UCLA Conference On Sustainable Development In Armenia

UCLA CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 13 2006

LOS ANGELES, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Armenia:
Challenges of Sustainable Development” is the theme of an international
conference to be held at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), on Saturday, May 6. The conference featuring specialists in
economics, finance, and governance is dedicated to UCLA Professor
Emeritus of Economics, Armen A. Alchian, a world-renowned economist
and teacher who was born in Fresno in 1914 and joined the UCLA faculty
in 1946. The conference is organized by the Armenian Educational
Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA and the Armenian
International Policy Research Group (AIPRG), with support from the UCLA
Von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies and the Department of
Economics. AEF Chair Holder Richard Hovannisian will open the morning
session with introductory comments on “The Economic Factor,” followed
by the presentation of Professor Alchian and his contributions to
economic theory by a similarly distinguished Professor of Economics,
Harold Demsetz. Enrique Gelband, Deputy Division Chief and former
Mission Chief to Armenia of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will
give the keynote address on “Growth and Poverty Reduction in Armenia:
Achievements and Challenges,” the title of his recent book published
by the IMF. A panel discussion on the subject will be moderated by
UCLA Professor of Economics Michael Intriligator and include William
Ascher, McKenna Professor of Government and Economics at Claremont
McKenna College; Daniel Mazmanian, Director of the Judith and John
Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public Enterprise at the
University of Southern California; and Ara Khanjian, Professor of
Economics at Ventura College. The Saturday afternoon session moderated
by Professor Lee Ohanian of the UCLA Department of Economics focuses
on specific topics relating to Armenia’s economic development. David
Grigorian of the IMF will speak on “Tax Potential versus Tax Effort:
Factors behind the Stubbornly Low Tax Collection in Armenia; Bryan
Roberts of the Department of Homeland Security, “Remittances, Poverty,
and Growth in Armenia”; and Nerses Yeritsyan, Central Bank of Armenia,
“Financial Sector Development in Armenia: Problems and Challenges.” A
discussion period will conclude the afternoon session. Richard
Hovannisian stated: “I am pleased that after sixteen wonderful
semi-annual conferences on Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces,
we shifted the focus to contemporary issues in 2005 with ‘The
Enduring Legacy of the Armenian Genocide’ and ‘Three Turkish Voices
on the Armenian Question.’ Now, for the first conference of 2006,
the economic and fiscal challenges facing the Republic of Armenia
will be addressed… The subject of this conference is of critical
importance to Armenia and all those concerned with the welfare of
its people.” The conference is open to the public and free of charge.

ANKARA: RSF Welcomes Dropping Of Charges Against Journalists

RSF WELCOMES DROPPING OF CHARGES AGAINST JOURNALISTS

TDN
Thursday, April 13, 2006

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

A Paris-based media watchdog has hailed a recently issued ruling
by an Istanbul court that dropped charges against four prominent
journalists accused of insulting Turkey’s courts.

With Tuesday’s decision, the court, however, decided to press ahead
with the trial of a fifth journalist.

While welcoming the decision on İsmet Berkan, Erol Katırcıoglu and
Haluk Å~^ahin of daily Radikal and Hasan Cemal of Milliyet, Reporters
Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) deplored the court’s
decision to proceed with the trial of Radikal columnist Murat Belge,
who faces a sentence of between six months and 10 years in prison on
the same charge.

“We are relieved to learn that the charges have been dismissed against
four journalists who faced the possibility of imprisonment for what
they had written,” the press freedom organization said.

“We issued a statement on Feb. 8 calling for the withdrawal of the
charges, and we reiterate this appeal now on behalf of the Radikal
columnist, who could still get a long jail term.”

“We hope the authorities will in the future resist these growing
prosecutions against journalists and freedom of expression activists.”

The five journalists were indicted in December for criticizing a court
decision that briefly blocked a landmark conference in Istanbul on
the Armenian issue. The prosecution charged them under articles that
penalize insults of the judiciary and attempts to influence justice,
carrying up to 10 years in prison.

The discussion of what happened to Armenians between 1915 and 1923
is an extremely sensitive topic in Turkey, which categorically denies
Armenian allegations that Armenians were subject to a genocide campaign
at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

The trial is seen as a test of Turkey’s readiness for membership in the
European Union. Turkey, which embarked on membership talks in October,
is under heavy pressure from the EU and human rights organizations
to address infringements on freedom of expression.

Turkey last year advanced 15 places in the 2005 World Press Freedom
Index of the RSF but is still ranked 98th in the 167-country list,
after Zambia, Togo, Jordan and Madagascar.

