Baku for preparation of the `Poverty Reduction Support
Credit’ program, head of the World Bank delegation Christian Peterson
on January 17 has met members of the MM economic policy standing
commission.

Chairman of the Commission Sattar Safarov updated on the
accomplishments as a result of the economic reforms in the country,
on the heavy sequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh
conflict. He said the government of Azerbaijan every year renders to
the refugees and IDPs assistance at amount $300 million,
approximately. Occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan territories,
existence of over one million of refugees has deep impact on life of
people. Reduction of international assistance has hardened the
situation. The Republic does a lot for poverty reduction and
elimination of unemployment. We closely cooperate with the
international financial structures, including the World Bank, he
said. We are certain that current visit of the WB delegation will
have positive influence on quick realization of the `Poverty
Reduction Support Credit’ program.

Head of the delegation Christian Peterson has said the `Poverty
Reduction Support Credit’ program aims at poverty reduction, opening
of new working places and development of the non-oil sector in
Azerbaijan. We want all layers of population benefited of the
economic development. We know well the problem of refugees of
Azerbaijan and have prepared a humanitarian assistance program on
this purpose.

The World Bank is also interested in attraction of Azerbaijan in the
European new neighboring policy and a relevant project has been
worked out. This will also help rapprochement of the South Caucasus
republics among themselves and with the European Union.

Two other questions are connected to accedence of Azerbaijan to the
global trade system. And in this field there has been done a lot in
Azerbaijan. These are significant steps made in the direction of
opening of new workplaces and poverty reduction. Opening of new
workplaces and attraction of the foreign investors to the non-oil
sector need a perfect legislative base. The existing legislation
should be brought in conformity with the European standards, the
principles of the World Trade Organization. The World Bank can make
recommendations and assist and in this field.

Sattar Safarov also informed the guest on protection of investments,
on the adopted laws, emphasizing that the country stands ready to
cooperate with the World Bank in the mentioned sphere.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 14 2005

NGO Forum appeals to CE rapporteur

The Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) Forum has proposed to make
changes to the report prepared by the Council of Europe rapporteur on
Upper Garabagh David Atkinson to be presented to the PACE winter
session on January 25.
The Forum chairman Azai Guliyev told a recent roundtable that
although Atkinson’s report is unbiased, it does not reflect a number
of important issues. He welcomed the fact that the document confirms
Armenia as an aggressor, which perpetrated ethnic cleansing against
Azerbaijanis in Upper Garabagh and adjacent regions, and is trying to
establish a mono-ethnic state in the area, while Upper Garabagh is
controlled by separatist forces.
The appeal, signed by over 100 NGOs, was forwarded to rapporteur
Atkinson, relevant Council of Europe entities and embassies of CE
member-states in Baku.
The document suggests that the CE rapporteur’s report include
liberation of Upper Garabagh and seven neighboring regions,
immediately starting the process of returning refugees to their
homes, Armenia’s guaranteeing their security, evaluating and
compensating the financial and moral damages inflicted to Azeris who
became refugees as a result of occupation and deportation. The NGOs
also called for indicating the atrocities committed by Armenian
forces against civilians in Khojali in 1992 and legally assessing
this at the European Court and demanded Armenia to clarify the fate
of 4,852 Azerbaijanis that became captives, hostages and missing
persons in 1990-1994.*

Soviet-era rule splits GOP

The Hill (Washington, DC)
January 12, 2005

By Peter Savodnik ([email protected], 202-628-8507)

Leading Republicans on Capitol Hill are at odds on whether Congress
should repeal a Cold War trade measure that barred the Soviet Union
from gaining most favored nation (MFN) status – and, critics say,
continues to stymie economic growth and strain relations between
Washington and Moscow.

The Jackson-Vanik amendment to the 1974 trade act targeted the Soviets
for sharply limiting Jewish emigration. Given that all countries
belonging to the World Trade Organization (WTO) must grant each other
MFN status, the trade measure also has made it difficult for Russia,
Ukraine and other ex-communist states to join the WTO.

Foreign-policy mavens such as Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), chairman of
the Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.),
chairman of the International Relations Committee, argue that
Jackson-Vanik has outlived its usefulness.

