Broken dreams in Armenia

Jul. 30, 2005. 01:00 AM
By Michael Mainville - Special to the Toronto Star
(Michael Mainville is a Canadian journalist based in Moscow.)

YEREVAN, Armenia—Naira Yeremyan knows her home doesn't look like much, but it's all she has.

A ramshackle collection of wooden boards, concrete slabs and mismatched bricks, it sits amid the winding streets of Kond, a desperately poor neighbourhood perched on a hilltop overlooking the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
[...]
The view has property developers salivating over the prospect of erecting luxury apartments in Kond. And that's the bane of Yeremyan's existence.
[...]
Three months ago, local authorities told the 14,000 residents of Kond they would have to vacate their homes by the end of the year to make way for modern housing. In exchange, they will be given payments of between $2,400 and $6,000.

"You cannot buy a house anywhere in Yerevan for that much. We are going to be homeless. They are throwing us out on the streets," says Yeremyan, who shares both the house and a monthly pension of about $30 with her 63-year-old mother.
[...]
Yeremyan has organized sit-ins, petitions and court challenges, but her protests have fallen on deaf ears. Those behind the project are among the wealthy businessmen who control much of Armenia's economy. Government connections let them operate as they please.
[...]
Kond is hardly unique. Armenians across the country face similar obstacles — crippling poverty, endemic corruption and powerlessness in the face of what critics say is an increasingly authoritarian government.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. When independence came after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia seemed a dream come true for a people with a tragic history. [...] the world's 4 million-member Armenian diaspora finally had a national homeland. But instead of thriving, Armenia languished. [...]. The economy, though improving, is in shambles. Almost half the population lives on less than $2 a day.

The result has been a mass exodus — the reverse of early hopes for Armenia. Instead of hundreds of thousands of dispersed Armenians flocking to the country, more than 1 million have left for Russia and the West. According to some estimates, the country has lost more than 30 per cent of its working-age population.
[...]
"There is a huge gap between those in power and the majority of Armenian society," says Stepan Demirchian, the leader of the opposition Justice coalition [...].

In April 2004, inspired by the peaceful Rose Revolution in Georgia, tens of thousands of Armenians took to the streets to denounce Kocharian and voting fraud in 2003 elections. Kocharian called in police to break up the protest with stun grenades and water cannon.
[...]
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan says [...] he knows Armenia's democracy is not perfect, but believes it is improving.

"The government is stable and the country is on the path to becoming fully democratic," he says. "A lot has been done, but a lot remains to be done."

Under pressure from the West, Armenia will hold a national referendum this year on a package of constitutional amendments designed to limit the power of the presidency and protect judicial independence. Oskanyan says the reforms will be key to ensuring democratic growth.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Earthquake in Yerevan

Posted by Hovakim on July 30th

There was a moderately strong earthquake in Yerevan overnight. While it was felt stronger because it was at night, it was only magnitude 3.1, with epicenter at the village of Parakar (near Zvartnots Airport).

According to REGNUM, the earthquake struck at 2:10 a.m. on July 30, and its intensity in Yerevan was IV-V points.

According to the seismic gap theory, periodic moderate and small-magnitude quakes are good as they release the energy in the fault.

A disclaimer: this explanation would probably not suit well with many residents of Nork Masiv and Nork Marash who fled outside in the middle of the night.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Kocharian Demands More Tax Revenues

7/30/2005 at 06:29
Vanadzor.net
By Emil Danielyan

President Robert Kocharian told Armenia’s tax authorities on Friday to do more to tackle corporate tax evasion which he said remains commonplace due to government corruption and favoritism.

Meeting with senior officials from the State Taxation Service (STS), Kocharian said their declared fight against the informal sector of the economy still leaves much to be desired despite a 24 percent rise in the government’s tax revenues registered during the first half of this year.
[...]
Armenia’s public spending is projected to grow by 25 percent to 394.6 billion drams ($885 million) this year. The STS and the State Customs Committee are on track to ensure a corresponding increase in the budgetary revenues.
[...]
The Armenian leader singled out the construction sector which, according to official statistics, has expanded by over 40 percent in the first half of 2005. He complained that taxes paid by the construction firms rose only by 13 percent.
[...]
The STS chief, Felix Tsolakian, admitted on Friday that corruption and conflicts of interest among his employees are a major problem. [...].

But it was not clear if tax officials owning businesses have been fired or sanctioned otherwise.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Letter to Robert Kocharian regarding Yektan Türkyılmaz

Sunday, July 31, 2005
Turkish Daily News
By Elif SAFAK

We, a group of Turkish intellectuals, are sending a letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharian. The letter concerns Yektan Türkyılmaz, a Turkish citizen and academic in the United States who has been held by the National Security Service [...], in Yerevan since June 17.

Türkyılmaz is doing his Ph.D. in cultural anthropology at Duke University.[...].He particularly focused on a highly turbulent period extending from the 1900s to the 1940s by managing to stay equally distant from and objectively independent vis-à-vis the competing nationalist projects that had once pummeled the region and are still alive today. [...].
[...]
Türkyılmaz unknowingly violated an old law. He did not know it was a crime to take books out of Armenia; no one had warned him about this. He did not know that he had to “declare” all books over 50 years of age at customs. [...].
[...]
Understandably, Türkyılmaz made a mistake by failing to get special permission for the books in his suitcase. But obviously he is not a drug dealer or nuclear weapons smuggler. He is a scholar, an independent-minded researcher whose only mistake was to take the research material he was studying along with him on his flight back from Armenia.[...].

[...] {We} sincerely hope and respectfully urge Armenian authorities and the Armenian president to intervene in order to bring this sad and unexpected episode to an amicable end.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

WESTERN DONORS LAUD ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ARMENIA

Saturday, July 30, 2005
Eurasianet
Emil Danielyan
(Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and political analyst.)

Armenia’s continuing robust economic growth is winning accolades from Western donors. A consensus is building among economic experts that the tiny South Caucasus state is finally emerging from its post-Soviet doldrums.
[...]
According to official statistics, Armenia’s Gross Domestic Product rose by 10.2 percent in the first half of this year. The GDP growth has averaged 11 percent during the previous four years. [...].
[...]
Brian Kearney, who runs a US government-funded project to reform Armenia’s social security system, said economic growth has had a visible impact on living standards, adding that it has also lifted the public mood.[...].
[...]
"There are very few countries that have achieved such important progress in such a short period of time," the IMF’s Carstens said.
[...]
However, some economic analysts view official figures with skepticism.[...]. The National Statistical Service of Armenia (NSSA) estimated in a 2003 report that the average Armenian family spent two thirds of its income on food -- a telling indicator of persisting hardship. [...]. The government agency also asserted that many Armenians still cannot afford adequate healthcare as "only one in three persons with health problems applied to a doctor for medical care."

There is also a mounting income gap dividing the rich and poor, as well as Yerevan residents from those living elsewhere. Many rural areas have hardly seen any development since the economic collapse of 1992-1993 [...].

More importantly, the rate of job creation has lagged behind the economic expansion, failing to alleviate the country’s number one social problem -- unemployment. [...].

Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence of increased prosperity is strong. This includes skyrocketing real estate prices, a growing number of cars, shops and other small businesses as well as a construction boom in central Yerevan. [...].

