Author: Vasilian Manouk

ARMENIAN-EGYPTIAN COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR TO EXTEND

CAIRO, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by the RA Deputy
Minister of Agriculture Samvel Galstian paid a working visit to Egypt
on July 25-30 with the aim of promoting the bilateral cooperation
between Armenia and Egypt in the sphere of agriculture. During the
visit, the Armenian delegation met with the Egyptian minister of
agriculture, the director of the center on agricultural studies and
heads of other specialized institutions. The process and priority
programs of the work on agricultural development of the two countries,
and the opportunities for cooperation in the spheres of mutual
interest were discussed at the meeting with the Egyptian minister
of agriculture.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the Armenian
side restated the Armenian agricultural minister’s invitation to his
Egyptian counterpart, asking him to participate in AgroForum to be
held in Yerevan in September.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Blvd., Suite 206
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Tel: (323) 663-3609
Fax: (323) 662-3648
Email: [email protected]

For more information:
Zanku Armenian (818) 243-3557
Mercata Group

Five Hundred People Walk in First Annual "Walk of Life"

One Hundred People Sign-up With the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

(Los Angeles, CA – August 2, 2006) – Armenians and non-Armenians alike
rallied together on Saturday, July 29 in the First Annual 5k/10k Walk/Run
around the Pasadena Rose Bowl to help raise awareness in support of further
expanding the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s (ABMDR) critical
life-saving mission to recruit more Armenian bone marrow donors. In
addition to raising needed funds and awareness through the Walk of Life, 100
new donors signed up.

"We are thrilled with the spirit of giving and life expressed through the
overwhelming participation in our first annual ‘Walk of Life’," said Freida
Jordan, PhD, President of the ABMDR based in Los Angeles. "We are also
greatly appreciative of all our sponsors and the organizational and
individual support that made the first Walk a resounding success and will
enhance our ability to fulfill our life-saving mission." Corporate sponsors
included Glendale Memorial Hospital, St. Josephs Hospital, Closet World,
Next Day Color Printing, Glendale Water and Power, City of Los Angeles and
GNC.

A key method of treating leukemia patients or people with other
life-threatening blood diseases is through bone marrow/stem cell
transplants. In order to treat Armenian patients, bone marrow transplants
require compatible tissue types that match the genetic makeup of the patient
which is most likely to come from other Armenian donors. There are
currently 630 patients throughout the Diaspora and Armenia who are
desperately waiting to find a matching donor to help save their lives. On
average, it takes 200 donors to find a precise match for one patient. The
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry has a goal of increasing their registry
from its current 11,000 donors to 126,000 to meet the critical need. The
ABMDR partners closely with Glendale Memorial Hospital and St. Josephs
Hospital in addition to being a member of global organizations such as the
World Marrow Donor Association and World Marrow Donor Worldwide

"By simply walking today, you are helping save a life" said Steve Artinian,
chairman of the Walk of Life organizing committee. "With this Walk we hope
you will spread the message that by taking the simple step of signing up
with the registry every Armenian can give the most precious gift of a second
chance to another fellow Armenian who is fighting for their life against
these destructive diseases." Special guests included His Eminence
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America, Very Rev. Father Dajad Yardemian,
representative of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North
America, Dr. Sevak Avagyan Executive Director of ABMDR in Armenia and
Varant Melkonian, CEO of Closet World and treasurer of the ABMDR. There
also was entertainment at the end of the Walk welcoming participants at the
finish line including the band Element and singer Mariette Soujian.

"The Walk of Life is a huge success today because of all the hard work and
dedication of our volunteers," said master of ceremonies and director of
operations for the Walk Taleen Khatchadourian at the post-Walk event. "If we
join together like this for our common mission we can make a big difference
in the lives of Armenian patients in need."

During the short program after the Walk, the family of Biurad Moghadasian,
who is an eight-year old Armenian patient currently at Los Angeles’
Children’s Hospital being treated for leukemia, approached organizers to
stress the urgency of the ABMDR’s mission using their son’s plight as an
example. The family made a plea to all present to recruit additional bone
marrow donors which is the only way her son and others like him will have a
chance at beating the disease. Biurad is currently looking for a matching
donor to help save his life.