In their eyes, and those of the U.S.-Russia Business Council and
authorities in Russia and Ukraine, Jackson-Vanik is a snub to
ex-communist states that, most everyone agrees, have greatly improved
their human-rights records since the Soviet Union’s collapse in
1991. The United States has acknowledged as much, routinely giving the
formerly communist countries yearly waivers for Jackson-Vanik.

But some senators and House members are reluctant to move quickly on
Jackson-Vanik for fear of forfeiting a bargaining chip. That is
particularly true at the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means
committees, which have jurisdiction on Jackson-Vanik.

The `trade linkage’ camp, as one Republican source put it, views
Jackson-Vanik as a useful tool when it comes to ensuring that
U.S. corporations are treated favorably in Russia or for protecting
the rights of religious minorities.

`There’s definitely a split [on Capitol Hill], and I don’t think it’s
ideologically Republican or Democrat,’ a Senate aide
explained. `There’s a split between the people who view Jackson-Vanik
as an insulting relic of the Soviet era. … But on the other hand
there are folks who believe that if you don’t have that Jackson-Vanik
vote every year to get that MFN status you really are giving something
up. You give away some leverage.’

Officials from the affected countries – including the new, pro-Western
president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushenko – want the measure to be
expunged, or, at least, they want their countries to be `graduated’
from the restrictions, as has been the case for the ex-Soviet
republics of Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and the Baltic states:
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

One Republican source said that when Yushenko meets with President
Bush, which could happen next month in Europe, three issues will
likely top Yushenko’s list: gaining entry to the WTO, securing
market-economy status from the Commerce Department and eliminating
Jackson-Vanik.

`The age of Jackson-Vanik has long since ended, and the Jackson-Vanik
restrictions should be lifted on what was the Soviet Union,’ said
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who led a six-member delegation to
Kiev last month to oversee the presidential election in
Ukraine. `Nobody claims that we live in the Soviet era, where Jews are
no longer permitted to immigrate. … The fact that we haven’t taken
[Jackson-Vanik] off – it either reflects incompetence or malice.’

Rohrabacher, a member of the International Relations Committee, said
he would seek to force a debate in the 109th Congress on repealing
Jackson-Vanik. Andy Fisher, a spokesman for Lugar, said the senator
would back a bill similar to the one he sponsored in the last Congress
calling for Russia’s graduation; that bill was co-sponsored by GOP
Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and
Trent Lott (Miss.).

A Republican House aide said Hyde is `strongly in favor’ of repealing
Jackson-Vanik for Russia and Ukraine. And a Senate aide suggested that
Ukraine’s recent democratic `orange revolution’ had led to a
reassessment of U.S.-Ukrainian relations. `I expect that there will be
a hard look at the various ways the U.S. can help Ukraine consolidate
its democratic gains, and this will probably include looking at the
repeal of [Jackson-Vanik],’ the aide said.

Sen. Joe Biden’s (D-Del.) experience with Russian chicken bans
illustrates the benefits, some say, of holding onto Jackson-Vanik. The
ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, who had supported
repealing the trade measure for Russia, changed his mind after Russia
imposed a ban in 2002 on U.S. chicken imports. Chicken is big
business in Delaware. Soon after Biden and other senators complained,
Russia lifted the ban.

Mark Levin, executive director of the NCSJ (formerly known as the
National Conference of Soviet Jewry), an advocacy group for Jews in
the former Soviet Union, added that Ukraine has yet to return communal
property such as synagogues and schools to Jewish communities in Kiev,
Lviv, Dniprepetrovsk and other cities.

Referring to Ukraine’s speaker of the parliament, or Rada, Vladimir
Lytvyn, Levin said: `Lytvyn made a commitment to an NCSJ [delegation]
that he would introduce legislation on returning communal property,
and nothing has happened.’

Sergei Korsunsky, deputy chief of mission at the Ukrainian Embassy in
Washington, countered that a `Jewish renaissance’ is taking place
today in his country, encompassing 230 communities with 500 Jewish
organizations and 40 Jewish newspapers. He added that 50 synagogues
have been returned to Jews in Ukraine.

`Of course,’ Korsunsky said, `we have sometimes, somewhere, separate
cases of anti-Semitism, but this does not compare to what is going on
in Europe.’