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The Residents Of Kozern District Reached Kocharyan

THE RESIDENTS OF KOZERN DISTRICT REACHED KOCHARYAN

A1+
[03:33 pm] 12 April, 2006

The residents of Kozern district were gathered together opposite
the residence of President Kocharyan and demanded to discuss their
problem with the corresponding structures and sub-structures of the
municipality. They were offended by the remarks of the Yerevan mayor
Yervand Zakharyan.

The participants of the meeting met Yervand Zakharyan yesterday. The
latter told them that their information about the instructions of
the Prime Minister is false.

Let us remind you that last week Khachatour Vardanyan, the head of
the territorial self-government administration, assured the residents
that a committee has been formed which will investigate the issue
of privatization of the Kozern district and give answers to their
questions.

Yervand Zakharyan promised the residents of the district that he
will clear up what to do within two months. “He tells us he can do
whatever he wants in this city. He says he can evict us whenever he
wants”, said Samvel Lazarian, head of the NGO “Community and Right”
who represents the interests of the residents of Kozern. Yervand
Zakharyan blamed them for giving a political context to the issue,
and blamed the NGO for supporting them.

As the participants of the meeting claimed, today’s act of
complaint was a forced one. “We still have three days till civic
disobedience. This was a necessary step so that take the opinion of
the people into account. We will not take a step back,” said Samvel
Lazarian. Let us remind you that the residents of Kozern promised
not to organize anything within ten days, and then, in case of need,
they will even form new authorities and defend themselves.

At present deputy mayor of the city Kamo Areyan, four residents of
the district, as well as the head of the NGO “Community and Right”
are in the RA President’s residence.

RA President And Newly Appointed Ambassador Of Hungary AttachImporta

RA PRESIDENT AND NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF HUNGARY ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO ACTIVIZATION OF BILATERAL BUSINESS CONTACTS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Arpad Szekely, the newly
appointed Ambassador of Hungary to Armenia (residence in Moscow)
handed his credentials to RA President Robert Kocharian on April
11. Congratulating the Ambassador on the occasion of undertaking the
post, the President expressed a hope that during his activity new
steps will be undertaken in the direction of widening the bilateral
relations. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the President’s Press Office,
the sides considered primary formation of the legal-contractual field
necessary for the cooperation and attached importance to activization
of the business contacts and planning of concrete spheres of mutual
cooperation. The Ambassador presented the political, economic state
of Hungary as well.

BAKU: 907 Amendment Became Invalid

907 AMENDMENT BECAME INVALID

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democracy, ELection & Human Rights in Azerbaijan
April 11 2006

Official Baku is not concerned with 907 Amendment to the Act of
Freedom of the US Constitution. Araz Azimov, Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan informed.

“This amendment lost its force. That every year the US President
freezes the 907 amendment is an open caution for the Congress. Thus,
Congressmen adopted in due time “907” amendment against Azerbaijan,
have been already unmasked”, informed A. Azimov. This amendment was
adopted due to supposedly in 1992 Azerbaijan “blockaded Armenia”. The
document banned the US to assist to Azerbaijan on any level.

Later the 11 September 2001 events the Congress took into consideration
Azerbaijan’s accession to anti terror coalition, and raised a question
concerning elimination of this amendment before the President. Since
ever annually, the White House submits this issue to discussion,
but do not withdraw the document.

A.Azimov informed that however, he does not precisely when at last, to
happen, but thinks that the Congress won’t turn off the elected path.

“We are already receiving the US aid. Currently we observe when the
White House just is forced to withdraw this document. Otherwise,
it will be forced to deal with Pentagon, as it closely cooperates
with Azerbaijan”, A.Azimov concluded.

/vis.pl?s=001&p=0055&n=001400&g=

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http://www.demaz.org/cgi-bin/e-cms/vis

NATO not planning military invasion of Iran – alliance representativ

NATO NOT PLANNING MILITARY INVASION OF IRAN – ALLIANCE REPRESENTATIVE

Central Asia General Newswire
April 11, 2006 Tuesday 5:29 PM MSK

NATO has no plans to stage a military invasion of Iran, said NATO
Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Robert
Simmons.

Speaking at a news briefing in Baku on Tuesday following negotiations
with the Azerbaijani leadership, Simmons said, however, that NATO is
concerned about the situation in Iran and hopes that the negotiating
process involving three of its members, Germany, the UK and France,
will be completed successfully.

Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said Baku is also concerned
by how the Iran crisis will be resolved, due to the geographical
proximity of the two states.

Azerbaijan is following the negotiating process with Iran closely,
he said.

“The problem is currently being discussed at the UN Security Council,
and we hope that it will be resolved at a political, diplomatic level,”
Azimov said.

Azimov also pointed out that, while the Iranian nuclear problem poses
a strategic threat to Azerbaijan, the Metsamor nuclear power plant
functioning in neighboring Armenia is a real threat to Azerbaijan’s
and the entire region’s security, which, he said, has been confirmed
by international experts.