The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry encourages all Armenians to call
(323)663-3609 and join the registry with the hope of saving another life.
The registration process is very simple and non-intrusive and only takes a
few minutes. More information is available at ABMDR is a
501(c)3 non-profit organization and welcomes donations of any size which are
tax-deductible.

Mejlis of "Azeris of Nagorno Karabakh" to Convene in September

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2006 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Mejlis of "Azeris of Nagorno Karabakh" will convene
in September, member of Mejlis of "Azeris of Nagorno Karabakh" Mehriban
Vezir reported. In her words, at present work is being carried out "to
create a structure of the Public Parliament" – make the international
community "aware" of the NK issue.

"Elections for the Public Parliament will be held in regions of
NK. I cannot say, how many members the Parliament will have. However,
there are no doubts, that these will be people, known in the Karabakh
region," she said, reports Trend.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF BLUE SHIELD CALLS ON CONFLICTING PARTIES
IN MIDDLE EAST TO BE RESPECTFUL OF CULTURAL PROPERTY

Armenpress

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS: ICOMOS International Secretariat
representative informed Armenpress that the International Committee
of the Blue Shield (ICBS) has released a statement on threatened
cultural heritage in the Middle East conflict.

The statement particularly says "The International Committee of
the Blue Shield (ICBS) deplores the unacceptable loss of human
lives, the considerable suffering, the rapid displacement of entire
communities, and the destruction that are currently taking place in
areas administered by Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority. It
is also extremely concerned by the threat that the present conflict
could escalate still further."

In the statement the committee calls on all parties to be respectful of
the cultural property in the region as cultural property is priceless
and irreplaceable, of vital importance not only to each community,
but also to humanity.

"It is universally recognized that this region has an extremely rich
cultural heritage, which has had a profound and lasting influence on
peoples throughout the world. This is demonstrated by the significant
number of sites in both Israel and Lebanon inscribed on the UNESCO
World Heritage list. The total or partial loss of cultural properties
in the area would seriously impoverish the collective memory of
mankind.

It would be a great tragedy if this is allowed to happen. ICBS
therefore calls on all parties to take the greatest possible care
to protect the rich cultural heritage of the region and to take the
necessary preventive measures to ensure that it is not damaged in
any way during the present conflict," the statement says.

In the statement the ICBS also says that being keenly aware that there
are other compelling concerns at times of armed conflict, not least
the loss of human life, it wishes to stress that international law
prohibits the use of cultural property for military purposes or to
shield military objectives and urges all parties concerned to respect
the provisions of The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural
Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols, as
well as the 1972 World Heritage Convention, which calls on countries
‘not to take any deliberate measures which might damage directly or
indirectly the cultural and natural heritage’ in the territory of
other countries that are party to this Convention. Israel and Lebanon
have ratified both of these Conventions.

ICBS was founded in 1996 ‘to work to protect the world’s cultural
heritage threatened by wars and natural disasters’.

NEW REASON FOR TENSION. DOES GEORGIA MAKE A PROVOCATION?

AZG Armenian Daily #143, 01/08/2006

Regional

Last week, Mikheil Saaakashvili, President of Georgia, stated that
he is going to replace "the Abkhazian authorities that function since
1993" from Tbilisi to the upper part of the Kordor gorge, adding that
this will help restore the constitutional law in Georgia.

Evaluating this statement as an attempt to make a provocation and
unfold military conflict, the Abkhazian side stopped the four-later
negotiations with Georgia, UN and the peace-keepers. HTB informed
last week that the Georgian side continues accumulating armed forces
near the border with Abkhazia. The official Tbilisi believes that
the second stage of the operations that envisage the arrest of the
current Abkhazian authorities will be a success.

