Author: Nahapetian Boris

HOVHANNES HOVHANNISIAN: “I WOULDN’T LIKE US TO CARRY ON NEGATIVE POLICY TO ARMENIA”

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Our only resource in the Karabakh
issue is democracy and we reduced this resource to zero and therefore,
equalized ourselves with Azerbaijan, which, in difference to us,
is rich in natural resources.” Hovhannes Hovhannisian, Chairman of
the Liberal-Progressive Party of Armenia, declared this at the March
19 meeting with journalists. According to him, the last documents
adopted at international instances are the result of Armenia’s foreign
policy. H.Hovhannisian draw special attention to the statatement
of Elizabeth Jones, former US Assistant Secretary for State for
Europe and Eurasia, and emphasized that it is not accidental and
is not the opinion of a separate official in the US administration,
such aproach is the reflection of this country’s foreign policy, the
results of which may be very serious for Armenia. Answering Noyan
Tapan’s question, what does he think about the connection between
such approach of the US and possible development of processes in
Armenia itself, Hovhannes Hovhannisian answered: “I wouldn’t like
the US to carry on negative policy in relation to Armenia. If it
begins speaking to Russia in a rigid language this will become a very
heavy burden.” According to him, the reason of a rigid policy that
may be carried on by the US in relation to Armenia may become the
corruption existing in all spheres, the totalitarian order and the
fact that all the economic levers are in the hands of a small group
of persons.” As for the forthcoming visit of RF President Vladimir
Putin to Yerevan, the LPPA leader declared that he considers this
visit in the context of Russian-American negotiations connected with
the post-Soviet countries, i.e., according to him, the US raised and
is realizing the exact problem of democratization of the post-Soviet
area while Russia continues considering the post-Soviet countries its
out-post. In H.Hovhannisian’s estimation, the way out of the formed
situation may be Russia’s concentration on its domestic problems
“the number of which is sufficient” and V.Putin should display the
corresponding political will for this.

Los Angeles Daily News
March 19 2005

Fair planners hope Latinos, Armenians attend

By Rachel Uranga, Staff Writer

The San Fernando Valley Fair will add more exhibits and animal shows
and reach out to the Armenian and Latino communities to boost
attendance at this summer’s event, organizers say.
Last year’s attendance of 28,750 was up from 23,000 in 2003, but it
fell far short of the 50,000 peak reached in the 1990s.

“We have to reinvent ourselves,” said David Honda, president of the
San Fernando Fair Board, an appointed state board that runs the
annual event. “We have a huge market for the fair in the San Fernando
Valley but we have not been able to draw from it.”

The 59th annual fair is slated to run June 9-12 at the Hansen Dam
Sports Center.

Honda said there has been no major overhaul in operations. But
organizers are working to expand the number of exhibits and increase
attendance by at least 15 percent.

In 2003, the fair was held at Castaic Lake and attendance slipped.
The board brought it back to Hansen Dam last year and hired a
full-time executive director. In January, it secured a $10,000 lease
from the city to run the four-day fair at Hansen Dam through 2007.

But still, there is no permanent home, one reason fair board members
said it’s difficult to draw sponsorship and develop a following.

“We are really making a concentrated effort to bring in the whole
community,” said Catherine Garcia, the fair’s executive director.

This year, officials plan to advertise in Armenian newspapers and add
more Spanish-language radio stations spots to their marketing
campaign. Officials contacted dozens of schools and boys and girls
clubs left out in previous years.

Even local equestrian groups opposed to the fair board’s proposal to
permanently locate the fair at the Equestrian Center on the east side
of Hansen Dam are joining the fair for the first time with a vaquero
show.

“We wanted to bring horses and that part of our rural heritage to the
fair,” said Debra Baumann, executive director of the Tujunga
Watershed Council and Stakeholder who is organizing the vaquero show.

The board has also added more animal-themed exhibits such as a sea
lion splash show and “Tigers of India.”

ArmenPress
March 18 2005

AEN DENIES REPORTS ABOUT SALE OF SHARES

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: A spokeswoman for Armenian Electric
Networks (AEN) denied today press reports claiming that Alexei
Schneider, the owner of Midland Group, an offshore British-registered
company, that owns the AEN, wants to sell his shares in it at $100
million.
Schneider acquired his shares at $15 million committing also to
pay $25 million of AEN’s accrued debts.
The spokeswoman, Marina Grigorian, said Midland Group’s owner is
not going to sell his shares in the company and “therefore, there is
no point in talking about the networks’ price.”

