ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TRY TO SETTLE POLITICAL CRISIS

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 11 2004

YEREVAN, May 11 (RIA Novosti) – On the initiative of the chairman of
the National Assembly of Armenia (parliament), Artur Bagdasaryan,
on Monday evening another round of political consultations between
the leaders and representatives of the parliamentary factions and
deputies’ groups will be held to settle the tense internal political
situation in the country.

The parliament’s public relations department told RIA Novosti on
Tuesday that after the consultations, Artur Bagdasaryan, the speaker
of parliament, said that the first positive results had been achieved:
the sides had come to an agreement on the beginning of a political
dialogue. In connection with this, on May 13, representatives of the
parliamentary forces will form an appropriate agenda for the coming
negotiations.

The speaker said that he hoped, “the forces represented in the
parliament will do everything possible to create a new political
situation and that through a political dialogue will be able to solve
the complicated problems.”

Representatives of six factions took part in the consultations: the
Republican Party, the Orinats Erkir Party, the Dashnaktsutyun Party,
the Justice Bloc, the National Unity Party, the Labor Party and the
People’s Deputy parliamentary faction.

The opposition factions of the Justice Bloc and the National Unity
Party have been boycotting the plenary sessions of the Armenian
National Assembly since February 3, and demanding that amendments and
additions to the law “On Referendum,” be included on the agenda. On
the basis of the amendments, the opposition intends to hold a vote
of confidence on President Robert Kocharyan.

Protests demanding the president’s resignation that were organized
by the opposition but not sanctioned by the authorities have been
going on in Yerevan since April 9.

However, many analysts, including Armenian analysts, are afraid that
the situation may complicate Armenian-Azerbaijan relations and result
in Azerbaijan changing its position on the Nagorny Karabakh settlement.

“The opposition has incorrectly created problems. Its aim is to
change power in the country in any way and, if necessary, even by
force,” said Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. He advised
the opposition raise legal demands, social demands for example.

According to him, by shaking the central government, the opposition
could provoke Baku to resolute actions in Nagorny Karabakh.

Political scientists have not ruled out that that Azerbaijan could use
the political crisis in Armenia to attempt to regain Nagorno-Karabakh,
a self-proclaimed republic that was once populated primarily by
Azerbaijanis and now the majority of the population is Armenian.

Incidentally, Mr. Kocharyan is from Nagorny Karabakh, and was the
president of the unrecognized republic.

UNDP LAUNCHES THE COMMUNITY WEEK ADVOCACY INITIATIVE WITH EVENTS IN
REMOTE AREAS OF ARMENIA

ArmenPress
May 11 2004

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS: Today, the Ministry of Territorial
Administration and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
officially started the Community Week advocacy initiative with two
major events in Tavoush, one of the most remote regions of Armenia.
The events were attended by the Governor of Tavoush, four deputy
ministers from the Ministries of Territorial Administration,
Agriculture, Nature Protection, Trade and Economic Development
and the UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative. The
events included the inauguration of the fully rehabilitated secondary
school in Voskepar village and the creation of a Village Development
Foundation in Koty community.

In the framework of UNDP’s Community Development Project, the secondary
school in Voskepar has been fully renovated, including installation
of a new heating system. The Armenian Social Investment Fund (ASIF)
and the Governor’s office have provided the school with new furniture
and materials and the local community has provided a seven percent
in-kind contribution to the project.

In Koty village, UNDP’s Agricultural and Rural Development Coordination
Unit, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, have facilitated
the development of a Koty Community Strategy Development Plan for
2004-2008. A working group representing all main social groups in
the local population has worked to develop a comprehensive plan
aimed at addressing various problems in the community. To ensure
the successful implementation of the Plan, Koty is establishing a
Community Development Foundation. The Foundation will be formed
by donations from community members, former Koty villagers and
international organisations.

According to Ms. Grande: “UNDP is committed to supporting communities
throughout the country. We recognise that the country’s strength is
its communities and that through partnerships we can and should help
communities help themselves. The inauguration of Voskepar school and
the launching of the Koty Village Development Foundation are wonderful
events to mark the beginning of Community Week, an advocacy initiative
of UNDP Armenia and the Ministry of Territorial Administration aimed
at raising public awareness about ongoing legislative and other
reforms affecting communities and contributing to discussions on
community-related issues.”

Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration, Mr. Vache Terteryan,
noted: “The Government of Armenia has adopted an approach to
delegate more authority to our communities in order to make them more
viable in the long run. Currently, most of the communities are in
need of considerable assistance especially in terms of quality and
accessibility of social and health services and education. In this
respect, we are grateful for UNDP’s attention and ongoing support to
our efforts aimed at community development, and we are confident that
our successful cooperation will continue in future.”

Background: UNDP cooperation to date in the area of community and
rural development in Tavoush region amounts around USD 750,000. Three
schools and eight primary healthcare facilities have been rehabilitated
by UNDP. In addition, UNDP supports the Tavoush Farmers Association,
which provides technical support and various services to approximately
1,000 rural households in seven communities.

1.2 MILLION ARMENIANS APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD

ArmenPress
May 11 2004

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian employment and social affairs
minister Aghvan Vardanian told a news conference today that some 1.2
million Armenians have already applied for social security cards and
added that the government is not going to extend the deadline for
application beyond July 1.

The government first suggested to introduce the system of social
security cards last year and the first bill appeared as “identity
cards”. According to the reform, each Armenian citizen must have the
lifetime card with a 10-digit number of a citizen’s personal data,
which will be used for opening a bank account, paying taxes, applying
for state benefits and identification at healthcare facilities.

The government said the cards would increase the efficiency of
state-run agencies and help it reduce the volume of corruption,
however, the idea was opposed strongly by the Armenian Church,
whose main counter-argument was that the name “identity card’ must
be replaced by another one, as the word “identity card” contradicts
Biblical precepts, found in the New Testament Book of Revelation. The
government met halfway this demand and changed the name of the
“identity cards” into “social security cards.”

According to the law, the use of the cards is mandatory for all
financial transactions including receiving pensions and family
benefits, paying taxes and social insurance. The minister said
today those citizens who will refuse cards will be subjected to
administrative fines.

Shifting to politics, the minister ruled out “a revolutionary
situation” in Armenia, incited by heavy social conditions, admitting,
however, that a great majority of people are in still desperate
conditions, but went on to argue that Armenians are not apt to revolt
because of poor living standards.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROMANIA AND ARMENIA FOSTER COOPERATION IN EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

ArmenPress
May 11 2004

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian delegation headed by
minister of education and science was in Romania recently. Education
and science ministry press services reported that the visit aimed to
discuss cooperation projects with Romanian education and scientific
research ministry to ensure implementation of a 1999 agreement between
Armenian and Romanian governments.

During the working meetings the sides discussed ways of fostering
cooperation. Particularly it was proposed to open a department of
Armenian Studies at Bucharest State University and a department of
Rumanian studies at the Yerevan Linguistic University.

Further it was arranged to foster student and research exchange
program. Romanian government took the responsibility to support the
Armenian school in Bucharest. The sides signed a memorandum which
they will later develop into an agreement.

Armenian PM to hold talks in Kiev on trade, economic cooperation
By Vitaly Matarykin

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 10, 2004 Monday

KIEV, May 10 — Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan arrived
in Ukraine on a three-day official visit on Monday for talks with
Ukrainian leaders on trade and economic cooperation.

During the visit, the Armenian prime minister will be received by
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma.

Margaryan will meet Ukrainian parliament chairman Vladimir Litvin, his
Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich, president of the National
Academy of Sciences Boris Paton and Foreign Minister Konstantin
Grishchenko.

The prime ministers of the two countries will take part in a session
of the inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation that will
focus on prospects for interaction in the energy sector, transport,
aircraft building, as well as military relations and contacts in
international organisations. After the session representatives of the
inter-governmental commission are expected to sign a protocol and an
agreement on authors’ rights.