By Nana Petrosian

Azerbaijan misusing military budget – paper

Gun, Baku
29 Jul 06

Excerpt from report by Eltac Isazada in Azerbaijani newspaper Gun on
29 July headlined "Our tank has set in motion" and subheaded "While
Azerbaijan is spending its military budget on construction and repair
work, cash-strapped Armenia is spending money on more up-to-date
weapons"

Azerbaijan’s military spending is rapidly growing. While our military
budget totalled 330m dollars just a year ago, the inflow of oil money
into Azerbaijan has made it possible to double this figure. Our
military spending reached 660m dollars after it increased by another
60m dollars a while ago. It is expected to total at least 1bn dollars
next year.

But in general, our military budget is not fulfilling its true
functions in Azerbaijan. It has become a political tool. The
authorities justify the growing military spending with the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

These days we often hear the commander-in-chef, the defence minister
and other officials saying that our military spending will
increase. Even President Ilham Aliyev has openly said that the rise in
military spending is connected with Armenia. Aliyev has repeatedly
said on his visits to Azerbaijani regions and during the opening
ceremonies of military facilities that Azerbaijan’s military budget
will increase and equal Armenia’s overall state budget.

In recent years, the additional funds allocated to the military have
been spent more on some construction and repair work, not on improving
our army’s defence capability and on the purchase of military
hardware. And some of the budget funds are spent on the purchase of
tables, chairs, cupboards and other equipment for our soldiers and
officers.

As one can see in the draft military budget, 73 per cent (194m manats
[230m dollars]) of the additional funds allocated to the military will
be spent on the purchase of equipment and hardware. For instance, 200m
dollars of this year’s 660m-dollar military budget will be spent only
on the purchase of equipment.

[Passage omitted: it is impossible to improve the combat readiness of
an army by carrying out construction work in military bases]

Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry recently purchased nearly 1,000 Kamaz
trucks, pieces of sanitary-medical and communications equipment from
Russia.

One more interesting point is that most of the arms and military
hardware the government buys from abroad were produced back in the
1950s and 1960s. Even Armenia, which is at war with Azerbaijan, and
neighbouring Georgia are ahead of us on this issue. Unlike Azerbaijan,
these two countries buy more up-to-date weapons and military hardware.

Under the UN quota, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uganda recently bought
T-72 tanks for at least 900,000 dollars each, says military expert
Uzeyir Cafarov. But the technical capabilities of the tanks purchased
by Georgia and Uganda were better than those purchased by Azerbaijan.

While Georgia and Uganda bought T-72-II and T-72-III tanks, Azerbaijan
bought T-72-I tanks. As for Armenia, this country purchased Category A
T-80 tanks, which have greater capabilities.

Under the UN quota, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan can have 220 tanks
each. The prices of weapons and ammunition differ depending on their
military and technical capabilities. Therefore, these three countries
are free to buy weapons and military hardware that are of the same
kind, but differ in terms of their capabilities.

This means that international law allows us to spend a lot of money on
the most up-to-date weapons. The Armenians are making proper use of
this opportunity. But Azerbaijan is spending funds on the cheapest
weapons under the pretext of saving budget money.

In other words, even if Azerbaijan’s military budget grows larger than
Armenia’s overall state budget, there is little hope that this will
help improve the combat readiness of our army. Because in fact,
Azerbaijan is spending its growing military budget on the construction
of military facilities and new centres [as given], as well as on the
purchase of cheap and old weapons, while cash-strapped Armenia prefers
more up-to-date weapons.

[Passage omitted: experts say Azerbaijan should reconsider this
policy]

Ottawa Citizen, Canada
July 29 2006

Musicians make these pieces engaging

Unknown Piano Trios was the name of yesterday’s afternoon Chamberfest
concert at Dominion Chalmers Church. Featuring the music of the
equally unknown composers Arno Babajanian and Carl Fruhling, the
program wasn’t expected to draw a large crowd.

However, between the reputation of the Duke Trio, the air
conditioning at Dominion Chalmers and the fact that the concert was
free to pass holders, the audience counted something like 500 souls.