Armenian Cultural & Educational Center
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
617-926-1918

PRESS RELEASE
March 17, 2005

Contact: Hilda Avedissian
617-926-6067
[email protected]

ACEC DONATES $1,200 TO ARMENIAN NURSING & REHABILITATION HOME

WATERTOWN, MA-The Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC)
recently donated $1,200 to the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation
Home (ANRH) of Jamaica Plain as a gesture of appreciation for the
service that the Home provides to the Armenian elderly.

ACEC Board representative Aram Aslanian and ACEC Bingo Manager Seda
Garabedian presented ANRH a check the annual Bingo Appreciation Dinner
held at Donohue Restaurant, Watertown, MA on Sunday, February 20,
2005.

Receiving the contribution on behalf of ANRH were Joanne Janjigian and
Janet Jeghelian, President and Board member, respectively, of the
Armenian Women’s Welfare Association, which founded the Home.

The donated funds were from revenue generated by the ACEC’s weekly
Bingo, which also assists in funding the day-to-day operation of the
ACEC. Bingo has been successful in recent years due mainly to the
efforts of Bingo Manager Ms. Seda Garabedian, long time Bingo
treasurer Mr. Charles Aslanian –and the tireless work of a dedicated
group of volunteers.

“The Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Home is an important
institution of our community, and deserve the undivided attention and
support of all of us,” stated Aslanian.

“The home has been instrumental in ensuring that our elderly,
including Armenian Genocide survivors, are being properly cared for
during the twilight years of their lives. With this token donation, we
are restating our mission to serve the various needs of our
community,” concluded Aslanian.

Contacted by phone, Ms. Karla Fleming, director of ANRH, said the
donated funds “will be used to fund trips, twice a month, for the
residents to attend local church bazaars, and cultural events.”

Ms. Tana Onanian, President, Board of Directors, Armenian Women’s
Welfare Association, Inc. said that “the Nursing home is in dire need
of rehabilitation, and plans to renovate the facility will be
addressed soon”.

AWWA founded the first Home for the Aged in Jamaica Plain in 1948, 14
years after it had begun the pursuit of that goal. In 1960, AWWA built
the Armenian Nursing Home, a full-care nursing facility, on the same
property. The home began providing rehabilitative care in response to
the needs of the community and was renamed the Armenian Nursing and
Rehabilitation Center in 1996. The home provides services to 83
elderly, including 3 survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Cultural and Educational Center, is a 501(c) (3)
tax-exempt charitable organization, located at 47 Nichols Avenue in
Watertown, and has promoted the Armenian cultural heritage since
1981. ACEC is home to St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary, Saturday, and
Sunday schools and a host of community-based organizations, including
the Armenian Relief Society’s Cambridge and Watertown chapters, the
Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Association of Greater Boston,
Armenian Youth Federation, Homenetmen Armenian athletic and scout
organization, and Armenian National Committee of Eastern
Massachusetts. “

JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ARMENIA APPEALS TO JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS OF WORLD
TO EXPRESS THEIR CIVIL POSITIONS ON ISSUE OF RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE IN 1915 IN OTTOMAN TURKEY

YEREVAN, MARCH 16. ARMINFO. The Jewish community of Armenia appeals to
the Jewish organizations all over the world to express their civil
positions on issue of recognizing Armenian Genocide in 1915 in Ottoman
Turkey.

An appeal, received by ARMINFO March 16, stresses that Ottoman Turkey
perpetrated monstrous crime against citizens of its country, inflicted
reprisals, annihilated 1,5 mln Armenians. This fact were consigned to
oblivion for decades and were not condemned by the mankind. Perhaps,
Holocaust would not occurred if the world in proper time stood
together against that atrocity, as it stands on the fight against
terrorism. No political or economical interests should prevent
recognizing tragedies common to all mankind, the document says.

