Armen

If this poll is anything close to reality ... it is amazing! Only 9%, while the reciprocal Armenian feeling is some 50-60% if I remember well from the ACNIS polls. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington Times, DC June 9 2005 Analysis: Russia's friends and foes By Peter Lavelle UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Moscow, Russia, Jun. 9 (UPI) -- A recent public opinion poll suggests Russians clearly believe the country has friends and foes in the world. However, results also suggest Russians are almost evenly split -- for some a foe is a friend and a friend a foe. Is Russia still looking for its place in the world? The Levada Center, Russia's independent and most-respected public opinion agency, polled 1,600 Russians older than 18 years of age at the end May to determine how the general population sees the outside world. Determining which countries in the world are Russia's friends and foes produced surprises and even contradictions. News reports of the Levada Center's findings did not make clear whether citizens polled were prompted with names of countries or asked to number countries on their own. The poll also did not provide a margin of error. Belarus came out on top as Russia's greatest friend in the world with 46 percent. Following Belarus, Germany came in second with 23 percent and Russia's other friends include Kazakhstan 20 percent, Ukraine 17 percent, India16 percent, France 13 percent, China 12 percent, the United States 11 percent, Bulgaria 11 percent and Armenia 9 percent. On the other side of the ledger, Latvia topped the list as Russia's strongest foe according to 49 percent of respondents. Following it, Lithuania with 42 percent, Georgia at 38 percent, Estonia 32 percent, the United States 23 percent, France 13 percent, Afghanistan 12 percent, Iraq 10 percent, Japan 6 percent and Iran 6 percent. Cursory review of the poll's findings shows many interesting issues currently in play. Russia's greatest recent enemy -- Germany -- is widely seen to be a friend. Russia's other important adversary during the World War II, Japan, is not widely seen to be an enemy by a vast majority of those polled. Many of the countries that are considered enemies now are Russia's neighbors. The recent heated public demand and diplomatic row that Russia should apologize to the Baltic republics for a half century of Soviet occupation should be ascribed to the current antipathy many Russian have toward those countries. The widely held belief that Russian nationals living in the Baltic republics are denied some basic human rights have also influenced public perceptions of these countries. The former Soviet republic of Georgia is also viewed in a dim light among many Russians. The close relationship President Mikhail Saakashvili has pursued with the United States and the tug-of-war over the closure of Russian military bases in the country has soured Russia-Georgian relations in the public mind. The perception of Ukraine and the United States is the most striking and contradictory of the poll results -- both countries are deemed as friend and foe by many of the respondents. Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" and many of the anti-Russian overtones that could be heard in media claiming Kremlin "meddling" in Ukraine's internal affairs continues to be irksome to many Russians. At the same time, people-to-people and economic relations continue to tie the two countries together. The perception of the United States appears to be almost schizophrenic. The fact that more respondents see it as a foe than as a friend could be accounted for as a lingering Cold War phenomenon. However, what may be more important than the past is many of the countries considered foes have good relations with Washington. After all, President Bush sandwiched his recent visit Moscow with stops in Latvia and Georgia. Another important result of the public opinion poll is the conclusion that the majority of Russians asked have no majority consensus of one international friend or foe and a significant minority who believe it has more foes than friends. The poll result also demonstrates how Russia has maintained close ties with former Soviet friends, India for example. But Russia has also reached out to former Soviet foes, namely the United States. Some former constituent parts of the Soviet Union -- once considered "family" -- rate high as countries most disliked. The most compelling reason for the lack of consensus among many Russians can be explained as a reflection of Russia still trying to find its place in the world after the Soviet collapse 14 years ago. Most importantly, Russia appears to find it hardest to come to terms with many of the countries it has had the closest relations with for centuries. This should serve as a wake up call for the Kremlin that Russia's neighbors are also coping to find their place in the world. -- Peter Lavelle is United Press International's Moscow corresponden

Now we know where Evelina is What a jump in that last photo!

Terlemezian academy has some nice links here. http://www.iatp.am/culture/links.htm

Kind of reminds me of Parajanov with some new kick to it.

I see BDSM is becoming a trend in Armenian art. MosJan didn't know you're into it!

February 21, 2001 America's Record Trade Deficit: A Symbol of Strength by Daniel T. Griswold http://www.cato.org/dailys/02-21-01.html

No Armenia has never been involved in Karabagh. Not even militarily. VERY small amount of humanitarian aid.

