(Kyodo) – Selected editorial excerpts from the U.S. press:
Kyodo News Service; Mar 22, 2006

IT WAS GENOCIDE (Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles)

JOHN EVANS IS THE U.S. ambassador to Armenia, as of this writing. But
he probably won’t be for long. Evans, a career diplomat who was
selected to receive an American Foreign Service Assn. award last year
for his frank public speaking, irked his superiors at the State
Department by uttering the following words at UC Berkeley in February
2005: “I will today call it the Armenian genocide.” For that bit of
truth-telling, Evans was forced to issue a clarification, then a
correction, then to endure having his award rescinded under pressure
from his bosses, and finally to face losing his job altogether.

What happened in Armenia in 1915 is well known. The Ottoman Empire
attempted to exterminate the Armenian population through slaughter and
mass deportation. It finished half the job, killing about 1.2 million
people. Yet the State Department has long avoided the word “genocide,”
not out of any dispute over history but out of deference to Turkey,
whose membership in NATO and location between Europe and Asia make it
a strategic ally.

It is time to stop tiptoeing around this issue and to accept settled
history. Genocide, according to accepted U.N. definition, means “the
intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial
or religious group.” Armenia is not even a borderline case. Punishing
an ambassador for speaking honestly about a 90-year-old crime befits a
cynical, double-dealing monarchy, not the leader of the free world.

For Armenians who escaped the killing and came to this country,
inadequate recognition of their history is crazy-making. Rep. Adam
B. Schiff (D-Burbank), whose district includes the heart of the
Armenian diaspora, keeps introducing a bill to officially recognize
the genocide, only to see congressional leadership quash it each year,
under pressure from the State Department.

One day, the country that was founded as a direct repudiation of its
Ottoman past will face its history squarely, as part of a long-overdue
maturing process. Some day before then, we hope, the State Department
will too. (March 22)

Armenia poll show army more popular than government

Azg, Yerevan
21 Mar 06 p1

The National Statistics Service of Armenia has conducted a poll in 216
villages and 43 towns and Yerevan that showed a high level of trust in
the armed forces and church but not in the government, the Armenian
newspaper Azg reported on 21 March.

Quoting the results of the poll, the newspaper hailed the fact that 87
per cent of the respondents trust the army as “very important taking
into account the regional factor and threats issued by our
neighbours”.

The survey showed that 58 per cent of the respondents trust the
central government and 39 per cent do not; 63 per cent of the
respondents trust local authorities and 33.5 per cent do not. Azg
added that the popularity of the government has declined because of
the difficult socio-economic situation in the country.

Forty one per cent of those surveyed do not trust the justice system
as opposed to 52 per cent who do; 35,6 per cent do not trust the
police as opposed to 59 per cent who do. The newspaper said it had
expected a larger number of people to express their distrust of the
“justice and police systems that are considered the most corrupt and
discredited ones”.

Azg said that the mass media seem to be more popular than the
journalists: 75 per cent of those surveyed trust the mass media and 22
per cent do not.

RUSSIAN FRONTIER GUARDS AND MILITARY BASE CLOSELY COOPERATE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 22.ARMINFO. The Russian frontier guards and military
station in Armenia closely cooperate. General Major Sergey Bondarev
said this in the interview to “Woenno-Promishlennaya Gazeta” weekly.

He said that the frontier guards should cooperate with the
administration of the military station # 102, as they are deployed in
a foreign country. Bonadrev stated that they have elaboarted relevant
programs envisaged for actions in various situations. The military men
allocate reserves, assist in construction of engineering equipment on
the borders or prepare specialists for exspecially difficult tasks.

PHOTO REPORTER OF THE CAUCASIAN INSTITUTION OF MASS MEDIA (CIMM)
AWARDED THE FIRST PRIZE AT THE ‘PRESS PHOTO’ COMPETITION

YEREVAN, MARCH 22. ARMINFO. The head of the CIMM (Caucasian
Institution Of Mass Media) Photography Department Ruben Mangasarian
was recognized the best on the ‘Press Photo’ competition, March 17.

The CIMM report that over 5 thousand works were represented on the
event. In 5 nominations 15 photographers from Iraq, Poland, Britain,
China, Austria and Armenia were awarded. The festive ceremony of
handing the prizes will be held on May 9, Warszawa.

SUDDEN TURNAROUND IN PRICE OF GAS
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
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Lragir/am
23 March 06

New and interesting episodes are coming along in reference to the
price of gas. On March 22 Serge Sargsyan, Secretary of the Council of
National Security, Co-chair of the Russian-Armenian Intergovernmental
Committee, made an interesting statement. He mentioned that since the
meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Russia in Moscow considerable
work has been done with regard to the price of gas.