In opinion of appeal’s authors, the issue of recognizing Armenian
Genocide in no way directed against Turkish people, and quite the
contrary, it will raise the country in opinion of civilization, as it
was in case of Germany acknowledged the fact of extirpation of 6 mln
Jews by the Nazi state. “On the eve of the Memorial Day of Genocide
victims April 24 we appeal to those who are not indifferent to the
acknowledgment of historical truth, and asked to bow down before the
memory of these victims”, the appeal says. -r-

ARKA News Agency
March 16 2005

RA FM meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Vienna

Ashot Hakobyan relieved of post of Vice-Chief of RA Emergency
Department

Association of young believers formed in NKR

Draft of RA Government’s national eurointegration program to be ready
late in May

RA Government to shorten list of licensed activities

*********************************************************************

RA FM MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS IN VIENNA

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has
held a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen in Vienna,
Austria. The press service of the RA Foreign Office reports that the
meeting participants discussed a number of issues related to the next
stage of negotiations for the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and to the
OSCE fact-finding mission’s report on the settlement of territories
around Nagorno Karabakh. The report is to be submitted to the OSCE
Permanent Council on March 17. The same day, Minister is to return to
Yerevan.
Late in January-early in February, an OSCE fact-finding mission was
on a visit to Nagorno Karabakh to monitor the settlement of
territories around the NKR. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

ASHOT HAKOBYAN RELIEVED OF POST OF VICE-CHIEF OF RA EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. RA Prime Minister issued a decree
relieving Ashot Hakobyan of the post of Vice-Chief of the Emergency
Department, RA Government, the Public Relations Department, RA
Government, reports. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG BELIEVERS FORMED IN NKR

STEPANAKERT, March 16. /ARKA/. An Association of Young Believers has
been founded in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) with efforts of
the Artsakh diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). The
information center of the Artsakh diocese reports that the goal of
the Association is to unite young people round the AAC, inculcation
of centuries-old national spiritual values in them, protection from
sects and encouragement of their spiritual growth. One of the
components of the activities is the delivery of lecturers at
collectives and organizations. The work is being carried out with the
blessing of Leader of the AAC Artsakh diocese, Archbishop Pargev
Martirosyan and is supposed to teach young people spiritual heritage
and religion thereby battling various sects. P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

DRAFT OF RA GOVERNMENT’S NATIONAL EUROINTEGRATION PROGRAM TO BE READY
LATE IN MAY

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. The original draft of the RA Government’s
national program of
Executing the terms of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
signed between the EU member-states is to be ready at the end of May
2005, stated RA Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, Chairman of
the Coordinating Commission David Avetisyan. According to him,
`Armenia assumed most serious commitments, which will have an
appreciable impact on the country’s development in the future.’
A comparative analysis of the legislation of Armenia and of the EU is
currently being made with the sponsorship of the Armenian-European
Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC). P.T. -0–

*********************************************************************

RA GOVERNMENT TO SHORTEN LIST OF LICENSED ACTIVITIES

YEREVAN, March 6. /ARKA/. According to the RA Government’s program of
action a proposal is to be made in the third ten-day period of this
March for shortening or simplifying the list of activities liable to
licensing, Karen Tamazyan Head of the Department for the Development
of Financial Market and Currency Regulation, RA ministry of Finance
and Economy, told a press conference. According to him, the Ministry
is preparing relevant proposals concerning this document. `We have
not yet determined specific directions, but we think changes need to
be made in 6-7 types of activities in various spheres, especially in
the case of doubling activities, which will be summarized,’ Tamazyan
said. He stressed that the RA Government will make a final decision,
and changes themselves will be summary ones.
The RA Government’s program of action envisages the submission of a
bill on amendments to the Law on Licensing to harmonize it with the
Law on State Duty.
In 2001-2004, a total of 3,670 licenses were issued by the simplified
procedure in Armenia. A total of 120-130 types of activities are
licensed in Armenia now, most of them by the complicated procedure.
P.T. -0–

CNN
March 15 2005

U.S. charges 18 in Russian weapons-smuggling plot
>From Phil Hirschkorn
CNN

NEW YORK (CNN) — Eighteen men have been charged with attempting to
smuggle Russian-made military weapons into the United States, U.S.
authorities said.

U.S. Attorney David Kelly announced the arrests Tuesday morning,
saying the men charged had conspired to sell the weapons to
terrorists, though the identity of the buyers was unclear.

The defendants were arrested late Monday and early Tuesday inside the
United States, where they allegedly plotted the illegal sales.