That sounds realy ... not good ... Movses jan Maybe anti-human trafficking?

CASCADE CAPITAL HOLDING TO HELP ATTRACT INVESTMENTS TO ARMENIA AND CAUCASIAN REGION YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. With the aim of attracting investiments to Armenia and the Caucasus, the Gafesjian Family Foundation (CFF) established in 2004 the company Cascade Capital Holdings in Armenia. Executive director of the company Jonathan Stark stated at the May 31 press conference that Cascade Capital Holding receives technical assistance from USAID and other agencies. The company cooperates with the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and is conducting negotiations for cooperation with the World Bank. In order to provide commercial and financial services to meet European standards on the Armenian market, the company set up its subsidiaries - Cascade Credit, Cascade Investments, Cascade Insurance and Reinsurance and Cascade Bank. Cascade Credit is a nonbank financial institution that gives advice on investment, manages assets and charitable funds. It also intends to issue securitires partly guaranteed by the US Treasury. At present, its share capital amounts to 600 thousand USD. Cascade Investment is engaged in management of private and corporate property, as well as assets and foundations. Cascade Insurance and Reinsurance is the first reinsurance company in Armenia, which has already signed 70 insurance agreements. Its total authorized capital makes 325 thousand USD and will increase to 0.5 mln USD during 2005. *04e-tr-te #01 %000 >c24 +p $10 &06 @06 .am 31/05/05 20:20 "CASCADE CREDIT" UNIVERSAL CREDIT ORGANIZATION TO BE BIG ISSUER OF CORPORATIVE SECURITIES IN ARMENIA YEREVAN, MAY 31. ARMINFO. "Cascade Credit" universal credit organization (UCO) in the structure of "Cascade Capital" financial Holding, belonging an American businessmen by Armenian origin Gerard L. Cafesjyan, intends to become Armenia's biggest issuer of corporative securities, informed the UKO's executive director Tigran Hovanissyan at today's press-conference. He noted that the main emphasis will be placed on both debt formation (provided with assets) and giving trade credits. In his words, "Cascade Credit" applies a regulation model and financial estimation of risks provided with well-founded balance of risk and income. Hovanissyan also informed that the "Cafesjyan" Fund, by means of "Cascade Credit", is going to participate in the program of financing restoration works in Armenia's energy sector, noting that it will be a big investment. To note, the UCO was registered in December, 2004. Its authorized capital stock totals $600.000. It is intended to increase financial capabilities at the assistance of the American structure on credit development and other international financial structures. -r- CASCADE CAPITAL OFFICIALLY DECLARED ABOUT BUYING OF 100% OF SHARES OF EMPORIKI BANK YEREVAN, MAY 31. ARMINFO. Financial Holding Cascade Capital, which belongs to American businessman Gerard Cafesjyan, officially declared about its buying the 100% of the shares of the Emporiki Bank. As General Director of Emporiki Bank/Armenia Levon Levonian informed during the news conference Tuesday, the entry of the holding in the capital of the bank supposes increase of the capital by $2.5 mln, which today total $4 mln. He noted that the re-registration of the name of the bank from Emporiki Bank into Cascade Bank is underway in the Central Bank of Armenia now. According to Director of the Holding Cascade Capital Jonathan Stark, the process of formation of united resource of global financial services jointly with USAID and other international financial structures was completed by buying the bank. He also informed that negotiations are being conducted with the World Bank and European Bank of Reconstruction and Development on share in credit programs. Cascade Bank intends to introduce new banking services, to improve the quality of providing services to clients and to pay special attention to increase the confidence of the population in the bank. New financial services are to be provided in the sphere of retail service to the population, provision of consumer and mortgage credits. Cascade Bank plans to buy the Emporiki Bank (Georgia) till the end of the current year, due to which assistance will be provided to Armenian exporters while delivery of products to the Georgian market. It should be noted that the insurance company Cascade insurance and re-insurance, the company specializing in the development of the market of capital "Cascade investment", universal credit organization Cascade Credit, as well as the Emporiki Bank (Armenia) (in future Cascade Bank) form the holding Cascade Capital. Noteworthy, total capital of the Emporiki Bank (Armenia) was $2.8 mln by Dec 31, 2004, the authorized capital - $4.4 mln, assets - $12.1 mln, liabilities - $9.3 mln. The net profit totaled $111,500 at the end of 2004. -S- GERALD L.GAFESJIAN MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION WORKS ARE UNDERWAY IN YEREVAN YEREVAN, JUNE 1. ARMINFO. Gerald L.Gafesjian Museum construction works are underway in Yerevan. The museum will be included in the architectural complex "Cascade." Public Relations Executive of Gafesjian Museum Madlen Minasyan informed journalists today. She said that in conformity with the project of American architect David Hotson the basic building will be extended, which is a way linking Tamanyan Park and Victory Park. The greatest part of the museum will be built of glass. The museum will exhibit the collection of the eminent American billionaire of Armenian origin Gerald Gafesjian "Glass Art," the works of the famous artists and sculptors on glass Stanislav Libenskiy and Yaroslava Bikhtovaya. Besides, the museum will exhibit part of Gafesjian's collection, the works of the famous Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero, whose "Cat" of black bronze decorates the lower area of the "Cascade." Yesterday, another 7 works of Botero were presented in Yerevan, which will be placed in the museum. The open territory of the Museum will total 12,000 and the closed one 5,000 sq/m. No construction company has been chosen yet, but Zangezour Transshin company is currently engaged in land works. The project costs $25 mln. The museum is to open in 2007.-M-

