Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE GRILLS ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRIED ON ARMENIA BLOCKADE; U.S. COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE DENIAL

armradio.am
19.06.2008 10:39

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) led
a two hour hearing yesterday that included over a dozen members of
Congress questioning Assistant Secretary Dan Fried on the U.S. policy
of complicity in Armenian Genocide denial, Turkey’s blockade, and
Azerbaijan’s escalating threats of war, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

"We want to thank Chairman Berman for this excellent opportunity for
members of the Foreign Affairs Committee to exercise oversight over a
deeply flawed set of U.S. policies toward Armenia and Armenian American
issues – most notably the Administration’s policy of complicity in
Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, its lack of any meaningful
steps to lift Turkey’s blockade of Armenia, and its effective silence
in the face of escalating threats of war by an increasingly well
armed Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno Karabakh."

Berman opened the hearing stating, "I’d like to start with one of
the most puzzling and problematic matters: the Turkish blockade of
Armenia, in place since 1993. It’s a punishing policy that holds the
Armenian economy back and enormously increases the cost of much of
Armenia’s trade with other nations." He continued noting that "It’s
baffling why Ankara would want to pursue this land blockade, which
also harms the economy of eastern Turkey, and is therefore clearly
contrary to its own interests."

The Chairman’s statement and questions were followed by powerful
remarks and in-depth inquiries by Armenian Genocide Resolution lead
author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) as well as Committee
members Brad Sherman (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA),
and Jim Costa (D-CA), among others.

AARHUS CONVENTION: MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS

Panorama.am
15:29 18/06/2008

Aarhus convention is a link between human rights and protection
of environment as access to information and public participation,
while making environmental decisions, is a significant point for the
society and development of country’s democracy, said Sergey Kapinos,
in an environmental conference devoted to the 10th anniversary of
Aarhus Convention.

According to him, in these ten years the public participation in
the environmental protection in Armenia expends. "It is of great
importance that the Ministry of Environmental Protection is able to
involve the society in making solutions for the environmental issues,
as based on the convention public participation should have major
role. But I should add that there are still problems in implementing
the points of the convention," said the Ambassador.

The Ambassador said that such discussions which are held among the
interested sides of the convention – UNDP, OSCE Yerevan and Ministry
of Environmental Protection could have their positive impact on
the further implementation of the norms. According to Simon Papyan,
the conference will give an opportunity to the representatives of
the convention in Armenian regions to share with their experience
and managing problem.

ARMENIA SCORING SUCCESS IN FULFILLING ORHUS CONVENTION

ARKA
June 18
YEREVAN

Chief of the OSCE Yerevan Office, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos says
Armenia has recorded success in fulfilling the provisions of the Orhus
Convention. "The central idea of this document is public involvement
in solution of environmental problems which is successfully carried
out by Armenia," Kapinos said at a conference dedicated to discussion
of Armenia’s fulfilment of the Orhus Convention.

According to him, it is with the help of the seminars and discussions
that people usually get involved in the solution of environmental
problems. Such events reveal the most urgent problems of the
region. "People must both participate in such discussions and suggest
ways of solution. They must also get involved in decision-making
processes," he said.

However, Kapinos said, the steps that Armenia has taken so far, are
not sufficient to combat the existing problems. Though Armenia has
scored a certain success here, the problems still exist, moreover,
they are tending to grow," the Ambassador said.

The UN European Economic Commission’s convention on information
availability, public involvement in decision-making processes and
access to justice in environmental issues is widely known as the
Orhus convention. It was signed by 38 countries on June 25, 1998.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE REPRESENTATIVE
OF PRESIDENT SULEIMAN

His Holiness Aram I received the personal representative of the President
General Michel Suleiman in Antelias on June 17. Former Member of Parliament,
Dr. Nazem Khoury invited the Armenian Pontiff to the meeting and luncheon of
spiritual leaders to be held next week in the presidential palace.

His Holiness and Dr. Khoury met for over an hour, discussing the various
challenges facing the country.

##
View the photo here:
tos/Photos278.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARKISIAN RECEIVES IMF MISSION

armenpress
June 17

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian Received today Martha Castello-Branco,
head Of A Visiting Imf Mission, Imf Resident Representative Ninke
Umes and other officials of the IMF Armenia Office.

The IMF mission has arrived in Armenia to discuss the government’s
macro-economic policies and structural reforms. The delegation
presented to the prime minister the IMF’s report on Armenian tax
reforms.

These discussions with IMF will serve as a basis for fresh negotiations
between the government and IMF on new cooperation programs. Today’s
meeting was also attended by a presidential aide on economic issues,
finance and economy ministers, chief of the state taxation service,
chairman of the Central Bank and chairman of the parliament committee
on economic affairs.

According to government public relations department, the IMF mission
head said IMF is encouraged by the reforms which the government wants
to enforce in taxation sector, saying they are in compliance with
IMF principles.

According to IMF officials, the Armenian government tax reform program
is comprehensive aimed to reduce poverty, maintain growth rates and
reduce corruption level. The only remaining thing is to materialize
it having into account some proposals and suggestions present in the
IMF report.

By thanking the IMF for preparing the report Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisian described it as very interesting saying that it creates a

1 MARCH VICTIMS RECOGNIZED UNINJURED

A1+
[08:11 pm] 17 June, 2008

The RA Prosecutor’s Office officially declares: "None of the victims
of 1 March events have been recognized injured, consequently there
are no legal successors included in the case."

The declaration refers to 1 March events and the criminal case
No 62202608 that is currently under inquisition in the Special
Investigation Service.

The Prosecutor’s Office made the statement in the official letter
directed to the Chairman of the Helsinki Association Michael
Danielian in reply to the latter’s 11 May application. "I put a
query to the Prosecutor how many people were sued on the occasion of
1 March events, how many were recognized injured and how many legal
successors there were."

Michael Danielian was unable to explain the answer of the Prosecutor’s
Office. To be more exact, his power of imagination was not great
enough to fancy that a dead person can be recognized uninjured. "I
have been a lawyer for more than 10 years but it’s the first time
I have received such an answer. It means the authorities are quite
unwilling to unveil the 1 March occurrences."

To prove the truthfulness of his words, Michael Danielian handed
the Prosecutor’s reply to the co-repporteurs. He also noted that if
the co-repporteurs were really eager to see Armenia on the track of
democracy they had to impose sanctions on her and take care that the
PACE Resolution 1609 is thoroughly completed. Otherwise Armenia will
remain a military country.

RUSSIAN PHILANTHROPIST TO PROMOTE SHOUSHI’S RECOVERY

DeFacto Agency
June 13 2008
Armenia

STEPANAKERT, 12.06.08 DE FACTO. On June 11 the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic President Bako Sahakian and a famous Russian philanthropist
Levon Hayrapetian visited Shoushi to familiarize themselves with the
course of construction works on a number of objects on the spot.

A meeting was held in Shoushi with the participation of Archbishop
Pargev Martirosian, the leader of the Artsakh Eparchy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, Ara Harutyunian, the NKR PM, and other officials. The
issues referring to recovery and development of the town of Shoushi
were discussed at the meeting.

"We must recover Shoushi maintaining the town’s historical
image. Shoushi must become Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s second capital
city the same way as St. Petersburg for Russia", Levon Hayrapetian
noted and added he would spare no means to turn Shoushi in a modern
cultural and tourist center. "The most important is to create normal
living conditions in Artsakh", the philanthropist added.

ARMENIAN CYPRIOTS JOIN THOUSANDS, TO PILGRIMAGE TO ANTELIAS

Gibrahayer

Gibrahayer and combined services – June Armenian Cypriots were among
the thousands of pilgrims that flew to Lebanon to join thousands
of faithful who on Saturday flocked the Catholicosate of the Great
House of Cilicia, where His Holiness Catholicos Aram I officiated
the ceremony of blessing of Holy Muron, which takes place every
seven years.

On an altar placed in front of St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral,
Catholicos Aram I performed the Holy Water blessing ceremony,
which was attended by representatives from all Prelacies, as well as
representatives from the Holy See of Etchmiadzin and the patriarchates
of Bolis and Jerusalem.

Also present were representatives of other Christian denominations
and communities present in Lebanon.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RATIFIES TWO INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

399
NOYAN TAPAN
June 11, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on June 11
ratified the Agreement on Social and Legal Guarantees of the CIS
Peace Keeping Collective Forces Personnel signed in Dushambe on
October 9, 2007.

The parliament also ratified the May 27, 2008 credit agreement on
an amendment to the credit agreement between the Armenian government
and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation on the project of the
power unit with a combined steam-and-gas cycle in Yerevan. According to
the RA minister of energy Armen Movsisian, by the previous agreement
signed in 2005, a credit of 15.918 billion yens was provided for
implementation of the power unit project. Taking into account the
considerable growth in prices of equipment, building and assembly
work in international market in 2004-2007, the Japanese government
agreed to provide an additional credit of 10.491 billion yens. The
additional credit is concessional, with a 0.75% interest rate and a
repayment period of 40 years, including a 10-year grace period.

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF RA NSS CHIEF ADMINISTRATION: CORRUPTION PHENOMENA EXIST IN GOVERNMENTAL BODIES WHICH FORM REPUBLIC’S BUDGET

arminfo
2008-06-09 16:50:00

ArmInfo. Corruption phenomena exist in the governmental bodies, which
from Armenia’s budget, as well as in the bodies, authorized to carry
out inspections, deputy Head of RA NSS Chief Administration Tigran
Aghajanyan said at session of representatives of the law machinery
of the republic’s northern regions, held in Vanadzor yesterday and
dedicated to the problems of corruption-fight.

In particular, he marked the Tax and Customs Services, the
State Committee of Cadastre and Real Estate, some departments
of the ministries of finance, trade and economic development,
ecology, territorial administration, healthcare, town planning,
labour and social affairs and agriculture. As T. Aghajanyan
said, Ta and Customs Services, the activity of which is directly
connected with budget-formation, are marked out among the listed
administrations. Omissions in the legislation are a promoting factor
of corruption and they are an obstacle in revelation and prevention
of this kind of crimes.

T. Aghajanyan also said that, according to the data of the analysis,
performed by the international organizations, the size of corruption
in the countries of transient period, to which Armenia belongs,
makes up 5% of GDP.

"By the official data, Armenia’s GDP in 2007 made up $9 bln,
5% of which makes up $450 mln. In a country with a budget of $2
bln, such level of corruption is just unacceptable, based on the
elementary principles of economy", Aghajanyan said and added that
such volume of corruption may be assessed as a direct threat and a
stable factor, which hinders real formation of finds, their optimal
distribution for fulfillment of the governmental programmes. Thus,
the corruption phenomena available in the area of economy management
does not contribute to formation of a real budget and indicates
availability of a considerable shadow economy, T. Aghajanyan said. At
the same time, he said that a damage of $2 mln, caused to the state,
was recovered in 2007, within the frames of one criminal case on the
fact of contraband. T. Aghajanyan made some more examples of illegal
activity carried out "under assistance" of customs agencies.