In addition, merchants have adapted to the continuing economic blockades by Azerbaijan and Turkey and the resulting high transportation costs. According to official statistics, the tiny landlocked country has doubled its GDP and tripled exports since the late 1990s. "In five years time people will reflect well when they look back at what has been done over the past five years," Kearney said.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

9/11 in Historical Perspective: Flawed Assumptions

July 29, 2005
Global Research
by Peter Dale Scott

The American people have been seriously misled about the origins of the al Qaeda movement blamed for the 9/11 attacks, just as they have been seriously misled about the reasons for America’s invasion of Iraq.

The truth is that for at least two decades the United States has engaged in energetic covert programs to secure U.S. control over the Persian Gulf, and also to open up Central Asia for development by U.S. oil companies. Americans were eager to gain access to the petroleum reserves of the Caspian Basin, which at that time were still estimated to be “the largest known reserves of unexploited fuel in the planet.”

To this end, time after time, U.S. covert operations in the region have used so-called “Arab Afghan” warriors as assets, the jihadis whom we loosely link with the name and leadership of al Qaeda. In country after country these “Arab Afghans” have been involved in trafficking Afghan heroin.
[...]
[...] unquestionably the entry of United States oil companies into oil-rich Azerbaijan was achieved with the assistance of a U.S.-organized covert program using “Arab Afghan” operatives associated with bin Laden.
[...]
In the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, Arab Afghans clearly assisted this effort of U.S. oil companies to penetrate the region.[...]

[...] Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in Afghanistan, who at the time was still allied with bin Laden, was “observed recruiting Afghan mercenaries [i.e. Arab Afghans] to fight in Azerbaijan against Armenia and its Russian allies.” At this time, heroin flooded from Afghanistan through Baku into Chechnya, Russia, and even North America. [...].
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenian hydro plant gets EBRD backing

July 29 2005
Press Release - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending €1.1 million to an Armenian mini-hydroelectricity project that will bring the country one step closer to achieving its goal of obtaining 70 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, particularly hydropower. Bazenc CJSC, an Armenian company set up in 2000 to run a small hydropower plant on the Yeghegis River, will use the loan to install a second turbine which, while only working for three summer months, will increase the company’s total electricity production by 23 per cent.

[...] The electricity will be sold to the Armenian government, under guarantees lasting until 2016, at prices negotiated once a year. [...].
[...]
The EBRD is also supporting Bazenc in acquiring a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) status for its mini-hydro projects under the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming. [...]. If Bazenc gets CDM status, it will be the first such mini-hydro project in Armenia to be able to sell carbon credits. This will help sustainability of the project, as carbon credits will be paid for in hard currency. The Bank also expects to demonstrate that Armenian small-scale renewable energy projects can benefit from the international emissions trading market.

The Bank identified Bazenc while conducting a survey for potential CDM projects in the Caucasus and central Asia in 2004. [...].

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Cultural Genocide Lectures

(I-Newswire) - Simon Maghakyan, the author of “The First Christian Civilization’s Cultural Genocide” photo-collection, will be available for delivering presentations on Cultural Genocide of the Armenian Heritage starting this fall.
[...]
Maghakyan has given speeches during various human rights awareness events and has been called “a vibrant speaker” by Colorado’s local papers. He was paid tribute to by the Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo in the House of the Representatives for his continuous academic success and for his genuine service to Colorado’s community. During 2004-2005, Maghakyan served as the president of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society’s Sigma Phi chapter.
[...]
Lecture requests can be made through www.CulturalGenocide.cjb.net.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

The First Christian Civilization’s Cultural Genocide

(I-Newswire) - Simon Maghakyan, a student from Colorado, has recently issued a CD called “The First Christian Civilization’s Cultural Genocide.” The CD contains more than 400 photographs testifying to the destruction of the Armenian cultural monuments in the Republic of Turkey.
[...]
The CD has been designated for educational purposes only and is not on sale. Copies of the CD have been donated to educational institutions throughout the world. The Armenian National Institute in Washington D.C., Zoryan Institute of America and the Armenian Library and Museum of America have copies of this work.

“The First Christian Civilization’s Cultural Genocide” also contains information about other forms of cultural genocide, including distortion of geographical names and national songs. To learn more about the project visit www.CulturalGenocide.cjb.net.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

SWITZERLAND DETAINS TURKISH POLITICIAN FOR DENYING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

[...]
A new dispute between the two countries flared up this past weekend when a large number of Turks from several European countries and Turkey arrived in Switzerland to celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne which marked the foundation of the Turkish Republic and reversed the ceding of lands to various nationalities, including the Armenians, as mandated three years earlier by the Treaty of Sevres.

Among the dignitaries expected to travel to Switzerland on this occasion were Rauf Denktash, former President of Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu, Chairman of the Turkish History Foundation, Dogu Perincek, Chairman of the Workers’ Party in Turkey, and several other well-known revisionists of the Armenian Genocide, including Gunduz Aktan, former member of the [...] Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission, Dr. Hikmet Ozdemir, Head of the Armenian Studies Department of the Turkish History Foundation, and Sukru Elekdag, former Turkish Ambassador to the United States.
[...]
At the last minute, Dr. Halacoglu had second thoughts and decided not to travel to Switzerland. [...] he had been summoned by a Swiss Court for having questioned the veracity of the Armenian Genocide in remarks made on May 4, 2004, in Winterthur, in violation of Swiss law which prohibits the denial, belittling or justifying of genocide. It is not known if Aktan, Elekdag and Ozdemir ended up going to Switzerland. They may have also changed their travel plans to avoid similar legal action against them.

Dogu Perincek did go, however, only to get himself in legal trouble with the Swiss authorities. He had already made denialist statements on the Armenian Genocide during a previous visit to Lausanne and Bern on May 7, 2005.[...].

Last Saturday, after Perincek told reporters in Winterthur that "the Armenian Genocide is an international lie," he was detained and questioned for several hours by the public prosecutor. Winterthur police spokesman Werner Benz was quoted as saying that Perincek was interrogated for denying the Armenian Genocide. A criminal probe was launched against him as he is suspected of violating Swiss anti-racism laws. During his questioning, he was accompanied by two Turkish lawyers and diplomats representing the Turkish Embassy in Bern.

Following his conditional release, Perincek bragged about his confrontation with the Swiss prosecutor. He boldly repeated the same lies about the Armenian Genocide the next day in Lausanne, even though he was warned by the Winterthur public prosecutor not to make similar denialist statements in future public appearances in Switzerland. Following his remarks, the public prosecutor in Lausanne requested that Perincek appear in front of him to be interrogated at a later date.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

2005 World Youth Chess Championship Update – Final Scores

July 28, 2005
Press Release #34 of 2005
US Chess Federation

(CROSSVILLE, TN) [...] the Under-16 Male division of the 2005 World Youth Championship in Belfort, France. [...].

[...]

TOP 10 COUNTRIES, SCORES, AND NUMBER OF PLAYERS
COUNTRY--TEAM SCORE--# OF PLAYERS

RUSSIA - 85 PTS - 27
POLAND - 81 PTS - 25
INDIA - 80.5 PTS - 34
GEORGIA - 80 PTS - 18
CHINA - 77 PTS - 21
USA - 75.5 PTS - 31
FRANCE - 75 PTS - 107
SPAIN - 72 PTS - 40
GERMANY - 72 PTS - 35
ARMENIA - 71 PTS - 14

[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Turks and Armenians: Is reconciliation possible?