Babajanian, according to armeniapedia.org, was a distinguished
20th-century composer, a USSR People’s Artist and a laureate of the
State Award of Armenia. His dates were 1921-1983. He wrote music in
many genres including popular music and film scores.

His Trio is a sophisticated and powerful work that should be heard
often. Although its idiom is far from easy-listening, neither is it
avant-garde.

The Duke Trio’s members, pianist Peter Longworth, violinist Mark
Fewer and cellist Thomas Wiebe not only play well together, but
regularly enough that one never gets the sense of three competing
personalities trying to make sense of the music.

Fruhling, whose trio opened the program comes from an earlier era,
1868-1937, and seems to be known today almost entirely for his Trio
in A minor, op. 40, originally for clarinet, cello and piano, but
yesterday played by a regular piano trio (with a violin replacing the
clarinet.)

It’s a well-crafted piece, of which two movements slightly exceed in
length what they offer in interest. However, it was generally
engaging, which probably says as much about the commitment of the
players as to the composer’s undoubted talents.

Russian String Quartets

St. Matthew’s in the Glebe was the venue last evening for the Moscow
String Quartet’s final appearance in this year’s Chamberfest. The
program included quartets by Shostakovich, Schnittke and Tchaikovsky.

If one were to divide Shosta-kovich’s works into periods, as we do
with Beethoven, the Quartet no. 4 in D, op. 83 would be a
middle-period work. In fact, the composer was in early middle-age
when he wrote the First Quartet and that is why even the earliest of
them are mature masterworks.

The Moscow String Quartet, not surprisingly, knows this repertoire
well and, being the terrific ensemble it is, can put it across most
convincingly. While the entire performance was superb, the last
movement in particular had a deep feeling of summing up and
resolution.

Alfred Schnittke, a generation younger than Shostako-vich, is widely
regarded as having inherited the latter composer’s primacy in the
world of Russian/Soviet music. His music is still challenging for
today’s audiences in much the way that Shostakovich’s was 40 years
ago.

Whatever difficulties listeners had with the Moscow account of his
Quartet no. 2, it seems likely most were aware they were hearing
great music performed by some of the greatest of musicians.

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
July 28, 2006

Cooperation of International Monetary Fund and National Assembly
Continues

On July 27 the RA NA President Tigran Torosyan received James McHugh,
the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund in
connection with the end of the mission. Neinke Oomes, the next
Armenian representative of the IMF also participated in the meeting.

Mr. Torosyan expressed gratitude to James McHugh for the active work
during last years, distinguishing also the contribution of the IMF
and its representative in the economic achievements of Armenia. The
President of the Parliament also expressed hope that the productive
cooperation with Nienke Ooms, the new representative of the IMF, will
continue. Testifying the experience of the post Soviet countries, the
NA President noted that during the first years of independence
economic reforms, free economic relations and formation of the free
market was mainly highlighted, eventually it became obvious, that
political reforms are prompted on the foreground and their delay is
capable to obstruct economic development and progress .

In aspect to solve this problem Mr. Torosyan emphasized importance of
the further cooperation withIMF, noting, that the NA is ready to
search new forms of cooperation.

James McHugh, preparing to officiate Kirghizia, characterizing years
of the work in Armenia effective, noted, that though cooperation with
the National Assembly was always more difficult than with the
government, he always had the friend on behalf of Mr. Torosyan who
appraised both complexity of proposed reforms and also their not
populist decisions.

Importance was attached to the role of the Parliament in the
identification of development ways of the country. He informed that
in September an IMF mission will come to Armenia in order to study
the latest developments and the executive of programs. Mr. McHugh
estimated positively the two year reforms of the tax-duty sphere and
highlighted that form now on too the IMF will offer its approaches so
that the government of Armenia makes its choice. He also highlighted
that the IMF supports the policy of increase of the nominal value of
the national currency carried out by the Central Bank and understands
all the complexities generated by the large inflow of foreign
currencies to Armenia.