BAKU: 1st Vice-Speaker Meets NATO Rep On South Caucasus And CentralA

FIRST VICE-SPEAKER MEETS NATO REP ON SOUTH CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
Author: J. Shahverdiyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 10 2006

The first vice-speaker of Milli Mejlis, head of the Azerbaijani
parliamentary assembly in NATO, Ziyafet Askerov met with the
representative of the NATO general secretary on South Caucasus and
Central Asia, Robert Simons, the parliament press-release told Trend.

Askerov told that after signing the Partnership for peace program
in 1994 relations between Azerbaijan and NATO are developing
dynamically. Azerbaijan is interested in cooperation with the
alliance. It actively participates in the anti-terrorism struggle
and its soldiers participate in the peacekeeping missions in Kosovo,
Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also mentioned the Armenian- Azerbaijani conflict. Stressing that
the aggressive policy of Armenia is dangerous not only for Azerbaijan
but for the region in general.

Simons in his turn expressed his interest in developing relations
with Azerbaijan and noted that NATO is watching over the democratic
progress in the country.

Ruben Tovmasian Advises Not To Blame Russia For Blackmailing Armenia

RUBEN TOVMASIAN ADVISES NOT TO BLAME RUSSIA FOR BLACKMAILING ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 10 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN. “We consider that friendship between
the Armenian and Russian peoples, which has been proved by centuries
and has been tempered in hard ordeals, should be eternal,” Ruben
Tovmasian, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Armenia, declared at the April 8 press conference. He
regretted to say that anti-Russian moods are growing in Armenia. “An
anti-Russian hysteria rose in the country. Those who lift up their
hand against friendship between the Armenian and Russian peoples are
the enemies of the Armenians. We should not make the activity of the
two rotten systems in Russia and Armenia and secret agreements reached
between them the corner-stone of our interrelations,” the leader of
the Armenian communists declared. Tovmasian is against any bargain
on transfer of the Armenian property to another states, including
Russia. According to him, the transfer of the 5th block of Hrazdan TPP
to Russia was done against the will of the Armenian people. “They put
it on sale themselves, did the Russians come and take away this block
from us with rockets?” Ruben Tovmasian refuted the rumors that the
5th block of Hrazdan TPP was transferred to the Russian side under
the influence of blackmail of the Armenian leadership by Moscow and
advised not to blame Russia for blackmailing Armenia. According to him,
it is the U.S. that stands behind the kindling of the anti-Russian
hysteria in the Armenian society. “America is a bad country, the
American people is also bad as it did not hold Bush’s hand and did
not stop him when he unleashed the war in Iraq”.

Whereas, in Ruben Tovmasian’s deep affirmation, the bringing in Soviet
troops to Afghanistan in 1979, as well as to Czechoslovakia in 1968
and to Hungary in 1956 was undertaken by the USSR at the request of
the governments and to the advantage of the peoples of these states”.

AAA: Amb. John Evans Hails MCC Signing During AAA Pan-Armenian Conf

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 10, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA JOHN EVANS HAILS MCC SIGNING DURING
ASSEMBLY’S PAN-ARMENIAN CONFERENCE

Washington, DC – U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans hailed the
signing of a five-year $235 million Compact between Armenia and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation during the Armenian Assembly’s
National Banquet on March 27 in Washington, DC.

The Ambassador cautioned however that a country that is found eligible
for MCC funding must continue to remain eligible. Evans noted that
one of the criteria is meeting the MCC standard for ruling justly. In
his prepared remarks, the Ambassador urged Conference participants to
join in helping “Armenia achieve democratic elections in 2007 and
2008.”

The National Banquet was part of a major three-day pan-Armenian
Conference hosted by the Assembly, together with the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the Eastern and Western Dioceses of the
Armenian Church.

Below is the full text of Ambassador Evans’ prepared speech:

This evening I want to explain what the United States is doing in the
Republic of Armenia with regard to the development of genuine
democracy and democratic elections. Under the FREEDOM Support Act,
the U.S. Government has contributed approximately $1.5 billion in
support of democratic and economic transition in Armenia.

Let me begin by reminding you that the United States is pursuing three
overarching goals in the South Caucasus. First, we hope to strengthen
security and stability in the entire region. This includes, most
notably, our efforts to help Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve the
Karabakh dispute, but it also includes assistance to the countries in
strengthening their border regimes so as to prevent the unauthorized
transit of dangerous materials. Second, we are attempting to
strengthen the economies of the countries in the area, all of which
are suffering from under- or maldevelopment. Third, we are attempting
to strengthen the political systems of the three countries by
encouraging the growth of genuine democratic cultures and
institutions. Now to Armenia specifically.