Friday, July 29, 2005 Updated at 1:42 AM EDT
Special to Globe and Mail Update
By OZAY MEHMET
(Ozay Mehmet is professor emeritus of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa.)

On Oct. 3, Turkey will start accession talks for European Union membership. These talks will be long and hard because Ankara will have to settle [...] some difficult questions relating to Cyprus, Kurds and the Aegean, as well as Armenian claims of genocide in 1915.

Of all the issues facing Ankara, the most sensitive is the Armenian one. Until recently, the Turkish government has taken a narrow perspective, saying this matter should be left to historians to settle. This is no longer adequate. [...].

The new element is that Ankara wants to normalize its relations with Armenia. It has already opened an air corridor between Istanbul and Yerevan, and appears willing to open a border gate for movement of goods and people.

But, in return, Ankara has a number of demands of Yerevan. It wishes to see: (1) progress in talks with Azerbaijan over the thorny issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azeri territory now under Armenian occupation; (2) Armenia's endorsement of a joint historical commission to settle the dispute over 1915; (3) suspension of "genocide" claims pending the work of the proposed joint commission; and (4) recognition of current borders and renouncement of implied territorial claims by Armenia.

[...] the future of Turkish-Armenian relations is indexed to the issue of "genocide" claims. This is an exceedingly sensitive matter precisely because it is interwoven with national pride and self-identity on both sides.

[...] Turkish nation, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, capping the successful war of independence (1919-23) with the peace treaty at Lausanne that replaced the stillborn Sèvres Treaty that promised a Greater Armenia in eastern Turkey (an area heavily Kurdish, by the way).

By contrast, the Armenian nation ended up as a tiny country outside Turkish borders, and became a victim of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Landlocked, next door to Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenia was, until 1991, a country under Soviet occupation. It needs Turkish co-operation to open to the rest of the world. [...] .

Where does the future of Turkish-Armenian relations lie? The initiative remains primarily in Ankara's hands. [...]. The main obstacle is division in Turkey itself. [...]. There are, sadly, extremists within Turkey [...], some carrying influence in high places. Anti-Turkish camps in the EU only serve to strengthen these extremist forces.

Just weeks ago in Istanbul, there was the case of a cancelled alternative conference of academics to discuss the history of Ottoman Armenians. The justice minister, a member of the nationalist faction of the ruling Justice and Development Party and evidently out of step with Mr. Erdogan's open-door policy, harshly criticized this academic event, obliging the hosting university to drop it. By his action, the minister weakened his government's Armenia policy and provided ammunition for Turkey's opponents in Europe and beyond.
[...]
As far as the Armenian "genocide" claims go, Turkey must stay the course outlined by Mr. Erdogan to face history and promote reconciliation. Buried in the tragic history of 1915, there is too much suffering for Turks and Armenians alike. The way to reconciliation is for both sides to acknowledge that too many lives were lost in this war period and that the memory of the dead, whether Turk or Armenian, deserves respect. The time for mutual mourning has come.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Moving Marriott across the GLOBE

Thursday, July 28, 2005
Weston Town Crier
By Cheryl Balian Scaparrotta / Correspondent

[...] a Weston businessman is [...] funding a glamorous new hotel in the former Soviet republic of Armenia.

Paul Korian is managing partner of AK Development, an investor group behind the purchase and multi-million dollar renovation of the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. The nine-story hotel, with 226 guest rooms and four restaurants, is at the heart of the city’s cultural and business center.

“The hotel marks [...] the largest U.S. investment in Armenia, and {is} the first internationally-branded investment in that nation.”
[...]
The grandiose building, [...] sits prominently on Yerevan’s Republic Square, center of the capital city. The National Art Gallery is opposite the hotel, and a number of other museums and businesses are within walking distance.
[...]
Korian, a co-founder of Staples, the office superstore, had no previous experience as a hotelier. Though he had always been active in the Armenian community, a devastating earthquake that struck Armenia in 1988 prompted him and many others to evaluate more permanent ways to aid their ethnic homeland.
[...]
Hallmarks of luxury in the new hotel – for which the president of Armenia cut the ceremonial ribbon for –include a fitness center, in-room Internet connectivity, 24-hour room service and a two-story presidential suite fit for visiting heads of state.

Marriott has incorporated the hotel into its worldwide reservations system, sent over a dozen Armenian employees abroad for management training, and installed seasoned company executives in Yerevan.
[...]
[...] Armenia is just beginning to market its assets, like its rich history and natural beauty, to a global audience. It was always a tourist destination for those in the Soviet system, and many USSR Olympic athletes trained in its warm summer climate.
[...]
“The hotel is a catalyst to demonstrate that people from all around the world can enjoy Armenian culture,” emphasized Korian.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Chance to pursue MBBS in Armenian University

Thursday July 28 2005 11:38 IST
SOUTHERN NEWS - TAMIL NADU

MADURAI: Tayseer Consultants (P) Ltd., authorised representatives of the Yerevan State Medical Univesity in Armenia have organised a seminar and spot admission to enable candidates to study MBBS {Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery} in Armenia.

According to a press release from Tayseer Consultants, there are already 200 students from Tamil Nadu who are following the MBBS course in the university. The course is in English and has been approved by the Medical Council of India and the WHO.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE LAUDS PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ARMENIAN CONSTITUTION

The Council of Europe's Venice Commission approved on 22 July as "an undeniable improvement over previous drafts" [...]. Venice Commission official Simona Granata-Menghini told RFE/RL that the revised version of the amendments "is a workable and viable constitution which is capable of allowing a democratic development of Armenia." [...].

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Martirosyan on 9/10 Staples card!

Tuesday, July 26 2005
Fightnews.com

USA Olympian Vanes 'Nightmare' Martirosyan, a hard-hitting super welterweight, will box on Top Rank's big fight card which will feature three-time world champion Erik 'El Terrible' Morales and former world champion Manny Pacquaio at the STAPLES Center on Saturday, Sept. 10. [...]. Martirosyan is 2-0-0 as a pro and lives and trains in Glendale, Calif. "I was born in Abozyan, Armenia," said Vanes. [...].

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia Ranked "Mostly Free" by the Heritage Foundation

2005-07-26 14:31:34
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi

According to the annual publication by the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal – Index of Economic Freedom-2005, Georgia’s overall score has worsened by 0.15 points since last year reaching 3.34 points, as a result the country still remains in the “mostly unfree” category.

The 2005 Index of Economic Freedom measures 161 countries. [...]. {The higher the score on a factor, the greater the level of government interference in the economy and the less economic freedom a country enjoys. The countries with the most economic freedom also have higher rates of long-term economic growth and are more prosperous than are those with less economic freedom.}

Armenia is the only country from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) which is in the “mostly free” category with 2.58 points.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

MY RIGHT TV SHOW CREATION IN ARMENIA IS FIRST STEP TOWARD BUILDING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN LEGAL SYSTEM

July 25, 2005
ARKA

[...]
In October 2003, the Government of Armenia and the World Bank funded a television program called My Right to provide Armenian society with information on legal rights.
[...]
The program uses mock trials to depict real-life disputes. The judge on the show is a deputy minister of justice, Tigran Mukuchyan, and the actors are often parties in a real dispute.
[...]
A live studio audience of judges, lawyers, legal officials, law school students and the general public discuss the trials on-air. A special web site was launched for getting feedback and providing general information to the public.
[...]
After six airings, My Right became the country's number one show and received a special award. It generated an immense interest in legal issues and citizens' rights among viewers, including parliamentarians and lawyers.