`After consulting the prime minister on the instruction of the head of
state in early March, I sent a letter to the head of Gasprom
Mr. Miller with definite proposals. On Friday we received an answer
from Mr. Miller that the leadership of Gasprom is willing to sign
agreements by the end of March, which will allow to sell gas to people
and producers at much lower prices than foreseen,’ announced Serge
Sargsyan.

Serge Sargsyan declined to mention an exact price. He simply said that
in his opinion the increased price will not have an impact on their
budgets. This statement of the defense minister would, of course,
encourage people and producers, but the problem is that the Public
Utilities Commission has already set the price of gas for these
consumers. Hence, since April 10 they will have to pay twice as much
for one cubic meter as they pay now. Whereas, the announcement of the
minister of defense allows to suppose that the Public Utilities
Commission hurried to accept the bid of Hayrusgasard. But the minister
of defense does not think so. He believes that the Public Utilities
Commission acted in accordance with the law. `That is, the law could
not be violated,’ said Serge Sargsyan.

ABKHAZIAN RAILROAD IS EXPENSIVE

Lragir/am
23 March 06

The reconstruction of the Abkhazian railroad will cost 150-200 million
dollars, told Member of Parliament Volodya Badalyan to journalists on
March 22, who represents Armenia in the four-party consortium on the
reconstruction of the Abkhazian railroad. `I think the reconstruction
of the railroad will cost 150-200 million dollars, but this is an
approximate figure,’ said the member of parliament, informed the news
agency ARKA. Volodya Badalyan said the high cost is determined by mine
clearance, three ruined bridges, as well as the reconstruction of
140-150 km of railroad. The Armenian member of parliament said Russia
can cover 50 per cent of the expenses, Georgia 30 per cent, Armenia
and Abkhazia 10 per cent each.

THIRTY-SEVEN HOUSES FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES

Lragir/am
23 March 06

According to the news agency ARKA, in the framework of the Charity
Building Program of Catholicos Garegin II thirty-seven apartments will
be built for homeless families in Armenia, informed the Armenian
Habitat. In the press release of the company it is stated that the aim
of the project is to assist in solving the problem of the homeless,
and it is implemented by the Armenian Habitat and the Armenian
Apostolic Church, under the auspices of Catholicos Garegin II. The
program includes building houses in the region of
Gegharkunik. Particularly, 24 houses will be built in the town of
Gavar, Gegharkunik region.

FIRST SECTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE WILL OPEN IN DECEMBER

Lragir/am
23 March 06

The news agency ARKA informs that the first section of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline can be operated in December 2006. Levon
Vardanyan, the head of the Department of Technical Development and
Public Relations, the Ministry of Energy, informed the agency about
this.

He pointed out the high rates of the construction of the gas
pipeline. `Although it had been planned to finish in late December
2006, now we will be able to finish the 40 km section running through
Armenia in early December,’ said Levon Vardanyan. He mentioned that
presently the construction of the second section of the pipeline
running from Kadjaran to Ararat is being prepared. Levon Vardanyan
said agreement was reached with Iran, and now details are worked out
to sign the contract.

Due to the `Armenia `a land of Eternity’ film Armenia will become
known to the whole world

ArmRadio
23.03.2006 16:28

A documentary, picturing Armenia in four seasons of the year will be
presented to the audience in winter.

`Due to the film Armenian culture, history and nature will become
known to the whole world,’ the authors assure.

The film will be presented in three languages and will be accompanied
with Armenian duduk.

Director of the `Armenia ` a land of Eternity’ film Alen
Melik-Grigoryan assures that in 52 minutes modern Armenia will be
introduced.

A quadrilateral consortium will carry out the reconstruction of the
Abkhazian railway

ArmRadio
23.03.2006 17:11

Let’s separate political and economic issues: based on this principle,
an agreement has been reached between Russian, Georgia, Abkhazia and
Armenia to reconstruct the Abkhazian railway.

A quadrilateral consortium has been created to carry out the
reconstruction works. The sitting of the consortium will be held early
April in Yerevan.

Armenian co-chair of the newly created consortium Vladimir Badalyan
told `Radiolur’ correspondent that for two years the efforts of
Armenian-Russian and Armenian-Georgian business cooperation have been
directed at separating the political and economic issues. The question
first of all refers to complex Georgian-Abkhazian relations. It is
known that Tbilisi was considering the return of Georgian refugees to
Gali region of Abkhazia a precondition for reoperating the Abkhazian
railway. In fact, after their return it became possible to start the
talks.

The creation of the consortium allows to hope that the Abkhazian
railway will be reoperated, which will become a powerful impulse for
the economic development in the country. The economic blockade of
Armenia will be broken with 60-70 percent. Transportation of
passengers and cargoes will get easier. Railway communication will be
established not only with Russia but also with Europe. Many experts
confirm that the reoperation of the Abkhazian railway will bring new
approaches in Armenian-Turkish relations: keeping the border close by
the Turkish side will become senseless.