Author: Nalbandian Eduard

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

SENATE FOREIGN AID PANEL APPROVES $75 MILLION FOR ARMENIA

Assembly Hails Leadership of Majority Whip McConnell

Washington, DC – The Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations
Subcommittee today approved $75 million in assistance to Armenia
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 – an increase of $20 million over the
Administration’s request and nearly $8 million more than the House
request. The Subcommittee also approved $3 million in humanitarian
assistance to Nagorno Karabakh.

In addition, the overall funding level for the former Soviet states
was increased to $565 million, up from the Administration’s request
of $482 million and the House allocation of $477 million.

“We commend the leadership of Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY),
the Subcommittee’s Chairman, for securing – under very challenging
budget restraints – the same level of assistance for Armenia as
was allocated in FY 2005,” said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. “Additionally, we appreciate the support of Members of the
Subcommittee with respect to Armenian issues. Maintaining significant
aid to Armenia is essential in the face of the ongoing Turkish and
Azerbaijani blockades.”

Today’s action also allocated $5 million in Foreign Military Financing
and $750,000 for International Military Education and Training to
Armenia as requested by the Administration. These funds will improve
inter-operability between Armenia’s military and its Western partners,
upgrade Armenia’s communication systems and better its personnel
training.

The bill’s report language also addressed the political and
economic development of Nagorno Karabakh and offered its support for
confidence-building measures to further the peaceful resolution of
the NK conflict.

Armenia’s neighbors, Georgia and Azerbaijan, are slated to receive
$70.5 million and $38 million respectively.

The spending measure will be considered later this week by full Senate
Appropriations Committee.

In a related development, the House of Representatives last night
approved its version of the Foreign Operations bill by a vote of
393 to 32. The House bill provides $67.5 million for Armenia and an
additional $5 million for Nagorno Karabakh and maintains military
assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan with $5.75 million
allocated to each country. Once the Senate completes action on their
version of the bill, a joint House-Senate Conference Committee will
reconcile the differences.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2005-073

–Boundary_(ID_kx+k8R5Q3GtQBt413mpKew)–

CoE ESTABLISHED YEREVAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL STUDIES

Pan Armenian News
29.06.2005 04:04

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Yerevan School of Political Studies established
under the auspices of the Council of Europe launched its activities. As
Mr. Klaus Schumann, Director General of the Council of Europe~Rs
Directorate General of Political Affairs among similar institutions
of the Council of Europe noted, the Yerevan School is the twelfth
one and is called to promote the strengthening of European values in
the fields of democratic political culture, human rights, democracy,
and rule of law and preparation of young leaders. Chairman of the
Armenian Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunian highly appreciated the
idea of establishing the School and expressed readiness to render the
essential assistance for its formation. He noted that the propaganda
of democracy and rule of law should be spread among the

SOVIET METHODS OF TEACHING IN ARMENIA HINDER INTRODUCTION OF NEW ONES:
FOREIGN EXPERT THINKS

YEREVAN, JUNE 28. ARMINFO. Intermediate results of TACIS program
“Contribution to establishment of a united system of development of
professional education and learning in Armenia” were summed up in
Yerevan today.

Head of the program team Tomas Black informs journalists that both
officials and teachers are quite interested in development of education
in the country. He says that there are tasks which were not overcome
at once. Adjustment of Armenian teachers to the methods of teaching of
the Soviet system complicates application of new methods, Black thinks.

Armenian Minister for Education and Science Sergo Yeritsyan says that
training courses for teachers, business trips and permanent contacts
with foreign colleagues helped considerably progress the initiative.
However, he says, that it is impossible to use the experience of
foreign specialists in Armenia at once. To achieve a good result, it is
necessary to adjust the foreign experience to the national environment,
which was done by the program coordinators, Yeritsyan says.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Science, Education and
Culture Hranuysh Hakobyan says that development of educational system
in Armenia needs such factors as laws, finances, quality and contact
with the market. She says that during the last several years the
quality if education in Armenia has sharply decreased. If a qualified
specialist has its place in the country, a dilettante will think of
upgrading his qualification, Hakobyan thinks.

The program “Contribution to establishment of a united system of
development of professional education and learning in Armenia”
has been operating since 2004. The program’s goal is to elaborate a
national strategy of primary and secondary specialized education. The
pilot regime of the program is implemented in two regions – Lori and
Tavush. In particular, at 17 colleges. 30,000 studetns are involved
into the program.

It should be noted that of 104 professional technical colleges in
Soviet period of time in Armenia, only 26 were operating in early
2005, teaching only 2,200 students on 22 specialties. According
to data of the Ministry of Education and Science, Armenia lacks
qualified employees in the sphere of light industry, agriculture,
service as well as specialists in ore-mining sphere, diamond cutters,
builders and others.