Highlighting the direct relation between the tax-duty policy and the
increase of nominal value of the national currency the sides
expressed readiness to find joint solutions. Nienke Ooms, that will
officiate after Mr. McHughs highlighted that he is impressed by the
indicators of economic development of Armenia and added that as the
phase of establishment of equal partner relations begins, the
termination of relations between Armenia and IMF might be discussed
in the coming period. He argued his readiness for close cooperation
with the Parliament by the important role of the National Assembly in
the resolution of new problems.

During the meeting other issues of mutual importance were also
discussed.

In the Parliament

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
July 27, 2006

On July 25 the representatives arrived from different regions who
were in Yerevan within the framework of young people’s civil education
program visited the National Assembly.

Hranush Hakobyan, the Chairwoman of the NA Standing Committee on
Science, Education, Culture and Youth,familirized young people with
the parliamentarism and the history of the Armenian parliament. The
procedure of the legislative body formation, the main functions and
activity were presented to the participants. Mrs. Hakobyan detailed
legislative initiative-lawsystem, noting, that first initiation
deliberated in the Committees before becoming law, gets relevant
conclusion, and only after that it is presented to the ratification
of the Parliament. The head of the Committee answered the questions,
which related to twelve-year education, preservation of national
culture, problems of science development.

The activity of the sub-divisions of the NA staff was presented to
the young people, visited the Parliament. Maro Asatryan, the head of
Information Department, accompanied the guests to the sitting hall,
where they got familiar with the work of the electronic system of
the hall, walked through the parliament visiting official and working
meting halls.

"The draft laws, submitted to the NA , undergo an examination ",
– informed Ashot Khachatryan, the head of Legislative Analysis and
Development Department. He also noted that his department provide
MP’s with professional advice, implement research and analytic works.

Anahit Adamyan, the head of Public Relations Department, presented
functions of the department, the content of its work, kinds of its
organization and answered the questions.

" All the materials of information character prepared by the department
of public relations, and also all materials concerning structural
divisions of the staff, texts of laws in function are placed on the
website of electronic page ", – says Tatul Soghomonyan, the head of
Secretariat. According to him the functions of Secretariat are various:
applications and letters from citizens are registered, then handed to
the NA governing bodies or the MP’s direct through Secretariat. Lusine
Hovhannisyan informed details about the work of the website.

Hovhannes Zargaryan , Deputy head of the staff, summing up the day
passed in the Parliament,

expressed gratitude to young people for active participation and
wished them good luck.

He noted, that as a result of the programs which were carried out
by USAID and other international organizations during last yearsthe
NAreceived both technical and consulting assistance which promoted
increase of the effectivness of works. Mr. Zargaryan noted, that the
doors of the National Assembly are open before youth, and they always
can address questions interested them to the staff. They can also
get information about activity of the Parliamentthrough Internet site
adding their fund of knowledge. He expressed hope, that the day which
had been passed in the National Assembly, will have its continuation
and become the basis for deeper knowledge of functions of system of
the state management.

Armenian Airbus crash due to ‘human factor’: minister

Agence France Presse — English
July 26, 2006 Wednesday 9:25 AM GMT

The crash of an Armenian Airbus plane off Russia’s Black Sea coast
in May that killed all 113 people on board was caused by a "human
factor", Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said Wednesday.

"Weather conditions were difficult, the human factor played its role,"
Levitin was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying at a press
conference, held about the results of an inquiry into the crash of
the A320 liner belonging to Armavia airlines.

Tatyana Anodina, head of the intergovernmental aviation committee
that took part in the enquiry, said: "The main pilot did not ensure
control of the plane as far as angle and altitude were concerned,"
ITAR-TASS reported.

"The co-pilot did not ensure necessary control on the descent,"
Anodina said, adding that an alarm system had gone off as the plane
plunged but that it was too late to regain altitude.

The Airbus A320 plunged into the Black Sea on May 3 amid rainy weather
as it was coming in to land in Sochi — a popular coastal resort city
in southwest Russia.