Author: Nadirian Emma

LESSER OF TWO EVILS
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
22/03/10

Though it is not stated officially, but it is evident that the Armenian
and Turkish normalization process gave up existing. The best proofs
of this are the statements of the Armenian government, which keep
repeating that "the international society is to say its word". We come
out to deal with only Turkey-international society relations from which
the Armenian power tries to get benefits thinking that, proceeding
from the present pressure on it, Turkey, in order to avoid it, will
make good steps towards Armenia. For now, everything is the contrary.

But it is not essential whether the international pressure on Turkey
will make the letter soften its positions towards Armenia or the
contrary. The foremost is that the so much-propagated Armenian and
Turkish process, which was nearly to be declared the diplomatic
initiative of the millennium, existed only at propaganda level, but
the real calculation of the Armenian government was to intervene into
the Turkey-international society relations in time.

Whereas, the situation now recalls a scene of a film telling about the
era of dinosaurs when the hero manages to get out of the mouth of a
dinosaur only thanks to another huge animal which appears and starts
fighting with the dinosaur. But after this, the situation for the hero
does not better because it becomes a target for some other dinosaur.

The history of Armenia reminds a continuance of such a situation with
short-time exceptions.

The same situation is present also in case of the Armenian and Turkish
process. The only difference seems to be the fact that this time
there seems to be no place where to escape. And the idea that we can
win if Turkey is repressed is just an illusion. No matter who wins in
the battle between the international society and Turkey, Armenia will
be nothing else but a "cup". Though there is the version of "lesser
of two evils" – Turks will not win and we will not be overstepped.

Naturally, the question occurs which the solution is. For example,
the only solution is very often said to be the immediate leaving
the process. But it is impossible in practice. It is impossible to
leave something you have never been in. Such solutions have always
made Armenia be thrown from a clutch into another. Real newborn
solutions have been killed in Armenia. The point is about the fate
of any attempt to make socio-political and economic reforms in Armenia.

While, such reforms are the solution. Any country which today is so
powerful to be able to be an independent factor in the world has
undergone such reforms in a certain period, which brought about
serious socio-psychological changes, as a result of which return
became impossible, development – inevitable.

USAID BRIDGE PROGRAM COMPLETED

hos17244.html
16:20:35 – 22/03/2010

On March 23, 2010, the USAID BRIDGE Public Works Program marked the
completion of its five year activities in Armenia by highlighting
the program’s successes and the importance of public works in
fostering Armenia’s labor market. Head of State Employment Agency
Sona Harutyunyan and Social Sector Advisor of the USAID/Armenia
Social Reform Office Volodimir Yatsenko opened the conference. The
event, held at the American University of Armenia Business Center,
was attended by representatives of partner organizations, including
the Anoushavan Abrahamyan Educational Fund, UNDP, the State Employment
Services Agency, and World Vision among others.

Through its three components of community mobilization, vocational
training and public works, the BRIDGE program aimed to assist
vulnerable communities in achieving greater self-sufficiency by
providing them with vocational training in construction skills as
well as with employment opportunities on public works projects that
rehabilitated infrastructure items chosen by the community.

BRIDGE worked in twenty towns in Tavush, Aragatsotn, Lori, Shirak,
Gegharkunik, Syunik and Vayots Dzor marzes. Specifically, the program:

– Completed 40 infrastructure projects, – Generated more than 87,000
person days of employment, – Provided 1,240 people with short-term
labor opportunities, – Leveraged 16% matching contribution over
the life of the program, – Conducted 54 trainings in 5 different
construction trades, – Trained 734 unemployed persons, 70% of whom
found jobs in construction after program completion, and – Developed
training curricula for Tiling, Wood Flooring, Painting and Plastering,
Concrete and Stone Masonry.

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: BILL STILL FACES BATTLE

Glendale News Press
10/03/18/politics/gnp-pollandscape031810.txt
March 18 2010
CA

The Obama administration may not be able to stop the progress of a
resolution to acknowledge Armenian Genocide, despite opposition from
the White House, a State Department official reportedly said Wednesday.

"Congress is an independent body, and they are going to do what
they decide to do," Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said,
according to the Associated Press.

That was a welcome sign for Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who wrote
the bill, and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), a key supporter,
although the bill still faces an uphill battle, they said.

The administration and members of Congress have argued that the
resolution, if approved, could hamper fledgling bilateral relations
between Armenia and Turkey.

Military officials have also voiced concern about the resolution
affecting Turkey’s cooperation with U.S. operations in Iraq,
potentially putting American troops in danger.

"We’re going to have to lobby them one at a time and explore the
specious arguments being put forward by the Turks," Sherman said.

"The fact is that Turkey claims to be our friend. We’ve given them
tens of millions of dollars. They’re not in a position to threaten
the United States."

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS ISSUE STATEMENT FOLLOWING MEETING WITH NALBANDIAN

Tert.am
13:49 ~U 18.03.10

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Ambassadors Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia,
Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States,
released the following statement today:

"The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov, the
Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier, France; and Ambassador
Robert Bradtke, United States) met with Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian March 16 in Paris, where they held a working session.