That looks like art

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/03/trafficki...tion=cnn_latest U.S. lists levels of human trafficking Friday, June 3, 2005 Posted: 6:50 PM EDT (2250 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- The placement of countries in the State Department's annual report on trafficking in persons. TIER ONE: Countries whose governments fully comply with U.S. minimum standards: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. TIER TWO: Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, East Timor, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Senegal, Serbia-Montenegro, Singapore, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia. TIER TWO SPECIAL WATCH LIST: Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance and meet one of the following conditions: a) The absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing. b There is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year c) The determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional future steps over the next year. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belize, Benin, Cameroon, China, Dominican Republic, Gambia, Greece, Guinea, Haiti, India, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Niger, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Suriname, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. TIER THREE: Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so: Bolivia, Cambodia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kuwait, Myanmar, North Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela. http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/46613.htm ARMENIA (TIER 2 – WATCH LIST) Armenia is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Turkey. Some evidence indicates that Armenian victims were trafficked to other European countries as well. According to UN estimates, up to 1,000 Armenian women work as prostitutes in the U.A.E. and Turkey, most of whom are victims of trafficking. The Government of Armenia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Armenia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List this year because of its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking over the past year. Specifically, the government failed to disseminate or implement any elements of its January 2004 National Action Plan. The government should take proactive steps to officially distribute, publicly support, and implement this plan as soon as possible. Notably, trafficking-related prosecutions and convictions increased; however, reluctance to apply the new anti-trafficking statute produced insufficient penalties. The government adopted an anti-corruption program and created a task force in 2004; however, it failed to take any measures beyond issuing a rhetorical pledge to address trafficking-related complicity. Prosecution Article 132 of the criminal code prohibits trafficking in persons and provides for a maximum penalty of four to eight years’ imprisonment. However, the government overwhelmingly applied Article 262 of the criminal code — a lighter pimping charge. Out of 16 convictions in 2004, the government applied the 2003 anti-trafficking statute (Article 132) only once; the remaining 15 convictions under Article 262 produced much weaker penalties. While the government increased the overall number of trafficking-related convictions, the cases produced outcomes ranging from six-month to two-year sentences, suspended sentences, corrective labor and fines. These penalties are not commensurate with Armenian penalties for other grave crimes, such as rape. Indications of official collusion and complicity among government officials hampered the government’s efforts to adequately tackle Armenia’s trafficking problem. Members of the Procuracy allegedly assisted traffickers and border guards accepted bribes facilitating traffickers’ movements across the border. The government failed to investigate or prosecute government officials complicit in trafficking. Protection Armenia’s anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts remained anemic over the last year. While Armenia’s law provides trafficking victims with protection, the government largely failed to provide this assistance during the reporting period. NGOs and international organizations continued to provide the majority of victim protection and widely reported good cooperation with the government. The government did not issue any formalized or standard operating procedures for police to follow when encountering possible victims of trafficking. In the absence of a formalized referral mechanism, police informally referred victims to local NGOs. Police also referred potential victims of sexual exploitation for medical screening and treatment as necessary. The rights of victims were generally respected. The police often failed, however, to treat victims’ identities with confidentiality. Victim assistance programs reported sheltering 15 victims in 2004. Prevention Cooperation between the government and NGOs continued to help raise awareness about trafficking in Armenia. The government sustained its program of providing housing to vulnerable children released from Armenian orphanages. The Department of Migration and Refugees initiated anti-trafficking discussions on several local talk shows. Lack of official recognition of the problem within many sectors of the government, however, contributed to the overall lack of progress. In a recent interview, the Minister of Justice declared that "trafficking does not exist as a phenomenon in Armenia." Informally, the government made a preliminary effort to engage bilaterally with Georgia, but did not develop any pro-active programs to assist Armenian victims in transit or destination countries.

I think he was asking you to spend more time on a specific Hye Where have you been Tornado?

Happy Tuesday Anonymouse.

Guys, it's not good to drink on Monday evening. On a second thought, as I am done with my last quarter eva (I hope it's the last one in my life) I wouldn't mind a cup of J&B.

Here are more:

Here are more:

Et sagh Haruti patcharova. Keghjeri hogin kerela erevi. Mard mi qich xighj petq unena.

U.S. Economy: We're All Living on Borrowed Time Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2005 William G. Gale, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies Peter R. Orszag, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/20050601galeorszag.htm

Caucasus is a free, independent and very proud mountainous region that does not belong to any other pathetic regions like Europe or Asia. So there are two Americas, Europe, Afirca, Eurasia, Asia and the Caucasus

Didn't know that Ara Abrahamian has that title now but anyway... it is good news

It is not about truth Sasun. It is about the consequences. If we increase their cost they may not be able to pay it. However, as a friend wrote to recently this attitude has a positive side to it. It declares that reconition is no more a matter of doubt on international level and it is only Turkey that opposes it, which is largely true.

Anoushik, as far as I see they are risking to alienate and isolate the part of Turkish public, in particular, the academia that has moved to open the discussion and educate the Turkish public. However, my knowledge on this is superficial.

Edward, as long as it is just one party (which will not control the govt) it is OK. However, it would be realy harmful to accept this policy at present. I think Kocharian's position is much more reasonable. What is so realistic about it?

RFE/RL Armenia Report - 06/02/2005 Dashnaks Plan Shift In Genocide Recognition Effort By Ruzanna Stepanian The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) plans a major shift in its decades-long campaign for international recognition of the Armenian genocide that will aim to hold modern-day Turkey accountable for the events of 1915-1918, it emerged on Friday. Giro Manoyan, the spokesman for the pan-Armenian party's governing Bureau, said that genocide recognition alone would not restore historic justice and that the international community should now `hold Turkey accountable' for the extermination of some 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. `There is no longer a need to merely prove a historic fact,' Manoyan told RFE/RL. He indicated that this will be at the heart of a planned `adjustment' of the activities Dashnaktsutyun's lobbying structures in the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the world. Representatives of those structures began on Friday a two-day meeting to discuss the shift in the nationalist party's emphases. The meeting took place behind the closed doors. The policy change is in tune with one of the main tenets of Dashnaktsutyun which has never made secret of its desire to get Turkey to not only admit to the genocide but also pay material compensation to Armenia and descendants of genocide victims. Earlier this year, Dashnaktsutyun accused the United States of prodding Turkey to recognize the genocide `without consequences.' Its leaders also want Yerevan to keep the door open for future territorial and financial claims to Ankara. `We believe that Armenia is unable to make such demands today,' Manoyan told RFE/RL in April. `But this doesn't mean that it will be unable to do so tomorrow.' This stance contrasts with the official position of the Armenian government in which Dashnaktsutyun is represented with three ministers. `We are not talking about compensations, this is only about a moral issue,' President Robert Kocharian said recently. Manoyan claimed on Friday that in seeking Turkish reparations the Armenians can count on the support of countries like France that want Turkey to address the genocide issue before joining the European Union. `Incidentally, these are the countries that have said `no' to the EU constitution,' he said. `According to commentators in those countries, the `no' vote was in large part due to the prospect of Turkey's EU membership.' However, neither France nor other EU nations that recognized the Armenian genocide have ever called for Turkish reparations. In a landmark 1987 resolution, the European Parliament stressed that `neither political nor legal or material claims against present-day Turkey can be derived from the recognition of this historical event as an act of genocide.'

Tiananmen, June 4th, 1989 http://www.temple.edu/history/images/tiananmen.jpg