The defendants are charged in a 63-page complaint with conspiring to
traffic in machine guns and other weapons.

The defendants allegedly sold eight automatic weapons to a
confidential informant who posed as an arms trafficker.

The arrests resulted from a yearlong undercover investigation by the
FBI that included wiretaps.

“There is talk on the wire that the clients of the buyer are of
Middle East descent,” said one law enforcement source familiar with
the charges. But the references were “vague,” the source said.

The defendants are predominantly Armenian, Russian, and Georgian. The
group’s alleged ring leader was Arthur Solomonyan, an Armenian.

Ten of the alleged weapons smugglers were arrested in the New York
area, two in Florida, and some in southern California.

They conducted many of their negotiations in English, according to
the law enforcement source.

The attempted sales of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs)
and rocket-propelled grenades never went beyond the discussion phase,
and those weapons never entered the United States from abroad, the
source said.

The negotiations were for multimillion-dollar sales.

Bloomberg
March 15 2005

New York Probe Uncovers Plot to Sell Missiles, Arms (Update1)

March 15 (Bloomberg) — Eighteen people were charged with plotting to
sell shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and other weapons to a
government informant posing as an arms broker for terrorists, with
one offering to supply non-existent uranium for an attack on New
York’s subways, a U.S. prosecutor in New York said today.

The defendants provided photographs of arms for sale, including
grenade launchers and claymore mines, in Armenia, Georgia and other
Eastern European nations, U.S. Attorney David Kelley said in a news
conference.

One of the defendants, an illegal immigrant from Armenia, “suggested
to the confidential informant that he could obtain enriched uranium
for possible use by terrorists in the subway system,” Kelley said.
“There was never, however, any such uranium,” he said.

Seventeen people were arrested in New York, Miami and Los Angeles,
authorities said. Eight assault-style weapons, including AK-47’s and
an Uzi, were purchased during the yearlong investigation, they said.

The informant set up a $2 million sale for shoulder-fired,
heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons, a mortar
launcher and other arms, authorities said.

The Journal of Turkish Weekly
Source: AA, 15 March 2005

Turkish Parliamentarians Meet U.S. Congressmen

Turkish parliamentarians headed by Agah Kafkas, chairman of the
Parliamentary Democracy Commission, visited U.S. local and federal
congresses in Washington and Maryland and met U.S. officials on
Monday. Kafkas told that they would also visit European capitals and
the reason of their visits was to follow parliamentary works and
affairs in these countries.

Turkish parliamentarians met U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul
Wolfowitz and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European & Eurasian
Affairs of the Department of State Laura Kennedy, members of the
National Security Council, former U.S. ambassadors to Turkey Marc
Grossman and Mark Parris and members of the Turkish friendship group
atthe U.S. Congress.

So-called Armenian genocide allegations, ending of isolation of
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Iraqi elections, Kirkuk
and fight against terrorist organizations were the main matters
discussed during meetings of Turkish parliamentarians.

Turkish parliamentarians will return to Turkey on March 17th after
attending a meeting at think-tank organization Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS).

Source: AA, 15 March 2005

Armenian aide says government corruption not universal

Arminfo
11 Mar 05

Yerevan, 11 March: Political corruption in Armenia has a structural
nature, the Armenian president’s adviser on issues of fighting
corruption, Bagrat Yesayan, told a news conference at the National
Press Club today.

Yesayan said there is plutocracy in the country when power is bought
for money and then used for making money. At the same time, the
presidential adviser rejected claims that the Armenian authorities
were universally corrupt.

“There are honest people even in the higher echelons of power, people
who come to work in the morning, conscientiously do their work, then go
home in the evening and spend their time with their families,” he said.

Touching on the activities of the body he heads, Bagrat Yesayan
said 97 anti-corruption programmes had been prepared and were due
for implementation by 2007. He said 10 working groups involving 128
public organizations had also been set up to supervise specific areas
of the anti-corruption fight.

The presidential adviser said that the council he heads does not
have the executive function and only has the right to monitor the
situation in different spheres. However, he said working groups under
the council maintained close cooperation with the executive branch
and provided it with the collected information.

Bagrat Yesayan said the council would soon submit suggestions to the
government on reforming the anti-corruption programme. The adviser
said the shift to a completely proportional system of parliamentary
elections was one of the ways to fight corruption.