Armenia finding its place in global IT market

Yerkir/Arm
24 June 05

An Armenian IT representation office was created in Canada with the
purpose to assist to the presentation of the Armenian IT sector to
the international market and attract investments into the IT sector.
The representation was launched in October 2004 as an initiative of
Enterprise Incubator Foundation.

First, the Canadian IT sector was explored, its position and
significance in the global IT market was studied and the possibilities
for integration of Armenian IT companies and products into the Canadian
market were identified. At the second stage, a representation office
of the Armenian IT sector was established in Canada with the purpose
to increase awareness of the Armenian IT products and services in North
America. “We are trying to establish business contacts between Armenian
and Canadian IT companies and encourage and attract investments into
the IT sector in Armenia,” chief specialist of Enterprise Incubator
Foundation, Canada Representation project coordinator Anna Piloyan
says.

Only one person, Grant Thomas, is currently representing the Armenian
IT sector in Canada. However, it is envisaged to create an Armenian IT
center where 3-4 Canadian specialists will work. The IT representative
in Canada is currently receiving detailed information regarding private
IT companies working in Armenia. Several companies have been selected
by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation whose work will be presented
to the Canadian IT companies with the assistance of Grant Thomas.

The selected companies are NATK e-payment system, SystroTech Company
specializing in modeling of resource management systems, Netman
Company specializing in modeling of virtual offices, Bi-Line, Triada
and M-Possible companies specializing in multimedia, CIT, ABM and
Outsourcingarmenia.com companies. Currently, Grant Thomas is working
with EIF to develop information packages to present these companies on
the international market. “The information packages will include all
necessary information to show that Armenian companies can cooperate
with large international companies and be trustworthy partners,”
Piloyan says.

The Armenian Embassy in Canada has assisted greatly in implementation
of the project. Two teleconferences have been organized by the Embassy
which stirred the interest of Canadian IT companies. Representative
of more than 45 IT companies from Canada and Armenia participated in
the teleconference organized in the framework of ACITIP project.

Research and Innovations Center in Ottawa with assisted the
organization of the teleconferences. The Armenian IT representation
office is located in this research center. Two more roundtable
discussions will be organized in Montreal and Toronto. Grant Thomas
is also supporting a project on exchange of experience whereby 5
specialists and managers from Armenian IT companies will be given
an opportunity to visit Canadian companies specializing in similar
services.

The anticipated duration of the project is one year with possibility
of extension if positive results are achieved by the end of the year
and if contracts are signed between the Armenian and Canadian IT
companies. “We can assure that the project is very efficient and the
Armenian companies will definitely sign contracts with their Canadian
counterparts,” Piloyan says.

Similar representation offices will be established in USA and Europe
with the purpose of presenting Armenia’s IT potential and attracting
investments into the Armenian IT sector. Currently, France and Germany
are being considered as potential candidate countries for creating
Armenian IT centers.

“We are thinking about Germany because it has the largest IT market
in Europe. And we are thinking about France since we have Diaspora
there working with IT companies. In any case, the experience of work of
the Armenian IT center in Canada will be very valuable for organizing
the operation of the centers in USA and Europe,” Piloyan concluded.

Varduhi Zakarian
PanARMENIAN Network

Facing History and Ourselves
16 Hurd Road
Brookline, MA 02445
Contact: Ted Scott
[email protected] or +1- 617-735-1629

For Immediate Release

State of New Jersey announces New Armenian Genocide Curriculum using
Facing History and Ourselves’ Crimes Against Humanity and
Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians

Trenton, NJ- On Monday, June 20, 2005, the New Jersey State
Assembly unanimously approved a joint resolution commemorating
the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The vote was 79-0.
The bill (AJR-125) was introduced by assemblypersons Joan M. Voss
(D-38) and Robert M. Gordon (D-38). It states in part, “This joint
resolution recognizes the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
and acknowledges the criminal mistreatment of the Armenians by the
governments of the Ottoman Empire as an issue of international and
historic significance.”

Before the vote, Assemblywoman Voss (D-38), a former history teacher,
spoke about the importance of remembrance and education. “The
world closed its eyes to the Armenian Genocide,” Voss said. “It is
frightening how similar the Holocaust was to the Armenian Genocide.”

Assemblyman Gordon, in his remarks on the floor noted that “the
emotion runs strong in the Armenian community for their losses in
the Armenian Genocide.” Voss and Gordon were joined by colleagues who
made additional floor statements. Assemblyman William Payne, also an
educator, invoked the memory of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in
defending human rights. Assemblyman Bill Baroni spoke of the challenges
Armenia continues to face in its relations with modern-day Turkey.

Former New Jersey Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian was also on hand as
a special guest for the resolution’s passage. Haytaian spoke of the
losses in his family during the Armenian Genocide and of the importance
of continuing to stand witness to the memory of the victims and the
survivors. He was joined in the gallery by other guests from the
Armenian-American community, clergy, and students from the Hovnanian
School in New Milford, New Jersey, all of whom were recognized from
the Assembly floor.

After the passage of the resolution, the State of New Jersey Commission
on Holocaust Education held a press conference to announce the
introduction of a new human rights and genocide curriculum for middle
and high schools focusing on the Armenian Genocide. New Jersey is the
first state to adopt a stand-alone curriculum on the Armenian Genocide
which will be incorporated into both public and private schools.

The core of the new curriculum is Crimes Against Humanity and
Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians developed by Facing History
and Ourselves (FHAO) headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts.
This book focuses on how the history of the Armenian Genocide has
informed the growing international human rights movement. By examining
the choices that individuals, groups, and nations made before, during,
and after the genocide, readers have the opportunity to consider the
decisions of the international community in the face of massive human
rights violations.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Samantha Power, has said about this
book, “Facing History has done with this book what it does best:
bring history to life…to ask what we would have done if we had face
such wrenching and moral dilemmas.”

Peter Balakian, of Colgate University noted that Crimes Against
Humanity is “an essential and innovative exploration of the Armenian
Genocide… Facing History and Ourselves has done an extraordinary job
and demonstrates once again that it is at the forefront of education
in America.”

Additionally, the Commission developed a special teacher’s guide for
the FHAO resource book, in cooperation with the Armenian National
Institute, which it is distributing to educators statewide. The
production and distribution of the resource guide was made possible
by contributions by the Hovnanian Family and the Armenian Assembly
of America.

About Facing History and Ourselves Facing History and Ourselves in an
international educational and professional development organization
whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an
examination of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism in order to
promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry.
By studying the historical development lessons of the Holocaust and
other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection
between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives.
For more information, please visit

About the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education The core
mission of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education is to
promote Holocaust education in the State of New Jersey. On a continual
basis, the Commission shall survey the status of Holocaust Education;
design, encourage and promote the implementation of Holocaust and
genocide education and awareness; provide programs in New Jersey;
and coordinate designated events that will provide appropriate
memorialization of the Holocaust on a regular basis throughout
the state. The Commission will provide assistance and advice to the
public and private schools and will meet with county and local school
officials, and other interested public and private organizations,
to assist with planning courses of study on the Holocaust.

About the Armenian National Institute The Armenian National Institute
(ANI) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated
to the study, research, and affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
ANI is founded upon the following principles. Keeping memory alive
is imperative. Crimes against humanity must not be forgotten. Past
genocides must be confronted and acknowledged to prevent future
genocides. To meet this commitment ANI is engaged in a full-time
concentrated effort to integrate the lessons of the Armenian Genocide
into the universal understanding of the problem of genocide.

About the Armenian Assembly of America Through research, education
and advocacy, the Assembly works to strengthen U.S./Armenia and
U.S./Nagorno Karabakh relations, promotes Armenia’s and Karabakh’s
democratic development and economic prosperity and seeks universal
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

With a nation-wide network of volunteer activists, lay leaders,

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 24 2005

Armenian Lobby Trys to Add ‘Genocide’ Claims to OSCEPA Declaration

Armenian deputies yesterday announced their plan to add the so-called
genocide claims to the final declaration of the Organization of
Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCEPA)
meeting. The OSCE with the EU accuse Armenia of being `occupier in
Karabakh’ and other Azerbaijani territories and the initiative is
considered to balance the OSCE accusations. 20 percent of Azerbaijani
territories have been under Armenian occupation.

At the request of the U.S. Congress, the OSCEPA meeting is scheduled
to be held on July 1-5 in Washington. The meeting will be attended by
more than 700 parliamentarians. The Turkish delegation has eight
deputies and will be chaired by ruling Justice and Development (AK)
Party Istanbul Deputy Nevzat Yalcintas.

According to sources, the Armenian parliamentary delegation
participating in the OSCEPA meeting has not yet prepared a written
document to be presented to the meeting but they’re continuing their
lobbying activities.

Diplomatic sources think that if the Armenians are able to gain
majority support at the meeting then it will be impossible to prevent
them from realizing their aims.

Turkish diplomats assert that the OSCEPA meeting is not the
appropriate platform to raise the issue of the so-called Armenian
genocide.

Armenians claim the events 0f 1915 ethnic clashes should be
recognized as `genocide’, though more than 520,000 Turkish citizens
were killed by the Armenian forces during the riot. The Armenian
nationalists rioted in 1915 against the Ottoman Empire to establish
an independent Armenian state, though the majority was Turkish on the
claimed territories. Turkey has never accepted the claims and said
`relations should focus on the present problems, not the events
happened almost a century ago’. Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from the ISRO said
`We should discuss the future of Armenia and Turkey. If the Armenians
insist on discussing the past, they would lose. We need to talk about
Armenian terrorism against Turkish diplomats, we should discuss the
genocide committed by Armenians against Turkey Turks, Kurds and
Azerbaijanis. We need to discuss the Khojally Genocide committed by
the Armenian security forces. We need to discuss the Armenian
occupation’.

Armenia does not recognize Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national
borders. The Armenian officials have supported the Armenian
irredentism against Georgia.

Kemal TUZCU (JTW),

AZG Armenian Daily #115, 23/06/2005

Culture

NEW PERFORMANCE OF MOZART’S CORONATION MASS

The France based Haraj newspaper informed that France’s “Musical Spring”
festival was warmly welcomed by the art lovers. This testifies to the fact
that the festival becomes more and more popular with the art lovers. The
orchestras and the soloists performed pieces with high professionalism.
Mozart’s Coronation mass was chosen for the final concert of the festival.
Hermine Yeritsian, soloist, played this piece that is very complicated from
the viewpoint of performing. The auditoria highly estimated the performance
of Hermine Yeritsian, stating that one should play Mozart in the very
particular way she did. Hermine Yeritsian performed in the “Leon Karzan”
orchestra, created by Olivie Pehlevanian, talented violinist, and led by
Jean Jacques Werner. Haraj stated in the end that the trio of Armenian
musicians, including Hermine Yeritsian, Olivie Pehlevanian and Stepan
Kyureghian, greatly impressed and pleased the auditorium, playing Coronation
mass by Mozart.

By Gohar Gevorgian

AUTHORITIES OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH APPLY MAXIMUM EFFORTS TO HOLD FAIR
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

STEPANAKERT, June 22. /ARKA/. The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh
applied maximum efforts to hold fair parliamentary elections in
Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the democratic standards, as
stated in the act signed by international observers after the
parliamentary elections on June 19 in Stepanakert.

According to the ARKA’s reporter in Stepanakert, the observers stated
that they hadn’t noticed any substantial violations in the course of
registration of voters, organization of voting, processing votes and
transportation of protocols to election commissions. It’s emphasized
in the signed document that for the first time transparent
ballot-boxes were used in NKR to ensure transparency of the election
process. According to the document, over 130 international observers
from Russia, GB, USA, CIS, France, Italy, Iran, Greece, Czech
Republic, Croat, Israel, Serbia and Montenegro, Netherlands and other
countries watched the elections.

A group of observers from RF, which called the elections “democratic,
transparent, free, independent, legitimate, in line with the NKR
Election Code and all international standards” made a separate
statements.

According to the document, the elections showed the striving of the
NKR people for strengthening the institute of democratic elections and
dynamic development of civil society in NKR. “Democratic achievements
of NKR require support and recognition on the part of the civilized
world which would foster quick settlement of the conflict,
establishment of stability and peace in the region, and would be in
the interests of all the nations in the region and world”, according
to the statement of Russian observers. A.H. -0-

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly session, Strasbourg – 20 to 24
June 2005
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
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Order of business approved by the Assembly

At the opening of the session on Monday 20 June, the Assembly approved
the final order of business. Accordingly, the debate under urgent
procedure on the follow-up to the Third Summit and the debate under
urgent procedure on the constitutional reform process in Armenia will
take place on Thursday, 23 June, in the morning, and the Current affairs
debate on the situation in the Republics of Central Asia on Tuesday, 21
June, at 3 p.m.

Order of business

on the web
All session news are available online
Special file <;
Parliamentary Assembly website <;

the session live …
Live webcast of the debates
<;
Live press conferences and video records
05-EN.asp

Pan Armenian News

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS IN ARMENIA TO BE CONSIDERED AT PACE SUMMER
SESSION

20.06.2005 04:58

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An assessment of Russia’s honoring of its Council of
Europe obligations and commitments and a report on the media and terrorism
which calls on journalists to refrain from disseminating shocking terrorist
images are among highlights of the summer session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which takes place in Strasbourg
from 20 to 24 June 2005. Other highlights include a debate on the current
situation in Kosovo, a joint debate on the functioning of democratic
institutions in Azerbaijan and on political prisoners in the country, as
well as a possible urgent debate on the constitutional reform process in
Armenia. Invited guest speakers include the Prime Minister of Bosnia and
Herzegovina Adnan Terzic, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and
EBRD President Jean Lemierre, who will take part in a debate on the Bank’s
contribution to economic development in central and eastern Europe.
Portuguese Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas do Amaral, who currently chairs
the Committee of Ministers, will present the Committee’s communication to
the Assembly and reply to parliamentarians’ questions, RIA Novosti reported.