KARABAKH HAD TO BE TRANSFERRED UNDER ARMENIAN SOVEREIGNTY IN KEY WEST,
BRITISH RESEARCHER WRITES

11.05.2004 16:41

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The international mediators for settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict from the US, France and Russia have
proposed several modes for solution of the problem. However, the most
courageous was the Key West one. As reported by Liberty radio station,
Wall Street Journal reports it referring to Thomas de Waal, the author
of a book on the Karabakh conflict. For the fist time lifting the
veil of mystery of the settlement project, presented in the course
of the talks in Key West US city, de Waal notes that in compliance
with that version, “Armenia had to provide an opportunity to 95%
of Azeri refugees to return to their homes.” Besides, “a way to the
Azeri enclave of Nakhichevan had to be opened through the territory of
Armenia.” In exchange, in de Waal’s words, “Azerbaijan had to refuse
from Karabakh, except for Shushi town.” Citing the second item of the
Key West document on “conveying Karabakh under the sovereignty of
Armenia,” the author notes that if it is the case, “from the human
point of view the benefit would be the biggest, however so would be
the political risk for Azerbaijan.” Member of the British Institute for
War and Peace Reporting Thomas de Waal also considers the opportunity
of resumption of hostilities. “The human price of a new war will be
horrible even if the conflict is local. Azerbaijan will lose thousands
of young people only on minefield, which lie along the whole of the
front line. And the small beautiful province in the middle – Nagorno
Karabakh – may disappear at all,” he forecasts. At that Thomas de Waal
considers the Karabakh conflict solvable, noting if it is the case
“both nations will be saved from isolation.” “Armenians and Azeris
have much more in common, than, e.g., Israelis and Palestinians,” he
writes. The percentage of mixed nationality family couples was rather
high. “The problem is that for already more than ten years the two
nations rarely enter into a dialogue,” the author considers. “The most
surprising for a person from the outside is that Azerbaijan does not
sit at a bargaining table with Karabakh Armenians, whom it considers
its citizens,” the Wall Street Journal article sums up.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 10, 2004, Monday

Armenian president starts official visit to Beirut

Beirut

Armenian president Robert Kocharian arrived in Beirut Monday on a
three-day visit during which he is to meet Lebanese officials and
leaders of the Armenian community. Kocharian, who is accompanied by
his wife and daughter, will meet President Emile Lahoud for talks on
bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East, including
in Iraq, officials said. Lebanon hosts the Arab world’s largest
Armenian community, with about 200,000 members. The community has
government ministers and parliament members, and is very active in
the business sector. dpa wh sc

FIRST SUSPECT OF ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS DURING OPPOSITION RALLY IN YEREVAN
APRIL 5 REVEALED

11.05.2004 19:07

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Yerevan Prosecutor’s Office continues the
investigation of the case of attacks on journalists during a rally of
National Unification opposition party April 5. As reported by the Press
Service of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia, by now
it has come out that among those, who attacked media representatives
and broke cameras and video facilities, was resident of Yerevan Ashot
Avetisian with nickname “Bangladeshci Hro” (born in 1969).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU to boost links with neighbouring countries
By George Parker in Brussels and Jan Cienski in Warsaw

Published: May 11 2004 21:49 | Last Updated: May 11 2004 21:49
Financial Times

The European Union will on Wednesday map out a new strategy for dealing
with its “neighbours” from Morocco to Georgia, heralding further
levels of co-operation but stopping short of an offer of membership.

The new policy offers the prospect of money, trade and security
co-operation in exchange for progress in democratic and economic
reforms.

For the first time the EU’s horizons will extend to the southern
Caucasus, with the prospect of enhanced co-operation with Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia.

But the former Soviet republic of Belarus will remain frozen out
because of the repressive regime in Minsk, to the dismay of Poland,
which wants to build cross-border relations.

The strategy, accompanied by a new €800m-a-year ($950m, £535m)
co-operation fund, will be announced on Wednesday by Günter Verheugen,
the EU enlargement commissioner.

It marks a step change to the relationship currently offered by
Europe to its neighbours, and Mr Verheugen believes it will help to
stabilise Europe’s environs and contain the clamour from neighbours
such as Ukraine for EU membership.

The plan addresses how the EU deals with its new neighbours following
the May 1 expansion from 15 to 25 countries.

Romano Prodi, European Commission president, said this “ring of
friends” would enjoy support in a number of fields but added: “But
they would not be part of the same parliament and not be members of
the same European Commission.”

Mr Verheugen will announce a framework under which initially seven
countries would sign up to action plans for democratic and economic
reform, which would be monitored by the Commission.

If successful, the countries could then enjoy access to the EU’s
market of 450m people, help in building transport and energy networks
with the EU and assistance in securing external frontiers against
terrorists and traffickers.

The first wave in the programme are Moldova, Ukraine, Israel, the
Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco, with Egypt and
Lebanon expected to be included in the autumn.

Russia has decided to pursue its own strategic relationship with
Europe, but the prospect of closer relations could also be extended
to the Caucasus and Belarus if the political situation improves,
and to other Mediterranean countries.

Of Europe’s other neighbours, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Turkey
hope to join the EU, while the countries of the western Balkans have
the long-term prospect of membership.

Meanwhile, Poland is lobbying the European Commission over the EU’s
relations with Belarus due to be presented on Wednesday trying to
persuade the Commission not to continue a freeze on contacts with
Minsk.