All the basic preconditions for Armenia to be a leading democracy in
the region are present. A mix of cultural, historical, educational
and social factors, including extensive ties with the great Western
democracies, particularly the United States and France, give Armenia
a theoretical advantage; however, some other factors — the legacy of
Soviet misrule, the unsolved Karabakh issue, and too intimate a
relationship between economic and political power — have delayed the
appearance of a vibrant democracy in Armenia. The badly flawed
constitutional referendum in late November was a stark reminder that
important work still has to be done if Armenia is to reach its
potential as a democratic state. Ultimately it will take a
combination of administrative improvements, increased capacity on the
part of elections officials, political parties and civil society, and
political will on the part of the Armenian authorities for elections
that meet international democratic standards to become a reality.
But the lessons of the last few years should be clear: any government
that falsifies elections is taking an enormous risk. We do not think
Armenia can afford another set of bad elections next time. In
addition, the Millennium Challenge Compact that was signed today is
contingent on Armenia’s remaining qualified for that assistance. This
requires that its pattern of actions not be contrary to the
independent, objective criteria used to select it for eligibility.
One of those criteria is meeting standards for “ruling justly.”

Even before the November referendum, those of us working on this issue
at the U.S. Mission in Yerevan had decided there was no time to waste.
Last summer we devised a program of assistance specifically aimed at
helping Armenia achieve democratic elections in 2007 (legislative) and
2008 (presidential). We announced the program in late October, at an
estimated cost of between $6 and $7 million, and it is now underway.

Our program has nine basic elements: 1) cleaning up the voters’ lists;
2) helping build capacity for administering elections properly; 3)
supporting voter education; 4) training judges to adjudicate electoral
disputes; 5) increasing public interest in elections and promoting a
democratic political culture; 6) developing unbiased and professional
polling capacity; 7) working with political parties, especially with
young people and women; 8) supporting domestic monitoring of elections
and the media; and 9) training and technical assistance for
journalists and media professionals covering elections. And let me
stress: our assistance aims to support the democratic process, not
parties or individuals.

In pursuing this program, we are not alone. Many Armenians both in
and out of the government want to see free and fair elections in 2007
and 2008. And we are joined by the European Union, the OSCE and the
Council of Europe in pressing for necessary improvements. Earlier
this month, the ambassadors of most of the OSCE participating states
met in Yerevan and issued a public call for free and fair elections.
Although resistance to change is formidable in some quarters, there
are other parts of the society that desperately want change. The
United States is not a newcomer to the challenge of building
democratic institutions in Armenia. We have been involved in this
process for ten years already. We were actively involved in
encouraging reforms during previous elections…but we believe that a
major push is necessary at this time. We need to build capacity, and
we need also to stiffen the political will of some leading figures.

But this is where you come in. You have made many contributions,
often simply by example. We know that many of you continue to
contribute to building a democratic culture in Armenia in many
different ways. But what I ask of you tonight is that you join with
us over the next fifteen months with a major push to help Armenia
achieve democratic elections in 2007 and 2008, following up on your
efforts in 2003. Many of you interact with Armenians both in and out
of the Government. We hope you will stress to them how important it
is for Armenia to hold elections that meet international
standards. Armenia’s government needs to know that the broad
international community — not only the U.S. Ambassador – is watching
and expects a better process. We invite you to become more deeply
acquainted with our program: a wealth of relevant information is
available on our Embassy website through our new Democracy link. As
appropriate, feel free to direct your Armenian contacts to these
resources, or have them talk to us.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Without hydrocarbons, without great natural resources, and fated to
live in a difficult neighborhood, Armenia has to live by its wits, and
by its ability to build a just and free society based on the rule of
law. The Millennium Challenge Compact that was signed earlier today,
as it is implemented over the next five years, will help. And with
your help, we believe Armenia’s future is bright.

The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issue. The Armenian General Benevolent Union is the world’s largest
philanthropic organization devoted to education, cultural and
humanitarian efforts. Both are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership
organizations.

The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) is the
spiritual and administrative head of the Armenian Apostolic Church in
the Eastern United States. The Eastern Diocese and its counterpart,
the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, exist under the
authority of the ancient Mother See of the Armenian Church in Holy
Etchmiadzin.

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NR#2006-032

Photograph available on the Assembly Web site at the following link:

/2006-032-1.jpg

Caption: U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans at the Armenian
Assembly’s National Banquet on March 27.

http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2006-032
www.armenianassembly.org

Press Secretary Of The President Of Armenia Denies Rumors Of HisTele

PRESS SECRETARY OF THE PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA DENIES RUMORS OF HIS TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY OF STATE RICE

Yerevan, April 8. ArmInfo. The rumors about telephone conversation
between President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian and
USA Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice are false, stated to REGNUM
press secretary to the President Victor Sogomonian. He said that the
last conversation between the officials took place in February 2006,
before the meeting in Rambouillet.