"They discussed the Armenian comments on the co-chairs’ latest
formulations of the Basic Principles for the peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The talks were held in a constructive
spirit, and will be continued during the forthcoming travel of the
co-chairs to Yerevan and Nagorno-Karabakh."

PHILIP GORDON: US ADMINISTRATION CANNOT INFLUENCE US CONGRESS’ DECISION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmInfo
2010-03-18 17:07:00

ArmInfo. US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon warns that
if the US House of Representatives allowed the Armenian resolution
to proceed any further, this would harm the normalization process
between Turkey and Armenia.

At the sixth annual Sakip Sabanci Lecture at the Brookings Institution,
US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon yesterday delivered a
speech on issues such as Turkish-US relations, the Armenian resolution,
secularism, freedom of the press, and the ongoing Ergenekon probe
in Turkey. He said that Congress and the Obama administration,
which he said had clearly and consistently opposed the resolution,
are separate institutions. Stating that Turkey should protect the
progress it has made, Gordon said, "Turkey must be careful to ensure
that its hard-won successes in building a secular state and strong
democratic system are sustained into the future."

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO GERMANY TO HELP ENHANCE BILATERAL FINANCIAL COOPERATION

ARKA
March 16, 2010

YEREVAN, March 16, /ARKA/. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan’s planned
visit to Germany will help both countries to enhance their financial
cooperation, Germany’s ambassador to Armenia, Hans-Johan Schmidt,
said today after signing an agreement on financial cooperation between
the two countries for 2009-2010, whereby Germany has committed to
provide Armenia with EURO 105.5 million aid.

According to Armenian foreign affairs ministry, the details of
president Sargsyan’s visit to Germany were discussed on Monday by
Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian and his German counterpart
Guido Westerwalle in Berlin.

"As ambassador I am very glad that Edward Nalbandian discussed
yesterday political issues in Berlin. Armenian economy minister is
also in Berlin to discus promotion of technical assistance projects,’
he said.

RA MINISTER OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, AS WELL AS MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION CHANGED

Noyan Tapan
March 15, 2010

YEREVAN. The Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party proceeding from
its strategy and tactics has made changes and henceforth party
Vice-Chairman Mher Shahgeldian taking the post of the RA Minister of
Emergency Situations will attend to intra-party work, in particular, to
party’s political line, and RA Minister of Transport and Communication
Gurgen Sargsian to economic issues envisaged by party’s election
programs. OYP Vice-Chairwoman, NA Orinats Yerkir faction head Heghine
Bisharian told journalists on March 15 speaking about the decrees on
relieving Gurgen Sargsian of the post of RA Minister of Transport
and Communication and Mher Shahgeldian of the post of Minister of
Emergency Situations.

H. Bisharian also stressed that the party is content with the work
of those Ministers, "and the Prime Minister will express his opinion."

The party will nominate to the above mentioned posts the candidatures
of RA Deputy Head of Police Armen Yeritsian as Minister of Emergency
Situations and RA President’s Adviser Manuk Vardanian, who has
been head of the RA State Cadastre, as RA Minister of Transport and
Communication.

In response to journalists’ question of whether it was not expedient
to replace Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdian nominated by the
party, who has lately received a reprimand by the Prime Minister, H.

Bisharian said: "Any reprimand should not be a basis for changing a
minister, especially as that reprimand was ungrounded, about which
explanations were also given in press."

AZERBAIJAN BREAKS CEASE-FIRE REGIME 78 TIMES A WEEK

ArmInfo
2010-03-15 11:14:00

ArmInfo. According to the situation report of the NKR Defence Army,
on 7 – 13 March the enemy broke cease-fire regime at different sectors
of the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagornyy Karabakh
and Azerbaijan 78 times.

On 20 March the enemy fired in the direction of Talish village of
Martakert region of the NKR. Dozens of similar facts were also fixed
at other sectors of the front line. As a result of the respond actions
by servicemen of the NKR Defence Army, the enemy stopped firing. No
losses from the Karabakh party, press-service of the NKR Defence
Ministry reported.

ARMENIAN BANKS PROVIDED DRAM CREDITS TO 16.6 BLN DRAMS AND DOLLAR CREDITS TO $21.3 MLN OVER LAST WEEK

ArmInfo
15.03.2010

ArmInfo. Armenian banks provided dram credits to 16.6 bln drams
and dollar credits to $21.3 mln over last week (from March 1 to 7),
Armenian Central Bank’s press service told ArmInfo.

According to the source, the banks bought $48.649 mln in the interbank
exchange market (customer transactions) from March 9 to 12, 2010,
at the average rate of 391,21 AMD/$1. The banks carried out currency
purchase-and-sale transactions in the interbank market to $200,000
from March 9 to 12,2010at the average rate of 390,5 AMD/$1. Currency
purchase-and-sale transactions at NASDAQ OMX Armenia from March 9 to
12, 2010, were carried out to $15.803 mln at the average rate of 391,79
AMD/$1, and the maximum volume was fixed on March 11 ($7.998 mln).

To note, total volume of credit investments of Armenia’s banking
system as of January 1, 2010, made up 778.2 bln drams or $2.1 mln,
having increased by 20,4% per annum, and for the 4th quarter – by
7,7%, while annual growth of this indicator in 2008 made up 51,1%
and for the 4Q – by 3,6%.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR, UK
March 12 2010

KARABAKH WAR STILL FINDS VICTIMS

Fifteen years on, doctors say disease brought on by stress of war
continues to kill people.

By Karine Ohanyan in Stepanakert

Nagorny Karabakh has been at peace now for 15 years, but doctors fear
the war is still killing people through higher rates of stress-related
disease.

And some health officials in the enclave, which has proclaimed its
independence but not been recognised by any member of the United
Nations, say they are dealing with a `Karabakh syndrome’ of cancer,
heart attacks and more.

Silva Grigoryan, 34, said she never suffered from anything worse than
the flu before the war, but shortages and the strain of the fighting
undermined her health.

`There was no electricity, no gas, no bread. It was a terrible siege.
But I did not notice it then, the only important thing was to survive
the bombardment. We timed the periods when the artillery stopped `
they were 40 minutes long ` and ran upstairs, to the flats, to use the
toilet, to eat, to wash,’ she remembered.

`We only worried about whether our loved ones would survive. We even
used to tell each other jokes, and read each other books by
candlelight. We had to find something to fill the time we spent in
those basements.’

Within three years of the war’s end, however, this robust teenager had
become an invalid. She developed stomach ulcer and thyroid problems
and needed an urgent operation.

`The doctor said this was all because of my nerves,’ she said. `It was
a result of the stress dating from the war.’

The Karabakh war started in 1988 with clashes between Azeris and
Armenians over the future of the region, which was part of Soviet
Azerbaijan but inhabited mainly by ethnic Armenians. The war ended
with a ceasefire in 1994, and the situation has been largely stable
since then although the conflict is still unresolved.

Armen Khachatryan, the republic’s health minister, put a positive spin
on the health crisis, saying the rise in heart disease, stroke,
diabetes and more was part of a global trend.

`But of course, for these diseases stress is the trigger mechanism.
Yes, ecological and genetic factors also have a great significance,
but stress is the reason for their appearance and war, of course,
leaves its mark in the increase in these diseases,’ he said.

According to statistics, Karabakh had about 4,447 cases of cancer in
1985, before the war. In 2005, this number had almost doubled to 8,964
cases. Faraon Adamyan, a leading cancer specialist in the region, said
the war had undoubtedly helped trigger the increase.

`Several of my colleagues here and in Armenia have published articles,
and spoken at conferences at the National Oncological Centre, and
there is evidence to say that in the years during and after the war
there was a sharp rise in cancer,’ he said.

He said the rise was most noticeable among Armenians who had fled to
Karabakh from Baku and other places in Azerbaijan that had sizeable
Armenian communities in Soviet times.

`Oncology is one region where stress can be the trigger for the
development of the disease, and in the war, every second person had
terrible stress. And why just every second? Every first person had it
too,’ he said.

The decline in general health in Karabakh can also be partly be
explained by the collapse of the health system during the war. Doctors
were forced to focus on emergency procedures, giving up on
prophylactic medicine, and were short of drugs and bandages.

Since then, the government has moved away from the universal free
healthcare of Soviet days and brought in payment for services, which
means many people are unable to access doctors.

`Medicine is now paid-for, and not everyone can afford regular
check-ups, daily medicines, the prophylactic measures against disease.
These are also factors which affect the increase in illness,’ Neda
Nersesyan, a cardiologist, said.
But she said that was not the whole story. Heart attacks, for example,
had become a serious problem.

`Before, a heart attack was a rare event. Who has ever seen as many
heart attacks as we have now?’ he asked.

Karabakh doctors say that the human brain dulls the pain of the worst
memories, but they wondered if the body has a form of `passive memory’
in the subconscious that could explain the persistence of
stress-related diseases so long after the conflict ended.

`Today we can already talk about a `Karabakh syndrome’, since the
Karabakh war made such a big mark on the residents of post-war
Karabakh,’ said Hakob Hakobyan, the head doctor in the Stepanakert
psycho-narcological dispensary. He said war affects the psychological
condition not only of those who fight in it, but of everyone who feels
worry or stress as a result of the fighting.

Gayane Arustamyan, a 42-year-old mother of two, has recently learned
she has cancer. The disease was discovered at a late stage and,
although she is undergoing chemotherapy, she thinks that only God can
save her now.

`I worked in a kindergarten before the war. Then I lived through
everything you could live through. I took my sons, who were two and
five, in my arms during the bombardment, and ran to hide in the
basement. I waited for my husband to come back from the front, and
prayed for him every day,’ she said.

`When he came home, he started to drink and became an alcoholic.’

Karine Ohanyan is a freelance reporter in Stepanakert.