The program has now aired about 40 episodes and popular demand has prompted the production of another 40 [...].
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia, Georgia Mull Joint Efforts To Ease Hardship In Javakheti

Radio Free Europe 26/07/2005 09:47

Prime Minister Andranik Markarian ended on Monday a two-day visit to Georgia that focused on Tbilisi’s and Yerevan’s joint efforts to improve the socioeconomic situation in the country’s Javakheti region predominantly populated by Armenians.
[...]
Javakheti’s grave socioeconomic problems are compounded by the extremely poor condition of local roads that have hardly undergone major repairs since the Soviet collapse. Officials announced that the Georgian government will finally start to rebuild them in 2007 with financial assistance which it expects to receive under the U.S. government’s Millennium Challenge Account program. Armenia and Georgia are the only ex-Soviet states eligible for the scheme.
[...]
The two governments are also making plans for the reconstruction of local secondary schools that have long fallen into disrepair. Officials said a joint plan of actions will be finalized this September.
[...]
The region’s single largest employer, a Russian military base in Akhalkalaki is to be closed in 2008 under a Russian-Georgian agreement signed recently.

The government in Tbilisi has pledged to cushion the resulting loss of hundreds of jobs. Saakashvili said earlier this month that Javakheti farmers will become the principal suppliers of agriculture produce to the Georgian army. [...] the Armenian and Georgian governments also plan to set up several food processing plants in the largely agricultural area.
[...]
Also on the agenda of Markarian’s talks in Tbilisi were increasingly serious disputes over ownership of old churches claimed by the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox Churches. One such dispute resulted in a violent clash last week between residents of a Javakheti village and a group of young Georgians that visited a nearby medieval church. The locals believe the visitors were intent on seizing the church.

Speaker Burjanadze welcomed an Armenian proposal for the two governments to set up a commission that will look into the matter on a case-by-case basis.[...].
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

VETERAN SANCHEZ CAPTURES USBA 122 POUND BELT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Challenger Agapito Sanchez, 37-9-2 (22 KOs), 122, Bronx, NY, stopped defending, and highly rated, Art Simonyan, 14-2-1 (7 KOs), 122, Armenia, to take the USBA 122 pound title in the fifth round of a scheduled 12.

Although Simonyan, 29, working behind straight and short punches, won a close opening round, Sanchez, 35, began regularly catching his foe with very wide right hands and left hooks in round two.

Simonyan had no real answer for what seemed to be repeated invitations to counters.

In round five, Sanchez unloaded a looping right hand to the chin of Simonyan dropping him flat. Although he was able to make it to his feet, he was clearly not fit to fight. The bout was stopped at 1:30 of the round.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia Under-19s lose out to France

[...]
{Results}
Saturday 23 July

Group A
Germany 2-1 Northern Ireland
Greece 0-3 Serbia & Montenegro

Group B
Armenia 0-1 France
England 3-2 Norway
[...]
Semi-finals
Tuesday 26 July [...]
[...] English play Serbia and Montenegro [...]
France face Germany

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia may yet spring a surprise

By Graham Luney
sportseditor@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
23 July 2005

[...]
France, Norway, England and Armenia all believe they can reach the semis.

Armenia take on France at Mourneview Park while England face Norway at the Newry Showgrounds (both 7pm).

A place in the final for Armenia would be a remarkable story.

Although Samuel Petrosyan's team are bottom of the group, victory over France together with a positive result in the other match will send them through.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

'YERAZNERI ART' MAKES DREAMS COME TRUE

AZG Armenian Daily #135,
22/07/2005
By Hakob Tsulikian

Raffi Festekchian is the manager of a computer program company located in the center of Boston, while Nubar Sfeyan is the establisher of "Armenia 2020" company. {Together they established the} "Yerazneri Art" non-profit organization. The aim of the organization is to help young Armenian musicians perform their art.

[...] They pay special attention to the students of the Armenian musical schools at the age of 8-18.

"Once a year we leave for Armenia and visit musical schools, choosing the children personally. We also cooperate with the "New Names." They carry out the first hearings. At present, we work with 40 children," [...] They help the young musicians complete their education, then they find sponsors to help them perform in Russia, in Middle Asia, in Europe and in America.[...]

[...] "We want to enlarge our activities and help the young Armenian painter too," Raffi Festekchian said in the interview.[...].

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

ANAHITA, FIRST IRANIAN GODDESS OF PRODUCTIVITY AND VALUES

Jul 21, 2005
Manouchehr Saadat Noury - Persian Journal

[...] One of the famous myths in Iranian culture is considered to be the Myth of ANAHITA who is also known as the first Iranian Goddess [...].

[...] a powerful sacred group, the Magi [...] , dominated the Median Dynasty or Medes (728-550 BC) and Achaemenid Dynasty or Persian Empire (550-330 BC). [...] During the Classical era (555 BC to AD 300), some Magi remained in Iran, and some migrated westward, settling in Greece, and then in Rome, Italy.

The Magi were responsible for chanting accounts of the origin and descent of the gods [...] {including a} major deit{y} [...] ANAHITA, the goddess of productivity and values [...].

[...] In Modern Persian, it is called as Nahid (spelled also as Naheed), which is the name of planet Venus. In Greek culture, it is called as Anahitis. [...].
[...]
Anahita is usually portrayed as a virgin, dressed in a golden cloak, and wearing a diamond tiara (sometimes also carrying a water pitcher). [...] .

[...] Anahita was widely worshiped in various parts of Armenia, Asia Minor and the West. Armenians called out to Anahita as the "Great Lady Anahita, Nation Glory and Life-Giver, Mother of Sobriety, and Benefactor of Humanity."
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

IMF Press Statement at the Conclusion of the Visit of Mr. Agustín Carstens to Armenia

Fuente: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
http://www.imf.org/

/noticias.info/ Mr. Agustín Carstens, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, issued the following statement today in Yerevan at the conclusion of his visit to Armenia.

"I am pleased to be in Armenia for the first time. The purpose of my visit was to meet with the Armenian authorities and review the impressive progress they have achieved over the past several years.
[...]
"Armenia is on a promising path toward sustained high growth and the alleviation of poverty. The IMF has supported the government's reform efforts under successive concessional arrangements. [...]"
[...]
"The immediate challenge faced by the authorities is how to cope with the increase in remittances and capital inflows. The central bank is to be commended for its handling of these inflows and preventing inflation from being reignited.[...]"
[...]
"[...] We agreed on the need to move forward with Government's Tax Action Plan, in particular the forthcoming review of customs operations aimed at improving transparency and reducing discretion. More generally, the main challenge facing the Armenian economy is the need to improve the business climate, which is necessary to spur investment."

"Armenia has taken important steps to modernize its financial system. I support the monetary authorities' efforts to consolidate these gains, especially by continuing to strengthen financial sector supervision, fostering a competitive environment in the sector, and deepening and broadening financial markets. [...]"

"[...] The IMF stands ready to continue to assist Armenia with policy and technical advice, as well as financial support in implementing its reform agenda, and I wish the authorities success in this endeavor."

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

GERMANY TO START NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH STUDYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

20.07.2005 03:47
PanARMENIAN.Net

The first textbook about the Genocide has been issued in Germany.

Yesterday German Minister of Education Holger Rupprecht presented the book titled “Genocides and state crimes with use of violence in 20-th century as school lesson topic.”

The idea of compiling such a textbook emerged this February, when German {opposition} forces launched a hot discussion on the Armenian Genocide.

The textbook written by scientists with the assistance of the Bochum University staff consists of two parts. The first tells about the principal signs and causes of genocide while the second presents the history of the Ruanda genocide and the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The first schoolchildren to study the genocides of the 20-th century will be the pupils of the schools of Brandenburg.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Film-makers on film: Atom Egoyan

Thursday 21 July 2005
telegraph.co.uk
Mark Monahan

Atom Egoyan is something of a living legend among lovers of art-house cinema. Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, but raised in British Columbia, he makes films as exotic as his lineage: cerebral, mysterious, astonishingly atmospheric studies of people in emotional extremis.
[...]
Egoyan's masterpiece remains The Sweet Hereafter (1997), a mesmerising fairytale-noir about a lawyer (Ian Holm) who descends on a small, snow-bound town in the wake of a terrible accident, and it's this, above all, that has guaranteed him immortality. [...] Toronto-based opera-lovers have recently learnt to their delight, {Egoyan is} a fine director of Wagner, too.
[...]
The latter offers an insight into Egoyan's appreciation of Stanley Kubrick's magnificent, terrifying The Shining. Made in 1980, it's one of the pinnacles of Kubrick's career (which also famously included Dr Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Barry Lyndon[...]), but not, says Egoyan, for reasons you might expect.
[...]
[...] I've been doing a lot of work in opera lately, and it was one of the most remarkable fusions of opera and cinema I'd ever encountered. People ask me whether or not I would ever think of doing an opera for a film, and I think Kubrick achieved that.
[...]
Several of Egoyan's own movies echo The Shining in having solitary, rather strange characters at their core, people dealing - poorly - with unresolved pasts. Egoyan not only acknowledges this, but cheerfully admits to having "ripped off" The Shining's opening, floating helicopter shots that follow the Torrances' vehicle heading off through the mountains. He employs a similar device in The Sweet Hereafter, tracking the doomed schoolbus along frozen, winding roads.
[...]
[...] his most piercing observation.

"The film is largely about triggers," he says, "at which point something is abstracted, our own family can become abstract to us.[...] that becomes the trigger that allows [...] violence against [...] family members. [...] that's where the true horror is: it's in the fact that we're all quite capable of that."

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Residents of the town of Akhalkalaki stood up for the church

07/21/2005 11:30
Pravda

The event that took place in Georgia last Sunday is seemingly insignificant, yet it poses a serious threat to the Transcaucasian republic. Residents of the town of Akhalkalaki devastated a local school building. The incident per se is quite an extraordinary one. Bearing in mind that the school destroyed by the Armenians was for the Georgian children, the incident looks even more sinister. The Armenians constitute a larger part of the population of Georgia's Samtskhe Zhavakhet region, Akhalkalaki is a regional capital.

Aside from wreaking havoc on the school building, a group of local residents beat up students of the Akhalkalaki branch of Tbilisi University. The students were cleaning up one of the derelict churches in the village of Samsar, RIA Novosti reports citing local administration.

There is a different version of the incident. The church in Samsar is Armenian. The students were reportedly making it "more Georgian by erasing distinctive inscriptions and making the new ones," Regnum reports. According to the news agency, the cleanup is just a disguise. The insulting attitude of the young Georgians infuriated the local Armenians and they stood up for the church, Regnum reports citing a local resident.

Georgian prosecutors opened an investigation into the incident involving criminal actions stipulated in the clause "religious intolerance."

It is noteworthy that many experts consider the above region of Georgia as potentially explosive. Armenians are one of the largest minority groups in Georgia. The majority of them reside in Samtskhe Zhavakhet region bordering on Armenia.

The Russian military base is located in the town of Akhalkalaki. The withdrawal of Russian troops and equipment has already started. By the bye, the Russian military base had created many jobs for the local population. Nobody knows for sure what is going to happen to local workers when the pullout is completed. Tbilisi officials promise to resolve the upcoming problems related to employment of the local population. It is unclear how the Georgian leadership is going to keep the promise. There are no impressive economic achievements the Georgian authorities can boast about these days.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Vic Vic Vic ! Darchinyan Day around the corner

21.07.05
Eastsideboxing.com
By Eddy Manning

There is alot to like about Vic Darchinyan. Young, eager and exciting, the soft spoken Armenian turned Australian has the boxing world at his feet. Darchinyan is in the final stages of preperation for next Wednesday nights bout against Columbian Jair Jimenez. The bout will be a defense of Darchinyans IBF and recently gained IBO Flyweight titles. The 29 year old champion is loving every minute of his world title reign and has the perfect outlook on his career. ''I want all the belts'' Darchinyan has said in the past. A goal which is within close grasp of Darchinyan.
[...]
The Darchinyan camp, along with most others dont know too much about Jimenez except he does have knockout power and a reputation as a slugger. Something which may suit Darchinyan very well. [...]
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia’s leading independent television station Forced Out Of Yerevan Offices

Wednesday 20, July 2005
Armenialiberty.com

By Ruzanna Khachatrian

[...]
The once popular A1+ channel removed its equipment from two rooms in a building belonging to the National Academy of Sciences and has until Saturday to vacate the rest of the editorial offices which it has leased for over 10 years.

The eviction followed A1+’s defeat in a court battle with the Academy which wants its property back, citing the need to accommodate the staff of two research institutes that were relocated from another building in the city center last year.
[...]
[...] Its owner and chief executive, Mesrop Movsesian, believes that the eviction was initiated by the authorities with the aim of finally closing his company.
[...]
"What surprises me is that there are also other organizations based in this building and none of them has been told to immediately leave the offices,” he said.
[...]
“Today I sent a letter to the prime minister asking for his intervention.”
[...]
A1+ was the only TV channel that regularly aired criticism of President Robert Kocharian and his government. It lost its broadcasting license in April 2002 after a disputed tender that was granted to a newly created pro-government company. The move was condemned by local and international media groups as a serious blow to press freedom in Armenia.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

UEFA European U-19 C'ship: Lombe extends Armenian adventure

Fuente: UEFA
http://es.uefa.com/index.html

noticias.info/ Carl Lombe's strike earned Armenia their first ever point in a finals tournament with a draw against England, and kept alive their hopes of reaching the last four of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

Late riposte

Having lost their opening Group B game 2-0 to Norway on Monday, Samuel Petrosyan's side looked to be heading for elimination when Aleksandr Petrosyan's own goal gave England a 72nd-minute advantage. However, with three minutes remaining, midfield player Lombe levelled from outside the penalty area [...].
[...]
Late drama

England finally broke Armenia's resistance 18 minutes from time, albeit in somewhat fortunate circumstances as midfield player Petrosyan turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Matthew Mills. However, Armenia refused to let their heads drop and, following a sustained period of pressure, snatched a late equaliser when Lombe unleashed an unstoppable effort past David Martin from just outside the area.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

IMF: Armenia needs good relations with Turkey to further boost its economy

Thursday, July 21, 2005
İSTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

Armenia's economic growth and reforms have been remarkable in the past four years, but the country needs to normalize its trade relations with Turkey to further its economic development, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In the latest IMF survey, the fund said over the past four years real GDP growth in Armenia has outpaced that of its neighbors and other low-income countries, averaging 12 percent a year.

“Also, since 2001, inflation has been low, at an annual average of 4 percent, and poverty and inequality have fallen rapidly. The government's sustained commitment to economic stability and reform, especially since 2001, has been a critical element in this progress. Armenia is now at a cusp -- more reforms can spur further gains, but faltering could put them at risk,” the fund said in an article on Armenia.

“At the same time, Armenia's economic potential relies on an export-led development process that would benefit significantly from improved customs administration, normalized trade relations with Turkey, and a peaceful solution to the territorial dispute with Azerbaijan,” said the survey.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

INTELLECTUALS CONCERNED WITH FATE OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN TURKEY

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS: Members of Armenian intellectual community, concerned with the plight of Armenian historical and cultural monuments in Turkey, have welcomed today the authorities' efforts for international recognition of Armenian genocide in the Ottoman empire, but urged them to condemn Turkish authorities' policy of destruction and misappropriation of Armenian monuments and ask international organizations to hold Turkey responsible for this crime.
[...]
[...] Armenian authorities must make full use of relevant international legislation to stop the barbaric policy of Turkey and [...] raise this issue at the ParliamentaryAssembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) [...].
[...]
[...] thousands of Armenian cultural monuments are subject to a policy of willful neglect and destruction on the part of Turkey. This policy violates Turkey's commitments under the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, [...].
[...]
Turkey has also signed various treaties that provide for the protection of monuments. These treaties include the 1954 Hague treaty and the UNESCO treaties of 1970 and 1972. [...] Turkey actively uses these treaties to sue for possession of cultural artifacts that originate within its territory.

Using the UNESCO treaties, Turkey gets financial support from the international community to maintain selected monuments, but discriminates, however, against important monuments of Armenian origin. [...] UNESCO data about Armenian monuments in Turkey [...] say that after 1915 genocide there were 1,000 monuments, in 1974 there remained 464, part of them destroyed. In 1991 Turkish archeologists started excavation in Ani, a medieval Armenian capital, which [...] is carried out unprofessionally resulting in further destruction of its monuments.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

OSCE Office in Yerevan awards public radio program

Fuente: Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)
http://www.osce.org/

/noticias.info/

YEREVAN, 19 July 2005 - The "Radiolur" ("Radio news") programme of Armenian Public Radio was yesterday awarded by the OSCE Office in Yerevan for efficient, objective and diverse news broadcasting.

[...] Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, said that such programmes help develop the freedom of expression in Armenia and enhance the professional skills and ethical standards of the journalistic community.

[...] This year the awarding ceremony coincided with the 10th Anniversary of the Yerevan Press Club, an active member of the OSCE Media Legislation Working Group.

[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Journalist faces jail for 'insulting Turkish identity'

18.07.2005
Index on Censorship

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink faces three years in jail for 'insulting Turkish identity'

The accusations came after his article 'Getting to know Armenia' was published in February 2004 in the Turkish-Armenian bilingual weekly Agos, which he runs. Dink claims that his call to readers that they symbolically "reject the adulterated part of their Turkish blood" was misinterpreted and taken out of context, and was never meant to cause offence to Turkish citizens. His trial began on 7 July. Press freedom organisations are concerned that the Turkish criminal code does not allow journalists to discuss sensitive issues, such as the genocide of Armenians in 1912 or the future withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus.

Related Articles

Reporters sans Frontieres reports.
The Turkish Penal Code analysed.
Library of Congress file on Turkey and its Armenian minority.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

TURKEY PROMOTES STABILITY IN THE CAUCASUS

Mevlut Katik 7/18/05
Mevlut Katik is a London-based journalist and analyst. He is a former BBC correspondent and also worked for The Economist group.

Turkey is engaged in a major diplomatic push to promote stability in the Caucasus. Ankara’s initiatives -- involving Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia -- could play an important role in breaking the long-standing stalemate in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks.
[...]
[...] On July 12, the Turkish television channel CNNTurk revealed that Turkish and Armenian diplomats had engaged in secret talks in an undisclosed European city, during which Ankara reportedly extended proposals aimed at easing mutual animosity. Turkish and Armenian officials have confirmed that a dialogue is ongoing, but have remained tight-lipped about specifics. Turkish media sources have said another round of discussions could occur soon, with Armenia responding to the Turkish proposals.
[...]
Ankara has a considerable interest in normalizing its relations with Armenia, as Turkey’s dwindling chances of gaining entry into the European Union over the near- to mid-term depend partly on whether Turkish and Armenian officials can settle their differences. During a mid-June visit to Turkey, Joost Lagendijk, the co-chair of the Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, indicated that Turkey’s chances to overcome growing EU skepticism about Ankara’s accession aspirations could depend on its ability to normalize relations with its neighbors. "Turkey must strengthen its relations with Armenia," the Anatolia news agency quoted Lagendijk as saying.

Turkish leaders have sought to reassure Azerbaijani officials that the special relationship between Ankara and Baku will not be weakened by a potential rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia. Turkey’s ambassador in Baku, Turan Morali, stressed in a television interview broadcast July 14 on Azerbaijan’s ANS television that there were "no grounds" for concern about the strength of the Ankara-Baku relationship. Morali went on to tout the potential benefits of a Karabakh peace settlement.

"There will be a new environment for joint work in the region if the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is solved," Morali said. "One should lay and reinforce the foundation [for a durable peace].
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia’s Main Cellphone Network Paralyzed

By Armen Zakarian and Emil Danielyan

Armenia’s Greek-owned telecommunications monopoly claimed on Monday to have so far failed to fully determine the cause of an almost three-week mysterious paralysis of its wireless network which has left hundreds of thousands of mobile phone users fuming.
[...]
The network’s sudden collapse began on July 1, coinciding with the long-awaited launch of Armenia’s second wireless system, VivaCell. ArmenTel promptly flew in telecom engineers from Greece and Germany to inspect its facilities but has still not provided a full and clear explanation for the breakdown.
[...]
The quality of mobile phone service provided by ArmenTel left much to be desired even before the unprecedented network failure. It was the main reason why the government decided to partly open the sector to competition last year.
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Abraham decisions Eastman!

Sunday, July 17 2005
By Alessandro Ferrarini at ringside

Unbeaten middleweight contender Arthur Abraham (17-0, 15 KOs) of Armenia scored the biggest win of his career with a hard fought unanimous decision over two-time world title challenger Howard Eastman (40-3) in a bout for the WBA Intercontinental title at Nürnberg, Germany. The hard-hitting Abraham started slowly but eventually wobbled the 'Battersea Bomber' in rounds ten and eleven. However, Eastman was always dangerous throughout the bout and the British Team saw their man winning at the end of the rounds. The official judges saw that differently, though, and Abraham won through scores of 116-112, 115-113 and a way out-of-line 119-110. Fightnews.com had it 115-113 Abraham.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Mediators Look Forward To Next Armenian-Azeri Summit

Friday 15, July 2005
Armenialiberty.org
By Emil Danielyan and Hrant Aleksanian in Stepanakert

International mediators ended Friday another round of shuttle diplomacy on a cautiously optimistic note, hinting that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan could clear the final hurdle to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at a meeting next month.
[...]
[...] the group’s American co-chair, Steven Mann, told a joint news conference in Yerevan. “We still have difficult issues before us, but I believe that objective conditions exist for that type of solution … before the end of the year.”
[...]
Mann’s Russian counterpart, Yuri Merzlyakov, described the mediators’ meeting with Kocharian as “very open and substantive,” saying that it focused on the unspecified “key elements of the basis of the future settlement.” [...].
[...]
Arkady Ghukasian, the president of [...] Nagorno-Karabakh republic, [...] who has been highly skeptical about Azerbaijan’s commitment to mutual compromise, had rare words of praise for official Baku which he said has adopted a “more constructive” stance and toned down its militant rhetoric.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia's Telecommunications Sector Set to Grow

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 15, 2005--"2005 Central Asian Broadband and Internet Markets", a new report offered by Biz-lib.com, suggests that Armenia's telecommunications sector is steadily growing. With almost 600,000 fixed-line subscribers for a population of about 4 million people, the level of investment in infrastructure and new services has begun to increase. [...]. ArmenTel, the country's national telecom provider, has exclusive rights to the provision of all telecoms services, including public switched telephony services and mobile telephony, in Armenia until 2013.

The report notes that Internet services are outside ArmenTel's monopoly. The country's Internet market is small (penetration 7.5%), but has been developing steadily. [...].

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND ARMENIAN ISSUES

The National Geographic periodical touches upon Armenia and the Armenian issues time after time.[...].

[...] the periodical touched upon the Armenian issues in the October of 1915, when Hester Donaldson Jannicks, professor at the Ladies American Collage of Constantinople, published the article, entitled "Armenia and the Armenians."

[...] writer Melville Chatter published an article entitled "The Country of Walking Death. The Travel through Armenia Doomed to Hunger" in 1919. In 1978, the periodical published the article "The Proud Armenians." While in the March of 2004, the periodical published "The Revival of Armenia" article that the term "genocide," when dwelling on the events of 1915.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

ARMENIAN REFUGEES DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE CITIZENSHIP

There are 360 000 registered refugees in Armenia. 65 000 of them have received the Armenian citizenship.

The figure is conditioned not by the will of the authorities but by the wish of the refugees themselves. They do not want to lose the refugee status, since with it they will lose the advantages and state support.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Egoyan Opens International Film Festival In Yerevan

By Nane Atshemian

[...]
The second annual Golden Apricot Festival, the biggest in Armenia’s history, will feature movies and documentaries by filmmakers from over a dozen countries, including the United States, France, Germany and even Afghanistan.
They will compete for the top prizes in three different categories defined by the organizers.

Egoyan will head the jury for the main contest designed for local and foreign films. [...].
[...]
Also expected to attend the festival are several world famous movie directors, among them Krzysztof Zanussi of Poland and Russia’s Nikita Mikhalkov. They will arrive with their latest productions and hold workshops for local young filmmakers.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia: World Bank Supports Implementation of Government’s Urban Heating Strategy

Fuente: World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org

noticias.info/ WASHINGTON, July 12, 2005. – The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved an Urban Heating Project (UHP) for Armenia in the amount of US$15 million. The project will support the implementation of the Government’s Urban Heating Strategy for multi-unit apartment buildings and will improve heating in urban schools.
[...]
[...] about 7,000 households in multi-apartment buildings without access to operational heating services would benefit from these investments. [...]. Roughly 10,000 poor households are expected to be provided with a basic level of service from clean heat sources. [...]. Roughly 100 schools will receive funding under this component. The primary focus of this component will be on urban schools outside Yerevan.
[...]
The Credit will be made to Armenia on standard IDA {International Development Association} terms, including 40 years maturity and a 10-year grace period.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, commitments to Armenia total approximately US$896 million for 40 operations.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Officials Say Karabakh Deal Close At Hand

By Harry Tamrazian

12 July 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Armenia and Azerbaijan are close to hammering out a peace accord on Nagorno-Karabakh that will allow its ethnic Armenian residents to decide their status in an internationally supervised referendum, according to sources in Yerevan privy to the negotiating process.
[...]
[...] the conflicting parties have already agreed on the key points of a peace deal that could be formalized as early as this year or at the beginning of 2006.[...]
[...]
[...]the referendum would be held within 10 to 15 years from the signing of a peace agreement and would follow the return of five of the seven occupied Azerbaijani districts around Karabakh. They said the Lachin District, which serves as the shortest overland link between Armenia and Karabakh, would remain under Armenian control, while agreement has yet to be reached on the seventh occupied territory, Kelbajar. The Armenians are ready to pull out of Kelbajar only after a date is set for the referendum, while the Azerbaijani side is demanding its liberation, along with that of the five other districts, the sources said.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Author aims to uncover genocide's screen link

Posted on Mon, Jul. 11, 2005
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

MORAGA - As a child in the 1930s, Ed Minasian often found refuge in the movie theater across the street from the three-story tenement where he grew up in Massachusetts.
[...]
The 80-year-old Moraga resident, who lost siblings during the mass killings, has spent 24 years researching the [...] 1930s Hollywood. His findings, which he hopes to publish in a book, detail how the Turkish government managed to squelch repeated attempts by MGM studios to make a movie about the genocide.
[...]
He was 10 when the book that piqued MGM's interest -- Franz Werfel's "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh" -- came out in 1934. It quickly topped the bestseller charts, but it was another 10 years before he finally sat down to read it.
[...]
Werfel's novel is a fictionalized account of the following events: Having heard about the soaring death tolls on the forced "death marches" to the Syrian desert, the villagers of Musa Dagh decided to resist Turkish forces. Nearly two months later, the survivors were rescued by the French, who spotted their distress banners from nearby ships.
[...]
But the book, written by an Austrian Jew as Hitler was gaining influence [...] was embraced with particular enthusiasm by Jews who saw it as an inspirational tale, and Germany quickly banned the book.
[...]
When MGM bought the rights, intending to bring the story to the screen with the help of Hollywood greats like producer Irving Thalberg and Armenian director Rouben Mamoulian, Armenians everywhere were ecstatic, he recalled. "That wonderful book is going to be made into a movie, and that movie will play all over the world, and finally our story of the genocide will get out."

The celebration was short-lived.

MGM soon dropped that project, and several subsequent attempts over the next few decades. It was widely rumored that the deal collapsed under pressure from the Turkish government, and in 1981, Minasian decided to find out exactly what had happened.
[...]
In his quest to document who dealt that blow, Minasian was granted rare access to MGM's archives by the studio's story editor, Samuel Marx, and he spent more than a week sifting through four grocery carts filled with files on the Musa Dagh movie. He dictated the interesting bits into his tape recorder. It took nearly three years after that to transcribe the recordings into notes.

Over the years, he also read through Werfel's papers housed at UCLA and the scripts kept by the American Film Institute.

To cap it off, he used the Freedom of Information Act to get the State Department's file on MGM and the Musa Dagh movie.

Minasian knows he faces a few publishing hurdles. To begin with, he's an unknown author with no agent, and also, he's been told his subject is "esoteric" and "passé." He figures he may end up self-publishing the book.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

World Bank Concerned About Sale Of Armenian Power Grids

By Atom Markarian and Emil Danielyan

The World Bank expressed on Friday serious concern about the reported purchase of Armenia’s electricity distribution network by a state-run Russian company, demanding official and clear explanations from the authorities in Yerevan.
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The RAO Unified Energy Systems (UES), Russia’s main power utility, announced on June 30 that one of its subsidiaries called Interenergo BV has paid $73 million to gain control of the Armenian Electricity Network (AEN or ENA). The Russian giant said the deal took the form of Interenergo buying Midland Resources, a British-registered firm that purchased AEN in 2002.
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{Interenergo, an} obscure firm was set up in a Dutch tax haven last year with a reported authorized capital of just 150,000 euros ($180,000). Its other shareholders are not known.
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Under the terms of AEN’s $40 million privatization, Midland Resources, which is in turn owned by a Canadian businessman, needs the Armenian government’s permission to resell the power grids to any other foreign investor.
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AEN was sold to Midland Resources without a competitive and transparent bidding in September 2002. The deal drew strong criticism from Western donors, with the World Bank putting on hold further loans to Yerevan at the time. It remains to be seen if the government will face similar consequences if it fails to address the bank’s concerns this time around.

In the meantime, the bank’s governing board approved on Thursday the release of a new $20 million to Armenia. Robinson said the money will be lent to private Armenian firms involved in agribusiness.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Kerkorian Unveils New Aid Package for Armenia

Radio Free Europe 09/07/2005 08:59

Kirk Kerkorian, a prominent U.S. billionaire of Armenian descent, announced on Friday that he will donate $60 million to finance more infrastructure projects in Armenia.

Kerkorian’s charity, the Lincy Foundation, said the money will be spent on the renovation of rundown schools and the repair of more highways and major streets in the capital Yerevan.
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The Lincy Foundation spent $150 million on those infrastructure projects between 2001 and 2004. Much of the money went to pay for the repair and construction of 430 kilometers of major highways, five bridges, two tunnels as well as 3,674 new apartments in Armenia’s northern regions still reeling from the 1988 earthquake.

In addition, Lincy has contributed $20 million in loans to Armenian businesses as well as half of the funding for the construction in the late 1990s of a road linking Armenia and Karabakh. Kerkorian has thus been Armenia’s single largest Diaspora donor.
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Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Yuroz (Yuri Gevorgian) Giving back through his art

Date published: 7/9/2005
By MICHAEL ZITZ
To reach MICHAEL ZITZ: 540/374-5408 mikez@freelancestar.com

Yuri Gevorgian, also known as Yuroz, will share his cubist art and views on the world at a private reception in Stafford.

He's mentioned in the same breath as Picasso, but the artist he has the most in common with might be Bono.

He's passionate about art, and even more passionate about human rights.

He's considered the finest living cubist, his work often compared to Picasso's.
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He's a man of rare charisma and drive who has become something of a rising star on the international political scene in promoting the cause of human rights for the United Nations.

Like U2 lead singer Bono, who campaigns for economic relief for poor nations, Gevorgian believes he has a responsibility to use his celebrity for positive political effect.
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Gevorgian, 49, said world leaders are going to have to bring about a fundamental change in the way people think to achieve peace.

Acts of terror are "going to happen the rest of our lives until something brings people together so we stop emphasizing differences because you're Muslim or you're Christian and create a political environment that, instead of concentrating on killing, concentrates on building."
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Prior to the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, he escaped to the West, leaving behind his family and friends to make his dream of coming to America come true.

He said art thrives only in a free society.

For two years he was homeless on the streets of Los Angeles, but he scraped together money for art supplies and painted. And when he began to sell his work, he quickly moved up in the world.

Once he lifted himself up, he started giving back to causes including the homeless, human rights and the fight against leukemia.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour picked Gevorgian to create a series of commemorative stamps issued worldwide as part of its Campaign for Freedom. He had previously done a mural and stamps for the United Nations titled "Respect for Refugees."

{See a previous article below:

What's in a Stamp?
LKW dancer's perform for United Nations
Stephanie Farr Sun-Gazette Staff November 28, 2004

Their bodies flowed fluidly before the canvases, recreating the pain and pleasure forever locked within the strokes of the paintings.

The artist who created six stamps on UN Human Rights, Yuri Gevorgian was born in Soviet Armenia in 1956, he was one of the youngest artists ever to gain entrance into the famous Akop Kodjoyan School of Art in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. He then went to the Yerevan University of Art and Architecture, but upon graduation, realized his creative expression would be limited under the Armenian government.

Just as the artist used a paintbrush to capture the thoughts and visions only his mind knows, so too did their bodies use movement to bring his illustrations to life.

When the LKW Senior Dance Team of Montoursville was invited to perform at the United Nations Postal Administration’s Human Rights stamp unveiling, Yuri Gevorgian, specifically requested the dance team to perform at the unveiling ceremony. His hopes were that the dancers and their coaches would portray the progression of human rights as illustrated in each of the six stamps he designed for the United Nation Postal Administration.

Read more on: http://www.sungazette.com/articles.asp?articleID=12315}

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Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia: Deforestation Plans Ditched

By Arevhat Grigorian in Shikahogh (CRS No. 294, 07-Jul-05)
Arevhat Grigorian is a correspondent for the newspaper website Hetq in Yerevan.

The Armenian government has abandoned plans to build a new highway through a nature reserve after an unusual public outcry, led by local environmental groups.

In June, the government approved a road route linking Armenia and Iran, to the south, via the Shikahogh reserve. See Armenia's Shikahogh Nature Reserve and Mtnadzor Forest at Great Risk and Government Bends To Protests And Agrees To Leave Intact Shikahogh Reserve .

Instead, the road will now circumvent Shikahogh and the Mtnadzor forests, home to unique trees, plants and even a small number of rare panthers.
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The name Shikahogh (orange earth) comes from the orangey, fiery red colour of soil in the area. Scientists say the ten thousand hectares of forest help to moderate hot winds blowing from desert plains in Iran to the south. The vegetation is also influenced by air from the Caspian Sea to the east. These climatic conditions have created a mix of flora and fauna unique to the region, they say.

The oldest parts of the forest in Shikahogh are 1,000 years old. The growth is so thick in places it block out almost all sunlight, meaning that deep in the forest even the brightest days can seem dark here. Experts say the local ecosystem has been kept intact largely because of the region’s remoteness.
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Opponents of the plan then appealed to the president of Armenia, the chairman of the National Assembly and the prosecutor general, demanding the project through Shikahogh be scrapped. Some in Armenia say influential Diaspora figures lobbied extensively and met with President Robert Kocharian in an effort to overturn the decision to build the road.

The president of the Armenian Forests NGO, Jeffrey Tufenkian, told IWPR, “Yes, we believe this is a great precedent. We would like to see the continuation of this kind of involvement by NGOs, international organisations, the Diaspora and the general public. If this kind of public participation continues, Armenia will have a great future.”

But Tufenkian said it remained to be seen whether the decision to cancel the road project through the reserve was part of a larger trend.


Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.