The ban on ministerial contacts with officials from Belarus has been
in place since 1997, but Poland was not a member of the EU at the
time and continued to deal with the Belarusan government.

Now that Poland is in the EU it wants to be able to continue those
contacts.

“We want to tell the EU to look at the question of countries bordering
the EU a little differently than relations with countries that do not
have a common boundary,” said Boguslaw Majewski, the Polish foreign
ministry spokesman.

Armenian National Committee of New York
PO Box 693
Woodside, NY 11377
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
May 11, 2004
For Immediate Release

Contact: Tony Vartanian
[email protected]

NEW YORK CITY COMMEMORATES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

— Remembrance Program Organized by the Armenian National Committee
(ANC) of New York and the Friends of the ANC of New York

NEW YORK, NY–Elected officials from the U.S. Congress, the New York
City Council, Armenia’s ambassador to the United Nations, along with
two eminent historians of genocide, offered enlightening remarks at the
City Hall of New York City on the 89th commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide, which was organized by the Armenian National Committee
(ANC) of New York and the Friends of the ANC of New York. Addressing
an audience of over four hundred at the April 23 event, the invited
speakers took to the podium and applauded recent victories achieved
in global and domestic recognition of the Genocide while speaking
earnestly of the urgent need for further progress.

Following an eloquent invocation by His Eminence Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan and an introduction by New York ANC chairperson
Tony Vartanian, two City Council members who sponsored the
event spoke of New York City’s support of and dedication to the
Armenian cause. Speaker of the Council A. Gifford Miller and
Councilwoman Melinda Katz affirmed their commitment to serving
their Armenian-American constituency, and praised the hard work and
dedication of Armenians working on their support staffs.

Following the council members, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY),
Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY), and Congressman Anthony Weiner
(D-NY) offered their remarks. Ms. Maloney spoke first, describing the
recent breakthroughs in Genocide recognition in Canada, Switzerland
and The New York Times. Congressman Crowley reflected on his recent
opportunity as the first member of Congress to visit Armenia, while
describing for the audience how his experience as an Irish-American
informed his support of the Armenian cause. Congressman Weiner
cogently described how the Ottoman Government conducted the Genocide
and stressed the importance of Jewish support for Armenian genocide
recognition. There followed a short musical interlude, in which the
Armenian a cappella trio Zulal sang two hauntingly beautiful Armenian
folk songs.

After their performance, Professor Peter Balakian of Colgate University
drew upon his best-selling book The Burning Tigris, discussing the
American humanitarian response to the Armenian massacres of the 1890’s
and the Armenian Genocide a quarter century later. “In Faneuil Hall,
social reformers like Julia Ward Howe spoke passionately for the
plight of the Armenians. Organizations like Near East Relief and the
Committee on Armenian Atrocities made up the first American response to
an international human rights crisis. The first full fledged mission
of the American Red Cross outside the United States was in Armenia,”
said Balakian.

Professor. Robert Melson of Purdue University followed Balakian by
making a comparative analysis of the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish
Holocaust. In a unique and effective approach, Dr. Melson explained how
social revolutionary governments, which developed programs for creating
racially pure states, had preceded both. The link between the two
genocides reaffirmed the actuality that the systematic extermination
of the Armenian Genocide was the basis of the model implemented by
the Nazi regime of World War II upon the European Jewish population.

Consistent with the vision of the Armenian National Committee, the
New York chapter encouraged the participation of the young leaders
of the New York American-Armenian community in this years Genocide
Commemoration. Arousiag Markarian spoke on behalf of the community’s
young activists. As the chairperson of the Armenian Youth Federation
of New York and a leader in many other collegiate and community
organizations, Ms. Markarian expressed the vigor and enthusiasm of the
Armenian youth concerning American-Armenian issues. She stressed the
importance of organizations, like the Armenian National Committee,
that provide a channel for the Diaspora to play an active role in
issues that directly affect our communities locally and globally.

Armenia’s ambassador to the United Nations Armen Martirossian concluded
the evening with remarks on Armenia past, present and future. After
speaking about the need for Genocide recognition, Mr. Martirossian
went on tell the audience about the challenges facing the building
of civil society in independent Armenia. His words came as a reminder
that the Armenian-American community still has a large part to play in
both areas. Speaking with conviction, he reminded those present that
“We are the guarantee for the tragedy not to repeat itself.”

The Armenian National Committee (ANC) is the largest Armenian American
grassroots political organization in New York and nationwide. The ANC
actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian
American community.

####

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress